I Brand Cabernet Franc Bayly Ranch is made from 100% Cabernet Franc.
This 100% Cabernet Franc is produced from vineyards located in Tres Pinot Creek, (along San Andreas Fault Line), at only 800 foot elevation. A great locale for Cabernet Franc to exhibit Loire-like structure overlaid with the bright fruit befitting California sunshine.
Review:
"This is a sprightly, textural, mineral-driven bottling that's immediately fascinating yet will be a joy to watch evolve. Light in the glass, it begins with aromas of cranberry, nori wrap, herb-dusted strawberry and a hint of dried blood. The palate shows a rusty edge, offering dried strawberry, crumpled oregano and a hint of green peppercorn. Drink now through 2034. - Matt KETTMANN"
- Wine Enthusiast (Septmember 1st 2021), 94 pts
Ptit Paysan Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petite Verdot, 3% Cabernet Pfeffer.
Oak: 11 months on lees in neutral barrels
The Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a vineyard at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains west of Morgan Hill, which grows in a mix of granitic and volcanic soils, and a 25-year-old vineyard east of Gilroy, which grows in deep, extremely sandy soils against the foothills of the Diablo Range. The Petite Verdot is sourced from the Paicines AVA and grows in rocky alluvial deposits above the Tres Piños Arroyo. All three vineyards experience the warm days and cold nights typical of the Central Coast, allowing these late ripening Bordeaux varieties to be picked at high acidity and moderate sugars.
Le P'tit Paysan offers intense blackberry, dark cherry aromas, chocolate, herbaceous and toasty notes on the palate. Medium-bodied, well-balanced with moderate and integrated tannins that give structure and liveliness to the wine.
Pairs well with steak, duck, game, hearty stews, ribs, and dark, rich sauces.
Ptit Paysan Chardonnay Jackss Hill is made from 100% Chardonnay
Oak: Combination of neutral oak (2% new French) and stainless tanks
This wine comes from a few vineyards at the base of Jack's Hill, planted on the distinct iron oxide granite that dominates the east side of Salinas Valley, directly east of Sleepy Hollow North.
Bright, crisp and clean with orchard fruit giving way to an intense minerality.
Le P'tit Paysan Le Ptit Pape is made from 62% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 14% Mourvedre, 3% Counoise, 2% Cinsault
Oak: Mixture of one and twice used barrels for 11 months and puncheons
Playful interpretaion of a domestic, baby, Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Cherry blossoms, dusty road, red plums, herb de Provence. Rosewater and red cherry on the palate, nimble with medium body. Grippy finish with firm Grenache tannins and hints of olive and sagebrush.
Fermented in several lots ranging from 0-50% whole cluster. Fermeted to dryness on skins.
Aged in neutral barrels for 11 months. From limestone rich soils
Marea Albarino is made from 100% Albariño
This 100% Albarino is produced from fruits grown in Kristy Vineyard, on the western bench overlooking the Salinas River on broken sediment of ancient sea beds. Kristy is special because Albarino in the vineyard reaches full phenological ripeness at low potential alcohol and natural, bright acidity. Cold fermented in stainless steel for aromatic intensity.
Bright, fresh and crisp with notes of lemon curd and tangerine. On the palate it shows elegant texture and bright acidity on the finish.
Picked under 22 brix, 2/3 whole cluster pressed, 1/3 destemmed and left on skins for two days. Aged on the lees for four months and then sterile filtered.
Pairs with oysters, grilled fish, spicy cuisines.
Ibizkus White Tierra Ibiza is made from 90% Malvasia and 10% of other grape varietals (Macabeo, Muscat and Chardonnay).
With the Malvasia grape as the protagonist, Ibizkus white is an intense wine with its own personality. A straw yellow color with golden hus, it is medium-bodied, smooth, creamy and aromatic with citrus fruit, stone fruit and smoked fragrances. Silky on the palate with balanced acidity..
Vineyards on the west of the island bring density and fullness to the wine while the Cala Mastella vineyards add freshness.
Malvasia is grown on calcareous clay terraces in the San Mateo region and limestone rock slopes on a vineyard close to the sea at 180-metre altitude.
Review:
"Fragrant wine with a pot-pourri of flavors: apricot, hop flowers, cucumber skin and jasmine. Slightly spritzy. Would really shine with food perhaps.
- Decanter World Wine Awards, Silver Medal - 90 pts
The 2023 Far Niente Chardonnay enchants with a bouquet of citrus, white floral, and hints of honeydew melon and nectarine. Its silky texture and bright, refreshing palate dance with flavors of lemon/lime zest and lemon verbena, culminating in a long, juicy finish that leaves the palate yearning for more.
Review:
The combination of Carneros' maritime climate and the volcanic soils of Coombsville lends a hand in creating one of the most deluxe Chardonnays our team has had the pleasure of tasting. Augmented by sweet vanilla cream, elderflower, and white cherry, the mouthfeel is exquisitely graceful, and notes of key lime, herbed lemon, and luscious ripe pineapple are opulent to the end. Aged sur lie in French oak barrels.
-Tasting Panel 97 Points
Thorn Clarke Shotfire Quartage is made from 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 16% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot.
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The fruit was harvested at night. Fermentation was carried out in a variety of small capacity fermenters. After pressing the parcels were filled to French oak (12 months) for maturation. The wine was racked after six months and the parcels were blended to form the final wine.
Shotfire Quartage is based on the five traditional red varieties found in the Bordeaux region of France (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec). The Thorn-Clarke winemakers use at least four of the varieties to create the blend each year (occasionally, they can get over excited and use all five). The blend is a reminder to not only look to the future but also to keep an eye on the past and tradition.
Much like the previous vintage, the 2020 harvest has produced wines of immense quality but with very low quantities. Another dry winter and mild weather during the ripening period lead to great varietal flavours and excellent tannin structure. Upon harvest the bunches were few and far between and the berries themselves small. This led to fruit with intense flavor and color along with great power and balance.
This generous blend boasts a rich deep red-purple color. Aromas of blackberries, satsuma plum and anise fill the glass. On the palate, plush tannins are accompanied by rich notes of cassis and blackcurrant. Together they produce a wine with lavish density, complexity and length. A wine that can be enjoyed now or laid down to age for many years.
The Shotfire range honors a family pioneer who worked the Barossa goldfields in the late 1800's. He had the hazardous job of being a 'Shotfirer'; one who handled the explosives to be used in finding that rich vein of gold.