THE BUCKLE

My Father had a lot of buckles.
Buckles he won in Rodeo.
Buckles he won for competing.

When my father was injured,
He was on horseback,
Helping a friend,
At the Most Beautiful place in the world.

10 days later he passed.
We were able to speak with him for those 10 days.
Nothing was left unsaid.

His final words were “don’t be selfish”

He changed my and my brothers life with those last words.

It still hurts me to be without him, the pain hasn’t subsided,
I believe, that I have just gotten stronger.
I believe that my brother would say the same.

But those words “don’t be selfish”
Still clang in my head like a bell.

It is easy to be selfish, It feels good.
Your brain lies to you, it tells you it is how you get ahead.
But it isn’t.
It is how you go it alone.

Dad knew that.

He didn’t want us to do that.
He wanted us to go on, together.
Leaning on each other,
Helping each other,
Relying on each other.

and so, we have.

The team comes before the individual.
I want my family to rely upon me.
I want to rely on them.

Responsibility not Selfishness…

The sense of purpose, we gain by an added sense of responsibility is a consequence of the sacrifices you make to keep safe and sound, what is truly important in your life.. marriage, parents, children, close relationships  Family.  etc
So, .
When a crisis comes in your life you will have those things to sustain you when your back is up against the wall.
Selfish feelings, whims, and wants will only leave you broke and hollow.

But the meaning that you can derive from the voluntary shouldering of responsibilities will always be there for you.

Voluntary shouldering of responsibilities
Leads to meaning,
Meaning leads to purpose.
Happiness is a byproduct of purpose   
All of this Leads to, wisdom and virtue.
To achieve any of this, you must have discipline.
Discipline allows you to have more voluntary shouldering of responsibility
the cycle continues.
This is how to live.

”Don’t be Selfish”
That little statement has led us here.

A buckle is just there to remind you and advertise to others your accomplishments.
When I look at this buckle,
That is all I hear.

Don’t be Selfish.
If we live up to that statement.

I will have accomplished something.

We Live in order to : Honor those that have come before us. + Prepare the way for those yet to come.
The wines we release this year are the last my father farmed from plow to harvest.
Some could say the last remnants of his work.
I disagree.
The work continues.
I was prepared.
But I was not ready.
Nor do I think I ever would be.

But I was prepared.
His boys have grown in his absence.
Not because he was holding us back,
But because we needed to.
We were prepared.

But if you think I was going to miss an opportunity to honor my father with this year’s releases you are mistaken.
Each bottle has a subtle nod to my father.
Each bottle is an opportunity to say his name and keep his legend alive.
I say legend and not legacy because that rests in his sons and in his grandchildren.

In a simple statement.

We live in order to Honor those that have come before us and to prepare the way for those yet to come.

That is who we are.
That is what we do.

Most are already Sold Out.
But Family will always be taken care of.

This wine is one of 3 Syrah’s we have released this year. It all comes from the same vineyard and was all picked on the same day. Furthermore, these vines are genetically identical. The vines are Clones of each other. Cuttings taken and replicated over and over. Genetically they are all one vine just planted in slightly different locations. These 3 wines are from 3 different hillsides.

MITT is from the Little Boy Terrace the furthest and steepest of the hillsides comprising only 16 rows.
BUCKLE is taken from the FatMan terrace located lightly north comprising 24 rows cascading along the hillside.
And Finally, GLOVES is coming from the High Hill the furthest most hillside at the entrance of Windmill Ranch and Vineyard.

We take it upon ourselves in our family to follow our family creed :

We live in order to: Honor those that have come before us + to prepare the way for those yet to come.