Coho Red – Red Wine

VINTAGE NOTES

2021 in the Willow Creek AVA of Northern Humboldt County was great year for farming. Early bud break due to a mild winter and a warm spring allowed for a slightly longer growing season. The winter was drier than usual and helped to naturally balance the vigor in our vines. The one to two inches of rain typical of late September held off until October and the excitement for a great vintage began just at optimal ripeness for our Willow Creek Coho Red.

VINEYARD NOTES

We use zero synthetic inputs in our vineyards. Our methods use only mechanical weeding and organic certified sulfur for mold control. Integrated pest management, with its reliance on native predators, allows us to use zero insecticides. The grapes for the 2021 Coho Red are sourced from two small vineyards in the Willow Creek AVA - the Gardner Ranch estate vineyard positioned on the east side of the Trinity River and the Winnett vineyard resting just above it at 900 feet in elevation. A large bend in the river throws sand and silt to the west and leaves nothing but barren rocks to the east. The vineyard bench was created by mountain alluvium or sediments collecting on a solid mass of igneous, metamorphic and scattered rocks left behind from the scouring effects of the nearby Trinity River. The three tectonic plates colliding deep underfoot, also contribute to this unique amalgamation. These shallow soils on top of impervious bedrock create a welcome stress to our vines ensuring small berries and concentrated flavors. The Winnett vineyard, resting on a south facing slope, acts as a solar heat collector assuring the vines have all the sun and heat they need to ripen. The steep hillside plays several important roles. First, hillside soils are always shallow. This acts as a natural check on vegetative vigor and helps create a balance between canopy and fruit load. Second, the hillside quickly sheds warm air in the evening leaving the vines in cool mountain air that preserves the natural vibrant, bright acidity in grapes.

WINEMAKING PRACTICES

Winemaking decisions were made to let the vineyard, the place, speak through the wine. No heavy-handed oak or additives were used to mold this wine into something it is not. Instead, very little is done except to keep it clean and to allow the wine to become itself. Malolactic fermentation occurred slowly over the course of two springs while the wine gained depth and roundness balancing out its cooler climate spunk and verve. With no fining or filtering involved in the production, this wine is a pure distillation of Willow Creek, California.

WINEMAKER’S TASTING NOTES

The Coho Red is a cool-climate, right-bank style Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with trace amounts of Malbec and Cab Franc. It is dominated by red fruit notes – a combination of red raspberry and cranberry. It is reminiscent of our local red huckleberry. This Humboldt County grown wine is bright and red-fruited, but finishes with a plush, chocolatey mouthfeel. Drink now or age for another 10+ years.

FOOD PAIRING NOTES

2021 Coho Red is downright quaffable when paired with burgers, pizza or pasta. This is a delicious red wine that sets the mood for more merriment. Cheers!

VARIETAL COMPOSITION:

85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, trace amounts of Malbec & Cabernet Franc

APPELLATION: Willow Creek AVA, Humboldt County, CA

ALCOHOL: 14.5%

T.A. AT BOTTLING: 5.7g/L

pH AT BOTTLING: 3.55

BRIX AT HARVEST: 24°

R.S.: less than 0.03%

COOPERAGE: Mixed years and forest from France

MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION: 100%

PRODUCTION: 486 cases