Captûre Wines: Suckers No More

July 1, 2009 – 8:52 am

 

It’s not a question of our gullibility as much as it is a deterrent to our growing efforts here on Tin Cross Vineyards. These latent sprouts, commonly referred to as suckers, cling to the outside of our vine’s trunks. From all appearances they’re completely harmless, but, if left unchecked, those tiny leaves can cause some big problems.

These sprouts are most notorious for their quick growth and detracting vital sugars from the grape clusters. To maintain the vine’s health we revisit the vines to remove the suckers by hand; doing so ensures an up-close, physical inspection while remaining gentle enough to the rootstock itself. This personal touch even borders on the spiritual as our vineyard foreman once explained, “The vines look better when you do this. It’s for a good reason. When you take care of the vine by removing these negative things, the vine shows you’re removing it of its ills.”

After having been through the process once before, I agree with the foreman’s wisdom. The vines are happier for all the personal motions we make in directing their growth. Shoot-thinning, centering, tipping, and now, suckering. All of these aspects are as intertwined in the vine’s health as the vines themselves. If you leave a vine unchecked it’s the equivalent of giving an unsupervised child matches–injury is the only outcome. That said, we’re happy to give our vines the attention they deserve and require to do their best.

By Dylan Klymenko | Posted in Vineyard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Captûre Wines: As Vines Grow, So Do Vineyards.

June 20, 2009 – 11:21 am

 

This year Tin Cross Vineyards will lay host to an additional nine acres of vines with a fresh start. As the post’s photo may suggest, it was only two weeks ago that our land stretched open with rows like arms in readied embrace. And thanks to our unwavering patience, the vines have since taken happy hold in our soil below.

Aizhan’s Block and Aset’s Block have been planted with Cabernet Sauvignon while Maxwell’s Block was planted with even amounts of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. If you are curious to learn more details about each of our blocks you can click here. That link will lead you to information such as the year planted, slope grades, Rootstock, and spacing.

The growth of our vines and vineyard exemplify the continued growth of our passion for winemaking. We are truly excited to welcome these new members of our family to the vineyard and look forward to the great things they will achieve later on.

By Dylan Klymenko | Posted in Vineyard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Captûre Wines: There’s More to Water Than What’s on the Surface

June 12, 2009 – 2:58 pm

 

Aerobic bacteria don’t sound like the kind of thing you want in your water, but on Tin Cross Vineyards they’re considered a crucial part of our ponds’ health. These bacteria thrive on dissolved oxygen and are known for their ability to decompose organic matter from the base of ponds. If the waters do not receive enough oxygen to sustain this type of bacteria, then the matter continues to press the pond into a sickly state.

To ensure that all the ponds on our property operate at their optimum level we have invested in the installation of aerators. These devices create enhanced concentrations of dissolved oxygen within the water. This process creates plenty of what’s needed to sustain the aerobic bacteria and we have already seen immediate effects.

All of our ponds have become crystal clear in a matter of days. You would be able to see straight to the bottom if it weren’t for all the ducks and wildlife these refreshed waters have attracted to their surface.

By Dylan Klymenko | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Captûre Wines: The Real Dirt on Vineyard Weed Control

June 10, 2009 – 5:35 am

 

Weeds are nuisance whether you own a lawn or a high-elevation vineyard in Sonoma County. The true challenge comes into play when your method of removal must remain permanent while at the same time completely safe for the grapes under organic growing conditions. In today’s post photo you may notice how the soil appears dug out in a unique way around the base of the vines.

This method is extremely labor intensive as all the digging must be done by hand to prevent any chance of harming the vine itself. Now that every row sits on the completion of this technique we can look forward to the disappearance of weeds. More over, the soil has been reinterpreted in a way that will retain water in the most beneficial location for the vines.

There are other methods that are considered faster, pesticides being the easiest one, but we aren’t looking for any short cuts in our process. In taking the added measures of this technique we show our respect to the vines which, in turn, repay us with immeasurable rewards.

By Dylan Klymenko | Posted in Vineyard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Captûre Wines: A Seasonal Shift

June 4, 2009 – 6:58 pm

 

Our vineyard rows began when fragile buds seemed to poke their heads from the vines. Early on you would notice a certain shyness about the vegetation, almost like a turtle half drawn into its shell. But that was early spring. One might as well have blinked for too long because the next moment we opened our eyes the vines had leapt from their uncertainty into lush rows of leaves committed to summer’s approach.

This sudden growth is the essence of the spring’s purpose–life here does not make a quiet entrance but boldly thrusts forward into the new season. The change came with the consistent increase in warmer air and cool rains which stirred the vines to their very roots.

Hibernating hills of red clay loam and yellow-brown shale have been overtaken by the spectacle of these verdant rows. Their arrival not only marks the beginning of our growing season, but the beginnings of critical protection and photosynthesis. These new leaves form a canopy which serves to guard our grapes from harsh light all while capturing the nutrition necessary to concentrate the sugars we strove to achieve in last year’s harvest.

By Dylan Klymenko | Posted in Vineyard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Captûre Wines: Bordeaux Tradition. Frontier Spirit.

June 2, 2009 – 9:51 am

 

Greetings Readers of Our Wine Story. This is the last in a series of posts dedicated to an interview held with Captûre’s winemasters Denis and May-Britt Malbec. We hope this series allowed you an eye-opening view into our winemasters’ origins, opinions, and passions for wine.

What are your goals for Captûre’s future?

Denis: What we want to do is make wonderful wine. I want to make one of the best in the world. Everywhere I make wine I strive for this because I want to make the best. If it was just for the sake of making wine, I would just make shoes or create something else. But no, I want to make great wine–this is very important to me. If I were not able to make wine and pursue the best I can, I would be growing vegetables the best I can and then share that food with people. In the end I want to create a great wine and a great feeling in people. I want to create a good relationship with us (May-Britt and I), Captûre, our friends, our families, our clients, and our mailing list. I believe this is a system that works, not just for a couple of years, but all the way into the future. I want something that will stay after us. I want the idea of Captûre to survive beyond May-Britt and myself.

May-Britt: We would like to develop the ground and let it blossom. I think we found this name and it’s a great name, but it’s only one word. I want people to think about Captûre and have them feel the world. I want them to say it the way they say Château Latour. We think of that as a great thing, and, if we can create this, it will be wonderful. I like to create a sort of respect for the brand. Not of us. Of course, I like for Denis and I to be respected, but that’s not what is important, I like people to respect what it is that we are doing.

You really seem to believe in wine and the wine you want to make.

Denis: Yes, the reason for this is because it so magic. I have three things I like a lot when it comes to products: wine, bread, and cheese. These are three different things people make and they always have a magic sense and feeling to them. When you make your own bread, cheese, or wine, it means a lot for you, but also for your friends. It’s not the same as making a BBQ or a stew. Making bread, wine, and your own cheeses is something different and much more magical. I believe it’s due to the fermentation involved in all three–the yeast or bacteria. It’s difficult to control and so mystical. Even after everything we do and learn, it’s still so difficult to control because it is alive.

Well, thank you so much for all of this. I don’t have anymore questions, is there anything either of you would like to add?

Denis: Thank you. This is actually a good place for this to end–there is no more chocolate left and I have already drank a gallon of coffee (laughs). There is so much more to say about some of these topics, but we hope this gives you a better idea of who we are and what we believe.

By Dylan Klymenko | Posted in The Captûre Team | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Captûre Wines: Terroir is More Than Soil and Climate

May 29, 2009 – 3:14 pm

 

Greetings Readers of Our Wine Story. This is the continuation in a series of posts dedicated to an interview held with Captûre’s winemasters Denis and May-Britt Malbec. We hope this series will allow you an eye-opening view into our winemasters’ origins, opinions, and passions for wine.

I have read so much about terroir, everyone has their own opinion and definition. What is your definition of Pine Mountain’s terroir?

Denis: I believe in the notion of terroir. You have the future of the region and the human aspect: what people feel and know. People talk about terroir and they think of soil and climate, but it’s also the human quality. It’s not just who is walking with the wine at the time, but the entirety of people who have interacted with the land. When someone looks at Captûre, they see the human part is important. It’s not something we necessarily received from the past. Perhaps the pioneers were more in balance with what we see right now because what we see right now is the human factor.

May-Britt: Being where we are, it’s not necessarily only at Captûre or Tin Cross. There are various kinds of situations when you grow grapes in high altitudes. Here you have different soil on different blocks and the exposure to sun and wind. It means each block is going to produce a different wine, and having all these different wines will allow Denis and I to have better options when it comes to preparing blends. 

Denis: And something special about Tin Cross Vineyards is that we have a very nice estate with different hills and exposure. This is very important. The climate here is great as well, being this north and high in altitude, May-Britt and I always like to make wine from colder areas like Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain–Pine Mountain is much like these, but more distinct. We always pick the coldest option, but with Tin Cross we also have a lot of light. Even if it is not high in temperature, we have plenty of light for photosynthesis and much less pollution since we are above the fog and smog. This is very important for the character in our grapes. Pollution can be felt in the grapes and the wine–it’s inescapable if you are not growing above it. That is why growing grapes in very clean air is critical.

Do you have a vision for what you want to create on Tin Cross Vineyards?

Denis: I know what I know, but I can’t really say how it’s going to be in 5 or 10 years. I have an image in my head and will do everything to deliver it, but I can’t say anything for sure. It’s just something that I’m going to work very hard at to create and capture this terroir in our wines.

Would you say that involves replicating the terroir of Château Latour to some degree?

Denis: The Château Latour was a wonderful place to work and live. I cannot recreate it here, the pieces of soil and climate, but I would like to recreate the same human feeling.

To be continued…

By Dylan Klymenko | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Captûre Wines: Bottle and Barrel

May 25, 2009 – 4:19 pm

 

Greetings Readers of Our Wine Story. This is the continuation in a series of posts dedicated to an interview held with Captûre’s winemasters Denis and May-Britt Malbec. We hope this series will allow you an eye-opening view into our winemasters’ origins, opinions, and passions for wine.

Denis, the Captûre bottles have a raised punt. Why have the bottles been chosen with this shape in mind?

Denis: In Bordeaux, we got this shape because it’s the way we would make the bottles–but, little by little, we learned that over time in bottle aging, the deposit goes down. With this shape, it eliminates the problems with deposit. 

What is deposit?

May-Britt: Deposit is molecules that are unstable in the wine that combines and get bigger and heavier with aging. These solid particles are settling to the bottom of the bottle. This is the reason why you let an older bottle stand for a couple of days, so that it will be easier to decant the wine and eliminate the deposit before enjoying the wine.

And, what about the selection process for the oak barrels?

Denis: This is another good, long topic I can hardly convey in one answer, but I’ll try my best. With barrels there is still sustainability, you cut the tree and kill the tree, but the forests are replanted and reseeded. We aren’t going to run out of barrels. I imagine the forests in France are going to be the same 200 years from now as before cutting started. Even today, the forest is actually a lot better than it used to be. The acreage and quality of the wood is not changing for the worse.

Is there a preference to the barrels?

Denis: When it comes to high quality wine. I like to use a barrel for two vintages. I’m a strong believer in using a lot of new barrels for fermentation. It took me 30 years to learn what I know about barrels and it’s not something I can explain easily. It takes a while to know what we know, the relationship between barrel and wine is very intricate. In general, what we like to work with is Medium Toast. Know that it doesn’t necessarily mean the same technique: a medium toast with two different coopers is not exactly the same. What we call medium can also be medium plus, medium light, or medium medium. What I prefer to use is a long toasting at low temperature. The reason for this is to respect the quality of the wine, not only to give it taste, we are looking to make it more complete and complex.

May-Britt: The barrel should enhance the quality of the wine and improve it, not mask or degrade it.

Denis: All the coopers we work with, we’ve been working with them for years and years. Even when I left Château Latour, I brought with me my own coopers. It’s incredible, because in the early 70s, the barrel was more of a container, it was a way to keep the wine and age the wine, but we didn’t have the knowledge we have today.

You must have a lot of experience with coopers in France.

Denis: I know more or less all of the coopers in France. Among the good coopers in France, I work only with the coopers I like and I feel there’s a good relationship. When I see that the cooper is a part of the winemaking, when he likes to taste with us and understand what we like, I appreciate that. Using these barrels is like starting with a recipe that I think will work with this kind of wine.

May-Britt: Yes, just like when you have a recipe for food, you’re able to make it, but then over the years you make little changes to the recipe. All of a sudden, that same recipe has been mastered 10 years later and it is truly better than when you first started. That is the same idea as when you are creating a recipe for the wine. It takes time working with the same recipe, making little changes to know when it has improved.

To be continued…

By Dylan Klymenko | Posted in Winemaking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Captûre Wines: Finding Closure with Cork

May 21, 2009 – 5:08 pm

 

Greetings Readers of Our Wine Story. This is the continuation in a series of posts dedicated to an interview held with Captûre’s winemasters Denis and May-Britt Malbec. We hope this series will allow you an eye-opening view into our winemasters’ origins, opinions, and passions for wine.

Denis, I’ve read a lot about this subject on blogs and in articles. I know we have decided on using a cork closure for our wines. What led to this decision for Captûre Wines?

Denis: This is a very good subject. A long subject. Number one, I think for years upon centuries we made really good wine using corks. It means that cork works.

Is image a factor when choosing between the two?

Denis: Yes, it’s also a question of image when it comes to high-end wines like the ones we are making for Captûre. I’m fairly certain if you took the hundred best wines in the world and looked at their closure, you would see none of them use screw caps.

What about the environmental benefits–is one better suited over the other?

Denis: I believe cork is very important in this matter. One thing we like a lot about using cork is how we don’t kill cork trees, we harvest the bark. We only take the outside of the trunk and it’s really sustainable–much more than products that use metals. Using cork instead of screw cap is much more green. Of course, we buy cork mostly grown in Portugal which means there is a transportation carbon footprint. However, it is important that you consider all aspects of the cork -  cork is recyclable and biodegradable, cork is farmed sustainably and many wineries use the cork thoughtfully. 

May-Britt: If we continue to use cork the way we do as an entire industry, it is a good way to maintain the cork forests and the businesses which rely on them. It is truly sustainable in both ways.

What characteristics do you want in the cork that you use?

Denis: I look for very specific characteristics. I like to work almost always with the same supplier. He knows what I want and he knows where to get it. I like dense corks, nothing soft like a sponge, and you can only get this type from a specific method of farming.

So you have a good relationship with the supplier?

Denis: Yes, this is very important. A good relationship with the supplier gets you what you want with cork. I want something very consistent and good, and only the ones you trust can provide that. Bouchons Trescases is a supplier I have used for over 24 years now. They were working with my father at Château Latour even before that. We actually worked with this guy’s dad before I even started working with him. It’s a family business and a small company, but not too small. It’s family oriented, close to the product and close to the client company. How we use the cork today is the result of years and years of work at Château Latour and other Château’s in Bordeaux.

To be continued…

By Dylan Klymenko | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Settling is the Score

May 18, 2009 – 8:58 am

Vineyard life will never cease to offer its moments of blissful tranquility and utter anxiety. Both aspects seem forever tangled within the vines that support our hopes and noble varietals. Even after walking the emotional tightrope of 2008’s process our beautiful bottles still leave us with pride and a nagging curiosity–what will other palates think?

The Captûre 2008 Tradition Sauvignon Blanc hasn’t yet released officially, but a small handful of wine critics have been given the advanced opportunity to receive sample tastings of our inaugural wine. Today we heard our review by Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar which I have placed below:

($32) Very pale silvery-yellow. Pungent aromas of lemon, pink grapefruit, quinine, anise and white flowers. Juicy, dense and penetrating, with lovely intensity and a light touch to the grapefruit, floral and mineral flavors. Very clean and suave sauvignon; brisk but not at all hard. Perhaps best on the tactile, gripping back end, which shows sneaky, reverberating length. This sauvignon, made entirely in stainless steel, is a new venture by Denis and May-Britt Malbec.

Score: 92 points

All of us at Captûre Wines are pleased and honored with the positive response and look forward to future reviews from industry press and mailing list member alike. Until then, we’ll continue our focus on the work ahead for 2009–a season which will undoubtedly offer its unique blend of emotion.

By Dylan Klymenko | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)