Library Wines

Burnt umber, rusty red color with aromatics that are more mineral than fruit  driven.  Dominated by dusty caliches dirt road, clean graphite, and freshly poured concrete as this wine opens it displays spiced red cherry, and just out-of-the-oven French apple, raspberry and cherry tart. The texture is almost talc-like due to the profound mineral quality which is permeated by chiming acid. A little tight, but balanced with searing potential. Mineral elements carry through in the mouth and the wine opens up with a dark, brambly fruit element and hints of sandalwood, spiced and macerated currents and plums and a touch of mulberry. “WOW this is good. “  The wine rounds out beautifully with layers of fruit, slate and earth on the finish. Nice acidity contributes to a sense of structure in the mouth as well as a lengthy finish. Typical to this site, the wine drinks beautifully in its youth and will gain complexity with age.

A beautiful garnet red. "What a nose!” This wine is perfectly Pinot-esque; black cherries crushed underfoot dried grapevines with a bit of Chanterelle mushroom, fresh pipe tobacco, espresso, clove, vanilla and dark bittersweet chocolate. Further complicating things is a citrusy grapefruit, blood orange characteristic and an almost gamey component.  There is a seductive layering of silk and fine grained tannin. This wine epitomizes the essential balance between power and elegance.  Flavors range from fresh and dried black and red currents and plums to espresso, baking spice, Asian spice, and graphite pencil with a long and polished finish of lingering raspberry.

Bright ruby color leads to extremely intense on the nose with pencil lead, blackberries, cherries and petrol being the dominate notes. Secondary aromatics present spiced and macerated black cherries and plums with a circumference of black pepper, and anise.  This site tends to be tannic, but this year I pulled back substantially on the extraction and followed primary fermentation with a post-fermentation-maceration. The result is a big, powerful wine which is amazingly the most balanced of all the 2006s.  The enveloping mouth feel leads to explosive flavors of Korean ribs dipped in plum sauce, red cherries, and brambleberry with an intense earthiness reminiscent of the Oregon Country Fair. Linear and complex with acid so vibrant it feels electrified.

Red garnet with flecks of pink.  This is a deep, rich wine with dimension and detail, very spicy and intense but also elegant. Classic black cherry and violets permeated with fresh green bean and ground black pepper. A dusty quality encompasses not only the aromatics but also the flavors due to the older vine site. The initial attack of acidity is backed up by a solid framework of dried berries and earth, oak and minerals with a floral edge and encompasses tannins that dominate the finish. Initially the dusty raspberry and blackberry components are behind the scenes, but emerge over time. Fine grained tannins commingled with layers of flavors of spice. The most subtle of all the single vineyard offerings, it’s a subtly serious wine.