Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/711402
august 2016 / the tasting panel / 7 nantly used to create barrels for aging bourbon. When they needed barrels, they'd turn to existing, accessible sources: "When I first got to Fetzer, we would often get old bourbon barrels. They'd arrive at the winery, we'd flip them over, clean them, then put the juice in to barrel ferment—that was what I experienced in the early years." It's a part of the history 1000 Stories is recollecting. Made predominantly of Zinfandel, with some Petite Sirah and Syrah as blending varieties, 1000 Stories blends fruit from various areas to create a balanced, rich profile—red fruit notes from old vines in Mendocino, black fruit and spice from Dry Creek, plum and prune characteristics from Lodi and green and black pepper from Amador—that highlights the characteristics of what makes these classic growing zones so unique. Zinfandel, too, has a typical American story, according to Blue: "There's this minor table grape from Croatia that goes west with the Gold Rush and becomes a major grape because the weather works for it. It comes to the U.S. and has a chance to flourish." Its success originally lay in the fact that it made a great home wine, producing juicy big reds that finished slightly sweet, and it is still a predomi- nant grape of California production. The Zinfandels in the late 70s in particular were mostly aged in American oak, and Blue wanted to bring some of that profile and feeling of that era to the wine. Uniquely, 1000 Stories is made in batches, more like a bourbon or craft beer, which changes from blend to blend. Each batch (about 5,000 cases at a time) is aged in American and French oak wine barrels, then a small percentage of the blend ages further in new bourbon bar- rels, the last step recalling that more old timey approach to aging wines. Releasing new batches as cases run out allows for constant experimentation and tweaking of the blend from the various AVAs, while keeping a constant source of wine available on the market. The first batch was released in late 2014, and the newest is Batch 10, with juice from the 2014 vintage. There's an idea of fusing new and old that 1000 Stories is celebrating, but there's a twist. Instead of being stuck with bourbon barrels, Blue is intentionally playing with their intense toast: "They're almost burnt—they are so dark— but it gives the wine a smoky, sage, spicy quality." Another selection of the blend goes into old bourbon barrels that have been washed before they receive the wine for the final phase of barrel aging. The oak imparts that complexity of dried herbs found in bourbon, and Blue underscores that they are looking to make something that's elegant and subtle. And indeed, the bourbon barrel aging is nuanced, bringing a touch of herbs, smoke and leather to the wine. Overall, it's clean and balanced, with soft tannins and sweet fruit that hint of an Amarone, but yet with a surprisingly fresh and mineral underpinning. "It's a serious wine, not a caricature," as Blue himself firmly emphasized, "at once full-flavored and balanced, with an intriguing flavor profile we've found has broad appeal." 1000 Stories ultimately is expressing a sort of nostalgia by pulling together all of these classic stories of Americana, from the buffalo on the label to the histories of the immi- grants that looked west, down to the wine itself. "There are thousands of stories that are part of the American experi- ence—the country is full of that; the U.S. has the ability to open things up for you, to provide the opportunity for growth and experience," Blue notes. An American ideal to raise a glass to. PHOTO COURTESY OF FETZER VINEYARDS Made predominantly of Zinfandel, with some Petite Sirah and Syrah as blending varieties, 1000 Stories blends fruit from various areas to create a balanced, rich profile. PHOTO COURTESY OF FETZER VINEYARDS