2008 Stanly Ranch Carneros

The 2008 Carneros growing season was quite a ride full of extremes. Spring was one of the coldest since the early 70’s hitting us with frost after bud-break in March. Some blocks were protected due to the proximity to the San Pablo Bay and others required extra care and attention. May then brought on record high temperatures followed by dry winds and unusual rains. The rest of the summer progressed fairly evenly until September hit us with a long hot spell followed by significant drops in temperature. Not too worry though- roller coasters can be fun. Overall this resulted in lower yields and smaller berries which amounted to more concentrated
high quality wines. Yeah!

As some of you know, 2007 was the last harvest for the old vine block of Stanly Ranch which I have been sourcing and making wine from since 2000. That doesn’t mean I stopped making the single vineyard treasure- It just means that the fruit for this year and those following has been sourced from younger vines and different clones on the property. This vintage is comprised of 777, 114, and 115 with a dash of Pommard.

The grapes were de-stemmed and kept whole, but each clone had it’s separate bin. Following the usual cold soaking and cap wetting, the batches all began fermenting on their own. My favorite part, the hand punchdowns, occurred frequently everyday until the wine went dry. All the lots were then drained into separate barrels to undergo the secondary fermentation. After 11 months of aging the lots were carefully blended to create this beautifully balanced wine.

Those characteristic wild strawberry and forest floor notes mingle with dried violets and sweet plums both on the nose and in the mouth. There is a juicy depth not quite as deep as the oceans, but broad and expansive that lingers on and on.

218 cases (750 ml bottles) produced
46 cases (375 ml bottles) produced