Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/57654
Tasting Notes: Current Top-Tier Releases From Wente Vineyards Seco taste less like French Chablis and red Burgundy than like the fruit-forward style of varietal wines typifying California, they are light years beyond the jug wines sold as "Chablis" and "Burgundy" during the '60s and '70s. Karl L. Wente passed away at the age of just 49 in 1977, but his children—Eric (the current Karl's father), Philip and Carolyn Wente—were able to step in and steadily expand production as well as vineyard holdings in both Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco. The Arroyo Seco Vineyard grew from 550 to 800 acres and has been continuously updated with all the best clones of Pinot Noir, contemporary sellers like Pinot Gris and Viognier and a healthy mix of Chardonnay—including modern day Dijon clones, as well as heirloom "Old Wente" selections from the family's earli- est plantings in Livermore Valley. Each year Karl Wente evaluates the best lots of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to go into Wente's top-tier wines, bottled as Small Lot (sold for about $35) or The Nth Degree ($40 to $60). The ultra-premium Pinot Noirs come from Arroyo Seco, but the finest selections of Chardonnay still come from the family's warmer-climate plantings in Livermore Valley. Although, like Napa and Sonoma, Livermore Valley enjoys the maritime influence of nearby San Francisco Bay (falling, in fact, within the San Francisco Bay AVA), the Livermore style of Chardonnay is very much tropical—while fleshy, exuding plenty of crisp, sharply defined pineapple and honeyed apple tones. Despite its association with Chardonnay, there are some aficionados who believe that Livermore Valley is bound to become even better known for Cabernet Sauvignon. As with Chardonnays from the AVA, Livermore Cabs are distinguished by layered, complex, distinctly delineated characteristics. Wente farms about 400 acres of the grape within the vicinity of the original estate, including clonal selections first planted by Charles Wetmore in the 19th century. "I devote as much thought and energy to Cabernet Sauvignon as any other grape," Wente tells us. Drawing from 12 separate estate vineyards to blend his Small Lot and The Nth Degree wines, Wente has been able to pinpoint some of the sweet spots, each with terroir-related attributes. "Overall, our Cabernets are distinguished by their gener- ous qualities—lots of cassis, chocolaty blackberry, fleshy mouthfeel—plus a bunch of little spice nuances like juniper, minty peppers, tobacco and cocoa powder." Wente concludes, "My approach has been to focus more on the vineyards than the winery, and farming more responsibly, for long term results. I think you can taste that in our wines today. That's also the legacy I've inherited. It's a definite advantage to draw from over 120 years of experi- ence and inspiration!" 2010 Morning Fog Chardonnay, Livermore Valley – San Francisco Bay ($15) The combination of stainless steel– and barrel-fermented lots in this blend yields very much a contemporary (i.e., low butter, minimal fat) varietal style, marked by floral, tropical notes mixed with citrus and a distinct stony quality; just slivers of vanilla in a lemony crisp, tart-edged, moderately weighted palate feel. 2010 Riva Ranch Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco – Monterey ($20) Appealing more to the "Boomer" taste—barrel- fermented opulence with full ML/sur lie complexities—with toasty, honeyed nut and mineral notes tingeing lush apple/ pineapple tones, converging onto a crisp yet round, seam- less, medium-full body. 2009 The Nth Degree Chardonnay, Livermore Valley – San Francisco Bay ($40) A predominance of Old Wente clones and full Burgundian-style barrel fermentation resulting in a Chardonnay that goes for broke in the nose and palate, yet maintains an amazingly svelte, silky, almost lean, elegant feel in its medium-full body; qualities picked up by lemony acidity and smoothed over by vanillin/creamy layers, embedding the pungent, honeyed apple/pineapple varietal fruit. 2009 Small Lot Pinot Noir, Arroyo Seco – Monterey ($35) Karl Wente follows the prevalent protocol for artisanal Pinot Noir—cold soak, one-ton bin fermentation, hand punchdowns—but it's Arroyo Seco terroir that sets the table: bright, flowery strawberry/black cherry perfumes, earthy mushroom and anise-like subtleties and toasty, nut- meg- and clove-like French oak nuances lingering through a dense, zesty medium body. 2009 The Nth Degree Pinot Noir, Arroyo Seco – Monterey ($55) Mr. Wente goes "barrel surfing" each year to identify the most expressive cuvées going into this blend; this release hits upon a lavish theme of fragrant straw- berry/cherry Pinot fruit wrapped in sultry leather, chocolate and sprigs of mint, with the ultra-rich, creamy textured fruit pushing through muscular tannin and oak on the palate. 2009 The Nth Degree Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley – San Francisco Bay ($60) Livermore Valley no longer takes a back seat to any region in respect to serious Cabernet Sauvignon. The blackberry/cassis concentration is here in bodacious intensity, along with compelling spice (cocoa, tobacco, licorice, mint and even some chipotle peppers) and tobacco notes; while sturdy tannin lends a strong grip, the overall feel is sumptuous, even opulent, like edible layers of black velvet. march 2012 / the tasting panel / 71