Don's Gillette's Wine Blog
Musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Read Don's full bio...
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Varietal Definition in the New World - Part Two
New World growers and winemakers are looking for category 2. Although they are pioneers, they are invariably trying to create something close to a historically successful bottling that they have been personally attracted to. The financial viability of their project is also seen in terms of how successfully they are able to do that. Categories 1 and 3 can only be regarded as the up and down sides of an expensive gamble.
In California, I think that we are likely to see a lot more of category 3 in the near future. No one is looking for a gamble, but people are planting like crazy and doing it with a vastly wider and better palate of grape clones. Because of access to those clones, growers are revisiting some areas that had to some extent been written off.
In the 1990s, newly available Pinot clones unleashed the potential of the Green Valley, the Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Rita Hills and the Sonoma Coast, and planting in those areas exploded. Growers know that it is possible that better clones of Syrah or some other grape might reveal similar possibilities hidden elsewhere, and they are planting again in places like the Sierra Foothills, long considered a minor viticultural area, with just that in mind.
Does the whole world lie waiting behind door number 3?
Some of the early results may not seem strictly "varietal" to all drinkers, but the quality of the product could quickly change some minds. A few recent examples from the Sierra Foothills are especially interesting, a Dolcetto from Due Vigne and a pair of Rhone-based reds from Prospect 772.
The 2004 and 2005 Due Vigne Dolcettos do not have the freshness, soft-fruitiness, round mouth-feel and dark berry fruit profile of the typical Italian Dolcetto. What they do have is a focused, crisply stated, slightly tannic firmness that gears them toward sauced dishes like veal scaloppini. They also have an expansive aromatic and flavor profile centered around Amarena cherry, with cranberry, cinnamon and mineral accents. The 2005 is just about to be released.
Prospect 772 produced two truly brilliant wines from the humble Caliveras County appellation. The "Brat" is a Grenache/Syrah blend from new plantings. It steers clear of the pale fruitiness and flavor simplicity commonly seen here, delivering a mouth-drenching blast of dark fruits and savory spices on an Operatic scale more typical of great Australian Shiraz than anything normally found in the Foothills.
The "Brawler", Prospect 772s Syrah, blends a bit of Viognier in (ala J L Chave Hermitage), but doesn't offer the racy, tight-backboned feel of Chave, nor that wines red fruit and mineral character. What is delivered is a massive, tightly wrapped, but seamlessly elegant package of red and black fruits, savory spices, roasted meats and exotic peppers. These beauties were released just a few weeks ago, but sold out in a flash, after customers saw what they were.
I doubt that the owners of Due Vigne and Prospect 772 could have either planned for, or predicted such results. Whatever those pioneers were hoping for, I suspect they are delighted with what they found. Lets hear it for door number 3!