The bad news first! Ron is still recovering from a fork lift in Ripley running over his foot with 1000 pounds of weight. He did not break any bones, but there was lots of swelling, and the foot damage affects knees and hips, so he is still limping around.
Last Saturday Ron bit into a tootsie roll pop that I had for kids at the winery and lost a filling and now has to have a crown!
And yesterday the Blazer winery delivery vehicle blew a radiator and so on the hottest day of the year Ron is replacing it.
The winery is still for sale. If we were in Oregon or Washington, this place would have sold in a week, but Ohio is so disrepected in the larger context, it's very difficult, even though we have been internationally recognized. When Ohio wineries start focussing on producing quality vinifera, things may change. Some of them do. A lot of them don't. The perception across the U.S. is that Ohio makes your grandmother's catawba IMHO.
Now for the good news.
If nothing goes wrong, the 2013 vintage looks fantastic. There is a huge amount of quality white and red grapes out there. Harvest will begin mid-September with the whites, and October with reds.
The Labor Day wine release was fantastic. We had multiple case buyers on both days. Very little Syrah, Petit Verdot and Viognier/Roussanne is left. The last chance to buy it at the winery is Sept. 14 from 11-5. Very little of this is making it out to our wholesale customers. I have begun delivering Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, River Village White Wine and Traminette around the state.
First reviews of the 2011 reds, dogswine.blogspot.com
A great morning visiting the Kinkead Ridge Winery in Ripley, Ohio for the release of their 2011 red wines. It's always a good trip and always fun seeing old friends. The most fun is restocking the cellar with some quality wines. I did that in a big way this year as I thought as a group these 2011 wines were outstanding. One other thing made me happy, after several vintages of the wines creeping up to or beyond 15% alcohol, three of the four wines were less than 14% alcohol this vintage. I can drink more of these wines with out needing a nap.
While all four were very good I had a definite favorite in the 2011 Syrah. There was a deep color to the wine. Aromas of dark fruit, earth and a bit of raw meat were strong. The flavor was rich with black raspberries and red plums. There was also a sense of white pepper and cinnamon that came in at the finish. I loved in this wine. It leans most toward Europe with its flavors and mouth feel. Perfect balance here among the acid, tannin and fruit. 13.5% alcohol and $21. Only 44 cases produced.
The Cabernet Franc had a totally appealing flavor of bright, ripe cherries that seemed more toward the red end of the cherry spectrum. Toss in some red currants and a bit of raspberry and it made for a great flavor profile. Medium body on the wine with great acid. Lengthy and happy finish. $20 and 13.8% alcohol. 304 cases produced.
The Cabernet Sauvignon was its usual brooding self when it first hit the glass. This wine was closed up for a minute or two and never did produce a strong aroma. The flavors were like biting into the richest black cherry on the tree - fully developed sweetness but still with some tartness for balance. There was some dark plum flavors and just a bit of graphite in this wine. The tannin was strong in this wine and that added great texture and support for a few years of aging. 13.9% alcohol and $21. 300 cases produced.
The Petit Verdot was what I expected - deep, dark purple color and not a shy bone in its fruity body. There are tons of blackberries and mulberries in this wine and more than a healthy dose of tannin to support the strong flavors. That said, this wine was a bit lighter in its profile than the recent vintages and seemed more balanced. The acid seemed stronger than recent years also. I will stash mine away for a few years before pulling a cork on a bottle. $22 and 14.4% alcohol. 82 cases produced.
With past experience with the same wines as a guide, I won't approach any of them for a year and don't expect them to hit their peak for four or five years. When that time comes there will be some wonderful wines to open.
Your friendly wine blogger
Nancy
Owner/Managing Partner
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