Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/230154
SOILCOHEN & CELLAR REMI he said, whole clusters add a nice fleshiness to the midpalate, in addition to enhancing aromas. A MATTER OF AMOUNT Kosuge rarely uses 100% whole cluster, and the percentage varies from vintage to vintage and region to region. For example, for his Miura brand, he makes wine from Pisoni Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County, where he has always used whole clusters, but the percentage might range from 20% to 40%, depending on the vintage, with hotter vintages and riper blocks often on the higher end of the range. But he is less aggressive with pinot noir from the Sonoma Coast, where he finds flavors to be more delicate. Overall, the range is 10%-40% on pinot noir, and 15%-75% on syrah; in some vineyards and vintages, he has not used any whole clusters at all. All three winemakers approach the practice from both an artistic and scientific perspective. Hodgins, throughout his experience at Breggo Cellars and formerly as assistant winemaker at Hanzell Vineyards in Sonoma, has often conducted trials where he ferments two tanks of the same fruit, one with and the other without whole clusters. Although Hodgins notes that he often has a preference for one tank or the other, he finds it gives him more pieces to work with when blending. Hodgins has taken advantage of these trials to analyze some of the compositional differences between blends with and without whole clusters. He notes, "When I was at Hanzell I ran the Harbertson-Adams assay for tannins on all of our pinots and almost always saw a big increase in tannins when stems were included. In pinot, I almost always see higher pHs and lower TAs in whole-cluster ferments (presumably, potassium is being extracted from the stems). Winemaker Ryan Hodgins of Breggo Cellars in Mendocino has learned through trials that fermenting pinot noir with stems results in higher levels of tannin and pH, and lower TA. IF YOU NEED IT... WE LEASE IT! Leasing is the smart alternative to buying. Keep your working capital in your business and lease the things you really need at Hansel Leasing! Since 1962, we have created leasing solutions for hundreds of Wine Country businesses. We can help you too! NEW FORD F-150 SUPER CREW WE LEASE EVERYTHING! CALL JIM TAYLOR AT HANSEL LEASING TODAY! 707.544.2822 707 938-1300 WWW.ACROLON.COM ® LEASING w w w. v w m m e d i a.com J a n - Feb 2014 | V INE YA RD & W INE RY M AN A G EM EN T 33