Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/637107
{ SOMMjournal.com } 83 JACKSON FAMILY WINES' PANORAMA VINEYARD At the start of our second day our som- meliers had the opportunity to recalibrate previous impressions of Monterey in general, Arroyo Seco in particular. David Kristiansen, Lead Sommelier of Pebble Beach Resorts disclosed: "I live and work in Monterey, yet prior to this trip I lumped 'Monterey wines' all together on my lists— dark, bold, lush Pinot Noirs, and big, buttery, tropical Chardonnays. If a guest preferred a more delicate, high-toned Pinot Noir or a more minerally, citrusy Chardonnay, I might direct them to wines from Santa Barbara, Sonoma Coast or Anderson Valley. What a surprise to find a recurring theme of high-toned, red-fruited Pinot Noirs with an intriguing coastal scrub and dried herbal notes right here in Arroyo Seco—in con - trast, in fact, to the dark, rich styles of Pinot Noirs from Santa Lucia Highlands, right next door. Chardonnays here are tropical, but very crisp and citrusy with elevated acidity." It was in search of these sensations— according to Bill Hammond, Jackson Family Wines' longtime Vice President of Farming—that originally brought the late Jess Jackson to Arroyo Seco in the 1980s. Standing on the elevated slope at the western edge of Panorama Vineyard, just a few feet away from the dividing line At our next stop, the 379-acre Griva Vineyard—spread over both sides of the Arroyo Seco River in the heart of the AVA, in river rock, gravel and sandy loam soils—we sat for a tasting of six 2014 Sauvignon Musqués in the lovingly restored, century-old Griva barn. Winemaker Mark Chesebro—who owns Chesebro Wines, and is also a partner in Arroyo Seco's Mission Ranch Vineyard and Cedar Lane Vineyard— started things off with a brief history of the grape, which was originally introduced to California by U.C. Davis and in the mid-'70s, identified by Arroyo Seco's Doug Meader (who founded Ventana Vineyards) as a more fruit-forward, and less vegetal, clonal variant of Sauvignon Blanc. Remarked Michael Griva, "Sauvignon Musqué is my favorite grape to grow because it is by no means one-dimensional—we'll get aggressive pear or tropical fruit qualities on the south sides of our rows, and more grapefruit and kiwi on the north side—all from the same plants." Added Chesebro, "Sauvignon Musqué gives a smaller cluster compared to standard Sauvignon Blanc clones, which can result in erratic yields, not always for the best." Notes on the bottlings of 2014 Arroyo Seco Sauvignon Musqué shown: Bernardus—Presented by Bernardus winemaker Dean De Korth; picked as many as seven times at sugars ranging from 21.5° to 24° Brix; lean, tart, flowery and peppery spiced. Chesebro—Whole cluster pressed and aged in multiple vessels (tank, steel barrel, neutral oak); flowery, peppery and green herbal nuances, veering towards passionfruit. J. Lohr Estates Flume Crossing—Presented by J. Lohr winemaker Jeff Meier ; aged in steel tank, neutral and acacia wood; pungently peppery and floral, with full range of varietal aromas (passionfruit/guava/grapefruit/orange rind); rapier acidity. Luli—Custom-made by the Pisoni family from Griva fruit; neutral oak–fermented; lower key nose of orange blossom, citrus and white pepper spice; mildly citrusy acid balance. Morgan—Unusual nose of spiced sausage (fennel, pepper, mustard seed); meaty, medium-full body rounded by moderate acidity. Ventana—Picked twice, at 22° and 23° Brix; tank-fermented; the most Ortega chile/ peppery spiced, yet with tart grapefruit, guava and green apple (not vegetal); also the most minerally, almost saline (according to Chesebro, "like sucking on a rock"). Following the Sauvignon Musqué study, our sommeliers sat down in the Griva barn to enjoy library bottlings and a wine country barbecue—wood-grilled steaks, fresh-chopped salsa, cowboy beans and ten-pound homemade pies—with members of the Arroyo Seco Winegrowers. Breaking bread with the growers and winemakers, says Aleks Berry of L.A. Café Stella, "framed the authentic feel of the AVA . . . It is farmers who define Arroyo Seco—their personalities underline the intimacy between agriculture and viticulture that we tasted in the wines." STUDY OF SAUVIGNON MUSQUÉ IN GRIVA VINEYARD A view of Griva Vineyard. Griva Vineyard - Sauvignon Musqué tasting in Griva's 100-year-old barn. DAY 2 (Vineyard) Plots Thicken At Panorama Vineyard , Jackson Family Wines' Vice President of Farming Bill Hammond (right), talks close-spacing viticul- ture with Corrina Strauss, Rachel Macalisang, Paige Bindel and David Kristiansen.