Tag Archives: Napa

Wine Blends: For Better or For Worse?

The first time someone asked me at one of my wine tasting events why blends were lower quality than single varietal wines, I was taken by surprise. It never occurred to me at the time that this perception even existed. After all, some of my favorite wines, and some of the most prestigious wines in the world, are blends.

After giving it some more thought, I realized this may be more a “New World” perception. After all, some of the most highly reputed wines from the U.S. are labeled as single varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, etc.. Meanwhile, blends are relegated to a small section of the wine shop labeled with the generic term “Blends” and some may not even have grape varieties listed on the label. Many of those wines are also inexpensive mass market labels – Apothic Red, 19 Crimes, etc.

Classic Blends

On the other hand, in classic wine countries in the Old World, they embrace blends.

  • Bordeaux, France: Reds are blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and/or Malbec; whites are blends of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and/or Muscadelle.
  • Southern Rhone, France: Reds are blends of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and/or more than a dozen other grape varieties; whites are blends of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Marsanne, Rousanne, and/or many others.
  • Champagne, France: Often blends of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with some Pinot Meunier; and/or blends of vintages.
  • Rioja, Spain: Blends of Tempranillo with Graciano, Mazuelo and other varietals.
  • Priorat, Spain: Blends of Grenache and Carignan with other varietals.
  • Toscana & Bogheri, Italy: “Super Tuscans” are blends of Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot, other varietals

There are many more high quality wine blends on the market than you may realize!

What many don’t know is that many wines in the U.S. that are labeled as single varietals are actually blends. We have very few wine laws in the U.S., but one of the major ones says that only 75% of a grape variety is required to label a wine as a single varietal. So your bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon may very well be a Bordeaux style blend with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and/or Petit Verdot included. Your California Pinot Noir may have a little Syrah or Merlot added for deeper color. Your Zinfandel may be a field blend where old Zinfandel vines were planted with a mix of other varieties and they’re all picked and vinified at the same time.

An exception to the 75% rule is Willamette Valley, Oregon, which set a stricter law for Pinot Noir that 90% of grapes must be Pinot Noir to be labeled as such.

Why are wines blended?

When we look at the myriad of reasons why a winemaker would blend a wine, the result can be a wine of higher quality and complexity than single varietals, but can also be an inexpensive mass market wine.

  1. Balance: Grapes may be blended to create a more balanced, higher quality wine. For example, grapes from warmer areas that have higher sugar and flavor levels may be blended with grapes from cooler areas that bring balancing acidity.
  2. Complexity: Blending can bring together different characteristics that add complexity of flavors and aromas to make a more interesting and higher quality wine.
  3. Consistency: Winemakers may try to minimize bottle or vintage variation by blending wines to achieve a specific profile year over year. This is usually done by producers of inexpensive high-volume wines, but is also done with most Sherries and Champagnes.
  4. Style: Winemakers blend to achieve a desired style. For example, many big label Champagnes (e.g., Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, Moet & Chandon Imperial, etc.) are designed in a “house style” to achieve a specific flavor profile each year. Some rosés are a blend of red and white grapes to give the winemaker greater control over the final color and flavor profile.
  5. Price: To be profitable and reduce costs, some winemakers may blend in a portion of less expensive grapes. In places like the U.S., if it’s less than 25% of the blend, these grapes don’t even need to be identified on the label. For example, cheaper Semillon may be added to reduce the price of Chardonnay wines.
  6. Volume: Producers of high volumes wines, or holders of very small vineyards, may need to purchase wine or grapes from others and blend them together to increase the volume of their production.
  7. Minimize faults: It is possible that wines will be blended to hide faults. For example, if one barrel became slightly oxidized, it may be blended with larger volumes of good wine until that oxidized character is diluted.

What types of blends are there?

When most people think about blends, they assume it only means blending different grape varieties together. In fact, there are several other ways to create a blend:

  1. Grapes from different locations (vineyards, regions, countries)
  2. Grapes, juice or wine purchased from different growers or businesses
  3. Wines from different vintages (very common with Champagne, Sherry, etc.)
  4. Wines that have been treated differently in the winery (e.g. wines aged in oak blended with wines made in stainless steel or concrete)
  5. Wines that have been treated the same in the winery, but are stored in different vessels (e.g. wines stored in small barrels must be blended together before bottling to make up required volume)

Recommendations:

So the next time you’re concerned that your blend is lower quality, think again. Shy away from the inexpensive mass market brands and veer toward the classics and more reputable producers:

  • Chateau Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc ($18)
  • Daou Pessimist ($22)
  • Bodegas LAN Gran Reserva Rioja ($25)
  • Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat ($26)
  • Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Sparkling Wine ($26)
  • Chateau de Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone Coudoulet de Beaucastel ($28)

Turf War over To-Kalon

To-Kalon (pronounced toe-kah-lon) is one of the most historic, famous and disputed names in Napa Valley history. Is it a vineyard? Is it a brand? Some of the Valley’s most prestigious personalities – Robert Mondavi and Andy Beckstoffer – have been battling each other over these questions for decades.

Why is this specific piece of land in Napa Valley’s Oakville AVA so special? Here the soils have a high portion of gravel, which makes them free-draining, forcing vines to root deeply in search of water. When vines struggle, they become healthier, more resistant to drought and disease, and produce lower yields of better quality fruit.

Some of the best, most prestigious wines in Napa Valley come from the To-Kalon vineyard, which is reflected in very high price tags. Today, there are eight owners of the parceled off vineyard – Mondavi, Opus One, MacDonald, Detert, Andy Beckstoffer, U.C. Davis, Wilsey/Traina and the Napa Valley Grape Growers. Opus One sells $300/bottle, Schrader’s Beckstoffer To-Kalon sells for $400, and MacDonald sells for $700.

In the beginning…

It all began in 1868 when Hamilton Walker Crabb purchased 240 acres of farmland in Oakville. He planted the land with a wide variety of experimental grape vines and named it Hermosa Vineyards. In 1881 he purchased an adjoining 119 acre parcel of land and renamed the business To-Kalon, meaning “the place of highest beauty” in Greek. In 1891, he expanded for a third time, adding on another 135 acres. He became the third largest winemaking in Napa at the time and garnered both domestic and international claim for his wines.

In 1899 Crabb died and his land was fragmented and sub-parcels changed hands a number of times until Robert Mondavi began purchasing plots of To-Kalon in 1966. He started with a 12-acre parcel and by 1978 was the majority owner of Crabb’s original 1881 plot. In 1988, Mondavi trademarked the name “To-Kalon” and in 1994 trademarked “To-Kalon Vineyard”. Today, the majority of the vineyard as well as the trademarks are owned by the behemoth, Constellation Brands, due to its purchase of Robert Mondavi in 2004.

The battle ensues…

The second largest holder was Beaulieu Vineyards with 89 acres. This parcel was purchased by famous Napa grapegrower, Andy Beckstoffer, in 1993 who sold grapes from this parcel to other winemakers. Beckstoffer convinced Schrader Cellars to label their wine “Beckstoffer Original To-Kalon Vineyard.” Mondavi then sued Schrader for use of the To-Kalon name.

Both Schrader and Beckstoffer filed separate counter suits on the basis that To-Kalon is a place, not a marketing concept. Beckstoffer argued that Mondavi was misleading consumers by labeling their wines “To-Kalon” when the grapes being used were not from the original Crabb vineyard.

The conclusion…

The suit was settled in 2003 under undisclosed terms, but Beckstoffer reserved the right to allow his clients to use the To-Kalon name. The result has led to labeling confusion. Wines made from Beckstoffer’s grapes using the To-Kalon label are subject to labeling laws based on geographic location, meaning 95% of the grapes in such a bottle must be from the To-Kalon vineyard.

However, since Mondavi’s claim to the name is based on a marketing trademark, it is not subject to the same rules. So Mondavi may use the To-Kalon name on any bottle it desires, regardless of where those grapes come from! Constellation’s position is that To-Kalon is not a place, regardless of the historical records that suggest otherwise.

There are two other owners of smaller parcels of Crabb’s original To-Kalon vineyard – MacDonald and Detert – highly acclaimed, family-owned wineries that are not allowed to use the To-Kalon name on their wines.

But wait, there’s more!

In 2017, Constellation started a new wine brand called To-Kalon Vineyard. They attempted to file further trademarks on the To-Kalon name, but Beckstoffer put up firm opposition in court and Constellation abandoned the effort.

MacDonald has also filed a petition to have the To-Kalon vineyard added to the National Registry of Historic Places, which is being fought by Constellation. At the same time, a suit was filed against Constellation by The Vineyard House (owned by Far Niente and Nickel and Nickel proprietor, Jeremy Nickel) claiming that Robert Mondavi’s To-Kalon trademark was obtained fraudulently and deceptively. The suit was dismissed by a federal judge, but Constellation in turn sued The Vineyard House for their use of To-Kalon on one of their wine labels.

Constellation continues to adamantly support the position that To-Kalon is a brand, not a place. While defenders of the vineyard, MacDonald and Beckstoffer, are concerned the original vineyard and its special terroir will be forgotten someday due to these trademarks being used on wines that can originate anywhere.

 

PRODUCER SPOTLIGHT: Lang & Reed, Napa Valley

What’s rarer than a cheerful teenager? A winemaker in Napa Valley that doesn’t produce any Cabernet Sauvignon! Meet Lang & Reed, a rare breed of Napa winery that focuses on the other Cabernet – Cabernet Franc, as well as Chenin Blanc.

When I was in Napa Valley a few weeks ago, I had time for only one winery visit. I had a plethora of well-known and highly regarded options to choose from – Opus One, Stag’s Leap, Far Niente, Chappellet, etc. Yet rather than booking a visit to those hedonistic Cabernet Sauvignon strongholds with their grand tasting rooms surrounded by stunningly picturesque vineyards, I went in a completely different direction. Instead, I chose to celebrate the completion of my wine exams with Lang & Reed in their quaint tasting room in a historic house located in the heart of St. Helena’s downtown.

I first had a glass of Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc in February 2021 at the California Grill restaurant in Disney World, one month before the world entered pandemic shut down. It was an unusual choice for me – I had never ordered a glass of Cabernet Franc before, which is why I chose it. I wanted to try something different, something not Cabernet Sauvignon, from a wine list dominated by well-known California labels. That glass stayed with me – it was medium bodied with light tannins, red fruit and a very distinctive earthy, dried leaf character. It was nothing like your typical rich, jammy, high alcohol California red. It made me want to know more about Lang & Reed.

When I walked in the door at Lang & Reed two years after that first introduction to their wine, I was immediately greeted by owner John Skupny. He led me to a cheerful tasting room where we proceeded to spend the next two hours chatting about his long and storied journey in the wine industry. A born and bred mid-Westerner, John and his wife Tracey spent decades working in the restaurant industry in Kansas City, which led to positions as wine stewards/buyers.

They eventually moved to Napa in the 1970s during the time of the “Judgement of Paris” and watched Napa evolve from a hippie farmer community to one led by elite, cult winemakers. John moved from restaurants to working at wineries and spent formative years working with Francis Ford Coppola, during the time Coppola was filming Godfather III. John helped convince Coppola to purchase the historic Inglenook winery, which solidified Coppola’s place in Napa history.

Ultimately, John decided to try his hand at winemaking without any formal training. He wanted to make something unique and expressive. Cabernet Franc was already planted in pockets across Napa as a blending varietal with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for Bordeaux-style blends. However, John’s love of the Loire Valley, where Cabernet Franc is produced as a single varietal, inspired the creation of Lang & Reed. The winery is named for the middle names of his two sons, J Reed and Jerzy Lang.

John purchases grapes from partner growers to make his wines. However, sources of Cabernet Franc are limited in Napa. In fact, Lang & Reed produces some very special, extremely limited bottlings of which only 1-2 barrels were ever made! For example, the 2010 Franc de Pied was produced from bare rooted (rather than grafted) old vines that were producing very small yields of fruit, but fruit that was highly concentrated and complex. Only two barrels were made, and the 2010 is the last vintage of this wine since the ungrafted vineyard eventually succumbed to the ravages of the root louse, phylloxera, and no longer exists.

Lang & Reed’s Cabernet Franc bottlings are complex, intriguing and unique, but let’s not forget they also produce excellent Chenin Blanc, the other main grape of the Loire Valley. Their Chenin Blanc was the idea of John’s son, Reed, who partnered with his dad to produce this bottling. Sourcing Chenin Blanc grapes was exponentially more difficult than finding sources of Cabernet Franc, but they eventually found their ideal fruit in cool Mendocino County, north of Sonoma.

Lang & Reed is truly a family business producing wonderfully unique, small production wines. The Lang & Reed entry level Cabernet Franc can be found in larger wine shops around the country for $30. Their more unique, limited bottlings will need to be purchased on their website. Even better, make it a point to visit Lang & Reed the next time you find yourself in Napa Valley and need a break from Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cheers!