Dear Cellar Society Members,
Happy October! I hope everyone’s early autumn is going well so far. This is by far my favorite time of year and a big reason for that is all the excitement of bringing fruit into the winery and making new wines for everyone to enjoy. As a write this, we are in the thick of harvest and the winery is full of fermenting wines.
It has been a busy crush season so far this year. The very warm summer weather expedited ripening during the growing season and more varietals are reaching peak ripeness at the same this year time compared to last year where everything was stretched out. I’ve been happy with a lot of the fruit quality so far this year. Some of the cooler days and evenings we experienced in September allowed many varietals to reach flavor maturity while holding on to essential acids in the berries before sugars spiked too high. The wines that have already finished primary fermentation have showed great tannin structure and depth of color. I’m very optimistic about this vintage and am excited to share it with you soon.
In the meantime, we have some great wines to release for you now. We’re introducing our 2022 Barbera which comes from the South Fork Vineyard in the Lotus area. This wine boasts bold fruit characters while also possessing a lean acid structure typical in barbera. The American oak aging on this barbera is beautiful on the nose. I wish I could cozy up to a candle that smells exactly like this barbera this autumn season.
Try this wine with some pumpkin pie, I think you will enjoy it!
We are also reintroducing our Gold Medal, Best of Region winning 2020 Malbec from Saureel Vineyard in the El Dorado AVA. This wine is really hitting its stride right now; it is big, rich, and jammy, and will pair nicely with Thanksgiving dinner.
Although summer is winding down, we have a lot of fun things happening at the tasting room this fall, including our wine club release party the weekend of November 2nd and 3rd. I will be in attendance on Sunday the 3rd. I’m looking forward seeing some familiar faces and hoping to meet some folks that I haven’t yet.
All the best,
Brian Darwazeh, Winemaker
2022 Barbera
South Fork Vineyard, Sierra Foothills
South Fork Vineyard, Sierra Foothills
TASTING NOTES: The vineyard location where this barbera grew experiences the warm afternoons that are needed to develop the ripe fruit characteristics that are quintessential to an 1850 Wine Cellars barbera. The proximity to the south fork of the American River also keeps the overnight temperatures relatively low, which retains a level of acidity that is expected in barbera. The yeast we chose for this barbera encourages full bodied structure with bold and ripe fruit flavors, which are evident in the resulting wine. Aged in 100% American Oak for 18 months. This oak selection enhanced the mouthfeel and fruit components of this wine with big and round notes of vanilla and butterscotch that balance the racy acidity of barbera.
WINEMAKING NOTES: The vineyard location where this barbera grew experiences the warm afternoons that are needed to develop the ripe fruit characteristics that are quintessential to an 1850 Wine Cellars barbera. The proximity to the south fork of the American River also keeps the overnight temperatures relatively low, which retains a level of acidity that is expected in barbera. The yeast we chose for this barbera encourages full bodied structure with bold and ripe fruit flavors, which are evident in the resulting wine.
AGING: Aged in 100% American Oak for 18 months. This oak selection enhanced the mouthfeel and fruit components of this wine with big and round notes of vanilla and butterscotch that balance the racy acidity of barbera.
FOOD PAIRING: Barbera classically pairs well with a large variety of charcuterie, with the rich fat and saltiness of cured meats balancing perfectly with the acid structure of the wine. The profile of this wine will pair well with grilled dishes like burgers, pizza or a hearty casserole, and winter stews. This is a great wine to pair with Bolognese, lasagna, classic Italian meatballs, or a creamy truffled pasta dish.
WINE SPECS
100% Barbera
14.4% alcohol
128 cases produced
$34 per bottle
2020 Malbec
Saureel Vineyard, El Dorado
Saureel Vineyard, El Dorado
TASTING NOTES: This luscious wine is complex with an aromatic profile of espresso, dried herbs, blueberry, boysenberry, and cherry compote. It has juicy, bright flavors and a full body of supple, not astringent, tannins. You’ll love its long, mellow finish with flavors reminiscent of chocolate covered raisins.
WINEMAKING NOTES: These grapes were harvested at 24 brix on September 18th, 2020. We fermented the harvest in two separate one ton lots, then blended the wine together before racking it to barrel for aging. AGING: Aged in 50% new American Oak and 50% neutral oak barrels for 24 months.
AGING: Aged in 50% new American Oak and 50% neutral oak barrels for 24 months.
FOOD PAIRING: Leaner red meats or poultry with dark meat are classic complements for malbec. Blue cheese and various cured meats will match the intensity of this wine and contrast well with its fruit forward characteristics. Trust us, you can’t go wrong with a bacon blue cheeseburger paired with this wine! Foods with sage, rosemary, or a creamy mushroom sauce will have good contrasting flavors with this wine. For a vegetarian pairing, roasted mushrooms and stuffed red bell peppers will pair quite well.
ACCOLADES: Gold Medal “Best of Region”, Foothill Wine Festival
WINE SPECS:
98% Malbec
2% Cabernet Sauvignon
13.5% alcohol
108 cases produced
$38 per bottle