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Roy Piper

Dennis Borczon wrote: ↑January 14th, 2021, 1:13 pm Obviously no mention of smoke issues. Curious if the release will discuss this in terms of the vintage year. Roy Piper has the best information about this in the public domaine

I've not heard anyone on Pritchard with smoke issues in 2018. Would not be worried in the slightest.

Roy Piper

How much was this on release?

That's good color for a 19-year old Napa Cab.

Roy Piper

Very bummed to hear this yesterday.

Roy Piper

Wow, talk about bringing up an old post! I should say that I've noticed a lot of bottle variation in this Soter bottling. I've had three that were stunning and 3 that just seemed "good" but not terribly exciting. When it's good it's stunning. But it's been 3 years since I've had it. I dran...

Roy Piper

Thanks Roy, that's exactly what we needed! Since you listed other vintages in your description, I am curious where you put 2001 and 2016. Thanks!! I put them on a similar relative plane. I think 2001 was a balanced, prototypical Napa vintage, with 02 being more lush and more tannic and more full-bo...

Roy Piper

Adam Frisch wrote: ↑December 27th, 2020, 12:55 pm Roy, do you know if they sell any of their Riesling fruit externally?

I don't think so but if they do, let me know!

Roy Piper

I know none of the people involved nor the actual reason, but I can guess. And I have an opinion about what they should do, too. [popcorn.gif] Long Meadow Ranch owns Farmstead. Given the huge drop in tourism in Napa in 2020 combined with trying to turn around Stony Hill, combined with a possible tot...

Roy Piper

Crazy factoid.... I've never had a Salon.

I am actually afraid to. Because if it turns out I love it, I might have to gut my budget yearly buying it.

Roy Piper

Now that most 2018s are sold, us winery owners/winemakers have shifted our focus to the 2019 vintage in barrel. Almost all of us have racked the 2019 wines at least once, they have 13 months in oak and we are getting an idea which lots are doing better and what our blends and wines will look like. I...

Roy Piper

Great note, Roy. Slightly OT, but what are your 3 favorite 18 Cali Cabs under $125 and 3 favorite 18 Cali Cabs over $125 at the moment. (feel free to post here or in a new thread). Should be interesting as my early sample size of 18s are pretty dang good. Unfortunately I’ve not had nearly as many 1...

Roy Piper

I think you can, but they need a few hours decanted. They all seem to get better right now with more air.

Roy Piper

I've had the 2018 twice now, most recently yesterday. Gets released in a year. No surprise as to quality. 2018 MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Tasted twice, once double-decanted, once as pop and pour. Moderately-deep purple color with purple rim. Full-bodied but not massive. Primary aromas are...

Roy Piper

Not sure why, but post-ferment lab samples of taint from Cab on the floor are showing no more than you get in any other vintage. Not just for me, but everywhere and everyone I know. Cab seems to have less than Zin and other varietals. Also, press wine shows no difference than free run. None of this ...

Roy Piper

Strong drizzle in southern Napa all day, with gusty winds too. Felt like December or Jan. I loved it!

Roy Piper

JLuch wrote: ↑October 27th, 2020, 12:54 pm Galloni was particularly fond of the Kali and commented it was one of the best wines he had tasted from Aaron...

Agreed, among his sourced wines in 18.

Roy Piper

joejolesch wrote: ↑October 27th, 2020, 12:49 pm Anyone have feedback on the Pott SVDs?

The Cab is lights out. Always is. He and Chris Carpenter at Lokoya are the best Veeder Cab winemakers around.

Roy Piper

I have something like a 3 hour audio interview with John Thomas I recorded four years ago. I really should find that and release it.

He quietly influenced me, up til now. One man show, one wine, small production, fair (but not low) price, make the wine raw and let time take care of it.

Roy Piper

FYI - OG 20 is even higher - 15.9%....lol.. Re alcohol levels..... 15.0-15.5% is not uncommon at all. But 15.6-16%+ is rare for Cab in Napa, now. Firstly, because most people notice the alcohol at that level and dislike it. Also, because there is only one yeast that can ferment that high commonly u...

Roy Piper

That has to be an error in the system.

Roy Piper

Does the tainted wine placed in barrels effect the barrels downstream? I’m thinking of market for neutral barrels and other uses besides flower pots No one knows but I will not be reusing any barrels in the future if any wine that touches them turn out tainted. After bottling one small lot of highl...

Roy Piper

I made the usual amount of wine, for although one vineyard did not pick, I picked up another vineyard that was dropped, as an experiment. So far not noticing taint but past experience with 2017 tells me it tends to show up more after malo. I just went to barrel a few days ago. I think (other than th...

Roy Piper

timmy roos wrote: ↑September 27th, 2020, 9:10 am Does the tainted wine placed in barrels effect the barrels downstream? I’m thinking of market for neutral barrels and other uses besides flower pots

No one knows but I will not be reusing any barrels in the future if any wine that touches them turn out tainted.

Roy Piper

It does not matter one bit of anyone picked before the Glass Fire, although I have serious doubts if you picked AFTER. We had 36 days of smoke before the glass fire and either the die is cast or it is not. So far I am not tasting taint anywhere, which needless to say, is a bit of a shock. But taint...

Roy Piper

It does not matter one bit of anyone picked before the Glass Fire, although I have serious doubts if you picked AFTER. We had 36 days of smoke before the glass fire and either the die is cast or it is not. So far I am not tasting taint anywhere, which needless to say, is a bit of a shock. But taint...

Roy Piper

It does not matter one bit of anyone picked before the Glass Fire, although I have serious doubts if you picked AFTER. We had 36 days of smoke before the glass fire and either the die is cast or it is not. So far I am not tasting taint anywhere, which needless to say, is a bit of a shock. But taint ...

Roy Piper

I was the first to get past the blockade there. Looks like the moon in the hills there. How is your kitty?

Roy Piper

No surprise, the fire burned all around both their Arc Vineyard and near their vineyard next to Eisele and within 50 yards of Kayli Morgan. That proximity just makes their decision, easier. Unlike 2011 when he flew helicopters around his vineyards, this one he could do nothing about.

Roy Piper

KyleC wrote: ↑October 12th, 2020, 10:46 am In the good news category, Dominus just emailed saying their 2020 vintage is smoke free.

Is that so.

Roy Piper

If we are talking about what I consider a T-Bin, I get .75 tons into em easily and ferment quite nicely. The larger ones that many use can hold 1.2 tons but I find those harder to punch down.

Roy Piper

Why they did the Evac warning and order a couple hours ago around Rutherford.

Roy Piper

This is distressing... 10 min ago from a fire chaser up on Howell Mtn...

Roy Piper

has anyone heard from Jennifer Lamb? I've been sitting on this for a few days, until she gave me approval, but I can now tell you that she lost her house, all the wine in her cellar, most of her family pictures and her 40 jars of homemade jam. She got out with just a few personal items and the dogs...

Roy Piper

has anyone heard from Jennifer Lamb? I've been sitting on this for a few days, until she gave me approval, but I can now tell you that she lost her house, all the wine in her cellar, most of her family pictures and her 40 jars of homemade jam. She got out with just a few personal items and the dogs...

Roy Piper

Bad news... 50-50 new Red Flag warning for Napa and Sonoma starting Wednesday. Just announced. Temps over 100, low humidity and slight to modest winds.

Roy Piper

Add to this list of survivors...

Venge
Grace Family
Hunnicutt
Vineyard 7&8

Roy Piper

I can confirm with my own eyes today or from the owners/winemakers that the following wineries are good...

Forman
Seven Stones (just one guest house lost)
Eisele
Fleming
Tuck Beckstoffer
Mending Wall
Napa Reserve

Roy Piper

They did a full evac of the city of Calistoga, which seemed like being overly cautious. But it seems warranted as the fire is in the hills above it as of 30 min ago.

Roy Piper

I saw a fire developing behind Grace Family a bit ago that looked ominous. And I hear a car just drove into the Oakville Grocery Store, which if true, seems like a good sum-up of 2020 for Napa.

Roy Piper

Roy Piper

Thanks, Ben. Jenn and I evacuated last night from the Summerfield Lane/Spring Lake/Howarth Park area of Santa Rosa at 2am. She went to a friends in Petaluma and I am in Yountville. I got to sleep at 4am and just got up 20 min ago. We left early last night when we saw all the roads out of the area cl...

Roy Piper

Josh Grossman wrote: ↑September 28th, 2020, 2:46 am

Jenn and I lived on Mountain Hawk and San Ramon and moved after the 2017 fires. Now tonight we have evacuated where we moved too after leaving the SkyHawk area. Crazy.

Roy Piper

A titanic set of 3 fires has broken out on Spring Mountain. One behind Brasswood/CIA, one near Fantesca, one near the top near Pride. This is already worse than the Glass Fire. This is gargantuan and could threaten St Helena. These are apparently threatening Sonoma County, including Santa Rosa, as ...

Roy Piper

A titanic set of 3 fires has broken out on Spring Mountain. One behind Brasswood/CIA, one near Fantesca, one near the top near Pride. This is already worse than the Glass Fire. This is gargantuan and could threaten St Helena.

Roy Piper

Frick, fire starting on Spring Mtn near Schweiger,

Roy Piper

This is bad. As of right now... Fire is 2400 acres and no containment It jumped Silverado Trail briefly near Ehlers Lane and went past the Napa River, but they got it out Burned in and around Merus, Neal, Tuck Beckstoffer, Mending Wall, Failla, Jones Family, Reverie, Viader, Burgess, Zaikin, Dana &q...

Roy Piper

Jeb is wrong.

2019 is the best Pinot year ever. No question. 2019 will be for Pinot what 2013 was for Cab. You heard it here first. And I don’t even make Pinot!

Roy Piper

FWIW, I think the taint would be more of a taste and retronasal thing at this point than a smell. Enzymes in your saliva can break down the glycosides and free some of the volatile phenolic compounds. Some of them also break down as the wine ferments although I think the amount depends on the pH. I...

Roy Piper

In 2008 the wineries said fu¢k it and some bottled wine knowing it was seriously tainted. I think they have better understanding of the data these days. It’s magical to me how half the fruit was on the vine when the fires hit in 2017 but in release letters, everything seems to have been off the vin...

Roy Piper

Jeff, a highly doubt “there will be great wine made” in 2020. Does every vintage have to produce some great wine? No Does Mother Nature always comply with favorable conditions? No. There are great winemakers out there but sometimes it’s just out of their control. Mother Nature didn’t throw a curveb...

Roy Piper

My area has turned into a small city the last couple of days, with so much picking going on and the traffic it creates (a car for each picker, multiple tractors and trucks hauling bins full of fruit). I think there is a heat spike forecast for this weekend - this is probably a rush to get them all ...

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