The Tasting Panel magazine

May 2011

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WINE BRIEFS Saint Vincentin Chablis W Celebrating elcome to Chablis, a village unchanged for centuries. Chablis is a kaleidoscope of cobblestone streets, gabled houses, small footbridges, renaissance gardens, Gothic churches and mag- nificent châteaux, coupled with the town’s unique medieval architecture. This storybook setting in Burgundy is home to some of the world’s most renowned wines, all with a bit of history in each drop. My out-of-body experience began at the Saint-Vincent Tournante, a yearly festival that honors Saint Vincent, patron saint of winegrowers, and visits a different Burgundian village each year. Chablis played host this January for the first time since 1999, welcoming more than 100,000 jubilant visitors. Saint Vincent, patron saint of winegrowers, was celebrated in Chablis in January. The Confrérie (Brotherhood) des Chevaliers du Tastevin created the festival in 1938 as a show of appreciation for their patron saint. Mutual help, sharing and volunteering are all part of the spirit of the festival. A procession of 19 delegations from the Chablis villages paraded around town, carrying the symbolic Saint Vincent statue. Cellars were open for tastings, musicians and performers in medieval outfits reveled in the street and, of course, Chablis was flowing everywhere. As this year’s festival wound down, one thing was clear: To experience the wines of Chablis is to experience life. —Philip Kampe Benchmark Blends: Geyser Peak Sauvignon T he arrival of spring in Alexander Valley brings with it the imminent release of Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc. This year marks the first under the direction of winemaker Ondine Chattan, who collaborated with Mick Schroeter for ten years before succeeding him as winemaker in May of last year. Chattan and viticulturalist Matt Goehring source Sauvignon Blanc from Alexander Valley and a wealth of sites in Sonoma, including Knight’s Valley, Dry Creek and Russian River Valley, and they reach as far as Mendocino’s Redwood Valley and Lake County’s Upper Lake for a wide variety of expressions. Blending is a hallmark of the winery’s style, and in 2010 Chattan had an A-list of lots with which to work. During a recent tasting of eight different sites used to construct the 2010 Geyser Peak and Block labels, the influence of terroir upon the variety was never more apparent. Goehring pointed out that warmer sites and those with heavier soils are cropped at a significantly higher yields for the best expression. “There’s more clonal variety available now,” says Chattan, “but over the years, we’ve found that Clone I delivers the purest expression.” The 2010 Geyser Peak shows striking harmony and balance with tropical aromas and greener citrus flavors that emerge as the wine evolves in the glass. The Block Collection River Ranches label delivers more intense aromas with a leaner, herb and mineral-driven flavor profile. —Deborah Parker Wong Geyser Peak winemaker Ondine Chattan. may 201 1 / the tasting panel / 83 PHOTOS: DEBORAH PARKER WONG CREDIT: PHOTO: PHILIP KAMPE

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