Napa Valley. When John Locke and Alex Krause realized they might find enough drinkers to join them in their old-vine quest, one of the first sites they turned to was the Pelissa/Hoxsey Yount Mill Vineyard in Yountville, southern Napa. The Pelissa/Hoxsey family have been farmers here since 1903 and planted their head-trained vines in 1962. Today Kendall Hoxsey farms the soils, and the Semillon is the only organic and dry-farmed parcel. Located at the cooler ‘Paris end’ of the Valley (the French Laundry is nearby), the site is on the fertile valley floor with its alluvial, sandy loam soils.
These Semillon vines are now 60 years old and yield tiny amounts of flavour-packed juice. Birichino picks on the cusp of ripeness to temper the power at low potential alcohols (typically between 11 and 12%). In doing so, the boys feel they can capture the best of both worlds; the varietal’s pithy freshness alongside its dashing honey-drizzled texture. Wild fermented and raised in a mix of steel tank and old barrel.
In his book, ‘The New California Wine’, Jon Bonné wrote of a revolution in the Californian wine industry. Its pages tell the stories of innovative and dynamic young producers, making wine against the grain in reaction to the overly technocratic, homogenous approach the state had built its modern wine reputation on. Producers who are, in earnest, attempting to rewrite California’s current state of play. One such producer is Birichino.
Drawing on a combined four decades of experience making wine in California, France and Italy, John Locke and Alex Krause (pictured) founded Birichino in Santa Cruz in 2008. They met in the early 90s while working at revolutionary standard bearer (and incubator for future mutineers), Bonny Doon. Randall Grahm’s quixotic nature facilitated a creative and slightly chaotic realm in which John and Alex were challenged to “engage and stimulate as many sensory receptors as possible” through their wines, an ethos they have carried through to their own estate today. They left Bonny Doon and started Birichino with a pick-up truck, one customer and a very vague plan; and for the first two vintages made just one wine (Malvasia Bianca), for two customers.
Over the years, production steadily increased, and they now make over 30 small-batch wines from several carefully farmed, family-owned, own-rooted 19th and early 20th-century vineyards planted on interesting soils, predominantly in moderate climates with a marine influence. Thankfully, the number of customers also increased over the years. Their reach spans hundreds of kilometres and the gamut of varieties. Fruit is sourced from the southern reaches of Santa Barbera all the way up to the Napa Valley – making Birichino’s harvest particularly hectic – and they make Zinfandel, Semillon and close to everything in between. They make wine according to a three-pronged precept; they must not be boring, they must be impeccably clean and they must not fatigue the drinker – reading between the lines and having sampled the wares, we can tell you that these are characterful, vibrant and pure wines; the urban counterpoint to the suburban Californian wine norm.
While Alex and John don’t own any of their own sites they do work with some of California’s best old vine vineyards; and when we say old, we mean old. We’re talking as far back as 1866 in some cases. They have close relationships with fifteen or so growers, mostly family-run, multi-generational operations with amazing old vine materials that don’t make their own wines. They have a preference for organic viticulture and work closely with their growers, though according to Alex, their “peanut gallery comments” generally are not required as their growers are already doing the right things, and have been for years. Working with such old material means yields are always low, and thanks to the recent drought conditions, dry farming is a preference that has had to be moderated in lieu of a funeral march for some of their old vines. They pay more for fruit managed to their organic specifications and picking date decisions are theirs alone. Working with such a wide variety of varietals, from early ripening to late ripening (Pinot Noir to Zinfandel), means harvest is a long affair; they generally start in mid-August and continue through to late October. And, with vineyards from Napa to Santa Barbara, they can cover over 40,000 kilometres during the harvest period. They call it dedication, we’re tending towards lunacy!
When it comes to making wine, the preference is for as little interaction as possible, the ideology being that when it comes to the cellar, processes reveal rather than create flavour. They are preoccupied with safeguarding the expression of the hallowed sites they work with and because of that employ; wild ferments in stainless steel or neutral wood, no cold soaks, light and infrequent punch-downs, minimal racking and fining, avoiding filtration at all costs and only light use of sulphur. In the name of letting the vineyard do the talking, they seek restraint and elegance in all their wines, picking early to capture complexity and distinction, chasing high tones in aromatics and aiming to ensnare bright acidities. The reds are not overly tannic, and the use of new wood is avoided wherever possible. Of the 600 barrels they have in use, just two are new; sitting empty until the boys talk themselves into using them. If you’re looking for a common thread across the 35 or so wines that Birichino make, it is the unique expression of site and this hands-off approach to production. What you can expect in the glass are wines that showcase their place and their people; wines that bring mischief and a little mayhem to the table.
Birichino (beer-a-keeno) translates from Italian to ‘mischievous’ in English.
