I caught Marti and Gery enjoying the end of a 2011 Sauvignon blanc and Rose blending session.( We were not blending them together by the way) Our work will continue in the new year with the full winemaking panel, which includes Chris Hanna , myself , and Tom Bertoli.

Warren Burton (on the right), our Alexander Valley Red Ranch vineyard supervisor and I visited Zachary Kay, who oversees compost production at the City of Santa Rosa’s state of the art composting facility on Llano Road. We have been donating our wine pomace to the City for the past three years. This year we will contract to buy back compost for use in our vineyards, beginning a cycle of  sustainable soil building that will reduce the need for inorganic fertilizers.

Zachary Kay and Warren Burton at the composting plant

Why go dry with the 03 still nigh.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat published a  2001 Cab retrospective tasting today.  Our wine was conspicuously absent. Turns out we had just received a very delicious 90 points rating in the Wine Spectator and our tasting rooms sold out the remaining inventory. We had none to send to the Press Democrat!   I consoled myself with a Mag of the 2003, which is also stunning.  Wine may be art , but vino fugit fast.