Vol. 2 No. 9
Standard Selection - (1) Red, (1) White
1997 Alamos Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon - Argentina
1998 Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand
Alamos Ridge:
All About Location and Innovation
The inspiration for Alamos Ridge comes from two sources: the talents of winemaker Paul Hobbs and the unique geographic region in Argentina known as the Mendoza Plain, another land "down under".
In the Argentine province of Mendoza, the Andes rise to the 22,834-foot climax of Aconcogua. The range is so massive that it blocks Pacific storms, holds snow all year, and sends vast alluvial fans laced with rivers of glacial meltwater onto the high Mendoza plain twenty thousand feet below. Winemaking families have immigrated from Italy and Spain to plant vineyards here for a hundred years. It's not surprising that the European vines they planted in Mendoza: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in particular, acquire within their intense fruit a subtle flavor suggestive of these mountains.
In 1989, Paul Hobbs' friendship with the Catena family led to an invitation to come to their Mendoza vineyards and take charge of a new project making Argentina's first world-class Chardonnay. The success of that Chardonnay, the unique potential of the geography, and Paul's admiration for the Argentinean culture and people led him to found his own Mendoza label, "Alamos Ridge".
Paul Hobbs has a long history of making distinguished California wines as winemaker for Robert Mondavi and Simi, and as consultant for such premier estates as Peter Michael, Fisher Vineyards and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. His own self-named label has quickly become one of California's most sought-after wines. But when he came to Mendoza, it was not to duplicate California wines. "I can be part of a revolution here," he says. "Argentine wine not only has the potential for sustained excellence, I believe that it will define a new category of fine wine as unmistakably Argentinean as Bordeaux is French."
The grapes for Alamos Ridge are a gift of the Andes. Many grow at elevations of up to 3500 feet where the stony soil is crucial for the deep rooting and mild vine stress that results in concentrated fruit. At night the vineyards are cooled by air descending from the snowpack. The mountains block all but six inches of rain annually, but store vast amounts of snow that feed the rivers Mendoza and Tunuyan. Mendoza is a rare thing - a desert with water. A sophisticated and extensive system of canals over 500 years old provides an accurate way for the winemaker to control the irrigation of the vineyards. The Andes and the arid climate isolate Mendoza from pests as well, and organic farming methods are increasingly in use. There is also no phylloxera, the dreaded vine louse that continues to wreck havoc in Europe, and more recently in California. The ideal conditions in Mendoza produce grapes with all the complex intensity necessary for fine wine. But it's the unique and subtle flavor of their high-altitude origins that inspired Paul Hobbs. He employed a careful combination of technology and hand-crafted techniques to create wines of perfect balance, in which high notes sparkle, yet nothing is overdone and nothing is lost.
"Life in Argentina is refined and elegant, and wine is as much a part of it as sun, soil and water," Hobbs says. "My style of wine making is new to Argentines, but what I'm trying to do is instantly understood here. Technology, people, geography - everything is in place for the huge advances happening now. This may be the most exciting place in the world to be making wine."
Although Hobbs no longer makes the wines himself at Alamos Ridge, he has left an indelible mark of quality on this fine estate.
Tasting Notes: The 1997 Alamos Ridge Cabernet is built on a core of ripe plum and blackberry fruit laced with essence of hazelnut chocolate. In aromatic profile, it intrigues with nuances of cedar, cigar-box and toast from aging. The palate is medium full-bodied and layered with generous and finely rendered tannins for a smooth, supple texture. It can be drunk happily now, or it may be cellared for an additional 2-5 years. Like all of Alamos Ridge's Cabernets, the fruit was picked entirely by hand from the estate's own vineyards, and the resulting wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. In the Bordeaux tradition, the 1997 Alamos Ridge spent a year in small oak barrel-at least 30% of which were new barriques. This is evident in the lightly toasted "pain grille" flavors that coat the wine's succulent fruit.
Accompaniments: Being both balanced and flavorful, the 1997 Alamos Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon complements a cornucopia of hearty dishes, cheeses, and chocolate. Yes, chocolate. Many of our tasters espouse the combination of fine chocolate with the Alamos Cabernet; one taster even pronounced that combination to be her one and only divine revelation. In true Argentine fashion, the Alamos Ridge Cabernet also does wonders for a thick, juicy steak or prime rib. But as always, let your palate and your passion be your guide. Enjoy!
Villa Maria Wines:
An Overriding Desire to be the Best"
In 1960, George Fistonich, the son of a Croatian immigrant, founded Villa Maria in Magere, Auckland. Voted New Zealand's Winemaker of the year in 1993, George is today the managing director of the Villa Maria Group, which also includes Vidal and Esk Valley Wineries; together they form the third largest wine company in New Zealand.
Winemaker Michelle Richardson has been with Villa Maria since 1992. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Australia and in 1991 assisting winemaker Hugh Ryman with the French vintage. In 1997 Michelle, like George Fistonich, was voted New Zealand's Winemaker of the Year. Since 1996, her wines have taken Villa Maria to new peaks in quality.
Steve Smith is the chief viticulturist for Villa Maria, having previously done research with wine industry guru Dr. Richard Smart. In 1996, Steve passed the demanding Master of Wine examination on his first attempt, becoming the first viticulturist in the world to achieve this honor. He often represents Villa Maria at international events and tastings.
This team of dedicated vintners has placed its emphasis on high quality and good value. All the grapes at Villa Maria are either estate-grown or carefully sourced, and the winery was the first in New Zealand to initiate payment for grapes by quality. Villa Maria has won many awards for its wines in competitions across New Zealand and Australia and has been honored for its high standards of customer service and environmental responsibility.
New Zealand: The Other Land Down Under
New Zealand produces wines that are the riches of a clean, green land. Without a doubt, New Zealand is the new frontier for wine discoveries, but such recognition has been a long time coming. Since the first vines were planted by missionaries in 1819, the winemaking history of New Zealand has been as rocky as the vineyards of Marlborough. Vineyards were planted during the 19th century, on the dryer eastern side of the islands, furnishing grapes for sacramental wines and for table grapes.
Unfortunately for the wine industry, a temperance movement took hold in the 1860's and continued to effect the wine industry in New Zealand until after the end of World War II. Also, a serious threat from phylloxera and oidium (powdery mildew) during the latter part of the 19th century hindered the wine growers until it was offset by the introduction of American rootstocks which proved to be highly resistant to such blights.
However, in the last twenty years the wine industry in New Zealand has gone in a new direction, moving toward bright, fresh wines bursting with flavor! Today, the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity; during the 1980's growers were encouraged to participate in a "vine pull", the removal of older varieties that were no longer popular, resulting in a 25% reduction in the total number of vineyards, and a great upswing in quality.
The Appellations: Marlborough and Hawkes Bay
Marlborough is the source of excellent Sauvignon Blancs. The area, first planted in 1973, is characterized by gravely soil, freely draining and covered with stones. With long hours of sunshine and cool nights, Marlborough is ideal for producing concentrated wines, full of ripe fruit, balanced with zesty acidity. Villa Maria sources grapes from over 25 dedicated growers that produce grapes with a diverse array of fruit characters. The wines are therefore complex, fruit driven wines. "Sauvignon Blanc is the grape variety which put New Zealand on the world wine map," contends Decanter magazine, and we heartily agree.
The Hawkes Bay region is named for Admiral Sir Edward Hawke, First Lord of the Admiralty, and was much admired by Captain Cook whose voyage led to the discovery and chartering of New Zealand. This area, lying in the shadow of the Ruahine Range, has been compared with Bordeaux because of its similar climate and pockets of gravelly soils. The soils display much variation - from sand to loam to clay to gravel. A majority of the vineyards are found away from the coast in the dry, shingly soil of the river terraces formed by the intersection of three rivers that originate in the mountains. Villa Maria selects a large portion of its Sauvignon Blanc from Hawkes Bay to add softness and richness to the blends of this varietal. Villa Maria also selects Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Hawkes Bay, and after aging them in French and American oak for 18 months, crafts wines that are stylish and complex with rich fruit and tannins.
Through masterful blending and meticulous care it is obvious to many in the industry that quality is paramount at Villa Maria Winery, thus Michael Cooper's comment in Cuisine magazine, "Villa Maria - an overriding desire to be the best".
Tasting Notes: Pure, intense aromas of mineral, lemon grass, fig and ripe fruit dominate the bouquet of the 1998 Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc. A full-bodied, herb-tinged Sauvignon Blanc follows through in the mouth, pitting clean, rich fruit against crisp acidity. In the style of a great Sancerre, the Villa Maria sports a delectable long, flavorful finish that can hold up to just about any food you want to throw at it, or be perfectly charming on its own. Eschewing oak barrel aging, the natural flavors of Sauvignon Blanc, along with the distinctive "terroirs" of New Zealand's two best wine regions, shine in the 1998 Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc. Kudos to the folks at Villa Maria for a knock-out beautifully balanced Sauvignon Blanc.
Accompaniments: Oysters on the half shell, shrimp on the barbie, grilled chicken, pasta salads or just about anything else you care to throw at the 1998 Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc is bound to please you. If you like Sauvignon Blanc, there isn't much you couldn't serve with the Villa Maria and be pleased, short of a juicy, red steak. Having said that, we have especially enjoyed a lightly breaded oyster dish as of late that is sautéed in herb butter and served over a variety of mixed greens. We found it to be a particularly fine accompaniment to the Sauvignon Blanc. But whatever you choose, make it something tasty - this wine deserves it!
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