Winemaker's Journal

December

Daniel Baron and winemaking team visiting A&K Cooperage

December is the month in which the cellars get back to a normal rhythm after the rigors of harvest. This year we are topping and racking the 2006 and 2007 wines. Racking is the process of separating the clear wine from the lees that settle to the bottom of the barrel during aging. The barrels are racked every three months and each time the wine is a little more brilliant.

We are very pleased that the 2008 wines have all finished malolactic fermentation by the end of November. This enables us to begin to work on the blends for our two Cabernet Sauvignons. One of the hallmarks of the Silver Oak style is that we blend our wines before we put them in barrels. The reasons for doing this are to achieve a balance of the fruit elements before they are influenced by oak and to develop a harmony of the components during their two years of barrel age. Our preliminary blending session for the Alexander Valley is usually a tasting of over 40 different lots. We generally select 70 to 80% of what we crush to bear the Silver Oak name. An initial screening is based on how the component tastes alone, but the final decision is based on what each lot contributes to the blend. A good blend is one in which the sum is greater than the parts. It is not unlike a good 4-part harmony, only in this case it is more like a 30 part harmony. Ah, that’s music to my palate.

Happy Holidays from the Fermenting Room!