HUDSON-CHATHAM WINERY
2007 BACO NOIR RESERVE
CASSCLES VINEYARDS


Announcing the release of the 2008 Bco Noir Reserve from Casscles Vineyards. And here is the story of a wine. The grapes are tended to by the vineyard manager of Casscles Vineyard Steve Casscles. The grapes are grown on the Casscles family property, where they live, in small, well tended vineyard blocks.

According to Wikipedia, "Baco noir (pronounced BA-koh NWAHR; Baco noir is also called Baco 1) is a hybrid red wine grape variety produced from a cross of Vitis vinifera var. (Folle Blanche, a French wine grape) and an unknown variety of Vitis riparia (an indigenous North American grape species). Baco noir was first created by French wine hybridizer Maurice Baco (hence the name of the grape)."

Baco noir produces a medium body, deeply tinted, acidic red wine which is fruit forward and often carries aromas of black fruits and caramel.


The grapes were hand picked in October of 2007 by Steve and Hudson-Chatham WInery General Manager Ralph Cooley, and brought to the winery where the were de-stemmed and then pressed by hand, the old fashioned way.


The juice was then fermented in an old stainless-steel dairy sink and then transferred to French oak barrels.


Then the wine sat for about 6 months in these casks, with a few carboys of wine that was also aged separately, with no oak. This was all according to plan by Mr. Casscles who also doubles as our winemaker at the winery.


After six months, we took the best two of the three barrels we made, and mixed them in our blending tank which had been previously loaded onto Ralph's Gator. We emptied both barrels into the blending tank.

Then we added the carboys in at the end. These few gallons had never been in oak, and added the touch of bright fruit we wanted the wine to also show.


Then we drove Ralph's Gator around the farm for a half hour to make sure the contents were mixed and aerrated. And then it was pumped into the blending room tanks and bottled.

It doesn't get more classic than that. This, our first "Reserve", is a hand-made wine that is exceptional. Hints of vanilla and cherry are on the nose. The cherry comes through, as does a touch of vanilla in this wonderful, medium bodied red wine of great complexity. It finishes dry and smooth.

Try some.