Winemaking

Cooperage

We use a combination of new, 2nd and 3rd year American and French oak barrels. Our 2003 Syrah was aged in predominantly French oak, while the rest of our 2003/2004 wines were aged in mostly American oak barrels. Sizes range from 225 liter to 265 liter barrels. We use predominantly medium plus toast with the occasional toasted head barrel. American oak is supplied by Mendocino/World Cooperage, and we use a combination of American, Northern and Ozark barrels. Our French suppliers include Tonnsinugue, Seguine Morreau, Canton and Nadalie.

Crush and Fermentation

The red wines were de-stemmed, crushed and gently pressed in a Wilmes bladder press. The whites were not de-stemmed. For the whited wines, we gently pressed whole clusters. All of the wines were fermented using open-topped fermentation tanks and manual punch-downs. We aged the white wines for a short time in a combination of new and used American and French oak. Our goal is to showcase crisp fruit while adding complexity and backbone to the wine. We aged the red wines for an average of 18 months in new American and French oak barrels. Our goal is to create big, food friendly red wines that showcase the fruit without compromising the wine's overall balance.