VanWineFest is an exciting time for wine lovers and this year is no exception. In 2022 I met Joseph Lange, International Sales Director of LangeTwins, at the California Wine Fair in Vancouver, while tasting through their excellent lineup of California wines. This year Randall Lange and his wife Charlene will be pouring in the Tasting room and I highly recommend you stop by to taste their wines. With a focus on sustainability their Lodi and Clarksburg located vineyards and winery is a must visit for anyone attending VanWineFest.
Agriculture is the core of who we are and we know that great wine starts in the vineyard. We are generational farmers. Our priority has always been to connect people to the land through wine.
Sustainability is a constant effort every day to enhance our vineyards and the surrounding habitats – it is an obligation. At the end of the day, if we want to be generational, we must be sustainable.
All of our wines highlight the true expression of our vineyards, each having a unique story. Our Single Vineyard wines are crafted with care and intention, made to express the true characteristics of each individual vineyard.
LangeTwins 2022 Merrill Chenin Blanc
Aromas and flavours of apple, apricot, and nectarine.
Merrill Vineyard . Clarksburg AVA
Our 2022 Vintage of Chenin Blanc comes from the young Merrill Vineyard in the Clarksburg Appellation. A cold fermentation helped to ensure the beautiful aromatics were retained in this wine. Aromas of apple, apricot, and nectarine carry through the palate. Six months of oak aging in neutral barrels adds complexity to this bright and fresh wine. Velvety in texture with a long finish our Chenin Blanc is easy to enjoy.
VINEYARD NOTES
Bordering the Snodgrass Slough in the California Delta, our Merrill Vineyard is located in the Clarksburg Appellation. The 81.09 acres sits on Mucky Clay and Clay soil that retains water so we keep a close eye on irrigation to ensure a healthy, balanced vine.
PRODUCTION NOTES
From an earlier than average budbreak to widespread frost, the 2022 growing season was one of extremes. Late April frost brought significant damage to the Clarksburg appellation, while Lodi was largely spared. Windy spring days, contributed to loose clusters during fruit set, which is good for wine quality. Harvest began on August 1st and after the majority of our white varietals were off the vine, an intense heat wave settled into the San Joaquin Valley. Our teams harvested at night, carefully managing each vineyard with an eagle’s eye, ultimately finishing on October 25th with Petit Verdot. We’re proud to bring you the 2022 vintage that certainly did not come without it’s challenges, but is shaping up to be exceptional.
Clarksburg AVA – Located on the Sacramento River in the heart of the Delta, the Clarksburg AVA has a profound maritime influence. Cool mornings give way to warm afternoons and temperatures quickly cool again in the evenings. With land at or below sea level, the fertile soil attracts and holds nutrients and water which calls for constant monitoring.
LangeTwins 2021 Merrill Chardonnay
Flavours of honeyed melon with satisfying fresh baked brioche notes.
Merrill Vineyard . Clarksburg AVA
Coming from our Clarksburg Merrill Vineyard, our newest vintage Chardonnay has something for everyone to enjoy. The delicate gold color of this wine really sets the tone for what is to come. Immediately, you are immersed in savory and slightly sweet aromas reminiscent of freshly baked brioche bread brushed with butter. On the Palate, the balance of this wine really shines. The acidity is fresh and vibrant on the front with flavors of honeyed melon and tropical pineapple. Towards the finish, soft, warmer tones come through due to 15 months of neutral oak aging.
Certified Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing
VINEYARD NOTES
Bordering the Snodgrass Slough in the California Delta, our Merrill Vineyard is located in the Clarksburg Appellation. The 81.09 acres sits on Mucky Clay and Clay soil that retains water so we keep a close eye on irrigation to ensure a healthy, balanced vine.
PRODUCTION NOTES
The 2021 vintage brought us the earliest start of harvest we’ve experienced, with our crews starting on July 26th. After our white and early red varietals were brought in to the winery, many of our red varietals were predicted to reach maturity at the same time. The compaction of the second half of the harvest season became both a challenge and priority for us. As Fall approached, the smaller fruit set, paired with consistently higher temperatures caused many red varietals to mature rapidly. Varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petite Sirah came off three weeks sooner than average, with slightly higher brix than targeted, although with good acidity. With all said and done, the vintage came in smaller than expected, though with outstanding quality that we are thrilled to present.
Clarksburg AVA – Located on the Sacramento River in the heart of the Delta, the Clarksburg AVA has a profound maritime influence. Cool mornings give way to warm afternoons and temperatures quickly cool again in the evenings. With land at or below sea level, the fertile soil attracts and holds nutrients and water which calls for constant monitoring.
LangeTwins 2020 Thirty Eight Cabernet Sauvignon
Aromas of plum sauce, star anise, and mission fig.
Thirty Eight Vineyard . Jahant AVA
2020 was a year defined by adversity, and in the vineyard that trend was mirrored. A late budbreak, record breaking heat waves, regional wildfires, and fall thunderstorms defined the vintage year, though from these hardships, lower yield crops of truly remarkable quality were produced. Our latest vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon is exemplary with balanced structure and vibrant flavor. Showcasing alluring aromas of plum sauce, star anise, and mission fig, our iconic Thirty Eight Vineyard delivers another smooth, enjoyable experience for any wine lover. The palate is accented with savory dried herbs and understated oak tones that create a creamy texture with fine grained tannins that slowly build through to the finish.
Farmed responsibly and validated with dual certification through The Lodi Rules and California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA).
VINEYARD NOTES
Located less than a mile from our winery, the Thirty Eight vineyard was one of the first Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards planted by the twins in 1982 in partnership with Robert Mondavi Woodbridge.
PRODUCTION NOTES
To reflect on the 2020 growing season, we must look to the end of 2019. Our rain-season began with a good steady pace in late November and continued through early January, but Mother Nature turned off her spigot and we only had a couple good storms in March and April. As spring arrived, the vines awoke on-time, but the temperatures were erratic, resulting in shatter and poor berry set for many varietals. After a short heat spike in late May, summer temperatures were normal, and we had healthy vine canopies. In mid-August, lasting through September, high-elevation smoke from the wildfires was present off-and-on which likely moderated the forecasted high temperatures. In the end, most sensitive white varietals were harvested before the smoke arrived showing great quality aromatics and flavors, and the poor fruit set in many of our red varietals during the Spring gave us amazing concentration of flavour and aroma in the finished wines.
Jahant AVA – Located in the center of the Lodi AVA, the Jahant AVA is geographically the smallest of Lodi’s seven AVAs – a total size of 28,000 acres, with roughly 9,000 acres planted to vineyard. It sits on highly dissected river terraces and old floodplain deposits. The classic Mediterranean climate has Delta fog influence, and receives cold air drainage and entrapment within our vineyards.
Want to learn more about California wines? LangeTwins will be participating in the California Wines Sun Fest. Featured wines for this event are the Ivory & Burt Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 and Ivory & Burt Chardonnay 2022.
Live music sets the tone for this wine mingler celebrating the California dream. California wines evoke stretches of sandy beach, glorious sunshine, and laid-back West Coast culture. Sip and socialize at your own speed, enjoying upbeat tunes and colourful Golden State décor. Featured wines are paired with a selection of tasty bites, showing off their food-friendly personality. Enjoy the Golden State vibes.
Click here to secure your ticket for this not to be missed event.
Sponsored by California Wines; Media partner Daily Hive
Golden State Vineyard Visions
Discover the essence of California’s terroir in this exclusive Master Class featuring eight sustainably crafted, single-vineyard selections each carefully chosen to express the terroir they hail from. An expert sommelier will guide you through a journey that goes beyond the bottle. Experience wines that resonate with the land they’re rooted in, offering a vivid taste of the Golden State’s diverse climates and soils. With principal Randall Lange in attendance.
Featured wine: LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards Chenin Blanc, Merrill Vineyard 2022
Click here for tickets.
About Randall and Charlene Lange
As a fourth generation winegrower in the Lodi Appellation, Randall Lange partnered with his twin brother Brad to expand a small family farm to a vineyard management company growing over 33 different wine grape varietals. The business took a leap in 2005 and after a hands-on career of farming vines Randy led the design and construction efforts to build a family winery. The winery completes the family’s initiative to vertically integrate their business in order to achieve complete control of grapes-to-glass. As a leader in the industry, Randy currently serves as an officer with California’s Wine Institute and has held past chairman positions with the California Association of Winegrape Growers, the California Agricultural Leadership Program and was a founding member of the Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing program. Randy and his wife Charlene, a Chelsea, Michigan native, travel extensively throughout the United States and internationally sharing the LangeTwins story and growing the business.
About LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards
For five generations, the LangeTwins family has been a sustainable grower of premium grapes in the Lodi Appellation of California. In 2006, LangeTwins opened a winery in Acampo, CA, just 90 miles east of the San Francisco Bay Area, to showcase their passion for growing superior wine grapes and creating sustainably farmed, quality wines. Today, LangeTwins farms over 7,000 acres in both the Lodi and Clarksburg Appellations. The vineyard and winery operation is owned and managed by twins Randall and Brad, their wives Charlene and Susan, and fifth generation LangeTwins family members Marissa, Aaron, Philip, Kendra and Joseph. The LangeTwins family is committed to sustainable winegrowing, restoration projects and using renewable energy. For more information visit: http://www.langetwins.com.
Sustainable Farming
From childhood memories playing ‘Tom Sawyer’ on the Mokelumne River to working in the vineyards with their dad and grandpa, Brad and Randall formed a true respect for the land which developed into being responsible land stewards. Today, this commitment guides our daily farming and business practices to ensure they benefit our land, business, team, and the communities in which we live.
Soil, Air, and Water Management
Keeping our soil, air, and water healthy is essential in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. We regularly take soil samples to measure nutrient mix and water capacity to guide our decisions in growing a balanced vine. To off-set our carbon footprint, we replace dated engines for efficient, clean-burning alternatives, use multi-row machinery to limit vineyard passes, and are currently testing electric vineyard vehicles.
Renewable Energy
Our first Photovoltaic Solar System was installed in 2004 at our viticulture office. Today, we have multiple systems at select vineyard’s wells and pumps and our winery. Each year we are overcome by the positive impact created through the energy generated.
Must be 19 or older (No Minors) to attend Vancouver International Wine Festival events. Two pieces of ID (one with photo and birthdate) are required. Infants and children are not permitted.
Wine notes, bottle shots and “about” features courtesy of the winery.
