In
2017 when the opportunity to produce Tempranillo from Ann Kraemer’s Shake Ridge
Ranch presented itself, we jumped at the chance to make wine from the finest
grapes grown in Amador County. Ann’s vineyard is nestled in the hills five
miles east of Sutter Creek. The thought, precision, and love Ann put into her Shake
Ridge Ranch vineyard is unmistakable; it radiates from the vines and then into the
wines. Planted in 2003, this forty-six-acre
vineyard is testimony to Ann’s attention to detail. Each block is specifically laid out to match
the topography with the grape variety; clone, rootstock, row orientation and
trellis design. All aspects of vineyards
design are specific to each individual block.
The elevation of Shake Ridge Ranch, 1,650-1,810 ft., gets the grapes up
out of the heat of the San Joaquin Valley and a bit closer to the sun and in
doing so allows the fruit to develop more color and depth than grapes grown in
vineyards on the valley floor. This
translates into a more substantial Tempranillo with darker pigments and more
extract. We chose to add a small
quantity of Graciano (also from Ann’s vineyard) to help lift the acid and add
depth to the wine’s color.
