Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/118688
Malbecs soon began working with farmers to help them craft the grapes that they knew could provide the qualities they desired. The name Aliénor is a tribute to the 12th-century woman (aka Eleanor of Aquitaine) who was, at different times, queen of both England and France, and who also recognized the untapped potential of another great wine-growing region you may have heard of—Bordeaux. Koda's arrival has elicited a palpable enthusiasm, and passion, from all parties. Denis Malbec grew up at Château Latour, in the heart of Bordeaux. That doesn't quite cover it, though: He's not just from the area, he actually was born at Latour. Both his grandfather and father were cellar masters, and he quite literally grew up among the vines and roaming the cellars, living and breathing the winemaking life. He is the third generation of his family to have worked at Château Latour. May-Britt is Swedish, and she was named top sommelier for all the Nordic countries in 1992. She went to Latour to help with sales and marketing, and eventually the couple married and headed to America to pursue a dream together. The departure from France might have been poignant, but it was purposeful: "Sometime in your life, you want to do something," the soft-spoken Malbec says in his mellifluously accented English, "and there might be a better way to realize your goal somewhere else." Friends had invited the couple to visit Napa, and while they were here, they were asked if they would like to make wine, too. And so they made the leap, initially setting up shop as consultants. They eventually had dozens of clients, but the transition from winemaking to consulting was tough. "It was completely different," Denis says. "You go from making wine every day to being a consultant. This is very difficult. It was new for me." But the absence from winemaking didn't last long. In 2003, Denis and May-Brit were able to acquire what Denis modestly calls "some pretty good grapes" from Howell Mountain, and they decided to start making their own wine. Their first vintage yielded only two barrels, but Denis says, "It wasn't the way for us to make money, it was just a way to make wine we like, in the style we like, with grapes coming from an area we love." And it was also a way of showing their clients how they could make a wine that truly expressed terroir, how to take the land and the vines that they had, and make the very best with it. What the Malbecs are making, and what Koda is so eager to tell the world about, are wines that are low-alcohol (13.5 to 13.8 percent), bright, fresh and layered. They have finesse. They are wines that do not coat your palate and draw attention to themselves, often at the expense of the food you might be trying to enjoy. They are wines that are tinglingly alive. "I really like this word, alive," Denis says. "They have life. I like a wine that I can feel has energy. Some wines are more alive than others." "I come from the restaurant side," Koda says, "and what we are looking for are expressions of place, of identity. I never want to have a wine list that has 30 Cabernets that all taste alike . . . But it's very risky to make a wine that has a style that might not be what people believe is the popular style. So the challenge for Koda is to spread the gospel. His presence at Notre Vin means that Denis and May-Britt can do what they do best—make great wine and help others make great wine, too. And Koda gets to do what he does best—connect good wine with the people who will truly enjoy it. Just like a great sommelier. Notre Vin is really a three-headed beast: The Malbecs make their own wine, they consult with others to help them make wine and they import, as well. (And of course, all this activity might help explain the need to have someone like Koda around to help them sell some of their product.) And while you might think that they are being pulled in different directions by the various aspects, this is not the case. "Each part of the business is bringing something to the other part," Denis says. "We see it as a whole." Notre Vin Winery's line-up includes Pinot Noirs from Sonoma Coast and Cabernet Sauvignons from Howell Mountain. ALIÉNOR is a tribute to Eleanor of Aquitaine and to the substantive contribution she made to the fine wines of Bordeaux. The fruit for this label is sourced from Lake County. april 2013 / the tasting panel / 161