2006 Two Rows Garnacha, Lodi (90 Cases Produced - 76% Grenache, 12% Tempranillo, 12% Petite Sirah)

The Vineyards: The Grenache for the 2006 Two Rows is sourced from Greg Lewis’s vineyard in the rolling hills of Clements in the Sierras foothills. The vineyard is unique because of the combination of very rocky soils and a climate influenced by both the cool afternoon breezes off the delta and the Molculume River. The “Two Rows” of Grenache are a mix of two clones, the better know Tablas clone and the remarkable and rare Caldwell clone. Both were grafted on to 27 year old rootstock in 2001 and are very low yielding. The Tempranillo in the blend was also sourced from our block of Tempranillo at Lewis Vineyard which is planted to a clone brought back from the Ribera del Duero region of Spain. The Petite Sirah in the wine came from grapes grown by Markus Bokisch at his Amistad Vineyard not far from Lewis Vineyard.

Winemaking: The Grenache was harvested beautifully ripe the second week of October and the two different clones were kept as separate lots. The grapes were gently de-stemmed and put into small ½ ton bins where they cold soaked for three days before the native yeasts began the fermentation. We then added to each bin a bundle of Grenache vine cuttings from the previous year’s harvest that had been toasted and air dried for 10 months. The grapes were punched down three times daily and fermented naturally with their own native yeasts over a two and a half week period. We did a gentle press on the wine and placed it into neutral French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. After five months and several blending trials, we decided on the blend, assembled it and put it back in the barrels to harmonize for an additional four months. The wine was then racked and bottled un-fined and unfiltered.

The Wine: Displays a bright, vibrant ruby color with aromas of fresh cherries, raspberries and pomegranate fruit intermingled with floral and savory spice. The flavors match the aromas with the pure, lively fruit washing over the palate with hints of cola, vanilla and fresh herbs. The velvety texture is highlighted by the juicy acidity that carries the fruit through the smooth, supple and sensuous finish where the well integrated, powdery tannins complete the wine. Enjoy now and over the next few years.

2007 Odisea Muse Rose, California (90 cases produced - 67% Grenache, 30% Carignane, 3% Viognier)

The Vineyards: We used three Vineyard sources for our latest vintage of Muse Rose. Grapes from Lewis Vineyard make up the majority of the blend. Located in the Eastern Foothills of Lodi with its beautiful rolling hillsides, Lewis Vineyard provides the grapes with excellent exposure. The combination of hot days and cool nights due to the cooling breezes off the Delta allows for a long growing season so the fruit gains added complexity. The soils here are composed of gravely loam and decomposed granite and drain particularly well. The Grenache comes from a small block of 27 year old vines that were grafted over in 2001. The Grenache is comprised of Tablas Clones from the Perrin Family’s famed estate, Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Caldwell Clones, also from the Rhone Valley. The Carignane is from ancient vines planted in sandy soils farmed by John Wetmore at his ranch in Eastern Lodi. This vineyard is an exciting new addition to our lineup. The Viognier is from organically farmed grapes at Sueno Vineyard, just down the road from Lewis Vineyard.

Winemaking: The red grapes were gently de-stemmed, keeping as many whole berries as possible and put into small open-top bins for cold soak and fermentation. After 12 hours of skin contact for the Grenache and Carignane we did a saignee, which means to bleed in French. This process drains the pure, brightly colored, free run juice from the bottom of the bins. We then transferred this un-fermented juice to neutral French oak barrels where it went through a long, cool primary fermentation using only native yeasts. After four months in barrel, we racked the wine, cold stabilized and bottled unfiltered. The Viogner was whole-cluster pressed, fermented in neutral French oak and added to the final blend just before racking.

The Wine: For those of you who have experienced the pure joy of a dry Rose on a beautiful summer day in the South of France, this wine will transport you back in an instant. The wine is a bright, lovely pale pink color, revealing mouthwatering aromas of cherry blossom, watermelon, wild strawberries and apricots. Light to medium bodied in weight, the flavors are a focused beam of bright berry, ripe peach and nectarine with hints of mineral and spiciness from the Carignane. A lively acidity carries the flavors to a crisp, refreshing finish. Drink Pink now and all year long!

2007 Angele Rhone White Blend Sueno Vineyard, Lodi (75 cases produced - 35% Marsanne, 35% Roussanne, 30% Grenache Blanc)

The Vineyards: The grapes for this wine come from Sueno Vineyard located in the Clements Hills of Eastern Lodi. Sueno, which means Dream in Spanish, benefits from an extremely long growing season due to the influence of cool afternoon breezes off the Delta. These cooling breezes, combined with the gentle rolling hills, the gravely loam and decomposed granite soils and the warm, sunny days make for ideal growing conditions for these rare Rhone varieties. This vineyard was planted by Markus Bokisch to a selection of Spanish and Rhone varietals. Markus brought back old vine cuttings from the tiny Southern Rhone village of Lirac for this original planting at Sueno. The climate and soils of the Clements Hills are very similar to its Rhone counterpart. We took all the fruit from the scarce 70 total vines that I happened to stumble upon while looking for our Viognier vines. We originally thought we would use this lot in blending, but it impressed us so much on its own that we chose to bottle it as this year’s version of Angele - as if the Angels sent it. The grapes were grown organically without the use of herbicides or pesticides.

Winemaking: The grapes were picked early in the morning and arrived perfectly ripe and ice cold. We whole-cluster pressed the grapes using only the pure, clear free-run juice which went directly into neutral French oak barrels. Cold cellar temperatures made for a long, slow primary fermentation that lasted more than a month, using only native yeasts. The wine was not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation to insure we retained its fresh, crisp acidity. Regular lees stirring added some complexity to the wine as did an additional four months of barrel aging during which the wine was racked several times. The wine was then cold stabilized for four weeks before being bottled unfiltered.

The Wine: A crisp fruit driven, mineral-laced dry white wine reveals itself slowly as it opens in your glass. It begins with aromas of white peach, wildflowers and crushed stone which become more complex and defined as banana, pineapple, honeysuckle and almonds appear on the nose. The palate exhibits medium body and a lively, crisp texture with flavors of fresh apricot, melon and tropical fruit and touches of mineral and spice intermingled. The finish carries with just the right balance of fruit and acidity, leaving your palate refreshed.

2007 Veritable Quandry White Blend, California (175 cases produced - 33% Marsanne, 27% Roussanne, 21% Albarino, 19% Viognier)

The Quandry: We decided to use the same philosophy we used for making our Veritable Quandry red for a white wine this year. With no pre-conceived notions, we tried blending portions of all of our best white lots together to try and make something we found utterly delicious. The result is our first ever Veritable Quandry White!

The Vineyards: The grapes for this wine come from two unique wine-growing areas. The Marsanne and Roussanne come from two vineyards in Clarksburg. Both feature small parcels of these rare varieties grafted onto older vines which keeps yields extremely low. The Albarino and Viognier for the blend come from Sueno Vineyard located in the Clements Hills of Eastern Lodi. Both wine-growing regions benefit from an extremely long growing season where warm sunny days are moderated by the influence of cool afternoon breezes off the Delta. At Sueno, these cooling breezes, combined with the gentle rolling hills, the gravely loam and decomposed granite soils to make for ideal growing conditions for these grape varieties. This vineyard was planted and is farmed by Markus Bokisch to a selection of Spanish and Rhone varietals. The grapes are grown organically without the use of herbicides or pesticides.

Winemaking: The grapes were picked early in the morning and arrived perfectly ripe and ice cold. We whole-cluster pressed the grapes using only the pure, clear free-run juice which went directly into neutral French oak barrels. The Marsanne and Roussanne were co-fermented while the Albarino and Viognier were kept separate. Cold cellar temperatures made for a long, slow primary fermentation that lasted more than a month, using only native yeasts. The wines were not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation to insure the fresh, crisp acidity was retained. Regular lees stirring added some complexity to the wines as did an additional four months of barrel-aging during which the wine was racked several times and initial blending trials were done. The final blend was cold stabilized for four weeks before being bottled unfiltered.

The Wine: The wine begins with aromas of wildflowers and exotic tropical fruits which become more defined on the palate with mango, banana, pineapple and lychee taking the lead. Some minerally acidity and stone qualities counter balance the ripe fruit. Displays a smooth, supple texture and medium body. Finishes crisp, clean and refreshingly dry.

2006 Veritable Quandry Red Wine (273 cases produced - 45% Grenache, 27% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre, 9% Petite Sirah, 7% Tempranillo)

The Vineyards: Our 2006 Veritable Quandry is a combination of six outstanding vineyard sources and four talented grape growers who worked with a wide array of micro climates, soils, clones and vine ages. This varied selection enables us to make a wine with diverse complexity and lots of character. The majority of the wine is made from Grenache sourced from two vineyards -- 27 year old vines at Lewis Vineyard in the rolling hills of Eastern Lodi and vines from Blackseth Vineyard farmed by Hilary Graves and planted in the calcerous rich soils of Paso Robles Westside. The Syrah in the blend comes from low yielding vines planted in Napa’s volcanic soils and organically farmed grapes at Sueno Vineyard in Lodi’s Eastern foothills and the Mourvedre is from Blackseth Vineyard. Petite Sirah and Tempranillo round out the blend and are from two vineyards farmed by Marcus Bokisch – Amistad and Liberty Oaks. Both vineyards are in the newly-named appellation in Eastern Lodi called Clements Hills. We feel the vineyard selection is as important as the blending selection is to making the best possible wine. This wine is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the special people who grow our grapes. Salud to all of you!

Winemaking: The grapes were brought in to the winery in mid to late October and were gently de-stemmed and put into small ½ ton bins for cold soak and natural, whole berry fermentation using only native yeasts. We punched down the grapes three times daily and primary fermentation took two-and-a-half to three weeks at which time the wine was gently pressed and transferred to neutral French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. The Tempranillo portion of the blend is aged in new American oak hogsheads. After five months of aging, we began doing our blending trials which were the most vigorous and heated for any of our wines. We had no pre-conceived notions of what the blend should be and relied solely on what tasted great to both of us -- it can be a bit of a Quandry. We assembled the initial blend to harmonize and returned it to barrel. The final blending was done after nine months of barrel age and the wine was then racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The Wine: Displays a dark ruby, purple color. Spicy red currant, ripe plum, blueberry and black cherry fruit intermingle with white pepper, mineral, cigar box and smoke. This medium to full bodied wine is opulent, layered and complex with a bright juicy acidity that carries the ripe fruit. Balanced and supple on the palate, the tannins are plush and well integrated making the wine soft and easy to drink. Finishing long and pure with a touch of vanilla.

2006 Melt Down Late Harvest Viognier Ice Wine Sueno Vineyard, Lodi (75 375ml cases produced - 100% Viognier)

The Vineyards: The grapes for this first vintage of Melt Down are farmed by Markus Bokisch and come from the organically grown Sueno Vineyard in the Clements Hills section of Lodi. Sueno’s rolling hills and well drained soils match well with the warm days and cool nights from the breezes blowing off the delta in the late afternoon. Viognier thrives in these conditions. We harvested beautiful fruit for our dry Viognier and left one row to hang for an additional month for our Ice Wine. The grapes were harvested during the last week of October at 37 brix.

Winemaking: The grapes were picked and put into small bins, sealed and brought to a commercial freezer near the winery. We allowed them to freeze for a week before pressing them. Some of the world’s best sweet wines are made from grapes harvested frozen on the vine and pressed quickly after picking while they are still frozen. This process allows only the pure nectar of the grape to be extracted leaving behind the water in the grapes. Our climate in California does not allow these conditions to happen naturally so we give our grapes a little help. After a gentle pressing, this nectar was extracted at 45 brix, extremely sweet, and insuring that the wine will not ferment to dryness. The juice was transferred to neutral French oak barrels for a long, slow fermentation and nine months of barrel-aging. The wine was then racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The Wine: Displays a beautiful, light golden color. Beginning with an intense floral and honeysuckle perfume, aromas of ripe apricot and peaches jump from the glass mingled with hints of mango, lychee, pineapple, toasted coconut and crushed stone. The layered, complex fruit flavors are ripe and generous coating the palate with a viscous, honeyed texture while the vibrant acidity deftly carries them through the long finish that is surprisingly refreshing and pure. Drinks well now but will gain more complexity with further aging.

2006 Devil’s Share, Paso Robles (135 cases produced - 49% Syrah, 37% Mourvedre, 13% Grenache, 1% Viognier)

The Vineyards: The 2006 Devil’s Share was sourced from Blackseth Vineyard located on Paso Robles’s famed Westside. The vineyard is approximately 15 miles from the Pacific and benefits from cooling breezes off the ocean that blow through the Templeton Gap. Managed by Hilary Graves, Blackseth is a young vineyard planted to French clones of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Grenache Blanc that she is nurturing along, keeping yields extremely low. The calcareous rich soils are extremely well-drained and, matched with the cool climate, make the vines struggle to survive. The fruit was harvested on October 31st in the early morning hours -- our last fruit to arrive at the winery.

Winemaking: The grapes arrived cool and pristine to the winery and were de-stemmed and put into small half-ton bins for cold soak and primary fermentation using only their own native yeasts. The Syrah was co-fermented with a small amount of Viognier. After cold soak the wines were punched down by hand three times daily for three weeks. The wines were then pressed and racked separately with the Grenache and Mourvedre being placed in neutral French oak and the Syrah in new American oak Hogsheads for malolactic fermentation and aging. After nine months in barrel, we chose the best barrels and put together the blend, placing the blended wine back in barrel for an additional three months to harmonize. The wine was then bottled the last week of October 2007 un-fined and unfiltered.

The Wine: Beautifully vibrant and ruby, purple in color, shows a wide array of spicy blackberry, black cherry and blueberry fruit which is contrasted by hints of pepper, savory spice and cola. The flavors match the aromas with spicy red and black fruits persisting on the finish. Touches of vanilla and toast round out this opulent, smooth, velvety textured wine. The tannins are ripe, inviting and well-integrated making it hard to resist drinking right now. What do you think the Devil would do?

2006 Temporary Insanity Tempranillo, Lodi (125 cases produced - 80% Tempranillo, 10% Grenache, 10% Syrah)

The Insanity: We wanted to make Tempranillo in 2004, so we searched the entire state looking for just the right vineyard and climate, finally finding the perfect conditions and rare fruit available from Lewis Vineyard. Then our consultant said he could not possibly work with another varietal especially in a small lot. End of Story! Imagine our surprise when we received a phone call from him telling us that he had just visited the vineyard and bought two tons of the Tempranillo for us on the spot. We chalked it up to a case of “Temporary Insanity.”

The Vineyards: The Lewis Vineyard is in the Clements Hills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This vineyard site benefits from relatively warm daytime temperatures with the breezes off the delta lowering the temperatures in the late afternoon and evening. The soils are well-drained, gravely loam and decomposed granite left behind by the river. The vines in this block are 27 years old and were grafted to the Bokisch Clone of Tempranillo brought back from selected cuttings from the Ribera del Duero in Spain. This bottling also includes a small amount of Grenache from vines of the same age grafted to a mix of Tablas and Caldwell clones. The Syrah Noir clone in the blend comes from Sueno Vineyard just down the road, planted and farmed by Markus Bokisch.

Winemaking: The grapes were allowed to “hang” on the vine until late October for maximum flavor, ripeness and intensity. The grapes were gently de-stemmed and placed in half-ton bins for cold soak and primary fermentation utilizing only native yeasts during which time the grapes were punched down three times daily. After two weeks the wine was pressed and transferred to 40 % new American oak Hogsheads and neutral French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. The wine was blended after five months of aging and racked several times during its 18 months of maturation. We then bottled the wine, un-fined and unfiltered.

The Wine: The wine exhibits a bright, ruby color and a beautiful nose of juicy berry and black cherry fruit complemented by violet, mineral, white pepper and hints of sweet, toasty oak. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and acidity showing a mouth coating, velvety texture. The ripe red and black fruits meet on the palate with touches of vanilla and savory spice that linger on the smooth supple finish.

2006 Dream Albarino, Sueno Vineyard, Lodi (90 cases Produced - 93% Albarino, 7% Viognier)

The Vineyard: The first time we saw Sueno Vineyard we knew we would make wine from this place. Located in the rolling hills of eastern Lodi, Sueno, (which means Dream in Spanish), benefits from some of the same factors as Lewis Vineyard just up the road. The breezes off the delta and the cooling effect of the Molculome River combined with the well drained gravely loam and decomposed granite soils left behind by the river make for a great place to grow high quality wine grapes. This special grape variety, rarely seen in North America, is originally from Galicia, on the Northwestern coast of Spain. Sueno’s owner/winegrower, Marcus Bokisch, brought back cuttings from some of Galicia’s most prized Albarino vineyards and propagated them here in California. These grapes were 100% organically grown with no herbicides or pesticides used in the vineyard, another achievement in trying to bring you the purest expression of the vineyard.

Winemaking: Albarino is a very delicate grape variety, requiring careful and minimal handling. The grapes came into the winery in early October with a beautiful golden to light green hue. We gently whole cluster pressed the grapes, only using the clear free-run juice which was put into a combination of Mueller stainless steel barrels (70%) and neutral French oak (30%). The cold cellar temperatures made for a long, slow primary fermentation lasting nearly four weeks. The wine continued to age for an additional three months before being racked to tank where we added a small amount of Sueno Vineyard Viognier to round out the palate. The wine was cold stabilized and bottled, un-fined and unfiltered.

The Wine: This was a wine we literally dreamed of making someday. Not until we met Marcus Bokisch did we ever think it would actually be possible. Salud Marcus! Exotic tropical fruit aromas burst from the glass, while banana, mango, passion fruit, litchi and ripe apricot flavors continue on the palate. This wine displays a crisp, lively acidity as well as a generous minerality, crushed stone character and hints of spice which counterbalance the lavish fruit. Finishes clean, dry and refreshing.A great foil for spicy dishes. Drink over the next 1-2 years.

SOLD OUT Muse Rose 2006, California (65 cases produced - 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 18% Tempranillo, 2% Viognier)

The Vineyards: We used three Vineyard source for our latest vintage of Muse Rose. Grapes from Lewis Vineyard make up the majority of the blend. Located in the Eastern Foothills of Lodi with its beautiful rolling hillsides, Lewis Vineyard provides the grapes with excellent exposure. The combination of hot days and cool nights due to the cooling breezes off the Delta allows for a long growing season so the fruit gains added complexity. The soils here are composed of gravely loam and decomposed granite and drain particularly well. The Grenache and Tempranillo come from a small block of 26 year old vines that were grafted over in 2001. The Grenache is comprised of Tablas Clones from the Perrin Family's famed estate, Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and suitcase cuttins also from the Rhone Valley. The Tempranillo is the Bokisch cloe of Tempranillo from selected vineyards in Spain's renowned Ribera del Duero region. Blackseth Vineyard on Paso Robles Westside provided low yielding Entave clones Grenache 513 and 362 and Mourvedre 369 to the blend. Planted in rocky, calcareous soils, with gently rolling hillsides and cooling ocean breezes, this vineyard is an exciting addition to our lineup. The Viognier came from organically farmed grapes just down the road from Lewis at Sueno Vineyard.

Winemaking: The red grapes were gently de-stemmed, keeping as many whole berries as possible and put into small open top bins for cold soak and fermentation. After 12 hours of skin contact for the Tempranillo and 24 hours for the Grenache and Mourvedre we did a saigneee, which means to bleed in French. This process drains the pure, brightly colored, free run juice from the bottom of the bins. We then transferred this un-fermented wine to neutral French oak barrels where it went through a long, cool primary native yeast fermentation. After four months in barrel, we racked the wine, cold stabilized and bottled unfiltered. The Viogner was whole cluster pressed, fermented in neutral French oak and added to the final blend just before racking.

The Wine: For those of you who have experienced the pure joy of a dry Rose on a beautiful summer day in the south of France, this wine will transport you back in an instant. The wine is a pure, lovely pale pink color, revealing mouthwatering aromas of cherry blossom, watermelon, wild strawberries and apricots. Light to medium bodied in weight, the flavors are a focused beam of bright berry, ripe peach and nectarine with hints of mineral and spice. A lively acidity carries the flavors to a crisp, refreshing finish. Drink Pink now and all year long!

SOLD OUT Angele Granache Blanc, Paso Robles (60 cases produced - 97% Grenache Blanc, 3% Viognier)

The Vineyards: The majority of the grapes for this wine came from Blackseth Vineyard located on Paso Robles' Westside. Blackseth Vineyard benefits from an extremely long growing season due to the coastal influence - the Pacific is just 17 miels away. The cooling breezes of the ocean, combined with the gentle rolling hills, the rocky, calcareous soils and the warm sunny days make for ideal growing conditions. This small vineyard was planted by Justin Smith in 2000 to a selection of Rhone varietals. The Grenache Blanc is French Entave clone 141 and is particularly aromatic. 2006 was a challenge to get optimum ripeness on the Westside and yields were particularly low. These grapes came in on October 31, our Halloween Harvest. We originally thought we would use this as a blending grape, but it impressed us so much on its own that we chose to bottle it on its own - as if the Angels sent it. The small amount of Viognier in the blend came from Sueno Vineyard in Eastern Lodi and was grown organically without the use of herbicides or pesticides.

Winemaking: The grapes were picked early in the morning and arrived perfectly ripe and ice cold. We whole cluster pressed the grapes using on the pure, clear free0run juice which went directly into neutral French oak barrels. Cold cellar temperatures made for a long, slow primary fermentation that lasted more than a month, during which we used only native yeasts. Regular lees stirring added some complexity to the wine as did an additional three months of barrel aging. The win was racked once after which we added the small amount of Sueno Vineyard Viogner to round out the palate. The wine was the cold stabilized for four weeks before being bottled un-fined and unfiltered.

The Wine: A crisp fruit driven, mineral-laced dry white that reveals itself slowly as it opens in your glass. Begins with aromas of white peach, wildflowers, citrus and crushed stone which become more complex and defined with grapefruit, nectarine, honeysuckle, orange blossom, and almonds on the nose. The palate exhibits medium body and a lively, mouth-coating texture with flavors of apricot, lime zest, melon and tropical fruits with touches of hazelnut, mineral and savory spice intermingled. The finish is long and carries with just the right balance of fruit and acidity, leaving your palate refreshed.

SOLD OUT 2005 The Wanderer Red Wine, Santa Barbara County (48 Cases Produced - 49% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 21% Mourvedre)

The Vineyard: This meandering red blend lends itself to our curiosity and our constant quest to find more interesting vineyard sites. In 2005, we chose grapes from three different vineyard blocks at Barnwood Vineyards located in the Cuyama Valley in Eastern Santa Barbara County. This is a wine growing region of extremes: Extremely high elevations ranging from 2,900 to 3,100 feet; and extreme temperature swings, with day and nighttime temperatures varying as much as 50 degrees. A diverse combination of complex soils consisting of decomposed granite, sandy loam and large rocks, all contribute to making the ideal conditions we look for to produce low-yielding, intensely flavored wine grapes. These vineyard blocks are planted with a selection of Tablas Clones from the Rhone Valley’s famed Chateau Beaucastel.

Winemaking: The grapes were harvested at night during the last week of October and arrived early in the morning ice cold. About 10% of the Syrah was left whole cluster. The remainder was gently de-stemmed and put into small open top bins for cold soak and whole berry fermentation. The Grenache and Mourvedre were co-fermented and all the grapes received twice daily manual punch downs. Primary fermentation took between two to three weeks and the wine was then pressed and transferred to neutral French oak for malolactic fermentation and aging. Early in our blending trials, this particular blend stood out for its purity and finesse. While it was not our intention, we determined that we should bottle a small amount of this yet un-named blend. The Wanderer was born! The wine was aged nine months in barrel and then racked and bottled unfiltered with an additional six months of bottle age before release.

The Wine: The wine exhibits a deep, dense ruby color concentrated with plenty of sweet black cherry and blackberry fruit. Touches of white pepper and spice intermingle with the intense fruit. Medium to full-bodied, the well-integrated tannins and velvety mouth feel make it hard to resist now. Reminiscent of a top Cotes-du-Rhone, the wine should drink well through 2010.