Stagiaire "Part of a Balanced Breakfast" Cider, Sonoma County, California 2023

FROM STAGIAIRE:

THE CIDER: From Ann Hatch’s ancient orchard out near Occidental on the West Sonoma Coast. A magical place as most of these ancient orchards are. Indescribable until you slow down and spend time among these centenarian trees. Ann has cultivated a truly zen respite from the world here replete with a treehouse nestled amongst an old redwood grove, pulsating with a mystical Sonoma Coast energy.

Managed by Aaron Brown of Bardos. This is a mix of Jonathans, Russets, and other mid-season apples. I was drawn to this fruit because Aaron’s ‘Hatch’ cider(the one with the orange label) is my favorite of his bottlings and it comes from these old dry farmed trees. That bottling is always rich with fleshy fruit, generous acid, and a constant feijoa/pineapple guava character that I love.

Pressed, settled, and sent to barrel to ferment and age on full lees for a year with very minimal topping. Essentially made the same way I would make an acid driven white wine.The feijoa character is there along with lush oxidative character, mouthwatering acidity, over ripe citrus. The power and vibrancy here conjure images of tall bottles of opulent Alsace Riesling and/or intense Jura Savagnins. I love this cider. Don’t rush it. Like the trees it comes from, it has things to say, if we slow down enough to hear it.

THE PRODUCER: "Stagiaire": The French word for apprentice and what the winemaker I worked for in Jura called me when other local vigneron asked who the hell the guy speaking really bad French was. The name encapsulates humility, impermanence, and the never-ending pursuit of knowledge and improvement.

Vines are farmed beyond organically (kind of a low bar), actively seeking thoughtfull and regenerative practices instead of recipe farming. Most importantly I want to work with good people that are trying to farm in line with nature instead of against it. Vineyards are predominantly situated in a narrow strip of the California coast from Santa Cruz up to West County Sonoma. The confluence of the cold Pacific waters and the elevation of coastal mountain ranges produce real magic.

If we have good grapes, why add anything to them in the cellar?