Early Blending

It is now the post-harvest lull, with the wines sleepily finishing up their malolactics in a cellar made cool by the frosty nights we have been having. As expected, those wines with higher pH are jumping through ML with greater precociousness. Also, fruit character is clear enough that I have decided to put together the Bedrock Heirloom Blend.

The Zinfandel was showing typical Sonoma Valley character in its rich black raspberry fruit, spice-box components, and abundant tannin. However, the pH of 4.11 with a TA of 8 grams per liter was making my already panic-prone heart worry too much. Once over 3.8 pH you can hit a wine with a titanic portion of sulfur and still have little effect in protecting it from nasty microbes. The anwer was:

Bedrock Barbera with a pH of 3.15, which also has some lovely bright pepper and cherry fruit components.

Bedrock Carignane at 3.56, possessing boysenberry fruit and oriental spice components.

Bedrock Syrah at 3.6, possessing great color, smoke, and dark spice elements.

The final blend was composed of 4 barrels of Zinfandel, 2 barrels of Carignane, 1 barrel of Syrah, and 1 barrel of Barbera. The pH is at 3.79 with .5 grams of MA remaining in the wine and an alcohol of 15%. I am thrilled with the richness of fruit and spice components of the wine. It is in about 35% new oak, with the cooperage being a Rousseau Bertranges M+ barrel, a Cadus Allier 36 Month M+, and a Marsannay Troncois M+ barrel. All Burgundy cooperage to enhance the spice and aromatic complexity of the wine (hopefully!).

Cannot wait for you guys to be able to taste it!!