Which Vineyards to Use for 2002 Wines?

For my first commercial release in 2001, I made 2 Zinfandels. This year I plan to diversify and focus on 3 wines: Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Syrah.

I am attracted to the history, the winemaking challenge, and experimenting with different regions. Pinot Noir is among my favorite wines because it's gorgeous and delicate. Having made Pinot from Carneros and Russian River, I prefer the bright fruit and expression of the Russian River Valley. Frank J.Prial describes this best in his recent NY Times article, "Pinot Noir, the Russian River's Gold Rush", by describing the region's pinots as...""sharing a compactness, a core of strength with the best Burgundies that the Carneros pinots, for example, rarely show."I would like to contact the following growers:

• Dutton Ranch- who was one of the first growers in that region thanks to the late patriarch, Warren Dutton, and who arguably is one of the region's best grape grower. Wineries with single vineyard designates from Dutton Ranch include:
  Kistler Vineyards, Sebastopol Vineyards, Dutton-Goldfield, Hartford Court Winery, DuMol Wine Company, J. Fritz Winery, Patz & Hall Wine Company, and Rutz Cellars.


• Sapphire Hill- whose consulting winemaker is Greg La Follette and whose clients include Siduri and the eponymous winery.
• Marimar Torres- who makes one of my favorite Russian River Pinots, made using Burgundian techniques yet has lush fruit.

This morning, I talked to Al at Dutton Ranch. He said that by the end of June he will know more about grape availability and pricing.

Zinfandel is great wine to make and equally enjoyable to drink. I've made Zins from the premium California growing regions: Talmage in Mendecino, Lock Vineyards in Paso Robles, Damas Vineyards in Amador, and Teldeschi Vineyards in Dry Creek.
A few years ago, Zinfandel was a value wine. With the popularity of the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) event and great marketing campaigns, prices have been increasing exponentially. I contemplate making a reasonably priced wine from an emerging area, like Paso Robles, or a more expensive wine from an established area, like Dry Creek. Fruit from Dry Creek is highly sought after and is nearly twice as expensive. I need to decide between:

• Lock Vineyards - in their 5th harvest (5th Leaf). I spoke with Pam this morning who said that the grapes are in bloom with fruit sets. They are shoot thinning, striving for about 4 tons per acre. She said the cost would be approximately $1,450 per ton. Apparently, they are making some killer Syrah. Jory make a single vineyard designate of their Syrah, 2000 Jory Syrah- Lock Vineyard. Summerwood may also release a single vineyard designate.


• Ray Teldeschi Vineyards - used in my 2001 Zinfandel. Ray is an incredible grape grower with 110+ yr and 15 yr. old vines. His clients are Carlisle, Ridge, Lambert Bridge, and Grape Leaf

I'm very excited about making Syrah. With the Australian's innovative methods and the legacy of French Cote Rotie's, California is quickly defining its own style. I hope to contact:

• Kruse Vineyards - in Paso Robles that David Bruce turned me on to.


• or possibly from other areas of interest, Paso Robles, Carneros, or Even amador.

A lot will depend on costs and marketing. I will keep you updated.