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A Taste of Oakville – 41 times in a row!

Through these portals pass some of the finest wines… and today, some of the finest winemakers… in Oakville.

One of the valley’s highly sought, hard-to-get trade tickets is for the annual spring Taste of Oakville event, which brings together growers, winemakers, vineyard owners and the folks they’re all trying to reach – restaurant wine buyers, sommeliers, and retail wine merchants.

Napaman snagged a ticket and has the following commentary to share.

If the 2006 and 2007 mostly Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines poured today are any indication of things to come, the general wine-drinking public is in store for some mighty pleasurable drinking.

There wasn’t a dud among the 71 wines, poured by the 41 Oakville wineries on hand.

As I exited the event, held this year at the Robert Mondavi Winery, several colleagues approached, asking which were the standout wines, a typical reaction at this kind of tasting.

In truth, I no longer try to compare wines at this type of event; after tasting a few dozen wines, the only ones that stick out from the pack are aberrant wines, where the alcohol, or extraction, or oak, is so pronounced that the wine sticks out from the genuinely pretty, balanced, elegant wines.

Panelists who lead the morning MasterClass on “the commitment of ownership; From left to right, Paul Roberts, Estate Director, Bond, Ren Harris, owner Paradigm, Michael Weis, wine director, Groth, and Tom Garrett, winemaker, Detert Family Vineyards. The bowls in the foreground, filled with each winery’s respective soil, showed how soil composition changes across the appellation.

Oakville, at the epicenter of Napa Valley, is one of 15 valley sub-appellations. Oakville is a small-ish subsection but it carries a large and important historical mantle – it is where Robert Mondavi built his winery, shared his vision and created Napa Valley’s earliest and best wines, and on which the reputation of the entire valley was predicated.

Robert Mondavi Winery, site of this year’s Taste of Oakville event. Bob Mondavi would have been happy and proud of the number – and quality – of wines poured.

At the morning MasterClass, led by four of the appellation’s highly recognized wine producers (see photo with caption, above), we learned that global warming is here, it is hot and it has been scientifically recorded.

“Between 1960 and 2010 – that’s only 50 years – the average night time temperature in Oakville in the month of April, which used to be considered a cool month, has been documented by university scientists to have jumped 5.3 degrees Fahrenheit,” Ren Harris, of Paradigm, told the assembled group.

Them’s a lot of degrees over such a short period of time, in case you needed someone to interpret what Ren said.

Some 120 people were invited to the MasterClass session, which culminated in a tasting of four 2006 Oakville-made wines.

Several participants expressed concern about the higher degree of alcohol, which we’re seeing in many California wines today, due to higher levels of ripeness.

Paul Roberts, of Bond, answered this one: “I don’t want to appear as an ‘alcohol apologist’ but drinkers want freshness, brightness and minerality in their wine and when you make a wine with these characteristics in Napa Valley, you inherently get higher levels of alcohol.”

“Listen,” he continued, “when you look at some of the great old-world wines from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, there is so much complexity and minerality that the higher levels of alcohol – sometimes in the 16.6 range – are hidden. We don’t hear wine drinkers or wine writers railing against these wines; why do they single out California, or new world, wines for their sometimes elevated levels?”

“Our job is to make the best wine we can from the grapes we nurture and source; it is not to make a lower alcohol wine at the expense of diminished flavor, freshness, or minerality.”

Amen. I’m not gonna argue with this guy.

After the MasterClass, guests were joined by about 450 members of the wine trade in the Robert Mondavi barrel room. Way too many people for such a confined, narrow, angular space. That’s Bill Harlan, of Harlan Estate, in the foreground, and a multitude of glass-carrying, wine-seeking, pushing and shoving industry revelers in the background.

After the morning MasterClass, and after a sensational luncheon in Mondavi’s Vintage Room, guests re-assembled in the winery’s barrel room to taste through the wines poured by 41 wineries. 

Brothers John and Tom Garrett, respectively responsible for marketing/sales and for winemaking at their family’s Detert Family Vineyards. I’m surprised the brothers fit into this small space – these guys define TALL… in fact, when their feet are planted on the ground in Oakville, their cropped heads belong in another appellation with the hillside attributes of a cooler climate.

Estate Director, Paul Roberts, pours two of his 2006 Bond wines for the swelling crowd of professional tasters.

Upper tier of the Modavi barrel room, where the Taste of Oakville was held.

If you’re interested in learning more about the wines of Oakville, log onto www.oakvillewnegrowers.com

Swanson… this Renaissance Winery is making Renaissance Merlot

What do you do when you’ve been making great Napa Valley wine for 25 years but want to turn up the heat? You hire new talent and make even better wine!

At least that’s what Clarke Swanson Jr. has done at his eponymous winery in beautiful downtown Rutherford, population 450.

Clarke Swanson Jr. If the name rings a bell, it should, His granddaddy started Swanson TV Dinners and his father and uncle sold it nearly 50 years ago to Campbell’s.

As a neighbor of Swanson Vineyards, I have been to the property numerous times, but welcomed an invitation this week to spend a morning with winemaker Chris Phelps and owner Clarke Swanson Jr., along with a small coterie of local wine writers.

There wasn’t a real agenda to the get-together, other than to present us current wines and give us a sneak preview of the Swanson Sip Shoppe, a slightly less formal, retail room that is opening this summer next to the famed Swanson Salon, where by-appointment guests may enjoy Swanson wines paired with different foods.

For the record, the food pairings here are as friendly as the staff; no one goes home without a smile, and oh yes, purple teeth.

Winemaker Chris Phelps speaks with a small group of wine writers, assembled in the elegant Swanson Salon.

Winemaker Chris Phelps, who has been at Swanson seven years, is largely responsible for shaking up the winemaking practice. But then, you’d expect this from a wineman trained at U.C. Davis, as well as the University of Bordeaux and who then worked at Chateau Petrus, Dominus (Petrus’ Yountville property), then at Caymus, in Napa Valley.

Winemaker Chris Phelps 

Napaman Tip One

Chris is making a fabulous Pinot Grigio that is one of the most refreshing Napa Valley white wines that I have tasted in a long time. The fruit is a blend of Oakville, Oak Knoll, Carneros and even some Santa Barbara fruit, seamlessly blended in stainless steel. Read my lips: NO WOOD. The resulting wine is d-e-l-i- c-i-o-u-s, suggestive of spring flowers It would go extremely well with seameats, and has a lovely creamy finish. 91 points.

 

Napaman Tip Two

Are you looking for a way to recall which were the good recent vintages in Napa Valley? Let’s eavesdrop on Chris Phelps:

“’05, ’07 and ’09 were like Bordeaux vintages; we had longer, cooler growing seasons. The fruit had longer ‘hang time’ and the phenolics were allowed to fully develop. These are superior vintages across Napa Valley, if one can generalize.”

Salonnier, Shawn Quick LaRue, takes us on a sneak preview of the soon-to-open Swanson Sip Shoppe, a new ‘wing” on the winery.

Napaman Tip Three

The Merlot at Swanson is better than it has ever been. Merlot has been, since 1987, the bread and butter grape at Swanson. In fact, Swanson is the largest producer of Merlot in the Oakville Appellation and Chris suspects that Swanson may actually produce more estate Merlot than any other winery in Napa Valley.

I tasted the ’05, ’06. ’07 and ’08 (from barrel) Swanson Merlots and they just keep getting better.

As the 2005 Swanson Merlot contains 14 percent Syrah, the wine has a slightly herbaceous, purple-y nose, though it does exhibit lovely balance and textural elegance. 91 points.

The 2006 Swanson Merlot has more floral and cherry notes, and appears to be a softer wine. Possibly due to the absence of Syrah? Another solid 91 pointer.

The 2007 and 2008 Swanson Merlots are each a dinner winner, though exhibiting younger flavors and texture than any of the siblings above. But these wines will come around nicely in a few years. 91 points for each vintage.

Each of the Swanson Merlots retails for $36.

 

Napaman Tip Four

But it’s what Chris Phelps has done to the flagship wine, Alexis (named after Clarke’s daughter) that is the most pronounced wine revival, or reversal, here.

Alexis, first made in 1994, used to be a blend of Cabernet and Syrah. But Chris, who had some ‘splainin’ to do when he proposed removing the Syrah, has succeeded in producing some gorgeous wines.

2005 Swanson Alexis, which is 90 percent Cabernet, 10 percent Merlot, has scents and aromas far deeper than the color of this wine would suggest. Warm fruit aromas, gobs of spice, ripe fruit and lush richness. What a twist on “Napa Valley Cab”  – since it doesn’t taste as though it’s passed through the kidneys of a beaver. The wood is in HARMONY with the fruit. What a novel idea in a Napa Valley Cab. 93 points.

2006 Swanson Alexis. This wine’s composition is different; 81 percent Cab, 19 percent and the mixture shift is evident in the wine as it is softer, juicier, fleshier than the ’05. But still ‘loverly.’ 92 points.

2007 Swanson Alexis. Ahhh, this is the daddy! Wine of the month for napaman, a solid achievement, made with 90 percent Cab, and 10 percent Merlot. A stunningly good wine, delicious on the attack, right through to the swallow. There is a crème de cassis element in the middle palate. A fabulous, food friendly wine. 94 points.

Each of the Alexis wines retails for $75.

 

What has Chris done to cause these improvements?

“We are picking the fruit more ripe than we have in the past, but we are extremely aware of not letting the alcohol levels get out of check. Highly alcoholic wines are not refreshing.”

“For another thing, we’ve changed the level of toast on our barrels. We’ve cut way back, from heavy toast and toasted heads (the ends of the wooden barrels) to a medium toast.”

“We’ve also moved to screwcaps for our Pinot Grigio. No more corked wines.” (As far as napaman is concerned, Chris could move everything he makes, even age-worthy reds, to screwcap.)

It’s also evident that Swanson is engaging in some “alternate therapy” winemaking. Napaman spotted recent crop Merlot aging in small standard-sized, 225 liter barrels made of stainless steel, something I’ve not ever seen in a winery in this region.

Chris hinted that he’s conducting some ‘trials,” with them, but the nature of his short reply (so uncharacteristic of him!) leads me to believe that Swanson is experimenting. Which is a good thing, always the sign of a smart producer who refuses to accept commonplace methodology in an effort to improve the quality of core products.

To learn more about Swanson wines, go to www.swansonvineyards.com or call to make an appointment to visit the winery, 707-944-0905. To make an appointment to visit The Salon or The Sip Shoppe, call 967-3500.

Sometimes a cigar is only a …. Vineyard!

Wine producer Lawrence Fairchild

Yes, yes, we all know what Freud reputedly said about taking symbolism too far, “that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”

But ask Lawrence Fairchild and he’ll tell you that it can also be a vineyard. It’s what he’s called his vineyard, in fact, some 600 feet above Lake Hennessey, where he produces elegant Cabernet.

“I called my 2-acre plot ‘Sigaro,’ which is Italian for ‘cigar,’” says Lawrence, because there’s nothing I enjoy more than taking a walk around the vineyard at dusk, inspecting the vines and puffing on a premium-quality cigar.”

Napaman was invited to sit down with Lawrence, who is a consultant to start-up, service-oriented companies, but which are not pure-tech, to taste two new Fairchild Estate releases:

 2007 Fairchild Estate George III

This wine is a blend of Cabernet (88 percent) from Beckstoffer’s George III vineyard off Skellenger Lane in Rutherford, and of Cabernet from Beckstoffer’s portion of the To Kalon Vineyard (12 percent). $125 per bottle.

2007 Fairchild Estate Sigaro

The Cabernet for this wine is 100 percent from Lawrence’s home vineyard, which is organically farmed by vineyard manager Jim Barbour. $150 per bottle.

The consulting winemaker for both wines is he’s-everywhere-at-once-and-yet-he’s-oh-so-talented Paul Hobbs.

Napaman: If the Sigaro were a singer, rock group or entertainer, who would it be?

Fairchild: Without question, Pavarotti. The wine is elegant, it tastes European, and works supremely well with sophisticated fare.

 

Napaman: I think instead of me gushing about your wine, how abut YOU, the producer, describe it for a change?

Fairchild: The Sigaro is slightly riper than a top-growth Bordeaux. It has some of that same minerality but the acids are lush. The wine has good nerve, a core of subtle black cherry and finishes with currants. Above all the wine has elegance, much more fruit than you would find in a Bordeaux wine, and much less obtrusive oak than you find in so many California Cabs.

 

Napaman: What’s the best part of being a wine producer?

Fairchild: I love the agricultural elements, walking in the vineyard, caring for the land, getting my hands dirty. I grew up in a rural setting in Nebraska and relate to agriculture.

 

Napaman: What’s the worst part of being a wine producer?

Fairchild: The capital intensity and the detail to pull the project off correctly. The time and attention to detail.

 

Napaman: When would you suggest readers drink the 2007 vintage of your wines?

Fairchild: I am just starting to drink the 2006 Cabernets and they are still young. I think the 2007s will start to drink well two to five years from now.

 

Napaman: What would you suggest serving with the 2007 Sigaro Cabernet?

Fairchild: I’d start with a venison pate and follow this with a grilled duck breast, or roasted lamb shank. Something slightly gamey would complement this wine beautifully.

 

Napaman: What wine did you have with dinner last night?

Fairchild: We enjoyed the 2007 C.Beck Petite Sirah  -- it was outstanding!

 

Interested in acquiring some of Lawrence Fairchild’s two limited release 2007 wines (only 105 cases of each produced)? Contact 750 Wines, 1224 Adams St., St. Helena. Tel: 707-963-0750.

Barolo - the town, the wine... and now the book

 

Barolo. It’s a town in Piedmont, Italy, population 646.

It’s a wine from the same region, made from the Nebbiolo grape.

And now it’s the name of a wonderful book, which is as memorable as the region and the wine. One swig of this book, and you’re hooked.

I was sent a review copy of Matthew Gavin Frank’s book, Barolo, and thought that I would motor through it in a day and give it brief exposure on this site, having fallen in love with the town on a visit last fall.

But once I started Barolo, which is a summary of Matthew’s six-month visit to the region, where among other things, he worked illegally at Luciano Sandrone’s winery, I put on the brakes and started to read it s-l-o-w-l-y, to make the pleasure last.

Matthew’s paragraphs are sweet and sticky like torrone, Piedmont’s hazelnut nougat. They’re like torrone in another way too: once you have a torrone bar, or a bag of wrapped pieces, you parse them out slowly, enjoying them one by one, over days, to make the mouthwatering experience last. The same goes for Matthew’s prose. His writing is rich and perfumed with similes. I found that I did not want to zip through passages, but, instead, preferred to slow down to enjoy every noun, thought nugget, and impression.

 Matthew at Sandrone’s winery

Matthew’s story about heading to Piedmont to work at Luciano Sandrone’s winery is compelling and rhythmic. There are hints of genius in the prose, reminding me of early Michael Ondaatje, whose marvelous book Coming Through Slaughter, the story of Buddy Bolden, may be Ondaatje’s single greatest, original work, written 34 years ago.

(In fact, I was so compelled to connect with Ondaatje, having read his book upon publication in 1976, that I secured the first interview he ever gave on CBC Radio, specifically to discuss the originality of the book.)

Author Matthew Gavin Frank in Piedmont’s vineyards

I feel somewhat the same about Matthew’s colorful, personal, highly detailed visit to Barolo. It is original, humorful, sensuous, and always thought-provoking.

Here’s how Matthew describes conigli arrosti, roasted rabbits, which he finds at a market stall:

“… roasting skinned rabbits, heads still on, teeth charred, eye sockets going black. Porcelain dolls trapped in a housefire.”

What a metaphor! Porcelain dolls trapped in a housefire!

Or his description of one of the region’s specialty cheeses, Toma:

“… [it] is a heavy cheese made of goat’s and cow’s milk that the locals claim has three main properties: ‘It satisfies hunger, quenches thirst, and cleans the teeth.’ I proceed to test the theory numerous times. Gamey. Viscous. Bechamel filtered through a gym sock. And I mean that in the best possible way.”

Matthew walks among the Nebbiolo vines in the Langhe

Peter Mayle (A Year in Provence, 1989) and Frances Mayes (A Year Under the Tuscan Sun, 1996), introduced us to a style of food and wine travelogue that has now become mainstream.

And while there are hints of mainstream life, Mathew weaving a tale, which includes hints of earlier jobs, such as chefing in Alaska, his focus here is to regale us with discoveries in Piedmont. Of which he does a remarkable job. The people he meets, dines with, and works with, jump off the page. His references to food and wine make me hungry, and no less thirsty.

 The Langhe, home of Barolo, shot by napaman last fall

Having spent several weeks in this very region last fall, I am aware of Matthew’s sharp eye for detail. As well, he has a professional writer’s grasp of cadence, and flirts with color, texture, aroma and taste with the best of our poet/writers.

In many respects, I sense that the 33-year-old writer owes less to Mayle and Mayes for style and more to Kerouac or William S. Burroughs. In my mind, Mathew is not so much a travelogue writer as he is quite simply a travel-rogue.

This young writer has talent, style, and let’s hope staying power. The world needs more Matthew Gavin Frank.

Another elevation of Piedmont, shot by napaman, fall of 2009

Matthew’s background: Born and raised in Chicago, he left home at 17, embracing a vagabond lifestyle around the stove. He ran a tiny breakfast café in Juneau, Alaska, sautéed fresh fish on a cooking line in Key West, FLA, served as sommelier at two restaurants in Chicago, and assisted Charlie Trotter with his Green Kitchen cooking demonstration at a Slow Food Nation event in San Francisco, in 2008. And in his spare time, honed his writing and poetry skills. Barolo is a brilliant synthesis of all this food, wine and writing experience.

About the book

One personal request if/when Barolo is released in paperback: how about a short “About the Author” profile at the back of the book, so we all know more about this young writer.

As well, let’s have a proper index. A good work of non-fiction like this, filled with so many references to places, wineries, and restaurants, which the average reader may one day hope to personally visit, is made far more useful with an index. This would enable a visitor to carry the book to the region, using it to look up the name of a restaurant, which Mathew may have loved in Alba, or hunt down the name of a local beverage, which he made sound so deliriously tasty (rosolio, on page 68).

 

Barolo, by Matthew Gavin Frank, published by The University of Nebraska Press. $24/95. Or go to amazon.com and find it for $16.47.