March 11, 2025 (Paso Robles, CA) — Linne Calodo’s concept Grenache makes a splash return this spring with the release of the 2021 Level Headed—a wine that Winemaker Matt Trevisan patiently aged for 29 months in a French oak foudre. The 2021 vintage marks only the second release of Level Headed, following the inaugural vintage of 2019.
“Level Headed is an impractical wine that reveals new possibilities from my favorite Rhône grape,” Trevisan said. “It requires nerve, patience and a level head in the cellar, and we only make it from favorable vintages.”
The origins of Level Headed date back more than a decade ago, when Trevisan added French oak foudres to the Linne Calodo cellar as a complement to traditional oak barrels. A foudre is a large wooden vat rooted in Old World winemaking and widely used in the Rhône Valley.
Trevisan became fascinated with how his wines aged more slowly and differently in these large wooden tanks. Starting with the 2019 vintage, he committed to tapping the full potential of these vessels by creating a concept that he called Level Headed—a Grenache that is uniquely aged for more than 2.5 years in the cellar.
The 2021 Level Headed ($95; 480 cases produced) is available in limited quantities at LinneCalodo.com with an additional allocation only available at the winery tasting room in the Willow Creek District.
Grenache to the Max
The 2021 Level Headed Grenache comes predominantly from Gabbi’s Block at Linne Calodo’s estate Stonethrower vineyard, located just 10 miles from the ocean at an elevation of 1,350 feet. Gabbi’s Block is a steep northeast facing parcel that terminates along an exposed hilltop. The slope is 40 percent at its steepest, and yields are naturally low. “This is the perfect Grenache fruit for this treatment,” Trevisan said. “It has the native nuance and structure to evolve favorably while retaining its structure over a long period.”
The Grenache was fermented with native yeasts and pressed into a 2,250-liter French oak foudre. The following March, Trevisan blended in small lots of Syrah and Mourvèdre, which enhanced the width and body of the Grenache. The blend was then returned to the foudre for the duration of extended maturation.
The resulting wine exhibits a unique sense of style and dimension that could only come from this foudre aging treatment. The palate is mature and flush with strawberry, blue fruit and blackberry seed flavors wrapped around creamy mid-palate textures. Vivid acidity endures into a finish that displays profound stature and structure.
About Linne Calodo
Established in 1998 by Matt and Maureen Trevisan, Linne Calodo is a pioneering icon of Rhône-variety blends and Zinfandel-based wines from Paso Robles. The winery is named after the calcareous Linne Calodo soils found at the estate vineyard in the westside Willow Creek District. Winemaker Matt Trevisan subscribes to a “nature positive” farming ethos that emphasizes biodiversity, native lifeforms and species coexistence for the sake of creating responsibly grown, vineyard-centric wines. Visit the secluded Linne Calodo tasting room at the corner of Highway 46 West and Vineyard Drive, situated adjacent to the working winery and estate vineyard. See LinneCalodo.com.
