|
A tasting and discussion of artisan wines from Napa Valley setoff an explosion of conversation between members of the St. HelenaStar/Napa Valley Vintners Tasting Panel who met last week at theCulinary Institute of America, Greystone. At the outset of discussions, the very definition of artisan was challenged. Brett DeLeuze of ZD Wines said he associatesartisan winemaking more with home winemaking. DeLeuze does not see artisan as a positive term and said the goal of ZD is toproduce world-class, not artisan, wines. As the definition of artisan was explored, the majority ofpanelists agreed that artisan winemaking could be synonymous tolabor-intensive, or hand-crafted wines. It also could be usedby a winery making 100 or 30,000 cases; size was not relevant inand of itself, many contended. Regardless of the term used, Kristen Belair of Honig Winery likenedthe pursuit of artisan or fine winemaking to a connection witha place people having a connection to the product andunderstanding the source of the ingredients. Winemaking buzzwordssuch as wild yeast and whole cluster fermentation are usedby wineries as a way to tell their story, to show their connectionand attention to detail in making their product. So lively was the conversation, it was evident the topic struck anote with the winemaking panelists. One sensed the discussion couldhave gone on forever, much like those meaning-of-life talks that goon all night in college where the partakers are surprised to findthe sun coming up. What was agreed upon by everyone on the panel was that a tasting ofartisan wines from Napa Valley would necessitate a tasting ofalmost every single Napa Valley wine. As one of the great winecapitals of the world, Napa Valley uses, explores and re-examineswinemaking techniques (that some may call artisan ) in theirpursuit of making the very best wines. With an understanding that fine winemaking was being discussed, andtrying to avoid the term artisan for fear of another round ofdictionary definitions, a number of winemaking techniques werebriefly discussed. These techniques are often used to denoteattention to detail and fine winemaking, although surely each ofthese procedures could in turn be disputed or discussed at lengthby the winemaking members of the panel. For some wineries, the use of native, or wild, yeast is importantto producing fine wines. These yeasts pre-exist in the vineyard orin the winery cellar and their proponents say they provide afurther expression of the growing site on the wine. Other wineries use whole-cluster fermentation. This processrequires putting whole grape bunches, stems and all, into a tankfor fermentation, with no prior crushing or de-stemming. Those whouse it do so to produce fruit-driven wines. Unfiltered and unfined wines are other favorite descriptorsamong some Napa Valley wineries. However, John Skupny from Lang& Reed challenged the use of these terms, asking, How can youundo something you have not done? Panelists laughed in agreement,as John went on to use the terms nonfiltered and nonfined (no fining process used). Proponents of nonfiltered and nonfinedwines say this is a gentler way to produce wine while also keepingthe depth of natural flavors that exist in the wine. Regardless of the techniques that a winery chooses, it becameapparent that the goal is the same for the great majority of NapaValley winemakers: to produce the best wines in the world. To doso, these winemakers are not satisfied to follow a set recipe andchurn out wine each year. They prod, they explore, they re-examinetechniques in their fervent pursuit of greatness. With that, the panel examined the wines submitted by Napa ValleyVintner members for the tasting and found these to be theirfavorites: Jarvis 2008 Will s Science Project ($105). This cabernetfranc was aged in small (110-liter) barrels and only 400 cases wereproduced. Will Jarvis, son of the winery owners, made the firstbatch of this wine for his eighth-grade science experiment. When itwas tried 10 years later, it was so delicious that the winery madea second batch in the same way and added this wine as a new productfor the market. La Jota Winery 2009 Cabernet Franc, Howell Mountain ($75). TheLa Jota cabernet franc vineyard was planted back in 1976 and wasgrafted onto St. George rootstock, which resists phylloxera.Hand-crafted at each step, the wine is also not fined or filtered.Complex flavors with rich black fruits made this a popular winewith panelists. Alpha Omega Winery, ERA, 2009 Red Blend ($195). Wild yeastswere used for this 80 percent cabernet sauvignon wine, as well asbarrel fermentation. Winemakers Jean Hoefliger and Michel Rollandhave created a big, lush wine; panelists appreciated its rich redfruits and silky mouthfeel. Franciscan Estate, 2010 Chardonnay, Carneros ($40). This winewas produced with wild yeasts. Panelists loved its vividfruitiness, and its gentle handling of oak. While having a nicerichness on the palate, the wine was called graceful and elegant.This is a beautifully produced wine. Elyse Winery, 2007 Grenache, Carneros ($37). Whole clusterswere fermented to make this favored wine, but what really capturedthe panelists attention was that dry grapevine canes were steepedin the must. Winemaker Mike Trotta explained that the technique wasdevised from an old Rhone Valley procedure, and enhances the aromasof the wine, adding white pepper and a nice smokiness. The canesare chopped into small pieces, toasted and put into cheeseclothsachets, which are steeped into the open-top fermenters. This winehas a beautiful nose of rich fruits, floral and spice leading to arich, delicious wine on the palate. Oakville Ranch Vineyards, 2010 Field Blend ($38). This winewas made by fermenting zinfandel, petite verdot, primitivo, andpetite syrah all together (co-fermentation). Panelists appreciatedthat the wine emulates the time in Napa Valley history whendifferent grapes were all planted together and fermented together,creating what are called field blends. The wine was alsofavored for its expressive aromas and flavors. (Catherine Seda is the St. Helena Star s tasting panel writer andworks for Balzac Communications & Marketing in Napa. She holdsa diploma in wine and spirits from the Wine & Spirits EducationTrust, and enjoys all things wine. Contact her at . Only wines from Napa Valley Vintner member wineries are acceptedand tasted. Not all wines submitted are chosen to be tasted, asoften there are more wines submitted than tasted. The wines arechosen at random. Many wineries offer local residents discounts ontheir wines through the Napa Neighbor program; visit napavintners.com/programs and click on Napa Neighbor to learn more.). We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Nachi Pump Manufacturer , Hydraulic Pump Spare Parts Manufacturer for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Kayaba Pumps.
Related Articles -
Nachi Pump Manufacturer, Hydraulic Pump Spare Parts Manufacturer,
|
