Goosebury is one of those perfect moments that struts out of the vintage. In my cellar, wines are required to prove themselves by taste. The delight of Goosebury is that it represents the success of the vintage, perfect balance to the palate, and captures the purity of the grape. There is no oak influence, no skin contact, no extended maceration and no malolactic fermentation. The pure grape juice is cold fermented in stainless steel along side fruit from other vineyards and I then engage in a tasting quest to find the magic wine that has luscious aromatics and a crisp, salivating finish. I call that triumph “Goosebury” (because the TTB would not let me call it Gooseberry!). I try to keep an open mind and with this vintage, Vogelzang Vineyard was the lucky winner!

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THE VINEYARDS AND VINTAGE

• Harvested August 24, 2009

• This vintage, which came after 2 successive years of frost, was a delight. By controlling the crop throughout the growing season, we managed to effect a very desirable yield, not over-cropped and not under-cropped and well-positioned clusters evenly across the cane. Such great cluster placement facilitated prized ripening with balanced acidity.

• In 2009, the shining star selected for this wine was Vogelzang Vineyard, 81% Musque clone and 19% clone1. Located in our new AVA, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara (awarded in October 2009 and will appear on all post- 2009 bottlings). This bucolic canyon is nestled within the eastern boundary of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA, on the Los Padres side of Highway 154. Its cool, fog-laden evenings and warm daytime temperature allow for the preservation of the natural grape acidity while unwanted “green” flavors give way to enticing fruit layers.

• Our per-acre contract allows for a winery- vineyard partnership that readily benefits the finished wine. We are proud of the meticulous, flavor-driven, sustainable farming that defines Vogelzang Vineyard. The grapes are picked in the cool early morning hours, hand-sorted in the vineyard and whole-cluster pressed.

THE WINE

• Perfect with lobster, pork off the grill, smoky paella, spicy Thai cuisine, and even goat cheese pudding!

•A generous helping of bright, refreshing and slightly tropical fruit…hints of tangerine, pineapple, ripe peaches and lime zest…marry in a most elegant and satisfying way. Sophistication in the fruit, harmony with the acidity..

• Fermented exclusively in stainless steel and non-malolactic to ensure preservation of textural delicacy and transparency in the finished wine.

• 215 cases produced with only 13.5 % alcohol!