Winemaker Notes

Vineyard

Smokey Ridge Vineyard and Orchard is planted in the high elevation (over 3,000’) volcanic soils of northern El Dorado County near Camino, CA. The small vineyard is farmed organically with care by the family that owns the property. The combination of elevation and well-drained volcanic soils create complex and interesting wines which feature both savory and fruit characteristics, making it the perfect location to grow high quality Sangiovese with new-world fruit and old world characteristics.

Vintage

The 2022 vintage was marked by a late start with cool weather (and even a few snows!) into April and early May. The weather warmed up as August arrived and featured several extended heat streaks, which made it challenging to forecast appropriate picking times. That said, overall the 2022 wines show tremendous aromatics, structure, and depth.

Varietal

Sangiovese is the dominate grape planted in the Tuscany region of Italy, where this versatile grape produces the widely known Chianti wines in addition to high-end wines of of complexity and structure from Montepulciano and Brunello. However, the grape is quite rare in the United States, accounting for only about 2,000 acres planted mostly in California and Oregon. Sangiovese makes structured wines that are considered very food-friendly exhibiting characteristics that are both savory (herbs and leather) as well as fruity (tart cherry, strawberry, fig) finishing with high acidity as well as significant tannin.