Time to be Merry

This weekend a group of Sonoita Winemakers got together to sample the fruits of our 2008 labors. From time to time we do this - pull off samples from our barrels and gather to taste and critique each other's wines.  It is takes a few months to recover from harvest, so the winter solstice is usually a good mark for our first tasting.  20+ samples in all, so there is a lot of tasting and spitting. Otherwise our wits leave us quickly. I must say the wines I tasted were all very good. Certainly the 5 of us have different wine making styles and philosophies so similar wines using similar grapes often tasted quite differently one from another.  But all good. It is becoming more and more clear that there is a very distinct quality to Sonoita grown grapes.  We all make Estate Wines so we have the luxury of honing in on that unique wine profile.  It is unmistakeable, even when expressed through our various styles.  The 2008 vintage will be a big hit when it is released over the next few  years.