Author: Paul

Our 4 rows from the 1989 block of Syrah at Eaglepoint Ranch yielded 2.6 tons in 2006 and 3 .2 tons in 2007. In 2008 severe weather would limit the yield to just 600 pounds, or .3 tons. We pulled grapes from 15 other 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. As we sampled we felt that a 50/50 blend of new/old oak was too high for our tastes.

Final Alcohol 14.5% pH 3.71

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 any smoke residue from the vineyard..

Release Price: $99 per 3 pack, $180 per six pack

In 2008 the 30 year old Pinot Noir vineyard we sourced these grapes from was under our management and we took efforts to reduce yields and improve sun exposure to the vineyard. The vineyard is a mix of ‘heritage clones’ including Swan and Mount Eden. Located just a few miles from the Pacific outside of Corralitos CA this is a very cool site. The vineyard produced a total of just over 5 tons of grapes on 4 ½ acres or about 1 ¼ ton per acre. The thirty year old vines produced tiny clusters and intense small berries.

We harvested just over one ton for ourselves on the morning of October 3rd. 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 again this year, 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

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.

Release Price: $135 per 3 pack, $250 per six pack

I ended up with few pictures from our trip. Most were on my iPhone and came out pretty poorly. I know Stefania took better pictures and I hope she can post those up soon with some more trip details. We also had a few dozen sent to us from people at our party in Bordentown New Jersey.

I took this picture of Stefania in the ‘Cool Cricket’ in Bordentown. She had just won the Bud Light hat in their drawing at half time of the Sunday football games.

We both wanted to thank the great people of Bordentown again for their amazing hospitality. We had some stops at some pretty well known and high powered spots on our trips. We poured at a D.C. law firm overlooking the Potomac at Washington Harbor (That’s one building down from the famous Watergate buildings) on Thursday. Monday we where hosted at Harry’s Cafe and Steak House, just one block from the stock exchange on Wall Street in N.Y.C. We loved both of those stops.

Saturday though was in the tiny town of Bordentown, population 3,953. Our event there was set up by Mark and Pam of Jersey Foodies. Not only did they host a fantastic party for us with amazing food, but Mark came and picked us up personally at the train station and drove us to our hotel. We met so many wonderful people Saturday night and everyone was so gracious to Stef and I. Mark drove us back to the hotel again at 1:30 AM. The town doesn’t have regular cab service, it’s too small.

Saturday the folks in Bordentown were great to us, then on Sunday they one upped themselves. Saturday night I had mentioned to someone at the party that one of the things we don’t like about traveling is not having good coffee in bed in the morning. Sunday morning there was a text message offering to bring us coffee at our hotel! We declined, it just seemed like too much, but we did accept Mark’s offer of a ride to a local pub to watch the football games Sunday afternoon.

We hung out and ate chicken wings and drank beer for 6 hours. We never paid for a drink the entire time we were there. People we had met the night before insisted that they treat! When it was finally time for us to go back to the hotel a new friend we had met just the night before offered to take us back again to our hotel. Not only did he do that but he stopped us by his home for a visit. It is a 19th century building that he renovated. It used to be the Baptist Church in town, and he’s restored it into an amazing living space. As if that wasn’t enough he offered to pick us up the next morning and drive us to the train station in Trenton!

America is full of wonderful, amazing, gracious people, in big cities like Washington and New York and small towns like Bordentown. We hope to be back some day and visit again. In the mean time we continue to extend the invitation we gave to so many people in our travels. Come visit us in California. Let us throw a party for you at our winery and in our home!

I know I’m missing one, but that’s what I get for not writing it down…

Here are the three I did capture:

#1 “I am not high strung, I am energetic and enthusiastic with organizational skills”

#2 “Cross and Skull Bones”

#3 “I’m entertaining myself and it’s not even physical this time”

The first one was in reference to Paul saying I’m high strung and Liz correcting him. She and I are scary similar 😉 (that was at the backyard party in NJ)

The second one is me screwing up Skull and Crossbones (that being the theme on a garment I was wearing for Tbird as I was explaining it to his wife)

And last but not least, the third quote was overheard on the trip home on the flight from L.A. The gentleman in the seat behind us was “chatty”.

Awesome.

I am my own worst boss. If I worked for me I’d quit after a week, seriously.

We were barely through the door lastnight and I was already making a mental list of all the things to get done today or before the end of the day Thursday – many are related to basic housekeeping and home maintenance, but all are necessary tasks given the threat of rain for Sunday (bring in the outdoor furniture for one…)

Paul is already tasking me for Friday doing some running around at the vineyards to start taking samples and see how things look.

I too have photos from the East Coast Tour to post up and some commentary to add so please hang in there and be patient while I work through the rest of my list…

It’s good to be back and to have something to do besides eating and drinking; yep, the list includes some dietary changes for the upcoming week 😉

Chat soon…gotta run

Stef took a few pictures and Mark forwarded on a few more. We’ll have those up later this week, but I did want to get up the wine list from Saturday. Mark took the count Sunday afternoon….

2005 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch
2006 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch
2006 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek
2006 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains
……2007 Stefania Haut Tubee
2007 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch
2007 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Uvas Creek x 2
2007 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountain x 2
2008 Stefania Haut Tubee
2008 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch
2008 Stefania Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains x 2
2009 Stefania Chardonnay Chaine d’Or
2006 Sea Smoke Chardonnay Magnum
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Oak Savanna Vineyard
2005 Lillian Winery Syrah
2006 Sine Qua Non Syrah Raven Series
2006 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Tobin James Lagrein Silver Reserve
2004 Vigna Vecchia Chianti Classico
2005 Duca di Saragnano Chianti Riserva
2007 Domaine de la Buissonne Côtes du Rhône Villages Beaumes-de-Venise
2007 Donna Laura Ali Toscana IGT
2007 Thompson Street Pinot Noir “Posse”
2006 Pure Love Wines Shiraz Layer Cake
2007 Tobin James Primitivo James Gang Reserve
2006 Stags’ Leap Winery Petite Sirah
2006 Kongsgaard Chardonnay
2006 Parallel Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
2007 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon
N.V. Alvear Pedro Ximénez Montilla-Moriles Solera 1927
N.V. LaMarca Prosecco
2007 DuMOL Chardonnay Isobel
2006 Latium Morini Valpolicella Superiore Prognai
2006 Rusina Syrah Monte Rosso
2007 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling
2005 Laetitia Late Harvest Riesling – Arroyo Grande Valley – Block Z
2008 Lafond Pinot Noir Lafond Vineyard
2008 Tolosa Winery Viognier Edna Ranch
2009 Santa Marina Provincia di Pavia IGT White Table Pinot Grigio Magnum
2006 Sanford Pinot Noir
2007 Chappellet Napa Valley Chardonnay

I just couldn’t seem to pull out the camera today. I did take a couple of pictures inside the Capitol Building today. I’ve been to DC maybe 20 times now and this was my first trip inside.

We’ve been getting around on the Metro and have spent a lot of time in old town Alexandria.

Last night we had two really fantastic events. One friend set up a tasting for us at his law firm and it was the perfect setting for us to share our wines. I’d really recommend a visit to the Washington Harbor if you’re on tour. It was an amazing setting looking out on Roosevelt Island.

After that we met up with old friends at Dino’s. I’d also highly recommend this as a dinner night out. It’s a kind of place I think we just don’t have enough of and I hope we will see a trend towards more places like it. The food was rustic Italian. All very well prepared from fantastic ingredients and at an affordable price. Service was fantastic and there was a deep wine list.

I complain a lot at home that I can get better food, better service and better wine at home than most restaurants and the one’s that can out do us at home want $200. Everywhere needs more places like Dino’s.

Tonight we’re off to downtown DC for a ‘dress up’ dinner!

We arrived safely in D.C. Had a great tasting and then dinner last night. We’ll try and answer emails from both those events later this afternoon or tomorrow when we arrive in Trenton. We’re off to visit the Capitol at 11 AM this morning, then the National Art Galleries I think.

We’re slow on email right now, but both Stef and I will answer all of them soon.

Cheers!

Our Fall release letters are going out on and about the 15th this month. We have all the details worked out on allocations. It’s going to be tight I think. I’m pretty sure we will run out of wine pretty quickly. We broke the list up into 3 groups. The ‘A’ group is made up of people who have purchased before. For that group there are 4 different breakdowns on allocation amounts.

Everyone in the ‘A’ group did get at least a 3 pack allocation of all three wines. The people at the top tier were allocated 6 Syrah, 6 Haut Tubee and 12 Pinot Noir. There were just about 30 of those people. To tell you how tight we are, there are just 32 cases of Syrah left right now. What I’m figuring is that not everyone will take their full amount.

The ‘B’ group is made up of people who have signed up for our list since the last release. There are just over 130 of those people. They are going to get the option to purchase a combo 3 pack made up of one of each wine. There’s also a slot for them to request additional wine if any makes it through the ‘A’ group.

The ‘C’ group is made up of people who signed up before last spring but have not purchased wine. That group is going to be given the chance to purchase the three 2007 wines we still have available (Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet, Uvas Creek Cabernet and Eagplepoint Syrah). There won’t be enough 2008 to offer them any of that.

It’s a little unusual to put newer sign ups in front of older sign ups but I thought it was important to give people a chance to try our wines and the 3 pack cost will be just $98. They will also have the option to purchase the 2007 wines we still have.

Over the next few days I’m going to be putting up notes on the three new wines. I tried to keep the letters brief so their are just basic tasting notes. I asked people to check the blog for more details on the wine so they will be up here shortly.

I took this picture last night before dinner at a friends. I just thought it was funny. Stefania and our friend Holly hamming it up for the camera over a pitcher of……..

So email me your best guess of what’s in the pitcher. First correct answer gets a bottle of Holly’s favorite wine – our 2008 Haut Tubee. And no Holly, you can’t guess.