Wines

WHAT:
The 2008 Joel Gott Washington State Columbia Valley Riesling is an off-dry Riesling with aromas and flavors of citrus blossom, orange peel, white pepper, star fruit, and honeycomb.

WHERE:
The Columbia Valley in Washington is an ancient river valley lined with gorges and hills. The vineyards in the valley benefit from cool evenings and warm days, allowing the grapes to maintain a balance between acids and sugars. The soils give the wine slate and mineral flavors for which Riesling grapes are renowned.

WHY:
We traveled to Washington to get our grapes because Riesling thrives in cool Northern latitudes and river valleys. Our Riesling grapes were crushed and chilled in Washington; upon arrival in St. Helena, the juice was inoculated in stainless steel tanks and fermented. The finished wine was then cold-stabilized, filtered, and bottled.

WHAT:
The careful selection of grapes from vineyards in Monterey, Napa and Lake Counties comes to fruition in our 2009 California Sauvignon Blanc, a complex, structured blend which balances fruit and acidity.

WHERE:
The cool, coastal vineyards of Monterey allow the grapes to mature slowly and develop intense citrus flavors with crisp minerality. Combined with richer, more complex grapes from the sun-drenched Napa Valley, the blend evolves into a more structured, balanced wine. Grapes from Lake County enhance the wine's acidity and heighten its tropical flavors. Together, these locales produce a wine with aromas of guava, watermelon, Meyer lemon and a long, juicy finish.

WHY:
Aging this well-balanced Sauvignon Blanc in stainless steel preserves the intense fruit aromas and flavors without the cloaking presence of malolactic fermentation. The screw cap enclosure and the UV safe green glass package ensure that our wine maintains freshness throughout its life. Put simply, this is one of our favorite wines to drink regardless of season or spread; it is bright and crisp year round.

 

WHAT:
Our second vintage of the Monterey Chardonnay has evolved, yet still saw only stainless steel and remains fresh, crisp and exuberant—exactly what we like about Chardonnay.

WHERE:
The cool, breezy weather of Monterey Bay allows for a longer period of maturation which enables the grapes more time to develop classic varietal characteristics. This growing environment produces a Chardonnay with aromas of orange blossom, white peach and jasmine with a bright acid structure.

WHY:
The vineyards of Monterey consistently provide ideal fruit and exemplify our winemaking goal: a natural balance between sugar and acidity. This vintage of the Monterey Chardonnay provided us with yet another year to display our progression towards a more complete wine, one which marries brightness and energy with subtle weightiness on the palate, providing our truest expression, thus far, of the fruit.

WHAT:
The 2007 California Cabernet Sauvignon blends grapes from our favorite appellations resulting in an elegant, luscious wine.

WHERE:
Fruit is sourced from Napa Valley, the Mendocino coast, Paso Robles and Lake County. Together, these appellations create a balanced, structured wine with supple tannins, bright acidity and flavors of spicy red fruit and rich black fruit that are intensified by aromas of currants, cedar and black tea.

WHY:
Our 815 Cabernet is named for the August 15th birth of our daughter Lucy during the 2003 harvest.

WHAT:
Our 2007 California Zinfandel balances rich and graceful flavors characteristic of each region farmed.

WHERE:
Dry-farmed, old-head-trained vines in Lodi and Amador produce intense, structured fruit while the Napa Valley harvest adds power, depth and complexity. Fruit from the cooler climate of Sonoma County offers classic Zinfandel aromatics of pepper and anise. Together, these diverse regions produce a Zinfandel packed with flavors of licorice, plums, Bing cherries and blackberries with a deep, long finish.

WHY:
Joel became fascinated with Zinfandel in 1996 and we all find Zinfandel as irresistible today as he did then. Spicy, juicy, brash and elegant Zinfandel continues to be as enjoyable and interesting to make as it is to drink.

WHAT:
Our 2006 Mohr-Fry Ranches Zinfandel blends Zinfandel (95%) and Alicante Bouchet (5%) from old, head-trained vines to produce a robust wine with intense fruit flavor and soft, juicy tannins.

WHERE:
The Mohr-Fry Ranches are located in Lodi between the Sierra Foothills and the Sacramento River Delta. The farming history of the Mohr-Fry Ranches dates back to the 1850s but it wasn't until the early 1900s that they began to plant grapevines. Today, the Ranches produce grapes, cherries and heirloom beans. The grapes are farmed according to Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing - practices include using cover crops to improve soil quality, leaf pulling to prevent bunch rot and owl boxes to alleviate gopher problems. Farming practices like these and limited yields from 60-85 year-old vines produce a concentrated wine with aromas of nutmeg, cinnamon, cedar and black pepper with flavors of blackberry, red cherries and dark plum.

WHY:
Since our inception in 1996 we've endeavored to work with those who love farming grapes as much as we enjoy creating wine. It's for this reason that we develop relationships with farming families like the Frys who deeply care about the land they farm.