Avenue Vine

Placed amidst graceful native oak trees in irregular blocks, the scenic juxtaposition of Michael’s Vineyard welcomes visitors at the entrance to Six Sigma Ranch. Approximately 12 acres of Sauvignon Blanc vines are planted to what winemaker Denis Malbec calls “un terroir noble.” Denis, a native of France, describes the soil as being low in nutrients and dry with a high mineral content. “At the vineyard, the air smells pure along with the virgin vegetation and earth,” he explains. “The soil is extremely expressive. The wine’s complex aromas and flavors, delicate mineral quality and rich creamy texture come from the soil. Michael’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc expresses the earth, rock and air of the site.”

Harvest is the second critical element of the wine’s pure expression. “We pick the grapes at exactly the right moment. The fruit is fully mature according to sensory experience. Brix and acidity have nothing to do with the decision,” states Denis. Winemaking includes fermentation and then aging on the lies in French oak barrels for six months. An elegant wine, the 2006 Michael’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc shows notes of roasted hazelnuts, toast and vanilla accompanied by ripe fruit flavors of peach, pear and nectarine.

Concurrent Release of 2006 Six Sigma Lake County Sauvignon Blanc

The Ahlmann’s are also releasing their 2006 Six Sigma Lake County Sauvignon Blanc made from grapes grown on Rooster Vineyard in Kelseyville. The vineyard is owned by David Weiss who directs vineyard development and management at Six Sigma. Planted in 1997, a quad-lateral trellis system reduces the vines’ vigor on the deep rich bottomland soil. The grapes were handpicked before sunrise in the latter part of September 2006 into small bins with a bed of dry ice at the bottom to minimize oxidation during the short drive to Six Sigma. “The dry ice provides a cool blanket of carbon dioxide that blocks out oxygen and creates a reductive environment in the lid-covered bins,” explains Denis. “This technique is more labor intensive but ensures a crisp, fresh wine while preserving the pure fruit aromas, blocking out the overly grassy notes often associated with Sauvignon Blanc.”

Approximately 50 percent of the berries were slightly crushed, and the remaining berries were left whole. Following 18 hours of skin contact, the grapes were pressed and 90 percent of the juice was fermented in stainless steel, while 10 percent fermented in one-year-old French oak barrels. The 2006 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc is a delicate, fruity wine displaying the best of the variety. Ripe aromas of Meyer lemon, pink grapefruit and fresh herbs complement the fruit flavors of gooseberry, peaches and pears. The refreshing crisp acidity, mineral element and good balance are enhanced by a long, clean aftertaste.

Six Sigma Team and Philosophy:
“The 2006 Michael’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc and the 2006 Lake County Sauvignon Blanc reflect our Six Sigma philosophy and commitment to quality,” says Kaj Ahlmann. Proprietors Kaj and Else Ahlmann are from Denmark, where Kaj began his professional life in international reinsurance. Else used her chemistry background consulting with breweries around the world. In 1993, Kaj was appointed CEO of Employers Reinsurance Corporation, a division of General Electric, and the family of six moved to the United States. When they purchased the 4,300-acre property in 2000, they decided to name it Six Sigma Ranch after the management process Kaj had successfully implemented during his professional career. He explains: “Six Sigma is an internationally recognized process focused on producing high quality products or services.”

Combining the old-world art of winemaking with the science of data-driven Six Sigma principles, the Ahlmann’s gathered a team of experts including winemakers Denis Malbec and his wife, May-Britt. Denis grew up in the cellars and vineyards of Chateau Latour in Bordeaux, France where he learned vineyard and winery management from his father, who worked at Latour for 47 years, and his grandfather who worked in the vineyards for more than 50 years. Denis studied viticulture and enology in Bordeaux and Reims, Champagne, France. In 1993, he started at Chateau Latour as a cellar worker. A year later, he assumed the position of enologist and cellar master, making the vintages from 1994 – 1999.

While Denis was honing his winemaking skills, May-Britt was perfecting her craft as sommelier in Scandinavia. In 1992, she earned the Prince Henri-Melchoir de Polignac award for “best sommelier” in the Nordic countries. In 1995, she moved to France to direct public relations at Chateau Latour, where she met Denis. The couple stayed at Latour until 2000 when they left to start their own wine consulting company.

“Their knowledge and philosophy are a perfect fit with Six Sigma’s values and principles,” states Kaj. “In 2005, we secured their services for our new winery and cave at the ranch.”

The production of the 2006 Six Sigma Michael’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is 120 cases, and the 2006 Six Sigma Lake County Sauvignon Blanc is 973 cases. The wines are distributed in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri, New York and North Carolina. The wines are also available to 28 states directly through the website at http://www.sixsigmaranch.com.

Lake County, CA, August 16, 2007 —