theCompass mobile application is a winery, brewery, and distillery locator for North America.

The wine possesses aromatics of sweet blackberry, light tar and leather. Picks up hints of pepper and a fleshy peach blossom lift from the viognier after being open for while. Rich blackberry flavors carry to the pallet with cocoa powder, white pepper and hints of peach/apricot viognier flavors. The lushness of the wine is nicely balanced by firm dusty tannins and sound acidty.

The vineyard, with its 45 - 60 degree rocky slopes, has yet again produced some amazing fruit for us. The tannins are rounder at this point than the 2001 and the wine may prove to be more approachable at a younger age. The fans of this wine will still find the Priorat-like roasted fruit profile and the rich texture found in the 2001. The aromatics of chocolate mint, roasted red and black fruits of plum, black cherry and strawberry compote emerge from the glass. Ripe blackberry, toast and baking spice flavors are accent by bittersweet dark chocolate nuances. The pallet is full and rich but is nicely buffered by dusty tannins and acidity.

This is our first syrah release from this vineyard in Anderson Valley that is planted along with the viognier we released earlier this summer. The vineyard, with its high elevation and cool climate, has produced a really fascinating young wine. This wine is also special to us in that it was a joint blending effort with Paul Roberts, the sommelier for the French Laundry. We cofermented the wine with 3% viognier and 50% whole cluster then barrel aged it in 40% new oak. Together with Paul, we blended various percentages of cold fermented viognier from Broken Leg. We decided on 2.5% bringing the total to 5.5% viognier. The wine will only be available via our mailing list or in 375ml at the French Laundry in Yountville and New York. We look forward to continuing this relationship with Paul and have some other things in store for future releases. (123 cases produced) The wine possesses aromatics of sweet blackberry, light tar and leather. Picks up hints of pepper and a fleshy peach blossom lift from the viognier after being open for while. Rich blackberry flavors carry to the pallet with cocoa powder, white pepper and hints of peach/apricot viognier flavors. The lushness of the wine is nicely balanced by firm dusty tannins and sound acidty.

This is our second vintage working with this truly amazing vineyard. Christophe Baron, the owner, has planted this own rooted syrah in some of rockiest vineyards we've seen outside of Chateauneuf du Pape. We have posted some pictures on our website that attempt to convey the rocky terrain. The wine is a unique expression of syrah and reflects its extreme environment. We fermented the syrah with 75% whole cluster which imparted the wine with great aromatics, texture and balance to the ripe fruit flavors. The wine was barrel aged in one third new French oak and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Though interesting to taste now, we suggest cellaring until next spring for it to really show its potential. The 2001 is just starting to drink great now. (157 cases produced) Picholine olives, sage, violets, iron and spice mingle with plum and blackberry aromatics. This is one of the most complex syrahs we've made to date with layers of changing aromatics as the wine opens. The wine maintains suppleness and balance of texture on the pallet blending the white pepper, blackberry, cocoa and subtle violet flavors nicely with soft tannins and enough acidity to keep it all in balance. The finish is long with delicate smoke and mineral qualities.

This is our fourth vintage making Caties viognier and each year we think the wines get better and better. Not only are the vines getting older but our understanding of what we can do in the vineyard and cellar is becoming that much clearer. The tell tale citrus-like fruits of Caties are again evident in this wine. The 2003 is a little more unctuous out of the gates on the pallet but is still nicely balanced by crisp acidity to match with a variety of summer foods. We think shrimp on the grill and a nice chilled bottle of Caties is a match hard to beat. Orange blossom, sweet apricots, and candied orange rind aromas exude from the glass. Richly textured apricot flavors dominate the palate and are accented nicely by white flower nuances. The long floral apricot finish is nicely balanced with crisp acidity.

We lost a good percentage of this crop to frost, which ultimately changed our blend for our 2001 Cerise. The Martini clone, which contributed a firm backbone to our 2000, was severely frosted and plays a less dominant role. Fortunately our blocks of 777 and 667 clones came into production to add the overall blend. The Dijon clones from this vineyard appear to flesh out and provide another layer of complexity the martini alone could not. The wine still has the firmness this hillside vineyard exhibits and appears to have more layers earlier than the 2000. (115 cases produced) Bing Cherry, talc, spice and light toast on the nose. The flavors mirror the nose and pick up a mineral and beet root quality. The tannins are firm but supple with good red fruits that are accentuated by the bright acidity. nish with plush dusty tannins.

As with all our vineyards, the worst frost in thirty years took its share of our fruit. Production was down nearly 40%, but the fruit quality was very high. In our opinion, the 35+ year old vines of the Dennison vineyard yet again, proved to make some intriguing wine. (120 cases produced) The wine maintains the earthy, fresh mushroom quality we find appealing in this vineyard Subtle tea, cola and light toast add to the cherry and rhubarb flavors. The wine this vineyard produces is consistently very pure in its fruit profile and balanced well with its natural acidity.

We are proud to offer you our Hacienda Secoja Pinot Noir. The first two years we had this vineyard, we could only muster one barrel. In 2002 we finally had enough yield to go beyond our one barrel wine making. The red and ocher soils, unique to this vineyard, seem to impart a consistent dried rose petal accent to the wine unlike any other we have. The wine is young and very tight right now but is the most approachable of our pinots at this point. We suggest decanting the wine if possible or short term cellaring for the wine to really show itself. (193 cases produced) Asian spice, rose petals and light anise notes compliment the bright bing cherry and cranberry fruit. Pallet is full but bright acid and dusty tannins keep the fruit from being heavy. More floral notes emerge as the wine opens, melding nicely with the cherry fruit, spice and talc-like fine grain tannins. Patience in allowing this wine to open up is a must.

The Hawks Butte vineyard is located in the small appellation of Yorkville Highlands. The area is a continuous string of high benches and land troughs bordered by even higher ridges along Highway 128 as you head into the Anderson Valley. Hawks Butte is situated at 1200 feet with a southwest facing slope. The soil composition is primarily fractured shale with sporadic bands of white quartz. The vines have struggled to get a foothold in this extreme environment but are now producing what we feel is an amazingly unique wine. The fruit from this vineyard has produced one of our best syrahs to date. The wine has achieved what we have loved about the great wines of the Northern Rhone-intensity and complexity without being heavy or overbearing. The minerality and pallet weight are also reminiscent of these wines and has really exceeded all our expectations. The wine exudes loads of sweet cassis fruit, licorice, and pink peppercorns with crushed stones and pressed flowers slowly emerging on the nose. Aromas carry to the pallet where the mouth feel is full, structured and dense but held in check by the wine's great minerality and acidity. The tannins are full and ripe with a persistent, rich textured finish.

This is the second of our 2002 pinots to be released and again the vineyard has provided us with a great wine. Heavy clay soils of the Hein vineyard have created a wine with good concentration, depth, with a silky texture and fine grained tannins. The wine has surely benefited from nearly a year in bottle and has helped integrate the tannins, from the 40% whole cluster fermentation, with the pure dark fruits we get from this vineyard. Another year or two in bottle and this wine should be hitting its stride. The wine manages concentrated intense flavors yet keeps a sense of elegance and balance. Black cherry, rhubarb, mace and dusty talc like nuance are prominent in the nose. Lingering flavors mirror the aromatics and are buttressed by firm but supple tannins and balanced acidity. Though approachable now, the wine will surely benefit from some short term cellaring.