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July 2018 WINES&VINES 35 To inoculate or not When the fruit for Crocker & Starr's red wines goes into the tanks, it gets a cold soak for typi- cally four days. After the wine has warmed itself, they will let it start fermenting without a yeast addition, then add a commercial strain to take over. Starr said it was an interesting challenge to decide what, if any, yeast strain to introduce into the building. "That's one thing about a new facility. You have to decide to inoculate your building or not. I thought long and hard about it, and I felt like the smart thing to do was to inoculate this place with a really strong finisher." She picked a Saccharomyces bayanus strain that she counts on for its high-alcohol tolerance and cold-temperature tolerance. She added 2 pounds per 1,000 gallons during the first har- vest, instead of the more typical 0.5 to 1 pound per 1,000 gallons. The estate grapes generally have naturally low titratable acidity in the 5-grams-per-liter range and low pH at the same time, Cameron said, adding that nutrients are added when needed. Fermentations follow a normal bell curve and top out in the low-80s-degree range. Malolactic culture is sometimes added, some- times not. When malolactic does not occur before the wines reach dryness and are pressed, they will inoculate in the barrels. Starr ferments a portion of the red wine in 132-gallon puncheons. A crew member re- moves a barrel head, puts the grapes inside, closes the head and mounts the puncheon on an OXOline rack that lets the barrel be spun by hand to mix the must rather than requiring punchdowns. Cameron said, "Through the tan- nin and sweet wood that we have in the new barrel, and the tannin and the sweet juice that we have, it makes this amazing combination. It's not overwhelming at all. At other places sometimes the oak takes over, but that does not happen here at all." After fermentation, red wines spend 18 to 20 months in barrels. The percentage of new oak depends on the grape variety and vineyard block. Cabernet Franc and Malbec mature in 50 to 60% new barrels, and Cabernet Sauvi- gnon sees 75 to 80% new oak. Annual case production is about 3,500 spread across seven wines. The current releases consist of 500 cases of Sauvignon Blanc priced at $34 and sourced from the estate vineyard; 600 cases of $19 Bridesmaid Sauvignon Blanc; 548 cases of $80 Crocker Estate Cabernet Franc; 1,050 cases of $50 Bridesmaid Red, a Franc-based Bordeaux-style blend; 299 cases of $65 RLC Cabernet Sauvignon; 434 cases of $120 Stone Place Crocker Estate Cabernet Sauvignon; 91 cases of $200 Post 1 Crocker Estate Cabernet Sauvignon; and 255 cases of an $80 blend (55% Malbec, 45% Cabernet Sau- vignon) called Casali, also estate-grown. SPOTLIGHT WINEMAKING Toll-Free: 877-552-4828 909-464-1373 • Fax: 909-464-1603 For your nearest dealer, contact: BRANCHLOK™ Used for lateral training of trellised branches and cordons to 12-14 gauge wire. Branchlok™ is available in three lengths: 2½", 3¼", 3 ¾". Patent No. 4,665,000 WineVineBranchLokAD.qxp_Layout 1 12/1/14 2:46 TTB LABEL APPROVALS Low per-label costs Gov't. Liaison Negotiations or Footwork Reasonable Hourly Rates TRADEMARK SEARCHES As Low as $185 Your trade names or designs are searched at the U.S. Patent Office to help establish valuable ownership or avoid costly legal liability. Over 100 years' total staff experience handling every government liaison need for industry. Phone or write for details. 200 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 321 Arlington, Virginia 22203 Phone: (703) 524-8200 Fax: 525-8451 TOLL-FREE 1-800-642-6564 Major Credit Cards Accepted www.trademarkinfo.com Since 1957 GovtLiaison_Dir08 11/29/07 2:00 PM Pag