Category Archives: Wine Industry

A Meeting of the (Winemakers’) Minds

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While it is great to hear from winemakers about their wines, it isn’t exactly a unique experience. However, listening to a panel of winemakers from around the globe talk about key issues in the wine world is a special treat. And, one perhaps made even better when that panel is moderated by Kevin Zraly.

In July 2010, amidst a torrential downpour, I arrived at Moet-Hennessy’s Chelsea offices damp, but not downtrodden. Welcoming the cup of coffee that was offered, I spent some time viewing various displays for Moet-Hennessy products. Once everyone had arrived and was assembled in the conference room, the Winemakers’ Forum began.

The panel included Leone Contini Bonacossi, Owner of Capezzana; Marc Sorrel, Estate Director for Chateau de Sancerre; Nicolas Audebert, Cheval des Andes’ winemaker; Ian Morden, Estate Director for Cloudy Bay; Joel Burt, Assistant Winemaker at Domaine Chandon; Andrea Leon, Winemaker for Casa Lapostolle; Andrea Felluga, Livio Felluga’s winemaker; Laura Bianchi, owner of Monsanto; Chris Millard, executive winemaker at Newton Vineyard; Winemaker Manuel Louzada from Numanthia; and Terrazas’ senior winemaker, Adrian Meyer.

Kevin kicked off the session by asking the winemakers to share their favorite wine memories, especially those that cemented their interest in, and love for, wine. For some, it was a single wine – perhaps a 1996 Bandol (Adrian), Krug 1928 (Nicolas) or a Bonne Mares from one’s birth year (Marc). For others, it was a particular experience – tasting sparkling wine in the winery with one’s grandfather (Manuel) or stealing down into the cellar at 13 (Andrea L.) or 5 (Leone) and drinking from either the bottle or barrel, respectively. And, as Ian reminded everyone, context is everything; “You can’t divorce wine from the occasion.”

Trekkies know that space is the final frontier, but Kevin next queried where in the world was the next wine frontier. There was a diversity of responses ranging from the need to explore higher altitudes due to climate change and the shift in wine styles to up-and-coming grape varieties and regions. There was no one grape variety identified, but rather, certain varieties were associated with new areas such as Syrah in New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay; Chenin Blanc in Stellenbosch, South Africa; Petit Verdot in Maipu, Chile; and the  rediscovery of Trebbiano, Malvasia and Friulano.

Building on the topic of change and innovation, the discussion then centered on changes in winemaking. On this, there was more consensus among panel members. Many spoke about the return to more traditional winemaking and a less is more approach. Another theme was an increased emphasis on the vineyard and terroir.

Viticultural advances were further noted such as drip irrigation and the development of rootstocks. A focus on balance was also mentioned, whether through canopy management, matching grape varieties with the right climate or achieving balance in the wine itself.

Here, Mary Ewing-Mulligan asked the panel to address the fact that the alcohol is not in balance even though winemakers say it’s not about alcohol. In response, Nicolas explained that sometimes waiting for full maturity in the grapes results in high alcohol levels. He added that while “[the alcohol level] could be high and be too much, it could [also] be high and you don’t feel it.” “I feel it,” said Mary.

With regard to wine in the market, both Laura and Marc lamented that consumption habits had declined in Europe, especially with the younger generation which drinks less wine and more beer and cocktails. While others agreed, Ian countered that new markets, especially China and Brazil, were becoming increasingly sophisticated with regard to wine.

More specific to the American market, Leone expressed pleasant surprise at the level of knowledge displayed by the people at her hotel’s reception desk. She was impressed with the broad picture they had on wine compared with young Italians whom, she said, have a more regional palate.

When Kevin mused about the outlook for the U.S. – Is it generally getting better? There was a resounding yes from the group. However, this sentiment needs to be tempered in light of recent economic issues.

And, what was their opinion of American wines? A number of people mentioned the quality of Oregon wines, naming its Pinot Noirs and sparkling wines in particular. However, Laura confessed that she had tasted American Sangiovese, but wasn’t worried about the competition (she produces Chianti, which is primarily made from Sangiovese).

Questioned about wine critics, the feeling was that critics play an important role, helping to narrow the field for the consumer. However, it was also admitted that, like any system, it has some good and bad elements associated with it. While Andrea L. stated that it was rewarding as a winemaker to receive high scores, Nicolas emphasized that, “if you are making wine as a passion, you are not making wine for critics.” Joel also suggested that the power of big critics is waning due to blogs, an opinion that Chris shared.

As a final topic, the conversation turned to biodynamics and organics. A few, such as Nicolas and Adrian, admitted that being organic was easy for them due to climatic conditions. Yet, Andrea F. and others pointed to high rainfall and humidity as impediments to such practices. However, the overall feeling was that such viticultural practices were crucial in and of themselves, not as marketing efforts. Consequently, many winemakers don’t indicate their practices on the label. In this regard, Joel proposed that, “It’s important to be stewards of the land,” an emotion echoed by Andrea F., who noted that, “We have to take care of the planet.”

New Wines from Old Vines – Ravenswood’s Single-vineyard Zins

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“There’s a lot of Zin’ because that’s what I do.” So began Joel Peterson, founder and winemaker of Ravenswood, as he welcomed us to dinner at Blue Hill in mid-June. Concerned that one might jump to the conclusion that these are monster wines, Peterson was quick to describe his Zins as being “in proportion” with “lovely character”. He further advised that he grew up drinking European wines, which informs his winemaking to this day. The winemaker also insists that Zinfandel is expressive with regard to terroir. And, in that vein, he proceeded to show us his single-vineyard Zinfandels from low yielding, old vines as proof.

A founding member of ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers), Peterson is intimately familiar with Zinfandel’s history. As modern DNA analysis has shown, the variety dates back to Croatia as a descendent of Crljenak Kaštelanski (I don’t know how to pronounce it either). However, Zinfandel arrived on America’s shores in 1824, landing first in the Ravenswood section of Queens then making its way to California in the 1850s. By 1884, there were 30,000 acres planted there.

Yet despite this heritage, Peterson’s choice of company name is unrelated and simply coincidence. Rather, in 1976, when Peterson harvested his first crop of grapes, it began to rain. He hastened to pick all the grapes before the precipitation could ruin them and noticed during his work that two, large ravens watched him throughout the entire day. These black birds became his totem and, along with an operatic connection to Lucia di Lammermoor, an opera he favors, cemented the moniker. With its purported hypnotic design, the three entwined birds of his logo have become a much-requested tattoo.

Although he initially began his career in clinical research, Peterson was drawn to winemaking, serving first as an apprentice and then obtaining money to go out on his own. And, while many adults might credit their parents for sparking their curiosity in wine, few children can say that their arrival was the catalyst for a similar pursuit by their parents. Peterson can say both – that his parents influenced his interest in wine and that he is partly responsible for them ever getting involved in wine in the first place.

When Joel was born in 1947, his mother, a nuclear chemist, chose to leave the workforce and become a stay-at-home mom. Spending time in the kitchen instead of the laboratory, she taught herself to cook. Among her food-related reading, she noted that the French drank wine with their meals, a novel concept in U.S. culture at the time. Intrigued, she set out to buy a bottle of French wine for Thanksgiving; it took two weeks to find one in California, but her search was rewarded with a bottle of 1945 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The next purchase was a mixed case, which cost $15.00 and included Haut Brion and Château d’Yquem.

From this simple introduction, Joel’s dad went on to found the San Francisco Wine Sampling Club (now known as the San Francisco Vintners Club) and called upon his 10-year old son to smell, taste (and spit) the wines in order to identify simpler terms for describing the wines in his newsletter. To this day, Peterson says, “You can tell everything about a wine just by smelling.” Joel’s more formal education includes a degree in microbiology from Oregon State University.

Given his exposure to French wines, Peterson selected Zinfandel as his grape of choice because, to him, it was the most European variety in California at the time. While the Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend is much better known, Peterson actually began crafting single-vineyard designated wines from Sonoma County with that first, rainy vintage. His current range includes six, single-vineyard designated wines.

Having commented that he, “…like[d] acid and tannin; these are my friends,” during dinner, it was not surprising that both were evident as we tasted through the wines.

The Dickerson Vineyard, in Napa Valley, dates to 1920. Infected with the leaf-roll virus, the vines do not photosynthesize well, which leads to higher acidity in the grapes and the resulting wines. The 2008 is angular with bright red fruit.

Situated at the south end of the Alexander Valley, Big River Vineyard is comprised of volcanic soil. The wines it produces are “perfume-y and pretty” and the 2008 was no different with its elegance and long length.

Owned by the Belloni family, Ricardo (now deceased) used to make wine from his own grapes as well as sell them until he tasted Joel’s Belloni Zinfandel, feeling that the grapes were better in Joel’s hands than his own. Referred to as a “big bruiser” by Peterson, this Zinfandel is co-fermented as a field blend with Alicante Bouschet, Carignane and Petite Sirah. The 2008 showed rich, jammy fruit with soft tannins.

Named for BARbara and PatRICA, the Barrica Vineyard is located in the Sonoma Valley appellation. Originally established in 1860, this historic vineyard was owned by George Hearst, father of William Randolph Hearst, and, in 1885, was the first vineyard in California to be planted on American rootstock. The 2008 displays distinct structure and weight with blueberry, vanilla and floral aromas.

The certified organic, Old Hill Ranch was the first non-Mission vineyard and contains roughly half Zinfandel and half “mixed blacks,” some of which that have yet to be identified. The wine itself is composed of 75% Zinfandel and 25% mixed blacks and is the spiciest of the 2008 line up.

From Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, Teldeschi’s vines include Zinfandel, Carignane and Petite Sirah, which are fermented separately. Peterson described this wine as “big,” “beautiful” and with “rich cherry and vanilla.” In addition to the usual bramble fruit, the 2008 had smoky aromas along with dried herbs.

Shifting attention somewhat away from Zinfandel toward the end of the night, Peterson presented us with two more wines –the ICON Mixed Blacks, a field blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Alicante Bouschet and his proprietary red blend, Pickberry Red.

The former is the “once and future wine of California” representing grape varieties that were planted prior to 1920, while the latter, from Sonoma Mountain, is a Bordeaux-style wine. The 2007 Pickberry is a blend of 58% Merlot and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, without the usual Cabernet Franc he usually adds, due to vintage conditions.

Regardless of which vineyard’s grapes were in the glass, none of the wines had what Peterson refers to as the “three sins of Zin – too much sugar, alcohol and/or oak.” They were all beautifully balanced and did, indeed express the individual terroirs.

Grand Cru Grapevine: Everything Old is New Again – South African Wines (August 2011)

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With its 350 years of winemaking history, South Africa should qualify as an “old” wine region. However, after years of decline and isolation during apartheid, the country is relatively new to the modern wine world having only been on the world stage for two decades.

Initially set up as a way-station for Dutch East India ships bound for Asia in search of spices and other exotic goods, the Cape Colony was established in 1652, with vineyards planted in Cape Town as early as 1655. By the mid-1700s, South Africa’s wines, particularly the famed Constantia, were the toast of Europe fetching high prices at auction and sought after by emperors and kings. But, the triple threat of oidium (vine disease), phylloxera (vine louse) and the Suez canal decimated the industry. While the KWV, established in 1918, helped to stabilize grape prices, the emphasis was on quantity, not quality. Moreover, despite the development of its Wine of Origin scheme, which shifted attention toward integrity in 1973, the boycott of South African products during the period of apartheid severely limited the market for their wines.

Then, beginning in 1990 with the release of Nelson Mandela, the repeal of apartheid lifted the ban and South African wine producers found themselves in the world market once again. Beyond providing new places to sell their wines, exposure to other wine regions presented the opportunity to learn new winemaking techniques, which they readily did. Today, South African wines garner international acclaim, taking home gold medals in competitions and even landing on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines List.

South Africa’s emblematic grapes are Chenin Blanc and Pinotage. The former has lived a bit of a Cinderella story, beginning life as a workhorse grape and then becoming recognized for the high quality it can produce when treated properly. Ken Forrester has been a champion of the grape and produces four different Chenin Blanc wines. Pinotage is uniquely South African having been developed there in 1925 as the offspring of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (then called Hermitage). This grape has a notorious reputation, with most winemakers stating a distinct love or hate for it. Depending upon with whom you speak, it is either capable of great depth and concentration when planted in the right places (Anthony Hamilton Russell of Hamilton Russell Vineyards) or should be dismissed altogether (Gyles Webb of Thelema).

Moving outside the established wine regions of Constantia, Stellenbosch and Paarl, winemakers are searching out new areas for planting vines. Charles Back of Fairview is the revolutionary credited with the colonization of Swartland. This rugged region located only one hour north of Cape Town offers up a diversity of soils, but regardless of the type, all of them permit dry farming (non-irrigated). Further, several older vineyards of Chenin Blanc and Pinotage have shown great potential here, as have warm climate grapes such as Spain’s Tempranillo and France’s Grenache and Mourvèdre.

Winemakers looking for cooler climates have traveled south to the coast. Hamilton Russell’s father, Tim, gravitated to the clay-rich soils of Hemel-en-Aarde near Walker Bay for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Similarly, Gyles Webb found Elgin, previously known for its apple orchards, to be a suitable area for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay (and his pocket-book due its lower real estate prices).

Among other new initiatives, South Africa has been on the forefront of land preservation and biodiversity promotion. To that end, it instituted a new seal with the 2010 vintage that merges its Integrity with its Sustainability programs. Additionally, South Africa has more fair trade wines than any other country.

As abandoned estates are purchased, vineyards renewed and cellars rebuilt, South Africa is poised for continued success as it re-establishes its reputation as a fine wine producer. And, with Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance – a re-introduction of the famed Constantia wines, truly everything old is new again.

TASTING NOTES

Sutherland, Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Elgin, South Africa, $15.00
From an up-and-coming cool climate region and Gyles Webb’s new label, this wine is dry, with bright grapefruit, slight grass and a hint of minerality. Lacking the pungency of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, it is more fruit focused with racy acidity.

Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc 2010, Stellenbosch, South Africa, $14.00
The Reserve range of Ken’s three tiers of Chenin Blanc, this wine is produced from hand-harvested fruit picked from 37 year-old vines. Baked apple, honey and citrus aromas persist on the rich, round palate and throughout the wine’s long length.

Russell Hamilton Vineyards, Pinot Noir 2007, Hemel-en-Aarde, South Africa, $40.00
Acknowledged as the pioneer of South Africa’s Pinot Noir, Russell Hamilton is producing worldclass wines as evidenced by this wine’s appearance on Wine Spectator’s list of the top 100 wines for 2009. The nose greets with savory, dried herb notes, which give way to earth and herbal flavors on the complex palate, culminating in long length.

Nederberg, Ingenuity Red 2008, Western Cape, South Africa, $NA
Produced from a blend of Sangiovese, Barbera and Nebbiolo, Nederberg planted these Italian red varieties to see how they would do and then aged the wine in older Romanian oak. The result is a wine with aromas and flavors of spice, wood and berry/cherry. Medium tannins provide some structure, but don’t overwhelm the palate.

Xavier Flouret, uQamata 2007, Polkadraai Hills, South Africa, $20.00
A collaboration between Xavier Flouret and Amani winery, which boasts the first female black winemaker in South Africa, this Bordeaux-style blend includes Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Savignon. Aromas of berries, smoke and spice dominate the nose while the palate shows blackberry, slight herbaceousness and spices that linger throughout the long length.

Aromatically Yours

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Viognier – pronounced Vee-own-yay – is primarily associated with France’s northern Rhône Valley and to a lesser extent with Rhône-style wines of Australia. However, this grape is starting to get around.

Case in point, the Galil Mountain Winery Viognier 2009 (SRP: $15.00) from Israel’s Upper Galilee, situated at one of the country’s highest elevations – 3,280 feet above sea level. Located in northern Israel, near the borders of Lebanon and Syria, the Gaililee area, which also includes the Golan Heights, is generally regarded as Israel’s best wine producing region. Galil Mountain Winery was established in 2000 and is the sister winery to Golan Heights Winery, which was named best wine producer of the year at VinItaly in 2011.

Galil Mountain’s Viognier was classic in nature, showing floral, apricot and tangerine. While dry on the palate, it had rich fruit flavors of apricot, peach pit and spice. Not surprisingly, it was fuller-bodied than the Sauvignon Blanc. Although 40% of the wine had been barrel fermented in new French oak, the oak was not prominent on the nose or palate.

The Viognier was tasted with another equally aromatic grape, Sauvignon Blanc, from the North Fork of Long Island, representing interests closer to home. Sauvignon Blanc is probably most closely associated with New Zealand, but it is actually from France’s Bordeaux and Loire Valley regions, the former of which has a climate very similar to Long Island.

Produced from fruit from Long Island’s vaunted 2010 vintage, the Katherine’s Field Sauvignon Blanc from Macari Vineyards (SRP $23.00) possessed citrus, pith and mineral notes on the nose. The ripe vintage displayed itself on the palate with pineapple and continued minerality, along with vibrant acidity. The wine was released in early May with only 883 cases produced.

Both were welcome guests at the table when brought to a friend’s Hampton’s house in early July.

A Fresh Look at Frascati

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Fontana Candida's winemaker, Mauro Merz

Long the ambassador for Italian wines, Frascati adopted a low profile as a light-bodied quaffer – easy to drink, but just as easily dismissed. However, when the focus shifts to providing a product that is, above and beyond, authentic and of the highest quality, this is a wine that can also offer a refreshing surprise.

Named for the town of Frascati within Lazio and proximate to Rome, the Frascati DOC was the first one established back in 1966. This traditional wine is a white blend comprised primarily of Malvasia de Lazio and/or Malvasia di Candia, along with Trebbiano Toscano, Trebbiano Gialla, Greco, Bombino (and somewhat more controversial, up to 10% of aromatic, international varieties, ie. Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc).

The leader in this region, Fontana Candida, believes that wine must bring joy; be made naturally; and be an expression of its place. With this philosophy in mind, the company continues to work on improving brand Frascati for both itself and the region at large. To that end, they hired an agronomist and offered his services free of charge to the local growers – small, family farms.

While the motive was admittedly selfish — they wanted to source better fruit — growers who bought into these changes have reaped the rewards of Fontana Candida’s largesse. Not only did they receive the free consultation, but now also earn significantly more for their grapes when selling to Fontana Candida. Moreover, at a time when the delimited area is shrinking due to Rome’s urbanization projects and an overall decline in grape prices, Fontana Candida has committed to maintaining its higher prices, paying up to 40% over the base in incentives.

The resulting wines show off the quality of vineyard work coupled with the true expression of tradition and terroir. The flagship Fontana Candida Frascati Superiore DOC (SRP $10.00) is fresh and fruity, but with the weight to stand up to food. And, of particular interest, they are capable of aging.

No really. A mini-vertical of their Vigneto Santa Teresa Frascati Superiore 1997, 2001 and 2004 wines proved the point in spades. Winemaker Mauro Merz stresses that the wines will not necessarily improve with time, they will evolve and last. With a certain gravitas, these wines displayed both elegance and depth. Whereas the young wine displayed fresher notes of green apple and a slightly savory aspect, the older wines showed honey, bruised fruit (pear and apple) and dried herbs. The most mature (1997) showed signs of age with a slightly oxidative character on the nose, but was still enjoyable with its palate cleaner than its nose.

Equally delightful were the producer’s Luna Mater wines (SRP $23.00). First produced in 2008 in celebration of Fontana Candida’s 50th anniversary, the wine is made with select lots from older vines averaging 50 years and aged in large Acacia wood casks (which was selected for its ability to bring out the best characteristics of Malvasia grape). However, the intention is not to dominate the wine with wood. Rather, the aging extracts the wood tannins, lending structure and longevity to the finished wines, the former of which was evident upon tasting these wines as were aromas and flavors of pear and almond.

With its motto “Quality above all,” it is clear that Fontana Candida is producing wines of depth, elegance and richness that can be enjoyed in their youth as well as their more golden years. Either way, the wines offered a fresh look at old faithful Frascati.

Everything’s Coming Up (Sparkling) Rosés

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In a bold move (and equally bold attire – a pink shirt and gold tie), Hugh Davies, owner of Napa’s Schramsberg Vineyards, challenged some sharp palates to blind taste his J. Schram Rosé 2000 (SRP $130.00) against some of the best rosé Champagnes. The J. Schram Rosé 2000 is a blend of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir, with grapes sourced from Napa, Mendocino, Sonoma, Monterey and Marin Counties and aged on its lees for seven years.

Confident that his wine would show well, tasters were given six flutes filled with varying shades of pink bubbles and asked to rank the wines from 1 to 6 (with 1 being their favorite). None of the tasters knew the identity of the other wines as they set off on their tasting journey.

Once the wines had been tasted and scored, the scores were tallied before the identities were revealed. The verdict? Collectively, the group chose the J. Scram 2000 as their favorite, with the Louis Roederer Cristal 2002 in 2nd place, followed by Perrier-Jouet 2002. My personal picks varied a bit, placing the Cristal first, the Perrier-Jouet second and the J. Schram in third place. I found the former two to be lighter and more delicate, but did still enjoy the J. Schram a lot.

The second flight of wines permitted attendees to taste through the J. Schram in various stages and from different vintages. More specifically, the 2009 pre-bottled, base blend of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir was compared with the post-bottle version. The wine has nicer qualities, but appeared young and disjointed given its incomplete stage. A 2006 J. Schram showed how, in time, the wine would become more integrated, while a comparison of the 2003 J. Schram – a natural sparkling version vs. the finished wine – provided a glimpse into the wine’s further development, with less fruit on the nose and more complexity on the palate. To finish off the flight, the 1993 J. Schram offered a sample of the aging potential of this wine.

The final flight of the day paired several different Schramsberg wines with a delicious lunch, showing the food friendly nature of these wines.

~Blanc de Blancs 2006 – Salmon crepe
~Blanc de Noirs 2006 – Wild mushroom and rice cake
~Reserve 2001 – Lobster Choux
~J. Davies 2006 (a still wine blended from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot) – Lamb Skewers
~Crémant Demi-Sec 2005 (produced from 88% Flora, a cross between Gewurztraminer and Semillon) – Ham

Two from the Clos

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The vineyards of Clos de los Siete in Mendoza, Argentina, are the brainchild of Michel Rolland, flying winemaker, closely associated with Bordeaux. The ambitious project seeks to bring five owners together to create their own wines as well as a collaborative wine.

Although the project was launched in 1998 and the Clos de los Siete by Michel Rolland wine has been available since 2002, a new wine from the property recently made its debut—DiamAndes Gran Reserva. Owned by the Bonnie family of Bordeaux, France (and proprietors of Château Malartic Lagravière), the vineyards for Bodega DiamAndes were planted in 2005.

While the wines are produced from vines grown in close proximity, the foci of the winemakers are different. Whereas the Clos de los Siete by Michel Rolland is produced from a blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, with actual percentages varying from vintage to vintage, the DiamAndes is heavily comprised of Malbec, seasoned with Cabernet Sauvignon.

I tasted these two wines side by side from the same vintage, 2007, as a way to compare and contrast the different blends from the same terroir.

The Clos de los Siete (48% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Syrah) was fruit forward in style with youthful notes of blueberries, vanilla, plum and slight wood. The full-bodied wine had medium+, but ripe, tannins and an overall ripe fruit/jammy appeal.

In comparison, the DiamAndes Gran Reserva, comprised of 70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in French oak (presumably new since the winery is new itself), was more elegant and austere. This wine showed some slight development on the nose along with more overt oak/wood aromas. Similarly full-bodied, but with dustier tannins, this wine offered flavors of dark plum, oak and vanilla. Despite the more obvious use of oak, this wine was beautifully balanced.

Although one style may appeal to someone’s palate more so than the other, I enjoyed them both for their differences.

The Ageability of Riesling

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As I head to Niagara this weekend for TasteCamp North, I am reminded of a session I attended at the American Wine Society’s November 2010 Conference in Cincinnati, OH (or as I call it, the other Cin city) with David Gimbel of Vineland Estates Winery.

Established by German producer St. Urbanhoff, Vineland Estates looked to emulate the Mosel in North America. Consequently, they purchased 35 acres in the Niagara Escarpment.

The original motherblock was planted entirely to Riesling on Weiss 21B vines, which can withstand very cold temperatures. The first production was limited to three wines – dry, off-dry and ice wine Rieslings. However, today, the winery has planted other varieties and produces both red and white wines.

David’s session included a tasting of selected vintages from the past 16 years and was a wonderful opportunity to see how well Riesling can age.

Unfortunately, we all agreed that the 1996 Riesling Reserve was tired, with an oxidized character on both the nose and palate. However, it did show a developed nose of spice, dried apricot and slight citrus with more dried fruit and honey on the palate.

The 1999 Riesling Reserve was much more alive, with floral, honey and ripe apricot notes, which remained on the palate for a long time. The 2000 Riesling Reserve was developing nicely with apple peel, honey and a hint of floral while the 2005 Riesling Reserve was still fresh and ripe. Its complex palate provided just a hint of sweetness, with high acidity, peach, floral, honey and pineapple.

We then switched to tasting the Semi-Dry Riesling flight, beginning with the 1994, which showed only slight development despite the passage of 16 years. The honey, spice, apricot and dried fruit nose gave way to bright acidity, apricot, spice, and honeysuckle on the palate, culminating in long length. The 1998 was still vibrant, belying its age, with floral, citrus and peach notes, while the 2000, equally youthful, had more lime and pith flavors. The 2004 vintage was rich and intense with a developing nose redolent with spice and a palate of floral, honey, citrus and peach. While the sweetness of the older wines had faded, the 2004 was still slightly off-dry.

The session concluded with the Riesling Icewine 2000, which was medium-sweet, but beautifully balanced with acidity. Dried fruit, apricot, honey and a hint of anise in the background, long length.

At least at the time, the winery still had some of these older wines available for sale, with the Riesling Reserves priced at $30.00 and the Semi-Dry Rieslings at $25.00, while the Riesling Icewine was $55.00.

Zen and the Art of Cabernet Sauvignon

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At 25, Laurel Glen’s owner belonged to a Zen Buddhist colony in Sonoma County. Although he already possessed a master’s degree in religion and was a professional musician, he wasn’t certain what his ultimate path would be. Among his first tasks at the colony, Patrick Campbell was assigned to tend the community vineyards, which ignited his passion for viticulture.

Three years later, Campbell had left the Buddhists to pursue his new path and, with the help of a small inheritance, purchased vineyard land in the Sonoma Mountain AVA, which had originally been planted in the late 1880s.

Patrick spent his initial years selling grapes to Chateau St. Jean and Kenwood until the lure of making his own wine became too powerful to ignore. He experimented with a barrel or two at a time until he felt confident that he could make wine on a larger scale. Consequently, he produced his first vintage in 1981—the Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon.

In fact, Cabernet Sauvignon is all that Campbell does. More specifically, Campbell’s vineyards are planted with the Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon clone, which was certified by the University of California at Davis.

While Cabernet Sauvignon is more commonly associated with Napa than with Sonoma, this grape variety can equally thrive in the western county. As a mountain appellation, the grapes are planted at an elevation of 800-1,000 feet. Here, the climate is slightly cooler, with the grapes receiving sunlight earlier in the day and avoiding the hotter afternoon rays of the valley floor. Thus, the height and exposure permit the grapes to retain acidity well and, ultimately, keep the wines balanced. Campbell’s light hand with French oak further adds to the elegance of these wines.

This was evidenced at a recent vertical tasting in New York. While the inaugural 1981 showed signs on age with its brick rim and developing aromas, it was still alive with medium+ acidity and notes of herbs, spice, cedar and blackberry on both the nose and palate.  Subsequent wines tasted at the event showed a similar hallmark, although vintage variation and a slight style change over the years was evident.

Today, Laurel Glen includes 16 planted acres and produces 1,300-1,500 cases annually. A second wine, Counter Point, debuted in 1987 as an earlier-maturing option, and accounts for an additional 700-900 cases. Wine that doesn’t meet the standards for either the flagship wine or Counter Point is sold off as private label or on the bulk market, maintaining Campbell’s commitment to quality.

Thirty vintages on, Campbell has much of which to be proud. Laurel Glen was included in Paul Lukac’s book, Great Wines of America: The Top Forty Vintners, Vineyards, and Vintages (talk about a short list) and has developed a loyal following. So much so that he has been able to succeed without submitting wines to publications for review.

However, for Campbell, his path with Laurel Glen has come to an end. Instead, with Campbell’s recent sale of the winery, Bettina Sichel picks up where he leaves off, continuing her own family’s path in wine (she represents the 5th generation to work in the wine industry).

Sichel’s current journey began in November 2008 when a conversation with a friend ended with his statement, “We should buy a winery together some day.” After hanging up the phone, Sichel realized that it was the perfect time to consider such an opportunity and the two went on to raise money from investors to help move their goal forward. By July 2009, an action plan was in place, which included what they were looking for in a winery and why. Knowing that they wanted a winery with name recognition and a good history, Sichel went out to find a winery that fit the bill. After discovering that they couldn’t afford Napa, Sichel extended the search and found Laurel Glen to be a perfect fit. She acknowledges that it wasn’t easy and that she had to obtain a bank loan on top of the financing to make the dream a reality. However, she notes that buying Laurel Glen “is the culmination of everything I’ve worked for.”

Sichel is joined by winemaker Randall Watkins, consultant winemaker, David Ramey and viticulturist, Phil Coturri. Under Coturri’s tutelage, the vineyards are being farmed organically, along with a focus on dry farming, a more open canopy and fewer clusters per shoot.

But, despite these changes, Sichel holds fast to Laurel Glen’s illustrious history and stressed that the vibrant acidity that is characteristic of Laurel Glen will remain untouched. With Sichel at the helm, the winery is poised for continued success.

Can California wine age?

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Can California wine age? The answer was a resounding “Yes!” when members of the Wine Media Guild had the luxury of tasting through several older vintages of wine from a number of California’s centenary wineries.

The wineries represented at the tasting included Charles Krug, Simi, Schramsberg Vineyards, Wente Vineyards, Buena Vista, Beaulieu and Gundlach Bundschu, with both newer vintages and library wines on hand to taste.

Most surprising was a 1935 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon, which, while not fresh, was still quite drinkable. A second treasure unearthed from Simi’s cellars was a 1935 Tokay dessert wine. Tasters seemed equally pleased with the 1966 Charles Krug Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon.

Guest speaker, Peter Mondavi, whose grandparents purchased the winery in 1943, was on hand to provide some history and answer questions.

But, as the event wore on, many wondered if the recent vintages would fare as well as those of yesteryear, with a particular focus on alcohol levels. The Krug Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 1966 had only 12% abv compared to the 15% abv of the 2008 vintage of the same wine.

Peter explained that pre-1980, many of the vines were virused, which effected the plants’ ability to conduct photosynthesis. As a result, sugar accumulation was slow, but physiological ripeness (tannins and other phenolic compounds) was sound. Accordingly, these wines were produced at an average of 12% alcohol by volume.

In contrast, current California vines are extremely healthy and very efficient at producing sugars and at a fast rate. Consequently, these vines have high alcohol levels (14% and upwards). Moreover, with the rapid sugar development, the natural acidity levels are lower than in the past. With their high alcohol, coupled with lower acidity, it was surmised that today’s wines will not be as longlived. Of course, only time will tell.