Intermediate Wine Course: IV

16 May 2012

Nth California & the Pacific North-West

Copyright © Brian Jamieson

USA wine production

Wineries in all 50 States Main centres: California, Oregon, Washington

and New York. Post-Pylloxera, familiar European varieties on

native American root stocks American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) since 1980:

can be a whole County or a small geographic area; e. g. Mendocino AVA and Oakville AVA

Californian wine production Thriving wine industry before Phylloxera in late

1880s Prohibition in 1920s 1930-1960: Cheap, bulk wines from Central

Valley 1960–present: Explosive growth in quality and

quantity; small boutique wineries Polarisation of size of winery and quality (and

cost) of wine Quality wines from cooler regions: Davis Zones

I-III

Wineries in California by County

Napa 284 Sonoma 210 San Luis Obispo 98 Santa Barbara 50 Mendocino 46

TOTAL 1,050

Today’s wines

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Davis Climatic Zones

Region I: <2,500 degree days Bordeaux, Champagne

Region II: 2,500-3,000 degree days Nth Italy (Piemonte)

Region III: 3,000-3,500 degree days Nth Spain

Region IV: 3,500-4,000 degree days Cape Province SA, Tuscany

Region V: >4,000 degree days Western Australia

Napa Valley

Monoculture

1. Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc, 2008

Blend of organic fruit from Mendocino and Lake counties.

95% Sauvignon Blanc; 4% Muscat; 1% Chardonnay

100% Cold stainless steel fermentation Residual Sugar: 4.7 grams/l Alcohol: 13.2%

Bonterra Vineyards

Bonterra has been producing wine from 100% organically-grown grapes since 1993.

Some Biodynamic practices, too.

Bonterra Winery: Mendocino

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1. Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc, 2008

Colour: Pale-green Aroma: Intense aromas of grapefruit, citrus, kiwi

and fresh cut grass greet the nose Palate: The crisp acidity gives the wine a fresh

vibrant feel with flavours of grapefruit, lime zest and grass that closes with flavours of melon and a nice tart finish.

2. Cartlidge and Browne Chardonnay, North Coast, 2010 The Cartlidge and Browne winery is in Santa Rosa, Nth

Sonoma Cartlidge and Browne buy in grapes from their extensive

contact list of growers, in Mendocino, Sonoma and the Sierra foothills.

The winemaker, Paul Moser, aims to make wines in the restrained European style where quality relies on fruit and balance rather than power.

The chardonnays have bags of fresh fruit flavour and are considered to be among California’s best value whites.

2. Cartlidge and Browne Chardonnay, North Coast 2010

Aroma: green, red and brown apple medley and more floral honeysuckle lead.

Palate: both silky and alive. Flavours of honey and baked bread from sur lees aging while maintaining a delicious fruit profile.

Very French in style with an elegant minerality and complexity combined with the slightest caramel and brown sugar notes.

Sonoma Valley

North end

Healdsburg main centre

Sonoma Valley

Southern end

Los Carneros links Napa & Sonoma

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3. Six Vineyards Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, 2008 Eric Lemelson came to the wine business after a

previous career as an environmental lawyer First Pinot Noir vines were planted in 1995. Today some

120 acres and a unique state-of-the-art winery The vineyards have been farmed organically given

Lemelson’s environmental background and belief that grapes develop their full flavour potential without the use of synthetic chemicals

A fine, plump, cherry-fruited pinot blended from six vineyard sites, and now Lemelson’s second label.

3. Six Vineyards Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, 2008 Nose: it has great aromatic complexity with strawberry,

plum, dried flowers, ripe black cherries and subtle earth. Palate: is bright and fresh with lovely, sweet red cherry

and citrus throughout the soft, medium-bodied mid-palate. Bigger than average tannins serve to create an unusually long finish for this wine

It is drinking very well, even days after bottling.  Now to 2014.

DVD Interlude

Jancis Robinson

Biodynamism in Burgundy Terroir

Oregon (Willamette Valley AVA) Pinot Noir in California (Russian River AVA)

15 minutes

Napa Valley

Napa Valley AVA and severalsmaller AVAs:Rutherford, St Helena, Oakville, Stags Leap,Yountville

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Clos du Val

A Napa Valley icon! Founded in 1970; first wines 1972 Cabernet

Sauvignon Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon competed with

Bordeaux wines in famous 1976 Paris blind tasting

Prime vineyards in Stags Leap, (near Yountville) & Los Carneros

4. Clos du Val Merlot, 2006

77% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc cf Pomerol & St Emilion

4. Clos du Val Merlot 2006

A consumer’s view: Nose: plum and chocolate, cherry and

cinnamon, pepper and a little oak. Palate: still a bit tannic, but had chocolate

and cherry, pepper and plum, and a slightly spicy finish

Zinfandel Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10

percent of California vineyards DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically

equivalent to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, and also the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in Puglia 

The grapes typically produce a robust red wine, although a semi-sweet rosé (blush-style) wine called White Zinfandel has six times the sales of the red wine in the United States

The grape's high sugar content can be fermented into levels of alcohol exceeding 15 percent.

Today’s wines

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5. Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel, 2009 Joel Petersen founded in 1976 A champion of Zinfandel 77% Zinfandel, 23% Petite Syrah Sourced from: 97% Lodi, 3% North Coast Aging: 18 months French Oak, 30% new Skin Contact: 7–9 days of skin contact during Native fermentation Alcohol: 14.5% Drink now, or age another 5–7 years

5. Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel, 2009

Aromas and flavours: Dried currants, spice, plum, and wild berry along with self-assured, muscular tannins and balanced acidity

Unbelievable with lasagna, grilled pepper steak, or stew

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6. Duck Pond Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 Duck Pond Cellars is a family winery which owns and

operates 340 acres of vineyards in northern Oregon (for Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris) and 520 acres in Columbia River AVA, eastern Washington (for Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot).

80.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 1.5% Merlot

The vines spread their roots through the sand and rock of the Eastern Washington desert seeking moisture.

The resulting fruit is produced with great effort and is extremely concentrated in flavour with rich and ripe blackcurrant flavours with a backdrop of cedar and spice. 

6. Duck Pond Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 Colour: Aroma: Palate: This wine embodies the elements of its creation:

rich and ripe fruit flavours, (current, raisin, cherry & plum) powerful body and a heady aroma. Great balance lends the wine to a variety of food pairings; match for intensity.

7. Turner’s Crossing, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. Bendigo Bendigo, Central Victoria [Loddon River!] Selected grapes; matured for 18 months in French oak

Look Density of colour? Rim?

Aroma Vanilla from oak casks Blackcurrants, mulberries, plums, pepper, cloves.

Taste Full-bodied, huge, rich, fruity with hints of the flavours

of matured red wine: leather, game, tar, cigar box, chocolate

8. Quady Winery Elysium Black Muscat, 2009 From Madera in the Central Valley. Black Muscat is known in Europe as a table grape

variety, Muscat Hamburg, one of the very few black skinned muscats. If ripened to as sweetness of about 25 brix, it attains a rose-like aroma and lychee-like flavour.

Elysium is used to either accompany or replace dessert. It is wonderful with blue cheeses, with desserts containing red fruits (such as Summer Pudding,, with vanilla, with dark chocolate, with ice cream desserts. One favourite is to pour the wine onto vanilla ice cream. 

Black Muscat grapes

8. Quady Winery Elysium Black Muscat, 2009 With nearly 200 g/l residual sugar, this wine is

enormously sweet in honey and black cherry flavours, balanced by brilliant acidity. For something unusual, try

with a runny cheese, like a soft Gorgonzola. 

Today’s wines

1. Bonterra, Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino & Lake Co, 2008£10.99 W

2. Cartlidge and Browne, Chardonnay, North Coast, 2010 £9.50 WS 3. Six Vineyards Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, 2008 £9.50 WS

4. Clos du Val, Merlot, Napa Valley, 2006 £17.95 S

5. Ravenswood, Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel, 2009 £8.75 * WS

6. Duck Pond Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia River, WA, 2010 £14.60 S

7. Turner’s Crossing, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bendigo, 2004 £15.00 OZ 8. Quady Winery Elysium, Black Muscat, 2009 [37.5cl] £10.70 *

W Waitrose * Majestic WS Wine Society S Slurp.co.uk OZ OZWINES

Aroma test

Which of today’s wines is this?

Think of characteristic aromas!

Best value

Which of today’s range offers best value?

Next session

Wednesday 13 June 2012

at 2.30pm

Viognier