To say Casey Flat Ranch is remote is an understatement. The 6000 acre ranch is located in the Vaca Mountains northeast of Lake Berryessa and the Napa Valley. This remote area of Yolo county has a wine producing history dating back to the 1860s, but the Capay Valley AVA was only recently declared in 2002. Just a handful of producers are making wine in the Capay Valley AVA.
Casey Flat Ranch vineyards are located off the grid, literally, at the end of a seven mile switchback drive from the main road. The Morey family have selected 24 acres at about 2000 feet above sea level on which to plant their vineyards. Under the direction of viticulturist Tom Prentice, the first vineyards were planted at Casey Flat Ranch in 2004 to Bordeaux and Rhone varieties, with additional acreage planted in 2008. Winemaker Laura Barrett has been with Casey Flat Ranch from its first vintage in 2007.
This elevation, the highest vineyard location in the AVA, takes advantage of cooler temperatures with diurnal temperature variations of up to 40 degrees. Temperatures are generally similar to the warmer portions of Napa Valley, but without the cooling influence of fog. This means long warm days during the growing season, with harvest coming earlier than in the Napa Valley.
The soil is complex, ranging from sandy to rocky overlying fractured sandstone. The remainder of the acreage remains a working ranch, home to Texas Longhorn cattle and a wide range of indigenous plant and animal species.
We recently tasted four Casey Flat Ranch wines provided as part of a Brandlive tasting with Charles Communications Associates. Casey Flat winemaker, Laura Barrett and Alison Morey Garrett, Managing Partner provided background information and answered our questions. It was a lively and informative discussion.
2013 Casey Flat Ranch Sauvignon Blanc — green melon and fresh hay aromas are followed by lime zest and melon flavors. It’s medium bodied and has a clean finish. This is a Sauvignon Blanc even I can like, no overly grassy flavors, more tending toward tropical fruits which suits my palate. SRP $18.
The weather for the 2013 vintage was nearly perfect and allowed for the earliest harvest date ever for Sauvignon Blanc at Casey Flat Ranch, August 8. Four blocks of Sauvignon Blanc were harvested and fermented separately then blended before bottling. One more note: this bottling is 100% Sauvignon Blanc Musqué, a clonal choice made by Tom Prentice after evaluation of the vineyard site.
2013 Casey Flat Ranch Viognier — delicately floral with aromas of white flowers and stone fruit. Stone fruit flavors combine with citrus flavors and zesty acidity, a medium body and moderate length finish. This is just the wine you want on a warm afternoon. It is pleasant to sip on its own and will pair nicely with salads, fish and lots of lighter dishes. SRP $20.
This wine is 100% estate Viognier and was harvested at 23.5º Brix to maintain great natural acidity. Fermentation was started in stainless steel and finished in a combination of stainless and neutral oak.
According to winemaker Laura Barrett, “Casey Flat Ranch has just one acre of Viognier, which was originally planted as a blending component. The resulting delicate and fragrant wine was too delicious to blend away and is now bottled under its own Casey Flat Ranch Viognier.” So right. Production is 220 cases.
2013 Casey Flat Ranch Rose — delicate pink in color with subtle floral and berry aromas. Berry and lime flavors combine with juicy acidity to produce a flavorful, fresh, refreshing wine. Perfect for the warmer days ahead. SRP $18.
This rosé is produced from 100% Syrah harvested early, at 23.5º Brix, once again to preserve natural acidity. It is made in the classic rosé style whereby whole clusters were gently pressed with no skin contact on the juice. Fermentation took place in stainless steel on the primary lees with bottling in February.
These three current releases bear the newly designed Casey Flat Ranch labels featuring the embossed C Bar R cattle brand along along with a sketch of a Texas Longhorn steer to reflect the ranching aspect of Casey Flat Ranch. A similarly designed label has been created for new vintages of the Casey Flat Ranch Estate Red Wine as well.
2010 Casey Flat Ranch Estate Red Wine — savory and subtle floral aromas combine with spices, dark plum and blackberry flavors, moderate well integrated tannins and a medium length finish. A pleasant, well made, food friendly wine. Very enjoyable and made to age. SRP $35.
Bud break in 2010 was relatively late with harvest later than usual as well, not until mid-October. There was no threat of rain at harvest and the fruit reached full ripeness. Laura has the luxury of fermenting and aging free run and pressed juice separately. Blending is a process she begins on her own but then becomes collaborative when others on the team are involved in the tasting. She believes strongly in this collaborative process which takes place over a 3 to 6 month period.
The 2010 blend is 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Syrah, 19% Cabernet Franc, 4% Mourvedre. The blend varies every vintage, as does the production volume, because the goal is to produce the best flavor profile possible. Aging is in French oak, about 75% new. 1100 cases produced.
The vineyard operation at Casey Flat Ranch is managed with consideration of the environmental impact. Sustainable farming practices are used with cover crops planted to enrich the soil and to minimize soil erosion. Pesticide and herbicide application is kept at a minimum. A weather station is used to monitor soil moisture so that water application is minimized. They rely on solar power and generators for power production and the winemaking takes place at a custom crush facility in Calistoga.
What does the future hold for Casey Flat Ranch? Expansion of their current acreage is possible, an additional “flat” has been prepared for planting. One of Laura’s favorite varieties is Grenache. She has enjoyed experimenting with whole cluster fermentation and looks to the possibility of producing a rosé of Grenache. Blended red wines have proved superior to red varietal wines for Casey Flat Ranch, so that will continue. As current vineyards continue to mature, volume will increase as well.
Casey Flat Ranch wines are distributed in California and along the East coast. If you live in Texas or Colorado, look for Casey Flat Ranch wines in the near future. They are also available directly from Casey Flat Ranch. Open Range is a second label also produced by Casey Flat Ranch from a combination of northern California fruit and estate fruit.
Thanks to Laura and Alison for the time spent discussing Casey Flat Ranch and its wines. Thanks as well to Charles Communications. We enjoyed the conversation and the wine.
Cheers!
