Vine spacing on most new plantings
is 6 x 8 feet. All estate vineyards
are organically farmed. Mildew is easily
controlled with organic wettable
sulfur applications, and barn owl
boxes attract enough owls to effectively
manage the rodent population.
“The biggest challenge in farming
organically is managing in-row
cultivation,” reports Easton. A French
plow does about 80% of the job; hand
labor with shovels and weed eaters
takes care of the remainder.
In normal rainfall years, Easton applies
no irrigation. When irrigation is
called for, he uses visual observation
to gauge when and how much water
to apply. Typically, this is 7 to 10 gallons
per vine every 14 days. Harvest
typically starts in late September.
Application of compost to organicallyfarmed
estate Terre Rouge Syrah in late
Fall, with composted mix of urban green
waste material with natural mineral
amendments added, as indicated by soil
sampling. Material is applied in the vine
row after harvest before large rainfalls
begin. The compost’s slow release mix
helps achieve living, balanced soils that
create healthier vines, with more resistance
to pests and diseases. Harvested
grapes express greater purity of flavor,
and more enologically-desirable chemical
balances (sugar/acid/pH ratios).
Easton provides two examples of
how he brings the signature of historic
Amador vineyards to his wines:
Terre Rouge Syrah, Sentinel
Oak /Pyramid Block ($35/bottle)
is a 500-case, single-vineyard bottling.
The five-acre vineyard (planted
in 1984), is own-rooted UCD Syrah 1
clone. Vines are spaced 8 x 12 feet in
decomposed granite-based soil that
Easton describes as similar to the soils
of Hermitage in the Rhône region. The
vineyard is on a south-facing slope
(1,400 feet elevation), cane-pruned
with two sets of movable catch wires.
Average yield is 2.5 tons per acre.
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Through 2009 the vines were
farmed organically with the exception
of an in-row herbicide application. In
2010, the herbicide was eliminated.
Easton describes the wine as “classic style
Syrah with cool-climate characters
of gaminess, smoke, forest floor,
and spice with layered dark fruit and
fine tannins.”
Easton Zinfandel, Fiddletown,
Rinaldi-Eschen Vineyard ($28/
bottle) is a 500-case, single-vineyard
bottling. The 65-acre vineyard includes
one-half acre of vines dating to
1865 — the oldest Zinfandel plantings
in California — and 38 acres planted
in the early 1900s. Vines are spaced 9
x 9 feet and head-pruned. The clone is
a Heritage selection and is part of the
ZAP Heritage program. Replants are
planted with cuttings from the block.
The vines are dry-farmed, with
the exception of irrigation to young
replants, and farmed organically, with
the exception of in-row herbicide.
Yields top out at 3 tons per acre. Easton
describes the wine as “finessed,
elegant style, soft tannins, dark red
and blue fruit with white pepper and
good natural acidity.”
In Easton’s experience the most
significant factors, practices, and innovations
impacting the evolution of
grape and wine quality in Amador in
recent years are: “There is more attention
to detail with work being done in
the vineyards. We are attempting to
make the wine in the vineyard with
more evolved cultural practices before
we bring grapes into the cellar.
“Cellar practices have also evolved.
High-end cooperage programs and
state-of-the-art equipment are now
found at the best wineries. Winemaking
techniques and philosophies are
not just parochial anymore, because
they acknowledge an awareness of,
and also often access an acquired
knowledge
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base of, what else is occurring
in the cellars of the world’s finest
wineries.”
Ann Kraemer has 25 years experience
as a viticulturist and consultant
in Napa Valley, working with properties
that include Domaine Chandon,
Cain, and Shafer.
“I looked up and down California
for the right spot to plant my own
vineyard for 20 years,” she reports.
This extensive search led her to Amador
County. In partnership with her
family, Kraemer established Shake
Ridge Ranch in 2001, on a 215-acre
property located five miles east of the
town of Sutter Creek. Italian immigrants
had originally settled the land
in the 1870s. They raised cattle and
cleared land for orchards, vegetables,
olives, and the first winegrapes on the
property.
Kraemer was attracted to Amador
by several factors. “The soils are deep,
well-drained, red loam, and rocky.
They are comprised of decomposing
compressed sedimentary rock with
some moisture-holding capacity.
Climatically, overall it is cooler than I
expected. Though summer maximum
temperatures are on the high side,
summer night-time lows are typically
in the 50°s. I appreciate the impact
this diurnal shift has on acid balance
and tannin development.”
How did she decide on the Shake
Ridge parcel? “It is a hilly site encompassing
variable soil profiles and
exposures. This provides flexibility in
growing different varieties and targeting
the winemaker’s stylistic goals.”
Kraemer brings precision farming
practices honed during her years in
Napa. Of the 46 planted acres, the first
plantings were in 2003 (34 acres), and
12 more acres were planted in 2009.
In developing the vineyard, 22
6-foot deep soil pits were dug over
the 46 acres. The pits revealed roots
present at 6 feet with slight extractable
moisture remaining at 3 to 4 feet deep,
even in August. The top 18 inches
contained 10% to 40% rock. Between
18 to 36 inches in depth, there is 30%
to 100% rock. The type of rock varied
throughout the ranch, including red
basalt stone, soapstone, quartz, and
black shale.
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