NAVARRO Vineyards

NAVARRO Vineyards 2009 Edelzwicker, Anderson Valley: A match made in heaven U M M 2008 Chardonnay, Première Reserve: Cold mountain S E 2008 Chardonnay, Mendocino: Double take R 2009 Riesling, Anderson Valley: Starry night 2009 Gewürztraminer, Cuvée Traditional: Young at heart 2009 Pinot Grigio, Anderson Valley: Que sera sera 2 2009 Rosé, Mendocino: A rosé is a rosé is a rosé 0 2008 Pinot Noir, Mendocino: Lighten up 1 0 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino: Waiting 2009 Edelzwicker Anderson Valley, Mendocino Summer Case O U R S UMM ER 2 0 1 0 RELEASES SPECIAL! Buy it by the case Mother Nature for only $126.00; a savings of $30.00. That’s only $10.50 HIS YEAR A VOLCANO erupting per bottle. in Iceland brought air traffic in Europe to a standstill, reminding us of the obvious When the requirement for a T wine to taste like a specific advantage of buying food (and wine) locally. It further confirmed that Mother Nature has the final word, a variety is removed, wine fact that farmers seldom forget. This summer we are makers can create a more complex wine by blending releasing nine new wines from the ’05, ’08 and ’09 between varieties. Simon vintages and each wine reflects unique characteristics was bored, but Ted con- from three distinctive growing seasons: two Chardon- centrated to blend 40% nays, four aromatic whites, Gewürztraminer, 37% a blushingly beautiful dry Riesling, 20% Pinot Gris and 3% Muscat Blanc. rosé and two robust reds. Three value-packed 2009’s, Gewürztraminer Cuvée Traditional, Pinot Grigio A match made in heaven and Edelzwicker, are being y far the most popular white wine in our tasting room is Edel- offered as case specials zwicker. This is some feat given that numerous customers ask with price tags as low as Bhow to pronounce it. Some think it’s just a fanciful name and $10.50 per bottle: a modest don’t realize that in Alsace Edelzwicker refers to a blend of their price for an explosion of noble grapes. In the 19th century the most expensive Alsatian table flavors. Don’t miss the full wines were blends between varieties; today the highest priced Alsatian case special on the 2008 Pinot Noir, sourced from our wines are labeled as a unique varietal. Wine styles change, so don’t top vineyards with a house-wine price tag. Special pric- be confused when you prefer this $13 wine ing on samplers and value-wine case specials as well as Harvested Sept.30-Oct.12,‘09 over more expensive bottles. In last year’s One-Cent ground freight and reduced air freight for all Sugars at harvest 23.5° Brix professional Mendocino County Wine Judg- 12 bottle orders will be available until July 31. Bottled May 5, 2010 ing, our 2008 Edelzwicker was proclaimed Cases produced 1355 the best white wine regardless of price. Some Thanks for supporting our family farm, Alcohol 12.8% lots were only partially fermented but the Residual sugars 1.6% wine is carefully balanced with high acidity Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn Titratable acidity 7.9 g/L so the finish is crisp and clean. Try a bottle Aaron and Sarah Cahn Bennett pH 3.19 on a hot summer day or with a spicy Indian Price (750 ml) $13.00 or Asian dish; you will see why 100% varietals aren’t necessarily better. 2008 Chardonnay Anderson Valley, Mendocino Première Reserve Our vines typically bud out in early spring leaving March, April and even May when early morning frosts can wipe out our entire crop. Sprinkling water on the vines can protect the young shoots and flowers down to 26°F. However, once ice forms on the vine, the sprinkling must continue until after the sun comes up and has melted all the ice. It takes several hours to melt foot long icicles. Navarro’s Première Reserve Chardonnay is both fermented and aged in French oak barrels. The oak planks are air-aged, then cut into staves and bent into shape to form a barrel. For Chardonnay we Cold mountain prefer barrels where the oak has been air-aged e fill our ponds during very light crop and enough ground moisture, the vines could three years prior to use; these barrels impart the winter storms, stor- easily ripen their fruit. Then beginning on October 9, we suf- less resinous woody W ing water for Navarro’s fered three nights of hard frost in our lower fields. With no flavors and give gentle spring frost protection and summer water for frost protection, the vines lost their leaves and we suggestions of coconut irrigation. This is our entire supply of had no choice but to harvest. Actually, only two upper hillside and spice. agricultural water and once we’ve used sections of our favorite Hammer Olsen field were unharmed it we’re out of luck until by the frost. Another small block of the early ripening Dijon the rains return. We frost clones also hung on to its leaves. These lots were exception- protect by sprinkling water ally ripe and flavorful as one might which protects the vines Harvested Oct. 11-15,’08 expect from a light crop in a cool down to 26˚F. Nineteen Sugars at harvest 24.2° Brix year. The aromas display a seduc- days of frost protection in Bottled June 22-29,’09 tive orange blossom element with the spring of 2008 left little Cases produced 1445 hints of hazelnut and buttered water in our ponds for irri- Alcohol 13.6% toast. The flavors are a refined mix gation. We minimized water Titratable acidity 7.5 g/L of Asian pear and Key lime layered use but by mid-September pH 3.46 with spicy French oak. We have less we ran out completely. Price (750 ml) $25.00 than half our normal production so Harvest was a month away (375 ml) $14.00 this beauty will sell out early. for Chardonnay but with a Gold Medal winner. Best of Class. 2008 Chardonnay Mendocino Our largest lot of Chardonnay had Mark Turula planted the balanced acidity when the grapes Chardonnay vines at were harvested. This eliminated the neighboring Valley Foothills need for a secondary malolactic Vineyard in 1975 and 33 fermentation which reduces a wine’s years later, the wine from apparent acidity. We decided to age these old vines represents the the lot in seasoned oak ovals, on the largest lot in this 2008 bot- yeast, for seven months. Aging on tling. Mark retired after the the lees adds roundness to the mouth 2009 harvest and we shall and a hint of freshly baked bread miss him. without reducing the deliciously crisp Chardonnay fruit. Double take ome Chardonnays get your attention with butter and to reduce acidity was ruled out. We’ve experienced all oak but it is the perceptible fruit in this bottling that these conditions before, but we think the rich fruity S makes you do a double take and take another sip. We tone is mostly due to the predominance of the lot made wish we could replicate the juicy apple-pear essence every from old vines without ML which constitutes two- year. The yields were especially low in 2008; our vineyards thirds of the blend. The wine was aged sur lie in ovals averaged only 1.8 tons per acre. The weather was nippy and puncheons; the oak flavors are restrained relative during harvest allowing the to the fruit zest but the round mouthfeel from aging on fruit to develop full flavors Harvested Oct.13-18,2008 the yeast lingers. The remaining third was from three without excess sugars by ripen- Sugars at harvest 23.6° Brix small blocks planted to the early ripening Dijon clones; ing very slowly. The clusters Bottled June 22-24, 2009 these grapes were barrel fermented and underwent were especially cold when we Cases produced 2653 malolactic fermentation as we do for our Première harvested and destemmed the Alcohol 13.4% Reserve bottling. The aromas are bright suggesting fruit. The largest block escaped Titratable Acidity 7.8 g/L white spring flowers. The grape flavors are green apple the frost and the grapes had pH 3.32 and pear with just a hint of butter from the secondary balanced acidity when we Price (750 ml) $17.00 fermentation. The roundness from aging sur lie in oak harvested so a secondary (375 ml) $10.00 casks is adorned with an intriguing garnish of candied malolactic (ML) fermentation kumquats. Silver Medal winner. 2009 Riesling Anderson Valley, Mendocino Early morning harvest. Our viticulture practice is to grow clusters under a canopy of leaves so the At the end of the fruit is protected from day, we get inside our the direct sun. To speed wine presses to clean up picking, we normally them. The winemaker deleaf around the cluster positions the press the afternoon before we with the sliding doors harvest but exposing the facing downward for fruit on a hot afternoon easy access. When in can reduce quality. In use, the doors are 2009 we decided to flipped upward and deleaf directly ahead of closed after being the pickers. filled with destemmed grapes. The blue plastic liner is actually an inflatable balloon which gently pushes the grapes against the perforated stainless stadium lights and steel drum extracting provided halogen lights the juice with mini- on headbands for each mal maceration. member of the vineyard crew so we could harvest in the chill of the night. Then on September 30, the temperatures dropped and for three nights we had to frost protect Navarro’s night harvest Starry night our lower vineyards, including our best field of crew takes a coffee Riesling, while simultaneously harvesting from and pastry break at daybreak.

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