Wine Club Newsletter MAY 2013
Greetings from Santa Barbara County s Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Following the nearly perfect growing conditions in 2012, everyone here at Foley Estates is in high spirits to see if 2013 will offer an equally bountiful vintage. This has been one of the driest winters on record with rainfall on the Central Coast roughly 10 inches behind yearly averages. While this could be a precursor for drought, grape vines are the ultimate survivalists and tend to produce fruit with more pronounced varietal characteristics when forced to endure adverse conditions. As a result of the warm, dry conditions, the vines are accelerating through the annual growth stage known as bud break. The majority of our vineyards are averaging 4 inches of new growth, signaling the onset of bloom in the coming months. This can be a fairly nerve-racking time for us as the young shoots are very susceptible to frost and other changes in temperature and moisture. As a preventative measure, we cut back and disk our cover crops between rows as a means of returning essential nutrients to the soil, and maximizing the amount of radiant heat that the ground can provide. Inside the winery we are just starting to see the results of last year s phenomenal harvest. The 2012 vintage of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are resting in barrel, with several of the wines just finishing up the final stages of malolactic fermentation. Simply put, this is the process that converts tart malic acid reminiscent of a green apple, to a softer and creamier counterpart which provides a more velvety mouthfeel. From the barrels we have sampled, the 2012 vintage is looking to be well worth all the hype! In the meantime, we offer you a taste of some of our more site specific bottlings with our 2010 Bar Lazy S Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These wines along with the 2010 Two Sisters Pinot Noir truly speak to the rigorous picking requirements that go into making every bottle of Foley Estates wine. Should you find yourself in the area this summer, we look forward to sharing a glass with you and raising a toast to what should be another great vintage! Sincerely, Leslie Mead Renad, Winemaker
Featured Wine Section Your wine selection will vary based upon your club membership 2010 Two Sisters Pinot Noir, Lindsay s Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills Winemaking Our Chardonnay was hand harvested in the cool morning. Each year we harvest our grapes based on the ripeness of the tannins. For Pinot Noir this usually occurs between 24.5-27.0 Brix. The fruit was hand-picked in the cool morning hours to preserve the aromatics. The clusters were then de-stemmed with no crushing and the must was cold-soaked in open-top fermentors for four days prior to inoculation. Each tank was manually punched down daily for more extraction. Upon completion of primary fermentation and maceration, the wine was transferred to tank for settling. Next the individual lots were racked into new French oak barrels and aged for 19 months prior to blending. Tasting Our 2010 Two Sisters Pinot Noir is complex, concentrated and elegant. The nose is high-toned, intense and floral with suggestions of sweet red fruit and mint. The palate is full, flavorful and juicy with seamless tannins and a finish that is long and persistent. While it shows remarkably well in its youth, this Pinot will continue to improve over the next five years. Appellation Sta. Rita Hills Vineyard Lindsay s Vineyard Composition 100% Pinot Noir Cooperage 19 Months in 100% new French oak; Gamba, Cadus Alcohol 14.5% TA 6.1 g/l ph 3.35 Retail Price $75.00
2010 Foley Chardonnay, Bar Lazy S Ranch Sta. Rita Hills Winemaking The Bar Lazy S bottling is sourced from the estate properties of Rancho Santa Rosa and Courtney s Vineyard, both located in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation. After harvest, the grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed and transferred to tank. After a day of coldsettling, the juice was inoculated and racked to French oak barrels where it underwent regular stirring of the lees for added texture and complexity. All lots were kept separate throughout vinification and aging to ensure character, distinctiveness and quality. After 18 months in barrel under cool cellar conditions, the wine was bottled. Tasting The 2010 Bar Lazy S Chardonnay delivers aromas of Crème Brule, Fuji apples, honeydew melon, and baking spices. With balanced acidity and a velvety texture, this Chardonnay is restrained, showing more oak on the nose than on the palate. Hints of tropical fruit, candied almonds, and guava persist through this wine s lengthy finish. Appellation Sta. Rita Hills Vineyard Courtney s Vineyard Composition 100% Chardonnay Cooperage 18 months in 50% new French Oak; World Cooperage, Gamba Alcohol 14.3% TA 7.9 g/l ph 3.23 Retail Price $45.00
2010 Foley Pinot Noir, Bar Lazy S Ranch, Sta. Rita Hills Winemaking We harvest our grapes based on the ripeness of the tannins. The fruit was hand-picked and hand-sorted in the vineyard in the cool morning hours to preserve the aromatics. The clusters were then gently de-stemmed with no crushing. The must was cold-soaked in opentop fermentors for four days prior to innoculation. Each tank was manually punched down daily throughout maceration. Upon completion of primary fermentation and maceration, the free-run wine was transferred to tank for settling. Next, the individual lots were racked to French oak barrels (30% new) and aged for 18 months prior to blending and bottling. Tasting Our 2010 Bar Lazy S Ranch is a beautiful expression of Clone 2a Pinot Noir known for its early ripening, intense color and vibrant fruit structure. Notes of strawberry marmalade, toasted oak, and rhubarb pie on the nose give way to blackberry compote, wild mushrooms, and a deep earthiness on the palate. This Pinot Noir s new world styling makes for a versatile pairing with a wide range of dishes. Braised pork tenderloin, roast lamb, and cedar plank salmon all make for a delicious complement to this fruit forward vintage. Appellation Sta. Rita Hills Vineyard Lindsay s Vineyard Composition 100% Pinot Noir Cooperage 18 months in 30% new French oak; Taransaud, Gamba Alcohol 14.5% TA 5.6 g/l ph 3.39 Retail Price $55.00
Reorder offers Please reorder from the feature wines of this shipment at 30% off of the retail price; offer expires June 21, 2013. To order, please contact the Foley Wine Club at 866-485-6588, or wineclub@foleywines.com. Standard shipping rates apply to orders of 1 to 11 bottles, complimentary shipping on orders of 12 bottles or more of the following wines: 2010 Two Sisters Pinot Noir Lindsay s Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills $52.50 Club Reorder Price 2010 Foley Chardonnay Bar Lazy S Ranch, Sta. Rita Hills $31.50 Club Reorder Price 2010 Foley Pinot Noir, Bar Lazy S Ranch, Sta. Rita Hills $38.50 Club Reorder Price 6121 E Highway 246, Lompoc, CA 93436 foleywines.com tastingroom@foleywines.com (805) 737-6222 CT Permit #LSL.001291 WA Permit #404307 Item# FW0513