Version 006

The anticipation of harvest still makes my stomach flutter with butterflies. What a blessing it is to be able to sit here and write what is now our sixth release letter. I feel like I’m writing to a distant friend I haven’t heard from in a while. I hope you’re doing well.

We’ve had quite the journey since our first release in 2018. Back then, we started by making a tiny-tiny amount of wine farming our own slice of heaven (which we still do), evolving to the point today where we have grown into sourcing grapes from ranches throughout the Central Coast with hopes to craft wines so utterly compelling, you’re clamoring for more. 

Since our inception, we’ve chosen to name each release in French. It’s a nod to the mentors who’ve guided us and to the Old World philosophies that continue to guide our hands here on the Central Coast. This year’s release brought a title that felt more and more fitting as the vintage unfolded, La Perle.

Natural pearls aren’t formed by force or speed. They begin as an irritant, something small and unexpected. Over time — years, even decades — a mollusk responds by coating that intruder with thousands of thin layers of nacre. The result is something entirely unplanned, wholly unique, and deeply valuable. A pearl is not made by design. It’s made as a result of patience and creating something beautiful from whatever nature sends your way.

2023 was one of those seasons that quietly reminded us when Mother Nature is temperate, we as farmers and winemakers have the opportunity to make something extremely special. After a winter that brought the most rain we’ve seen in over two decade s— 150% above average — the vineyards were blessed with a slow and moderate growing season. No extremes. Just steady, even ripening from budbreak to harvest. The kind of vintage that gives you time to think, to walk rows with intention, to let the fruit — not the clock — guide our decisions.

The result — a caliber of wine we are immensely proud of, and a milestone release. Mother Nature rarely provides the tools for us to create what we have for 2023. These wines are seductive, rich, layered and offer a complexity that surpasses anything we’ve produced before. 

2024 La Perle White

We were thrilled to work with a new Chardonnay source for 2024. Planted in 1994, Oliver’s Vineyard offers a style of Chardonnay different from what you’ve tasted from us these last years. This release carries more flint and restraint, while still carrying the Bourgogne opulence. Made in the same style as our previous releases by being fermented in 50% new French Oak, one once used French Oak barrel, and one stainless steel drum. Once primary fermentation was completed, the stainless drum was dispersed evenly amongst the French Oak barriques where the wine rested for 10 months in 66% new French Oak and 34% Once used. All barrels were stirred regularly for the first several months of elevage to increase the richness of the midpalate. I find, this wine has a more refined character from our previous White releases. The only time this wine was racked was in preparation for bottling after 10 months of resting. Bottled unfined & unfiltered.   

2023 La Perle Sangiovese 

In what is becoming a tradition for ALLBAER Sangiovese, we harvested on two separate occasions, as I yearned for more complexity from this parcel. It’s essential for our wines to carry tension, and a way of implementing this, despite its small size of 1.4 acres, is to harvest the same block on separate occasions. Our first pick often carries more restraint, lower alcohol, higher acidity. The latter pick, typically seven to ten days later, is less tannic and deeper in color resulting in a richer style of Sangiovese. More alcohol, slightly less acidity, and something that counteracts the freshness of our first pick. As I continue to build a more nuanced understanding of this grape I find it benefits from freshness and lower abv. Eric Guido of Vinous Media summarized it well in a recent review,
“...The 2023 Sangiovese La Perle behaves more Old World than New, with dusty rose and leather tones complementing wild strawberries...”
This is absolutely our intention for this wine. Something which speaks more to our Italian relatives than our domestic ones. Farming this parcel for some ten years now it’s remarkable to see how this wine has evolved. 

2023 La Perle Grenache 

For the past several years we’ve been experimenting with Copia’s, Willow Creek Grenache. While these parcels have been the supporting cast for the last few years, the opportunity to purchase more in 2023 presented itself, and this is our first release featuring this vineyard as the lead protagonist. Farmed in our favored eschalas method, these vines are tied to a stake offering minimal space for the fruiting zone to develop copious amounts of cluster. This naturally lets the vines reach optimal ripeness, which is an essential quality to make world class Grenache. 2023 offers a voluptuous version of Grenache, as it carries darker, richer characteristics than years past, which I find have leaned toward a more elegant style. As she was raised in 100% 500L barrels and never racked, I find this wine takes the longest amount of time to open up before she starts to show her colors. Give her some extra time to breathe and you will be greatly rewarded. 

2023 La Perle Syrah

We maintain our belief that the best Syrahs have tension; and the best way to create that is through sourcing from vastly different growing regions. This year we sourced from two new vineyards, Nolan Vineyard and a small amount of fruit from Caliza Vineyard. Both of these new additions perfectly align with our vision of creating tension by using fruit from different microclimates. Nolan offers savory ethereal aromatics and flavors, while Caliza aligns more with Paso’s traditional rich red and dark fruit characteristics. We’ve also continued to include Graciano in this blend, approximately 13.5%. We do this to naturally balance the opulence of our Syrah without having to acidulate the vats during fermentation. Graciano consistently carries piercing acidity and deep black color, the perfect complement for Syrah. This offering is unlike anything we’ve produced in the past. 

I hope La Perle reaches you the way it reached us: quietly, intentionally, and with the lasting impression that only something slowly made can provide.

La Perle will be available starting Tuesday, October 14th, 2025 at 10am PST, via our mailing list and website. As always, allocations are limited and will be offered on a first come, first served basis. We look forward to sharing these wines — and this journey — with you.

Sincerely,

    ALL the BAERs