Wines 2009

The wines of 2009 are turning out to be soft and complex with nice flavors. There weren’t too many issues in the field with most varieties, so the PH, acids and brix were fairly good. We were able to pick the fruit at the right time, which helps make things easier in the winery (less additions and issues to correct). I like to press the whole cluster and drain the juice off the stems.
We’re trying a new item this year. It’s a cement tank, we affectionately call it the “Hippo”, because it looks like one. We fermented the Vermentino and the Viognier in it this year. They are interesting because they have a different flavor profile than if we’d used stainless steel.

White Wines
Vermentino is a new grape for us this year. This wine will eventually take the place of the Sauvignon Blanc for Clavo. It was fermented in neutral barrels, some in stainless steel and now resides in puncheons. We’re also trying the Albarino grape this season. We’re taking a similar approach on this wine with some stainless steel fermentation, some neutral barrel fermentation and it now resides in puncheons. We are continuing the Grenache Blanc from Dawson’s Creek and Catherine’s Vineyard. I’m pleased with the white wines this year. We will probably bottle in May, so our white wine fans will have some new varieties to enjoy!
Red Wines
We used Petite Sirah from Catherine’s again – it’s just dynamite stuff. Deep and dark in color, rich in the mouth. I’m very excited about that wine. We’ve also got Syrah, Collusion blend, Cabernet, Petite Verdot and Malbec – from Margarita and VZZ. We’ll probably do a special bottling of the Malbec because we have some that is very special. We are trying Sangiovese this year. I’m planning a super Tuscan blend with Cab Franc and Merlot. I might add a little Tannat too. These are all wines that I’ve never tried before, so we’ll probably blend them for the ’09 vintage.

Also new to Clavo for 2009 is a Pinot Noir. The fruit is out of the Righetti property in Edna Valley. Our first Pinot Noir! I grew Pinot Noir for Robert Mondavi for a number of years and it’s exciting to be making some for my winery now. A pleasant surprise for us is the blend we’re trying of Cab, Cab Franc and Petite Verdot. They were blended in barrel and co-fermented. I hadn’t planned on adding the Petite Verdot to the mix, it was an accident in the winery from a misunderstanding. I’m actually glad it happened, we tasted it the other day and it is fantastic! We’ll probably do a special bottling of it and keep it separate.

With our red grapes, we put them through 2 sorting tables and then the basket press. We purchased some very nice barrels, some brands that we’ve never tried before. We are very excited about the varieties this year – we’re looking forward to them!