Precedent Spenker Ranch Carignan 2019
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Precedent's Spenker Ranch Carignan is classically red fruited with savory spice and earth notes. This medium bodied expression of Carignan is expressive of the fine sandy soils from which it’s born.
Born and raised in Lansing, MI, Nathan attended the University of Michigan, studying Political Science. "I thought I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father, who has been involved in state government and policy all his life. A few summers working in a cubicle scratched his political itch, and he was ready for another path. A summer spent bartending on Mackinac Island provided the proverbial "bite" from the wine bug. A year and 2000 miles later Nathan was studying and working in Sonoma County, CA. After time studying Viticulture from Sonoma legend Rich Thomas at the Santa Rosa Junior College, Nathan finished his BS in Enology at CSU Fresno.
Nathan has worked for multiple wineries in Northern California (Benzinger, Frick, Schug and Testarossa) and spent time working for the famed Torbreck Winery in the Barossa Valley of Australia. He is currently the Associate Winemaker at Thomas Fogarty Winery & Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains where he has focused on bringing new energy to the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay program.
Not all vineyards are created equal and Nathan has a keen eye for finding the magical combination of variety, climate and soil. He believes the first step in any winemaking endeavor is to seek out these unique sites, often found outside of the more famous regions of California (Napa, Russian River, etc.). "There are a lot of vineyards planted in heavy soils in some of the more famous appellations in California; they get by on name alone, rather than quality." He often seeks rocky and well drained sites with climates on the marginal side for the given variety.
Native yeasts, whole cluster fermentations, minimal sulfur and the judicious use of well seasoned French Oak are some of the techniques used. "I am looking to create authentic wines that taste of a particularly special place." Precedent is Nathan's first independent effort.
Responsible for some of the most stunning old vine red wine on the planet, Carignan has an amazing capacity to survive dry, arid climates and still produce lovely, mouthwatering wine. In Spain it goes by the name of Mazuelo or Cariñena and while it may have originated there in the province of Aragón, its popularity lies elsewhere, particularly in Languedoc-Roussillon. Somm Secret—Historically Carignan did not enjoy the respect that it does today. In the mid 20th century, Carignan covered nearly 140,000 ha in Algeria, where it was made into low quality bulk and blending wine to supply mass-market demand.
Positioned between the San Francisco Bay and the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the Lodi appellation, while relatively far inland, is able to maintain a classic Mediterranean climate featuring warm, sunny days and cool evenings. This is because the appellation is uniquely situated at the end of the Sacramento River Delta, which brings chilly, afternoon “delta breezes” to the area during the growing season.
Lodi is a premier source of 100+ year old ancient Zinfandel vineyards—some dating back as far as 1888! With low yields of small berries, these heritage vines produce complex and bold wines, concentrated in rich and voluptuous, dark fruit.
But Lodi doesn’t just produce Zinfandel; in fact, the appellation produces high quality wines from over 100 different grape varieties. Among them are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc as well as some of California's more rare and unique grapes. Lodi is recognized as an ideal spot for growing Spanish varieties like Albarino and Tempranillo, Portugese varieties—namely Touriga Nacional—as well as many German, Italian and French varieties.
Soil types vary widely among Lodi’s seven sub-appellations (Cosumnes River, Alta Mesa, Deer Creek Hills, Borden Ranch, Jahant, Clements Hills and Mokelumne River). The eastern hills are clay-based and rocky and in the west, along the Mokelumne and Cosumnes Rivers, sandy and mineral-heavy soils support the majority of Lodi’s century-old own-rooted Zinfandel vineyards. Unique to Lodi are pink Rocklin-Jahant loam soils, mainly found in the Jahant sub-appellation.