In This Issue
High gear at the winery...
The Sound and the Fury
During crush, a winery creates a sound that is all its own. Forklifts with bins of fruit navigating the place, hoses spraying water, ozone generators whining, bins getting slung around, de-stemmers running, presses squeezing out juice, and hopefully, some excellent music on the stereo. But within all the chaos and cacophony, there is an undercurrent of serenity- because it is from the long hours of sweat drenched work that a wine’s true nature is revealed.
For us, picking starts the last week of August or the first week of September at the latest. Usually, it trickles in over a six or eight week period, with some stuff pressed and in barrels while other fruit is cold-soaking, and other grapes are fermenting or still on the vine. It makes for a nice rhythm.
Leading up to that is a whole lot of cleaning and organizing, getting in necessary supplies, making sure everything is clean and spotless and ready to go. I call the prep time “wax-on wax-off’ in honor of the Karate Kid. It’s a time for us to accomplish the obvious (get everything clean), but we also accomplish something more important- getting our interns familiar with everything.
We usually hire one or two interns each year. They come from all over the country; we've had them from places like New York, Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin. They come from all walks of life (investment bankers are great because they scrub like maniacs- probably to resolve some inner guilt. Lawyers are the worst- they’re always looking for a shortcut). But they all share a passion for wine. And believe me they work hard- probably harder than they ever expected; cuts, bruises, scrapes, aching muscles, stiff bodies and fatigue are pretty much de rigueur.
Our 2010 crew was a southern gentleman, and a feisty New Yorker (she cornered me at a pouring in New York and wouldn’t let me budge until I agreed to hire her- thereby fulfilling a stereotype of New Yorkers). I figured if things got boring I could put them both in a tank and watch them go at it. They started in mid August and got right to work in order to be ready in time for the first fruit.
But the weather threw a real wrench into my timing. Spring was generally cool, summer was quite cold, and August was really cold. This had the effect of allowing sugars to rise slowly and flavors to really develop, but it also meant the grapes weren’t ready to pick as expected.
By the end of August, the place was clean; the interns knew what everything was and where it belonged, and how it worked, at least in general terms. And we were ready for grapes- I mean really ready. But all those sounds associated with harvest didn’t materialize, because with no grapes, there is no real activity. The place was more like a Simon and Garfunkel song- Sounds of Silence.
I kept driving every day from vineyard to vineyard really aching to pick some fruit! Meanwhile, I had to keep these folks busy- they needed to pay rent and put food on their table. But after a week, all the tanks were spotless, the bins cleaned, everything was in its place. So they scrubbed down the forklift. They hand scrubbed the barrel racks. They washed windows. I was on the verge of buying toothbrushes so they could scrub the floors when it finally warmed up enough to finish ripening things.
And with that, the sounds of harvest began, but so did the fury. Because the temperatures had been so cool, the difference between ripeness at our warmer (relatively) sites and our cooler sites was nominal. That meant everything all came in at once - with a fury. We had every fermenter filled and I had to turn down some fruit because I just didn’t have space for it. It was just crazy.
But the interns were champions- both of them working long hours of hard labor, without a single complaint. Good humor ruled the place, and it was one of the most fun harvests ever. And it didn’t last long- within five weeks the last wine was in barrel. Done.
And the fury abated, and an empty post-harvest silence took over the place. The interns moved on and it was just me again. It almost made me melancholy to go in there, as it was just so much fun making these wines. We always give credit to nature and the farmers, but our 2011 interns really helped me find the best these grapes had to offer. So raise a toast to them as you drink one- they sure deserve part of the credit.
I like these wines. A lot. The extremely long hang time gave us real concentration, and they are very expressive. If I were to generalize about the vintage, I’d say that where a vintage like 2009 was open for business early on, these wines show far more structure. They can be enjoyed now (we have been decanting them for a couple hours, which makes a real difference), but nature blessed these with the ability to last. The depth and structure of these wines is obvious- and we look forward to knowing them for many years. We hope you do too.
2010 "The True" PINOT NOIR -Russian River Valley
Stretching from the ocean all the way east to the Petaluma River, the Sonoma Coast Appellation is far larger than one might think, and frankly, way larger than it should be. What river mudflats have to do with the coast is beyond me- neither the soils or climate in those places are remotely similar to each other.
Among winemakers, the area north of Bodega up to Fort Ross, within the first three ridges from the Pacific Ocean is often referred to as “true” Sonoma Coast. It is what we believe more accurately reflects the designs of nature, rather than a line drawn by a bureaucrat.
This wine comes from the northern end of the true Sonoma Coast, up near Annapolis. The vineyard is just a short 14 minute flight from Healdsburg, but an hour and a half drive across winding twisty mountainous roads. Unfortunately, air service in the area is almost non-existent, so a decision to work with this vineyard means a commitment to some arduous drives. Nestled among the redwoods between the second and third ridges in from the ocean, the vineyard is a quiet place away from it all. It is tended largely by hand- and the care is evident when one sees the place. The vines work hard to produce in the rocky soils, and yields are quite low- I don’t believe they have ever achieved as much as two tons to the acre.
During barrel weekend last March, I was struck by how pretty the wine was- I told more than one person I thought it was the “prettiest” wine of 2010 for us. I didn’t mean that in a qualitative manner as in ‘best”- but in the sense that it just was lithe and high toned and nimble. In a word- “pretty”.
I blind-tasted Carri on it the other night, and her first comment upon smelling and tasting it was “that’s pretty”- which really brought a smile to my face. When we react to a wine the same way, I see that as a good thing! This wine has only 13.6% alcohol- a bonus for those who prefer lower alcohol wines. But it still nevertheless has good palate weight, nice red berry fruit and pretty classical Pinot character. Not our “biggest” wine by any means- and “best” is in the palate of the beholder- but easily our “prettiest”. In homage to the place where it was grown, we have named this Sonoma Coast wine “The True”. Alcohol: 13.6% 92 cases produced. $40.00/btl
single bottles click here for 10% case disc price (mixed cases ok!)
2010 Bucher Vineyard PINOT NOIR -Russian River Valley
Bucher was the first vineyard we picked in 2010, which is to say about three weeks later than usual. At first, I was wondering if I had picked too soon, but during the 9 day cold soak, my fears were allayed. There was a brightness about it- the brightness that comes from picking before the flavor profile traverses from red fruit to black fruit, while retaining great acidity.
If there is one thing I have come to expect from wines from this place it is that they will reveal the place they are from. By this, I don’t necessarily mean the flavor profile, although the flavor profile of this wine is true to that place. I have many times talked about the fact that the Bucher vineyard has serenity about it, and the wines speak of that serenity. This wine is, for now, the most tightly wound of our 2010s. Initially, it reveals the cherry cola and raspberry notes I expect from this place, but with air it begins to show layers of flavors- a really nice note of tea emerges, and my sense is that it will continue to develop for a long time.
If you drink these now, I’d really recommend decanting them- the air just lets them open up nicely. If you have a bit of patience (I know, that’s asking a lot!), I think you’ll find this wine will drink beautifully for a good decade or so, and start showing its best side over the next 3-5 years. Alcohol: 14.4% Only 110 cases made. $45.00/btl
single bottles click here for 10% disc case price, mixed cases ok!
2010 "Mazie Rose" PINOT NOIR- Russian River Valley
By the time I picked this fruit, almost everything else was fermenting. This site is in a spot which stays quite cold, and there is a range of ripening between the five clones planted there. The two dominant clones (Pommard and 828) ripen most slowly while the other three clones ripen sooner, but everything stays in a nice range because it is so cold. Just as we advise patience in opening these young wines, we have to show the same patience to achieve full flavors. The vineyard is so small (just over an acre) we can only do one pick, so we have to really be attentive to find that point where everything is in balance.
For this fermentation I used about 10% whole clusters since we had great stem lignification. At that point, the weather had cooled down again, so the fermentation was slower than the others too. We punched the cap down a bit more too, just to extract a little more flavor from the skins, which were quite thick.
I’d like to tell you that when I opened this wine to write this newsletter, my first reaction was some deep profound thought. Actually, my reaction was more mono-syllabic, but it sure was positive! I liked this wine in barrel, I liked it when we got it into tank for bottling, and I really like it now! It is distinct among these wines in that it is the most accessible right now.
There is an undercurrent of dark red and black fruits- and a nice toasty quality about it. Rich and round, but the finish holds together quite nicely. I’d enjoy these as I wait for the other wines to catch up. Three nights ago I served it with seared mushrooms (Chanterelles, Lobsters, Shitakes and Cinnamon Caps with garlic time and shallots and a touch of brandy) over crostini topped with goat cheese and then melted under the broiler. It seemed quite comfortable in those surroundings. Alcohol: 14.7% 72 cases made. $50.00/btl
single bottles click here for 10% case disc price (mixed cases ok!)
2010 "Rolling Thunder PINOT NOIR- Russian River Valley
In a way, I have learned more about wine from this vineyard than any other vineyard I work with. It has a voice that is dark, brooding and powerful, and which comes through from the moment it begins fermenting. For all my proselytizing about the joys of red fruit, the black flavors and aromas from this wine are incredibly seductive to me.
Working with this vineyard (named the “Riddle Ranch” by grower Jim Riddle) has opened my eyes up to a whole new range of voices. Jim is a bit obsessive about farming- in a very good way (actually, if our growers share a trait, it is that they are all a bit obsessive about farming!). This vineyard deserves that care- situated at around 1000 feet above sea level, it is at the far western end of the Russian River Valley appellation, out near Occidental. The views are breathtaking, and in a way, the dramatic flavor profile of the wine seems to reflect the dramatic views. You wouldn’t expect a modest wine from this place, and this one lives up to its pedigree.
“Power” comes to mind, with not just a suggestion of dark berries- it’s the whole briar patch. And the structure is also powerful- this has good “grip” - as we worked it pretty hard to extract a bit more tannin. At the same time there is a grace about it- almost a self-confidence if you will. And what I really like about it is how similar it is to the 2009 in the flavor profile, although it has a bigger structure. It can easily handle being paired with bigger dishes- including beef or lamb. It will also do quite well simply into a glass and shared with another person. Alcohol: 14.8% 174 cases produced. $50.00/btl
single bottles click here for 10% case disc price (mixed cases ok!)
2009 Russian River Valley PINOT NOIR
We made about 700 cases of this wine- it's our "big production"wine. But that is hardly any wine at all- to put that in context, "big" wineries spill that much each year! We source fruit for this wine from 6 different vineyards, and 13 seperate clones of Pinot. My goal is to make a wine that expresses what I love about the Russian River Valley- bright high-toned fruit, and great acidity. In 2009, we used a bit more Martini clone than usual, as we really felt it dialed up the "red fruit" aspect of the wine. We also used 50% whole clusters with our clone 23 fruit- as we felt the power of that clone deserved a bit more stem inclusion- the stem tannins really complimented the depth of fruit.
The end result was a wine that we feel epitomizes what we were striving for. Make no mistake- nature made this wine, or at least the raw materials, so she gets rimary credit. But the cooperation of our growers, allowing us to have a little more of this clone or that, made a real difference - a "spice rack" of flavors if you will.
The 2009 is drinking beautifully right now- and the flavor profile offers up a wide range of food pairing possibilities. Wine writer Dan Berger deemed it "extraordinary", and Josh Raynolds of the International Wine Cellar rated it "91 points". Carri says it is her favorite Russian River appellation wine I have made- which is high praise indeed from one of the toughest critics I know. Alcohol: 14.3% 750 cases produced. $35.00 btl
single bottles click here for 10% case disc price (mixed cases ok!)
2009 “Selection Massale” PINOT NOIR -Russian River Valley
This is always the last of our wines to reveal itself. Because it is made from a large number of clones planted in a single place ("mass selection = "selection massale"), the divergent ripening patterns of the various clones dictate the couse this wine will steer. The early ripening clones have a darker flavor profile and the tannins are extremely well-developed. The later ripening clones hold a terrific amount of acidity, and the overall compilation is far more intriguing than any of the parts. But that structure tends to take awhile to reveal itself- and we find this wine is usually about a year later than our others in terms of how it develops in the bottle.
I love the structure of this wine- it's accesible now, but all that structure ensures that it is going to age wonderfully. And we're delighted that the wine writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, Jon Bonne, chose this as one of only 9 Russian River Valley Pinots which he recommended from the 2009 vintage. But in a way, I sometimes think of this as a "winemaker's wine"- simply because I tend to get more comments from other winemakers about how much they enjoyed a bottle of this wine. I've also noticed some winemaker friends mentioning they too have planted similar mass selection blocks- and while we can't take credit for the concept- its great to see something we believe in embraced by others whose palates we respect. We're just starting to drink the 2009 now, and it has a very bright future ahead of it. Alcohol: 14.4%, 105 cases made. $45.00/btl
single bottles click here for 10% case disc price (mixed cases ok!)
Fashionista Focus
A few years ago, we did a run of t-shirts that were very popular, featuring our “Peace, Love and Pinot” logo. Folks kept asking us when we were going to offer them again, and that time is now! Our new T-shirts are made in Calif. from an uber-high quality 100% organic, American cotton. This makes for an incredibly soft shirt, preshrunk, so more ‘fitted” in size. Nobody will confuse them with a “beefy T". And, as you can see, we re-worked the artwork, (including a homage to Healdsburg). Folks really seem to like them- many of whom opted to order a size bigger than they usually wear. For women who prefer a looser fit, try the men's style.
And the price? Normally $28.00, but free with any case purchase from this newsletter, or $20.00 with any other purchase (see below). For your free shirt, please include your selection (men's or women's) and list the size in the "Special Instructions" field at final checkout (or send us an email if it's a hassle!).
left photo: model wearing a Women's small; in right photo she's wearing a Men's small
Womens: XS sm med lrg XL
Men's: sm med lrg XL XXL
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• Wine & Food Affair November 5-6, 2011, this weekend!
• Winter Wineland January 14-15, 2012
• Barrel Weekend March 2-4 & March 9-11, 2012
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