WECLOME TO
SIX CLOVES WINES
I am a small individual producer and creator of exceptional California wines that have a distinct vision and philosophy. My goal is to showcase the purity of grapes of different soils, topography, and climate with my interpretation and unique style. I passionately deliver my joy of grape growing and winemaking to you from California.
About Six Cloves
Beginning of Six Cloves Wines
The name Six Cloves was derived from my ancestor's business name, with six cloves designed in their business logo. They once sold medicines in the coastal area of the Japan Sea. Later, they migrated to Northern Nagano and started making soy sauce and miso. I chose this name out of respect for my ancestors and to celebrate the heritage of fermentation businesses that have been continuing for centuries.
Pathway to Winemaking
Who I am
I am Sonoe, the Six Cloves' owner and Japanese woman winemaker. I was born in Nagano, Japan to an apple grower with a sake making and soy sauce/miso fermentation lineage. I was raised with the abundant nature of the Japan Alps, with pure water, produce and plenty of fermentation products.
I completed a winemaking program at UC Davis in California and did a couple of stints in Napa and Sonoma before I headed to apprentice with Kusuda Wines, which is known for their meticulous winemaking techniques with Pinot Noir and Syrah in Martinborough, NZ. Upon my return to the US, I experienced my first harvest in the Russian River Valley at Gary Farrell Winery. Soon after, I took a journey to Casablanca, Chile to work for Montsecano, a joint project of Andre Ostertag from the Alsace region of France and three Chilean artist expatriates, and was exposed to the biodynamic grape growing philosophy. I continued to work for another biodynamic vigneron of Littorai in the Sonoma Coast region. During my tenure, I was influenced by Ted Lemon’s holistic winemaking philosophy, and my experiences helped to establish a basis of my visions in wine styles. Most recently, I worked with Steve Matthiasson in Napa to help establish his new winery and was given an opportunity to embrace wine grape diversity and the joy of expressing one's own interpretation in winemaking in California.
Throughout my experience, I learned the importance of the winemaker's role as a mediator to deliver the growers’ passions and dedications, as well as to manifest the sites and grapes' potential in wines. My goal is to express elegance and to use my unique palate and my heritage to add diverse dimensions to wines of different origins.
The Benguerel Family Vineyard sits on the clay/loam deep soil in the small town of Kenwood, Sonoma Valley. These beautiful gems of grapes from this vineyard were dry farmed organically, with no sulfur application by Ross Cannard, a purveyor of organically grown produce for the Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA. His family is a Sonoma native and have been growing produce and in the horticulture business for many years. We picked 1.5 tons of grapes on the morning of Sep 24th, filed and sorted at the vineyard. We covered the fermentation vessel with CO2 to mimic semi-carbonic maceration condition to maximize the aroma of the grapes as soon as it was brought into the winery. We started stomping and pitchforking to macerate the grapes as soon as we saw the first sign of fermentation and pressed at 5 Brix. It went through 1/3 of malolactic fermentation and retained fresh acidity.
Cabernet Sauvignon (Millen Vineyard) and Merlot (Pyaleh Vineyard) were grown organically by Shaunt & Diego, classmates from UC Davis, who have started converting conventionally grown small vineyards into healthy organic vineyards in Sonoma area. Both grapes were grown with no sulfur applications in the cool climate AVA of Sonoma county side of Los Carneros. Merlot was picked on Sep 20th, and the Cabernet on Oct 21st at around 22 Brix at full maturity. We destemmed the berries and fermented separately, with gentle punch-down during primary fermentation. Pressed at dryness into barrels and completed malolactic fermentation. Two wines were blended about a month before the bottling to marry the flavor and the taste.
We have sourced the grapes from the Linda Vista Vineyard third year in a row, located on the eastern side, a cooler area of the Oak Knoll District. The vineyard has been organically farmed (CCOF Certified Organic) by Steve Matthiasson since 2011. We harvested the grapes on Aug 27th for this vintage at the Brix of 21.5. The grapes were gently pressed with whole clusters, and primary fermentation took place spontaneously in barrels. It completed malolactic fermentation and aged on the lees for 10 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels. Finished wine retained succulent acidity, and exuberant citrus aroma and flavor, which is characteristic of the vineyard.
