We spent some time in the bunker today dissecting the Chardonnay and Malvasia Bianca from our Southern Arizona Vineyards with one goal in mind… To come up with the first CADUCEUS white release. And I believe we have it. 2008 was a tough year for the Malvasia. Lots of rain right at harvest left us with a bit of a Botrytis character in the free run. And the mid palate and finish wasn’t as impressive as it had been in previous years. Herein lies the challenge of winemaker ego vs terroir. We want it to great no matter what, but at the same time we want to allow the year and the land tell their story. If we get out of the way and allow each year to express itself individually, there may be less impressive years. Consistency is the backbone of solid commerce, but the ups and downs are the backbone of art and expression. On paper, we can boast that we would choose the art over the commerce, but when faced with the decision it’s a bit harder to make. Unless you’re as crazy as we are. Fuck it. Rejoice and express our gratitude to Mother Nature for the great years, and learn what we can from the difficult and questionable years. Also… Had a few people grumble when I spoke of an Arizona Chardonnay. They felt that since everyone has a Chard, why bother? And to this question I ask another… Have you ever had an ARIZONA Chardonnay? Most likely the answer is no. A Cab Sav from California is a far cry from a Cab Sav from France, Italy, Australia, etc… Try a few AZ Chards.