The Tasting Panel magazine

66 / the tasting panel / september 2009 Lyon considers himself a post- modern winemaker—he likes to take classic styles and apply to them the modern techniques he has discov- ered over the years. On property he purchased in Alexander Valley, Lyon experimented with all kinds of grapes, including Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties. Applying Old World techniques, Lyon noticed that those methods worked extremely well on grapes grown in the vari- ous Sonoma appellations; with the enormous diversity of soils and mi- croclimates available, he felt that the stylistic permutations were seemingly endless . . . until a trip to Hungary in 2000, when he began to conduct trials with various types of oak. During his travels, Lyon discov- ered that in the 18th century, the Bordelais actually preferred Hun- garian wood. He saw the opportuni- ty to simultaneously use high-quality oak and reduce cost to the consum- er; at first, he played on an artisanal level by making 500 cases of experi- mental wine—a small number com- pared to the 200,000–300,000 cases Sebastiani produced each year. Lyon shared the results with tasting room visitors and also sent a few samples to wine experts and critics "to see what would stick to the wall." Lyon's love of experimentation, as well as testing small batches in order to pre-perfect larger produc- tion, makes the winemaker a great fit with Foley Family Wines. "Bill Foley is arguably the biggest force in high-quality appellations, particularly in Napa and Sonoma," Lyon states frankly, "and Bill wants to make a statement about buying great properties." The Foley Family phi- losophy also blends well with Lyon's preference for modern technology alongside proven Old World methods. Sometimes, a long-running sensa- tion like Sebastiani has a difficult time making significant changes to an already successful vineyard and wine program. With the new support of Bill Foley and the skilled group at Foley Family Wines, how- ever, Sebastiani wine lovers can an- ticipate some amazing things from Mark Lyon. Small lots, antipodean- style unoaked Sauvignon Blancs and a few other single-varietal wines are only a preview of the things in store for us all. Stay tuned! Sebastiani "Casa de Sonoma" Unoaked Chardonnay comes from the famous Dutton Ranch in the Russian River Valley. While the 2007 displays high notes of minerality and green apple, along with a dollop of stone fruit (apricots and peaches), the 2008 grabs a different gear, a particu- larly ripe and bright Chardonnay that has a texture not expected from a wine sans oak .─ —Meridith May Sebastiani Vineyard and Winery's production facility was modernized within the past three years, allowing for more innovation and experimentation. This large (and unbelievably clean!) de-stemmer is merely one of several tools in the Sebastiani arsenal.

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