STERLING VINEYARDS 2002 NORTH COAST SAUVIGNON BLANC
VINEYARDS
Our 2002 Sauvignon Blanc combines grapes from the Napa Valley (78%) with cooler climate Mendocino and Monterey County fruit. The Napa Valley portion provides aromas and flavors of stone fruit, ripe melons and figs, while the cooler climate grapes contribute to the more aggressive side of the varietal, namely an undercurrent of spice and a firm acidity that is signature Sauvignon Blanc. Together they blend, with a touch of Pinot Gris, into a seamless and refreshing wine.
VINTAGE NOTES
The 2002 growing season started with bud break in early March in Carneros and mid-March up-valley. Frost protection was required for several nights in March and April, but no damage was experienced. The spring growing season was moderate until rains in late May disrupted the bloom of some Merlot vineyards, causing them to set a smaller crop. The summer growing season was mild and did not have many heat spikes until September and October. Veraison started in late July and the weather during this period was nearly ideal with warm days and cool nights.
Harvest began in August in the valley with Sauvignon Blanc, followed by Pinot Noir in Carneros in early September. A heat spike in September hastened the sugar accumulation of all varieties but flavor did not develop as fast, so fruit was held on the vine a few extra days to allow the desired flavors to mature. The bulk of the harvest was still completed by the middle of October. Overall, the 2002 vintage had great weather, and the resulting wines are uniformly very good.
WINEMAKING
After pressing, chilling and settling, the juice was inoculated and fermented entirely in refrigerated stainless steel tanks at 50°F. The cool fermentations highlight the ripe fruit flavors of the varietal. After settling, the wines were racked, the final blend was developed, and the wine was bottled in early 2003
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
Bright pale straw in color. Aromatics of peaches, nectarines, melons and grapefruit, with hints of lemongrass, mint, kiwi and slate. On the palate the wine is pleasingly full with ripe, crisp, fruit and balanced acidity.
APPELLATION
78% Napa Valley, 19% Mendocino County, 3% Monterey County
VARIETAL PROFILE
96.5% Sauvignon Blanc, 3.5%, Pinot Gris
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STERLING VINEYARDS 2000 THREE PALMS MERLOT
VINEYARD
The landmark Three Palms Vineyard, one-half mile southeast of Sterling Vineyards, is located on the outwash of Selby Creek where it spills out of Dutch Henry Canyon and crosses Napa Valley’s Silverado Trail. The unusually rocky soil of the vineyard is the heart of its unique microclimate.
VINTAGE
The 1999 growing season in the north coast was another late one. Overall the bloom time was a week earlier than normal—about the same date as the previous 1998 season. The growing season was moderate in temperature through spring and summer with good, dry conditions. Mildew and botrytis bunch rot did not present problems for the season or harvest.The major influence on fruit quality was that of heat spike periods during the final ripening phase. One such prolonged period of heat combined with extreme low humidity cause the berries to dehydrate, concentrating both sugar and acid and resulting in sweet, but not mature, grapes. In spite of this, the overall quality of the fruit was very good. The main part of the harvest for Sterling Vineyards was from mid-September to the end of October. Overall the crop yields were down about 11% from July estimates. Sauvignon Blanc was especially light, down 30%.
WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS
The Three Palms Merlot is always one of our most anticipated wines. The fruit easily reaches numerical ripeness in early September, yet attaining flavor maturity is a tortuous waiting game. We look for the fruit to dimple slightly and for the black plum jam flavors to evolve. Each variety and blocks are kept separate to allow the individual fermentations to render their unique personalities.
WINEMAKING
The grapes were cold soaked for 24 hours for enzymatic extraction of color, aroma and flavor. Following fermentation, the wines were pressed at the point when tannins were just beginning to express themselves but before the harsh dry tannins evolved. The young wines were aged from 18 to 24 months in proportionately new, first and second vintage barrels. About half of the barrels were French oak, which lend cinnamon spice and vanillin elements to the blend. The other half were air-dried American oak barrels which provide maple brown sugar notes as well as subtle hints of toasted coconut and cocoa powder. The barrels were racked and returned every three to four months while aging in the chai. Before bottling, the wines were lightly fined for further refinement and delicately filtered for stability.
TASTING NOTES
Deep purple ruby in color. Huge, dense fruit aromas of black cherries, blueberries, grape jam, and purple-whip licorice. Enticing notes of toffee and spicy vanilla oak with subtle traces of black olive and sage. Big, juicy fruit-focused entry with caramel, cherry cola, and cocoa flavors. Soft elegant cocoa powder tannins help corral this wine while fanning out across the palate with a lovely lengthy finish.
VARIETAL BLEND
90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
APPELLATION
100% Napa Valley
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BEAULIEU VINEYARD 2001 CARNEROS CHARDONNAY
VINTAGE NOTES
2001 was a remarkable vintage. Many wines, like this Chardonnay, benefit from the outstanding weather during October. Winter and spring were mild, with little rain, which encouraged an ideal early budbreak. Warm weather in May and June ensured a good crop level that had required a bit of green harvesting, or "dropping fruit", to insure proper ripeness. June was very warm at first, then cooled off significantly through July, though it remained sunny. August was quite warm at first, too, but turned more temperate by mid-month. The latter half of August and most of September were unseasonably cool but sunny overall, allowing the development of mature flavors. This was especially helpful for Chardonnay in Carneros, which shows luscious fruit supported by zesty acidity.
WINEMAKING
All of the wine was barrel fermented, given the strong flavors and ripe character of the vintage. About 40% of the wine completed malolactic fermentation. All of the wine was aged sur-lie in barrel and stirred every three weeks to lend complexity and richness to the wine.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
Bright, green-gold color. A lovely and elegant Carneros Chardonnay that reflects both a long growing season and the benefits derived from new Dijon clones. Pear-honey and Fuji apple fruit aromas also reveal a fine, lightly nutty aroma from lees-aging. Medium full-bodied, the flavors echo the aromas typical of Carneros Chardonnay, and also reveal a fine subtle vanilla oak character. Bright acidity combined with creamy richness make this a one of BV's finest Chardonnays to date; an ideal companion with pasta in a wild mushroom and leek sauce, or a simple marinated, grilled chicken
APPELLATION
75% Napa County , 25% Sonoma County
VARIETAL PROFILE
100%Chardonnay
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BEAULIEU VINEYARDS 2000 DULCET RESERVE NAPA VALLEY RED WINE
(Note that Dulcet Reserve is new wine, which is being debuted during this educational series; therefore the label is unavailable.)
VINTAGE NOTES
Vintage 2000 will go down in history as not only the first vintage of the new Millennium, but also as one of the most challenging vintages on record. With the exception of four heat spikes, including a mid-June period with 110º F-plus temperatures, cooler temperatures than usual and somewhat higher humidity prevailed throughout the growing season. July was overall moderately warm and dry. Harvest got off to an early start in the North Coast, with Sauvignon Blanc arriving at BV around mid-August. Rain during late August, followed by unseasonably cool weather and some light rain in mid-September and October slowed the ripening down. Warm weather in later September provided ideal conditions for early ripening varieties such as Pinot Noir to attain near perfect maturity. The best of the Cabernet was very good, with a subtle "Bordeaux" style due to the prevailing conditions at harvest. All of the Syrah was picked before the mid-October rains, with fine results.
WINEMAKING
The Cabernet grapes were hand-picked, crushed, and did their fermentations in open top stainless steel fermenters. Fermentation lasted 7-10 days, with peak juice temperature reaching 85º F. The juice was punched down by pneumatic means or pumped over the cap 2-3 times a day. When dry, the wine was drained and pressed, spending a few days settling in tanks before being transferred to barrels for the malolactic fermentation. Further aging and two barrel rackings followed. The Syrah grapes for this wine were destemmed and crushed gently, leaving about 15% whole berries to pass forward. All the juice was fermented in open-top stainless steel fermenters at an average temperature of 78 deg. F. The cap was punched down several times a day with our computerized automatic pipeage system in a few of the fermenters, the balance of the fermenters subjected to pump-over. After pressing at dryness, the wine was racked to barrels. Malolactic fermentation completed in the barrels. The wine was blended with the Cabernet a few months prior to bottling.
TASTING NOTES
Dark ruby-violet color, very youthful. Lightly minty, black raspberry aromas with a touch of vanilla from the oak are very showy and forward. The lush, supple mouthfeel and ripe, intense berry flavors are framed by fine silky tannins and low acidity. A subtle hint of anise enhanced by creamy oak and berry fruit provides further interest in the finish. A rich medium-full bodied wine that drinks well young yet is capable of aging for 3-5 years or more, the 2000 Dulcet will make an ideal partner to drink with grilled lamb chops with mint or done tandoori-style. Roast duck, Mongolian beef, and cheeses such as Dry Jack or aged Gouda will also be excellent with this wine.
APPELLATION
Various Napa Valley vineyards
VARIETAL PROFILE
82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah
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BARTON & GUESTIER 2002 VOUVRAY TRADITION
REGION
Situated 20 kilometres east of Tours in the Loire Valley, the Vouvray vineyards produce wines which can be bone-dry, semi-sweet, or late harvest wines of great sweetness. The soils have a clay limestone base with sandy patches and are located on a plateau on the Right Bank of the Loire River. They heat up rapidly and are perfectly suited to the production of great wines because they allow the grapes to reach optimum ripeness.
2002 VINTAGE
2002 is a great vintage in Loire Valley! The weather during the summer and fall was wonderful, and in the Vouvray region, Chenin Blanc reached a perfect overmaturity, with excellent acidity, which guarantees freshness and balance. The Vouvray appellation produced wonderful wines in 2002, especially semi-sweet wines.
WINEMAKING
Depending on the ripeness of the grapes (which can sometimes reach over 250 g/l of sugar), the grapes are pressed and settled overnight before the tanks are inoculated with selected yeasts for fermentation. In the case of a semi-sweet wine, the fermentation is stopped (by adding S02 or by cold temperature) in order to preserve the natural sweetness, which remains as residual sugar. Once the alcoholic fermentation is finished the wine is racked several times, fined and bottled.
TASTING NOTES
Pale straw and brilliant in color, this wine is pleasant and aromatic with intense floral notes (linden) and white fruit aromas (apple and pear). Initially, it is a round and soft sensation with nice freshness, intense mouth flavors, and a long fruity aftertaste.
APPELLATION
Vouvray
CLASSIFICATION
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée.
VARIETAL PROFILE
100% Chenin Blanc
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BARTON & GUESTIER 2002 SHIRAZ
REGION
Vins de pays d'Oc, officially recognized since 1987, are produced in Languedoc-Roussillon. This winegrowing area covers 750,000 acres and borders the Mediterranean Sea. The climate is very windy with high temperatures and exceptional sun exposure. The wines produced are rich in alcohol and concentrated in aromas and color. Soils include a wide variety such as sand, clay, chalk, schist, gravel and pebbles.
2002 VINTAGE
This region saw torrential rain and flooding in 2002, and quantity produced was down 10-15% for the vintage. The Gard area experienced the worst month of September in its history, and some vineyards were completely flooded by the heavy rains. Aude, Herault and Pyrenées Orientales were less affected.
WINEMAKING
Grapes were de-stalked before crushing. The wine underwent daily pumpovers, with a long maceration time of 3 weeks. It was aged on the lees in vats with controlled oxidation.
TASTING NOTES
The color is a deep cherry red. A rich and aromatic nose has intense aromas of black cherry, hints of violet, pepper, tobacco and licorice. On the palate, the wine is powerful and full of character, with intense flavors of blackberry and licorice, and perfectly balanced, with a remarkably long and fresh aftertaste.
APPELLATION
Vin de Pays d'Oc
CLASSIFICATION
Varietal wine
VARIETAL PROFILE
100% Shiraz
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F. E. TRIMBACH 2000 RIESLING
VINEYARDS
The grapes were sourced from growers in Alsace. Jean and Pierre Trimbach personally advised the growers and supervised the harvest. The wine is produced with 100% Riesling grapes by law.
VINTAGE NOTES
2000 was a great vintage for Riesling, and a great vintage in Alsace with extremely healthy and ripe grapes and beautiful crisp acidity. One could compare this vintage with famous vintages like 1990 or 1971.
WINEMAKING
Gentle pneumatic presses were employed for optimum quality juice that was then allowed to clarify naturally before fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel. The wine was then allowed to age in the bottle in the Trimbach cellars and was released later than that of other producers to yield a more developed, complex style. No wood aging was used at any stage in order to preserve the clarity and purity of the grape's fruit characteristics.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
Beautiful color with a hint of green on the edge, this wine needs a few more months to reveal its full potential and will age gracefully another few years. The nose is developed and shows a hint of mineral flavor associated with good ripeness and acidity and a lingering clean and dry finish. It is ready to drink now but has potential to age for another five years.
This wine is a classic introduction to Alsace Riesling where the aim is for a relatively high-alcohol, dry, powerful wine with enormous length and flavor. These characteristics make it an ideal accompaniment to Alsace-style dishes such as tarte d'oignon, choucroute and pork. Riesling is one of very few wines to be able to match sushi or sushi-styled food.
VARIETAL PROFILE
100% Riesling
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