Greetings from the vineyard!
Winter has arrived and the vineyard is at rest. With the 2024 vintage in barrel, our pace also slows a bit, allowing us time to reflect upon the bigger picture and why we do what we do. Strategic planning is an imperative in any worthwhile endeavor and it is no different here at Pence.
How can we do better and what commitment will that require?
A Commitment to Excellence
With Sashi Moorman having taken charge of vineyard operations for the 2024 growing season, we witnessed further evolution in quality and a corresponding reduction in yields. In the winery, we have furthered our investment in the very finest equipment and have dramatically upgraded our cooperage. These qualitative changes have made a profound impact upon the wines, with the 2024 vintage being heralded as the best ever. Unfortunately, it will also be the scarcest, especially with respect to our flagships, Unum and Rosa.
The Importance of Ageability
Most Members are probably sick of hearing me pontificate on the importance of ageability in evaluating the quality of any wine. Unfortunately, you are going to hear it yet again, and this time with even more emphasis. While I have literally begged our Members to cellar some portion of their Pence wine allocations, doing so is a commitment of space and other resources that may seem more of a luxury than a necessity. While such pragmatism is fully understandable, as enology fanatics we feel obligated to present our wines at their best.
At the same time, as our block specific, Penny Labels have evolved, we have recognized the need for extended elevage in order to bring out the very best characteristics that make these wines so special. While some wines, especially blends, can be bottled fresh, other more complex cuvees require greater patience to reach their potential either in barrel or after bottling. To meet demand, we have heretofore adhered to a typical release schedule, but for us to produce the absolute best wine possible, we must exercise more patience.
Introducing Our Library Release
Fortunately, we have known this for some time and have planned accordingly. To wit, for the past ten years we have been quietly cellaring vintages for you, building a library of perfectly aged bottles that can be enjoyed in the glory of their full maturity. Thus, our first shipment of each year will now become the Library Release, featuring wines that have been cellared here under ideal conditions since their bottling. And the best part is you won’t hear me begging you to hold them longer (though in fact you can and probably should do so with at least a few of them).
Refining Our Focus on Flagship Wines
As we further embrace quality over all other considerations, we have focused on the production of our very best wines and in fewer quantities. With our Penny Labels routinely scoring in the mid to upper nineties, it is imperative that we make every effort to bring them to iconic status, as wines you will be proud to collect and share with friends and family. To do so requires even more intense focus on our flagship Pinot Noir and Chardonnay cuvees, with less emphasis on Gamay, Syrah and Grenache.
Enhancements to Your Club Shipments
As a result, your other two shipments, Spring and Fall, will be of higher quality than ever before. Having eliminated what few scheduling compromises previously existed, each new release will include only those wines that are in perfect condition for your enjoyment (or cellaring). Of course, all shipments will remain customizable, so any individual preferences can be easily accommodated.
Limited Allocations of Unum & Rosa
As mentioned previously, quantities of Unum and Rosa have become even more limited, forcing us to create a separate allocation program for these two iconic wines. While we fully intend to make them available to our loyal Monopole and Lieu Diet Members, we will not be able to guarantee access to everyone. Please be assured that we will keep you abreast of our progress in this regard and you will have ample notice of this pending allocation.
A Special Library Allocation
As to the current Library allocation, you are in for a real treat! Depending upon your membership level, you are receiving a selection of some of the best wines we have ever produced. Spanning the vintages from 2015 to 2021, each offering has been tasted by our Somme team and determined to be at or very close to its optimal window for enjoyment. That said, none of the wines are near their late stages of maturity and can easily be cellared longer.
A Thank You to Our Members
Finally, as a thank you to you, our best customers, for this shipment we are honoring the same discount you normally receive on current vintage wines for these special Library Selections. As you probably know, such discounts normally do not apply to Library wines when offered in the tasting room; however, we want you to fully embrace this evolution in our programming and the value it represents. It is our way of expressing our deep appreciation for you being such loyal customers and advocates for the Pence brand.
Enjoy these bottles and please let us know how you pair them with your favorite cuisine. We are fervent believers in the marriage of food and wine, and are always looking to learn of new and interesting combinations.
In vino veritas,
Blair Pence