Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/552044
{ SOMMjournal.com } 85 { SOMMjournal.com } 85 { SOMMjournal.com } 85 and I find that new French oak produces a better Chardonnay." Winemaker Dieter Cronje of Presqu'ile Winery in the Santa Maria Valley differed. "Oak is a universal flavor. Anybody can buy it if they have the money. To me, the more new oak you use, the more your wine is like anybody else's. Of course each wine absorbs it and shows it slightly differently, but it always overshad- ows something terroir-wise." Somewhere between these two poles sat winemaker Christian Roguenant of Niven Family Wines in the Edna Valley. "There are two types of white grapes in the world: some have true varietal character, [and others have] a lot less, like Chardonnay. You can be successful with unoaked Chardonnay, but typically Chardonnay likes oak for that reason: because it doesn't have strong varietal character." Karl Wente of Wente Vineyards came from the perspective of having some clonal control. "Because of some of the richness of the heritage clones that have never left our property—that we're constantly sampling and taking cuttings of and pushing forward—the opulence and the bigness of those fruit flavors can handle more new oak without being overwhelmed I always want the fruit on a pedestal because it's Mother Nature's beauty; I never want to stomp on it, but then you can layer in some richness with a judicious amount of oak." Peter Molnar of Poseidon Vineyards in Napa Carneros agreed that oak, when applied carefully, can support vibrant fruit rather than mask it—an opinion borne out in the bright acids of the 100 per- cent new oak–aged Poseidon Vineyards 2013 Napa Carneros Chardonnay that Molnar brought for the tasting. "There is that prizefighter feeling of 'oak versus fruit,' battling it out to see who's going to win," Molnar said. "But research shows that oak actually has a huge amount of antioxidant properties, and certain species are very good at keeping oxygen out of wine. New oak isn't necessarily going to limit or cover up fruit. In correct proportion, it can add a freshness to the wine both in terms of perception and also scientifically." McClintic agreed. "When Peter says he believes you can use 100% new oak and not have heavy oak influence in the wine, I think it's validated by the wine in the glass right here. This is a pretty darned restrained Chardonnay." Despite differing opinions, appellations, price points ($14 to $42) and production numbers (1,000 bottles to 100,000 cases), each of the wines poured had its place on the Chardonnay spectrum. Archie McLaren, founder of the Central Coast Wine Classic, was in the audience. "Those of us who started drinking Chardonnay through the '70s into the '80s were confronted quite often with one- or two-dimensional wines," he commented to the panel. "I'm basically expressing my gratitude to all of you for evolving the concept of Chardonnay to what it is now. It's extraordinarily diverse and interesting, and all of these are quite special." Agree to disagree: Master Sommelier Brian McClintic (center) and panelists (left to right) Christian Roguenant, Dieter Cronje, Karl Wente, Ray Brown and Peter Molnar offered distinctly different opinions on new oak in Chardonnay. A packed house for "To Oak or Not to Oak?" at the International Chardonnay Symposium. "I think an oak program, like salt and pepper, is only added to the meal if the meal could be considered wanting," said Dieter Cronje. "If you mess with it too much, you're just ironing out the differences between vintages, but those differences are, I think, the beauty of it all." successful with unoaked Chardonnay, but typically Chardonnay likes oak for that reason: because it Despite differing opinions, appellations, price points ($14 to $42) and production numbers (1,000 bottles to 100,000 cases), each of the wines poured had its place on the Chardonnay spectrum. Archie McLaren, founder of the Central Coast Wine Classic, was in the audience. "Those of us who started drinking Chardonnay through the '70s into the '80s were confronted quite often with one- or two-dimensional wines," he commented to the panel. "I'm basically expressing my gratitude to all of you for evolving the concept of Chardonnay to what it is now. It's extraordinarily diverse and interesting, and all of these are quite special." For Karl Wente, oak and Chardonnay are anything but formulaic. "There's no recipe in any given vintage. There's no substitute for boots on the ground in the winery. The best analytical tools we have are our nose and mouth."