Vineyard: The grapes for Hanna’s 2017 Alexander Valley Alchimie were grown on our Red Ranch in Alexander Valley. The property is bisected by Hoot Owl Creek. Below Hoot Owl Creek this benchland ranch is planted on Clough Series gravelly loam soil. Above Hoot Owl it planted on Laughlin Series Sandy Loam. These are soils of 2-foot depth and less.  The vineyard is planted to 50 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 acres of Malbec, three acres Merlot, two acres of Petit Verdot, and just over a half acre of Saint Macaire. The Cabernet is planted to clones 7, 2 and 6. The Malbec is clone 9, the Merlot is clone 3, the Petit Verdot is clone 400, and the Saint Macaire is a field selection. 

Vintage 2017: A welcome, very wet winter filled reservoirs. Spring frost was absent. A relatively dry, cool spring led into a summer with alternating cool and very hot periods. Blocks that were blooming during extremes suffered some shatter but overall the crop size was average. A cool, drippy August was followed by a Labor Day heat wave that pushed harvest into high gear. Temperatures then moderated into a glorious, easy ripening September and early October. The Tubbs fire thankfully did not affect our Alexander Valley grapes though it did force the winemakers to evacuate to the safety of the winery.

Winemaking: We hand-harvested in the cool hours from midnight to sunrise. The grapes were sorted, destemmed and partially crushed to stainless steel fermentation tanks. Pressing was done “to taste”, based on daily tastings of the wines after pumpover. The newly pressed wines were racked to tank and allowed to settle before barreling. The wines were blended in the December 2018 and aged in 60-gallon French and Hungarian oak barrels from Treuil and Boutes.

Reserve Status: We regularly taste through our lots of Alexander Valley Bordeaux reds—Cab, Merlot, Malbec, Saint Macaire and Petit Verdot. Exceptional lots and barrels are designated as potential blending components for our Reserve wines. Criteria are intensity of fruit, complexity, suppleness, color and potential for longevity.

Tasting Notes: Our 2017 Reserve Alchimie pours as a saturated purple. It exudes aromas of fresh blueberries, pomegranate molasses, vanilla pod, goji, and the Mojave Desert after a thunderstorm. Torrents of these delicious flavors follow by mouth, with the addition of Black Forest Gateaux, Dutch anise, and hints of pepper, turmeric, and cocoa. Texturally, it is deep, concentrated, well married, and finishes with an exuberant flourish of polished tannin. (Tasted en premier 2-28-19)

Variety

51% Malbec, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Saint Macaire 9% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot

Vineyard Location

HANNA Red Ranch

Age of Vines

Six to 25 years

Alcohol  14.4%

pH  3.70

Titratable Acidity (TA)

0.59 g/100 mL

Residual Sugar  0.3%

Harvest Dates       

Sept 27, to Oct 14, 2017

Avg. Brix at Harvest  25.0^o

Fermentation Inoculated with commercial yeasts. 7 days skin contact.

Length/Type of Aging

22 months in 60-gallon French and Hungarian Oak barrels

Oak Types

50% new oak Treuil and  Boutes

Bottling Date

September 5, 2019

Number of Cases

520