Briceland Vineyards • Humboldt Pinots, Zin, Syrah & More. OFFERS 4-7 • THANKS TO EVERYONE!

Greetings Fellow Berserkers, long time Lurkers and new Visitors!

We did enough damage to the Pinot Inventory. If you ran out of time yesterday the others are still open.

I love being part of the Wine Berserkers community. BerserkerDay has been a great way for us to connect our tiny, out of the way Southern Humboldt Winery with wine enthusiasts far and wide.

Our winemaking efforts focus on allowing the traits of the individual sites shine through. We strive to make expressive, honest, food-friendly wines that reflect balance and purity of fruit. In other words, as the winemaker, I try to make the kind of wine that I like to drink.

Each 6 pack offer below has flat rate shipping of $15. Shipping on case (or more) orders or inside CA is $0. To build a case, combine any 2 six packs from the list below.

If you want more info and board member comments, check out this Intro Post: http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/article/2197692/oldie-reintrodction-briceland-vineyards-30-years-in-humboldt/?

**5 Pinots and a Zin! (Offer #1) • $172 **
This package showcases Humboldt County terroir.
2012 Reserve Humboldt Pinot Noir (13.7% / 24 cases)
2014 Humboldt Pinot Noir, Alderpoint Vineyard (12.7% / 98 cases)
2014 Humboldt Pinot Noir, Phelps Vineyard (13.6% / 71 cases)
2014 *Humboldt Pinot Noir, Ronda’s Vineyard (13.4% / 97 cases)
2014 Humboldt Pinot Noir (13.1% / 384 cases)
2014 *Humboldt Zinfandel, Ishi Pishi Ranch (13.3% / 116 cases)

**2013/2014 SVD Humboldt County Pinot Noir Vineyard 6 Pack (Offer #2) • $168 **
This offer allows you to compare the 2013 and 2014 vintages of our acclaimed single vineyard Humboldt County Pinot Noirs.
2013 Humboldt Pinot Noir, Alderpoint Vineyard (Alc. 13.3% / 147 cases)
2014 Humboldt Pinot Noir, Alderpoint Vineyard (12.7% / 98 cases)
2013 *Humboldt Pinot Noir, Ronda’s Vineyard (13.6% / 98 cases)
2014 *Humboldt Pinot Noir, Ronda’s Vineyard (13.4% / 97 cases)
2013 Humboldt Pinot Noir, Phelps Vineyard (13.5% / 148 cases)
2014 Humboldt Pinot Noir, Phelps Vineyard (13.6% / 71 cases)

This is limited to the number of 13 Ronda’s on hand. As of this posting there are 9 bottles. At that point, if people want the offer we can swap in another PN.

2014 SVD Humboldt County Pinot Noir (Offer #3) • $168
_ Two bottles of each from 2014 Humboldt Pinot Noirs; one bottle of each for now, and one for later._
2014 Humboldt Pinot Noir, Alderpoint Vineyard (12.7% / 98 cases)
2014 Humboldt Pinot Noir, Phelps Vineyard (13.6% / 71 cases)
2014 *Humboldt Pinot Noir, Ronda’s Vineyard (13.4% / 97 cases)

Humboldt Zin & Humboldt Syrah - 3 Each (Offer #4) • $135
Ishi Pishi Ranch, near Orleans in the NE corner of Humboldt, has been a key addition to our production expanding our Humboldt offerings since 2011.
2014 *Humboldt Zinfandel, Ishi Pishi Ranch (13.3% / 122 cases)
2014 *Humboldt Syrah, Ishi Pishi Ranch (13.5% / 116 cases)

Compare & Contrast Humboldt/Mendocino Zin & Syrah (Offer #5) • $135
_ Humboldt County is directly north of Mendocino, but there are significant differences in terroir. Generally, Humboldt wines are a bit more red-fruited, while Mendocino wines are a bit darker and richer._
2 x 2014 *Humboldt Zinfandel, Ishi Pishi Ranch (13.3% / 122 cases)
2014 *Mendocino Zinfandel, Dark Horse Vineyard (13.3% / 147 cases)
2 x 2014 *Humboldt Syrah, Ishi Pishi Ranch (13.5% / 116 cases)
2014 *Mendocino Syrah, Dark Horse Vineyard (13.1% / 123 cases)

Humboldt White & Pink (Offer #6) • $115
The Rosé of Pinot Noir is a local favorite when the weather starts turning a bit warmer. Our whites are all fermented in stainless with no oak…
2 x NV Humboldt Rosé of Pinot Noir (12.9% / 41 cases)
2015 *Humboldt Chardonnay (13.2% / 161 cases)
2015 *Humboldt Vioginer (13.8% / 22 cases)
2015 *Humboldt Gewurztraminer, Ishi Pishi Ranch (13.5% / 135 cases)
2015 *Humboldt Sauvignon Blanc (13.5% / 135 cases)

Humboldt Whites (Offer #7) • $120
These are acid driven bright whites. The Chardonnay & Viognier are both ML+ but still have lively acidity.
2 x 2015 *Humboldt Viognier, Ishi Pishi Ranch (13.8% / 22 cases)
2 x 2015 *Humboldt Gewurztraminer, Ishi Pishi Ranch (13.5% / 135 cases)
2015 *Humboldt Sauvignon Blanc (13.5% / 135 cases)
2015 *Humboldt Chardonnay (13.2% / 161 cases)

*Made from organically grown grapes

To place your order: email - Andrew@bricelandvineyards.com
Please include your selection, shipping address, billing address if different and PHONE NUMBER. If you can have your order shipped to a business address, please do so, as it saves me some on the shipping expense. I will be in touch to arrange payment. If you’d rather, send the requested details and call: (707) 923-2429. If you prefer to call in your order, I am more than happy to hear from you. Also, feel free to contact me by e-mail or phone if you have any questions.

I look forward to hearing your feedback as you taste the wines.

Cheers!

Andrew Morris, Winemaker

PS. Anyone looking to visit the scenic Lost Coast or Redwood Parks/Avenue of the Giants, please consider dropping by. We are located about 4 hours north from the Bay Area and we are more than happy to see visitors. I promise to make it worthwhile for any guest that mentions Berserkers.

About Briceland Vineyards

Briceland Vineyards has been producing distinctive small batch wine in Southern Humboldt County since 1985. Joe Collins, my step-father, along with my mother Maggie Carey, began researching the viability of planting grapes in our area with a small experimental vineyard and weather data collection in the late 70’s. Joe is widely credited with establishing commercial wine-growing in our area.

Maggie & Joe built the winery up slowly over 20+ years, gradually increasing production as demand grew and more local vineyards came online. About 75% of our production is from Humboldt County grapes, most of which are farmed organically in tiny hillside vineyards. The remaining 25% comes from nearby Mendocino and Lake Counties. We take pride in supporting our local community and our community has supported us as well – over 90% of our wine sells within 75 miles of the winery without the aid of brokers or distributors.

Briceland Vineyards has long been a proponent of organic farming. Most of the grapes used to make the wines offered above have been farmed organically. Some of the vineyards that we work with are so small that they no longer maintain the certification, but they continue to farm organically. If you’d like details on this, let me know.
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I haven’t sent our wines to many reviewers because we tend to keep supply and demand in balance as it stands. The best place to read reviews in on our reviews is on PrinceofPinot.com. I am pleased that we have had wines on his All American Lists each of the last 6 years. All our wines that the Prince has reviewed can be found here: Link information for Briceland Vineyards | The PinotFile.

In 2016 he reviewed five of our Pinot Noirs and the scores ranged from 89 to 94. The 94 was for our 2013 Alderpoint Vineyard Humboldt which was on both his CA All American List and his CA All American Value Priced List. It was his top scoring CA Pinot under $36.

Isaac James Baker visited us this fall and wrote a post on award winning wine blog, terroirist.com. His article is here: http://www.terroirist.com/2016/11/wine-in-the-wilderness-exploring-humboldts-lost-coast/ and copied below if you’d rather stay on this site.

You can see our Cellar Tracker Reviews here:
https://www.cellartracker.com/list.aspTable=Notes&iUserOverride=0&szSearch=briceland#selected%3DW2057627_1_K9e939667e4a5be57da33b934dbb9503c

Our wines have been well received by Berserkers. It is a lot to sort through, but here is a search:
http://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/search.phpkeywords=briceland&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=all&sr=posts&sk=t&sd=d&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search
If you’re interested in learning more about Humboldt County terroir: Humbolt County Terroir - Humboldt County.

Wine in the Wilderness – Exploring Humboldt’s Lost Coast
From Terroirist Posted by Isaac Baker | Posted in Grape Adventures, Wine Reviews | Posted on 11-29-2016

No highways cut through here. Mountains drop precipitously into the Pacific Ocean. Everything is wet and the nights are long and cold. This mountainous coastal region of northern Mendocino and southern Humboldt Counties, called the Lost Coast, is the largest stretch of coastal wilderness in the lower 48 states.

I came here for the waves, the stoke, the mountains, the serene darkness of the forest. And, yes, the wine. They make damn good wine out here.

I visited Andrew Morris, the winemaker and proprietor of Briceland Vineyards, on a rare warm and sunny morning in November. The sun poked through after a terrible downpour that lasted all night (a local told me it rained four inches). My friend and I were forced to bail, soaked and frozen, from our flooded tent and sleep in our car. In the morning, we checked the surf, but the tide was dead high, making it impossible to reach our spot. So we grabbed some coffee and drove over the mountains to see Andrew. The drive east on Shelter Cove Road could be described using any or all of the following words: gorgeous, sketchy, stunning — holy shit, bro, you’re way too close to the edge! — mindboggling, etc.

When rainstorms come early, they can be a big threat to the grape harvest, but the grapes had been harvested more than a month ago. My brother, travelling buddies and I visited the Lost Coast in full-swing rainy season. But we lucked out, and only got one soaking wet night out of five. Even when it’s not actively raining, the Lost Coast is a wet place. The air tasted of mountain stream and I could watch individual droplets drift in the thick fog. Cold mountain streams cut through forests, waterfalls pour down rocks cliffs into the sea, dense fog packs narrow valleys, rich moss and ferns pad the ground while massive redwoods block out the sun. After a soaking wet October, mushrooms flourished in the woods. My brother is a mushroom foraging guru, so I just followed his lead and cooked the mushrooms he said were both safe and tasty. (Hand-foraged mushrooms sautéed over a campfire paired with Humboldt Pinot is an epic palate experience.)
This is an extreme place in every way, and that’s why we came. The weather swings can be extreme. Ditto for the waves, which ranged in size from pumping 10 feet to death-defying 30 feet. My brother and I, lifelong surfing buds, caught some incredible waves, but also spent too much time underwater, getting worked by the cold, chunky surf and currents. Here, the surf is sketchier, the waters sharkier, the roads hairier, and the marijuana smells much, much better.

In this environment (like all of the challenging regions home to great wine), growing wine grapes needs to be done with extreme care.

A “good vintage” in Humboldt, Andrew said, would start without a late spring frost, which can damage grapes during critical growing stages. A good vintage would have plenty of ripening days — a certain amount of days with proper sunlight, providing what is needed to fully ripen grapes. And while Humboldt gets fewer ripening days than California regions further south and inland, it’s still ahead of Burgundy. I hear they make some decent Pinot there. A good vintage would also end without an early appearance of autumn’s cold and rain. And, preferably, a good vintage would be free from forest fires, which break out during the dry season and threaten these small, rugged vineyards with smoke taint. Despite these pitfalls, when a finished Pinot Noir or Zinfandel from Humboldt makes it through, the result can be phenomenal.

Take Andrew’s Pinot Noirs, sourced from several single vineyards in southern Humboldt County. These wines are lower in alcohol (usually in the low 13% range) and packed with lip-smacking acidity. They’re incredibly fresh and food-friendly and lack any brazen new oak influences or baked, extracted flavors. The tannins are present and provide structure (combined with the acidity, this makes for great aging potential), but they’re very accessible in their youth. No dark roast coffee or caramel-cola stuff going on here. These are anti-Kosta-Brownes, and I’m stoked they exist.

Andrew and his wife Rosie of Briceland Vineyards
Andrew studied winemaking at the UC Davis extension and apprenticed with his father-in-law, Joe Collins, Briceland’s founder and winemaker. Gradually, Andrew took the reins. With consummate attention to detail and high technical knowledge, Andrew wanted to keep the reputation of Briceland’s wines going strong.

In the 1970s, Joe Collins began experimental plantings in Humboldt, which was considered by many in the growing California wine industry to be too cold and wet to grow proper wine grapes. But small growers scoped out the right spots, the right grape varieties, and they made it happen. Briceland quickly developed several sources of high quality fruit, most of which are small parcels carved into the forest on steep slopes. By 1985, Joe Collins and Maggie Carey launched Briceland Vineyards.
Like most commercial outfits in Humboldt, this is a boutique operation. Andrew releases only 1,500 cases of wine per year, and about 75% of that never leaves the area. Briceland sells a lot of its wines in restaurants (of which there are few) and local shops. (If you’re headed to Shelter Cove, the General Store has an awesome selection of Briceland’s wines and a bunch of local brews — highly recommended). About 75% of Briceland wines come from Humboldt, while Andrew also works with some really good Mendocino fruit.

I’ve been a huge fan of Mendocino wines for years (and a big fan of the few Humboldt wines I’d tasted), so it was fascinating to taste Andrew’s Syrahs and Zinfandels back to back, one of each from Humboldt and Mendocino. The Mendocino stuff has a bit more richness and darker, sunshiny fruit, while the elegance and tart freshness of the Humboldt fruit really shines through.

There are two ways to get your hands on these wines. You could travel to the area, which will be epic, I guarantee it. Or maybe you could contact Briceland directly. But if you love the adventure of wine, and you’re open to this style, you’ll be thrilled. These wines range in price from about $21 for the white wines to $35 for some of the single-vineyard Pinots — all absurdly reasonable for the high quality of the juice.

Below are my notes on the wines I tasted with Andrew.
2015 Briceland Vineyards Gewürztraminer Ishi Pishi Ranch – California, North Coast, Humboldt County An exciting, zesty, bone-dry version with tropical fruit and floral spice on the nose. Crisp acidity, medium-bodied with a slightly creamy mouthfeel and flavors of peaches, guava and honey to mix with minerals and white pepper. Delicious, lip-smacking, endless food pairing options. (89 points)
2015 Briceland Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Humboldt County – California, North Coast, Humboldt County A vibrant and zesty Sauvignon Blanc with white pepper, lemon and peach aromas. Crisp and very bright with complex elements of salty spice to accent the lemon and green melon fruit. (88 points)
2015 Briceland Vineyards Arneis Spirit Canyon Vineyard – California, North Coast, Mendocino County Smells of peaches, white flowers, lemon oil and a hint of pepper. So bright and clean on the palate with a salty appeal on top of lemon, orange peel and kiwi fruit. Delicious, nervy and intriguing. Not much Arneis in California, but Mendocino is home to some very good stuff. (90 points)
2014 Briceland Vineyards Pinot Noir – California, North Coast, Humboldt County Very pretty aromas of tart and spicy cherries, mint and earth. Bright acidity and moderately structured tannins, the cherries are crunchy and delicious and laced with notes of sweet flowers, strawberry greens, clove and an underlying mineral freshness. An eye-opening wine. (90 points)

2013 Briceland Vineyards Pinot Noir Ronda’s Vineyard – California, North Coast, Humboldt County Aromas of gushing cherries and raspberries, lots of rose petal and eucalyptus, too. Lush palate with soft tannins and bright, crisp acidity. Waves of tart black cherries and strawberries, the fruit is laced with notes of spicy clove, wet leaves and mossy earth. Complex, vibrant, straight-up delicious. A uniquely Humboldt Pinot that hails from a 1,600 foot, south-facing slope planted in 1983. (92 points)

2013 Briceland Vineyards Pinot Noir Phelps Vineyard – California, North Coast, Humboldt County Aromas of juicier, darker cherries with some raspberries and fresh herbal notes. Juicy and fleshy but structured tannins and crisp acidity. Flavors of cola, rhubarb and raspberry leaf tea accent the cherry and strawberry fruit. Lovely spicy complexity. (91 points)
2013 Briceland Vineyards Pinot Noir Alderpoint Vineyard – California, North Coast, Humboldt County These Pinots keep on firing. This one shows more smoky earth, violets, savory spices on top of juicy cherries. Smooth, fresh and juicy with complex spice, leather and earth accents on top of tart strawberries and cherries, hints of cola and eucalyptus. (92 points)

2014 Briceland Vineyards Pinot Noir Alderpoint Vineyard – California, North Coast, Humboldt County Sweeter cherry fruit than the 2013, with that same spicy/savory quality and smoky earth. Silky, smooth but tart acidity, the tart red fruit is complex and so bright. Notes of earth, clove, savory mushrooms. Wow, such a pretty wine. It opened up a lot (as friends and I drank the rest of the bottle with dinner). Huge hit. (92 points)

2014 Briceland Vineyards Zinfandel Ishi Pishi Ranch – California, North Coast, Humboldt County Love the aromas of tart red fruit and spice. Silky, fresh and spicy with rose petals, earth and spice. Wow. If tasted blind, I could see mistaking this for a Pinot but, when sipped after Briceland Pinots, this shows more sweet flowers and earth. Lovely stuff. (91 points)
2014 Briceland Vineyards Zinfandel Dark Horse Vineyard- California, North Coast, Mendocino County This vineyard shows aromas of darker cherries and clove. The fruit is (relatively) darker than the Ishi Pishi, showing more black cherry and blackberry, but still so fresh with medium/light tannins. I get notes of clove, tobacco and cola. A vibrant Zinfandel, very interesting to taste back-to-back with the Ishi Pishi Ranch. (90 points)

2014 Briceland Vineyards Syrah Ishi Pishi Ranch - California, North Coast, Humboldt County Gorgeous aromas of red and black currants topped in black pepper, roasted red pepper and charred herbs. Juicy and so darn fresh on the palate with moderate/light tannic structure. Red cherries, a touch of black cherry, topped in scorched earth, violets, black pepper, beef broth and cured meat. Delicious flavors, this is an intriguing and complex Syrah. (91 points)

2014 Briceland Vineyards Syrah Dark Horse Vineyard - California, North Coast, Mendocino County Smells like juicy black cherries, leather and spicy pepper. Chewier texture than the Ishi Pishi Ranch, this shows bright acid and medium/light tannins. Red and black cherries topped with pepper, violets and baking spices. So fun and juicy but surprisingly complex. (90 points)

2012 Briceland Vineyards Noir D’Orleans Ishi Pishi Ranch - California, North Coast, Humboldt County Smells of dark plums and currants topped in loam and spicy clove. Rich but fresh, tart and vibrant, structured nicely with firm tannins. Bright black currant and crunchy plums and notes of peppercorns, roasted red pepper, loamy earth and spiced coffee. Seems like a good one to bury for a few years. Dominated by Petit Verdot, with some other Bordeaux varieties. For those tired of heavy, oak-slathered California Bordeaux reds, try this zesty number. (90 points)

I really can’t recommend Andrew’s wines highly enough, and they have become an annual purchase for me.

+1.

The Pinots are fantastic and I’m a big fans of the Zins/Rosé as well.

Already bought my case. You can’t go wrong with any of the options.

Thanks for your comments and for your orders!

Offer 2 and 3 are the same price?

Appellation America’s winemaker tasting panel reviewed these wines recently. I was not able to find time to post our results in time for this sale, so I thought I’d post our thoughts. Briceland is a really important winery when it comes to exploring Pinot Noir terroir. Andrew pretty much makes everything the same way, but the wines come out utterly different based on their individual vineyard expressions. We tracked most of these vineyard for a couple decades now, and have come to recognize their personalities which come through year after year.

Rosé of Pinot Noir NV
Andrew reports his aim is to bring out the Pinot character and he succeeds. Quite dark in the glass with aromas of hibiscus and orange zest. Excellent acidity. No malo or oak. Double Gold

Pinot Noir Humboldt County 2014
Candied fruit, perfume, and spice, a smooth entry with an intense finish, firm tannins, more herbal than the others. Although the cheapest of the line, one panelist liked it the best because of its manly rustic tannins. Single Gold

Pinot Noir Ronda’s Vineyard 2014
From a westerly vineyard facing southwest, just below the top of the ridge about 1000 ft. in elevation, black cherry, allspice and floral notes with some density, structured with higher acidity than the others. Single Gold

Pinot Noir Alderpoint 2014
A warmer site. Ethereal nose with black cherry, spice, and a heath bar or caramel note. Fresh, with great complexity, structured with high acidity but light and lifted, full of finesse on the palate. A gem. Double Gold

Pinot Noir Phelps 2014
The most structured, ageworthy and tightly wound of the Briceland selections, perhaps not currently showing virtues that will undoubtedly develop over time as with previous vintages. Cherry, plum and spice notes with some caramel, dense and structured firm tannins with bright acidity. Single Gold.

Zinfandel 2014
Red raspberries, and cherry, set off by bay leaf, low alcohol and high acidity for a Zin, elegant and well put together with a long finish supported by fine-grained tannins. A gorgeous wine, makes you want to stand up and cheer, while simultaneously tearing up in lament that more people don’t make Zin like this any more. Double Gold

Syrah 2014
Most Syrahs can be annoyingly complex while lacking a central core of fruit. Not this one. Intense, gorgeous plum and violets with smoke, bacon and black pepper, very dense mid-palate with some oiliness, firm tannins. A wonderful Syrah. Double Gold.

Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Aromas of Meyer lemon, wet stone and pineapple. Medium bodied, quite rich for this grape. A bit short on acid compared to earlier vintages. Some evidence of minor reduction. The penny test pulled out sulfides and exposed more floral notes. Andrew reports it was on the lees longer and was thus less aromatic than previous vintages. Single Gold

Viognier 2015 from Ishi Pishi

Stainless steel fermentation with full malolactic. Floral with pronounced papaya notes. Medium body with racy acidity. Some bitter fennel notes on the finish. Single Gold.

Chardonnay 2015
Unoaked. Dazzling purity. Lemon zest with pronounced pine notes and hints of butter and herbs. Green tea and a slight bitterness on the finish. Single Gold

Got my order in! Pinot and Zin ftw. Love that these are different from most CA wines and also not the same as their OR counterparts.

Im in for #1, Pinots and a Zin!

Yep. Thanks for your interest.

Andrew makes killer wines! You can’t go wrong.

Really nice offer on the Pinots – great value for SVDs and very much in the midway point between Sonoma and Oregon both geographically and stylistically.

Ah, didn’t see #3 was 2 of each! Now it makes sense

I’m mixing it up this year. I’m in for offers #5 and #6. I’m forcing myself to try some of Andrew’s other wines besides the Pinot Noir. Ishi Pishi, never had a wine from that vineyard I didn’t like.

:neutral_face: Guess i missed out. Sent an email this morning and got no response. Oh well.

Hi Austin,

I have your order.

I also have the flu.

I’ll be in touch.

Thanks.

Sent email as well. Hope you feel better.

Oh man, i had no idea. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

No problem. You had no way to know.