2015 Ursa - 750 ml
2015 Ursa
38% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec
1104 Cases Produced
Released April 13, 2019
Harvest: Hand-picked, 9/1 -10/1/2015
Vineyards: 100% Stillwater Creek Vineyard
Yield: 1.67 to 4.46 Tons per Acre
Fermentation/Maceration Length: 10 to 23 days
Oak Aging: 100% French oak, 79% new (Demptos, Saury, Sylvain, Taransaud)
Time in Barrel: 22 Months
Date Bottled: 7/13 – 7/14/2017
A lot has been said about the record breaking 2015 vintage, from a climate standpoint, it was the hottest year ever recorded. The picking decisions were very challenging – looking at the calendar, it seemed like the grapes couldn’t possibly be ready to harvest but by September 1st, the flavors and the chemistry were telling me that the time had come. I had to trust my judgement and make the call to start harvesting Merlot literally weeks before we had ever startedharvesting in the past. While nerve-wracking at the time, now, I am happy with those decisions. All the 2015 Baer red wines are obviously from a hot vintage, they are dark in color and they are intense and concentrated in the nose and mouth. The 2015 Baer Ursa’s tannins are plush and velvety and the flavors are ripe and black-fruited as opposed to red. There is recognizable Baer Ursa character woven in there, though, a savory quality and refreshing lift to the finish that will pair wonderfully with food.
| Vintage | 2015 |
| Appellation | Columbia Valley |
| Vineyard | Stillwater Creek |
| Harvest Date | 09/01/2015 |
| Acid | .53 g/100 ml |
| PH | 3.83 |
| Alcohol | 14.50% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 07/13/2017 |
| Cases Produced | 1104 |
Wine Spectator - 93
Wine Enthusiast - 91
Wine Advocate - 91
James Suckling - 92
International Wine Review - 92
Consulting Winemaker
Erica Orr has worked in the wine industry since 1998. Her first harvest was with Cathy Corison in the Napa Valley. That experience prompted Erica to enroll in the enology master’s degree program at UC Davis where she researched the indigenous yeast microflora in native chardonnay barrel fermentations. She completed her master’s degree in 2003.
In addition to her master’s degree from UC Davis, Erica’s scientific training includes a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from UC Berkeley and three years of research experience as a biochemistry lab technician for 2009 Nobel Laureate Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn at UC San Francisco.
As a San Francisco Bay Area native, she is passionate about food and wine, and dedicated to quality-oriented, thoughtful winemaking.
