Members’ Corner
Welcome to the Fall 2023 Wine Club shipment!
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Message from the winemaker…
Dear friends,
This harvest we saw a return of our usual crush-pad friends - the ‘California Sister’ butterfly pictured above. In the hot days of harvest, tens of these beauties flit around the crush pad and stop by for a long drink of water, then stay a while hoping for a taste of the sweet grape juice. There seemed to be less of them in the four recent drought years, but I was happy to see their return in numbers this harvest!
During the 2023 growing season, plentyiful winter rains turned into good crop loads for the happy vineyard owners. With a slow spring warm-up, late verasion (the moment the berries color up), followed by a relatively mild summer, the ripening process was slow and steady, which promotes good flavor and quality.
The ripening of different vineyards was equally steady: the grapes came in to the winery spread out this year, resulting in an extended harvest period. At the winery we’ve been crushing and pressing to our hearts’ content throughout September, October and even November! With Thanksgiving nearing, we’re still putting wines safely into barrel to begin their cellar aging process!
I enjoyed making this Fall’s selection with the holidays in mind. The shipment includes two of our finest Pinots: Langley and the Oppenlander vineyard, which are great to drink now but will also continue to age gracefully if desired. It also contains a small amount of Run Dog Pinot Noir - with only 2 barrels made we have included all that we have. Rounding out the box, the lauded Chardonnay is a great one to have around over the holidays to start off festive meals.
The Baxter family and I wish you a happy holiday season!
Phillip.
Phillip Baxter, Owner / Winemaker.
Fall 2023 Wines:
Club 6 members receive: 3 x 2019 Langley Pinot, 1 x 2020 Run Dog Pinot, 1 x 2019 Oppenlander Pinot and 1 x 2020 Oppenlander Chardonnay.
Club 12 members will receive: 4 x 2019 Langley Pinot, 4 x 2020 Run Dog Pinot, 2 x 2019 Oppenlander Pinot and 2 x 2020 Oppenlander Chardonnay.
2019 Langley Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
A stellar wine for aging, this shipment includes 3 bottles so you can feel free to taste it at different stages of it’s development.
The 3-acre Langley vineyard is located just North of Boonville in the heart of the Anderson Valley. It was planted in 1982 with a champagne sub variety of Pinot Noir (Roderer Clone 32) that is usually used for sparkling production. However, made into a still Pinot, it displays a desirable bright, vibrant fruit quality in the finished wine. On the nose this focussed Pinot shows elegant strawberry and violet florals. Fresh cherry dominates the palate as a champagne acid structure gives a vibrant lift to the summer berry and plum tones that meld with exotic spice. One of our favorite features of this wine is the everlasting velvety finish.
2020 Run Dog Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
This photo of Run Dog vineyard is a good example of the organic farming process we use at Baxter. You can see that we till in between the rows to control weeds and then weed whack the grass under the vines. This is a much more labor intensive project than simply spraying with weedkiller, but it means the integrity of the vineyard and the quality of the wine is kept paramount.
Run Dog vineyard sits on the Western edge of the Anderson Valley on gentle slopes. Here you can see the vineyard sloping down towards the valley floor and you can see the Eastern hills on the opposite side of our narrow, petite valley. Run Dog vineyard benefits from the gentle morning sun and is also shaded by neighboring woodland, tempering the late afternoon heat giving the berries a more mellow growing environment.
On the nose, the 2020 Run Dog Pinot displays violet florals alongside redcurrent high tones. The flavorful palate is a delicious combination of cherry and blackberry, mushroom and bramble. It’s well rounded mid-palate leads into a substantial dusty strawberry finish.
2019 Oppenlander Vineyard Pinot Noir, Mendocino
90 Points from Wine Enthusiast.
We’ve had so many phone requests for extra of the Oppenlander Pinot, so we’ve included one more bottle in this club shipment.
The 2019 Oppenlander has a delicious strawberry profile as well as lots of floral rose tones typical of Pinot Noir. The mid-palate melds from cranberry into juicy blackberry, with bramble and black tea undertones. Elegant throughout, the opulent mouthfeel leads into a long lingering fresh strawberry finish.
There is something extra special about this vineyard, which we use to produce our flagship wine. - The vines are planted on their own roots, rather than having been grafted (as is usual) onto rootstock. Phillip believes the absence of a graft-seam is the secret to this well-rounded, complex wine. The theory is that the vines are able to uptake nutrients more seamlessly and thus produce an even more luscious and balanced wine.
When to drink: Drinks well now, but ideally best from 2026.
2020 Oppenlander Vineyard Chardonnay, Mendocino
Our follow up vintage from Decanter magazine #2 American Chardonnay
Here’s our coastal Chardonnay pictured on our local beach, just ten minutes form the winery. It represents a little bit of Mendocino magic and graces tables at North Bay Michelin starred restaurants as well as those here on the coast.
This crisp white Chardonnay is perfect to welcome guests or begin a meal. It’s the wine Claire Baxter likes to have on hand over the holidays ready for when the celebratory feeling takes her. “Make sure you have some in the fridge ready to go” is what winemaker Phillip is told during these times.
This Chablis-like Chardonnay expresses sophisticated accents of orange blossom and lime zest with anise undertones. Once sipped, crisp acid gives way to balanced flavors of starfruit, kumquat and wet riverstone as well as an elegant silky texture. Sutble yeast flavors of puffed rice round out the mouthed as delicate jasmine florals meld with Meyer lemon. It’s bright minerality and naturally low alcohol levels offer a wonderful lasting freshness. Aged in neutral French oak, this Chardonnay possesses complex structure and elegant poise.
Try our recipe for a wonderful pairing.
Our Fall 2023 recipe…
Zingy chicken-liver
& caper pate
With our 2020 Oppenlander vineyard chardonnay
Another recipe that was discovered during a Baxter family get-together! It was a case of what’s in the cupboard plus the Baxter love of lemon and briny flavors that led to this pairing. The capers and lemon really add a zing to the paté, which makes it much more bright and lively than the traditional paté. It’s the perfect aperitif for an elegant meal over the holiday season and is ideal with our crisp, mineral Chardonnay. For red lovers amongst us, it would also be a great match for the Pinots.
Serves 6 as a starter (more as an appetizer)
1lb chicken livers
2 ounces smoked lardons
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tbspn lemon juice & zest of 1 small lemon (preferably not Mayer)
2 tablespoons apple brandy
2 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
virgin olive oil
Method:
1) Prepare chicken livers discarding the veins
2) Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in skillet. Saute livers until brown.
3) Add lardons, garlic, shallots, salt and pepper and cook on a low heat for a further 3 minutes.
4) Add lemon juice and brandy, stir to deglaze pan.
5) Empty skillet into food processor with parsley, capers, lemon zest, gradually adding olive oil as needed to reach desired consistency. Pulse until roughly chopped, it’s best not to let it go as far as a paste (think rustic!). Could be finely chopped with a knife instead.
Serving suggestion: Serve at room temperature on thinly sliced, toasted baguette with thyme sprig garnish.
Enjoying your wines and want to restock?
For members re-ordering any mixed six pack of wines prior to the Spring shipment we will apply complimentary ground shipping. Simply visit the store and note ‘Reorder’ in the customer comments box. Log into your account to view member pricing.
have a wonderful 2023 holiday season !
Phillip & Claire Baxter.