John Pedroncelli is 86 years old and he's still the full-time, lead winemaker at Healdsburg's Pedroncelli Winery.
While he has a team under him, Pedroncelli still calls the shots, and his fingerprints are all over our wine-of-the-week winner - the Pedroncelli, 2009 Three Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at $17.
Asked what makes him a good fit for making cabernet, Pedroncelli answered, "longevity."
"We have worked with this varietal since the 1960s, having planted the first vineyard in 1965," he said. "We know our cab and know the area where it grows best."
The cabernet is planted on estate vineyards on the bench along Dry Creek Road, a mile west of the winery. Two other varietals in the bottling - merlot and cabernet franc - are also planted on the bench and the trio makes for a softer-drinking wine.
The most challenging part of producing cabernet sauvignon is making it varietally correct, Pedroncelli said.
"We do that by choosing the correct variety to match the right soil and microclimate," he said. "We have learned over 47 years that the right place, the right varietal and the right rootstock combine for getting the best elements in our cabernet. In the beginning, we didn't have that information and it was done by trial and error."
What the uninitiated don't know about the varietal is that cabernet can't be tricked, Pedroncelli said.
"You can do a lot with other varietals to make up for a poor vintage, except for cabernet sauvignon," he said. "It exemplifies the vintage."
Pedroncelli, the wine master, said making the wine is a team effort and credits assistant winemaker Montse Reece, cellar master Polo Cano and Lance Blakeley, vice president of operations, winery and vineyard.
What makes them good at their craft?
"We have patience," Pedroncelli said, "lots of patience."
Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at 521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: