A Fresh Start, Some Changes and a Hopeful Future, November 23, 2006

Harvest
Well, harvest has all but gone as I write these notes; in fact we have only two more lots of wine to press off. This was definitely the longest harvest for JC Cellars ever. We started picking fruit at the beginning of September and our last fruit came in November! Just amazing!

Harvest is always a new start; a chance to experiment and explore new winemaking techniques; a way of hopefully bringing the best out of the vineyards. These are the goals I set for myself every year, but this year I felt I had better focus then ever before. The wines had my full attention. JC Cellars was now my main job. In addition to better focus, this extra time also gave me opportunities to experiment, and experiment I did.

Experimenting
A few of the experiments we tried this year were longer cold soaks, increasing the amount of whole clusters being used, and longer extended macerations. We also experimented with a half-ton of Marsanne, drying the grapes on racks for three and half weeks to get the sugars higher and hopefully make a wine similar to what they call Vin de Paille (Van duh pah'y) in the Rhône. Normally, a half-ton of Marsanne will produce 60 gallons of juice; we obtained a mere 17 gallons of juice! This is experimentation at its best and we can't wait to taste the resulting wine.

Our white wine program has turned the page. This year's Marsanne and First Date (Roussanne and Marsanne) are richer and more intense than ever before. The Late Harvest Viognier is still slowly fermenting with an initial Brix of 38 and was loaded with botrytis, so this should prove to be an amazing wine. As a whole, this harvest has produced wines that are not only intense, but show a sense of finesse.

In addition to experimenting with winemaking techniques, we experimented with new vineyards as well. We have new Syrah from Stage Coach (Napa Valley). We also obtained new Petite Syrah from Eagle Point (Mendocino) and Valdez (Dry Creek). Stay tuned for more information on future wines from these fabulous new vineyards!

Teamwork
As a winemaker, you are only as good as the team you surround yourself with. For harvest we hired two hard working gentlemen: Devon, an ex-employee from the first winery (Boordy Vineyards) I worked for, and Patrick, a man who has as strong a passion for making wine as anybody I have met. We were also lucky enough to have my brother-in-law, Phil, with us for harvest this year. This was his sixth harvest working at JC Cellars and he is one of the hardest workers a guy could ever hope for. Last, but definitely not least, our new assistant winemaker Dan truly made this harvest smooth and handled all the craziness as if it was just another normal day. With a crew like this, how could harvest not go incredibly well?!

The Blending Process and Getting Ready for Bottling, January 3, 2007

Three weeks before bottling, we start to put blends together on the lab table. As many of you know, we do not rack at JC Cellars, so each barrel is very much its on separate entity, never blended until we bottle. Thus, we pull composites of each wine and work with this as a base. 99% of the time we have made the wine we want to bottle right from the barrel. In some years, we need to take a little less from some barrels and a little more from others to achieve the perfect balance. 2005 has been a 99.9% perfect year for us (0.1% is so I actually have work to do!). I am always amazed that my instincts about which barrels to put into a blend are usually right on. I guess after tasting thousands of different wines from hundreds of barrels from different cooperages, this should give me a leg up, but I still am fascinated by the magic that occurs in each barrel.

When the Right Moment Comes, January 16, 2007

New bottle aging program
Patience can be the hardest thing to have, especially for a winemaker who wants to show off his wines. But patient I have been. Starting with the 2002 vintage, we have decided to begin a new cycle of holding many of our red wines a full year before release. We made this decision because of our winemaking technique of not racking and using many different cooperages. It takes least a year in the bottle for each wine to really marry its various components and provide you with the wine experience that I have envisioned. We started this new bottle aging process with the 2002 Ventana and 2003 Ventana and the results have been exactly what I would expect.

The wines!
This being said we have two new wines being released this month. Yes, the wait is over!! The 2004 Rockpile Syrah is finally getting a chance to show its stuff off and what stuff it has. This is one for the books -- so intense, yet so in balance. With layers upon layers of what I call Rockpile spice, it has a mineral backbone and flavors of black cherry, cassis, lavender and violets with a touch of smoky roasted earth. This will be a Rockpile to hold for many years to come. As many of our Wine Club members know, I have a love affair not only with the reds of the Northern Rhône, but also the whites. Fans of the 2005 The First Date (75% Roussanne and 25% Marsanne) understand what I am talking about. Well, be prepared to be floored as soon as you get a chance to try the 2005 Preston Marsanne from the Preston Vineyard. We have been so patient, just waiting for the right moment to send this wine out, and that moment has finally come. This is a wine of incredible concentration, with texture and layers both aromatically and on the palate that make my heart pound even just looking at the bottle in the cellar. Its aromas of orange blossom, honey, marzipan, subtle apricots and peaches, wisps of vanilla and mineral are exquisite. On the palate, this majestic wine shows extraordinary richness, intertwining flavors of mineral, honey, oranges and apricots but with nice acidity that keeps it focused. It was a fascinating experience making this wine and I can't wait to share it with you.

Other new releases
2005 Arrowhead Mountain Vineyard Zinfandel is like anisette, black currants, and black licorice stick all wrapped into one. Briery notes of roasted herbs de Provence in a cherry-raspberry liqueur chocolate that is sprinkled with freshly cracked red and black pepper flow with an unending abandon. Deep in color, almost black as an obis with an intensity that is so pure and unyielding that each smell, each taste, sets your mind on a journey of unequalled proportions.

2005 Fess Parker's Vineyard Syrah has layers upon layers of aromatics, textures and flavors that seem to flow from the beginning to the end and back to the beginning again. We have been producing wine from these vineyards since 1997 and with each year the fruit just seems to get better and more complex. The 2005 vintage has gone further then any other Fess Parker has gone. The black fruits are darker; the red fruit brighter, the mid-palate is almost a diving board to a finish that just seems to go on and on.

2005 California Cuvée Always a new experience every year for us at JC Cellars. It's a chance to take wines we have produced and nurtured along the way and produce not just a wine, but an experience that represents the many aromatics and flavors of the different AVAs of California. This year's blend has become my favorite so far. Gushing over with all kinds of blackberry, and blueberry fruit intermixed with some minerality. A touch of smoke and a hint of peach skin from the Viognier that makes this wine just a little more then intriguing.

2005 Philary Vineyard Syrah has produced the most elegant Philary, not to say its not as powerful and out of control as past vintages, but its just shows a little more style, a little more finesse then in the past. Could this be a vintage correlation, or has the vineyard finally come into its own? These are questions to ponder while taking in all the intoxicating aromas and mirror like flavors of lavender, blackberry pie, plums, garrigue and hints of olives and smoked meats. Always Exotic, intense, incredibly rich and always amazing.

2005 The Impostor is roasted earth, crème de cassis, black cherry liqueur, layered with plume pudding, dark chocolate, marjoram, tarragon, smoked venison, and the list can go on and on and on! Without a doubt this is the most exotic and mysterious wine we have ever produced. You feel the wine is going in one direction and all of a sudden it's going in another direction. It's so layered and textured; you may not want to put your glass down. A blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Syrah, Mourvedre and Viognier.

The Family Affair: Getting back in touch and making good on a promise

December 26, 2006
As for the promise, I actually made two, both which I kept. The first was for Alexandra. For her birthday, I promised to take the kids for a week. We took a journey to Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and then to Santa Barbara. This was my first time being 24/7 with my kids for this long, and Alexandra's first time ever away from all of us. The kids and I stayed along the way at friends' homes and truly had the time of our lives. Alexandra, on the other hand, took time to do what she wanted to do! No children to feed (that includes me); each room was left the same as she had left it (no toys, coloring pens and no remnants of other children's stuff); no lunches to pack and no runny noses to wipe. After everything she did to keep the winery and family running during harvest, it felt great to give her the gift of quiet solitude without obligations.

January 2, 2007
The second promise made and kept was that if I got a score of 95 or above on any JC Cellars wine, I would dye my hair purple. Well, we received two scores of this nature. The first came from Connoisseurs' Guide: 95 for the Fess Parker 2005 Syrah. We also received a 96 for the Philary Syrah from the Wine Advocate. The rest is… well, you'll have to check out the photo on the website under current wines to see for yourself! Oh and there is a reason why they advise against dying grey hair purple….. it won't wash out…. so I still have some pink highlights.

February 16, 2007
Growing Family
In the past few months, Alexandra has been busy keeping JC Cellars organized while getting ready to move the JC Cellars office from home to the winery. She has also hired two new employees! The first person to join the team is Yoli, an accounting assistant. Yoli is from Belize and has the most beautiful accent. She is truly helping to make the office run even smoother then it had before. Next to join JC Cellars was Angela Anderson. She is in charge of the tasting room and in the few short weeks that she has been with us, there has already been an increased feeling that the spirit of our winery has spread. Yes, our JC Cellars family has really begun to grow. This has allowed both Alexandra and me not only to spend more time focused on the wine (for me), and the accounting aspect (Alexandra), but also on our customer base and most importantly, our family.

What is Happening Now - Could it be Ten Years Already? January 22, 2007

As our little winery has grown, so has our mailing list. We are committed to trying to fulfill each person's order, but sometimes we just run out of wine. This being said, the best way for us to serve you wine fans hungry for JC Cellars wine is to join our Wine Club. We have a few different levels to choose from and I promise you this is the easiest way to obtain our wine, plus a few extra special offerings made exclusively for Wine Club members. Please visit our website, www.jccellars.com to read more and / or join the Wine Club.

The 2005 vintage marks our tenth anniversary, and Alexandra and I cannot believe where the time has gone. We started JC Cellars with a commitment to make wines that always provide a sense of place and time; wines that reflect an expression of my passion to my craft. As we complete our tenth year, I feel we have also grown in our commitment to our new employees, and to our growing family of JC Cellars loyal customers and friends. Without all of you, both Alexandra and I could not have achieved our dreams.

Keeping in Touch, March 30, 2007

We send out two newsletters annually, spring and fall, but also periodically send out emails with offers, news and wine scores. To make sure you don't miss out on any of this great information, please either visit our website to add your email address to our list, or email Angela directly at angela@jccellars.com .

Our next Open House will be on Saturday June 2, 2007 from Noon to 5pm. We will be featuring our new release wines along with local artist who will be displaying a barrel they have artistically enhanced, along with other art they have created. It should be a great time for all, so mark your calendars now.

Thank you once again for your support - it really means the world to all of us here at JC Cellars.

Jeff & Alexandra Cohn
JC Cellars