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Home Wines About News Store Directions Contact	Newsletter # 12 March 2003
2001 Sangiovese Adversity is a good thing. And not just for the won’t-be-famous-’till-they’re-dead artists, but for all of us. I know that my best moments (not that there have been many of them, mind you) have come when I am amidst my darkest fears. What does this have to do with wine, Mick? Well, let’s just say that some California growers and producers of the beloved Tuscan grape, Sangiovese, aren’t feeling exactly smug lately. Prevailing thought among the wine cognoscenti toward Cal-Ital Sangio is "short of expectations." (Sounds like my fifth grade report card.) Thanks to the difficult nature of growing the grape and initially unrealistic pricing, California Sangiovese wineries are said to be facing a somewhat less than receptive market. I hear fine wine retailers say there is little or no demand for California Sangiovese. That’s when I walk outside and sing under my breath "la la la la laaaa la." Sangiovese is our fastest selling wine. Even our 2000 vintage, which was below our standards for world class Sangiovese (hence the "Segromigno" pseudonym) was still a smashing success. Perhaps what the retail pundits are missing is that there is a solid demand for domestic Sangiovese — as long as it is medium to full bodied and true to the varietal aroma and flavor profile. Producing such a wine is not easy, especially if you are not willing to work it in the vineyards, but I think we are proving that it is possible. I welcomed the blush coming off the Sangiovese Rosé blip, too. With pretend Sangiovese producers gone, the Cal-Sangio torch can be handed to fanatics like us who enjoy growing, making, and more importantly, drinking the stuff. Our 2001 Sangiovese is quite reminiscent of our 1999. Is the ‘01 better? I’m not sure, but I’m happy that it’s a debatable issue. They both have big, deep color, incredible fruit and enough structure to warrant a Baby-Brunello nick name. Normally Dad’s crew go through the vineyard once or twice during the growing season to cut off excess crop. In 2001 it wasn’t necessary as cold weather during May flowering drastically reduced the yield. As such, only 560 cases were produced. We harvested this vineyard on two separate dates nearly two weeks apart, which allowed the grapes on the lower part of the vineyard to achieve the proper ripeness. Our winemaking on the Sangiovese is pretty standard minimalist stuff. We rack only once and use larger French oak barrels to preserve the fruit and subtleties of Sangiovese — cherries jubilee and sotobosco (means underbrush for the Italian-challenged). Don’t let the seductive fruit fool you, this wine should age well for 3 to 4 years. Harvested: 9/6/01 & 9/18/01 Total acidity: .562 g/100 ml pH: 3.65 Oak Aging: 12 months in French oak barrels and puncheons, 25% new Blend: 100% Sangiovese Alcohol: 14.5% Bottled: unfined, unfiltered 9/7/02 Cases produced: 560 Price: $22.00 bottle 2001 Syrah Petit Frère — He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Little Brother If you follow small grower/producers from anywhere in the world, you’ll find that the best wine values often come from a reputable producer’s "second line." These second wines can come from new vines, experimental vineyards or sections of a vineyard culled out of the main blend for one reason or another. All of these happened in the creation of our 2001 Syrah Petit Frère. Sixty percent of this Syrah comes from our least structured lot off Dad’s original benchland vineyard. The rest comes from the first crop off the new vineyard planted near the winery where we experimented with new clones and rootstocks. We blended the Syrah lots with first crop Mourvedre, Dolcetto, and Sangiovese to create a St. Joseph-style wine. It has blueberry and olive aromas, lower tannin than our regular Syrah, and a zippy acidity. The "Little Bro" reveals the bright and fruity side of the varietal. This is a medium-bodied wine and it is already round and lush, making it an ideal choice for near-term drinking. It isn’t a wine you’ll necessarily save for special occasions — it’s more of an "only-drink-on-days-that-end-in-y" wine. And at this price, you can. Harvested: 9/19/01, 9/20/01, 9/29/01 Total acidity: .66g/100ml pH: 3.8 Oak Aging: 12 months in French oak barrels and puncheons, 30% new Blend: 84% Syrah, 6% Mourvedre, 5% Dolcetto, 5% Sangiovese Alcohol: 13.9% Bottled: 11/10/02 Unfined, unfiltered Cases produced: 1,650 Price: $17.00 bottle

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