Barrel Tasting at our Winter Wonderland Holiday Party and the "Art of Blending"

Season’s Greetings to all!  For those of you that joined us for our recent Holiday Party, it was great to see you all.  Those of you that missed it, hang tight, there will be plenty more excitement coming in 2018 and we all look forward to seeing you then!

Harvest 2017 is in the house.  All grapes are in, all fermentations complete (almost!) and most malo-lactic work is done.  We’re busy racking the new wines off the gross lees, adjusting acidities as necessary and returning the young wines to clean barrels for aging.

Rarely is a wine bottled without some sort of blending taking place beforehand.  Even the Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of two stainless steel fermented tank lots and a bit of barrel-fermented wine.  The Rosé, too, is a blend of two different lots.  But this is pretty much straight-forward blending.  You want to use all the components so you do a trial blend and, if it tastes good, then off you go!

Blending the Notre Vue wines in particular, then the Balverne Cabernet and Pinot Noir wines, entails quite a bit more “art.”  Let me walk you through my current thoughts regarding the Notre Vue Bordeaux blend.

Each month I taste through our whole inventory, lot by lot, watching the maturation process proceed and monitoring the wines for any issues that might need addressing immediately.  Concurrently I am always thinking about the final blend and what might work best to create that wine.  Does it look like Cabernet Sauvignon will continue to be the base of the blend?  And, if so, what lot(s) will be selected for that purpose and in roughly what amounts?  Or maybe Malbec is particularly strong.  Might it be strong enough to be the base upon which I build the final blend?  If so, that Malbec better be concentrated, balanced and loaded with fruit and strong tannins. 

Winemaker Michael Westrick blending wines right from the barrel at our Winter Wonderland Holiday Party.

As those of you who barrel-tasted with us recently noted, it looks like Cabernet Sauvignon will again frame the blend for 2016.  And that is by no means surprising even though the Malbec is superb!  Cabernet is referred to a the “King of Grapes” for a reason.  Our 2016 is powerfully concentrated, packed with dark berry fruit and graced with elegant tannins.  And so I will start with Cabernet Sauvignon from Block 37 as the base.  But how much?  What percent of the final blend?  And what will I add to that base?  In what quantities?

As you might have gathered from above and from your tastings here, Malbec will certainly play a huge role in the 2016 blend.  It is particularly lush and loaded with spicy, aromatic black fruit.  Petit Verdot is commonly used in Bordeaux-styled blends to add structure and inky-dark color.  Our 2016 Petit Verdot fits the bill perfectly and so will also play an integral part in the blend.  Merlot?  Cabernet Franc?  How much new oak?  What coopers will be included?  

What does this all mean?  And how will you actually “know?”  The answer to those questions lies in the blending process.  This is where art takes over from the science, where years of experience pays huge dividends.  I will sit down in a room by myself, with samples of the components available, and literally start tasting trial blends of “some of this with a bit of that.”  This is exactly like building a spaghetti sauce, starting with ground beef, adding tomato sauce, throwing in onion and garlic, adding basil or maybe oregano, fine-tuning with rosemary and thyme, and finally completing the sauce with a bit or salt and/or lemon juice.  Exactly the same process in blending a wine but it takes much more time.  After tasting a series of trial blends, I will then set up a series of new blends to taste, trying to hone in on that one blend that always surfaces as the best in each flight of trials.  When that starts happening, I’m done!

Or am I?  The next step is to take a sample or two home and taste the trial blends with food.  Debbie will taste them with me, too, and offer thoughts.  Does the blend work?  Is it balanced?  Does the tannin need adjusting?  Are the aromatics attractive?  Is the fruit strong and defined?  And, the final question, does it taste good? Simple final question but not always easy to answer.

And so it goes.  It may go quickly with the final blend appearing quite early in the process.  In tougher vintages the trial blending may go on for weeks.  Ultimately, one way or another, one blend will stand out as being the best.  When that day arrives, when that best blend surfaces, we will physically assemble the parts in a big tank and “make the blend.”  And that is a bit of a stressful day for a winemaker as there is no turning back once the blend is made.

I hope that gives you a bit of an idea of what the blending process entails.  In 2018 we are hoping to offer a “Blending Seminar” here at the winery.  This is something you do not want to miss as you’ll have a chance to work with five different wines and to come up with your own unique blend.  We’ll then taste your blend against those of the other guests. 

Will you be the next “Top Winemaker ?”

Dec 19, 2017 at 8:11 PM Permalink

The Wine Does Go Well with the Turkey!

What wine goes best with turkey?  Balverne and Notre Vue, of course!  End of blog!  Simple!  Stock up now!

But, seriously, folks, “What wine goes best with turkey, in my opinion as a winemaker?”  Balverne and Notre Vue!  ‘Nuf said! OK, OK . . . here are my thoughts in a little more detail.

If you haven’t tasted the Balverne 2016 Rosé of late, what better time?  This is a perfect aperitif wine and pairs beautifully with a multitude of appetizers.  So, too, the 2016 Balverne Sauvignon Blanc.  Both offer strikingly fruity flavors, rich body and nice acidity.  My caution?  Have a few extra bottles on the ready as this stuff will go fast!

While both the Rosé and the Sauvignon Blanc can accompany turkey beautifully, also consider Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Chardonnay pairs terrifically with mushrooms believe it or not, so works well with mushroom soups, gravies or sauces and alongside turkey stuffing with wild mushrooms.  The wonderful pear and ripe apple notes of Chardonnay love crispy turkey skin, too!  It’s a holiday so splurge for the 2014 Notre Vue White Blend.  This wine offers a blend of Viognier, a very flowery, fruity wine with the lushness of Chardonnay in royal style that will stand up to juicy turkey.  For those of you inclined to go “red,” the classic strawberry, black raspberry and cola characters of Balverne’s Pinot noir wines are a perfect match for roasted turkey and accentuate the perfumed complexity of stuffing seasonings and cranberry sauces.

Those of you preferring wild roast duckling or duck breast for your feast can’t go wrong with Balverne’s Pinot Noir but if you want to be a bit more adventurous, pair this with Notre Vue’s 2104 Rhone blend, a wine focused on spicy, peppery, Syrah wines for a real treat!  Big and bold, with hints of a gamey character, this is perfect match with wild duck, pheasant and rabbit. 

Prime rib, baked broccoli with a cheddar cheese sauce and pan-roasted garlic potatoes?  Yup, grab that Cabernet Sauvignon!  Balverne’s 2014 Chalk Hill Cabernet is delicious right now, big and bold, packed with black cherry and wild berry notes.  Those of you grilling a slab of prime rib over hot coals should consider Notre Vue’s 2014 Bordeaux Blend.  The lush black cherry notes of the Malbec work synergistically with the herbal black fruit flavors of the Cabernet, with just enough tannin to help carry the beef’s fatty marbling.  A special wine for a very special occasion. 

Whatever your choices, on behalf of all of us here at Notre Vue, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  We would be honored to be a part of your celebrations through the sharing of great Notre Vue and Balverne wines.

Be safe this holiday season!

Nov 20, 2017 at 2:45 PM Permalink

One Hot Harvest

Like clockwork the rains have started!  Almost every year, just as the last gondola of grapes rolls in, so too the rain clouds.  Uncanny!  Of course there are times when the rains jump the gun a bit and come in before we finish, but we usually finish up with Cabernet Sauvignon.  Given its thicker skins and therefore better resistance to adverse weather, it is generally not a problem.  Always causes a bit of anxiety for winemakers, though!  But doesn’t everything ? ? ?

2017 will go down in history as one of the toughest harvests to date.  Those of you that are faithful readers of my blogs read earlier that, no matter how long a winemaker has been making wine, no winemaker worth his salt will ever say he’s seen everything.  Mother Nature always has a curve ball in the bull pen for us!

This year one of those curve balls was a couple of horrendous heat waves back to back.  Now a heat wave during harvest is by no means unusual.  Happens all the time.  For a few days in a row we may hit the high 90s or low 100s but generally there is not much damage done.  Believe it or not, above about 94F or so, grape vines shut down to protect themselves from the heat.  As the cool air returns, the vines quickly recover and return to their normal ripening schedule.  This year, however, we had a couple of heat waves that extended outwards of 10 days with temperatures in record high 100s or low 110s.  Now that is hot for anyone! Records were broken and our poor grapes vines found little humor in those long, unrelenting blasts of scorching heat.  Equally unusual was that the recovery took much longer than normal.  Cool days eventually returned but it took the vines about two weeks to get back to their normal routine.  During that two week spell, I honestly thought this time the heat had been too much and the show was going to be over before the grapes were ready.  Things were a little tense here, to be perfectly honest!

Never let it be said that the grapes of Sonoma are wimps.  Far from it!  Sure enough, though it took a nerve-rackingly long time, the vines sprung back to life, ripened their fruit to perfection and offered up a delicious harvest.  Both Notre Vue and Balverne are in fine shape with a cellar full of a superb 2017 wines from which to craft our upcoming offerings. “I know a thing or two because I’ve seen a thing or two.”  Add one more “thing” to that list!

Please come visit.  I’d love to taste the 2017 wines with you and celebrate another great vintage with you.  Cheers!

P.S.  Yes . . . we did have a bit of an issue with some wild fires.  See a future blog for a review of that “fun!”

Nov 13, 2017 at 12:05 PM Permalink

Balverne Wines Winemaker Dinner California Yacht Club

Winemaker Michael Westrick along with Phenix Wine Distributors held a wonderful winemaker dinner reception for the California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey, Ca. Our premium award winning estate Balverne wines were served including: the 2016 Balverne Rose of Pinot, 2013 Balverne Pinot Noir, 2016 Balverne Savignon Blanc, 2014 Chardonnay, and the 2012 Chalk Hill Cabernet all deliciously paired with a four course meal. The menu consisted of delectable dishes such as chanterele mushrooms, diver scallops, Maine lobster rissoto, and New York beef pavé.  Michael poured and educated guests about Balverne's history and our committment to sustainability as the sun set over the Marina. Here are some photos of this fabulous event. 

Click to view California Yacht Club event photos
 

Nov 3, 2017 at 3:05 PM Permalink

Harvest Celebration Dinner Event

Photos from our Harvest Celebration Dinner at Notre Vue Estate Winery & Vineyards. We were fortunate to have such ideal weather as we dined lakeside enjoying Chef Brian Anderson’s deliciously prepared four course meal paired perfectly with our estate wines. Beautiful, serene melodies by musical duo Steel & Ivory played in the background. All in all it was a wonderful evening amongst friends and we thank all of you for attending this year's Harvest Dinner! Click on image to view the photo gallery of the event.

Click to view Tour de Cru event photos

Oct 22, 2017 at 3:51 PM Permalink

Tour de Cru Event Photos

Photos from our "Forever Wild" Tour de Cru event in August. Notre Vue Estate Winery & Vineyard opened its gates for guests to hike and bike along private trails that wind through its vineyards and “Forever Wild” Open Space. During the morning, guests were able to explore the diversity of the terroir that creates a rich tapestry of land and an array of grape varieties rarely found in such proximity to each other. At the Summit, hikers and bicyclists were rewarded with sweeping views of mount St. Helena to the east and to the west as far as the Pacific Ocean. Could not have asked for a more beautiful day! Thank you all for attending this year's Tour de Cru, we cannot wait until next year's TDC event! Click on image to view our photo gallery of the event.

Click to view Tour de Cru event photos

Sep 13, 2017 at 10:31 AM Permalink

Harvest Update

The heat wave came and the heat wave went.  And in its wake we have a cool spell predicted.  We’ve been picking like crazy the last two weeks trying to keep up with the ripening process that’s been in high gear due to the heat.  Now, suddenly, the brakes are on and I have nothing lined up to pick for at least a week.  Maybe two.  Or three.  Yup, that shows you just that fast things change in this wacky business called “winemaking.” 

But that doesn’t mean we’re bored.  Quite the contrary as we are monitoring fermentations, prepping barrels for filling with Chardonnay juice and getting ready to press off the first Pinot Noir in a few days.  As I do every morning, I tasted each and every lot today and am happy to say that this looks to be a very promising vintage already!  I’m seeing great color in the Pinot Noir along with wonderful aromatics and flavors reminiscent of strawberries and raspberries.  Grapefruit and citrus aromas from the fermenting Sauvignon Blanc fill the cellar.  It is truly a great time of year and I invite you to come up to the winery and taste through the 2017 wines in progress with me!  If you have never done such a thing, now is the time.  And because we’re a small operation, I will personally have the time to take you tank-to-tank to taste.

Hope to see you soon and before the next wave of grapes hits!

Sep 12, 2017 at 12:17 PM Permalink

Weathering through Harvest

Do you ever wonder why winemakers are always “worried” about the weather at harvest?  Why do we constantly, and I do mean constantly, check the weather reports? 

The main reason is that we need to know if there are any “problems” looming.  Might rain be on the horizon?  And, if so, when?  How much?  What kind of weather follows the rain?  Or perhaps a heat spell is forecast.  How hot?  And for how long?

Armed with that intel, winemakers can then more appropriately decide when to pick a certain block.  For example, if a heat spell is predicted and I have a block that is very close to ready, I may pick it a day or two too early just to protect that fruit and to get it into the house.  On the other hand, if extreme heat is predicted and a block is healthy and far from ripe, I am much less inclined to pick prior to the heat wave.  Weather the heat and regroup.  Same thing with rain.  Sometimes it is better to pick ahead of rain, others times we’ll just sit it out, knowing then that we’ll have to be particularly diligent about looking for and handling bunch rot if it shows.

The  photo shows today’s forecast and it is as close to perfect as a winemaker can hope for!  Cool nights and mornings with sun and warmth in the afternoons.  That combination helps the grapes maintain solid acidity while slowly accumulating sugars.  It concurrently allows winemakers to space out picking dates a little more, which eases the pressure on the pickers, on trucking and on the cellar.  We’re tired enough without the added pressures of inclement weather so have a glass of your favorite Notre Vue or Balverne wine and pray for warm days ahead!  You’ll be rewarded with stunning wines from Harvest 2017!  Cheers!

Sep 6, 2017 at 4:18 PM Permalink

Harvest 2017 - So far, so great!

One minute we’re sitting around waiting for grapes to ripen and watching the weather reports, next minute we’re knee deep in Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir!  But still watching the weather reports!

Yesterday we kicked off Harvest 2017 with some Pinot noir destined for the reserve tier.  Always good to start with the best and hope to hell everything works perfectly on Day One.  And it did!  We now have Blocks 12A and 12B in house and I am happy to report good sugars, good acidity, great color and most importantly great flavors!  Already we can taste lush, spicy black cherry berry flavors creeping into the sweet juice.  Color is slowly extracting.  We’ll keep these two lots on “cold soak” for four or five days until we have solid extraction of color and flavor.  Then a quick check to make sure sugars and acids are good and off we go!  We’ll pitch with yeast, stand back and watch the magic happen.  Our dear friend Saccharomyces will start munching up all the sugar, converting it to alcohol and carbon dioxide, and  the cellar will fill with delicious aromas of fermentation as the delicious juice becomes precious wine!

Today we are processing the Sauvignon blanc.  The pristine grapes started arriving at the winery at about 3 AM with the first press load getting underway at 6:30 AM while everything was still cool and with a light fog lingering until sunrise.  We’ll do four press loads today finishing up at about 8 PM tonight.  Then clean up.  Ah, harvest . . . gotta love watching that overtime pile up!

Yesterday our harvest intern was a rookie.  Today she is already a full-fledged cellar hand!  A great thing about interning here and helping us out with the harvest activities is that, due to our smaller size, each intern gets exposed to all aspects of the winemaking process very quickly.  They’ll do lab work, analyzing juice and wine samples for acidity, sugar, malic acid and such.  Also some cellar work cleaning and sanitizing tanks and equipment, destemming fruit, doing pump-overs, making tank adds, shoveling out tanks.  And, yes, enjoying an ice-cold beer at the end of a long, hard day!

Yikes!  That reminds me . . . I still need to stock the frig with beverages!  A winemaker has to do everything . . .

Breaking news . . . the lab just gave me the results of the juice analysis on the first load of Sauvignon blanc.  Perfect numbers!  Now that calls for a beer!

Stay tuned, folks . . . we have a major heat spell approaching this weekend.  These are always fun!  Our intern thinks today was a long day?  Ha!  “Warp Factor Nine, Scotty!”

Aug 31, 2017 at 1:46 PM Permalink

Harvest - Mother Nature's ultimate challenge for Winemakers

“We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.”  This classic tag line (Farmers Insurance) says it all, even for a winemaker.  Or does it ? 

I remember my first harvest as the head winemaker vividly.  Whew, I’ve finally made it!  The schooling, the internships, a position as a lab tech, then as an assistant winemaker . . . it all seemed to go on forever.  And certainly, as an assistant winemaker, I thought I knew just about everything about wine-making.  I mean, after all, it ain’t rocket science!  Or is it ?

So there I was.  My first harvest as head winemaker.  No one else telling me what to do, when to pick, how to adjust the acids, how to predict weather, what barrels to use, what yeast to use, etc., etc., etc.  Nirvana! 

And then suddenly everyone was looking to me for the answers.  When are we gonna pick?  Can we schedule a tour tomorrow on the crush pad?  What fruit is coming in?  The condenser on the cooling system just went down . . . want me to call somebody?  Do you think it is gonna rain next week?  The sugars in Block 7 are at 25.2 . . . wanna schedule that?  A grower just called . . . he has sugars at 23 and wants to pick tomorrow, OK?  We have heavy bunch rot in a Chardonnay block . . . how do you want to handle that?  The Merlot fermenter has a bit of a stink; what shall we do about that?

“I know a thing or two because I’ve seen a thing or two” all of a sudden didn’t work.  Why didn’t I “know a million things because I’d seen a million things ??”  I felt like I hadn’t a clue what I was doing.  Relatively simple things like walking a vineyard and thinking about a harvest date suddenly became seriously major decisions that I seemed unable to make.  Heat wave on the way, or rain pending, or need to pick tomorrow or we can’t get a truck for a week.  All these decisions to be made!  I thought winemakers just sat around enjoying five course lunches with their sales distributors every day! 

I made it through that first harvest in good shape.  But, man, did I have renewed respect for winemakers!  No, it’s not rocket science but there is a lot to it and there is always more to learn.  Even entering my 28th harvest in a few days, I know I’ll experience something this fall that I have never seen before.  I guess that is part of the draw in any business.  There is always more to learn, always more ideas to test out, always a better way to do things.  Which is exactly why harvest time is so exciting!  As demanding as it can be, as busy and tiring as it can be, the thrill of a new start, of new and hopefully even better wines being made . . . it’s a great time of year!

“I know a thing or two because I’ve seen a thing or two.”  Yet none of us has ever seen everything and I, for one, certainly don’t know everything.  But I’m ready to tackle whatever the harvest delivers knowing we’re prepared to do the best we can and that my team is ready to face whatever Mother Nature sends our way!

Time to get back to the weather reports, check the daily sugar sample report and then head out into the vineyards and get ready to start picking!

Aug 27, 2017 at 9:53 AM Permalink