Foley Sonoma Courtney's Cuvee Winemaker Series Red Blend

Tasting notes & discussion 8

Typically $95/bottle from Foley Family Wines
Vintage 2021 from the Alexander Valley
Available for AL; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; FL; GA; ID; IL; IN; IA; KS; KY; LA; ME; MD; MA; MI; MN; MO; MT; NE; NV; NH; NJ; NM; NY; NC; ND; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VT; VA; WA; WV; WI; WY
Sold by participating winery or licensee, fulfilled by Wine Country Connect

About Foley Family Wines: "An artistic and fresh interpretation of the best of Alexander Valley.

Our winemaking philosophy is about pure varietal expression which produces award-winning, balanced wines rich in fruit and deep in character."

Every Stroke A Small Courage

TASTING NOTES: “The Foley Sonoma Winemaker Series includes wines hand crafted and selected by our winemaker. Each wine in the series embodies a distinct representation of terroir which is illustrated by the hand painted watercolors depicted on our label. This Cuvée comes from our estate vineyards on the Foley Sonoma property. The watercolor artwork on our label illustrates the special sense of place of this Alexander Valley vineyard.” (AbV 14.8%, pH 3.76, TA 5.95)

VARIETALS: Not specified

BARRELS: 19 months in French oak (1-year old)

PAIRS WITH: N/A

THAT REMINDS ME OF: Watercolor labels.

There’s a particular kind of childhood magic in a watercolor painting that oil and acrylic just can’t touch. Something about the way pigment blooms outward when it hits wet paper — unpredictable, alive, a little out of control — that makes it feel less like something made and more like something that happened. Which is maybe why watercolor became the medium of choice for field naturalists in the 18th and 19th centuries. Before photography, if you wanted to document a new species of bird or orchid you’d found in the jungle, you brought a watercolorist. You brought someone who could capture a living thing quickly, before it wilted or decayed, in a medium that had the same translucent delicacy as the subject itself. John James Audubon, the definitive bird man of American art, worked in watercolor and pastel. His Birds of America plates — all 435 of them — are so kinetically alive that ornithologists still argue about whether they’re science or art. The answer, obviously, is yes.

The funny thing is that watercolor fell out of fashion among “serious” artists for exactly the reasons it’s so good: it forgives nothing, it can’t be easily corrected, and it dries lighter than it looks when wet, meaning you’re always working on faith. You have to commit. Every stroke is a small act of courage, or at least a small act of optimism. Which feels, actually, like a very reasonable philosophy for both making wine and painting vineyard labels.

Who's buying this?

How are you buying your bottles?

Watercolor demands total commitment — every stroke is final. How do you make your moves?

I commit fully and trust my instincts, even when the outcome is uncertain

I commit fully and trust my instincts, even when the outcome is uncertain
I plan carefully before I act, but once I start, I don't look back

I plan carefully before I act, but once I start, I don't look back
I embrace happy accidents — some of my best moments were unplanned

I embrace happy accidents — some of my best moments were unplanned
I'm still learning to let go of control, but I'm getting there

I'm still learning to let go of control, but I'm getting there
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