Winemaking
We could choose easier and more automated ways to make our wines. But our mission is to craft fruit-forward Rhônes that capture the natural qualities of our vineyards—and to do so requires an extra measure of time, detail and creativity.
Natural Quality
Winemaker Chuck Carlson’s winemaking style requires physiological ripeness in the vineyard, followed by minimal processing in the cellar, to ultimately capture the purest qualities of the fruit. “My approach is to work with—not against—what Mother Nature gives us,” Chuck says. “We are blessed to have vineyards that produce incredible fruit, and that’s why I want the inherent flavors to really stand out and define the wine.”
Hands-On Methods
Chuck and his winemaking team employ a modern version of the traditional wooden basket press on our smaller lots. While labor intensive, this type of press ensures gentle extraction to maximize the preservation of pure fruit flavors.
Chuck also personally designed the custom tanks that are integral to our winemaking program. These hybrids consist of an open-top fermenter which sits atop a closed-top tank, maximizing winemaking versatility and quality within the confines of our small winery.
For aging, we employ French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks, depending on our vision for each wine. For select lots, however, we employ 40-hectaliter French oak upright tanks. These tanks are used to mature wines that need less direct oak contact but still benefit from the unique properties of wood aging.
These are just a few examples of how we invest in preserving and accentuating the inherent fruit character of our vineyards.
