There’s never been a better time to drink local wines.
300 days of sunshine each year, cool nights and a growing group of ambitious winemakers provide the base of an emerging wine region. The mountains of Colorado shape the landscape and the resulting high plateau creates several micro-climates well suited to classic European varieties. Chardonnay, Riesling, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc all find a home creating vibrant, lively wines. Just because the resulting wines can excel, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy lifestyle. Colorado’s winegrowers brave spring and fall frosts, hail, and all of the classic surprises Colorado weather has to offer. But when you see what’s in the glass, I think you’ll agree that it’s worth it.
-Sommelier Greg Van Wagner
The Ajax Cellars Colorado wines are a collaboration between Joe Buckel, a modern Colorado wine industry pioneer, and Sommelier Greg Van Wagner. Buckel brings his depth of experience making wine in Sonoma at Flowers Vineyard and Winery and BR Cohn to showcase minimal intervention, European-styled wines locally. Van Wagner is an Aspen local of 13 years, running wine programs at Jimmy’s and Parc Aspen, and passed the Master Sommelier exam in 2018 with the distinction of the Krug Cup.
There has never been a better time to make wine in Colorado as winemakers combine greater awareness of the strengths of each vineyard and grape variety pairing. Many, like Buckel, produce traditionally crafted wines in pure, aromatic, and expressive styles. We only produce wines that are 100% from Colorado and 100% from vitis vinifera. Palisade in the Grand Valley, the Hotchkiss area, and the Four Corners are the top areas in the state for top-quality wine growing.
The 2023 vintage greeted winemakers with excellent quality and reliable harvest conditions. Yields came in average or slightly above, with a sigh of relief as that isn’t given in Colorado.
Winemaking Notes
Riesling
○Hand-harvested from the highest elevation Riesling vineyard in the U.S at 6,550 feet, the Russel Vineyard in the Four Corners region.
○Whole-cluster pressed and briefly rested in 8 year-old, fully neutral oak. 12.8% abv.
○Stellar pairing with oysters, fish tacos, stone fruits, and tempura-fried foods.
Syrah
○Hand-harvested from a single vineyard in Palisade
○Aged 8 months in 5-6 year-old neutral French oak barrels. 12.3% abv
○Aged 14 months in 4-5 year 228L barrel, 13.5% abv.
○Produced in the Northern Rhone inspiration, this Syrah shows a clean expression of dark fruit, grilled meats, green olive, and Mediterranean herbs.
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