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The Cabernet from this vineyard produces a full-bodied wine with plenty of rich soft tannins, making it both age worthy and approachable in its youth. 2001 was a fantastic year for Cabernet in most of Sonoma County and this Cabernet was the cream of the crop. The aroma has good intensity, dominated by ripe cherry, blueberry and cassis with notes of spice and vanilla. On the palate this Cabernet achieves the elusive combination of power and finesse, the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. A moderately sweet, supple entry and rich, but not heavy, middle lead to a long finish with soft tannins and lingering fruit aftertaste. We expect that this wine will continue to fill out, soften and gain finesse for several years to come. This will be our last vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon with the Hulen Vineyard designation. We continue to buy grapes from this wonderful little hillside vineyard above West Dry Creek Road, but due to a change in ownership we will no longer use the Hulen name. Beginning with the 2003 vintage this wine will be bottled as Handal-Denier Vineyard. We did not bottle the 2002 separately, as it did not attain our standards for vineyard designation.

This is our 14th vintage of Mohrhardt Ridge Cabernet, and our only vineyard designated Cabernet in from the 2002 vintage. The cooling afternoon breezes from the Pacific Ocean (only five miles away) allowed the grapes at Mohrhardt Ridge to ripen slowly and evenly as always. Harvest of the very small crop (less than 2 tons per acre) took place on Oct. 12th, with composition and flavors very similar to the wonderful 2001 vintage. The wonderful fruit aromas of cherry and blueberry with hints of chocolate are supported by judicious use of new oak (about 40% this vintage). This densely colored Cabernet has the rich, smooth, silky texture that is the hallmark of Mohrhardt Ridge Vineyard Cabernets, bright fruit (cherry) flavors that carry all the way through to the very pleasant finish. This wine is rich yet exceptionally balanced. While it is easy to drink now, it will only improve with age.

This is our 13th vintage of Mohrhardt Ridge Cabernet, and it is very representative of everything we like about this vineyard. 2001 provided the biggest, ripest vintage since 1997. The wonderful fruit aromas of cherry and blueberry with hints of chocolate are supported by judicious use of new oak. This densely colored Cabernet has the rich, smooth, silky texture that is the hallmark of Mohrhardt Ridge Vineyard Cabernets, bright fruit (cherry) flavors that carry all the way through to the very pleasant finish. This wine is perfectly balanced, seamless. While it is easy to drink now, it will only improve with age. 90 Points Wine Enthusiast 5/05.

2001 is clearly the best vintage since 1994. This Cabernet is a blend of 92% Cabernet sauvignon, and 8% Merlot. The wine is deep garnet with a purple edge, complex aromas with notes of blackberry, cherry, cassis, violets, mint, lavender and chocolate. The oak is beautifully integrated and not at all obvious. Full, supple entry coats the tongue, bright fruit mid-palate, chocolaty finish. The ripe chewy tannins indicate great aging potential with significant improvement over several years.

This is our first Reserve Chardonnay since 1996. To even consider a wine for Reserve designation, it must be from a great vintage, have classic flavors and impeccable balance and take a big step up in quality above our "regular" blend. Lynda and I assembled this blend after many hours of tasting individual barrels and trial blends. Our goal was not to make the biggest, oakiest blockbuster Chardonnay, but rather the most flavorful, elegant and enjoyable wine. With barrel fermented wine each barrel is different, and this wine was literally blended barrel by barrel to obtain the optimal combination of oak, fruit, yeastiness, acidity, texture and finish. We find aromas of citrus, pineapple, pear and vanilla, with hints of honey, wool, butter, bacon, coconut and other tropical fruit. On the palate there is great concentration without heaviness, tons of fruit and a velvet texture. This is the best of our whites from an exceptional vintage. 265 cases produced.

Our 2004 estate Chardonnay crop was the smallest since the vines reached maturity in the early 1990’s, at only 1.7 tons per acre. Hence this is the smallest amount of Chardonnay we’ve ever bottled, a mere 458 cases. Harvest was quite early, from August 27th to Sept. 3rd. All grapes were harvested early in the morning, whole cluster pressed while still cold, then fermented in 60 gallon French oak barrels. Following primary fermentation, the wine completed malolactic, or secondary fermentation, and was aged sur-lie for seven months with regular batonage. Our goal has always been to produce wines with both intensity and great balance, to maximize the inherent quality of the grapes. The most important aspects of this quest are growing or purchasing great grapes, paying attention to detail, and keeping an open mind. Our cardinal rule in winemaking is that there are no rules, no formulas, no “right” way. Our knowledge base grows with each vintage, but the grapes vary with each vintage and need to be treated differently to produce the best wine possible. Fully mature grapes (six different clonal selections), 100% barrel fermentation, complete malo-lactic fermentation, and 7 months sur-lie aging have combined to produce a rich, intensely flavored wine with a delightful, creamy texture. The aromas are of green apple, citrus, honey and crème brulée. The most appealing feature of this 2004 Chardonnay is its texture, creamy and rich yet light and clean at the same time

Merlot was one of our biggest successes in the somewhat uneven, unpredictable 2002 vintage. While Cabernet sugars skyrocketed, forcing some difficult harvest decisions, our Merlot ripened very evenly. Flavor, color, and skin maturity developed nicely and all of our Merlot came in between 24.5 and 25.6° brix and 3.3 to 3.4 pH, an ideal balance for our style. This is a very worthy successor to our 2001 Merlot, quite similar in both structure and flavor profile. We think the 2002 is one of the best Merlots we’ve ever produced. You may notice that, unlike the 2001, this wine does not carry an Estate Bottled designation. While we like being able to use Estate and/or single vineyard designations, wine quality always comes first. We were willing to forego the Estate designation when blending with a small amount of Cabernet sauvignon brought more focus and intensity to the wine. (You would be amazed what a difference 2% can make in a blend.) Ripe cherry and berry aromas are followed up by a big, full, fruity, supple and velvety mouthful. There is just enough acid to give the wine a clean, fresh finish.

Thick, viscous and full of jammy, sweet tasting fruit. Still the wine you drink with a fork! Regular medal winner at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. 339 cases produced. Silver medal Sonoma County Harvest Fair 10/05

This rich sweet wine with deep ruby color and aromas of blackberries and chocolate is a wonderful after dinner drink, and is a great match with walnuts or rich cheeses ( Stilton is my favorite ). Very enjoyable now, it does have the structure to age for several years, but will, in time, throw a deposit and need decanting. 343 cases produced.

This rich sweet wine with deep ruby color and aromas of blackberries and chocolate is a wonderful after dinner drink, and is a great match with walnuts or rich cheeses ( Stilton is my favorite ). Very enjoyable now, it does have the structure to age for several years, but will, in time, throw a deposit and need decanting. 343 cases produced.

This wine is 83% Roussanne and 17% Marsanne. Whole cluster pressing and barrel fermentation have yielded a supple, harmonious, smooth and balanced wine. The rich texture and ample acidity match this wine well with a broad variety of cuisine. 573cases produced. Gold medal Sonoma County Harvest Fair 10/03. Silver medal Orange County Fair 6/04

Roussanne is a variety that has been grown in the Northern Rhône appellations of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St. Joseph and St. Peray for centuries. A century ago, White Hermitage was considered the best white wine in France¹. It is less widely planted in the Northern Rhône these days because of its susceptibility to mildew, rot and other viticultural problems such as poor fruit set, and is typically blended with Marsanne. As in 2000 (Côtes de Sonoma Blanc) and 2002, we decide to blend our Estate Marsanne with the Roussanne from Saralee’s Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The aroma is intense and complex, very fruity (citrus, peach, lychee and other tropical fruits), with hints of almond, vanilla and wet stones. The texture is smooth and supple without heaviness. Flavors of citrus, almond and a mineral note are buoyed by ample acidity. The finish is long and clean with lingering fruit flavors. The alcohol level is somewhat lower than the previous two vintages, making this wine match well with a broad variety of cuisine, including spicy dishes.

This is our fifth vintage of 91% Sauvignon blanc from Sonoma Mountain, and the first one that has not borne a vineyard designation. The warm 2002 growing season resulted in “riper” aromas and flavors in the Sauvignon blanc – more pineapple. Less than 5% each of Semillon and Muscadelle de Bordelais (a.k.a. Sauvignon vert) adds aromas of fig, and mango, and softens the acid somewhat. While it still has very strong Sauvignon blanc character and a crisp, fresh finish this wine has better balance than previous vintages, and should find many fans. Pairs well with lemon chicken, oysters, Asian and Thai foods. 277 cases produced.

Wellington Vineyards has been making Syrah since 1993, but this is our first Reserve bottling. We think this is the finest Syrah we have ever made. The weather was ideal during the final ripening phase for most of our vineyards in 2001. After a hot spring and summer pushed grapes to the brink of maturity very early, an unusually cool September extended the final ripening by two to four weeks. This long “hang time” resulted in great color, rich, soft tannins and fantastic intensity of flavor. We arrived at the final blend for this special wine through a series of meticulous tastings and trial blends. Inclusion of a bit of Cabernet sauvignon was the final touch, firming up the structure, adding focus, and actually intensifying the Syrah character. 262 cases produced. Silver medal Sonoma County Harvest Fair 10/03

2002 was the first year we have obtained 100% of our Syrah from Sonoma Valley. The Englandcrest Vineyard (literally next door), which Peter farms, produced its first full crop, and comprises 65% of the blend. Our other Syrah sources are Glen Lyon Vineyard, a couple of miles west of the winery, and Demko Vineyard, just east of Sonoma. Traditional punched cap fermentation in small open top tanks, gentle pressing, and barrel aging in French oak have produced a flavorful, very rich yet soft Syrah. Addition of a small amount of Estate Merlot helped fill out the middle and add some structure. The aroma is quite intense, with deep blackberry and raspberry fruit, violets, pepper, a hint of chocolate and that smoky, gamy, bacony character so unique to Syrah. The entry is soft and full, the mid-palate very fruity, yet dry, and the finish moderately long with soft tannins and lingering fruit. This wine tastes so good now that I’m inclined to drink it before the 2001.

Wine composition: 58% Merlot, 24% Cabernet sauvignon, 18% Zinfandel. This is a blend of big, chewy Merlot press wine, Cabernet with a bit too much minty eucalyptus flavor, and an elegant, lighter Zinfandel that didn’t have quite enough punch. The end result (and yes, we did trial blends to put this wine together) is a big, flavorful wine with good richness and length but lacking somewhat in smoothness and finesse when compared to our other wines.The Duke pairs excellently with holiday feast leftovers, but should also do well with burgers, spaghetti, pizza – for those times when a more expensive bottle might not be the best choice. You've heard of two buck chuck well meet five dollar bill. Cheers!

The 2001 Victory consists of 45% Estate Merlot, 37% Hulen Vineyard Cabernet and 18% Mohrhardt Ridge Cabernet. Aromas of black cherry, cassis, allspice, truffle, vanilla, raspberry, cedar. Hints of tea, licorice, brown sugar, orange peel, camphor – something new with each sniff. In the mouth: smooth, supple entry, rich but never heavy, seamless transition to a firm yet not harsh finish that promises great things to come. Drink now only if you can’t resist. Cellaring will be duly rewarded. Silver medal Sonoma County Harvest Fair 10/04

Swan Song This is our last vintage of Viognier as we are going to focus on other white Rhônes, Marsanne and Roussanne. We know we have some Viognier fans who will be disappointed that we aren’t going to bottle any more after this vintage, so I’ll try to briefly explain why we made this tough decision. Our focus and attention on our white wines is spread a little to thinly, and Viognier has been a very “high maintenance” project for us. Viognier is a very challenging grape to grow and vinify, low yields, high costs, and extra effort in the winery have led us to question the wisdom of producing it. Although Marsanne and Roussanne are not as well known yet, it is much easier to attain high quality and decent yields in the vineyard with them. In my opinion, they generally make better wine than Viognier and should have a bright future in California. Yields at Timbervine were very low (again!) in 2002, producing an intense, concentrated wine. It’s been a love/hate relationship with this grape for ten years, it’s not easy to say goodbye. Aromas of peaches, nectarine and honeysuckle, flavors of peach and apricot, rich texture and lively acidity match this wine well with such foods as Asian, poultry, seafood, pork and light cream sauces. We think this is our best Viognier to date. 367 cases produced. Bronze medal Sonoma County Harvest Fair 10/03

Our current bottling of white port is a blend of several vintages and grape varieties. The principal varieties in the white port are Chardonnay, Semillon, Burger, Palomino, Sauvignon vert and with small bits of Trousseau gris, Sylvaner, Riesling and Chasselas. All but the Chardonnay are from our 70 to 100 year old estate blocks. The current bottling is a blend that dates back over the past seven years and is offering more of the sherry qualities. The white port is lower in alcohol, acid and residual sweetness than the red port. As a result, it is softer and smoother, and a pleasant counterpoint to spice cookies, gingerbread and other lighter desserts.145 cases produced.

This Zinfandel has great depth and concentration, with nicely focused aromas of raspberries and blackberries, and a hint of French oak. It is rich and mouth filling, concentrated and well balanced with a long lingering finish. The structure and acid level of this wine in combination with the concentration and extract indicate excellent aging potential. 90 cases produced.

This Zin is a blend of three vineyards as was necessary to make the best damn wine possible. The vineyards were as follows: Shumahi Ranch, Indian Springs Ranch and Dupont Vineyard. This is a classic Zinfandel, with lots of blackberry, raspberry and black pepper. It is very fruity, has good acid, moderate alcohol (for Zin), and isn't buried under tons of new oak as is very common these days. 1090 cases produced.87 Points Wine Spectator May 31, 2003 and 89 Points Wine Enthusiast Nov. 1, 2003.

The 2002 vintage brought us one large step closer to our goal of sourcing all our Zinfandel from our immediate Glen Ellen neighborhood. 60% of the blend came from the two vineyards which we hope will be our primary sources of Zinfandel for many years to come, Meeks Hilltop Ranch and Shumahi Ranch. The balance of the blend is comprised of Zinfandel from Indian Springs Ranch, Englandcrest, and Zagari Vineyard, along with small bits of Englandcrest Syrah, and Syrah, Merlot and Alicante Bouschet from our Estate vineyard. The combination of small amounts of other varietals was carefully chosen to add richness, roundness and structure to the wine without diminishing Zinfandel character. The aromas are typical Zin: berry and cherry fruit, hints of black pepper and other spice. The fruit aromas intensify with aeration, bringing with them hints of chocolate and roasted coffee, licorice, cloves, cinnamon, orange peel and brown sugar. The entry is smooth and supple, medium bodied. Cherry, blackberry and cranberry fruit are the dominant flavors. The tannins are quite soft, leading to a long, smooth, slightly tart finish. This Zinfandel is ready to enjoy now, and we don’t recommend cellaring it for more than two or three years. It is very fruity, has great balance, very moderate alcohol (for Zin), and isn’t buried under tons of new oak as is way too common these days, so it should pair excellently with foods that might be overpowered by a bigger wine. We aren’t saying that this Zin is an insipid lightweight, just that it has great balance, elegance, and more finesse than usual.