Filed under: Uncategorized
Waits-Mast 2007 La Encantada Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills
Just a last minute reminder for those wanting to ship gifts from Waits-Mast Family Cellars, that today is the last day to ship via 2-day air and Monday is the last day to ship via overnight air delivery. Our holiday specials, including our limited gift pack with Recchiuti Chocolates, are still going until 12/31/09, so avail yourself of the deals while they last! Check them out here.
And for those in San Francisco Bay Area looking for a last minute gift, you can order and pick up at our logistics center in San Francisco, located at 566 Minnesota Street, just off of Third Street and Mariposa. Call ahead at (415)558-9181 to schedule your pickup. You can also swing by Canyon Market on Diamond and Chenery in the Glen Park neighborhood. They have plenty of other yummy accompaniments to our 2008 Hein Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, including a great selection of cheeses, chocolates and for dinner, lovely salmon, pork and beef.
Good luck with all of your last minute shopping and take some time to enjoy the season!
Filed under: In the news, Tasting notes | Tags: Anderson Valley, Jon Bonne, La Encantada Vineyard, Pinot Days Chicago, Pinot Noir, San Francisco Chronicle, Sta. Rita Hills, Wentzel Vineyard
Our first commercial releases, the 2007 Wentzel Vineyard Pinot Noir and 2007 La Encantada Pinot Noir continue to get positive feedback, and this week we were floating on air after being included in the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 Wines 2009 issue. If you weren’t the recipient of fervent Facebooking and torrential Tweeting from us on Sunday, read on about this review and a couple of reviews from our Pinot Days Chicago visit:
SF Chronicle's Top 100 Wines 2009 issue
San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Wines 2009 (12/6/2009): Waits-Mast Family Cellars 2007 Pinot Noir from Wentzel Vineyard in Anderson Valley is included in the San Francisco Chronicle’s annual list of top 100 wines. Jon Bonne writes: “Jennifer Waits and Brian Mast found a style that invokes old-fashioned Anderson Valley Pinot, full of woodsy conifer aromas, with a lighter touch and rhubarb-like highlights.”
It is gratifying to see our longtime passion for Anderson Valley pinot noir recognized, especially in the company of other incredible West coast pinot noirs. Alas, we must admit that we are now sold out of the Wentzel, but for SF locals, you can have one last sip of this amazing wine at Red + White wine bar, opening soon in Glen Park. Stay posted here for opening festivities featuring Waits-Mast wines.
Broke Wino (11/24/09): Regarding our 2007 Pinot Noir from La Encantada Vineyard in Sta Rita Hills, Broke Wino writes, “Their 2007 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is what stole me, its nose had this crazy mushroom, sawdust play that not only do I adore, but almost makes me forget to sip.” It’s true – the aromatics on this wine are haunting and brooding, but Broke Wino sez it better!
Chicago Food Whores (11/17/09): On Twitter they cited our 2007 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from La Encantada Vineyard in Sta Rita Hills as their top pick from the Pinot Days Chicago tasting: “Favorite wine pick from Pinot Days- Waits-Mast 2007 Santa Rita hills, organic!” and wrote on their blog recap that it is “one outstanding wine.”
Filed under: New releases, Tasting notes | Tags: Pinot Noir, Wentzel Vineyard, Waits-Mast Pinot Noir, Bacon, Bourbon, Little Kings, South Bend, Hein Family Vineyard, Thanksgiving, holiday meals, wine pairing, Londer, Meetinghouse Biscuits
The "in progress" Cornbread, Bacon, Pecan Stuffing
It’s a treat during the holidays to experiment with new recipes and find dishes that pair beautifully with a particular wine.
This year for Thanksgiving, Jennifer found a cornbread/pecan/bacon stuffing recipe and with the help of all members of the immediate Waits-Mast clan, we were able to try it out.
We were absolutely amazed by how beautifully it paired with our newest release, the 2008 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from Hein Vineyard in Anderson Valley.
The stuffing was truly decadent, utilizing a heaping helping of bacon fat, which lent an enchanting smoky quality to the dish and it was perfect for Pinot Noir.
The remaining bits of wine after dinner
In addition to the stuffing, we served a brined Heritage turkey.
Jennifer’s mom made some family favorites: spiced yams with marshmallows, jello with sour cream and fruit, and fresh cranberry sauce.
Jennifer’s sister provided pumpkin pie as well as green beans piled with bacon (also an excellent match to the Pinot). Brother-in-law Martin added a new vegetable dish featuring winter veggies and carrots.
Also on the table: Stove Top stuffing (the family would mutiny if we didn’t) and our traditional pairing of Meetinghouse Biscuits with Shirlee Londer’s raspberry jam (a bonus for Londer Vineyards wine club members every year).
For dessert we sampled the aforementioned pumpkin pie, chocolate truffles and cookies from Trader Joe’s, as well as Jennifer’s homemade salted caramel ice cream. Yes, there were a lot of left overs!
In an effort to find out about other magical pairings with our wines, we solicited stories from a few friends who also imbibed a little Waits-Mast for Thanksgiving. Here are their tales:
Dave’s Thanksgiving Dinner with the 2007 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir, Wentzel Vineyard (Anderson Valley)
“The last time I had Thanksgiving Dinner with my parents in our family home outside South Bend, Indiana, was probably in 1984. I would have Amtracked back from college in Massachusetts that year, getting in several hours late as usual, but presumably in time for dinner.
The train was always due in South Bend around 8am, but generally arrived around 11 or noon. “Lametrack” was in fact one reason why eventually I stopped coming home for TG while I was in college. Little did I know then that I’d go to grad school in England and then end up living in Europe, and that 25 years would fly by before I’d make it back home once again, in 2009, for our family’s Thanksgiving meal.
On my 1984 trip back home for Thanksgiving I hung out with my high-school friend Brian Mast. He was a freshman at Notre Dame that year so he was in “the Bend” over the long weekend. Brian and I probably hung out at his dorm room rather than at his parents’ house or mine because hanging out in a dorm would have been so much cooler. We also probably drank…but not wine. [editor's note: it was Little Kings]
Dave's Thanksgiving in South Bend: Mr. J raises a glass while Julie digs in
On my 2009 trip back home for Thanksgiving I didn’t see Brian in person, as he has long since moved on to warmer climes where grapes grow. But he was with us in spirit (and “en bouteille”).
We had his and Jennifer’s wonderful 2007 Anderson Valley Pinot with dinner. Yum! Another high school friend of Brian’s and mine, Julie, provided the bottle. (Sadly, I cannot –yet– get the wine in Switzerland.)
My Dad, in particular, loved that Waits-Mast Pinot. He and Julie may even have had a bit too much of it, to judge by their faintly giddy and giggly demeanor in the attached photo. But hey, Nihil in moderatione, right?”
Sande’s Thanksgiving with the 2006 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir, Hein Vineyard (Anderson Valley)
“Of course our wine for the evening was Waits-Mast. It was actually fairly simple, turkey breast, stove top stuffing and asparagus. However the sauce Anders [the Swedish chef] made was killer and went so perfectly with the wine it was unreal…almost spicy. I’ll ask him about the sauce when he wakes up because that was the key. FYI, I also had the wine with turtle pie for dessert…no kidding. Stay tuned. Christmas should be better.”
Sarah’s Thanksgiving with the 2007 Waits-Mast from La Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Aftermath of Sarah's Thanksgiving
“We poured (and drank) two bottles of 2007 Pinot Noir, La Encantada Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills to enjoy with our bourbon roasted turkey, pear chanterelle stuffing, and acorn squash with apple (don’t forget the cranberry-orange and red onion w/ bourbon jam – bernard).
This is probably our favorite wine right now, perhaps because we’re especially fond of Santa Barbara pinots.”
Thanks to all of our friends for sharing their Thanksgiving stories with us. It’s always gratifying to hear how people have enjoyed our wine, especially amongst friends and family.
Filed under: Promotions | Tags: holiday special, La Encantada Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Recchiuti chocolate, Sta. Rita Hills
As we clean up the remaining dishes (and wine glasses) from Thanksgiving, our thoughts now turn toward the winter holidays, which are now just around the corner. As a little incentive to get you started on your holiday shopping, we’re offering a couple of specials:
Waits-Mast Pinot Noir and Recchiuti Chocolates for the Holidays
HOLIDAY GIFT PACK: WINE AND CHOCOLATES
For a limited time only we are offering a Holiday gift pack of 2007 Waits-Mast La Encantada Pinot Noir, featuring a 4-piece varietal box from San Francisco’s renowned boutique chocolatier Recchiuti.
Celebrate the holidays by sending a wine gift-set to your foodie friends. The gift set includes one bottle of La Encantada Pinot Noir and one 4-piece box of chocolates, all for $49 + tax/shipping. You’ll find the gift pack listed in our webstore through the holidays.
HOLIDAY SPECIAL: SAVINGS ON SHIPPING
To lighten the load on your holiday expenses, we’re offering two different specials on shipping: For 50% off shipping for any orders of 11 bottles or less, enter HALF in the coupon code box and hit “submit.” For free ground shipping on a case (12 bottles) or more, enter CASE for the code. The special applies to any products in our store including the Holiday Chocolate Gift Pack. The shipping special runs from November 30, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
As a reminder, if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area you can save shipping costs by picking up your wine. Just select “local pickup” during the purchase process. You can then pick up the wine at the Crushpad shipping and logistics center in San Francisco. Call (415) 558-9181 to schedule your pickup.
Filed under: Events, Tasting notes | Tags: Anderson Valley, Chicago, Chicago Food Whores, Hein Vineyard, La Encantada Vineyard, Mendocino County, Pinot Days Chicago, Pinot Noir, Reel Pour, Sta. Rita Hills, The Broke Wino, wine tasting
Pinot Days Chicago 2009
After a busy harvest at the winery focused on sorting, crushing and pressing, we were ready to get out and pour our wines. It reminds us of why we do this – to see the smiles on people’s faces and enjoy the festive atmosphere at our table when people try our wine.
So this weekend, we traveled out for the 3rd annual Pinot Days Chicago to launch new wines and meet up with old friends. It was our second time pouring at the event, and once again it served up lots of happy Chicagoans and colorful compliments.
The event began with a tasting just for the wine, food and hospitality trade from 11 am to 1pm. It was a nice way to meet potential customers from wine shops, restaurants, bars and distributors.
But, since it was relatively mellow, it also was a great warm-up for the big public event and an opportunity for us to get out from behind our table to catch up with friends and try some wines before things got too busy.
The Calm Before the Storm
The throngs headed in for the public tasting at 1pm and that’s when the fun really began. We met a bunch of really interesting folks and even saw some fans of our wine who we’d first met at the 2008 event.
We poured our 2007 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from La Encantada Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills) and also debuted our 2008 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from Hein Vineyard (Anderson Valley). We were particularly curious to hear feedback about our latest release as this was the first time that we’d poured it for the masses.
The feedback that we heard about our wines was beyond our expectations and we were delighted to have a bunch of return visitors to our table throughout the day. Like last year, our number one fan Luke ushered tasters over to us, rhapsodizing about our wines. Thanks, Luke!
Grab a Glass
Despite all of the kind words and happy tasters, you never know what people will think and remember about the event after the buzz of the tasting fades. As we feverishly searched Twitter after the event for any mention of us, we couldn’t believe our eyes when we spotted that a food blogger from Chicago Food Whores deemed our 2007 La Encantada her top choice for the entire event.
And she wasn’t the only one enamored with the 2007 La Encantada. Another taster said that it was one of his three favorites at Pinot Days Chicago and a professed non-Pinot Noir lover was also a fan. People said that “it does a lot in your mouth” and “is a symphony on my palate.” We heard taste descriptions mentioning “spice” and “pepper” and a number of people mentioned that they struggled to find words to describe the nose. One guy detected a fungus smell, adding, “I could smell that all day.” Another said it was a “Burgundian nose.”
The Scene at Waits-Mast
In terms of our new baby, the 2008 Pinot Noir from Hein Vineyard; we got equally glowing reports.
Someone pronounced that it was “by far my favorite” of Pinot Days Chicago. Many mentioned its earthy qualities, saying that “it explodes earth,” is “woody,” “dirty earth,” and “has a lot of pine.” Some detected a hint of cinnamon, calling it “spicy” with a “nice finish.” Like the La Encantada, we also heard that it “smells Burgundian.” Some Anderson Valley fans noted some similarities to Navarro’s Deep End Blend and also mentioned that they were pleased that we didn’t “overdo the oak” and allowed the Anderson Valley fruit to shine. We acknowledged that we were pouring a wine young and one taster respectfully characterized it as “young and rambunctious.”
But, perhaps Brian’s favorite compliment of the day (in regards to our wines overall) was “bangin’ juice!” Right on, Rich! Kind of reminds us of a trip to Napa when a young guy behind the bar proclaimed, “the chard’s the bomb!”
Beyond the love fest (we do have egos after all), we really enjoyed meeting a variety of folks and talking about our wines. More so than last year, we seemed to learn about a number of cool ventures related to wine. Andrew Stiles of Reel Pour is a Cinema Sommelier and Jennifer was intrigued to hear about his series of podcasts focused on pairing wines with films. Additionally, we got a visit from The Broke Wino’s Samuel Klingberg. His website focuses on wine recommendations for young people and he seemed to have a really fresh, approachable take on wine.
At the end of the day we left Pinot Days with purple hands, a ball-bearing-less pour spout, wine-stained clothing, and a mailing list full of new names. Oh, and a lot of smiles – both ours and everyone else’s. All in all, it was a satisfying day in Chicago.
Filed under: Events, New releases, Tasting notes | Tags: Anderson Valley, Canyon Market, Hein Vineyard, Mendocino County, Pinot Days Chicago, Pinot Noir
Introducing the 2008 Waits Mast Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir
In honor of our trip out to Chicago to pour our wines at Pinot Days Chicago, we are launching our fall release wine, the 2008 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from Hein Vineyard in Anderson Valley. The Hein Family Vineyard is located in the “deep end” of this valley in Mendocino County, about 3 hours North of San Francisco. In the deep end, the cooling influence of the fog extends flavor development and results in a balance of fruit and earth. A co-ferment of Dijon 115 and Pommard clones, this Pinot exhibits some similar characteristics of our 2007 Wentzel Vineyard from Anderson Valley (which has recently sold out).
The aroma is earthy, mushroom-y and has a smoky/woodsy note. On the palate, you’ll find a tart cherry and cranberry that finishes smooth and juicy. An acidic core keeps it bright and structured. All in all, it’s what we crave from Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. Good acidity and subtle tannins provide structure and backbone to make this an enjoyable, food-friendly wine.
Availability: the 2008 Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir will be available on our webstore starting on Friday, November 13. For SF locals, we’ll be getting the Hein on the shelves of our favorite local market, Canyon Market, next week.
Specs:
Clones: 115/Pommard
Alcohol content: 14.0% by volume
Fruit: 100% whole berry (no stems)
Yeast: RC212
Barrel aging: 11 months in French oak, 33% new (Francois Freres, MT)
Bottled: August, 2009
Production: 25 cases
Drink now through 2014
Suggested Retail Price: $44/bottle (750ml)
Release date: November, 2009
Filed under: Restaurants, Tasting rooms, Wine travel | Tags: Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, Mendocino County, New York Magazine, KZYX, community radio, boonville lodging, mendocino lodging, mendocino thrift shops, fort bragg breakfast
Wentzel Vineyard in Philo, CA, Anderson Valley
New York Magazine’s Adam Graham posted a great online tour of Mendocino County on Thursday and mentioned our ValleyFogBlog. Offering a more interesting, rugged alternative to Napa, the tour points out some great out-of-the-way places to visit throughout the county. Jennifer and I have been visiting Mendocino County for many years, our first romantic weekend getaway being up on the Mendocino coast. It was these travels and the many stops at Anderson Valley wineries that got us so enchanted with Pinot Noir and this region.
In addition to the excellent recommendations in the article, we also have some other personal faves in Mendocino County:
Commanding views at The Other Place, above Anderson Valley
Lodging: Anderson Valley Inn in Philo (roomy, good rates), Boonville Hotel (great bungalows in addition the main rooms) and the Other Place (vacation rental with spectacular views, kitchen, living room, etc.). For larger houses or cottages to rent, check out Shoreline Vacation Rentals and other vacation rental services listed on Mendocino.com.
Restaurants: The Boonville Hotel and McCallum House are definitely our two favorites, but for Anderson Valley visitors, Lauren’s Cafe in Boonville and Libby’s Mexican restaurant in Philo provide tasty alternatives. Along the coast from Elk to Fort Bragg, there are a number of other great restaurants – too many to mention here. For breakfast in Ft. Bragg, though, Eggheads, with full-on Wizard of Oz motif, is a must.
Wineries: Again, the article lists some of our favorites, but here are a few more in Anderson Valley: Elke, Baxter, Phillips Hill, Claudia Springs, Roederer Estate, Handley and Navarro. Any that aren’t mentioned here are also well worth visiting and exploring. Go to the Anderson Valley Winegrower’s site for a full listing of wineries in the Valley and those, like Waits-Mast, Roessler and others, that make wine from the region. Just up the road is Hopland, where there are a number of good wineries, including Milano Family Winery.
Serene coastal path at the Mendocino Botanical Gardens
Oddball Day: the article mentions some out-of-the way places in Mendocino County that visitors may not find in the guidebooks. When we’re not pouring at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival or poking around the village of Mendocino, we like to drive further up the coast. Our companion along the way is community radio station KZYX out of Philo. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch the call-in swap show Trading Time – it is truly a slice of Mendocino, with locals unloading old beat-up trucks and other quirky items. We then may stop at the Mendocino Botanical Gardens and take a stroll out to the coast on a path that winds through coastal redwoods. We’ll then wind our way up to Fort Bragg and stop in at some of our favorite vintage shops, including the Ark Thrift Store (benefits the local humane society and often has pets roaming the place) and Mendocino Vintage which is full of great old books, records and kitchenware. If we’re in the mood for a little more wine tasting, we may go further north to one of the most scenic wineries around, Pacific Star Winery. Sheep roam the coastal property and the tasting room has great views of the dramatic North Coast.
Makes us want to hop in the car and take another visit! Enjoy Mendocino County and the Anderson Valley and if you want to try our wines from Anderson Valley, drop us a line or go to our website at www.waitsmast.com.
Filed under: Tasting rooms, Wine bars, Wine travel | Tags: Dallas wine bars, Dallas wineries, Texas wine, Times Ten Cellars, Wine bars
Whenever we travel out of town we’re on the lookout for wine bars and wineries, especially when visiting places not typically regarded as wine destinations.
Last week we found ourselves in Dallas, Texas with a few hours to kill on a Sunday afternoon and our first instinct was to track down a wine bar for a quick bite to eat. Serendipitously, the one wine bar that was open at 3pm on a Sunday also happened to be a functioning winery.
Times Ten Cellars operates a gorgeous tasting room out of a former post office location from the 1940s. It’s located in a residential neighborhood and its customers primarily draw from the surrounding area. In fact, the afternoon of our visit they were setting up for an event in their tasting room, as one of their regular customers was going to use the beautiful setting for their wedding.
Before the festivities began, we sampled some wines from both California and Texas and got the chance to tour x10 Cellars’ onsite winery. Design-wise, it was an amazing space; probably the most glamorous winery we’d ever seen. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling of the barrel room and from the tasting room one could look through large windows into the clearly labeled laboratory, barrel room, and tank room. 
At the tasting bar one can sample wines crafted by x10 Cellars, which at this stage primarily consists of wines made in Texas using grapes imported from California. As one of only four wineries in Dallas, x10 also makes wine from their own 7 acre vineyard.
Located in Alpine, Texas, Cathedral Mountain Vineyards was planted in 2004 with primarily Spanish and Rhone varietals, including Grenache, Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Mouvedre, and Petit Sirah and had its first crop in 2006. The vineyard was chosen for its high desert location at 4800 feet and for its volcanic soil.
We began our tasting with a sample of the only sparkling wine from Texas (and the only wine we tried that was not made by x10). With its winery located in Lubbock, Texas, La Diosa’s sparkling wine is crafted with Chenin Blanc grapes and was a lovely start to our tasting as it was crisp and refreshing, with hints of apple.
In terms of the x10 wines, we sampled a wide range of reds and whites; all with different labels utilizing a chair motif. According to our host, “chairs, like wine, have a unique personality,” so specific chair imagery was chosen to identify each wine. For example, the 2008 Lake County (CA) Rose had a drawing of a french bistro chair on the label; whereas a 2007 Sonoma Pinot Noir featured the picture of a vintage arm chair.
Tasting the 2008 Times Ten Cellars Rose in Dallas
Everything we tried was quite tasty, from the yellow cake batter-scented 2008 Lake County Rose made from Syrah grapes, to the chocolate-kissed 2005 Petit Sirah from five old vine vineyards in Napa (only 4 cases left) that we couldn’t leave without.
We also really loved their 2007 Pinot Noir from Sonoma and a number of their other reds.
We particularly enjoyed the first wine crafted from their very own vineyard in Texas. The 2007 Cathedral Mountain Vineyard Vino de Tierra Alta Texas Red Wine is a blend of 5 grapes: mainly tempranillo, syrah and grenache with a splash of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. It was a wonderful wine and a nice reminder of what wine is all about – exploration and discovery, the sweetest discovery being the unexpected and the seemingly uncharted territory.
With x10’s first full harvest this year, it will be interesting to explore their full line up of Texas wines in the years to come.
Filed under: Tasting notes, Winemaking | Tags: Baxter Winery, Comptche, Mendocino County, Oppenlander Vineyard, Phillips Hill, Pinot Noir, Shandels
Oppenlander Vineyard in Comptche (photo credit: Surprise Valley Ranch, Inc.)
Our journey in winemaking is all about learning and trying new things — and making pinot noir that represents a sense of place. This year we have been fortunate to try out some new vineyards and expand our portfolio of vineyard-designate pinot noir wines. In addition to the up-and-coming vineyards that are available through Crushpad, this year we have sourced fruit from other top vineyards. Oppenlander Vineyard in Comptche, Mendocino County, is one of those vineyards. It is well-known among a small circle of Mendocino County pinot noir fans, but is otherwise on the fringe both geographically and in the collective pinot noir consciousness.
Brian first had an opportunity to try Oppenlander pinot noir when he was at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival in May of this year. During the open house day, Sunday, he visited Baxter and Phillips Hill wineries, each of which makes pinot noir with Oppenlander fruit. He was struck by the depth and complexity of the wine and it was one of the most memorable pinot noirs he had that weekend. So when we decided that we wanted to explore additional vineyards for our 2009 vintage, Brian approached the folks from Oppenlander at the San Francisco Pinot Days back in June. Nothing was available at the time, in fact there was a list of folks wanting to get fruit from Oppenlander, but he passed on our business card just in case. As his mother used to say, “it never hurts to ask.” We asked and lo and behold, in September, we found out that we could get a small amount of 114 clone pinot noir from the nice folks at Oppenlander.
Those nice folks are John Pepe and Bill and Norm Shandel. The Shandels planted Dijon Pinot Noir clones in this old homestead and timberland in Comptche, California and Pepe is their winemaker. Comptche is in Mendocino County and is located much closer to the coast than is Anderson Valley. Located about 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean, it experiences some similar climatology as the true Sonoma Coast vineyards like Hirsch. It manages to still get enough sun and warmth during the day and benefit from the coastal fog to temper rigor and build great flavor development over time. It is still such a small and growing region that it does not have its own AVA (American Viticulture Area) to designate its site-specific qualities.
Beautiful small pinot noir clusters from Oppenlander Vineyard, 2009
When the grapes came in on October 2, we had an easy time sorting the lot. This year’s harvest brought in small clusters (think mini-hand grenades) and small berries. Great acidity when tasting the berries. After a good cold soak of 5 days and a moderated fermentation, we pressed the wine on the 15th.
Making a total of two barrels, we filled the neutral oak barrel with 100% free run juice, and then filled the new Remond barrel 2/3 full. The color was the first thing that struck us. Looking down into the bin after the grapes were dumped into the press, we saw a wonderful deep burgundy color with hot pink edges. I can’t wait to see what this looks like in the glass – I’m guessing it will be a very pretty wine.
The first taste of the free run was full of tart cherry goodness, proving that this wine will have a good amount of acidity. After pressing it in .2 bar increments, we got some earthtones and herbal tea on the nose, and raspberry, plum and dark cherry on a smoother palate. Pressing to 1.35 bars it was still tasting great and we fill the rest of the barrel with this juice. We then pressed it a little harder for our topping tank.
Great color from Oppenlander free run juice left over in the bin
All in all, the Oppenlander in 2009 is delivering on its reputation, from beautiful fruit to a beautiful wine. We’re totally psyched to see how our new venture evolves. In the meantime, sounds like we need to take a trip to Comptche!
Filed under: Vineyards | Tags: 115 clone, Anderson Valley, Boonville, Deer Meadow Ranch, Green Apple Books, John Winthrop Haeger, Philo, Pinot Noir, Rich Savoy, Wadenswil clone, Wine Spectator
115 clone pinot noir on the vine at Deer Meadow Ranch vineyard
As we often have written, we are fans of all sorts of pinot noir, from New World to Old World. There are many variations just within the state of California, and our portfolio of vineyard-designate wines celebrates this diversity of flavor.
From the romantic getaways passing through the valley to the geek-out technical conferences at the pinot noir festivals at the Boonville Fairgrounds, Anderson Valley, though, has always tugged at our heart.
Because of our great love for Anderson Valley, this year we decided to expand our offering of wines from that region. Brian started putting out feelers when he was at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival in May and as harvest drew near, we had leads on a number of amazing vineyards with fruit to spare.
In mid-September we traveled up to Anderson Valley to take a look at a few of our vineyard options for the 2009 vintage and were quite pleased with our options. One of our first stops was Rich Savoy’s Deer Meadow Ranch Vineyard. It sits at 1600 feet above Boonville and it was quite an adventure getting there. We traversed a winding dirt road and were treated to commanding views of Anderson Valley along the way.
Rich Savoy has made quite a name for himself in the wine world and his grapes have gone into many highly regarded wines. He has two vineyards: Savoy (in the benchlands off Highway 128 in Boonville) and the Deer Meadow Ranch Vineyard high in the hills above Anderson Valley. Coincidentally, on the day of our visit Rich had just received a copy of the brand-new Wine Spectator, featuring their top ranked California Pinot Noirs for the year. There on the cover was a Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir made by Roessler.
Before embarking on his wine career, Rich started out in the book business and was the owner of Green Apple Books in San Francisco, which he founded in 1967. Being fans of neighborhood bookstores (and Green Apple customers), we were happy to learn about this connection.
Rich Savoy prunes the vines as harvest approaches at Deer Meadow Ranch
Rich toured us around his vineyards and it was clear that he’s meticulous about his grapes. They are farmed organically and planted in a northwest orientation (approximately 22 or 23 degrees off north) in 12 blocks that make up about 9.3 acres total. We then retired to Rich’s kitchen to snack on apples and discuss the details. We were impressed with both the vineyard and Rich’s attention to detail in tending to his vineyards, so we were honored to purchase some of his fruit.
We prefer to use lighter, more floral clones like 115 as the base for our wines, giving us the option to add punch, structure and lift in the blending process. In making the decision to get grapes from Rich’s Deer Meadow Ranch vineyard, we went for a mix of 115 and Wadenswil. Wadenswil is a Swiss clone that was imported from the town of the same name in the 1950s. The clone has a little more tannin than 115, which will add structure to the wine, and according to John Haeger’s North American Pinot Noir, “is prized mostly for brilliant, high-toned berry fruit and impressive perfume.”
With our big decision behind us, we awaited the amazing fruit and on September 24th it was delivered and we hand-sorted both clones. We placed them in the same bin to go into a nice 5-day cold soak and to co-ferment to a temperature not to exceed 86 degrees Fahrenheit (so as not to over-extract the fruit.) The fermentation needed a little coaxing, so we inoculated with RC212 yeast, a yeast that we have used selectively with other wines with great results.
Pinot noir fruit from Savoy's Deer Meadow Ranch vineyard at sorting
After fermentation, we pressed the wine on October 5th and it has excellent promise. The first taste of free run juice that ran through the press was tart, showing a lot of acid. After pressing through to 1.2 bars, the wine smoothed out, showing amazing structure, creamy raspberry aromas and cocoa notes. All of these important components will integrate as the wine rests quietly in neutral and new (Cadus tight grain, medium toast) barrels. We’re excited to pay this wine a visit in a few months and see how it is progressing.
It was a great experience for us to venture out and shop around for new fruit sources and trust our own judgement (and the reputation of great wines as well) in expanding our portfolio of pinot noirs. We can’t wait to deliver our customers the results of this journey.
