The goal of our winemaking process is to discover California wines that are distinct because of a unique terroir, or a unique interaction of vine and environment. As a result, when it comes to winemaking, we do everything we can to do very little. While it is true that great wine is made in the vineyard, we know that we can make decisions that will influence the critical characters of a wine. The first step of good winemaking is to be very involved in the vineyards. We have observed a few critical factors in why our wines taste the way they do: harvest timing, stem inclusion, native fermentations, judicious oak regimes, and patience.

Harvest timing and capturing variance: It is important not to fear picking a little early or multiple times – even within small vineyards – because diverse wine character can develop through capturing vineyard variation and correct harvest timing. Waiting and waiting for fruit character only places us at risk of losing some of what makes Syrah, for example, so wonderful: savory meats and spice. The most important tools a winemaker brings to a harvest are pen and tape. Labeling harvest bins to segment fruit based on natural variation in the vineyard is a critical way to begin the winemaking, capturing variance before moving the fruit into the cellar to husband its creation.

Whole cluster fermentation: After we capture variance in the vineyard, creating variability in the cellar helps produce the diverse components destined for blending. We are convinced that including more stems has helped set our wines apart from our domestic peers and brought us closer to our neighbors across the big pond. Vineyard lots will receive varying amounts of stems depending on what the fruit seems to require. Fruitier wines benefit from more stems, which contribute spice, and cooler vineyards producing lighter bodied wines can develop fuller texture and more complexity with the right percentage of stem inclusion.

Native fermentations: Although the contribution of native ferments to flavor is admittedly nebulous, we respect traditional winemaking on a philosophical level and want our fermentations to start naturally, without any added yeast or – in the case of malolactic fermentations – bacteria. Native ferments do allow a variety of yeast to contribute to fermentation characteristics, at least in the beginning.

Oak regime: When setting out to create wines that reflect the unique sources we draw from, it would be anathema to allow new oak flavors – sweet baking spices, vanilla, smoke, etc. – to interfere with the expression that comes directly from the vineyard. We strive to understand what the natural characters of a vineyard are by aging a good portion of the wine in neutral oak (offering no flavor contribution) so that we can learn how best to compliment those flavors with different oak producers and types.

Patience: One of the first great lessons of winemaking is about patience. Most winemakers are trained in "winemaking," in solving problems and taking action to "make" great wine. With access to great fruit it is important to remember that there is very little in the winemaking process that cannot be worked out simply with a proper amount of waiting. This is particularly true with Pinot Noir and Syrah, which lend themselves to awkward periods of aging where their wonderful characters are veiled in great mystery and restraint. Patience often coaxes magnificence.