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ERIC BOLTON, ALTERNATING PROPRIETOR - ASSISTANT WINEMAKER, CCWS
Eric’s passion for wine making stems from his search for a career. He was not just satisfied in getting any degree, but something that he would want to get up for everyday. So while going through the Fire Academy, he found that you could get a degree in brewing. Brewing was a love of his. So he decided to get a Masters in Brewing and Distillation at the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. While searching for an undergraduate degree he found the Enology program at Fresno State. | Eric Bolton
With-in months of starting the program he fell in love with the wine industry and has decided to make this his life’s career. While at Fresno, Eric was into everything from helping the professors with research to aiding in the installation of the school’s bonded winery. Eric graduated with B.S. Enology and a minor in Chemistry. He has worked for Cribari winery and had a short jaunt as being a brewer for Bull Dog Brewing Company, he couldn’t resist. Eric joined the Picchetti Winery in July of ’99 as assistant winemaker, but was quickly promoted to winemaker in January of 2000. He was instrumental in the installation of the winery and the hand crafting of the wines. Eric believes in a hands on approach to winemaking. So you can see him knee deep in grapes during harvest. When Eric is not hard at work he can be found climbing mountains, particularly in the winter because he likes to ice climb. He also likes photography. This is just the tip of what he likes to do. Wine Making Philosophy: Eric’s philosophy on winemaking is to allow the regional character to show through in the wine. He also believes in having a good mid pallet experience. For Eric this is an important part of the wine profile. It should be with complexity, extend the wine tasting experience, and prepare you for the climatic finish. His goal is to do this by taking a minimal-interventional way of processing the grapes. The reds are destemed and the berries are barely crushed so that the skin is fractured, but not ripped open. The juice is fermented with native yeast. This adds complexity and aids in color extraction. The average fermentation last fourteen days. The wine is pressed when the tannin structure is reached for that wine. Several processing techniques are used during fermentation and malolactic fermentation to soften the tannins in the wine. Eric believes in doing this, so he does not have to fine the wine later on. The fining and filtering process strips character out of the wine. The wine then is allowed to go through malolatic fermentation. When malolatic fermentation is done the wine is then racked with the lees to barrel. Where it will stay until the wine needs to be racked. Eric lets the wine tell him when it needs to be racked and instead of using a set formula. He also believes in a spice rack approach to barrels. That’s why you will find up to sixteen different coopers being used. Eric says that each cooper has a distinct personality that adds layers of complexity to the wine and stops the wood components from being one-dimensional. All the wine is aged in oak barrels for 8 to 30 months. With whites, they are whole clustered pressed very gently. Then it is cold settled and racked to barrel for fermentation. He believes in complexity but with subtleness. So the juice is allowed start native yeast fermentation for a while then several barrels are individually inoculated with different yeast strains. The fermentation his held below 60 degrees and last up to three months. Only 30 % new oak is used, which is composed primarily of French Oak. Then wine is allowed to go through Malolatic fermentation. The wine is aged on the lees and is stirred once a week. Only the softest fining and filtering is done. E-mail: ebolton@ccwineservices.com
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