2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose

Domaine Tempier has been the leading Bandol name for decades. Tempier's owners, the Peyraud family, almost single-handedly brought the wine world's attention to the Bandol appellation. Their wines have always been flamboyantly rich and powerful, but recent vintages have been sweeter and fleshier. Domaine Tempier offers an earthy, dense rosé with the texture of a red wine. A distinctly powerful style of rosé that matches well with grilled meats and hearty fish courses.

Kermit Lynch has been importing the Tempier rosé for over 30 years now.

Varietals: mourvedre, grenache
Color: bright orange pink. Almost golden salmon color.
Body: light, dry
Aromas: peach skins, nectarine, red currents, dried flowers, and smokey minerals.

The rosé is fermented in steel after a cold soak, then matured in vat for 6-8 months before bottling.

Tasting Notes: juicy red berries, pit fruit flavors, melons, cherry skins, and zesty minerals. Dry, focused and chewy, with strong finishing punch and lingering notes of talc-y minerals. Rated: 92 by Josh Raynolds, Jun 09 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Domaine Tempier is a place in Provence, a home with its winery and vineyards, its olive trees and cypresses. It is home to a large joyful Provencal family. It is a wine. And while it must be inadvertent, one of those fortuitous miracles that embellish existence (there is no recipe for it dispensed at wine school), there is a certain vital spirit that one imbibes with each gorgeous swallow of Domaine Tempier’s wine.

Domaine Tempier is located at Le Plan du Castellet. Its vineyards stretch over three different communities- Le Castellet, Le Beausset and La Cadière. The plots of land are thus far apart and require extra work. But the soil of these different areas yield distinctive cuvées -Spéciale, Migoua, Tourtine and Cabassaou - as well as interesting and complex blends for white, rosé and red wines.

Domaine Tempier lies in the heart of the vineyard boundaries. It already existed during the reign of King Louis XV, and the "bastide" was built on the family's property in 1834. The Domain has remained a family owned estate since 1834.
In 1885, it obtained recognition with a first gold medal.
In 1880, after the phylloxera epidemic had ruined the French wine trade, Léonie Tempier began the renewal by having her vineyard completely replanted on root-stocks, and a cellar built with wooden and cement vats. However, the 1929 crash caused the wine business to plunge; the vines were partly replaced by peach and apple trees.

With the passing of Lucien his sons, Jean-Marie and François, came to run the domaine. They have maintained the property's reputation, mixing traditional practices with new, but in the absence of a willing heir Jean-Marie and François, together with their sisters, decided to put the property in the ownership of a family-run company.

This was done in 2000, and Daniel Ravier was appointed as manager of the 35 hectare estate. Today it is Ravier that you are most likely to encounter, whether he is traveling abroad to market the wines, or working at the domaine. He continues to manage the vineyards, which range in age from 20 to 50 years, along straightforward organic lines, without fertilizer or other chemicals. The soil is ploughed to discourage weeds, and there is a green harvest to control yields which are typically 30-35 hl/ha.

The harvest is 100% manual and the fruit is fully destemmed before temperature-controlled fermentation. The reds are fermented in steel or today possibly also in concrete, these latter vats having been installed in 2007. The wines will macerate in vat and undergo malolactic and blending in tank, before spending 18-20 months in large foudres of varying size and also material, with some oak sourced from as far away as Austria. The end results, bottled without filtration or fining, are wines of interest which are, at all levels, worthy of bottle age. obtained from www.thewinedoctor.com

2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé (France, Provence, Bandol)
Orange rind, wild strawberry, minerals and salty sea breeze aromas jump from the glass of the 2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé and in the mouth, it has beautiful freshness paired with sweet fruit, a round, full texture and a long finish. While this doesn’t show the fruit of the ‘07, it’s a fantastic Rosé to drink over the next year or two. (91 pts.) The Rhone Report

2007 Preston Carignane, Dry Creek Valley

Certified Organic - Preston of Dry Creek is an organic family farm rooted in the agrarian traditions of Dry Creek Valley. They make broad and best use of their land by tending vines well suited to their distinctive terroir and creating limited production wines from the best and most interesting grapes.

One of the “old timer” grapes. The Carignane grapes come from both a 90 year-old vineyard and one planted in the early 1980’s. The resultant wine gives a dense blueberry/blackberry fruit, generous acidity, robust tannins, and a smoky, spicy finish. Sometimes the nose is teased with a bit of mineral, sometimes a barky sensation. Preston blends extensively with Carignane, but also enjoys its rough and tumble individuality as well.   The intense flavors and high acidity of Carignane compliment and refresh in partnership with fattier organ meats like liver or sweetbreads.

Lou Preston bought the first 40 acres (which had been planted in prunes and pears) off West Dry Creek Road in 1973. Today, Preston oversees organic vineyards and a wide array of complementary fruit orchards, olive trees, vegetable fields, livestock and poultry. Winery tractors burn bio-diesel (recycled vegetable oil from local restaurants) and most electrical needs are fed by an on-site solar power plant. 

Aromas: dense blackberry, blueberry, smoky, hint of minerality

Matt Norelli - Winemaker
An East Coast native, Matt Norelli first learned about winemaking from his grandfather who made wine in the basement of his home. Matt recalls his grandfather’s friends gathering around the barrels, debating the merits and flaws of each other’s wine.
At the age of twenty, Matt moved to San Francisco to pursue a career in music. Eventually, inspired by his childhood memories, he migrated north to Healdsburg, looking for a job in the wine industry. Seeking a position where he could experience the entire vine-to-wine cycle, he came work in 1987 at Preston Vineyards under the direction of winemaker Tom Farella.

Over the past ten vintages, Matt’s hands-on experience and guidance from many willing teachers at Preston - both in the vineyard and winery - exponentially increased his winemaking knowledge. “At Preston, our wines all have a sense of place, and I strive to incorporate that Dry Creek Valley mark along with the classic varietal characteristics.”

Matt continued his education with classes at Santa Rosa Junior College, and extension classes at the University of California at Davis. He tastes monthly with two groups of industry professionals. He is a member of the California Enological Research Association. Besides relaxing at home on the Russian River with friend and a bottle of wine, Matt likes to ride and restore vintage Italian motorcycles.

Allain Graillot, 2007 Crozes Hermitage, France

Alain Graillot founded his Domaine in Crozes-Hermitage in 1985, and rapidly became one of the most in-demand producers in the Northern Rhone for his exuberant, robust, and complete Syrah-based wines. Alain owns 50 acres of 30-year-old Crozes-Hermitage vines on the flat alluvial plain between the Rhône and Isère rivers, in well-draining soils of sand, gravel, and stones. He also has two tiny parcels in St. Joseph, from which he makes a slightly fresher, more early-drinking wine than the remarkable Crozes-Hermitage that constitutes the majority of his production.

Alain harvests by hand and works organically, employing whole-cluster fermentation and aging the wines primarily in 1-to-3 year old barrels purchased from some of the top estates in Burgundy. Graillot’s wines are structured, but still very appealing and approachable in their youth, and their longevity is truly remarkable…

Area: Crozes Hermitage, France
Blend: 100% Syrah
Average age of the vines: 25 years old (some of the Hermitage vines are now 80 years old)
Soil: Around Pont de l'Isère, the soil is formed from alluvial deposits of sand, gravel, rocks and stones.Despite being flat, it drains exceedingly well. The Hermitage holdings (just .12 hectares) are on hard granite slopes.
Average No. cases/year: 5000
From the importer Michael Skurnik’s web page/ --KL Wines

"Alain Graillot's estate is the source of some of the best Crozes-Hermitage on the market. His vineyards, on the flat plains north of Valence, produce Syrah that goes into varietally acurate, typical, food-friendly red wines. (wineaccess.com)

"Alain Graillot, Crozes Hermitage 2007 In the nose you sense the classic black pepper along with a meatiness and herbal character, perhaps hinting at rosemary and thyme. In the mouth this is a structured Syrah, acidic and tannic, delicious and long." (Ray Johnson)

Rhones Vignobles - A taste for wine, a taste for people
In the beginning, what brought them together was a taste for wine. A taste for authentic wine respectful of its terroir. And also a keenness to talk about it together to their customers in France and beyond. Then over the years - 17 already - Rhône Vignobles has established its philosophy with impeccable style, providing background music that gives the group an upbeat tempo. It is a philosophy with a natural bedrock: a taste for other people, period. They will all, without exception, tell you of the humanism that permeates the group. Rivalry is never an issue; among them, what matters is friendship, esteem, trust, sharing and emotions. They will all describe the strength they derive from moving forward as one. Alone, they would sometimes have stopped progressing or simply not have dared to. But as a group, nothing has checked their momentum – far from it! If one of them knows or implements something that another is unaware of, sharing and advising is not a problem. If one has a veteran’s experience, he will readily let the most recent arrival tap it. They travel together, discover new consumers together, visit other estates together, attend technical lectures together, taste their wines together, get together at each other’s homes to toss ideas around, party together... This is their life, and they shrug off its constraints. Is it all down to good fortune? No, just the desire to succeed as a group, as they have succeeded in their lives as wine growers. 

At Rhône Vignobles, some growers are organic and have the label, others are but do not, while others still are currently being certified. Some apply or are trialling biodynamics. Others, meanwhile, work to culture raisonnée principles. To be more precise, they all refuse to be confined by a grape-growing format. They cultivate their vines sensibly, mindful – as good, eco-friendly citizens – that soils must be respected and the environment protected. Revolutionaries, no. “Terroirists”, certainly. One day they will hand down their viticultural heritage, and not for anything would they bequeath asepticised land. They just want to see how happy their children are, breathing earth that is fresh and alive.

One of nature's activists
By the time you leave Alain Graillot, everything you imagined about him has been set straight. A hard-core organic grower? Pragmatic, rather, never accepting a label that would padlock his methods. Years ago, he was an engineer in the agrochemical industry. That part of his past subsequently saved him lots of time: no weedkillers, no pointless treatments. A self-assured man? A perpetual observer of nature, let’s say, because he feels it is “the basis of agriculture”. The previous owner of his estate worked all the vines by hand, they were well rooted. When he bought it in 1988, Alain Graillot could not imagine doing otherwise. A man backed by his reputation? Let’s say he never claims to know it all; he always listens to others, even with 20 years under his belt. With his son Maxime, now working alongside him, he has “gained and learned a great deal”. An intransigent man? Exacting, let’s say. Each morning, he happily heads off to his vines, repeating that he’s going to “make some good wine” and that he will never let down his Burgundy grower friends, “they’ve been there since day one, and we’ll never be ashamed of their help”. A partisan? Let’s say committed to keeping his freedom of choice: joining an anti-GM crop group is his way of flouting the rules laid down by the great powers of the food industry. A traditional father? Let’s say anxious to pass on his artisanal craft to Maxime, so that this ancestral farming expertise is never lost. By the time you leave Alain Graillot, you say to yourself that you have met a free man; that the earth is firmly anchored in his head and feet. - From the Rhone Vignobles website.

2005 Little Vineyards Syrah, Sonoma Valley

Little Vineyards is situated in the heart of Sonoma Valley, the 17.5 acre Family Wstate Vineyard is nestled in the Valley of the Moon between the sunbathed rocky slopes of the Mayacamas and Sonoma Mountain ranges. The vineyard is cooled in the early mornings and late evenings by coastal fog from the San Francisco Bay. As the fog retreats, the vineyard is warmed by rising daytime temperatures and underground hot springs. The vineyard soil is gravelly, well drained and descends downward to meet the Sonoma Creek.

Body: medium to full body.
Color: Dark, rich red.
Aromas: Violet, blackberry, black cherries.

Appellation: Sonoma Valley
Fruit Source: Estate Grown
Varietal: 98% Syrah
Production: 284 Cases
Alcohol: 15.1 %

The 2005 syrah put Little Vineyards on the map. It was there first wine to receive a double gold medal, along with a silver and bronze. It has become there most prestigous and popular wine.
Double Gold Medal - 2008 San Francisco International Wine Competition
Gold Medal - 2008 Dallas Wine Competition

Gold Medal - 2008 Grand Harvest Awards
Silver Medal - 2007 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

Tasting notes: 
Bright boysenberry & black cherry fruit with spicy 
lingering finish. Sophisticated yet accessible in character. Smooth texture.

Vinification: 
Grapes picked in early October 2005, gravity crushed &
 destemmed into small open top fermenters. Aged in 
mostly French Oak for approximately 17 months. Bottled unfiltered in early May 2007.


Joan and Rich Little aspired to live in Sonoma Valley, raise a family, grow grapes and one day produce premium red wines. In 1996, they purchased a 25 acre property from the Hanford Family in Glen Ellen. Since that time, they have raised four children, restored the property’s century old farmhouse, planted 17 acres of grapes. 

Eventually, Joan and Rich decided to blend their winegrowing expertise with the winemaking expertise of Joan’s brother, Ted Coleman.

In the beginning, they experimented with small lots of wine which received great praise from their family and friends. 

In 2002, Joan and Rich began their efforts to establish Little Vineyards as a small bonded winery producing no more than 2500 cases a year.

North Bay Bohemian Winery of the Week
By James Knight (2.20.08)
"Glen Ellen's most notable rock 'n' roll winery is surely B.R. Cohn, but on any given Friday, the tunes are cranking way past his olive trees at the neighbor's place. That's when Little Vineyards' owner Rich Little gets out his Chapman Stick in the corner of the tasting room and noodles out a few licks. Off the beaten track, Little Vineyards is a refrain on the small, family winery started in the late 1990s, with a few surprises, like its own recording studio and a house wine with its own companion CD.... The 2005 Syrah is a more gothic number, rumbling with dry dark fruit of the grape."

2005 Shafer Relentless, Syrah, Napa Valley

The Winemaker
The longtime winemaker for Shafer is Elias Fernandez. Elias has been with Shafer for over 25 years. He was on a path to be a great musician with a Fulbright scholarship to study at the University of Nevada but decided shortly thereafter that his roots were in the wine business. His father and mother were both day laborers and he was used to hard work. He decided to enroll at UC Davis in 1981 and was hired by Shafer in 1984 as an assistant winemaker. He took on full winemaking responsibilities in 1994 and has worked diligently to help establish Shafer as one of Napa Valley’s premier wineries. He was named best winemaker by Food and Wine Magazine in 2002. The story behind the name for this wine is that it is in honor of the winemaker Elias Fernandez’ relentless pursuit for quality.

Varieties:
78% Syrah
22% Petite Syrah
The grapes are picked, crushed, and fermented together!

Aging: The wine is aged in new French oak for 30 months
Alcohol: 14.9%

Winemaker Notes:
“The flavors and aromas are immense, round, mouthfilling and long-lived with a luscious blend of rich blackberry, black plums, meatiness from the Syrah and a dose of blueberry from the Petite Sirah. The tannins are ripe and long-lived, with a lengthy, pleasing finish.” —ELIAS FERNANDEZ

“… a sure-fire winner … the classic cassis, blackberry, peppery meatiness of this wine are beautiful.” —ROBERT M. PARKER, JR., THE WINE ADVOCATE

Vineyard Location: A small ridgetop site and a foothills site along the Vaca Mountains just south of Stags Leap District

Shafer Goes Green
There are several ways that Shafer works on sustainable farming:
Solar Power
Future Farming
Birds of Prey
Eating Machines
Cover Crops

Solar Power: In 2004, Shafer switched to 100% Solar Energy to power their operation! They are committed to sustainable agriculture – using cover crops, as little or no pesticides or herbicides, letting the harmless do their job in the vineyard to control pests that like grapes and grapevines.

Partnering with Bugs and Weeds: Another key part of farming sustainably is the use of cover crops. Today our vine rows grow wild with clover, vetch, oats, bell beans and other vegetation that creates a lively habitat for insects.
“The cover crops create a healthy environment where “good bugs” prey on “bad bugs,” says Doug Shafer. “More specifically, insects such as spiders and ladybugs naturally kill off or consume vine-damaging insects such as leafhoppers and blue-green sharpshooters.”

Cover crops do double and triple duty. They control erosion while also choking back weeds we don’t want. They control the vigor of the vine and at the end of their lifecycle they’re plowed under and enrich the soil with nitrogen and other macronutrients. This combined with our own compost allowed us to say good by to chemical fertilizers.

Whetstone, 2005 Syrah, Sonoma Coast, Guidici Family Vineyard

Vineyard: Guidici Family Vineyard – Sonoma Coast
Blend: 100% Syrah
Method: All french oak, 10% new wood.
35% Whole Cluster.
Indigenous yeast primary fermentation and natural completion of ML.
Punch downs only.
Unfined, unfiltered.
Production: 230 cases produced

Tasting Notes: Open this wine and let it breathe before serving. Cassis, violets, and bacon fat on the nose; secondary aromas of white pepper and more red fruits after a few hours in the glass. Rustic, full-bodied mouthful of red cherries, pomegranates, roasted meats, a hint of white pepper with a bit of baker’s chocolate to finish. Dead ringer for a Northern Rhone.

Wine Spectator
Enticing wild berry, plum, spice and pepper turn more austere on the finish. Vibrant and concentrated, this finishes with a persistent mix of complex flavors and firm tannins. Drink now through 2011.
Score: 90. —James Laube, December 15, 2007.


Jamey Whetstone started working at Turley Wine Cellars in the summer of 1998 when he semi-jokingly told a friend he’d do just about anything for a shot at winemaking. Over the following 6 1/2 years he would plant 30 acres of hillside vineyard, become fluent in Spanish, help manage over 200 organically farmed acres of grapes, become assistant winemaker, start his own label, and begin consulting full time. Turley provided his on-going continuing education in hands-on farming and meticulous, cutting-edge winemaking. To further enhance his small winery experience, he went to work in Burgundy for Domaine Dujac during a short stint in the summer of 2001.  His love for wine has taken him down several paths that have ultimately merged in the form of Whetstone Wine Cellars. He also produces Pinot Noir, Viognier and Chardonnay.

Guidici Family Vineyard:
Pushing the envelope on spots you can actually grow syrah while coaxing out that Northern Rhone character, Charlie Chenowith sustainably farms the vineyard. It sits on the edge of Occidental. Cold climate, organically farmed, Occidental vineyard with yields a bit shy of 2 tons per acre. Clone 877 and a personal selection from Lee Hudson’s vineyard in Carneros.

The Sonoma Coast wine region encompasses 500,000 total acres and is planted with about 7,000 acres of vineyards. Right now, Sonoma Coast’s wine country is bustling with vineyard development, especially Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. 
More about the Sonoma Coast

Fess Parker, 2007 Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbera County

Santa Ynez Valley is just 35 miles from Santa Barbara. The Valley includes the cities of Solvang and Buellton as well as the townships of Ballard, Los Olivos, Sant Ynez and Los Alamos.

Source: 80% Rodney’s Vineyard, 20% Camp Four Vineyard Both in the Santa Ynez Valley
Blend: 96%Viognier, 4%Roussanne
Barrel Aging: 9 Months in 1 year old & older French Burgundy oak barrels
Case Production: 3690 Cases

TASTING NOTES: This refreshing Viognier offers aromas of white peaches, vanilla, cashew, Maui Gold pineapple and white flowers. Flavors of pineapple, stone fruit such as white peach, vanilla and butterscotch will be found on the palate. This wine has great balance with fresh acidity that leads to a zesty finish!

Fess Parker, TV Star / Fess Parker, Winemaker
When Fess Parker was cast in the roll of Davy Crockett in the mid-1950’s, it caused an international sensation and changed his life forever. The characters Fess portrayed, Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, inspired generations of Americans. Throughout the late 1950’s and 1960’s Fess was at the pinnacle of a television career that has an unprecedented impact upon American popular culture. But is was Fess’ entrepreneurial spirit that prompted his leaving Hollywood to go into business for himself. The traits that Crockett and Boone embodied - integrity, resourcefulness and good humor -- carried over to Fess’ personal life and formed the foundation upon which the family business was built.

The purchase of 714 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley changed the course of the Parker family’s history. Realizing the potential of Santa Barbara County as a premium grape-growing region, Fess and his son, Eli, originally set out in 1989 to plant a small vineyard and sell fruit to local producers. But, as Fess’ daughter, Ashley explains, “ Fess is from Texas, so he can’t do anything small.“ The Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard now farms almost 700 acres on four vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County.

Working as a family has always been a great source of pride and pleasure for the Parker family. Eli Parker began in the family business as assistant winemaker in 1989. After several years of learning the craft at the side of renowned and accomplished winemakers, Eli took the reigns as winemaker himself with the 1995 vintage. A leader of the winery since it’s inception, it was in 1996 that Eli formally assumed the title and responsibilities of President. In the early 1990’s, Ashley ran the first tastings out of the barrel room and represented the winery at trade shows. In 1998, Ashley became Eli’s partner, working on the public relations and sales and marketing teams. The presence of Fess and his wife Marcy as the founding visionaries of the winery is a vital and enduring one. First-class hospitality has always been at the core of their ventures, first as hoteliers and eventually with the opening of the winery.


 Rodney's Vineyard: The estate vineyard, named in honor of Fess’s late son-in-law, was the first vineyard developed, and it surrounds the winery. With a total of 118 acres planted — approximately 31 acres on the valley floor, and the balance on the expansive upper mesa behind the winery — this vineyard provides the foundation of our Rhone wine program and has already produced several award winning Syrah and Viognier bottlings.

BLAIR FOX - Head Winemaker
Blair Fox was recently awarded the Andre Tchelistcheff Winemaker of the Year Award at the 2008 San Francisco International Wine Competition!
Graduating from UC Davis in 1999 with a combined degree in Viticulture and Enology, Blair Fox gained winemaking experience at Sunstone Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley (1999-2001), and at Haselgrove Winery – a custom-crush winery in McLaren Vale, Australia (2003). He also traveled through France’s Rhône Valley before returning to his hometown of Santa Barbara. He then joined Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard as Associate Winemaker, overseeing the Rhône varietal wines. Fox had previously consulted in the vineyard for the winery’s 2002 harvest. “Having focused on the winery’s estate Syrah and Rhône varietal vineyards, I’m excited to add on the responsibility for Ashley’s and Bien Nacido vineyards and control the Burgundian part of our portfolio (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay),” said Fox.

“The vineyards and clonal selection here are of such high quality, and the Parkers are a great family to work for.” Fox continues the stylistic direction set by Eli Parker when capturing the terroir of the vineyards. (Information found on the Fess Parker Website - also note that Blair Fox also is the owner/winemaker of Blair Fox Cellars).

Critical Acclaim for the 2007 Viognier:
"A very fine Viognier, one of the best of the vintage, that takes the variety's exotic, sometimes over the top richness and controls it with crisp coastal acidity and a deft touch of minerals. Elegant and interesting, it displays utterly dry flavors of Meyer lemon, lime, fig, date, honeysuckle, vanilla, spice and flint flavors. Drink now for freshness." 93 Points, Wine Enthusiast

Audelssa 2006 Syrah, Maelstrom, Sonoma Valley

While the Audelssa Estate Winery has been producing outstanding wines for more than a decade, it remains one of the best kept secrets in both Sonoma and Napa. Few secrets can be kept forever, and with each passing day this small producer's reputation continues to climb amongst seasoned oenophiles and first-time visitors to the area. This summer is an excellent time to become acquainted with a property Robert Parker calls "outstanding."

Audelssa is fortunate to occupy 125 of the most scenic mountainside acres in all of California. Situated at 1,800 feet above Sonoma Valley, the Audelssa's neighbors include the famed Monte Rosso and Bismark Vineyards. Magnificent views of the valley and the entire San Francisco Bay leave a lasting impact on the visitors fortunate enough to reserve an appointment to tour the winery and vineyards. winecountrythisweek.com

Audelssa—the name an abridgment of the Schaefer children—is a winery that truly echoes its circumstances. The dream vineyards are incapable of replication; even the label reveals an image that could either be the extreme elevation or the strong winds that blow harshly on the terrain. But it is the allowance of these conditions that really produce Audelssa wines; Erich prides himself on his ability to stay out of the way. Since California—unlike France—can let grapes ripen, Audelssa Estate Winery can allow the vineyards to grow good, clean grapes that are expressions of the intense site, a goal for any winery with some moxie.  from Cellar Tracker Wiki Articles

Proprietors: Dan & Gloria Schaefer
Winemaking: Erich Bradley
100% Syrah
Case production: 202 cases
14.9% Alcohol
Aged 18 months in 100% French Oak, 30% New Oak

Audelssa prides itself on "Extreme Viticulture". They say "sometimes the most distinguishing element of a vineyard is the intense nature of its site". The syrah grapes that are used for the Maelstrom is grown on the Mountain Terraces Vineyard located on the western slopes of the Mayacamas mountains and is one of the most distinctive vineyard sits in California. Cascading down 1200 vertical feet the vineyard overlooks the Sonoma Valley and on a clear day you can see San Pablo Bay, as well as San Francisco. The soil that spans the acreage is composed of Rhyolite, and Basalt. The sever terrain naturally limits crop size, yielding fruit with extraordinary concentration and complexity of flavor. The Maelstrom wine is made employing minimalist winemaking techniques designed to allow the vineyard to be expressed in the wine.

Tasting Notes:
This is a masculine wine, bold and full bodied with a translucent garnet color. Notes of elegant cherry candy fruit with an undercurrent of light iodine, mineral and leather express the nature of the earth that it was grown in. The fruit, earth and game components of the wine intertwine to become rich and balanced. Enjoy this wine now or over the next 8 - 10 years.

Sans Liege 2007 Marsanne, Derby Vineyard, Paso Robles

This wine is handmade by Curt Schalchlin, 34, sole employee and owner of Sans Liege Wines. Curt has worked for may of the Central Coast's most sought after small producers and after 7 harvests with others, he is debuting Sans Liege, with his own distinctive approach.

A native of urban Los Angeles, Curt Schalchlin discovered the beauty of the Central Coast fourteen years ago and quickly became fascinated with wine and craft winemaking in particular. Curt volunteered his services in order to learn from the pioneers in the new California wine movement.  Curt learned from some of the best growers and winemakers; with tutors like Russell From (Barrel 27 and Herman Story Wines), McPrice Myers (Barrel 27 and McPrice Myers Wine Company), and Dave Corey (Core Wines), he debuted his own label, Sans Liege at age 34. Curt Schalchlin is the winemaker, sole employee and owner of Sans Liege. The first release of Sans Liege Wines comprised of 5 wines from 6 distinct vineyard sites along the Central Coast.

Working with exclusively Rhone varietals, Schalchlin carefully chooses the right vineyards for his expressive, handcrafted wines just as he thoughtfully chooses the beautiful wood engraved art that adorns his labels and gives his wines a distinct look to match their fine quality.

Derby Vineyards:  There are about 35 acres currently planted out of just under 100 total acres on the property. The vineyard has been known for its Rhône varieties – Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Counoise were planted there in the late ‘90s.

Vine spacing and row orientations change within Derby Vineyard but are kept consistent within each vineyard block to help in uniform ripening, trying to match slope, aspect, and soil types to the vines in each block. Many of the new plantings have a northwest-southeast row orientation with vertical shoot positioning trellising. The goal is to create even sun exposure on the fruit during the hottest hours of the day during the growing season, balancing the vines so one side does not get substantially more sun/heat than the other. New portions of vineyard are going in at 8x4 and 8x5 spacing, and there are some blocks that have head-trained vines. Cover crops are planted in every other row – about 60% Cayuse oats and 40% bell beans.

WINE SPECTATOR 3/09 PROFILED SANS LIEGE AS ONE OF
"10 EMERGING CALIFORNIA RHONE PRODUCERS."
“On a trip to France’s Rhone Valley, winemaker Curt Schalchlin was both inspired by the tradition her saw and surprised when a Rhone vigneron said he was envious of the stylistic freedom enjoyed by California winemakers. Schalchlin dubbed his label Sans Liege (“without allegiance”) to reflect the concept of a free state of mind.“

The greatest challenges in his winemaking, he says, are: "finding good vineyard sources and keeping track of all the different lots I have going at any given time. I try to push off the blending for quite a while and I try to make each wine individually. When you work with six different vineyards and you get three or four varieties from each vineyard, that's a lot of wine to keep track of".

Bottle Art - Wines should not need ornate or exciting labels to sell, instead recommend themselves on their own merit. However, Curt’s attention to the design of his wine labels should not be overlooked. Here is a winemaker who does not stop the design process with the wine itself, instead he has combined a ‘package’ of art in both the bottle exterior and the contents of the bottle.  Lynd Ward, (considered by many to be the father of graphic art for America) was the inspiration behind the ‘Sancha’, label. His work is totally unique, five different novels all in woodcuts with no words. These labels were drawn by an artist named Gene Ploss in New York.  

Appellation: Paso Robles
Vineyards: Derby Westside
Alcohol: 14.5%
Case Production: 51 cases
Oak: 100% Neutral Oak
Time in Barrel: 12 months
100% Malolactic Fermentation

Tasting Notes: Reminiscent of classic white Hermitage with its waxy, honeyed flavors, this wine is mature and elegant. It boasts an amazing nose of licorice, minerals, acacia flowers, honeysuckle, and a hint of vanilla. Unctuously textured and full-bodied, with great intensity and purity, yet remarkably light on its feet with pear, apple, and apricot intermingling into a clean lavender and limestone finish.

Eat with: wild flounder "meuniere", yukon potato purée, sautéed spinach & lemon-caper brown butter sauce.

Grey Stack Cellars, 2007 Syrah-Grenache, "The Folly"

Grey Stack Cellars is focused on cool climate varieties, either estate grown or local vineyards farmed strictly to our specifications. The two primary vineyards for their wines are Dry Stack Vineyard, their home ranch in Bennett Valley, and Greywacke, their vineyard in the Russian River Valley, planted in 2006. In addition, they source fruit from vineyards in Bennett Valley that we feel have exceptional potential: Syrah and Pinot Noir from the Steiner Ranch, Pinot Noir from the Connell Family Vineyard and Chardonnay from the Wagner Family Vineyard all in Bennett Valley. North Bay Bohemian

Grey Stack Cellars, The Folly
Appellation:  Bennett Valley
Blend:  60% Syrah, 40% Grenache
Case Production: 125 cases

Before planting in 2001, Grey Stack's Peter and Marie Young spent a few weeks in the Rhône Valley, which convinced them to go with Syrah. They pulled out a 4,000-yard pile of rocks in the development process; the crew in turn made rock walls from the pile, using the old mortarless "dry stack" method of fitting rocks together.

Marie Young says that, "Any great wine is a coming together of three essential elements: people, place and wine. We already had a very special place. Recently we've assembled a talented and experienced professional team, and the wines speak for themselves."

The Bennett Valley appellation is one of the newest and smallest American Viticultural Areas (AVA) in California. Lying just southeast of Santa Rosa, it is defined by Sonoma Mountain, Bennett Mountain and Mount Taylor. The cool marine air flowing across the Santa Rosa plain through Crane Canyon Gap and into Bennett Valley makes it one of the coolest growing regions in Sonoma County, and delays harvest for white wines into October and often delays harvest for reds into November. The combination of cool weather and volcanic soils loaded with clay could make Bennett Valley an inhospitable place for grape growing, but depending on the microclimate and elevation there are pockets of land that are perfect for grape production. The Youngs seem to have found one. "We're enamored of these cool weather sites," explains Peter. "In addition to longer hang times for the grapes, we get small yields of about 2 ½ tons to the acre, and the grapes have great natural acidity and low pH." WineBusiness.com

From their website. - 
Tasting Notes -
2007 Syrah-Grenache from Dry Stack Vineyard 60% early-picked Syrah and 40% Grenache from the small head trained block in front of our house at Dry Stack Vineyard, The Folly is an excellent example of the blend being greater than the simple sum of the parts. Never intending to make this wine, the Folly was the result of circumstance in the winery as two winemaking experiments came together to make a really good wine. The early-pick Syrah had great acidity and lift. The Grenache had all the classic elements of dried plum and strawberry of our cool climate Grenache along with the great mid palette. Together they make a very Rhone like wine with good acidity and great mouthfeel that we think is a classic Grey Stack Wine.

Dry Stack Vineyard was purchased by the Young family in 1999 and planted to Syrah, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc and Roussanne in 2001 as part of the first wave of "new" Syrah plantings in Bennett Valley. Although now it seems so obvious, at the time it was a bold move - particularly the Grenache and the Roussanne. We were told by a couple of experts that the Grenache would "not ripen until Christmas". For the first several years of production the fruit from Dry Stack Vineyards was sold to wineries such as Pax and DuMOL.

The key to the success with Syrah is Bennett Valley's climate. Located just west of the Valley of the Moon and just east of the 101 Freeway, the area is as cool as the famous micro-climates of Russian River Valley and Green Valley. The whites are harvested in late September and the Syrah in late October.The long growing season allows the fruit to get completely ripe without the brix soaring into the stratosphere.

The soils of Grey Stack Vineyards are heavy, poorly drained but still very rocky soils or volcanic origin. There are places where the rocks are so thick that they comprise 70% to 80% of the soil. But in other places there is nothing but clay - gray black, heavy, expansive clays.  4,000 yards of rock were removed from the vineyard when it was prepared it for planting. The rocks were used to build dry stack rock walls around the property, giving the vineyard the name "Dry Stack".  Dry Stack has 11 different irrigation blocks with several very different aspects, and 4 different clones of Syrah along with Grenache, Petite Sirah and Roussanne.  Grey Stack Cellars farms as softly and as sustainably as possible, always conscious of the impact to farm, their family (who lives on the farm), their neighbors and their community.

"BENNETT VALLEY, CALIFORNIA  Whether it was by luck or design, Peter and Marie Young planted vines in the rich volcanic soils of Bennett Valley back in 2001, and now they are arguably making some of the most stunning wines in California. With their vines just now coming into full maturity, the small lot wines they are producing under their Grey Stack Cellars label are wowing critics. They have four current releases and all four have scored 90 points or better: 2006 The Narcissist Syrah 94 points, 2006 Marie's Block Syrah 92 points, 2008 Rosemary's Block Sauvignon Blanc 92 points  and 2007 The Folly Syrah-Grenache 90 points."WineBusiness.com

Reviews - 90 points - Wine Spectator
"Intense, with a leafy juniper berry edge to the wild berry and blackberry flavors. Full-bodied and complex, with spicy, peppery flavors that are well-structured, with chewy tannins. Drink now through 2014."—J.L.

Eat with: grilled lamb, romano, yellow wax & fresh cranberry beans, cherry tomato-herb vinaigrette.