Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/306378
may 2014 / the tasting panel / 101 of the brand volume is destined to be sold outside the U.S., both in the United Kingdom and Asia through Accolade's large sales and marketing footprint." Steam Power! Sauvignon Blanc may be Chattan's calling card, but Cabernet Sauvignon has always been an on-premise staple for Geyser Peak. As the winery embarks on a new chapter in its 134-year history, Chattan is introducing two proprietary Cabernet-based blends and a Pinot Noir that take their cue from the winery's namesake—The Geysers. Steam no longer billows visibly from the fumaroles or steam vents that gave the city of Geyserville and 3,458-foot Geyser Peak their names. It was first harnessed in the 1920s as a source of energy and, today, under the care- ful management of Calpine, fuels the largest renewable source of geothermal power in the world. Calpines' 15 steam-powered plants generate 60 percent of the electricity required by the North Coast region, from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border. Erroneously dubbed "The Geysers" by a hunter who stumbled upon the other-worldly landscape in 1847, the 45 square miles of hot springs and steam vents that straddle the Sonoma and Lake County border had long been used by the local Indian tribes for health and ceremonial purposes. By the time winemaker Augustus Quitzow founded Geyser Peak Winery in 1880, The Geysers resort had been a popular tourist des- tination for more than 20 years. Quitzow is said to have chosen the winery site for its view of the rare natural phenomenon that attracted visitors from around the world. The Geysers resort endured for another century; it was closed in 1980, but the romantic 19th-century fascination with the powers of water has become a lasting part of Geyser Peak Winery's legacy. For her new Reserve Series wine, Chattan sourced fruit in Alexander Valley and put her considerable blending skills to work. Devil's Inkstand ($55) is a Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant reserve blend of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Petite Sirah that ages for 22 months in French and American oak. Often described as "the gates of Hades," the dramatic geothermal landscape of The Geysers fueled the imagination of early settlers and inspired the name the Devil's Inkstand for the inky-black walls of a deep fumarole. New additions to Geyser Peak's Appellation Series include Tectonic Red Wine Blend ($28), a 70 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 30 percent Petit Verdot that pays homage to the diverse "top down" range of granitic and volcanic soils that distinguish the Alexander Valley sites Chattan selected for this new blend. "We've used Cabernet Sauvignon from two different benchland exposures and increased the amount of black fruit in the blend with Petit Verdot." A Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Pluto's Fury ($36), is named after the Greek god of mineral wealth, whose earliest name was none other than Hades. Chattan calls it "elegantly structured with pomegranate, raspberry and watermelon fruit complemented by earth notes of black tea and sage." "By looking to our past, we're finding an authentic way to tell our brand story," says Chattan, who credits Accolade Brands with the "rebirth" of the winery. "The history of The Geysers is fascinat- ing and Calpine offers free tours of their geothermal plants from Sonoma or from their visitor center in Middletown. You can still see the deep ruts made by the stagecoaches that brought settlers and visitors to Sonoma County in the 19th century." New Times, New Wines Devil's Inkstand is named for the fuma- roles that dot the local area's landscape. The Cabernet and Petit Verdot for red blend Tectonic is grown on granitic and volcanic soils. Pluto's Fury holds earth notes of black tea and sage. A historic photo shows the local fumaroles from which The Geysers and Geyser Peak originally got their name. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SONOMA COUNTY LIBRARY TP0514_072-101.indd 101 4/24/14 11:01 PM