Cherry and Acacia Wood Trials

ESTABLISHED IN 1972

Mahoney Family Vineyards

Wine Club Newsletter

Spring 2021

Try Something New

Cherry Head and Acacia Wood Barrel Trials

for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

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These single barrel bottlings create about 23 cases, so supplies are limited!

These grapes come from a part of Mahoney Ranch we call Gavin Vineyard, on the western slopes of the Carneros region. The acacia wood adds a vividness to the golden hue in the wine, along with delicate floral and honey-like aromas, but perhaps its greatest contribution is the rich and satisfying texture and length of the flavors.

This wine is a mix of three Pinot Noir clones from our Las Brisas Vineyard. Pinot grown here displays cherry and strawberry fruit characters with a hint of peppercorn. The cherry head barrel seemed to concentrate these aromas and give the wine a deeper burgundy hue, deeper flavors, and richer texture compared to pure oak barrels.

Wine Club News

Shipments will leave our warehouse the last week of March

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Spring 2021 Offerings

Alternative Wood Barrel Aging

Wine has likely been made for at least 8,000 years, as evidenced by residues of tartaric acid found on pottery fragments in Georgia, near the Black Sea. For thousands of years, clay vessels were used throughout the Middle East to store and transport wine, and later, both Greek and Roman societies followed the same practice. As the Romans, around 100BC, pushed north into what is now France, they encountered wooden barrels used by the Gauls to transport beer, and adopted the idea for storing and moving wine. Within 200 years or so, barrels became the most common vessel for transport. In addition, it was learned that the barrels, especially those made of oak, created flavors that could enhance the wines they held. This was perhaps a stroke of luck… oak was in large supply, had the right physical characteristics to make strong and liquid-tight containers, AND added positive flavors and texture to the wines. Two thousand years later, oak remains the almost universal choice for barrels. Almost….

Read more about these barrels

Perfect Pan-Seared Duck Breasts with Port Wine Sauce

We paired the seared duck breast in port wine sauce recipe with our Cherry head aged Pinot Noir 2019 and absolutely loved it, we hope you will also.

INSTRUCTIONS:

FOR THE GASTRIQUE:

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the sugar and water, swirling gently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns a pale golden color, 8 to 10 minutes. Lift the pan from the heat and pour in the vinegar. The caramel will bubble vigorously and possibly seize and harden. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the caramel is melted and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and star anise, if using. Simmer until the liquid reduces to thin syrup, about 10 minutes. Discard the star anise. Keep the gastrique warm over very low heat until ready to use.

FOR THE DUCK BREASTS:

Blot the duck breasts dry. Use a sharp knife to score the fat of each in a diamond pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat. Season both sides of each breast generously with salt and pepper, then place them skin side down in a large, cold skillet. Place the skillet over low heat and cook for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the duck begins to sizzle. Continue cooking undisturbed until the skin is browned, crisp, and has rendered most of its fat, 6 to 8 minutes.

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Spoon off and reserve the fat from the skillet. Flip over the breasts and transfer the skillet to the oven. Alternatively, flip the breast and cook stovetop until the breast registers 125ºF-130ºF. I prefer finishing the breasts stovetop as I feel I have more control/vision on when the breasts look done, at which point I test with my instant-read thermometer. For me it’s been about 2 minutes on the second side. If you place pan in oven, roast for 2 to 4 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 125ºF-135ºF — Note: I find 125ºF-130ºF to be about right for medium rare. Transfer breasts to a plate to rest.

Add the grapes to the skillet and toss with the thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until the grapes are hot and wrinkled in spots, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer breasts to plate, spoon grapes over top. Spoon sauce over top. Top with a small handful of mâche, if using, and serve immediately.

Full Recipealexandracooks.com

Commitment To Clonal

Research and Development

Did you know that over 1,000 different clones of Pinot Noir have been identified? Pinot is perhaps the most mutable grape variety on earth. By comparison, Chardonnay has around 80 different known clones, and Vermentino a mere 14. The French translation for Pinot Noir is "pine black", as its tightly clustered formation resembles a small dark pine cone.

In 1974, shortly after constructing Carneros Creek Winery, Francis Mahoney began the first phase of Pinot Noir clonal trials that continue to the present day. A "clone" in this context, is a genetic variant of a plant (like a Pinot Noir vine, a Granny Smith apple tree, or an heirloom tomato) that contains all of the genetic markers to qualify as the original plant, but with genetic differences that set it apart from the original plant. Working with University of California, Davis viticulture specialist Curtis Alley, Francis planted 1.5 acres to 20 different Pinot clones – 11 from FPMS (Foundation Plant Materials Service) and nine non-certified industry selections – all on AxR1 rootstock.

About 55 single-vine replications of each clone were scattered throughout the block, and both UC Davis and Carneros Creek made wine concurrently from the trial. “The big surprise for me was that we agreed with the UC Davis tasting results almost yearly” Francis recalls.