Dear friends,
Hello from one of the latest starts to harvest we’ve had in our 12 years living in Sonoma County! Over Labor Day weekend, we actually spent time with friends (in addition to sampling a couple vineyards), and our first Desire Lines pick of the year was last Wednesday: Grenache from the incredible Sky Vineyard atop Mt. Veeder.
This pick was particularly special because it marks the start of a project that we’re simply ecstatic about. Last week, our four-year-old, Caleb aka Cal, put on his vineyard boots and accompanied Cody on the Sky Grenache pick to make his very own wine, a rosé we hope to release next spring/summer.
Making this process even more exciting, we got to press this half-ton of rosé in the very basket press that Morgan first used to make Bedrock wines in the 2007-2009 harvests. He showed Cal (and us) how to work the press. Cellarmaster Seph has been working on restoring the basket press and getting it back in action for the last few years, and we were beyond thrilled to get to use it. Cal brought a few clusters to his preschool class for them to taste this week. The fruit and the juice taste great, and it was a great way to kick off harvest 2023.
In the Desire Lines world, we’re getting close to picking Evangelho Carignan and patiently waiting for everything else to ripen. In the meantime, we have our Fall 2023 release coming up on Tuesday, September 19. This release includes the triumphant return of Lichau Hill Cabernet Sauvignon after a year's hiatus due to smoke exposure in 2020. The 2021 is without a doubt our best vintage of Lichau Hill yet, and we can’t wait for you to try it. We’ll also have a beautiful rendition of Evangelho Red Wine (90% Carignan, 10% Mourvèdre), and on the white wine side of things, the 2022 renditions of Cole Ranch Riesling, Massa Vineyard Kabinett-Style Riesling, and Kick Ranch Sauvignon Blanc.
Please keep an eye out for an email on the 19th, in which we’ll share much more about this lineup of wines.
Sincerely yours,
Emily, Cody, Caleb, Drew & Maya
