Boutique Wine Production with the Grasshopper on the Label and True Westside Terroir- on Calcareous Shale Soils and Cool Coastal Influences

Wine production was on target for the 2009 harvest and we are excited about the fruit. Our second "home" harvest is complete and we have a little more than 30 tons of grapes, crushed and barreled at this point, amazing fruit from award winning vineyards right here on the westside as well as our favorite Monterey County Syrah are in the 2009 lineup. Look for about 1800 cases to come from '09 and in the meantime get ready to taste the '07's. Harvest is such an exciting time at the winery, a privilege really and something one experiences maybe 20 or 30 times in a lifetime. We are very excited to share the fruits of our labor with you. Our currently released wines are described below. Cheers!

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2008 VIOGNIER
100% Viognier from Hastings Ranch Vineyard, Paso Robles
This Rhone varietal is crisp with a nose of green apple and flavors of grilled pineapple. A very refreshing wine and great with anything spicy. This wine is clear and bright, with a medium lemon core fading to a pale lemon-gold rim. Legs are present, and are fast and thin. On the nose, this wine is clean, with medium plus intense developing aromas. These include candied lemon peel, jasmine perfume, ripe peach, rosehips, incense, tangerine zest, and banana candy. Very fresh and complex. On the palate, this wine is dry, with medium plus intense rich body, medium integrated alcohol, medium supporting acid and medium plus intense flavors. These include ripe yellow peach, peach skin, lemon drops, rosehips, baking spice, heavy cream, banana, pineapple and other tropical fruits. The finish is long with lasting richness attributable to a balance between a viscous body and a depth of ripe fruit. This wine is drinking wonderfully right now, and will hold for another 1-2 years before flavors mute.
Bronze Medal ~2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

2006 ZINFANDEL
100% Zinfandel from two westside vineyards; 85% Je T’aime Vineyard and 15% Hastings Ranch Vineyard.
This wine is clear, with a medium intense ruby core, fading to a pale ruby edge and water-white rim. Legs are medium and fast to form with faint saturation of color. On the nose, this wine is clean and developing. Aromas are complex and medium plus in intensity. They include Bing cherry, cranberry,dried cranberry, red currant, toffee, smoke, hibiscus tea, leather and oak spice.
On the palate, this wine is dry. It has medium intense structural tannin, medium silky body, medium plus spicy alcohol and medium acid.The flavors are medium plus intense, and include cherry cola, dried cranberries, baking spice, cedar, tobacco, baked berry crisp, molasses and vanilla. The finish is long, and has lasting ripe berry flavors balanced by piquant alcohol and tannin. This wine is ready to drink, and will age for 3-4 years before becoming fully developed.
Silver Medal ~2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Gold Medal~ 2009 Califronia Mid State Fair

2006 SYRAH
100% Syrah from Coast View Vineyard, Monterey County
This wine is clear and bright, with a deeply intense shiny purple core, fading to a medium purple rim. Legs are slow and sheeting, with saturated purple color. On the nose, this wine is clean and developing, with medium plus intense aromas of ripe black cherries, French roast coffee beans, vanilla, cedar, plum sauce, cocoa nibs, tar and cola. On the palate this wine is dry, with medium plus firm tannin, medium plus spicy alcohol, medium plus filling body, and medium acid. Flavors are medium plus intense, and include ripe black cherries, vanilla extract, cedar, roasted coffee, black huckleberries, cola, cinnamon and Chinese five-spice. The finish is very long and supported. Firm tannins carry throughout, with dense chocolate and black fruit flavors. Acid to balance. Outstanding. This wine is ready to drink, but has enough structure, depth and complexity of elements to last 5-7 more years.
Gold Medal ~ 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competion

2007 CONTROLLED CHAOS
42% Zinfandel, 37% Mouvedre and 21% Grenache
All three varietals picked from westside Paso Robles vineyards. This wine is clear and bright, with a medium plus intense ruby core fading to a pale ruby rim. On the nose this wine is clean and developing, with medium plus intense unctuous aromas of red and black plums, black cherry, strawberry jam, crushed black pepper, cedar, pan grille, roast meat and vanilla. Very complex.
On the palate, this wine is dry, with a medium plus body, spicy alcohol, generous chalky tannin, and acid to balance. The flavors are very intense, showcasing black cherry, black berry, strawberry jam, crushed peppercorn, cassis, chalk, black morel mushrooms, grilled meat and warm oak. The finish is long, with complex flavors balanced by lingering firm and integrated tannin.
This wine is ready to drink, but would benefit from 1-2 years in bottle, or a splash decant. It will hold for 4-6 years, maintaining its fruit and tannin throughout. Overall, an outstanding wine.
Double Gold Medal ~2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Gold Medal ~2010 Critics Challenge International Wine Competition

2007 ZINFANDEL
100% Zinfandel from two westside Paso Robles vineyards; Bailey Ranch & Je T'aime Vineyard
This wine is clear and bright, with a medium intense garnet core fading to pale garnet with a water white rim. On the nose, this wine is clean and has just begun developing, with medium intense aromas of ripe blackberry, black cherry, boysenberry liquor, black plums, vanilla bean, mediterranean spice, herbs and toffee. On the palate, this wine is dry, with a rich silken body, medium plus spicy alcohol, medium fine tannin, medium acid and medium plus flavors of ripe boysenberry, black cherry, plums, cocoa powder, vanilla cream, baking spice and oak. The finish is medium plus in length, with lingering ripe flavors supported by spicy alcohol and fine tannin. This wine is ready to drink, but will develop more complexity with another 6-10 months of bottle time. It will hold for another 2-4 years, and would pare wonderfully with cumin spiced lamb, bone-in rib eye or hearty stew.
Gold Medal ~2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

2007 TRIUMVIRATE RESERVE ZINFANDEL
100% Zinfandel from the best of three west side vineyards;
Bailey Ranch, Je T'aime Vineyard & Will's Hills Vineyard
This wine is clear and bright, with a deep garnet core and water white rim. Legs are saturated with color and are thick and slow to develop. On the nose, this wine is clean and developing, with intense aromas of blackberry, raspberry, cherry jam, dried plums, currants, sweet spice, toast, licorice and vanilla cream. On the palate, this wine is dry, with a medium plus rich body, medium plus integrated alcohol, medium acid, and medium plus flavors of blackberry pie filling, framboise, strawberry, Flor de Jamaica, sweet oak, and cedar. The finish is long and delicious, characterized by lingering fine tannin and ripe berry and wood flavors.
This wine is ready to drink, but becomes much more generous after decant. It will hold for 4-6 years, aging on structured tannin and an abundance of ripe fruit.
Gold Medal ~2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Gold Medal~2010 Monterey Wine Competition
Gold Medal~2010 Orange County Wine Society