2008 Estate Syrah

We went to taste our 2008 red wines and 2009 white wines with our winemaker, Greg Koenigon Tuesday Jan. 5th.

We went through an entire flight of wines, 11 in all, beginning with the new Pinot Gris and finishing with the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. (Note to self, these new wines are going to be fabulous, and they are all going to sell out, again.)

Two wines I was very interested in tasting were the 2008 Estate grown Syrah clones. As mentioned in an earlier blog, the 2008 Estate Syrah wine will consist of two clones of syrah; Tablas Creek and Joseph Phelps, planted in separate blocks. The grapes from each block of vines were farmed and harvested individually. The grapes were crushed, fermented and barrel aged separately. Our job on Tuesday was to decide whether or not to bottle the resulting wine separately or as a blending of the two wines. We viewed, swirled, sipped and sloshed each wine as a stand alone and then tasted them blended together. For further interest, we added approximately 18% of our 2008 Estate grown Mourvedre to the mix. This blending results in a classic Northern Rhone valley Syrah. The sum is far greater than the parts....the blend of the two Syrah clones with the Mourvedre is fantastic.


If you are a Syrah lover, be sure to call us now to reserve a case of the 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards 2008 Estate Syrah. This wine will be available for release in the late spring or early summer of 2010.

Fall Harvest in the Organic Vineyard

We just finished the harvest here at 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards. Above is a picture of a beautiful Syrah grape cluster. These grapes will reappear in a couple of years as 2009 Estate Grown Syrah. This should be a very interesting wine.

Right off the bat, we will have more of our Estate Syrah with this vintage. The first block of Syrah grapes, is now 5 years old and almost in full production. The second block of Syrah in 4th leaf, or 4 years old; near full production.

Next the blocks of grapes are different clones of the same grape variety. Block one came from the well respected Joseph Phelps Vineyards mother plant, while block two came from the Tablas Creek Vineyards mother plant.

Each clone shows significant differences in cluster size, shape and yield per vines and even flavor profile. We plan to vinify the grapes separately and blend the resulting wine at as it reaches maturity. I'm really looking forward to tasting the 2009 Estate grown Syrah.

Vineyard Life in Eagle, Idaho

If you are wondering about this picture, here is the whole truth. Tia Markland, editor of Eagle Magazine, called us and wanted to do a story about 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards. She also wanted to put us on the cover. After a lot of discussion, we decided to take the picture in the vineyard, at a bistro table, with Gary and I toasting each other with a glass of our 2008 Viognier.

Well, as we were waiting for our photographer, Otto Kitsinger, to get set up, Gary got up, and starting pulling smaller grape clusters off the vines near him. At this point I said, "Here is your cover, me, waiting for Gary to finish working!" Those of you who know Gary know this to be an accurate portral of us both. Tia and her crew jumped on the idea and here is the result!

Kestrel Fledglings providing pest control at 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards

Thanks to the The Cornell Lab of Ornithology for this beautiful picture of a Kestral.

We did not know what to expect when we placed the kestrel boxes out in the vineyards late last winter. We watched the boxes this spring, convincing ourselves that they were being occupied by kestrels, but still not sure.

Finally, in early June, we started seeing little kestrel faces peaking out of the holes in the boxes. It may come as no surprise, it is very difficult to get a good picture of a shy, young kestrel peeking out of the boxes.

By late June, the birds were beginning to learn to fly. We would spot them making quick flights with awkward landings between the poles and trees, power line and trees, power lines and poles.

Now, the birds are fully fledged, actively hunting the vineyards and the hills and fields surrounding the vineyards. They are effective, powerful hunters, beautiful to watch.

Outstanding Blend: Estate Grown Viognier/Roussanne

Those who know me know that I love a delicious, dry, French style Rose' in the summer. I especially enjoy our Reserve Rose' made with a delicious blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Grenache grapes. The Merlot gives the rose'the courage to stand up to grilled summer fare like ribs or burgers, even tri-tip; the Grenache lightens the Rose with scents of fresh picked summer strawberries.

But I have to confess, I have a new favorite summer wine! It is the 2008 Estate Grown Viognier/Roussanne. This lovely wine is a classic Rhone Valley blend of two outstanding varietals, Viognier and Roussanne. The Viognier offers up the luscious aromas of fresh stone fruit, peaches, nectarines and apricots. The Roussanne complements the Viognier with a honeyed richness and crisp finish.

This wine is made from grapes grown organically here at 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards. It is our first venture into the world of white Rhone Valley blends. It is lovely with cooked shellfish (lobster, crab and shrimp), pasta cooked with garlic and olive oil, and roasted or grilled vegetables.

Come on out to the tasting room and give the Roussanne/Viognier blend a taste. I know it is sure to please and may become a new summer favorite!

Spring Frost in the Vineyard

The wind machines, the two silent sentinels towering over our vineyards, came to life in the early morning of May 14th. In the course of just a few hours the temperature in Southwest Idaho plummeted from a balmy 38-40 degrees to 28 degrees or less. The wind machines, on a thermostat, powered up as the temperatures dropped.

It is always a surprise to hear the engines, great motors powered with propane, Chevrolet 454 Industrial engines capable of 2550-2650 RPM. They sound like a helicopter landing in the house.

But the wind machines are a vineyards salvation. They pump warm upper level air down into the vines. The displaced cool air flows down the slope of the hills the vines are planted on, into the creek and on down the valley. Without the wind machines we would undoubtedly have lost our crop.

So, next time you visit 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards, take a look at the wind machines and give a toast to the fact that we will have a 2009 harvest because of them.

Predator's Aid in Critter Control

The Great Horned Owl has long been an inhabitant of our hay barn. Generally seen in twos, they occupy the upper reaches of the rafters where it is quiet and cool. They are a great source of wonder for the children that come to the ranch. A trip to the hay barn to see the owls is always a favorite.

The owls regurgitated pellets are interesting too. One year we collected 30 pellets and an entire 5th grade class spent a few hours dissecting each one. Inside the pellets were the skeletons of the owls unfortunate prey, including bits of fur and feathers.

This year we were lucky enough to spot this nest of babies with parent, we've enjoyed watching the babies grow up and love listening to the ho-ho-hoo hoo hoo during the year.

Bud Break at 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards

Another true sign of spring is bud break! All winter long the vines are dormant, their energy is stored deep in their roots. This allows the vines to survive Idaho's cold winters, as low as -10 degrees if necessary. (The cold temperatures are another reason that Idaho has fewer pest and disease problems than more temperate climates.)

As spring approaches we begin pruning the old dead shoots from the previous year. In the meantime, the vines are waiting for the ground to warm. As the plants awaken, there is softening along the cordon arms of each vine, where the new buds will appear. This softening looks like bits of whitish spider web along the cordons. Then the buds break, tender bits of pink and green along the length of the vine. The buds grow quickly. Soon the vineyard will be awash in the colors of spring!

Pre-pruning is the true sign of Spring

As I mentioned in my Twitter last week, we are pre-pruning the organic vineyards here at the ranch. Pre-pruning or winter pruning gives us the opportunity to tend to each vine and interact physically with each vine and see how it over wintered. It takes hours of labor in cold and wet weather. This year was no different, we experienced snow, thunder, rain and 50 degree days!

Many vineyards machine prune with a machine that consists of simple reciprocating cutters or flails. This is know as mechanical pre-pruning and is faster than hand pruning. However, it is not as accurate as hand pruning and results typically with a cane spur with 2 or more buds. This is called spur pruning.

What we are pruning to is a vine trimmed back leaving typically a longer bearer called a cane, typically including six to 15 buds. These longer canes tend to help manage bud break, especially in our variable spring climate. The buds on the ends of the canes may break early during a warm period. If this happens we have plenty to prune back during our spring pruning to create a uniform canopy and crop.

Here are some after and before shots of some Pinot Gris here at the organic vineyards.