Scintillating Abraxas shines a pure, vibrant flaxen hue. Effusive aromas suggest citrus notes of Rangpur lime and Meyer lemon, layered with floral hints of honeysuckle, magnolia flower and spice. The aromas foreshadow lingering flavors of crisp nectarine, pear and meyer lemon overlaying exotic spice, floral musk and a subtle, but pervasive minerality. Abraxas’ commanding texture and bright, fresh citrus edge refresh the palate and make the wine an amenable dinner companion.

The vintage shapes Abraxas. Appropriately, if you apply isopsephy (the Grecian practice of adding up the number values of the letters in a word) to the Greek letters of Abraxas, ?ß?asa?, the sum is 365. In ancient times, the Basilideans believed that Abraxas ruled the 365 heavens, each one with its lesser god and a virtue for every day of the year. In later years, the name morphed into the magic word, Abracadabra.

Abraxas is a salute to distinctiveness and a reaction against homogeneity. Born of the idea that four classic grapes of Alsace (Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Blanc), planted in RSV’s Organic and Biodynamic Scintilla Sonoma Vineyard, would respond distinctly to the unique weather patterns of each year. Then, the four varieties could be blended, in ratios determined by each variety’s unique response to the vintage, making the wine whole while avoiding the manipulations often found in a more industrialized cellar. Abraxas does not aspire to be anything but true to vintage. - Winemaker