Our 2025 red wine lots are finishing malolactic fermentation, many of them completing the process directly in barrel. Once MLF is complete, we begin what we call “rack and return.” Each lot is handled individually. We pump the wine from barrel to tank, collect and discard the lees, thoroughly wash and clean the barrels, then refill them with the same wine before returning them to the cellar for continued aging. Before we begin racking, a member of our production team tastes every single barrel to ensure it is pristine. Continued tasting is a small but critical safeguard to protect the integrity of each lot.
We’ve also begun our 2025 Sauvignon Blanc blending trials. We taste through individual lots, tanks, and barrels as we begin to shape both our Napa Valley and Estate blends. The Estate Sauvignon Blanc is produced in small quantities, so we carefully select individual barrels that best express the style and profile we’re seeking. We compose lab blends, refine our selections, and once we’re confident in the direction, we’ll set aside those Estate barrels for continued aging. The Napa blend will come together next month. In the meantime, we’re stirring the Sauvignon Blanc barrels weekly to build texture, complexity, and volume in the wine.
And of course, we continue topping all of our 2024 and 2025 barrels. What’s often called the “angel’s share” — the natural evaporation from oak — means we must refill each barrel monthly to keep it completely full. This protects the wine from oxidation and unwanted microbial growth. We maintain separate topping wines by variety, and often by vineyard, running lab analyses and tasting each one before it’s used.
Through this is steady, careful work, we make small decisions daily in service of balance, purity, and longevity.
Until next time,
