NW Winemaking Notes

Likely Sources for NW Grapes in 2008

Last updated: Saturday November 08, 2008 10:42 PM -0800

Grapes for order in 2008

2008 will be the fourth year we have sourced premium grapes from California's Central Coast and supplemented this supply with North Coast and Washington grapes secured through Brehm Vineyards.  Like the Brehm grapes and juice, our Central Coast grapes are processed and frozen in the area and then shipped north to Nanaimo in one truckload about the end of October (although it may be November this year because of the Nebbiolo, which usually has a very late harvest.)

We source from individual growers and we have our own crew for crushing and freezing.  All these arrangements are exclusive to the Club.  When you get these grapes you are not getting a generic or industrial product.  The grapes are top quality.  We get only a small portion of a crop that otherwise goes to very good wineries.

Grapes are sold in plastic, 23L pails.  For reds, each pail contains about 20L of crushed grapes (only the stems are removed), equal to about 50 lbs of fresh grapes.  For whites, the pails contain settled juice. We aim for 20L of juice per pail, but our experience is that there is bit less than this. 

Click on the grape name below to view more specific information on sources.

White varieties

Chardonnay (Central Coast  plus)

Since 2005 we have been getting our Chardonnay from the White Hills Vineyard near Los Alamos that Meridian uses for its own premium Santa Barbara County Chardonnay. As we have discovered, Santa Barbara Chardonnay has a distinct flavor profile with more pronounced tropical fruit. It has made delicious wine. In 2005 we had wild fermentation problems, which turned out not to be much a problem at all (perhaps the long, cold ferment with wild yeast in the cooler/freezer was an advantage). In 2006 the juice was not as completely settled as it should have been, but still made very good wine.  In 2007 everything worked out well.

For 2008 we have decided to shake things up a bit.  We will still get the 2008 White Hills (Santa Barbara) Chardonnay, but we will also have pails of the 2007 Santa Lucia Highland (Monterey) Chardonnay from Brehm Vineyards. This has good recommendations and numbers (Brix 24.8, TA 8.7, pH 3.39). Our previous tasting of various Chardonnays in the Santa Lucia Highlands suggests the flavor profile will be similar to that of the White Hills, but there should be enough of a difference to add complexity to our wine. People who order Chardonnay will get a combination of the two sources.

In addition to these two Central Coast sources, we have purchased a few pails of the 2007 Sangiacomo (Carneros) Chardonnay from Brehm Vineyards.  This will cost more.  Of course, it has excellent number (Brix 25.2, TA 6.7, pH 3.27). It will be offered first on a select basis to those who order significant quantities of Chardonnay. The expectation is that adding a pail of this premium Carneros Chardonnay to your Central Coast Chardonnay will produce a superior, more complex wine. 

Gewürztraminer (Summerland)

We expect to return to our source for the last two years—Peter Krieger's vineyard in Summerland. This is next to Schertzinger's (a very good area for Gewurz).  Peter's crop had previously gone entirely to Sumac Ridge under contract, but a dispute about pricing has led Peter to go for more flexibility. It now goes exclusively to Red Rooster (apart from the small portion we get).  This Gewurz will arrive in Nanaimo as fresh grapes, probably in late September or early October.  Winemakers prefer to work with fresh grapes in making Gewurz in order to be able to control skin contact.

Pinot Gris (Santa Barbara)

As we have since 2005, we expect to source from the same White Hills Vineyard that provides our Chardonnay (it is a huge vineyard!).  In 2005 there was some early concern about the higher than expected color and tannin levels in this juice, but experience has shown it makes great wine.  As one member put it, "Whatever they did last year in terms of skin contact, tell them to do it again!" In 2006 there was a production gaff. The juice was not adequately settled when we got it and people ended up with a lot of sludge. However, those who settled and racked their juice before beginning their wine have found the results are excellent, probably better than the 2005 version which won silver medals. Some people think the 2007 is the "best yet" and it recently won best of class at the Provincials. This Pinot Gris seems to be a favorite of Club members to accompany salmon.

Riesling (2007 Washington—two vineyards, Brehm)

Our Riesling this year will be very much like our excellent Riesling last year because we have purchased additional 2007 product from the Brehm Vineyards inventory! Last year we got about equal amounts of Yakima Valley (high sugar, some botrytis) and Underwood Mountain (lower sugar, higher acid).  Most people who buy Riesling get two pails and the recommended strategy was to combine the two and proceed.  That approach has already produced competition medals, including a Gold. This is the reason we have no hesitation in returning to the 2007 grapes this year.

However, this year, besides the same 2007 Yakima Valley, we will get the 2007 Columbia Gorge instead of the Underwood Mountain. Compared the the Underwood Mountain, the Columbia Gorge has less sugar but less acid also, which will make for a slightly different (and perhaps better) combination. 

The pails will be provided in pairs—one from each vineyard.  We recommend buying Riesling in multiples of two (and pails will in the first instance be reserved for those who do so).  The average of the two vineyards produces numbers that look just about perfect.

Sauvignon Blanc (Napa, Brehm)

After considering both a Central Coast source and a return to the Brehm Vineyards Napa source we had last year, we have decided to return to Napa. Initially, we were a bit disappointed with this juice in 2007, but as we approach bottling our enthusiasm has increased considerably.  People who made Sauvignon Blanc from these grapes last year want to use it again.  This is  high quality source.  More information is available at the Brehm vineyards website.

Red varieties

Cabernet Franc (Santa Barbara)

Our Ranchita Canyon (Paso Robles) source has served us well the past few years, but the tonnage we require has always been problematic. This year, with the shift in processing to Santa Maria, we need to change sources. We have lined up the Lucas & Lewellen Valley View vineyard. McKeon-Phillips also uses this source to make a varietal Cab Franc which sells for over $40. While this may be typical over-pricing by a boutique winery, it is still a good wine. The Valley View vineyard has been winning acclaim for is Bordeaux varietals.  (See also the note on Petit Verdot.) Of course, Cab Franc can also be included as a part (even a significant part) of a Bordeaux blend.

Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles—Still Waters)

We got half our Cab last year from Still Waters vineyard and winery, which we discovered in our explorations in the Spring of 2007.  Both our Cabs from last year have proved good, but we think the nod goes to Still Waters and have decided to concentrate our purchase there this year.  This "hillside" Cab costs a bit more than others that are available, but it is grown at 2.5T/acre and is the grape that Still Waters used in its own wines.

Grenache Noir (2007 Mendocino—McDowell Valley, Brehm)

Coastal California Grenache Noir is in big demand these days, in large part because it makes a great wine, either alone or in a Rhone or Iberian blend. We have not yet succeeded in getting Grenache from the Paso Robles area, where it is about the most expensive grape going. Therefore, in 2006, when we had a chance to get Eaglepoint (Mendocino) Grenache Noir through Peter Brehm, we jumped at the chance.  It has proved very fine.

This year we jumped again at the chance to get some Grenache Noir from the Brehm Vineyards inventory.  This Grenache was harvested late and it was not even on Brehm's 2007 Fall list, which helps explain why it was still available in the Spring.  The source this time is McDowell Valley in Mendocino. The numbers are pretty good (24.9 Brix with a TA of 4.7 and a pH of 3.64) and with the necessary acid addition, the numbers should be excellent.

This grape should be good on its own on in combination with Syrah.

Malbec (Paso Robles—Still Waters)

Malbec has not been available through NW Grapes since the Okanagan days many years ago. This year we have contracted to get some from Still Waters, the source of our Cab Sauv.  Still Waters uses its Malbec primarily in its Bordeaux blends.

Merlot (Santa Barbara)

We have been happy with our Paso Robles Merlot sources, but the orders are down this year and do not justify shipping from Paso to Santa Maria. So we have also moved this to the Lucas & Lewellen Los Alamos vineyard. Louis Lucas says simply, “I have good Merlot.” Los Alamos is closer to Carneros in climate than it is to Paso Robles. But Merlot does well in cooler conditions. Both of the sources for Peter Brehm uses for Merlot are in the Carneros area.  This Merlot could also be the main ingredient (or an important one) in a Bordeaux blend.

Nebbiolo (Santa Barbara)

Last year we decided to make Italian varieties a focus in 2008, and we identified two excellent sources of Nebbiolo on the Central Coast. Both indicated we could probably get grapes this year if we wanted. We just have to decide which. We did a tasting from both sources (2002 vintages) in the Club in late Fall and both got a big thumbs up, as did this very distinctive variety.

We can now confirm our preferred source—Lucas & Lewellen vineyards in Santa Barbara. During our recent trip, we thought we might have made a mistake in thinking highly of this sources when we tasted the recently released Mandolina 2004 Nebbiolo. But we later confirmed this was a winemaking failure—and the winemaker is no longer with the winery. We tasted a 2004 from McKeon-Phillips which used the same grapes and it was fine. A 2002 McKeon-Phillips was exceptional and barrel samples of their 06 and 07 vintages showed great promise. McKeon-Phillips has begun recently to bleed some juice off their freshly destemmed grapes to increase color and intensity in their Nebbiolo. That option is not really available to us with frozen grapes, but I am not sure it is wise anyway. The beauty of Nebbiolo comes not with extra intensity but with age.

Nebbiolo is not widely planted in California and the grape is not widely known outside the Piedmont in Italy where it makes the great Barolos and Barbarescos. But Central Coast Nebbiolos definitely have the Nebbiolo character--the terracotta brick color, the haunting fruit, herbs, and spice, and the structure. Just be aware that this grape needs time to develop as a wine.  It should be coming into its own in your cellar after four or five years. In Piedmont, the standard routine is at least two years in relatively neutral oak and another year or more in the bottle. You don't want to rush this one, but plan on drinking it pleasurably for many years into the future.

This is an excerpt from the notes for the Central Coast Nebbiolo tasting at the Nanaimo Winemakers meeting in November 2007:

Nebbiolo is a grape grown primarily in the hilly Piedmont area of north-western Italy. Barolo and Barbaresco, two of the most highly regarded wines in the world, are 100% Nebbiolo.

Traditionally (and to a large extent currently) Barolo and Barbaresco are made as “big” wines that need aging. In youth they are very tannic. As they age the tannins soften a bit and the wines tend to lose color but acquire a range of flavors that include violets, black plums, bitter chocolate, and herbs. But even at 20 years of age, when the wine will usually have gone quite brown, a heavy-weight tannin structure will remain to complement a savory, flavorful maturity.

Nebbiolo blooms early and harvests very late, and the long hang time helps explain its ability to develop the complex flavor precursors that evolve later in the bottle. Nebbiolo gets its name from nebbia, the Italian word for “fog,” reflecting how late in the year it is picked. Louis Lucas reports that Nebbiolo is the last grape he picks on his Santa Barbara estates. This can be November, after the rains have started, but the good thing about Nebbiolo, says Louis, is that the grape is not susceptible to rot.

Nebbiolo is not widely planted. Even in Piedmont it accounts for only about 3% of grape production—Barbera and Dolcetto are more common red grapes. In California there were only 123 tons produced in 2004, which is about 1/200th of one percent of the state total wine grape production of 2,298,957 tons. Half of those few California tons came from Paso Robles/Santa Barbara and Sonoma.

Incidentally, Louis Lucas (our Santa Barbara grower) is the source for Nebbiolo that Peter Brehm offered from Los Alamos a number of years ago. Some people remember this source fondly, since they are now starting to drink the wines with relish.

Petit Verdot (Santa Barbara)

There never is a lot of demand for Petite Verdot and moving processing to Santa Maria made our previous Paso Robles source unviable. However, we have been fortunate to be able to switch sources to Lucas & Lewellen vineyards in Santa Barbara.

Lucas & Lewellen have only a small amount of Petit Verdot, most of which they use to blend into their Valley View Cabernet Sauvignon. But L&L did recently release a 2004 varietal Petit Verdot at $40—a high price for an L&L wine. This wine has got some good notice.  See: http://www.redwinebuzz.com/04_ll_pverd_sbc.htm [Thanks to Stephen Small for this reference].

The L&L Petit Verdot comes from the Valley View vineyard (the valley in question is that of the Santa Ynez River). This is also Louis Lucas’s “home ranch” vineyard, so called because it is the vineyard he lives on and it is the fashion in California to call vineyards “ranches.” This is the vineyard Louis showed us this year, the one that is specially designated for heat-loving Bordeaux varietals.

Louis Lucas does not normally sell Petit Verdot to others. He only has 1.5 acres of established Petit Verdot vines. These vines can be described as “intensively planted” because Louis favors tight plant spacing. Indeed, almost the whole Valley View vineyard has seen older plantings doubled in density by layering in a new vine between established vines.

But because of the increasing interest in Petit Verdot, and the growing demand for Bordeaux varietals from warmer vineyards in Santa Barbara, Louis planted an additional two acres of Petit Verdot a couple of years ago. It was this additional planting that led him to say, when we asked this year, that he would be able to accommodate our need for half a ton. He did not mean we were necessarily going to get the grapes from the new planting. Our bin will come from wherever it is convenient to come from during harvest. But our experience in the Okanagan indicates that fruit from new vines is nothing to be concerned about, especially if these vines are heavily pruned to limit grapes production and encourage plant development—as is the case with these vines. So we should be in for good Petit Verdot no matter from where in the vineyard the fruit comes.

Petite Sirah (Paso Robles—Tower Oaks)

We have been getting Petite Sirah from Tower Oaks since 2005.  This meticulously maintained  vineyard is owned by Don Ackerman.  Don is our main contact in the Paso area and has helped us get many of the grapes we get. His day job is head of viticulture and grower relations for Meridian and its parent, Foster's Wine Estates, on the Central Coast.  Don's Petite Sirah (which otherwise goes to Fetzer) has consistently made excellent wines, with great color and luscious taste. 

Some viticulturalists say that Paso Robles is ideally suited to grow Petite Sirah, and acreage is increasing in the region.  In California, some vintners make Petite Sirah as a varietal and many more add it in small amounts to Zin and other wines for its tannin and color. The Oxford Companion to Wine says Petite Sirah has “carved out a place for itself in California because it makes dark, well-balanced, sturdily tannic red wine of agreeable if not highly distinctive flavour.”  Can be a useful part of a Rhone blend (it is the same grape known as Durif in France).

Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara)

In 2007 we got Pinot Noir both from a Oregon source and from Louis Lucas's Goodchild "hilltop" vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County. An April 2008 tasting in the Club showed the Santa Barbara Pinot to be clearly superior, and we will focus on this as as our source this year.  The grape is expensive because of the Sideways effect, which still exists, unfortunately (once people taste good Pinot Noir they want more!)

We got clone 667 last year from the Lucas & Lewellen Goodchild “hilltop” vineyard in Santa Barbara. For logistical reasons, we may get a different clone and vineyard this year, but it will still be Santa Barbara and good quality.

Sangiovese (Chalk Hill, Sonoma, Brehm)

Our efforts to bet the Chalk Hill Sangiovese from Brehm Vineyards at a good price fell through, so we have shifted sources to the Los Alamos vineyard of Lucas & Lewellen, which is also the source of our Nebbiolo. This is a well-established Cal-Ital vineyards that Louis Lucas added to his Los Alamos holdings a few years ago. You can use this to make a varietal Sangiovese (as Lucas & Lewellen do under their Mandolina) or make a good "Super Tuscan" blended with a somewhat flabbier Bordeaux varietal (as McKeon-Phillips does with the "Leonardo," their most popular red.

Syrah (2007 Alexander Valley, Sonoma, Brehm)

There is lots of good Syrah grown on the Central Coast, but the Paso area often has problems keeping the acid when ripening the grapes. Given our disappointment last year with Syrah (at the last minute, because of a small crop, we didn't get any of the Syrah we had contracted for), we have jumped at the chance this year to get some of Brehm Vineyards' 2007 inventory.

We will have the 2007 Alexander Valley (Sonoma) Syrah.  This has a good reputation and pretty good numbers: 25.0 Brix, a TA of 6.0, and a pH of 3.60. A small acid addition should give very good numbers. We doubt we would be able to do better than this on the Central Coast.

This Syrah will do well as a varietal or in Rhone blends (with Grenache) or in combination with Cabernet Sauvignon (as the Australians like to so do).

Zinfandel

CANCELLED. No Zinfandel this year. A low order level for Zin (because of the Italian emphasis this year?) meant we could not source in Paso Robles and the Brehm Vineyard alternatives proved too pricey.

 

Planning for Red Blends

Bordeaux Blend (also Meritage)

Typically a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (as the major and second ingredient) with smaller proportions of some or all of the other main Bordeaux varietals—Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, as well as the rarer Carmenere. Usually the most important decision is deciding on your major ingredient, which is usually your best grape.  In Napa this almost invariably is Cabernet Sauvignon.  For example, Chateau St. Jean's famous Cinq Cépage (which self-consciously includes all five varietals) is over 80% Cab Sauv-enough to be a varietal Cab!.  In other areas, Merlot might dominate.  For example, Sumac Ridge's Meritage and Pinnacle are about 40-50% Merlot, with about equal portions of Cab Sauv and Cab Franc making up the rest.  It is not necessary to have all five grapes in the blend.  Any two of the traditional Bordeaux varietals is enough.

Recommendation for a basic Bordeaux Blend: The route to the best Bordeaux Blend is to make significant quantities of each variety and experiment with blending proportions once you have an idea about the characteristics of the individual wines.  For a general recipe, however, try: two pails each of Cab Sauv and Merlot, and one pail each of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. A pail of Malbec can substitute for one of the above, or include it as part of the blend for a larger barrel. Six pails are more than enough for a 55L barrel.

All the Bordeaux red grapes can make excellent varietals. Up to 15% of other Bordeaux grapes can be added for balance and complexity.

Rhône Blend

Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Carignane are all black grapes grown in the Rhone, and they all find themselves included in the Rhône wines many of us love. Some blends will favor Syrah, others Grenache, as the main ingredient. Much depends on the quality of the Grenache, which can be quite light if it is not low cropped. (The same is true of Syrah and the other Rhône grapes.) Petite Sirah is also a candidate for the blend (perhaps in place of the Carignane), as is a little Viognier.

Recommendation for a basic Rhone Blend: Two pails Syrah, two pails Grenache, and one pail of Petite Sirah.  Top up with Viognier.

Super Tuscans

In the last few decades, a new wine style has emerged in Tuscany. Known as the “Super Tuscan,” this is a blend of Sangiovese and one or more of the French noble grapes, made with modern methods and aged in French oak barrels. Blends with Cabernet Sauvignon were the first to be tried and are still the most popular (these wines tend to be very costly), but Merlot and even Syrah can be used. The blends typically are 60-85% Sangiovese. The French grapes add color, structure, and complexity, while the Sangiovese adds the flavor and crisper acidity we associate with Chianti.

 

Prepared by Rod Church