BENNETT VALLEY, California (January 21, 2010)—The wine business is always onto the next new thing, and for 2010 the buzz is all about cool climate vineyard sites. Peter and Marie Young, owners of Grey Stack Cellars have been producing a steady stream of acclaimed wines from their Bennett Valley vineyard, and the Bennett Valley is one of the coolest growing regions in Northern California.
One of the newest and smallest American Viticultural Areas (AVA) in California,
Bennett Valley lies just southeast of Santa Rosa. It is defined by Sonoma
Mountain, Bennett Mountain and Mount Taylor. The cool marine air flowing
through Crane Canyon Gap into Bennett Valley makes it one of the coolest
growing regions in California. Depending on elevation and microclimate
the combination of cool weather and volcanic soils creates pockets of land that
are perfect for grape production. The Youngs have found one in Dry Stack Vineyard.
The Youngs are dedicated to “sustainable farming,” a regimen that allows the
land to continue and thrive for future generations while causing no harm to the
land, workers, neighbors, wildlife or water supply. “While we appreciate the
intent of organics,” said Peter Young, “we don’t want to be locked into one
restrictive practice that limits our choices. Our method is to look at all the
cultural practices as a system that has to function together. We don’t view
practices or materials in isolation, and we insist on making decisions that we
feel are best for the land, our vineyard and our community.”
With their vines just now coming into peak production, the small lot wines they
are producing are consistently wowing critics and new releases from Grey Stack
Cellars are eagerly awaited by aficionados. The Young’s happily announce the
release of four new wines:
- 2009 Rosemary’s
Block Sauvignon Blanc ($28) looks to have the typical pineapple,
passion fruit, guava character of previous vintages along with rich viscosity
and a great finish.
- 2007 Marie’s Block
Syrah ($38) is refined and elegant with intense the extracted fruit and
hints of white pepper that comes from cool site Syrah. Aged in bottle for over
a year, this wine shows length and breadth on both the palate and the finish.
- 2009 Rosé of Syrah
and Grenache ($18) After skipping a vintage in 2008, the Rosé of Syrah is
back. Made from a saignée of Syrah and blended with 45% Grenache and 10%
Viognier this dry rosé is crisp and fruity with a surprising complexity.
- 2008 The Fisherman
Pinot Noir ($35) is another great wine from the Connell vineyard. Full of
cool climate spice and body this is a rich powerhouse Pinot Noir that should
age well for many years to come. Sadly, there are only 64 cases of this wine.
It’s taken a lot of dedication and
hard work to make Grey Stack Cellars a reality. “The conditions in the Bennett
Valley are difficult,” he explains, “but this could be one of the best places
in California to make wine. The cool weather allows our fruit to hang for a
very long time, which develops complexity and flavor that you just don’t get
from warmer climate zones while maintaining good acidity and low pH.”
The Youngs have a plan and a vision
and they are patiently implementing it. Starting out with their well known
Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah, the Youngs have slowly added Pinot Noir, Grenache
and Chardonnay to their lineup as they find sources in the Bennett Valley that
meet their strict requirements. Their plan for Grey Stack Cellars calls for
2,000 cases this year with slow, steady growth to 5,000 cases over the next
five years. Grey Stack Cellars wines are available in California, New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut and North Carolina.
For more information or to order
Grey Stack Cellars wine, please visit the website
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