Winemaker Notes
The first release: 2000 vintage from Domaine du Docteur Rodgers vineyard. Clos de la Tech (Klo deh lah Tek) borrows its name from the great Burgundy vineyards that often use the word "Clos" (translation: enclosed area) in their names. Examples include Clos de Vougeot, Clos de Tart, Clos de Lambrays, etc. The reference comes from the rocks that were removed from the vineyards to form stone walls, enclosing the vineyards. The "Tech" part of the name is connected with the silicon chip on the neck of every Clos de la Tech bottle. We have always liked the practice of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, which puts a new piece of modern art on its bottle each year. We decided to put "chip-art" on our bottle-in the case of the 2000, two real silicon memory chips with 107 million transistors on them embedded in sealing wax. Each year, we honor Cypress Semiconductor's most successful chip that way.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A large Northern California appellation centered on the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Francisco Bay AVA falls within the larger Central Coast AVA. The smaller appellations of Livermore Valley, Pacheco Pass, San Ysidro District and Santa Clara Valley AVAs fall within the San Francisco Bay boundaries, and all produce high-quality Central Coast wines.