2008 Vintage Notes
With the exception of the extremely low tonnage this season I must say this has been a very successful 1st vintage for me at J. Rickards Winery. The quality has been exceptional. The pick dates were executed thoughtfully and without conflict between the individual picks. We learned many valuable lessons about the new heart beat we have created at our winery. Most importantly, the wines really taste fabulous at this early date. I could not have asked for more healthy fermentations and such early completion of malalactic fermentation for all our red wine. This is incredibly important to the success of the longevity of an unfiltered wine. The red wines for the 2008 vintage consist of Ancestor Zinfandel, Old Vine Zinfandel (centennial vintage), Petite Sirah, and Sisters Meritage blend. In addition, we are very excited at the promise of an individual Malbec bottling for this vintage, we'll keep you posted.

You might say this all sounds great but it is only half of the picture. The other half starts a whole new legacy at J. Rickards. In this we have four new wines to introduce for the 2008 vintage. The first three wines will actually be in the bottle before you read this newsletter. They are 200 cases of Sauvignon Blanc, 250 cases of Rosé from Syrah and 20 cases of a semi-sweet Muscat. The final wine is the only wine still fermenting at this time and that's because it's on the "slow boat to china" approach. This wine being a late harvest Semillon infected with the noble rot, botrytis, picked Nov. 7.

Light, sweet, fruity wines have always had a special place in my heart and I am grateful Jim has allowed me to make serious wines in categories where traditionally they are not taken as such. In the next couple of months these wines will be released along with the 2007 Twilight Dessert wine and I encourage you to come and taste for yourself how delightful they can be. In addition, the 2006 red wines will be released by the New Year so there are eight great reasons to come by the winery. And remember, GREAT WINE must be shared with friends and family so don't come alone!

Cheers, Salute, Prost, Sante, L'Chiam
Alex