~ September 2003 ~

Harvest is Here
The warm Indian summer means we started bringing in the first of our fruit this month. With our various microclimates, we'll still continue to harvest through October, with vineyards just a few miles away from each other being picked nearly two months apart. Dan, Steve and Jeff are out in the vineyards daily, checking the fruit so we're sure to pick at the optimal time--because we're big believers in wines with fruit, balance and moderate alcohols, it's even more critical to catch that perfect moment when the fruit is intense and concentrated, but the sugars are still at a reasonable level.

Harvest Notes So Far
2003 may turn out to be one of the tiniest crops on record in our part of the world, especially for Pinot Noir. With our wet spring (April had more rain than February), followed by a hot May, the vines were pushing and flowering when the ground was still wet, so we saw a lot of shatter. The result is very low cluster weight this year, with a lot of intensity in the relatively few berries that are on the cluster. When all is said and done, we expect we'll come in at about 60% of a normal crop.

Our heat spell in September pushed everything hard, so most of our Pinot has been brought in already, much earlier than usual. We still have a some Pinot not quite ready to be picked, and most of our Chardonnay is still hanging. Because Chardonnay flowers later, and most of our Chardonnay vineyards are older, in cooler places, and have deeper roots, they have much fewer shot berries than the Pinot. The one Chardonnay vineyard we have harvested is our section of the Rued Vineyard, which is very aromatic this year. Mill Station, which will probably be our next Chard picked, looks great, and we're looking forward to it again being the bright citrus base of our Dutton Ranch Chardonnay.

This week, just after the heat spell, Dan spent a couple of days on the Sonoma Coast at one of our newer vineyards, McDougall. It took two beautiful foggy mornings to harvest this vineyard with its steep rows. The grapes have super thick skins, so we'll use fewer punchdows to ameloriate the tannins. To give you an idea of the types of crops we're seeing this year, we harvested just 14 tons off 9 acres. Barbara and Mac McDougall helped out by overseeing the operation in their new ATV. And, in true Sonoma County hospitable fashion, cooked a delicious tri-tip lunch for the crew.

Wine Press
Well, we just told you last month about our new 2001 vintage releases, and already we've started seeing some very nice press:

The September 2003 Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine on Zinfandel just rated our 2001 Morelli Lane Vineyard Zinfandel a 91 and two puffs, saying, "A bit jammy but still nicely fruity in aroma with glimmers of toast and caramel lending a bit of complexity, this lively, solidly built young effort hits the mark smartly with its moderately deep and very well-defined varietal flavors. Slightly fleshy in feel and fairly long as it ends, it is quite well-balanced and has a nice spine of integral tannins that seems to ensure a few years of growth."

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Coming up in December, we've gotten advance notice that our 2001 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay is receiving 92 points in Wine & Spirits Magazine...more on that later, including shelf talkers that will be headed your way.

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New Release
For September, we're pleased to release our 2001 Rued Vineyard Chardonnay, clocking in at 290 cases. This is our third release of this exotic wine, and it's already surrounded itself with a throng of loyal followers (Dan's wife, Loie, among them). This is a perfect holiday wine, and with its 30-year old cold climate fruit, it's equally wonderful enjoyed young, or after a few years of bottle aging (we recently popped a bottle of our first Rued Chardonnay from 1999 and it's showing incredibly now). The complete tech sheet on the wine (as well as our other current release wines) is available on our website (under Making Contact/For the Trade), but here's the short version for you in the meantime:

2001 Rued Vineyard Chardonnay
2001 was an extremely low yielding year for the Rued vineyard, as well as for Chardonnay in general in the Russian River Valley. The tiny clusters of the Rued clone produced a wine of particular density and aromatic intensity this year. The nose comes on with focused floral, pear and tropical fruit, along with candied caramel and mineral overtones. In the mouth its exceptional weight and viscosity is well balanced by its bright acidity. It's like candy for adults: rich, fresh and tropical, with a hint of mineral and kiwi/pear. The finish lingers with fresh pear fruit and lush overtones of toffee and caramel. Available now.