What's New at Treos

Vineyard: Summer is in full swing. Leaf pull is complete to give extra airflow to the grapes. They are growing beautifully in this heat along with the extra gift of recent rains for our new vines. Luckily the hail a few days ago didn't do any damage. Besides the Pinots, the Muscat and the Albariño grapes look especially good. It's shaping up to be another awesome year! 


Winery: We just finished several very long days bottling the 2012 Pinot Noirs.  My Oh My!! Are they luscious! 2012 is going to be a landmark year for Treos Pinot Noirs.  They are excellent to drink now and yet will mature and become even more mellow and complex in the years to come.  

We bottle four bottles at a time.  It can make for L O N G days!

The guys were happy to be done with the first day of bottling...

Getting the final artistry done...bottle by bottle...

It makes for an impressive line up when they are all bottled and ready to go to a good home!

Treos at Nuits St. George:

Treos partners Dave and Nickie recently visited the barrel maker that produces the barrels we use for our Pinot Noirs.  Tonnellerie Sirugue is located in Nuits St. Georges in Burgundy and is widely recognized as a quality leader in the industry. 

A small team of dedicated artisans handcraft 10-15 barrels per day using oaks from a variety of forests in France, including the Vosges and Allier forests from which our custom-made barrels are created.

It was a real education literally walking through the process that turns "raw" 3-year aged oak boards into staves, and ultimately into fire toasted 60-gallon barrels.  The level of attention, care and expertise that goes into the production of each barrel clearly demonstrates the passion for excellence that is the mission and hallmark of this boutique barrel maker.

Overall, it was a wonderful and educational experience that will be in our memories each time we fill a barrel.

2012 Dry Muscat Bottled!

Tuesday we finished waxing the 2012 Dry Muscat we had bottled on Monday. The 2012 harvest was exceptional and this is the first wine we bottled from that vintage. We were already sold out of the 2011 and had to hurry. The exciting change in this Dry Muscat vintage was getting the first small harvest of Muscat Blanc grapes from our new vines to include with the Muscat Ottonel adding a new dimension and complexity. Some of us taste a hint of peach in the 2012 in addition to the apricot and Meyers lemon. 

Only 59 cases so get it while is lasts!

Something New & Fun

On November 3rd we picked our late harvest Pinot Noir, which we had left hang as long as possible to develop deep rich flavors. After crushing we did a long maceration until the wild yeast started the fermenter bubbling where the CO2 generated lifts the cap of skins and seeds. We gently "punched" down the cap at least 5 times a day to get maximum color and tannin extraction from the skins. When the sugar level dropped to 16 Brix, about 16% by weight, we added pinot noir grape distillate to stop the fermentation. After another couple of days of post fermentation maceration to extract even more color and flavor we pressed this adolescent pinot noir port into oak barrels to begin the long maturation process. To add to the complexity and fun we added roasted Oregon hazelnuts to infuse the port. Why only have one of Oregon's treasures when you can have two at once! Now patience...

After a beautiful sunrise view of Mt. Jefferson from the vineyard, we began the pinot noir harvest Thursday!

Treos Wine Bottles

A mockup of the new Treos wine bottles! The label is screen-printed on all of the wine bottles except the Stolen Kisses, which we have decided to keep in a traditional paper label.