ABOUT

In every aspect of the winemaking process, winemaker Nathan DeCamps is vigilant in the process to recognize the unique qualities of the grapes and to respect that. This starts with valuable relationships with growers, their vineyards, and their farming practices. The majority of vineyard foremen and owners have become more than a face for a business transaction, they have become trusted friends. Further, he has a minimal intervention approach to winemaking that allows the character of the grape and thus the wine to come forth. No additions or subtractions are ever made except for the minimum amount of sulfur necessary. This can vary somewhat considerably with each wine depending on the grapes and the wine chemistry and style. In the future, for some early consumed wines the goal is to use zero sulfur should the grapes allow. He is draconian in every aspect, from the more obvious hand-sorting and surgical-like cleanliness, to some proprietary techniques too laborious to list. Nathan chooses the coopers with painful detail, and currently has barrels as old as 2006. This winemaking style often leads to distinctively Californian wines but with a definitely evident old-world quality.