In the past week or so we lost Jane Birkin and Tony Bennett, two multi-talented artists who were cultural icons in their youth and revered elders in their final decades.  Both continued to work almost to the end.  Is this a metaphor for what we want for our wines; vibrant and perhaps precocious in their youth, multifaceted  and with personality that continues to develop even more complexity and nuance over time, where the last bottle brings pleasure, admiration, and longing for more while also reminding us of where we were the first time we met?  It’s certainly a goal worth having for both our wines and for us as winemakers.  If, Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga are honored to perform with you, as in the case of Tony Bennet, or if, in addition to your body of work and an iconic handbag, your offspring are Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon as in the case of Jane Birkin then you can look back and say that you’ve accomplished something, and even better, you remain relevant.  More later…