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Wednesday, September 23, 2009
It's true, the grape doesn't fall far from the vine. Following in Jared and Tracey's footsteps, I am now here in the Rhone Valley of France working with their former mentor, Eric Texier. This being my first time in France, I have finally gained exposure to the magic of Old World wine. The intricate world of wine here in France can feel overwhelming at times, but working at A Donkey and Goat last year prepared me well. Through working the vendange (harvest) here, I have realized the important traditions that Jared and Tracey brought back with them to the winery in Berkeley: focus on terroir, natural winemaking methods, striving for complexity, and evaluations based on taste.
With harvest still upon us, we have been hustling and bustling, picking and crushing. This complete immersion in French culture has transported me far away from life back in Berkeley, but a nice quiet Sunday afternoon chez Texier brought a little taste of home...literally. As the rain pitter-pattered down on the roof, I sat down with the family for a leisurely lunch. Pot-au-feu avec du poulet (chicken stew), fromage, and tarte aux figues (fig tart) paired perfectly with A Donkey and Goat's 2004 Vieilles Vignes Syrah. Of course, I had tasted many a D&G wine (it was part of the job, after all), but I had never tasted the first vintage. Robust and peppery but with a hint of vanilla on the finish, I was very impressed with such an early release. If you managed to delay gratification and save the 2004 VV Syrah as well, I can vouch that it is drinking very well at the moment. Sante!
Monday, September 21, 2009A video about making Ver Jus
Tom Bentley made this great video about our making verjus. I hope you enjoy it.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009Can Unicorn's determine when to pick grapes
Isabel and I checked her vineyard on Labor Day. I sampled by the cluster, Isabel sampled by the grape. We jointly determined that a bit more sugar would be good - either for juice or wine.
 I expect us to harvest this vineyard in late September or earl October.
Monday, September 07, 2009More vineyard updates
A short video from the Lightner Vineyard. One of the great things about this vineyard is the view (okay - just kidding, it is great but...).
The vineyard is close enough to the American River that it is always windy. This wine help keep mildew and other bugs at bay naturally. We will first pick this vineyard, the Syrah, either in late September or early October. It should be a great year here.
Sunday, September 06, 2009Update from the foothills
Yesterday morning, I drove up to the foothills to check several vineyards. Most pressing was Ellen Ridge. The grapes are ripe - lots of brown seeds, good sugars and nice acid. (24 Brix, PH of 3.37 and TA of 7.5 G/L)
Ellen Ridge is on the edge of the American River canyon at about 1,800 feet above sea level. The blue label is right where our vines are. View Ellen Ridge Vineyard in a larger map This year we are going to try something totally different with our Roussanne. 50% will be fermented on the skins in an open top wood fermentation vessel. The other 50% will be fermented whole cluster. It should be interesting. Not sure what day we are picking but it will be soon.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Chardonnay is slowly fermenting towards greatness. You can watch my update and learn how to measure brix.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009Some nice new reviews from Parker
Robert Parker recently reviewed several of our wines. The conventional wisdom is that Parker loves low acid wines. Being fans of high acid wines, one might think he would dismiss ours.
Not the case - he liked both our Prospector and Four Thirteen. 2007 A Donkey and Goat Four Thirteen RATING: 89 points FROM: El Dorado, Sierra Foothills, California, USA VARIETY: Proprietary Blend DRINK: - ESTIMATED COST: $32 SOURCE: WA, #184 Aug 2009 A gorgeous example of an El Dorado-styled Cotes du Rhone, the 2007 Four Thirteen is a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, and Counoise. This aromatic red exhibits plenty of sexy, sweet plum, black currant, and cherry fruit intermixed with notions of loamy soil, pepper, and spice, a savory, round, lush mouthfeel, and a heady finish. Drink this hedonistic effort over the next several years. 2007 A Donkey and Goat The Prospector RATING: 88 points FROM: El Dorado, Sierra Foothills, California, USA VARIETY: Mourvedre DRINK: 2009 - 2013 ESTIMATED COST: $25 SOURCE: WA, #184 Aug 2009 The 2007 The Prospector reveals surprising elegance considering it is nearly 100% Mourvedre along with sweet blueberry and cassis intermixed with hints of underbrush and forest floor. Medium-bodied and well-made with silky tannins as well as a very good finish, it should evolve for 3-4 years. Tel. (510) 868-9174 -Robert Parker
Chardonnay Fermentation and Golds
Early this morning, I went and checked on our Chardonnay barrels. Each year, we try and fill the barrels to just the right height - an impossible task. I find that the native yeast, from Brosseau, are very foamy in there first few days of fermentation.
On a different note, the Journal of Wine Economics just released its newest issue. The lead article analyzes the reliability of Gold medals awarded at 13 California Wine Fairs. “An analysis of over 4000 wines entered in 13 U.S. wine competitions shows little concordance among the venues in awarding Gold medals. Of the 2,440 wines entered in more than three competitions, 47 percent received Gold medals, but 84 percent of these same wines also received no award in another competition. Thus, many wines that are viewed as extraordinarily good at some competitions are viewed as below average at others. See the full PDF here.
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