The Prince of Pinot chronicles
22 Pinot Noir wine trends that either emerged or continued
their emergence in 2006. Essential reading for those who
want to know where Pinot is headed.
By Rusty Gaffney MD, the "Prince of Pinot"
* Continued emergence of the “garagista” or “shedista” Pinot
Noir winemaker. The story often goes like this: borrow
some money, rent a small space that will
hold some barrels, purchase a sorting table, a press, and
some tanks, search the countryside for some precious Pinot
Noir grapes that a grower is willing to sell and make your
own Pinot Noir. A consulting winemaker is often overseeing
the venture. These are frequently one-man operations and
are truly “hands-on” from the design of the
label, to the affixing of the label to the bottles, to
the placement of the label in fine restaurants. To quote
Jane Firstenfeld, writing in Wines & Vines (January,
2006), “Passion will not be denied, and every year,
more than a handful of brave souls take heart in hand,
lay their money down and take their chances starting new
wineries.”
* Consumers and novice vintners, often in small groups,
producing small lots of Pinot Noir in facilities such as
Crushpad in San Francisco. Involvement can vary from internet
directed preferences of the winemaking process to hands-on
winemaking at the urban winery. It cannot be too much of
a stretch to foresee established wineries becoming involved
in this trend as well, allowing pinotphiles to assist in
the crafting of a barrel or two of their own wine.
* Small wineries are finding more success with direct
selling and it is projected that within a few years, direct
sales will account for 50-100% of production.
* Pinot Noir sales are increasing, with most of the increase
coming from smaller brands. High-revenue brands, those
over $15, are almost all relatively small brands.
* Modern technology is overcoming the advantages of structural
gravity flow production of Pinot Noir. The beloved forklift
has been the key to gravity flow of Pinot Noir in single-story
wineries for years, but improved pumps that allow a gentle
and careful regulation of flow will, in the words of Van
Duzer winemaker Jim Kakacek, “prove to be a match
for gravity.”
* There is still a lingering hangover of distain for
Merlot from the movie, ‘Sideways’. Syrah has
become more popular in California and has been touted as
the next great cult darling positioned to displace Pinot
Noir. However this is unlikely. As writer Jan McIlnerney
said in his book, A Hedonist in the Cellar, “Syrah
is on the verge of California stardom, but like that of
actor Orlando Bloom, more promising than happening.”
* Wine press and wine critics are popularizing “Big
Pinots,” a term that was unheard of just 10 years
ago. To prove a point, a friend sent a Pinot Noir that
scored 95 in the Wine Spectator to Vincor for analysis.
It came back 16.8% alcohol and .66 gm residual sugar!!
Remember, a wine labeled 14.8% alcohol can legally be 1
1/2% higher or 16.3% alcohol.
* According to Wine Business Monthly, the number of wineries
in the United States has increased to 5,645 (as of November,
2006), including 4,383 bonded wineries and 1,587 non-bonded
or “virtual” wineries. Virtual wineries are
wine companies that make wine at someone else’s bonded
wineries. According to the database of John Winthrop Haeger
(author of North American Pinot Noir), there are more than
720 producers of Pinot Noir. I am currently collecting
my own database and I believe the number of producers in
California alone exceeds that number.
* The wine auction market is hot, particularly for Burgundy.
United States wine auctions exceeded $167 million in 2006.
New York’s Acker Merrall & Condit leads in global
sales. They racked up close to $40 million in 2006. John
Kapon, president of Acker Merrall & Condit, notes that
top Burgundies such as Romanée-Conti, Roumier, de
Vogue, and Coche-Dury, are now liquefied works of art.” At
the September 16, 2006 wine auction held by Christie’s
New York, 3 Jeroboams of 1988 Romanée-Conti went
for $94,000, nearly $40,000 over the pre-auction estimate!
* The concept of wine directed at women has quickly cooled.
Beringer Blass has discontinued their low-calorie Chardonnay
for women, White Lies. The truth is that women are not
interested in drinking wines that men wouldn’t drink.
I should add as confirmation, that there are many women
who sign up for the PinotFile - the ratio seems to be about
3 to 1, men to women.
* Sustainable principles are being applied increasingly
to wineries as well as vineyards. Sustainable wineries
have reduced operating costs, less electricity consumption,
and more desirable working environments. The Carlton Winemaker’s
Studio in the Willamette Valley was a pioneer in sustainable
winery architecture.
* Small Pinot Noir winemakers are leasing blocks within
large existing vineyards. Joe Davis, winegrower of Arcadian
Winery in the Santa Maria Valley, leases 52 acres of vineyards
from five different owners in California. This way, he
can take a very active role in the winegrowing process
and assure
that the grapes are farmed according to his rigid standards.
* The emergence of podcasts. Podcasts are digital media
files that are distributed over the internet. Podcasts
are also known as blogcasting. In 2005, blogs were all
the rage, but in 2006, podcasts became extremely popular
with winos. Podcasts offer the opportunity to listen to
wine personalities and
offer high-quality personal insight into the people behind
the wines. Grape Radio is one of the best podcasts. Next
up: audio with videao internet broadcasts (? vidcasts).
* Proliferation of region-and appellation-specific wine
critics. The world of wine is much too big for a single
critic to have expertise in every region and/or every varietal.
Teams of wine critics now staff major wine publications,
with each critic assigned to a specific region. Stephen
Tanzer has added a
full-time assistant, Josh Reynolds, and relies on several
guest contributors. Robert Parker, Jr. has replaced Pierre-Antoine
Rovani with David Schildknecht and plans to utilize the
talents of several others for the Wine Advocate tasting
reviews (Antonio Galloni, Italy, Neal Martin, British perspective,
Dr. J.
Miller, Australia, Spain, Washington State/Oregon, and
Mark Squires, Portugal).
* Use of global positioning systems (GPS) to map soils,
distribute nutrients and fertilizers, spray for disease,
and control watering in vineyards. This is a critical part
of precision viticulture now practiced by many winegrowers
including The Donum Estate in Carneros and Van Duzer Vineyards
in Oregon (both highlighted in the PinotFile this past
year). Not every winegrower is enthusiastic about the use
of this technology out of concern that it can contribute
to sameness, that is, very similar wines vintage after
vintage, and trumps the artistry involved in a hands-on
approaching to farming grapes.
* Increasing interest in biodynamic farming of grapes.
Randall Grahm, for example, will farm all Bonny Doon wines
biodynamically in the future. Other producers using biodynamic
techniques include Domaine Alfred (Edna Valley), Robert
Sinskey Vineyards (Carneros), Benziger Family Winery (Sonoma
County), Sonoma-Cutrer (Sonoma County), Ceago (Fetzer,
Lake County), Brick House Wine Company (Oregon), Francis
Tannahill (Oregon), and Cooper Mountain Vineyards (Oregon).
Old World proponents include Domaine Romanée-Conti,
Domaine Leroy, Domaine d’Auvenay, and Domaine Trapet
Pere et Fils. My impression is that many wineries currently
employ some biodynamic theories, but are fully committed
to the tenants of sustainable farming which form the basis
of Austrian
scientist Rudolph Steiner’s theories. Burying female
cow horns filled with cow manure to improve the soil is
still a far-out concept to many.
* Use of sheep and chickens in vineyards to battle pests
and weeds. If you have traveled in France, you know that
the presence of sheep grazing in the vineyards is commonplace.
Biodynamic tenants call for the use of animals in farming
activities. Sheep control taller weeds and provide manure
that gets mixed into compost. In addition, they can sucker
vines whilecausing minimal damage to the soil. Olde English
Miniature Babydoll Southdown sheep are becoming popular
in many California North Coast vineyards. This Heritage
breed is only 24 inches at the shoulder and about 85 pounds.
Deborah Walton has a flock of 65 Olde English Babydoll
Southdown sheep on her farm in Tomales Bay and leases out
the sheep. They are protected by guardian dogs and are
confined by the use of an electronic portable fence. Chickens
can be moved around the vineyard in portable chicken houses.
They also clean out weeds and eat cutworms that feed on
vine roots. Fresh eggs every morning is an added benefit.
* Encroachment of commercial enterprise in farmlands.
Portland developer David Kahn has sought approval for am
upscale 50-room rural hotel including a restaurant and
spa in the Willamette Valley adjacent to the vineyards
of Domaine Drouhin, north of Dayton. This project has been
approved pending The Vintner’s Coalition for Economic
Progress (led by Jason Lett of Eyrie Vineyards and the
Domaine Drouhin Winery) appeal to the Land Use Board of
Appeals.
* Alternative closures are becoming more acceptable to
restaurants and consumers. Wines with screwcaps, Alcoa’s
Vino-Seal, and even ones packaged in Tetra Pak cartons
are being increasingly served in fine restaurants. Wine
producers generally reserve alternative closures for wines
that are to be consumed young. According to Wines & Vines
(November, 2006), screwcap-topped wines had a 51% growth
in retail sales in a recent six-month period. Screwcap-topped
Pinot Noirs from New Zealand are quite prevalent, and a
number of North American producers have now committed to
them.
* Mechanical harvesters are now widely used by large
growers and even small growers are considering them. All
major harvesters now use bow-rod shakers which move the
vines in one direction and then suddenly reversing direction.
Mature grapes are easily removed, while lighter rotted
and shot berries do not release. Leaves and other non-grape
material are left behind. At Fresno State, GPS technology
is used for what is termed “differential harvesting.” Using
spectrometry to measure anthocyanin content in the vineyard,
the maturation of grapes in different portions of the vineyard
are determined and then fed into a GPS unit. The harvester
is fitted with a receiver that will control a conveyor
system that will in turn segregate fruit according to quality.
Mechanical harvesters have limited applicability for Pinot
Noir growers because whole-cluster harvesting is not an
option. In addition, many Pinot Noir vineyards are planted
on tricky hillsides and the types of trellising and row-spacing
used are not conducive to mechanical harvesting.
* Night harvesting has become preferable for Pinot Noir
producers. Grapes picked at night are fresher, fruitier,
and crisper. The development of harvest lights have made
this possible. Certainly pickers prefer to harvest grapes
in the cool hours of the early morning.
* Two esteemed Burgundian winemakers died this past year:
Henri Jayer and Denis Mortet. Jayer’s Pinot Noirs
were legendary and he was considered a master winemaker.
He passed away at the ripe age of 84 from prostate cancer.
Jayer was a strong opponent of hard tannins and employed
100% destemming and prefermentation maceration. He was
one of the first winemakers in Burgundy to utilize refrigeration
and temperature control. Andy Tan of Auric Pacific Fine
Wines shared this quote from Jayer: “If it tastes
too tannic, then it is too tannic.” Andy also pointed
out that Jayer thought the biggest bullshit in the viticultural
world was biodynamic farming. Clive Coates had first met
up with Denis Mortet in 1986 and found a man “forthright,
passionate, but open and generous.” He noted that
Mortet was espousing the idea that “it all starts
in the vines” at a time when few expressed this openly.
According to Coates, Mortet was a perfectionist and this
probably drove him to committing suicide at age 49 early
in 2006. Citing his death as a tragedy, Coates points out
that he had a history of a nervous breakdown a few years
previously, stemming from a feeling that he had not done
justice to the opportunities provided by the great 1999
vintage. Coates feels Mortet’s 2001s are better than
his 1999s and his 2002s are marvelous. Mortet was driven
to make wine “like Charles Rousseau.” I have
had a number of flings with Mortet’s wines and although
his mid 1990s’ wines were a little heavy-handed with
generous oak, they stimulated me to delve more deeply into
Burgundy.
Article © 2007, PinotFile.
All rights reserved.
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Pinot Noir. The PinotFile features winery and winemaker
profiles, Pinot Noir releases and reviews, and insider's
information for acquiring boutique Pinot Noirs. The
creator, editor, and publisher is Rusty Gaffney,
MD (aka "The Prince
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