Herrmann York
Garrett York
Inland Empire
This is a burgeoning new winery in one of the youngest growing regions in America, namely the Inland Valley east of Los Angeles. Sometimes affectionally referred to as Inland Empire, these grapes are coming from places that look a lot like Joshua Tree: Riverside, San Bernardino, and Yucaipa Valley. A desert, in my imagination, but nevertheless a place that's completely challenged my perception of what can be grown where.
2024
A white wine from the Palomino grape, produced from 100-year-old, own rooted, unirrigated bush vines in Fontana California. Grapes farmed by Agustine Olvera and crew. Wine raised by Herrmann York.
The soil is sandy loam of granite alluvium from the south side of the San Gabriel Mountain range.
The fruit was quickly foot tread, then immediately bucketed into the press. It spontaneously fermented in old French oak barrels and was dry in about one month. The wine aged for 10 months in old French oak on lees.
22 cases produced.
Lopez Ranch is planted in the Cucamonga Valley at an elevation of 1200 feet. Once a part of the Rancho San Bernardino, the property is now owned by a multi-national holding company and leased by the Galleano family, who carries out the farming and harvesting of the vines. Every year, warehouses and housing tracts close in on it from all directions. One day, and perhaps soon, it will be gone.
A multi-site blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc, and Fiano.
Grapes farmed by Jeff Newton and crew (Rock Farm) and Paul and Joni Rawson (Rawson Vineyard).
The soil is predominantly decomposed granite from the San Gabriel (Rock Farm) mountain range and a sand a clay mix coming down from San Bernadino peak (Rawson Vineyard).
The varieties were fermented seperately as juice after pressing. The wine aged in epoxy and old French oak for 10 months. The wines were assembled after malolactic conversion was complete.
110 cases produced.
This wine was picked on August 13th, August 16th, and september 4th.
Rock Farm Vineyard is planted in Little Rock in the Antelope Valley of the California High Desert at an elevation of 3100 feet. The vines were four years old at harvest.
Rawson Vineyard is planted on the North Bench if Yucaipa at an elevation of 3500 ft.
"Please Clap" 2024
Macerated Clairette/Grenache Blanc
Grapes farmed by Jeff Newton and crew (Rock Farm). A single-site blend of Clairette and Grenache Blanc.
The soils is predominantly decomposed granite from the San Gabriel (Lopez and Rock Farm) mountain range.
The varieties were fermented seperately on stems and skins and were stomped once daily for 10 days. The must was then pressed and the wine aged in neutral French oak for 9 months. The wines were assembled after malolactic conversion was complete.
154 cases produced. This wine was picked on August 13th and August 16th.
Rock Farm Vineyard is planted in Little Rock in the Antelope Valley of the California High Desert at an elevation of 3100 feet. The vines were four years old at harvest.
"Los Empleados" 2024
Zinfandel/Grenache Noir & Blanc/Barbera
Grapes farmed by Jeff Newton and crew (Rock Farm), Agustine Olvera and crew (Lopez Ranch), and Donna Snodgrass and Cesar Roldan (Snodgrass Vineyard). Wine raised by Herrmann York.
A multi-region blend of direct-pressed and whole-bunch fermented Zinfandel.
Direct-Press:
1.5 barrels of Snodgrass Vineyard
1.5 barrels of Lopez Ranch
2 barrels of Rock Farm
Whole-bunch fermented:
1 barrel of Lopez Ranch
The soils across the region are quite similar: predominantly decomposed granite from the San Gabriel (Lopez and Rock Farm) and San Bernardino (Snodgrass Vineyard) mountain ranges.
The majority of the fruit was pressed, then spontaneously fermented in old French oak. It was dry in about a month and was then racked and aged for 7 months in old French oak.
One barrel of red wine was blended into the white Zinfandel after malolactic conversion was complete. This red wine was vinified 50% whole-cluster under a layer of destemmed fruit for about 10 days. It then aged for 7 months in an old French oak barrel before being blended. Thirty mg/l of sulfur were added to the blend after malolactic conversion was complete. The alcohol is 12% by volume.
144 cases produced.
This wine was picked on August 18th, 2023 and September 9th, 2023.
Rock Farm Vineyard is planted in Little Rock in the Antelope Valley of the California High Desert at an elevation of 3100 feet. The vines were three years old at harvest.
Lopez Ranch is planted in Fontana in the Cucamonga Valley at an elevation of 1200 feet. The vines were 100+ years old at harvest.
Snodgrass vineyard is planted in the Yucaipa Valley at an elevation of 3200 feet.
2023 "Lopez Ranch White"
VARIETY : Palomino
TERROIR :
Fruit purchased from the Poor Ranch in Hopland, Mendocino
Sandy soil
Dry Farmed
10-40 year old vines
Organic since its inception in the 1970s.
HARVEST : hand picked
VINIFICATION :
Whole clusters in raw oak barrel, barrel rolled for ten days.
Pressed after ten days and back in raw oak barrel for a year.
Unfined, Unfiltered.
2023 "Los Empleados"
VARIETY : Red and White Zinfandel
TERROIR : The soils across the region are quite similar: predominantly decomposed granite from the San Gabriel (Lopez and Rock Farm) and San Bernardino (Snodgrass Vineyard) mountain ranges.
HARVEST : Grapes farmed by Jeff Newton and crew (Rock Farm), Agustine Olvera and crew (Lopez Ranch), and Donna Snodgrass and Cesar Roldan (Snodgrass Vineyard). Wine raised by Herrmann York.
VINIFICATION : The majority of the fruit was pressed, then spontaneously fermented in old French oak. It was dry in about a month and was then racked and aged for 7 months in old French oak.
One barrel of red wine was blended into the white Zinfandel after malolactic conversion was complete. This red wine was vinified 50% whole-cluster under a layer of destemmed fruit for about 10 days. It then aged for 7 months in an old French oak barrel before being blended. Thirty mg/l of sulfur were added to the blend after malolactic conversion was complete. The alcohol is 12% by volume.
2023 "Rock Farm Red"
VARIETY : Grenache/Tempranillo
TERROIR : The soil is sandy loam of granite alluvium from the north side of the San Gabriel Mountain range. The soil is sandy loam of granite alluvium from the north side of the San Gabriel Mountain range. The fruit was picked on two separate days at the end of August.
HARVEST : Grapes farmed by Jeff Newton and crew. Wine raised by Herrmann York.
VINIFICATION :
Both varieties were fermented separately with 50% whole clusters under a blanket of crushed fruit. The maceration was short: four days for the Tempranillo and 6 for the Grenache. Both wines completed their fermentation in old French oak barrels after being pressed. After malolactic conversion was complete, we racked the wine and added 30 mg/l of sulfur. The wine aged for 7 months in old French oak.
2022 "Lopez Ranch Red"
VARIETY : Zinfandel
TERROIR : Lopez Ranch is planted in the Cucamonga Valley at an elevation of 1200 feet. Once a part of the Rancho San Bernardino, the property is now owned by a multi-national holding company and leased by the Galleano family, who carries out the farming and harvesting of the vines. Every year, warehouses and housing tracts close in on it from all directions. One day, and perhaps soon, it will be gone.
HARVEST : Grapes farmed by Agustine Olvera and crew. Wine raised by Herrmann York. A red wine from the Zinfandel grape, produced from 100-year-old, own rooted, unirrigated bush vines in Fontana California.
VINIFICATION : The fruit was destemmed and spontaneously fermented in upturned old, French oak barriques. We turned the fermenting must by hand twice a day. After a month, we pressed the wine and racked it to old French oak barrels. It took one year to go dry. We added 20 mg/l of sulfur two weeks before bottling. The wine has a listed alcohol of 14% by volume.