Eve's Wine 101

One Bottle Post: Workman Ayer 2013 “de facto”

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I’m a Rhône fan, but I’m also a Bordeaux/Zin/whatever is great fan. Point is that if asked I have a hard time picking just one wine as a favorite. Depends on where I happen to be, what’s on my plate and whose company I might be enjoying. So, in a nutshell, it depends on my collective mood. And the day I met Michel Ayer I was in a really good mood. Then again, every time since then my mood has only improved – by his Rhônes, all two of them. (What is a Rhône? A quick lesson can be had via the Rhone Rangers website: http://rhonerangers.org/)

img_8262Michel makes a white Rhône, a 100% Viognier; and a red Rhône, a Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre blend.

Previous Tasting Notes

Eve’s Wine 101: Tasting the First Rhones from Workman Ayer, July 2014, SCV Beacon.

Eve’s Wine 101: Garagiste Urban Exposure: Their First Wine Tasting at Union Station, July 2014, SCV Beacon

Eve’s Wine 101: Can’t Get Enough: STARS of California Part Two, June 2016, SCV Beacon

Catching up with Michel Ayer

Before the tasting I reached out to Michel to ask him what was new and what the future holds for him.

No particular challenges in the vineyards in 2013 despite continued drought conditions. Real challenges begin with 2015 and yields being down and therefore fruit prices being up. As for the future, hope to get over to California in January to pour at wineLA’s Stars of Santa Barbara in both Orange County and Beverly Hills, but have yet to solidify that plan. Am also working to expand production on our existing two wines as well as explore adding a Grenache dominant blend and a white Rhône blend (both initially likely only via mailing list).

Today’s Tasting

Workman Ayer 2013 “de facto” red wine, Central Coast

Syrah Grenache Mourvedre (aka GSM blend)

Aromas of black cherry, plum, red roses and a hint of black licorice and black olives.

Flavors included ripe and rich black fruit, green peppercorn, cigar, charred steak, that same hint of black olive and firm tannins. 90 Eve pts. at the first taste, 91 Eve pts. After 10 minutes in my glass. Other scores include: 91 from The Corkscrewer Report, 89 Wine Enthusiast magazine, and 88 from Connoisseurs’ Guide.

Tech Sheet

Vintage

2013 was a warm, dry growing season. In every single month from March through November, valley temperatures were above the historical average and precipitation was below. Thankfully, the rest of the growing season was fairly problem free – no massive heat spikes and less frost problems than normal resulting in a large, but high quality harvest – despite the drought conditions.

Vineyards

30% Los Alamos Syrah, 25% Ballard Canyon Syrah, 25% Santa Ynez Valley Syrah, 10% Los Alamos Grenache, .10% Los Alamos Mourvedre. Production: 100 cases 750 ml.

Winemaking

The bulk of the Syrah was from Los Alamos and was its typical self – big, fat, chewy, smoky. The Ballard Canyon Syrah was off the charts good with nice oak. Then there was some Santa Ynez Valley Syrah.  We used two lots – the first pick and the last pick.  The first pick was zingy and perfumy, which added a great backbone to the blend.  The last pick was dark and brooding, but still nice aromas.  It was a nice balance of the two. The Mourvedre was a bit tannic and structured, which was a nice addition. The Grenache was little softer than normal, but loads of nice strawberry. The blend was aged in approximately 40% new French oak for 20 months.

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes

Bright, fresh aromas of strawberry, white pepper, anise, smoked meat, caramel and kirsch.  Broad, expansive and mouthwatering on the palate, with flavors of sweet raspberry, strawberry, tart plum, earth and semi-sweet chocolate.  Very long finish with continuing bright, fresh fruit and rich tannins.  Remarkably forward now, but also deep and structured.  The ol’ iron fist in a velvet glove!

https://www.workmanayer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WorkmanAyer/

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

2015 HARVEST: DRY CREEK VALLEY WINEGRAPE GROWERS ANTICIPATE SMALLER YIELDS, EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY

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Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley kick off this harvest season with a positive forecast amidst California’s ongoing drought.

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HEALDSBURG, Calif. – AUGUST 18 – Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley (WDCV) expect the 2015 winegrape harvest to yield exceptional quality fruit in smaller quantities than the last three vintages, which were larger than normal throughout most of the state of California. Picking began earlier than usual this year, with David Coffaro Estate and Amista Vineyards harvesting grapes for their sparkling wines on July 29 and August 3, respectively. In 2014, Amista Vineyards harvested for their blanc de blanc two days later on August 5.

For still wines, many white grapes have already become ripe for picking. Preston Farm and Winery began harvesting sauvignon blanc on Tuesday, August 11. Pedroncelli Winery will harvest their sauvignon blanc this week. “This is within a few days of last year’s harvest,” says Montse Reece, winemaker at Pedroncelli Winery.

Cameron Mauritson, Manager of Mauritson Farms and President of the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley, anticipates starting to harvest in the middle of August, about 10-14 days ahead of last year. “We have been blessed with wonderful California weather that has sped things up. The crop looks beautiful with looser clusters than normal and small berries that should yield robust flavors. Winemakers should have the weather patterns to produce stylistic wines,” he says.

Ridge Vineyards reported their earliest zinfandel harvest on record in their East Bench Vineyard. “The dry, warm weather we had from February through April led to a very early bloom and thus the record start to the harvest,” says Will Thomas, Ridge Vineyards’ Sonoma County Viticulturist.

The harvest season will continue for the next two months, with the harvest of Bordeaux varieties including merlot and cabernet sauvignon in September and late-ripening grapes like mourvedre grapes and late-harvest zinfandel in October.

Several years of drought in California affected farmers all over the state, but Dry Creek Valley winegrowers seize the opportunity to learn from the challenges they face. Mauritson explains, “The drought has been an opportunity for many growers to look closely at their soil health and make sure they are maximizing the available water holding capacity of the vineyard site so vines can survive as long as possible by natural rainfall.
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Tim Bell, winemaker at Dry Creek Vineyard, says that last year at the winery’s Endeavour Vineyard, they cut back on the number of vine shoots and grape clusters to reduce water demand, but were pleased to find out that they could get by with even less water than they planned for.

Despite the resilience of the grapes and their growers, many expressed hope for some relief from the drought.
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“We’re praying that the El Niño predictions for a wet winter play out in the right way: plenty of rain spread out over time and cold enough storms to pack the Sierras with snow,” says Bell.

About Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley

The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley® (WDCV) is an association of more than 60 wineries and 150 growers, of which more than 95 percent are small, family-owned operations. WDCV is dedicated to advancing the recognition, enhancement and preservation of Dry Creek Valley as a premium winegrowing region. Anchored by the charming town of Healdsburg, the Dry Creek Valley appellation was officially designated in 1983. Known as a premier zinfandel growing region, Dry Creek Valley is one of California’s oldest wine producing regions and is home to many heritage vineyards ranging in age from 50 to 120 years. To preserve this history and the valley’s pristine beauty, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley supports sustainable viticulture and low-impact farming practices. www.drycreekvalley.org/