ARTISAN CHEESE & Wine PAIRING
by appointment only
Paired with Devils Gulch with Dalmatia Fig Spread.
2019 Indian SPRINGS SAUVIGNON BLANC
WINEMAKER NOTES
2019 Sauvignon Blanc packs a zesty punch. This wine illustrates the beauty of Sonoma County with plenty of citrus tones up front and tropical flavors in the background. The nose enchants you with gooseberry, grapefruit, green apple, lime, starfruit all coming together to build a beautiful bouquet. While on the palate, Passion fruit, lemon and lime, coat your mouth and come all together for a dried apricot white peach finish. With such clean and balanced acidity this wine is sure to be a crowd pleaser on warm afternoons.
FRUIT SOURCE
The Indian Springs Ranch Vineyard is located in the Sonoma Valley. The Sauvignon Blanc Vineyard is planted on a north facing rocky river terrace slope. The soils in this vineyard are from the Glen Ellen alluvial formation. The FPMS 01 clone selected for this vineyard has a long history tracing back to 1880’s when the El Mocho vineyard was first planted with clippings from the famed Chateau d’ Yquem Sauvignon Blanc Vineyards. This clone is very unique and responds well to the alluvial soils in the Sonoma Valley.
VINTAGE NOTES
2019 provided Sonoma County with a nearly ideal growing season. It all started out with a long winter, bringing and abundance of rain that went well into spring. This resulted in a late bloom and slower but longer growing season which led to longer hang times for the grape bunches with more even ripeness throughout the vineyards. We were about 2 weeks behind average expected harvest dates. The pros to this was that we retained more natural acidity in the grapes and were able to capture more of our late summer sunshine to develop flavors. The vintage proved to bring some stellar grapes through the door and produced some quality wines packed with lots of fruit flavors and bright, fresh acidity. The fires of 2019 did not affect any of our wines as we were fully in tank and barrel by the time they arrived.
WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES
Fruit is picked early morning and delivered to the winery nice and cold. The fruit is then placed whole cluster into a bladder press and pressed gently for 3 hours to a stainless steel tank where it is fermented under temperature control to ensure a slow fermentation that helps us retain fruitiness and maximize the fruit structure will be retained and not dropped out once racked off the lees post fermentation. The wine is racked twice post fermentation to increase clarity and bottled 4 months later for a fresh and crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
WINEMAKER: William Weese
APPELLATION: Sonoma Valley
VINEYARD: Indian Springs Ranch
BARREL AGING: 4 Months
COOPERAGE: Stainless Steel
CASES PRODUCED: 97
RELEASE DATE: Spring 2020
COMPOSITION: FPMS 01 Clone
ALCOHOL: 14.5%
Paired with Hop Along.
2018 BACIGALUPI CHARDONNAY
WINEMAKER NOTES
This 2019 vintage started out with plenty of moisture in the soil which helped pull up much needed nutrients to the vines. Healthy vineyards and mild temperatures throughout spring and summer helped create the optimal growing conditions for Chardonnay. Cooler temperatures allowed the chardonnay to accumulate plenty of character without generating too much sugar. The result creates a more classic old world Chardonnay that has aromas of fresh picked spring flowers, chamomile, ripe Crenshaw melon, pineapple and white truffle. The palate produces white peach, fresh melon, roasted pear, lemon custard and green tea. This wine is well balanced with a focus on location and vintage showcasing 2019 and northern Russian River.
FRUIT SOURCE: BACIGALUPI VINEYARD
In 1956 Charles and Helen Bacigalupi purchased 121 acres on Westside Road, a few miles south of the town of Healdsburg. In a simple beginning, Charles began to care for the 16 acres of existing vineyards. Envisioning the demand for premium wine grapes, Paul Heck (of Korbel winery) encouraged Charles to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 1964, Charles began his plantings with six acres of each varietal. Eventually, he obtained Pinot Noir bud wood from Karl Wente, the first well documented plantings of Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley. He remembers Wente telling him the stock had come from France via the family’s old vineyard in Livermore. The family name (Bacigalupi) gained recognition during the 1976 Paris Tasting when the 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay from Château Montelena (made with 40% of Bacigalupi fruit) triumphed over many acclaimed French wines. This event was the turning point in America’s global wine image. The vineyards now consist of 125 acres of premium grapes which have been planted and managed for the past 30 years by John Bacigalupi and his family.
VINTAGE NOTES
2019 provided Sonoma County with a nearly ideal growing season. It all started out with a long winter, bringing an abundance of rain that went well into spring. These conditions resulted in a late bloom and slower but longer growing season which led to longer hang times for the grape bunches with more even ripeness throughout the vineyards. We were about 2 weeks behind average expected harvest dates. The pros to this was that we retained more natural acidity in the grapes and were able to capture more of our late summer sunshine to develop flavors. The vintage proved to bring some stellar grapes through the door and produced some quality wines packed with lots of fruit flavors and bright, fresh acidity. The fires of 2019 did not affect any of our wines as we were fully in tank and barrel by the time they had arrived.
WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES
Harvested at first light of dawn, grapes are hand-picked and delivered to the winery nice and cold. At the winery, the grapes are sorted and whole cluster pressed straight to the barrel. The juice is then barrel fermented and then left to age sur lee for 11 months. We allow this wine to go through 100% malolactic fermentation to round out the acidity. We gently stir the barrels for twice a month for the first 5 months to help build texture and complexity. The wine is then racked clean off the lees and bottled.
WINEMAKER: Will Weese
VINEYARD: Bacigalupi Vineyard
BARREL AGING: 11 Months
CASES PRODUCED: 90
RELEASE DATE: Spring 2021
COMPOSITION: 100% Chardonnay
ALCOHOL: 14.2%
Paired with Mt Tam with Dalmatia Sour Cherry Spread.
2017 SUACCI VINEYARD PINOT NOIR
WINEMAKER NOTES
2017 Suacci Vineyard Pinot Noir does not lack complexity. The rich aromas of cherry, dark fruit tones, cedar box, dried rose petals and raspberry jam dance in your glass with each swirl before you unfold the wine as it reveals each layer of blackberry, black currant, clove, tobacco and strawberry jam on the palate. The wine goes on forever on the finish and keeps revealing more layers as it opens up with time.
WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES
Clusters were hand harvested in at night to ensure gentle processing of cool fruit. At the winery, the grapes were hand sorted, destemmed, and 10% of fruit was left "whole cluster" for complexity. The grapes were then fermented in small open top bins with hand punchdowns conducted twice per day. A blend of natural and cultured yeasts were used for fermentation. At dryness, the grapes were pressed directly into a combination of 40% new French oak barrels for 11 months aging. The final blend consists of the winemakers selection of the best barrels.
VINTAGE NOTES
The 2017 growing season was a welcome one for the vineyards. There was record rainfall in the vineyards and the temperatures stayed cool from late winter into early spring, thus preventing another early bud break for the vines. Bud break occurred in mid-march and late rains in April kept the cover crops for nutrients strong and growing. The cool gloomy days gave way to sunshine in May when the flowering of the vines occurred. The weather conditions allowed for an above average set for most grape varietals. Overall the 2017 vintage looks to be a very good one with the long cool winter, lots of rain to fill the rain tables, sunshine and moderate heat during bud break and consistent temperatures throughout the summer. There was some extreme heat late in the growing season that minimally affected some growers.
FRUIT SOURCE
Suacci Vineyard is a 6.5-acre vineyard planted on south facing slopes of the Sebastopol Hills in Blucher Valley. An especially cool pocket of the Russian River Valley, there are short windows of heat in the midday, followed once again by the ocean breezes which flow through the Petaluma Gap. With low yields and tiny clusters, this vineyard consistently produces Pinot Noir with intense, complex flavors and pronounced acidity.
WINEMAKER: William Weese
APPELLATION: Russian River Valley
VINEYARD: Suacci
CASES PRODUCED: 331
COMPOSITION: Clones 115 & 777
ALCOHOL: 14.2
Paired with Red Hawk.
2017 BACIGALUPI PINOT NOIR
WINEMAKER NOTES
This wine brings so much complexity on the nose. Dried rose petals, black currant along with many other dark fruit tones, allspice, white pepper, and dried cherries. Diving into the glass, you will find rich raspberry jam upfront. Blackberry, pomegranate, vanilla layered into the mid palate, and caramelized cherries on the finish. This is mid to full bodied wine that doesn’t lack in character. Recommended with salmon or chicken done on a mesquite grill.
WINEMAKING TECHNIQUES
Harvested at first light of dawn, grapes are hand-picked and delivered to the winery nice and cold. At the winery, the grapes were hand sorted, de-stemmed. The grapes were then fermented in small open top bins with hand punch downs conducted two to three times per day. After a four-day cold soak, the bins are allowed to warm up and start fermentation using native yeasts that come in on the grapes from the vineyard. Upon dryness, the grapes were pressed directly into a combination of 40% new French oak barrels for 18 months aging.
VINTAGE NOTES
Record-breaking winter rainfall kicked off the season, filling the water table to capacity and replenishing soils. A mild spring brought bud break at the normal time, and vintners reported small berries with excellent color. A hot summer culminated in a Labor Day weekend heat wave that caused some vintners to move up their harvest dates by a week or so. The grapes endured the heat and once cooler weather arrived, fruit was able to mature at a gradual pace. Mid-September rain forced growers open up canopies, and in some instances, use blowers to dry out certain varieties prior to harvesting. Early estimates predicted an average yield, but some vintners reported weight loss in the grapes after the heat wave. Because most of the fruit was picked prior to the October fires, vintners have a positive outlook on the 2017 wines, comparing the vintage to 2003, 2013 and 2014. The fruit has excellent color, pronounced flavors and high quality across varieties.
FRUIT SOURCE
In 1956 Charles and Helen Bacigalupi purchased 121 acres on Westside Road, a few miles south of the town of Healdsburg. In a simple beginning, Charles began to care for the 16 acres of existing vineyards. Envisioning the demand for premium wine grapes, Paul Heck (of Korbel winery) encouraged Charles to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 1964, Charles began his plantings with six acres of each varietal. Eventually he obtained Pinot Noir bud wood from Karl Wente, the first well documented plantings of Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley. He remembers Wente telling him the stock had come from France via the family’s old vineyard in Livermore. The family name (Bacigalupi) gained recognition during the 1976 Paris Tasting when the 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay from Château Montelena (made with 40% of Bacigalupi fruit) triumphed over many acclaimed French wines. This event was the turning point in America’s global wine image. The vineyards now consist of 125 acres of premium grapes, which have been planted and managed for the past 30 years by John Bacigalupi and his family.
WINEMAKER: William Weese
APPELLATION: Russian River Valley AVA
VINEYARDS: Bacigalupi Vineyard
BARREL AGING: 18 months
CASES PRODUCED: 124
COMPOSITION: 100% Pinot Noir, Clones 667 & 777
ALCOHOL: 14.4%
About Cowgirl Creamery
We Make Cheese With Heart
From our cheesemakers to our farmer partners, Cowgirl Creamery is passionate about dairy as a force for good. We're continuing our original mission to craft delicious cheese from the extraordinary milk in our region.
learn more at cowgirlcreamery.com