With this release comes our first peek at the red wines from the 2009 vintage. It was a vintage that gave us a smaller than normal crop with great concentration, firm acidity, and AWESOME flavors at slightly lower sugar levels. In addition, we are pleased to offer two wine club only releases of 2007 Onda and 2007 High Road, James Berry Vineyard, The Long Path. There are no re-orders on The Long Path. Onda was made in very small quantities so if you wish to order additional bottles, we encourage you to do so now. This is a wine you will want more of!
Garnacha, Denner Vineyard, 2009
100% Grenache
The grapes off our steep, south facing three-acre block of Grenache at Denner Vineyard yield an amazing variety of flavors from top to bottom. Soils, exposure and elevation are just different enough from top to bottom, that the grapes require three different harvest dates. The top third ripens first, producing ripe fruit with searing acidity. The middle third follows usually three weeks later and is a bit tamer with respect to acidity. The last third down at the bottom is always a nail biter. Threats of rain and frost tempt us to bring it in prematurely. Patience prevails and the results are always stunning. Blending the three lots of fruit provides just the right balance of fruit and acid that Garnacha fans have come to know and love.
Elevage: Concrete fermentors were employed for the first time in 2009, to bring additional softness and minerality to the Grenache. The third pick was fermented, 50% whole cluster, in a concrete fermentor, then pressed and aged for 9 months in concrete. The other two picks were fermented in stainless steel and aged in 50% new French 500 liter puncheons. Color: Magenta. Aromatics: Candied pomegranate, anise, mountain strawberries, spice and aged pork fat. Palate: Seductive red fruits, rose petal and spice are framed with moderate acidity and tannin.
Willow Creek Cuvée, 2009
50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah
This is always one of the most fun wines to assemble. The goal is to create a wine that embodies the terroir of the Willow Creek corridor. It always requires hours of barrel sampling and blending. This year’s Willow Creek Cuvée is a showy beast with the flamboyant Grenache at the forefront.
Elevage: The Grenache and a bit of the Syrah were aged in 50% new French puncheons. The Mourvèdre was fermented 50% whole cluster and raised in barriques. After assemblage, at nine months, the wine was placed in two year old 500 liter puncheons until bottling. Color: Dark Ruby. Aromatics: Raspberry jam, violets, sea salt, white pepper, bresaola, and toasty oak. Palate: Bright and lively upon entry, rolling into a velvety palate of black cherry, blueberry, smoked piquillo peppers, finishing with a moderate tannin level that leaves one salivating for the next glass.
High Road, James Berry Vineyard, The Long Path, 2007
45% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre
“High Road has historically been aged in barrel for 14-18 months. With this vintage, I wanted to see how the wine would evolve with additional time in the barrel. After the initial blend was assembled I held back four puncheons as an experiment. The Long Path is two of those puncheons aged 34 months. I tasted the wine with Josh Raynolds of Stephan Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar publications and thought his notes were spot on.” Cris Cherry, Winemaker
“Opaque purple. Sexy, perfumed aromas of dark berry compote, violet, incense and cola, along with a smoky mineral quality and a touch of olive. Palate-staining blackberry and boysenberry flavors expand with air, gaining sweetness and a floral pastille quality. Sneaky acidity buffers the lush fruit and adds cut to the very long, spicy finish. This will be approachable young, especially if you like flamboyant wines, but it really deserves patience. 93(+?)” Josh Raynolds, Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
ONDA, 2007
1/3 James Berry Syrah, 1/3 Denner Mourvèdre, 1/3 Ohana Tempranillo
What do you get when you blend equal parts James Berry Syrah, Denner Mourvèdre, and Ohana Tempranillo and place it in new French Barriques for 34 months? 2007 ONDA. Spanish slang for good vibe, ONDA is all of that in a bottle. In years past Onda has seen 24 months in new French barriques. We gave this vintage an additional 10 months in oak for a total of 34 months. This additional time in barrel has resulted in a seamless oak integration. 31 months into aging ONDA blossomed into a complete animal hitting all the buttons that make one want to drink a bottle at one sitting rather quickly, and then pop another!
Elevage: The Mourvèdre was fermented 50% whole cluster while the Syrah and Tempranillo were destemmed. ONDA was assembled in the spring of 2008 after finishing malolactic fermentation.
Color: Rich dark purple. Aromatics: Boysenberry, blackberry, asphalt, fig, fresh Italian parmesan. Palate: Fleshy and full in the mouth showing bacon fat, creamy oak, roasted coffee beans, and warm tomato jam while possessing structure for the long haul. Showing well currently, I can’t wait to see this one stretch it’s wings and age gracefully for 8-12 years.
