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Ch-Check it Out

What-wha-what-what-what's it all about?

1. The Fin, Grenache, planted 2010
2. Lake Block, Roussanne, planted 2015
3. Bunk House, Syrah (Counoise, Roussanne, Grenache and Grenache Blanc elsewhere), planted 2016
4. Ledge Block, Syrah, planted 2005
5. Baby Block, Cinsaut, planted 2017
6. Meter by Meter, Syrah, planted 2016
7. Lake Block, Grenache, planted 2015









 

A LETTER FROM THE EDITORIAL DESK

Smoke from the barrel of my 17 HMR lingers and yet the varmints reproduce at a dizzying rate.

Send ammunition.  

Incessant humping by the "yellow-toothed ground goblin" has proved to be a nuisance, but thanks to some sturdy sights, I sleep soundly at night and most of the damage hitherto has been avoided. We're doing our best.

Our Baby Block of Cinsaut is flourishing in it's second year and I have a good mind to plant the rest of this ranch to head-trained vines at 11'x11' spacing.

Don't tell the head office that I have plans to expand the vineyard. I might be summarily dispatched. 

The wide spacing allows for great vigor and water efficiency, and scoping out the aforementioned enemy is a snap. Those little bastards have no place to hide.

The meter by meter Syrah block is a fruitful yet beastly way to farm. It might do me in.

I'll send photos of everything next week. Bunkhouse, Orchard, Lake and Meter by Meter blocks will all be giving us significant new fruit. Exciting!

Send ice packs.

Yours Aimfully, 

MCA

 

 

 

Dharma Bums

If the purpose of life's journey is to gradually invent oneself from cradle to grave, the identity of a vigneron presents a challenge to that ideal. For those unfamiliar, vigneron is a French term which has no English equal. Winegrower comes pretty close. A vigneron plants and farms an estate while also crafting and bottling wines from each successive vintage. Soup to nuts. Kit and caboodle.

The "genius" of a wine estate lies in the ability to maintain excellence, not to annually re-invent transcendental fruit and therefore wines. I would posit that it is a relatively monotonous existence to be a vigneron.  This is not to say it is soulless, on the contrary. I personally find the duality of artisanal and agricultural life to be deeply spiritually rewarding.  It is however formulaic and in that sense a somewhat static existence.  I welcome opinions to the contrary, but the process of farming, fermentation and élevage involve the basic unwavering scientific processes of ripening, fermentation and integration. There are a great many other details that vary from cellar to cellar, but there are clear limits to the exploratory potential of farming and producing. It is also significant that for the most part, oenophiles prefer consistency, not existential grape-juice vision quests.

There are of course exceptions to every rule and I am lured yet again into what many consider to be winemaking’s parallel universe: music.

The creme de la creme of music is widely considered to be classical. To that end, opera is classical music’s most widely lauded vessel. Staging and wardrobe may be fluid throughout the ages, but the formula, the music and the libretto, remain consistent. The art form has been perfected, the score is the law and deviation is not acceptable.

On the flip side of that coin is popular music, blessed with endless creative options both within compositions and throughout the lifetime of the artist. Genres are invented regularly and the scope of popular music is essentially infinite.

One can argue that winemaking has endless explorative possibilities, with over 10,000 different grape varietals, undiscovered terroir and new methodology helping to perfect and develop our craft every harvest.

To summarize this rant, I m surmising that Grand Cru and Opera may well be synonymous. There are absolute rules to greatness that consumers reward with loyalty.

As far as popular music, we have entered into a realm where “rock star winemaker” is actually a term. These winemakers often employ cutting edge techniques to farm, process, ferment, age and market wines with intent to cultivate a fan base of wine-club devotees.

I am proud to mention that my dear friend and mentor Justin Smith of Saxum is being honored as Winemaker of the Year in Paso Robles. I think they ought to just make him a damn statue and make this a permanent distinction. He always encouraged us to develop a wine brand that spoke both our individuality and the fundamental principles rooted in terroir. Classical and popular musics dancing together so to speak. To throw the conventions and limitations of tradition out the window while keeping one foot firmly in the vat of the worlds greatest wine estates.

Rock me Amadeus.

Hey Baby, It's the Fourth of July

All of us here at the Adams Ranch and Ledge Vineyards wish you a happy Independence Day.

 

I'm Alright

Today I missed my brother. 

So I called him.

Looks like we are golfing soon.

Hooray!

---

Mom and Dad took us to see Kenny Loggins at the California Mid-State Fair back in the 80s. 

Danger Zone.

Good times. 

We saw Alabama that same fair.

Those dudes kicked ass.

Thanks Mom and Dad.

MCA

---

I'm alright
Don't nobody worry 'bout me
You got to gimme a fight
Why don't you just let me be

-Kenneth Loggins & Clark Loggins
___

 

Are You Experienced

Popular culture outlets generally describe the lifestyle of wine-farmers as delectable, romantic, intellectual, chic, luxurious, bacchanalian, worldly, artisinal, earthy, elite or in any number of other glossy magazine terms.

Sometimes it is none, one, many, or all of these things.

For me, familial sums it up best.

One of the most worldy people I have ever encountered in my life comes from this little town of Templeton.

A neighbor since before kindergarten, he barely socializes outside of church and gets by grazing a few cattle, making charcoal, fixing tractors and doing a few other simple but devoted tasks.

He is content in his Willow Creek shack (tin roof and all), eating simple foods and keeping to himself, even though he is reportedly worth a fortune in real estate.  None of his lands are planted to grapes and nothing is for sale. He drives the same shitty little truck I have seen him driving for decades. 

Pretty sure he is a bachelor.

Always joyful. Always friendly.

Knows the going rate for diesel and tractor work every day.

His parcels mostly lay fallow as far as I know.

I don't ask. 

I'm buying a used tractor from him sooner than later.

We exchange happy waves every time we pass on these country roads, which is almost daily.

I am too tired to continue tonight.

I'll be back to the bachannalian bounce of the tractor tomorrow.

Night Ma, night Pa.

Night brother dude.

Night Sister lady.

Night sweet wife and yer folks.

Nighty lil' bean bag daughter-girl.

---

Trumpets and violins I can hear in the distance
I think they're calling our names
Maybe now you can't hear them, but you will
If you just take hold of my hand

Ah but Are You Experienced
Have you ever been experienced

Not necessarily stoned, but beautiful

(Jimi Hendrix, Are you Experienced)

Let's Cool One

Summer is officially here!

The weather on the ranch this week has been pretty wild. Running hot and cool. It was i the 100s earlier this week but today was quite pleasant. This grape growing region benefits from extreme diurnal shifts, which are especially dramatic in the Willow Creek sub AVA. We often experience days in the 100s followed by evenings in the 60s. The vines love these blasts of heat and sun in the daytime, maximizing growth and ripeness follwed by a cooling ocean-influenced recharge overnight.

We are doing irrigtion repairs in the vineyard to make sure all of our younger blocks get the water needed to thrive. We've already done our shoot thinning and preliminary fruit drop, ensuring maximum, even ripenning and allowing for air to flow through the canopy. This is especially helpful to prevent mildew and rot which can be brought on by foggy socked in mornings.

We've bottled the Adams Ranch and James Berry Vineyard 2017s which will ship to wine club in the Fall and are enjoying having the little one around during the day. We made a Sunday trip to Lake Nacimiento for some boating and rock diving and Ciera took Elizabeth to The Ravine water park yesterday fo some dare-devil watersliding fun. We hop you all are enjoying your Summer. Good time of year for rosé and Grenache Blanc.

Taker Easy,
MCA

 

Back on the Block

Keeping it short tonight as it is bottling day tomorrow.

Coming down the line:

2017 James Berry Vineyard (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Roussanne)

2017 Adams Ranch Vineyard (Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, Mourvedre)

Below are some snaps promised to you last week.

Until next time,
Git 'er done.

Meter by Meter Block (Syrah), Adams Ranch Vineyard. June 5, 2019, 8:15pm.
The Fin (Grenache), Adams Ranch Vineyard. June 5, 2019, 8:20pm.

Baby Block (Cinsaut), Adams Ranch Vineyard. June 5, 2019, 8:05pm

Crosscut Saw

There have been spinning blades a'plenty here at the Adams Ranch.

I've been mowing the vineyard like a bat out of hell almost weekly and today I thought it would be a good idea to lube up the the ol' chainsaw and and clean up massive sections of a recently injured valley oak.

The branches that fell are bigger than many of the trees on the property.

My back is angry with me.

My blood pressure is high and I am an insomniac.

I sprained my eye, your honor.

I have tractor butt.

Do you mind if I belly ache some more?

I won't do it. 

Life is too good!

While I am feeling my age, the vineyard is looking better than ever.

My wife is a total rock star who runs the business like a champ. 

She answers almost all of your emails.

God bless her.

Be nice to her.

To top it all off we will be bottling the 2017 James Berry Vineyard and the 2017 Adams Ranch Vineyard wines next Thursday.

More and better pictures next week. 

Oh, and for the record, we are both readily available by phone and email.

My cell phone is on the bottle and we both receive the emails that go to this inbox:

info [at] ledgevineyards.com

Talk to me goose.

I'm the Map

Where are all of our grapes grown? See the map below! 

Please note that the varietals listed are grapes that have been included in current or past vintages of Ledge wines.
Most of these vineyards grow a wide range of varietals, not only those listed. 

James Berry Vineyard (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvédre and Roussanne):
Southwest quadrant of the Willow Creek District

Adams Ranch Vineyard (Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, Cinsaut, Counoise, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc):
Southwest quadrant of the Willow Creek District

G2 Vineyard (Grenache Blanc and Tannat):
Southwest quadrant of the Willow Creek District

Dante Dusi Vineyard (Zinfandel):
Central Templeton Gap District

Rolph Family Vineyard (Grenache, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel):
Central Adeliada District



Bien Nacido Estate (Syrah):
Santa Maria Valley AVA
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY