Syrah-dominant blend with Carignan, Petite Sirah, Abouriou
The name: Balou is Avi Deixler's dog — his co-pilot on drives into San Francisco to sell the wine to sommeliers in the early days. It's become one of the winery's signature cuvées, named for the dog with, as one profile put it, a shared "rustic bouquet." Genuinely charming, low-key story, good for social copy.
Winery: Same as Flaws — Avi Deixler, founded 2016, the only registered winery in Marin's North Marin Wine District, now expanding into Mendocino County. Same minimal-intervention philosophy: nothing but grapes, native yeast, no additions.
Winemaking: Whole cluster, two-week maceration, fermented in raw French oak barrique that Deixler shaves down before every new fermentation, barrels sealed and rolled every few days (his signature technique instead of punch-downs), pressed, then back into the same barrel to age a year. No added SO2.
Tasting notes: Robust fruit and spice, chewy tannins, fresh. Cherry and raspberry with peppery, savory notes — a big, rustic red built for grilling.
Food pairings: Barbecue or steak, straight from the producer's own description — "the kind of big red you can enjoy anytime."
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