Winemaking
In our high-altitude vineyards, the natural variability within blocks enriches the blending process, creating wines with added complexity.
Erich Bradley's Approach
Our winemaker, Erich Bradley, focuses on sustainability and terroir-driven wines that are produced with minimal intervention. Erich favors estate vineyards, where he has direct control over the entire winemaking process, from vine to bottle. Erich closely monitors and manages every aspect of grape cultivation, ensuring the highest quality standards.
Minimal Intervention
In the winery, Bradley practices minimal intervention winemaking, allowing the grapes to undergo natural fermentations with native yeasts and limiting the use of additives. He also employs gentle handling techniques to ensure that the grapes are treated with care throughout the winemaking process. Erich is known for his meticulous and detail-oriented approach. He crafts small-lot, high-quality wines that reflect the unique characteristics of the vineyards and regions where the grapes are sourced.
Acidity
Due to the altitude and orientation of our vines, our grapes will be exposed to 12+ hours of daylight per day throughout the growing season. These ‘sunlight hours’ help ripen and mature the fruit. The savior of the acidity lies in the diurnal temperature shift that occurs when the sun sets. It is not uncommon for the thermometer to swing 40-50 degrees or more from peak daytime temperatures to the cool nights that follow. It is then when the grapes get to rest and preserve the acidity inherent in our fruit.
Minerality
Using the term minerality when describing wine can be, as a fellow winemaker has put it, “pretty darn ambiguous”. When we use this term we are referring to the effect the terroir has on the finished wine. In other words, we understand that it is not possible for the vines to absorb the slate that lies beneath our vines. However, the nutrients and water held within the soil is a factor in how our grapes develop. Just as we know the red berries and herbs we smell and taste are not ‘in the wine’, we can perceive them through the polyphenols and terpenes that are extracted during maceration. This perceived minerality keeps the wine fresh, lively, with a noticeable lift on the finish.
Bold Tannins
Our vineyards are exposed to high winds shearing up the mountain side coming off of the Pacific. These winds cause the grapes to produce thicker skins, protecting the seed within. These thicker skins are where the color of our red wines come from. Deep, concentrated and pure. ❧
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