2009 Bulls Blood

Greetings from a very cold and sunny day in the Umpqua Valley.

We are on the backend of a long cold streak. Today’s high was 38 and we woke up to 17 this morning.

This wine release is really years in the making. The roots are my friendship with Umpqua’s one and only Hungarian winemaker Gabor Palotai. I am sure many of you remember his famous bulls blood that was a proprietary wine comprised of Baco Noir, Zweigelt, Kadarka, Cabernet amongst other things. Prior to meeting Gabor, I had tasted Hungarian versions of this wine as well as the Spanish version of Sangria de Toro. Gabor's wine was not the traditional blend made in Szeged or Eger Hungary, but kind of a reserve house blend that spoke to his unique life experience and palate. In 2007 we produced our first bulls blood that was a blend of Cabernet, Tempranillo and a few other things. This wine was a raging success but was not replicated until the 2009 vintage following my first trip to Hungary with Gabor. Upon my return from that trip, I decided to do something very special for our second vintage that really spoke to our house style and with that let me introduce this very special wine.

Our family’s 2009 Bulls Blood is the product of years of aging. One of the many magic differences between wine and so many other food products is how it develops in the bottle over time. Early in my career, I was exposed to many great French and German wines from the late 1800’s on. Thanks to one of my mentors, Gary Andrus of Pine Ridge Winery, I saw what magic time imbued on this fruit. Time not only integrates flavors and textures but provides wines with their bouquet, the flavors developed in the bottle. Our new release of Bulls Blood spent 3 years in barrel, 2 in large tank and finished with 2 in bottle! Yes, that is 7 years!

A blend of Pinot, Cabernet, and Petite Sirah this wine shows the depth and richness of Pinot with the gentle power and complexity of the later 2. It drinks great and is something that can be enjoyed for 5 years or more still.

We pride ourselves in doing things in a way that speaks to the great wines and techniques of days gone by in the old world. Once again, we hope you enjoy this seductive and rich red as we work our way through winter and its hearty fare.