Insights & Articles A Study of Our Vineyards
“The vision of the winemaker starts in the field.”
We have the great privilege of farming small select parcels across more than two dozen very special vineyard sites.
It takes time, working with a vineyard, to discover its defining characteristics. Then, it takes even longer to use the right winemaking techniques and sensitivity to highlight those features in the wine. A lightness of touch in our winemaking allows us to achieve a more complex, multi-dimensional, “effortless” quality in our wines.
Over two decades, we’ve gained access to some truly legendary sites. And we’ve achieved close personal relationships with our growers. Our shared respect for the land, our dedication to the work, and our mutual respect for each other, carry through to the final product. We work with good people and we’re going to make some amazing wines.
From first pruning through to the day of harvest, we’re out there farming the land in a way that draws out the singularity of each parcel. We minimize our footprint in the vineyard, stay very close to the “ingredients” and let the vineyards speak for themselves.
MENCÍA MacIntyre Estate Vineyard
CHENIN BLANC MacIntyre Estate Vineyard
NAPA SOILS Haire Clay Loam Haire Loam
Insights & ArticlesOur 2024 Summer Release
I’m not certain there is such a thing as a “world class” rosé, but if there is, then our 2023 Sonoma Coast Rosé should be in the running. It’s the first release from the mesmerizing 2023 vintage, a season that will go down as the finest this century. We use premier Estate-grown grapes for this wine – it’s no afterthought – and vinify with native yeasts in neutral 300L hogshead barrels. The wine is bone-dry, but because we age it on its lees for an extended seven months, there’s lots of textural layers which are supported by thirst quenching acidity on the wine’s long finish. A beautiful rendition.
Our love affair with cool climate fog-influenced Chenin Blanc continues, and this 2022 is one of my wines of the vintage. From the very top of our MacIntyre Estate we have sixteen rows of experimental Chenin. This wine is so exciting, we’ve decided to plant a further 1.5 acres nearby. This release is vibrant but deeply flavored, has ripe appley fruits and savory nuances, and has a long lingering arc of flavor. You can drink it pre-dinner, with a wide range of dishes, and with dessert – it’s a wonderfully flexible wine style. Don’t miss this classic DuMOL insider wine.
Our 2022 experimental Mencia has the brightness of a great Cru Beaujolais with the texture of a Green Valley Pinot, and the peppery nuance of a coastal Syrah – it’s a compelling combination that’s perfect for summer outdoor evening drinking yet will age for 5+ years. We ferment the wine with one-third whole clusters and this brings forth a kaleidoscopic range of aromas and flavors in the resulting wine. Then we age it in Tuscan amphorae so there’s zero oak influence making it fresh enough for seafood yet robust enough for grilled meat.
-Andy Smith
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