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What We Say 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
QPR ALERT:
Today’s fantastic Russian River Valley Pinot Noir drinks above its price class, earning it today’s QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Alert.
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Mission Codename: Five Alarm Pinot
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: After a protracted surveillance, infiltrate Hook & Ladder Vineyards and Winery. Secure their 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Hook & Ladder Vineyards and Winery
Wine Subject: 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Winemaker: Jason DeLoach
Winery Backgrounder: Three generations and 30 years after entering the wine trade, the DeLoach family are still making extraordinary wines. Cecil, a retired San Francisco firefighter, and his wife, Christine, purchased their first 24 acres of grapes in the Russian River Valley. When the tired of seeing others making award-winning wines from their grapes, they launched their own wine label, under the DeLoach family name. The DeLoach Winery became synonymous with Russian River Pinot Noir and other noble varietals. After selling the DeLoach label, the family launched the Hook & Ladder winery, whose purpose it is to “craft exceptional wines, from the highest quality grapes, that people love to drink.”
Regional Backgrounder: The Russian River Valley, in Sonoma County, produces Pinot Noir of remarkable distinction. The cooler maritime conditions of the region make the RRV ideal for growing Pinot Noir. The Russian River Valley in Sonoma is particularly well suited to producing exceptional Pinot Noir. This AVA was officially designated in 1983, but many of the wines in the region used the designation as early as the 1970s (early in California’s wine history) with the many of the vines having been first planted in the early 1900s. Read Agent Red’s mission report and tasting notes below for the full intel on this exciting wine.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – The unique hues of this wine intrigued our tasting panel! Viewed from the side, the wine shows off the deep red color of cherry juice. When swirled, hues of reddish pink show through. As the wine settles, chubby legs move quickly down the glass.
Smell – Rich and warm, the wine leads with bright cherry, young strawberry, green fig, soft spice and subtle forest floor. After the wine opens up, additional aromas of black cherry, subtle mushroom and soft spice emerge.
Feel – Soft and light-weight on the attack, then the wine reveals a medium weight at the rear of the palate. A tart dryness then spreads from the edges, moving inward. Eventually, this dryness spreads from the tongue, to the lips and cheeks.
Taste – Tart cherry and earthy blackberry lead the way. Caramelized toasty date and black cherry follow. When the wine opens up, after some decanting, the flavors smooth and become more rich, as dark strawberry, ripe plum, clean earth, soft spice and soft toasted French oak follow.
Finish – Long in length, with dark cherry, hints of blackberry, brown spice, soft oak and black pepper add a hint of minerality.
Conclusion – This is a classic Russian River Pinot Noir, with a hint of earthen red Burgundy. This wine wowed our tasting panel with its bold but balanced character and great flavors. The DeLoach family has been making wine in the Russian River Valley for generations, and their experience in the region shines through in this easy-drinking, budget-minded Pinot Noir. We enjoyed our review bottles with roasted pork loin, brown jasmine rice pilaf and a field salad with avocado and pears. The combination was perfection and this food-friendly wine was the stellar accompaniment to our meal.
Mission Report:
WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER
SUBJECT: Jason DeLoach
WINE EDUCATION: This year will be my 15th harvest, I just turned 31. Most of my education is all hands on experience, I also did an internship in Chile, took viticulture at the Santa Rosa Jr. college and I did a winemaker course with the UC Davis Extension program. I also worked at a custom crush winery for almost 4 years as a cellar master.
CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Head winemaker at Hook and Ladder winery
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Make the best wine you can with the tools that are given.
WINEMAKER QUOTE: “Too much oak in a wine is a crime”
FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: At Hook and Ladder – Spring 2010
WINEMAKER INTERVIEW
AGENT RED: Greetings, Jason. We are thrilled to be showing your 2008 Russian River Pinot Noir today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.
JASON DELOACH: Glad I can help.
RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?
JASON: I was lucky enough to grow up in the wine industry. When I was 14 I started working for my Grandfather Cecil DeLoach every summer for half my summer vacation – but I couldn’t start working in the cellar till I was 18. So as soon as I turned 18 I started working in the cellar full time. I really liked the controlled chaos of harvest. I really like to work hard, I like team work and I love science. My dad got me hooked on science early on. So really at the time I just figured I would work towards someday being a cellar master..
RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?
JASON: I worked with a lot of wine makers. The 3 years before I started working for Hook and Ladder I was a cellar master at a custom crush winery. Dan Goldfield of Dutton Goldfield, Jeff Mangahas of Hartford Court and Dan Cederquist which was the wine maker for DeLoach vineyards for a long time. He also was a consultant at the custom crush winery where I worked. The thing that was great about working at a custom crush winery is that you work with Winemakers that have really different styles/approaches to what they do and want. There are Winemakers that are super proactive and others that kind of just let the wine do its own thing. I spent the first 6 years of my time just working in the cellar, so I have a pretty good feel for what can be done at a realistic level. I guess I lean towards being realistic but also I’m proactive and expect a lot of what we can accomplish at Hook and Ladder. I know this doesn’t make any sense, but I consider myself a realistic perfectionist.
RED: Who do you make wine for?
JASON: I make wine for Hook and Ladder Winery ha ha ha. No, really, my goal at Hook and Ladder is to make the very best wine I can with the tools that are given. I want to show case the best wine I can make, so I guess I answer to myself first – then Cecil.
RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today.
JASON: 2008 Estate Pinot Noir – this is a great Pinot, I’m really proud of the work that went into this wine. I love the vanilla notes, and the smokiness of this Pinot. It’s really well structured, and complex, I feel like you get new flavors with every sip.
RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?
JASON: Grilled Salmon with wild rice and mashed potatoes. Honestly, I love this wine with a little Two-Rock goat cheese on my deck just as much
RED: In your opinion, what makes the Russian River Valley so special?
JASON: In the Russian river valley, most mornings have a layer of fog that blankets the vineyards in the morning, then the fog burns off and we have very nice warm afternoons. this is great because the grapes are able to have a longer growing season which produces fruit that is very rich in flavor and is has perfect balance of sugar and acid. So as a winemaker it is my job to take that fruit and do whatever I can to create a wine that shows all of those wonderful qualities. Lucky for us we have over 300 acres of estate grown fruit that Cecil DeLoach has been farming for the last 30 years.
RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?
JASON: Everything really, Harvest work and logistics, cellar work, wine maintenance, building blends, getting our wines ready for the bottle, bottling logistics and constant quality control. It’s really never ending. We stay very busy for the most part, there are only 4 of us that are in full time production. Ooh, and sometimes I have to travel to do some winemaker dinners. but I try to avoid that as much as possible. Just kidding.
RED: How would you recommend people approach your wines and wine in general?
JASON: Well for our wines, really like people to take their time and let the wine open up, really take in the nose and when you taste the wine try to let your pallet guide you through the wine. At Hook and Ladder we make premium had crafted wines and we really put our full focus on everything we do. When we build a blends, by design the wine should take your pallet on a little journey, from the front of the pallet, to the mid pallet and on to the finish and take note of all the things that you can pick up along the way. We spent a great deal of time building wines that have a pallet that isn’t one sided or strong in one way and weak in another. We want the pallet and noise to be complete and full of character.
RED: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
JASON: I just really hope everyone enjoys our wines. I encourage you to take the time to learn about Hook and Ladder winery and its history. We really do have a great story and I just want to continue to make the best wines I can. Our wines really just keep getting better every year.
RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The Hook & Ladder Vineyards and Winery, in the Russian River Valley region, can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Hook & Ladder
About This Wine:
We use old world techniques to make our Pinot Noir in small batches and “punch-down” the fruit by hand up to three times a day. Our Pinot Noir starts with a deep ruby red color, followed by aromas of spicy strawberry and raspberry.Cecil De Loach has been farming these delicate Pinot Noir vineyards since 1973 in the Russian River Valley. Located on the plains and gently rolling hills off Olivet road in western Santa Rosa, this area provides an excellent medium for the coastal fog that blankets our fruit in the mornings and evenings. The cooling moisture facilitates a longer growing season in which Pinot Noir thrives. The light berry flavor accented with vanilla leads to a crisp finish of lingering cherry. This multi-layered Pinot is lovely and rich; able to be enjoyed with a meal or on its own.
About The Winery:
GROWERS FIRST – In 1970, San Francisco firefighter Cecil De Loach and his wife Christine
staked their claim in the wine grape business by purchasing 24 acres of old-vine Zinfandel in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. In the early seventies, the De Loaches decided to acquire additional vineyard land.
For several years they watched others make notable wine from their grapes before making the decision to produce wine under the De Loach label in 1975.
More than three decades later, Cecil and Christine sold that label and have continued their winemaking skills at the helm of a small family winery that employs a simple philosophy – craft exceptional wines, from the highest quality grapes, that people love to drink.
We consider each step of the winemaking process an opportunity to showcase the distinctive flavors contained within our carefully cultivated grapes. Every bottle of wine is a worthy representation of the best effort from each and every person at Hook and Ladder Vineyards and Winery.
OUR VINEYARDS TODAY – On 375 acres situated in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, our vineyards produce cool climate grapes widely recognized as some of the finest in the world. Grape growers of the early 1900’s recognized the sites of our vineyards as being uniquely suited for wine grape growing. Building on their knowledge and experience, we have matched the soil and climate of each parcel with the varietals most likely to achieve its full potential.
Cecil De Loach, owner and winemaster – For more than three decades, Cecil De Loach has farmed grapes in the Russian River Valley. He’s made wine from his grapes for just as long. There are those who have invested more time in the grapes of the Russian River Valley and made wine here for longer. But few have made such and impact on proving this region’s unqualified suitability for producing wines of world-class quality.
It was in the midst of a 16-year career as a San Francisco Fireman that Cecil discovered the Russian River Valley and grape growing. In 1970 he and wife Christine began looking for a vineyard where they could create a second career for themselves outside San Francisco.
They found Louis Barbieri’s twenty-four acre vineyard west of Santa Rosa. The vineyard held vines planted in 1905 and 1927, but Barbieri couldn’t entice his family to farm the vineyard. He needed a buyer and Cecil wanted a vineyard. This purchase would be the first of over 900 acres of Russian River Valley vineyards Cecil would farm over the course of the next three decades.
For the first six years Cecil sold his grapes to the Sonoma County Cooperative Winery in Windsor. At the same time he took classes in enology and wine chemistry at the University of California at Davis.
In 1975 he made his first wine, an old-vine Zinfandel. De Loach Vineyards would grow to more than 250,000 cases over the years and proved to be critical in introducing the name “Russian River Valley” to wine lovers world wide. The De Loach Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Zinfandels helped put the appellation on the map as one of California’s premier growing regions.
In the course of developing De Loach Vineyards, Cecil would build a state-of-the-art winery, build a second full-functioning winery designed exclusively to produce Pinot Noir, help start the careers of a number of now well-known winemakers, and become a leader in the industry serving as president of The Sonoma County Vintners Co-op, The Sonoma County Winery Co-op, The Sonoma County Wineries Association and Russian River Wine Road.
Cecil retired from the San Francisco Fire Department in 1982 after a 16-year career. His time as a fireman was as influential to forming his character as nearly any other aspect of his life. He chose the name “Hook & Ladder Winery” for his latest winery project to honor his years on the fire truck.
By 2003, Cecil and family sold the De Loach Vineyards brand, which continues today. Cecil moved on to found Hook & Ladder Winery in 2004. It would be a smaller project that allows him to showcase the best of his Russian River Valley estate vineyards.
Over the years, Cecil and Christine’s family have joined the effort. His oldest grandson Jason De Loach is our new winemaker; son Michael De Loach is the president of Hook & Ladder winery while grandson Joshua De Loach oversees West Coast sales. When not directing the progress of Hook & Ladder, Cecil is likely indulging his love of fishing, history books, or cooking for a large group, a talent he perfected during sixteen years of cooking for hungry firemen.
Jason De Loach – Jason De Loach was introduced to the wine industry in the customary way; physical labor. As a young man at De Loach Vineyards he eventually worked his way into the cellar. At the age of eighteen he became involved in harvest, crush, and later on became Production Coordinator as well.
After cutting his teeth at De Loach, Jason moved up to the title of Cellar Master for Balletto Winery, where he oversaw and operated a significant portion of the winemaking process. In his second out of three and a half years there, he also became the assistant Winemaker and lab technician under the well known Winemaking Consultant Dan Cedarquist. Also during this time under Winemaker Dan Goldfield he learned the importance of constantly monitoring oxygen levels amongst other things for quality control.
Keeping with the tradition of his grandfather, Jason attended viticulture classes, and then took courses in enology from the University of California at Davis. After helping produce a number of gold medal winning wines at Balletto, Jason returned to his family roots at Hook and Ladder in 2006.
At Hook and Ladder, Jason began as Cellar Master and soon became Winemaker. Jason has been producing outstanding wines ever since; having his pick of the very best fruit from over 300 acres of vineyards farmed by his grandfather Cecil De Loach for over 30 years, Jason continues to generate exceptional wines.
On the rare occasions when Jason is not overseeing the winery, you can find him at home on the family’s Los Amigos Ranch in Healdsburg with his wife Nicole and their German Shepard, Aspen. In the off season Jason will most likely be either flying real airplanes, or the models he builds at home, surfing, or training for his third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Technical Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.2%
Varietals: 100% Pinot Noir
