Dear Frogtown Citizen:

Just Saying
I started these Notes on January 21, 2016, on my return flight to Dahlonega after ten days working at our California vineyards. I think it is appropriate to send Paso Robles (maybe the State of California) an invoice for services rendered. Four of the ten days I was in Paso Robles, it rained. Yes rain in Paso Robles! What a strange occurrence. I have done a lot of things, but a rainmaker? Why not? I HAD to be the protagonist. Those who control rain know a Georgia grape farmer NEEDS rain at the vineyard to perform. Here’s the thing. Fair is fair. If you do not bill you can’t get paid. If I only knew where to send the invoice, I am sure our friends in California would agree to the fairness in paying!!!

The Vineyard
Frogtown commenced winter pruning in early January 2016. It simply was too warm to prune in December 2015. If Frogtown had commenced pruning in a very warm December, there would have been a substantial risk of stimulating bud swell, or even worse, bud break. Ah, January’s temperatures were just what the vines needed: cold temperatures, but not too cold.

Sensing Completion is Approaching
Our building projects at Frogtown are getting completed. We are starting to build the cabinets and wine storage system in the Wine Library, Citizens Tasting Room, and Private Dinning facility. The heated and cooled tasting facility at the patio is completely dried in and also ready for fixtures.

White Wine Making at Frogtown
In the beginning of our winemaking activities at Frogtown, I thought our white wine production was much closer to the quality of wine I wanted to make than our reds wine. Over the ensuing years, our white winemaking progressed, but not to the extent of our red winemaking.

After the bottling of the 2013 vintage white wines, I came to the conclusion Frogtown’s white wines required special attention. I decided to:

– Return to some winemaking protocols I used in the earlier years of white winemaking that I either ceased using or modified. Fining of the pressed juice is the first change I decided upon. I progressively got “caught up” in not fining our white wines. Fining is simply the introduction of an agent into the juice or wine to attract undesirable elements in the white wine that are then removed from the wine by racking (moving the wine off of the settled finings). Fining is an evasive wine making protocol. Less invasive winemaking had to be better, right? Well no. I did not fine any of our 2011, 2012, and 2013 vintage whites. This resulted in some benefits but also resulted in negatives. The unfined white wines from these vintages were “aging” faster than our earlier vintage white wines that were fined. Also, at bottling, the wines had more “color” and the color became more pronounced as the wine aged. Why? There are “browning” elements in the musts (juice) of pressed white wine grapes. Prior to 2011, I fined many of these browning elements out of the white wine musts in the earliest stages of white winemaking. I decided to go back to fining the white wine juice immediately after pressing the grapes.

– Unfortunately when wine is fined, it is impossible to target just the “bad” elements one wants to eliminate. Good elements contained in the white wine additionally are attracted by the fining agents and are removed. To counteract this result, I decided to use more new French oak in the fermentation and storage of our white wines. Fined juice is much more resistant to oxidation than unfined juice. Fermentation and storage of white wines in oak barrels is less anaerobic than in steel tanks. Due to the return of fining white wine juice, the fact that oak barrels are less anaerobic did not materially concern me.

– Our white winemaking has always been accomplished in a fairly less anaerobic environment than what is the norm in white winemaking. Frogtown also tends to use less sulfur early in our white winemaking; again, then what is usually the custom of other winemakers. Less anaerobic white winemaking and less sulfuring have the benefit of intensifying the aroma, structure, and finish of white wines. Lovely aromas and a discernable beginning, middle, and long lasting finish are achieved as such wines are aged and finally bottled. I strive to achieve wonderful mouthfeel and structure in Frogtown’s white and red wines. In my opinion, the opposite of these characteristics of great mouthfeel and structure is the result when white wine is made in a significantly anaerobic environment and with the addition of more sulfur. Such white winemaking results in a rather nondescript, thin wine that, in fact, may lack color and surely intensity and charm.

– The availability of a new generation of French coopered barrels specifically intended for white winemaking has greatly assisted the use of wood barrels in lieu of stainless steel. These barrels use traditional oak wood and less traditional acacia wood. The following is a very good discussion of the use of acacia wood barrels that appeared in the March, 2010 edition of “Wines and Vines”:

Though oak is almost synonymous with wine barrels, a small number of California wineries are now experimenting with aging their wines using another wood. The barrels are made from what’s popularly called acacia wood, actually the Robinia pseudoacacia or black locust tree, a native of the eastern U.S. now widespread in central and southeast Europe. The wood is dense, tight-grained and tough, and it makes excellent barrels. Winemakers who tried it largely enjoyed its impact on white wines, especially its lack of “oakiness.” Though rarely used for barrel making in the U.S., acacia wood has been used in France and Spain for many years to add a different taste profile to white wines, and in the aging of the sweet wines of Bordeaux. The acacia wood used for barrels … grows in the same French forests where the French harvest oak trees for barrels. According to Norm Leighty of Oakasions (an importer of barrels, including Acacia, in California), acacia wood adds floral characteristics to white wines, with added structural mouthfeel. “There’s no oak flavors; it’s just the fruit with a floral nose and great mouthfeel.” Barrels are more lightly toasted than oak barrels. Copyright © Wines & Vines

Acacia barrels: (i) add structure and improve mouthfeel, (ii) intensify flavors, and (iii) impart many of the benefits of fermenting and aging of wine in barrels without imparting oaky flavors to a white wine.

Yes, acacia wine barrels appealed to me at a time I was open to employing modified protocols for our white wines.

For our 2014 white wine production, I purchased French barrels that were made from (i) very lightly toasted oak barrels specifically coopered for white wines and (ii) very lightly toasted barrels made by alternating each stave with oak and acacia (50% oak and 50% acacia). For our 2015 white wine production, I purchase a number of 100% French acacia barrels.

Discussing Frogtown’s vintage 2014 white wines
2014 was not a big production vintage for Frogtown white wines. Yes, 2014 was the first year since 2011 that we did not sell all of our Chardonnay grapes to Wolf Mountain, but an early frost (which proportionally adversely affects white grapes to a greater extent than red grapes) and other white wine grape sales resulted in a relatively “small” white wine vintage for Frogtown. That was just fine with me; better to experiment with the modifications I decided upon in a relatively light-year. I had a feeling that 2015 would be a much larger white wine harvest; and it in fact such was the case.

In 2014 Frogtown also had quantities of Sauvignon Gris and Petit Manseng grapes that were not available when the flavor profiles of some of the white wine blends were originally established in the earlier years.
In 2014 Frogtown made: a varietal Marsanne, Inclination, Vineaux Blanc and our new white wine blend, 770. In the 2014 vintage of Inclination and Vineaux Blanc, I added varying amounts of Sauvignon Gris. In the new white blend, 770, I blended Petit Manseng with Sauvignon Gris and Chardonnay.

The result of blending Sauvignon Gris into the 2014 Inclination and Vineaux Blanc, along with the modification of our protocols discussed above, in my opinion, resulted in two of the best Inclination and Vineaux Blanc wines ever made. Such additions of Sauvignon Gris have demonstrably elevated the overall quality of these wines.

There is a reason why Cabernet Sauvignon is the King of grapes and Chardonnay is the Queen of grapes. No other varieties of red or white wines produce the qualities of great varietal wines and the qualities of making other wines better as blending elements in such wines. The addition of Sauvignon Gris to the flavor profile of Petit Manseng was interesting and promising. The addition of Chardonnay to the blend fulfilled just what I was looking for in a wine labeled 770. It is sooooo gooood to have Chardonnay back in the winery. Immediately as I added Chardonnay to the Petit Manseng/Sauvignon Gris blend, the wine became better and better. Most significantly, those who have experienced the 2014 Frogtown 770 have voiced very appealing comments. 2014 770 is our first vintage of this new white wine blend. This wine will progress as we make this wine in subsequent years.

2014 white wine tasting notes:
It is important for me to deliver the following information (actually I prefer the word “message” to “information”) as I am about to give you my sensory impressions of 2014 vintage Frogtown white wines.
Message One: To fully enjoy premium white wines it is imperative to drink such wines at a temperature no lower than 55 Degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, seriously. You want white wines to volatize in your mouth not to chill you and your mouth down like a cold beer. You will miss the full sensation (and appreciation) of premium white wine if the wine is tasted too cold.

Message Two:
I do not make wine with the intent for a wine to have a certain flavor. I do; however, blend wines made from different grapes, which I am aware have certain flavor characters that I do anticipate will be imparted into the wine made from such grapes. I am, most concerned with, and do intend, that all Frogtown wines have what I would describe as a balanced mouthfeel. By balanced mouthfeel I mean a wine that is smooth and supple on the palate, never harsh, or bitter, nor overly tannic and never dull or flabby. Only a wine possessing a premium balanced mouthfeel can “set the proper stage” for the wine drinker to fully enjoy what should be intriguing aromas and flavors. Only a wine possessing a balanced mouthfeel can improve the food experience when paired with appropriate foods.

Putting Message One and Two Together:
Is there something wrong with you if you do not sense the same or similar aromas and flavors that I describe in the tasting notes below? No, no, and no. We are all individuals having different DNA’s, abilities, and experiences. Our production of saliva is not the same. Our abilities to sense and taste also varies from time to time based on how we feel, what we have eaten and drunk before we taste a wine. So if you sense slightly different or very different aromas and flavors or cannot honestly recognize and verbalize what aromas and flavors you smell or taste, it really does not matter and is not a reflection on your ability to enjoy wine.

2014 Frogtown 770:
At this stage of 770’s bottle development, I would suggest you experience the aromas of this wine first when it is poured into glass and additionally after you aerate the wine and wait to smell this wine three to five minutes later. Initially there are intense aromas of grapefruit and lime. After waiting the suggested period of time the intense aromas of grapefruit and lime mellow and are joined by recognizable pineapple aroma. Upon tasting the wine, tropical fruit flavors continue on the palate as the wine moves through your mouth. You should also recognize the presence of honeysuckle flavors that further add to the sense of body, suppleness and texture to the mouthfeel of this wine. The wine finishes with a long dominate presence of lime and grapefruit and minerality. This is a full-bodied white wine.

2014 Frogtown Inclination:
Dominant Chardonnay and Viognier aromas of melon, pear, apple, peach, and to a lesser extent, very ripe citrus are experienced when smelling the aroma of this wine in the glass. On the palate the flavors of melon, pear, apple, peach, and citrus are joined by the presence of well-integrated oak flavors of toast and coconut. These oak flavors occur as a result of blending Chardonnay fermented in new French oak barrels and allowing the Chardonnay wine to go through malolactic fermentation. The flavors of this wine are consistent as the wine moves through your mouth. These flavors are rather intense as the wine is swallowed, but diminish as the long, lasting finish gradually ends. The blending of Sauvignon Gris and Vidal in this wine brings a lively acid-citrus character to this wine that definitely contributes to the wonderful balance of this wine and pairing of this wine with food. I cannot recall ever making a better Inclination. This 2014 Inclination IS a great wine!

2014 Frogtown Vineaux Blanc:
The aromas of this wine are overwhelmingly citrus with some ripe apple. On the palate, this wine is less full-bodied and its aromas and flavors are less intense than the 2014 770 and the 2014 Inclination. Adding to the light easy drinking mouthfeel of this wine is the use of neutral oak barrels (more than 4 years old) in the fermentation and aging of a portion of the Seyval wine blended into this wine. I cannot sense any oak flavor nuances on the palate or on the nose of this wine as a result of its oak experience. I also ferment and age a portion of the Seyval used in this wine in stainless steel tanks and barrels. The stainless steel experience adds a crisp acid character to this wine without negatively impacting the wine’s mouthfeel. It is the light body and crisp acidity of this wine that makes Vineaux Blanc the best Frogtown white wine for pairing with food. The acid in this wine will have a much-needed palate cleansing affect on creamy sauces such as a Fettuccine Alfredo pasta dish.

2014 Frogtown Marsanne:
This 2014 Marsanne is a worthily successor to the 2009 Frogtown Marsanne, a triple gold medal-winning wine in California and a wine of which I am most proud. Marsanne’s flavor profile is apple, pear, flowers, and most significantly, as the wine ages, unmistakable hazelnut and almonds. The 2014 Frogtown Marsanne has developed in the bottle lovely flower and nutty (almond and hazelnut) bouquet. On the palate the nutty character of the wine adds distinctive enhancement to the pear and apple flavors. A Frogtown Marsanne has the presence of sufficient acid to lend the required balance to the wine and aid in reducing (thankfully not removing) a very full-bodied somewhat “oily” character that is present in Marsanne wines. Typical of Frogtown Marsanne wines and Roussanne wines, there is present a discernable minerality that is most pronounced in the long finish of these wines. This 2014 Frogtown Marsanne is a great example of the benefits derived from the use of the new French barrels discussed above. All of this Marsanne was fermented and stored either in lightly toasted French oak or the lightly toasted French oak and acacia barrels. Less than 100 cases made and, of course, will only be available to our wine club Citizens.

Finally, 2011 Frogtown Penchant
The last of our 2011 red wines that spent three years in oak and the third of our Super Tuscan triplets. We may have created Super Tuscan Triplets, but the wines are definitely not even close to being identical.
2011 Frogtown Penchant is most definitely a medium bodied red wine. The distinct cherry aroma and flavors indicate a Super Tuscan that is more similar to a varietal Sangiovese than any of its Frogtown siblings. The blend contains 43% Sangiovese, 36% Merlot, and 21% Touriga. Penchant possesses bright cherry aroma and flavor. The blending of Touriga into this wine had the effect of toning down the “brightness” of the cherry flavors with some darker red fruit aroma and flavor. Also, the addition of Touriga in Penchant made the wine more complex. This wine’s medium body and dominant cherry flavors make the wine easy to drink and a home run wine to pair with Italian veal, chicken, sausage dishes made with tomato sauce and hardy pasta dishes containing such meats. Mission accomplished.

With this release of the 2011 Frogtown Penchant, I characterize our three Super Tuscan wines as follows:

-Audacity – a very traditional style of a Super Tuscan wine, both Italian made or made domestically.

-Bravado – Frogtown’s unique Super Tuscan styled wine that is very bold and full-bodied. Bravado has a noticeable Sangiovese character made significantly bolder by the addition of a substantial amount of Tannat.

-Penchant –the 2011 Penchant is a more complex and elegant wine than our Sangiovese varietal wine but not as bold or complex as Audacity and Bravado.

Wines included in this Shipment
Citizens receiving three bottles of red wines will receive a bottle of 2011 Frogtown Audacity ($33.99), a bottle of
2011 Frogtown Bravado ($41.99), and a bottle of 2011 Frogtown Penchant ($33.99).

Citizens receiving these red wines enjoy a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost for pick-up to $94.13, which includes sales tax, and the addition of $12.84 shipping results in a cost for these wines shipped of $108.97.

Citizens receiving two bottles of Red wine and one bottle of White wine are receiving a bottle of 2011 Frogtown Penchant ($33.99), a bottle of 2011 Frogtown Bravado ($41.99), and a bottle of 2014 Frogtown Marsanne ($30.99).
Citizens receiving these red and white wines enjoy a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost for pick-up to $91.56, which includes sales tax, and the addition of $12.84 shipping results in a cost for these wines shipped of $104.40.

Citizens receiving three bottles of white wines are receiving a bottle of the 2014 Frogtown Marsanne ($30.99), a bottle of the 2014 Frogtown Inclination ($27.99), and a bottle of the 2014 Frogtown 770 ($27.99).

Citizens receiving these three white wines enjoy a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost of these wines to $74.44, which includes sales tax, and the addition of $12.84 shipping results in a cost of these wines shipped of $87.26.

Cydney and I, along with Nettie, and Jordan, wish each and every one of our Citizens continued good health and good Cheer and the enjoyment of Frogtown Wines!!!!

Dear Frogtown Citizen:

2015 Harvest Statistics
Frogtown harvested 156 tons of fruit in 2015, selling 57 tons and retaining 99 tons for Frogtown 2015 wine production.

Recent Weather Patterns of the Dahlonega Plateau
The weather patterns for 2013 vintage, 2014 vintage and 2015 vintage have a common denominator – rain. The most rain received during the growing season was 2013 (a record rain year for Lumpkin County, Georgia). The most rain days during the growing season was 2015, during which Frogtown experienced an astonishing number of rain days. Almost 50% of the days in the 2015 growing season had some rain. The 2014 Growing season was rainy but not as rainy as 2013 or 2015.

A comparison of 2013 most rain received in a growing season and 2015 most rain days in a growing season has one most significant difference. In 2013 there was very little rain during harvest after August 25th. In 2015 there was some rain the during the entire harvest period.

Considering the geographic location of Frogtown, I am not surprised Frogtown experienced so much rain during these vintages. It is abundantly clear the Dahlonega Plateau is in a cycle of significant rainfall. With the exception of the 2003 vintage, the 2001 through 2011 vintage years were significantly less rainy than the most recent three years.
It is most gratifying that, notwithstanding all the rain, Frogtown’s vineyards produced quality grapes during these most recent vintage years.

In these Notes, I will discuss our recent red wines. In the February 2016, Notes, I will discuss our recent white wines.

Vintage 2011 Red Wines.
Vintage 2011 red wines are some of the best red wines ever made at Frogtown. The 2011 red wines sent in May, 2015, September, 2015, and this current December, 2015 wine shipments demonstrate that Vintage 2011 red wines are big everything wines – dark, dark color, multileveled intense and complex fruit, thickly textured, viscous, palate coating wines that deliver a structured long lasting finish.

Vintage 2011 grapes were significantly different then the vintage 2010 grapes that produced some of the lightest textured finesse wines ever produced at Frogtown.

The 2011 reds were cellared in oak barrels for three years. Because of the substantial tannins in these wines a three-year oak protocol was appropriate. Yes, these red wines could have been bottled after a two-year oak regiment, but it would only be conjecture to conclude a shorter wood aging regime would have produced the same quality of wines.

Let’s look separately at each of the 2011 vintage red wines:
2011 Propaganda. Released in the September 2015 shipment and two months after, this wine won a Double Gold Medal at the most prestigious international competition held in the United States, the San Francisco International Wine Competition. A noteworthy, significant accomplishment achieved by Frogtown. I believe there were in the neighborhood of 20 double gold medals awarded in the 2015 San Francisco International Competition from over 6,000 wines evaluated. Is this the best ever Propaganda? Individual preferences could and would prevent a universal judgment that the 2011 Propaganda is the best ever bottling of Propaganda. The best ever descriptor is really not required in judging each bottling of Propaganda. I will not release a vintage Propaganda wine unless I believe the wine labeled, as Propaganda is a “Propaganda wine”. Make sense? What is a Propaganda wine? Well, it is a wine possessing the following Propaganda characteristics:

1. Red wines with similar flavors, complexity, elegance, soft-textured but containing significant tannins, and aging potential as a Bordeaux red wine grown and made in the Pomerol (right bank) region of Bordeaux.

2. A wine, which without question, is easily identified as made entirely from, or substantially composed of, the Merlot grape. A Merlot wine that exhibits dark red fruit including recognizable cassis (black currant) flavors.

3. Red wines which are as big as many Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

4. A red wine exhibiting virtually no green vegetal flavors.

5. A complex wine consisting of very ripe and supple tannins with wonderful mouth-feel. [Propaganda wines are the polar opposite of Merlot wines that can be describes as flabby one-dimensional wines that fail to deliver a complete front and mid palate complexity and a long lingering finish].

6. It is a wine that can and should be long lived (10-15 years of more).

7. A wine providing nuances of chocolate, cacao, vanilla and tobacco resulting from a well integrated oak regimen.

If you eliminate the references to Merlot, the above descriptors are also present in Frogtown’s other red wines; the terroir and wine making protocols are the same with different grape varieties. It is my preference for Bordeaux styled wines even when such wines contain little or no Bordeaux grapes.

Wondering about a “Propaganda wine” containing 100% Frogtown Merlot? Yes it has been done; the 2006 Frogtown Reserve Merlot, labeled as a Merlot Reserve Wine. At the time of our first bottling of a Reserve wine, I thought only varietal wines can achieve a Frogtown Reserve designation. Just does not make sense to me to label Propaganda, Touché, or another Frogtown proprietary blended wine as a Reserve wine. Yeah, one might believe a certain vintage of Propaganda or Touché is better than another, but how much better does a bottling of a Propaganda or Touché need be to be labeled a Reserve? See my point. I much rather think of the 2006 Reserve Merlot as a very special bottling of Propaganda. Make sense? Hope so. Reserving a “Reserve Label” for a varietal labeled wine is significantly more distinctive and less debatable. We do not make many varietal labeled wines and we certainty do not make many Reserve labeled wines.

2011 Citizens Estate Reserve.
I am excited to finally release our first Citizens Estate Labeled Reserve wine at our special dinner planned for December 5, 2015. Slow and slower was the blending and bottling process involving this wine. At first the wine was conceived as a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2011 Cabernet harvested by our Citizens developed into a really good Cabernet Sauvignon wine. After numerous sampling of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine, I concluded the blending of Malbec and Petit Verdot into the Cabernet Sauvignon would make the wine more distinctive. I commenced adding small amounts of Malbec and Petit Verdot to the Cabernet Sauvignon. I concluded such additions when the blend contained 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec and 19% Petit Verdot. Such blending resulted in a significantly different wine than the “original” 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine. In many respects, the 2011 Citizens Estate Reserve is similar to our Intensity labeled wines, but less fruit forward, and much bigger in texture and complexity. It does contain the finesses and elegance of a Frogtown Intensity wine.

2011 Touché.
The 2011 Touché is the ideal “poster wine” when comparing a 2011 vintage wine with prior vintages of the same labeled Frogtown red wine. Yes, notwithstanding its “bigness”, the 2011 version of Touché is definitely recognizable as a Frogtown Touché. A wonderful Cabernet Franc centric wine delivering the spicy aroma and distinct Cabernet Franc fruit that we have become accustomed to in Touché wine.

2011 Bravado, Audacity, and Penchant.
I decided to dedicate the entire vintage 2013 Sangiovese wine to the making of a Sangiovese varietal wine. This enabled me to use the more concentrated 2011 Sangiovese in the making of Super Tuscan styled wines. I did just that in making the 2011 Bravado, 2011 Audacity, and a new Super Tuscan wine labeled Penchant. The 2011 Bravado and the 2011 Audacity have been released. The 2011 Penchant will be released in the February 2016 shipment. In contrast with Bravado and Audacity, Penchant is composed of almost entirely Sangiovese and Merlot. Softer than its Super Tuscan siblings, the 2011 Penchant fills the gape between our varietal labeled Sangiovese wines and our big Super Tuscan wines. It is a much more “Sangiovese-like” wine than Bravado and Audacity.

2011 404.
Shortly after its release, 404 achieved exactly what I intended in creating this label, Frogtown’s flagship red wine that screams: drink local wine. This is a Merlot dominant wine like Propaganda, but with an entirely different cast of supporting blended wines. No one would argue with the statement the Touriga and Tannat contained in 404 is significantly different from the Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot contained in Propaganda. 404 is a Merlot centric wine containing significant different flavor and aroma than Propaganda.

404 has been wonderfully received and overnight has become one of our best selling red wines.

Merger, First Acquisition.
Yes, this initial bottling of Merger is a non-vintage wine. It, however, contains a substantial amount of 2011 vintage red wine so I think it is appropriate to include this wine in the 2011 vintage. When compared to other 2011 red vintage wines, Merger exhibits a significantly softer mouthfeel and tannin structure. This softer style was my intent in making Merger. How was this achieved? In addition to blending other vintage wines into Merger (from 2014) Merger is primarily a Cabernet Franc and Touriga blend with a relatively significant amount of Sangiovese (10%). I was intrigued when I started to blend Sangiovese into the Cabernet Franc and Touriga base. I kept on putting more Sangiovese into the blend. I really, really, like this initial bottling of Merger. I really do!!! It is soft, but complex. A very easy wine to drink, but a serious food wine which will be wonderful with pasta dishes and flavorful grilled fish. Enjoy its softness and don’t be fooled by its soft palate; Merger is a serious Frogtown red wine. I made 532 cases of Merger, First Acquisition. I strongly doubt Frogtown will ever bottle that many cases of Merger again. The confluence of the availability of significant amounts of Merlot and Touriga wines available this past spring was an oddity, which might not ever occur again when the time arrives in making another Merger wine. That’s OK; Merger will then become a Citizens wine club wine. Enjoy this wine at a very good price point when factoring in your Citizens’ discount.

Vintage 2013 Red wines.
I in addition to Shotgun, 4th Reload and Applause Third Standing ovation containing substantial mounts of 2013 vintage wine, I have made the 2013 vintage wines identified below at the conclusion of the 2015 harvest. I expected these 2011 vintage to be received by you, our Citizens as very high quality wines. That is my assessment of these wines! In addition to Shotgun and Applause, I have made the following labeled 2013 red wines:

2013 Propaganda
2013 404
2013 Touché
2013 Intensity
2013 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2013 Reserve Tannat
2013 Reserve Petit Verdot
2013 Priority

Find anything interesting with this list of wines? Yes, 3 Reserve labeled wines and a new label called Priority. It has been three years since the last labeled Reserve wine. I prioritized (no pun intended) the making of a Reserve wine in 2013, ending up with 3 such labeled wines. The number of 2013 Reserve wines is a testament to the quality of many different 2013 barrels.

The 2013 Priority is a very unusual blending of principally Nebbiolo with various amounts of Malbec, Chambourcin and Teroldego. It will interest me greatly with your reaction to this blended red wine, when released.

With the exception of Shotgun and Applause (have been out of Shotgun for almost a year and getting real low on Applause Second Standing Ovation) the remaining wines made from the 2013 vintage grapes will have the luxury of being aged in our cellar for many months before release. These wines were indeed ready to be bottled after a two-year oak regiment, so bottle we did!

Wines included in this Shipment
Citizens receiving three bottles of red wines will receive a bottle of 2011 Frogtown Touché ($29.99), a bottle of 2011 Frogtown Merger ($29.99), and a bottle of 2011 Frogtown 404 ($29.99).
Citizens receiving these red wines enjoy a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost for pick-up of $77.01, which includes sales tax, and the addition of $12.84 shipping (we now must charge sales tax on shipping) results in a cost for these wines shipped of $ 89.85.

Citizens receiving two bottles of Red wine and one bottle of White wine are receiving a bottle of 2011 Frogtown Touché ($29.99), a bottle of 2011 Frogtown Merger ($29.99), and a bottle of 2014 Frogtown 770 ($27.99)
Citizens receiving these red and white wines enjoy a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost for pick-up of $75.30 which includes sales tax and the addition of $12.84 shipping (again, we must now charge sales tax on shipping) results in a cost for these wines shipped of $88.14.

Citizens receiving three bottles of white wines are receiving a bottle of the Frogtown 2014 770 ($27.99), a bottle of the 2014 Vineaux Blanc ($21.99), and a bottle of the 2014 Frogtown Marsanne (30.99). These wines will ship later in the month closer to Christmas. Though the Vineaux Blanc and Marsanne wines are bottled, we are still waiting for the labels.

Citizens receiving these three white wines shall enjoy will a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost of these wines to $69.30 which includes sales tax and the addition of $12.84 shipping (again, we must now charge sales tax on shipping) results in a cost of these wines shipped of $82.14.

Best to All of our Citizens, Craig, Cydney, Nettie, Jordan, and the rest of our Frogtown extended family

Dear Frogtown Citizen:

2014 Critics Challenge International Results

I have copied the following from the introductory comments by Robert Whitley on the results from the 2014 Critics Challenge:

“There were many other scintillating performances, including a few that will likely surprise.

Count Frogtown Cellars of Lumpkin County, Georgia, in the surprise category. Situated in Western Georgia in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Frogtown works with a number of grape varieties that are seldom seen outside their indigenous roots, such as Touriga (Portugal), Petit Manseng (France) and Tannat (France). Frogtown won 10 medals from 11 wines entered, including platinum (94 points) for its 2010 Bravado, a blend of Sangiovese, Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Bravado is intense, concentrated and absolutely delicious. Finding a bottle without making a trip to Deliverance country will be the problem”

In addition to the receiving 94 points and a platinum medal, the 2010 Frogtown Bravado also received recognition as a Best in Class Wine.

The 2010 Frogtown Bravado is our third platinum medal winner in a major California competition. The following is a list of the 10 Frogtown medal winners at the 2014 Critics Challenge:

Platinum 2010 Bravado, Georgia, 94 Points Gold 2010 Touché, Georgia, 91 Points
Gold 2010 Touriga, Georgia, 90 Points Gold 2009 Cabernet Franc, Kritzer Family Reserve, Georgia 90 Points
Silver 2010 Tannat, Kritzer Family Reserve, Georgia, 89 Points
Silver 2009 Tannat, Georgia 89 Points
Silver 2012 Petit Manseng, Georgia 89 Points
Silver 2010 Intensity, Georgia 88 Points Silver 2009 Audacity, Georgia 88 Points
Silver 2008 Cabernet Franc, Georgia 88 Points

Cydney and I could not resist sending our All Red and Mixed Red and White Wine Club Citizens each a bottle of the platinum winning 2010 Frogtown Bravado and the gold medal winning 2010 Frogtown Touriga. We would have sent a bottle of the gold medal winning 2010 Frogtown Touché but for the fact that (i) our wine club members have already received a bottle of this wine in the February, 2014 wine club shipment, and (ii) we did not have a sufficient quantity on hand to fulfill the number of bottles necessary to complete this shipment.
At Frogtown our expectation is that every bottle of wine labeled with our flagship Frogtown (frog) label will win a medal in a major California competition. We continue to believe Frogtown is the most awarded winery in America, not located in California, in major blind United State Wine Competitions (most of which are held in California) for premium dry wines.

Just having fun

Joe Roberts of 1 Winedude.com fame and recipient of the Best Wine Blog in both the 2009 Foodbuzz Blog Awards and the 2010 Wine Blog Awards was a judge at the 2014 Critics Challenge International Competition. Joe blogged about the 2010 Frogtown Bravado in 1 Winedude.com as follows:

“And to what wine did Deb Parker Wong (Joe and Deb were paired judges at the competition) and I unanimously award a Platinum medal in the coveted (okay, that’s pushing it) “BLENDED RED SUPER TUSCAN NEW WORLD” category? A Sangiovese-based blend made from grapes grown at high-ish elevations in the storied winemaking province of… Georgia. Yes, that Georgia, Georgia as in the U.S. State of Georgia, the Georgia-On-My-Mind Georgia. This is why we taste them blind, folks. The grapes are grown at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, and as far as this recipe is concerned, the frog hops really, really well. This is Sangio that actually smells and tastes of Sangio: tart red fruits, earth, dried orange peel, the works. It has Sangiovese’s acidic zing, as well, and a plummy richness and well-integrated woody spiciness. I haven’t fully processed this one yet, and part of my wine brain is still in shock, but this is a producer on whom we ought to be keeping an eye, and one that will no doubt help put the U.S. deep south on the winemaking map.”

After reading Joe Robert’s Frogtown Bravado Blog, and picking up on Robert Whitley’s statement that finding a bottle of the 2010 Bravado without making a trip to Deliverance country will be the problem, I sent Joe the following e-mail:

Hey Joe, just sittin here with me Bride, with our Shotgun (the wine, that is, but it not got no 94 points at that Critic competiision) and lovin on the high fa lutin words that comes from yourin head. Sooeee, I knows we done good with that Bravado usin them Eyetailian grapes, mixed up with them Frog peoples Cabernet and Tannat grapes. Plant them I did cauz me son-in-law is Eyetalian. We use genuline cooper tubin, just like the old man a next to me making Lightin. For the life of me glad you gave me and the misses a plattium as never had the change for a plattium for the misses, she was a wantin something plattium. Hopin you can come a visting soon. Will have the misses make you some fried chikin with all the fixins, black eyed peas, collards, turnip greens, you know, Southern Kweezine to pair with me alkeehaul. While awaiting you a callin on us we sure will hit them books and practicin up on our English and Eyetalian!!!!!!!

Joe’s e-mail back to me was thanks; almost spit my coffee reading that paragraph this morning.

Fun!!!!!

What is happening in Georgia?

We are thrilled to have opened our South Georgia Tasting Room. Located one mile North of Exit 29 on Interstate 75, our Tasting Room is visible from both the north and south lanes of Interstate 75. I know y’all will enjoy seeing our new tasting room and saying Hi to Wendy, our person in charge of our South Georgia operations. Many of our Citizens will recognize Wendy, as she has been a fixture in Dahlonega for a year learning our business and providing hospitality at the winery.

The vineyard. If only Mother Nature would provide Paso Robles with rain we do not need or desire and recognize the Dahlonega Plateau provides Frogtown with more than ample rain in the ordinary course of the growing season. Yes, again this year it has been rainy. It has been difficult. Our vineyard Associates have done an absolutely magnificent job of tending our vines, from bud break, through verasion, and as we are about to begin harvest.

As I write these Notes, prior to today we have had 7 days of rain. It did not rain today. It is easy to be depressed, but that gets Frogtown nowhere. The vineyard is virtually without disease. We hold all of our grapes until each variety achieves the degree of ripeness we require. This means through the rains in the hope of dry weather patterns developing. The white grape are ripe and harvest will begin tomorrow with Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, followed by Chardonnay, Seyval, Sauvignon Gris, Vidal, Marsanne, and Roussanne. I have decided to primarily ferment our white wines in new oak barrels specifically made for white wine production. We are not making a Steel Chardonnay this year. For those of you who have not tried our 2012 Disclosure Steel Chardonnay, you are in for a treat. Also, we will be releasing our 2012 Disclosure Barrel Fermented Chardonnay with our December 2014 shipment. We kept this wine in new French oak for 18 months. Yummy.

What is happening in California?

Frogtown Adelaida. The first phase of Frogtown Adelaida is planted; consisting of approximately twenty acres and 43,000 grape vines. Phase two will be planted in 2015; this phase is substantially smaller consisting of approximately 3 acres and 7,000 grape vines. As I have informed you in other Winemaker Notes, we planted all 6 Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carmenere) and Petite Sirah, a grape that Cydney and I first discovered in a shop of an Atlanta wine merchant in 1972. Also, literally at the last moment, I decided to plant a small amount of Touriga Nacional (300 vines), which I plan to co-ferment with the Cabernet Franc (almost 7,000 vines). The largest planting, by a wide margin, is Cabernet Sauvignon with approximately 20,000 vines.

Epoch Winery. A good number of our Wine Club Members have visited our daughter, Jordan, in Paso Robles, California. Jordan is the winemaker at Epoch Estate Wines. Cydney and I recently had the pleasure to tour the recently completed Epoch Winery located at the historic York Mountain winery site in the Paso Robles area. Wow, Bill and Liz Armstrong have created an architecturally and functionally magnificent winery. It is worth the trip to Paso Robles just to get a tour of this winey by Jordan. Cydney and I are very proud that Jordan played a part in the design of this winery. Epoch produces extracted full-bodied wines. These wines, while full-bodied, also have a complexity and elegance only found in exceptionally crafted wines. The Wine Spectator has recognized Epoch’s Estate Blend as the 25th out of 100 Best Wines in the World. Congratulations to Jordan, Bill and Liz.

A second thought about the 2010 Frogtown Red Wines

In our February, 2014 shipment, Frogtown released the 2010 Frogtown Touché, one of the first of the 2010 reds to be released. At the time of the February 2014 shipment no competition results were available for this Touché. In my accompanying Winemakers Notes, I confessed from harvest, to the end of fermentation, to the first 24 months of barrel aging, I had difficulty understanding the 2010 vintage red wines. At a barrel sampling of the 2010 vintage in March of 2013, our Frogtown Citizens were very complimentary about these reds. I was still not sure. When I brought these wines up from barrel to tank for blending and bottling, I became more comfortable with the 2010 reds. The Applause Second Standing Ovation and the Bravado seem to be very good to excellent wines. The 2010 reds have been a pleasant surprise as these wines have put on bottle bouquet and complexity. The Critics results identified above regarding the 2010 vintage of Frogtown Bravado, 94 points, Frogtown Touché, 91 points, and Frogtown Touriga, 90 points are indicative of the quality of Frogtown’s 2010 red wines in the bottle. It does sometimes take me a relatively long time to put wines in the bottle. Once in the bottle, I lose whatever control and influence I have over Frogtown wines, so I tend to be very anal about bottling. The Applause, Second Standing Ovation, in the shipment to the All Red Citizens did not go to competition in 2014. We will send this wine with our 2015 competition entries.

Wines Included in this Wine Club Shipment.

All Red Citizens will receive a bottle of the 2010 Frogtown Bravado ($40.99), a bottle of the 2010 Frogtown Touriga ($37.99), and a bottle of the Frogtown Applause, Second Standing Ovation ($26.99). The 2010 Bravado and the 2010 Touriga are rather full-bodied wines. These wines are very supple displaying a velvet mouth-feel with excellent wood integration (the sensory perception of wood is definitely in the background adding complexity to these wines without making the presence of wood a focal point). The Touriga displays a lovely violet berry nose and deep spicy dark fruit flavors on the palate. It is the nose of our Touriga wines that I find so unusual and compelling. I will leave the description of the 2010 Bravado to Robert Whitley and Joe Roberts as referenced above.

The Applause is a slightly lighter than the 2010 Bravado, Touché, and Touriga. I described the 2010 Frogtown

Touché as follows in my February 2014 Winemaker Notes:

“The 2010 Frogtown Touché has a very supple beginning palate, that develops weight as the wine moves to the back of the palate and finishes with a complex unmistakable well integrated Cabernet Franc dominate Touché wine.”

The description of the 2010 Touché could also be applicable to the Applause SSO, with the notation there is less Cabernet Franc in the Applause SSO and to me the Applause is more elegant and possess more varied dark fruit flavors. I find the Applause SSO a seductive wine that is extremely food friendly.

All Mixed Red and White Citizens are receiving a bottle of our 2010 Frogtown Bravado, the 2010 Frogtown Touriga, and 2012 Frogtown Sauvignon Blanc ($20.99).

The 2012 Frogtown Sauvignon Blanc, as in past vintages, is very Sancerre-like in texture, aroma and fruit.
All White Citizens are receiving a bottle of our 2012 Frogtown Sauvignon Blanc referred to above, a bottle of the 2012 Frogtown Vineaux Blanc ($19.99), and a bottle of the 2012 Frogtown Disclosure Chardonnay ($28.99)

In my February Winemaker Notes, I gave the 2012 Vineaux Blanc the following description: The 2012 Vineaux Blanc is benefited by some experimentation I did at the fermentation of this wine. I decided to co-ferment 2012 Seyval grapes with 2012 Viognier grapes in an 80% to 20% ratio to make a base for our 2012 Vineaux Blanc. I then blended into this 2012 Vineaux Blanc base 100% fermented Seyval and Viognier wines to arrive at the final blend. The 2012 Vineaux Blanc clearly is the best Vineaux Blanc made in the last three years. Very French, this crisp white wine is a wonderful food wine that can be enjoyed with salads, all cheeses, creamy foods like Fettuccini Alfredo and rich, spicy foods. Cydney and I love Vineaux Blanc with shrimp and grits.
The Frogtown 2012 Disclosure Steel Chardonnay is a crisp Chardonnay with loads of citrus flavors. Much more complex than a steel fermented and aged Sauvignon Blanc wine, this Chardonnay is very food friendly with lovely mouth-watering acid.

All of Our Frogtown Citizens have received a 20% reduction in the costs of these shipment wines from the amounts shown.

If you have not visited out new web site – frogtownwine.com, please do so. This new site has been under construction for a long time and we are very pleased with the result.

I look forward to reporting to you on our 2014 harvest and the 2014 vintage wines after the completion of fermentation in December.

Don’t miss Harvest Day with Craig on September 27, 2014. Harvest Day is a great day for me to be with our Citizens and for Citizens to be with each other.

We love our Citizens!

Best to All, Craig

Dear Frogtown Citizen:

Vineyard Update

In my February 12, 2014 Winemaker Notes, I reported a very cold winter and “Frogtown has experienced single digit temperatures, so vine death and bud necrosis is a possibility.” On January 7, 2014, Frogtown recorded a 2 Degree F temperature, and most significantly, the average 24-hour temperature on January 7, 2014 was 27 Degrees F, significantly below freezing. The January 7th low of 2 Degrees F was preceded by a 4 Degree F temperature low on January 6, 2014, and was followed by a 12 Degree F temperature low on January 8, 2014. Very, very, cold three days for vinifera wine grapes.

Now that our spring pruning is completed, I estimate, Frogtown lost 800+ vines and had significant bud necrosis, including the loss of fruitful buds as a result of the very cold winter.
But Mother Nature was not finished. In the early morning of April 16, 2014, Frogtown experienced a bone-chilling freeze with a low temperature of 26.5 Degrees F. Our Chardonnay, Malbec, Tannat, and Merlot vines were the most adversely affected. I estimate a loss of up to 30 tons of fruit attributable to this freeze. To put such loss into perspective, in a vintage with average to good growing conditions, Frogtown should harvest between 120 and 140 tons of fruit.

Since April 16, 2014, the weather patterns have been good. Our next critical phase for this year’s vintage will be flowering and fruit set, which should commence at the end of this month.
Being optimistic is the only attitude that makes sense; so I look forward to Frogtown having a very good to excellent vintage.

2014 Harvest Day with Craig

MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE RESERVATIONS TO JOIN ME ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2014 FOR CITIZENS HARVEST DAY WITH CRAIG. Cydney and I look forward to hosting over 200 Citizens at this year’s harvest festivities. If you have never participated in a Citizens Harvest, you are missing a very special day of harvesting grapes, processing the grapes you harvest, food (breakfast, lunch, and harvest dinner) and, of course WINE! Oh, and yes, spending the day with your fellow Frogtown Citizens!

2011 Frogtown Citizens Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Mentioning Citizens Harvest Day with Craig would not be complete without reporting that I will be bottling the 2011 Citizen’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in June. I can assure you the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes our Citizen’s harvested in 2011 from Block D, Rows 1-10 have developed into exceptional wine. This Reserve wine spent 3o months in a combination of French and American Oak with different aged barrels from new to neutral oak. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine from our vineyards exhibits everything that makes a Frogtown Cabernet Sauvignon a Reserve wine.

Here are my initial tasting notes on this Reserve Cabernet wine:
The 2011 Citizens Reserve Cabernet has classic Bordeaux-like elegant concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon fruit flavors, and supple mouthfeel texture that can only be achieved when the tannins are full-bodied and round. This supple mouthfeel is the wine texture we all have grown accustomed to expect in a Frogtown red wine; the most important, in my opinion, feature that makes red wine so enjoyable and special. A considerable amount of cassis and other dark red fruit flavors are enhanced by well-integrated oak, and vanilla, cocoa, and tobacco nuances. The intense flavors of this wine are very complex, just the complete opposite of a one dimensional fruit forward wine consumers often get in a very expensive California Cabernet from a famous AVA. Lastly, I love the balance of this wine which contains just the right amount of acid to make the 2011 Citizens Cabernet Reserve a complete food wine which begs for a juicy New York strip or Porterhouse steak. Wow this wine is destined to be a wine-drinking sensation at its best over the period 2016 through 2021.
Can’t wait to get this wine to our Citizens. With appropriate age in the bottle, this wine could rival the 2006 Frogtown Reserve Merlot.

I plan on bottling a number of bottles of this wine in a hand painted engraved bottle, 750ml and a larger bottle format.

Cydney and I plan a release dinner for our Citizens of this Citizens Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, probably in November or December of 2014.

Frogtown Adelaida

Our Paso Robles vineyard is being planted as I write these Winemaker Notes. We are planting all of the Bordeaux Varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and even the lost Bordeaux varietal, CarmÉnÈre, along with a significant planting of Petit Syrah. That totals seven red grape varietals.

Frogtown South

Will be opening in June. So if you find yourself in South Georgia or you are looking for a neat road trip destination, come by and enjoy our tasting room off of Interstate 75 in Hahira, Georgia (the Sandy Springs of Valdosta, Georgia). If you do visit say hello to Wendy, whom many of you already know from meeting her here at Frogtown Dahlonega.

Discussion of the 2010 Frogtown Reserve Tannat.

As I am often prone to do, I tried something different in 2010 during the fermentation of our Tannat grapes. I inoculated a portion of our 2010 Tannat grapes with a different yeast that consumes Malic acid during alcohol fermentation. At harvest, Frogtown Tannat grapes contain elevated levels of malic acid. This fact must be taken into consideration when making a Tannat wine. Very few commercial yeast types can consume malic acid during alcohol fermentation.

The significance of this malic acid-consuming yeast is to reduce the acidity of the wine during fermentation. There are other winemaking protocols that also actually reduce acidity in wine or give the impression of reduced acidity. Putting a wine through malolactic fermentation has a similar acid reducing effect. In malolactic fermentation, malic acid is transformed into less intense lactic acid. The resulting wine is less acidic and exhibits softness on the palate.

When making wine, one must be careful to have the finished wine contain the right amount of acidity, which makes wine “lively” on the palate and necessary for a well-balanced wine. The final blend of the 2010 Frogtown Reserve Tannat was a combination of wines made with this new and different yeast and 2010 Tannat grapes fermented with the yeast I have been using for many years. The traditional yeasts finish alcohol fermentation of Tannat grapes with higher levels of acidity than the new yeast. So instead of blending different varieties together to produce a finished wine, I blended 2010 Tannat wines fermented with different yeasts. Sound unusual? Not really. I have been using such different yeast blending technique for years on a number of other Frogtown wines.

Just in time for these Winemaker Notes the 2010 Frogtown Reserve Tannat has won a GOLD medal at the 2014 Riverside (California) International Wine Competition. Wow! Another 100% Georgia grown and made Frogtown premium 100% dry wine wins a Gold Medal in a Major California Competition!

Here are my tasting notes on the 2010 Frogtown Reserve Tannat:

The 2010 Frogtown Reserve Tannat is a very supple full-bodied Tannat wine. In contrast to prior Frogtown Tannat wines, I did not blend relatively minor amounts of Cabernet Franc into this 2010 Reserve Tannat wine. I again, like the 2009 Frogtown Tannat, made a 100% Tannat wine. Different yeasts were used during fermentation to produce this wine, which not only reduced the amount of acid in this wine but also slightly modified the flavor and aroma of this 2010 Reserve Tannat. The nose is a little more subdued than other Frogtown Tannat wines made in prior vintages. You will need to concentrate on the aroma to find the paradoxical flowers on the nose of this wine. The dark fruit and earthiness of our Tannat wines is also slightly reduced resulting in a more fruit-forward wine. I used significantly more new oak, both French and American, in aging this wine. You will not, however, notice this increase in new oak when tasting this wine. The oak is very well integrated. The supple palate also “handles” the fruitiness of this wine by integrating the fruit flavors, which aids in the complexity and elegance of this wine. Yes, this wine is somewhat different from past Frogtown Tannat wines but the differences produce nuances that are interesting, intellectual, and above all else, fun to experience.

Discussion of the 2010 Frogtown Disclosure Merlot

Very similar in mouthfeel to the 2010 Frogtown Touché ¡and the 2010 Frogtown Bravado, that were sent as part of the February, 2013 shipment, the 2010 Disclosure Merlot also exhibits a very supple beginning palate, that develops weight as the wine moves to the back of the palate and finishes with complex flavors of cassis and other dark red fruit.

This is a “Disclosure labeled wine” as a result of blending some of the 2012 Dry Creek Merlot into our 2010 Frogtown Merlot wine. As previously mentioned in a prior Winemaker Notes, I purchased Merlot grapes from the Dry Creek AVA of California and fermented these grapes at Frogtown. The resulting wine is 88% Frogtown 2010 Merlot and 12% 2012 Dry Creek Merlot. A winemaker can blend a different vintage (‘minority vintage”) into a wine and still label the wine the vintage of the “majority vintage” wine so long as the resulting wine does not contain more than 15% of the minority vintage. I am sure literally all of you have not heard of this allowable winemaking regulation. Blending two vintages together under this regulation is simply a winemaker’s “secret;” never to be mentioned to the consuming public. But why is this so? A law professor of mine would say: “life in all its fullness is the answer to the riddle,” when something in the law was inexplicable. So now you know why it is so.

You Citizens will recall that I have in the past blended a California grown wine with a Frogtown grown wine as a blending tool to add interest to our wines AND to demonstrate that truth in labeling is a benefit to the consuming public by how Frogtown labels and discloses how such non-domiciliary grapes were used in making the subject wine. Frogtown always puts wines containing any amount of California fruit in an “American” wine and the additional label disclosure reference to either the fact that the wine is an East Coast West Coast Wine, a West Coast East Coast Wine, or a Disclosure wine. Most significantly WE DISCLOSE TO YOU JUST WHAT YOU ARE CONSUMING, TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW. Yes, the law does limit what disclosures are allowed on the label when bottling wine. For instance, the last time I looked at a map, Georgia was not contiguous to California, the Federal labeling laws do not allow any reference to California ANYWHERE ON THE LABEL, notwithstanding it is 100% accurate that a specific wine contains California grown grapes.

Although the 2010 Disclosure Merlot contains 12% 2012 Dry Creek Merlot, the wine, to me, is very Frogtown-like with just a slight nuance of the more fruit forward 2012 Dry Creek Merlot.

Increase in the Amount a Citizen can be Charged for an All Red and Mixed Red and White Citizen.
Over the last two years I have increased the price of Frogtown wines by relatively small margins. For instance, the first Frogtown Touché was priced at $21.99 (12 years ago) and recently I raised the price of Frogtown Touché to $24.99.

Sending a bottle of Frogtown Applause, FSO to our All Red Citizens was not my initial choice for this shipment. I wanted to send a bottle of the 2010 Frogtown Norton. However, the 2010 Norton is priced at $28.99 and would have resulted in an even higher Citizen Discount (I know – what’s so bad about that?) to our All Red Citizens than the 28% provided below; so, I decided instead to send the Applause at its $21.99 retail cost.

Starting with the 2014 September shipment, the maximum amount that can be charged to an All Red Citizen and Mixed Red and White Citizen will increase $15.00 a shipment to $90.00. There is no need to raise the price per shipment for our All White Citizens. This is our first price increase in the maximum amount, which can be charged to a Citizen since inception of the Wine Club over seven years ago.

Wines Included in this Shipment:

All Red Citizens

All Red Citizens will receive, in addition to a bottle of the 2010 Frogtown Reserve Tannat ($48.99), discussed above, a bottle of the 2010 Frogtown Disclosure Merlot, ($33.99), discussed above, a bottle of the Frogtown Applause, FSO ($21 .99). With a 28% discount (an additional 8% over the normal Citizen Discount, the costs of these three wines are $75.57 without sale tax and shipping costs, if applicable.

Mixed Red and White Citizens

All Mixed Red and White Citizens will receive, in addition to a bottle of the 2010 Frogtown Reserve Tannat ($48.99), discussed above, a bottle of the 2010 Frogtown Disclosure Merlot, ($33.99), discussed above, a bottle of the 2011 Frogtown Viognier ($24.99). With a 30% discount (an additional 10% over the normal Citizen Discount, the costs of these three wines are $75.57 without sale tax and shipping costs, if applicable.

All White Citizens

All White Citizens are receiving a bottle of our 2011 Frogtown Vineaux RosÉ ($19.99), a bottle of the 2011 Frogtown MRV ($24.99), and a bottle of the 2012 Frogtown Vineaux Blanc ($20.99). With the 20% Citizens discount, the costs of these three wines are $50.37 without sales tax and shipping costs, if applicable.
The 2011 Frogtown MRV now reminds me of the 2006 MRV with it’s yummy nose of flowers and its almond and hazelnut nuances on the palate.

Cydney and I wish the very best to all our wonderful Citizens!!!!

Dear Frogtown Citizen:

Vineyard Update

It has been cold this winter. I do not remember a North Georgia winter that has been this cold for quite a while. Not only have we experienced cold temperatures, for the first time in many years, we experienced significant snow conditions at the winery. As I write these Winemaker Notes I am looking out on our vineyards covered with approximately 4 inches of snow. Pretty sight.

Are the vines adversely affected by cold weather? Generally, no. However, if single digit temperatures occur for extended days, bud necrosis and even vine death can occur. Yes, we have experienced single digit temperatures, so yes, bud necrosis is a possibility. We could cut through some buds on vines at the coldest areas of the vineyard to determine if bud necrosis is present, but the extent of any bud necrosis will not be readily apparent until bud break.

On the plus side, the cold weather is beneficial in the elimination of over-wintering insects, viruses, molds and mildews. Temperatures below 25 degrees are very beneficial in killing and knocking back Pierces Disease, a very deadly vine disease that is indigenous to the Southeast. Such cold weather kills the virus and kills and decreases the population of the sharpshooter insect, which is the vector for the disease.
Pouring of the 2009 Frogtown Petit Verdot at the Unified Wine Grape symposium in Sacramento, California on January 28.

After I barrel down the red wines from a harvest (usually by the middle of December), Cydney and I head to California to spend time with Jordan, our winemaker daughter, our two granddaughters and our son-in-law Emanuele. This year, California in January also included two wine specific events.

I again served as a Judge at the 2014 Winemaker’s Challenge in San Diego, California. I tasted many excellent wines, primarily from California, including two flights of Cabernet Sauvignon wines retailing for $75.00 to $100.00 and two flights of Cabernet Sauvignon wines retailing for $30.00 to $49.99.
In addition to getting to know other quality winemakers, I find judging at the Winemakers’ Challenge in January and the Atlantic Seaboard Competition in Washington, D.C. in July extremely beneficial. In a truncated period of time, these Competitions afford me a unique opportunity to taste a large number of wines. I record my tasting notes of the most memorable wines and often refer to them when blending Frogtown wines. Just think about it; I need to drink a lot of wine that is not made by me. Real tough job! By keeping my palate “open” to the taste of non-Frogtown wines, I am able to critically judge our wines better and prevent what is referred to as “cellar palate”. Of course, this only applies to the winemaker at Frogtown; it does not apply to Frogtown Citizens. Our Citizens must drink a lot of Frogtown wine, at the exclusion of other wines, for the well being of their favorite winery!

At the conclusion of the Winemaker’s Challenge Competition, Cydney and I flew to San Francisco and then to Sacramento for the 2014 Unified Grape Symposium. On the evening of January 28, 2014, we poured the 2009 Frogtown Petit Verdot to over 1,000 invited attendees by Wine Business Monthly, the major wine industry trade publication, who sponsored the Ten Hot Brands of 2013 event, which included Frogtown. The experience at the pouring was wonderful, but with so many attendees we did not get to spend a lot of time with any one individual. On the following day, we attended the Unified Trade Exposition. Many of the Exhibitors and those attending the trade show as winemakers, viticulturists, winery owners, managers and others in the wine trade went out of their way to engage Cydney and me and remark how much they enjoyed the 2009 Petit Verdot. Many favorably compared the Frogtown 2009 Petit Verdot to high quality Napa or Sonoma Petit Verdot and other wines made from Bordeaux grapes. This event was a very delightful and rewarding experience for Cydney and me. We just hate to hear wonderful comments about Frogtown wines.

Closing on Frogtown Adelaida in Paso Robles, California.

Cydney and I acquired on February 4, 2014 a magnificent 50-acre parcel in the new Paso Robles, California Adelaida AVA. With the acquisition and planting of this parcel, Frogtown’s winegrowing and winemaking activities expands to California. The new vineyard will be called Frogtown Adelaida.
Notice I said expands not transfers to. We have heard some silly, meaningless rumors that Cydney and I are selling Frogtown and moving to California. Heck, if we desired to exclusively make California wine and provide hospitality primarily to Californians, there would never have been a Frogtown in Georgia. No, our hearts and souls are here in Georgia where we have spent two-thirds of our lives working, raising our three wonderful children, and enjoying immensely our relationship with y’all, our Citizens.

Discussion on Frogtown Adelaida

The content of the soils at Frogtown Adelaida are highly calcareous and very hilly. The subsoil base is primarily limestone. Much has been written about the benefits of grape growing on limestone. Paso Robles is unique in the fact a significant portion of this geologic area is the only viticultural area in the United States containing such concentrated calcareous soils. Twelve soil pits were dug at Frogtown Adelaida to examine the characteristics of the soils across the entire planting area. One pit showed the calcareous content of the soil (as distinguished from the underlying limestone), being 65% calcareous. Special rootstocks are required to enable vines to flourish on these highly elevated calcareous soils.
It has been 15 years since I planted the first 10,000 vines on the Dahlonega Plateau. Over this 15-year period, dense vine plantings have become more in vogue. France has been at the forefront of dense vineyard plantings. Paso Robles, a relatively very young AVA and grape-growing region has enjoyed great success with dense vineyard plantings.

On this parcel, we will be planting over 47,600 vines, including, 20,000 Cabernet Sauvignon, 10,050 Petit Verdot, 5,000 Petite Sirah, 2,500 Merlot, 6,850 Cabernet Franc, 2,700 Malbec and 500 Carménère vines. These grape varieties should be readily recognizable by you, our Citizens, as Frogtown Adelaida, like Frogtown Dahlonega, will be substantially planted to Bordeaux varietals. There will be no white grape plantings at Frogtown Adelaida.

By comparison, Frogtown Dahlonega has 23,000 vines planted on approximately 40 acres (an average of 575 vines per acre) while Frogtown Adelaida will be planted to over 46,000 vines (an average of approximately 2,100 vines per acre).

Would we plant Dahlonega Frogtown differently if we were planting today on the Dahlonega Plateau? Not significantly different. Our macro climatic conditions and the micro conditions which we created at Frogtown with the highly successful use of an Open Lyre trellis system and vine row aspects which transverse a hill rather than running down the direction of the hill, would result, even in hindsight, with approximately the same number of vines per planted acre.

My present thoughts are to make very high quality 100% estate grown wines under a Frogtown Adelaida, Paso Robles, AVA Label from this vineyard and, additionally, use the fruit from Frogtown Adelaida as the California component for our American labeled Bordeaux blends, Compulsion, an East Coast West Coast Wine, and Convergence, a West Coast East Coast Wine. I also plan to use Frogtown Adelaida wines as a blending partner with Frogtown Dahlonega wines in the making of Frogtown’s Disclosure Label wines; the label we use to bottle varietals wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, etc.) under an American label. While I intend to make you excited about Frogtown Adelaida, it will be at least 4 years before grapes from this vineyard will find their way into a Frogtown bottle. I may decide to purchase some fruit in the interim from some Frogtown Adelaida neighbors and make wine while waiting for Frogtown Adelaida vineyards to mature.

With the advent of Frogtown Adelaida, an honest question arises: Is there any other winery in the U.S. offering more interesting and diverse wines than Frogtown?

There are wineries in California making California wines from different California AVA’s. V. Sattui Winery (1111 White Lane, St Helena, CA 94574 – 707.963.7774 – www.vsatturi.com), being a wonderful example of such a winery. Frogtown should be quite unique by offering terroir labeled wines from estate grown grapes farmed from two separate vineyard estates, one on the East Coast, and the second on the West Coast, and ethically labeled American Wine wines by blending wines grown from these two separate and very distinct terroir regions.

100% Terroir Estate wines from vines farmed on Georgia’s Dahlonega Plateau (hopefully soon to be an AVA)
100% Terroir Estate wines from vines farmed on the Adelaida AVA of the Paso Robles.

Ethically labeled American wines blended from 100% estate grown fruit from Frogtown’s separate and very distinct vineyard estates on both coasts of the U.S.

To provide more information about the new Paso Robles Adelaida AVA, I have provided below portions of a very well written blog by Tables Creek Vineyards, a fabulous vineyard and winery in the new proposed Adelaida AVA (9339 Adelaida Road Paso Robles CA 93446 – 805.237.1231 – www.tablascreek.com). Tables Creek Vineyards is located less than 3 miles from Frogtown Adelaida.

At the conclusion of reading this blog you will have a better understanding why an American Viticultural Area (AVA) is synonymous with the French word terroir!

“Celebrating 11 New AVA’s in Paso Robles

At long last, nearly seven years after it was submitted to the TTB (the Tax and Trade Bureau — the office of the federal government that oversees wine regulation) we received news this week that the petition from the Paso Robles wine community to establish eleven American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s) within the current Paso Robles AVA has been published for comments. This is the critical step called a “notice of proposed rulemaking” at which the TTB has reviewed all the geological, climatological and historical information presented in the petitions and determined that they pass muster. It doesn’t mean that the region can start using them on wine labels this week, but it’s an important validation of the proposed AVA’s and boundaries, and the last step before final approval.

For the Paso Robles region, the publication for review of our AVA petition is an important and necessary milestone. Paso Robles is currently the largest un-subdivided AVA within California at approximately 614,000 acres. By contrast, the Napa Valley appellation (which includes sixteen AVA’s delineated within its bounds) is roughly one-third the area at 225,000 acres. When the Paso Robles AVA was first proposed and approved back in 1983 it contained only five bonded wineries and less than 5000 planted acres of vineyard. Big swaths of the AVA, including the area out near us, were largely untouched by grapevines. In the last thirty years, Paso Robles has grown to encompass some 280 wineries and 32,000 vineyard acres. This vineyard acreage is spread over a sprawling district roughly 42 miles east to west and 32 miles north to south. Average rainfall varies from more than 30 inches a year in extreme western sections (like where Tablas Creek is) to less than 10 inches in areas farther east. Elevations range from 700 feet to more than 2400 feet. Soils differ dramatically in different parts of the AVA, from the highly calcareous hills out near us to sand, loam and alluvial soils in the Estrella River basin. The warmest parts of the AVA accumulate roughly 20% more heat (measured by growing degree days) than the coolest; the average year-to-date degree-days in the Templeton Gap since 1997 is 2498, while in Shandon far out east it’s 2956. This difference in temperatures is enough to make the cooler parts of the AVA a Winkler Region II in the commonly used scale of heat summation developed at UC Davis, while the warmest sections are a Winkler Region IV.

Our region’s diversity was well noted in the TTB’s ruling. In addition to the longhand descriptions of each region’s soils, climate and topography, the TTB included side-by-side comparative charts — unique, in my experience of AVA approvals — that detailed why each new AVA was worthy of being distinguished from its neighbors. I can’t imagine anyone reading these petitions and concluding that there weren’t grounds for subdivision.

All this is not to say that Paso Robles doesn’t share some important factors, and one important hurdle that the petitions had to clear was demonstrating that the region enjoyed sufficient macro-level similarity to remain an AVA. The TTB’s ruling recognized several characteristics that the entire region shares, including the 40-50 degree diurnal temperature variation, the relatively warm climate with limited incursion of marine air, and the moderate rainfall, less than the slopes of the coastal mountains but more than the arid Central Valley to our east.

The AVA system is so powerful exactly because it has the flexibility to recognize macro-level similarities as well as important micro-level distinctiveness.

One risk in the creation of new AVA’s within an existing one is that the existing AVA — into the marketing of which the local wineries have invested enormous amounts of time and money — will lose much of its significance as many wineries abandon that appellation name to make a name for their new, smaller one. Happily, Paso Robles won’t lose its identity — or the accumulated marketing capital we’ve all built over the last three decades — thanks to a conjunctive labeling law passed by the California assembly with the encouragement of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance in 2007. Conjunctive labeling means that wineries who choose to use one of the new AVA’s will also be required to use “Paso Robles” as significantly. This law was modeled on one passed for the Napa Valley in 1990 that has been widely credited with helping maintain Napa as the most powerful brand in American wine.

The continued presence of Paso Robles on wine labels does not diminish the impact of having the different AVA’s approved. These new AVA’s will be a powerful tool for wineries to explain why certain grapes are particularly well suited to certain parts of the appellation, and why some wines show the characteristics they do while other wines, from the same or similar grapes, show differently. Ultimately, the new AVA’s will allow these newly created sub-regions to develop identities for themselves with a clarity impossible in a single large AVA.

It’s worth pointing out that no one needs to use the new AVA’s. Wineries who wish to continue to use only the Paso Robles AVA are welcome to. And many will likely choose to do so as the new AVA’s build their reputation in the market. Not all the AVA’s have a critical mass of established wineries, and it seems likely that a handful of the new AVA’s will receive market recognition first, while the reputation of others will take time to build. But I believe that it will be several of the currently less-developed areas that will benefit most in the long term, through the ability to identify successful winemaking models and build an identity of their own. We shall see; having a newly recognized AVA is not a guarantee of market success, just a chance to make a name for yourself. The cream will rise to the top, and consumers will benefit.

Discussion of the 2010 Frogtown Intensity – First Bottling

I have wanted to make a Medoc based Bordeaux wine for some time that will be a Bordeaux blend mate to our Pomerol based Propaganda. The Intensity, being a Medoc-like wine is composed of principally Cabernet Sauvignon, with Malbec and Peitit Verdot playing a blending role. Note there is NO Merlot in our Intensity Bordeaux Blend. This is in contrast to the Merlot dominant Propaganda, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot playing a blending role.

Unlike the 2010 Frogtown Touché, released to our Citizens in the December 2013 shipment and the 2010 Bravado, and the Shotgun Third Reload, released with this shipment, the 2010 Frogtown Intensity is somewhat of an enigma. It continues to exhibit bottle shock, after approximately 8 months of bottling. This does not detract from the enjoyment of this wine now; however six months of further bottle aging should be sufficient time for this wine to “get over” bottle shock.

One interesting feature of the 2010 Intensity is the substantial berry flavors at the beginning of the palate. In this manner the 2010 Intensity and the 2008 Audacity are very similar in their “early life” in the bottle. For those Citizens who enjoy this extra kick of fruit at the beginning, drinking Intensity now delivers this fruit sensation. As the 2010 Intensity ages, as was the case with the 2008 Audacity, this “extra” upfront fruit will gradually diminish. The “extra” upfront fruit should additionally aid the 2010 Intensity as it ages in the bottle. This wine should be long lived with more gradual loss of fruit as the wine enters the 5-6 year period after bottling (not vintage date).

The one common threat between the 2010 Intensity and the 2008 Audacity is a substantial amount of Cabernet Sauvignon (49% for the Intensity and 45% for the Audacity) contained in these blends. It could be that Frogtown wines with blends of a substantial amount of Cabernet Sauvignon have a wine quality character of a fruitier beginning palate than other Frogtown premium red wines. Interesting, this upfront fruit character does not appear in Frogtown Cabernet Sauvignon labeled varietal wines. Such wines contained 90% to 100% of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wines Included in this Shipment

All Red Citizens 

All Red Citizens will receive a bottle of the 2009 Frogtown Intensity ($33.99), described above, a bottle of the 2010 Frogtown Bravado ($27.99), and a bottle of Frogtown Shotgun, Third Reload ($26.99)
Very similar in mouthfeel to the 2010 Frogtown Touché that was sent as part of the December, 2013 shipment, the 2010 Bravado also exhibits a very supple beginning palate, that develops weight as the wine moves to the back of the palate and finishes with complex flavors of cherry and cassis from this Sangiovese, Tannat, and Cabernet Sauvignon blend. I also see a lot of similarities in the 2010 Bravado with the wonderful 2008 Bravado, with the 2010 being a little “fruitier”.

Not much that I can say about Frogtown Shotgun that hasn’t previously been said. I am sure that a number of our Citizens will tell me they like Second Reload better than Third Reload, in the same manner as many Citizens told be they liked First Reload better than Second Reload. To me the First and Second Reload were practically identical at bottling; the difference between tasting a fully resolved First Shotgun with bottle age as compared with a then newly bottled Second Reload was why some of you had the impression that First was better than Second.

There is a reason why we cannot more closely duplicate Shotgun year after year. It is a non-vintage wine. That is the reason for the first Shotgun being called “First Load”, then First Reload, the Second Reload, and now Third Reload. A non-vintage wine cannot be labeled with a vintage date. Make sense? Vintage dated wines, are more limited in blending options; the winemaker basically only has the wines from that vintage to blend into whatever blend the winemaker is putting together (there is a little bit of leeway, as vintage wines can contain up to 15% of another vintage).

All Red Citizens will receive a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost of these wines. With the addition of sales tax results in a cost for pick-up of this All Red Shipment being $76.15 and the addition of $12.00 shipping results in a cost for these wines shipped of $88.15.

Red and White

All Mixed Red and White Citizens are receiving a bottle of our 2010 Frogtown Intensity ($33.99), a bottle of our Frogtown Shotgun, Third Reload ($27.99), both referred to above, and a bottle of the 2011 Frogtown Reserve Chardonnay ($27.99).

The Frogtown Reserve Chardonnay was made in ½ neutral oak and ½ two year old barrels rather than new French oak. The wine was in barrel for 18 months. Notwithstanding the absence of new oak, the wine has lovely oak and malolactic fermentation aromas. On the palate, flavors of green apple and citrus are present with a long and rewarding finish. This is the first-ever white wine bottled under a Reserve Label!
Mixed Citizens will receive a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost of these wines. With the addition of sales tax results in a cost for pick-up of this Mixed Shipment being $76.99 and the addition of $12.00 shipping results in a cost for these wines shipped of $88.99.

All White Citizens 

All White Citizens are receiving a bottle of our 2011 Frogtown Reserve Chardonnay ($27.99) referred to above, a bottle of the 2012 Frogtown Disclosure Steel Chardonnay ($24.99), and a bottle of the 2011 Frogtown Viognier ($24.99)

The 2011 Frogtown Disclosure Steel Chardonnay is made from 100% fruit from the Dry Creek AVA. As I have mentioned in the past, all of Frogtown 2012 and 2013 (and possibly 2014) Chardonnay has been or will be sold to Wolf Mountain for their Georgia sparkling wine production. It was important to me that Wolf Mountain’s sparkling wine program remain 100% Georgia. While we love our own Chardonnay, I decided to replace a portion of what I sold to Wolf Mountain and make a Disclosure Steel Chardonnay and a Disclosure Barrel Fermented Chardonnay in 2012. The enclosed bottle of Disclosure Steel Chardonnay was fermented and aged in 100% steel. The wine never experienced the inside of an oak barrel. This is just a lovely, powerful Steel Chardonnay. In comparison to the steel Chardonnay made in the past with Frogtown Chardonnay grapes, this is a bigger more alcoholic wine. This Chardonnay has lovely apple, pear and grapefruit nose and palate that will stand up to the most hearty fish, even the oily non-flaky type of fish.

Enjoy, because purchasing Dry Creek Chardonnay grapes will only be a once in a while event.
The Viognier harvested in 2011 that found its way into the enclosed varietal bottling is very typical of the Viognier grapes grown at Frogtown. Relatively high in Brix, almost 24.5 Brix, this wine has a lovely glycerin quality that coats your mouth with lovely flavors of melon, honey, kiwi fruit, peach, with an overlaying citrus character. Yum! Try this Viognier with spicy Asian foods or Sushi.

All White Citizens will receive a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost of these wines. With the addition of sales tax results in a cost for pick-up of this All White shipment of $69.58 and the addition of $12.00 shipping results in a cost of these wines shipped of $79.58.

Cydney and I wish the very best to all our wonderful Citizens!!!!

Craig

Dear Frogtown Citizen:

National and International Recognition

As difficult a year as this has been for farming grapes on Georgia’s Dahlonega Plateau (see topic immediately below), the national and international recognition Frogtown received has made 2013 a most extraordinary and rewarding year. At the beginning of this year, I had no idea that:

(i) Frogtown would be designated a Super Star in the new publication American Wines by Jancis Robinson and Linda Murphy released in January 2013; and

(ii) I would be included as one of the 100 Most Influential U.S. Winemakers by Michael Cervin in his INTOWINE.COM Article (http://www.intowine.com/top-100-most-influential-us-winemakers)

Yes, even more extraordinary and rewarding by a wide margin than the 2 Silver Medals (2002 Frogtown Propaganda and 2002 Frogtown Touché) and one Bronze Medal (2002 Frogtown Tannat) Frogtown received in the 2004 San Francisco International Wine Competition (Frogtown’s second year of winemaking) and achieving the distinction, since 2010, as one of the most, if not the most, awarded winery, not located in the State of California, in Major U. S. Commercial Wine Competitions (mostly California competitions).

2013 Weather and Vineyard Conditions.

From January 1, 2013 through August 22, 2013, Frogtown’s vineyard received over 72 inches of rain, a good portion of which was received after bud break. This amount of rainfall results in over twice the amount for this period ever received by Frogtown since the inception of grape growing in 1999. It rained almost every day in May, June, July, and the beginning of August. Challenging is an understatement. Every day our vineyard mission was simply to focus our efforts in keeping Frogtown’s vine canopies open and as free of disease as possible until weather conditions improved in order to ripen Frogtown’s 2013 fruit. As the saying goes, hope springs internal. But just hoping was not the recipe for success in 2013. It took a herculean effort by our vineyard staff and an expenditure of twice the amount Frogtown usually experiences in the cost of spray materials to keep the vineyard in good condition and benefit from the change in the weather pattern which commenced on August 23, 2013, the day the constant barrage of daily rain stopped. From August 23, through the date of these Winemaker Notes, Frogtown vineyard received only 3.05 inches of rain. From August 23 to September 20, Frogtown received just 0.24 inches of rain!!!! These 28 days of virtually no rain, coupled with a very good fruit set, has virtually made (saved) the 2013 vintage. On September 21 and September 24 Frogtown received 1.08 and 0.19 inches of rain without much affect, but on September 25, 1.54 inches of rain fell on Frogtown as a moderate setback. If my friends in California received 2.81 inches of rain immediately before or during harvest their cries of anguish would be heard all the way to Georgia from California.

Completing this weather report, no rain has been received since September 25 and the weather going into the first week of October looks very favorable.

In addition to all the rain, 2013 spring and summer in North Georgia has been one of the coolest periods ever recorded.

So what is the bottom line on this 2013 vintage?

2013 is a year that will mature fruit at lower Brix than normal, but other quality parameters, including fruit flavor (lack of vegetal character), acid and skin and seed development are in fine balance. I think we have a very good vintage in progress, with the distinct possibility of a number of excellent gold medal wines.

Commencement of Harvest 2013

Harvest commenced on September 16; nearly two weeks later than normal.

The 2013 Vintage will be the “poster child” for what I have said for years: I can make Frogtown quality terroir wines from hydrated, relatively low Brix grapes; but I cannot make Frogtown quality terroir wines from grapes that lack ripeness and possess vegetal flavors. Georgia’s Dahlonega Plateau, being the southern most viticultural area on the East Coast, has again delivered us ripe succulent fruit in a most difficult vintage. It will now be up to me to apply the winemaking protocols Frogtown developed over the last 12 years to complete the journey to award-winning wines.
In my December 2013 Winemakers Notes I will review the 2013 harvest in more detail.

Tidbit of Interest About our Federal Government

The TTB, the Federal Agency that is part of Home Land Security (the old federal alcohol and tobacco agency became part of the Department of Home Land Security), requires all wine labels to be approved prior to sale. During the last year, as a result of the design modifications to our labels, Cydney has been submitting and obtaining label approval for what is now 28 Frogtown labeled wines. While this process has been progressing well, I mentioned to Cydney to include on the back of one of the new labels “absolutely no sugar is added to our finished wines.” The TTB rejected our application and refused to approve this label. Since the design and wording of this label was the same for labels previously approved other than the above wording, Cydney asked the TTB why the label was not approved. The explanation from the TTB was that the wording: “absolutely no sugar is added to our finished wines” is disparaging to other wineries that do add sugar to their finished wines. Wow! My almost 30 years of practicing law says: jump all over that. My 14 years of grape growing and wine makings says: most interesting.

Adelaida.

As many of you know, Cydney and I have been investigating and searching for California vineyard land to purchase and develop. Knowing me, Cydney agreed that having a California vineyard would facilitate us visiting, on a more consistent basis, the most beautiful and absolutely the most talented Winemaker in California and to continue our efforts to thoroughly spoil this Winemaker’s two beautiful and enchanting young daughters.

Along the way, my aforesaid Winemaking daughter, Jordan, introduced me to Daniel Daou a winemaker and winery owner in Paso Robles. Daniel and I have become very good friends. Knowing of my interest, Daniel offered to sell me a parcel he and his wife Robin purchased for their home and the development of a 25-acre vineyard. This parcel was purchase by Daniel and Robin after Daniel began the development of Daou Vineyards and Winery in the Adelaida section of Paso Robles (possibly, soon to be a separate Paso Robles AVA). This 50-acre parcel, also located in the Adelaida section of Paso Robles, is now under contract to Cydney and me. More about this expansion of Frogtown and Adelaida grape growing in future Winemaker Notes.

The world of winemaking is really small. Daniel Daou and a number of the winemakers I judge with at the Winemakers Challenge Competition in San Diego are also included in Michael Cervin’s list of the 100 Most Influential U.S. Winemakers.

What Wines to Expect in the Coming Months

All of the Frogtown Red wines we are going to produce in 2010 and the remaining 2011 and 2012 Frogtown White wines have been bottled during this calendar year and will be ready for release. The December 2013, February 2014, and May 2014 Wine Club shipments will be fulfilled from these wines. Such wines include:

Red Wines

2010 Frogtown Touché
2010 Frogtown Intensity
Frogtown NV Applause, Second SO
2010 Frogtown Bravado
Frogtown Shotgun NV, Third Reload
2010 Frogtown Norton
2010 Frogtown Disclosure Merlot
2010 Frogtown Touriga
2010 Frogtown Reserve Tannat
2010 Frogtown Sangiovese

White Wines

2012 Frogtown Vineaux Blanc
2012 Frogtown Petit Manseng
2012 Frogtown Sauvignon Blanc
2012 Frogtown Disclosure Steel Chardonnay
2011 Frogtown Family Reserve Chardonnay
2011 Frogtown Viognier

The 2010 Frogtown Sangiovese has been previously released and included as one of the wines in this Shipment. The 2011 Frogtown Reserve Chardonnay is the first time Frogtown has bottled a white wine under a Reserve designation. This Chardonnay was fermented and aged in 5+ year-old neutral oak barrels for 18 months. This is my style of Chardonnay, very Burgundian, with slight nuances of oak and 100% malolactic fermentation. Our 2002 Frogtown Chardonnay was also made in a Burgundian style. From 2003 though 2010, our Barrel fermented Chardonnay’s have been made in a California style in 100% new French oak. It will be interesting to hear your comments on this Reserve Chardonnay.

The 2010 Frogtown Reserve Tannat is the first bottling of a Tannat varietal as a Reserve designation.

The 2010 Frogtown Intensity is a new label containing the Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon (49%), Petit Verdot (22%), and Malbec (29%). This is a Medoc, Cabernet Sauvignon dominant, Bordeaux style wine in contrast to our Frogtown Propaganda, a Pomerol, Merlot dominant, Bordeaux style wine. Petit Verdot and Malbec were later plantings at Frogtown. I am very pleased with this our first Frogtown Intensity.

Being a “Bordeaux Guy”, if you think of our recent 2009 Reserve Cabernet Franc as a Cabernet Franc dominant, Saint Émilion, Bordeaux style wine, we now have made red wines in the style of the Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Medoc, the Merlot dominant Pomerol, and the Cabernet Franc dominant Saint Émilion.

2013 Harvest Day with Craig. What happened on the 21st of September? IT RAINED! Our Citizens picked Marsanne and Roussanne grapes IN THE RAIN. Actually, SINGING IN THE RAIN. It was fun and no one seemed concerned about the rain. Saturday was a full day of picking grapes, processing grapes, and lots of wonderful food (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and, of course, wine. Knowing rain was coming, I picked 9 tons of Sangiovese the day before Harvest Day. So the 1.8 tons of Marsanne and Roussanne plus the 9 tons of Sangiovese kept us busy. On Sunday we had another Harvest Day with Craig, harvesting .7 tons of Moscato grapes. We kept these grapes in cold storage until Monday when we harvested the rest of the Moscato and processed all the Moscato grapes. Since Harvest Day 2013 was a relatively small harvest of 2.5 tons in total, I decided to contribute $500.00 to the Wounded Warriors Project instead of the smaller amount resulting from the normal contribution of two dollars for each harvested bucket of grapes. Through your efforts, Harvest Day with Craig has resulted in over $2,000.00 to date being contributed to the Wounded Warriors Project.

Wines Included in this Shipment.

All Red Citizens will receive a bottle of the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ($33.99), a bottle of the 2008 Frogtown Touriga Nacional ($35.99), and a bottle of the 2010 Frogtown Sangiovese ($20.99). The following is information on the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2008 Touriga:

2009 Frogtown Cabernet Sauvignon. 2009 was an unusual vintage at Frogtown. The year was very rainy at bud break and fruit set. Because of the early rain the decision was made to drop over one-half of the set fruit in May and June. The weather then cleared for July, August and the first 15 days in September. As a result of the lighter fruit load on our vines, all our fruit was harvested by September 15th with the exception of the Cabernet Sauvignon. We then experienced over 20 inches of rain from the 16th till the 25th of September. The Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested over the last 5 days in September. It really was somewhat of a surprise (perhaps “miracle”) that the Cabernet Sauvignon developed so well in barrel. Our 2009 Cabernet wine became a major blending partner in the 2009 Frogtown Propaganda, the 2009 Frogtown Audacity, Applause, First Standing Ovation, and the wonderful 2009 Frogtown Petit Verdot. The remaining Cabernet Sauvignon became this varietal bottling which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Bottled after 36 months in oak, we have waited over a year since bottling to release this 2009 Frogtown Cabernet. Not yet submitted to any competition.

2008 Frogtown Touriga Nacional. The last of the varietals bottled from the 2008 vintage. This Touriga spent 30 months in oak and almost 2 years in the bottle before this release. In June of this year, our 2008 Frogtown Touriga received a Gold Medal at the 2013 Critics Challenge International, San Diego California. This is a great bottle of wine. On the nose you will experience complex aromas of violets and flowers. In your mouth, from the front palate through the long lingering velvet finish, you will then experience complex powerful deep full-bodied dark berry flavors on the palate.

The regular retail cost of these wines, without sales tax is $90.97. All red Citizens will receive a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost of these wines to $72.77 before sales tax. The addition of sales tax results in a cost for pick-up of $77.86 and the addition of $12.00 shipping results in a cost for these wines shipped of $89.86.

Mixed Red and White Citizens are receiving a bottle of our 2009 Frogtown Cabernet Sauvignon ($33.99), a bottle of our 2008 Frogtown Touriga ($35.99), referred to above, and a bottle of the 2011 Frogtown Sauvignon Gris ($19.99). As compared to other Frogtown Sauvignon Gris bottled in the past, the 2011 Frogtown Sauvignon Gris contains 15% Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The addition of the Sauvignon Blanc grapes to this Sauvignon Gris labeled wine results in a more elegant, complex white wine but with the intensity of the Sauvignon Gris grape. This 2011 Frogtown Sauvignon Gris received a Silver Medal at the 2013 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

The regular retail cost of these wines, without sales tax is $89.97. Mixed Citizens will receive a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost of these wines to $71.97 before sales tax. The addition of sales tax results in a cost for pick-up of $77.01 and the addition of $12.00 shipping results in a cost for these wines shipped of $89.01.

All White Citizens are receiving a bottle of our 2011 Frogtown MRV ($24.99), a bottle of the 2009 Frogtown Viognier ($24.99), and a bottle of the 2009 Frogtown Roussanne ($20.99).
This All White shipment is an all-Rhone Valley white wine shipment. Would have loved to have included the three-time Gold Medal winning 2009 Marsanne, but our Citizens have purchased the last bottle of this Marsanne long ago. I recently tasted the 2009 Roussanne and 2009 Viognier and believe these bottles have never tasted better. The MRV is a deep colored white wine due to its 18-month aging in neutral oak. Although deep in color, this wine is without any oxidized aromas or flavors.

The regular retail cost of these wines, without sales tax is $70.97. All White Citizens will receive a discount of 20% to reduce the Citizen cost of these wines to $56.77 before sales tax. The addition of sales tax results in a cost for pick-up of $60.74 and the addition of $12.00 shipping results in a cost of these wines shipped of $72.74

With Best Wishes to all our Citizens, Craig