Dear Club Members and Friends,

Welcome to the May installment of our newsletter. After an unseasonably warm and dry early spring we have been lucky enough to receive a brief but heavy rainfall that was a timely reminder that it is not yet summer. The warm weather has certainly promoted growth in the vines. We already have Sangiovese in full flower and several other varieties on the verge of flowering.

This bodes well for an early harvest, or at the least not a late one. The cool, damp pattern we are currently experiencing may have some effect on flowering and hence fruit set that may be of a concern to some growers. For us there is no real concern as the Sangiovese performs better with a slightly shattered set. It regularly “crops” on the heavy side and we then need to go through several times “dropping shoulders and bunches” to achieve balance in the vine. A naturally poor set means that each bunch will have fewer berries and be more loose and airy. This means a more even ripeness and less work thinning the bunches later as well as reduced disease pressure. 

At the end of the month we will be bottling the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2011 Rosso di Sonoma. It is always exciting to see the SB go to tank as each barrel is subtly different. We have three quite different batches being blended together and aside from some trials, it is the first time to see the wine as a whole. It is a beauty. It has a serious structure for that variety, intense fruit, densely packed with flavor and a very long finish of lemon and limes with the characteristic hints of herb. Delicious! It will be released later in summer when the 2011 runs out. I can wait, I love the 2011 equally and it has been received overwhelmingly well by the trade and public alike. We finish the SB ferment in barrel so these wines appeal to Chardonnay drinkers (who might not like SB as much) along with die-hard SB fans.

The beginning of May marked my second trip to Dallas for the year. The prior trip in January saw us tour many of the leading restaurants there that now list our wines. This trip took in more of the retail outlets as well as some wine events in restaurants we visited previously. One was a fantastic wine and cheese pairing event at Scardello’s Artisan Cheese. This was a revelation to me and I was super impressed with the pairings Rich put together and the variety of nuances he was able to draw from the wines depending on the cheese. One of my favorites was the salty Gouda paired with the slight sweetness of the 2011 Rosato. Another fun event was pouring wines at Vino Volo in Terminal A of the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. They have a chain of wine bars located in airports around the country serving an eclectic mix of fine wines and small plates to accompany them. It’s fantastic how much the quality of food and beverage available in airports has improved over the last few years. 

 Caio,

Martin Mackenzie
Winemaker

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Dear Club members and Friends,

Welcome to the March newsletter. As I write this from inside our chilly cellar the sun is beaming outside and I can feel summer poking its head around the corner. Before that happens I will be on a trade trip to Texas. Part of the itinerary involves the Sonoma in the City event in Dallas on March 19^th at the Rosewood mansion and I would love to meet any of our wine club members who might be attending the event. Aside from that, I will be touring the area with our awesome Texas distributors, Serendipity Wines, for the week.

We are well placed for the coming season. The pruning is complete and we do not have any significant planting to do this year. One job we have going is a fine-tuning of the trellis system in an area of Cabernet Sauvignon. It will benefit from a divided and more meticulous canopy. That is to say the shoots will be placed more carefully to maximize light interception by the leaves. The little tweaks we make here and there make the difference between good and great wines. Having vineyards that are all Estate owned and managed allows us to get exactly the results we desire. 

This is one of my favorite times of year; when the vines are dormant, the wines for the most part are resting and there is a calm feeling around the place while we await budburst (when the vines signal that it is time for us to get going again.) In the meantime we are preparing the 2011 vintage reds and 2012 whites for bottling in May and June. This is a fun time when the blends are finalized and we are able to enjoy the finished products directly from the tank for a couple weeks before they are consigned to bottles and dispatched around the country. It’s a little like sending your kids off to college, it’s a job well done but you will kind of miss having them around.

As I mentioned in the last newsletter, we have bottled the 2012 Rosato and 2011 Pinot Noir. Wine is a funny thing and you never know quite how it will react to bottling. The 2010 Pinot was not happy about being bottled and it took six months to recover from this bottle shock. Conversely the 2011 went to bottle well and, rather unusually, I like it better straight after bottling than at anytime before. The 2011Pinot Noir is fragrant with red berry fruit, strawberry and vanilla, the palate smooth and seamless and has a nice core of fine tannin beneath the fluid fruit. I prefer it to the very popular 2010 already!

The 2012 Rosato will be released sometime this summer and nothing looks as dramatically beautiful as the vivid deep pink of our Rosato with the turquoise blue swimming pool set behind it. Add some prosciutto, bread and Petroni Olive Oil and you arer set for an awesome day at Petroni Vineyards Tasting Room!

Ciao,

Martin Mackenzie
Winemaker

P.S. Please remember to join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PetroniVineyards

Hello Wine Club members and friends.

Welcome to the December newsletter – the last of 2012. What an exciting and eventful year we have had. The cave has progressed towards its expected completion next summer, we have milled the second vintage of olives with a record crop of 30 tons, and of course, we have had an outstanding vintage for the wine

Although last year was our inaugural press of the olives it lasted only a day due to an appalling fruit set (partially due to their tendency towards being biennial but also largely due to the cold wet and windy weather we experienced in 2011). It seemed like we hardly had time to start the olive press and get it tuned before we ran out of olives. It took only a couple hours to process the one and half ton that year. This year it took two weeks, processing three to five tons per day. Iit is fair to say we have fully come to terms with our new machinery. New olive oil is quite a treat with its green hue and generous aromas and this is what we smell each day when we work in the olive press room.

The wines also continue to contribute to the aroma on the estate. They are midway through malo-lactic fermentation, also known as secondary fermentation. This is the fermentation of malic acid by bacteria that convert it to the softer lactic acid. As the wines complete this final stage, each batch is ‘racked’ from the barrel to a tank and later returned after the solids that had fallen to the bottom of the barrels have been washed out with a hot pressure washing system. Once all the wines have finished this process I may even feel comfortable enough to take a well-earned break!

Another who deserves a break is Samuel, our tireless vineyard manager. Hard on the heels of harvest he has torn out an acre or two of the vineyard to make way for some improved plantings. He’s just finished the long and exhausting harvesting and pressing of the Olives. Now he has his sites set on planting, which will be followed by pruning our 30 acres of vines. On a diverse organically run property like this there is no end to the projects and we are all kept very busy all year.

With Christmas fast coming upon us we find ourselves considering our menu for the big day and, of course, wines to pair with each meal. My little family is as yet undecided. Perhaps have a go at an old classic, Duck l’orange, which I would rather decadently simultaneously have a glass each of the Pinot and the Chardonnay. But it is always hard to resist the Poggio alla Pietra, our signature wine produced from the Sangiovese perched on the terraced hillsides. It is perfectly acceptable to choose a meal to match with a wine rather than the other way around and for this my mother in laws whole fillet coated in fried peppercorns might well be the option.

A  final note, those of you who are considering getting some of our Pinot, our 2010 has Sold Out. (We have just enough for next Wine Club shipments.) The following vintage is not expected to be released until the middle of next year.

Merry Christmas!

Martin Mackenzie
Winemaker

P.S. Please remember to join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PetroniVineyards

 Dear Club Members and Friends,

Welcome to the monthly newsletter, although this time it is bi-monthly due to harvest getting in the way of last month’s newsletter! As you can well imagine when the fruit is coming in, the ferments are raging and the vineyards requiring constant inspection it can be difficult to find the time to sit down at all, never mind write a newsletter.

All for a good cause though! Most of you have already heard through the grapevine (so to speak )that it has been a monumentally great vintage. Those who are a good deal longer in the tooth than myself describe it as the best vintage since the 70’s. Others are saying it is the best since which ever vintage they can barely recall because it was so long ago. In any case, it is definitely the best vintage I have been involved with on these shores. As well as the wines looking great across the board, all our wines from 2012 are certified organic! So when you raise your glass and toast your good health you can feel even more justified than ever.

It is tempting to say that a particular wine will be a standout, but that would not do justice to the remainder of the wines. They are all quite sensational across the board. The whites are ripe and well balanced, poised, focused and with great palate intensity. The reds are inky, incredibly rich with a focus on the fruit flavors (a notable quality of the reds). The color is such that some of the reds seem to stain the glass they are sipped from. 2012 is definitely a vintage to look forward to in the coming years.

This is not to say that our current wines are any less delicious. This month sees the beginning of some new vintages for a couple wines and of course, that means the end of some favorites too. The 2007 Cabernet has run out and the 2008 is being released as we speak. I loved the 2007 for its balance and complexity rather than sheer power like  the vintages on either side of it. It is difficult to resist the power and silky texture of the 2008. It is a return to the big heavyweight style very similar to the delicious 2006 Cabernet. For those of you who recall that vintage it was a big wine; chunky, chocolatey, rich and smooth, perfect for winter nights, hearty meals and fireplaces.

I have also heard that the 2010 Pinot and 2007 Syrah are both running low in inventory – so anyone who would like to stock up on these wines should do so now before they are gone. Recently released is the superb and very serious 2011 Sauvignon Blanc. I love this wine, which is a surprise given that I struggle to find this varietal very appealing. We are fortunate that our two sites produce remarkable fruit for this wine. It is more powerful and concentrated than the 2010, and while it is still opening up, it already has great fruit expression in a tight sinewy structure. As it fleshes out over the next few months it is sure to become another Gold Medal winner.

The holidays are upon us so I would like to wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

I must get back to press!

Ciao!

Martin Mackenzie
Winemaker
 
P.S. Please remember to join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PetroniVineyards

Dear Club Members and friends,
 
This September newsletter is written with some excitement, as it is the last day before harvest begins. Of course we are utterly prepared for this, having diligently worked through our preparation protocols. The equipment has all been pulled apart and cleaned thoroughly. The power is switched on and the machinery has been given their trial runs. Nevertheless, I remain edgy for the first run regardless the level of preparedness. It is only really when the fruit is coming in that it all comes back to me and we get in the harvest groove.
 
First up is the Pinot Noir. This year we have changed vineyards to one in the Russian River Valley. The Pinot is the only fruit we purchase, hence our only non-Estate wine. While our previous Sonoma Coast Pinot has been very well received, we are excited to begin a relationship with our new supplier in this most highly esteemed region for this variety. While they remain unnamed, I can tell you that they have some beautiful vineyards in an outstanding part of the valley, and that the fruit we get from them is the same as what they use for their own highly rated Pinot’s.
 
Following that, we are carefully watching our Sauvignon Blanc as it approaches full maturity. This looks to be an extremely promising wine. I have never seen the vines look so perfect, and although the yield is no doubt lower than what we would normally like, the condition is perfect. The flavors ripe and the acid balances right on target. We tentatively plan to pick the first lot of this late next week.
 
Obviously my mind is firmly focused on making wine so I am hopelessly bereft of information for you regarding other matters pertaining to the business. I did want to let you know that we are having a Harvest Party this year - check our website for details. It sounds like the team is planning something very entertaining and of course we will be pouring some unreleased wines as well as a few older vintages. Contact the office for details on how to secure your tickets for this event as numbers for this are very limited.
 
Until then, wish us the best! 
 
Ciao,
 
Martin Mackenzie
Winemaker
 

P.S. Please remember to join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PetroniVineyards

Dear Club Members,
 
Welcome to the glorious August newsletter. It is so pleasant writing while the sun is beaming down upon us and the weather is looking stable for the foreseeable future. The wine community is fairly buzzing about the ideal conditions we have been experiencing this vintage; something of a return to “normal” after several challenging vintages in the last three years.
 
So, what exactly makes a great vintage? A mild and early start to spring is always appreciated. A warm stable spring allows the vines to start early and for the fruit set to be even and productive. A cold late spring pushes the entire season later in the year and if the vines are unable to make up for the slow start it can become a challenge to get the crop ripe before the rains come, typically in mid to late October. No such concerns this season. While being warm, we have thus far avoided any damaging heat waves. So the season can be described as early, warm and even.
 
As things stand right now we are experiencing veraison across all varieties (the French term for the changing of color in the grape skins from green to either gold or black.) Simultaneously as the shoots cease to grow the vines turn their focus to ripening the fruit and sugar accumulation in the berries. This transfer from the vegetative growing season to the ripening season can also be facilitated with a final trim of any active shoot growth, encouraging the vines to redirect their energy.
 
While restricting water during the vegetative phase is desirable to control vine and berry size and promote earlier ripening, the vines must be kept hydrated during the ripening period leading up to a week or two before harvest. Stressing the vines from here on in can only retard ripening and risk leaf degradation and berry shrivel. We are very fortunate to have productive wells with very high water quality.
 
With the vineyard being the focus of attention it is easy to forget all the other developments of the property. Today we have two new 2,200 gallon wine tanks being installed taking us up to 16 tanks of various sizes. The cave will begin its final push to completion next week as the utilities are laid in the ground. And perhaps most importantly, for me at least, all the winery equipment is pulled out of it’s off season storage and pulled apart, cleaned thoroughly, reassembled and given a good long run.
 
All in all it is a very busy and exciting time up here on the mountain. Lets touch wood and raise a glass to the outstanding potential of the 2012 vintage!
 
 
Ciao,
 
Martin Mackenzie
Winemaker
 

P.S. Please remember to join us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/PetroniVineyards

Dear Club Members,

I write this month’s installment, with the chatter of bottles rumbling down the bottling line, as the 2011 Chardonnay goes to bottle. All has gone exceedingly well with the Chardonnay passing through the sterile filter smoothly, which is to say the filter is not blocking. Nothing worse than a blocked filter! You must stop bottling altogether, set up another set of filter modules and run the wine through again. Aside from the tedium, it is a necessary process to have to put the wine through. We do not fine or filter our reds and so there is no such apprehension with those.

So why do we filter whites and Rosato, but not reds? Reds ferment dry, complete the secondary fermentation of malic acid to lactic acid and because of the dark color and high tannin, generally do not have clarity issues. Our whites by contrast, do not go through malo-lactic. In the case of the Rosato, it also has a trace of residual sugar, all of which could decide to re-ferment in the bottle resulting in a visual and unpalatable disaster that would inevitably lead to the firing of a Winemaker!

The Chardonnay has been the star performer in recent times consistently hauling in the gold medals, and the equivalent to that, 90+ points, in all shows it has entered. The 2009 is amazing with a huge volume of ripe fruit on the palate matched with toasty Brioche oak which is harmoniously integrated. We are due to run out in the next month or two so those who are loving this wine should consider stocking up. The next vintage has already picked up 91 points. It is less weighty but very classy and possesses a seamless palate. The 2011 we are currently bottling has a great deal of intensity, a variety of flavors and the same weight on the palate as the 2012. I love all three, and so the only real solution to this dilemma is to keep all three vintages in your cellar.

Obviously my mind has been focused on the winery and bottling but this is also primetime in the vineyard. Walking around after work yesterday with Samuel, our awesome Vineyard Manager, I was blown away by how perfect all of the vines looked. Every facet of the viticulture program has been met on schedule and I could not ask for more from the team. The weather has been outstanding; steady warmth, not too hot nor too cold; it looks like we are in for a classic California vintage. It really feels like the perfect combination of ideal conditions may be happening for us this year, let’s knock on wood, keep our fingers crossed and continue drinking great wine to celebrate!

 A quick welcome to Sabrina who started with us a few weeks ago. She is most likely the first contact you will have when trying to reach us and is also maintaining our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/PetroniVineyards), so be a fan, “like” us and keep up with the goings on here on a more regular basis.

Ciao,

MartinMackenzie
Winemaker

Dear Club Members,

First of all, my apologies for missing the May Newsletter. I am sure it left a gaping hole in your lives that month! I became very involved in the preparation and bottling and I inadvertently missed it. Needless to say, I shall to make up for the loss by producing an informative newsletter this month!

The first half of our annual bottling went well as one would expect. Bottling is the final opportunity to ruin a wine; and so although it is tediously boring it is also vitally important to be there with your wits about you to ensure the children are put to bed in the best possible condition. Another fine analogy is that the winemaker being absent during bottling is like when you go to a famous restaurant only to find the head chef is off for the night. It is the winemaker’s responsibility to oversee the wines production to very end.

The 2011 Rosato, Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Syrah and Rosso di Sonoma were bottled this month. My two favorites are the Sauvignon Blanc and the Syrah. The SB, as we in the trade refer to it, is a perfect combination of the last two vintages, it has the ripe passion fruit-like qualities and weight of the brilliant 2009 and the minerality and spine of the vibrant 2010. The Syrah is intense, florally scented and quite Northern Rhone-like. While the Syrah is some way off release, we can expect to see the new SB sometime in the mid summer.

We are proud to be able to announce that all our estate grown wine grapes are now certifiably organic. Although the Cavedale Road. has been certified for many years now; hence the Sangiovese, previously known as Brunello di  Sonoma, has always been organic, the Trinity Road vineyard became certifiable this year, by having completed a three year holding period since the last time anything non-organic was used on it. Presently, the only grapes we purchase are Pinot Noir, so all wines produced from 2012 onwards, aside from the Pinot, will carry the Certified Organic sticker.

Our new production facility for processing our Olive Oil has also been certified organic. The 2011 Olive Oil was the first to be pressed on the property here at Cavedale Road. Of course, our extremely sought after Olive Oil has been certified organic for many years, but now we can proudly say our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is also Estate Bottled. For a limited time only, we are offering 10% off on our Olive Oil.

In the vineyard things are looking fantastic. The 2012 vintage is shaping up to be very promising indeed. The intensive viticulture that we have been employing for the last three years got us through a couple of recent difficult vintages in fine shape. That same program is now setting us up to maximize the benefits of a wonderful vintage. Our newly introduced bees humming in the air really accentuates the buzz you can feel all around wine country for the promise of the coming season.

Cheers!

Martin Mackenzie

Winemaker

1^st March 2012

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the Monthly Newsletter. Up here on the mountain, the sun continues to shine as we enjoy some record temperatures for the year. Mercifully, the vines have thus far remained dormant, failing to be tricked into premature bud break by the unseasonal weather. The pruning is finished, the 2011 wines have completed their processes and have been put to barrel for the spring. At this stage of the year, we methodically go through the equipment, perform maintenance, and assess what is required for the coming season.

We have a number of projects gong on this spring. One is extending our organic status from just the olives to include the entire vineyard as well. Therefore, from the 2012 vintage on, we can claim that our Estate wines – everything aside from the Pinot – are made from organically produced fruit. The fact is that the Poggio alla Pietra, previously known as Brunello di Sonoma, has, in fact, been organically grown for quite some time as it is entirely grown at the Cavedale property. Because the other wines are potentially made from both properties they are only now certifiable. It takes three years dedicated organic farming before a property becomes eligible for certification, and it has been three years since someone, rather unfortunately, decided to use a wee bit of herbicide on some weeds up at Trinity Ranch. Cavedale has been “organic” for ten years now.

Another project, in keeping with organic practices and sound land husbandry, is to establish a number of beehives on the property. Aside from the obvious benefit of having wonderful natural comb honey on the table, it is great for flora in the area in general, assisting in the fertilization of most plants, though not necessarily grapevines, as they tend to be self-pollinating. As I write, I am looking into the purchase of suitable hive frames and other equipment, as well as sourcing some colonies. Anyone with local knowledge or material that may be of use to us please feel free to contact me.

And finally, after allowing a few barrels of 1999 vintage wine from our estate vineyard to sit down in the barn in some old quality French oak for 12 years, Lorenzo has declared it now ready to be bottled and sold. Hence, Maria Elena’s Red Wine Vinegar will soon be available for purchase at the Vineyard alongside our renowned organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It is certainly an intense vinegar, very heady aromas and the oak contributes a nice touch of balance to the vinegar.

And of course, we produce wine as well! In the next few months I will be preparing the 2011 whites and 2010 reds for bottling. This involves blending and sometimes filtration for the whites. It is the decision making stage of the process and is a lot of fun watching the various batches come together. More on that next time!

Ciao,

Martin