Media Kit
https://jlwoodwine.com/
Contact: Alan Goldfarb
(https://allmediawinerysolutions.com/)
415.806.4243
WINDSWEPT WINES LLC (JL Wood)
Not unlike the European wine model where it is common practice to concentrate on and produce wine from one varietal, JL Wood has mandated that it will only make Chardonnay. It has done so since 2020, producing less than 3,000 cases a year, when it began making its own Chardonnay. Its 125 acre JL Wood Ranch Vineyard in the Chardonnay-centric AVA of Arroyo Seco in Monterey County has, for almost 25 years, been selling its grapes to other producers.
So, why only Chardonnay? The reasons, explained by owner Paul Morrison, are numerous. “There are few dedicated specialists in Chardonnay in California,” he offers.
“Secondly, we have great clones: 4 and 17. They are ideal for our soils and they are complementary to each other in the winemaking process. Third, to jump into Pinot Noir, for instance, and do it very well, would be difficult. Plus, there were already a lot of folks doing it in the adjacent Santa Lucia AVA. Of course, when we took over the ranch, it was already planted in Chard. Chardonnay has the benefit of being popular and large wineries have historically bought rather than grow their own Chardonnay for their programs.
“We also believe that a lot of California-produced Chards have had winemaking issues that we could correct as a specialist. The heavy-handedness that works in red winemaking can be a liability when working white wines, especially because Chardonnay specifically is a special challenge given its delicate nature. There are only a few producers out there who control the process well from vineyard through bottling. Experience and operational discipline really matter when you're making Chardonnay."
“Lastly, we aren't into winemaking to make wines out of a bunch of different and purchased varietals. A major consideration has been to demonstrate what we can do with our ranch in the Arroyo Seco, which is ideal for either Chard or Pinot Noir.
“From another standpoint, we thought several years ago that Cab was going to run into a wall from oversupply and bad winemaking and it has turned into a colossal failure on the Central Coast for many independent growers.”
Adds JL Wood’s winemaker Ed Filice: “With Chardonnay, there’s a tremendous opportunity to show what you can do with the varietal. We present Chard that people haven’t seen before. Every Chard is not about the same thing. Hand selected grapes can give different flavors and there are the decisions about whether there will be malolactic fermentation or not. To underline Chardonnay out of Monterey County and specifically the special place for it, the Arroyo Seco AVA, you have to try to make a bad Chard out of Monterey County.”
CAROL & PAUL MORRISON – Proprietors
Carol and Paul Morrison grew up together in the Salinas Valley. Paul’s family were pioneers in the fresh vegetable business, developed during the 1920s and ‘30s, while Carol’s family were long-term ranchers and farmers in the Arroyo Seco Cone (a conical-shaped alluvial plain) area since 1905. Carol’s family grew grains, stone fruit such as apricots, and raised sheep on the hilly areas of their property.
As a teenager, Paul worked on local farms around Salinas during his summers and holidays. Paul remarks: “Working on local vegetable farms was tough in those days. The primary tool we used at that time was a short-handled hoe and it quickly took a toll on your body.”
Carol assisted her dad in developing the family ranch. In those early years, the JL Wood Ranch was planted in alfalfa, vegetable crops, and specialized corn; and JL Wood, Carol’s father, was a breeding specialist in Black Angus cattle.
Paul and Carol graduated from the Business School at UC Berkeley. But they vividly remember tasting wine from Napa Valley-based wineries during that time. Free wine tastings were the norm in those days and the only way for cash-poor students to appreciate wine. As Carol notes: “If you had the money for gas, you could easily visit two or three wineries in an afternoon.”
Later, both attended the Parsons School of Design in New York. Paul later completed the winemaking and wine marketing program for professionals at UC Davis. Paul and Carol worked for several large corporations and frequently traveled on business. Paul made it a routine to always try local wines regardless of whether he was in Europe or Asia and learned about different wine styles and food pairings in that way.
The couple began taking over the family ranch in 1993 and bought out the interests of her siblings by 2015. Carol’s father had initiated the planting of Clones 4 and 17 Chardonnay on the ranch.
The Morrisons then embarked on a series of changes that have improved the quality of the grapes by implementing sustainable farming practices such as cover cropping, pruning designed for premium grape production, and changes to irrigation and pest management. The vineyards of the JL Wood Ranch are certified as sustainable by the CSWA.
In 2020, Paul and Carol became independently permitted co-proprietors at a large winemaking facility in Oakville, where they make their wines as Windswept Wines LLC. JL WOOD is a brand of Windswept.
Ed Filice joined them as chief winemaker.
ED FILICE, CHIEF WINEMAKER
Ed Filice has seen and done it all over his more than 40-plus-year wine career. Since 2021, however, he has been immersed in making Windswept’s JL Wood Chardonnays from grapes of their Arroyo Seco ranch. From where he says, “You have to try to make a bad Chard out of Monterey County.”
Ed, along with owner Paul Morrison, makes decisions regarding winemaking procedures such as fermentation steps and wine treatments post fermentation. Ed oversees the day-to-day execution of JL Wood’s work in the winery in Oakville where he samples tanks daily during fermentation. Only EU approved materials are used in the winery.
He’s also very much involved in harvest: estimating picking times and designating specific blocks and rows for their different Chardonnay styles.
Filice (fell EE chay) began his career working for iconic winemaker Dick Peterson and Peterson’s right-hand man, cellarmaster Luigi Fortino at the Monterey Vineyard in Gonzalez, where Ed was a “GWW” – a general winery worker, eventually promoted to the position of winemaker. His background encompasses 40-plus years in the wine industry.
Throughout the years he’s been a key player in the development of several brands for major companies and privately owned brands. They include The Wine Spectrum, Seagram’s, Constellation, Courtside Cellars, Tolosa Winery, and Purple Wine. His experience includes cellar manager, production planner, quality assurance, vineyard and grower relations, senior winemaker, and director of winemaking. Ed was co-owner and winemaker of La Filice Winery in Templeton.
JL WOOD’S BARREL PROGRAM & OTHER PROTOCOLS
JL Wood’s barrel protocols vary by two oak-related products: The first-time barrel target is approximately 20%. Paul Morrison says he likes the distinctness of flavors that come with new oak but “the oak is a foundation to show off the main event -- the fruit and natural acidic balance that is possible by growing in the Arroyo Seco AVA. Oak creates interest and enhances the substantiveness of the wine in the mouth.”
Morrison believes JL Wood’s barrel program is “just one more process we execute to achieve our flavor profile. Barrels, by themselves, are important but not as critical as some in the industry present. My guess is that barrels make wine more approachable for some customers and certainly are more ‘Instagrammable’. As a tool, the goal is not about the barrels but the flavor profile we are trying to achieve. As a storage device, they are absolutely horrible. Economically, they are rising in cost and have a ridiculously short production life."
The protocol for JL Wood is to profile -- chemically analyze and evaluate organoleptically -- all wine in barrels monthly, topping if needed using the same vintage no-oak wine stored in steel. The target of new to old wood is 20%. The actual length of time in the barrel is carefully monitored to control the contribution of the oak. If applicable to the product, malolactic progression is closely monitored and terminated when target taste profiles and acid targets are achieved.
SOURCING:
Barrel-source for all programs: Cooperages 1912, Napa. This cooperage constructs their barrels (225L) in the USA from 3-year-old naturally aged French oak. Barrels are medium toasted; heads are untoasted.
THE FUTURE:
Like many others in the Napa Valley, JL Wood is looking closely at winemaking friendly and cost-effective alternatives by using specially designed steel barrels with a provision for the installation of French oak wood pieces that can be replaced as needed to finetune the desired enhancement to flavor. The preferred barrels are in very short supply.
JL WOOD RANCH VINEYARD PRACTICES
JL Wood’s focus has been to demonstrate the qualitative improvements in grape growing at its ranch and to emphasis the attributes of its terroir by creating a range of single-estate Chardonnay wines.
JLW uses Vineyard Professional Services (VPS) to coordinate day-to-day growing services. VPS is led by the renowned viticulturist and industry leader Randy Heinzen. Vineyard management is handled by McKenna Jeffries. JLW doesn't allow the use of glyphosate. Jeffries also ensures that the vineyard’s growing procedures will qualify and successfully pass certification requirements of the Wine Institute's CSWA program. Over the years, JLW has deployed regenerative farming techniques and continues to expand their usage.
Winemaker Ed Filice and owner Paul Morrison discuss and agree on harvest parameters. They both take turns walking and tasting the vineyard blocks at least three times per week. As Paul notes: “Wine production can easily be a high-volume business in the Salinas Valley given its ideal weather, particularly for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We decided to join a few other small and independent growers and winemakers to demonstrate the potential of the local grapes to produce outstanding wines. The local winemakers know how special the soils and ocean-based climate is in creating the ideal environment for slow-ripening grapes of great flavor that have a natural acidic balance. Monterey wines are competitive with some of the best wines from Chablis and Burgundy.”
JL Wood’s growing activities have been centered around achieving the best results in the winery. It doesn't follow the conventions that most growers and many wineries use. Its growing activities “emphasize a measured maturation process where our goals include the production of yield-balanced clean fruit and only harvesting fruit when the acids and flavors are optimized. We let nature be the guide and confirm our judgements with laboratory chemical analyses. The fruit lets us know when it is ready and that readiness varies from year to year. Said another way, we don't use the old rules of thumb followed by many, such as strict adherence to Brix standards.” The benefit of this approach is that it allows JL WOOD to keep wine making procedures to a minimum and reduces interventions to improve the wine.
Naturally and because of the capricious nature of climate, Morrison and Filice, of course, have been forced to adjust vineyard and winemaking procedures.
“But those situations have also made us rethink how we let mother nature affect our vines and we are implementing a number of changes to traditional techniques,” explains Morrison. As example, “For example, we don't believe wild yeast in the Arroyo Seco area yields great Chardonnay and so we take steps to minimize their growth during harvest and subsequent transport to the winery."
Paul is involved in defining JLW’s approach to irrigation, pruning, and trellis management. As an example, canopy management, particularly keeping the fruit in the shade, is a high priority. He explains that they have recently modified the vertical trellis configuration in order to allow annual shoots to provide more coverage to the south side of the trellises to mitigate the effects of the extended heat spikes that have been occurring more frequently during the last few years.
He monitors irrigation and vine conditions using remote sensors in the vineyard that give real-time measurements transmitted to his desktop through the internet. McKenna employs aerial analyses to assess canopy growth and uses AI tools to assess vine water needs during the critical third quarter.
He and McKenna frequently trade observations and opinions in order to finetune their grow decisions. Paul notes: "Every vineyard site has its unique attributes and quirks. Our grow program is forward looking: tailored to where we are, current conditions, the weather we anticipate, and our ongoing assessment of vine health."
They also frequently compare their practices and learnings to studies reported in academic research reports from major universities in California, Oregon, Washington (state), Australia, and France.
As highlighted earlier, managing the vines to produce great fruit for winemaking is their overarching objective. Harvest yields and total tonnage are secondary. Paul believes that this vine to bottle approach gives them a distinct competitive advantage. He also notes that their grape customers, well known premium wine producers, also appreciate the approach, especially when JL WOOD fruit arrives for crushing at their facilities.
Morrison handles logistics relating to bottling, including label development, selection of bottles, type of closures, and relationships with vendors.
He is very engaged in all matters relating to branding, marketing programs, including social media, and their website. Key partners include Darren Walker of Lobe Designs and Susan DeMatei's award winning team at WineGlass Marketing.
Additionally, he manages all compliance for growing, winemaking, and selling in the U.S. or overseas.
VINEYARD STATS
Planted: 1997-99/2023
Total Planted: 125 acres
Of Note: More than half of the vineyard's production is sold to high-premium wineries on the Central Coast and Napa and Sonoma
Soil type: Sandy Loam, large river rocks (known colloquially as Arroyo Seco “potatoes”), the latter of which leads to hints of minerality
Clones: 4 (Wente, which produces upfront fruit, i.e., guava, mango, passionfruit flavors) & 17 (Robert Young, which enhances mouthfeel and wine structure)
Rootstock: Freedom and 1103 Paulsen
Aspect: Adjacent to Arroyo Seco River, in the shadow of Santa Lucia Mountains to the west, Gabilan Mountains to the east.
Wind: From 1 p.m. on, strong north winds cool grapes and close stomata on leaves,which shuts vines down and slows ripening; and which results in cool-climate Chardonnays and enduring hangtime. The vineyard experiences from 15-20 inches of rainfall annually.
Elevation & Terrain: flat
Trellis Systems: VSP (modified) -- single lateral cordons in the old blocks; bilateral in newer blocks
Ecological Protocols: Reduced tractor passes, no tilling, cover cropping to provide natural sources of nutrients and increased water retention, minimal pesticide use, wild areas between and adjacent to the blocks (for native mountain lion, bobcat, raccoons, foxes, and roadrunners), utilization of sheep for seasonal grazing, and a high number of owl/hawk box placements. Local wildlife are considered to be co-tenants of their land, except for the wild roaming invasive hybrid species of wild hogs that can wreak havoc in the vineyard blocks during drought years.
ARROYO SECO AVA
The Arroyo Seco AVA encompasses a large growing area south of Soledad and includes Greenfield in the central part of Monterey County. In the rural, western extremes of these townships, the Santa Lucia Mountains rise dramatically, creating the western boundary of the Salinas Valley. It is in this landscape that a transverse waterway from the mountains carved the geography and geology, and ultimately converges with the maritime influences of the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean 40 miles north at Monterey Bay.
Granted federal AVA status in 1983, the Arroyo Seco appellation – California’s 15th -- is steeped in winegrowing history and rooted in the geographic features of a waterway named "Arroyo Seco". This now seasonal creek brings rainwater and snowmelt from the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Los Padres National Forest. Over the millennia the pressure of this natural water-release dumped rocks which can be found in the JL Wood Ranch Vineyard. Within the AVA's boundaries the first commercial vineyard, Mission Ranch, was propagated by the Mirassou family in 1961.
Consisting of 18,240 acres the AVA is one of the smallest in California. (Santa Cruz Mountains, 408,000 acres; Russian River Valley, 96,000; Sta Rita Hills AVA 30,720; and the Santa Lucia Highlands 22,000).
TALE OF THE TAPE
7k acres planted
1st commercial plantings: ‘61
Region 1 (40 miles from Monterey Bay)
Annual Rainfall: 13 inches
Arroyo Seco Chardonnay Producers: JL Wood, Wente, J Lohr, LaCrema, Kendall Jackson, Chesebro
WINDSWEPT’S CURRENT PORTFOLIO OF WINES
2023 JL WOOD “CLASSIC” CHARDONNAY, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County
Harvested: Oct. 13, 2023
Fermentation: Oct. - Nov. 2023
Barrel Regimen: French Oak (20% new)
Brix: 22.1
RS: 0.31 g/L
TA: 5.7 g/L
pH: 3.48
Alc: 13.4
SRP: $49
2021 JL WOOD “PREMIER” CHARDONNAY, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County
No malolactic; fermented in steel for 2-to-3 months in barrel with battonage; blended with non-oaked wine.
Harvested: Early October 2023
Fermentation: Oct. 2021
Barrel Regimen: Stainless Steel
Brix: 23
RS: 0.14 g/L
TA: 7.3 g/L
pH: 3.4
Alc: 14.3
SRP: $28
2022 JL WOOD “PREMIER” CHARDONNAY, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County
Harvested: Sept. 8, 2023
Fermentation: Sept.- Oct. 2022
Barrel Regimen: French Barrel (20% new), Stainless Steel
Brix: 21.5 – 24.2
RS: 0.31 g/L
TA: 6.4 g/L
pH: 3.44
Alc: 14.0
SRP: $32
2023 JL WOOD “PREMIER “CHARDONNAY, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County
Harvested: Sept.-Oct. 2023
Fermentation: Oct.-Nov. 2023
Barrel Regimen: French Barrel (20% new), Stainless Steel
Brix: 22.1
RS: 0.31 g/L
TA: 6.4 g/L
pH: 3.44
Alc: 14.0
SRP: $32
2022 JL CHARDONNAY, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County
Harvested: Sept. 8-9, 2022
Fermentation: Sept.- Oct. 2022
Barrel Regimen: Stainless Steel
Brix: 21.5 – 24.2
RS: 0.3 g/L
TA: 6.5 g/L
pH: 3.4
Alc: 13.8
SRP: $17.50
2023 JL CHARDONNAY, ARROYO Seco, Monterey County
Harvested: Oct. 13, 2023
Fermentation: Oct.- Nov. 2023
Barrel Regimen: Stainless Steel
Brix: 22.1
RS: 0.31 g/L
TA: 6.5 g/L
pH: 3.4
Alc: 13.5
SRP: $18.50
2021 JL WOOD “NO OAK” CHARDONAY, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County
Harvested: Early October 2021
Fermentation: Oct. 2021
Barrel Regimen: Stainless Steel
Brix: 23
RS: 0.14 g/L
TA: 7.2 g/L
pH: 3.4
Alc: 14.3
SRP: $28
2021 JL WOOD “NOUVEAU” CHARDONNAY, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County
Harvested: End September 2021
Fermentation: Oct. 2021
Barrel Regimen: Stainless Steel
Brix: 23
RS: 0.2 g/L
TA: 7.4 g/L
pH: 3.4
Alc: 14.3
SRP: $26
2021 JL WOOD “HOO KNEW” CHARDONNAY, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County
Harvested: Early October 2021
Fermentation: Oct. 2021
Barrel Regimen: Stainless Steel
Brix: 23
RS: 0.14 g/L
TA: 7.7 g/L
pH: 3.4
Alc: 9.7
SRP: $19.50