My Sincere Thanks to All for a Great 2009 Vintage!

As the 2009 vintage comes to an end, I want to thank everybody that helped make the Atlas Peak wines. It was a lot of hard work, but I think we had a lot of fun along the way, while making some fantastic wines!

Sixteen months ago, in August of 2008 Atlas Peak moved its winemaking operations from our home of 20 years in Napa, to the Buena Vista Carneros winery in Sonoma. It was difficult to leave the place were we made Atlas Peak wines for more than 20 years. However, I believe we made this decision putting quality first and getting an upgrade in winery facility and equipment.

The Buena Vista Carneros winery is a state of the art winemaking facility in the heart of Carneros. The "Open Top" room is lined with small fermenters that are perfectly suited for small lot Cabernet Sauvignon winemaking. In the 2009 vintage we fermented 20 % of our wine in 10-ton fermenters, and 80% of our wine was fermented in 7-ton fermenters or smaller; a luxury that we could have never achieved in the Napa winery.

A special thanks needs to go to the entire winemaking staff at Buena Vista Carneros for their contributions in making the Atlas Peak wines. Jeff (Winemaker for Buena Vista Carneros), Jaeson (Associate Winemaker for both BVC and AP), Sam (Production Manager), and Monica (Production Assistant). And to Nicole who sources amazing grapes from some of the best mountain top Napa Valley vineyards. From these grapes we craft our Napa Valley blend as well as individual bottlings from Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District, Howell Mountain, and Atlas Peak.

And finally to Anna (Assistant Winemaker), whom me missed this vintage as she filled in as associate winemaker at Geyser Peak Winery. We all look forward to your return. The vintage was just a little too quiet without you!



There are also many people to thank, so I am going to try to list them all. It is quite a big team that keeps the winery running. The cellar crew is led by Sam, Mario, and Eron. The cellar crew for 2009; Ray, Xochilt, Mario, Kris, Maria, Myra, Scott, Graham, Nick, Lisa, Jualberto, Sonia, Oscar, Rudy, Jose, Juan, Alfonso, and all the international interns, Viorel (Republic of Maldova), Radu (Republic of Maldova), Jon (New Zealand), Rodrigo (Chile). Thanks to Dick, Norm, Luis and Margarito, for keeping the place running. Thanks to Debby for keeping all the records in order and to the sorting crew that stood there hour after hour making sure that every leaf and every piece of stem are removed so that we have only the highest quality of grapes going into each fermenter. And to the lab with Jose, Daniela (Republic of Maldova), and Raj, who kept the lab analysis coming all season.


Cheers,

Darren C. Procsal


Winemaker


Atlas Peak

Atlas Peak-Buena Vista Carneros Dueling Winemaker Dinner at Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar

Join us for a fantastic afternoon of friends, food and wonderful wines!

Earth Wind & Fire
In celebration of Earth Day (April 22)

Sunday April 19, 2009
2:00 Reception
2:30 Dinner

$95.00, plus tax and gratuity

Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar:
1325 Broadway Street
Sonoma, CA 95476
707-931-2042
http://www.thelodgeatsonoma.com/sonoma-valley-restaurants.html


Make reservations by calling the Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar at 707-931-2042


Atlas Peak
&
Buena Vista Carneros

19 April 2009


Earth Wind & Fire
In celebration of Earth Day (April 22)


water
Passed Hors d’oeuvres
Pt Reyes Oysters
Clam Fritters
Buena Vista Carneros 2007 Pinot Gris


wind
Pasta “Carbonara”
Buena Vista Carneros 2005 Chardonnay, Ramal Vineyard


earth 1
Pork Sphere, Truffle Tremor, Fava Beans
Buena Vista Carneros 2005 Pinot Noir, Ramal Vineyard


earth 2
Wagyu Ribeye, Morels,
Atlas Peak 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon


fire
Pancetta Wrapped Spiced Venison, Swiss Chard
Atlas Peak 2004 Claret


heaven
Crispy Chocolate Mousse
Buena Vista Carneros Syrah Port


Chef Janine Falvo
Sommelier Christopher Sawyer


Wine & Food pairing discussion with each course, led by Janine Falvo, Chef de Cuisine, along with banter from Napa Valley mountain man, Darren Procsal of Atlas Peak,
and cool-climate winemaking specialist Jeff Stewart of Buena Vista Carneros, California’s first winery.

Not to be missed!


ABOUT JANINE FALVO & CARNEROS BISTRO
In April 2005, Janine arrived at Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar and was quickly promoted to Chef de Cuisine in January 2006. In her new role, Janine upholds the restaurant’s tradition of celebrating the best of local ingredients by offering up the finest organic meats, artisanal cheeses, local produce and baked goods. Falvo’s signature dishes highlight the distinct flavors and rich tastes of Northern California’s wine country and complement the restaurant’s exclusive Sonoma County wine list. Janine’s culinary savvy has earned her recognition as Restaurant Hospitality’s “Rising Star Chef 2007.” As a celebrated Bay Area chef, Falvo has made appearances on ABC’s View from the Bay and Bringing It Home with Laura McIntosh.

ABOUT ATLAS PEAK
Atlas Peak’s winemaker, Darren Procsal, crafts five distinct wines sourced from four of the most renowned appellations in the Napa Valley: Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Howell Mountain. Atlas Peak’s most valuable resource is literally underfoot: the elevation of its vineyards, between 1400 and 1800 feet high above the Napa Valley floor. For more information, please visit www.atlaspeak.com.

ABOUT BUENA VISTA CARNEROS
California's first winery, now under the direction of winemaker Jeff Stewart, focuses on cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah off their Ramal Vineyard Estate, in the heart of the Carneros appellation. The 482-acre vineyard is set along a series of south-facing hillsides overlooking the San Pablo Bay, with more than 107 blocks delineated by geology and topography, have positioned Buena Vista as a leading quality wine producer from the Carneros region. For more information, please visit www.buenavistacarneros.com.

Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignons garner great press in Wine Enthusiast Magazine!

Atlas Peak rings up three Cabernet Sauvignon's with stellar reviews and 90+ Points from Steve Heimoff and Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

The Atlas Peak 2004 Howell Mountain Cabernet with its "firm tannins, deep and lush flavors ...this beauty should blossom ..."

The Atlas Peak 2004 Spring Mountain Cabernet is called, "Elegant, lush, rich and refined"

And, the Atlas Peak 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet is called, "a beautiful Cabernet ... perfectly ripened fruit ... and balanced"


Congratulations team Atlas Peak on this fantastic endorsement!

Atlas Peak Harvest Hits High Gear

The 2008 harvest for the Atlas Peak winery is in full gear. Last week at this time we were looking at blustery days and possible freezing cold nights. Well, we survived the wind, and the expected frost never materialized. Now the fall weather has turned again to warmer than expected days and cool pleasant nights.

Cabernet Sauvignon is scheduled for every day of the week except Wednesday, when we will harvest the Cabernet Franc and Malbec, and Saturday, when we will bring in the Merlot and Petite Verdot. Most of the wine produced from these four delicious varieties will be used in our Atlas Peak Claret. See our web site for further details on the Claret. The balance will find its way into our Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, blend, and maybe, just maybe, we will make a small amount of one of those wines on its own.

As I walked the vineyards this week it occurred to me that we are nearing the end of another vintage. A lot of work remains, but by October 25th I expect all of our grapes will be harvested. This is not to say that the work is over, far from it. The winery will be buzzing with activity. Pump overs and drain and returns will be top priority, and soon we will be pressing and filling our French oak barrels. These details will follow.



By the end of the year, all of the 2008 wine will be in barrels and we will again need to turn our attention to the 2007's. But for the time being it is harvest full speed ahead.

Until next time ...

Darren Procsal
Winemaker
Atlas Peak

Atlas Peak Harvest Kicks Into Gear

Atlas Peak Harvest Kicks into Gear

I have spent the last couple of days walking vineyards and trying to figure out what to harvest and were we go next.

There is very little in the wine business that is ordinary. So the only tool that you have to help make your picking decisions is to walk the vineyards. Of course we also track such things as the Brix (percent sugar), and the acidity of the grapes (pH, and titratable acidity), because these are great indicators of ripeness. We walk a fine line between ripeness and maturity, and in the end tasting the grapes helps me make the final picking decision.

This week I have had a camera crew following me around, attempting to capture the daily life of a winemaker. It is amazing how these guys can walk backwards, given all the steep slopes and rocks along the way.

I thought that we might get to Malbec and Cabernet Franc this week. I had both of these vineyards scheduled for picking but then pulled them both off the schedule yesterday after walking the vineyard for what I thought would be one last time, I believe that the vines still have more to give and we can get more flavors out of the grapes. The vines look healthy and I think we should roll the dice. The mornings have been very cool and the days in the mid 80’s; just perfect weather for Bordeaux varietals to ripen to optimum maturity.

We are slowly kicking into high gear with more Cabernet Sauvignon coming in today. We will be bringing in 11 to 12 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stagecoach Vineyard, high up on Atlas Peak. These wonderful grapes come from Block B1, also known as the Oakville Heights block.

We will also be harvesting another 3 to 4 tons from the Atlas Peak block 65. This will be the third time we have harvested grapes from this block. This is a variable block, that has both thin and deep soils. The vines planted on the deeper soils are greener and exhibit herbal flavors I want to stay away from, while the vines on the thinner soils are filled with blueberry and blackberry flavors, complimented with good texture from developed tannins.

We will top that tank off with 6 to 7 tons of Cabernet from Block 63, where we picked 10 tons on Tuesday. We will do this because if we go any further in block 63 we will start heading down the slope of the block and the grapes are greener and less ripe. A few more days on the vines will do these grapes some good. Up in the mountains ... it's all about patience!

Until tomorrow ...

Darren Procsal
Winemaker
Atlas Peak

Atlas Peak - The Cold Soak and the Pump Over

Now that we have the berries in the tank, we would like to pump over about 1/3 of the volume of the tank on day one and 1/3 of the volume of the tank on day two. To do this we will set up a tub below the bottom valve of the tank. Next, open the valve, collect the juice and berries in the bottom of the tub, then pump the mixture over the top and into the tank.
At the top of the tank we will use what is called a pump over device or irrigator to spread the juice and berries evenly over the top. This process will allow us to keep the juice cool and get some nice color extraction as you can see from the picture. At this point there is still no fermentation activity.

We will talk more about fermentation and the conversion of all that sugar that’s produced by the grapes into alcohol in the days to come. For now we will just need to chill out and wait!

Darren Procsal
Winemaker
Atlas Peak

Atlas Peak - Sorting Spring Mountain Cabernet

Today was supposed to be all about winemaking and what goes on in a tank filled with Cabernet Sauvignon. Then I realized that I skipped over how the grapes get in the tank.

All of our grapes that go into making Atlas Peak wines are hand harvested into 1/2-ton macro bins. These are bins that measure 4'x4'x2' and can hold about 1,000 pounds of grape clusters. The bins are then brought to the winery on a flatbed truck soon after being hand harvested in the field. Different than Pinot Noir that is usually harvested during the cool night hours, Cabernet can be harvest during the day. By the time the Cabernet harvest for Atlas Peak begins, fall has arrived, and the nighttime temperature as well as the daytime temperature is cooler. Cooler nighttime temperatures mean cool grapes arriving at the winery.

Once the grapes arrive at the winery they are placed in a hopper and they begin their trip to the de-stemmer where the berries are removed from the stems (hence the name). The de-stemmed Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are then dropped onto a sorting belt where the berries are sorted through by hand to remove any small stem pieces that broke off in the de-stemming process. This ensures that only the whole berries, broken berries, seeds, and juice end up in the tank where the grapes and juice will be transformed into wine. For me the stems are bitter and harsh in flavor. Because we do not want to extract these textures into the wine, we take this extra step to remove as many stem pieces as possible.

On Tuesday we will talk about what happens in the tank next.

Darren Procsal
Winemaker
Atlas Peak

2008 Vintage begins for Atlas Peak

Atlas Peak has kicked off the 2008 vintage with the hand-picking of Cabernet Sauvignon off the Atlas Peak Vineyard. On Tuesday September 23rd we picked 5 tons from block 65. This southeast facing block has been used in the Claret blend in the past. With this early picking, I anticipate the tannins to be soft and the resulting wine from this block will be destined for our Napa Valley Cabernet blend. This is a vineyard with very thin soils at the upper tier of the block. As you work your way down the slope the soils become deeper, and the vines more vigorous. For this first pick we selected the fruit on the top portion of the vineyard.

Darren Procsal
Winemaker
Atlas Peak

Atlas Peak - The Vertical Horizontal Tasting

Winemaker Darren Procsal hosted a very creative wine tasting for the local distributor team to help them fully understand the differences between Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain, Atlas Peak and Howell Mountain. Imagine 12 wine glasses in front of you...one wine from each mountain appellation...with 3 vintages of each. It allowed the group to taste the differences in the wines across appellations and time. A true delight in exploring tannins! Please pass the steak!

While each wine had its own personality, one can't help but claim a favorite....I'm a Mt. Veeder gal.

What are you?