Joseph Phelps Vineyards

General Winery News:

(L to R) Lew Price, Peter Silva, Nicole Boutilier and Geraldine Seltzer.

 

JPV Retail Staff Forms Amateur Winemaking Team

JPV customers who have visited the winery may recognize some of our retail staff in the pictures above and on page 6. In an innovative project to increase awareness of winegrowing and winemaking procedures and techniques, the hospitality staff are making their own wine under the guidance of Phelps’ production team and Stephen Pavy, JPV’s new retail sales and wine education manager. Participating in the project are wine educators Lew Price, Peter Silva, Nicole Boutilier, Geraldine Seltzer, Naomi Hartstein, Jim Pickett, Deven Lockwood and Brian Phifer.

Harvesting Spring Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon in the rain.

On November 2nd at 7:00 a.m. the group began picking Cabernet Sauvignon in the rain. After a long day, they ended up with approximately 500 pounds of grapes which will translate into one barrel of wine. “Our goal is to increase awareness of what our vineyard and production team actually does,” explains Stephen. “It’s one thing for our retail staff to describe the winemaking process as a result of book learning—it’s quite another to experience it firsthand.”

Top: (L to R) Nicole and Peter
prepare to destem by hand.
Middle: Close-up of
destemming procedure.
Bottom: Naomi Hartstein
punching down the cap.

This was brought home to everyone when it was revealed that 500 pounds of grapes were too small an amount to run through the stemmer-crusher, and that the crew would have to destem by hand—a long, tedious job. This was followed by crushing, fermenting in two 30-gallon buckets and, as of this writing, punching down the cap of the fermenting juice twice a day in order to extract color, flavor and tannins.

Still to come will be watching the wine develop in barrel, tasting and evaluating it, and making any possible blending decisions. There will also be a marketing component to the exercise as the staff names the wine, determines its price and identifies its niche in the marketplace.

“This project is already giving the retail staff more enthusiasm, credibility and accuracy when speaking with customers,” Stephen remarks. “It’s also been a great team-building exercise as everyone works together to make decisions that will directly influence the quality of the finished wine.”



2006 Vintage Report
 

Notes from the 2006 Napa Valley Harvest

By Craig Williams, Director of Winemaking

The cool, late-ripening season of 2006 finished persuasively with near-perfect maturity levels reminiscent of the exceptional ’91 harvest. This came as a huge relief because September was one of the coolest on record. Unlike ’91—where ripening was delayed by a large crop only to be rescued by hot, dry, windy weather during October—2006 surprisingly carried a modest crop. So it was with great relief that we received warm, dry, windy conditions at the end of October, bringing the fruit to desired maturity levels. The long growing season provided higher acid content, thicker skins (with potentially more flavor) and exceptional color and tannin. At this early stage the newly fashioned wines exhibit great potential.

By Philippe Pessereau, Director of Vineyard Operations

During the 2006 growing season we observed excellent color development and slow maturation while acids remained at good levels. The fairly consistent weather made for longer harvest due to slow maturation of the berries. We anticipated a cooler trend for the season’s end and thus thinned numerous blocks to obtain better flavor and phenolics maturity. All white fruit was harvested by September 14th and we began picking Merlot in Yountville on September 27th.

October began with a sprinkle (.20 inch on the 4th & 5th) which did not affect berry flavor or quality. Harvest really began in mid-October which brought warm days from the 17th on. The Backus Vineyard Cabernet was harvested October 27th, with the Suscol and St. Helena vineyards finishing on October 31st, along with Syrah. Color extraction was excellent, and tannins ranged from soft to angular, depending on the site.

The year’s harvest started September 1st and ended October 31st, making for a long, extended growing season. Flavors arose early on while acids did not seem to diminish, but sugars lagged behind which was atypical. However, since phenology development was late due to delayed verasion, it was normal to see such a setback in berry development. Despite cool temperatures at mid and end season, the weather stayed dry and allowed for extended hang time which resulted in superior color and tannin composition.

By Damian Parker, Vice President/Production

Today is November 2nd and it’s raining. Thankfully, the last Napa grapes were picked October 31st and it feels great to be finished! 2006 had some of the latest and heaviest winter and spring rains I can remember in my 30 years of making wine. When it finally stopped raining in May, the vines had some catching up to do.

Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier came in with great balance of flavor and acid. With the Bordeaux and Rhone varieties, we saw and abundance of color, structure and flavor that developed in the vineyards and carried through to the fermenters—signs that point to exceptional wines. Thanks to our production team and a great crew of interns from around the world, the 2006 growing season concluded with a sage and high quality harvest.

2006 Harvest Report – Sonoma
Freestone Vineyards

By Greg Cannon, Associate Director of Vineyard Operations

Weather highlights
Record 2005-2006 winter rains left vineyards very wet. Even in April we were still inundated with over 8 inches of rain which in turn increased disease & weed pressures in the vineyard. May had its share of moisture as well. However, moderately warm temperatures coupled with sporadic precipitation pushed vine shoot growth ahead and brought about the first strong signs of spring.

The latent bloom phenology in the vineyard and good weather conditions in early June allowed for near ideal cluster development for Freestone, Ferguson and Quarter Moon ranches. July temperatures were high for Freestone—high 70’s and low 80’s were most common but mercury levels rose to upper 90’s during the 3rd week of July. The heat pushed growing degrees ahead and most ranchers believed an early harvest was on the horizon.

August followed with typically moderate temperatures cooled by ocean breezes and overnight fog—optimal conditions for verasion. Early September weather was also typical of the Sonoma Coast with morning fog giving way to sunny afternoons. As the month progressed, warmer weather pushed many vineyards ahead of schedule for harvest.

Harvest notes
The 2006 grape harvest began on September 28th with the New West vineyard crew harvesting Pinot Noir early in the morning under the moon and stars, using light towers to illuminate the vines. Picking lasted through October 19th, a total of 9 days. While harvesting decisions are usually a function of Brix, acidity & pH, most vineyard blocks were picked according to ripe fruit flavors and cluster conditions. Crop levels were higher than anticipated and up from 2005.

Early indications of the vintage indicate quality levels to be quite high for Russian River and Sonoma Coast grapes, and while every growing season has its challenges, we are hopeful the 2006 vintage will prove to be a model year for high quality wines.

Uncorked!: Burgeoning Asian Wine Market Proves Source of New Friends & Business Associates

By Tom Shelton, President & CEO

After more than three decades, I wonder at times just what it is about the wine business in particular that is so alluring. Setting aside for the moment my fascination with the subject of wine, it is clear that the network of associates and friends developed over the years through what one of my early mentors describes as the “belly-to-belly:” nature of the wine business is sustaining in itself. I was reminded of this on a recent marketing visit to China, Japan and Korea.

In many respects the emerging awareness among Asian consumers of high quality wines from California is reminiscent of early eighties in New York when wine consciousness was dominated by European producers. Over the past five years our importer in China, ASC, has grown from a start-up focused on the Beijing market to a company with close to 400 employees and nearly national reach.

In South Korea, Joseph Phelps Insignia has become an important luxury wine brand through the efforts of the Nara Foods team. To be sure, Joseph Phelps Vineyards has enjoyed a presence in Hong Kong and Japan for nearly 20 years, but even in these more mature markets there is a renewed and contagious enthusiasm for California wines largely due to the unrelenting efforts of the people behind Fine Wine Vintages and Jeroboam.

My first visit to South Korea, nearly seven years ago, was a direct result of the incredible persistence of Hi Sang Lee whose passion for wine and California is single-handedly changing the Korean wine market. Hi Sang’s Nara Foods is among the largest importers of wine to Korea and now dominates the luxury segment. Podo Plaza is a seven story building in Seoul devoted to wine education, research and service standards. The multi story wine school and library is supported by Vin-ga, a street level bistro/wine bar, and a rooftop fine dining restaurant. The enthusiasm for wine represented by the Podo Plaza initiative is inspirational.

The shared purpose of establishing a new wine culture creates enduring business relationships and friendships strong enough to survive the vicissitudes of growth and consolidation that continue to change the structure, if not the nature, of our industry. At the end of the day the wine business remains “belly to belly.”

 

Craig Williams (left) in Burgundy next to the famous
concrete fermentation tanks at the Nomblot factory.

 

A California Winemaker Visits Burgundy

By Rob Baxter, European Sales Manager

I caught up with Craig Williams, long-serving winemaker at Joseph Phelps, in the Burgundian town of Beaune. His visit to Europe followed hot on the footsteps of the winery’s triumph in 2005 with the award of Wine of the Year from the Wine Spectator for his 2002 Insignia. Not being one to rest on his laurels, he had come to France in wintertime for a sabbatical sojourn inspired by that most fickle of grapes, Pinot Noir.

Burgundy is without a doubt the spiritual heart of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and with our Freestone vineyards coming on line with increasingly qualitative grapes, where better to ponder the intricacies of the Pinot Noir grape than Burgundy, home to some of the world’s most sought-after wines.

Craig Williams (left) and
Philippe Prost, Winemaker at
Bouchard Père & Fils in Beaune.

Craig’s perfectionist zeal to make the best wines California can offer has brought Joseph Phelps to the fore not just in the U.S. but around the world. This was evident from the recognition that Craig received from some of Burgundy’s greatest winemakers as we toured vineyards and wineries under the cold, clear skies of the Côte d’Or in March. At Bouchard Père & Fils we toured their impressive winery in Beune with winemaker Phillipe Prost before walking through their ancient underground cellars and sampling their brightly mineral Burgundian wines with Luc Bouchard.

Jacques Lardiere (left),
winemaker at Maison Louis
Jadot, and Rob Baxter

Further up the road in the Côte de Nuits we visited Jean-Nicholas Méto at Domaine Méo-Camuzet in the picturesque village of Vosne-Romanée where his wines demonstrated a beautiful depth of color and body typical of this small and highly-prized village appellation.

Throughout Burgundy locals are at pains to underline the importance of their terroir, the quintessentially French term which encompasses key elements such as climate, topography and soil. No one knows this better than Jacques Lardière, the inimitable winemaker at Maison Louis Jadot who is also an outspoken advocate of biodynamics. Jacques met us in Jadot’s cellars to taste his wonderful wines before expounding on biodynamics over lunch.

The concept of terroir is keenly understood at Joseph Phelps where Craig strives to make wines that express the provenance of Phelps’ biodynamically-farmed vineyard sites. Under the management of Phillippe Pessereau, Director of Vineyard Operations, more vineyards are farmed biodynamically each year.

Beaune is a beautiful medieval fortified town which serves as the hub for the Côte d’Or wine trade and home to Caves Madeleine, a local restaurant with a relaxed ambiance and superb wines chosen by proprietor Lo-Lo. Here we chanced to meet Patrick Bize of Domaine Simon Bize in Savigny-les-Beaune who graciously invited us to his winery and taste samples from the barrel room in their various stages of malolactic fermentation. Heading south into the Côte De Beaune we were received by young, rising star winemaker Benjamin Leroux at Domaine du Comte Armand in Pommard, famous for their Monopole ler Cru Clos des Epenaux which is farmed entirely biodynamically.

Craig in Macon at René Grosjean's
tractor factory.

Because the steep slopes of the Freestone vineyards on the Sonoma Coast present numerous access challenges to agricultural vehicles, we traveled to Mâcon to visit Réne Grosjean’s tractor factory. Grosjean makes cutting edge custom-built vineyard tractors that can be tailored to specific soil types and vineyard inclination. Craig even tried one out on the spot and further tests were made with a prototype in California later in the year. There is much talk and experimentation going on around the world with different types of tanks for wine fermentation from wood to stainless steel, and in recent times a resurgence of interest in concrete. One Burgundian manufacturer, Nomblot, has built up a sold reputation for his concrete tanks and we visited his plant where he showed us the famous egg-shaped tank, claimed by some to have an extraordinary dynamic effect on the must during the fermentation process.

Taking advantage of his presence in France, I was able to drag Craig away from the Beaune to Paris for the annual California Wine Institute sponsored tasting, this year in the magnificent surroundings of the Residence of the U.S. Ambassador to France in fashionable Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. With the help of our importer, Vines du Monde, we joined other California producers in showing our wines to Paris’ culinary society; indeed, some came from as far as Michelin starred Hotel Albert Premier in Chamonix, where you can find Insignia on the wine list.

This was a rare occasion for some of France’s top sommeliers to meet Craig Williams in person and hear his philosophy on winemaking. After the tasting we were whisked away to the chic restaurant Le Market on Avenue Matignon in the 8th Arrondissement where Phelps wines can be paired with the French, Italian and Asian-inspired cuisine of super chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

New Retail Sales Manager Proves to be Talented Home Winemaker

<Stephen Pavy, the brainchild behind the hospitality staff’s winemaking project (see front page article), is JPV’s handsome and affable manager of retail sales and wine education. Stephen came to work in June after having been a 10-year fan of JPV wines and Phelps Preferred club member.

His eclectic background includes a philosophy degree from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana; a Master of Divinity from Yale University; and a 9-year career as a United Methodist minister. He also held various administrative posts with the University of Virginia and University of Chicago before moving to California in 1996 and working in the software industry.

“The first winery I visited when I got here was JPV,” he explains. “Every time I came to pick up some wine, I’d ask Molly Britton [JPV’s hospitality director] if there were any job openings. Eleven years later, after working at another winery, taking enology classes and making my own wines, Molly finally said yes!”

In 2001, after moving to Sonoma County, Stephen decided to take time off to remodel his house and install a small vineyard on his 5 1/3 acre property. Today he has 245 vines planted on 1/3 acre and 140 olive trees. In July of this year, the Valley of the Moon Dilettante Enological Society—a home winemaking club in Sonoma County—awarded Stephen two Best in Shows for his red and white home-made wines, the former a Sauvignon Blanc and the latter a Cabernet-based blend.

Newsletter readers who happen to be visiting the winery might want to congratulate Stephen on this impressive winemaking accomplishment!

SEVEN NEW WINES RELEASED FOR FALL

BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Verdot, 3% Merlot and 3% Malbec, primarily from estate-owned vineyards in Stag’s Leap, Rutherford and St. Helena (87%), with additional fruit coming from independent growers (13%).

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested between Sept. 22 – Oct. 21 at an average 25.5º Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 24 months in new 60-gallon French oak barrels by a variety of French coopers including Taransaud, Dargaud Jaegle, Nadalie, Demptos and Vicard. The wine was blended and bottled in February, 2006.

The 2003 Insignia is layered with aromas of blackberries, black cherries, anise, dark chocolate and coffee. The aromas and flavors are framed by mouth-coating tannins and followed by an extremely long finish.

Please note: The 2003 Insignia was bottled unfiltered and will benefit from decanting prior
to serving.

Click here to read more.

BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate-owned Backus Vineyard in Oakville.

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested at an average 25.5° Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 23 months in new Taransaud and Vicard French oak barrels before being bottled in January, 2006. Production was limited to 1000 cases.

Our first Backus Cabernet Sauvignon was produced in 1977 from a 6.75 acre parcel leased from Marian Backus. We believed this steeply-terraced hillside vineyard with its brick-red soil was capable of producing outstanding wines, and this was confirmed in subsequent vintages, especially during the 90’s. When the entire 45-acre parcel (which included 21.5 plantable acres) was offered for sale in 1996, we enthusiastically bought it.
Still, even we were unprepared for the extraordinary quality that has come out of this vineyard in the last few years.

The 2003 Backus Cabernet is saturated in color with a dark purple, ruby red hue. The aromas of mocha, minerality, black fruits and graphite are characteristic of this unique, grand cru vineyard in the Oakville appellation. The incredible nose is framed by robust tannins, bright
fruit flavors and subtle French oak notes, with a depth and concentration that follows through on the palate.

Click here to read more.

BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 100% Chardonnay (76% Carneros Napa, 17% Carneros Sonoma, 7% Russian River); 83% estate-owned vineyards, 17% from independent growers.

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested at an average 24.0° Brix, fermented sur lie and subsequently aged for 11 months in a combination of new French oak barrels (40%) and 1-year old French oak (60%), from coopers François Frères, Remond Latour and Dargaud Jaegle. The wine was then blended and bottled in May, 2005.

The 2004 Ovation is packed with melon, citrus oil and wet stone, minerallike aromas. The fruity notes are complemented by savory aromas of hazelnut followed by a rich, full palate that lingers on the finish.

Click here to read more.

BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot from estate-owned vineyards and independent growers.

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested at an average 24.2º Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 18 months in a combination of new French and American oak barrels (51%) and two- to three-year-old French and American oak (49%) from coopers Sylvain, Demptos, Nadalie, Canton and Taransaud. The wine  was subsequently blended and bottled in June and July, 2006.

Due to the ripeness of the 2004 grape harvest, the final blend for the ‘04 Cabernet boasts ultra concentration and lusciousness. The wine is a striking example of the vintage with aromas of soy, graphite and hints of baking spices, as well as generous amounts of Bing cherry, cassis, and other dark fruits in the fragrant nose.  Sweet oak, spice and compelling grapy extract lead to a  long, persistent finish.

Click here to read more.

BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 100% Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from three estate-owned vineyards in Freestone, California: Freestone Vineyard (70%); Quarter Moon Vineyard (26%); and Ferguson Vineyard (4%).

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested at an average 24º Brix between September 10-24, fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in a combination of new French oak (40%) and 1-3 year old French oak (60%), before being bottled in January, 2006.

This delicate, aromatic, fruit-driven wine was created from young, Sonoma Coast vines that are still in the process of developing their root systems. The most important goal of the winemaking process was to capture the essence of the region. We took a gentle approach, making every attempt to avoid overworking the grapes in order to capture the flavor and perfume, rather than excessive tannins that often come from young vine fruit.

The 2004 Fogdog Pinot Noir delivers a sweet bouquet of ripe red cherries, strawberries, raspberries, allspice and an earthy component that reminds us of a forest floor. A smooth, creamy entry unfolds into a medium-bodied, acid-balanced wine that explodes with ripe juicy fruit on the palate.

The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered, and is best served decanted.

Click here to read more.

BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: 100% estate-grown Napa Valley Viognier.

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested at an average 23.0° Brix, then barrel fermented and aged on the lees for 10 months in two- to three-year-old French oak. The wine was bottled in August, 2006.

Pleasant, delicate floral aromas and flavors of apricot, sweet orange rind and melon are followed by an oily texture with notes of bright fruit and spice and a rich, lingering finish.

Click here to read more.

BLEND & GRAPE SOURCES: Estate-grown Sauvignon Blanc (90%) and Semillon (10%) from our Spring Valley ranch outside of St. Helena.

WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Grapes were harvested at an average 23.0º Brix, fermented sur lie for nine months in a combination of new French oak barrels (15%) and 2-3 year old French oak (85%) from coopers Francois Freres, Redmond, Latour and Dargaud Jaegle. The wine was blended and bottled in June, 2006.

The 2005 Sauvignon Blanc has aromatic characteristics ranging from floral and mineral notes to citrus and green melon. The expressive palate is clean and balanced with excellent richness and length.

Click here to read more.

Ashley Hepworth Completes U.C. Davis Certificate Winemaking Program

This spring Ashley Hepworth, associate winemaker for Joseph Phelps Vineyards, completed a two year program in winemaking taught by the faculty of the Department of Viticulture and enology at the University of California at Davis. (Ashley also holds a B.S. degree in biology with a minor in chemistry).

Consisting of five courses, four of which are quarter-long (10 weeks) and taught via distance learning, Ashley participated in classes equivalent to upper division courses related to wine production, quality control, wine stability and sensory analysis.

A week-long lab course held on the U.C. Davis campus this spring was Ashley’s last hurdle before obtaining her Certificate. The smile on her face says it all! This Certificate is significant as this program teaches the most current and extensive concepts in winemaking today. Congratulations Ashley on this wonderful achievement!

Awards and Reviews:

Joseph Phelps Ovation Chardonnay 2004
Score: 90 points

. . . a burgundian-styled white aged on its lees that enjoys full malolactic fermentation, tips the scales at 15% alcohol. However, there is no hotness in its big, sweet, brioche, honeysuckle, and orange marmalade-scented bouquet. Full-bodied and heady, it is ideal for drinking over the next 1-2 years. (12-26-05)

 

Joseph Phelps Insignia 2003
Score: 91 points

Medium-bodied with an evolved sweet nose of chocolate, black currants, plums, and toasty new oak, this [2003 is] rich, ripe, and well-balanced. . .
 

Joseph Phelps Backus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Score: 95+ points

Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by a sumptuous bouquet of white flowers, blackberries, blueberries, a Graves-like scorched earth character (creosote, hot rocks, whatever), and a huge, opulent, full-bodied finish with profound richness, depth and persistence..

 

90. Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley 2003

Supple, polished and harmonious... delivers a complex range of rich currant, berry and cherry fuit, cedary oaks, hints of anise and sage, and a persistent, lingering finish. (10-31-06)