It started with a leg of lamb…

I’ve recently noticed the shape of wine bottles in our recycling bin changing – a seasonal shift perhaps. As the nights draw in and espadrilles have been replaced by wellingtons, my wine consumption has taken an Autumnal turn. The afternoons enjoying German Riesling and evenings sampling the delights of the Cote d’Or have given way to Sunday roasts and evenings in front of the fire getting reacquainted with some old friends.

As collectors have had their sights firmly on the best domaines in Burgundy, a once revered region has been languishing in relative obscurity. Bordeaux’s dominance and influence in the UK market has been rocked. Perceived overpricing and a weakening of demand from the Chinese market have hurt the reputation of this great wine growing region.

But when my father pulled out a bottle of d’Armailhac 2004 the other weekend to accompany a leg of lamb, my love affair with Claret was reignited. The 2004s are wonderful to drink right now. Domaine de Chevalier, Leoville Poyferre, even Haut Brion; all recent tastings have shown that this is a charming, accessible vintage to enjoy right now. But while the First Growths will dominate headlines and ensure the perception is that Bordeaux is still expensive, my recent forays into the cellar have proved quite the contrary. Bordeaux is producing some of the best value wines you can find anywhere in the world. Last week Mrs J and I drank four ‘little’ 2009s. Little in price perhaps, but certainly not in quality. Capbern Gasqueton is freshness personified, Calon Seguresque indeed. Chateau Villars is a big, impressive, Merlot dominated Fronsac, with bags of personality and ageing potential. While Villa des QuatreSoeurs is a classic, floral Margaux, so elegant and polished for a wine at this price level. My final encounter (for the time being) was the excellent Petit Bocq. This has real St Estephe minerality, lots of crushed stones, cooked meats and sweet berry fruit. One feels that this has a lot more to come, but that shouldn’t stop anyone popping open a bottle today. A feature of all these wines is their cashmere texture – the 2009s are decadent at every level. You can have so much fun with wines in this price bracket; if you have been wavering; these are guaranteed to restore your faith in the wines of Bordeaux.

Krug - A Tasting to Remember

Quality is something that Krug know a fair bit about, having made nothing but Prestige Cuvees every single year since 1843. Olivier Krug is at the helm of this great house and is committed to driving quality to ever greater heights.

We had the pleasure of Olivier’s company last Thursday. He kindly hosted a tasting in our cellar and a lunch for a few very lucky clients. We had the good fortune to learn all about the complexity of Krug’s Grand Cuvee, the Rose and the latest vintage, Krug 2000. They are fascinating Champagnes and ones to be enjoyed for the unique, complex styles they portray.

The Grand Cuvee is a blend of 10 vintages and over 120 different wines from numerous parcels and villages. Between 30 to 50% is produced from the most recent year and the rest a blend of up to nine vintages from the previous 15 years. We had examples of the Krug Grand Cuvee from the 2005 vintage, 2001 vintage and the 2000 vintage (as the base). Each was beautiful and individual. Since 2012, every bottle has a unique ID code, which allows the owner to learn about the cépage of their wine. Please click here to learn more.

Their superior and sophisticated rose is a rich blend of three different grape varieties and a wide range of vintages. It is remarkably versatile and is probably at its best accompanying food, allowing the structure, texture and beauty of the Cuvee to stand out. The Pinot really shows though giving plenty of red fruit character and spice; the Chardonnay the elegance.

Our final wine was the latest Vintage release, the 2000. This is already remarkably approachable, showing richness and intensity on the nose, the palate is indulgent, complex and precise. It is known by the Krug family as the, ‘stormy Indulgence’, due to the unusual climatic conditions the vintage experienced. You get the tell-tale biscuit and toasted brioche notes, with hints of smoke and oak on the pallet. It is rich and powerful, but is still young and tightly wound. This is underpinned with chalky minerality and citrus fruits making for a lively lift out of the brooding complex richness. The fresh but balanced acidity and fruit will let this age very gracefully and leaves a haunting, long finish.

Olivier spoke passionately about his wines and Krug’s heritage. Each wine is an individual and should be embraced and enjoyed to the full. It was a great pleasure to listen and learn from such an inspirational man. We look forward to organising more events with this wonderful house and enjoying their fabulous wines together in the future!

- Georgina Crawley, Private Client Sales Manager

Rhone: Topsy Turvy 2013 and Brilliant 2012

As I arrived in the Southern Rhone last week growers were debating anxiously with each other as to when to start their 2013 grenache harvest, what little of it there was to pick. Poor flowering or Coulure, has literally left just a few berries per vine. The weather last week was positively balmy in Chateauneuf and predicted to continue, but ripening was not complete in all vineyards and the process starts to slow down at this time of year. Picking was predicted to continue this week. This makes 2013 one of the latest in memory, certainly for Jean Abeille of Chateau Mont Redon who has 40 vintages under his belt. Curiously when I travelled to the Northern Rhone a few days later, the harvest had all but finished... A topsy turvy vintage.

2012, however, is a vintage that vignerons are certain of. It is a great year, most notably of all, but not exclusive to, the South. It is not a big crop, but it is qualitatively excellent, and this appears to be the case right across the Southern Rhone, particularly Chateauneuf du Pape. This appears to be a vintage of very ripe but notably fresh flavours, incredibly silky tannins and great intensity. The summer experienced heat spikes but the weather cooled down towards the end of season, so acidities are present but don't seem as high as that other recent great, 2010, and conditions were less dry so that tannins in 2012 are much more pliable. The resulting wines are seductive already but they are deceptively powerful and persistent. Above all the Southern Rhones, particularly in Chateauneuf, offer something very rare, elegance. This seems to me one of the most even-keeled and balanced vintages I have tasted. 

Up north there is a little less homogeneity perhaps, but there are plenty of excellent wines too. There are some wines that may not have been picked at optimum ripeness but the top estates have made, ripe fresh, classically structured Northern Rhones that offer an elegance similar to 2004 but with greater intensity and a little more stuffing. I found the Cornas of Domaine du Coulet and the Cote Rotie of Rene Rostaing to be absolutely outstanding.

For those looking at older vintages, in the south 1999s are drinking well as are 2001s. The excellent 2004s and 2000s are only just starting to come round. In the North the vintages that are drinking beautifully are 2000, 2001, and 2004.

Duemani - the harvest continues!

On 3rd October we mad the second passage of the Cabernet Franc harvest and completed the Syrah.

It was a lovely sunny day and we had sixteen people helping to be sure we could harvest all the grapes on time, ensuring only quality grapes were picked. Bad bunches were directly cut away.

When the grapes arrived at the cellar, they were placed on the belt up to the “destemming” machine and the berries were cleaned on the selection table. 

Then they went directly into the vats, this time oak tanks for the Cab Franc and barrique or tonneaux for the Syrah. We do not add any sulfites or yeast as all the fermentation will go on naturally even if under controlled temperature.  With two pump-overs per day we will stop at the end of maceration, which is usually after two - three weeks.  In the vats the berries arrive completely in tact and undamaged to allow a very slow extractions from the skins.  This way we do not extract dry tannins.

Now all is done and we just wait for the fermentation to go on and for the last round of harvest where only the Duemani Cabernet Franc selection has remained in the vineyard! 

Elena - Duemani

Uccelliera - a view of the 2013 harvest through film

Dear friends - Cari amici!

We have started the harvest with good dry and sunny weather.  Andrea is looking forward to bringing  healthy grapes in the Uccelliera cellar to produce on other fantastic vintage.

Annarita is already involved and is checking the ripe berries!

Andrea, Paola, Annarita, Dina and Agnes from Uccelliera

Duemani: A quick update on the 2013 harvest

We started on Monday 23^rd September with all of the Merlot grapes and also proceeded with the first harvest of Cabernet Franc until Tuesday, then we stopped.

We say the first harvest, for the Cabernet Franc because we took only the weak plants and those part of the vineyards for the CiFRA and Altrovino wines.

At the moment we keep all the different grapes and parts of the vineyards divided that are fermenting in separate cement vats. Even some small quantities are fermenting in very tiny plastic vats where we can push down the cap by hand. It is very funny! 

It's been a great harvest so far that's started with sun and warm temperatures. The grapes are rich in sugars and flavors, with good aromas and acidity thanks to the fresh temperatures of the nights.

We had some rain during the past weekend so we will wait a few more days to start picking the Syrah grapes, but it will be sometime this week!

Elena, Duemani

Mas Martinet: A glimpse into the 2013 harvest

A beautiful day to start the harvest

Let the picking begin!




Priorat harvest is very slow as all the vineyards are in different locations and different climatic zones.



To introduce the harvest stages it is tradition at Mas Martinet to make paella for all the team as a great start to a new season!



A well deserved break enjoying paella and Mas Martinet wines of course.



Only the very best grapes are selected.



Grenache from Pesseroles going into the Fermenation process.



So far quality this year seems to be really good but not much quantity!

- Magi Batllevell, Mas Martinet, Priorat

A few words on the 2013 harvest from Chateau Mont-Redon's Jerome Abeille

'After a very cold and rainy spring which lasted until mid July, warm days have finally arrived throughout August and early September. However sunshine has not been sufficient enough to compensate the late summer arrival. Due to these very unusual weather conditions, the maturity of the grapes are approximately three weeks behind a normal year.

On Monday 23^rd of September, a small team conducted by Yann started to harvest some whites and then the Syrah. The remainder of our small Portuguese team are arriving shortly to help with the harvest as well. The first vats of white are very aromatic and the Syrah show a very nice colour although it is still too early to judge.

Nice weather for the upcoming fifteen days will be necessary to reach a nice vintage. Either way this harvest will be small in terms of volume because of poor Grenache flowering; around 40% of it was lost.

At our Riotor property in Provence, harvest is much further ahead and we are about two-thirds of the way through. Quantities are more satisfactory than in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but will most likely stay at the level of 2012; i.e 25% under normal yield again

The qualities so far are very nice and the fruit has very bright violet hints. We anticipate this vintage will be as qualitative as 2012 and probably even better!'

- Jerome Abeille of Chateau Mont-Redon

A memorable evening with Denis Durantou

Last night, we were privileged to welcome Denis Durantou to our St James's Street office. Denis generously provided nine magnums of his flagship wine, Eglise Clinet for our guests to drink - and drink we did - spitting was definitely not on anyone's agenda!

Denis explained that we would taste three flights each representing specific and important periods during the development of Eglise Clinet. After the devastating frosts of '56, much of Pomerol was re-planted, although there was not the same care and attention as to the choice of clones that we see today. As a result, Denis has undertaken a massive re-planting exercise during his tenure. The oldest flight ('88, '89 and '90) were produced from the vines planted in the 50s, the younger flights incorporate Denis' own plantings. The flights would paint the journey and progression of what is now one of the elite Pomerol estates.

Our first flight included 1998, 1999 and the 2000 vintages. The ‘99, by no means a revered year was something of the surprise package. Juicy, sweet, alluring and beautifully poised; the tannins were pure cashmere. The 1998 was perhaps not showing at its best, which was a great shame. Recent bottles have been nothing short of spectacular, but this magnum was still somewhat dominated by its tannins - more time required... But the star of the flight, and quite possibly the evening was the majestic 2000. This possesses enormous depth, is truly multi-layered and just got better and better throughout the evening.

Flight two comprised the '88, '89 and '90 and proved slightly divisive. A rift emerged between those in the ‘89 and ‘90 camps. In truth, both are magical. The ‘90 is more exotic and there is more evidence of the heat of the vintage. It was only right that Denis should have the final word, saying that he didn’t expect the 1990 to evolve over the next decade, but sees more to come from the 1989. Denis has the casting vote!

Our final flight included the 100 point 2005, the seriously underrated 2008 and the exotic, 99+ point 2009. Denis plantings have now come of age and these wines aptly demonstrate why Eglise Clinet is one of the most sought after wines from Bordeaux. The 2008 clearly doesn’t possess the levels of concentration of the 2005 and 2009, but it beautifully constructed with a sweet core of Pomerol fruit and pure silk tannins. 2005 was arguably the most impressive wine on the night. It is perhaps not as showy as the 2000 at this stage, but it is a multidimensional offering and has such impressive concentration – it’s not difficult to see why this impressed Robert Parker so much. It’s a classical beauty with a very long life ahead of it. 2009 was by contrast an exotic, flamboyant, masterpiece. Although it is fascinating to taste now, it needs to be forgotten about for seven years or more to be fully appreciated.

As ever the dining room was the scene of plenty of lively discourse. Several Arsenal fans were present so themes ranged from Mesut Ozil, to Californian wine and winemaking, as well as plenty of lively debate about Denis’ wines. Denis enthralled us all with his knowledge of his vineyards and particularly his newish acquisition in Castillon. Despite it being an Eglise Clinet dinner, Montlandrie was the given plenty of air time – a measure of how good this estate is. Denis’ charm and honesty were a revelation. One guest asked him which his favourite vintage was from Eglise Clinet – without hesitation he said 2010, before adding (with a wry smile), ‘that’s the one we’ve got to sell right’. Thank you Denis for being such a charming and generous host.

Our newest harvest blog recruit - Duemani from the Costa Toscana

We are delighted to have Elena Celli (who runs Duemani alongside Luca d'Attoma) on board for our first ever series of harvest blogs from the Tuscan coast.  Just across the border from Bolgheri, high in the hills, Duemani is a fascinating bio-dynamic project lead by Luca d'Attoma, a most famous consultant to wineries such as Macchiole and Tua Rita. 

"We still have not yet started the harvest, which is strange, but it is looking good! I've attached some photos taken on Friday 13th of our Cabernet Franc. Plants and grapes are healthy and only need a few more days to get to perfect ripening."

 

A Piedmont Paulée at Zucca

Tuesday night was a memorable and hugely enjoyable evening that celebrated the food, wine and wine-growers of Justerini & Brooks favourite Italian region, Piedmont.

For the first time ever we gathered together seven top producers who brought with them a wine of their choice to share with 45 of our excited customers, over dinner.  The only stipulation we gave the growers was that the wine had to have at least 10 years bottle age.

The setting was Bermondsey Street's Zucca. A bonified institution for Italian foodies, Zucca's slick and super-friendly team did not disappoint -serving up seven deliciously elegant, traditional Piedmontese courses.

As I stood in the restaurant at 7pm crunching on an outrageously crispy fritto misto watching our producers filing in all present correct and on time, I looked around to see the smiles and excitement in people's faces.  It was going to be a great night.

Without further ado the growers took their seats and started chatting away to our customers about their history, growing methods and wine of choice. The producers moved table after each course, and so by the end of the evening had shared their wines with everyone in the room.  It was a bit like speed dating, said one of our growers (I won't name names.)

In no particular order the wines were:

Barolo Brunate Marengo 2000

Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra Clerico 2000

Barolo Carobric Scavino 1998 (magnums)

Barolo Bricco Fiasco Azelia 1999 (magnums)

Arborina Langhe Rosso Altare 1995

Roero Riserva Roche d'Ampsej, Correggia 1999 (magnums)

Barolo Capalot Brunate Roberto Voerzio 1999 (magnums)

and visiting producers were:

Riccardo Sgarra from Paolo Scavino

Davide Voerzio from Roberto Voerzio

LucianoRacca from Domenico Clerico

Elio Altare

MarcoMarengo

Sara Palmafrom Matteo Correggia

Lorenzo Scavino from Azelia 

Rather like the growers, each of the wines had their own very distinctive personalities, however there was a common and quite remarkable thread running through all of them.  Fruit.  Yes, the wines had softened and gained in complexity with age but without exception there was a total dominance of fruit and absence of secondary characteristics.  I was expecting at least one or two to offer something up a little more evolved but all seemed to be ageing rather gracefully.  This equally applied to the oldest wine there, Altare's 1995 Langhe Arborina, which was my wine of the night.


The Altare, Correggia Roero Riserva, Marengo Brunate and Carobric from Scavino were all moreishly "a point." The rest of the wines were gripping, seductive, complex and could clearly benefit from another 5 to 10 years bottle age each. Most notably the Voerzio, this is brilliant but still several years off its peak.

With a last sip of Marengo's Brunate the evening for our table drew to a close, all too swiftly.  It was a lot of fun.

A presto, Zucca!

Dom Pérignon back to 1970

Recently I had the great fortune to visit the jewel in LVMH’S portfolio, Chateau de Saran, built in 1846 and located in green rolling hills just outside of Epernay. It was once the hunting lodge and family residence of the Moët family. This venerable Chateau is now used to show the lucky few the iconic brand Dom Pérignon, in a fittingly breathtaking setting. We were there to taste the newest release, the seductive 2004 vintage, and to gain an insight into what makes this champagne the luxury wine it is today.

It was an experience I will never forget and I came away thinking we all should be buying far more vintage champagne, as it ages with grace, poise and charm and is utterly seductive even after 40 years!
Dom Pérignon does all of that. It is unashamedly high class and will knock your socks off. I will try to explain a little of the philosophy behind this great champagne before ending with my tasting notes.

Dom Pérignon takes risks and embraces challenges. This is, and has always been, their mantra. Each vintage they dare to reinvent, to reveal the wine's ‘soul’ through the unique characteristics that each year gives. Every bottle gives the drinker a glimpse into that vintage’s identity and Dom Pérignon’s philosophy for that year. It is a fascinating adventure to be taken on.

Moët & Chandon own 1500 hectares in total and it takes about 2000 people to harvest. This ensures the grapes selected to go into the blend of their prestige cuvee, Dom Pérignon, come from the best, most sunlit sites, thus giving them the cream of what each vintage has to offer. The creation of every vintage starts with best of the best and if it is not good enough they simply do not make it.

Winemaker Vincent Chaperon relishes the challenge of thinking afresh every vintage. In his view, Dom Pérignon’s vision is all about the ‘lees’ and how long the wine stays on them , as this gives you the true expression of that vintage of champagne. Everything possible is done to reduce oxidation. Oak casks were used up until the 1964 vintage; since then it has been exclusively stainless steel.

Vincent described to us that Dom Pérignon can have 3 different stages of being at the optimum point of release. These are known as ‘plénitudes’ . At the first plénitude they would look to release a vintage after 7 to 9 years in the cellar; they taste this wine every six months to a year. The second plénitude, 10 to 20 years after the vintage is tasted once a year and often results in the first Oeonothèque release of that vintage; while the third plénitude comes after 25 to 40 years and results in the second Oeonothèque release. These bottles are generally only tasted every 2 years.

In keeping with Dom Pérignon’s philosophy on extended lees ageing, the Oenotheque wines, released at an optimal moment in their development, generally possess even greater depth, richness and complexity than their straight vintage siblings. The oldest Oeonothèque is the 1959.

Though the final blend varies with every vintage, they try to run with an assemblage of 50% Pinot noir and 50% Chardonnay. It is a beautiful blend of power and elegance, despite the large production. The richness and intensity of the Pinot balances beautifully with the elegance of the Chardonnay, allowing the champagne to withstand the test of time and age very gracefully.

The first vintage of Dom Pérignon was 1921, since then there have been 40 more until the release of the 2004: 1921, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

The first vintage of Dom Pérignon Rosé was 1959, since then 22 vintages have been produced until 2002: 1959, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002.

During our visit I had the great fortune to taste the following wines within the Abbey of Hautvillars, which has been lovingly and sympathetically restored. The exclusivity of what we were about to embark on was told to us as soon as we started; Vincent said, ‘we do tastings like this once or twice a year’, that got me seriously excited!

2005 vintage: not yet released, but we were told it is going to be a year of selection and one of the biggest vintages they have seen.

2004 vintage: 52% Pinot Noir, 48% Chardonnay, known as the ‘dark revelation’. Very elegant, has finesse, taught and racy, very mineral. Toasted almonds, hints of flower petals mixed with citrus notes, limestone and oyster shells. Strict on the palate, glimpses of the nose echoed on the complex, but mineral back palate. Very drinkable now, but will age gracefully. Spice and toast with fresh concentration and a long racy mineral finish. Charming, and utterly delicious. Drinking now and very age-worthy. According to Vincent the vintage and style is comparable to 1970 which we tasted at dinner after the 2004.

2003 vintage: Rich and brooding. Smoke, powerful depth of fruit, deeper style than the 04, less strict and mineral. The 03 possesses broad structure, richness and flamboyance. However, it is in no way fat or flabby and still retains poise. Hints of tropical fruit, very well integrated and balanced. The unique style of the 03 vintage shows great character. Long and dry on finish. This is the vintage that shows DP’s risk-taking. One of the earliest harvested on record, 1822, 2003, 2007 and 2011 were all harvested in August and have a higher percentage of Pinot Noir. It will not be everyone’s style, but I really enjoyed its individuality. I also feel this will age still further.

1996 Oenotheque – Disgorged 2003: Charming and very inviting with floral and citrus hints on the nose. Palate somewhat richer, smoke, fresh coffee and strong mineral notes intermingled with white pepper, brioche, pastry and vanilla, giving a wonderful creamy roundness. Great length, very intense, balanced acidity. Seductive. This vintage was a great commercial success, but not a wine makers vintage whereas 2002 was - hard selection and work was needed.

1970 Oenotheque – Disgorged 2006, Creamy complexity, broad and rich. If this were a wine it would be a mix of Riesling and Puligny Montrachet. The salty, oiliness of the Riesling with its lively acidity and the stony, citrus, raciness of the Puligny. Notes of herbs, mint, toasted brioche, white chocolate, orange flowers, vanilla and praline. Savory, but elegant. The complexity and freshness of this ‘wine’ is breathtaking. Bright well balanced, with a haunting finish. Outstanding. Enjoyed this at dinner after the 2004 vintage, they feel this is a similar vintage to 04.

1971 Oenotheque En Magnum: Elegance and brooding power combined. Butterscotch, praline, toasted brioche and spice, giving layered depth and complexity. The 71 Oenotheque is rich opulence. If I compare it to a wine it would be much more of a Meursault/Montrachet in style than the Puligny/riesling racey styled 1970.It Has more weight, but at the same time retains its freshness. It is quiet explosive in power, with fine bubbles that ooze class. Still showing tension and has a wonderful bright colour. The flavour in the finish is deliciously long and moorish. Sublime.

Rosé Flight: Made predominately with Pinot Noir grapes from Ay and Bouzy, which get the most maturity by being blessed with mostly south-facing sites.

2003 Rosé: Dark red forest fruits, blackberry, dark morrello cherry, with hints of strawberry coulis. Broad structure and masculine power. Quite brooding with dark deep phenolic’s, lots of fruit and mineral complexity, seductive flavours. Drinking now. Similar to 1978 vintage.

2002 Rosé: Stark contrast of personality here to the 2003. Very lively and playful, scented roses and spring flowers. Still quite tight and youthful. Palate full bodied in style and very intense hints of pretty red fruits going through to darker mineral structure. Elegant, bright and racy; beautiful. Very good indeed, very pretty and inviting to drink now, however I think given time this will flesh out and be outstanding!

1993 Enotheque Rosé: A very elegant fine nose, touches and hints of dried Rose, hoi-sin sauce, soy, cinnamon, tea. Very beautiful. Palate very elegant, delicate notes of fruit intermingled with mineral and limestone. This wine still has power, but the balance of structure, fruit and acidity are so harmonious, it floats effortlessly.

1992 Enotheque Rosé: This nose reminds me of a whisky, very distinctive. Sandalwood, peat, iodine, and smoke, leading in to a herbaceous forest floor and dried oyster mushroom. Palate has all components of the nose and remains dark, deep and smokey. But once again there is freshness. Very individual in style, quite challenging for me.

1985 Enotheque Rosé En Magnum Disgogred 2010, fig, ground coffee, compote of red fruits. Notes of hoi-sin sauce, sweet alpine strawberry along with oyster mushroom notes. Again toasted brioche notes and minerals. Very lively, fresh long finish. 1985 had exceptional weather condition. Quite Delicious. Really enjoyed this.

1982 Enotheque En Magnum: prune, fig, rich mature fruits, coco, vanilla, rich nutty fruit cake on the front palate, this leads to brighter and prettier fruit on the back palate. Broad but elegant structure, amazing focus with a lovely savory edge. Vibrant with integrated acidity, very harmonious with a silky mouth-feel. Outstanding!

Hand on heart I can honestly say, drink more vintage champagne, especially Dom Perignon, whose vintage Champagnes are so seductive, complex and age worthy; they are nothing short of magnificent!!

- Georgina Crawley, Private Client Sales Manager

Chris Howell & Cain Vineyard: Making Wines That Matter

A fascinating insight into Chris's philosophy and explains what is so special about Cain Cellars, the wines he makes up on Spring Mountain.

Chris Howell, the talented General Manager and Winemaker of Cain Vineyard in Spring Mountain, shares his views on wine, grape growing, winemaking, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain and more....in a two part interview. Here is Part I.

What are the most profound changes you have found in the wine trade since you started in the business?

The most obvious and wonderful thing is that more really good wines are now being made in more different places in the world than ever before. Traditional winegrowing regions, such as in France, Italy and Spain, or Argentina and Chile have reduced their production and consumption of common table wine, while at the same time, they have dramatically increased the quantity and quality of their fine wines. Also, newer winegrowing regions, like California, Oregon, Washington, Australia, New Zealand have all made huge progress in fine winegrowing. There has been so much evolution on both sides that the "New World::Old World" distinction no longer applies. Since the 1960's, the number of wines has been growing exponentially, so that today, the sheer numbers available to us can be overwhelming and bewildering. But it has never been a better time to be a wine lover!

What makes a great wine... and what makes a good wine? What is the difference?

A great wine is memorable, it creates a distinct impression, a focal point where the vineyard and the winemaking merge. A good wine is pleasurable.

What traditional elements of wine production are fundamental to you? What elements are not?

There is a French expression that goes something like this: "Wine can be made from grapes, also." For thousands of years, people have been making "wine," wholly, or in part, using substances other than grapes. For sure, the ancient Greeks and Romans did this, and the practice was especially problematic in Europe during the Phylloxera crisis at the end of the nineteenth century. As much as we commonly hear people say that their wine is "grown in the vineyard," it is also true today that many wines, even famous, very expensive wines, are made employing exotic ingredients and technology. People are never content to leave well enough alone.

In wine, "Tradition," is subject to interpretation, so I am careful not wrap ourselves up in a virtuous sounding idea, whose meaning no one knows. I don't believe in any dogmatic set of rules, because there is no magic formula other than, "Keep it simple." We don't deny enology, we just keep it at arm's length. We do use SO2, nutrients, innoculum when necessary, barrels, egg whites and filtration, but nothing is absolute, and in every instance we follow the general principle, "Less is More."

Honest wine, really and truly, is about the grapes and the simple elements of the ancient craft of winemaking. Happily, there is a growing cohort of artisanal winegrowers who tend their vineyards with care, and have enough confidence in the fruit, to be able to work in their cellars with limited, thoughtful intervention. Some of an older generation, now in their 80's, or gone, understood this implicitly, and today their traditions are being revived. I have seen this in the Loire, in Burgundy, the Rhone, the Languedoc, and in California. And, while it may never be mainstream, it seems that this trend is growing all over the world.

Talk about the uniqueness of your land on Spring Mountain.

One look at the place, and the most well-traveled wine lovers will say that they've never seen anything like it. The Cain Vineyard is cradled in a spectacular bowl, all to itself, perched on the crest of Spring Mountain, overlooking the Napa Valley. Steep, terraced vineyards have been sculpted into facets exposed to all points of the compass. It is somewhat cooler here; winds from the Pacific Ocean channel through a gap that, at 1900 feet, is just a couple of hundred feet lower than the prevailing ridgeline of the Mayacamus. Naturally, the hillside soils are thin, and unlike much of Spring Mountain, they are formed entirely on sedimentary, rather than volcanic, bedrock of sandstone and shale. These soils are relatively cold and high in clay, which tends to hold the vines back, resulting in piquant, aromatic grapes. I think that you can taste this in the Cain Five.

What about your terroir made you decide to make Bordeaux grape blends?

In 1979, the Cains were thinking "Mountain Cabernet." But, as we know, at least in their youth, some mountain Cabernets can be hard as nails. By the end of the 70's and the beginning of the 80's, blends were in the air, particularly those of the Cabernet family. And blending seemed to be a perfect way to temper the tough tannins, so Winemaker Lester Hardy and the Cains decided to create a blend of "all five" of the varieties best known in Bordeaux.

Of course, the Cain Vineyard is not in Bordeaux, and the soils, the exposures, and the climate could not be more different. In fact, the wine tastes like nothing else that I know. The surprising thing is that it works out. The lesson is that the signal of the Cain Vineyard comes through strongly in each of the varieties and all of the many blocks. The blending really works to create a balanced wine, but the originality of the Cain Five lies not in the varietal composition, but in the Cain Vineyard.

What do you do at Cain, that makes you unique?

While the Cain Vineyard is unique, I am reluctant to say that any particular thing we <> at Cain might be unique. However, it may be true that many of the things we do are currently out of the mainstream of Napa Valley winemaking. In our country, I tend to find more common ground with some of the Pinot winemakers. In fact, I don't know a single winemaker working with Cabernet who follows our path, that is, who would make all of the choices we make.

One of the more obvious differences is our choice of ripeness at time of picking -- we tend to pick earlier, sometimes weeks earlier than many wineries have done recently, simply because we want to capture fruit with the energy at its peak, before the aromas and mouth-watering juiciness begin to fade. We don't desire 'unripe' fruit any more that we desire 'overripe' fruit -- rather, we believe in a continuum of ripening and it is up to each winegrower to choose the appropriate moment according to the vineyard, the vintage, and their winemaking values.

Another difference is that we do not seek to maximize extraction. We have found that ripe fruit yields its best in days, not weeks. In both cases, ripeness and extraction, we do not believe that "more is better."

The fact that we ferment with native yeast - those on the grapes and in the cellar - rather than inoculating with exogenous, cultured yeast, is perceived by modern enology to be risky, but obviously native ferments have worked well for thousands of years. We find that the resulting wines are always more subtle, more complex, and ultimately more satisfying.

Our use of barrels is not as a flavoring agent. Many people ask us what kind of barrels we use, but almost nobody asks us how we use them. We employ barrels in our élévage, that is we, 'raise our wines' through the gentle work we do in the cellar to develop them from the raw wines issuing from the fermentation, to the finished wines, ready for the bottle.

One more point is that we are not afraid to explore tertiary fermentations, for example, with Brettanomyces, because we don't believe that wine is only about the fruit. Historically, enology developed to identify and correct "flaws." In the process, much has been lost. Think of other fermented foods, such as cheese, soy sauce, kim chi, or beer, and you never think about just the raw ingredients. Why should wine be different?

All of this adds up to our esthetic values, which are lively, refreshing, balanced and complex wines. They may not create a dramatic first impression, but they create a lasting impression.

Even if this might not be mainstream, I don't feel alone here. There are people the world over who share this approach to winegrowing. They tend not be enologists. People like Henry Jayer, Noel Pinguet, and Pierre Morey, are exceptions.

What other Napa Valley wine producers do you admire?

I admire winegrowers who care as much about the vineyard and grape-growing as they do about their winemaking. I particularly admire those who continue to learn and evolve, but who also have a clear sense of their esthetic values and the commitment to stick with them. In competitive, "blind," tastings, their wines may not stand out, but when you enjoy them at dinner, they'll keep you interested.

Source: Huffington Post