©2005 Newell Vineyards
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About
the Vineyards
The 30-acre Newell Vineyards are located in Lockwood,
California - a region of southern Monterey County renowned
for its ideal wine producing climate and terrain.
The soil on our property is a rich sandy loam infused
with scattered shale rock for excellent vine support and
drainage. Of course, even the best soil conditions are
meaningless without the right climate, which is why we
consider Newell Vineyards to be twice blessed. Here, the
temperature can exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the
day, then drop dramatically to 45 degrees at night - conditions
which produce intense varietal character in grapes that
are naturally allowed to achieve peak ripeness and deep
coloring. Our region's morning fog and 9-12 inch annual
rainfall are also key factors in the excellent quality
of our fruit.
Jay Newell's landscaping expertise and love for the land
enabled him to work closely with top consultants from
Napa Valley, determining the varieties best suited to
the family's acreage. By incorporating such innovative
farming techniques as shoot thinning, crop thinning (to
2 - 3 tons per acre), controlled irrigation and state-of-the-art
trellising systems that allow optimum sunlight penetration,
we have enhanced the excellence of every grape we grow.
Each vine is carefully managed and limited to only 25
clusters for maximum quality. The fruit is generally dropped
twice a year, but sometimes more often depending on seasonal
conditions. To ensure the optimum quality and stability
of each grape, we harvest between midnight and 4am. Additionally,
we are committed to farming practices that are as close
to organic as possible, using chemicals only when absolutely
necessary and planting a cover crop of existing native
species from the estate property.
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Our Varieties
• Chardonnay - grown on 1/2 acre at the property's
highest elevation for the peak of quality, our Chardonnay
grapes utilize a 4x6 vertical trellising system.
• Cabernet Sauvignon - three different Cabernet
Sauvignon clones are grown on 22 acres, using 6x8 vertical
trellises.
• Cabernet Franc - our Cabernet Franc grapes
are grown on 3 1/2 acres using our 6x8 vertical trellising
system.
• Petite Sirah - like our Cabernet Franc grapes,
this delicate fruit is also grown on 3 1/2 acres using
our proven 6x8 vertical trellising system.
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From Vine To Wine: The Newell Vineyards
Process
Great
wine begins in the vineyard. To achieve true winemaking
excellence, we extensively prune all of our vines during
the winter months, ensuring aggressive early growth of
the shoots.
Then comes one of the most important steps we practice
at Newell Vineyards: shoot thinning. We thin at 6 inches
and remove any new shoots that aren't the result of winter
pruning. To increase the strength of our shoots, we remove
the laterals so that all the energy is focused on the
16 shoots we allow per vine. The result? Healthier vines,
riper fruit and intense coloring because of the increased
sun exposure and air circulation.
During harvest, we slowly hand-pick to achieve a good
first sorting of the fruit on the vine, picking only the
ripest fruit. When it reaches the winery, we sort again.
Then the grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and gravity-fed
to small fermentation tanks, where cold maceration takes
place for a couple of days.
When fermentation begins, the skins are left on the fruit
for 14 days, and pushed down into the wine 10-12 times
per day. After initial fermentation, the wine is lightly
pressed and placed in 100% new American oak barrels where
malolactic fermentation takes place. The wine is then
aged for 20 months with regular racking, then bottled.
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