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Breaking News

(Posted April 24, 2008)

 

New Lamb Born

NEW LAMBS ARE BORN 4/15-17/08

One Ram-Lamb (R) and One Ewe-Lamb (L)

The Clos Pepe Philosophy:

"We strive to produce wines that represent a time and a place. In a landscape where critics heap praise on 'heavy metal' wines more akin to cough syrup than a beverage for table, we believe that wine should integrate into a meal--we hope our customers discuss the flavors of wine and food and how they combine to make an experience. Great craft impresses not with an insistence that it be the sole focus of a room, but instead by its ability to integrate. I like to make wines that tell a story: a story of wind, fog, sunshine and the hard work of our crew. This vineyard has as much potential for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as we are willing to imagine and draw from it with passion and labor. In this sense I want the wines to be 'jazz' over 'heavy metal'--a reflection of craft embedded in an ever-changing environment instead of a homogenized attempt to kowtrow to the gods of concentration." --Wes Hagen, February 2008

Environmental sustainability: No herbicides, no insecticides, no restricted materials. Integration of livestock and animals for diversity and organic pest control: sheep for weeding/fertilization, all green materials composted and reapplied in the vineyard, owl boxes/raptor perches for rodent control, retired greyhounds for rabbit and coyote control.

Social sustainability: We believe sustainable viticulture is meaningless without a similar concern for the people that work on the farm. We think it's a shame that some farmers are more concerned with their compost than their people. Less chemicals means a safer environment to work in, it's true, but we also offer our permanent field workers medical benefits for them and their families. It's an expensive farming practice, one that's almost unheard of in agriculture, but we think its worth it. When we pour Clos Pepe wine, we can feel comfortable knowing that everyone who touched the vines, the fruit and the wine were respected.


Visiting Clos Pepe and the Santa Rita Hills:

Spring Special Feature: La Purisima Golf Course is a local treasure for those in love with the game. It's a wonderful place to absorb the climate of the Santa Rita Hills and test your swing, patience and ability to handle tough lies and screaming wind. To help a tiny bit, here is a PDF copy of the old yardage book from La Purisima. You have to print, scissor and put it all together, but once out on the course, this is an invaluable resource! Watch www.staritahills.com for news on the first Pinot@Purisima Tournament on Friday, June 20th. You can sign up now for the Open House weekend and the Golf Tourney!

Tours: With Spring here, we're getting busy, but still have some time for tours and hospitality. Email wes@clospepe.com with your request for a tour (2 weeks in advance is recommended): include dates you will be available and how many folks in your party. Tours start at 10:30 am sharp (no exceptions), and finish around 12:30 pm. If you'd like to see how we do hospitality in the Santa Rita Hills, please plan a visit!

Tour Dates Available Today: April and May have some openings, so send those email requests for tours as early as possible! Sunday, April 27th has availability as does Saturday, April 26th for a small group (2-4 max.)

Virtual Video Tour: Check out a shortened version of our Clos Pepe tour/tasting HERE. Thanks to John Lordi for the video production! It will take a while to load, but if you can't make it to the vineyard, this will give you the overview of who we are and what we do up here. Not to be missed!

Shipping Update: We're shipping orders every Monday and Tuesday as long as weather here, the destination, and in between look cool enough to guarantee safe arrival.

Green award logo

Clos Pepe Wins a Green Award! Santa Barbara has awarded Clos Pepe Vineyards with one of only 4 Green Awards for 2007. Read more HERE.

Not Getting Your Allocation Discount? If you log in and don't get your Allocation Discount (for previous customers and those who've signed up previously), send me an email! Discount are also available for those customers in the wine trade.

Awards start to roll in!: L.A. County Fair's 'Los Angeles International Wine Competition' (the largest and oldest Fair wine competition in the U.S.) released its results this weekend, and we did very well: GOLD MEDAL was awarded to our 2005 Estate Pinot Noir and BEST OF CLASS: Domestic Medium was awarded to our 2006 Clos Pepe Estate Olive Oil. The Olive Oil has been sold out for months, but the 2005 Pinot Noir is still available at the store, by phone or by order form. The 2005 Pinot Noir just received 92 point rating from redwinebuzz.com as well.

Rather Order by Fax? If faxing an order form seems easier than ordering online, just send Wes Hagen an email with a request for a faxable order form. Send your request to: wes@clospepe.com .

Pinot Clusters 2007

 

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Clos Pepe Estate Wines Wes Hagen (Vineyardist/Winemaker) Has Tasted Recently:

(Tasted Winter/Spring, 2008. Wines with links are available for sale.)

2006 Pinot Noir 'Vigneron Select' (Sold Out) : Tight and oaky with great purity of fruit and impeccable structure. Needs at least 3-5 years to fully integrate--a few years longer than the regular 2006 because of higher French Oak tones. SOLD OUT

2006 Pinot Noir : If you have to commit infanticide on this one, decant overnight! The longer the bottle stays open, the better this wine gets. Nose is beautifully expressive, even this early. Blackberry, strawberry and blueberry with lots of baking spice. Great acid and some fine tannins. No middle to speak of yet--needs 2 years of cellaring to start strutting it's pedigree. One for the cellar!

2006 Chardonnay (No Oak, Sold Out) : My favorite 'Hommage to Chablis' to date at release. A bit riper than the 2005 and a bit more of a balanced mouthful of minerals, fruit and acidity. Fresh, apple-pear characters and loads and loads of structure. Drinking nicely, but needs a few years at least to let the mid-palate emerge and the minerals/acid to be balanced with the richness. This is as tight as it will ever be.

2005 Pinot Noir: This wine has really turned a corner recently. The high toned fruit has settled a bit and the earthiness and midpalate of the wine is really starting to emerge. If you haven't tried one in a while, this is the time. It's not nearly mature, and it may (looking back in a few years) be a touch dumb, but this wine really makes me proud as it tastes this month.

2004 Pinot Noir (Sold Out):This wine is slowly coming into its prime. From a hot, ripe vintage the wine was generous early and may not have the capacity to age like the 2005 and 2006's (cooler vintages). Expect a mouthful of spicy black-cherry fruit, amazing complexity in the mid-palate and a fresh, structured finish. Secondary bottle-aged notes begin to emerge--earthiness, sage-like underbrush, cola-nut and a hint of cherry sweetness in the finish. A hint of heat in the finish will remind you of the sunny warmth of the 2004 Fall.

2003 Pinot Noir (Sold Out): The last two 2003's I've tasted have been very different, and this wine is very susceptible to bottle variation--especially bottles that have not been stored correctly. At best the wine is really beginning to show beautifully--mature armoas of dried cherry, quite intense, with smoky minerals, great length and both fresh and mature. The other bottle was a bit barnyardy and flat to me. If this wine is in your cellar, take one out and give it a try!

2002 Pinot Noir (Sold Out): Approaching maturity--big, expressive and delicious. Definitely in the 'drinking window', and I suggest it will be drinking well for at least anothe 2-5 years.

2001 Pinot Noir (Sold Out): Another wine to pull out and try, a beautifully balanced and elegant wine that is really showing gorgeously at table. In the drinking window for sure..will benefit from a few more years, and it may be a wine that will last 10-15 years if properly cellared. Try one with duck confit or some Epoisses cheese.

2000 Pinot Noir (Sold Out): A wine in its prime. I keep thinking it's going to fade, but it keeps impressing me with its longevity, balance, complexity and freshness. I'm really in love with this wine, and given the chance to have any wine I've made at a good meal, this one wins the prize as of January, 2008.

 

Next month: I'll go through the Chardonnays. Guess I'm a bit of a Pinot slut in the Winter.

 

Max and Chanda work the Sheep


Virtual Tour
Take a virtual tour of Clos Pepe ten years ago! See the front gate, the vineyards, and the Old Courtyard
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