Oh John, picking that four tons out of the Roederer block was one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done! Those guys often pop in while we’re picking their stuff to see if the tonnage is meeting projections. If they had driven in while i was loading your truck…it could have been a nightmare!
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Casey. I knew I was risking your job. I can’t tell you how greatful and thrilling it was to be sneaking that fruit out before day break! I love that kind of adrenaline! And the fact that it was made by the queen winemaker Penny Caster. It was a life defining moment for me! 
It’s the greatest story ever!
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Happy you are still open (order in)…had been thinking all year about not ordering something from the Marier Vineyard last year. Seriously that’s one of the coolest vineyard sites (from picture) I’ve seen. Just breathtaking.
Can I come help pick and to the post picking party…those folks look like my kind of fun (25 years ago 
). 55 degrees I think my knees can still do it! Wow.
Also got another 16 Sparkling to replace the one we opened last weekend. Thought it was in fine form, I’d love to have a bottle to open once a year for 20 years…
Now for more of that Roederer story….
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Oh yeah . Picking marier is dangerous business.We call it “extreme viticulture”. I twisted my ankle bad this last year but 600 mg of ibuprofen kept me in the game. Then I got shingles🤦 on my face! We made five passes over the Zin at Marier this last year to get just the ripest clusters each time. It was a brutal year, but I’m extremely happy with the payoff.
You’re welcome anytime Robert. We can just put a beer in your hand while you watch us kill ourselves falling down the hill, struggling to get each bucket out of those crazy slopes.
As to the Roederer story. Casey said. “John… I know you’ve always wanted to make top notch sparkling. I can cream you off a couple/few tons from arguably the best block of old vine Chard in Anderson Valley”. It’s a dry farmed block of Wente clone Chard that exclusively goes to Roederer for their LErmitage luxury bottling(Casey. Please correct me if I’m getting any of this wrong). He said. “When their winemaker says it’s time to pick, you have to get your ass down here and spend the night on the property, so I can get you picked and out by sunrise, before they show up, as I could lose my job for this”. I jumped at the opportunity and contacted Penny Caster. She’s the former winemaker from J wine company and arguably one of the most respected and finest sparking winemakers in Ca. She said she’d be honored to make wine from such a hollowed site. I told her I wanted the purest, dry style that showcased the inherent quality of that special block of Chard. She smiled and agreed, that’s how she’d do it as well. I knew it was a great match. It spent 6-8 years on the lees to add complexity and richness.
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Are you saying these are the “Cristal” grapes 
Cali Cristal! I love it.
At least I can’t lose my job over this now!
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Yes… you get to focus on hunting and making Lynn and Peewee happy! Well deserved my friend.
Can I say what a pleasure it’s been to buy fruit from Casey all these years? I show up before daybreak, his cute little dog, Peewee comes running up for a petting and to say hi. Then we go out to the block that we’re picking. He gives the mostly hispanic crew a motivational talk. Caseys Spanish is better than mine. Ha. It’s impressive. Then I get on the back of the tractor trailer to pick leaves out of my bins as the fruit gets loaded. The crew is literally throwing fruit over my head, some hitting me in the back of my head. They laugh and call me, “el pollito”. It’s the name of the person who picks the leaves out of the bin as the buckets are dumped in. You’re literally “pecking” the leaves out… hence the term “chicken”. There’s a latin woman calling out the number of each person who dumps a bucket, as each picker gets paid by the bucket. There’s always those pickers that are picking so fast that their bucket is half leaves . I yell…“que pasa con ese ensalada? Hay mas hoja que uva!” This means… What’s up with the salad? There’s more leaves than fruit! They laugh and hit me in the head with more fruit. I love the energy and banter! I miss those days
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Decided I couldn’t miss out on trying these. In for 6 bottles of Cali Cristal 
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You won’t regret it Andrew
As they say …
Check is in the mail
Great. Thanks Robert!
As a person who grew up and still involved with an Ag operation, these stories are why I love wine. It’s about the people and stories. The beef, deer, pheasant, grouse and wine make great things for consumption; but the people and stories are what you long remember after the meal or glass of wine.
Snaking the big guns for a few tons of grapes to make great wine is a great story and adds to the intrigue.
It’s the same raising beef and trying to outsmart Tyson or JBS, it’s why people need to support Morgan Ranch. They do it the right way.
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it’s a great story, but doesn’t explain how you wound up with two vintages? Are they both from the same source? Assuming you are speaking about the 2014, how did the 2016 come to be?
So. The 14 and 16 are from the exact same block, 100% Wente clone. Both were made in the exact same way. I didn’t get any fruit in 15 because the crop was smaller so Casey didn’t feel comfortable selling me any. He messaged me after 16 and said he was nervous about going forward. I was fine with it, as this was an insanely expensive project and I couldn’t exactly take a third mortgage on my house😉
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How much of these do you have left? Do you sell them aside from Berserkerdays? Very excited to try one. Don’t want to have my heart broken if I love it.
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I made 200 cases of the 2016 and 150 cases of the 2014. I’m selling them to Berserkers/ DTC only. My girlfriend gets some for her wine bar but that’s about it for wholesale.
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Yes sir. It’s been wildly successful after five years. 
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