Berserker Bait. Patricia Green Cellars to produce 2022 Bearwallow Vyd. PN

[James_Lyon]

The prevalence of conifers and dearth of hardwoods keeps me from identifying it with Anderson Vly.

Never been there. But it could certainly be Dundee.

Definitely not Anderson Family Vineyards in Dundee.

[Juliec]

Jim, I had always hoped for a Peay and PGC connection.
But when the pictures, it was clear that it was somewhere else. First picture had me thinking arcus vineyard… over time it was definitely Rhys vineyards.
Congratulations!!

[Dan_Sch]

The prevalence of conifers and dearth of hardwoods keeps me from identifying it with Anderson Vly.

Almost all of Anderson Valley is redwood forests or scrub (or vineyard/orchard).

[Dan_Sch]

Looks like AV, bearwallow or drew maybe?

We have a winner!

After the April frosts I reached out to Kevin Harvey, knowing they have done quite a bit of vineyard expansion, to see if there might be an opportunity available. Patty and I did make a Hirsch Vineyard bottling in 2002 so I am not unfamiliar with the dynamics of such an adventure.

Kevin graciously offered 10 tons spread over 4 blocks and 2 clones from Bearwallow Vineyard.

Last week I went down to see it. Severely impressed am I. Gorgeous place. Incredible detail to site specific farming.

More information to come!

Very excited.

It will be very cool to see what you make from there. For whatever reason I have been universally unimpressed with the wines from there to date… as you note, I expected a lot given the location, pedigree and attention to detail!

[Nate_Simon]

You are all wrong.
This is the portion of Screaming Eagle that they are leveling to build the helipad.

[Siun_O_Connell]

Congratulations!

[Steve_Costigan]

The prevalence of conifers and dearth of hardwoods keeps me from identifying it with Anderson Vly.

Almost all of Anderson Valley is redwood forests or scrub (or vineyard/orchard).

You almost always see some hardwoods in the mix at least visible except when you get to the far west end.

[R_Frankel]

Jim Anderson this is far more promising than my guess. I’m curious - will you be trucking the grapes up to Oregon for elevage/bottling/etc.?

[P_L_owet]

Is this part of a grand plot to convince the world that Anderson Valley was named after you?

[Jim_Anderson]

@Jim Anderson this is far more promising than my guess. I’m curious - will you be trucking the grapes up to Oregon for elevage/bottling/etc.?

Fruit will be picked in the early part of the night and trucked to Oregon. Should be an 11-12 hour drive. Exactly what we did in 2002.

Any Berserkers out there have a 5 ton enclosed truck and looking for a gig in mid-September?

[Jim_Anderson]

Is this part of a grand plot to convince the world that Anderson Valley was named after you?

Wait? It’s not?

[CJ_Beazley]

So will the label be ‘Jimbo’s Jaunty Juice’ or under the PG brand?

[Jim_Anderson]

We arrived in Sacramento on Monday the 27th and even at 11:00 AM it was nearly 100 degrees. A lengthy drive through Napa and a lunch later we arrived at the vineyard at 4:00 and it was 78. Perfect.

This is a unique place for sure. I don’t think a vineyard this steep with the type of soil and lack of in row material could feasibly exist in Oregon. While it seems high up in the mountains the to of the vineyard is a little over 500 feet. The coastal fog bank is visible from the vineyard but apparently never arrives.

Multiple blocks dot the hillside with a range of planting dates, varieties, clones and intentions for them. It was windy but more like a steady breeze. Dry but not hot. So much so that sulphur sprays are few and far between here and some years just 1 apart is done. Why spray if there is no disease pressure?

The set looks very nice and we were there at the tail end of flowering. We are receiving Dijon 115 and 777 from 4 blocks (2 of each), spanning about 3.5 acres. All vines were planted in 2000.

We had already tasted the 2015-2017 + 2019 vintage Bearwallow bottlings. The 2019 was especially outstanding. Concentrated but still red fruited and exquisitely balanced. A truly beautiful wine. We tasted 2021 iterations out of barrel at the Ukiah based winery. Learned that the 2019 was made there (about an hour from the vineyard) while the other vintages had been done down in SCM property. So, challenges for us but also think that the improvement in the vineyard along with vine age is making a difference.

Anyway, I think this is a great opportunity for us here at PGC to flex a little bit with a property that is clearly unlike anything we deal with up here. This fits our wheelhouse to a tee, checking every box along the way. I said it right in the vineyard and I fervently believe it, “if this isn’t a Patty Green approved endeavor I don’t know WHAT is!”

This should come in before anything we pick in Oregon. Eyes are currently on the 2nd-3rd week of September.

Had a great time staying Geyserville and am really, really sad that The Gun Club (it’s a bar) isn’t part of my life on the regular.

Anyway, I obviously know there are tons of Rhys folks on board here. I feel privileged to be in this universe in my own way now. My expectations for what we produce are sky high. Crew is excited as well. I think we will capture the place and produce a great, honest bottling. Hope folks follow the adventure!

[Jim_Anderson]

So will the label be ‘Jimbo’s Jaunty Juice’ or under the PG brand?

It’s always Patricia Green Cellars. I don’t need my name on any label.

[Tom_DeBiase]

We arrived in Sacramento on Monday the 27th and even at 11:00 AM it was nearly 100 degrees. A lengthy drive through Napa and a lunch later we arrived at the vineyard at 4:00 and it was 78. Perfect.

This is a unique place for sure. I don’t think a vineyard this steep with the type of soil and lack of in row material could feasibly exist in Oregon. While it seems high up in the mountains the to of the vineyard is a little over 500 feet. The coastal fog bank is visible from the vineyard but apparently never arrives.

Multiple blocks dot the hillside with a range of planting dates, varieties, clones and intentions for them. It was windy but more like a steady breeze. Dry but not hot. So much so that sulphur sprays are few and far between here and some years just 1 apart is done. Why spray if there is no disease pressure?

The set looks very nice and we were there at the tail end of flowering. We are receiving Dijon 115 and 777 from 4 blocks (2 of each), spanning about 3.5 acres. All vines were planted in 2000.

We had already tasted the 2015-2017 + 2019 vintage Bearwallow bottlings. The 2019 was especially outstanding. Concentrated but still red fruited and exquisitely balanced. A truly beautiful wine. We tasted 2021 iterations out of barrel at the Ukiah based winery. Learned that the 2019 was made there (about an hour from the vineyard) while the other vintages had been done down in SCM property. So, challenges for us but also think that the improvement in the vineyard along with vine age is making a difference.

Anyway, I think this is a great opportunity for us here at PGC to flex a little bit with a property that is clearly unlike anything we deal with up here. This fits our wheelhouse to a tee, checking every box along the way. I said it right in the vineyard and I fervently believe it, “if this isn’t a Patty Green approved endeavor I don’t know WHAT is!”

This should come in before anything we pick in Oregon. Eyes are currently on the 2nd-3rd week of September.

Had a great time staying Geyserville and am really, really sad that The Gun Club (it’s a bar) isn’t part of my life on the regular.

Anyway, I obviously know there are tons of Rhys folks on board here. I feel privileged to be in this universe in my own way now. My expectations for what we produce are sky high. Crew is excited as well. I think we will capture the place and produce a great, honest bottling. Hope folks follow the adventure!

Good luck Jim with the new venture. The Gun Club is pretty great. The next door restaurant Diavola (same owner) is our favorite restaurant in all of Sonoma County.

Tom

[ChrisJames]

So will the label be ‘Jimbo’s Jaunty Juice’ or under the PG brand?

It’s always Patricia Green Cellars. I don’t need my name on any label.

But it will be Patricia Green Cellars “California Pinot Noir” or “sourced in California, made in Oregon?”

[Dan_Kravitz]

Congrats! Great news. Good of Kevin & Good for Kevin! On the one hand, I always thought of Rhys as something very personal and individual for Kevin. OTOH, I also think of Kevin as a collaborative kind of person. I’m excited, and count me in when you bottle!

Dan Kravitz

[Jim_Anderson]

So will the label be ‘Jimbo’s Jaunty Juice’ or under the PG brand?

It’s always Patricia Green Cellars. I don’t need my name on any label.

But it will be Patricia Green Cellars “California Pinot Noir” or “sourced in California, made in Oregon?”

No different than any other bottling. Same label (or an iteration thereof). Anderson Valley AVA. Bearwallow Vineyard. Produced and bottled by Patricia Green Cellars.

Very simple.

[Mike_Evans]

So with two clones and four blocks, you’ll be making at least 10 different wines, right?

[Scott_Brunson]

Congrats Jim!