Drew Family Cellars/Jason and Molly Drew/Small Lot Wines

I recently traveled into the Anderson Valley.I have featured Jason Drew a couple times,and the wines are some of the best.let's check out a little history and then some tasting notes on these great wines. The story began 24 years ago, after completing an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Ecology with an emphasis in Viticulture, Jason Drew began his professional career working for Carmenet Vineyards in Sonoma. After several years managing 70 acres of Bordeaux varieties on the Sonoma Mountain, Jason moved on to work for Navarro Vineyards in the Anderson Valley, managing their estate vineyards. It was during this time that Jason felt the desire to close the circle and go back to Graduate school to study Winemaking. Given the choices available at that time, he chose the University of Adelaide in South Australia given the stellar reputation of their Enology program. Jason and Molly packed up their lives and put it all in storage to begin their next chapter in the southern hemisphere. Jason and Molly returned home a year and a half later with an Enology degree and their newborn son Owen Thomas Drew. The job search began and was immediately fruitful when Jason went on to work the crush at Joseph Phelps and Luna before accepting a position of Assistant Winemaker at Corison Winery. . Jason was fortunate to have had the opportunity to be mentored by such notable industry veterans including: Kirk Grace, Jeff Baker, Craig Williams, John Konnsgard and Cathy Corison. Jason was then offered an Associate Winemaker position with Babcock Vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. He spent 4 years working alongside Bryan Babcock, who Jason feels was instrumental in his learning curve. The "recurring fantasy" of owning land and planting their own vineyard and building their own winery kept surfacing. The possibility seemed out of reach, but for Jason and Molly the obsession remained as they kept their eyes on land listings up and down the coast of California. In 2004 they found their opportunity when they saw an old 26 acre orchard for sale within the Mendocino Ridge appellation. The property had it all, southern exposure, oceanic soils, hillside drainage and an edgy coastal climate. The stars aligned and they jumped! Let's check out and open our first wine! 2014 The Gatekeeper Pinot Noir Mendocino The Gatekeeper is the entry point into our Pinot Noirs but certainly not an entry level wine. There is immense flexibility in being able to bring together several lots in our cellar to make an appellation blend. This approach allows several sites and clones to coalesce for a layered expression of coastal Mendocino. The three appellations represented in this year’s Gatekeeper include Anderson Valley, Yorkville Highlands and the Mendocino Ridge. The cool forested hills of Anderson Valley, the mineral laden soils of the Yorkville Highlands and the coastal windswept high hills of Mendocino Ridge all combine for a chiseled, medium bodied, energetic wine . Dark stone fruits, dried floral notes along with loamy forest understory. An unfurling story here. 13.5% Alc We will open one more,and then it will be time for FOOD! Syrah 2013 Valenti Ranch Syrah Mendocino Ridge This is a challenging coastal site with daily maritime winds and fog resulting in cooler temperatures throughout the growing season. The fierce coastal winds lends it to naturally low yields resulting in excellent ripeness and intensity at lower sugar levels. The result is a well structured and intensely flavored Syrah, a wine meant to pair with food. Preferably roasted lamb. A perfect winter wine! "A highly perfumed bouquet evokes red fruit preserves, potpourri, olive and peppery spices, along with a bright mineral overtone. Lively, tightly focused black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors show a suave blend of power and finesse, with a smoky nuance in the background." $45.00 13% Alc I will also include a feature with Jason Drew from last year's features.We will have new features with Jason in the next couple months! Until then CARRY ON!