Greg La Follette out at La Follette

WINE TALK
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Just got this mailer in email, indicating Ehern Jordan coming into help out. Not a board “darling” but I have enjoyed some of the wines from this brand over the years.

Dear Friends,

For the last nine years the partnership between Wine Creek and myself has seen the creation and growth of my eponymous brand, La Follette Wines. Born from the fertile fields of our long-time greg l annouce 4grower partners, some of whom I have been working with for decades, we have all enjoyed making and sharing delicious wines. As La Follette Wines continues to grow and evolve, the brand is ready for a new phase of development. This includes the appointment of my successor, Ehren Jordan, who will work alongside and assist Simone Sequeira and assume my Consulting Winemaker responsibilities.

Simone has been with La Follette Wines since its inception, and has helped to craft our unique style of site-specific winegrowing. As Associate Winemaker she will continue to elevate the brand as she has been doing since day-one. I have known Ehren for many years, since our days as neighbors on the Sonoma Coast when Ehren was planting his estate vineyard that would become the core of his own winery, Failla, and also making wine for Turley Wine Cellars. Sharing farming implements and ideas in those early years, I have watched him go from strength to strength as a winegrower, and look forward to Ehren’s influence on La Follette Wines, as well as his continued success with Failla.

Most importantly, this transition allows me to focus my time developing my fledgling artisan brand, Alquimista Cellars, with my trusted friend, colleague and co-winemaker Patrick Dillon. I also plan to further my teaching and consulting efforts, including my work with V2 Wine Group, as well as engage in overseas vineyard projects focusing on some very select winegrowing initiatives. Stay tuned.

I would like to thank my friends at Wine Creek and our partners in sales, distribution and especially grape growing for all of the hard work building La Follette Wines together. A brand is much more than just a winemaker or a name – it is a community of partnerships. With cutting-edge winemaking and key partnerships in place, the best is yet to come for La Follette Wines!

Vint with Honor,

2

Last I saw Greg he mentioned tropical mountains and two growth cycles per year. He will always be searching and experimenting on the edge and that is part of what makes him great.

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Just more proof that you shouldn’t name your winery after yourself.

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Got out before KJ came knocking

5

Since it’s a consulting role, I’m hoping that means Ehren’s staying on at Failia. Right?

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It is his winery and I don’t see him going anywhere. Matt has been promoted to GM taking over some of Ehrens responsibilities so I assume he has a little more time on his hands.

7

Just ordered the Alquimista Cellars 2015 “Jessie’s Grove” Lodi Zinfandel on the “Futures” page.

A few months ago, I read a great interview with Mr LaFollette and I really dug some of his thoughts on winemaking. The following day, I saw a LoCa blog post about a collaboration between him and the owner of the Jessie’s Grove Vineyard (Zin. Flame Tokay, Mission, Carignan, Alicante Bouschet,…). I emailed the LaFollette Winery and someone in the administrative support end responded by basically saying that he didn’t know anything about it.

Now I know what the project was.

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Thanks for this!

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Thanks for the info and link, Drew. Here’s a shot of Jessie’s Grove Royal-Tee Vineyard from a 2008 visit there:

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This.
Best, Jim

12

That is a BIG grape vine.

I wonder how old it is?

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I believe the vineyard was originally planted in 1889, and this vine looks like it’s probably from that original planting.

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The Jessie’s Grove website is still up, but no wines appear for sale…not even on Wine-Searcher…

…any ideas?

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Possible that they sell everything through their tasting room and wine club, Drew.

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Well it looks like a “Bonsai” of vinifera which has been growing in a Shinto temple for about 400 years.

I wonder if the vineyard owners give names to the great old vines like this one?

The way they give names to the larger Sequoia trees?

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Jessie is a friend
Yeah, I know he’s been a good friend of mine
But lately something’s changed that ain’t hard to define
Jessie’s got himself a wine and I want to make it mine

You know, I wish that I had Jessie’s wine
I wish that I had Jessie’s wine
Where can I find a Zin like that
Like Jesse’s wine

18

x2 on this.

I wish him the best I got to work with him for a very short period of time when he was still helping Londer and I was just starting there. He was their founding winemaker at the facility he opened in Sebastopol. He’s a wealth of knowledge and passion for wine making and grape growing. I wish him the best in his new adventures tropical or otherwise.

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I once found an incredible interview with him on some blog. I have not been able to find it again. He is apparently a behind-the-curtain kinda guy, so that in-depth interview was priceless. I feel like I learned a lot by reading it.

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Sadly, I knew where you were going with this within the first two lines. [cheers.gif]