Winemaker Ruminations

Strange Currencies // Circadian Rhythms

Looking forward, looking back--be here now; such is the mood that surrounds the Fall 2011 Release at argot. By October's end, the preceding eight weeks will have been a flurry of activity, including: committing the Spring 2012 release to bottle; harvesting the entirety of 2011's grapes; and setting forth a new release (the one you're currently reading about) of wines to the argot family. 'Whirlwind' offers only a slight inflection on the mixed up, muddled up, shook up world that Autumn puts on tap for the wine biz each year.

Coming to you amidst yet another...mmmm, shall we say "capricious"...harvest season; 3 wines--a batch of seconds, if you will--with three very different stories, all waiting to be shared with our Friends (new and old, alike). In our eyes, no less an origin story than the 2010 Fall Release; yet, one of an altogether different brand--alchemy unnecessary this time around.

As we progress through our adventures on the wine route, each subsequent release continues to feel like the latest installment in an episodic tale...as much informed by its successors, as giving insight into those chapters that came before--sometimes confounding the overall narrative; others, offering that "A-HA!" moment when seemingly disparate threads string together. This, our third release, is of the later persuasion.

For us, tasting through a set of our wines is as much an exercise in being in the moment, as it is a chance to peer back through the looking-glass. At different times, each wine in this offer--"The Opening Salvo", "Old Habits" and "The Fence"--challenged our sanity, and occasionally left us feeling put out on a fool's errand. That being said, our intention for greatness was resolute, but never did we expect these vinous tales to pivot on the satisfaction of success currently being felt around the barn.

As hindsight snaps into 20/20 focus, these bottlings continue to inform us on the central character of the argot project. While deliciousness will always remain the utmost goal; complexity, excitement and intrigue must rule the day, or we have failed you. And in these latest fermentable concoctions, we believe ourselves to have finally begun to find the truth behind argot.

There you have it. Three vinous explorations for you to swirl, smell and slurp. We pray that you find each of these wines distractfully intriguing, and ultimately delicious. Wines that make you go Hmmmm, and Mmmmmm.

And so continues the tale...