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August 2010
 Dear
Friends,
Hallelujah here comes the sun!
Finally we are hitting our straps as the sun heats the place
up. The vines have been worked harder than normal this year
as the early summer has been cool and we have looked to
maximize the exposure of our fruit to the sun. We are now
paying dividends for this early work as the mildew problems
that have allegedly plagued the valleys have left us
unscathed. In addition to that, our grapes are well
acquainted with the sun and will prove hardy to the rays
should things really heat up towards the end of ripening.
The result should be improved color and ripe tannins at
lower sugar levels.
This month we released the
awesome
2008 Petroni Chardonnay made from grapes on our Trinity
Ranch property as well as from some select southern Napa
vineyards, hence the designation of Napa on the label. This
anomaly was enough to fool some folks at the Napa versus
Sonoma Sibling Rivalry wine tasting competition, although it
did not stop the wine from getting first place with both the
public and the judges. Silky, fragrant with superb fruit
gobbling up some classy oak are the hallmarks of this
outstanding wine that is destined to create even more of a
stir as it enters the marketplace. It’s another sad farewell
to the previous, much loved Chardonnay, but exciting to get
acquainted with the 2008, which I consider superior to the
sold out ‘07.
As the 2008 begins its conquest
of the Chardonnay market, this month we are putting the 2009
Chardonnay to bottle along with the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
and 2008 Brunello di Sonoma. They are all of the high
standards you have come to expect from Petroni Vineyards
with outstanding fruit, structure and the taste of the land
that distinguishes the range. For those who want to make a
splash this holiday season, let me quietly pass onto you
that we have been filling some large format bottles at
Lorenzo’s special request. My advice is, if you want to slip
a few of these into your cellar before Lorenzo commandeers
them all, you should begin to make enquiries to Drinda
Petroni:
wine@petronivineyards.com. Awesome at the dining table
with family and friends, they never fail to impress and
guarantee that everyone will get that second glass, or
third, or fourth; it all depends how big you want to go!
Last off, I would like to give a
big shout out to our Tasting Room Manager, Elizabeth
Garneau, who has been instrumental in gearing up our tasting
room and lifting the standards of wine presentation to a new
level. With the pool side tasting and superb views, I again
encourage you to bring your friends and make the trip to
Petroni Vineyards; we are excited to share our experience
with all of you.
Ciao,
Martin Mackenzie
Petroni Vineyards Winemaker
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