That phrase
evokes damnation and praise in the wine world. There are those who
think a wine's attributes should be hanging out for all to see and
enjoy, and others who think that wines which are tough, and not
necessarily pleasant, are far more intriguing. I am a little leery
of the implications of either extreme, but, aren't balance, finesse,
and a sense of place important traits of a well made wine? In today's
wine world, perhaps not, for there is great interest from consumers
and critics in the new, big fruited, immediately accessible, oaky-as-hell,
larger-than-life-wines. These are wines that could come as easily
from Spain or Australia, as from California....the so called "international"
style.
As an independent
wine maker, I like to think I am the master of my own destiny. I
have my vision of the ideal wine, and I know what to do to help
insure I get the desired result. You obviously need great vineyards,
low yields, and delicate handling of the wine in the winery. But
in any trade that depends on the weather, there are no guarantees.
In the bountiful 1997 vintage there was one special vineyard, Thompson,
that went its own way and produced a very modest crop. And just
as the fruit was almost ripe to perfection, we had an incredible
heat spell that caused the grapes to dehydrate. We got in there
asap and picked, but the grapes were super ripe. Tempestuous and
difficult to ferment, I had no idea where this wine was headed.
I nervously watched it bubble along for a full year. Bear in mind,
the typical yeast fermentation takes only two to three weeks to
complete. Miraculously, it finished successfully. And, as it turned
out, the new wine was the stand out of the vintage, black in color,
thick with flavor. A hedonistic fruit bomb, if you will. This wine
wasn't something I would call my style, but it was amazing, so I
couldn't see the point of blending it into oblivion. Because of
its singularity, we chose it to mark the birth of our second son,
Henry Daniel Tolmach, in 1997. This wine's outgoing, in your face
personality matches Henry's to a tee.
So, the question
of style comes up with this wine. Am I disappointed we were unable
to turn this into a light, thin, thought provoking wine? Well no,
these grapes were never destined to be that way, but be forewarned,
this wine is shockingly huge!