Aeshna Wines

Countdown to Pinot Days…

Brian — Thu, 26 May 2011 01:24:14 +0000

We’ll be at Pinot Days in just a few weeks! Will we see you there?

If so, we’ll likely be setup right next to the legendary Alma Rosa, which just so happens to come after us in the alphabetical ordering of exhibitors!.

Drop on by for a taste! We’ll be pouring everything we’ve made from ’07 through ’09!

Cheers! ~Brian

Pinot Days

Brian — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 18:53:35 +0000

It’s still a few months out, but we’ve just received confirmation that we’ll be able to pour at this year’s Pinot Days at Fort Mason in SF on June 18th. If you’ve ever wanted to sample the wines of literally hundreds of Pinot producers, this is your chance. If you decide to attend, please drop by for a taste! We’ll have samples of everything we’ve made so far.

More details soon, but mark your calendars!

Cheers! ~Brian

Tasting Opportunity

Brian — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 21:06:04 +0000

If anyone local to the San Jose area is looking to try some Aeshna before you buy, Tessora’s Barra Di Vino at the Pruneyard Campbell is pouring some of our Pinot Noir this week. It’s a cozy little wine bar with a rotating selection of about 20 great wines at a time. Be sure to drop by for taste if you’re in the area!

Cheers! ~Brian

A Good Cause

Brian — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:47:07 +0000

Aeshna Wines is proud to have donated some of our wines to the Worker’s Children’s Fund, which works in support of SF Bay Area foster children. We hope the attendees of tonight’s Winetasting Fundraiser enjoy it!

Cheers! ~Brian

Second Press and Finished

Brian — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:00:55 +0000

Last night we were up in Napa pressing the last of our wine for the year. Hayley turned out extraordinarily delicate. The free-run and press wine had a brilliant ultraviolet color and I think it’s going to turn out to be very light colored. Initial measurements showed we had the same pH as La Encantada (3.39), but alcohol levels only at 12.92 %. The alcohol level will go up a bit as the wine ages as some evaporation occurs, but it’s definitely an indication that 2010 is going to be all about finesse.

The vineyard is farmed organic, which means they don’t use copper sprays, and this resulted in a tiny hint of H2S when tasting the free-run. A little oxygenation blew it off quickly revealing light, bright raspberry and strawberry aromas, but with a lovely earthy undertone.

Both the La Encantada and Hayley are in 1-year old barrels, so oak influence is going to be very restrained which will allow these young wines to really shine.

Cheers! ~Brian

First press

Brian — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:58:45 +0000

La Encantada is now in barrel! Alcohol was measured at 14.1% & pH at 3.39, so it’s a racy lightweight. The wine still needs to go through malolactic conversion to mellow out, but the wine we pressed into barrel is already quite nice. Bright raspberry flavors and aromas, zesty acid, but with a really nice dark & earthy quality to it already.

We’re really looking forward to seeing how this one evolves and matures, since we’re using a different predominant clone this year. Tomorrow night we’re back up in Napa pressing Hayley, which will conclude the main hectic mayhem of the 2010 winemaking season for us.

Driving to Napa every few days while still working full time is tiring, but now comes the truly hard part — patiently waiting and tasting every few months to watch and see what these wines want to be when they grow up.

Cheers! ~Brian

Chugging along…

Brian — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:29:58 +0000

La Encantada’s out of cold soak already and fermenting. We started out with 24.6 brix at 69F two days ago, and given the vigor of the fermentation, the temperature is up to 86F and the brix has dropped by more than half to 10 degrees. Things should slow down a tad as the yeast attempt to eat through the last bit of sugar, but at this rate we could be dry and pressing within a week.

Hayley’s still in the fridge.

Cheers! ~Brian

Beautiful Fruit

Brian — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 04:29:04 +0000

We just got back from the winery in Napa. Sorting grapes outside under a beautiful first quarter moon isn’t such a bad way to end the day. The fruit from Hayley is awesome. Incredibly clean, delicate, low sugar, brilliant acidity without any acid-bombs, almost zero raisining and very little botrytis. I’m really excited to see how this one turns out. More updates from the winery once fermentation kicks off…

Cheers! ~Brian

Hayley is on the way…

Brian — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:21:13 +0000

Our fruit from Hayley in Anderson Valley is coming in tomorrow. Car issues are behind us and we will be up in Napa tomorrow night sorting fruit. It’s supposed to be incredible stuff.

Cheers! ~Brian

Countdown

Brian — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 09:33:29 +0000

A storm is in the offing down in Mexico, so the decision to harvest has been made. All of La Encantada is going to get picked and sorted on Thursday to ensure we don’t get hit by the storm. In addition, there’s so much other fruit coming in at once this week that things are in an above normal state of harvest chaos at the winery. The countdown has begun!

Cheers! ~Brian