“Made from organic grapes, Horse & Plow’s Pinot Gris is earthy and austere, with finely honed acidity and lovely hints of apricot. Very balanced, dry, a tremendous version of this white wine.” —Wine Enthusiast
2010 Horse & Plow North Coast Rosé ($15, 13.9%): This label run by Lutea winemaker Suzanne Hagins and her husband, Chris Condos of Vinum Cellars, has a deft hand with Rhone-native grapes, including this effort sourced mostly from an old vineyard north of Ukiah. A blend of Carignane, Syrah and Grenache with a pleasing grip and spicy bite. Black pepper and celery seed, plus orange peel, apricot and huckleberry.
Horse & Plow Winery Earns Green America’s Business Seal of Approval
Horse & Plow is thrilled to announce it has been awarded the Green America Business Seal of Approval. The seal is presented to businesses that go beyond product and service quality to set the highest standards in environmental sustainability and social justice, and work to solve, rather than create, environmental and social problems.
Another Review……….
90 POINTS
Horse & Plow 2009 Testa Vineyard
Grenache (Mendocino); $22. A
lovely, miniscule-production Mendocino
Grenache, made from certified-organic grapes
grown on the old vines of Testa Vineyard, some of
the oldest organic vines in the North Coast. The
result is a surprisingly bright, lively, fine-drinking
Grenache, just as it should be, with lots of juicy
cranberry and red fruit on the palate and the
bones to age. A tiny bit tight when first opened, it
opens up quickly and deliciously. —V.B. Wine Enthusiast
Horse & Plow 2009 McFadden Farm Chardonnay. 89 Points.
“Horse & Plow sourced organic grapes to craft this excellent Chardonnay, giving it the luxe treatment—handpicked, whole-cluster pressed, French oak barrel fermentation and aging nine months sur lee—and it shows. The wine is pretty, with a tropical bouquet that gives way to just enough oak-driven vanilla. Will age nicely but is also ready to drink now.” Wine Enthusiast
We are Sold Out of the 2009 Chardonnay but we have other great wines for sale. Click Here
Suzanne and Dean sorting our organic Horse & Plow Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Creek in Sonoma!!!!
Jack cooling off by the Bins of Sauvignon Blanc
By Greg Wacks – May 20, 2010
Most families drive more than one car, and watch more than one television, so why not have more than one organic winery? Suzanne Hagins and Chris Condos have upped the stakes in the his and hers market with their own labels, each dedicated to organically grown grapes. Suzanne founded Lutea in 2004, where she is the owner and winemaker, and husband Chris founded Horse & Plow in 2008 to make his own wines. They both source their grapes from small vineyards in California’s North Coast.
Horse & Plow Filigreen Farm Pinot Gris 2008
Nose of green apple. Really nice acidity with a little brininess and some faint citrus notes. More pronounced butter and oak as it opens up. Very easy and friendly wine. Great with a meaty white fish.
Lutea Los Carneros Pinot Noir 2007
Made from grapes from Robert Sinskey Vineyard and is also biodynamic. Nice aged color with a tinge of orange brick. Classic Pinot Noir nose with toasty oak and strawberry. Very light body, almost no perceptible tannin. Matches well with Salmon.
Lutea Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2007
A stronger nose of cooked strawberries, oak and a little banana. More full bodied. Even though it has less alcohol than the previous Pinot Noir, it feels hotter in the mouth. Fruit is strong but not complex. Another good match for a hearty fish dish.
Lutea Sonoma County Four Barrel Pinot Noir 2007
Blended from three different Sonoma vineyards. Toast and oak on the nose, and a hint of cured meat. A very California style Pinot Noir and a sure crowd pleaser. Grilled chicken or a good local goat’s milk cheese would pair perfectly.
Lutea Russian River Valley Reserve Pinot Noir 2006
We’ll like this even better with a little more age. Pronounced tannins and good acidity. Very earthy and bold. Grill up a nice steak with it.
Horse & Plow Alexander Valley Grenache 2008
Really nice earthy nose. Great acidity with balanced tannins. Hint of sour cherry. A short finish now, but that should improve with some age. Drink with flat bread pizza or a pasta with a light red sauce.
order it now before its all gone……
We conduct blind tastings of California wines in the Napa office nearly every day, and we still get excited when the bag comes off of a wine we liked and it turns out to be affordable and widely available. Here are some of the recent wines from our tastings that combine value and quality.
Delicate, but with a racy streak that offers zest and spice, plus notes of rose petal and watermelon. Carignane, Grenache, Zinfandel and Charbono. Drink now. 126 cases made. —J.L.”
Check out the new review from the SF Chronicle 3/14/2010:
2008 Horse & Plow Alexander Valley Grenache ($25): From biodynamic grapes off the Unti vineyard site, Chris Condos (Vinum Cellars) used mostly neutral oak, plus a bit of Mourvedre and Syrah, to create an expression that’s more perfumed and dusty on the nose, with stewed berry fruit and a savory, almost saline bite to the finish. A big dose of tannin provides character and bite.
2008 Horse & Plow Grenache
“Gray Pinot (pinot gris) sounds pretty drab and 9 times out of 10 the name fits the wine. Yet in the hands of some winemakers this variety can sing. Joining the ranks of delicious and interesting wines from this variety, including wines like Jermann, Chehalem, Albert Mann among others, is the Horse and Plow 2008 Pinot Gris,, Filigreen Farm, Anderson Valley. Crisp, refreshing, but in no way light and simple, it is loaded with creamy fresh pear and white peach flavors all accented by a tangy minerality and firm acidity. This wine was barrel fermented in neutral oak, which shows in the lovely texture and a yeasty whisper on the nose. A whopping 350 cases were produced so Santa Margharita Pinot Grigio has as much to worry about as it has flavor.”-Craig Camp-Wine Camp Blog
