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he fruit for this wine came from two vineyards near Boonville in Anderson Valley. 78% is from the Ferrington Vineyard, which is Dijon clone 115. 22% is from the Langley Vineyard which is Martini clone. The grapes were de-stemmed and fermented using three commercial yeasts and natural yeast equally divided among the small, one ton fermentors. The wine was aged in French and Hungarian oak, 40% of which was new, for 18 months before bottling in May, 2001. Cola and red fruit dominate the nose. Rich flavors of raspberry, pomegranate and chocolate are just beginning to emerge from behind the vanilla and oak from the new barrels, promising a powerful but smooth wine for years to come.

Anderson valley isn't known for Syrah as it is one of the coolest grape growing regions in the state. However on the ridgetops the vineyards are able to eke out enough heat to fully ripen some of the varietals that wouldn't make it at the lower elevations. Vineyard owner Steve Williams found just such a spot to plant his vines. The wine was fermented in small lots using 3 different yeasts. It was then aged for 21 months, primarily in French oak. The long growing season allows the vineyard to develop good acidity with bright fruit flavors while retaining the truly distinct characteristics of this varietal. The wine has classic Rhone aromas and flavors of smoke, leather and violets layered over a core of black fruit. This is a cellar worthy wine that is good now, but will provide a tasty reward for those who cellar it for a few years.

The cool Anderson Valley climate where this vineyard is located has resulted in a few years of just OK wine and a few of great wine. Out of frustration, the owner grafted the Zinfandel over to Syrah this Spring (2005), so there will be no more after 2004. The 2002 vintage is without doubt the best this vineyard has produced. A medium bodied Zin, it has lively black and red fruit flavors, ample acidity, and toasty oak flavors.

The immediate impression on the nose is of black pepper and herbs and earth, which is sometimes found in older Zinfandel vineyards. A core of rosemary and savory are followed by an explosion of black fruit, vanilla and chocolate flavors, ending in a long finish. The wine is deliciously drinkable now, but like previous vintages it will continue to develop for the next 2-3 years.

The Grenache came from the Rhodes vineyard, and the Carrignane from a nearby vineyard in Redwood Valley. The Syrah is from the Williams vineyard in Anderson Valley. All the wines were fermented and barrel aged separately for a year before blending in the fall of 2000. After eight more months of barrel aging it was bottled in May of 2001. This is a wine in the true southern Rhone tradition where Grenache is often the main component of a blend. It has a floral, spicy nose and earthy flavors complemented by cloves, pepper and black fruit. This medium bodied wine has fine tannins that will allow the wine to continue to develop over the next few years.

The grapes were harvested in October, 2000 from the Rhodes Vineyard in Redwood Valley. We make Petite Sirah mainly for blending with Zinfandel as it provides color, spiciness and mid-palate. However in 2000 we had 3 barrels of Grenache that cried out for this same blending style. Petite Sirah has been adopted by the Rhone Rangers even though it is not a traditional Rhone varietal. In this case it melded with the Grenache to produce a truly Rhone style wine with pepper and black fruit flavors, nutmeg and raspberry. Moderate tannins will allow the wine to age gracefully, and the wine should be near its best by the end of 2004, if you can wait that long. A group of our fans in Sacramento recently tasted it and between them ordered 11 cases! Don't miss out on this bargain.

This is a very concentrated wine with aromas of citrus and peach. Apricot with a hint of lemon predominate in the flavors. The entry is dry and crisp with an explosion of citrus fruits and a long finish. This is our third release from our own vineyard, and it is living up to its promise.

For our estate wine we strive to emphasize the purity of the fruit by using a moderate amount of new French oak. The result is a very concentrated wine with aromas of lavender, black cherry and spice. Black cherry, raspberry and vanilla predominate in the flavors which lead to a long, lingering finish. This is a big, juicy wine with moderate tannins that will provide enjoyment for years to come.

We've talked about the difficulty of finding Viognier grapes to purchase because growers have a hard time getting an economically viable crop. In 2000 we hit the jackpot when we found out that Lolonis had two acres of Viognier, and they agreed to sell the fruit to us. The yield from this organically farmed vineyard was just over 5 ton, and the low crop influenced the high quality. The wine was whole cluster pressed, then barrel fermented in seasoned oak. The lees were stirred three times during the following 9 months of barrel aging in order to slightly increase the body and texture (too much lees stirring can strip much of the fruitiness). The wine was not allowed to undergo ML fermentation in order to retain the natural acidity. This is what Viognier is all about! A floral bouquet of peach, apricot and honey follows through in the intense flavors, which are crisp and dry. A touch of earthiness from the Redwood Valley terroir and a viscous mouth feel round out the wine.

The grapes were harvested in October, 1999 from the Rhodes Vineyard in Redwood Valley. We make Petite Sirah mainly for blending with Zinfandel as it provides color, spiciness and mid-palate. However in some years, such as 1999, the wine is so good that we have to bottle some of it on its own. This year, half of the grapes came from a 60 year old block of vines while the other half was from 5 year old vines propagated from cuttings off the older block. The must was fermented for 15 days in small fermentors using commercial yeast and natural yeast. Although tannin levels in the resulting wines were higher in the wine from the younger vines, the flavors were remarkably similar! It was aged 15 months in French and American oak (40 percent new) before bottling in March, 2001. This is a powerhouse wine that nevertheless has great finesse--our tasting room personnel like to describe it as ``velvet in the mouth''. The wine has deep, jammy black fruit and spice flavors and fine tannins that will enable this wine to mature for a number of years.

In 2002 we harvested this vineyard at a slightly lower sugar, resulting in a more subtle and complex wine than some past years. It has deep, jammy black fruit, chocolate and spice flavors. The oak provides a smooth entry and complexity while contributing to the lingering finish.

The Vassar vineyard is 30 years old and these grapes are from a non-irrigated, head-trained section. The grapes were de-stemmed and fermented in small fermentors, using natural as well as commercial yeasts. It was aged in American and French oak and bottled in August 2002. The bouquet has bright fruit with nuances of vanilla and oak. As usual the Vassar Zin has beautiful cherry and cranberry flavors, a smooth entry and a lingering finish. There is more power and depth to this vintage due to slightly riper fruit (one distributor described it as "a bear in a bottle"). This has been one of our favorite vineyards since we first discovered it in 1995. The firm tannins and depth of fruit will allow this wine to continue to improve over the next few years.