2022 WineSmith Cellars Tannat, Heringer Vineyards, Yolo County
I was trained on winemaking techniques by the great Patrick Ducournau in Madiran, a small appellation in southwest France in sight of the Pyrenees which specializes in Tannat. He invented the technique of micro-oxygenation to tame the tannins of this extraordinary grape, which can have three times the tannin of Cabernet Sauvignon. His hunch that the wine was starved for oxygen proved correct, and the technique is similar to conching chocolate, which the Aztecs discovered converts cocoa into chocolate.
I was delighted to find a rare planting of this little-known grape in Clarksburg, California. It was even more astonishing to discover how oily and feminine the Tannat wines from this special vineyard proved to be. Generally, Tannat needs several years to soften and open, yet here we are, just 23 months after vintage, bottling a highly drinkable wine with round, voluptuous mouthfeel.
The nose is instantly alluring. These generous and approachable tannins support intriguing aromas of tar, violets and sweet fennel. Its weight and authority tempt one to pair it with peppered steak, but I think the natives of Madiran are right to suggest that it is at its best with grilled duck breast. Check out my cooking show, Gracious Living in the Time of Corona, for tips on preparing duck.
Specs
Vineyard Location: Heringer Estate Vineyards
Clarksburg, Yolo County experimental planting
Harvest Date: 27 September 2022
Harvest Sugar: 21.9 Brix
Fermentation techniques
100% crush/destem
Lalvin D80 yeast inoculum
7 gm/L untoasted Alliers chips, air seasoned 2 yrs
Elevage details
Micro-oxygenated pre-ML at 90 mg/L/month
Malolactic fermentation in barrel
Neutral French oak aged 23 months
TA 6.7 g/L
pH 3.56 at bottling
Alcohol 13.4%
121 cases produced
Bottling Date: July 26, 2025
What’s Included
4-bottles:
4x - 2022 WineSmith Cellars Tannat, Heringer Vineyards, Yolo County
Case:
12x - 2022 WineSmith Cellars Tannat, Heringer Vineyards, Yolo County
Clark Smith is an MIT drop-out who wandered out to California in 1972 and sold wine retail in the Bay Area for several years, where he acquired a love of Bordeaux, Burgundy and all things French and observed first hand the California winery explosion in the 1970s. After a three year stint at Veedercrest Vineyards, he secured enology training at UC Davis and spent the 1980s as founding winemaker for The R.H. Phillips Vineyard in Yolo County. In 1990, he founded WineSmith Consulting and patented a group of new winemaking techniques involving reverse osmosis, spinning off Vinovation, which went on to become the world’s largest wine production consulting firm over its 17-year history.
Frustrated with California’s winemaking trends, Clark started WineSmith Cellars in 1993 as a teaching winery to make Eurocentric wines to explore traditions beyond the mainstream, expanding for his winemaking clients the range of possibility for California fruit. Choosing to create long-term partnerships with committed growers rather than growing his own grapes, Clark has become an renowned expert on Cabernet Franc, having vinified twenty vintages from a wide variety of sites.
Teaching at Napa Valley College gave him access to the Student Vineyard for Faux Chablis and his Pauillac-style $100 “Crucible” Cabernet Sauvignon. From Renaissance Vineyards in North Yuba County he has made a sulfite-free Roman Syrah and also produces a Pinot Noir from Fiddlestix Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills in a delicate, age-worthy Côtes de Beaune style. These wines are vinified in an ancient beat-up warehouse in Sebastopol, California.
WineSmith wines are noted for their longevity, classic balance, structural integrity, minerality and understated soulfulness. They often are aged extensively prior to release. When drinking a WineSmith wine, always ask yourself “What is this wine trying to teach me?” Clark is a vocal advocate of living soil and graceful longevity, and generally avoids excessive oak, alcohol, or extended hang-time. He is not shy about employing new tools when they are needed, such as alcohol adjustment to bring fruit into balance or micro-oxygenation to build refined structure, but always fully discloses techniques which are controversial and is outspoken in explaining his rationale.
His book, Postmodern Winemaking, is the culmination of four decades of reflection on wine’s true nature.
Available States
AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
WineSmith Cellars Tannat
2022 WineSmith Cellars Tannat, Heringer Vineyards, Yolo County
Specs
Fermentation techniques
Elevage details
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$307.20/Case of 12x - 2022 WineSmith Cellars Tannat, Heringer Vineyards, Yolo County at WineSmith Cellars
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Oct 19 - Thursday, Oct 22