by Richard Paul Hinkle
It’s always fun to catch up with Clos Du Val’s Bernard Portet, especially when you get the chance to ask the French-born wineman what he’s learned over the last 35 years in the Napa Valley. Given that his father was technical director at Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Portet himself has founded and run Clos Du Val and Taltarni (Australia), the man has some serious perspective on his side.
“In the early years,” he begins, “the philosophy of winemaking was most different. In Napa, grape growing and winemaking were not connected. The winemaker was not well versed in viticulture, and vice-versa. In France, the notion of terroir was essential and the winemaker had as an objective extracting the potential of the place’s terroir in the wines of the Chateau. The Bordeaux winemakers were trying to make the best wine possible through the assemblage of different varieties grown on their properties, while the Napa winemakers were trying to make the best Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot, possible, as a varietal wine, often by using grapes from different growers. It is clear that, in Napa as in Bordeaux, the personality and style of the winemaker were an integral part of the personality of the brand or Chateau. Basically the definition and the sense of what tasted better were not the same.
“Now things have turned around. The Napa winemaker is now well versed in viticulture, the viticulturist and the winemaker work together. The best Bordeaux-style wines made in Napa are the result of an assemblage of three to five of the main Bordeaux varieties. At the same time, the wines of Bordeaux have evolved toward more richness while the Napa wines are sometimes going ‘over the top’ in terms of richness and explosion of fruit. I think we are on our own quest for excellence, producing wines which represent the richness of their soil and climate, independent of what is done in Bordeaux. The same is happening with the Pinot Noir. While winemakers were first trying to emulate Burgundy, now the California Pinot Noir has taken a life of its own, which might be very difficult for a Burgundian producer to appreciate.”
What of the great wine and food debate? Says Portet, “At this time, I suppose that the Bordeaux wines are still made in view of their ability to accompany food, while I see many Napa Valley wines being more stand alone products. It is not uncommon to be offered a very good Cabernet or Merlot as an aperitif in Napa Valley! Still, we at Clos Du Val do still follow the philosophy that wine is produced to accompany food, much like in Bordeaux.”
Chardonnay 2005 Carneros ($22): Delicate pear and pineapple fruit, on the lean side in exposition, but fresh and fluid in texture, with a hint of anise in the finish that wraps things up.
Chardonnay 2005 Napa Valley Reserve ($42): Bigger bottle, bigger wine, with all kinds of toasty, creamy, French bread-like oak layered onto the pear and hazelnut base. If you meet this big, bold wine in a dark alley at night, what do you serve with it? Whatever it wants!
Ariadne 2000 Napa Valley White Wine ($18): A wonderful aromatic combination of fern and flint, that admixture of fig and fern and green olive on the fruit side, with that flinty minerality that is what makes this type of blend so intriguing, so alluring. There is dried pineapple in the mix, and a toasty, French bread nuttiness from the oak, as well as a hint of fusel oil that suggests a texture that is only going to get more oily, more unctuous as this wine ages. And this is the sort of wine that is built to age beautifully, so that it might be best at five to eight years after the vintage, at least in my experience.
Pinot Noir 2005 Carneros ($28): Silky, jammy strawberry, with hints of clove and a sort of “forest floor” wildness that is alluring. Pair this with morels, and you’ll see what I mean.
Pinot Noir 2004 Carneros Reserve ($46): Black cherry and that bloody, barely-cooked filet mignon smell that gets your salivary glands going big time. Succulent, juicy texture that is large and spreads out all over the place. Yes, filet mignon, or prime rib and horseradish. Game. Venison steak. That’s the realm, this is the wine.
Merlot 2004 Napa Valley ($26): Cassis and red currant at the front end, flanked by menthol and iodine flashes that pump up the silky, fluid texture. Salisbury steak would be a nice accompaniment.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Napa Valley ($32): The aromas are all dark chocolate and blackberry, with a floral infusion of violet; there is a tartness in the finish that seems to come equally from menthol and blueberry. A marinated pork dish comes easily to mind.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Stags Leap District, Estate, Oak Vineyard ($62): Clos Du Val’s flagship is a magnificent three-master with all its sails unfurled, with rich, fluid green olive and cassis fruit, backed by cigar box notes, violet scents, and a tiny bite of soy sauce in the finish. Beef Wellington might be a regal enough choice for this beauty.
Clos Du Val is located at 5330 Silverado Trail, Napa CA 94558. The tasting room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tasting fee is $10, refunded with purchase. For more information, phone 1-800-820-1972 or see www.closduval.com.
[The author of eight wine books, Hinkle is presently at work on numbers nine and ten. His work
can be viewed on his website at www.RichardPaulHinkle.com.]