Archive for the ‘Petite Sirah’ Category

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The Old School Is New Again …

January 26, 2012

You know it’s coming, yet somehow you won’t admit it to yourself. It’s inevitable, of course, but it’s impossible survive the days if you’re in conscious embracement of the facts. Somehow, we have to psychically suspend our realities in order to keep on keepin’ on. But all things must pass.

The news came yesterday. They’d pulled it.

The 2007 Ridge Vineyards Old School was removed from the website. It was over.

Fortunately, the 2009 Ridge Vineyards Old School ain’t too far down the road!

I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s released, but in the meantime, here are some tasting notes, just to keep you going through these tough times …

 

2009 Ridge Vineyards Old School

As you may or may not know, the Old School designation is actually part of our Geyserville estate, but as it’s a group of vines that traditionally provide fruit that ripens to a greater degree of intensity, the juice is traditionally bottled separately in small amounts under the Old School name, and released as a special winery-only offering.

Stylistically, because of the selection criteria, the Old School favors a flavor profile that can run the gamut from sweet in character (a ripe quality that presents the illusion of sweetness without any actual real and significant amount of residual sugar) to actual sweetness (featuring actual residual sugar).

The 2009 is definitely of the former ilk; while the wine is certainly rich and intensely flavored and fruit-driven, a combination of notable water-stress and early ripening during the growing season, and an aggressive and disciplined selection process at the winery (made possible courtesy of a new receiving and sorting system), have made for a wine of surprising integrity and balance.

In addition to the voluptuousness of the fruit and the generosity of the bouquet, there are strong hints of that classic Geyserville spiciness that creep into the flavor profile at just the right moments. These notes primarily come courtesy of the vineyard-blend model deployed for the assemblage of this wine; the zinfandel (at 78%) is structurally rounded out and enhanced by the inclusion of carignane and petit sirah, two classic “mixed blacks” that also form the architectural backbone of the Geyserville.  

The 2007 Old School was one of our top-selling winery-only wines last year, and while it was a sweeter, riper rendition than the 2009, I think the ’09 is poised to not only keep the ’07 fans very happy, but also accrue a whole new set of believers as well. It’s got the fruit for the ’07 set, but it’s also got the complexity, structure, and spice that should win over some converts who may not normally find themselves on the ripe side of life.

If I may say so, it’s a perfect February wine; it’s got Valentine’s Day written all over it …

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Posted in Carignane, Geyserville, Petite Sirah, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Wine Clubs, Zinfandel | Leave a Comment »

On How The Reigning Dark Viticultral Prince Of All The Lands Of Cyber Monday Is Roaming The Forest Of My Palate, Slaying All Pretenders To The Throne

November 28, 2011

On How The Reigning Dark Viticultural Prince Of All The Lands Of Cyber Monday Is Roaming The Forest Of My Palate, Slaying All Pretenders To The Throne

–or–

Check your e-mail inbox, because there is a VERY GOOD Cyber Monday offer from Ridge Vineyard waiting for you there!

Coincidentally (or perhaps not!), I wish to offer some tasting notes on the 2005 Ridge Vineyards Dynamite Hill Petite Sirah. But first, winemaker Eric Baugher’s notes, from back in 2007:

2005 Dynamite Hill Petite Sirah
100% Petite Sirah
Bottled August 2007

A long growing season allowed the York Creek grapes to achieve intensity at modest (by today’s standards) ripeness. We picked in late September; the tight, mature, brown-stemmed clusters were perfect for a natural-yeast, whole-cluster fermentation. Extraction of color and tannin was ideal by day six, and we pressed. The natural secondary (malolactic) fermentation was complete by late November, and the wine racked to air-dried american oak barrels for aging. These fifteen barrels–one-third new, one-third three years old, one-third four years old–were combined for a special, limited petite sirah bottling, something we have not done since 2000. After twenty months in oak, the wine has gained additional richness and spice, and tannins have softened. Remarkably complex, it is approachable now, but will continue to improve with five to seven years of bottle age. EB (5/07)

And as to my thoughts today …

If you’ve had the Ridge Vineyards York Creek before, then you’ve tasted Dynamite Hill petite sirah; it’s the block on York Creek that provides the petite sirah for this long-running Ridge zinfandel. On its own, I’ve always found it to be a sort of kinder, gentler petite sirah; it’s always had the varietally correct squid-inkiness, intense tannin architecture, and deep berry profile one would expect, but it’s always come wrapped in a fairly lively and multi-colored bow.

Digging into the nose of this particular vintage, I am immediately taken in by the array of complexities on offer; most notably, the distinct note of caraway. Fascinating! Add to that the singular appearances of buckwheat flour pancake batter, blackberry preserves, and a touch of Irish Stew, and you’ve got a truly provocative bouquet on your hands, and one that leans distinctly autumnal in its overall profile.

Front-palate hits full parade mode right away; nothing is reserved, the show is on, the trumpets are blaring, drums are thumping, legs are kicking. There is a wealth of tannin architecture laid out right away, between the girders of which hangs a dense tapestry of deep blue-to-purple-to-black fruit threads.

Mid-palate shows a little of that American oak-derived dill tone , and this actually tributaries its way nicely into the caraway stream hinted at in the aromatics; in these rushing rapids is also a wealth of black herb and woody stemness; black licorice and blackstrap molasses are most prevalent as well.

The finish is still youthful to say the least, and tannins are still dominant, though there is a trickle of acidity that bobs and weaves around the pure rope of richness that runs straight down the center palate stripe.

All in all, a deeply unusual and complex spin on petite sirah, and clear proof this is a varietal capable of much more complexity that it often gets credit for. Your autumn-to-winter table will certainly be enhanced by the presence of this wine, and should you happen to go for something like, oh, I don’t know, duck cracklins and blackberry gastrique (more on this soon!), you might just achieve gourmand nirvana.

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Posted in Food & Wine Pairing, Petite Sirah, Special Offerings, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends | Leave a Comment »

New Fall Releases: The Winemaker Video!

September 2, 2011

As they did with the Spring Releases, our winemaking team recently got together for a tasting of all the wines we’re releasing this month, and again as with the Spring edition, we captured it all on video!

So, for your viewing pleasure, please enjoy Paul Draper, Eric Baugher, and John Olney as they discuss 2009 Lytton Springs, 2009 York Creek, 2009 Pagani Ranch, 2008 Monte Bello, 2008 Chardonnay Monte Bello, and 2009 Lytton Estate Petite Sirah! (Moderated by David Amadia, Vice President, Sales + Marketing)

2011 Fall Releases – Tasting with Winemakers from Ridge Vineyards on Vimeo.

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Posted in Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Petite Sirah, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Video, Winemaking, Zinfandel | Leave a Comment »

P.S. I Love You!

July 26, 2011

It’s the Ninth Annual Petite Sirah Noble Symposium today, and to celebrate, PS lovers all over the globe are tasting their favorite offerings, and tweeting their thoughts and observations. Wanna slip into the jetstream? Use #PSLove when you tweet, and use your favorite tracking method to follow the convos; Twitterfall and Tweetdeck spring to mind as good options …

Anyhow, here in my own private Ridgeland, I’ve got two bottles of wine, a loaf of Watsonville Sourdough, and my laptop; must be tasting time!

This afternoon’s performance will commence with a short set from the opening act, followed by our headliner. The 2005 Ridge Vineyards Dynamite Hill Petite Sirah will go on at … um … 1:23pm! Meaning, now!

2005 Ridge Vineyards Dynamite Hill Petite Sirah

To describe the hues of this wine as being inky and concentrated is perhaps a tad redundant, given the varietal in question, but I will say there are some lovely and shimmering bright purple highlights dancing all ’round the limn, lending an appearance of play oft missing from the juice of this notoriously squid-inky grape …  Bottled in 2007, 4 years of bottle age have definitely done some good work on the aromatics; loads of blue and black fruits, of course, but also a nice lavender and lilac layer, some berry pie sugar, a touch of cocoa powder, and a bit of anise … nicely resolving tannins at point-of-entry, pretty much devoid of the grippier, more adhesive characteristics that can sometimes plague younger renditions … a healthy if not overwhelming dose of acidity along the tongue-sides, and a jam-and-jelly viscosity down the middle make for an expansive mid-palate … the finish plays a little dirtier, with some mineral and chalk snowflaking the juice; a fair amount of flavor holds in the cheeks well after the swallow, and while the finish isn’t the lengthiest I’ve experienced, the lingering smoky notes are quite pleasant. Plus, at a polite 13.5% ABV, there is no residual heat to obfuscate the primary fruit, of which there is still a good abundance, at least of the darker sorts, particularly blackberry.

And now, the main event! This is a wine of extreme distinction, and one certain to go down in Ridge history as a legendary release. Why? Well, it’s certainly delicious (full confession, I’ve been tasting this wine for days!), but beyond that, it’s also our VERY FIRST NATIONALLY RELEASED PETITE SIRAH!

2009 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Petite Sirah

Tremendously viscous in the bowl; virtually legless; meaning it’s all glaze and no run-down … as above, a deep, deep, deep dark belly, with just a hint of dancing mulberry highlights in the limn and on the surface … Definitely young on the nose, with just a hint of funk still needing to blow off, but below that lives an utterly ambrosial, paradisiacal bouquet ripe with bubbling blueberry slump fruit (I think you’d have to be from Maine — which I’m not, by the way – to get that reference!) abutting some decadent caramel cremes and a hickory stick’s worth of bark and woodsiness … God, this is going to be a good wine! It’s awful young though, no doubt about it; the tannins, while exquisitely drawn and acted, are certainly prominent; it’s a testament to their refinement that they don’t in fact feel stickily exposed, but rather, already manage to lay comfortingly on the tongue like a favorite winter duvet … Just a wealth of fruit information in the mid-palate; all of it dark and robust, but astonishingly complex all the same: I’m talkin’ fig, plum, mulberry, currant, black cherries, etc. Code name: Delicious. Drinking this wine is like going back in time to a room above a Haight-Ashbury Head Shop; there are black light posters on the wall, someone is working a really big bong for all it’s worth, Hendrix is on the stereo, there is some funky Indian incense burning, and you’re chilled out on the coach with an acoustic guitar that has a black lacquer finish, and you’re fingerpicking something doleful and southern while you watch your friend make out with a very groovy chick of some sort of compendial and indescribably alluring and cocoa-y ethnicity, thinking to yourself that if the sun never comes up again, you’re going to be ok, because swimming by yourself below the cliffs at the edge of the Richmond District in the dark is as zen-pure as your mojo-hungry soul can handle … and you’re picking that black git-box, and your friend and his galpal are now fully pretzled, and the incense is done but lingering, and Hendrix fades away, and the first tinkling gypsy piano notes of “Love Street” trip fantastic from your long-player, and nobody spilled the bong, and you have a waking dream about black plums, and somewhere in the future, I understand you.

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Posted in Petite Sirah, Social Media, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends | Leave a Comment »

Were You As Fine In ’79? -or- The Past Shall Speak, From York Creek!

July 25, 2011

One of the very great things about hosting this blog is that I’ve become the somewhat unwitting repository of a great wealth of Ridge arcana, running the gamut from tales of Days in the Vineyards to tasting notes of impossibly rare wines.

These tales come to me in many fashions; most commonly across the bar in the tasting room, or via e-mail, when some kind soul takes an extra moment to share something particularly special.

One such example of the latter occasion occurred not too long back, when a gentleman by the name of Bruce Macumber – whose history with Ridge runs deep, deep, deep — wrote an e-mail about a wine he’d recently unearthed from his personal vaults. It was such a brilliant story, such a great example of Ridge wine longevity, and such a charmingly crafted note, that I was desperate to share it. Fortunately, Bruce obliged my query, and here is what he wrote:

Wanted you to know i just enjoyed your 1979 York Creek NV Zinfandel which I purchased at the winery in 1982 from Dave & Paul. Good fill, never cellared over 65′, cork still but barely intact, nice 29 year old nose only showing faint oxidation. Color was lightly brown/amber/brick hue and taste still had berry fruit, mild tannins, and some/enough Petite Sirah structure/body to compliment our chicken dinner with mild sauces. Fully complex & completely developed. It shows what lots of harvest extract will do with extended bottle age and the bouquet was as good as it gets.

Nice!

And lest you not be feeling to the full extent just what all this wine has weathered in its many years on this earth, ask yourself, what, if anything, were YOU doing in 1979?

Were you making out to this?

While driving this?

Or were you more into dancing with this?

Or watching this?

Well, whatever your preferences, I think it’s safe to say that was a long, long time ago, and any wine that’s showing well still if, well, a really good wine.

Thanks to Bruce for sharing his story, and to all y’all out there with Ridge stories tucked into your pockets, reveal, reveal!

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Posted in History, Petite Sirah, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Viticultural Salmagundi, Zinfandel | 1 Comment »

Tasting Notes Of A Boondock Saint: 2002, Keep Feeling Fascination!

April 11, 2011

There is a gentleman who works for Ridge Vineyards by the name of Chris Seguin. He once referred to himself as a “Boondock Saint.” But he is neither a bar in New Orleans, nor an Irish vigilante. Nor is a he a certain romantic practice that propriety forbids me from describing. But he is certainly a saint.

Meaning, he is one of the nicest, kindest, hardest-working, most professionally disciplined, hospitable cats I’ve ever met.

The World Dictionary defines “boondocks” as follows:

boondocks (ˈbuːnˌdɒks)

— pl n

1. wild, desolate, or uninhabitable country

and Dictionary.com lists the following synonymns for “boondocks”:

back country, backwoods, provinces; boonies, sticks.
 
  
 
In trying to decipher Chris’ cryptically self-imposed moniker, I have come to the conclusion that he must be a Saint From The Wild Sticks.
 
The Saint From The Wild Sticks has a very good palate, and fiercely defined aesthetic preferences as regards the wines he will and won’t admire and enjoy.

And as to the 2002 vintage, he keeps feeling fascination.

Meaning, the theme song of The Saint From The Wild Sticks is by The Human League.

But I digress, so back to the wine, and the 2002 vintage.

Specifically, the 2002 Lytton Estate Petite Sirah, and the 2002 Home Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon. He very kindly provided me with some tasting notes recently, and I wish to share them with you. Two different sittings for the Petite Sirah, and one for the Cab. Enjoy, and if you’ve had either of these wines recently, let me know how they’re showing; I’d be happy to pass your thoughts on the The Saint From The Wild Sticks.

2002 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Petite Sirah, 3/31/2011,  rated 92 points: Decanted for about 20 minutes and overall was excellent. Smelled of dark blackberry fruit with some cocoa and vanilla bean. Tannins were very soft/ chalky and coated the whole palate which lengthened the finish. Flavors were also dark with plum and again blackberry. The Cocoa on the nose translated to mild tobacco on the palate. Structurally, this is in a gorgeous place currently! Probably another couple of years of life left, but may not benefit as the fruit flavors are beginning to dissipate.

 2002 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Petite Sirah, 11/1/2010, rated 95 points: Decanted for about a half hour before drinking and certainly benefitted from that. Could even have used more air. Still very tannic, but aged enough now that they coat the palate and are well integrated and balanced, yet nicely chalky. I love that there was still something to chew on! Most apparent are dark flavors of tobacco and chocolate with dark berry fruit, i.e. blackberry, plum, etc. Now is a good time to drink if you prefer more fruit as this will continue to get earthy and lose the little fruit that is there. For an even softer wine, it has the structure to go another 3-5 years. Beautiful wine that just again proves the consistence of Ridge’s quality!

2002 Ridge Vineyards Home Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, 4/1/2011, rated 97 points: Exceptional! Decanted for about a half hour as it was quite sharp and tannic straight from the bottle. It settled in beautifully and showed some dark fruit, Eucalyptus, mild tobacco and mineral notes on the nose. The mouthfeel gave chalky, yet very soft tannin structure that coated the whole palate. The finish was very long with a nice acidity being most prominent by holding up dark raspberry flavors. Cocoa and some toasted oak came through as well. Certainly has some structure to last another few years, but at the moment I think that it is in an amazing place since I enjoy something that I can still chew on a bit!

 

The Saint From The Wild Sticks has spoken.

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Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Tasting Notes | 2 Comments »

#RRSF Grand Tasting!

March 27, 2011

Do you plan to attend the Rhone Rangers San Francisco Grand Tasting today? If so, please make sure to visit the Ridge Vineyards table, we’ve got a tremendous roster of wines to share with you! Here is the line-up:

2009 BUCHIGNANI RANCH CARIGNANE (pre-release!)

100% Carignane

“The 2009 is our eleventh vintage from this small vineyard in the hills north of Dry Creek Valley. Planted in the thirties, forties, and fifties, it has been meticulously cared for by Dino Buchignani, a role now filled by his son Stan. Full of pure fruit and elegant structure, this old-vine carignane is enjoyable now, and will be at its best over the next four to five years.” John Olney (8/10)

 

2005 LYTTON ESTATE GRENACHE

88% Grenache, 6% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Sirah

“The two oldest parcels, planted in 1902 and 1963, are the heart of this wine. They are field blends of grenache, with minor amounts of zinfandel and petite sirah. Pure grenache from the two younger parcels contributes finesse and definition, and eighteen months in oak has integrated fruit and tannin, accentuating the wine’s exotic spice. This excellent grenache will be at its best over the next five years.” Eric Baugher (3/07)

2006 LYTTON ESTATE SYRAH/GRENACHE

50% Syrah, 50% Grenache

“Syrah’s deep flavors and firm structure complement the bright fruit, spice, and lively acidity of grenache. After twenty months in air-dried american oak barrels, the wine’s elements have integrated beautifully. Approachable now, it promises to continue developing over the next six to eight years.” Eric Baugher (8/08)

2006 LYTTON ESTATE SYRAH (pre-release!)

92% Syrah, 8% Viognier

“Viognier and syrah co-fermented on their natural yeasts in seven small tanks; we pressed early to avoid excessive tannins. Full-bodied and solidly structured, this fine syrah will develop further with ten to twelve years in bottle.” Eric Baugher (9/08)

2009 LYTTON ESTATE PETITE SIRAH (our first national-release Petit Sirah!)

100% Petite Sirah

“This hundred-percent varietal is our first national release Petite Sirah that shows the structure, balance, and complexity that can be achieved when soil and varietal are perfectly matched. It will soften and evolve over the next ten years.” John Olney (11/10)

If you require some additional information about the event, please click here. And if you attend, PLEASE send us thought, perceptions, comments, tasting notes, photos, we want it all! And mainly, enjoy!

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Posted in Carignane, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Rhone varietals, Special Offerings, Syrah, Tasting Flights, Varietals & Blends | Leave a Comment »

Global Zinfandel Day Begins With The 2000 Geyserville!

November 19, 2010

Man, Global Zinfandel Day is starting with a bang ’round here! I’ve got lightning blots shooting out of my head, I’m so electric …

So, in settling on a back-vintage from the vaults to close today’s seated zinfandel tastings with, I got my heart pretty set on the idea of the 2000 Geyserville, and on a whim I decided to ring up to winemaker Eric Baugher’s office to get his thoughts on it, and as it turned out, he hadn’t tasted it in a while, so up to the winery I went, Ah So and Foil Cutter in pocket, 2000 Geyserville in hand …

Tasting 2000 Geyserville w/ winemaker Eric Baugher

 

It was unquestionably a difficult vintage, due to the wicked combination of a spring frost and scalding summer heat, and the selection process was accordingly notable for its intense scrupulousness; the final assemblage was comprised of a mere 20%!

That said, the wine was an absolute and total joy to taste; one of the more pleasant surprises on record; Eric had thought it would be distinctly advanced by now, but the wine was anything but; it was quite literally bouncing out of the glass with full vitality on full display…

Here is a quick look at what Eric scribbled down in the way of notes:

2000 Geyserville: Eric Baugher's Tasting Notes

 

I of course was doing a bit of scribbling as well, having left my typewriter back in my office …

CW at work on notes ...

 

But because my handwriting borders on the inscrutable, I am offering a properly typed translation instead …

2000 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel

Astonishingly bright and vibrant color in the glass; rivulets of cranberry woven through a theater of rose and fuchsia … Aromatics rich with ripe, sweet, plummy fruit underlaid with a hearth’s worth of tobacco and dark herbs, evoking, amongst other things, a farmhouse high-tone pie lending sweet yeast and brown sugar … As soon as the wine hits the palate, the classic Geyserville mint is on display, a wickedly enticing herbaceousness that is almost wintergreen in character … a touch hot in places (14.9% abv), but barely noticeable amidst the endlessly buoyant acidity on display … the tannins are supremely smooth and reconciled and round, laying on the tongue like silk on skin … given the equitable distribution of carignane and petite sirah in the blend (17% of each) I’d say the carignane is leading the way, giving the wine an overall fruitier character, with high-tone cherry being the dominant note … all told, and in summary? Delicious!

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Posted in Carignane, Geyserville, Petite Sirah, Special Offerings, Tasting Flights, Tasting Notes, Tasting Rooms, Varietals & Blends, Zinfandel | 2 Comments »

One of THOSE days at Monte Bello!

September 13, 2010

Somtimes the dice are with you, sometimes they’re not.

Some days you get people trying to smoke cigarettes on the property (a big no no!), or trying to drink beer (another big no no!). Or someone brings a dog (unfortunately, not allowed), or parks a limo in one of the disabled parking spaces (another no no).

Some days, someone comes in, and apologizes for having just clogged one of the toilets.

Sometimes, you go to open an umbrella on the deck, and a swarm of bats flies out and scares you out of your wits. Or you go for an early morning walk through the vines, and you hear the ol’ familiar rattle (do note, the Beware Of Rattlesnake signs are real! No grass angels in the gardens!).

Some days, you forget and wear a light colored shirt to work, and you open a wine with a little too much gusto, and, well, there goes your shirt. And then you spend the rest of the day walking around looking like an extra from a mob movie; Whacked Guy #2.

But other days, people bring wine in, and they share it with you.

It’s just not everyday that you get to try a 1997 Jimsomare Cabernet AND a 1982 Devil’s Hill Petite Sirah all on the same day:

97 Jimsomare Cab in the bottle ...

...97 Jimsomare Cab in the glass!

The Devil's Hill ...

... and The Devil's Cork!

Special thanks to Bing Tsai and Craig Gleason for sharing their wines!

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Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Events & Photographs, History, Petite Sirah, Tasting Rooms, Varietals & Blends, Vintage Wine Labels, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine Tales | Leave a Comment »

Zinfandel: The Art of the Blend!

August 21, 2010

If you’re anywhere in the area of either our tasting rooms today, and if you have any interest in Zinfandel, I think we may have a little something special on offer for you. It’s the third edition of our Summer Wine Series for 2010, and for today’s theme, we’ve selected “Zinfandel: The Art of the Blend.” And what we’ve put together for a tasting flight, is, I think, a rather uniquely educational opportunity to experience the full range of what this oft-misunderstood varietal truly has to give.

What we’ve done is put four wines together, and staged them as a progression of blending varietal expressions; meaning, the first wine is solo-varietal zinfandel, the next has one varietal in the blend, the next two, and the next three. The specific wines we’ve selected are as follows:

2008 Paso Robles
—Zinfandel—

Vines ripened uniformly, and we harvested all three parcels within a week—a record.  Primary fermentation was carried out by natural yeasts. Juice was pumped over the cap twice daily until pressing—day eight, on average. Uninoculated secondary fermentation took forty days. The finished lots were blind-tasted for assemblage; for once, all could be included. Exotic barrel spices complement the vineyard’s ripe bramble fruit, and this year’s intense color is striking. Integrated and enjoyable now, this excellent vintage will develop over the next five to seven years. EB (8/09)

2008 Ponzo
—Zinfandel & Petite Sirah—

Cool spring weather delayed budbreak, but flowering and fruit set were complete by early June, and a warm summer ripened the grapes fully by early September. The grapes all fermented on their natural yeasts for twelve days, on average. After natural malolactic, we racked the new wine to american oak barrels, fifteen percent of which were new. Rich and full-bodied, the 2008 Ponzo is nonetheless elegant—a zinfandel to be enjoyed over the next five to seven years.  JO (11/09)

 

2007 Lytton Springs

—Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, & Carignane—

After a dry winter and spring, budbreak came early. A warm August ripened the fruit earlier than expected, and we harvested the thirty-four parcels as flavors developed fully, fermenting each separately on its natural yeasts. Aged for fifteen months in air-dried american oak, this classic Lytton Springs is remarkable for its richness, balance, and elegant texture. It will soften and gain complexity over the next ten years. JO (11/08)

2008 Geyserville
—Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, & Mataro—

In tank, color and tannin extraction was unusually rapid, as were uninoculated primary fermentations. We reduced pump-overs and pressed early, avoiding harsher tannins. Zinfandel and carignane showed exceptional quality, and form the core of the blend. (Wines from the petite sirah parcels were too tannic; the six percent included comes from a field-blend.)  Twenty percent new oak adds exotic spice. Superb concentration and firm acid will allow this fine zinfandel to develop over the next ten to fifteen years. EB (11/09)

And if that wasn’t enough, we’ve capping this tasting with a sample of our 2006 Monte Bello, and our 2007 Geyserville Essence!

2006 Monte Bello

Summer was unusually warm; picking began on September 18, ahead of schedule. Though a cool October slowed ripening, all parcels were harvested within five weeks, and natural yeasts started the primary within three days. Uninoculated secondary began in tank; eighty percent of the thirty-six lots were racked to barrel for completion. Thirteen were selected for the first assemblage in late January. Additions of petit verdot and cabernet franc contributed depth. Balanced and elegant now, this exceptional vintage has the structure to carry it for twenty-five years or more. EB (3/08)

2007 Geyserville Essence

We made our first Zinfandel Essence from Geyserville in 1966. To produce an essence, the vines must remain vigorous late into the season, with green leaves for photosynthesis. To intensify color and concentrate sugar, the grapes were left on the vine for three additional weeks; they co-fermented on natural yeasts. To our delight, the initial Brix reading was beyond the hydrometer’s ability to measure. It took five days for the yeast to begin fermentation, another five days to stop naturally—fully stable. The wine aged in air-dried american oak barrels; clarity was achieved through careful racking. Opulent and full-flavored, the 2007 Essence can be enjoyed now and over the next twenty years. EB (9/08)

So, if you can, come join us!

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Posted in Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Events & Photographs, Geyserville, Lytton Springs, Mataro, Monte Bello, Petite Sirah, Special Offerings, Tasting Flights, Tasting Notes, Tasting Rooms, Varietals & Blends, Vineyards and Oenology, Winemaking, Zinfandel | 2 Comments »

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