March 2020

CUILLERON: VIOGNIER AND FRIENDS

We are huge fans of Viognier, and consider Condrieu (and Ch. Grillet, the small monopole, of course) to be the unrivaled source for great examples of the varietal. We have also told the story many times about how difficult this grape can be. There is a narrow band of success where all of the components work in harmony. Harvest too early and the wines are lean and lack varietal definition, the aromatics that are an important part of the Viognier experience aren’t there, and neither is the required midpalate. Harvest too late and the acids fall back and the wine is dull and flabby. Harvest at the perfect time and you’ll be dealing with voracious birds and hornets that also have a deep love of this enticing, aromatic varietal.

So if it’s that hard, if the margin of error is so slim, why does anyone bother? Because when it hits the mark Condrieu is a singular experience. Of course for most of us it can be cost prohibitive too, which merely piles on to an already difficult success rate. Yet, with few exceptions, there’s no place like Condrieu. What is a lover of Viognier to do? Our solution has been to pay close attention to the ‘smaller’ efforts from some of the top vignerons in the region. One of our favorite sources over the years has been Yves Cuilleron.

He makes great Condrieus on a consistent basis (no small feat) and excellent examples from other villages in the northern Rhone with Marsanne and Roussane. But what has been a repeat performer in our minds is his Viognier Vin de Pays Collines Rhodannienes Les Vignes d’a Coté 2018. Yeah, tough name for the non-French but we’ll boil the words down so you get a feel. By Vin de Pays, the bottle is telling you that some or all of the juice comes from vines not in official designated appellations. In the upper reaches of the hills in the northern Rhone they give it those ‘outside the boundary’ efforts the catchy name Collines Rhodannienes (there are both white and red versions from various ‘no man’s land’ parcel all about the north).

The Viognier for this cuvée is sourced from vineyards planted in granite-infused soil in the village of Chavanay. The grapes are fermented with their natural yeasts and done in stainless steel to protect the wine’s freshness. It then sees 6 months in a combination of steel and neutral oak barrels to round out. The result is usually pretty engaging, but in 2018 they absolutely nailed it. Perfectly proportioned, this 14% alcohol white sits comfortably atop the right touch of uplifting acidity. Everything is fresh and expressive, with the subtly meshed peach, honeysuckle and mineral nose a perfect invitation to the peach, pear, spice and faintly honeyed palate.

Rich, yet at the same time light on its feet, it achieves just the right balance. This one could probably pass for Condrieu in most circles yet it can be had for a touch over $20, well under the usual $50-80 that most Condrieus, both great and small, command. How does it compare to the domestic versions one sees for this kind of price? It’s not even close. The harmony and expressiveness puts is in a league of its own. If you like Condrieu, buy this. If you like Viognier, buy this. If you want to know what Viognier is supposed to taste like, this will show you. A supremely pleasing effort.

It seems Yves had a fine season in 2018 overall, for the whites anyway. Everything we were presented showed uniformly tender up front, with bright, lifted fruit and freshness. While the Viognier is our go-to, his Collines Rhodannienes (‘outside the lines’) efforts with Marsanne and Roussanne were extremely successful as well.

So often, Roussanne can be kind of clumsy and oxidative. But the Cuilleron Roussanne Vin de Pays Collines Rhodannienes Les Vignes d’a Coté 2018 is none of that. To be honest, it was such a fresh, tender effort, we didn’t necessarily think Roussanne at first. What a pleasing effort this was, a mélange of citrus, pear and stone fruit with a wisp of earth and mineral to speak of its origins.

Their delightful Cuilleron Marsanne Vin de Pays Collines Rhodannienes Les Vignes d’a Coté 2018 presents yellow melon, pear, and yellow apple flavors punctuated with a bit of dusty minerality that plays only as a nuance to the fruit component. It’s rare to find Marsanne with this much personality and lift

If you want to step up to a ‘real’ Condrieu, Cuilleron’s Condrieu La Petite Cote 2018 is an ‘A-game’ performance for a rather modest buy-in for the genre, and demonstrates the expressive floral and honey notes admirably. Saint-Peray is an insiders’ appellation and not widely known but Cuilleron has a deft touch and his Les Potier 2018 is a blend of Marsanne and Roussanne that flashes layered pear fruit with a lot of nuance underneath. A charmer.

White northern Rhones aren’t necessarily the first whites people think of. But this lineup is so expressive it could do a lot to change all of that.

‘COACHED’ BY A LEGEND

From the outset, we have said that we believe 2016 was the best vintage of Chateauneuf we have ever tasted. We will not stray from that until another such vintage comes along. That could be in a couple of years, or never, given the wacky weather patterns of this century. Who knows? At least with us, unlike politicians, we say what we mean. You might also recall that we said of 2017 that, in any other decade, it would have people dancing in the streets. It is an outstanding vintage that followed a ‘vintage for the ages’. Incumbent with that, we also said that given the overall high quality of 2017, there would be exceptional individual efforts. This is one of those.

Clos des Brusquieres Chateauneuf du Pape 2017 is classically old school. They only make small quantities of one wine, a Chateauneuf. No luxury cuvée, no specialty blend, no Cotes du Rhone, just one really tasty, pure Chateauneuf. The estate itself is only eight hectares in size, and the wine is composed of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre from old vines that average 60 years of age. There’s a long history here with the great grandfather of owner Claude Courtil having bottled a wine under the label ‘Clos Courtil’ way back around 1900, a rarity in those days. For the most part, however, the produce was sold to negociants until 1996.

There are a couple of things very unique abut this property. First, as we said, they only make one single wine. The other is a bit less obvious. Owner Claude Courtil is the godson of none other than Henri Bonneau, one of the most legendary and revered producers in the region. Claude learned everything he knows about winemaking from his godfather. Bonneau and Claude share a deeply held commitment to natural winemaking, manual vineyard work, traditional aging in large foudres, and bottling without fining and filtration. Claude’s two sons, David and Jêrome were coached by their father, who was coached by a legend, to take charge of the domain which they did in 2015. Pretty sweet vintages to start with (2015-17) wouldn’t you say?

Maybe it was ‘beginner’s luck’, and maybe it was great coaching, but the lads got back to back 94s from Vinous’ Josh Raynolds in 2016 and 2017, not a reviewer who passes out big scores like chocolate Easter eggs. We would actually give the nod to the 2017 in our minds as possibly the best Clos des Brusquieres ever. Classic Chateauneuf. Josh Raynolds notes, “Deep brilliant red. An assertively perfumed bouquet evokes red berry preserves, exotic spices and candied lavender, along with a chalky mineral quality that builds as the wine opens up. Sweet, seamless and energetic in style, offering lithe raspberry, cherry and spicecake flavors that show wonderful clarity and back-end cut. The mineral and floral components drive a very long, appealingly sweet finish shaped by smooth, harmonious tannins…94 points.”

It’s also well priced for the category, another bonus.

ANOTHER NORTHWEST CABERNET VALUE

It appears that more folks in the wine industry have gotten the message that more quality, value-priced reds are needed in the marketplace. In truth, it seems we have seen an increase in offerings over the last year or so. Not all of them are good, but there are certainly more exciting Cabs and blends to be had these days at lower fares. There has been a pretty steady stream of ‘contestants’ out of Washington, and more interesting options at that from some of the newer, more boutique players.

Washington has tremendous potential as a source of value Caberenets. Chateau Ste. Michelle and Hedges, for example, have been consistent players in that arena for decades. We taste a lot of others offerings that you don’t see because, while their intentions are good, the finished wines are kind of boring. Sure they have great color and power, which will win you a lot of friends in some circles. But they are often kind of drying on the finish and lack real definition in the midpalate. If you are only going to have half a glass with dinner to get your daily dose of resveratrol, that’s fine. But if you actually enjoy drinking wine like we do, you need a little something more.

Our never-ending search ran across Ryan Patrick Cabernet Sauvignon Rock Island 2016. Founded as a family winery in 1996, Terry Flanagan named it for his two sons Ryan and Patrick. They were one of the first to plant grapes in what is now the Ancient Lakes AVA more or less due north of the more recognized Wahluke Slope. The winery was sold to Jerry and Butch Milbrandt in 2011, owners of Wahluke Wine Company. Since 2012, according to one source, the winemaker has been Jerry Santo, Washington State grad (go, Cougs?) by way of Canoe Ridge. Yet his name does not appear on the website under ‘meet our wine team’.

Do you need to know all that? Probably not, but it is important to understand that the winery’s philosophy is surely part of the reason this wine stands out among Cabernets of this price range. From their own website, “Intuitive winemaking is the art of letting the fruit speak for itself. It’s minimalist intervention combined with consistency of style…artisanal winemaking where the grape is at the center. Many wineries use static recipes for their wines…Batch-tinkering approaches have resulted in (our) varietals and blends that have justifiably become famous for how they out-perform their price point.”

The Ryan Patrick Cabernet Sauvignon Rock Island 2016 is a blend of83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 2% Malbec that is aged 22 months, 50% in American oak barrels and 50% in stainless steel tanks. The grapes come from six different vineyards across three appellations, Wahluke Slope, Snipes Mountain, and Yakima Valley. For those that care, the alcohol is listed at a somewhat modest 13.5%.

If you haven’t thought about it, it is important to understand that the ripening process in Washington grape-growing is different than California. The roughly two- hour-longer sunlight hours and lower average temperatures present a growing season that has more in common with Bordeaux than California, though ripeness here is clearly not a problem.

As expected, there is deep color and notes of bing and black cherry in the nose with flecks of vanilla and espresso. The palate leans a little darker fruit-wise with aspects of black currant, blackberry and black cherry in the relatively weighty entry. A touch of dark chocolate, some graphite notes, baking spice and a touch of savory on the finish, the difference between this one and your typical ‘$20 Cab’ is in the detail.

A VIOGNIER TALE

We wanted this remarkable tale to be available to search and keep the wine available for as long as we can so we republished here in the Stock Report.

We have been telling stories about wine for nearly four decades. But few rival that of former T.V. writer, California native Samantha O’Keefe. It all started when Sam and her then husband decided they wanted to get away. No, not like those old airline commercials where they just leaves for a vacation. This was moving out of California to ‘someplace else’ with the intent of going on a great life ad venture. After a journey, the couple, with a baby, ended up in South Africa, just about as far away as one could get from Southern California.

They ended up driving into the mountains in the area of Greton and falling in love with a visually spectacular site named Riversonderend, a 300-hectare property that was a dairy ranch. It had never been a wine farm, nor had Sam ever made wine, but the connection subsequently became serendipitous. This was literally the ‘middle of nowhere’, or as Sam put it in an interview we did here, ‘an hour past nowhere’. From the farm, for example, it is more than an hour’s drive just to get groceries. But the couple decided this remote, untested area would be an excellent place to grow grapes. Turned out to be a good call.

The challenges were enormous, so much so that Sam’s husband made an early exit. O’Keefe built a house and a winery, and the vineyards were planted in 2003. The first commercial release was 2008. The Overberg region is unique in South African viticulture as it is a particularly cool growing area, with grapes taking as much as 3 to 4 weeks longer to mature. The combination of cool temperatures and altitude was a unique and emerging trend in South Africa. This particular project just happened the furthest out. As it turned out, Riversonderend was particularly suited for four of the five grapes Sam planted, particularly Viognier, and it was the Viognier that created immediate critical acclaim.

Besides the normal array of issues like weather and disease that can face any vintner, this distinct plot of land had a few additional challenges. Because this was a remote, even somewhat ‘wild’ area, the threat from abundant numbers of voracious birds to the final crop added more uncertainty. There was even another ‘wild card’ to this winery’s story that we can’t recall ever hearing in all of our years doing this…baboons. Yes, baboons. Apparently they show up in numbers when the crop is reaching optimum time to pick. Samantha says they are good indicators of when it is time to harvest.

It seems a mighty task to make wine in such a place, but the quality and distinctiveness of the juice has fueled the passion to succeed. Another local vintner visited Samantha and tasted the Viognier out of barrel, proclaiming it the best he had ever tasted from South Africa. We are huge fans of Viognier, and consider Condrieu (and Ch. Grillete of course) to be the unrivaled source for great examples of the varietal. We have also told the story many times about how difficult the grape can be. There is a very narrow band of success where all of the components work in harmony. But, like the man said, Lismore Viognier is very special. The fruit shimmers, and the spice, honeysuckle, florality, and vanillan tones are all super expressive as well as remarkably well meshed and driven by just the right cut of acidity.

Enthusiastic notes from Vinous’ Neal Martin, who spends a lot of time tasting verticals of Latour and Romanee Conti and who could arguably be understandably jaded, speak volumes, “The 2017 (Lismore) Estate Reserve Viognier is matured for 15 months in barrel (20% new oak). It has a seductive and very well-defined bouquet, with dried honey, mirabelle and light apricot blossom scents developing with aeration. The well-balanced palate is clean and precise, displaying fine delineation and a captivating mineral-driven finish that is top-drawer. Quite brilliant… 96 Points.”

Quite brilliant, indeed. For us to say something could hold its own with top flight Condrieu, while still maintaining it unique notion of terroir, is about as high a compliment as we could pay any effort with this varietal. This one could. While all of the Lismore wines were ‘top-drawer’, it was the Viognier that got our attention. Both the story and the wine deserved time in the limelight, particularly given the fortuitous unfolding of events that brought this unique project together and the tenacity with which Sam, with her two children, has manned this unique vinous outpost. It was always our intent to do a feature on her wine, but events conspired to move us to up the timetable and commitment .

As it happened, Sam’s amazing estate was mostly destroyed last December in a wildfire believed to have been set by two children. Given that, our mission to spread the word has been amplified. We want to sell as much of her Viognier as we can to support this tenacious pioneer in whatever she decides to do next. Great story, exceptional wine, and now a cause, it’s one of the most compelling tales we have ever told.

ANOTHER JUICY ‘LITTLE’ 2017 RED BURGUNDY

Right up front, we’ll say that, thus far, the 2017 red Burgundies show the potential to be an exciting source for juicy Pinot Noir. Here’s another one to add to the ‘playlist’ from a proven performer that has upped their game over the last several vintages, most notably since Francois’ son Erwan (the seventh generation to handle the property) took the reins in 2005. We’d love to tell you there was abundant press on this wine given this winery’s relatively high profile. But, as we have alluded to on many occasions, by the time the reviewers got through every single rare and expensive Premier and Grand Cru in a place like Faiveley, they didn’t have the inclination or notepad space to cover ‘little’ wines like this.

We’d love to have a great detailed story for you too. But the Faiveley tech sheets only give you the most general references, “Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge is is sourced from vineyards spread throughout the terroirs of the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and the Côte Chalonnaise…The Bourgogne Rouge is vinified in the cellars of Domaine Faiveley for 12 to 14 months in the same manner as their broad selection of reds from the Côte de Nuits.”

Riveting stuff, huh?

In the end however, it’s the juice that matters and this amalgam of a variety of vineyard sources is a perfectly expressive Pinot Noir with bright, persistent, engaging red fruits, notes of spice, and a hit of earthy minerality. Gregarious in the mouth, varietally pure, extra expressive, there are few Pinots in this price range from anywhere that work at this level. Thanks to a warm 2017 vintage, this effort sports almost New World ripeness, which should make the ‘translation’ a lot easier for a lot of folks.

Hey, we love to tell a good story, but there isn’t anything really out of the ordinary to relay here except for the wine itself. Given the sub-$20 price of the Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir 2017, that should suffice. It’s just a tasty Pinot from a user-friendly vintage made by folks who are operating at the top of their game right now. A definite candidate for ‘house Pinot’ given the price and performance. Yes, good Burgundy can be expensive, but there are exceptions.

WHERE THERE’S A “WILL”…NEW FROM ANDREW WILL

We been following the Washington wine scene for a long time (we started selling Leonetti for example with the 1987 vintage) and have watched as a number of new labels (Quiceda Creek, Chaleur Estate, Cadence, L’Ecole #41, and the subject of today’s offering Andrew Will) were born and flourished. It wasn’t always easy, and it took a while for much of the wine world outside of Washington to pay attention.

Andrew Will has long been one of our favorites from the northwest and we have done a number of offers over the years, particularly with their Sorella bottling. Owner Chris Camarda was one of the early pioneers at the premium end, opening up shop way back in 1989 and then moving to Vachon Island, the winery’s current location, in 1994. They have always focused on terroir driven wines that expressed the vineyard (rather than a specific varietal) and have honed their craft over the decades. Chris was also pretty bold bottling non-varietal, vineyard-designated wines from a relatively new wine region back then. The whole ‘premium red wine’ thing, a la Opus, was still not widely accepted back then.

A recent tasting with Will Camarda (the ‘Will’ in Andrew Will, Andrew is his cousin) showed these guys are at the top of their game. In truth, however, as much as we have always loved what they do here, we probably haven’t been as active as we could have been because their outstanding vineyard bottlings were ‘priced accordingly’. We can’t blame them because the wines typically are worthy of the fare, impeccably produced with native yeasts and minimal intervention, well reviewed, and muy delicioso. But not everybody can swing at $50-80 wines which lead to more ‘measured’ opportunities from our marketing perspective. That, however, is part of what makes this offering very exciting.

Will returned to the vineyard full time in 2013, and is now winemaker and Sales Director, as well as the guy who might deliver their wine to stores and restaurants in Washington. It’s a family operation that produces about 5500 cases per year. Our aforementioned meeting with Will, besides showing off the ‘usual suspects’, also entailed things we had never seen before from Andrew Will…varietal bottings in black labels with lower prices and a value blend call ‘Involuntary Commitment’. Egads, what madness is this?! Well, as Will explained, they wanted to create bottlings at better price points that might find their way into more people’s hands and create more fans. Remarkably sensible.

To us, it is the perfect move. It’s a classic play on our theme of ‘little wines from top players’ which works in other parts of the world. Why not Washington? Our philosophy is that serious, committed producers have higher standards, and it will show in everything they do. That is definitely the case here. These new wines had the same dark chocolate and savory underpinnings, polished lines and honest, no-nonsense fruit impressions as the ‘big dogs’. The oak influence was understandably less, but it was clear the winery took them seriously.

The first wine we tasted in the lineup was the Involuntary Commitment 2018, a blend of 53% Cabernet Franc, 29.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17.5% Merlot that spent 11 months in neutral barrels and was bottled unfiltered and unfined.

It made an immediate impression. So many times these days when we taste a value bottling, we pick up residual sugar and/or ‘doctoring’ notes. This tasted like…fine wine. Imagine that! Dark garnet color, elements in the nose of dark fruit, savory herbs, fresh tobacco (likely from the Cab Franc) and sweet earth, the fruit components spoke of cherry and red currant with evident notes of spice. Kind of Bordeaux-like in feel, but better made and with more personality than you will usually find at this kind of price.

Perhaps as telling was, when we finished the lineup with the high scoring Sorella bottling, we went back to retaste the Involuntary Commitment. It held its own. In the ‘blurb’ on the winery tech sheet we were presented it said, “We believe that with such great fruit coming out of our vineyards it would be shame not to spread the wealth.” Amen to that! Here’s a well priced wine you can have on a Wednesday and serve in a decanter on Sunday and it will play both roles. And at PRICE, you don’t have to take it seriously. But you can. A real surprise and striking value.