Our Wines
| 2008 Adobe Red | Buy Now | Tasting Notes |
Vineyard:
To create this lip-smacking, juicy red we blended grape varieties grown throughout California’s Central Coast. Much of the fruit came from our estate Red Cedar Vineyard, just east of the town of Paso Robles. Adobe Red is a fun and tasty Zinfandel-based blend, and the finished wine is 44% Zinfandel, 32% Petite Sirah, 16% Syrah, 5% Malbec, 4% Grenache and 2% Mourvedre.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices:
The vintage of 2007 on the Central Coast started early, stalled mid-way due to a cool spell, then ended warm and dry. Yields were down a bit compared to 2006, and berries were small, providing great skin to juice ratio and enhancing grape flavors. After picking and pressing, we fermented and aged all of the red varietals separately. Fifteen percent of the lots aged in neutral French, European and American oak for 14 months. The final blend was bottled in two lots in April and June, 2009.
Characteristics:
The Adobe Red is a proprietary blend with ripe flavors of cherry, plum and vanilla bean, with rich spicy blueberry and cherry notes. The tannins are supple, and the balanced oak character adds additional vanilla notes.
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Harvest Sugar: 23.5 - 27.3 Brix |
Alcohol: 14.1% Oak Age: 14 months Cases Produced: 12,350 Bottled: April/June, 2009 |
| 2008 Adobe White | Buy Now | Tasting Notes |
Vineyard:
The grapes for the 2008 Adobe White came from our Red Cedar Vineyard outside Paso Robles. The calcareous vineyard soils in these white grape blocks are comprised of clay-loam and cobbled sandy loam, and are largely on benchland sites overlooking the Estrella River. Cooler air flows down the benches toward the river at night, helping the grapes retain their crisp acidity.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices:
The 2008 vintage was cooler than normal, with lower than average rainfall and a few tricky spring frosts early in the year. After picking and pressing, we fermented all of the varietals separately, then blended them together after most had reached dryness. The Chardonnay and Roussanne fermented in neutral oak, the other varietals were cold fermented in stainless steel. We stopped the fermentation on some of the Princess in order to leave a touch of sweetness in the finished wine. The final blend is 22% Viognier, 18% Sauvignon Blanc, 17% Grenache Blanc, 16% Roussanne, 6% Chardonnay and 5% Chenin Blanc and 16% Princess, which we are unable to list on the label because it is not yet an approved varietal for table wine. We are petitioning the federal government to add it to the list. The final blend was bottled in January and February, 2009.
Characteristics:
The Adobe White is a proprietary blend with a golden straw color, and fine floral notes of orange blossom, lemon citrus and rose petal. Pear, peach and honeydew melon aromas jump from the glass. The creamy mouthfeel comes from a short time on the lees. The mouthwatering fruit flavors are of apple and stone fruit, with nuances of pumpkin pie spice and tea. The finish is crisp, but balanced with a touch of residual sugar.
| Harvest date: August 28 - October 4, 2007 Harvest Sugar: 21.9 - 25.9 Brix pH: 3.23 Total Acidity: .74g/100ml |
Alcohol: 13.0% Oak Age: none Cases Produced: 8000 Bottled: January and February, 2008 |
| 2008 Sauvignon Blanc | Buy Now | Tasting Notes |
Vineyard:
The grapes for our 2007 Sauvignon Blanc came from Block 12 of our Red Cedar Vineyard outside Paso Robles. We blended two distinct clones of Sauvignon Blanc to make this wine: The Musque and Entav clones thrive in the shale and sandstone-derived soils in Block 12, and provide us with superior quality fruit every year.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices:
We hand picked the grapes, then sorted and pressed them in the early morning hours to preserve their fresh fruitiness. The whole clusters of grapes were allowed a short period of skin contact in the press to extract additional character from the skins. The pressed juice was fermented cool (52-58F), and completed fermentation after several weeks. After the new wine settled, 100% was transferred to stainless steel tanks. The final blend of 2007 Sauvignon Blanc includes 31% of the Musque clone, which adds a distinctive fruit character.
Characteristics:
Made in a refreshing aperitif style, Clayhouse Sauvignon Blanc exhibits a bouquet of orange blossom, pineapple, lemon grass, peach and hints of guava. There’s a touch of minerality that enhances the slightly floral notes contributed by the Musque clone. The blend includes 7% floral-enhancing Chenin Blanc to boost floral character, and 2% Roussanne to provide body and spice.
| Harvest date: August 15 - October 4, 2007 Harvest Sugar: 22.1 - 23.7 Brix pH: 3.32 Total Acidity: .70g/100ml |
Alcohol: 14% Oak Age: 2% Cases Produced: 3,600 Bottled: March 12 -14, 2008 |
| 2007 Syrah | Buy Now | Tasting Notes |
Vineyard:
The grapes for our Vineyard Syrah come from our Red Cedar Vineyard outside Paso Robles. Red Cedar Vineyard’s calcareous soils have loam, silty clay loam and sandy loam components, and the Syrah blocks are situated on benchlands overlooking the Estrella River.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices:
Rainfall in 2006 was average, with approximately 15 inches falling over the course of the year. A heat spike in July assured that the grapes developed plenty of ripe, balanced flavor characteristics. The grapes were hand-picked, sorted, crushed and pressed, and after fermentation, the new wine aged for 16 months in a combination of new Romanian and French oak barrels, plus other seasoned barrels. The wine was blended prior to bottling with 6% Grenache, 6% Mourvedre, 5% Cabernet, 5% Petite Sirah and 1% Malbec.
Characteristics:
The Vineyard Syrah is driven by dark berry fruit flavors (blackberry and plum), complemented with hints of black pepper, dusty oak, and slightly floral notes. The fine-grained tannins make it rich and soft in the mouth, and it’s balanced with a tart acid backbone.
| Harvest date: September 12 - 23, 2006
Harvest Sugar: 25.3 - 26.1 Brix pH: 3.67 Total Acidity: .56g/100ml |
Alcohol: 14.3% Oak Age: 16 months Cases Produced: 1,980 Bottled: May 19 - 20, 2008 |
| 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon | Buy Now | Tasting Notes |
Vineyard:
The grapes for our Vineyard Cabernet come from our Red Cedar Vineyard outside Paso Robles, and two other Paso Robles area vineyards. Red Cedar Vineyard’s calcareous soils have loam, silty clay loam and sandy loam components, and the Cabernet blocks are situated on benchlands overlooking the Estrella River.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices:
Rainfall in 2006 was average, with approximately 15 inches over the course of the year. A heat spike in July assured that the grapes developed plenty of developed ripe, balanced flavor characteristics. The grapes were handpicked, sorted, crushed and pressed, and after fermentation, the new wine aged for 16 months in a combination of European, French and American oak barrels. The wine was blended prior to bottling with 4% Petit Verdot and 6% Malbec.
Characteristics:
The Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is driven by red fruit flavors (cherry and plum), complemented with dusty oak, coffee, and slight green olive nuances. It’s rich and soft in the mouth, with a toasty, dry finish of fine, dusty tannins.
| Harvest date: September 12 - October 3, 2006 Harvest Sugar: 24.7 - 26.0 Brix pH: 3.65 Total Acidity: .63g/100ml |
Alcohol: 13.9% Oak Age: 16 months Cases Produced: 11,400 Bottled: January 21 - 25, 2008 |
| 2008 Malbec |
Buy Now | Tasting Notes |
Vineyard:
Grapes for our new Vineyard Series Malbec came from our estate Red Cedar Vineyard just east of Paso Robles. The vines are planted in soils rich with calcareous sandstone and shale. Calcareous soils help make more water available to the vines and they help displace sodium and improve vine balance.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices:
After picking in the cool early morning hours, the grapes were sorted and crushed prior to fermentation. One Malbec lot was pressed after nine days of fermentation on the skins, the second lot was pressed at 18 days. The extended maceration periods helped soften the natural grape tannins in the finished wines. After pressing the wine aged for eight months in a combination of oak and stainless steel before final blending. We added a touch (2%) of Merlot for additional forward fruit flavor prior to bottling.
Characteristics:
It may be the forgotten varietal of Bordeaux, but Malbec is ideal when you’re thirsting for something dark, bold and full of flavor. It’s a wine that adeptly balances fruit and zippy acidity with hints of vanilla oak. Our new Malbec is dark and rich, with black plum, raspberry and cranberry aromas. There’s a hint of black pepper to complement the vanilla oak. It’s fruit-forward in the mouth, with an extended finish of soft tannins and spice.
| Harvest date: September 30 - October 6, 2008 Harvest Sugar: 25.3 - 25.8 Brix pH: 3.67 Total Acidity: .58g/100ml |
Alcohol: 13.5% Oak Age: 8 months Cases Produced: 2,000 Bottled: August, 2009 |
| 2005 Estate Cuvee | Buy Now | Tasting Notes |
Vineyard:
Grapes for our Estate Cuvee came from our Red Cedar Estate Vineyard outside in Paso Robles. The vines are planted in soils of calcareous sandstone and shale. The Syrah came from Blocks 31 and 51, the Grenache from Block 13A and the Petite Sirah from Block 43, some of the oldest vineyard planted on the Estate.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices:
The grapes were hand picked, sorted, crushed and pressed. The juice was fermented, and the new wine aged in a combination of new French oak and neutral French and American barrels for 18 months. The Estate Cuvée blend consists of 54% Syrah, 37% Grenache and 9% Petite Sirah.
Characteristics:
Our Estate Cuvee is a Rhone-style blend with a California twist: the addition of small amount of old vine Petite Sirah from our Block 43 adds a balanced tannic character. The meatiness of the Syrah is supported by fruit-forward Grenache, balanced with the black pepper, color and tannin from the Petite.
| Harvest date: September 14 - October 6, 2005 Harvest Sugar: 25.8 - 27.0 Brix pH: 3.76 Total Acidity: .53g/100ml |
Alcohol: 14.9% Oak Age: 18 months Cases Produced: 980 Bottled: March, 2007 |
| 2005 Hillside Cuvee | Buy Now | Tasting Notes |
Vineyard:
The Red Cedar Vineyard, our own estate, provided the grapes for the Hillside Cuvee. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines are planted on a steep sloping terrace of well-drained Nacimiento silty-clay loam. The terraces are heavily cover cropped to protect against erosion. The Petit Verdot vines are planted on Nacimiento-Los Osos soil. These soil types are relatively rare in California but common in Paso Robles, and come from calcareous parent material. The Malbec vines are planted on Hanford-Greenfield gravelly-sandy loam.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices:
The grapes were hand picked, sorted, crushed and pressed. After fermentation, the new wine aged in a combination of 40% new French, Romainian and Hungarian oak barrels, with the remaining 60% in seasoned barrels for 18 months. The blend was selected from the best barrels of each lot, and the final Hillside Cuvée blend is 41% Petit Verdot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Malbec.
Characteristics:
The Hillside Cuvée is a blend of Bordeaux varietals that has complex aromas of black fruits, with hints of cassis, raspberry, licorice and a touch of violet and chocolaty oak. In the mouth the wine displays full-bodied fruit, floral, and earthy components, with a ripe finish and rich, lingering tannins.
| Harvest date: October 5 - 27, 2005 Harvest Sugar: 24.7 - 26.0 Brix pH: 3.72 Total Acidity: .63g/100ml |
Alcohol: 14.1% Oak Age: 18 months Cases Produced: 802 Bottled: April, 2007 |
| 2007 Petite Sirah | Buy Now | Tasting Notes |
Vineyard:
Our Red Cedar Estate Vineyard outside Paso Robles provides the grapes for this classic Petite Sirah. At Red Cedar, the vines are planted on moderate rolling benchland above the Estrella River. The soils in Block 43 are primarily alluvial clay loam (from sedimentary rock), along with some hillside silty clay/loam (from calcareous sandstone and shale). Block 43 was planted in the spring of 1972. That makes these vines 38 years of age – old for the Central Coast, and getting on in years for California.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices:
The grapes were hand picked, sorted, and fermented in vineyard bins using Pris de Mousse yeast. We punched down the skins by hand three to five times daily prior to adding brandy to stop the fermentation at 10 degree Brix. After pressing, the new wine was stored in neutral French barrels for nine months.
Characteristics:
Our Petite Sirah comes from some of the oldest plantings in the region. The nose is full of black pepper spice, dark chocolate, and wild raspberry aromas. Flavors are rich, but not syrupy. The spice, chocolate and dark berry fruit flavors carry through to a firm, rich finish.
| Harvest date: October 20, 2006 Harvest Sugar: 28.0 Brix pH: 3.65 Total Acidity: .58g/100ml |
Alcohol: 19% |
| 2008 Estate Cuvee Blanc | TASTING ROOM ONLY | Tasting Notes |
Vineyard:
The grapes for our Estate Cuvee come from our Red Cedar Estate Vineyard just east of Paso Robles. The vines are planted in soils of calcareous sandstone and shale. We have a total of 10 acres of Viognier and five acres of Roussanne. The vineyard blocks are adjacent to one another, on a bench overlooking the Estrella River. The final blend for our new Estate Cuvee Blanc is 64% Viognier and 36% Roussanne.
Winemaking and Cellar Practices:
We’ve been so pleased with the quality of our young white Rhone varietals over the last three years that we decided to make a white Rhone blend to complement our red Estate Cuvee. The grapes were hand picked, sorted, crushed and pressed. Some of the lots fermented cold in stainless steel, and 36% fermented in barrels. After fermentation, 45% of the new wines aged in a combination of new and seasoned French oak for five months, the balance remained in stainless steel before blending and bottling.
Characteristics:
Clayhouse Estate Cuvee Blanc is a Rhone-white blend with plenty of up-front tropical and floral fruit aromas from the Viognier, as well as a crisp minerality and mouth-feel contributed by the Roussanne. The crisp finish is full of stone-fruit and light herbal notes.
| Harvest date: September 11, 29 and 30, 2008 Harvest Sugar: 23.6 - 25.5 Brix pH: 3.46 Total Acidity: .68g/100ml |
Alcohol: 14.9% |
