Description
RED CELLAR TRIO WINE CLUB SELECTION
Growing up in East Los Angeles, Curt Schalchlin didn’t try his first wine until he was in college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he majored in Business. It was through his part-time job during school at Trader Joe’s that he discovered bottles from all over the world and his casual interest in wine tasting on the weekends turned into an eventual fascination and ultimately, his vocation. Later, Curt took the opportunity to help his friend McPrice Myers, who was starting his own winery. It was while working with McPrice and Russell From, of Herman Story and Barrel 27 wineries, that Curt first fell for Rhône varietals. A trip to the actual Rhône Valley in France and a conversation with Bernard Gripa—a third-generation grower in Saint Joseph—inspired Curt to start his own wine label and call it ‘Sans Liege’ which means “without allegiance” in French. In his words, Sans Liege is “a relentless search for independence. It is equally aligned with the freedoms of the New World and the heritage of the Rhône Valley but is careful not to hold too closely to either. Instead, I trust my intuition as to the microcosms of each vineyard site and vine to guide my work through each vintage.”
The 2022 Sans Liege “Long Way Home” is 100% Syrah sourced from the Old Potrero and White Hawk Vineyards. The grapes were destemmed into 1.5-ton open top fermentors (with 30% stem return) and vinified with native yeast. Aged for 18 months in French oak: 18% new, 55% second fill and 27% neutral barriques. Aromatically lifted, it opens with notes of crushed blackberries, coastal sage, and cracked pepper, underscored by hints of smoked olive, violet, and a subtle marine salinity that speaks to its ocean proximity. On the palate, the wine is both savory and vibrant, balancing dark fruit with earthy undertones and a distinct mineral edge. Fine-grained tannins frame flavors of plum skin and dried herbs, while a bright line of acidity carries through to a long, peppery finish. This is a Syrah that leans into restraint and nuance rather than power—thoughtful, windswept, and deeply expressive of its coastal origins. 200 cases produced.
