SFChron: Exciting Things At Altitude in Mendocino

An outstanding article in the SFChron by Esther on some exciting things going on at altitude in MendoCnty:

By SamBilbro/EvanLewandowski/MikeLucia.

The first btl off the bottling line of Timorasso is destined for LosAlamos. Some yrs ago, we met up w/ Sam at Bergamot Alley to taste his new wines. They had a WalterMassa Timorasso on the shelf of Kevin’s place. I just “happened” to have two other a Timorassos out in my trunk, so we had a small tasting of Timorasso right there. Sam was already aware of the glories of the variety.
I wasn’t aware that Mike had bought ColeRanch. Some of Calif’s best Rieslings come from there.
Anyway, quite a good article by Esther.
Tom

Good to read about what they are doing and why.

Always happy to see something about Idlewild.

Well, David… Sam is pretty much a known quantity. I’m particularly excited by what Mike/Rootdown is going to do w/ ColeRanch. I’ve thought his wines are quite nice but always left we wanting a little more. Part of it has been vnyds from not particularly exciting areas. With better fruit sources, they should be better.
The link to Alpine wines/areas seems a bit of a stretch, though. There’s nothing like walking a vnyd and seeing to Dolomitis towering in the distance.
Tom

Yes, quite a few differences, but you can still see why they’re good sites to try those grapes.

Yup, Wes… totally agree.
Tom

I call complete BS on picking at Cole Ranch with snow on the ground. We are 1000 ft higher and pick 2-4 weeks later then them, and we have never seen a single flake of snow before harvest in 15 years.

Paul

Late Harvest Riesling?

Maybe ice wine picked in January

P

Casey Hartlip… calling Casey Hartlip.

I’ll call BS on the snow too. Cole ranch has always been a weird site. I know John Cole and knew his son (who worked for KJ and passed away a few years ago). In the early 80’s when Eaglepoint was selling most of its fruit to Fetzer I would see John delivering fruit to the winery. When we would be starting to wind down our harvest, John would just be starting. The site was a super late ripening vineyard.

It’s a cold spot in spring AND fall as the steep hillsides surrounding the vineyard send the night time air down to the tiny valley. They have to frost protect quite a bit in the spring. I can only imagine that some years the Cabernet vines were starting to shut down at harvest with the cool temps. The other thing is Cole ranch is HOT. It sees no fog or marine influence like Anderson Valley and gets very hot. It’s only a few miles west of the Ukiah valley and many of you know how hot it gets there. So it could be considered a place with a very short growing season.

Thanks for chiming in, Casey. Good to get your take on ColeRanch. Will be interesting to see what Mike makes work on that Site… as he’s building a snowman in late Sept.
Would be interested in your take on ColeRanch vs. Guiness’s McFaddenRanch suitability for Riesling. Doesn’t have to be fact based. You can just make something up!!
Tom

Tom, I’ve been making shit up for years and people still seem to believe it! Potter Valley and Cole ranch are quite similar weather wise. Hard to guess which would be hotter. My guess is the success of the Rieslings made from those sites would have to do with the age of the vines. I’ll take a wild guess that vines planted in the 70’s aren’t quite cranking out cordon busting crops anymore. I would think Anderson Valley would be superior to those two sites due to a longer growing season and much cooler daytime temps. Jim Klein, winemaker at Navarro would be a great person to bring in on this topic.

Thanks again, Casey. I really like the Rieslings from McFadden, but the only producer I’ve had is MikeDashe. Also really like those from ColeRanch across several producers. But, as you say, maybe Anderson Vlly is better Riesling country.
Tom

I don’t know about snow on the ground during harvest, but then again we’re generally not the last pick on the ranch (including late harvest Riesling for Bedrock) and it is a strikingly cold site. I made the mistake of forgetting my thermal long johns (under my jeans!) in 2016 and rode the picking bins freezing cold until the sun came over the ridge. Four years running the first couple of bins picked have been partly-frozen clusters, since it gets down to 25-28 in the valley at night in mid-to-late October. It does snow in the valley a few times each winter.

This year I installed weather station data loggers at Cole Ranch and at Wiley Vineyard, another older-vine Riesling site in the deep end of Anderson Valley. It’ll be fascinating to compare.

I’m excited to see what Mike and Jill have in store for Cole Ranch! The vineyard looks better already than I’ve ever seen.

Thanks Tom, good article on three cool and knowledgeable winemakers. Of the three I know Sam the best and if you ever get the chance to meet up with him, do it! Unlike some people who wind up in the wine industry, it’s been Sam’s entire life. Listening to him speak about wine, especially Piedmont wine is a real joy and education. From the most intricate farming details to the finished bottles coming off the bottling line, it’s a fun experience. If you are in Healdsburg give Sam and Idlewild a visit, you won’t be disappointed.

I was fortunate to take a brief tour of Sam’s Lost Hills Ranch in June 2018. It is a very special place, you need to see it to fully appreciate the beauty of the site and area. Here are a few photos of some of Lost Hills Ranch. The one photo off the vineyard ridge show the soil and rock formation of the site.



The geology makeup of Lost Hills Ranch

Also Mr Hill, as “I have followed Sam from the very start” we might have to have a tussle to see who gets first dibs on that Timorasso

Tom

Thanks for giving your take on ColeRanch.
Any thought ever to making an Eiswein up there?
I, too, am excited by what Mike is going to be doing up there. It’s a pretty unique site up there. Your Rieslings give ample testimony to that.
Tom

Easy, Tom…for rights to that first btl of Timorasso, we’ll just duke it out in front of the Tasting Room. Swords at 20’. I’m a sure win, despite my advanced age. Old age & treachery count for something in swords!!
Tom

You had my curiosity when you were talking about the growing conditions Cody…but after referencing Late Harvest Riesling for Bedrock, you now have my attention

Excited to learn more about that for sure!