Our 2011 Wines
2011 Syrah, Coastview Vineyard, Monterey County
2011 Syrah, Coastview Vineyard, Monterey County
2011 was difficult but in many ways the exact opposite of 2010. In 2010 it was the late vineyards that did well and the early harvest vineyards struggled with high sugars and unripe flavors compounded by a September heat wave that spiked sugars. The late harvest vineyards just passed through the bad September and took advantage of a great October. In 2011 the late vineyards ended up being just too late and we picked grapes into mid November. It was the early and mid harvest vineyards that did best and our Syrah comes from a site we call a mid harvest Vineyard although it would be late October in 2011 when we harvested the grapes.
Coastview is a new vineyard for us. The vineyard is managed by our friend Ian Brand who we first worked with at Big Basin where he was assistant winemaker. It is located high above the Salinas Valley on granite soils. Our grapes come from the ‘North Block’ of the vineyard. The views of the Monterey coast are spectacular and the combination of soil, altitude and cool nights is just what we want in a Syrah vineyard. We also made this wine in 2012 and hope it will become a regular in our line up.
Grapes were picked on 10/22 and fermentation was done with 20% whole cluster on native yeast. Punchdowns were done twice a day and the wine took 28 days to get through fermentation. We pressed the wine on 11/19 and transferred to 100% French oak with 1/3 of the barrels new. Some of the wine would be used for our Nueva Casa de los Padres and we selected three barrels for this single vineyard bottling. The wine was bottled after 15 months in barrel. Alcohol is 14.04% 72 Cases produced
Tasting Note: he wine is dark and clear with a nose of cherries and black pepper. Stefania loves this wine. It’s round and plush with a sweet nose and she says ‘powerful but pretty’. Flavors of plum and spice come out on the finish and the tannins are ripe and round. It’s a very elegant wine and one we think is serious and will mature very well. Drink over the next 12 years.
Availability: Released in the Spring of 2013 and currently available for purchase. Click to place an order.
Release Price: $32
Our 2010 Wines
2010 Haut Tubee California
2010 Nueva Casa de los Padres Red Blend California
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Crimson Clover Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
2010 Haut Tubee California
The 2010 ‘Hot Tub’ feels like the very first purpose built version of this wine. Each of the previous years had at least some part accidental construction to it. In 2010 we had a firm plan for the Haut Tubee well before harvest started and followed the plan all the way through bottling. We think it’s the best Haut Tubee we’ve made so far.
We were particularly happy with the ‘base’ wine that comes from our three micro vineyards in San Jose. We had a large enough quantity of grapes to finish harvest with two full barrels of base wine. In all a total of 10 vineyards would add grapes to the final blend. The 2010 wine is closest in construction to the original 2006 version of the Haut Tubee with
Cabernet Sauvignon 43 %
Syrah 40%
Grenache 13%
Merlot 2%
Zinfandel 1%
Mourvedre 1%
We used just about 30% new wood. Final Alcohol was 13.5% with a pH of 3.84.
Tasting Note: The wine is bright red with a funky sweet cherry nose. Juicy fruit with taffy and strawberry that turns to darker fruit in the glass. Round with a long finish; Stefania noted pepper in the finish from the Syrah and a hint of the redwood forest around some of our vineyard sources.
Availability: Limited amount currently available for purchase. Click to place an order.
Release Price: $20
2010 Nueva Casa de los Padres Red Blend California
Naming the new wine took some time but we finally came up with a way to reference the original GSM blends of Chateauneuf du Pape (New Home of the Pope) that we love so much, with our California grapes and history. New Home of the Fathers honors the Franciscan Fathers who brought grape growing and winemaking to their new home in California.
The biggest challenge for this new wine turned out to be getting the wine through fermentation. Harvest dates were in early November and by Thanksgiving temperatures on the crush pad were in the 40′s at night and low 50′s in the day. The wine was still going, but the cold had slowed it to a crawl. We decided to press the wine, rack it into barrel and finish fermentation in barrel inside the winery where it was warmer at 60 degrees.
When it all finished up we had the wine in 25% new wood and had 65% Syrah, 33% Grenache and 2% Mourvedre in the blend. We really liked the way this wine turned out and we will make this wine going forward. The 2011 is already in barrel with a higher percentage of Mourvedre and the sources for 2012 are on line. Final alcohol was 14.5% with a pH of 3.79. 128 cases were produced.
Tasting Note: The wine is dark but clear with magnolia seed, dusty cherry blossom and plum on the nose (all those things grow in our yard so we’re not making it up). The wine is rich and fruity with a velvety spicy finish. Stefania had notes of cigar and ‘really good raw chocolate’. The nose changed on the wine every 10 minutes as we sampled it. Very complex.
Availability: Limited amount currently available for purchase. Click to place an order.
Release Price: $28
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Crimson Clover Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley
The Crimson Clover vineyard weathered the difficult 2010 growing season better than any other vineyard we manage. The warm location usually has us irrigating late in the season to keep sugars down, but in 2010 the additional warmth helped the vineyard reach full maturity.
The cold and heat spells of the season had far less effect on this site than any other site we worked in 2010. The flavors and sugars developed well through the late summer and early Fall.
On the morning of 10/10, 12 days later than normal for the site, we harvest two full tons of grapes with a mixed paid and volunteer group. Bins were sorted in the field and perfectly clean fruit was delivered to the winery for crushing into two 1-ton bins for fermentation. Numbers at harvest were Bin #1 Brix 25, pH 3.63, TA .71 and Bin #2 Brix 25, pH 3.49 and TA .79
Superfood was added and the must was allowed to ferment on the wild yeast of the area. Fermentation started and proceeded quickly. On 10/11 5 gallons were transferred from each bin to the Haut Tubee fermentation. Punchdowns were done twice daily.
On 10/27 the wine was pressed gently and transferred to a stainless steel tank to settle before transfer to barrel. Malo starter was added to the tank to start the secondary fermentation. The wine was transferred to 3 new and one used barrel. 50ppm of sulfur were added on the second racking in March of 2011 and the wine was transferred to 3 new barrels and one used ½ barrel. Racked again in September 2011 and February 2012, adding sulfur each time.
Alcohol was 13.90 at finish and a pH of 3.84. 122 cases were bottled after 22 months in barrel
Tasting Note: The wine is deep red and bright. Nose is more classic Cabernet than the 08 or 09 with notes of cigar box, lead pencil and spices to match the plum and black cherry fruit. Very round and lively in the mouth, shows the lower alcohol of the vintage with it’s freshness. Stefania also called this wine elegant. This wine will actually age longer than the SCM Cab we think which is a reversal of most years.
Availability: Released in the Spring of 2013 and currently available for purchase. Click to place an order.
Release Price: $40
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains
The 2010 version of our Santa Cruz Mountain Cab is again a blend of the Harvest Moon and Chaine d’Or vineyards with just a dash of Crimson Clover Vineyard added in. The wine is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. 2010 was a difficult growing year but our vineyards that get ripe late in the season passed through the difficult September ( we were not so lucky with Pinot Noir and sold all our 2010 Pinot in bulk) with no ill effects and we harvested both main lots on October 21st.
Fermentation went well on native yeast and we added a small amount of tartaric acid during fermentation to bring the pH to 3.70. Punchdowns were done by Stefania and Millie twice per day and the wine was pressed after 21 days. We aged the wine in all French oak and used 60% new oak. We eventually selected 5 barrels for the final blend and bottled the wine after 22 months in barrel. Alcohol is 13.55% 124 cases were produced after 22 months in barrel.
Tasting Note: The wine is deep red with a floral nose full of cherry fruit. There’s a great spicyness to the wine with clove and tobacco notes around deep plummy fruit. Stefania called the wine elegant and round. This version of the SCM cab will drink well younger than vintages with bigger tannins like 07 or 08. The wine finishes with fresh fruit and mocha notes.
Availability: Released in the Spring of 2013 and currently available for purchase. Click to place an order.
Release Price: $40
Our 2009 Wines
2009 Chardonnay Chaine d’Or Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
2009 Syrah Split Rail Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
2009 Haut Tubee, California
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Crimson Clover Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Chaine d’Or Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
2009 Chardonnay Chaine d’Or Vineyard
Santa Cruz Mountains
Chardonnay harvest at Chaine d’Or was small for the estate, but we think this will be typical for us with our strict pruning and thinning routine. We picked on the morning of September 27th. It took just 5 hours to bring in a total of 149 bins or 4470 pounds for an average yield of 2.2 tons / acre. The fruit was healthy, and showed excellent golden maturity. The grapes were destemmed and pressed at once in our stainless steel bladder press. Final numbers were Brix 26, TA .93 and pH 3.62. The juice was transferred to a stainless steel tank where it was chilled to 54 degrees for 24 hours to encourage the gross lees to fall out.
On 10/5 the Chardonnay was transferred to 4 new barrels and 4 used barrels to continue fermentation. On 10/23 the Brix had reached -1% in each barrel and it was condensed down to a final 5 barrels (3 new, one 2008, one old) and a Keg and Carboy. Lees were stirred every two weeks to enrich the wine.
On May 1st the wine was filtered and transferred to a second tank for bottling. Bottling was in early May and we decided to hold the wine into 2011 before release to allow it ample time to recover from the bottling process.
Tasting Note: The wine has a pronounced nose of pear, peach and ripe Fuji apple. There is a hint of spice and vanilla from the new oak. We delayed picking on 2009 to bring out more of these mature stone fruit flavors. In the mouth the wine is rich, deep and broad with mouth coating density. The fruit flavors are sweet and long. The wine finishes with sweet pear and apple fruit. The 60% new oak is well blended and lifted by the wines racy acidity. This is a big racy wine that remains fresh and lifted by it’s acidity.
Availability: Sold Out. No Library wine available.
Release Price: $25
2009 Syrah Split Rail Vineyard,
Santa Cruz Mountains
In 2009 Split Rail was farmed by Ian Brand. Having worked with Ian in the past we were happy to try out this Syrah from a 17 year old vineyard in Eureka Canyon on the western side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The vineyard sits on a hill top at about 1400 feet.
The grapes were harvested from the ½ acre block on the morning of October 24th. The grapes were transported to Chaine d’ Or in two pickup trucks and then 100% destemmed and crushed into a single T-bin for fermentation. Superfood was added and Brix was 25.5% in bin, with a pH of 3.74 and a TA of .86.
The juice was a unique pink/red color after crushing, the first time I’ve seen this hue in bin. Fermentation went smoothly in a single T-bin and the wine was pressed on 11/10 after 17 days. We used wild/native yeast fermentation on this wine as is our general practice. The must was allowed to settle in tank for several days and inoculated with a Malolactic culture. On 11/14 it was transferred to two one year old Burgundy style barrels, which will have the effect of giving the wine about 10% new wood character.
In early March the wine was racked of its fine lees and 40 ppm of sulfur were added to protect the wine. No other additions were needed and the Final pH was 3.76 with an alcohol of 14.4%
Tasting Note: Garnet with purple hues and very bright. Nose of black olive, spices, cherry and ripe berries. A distinct spicy wood smoke aroma that we thought at first was from one of the barrels we used in 2008, but when it also appeared in the 2009 we thought this must be a flavor unique to the site. Cherry and raspberry with wild berry and olive in the mouth. Great balance and long finish. A serious wine that we think will age and improve for many years. Everyone who tasted this wine in barrel raved about it and has anxiously waited for this first release.
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine available.
Release Price: $36
2009 Haut Tubee
California
The Haut Tubee blend began on September 15th with the harvest of the Home vineyard The grapes were picked in the early morning and transferred to Chaine d’Or for processing. With the replanting done in the winter the home yield was down about 70%. The grapes were whole cluster fermented and foot treaded to start fermentation. Total pick was just 60 pounds with 25 pounds of Grenache, 20 pounds of Syrah, 10 pounds of Zinfandel, and 5 pounds of Mourvedre
On September 26th 250 pounds of Zinfandel and 100 pounds of Cabernet Sauvignon from the ‘Roxie’ vineyard, a neighbor of the Crimson Clover Vineyard were crushed and started in an additional tub. Our friend Eric lost the coin toss and foot treaded the must.
On September 17th, 25 pounds of Pinot Gris from the Chaine d’ Or vineyard were added whole cluster.
We used grapes from the Ottigurr vineyard and the ‘Church Vineyard for our annual grape stomp on 10/3. The grapes were foot treaded and then left over night in bin before being transferred to two fermentation barrels for transport to Chaine d’Or where they finished fermentation and were pressed in our small basket press. Total breakdown was 240 lbs of Church Cabernet Sauvignon, 100 lbs of Ottigurr Syrah, 60 lbs of Ottigurr Zinfandel
On 10/11 240 pounds of Merlot/Pinot Noir was added from Vista Verde vineyard. The vineyard was a mix of the two grapes and they were handled together.
On 10/24 20 gallons or about 250 pounds of Split Rail Syrah was added to the Vista Verde Must and completed fermentation on 11/10 when it was pressed and added to tank. On 11/14 the wine was transferred to a two year old Burgundy barrel.
In March of 2011 a single barrel of our Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon was added to the blend as well as two barrels of Santa Cruz Mountains Zinfandel. Final break down:
Zinfandel 46%
Cabernet Sauvignon 31%
Syrah 10%
Merlot 5%
Pinot Noir 3%
Grenache 2%
Pinot Gris 1%
Mourvedre 1%
Cab Franc 1%
Petite Verdot 1%
Tasting Note: Ripe nose of red and black fruit. Juicy and full of berry and cherry flavors. Good structure and tannin from the Cabernet component with lots of fresh fruit from the Zinfandel and Syrah. Finishes long and fruity. Probably most like the 2007 version of any of the other Haut Tubee’s. This wine will also age a fair bit but we think most will enjoy it young.
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine available.
Release Price: $20
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Crimson Clover Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley
The vineyard was under our third year of management and is becoming a favorite of ours. We continued our strict pruning and thinning routine in the vineyard and added just a small amount of organic fertilizer in the spring. The vineyard again had shatter in the spring around the edges due to the high winds that occur in the narrow valley.
Maturity of the fruit was much more even this year though and there was no fruit dropped after the initial thinning of the late spring and early summer. We did not irrigate the vineyard until the late summer, when the irrigation system was turned on 3 times in late August and early September for 6-8 hours at a time. We feel this gives a closer match of a summer rain storm than running the system for shorter times over longer periods. Rain on the evening of September 13th also assisted in allowing the grapes to mature at a steady pace.
Harvest was on Saturday September 26th with a mixed pro and volunteer crew. The grapes were small and cluster size from this site is also very small and intensely flavored. We transported the grapes to Chaine d’ Or and 100% destemmed the clusters and transferred the must to 2 one-ton fermentation bins. Fermentation started within 24 hours on all native yeasts. Punch downs were done 2-3 times per day by hand. Final numbers came in very ripe but with good balanced acidity. Brix: was 27, pH: 3.64 TA: .81 Yield was just under 1 ½ tons per acre.
The must was allowed to complete fermentation outside and Malolactic starter was added on 10/11. At the completion of fermentation the must was soaked for 3 days, and then pressed to a maximum of 1.75 bars on 10/23. It was then transferred to tank to settle. The wine was transferred to 60% new Seguin Moreau oak. We used the extended aging SVT barrels for this wine in 2009.
In early March the wine was racked from its fine lees and 40 ppm of sulfur were added to protect the wine. Post Malolactic Acidity had risen to pH 3.92 so 250 grams of tartaric acid were added to bring pH down to 3.67. The wine was bottled in August of 2011 after 21 months in barrel. Final alcohol was 14.9% 116 cases produced.
Tasting Note: Bright deep color. Fruit forward nose of blossoms, violets and flowers. Stefania says she felt like a bee smelling this wine and “The nose Rocks”. Rich mouthfeel, lots going on and plenty of structure with lots of dark fruit, berries and super ripe cherries. The finish is full of rich fruit and clean bright flavors. We think this wine will age and improve for 10-15 years but it is going to be hard to resist young.
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $44
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains
Our 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon includes grapes from the Harvest Moon and Chaine d’Or vineyards. The spring and summer were uneventful if a bit cool, and we worried that we might harvest into mid November until heat in August caught the vineyards up. A few small storms on 9/13, 10/12 and 10/19 helped keep sugars in check and let us extend hang time until flavors, acids, and sugars were all in balance.
We harvested the Chaine d’Or vineyard on the morning of October 25th and the Harvest Moon vineyard on November 4th. The lots were kept separate through out fermentation and eventual blending took place while the wine was in barrel. Both lots were 100% destemmed. The Chaine d’Or fermented in one ton T-bins. The Harvest Moon was fermented in our 3 ton stainless steel tank. We used the tank due to the late harvest date as we can heat it if needed. Fermentation was slow to start with the temperature in tank staying around 56 degrees for several days, resulting in an extended cold soak. We used a heat lamp array to get the temperature up to 74 degrees and fermentation went smoothly from that point on. As with all our fermentations only the wild native yeast of the grapes and winery were used.
The lots were pressed in Mid November and transferred to 75% new Sequin Moreau French Oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation was started by inoculation in bin before pressing and completed in barrel. 1000 grams of tartaric acid were added to bring the wines pH into a healthy range.
In early March the wine was racked from its fine lees and 40ppm of sulfur were added as a protection from bacteria. The blending process began in March when one barrel was selected from the Chaine d’Or lot for transfer. Over the next 12 months we would add an additional barrel from the Chaine d’Or lot and declassify one barrel into the 2009 Haut Tubee. The wine was bottled in August of 2011 after 21 months in barrel. Final alcohol was 13.0% 176 cases produced.
Tasting Note: Dark and saturated with color. Brooding nose of flowers, berry, and chocolate. Lush, fat and chewy with black fruit, berries, plum, and mocha. Stefania gets classic notes of pencil shavings and coffee. Powerful and ripe tannins lifted by fresh acidity. Promises an extreme long life in bottle. Best from 2016-2029. Really built and packed with flavor to age.
Availability: Released in the Spring of 2012 and currently available for purchase. Click to place an order.
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Chaine d’Or Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains
Notes: We really should start calling this release a ‘Special Reserve’ and we likely will in the future. As you know there was no 2008 bottling and there will not be a 2010 or 2011.
The vineyard is at the extreme limits of Cabernet production and in 1 out of 5 years there just will not be a harvest. We have also put our yield lowering vineyard practices in place which means that even in years like 2008 or 2010 when we do get a harvest it is too low to bottle as an individual wine.
In 2009 though everything came together and we were able to produce this wine as a single vineyard bottling. We harvested just over 1 1/2 tons per acre and harvested on the early side for this vineyard on October 25th. The wine includes 10% Merlot which is also harvested from the vineyard and co-fermented. Fermentation lasted 16 days and then we did an extra gentle pressing to manage tannin extract.
The wine started aging on 60% new oak but we increased that to 75% in March of 2010 after tasting evaluations. The fruit in the wine was so powerful that we felt the wine could support more oak influence and would benefit from the additional spice and tannin refinement that comes with new oak. Final alcohol was 14.2% with a pH of 3.67. 123 cases were produced.
Tasting Note: The wine is dark red with plum, black cherry and spice on the nose. The wine is loaded with ripe plum, cigar box and has very ripe tannins. The finish is long and Stefania said “wow, sexy”. We think this wine will be very long lived.
Availability: Sold out. No Library wine available.
Release Price: $35
Our 2008 Wines
2008 Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
2008 Haut Tubee, California
2008 Harvest Moon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve, Santa Cruz Mountains
2008 Chaine d’Or Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
2008 Syrah, Eaglepoint Ranch, Mendocino County
2008 Crimson Clover Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Clara Valley
2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
In 2008 the 30 year old Pinot Noir vineyard we sourced these grapes from was under our management. The vineyard is a mix of ‘heritage clones’ including Swan and Mount Eden. The vineyard produced a total of just over 5 tons of grapes on 4 ½ acres or about 1 ¼ ton per acre.
The grapes were transferred to Chaine d’ Or and 100% destemmed and crushed for fermentation in two t-bins. We used no whole clusters this year due to the very small cluster size and a desire to limit stem tannin.
Final numbers on the Pinot Noir were Brix 24.5 and pH of 3.39. We gently punched down the must 1-2 times daily and fermented on native yeasts. The fermentation was slow to start allowing some pre fermentation soak time. We added Malolactic starter on 10/13 while the wine was still in bin and pressed the wine on 10/21 after eighteen day fermentation. The wine was allowed to settle in tank for 3 days then transferred to 1 new Sequin Moreau barrel and one used French oak barrel.
No further rackings were done on the wine and it was allowed to age on its fine lees until racked for bottling after 17 months in barrel. We extend the barrel aging routine on all our 2008′s in an effort to manage the large tannins that resulted from small berries and clusters.
Final Alcohol 13.5% pH 3.59
Tasting Note: Ruby red color, darker than the 2007. Raspberry, strawberry, rose and spice on the nose. The nose is very exciting on this wine. Soft velvety tannins carry red fruit, ripe berries and a hint of forest to a long finish with blackberry showing as the wine opened in the glass. The wine has ripe and ample tannins promising long life in bottle. Enjoyable now with decanting the wine will peak between 2015-2020
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $45
2008 Haut Tubee, California
The Haut Tubee blend began on September 13th with the harvest of the Home vineyard and the Ottigurr vineyard in San Jose. The initial picking included about 450 pounds of grapes with 70% Syrah, 14% Grenache, 13% Zinfandel and 3 % Mourvedre. About 10 pounds of mystery pink grapes (likely Pinot Gris) from the Chaine d’Or Estate were added whole cluster on 9/20.
On September 27th 250 pounds of Zinfandel and 50 pounds of Cabernet Sauvignon from the ‘Roxie’ vineyard, a neighbor of the Crimson Clover Vineyard were crushed and started in their own tub. The initial blend was pressed in a wooded basket press on 9/30 and transferred to tank to wait for the other lots to complete. The Roxie completed on 10/15 and was blended into tank with the first lot.
On October 24th, 22 gallons of Elandrich vineyard was added to the tank and the entire blend transferred to a single new Sequin Moreau barrel. In May of 2009 the wine was racked into a used barrel as we felt it had achieved the level of new oak influence we were after.
On May 3rd 2010, the final blend was assembled. One barrel of 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon was selected and blended in tank. In addition ½ barrel of new oak Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah was added as well.
Final breakdown at bottling:
- Merlot 15%
- Zinfandel 10%
- Syrah 36%
- Cabernet Sauvignon 37%
- Grenache 2%
- Mourvedre (trace)
- Cabernet Franc (trace)
- Petite Verdot (trace)
- Pinot Gris (trace)
- Alcohol 13.8% pH 3.72
Tasting Note: Dark red the color of a ripe Bing cherry. Wow nose of cherries, plum, licorice and herbs. Very southern Rhone in the mouth with soft and ripe tannins. The wine seems to show Grenache even though that’s a small part this year. Very ripe fruit and spice in the mouth with a long, fresh, juicy finish. Kind of a cross of the 06′s juicy fruit and the 07′s excellent structure. This wine will be enjoyable for 7+ years
Availability:Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $20
2008 Harvest Moon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve, Santa Cruz Mountains
The Harvest Moon Vineyard has been part of our Cabernet program since 2006. Each year we process the grapes on their own and keep them separate until blending begins, usually the following spring. In 2008 the wine continued to impress us throughout the aging process and we separated three barrels to keep on their own. We eventually decided to bottle this as a ‘Special Reserve’. To date, this is our first and only Special Reserve bottling. Our goal is to release Special Reserve wine only when a vineyard we normally do not bottle on its own shows special character and quality.
Harvest took place on October 26th and the grapes were transferred to Chaine d’Or for processing. Final numbers were Brix, 23.5 and pH 3.62. The grapes were destemmed and crushed into our 3 ½ ton stainless steel tank for fermentation on native yeast. Fermentation was very slow and gentle and we used a combination of pump over’s and punch downs averaging one per day. The must completed fermentation on 11/17 after 22 days and was pressed into tank for 72 hours to settle. Due to the large solid to juice ratio, we had to climb into the tank and bucket out the large amount of must into the press. The wine was transferred to 3 new Sequin Moreau barrels. The finished wine was bottled in August of 2010 after 22 months in barrel.
Tasting Note:The wine is deep ruby red and saturated with color. Wild berry, black cherry, ripe mint and spice on the nose. Very ripe tannins frame the ripe plum, and dark berry fruit with very rich cherry notes. Finishes with spice and more berry and cherry fruit. This wine will be exceptionally long lived and reward extended cellaring. I suspect it will be best in 2018-2028. Enjoy now with decanting of at least 30 minutes to get the most out of this wine.
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine available
Release Price: $44
2008 Chaine d’Or Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
In 2008 we severely pruned back the old vines in an effort to lower the spurs on each plant which had gotten very high in the past 20 years. This contributed to one of the lowest yields the vineyard has ever seen with just less than one ton per acre harvested on September 20th 2008.
The wine was immediately pressed and allowed to settle for 24 hours before being pumped into a chilled tank to start fermentation. Fermentation was on all native yeast and when the wine reached 16 BRIX it was inoculated with Malolactic starter and transferred to a combination of Sequin Moreau and Claude Gillet French oak barrels to complete fermentation. The lees were stirred every week and the wine completed both fermentations before Christmas. Stirring of the lees was then done every 3 weeks. The wine was bottled early, in May of 2009, as has been the tradition at Chaine d’Or to preserve its fresh fruit flavors.
Tasting Note: The wine is bright and crystal clear with a light golden hue. The nose is rich with peach and stone fruit notes. There are hints of the citrus fruit notes of lemon and lime that are typical of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The oak notes are moderate and reflect the care we take in selecting our coopers. I suspect you will think we used a much lower percentage of new oak than we did as the effect is so well integrated. Serve this wine just below cellar temperature at 48-50 degrees.
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $24
2008 Syrah, Eaglepoint Ranch, Mendocino County
In 2008 severe weather would limit the yields at the Ranch and we pulled grapes from 19 rows to harvest just less than 1 ton total. The grapes were picked early in the morning of October 1st and transported to Big Basin Vineyards for processing. We sorted the grapes and 100% destemmed but did not crush the berries.
Final Brix was low for the site at 25.5 and pH was 3.84. We added a small amount of tartaric acid to preserve the pH through Malolactic fermentation. Only native yeast was used in the fermentation and we again started Malolactic Fermentation in bin. The wine finished primary fermentation on 10/13 and was pressed and transferred to one new Sequin Moreau barrel and one old French Oak barrel. We did two additional rackings of this wine in 2008 to manage the tannins from the smaller than normal berries this year produced.
In early April the wine was transferred to Chaine d’Or for bottling. On May 3rd 50% of the new barrel was transferred to the Haut Tubee Blend. The remaining wine will have 33% new oak influence.
Alcohol 14.5% pH 3.71
Tasting Note: Very dark and dense crimson color. Sweet floral nose with plums, berries and spice on the nose. More ripe plum, spice and pepper on the palate. With air the wine showed berry pie and pronounced black cherry flavors. The finish is lifted with a pepper note that carries the black cherry. This wine is as floral on the nose as past vintages with more cherry fruit. We’ve had no metallic notes in this wine and think the choice to wait until after the heavy rains around the 1st of October was key in removing smoke residue from the vineyard. Enjoyable over the next 10-12 years.
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $33
2008 Crimson Clover Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Clara Valley
Our first harvest from these vines was on Sunday September 28th. The vineyard was under our second year of management. 3.53. Harvest was with a mix of paid and volunteer crews and we picked just under 3200 pounds. The grapes were small, and intensely flavored.
We transported them to Big Basin Vineyards for processing, then sorted and 100% destemmed the grapes, but did not crush the berries, opting for whole berry fermentation. The must was foot treaded several times until fermentation started. We again used native yeast fermentation. Brix was 27.2 and pH came in at 3.53. Fermentation took 18 days to complete and the wine was gently pressed and transferred to 2 new Sequin Moreau barrels and one old French oak barrel for 67% new wood treatment. Malolactic fermentation was begun in bin and completed in barrel. .
We racked the wine on a regular schedule over 22 months and it was transferred to Chaine d’Or for bottling in the summer of 2010. We bottled the wine in August 2010. .
Tasting Note: Bright and expressive on the nose with red fruit and spicy oak notes. A very complex wine with tons of red fruit flavors; berry, ripe cherry, raspberry with a coating of chocolaty mocha and spice. Darker fruit flavors come out as the wine opens up with blackberry, boysenberry, currant, and plum notes. The wine is dense and well structured but the fruit flavors remain lifted and lively. I encourage people to try this wine young with a 60 minute decant. It will age well for 10+ years
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $40
2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon
Our 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is again a blend of the Harvest Moon, Elandrich and Chaine d’Or vineyards all on the Eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Yields were greatly limited by natural conditions of the unusual season in 2008 . The clusters and berries were very small and of intense flavor this season with complete ripeness coming in late October.
All three vineyards were fermented separately as they were harvested in late October and allowed to ferment on native yeast. Punchdowns were limited to prevent over extraction. Fermentations took up to 23 days and the wines were pressed individually and transferred to oak barrels.
In May of 2009, we blended all three vineyards together to produce a total of just five barrels of wine. The final blend includes 17% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc and was aged in three new Sequin Moreau barrels and two neutral barrels. The wine was bottled after 22 months in barrel.
Tasting Note:The wine is dark hued tending to purple. The nose is classic Cabernet with plum, dark berry fruit and currants with a top note of spicy oak. In the mouth the wine shows more dark berry fruit, mocha, ripe currant and a touch of toast. The wine is very well structured and comes across as fresh even with the huge tannins. The structure, acidity and density reminds me a great deal of a Super Tuscan, being very well rounded. The finish is long with complex black fruit showing. Promises a very long life in bottle. Decant now for 45-60 minutes. Best from 2015-2025.
Availability: Released in the Spring of 2011 and currently available for purchase.
Release Price:$40
Our 2007 Wines
2007 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah Mendocino County
2007 Uvas Creek Vineyard Santa Clara Valley
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains
2007 Chaine d’Or Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains
2007 Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
2007 Haut Tubee California
2007 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah Mendocino County
We picked just over 3 tons on 10/24/07 with Brix at 26.2 and at pH 3.72 The fruit was 100% destemmed and not crushed, allowing for whole berry fermentation. The must went into three bins. Brix in one bin was high, we added some water and acid to bring it back in balance. Fermentation was done on 100% wild yeast this year and finished without problems after twice daily punch downs. The wine spent a total of 15 months in barrel before bottling with 1/3 of the oak used being new.
Tasting Note: The finished wine is a deep rich red color. The nose is floral with hints of cherry and berry fruit. On the palate rich berry fruit is topped with notes of spice, pepper and smoke. The tannins are smooth and supple and carry the fruit through the long finish. This wine will pair well with grilled and smoked meats as well as pasta dishes. Best from 2010-2017
Availability: Sold Out – A small Library Release will be available in the future.
Release Price: $32
2007 Uvas Creek Vineyard Santa Clara Valley
We crushed 2 tons on 10/29/07 with brix at 26.3 and pH at 3.49 The fruit was 100% destemmed and not crushed, allowing for whole berry fermentation. The must required some treading to encourage the wild yeast to start. Fermentation went smoothly after treading and the must was flashy from the start. The wine was pressed and transferred to 5 barrels. All French Oak was used with two new Seguin Moreau and three older barrels. The wine was allowed to age for 18 months and racked regularly to smooth tannins.
Tasting Note: The wine is deep red with a pronounced nose of summer cherries and dark berry fruit. On the palate, there are powerful notes of ripe berries, spices and cherry fruit. The fruit is layered and complex with a classic Cabernet Sauvignon profile. This is a more serious and masculine Uvas Creek than the 05 and 06, but still retains the balance and red fruit profile of previous versions. Best after 2011
Availability: Sold Out – A small Library Release will be available in the future.
Release Price: $37
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains
This is our second offering of a Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was assembled from three vineyards: the Harvest Moon Vineyard, Elandrich Vineyard and Chaine d’Or Vineyard. We feel this combination offered a complete wine. The Harvest Moon contributing black fruit, mint and spice, Elandrich red fruit and richness, and Chaine d’Or a classic structure and Cabernet profile. The final blend is 58% Harvest Moon, 25% Chaine d’Or and 17 % Elandrich. The wine also contains 13% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc from the Chaine d’Or and Elandrich Vineyards.
Each vineyard was harvested and fermented separately in late October and allowed to ferment on native yeast. The lots were kept separate until the spring of 2008 when we selected the final blend and combined the lots for the final wine. We used 67% new French Oak and 33% neutral French Oak on this wine. The wine was bottled after 22 months in barrel. The final numbers are pH 3.62 and alcohol 13.5%.
Tasting Note: The Wine has deep red rich colors with hues of blue and purple. The nose is complex with plum, smoked meat, currants, super ripe blackberries and a hint of mint. The wine is plush and ripe on the palate with cigar notes, berry pie fruit, and complex notes of tobacco, black fruit and a long, long finish. Stefania noted this is one of the most complex wines we’ve made and she picks up hints of the redwood forests that surround Chaine d’Or and Harvest Moon. Best after 2015 or with a 30-45 minute decant.
Availability: Sold Out – A small Library Release will be available in the future.
Release Price: $40
2007 Chaine d’Or Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains
We harvested early in the morning of October 27th and brought in a large harvest for the estate of just under 3 tons. 2007 was a near perfect growing year and Anne Anderson thought the fruit was the best she had seen since installing the vineyard in 1987. The grapes were harvested and transported to the crusher in 30 pound bins and 100% destemmed.
Fermentation was on the native wild yeasts of the vineyard and winery. We pressed the wine gently after 22 days and separated the press wine from the free run juice. The press wine was not used in the final wine. The wine was aged for 22 months in 60% new French Oak and 40% neutral French Oak. The final numbers are pH 3.39 and alcohol of 14.1%
Tasting Note: The wine is dark with a gem-like quality to the color. The nose takes significant aeration at this point to reveal a classic ‘Pauillac Nose’ of pencil, currant, berries and tobacco. There are huge ripe tannins framing the wine now with notes of spice, campfire smoke, and pure ripe berry fruit. Notes of cigar box and plums linger on the finish. Stefania calls this a serious steak wine. Best after 2017
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $30
2007 Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
Our 2007 Pinot Noir came from a 30 year old vineyard in the western Santa Cruz Mountains. We processed just one ton of fruit in early October. The fruit was destemmed and 15% was added as whole clusters. Fermentation went very slowly lasting just over 25 days. We used only native yeast as is standard for us. At completion the wine was gently pressed and transferred to a stainless steel tank to settle for 48 hours. The wine was then transferred to one new and one old French oak barrel. No further settling or racking was done and the wine was bottled after 15 months in barrel.
Tasting Note: The wine is classic for the Corralitos area of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Light in color with a strong nose of raspberry, strawberry and spice. The flavors are deep and complex with hints of redwood forest and spice in the deep red fruit. We suspect many people will want to age this wine for 10+ years and it will continue to show increased complexity. We generally prefer wines from this area though at 4-6 years old to capture the wonderful complex nose.
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $45
2007 Haut Tubee California
Each individual vineyard was processed on its own and the components blended in barrel. All lots were destemmed, crushed and allowed to ferment on native yeasts. Hand punch downs were done on all lots and fermentations lasted 14 to 22 days. The finished wine transferred to tank before being assembled and aged in one new Hermitage barrel and three neutral oak barrels.
The Haut Tubee program allows us to process grapes from the many micro vineyards we manage and produce a finished wine that expresses the dedication we show to these small vineyards. The final blend was just over 50% Syrah in 2007, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Grenache and Mourvedre also in the blend.
Tasting Note: The wine is deep red with a nose of spice, smoke, and ripe blackberry fruit. It is lush and soft with rich berry and summer fruit notes. The 2007 version of this wine is just over 50% Syrah and the wine shows the richness of the Syrah grape. The 25% new oak added notes of toast, smoke and rich spice. Best from 2010-2015
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $20
Our 2006 Wines
2006 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah Mendocino County
2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Uvas Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Clara Valley
2006 Haut Tubee California
2006 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah Mendocino County
We crushed just over two tons crushed on 10/11/06 with brix 25.0 and pH 3.60. The fruit was 100% destemmed and not crushed. The fruit was again excellent and we sorted in the field. No additions were made this year and no water was required. We fermented with two different yeast strains in 3 one ton bins. Fermentation completed on 10/24/06 and the must was lightly pressed with 80% of the wine being free run. The wine was transferred to a total of 20% new French Oak and a mix of 1 year old, two year old, and neutral French and American Oak. It completed Malolactic Fermentation in the Spring of 2007 and was bottled after aging for 16 months in barrel.
Tasting Note: The finished wine is a deep rich red color. The nose is floral with hints of cherry and berry fruit. On the palate rich berry fruit is topped with notes of spice, pepper and smoke. The tannins are smooth and supple and carry the fruit through the long finish. Lamb is always a good pairing for this wine, and Paul really likes this wine with a good pizza. Best from 2010-2014
Availability: Sold Out – No Library wine available.
Release Price: $35
2006 Uvas Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Clara Valley
We crushed 2 tons on10/21/06 with Brix 24.5 and the pH 3.65. The grapes were100% destemmed and not crushed. The fruit was sorted in the field. We fermented in 3 one ton bins. This was a mix of clone 337 and clone 4. Fermentation completed on 11/7/06 and the must was lightly pressed with 80% of the wine being free run. The wine was transferred to a total of 40% new French Oak and a mix of 1 year old, two year old, and neutral French and American Oak. It completed Malolactic Fermentation in the Spring of 2007. The wine was racked regularly and bottled after 21 months in barrel.
Tasting Note: The finished wine is deep red and ruby color. The nose shows red Bing cherries, summer berries and ripe plums with a hint of mocha and spice. The wine is layered on the palate, with multiple layers of fruit and spice and an underlay of vanilla and toast. Flavors are well balanced and the tannins are ripe and long, promising a good 8+ years of aging potential. The wine should pair very well with grilled foods as well as smoked meats, deep dish pizza , hearty stews and lamb shanks with fresh veggies. Best from 2011-2018
Recent Notes Dec 2011:
From Vino Me on W.S. Forum:
“First time I have had this. Paired with a steak au poivre. Thought this was a good match as this wine had the tannins, fruit and backbone to stand up to the black peppercorns. Notes of plum and black cherries. Medium to full bodied. 92 points.”
From Stefania and Jaye:
Dense rich fruit on the nose with saturated color. Notes of mocha, chocolate, tobacco and leather. Flowery nose but muscular weight and body that finishes clean, smooth and light with bright berry and blackbery flavors .
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine available.
Release Price: $38
2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon
Just under two tons crushed on 10/20/06 with Brix 25.1 and pH 4.00 The fruit was 100% destemmed and not crushed. The fruit was sorted in the field and includes 1 1/2 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon from Martin Ranch and 1/4 ton Merlot from Elandrich Vineyard. Due to the small amount of Merlot, it was co-fermented with the Cabernet Sauvignon. We added Acid to adjust the pH and a small dose of French barrel dust to stabilize color and extraction due to the high pH. We fermented in two one ton bins.
Fermentation went quickly and completed on 11/2/06 and the must was lightly pressed with 80% of the wine being free run. The winewas transferred to one new French Oak and a mix of 1 year old, two year old, and neutral French and American Oak. It completed Malolactic Fermentation in the Spring of 2007 and was bottled after 21 months in barrel.
Tasting Note: The wine is dark ruby in color with a distinct nose of mint, eucalyptus, and crushed berries. Plush and long on the palate with currant, berry and dark ripe fruit. The wine shows a long and full finish with fully ripe tannins and spicy notes that compliment the deep, dark fruit. Promise a long life in bottle. Will pair well with hearty dishes, grilled meats and savory stews and vegetables. Best from 2012-2020
Availability: Sold Out – Small Library Release will be available in the future.
Release Price: $40
2006 Haut Tubee California
A total of 3/4 tons crushed between 10/6 and 10/29. Average Brix 24.6 andpH 3.60 The wine contains a little bit of everything from our small vineyard holdings including: 55 % Uvas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, foot stomped at our harvest party and fermented in a 1/2 ton bin. 20% Syrah, Grenache and 5 clusters of Mourvedre from our yard. 20% Zinfandel from the Elandrich Vineyard. 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from Chaine D ‘Or. 2% Syrah and Mourvedre from the OttiGurr Vineyard in San Jose. The lots were mostly fermented separately unless there wasn’t enough of something, then it got thrown in together, and everything was pressed in our old basket press as it finished, then was transferred to stainless steel until everything was complete and could be moved in to barrel.
The wine was transferred to one old French Barrel and one old 1/2 barrel. It completed Malolactic Fermentation in January of 2007. To quote Stefania as we transferred it into barrel, “This isn’t bad hooch”. Up until that point we were not sure we’d bottle it, but as the wine continued to show well in barrel we bottled it after 16 months and created the ‘Haut Tubee’ program for future years to handle the small vineyards we manage.
Tasting Note: The finished wine is bright red, with a nose of herbs and summer red fruit. Juicy and full on the palate, the Grenache fruit shines even though it’s just 20% of the blend. No new wood was used and the wine drinks like a warm red from the south of France or Spain. It’s all juicy goodness! We think this will be best enjoyed in the late Summer afternoon as food comes off the grill, or in the hot tub with someone you love of course.
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $20
Our 2005 Wines
2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah Mendocino
2005 Uvas Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Clara Valley
2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah Mendocino County
We crushed one ton on 10/21/05. Brix was 27.5, and the pH was 3.67 We 100% destemmed and crushed lightly by foot leaving a large percentage of whole berries. A light sulfuring of 25ppm and 545 grams of tartaric acid where added. The must was cold soaked for 3 days. Fermentation completed on 11/6/05 and the must was lightly pressed to 1.0 atmospheres, with 70% of the wine being free run. The must was transferred to a total of 25% new French Oak and 75% neutral 2+ year old French Oak where it completed Malolactic Fermentation in January of 2006. The wine aged for 15 months in barrel before bottling.
Tasting Note: Dark and rich with dark fruit flavors of blackberry and black cherry, smoke, sweet spice and pepper. Finished very long with spicy pepper notes. Big but never feels out of balance or heavy, just dense and full. Will improve for 5-7 years. Should pair well with any smoked or grilled meats, stews and any dish prepared with Herbs de Provance. Best from 2009-2014
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $35
2005 Uvas Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Clara Valley
One ton was crushed on 10/21/05. Brix at harvest was 25.1 We 100% de-stemmed and crushed lightly by foot. Hand punch downs were done three times daily. Fermentation completed on 11/6/05 and the must was lightly pressed to 1.4 atmosphere’s, with 80% of the wine being free run. The wine was transferred to a total of 50% new French Oak and 50% neutral 2+ year old French Oak where it aged for 18 months before bottling
Tasting Note: Ruby red with sweet vanilla and black cherry on the nose. Smooth and balanced with notes of currant, spice, cherry and olives giving classic Cabernet flavors. Finish is long and savory. Pairs well with grilled meats, lamb, and pizza or pasta. Best from 2010-2015.
Availability: Sold Out – No Library Wine Available
Release Price: $35