BEDROCK 2009 ROSE OF MOURVEDRE

 BEDROCK 2009 ROSE OF MOURVEDRE

“Ode to Lulu”, Sonoma Valley

290 cases produced, 13.2% alcohol

Last year the “Ode to Lulu” received 90 points from both Wine Spectator and Tanzer, the highest score given for rose.  The 2009 vintage may be even better, according to winemaker Morgan Peterson.   

The Mourvedre for this wine comes from 120 year old vines yielding 2.5 tons per acre.  It was picked in the last week of September at 22.5 brix, after which it was destemmed, immediately pressed and squeezed off to tank.  The “Ode to Lulu” was fermented cold with native yeasts and stayed on its lees through ML.  This method is common practice in Bandol, which is where the inspiration for this wine comes from, the “Lulu”  being Lulu Peyraud of Domaine Tempier.  This Mourvedre shows aromatics of bright red fruits with red currant, cherry pit, white flowers and orange peel.  There is a creaminess in the mid-palate of this wine and a dusty minerality on the lengthy finish.   This wine is atypical of what you normally think of when you approach a rose.  There are none of the bright strawberry notes, but rather a rich and creamy red cherry character with less acidity than usual.  Its mineral texture makes it great for heartier foods.  

                                                        

The Bedrock winery makes their wines in a converted chicken coop. Only top quality grapes are hand pitch-forked into open topped redwood and stainless steel vats, and fermented using only native yeasts.  The wines are then manually basket pressed into French oak.   Morgan Peterson describes the wine making at Bedrock as “Cro-Magnum,” meaning the process is rudimentary and pure.   They take a very hands on and manual approach to wine making, which means that they become intimately familiar with every wine.  It may be slow, time-consuming and messy, but it is ultimately very effective at producing wines with great precision, focus, delicacy and food friendliness.  

This year at Hospice du Rhone, 2011

Joining the stellar 2011 Seminar Series will be Joey Tensley of Tensley representing the Santa Barbara growing region and from another famous corner of California will be Morgan Twain-Peterson of Bedrock Wine Co. sharing tastes from the North Coast. Both tout a strong obsession with Syrah and a passion for multiple vineyard sourcing. Together they will share their Syrahs and additional Rhône varieties along with stories of how they have become staunch Rhône advocates and winemakers.

 

Unti’s 2007 Dry Creek Syrah

Unti’s 2007 Dry Creek Syrah comes primarily from the winery’s six acre benchland  vineyard, which has been the mainstay of their Syrah program since 1997.  The vines were planted in 1991 using bud wood obtained from the Durell vineyard in Sonoma.  

Since 2004 this vineyard has been farmed following natural cycles without the use of pesticides or herbicides.  Mick Unti keeps the yields extremely low in this vineyard to ensure that this wine is dense and packed with intense dark fruit aromas and flavors.  The color is a deep black cherry.  The nose is spice, leather, violet, pepper, and a light smoke.  The wine itself is full bodied with great balance and structure, showing intense and concentrated blackberry and black cherry fruit with the pepper, bacon, earth, and smoke you look for in a good 100% Syrah.  Its firm tannins will allow for many years of development, anywhere from 4-10 years to show its best. 

The Unti winery is a small family owned operation that specializes in red varietal wines of Rhone and Italian varietals with vineyard personality.  Their benchland property is planted with 25 acres of Zinfandel, Syrah, Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, and Grenache Noir.  The winery property is planted with 35 acres of Syrah clones 383, 470, 174, and 877, Zinfandel, Grenache Noir, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Barbera, Montepulciano, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc and Vermentino.  In total, the winery produces about 6500 cases per year.  

George and Mick Unti believe the Dry Creek Valley’s climate is ideal for growing classic Mediterranean grape varietals.  When they are farmed for quality these varietals show attributes of expressive fruit, ripe tannins, and balanced acidity.  Their wine making process employs modern techniques of long pre-fermentation maceration, open top tank fermenters, basket pressing, and aging only in new and used French oak barrels to highlight the aromatics and flavors derived from the vineyards.  Their artisan methods of farming and winemaking enhance and support an ability to make wines with a sense of place.  Almost all of their wines, and opinions, are unfiltered.

Mick Unti co-founded Unti Vineyards Winery with George and Linda Unti, in 1997. Mick manages the day to day operations of the winery including winemaking, sales and marketing. Mick was born in San Jose, Ca. He finished high school and went to college in the Seattle area at University of Washington. Mick realized early in life the importance of taking the easy way out. He eschewed pursuing a career in the subjects of his degree (Broadcast Communications and Political Science) in favor of working in the wine business. He worked in retail for 8 years, then served as National Sales Manager for McDowell Valley Vineyards before taking a similar position with Jess Jackson's Artisans and Estates. In 1998, Mick left his cushy job at KJ to devote all of his time to the Unti Vineyards Winery.

90+ PTS. The Rhone Report, November 2010

“The Wine’s inky purple is followed by a smoky, spicy bouquet of blackberries, roasted meat juice, tar and dusty chocolate.  Very fresh and precise on the nose, the wine is medium to full bodied on the palate, possessing a silky, polished texture, impressive balance, and a chewy, tannic finish where the wine’s whole cluster fermentation shows.  This blossoms in the glass so if drinking anytime soon, a decant is recommended.  Elegant, but well structured, this should evolve over the next 3-5 years, as well as perform beautifully for a decade. “