Today is Bud Break!

No, not “that” kind of bud break — not the one where
you stop what you are doing and enjoy an ice-cold beer.
I am talking about the moment when ‘new growth’ first
appears in the vineyard, kicking off the annual growth
cycle of the grapevine! And it happened today in our
James Cole Estate Vineyard. I took the above photo
late this afternoon from a vine directly in front of our
tasting room. With temperatures hovering in the
mid- to high- 70′s this past week, the buds began to
swell and finally burst open today, revealing the
young, beautiful wooly buds that unfurl and lengthen
into the fresh green canes that will eventually bear
the fruit of another exceptional vintage.
Now I’ll drink to that!

We entered our James Cole team thinking we might have a shot at ending up somewhere in the top rankings based on some hidden talent that was unveiled when we hit the lanes spontaneously the night of our company Xmas party last year. However, we were quickly disillusioned at this wine industry tournament when all five team members in the lane next to us (from a winery you wouldn’t to frequent bowling alleys) had ONLY strikes and spares…yep, frame after frame, game after game. And, when we looked up and down the lanes, many others had incredible scores as well. Who would have known that all this was happening in our little town behind the scenes? So our sporadic spares, occasional strikes and corresponding high fives definitely made for a really good time, but…..rankings? What rankings?

All kidding aside, I’d like to say that maybe we’ll do better next year….but we’d all have to begin some serious training “Rocky” style…now. So, we’ve decided we are going to just stick with what we are good at — making quality wines and sharing them with those who like what we do, believe in our passion and enjoy the company you’ll find in our little tasting room.

Sequin Moreau offers their clients the choice to have their French barrels handcrafted in France and shipped to the U.S. versus having them assembled locally at the Napa facility from staves that are imported from France. And while at James Cole we opt for the former, the tour of their Napa facility offered us a first hand glimpse of the passion and craftsmanship that goes into every barrel they produce—regardless of location.

In addition to experiencing the production process, we also spent a great deal of time learning and understanding the “magic” that happens inside the barrels—essentially, the interaction of wine and wood. Seguin Moreau was the first cooper to study this interaction and analyze such things as the influence of grain selection, the advantages of sessile oak and the management of sustainable forests.

As for the barrels we use at James Cole Winery, we work closely with Chris and Douglas to craft barrels with ultra tight grain that allows for the integration of oak over a longer period of time. The oak staves are a special selection of 30+ months aged and results in wines that are never over oaked—rather more complex with layers of aromas and flavors.

We are happy to be working with who we believe to be the best in the business.

I decided to celebrate harvest this year with some additional inspiration and cranked up a little Rolling Stones “Exile on Main Street” over the winery speakers so that our team – and grapes, of course – could enjoy the tunes from what I believe is one of the greatest albums ever made. This selection wasn’t by happenstance….you see, “Exile on Main Street” was released back in 1972 and was initially greeted with mixed reviews — but it has since become regarded by many (including me) as a true masterpiece.

I have a feeling the same thing will happen for us with the 2010 vintage in Napa Valley.

First a little about the album: The recording of Exile was a challenging and frustrating time for the Stones as they were forced to leave England because they owed more in taxes than they could pay … and with the government trying to seize their assets, the boys decided to relocate to the Côte d’Azur region of southern France and get some work done on their new album. Keith settled into a 19th century Villa baptized “Nellcôte” — and after not finding a suitable recording studio, the band decided to set up in the basement of the Villa with a remote recording truck and began work on their next album. Well by Mick’s own admission, “Exile was recorded under a lot of difficult circumstances, and in what was not a very good recording place.” In addition Keith was battling substance abuse, and for various other reasons and calamities, Mick, Bill and Charlie each missed many sessions, which caused the band to record in many altered forms. But in the end, unlike a lot of other albums, Exile is world onto its own, full of gritty rock and roll, American blues, country, soul and gospel — that has a unique “feel” that sounds like it was recorded not in some French basement, but more like in your basement, and to me that is what makes it so real and so special.

And what about our own “Exile” here on Silverado Trail? Now granted, we didn’t put ourselves on a self-imposed absence from our country, but this harvest did feel more like France (Bordeaux mind you, not the Côte d’Azur) rather than our typical Napa harvest. This year was unseasonably cool, averaging about 7 degrees below normal, forcing us to alter our vineyard practices in order to get more sunlight on the fruit. However the “coolness” did allow for nice even ripening — and thankfully, the late heat surge over the last couple of weeks helped our grapes reach ripeness while retaining higher acidity than normal. It is my belief this will result in more “structure and balance” to the wine causing it to age masterfully and become a true classic. So rather than just a mean thumping beat of fruit, this vintage we are also going to see some wicked slide guitar, rhythm funk and honky tonk piano thrown in for good measure. Mark my words, initially we’ll see mixed reviews from the so-called “critics” regarding the vintage, but then everyone will realize that 2010 was a masterpiece in the making.

And when the time is ready to pop open this unique vintage, come on over to my place, we will open some bottles, sit in the basement (cellar) and put on this great album I know of.

Rock on!

And while Lisa and Ben (as most everyone who knows us “knows” are the captains of our tasting room) have done more than a fine job at describing the origin and process of this very rare wine, but we felt it necessary (ok, and a bit of fun) to bring them on a family vacation with us where we source these grapes from my brother in the Okanagan Valley. Needless to say, we all had a great time….Me, Colleen, Lisa, Ben, our two children (Marleigh and Tyson), my brother, his wife Decoa, and their six kids toured the Okanagan Valley to view the sights and learn about the unique wines that originate from this neighboring country where I was born. Lisa and Ben learned firsthand how this amazing icewine comes to fruition — and about the patience of the people who stand behind its making. Not to mention, the Okanagan Valley is essentially like Napa, but instead of the valley floor residing between Hwy. 29 and Silverado Trail, there is a lake that runs more than 83 miles long — which we enjoyed the sights and swimming holes from my brother’s boat and those of his friends who paritcipated in our tour of this awesome wine region in Canada! Here are just a couple pics to share our experience with you:

What an amazing trip we had. Eh?

As most of you know, James and I have worked for many years to realize our dream of making best-in-class wines — and through it all, it seems we underestimated what a truly amazing experience it would be to get to know our loyal customers. We love sharing stories, telling jokes, and just kicking back with you all when we are around for your visits.

Speaking of which…James and I continue to juggle a million things (between our children and day jobs), so we may not always be as present as we’d like – but we check in with Lisa and Ben every day to see who visited and a little about each person’s experience in the winery. And of course, we are just a click away and always look forward to your direct (and unbiased) feedback. So let us know how we are doing!

Now about that sunshine….everything around us it just ready to bloom. No bud break yet, but the cherry and plum blossoms are a plenty. So allergies aside, we hope you are planning a trip our way soon. We are excited to share the new release of our 2008 Chardonnay (yum) and 2008 Merlot Icewine (OMG, is this good).  You won’t be disappointed.

All the best,

– Colleen (Cole)

Family fun in an empty tank!