Current Releases

2010 Tocai Friulano

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

What if two completely different wines—so different that there was NO possibility that ANYONE could confuse them—had names that sounded alike? Would you:
a. Teach consumers about the difference?
b. Revel in the confusion?
c. Issue a government edict that forbade the use of the name to protect one of the interested parties?

If you were the European Union, you’d select “c”—in spite of the fact that even more confusion would ensue, because none of the rest of the world was following you. So begins the story of Tocai Friulano.

Read more: 2010 Tocai Friulano

2011 Rosato di Barbera

Pink Flamingos

Whether it’s thinking about the movie or just the birds the wine’s color resembles, the ’11 Rosato di Barbera is like them both: distinctive. So many people have (ahem) strong feelings about rosé, so we had fun making a wine that surprises them. No, it’s not a blush.

The nose is all about fruit—strawberries, pears, maybe a white peach and a grapefruit, all topped off with a black cherry. It doesn’t take itself terribly seriously; in our opinion, it shouldn’t have to.

The flavor is all about strawberries. It’s not sweet but not too tart with a surprisingly silky feel. There’s a little bit of lemonade on the finish that keeps it incredibly refreshing..

Rosato di Barbera complements Asian food nicely. It’s great with barbecue (particularly barbecued chicken) or grilled food. It works well with salmon—enough acidity to stand up to its richness but delicate enough not to overwhelm it; the same goes for creamy, stuffed eggs. It’s refreshing—the perfect summer aperitif. We wouldn’t tell if you put an ice cube in it.

Rosé is a labor of love. It takes a lot of hand labor (and hand wringing) up front. It’s always a roll of the dice whether you’ve left the juice on the skins too long and made the wine bitter or not long enough so the wine is pale. Whether the yeast you use will enhance the flavors you taste in the grapes or just blast them into oblivion, whether it’s too dry and tart—it can be trying. But from the first time we tasted a lovely Provençal Rose and fell for pink wine, we knew we had to make it ourselves. Whether you like it, or not (and we think you will).

Technical Data:

Appellation: Clarksburg, vineyard certified sustainable
Blend: 100% Barbera
Alcohol: 13.2%
Acidity: 0.8 g/100 mL
Residual Sugar: Dry
pH: 3.2
Malolactic Fermentation: None
Barrels: None
Harvest Date: October 4, 2011
Bottling Date: March 27, 2012
Release Date:July 1, 2012
Total Production: 120 Cases
Price: $19

2011 Riesling

"What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits"

The Doobie Brothers

We all have our guilty pleasures—romance novels and soap operas for example, or motorcycle racing and trashy sci-fi (ours). For some of us, it’s sweeter wine. Wine lovers can be dismissive of them. For that reason, many of us are reluctant to admit that we enjoy wines with even a hint of sweetness, and such wines are often branded as unsuitable for any food.

Dismiss Riesling at your peril. Often branded a cloying confection, Rieslings are made in a myriad of styles that offer just a hint of sweetness to balance bracing acids or are nectar-like in their richness. An aged Riesling—and, yes, this is absolutely an age-worthy white—can become complex with candle wax and petrol aromas that complement blossoms and other floral notes.

Our Riesling is medium dry and in the Alsatian style. Aromas are floral with a heady mix of orange blossom overlaying stone fruit—apricot and peach. There’s a whiff of candle wax, too, which hints of growing complexity with age. Flavors begin with lush apricot and finish with citrus.

Dryer Rieslings are wonderful with piquant Asian food to cool the fire and clear the palate, particularly spicy, citrusy, Thai cuisine. This Riesling also can make an appearance with lighter desserts: tangerines or a creamy Meyer lemon tart with candied orange peel finish well.

Sweeter wines are not necessarily for beginners, whether you’re the winemaker or the consumer. Sweetness can be left on the wine by fermenting it to dryness then adding concentrated grape juice back in to the appropriate level—a common production method. We, instead, taste the wine frequently during fermentation. When it reaches the best flavor balance of acid and sweetness, we chill the wine to stop fermentation—sort of like catching a falling knife and not for the fainthearted. We’re not guilty at all when we say it’s worth it.

Technical Data:

Appellation: Lake County, grown using organic farming methods
Blend: 100% Riesling
Alcohol: 12.9%
Acidity: 0.7 g/100 mL
Residual Sugar: 0.9%
pH: 3.3
Malolactic Fermentation: None
Barrels: None
Harvest Date: September 26, 2011
Bottling Date: March 27, 2012
Release Date: July 1, 2012
Total Production: 100 Cases
Price: $19

2010 Carneros Pinot Noir

Delicate cherry and red raspberry fruit open this Eastside/Westside (Napa and Sonoma Carneros) and Old World/New World (legacy Pinot clones Swan and Martini with clone 667) Pinot Noir and are complemented with complex hints of graphite, cedar, and herb. Pair with duck, pate’, salmon, or a mushroom risotto.

Technical Data:

Appellation: Carneros
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir; 50% Clone 667, 25% Swan Clone, 25% Martini Clone
Alcohol: 13.7%
Acidity:
Residual Sugar: <0.1%
pH:
Malolactic Fermentation: Full
Barrels: 100% French Oak
Harvest Date: , 2010
Bottling Date: February XX, 2011
Release Date: July XX, 2012
Total Production: 120 cases
Price: $38

Accolades:
90 points, Wine Enthusiast;

"Highly Recommended, " Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences.

2010 Grenache

Grenache just says “strawberry”. Bright red fruit with a touch of fruit leather and herb makes it the perfect complement to rich, earthy dishes. Pair with ham, Middle Eastern fare, spicy lentils, or Cajun food.

2010 Cuvee Lola

Lola, our beloved tortoiseshell cat, was a complicated and spicy but utterly charming creature.  Likewise, her cuvée is spicy and complex with multi-hued flavors and, of course, charming, so it was only natural to name this wine for her. 

Pairings

 Ham—whether Italian or American—or herb-crusted roast lamb make purr-fect pairings.

Vintage Notes

 One of the great joy's in artisan winemaking is not having to adhere to strict recipe.  Each year we sample the component or base wines as they mature, we let them speak to us about how the grew and what they'd like to become. In the 2010 blend  the Mourvedre takes center stage (45%) with ripe berry notes on top of the more common herbal and floral notes.  This vintage is also the first year for Cooper Ranch Grenache (4th leaf) and yield was very limited.  Fortunately Bray Vineyards allowed us to supplement the harvest so we could slot Grenache in as a solid rhythm section (42%) with rich strawberry notes and solid tannins.  10% Syrah and 3 % Petite Sirah (or Durif) add a solid backbone and spice to the mix.

Vineyards

Tech Data

2009 Amador Mourvedre

No Animals Were Harmed in the Production of this Wine…

In fact, we don’t use animal products in our winemaking; yeast are actually more closely related to plants. And, wherever possible, we source certified organic components and keep winemaking pretty simple—grapes, yeast, and not much more.

We offer the disclaimer above, instead, as a preface to discussing the Dog Strangler. We didn’t hurt any puppies (they’re welcome visitors at the winery). We’re talking wine here. Mataró. Monastrell. Mourvèdre and, colloquially, "estrangle chien" in some parts of France.

Read more: 2009 Amador Mourvedre

2010 Syrah

“Twin Sons of Different Mothers”

Dan Fogelberg

Syrah, perhaps more than any other grape we make wine with, suffers from (or is blessed by, depending on your perspective) multiple personality disorder. Depending on where it’s grown and how, plus its  handling in the winery, Syrah can emerge as a plush, jammy glass of black velvet or a complicated thought provoking glass of pepper and leather with a berry or two on top. We think ours is a balance of the best of both.

Our Syrah is fruit-driven but definitely not jammy. Dried blueberry, black raspberry and cassis flavors do predominate, but they’re bright and juicy. There’s a layer of cocoa following the fruit that ends with a dash of  black pepper. What we love the most about the wine, however, is the lovely floral notes that come through in the aroma. Lavender is prominent, but other more savory herbs finish.

Pair this Syrah with anything savory. Big soups and stews with lots of herb and spice work well with it, whether they’re meaty or vegetarian. Be sure to save some for dessert; dark, bittersweet chocolate is a  natural for it.

Technical Data:
Appellation: Amador
Blend: 95% Syrah, 4% Grenache, 1% Viognier
Alcohol: 14.5%
Acidity:
Residual Sugar: Dry
pH:
Malolactic Fermentation: Complete
Barrels: 2 and 3 year old French Oak
Harvest Date:
Bottling Date:
Release Date:
Total Production: 111 Cases
Price: $23

2009 Holland Landing Barbera

Lush, juicy aromas of black fruit blend with spicy clove and nutmeg with firm acids and light tannins make Barbera a favorite of foodies. Pair with savory, buttery dishes—creamy polenta or risotto are favorites. Vineyard certified sustainable.

2010 Dolcetto, LBS Ranch

It’s Not Sweet. Really.

Even though its name suggests it, Dolcetto, Italy’s “little sweet one” is NOT a dessert wine. Possibly, the name derives from the shape of the nearby Piemontese hills (little “sugar loafs”), but, more likely, refers to a key characteristic of the wine: it’s much less acidic than the other Piemontese wine we love, Barbera. It has a reputation for early release and easy drinking, and, of course, complementing food well.

Read more: 2010 Dolcetto, LBS Ranch

2009 Unidici

"This goes to 11"

Italy is strict when it comes to wine. For a Chianti to be a Chianti, for instance, it must contain specific percentages of certain grapes and can’t contain “non-traditional” fruit—Cabernet or Syrah, for example. Color outside the lines and you won’t receive DOC or DOGC designation—long the mark of quality for the region.

In response, cutting-edge Italian winemakers bid “arrivederci” to the restrictions and began blending wines to taste rather than regulation. To distinguish them from lower-quality vino da tavolas, they coined the term “Super Tuscan” to describe them. Often Sangiovese-based, they’re more “new world” in style: big, juicy, and rich.

So is Undici. It’s full of black cherry fruit, deep and dark—the kind you find stuffed into a coat of bittersweet chocolate. The Cabernet Sauvignon brings up the sophistication with a hint of the briar that so characterizes the grape. Tannins are concentrated enough to structure such a rich wine, but round enough to not be the least dry.

So why Undici? It means “eleven” in Italian. In our college days, we did production and engineering with a number of major rock acts. When “This is Spinal Tap” was released in ‘84, we howled. You could cut the satire with a knife, but we KNEW these people! So, as a name for a wine that pushes flavor absolutely over the top, here’s a tribute to one of our favorite “guilty pleasure” movies and a great wine. This one goes to eleven!

Technical Data:

Appellation: Amador County, Sierra Foothills
Blend: 85% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 15.2%
Acidity: 0.6 g/100 mL
Residual Sugar: Dry
pH: 3.6
Malolactic Fermentation: 100%
Barrels: 22 Months in two and three year french oak.
Harvest Date: September 29, 2009
Bottling Date: August 26, 2011
Release Date: March 1, 2012
Total Production: 225 Cases
Price: $24

Food Pairings:

Pair Undici with your richest, deepest braises, cassoulet with spicy sausage, any Italian red sauce, or a big, juicy burger—with fries and garlic aioli, please. If you’re still sipping after the main course, go ahead and break out the dark chocolate; they'll play well together. 

2009 Teroldego

"I wanna see it painted, painted, painted,
painted black"

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Everything about Teroldego is deep and dark. The stains on the bins the fruit it picked into and fermented in. The stains on our hands as we work with the fermenting must. The barrels after the wine is aged. The wine in glass is the deepest purple around.

Aromas start dark, too, with freshly-picked blackberries and black raspberries. A whiff of lavender and, maybe, a bit of thyme follow.

Rich blackberry flavors lead followed by black figs and a sprinkle of black pepper. There’s plenty of tannin but it’s smooth and supple and only getting more so as the wine ages. The finish hints of minerality—nice, but not too intense.

Steve, Duke, and Mike Heringer grow just a few acres of Teroldego in their Clarksburg Holland Landing vineyard; there’s just 120 acres or so grown in all of California, so it’s a rare and precious gem. They told us in 2008, “just try some—you’ll fall in love”. We did, head over heels.

And, by the way, it’s pronounced teh-RAWL-deh-go. Just so you know…

Technical Data:

Appellation: Clarksburg, vineyard certified sustainable
Blend: 100% Teroldego
Alcohol: 14.2%
Acidity: 0.6 g/100 mL
Residual Sugar: < 0.1%
pH: 3.65
Malolactic Fermentation: Complete
Barrels: 2 and 3 year old French Oak
Harvest Date: October 12, 2009
Bottling Date: February 18, 2011
Release Date: July 16, 2011
Total Production: 119 Cases
Price: $26

2010 Tempranillo

“Well I never been to Spain…

… but I kinda like the music…Never gonna lose it, I can’t refuse it…”; Hoyt Axton

Ah, Tempranillo—Spain’s noble grape and the basis for its great Rioja’s. It’s great on its own and it’s definitely on our Top Ten list for great food wines with fantastic fruit, mouth-watering acids, and enough tannin to be complex and interesting without overwhelming a good meal.

Steve, Duke, and Mike Heringer grow our Tempranillo grapes in Clarksburg, a small town sandwiched between the Sacramento River and Ship Canal. While close to Sacramento geographically, Clarksburg’s climate could

Read more: 2010 Tempranillo

2009 Petit Verdot

Deep Purple

Our approach to winemaking is a bit like a Renaissance painter’s strategy for painting. First, he would grind pigments to prepare a selection of paints. Then, he’d begin to create. Typically, the combination of paints created art more powerful than just one color alone; occasionally, however, one color was so pure and perfect it was destined to make a statement on its own.

Every crush, we build our “paint box” by making small lots of a number of different wines. Before bottling, we taste them and begin to “paint”, combining two or more varieties in varying ratios to see what makes the most flavorful “picture”. If making wine is science, blending assuredly is art.

Read more: 2009 Petit Verdot

2009 Malbec

"Don't cry for me, Argentina…"

Evita

Malbec, though often associated with Argentina, has its roots in the great wines of France’s Bordeaux region. It’s no slouch in California, but it can be almost as big a diva as Eva Perón to grow.

First, it often sets badly—the developing grape clusters just don’t have many grapes on them. Then, it is subject to coulure. If weather conditions are unfavorable, the stems connecting the grape berries to the cluster may shrivel and the berries may, subsequently, drop off. With Malbec, this might be because Spring is cloudy or wet. Or warm and dry. You get the picture; it can be REALLY fussy. We hear stories from growers about visiting the vineyard on Tuesday to see beautiful fruit; by Wednesday, half of it’s fallen off the clusters. Go figure.

In 2009, the crew at Bells Echo Vineyard got it right—with a little help from Mother Nature. The wine is full of floral aromas—particularly lavender and violets—plus rich black currant fruit. The black currents reappear in the mouth with cassis and a hint of dried fig to finish with substantial tannins and dark cocoa.

Malbec is the perfect partner for deep stews and braises. The cocoa in its finish complements a Mexican mole beautifully. It’s also a very interesting foil for Cajun food—gumbos or jambalaya—that are well spiced but not hot. It’s delightful with hard, nutty cheeses and charcuterie, but don’t forget your vegetables—it’s great with ratatouille!

Technical Data:

Appellation: Mendocino County
Blend: 98% Malbec, 2% Merlot
Alcohol: 13.1%
Acidity: 0.55 g/100 mL
Residual Sugar: < 0.1%
pH: 3.8
Malolactic Fermentation: Complete
Barrels: 2 and 3 year old French oak
Harvest Date: October 12, 2009
Bottling Date: August 23, 2010
Release Date: October 31, 2010
Total Production: 73 Cases
Price: $29