The other day I had the great pleasure to attend a luncheon with my old roommate from college ( Jim's toying with the idea of starting his own restaurant ) of the really fine CLOS DU VAL wines with winemaker Bernard Portet conducting an in-depth look into four older library-release Cabernet Sauvignons ( 2004, 2001, 1992 and 1985 - I just blogged in the last blog about this luncheon and included many pictures for you all to enjoy ) as well as the current 2006 Napa Chardonnay. In this blog I just want to quote and paraphrase Bernard as he spoke and told us about himself, the history of CLOS DU VAL, the wines, the owners John et Henrietta Goelet and the Stags Leap area of Napa that he selected so many years ago to plant.
One small bit of history that came up for me was that I noticed in my copy of a Steven Spurrier wine catalogue9 ETE, summer 1980 ) that one of the California wines being sold in Paris, France back then in 1980 was the 1975 CLOS DU VAL Napa Zinfandel at 55 francs. I had purchased the LEGRAS Brut Integral Chouilly champagne then at the Caves de la Madeleine to drink with my girlfriend ( now wife ) on our last evening in Paris that August. Wow, that was wonderful and such a long time ago! I have already blogged about Steven Spurrier and this period in time that I spent in Paris in an earlier blog ( inspired by the recent August release of the movie " Bottle Shock " ).
Here are Bernard's words as best as I could write and capture them as he delivered them with such hard-earned/on-the-very-sweated-spot familiarity and passion. It was " like breathing in and out ", second-nature to quote the famous lines in " My Fair Lady ".
Bernard speaks about the early history of CLOS DU VAL :
" April 1972 started planting, idea to make cooler wines, my wife joins me. Terroir first always, then balance, elegance, complexity, finish and ageing. All wine should go well with food. I wasn't talking very much English in these old days. My brother came to help me. "
" Do you want to stay here ? " asks owner John Goelet of Bernard.
" Yes, but I need to be a little more legal". Bernard responds.
" Now 37-38 years later I'm still here. We make 80% red and 20% white. I don't invent anything. My father tried to make me understand the relationship we have with wine : he chose wine according to the food. I'm number 3 in importance in the meal : food, people and then me ( the wine I select to drink with the food ). "
" Back then in 1972 there were 2-3 root-stocks but one was highly prone to phyloxera. Sanitation wasn't the best and perhaps the phyloxera was brought by the tractors used. There was clone #7 , clone # 8 and clone #2 which I think we had but no one knew for sure. "
Talking about the Stags Leap District :
" In the Stags Leap district all the red wines are soft, have a Saint-Emilion character. I see that from time to time ... I blended Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. I remember mt father doing this in Bordeaux; toning down the intensity of the Cabernet Sauvignons, wanting more complexity... in 2004 we planted the Petit Verdot ".
Next Bernard spoke about the four Cabernet Sauvignons nicely poured, labeled and ready and breathing there ready for us all gathered to enjoy with our pink-centered red meat and gratin potatoes that left plenty of room for the wines to completely " strut their stuff ". That's my quote, not Bernard's. I really appreciate that the food was the backdrop for these four older fabulous Cabernet Sauvignons ( 2004, 1002 and 1992 ( all legally from the newly-declared Stags Leap District ) and the 1985 ( which was also entirely from the Stags Leap District except that it was not then officially known as that ). For me they were all wonderful, they were all classic and reminded me of some really good Bordeaux wines that I have drunk with some bottle-age over the years. They were in my humble opinion great wines to serve with food, just as Bernard intended. I think that the 1992 was , however the best with the meal. When Bernard came to our table I asked him in French which he thought best-complemented our meal and he responded back in French " le quatre-vingt douxe ". I smiled. Nice to be on the same page.
Earlier Bernard mentioned his brother Dominique who left to go to Australia to make the excellent wines of TALTARNI in Victoria, South Australia. He has just recently left TALTARNI but for many years made excellent Shiraz, red blends like the " Three Monks " and the fabulous dry " Brut Tache " rose sparkling wine. All his wines as well as Bernard's are available in our store at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits 3423 Connecticut Avenue NW, DC, 202-363-4265 www.clevelandparkwine.com sales@clevelandparkwine.com. Call Mike Martin or me ( Tony ) for more information or to place orders.
Bernard speaking about the Reserve 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon :
" 5% Cabernet Franc , mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and some Merlot ... violet, truffle, tobacco : sweet, woody, forest, very moist earth, mineral earthy bouquet ... Stags Leap district. Aged 20 months in small oak barrels, some new and some old . Long finish, the fruit is wholly integrated into the wood - a sweet oak - fabulous. Lovely medium body. "
Bernard talking about the order in which he drinks these wines :
" I usually start from the youngest to the oldest. Taste from the oldest to the youngest . The appellation of Stags Leap district was made legal in 1989".
Bernard speaking of the 1992 Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon :
" Last wine made from the original , pre-phyloxera vines. A good year ( 1992 ), soft year, soft tannins, not as interesting, more intense, compact, very much same character : truffle, chocolate, tobacco ; bigger, fleshier, on mouth the same but more structure. Just a question of timing - remains the same freshness, fruit is completely integrated into the wood. Bit more centered than the eight-five, bit more delicate, refined - smooth, softer, silkier finish. " said Bernard as he tasted the wine and then spoke of it. He did it quickly as if he knew it all too well and this was just a quick check to be sure that things were perhaps much as he remembered them or changed a lot/slightly? He was able to deduce all of this quickly and with certainty. It took me a few minutes to see what was happening because he did it all so rapidly and seemingly so effortlessly.
Bernard speaking about wine in general for a second :
" As I get older I tend to prefer more Cabernet Franc ; a capricious variety, hard to control year after year. My assistant John will carry on. Petit Verdot brings structure ".
It was in 1993 that they began to pull up the phyloxera vines and replant them. It took I think 4-5 years according to Bernard.
Bernard speaking about the 2004 Stags Leap district Cabernet Sauvignon :
" More young, tropical, you smell vanillin in the wood - delicate, refined, extremely elegant. Aroma bit of wood. leather. Hard to adjust our wine making in last several years. Have to have structure on the palate. The nose structure will follow. People today want fresh fruit. We had to pay more attention to the aromatics while building the blend. Delicate, quite palatable, will see with food. Very nice fruit; fruit is not all in the wood like the others ( 1992 and 1985 ). If you take a Lafite Rothschild it is so well balanced and will age well. Not so much intensity in the middle of the mouth ".
Bernard speaking more about the transplanting of the vines :
" Four to five years to replant. Started replanting in 1994. Then two years to get the first crop in 2001."
Bernard speaking about the 2001 Stags Leap district Cabernet Sauvignon :
" Bit deeper than the 1992. Younger nose, black fruit, no black currant?! Bit less violet, very structured, sweeter. Intensity showed later : 5-10 years will improve dramatically. Much more complete than the 1992. Like a big rugby ball in the mouth: very well balanced, bounces back. Yeah, like it! "
Bernard speaking again of terroir :
"It tells you the importance of terroir, before and after phloxera. 1992 into 2008 : best blocks ( of the Stags Leap district ) - " subsoil, climate " - terroir is most important, then the winemaker superimposes own style ."
Bernard said so many things and I just could not keep up with him. I'm sorry for that as I think that he had a lot to share with all of us, valuable insights and his history and opinions. This is what he said about the classic versus the new style of wine making :
" New generation/millennium wants Cabernet Sauvignon for sipping. It sees wine as a beverage to sip before a meal and not necessarily with a meal. Instead of a scotch, port or Meursault( white burgundy ) ... evolution of the finesse of the wine."
It would have been a wonderful idea to have filmed this luncheon as to preserve it as it was meant to be : in all of it's fascination and facts and fun and intimacy. I would have watched it, I would have learned from it. I did learn from being there. Others could, too without even having been there. Bernard has some great bits and pieces of wine making/drinking/appreciation philosophy to share with us all. Perhaps CLOS DU VAL will next time at a future luncheon video-tape this marvelous Frenchman expounding about some of the really fine wines he has created ( and shared with us all ) over the last thirty-three years or so going all the way back to that intriguing bottle of 1975 Zinfandel that was available for sale ( 55 Francs ) once upon a time in Paris, France at Steven Spurrier's Caves de la Madelaine that was precisely just about such a wine and such a vineyard ( even though most of the representation then was in French wines and not American ).
I'd like to say " thanks " to everyone concerned for putting on this grand luncheon : Bernard himself, owners John et Henrietta Goelet( www.goeletwineestates.com ), Jennifer Horsley and Debra Eagle ( www.closduval.com : both Jennifer and Debra represent CLOS DU VAL, TALTARNI, CLOVER HILL, LALLA GULLY et DOMAINE DE NIZAS - www.taltarni.com.au , www.domainedenizas.com ). Tim of Washington Wholesalers was there, too and Thor Cheston ( wine and beverage director of Brasserie Beck , www.beckdc.com , 202-408-1717 ) and waiter Joe Michel really helped make this a first-rate/top-notch event. Thanks to all of you.
Included are a few more pictures not included in the previous blog on this event. Cheers, and don't forget all these wines are available for sale at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( of these four library releases only the 1992 is available and I'll soon have a price for that. But most of the regular bottling's if not in our store can be had within a day or two ). Just let us know what you are interested in. Sante et a la prochaine fois, peut-etre au magasin chez nous? J'espere bien. Merci Bernard. TONY
Now Bernard spoke about the 2006 Napa Chardonnay that was being poured :
" 100% Chardonnay, fermented in wood yet it's important for it to be integrated but it , the wood is not the most important part. Some years it is more fresh and some years more tropical. It's dependent on what Mother Nature gives us. There's mineral in the nose ( 2006 ), fleshy in taste, balanced, good fresh finish.
