October, 2008
If you took the greatest wine maker of all time (so far!) -- who happens to be the creator of Screaming Eagle -- and she moved in next door to your place you'd have to sit up and take notice. What the grape is going on here?
What I realize is I've never been smart but just very lucky, ask my wife Linda. So here is what is going on.
What we are hearing is that Howell Mountain is great -- but like surfers always looking for the perfect wave, so it is with winemakers looking for the perfect dirt. We have had several quite famous winemakers come snooping around lately, asking to buy our fruit. What they are saying in short is that although the famous Howell Mountain is quite superior in soil they have reason to believe that Atlas Peak produces a different type of fruit. Described as a deeper red and less black with a richer deeper color of red.
Who would have known that when we bought the property: that we are sitting in the middle of what is quickly becoming a hot spot. Reminds me of the Bermuda Triangle: Now you see a spy, now you don't. Like I said, not smart but lucky.
The following article appeared in the SF Chronicle this week.
Heidi Peterson Barrett (Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Paradigm) and John Schwartz, already partners in the Amuse Bouche winery, are teaming up with viticulturist Jim Barbour (Grace, DR Stephens) on a new wine called Au Sommet. Sourced from an 8-acre vineyard at 2,100 feet elevation on Atlas Peak, across the road from John Kongsgaard's new property, it will produce about 475 cases of a single Cabernet, with the inaugural 2008 vintage due in 2010.
Though the trio had previously worked together, all three went in as partners on the new parcel, purchased last year. Originally planted in 1998 to clones 4 and 337 Cabernet, plus a bit of Petit Verdot, it will eventually include a winery with a 40,000-gallon permit, though this year's vintage is being made off-site. The fruit previously had been sold to other sources, though the team hit a reset button for the vineyard, skipping the 2007 harvest and giving the vines a year off before the new project.
Expect the wine to be in Barrett's trademark style, with its balance of approachability and ample structure. It will receive 18 to 20 months in oak, though the higher-altitude mountain fruit may provide a bit more rectitude than some of Barrett's projects. And initial descriptions hint that Barbour may choose to pick earlier than in some Napa vineyards.
"Our philosophy has always been to make the wines that aren't classic Napa Valley fruit bombs, that are elegant wines that have great minerality and structure and aging potential," Schwartz said. "We don't make these two-by-four wines."
Our harvest at Bialla Vineyards is concluded and we picked various fruit in our vineyard at different times in the last couple weeks. Our primary vineyard we picked at 29 brix and is already a monster according to Craig. We also had several acres of our new root stock come in to full production this year and this promises to be what we think is the culmination of our master plan. We have ten percent merlot vines and several secret cabernet roots stock in full swing, including one very special French Cabernet Clone. With our '06 Cabernet getting so much praise I can't wait for the reviews and news to come out.
We wish you a Happy Halloween and a very Happy Thanksgiving. Speaking of giving we decided to keep our special offer of Team Spanky benefiting out injured Marines via SemperFiFund.org available. To see this special offer you can shop here at www.biallavineyards.com/store
As always thanks for sharing our passion
Vito & Linda Bialla