HONOR + PREPARE | PETITE SIRAH 2022

This is the Creed our Family Lives By – It is the contract – To Honor and Prepare – There is nothing else.

For the Saarloos family, the words “Honor” and “Prepare” are not just phrases; they are an unbreakable contract that spans generations. This creed is our family’s heartbeat, an agreement silently renewed each day and upheld with everything we do, everything we make, and every legacy we share. It’s not a fleeting sentiment or a motto printed on labels. It’s a way of life that defines who we are, why we work, and the purpose behind each choice we make. In our work, in our homes, and in the lives we live, the creed shapes and strengthens us, binding us to the past, anchoring us in the present, and setting a course for the future.

My life is not my own — it is in the service of this statement.
This creed.
This promise that has outlived the men and women who first spoke it aloud.

WE LIVE: LIVE TO HONOR THOSE THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US, AND TO PREPARE THE WAY FOR THOSE YET TO COME.

My grandparents lived it. They didn’t talk about legacy — they built it.
They carried faith and work in both hands. They broke ground that would one day hold our roots. They didn’t call it sacrifice; they called it Tuesday. They didn’t dream about the future — they made one.

They prepared the way for my parents.
My parents honored their family with their lives and their work.
They built upon that same dirt, with the same calloused hands, under the same sky.
They carried the torch through droughts, floods, setbacks, and seasons of grace.
They showed us that success is not measured in comfort but in continuity — that the true reward for hard work is the chance to do more of it.
And in turn, they prepared the way for me and my brother.

I put words to this life — the life they lived before I had the language for it.
A life that was hard.
A life that was worth it.
A life that never promised easy but always delivered meaning.

This creed has never failed me.
Not once.
When the storms came. When the vines split. When the dirt took more than it gave.
When faith was thin and the weight felt heavier than I could carry — I leaned on this statement with everything I had.
And it never cracked. It never bent.
It held. It always holds.

We raised our children with this in mind — not as a saying, but as a way of being.
We Honor our grandparents and our parents through our lives and our work.
We show our children the path, not with speeches, but with footprints.
We win together. We lose together.
We fall. We rise. We remember why.

This creed is the compass — always pointing true, even when we drift.
It’s the tie that binds generations tighter than blood.
It’s the bedrock beneath everything we are — stronger than circumstance, deeper than pride, older than all of us.

It’s not something we wrote down; it’s something we live.
It’s written in the way we rise before the sun and rest only when the work is done.
It’s in every bottle that leaves this place — every drop a reminder that time, patience, and love are the only real currency that matters.

To Honor is to look back with gratitude.
To Prepare is to look forward with faith.
And to live in the balance between those two things — that’s the work. That’s the calling. That’s the reason we’re here.

This wine, this year, this vintage — it’s not about novelty or trend.
It’s about proof.
Proof that the creed still stands.
Proof that a family can build something sacred from dirt and devotion.
Proof that what is handed down can still hold firm in the hands of the next.

So here it is.
HONOR + PREPARE 2022.
The same soil. The same struggle. The same love.
The next verse in a song that started long before me —
and will, God willing, play long after I’m gone.

To say this is the creed our family lives by is to say we’ve pledged to live with a purpose that reaches beyond us, a purpose that has defined our family for generations. We call it a Generational Contract, a promise woven into the heart of every Saarloos, spanning past, present, and future. It’s not just a set of values—it’s a calling, a sacred duty, a thread that connects us all, bringing the past into the present and reaching forward to touch the future we may never see. This contract commands respect, resilience, and humility, holding us accountable to a life that stands for something timeless.

To Honor is our way of remembering, recognizing, and respecting every person and choice that has shaped our family and brought us to this moment. It means carrying with us the strength, resilience, and sacrifices of those who came before us. We walk in the footsteps of those who gave everything, so we honor them by preserving their legacy in every drop of wine, in every story told, and in every moment shared. To honor them is to recognize that we stand on the shoulders of giants and that our choices must reflect the depth of gratitude we feel for what they’ve given us.

To Prepare is to know that our work today is not just for ourselves but for those who will walk this path after we are gone. It means that everything we do is about setting a foundation, about making choices that will carry strength, purpose, and care into the future. When we prepare, we’re building something meant to last beyond our time. Every decision we make, every vine we tend, every bottle we pour is crafted with the knowledge that it will become part of a legacy we’ll never see fulfilled but will always be proud of. It’s about giving our all so those yet to come will have something sturdy and true to inherit.

This creed—this contract—is about sacrifice, but it’s a sacrifice we make willingly and without question. It’s not about taking the easy path or seeking quick rewards; it’s about holding ourselves to a higher standard because we know what’s at stake. This life isn’t for everyone, and it isn’t easy. But for those who understand it, there is no other way to live. We commit to living this way every day, knowing that our purpose is greater than any single moment or achievement.

In the vineyard, each vine we tend is a reflection of our commitment to honor and prepare. In the way we work the land, we are grounded in the patience it takes to nurture growth. It’s slow, it’s deliberate, and it requires our full devotion. Every grape we grow is a testament to our belief in this generational contract. We are not merely growing grapes; we are tending a legacy, planting roots that will hold for decades, for the next generations to harvest and for them to continue the story. This is our life’s work, but it is also so much more—it is the bridge between yesterday and tomorrow.

And in each bottle we create, you’ll find the spirit of our family. The wine we craft isn’t just a product; it’s an invitation to experience the Saarloos way of life, to taste the story of a family bound by something much larger than themselves. Each bottle holds more than wine—it holds memories, stories, hard-earned lessons, and the unspoken moments that define us. This isn’t just wine; it’s a piece of who we are, a piece of our family history in liquid form.

When you drink it, you’re sharing in a piece of our story. You’re joining us in this creed that binds us, that shapes us, that drives us forward. Our wine is meant to be shared with those who understand what it means to live for something greater than themselves, to make sacrifices today for something lasting and worthwhile tomorrow.

To live by this creed, to honor and to prepare, is to choose a life that stands for something beyond today, a life of legacy, meaning, and deep connection. This is who we are. This is what we live for. This is the path we walk together as a family, in step with those who came before and those who will follow.

It’s not easy. It’s not for everyone. But for us, it is everything. And it is worth every ounce of effort, every drop of sweat, and every hard decision along the way. This is our family’s promise, our life’s work, and our invitation for you to be part of something far bigger than wine.

Tasting Notes

Color: Deep as the dirt it grew from. Inky purple with edges that catch a bit of light, like that last bit of sunset before the day fades completely. This wine is dark, unapologetically bold, a glass full of shadows and substance.

On the Nose: Right off the bat, you get blackberries and ripe plums, dense and rich. Let it breathe a minute, and there’s this warm hint of violets hiding in there, like wildflowers in the breeze. Dark chocolate notes sneak in too, just a little bitter, balancing things out with black pepper and a smoky touch of tobacco. A faint sweetness from oak comes through, a reminder of time and patience, like aged leather and cedar.

On the Palate: This wine doesn’t just say hello; it grabs your attention. Full-bodied, bold, and layered with intensity. You’ll taste dark fruit first—black cherry, cassis, maybe even a hint of mulberry if you’re paying close attention. Then the espresso kicks in, a bit of smoked sage, grounding it all with depth. This is a wine with backbone, with tannins that mean business but don’t overwhelm. It’s got that strength that speaks to the earth it came from, balanced with a touch of finesse that only comes from family-grown vines and a love for the craft.

Finish: Long. Like, really long. It lingers, a bit savory, with baking spices in the background. The blackberry jam comes back for an encore, and there’s this minerality at the end—a little grit, a little honesty. It leaves you warm, like a slow-burning fire you don’t want to leave.