Winemaking
Intentionally Small, Immensely Personal
Ever-changing
Hibou, by its very nature, is not marked by consistency. We’re small enough to be nimble and risk-taking as we approach each new vintage as an open opportunity to explore and create. What started as just one Russian River Pinot Noir has progressed into a small yet ever-changing portfolio of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay from our favorite vineyards across Northern California. The defining thread is our commitment to our growers and our members: We’re making the most thrilling, authentic wines we possibly can.
Making just a few barrels at a time gives me freedom to take risks as I aim for excellence.
Collaborating
As small-scale vintners, we make our wine in a shared workspace with other artisans. Collaboration is an intrinsic part of the creative process. Among the amazingly talented people we’ve worked with along the way, Lomber Mora has become a close friend, an invaluable part of our cellar team, and our defacto assistant winemaker. Lomber shares Jason’s non-interventionist approach. With expertise and sensitivity, he ensures that each barrel is given just the right amount of time and calibration to evolve naturally and beautifully.
I’ve learned to let go: Trust the fruit and trust the process. The wines I’m most proud of are the ones in which I didn’t intervene unnecessarily. The lots that you can let be, the ones you take a risk on and let them become what they are meant to be, those are the most exciting.
“Pick Me”
Knowing that great wine is made in the vineyard, we ferment each vineyard block individually with its native yeasts as 100% or partial whole clusters. We gather the free-run juice, press the remainder gently, and move the segregated wine to barrel where it can evolve honestly. As we tend to the barrels, coaxing the elevage as lightly and intuitively as possible, a few barrels absolutely start to shine. The full narrative of their evolution unfolds in the most beautiful, breathtaking way. Those are the barrels that say, “Pick me.” And we do.
