2005 Winetta
Our 2005 Winetta is named in honor of my parents who helped us make this wine, from crush and fermentation through bottling it in 2006. We made 299 bottles for this vintage.
It was made from 75% Syrah and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Zamora, CA. It sat in neutral french oak barrels for one year, and was bottled a few months too early, so that the acids are still crystalizing in the bottle. As of this post, it is drinkable now with a fairly high acid of 0.75, an alcohol content of 12.5%, and a pH of 3.54. It will become more soft over time, but I believe it may peak in 2010.
It is enjoyed on its own as a summer evening refreshing drink, or with meals that favor a high-acid wine (steak, salmon, spicy cheeses, and meats, etc.).
This wine has an interesting history. At the time of barreling it had a very bad sulphur smell and taste. Michael Richmond, the winemaker at Bouchaine Winery, suggested I add copper sulphate to the wine to remove it.
It was also missing the deep “inky” color typical of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. With some experimentation with acid balance (adding more tartaric acid), the color stabalized and deepened, but it still is not the deep red I had hoped for.
After over a year in the bottle it’s mellowed to a nice table wine that competes with other wines in the $10 price range.