WTN: The New California with Jon Bonné at Arlequin

Arlequin Wine Merchants in San Francisco hosted a tasting featuring Jon Bonné and a host of the winemakers featured in his new book: The New California Wine: A Guide to the Producers and Wines Behind a Revolution in Taste. Didn't get the chance to chat with Jon, but I'm about 2/3 of the way through the book and loving every page (got the kindle version for my ipad which is a delight to read once I discovered there are online PDF maps one can print out to reference vineyards while perusing the text--critical for us spatial learners!). In attendance were Megan from Ryme & Verse, Steve from Matthiasson, and Chris from Broc Cellars. Mistakes in transcribing the details are mine, of course, but here's what I thought of the wines--fantastic tasty learning opportunity.

2012 Ryme Vermentino Hers, Las Brisas Vineyard, Carneros - picked 2 weeks earlier than His, whole cluster pressed, 2/3 neutral wood, 1/3 stainless, malolactic, Sonoma side of Carneros from vineyard owned by Francis Mahoney, vines still being planted, range up to 14 years old - fleshy, fuller, richer/softer, balanced by superb acid, feels like it has Italian soul with a bit more flesh and fullness, clean and awesome

2012 Matthiasson Chardonnay, Linda Vista Vineyard, Oak Knoll in Napa Valley - leasing part of a larger vineyard where Beringer has had a lot of pull, cooler side of Napa, no malolactic, sterile filtered, barrel fermented, no lees stirring - clean herbal nose, clean/firm, not whole lot of nose, very green, clean, and lean

2012 Matthiasson White Blend, Napa Valley - blend of sauvignon blanc, ribolla gialla, tocai fruiliano, semillon, coferment grapes coming from Vare and Ryans vineyards (sb harvested first but harvest close enough to allow sb to continue fermentation anew with introduction of newly harvested other varieties), barrel fermented, 25% new French oak - tight herbal nose, superb slick/pulling texture, richness balanced by interest, superb bright acidity matched by something, Steve didn't inform me of new oak until after I had tasted, and it melds beautifully and seamlessly, an excellent use of an excellent ingredient, similarly he barrel ferments the Linda Vista chardonnay to soften and integrate the acid from the cooler site fruit

2012 Ryme Vermentino His, Las Brisas Vineyard, Carneros - harvested 2 weeks later than Hers, skin fermented, open top fermenters, 100% whole cluster, basket press, neutral barrel elevage - muscatesque nose, tons of sweet/fruit on nose, fantastic grip on entry, earth, superb flesh and fruit, savory interesting grip, the distance between His and Hers is amazing, both suggested fleshy appealingness at core, Hers is more approachable, His more intellectual, both great expressions of the same site, what a sight!

2012 Verse Pinot Noir, Sonoma County - also from Las Brisas vineyard, destemmed Swan clone and whole cluster Gamay Beaujolais clone (I am not sure if that clone composes 25 percent of the blend or if 25 percent of the Gamay clone is whole cluster), barrel fermented - simple earthy nose, nose smells like truth, simple primary, removed fruit, superb bright cherry, focused, wow, uberdrinkable, great acid, tangy fruit perfection, this is lovely approachable youthful pinot noir, would be curious to learn the age of the vines

2009 Matthiasson Red Blend, Napa Valley - blend of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, malbec, 20 months in French oak (50 percent new), coferment 5 varieties, vineyards in three sites I didn't get good info on - slightly funky nose, faint fruit, again excellent sweetness balance (as with the Matthiasson White Blend), great tang, this is certainly pricier than my everyday wine (retails for around 75) but the added expense does yield something of serious interest, this is what I consider the perfect restaurant wine, something noteworthy upon releases that justifies a spluge, superb drinking wine far from my normal neighborhood, impressive

2012 Broc Valdiguié, Solano County - head-trained vines (planted 1948) dry farmed on iron rich soil, Chris reports he was on the look for Gamay when the grower introduced him to this heritage vineyard, carbonic - smell sweet and fleshy, taste lots of thick not sweet fruit, almost candyesque in texture minus the sugar, taste more of fermentation, not getting excited here, feels like something still in process, something unfinished on purpose, interesting stuff, makes you think about dominant styles, niches, and how one approaches tasting a wine

2012 Broc Vine Starr Red, Sonoma County - blend of two vineyareds (north facing Sonoma slope--think cool--and Buckhill southeast? of Santa Rosa) 15-20 year old vines, self-cutting propogated rather than nursery cuttings, open top fermenters, ambient yeast - dark acid focus, soft with heft

2012 Broc Cuvée 13.1, Santa Lucia Highlands - 95 percent syrah, 5 percent counoise - superb depth, lovely integrated wine

Cool tasting, Keith.

Wish I could have made this tasting, I heard about it the weekend before when I stopped by. I love Arlequin!

I agree with you regarding the Broc blend. Lovely stuff!

What do you folks think of the Broc Michael Mara Chardonnay? Any experience? I was very close to buying it for Thanksgiving because my mother-in-law really enjoys California chardonnay and I wanted to show her the heights. I ended up buying the Arnot-Roberts Watson Ranch because it was supposed to be 'more complex' and it fulfilled all our desires. But maybe one day when the stars are all aligned again, I may check out Broc.

What do you folks think of the Broc Michael Mara Chardonnay? Any experience? I was very close to buying it for Thanksgiving because my mother-in-law really enjoys California chardonnay and I wanted to show her the heights. I ended up buying the Arnot-Roberts Watson Ranch because it was supposed to be 'more complex' and it fulfilled all our desires. But maybe one day when the stars are all aligned again, I may check out Broc.

I've only tasted it once, and I remember it being very...tangy. Good acid, like all of Chris' wines. Not a "typical" California chardonnay, but nice.

What do you folks think of the Broc Michael Mara Chardonnay? Any experience?

Nope. Think Roussanne is the only Broc white (orange?) I've had. The Arnot-Roberts is indeed spectacular, so many wines . . .

Nice notes Keith. I don't think I will get to California in 2014 but if I visit in 2015 I may try to get to Arlequin. Do they normally have bottles open for tasting on an everyday basis if there is not a special focused tasting going on or is it a wine bar where you can order by the glass?

I may try to get to Arlequin. Do they normally have bottles open for tasting on an everyday basis if there is not a special focused tasting going on or is it a wine bar where you can order by the glass?

Hi Jane,
When they aren't hosting a special event, they sell wines by the glass. They also operate a cafe next door if you're feeling peckish. Phenomenal selection - you'll want to spend some time in the shop just browsing for sure.

Just briefly, what is the "revolution in taste" this book talks about?

-Paul W.

Lighter, crisper, more 'elegant' wines.

Lighter, crisper, more 'elegant' wines.

That's a revolution? I 've always considered it the benchmark

Lighter, crisper, more 'elegant' wines.

That's a revolution? I 've always considered it the benchmark

He's talking about the return in CA to more mannered, less OTT wines, both in consumer tastes and in the outlook of a new generation of young winemakers. It is either a revolution or a counter-revolution depending on how you look at those things.

Mark Lipton

[David M. Bueker]

The problem with it being a revolution is that only the bourgeoisie can afford the wines.

The problem with it being a revolution is that only the bourgeoisie can afford the wines.

Whereas the big jammy cult wines were the Beverages of the People.

[David M. Bueker]

The problem with it being a revolution is that only the bourgeoisie can afford the wines.

Whereas the big jammy cult wines were the Beverages of the People.

Nope. Both serve the ruling class. So it's not much of a revolution.

Just briefly, what is the "revolution in taste" this book talks about?
-Paul W.

Well, Paul....I think Jon overstates his case by calling it a "revolution". It's more like a subtle/quiet groundswell towards
more terroir-driven, lighter, less alcoholic, less extracted "big flavor" (as Jon terms it) wines. "Revolution" ??? Nope...K-J/Gallo/
Sonoma-Cutrer/etc are not agonna participate in this "revolution".
Tom

Son Of "Food Wine", then. I'm sure the ghost of Frank Prial is smiling somewhere.

-Paul W.

Son Of "Food Wine", then. I'm sure the ghost of Frank Prial is smiling somewhere.

-Paul W.

If not the ghost of subjectivity...

Just briefly, what is the "revolution in taste" this book talks about?
-Paul W.

Well, Paul....I think Jon overstates his case by calling it a "revolution". It's more like a subtle/quiet groundswell towards
more terroir-driven, lighter, less alcoholic, less extracted "big flavor" (as Jon terms it) wines. "Revolution" ??? Nope...K-J/Gallo/
Sonoma-Cutrer/etc are not agonna participate in this "revolution".
Tom

Aren't some of the bourgeoise level K-J wines at least nodding towards more balance, Tom?

But that's a tiny portion of their portfolio, of course.

Son Of "Food Wine", then. I'm sure the ghost of Frank Prial is smiling somewhere.
-Paul W.

Nope...not in the least, Paul.
I think that's a rather glib comparison. I lived thru the "food wine" nonsense during the early-mid '70's. It was a reaction, primarily w/ Zinfandel,
to the criticisms of the wine writers of the day ("monster wines w/ shabby table manners": Charlie) of the late-harvest/high-alcohol levels in Zin
as winemakers pushed the levels of ripeness. So the winemakers said: "alright...don't like the alcohol levels....we'll simply harvest the grapes earlier".
The simple solution. And what resulted were Zins that were lower in alcohol...but tasted lean/thin/eviscerated and devoid of flavor. Not balanced, though. Though there were still
some of the big/robust Zins to choose from, the "food wines" almost killed the Zinfandel market.
This time around, it's much different. Some winemakers are intentionally aiming for lower alcohols, but they're not tossing the baby out w/ the bathwater. They also
want their wines to have flavor, too. They're doing their work out in the vnyd so that they can harvest the grapes at lower sugar levels, yet w/ phenolic maturity some the wines
can still be packed w/ flavor. True, there are some who are pushing the boundaries downward and producing lower-alcohol wines that are lacking in flavor and taste thin/lean
and have a screechy acidity. But not a lot, I think.
One of the things I find interesting is that many of the Zinfandels of today often have alcohol levels well North of 15%. But they still are balanced and carry their alcohol well and don't have
the overripe/pruney character those LateHrvst Zins of the '70's showed. They taste like "normal" Zins. When's the last time you saw on the shelf a "Late Harvest" Zin?? Not very often, and
they are often off-dry Zins if they do.
I think it's silly to focus on the alcohol level in the wines that Jon is espousing as part of this "revolution". There are other factors as well. One is choosing to make wines from lesser-known
varieties, like Ribolla & Refosco & Albarino.
Anyway...that's my perspective on "food wines" and this so-called "revolution".
Tom

Tom,

What you have describe is what the term "food wine" degenerated into. It started with a seminal artical by Frank Prial where he criticized the overblown California wines that were winning all the prizes in those days. They were overly alchoholic, over-oaked, and overly fruity. Not just the zins--Chardonnays and cabs as well. Prial observed that while that style of wine certainly is attention-getting and tends to win medals at tasting exhibitions, such wines do not match well with food, which in his opinion is the first duty of wine.

So "food wine" originally was meant to be just that--still all the flavor and complexity, but with size and balance to go well with food and not be overwhelming. But as you correctly say, too many winemakers took the simple way out and ended up with anemic results.

So "food wine" ended up being a pejorative term, and there was a backlash (Parker was in the vanguard in his early days) in favor of more flavor in wine. But the pendulum has swung too far again in the spoofulated "oodles of hedonistic fruit" direction, and we're back where we started, pre-Prial's article.

Based on how you describe it, I think what Prial was looking for is exactly what this "New California" movement is about. I hope they get it right this time, and it doesn't just end up as Son of Food Wine. I do find it amusing that, 35 years on, we're back where we started in terms of bad fashion in wine style.

-Paul W.