Joyce Vineyards 'GSM' Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre, Arroyo Seco, Monterey, California 2022

This cool-climate take on a Southern Rhône blend comes from Joyce Wine Company’s home turf in Arroyo Seco, where wind, fog, and rocky soils produce wines of precision and aromatic depth. Russell Joyce’s GSM is all about freshness, texture, and lifted fruit—not your typical California heat-driven blend.

• WINEMAKER: Russell Joyce

• FARMING: Sustainable

• VARIETY: 56% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 22% Mourvèdre

• TERROIR: Sourced from the Ventana and Zabala vineyards in the Arroyo Seco AVA. This is one of California’s longest growing seasons, thanks to the intense cooling influence of the Monterey Bay submarine canyon, daily fog, and wind. Soils are extremely rocky, well-drained alluvium with a mix of sand, granite, and shale loam, helping to maintain freshness and minerality in the fruit.

• VINIFICATION: 25% whole cluster; cold soaked for 4–5 days before spontaneous fermentation in small open-top fermenters with native yeast. Fermentation lasted 12–14 days.

• AGING: Aged 10 months sur lie in 100% neutral French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

• TASTING NOTES: Aromas of blackberry, dried blueberry, rosewater, and clove lead to a palate of mixed berry jam, raspberry, kalamata olive, and spice. Medium-bodied with supple tannins and a mineral-driven finish.

• FOOD PAIRINGS: Grilled lamb, eggplant with tahini, duck tacos, or lentils with roasted root vegetables

• ALCOHOL: 13.8%