USA > California & Oregon > Omen Wines (& Oro Bello Wines)

sustainable/organic, vegan, no So2 Added

Omen wines is named for an abandoned monastery that sits atop one of the vineyards managed by Atlas Vineyard Management, creators of the Omen line.  A project of winemaker Alexandre Remy and his team, Omen produces lush, round and ripe wines from vineyards in Paso Robles, the Sierra Foothills, and (for the Pinot) Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley AVA. Alex works with several different wineries to vinify his wines, as he firmly believes that grapes should never travel more than 20 miles from vineyard to winery to retain freshness.

All fruit is sustainably farmed with minimal intervention, working towards fully organic.  (The Pinot and the wines from the Rorick Heritage Vineyard are all fully organic.). All are vegan, and all are very limited production. Omen uses only Diam corks, guaranteed 100% TCA (cork-taint) free. For a bit more info…

Omen Syrah/Viognier, Element 79 Vineyard- 82% Syrah, 18% Viognier, sustainably farmed and naturally vinified, from the Element 79 Vineyard in the Fair Play AVA (a subdistrict of the El Dorado AVA, which is itself within the Sierra Foothills AVA).

The vineyard is at 2400ft elevation, situated on decomposed granitic soil with superb exposure and drainage… some of California’s best Syrah terroir!

Vinified at 13.5% ABV and zero RS, the wine shows a vibrant ruby-purple color, with an expressive nose of dried violets with dark cherry and apricot. Classic notes of baconfat and pepper. Full-bodied with soft lingering tannins and a juicy, fruity finish. 200 cases produced.

The Wines

Omen “Origins” Sauvignon Blanc- from the Clarksburg AVA, adjacent to the Sacramento River delta, the district has warm days and cool evenings, with heat moderated by the “Delta Breeze” - a cooling breeze originating over the Delta to the southwest and bringing cooler pacific air in its wake… perfect conditions for ripening Sauvignon Blanc while preserving crispness. Vinified in stainless with 10% ageing in new French oak. Notes of key lime and honeydew melon- refreshing! About 1,300 cases produced in 2022, the wine’s first vintage.

Omen “Origins” Zinfandel- delicious fruit from the Sierra Foothills, some of California’s best Zin terroir. Composed of 93% Zinfandel from Sierra Moon Vineyard, Fair Play AVA, Sierra Foothills, California 7% Petite Sirah from Element 79 Vineyard, Fair Play AVA, Sierra Foothills. Just south of Placerville, at an elevation of 2400 feet you will find the Fair Play AVA. High mountainsides and deep granite soils develop grapes for intense wines. It’s astounding that this area has been growing incredible wine grapes since the California Gold Rush, yet it is still a relatively unknown, untapped goldmine of high quality fruit! This wine is cold-macerated for 3 days, followed by a low-temp fermentation, then after blending is aged 9 months in French oak before bottleing.

Omen Red Blend- a really cool Zin-centric blend from the Sierra Foothills, typically including Zin, Syrah, Petit Sirah, often some Barbera, and sometimes a touch of Grenache. The blend varies a bit from year to year depending on the quality of fruit from the various vineyard sources. Destem, long cold soak, cool fermentation... it's all about the fruit, and then a moderate gloss of oak to enhance rather than cover.  Really a great "big red" from the Foothills!  About 3000 cases annual.

Omen Cabernet Sauvignon- 50% Paso Robles for richness and depth and 50% Sierra Foothills for structure and balance.  5% Syrah comes from the Sierra Foothills' Fair Play AVA.  Long maceration for depth and structure, moderate use of oak... rich and nicely balanced.  4000 cases produced.

Omen Pinot Noir - Originally an Oregon Pinot, smoke from wildfires resulted in the 2020 being a blend of fruit from the Russian River AVA, Sonoma Coast and Petaluma Gap, all within Sonoma County, while the 2021 returns to the label’s roots in the Rogue River Valley of Oregon. Winemaking is designed to preserve and emphasize the fruit, including a low-pressure pressing, destem, cold soak and gentle use of oak.  Ripe, rich and creamy in style, with just a touch of smoke/vanilla from the barrels. Around 3800 cases produced of the 2020, while there are about 7500 cases of the 2021.

Omen Cabernet Sauvignon, Rorick Heritage Vineyard- 100% Cabernet from an organic vineyard in the Calaveras district of California’s Sierra Foothills AVA. At an elevation of 2,000 feet, Rorick Heritage Vineyard is a genuine hidden gem of California producing extremely low yields and wines of character. The vineyard is located in Calaveras County, just outside of the town of Murphys in the Sierra Foothills, situated on limestone subsoils soils beneath a top layer of decomposed schist. The alpine growing season combined with limestone soils leave an indelible mark on the wines grown at Rorick Heritage Vineyard: beautiful aromatics, textural presence, and bright natural acidity are all hallmarks of the site. 500 cases produced.

Omen Barbera, Rorick Heritage Vineyard- 100% Barbera, also organic, also from the Rorick Heritage Vineyard in Calaveras County. Deep and berry-filled with elegant acidity. LIMITED- 120 cases produced in 2019.