Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/14611
with use of stainless steel to retain that glorious fruit. “It’s not just a wine style, but a chef style,” adds Beringer, who enjoys cooking. Also a former musician, Beringer sees harmony within the layers of different Chardonnay blends. “I play different pieces of music to make a chord; it’s the same with the components for the wine.” Beringer’s signature is on the Artesa 2009 Block 92-I Estate Reserve Carneros Chardonnay that we taste as a barrel sample. Spring flowers waft up to our surprise; these are fragrances not expected from this varietal. “It’s intriguing to make Chardonnay as an aromatic white,” muses Beringer, who, for the past decade-and-a-half pro- duced some opulent Sauvignon Blancs at Duckhorn. The use of more stainless steel and cold fermentation on the Artesa Chardonnays bring out a jasmine and lemon- grass fragrance. “If you try to name a Chardonnay characteristic, you can come up with many descriptors; but our new, subtle profile is about putting oak and ML into perspective. This is a new phase for Artesa,” points out Vince Berry, Director of Marketing for Artesa, appointed last year along with Rich Richardson, who joined the team as winery General Manager. “This is an evolution- ary process for Artesa,” adds Berry. “There’s a huge opportunity for us to emerge as the next leader in Carneros.” The Wines When Mark Beringer first joined Artesa, he had left a longtime job at Duckhorn, a winery known for its Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. “I was on my own for a while.” That is, until Vince Berry and Rich Richardson, Marketing Director and General Manager, respectively, joined the Artesa management team. “They have been supportive of my direc- tion,” states Beringer. Tasting Notes The Artesa 2008 Chardonnay Reserve, Carneros Estate (SRP $25) is a mineral-driven white. It’s apparent in this vintage that Artesa lost any simplicity it may have had in the past. Its fruit, from some of the highest vineyard blocks on the winery’s estate in the foothills of Mount Veeder, delivers spice from the word “go” and leads to a rich crescendo that dissipates into a still-sexy finish that is refreshing, lean and long. Another evident evolutionary step: The Artesa 2008 Pinot Noir Reserve, Carneros Estate (SRP $35). Dense and ruby red, you dig through soil compo- nents to reach a bountiful layer of rose petals. This is a wine that is in full gear, with structure and longevity. august 2010 / the tasting panel / Artesa winemaker Mark Beringer uses puncheons (500-liter barrels) as open-top fermenters for the Pinot Noir. Each holds a half ton of must when full. The wood acts as an enzyme to stabilize the varietal color. Polymerization then occurs, and the tannins interact to create a softer, smoother wine earlier in its life. “Mark has the latitude to explore our estate terroir differences, select his barrel programs and, ultimately, do what he does to make these wines unique to Carneros,” Berry confirms. PHOTO BY MERIDITH MAY