Santa Clara & San Benito Wine Heritage

Drew_Goin · April 12, 2018, 4:57pm

Although the following piece focuses on the Italian varieties produced by Harrington Wines from vineyards across the state of California, my focus will remain on wines from Santa Clara/San Benito Counties.

Enoteca Marcella blog
“Harrington Wines: Teroldego, Lagrein, Marzemino, Montepulciano, Charbono, Nebbiolo”
August 31, 2014

"First off, let’s back up and ask why the heck are we at a winery in the middle of the city?

"…It actually makes a good deal of sense for Harrington to be located where it is, given that his grapes come from vineyards situated within a radius of about 100-200 miles in all directions (except west because that would be overly bizarre). There is Carignane from Mendocino, Marzemino from Lodi, Fiano from Santa Clara Valley, Lagrein and Nebbiolo from Paso Robles. The list goes on.

"…Stepping back to the Fiano

"Ooops! We forgot to try any whites. I happened to mention my upcoming trip to Campania so we went backwards for a minute to try his Fiano. His Fiano comes from the ‘Fratelli Vineyard’ on Hecker Pass Road in Gilroy. When he told me this, I knew it must be coming from Solis Winery, whose Fiano I’ve had many times before, and he said I was right. But 2013 was the last vintage. They ripped out the vineyard a few months ago in lieu of other non-wine-related projects.

"Very, very sad for many of us.

"The Fiano was planted in a part of the vineyard that is closer to Uvas Creek and therefore richer in river stone. The stones gave a nice mineral quality to the Fiano.

“Fiano, ‘Fratelli Vineyard’ 2012, Santa Clara Valley: Almonds, tropical fruit, and a faint notion of tannins; smooth but dry. A little heavy in the middle but still bright at the end.”

"Fiano, ‘Fratelli Vineyard’ 2013, Santa Clara Valley: Nutty, floral, leesy. Bright and clear on the palate and less fruity than the previous vintage. ★★

"A special treat: Trousseau

"‘Want to try the Trousseau? It’s not Italian,’ Bryan asks.

"'Heck yeah! I’d love to try the ‘True-so!’ (‘The what,’ I ask myself, searching the archives of my brain for any knowledge of this grape?).

"Trousseau is a rare dark-skinned grape from the Jura—it’s even rare there! And upon experiencing the Harrington Trousseau wine, I was immediately taken back to the mountains of Valle d’Aosta and remembered the wines made from grapes like Furmint and Cornalin. Those grapes produce dark red wines with pronounced black and red fruit, but also an herbal character, reminiscent of juniper, and the grip of minerals—altogether, the makings of a ‘mountain wine.’ So while Trousseau isn’t technically Italian, if you look at a map, you can see that the Jura is not really so far from Valle d’Aosta and I bet this grape is related somehow to the Aostan grapes.

"The Harrington Trousseau comes from the ‘Siletto Vineyard’, which is the spot of the old Almaden Winery’s experimental vineyards. The former president hung on to the spot and still maintains the vines. (Well Thank You, Sir!)

"Trousseau ‘Siletto Vineyard’ 2013, Cienega Valley: Black pepper, juniper, rose, licorice, a touch syrupy, black fruits, and strong tannins. ★★☆

"…Teroldego

"This bad boy comes from Trentino too. But Bryan’s came from the ‘Fratelli Vineyard’ (same place as the Fiano, above). Although they tore this one out with the rest of it.

“Teroldego ‘Fratelli Vineyard’ 2013, Santa Clara Valley: Black fruit with scents of ash and moss; bold on the palate, a bit hot but the spice element helps to carry it up. Probably needs some age.” ★

“…Harrington also makes Charbono, Grenache, Pinot noir, … the list goes on. And I haven’t yet even mentioned his ‘Terrane’ series, in which he uses oligomeric proanthocyanidins as a natural preservative in place of sulfur. You can find out more about this project on his website. I came across his ‘Terrane’ ‘Ben Lomond Mountain’ Chardonnay a couple of months ago at Vino Cruz in Santa Cruz. It’s an engaging wine; it tastes sincerely and tenderly expressive of Chardonnay.”

“* I first learned of Harrington Wines about a year ago at the Nebbiolo Festival in Paso Robles. One of Bryan’s trusted cellar helpers, Ken Zinns, was pouring a few different vintages of his Nebbiolo. Our mutual enthusiasm for the grape and other esoteric grapes revealed itself shortly. Over the course of the past year (thank you, social media), I learned that Harrington was making a lot more than Nebbiolo.”

Harrington Wines website:
http://www.harringtonwine.com

Ian_Brand · April 12, 2018, 9:00pm

Yeah, that kid sounds like some kinda punk.

Drew_Goin · April 13, 2018, 7:09am

I mean, look at that beard! Just look at it!
Dang hippie…

The Salinas Californian
“Under the Dome Live!: MoCo Wine Scene with Winemaker Ian Brand”
August 9, 2014

Video Caption: “Dome Live! Host Jeff Mitchell interviews Ian Brand, winemaker, Le P’tit Paysan and Kim Stemler, Executive Director, Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association The Californian.com, and Armstrong Productions, Ellen Wrona, producer.”

From May of the same year, the publication featured Mr Brand in the following article:

The Salinas Californian
“Ian Brand Begins Making Wine in Monterey County”
by Laura Ness for Off 68
May 17, 2014

"…For a guy named Brand, he’s certainly made plentiful use of his fertile imagination, and the names he’s cranked out so far exhibit his wonky, tongue in cheek sense of humor that never misses a beat or someone to beat up on: in a nice way, mostly.

"Named by Wine Enthusiast Magazine to its ‘40 Under 40: American Tastemakers’ in 2012, he’s among an elite list of rapidly rising stars in the wine world. He presently makes wines for 12 different labels, including three of his own, among them, the cheeky ‘Le P’Tit Paysan,’ which sports a portly French gent talking to a rooster. He admits it’s an elbow in the ribcage tweak at the pleasantly farming roots of many of his Monterey compadres.

"Yet, as a discriminating winemaker, he’s a farmer’s best friend, if that farmer happens to be a grape grower who wants to learn a thing or two, in exchange for some mighty nice wine, and a potentially significant increase in grape value down the line. His constant quest is to find hidden vineyard gems off the beaten path.

"…Secrets In The Barrels

"Brand’s most interesting wines lie ahead of him, though. Barrel tasting through a hefty number of 2013’s and a smattering of 2012’s, leave you with the distinct impression that he’s out to whip every vineyard into the shape it was almost meant to be. He’s like a personal trainer for grapevines. And he’s always looking for the hidden microclimates, seeking the ideal spot for varieties like tempranillo and sangiovese, which he says do not belong in the San Antonio Valley. He’d like to see them planted in Arroyo Seco, along with graciano and mourvedre.

“Brand’s proclivity for driving unpaved roads in search of gems seems to have hit pay dirt. Promising nascent wines include the 2013 La Marea grenache, from the Spurr (sic) Ranch vineyard in the Gavilans, pure strawberry and cherry candy, with juicy watermelon and a texturally perfect mouthfeel. Also lovely is the old vine grenache from the Besson Vineyard in Santa Clara, and the 2012 sangiovese from Mesa del Sol, bursting with dark cherry, ginger, savory sausage, coffee and tobacco.”

Drew_Goin · April 13, 2018, 4:58pm

Wine Spectator
“Exploring Wine with Tim Fish” blog
“Winemaking on the Edge: With his labels Le P’tit Paysan and La Marea, Ian Brand is blazing his own trail on California’s Central Coast”
by Tim Fish
April 15, 2015

"…Brand is doing interesting work with two different labels: Le P’tit Paysan and La Marea.

"Le P’tit Paysan focuses on the grapes of France and value, for example the Le P’tit Pape San Benito County 2012 ($22), a Rhône red blend that impressively mixes Old World and New. The label also has one of the best dry rosés in California, Le P’tit Pape Mourvèdre San Benito County Rosé Pierre’s Pirouette. The 2013 was outstanding and the 2014 is just out.

"La Marea takes its inspiration from the Spanish heritage of Monterey with wines like the Grenache San Benito County Spur Ranch 2012 ($30), which is light on its feet and has notes of raspberry and smoky herb.

"…Today, Brand has settled down. His wife, Heather, who has winemaking experience of her own, works with Brand, and the couple has 3-year-old twins. Brand focuses on his two labels, a few consulting jobs and a custom-crush business that shares his facility.

"Overall, the facility produces 16,000 cases a year and about a third of that is Le P’tit Paysan and La Marea. In all, Brand works with 64 different grape varieties, many of which fall into what he calls the ‘What the hell is that?’ category.

Brand admits he’s drawn to idiosyncratic grapes and what he describes as ‘great vineyards at the edge of sensible farming,’ remote sites with meager soils, lots of sunlight and coastal breezes. His vineyard sources are mostly obscure locations in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties south of San Francisco.

“‘We saw this opportunity here to tell the stories and make wines that suit the place and the people,’ Brand said in typical philosophical fashion.”

As the above blog entry mentions, Ian Brand works with several vineyards within the San Benito County area.

According to the website for his three labels:

"In our growing sites we look for shallow, rocky soils, good site selection and proper varietal match with the soil and climate. The often overlooked greater Monterey Bay Area has a plethora of underappreciated, rocky vineyards. Here are a few we love:

• SPUR RANCH, SAN BENITO VALLEY-
(Mourvèdre, Grenache)

“Spur Ranch is an 11,000 acre cattle, vineyard and walnut ranch in and around the Topo Valley in the southern Gabilan Mountains. Our portion of the vineyard is situated on a 1000-foot elevation, fifteen degree south facing slope on the south side of Chalone Peak. The soils are high-calcareous content clay over the same mica shist substrate that dominates the Chalone appellation.”

• PIERCE RANCH, SAN ANTONIO VALLEY

• CEDAR LANE VINEYARD, AROYO SECO

• LA BELLE ROSE VINEYARD, MONTEREY

While these are just some of the sources of fruit for the various wines, consider the additional sites that the I.Brand & Family, Le P’Tit Paysan, and La Marea wines highlight:

• BATES RANCH, Santa Cruz Mountains- (Cabernet Franc)

“Located in the southeastern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Bates Ranch Cabernet Franc was planted in 1978 in red Franciscan series, volcanic influenced sedimentary rocks.”

• BAYLY RANCH, Paicines, San Benito County-
(Cabernet Franc)

“Sourced from a south facing sloped bench over the Tres Pinos Creek and the San Andreas Fault. Soils re rocky alluvial deposits with a melange of geologic formations around the fault zone.”

• ENZ VINEYARD, Lime Kiln Valley, San Benito County-
(Old Vine Mourvèdre)

“Planted in 1922 on a north facing slope on heavily granitic loam, with seams of limestone and dolomite visible from the vineyard. Bud wood was sourced from the original 1860’s planting in the Lime Kiln Valley.”

• MONTE BELLO ROAD, Santa Cruz Mountains-
(Cabernet Sauvignon)

“Located on the crest of Monte Bello at over 2000 feet elevations looking east over the Lehigh Permanente rock quarry and San Francisco Bay, these vines are rooted in the red Franciscan series soils with limestone substrate.”

• BESSON VINEYARD, Santa Clara Valley-
(Grenache)

LPP “Wines” page

Ian_Brand · April 13, 2018, 7:18pm

Gotta stay busy.

Drew_Goin · April 21, 2018, 3:51pm

… because raising a family is never too much work?

Drew_Goin · April 21, 2018, 6:06pm

I don’t think that I covered this large piece of news from last year. Ken Volk’s story is worthy of it’s own thread (which may very well exist).

Central Coast Wine Press
“Central Coast Winemaking Pioneer Ken Volk Retires and Lists Winery for Sale”
May 9, 2017

"After four decades of winegrowing on the Central Coast, industry legend Ken Volk has announced his retirement and put his winery and brand up for sale, according to a news release Monday in [u]Wine Business[/u].

"…Long dedicated to the Central Coast wine growing region, Volk has been instrumental in putting the region on the world’s viticulture map, and bringing international awareness to the unique grape growing climates hidden within Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey and San Benito Counties.

"A wine and viticulture education advocate, Volk also helped fund the pilot winery at his alma mater, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and served as the Chairman of the Industry Advisory Council for 10 years.

"He has trained and mentored countless successful winemakers and industry professionals over the past four decades.

“Of his retirement, Volk said: 'It’s really two-fold. After suffering a stroke three years ago, I continue to face some on-going challenges with my health that prevent me from going to the winery on a daily basis.

“‘Additionally, like many of my colleagues who started family-owned wineries, my children have their own successful careers outside of this industry. I look forward to seeing a buyer take the brand to the next level.’”

Volk Wines website’s biography on Ken Volk

"…Ken’s first professional winemaking experience was at nearby Edna Valley Vineyard, working ‘the crush’, as harvest is known in the winegrape industry. The following year he convinced his family to back his plans for developing a vineyard. He searched the Central Coast for an ideal location, looking as far south as Santa Barbara and as far north as Santa Cruz. ‘At the time, this part of the world was not taken seriously for fine wine production,’ recalled Ken. ‘But looking at some of the wines being produced at Chalone, Edna Valley Vineyard and Estrella River Winery (now Meridian Vineyards), I knew that wines from the Central Coast could compete with wines from any California region or anywhere else in the world.’

"In 1981, Ken and the Volk family established Wild Horse Vineyard and constructed Wild Horse Winery. Over the next twenty-two years, production grew from 600 to 150,000 cases.

“In 2003, he sold Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards to Peak Wines International, a division of Jim Beam Brands Worldwide. In December of 2004, Ken purchased the ‘Original’ Byron Winery facility from the Robert Mondavi Corporation and renamed the property Kenneth Volk Vineyards. In 2006 the first wines were released.”

While Kenneth Volk Vineyards’ website stresses the winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and such, I have been intrigued by its pioneering work with more unique varieties and areas of California.

Kenneth Volk website: “Heirloom Varieties”

"Underappreciated Rarities:

"Almost every grape variety could be considered an ‘heirloom’, as most have been around for over a millennium. At Kenneth Volk Vineyards, however, we’re using the ‘rarity’ definition rather than the ‘antique’ one, to categorize rare varieties which we feel make remarkable wine (Malvasia, Trousseau, Negrette, etc.).

"The popularity of the noble varieties (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Reisling, Sauvignon Blanc) is understandable, as they have the track record of producing great wines in locations other than their championed homelands. The reality is that there are well over a thousand selections of Vitis Vinifera used for regional wine production in the old world.

"Some of these varieties make interesting and memorable wines in isolated areas, but have lacked the promotion of the mass-marketed noble varieties to make it into the consciousness of the average wine drinker. Most of these heirloom rarities are considered ‘hand sell’ marketing burdens in most channels of wine distribution; the mass consolidation of wine distributors and retailers has made it at best a novelty niche market.

"…We take an advocacy position on these varieties, as they could face extinction if the market forces stay on the current path. It’s a challenge, but it’s fun and educational for us. In some ways, it’s sort of like cross-training, and gives us insight into making better wines in general.

“What can you expect in the future in heirloom varietals? How about Malvasia, Mourvedre, Negrette and Tempranillo for starters?”

[u]Kenneth Volk Wines Currently Available from San Benito County[/u]:

• 2011 & '12 Cabernet Pfeffer, San Benito
• 2012 & '13 Negrette, Calleri Vineyard, San Benito County
• NV “Old Vine White”, Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley
• 2011 Tempranillo, San Benito County
• 2012 Zinfandel, Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley
• 2012 Mourvedre, Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley (750ml’s & Magnums for sale)
• 2014 Garnacha Blanca, San Benito County
• 2012 & '13 Grenache Noir, Rio San Benito Vineyard
• 2011 & '12 Pinot Noir, Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley

The Mourvèdre from Kenneth Volk Vineyards has been the most talked-about bottling from this pioneering producer by far. The retirement of Mr Volk and the recent boom in popularity of Enz Vineyard fruit may make the 2012 vintage the last from this brand.

VolkWines.com “San Benito County” page:
monterey_sanbenito_avas (1).jpg
Excellent Quality Copy of the Above Map of Monterey & San Benito AVA’s

Drew_Goin · April 23, 2018, 6:32am

Benito Link
“Alba Coast Winery is Dawning a New Name in Paicines”
by Blaire Strohn
February 14, 2018

"Last year Delicato Family Vineyards completed an acquisition of the Blossom Hill Winery from Treasury Wine Estates. The winery, now called ‘Alba Coast Winery’, provides Delicato with an additional four million cases of growth capacity.

"The name Alba means ‘dawn’ or ‘sunrise’ in Italian and reflects a new dawn for the pioneering winery, which was established during the Central Coast wine and vineyard development.

"…Donald Wirz, Facility Winemaker at Alba Coast Winery, previously worked at the facility over the past six years joined Delicato in September to help transition them into the new facility and begin storing wine. Delicato has no immediate plans to add additional employees at this time.

"According to CEO Indelicato, no new wine brands will come from the winery, but the company will use the additional capacity to grow Delicato’s premium and ultra-premium wines from the Monterey and Central Coast region such as Noble Vines, Gnarly Head, Z. Alexander Brown, Diora, and Irony.

“Delicato Family Vineyards is family-owned company founded in 1924. Four generations of the Indelicato family have managed vineyard operations and winemaking at their California properties.”

Another Link on the Story:

Wines and Vines
“Large Private Wineries Continue Acquisitions: 2017 off to promising start as brands, vineyards and production facilities change hands”
by Paul Franson
April 17, 2017

Drew_Goin · April 23, 2018, 8:51pm

Late last night, I performed my 100th YouTube video search for anything related to the wines, vineyards, or producers from the Santa Clara/San Benito area. Needless to say, my expectations were not very high…

BOOM!! I was rewarded with several short vineyard overviews provided by fellow Wine Berserker and winemaker Mr Ian Brand (Le P’Tit Paysan, La Marea, I.Brand & Family):

“Ian Brand in the Historic Enz Vineyard”

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Drew_Goin · April 23, 2018, 9:12pm

“Ian Brand Fondles Grenache in the Besson Vineyard”

Sean_Devaney · April 24, 2018, 12:25am

I was able to attend the Historic Vineyard Society tasting in SF last Saturday. My favorite wine of the day was Ian’s Mourvedre from the Enz Vineyard followed by Sandlands Mataro from Enz.

Also really nice were Stirm Riesling Enz Vnyd and Precedent Riesling.

Drew_Goin · April 24, 2018, 9:57pm

Thanks, Sean!!!

I think that the inclusion of other varieties in the 2018 Historic Vineyard Society’s tasting was a very good idea.

First, there are some regions of California whose old-vine plantings deserve increased awareness, but the HVS events’ prior focus on Zin might have unintentionally led to a degree of competition that obscured sites located far from Sonoma and Napa. Plus, it has to be noted that there already is a Zinfandel Advocates & Producers…

Second, the adding of other red and white grape varieties allows for ancient vineyards whose strengths feature non-Zin varieties to allow their stars to shine.

Ken_Zinns · April 24, 2018, 10:28pm

I think that non-Sonoma and Napa old vines are currently under-represented with HVS. But I did get the feeling that they are aware of this and hopefully they will be reaching out to include old vineyards in other parts of California more than they have to date.

San Benito and Santa Clara were decently represented at the tasting though, with wines from Besson Vineyard (from I. Brand & Family and Birichino), Enz Vineyard (from I. Brand & Family and Sandlands), Wirz Vineyard (Precedent and Stirm), and a couple of unnamed vineyards in Cienega Valley and Lime Kiln Valley (Stirm).

Drew_Goin · April 25, 2018, 12:37am

Thanks for your input, Ken!!! As someone who has actually attended these events, you ought to know!

BTW, if STiRM offers a San Benito County or its Cienega Valley wine, it’ll be from the two vineyards.

Ken_Zinns · April 25, 2018, 1:20am

I thought that might be the case, although the two wines (Zinfandel and Cabernet Pfeffer) were not vineyard designated.

Drew_Goin · April 25, 2018, 4:47am

An older article on the sale of vineyard acreage by Donati Family to Pinnacle Vineyards LLC. Part of the property was once a section of the old Almaden Vineyard, and this article also has a bit of information about the Paicines region of San Benito County.

Wines & Vines
“Central Coast Vineyard Changes Hands”
by Paul Franson
August 16, 2011

"Doug Circle, principal of Pinnacle Vineyards LLC, has bought 444 acres of the 1,024-acre Donati Family Vineyard in the Paicines American Viticultural Area. Situated in San Benito County in California’s Central Coast region, the vineyard is 27 miles east of Monterey Bay over the Gabilán mountain range John Steinbeck made famous in East of Eden.

"Circle is a diversified ag businessman who has been expanding into winegrapes. …The Paicines deal doesn’t include a brand or winery, which remain under the ownership of 7,000-case Donati Family Vineyard.

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"…Zepponi & Co., Santa Rosa, Calif., served as exclusive financial advisor on the sale. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Mario Zepponi said the family didn’t need to sell. ‘The family is selling excess land. They’re focusing on their own brand and have far more vineyards than they need.’ He added, ‘This transaction is good for the industry. It was not a distress sale, but a healthy commercial sale.’

"The Donati family will keep 580 acres, including 47 acres of vineyard plus an estate residence. They plan to develop additional acreage in 2012 to continue the Donati Family Vineyard brand.

"…The vineyard was once part of a large Almadén Vineyards property and adjoins a former Almadén facility now used by Diageo primarily to produce Blossom Hill wines. It sits in a valley 10 miles south of Hollister. It was abandoned as a bulk-brand growing region for lower cost areas, but is now being reclaimed as a source for high-end grapes. Most of the Donati vines were planted since 2000…

"Paicines AVA

"The Paicines appellation is about 17 miles north of Pinnacles National Monument and Park; it consists of about 4,500 acres devoted to grapegrowing. On the western side are the Cienega Vineyards and the Gabilán Mountain range that separates Paicines from San Lucas and King City.

"The San Luis Dam and New Idria and the Panoche Valley are on the eastern edge. The San Benito River forms a portion of the western boundary and continues on through the vineyards.

"The Paicines area is in a wind tunnel of cool ocean air flowing to the San Joaquin Valley. Because of the relative lack of trees adjacent to the vineyard areas, the Paicines area is open to the direct influence of these winds. In the afternoon, Paicines takes advantage of a slight cooling breeze that flows in from the Monterey Valley.

"At night, Paicines is more protected from the evening fog than much of the surrounding area, because of its open location. However, during periods of extremely heavy fog, the Paicines area holds the fog longer than much of the nearby area, including Cienega Valley.

"Elevation ranges from 500 to 1,200 feet above sea level. The average elevation is lower than much of the surrounding area closer to the Gabiláns. The rainfall pattern in the Paicines area differs greatly from that of the Gabiláns: Annual rainfall in the Paicines area is between 12 and 15 inches.

“The 10-year average temperature is around 2,750 growing-degree days, a cool Region II.”

“…Donati Family Vineyard is the only brand located in the Paicines appellation, although there are five other vineyards growing primarily Bordeaux varieties. Neighboring appellations are home to Calera Wine Co. (30,000 cases), Chalone Vineyard (40,000 cases), Leal Estate Vineyards (10,000 cases), Pietra Santa (40,000 cases) and DeRose Winery (4,000 cases).”

Drew_Goin · April 25, 2018, 8:47pm

Ian Brand covers the Bayly Ranch, which is filled with “really fun rocks” as well as a significant diurnal swing that apparently produces some high-quality Cabernet Franc:

“Ian Brand in the Bayly Ranch”

Additional information on the web about this newer vineyard:

• Vimeo.com “Coastal Aerial Media” Real Estate Video Tour of the Property (pre-vineyard?):

"The Bayly Ranch is located in San Benito County approximately 14 miles south of Hollister along Highway 25 and Panoche Road. It is just over an hour drive to Monterey, Carmel, and San Jose. It is also just a 20 minute drive to Pinnacles National Park.

“The ranch is composed of gently sloping to rolling hills, flat open grassland, and oak studded areas. The ranch is currently used for cattle but is surrounded by vineyards and would make an excellent vineyard property. The property has 2 large irrigation wells and 2 smaller wells. The owners will consider selling parts of the ranch separately.”

• Land&Farm.com Profile of “Panoche Road Parcel #2 - Bayly Ranch” (pre-vineyard?)

• FarmRanch.org site’s Profile of the Bayly Ranch:

“Bayly Ranch, Ranche in 15029 Airline Hwy, Paicines, California 95043”

• I.Brand & Family “Bayly Ranch” Cabernet Franc:

“Sourced from a south facing sloped bench over the Tres Pinos Creek and the San Andreas Fault. Soils re rocky alluvial deposits with a melange of geologic formations around the fault zone. Picked at moderate sugars and vinified whole berry with an 18 day maceration, aged 11months in 6 neutral barrels. 311 cases made”

Drew_Goin · April 26, 2018, 9:38pm

San Benito County’s DeRose Vineyards in the Cienega Valley straddles the volatile San Andreas Fault. The estate’s ancient plantings originally were part of the old Almaden vineyards:

Bloomberg YouTube video
“Tour the Vineyard Watered by Daily Earthquakes”
May 14, 2014

Wall Street Journal
“Shaken or Stirred, This Winery Is a Big Hit With Seismologists”
by Tamara Audi
November 28, 2009

"Pat DeRose and his son, Alphonse, spent two decades crafting intensely flavored wines from rare, century-old vines. Finally, they have achieved cult status – for their drainage ditch.

“DeRose Vineyards has become a must-see for geologists, seismologists and science buffs. They come for the San Andreas Fault, which cuts a clear path through the winery’s main building. One side of the structure sits on the Pacific plate, the other on the North American. The fault is moving slowly, and tearing apart the building…”

You are going to need a subscription to the WSJ to read the rest.

[u]WSJ VIDEO[/u]: “Would You Like Some Earthquake with Your Wine?”

DeRose Vineyards website:
“About Us - Vineyards”

"DeRose has 100 acres of vineyards including 40 planted before 1900. All of the old vines are dry-farmed in deep sandy-loam soils on terraced hillsides. Situated directly above the San Andreas Fault, they lie in one of the world’s most active earthquake areas.

“Both sides of the infamous fault are under cultivation. Soils east of the fault line contain fragmented granite and crumbled sandstone, while those west of the fissure are mostly granite and limestone. Relatively young in geologic time, these soils contain very little clay and are absent of unwanted hardpan layers, promoting thorough drainage. They are a wonderful medium for growing ripe, well-balanced grapes.”

"Principal Grape Varieties

"Zinfandel
The 15 acres of Zinfandel vines were originally planted on their own roots in the late 1890s. They grow in an assortment of soil types including a rocky mixture created by the San Andreas Fault and a fine sandy-loam that contains fist-size chunks of dolomite. This brilliant white mineral is mostly calcium, an essential element found in all great vineyards. Head trained and spur pruned, the dry-farmed vines yield only three-quarters of a ton per acre.

"Négrette*
DeRose has a handful of ‘old-vine’ varieties, but none is more exotic than the 115-year-old Négrette. These vines are even rare in their native land of France where records show less than 100 acres planted in the Toulouse region on the Garonne River. Adding to the mystique, the variety was called Pinot St. George until the BATF changed its name effective with the 1997 vintage. Ten acres of Négrette are planted in gray clay-loam soils that contain large chunks of dolomite. The dry-farmed vines, head trained and spur pruned, grow on their own roots and yield about one-half tons per acre.

"Viognier
The three acres of Viognier were planted before 1900.** These ancient vines are dry-farmed in deep sandy-loam soils on terraced hillsides. Now on bilateral trellising, they produce wines with enormous concentration and viscosity. Annual yields are less than two tons per acre.

“Cabernet Franc
A temperamental grape variety in many locations, cabernet franc thrives on the DeRose estate, creating heavily extracted wines with wonderful viscosity. The 15-year-old vines grow east of the fault line in loosely packed loam where the drainage is excellent. Trained on bilateral trellising, the six acres of Cabernet Franc average 3.5 tons per acre.”

\

from Foundation Plant Service website
“Grape Book” variety profiles: “The Pinots”

“…The Pinot de St. George grown in California in those early days was considered to be a Pinot noir clone, with smaller bunches and looser clusters. It was thought the name arose from importation from the ‘St. Georges Vineyard’ in Burgundy. The variety was known as Pinot St. George until some of the vine material was eventually revealed in 1997 to be the French grape Négrette.”

** The Viognier was grafted onto existing old rootstock. The implication that the fruit-bearing portion of the estate’s Viognier vines is over 100-year-old is a little misleading (as mentioned previously in this thread).

DeRose Vineyards website:

Drew_Goin · April 28, 2018, 5:26am

The mystery of the grape variety known as Cabernet Pfeffer has been addressed previously in this thread. Nevertheless, I have compiled a bit of info on the issue here.

I also have taken this opportunity to mention another rare grape cultivar, Négrette.

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Mercury News
“Grape Tales: Cabernet Pfeffer”
by Mary Orlin
January 22, 2015

"I first heard of Pfeffer (pronounced FEH-fir) at Livermore’s 3 Steves Winery, when I tried their ‘Three Cabs’ blend last year. ‘We’ll jump into a red that might be fun to try,’ said Steve Burman (yes, he’s one of the three Steves). ‘Three Cabs has a rare grape in it called Cabernet Pfeffer from Hollister.’ Burman says the blend is mostly Pfeffer, with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

"Pfeffer adds floral notes and red fruit, plus lots of pepper spice, hence the name. Pfeffer is the German word for pepper. Pfeffer doesn’t have the big tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon. I’d call it more feminine to the masculine Cab Sauvignon.

"…Nicole Walsh, the director of vineyard and winery operations for Bonny Doon, believes there are just 10 acres of Pfeffer in California. As it turns out, there’s a Pfeffer enclave in the Cienega Valley, near Hollister in San Benito County. Burman sources his Pfeffer grapes from one of the plantings in the area, Al DeRose’s vineyards, where 4 acres of Pfeffer was planted between 1865 and 1905. DeRose makes 250 cases of Pfeffer and also puts it into his ‘Continental Cabernet’ blend (95 perfect pfeffer). He calls it ‘one of the unknown grapes.’

"The facts surrounding the origin of Pfeffer are a bit conflicting. It was thought to be a cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Trousseau. Walsh had vines from the ‘Wirz Vineyard’ analyzed by Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis for DNA identification, which found that the Pfeffer vines she submitted are actually Mourtaou, an obscure French variety. The lab report states that Cabernet Pfeffer is used as ‘a synonym’ for both Mourtaou and Gros Verdot, another French variety, in the state of California, but there is no relation to Cabernet Sauvignon.

"…It was Ruthe Roberts, owner of Saratoga’s Ruthe Roberts Wine Collective, who turned me on to the Cab Pfeffer made by Bonny Doon’s Walsh under her own label, Ser. The grapes came from Pat Wirz’s ‘Wirz Vineyard’, where the vines are more than 90 years old, also in the Cienega Valley - and it was love at first sip.

“‘I didn’t have any great expectations,’ Walsh says. ‘I found interesting floral notes - violets especially - pepper, subtle spice, cranberry, tobacco. I love the delicate quality of the wine, yet it has a beautiful subtle structure (and) tannins that allow it to pair well with red meat, most notably lamb.’"

Cabernet Pfeffer is cultivated by the DeRose family and by Mr Pat Wirz. According to the following article, however, only the DeRose property also includes Négrette vines.

Benito Link
“Magazine Calls San Benito County ‘The Area’s Best Kept Wine Secret’”
June 19, 2015

"…On the heritage side of things you have DeRose Vineyards, which occupies a site established by French immigrant Theophile Vaché in the 1850s, making its vines some of the oldest in the state.

"The winery has changed hands several times and, for a spell, its vineyards - like others in much of the county - were almost the exclusive domain of former wine industry giant Almaden.

“‘There’s a lot of great history here,’ says vintner Pat DeRose, whose family in 1988 took over the winery after a period of neglect and rescued some 100 acres of abandoned vines from the clutches of weeds and thistles.

"The winery now offers a handful of unique wines, and I was instantly enamored by the exotic, century-old Négrette, whose name means ‘little black one’.

"Called Pinot St. George before 1997, legend says Négrette, descended from Mavro rootstock, was transported to France by Knights Templar returning from Cyprus. DeRose’s Négrette is inky and aromatic with stone fruit bursting out of the glass and some spicy nuance.

"…Also engaged in notable new discoveries in San Benito’s wine country are two young winemakers - Ryan Kobza, founder of Kobza Wines, and Nicole Walsh, who has made wine for Bonny Doon for 14 years, and just last year bottled wine for the first time under her own Ser Wine Co. label.

"Both are using an old-vine grape from the ‘Wirz Vineyard’ in Cienega Valley called Cabernet Pfeffer.

"Kobza and Walsh admit they were intrigued by the grape because it’s different.

“‘I love this wine. It’s distinctive and unique, layered with floral, fruit and spice. It’s delicate, but has structured tannin,’ Walsh says. Walsh knows of less 10 acres of this extremely rare grape in the entire state of California - all of them in San Benito County.

“Adding to the intrigue, the grape’s origin had been a matter of controversy until last year. A DNA study of the ‘Wirz’ grapes conducted by UC Davis solved the mystery, finding that they are the French Mourtaou, which in France is sometimes called Pfeffer. The term ‘Cabernet Pfeffer’ is used only in California, for both Mourtaou and Gros Verdot.”

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According to Charles Sullivan’s book Like Modern Edens: Wine-growing in Santa Clara Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains, 1798-1981, Mr William Pfeffer moved to the Santa Clara Valley from Illinois in 1869. He established 17-acres of vineyards, with one acre devoted to “experimental viticulture and winemaking” (58-59).

Aside from researching Phylloxera-resistant rootstock, Pfeffer reportedly developed several new cultivars for winemaking. “Pfeffer Cabernet”, as it then was called, was mistakenly presumed to have been his creation. Though popular during Pfeffer’s lifetime, Sullivan asserts that no new plantings were established following Prohibition.

“There is one good plot still standing in Almaden’s Cienega Vineyard in San Benito County, planted shortly after the turn of the century. The vines still produce exceptionally fine claret wine, quite tasty and, appropriately, quite peppery. (59)”

The Harrington Wines website states that its Nègrette is sourced from the “Siletto Vineyard”. The Siletto family owns several parcels near Tres Pinos and elsewhere in San Benito County.

Kenneth Volk Vimeo video
“Ken Volk: Cabernet Pfeffer & Gros Verdot - DNA Testing”

https://vimeo.com/16747748/description

Drew_Goin · April 28, 2018, 8:39am

In this video, Mr Brand covers the history of the Bates Ranch and discusses Santa Cruz Cabernet Franc.

“Ian Brand in the Bates Vineyard”