The Tasting Panel magazine

september 2009 / the tasting panel / While some winemakers were born to eat, taste and smell—senses to help hone their lifelong skills—Aaron Piotter's natural perceptions were, and continue to be, impeded by allergies. "Nuts, eggs, milk . . . I was born the 'boy in the bubble,' allergic to everything," reports Piotter. "My sensory texture is self defense. I'm so reactive to peanuts, I can smell a Thai restaurant a mile away." The good news for Piotter is that he grew up among the offspring of famous winemakers. "I was in little league with the Benzigers and Sebastianis. While he had to shy away from certain foods, he was tossed in with a crowd that would pair well with his future endeavors. His early days helped him put two and two together: Working a day shift as a busboy/waiter at a Sonoma res- taurant and the swing shift at Sebastiani during harvest gave him a daily split between the sales and consumption side of the business. While he would eventually work for some large cor- porate-owned wineries, his 2003 appointment at Fer- rari-Carano landed him at a real family winery. Replacing former winemaker George Bursick in 2003, Piotter is the current master at Ferrari-Carano's Mountain Estate Winery, which houses Sonoma County's largest wine cave (over 45,000 square feet—well over an acre), an eco-friendly grape delivery system and labor-intensive hand-sorting "on steroids" to keep up with production while maintaining hands-on sensibility. While sustainability is key, Piotter's is determined not to go green in the red wines—that is, to deliver only con- centrated, ripe reds with no herbal, minty or green pep- per character. "We fight greenness by adding Syrah and Petit Verdot—these varieties are essential to us—and a whole lot of patience in the vineyard; we wait . . . and wait to pick." Current Reds "Siena has had the same soul for 20 years." We quote Aaron Piot- ter, whose influence in toying with Malbec has tweaked this Sangiovese- based red to plusher heights. "It's sophisti- cated but user-friendly," he points out as we taste the Ferrari-Carano 2007 Siena (SRP $23), the Malbec coaxing the Sangiovese to its softer, more vibrant side. The Ferrari-Carano 2006 Sonoma County Caber- net Sauvignon ($34) is high-elevation intense from low- vigor soil. Perfumed with a fruity, sangria-esque ripeness and a lavender swash, its teeth-coating tannins let you know its serious face. But cakey chocolate and roasted toffee mocha tells you serious is just a state of mind. "Somms can pour the '06 now," Piotter advises, "but they can perceive the age-worthiness." Lifted fruit and deeply dark, dense fruit on a tobacco road, lead to the 2006 Trésor ($58), an acting troupe of Bordeaux varietals that mix and match, culminating in a showy red. "This is our fifth year here at the red wine facility," Pi- otter sighs contently, surveying his domain, "and I'd like to think that we are finally realizing our goals." www.ferrari-carano.com Mountain Man UpFront with Aaron Piotter Aaron Piotter is the red wine winemaker for Ferrari-Carano, working at the new mountain facility in Alexander Valley.

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