Wellington 2008 Roussanne, Sonoma County

  Glen Ellen, CA - Wellington Vineyards is owned by the father and son team of John and Peter Wellington. John purchased the winery site in 1986. At the time, it consisted of 20 acres of old vines and a few decrepit old fruit and nut trees. Replanting of part of the old vineyard and orchard started in 1988. The winery was completed in time for the 1989 crush. We grow approximately half the grapes we use and purchase the remainder, primarily from small, unique vineyards.

Composition:  86.5% Roussanne, 13.5% Marsanne

Vineyard: 19% Estate, 81% Saralee’s Vineyard

Alcohol: 13.9%

pH: 3.6

Production: 341 cases

Release Date: October, 2009

The Roussanne grapes from the very cool Saralee’s Vineyard provide wonderful aromas reminiscent of apricot and tropical fruit.  Our estate Roussanne produced a big, fat wine with an almost honeyed character which nicely complements the complex floral and tropical fruit aromas and flavors of the Saralee’s portion. The texture is a bit leaner than the 2006 & 2007 vintages.  The balance is exquisite, neither watery nor cloying, neither sweet nor tart.  The flavors echo the aromas and lead to a long, fruity finish.

Roussanne is a variety that has been grown for centuries, in Northern Rhone locations like Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St. Joseph and St. Peray. These specific grapes carried the aroma of apricot and tropical fruit, ending in a big, fat wine, like honey, which goes well with the floral fruity flavors and the texture.

The Wellington Estate vineyards consist of 21 acres, 8 of which are 85 to 117 years old. There are 24 different varieties in the old vineyard, with the most common being Zinfandel, Carignane, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache and Syrah. In addition, there are 10 acres of eleven to sixteen year old vines that consist of Merlot, Chardonnay, Marsanne, and Syrah. Three more acres were replanted in 2001, predominantly to Syrah, Zinfandel and Grenache.

Saralee's Vineyard - Russian River Valley

Two white varietals of France's northern Rhône, Marsanne and Roussanne have found surging popularity in California. Given the high demand for Rhône whites, it's extremely difficult to find top-quality fruit.  The vineyard is situated within two miles of the Russian River, with a soil composition of sandy-clay-loam that matches particularly well with these Pinot Noir vines. The vineyard has a Northern/Southern exposure and is at 150 ft. above sea level making for fog engulfed summer morning allowing for a slow maturation of the grapes.

The moderate temperatures and precision farming at this Russian River site make for a perfect match for these varietals. Planted in 2002 in well draining sandy-loam soils, Saralee's is a high density site, with vines spread just 4 feet apart. They're cropped to a single cluster per shoot, the same aggressive viticulture practices we use for the Russian River Viognier.  Detailed vine identification maps for each vine in the entire operation indicate all varietals, clones, and rootstocks, linking them to specific individual mother vines at UC Davis Foundation Blocks, thus helping vintners to make varietal selections and clonal blends. You will find no better source for grape industry needs than The Vineyards of Rich and Saralee.

 This is a plein air painting by Georgia Simons painted at Saralee Vineyards.

2009 Qupe Marsanne, Santa Ynez Valley

From Santa Ynez Valley, Qupe Marsanne is a 15% Roussanne, 70% Marsanne from Ibarra Young, 15% Marsanne from Pursime Mountain and 15% from Bien Nacida Vineyards. Fermented and aged in one year old Francois Frere French Oak barrels. Qupe is dedicated to produce hand-crafted Rhone Varietals and Chardonnays from California Central Coast. Their goal is to make wines with impeccable balance that can be enjoyed in their youth.

Robert “Bob” Lindquist first wine job was harvesting at the Fortino Winery where his enthusiasm and growing wine knowledge quickly got him promoted to assistant manager. Later he had an opportunity to manage a new tasting room in Ventura County, manage a retail wine shop in Los Olivos, owned by the Son of the owner of Zaca Mesa Winery, and a position as a tour guide in the winery. There were not many tourists in the early days so it gave Bob the time to spend in the cellar learning how to make wine under winemaker, Jim Clendenen, who became his mentor. A few years later, Bob started making the Qupe wines using Zaca Mesa’s facilities. A few years later he built a winery facility of his own and 20+ years later Bob continues to produce Qupe wines.

Wine is truly a family affair in the Lindquist household. Bob’s sons Ethan and Luke are both winemakers in their own rights and his daughter Paige manages the tasting room. Bob’s wife Louisa has her own label called Verdad, dedicated to Spanish varietals.

Qupe is an excellent choice for Chardonnay lovers who are looking for something different. Qupe Marsanne a classic, with a hint of green apple, pear and orange rind. Refreshing acidity with a balance of 12.6% alcohol, making this wine a great pairing with seafood.

About the Ibarra-Young Vineyard from the Qupe website:

The Ibarra-Young vineyard is a 14-acre vineyard located just south of Los Olivos in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley.  It is a category UC Davis Region II with cool overcast mornings turning warm during the day and cool at night, often with a 30 -40 degree day/night temperature difference. 

The vineyard was originally planted in 1971 by Charlotte Young and her vineyard manager Miguel Ibarra to 10 acres of cabernet sauvignon and was contracted to Firestone Vineyard. 

By 1979 that contract had expired and there was more demand for white grapes so Charlotte grafted over most of the vineyard to sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc.  Charlotte was thinking about tearing her vines out and Bob heard about this and offered to lease the vineyard and graft it over to Rhone varieties.   Between 1986 and 1989 the 10 acres were grafted over to 4 acres of Marsanne, 3 acres of Syrah, 1.75 acres of Mourvedre and 1.25 acres of Viognier . . . all on those original cabernet roots! 

Between 1996 and 2000, 4 more acres were planted to Albariño and Tempranillo for Louisa Sawyer Lindquist’s Spanish grape varietal project Verdad.  In 2009 another Spanish variety, Graziano, was added to the vineyard.

Since 1999 the vineyard has been farmed organically and is still farmed by Miguel Ibarra.  Miguel is now in his mid 70’s and every year threatens to retire and move back to Mexico, but thankfully he keeps coming back.  He knows each one of these vines and just has an incredible farming touch.

“Greenish straw. Aromas of green apple, citrus peel and licorice. Juicy, easygoing flavors of orange, orchard fruits and spices, with a touch of sweetness giving it immediate appeal. A brisk note of lemongrass lingers on the dusty finish.” Josh Reynolds

2009 Tablas Creek "Cotes Du Tablas", Paso Robles

This winery was started by the Perrin family of Chateau du Beaucastel and Robert Haas, importer and owner of Vineyard Brands Wines. All grapes are grown on their 120 acre certified.

Vineyard History: Robert Haas and the Perrin Family (Chateau de Beaucastel) founded 120-acre Tablas Creek Vineyard in the Las Tablas region of Paso Robles for the rough terrain and limestone soils that mirror the Chateauneuf du Pape region of the Rhone Valley from which the Perrin Family hails.  They were later joined by Neil Collins who spent about a year learning the winemaking process at Chateau de Beaucastel before becoming the Winemaker and Vineyard Manager for Tablas Creek. The vines that were brought over from Beaucastel include Mourvedre, Grenache, Counoise, Marsanne, Roussanne, Picpoul, Viognier and Grenache Blanc.


Winery Information:
Tablas Creek became certified in 2003 and all grapes used in the winemaking process are grown on the estate. The winemaking philosophy at Tablas Creek is minimum haman intervention, only native yeasts are used and the vines are trellised low to the ground to take advantage of the radiant heat left in the rocky soil.  All vines are hand pruned and harvested.

All varietals for the Côtes de Tablas Blanc were whole cluster pressed, and fermented in stainless steel to emphasize the clean crisp flavors and preserve the aromatics. Only native yeasts were used. After fermentation, the wines were racked and blended, and bottled in June 2010. The wine underwent only a light cold stabilization before bottling.


The 2009 Côtes de Tablas Blanc has aromas of minerals, herbs and stone fruits, the flavors of Provencal herbs, citrus and apricot which produce a moderate acidity with a rich texture and peachy finish.  Serve with light fish dishes and salads.

1570 cases produced.

2009 Cline Ancient Vine Mourvedre

This wine starts with dark fruit, cocoa powder (like when you dump a packet of Swiss Miss in a cup and that little mushroom cloud of cocoa dust erupts) and a savory/meaty/smoky quality on the nose. More juicy dark fruit flavors (dark cherry and plum mainly) on the palate, with a latte-like creaminess and a faintly herbal note that offers a hint of Eucalyptus on the nose. The scrumptious and unusually delightful wine has a substantial mouth-feel followed by soft tannins. The mouth–feel is slightly sappy and the tannins are unobtrusive, but without leaving the wine feeling flabby and unstructured.

The 2009 Ancient Vines Mourvedre draws from some of Cline’s oldest, most historic and shyest-bearing vineyard blocks. These blocks produce fruit that is of stunning concentration. They are able to reach this concentration as a result of sensitive farming practices, and a unique cooling brand of air that flows in from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers. By naturally restricting yields to only 2 to 3 tons per acre they are able to achieve a sublime expression of the Mourvedre fruit.

The 2009 Cline Mourvedre will pair very well with our grilled butchers steak, the cassoulet (this wine is a perfect complement to the duck confit), and the grilled top sirloin burger with cambozola.

We have had Cline Mourvedre on our list for many years; both the Ancient Vines as well as the Small Berry. The mourvedre has always been an intriguing grape, and the spicy, peppery flavors of the wine are compelling flavors to cook for. As a Bandol lover, it is wonderful to see the California winemakers strive to find the balance point to achieving Bandol characteristics with the California grapes, soil and microclimates.

We are proud to have our recipe featured on the back of this label.

From the website: In 1982, with an inheritance from his grandfather, Fred founded Cline Cellars near Oakley, California. Here, he preserved and restored many ancient vine sites to their rightful reign as premier California wine lands. In 1991, Fred and his wife Nancy relocated the winery from Oakley to the Carneros region of Sonoma County on a historic 350-acre estate with new vineyards and facilities. While much of the cool Carneros region is planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot, Fred pioneered the planting of Rhône varietals including Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne.

Mourvèdre is an exotic grape found in the Rhône and Provence regions of France, Spain and Australia. It is a key component in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and has a starring role in Bandol. Once widely planted in California (where it is often called Mataro), today only a tiny amount exists and Cline owns many of the historic ancient vines that remain. Redolent of dark plum, chocolate with a hint of oak, this juicy Ancient Vines Mourvèdre is delicious now and will age for well over a decade.

Charlie Tsegeletos, Director of Winemaking, joined Cline Cellars in 2002 and is responsible for wine-making and production for the winery’s Cline, Oakley and Jacuzzi Family Vineyards brands.

The Oakley ranch, situated 40 miles east of San Francisco, is home to Cline’s Ancient Vines - some of the oldest and most rare grapevines in California that range in age from 80 to 120 years old. One hundred and forty acres of varietals such as Mourvèdre, Carignane and Zinfandel are harvested each year. While Contra Costa is typically hot, the vines around the town of Oakley are in a viticulturally blessed sector, one that experiences daytime heat and the moderating effect of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers, which significantly reduces the temperature at night. Cline's Mourvèdre and Carignane are planted in small blocks of gnarly, head-pruned vines in sandy soil. These growing conditions heighten the intensity of the fruit and forces the old vines to struggle to produce one to two tons per acre. The sandy soil also successfully inhibits the dreaded louse, phylloxera.

Cline’s Weed Control
Controlling weeds in the vineyard is vital. Competition with the vine for water and tangling up the fruit can cause problems at time of picking. Broadleaf weeds, existing mostly in weaker soils, have also been known to cause vineyard problems. To keep problems at bay we rely heavily on soil management. To assist in removing harmful weeds from the vineyards, we employ grazing sheep. Hand pulling weeds and an under row cultivator that uproots weeds are often used as well.