| Welcome to
Westbrook Wine Farm News and Views |
| Introducing "Museum", our new estate grown co-fermented
field blend | |
|
|
2008
marked our tenth vintage at Westbrook
Wine Farm. All tolled, it was a benevolent
winter with sufficient chilling hours and, at
our elevation, bright winter sun to enhance
bud fruitfulness. Springtime 2008 in O'
Neals brought with it a whole different set of
circumstances. The 28 degree temperature
came in on a northeast wind the night of April
20th and fried nearly all the bright green shoots
for which we had such hope. Proving her perverse
sense of humor, Mother Nature then blessed us with
75 degrees the following day. A 75% loss of
primary shoots were (not so quickly) replaced by
weaker, less fruitful secondaries which we allowed
to grow without shoot or bunch thinning. Our
net from estate grown fruit was only three
barrels of Fait Accompli and but one barrel
of the first vintage from our new estate
vineyard called "Museum" .
Sine Quo Napa
Our "flatland" winegrowers in
Madera County did not sustain the frost damage
experienced by ourselves and many other vineyards
in California. Our Riesling from Kenwara
Vineyard, Viognier from John Simpson, Valdiguie
from Lamanuzzi and Pantaleo were spot on and ,
without a lot of winemaker meddling, rival any we
have produced to date.
Petite Sirah, you ask?
Typically our very
last grape to be harvested, this year found us on
October 20th with the rising sun showing a half
circle of fire above the thick morning
Tule fog which eerily blanketed John Simpson
Vines. At 42 degrees, the first feeling of
fall had descended upon Madera County. It
took seven of us five hours to harvest, hand sort
and pack 116 tubs of this extraordinary Petite
Sirah.
High Country Cabernet Sauvignon
The old UC Davis Clone 4
Cabernet Sauvignon is shy bearing by nature.
Add the granitic soils and
fickle weather history of high altitude in Mariposa County
and it becomes even more recalcitrant.
Be that as it may, our friends at Sturm
Gardner Vineyard have learned to harmonize with
the elements to produce some of the most intense
flavor profiles imaginable. We crushed two
tons of "C-4" this
year. To be
continued.... |
Nearly four years ago we wrote a little
piece on our decision to cultivate a half hectare
piece of stone infested ground just to the east of
our Fait Accompli Vines. All the science
utilized in planting for Fait Accompli was to be
ignored in favor of a more "historically correct"
red Bordeaux field blend on its own roots and
trained in the archaic Vertical Cordon
method. Wine Guru, Dr. Mark Arvanigian
(History CSUF) dubbed this effort "An exercise in
viticultural Darwinism". The following
cuttings (not rootings) have travelled to
Westbrook Wine Farm from California vineyards of
fame and historical note. Hence the name,
"Museum".
*Cabernet Sauvignon
heritage clone 29, Inglenook
*Cabernet Sauvignon
heritage clone 30, See
*Cabernet Sauvignon
heritage clone 31, ToKolon
*Cabernet Sauvignon clone
4 1966
*Cabernet Sauvignon clone
6 1969
*Cabernet Sauvignon clone
191
*Cabernet Sauvignon clone
169
*Gros Verdot / Cabernet
Pfeffer
*Malbec / Cot
clone 595
As previously stated,
this field was an April 2008 frost victim
too. It's north / south row orientation(for
erosion control), however, helped it "slip" the
wind into a pass through motion. Fait
Accompli with a nearly east / west orientation
(for even sunlight distribution) blocked the
frozen north wind into stagnation over the vines
thus sustaining more damage. We were able to
make one barrel of this inaugural vintage of
Museum. We hope to offer it as part of our
wine futures program for
2011. | |
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|
Reminder
Madera
Wine
Trail
Wine and Chocolate
Weekend, February 14-15, 2009. Call or email
now for your reservation to taste with us. Limited
to 50 guests per day. New Riedel passport glasses
still just $20 at any participating winery.
559-868-3499 |
 .
Currently available wines
Viognier / Valdiguie
2007
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Lodi
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
"C-4"
Fait Accompli 2006
Estate
Fait Accompli 2005 Estate
Gambono sold out
Special 2009 "stimulus" offer
until further notice: Shipping anywhere
in California : 6
bottles=$20
Case orders= FREE
SHIPPING! |
|
| Please remember that we are open most days by
appointment.
This allows us to
schedule and perform those pesky tasks in the vineyard
and the winery
Still no charge for up
to 14 adult guests.
Please, no busses, no
minors, no smoking and no guest dogs.
Come for the wine and a
warm spot by the fireplace. We hope to see you,
soon.
Ray and Tammy Krause
Westbrook
Wine Farm
559-868-3499
| | |
|
Westbrook
Wine Farm 2009 STIMULUS offer
Free shipping within California on
full case orders.
Six bottles ship for $20. May be
withdrawn at any time without
notice. | | | |
