The Mariner represents a new
vision and philosophy from our winemaking
team. This is a wine that will define us for
years to come. The story of how we got to
this point in our history is almost as
exciting as the wine itself.
Five years ago, Dry Creek
Vineyard reached a crossroad. Competition in
the wine industry had exploded with new
brands, from all parts of the globe,
entering the American market almost daily.
It was evident that we needed to restructure
our business to meet this new reality.
Fortunately, we were able to recruit a
highly skilled
winemaking team that would
allow us to produce the kind of wines we
wanted to make. One objective that came
forth from our planning sessions with
winemaking was our desire to create a new
Meritage blend and give it a proprietary
name. Perhaps one of our biggest strengths
is our knowledge of the unique terroir of
the Dry Creek Valley. That is, our
experience with Dry Creek Valley’s soil,
climate, and vineyard diversity allows us to
choose the best fruit from the best
vineyards. The essence of that knowledge is
how The Mariner came to fruition.
As our (then new)
winemaking team got to know our winery, it
was apparent that a new blend could be
realized with some changes in our cellar and
vineyards. For example, a new bottling line,
new French oak barrels, and a new filtration
system were added. In the vineyard, special
"blocks" were identified as new vineyard
plantings came online. After several
vintages, our new Meritage blend began to
take shape. We gave the
wine a name –
The Mariner – which
seemed
appropriate given our
love of the sea. Like a mariner, a winemaker
has to do the same – navigate his or her way
through a given vintage. (The poem on the
front of the label by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow mirrors the plight of a mariner
and a winemaker. There is a symbiotic
relationship between the two.)
And so finally, the wine has arrived and is
ready to be released. A blend of all five noble
Bordeaux
varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot)
The Mariner
has a wonderful sense of depth and
complexity. This is partly due to how the
blend was put together. First, individual
lots in our vineyards were harvested
separately and put in French oak barrels for
aging. After nine months, a base blend of
Cabernet and Merlot was established. Then,
small percentages of Cabernet Franc, Malbec,
and Petit Verdot were added to enhance the
final blend. The wine was then put back into
French oak for an additional 18 months.
This, coupled with our enhanced vineyard
sources, has created a wine with incredible
personality and structure. Certainly, it is
a wine that will age for 10 years or more.
We hope you enjoy The Mariner as much as we
do. It’s an exciting time at Dry Creek
Vineyard, and the journey is only just
beginning.
