Vineyard Report, Fall 2014

Harvesting Frey Organic & Biodynamic Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

Due to a warm spring and hot dry summer conditions, the 2014 harvest started 2 weeks ahead of average.  The first three weeks were very busy because all of the white varietals got ripe at the same time.  September and early October were hot, and all berries reached optimal sugar levels ahead of other years, so clusters were allowed to hang and reach physiological ripeness, with nutty seeds, non-bitter skins and gentle tannins.  We got some much-needed rain during harvest, but it wasn’t enough to alleviate drought conditions or damage fruit.  Across the board, the quality was exceptional and yields were near average.

Vineyard Manager Derek Dahlen at the weigh station.

Frey Vineyards is now farming a new ranch here in Redwood Valley!  The Walt Ranch is planted with Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet and Petite Sirah grapes and was managed organically by veteran grape grower Tony Milani for the past 25 years.  Tony passed away in March and we look forward to carrying on his tradition of organic grape farming on this beautiful land.

Adam Frey rescues a Pileated Woodpecker.

This year we had visits from several wildlife friends: deer, fox, turkeys and woodpeckers, who live in the adjacent forests and venture out night and day to feast on grapes.  We have a mama bear and 2 cubs visiting our apple and fig trees, nightly.  Adam Frey rescued a wounded Pileated woodpecker at Road D Ranch and nursed it back to health. Although they eat valuable fruit, we are happy to be surrounded by forests that provide habitat for healthy populations of wild animals, no matter their occasional nibbling!

Moving into November, cover crop seeding, Biodynamic horn manure spraying and compost spreading are nearly completed for the season.  We are getting some nice rains this week to enliven the soil for the horn manure and ensure good germination of the cover crops.  The grape leaves are turning to fall colors and the vines are headed for dormancy for the winter.  The vineyards and their keepers are looking forward to a lull until pruning begins after the winter solstice.  In the meantime, we are praying for more rain. Please join us in that endeavor!

We look forward to sharing an excellent 2014 vintage with you soon. Cheers!

Harvest 2014 is over!

Oct 24, 2014 at 12:29 PM Permalink

Tasting Notes From Éva-Marie Lind

Éva-Marie Lind, parfumeur and CEO/founder of EM Studios Arome in Portland, Oregon, provides us with her next installment of tasting notes for Frey organic and Biodynamic wines. EM Studios Arome specializes in aromatic and olfactory artistry, with a concentration on whole earth ingredients, sensory attunement, and botanical beauty. We love how Éva-Marie’s poetic descriptions take us out of the ordinary Wine Tasting 101 textbook and into a fecund and ethereal world.

Eva-Marie Lind

2013 Organic Sauvignon Blanc
Sheer delight met my nose as cherries, vanilla and the inference of the sweet, honeyed 2-penylethyl acetate found in freesia danced forward. In the mouth, a symphony of tropical fruit, the blush of apricot feathered with bergamot, and the fragrance of blackberry flowers where they join at the vine. She unfolds as a mountain creek tumbling over rock, opening into deeper and brighter clarity that is held fast to the zest of Sicilian lemon embellished with the slight tang of star fruit.

2013 Organic Chardonnay
Near luminescent in her aroma, she blossoms into hints of pale early spring tulip petals and the inner breath of white lotus, kissed by moon glow, just before dawn. This one jumps forward with a lovely clarity, yet she is surprisingly voluptuous in the mouth where a momentary splash of pink grapefruit announces the structured waltz of d’anjou pear with the inner blushed heart of a pink lady apple, delicately hugged by a butterscotch cape and offering a lovely crisp, well-lingering finish.

2013 Organic Pinot Noir
Meeting my nose appealingly soft with a subtle floral heart sidling to a blush of blueberries and a whisper of balsam fir and clean earth. What appears more simple and straight forward, begins to triumph in the mouth as her elegantly crisp, drier bouquet opens into a more pronounced impression of golden osmanthus blooms and a layering of fruity leather, a touch of tabac, a sheathing of black licorice, and a smooth velour finish.

2013 Biodynamic® Merlot
The delightful surprise of slight toffee malt and new bud spruce meets your nose, with an inference of tamarind, greeting a blushing orchestration of dark berries on the vine. In the mouth, plush and full-bodied, expressing a marion berry compote, teased by the outer shell notes of pink pepper playing tag at the edges, holding hands with the sheerest inference of the sweetened dry-down notes of saffron. Tannins fill the mouth, drawing all these chords together into a brilliant subtlety, as when standing at the center of an orchard at nightfall when sunset blushes upon warm fruit and exhausted air settles into a harmonious center.

Oct 23, 2014 at 4:02 PM Permalink