Spring Release – 2012 Tempranillo, 2013 Syrah & 2013 Chardonnay on Skins
We have two new wines to help with your annual spring ritual of praying for rain or . . you know . . sun and warmth, depending on where you live in this crazy American weather dome. As always you can email me directly with any questions or feedback you may have.

We provide a lot of content in these posts such as tasting notes, food pairings, and cellaring recommendations to share our experiences with the wines and to help you understand and enjoy them. Let us know what you find helpful and what you don’t.

In The News – If you are interested in learning a little bit more about us and haven’t already read his article, Mike Dunne of the Sacramento Bee wrote a classy piece last month that does a much better job of telling our story than I could.

Dunne on Wine: Enfield Wine Co. scratches out a place in Napa

Also in the news, we were thrilled that the San Francisco Chronicle chose to highlight our 2012 Heron Lake Chardonnay as its Top Chardonnay in the Top 100 Wines of 2014

 

THE WINES

2012 Shake Ridge Tempranillo $35 – Amador County
Quartz & Blue Schist Soils
150 Cases Produced 13.0% Alc. 50% Whole Cluster
High up in Sierra Gold Country, Shake Ridge has quickly become one of the most well known vineyards in California. It’s cool high-altitude nights, sublime rocky soils and impeccable farming have made it a destination. Starting in 2011 we sourced a small parcel of head-trained Tempranillo – a grape without a lot of history in California – to see what we could achieve. In 2012 we made the wine in a traditional Burgundian (Pinot Noir) style. The result is a Tempranillo of remarkable elegance, translucence and purity that plays between worlds – savory and sweet, light and dark.

Notes: Brilliant red in color, the nose leads with muddled raspberries, rose petal, savory roasted chestnuts and warm biscuits with cinnamon and brown sugar. Bone dry on the palate, red strawberry fruit is supported by a backbone of black cherry, espresso and marzipan, lingering fresh sarsaparilla root and mouth-coating granitic tannins.

Aging: This wine still has some tannin, but paired with food it is soft and juicy enough to enjoy now. The 2011 has only been getting better, so we believe this wine will comfortably improve for another 3-5 years.

Food: While this is a versatile wine that can pair with a variety of foods, my favorite food pairings have embraced it’s inner dichotomy. Here are a couple recipes to try.

Meat Pairing – Caucasus-Style braised pork shoulder with fenugreek

Vegetarian Pairing – Corsican greens pie with squash and three cheeses

 

 

 

2013 Coryelle Fields Syrah $35 – Fort Ross-Seaview
Clay Loam Soils
50 Cases Produced 13.5% Alc. 100% Whole Cluster
From the far reaches of the Sonoma Coast comes a cool climate Syrah that poses a perfect counterpoint to our Haynes Vineyard. If Haynes is an aristocrat of fruit and minerality, Coryelle Fields is a savory savage of herbs and spice wearing a garland of lavender in her hair. We made only 2 barrels of this wine so you won’t find it anywhere besides on our mailing list and a handful of our favorite restaurants.

Notes: Fiercely red in color and powerfully aromatic, wild herbs are followed by smoked bacon, lavender, NY rye bread and a hint of cracked black pepper on the nose. Red cherry fruit, gentle acidity, salt, pomegranate, and blood on the palate.

Aging: This wine is ready to go now, no need to wait. A decant won’t hurt for full aromatic effect, but be unafraid to dive in right out of the bottle.

Food: Embrace this wine’s inner savage and don’t hesitate to go full rustic with lamb, game, or savory roasted vegetables. Here are a couple dishes we think work great.

Meat Pairing – Rack of Lamb with Garlic and Herbs

Vegetarian Pairing – Roasted Vegetable Panzanella

 

 

 

**Bonus Offering**

2013 Heron Lake “Chardonnay on Skins” (read article on Orange Wines) $36 – Wild Horse Valley
Quartz & Mixed Volcanic Soils
75 Cases Produced 13.3% Alc. 100% Skin Fermented
Tightly allocated in the Fall, we held aside 20 cases of this wine to sell to restaurants this spring. The wine has continued to evolve and improve to such a degree, however, that we decided instead to make it available again for anyone who didn’t get a chance the first time around . . or just didn’t get enough. In addition, now that we have seen the wine evolve in bottle, we have a lot more confidence to say that this wine will age extremely well and continue to go in exciting new directions. Serve like a red wine.

Notes: An exotic nose bursts with white tea, jasmine and citrus peel. The palate has a coating mouthfeel like red wine, with flavors of melon, tamarind and apricot, rose water and a whisper of fresh cucumber with a chewy quartz minerality on the finish.

Aging: The fruit and tannin continue to soften and the wine continues to improve with age. We now expect this wine to age and improve over the next 5 years, so don’t hesitate to lay a bottle or two down in the cellar.

Food: While this wine wine goes well with a variety of foods and cheeses, there remains but one True Pairing… FRIED CHICKEN!
Thanks again for your support and we wish you the best in 2015.

Cheers!
John, Amy & London

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