Dancing Crow Vineyards · Dancing Crow Vineyards Old Stake 1901 Vineyard - 2018 Field Blend This...
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Dancing Crow Vineyards Old Stake 1901 Vineyard - 2018 Field Blend This wine consists entirely of fruit from our newly acquired “Old Stake 1901 Vineyard” in Lake County’s Kelsey Bench AVA. It is a field blend of several unique Old World varieties, with some of the vines planted 118 years ago and still producing fruit. The vineyard is registered with the Historical Vineyard Society. The Growing Season We harvested the Old Stake 1901 Vineyard on October 10th, a full three weeks later than normal. Spring brought an unusually plentiful set as a result of timely May rain followed by a sunny finish to the month. June continued the warming trend and July provided the heat that tempered berry size. By late September, the region’s warm, summer gave way to mild, fall, coastal temperatures, which allowed for longer hang time. This “coastal effect” preserved the subtlety of aroma that is often lost in warmer vintages. The yields as might expect from ancient vines were low, only about 2.75 tons per acre, but the quality was outstanding. Winemaking The vineyard and the wine are a treasure trove of pre-Prohibition grape varieties with an emphasis on Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, and Cinsault. The blend is accented by plantings of Touriga Naçional, Syrah, Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Counoise, and a host of other interesting grape varieties, to date we have identified 24, that are rarely found in California’s north coast. The grapes were harvested together and co- fermented in the style of traditional field blends then aged for 9 months in French oak. To finish the wine, we bottled unfiltered and unfined to retain the alluring freshness of this aromatically compelling and distinctively flavorful offering. The Land Lake County’s Kelsey Bench AVA was originally a pyroclastic flow, and is a transition between the volcanic Mayacamas Mountains to the west and the alluvial flood plain of Clear Lake to the east. The soils in the vineyard reflect this transition offering mildly rocky, red volcanic elements mixed with alluvial loams. The vineyard sits at 1,450 feet and this elevation, along with the cooling effects of the lake and the nearby mountains, create 50°F diurnal temperature swings in summer, producing wine with excellent acidity, improved tannin structure and darker, more complex fruit characteristics. Tasting Impressions from the Winemakers - David and Katharine DeSante With colors verging from red into deep purple, this vivacious glass of wine smells of berry fields in the heat of summer. What a pleasure! Ripe raspberry and blackberry aromas are met in equal measure by lavender in a hillside bramble. The palate doesn’t disappoint with its succulent mouthful of berries wrapped in refreshing acidity. These exotic flavors are darkened in a subtle frame of French oak, giving one the lingering impression of grilled fig and mocha. That finish meanders, leaving one with the sense that something great has just happened. Very compelling stuff indeed. Ideally the wine would be decanted 20-30 minutes before serving. Dancing Crow Vineyards – 2790 Spring Street, Saint Helena CA 94574 – (707) 287-4495 www.dancingcrow.com Varietals: Appellation: Lake County: Kelsey Bench AVA Zinfandel, Cinsault, Alicante Bouschet Elevation: 1475 ft Syrah, Touriga Naçional, Primitivo, Soils: Volcanic/Alluvial Counoise, Cabernet Sauvignon, Aging: 9 months in French Oak And various red & white varieties Alcohol: 14.5%
Transcript of Dancing Crow Vineyards · Dancing Crow Vineyards Old Stake 1901 Vineyard - 2018 Field Blend This...
Dancing Crow Vineyards Old Stake 1901 Vineyard - 2018 Field Blend
This wine consists entirely of fruit from our newly acquired “Old Stake 1901 Vineyard” in Lake County’sKelseyBenchAVA.ItisafieldblendofseveraluniqueOldWorldvarieties,withsomeofthevinesplanted118yearsagoandstillproducingfruit.ThevineyardisregisteredwiththeHistoricalVineyardSociety.
TheGrowingSeasonWeharvestedtheOldStake1901VineyardonOctober10th,afullthreeweekslaterthannormal.SpringbroughtanunusuallyplentifulsetasaresultoftimelyMayrainfollowedbyasunnyfinishtothemonth.Junecontinuedthewarmingtrendand Julyprovided theheat that temperedberry size. By lateSeptember,theregion’swarm,summergavewaytomild, fall, coastal temperatures,whichallowed for longer hang time. This “coastal effect” preserved the subtlety ofaroma that is often lost in warmer vintages.The yields as might expect fromancient vines were low, only about 2.75 tons per acre, but the quality wasoutstanding.
WinemakingThevineyardand thewineare a treasure troveofpre-Prohibitiongrapevarieties with an emphasis on Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, andCinsault. The blend is accented by plantings of Touriga Naçional, Syrah,Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Counoise, and a host of other interestinggrape varieties, to date we have identified 24, that are rarely found inCalifornia’s north coast. The grapes were harvested together and co-fermentedinthestyleoftraditionalfieldblendsthenagedfor9monthsinFrenchoak.Tofinishthewine,webottledunfilteredandunfinedtoretainthe alluring freshness of this aromatically compelling and distinctivelyflavorfuloffering.
TheLandLakeCounty’sKelseyBenchAVAwasoriginallyapyroclastic flow,and isa transitionbetween thevolcanicMayacamas Mountains to the west and the alluvial flood plain of Clear Lake to the east. The soils in thevineyard reflect this transition offeringmildly rocky, red volcanic elementsmixedwith alluvial loams. Thevineyard sits at 1,450 feet and this elevation, along with the cooling effects of the lake and the nearbymountains, create 50°F diurnal temperature swings in summer, producing wine with excellent acidity,improvedtanninstructureanddarker,morecomplexfruitcharacteristics.
TastingImpressionsfromtheWinemakers-DavidandKatharineDeSanteWithcolorsvergingfromredintodeeppurple,thisvivaciousglassofwinesmellsofberryfieldsintheheatofsummer.Whatapleasure!Riperaspberryandblackberryaromasaremetinequalmeasurebylavenderinahillsidebramble.Thepalatedoesn’tdisappointwithitssucculentmouthfulofberrieswrappedinrefreshingacidity.TheseexoticflavorsaredarkenedinasubtleframeofFrenchoak,givingonethelingeringimpressionof grilled fig and mocha. That finish meanders, leaving one with the sense that something great has justhappened.Verycompellingstuffindeed.Ideallythewinewouldbedecanted20-30minutesbeforeserving.
DancingCrowVineyards–2790SpringStreet,SaintHelenaCA94574–(707)287-4495www.dancingcrow.com
Varietals: Appellation:LakeCounty:KelseyBenchAVAZinfandel,Cinsault,AlicanteBouschetElevation:1475ft Syrah,TourigaNaçional,Primitivo,Soils:Volcanic/AlluvialCounoise,CabernetSauvignon,Aging:9monthsinFrenchOakAndvariousred&whitevarietiesAlcohol:14.5%
CasesProduced:600
