US Producer Questions Flashcards
Opus One is a collaboration between what two wine makers?
Robert Mondavi and Mouton Rothschild
Diamond Creek Vineyards Location Founder and when? Bottlings/Vineyards? Which was first made and when? Describe the styles. First in Napa to do what? Style?
Diamond Creek Vineyards
—Diamond Mountain District (does not use the AVA)
—Al Brounstein in 1968.
—Volcanic Hill-1st wine made in 1975. Biggest, most tannic and most austere.
—Gravelly Meadow-In between, approachable with a touch of minerality.
—Red Rock Terrace-Most fruit-forward
—Lake, are usually blended into the Gravelly Meadow bottling, but in 1978 the winery bottled it separately. Still produced in exceptional vintages. Considered by some as the first cult cabs, Lake is only 2/3 of an acre. Lake is the most feminine of the bottlings, with a silky prettiness to it.
1978, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2012
—”PV” winery’s newest vineyard is named for its fruit–Petit Verdot–and a small percentage of PV grapes has been added to the three main bottlings since 1999. A few Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines are planted in each vineyard, amidst Cabernet Sauvignon vines in a “field blend” style.
—First in Napa to crack the $100/bottle mark at retail, in (1987 Diamond Creek, Lake Vineyard; released in 1989)
—All wines are aged in 100% new Nevers French oak barrels for up to 22 months. The winery moved to 100% new oak for the 2000 vintage; previously wines were aged in 50% new wood.
What grape is added to Diamond Creek’s three main bottlings? When did this begin?
Winery’s newest vineyard is named for its fruit–Petit Verdot–and a small percentage of PV grapes has been added to the three main bottlings since 1999.
What makes Diamond Creek’s vines special?
Planted on St. George roostock, which survived Napa’s 1980’s bout with phylloxera and are now nearly half a century old.
Diamond Creek makes less than 2000 cases a year total.
Corison Winery Location? Year Established? Winemaker? Previously worked at? Top Vineyard?
Corison
—St. Helena
—1987
—Cathy Corison (one of Napa Valley’s first femal winemakers); decade making wines for Chappellet and produced first vintage of Staglin Cab Sauv.
—Kronos (8 acres; low-yielding, old vines, widely spaced, dry farmed, and grafted on St. George rootstock. She considers it to be a “30-40 year wine”
—Cabs aged in french oak, 50% new.
Where is Chateau Montelena based?
Calistoga
Where is Harlan estate based?
Oakville
Where is Philip Togni based?
Spring Mountain
Where is Dominus based?
Yountville
Dunn Vineyards Region of Production? Year Established Winemaker? Previously worked? Wines produced? Style?
Dunn Vineyards
—Howell Mountain (Dunn was instrumental in helping develop AVA; defined by elevation beginnning at 1400ft–Dunn’s reach 2100ft); Randy’s children, Michael and Kristina, running family property.
—1979 (first official vintage in 1981)
—Randy Dunn, former Caymus winemaker
—Howell Mountain Cab Sauv (wax seal, 100% estate)
—Napa Valley Cab Sauv (foil seal 85% estate, 15% valley floor)
—produces some of Napa’s most rugged and tannic wines, requiring years to soften. Cab undergoes whole-cluster fermentation, and spends around 30 months in barrel prior to release. Dunn has been rather open about alcohol adjustment, and employs reverse osmosis to ensure that his wines remain under 14% abv.
Where is Mayacamas Vineyards based?
What was the winery original named?
—Mount Veeder
—Fisher winery; built in 1889 by John Henry Fisher
Where is Shafer Vineyards based? Who founded the winery? What is their flagship bottling?
Stags Leap District
- John Shafer was an instrumental voice in creation of AVA in 1985. John’s son Doug took over role of winemaker in 1983 (later passed on to his assistant Elias Fernandez, as Doug took on greater control of company.)
- Shafer was an early pioneer for green practices in Napa in the late 80’s and in 2004 became the first in the US to make the switch to 100% solar power generation.
- Hillside Estate Cabernet (inaugural vintage 1983)
Where is Beaulieu Vineyards based?
Who founded it and when?
What is the flagship bottling?
Who owns Bealieu now?
Rutherford
- founded in 1900 by Frenchman Georges de Latour
- Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (sourced from BV Ranches #1 and #2; some vintages include a small amount of other Bordeaux varieties)
Ownership of Beaulieu transitioned through corporate mergers and acquisitions to Diageo in 1997
Where is Marcassin? Who is the winemaker? Where did the winemaker work/consult?
Sonoma Coast
Helen Turley
- She was the winemaker for Turley Wine until 1995
- Consulted for Pahlmeyer, Bryant Family Vineyard, Colgin, and Martinelli.
What producer makes both biodynamic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from California?
—Ted Lemon of Littorai (est 1993) —Based in Sonoma Coast/Anderson Valley —Studied winemaking at Domaine Dujac, Roumier, and Bruno Clair. —Worked with Josh Jensen at Calera and was then invited to return to Burgundy to become the first American winemaker in Burgundy at Domaine Guy Roulot in 1982 (vinified 83/84 vintages?). —Top Chardonnay Wines: May Canyon Charles Heintz B.A. Theiriot The Tributary
Who was the first producer in California to use screwcaps as a wine closure on fine wine?
Plumpjack in Oakville.
-Winery has a screwcap program, releasing half of their wine in screwcap and the other half in cork.
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Who is the winemaker at Turley? What is his side project?
Tegan Passalacqua
He also runs Sandlands, a personal project showcasing forgotten classic California varieties, from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations, but have remained outliers of California viticulture.
Where is Frog’s Leap Winery based? Who founded the winery?
Rutherford (Originally in Saint Helena, After Turley and Williams split, Williams took the winery to Rutherford.)
John Williams and Larry Turley
Who makes “Les Pavots”? Where is it from?
Peter Michael in Knights Valley.
Ridge Year Established? Winemaker? Winery Locations? Top Wines/Inaugural vintages?
Ridge
—1962
—Paul Draper (hired in 1969)
—Winery locations: Santa Cruz (Monte Bello) and Healdsburg (Lytton Springs Estate)
—Monte Bello (100% Cab Sauv through the 1974 vintage, now a Cab-dominant Bordeaux blend) 1962
—Geyerserville (Zinfandel-based blend) 1966
—Lytton Springs Zinfandel 1975
—Estate Cab Sauv (approx 80% Cab Sauv)
—Klein Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cab Sauv)
—Monte Bello undergoes short maceration and aged for 18 months in 96% American Oak and 4% French-all new.
**1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon when it placed fifth at the Judgment of Paris wine tasting.
Heitz Winery Location? Year Established? Winemaker? Previously worked? Original wines bottled? When the switch to Cab and inaugural vintage? Other vinyard holdings/bottlings? Style?
—St. Helena
—1961
Joe Heitz (and wife Alice). Previously worked with André Tchelistcheff in the 1950s. —produced Heitz's first official vintage in 1962: a Grignolino from the property, and Chardonnay and PN wines made with purchased fruit from Hanzell in Sonoma County. —In 1964, Heitz Cellar's current home on Taplin Road, a 19th-century stone winery and 160 surrounding acres of cattle pasture, and Joe turned his focus to Cabernet. Across the valley in Oakville's western hills, Tom and Martha May purchased a 34-acre, young Cabernet vineyard--renamed "Martha's"--in 1963, and sold their grapes to Heitz for inclusion in the winery's Napa Valley Cabernet in 1965. Joe was impressed by its quality, and decided to bottle it separately in 1966--Heitz "Martha's Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon, the first single-vineyard designate wine produced in California, would quickly become one of the valley's most important wines. —increased holdings with Trailside Vineyard (1984) and Ink Grade (1989), and expanding offerings including multiple Cab bottlings, Zin, Chard, Sauv Blanc, and a fortified wine labeled "Napa Valley Port." Still produces Grignolino, in red and rosé versions, from that original eight-acre plot. —Today, Joe and Alice's children, David Heitz and Kathleen Heitz Myers, run the estate. David graduated from Fresno State and began working with his father in 1974, assuming full control of the winemaking in the 90s. Joe Heitz passed away in 2000.
—Trailside Vineyard (Rutherford AVA) - 100 acres - Cabernet
—Ink Grade Vineyard (Howell Mountain AVA / Napa Valley AVA): 200+ acres - Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Merlot, various Douro varieties
—Linda Falls Vineyard (Howell Mountain AVA): 10 acres - Cabernet
Martha’s Vineyard: Inaugural vintage 1966
Trailside Vineyard: Inaugural vintage 1989.
—Style: Heitz ferments in stainless steel, and prevents malolactic fermentation in all Cabs. The Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet ages in large, old American oak casks for one year, and in 70-100% new Limousin French oak barriques (depending on vintage) for an additional 2.5 years prior to bottling. The Trailside Cabernet undergoes the same length of aging, but has always seen 100% new French oak.
What was the first vintage of Phillip Togni Cab Sauv?
1983
Which iconic wine was initially named “Napamedoc?”
What was the first vintage?
Which vintage did it first bear its current name?
What is the second wine of that winery? What is unique about this second wine?
Opus One
1979
1982
Overture- It is always a multi-vintage blend
What was California’s first single-vineyard designated wine?
When was it first produced?
When was it not produced?
Heitz “Martha’s Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon in 1966
Not produced between 1993-1995 due to replanting.
Chappellet
Winery Location? Year Established? Original owners? Elevation? Former winemakers? Current winemaker? Top bottlings and inaugural vintages? Style?
Chappellet
- -Pritchard Hill
- -1967 (first commerical vintage 1969)
- -Donn and Molly Chappellet, pioneers of mountain viticulture in Napa Valley
- -vineyards range from 1,000 ft. to nearly 1,800 ft. in elevation
- -talented winemakers, including Philip Togni, Cathy Corison, and Tony Soter.
- -Phillip Corallo-Titus assumed the role of winemaker with the 1990 vintage, and continues to guide the Chappellet style today.
- -“Pritchard Hill” Estate wines, including Cab Sauv and Cab Franc varietal wines, are at the pinnacle of the winery’s production.
- -A “Signature” varietal line is also produced from the family’s estate fruit, including a rare Napa Valley Chenin Blanc bottling. From 2012 forward, all of the estate vineyards are certified organic.
- -Pritchard Hill Vineyard (typically 75-85% Cabernet, plus other Bordeaux varieties) 1997
- -Signature (typically 75-85% Cabernet, plus other Bordeaux varieties) 1980
–Pritchard Hill Cabernet is typically harvested at ripe Brix levels (26-29°), and aged for up to 2 years in 100% new French oak, sourced from a variety of coopers and forests.
**Important Note:
Jay James MS - Director of Sales & Marketing
Emily Papach MS - Brand Strategist & Education
Who makes Herb Lamb, Tychson, Cariad, IX Estate?
Colgin
Herb Lamb Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: 1992 (discontinued after the 2007 vintage)
Tychson Vineyard: 2000
Cariad: 2000
IX Estate Syrah / Red Wine: 2002
**The winery and estate vineyards are located in one of Napa’s most sought-after locales, on Pritchard Hill, in the eastern hills above St. Helena.
