Winter 2007 Newsletter
Harvest has come to an end...
The 2007 harvest turned out to be early this year; many wineries were finished with harvest by the end of September. The early September heat spike significantly increased the movement of sugars and it appeared that everything would ripen at once. However, this was not long lasted; a cooler front moved in and slowed everything down. JC received its first grapes on September 9th from Alexander Valley, and it appeared that harvest was kicking in. Despite the rains in October, we held off picking the majority of our fruit. Unlike other wineries, it was a relatively slow start to our harvest, Jeff firmly believes in hang time, maximizing the time on the vine to produce the richest and most extracted flavors possible. That means gambling sometimes even in the face of rain. Our last crop of grapes (Late Harvest Viognier) arrived November 8th and we finished our final pressing November 13th. We are happy with the quality of fruit this year and believe 2007 will be a stellar vintage for JC Cellars. Thank-you Dan, Phil, Caitlyn, Phillip & Samuel, we couldn't have done it without a great harvest team!What goes around comes around...
In a sense this vintage is a fall back for me. Last vintage I was experimenting with longer cold soaks, more whole clusters and extended macerations. Well the verdict is in! I have learned through experimentation that I like 3-day cold soaks, not 5. I like to press off early and finally 10 to 20% whole cluster seems to lend the complex qualities to a wine that I require. This year I am experimenting with what the French call saignée, a technique used to intensify the extraction level of the wine. After 12 hours of being in contact with the skins some of the juice is "bled" off leaving a more concentrated final product. You can look forward to Rockpile and Stagecoach Vineyard Rosés in early May!This year is also exciting in the Zinfandel and Petite Syrah arena. First, we have acquired new Zinfandel and Petite Syrah from Dry Creek that will be part of our Impostor program. Also we have found Zinfandel and Petite Syrah from the Russian River Valley appellation. Both of these vineyards are managed by Ulises Valdez and have been the source of wines that rival some of the best Zinfandels and Petites I have ever produced. (Sidebar: Check out the article on Ulises in the December Wine Spectator.) I love Zinfandel and feel like I am going back in time when my main focus use to be Zinfandel. The Petite Syrah is a big dark brooding wine that I am sure is going to be an earth trembler of an experience once in the bottle.
Big Scores!
Annual Roundup of the Year's Most Exciting Wines
We are excited to share the news that a great honor was bestowed upon us as the Wine Spectator revealed JC Cellars 2005 The Impostor as wine # 52 of the Top 100 wines of the year.
92 pts 2005 The Impostor California
As exotic as it is potent, with deep blackberry liqueur, sandalwood and wild game aromas and rich, ripe cassis, blueberry and licorice flavors that power on toward the bold, spicy finish. Zinfandel, Mourvédre, Petite Sirah and Syrah. Drink now through 2012. Tasted twice with consistent notes. 1,143 cases made. ---J.L.
92 pts 2005 California Cuvée Syrah
Offers wonderful savory aromas, with a mix of ripe plum, berry and peppery, spicy notes. Intense, concentrated, supple and harmonious, with a long, spicy finish. Drink now through 2013. 760 cases made. ---J.L.
91 pts 2005 Fess Parker's Vineyard Syrah Santa Barbara County
Rustic, showing intense, ripe dried currant and berry fruit, with anise, mineral and sage notes. Gains depth and richness, smoothing out the tannins on the finish. Drink now through now 2012. 685 case made. ---J.L.
90 pts 2005 Arrowhead Mountain Vineyard Zinfandel Sonoma Valley
A no-holds-barred Zinfandel. Dense and intense, with superripe blueberry, plum and smoky, meaty aromas leading to potent blackberry liqueur, espresso and cracked pepper flavors that build toward the finish. Drink now through 2012. 498 Cases made. ---J.L.
89 pts 2004 Ventana Vineyards Syrah Arroyo Seco
Complex, with an earthy, peppery profile and taut beef and berry flavors. The firm tannins highlight the spice attributes. Drink now through now 2012. 379 cases made . ---J.L
92 pts 2005 Fess Parker's Vineyard Syrah Santa Barbara County
20% Petite Sirah. Intensely aromatic and packed with rich oak, blackberry fruit and loads of varietal spice, this deep, highly extracted Syrah is as well-balanced as it is impressively stuffed. It displays a great sense of strength and stamina from start to finish, and, although involving and wonderfully showy even when young, it has all the right pieces in all the right places to encourage keeping for anywhere from five to ten years.
92 pts 2004 Ventana Vineyards Syrah Arroyo Seco
Winemaker Jeff Cohn's various red wines are always appointed with extra measures of ripeness, fruity extract and rich oak, and, while this substantial Syrah bottling is very much a case in point, it exhibits exemplary balance and is never less than keenly varietal in scent and taste. Its temperate tannins lend structural spine without fighting against fruit, and its lengthy finish holds on to the very deep mix of ripe berries and peppery spice that marks this one a solid success.
90 pts 2005 The Impostor California
72% Zinfandel; 16% Petite Sirah; 10% Syrah; 1% Viognier. Its curious moniker suggests that this wine is somehow not what it seems, but there is little doubt that big Zin it is, and it is very much driven by ripeness. It leads with concentrated aromas of sweet berries, briar and cream, and it follows on with ripe berry flavors that are generously filled out with oak. Very rich, but at the same time just a touch heavy, it has the extract needed to hide its high alcohols, and it avoids the common big-Zin pitfalls of coarseness and heat.
JC Cellars Harvest Party Recap...
November 4th JC Cellars celebrated the bounty of Bacchus and threw a party. For those of you who couldn't make it, it was an afternoon filled with, of course, appetizers, wine and DJ Brett Pinkin! The theme was "the art of winemaking", candid photographs of JC Cellars' 2007 harvest were showcased, Jerome Aubin with Artisan Barrels wowed the audience with the importance of oak during a barrel presentation and Alana Dill kept the kids happy with face paint. Check out our website www.jccellars.com to see pictures of the event.In time for the Holidays
Customize your Holiday pack: mix and match any 4 bottles of JC Cellars wine and save 15%! Now through December 31st. Offer valid in Tasting Room & Online.
So what's new? Or should I say Old?
Mountain Cabernet
2 pack: 1997 Cardoza, 1998 Yates Ranch - $85
Frediani Vineyard Petite Syrah
2 pack: 1998, 1999 - $110
2 pack: 2002, 2003 - $110
3 pack: 2002, 2003, 2004 - $165
4 pack: 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004 - $220
Caldwell Vineyard Syrah
4 pack: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 - $220
Philary Vineyard Syrah
5 pack: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 - $425
4 pack: 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 -$340
Ventana Vineyards Syrah
4 pack: 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 - $150
3 pack: 2000, 2002, 2003 - $110
Fess Parker and Rodney's Vineyard
Rodney's Verticals
3 pack: 1999 Syrah, 1999 Viognier, 2000 Syrah - $110
2 pack: 1999 Viognier, 2000 Syrah - $75
Fess Parker's Verticals
3 pack: 2001, 2002, 2003 - $180
Rockpile Vineyard Syrah
3 pack: 2001, 2002, 2003 - $180
2 pack: 2002, 2003 - $120
Ripken Vineyard Late Harvest Viognier
4 pack: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 - $100
November Releases
I've always loved the blending aspect of winemaking. I see aromatics and flavors as colors in my head, numerous primaries and secondaries floating around, just waiting to be arranged together on a canvas or in this case the glass. The creation process behind the A la Cave Syrah is somewhat complex. I went through each vineyard lot and picked each of the barrels so that the sum of the whole would be better than the individual parts. Each vineyard bringing its own unique qualities, creating a multi-faceted yet unified wine. The majority grapes in this wine continue to come from the Coombsville area of Napa Valley. This vineyard produces wines that show richness, depth and dark fruits. To highlight more of the mineral component and smoked meat aspect of the wine I added Rockpile and Fess Parker Syrah to the blend. Finally, each of the Petite Syrahs (Frediani, Madrigal and Florence) add additional layers of tannin and texture to the blend. I like to compare this to a symphony when the violin and percussion section play perfectly together.The 2005 a La Cave
The aromatics of this wine remind me of the outdoor market in Chateuneauf du Pape during March after a soft rain. The sun peaks out from behind the clouds and begins to dry the cobblestones emitting amazing aromas intertwined with the surrounding wild scrub. The palate is sweet and lush, yet maintains an inner core of minerality. Subtle smoked meat, roasted red pepper along with spiced blackberry fruit seduces you with a satiny black cherry finish.
2005 Frediani Petite Syrah
I am sorry to say this is our final year of Frediani Petite Syrah. You may ask why and I will tell you things just happen…. so it goes. 2005 is a fabulous vintage to end on.
We have explored many styles of Frediani Petite Syrah over the past 8 years. Some have been so explosive and concentrated that you have to sit back and contemplate how a wine like this could be possible. We also had years where the minerality of the vineyard leads you down a path that is as complex as any wine can be. I feel the 2005 vintage is a great example of both styles wrapped up in one. Beautifully rich, black purple in color it has enticing aromatics of blackberry jam, smoky vanilla and cassis that explode from the glass. The layered and textured palate shows off the incredibly rocky soils of its old Calistoga vineyard. A persistence of crushed rocks, sweet plums and blackberry fan out on the palate and seem to be carried through to a smoky crème bruleé finish.
The 2006 First Date
In 2005 we started to approach white wine production with a different thought pattern, due to the influence of our then harvest intern Xavier Gerard of Condrieu. As we were about to start fermentation of the 2005, he noticed that I wanted to ferment the juice cold and told me it will only make a fruity wine, but a warm fermentation will make a wine of complexity and depth. We compromised. The 2005 was amazing and loaded with everything I wanted. In March this year while in France, I had Xavier try it. He thought it was fantastic, but felt it could be more if I wasn't so hesitant to go warmer. We did in 2006, and I have to admit Xavier was right. This wine is explosive, rich and just darn intoxicating. Loaded with peaches, apricots, honey, orange blossom, crushed rocks with just a touch of creamy oak that leads to the most elegant finish.
Cheers!
Jeff & Alexandra Cohn
JC Cellars