Fall/Winter 2001
General Winery News:
One People, One Society: Solidarity
By Tom Shelton
In the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the United States, I am reminded of my first encounter with existential fear.
It was near the conclusion of the Cuban Missile Crisis and Mrs. Beasley's 4th grade class was uncharacteristically silent as the clock above the chalkboard ticked closer to the hour in which the fabled mushroom cloud was predicted to appear. Then, however, we were prepared by countless "duck and cover" drills to use our flip-top desks as protection from the holocaust.
I knew better. On the evening before, the concern in my father's eyes revealed what his
World War II veteran stoicism hoped to conceal. We lived in Montgomery County, Maryland,
in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and I had heard enough "ground zero" chatter among
my parents and their friends to know that my pine desk-top was not strong enough. We
were vulnerable.
On September 11, 2001 the mushroom cloud did appear above the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center and our nation's vulnerability was painfully apparent in the vivid broadcasts of the broken Pentagon Building. Our security lay in tatters, an incidental casualty amidst a ruin of human life. But, before the smoke would clear, before comprehension would coalesce, before our losses would be counted, before our politicians would speak, before our military would react, and before our nation would mourn, we knew and we felt the solidarity of a great people.
The Cuban Missile Crisis never completely faded from memory. Even as I grew into teenage years, the shrill of an emergency siren produced a fearful reaction. Now, as our nation searches for accountability we must guard against fearful reactions. Suspen-sion of personal freedom and the ascension of xenophobia are the manifestations of fear and the triumph
of terrorism.
We must conquer fear even during our deliberate search for the profile of a faceless enemy, even as we bury our friends, and even as we begin, again, to construct a new foundation for our security.
Tom Shelton is President & CEO of Joseph Phelps Vineyards.
Special Report:
St. Helena native Mike Thompson represents
By Kathie Fowler
ED. NOTE: This is part of an ongoing series profiling noteworthy people from the Napa Valley. It was written before the terrorist attacks on September 11th and, sadly, describes what now feels like a bygone era. The article concludes with excerpts from a September 23rd editorial by Mike Thompson that ap-peared in newspapers throughout his district.
California's First Congressional District—encompassing Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, Napa, and parts of Solano and Sonoma counties—is under the watch of Democratic Congressman Mike Thompson, who routinely travels its length and breadth meeting the citizens he has been mandated to represent.
According to Brad Onorato, Thompson's District Representative for Napa and Lake Counties, Mike began his congressional summer break on August 3rd when he arrived at the San Francisco Airport at 4:00 a.m. "He hit the ground running," Brad reports. "By 7:00 a.m. he
was on the road, and he hasn't slowed down since. He's put 4000 miles on his car in the
last three weeks."
This seemingly inexhaustible energy goes far in explaining Thompson's political successes. In 1990, in his first run for political office, he beat State Senator Jim Nielsen—who at the
time was Republican leader of the Senate and had been in office for 12 years—in a race that pitted Thompson's $558,000 campaign treasury against Nielsen's million. No one expected him to win.
Onorato attributes the victory to a commitment made to the voters during the campaign that Thompson would pay personal attention to their needs, no matter how small. This was not an idle promise. Thompson's great strength—and the reason for his staff's intense loyalty to him (the turn-over rate is virtually non-existent)—is the attention he pays to the smallest detail, whether on a constituent, city or state level.
Example: This summer a female resident of the Yountville Veterans' Home asked to speak with Thomp-son. She related to him an incident that had taken place at a bus stop on the Vets' Home grounds where a man had behaved inappropriately to her. She did not feel the authorities were taking her complaint seriously. Thomp- son called the Veterans' Home Administrator to discuss the situation, after which the following actions were taken:
Example: In 1999, Mike co-founded the Congressional Wine Caucus with Republican Congressman George Radano-vich, a winery owner from Mariposa, California. Their mission was to broaden the constituency for wine issues within Congress, and to date they have attracted 166 members from 45 states. "My goal is to have all 50 states represented by the end of the year," Mike confides. So far, $15 million in an agricultural appropriations bill has been set aside to combat the spread of Pierce's Disease and the Glassy Winged Sharpshoot-er, which has devastated thousands of vineyard acres in Southern California, and whose migration northward must be halted.
Today, I accompany Mike to a luncheon hosted by the Calistoga Rotary, where he is the guest speaker. I meet him at his St. Helena home—the same one in which he grew up and, along with wife Jan, reared his two sons—and on the drive to Calistoga he speaks with great affection of both kids. Chris, a fire fighter who lives in Chico with his wife and two daughters, has just graduated from the fire academy at Butte College. Jon, who interned at Joseph Phelps Vineyards for several summers, is married with two children and has just become a Deputy Sheriff in Calaveras County.
At the Rotary luncheon, Mike is relaxed and approachable. He is peppered with questions about his constituency. "I get 300-400 letters or e-mails a day," he explains, "and I read them all. The volume has definitely gone up with the advent of e-mail. A lot of form letters come through where someone has gone to a web site and clicked on a box which automatically sends me a letter."
"In general though my district has a can-do, entrepreneurial spirit that is constantly energizing, even though on a national level it has been terribly disadvantaged by the seniority system in Congress. I am the 9th member representing this district in my lifetime . . ."
When he goes up to the podium for his formal speech, an interesting change takes place. From the easygoing conversational style at the luncheon table, his words become eloquent,impassioned, and he speaks without referring to notes.
"These are historic times in Washington," he begins. "A President has been sworn into office after losing the majority vote; a former First Lady is a member of the U.S. Senate; there is a 4-seat margin in the House—the slimmest in history; and in the 107th Senate, it is the first time in history there has been a tie between Demo-crats and Republicans, AND the first time the tie was broken by a Republican becoming an independent, but voting with the Democrats."
He speaks of the issues facing him when he returns to Washington: "The health care crisis in the nation is at an absolutely critical state—a nursing shortage is crippling hospitals, the reimbursement system to doctors by HMO's is not equitable; in California hospitals have to be earthquake retrofitted by 2008 at a cost which in many cases will exceed the value of the property . . . the 'Patient's Bill of Rights' should have been passed six years ago . . ."
Even the most politically indifferent person would find it difficult to remain impassive in the face of Thompson's enthusiasm for these topics. Add to that his commitment to listening to the concerns of his constituents and his seemingly unlimited devotion of time and energy to the job, and one can only hope that if, as he says, the seniority system is the engine that turns
the wheels of Congress, that Thompson will continue to represent our district for many years
to come.
Kathie Fowler is the editor of Spring Valley Times.
Harvest Report:
By Tom Garrett
Hard work in the vineyard, luck with weather, and an experienced winemaking crew have added up to some great wines. Craig Williams, Executive Vice-President and Director of Winemaking, sums up the quality of the vintage as "a beefier 1994."
That bodes well as 1994 was considered among the best of a great string of vintages in the 1990's providing big, concentrated, flavorful wines. The weather in 2001 was inconsistent but cooperated at key times in the grapes' maturity. Winemaker Sarah Gott commented that "a warm spring, early bud break and a hot summer followed by cool days, resulted in hang time that was good for the reds and the whites." The white wines, particularly Chardonnay, had high sugar content but were well balanced with high acidity. The red wines are showing "unbelievable quality," said Gott "with a lot of color, good tannin extract and lots of flavor."
But it wasn't easy in the winery. There were anxious picking decisions made toward the end of harvest. In September, fall seemed to start early. Just as the Cabernet Sauvignon lots making up Insignia and Backus were approaching maturity, long, cold foggy mornings and cool days set in. "We wondered if we would get heat again," said Sarah.
According to Craig Williams "The trick to this year was not to lose your head while everyone around you was losing theirs." The vineyard and winemaking teams agreed to hold out through the cold days of September, hoping for more heat; it arrived just at the end of the month. "Things seemed ripe in terms of sugar but heat is important in terms of tannins and flavor development. Grape maturity just sat after September 10th and didn't go anywhere. We picked a little then, just nibbling but [with the burst of sun and heat in the last days of September and beginning of October] everything came flying in."
Bulmaro Montes, General Manager of Vineyard Operations for Joseph Phelps, and his crew are the first line in making great wines, doing all they can to get the finest grapes to the winery. "It was a difficult year," said Bulmaro. "The most important thing was to be patient and to accept what we got from Mother Nature." After the early bud break in May a heat wave hit in June, stressing the vines and stunting growth. "We had to babysit the vines more," said Bulmaro "We had to use more water and amendments and do more thining" in order to help the struggling vines. "It was a very strange year but the quality was in the vineyard."
In the cellar things were easier. Early hot weather led to an early start to harvest. After preparing for a crunch in August, the cellar crew settled into a mild schedule with consistent fruit deliveries but also time for rest. "This has been a cake walk harvest," said Damian Parker, Vice President and head of production. "We had a really good crew and it pays to have people rested, people who want to be here and are not just dog tired." The crew did work many long days toward the end of the season when the majority of red grapes were harvested. Despite the challenges, the whole Phelps team has produced outstanding wines in 2001.
From a harvest intern perspective, I was very impressed by the coordination, organization
and general high sense of morals. A testament to Phelps is its employees, many of whom, from all levels within the winery, have worked for Phelps for decades. An outsider might
think that a staff with so many years with one company would be stagnant; my experience
was the opposite. Phelps continues to be inquisitive and innovative, constantly pushing
quality standards higher. Clearly Phelps employees are proud of what they are producing
and 2001 will provide further proof of the great quality of the wines, vineyards and people Phelps embodies.
Tom Garrett is currently interning at Phelps while pursuing a career in winemaking. Previous work experience includes two years at Turley Wine Cellars and five years as a writer and tasting coordinator for the Wine Spectator.
Reminder: The 1999 Insignia futures offer expires 12-31-01. Contact Molly Britton for a copy of the order card, which includes winemaker notes, shipping details and cost breakdown.
Insignia availability: There is a limited supply of 1998 Insignia still available.
Hawaii Newest Reciprocal State: It is now legal to ship from California to Hawaii. Anyone interested in ordering or joining Phelps Preferred should contact Molly Britton via fax
or e-mail: preferred@jpvwines.com
Fax 707.963.4831
July 31, 2001
Cellar Selections
93 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 1998
A dark, deliciously rich and complex youngster, brimming with layers of currant, blackberry, plum, mineral, spice, chocolate and cedar. Finished with a gush of flavors, yet maintains its finesse and grace. Best from 2002 through 2012.
1999 Chardonnay Ovation
Pale straw hue. Forward, spicy aromas. Ripe, nicely balanced flavors of crisp citrus notes, apple, apricot, hints of clove and spicy, smoky oak. Long elegant finish with a nice mineral quality. Complex and lovely. Score: 91.
August 15, 2001
Wine: Michael Franz
Destination: St. Helena
93 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 1998
Critics naturally develop favorites as we try to distinguish successes from mediocrities. Knowing this, people often ask me which wineries to visit when they head to the Napa Valley, and for years my list has been headed by Joseph Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena, Calif.
I send people there less because the place is pretty and the wines are excellent than because there is so much to be learned from the way winemaking is approached there. The enterprise is informed by a rare spirit of humility and introspection that has made it one of America's most innovative wineries, and this has much to do with winemaker Craig Williams, now celebrating his 25th year at Phelps . . .
[But] neither Williams nor Phelps are content to rest on their laurels, and today their initiatives include a new vineyard near the coast in Sonoma, where they hope to make great Pinot Noir. Williams is guiding the design of a winery for that site in his new role as vice president and director of winemaking, having entrusted day-to-day winemaking to Sarah Gott. Working with vineyard manager Bulmaro Montes, Williams is also experimenting with organic and biodynamic farming. He looks forward to a future in which vintners will lead the entire agricultural community toward environmentally friendly practices, and, in light of the pattern established by Williams and his colleagues during the past 25 years, a role in the vanguard of that effort seems almost assured.
Above Left: Manuel Montes (right) with his brother Bulmaro.
Above Right: Manuel with copper wire in the shape of a V. As he walks, when the V moves toward his chest it indicates an underground stream.
Manuel Montes,18 year veteran of Joseph
Manual Montes walked an unexpected path to get to the Napa Valley and his life took an even stranger turn once he arrived.
At the age of 18, he was a freshman at the University of Mexico, intending to major in mechanical engineering. One day on his way to school, while riding a crowded Mexico City bus and hanging on to an outside strap, he fell off and hit his head on the pavement. The injury was critical, and resulted in intensive medical treatment for the next two years, during which time he had to drop out of school.
Manuel suffered from dizzy spells for a long time. He couldn't work. The doctors told him to stay away from noise, and not to read or watch TV. But he could walk, and he did so, averaging five to ten miles a day.
By the end of the second year he had started to heal, and decided to come to the Napa Valley where his father and brother were living. He arrived in April of 1961 at the age of 21, and
began working in the vineyards. A year later he moved to Mee Lane outside of St. Helena
and met Elwood Mee, a local grapegrower who had achieved a good deal of notoriety as a water witcher.
Elwood stood 6'5" or more, a powerful man with a forceful personality and strong opinions. Over the years, as he shrugged off disbelievers and identified hundreds of underground springs through dowsing, he became something of a local legend. He charged for his services -- both by the hour and by gallons-per-minute once the wells were drilled, and donated the funds to the U.C. Davis Department of Viticulture. But as he got older he slowed down, and for the last eight years of his life, when he was in his 70's, Elwood was having Manuel do all the water witching, or dowsing, for him.
By 1976 Manuel was foreman of a budding crew in the Napa Valley. His younger brother, Bulmaro Montes, was working at the three-year-old Joseph Phelps Vineyards at the time, and invited Manuel to come and help with a vineyard that needed rebudding. In 1983 Manuel came to work at Phelps full time.
When asked to look back and evaluate his most important accomplishments, Manuel answers, "First, my family, and secondly, my career at Joseph Phelps Vineyards. I'm proud to have contributed to the success of a company whose product is recognized worldwide."
Bulmaro, who is now General Manager of all JPV's vineyard operations, speaks with great affection about his brother. "Manuel is my right hand. He was the person who got me involved in this business, who taught me the basics of viticulture. He makes my job much easier and has played a key role in JPV's success. I couldn't have come as far as I have without him."
Since working for Phelps, Manuel has repeatedly dowsed for water with an astounding success rate. Wells have been drilled at Phelps's Barboza and Backus Vineyards in Oakville, Las Rocas Vineyard in Stag's Leap, Los Carneros Negros Vineyard in Carneros, and on the Spring Valley ranch. In each instance, drilling commenced at the location Manuel indicated, and water was found. In the new Sonoma County Freestone vineyard, two out of three of the locations recommended by Manuel yielded water.
Is water witching fact or fiction? In an article by John H. Lienhard from the University of Houston's College of Engineering, he states, "People have been finding water with forked sticks ever since Moses brought forth water by smiting a rock with a rod. Herodotus wrote about dowsing in the 5th century B.C. Chinese texts tell of water witching 4000 years ago . . . For millenia people have believed in something with no rational basis. Why?"
Mr. Lienhard doesn't presume to have the answer, but he does offer a theory: "A geologist points out that some people simply learn the subtle relations between earth's surface and the aquifers below it. A good dowser, they claim, does what a good geologist does. Maybe the witching wand just helps him concentrate."
Old timers say the secret to successful dowsing is believing, but it's hard not to be skeptical. It's equally hard to argue with results, however, and Manuel has an impressive track record
of success.
He currently resides on Mee Lane in St. Helena, where he has lived since 1962 with his wife, Maria, and children Manuel (now 31), Erika (29), Owen (20), and Valeria (13).
One People, One Society: Solidarity
Counters Vulnerability After Terrorist Attacks
By Tom Shelton In the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the United States, I am reminded of my first encounter with existential fear.
It was near the conclusion of the Cuban Missile Crisis and Mrs. Beasley's 4th grade class was uncharacteristically silent as the clock above the chalkboard ticked closer to the hour in which the fabled mushroom cloud was predicted to appear. Then, however, we were prepared by countless "duck and cover" drills to use our flip-top desks as protection from the holocaust.
I knew better. On the evening before, the concern in my father's eyes revealed what his
World War II veteran stoicism hoped to conceal. We lived in Montgomery County, Maryland,
in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., and I had heard enough "ground zero" chatter among
my parents and their friends to know that my pine desk-top was not strong enough. We
were vulnerable.
On September 11, 2001 the mushroom cloud did appear above the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center and our nation's vulnerability was painfully apparent in the vivid broadcasts of the broken Pentagon Building. Our security lay in tatters, an incidental casualty amidst a ruin of human life. But, before the smoke would clear, before comprehension would coalesce, before our losses would be counted, before our politicians would speak, before our military would react, and before our nation would mourn, we knew and we felt the solidarity of a great people.
The Cuban Missile Crisis never completely faded from memory. Even as I grew into teenage years, the shrill of an emergency siren produced a fearful reaction. Now, as our nation searches for accountability we must guard against fearful reactions. Suspen-sion of personal freedom and the ascension of xenophobia are the manifestations of fear and the triumph
of terrorism.
We must conquer fear even during our deliberate search for the profile of a faceless enemy, even as we bury our friends, and even as we begin, again, to construct a new foundation for our security.
Tom Shelton is President & CEO of Joseph Phelps Vineyards.
Special Report:
St. Helena native Mike Thompson represents
California's First District in Washington's
107th Congress
By Kathie FowlerED. NOTE: This is part of an ongoing series profiling noteworthy people from the Napa Valley. It was written before the terrorist attacks on September 11th and, sadly, describes what now feels like a bygone era. The article concludes with excerpts from a September 23rd editorial by Mike Thompson that ap-peared in newspapers throughout his district.
California's First Congressional District—encompassing Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, Napa, and parts of Solano and Sonoma counties—is under the watch of Democratic Congressman Mike Thompson, who routinely travels its length and breadth meeting the citizens he has been mandated to represent.
According to Brad Onorato, Thompson's District Representative for Napa and Lake Counties, Mike began his congressional summer break on August 3rd when he arrived at the San Francisco Airport at 4:00 a.m. "He hit the ground running," Brad reports. "By 7:00 a.m. he
was on the road, and he hasn't slowed down since. He's put 4000 miles on his car in the
last three weeks."
This seemingly inexhaustible energy goes far in explaining Thompson's political successes. In 1990, in his first run for political office, he beat State Senator Jim Nielsen—who at the
time was Republican leader of the Senate and had been in office for 12 years—in a race that pitted Thompson's $558,000 campaign treasury against Nielsen's million. No one expected him to win.
Onorato attributes the victory to a commitment made to the voters during the campaign that Thompson would pay personal attention to their needs, no matter how small. This was not an idle promise. Thompson's great strength—and the reason for his staff's intense loyalty to him (the turn-over rate is virtually non-existent)—is the attention he pays to the smallest detail, whether on a constituent, city or state level.
Example: This summer a female resident of the Yountville Veterans' Home asked to speak with Thomp-son. She related to him an incident that had taken place at a bus stop on the Vets' Home grounds where a man had behaved inappropriately to her. She did not feel the authorities were taking her complaint seriously. Thomp- son called the Veterans' Home Administrator to discuss the situation, after which the following actions were taken:
- an emergency telephone line was in-stalled at the bus station
- administrative action was filed against the perpetrator.
Example: In 1999, Mike co-founded the Congressional Wine Caucus with Republican Congressman George Radano-vich, a winery owner from Mariposa, California. Their mission was to broaden the constituency for wine issues within Congress, and to date they have attracted 166 members from 45 states. "My goal is to have all 50 states represented by the end of the year," Mike confides. So far, $15 million in an agricultural appropriations bill has been set aside to combat the spread of Pierce's Disease and the Glassy Winged Sharpshoot-er, which has devastated thousands of vineyard acres in Southern California, and whose migration northward must be halted.
Today, I accompany Mike to a luncheon hosted by the Calistoga Rotary, where he is the guest speaker. I meet him at his St. Helena home—the same one in which he grew up and, along with wife Jan, reared his two sons—and on the drive to Calistoga he speaks with great affection of both kids. Chris, a fire fighter who lives in Chico with his wife and two daughters, has just graduated from the fire academy at Butte College. Jon, who interned at Joseph Phelps Vineyards for several summers, is married with two children and has just become a Deputy Sheriff in Calaveras County.
At the Rotary luncheon, Mike is relaxed and approachable. He is peppered with questions about his constituency. "I get 300-400 letters or e-mails a day," he explains, "and I read them all. The volume has definitely gone up with the advent of e-mail. A lot of form letters come through where someone has gone to a web site and clicked on a box which automatically sends me a letter."
"In general though my district has a can-do, entrepreneurial spirit that is constantly energizing, even though on a national level it has been terribly disadvantaged by the seniority system in Congress. I am the 9th member representing this district in my lifetime . . ."
When he goes up to the podium for his formal speech, an interesting change takes place. From the easygoing conversational style at the luncheon table, his words become eloquent,impassioned, and he speaks without referring to notes.
"These are historic times in Washington," he begins. "A President has been sworn into office after losing the majority vote; a former First Lady is a member of the U.S. Senate; there is a 4-seat margin in the House—the slimmest in history; and in the 107th Senate, it is the first time in history there has been a tie between Demo-crats and Republicans, AND the first time the tie was broken by a Republican becoming an independent, but voting with the Democrats."
He speaks of the issues facing him when he returns to Washington: "The health care crisis in the nation is at an absolutely critical state—a nursing shortage is crippling hospitals, the reimbursement system to doctors by HMO's is not equitable; in California hospitals have to be earthquake retrofitted by 2008 at a cost which in many cases will exceed the value of the property . . . the 'Patient's Bill of Rights' should have been passed six years ago . . ."
Even the most politically indifferent person would find it difficult to remain impassive in the face of Thompson's enthusiasm for these topics. Add to that his commitment to listening to the concerns of his constituents and his seemingly unlimited devotion of time and energy to the job, and one can only hope that if, as he says, the seniority system is the engine that turns
the wheels of Congress, that Thompson will continue to represent our district for many years
to come.
Kathie Fowler is the editor of Spring Valley Times.
Harvest Report:
Harvest 2001
By Tom Garrett Hard work in the vineyard, luck with weather, and an experienced winemaking crew have added up to some great wines. Craig Williams, Executive Vice-President and Director of Winemaking, sums up the quality of the vintage as "a beefier 1994."
That bodes well as 1994 was considered among the best of a great string of vintages in the 1990's providing big, concentrated, flavorful wines. The weather in 2001 was inconsistent but cooperated at key times in the grapes' maturity. Winemaker Sarah Gott commented that "a warm spring, early bud break and a hot summer followed by cool days, resulted in hang time that was good for the reds and the whites." The white wines, particularly Chardonnay, had high sugar content but were well balanced with high acidity. The red wines are showing "unbelievable quality," said Gott "with a lot of color, good tannin extract and lots of flavor."
But it wasn't easy in the winery. There were anxious picking decisions made toward the end of harvest. In September, fall seemed to start early. Just as the Cabernet Sauvignon lots making up Insignia and Backus were approaching maturity, long, cold foggy mornings and cool days set in. "We wondered if we would get heat again," said Sarah.
According to Craig Williams "The trick to this year was not to lose your head while everyone around you was losing theirs." The vineyard and winemaking teams agreed to hold out through the cold days of September, hoping for more heat; it arrived just at the end of the month. "Things seemed ripe in terms of sugar but heat is important in terms of tannins and flavor development. Grape maturity just sat after September 10th and didn't go anywhere. We picked a little then, just nibbling but [with the burst of sun and heat in the last days of September and beginning of October] everything came flying in."
Bulmaro Montes, General Manager of Vineyard Operations for Joseph Phelps, and his crew are the first line in making great wines, doing all they can to get the finest grapes to the winery. "It was a difficult year," said Bulmaro. "The most important thing was to be patient and to accept what we got from Mother Nature." After the early bud break in May a heat wave hit in June, stressing the vines and stunting growth. "We had to babysit the vines more," said Bulmaro "We had to use more water and amendments and do more thining" in order to help the struggling vines. "It was a very strange year but the quality was in the vineyard."
In the cellar things were easier. Early hot weather led to an early start to harvest. After preparing for a crunch in August, the cellar crew settled into a mild schedule with consistent fruit deliveries but also time for rest. "This has been a cake walk harvest," said Damian Parker, Vice President and head of production. "We had a really good crew and it pays to have people rested, people who want to be here and are not just dog tired." The crew did work many long days toward the end of the season when the majority of red grapes were harvested. Despite the challenges, the whole Phelps team has produced outstanding wines in 2001.
From a harvest intern perspective, I was very impressed by the coordination, organization
and general high sense of morals. A testament to Phelps is its employees, many of whom, from all levels within the winery, have worked for Phelps for decades. An outsider might
think that a staff with so many years with one company would be stagnant; my experience
was the opposite. Phelps continues to be inquisitive and innovative, constantly pushing
quality standards higher. Clearly Phelps employees are proud of what they are producing
and 2001 will provide further proof of the great quality of the wines, vineyards and people Phelps embodies.
Tom Garrett is currently interning at Phelps while pursuing a career in winemaking. Previous work experience includes two years at Turley Wine Cellars and five years as a writer and tasting coordinator for the Wine Spectator.
NEWS FROM PHELPS PREFERRED
Newsflash! In time for the holidays, the Phelps Preferred Member's Lounge will be up and running at www.josephphelps.com. You will be notified of your password shortly, which will allow youi to receive special library wine offerings at your full discount.Reminder: The 1999 Insignia futures offer expires 12-31-01. Contact Molly Britton for a copy of the order card, which includes winemaker notes, shipping details and cost breakdown.
Insignia availability: There is a limited supply of 1998 Insignia still available.
Hawaii Newest Reciprocal State: It is now legal to ship from California to Hawaii. Anyone interested in ordering or joining Phelps Preferred should contact Molly Britton via fax
or e-mail: preferred@jpvwines.com
Fax 707.963.4831
Wine Spectator
July 31, 2001
Cellar Selections
93 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 1998
A dark, deliciously rich and complex youngster, brimming with layers of currant, blackberry, plum, mineral, spice, chocolate and cedar. Finished with a gush of flavors, yet maintains its finesse and grace. Best from 2002 through 2012.
The Wine News
1999 Chardonnay Ovation
Pale straw hue. Forward, spicy aromas. Ripe, nicely balanced flavors of crisp citrus notes, apple, apricot, hints of clove and spicy, smoky oak. Long elegant finish with a nice mineral quality. Complex and lovely. Score: 91.
The Washington Post
August 15, 2001
Wine: Michael Franz
Destination: St. Helena
93 Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 1998
Critics naturally develop favorites as we try to distinguish successes from mediocrities. Knowing this, people often ask me which wineries to visit when they head to the Napa Valley, and for years my list has been headed by Joseph Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena, Calif.
I send people there less because the place is pretty and the wines are excellent than because there is so much to be learned from the way winemaking is approached there. The enterprise is informed by a rare spirit of humility and introspection that has made it one of America's most innovative wineries, and this has much to do with winemaker Craig Williams, now celebrating his 25th year at Phelps . . .
[But] neither Williams nor Phelps are content to rest on their laurels, and today their initiatives include a new vineyard near the coast in Sonoma, where they hope to make great Pinot Noir. Williams is guiding the design of a winery for that site in his new role as vice president and director of winemaking, having entrusted day-to-day winemaking to Sarah Gott. Working with vineyard manager Bulmaro Montes, Williams is also experimenting with organic and biodynamic farming. He looks forward to a future in which vintners will lead the entire agricultural community toward environmentally friendly practices, and, in light of the pattern established by Williams and his colleagues during the past 25 years, a role in the vanguard of that effort seems almost assured.
Personnel Corner
Above Left: Manuel Montes (right) with his brother Bulmaro.
Above Right: Manuel with copper wire in the shape of a V. As he walks, when the V moves toward his chest it indicates an underground stream.
Manuel Montes,18 year veteran of Joseph
Phelps Vineyard, possesses remarkable skill
Manual Montes walked an unexpected path to get to the Napa Valley and his life took an even stranger turn once he arrived. At the age of 18, he was a freshman at the University of Mexico, intending to major in mechanical engineering. One day on his way to school, while riding a crowded Mexico City bus and hanging on to an outside strap, he fell off and hit his head on the pavement. The injury was critical, and resulted in intensive medical treatment for the next two years, during which time he had to drop out of school.
Manuel suffered from dizzy spells for a long time. He couldn't work. The doctors told him to stay away from noise, and not to read or watch TV. But he could walk, and he did so, averaging five to ten miles a day.
By the end of the second year he had started to heal, and decided to come to the Napa Valley where his father and brother were living. He arrived in April of 1961 at the age of 21, and
began working in the vineyards. A year later he moved to Mee Lane outside of St. Helena
and met Elwood Mee, a local grapegrower who had achieved a good deal of notoriety as a water witcher.
Elwood stood 6'5" or more, a powerful man with a forceful personality and strong opinions. Over the years, as he shrugged off disbelievers and identified hundreds of underground springs through dowsing, he became something of a local legend. He charged for his services -- both by the hour and by gallons-per-minute once the wells were drilled, and donated the funds to the U.C. Davis Department of Viticulture. But as he got older he slowed down, and for the last eight years of his life, when he was in his 70's, Elwood was having Manuel do all the water witching, or dowsing, for him.
By 1976 Manuel was foreman of a budding crew in the Napa Valley. His younger brother, Bulmaro Montes, was working at the three-year-old Joseph Phelps Vineyards at the time, and invited Manuel to come and help with a vineyard that needed rebudding. In 1983 Manuel came to work at Phelps full time.
When asked to look back and evaluate his most important accomplishments, Manuel answers, "First, my family, and secondly, my career at Joseph Phelps Vineyards. I'm proud to have contributed to the success of a company whose product is recognized worldwide."
Bulmaro, who is now General Manager of all JPV's vineyard operations, speaks with great affection about his brother. "Manuel is my right hand. He was the person who got me involved in this business, who taught me the basics of viticulture. He makes my job much easier and has played a key role in JPV's success. I couldn't have come as far as I have without him."
Since working for Phelps, Manuel has repeatedly dowsed for water with an astounding success rate. Wells have been drilled at Phelps's Barboza and Backus Vineyards in Oakville, Las Rocas Vineyard in Stag's Leap, Los Carneros Negros Vineyard in Carneros, and on the Spring Valley ranch. In each instance, drilling commenced at the location Manuel indicated, and water was found. In the new Sonoma County Freestone vineyard, two out of three of the locations recommended by Manuel yielded water.
Is water witching fact or fiction? In an article by John H. Lienhard from the University of Houston's College of Engineering, he states, "People have been finding water with forked sticks ever since Moses brought forth water by smiting a rock with a rod. Herodotus wrote about dowsing in the 5th century B.C. Chinese texts tell of water witching 4000 years ago . . . For millenia people have believed in something with no rational basis. Why?"
Mr. Lienhard doesn't presume to have the answer, but he does offer a theory: "A geologist points out that some people simply learn the subtle relations between earth's surface and the aquifers below it. A good dowser, they claim, does what a good geologist does. Maybe the witching wand just helps him concentrate."
Old timers say the secret to successful dowsing is believing, but it's hard not to be skeptical. It's equally hard to argue with results, however, and Manuel has an impressive track record
of success.
He currently resides on Mee Lane in St. Helena, where he has lived since 1962 with his wife, Maria, and children Manuel (now 31), Erika (29), Owen (20), and Valeria (13).
