Answer: Most producers in these enlightened times are looking to use lighter glass bottles or other suitable wine containers with an environmental advantage in presenting a better sustainable lower carbon footprint, Yes, boxed wines are improved and no longer just for the cheapest wines. They are attempting to move up-market. An interesting article by Eric Asimov in his weekly The Pour of the May 10 issue of the NY Times “Thinking Inside the Box for Quality Wines” spotlights ten choices. One is a 3-liter choice from California at $72 (about $18/bottle) for Ryme Cellars Mendocino Fox Hill Vineyard Sangiovese-Friulano 2020. Check out some of the producers brought into your local markets who are now putting some of their better-quality wine into boxes! What do you think about them?
Many educational wine seminars as is usual were held during #VIWF2023 including a California spotlight at Taco Fest Wine Mingler evening event, public seminar of Eureka in the Glass!, and a seminar An Era in the Making. This last Trade seminar was moderated by the insightful Elaine Chukan Brown ably assisted by Mark de Vere MW from Robert Mondavi Winery and Nicolas Paris MW Diretor of Wine & Spirits Education from E & J Gallo Winery – one of the real highlights of the week!
The very worldly knowledgeable panel asked the question “Where is California wine now? How unique is it?” California is so diverse producing light fresh styles to full rich ones using many different grape varieties. Three maps illustrated the important influences of the cold Pacific Ocean and the tall mountain ranges among many factors on the grape vines development. Elaine made the emphatic point that California is now the 4th largest in the world by volume with an important global scale – like a Country – plus lots of capital behind it. They focused on 10 wines to help show where California wine is presently:
1. NV GLORIA FERRER, SONOMA, BLANC DE BLANCS
Single variety of 100% chardonnay including Wente clone do well here in this cooler region ripening slowly to keep the fresh acidity. “How can I make this Sparkling more complex?” Long slow ferment provides texture (but not heavy) with admirable freshness of “Granny Smith apple & Asian pear”
2. 2020 DRY CREEK VINEYARD, DRY CREEK VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC
Surprised that they were showing 2 Sauvignons and no Chardonnay. We compared this one with 3 sauvignon varieties from a region of less heat but cooler breezy winds using 83% stainless & 17% barrel-fermented resulting in a more citrus style. Consumers expecting a more New Zealand like presentation but California different with warm days but cold air at night resulting in perfect grapes less herbaceous with good acidity
3. 2021 SPOTTSWOODE, NAPA VALLEY, SAUVIGNON BLANC
More classic and more Bordeaux-like with 96% SB & 4% Semillon (helps body) using French oak, Stainless Steel, Clay Amphora, and Ceramic vessels to advantage. Wineries like Mondavi are using battonage (lees stirring) for more texture resulting in a richer mouth feel for aging. Mark says “wineries are much more serious with Sauvignon Blanc recently” Elaine adds that “there still is good Chardonnay produced in California”
4. 2020 RAEN SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR
Interesting to compare 2 Pinot Noir from Sonoma this one 100% whole cluster (and Walt 100% destemmed). Lighter colour (stems dilute) but open & enticing even though 2 years younger with delicate structured complexity. Interesting.
5. 2018 WALT SONOMA GAP’S CROWN PINOT NOIR
East side of Petaluma Gap protected from Ocean winds. Deep ripe pure voluptuous pinot with more extraction showing. Impressive depth of fruit.
6. 2019 RIDGE, ALEXANDER VALLEY, GEYSERVILLE ZINFANDEL
Two Zinfandels to compare with this old vines field blend of 32 lots from 43 in total fermented has 71% Zin plus 19% Carignane + 7% Petite Sirah & 3 % Alicante Bouschet showing amazing Geyserville power even from a cooler year with wonderful elegance in American oak. 14.5 abv
7. 2019 BLACK STALLION, NAPA VALLEY, LIMITED RELEASE ZINFANDEL
Vineyard selection of mainly mountain smaller bunches of 100% Zin with 18 months in both American & French oak. Big more alcohol (15.5 abv) & some minerality noted.
8. 2017 PAHLMEYER, NAPA VALLEY MERLOT
Two sites with cooler Napa volcanic soil and another one 1000 feet elevation. Concentrated but not too extracted. We all agreed with Nicolas that “this 100% Merlot & 100% new oak showed better acid & tannins than usual for a Napa Merlot”. Nicolas says “older vines and mountain fruit make a big difference” He believes “Merlot doesn’t always get the best soils that usually go to Cabernet Sauvignon but they are pushing Pahlmeyer in this better direction”.
9. 2018 CHAPPELLET, NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Finished up with two excellent Cabernet Sauvignons! This is at a higher elevation on Pritchard Hill pioneered by Chappellet but now home to so many Cult wineries. All mountain fruit Estate Grown blending 85% CS with 10% Petit Verdot & 5% Malbec
10. 2010 ROBERT MONDAVI, NAPA VALLEY, TO KALON VINEYARD, RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Lower elevation but the very historic To Kalon Vineyard. HIgher CS 97.5 with 2.5 PV with same 14.5 abv. Mark gave credit to Robert Mondavi for discovering this special terroir vineyard. They are protecting it with reduced carbon footprint plus gentler sustainable farming methods that includes buying the first 6 (numbered #1- 6) new Electric Tractors in September 2022. Elaine says other wineries have ordered some since the initial purchase by Robert Mondavi and we will be seeing a lot more Electric Tractors in California vineyards.
An inspiring Trade seminar on the latest developments in California wine. Very well done indeed! My congrats.
Question: How often can an oak tree provide cork for wine bottle closures?
Answer: Pleased to acknowledge the overall improved quality of cork closures coming mainly from Portugal but also Spain. Generally, it takes 15 years for a newly planted cork tree to produce any usable bark but for much better quality “the rule of 9” must be added onto that and then can be harvested on a continuing 9-year cycle thereafter. Fun to visit the “breadbasket” of Portugal in the Alentejo region and see it all happening!
The 2023 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards bounced back strongly after taking a pause in 2022. They have been written up on this Blog previously by your scribe. This program first established in 2003 by LG The Honourable Iona Campagnolo with support from the Government House Foundation encouraged and recognized early excellence in the Province’s wine industry. Since 2018 it has become an important part of The Okanagan Wine Festivals Society and currently has been re-organized with a new Board of Directors ably led by Chair Heather Courtney and GM Kimberly Hundertmark. WInemaking and quality wines in BC have progressed by leaps & bounds over these past 20 years and the BC Lt. Gov. Awards of Excellence have been an important influence on their amazing development. We are hopeful that the 2024 judging competition will take place for the first time in Vancouver to help broaden the marketing awareness of BC wines in this region. The results of our judging were released last month posted here on thewinefestivals.com website. There were 14 top Platinum Recipients with many worthy Golds & Silvers (but no Bronze) awarded. Lots of grape varieties (and blends) used for BC wines are establishing their distinctive world class quality mark. Too many to list here but the leaders certainly include Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Syrah. Italian grapes haven’t been near the top of the list for most winegrowers. We know the difficulty in capturing the character of Nebbiolo & Sangiovese outside of Piedmont & Tuscany respectively. Thought Barbera might have the same issues. However, your scribe provided in Penticton some older bottles from Sandhill produced by the legendary Howard Soon for his Small Lots Program for current assessment by the judges. As expected the 2005 Sangiovese (312 cases produced was then the only one grown in Canada) wasn’t savoury and cherry fruit was drying up having lost that better level it had initially. Cleverly Sandhill has released 7 barrels of a balanced lovely charming 2022 Rose from Block 9 of those Sangiovese plantings. Surprise though that the 3 vintages (2002, 2003, & 2004) of the Barbera showed sensationally. The grape grower of all four wines was the respected Richard Cleave from Burrowing Owl Vineyard for 2002 & 2003 and Sandhill Estate Vineyard for 2004 & 2005 – all at 14.5 abv. Brief notes:
2002 BARBERA: 349 cases. “Harvest weather was warm and dry to slowly ripen and intensify the varietal characteristics. Aroma of red plums with an earthy, spicy note and a hint of leather. The slight acidity accentuates the fruit and the medium body helps it pair with flavourful foods. This is the only 100% Barbera wine produced in Canada” Presently had mellowed and toned down the balanced acidity with lots of fruit remaining. Success. Impressive.
2003 BARBERA: 283 cases. “Fourth vintage of Barbera from our planting near the cliff at the southern tip of the BOV. Aromas of red plum & leather, with concentrated characters of red fruits, soft round tannins and a touch of licorice.” Noticeably riper and softer. Does express the Barbera variety to advantage. More like the style of many recent climate change Barberas from Alba (DOC) & Asti (DOCG) but less balanced acidity here. Ready.
2004 BARBERA: 297 cases. “5th vintage from planting near the cliff at the southern tip of the Sandhill Estate Vineyard. Ruby red in colour, it shows aromas of red plum and caramel. Well-integrated flavours of sour cherry and sweet toasted vanilla are the result of 22 months in French oak.” All the judges agreed that this bottle was so fresh, structured, and quite complex. Already planted in Argentina, Australia, and USA but Canada (BC) should consider the possibility of further plantings in the right spots. Usually a wine to enjoy youngish but age has definitely helped these beauties. Congrats to Howard Soon who got some flak for “wasting” his valuable French Oak on this maverick variety in 2004. Well done!
Question: What are your brief thoughts please on Nomacorc closures?
Answer: My limited knowledge is influenced by long time respected Oregon winemaker Ken Wright. His winery team since 2002 have been using #Nomacorc in their high quality ageable wines with testimonials posted online at Vinventions. PlantCorc technology is utilized for a Reserva (wine preservation up to 25 years) plus 3 levels of Green Line closures (all with different oxygen ingress rates) 100% recycleable containing sugar cane and plant based polymers that claim a zero carbon footprint. Last month I opened a good value South African Chenin Blanc 2021 Terre Brulee from Tania & Vincent Careme that used the Select Green 300 one. Certainly worth exploring this alternative synthetic closures for your wine bottles and your experience with wine aging. Check the websites out for further info.
