June Newsletter

Vineyard Report

Boy it was cold this past winter! How cold was it? It was so cold that your tongue would stick to that metal trellis out there an so cold that the leaves never had a chance to drop off the vine. And colder than two miners rowing to Point Lovely in January. The vines said “nope, growing season is not going to happen”.

This past winter has been rough on the grapevines due to the unrelenting cold. Bud damage is extensive in our colder sections of the property and in some of our more fragile grape varieties like Grenache and Syrah.

Given its cold climate origin, it is not surprising that our Riesling vines came through the winter the best.

Since this is what makes up our best-selling white wine, we are happy to anticipate making normal amounts of Nauti Buoy this year. For the vines that do have viable buds, “bud break” occurred right on schedule this year at the end of April.

May and most have June have been beautiful so far with warm mild weather, a big departure from last Spring where flowering was delayed by several weeks due to cold and wet weather.

There is some smoke in the air already from wildfires in Canada and we all are hoping this does not forebode smoke the rest of the summer. It is a little too early for wildfires and it will not effect the grapes or the wine at all this early in the season.

Cellar Report

We’ve bottled the first few wines of the 2022 vintage year, our rosés, Nauti Buoy, Shameless Hussy Viognier the new Gamay Noir.  Watch for a very small batch of Happy Ending ( late Harvest Gewurztraminer) that will come out later this year. We will continue to bottle in the Fall with the Super Sauvignon Blanc  SMS (it is”super” because of the addition of Muscadelle and Semillon) and our Reserve Chardonnay along with the 2021 reds ( Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Pinot Noir, GSM and Malbec).  The 2021 reds have the mark of a great high quality vintage: low yields, wonderful color, great complexity and a luscious and sultry feel to them. Stick around for what’s in store!

Winery Report

With most of the 2022 wines already in the bottle, we turn our attention already to planning and preparation of the 2023 vintage. We are saying goodbye to our old beloved tanks,  our 5-ton cask we call “The Gamba”. This is the vessel where the Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc magic happens. 5 tons of fruit can fit in this tank and there is something wonderful that happens to wine that is made from grapes fermented in an oak tank. Hard to explain it scientifically exactly what it is, but we think it is a combination of the tannin manipulation with the tannins in the oak together with the shape of the tank ( wider on the bottom than the top) that combine to create wonderfully textured and highly alluring red wines. It has served us so well! But in its place a new star will emerge, drum roll please, introducing “Leroy” (see picture below) which is very similar in style to The Gamba, but with the added advantage of cooling coils inside the tank. This will allow us to manage the temperatures of the fermentation, and in the long run we think will produce wines with more finesse and elegance. Stay tuned.

The new “Leroy” coming in to replace The Gamba

The “Gamba”. Thank you dear friend for your service!

Wine Club News

The June quarterly wine club allotment is out and includes a new grape variety, Gamay Noir,  that we are so excited about plus a tasting room favorite and one of our oldest plantings, Cabernet Franc.

Gamay Noir was planted for us at Farmer Jon Vineyard on the south shore of Lake Chelan (right above the Chelan high school) in 2018. The full name is gamay noir à jus blanc, referring to the eccentricities that its skin is black, its juice is white, but the wine produced is a light-bodied red. Gamay is widely planted in Beaujolais region of France where people have been quietly enjoying it for years. So it is note widely known. But having tried some great Gamays from British Columbia and the Willamette Valley we knew that it would thrive in Lake Chelan Climate and product an outstanding red.

Here is what is in the June shipment:

2022 Gamay Noir.  Fermented in our cocciopesto amphora (aka The Drunk Turtle) then aged in a combination of amphora and neutral oak. Bottled after only 6 months of aging to capture the youthful aromas and fruit in this wine.  Wild strawberries, wild raspberries, wildflowers, peppercorns stream through the flavors, housed by whisper fine tannins. The finish is stony and lingering, encouraging another glass (bottle!). Take with a slight chill (as often as you can).

2019 ‘Whole Picture’ Estate Cabernet Franc. Our cabernet franc was one of the first grapes we planted in 2005 on our Glacial Gravels vineyard. Farmed organically and certified sustainable, handpicked and fermented in a 5-ton Italian-made Oak Fermenter (aka The Gamba) using only natural yeasts that come in on the grapes from the vineyard. Aromatic and full of savory black cherry, dark fruit, tobacco and leather. The acidity is on point and the oak (mostly new French oak) is the perfect backdrop to the flavors and balance. The tannins are dense with the potential to age for another 6 – 8 years. This the last of this vintage, lay a bottle or two down if you can, it will continue to evolve.

2022 ‘Soixante-Neuf’ rosé of Gamay Noir.  Bone dry, savory pink that is crisp and mouthwatering. The fruit is whole-bunch pressed and fermented in stainless steel for purity of flavors. Look for subtle hints of wild strawberry and crushed raspberries dusted with black pepper in a spare, fresh version of Gamay Noir rosé.  This is a very limited run of this wine, re-order soon before it is gone.

Recipes

Mushroom Piccata

A brilliant combination of fat (butter), acidity (lemon) and salt (capers), tangy piccata sauce makes an excellent dressing for meaty, earthy mushrooms.  Good with polenta or serve with toast with a thin layer of plain chevre, topped with the mushroom piccata. Serve with a very slightly chilled 2022 Gamay Noir ( if at room temperature simply pop in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so).

Ingredients

2 pounds mixed mushrooms, such as cremini or white button (halved), shiitake caps (halved), portobello caps (quartered) or maitake mushrooms (torn into large clusters)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon caper brine

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees

On each of 2 large rimmed sheet pans, combine half of the mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat then spread in an even layer.

Roast the mushrooms for 10 minutes, then flip them and continue roasting until tender and deep golden all over, 5 minutes longer. Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter. Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter as they finish cooking.

Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet over medium, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add butter and stir until melted, then stir in lemon juice, capers, caper brine and parsley; season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the piccata sauce all over the mushrooms and serve warm or at room temperature.

Thanks to the NY Times for the recipe

Charred Radicchio Wedge Salad

Sunset Restaurant in Manson makes a grilled wedge salad that we loved and was the inspiration for this recipe. Serve the salad warm with an ice-cold bottle of Soixante-Neuf rosé.

 Ingredients

 For the buttermilk-crème fraîche dressing:

2 tablespoons finely diced shallots

2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus more to taste

1/4 cup buttermilk, well-shaken

1/4 cup crème fraîche

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon minced chives

Salt and pepper

For the wedge salad:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 ounces pancetta, finely diced

1 large head of radicchio (10 to 12 ounces)

2 ounces Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled

1 large pear, cut into small cubes

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Small handful of small mint leaves

To make the dressing: Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth. Season to taste with lemon juice, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add more buttermilk (a teaspoon at a time) if the dressing is too thick. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This can be made 2 to 3 days in advance.

To prep the radicchio: Remove any wilted or bruised outer leaves, then cut the radicchio in half lengthwise through the core. Place the halves cut-side down, then cut each half into two wedges, leaving the root end intact.

In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for one minute. Add pancetta, and sauté until it is crispy and the fat has rendered. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.

Increase heat to medium-high. Place four wedges, cut-side down, into pan, and cook until the outer leaves start to char, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, then repeat with other cut side, about 3 minutes cooking time total. You want the outer leaves to get dark brown in spots but the inside to stay crisp. Avoid overcooking the radicchio or it will wilt and become too soft.

For serving, place one wedge on each plate, and top with buttermilk-crème fraîche dressing and scatter with pancetta. Around the wedge, scatter more pancetta, pear, blue cheese, chives, and mint.

Serve additional dressing on the side if desired.