Winemaker Notes

This vintage truly speaks to our land and balance at Garden Creek. The 2009 vintage is perhaps the most concentrated and pure wine from our family property thus far released. With the careful & unique selection of lots chosen within soil variations (of 13 total on the property), we are absolutely thrilled by the vinification results. Each year the lots chosen (9 - 2009 lots vinified) are crafted by indigenous yeast & careful hand punch downs and this one is no different. On the palate the texture is silky, velvety with an elegance and richness exuding lush ripe dark berry flavors & robust, elegant land driven tannins. patience is our passion & integral virtue.

Climate and Harvest

The 2009 growing season had an overall excellent fruit quality from a relatively mild, cool growing season, under normal rainfall and moderate temperatures that allowed for slow ripening fruit. Our vineyard choices remain driven by the year. The Olive Hill including all four corners with a largest portion pulled from the East block This is the first year for Malbec, which brought a level of intense plum, rustic intensity and robust tannins. A thrilling addition to the Tesserae family of varietal assemblage.

This summer brought many days of warm, long consistent days of foggy mornings and average heat. Naturally lower yields on average allowed for very concentrated, high-quality selection of Winegrape flavors for the Tesserae with strict canopy management. Each year our intention is to reveal the true character of the year combined with our dynamic soils through careful and diligent lot selection. And never a simple feat! It's a true sense of connectedness when you begin with the purity of the flavors in the vineyards, gently process, coax through fermentation, age in barrel for a time and then a beautiful, elegant balanced wine is revealed. Handcrafted with many long hours of attention both in the vineyard & winery.