Members’ Corner
Welcome to the Spring 2024 Wine Club shipment!
Welcome to Members’ Corner. Here you’ll find inspiration to accompany each wine club shipment.
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Message from the winemaker…
Dear friends,
At Baxter Winery we’re enjoying the spring season and the mild weather it brings, which for us means new bottlings are underway!
We have a small bottling line on-site here at the winery, so I can often be seen replacing it’s gaskets, maintaining the other winery equipment and gently racking wines out from barrels into tanks in preparation for the bottling days. When you work on such a remote ridge top you learn to fix winery equipment yourself instead of taking a four-hour round trip to a large town!
This is definitely an ‘office’ with a view - on property here as I write there are deer plumping up on the lush grasses, blossoms floating off the wild cherry trees and red tailed hawks hunting in the field below the winery. And the sound - the sound of silence - is so peaceful.
One visitor described the ridge-top location as ‘paradise’, and I’d have to agree. (At least most days, when my winery equipment doesn’t need fixing! On those days, I’d admit to using other words.).
As a celebration of summer on it’s way I’m super excited to bring back the Baxter Rose this Spring. We made one about 8 years ago and it was a real hit in the tasting room. People continued to ask for it for years, even though it was a one-off. This shipment includes the long-awaited follow-up for your imbibing enjoyment! Certainly at our house the rose is very easy to pop open, just because. We’ve taken it as a refreshing wine to share with friends at the river and the beach. Being so light at 11.2% alcohol it is great for relaxed weekend lunches too. Winner!
The Spring shipment also includes two new vintages of our flagship Pinots too - the Oppenlander and Langley vineyards as well as a summery pairing recipe to compliment the latter.
From the Baxter family to your family, may you enjoy this Spring selection and many warm days to come!
Phillip.
Phillip Baxter, Owner / Winemaker.
spring 2024 Wines:
Club 6 members receive: 2 x 2020 Oppenlander Pinot, 3 x 2021 Langley Pinot, 1 x 2022 Rose. (members set as ‘red only’ will receive 2019 Black Label in lieu of rosé)
Club 12 members will receive: 4 x 2020 Oppenlander Pinot, 4 x 2021 Langley Pinot, 4 x 2022 Rose. (as above)
2020 Oppenlander Vineyard Pinot Noir, Mendocino
The rural hamlet of Comptche (where the Oppenlander vineyard is located) has recently received recognition as an AVA. We have been producing a Pinot from the Oppenlader vineyard since 2004 and the wines it produces have always held a special quality, so we’re thrilled that it’s status has been officially recognized.
To paint a picture, Comptche is well and truly in the middle of nowhere. It takes us an hour to drive there from Baxter Winery to check on the fruit. The vineyard property has been in the same family for generations and is speckled with old-growth redwood groves, rolling grassland and of course the small but revered Oppenlander vineyard. The hard-working owners, a salt-of-the-earth family, have always done as most rural-dwellers do, earning their living by turning their hand to several different trades: in their case it’s vines, cattle, logging and hauling. If you live in Comptche and need anything doing, any roads cutting or trees clearing, you’ll want to be friends with the Oppenlanders!
A lustrous ruby color introduces our flagship Pinot. Full of opulent berry fruit, on the nose, the 2020 Oppenlander Pinot displays strawberry and black tea florals teamed with blackberry and sous-bois.
Roald Dahl is one of Claire’s favorite children’s authors, and so she jokingly calls this the 'ever-lasting gobstopper’ wine because it’s flavors are so multi-layered: it just keeps bringing more elegant flavors to the foreground with each sip. With it’s sophisticated finish, this Pinot is always to be relied on for special meals.
When to drink: Drinks well now, but ideally best from 2026.
2021 Langley Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
The 2021 vintage was good for our Pinots. With our vineyards and winery located so close to the ocean, the Anderson Valley and the coast was one of the few regions to have clear skies and fresh air during the entire 2021 growing season, despite the devastating fires in the Sierra Nevadas.
This 3-acre monopole is produced solely by Baxter Winery. It’s nestled in the middle of the Anderson Valley on the South West side just north of boonville. It’s a rare example of heritage vines from the region. At 42 years old this vineyard produces fruit of intensity and elegance. This is also a good vineyard to choose if you’re building up a vertical of a special Anderson Valley Pinot: Baxter Langley vineyard Pinot ages gracefully for many years.
So how does it taste? This wine has everything it needs, and nothing extraneous. No overly jammy flavors, no heady florals. Instead it is poised and confident in it’s presentation: it offers a lithe balance between elegant strawberry aromas, bright fresh cherry fruit, and delicate undertones of exotic spice. The focussed wild plum mid-palate melds into velvety summer fruit flavors that linger unconditionally on the palate.
Pair the Langley with our recipe below for Rhubarb Cherry Chutney. It is a delicious accompaniment to herbed goat’s cheese, or to elevate barbecued pork or chicken.
2022 Rose
Ocean views, sea breezes, Baxter Rosé.
This is a purpose-made rosé (rather than a by-product of red wine production), which means it is thoughtfully made to be fresh and delicate. Phillip has captured the crisp, refreshing feel of summer in this pretty package.
This pearlescent, dry rosé is brimming with sunshine citrus notes of Meyer lemon and kumquat zest. The palate is greeted by subtle flavors of watermelon and nectarine along with a refreshing salinity. Hints of quince and white cherry round out the body, balancing the fresh flinty flavors perfectly. At just 11.2% alcohol, this graceful rosé will keep you coming back for another mouthwatering sip.
This is your go-to rosé. Trust us, one might not be enough, so Club 6 members feel free to get in touch to stock up more for summer. At only 50 cases made, this won’t be available for long.
When to drink: Celebrate the arrival of your Baxter box, drink as soon as it’s chilled down ;)
Like the rosé? Click here to order a 6-pack.
(6pack Club 6 price = $137 / Club12 price = $129 C12)
Our Spring 2024 recipe…
Rhubarb cherry chutney & herbed goat’s cheese
With our 2021 Langley vineyard Pinot Noir
This versatile pairing recipe is wonderfully fresh and summery and can be used as a side with so many dishes. The sweet-tart fruit flavors of the chutney compliment the tangy goats cheese, while the spices add a subtle depth. It pairs especially well with the vibrant Langley Pinot which seems to sing when enjoyed with savory dishes incorporating a berry-fruit element. Use this recipe as the centerpiece for a cheese pairing platter, or as a stand-alone course for a dinner party. Get creative - the chutney is also wonderful to accompany your favorite pork or chicken off the bbq!
This recipe makes enough to enjoy in several ways. It’s great to make once and use it all summer! Freeze in containers or baggies of the size you want to use next time and defrost in the fridge overnight.
Makes a 1.5 quarts
1 herbed goat’s cheese to accompany the chutney
For the homemade chutney
6 cups rhubarb, diced small
3 cups cherries, pitted and halved / quartered (Tip: frozen are just as good to use and usually are pre-pitted!)
1 crisp green apple, peeled, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/2 cup dried cherries, diced small
2 cups soft dark brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground corriander seed
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into 3 thick strips (so you can pull them back out after cooking)
Method:
1) Chop all the ingredients as noted. Put in a non-reactive pot
2) Bring to a boil (may take a little while). Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick during cooking.
3) When it’s done it’ll have reduced and thickened up to a spoonable-spreadable consistency. If not sure, just keep it simmering another ten minutes. It will be a mixture of chunks and compote once ready (liquid will have evaporated).
4) Remove to a bowl to cool. Spoon into ramekins and serve alongside goats cheese and your favorite artisan bread or crostinis.
Enjoying your wines and want to restock?
For members re-ordering a mixed six pack of wines prior to the Fall shipment we will apply complimentary ground shipping. (Doesn’t apply to a pure six pack of rosé - there would need to be at least four reds in the box too please). Simply visit the store and note ‘Reorder’ in the customer comments box. Log into your account to view member pricing.
roll on summertime!
Phillip & Claire Baxter.