Sunday, February 22, 2009

Chardonnay 08

Today we racked 2008 chardonnay to keep it moving to clarity by natural settling. Malolactic fermentation is done in the primary chard batch although we have a small "commando" batch that is doing its own thing (native yeasts, etc.) that is still creeping along. A few more months to let things sort out and we should be ready to bottle.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Rockroom on Facebook

Taking a break from sorting out vineyard choices for the 2009 harvest (it's only 7 months away!), we thought it was time to get Facebookin'. Check out our new page which will include updates from the rockroom winemaking cooperative blog. Come have a chat!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

WOW - a little age is a good thing

I know I just posted a pinot with a little age on it a couple weeks back but this week the wine is older and the staying power even more impressive. This 2002 Siduri pinot from Van Der Kamp Vineyard was stunning with bold fruit and a silky texture that was perfect with mushroom and tomato saute on pasta. So just a reminder to pick up an extra bottle or two when you buy the good stuff. Then leave at least one bottle alone and pop it for a special occasion at least a year later. You will almost certainly be rewarded for your patience. Oh and yes, Saturday night qualifies as a special occasion. Or even Friday. And sometimes Monday...

Monday, February 09, 2009

WOW - Ridge with paella

Appropriate I think that with this Wine of the Week we honor the memory of Donn Reisen who died last week after 32 years building Ridge into one of only a few true icons of California wine. Remember that Ridge, with its Montebello cab blend, joined with a few other California wineries (like Stags' Leap Cellars, the ultimate winner) to beat the French at the 1976 "Judgement of Paris" pitting California cabs against some of Bordeaux's finest. A much more humble wine, Ridge's Three Valleys is a Sonoma County blend that is mostly zin with a splash of petite sirah and carignan. It is pretty easy to find, easy drinking and like most Ridge zins is a friend to food. A hit with paella Saturday as we celebrated Eugene Sepulveda's birthday. Happy birthday Eugene!

Monday, February 02, 2009

Racking the 07s

While 2007 whites and lighter reds like pinot noir have already gone to bottle (and in some cases table) many of the bigger reds are being moved (racked) from one barrel to another one last time before bottling. This will help settle out any remaining solids and clarify the wine without requiring filtering. Here is a shot of our experimental zinfandel being racked. This week I will be in CA to check on syrah and cab too.