Cement Hippos, Pinot & Winery Dogs
Time keeps on ticking and the feeling of harvest looms in the air. I try not to get caught up in the pre-harvest jitters, but this year I really can’t contain my excitement. We are ramping up our Zinfandel program at JC Cellars and with that come a few new vineyards, including old vine Dusi Ranch from Paso Robles and the fabled St. Peter’s Church from Cloverdale. We of course will continue to make our Iron Hill and Sweetwater Springs Vineyard Zinfandel. To add even more powerhouse reds to the line up, we will also be getting a small amount Petite Sirah from the Crocker and Starr Vineyard that used original cuttings from both the historic Hayne and Matt St. George Vineyard of St. Helena. Some of our original wine club members might remember the St. George Petite that we made in 97-99. These were some of the most outrageously dark and absolutely delicious Petite Sirahs I have had the good fortune to taste.
Due to the fantastic results from our cement egg, which we used last year to ferment Roussanne, we decided to take another leap and add another cement vessel for production. The 2.5-ton beast of a cement tank will be used to ferment a little Rockpile Syrah or perhaps a bit of Eaglepoint Ranch Petite Sirah.
Last week was a micro-bottling day here at JC Cellars. For the third year in a row, we produced a Syrah for The Girl and the Fig restaurant in downtown Sonoma. This is the perfect place to eat if you enjoy dining with a French flair and the wine list is fantastic, dedicated completely to Rhône-style wines from all parts of the world. I totally recommend the Top Sirloin burger with a bottle of the 2007 Trés Bonnes Annés Rockpile Vineyard Syrah, produced by yours truly.
We also bottled 46 cases of our first Pinot Noir EVER, from the Russian River Valley. This is a true departure for us, but at the same time it has finesse and signature JC minerality which is the backbone of all our wines. Aromatically intoxicating, it brings a pure floral explosion that excites all the senses, with a rich and incredibly silky finish.
Many of our tasting room visitors have already met Bryan’s great cellar dog Piper, a Welsh Corgi. The newest addition to Team JC Cellars is Abby, a Welsh Terrier puppy, maintaining order in our office by spending most of her day sleeping or chewing her rawhide bone. Yet another reason to stop by, taste some wine and say hello by petting some of the staff (canines only).
