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Barbera
Dry Creek Valley, Certified Organic
2006
The Wine
Did you know that Barbera used to be one of
the most widely planted grapes in California's hot
Central Valley? In the days before sophisticated wine
chemistry this grape was prized for its high natural acid
which preserved the fresh forward fruit character of
blends. Well, our Barbera adds to that zesty finish an
incredibly deep and dense berry character with undertones
of harness leather. Throw in some shade-grown
coffee, creek stones, and coastal oak. That's our 100%
varietal Barbera.
The Vines
We first planted Barbera here in 1978, an early
project to diversify the property from Zinfandel and
the Cabernet Sauvignon that came with the property.
In fact we introduced it on some gravelly creek-bottom
soils that had previously supported Cabernet vines.
Our first Barbera wine was an instant winner, and we
have honored this favorable gravel-grape siting with
each new planting. Barbera is not an easy grape to
ripen properly, and we compensate with severe
pruning, canopy management to optimize sunlight
witout sunburn, and removal of second crop. The
result is worth it.
Food
The intense fruit of Barbera mates well with the
richness of roasted and grilled foods. Millenium Restaurant
in San Francisco works incredible magic with vegan
preparations, an example caught my eye and charmed my
palate: Chiptole grilled Portobello mushroom and
zucchini tamale with a side of dried cherries and toasted
almonds. All the important food groups.
Organic
With the 2005 releases all our wines now have "Organic"
labeling. The entire farm, vineyards, and the winery too
are certified by C.C.O.F. in recognition of our multi-year
program of soil nutrition, pest management, and vinification
without the use of synthetic materials. Siting of the
Barbera block adjacent to Peña Creek, which hosts the
sharpshooter pest insect, led us to a customized solution:
we planted rows of olive trees and blooming hedgerows to
create a natural trap and buffer that protects the vines.
Technical Data
Varietal: Barbera
Vintage: 2006
Estate: 100%
Year Planted: 1995
Soil: Valley Floor Gravel Loam
Alcohol by Volume: 14.4%
Bottling Date: 11/13/2007
Release Date: 12/01/2007
Total Cases: 1011
CA Retail: $28.00
Aging Potential
10 years from vintage
Updated: December 17, 2007
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