23% Zinfandel, 22% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petite Sirah, 9% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Grenache, 4% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc

Food pairings: Grilled or roasted beef, burgers, barbecue, braised short ribs, lamb, pasta with ragù or tomato sauce, hearty stews, roasted vegetables and semi-aged cheeses.

Winemaking: Aged 18 months in 100% French oak barrels, 40% of them new. Decoy's team carries out as many as 150 individual fermentations each vintage, many in lots as small as five tons, using hands-on techniques such as open-top punch-downs before artful blending. The 2023 season began with abundant winter rain after years of drought; a cool spring delayed ripening by two to four weeks, and harvest ran from September 7 to November 9, giving red wines with depth, texture and rich color.

Vineyards and terroir: A California blend drawing on Sonoma County, the Central Coast, Napa Valley and Mendocino County. Decoy's estate vineyards in Alexander Valley include Ridgeline, high on the mountainside with hillside blocks rising to nearly 2,000 feet, and Brownell, a valley-floor vineyard with ancient gravel and sand alluvial soils.

Family and history: Decoy was founded in 1985 by Duckhorn Vineyards founders Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, beginning with a single red blend. Its label is inspired by a 1930s Pintail carving by Pacific Coast decoy carver Richard "Fresh-Air Dick" Janson. Decoy became a standalone winery in 2008, acquired Ridgeline Vineyard in 2012 and Brownell Vineyard in 2013, and opened its Hopland winery in 2014. Winemaker Dana Epperson, a third-generation Sonoman who studied at Cal Poly and worked at Ferrari-Carano, Edna Valley Vineyard and Artesa, leads the winemaking.

In the pictures: Winemaker Dana Epperson in the barrel cellar; Decoy's Ridgeline Vineyard in Alexander Valley; and freshly harvested grapes on the sorting line (photos courtesy of The Duckhorn Portfolio / Decoy).