WTN: Corison and Stags Leap and Bart Park

Friends and I shared a bottle of 2008 Stags Leap Winery Petit Sirah at the wonderful, wonderful Yountville restaurant Bottega (Michael Chiarello), and it was quite nice. Lower alcohol (13.7%), so no heat at all. If one is looking for hedonistic gobs of fruit...not here. Instead we get that lovely herbal and earthy character I like in old school Petit Sirah. A ton of fantastic black pepper on the nose. Violets? Went very well with tomato-based food! for comparison, the server pured us a tast of the house Chiarello Petit Sirah from Howell Mountain, which was much younger (2010), more alocholic, very floral, and much fruitier.

Also stopped at Corison. This is truly one of the funner smalll winery experiences. The people there seem to be having a lot of fun, which makes the tasting experience very fun as well! Anyway, among the many wines sampled, the 2008 Helios Cabernet Franc is much lighter than the 2007, with a distinct Loire Valley Bell Pepper note...but already silky smooth! The 2006 Syrah is also likewise in a lighter style...fantastic pepper notes on a lighter frame of fruit. In the Cab lineup, the fruit in the 2006 Kronos (estate old vines) was stunningly delicious. The 2005 Napa Valley was a close second for me, with refreshing bell pepper notes in a delicious framework of fruit! The 2004 Napa Valley had a baked character on the nose which was off-putting, but the palate was much fresher. The 2001 Napa Valley is fully mature. BUT BUT BUT...the 2009s are already so accessible and so fresh and so delicious. I honestly believe 2009 will be an epic vintage for Napa Cab! A fantastic tasting!

On Friday, I did a ride from Napa city to Sonoma town and decided to climb this moderate hill east of Sonoma into an area called "Lovall Valley". This is an odd bird...it is a small, round valley directly east of the town of Sonoma (beyond Buena Vista and Gundlach Bundschu) only accessible from Sonoma but legally in Napa County! Very interesting collection of "architectural" showplace mansions on small vineyards. Pretty, pretty countryside! But anyway, on the way back, I stopped at a past favorite winery, Bartholemew Park. I love their wines! Lovely New Zealandesque Sauvignon Blanc, a great Rhonish Syrah, a very fine 2006 Merlot from the Desnudos vineyard and a great Cabernet from Sonoma Valley. I really enjoy the light hand in their winemaking...nothing overblown or excessive, great edge and cut to the cabernet and merlot and syrah! Owned by G-B (whose wines I really don't like) but separate winemaker and management!

Lower alcohol (13.7%), so no heat at all.

!!!!

I think you've been baked under too many bike rides in the CA sun!

By California standards (especially for Petit Sirah) this IS low alcohol! The Chiarello P-S, for comparison, is 15.2!

Lower alcohol (13.7%), so no heat at all.

!!!!

I think you've been baked under too many bike rides in the CA sun!

This time I'll have to agree with Brian, 13.7 for a petite syrah is really not high considering what other wineries may be producing. I'm not a fan of the excessive alcohol found in some CA wines but global warming is leading to higher alcohol levels worldwide and unfortunately will be the norm.
Brian, I just ordered a case of the 09 Corison for myself so obviously your palate is improving at a faster rate then your politics. Like Corison better because of reasonable moderation in all aspects.

I'm not a fan of the excessive alcohol found in some CA wines but global warming is leading to higher alcohol levels worldwide and unfortunately will be the norm.

I have been trying to understand this and asked the question before http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=44857&p=366843&hilit=temperature#p366843 but still don't get how it is that global warming is raising alcohol levels.

What vintage other than 03 was excessively warm in Bordeaux Lou?

What vintage other than 03 was excessively warm in Bordeaux Lou?

I'm not sure of your question. Have more vintages in Bordeaux been harvested with "ripe grapes" through the 90s and 2000s than the 50s and 60s? My understanding is that is the case. I'm sure Alex R. can comment on that and is more knowledgeable on the specific vintages.

2000 and 2009, especially the latter, are considered warm years, no?

2000 and 2009, especially the latter, are considered warm years, no?

Yeah, but I'm still not sure what David means by warm. In my mind there is no doubt about global warming and that's also the case with the vast majority of the growers here in the valley. Going back in Bordeaux and Burgundy there was a great deal of manipulation going on to get the alcohol up to a reasonable level.

2000 and 2009, especially the latter, are considered warm years, no?

Yeah, but I'm still not sure what David means by warm. In my mind there is no doubt about global warming and that's also the case with the vast majority of the growers here in the valley. Going back in Bordeaux and Burgundy there was a great deal of manipulation going on to get the alcohol up to a reasonable level.

Lou,

Seems to me that alcohol levels are up in a few cases because of extra warm years, but more likely because new world wines are selling well at restaurants etc. IMHO, higher alcohol is not evidence of global warming but evidence of a market where people want big. The sign to me is not the amount of alcohol but the type of fruit flavours. Say 2003, I have read many reviews comparing Bordeaux tasting like Napa Cabs. I do not believe amount of alcohol the winemaker chooses to have in his wine, shows the weather as much as the type of fruit showing in those wines.

Further, weather is cyclical and we have droubts and wet periods etc over a long period. Wines in the 60s were made by winemakers to last. The folk in China and India who are gulping down $2,000 first crue bottles as opposed to $15 bottles back then want to impress their friends tonight, not in 2035.

David, I would agree that some winemakers have let their grapes hang past optimum picking time. In a warm year the overall wines will have more alcohol because the correct balance is reached in the grapes when they have a higher brix count then in a cool year. Maybe Steve Edmunds or Jim Cowan will comment on this. My info comes from the growers I know in this valley. Maybe I was informed incorrectly?

David, I would agree that some winemakers have let their grapes hang past optimum picking time. In a warm year the overall wines will have more alcohol because the correct balance is reached in the grapes when they have a higher brix count then in a cool year. Maybe Steve Edmunds or Jim Cowan will comment on this. My info comes from the growers I know in this valley. Maybe I was informed incorrectly?

I concede your background on wine and grapes is vastly superior than mine. It seems to me though, in my studies that weather dictates flavours and my bible "Great Wines Made Simple" by Andrea Immer did not say that higher alcohol was not a sign of warmer weather, but did say to expect certain fruit differences in warmer climates. In this discussion, it would be great to hear from wine makers on this topic. Thank you for this discussion.

My outdated "From Vines to Wines" cites heat summation which I believe is growing degree days as follows

Lompoc 1810
Santa Maria 2490
Sebastopol 2630
Santa Rosa 2950

Based only on heat, it would be expected that the Green Valley PN has higher alcohol than STA Rita Hils and Santa Maria.

Also it cites
Oakvile 3100
Paso Robles 3100
Calistoga 3150

Seeming to indicate that there is no reason for higher alcohol cabs in Paso wrt Napa.

The book was published in 1985 so he values has surely changed. Still I don't see heat as driving alcohol levels like I do trellising and pick dates.

I am shocked that Oakville is as warm as Paso Robles! Surely Paso Robles city/East Side is warmer than Oakville? Or...is much of the fine wine in Paso grown in the marine-influenced West Side?

I agree with your basic point, though.

One anecdotal example....Sequoia Grove Winery is right next door to Turnbull Cellars. While vineyard sources do differ, they both pull from similar central Rutherford sources largely. Somehow, S.G. produces somewhat balanced cabernets with savory notes and some ageability. Turnbull? Their cabernets are basically a bad attempt at port, kicking in at well over 15% abv-and tasting like it!

And...not to forget the o.p. posting...Corison. Even the worrisomly portlike nose of the 2004 disguises quite a bit of freshness on the nose.

And...not to forget the o.p. posting...Corison. Even the worrisomly portlike nose of the 2004 disguises quite a bit of freshness on the nose.

That's good to hear, Brian, as I bought several bottles of it when visiting Corison in '07 (along with a bottle of the '03 Kronos). At the time, it certainly had no Port-like character that I could discern. My feeling is that, like most of Corison's Cabs, it's got another couple of decades of life ahead of it, so I hope not to be disappointed.

Mark Lipton

And...not to forget the o.p. posting...Corison. Even the worrisomly portlike nose of the 2004 disguises quite a bit of freshness on the nose.

That's good to hear, Brian, as I bought several bottles of it when visiting Corison in '07 (along with a bottle of the '03 Kronos). At the time, it certainly had no Port-like character that I could discern. My feeling is that, like most of Corison's Cabs, it's got another couple of decades of life ahead of it, so I hope not to be disappointed.

Mark Lipton

No worries. I think we are actually observing bottle variation here, as I did not obse3rve the port-like character at previous tastings!

Her wines are interesting. Some days I like one vintage better than another, but another tasting that changes completely. I am not so sure it is bottle variation necessarily...maybe evolution over months?