Roussanne 2021

Appellation:

Shenandoah Valley

Winemaker Notes:

Despite another year of COVID-19, drought, fires and the hottest summer months on record, we count our blessings that despite it all 2021 was still an amazing growing year for our grapes, with strong fruit growth, well balanced acids and sugars. The season got off to a very dry start, with rainfall at just 16” for the season or 45% of normal. The impact on reservoirs across California was dramatic after the second year of well below normal rains. The one thing that did save the season was rain fell gently and in small quantities across most of the winter which kept the soil moist down to the root zones.

Bud break happened a month early and this was the first year our vineyard manager pruned all vines personally, 8,500 of them and about 150,000 cuts (thankfully with battery-operated shears). Special consistent attention to pruning, gradual rainfall and the drought tolerant deep-digging rootstock helped all vines to produce at nearly 100%. We watched with amazement as the Gamay, Syrah, Mourvedre and Roussanne we grafted just a year ago produced a bumper crop, far more than expected.

Although a major fire burned close by (Caldor) we were fortunate to have none of our grapes impacted. Harvest started in August and wrapped up end of October, with 16 wines produced this year from our 9 varietals of estate grown grapes.

Vineyard Notes:

Our Estate Roussanne grows in the lower bowl at 1,900-foot elevation in the granitic and volcanic soil of our vineyard estate in the Shenandoah Valley of the Sierra Foothills. It is grafted on special drought-tolerant rootstock which allows it to dig deep in this soil for natural water. It thrives in the warm daytime breezes from the Central Valley and cool Sierra evenings, a 30-degree swing in temperature. The lower block location is cooler, perfect for the Roussanne to ripen over a longer growing season and develop complex flavors. It is usually the last grape we harvest in our vineyards.