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