Domaine Lois Louise Cote Sud Domaine Lois

Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Wines
Domaine Lois Louise Estate (‘00-’09)
Santa Cruz Mountains Estates (2010 +)
Domaine Lois Louise Cote Sud
Domaine Lois Louise Twisty Ridge
Domaine Valeta Sunny Slope
Domaine Docteur Rodgers
Valeta Massey and T.J. Rodgers
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Highlights
• First Vintage: 1996
• Annual Production: 2,000 cases
• Clos de la Tech produces five Pinot Noirs from three estate vineyards:
o Domaine du Docteur Rodgers - 1 acre, hand-farmed site in Woodside
o Domaine Valeta - 3.5 acres, 2,350 feet above sea level in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
o Domaine Lois Louise - an extraordinarily steep, ocean-exposed, 163-acre property in the SCM AVA
• Extreme terrain (high elevation, steep, exposed, austere soils)
• Incredibly low yields (1-2 tons per acre)
• Vine-by-vine farming
• High-density planting (4,150 vines per acre)
• Careful matching of rootstock, clones and trellising to terroir
• Innovative equipment designed by owner TJ Rodgers
• Three gravity-flow, step-down caves; no pumps
• Hand harvesting
• Foot crushed grapes
• Whole cluster fermentations with native yeast
• One-of-a-kind, TJ Rodgers-designed tractor (to navigate steep hills)
• One-of-a-kind, TJ Rodgers-designed press (to maximize flavor extraction and reduce bitterness)
• 100% Francois Freres Oak
• Bottled unfiltered
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Uncompromised Pinot Noir
With caves tunneling deep into a vine-covered ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains and vineyards so steep they have to be farmed with a one-of-akind, specially designed tractor moved by cables, Clos de la Tech is one of the most ambitious and innovative Pinot Noir producers in California.
The winery was founded in 1994 and continues to be operated by TJ Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor, and his wife, Valeta. Some of the
highlights at Clos de la Tech include extreme growing conditions, high-altitude terrain, vine-by-vine farming, high-density planting (4,150 vines per
acre), low yields (below one ton per acre), innovative equipment, gravity-flow winery, whole cluster fermentations and no filtration.
Hands-On, Innovative Owners
T.J. Rodgers is the owner and winemaker for Clos de la Tech. He is also the founder, president, CEO, and a director of Cypress Semiconductor
Corporation. TJ has been making wine since 1996 and has developed and implemented a number of innovative techniques, technologies and
pieces of equipment to ensure that CDLT’s wines reflect the terroir from which they came. T.J.’s wife, Valeta Massey, an ex-senior SRAM design
engineer at Cypress, is in charge of winery and vineyard operations.
Cold-Climate, Mountain Vineyards
Clos de la Tech’s five Pinot Noirs come from three estate vineyards: Domaine du Docteur Rodgers (1 acre, hand-farmed site in Woodside),
Domaine Valeta (3.5 acres, 2,350 feet above sea level in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA) and Domaine Lois Louise (an extraordinarily steep,
ocean-exposed, 163-acre property in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA). Some of the highlights at Clos de la Tech include extreme growing
conditions, high-altitude terrain, vine-by-vine farming, high-density planting (4,150 vines per acre), low yields (below one ton per acre), innovative
equipment (designed by TJ to produce hand-made wines by gravity flow; no pumping), whole cluster fermentations and no filtration.
Quote
“Our winemaking method is a faithful replication of that of Ouvrard, the winemaker who brought prominence to Romanee-Conti in the 1830s —
truly “méthode ancienne,” including hand picking, foot crushing, native yeast fermentation and no filtering. The theory is to bring our fruit, which
is special, to the bottle without manipulation. With these methods, one can easily taste the difference between the vineyards — that is their
expression of terrior.” TJ Rodgers
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
2009 Domaine Lois Louise - 92 Points, Cellar Selection
2009 Domaine Valeta Sunny Slope - 90 Points, Cellar Selection
2009 Domaine Lois Louise Cote Sud - 91 Points, Cellar Selection
2009 Domaine Lois Louise Twisty Ridge - 93 Points, Cellar Selection
2009 Domaine du Docteur Rodgers - 93 Points Cellar Selection
2009 Domaine Lois Louise - 93 Points
2009 Domaine Valeta Sunny Slope - 95 Points
2009 Domaine Lois Louise Cote Sud - 93 Points
2009 Domaine Lois Louise Twisty Ridge - 93 Points
2009 Domaine du Docteur Rodgers - 96 Points
Critics Challenge
2009 Domaine Lois Louise Twisty Ridge - 91 Points, Gold Medal
2009 Domaine Lois Louise Cote Sud - 91 Points, Gold Medal
Sommelier Challenge
2009 Domaine Lois Louise - 94 Points, Platinum Medal
2009 Domaine Lois Louise Cote Sud - 91 Points, Gold Medal
The Prince of Pinot
2009 Domaine Valeta Sunny Slope - 94 Points
2009 Domaine Lois Louise Twisty Ridge - 93 Points
2009 Domaine du Docteur Rodgers - 94 Points
James Melendez, “James The Wine Guy”
2009 Domaine Lois Louise Cote Sud - 93 Points
2009 Domaine Lois Louise - 93 points
FORBES
Top Ten Wines of 2014
2009 Domaine Lois Louise
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
2010 Santa Cruz Mountains Estates
93 Points (Cellar Selection)
Coming from one of the more tech-savvy yet Old World-practicing producers, this still-emerging
wine smells of autumn. Crushed, dried-leaf aromas meld seamless with wet clay, black lava rocks
and juniper. A lean line of black cherry-blackberry syrup drives the palate, which picks up black
peppercorn, anise, dark chocolate and pine-sprinkled earth. Drink 2018–2030.
2010 Domaine Lois Louise Cote Sud
2010 Santa Cruz Mountains Estates
92 Points (Gold Medal)
93 Points (Gold Medal)