Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/95545
WINEMAKING parts of Mendocino County do best: Sau- vignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petit Sirah and Roussanne. Fetzer and Rock con- sulted with winemaker David Ramey, who had honed his skills at Chateau Pétrus and helped launch other notable wineries in California as well as his own winery, Ramey Wine Cellars in Healdsburg, Calif. In 2002 the founders brought in Alex MacGregor, who had started in wine as a sommelier in his native Canada but eventual- ly moved to California to learn winemaking at California State University, Fresno. Before taking the position at Saracina MacGregor worked in the nearby Sonoma County region of Dry Creek Valley at Everett Ridge Vineyards and Collier Falls Vineyards. 'Free rein' to experiment MacGregor said it was easy for him to make the move to Mendocino County after meeting with Ramey and Fetzer and getting a chance to visit some of the vineyards in the region. The opportunity also gave him a chance to further explore his craft. "John Fetzer really encourages creativity and didn't put any constraints on the winemaking," MacGregor said. "With David Ramey helping me, I had free rein to experiment, beyond just na- Some of the experimental wines Alex MacGregor fermented and aged in clay vessels have com- pared favorably to those that spent time in oak barrels. tive yeast and malo and no filtration but into whole-cluster experiments, extended extractions on varietals where it might have seemed counterintuitive (Petit Sirah for example), playing with white Rhone varietals, small stainless barrel fermenta- tion and élevage—and now clay." MacGregor has made a few trial lots of wine in a handful of clay fermentation ves- sels. The approach is similar to the ancient winemaking styles of using kveri in Geor- gia and amphorae in Greece. Clay vessels buried in the ground are filled with juice and some skins that are left to ferment. At Saracina, MacGregor has fermented some Chardonnay, Syrah, Grenache and Sangiovese, but he's still tinkering with the method and has yet to release any commercial wines from the project. While Ramey helped form the wine- making philosophy and Bay Area archi- tect Michelle Wempe designed the build- ing, Fetzer literally built the winery. Fetzer took a hands-on role at almost WINES & VINES DECEMBER 2012 27