“Zoom In” on Winemaker Julien Fayard
This coming Saturday, April 25, there is an opportunity to sit at home and engage with one of my very favorite winemakers, Julien Fayard. Please read on for details and how to RSVP.
Julien has 20 years of winemaking experience starting in Provence, to Lafite Rothchild and Smith Haut Laffite prior to coming to Napa. Once here in the states, he worked along side Phillipe Melka. Many folks describe his work as bringing French finesse to making Napa wine. He has a deft touch in bringing great wine to life as a reflection of the grape and terrior.
Through the Eyes of the Winemaker: Featuring Bob Bolan
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Bob Bolan, the winemaker for Bremer Family Winery. These are unique opportunities to learn and see wine through the lens of the winemaker. What do they see? What do they consider in making wine that is a joy to drink, share, and remember? It also allows for an appreciation and understanding of what brought them to this passion. It is a real moment to capture new insights and understandings.
Bremer is one of the fine wineries on Howell Mountain near Saint Helena within the Napa Valley. Rich, textured, deep flavored Cabernets are the hallmark of this AVA (American Viticultural Area). The Howell Mountain AVA is unique in that one of its defining characteristics is altitude. To be included in this AVA, your vineyards must be above 1400 feet. Most vines in this AVA are planted between 1400 and 2200 feet. This is real mountain fruit that provides great depth of flavor.
Giving Thanks
Cheers to all of you on this Thanksgiving holiday. May your holiday season be spirited and sparkling. Thanks for your support and for following Diana’s Wine Blog!
Keplinger: A Favorite!
This is exciting news! For years, I have followed and loved the wines made by Helen Keplinger. My first taste of her wine was the 2006 Red Slope, a Grenache based wine that I can still recall. It was lush with mouth watering fruit – so much so that I needed to join the mailing list. It was a great decision!
I’ve written about Helen’s wines several times in the past out (check it here and here). The challenge has always been how to introduce the fine art of her winemaking to my friends. There was no tasting room, and the busy schedule of Helen and her husband/business partner, DJ, made it hard to schedule a tasting. The wait is over. This is the email they sent me! Read on, and…
Summer Sippers
Bright, crisp, and clean with floral and fruit notes that rise up from your glass and beckon you in for a sip. The wine hits your palate and washes over it with refreshing, bright, stone fruit notes and mouthwatering acidity. The wine speaks to you like a welcome friend of summer and leaves you with a cool respite from the heat.
We have rolled into summer with a rush of heat. The temperature is rising with record heat in some areas. Refreshing white wines are on the list of items to buy to help cool off and lighten the spirit.
Kutch Wines’ Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: A Good Discovery
Kutch Wines is a small production, artisan winery in Sonoma. I found their wines through reviews and wanted to check it out for myself. Again, I use the wine critics as resources, not as gospel. Given the number of wineries in Napa Valley (500+) and in Sonoma County (400+), it would be near impossible and costly to spend time visiting every winery, even if I could. Many do not welcome visitors. With that said, setting out on a Pinot Noir day with my good friend Eric, we journeyed to Kutch.
The address took us to an industrial area of warehouse style buildings with many small production sites. Our host this day was the associate winemaker, Joanna Wells. Kutch is a two-person production, and Joanna is a very capable associate in the enterprise. This is a small 1000-case total production. Joanna has worked with Jamie Kutch for over 6 years and clearly is very dedicated to the winery goals. Many times when visiting wineries, you rarely get someone as knowledgeable and involved with the wine to lead you through a visit. This was a rare treat.
Winemaker Helen Keplinger: One to Follow
People will tell you that much of winemaking takes place in the vineyard. They say that 80% of what goes into a wine’s quality is produced in how that vine is grown and nurtured. I buy that in many ways. That leaves at least 20% to the skills, abilities and palate of the winemaker. That 20% really matters. Helen Keplinger is one winemaker to follow – no matter where she is or what grapes she is working with, her wine is of remarkable quality. (See this recent post called California Women of the Rhone, which highlights Helen and three other winemakers who focus on Rhone varietals.)
I first tasted one of Helen’s early wines back in 2008. The bottle was a full throttle Grenache named Red Slope. The vintage was 2006, and I remember it well. Rich, fleshy and deep fruit flavors. I immediately went back to buy more and immediately joined the Keplinger mailing list. I have been buying her wine ever since and watching as her career and reputation have taken off. She has worked with many of the best in Napa Valley and been the winemaker for several different labels.
Spelletich Family Winery: A Tasting with the Winemaker
Wine tasting, in and of itself, is a wonderful experience. Exploring the aromas, sorting through the flavors, the weight of the wine, and, oh yes, the finish. How long does it linger? Does the wine call you back for more? That alone is a pleasure.
What about having a thoughtful, established, well-educated, experienced winemaker to taste through the wines with, as well? What about that opportunity? That is a very cool scenario. That is just what it is to taste wine at Spelletich Family Winery.
California Women of the Rhone
I want to share with you a video from Wine Spectator, which presents some of my favorite winemakers known for making Rhone varietals with grapes sourced from various regions in California: Paso Robles, Sonoma Coast, Knights Valley, and Amador County. In this video, Helen Keplinger, Annie Favia, Anne-Marie Failla, and Jordan Fiorentini share their perspective on Rhone varietals and talk about their California sources. Their wine is wonderful!
Kale Anderson: A Winemaker to Watch
It has been said that the quality of a wine is mostly a function of the quality of the grapes. Others simply say that the wine is made in the vineyard. While all that is true, that last 20% of what makes a wine great is the winemaker. They are the ones who say when it is time to pick; they watch over the development of the flavors of the grapes; and it is their final touch that brings all the components together to the finished product’s expression.
One of those winemakers to take note of and watch is Kale Anderson. Better yet, drink his wine. He has learned his craft well from some of the best in the business. I first met Kale at a blending seminar put on by Pahlmeyer. This was a great event where we were given different varietals to make our own Rhone-like blend. He had just become Pahlmeyer’s new winemaker, and he was engaging and readily shared his knowledge. His first full vintage for Pahlmeyer was the 2012, and their Red Blend received 94 points from Parker. What was intriguing to me was that prior to joining Pahlmeyer he was assistant and then winemaker at Cliff Lede. This is another winery that I send folks to frequently based on wines I have tasted and bought there. Kale was the winemaker on a case of wine I bought at auction – Cliff Lede’s 2008 Poetry. His success has not gone unnoticed in the valley, and Wine Spectator included him as one of the “Four to Watch” in an article in their March 31, 2014 issue.