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Every year in the cellar is a toss-up. This time last year, we were nervously ramping up for harvest; now, we are already right in the thick of it. That is the beauty (and the challenge) of Mother Nature. Her predictable unpredictability keeps us on our toes, demanding our full presence every single day.

Between rapid shifts in technology, unpredictable growing seasons, fluctuating economies, and the endless noise of social media, the world feels like it's moving at breakneck speed. The wine industry finds itself in a funky, transitional place. Yet, as the ground shifts under our feet, we are left with a simple choice: adapt, dig in, and embrace whatever comes next.

It reminds me of my time working at Petrus back in 2016. I didn’t speak a lick of French, my managers didn’t speak a word of English, my colleagues knew only a few phrases, and I was constantly trying to find my footing. But without fail, at the end of every break, someone would laugh, clap their hands, and shout, “C’est parti mon kiki!” – I quickly learned exactly what that meant.

It was our rally cry, translating loosely as "Here we go, my friend!" It was the sign that break time was over and it was time to get back to work. But to me, it became so much more than a call to action. It became a mindset. It meant that regardless of how exhausted we were, how unpredictable the weather looked, or how uncertain the outcome felt, we were diving in headfirst, together.

That phrase has stayed with me ever since. C’est Parti is more than just a nod to a vintage; it’s a promise. It means that no matter what curveballs nature throws at us, whether it’s a scorching heatwave or a cold, slow ripen, we meet the season with open arms, putting our heart and soul into turning those challenges into something truly extraordinary.

These new releases capture that exact spirit. They are vibrant, resilient, and unapologetically expressive of the wild ride that brought them to the bottle.

2025 C’est Parti White

Buckle up cowboy cause this is a new one for us. Before our last year of making Chardonnay from Bien Nacido, we had been looking for other compelling sites. Tasting around the Central Coast for places as resounding as Bien Nacido was difficult. Until I tried several Chardonnays coming from the Santa Lucia Highlands. These vineyards and producers have been creating compelling, world class bottlings since the early 2000’s. 

In 2008 the Pisoni and Franscioni families collaborated on Soberanes, a 38-acre partnership which has now lasted for two generations. With only 7.5 acres of Chardonnay planted on the entire property, it’s easy to understand why, for the past several years, I never heard back from either family when trying to acquire fruit. In 2025, that opportunity finally changed. We were lucky enough to purchase a small amount from one old suitcase Montrachet clone and an heritage Wente clone. This was one of our last picks for 2025, a delayed year. Also a lighter crop, which resulted in this version of white going through elevage in 100% New French Oak. Once primary fermentation was completed, we stirred the barrels every other week for two months. Racked only once off its gross lees in preparation for bottle. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

2024 C’est Parti Red Blend

As you may already know, Sangiovese has been a moving target for us. After hearing the praise from Vinous’ Eric Guido for our 2023 vintage, regarding it as “more old world than new world,” we were floored and knew we were heading in the right direction. Only to be stopped by mother nature once again. Our Sangiovese parcel naturally produces a historically low yield compared to many conventional vineyards. 2024 was even lighter than what we had anticipated. Due to this we only had enough Sangiovese to make one pick. Still 50% whole cluster as we’ve done in the past, only missing the second pick to offer slightly more richness. Coupled with 45% Cabernet Sauvignon picked with intention to complement (not bury) the delicate flavors and aromatics of the Sangiovese. The Cabernet rested in 100% new French Oak, while our Sangiovese aged in 100% Neutral puncheon to preserve those delicate aromatics. 

2024 C’est Parti Grenache 

This is our third Grenache release we’ve been sourcing from Copia’s Willow Creek vineyard. In the past we’ve added Grenache sourced from other parcels to fill our needed volume, but 2024 is our first year Copia takes the lead. Since seeing this site established I knew it would be some of the best Grenache around. Farmed strictly with our preferred eschallas method. I am a massive advocate for échalas training, particularly for a variety like Grenache. The vine naturally wants to throw a massive crop with oversized, dense clusters. On a standard horizontal VSP (Vertical Shoot Positioning) trellis, those clusters spread out across a plain; on an échalas stake, however, the growth is condensed into a tight, three-dimensional sphere. This spatial restriction forces a ruthless hand in the vineyard thus we must drop between 50% to 60% of the total crop to allow the remaining fruit the breathing room it needs to ripen evenly. For our style, Grenache only achieves true intrigue when it reaches full maturity. This meticulous farming allows us to achieve deep, phenolic ripeness without overstressing the plant, preserving the grape's bright natural acidity. The wine was then split equally for aging—50% in new Austrian Oak puncheons to build rich, velvety texture, and 50% in well-seasoned puncheons to preserve pure fruit expression. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, it is a pure, vibrant reflection of site and patience.

2024 C’est Parti Syrah

2024 marks a major milestone for us: our very first 100% Syrah release. While the 2023 N4S Rouge was a thrilling initial experiment, 2024 gave us the opportunity to fully commit to the variety. We returned to our core sites to build a wine of true depth and contrast. We anchored the blend with fruit from Hawks Hill Ranch in Paso Robles, which brings a lush, dark, sun-ripened juiciness to the core. To balance that generosity, we sourced fruit from the cooler coastal pockets of Santa Barbara, bringing vibrant acidity, crushed black pepper, and distinct savory undertones. By bridging these two microclimates, we achieved an aromatic complexity and layered structure that a single vineyard simply couldn't deliver. This vintage also marks our first time aging entirely in 100% new oak. In previous years, we stayed in the 50–60% range, but when late-season fires in Santa Barbara unexpectedly restricted our yields, we adjusted our approach. Rather than pulling back, we embraced the lower yields, using French and Austrian Oak to frame and elevate the concentrated fruit. The result is a bold, velvety Syrah that turns an unpredictable season into a striking success.

Our seventh release, C'est Parti, goes live on Thursday, October 15th, 2026 at 10:00 AM PST through our website and mailing list. As always, allocations are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Every bottle in this release represents a challenge met with passion, patience, and a refusal to compromise. We make these wines for moments shared around the table with people like you, and your continued support means everything to our small team. Thank you for walking this path with ALLBAER. Here’s to the wild ride of another vintage. We hope you love these wines as much as we loved making them.

Sincerely,

    ALL the BAERs