Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/60007
WINEMAKING Finding success with concrete eggs T homas George Estates winemaker Chris Russi said he's been very happy with four concrete egg fermen- tors from Sonoma Cast Stone. He said he's found the con- crete to be quite beneficial to the winery's estate Chardonnay program. Three of the eggs are dedicated to white fermentation. The fourth egg, used for reds, has a small hatch near its bul- bous bottom. Russi said he's been impressed Winemaker Chris Russi opens the hatch to one of the TGE's concrete egg fermentors. by the oxygen permeability of the concrete and finds that as the Chardonnay ferments, the release of carbon dioxide and the curvature of the egg create a natural mixing of the lees. He added he complements this natural mixing by stirring with a punch-down paddle. For the reds, Russi said he likes how the egg compresses the cap and provides color stability. To manage the cap in the egg, Russi said he just punches down through the egg's top hatch. A.A. prise more than 60 total acres. The Bakers removed most of the original vines from the Davis Bynum Vineyard, leaving 7 acres of Pinot Noir. To these they added 16 more acres of Pinot Noir (clones 777, 667, Pommard, Swan, Martini and Waden- swil) and Chardonnay (clones 809 and Wente) on the site now known as Baker Ridge. The vineyard also has small lots of Viognier and Grenache. In March 2011, the Bakers purchased the Cresta Ridge vineyard, comprised of 4 acres of Chardonnay and 10 acres of Pinot Noir in Sonoma County's Green Valley, and the 30-acre Starr Ridge vineyard southwest of the Sonoma County town of Windsor in the Russian River AVA that is home to 26 acres of Pinot Noir and four of Chardonnay. In addition to their own vineyards, Baker said he sources small lots of Zinfandel and Syrah from other growers in the area. Baker said he'll determine maturity through berry flavor and seed development, but added that he'll sometimes bring a refractometer into the vineyard. Workers will hand-harvest the grapes between 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. into half-ton MacroBins that are delivered to the winery by truck. Grapes are received at an exterior crush pad just outside the cellar. A major element of the rebuild involved excavating a small hillside to clear space for the crush pad and allow trucks access. White grapes are dumped into a hopper with a small auger that gently directs the grapes into a Puleo SF36 bladder press. The juice is then pumped directly to stainless tanks in Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 2012 51