Dear Cellar Society Members,
I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the relatively mild summer we have had so far. The summer season is off to a busy start here at the winery. We just finished bottling our first 1850 Wine Cellars hard apple cider and I am personally extremely excited for its release this summer. We have also been out in the vineyards, checking this year’s fruit set and planning for harvest. The conditions this past spring and early summer have been ideal, promising a high quality of this year’s fruit.
While we are excited about what is in store for the 2025 vintage, we are also celebrating wines from previous vintages in the Summer Wine Club release. As mentioned, this release includes an entirely new offering in our first Hard Apple Cider. This cider was produced by Méthode Champenoise which gives it an incredibly nuanced mouthfeel and flavor profile. This cider is a bright and refreshing answer to a sweltering summer day. During our summer wine club release on July 26th and 27th, Chef Lisa will be pairing this cider with an equally refreshing green apple and cucumber gazpacho for all who attend.
We are also pleased to introduce you to our 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the beloved Jodar Vineyard. This cabernet has plenty of structure and varietal character to be the center piece of any dinner table. I’d recommend trying a bottle or two of this wine now and holding onto a few more bottles for comparison’s sake and to experience how nicely it will age a few years from now. This wine will be paired with a truffle mac n cheese with a panko topping during our summer wine club release party.
The 2021 Late Harvest Tempranillo from the Saureel Vineyard will also be making an appearance as the second red wine for our Reds Only members, and the third wine at the release party, where Chef Lisa will be pairing it with Korean sticky ribs. This delicious and popular late harvest wine is so versatile it pairs with both savory and sweet dishes.
At our Apple Hill tasting room, we are looking forward to hosting an Independence Day BBQ and concert on Saturday July 5th and a Labor Day Picnic and concert on August 30th. We will also be offering a variety of wine specials throughout the Summer. Stay tuned!
Everything we do here at 1850 Wine Cellars, from crafting our wines to curating our club member experience, is done with our Cellar Society members in mind. We truly would not be able to do what we do without you, and we thank you for being on this journey with us.
With gratitude,
Brian Darwazeh, Winemaker
2024 Hard Apple Cider
TASTING NOTES: Our first release of a hard apple cider is vibrant and refreshing. You’ll find unmistakable red apple aromas and flavors, with delicate floral aromas and a freshly cooked bread nuance reminiscent of champagne, due to the champagne method used to produce this cider. On the palate you’ll find it light and bright enough to be perfect for a hot summer afternoon but structured enough to satisfy.
WINEMAKING NOTES: We created this cider using the traditional Méthode Champenoise. This method is more tedious but creates a much more nuanced and complex finished cider. We fermented the base of this cider using Champagne yeast. A slow and cool fermentation in a stainless steel tank really locked in the fresh aromatics found in this cider. After bottling, a secondary fermentation took place in each bottle which creates a smaller and more favorable bubble profile in the cider. This gave the cider a great mouthfeel. We then riddled and disgorged the spent yeast cells out of each bottle to create brilliantly clean color in the finished cider.
AGING: Drink by 2027 to enjoy the most of the fresh apple flavors.
FOOD PAIRING: You can pair this cider much as you would champagne. It is wonderful with Brie and sharp cheddar paired with fresh apple slices, and smoked trout or salmon. At brunch, pair it with fresh strawberries or fruit salad. At lunch, this cider is delicious with Chef Lisa Scott’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Brie, green apple and caramelized onions on Sourdough bread. For main dish pairings try it with grilled salmon or white fish, pork chops, or even fried chicken! The sweetness of butternut squash soup will also balance well with the acidity in this cider.
WINE SPECS
100% Apple Juice
6.5% alcohol
100 cases produced
$30 per bottle
Check out winemaker Brian Darwazeh & team bottling our first ever Hard Apple Cider!
2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Jodar Vineyard, El Dorado
Jodar Vineyard, El Dorado
TASTING NOTES: This refined cabernet sauvignon boasts complex aromas of blueberry, cassis, green peppercorn and a dusty earthiness. On the palate we taste cinnamon, cassis, and dark chocolate. This full-bodied wine is mouth filling, with a long finish and chewy but not harsh tannins, as it is still youthful upon release.
WINEMAKING NOTES: This cabernet sauvignon from Jodar Vineyard was our last pick of the 2021 harvest, when it had finally fully developed the ripe and lushes flavors we were looking for in the vineyard. With this reserve wine in mind, the fruit was sorted when it reached the winery and only the most evenly ripe and clean clusters made it into the fermentation tank for this lot. After the primary fermentation, an extended maceration took place. Extended maceration is the practice of leaving the skins in contact with the wine after fermentation is complete, which prolongs extraction of flavors and colors into the finished wine. The result was a big and luscious cabernet sauvignon with a lot of age ability. We ultimately blended in 15% merlot, also from the Jodar Vineyard, before bottling to give the wine a more round structure.
AGING: Aging this wine for 21 months in 75% new French oak and 25% neutral oak imparted rich flavors of dark chocolate and cinnamon while also balancing the tannin structure. This wine will age beautifully for another 10 years from its release in 2025.
FOOD PAIRING: Aged semi-hard cheeses like a cheddar or gouda will be bold enough to pair with this wine. Beef tenderloin steak au poivre is a top choice for a special pairing. Ribeye steak or other nicely marbled cuts of steak will be rich enough to balance with this full-bodied wine. We also recommend braised beef short ribs, prime rib, or grilled lamb rubbed with herbs like rosemary and thyme. Rich vegetarian dishes featuring the earthy flavors of portobello mushrooms or lentils may complement this wine.
WINE SPECS:
85% Cabernet Sauvignon
15% Merlot
14.1% alcohol
115 cases produced
$55 per bottle
2021 Late Harvest Tempranillo
Saureel Vineyard, El Dorado
Saureel Vineyard, El Dorado
TASTING NOTES: Classic tempranillo aromas of dried fig, leather and cedar layer with subtle maple and graham cracker and lead to flavors of cherry and chocolate. Juicy sweetness, medium body, and smooth tannins make this wine almost too easy to enjoy.
WINEMAKING NOTES: We had a bit of uneven ripeness on this late harvest fruit, so we sorted at crush to remove overly raisined and dried out clusters. This wine fermented at 80˚F to maximize extraction from skins. Fermentation arrested at 1.8% residual sugar.
AGING: Aged in a mix of used and new American Oak barrels for 18 months.
This wine is very drinkable now. The residual sugar and complex tannin structure will also continue to integrate in this wine over time and develop more nuance. Compare a bottle now to two years from now to find an intriguingly different wine.
FOOD PAIRING: This wine will surprise you and pair with savory, spicy, and sweet dishes! A rich, hearty chili balances this wine’s juicy sweetness perfectly. Barbecue slathered in BBQ sauce is certain to hit just right. Try s’mores with roasted strawberries to bring out all the best flavors with this wine, or just chocolate in general.
WINE SPECS:
100% Tempranillo
13.6% alcohol
120 cases produced
$34 per bottle
