Ames Morison
Co-Founder, Medlock Ames Winery |
![Medlock Ames](/assets/images/blog/ICON.jpg)
December 13, 2021 | Medlock Ames
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ADAPTING TO OUR NEW CLIMATE
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Hello and Happy Holidays! In this time of reflection, I want to share some of the changes we have made at Bell Mountain Vineyard to make it more resilient to climate change.
WHY CHANGE? THIS IS OUR STORY...
When my best friend Chris James and I found Bell Mountain in 1997, we discovered abandoned Merlot vines and crumbling terraces. Through extensive soil testing and environmental studies, we discovered the grape that thrives best at this location is Cabernet Sauvignon followed by Bordeaux blenders and Sauvignon Blanc. Over the next several years, we embarked on a massive replanting project to put in a broad array of rootstock and clones for Cabernet Sauvignon along with more Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot as well as a touch of Syrah and Pinot Noir because I love those varieties. We also acquired the neighboring property which had been recently planted to Chardonnay and incorporated Sauvignon Blanc into the mix. In total, we had 9 varieties planted which gave us incredible flexibility in the winery to show what Bell Mountain was capable of.
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OVER THE NEXT FEW DECADES...
I’ve witnessed how each of these varieties has evolved as the impacts of climate change take hold. We’ve had erratic rain and droughts combined with several years of extreme heat. The assumptions we made when the vineyards were first planted were no longer as relevant as the climate around those vines had changed dramatically. As we remained committed to our original goals of producing the best wine possible from Bell Mountain, we were evaluating what were the right vines and varieties to thrive for the next 20 years at Bell Mountain.
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THEN ON THE NIGHT OF OCTOBER 27TH 2019...
the Kincade Fire swept through our ranch. When I arrived the following morning, everything surrounding me was charred black. It was devastating and utterly shocking. The fire was a pivotal moment for us. Suddenly it brought the impacts of climate change into sharp focus, and it has awakened in us a desire to be a part of the solution and to see our ranch in the broader context of our neighborhood, our watershed, and even our role in the global issue of reversing climate change.
Immediately after the fire, it appeared that less than 2,000 vines were touched by flames. However, over the following two years, we noticed that the damage to our vines was more extensive than we originally believed. We saw the leaves on entire blocks turn red from disease, exacerbated by the fire. While it was heartbreaking to me, we had to make the tough decision to pull up 20% of our vineyard. This makes what remains even more precious to us.
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Of the blocks that were most impacted, our entire Petit Verdot and Syrah had to be removed. Even more heartbreaking to me was the need to pull out the old-vine Merlot that sat along the terraces which we painstakingly restored by hauling 50 tons of rocks 24 years ago.
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WE NOW HAVE 45 BEARING ACRES...
of vineyard remaining with an additional 4 acres that have been replanted on drought-resistant rootstock as we look to put vines into the ground that have the greatest chance of surviving the changing climate at this site. We continue to evaluate our vines as there are a few more blocks that may survive but are not in the clear yet.
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While it has been emotionally taxing to see the devastating impact of the fire on all our hard work over the years, it has also provided a sense of clarity and purpose that I never knew possible. Of the blocks that remain at Bell Mountain, I’m more convinced than ever that the dual impact of the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean buffered against the Mayacamas coupled with California’s abundant sunshine is why Cabernet Sauvignon does so well as this site.
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WE'VE GOTTEN LASER FOCUSED...
About what we do best. Going forward, we are going to stay focused on our Cabernet Sauvignon program, showing you how the soil and climate impact our 20 unique Cabernet blocks allowing us to craft gorgeous wines with their own personalities and expressions of our terroir. We are leaning into our Cabernet Sauvignon in a bigger way so will be sharing exciting news with you about our Cabs in the coming months.
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I’d love to talk to you more if you have any questions or thoughts on climate change or responsible farming. Please email me directly at ames@medlockames.com. |
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Cheers,
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Ames Morison
Co-Founder, Medlock Ames Winery
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![Medlock Ames](/assets/images/blog/ICON.jpg)
October 20, 2021 | Medlock Ames
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SOUL SEARCHING: WHAT'S NEXT AFTER TWO DECADES AT BELL MOUNTAIN
New Names. New Packaging. New Wines.
Hello again, friends!
In my last email I shared our vision for strengthening our long-term commitment to caring for our land and in doing so hopefully making the world a better place. We’ve received heartwarming feedback from you, and we are truly grateful. It inspires us to redouble our efforts. Over the months to come, we will share new sustainability initiatives that we are embarking on. We have lofty goals!
As we have spent the last year or so distilling our thoughts on sustainability, there have been other things we’ve been quietly working on behind the scenes to help our wines better tell our story. We’re excited to finally let you all in on the plans.
As always, we would love to talk to you about this more if you have any questions or thoughts on climate change or responsible farming. Please email me directly at ames@medlockames.com.
NEW NAMES
As we grow deeper roots at Bell Mountain, we want to incorporate the next generation into our wine stories. Select wines will have new names to better tell our story but still be made with the same great winemaking philosophy.
- The first one you will see is in the Fall Release with the 2020 Burning Daylight Sauvignon Blanc. Previously known as Newcomb, Burning Daylight honors the commitment to hard work that is core to Medlock Ames. “Burning daylight” was one of Chris James’ father’s stock expressions. We use it whenever there is a lot of work to be done and not a lot of time to do it.
- New names for some of our other wines will be released in future email updates.
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NEW PACKAGING
As much as we care about our land, we also care deeply about the quality of our wine. It has always been our goal for our wines to express the uniqueness that can only be found at Bell Mountain Vineyard, and now we want to make sure that it shows in each bottle of wine you see. Starting with the 2019 vintage of reds and the 2020 vintage of whites, all Medlock Ames wines will have the same look along with our iconic die-cut logo.
- Each label will state “Bell Mountain Vineyard”. Everything we produce comes from this one special vineyard and we want to make sure everyone sees it on our bottles.
- Each wine will include the varietal and vintage on the front label.
- Each vintage is the summation of the weather and all the hard work that goes into growing the fruit and making the wine. Each year is distinctive and we want that to show.
- We are bringing back the block cut image of our Barn on the top of the foil. Our barn is where it all began and this iconic barn adorned the capsule on the very first vintage we produced.
NEW WINES
Red varietals grown at Bell Mountain are so distinctive that we want to showcase the beauty, richness, and texture each one imparts.
- We’re moving away from our blends and focusing on our Cabernets along with streamlining to single varietals of the reds to better express the flavors and uniqueness each of these varietals express from Bell Mountain Vineyard.
- A sparkling wine that is a blend of our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to allow us to celebrate our 20 years and beyond.
- A new flagship Cabernet (more to come soon).
- And we have to say goodbye to others. Given the damage the 2019 Kincade fire did to Bell Mountain, we’ve had to remove our Petit Verdot and Syrah. It breaks my heart that 2020 was the last vintage of our Bywater Syrah.
- With our laser focus on showcasing what each varietal can express at Bell Mountain, we are no longer producing Snakepit after 2017 or Estate Red after the 2018 vintages.
We want to continue to communicate with you, our customers, on this topic every one to two months. Be sure to check your inbox for updates.
Cheers,
![](/assets/client/Image/amessigniture.png)
Ames Morison
Co-Founder, Medlock Ames Winery
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