Simple Hedonisms

Posts Tagged ‘sonoma coast’

How do you know when you like a wine?  “It should have a wow factor … it should scream at you,” says John Saemann, vintner at Clouds Rest Winery in Sonoma County.  Clouds Rest has been hand-producing Pinot Noir from a small Sonoma Coast vineyard since 2002.  These are collector’s wines, priced outside my budget at around $100 a bottle. Good news: a new addition to the Clouds Rest Pinot lineup is available, and at a much lower price point. It’s Femme Fatale, a younger release from the same vineyard, priced at $45 ($39 with case discount). K&L Wine passes along their discount, bringing it down to $39 for a single bottle purchase – outright affordable for a Pinot Noir in this class.

2008 Femme Fatale

I got the wow factor when I tasted the 2008 Clouds Rest Femme Fatale recently … rich cherry red, aromas of ripe stone fruit, flavors of blackberry, plum, pepper, light smoky tannins and hint of rosemary … rolling into a soft, mouth-filling viscosity. My attention shifted to follow the flavor explosion and structure of this wine.  And I’m not alone. Beth Arnold wrote of Clouds Rest Pinot Noir in Huffington Post, “Their Pinots retail for at least $100 a bottle. But, my God, I was almost in tears they were so good.”  And she lives in Paris, so you can imagine the wines she has access to on a regular basis.  “Pinot is a wine for me that brings together so many varietal characteristics into one glass,” John told me, with a heavenward roll of his eyes. Wow factor is more than the look, feel and taste of the wine … it is a quality that transports and totally engages you — like a great movie or a conversation with a good friend.

Seamann says Clouds Rest wanted to give more people access to their Pinot Noir, but without compromising the label.  Femme Fatale is the answer; grapes come from the same vines and terroir Clouds Rest is known for, and the wine-making process is the same, except for bottle aging.  Femme Fatale is released earlier (younger), saving the winery on storage cost. How much? Up to 3 years of bottle aging for the collectors wines. Savings are also passed along through simpler packaging. Femme Fatale’s lighter weight bottle is less costly to ship. Paper labels save cost compared to gilt silk-screened labels on the heavy Burgundian bottles used for collectors’ wines.

Narrow rows above the clouds at Clouds Rest -- Photo: Scott Schuette

What goes into creating the “wow factor” in a wine?

A few things: winemaking skill and style, choice of barrels, choice of grape stock planted, farming style – and terroir. Think of terroir as the vineyard version of “location, location, location.” In this respect, Clouds Rest, on it’s perch above Petaluma California, is very unique.

I walked the vineyard with Scott Schuette, Clouds Rest General Manager and unofficial photographer. Scott tells me the vines are planted at 1250 feet, on an ancient volcanic knoll that was never before cultivated. It had been impossible to farm because of steep terrain and the volcanic rocks strewn over the landscape. To create the vineyard, Seamann ripped out rocks – some quite large – down to a 6-foot depth. Huge piles of extracted rocks dot the property today.  Rows are planted just 3 feet apart, the only known 36”x36” density in California — and possibly anywhere. On less than 2 acres, there are 10,000 vines – producing volume equivalent to about 10 acres of vineyard. Crowding plants this way would normally invite mildew and fungus. But because Clouds Rest is situated in the Petaluma wind gap, there is constant movement of marine air between the Sonoma coast and San Pablo Bay. Rows are deliberately angled to capture maximum sun and air movement on the hill.

Volcanic rocks extracted

The Clouds Rest philosophy is to orchestrate what the vineyard gives them. Having a rockstar winemaker helps too: Anthony Austin who studied under Andre Tchelistcheff, a legendary winemaker of Napa and Sonoma Valley. A Healdsburg (Sonoma county) California native and University of California Davis graduate in enology, Austin directed the first crush at Firestone Vineyards in 1976. He went on to become an award-winning winemaker of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Santa Barbara area, and returned to make wine in Sonoma in 2001.

Irrigation lines and a huge water storage tank are visible on our walk, and yet no water was used during this wet weather year. These deliberately austere conditions – rocky, windy, crowded, dry — are influenced by the French “intensive” method. Intensive farming forces the vines to compete and struggle, resulting in small fruit of dense and complex flavor.

Dense clustering

Pinot Noir is a notoriously difficult grape to cultivate. It is thin-skinned, prone to rot, viruses, diseases, and vulnerable to over-crowding.  Tchelistcheff has said, “God made Cabernet Sauvignon whereas the devil made Pinot Noir.” There is a reason Pinot Noir is higher priced: the grape is difficult to grow and takes a great deal of viticultural skill and hands‐on processing to result in a good bottle. Against these odds, the wow factor is alive and well in Femme Fatale.  And Austin believes the harsh conditions at Clouds Rest force the grapes to develop thicker skins; thereby retaining more flavor and essence.

What gives wine the “wow factor” for you?

At the end of the day, the wow factor is about what you like. Wine preference is unique to each person, so what appeals to you may be different than for others. What gives a wine the wow factor for you? Where does the aroma and taste transport you to? What do you think goes into creating the wow factor in a wine? Please comment below – Simple Hedonisms would love to hear about your experiences!

Where can you find Femme Fatale?

Fem Fatale, as well as Clouds Rest Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, are available at Roadhouse Winery Tasting Room in Healdsburg, and Bounty Hunter in Napa. Check the Clouds Rest website for online purchase and for a list of restaurants pouring Clouds Rest wines. And as mentioned, K&L Wines is carrying 2008 Femme Fatale.

Clouds Rest will be pouring at Family Winemakers of California, Aug 22-23 at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco.

Clouds Rest will be a featured in the “Grand Reserve” tent at Taste of Sonoma: Wine Country Weekend during Labor Day holiday. They are also pouring at the Sept 3^rd Winemakers Lunch and at other venues throughout the event.

Greetings Simple Hedonisms Lovers

I am enjoying a rare week with no business travel, and brimming with anticipation for this Saturday’s 2010 Pinot Noir Summit, with 8 hours of seminars, blind tastings, and food pairings on my beloved varietal, Pinot.  (Only 250 tickets total, and a handful left for the full or partial day event, check this post for special discount Barbara was nice enough to extend blog readers.)

Tonight’s treat is the James Family Cellars 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Stony Point Vineyard. I have had this Pinot a few times at Cellars of Sonoma, and was a fan from the first mouth swirl.

This is a small family of growers, now also turned Vitners; after a decade of growing and selling their fruit, they turned to making small lots. For a first release, I think they did exceptionally well.

I am becoming rapidly growing fan of Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, and need to get out of my backyard here in Russian River more (hard to leave my favorites ) and explore more in person.

Color: Clear, violet, to ruby.

Nose: Pleasant, classic Pinot aromas of cherry, red fruit, a hint of floral.

In the Mouth: Mouth pleasing but not overpowering cherry, strawberry, a hint of cranberry, vanilla. Great balance, mouthfeel, weight.The finish is as a Pinot should be – a velvety lingering kiss that slowly dissipates in your mouth, with no sign of heat or tannins, just hedonistic pleasure that makes you want another mouthful.

Whether its my palette become more attuned to Pinot Noir delicacies, or just fatigued to over extracted Pinot Noirs trying to be a Rhone like varietal, I really liked this release. It captures the essence of Pinot, but doesn’t required you be the Burghound to enjoy it.

Highly recommended; $35 at Cellars of Sonoma, sold direct, and possibly other venues.

Hope to see you other Pinot Lovers Saturday!

Wine Geek Notes:

Cases Produced: 211 cases

Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir

Appellation: Sonoma Coast

Barrel Aging: 10 months in French Oak (33% new)

Titratable Acidity: 0.53g/100ml

Clones: 113, 115, 828

Vineyard: Stony Point Vineyard

Harvest Dates: 9/29 and 10/5/07 Alcohol: 14.3% pH: 3.68

I visited Mayo for the first time a few weeks ago, during the Heart of Sonoma Valley Open House, as reviewed earlier this month.

When I learned they had a unoaked chard, I bought a bottle, blind as it wasn’t available for tasting. I have written several recent articles on unoaked chardonnay and discussed the nature and flavor profile of this style of chardonnay. I am planning a review soon, of a side by side comparison of many, so if you produce one, or know of one, let me know soon.

The marketeer in me doesn’t jazz on the term ‘unwooded’ but the description on the back label captures perfectly the essence of this style. “Ever wonder what chardonnay really tastes like underneath all that oak? We’ve made this wine for ourselves for a few years, loving the fruit forward, mineral…qualities if offers. We thought it was time to let it loose on the public.”

And I am glad they did, although its no longer on their website, so wondering if they are sold out.

This is another great expression of pure chardonnay fruit.  It doesn’t specify it did not undergo malolactic fermentation, but my guess is it didn’t.

The 2007 vintage is from the Sonoma Coast, Risk Vineyards. 454 cases made. 13.9% alcohol.

Color: Pale to medium yellow, good clarity

Aroma:  Scents of wet stone, grapefruit, and a hint of peach

In the Mouth: Bursting with citrus when it first hits the palette, pleasant taste of kiwi and peach on the mid palette,and a pleasant finish that lingers citrus and a hint of minerality.

I will repeat my mantra on drinking quality white wines: DO NOT OVERCHILL. If its been in the fridge, take it out for 15 minutes. If the glass is cold to touch, warm it in your hands. Cold masks all the aroma and flavor profiles the winemaker worked so hard to achieve.

cheers!