Fulcrum Wines makes several small production Pinot Noirs that are awesome to drink and I highly recommend them.

2010 Winter Newsletter: 

The 2008s are on the Way

A note from the Winemaker

This is our first newsletter since the summer and we have a lot to share with you.  Along with the stellar 2008s being just a few months from release, we have vineyards changing names, a new brand of Pinot at a great price, tips on saving money on shipping, and updates on events.  We usually like to keep our newsletters a bit shorter than most, but this one will be pretty robust.  So let’s get going.

David

Split Rock is now called Gap’s Crown Vineyard

If you loved our 2007 Split Rock Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast, don’t worry we still have it, but in 2008 the name is changed to Gap’s Crown Vineyard.  You see, in 2007 we purchased the grapes for this wine through a broker who didn’t have the trademark rights to use the vineyard’s true name (Gap’s Crown).  In 2008, we directly contracted with the owners of Gap’s Crown Vineyard and so we now can use this property’s real name.

With this contract we have better control over the farming in our vineyard blocks and the ability to grow our purchases in this special site as we grow.  The 2008 is a perfect follow up to our 2007 bottling which was so in demand and garnered too many 90+ scores to mention.

To find out more about Gap’s Crown Vineyard click here to go to our website description.

The Fulcrum 2008 Pinot Noirs to be Released

With all of the praise lavished upon the 2007 Vintage, can 2008 be better? The answer: In some cases yes and in some cases no. 2008 was a warmer growing season in Sonoma, so our Gap’s Crown and Tina Marie (Russian River) Vineyards are delivering on ripe flavors and a tiny bit more alcohol.  I would say that these wines rival the 2007s and for many on our list these will be preferred.  However, lower alcohols can be found in the Santa Lucia Highlands where our new On Point bottling is from.  The heat was not nearly as pronounced and we had time to hang fruit for 2-3 more weeks and still create wines under 14% alc.  More on the On Point Pinot later in the newsletter.

2008 in California’s Anderson Valley was biblical.  Low precipitation over the winter, then frosts in the spring, followed by fires in the summer.  All we needed were locusts to really add that old testament flair.  So how are the wines? The Fulcrum 2008 Anderson Valley is a beautiful wine with elegance and restraint.  Unfortunately due to the low crop loads caused by the frosts we could only make 75 cases of it. 

Here is Fulcrum’s 2008 line up of Pinot Noirs (you can click on the names and go directly to our website to get all the details):

Fulcrum Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Sonoma Coast- A bold expression of California Pinot Noir that offers excellent structure and complexity. 100 cases made.  $54.00

Fulcrum Tina Marie Vineyard, Russian River-  Classic Russian River spice with layer upon layer of flavors, but elegant and refined. 125 cases made. $48.00

Fulcrum Anderson Valley- Dusty strawberry, cranberry and pomegranate finishing with minerality.  A seemless wine. 75 cases made. $52.00

On Point Santa Lucia Highlands- Aromas of forest, eucalyptus, and bramble lead into fresh flavors of cherry and finish with a softness that makes this very easy to drink. 150 cases made. $28.00

As members of the mailing list you are able to buy the wines pre-release.  We will send out an offer in the next few weeks.  Look for it!

Introducing On Point Pinot Noir!

Our On Point Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir is brand new and offers quite a bang for the buck.  We wanted to offer a Pinot Noir in a price tier below our Fulcrum bottlings for people, shops, and restaurants that are seeking great Pinot, but below $30.00.  This is not an easy task since we insisted on making the wine the only way we know how. In a word expensively. 

• Sourced from grapes from Tondre’s Grapefield and Doctor’s Vineyard, the same amazing grapes that go into $40 and $50 vineyard designated Pinots from Morgan, Cima Colina, Sonnet and others.
• All French oak, 40% new.
• 14 months of barrel aging with 6 months bottle aging.

The On Point name is again tied to the Fulcrum principal of balance.  This wine strikes that balance with an explosive nose and medium weight that finishes clean and soft.  Like every wine we make we want to "Wow" you.  At $28.00 for members we think we’ll do it.

Shipping Smart: Minimizing your per-bottle cost

Part of buying small production wines like Fulcrum comes with the cost of shipping.  We are always looking for ways to cut our cost and pass that on to you, but there are several things to keep in mind when ordering that will help keep your costs to a minimum.

• Order in quantities of 3, 6, 9 or 12 bottles.  Due to fixed costs, we charge the same to ship 1 bottle as 3 and the same for 4 bottles as 6.  See our shipping rate section in our store and you’ll see how it works
• If you really only want 1 or 2 bottles wait until the holiday season when we usually have a offer for free shipping. While this isn’t as big a savings when buying 3 or more bottles, it is a huge savings on a couple bottles. Perfect for when you send gifts or for a special gift for yourself.
• Contact us via email to find out if there is a local retailer near you carrying Fulcrum.  We are too small to be broadly distributed, but we now have distributors in 12 states and there is a chance that a small shop near you may have a couple bottles.  This may be cheaper than ordering one bottle and paying for shipping.

Tasting Fulcrum and Keeping in Touch

Fulcrum will be pouring at events in San Fran, Sonoma, Atlantic City, Chicago, and more.  We are always adding events so keep checking the Event section of our website to find out where we will be next.

If you are on Facebook or Twitter become a fan and you’ll get the latest insights, dates, and information throughout the year.

Finally we love to hear from you via phone or email and you can always call us 732-610-9602 or email us at Christinna@fulcrumwines.com or David@fulcrumwines.com with any questions or comments.

Thanks again and we’ll be talking to you soon before we release the 2008s.

Cheers,

David and Christinna

http://www.FulcrumWines.com