Dec 2007

Napa, Sonoma, and Anderson Valley Part I  

October is a beautiful time to visit California wine country. The leaves are magnificent and full of color, reminding me of the Northeast in the fall. The colors on the trees and vines are green, yellow, and reds. Temperatures were 50-75 F.  Not only is it time for the leaves to change, but the vines are bare and ready to be pruned for the winter. All the grapes are in stainless steel tanks for the fermentation (convert sugar to alcohol and CO2) and then oak barrels for aging (adding character and complexity).

 The harvest was 98% over by the time I toured the valley, except for some dessert wines that stay on the vines a little longer. Fermentation is controlled and watched daily for temperature, brix levels (soluble sugars), adding yeast, cold soak which can be a pump-over, and or a punch down process (which are two types of procedures to extract the best aromas, color, and tannins from the grapes). Secondary fermentation is called malolactic fermentation (ML). This process converts malolactic acid to lactic acid and CO2. Winemakers that use ML are reducing acid in red and some white wines. Not only does (ML) soften the acidity, but smoothes the mouth feel of the wine and adds more body.

Farming is very difficult job. There are so many variables that we as wine drinkers take for granted as we pop a cork and enjoy the fruit of the vines. I met with many winemakers’ and vineyard personnel on this trip and have much information to share with you. The winemaking process is extensive from preparing the land, testing soils and PH, plant the cuttings (originally from France), making rows of vines in the direction that will receive the maximum sun. Some vineyards are planted east to west and others north to south. Vines must be pruned carefully, as improper pruning could result in poor fruit clusters and low yields for the next two years.

When the leaves turn red on a vine, it usually has been infected with a virus and will produce lower yields of grapes. Irrigation lines are found throughout the vineyards, carrying water to the vines. Vines are “stressed” by holding back water; this process trains the vine to control fruit and foliage production.  The toasty or strong taste in wine is from tannins. Tannins are produced from the skins, seeds, stems, and oak barreling process. Barrels come in various toast levels and from many countries. Toast levels are mild to heavy ++. Toasting of barrels is the amount of burning on the inside that gives the flavor beyond the grapes. Winemakers select the level of toasting based on the taste they are looking for in the wine. Barrels seen in California were made from American Oak, French Oak, Russian Oak, and Hungarian Oak. These barrels were new and used oak. Some winemakers use barrels once, and some use them for a maximum of three years.

The first vineyard visited was an artisan winery Chateau Boswell. The winery has produced quality wines (Chateau Boswell, 27 years) and (Jacquelynn Cuvee, 5 years) in small lots. The vineyard is nestled off the Silverado Trail just north of St. Helena. I met with winemaker Josh Peeples and toured the vineyards, fermentation room, and caves were the barrels are aged and stored.

 The wines tasted were Chateau Boswell Cabernet Sauvignon 2005,  This excellent wine composed of 87% Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Franc is aged in 90% French oak ($87-$92), (only 435 cases produced). The vineyard produced a wine that is dense and rich with round mouth-coating tannins. Notes of sweet black cherry jam intertwined with espresso beans lead to a seductive nose that reveals a bit of this wine's hedonistic character. This wine can be approached now (recommend decanting) or collect for a rare treat that will age for the next 10 years. This wine can be paired with red meat, and full bodied cheese like Pecorino with Truffles, or Cave Aged Gruyere.