The Best of Napa & Sonoma 4-Pack

HOOK & LADDER RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY ESTATE “OLIVET RANCH” SAUVIGNON BlANC 2019

THE VINEYARDS:

Sauvignon Blanc demands a cooler climate allowing the distinctive flavors of the grape to mature and develop. The southern reaches of the Russian River Valley produce just such conditions. These 20-year old vines stretch along the front 5 acres of the Hook & Ladder Estate Winery on Olivet Road.

THE GROWING SEASON: Coming off one of the coolest and wettest winters in recent memory, bud break arrived about two weeks later than normal. Beyond this slow start to the growing season, we saw multiple heat spikes throughout the summer that brought the maturation of the vines more in line with seasons past.

THE WINEMAKING: Our Sauvignon Blanc is crushed and de-stemmed immediately to press, then the juice is fermented in a combination of neutral French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks.

THE WINE:

Our 2019 Sauvignon Blanc shines with a pale lemon chiffon color and aromas of citrus and muskmelon. The palate offers full flavors of lime zest, passion fruit heightened by its lingering lychee, trace green apple finish.

HARVESTED: September 25, 2019
ALCOHOL: 13.8%
TA: .64
pH: 3.23
CASES PRODUCED: 1,784
AGING: 5 months in neutral French Oak and stainless steel
ESTATE BOTTLED: February 25, 2020
WINEMAKER: Jason De Loach

2017 BOUGETZ CELLARS PARCHED. NAPA VALlEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON

WINEMAKERS NOTES:
The 2017 parched. Cabernet Sauvignon is a Bordeaux blend consisting of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec. The fruit for this wine is sourced throughout the Napa Valley with a good mix of mountain fruit along with valley floor fruit. The wine exhibits a dark, inky red color, with notes of blackberry and cassis on the nose. Layered well with spice and toasty oak, this medium to full-bodied wine will be quite pleasant from the start but will reward short term cellaring.

HARVEST NOTES:
The 2017 parched. Cabernet Sauvignon is a Bordeaux blend consisting of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec. The fruit for this wine is sourced throughout the Napa Valley with a good mix of mountain fruit along with valley floor fruit. The wine exhibits a dark, inky red color, with notes of blackberry and cassis on the nose. Layered well with spice and toasty oak, this medium to full-bodied wine will be quite pleasant from the start but will reward short term cellaring.

Harvest date:  September 15st, 2018 – October 29th, 2018
Appellation: Napa Valley
Brix at harvest: 25.1 -26.8
Crush: De-stemmed, 100% whole berry
Fermentation: 14-day ferment
Aging: 20 months, with 50% new French oak, 50% once used
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.68
TA: 6.0 g/L
Bottled: July 2019
Case production: 385 cases
Winemaker: Thomas Bougetz 

Fore Family Vineyards: Grenache Blanc, Cobb Mountain Vineyard, Lake County 2018

A summertime favorite, the latest ripening of the Fore Vineyard’s grapes- it always provides interesting Thanksgiving conversation as this is usually still slowly fermenting in the cooler autumn conditions. Where the Fore Family Reds all rely on native yeast for fermentation, this – and the other whites are inoculated with a chosen yeast. Fermentation temperatures are cold, to help maintain bright fresh fruit characteristics. There is no malo-lactic and the wine is aged in small stainless vessels post-fermentation. The wine was filtered prior to bottling.

Nose; cantaloupe melon, Meyer lemon zest, fresh hay summer on the deck

Mouth; a bit less acidic then Albarino,  it is at the same time weightier and more complex. Shows rocky stream, earthy fresh hay, and lemon flavors along with a very nice balance.

A wonderful white for a variety of situations.

Harvest Date; November 5, 2018

pH; 3.48

Ta; 0.60

Alc; 14.3%

Cases produced 70

Color; liquid gold

Longboard Vineyards Russian River Pinot Noir 2017

Few areas in the world are blessed with just the right balance of warm days and cool nights that are needed to produce great Pinot Noir. The Russian River Valley appellation is one of those areas - and we take full advantage of it. To begin with, we choose to work with growers who know this varietal and we collaborate with them to grow and pick the fruit when flavors are well developed but before any overly pruney or raisiny characters show up.

We then ensure grapes are hand-picked at night or at first light and delivered cool to the winery where they are de-stemmed (not crushed) and allowed to cold soak for three days before fermentation is allowed to start. Lots are either inoculated or allowed to ferment on their own, a decision we make once we assess the quality of the incoming fruit. Once the alcoholic fermentation is complete, wines are drawn into French oak barrels ( about 3 0% new) where they complete the malolactic fermentation and age on the fine lees until late spring. We aim to make a Pinot Noir that is layered and complex, one that evolves in your glass and keeps delivering new nuances. As with all of the Longboard wines, balance and elegance are what we strive for.

The 2017 vintage was blessed with great weather early on, the Pino! Noir from this year exhibits ample fruit character when young (plum, strawberry, black cherry) and slowly develop secondary black tea and rose-petal aromas. A slight roasted character from our Burgundy-sourced barrels integrates into the mid-palate and follows into the long, supple finish. Pinot Noir loves the company of food, especially Salmon, aged cheeses, rare Ahi Tuna, and Duck breast to name a few of our favorites.

Cheers,
Oded Shakked - Owner & Winemaker of Longboard Vineyards

Site Story: Three vineyard sites in the Russian River Valley are sourced for this wine, all chosen for the complexity of flavor at the lower sugar content and year-over-year performance.
Composition: 100% Pinot Noir - Clones 115,667,777 & Pommard  
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Fermentation: 3 Day cold-soak, open top fermentation, 15% whole cluster. 
Ageing: 11 months on fine lees in French Oak barrels, 40% new. 
Alcohol: 14.0 %
TA: 6.51g/L
pH: 3.68
Production: 398 Cases