‘20 Syrah
My inaugural 2020 harvest and formal transition from the engineering world to professionally making wine was a single ton of Syrah co-fermented with 2% Viognier. Hand-picked from Herb Quady’s Mae’s Vineyard in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley. The fruit was fermented with a native starter culture from the same vineyard in the name of flavor complexity. After 18 months in French oak and 11 months in bottle, 58 cases are being released for your enjoyment.
The ’20 Syrah starts off with mocha-dusted blueberries followed by fresh fig and spice notes framed by supple tannins making for a surprisingly approachable Syrah.
’21 Grenache
The ‘21 Grenache is a time capsule retelling the story of the growing season in the Rogue Valley. Significant draught pressure had a lot of growers trying to adapt to uncertain water availability. For the little bit of Grenache that was able to be harvested from the Frink Vineyard, the berries were half their usual size, leading to near Bordeaux fruit level of intensity. As with all our reds, it was fermented with a native starter culture from the vineyard for early fermentation diversity. Aged in neutral oak for 17 months.
Many southern Oregon Grenaches are pretty and ethereal. Not this one! A brooding, concentrated mix of dried plum and strawberries layered among leather and crushed gravel with a hint of rosemary. A perfect pairing for fall nights and roast pork.
’21 Tempranillo
Steelhead Run Vineyard, Applegate Valley LIVE Certified, Salmon Safe
The ’21 Tempranillo is sourced from the Steelhead Run Vineyard in the Applegate Valley. Being just off the Applegate River, the vineyard was sheltered from the dry growing season the broader area experienced. All three clones (1, 2, & Duero) of Tempranillo grown at Steelhead Run were hand harvested. After sorting, destemming, and a few days of cold soak, the starter culture from the same vineyard was combined to start fermentation. Once fermentation was complete and pressed, it was aged for 21 months in three French oak barrels (two used once and one neutral). On the nose, sour cherry and cedar lead the way, followed by strawberry, dry fig, tobacco and leather. The palate confirms the cherry, strawberry, and fig notes from the nose. Dusty tannins give way to the medium plus acidity on the finish. A perfect pairing for grilled meats. My go-to is a Santa Maria style tri tip.
’21 Cabernet Franc
Pheasant Hill Vineyard, Rogue Valley AVA, LIVE Certified
Cab Franc is easily my favorite of the Bordeaux varieties, and without a doubt, the one that grows the best in southern Oregon. The lesser-known parent grape of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is so versatile in its different forms. Cooler climates/vintages can be beautiful, finessed wines while warmer sites or years can bring intensity and age worthiness. ‘21 being a warmer, drier year, this wine leans a bit more to the concentrated side of the spectrum. I had the fortunate opportunity to spend a fair bit of time in this vineyard the summer of ’21 helping shepherd the vines to make this wine what it is.
After sorting, destemming, and a few days of cold soak, the starter culture from the same vineyard was combined to start fermentation. Once fermentation was complete and pressed, it was aged for 20 months in French oak. It was then bottled without filtration and bottle aged for another 12 months before release.
On the nose, it leads off with strawberries, raspberries, and boysenberry before being joined by a touch of Cab Franc’s characteristic bell pepper. Wrapping up with spice box, dried chili powder, leather, truffle, and a toasted vanilla note reminiscent of freshly baked pie with vanilla ice cream. On the palate, it has generous body with tannins that start with a gentle grip, gradually building in intensity before softening to acidity making you ready to go back for more. Eucalyptus undertones add a refreshing herbal note to the flavors picked up on the nose.
Cab Franc is my go-to wine for grilled lamb chops and goes well with other heartier grilled beef as well as hard cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano.
’22 BDG
My ’22 Blanc de Grenache, BDG, is Twelve 32’s first white and the launch of the experimental series. The experimental series is for the more adventurous or one-off wines. My original idea was a rose, but this wine had a better plan.
To maintain the refreshing acidity, the fruit was harvested from the Padigan vineyard at 17.8 brix, just as flavors were maturing. The juice was fermented with two yeast strains for additional flavor complexity. After fermentation I trialed adding a touch of my red Grenache to pink it up. In the end, I let it be the white wine it wanted to be, and BDG was born. BDG is startlingly aromatic with grapefruit, nectarine, and white flowers followed with wet stone minerality packed in a bone dry, crushable 10.5% package. Perfect with your seafood and Tuesday nights.
‘23 Albariño
We fell in love with Albariño on a trip to Portugal several years ago (they call it Alvarino). It fits perfectly with the style of whites I like to make… A little off the beaten path, acid leaning along with some aromatic intrigue. The ’23 Albariño was made from the beautiful, LIVE certified, Crater View Vineyard which has just two rows of Albariño. It was fermented in stainless steel for three long months at a cool temperature to retain the fresh aromatics Albariño is known for.
On the nose, lemon zest is backed up by grapefruit, honeydew, with a touch of florality. On the palate, lemon curd acidity gently gives way to a surprisingly long supple finish. If you like Viognier but wish it had more acidity, Albariño is for you. It’s my go to wine pairing for all things seafood, and in particular, paella.
‘23 Roussanne
Fortmiller Vineyard, Rogue Valley AVA, follows LIVE farming practices though not certified
I love Roussanne’s ability to bring a honeysuckle note and a little more body while holding onto acidity. This was among the last fruit to come in the 2023 vintage. That extra hang time on the vines really helped it develop its characteristic nuances. After pressing, the juice was fermented in neutral oak barrels using two different yeast strains in my constant quest for diversity in flavor development. The path of fermentations and the resulting wine is notably different, and they complement each other beautifully.
On the nose, it has intensely aromatic notes of honeysuckle backed by subtle apricot complemented by fresh mint high tones and Chamomile. On the palate, it presents light on its feet despite being nearly full bodied due to its lively and electric mouthfeel. A perfect marriage of fresh acidity and minerality with highlights of honeysuckle and mint.
Pair with sunny days in a hammock at the lake. Herbal poultry dishes and soft cheeses like goat cheese or Brie help it sing.
’23 LIFT Pinot Noir
The first red in the Twelve 32 Experimental Series, the idea was a Beaujolais-meets-Lambrusco take on Pinot Noir. Casual, fruity, with a little lift on the palate from the near semi-sparkling residual CO2 levels.
The Pinot Noir was sourced from Block 3 of the Kenyon Vineyard known for its gentler fruit driven profile. It was handpicked then sorted and destemmed directly into a stainless tank. After a couple days of cold soak, I opted to forgo the normal for Twelve 32 native starter approach, leaning instead on using two commercial yeasts to get a little extra complexity while keeping it as clean and fruity as possible. It was fermented at cool temperature, never above 70°F, to minimize tannin extraction. Similarly, it was pressed slightly before it was fully dry to limit further tannin extraction then allowed to complete fermentation off the skins. The wine was then chilled to hold on to as much of that naturally dissolved CO2 left over from fermentation.
On the nose, cranberry leads the way followed by potting soil and a kiss of cedar. The palate confirms the nose while bringing along pomegranate and a touch of graphite. The residual CO2 provides the lifted texture it’s named for. Enjoy chilled (45-50°F) with just about anything or all by itself.
