Winemaker Notes

Gold Dust Estate Vineyard

Our Gold Dust Estate Vineyard is situated on a ridge line high in Southern El Dorado County. Planted in 2000 at 2,700’ elevation, the 100% decomposed granite on the property produce wines of particular complexity and structure. Our Primitivo is planted in the smallest block on the vineyard, generally yielding only about 100 cases each year. The Primitivo block is on a slight south and west facing slope leading to a slight difference in ripeness from the northernmost to southernmost situated rows. The diversity in the grape development yield a wine that has generous aromatics, while finishing off with significant body structure, and complexity.

Vintage

The 2024 vintage was marked by a cool Spring with two snowfalls, and a late start to the growing season. The weather warmed up significantly in July, with a 10 day heat wave during the first part of the month. This head kickstarted verasion and left behind some sunburn damage in the vineyard. Once the damaged fruit was dropped, August cooled down significantly (not one day over 100 degrees!) which flowed into Septemeber, given us the benefit a little extra hang time for sugar and phenolic development.

Varietals

Tempranillo derives its name from the Spanish word “temprano,” meaning “early” as the grape is known for its tendency to, you guessed it, ripen early. The grape is the number one red wine producer in Spain, but accounts for only a fraction of red wine production in the United States. Despite its reputation for being the first to ripen, it is planted in the coldest block of our Gold Dust Vineyard, making it almost always the last of our fruit that we pick every year, making our Tempranillo uniquely suited for acid-driven, fruity rosé.

Chenin Blanc is named after Mount Chenin and originates from the Loire Valley in France. The grapes are planted along the sandy loam soils of the Loire Valley. Chenin is very much a “winemaker’s grape” in the way in which the grape is processed and aged can drastically change the final wine. Chenin styles can range from light, crisp and completely dry and zippy (our style!), to more rounded , weighty and even off-dry. The versatility of the grape and the intense acid structure make Chenin Blanc a tremendous compliment to foods, especially those with sweet, sour, and fatty characteristics like Asian-style cuisine.