2024 Spring Release
In dedication of Ace Whetstone...
Spring was his favorite time of year - longer daylight hours and time on the patio warming himself in the sun, vineyard visits during budbreak, and sunset walks with mom and dad.
Dear Friends,
It is with the greatest sadness we write this message to all of you who have loved Ace as much as we have - He passed away on the morning of NYE.
I accidentally found Ace online and knew on a deeper level that he was "the one". As a new puppy was not in the plans or a part of the family discussion, I had to think quickly - I asked Jamey if he wanted to go for a surf in Santa Cruz, and I dropped the news on the drive down. On December 22nd, 2013 Ace came into our lives and changed us as a family forever.
When we opened the Chateau in 2013, Ace quickly began building lovely relationships with all who stepped through the Whetstone door. The hours and hours of cuddles, ear (and rear) scratches, and of course, belly rubs, are too many to count. Ace will be greatly missed by many, but by none more so than his mom; He was my soul mate (sorry Jamey), my protector, my therapist, and my favorite family member (sorry kids). Ace was an old soul... no greater companion and no better friend.
- Michelle
"Ace the GOOOOOOOOD BOYYYYYY!!!" That's what I greeted him with every single time I saw him. He was all that and then some. His energy was silly, needy, playful, loving, hungry, jealous, protective, and sympathetic. He loved greeting each of you at the parking lot (usually with one of his babies in tow) and dining al fresco on the Tasting Room patio with all our guests. Like me, he loved to sneeze, trap gophers, and go for long walks in the vineyard. The cows behind our vineyard HATED Ace; he never knew how lucky he was to have a fence as a buffer. Dogs can be a wonderful salve for all that ails us, and Ace was that in spades for Michelle. As much as I like to think he worshipped his supreme leader (me), he loved Michelle more than life itself.
- Jamey
Spring Release:
A message from Jamey -
Holy cow Harvest 2023 was long and drawn out, with lots of nervous days worrying over fruit getting ripe. The summer was one of the coolest I’ve been a part of since 1998. There were three days where I was thinning fruit myself and remembering how blue collar my chosen profession truly is. Year of the farmer for sure and I couldn’t be more stoked with what we brought into the barn.
For those of you who enjoy the more hedonistic side of my grape growing and winemaking, you’ll be tickled with the ’22s. The 'Catie's Corner' Viognier is loaded with pleasure and for sure should be a shared experience with those you love! The 'Pleasant Hill' Pinot Noir is bang-on Russian River at its finest and will reward cellaring.
Winemaker’s Vineyard Notes: Redding gravelly clay loam soils. 40 degree temperature swings help balance fruit with acidity. 100% Grenache. Wet winter, mild spring and unusually mild summer. Harvested 3.1 tons.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: Stainless steel fermented and aged. Lighter shade of watermelon in color. Ripe nose of ruby red grapefruit, guava, watermelon Jolly Rancher, and citrus peel. Background aromas of tropical fruits. Ripe, focused flavors of green apple, wild strawberry and honeydew melon. Finishes long and bright with hints of ruby red grapefruit.
2022 'Catie's Corner' Viognier
Winemaker’s Vineyard Notes: Sustainably farmed, cool climate site, river cobbles and Goldridge loam soils. Dry winter, mild spring / summer with a bit of rain in June and handful of days in the low 100s. Harvested 3.7 tons.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: Barrel fermented in neutral French oak and aged for 16 months sur lees. Golden straw in color. Gorgeously ripe nose of toasted coconut, crème brulee, and apricot. Background aromas of Meyer lemon, banana Runts and licorice. Tangy flavors of dried apricot, mandarin orange, and liquid minerals. Finishes long and lush with hints peach and key lime pie.
2022 'Pleasant Hill' Pinot Noir
Winemaker’s Vineyard Notes: Sustainably farmed, cool climate vineyard site, Goldridge loam soils. Dry winter, mild spring and summer with handful of days in the low 100s. Very low yields, 667 clone. Harvested 1.7 tons.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: Stainless steel fermented, aged for 16 months sur lees in 100% French oak; 25% new oak. Darker shade of garnet in color. Big, expressive nose of blood orange, Bing cherry cola, and orange pekoe tea. Secondary aromas of Chinese 5 spice and plum. Elegant, ripe flavors of plum and elderberry pie. Finishes long with reserved tannins, hints of orange peel and baker’s chocolate.
Feb 7, 2024 at 6:45 AM
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2023 Fall Release
Come As Strangers, Leave As Family...
Dear Friends,
As we celebrate our tenth year open at the Chateau, our immediate thoughts go to all of you who have walked through these doors and celebrated milestones of ours, as well as your own. Throughout the years of growth, challenges, high and lows; you were right there with us. You have given our working life meaning, and we look forward to another decade of making memories with all of you.
With hope and gratitude,
Michelle, Jenna, Alli, Danyel, Dominika, and Ace
A message from Jamey -
'Ten Years Gone'... one of my all time fave Led Zeppelin songs and exactly where we find ourselves in our Napa Chateau and Tasting Salon; Seems insane to me. Every time I take the Oak Tree Expressway to work, I am so grateful Michelle & I did this with all of you. It seriously floors me how many folks have become family by virtue of 1075 Atlas Peak Road. Cheers to all the stoke and energy we feel when sharing a glass!
Fall Release
The 2021 growing season was lovely, with a mild spring and summer. There were a couple of days in the low 100s mid June and early September. Yields were pretty normal.
The Napa Valley Cabernet is delicious now, but will reward those who decide to put it down for a spell. A blend of roughly 78% Cabernet Sauvignon from Coombsville with gravelly loam and alluvial soils and 22% Cabernet Franc from a spot a bit east of the Valley with alluvial soils.
The 'Walala' Pinot Noir continues to be a Burgundian fever dream, for me at least. I get tickled at Mother Nature when she decides to remind me of lessons learned from past farming experience. Pinot Noir is a fickle, fleeting type of lover; Here this morning, gone this afternoon. I had a gut feeling something was amiss up top at Walala 3 days after sampling perfectly ripe fruit. I first learned about temperature (heat) inversion while farming a vineyard for Turley on the tippy top of Howell Mountain. It’s when things stay hot above the fog line at night and you get lulled into enjoying cool foggy mornings down in the valley below. Thank goodness I had a bad dream that woke me up a little after midnight, I made some coffee and drove straight back up to Walala and made the picking call from the vineyard with the sun coming up. 2 Brix jump in 2 days!!!
2021 Pinot Noir, 'Walala', Sonoma Coast
Winemaker’s Vineyard Notes: Located in Annapolis sitting high up on a knoll where you can see the Pacific on a clear day. Soils are a blend of alluvial and Goldridge loam. Mix of Dijon clones 828 & 113. Dry winter, mild spring and summer with handful of days in the low 100s. Normal yields. Harvested 4 tons.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: Stainless steel fermented, aged for 16 months sur lees in 100% French oak; 35% new oak. Dark ruby red in color. Dense nose of bright Bing cherry, cranberry, pencil shavings & mint. Secondary aromas of sarsaparilla and orange pekoe tea. Bold, jammy flavors of Bing cherry pie and ripe plum. Long finish of spicy, wild strawberry, and baker’s chocolate framed nicely with fine tannins.
Cases Produced: 250
Harvest Date: September 8th, 2021
Alcohol: 14.9%
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Winemaker's Vineyard Notes: The Cabernet Sauvignon is located in Coombsville, made up mostly of gravelly loam and alluvial soils. The Cabernet Franc is from a spot a bit east of the Valley with alluvial soils. Roughly 78% Cab Sauv and 22% Cab Franc. Uneventful, warm spring and summer with a handful of days in upper 90s low 100s. Normal yields.
Winemaker's Tasting Notes: Stainless steel fermented, aged for 22 months sur lees in 100% French oak; 75% new Darnajou barrels. Bottled unfined, unfiltered. Dark purple in color. Deep, rich nose full of red currants, violet, & cassis with hints of bay leaf. Secondary aromas of rhubarb, rose petal, coffee, and tobacco. Bold, ripe flavors of red currants, cassis, blueberry, and baker's chocolate. Loooong finish, framed by supple tannins, pomegranate, a wee bit of tobacco.
Cases Produced: 88
Harvest Dates: Cabernet Sauvignon - September 20, 2021 / Cabernet Franc - October 10th, 2021
Alcohol: 14.4%
Aug 7, 2023 at 12:00 PM
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2023 Spring Release
Eat, Drink, Love
A message from Michelle -
Dear Friends,
We hope you all are enjoying the beginnings of a new year and that 2023 is full of delicious food, great wine, and plenty of harmony!
The end of 2022 found Jamey and I finally taking our 'honeymoon' after 17 years of marriage. As most of you know, we blended families in 2005 with a 3, 4, and 5 year old in attendance on our wedding day. The long, romantic vacation was put on the back burner for 'a little while', we told ourselves. In 2007 we welcomed our fourth child. In 2010 we began renovations on the Whetstone Chateau... 'maybe just a little while longer', we said.
Don't get me wrong, we traveled. Jamey and I enjoyed our quick getaways and we have great memories of family vacations over the years.
2022 found us all able to travel freely again. We enjoyed hearing about all of your adventures and seeing your posts from around the world. Now it was our turn!
Upon our return as the end of 2022 approached, it was time for some reflection; keeping up a 19th century chateau has its challenges. Sometimes, I don't look at it through rose-colored glasses like our guests do. Our time in Europe gave me a whole new appreciation for what we have at Whetstone - leaks, cracks, and all. Worn staircases reminded me of the worn staircase at Whetstone and the thousands of shoes that have given it character over the last 10 years. I was thinking of refinishing them, until Paris...
So, my plans for 2023? More travel (of course), being present (always a work in progress), and seeing things through rose colored glasses (hopefully they come in 2.00 readers) and raising a glass more often with our extended Whetstone family!
Spring Release
A message from Jamey -
So. Much. Rain! Hallelujah!!! After a decade, more or less, of drought conditions, we are turning a corner this winter seeing lots of green growth under vine and snowpack in Tahoe.
More rosé? Heard. We doubled the amount from 2021. Ron Silva farms the Grenache that makes up the 2022 vintage and is a wonderful oracle on all things Lodi. Funny anecdote: Alli, Danyel, Jenna, and Michelle kept coming up with Juicy Fruit as a descriptor. I didn't include it in the "official" tasting notes below, but feel we are all close enough by now to pull back the curtain on our musins, just a little bit.
I'm pretty fired up about the '21s. The Viognier will cellar longer than usual due to some timely acidity stemming from a mild summer. The Pleasant Hill is brimming with exciting nuances of a maturing vineyard.
2022 'Silvaspoons' Grenache Rosé
Winemaker’s Vineyard Notes: Located outside the small Lodi town of Galt. Redding gravelly clay loam soils. 40 degree temperature swings help balance fruit with acidity. 100% Grenache. Dry winter, chilly spring with some frost damage in parts of Lodi. Normal summer with a smidge of rain in early June. Harvested 3.3 tons.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: Stainless steel fermented and aged. Lighter shade of watermelon in color. Very ripe nose of passion fruit, watermelon Jolly Rancher, papaya, and guava. Background aromas of rose petal and Meyer lemon peel. Ripe, delicious flavors of papaya, wild strawberry and Cara Cara oranges. Finishes long and bright with hints of passion fruit and citrus peel.
Cases Produced: 200
Harvest Date: September 9th, 2022
Alcohol: 14.3%
2021 'Catie's Corner' Viognier
Winemaker’s Vineyard Notes: Sustainably farmed, cool climate site, river cobbles and Goldridge loam soils. Dry winter, mild spring and summer with handful of days in the low 100s. Harvested 4.4 tons.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: Barrel fermented in neutral French oak and aged for 16 months sur lees. Golden straw in color. GiNORMous nose of ripe peach, pineapple, and banana runts. Background aromas of honeysuckle, tarragon, mint and a hint of licorice. Tangy flavors of Meyer lemon, peach liqueur, and mandarin orange. Finishes long and unusually bright with hints of ginger, liquid minerals and citrus peel.
Cases Produced: 230
Harvest Date: September 22, 2021
Alcohol: 14.6%
2021 'Pleasant Hill' Pinot Noir
Winemaker’s Vineyard Notes: Sustainably farmed, cool climate vineyard site, Goldridge loam soils. Dry winter, mild spring and summer with handful of days in the low 100s. Normal yields, half 667 & half 115 clones. Harvested 7.3 tons.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: Stainless steel fermented, aged for 16 months sur lees in 100% French oak; 25% new oak. Darker shade of garnet in color. Big, expressive nose of Bing cherry cola, wild mint, cotton candy and red meats. Secondary aromas of Chinese 5 spice and cinnamon. Lush, velvety flavors of dark cherry, blueberry and elderberry pie. Finishes long with silky tannins and hints of ripe plum and caramel.
Cases Produced: 450
Harvest Date: September 14th, 2021
Alcohol: 14.9%
Feb 8, 2023 at 9:00 AM
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2022 Fall Release
Dear Friends,
The last 20 years of Whetstone would not have been possible without all of you. Many of you have been with us from day one, tracking us down in a vineyard, in our kitchen, or anywhere we could pop some bottles in the early years. Sharing a glass over stories, friendship, laughs or tears have been the greatest gift to us from you. Now for a trip down memory lane...
Chapter 1
Charleston, South Carolina is a magical place; integral to me becoming me. Less James Dewitt Whetstone Jr., more Jamey Whetstone. One of the spots that indelibly imprinted the Low Country ideals of drink hard, play hard, work hard on my soul was Magnolias... Uptown Down South Southern Cuisine. (continue reading)
Chapter 2
After spending two years at Mustards raking in $28K/year pre tax, I had two job offers to choose from: Front of House Tasting Room Manager for a handsome raise and solid hours or $10 bucks an hour driving a tractor and working in a wine cellar. Be very careful what you wish for... (continue reading)
Chapter 3
I knew I wanted to quit my restaurant job the day I got to spend a few hours with Larry Turley, Ehren Jordan, Bob Nicolayson, and Thomas Brown up at a spot called the Whitney Tennessee Vineyard. Bright, cool, and windy day of pruning vines with the Turley crew in February 1998. Larry had his candy apple red Suburban backed up against the vineyard, cooler on the tailgate provisioned with pork chops, veggies, and a couple bottles of Alain Graillot Crozes Hermitage. (continue reading)
Chapter 4
Larry is a fantastic listener. Not verbose. Poignant. Speaks in parables applicable to the sitch:
Larry: "Do we have to do this now?" deadpan, heavy air, eye contact. He's a very big dude, btw.
Me: "I would like to, yes."
Larry: "Ok. (loooong pause) Then I need your business plan. We'll go over it otgether, put some parameters in place, discuss it further, decide."
Me: "That's it?!"
Larry: "Get out." (continue reading)
Chapter 5
This is the time where everything is under control and my morning treat of nature at its finest ensues. I haul ass on the 4-wheeler away from the vineyard up to a small rocky knoll, 3400 ft ASL, that looks due south down the Valley. Being July, the blanket of fog looks like a sea of cotton stretched all the way to San Pablo Bay. Pinheads of colored balloons magically pop through and above the white blanket of fog at Yountville, sun fully up and over the Stag's Leap district. Insane the simple pleasure of a vineyard. (continue reading)
Chapter 6
The cellar is a refuge to realize your finest hour or as is the case sometimes, "WTF am I a gonna tell Michelle happened here?!" Personally I like a long cold belt of Anisette at Angèle prior to having that conversation. SO many things to expound upon but attention spans being what they are, I'll sign off for now. (continue reading)
Fall Release
You know, looking back at my journal entries from 2020 I am amazed at how many of us thrived through it all. I lost my Pop, Covid hit, fires... If frogs had started bouncing off my windshield I may've grabbed my longboard, jumped in the Pacific and headed for the horizon.
The 2020 Walala Vineyard Pinot Noir was spared the fires by luck of geography, high atop Annapolis, unscathed from the carnage all around it and below. The day I made the picking call I left our house in Napa around 4:30am and rolled into the vineyard around 10:00am after being rerouted due to fires. The entire journey out there was starless; solid dark brown rust in color, and thick with the smell of smoke. Orange tinted sky shone through only at the vineyard's elevation. I got tickled sampling that morning thinking on our good fortune and walked face first into a giant Orb spider's web eliciting a different octave from my throat than normal. Ahhh the romance of the wine industry...
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Stainless steel fermented, aged 16 months sur lees in 35% new French oak. Voluminous nose full of rose petal, violets, orange pekoe tea, and crème brulee. Secondary aromas of chamomile and mint, with hints of cassis. Medium-bodied flavors of ripe raspberry, cherry cola, and boysenberry pie. Long finish with bright plum, baker's chocolate, and a hint of tobacco.
Jamey has some tricks up his sleeve and some new wines coming in 2023!
In the meantime, we are keeping in line with diving into Whetstone's past and are sharing the last few delicious cases of our beloved Syrah with you! Cellar aged for your drinking pleasure.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Stainless steel fermented, aged for 28 months sur lees in neutral French oak barrels. Freakishly expressive nose of white pepper and olive tapenade, massive amounts of cassis, and spicy bacon fat. Secondary aromas of violets, blackberry cobbler, and vanilla. Intense flavors of cassis, peppery bacon, and ripe plum. Finishes long with chalky tannins, baker's chocolate, tobacco, and lively acidity.
Aug 12, 2022 at 8:28 PM
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2022 Spring Release
A message from Jamey -
In 2002 Turley was growing precipitously. Splitting time between facilities in Paso Robles and St. Helena and the myriad of vineyards all over the state did NOT leave much time to start a wine company. Leap and the net will appear.
The first vineyard contract I garnered for newly formed Whetstone Wine Cellars was 'Catie’s Corner' Viognier. Sara Lee Kunde was the larger than life owner of Catie’s. She and her husband Richard owned and farmed hundreds of acres of grapes throughout Sonoma County. The thing I remember most about her was feeling like an integral, albeit very tiny, part of her grape empire. She insisted on being the one driving you to look at vineyards and discuss farming which was and is super rare.
The river cobbles and Goldridge loam soils a bit north of the Santa Rosa airport were perfect for my needs. The deal over there is dropping lots of fruit at veraison so crop levels are around 3-4 tons per acre. The flavors of apricot and aroma of honeysuckle only come at lower tonnages that tend to concentrate the finished wine while keeping a measure of acidity. I love Viognier from Condrieu and felt this Russian River spot could get me as close as possible.
The 'Pleasant Hill' vineyard fell into my lap spring of 2003. I used to follow Patz & Hall pretty closely in those days. They had just started a relationship with the vineyard owner Bob Jenkins and the vineyard manager Charlie Chenoweth. Charlie is a storied grower in Sonoma County. James Hall introduced us and that kicked off a 20 year relationship continuing today.
I love the soils there; Goldridge loam (think dense pound cake) throughout the entire vineyard. Clonal selections were also apropos for me at the time = Dijon clones 115, 667 & 777. The icing on the cake was being located smack dab in the middle of a fantastic swath of the Russian River appellation on the backside of Sebastopol. The climate there is absolutely brilliant for growing California Pinot Noir that still looks, smells and tastes like the real deal.
Charlie will tell you I’ve relaxed a bunch since we first started working together. He’s taught me a ton about growing grapes in the past 2 decades and hopefully we’ll enjoy another spell of similar length.
Spring Release
Some of you know I keep a running, hand-written journal year around. Excerpt from 06/06/20: "Gorgeous mid 70's. We reopened on 05/31 and crushed it! Folks did not leave, drank lots of wine & were just wonderful. Several regulars here today (that were here last Sunday!) are coming back tomorrow! Everyone bringing friends..."
Those are the moments I have chosen to look back on over the past two years. Of course, if you are a California grape vine you may find it impossible to grasp any upside to the harvest of 2020.
Catastrophic fires all around us started on 08/17 and by 09/28 we'd lost the Viognier crop at 'Catie's Corner'. The 'Pleasant Hill' and 'Walala' vineyards both survived to good measure by simple luck of geography.
You'll have to wait until the fall for the 2020 Walala. In the meantime, we'll release the hounds on the 2020 'Pleasant Hill' Pinot Noir for your drinking pleasure.
Spring Release Wines
2020 'Pleasant Hill' Pinot Noir
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Stainless steel fermented, aged for 16 months sur lees in 25% new French oak. Ripe nose of Bing cherry cola, honeysuckle and anise. Secondary aromas of orange pekoe tea, violets and hints of cinnamon. Medium-bodied flavors of dark cherry, chocolate covered oranges and quince. Finishes long with silky tannins and hints of Satsuma oranges and baker's chocolate.
2018 'Catie's Corner' Viognier
Although we are sorry for the loss of the 2020 'Catie's Corner" Viognier, we cracked open a bottle of our 2018 and decided to share these last few delicious cases with you!
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Barrel fermented in neutral French oak and aged for 16 months sur lees. Nose is all Giddyyyupp! Big, ripe aromas of pear, quince, apricots and orange licorice. Background notes of honeysuckle, citrus rind & paper whites. Flavors of Japanese pears, apricot, golden apple and peach liqueur. Finishes long and bright with hints of lychee, citrus and a touch of taragon.
Feb 23, 2022 at 9:00 AM
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2021 Fall Release!
Life is beautiful...
There are no words to express how amazing it has been to reconnect with many of you in person again this year... your conversations and experiences have inspired us! We love to hear how much you enjoy our newsletters and always look forward to receiving your thoughtful messages.
This time, we've decided to highlight some of our favorite words of wisdom, insights, and lessons learned from our collective time under lockdown that you've all shared with us over the past year; with the common theme being "Celebrating the small moments in life". Let this be a reminder to all of us that these lessons be maintained and built upon, to create an even better life than the one before.
- We all learned to be kinder and care for our neighbor, we slowed down, parents spent more time with their kids. We focused more on our physical and mental health and learned to appreciate the things we used to take for granted. Remember how grateful we felt for any random act of kindness from a stranger's smile to a ray of sunshine?
- Spontaneous performances filled us with joy, leaving our house for a walk was a moment to cherish. Smallest victories became a reason to celebrate.
- We kept family closer and made work more flexible. We realized we could be effective and productive making "work" fit into our circumstances rather than adapting our lives to fit a corporate mold.
- Families who were physically together spent much more time with each other. For those separated we relied on a lot of screen time together; checking in, celebrating marriages, anniversaries, births, birthdays and holidays. From virtual tastings, events, weddings, meetings and concerts -- everyone learned to Zoom, and created amazing moments.
- There was a shift to self-care, to give ourselves space and patience, no longer an indulgence but a necessity and priority. With gyms closed we embraced more traditional forms of exercise and the great outdoors; running, biking, walking and hiking.
- The Earth's health improved this last year. We walked more or cycled instead of taking a car or public transportation. We shopped less and had less waste overall as the majority of people were working from home. And the added bonus is that it helped our planet too.
- Realizing how fortunate we are and being grateful for it is an important mindset for recovery. We must remember that our good fortune is an opportunity to lift others up and no success is attainable without the support of a community or movement.
A message from Jamey -
I am listening to The Uplift Mofo Party Plan by the Chili Peppers as I write this. I feel stoked, albeit a bit dated due to the fact the album came out in 1987. I was enjoying my freshman year at Appalachian State University and bought my first mountain bike that year. My entire world changed for the better. The same goes for Whetstone as we release our first ever 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
I love the Napa Valley more than any place I’ve ever lived. As a business we have always zigged where others zagged but now feel a very sincere need to pay homage to many of my Napa heroes… Barbara Eisele, Robert Mondavi, Al & Boots Brounstein.
Many of you are thinking: “What in the world is happening out in Napa?! Jamey has been our bastion of all things Burgundy and Northern Rhone…” and I always will be. I just stumbled onto something special vineyard-wise and it inspired me to make something out of it. 2020 gave Michelle and I time to talk about 'what's next?'. So stay tuned for more surprises in coming releases!
New Releases:
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Stainless steel fermented, aged 16 months sur lees in 100% French oak (35% new). Bottled unfined, unfiltered. Gorgeous shade of ruby in color. Pretty & floral, with ripe raspberry and mint. Perfumey notes of bay with orange pekoe tea, hints of swiss mocha & forest floor. Medium-bodied flavors of Bing cherry gives way to a long finish of wild strawberry and baker's chocholate framed by fine tannins.
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Stainless steel fermented, aged for 22 months sur lees in 100% french oak (75% new). Bottled unfined, unfiltered. Garnet in color. Big, brambly nose of blackberry, boysenberry, and blueberry with a hint of mint. Background notes of semi-sweet cacao and lavender. Flavors of blackberry, currant, and cassis give way to a long finish of baker's chocolate and fine tannins. Old-world sensibilities abound.
Aug 18, 2021 at 8:00 AM
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2021 Spring Release!
You make us smile...
Most of you kept your sense of humor and charm through 2020, which helped us keep ours! If you have requested an appointment through our website, you may or may not have responded to the last question- 'Tell us something fun about you and your guests'. Most of you sent love notes, check-ins and most importantly, shout outs to Ace and the team. Many of you were celebrating anniversaries, reunions of family and friends, birthdays or just wanted a safe space to spend a sunny afternoon.
We thoroughly enjoyed many of your responses, so much we thought it would be fun to share with the rest of your extended Whetstone family.
Here are the top 10 responses from 2020:
(our reply in parentheses)
Just some girlfriends needing to get some fresh air
after 42 days of homeschooling. (Word!)
The head of the group may always be on the phone.
(As long as it is not on speaker.)
We recently became plant parents.
(Hope you’re are getting enough sleep.)
We're not fun. (We can help you work on that.)
My girlfriend is quite unique be prepared. Her name is Aime.
(We’re a little nervous- how about a private table?)
Maybe I'll come engaged- fingers crossed. :)
(We will try to act natural. Is there a code word?!)
I love Chardonnay, my guest doesn’t really drink wine.
(Great, we don’t make chardonnay.)
I love sea otters and surfing. (So do we!)
Just found red wine is good and grapes. I love swimming in nature.
(I think we understand.)
My friends doesn’t like wine—help me change his mind.
(You are coming to the right place!)
Spring Release...
A message from Jamey -
As I look at a bluebird sitting on our string lights over the Chateau lawn raising hell with the world below, I am reminded how wonderful it will be to welcome all of you back this spring. Days are now longer; we’ve had an extremely mild winter, and we are stoked to enjoy Whetstone wines with you again!
The 2019's are pretty spectacular. I am biased, yes. The 2019 Viognier is exotic, hedonistic, and should have you laughing out loud as you careen into your second glass with some scallops and a squeeze of Meyer lemon. The Pleasant Hill Vineyard seems to taunt me every…freakin’…year… to just try and screw up Russian River Pinot Noir perfection. I did not, btw ;)
So many thanks for all your support. It means a whole lot.
2019 'Catie's Corner' Viognier
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Barrel fermented in neutral French oak and aged for 16 months sur lees. Golden honey in color. Very exotic, perfumy nose full of lychee, apricot, guava and clove. Background aromas of pineapple, peach liqueur, banana runts, and gardenia. Ripe, delicious flavors of pineapple, apricot, and guava. Finishes long and bright with hints of peach liqueur, liquid minerals and
citrus peel.
2019 'Pleasant Hill' Pinot Noir
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes:
Stainless steel fermented, aged for 16 months sur lees in 100% French oak; 25% new oak. Deep ruby in color. Big, expressive nose of Bing cherry cola, chocolate covered oranges and floral jasmine. Secondary aromas of Chinese 5 spice and blueberry pie. Ripe, full-bodied flavors of dark cherry, blueberry and baker’s chocolate. Finishes long with silky tannins and hints of orange peel and ripe plum.
Feb 16, 2021 at 8:53 AM
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