# Consistency in Chaos (2024)

- **Producer:** Stagiaire
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Syrah
- **Region:** California, United States
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €32
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** violet, blackberry, mint, black pepper

## About this wine

Founded in 2018 by Brent Mayeaux, Stagiaire is a small-batch natural winery based on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay. After learning winemaking alongside natural producers in the Jura and South Australia, Mayeaux brought a hands-off, European-inspired sensibility to Northern California terroir. Sourced from organically and regeneratively farmed vines originally planted in the 1990s on the valley floor at the boundary of Carneros and Sonoma Valley, 'Consistency in Chaos' embodies Mayeaux's philosophy of working with unpredictable nature without synthetic interventions.

## Interesting facts

- The name reflects winemaker Brent Mayeaux's philosophy of embracing climate chaos without synthetic wine adjustments.
- Winemaker Brent Mayeaux trained as a stagiaire (apprentice) in the Jura under iconic producer Philippe Bornard.
- The wine is crafted in micro-lots at an industrial winemaking facility on Treasure Island in San Francisco.

## Food pairing

The bright acidity, fresh dark fruit, and savory pepper notes of this natural Syrah make it exceptionally versatile at the table. The wine's herbal freshness cuts through rich fats in charcuterie and smoked meats, while its silky tannins harmoniously match earthy mushroom dishes and aged hard cheeses without overpowering lighter poultry or duck.

## Wine making process

Crafted following a strict zero-zero natural winemaking approach, this wine undergoes native yeast fermentation with no added sulfites, enzymes, nutrients, fining, or filtration. The vinification utilizes a unique infusion method combining equal parts whole cluster fermentation, destemmed fruit, and direct-pressed juice over a two to three week period. Following fermentation, the wine is aged for approximately 12 months in neutral oak barrels and puncheons prior to bottling.