FALL 2009 NEWSLETTER #2

September 2009 NEWSLETTER

POURING AT EUPHORIA FOOD AND WINE WEEKEND IN GREENVILLE

Calicaro was honored to be offered the opportunity to pour wine for the Thursday night welcome party for the food and wine media people. We supplied all of the red wine and Schug supplied the white wine.

We also poured at the Grand Tasting alongside wines from around the world. Our wines showed very well and folks loved all three, with our 08 Paris Mountain probably the favorite, followed by our 07 Poinsett and the 08 Liberty Bridge, which needs 9-12 months of bottle age before it will hit its stride.

Tim Graham, executive chef from Tru in Chicago and one of the celebrity chefs in town, told me the wines were delicious and that they were the best Pinot Noirs at the event. Similar compliments came from wine writers and educators, restaurant managers and retail wine shop owners.

My response: we hand make each of our wines one barrel at a time. I don't think any other winery at Euphoria could make a similar claim. It makes a huge difference, especially with Pinot Noir.

BLENDING OUR 2008 PINOT NOIRS

Part aesthetics, science and alchemy, blending is the highest art in winemaking. I watched our winemaker, Chris Nelson fill vials and beakers with measured quantities of wine to be blended together into test batches. Butcher paper covered the table so notes could be taken as we tasted our way through various blends.

Spitting was mandatory - the palate couldn't withstand such an assault otherwise. My acid test for the finished blend - if it was too good to spit we were getting close.

The process is to start with the base wine and note gaps or shortcomings that could be filled by blending in other wines. For single vineyard designates, it is important that wine comes from the same vineyard and varietal. Other than this, we could blend to our heart's content. Once the gaps in the base wine are noted (e.g., a short finish or weak aromatics) you blend through trial and error to create a complete wine.

It is not pure trial and error. Chris knows his wines and barrels well and where to go to help make a better wine.

For example, our Lone Oak, made from 667 Dijon clone fruit aged in 50% new Francois Freres oak, tasted great as it was. We tried 8 or 9 blends, adding other Dijon clones such as 115, 777 and 828 with different barrel spice notes, but everything seemed to detract from, not improve on the wine.

At Chris' suggestion, we added varying percentages of the heritage Swan clone known for soaring aromatics - a heady perfume of fruit and flowers that adds high notes to balance the darker, heavier fruit. WOW! We were in a sweet spot at 5% Swan added to the 95% 667. This was our final blend on the Lone Oak, taking much trial and error to get there.

Over the course of several days we did this for two additional single vineyard designate Pinot Noirs, Split Rock on the Sonoma Coast and La Encantada in Sta Rita Hills. Here the blends were considerably more complex, involving 4 to 6 Dijon clones and various barrel spice notes.

Chris gets paid to do this as a consulting winemaker for various small Pinot Noir brands. Needless to say, he NEVER complains about his job!

2009 HARVEST

As I write this in the last week of September, we are in harvest season. Almost all of our Pinot Noir fruit is in the winery, and Cabernet Sauvignon will be coming in soon.

2009 has been picture perfect start to finish. Cool weather and dry conditions have promoted slow and steady ripening of the fruit. We have small berries and intense flavors, ideal for winemaking. All of our vineyards, from the Sonoma Coast to Santa Lucia Highlands, have performed wonderfully.

We have been lucky to have great weather conditions since we started Calicaro. Winemakers are only as good as their fruit. While a winemaker can make bad wine from great fruit, the opposite is impossible.

So we try to start with great fruit and not mess it up. Mother Nature is giving us exactly what we want and we promise to make exceptional wine.

HARVEST WORK

I am working alongside our winemaker, Chris Nelson, at the winery. My work includes sorting fruit, fermentations, punchdowns and cleaning the equipment, barrels etc. My dad used to call me the Chief Bottle Washer. Little did I know this would come true four and a half decades later!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Just a reminder that we have two upcoming events. Here is a quick rundown:

11.03 Calicaro Launch Party, Sobys Loft http://www.meetup.com/winemeetup

11.19 Calicaro Wine Dinner Devereaux's

http://www.meetup.com/winemeetup/

Hope to see you soon!

Dave Ball

Calicaro Wine