NOTES FROM THE WINERY
HARVEST 2010
FEATURED VINTAGE:
2007 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Just released, this classic Cabernet is a blend of fruit from four select blocks of the TR Passalacqua Vineyard: Blocks 2, 4, 13 and 18 & 19, offering classic Cabernet flavors of blackberry and cassis on the palate, with a hint of spice and a rich texture. Two years of aging in French oak barrels tame the tannins and round out the long, lovely finish of this carefully bended classic. Purchase the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon to savor with holiday meals, cellar for years of enjoyment, and to give as holiday gifts.
SANGIOVESE: the legendary Italian
In our Tasting Room we open up and pour a taste of our 2007 Saini Farms Sangiovese from time to time as a special treat for our guests. The reviews from customers are so enthusiastic that we have a hard time keeping enough on hand! We make the Sangiovese for our super Tuscan blend, Radici della Famiglia, and save some for a limited bottling of this legendary Italian varietal. It is an alluring wine on its own, with lighter body and spice.
Sangiovese has been grown in Italy for over 600 years, where it is the primary varietal of all of Tuscany's famous red wines, such as Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile do Montepulciano. This heritage makes it a natural choice for our family-run winery with Italian roots!
Sangiovese grapes produce fruity, medium body wines with a moderate to high natural acidity, ranging from firm and elegant to assertive and robust. Our 2007 Saini Farms Sangiovese shows aromas of cranberry with hints of leather and tobacco, and a pleasant earthy note. On the palate, flavors of red cherry deepen into ripe berry and plum, finishing with cinnamon and vanilla.
Traditional Tuscan fare is one of the best pairings with Sangiovese. We only bottled 117 cases, so pick up some of our 2007 Dry Creek Valley Saini Farms Sangiovese to enjoy with your Italian-inspired meals today, while it lasts!
WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
Margaret Davenport
We're having another beautiful fall season in the Dry Creek Valley. Harvest is complete and vine leaves are turning colors to rival the tree foliage back East. Jason and Tom have already been duck hunting; wild mushrooms are next, and the 2010 vintage is in barrels!
2010 was my 31st harvest and one of the most interesting growing seasons on record. As the wet spring turned into a cool summer with foggy mornings, everyone prepared for a later than usual harvest. Our first grapes to come in, the Sauvignon Blanc, were later than usual but we were delighted to see a large crop of great fruit. Right after pressing, we tasted the juice, which portends another fresh, fruity favorite, ready to be bottled this winter.
By September, we were done with foggy mornings but moved into a cycle of intensely hot weather, which proved challenging, especially for thinner-skinned reds like Zinfandel. The canopy had been pruned back to allow more heat and sunlight while the weather was cool, but when heat struck the exposed vines it turned some of the grapes to raisins. Zin yields in 2010 were down overall, due to this sun damage. But the quality of the remaining fruit benefitted from the long cool growing season, which gave it an exceptionally long hang time, allowing flavors to deepen. Processed carefully in small lots, these hand-selected grapes promise exceptional wine!
Cabernet Sauvignon benefited from the cooler weather at the start of the season and was able to withstand the rigors of 100+ degree days as summer heat peaked. In fact, the late heat meant harvest was right on time in TR Passalacqua Vineyard. We reached full flavor development in the blocks of choice and hand-picked before the first autumn rains. The young wines are now barreled down for the malolactic fermentation. By 2011, they'll be ready to rack to new French oak, to slowly age and mellow for 2 years.
Our 2010 vintage will be remembered for its long, cool growing season and the anticipation we all felt waiting for the perfect harvest moment. The smaller crop and long hang time, however, will only enhance your enjoyment of these wines when they reach your hands in a few years' time.
INTO THE CELLAR WITH JASON: What to enjoy now
You know you can cellar Cabernets for a good long time, but what about your other Passalacqua favorites? How do Zinfandels and Chardonnays age? Recently, Margaret and I, along with Tasting Room staff, tasted through some of our older Chardonnays and Zinfandels. We're excited to check in on how they are aging and let you know which wines to drink now!
The deeper Zins we tasted, particularly those from Dry Creek, have aged gracefully. The 2004 Estate, for example, still shows lots of jammy, plummy fruit and black pepper while the 2005 is smooth and oakey with cherry-berry jam on the palate. Margaret also liked the way the 2005 and 2006 Primitivos had aged, calling them "stylish, with nice fruit/oak balance". The 2005 Maple still had its lovely dried cherry fruit, beautiful color and weight, and a long toasty finish, proving the Francois barrels to be the perfect choice for that wine. The Old Vine Zins, also from Dry Creek Valley, had nice complexity, with licorice and spice coming through in the 2005 and smoky oak in the 2004 (Tony's favorite - "Fabulous!").
A big treat was how well our 2004 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay had aged. It was amazingly alive, with delicious vanilla and oak. It is always gratifying to taste an older wine that has matured exactly as intended! So... what are our recommendations? The 2007 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay is terrific right now, drink any older than that soon. The Dry Creek Zins from 2005 and 2006 are at their peak now, so enjoy them with family and friends, and make room for our new releases!
FARMER'S CORNER: Tom Passalacqua
Grape growing conditions from the winter pruning through the October harvest were challenging this year. Kenny Rodgers' hit song, "The Gambler," describes the farmer's dilemma which occurred daily: "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em." The farmer that was able to understand and deal with Mother Nature's tirade, and follow Kenny Rogers' observation, delivered absolutely stellar fruit to the Winery.
The unpredictable weather conditions were no match for this vineyard crew. Our meticulous vineyard operation attended to every curve Mother Nature dealt. We were able to fend off the adverse conditions and offer the Winery premium grapes that made Winemaker Margaret Davenport smile.
The vineyard crews' daily vigilance and constant communication avoided the cool climate's mildew, as well as the sunburn from the heat spikes. We pulled leaves from the east side of the vine and constantly adjusted the wires on the vertical trellis system which allowed the sun to shine on the grapes and air to flow through the fruit zone. The cool weather also delayed harvest, giving us the "hang time" that vintners relish. The seeds became tobacco brown and potato chip crunchy, and there was no grape bulk ("meat") on the seeds.
Jason played the perfect hand. He came to the vineyard on October 21st, for his daily quality survey (tasting grapes, examining juice color and sampling Brix and acids), and made the decision: "Let's start picking this morning." Harvest for Passalacqua Winery Cabernet started at 8:00 a.m. that day.
Commencement of harvest is not an exact science. This decision is based on experience - even one or two days' delay could add to or detract from the desired perfect result. The 2010 crush produced a very dark juice with rich berry flavors. Jason and Noelle expect this years' vintage to be one of the best ever!
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