Owner’s Club Update – June 23, 2016

Jennifer and I are excited about your first shipment of the Heath Vineyards Owner’s Club and it’s getting closer!

As previously described, the first shipment/pick-up will be in November of this year and will include (2) Absolution (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend), (1) Syrah, (1) Pinot Noir and (1) Captivating (Sauvignon Blanc) for a total of five bottles. All are 2014 Vintage. Your $300 deposit has pre-paid this shipment (including shipping). Plus, you will remain a member for future shipments unless you inform us otherwise. For future shipments you will be charged at the time of shipment like your current Grape Creek Wine Club shipments.

Due to the limited harvest, the 2015 vintage will only ship once as well, in November of 2017, and will contain the same selection and count of wines as listed above. We have not determined the pricing yet but will communicate well in advance. We do not anticipate it being significantly different than the first shipment.

The Good Stuff
Some of you have experienced the bottled 2014 Captivating (Sauvignon Blanc) and purchased enthusiastically when it was offered at a wine club event. It continues to age well in the bottle with white peach evolving to ripe pear when given a bit of air. We have found it shows best when served between 55 and 60 degrees and not chilled below 50 degrees prior to serving.

The reds are all still in barrels approaching 18 months. Jason and I have been monitoring their progress (sometimes more than necessary!) and he is very pleased with the result. The Pinot Noir is richer in color and tannin than a more traditional Oregon version and is benefiting from a portion of the vintage aging in larger 70 gallon French barrels that reduce the oak surface area contact a bit. The Syrah was presented from the barrel at the tank tasting event last month to excellent reviews. Thick, inky, and rich it is a show-stopper. The Cabernet and Merlot are aging separately prior to final blending. Both are very representative of their varietals and the Cabernet has shown big shifts in richness and depth in the last few months.

The Vineyards
We dodged a possible freeze in late March with the help of our vineyard manager, Neil Roberts, and the micro-emitter frost protection system we have in the Pinot Noir/Sauvignon Blanc valley block. The vines look strong and healthy and we are hoping to avoid the dry spring winds that hurt us last year. We are also planting another acre of Syrah in the “amphitheater” this year and two acres of Petit Verdot just below the Syrah on the south-facing slope. If you are ever in the Paso Robles area just input Heath Vineyards into google maps to take a look.

Additional Purchases
We have received a number of requests to purchase additional wine beyond the shipment. Aside from some wine we will retain for our library, we will offer any remaining wine to our Heath Vineyards Owner’s Club Members. We do not anticipate a lot of availability but there will be some. Also, we are allowing members to sign-up now for a second shipment. If you are interested in that option send an email to [email protected]. We will have a pick-up day/evening for this inaugural allocation with details to follow.

Memberships
We are seeing accelerating sign-ups as we approach the first shipment date. We anticipate being fully subscribed in the next few months and will shift to a waiting list at that point. That will remain true until the 2018 shipment, assuming we have a more normal harvest volume level this year, and may extend beyond. We plan to move to two 6-bottle shipments for the 2016 vintage (November 2018 and May 2019) with a good harvest.

That’s it for now. Thank you for your confidence in this terroir. We think you will be very happy!