Jeff Cohn Cellars, The First Date 2017, CA

This full-bodied, oaked Grenache Blanc-Roussanne blend is rich with butter and baking spice aromas, along with ripe tropical fruit and honey. The palate is concentrated with roasted nuts and stone fruit, with a long finish.

COUNTRY: USA

STATE: California

APPELLATION (AVA): California

REGION(S): Santa Ynez Valley, Napa

VINEYARD(S): Camp 4 Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley (Grenache Blanc), Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa (Roussanne)

VINTAGE: 2017

GRAPES: 60% Grenache Blanc, 40% Roussanne

PRACTICE: Organic; sustainable

VINIFICATION: Whole cluster pressed. Grenache blanc fermented and aged in 30% New French oak (300L) and 30% concrete egg. Roussanne fermented and aged in 30% New French oak (300L). Full malolactic fermentation. Wines stirred every two weeks, bottled after 11 months.

STYLE: Still

COLOR: Bright gold

BODY: Full

TASTE: Dry

PRIMARY AROMAS: Butter, vanilla, baking spice, lemon, ginger, pineapple, mango, honey, lanolin, and beeswax

FLAVOR: Butter, toasted baguette, marzipan, roasted nuts, allspice, ginger cookies, peaches, apricots, freshly cut Honeycrisp apples

FORMAT: 750 ml

ALCOHOL: 15%

SERVICE AND FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTION: Serve slightly chilled. Pair with pork tenderloin, with a sautéed stone fruit and butter sauce.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Jeff Cohn

Jeff Cohn was born in Maryland and got his associate degree in Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University and a bachelors in Hospitality Management at Florida International University. He worked in hospitality before discovering wine. After interning at Boordy Vineyards in Maryland, he went to California where he got a MS is Agricultural Chemistry at Fresno State, where he specialized in Enology. He worked at Rosenblum Cellars for 10 years, working his way up to VP of Winemaking and Production, before starting Jeff Cohn Cellars in 1996. 

Jeff maintains a Rhône-centric philosophy to winemaking, and believes that good wine starts in the vineyard. He works with passionate growers with organic and sustainable practices in order to produce the best fruit. 

ABOUT THE VINEYARDS: Camp 4 Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley, Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa

Camp 4 Vineyard

“Camp 4 is just west of the Happy Canyon area, within the sunny interior of the Santa Ynez Valley. The vineyard was planted by the late Fess Parker in 1999. It consists of 256 acres of vines spread across gently rolling terrain, with beautiful valley oaks dotted throughout. Today the vineyard is owned by the Santa Ynez Chumash tribe, which purchased the property back in 2010. Though it can be quite warm in this locale, the mushrooming hot air further inland pulls the cooler ocean air over this area during the evening. The vines express the sunshine of the area while maintaining freshness and mineral cut.” (ojaivineyard.com)

Stagecoach Vineyard

“Originally planted in the late 1800’s, Stagecoach Vineyard® was brought to glory by Dr. Jan Krupp who began redeveloping it in the mid-1990s beginning with the removal of 1 billion pounds of volcanic rock. Today, this sustainably farmed vineyard is the largest contiguous vineyard in the Napa Valley as well as one of the most well-known in the Atlas Peak AVA. Soaring 1631-ft. elevation with volcanic red and yellow clay loam, and Hambright fractured decomposed rock. The region of the vineyard where I source the Marsanne and Roussanne is dominated by the typical red volcanic soils of Stagecoach, but what makes the area unique is its enormous quantities of flat rock, which provide exceptional drainage to the hillside blocks.

“The Atlas Peak region has significantly less marine influence than the rest of the vineyard and has more shelter from the valley breezes, warming the region early in the morning and retaining the heat throughout the day making it the warmest growing region of Stagecoach Vineyard.

“And then there is its fruit. The consistently stunning color is largely due to its elevation above the fog line, where the vineyard is exposed to more sunlight throughout the year. As a result, the fruit is dominated by classic ‘mountainside’ characteristics, with big tannins and extremely complex flavors. While Cab. Sauv. is the primary varietal grown, its Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier are unmatched in their depth and complexity. I source here purely and simply for the minerality, roundness, and depth that the vineyard offers to my beloved Rhône white varietals.” (jeffcohncellars.com)