Kathryn Hall Releases First Vintage of WALT Wines

Napa Valley, CA – Today, Kathryn Hall announced the upcoming May 1^st, 2012 release of the first vintage of WALT Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines on May 1^st, 2012. These Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines are the first to be produced by Director of Winemaking Steve Leveque and Winemaker Megan Gunderson. The WALT name was selected to honor Kathryn Hall’s parents, Bob and Dolores Walt, who were Kathryn’s inspiration to engage in vineyards and winemaking.  A select number of the wines will be available nationwide at fine wine shops and restaurants.  The balance of the portfolio will only be available directly from the winery.   

“From the beginning, we have been committed to producing quality wine that truly expresses the character of each vineyard site,” said Kathryn Hall, Owner and Vintner.   “With the launch of WALT Wines, we look forward to reinforcing our commitment and continuing the work of Roger and Richard Roessler, who were dedicated to finding the finest sites for Pinot Noir from the Pacific Coast.  By making compelling, delicious wines that are honest expressions of the land they come from, I hope to honor my parents - Bob and Dolores Walt – who grew grapes with a passion in Mendocino County.”

The debut collection of WALT Wines is made up of five Pinot Noirs and a single Chardonnay, which are crafted from fruit grown in cool climate and low-vigor hillside sites, providing the wines with an elegant, opulent, supple and silky taste. WALT Wines’ labels feature a clean, simple and contemporary aesthetic and the artwork pays homage to the four appellations WALT Wines draws their fruit from: Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, Sta. Rita Hills and Willamette Valley.  More information on these wines can be found at www.waltwines.com, or at the WALT tasting room, located on the historic plaza in Sonoma.

The WALT winemaking approach places special emphasis on the grower as a critical element of the equation, due to the fact that they must possess an optimal site, infrastructure, and a passion for quality. As a result, WALT Wines’ grape contacts are often per acre, ensuring vine and flavor balance. Several key techniques are utilized to produce premier wines, including night harvesting, sorting, native yeast fermentations, as well as small lot fermentations in modern facilities that allow for the utmost precision and care.

WALT Wines are produced at the state-of-the-art HALL winemaking facilities in St. Helena, the first winery in California to be distinguished as a Gold certified facility by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design^® Green Building Rating System.

2010 WALT La Brisa Pinot Noir

Appellation: Sonoma County

Vineyard: An appellation blend from La Brisa

Release Date: May 12

Price: $40 per bottle (750 ML)

2010 WALT Blue Jay Pinot Noir

Appellation: Anderson Valley

Vineyard: An appellation blend from Blue Jay

Release Date: May 12

Price: $40 per bottle (750 ML)

2010 WALT Clos Pepe Pinot Noir

Appellation: Santa Rita Hills

Vineyard: Clos Pepe

Release Date: May 12

Price: $60 per bottle (750 ML)

 

2010 WALT Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir

Appellation: Sonoma Coast

Vineyard: Gap’s Crown

Release Date: May 12

Price: $60 per bottle (750 ML)

2010 WALT Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir

Appellation: Williamette Valley

Vineyard: Shea Vineyard

Release Date: August 12

Price: $60 per bottle (750 ML)

 

2010 WALT La Brisa Chardonnay

Appellation: Sonoma County

Vineyard: An appellation blend from La Brisa

Release Date: May 12

Price: $35 per bottle (750 ML)

 

About WALT Wines

WALT is dedicated to the production of premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Pacific Coast’s most distinctive vineyard sites, spanning nearly 1000 miles and including Sta. Rita Hills, Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, and the Willamette Valley.  Our philosophy is that of precision, non-interventionist winemaking, thereby allowing the wines to naturally and honestly express the character of the site where the wines are grown. For additional information on WALT Wines, please visit www.waltlwines.com.

 

The New York Times Knowledge Network Introduces New Online Course: Napa cabernet

For wine enthusiasts who wish to learn more about the culture and history of wine making, The New York Times presents “California Wines: Napa Cabernet,” a new online course designed to help students explore and taste the wines of California , with a particular focus on Napa Cabernet. Students will learn about the viniculture, flavors, and winemaking that distinguish California wines and will expand their knowledge of the various regions of this great winemaking state and their distinguishing features.

This self-paced course, taught by The New York Times’ Eric Asimov, Chris Cree, and Cathy Corison, will include topics such as:

The evolution of Napa Valley into a world-class wine region, and the main people and events who made this transformation possible;
The key natural features of wine regions;
The unique styles and techniques of various winemakers;
Statistical, physical, and organizational comparisons of Napa to other regions in California , Bordeaux , and around the world.
What distinguishes Cabernet grapes from Napa from other Bordeaux varieties.

Students will also have access to an archived webcast that includes The Times’ instructors tasting and reviewing six amazing wines. To register for this new online course or for more information, please visit: http://www.nytimesknownow.com/index.php/california-wines-napa-cabernet/.

This Program of Study course is part of the New York Times Knowledge Network, which is open to consumers nationwide. Programs of Study courses, developed and taught by New York Times journalists or professional staff, cover a variety of topics and are delivered online. Students can select any number of these courses: to stand alone, or be taken as a sequence.

MT. BRAVE MAKES ITS DEBUT

– A STUNNING MT. VEEDER WINE FROM LOKOYA’S CHRIS CARPENTER

JANUARY 2012 – NAPA VALLEY – Mt. Brave is a tribute to the pioneering spirit of those who settled the rugged terrain of Mt. Veeder during the 1800s and an homage to the Wappo Indians, “the brave ones,” who were the original inhabitants of this extraordinary place.

Extreme mountain winemaking is definitely not for the faint of heart. The Mt. Brave Vineyard, in the northern portion of the Mt. Veeder AVA, sits at elevations ranging from 1,400 to 1,800 feet. The work is hard and labor-intensive, with little mechanized modern technology used, at harvest, small lug boxes are the only means to pick the fruit. The reward, however, is top-quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec. The resulting wines have purity of fruit, brimming with violets, minerality, and lush tannins.

A word on tannins…

Carpenter knows his Mt. Veeder vineyard like the back of his hand. Capturing the lush fruit and minerality has to be done with a wary eye on the concentrated mountain tannins that also develop.  This tannin expression can be from the sublime to the overt.  Tannins are an important component in a wine’s structure and ageability, though too many can dry out the fruit expression. Carpenter believes that tannin management begins in the vineyard, and is carried through all the way to bottling.  Through the careful tannin management and selection in Mt. Brave, the wine evokes a lush mouth-feel while still maintaining the structure.

Wine has been crafted from Mt. Veeder soils since the early 1860s. Along with Napa winemaking pioneers such as Charles Krug and Agoston Haraszthy, Captain Stalham Wing, who arrived on Mt. Veeder in 1853, showed the first Mt. Veeder wine at the Napa County Fair in 1864. For 150 years, determined winegrowers moved forward where many thought the conditions too severe, too extreme, and too lacking in promise. The land that is now home to Mt. Brave was originally purchased in 1841, before the Gold Rush forever changed California and two decades before the Civil War.

Winemaker Chris Carpenter has long been receiving great acclaim for his extremely limited production Napa Valley wines, Lokoya and Cardinale. Anyone who “gets” Lokoya will appreciate what he, and viticulturist Mariano Navarro have accomplished with Mt. Brave. It’s Carpenter’s signature style of wine: bold yet balanced, with concentrated yet complex flavors. Though quantities of Mt. Brave will remain small (1,100 cases for the 2008), the wines are being crafted to be more accessible, approachable, and affordable. Carpenter is delighted that more people will be able to enjoy the style of wine for which he is best known. Whereas Lokoya has become synonymous with power, ageability, and finesse, Mt. Brave is the more restrained, yet accessible cousin that stands and delivers. 

Other Facts:

Appellation: 100% Mt. Veeder (formerly Chateau Potelle Vineyard), Napa Valley.

Viticulture: In-barrel malolactic fermentation using native strains. Barrel-to-tank

racking for natural clarity. Aged in French oak barrels 22 months (74% new oak).

Alcohol: 15.0.

Price: MSRP $75.00.

Availability: (nationally) on the shelves Feb 15, 2012.

News from Gracianna

Thanksgiving is on the way...and we have so much to be thankful for this year. Please ask us to send along some Gracianna wine to have on your table this year so you can share it with your family and friends.

Gracianna offers our free shipping for the holidays. Prepare to share your gratitudes with your friends and neighbors for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Order now ($100 or more in the lower 48, $150 if in AK or HI) and shipping is on us!

We are pleased to announce 2011 Sonoma County Harvest Fair Awards:

2010 Gracianna Chardonnay - Best in Class
2009 Gracianna Pinot Noir - Gold
2009 Gracianna Zinfandel - Bronze

On the heels of the big announcement, wine critic and award-winning author Paul Lukacs said that Gracianna's 2010 chardonnay earned a score of 95 as well as these comments:

"Without a doubt the finest American Chardonnay I have tasted in 2011, this wine offers a fresh, fruit-filled bouquet followed by layered, lingering flavors that, in addition to apples, lemons, and other fruit, hints at toasted nuts and savory spice, with just an echo of sweet cream. Wonderfully complex because multi-layered, it bears more than a passing resemblance to fine white Burgundy, particularly in its genuinely dry, lingering finish."

"...'Suzanne's Blend' is a wine that anyone who loves truly world-class Chardonnay should make a special effort to find and enjoy."

Paul Lukacs is author of The Great Wines of America. Paul's first book, American Vintage: The Rise of American Wine, won the three major wine Book of the Year awards in 2001--the James Beard Foundation, Champagne Veuve Clicquot, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

We are pleased that our 2009 Pinot Noir and Zinfandel and 2010 Chardonnay are recently released!

Our 2009 Pinots and Zins have been bottle resting and are now ready to enjoy.

You can read all the details on the tasting notes but first we want to thank you for your wonderful support.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

We have limited amount of the 2008 wines left - so please order your favorites for the year to come.

ANd there is more wine coming! My brother and I have been thrilled about our 2009/2010 vintage BUT the pinot for our 2011 vintage is fermenting now as the 2010 reds are bottle resting for release in Spring.

See our new releases below and follow Gracianna on Facebook - check it out and become a fan and please suggest to your friends and other wine loves that they become fans!

Visit our website or go straight to our "Buy Wine" page. And remember shipping will be our gift to you if your order is for $100 or more. Simply click to buy.

On behalf of our winemaker, my brother Trini IV, and the rest of the family, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!