Leftcoast doings . . .

I just got back from Sonoma County where I spent a week working in a winery, helping to bottle my own (and other’s) wines and generally doing all things wine.

Quick thoughts:

Anybody notice Russell Bevan’s picture in the Wine Spectator; Mr. Rising Star, or so it appears. (Please, nobody tell him you saw it.)

Greywacke Vineyard (next to Gary Farrell) out in the Russian River is close to coming on line. Lots of Rhone varietals there and the vineyard looks like Côte Rotie. Gray Stack (formerly Dry Stack) will get most of the fruit but there will be some other folks getting some, too. This should be a really good source.

I don’t know how many of you have heard of Catherine Blagden, making wine under her last name; I don’t think she sells retail at all. But her wines appear in some restaurants in CA and, if you see them, they are very worth a try. Lovely, feminine, balanced chards. and pinots.

I visited Kosta-Browne and tasted some of their already bottled wines and quite a few of their barrel samples. I don’t think I’m every going to be on Michael Browne’s Christmas card list, but I tasted a number of new wines that are so much more pure and precise than what I had tasted several years ago, that even I was impressed. And for a guy with my tastes and a severe case of oak-o-phobia, that is saying something.
One cuvee (it will get blended, unfortunately) may be the prettiest west coast pinot I’ve ever had. Good work going on there.

How about Scholium Project? You have got to meet Abe Schoener – the man is as engaging and unique as is his approach to wine-making. And his wines are just off the charts. He’s doing some experimentation with white grape, skin-contact fermentations (something I am interested in) and the wines are like nothing else from this country. You may like them, you may not, but you won’t go away saying that they taste the same as anything else, at least not anything made in the states.
He’s also doing more traditional fermentations with both white and red grapes and the wines are provocative and delicious. Great stuff happening here.

I had a lot of great wines, took no notes and thoroughly enjoyed most of them. ‘Sorry about the lack of notes but sometimes its better to be a participant than an observer.

And I brought a case of my syrah home to put in the cellar and try in a couple months. We’ll see how that worked out . . .

Best, Jim

Thanks for the notes, Jim.

Abe from Scholium bases (d)??? his winemaking at a small red barn in my County (Solano). I love his Babylon Project Petit Sirah, and the whites are indeed as you say completely neat and unique.

[Jenise]

I just got back from Sonoma County where I spent a week working in a winery, helping to bottle my own (and other’s) wines and generally doing all things wine.

Quick thoughts:

Anybody notice Russell Bevan’s picture in the Wine Spectator; Mr. Rising Star, or so it appears. (Please, nobody tell him you saw it.)

Greywacke Vineyard (next to Gary Farrell) out in the Russian River is close to coming on line. Lots of Rhone varietals there and the vineyard looks like Côte Rotie. Gray Stack (formerly Dry Stack) will get most of the fruit but there will be some other folks getting some, too. This should be a really good source.

I don’t know how many of you have heard of Catherine Blagden, making wine under her last name; I don’t think she sells retail at all. But her wines appear in some restaurants in CA and, if you see them, they are very worth a try. Lovely, feminine, balanced chards. and pinots.

I visited Kosta-Browne and tasted some of their already bottled wines and quite a few of their barrel samples. I don’t think I’m every going to be on Michael Browne’s Christmas card list, but I tasted a number of new wines that are so much more pure and precise than what I had tasted several years ago, that even I was impressed. And for a guy with my tastes and a severe case of oak-o-phobia, that is saying something.
One cuvee (it will get blended, unfortunately) may be the prettiest west coast pinot I’ve ever had. Good work going on there.

How about Scholium Project? You have got to meet Abe Schoener – the man is as engaging and unique as is his approach to wine-making. And his wines are just off the charts. He’s doing some experimentation with white grape, skin-contact fermentations (something I am interested in) and the wines are like nothing else from this country. You may like them, you may not, but you won’t go away saying that they taste the same as anything else, at least not anything made in the states.
He’s also doing more traditional fermentations with both white and red grapes and the wines are provocative and delicious. Great stuff happening here.

I had a lot of great wines, took no notes and thoroughly enjoyed most of them. ‘Sorry about the lack of notes but sometimes its better to be a participant than an observer.

And I brought a case of my syrah home to put in the cellar and try in a couple months. We’ll see how that worked out . . .

Best, Jim

So you're actually making your own wine, or having someone make it for you? I want to hear more about this!

Yes, I'm curious too...

So you're actually making your own wine, or having someone make it for you? I want to hear more about this!

I made one barrel of syrah last year - yes, I made.
This year I will probably do two barrels of syrah and one barrel of sauvignon blanc. But I'm going to make the sauvignon fermented on the skins (like Gravner and Radikon in Friuli), so it will be very atypical for CA.
The syrah is sourced from the Dry Stack Vineyard in Bennett Valley. It will be a food style wine (as opposed to cocktail style) and I am attempting to hold alcohols below 14%.
Nothing I make will ever see any new wood. Ever!
None of these are for sale yet but I hope to start my own label by the end of next year.
Thanks for asking.
Best, Jim

[David M. Bueker]

Very cool.

You should call your venture "Wines for Dinner" as an hommage to your tasting note titles and a pretty accurate portryal of what I think you're doing.

Can't wait to taste them.

[Jenise]

Very cool.

You should call your venture "Wines for Dinner" as an hommage to your tasting note titles and a pretty accurate portryal of what I think you're doing.

Can't wait to taste them.

Or how about, Wines That Will Make You Run Around Naked, in honor of one of his most recent and most intriguing posts?

Jim--that's cool. Like David, I look forward to tasting your wine.

Very cool.

You should call your venture "Wines for Dinner" as an hommage to your tasting note titles and a pretty accurate portryal of what I think you're doing.

Can't wait to taste them.

Or how about, Wines That Will Make You Run Around Naked, in honor of one of his most recent and most intriguing posts?

Jim--that's cool. Like David, I look forward to tasting your wine.

You both have good ideas but I doubt the TTB will pass either one of those.
Although they must have approved Fat Bastard . . .
Best, Jim

A word of caution about skin contact for whites. This technique was tried in the 70s by a number of people, including Hamilton Mowbray (Seyval, Vidal) and a number of others. I've tried it myself with Seyval. So far as I know, no one is now fermenting whites on the skins. The reason is that it tends to make them coarse and clunky. Certain fining agents can help, but still.... Winemaking has improved since the 70s, and maybe skin contact for whites deserves another look. If it were me, I would make sure I had done my homework. Good luck, I would like to hear how it works for you.

A word of caution about skin contact for whites. This technique was tried in the 70s by a number of people, including Hamilton Mowbray (Seyval, Vidal) and a number of others. I've tried it myself with Seyval. So far as I know, no one is now fermenting whites on the skins. The reason is that it tends to make them coarse and clunky. Certain fining agents can help, but still.... Winemaking has improved since the 70s, and maybe skin contact for whites deserves another look. If it were me, I would make sure I had done my homework. Good luck, I would like to hear how it works for you.

Alan,
Thanks for the caution; you were not the first.
Scholium Project is doing it with sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio with good results. I spoke with Abe, the winemaker there, last Saturday. I also have a consultant that has used the process before to assist me should I go awry.
I'm sure it will be challenging and will make wines that will have only a niche following - they will be nothing like the fresh, fruity sauvignon's that are the current style.
But I am tired of the same old, same old, so I am going to give it a go.
Fingers crossed . . .
Best, Jim