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The nose is elegant, full and ripe with white fig, baked apple and pear focused by a lime and limestone core. The oak is well integrated without the overt characteristics of butter, vanilla, raw wood, or char common to California Chardonnay. A slight hint of hazelnut, brioche, grapefruit and kumquat develop in the nose and carry through on the palate as the wine opens. The wine is well structured with vivacity and mouth watering acidity. Almond, lime, and stone fruit linger in your mouth. The finish is very long.

The 2005 Peay Vineyard Estate Chardonnay was also picked later than normal due to our cool fall weather and at quite low yields. The fruit was whole cluster pressed and fermented with 100% indigenous yeast and aged 14 months in 43% new French oak consisting of François Frères, Chalufour, Remond and Damy barriques. The result is a focused wine with richness on the nose and characters reminiscent of the 2004 on the palate. The nose is full with an echo of hazelnut and a strong backbone of white truffle. The wine opens on the front of the palate with highlights of honeydew melon, apricot and almond biscotti. The mid palate is focused with flavors of gunmetal, flint and limestone that were the hallmark of the 2004 Estate Chardonnay. The acid is clean and crisp and the finish long and lingering. The 2005 will age well and further develop interesting characteristics though it may have a shorter life than the 2004. We recommend you decant when drinking on release and age the remaining wines for at least 3-5 years.

The 2005 is a blend of 60% Marsanne and 40% Roussanne picked in the fourth week of October and the second week of November! The wine was co-fermented using only indigenous yeast in two neutral barrels and underwent 100% malo-lactic fermentation. The wine was raised for 11 months in neutral French oak barrels and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. The 2005 Marsanne/Roussanne is floral with notes of clover honey, mango, orange zest, mascarpone and poached pears. The mouth feel is silky with medium weight and low alcohol. There is impeccable balance on the palate with a clear mineral, limestone and chalk streak that comes to the fore in the mid-palate and persists in the finish. The result is a harmonious and elegant blend. Marsanne/Roussanne evolves considerably in the bottle as you age it. If you decide to drink when young, please decant for a few minutes and serve at cellar temperature to capture its full charm and complexity.

The profile of the 2005 Estate Viognier falls in between the 2003 and the 2004 Peay Vineyards Viognier. The nose is lifted with orange blossoms, lemongrass and linalool with hints of candied ginger. On the palate the Viognier expresses the crisp acidity and limestone minerality that reveals its cool climate origin and pairs well with coconut milk, ginger, coriander and other spices commonly used in Thai as well as in seafood dishes. Aromas of green papaya, white peach and chalk intermingle as the wine carries across the tongue. The finish is clean with snappy acidity and medium to long length. We usually suggest you drink Viognier within 2-3 years of release but we recently tasted our 2001 and 2002 Viogniers and they are still developing beautifully.

La Bruma ("the mist or fog") pays tribute to the role fog plays in producing our unique microclimate. The 2005 is a blend of Estrella, UCD1 and clone 470 picked on November 1st and 2nd. It was aged for 15 months in 30% new Cadus, Damy and François Frères French barriques. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. The appearance is vibrant red on the rim with a deep red/purple core. The nose is high-toned, revealing layers of aromas and dimensions, in turn; white pepper accenting a core of black cherry fruit is followed by lavender and cherry lozenges. As in 2004, the floral notes serve to lift the nose supported by brown spices. As the wine opens, a streak of iron comes to the fore. Exciting. The mouth is well-balanced with medium tannins that are soft and integrated. The flavors from the nose are confirmed on the palate with added aromas of new leather, cigar box, and increased blood, iron and boar flavors developing with air. This has very good breed and will age tremendously well. Decant for 45 minutes to one hour. I recommend waiting for a few years before trying your first bottle. I would expect the ideal drinking window is 5-9 years from vintage.

The cuvée name, Les Titans ("the Giants"), refers to two enormous and ancient redwood trees left by loggers over 100 years ago that flank the blocks of Syrah. The 2005 is a blend of Estrella, UCD1 and Côte Rôtie picked on November 1st-5th. It was aged for 15 months in 31% new Cadus, Ermitage and François Frères French barriques. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Though it shares some of the vintage imprints evident in the 2005 La Bruma Estate Syrah, the 2005 Les Titans Estate Syrah has more fruit and is a "bigger" wine. The nose has a clear note of meatiness (roasted lamb or fennel sausage) and graphite. The mouth hints at youthful flavors of vanilla and blueberry with a true depth of fruit in the mid-palate. As Les Titans opens, meaty, bloody, iron aromas undergird a deep red fruit core with accents of black pepper, brown spices and anise. The tannins are more evident than in La Bruma though silky. Tobacco and fennel linger on the medium to long finish. This is also a very exciting wine and will cellar well. Decant for one hour. I recommend waiting for a few years before trying your first bottle. I would expect the ideal drinking window is 5-9 years from vintage.

The cuvée name, Les Titans ("the Giants"), refers to two enormous and ancient redwood trees left by loggers over 100 years ago that flank the blocks of Syrah. The nose of the 2004 Les Titans is lifted with shifting, meaty, dark aromas taking turns with floral and fruit notes. On the nose and palate aromas of charcuterie, black pepper, leather and game play a leading role that is bolstered by red and black cherry and a hint of blueberry. As the wine opens, Les Titans reveals its strength and virility. The tannins are firm but round, the acidity is medium and the finish is quite long. Les Titans is approachable in its youth, with significant decant time, though the wine will gain further complexity if you age it in your cellar for 3-7+ years.

The 2005 Pomarium Estate is a bright, dramatic wine that wildly claims its pinosity. The majority of Pomarium is comprised of Dijon clones 667, 777 and 115 with a little of our favorite block of Calera included to provide chunky bass notes. The nose opens with lifted aromas of wild strawberry and jasmine tea. With more time in the glass deeper notes of red cherry and sandalwood fill out the bouquet. The mouth is true to the nose and carries through with bing cherries, lead, and orange peel. The Pomarium is vibrant, attractive and racy with medium weight and a clean finish. If you open one on release, decant for at least 45 minutes and cellar the remaining bottles for 3+ years.

The 2004 Roussanne/Marsanne is vibrant and floral with notes of beeswax, honey, biscuit, jasmine, marzipan and pear. The mouth feel is smooth though the 2004 has less glycerin than the 2003 (as well as less alcohol.) The acidity is lively with an oily, chalky, minerally mid-palate. The finish is quite long. The result is a superbly balanced, harmonious and elegant blend that is drinking surprisingly well right now though it has the structure to age well.

The 2005 Scallop Shelf Estate's nose is concentrated and layered with aromas of dark cherry and plum framed by orange peel. The depth of aromas is truly profound. The mouth has medium to full body with breadth and volume though it is not heavy or cloying. The classic cherry/plum notes come from the predominance of Pommard clone Pinot noir bolstered by tea and spice from clone 115. Clones 777, 828 and the Swan selection round out the palate accenting the cherry core with bright fruit and spice. The wine maintains the crisp acidity and relatively low alcohol that are the hallmark of our vineyard yet delivers a full mouth feel and concentration rare in a wine of this profile. The finish is very long with soft tannins that will subside with aging. Flavors of forest floor, mushroom and dried cherry linger on the palate long after the last sip. The Scallop Shelf is built to last and will develop with bottle age. Drink one now after a 45 minute decant to gauge the style and cellar the remainder for at least 3-5 years and longer.

As with the 2002, we did not use any new oak when making the 2003 Viognier. The wine is fermented and aged in 6 year old neutral barrels that do not provide any oak flavors but soften the palate. In warmer climates, Viognier does not express its classic varietal characteristics until it is very ripe. Often this means that the growers leave the fruit on the vine and lose important acidity to gain flavor. Due to our climate we can push the ripeness of the Viognier and maintain a refreshing amount of acidity. This results in an expressive wine with backbone and fruit freshness.