Overview

This wine...it's an on-going experiment in extremes regarding vineyard management and winemaking. Soucie vineyard, owned by fifth-generation Lodi native Kevin Soucie, was planted by Kevin's grandfather in 1916. Being 100 years old, the Soucie Vineyard remains happy and healthy producing five to six tons per acre. We tweak the vines in the "Select Block" to about half that through extensive vineyard work of shoot-thinning, leaf-pulling, cluster selection and canopy management. During harvest anything other than perfect clusters are dropped on the ground. When we crush the grapes, we sort out any imperfections even more extensively.

The grapes are pampered and babied throughout the fermentation process. The free-run wine is drained off the must which is then pressed very lightly. The wine goes into our finest new barrels.

The 2014 growing season in Lodi was on an accelerated schedule. Bud break and flowering was about two weeks ahead of normal. A light crop produced smaller berries; minimal rainfall reduced disease pressures. The net result was very beautiful, top-quality fruit with well developed flavor and concentration.

When good luck and skill come together, a great wine will be created and we believe this is a great wine.

VINEYARD

• Soucie Vineyard, Mokelumne River - Lodi
• Planted 1916 - self-rooted, head-trained, unknown clone
• Soil profile: DeVries Sandy Loam
• Irrigation: As needed via underground drip

HARVEST

• September, 17, 2014

FERMENTATION

• Open bins, whole berry fermentation with indigenous/wild yeast followed with FX10, RP15 and UVA43 cultured strains.

ELEVAGE

• Nineteen months; 65% new American oak barrels
• Malolactic fermentation in barrel
• Racked three times
• 15.5% ABV - pH 3.78 - TA 6.08 g/L - RS 1.2 g/L

180 CASES PRODUCED