Our very own Andrew Ferguson worked the harvest of 2002 in the cellars at Flowers Vineyards and Winery way out on the Sonoma Coast, and gives us updated vintage reports, and the whereabouts the recently former Flowers winemaker Ross Cobb and his adventures at the Coastlands Vineyard and his own label!
2006 Cobb Wines Coastlands Vineyard (Winemaker Notes)
Cowabunga! Who’d a thought such serious and exciting wine could be inspired be the cool California surf? The Longboard Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc is exactly that. Russian River inspired fruit and classic Sonoma County acidity make for one of the most refreshing whites to pair with just about everything.Winemaker Oded Shakked (right), formerly of J Winery ventured out on his own a few years ago and never looked back! We met him at the Flying Goat coffee shop in Healdsburg, CA many moons ago while we were gawking at his navy blue Plymouth Woody Wagon from the 40s. We had the chance to taste his wines and were totally blown away! Some of his fruit is sourced from Rochioli Vineyards, and he treats it with utmost respect and gentleness. This is indeed a rare opportunity to taste what handcrafted, small production Sonoma wines can be.The Longboard Sauvignon Blanc is crisp, with aromas of pineapple, sage, Meyer lemon, and hints of chamomile. Not overly tropical fruity, but more juicy citrus without the pucker…
ABC… anything but Chardonnay. Well, that might have been true when new French oak barrels were more affordable, but now they cost more than $1000 each! Savvy winemakers like Hugh Chappelle at Lynmar Winery put Chardonnay a smaller percentage of new barrels and some that are 1 and 2 years old. This way the true character of Chardonnay can shine through, uninhibited by too much oak aroma and flavor. Working with Hugh when he was winemaker at Flowers Winery for the 2002 vintage, I learned a couple of things about how Chardonnay should be treated. With care, first and foremost. The grapes have to be cool… picked early in the morning, then hand sorted to get only the best grapes into the press, and then the juice is gently moved into the winery tanks to settle. Certain barrel regimen should be chosen: how many new, how many older, and which kind of barrels to use. If I remember right, Hugh likes Francois Freres mediums and Louis Latour’s house blend, and only uses 20 to 40 percent of them that are new. He would have me smell each barrel before I dared put any wine into it. I noticed some had a cinnamon quality, others vanilla, others tea and floral aromas. Each barrel of Chardonnay would be tucked into the winery and stored. I stirred the lees in each and every one of them at one point or another while at Flowers Winery in 2002 countless times over, encouraging the citrusy, floral aromas to emerge. Now that Hugh is at Lynmar Winery, and tasting his utterly stunning Lynmar Chardonnay Russian River Valley, I can see that Hugh still has the magic touch with Chard. Citrusy and leesy, floral and crisp in the nose, rich, yet delicate on the palate. It’s one of the best, and why I love Chardonnay. Cheers, Hugh!
