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The source for this Merlot is a small, family-owned vineyard about a half-mile west of our winery. In the past we had been bringing fruit from as far away as San Luis Obispo County, but going forward we've decided to concentrate our efforts on local fruit, the closer to the winery the better. We want to explore the winegrowing possibilities of the cooler climate on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley appellation. The Besson vineyard Merlot block is hidden from the main road, in a tree-ringed vale next to a small creek that runs through the middle of the Besson ranch. 2001 was a great vintage for this Merlot, a warm fall allowed us to fully ripen the fruit. Medium dark ruby in color, the wine displays intense aromas of cassis and red cherry, with a slight green-olive note that is a reflection of ripe Merlot. Flavors include black pepper and black cherry with a soft lingering finish. Although delicious now, we believe this wine will improve with a year or two of additional bottle age. Cheers!

With this small two-row block of vines on the Besson family property, we're continuing to explore the possibilities of noble Rhone varietals in our cooler climate on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley. In France, Roussanne is typically blended with Marsanne to produce the famous and scarce white wines of Hermitage. There are few varietal Roussanne wines produced in California, and those are typically made in much riper style than ours. We've opted to harvest sooner, hoping to produce a balanced Roussanne that is compatible with a wide range of menu choices. The wine presents a rich golden yellow hue in the glass. Floral aromas mix with background hints of lime and peach. Flavors follow the fruit promised in the aromas, and the wine finishes dryly with a lingering taste of pears and peaches. Production of this wine is extremely limited, but we plan to keep a few bottles around for the long term, as we believe that further aging will be rewarded.

Continuing our association with the Besson family, local grape growers now for three generations, this Syrah comes from a vineyard that was originally planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. Besson has discovered that our climate on the west side of the valley is really too cool to properly ripen Cabernet, so he's decided to focus on Rhone and Burgundy grape varieties going forward. We could not agree with him more! This Syrah is medium dark ruby with purplish tints at the rim of the glass. Attractive aromas of plum and strawberry jam are framed by spicy notes of dill and black pepper. Flavors confirm the fruit promised in the aromas, and the wine finishes softly with a combination of soft tannins and smoky oak. Despite drinking well for a young Syrah, we think that the wine will gain complexity with another two-to-three years of bottle age.

Planted by the Besson family three generations ago, the vines that produce this Zinfandel grow close to the ground with gnarled arms that bear fruit shyly. The vineyard lies next to the Besson's home, tucked at the base of Mount Madonna. In one corner, a few huge Mission grapevines are scattered, we're always careful to separate those grapes for use in the picking lunch later in the day. Medium light ruby in color, the wine's forward aromas are floral tinged with scents of ripe plums. Bright fruity flavors of cherry are framed by vanilla and spice from the oak barrel aging. Despite the Old Vine source, the wine is soft now. Minimal tannins will not diminish delicious accommodation with tonight's dinner. Cheers!

The Parrish Vineyard is about a mile north of the winery, on a hill topped by the Parrish family's house. They're fairly new to grape growing, and their Syrah fruit is strong evidence that they should be around for a long time. We harvested just under three tons in late September, with the grapes showing an incredible balance of sugar and acid. The wine was fermented in small containers, punched down daily by hand, and pressed after twenty-one days of skin contact. This Syrah is dark purplish ruby in the glass. Intense aromas of spicy black pepper combine with complex herbal notes that include sage and cedar. Big, dense flavors of black fruit and cedar finish with medium tannins, lingering fruit flavors, and sweet oak. If you can, please save a few bottles, and try this wine again after three years of bottle aging.

The 2002 vintage was extended through three separate pickings of our Estate Chardonnay over a period of twenty days. Typically, the vines at the top of the southern-facing hill ripen first along with a few select rows on the other edge of the block. Even thought the Estate block is only 3.8 acres, we believe that picking at optimum maturity makes it necessary to divide the harvest over two or three vineyard passes. As a small winery, we have the ability to capture our fruit at its peak of ripeness. Light golden yellow in the glass, the wine's appearance reflects its youth. Aromas are initially dominated by a bouquet of lemon and citrus flowers, but with further airing the mineral character of our Estate fruit soon predominates with scents of wet stone backed by smoky notes from the French barrels that were used for fermentation and aging. Flavors of apple and vanilla are supported by a lush mouthfeel, tailing into a lingering finish. Please enjoy this fine Chardonnay in its youth, we believe that little aging is necessary before drinking. Cheers!

Our Estate Pinot Noir vineyards continued their shy bearing tendencies in the 2002 vintage, yielding just enough fruit to fill four small fermentation bins in September. With the last lot, the ripest, we continued our experimentation with some whole cluster fermentation, although a smaller amount than the previous vintage. After two weeks of skin contact, our Pinot Noir was gently pressed, blended, and then transferred without settling directly to French barrels for aging. The wine rested in barrel on its fermentation lees until the first racking the following Spring. The wine then aged untouched, except for frequent evaluations by winemaker and proprietor, until bottling. Medium ruby in the glass, the wine's first aromatic impressions are strawberry, cola, and allspice highlighted by a hint of smokiness from the new Burgundy forest barrels that were used for aging the wine. Flavors are predominantly dark fruit, with soft tannins supporting a lingering smoky finish. Drinkable now, we believe our Pinot Noir will improve with five-to-seven years of additional bottle age. Cheers!