Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1011938
92 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 Day 2: Elevation, Topography, and Blending Speaking of elevation, it came into sharper focus the next morning at Rockaway, where Rodney Strong Director of Estate Vineyards Ryan Decker and Stonestreet Estate Vineyards Winemaker Lisa Valten - bergs detailed the particularly dramatic variables of hillside viticulture in the Valley. Weather considerations run the gamut; a midsummer inversion layer, for example, speeds up the post-veraison ripening process. According to Valtenbergs, the fog that funnels through the Petaluma Gap gives the Cabernet grapes "more blue-fruit character and acid retention" than those that grow above the fog layer at 1,800 feet; they also "ripen a lot earlier and show more red fruit." Harvest-time storms can also make slopeside picking treacherous. Then there's the matter of row ori - entation. Both wineries have dismissed terracing as causing more problems than it solves in terms of soil-nutrient imbal- ance and potential erosion, so Stonestreet is now planting rows either straight up and down or diagonally across the slopes. Rodney Strong, meanwhile, is working to align its rows with the sun's rays during the hottest part of the afternoon in order to protect the fruit. "That's really important at higher elevations where your UV light's much more intense," Decker explained. The hazards of farming steeper vine - yards like Rockaway (at 600 feet) and Stonestreet's Rockfall (at 2,000-plus feet) are mirrored by the vines' own struggles at altitude. Valtenbergs compared the resulting small berries to mountain climb - ers who've "built up this protective layer of leathery, wrinkled skin." "For Cabernet, that's fantastic," she added. "You're getting more color, more concentration, more power, and more depth." Ultimately, the testimonials from wine - makers and producers "really drove home how much people sacrifice to farm up there," Amy Mundwiler, Wine Director at Chicago's Maple & Ash, observed. "It's hard and the vines suffer—but it's worth it. The wines are beautiful." Qualities like color and concentration can obviously be maximized through the blending process as well, and when we arrived for our final presentation at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, we heard firsthand how area winemakers have a variety of options for doing just that. The day prior, Weis had revealed how the differences between Red Tail and Alex - ander Valley Estate highlight "what we do in terms of blending an Alexander Valley wine," with the former lending structure to the latter's "lush, fruity" character and "soft, supple tannins." On day two, Coppola Director of Grower Relations Ryan Stapleton offered a macro-perspective on the subject by discussing his collaboration with con - tract farmers across the Valley to ensure appellation-level wines like Director's Cut and Archimedes showcase the best of the region's Cabernet. Winemaker Sandy Wal - heim also explained her team's approach to blending the grape with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and/or Malbec to ensure her wines accomplish this goal upon re - lease rather than a decade hence. Matt Michael, Winemaker at Robert Young Estate Winery, wrapped things up by describing his efforts to distinguish "fairly similar" blocks of Clone 7 and 8 Cabernet by farming and fermenting them differently. He said this helps determine "how you get to the place where you're creating exciting wines"—which, he ac - knowledged, is "a constant journey." Such humility had proven a hall- Stonestreet Estate Vineyards Winemaker Lisa Valtenbergs and Rodney Strong Director of Estate Vineyards Ryan Decker led a panel with Stefen Soltysiak and Fred Dame on Alexander Valley's higher-elevation sites against the backdrop of Rodney Strong's Rockaway Vineyard. The godfather of Master Sommeliers, Fred Dame, behind Don Corleone's desk—just one of many set pieces from The Godfather films on display at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville. A marker in the vineyards of Francis Ford Coppola Winery.