Pulling wires and getting ready for new planting. This is almost the last step before we plant. The only thing left is the irrigation drip line which sits on the bottom wire.
We thought we were late but with the cold weather and frost we have had this last month, and especially the damage done by the frost, planting later is a definite advantage.
After 43 years of winemaking, we have finally made a Petite Sirah. This grape has had a rather muddled history ever since it was first cultivated in California circa 1890 shortly after being either propagated or identified as a seperate varitety in France in the 1880’s.It is not Syrah, and there is nothing “petite” about it in terms of grape size or flavor.Many older Petite Sirah vineyards in California are actually “field blends” containing as many as five grape variteies (including Petite Sirah and Syrah). DNA fingerprinting has also shown what we know as Peitite Sirah could actually be the ancient Rhone variety peloursin.
Or, as the most popular theory goes, this grape is actually Durif, a cross of peloursin and Syrah created in France in the 1880’s.Whatever the reason, the name “Petite Sirah” has stuck and the wine became an early avorite in California as the rich, massive wines it produces were a natural favorite when paired with old rancho cuisine featuring grilled meats and vegetables.
The big flavors, black pepper spice and rustic tannins are also a terrific match with hearty stews. Winemaker Bruce McGuire is very impressed with the Thompson Vineyard in Alios Canyon, a site he feels is well suited for grapes to make big, rich wines. We have bottle aged this wine for a year before release to smooth some of the tannins. Petite Sirah is not known for aging ability and we suggest enjoying this wine before 2011.
Suggested Retail 26.00/750ml
After over a quarter century of making Cabernet Sauvignon from our Lafond Vineyard, winemaker Bruce McGuire is now sourcing this grape from vineyards on the warmer eastern side of the Santa Ynez Valley. While we still mourn our departed Cabernet vines, we now look forward to learning from this grape planted in a more traditional climate than our very cool growing area and tended to by very professional wine growers.
The 2005 vintage was primarily grown in the Westerly Vineyard located in Happy Canyon on the warmer, eastern side of the Santa Ynez Valley. Note: Westerly Vineyard is named for the road it is on, not its location in the valley. This is only a five barrel lot that was harvested on the mildly late date of November 5th. After a year of bottle aging in the winery, the wine still wants for more age to fully “flesh out”.
At this young age, the nose shows hints of chocolate, wood spice and dark berrys. The dark berry character is opulant in the mouth and the tannins are soft and pleasing. Decanting and air time are highly recommend to help this Cabernet to show off its concentrated fruit character. A very good choice for beef or hearty pasta. Cellaring from 2011 through 2013 should be amply rewarded.
The 2007 vintage of our Rosé of Syrah marks the fifth consecutive vintage winemaker Bruce McGuire has made of this dry wine. A very nice milestone indeed because Santa Barbara Winery has been making rosé wines since the 1960’s utilizing grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir.
These wines were made in various years as we plumbed the public’s taste for rosé as a wine catagory and for particular styles that pleased not only our palate but enough folks to make this a commercially viable production. When Bruce first identified a section of Hilltop Ranch Vineyard as being particularly well suited to making rosé, we were becoming aware of a re-energized intrest in these wines as wine and food journalists seemed to be devoting much more time to the appreciation of rosé wines and their versatility in the world of food pairings.
To make a complete and mouth filling wine from Syrah is not an easy task. When Bruce harvests this aforementioned block of Syrah, the fruit is hand sorted and destemmed. The juice and skins are then given a “cold soak” overnight followed by a light pressing the next day before a cool fermentation in stainless steel.
This process preserves the electric color and the bright fruit flavors and aromas nicely balanced by firm acidity courtesy of the cold climate Sta. Rita Hills. A terrific wine to enjoy with all but the heartiest of foods, a simple lunch of cheese, cured meats, olives and bread is a favorite. Enjoy through the winter of 2009.
The Pinot Noir is now beginning to leaf and exposing its nascent clusters. This is a delicate time — we had frost last Sunday which damaged most of our Grenache — and a good time to take out the worry beads. Right now frost is the enemy — last year we had an early frost which damaged the Pinot Noir and substantially reduced the crop. Unfortunately there is not much we can do about it – the worry beads get a lot of action. The image is of a Pinot Noir Vine taken Friday March 21, 2008.
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Images of the workers staking out our new Chardonnay block at Lafond Vineyards and the beauty of the surrounding Santa Rita Hills. The hills are green and in a few short weeks they will be brown again. We enjoy them now, but we also enjoy them when the rains have gone and they revert to their natural state — It means summer is here.
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