In for one. I feel so dumb.
intensified the conditions that helped produce botrytis, the fungus behind the classic late-harvest Sauternes dessert wines from France…
I went to school with bo trytis…he and sal minella were two of the best friends a guy could have…
Sorry, couldn’t resist the bad humor… (groan). Happy Chrismukkah everyone.
Have you ever had this style of wine? If not, I would think that would be reason enough. 
I’m finding these dessert wines to be fabulous.
Chef D - I’m going to Paso in a few weeks. Do you have any restaurant recs? We have Cafe Laurent booked, but that’s it.
[QUOTE=MarkDaSpark, post:19, topic:207712]
Although, WD might have thrown one in with the labrats for the Clos wines. So we might see them posting if he did …
No extra surprises with my golden ticket…but Happy and Safe Holidays to all!!!
I liked this so much, I’m stealing it from Eric9tx (from the Pub):
Seasons Greetings to All!
Nope. I rather be lucky than good sometimes but alas this was not the week
Oh, and this Friday (26th), at 9pm Eastern (8pm Central, 7pm Mountain, & 6pm Pacific), please raise your glass (with your preferred drink) in honor of the recent family member losses by Wine.Wooters (ddeudeg, bhodilee, kttest, and whoever else may have lost a beloved one and has or hasn’t posted).
L’Chaim (To Life), Cin cin, Na zdorovje, Sláinte, Zum Wohl, Salud
The stated residual sugar on this is about twice that of a typical Sauternes (13%) and about half that of a typical Pedro Xímenez (47%) for those looking to place this on a scale. However, Pinot Blanc will likely yield some good acidity which would balance the RS in a good way. I wouldn’t expect this to be an ice cream topping, but it should be really mouth-filling.
As noted in the write-up, the Bien Nacido clones are some of the best vines in the US and the climate there seems to be ideal for the Pinot varietals despite its relatively Southern latitude. You have to start with top notch fruit to get a top notch wine.
Some folks look down on “intensified conditions” (one winemaker I know spoke rather disparagingly about the “faked” process when I asked if he’d ever considered a botrytis wine), but I say if it works go for it. “Faked” conditions still lead to real botrytis, and from there it’s on the winemaker.
It’s not how it’s made, but the end result that matters.
iByron
Merry Christmas wooters! I hope it’s a happy, healthy, and quality family time filled one!
In for one, I know nothing about wine, but my gf enjoys a good desert wine and it sounds interesting. Do I need to wait to open this or it’s already good to go?
Chefdupont. I agree, stay away from the pinot noir. I focus on Rhone varietals, and had an asistant winemakeer who loves pinot, and we made it his project. It is not under the Shadow Canyon label and we do not offer it on the website.
Shoot me an e-mail, and I will meet you at the tasting room to taste through some of our older vintages so you can see how my wines age.
iByron,
Your right that this wine falls somewhere in between a Sauternes and Pedro a Xímenez (47%). Great balance of residual sugar and acidity. Because of the balance of acidity, the wine is not cloying, and is definitley mouthfiling. One of my favorite matches is blue cheese or the traditional French pairing of Sauternes and fois gras.
The pinot blanc grows in a low riverbed setting at Bien Nacido Vineyard, and something about that unique location creates significant botrytis problems every year.
We decided in 2002 to set a 2 acre block aside for the late harvest experiment.
Natural botrytis kicked in as unsual, and then overhead sprinklers were turned on for a few hours each night for three evenings to encourage free moisture in the
air on which botrytis thrives.
Great to see the winemaker posting here, especially on a holiday! Welcome to wine.woot and thanks for the offering.
So, question for you, compared to 2002, 2003, how would you rank the 2004 harvest of this?
Thanks for the reply. And on the holiday no less. Pairing ideas sound great.
What are your thoughts on aging this wine? I can’t imagine going through two bottles at once even if I like it. How long will it last?
Sounds like a new spin on “making lemonade when life gives you lemons.”
When life gives you mold, make dessert wine. 
iByron
Alien88,
2002 was my seat of the pants experience with this wine, never having made a late harvest botrytis wine before. Two picking bins full of moldy raisined fruit came it that evening. My first thought was, I paid how much for this!!
I crushed the fruit, and let it soak on the skins for a couple of days before pressing. When pressed, 40 Brix juice flows like honey, and 6 hours later we finished. Because of the high sugar content, the wine ferments very slowly. High sugar is somewhat toxic to yeast, and as the alcohol increases during fermentation, the yeast start throwing in the towel aorund 10 - 11% alcohol.
2002 was a great vintage, with Paeonia chosen by The Wine Enthusiest as one of the best dessert wines of the year. The 2003 has a touch more VA than the 2002, and the 2004 has the best balance so far for these wines. Botrytis wines are so unique, in that the varietal is very much in the background, with botrytis induced apricot and honey notes that dominate these wines. You can produce a boyritis pinot blanc, viognier, Charrdonnay, and what you smell first is apricot and honey.
Justintoxicated1981,
You can open these wines immediately, are put them away for years. Late harvest wines are some of the longest aging wines. A combination of high sugar content and alcohol acts to preserve these wines. I had the oportunity to tour Chateau D’Yquem in Sauternes a few years ago, and fascinated to see beautiful amber colored D’Yquems from the late 1800’s on display.
The other thing I love about Paeonia, is that you can leave it open, and drink over a 2 month period. I actually prefer the nose after open for at least a week.
Gary Gibson
iByron,
I typically drink a bottle over a one month period. The wine seems to pick up additional complexity after a week or two of opening. I enjoy a small glass after dinner each night when one is open. The 375 ml. bottle is the perfect size for a dinner party of 8-10 people.
Gary
^^Im sold. In for one…ugh, there goes the new motor mounts I wanted lol
Im in! Do you refrigerate after opening?