Cordon Cuvee Rouge
The History
Etienne Terlinden – Winemaker & Owner
Etienne’s passion for wine was rooted in his grandfather’s wine
cellar at the family’s chateau near Brussels in Belgium while his
winemaking talents came to life in Santa Barbara County where
he became interested in the area’s unique microclimates and ability to produce wines with distinct character. Etienne handcrafts
small batches of exceptional wines, each varietal expressing a
very certain old world sensibility. Etienne is also Executive Wine
maker for Summerland Winery and consul ng winemaker to a
dozen or so others in the Santa Barbara area.
The Grape
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre
Tasting Note
It’s the joy I get from crafting blends that inspired this Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, tagged “246” in honor of Highway 246 that
runs the course of our Santa Ynez Valley. Using three different grape varie
tals to create a well-balanced wine with an aroma c bouquet and clean fruit
characteris cs is true art for the palate. These grape varietals likely originat
ed in the Rhône region of France before arriving in California in the 1980s
where they flourished in the diverse microclimates of the Santa Ynez Valley
corridor. My “GSM” was aged in a mix of French and Amercian oak using
traditional age-old winemaking methods with a touch of modern
technology.