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library These wines are no longer available directly from ampelos cellars, although you may find them at your local wine store or restaurant, or even in your cellar! viognier, santa barbara county, 2008 As usual, our 2008 harvest started with Viognier. In 2008 the first pick was on September 8 with an early morning pick of viognier from Jack McGinley vineyard and two days later we picked from Vogelzang for the first time. To add another dimension to the wine we added 5% gewürztraminer from Alisos Vineyards. The wine is juicy, vibrant, lively, even rich. Nose is perfumed and powerful offering meyer lemon, kaffir lime, white peach, tangerine, and mango. Non-fruits include white flowers, citrus blossoms, honeysuckle, lemon pudding, herbs de provence (primarily lavender), with a hint of candied ginger. The minerality comes across as dry stones. The palate confirms the nose and the finish is big and long with a great bright acidity that allows continual evolution of the lingering flavors. This wine is cool, crisp and ready to be paired with shellfish and your favorite spicy foods. Just 175 cases produced. Please click here for printable winemaking and tasting notes. rosé of syrah, santa ynez valley, 2008 The color is bright pink/salmon – looks like it will glow in the dark. You will find the nose of tangerine/oranges, with watermelon, pomegranate, and pink lady apples. The minerality is slate like and on the palate white lilies and herbs are offered. The finish is long and filled with the aforementioned fruits. This rose is done in the provençal style with a soft tannin structure that comes from the 6 days of 40% skin contact. Always great as an aperitif, or paired with fish, chicken or our favorite – spicy thai food! Please click here for printable winemaking and tasting notes. viognier, santa barbara county, 2007 The 2007 harvest kicked off with an early morning pick of viognier at the Cuatro Vientos vineyard, and later that same morning we pulled in fruit from Jack McGinley vineyard. Though we would have liked more fruit, crop levels were low so in total we picked a little over 2 tons from both vineyards. The grapes were gently pressed to cold, stainless steel. On October 16 we picked the one row of viognier in our ampelos vineyard for a total of 1100 pounds. With the color of sand from a tropical beach and a nose of jasmine, lemongrass and crystallized ginger, this viognier is sure to please. Balanced acidity and gravel-like minerality give way to a mouth bursting of juicy white peach and grandma’s lemon meringue pie. Cool, crisp and ready to be paired with your favorite spicy foods. Just 170 cases produced. Please click here for printable winemaking and tasting notes. rosé of syrah, santa ynez valley, 2007 The 07 rosé is like liquid fuschia in a glass. A nose of strawberries and watermelon give way to a mouth of ripe raspberries and currants. Spicier than the ’06, this rosé is done in the provençal style with a soft tannin structure that comes from the 3 days of 35% skin contact we allow for. Always great as an aperitif, or paired with fish, chicken or our favorite – spicy thai food! 240 cases produced. Please click here for printable winemaking and tasting notes. viognier, santa ynez valley, 2006 We are primarily “red focused” at ampelos but none of us can pass up a glass of crisp, refreshing viognier! We blend fruit from the Cuatro Vientos vineyard in Los Olivos with the small batch of Viognier grapes we grow on the ampelos estate to produce what we think is a mighty fine white wine. This wine has never seen a barrel and has not gone through malo-lactic fermentation. ampelos viognier will suit a variety of foods from artisan cheeses to lobster and poultry dishes. Just 103 cases produced. For maximum enjoyment, serve at 55°F. Please click here for printable winemaking and tasting notes. rosé of syrah, santa ynez valley We pick the syrah grapes in this rosé specifically for this wine – no saignée! We pick one third of the grapes and soak them like a red wine. Then, a few days later we pick the remainder and press everything together, this gives us our pretty pink color and unique flavor profile. Like our viognier, this wine has never seen oak and has not gone through malo-lactic fermentation. We love drinking this perfectly dry, refreshing rose on a warm day. Our rosé compliments spicy dishes as well as salads and a traditional thanksgiving turkey dinner. 300 cases produced. Best when served at 50°F. Please click here for printable winemaking and tasting notes. rosé of syrah, santa ynez valley We began to harvest Syrah on September 18, harvesting in increments as the fruit ripened to perfection. Our rosé was always meant to be a rosé, and so this first batch was destemmed, crushed and kept on the skins for two days to extract color and spiciness.. Two days later, we harvested the rest of the vineyard and placed it (whole cluster) into the press, along with the de-stemmed lot. Pressed until we were pleased with the taste, tannins, structure and color, the juice was then transferred to a cold stainless steel tank where it underwent a cool, long fermentation. Malolactic fermentation was inhibited. This process allowed us to retain the fresh aromas and fruit profile that we desired in this wine; let the fruit express itself and do not disturb it with ml or oak! The color is a pretty salmon with pink hints. This is a dry rosé– and not a sweet white zinfandel. It is an elegant wine that can stand on its own as an aperitif. The nose shows pink grapefruit and fresh strawberries and the mouth continues with a sweet pink grapefruit and some spicy flavors from the syrah grapes. Acids are well balanced which also makes it a very food friendly wine; try it with spicy asian cuisine. Please click here for a printable version of these notes. viognier, santa ynez valley We harvested the Viognier in several picks to ensure perfect ripeness. We started picking on September 13, 2005 with subsequent picks a few days later. We harvested at dawn’s first light to ensure the fruit was crisp and cool. The first fruit was placed into the cold room, and then all put into the press upon delivery of the last harvest. The grapes where then whole-cluster pressed together and resulted in juice at 23.3 Brix, 3.5 pH and 6.8 TA – exactly what we desired. The color was light straw. We inoculated with epernay2 cultured yeast and kept the fermenting wine at cold temperatures in a steel tank. After a long fermentation we prevented malolactic (ml) fermentation to retain the fresh aromas which is our philosophy with this wine: let the fruit express itself and do not disturb it with ml or oak. Only 76 cases produced. A true representation of the grapes themselves – this is what we believe Viognier should be! The color is light straw with an apricot noise. The palate has nice characteristics of pineapple, pear and kumquats with a long and pleasing finish. No aging is needed for this wine! Please click here for a printable version of these notes. rho pinot noir, sta. rita hills The nose of brown sugar, sarsparilla, and bing cherries on this garnet hued beauty captivate at first scent. Offering a pleasing palate of cinnamon infused molé , dark berries and bing cherries, the 2005 rho is lush, and fruit driven with a big, long tannin structure that will aid beautifully in aging. Smooth and polished up front, showcasing ripe cherry, raspberry and blue berry fruit, yet gaining traction, with a nice presentation of firm, loamy tannins that gain complexity and depth. 91 points, Wine Spectator Click here for full winemaking notes pinot noir, sta. rita hills 2005 marked our third harvest from the fiddlestix vineyard. As was the case around the valley, crop levels were threatening to be high and we were getting nervous. Meticulously farmed by Jeff Newton and Kathy Joseph, Fiddlestix was worked into shape and our fears were soothed away. The crop levels fell right around 2.7 tons/acre, and we were very pleased at how Fiddlestix had once again provided us with fantastic fruit. Picked early the morning of 9/9/2005, we got 1.5 tons of clone 115 and 1.5 tons of clone 667 from two very different blocks of the vineyard. Just after crushing this fruit the bin had the most beautiful smell of fresh thyme. After aging and bottling, the flavors have morphed into a rich blend of cherries, lush strawberry pie and a hint of sweet tobacco. A glimpse of earthy musk and more cherries cap off the nose. Fiddlestix never fails to show us the beauty of what the other corridor of Sta. Rita Hills can produce. Please click here for a printable version of these notes. delta grenache, santa maria valley Delta is used mathematically to symbolize a difference. this grenache differs from your typical red wine with its fruity profile. The nose shows high notes of black currant. Most grenache in our experience is over ripe with the scent of strawberries, ours has a glimpse of the fruit but nothing overpowering. The palate is long and finished off with more blackcurrant – good wines finish last! Click here for full winemaking notes gamma syrah, sta. rita hills 2005 marked the second harvest from our estate vineyard! We began harvesting syrah on 10/8/2005 and finished on 10/14/2005. All together we picked 1.5 tons of clone 99 and 2.4 tons of the estrella clone, 50% of which was branch locked. to optimize the sunlight exposure to the leaves and ensure consistent photosynthesis. Gamma is used mathematically for a function including complex numbers, and there could not be a better wine in our program to fit this descriptor than our estate syrah. This is our black beauty. Gamma offers a nose of toasted oak and dark cherries. The palate of almonds, orange peel and dark chocolate are the signature of syrah from the ampelos vineyard. 258 cases plus 35 magnums produced. 92 Points, Wine Spectator: Firm and structured, with tight wild berry, spice, mineral and subtle cedary oak touches that are intense, vibrant, focused and persistent, ending with chewy tannins Click here for full winemaking notes. epsilon syrah, santa barbara county Epsilon is used mathematically as a small, positive quantity. At ampelos, it designates special wines released in extremely limited quantities. A deep, dark garnet red color promises a big wine. The nose indicates spices and dark fruit as well as a little vanilla and crème brulee. The palate is big: candy, rainier cherries, chocolate-raspberry tart, a hint of cinnamon and violets while the oak flavors are light and very well integrated. "...the 2005 Syrah Alisos Vineyard... offers
beautiful sweet, chocolaty, creme de cassis fruit intermixed
with meat juice, underbrush, and forest floor notes. With lovely
ripeness as well as opulence, it is best consumed over the next
5-7 years." Click here for full winemaking notes. syrache, santa barbara county Truly a Santa Barbara County wine if you count the miles on our odometer! On 10/7 we picked Syrah from Alisos Vineyard, and then on 10/8 Syrah from the Byron vineyard. Then, on 10/13 harvested Grenache from Byron and Alisos. 10/14 brought in Bien Nacido Syrah, and 11/3 the last of the Syrah from Alisos. Whew! The wine is 27% grenache and 73% syrah from different climates. Full of bright fruits on the nose and palate especially cherries. This wine is all about the fruit, not the oak. We made a dish of leftover lamb, potatoes, peppers, heirloom tomatoes, fresh black and white pepper, basil, thyme and chipotle for a kick - the syrache was dynamite along side. Give it a try! 538 cases and 36 magnums produced. Click here for full winemaking notes. lambda pinot noir, sta. rita hills A day to remember - September 8,
2004 - we had our first harvest from our own vineyard!!! The wine aged in 35% new oak (Sirugue, Boutes and TW Boswell coopers) and 65% neutral barrels for 17 months. The two different clones were barreled separately until the second racking when we created the final blend. The wine was bottled in March of 2006. Bountiful red fruit dominates – raspberry, black cherry, sweet strawberry – accented invitingly with hints of exotic spice, gingerbread and a warm earthiness. There is a long lingering, chewy finish with the fruit supported by cola and cigar box. This sumptuous extract is balanced with bright acidity and softly framed by fine tannins. Please click here for a printable version of these notes. rho pinot noir, sta. rita hills Each year we get together as a family and hand select the top pinot noir barrels from our estate fruit. For 2004 we chose 4 barrels to comprise our “rho”. Unlike lambda (our other estate pinot noir), rho is aged 17 months in 50% new french oak. This inaugural vintage was bottled in 2006 and held for a year before release to make certain it was truly integrated. rho is a correlation coefficient – each year we will make different blends of clones to optimize this wine. Due to the strong (yet soft) tannin structure this wine can cellar for 5-15 years. Enjoy with succulent pork tenderloin, Beef Bourgogne, or simply by itself with some good music and great friends! Please click here for printable winemaking and tasting notes. epsilon grenache, santa ynez
valley This is one of the few pure grenache bottlings done in Santa Barbara County. Our grenache is from Harrison-Clarke vineyard, located in high elevations above the Stolpman and the Purisima Mountain vineyards off Ballard Canyon in the Santa Ynez Valley. The elevation and micro-climate of the vineyard provides rather extreme weather conditions, just perfect for the Rhônes in our program. Grenache is a temperamental vine that is starting to show its beauty. We picked the grenache grapes twice – first on Sept 13th at 26.2 brix and a second pick on Sept 27th at 26.4 brix. Our first pick was meant to be used for our “syrache” but the yield wasa little less than expected. Trying to compensate for this we got some more in the second batch – and now we had more than we needed! Based on this as well as the quality of the grenache we therefore decided to make this small batch – and we love it! The 2004 Grenache was aged in French oak barrels, 35% of which were new. Prior to bottling, the wines were racked twice. The color is a rich burgundy with a nose of ripe blueberries and figs leading to delicious creamy strawberry shortcake on the mouth. Chocolate and cinnamon resonate on the back palate for a deliciously spicy finish. (When the berries came in from the vineyard Peter kept eating them out of the fermenter – surprisingly something was left, they just tasted so good!) Please click here for a printable version of these notes. gamma syrah, sta. rita hills The grapes for the gamma syrah were picked on October 4 2004, the first harvest from our own vineyard – this is the Estrella clone planted on 1103P rootstock. Brix: 27.4 pH: 3.27 and TA: 5.97. We kept it in a cold room for two days followed by de-stemming and crushing into two small ½ ton open top fermenters. We then inoculated with bm45 and after 17 days and two daily punch-downs our first estate syrah was a reality! We drained the free run (~80%), gave the remainder a light press and racked into oak barrels where we started the malolactic fermentation. For this wine we selected one French Sirugue barrel and one TW Boswell hybrid barrel which has American staves and French heads. Combined with two good neutral barrels we now had the first-born syrah ready for some rest. We racked the wine twice before bottling. Dark purple hue with good color separation. The nose alludes to raspberries, dark chocolate and sweet almond. Combined with cracked white pepper, cloves and more dark fruit on the palate – a signature of Sta. Rita Hills. The tannins are balanced for this young wine and the oak is supporting. Something reminds us of a walk hand-in-hand in a forest after the rain… Please click here for a printable version of these notes. syrache, santa barbara county, 2004 Our “syrache” is a Rhône style blend of syrah and grenache. The grenache is from from the Harrison-Clarke ranch, located in high elevations above the Stolpman and the Purisima Mountain vineyards in Ballard Canyon in Santa Ynez Valley. The vineyard has extreme weather conditions and is in an excellent place for Rhône grapes in our program. We picked the grenache grapes twice – first on September 13 (26.2 Brix) and later on September 27 (26.4 Brix). The syrah is from two sources – Harrison-Clarke (picked September 13) and Alisos in Cat Canyon (our last pick, on October 2) – both picked at 26.4 Brix. We added about 250 lbs of estate viognier to the Harrison-Clarke syrah for co-fermentation. The four batches were kept separate but went through a similar process: two days of cold soaking, about two weeks of fermentation with two daily punch-downs. We drained the free run (~80%) and gave the remainder a light press and racked into oak barrels where malolactic fermentation was started. We also added about 5-7% estate syrah for complexity. We used 35% new French oak barrels (Sirugue, Remond, and TW Boswell) supplemented with a few hybrid barrels that are a combination of French and American oak. The wines were racked twice prior to bottling. Very dark red/purple, inky hue. The nose promises dark berries and chocolate with a hint of sweet tobacco and the palate continues with flavors of cracked pepper, chocolate and bubble gum (the grenache influence). The tannins are strong and balanced and the oak is supportive. We believe this wine will age very well and love how the different components compliment each other. Please click here for a printable version of these notes. rosé of syrah, Santa Barbara County, 2003 We inoculated with BM45 to start the fermentation in neutral French Oak. We inhibited malolactic fermentation and believe that the best way to show the fruit is to have no new oak addition. The wine was released in June, 2005. Only 56 cases produced. The wine is showing big fruit with characteristics of pink lemonade both in the color, nose and palate. It still has the refreshing tones of strawberries and tropical fruit as the 2003, including the pretty pink salmon color. pinot noir, santa rita hills, On Sept. 11, 2003, we harvested a ton of Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir clone 667 (the same block we had good success within 2002) and on Sept. 17th a ton of clone 115. After de-stemming and crushing, we cold soaked for 3 days and then began fermentation by inoculating with two different yeasts (RC212 and BM45 -- keeping them separate). We fermented for 12 days with two daily punch downs in small open top fermenters - each with the different yeast. When the wine was completely dry we pressed in a classic basket press and carefully hand bucketed the wines into 50% new and 50% aged French oak barrels where it under went malolactic fermentation. The wine aged in barrel for approximately 14 months. We bottled at the end of March, 2004 and released it early July, 2005. Only 110 cases produced. The wine shows crisp fruit, deep garnet color with vibrant, sappy plum and blackberry fruit, accented with hints of cola, warm spice, and white flowers. The nose has the aromas of fresh cherries and a deep spice cabinet. The palate is creamy with the hints of exotic spices, balanced tannins and a smooth finish. syrah, sta. rita hills, 2003 Following our prior year's focus we started looking around for some good Syrah in the area. We wanted to be able to express the fine characteristics that a cold climate (similar to our own estate vineyard) brings to the Syrah grape as well as to get a better feel for what our vineyard will provide. We were able to buy Syrah clone 7 from Gainey's Evans Ranch located on Santa Rosa Road and just a couple of miles away from our estate. On Oct 17th, we picked the beautiful, small berries and after a day in the cold room we crushed and de-stemmed the grapes. After two days of cold soaking we started fermentation, inoculating with RC212 yeast. When the wine completed fermentation, we pressed it and racked it into a combination of new and neutral French oak barrels. The wine was bottled at the end of March and was released early in July. Only 48 cases were produced. The wine is very dark with hints of mint, distinctive white pepper and earthy characteristics. The aromatics are reminiscent of bright red fruits, such as red cherries and raspberries. syrache, santa barbara county, 2003 The "Syrache" name is a blend of Syrah and Grenache. This wine has been designed for those who like to explore beyond the traditional varietals; if you are this type of person then this is the wine for you! The wine is blend of 55% Westerly Syrah, 25% Evans Ranch Syrah and 20% Harrison-Clarke Grenache. The Westerly Syrah provides a core of opaque, black fruits and grilled meats livened by high-toned spice and violets from the Evans Ranch fruit and rounded by the generous, open knit, friendly, red berry and strawberry shortcake qualities of Grenache. As they say, the sum is greater than the parts. The wine is very smooth yet lingers on your palate causing you to ask “Is there any more???” |
