For Immediate Release
CLARBEC Cabernet Sauvignon Launched Today at New Insectary on Sonoma Valley’s Historic Glen Oaks Ranch
Jenkins Family of Madrone Vineyard Management Releases First Wine and Shows Off New Insectary and Certified Sustainable Vineyard
(Glen Ellen, Calif. – March 17, 2008) – In a stand of oaks that has overlooked a historic home on Glen Oaks Ranch since the mid-1800s, Becky
Jenkins of Clarbec, Inc. took a group of local wine industry leaders on a tour of a new insectary today in celebration of the company’s
premiere wine offering, an estate bottled CLARBEC™ 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Made by renowned winemaker Tom Montgomery, the 2005 vintage is well extracted with aromas of plum, cherry and black currant. Surrounded by a complex bouquet of French oak, anise, mint and a hint of herb, CLARBEC 2005 Glen Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels before the first public tasting held today. The Glen Oaks Ranch vineyard contains deep, alluvial soils that drain well and are capable of producing remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
“After custom farming sustainable vineyards in Sonoma County for more than 30 years, Clarence and I decided it was time to use the grapes we
planted in 2000 for Joan Cochran on Glen Oaks Ranch to make a wine the way we wanted it made —from vine to wine,” said Becky Jenkins, CFO of Clarbec, Inc., as well as a partner in her husband Clarence’s Madrone Vineyard Management. “Clarence knows how to manage a vineyard to its
maximum potential, and has produced tons of high quality grapes in the Sonoma area. With CLARBEC, we just took the next logical step: making
an exceptional wine from vineyards that have been farmed sustainably and responsibly by our family.”
The insectary, constructed this fall as part of an on-going sustainable farm development plan, starts at the top of the hill behind the old
stone home and winds through a stand of oaks down a trail through the vineyard. The idea behind an insectary is to attract beneficial insects
that will in turn discourage the kinds of pests that would harm the vineyard, thereby reducing the need for any type of chemical application for insects. Master Gardener Linda Hale, a long-time vineyard manager for Madrone Vineyard Management, designed the beautiful gardens. The
insectary is just one of many reasons the Glen Oaks vineyard has been certified sustainable by the Stellar Certification Services, a division
of Demeter USA.
The grapes for this wine represent the first Cabernet Sauvignon vintage from Glen Oaks Ranch, once owned by General Mariano Vallejo and later
by Ellen Stuart, followed by Joan Cochran -- two of the area’s historically influential women. The 2005 Cabernet was presented to the local
wine community on this site to emphasize the Sonoma County legacy, as well as the sustainable farming techniques that have reinvigorated a
historic landmark.
Although records indicate that at least one vineyard was planted on Glen Oaks in its early history by Ellen Stuart’s husband, the existing
vineyards were not planted until 2000 when Joan Cochran gave her friend Becky Jenkins the go-ahead for Madrone Vineyard Management to plant
the vines. The property was left to the Sonoma Land Trust in 2002, but rights were given to Becky and Clarence to manage the vineyards for 29
years with the right to renew the agreement in perpetuity.
“Clarence and I were asked to plant these vineyards by Joan because she knew precisely how we felt about sustainability, as well as our
personal integrity in land stewardship,” said Becky Jenkins. “We will work closely with the Sonoma Land Trust to protect and preserve this
historic property for future generations, even as walking trails and other properties are developed around Glen Oaks.”
The outstanding wine is a direct result of winemaker and farmer working hand in hand to coax the maximum potential out of the grape. The 2005
CLARBEC Glen Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon costs $34 per bottle. Only 350 cases were produced, and considering the exceptional quality of the wine, the limited bottling should ensure any investment potential. Wine may only be ordered through the Web site at www.clarbecwines.com.
|
