As most club members are aware, Airfield produces a number of blends. We entered the business in 2005 with a game plan that would eventually result in our diverse portfolio. Today we offer Bordeaux, Rhone, Italian, and Spanish style blends. Because of this emphasis on regional blends, we thought it would be appropriate to periodically review specific regions. In that spirit, we’ve decided to feature our Rhone varietals in the following articles:
The 5 red varietals we grow on the farm are Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise. The white Rhone varietals we produce are Viognier, Roussanne, and Marsanne. Marcus will be discussing winemaking approaches to these varietals so I will confine my discussion to them from a grower perspective.
Syrah
The first Rhone varietal we planted was Syrah, which we planted in 1996, on our Black Rock site. All of our original Syrah is sourced from the Joseph Phelps clone, the dominate clone in Washington State. In 2008, we planted a Tablas Creek clone, TCVS A. Syrah is a particularly heavily pigmented variety, and this full bodied red has quickly become one of the darlings of the Northwest. Today we are growing 30 acres of Syrah making it by far our largest Rhone planting. Any blend using Syrah will be bolstered by its unique color and dark berry flavors and substantial tannins.
Cinsault
All the other red Rhone varietals were planted in 2006 also on our Black Rock Vineyard site. The Cinsault is planted adjacent to the original Syrah block, and is comprised of two clones 02 and 03. The berry size is somewhat larger than its neighbor, thus giving it a predisposition to over cropping. It tends to produce lighter colored less tannic fruit that usually imparts a spicy element to the blends. I have had a few stand alone Cinsault wines that I considered to be outstanding. Standby, were waiting for the right vintage.
Grenache
Grenache is probably my personal favorite. We planted 3 acres in 2006, making it our second largest planting of a Rhone red variety. The planting consists of two clones, Grenache Noir 03 and a Tablas Creek clone TCVS A. Grenache is a very fruit forward varietal with spicy undertones and lush textures. The variety has rather small clusters consisting of few but rather large berries. The reduced skin to berry ratio, results in lighter pigmented less tannic wines than its big sister Syrah. We have also experienced a challenge establishing this variety in rocky sections of the vineyard.
Mourvedre & Counoise
The 2009 vintage produced two surprises this year. Both the Mourvedre and Counoise were standout wines this past winter. Thus Marcus has earmarked both to be stand alone varietals. Both varieties are very small plantings of just over and under an acre respectively. The Mourvedre consists of a split of a Tablas variety TCVS A and Mourvedre clone 01. The Counoise block is planted in a Tablas TCVS A clone. Both varieties are large clustered making it difficult to avoid over cropping. The smaller canopies that we are currently managing will not support crop loads in excess of 2 tons per acre. Our success in 2009 is due in part to our recognition of that fact.
Viognier
Viognier is the 2nd largest Rhone planting on our farm, and consists of 5 acres. It provides the backbone for our Lightning and Flygirl. It is a highly aromatic variety, delivering strong fruit forward flavors of peach and apricot with over tones of violet. It is a unique grape that has been shown to benefit from blends.
Roussanne & Marsanne
Two of the blending partners for Viognier are Roussanne and Marsanne. We have planted 2 acres of each of these Rhone whites. Roussanne is the most well known of the two, it has moderate acidity with a flavor profile of honey and pear. It has a unique rusty leaf that makes it easily recognized in the vineyard. Marsanne yields flavors honey and spice and offers a linger minerality on the finish. Marsanne always gives the appearance of being in distress when the weather get extremely hot. Don’t trust your eyes with this varietal. Both varieties have tended to be easily over cropped again probably due to smaller canopies.
From my perspective planting these new varieties has been a great learning experience. What I have found is that just tweaking some of our cultural practices can have a drastic effect on fruit quality for specific varieties. I hope this discussion has been of interest to you.
What wines at Airfield are made from Rhone varietals?
The two stars of our Rhone wine program are the Lightning (Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne) and the Mustang (Syrah/
Grenache/Mourvedre/Cinsault/Counoise). These wines show the harmony that come from blending Rhone region grape
varieties together. In addition, we have begun doing more single varietal Rhone wines. We have future plans to bottle stand alone Reserve Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Viognier. In my opinion the most versatile of the Rhone red grapes is Syrah. Syrah is used as a blending component in many of our wines and is often my choice for topping barrels in the cellar.
What barrels do you like to use with Rhone wines?
Selecting the right barrels for Rhone wine grapes is definitely an on going quest. With the white varieties I find their greatest strength is the tropical fruit and floral flavors. To enhance this we only use old French oak barrels that do not have much “oak†impact in order to let the natural aromatics of the fruit shine through.
With my red program it is very similar. Syrah can handle new oak but I try to keep it under 20% for most Syrah based wines and it is 40% for my Reserve Syrah program. Syrah works well with American, French, and especially Hungarian Oak.
Do you do anything unique with Rhone grapes during the winemaking process?
The winemaking process for the Rhone’s is very similar to that of our other red wines. However, with the Rhone varieties we are trying to achieve a smooth velvety mouth feel and nice roundness, where as with the Bordeaux varieties we are trying to extract more tannin.
My management of Rhone’s tends to be gentler with the goal of less extraction of tannin. Due to the medium bodied nature of Rhone grapes and less tannin, we typically have these wines in bottle within 12 months. In contrast our Merlot and Cabernet will be bottled after 20-22 months in barrel.
Covering 70,000 hectares (170,000 acres) almost due south of Burgundy are the vineyards of the Rhône Valley. Historically, this valley was an ideal route of travel between the Mediterranean and northern Europe and the Atlantic. The earliest cultivated vines date back to approximately 600 BC. These vines account for roughly 14% of the French wine production.
With over 400 million bottles produced per year, the AOC Côtes du Rhône (encompassing the entire Rhône Valley) is the second largest single appellation region in the world. AOC is a French certification and stands for ‘Appellation d’origine contrôlée’, which translates as “controlled designation of originâ€. Within this parent AOC are smaller specified appellations. This region is composed of two very distinct areas, the North & South, which define their separation at the town of Valence. Heavy on red production, Rhône wines are typically rustic and ripe with higher alcohol content than found in most French wines. Wines from both the North and South are often a delightful compliment to foods such as gamey meats infused with French flavors of rosemary and herbs de Provence.
Northern Rhône sits upon steep, terraced lands with vines holding onto granite hillsides. With a continental climate, the Northern area experiences cold winters and warm summers. It is here that some of the most legendary wines are produced, predominantly big, full-bodied, tannic reds and beautiful dry full-bodied whites. Syrah and Viognier are the two most noted grapes in addition to Marsanne and Roussanne. Syrah is the only red grape permitted to be distinctly classified as an AOC wines from the Northern appellations. Viognier is permitted to be co-fermented with Syrah adding color and heightening aromatics.
Traveling south through the region transcends to a Mediterranean climate with broad flattened valley floors, which experience mild winters and exceptionally hot summers, sometimes prone to drought. An extended amount of varietals are grown in the Southern region, approximately 28, however quality is considered to be subpar to the wines produced from the North. As opposed to reds dominated by Syrah of the North, Grenache and Mourvédre play a more powerful role in the Southern wines amongst many other varietals. White varietals include Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Roussanne, and Marsanne to name a few. These varietals typically produce light to medium bodied fruity wines. The most well known wine from Southern Rhône is the Châteauneuf-du-Papes, which may contain up to 18 varietals in a single bottle.
In order to be classified as a true Rhône, wines must be crafted following a set of established guidelines starting in the vineyard with specifications such as plant spacing, pruning, yield levels, varietals harvest, etc. Several private wineries go outside of the parameters established by the various AOC regulations creating sparkling, fortified wines, altering varietals. Though these wines are not recognized by the AOC, they are often of excellent quality and typically only sold directly from the winery.
With such variance between the North and the South, wines from the Rhône region are an excellent addition to any wine cellar. Southern Rhônes are typically drinkable upon release or within a short period of time, whereas heavier fuller-bodied wines from the north can rest for up to 15 years.
For this newsletter, we decided to interview Airfield Estates owner and wine grape grower, Mike Miller, about harvesting wine grapes with a machine. We know this is a mysterious part of the wine process for a lot of wine drinkers out there and knew that Mike would be able to shed some light on the topic.
How does mechanical grape harvesting work?
In short… A grape harvester is a tall machine that straddles the trellis and uses special fingers (or rods) to shake the grapes off the vine.
For our technical readers….On our farm, we use Korvan Grape Harvesters. Our machines use a set of bow rods placed in close proximity to each other on each side of the fruiting zone. These rods freely float through the canopy as the harvester rolls through the field. The rods oscillate at a fairly high number of beats per minute. Meanwhile, the vines move back and forth in time to the picking rods, and the grape clusters (whose stems have become mature & somewhat brittle) drop toward the vineyard floor.
After the grapes have been shaken off the vine, the fruit lands on a catching tray, is collected by conveyor cups, and then transported to a cross conveyor that sits high at the rear of the machine. As the grapes drop onto the cross conveyor, two large fans pull out all of the light debris (such as leaves).
Then the grapes are transported to the discharge conveyor where they are screened by a third fan and by an inspector, who pulls out any foreign material (such as grape wood).
The fruit continues to move along the conveyor toward a trailer (catch bin) that travels in the row next to the harvester. Before the grapes enter the catch bin, the final screening is performed by a high power magnet, which removes any metal (wire or clips) that may have been caught by the picking rods.
Does it save on labor in the vineyard?
Our machine harvest crew is able to harvest as much as 200 tons in a shift. That crew is composed of 8 people. On the contrary, it typically takes 30 hand pickers to harvest 20 tons in a 10 hour shift. Machine harvesting not only allows us to save on labor costs, but also gives us the opportunity to harvest our fruit in a more timely fashion.
Does machine harvesting damage wine quality?
If grapes are not pressed in a timely manner after mechanical harvest, wine quality may be compromised. We insure that grapes are delivered within an hour of harvest. This is possible because of the close proximity of our vineyard to the winery. Furthermore, in order to mitigate the effects of the harvester, we harvest all of our fruit early in the morning. This means that the fruit is delivered in a chilled state, which helps insure that early fermentation will not be initiated.
What grapes are suitable for machine harvesting?
In general, mechanical harvesting works well for the thicker-skinned grapes (such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon). Thin-skinned grapes (such as Pinot Noir) are more delicate, and the berries pose a greater risk of rupturing and being susceptible to oxidation.
The physical characteristics of the vineyard (such as the type of trellis, space between rows, & the slope) also play a role in determining whether mechanical harvesting is feasible.
Weather is another factor. A formidable weather forecast might encourage mechanical harvesting to get the fruit off the vine in a more timely fashion. On the contrary, the early killing frost of the 2009 season caused us to hand-pick nearly every red varietal. We were concerned that machine harvesting would cause the dry, brittle leaves to become pulverized, be too difficult to remove from the grapes, and cause the wine to take on an undesirable vegetal character.
On our farm, we are fortunate that we have the ability to both machine harvest and hand-pick. This allows us to be more strategic about how we can process grapes in the most efficient and effective manner without compromising quality.
Do grape harvesters miss a lot of the fruit?
I truly believe that a hand crew leaves more fruit in the vineyard then the machine. This has not always been the case. The early harvesters were not as efficient at grape removal. We find that many home winemakers are extremely disappointed when given the opportunity to glean fruit because very little is left behind after the harvesters roll through the vineyard.
How do I get hired as a grape harvester driver? It sounds like fun.
Our entire machine harvest crew is comprised of full-time employees. When we get into the harvest season, everyone has his or her particular expertise. The main job requirements are: (1.) Be dependably early. We traditionally start at midnight. (2.) Good night vision. At least 60% of our grapes are picked before the sun rises. Trying to determine picked from unpicked rows can be difficult, & once the machine enters a row, it can not back up. Some of the rows can be up to ½ mile long. Pulling into the wrong row will result in a few expletives. (3.) Be able to deal w/ sleep deprivation. Universally, no one ever gets enough sleep during harvest. (4.) It is important that each member of our crew have a healthy appetite. Midnight snacks, donuts at break, big country breakfast mid-morning, & lunch breaks after the pick are a rule of order. I’ve always found that harvest can be good for at least 10 pounds.
With a final destination in mind of the wine country in Mendoza Argentina, Santiago Chile simply happened to be the stopping point in South America as flights from the US were more economical to Santiago than directly to Mendoza. Needing a few days to get acclimated in South America, our intended stay of two days in Chile quickly turned into six as we found ourselves enthralled with the country. We had little expectation that Chile would captivate us in such an intense way.
The culture, the people, the food, the wine, the scenery – all splendid. The wine culture we experienced in Chile was similar to the United States in many ways. The feel and sensations that come from visiting a winery; beautiful buildings, tasting lists, tasting fees, bladder and basket presses and other equipment lingering about, forklifts maneuvering, bottling lines, etc. Fortunately for us, this was the end of the harvest season in South America and the wonderful aromas that linger in a production facility were in abundance.
Due to limited time in the country, we were only able to visit two wine regions, Maipo Valley and the Casablanca Valley. The following lists the highlights from our visit.
MAIPO VALLEY
We started our journeys in the Maipo Valley, which sits at the base of the Andes Mountains, so close it feels as though one could reach out and touch them. Our first stop was Viña Aquitania. We made an appointment, as that is the norm here in Chile and were warmly greeted. Our tour guide kindly showed us to a bench in their gardens and waited patiently for us to eat our empanadas before we began our tour. This being our first introduction to Chilean wine culture we didn’t quite know what to expect. What we quickly discovered was a visit to a Chilean winery was not a quick experience. Several hours later, after a fantastic experience, we scurried over to Cousino Macul where being advised that we did not have time for a “tour†we told the guard at the gate that we were simply there to purchase wine. This too turned out to be a fantastic experience and we realized that our biggest problem was going to be our inability to bring home multiple cases of wine.
The most common varietals grown in the Maipo valley are Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay for the whites, and Carmenere, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds. Sauvignon Blanc was our favorite white. With intense minerality and acidity they had long lingering citrus finishes, pairing beautifully with the ceviche so common and popular to this part of the world. The Cabs were delicious for the reds. With the Carmenere being a bit too fruity for our taste, the Cabs had a delightful balance of the Southern world style of intense fruit yet with enough structure to please our American palates.
CASABLANCA VALLEY
Amongst many other enjoyable parts of our travels, we next made it to the Casablanca Valley, which has an intense Napa/Sonoma vibe. High tasting fees and beautiful facilities flooded route 68. Our first stop was at Morande, where according to their website we thought we could get a quick bite to eat in addition to our tasting. Little did we know that the food would consist of a 5-course meal paired to perfection with each wine. In one of the most breathtaking settings ever, this winery and their phenomenal wines created an exceptional experience. Sauvignon Blanc accompanying ceviche, Syrah paired precisely with lamb, Chardonnay intensifying the flavors of Salmon ravioli, Cabernet Sauvignon lingered over a small filet, all of which was topped off with a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc made to perfection and paired with a ginger infused Crème brûlée. This experience was nothing short of spectacular!
Needing to take some time after indulging in such a fantastic food/wine experience we decided to walk to the Emiliana winery, which we were told was “right next doorâ€. The walk, though quite enjoyable took about 30 minutes. Entering the property we traveled down a long dirt road surrounded on both sides by stunningly manicured vineyards. This winery practices exclusively organic and biodynamic practices, so in addition to the beauty of the vines we saw lavender and roses, llamas and geese, olive trees and an abundance of other plants and animals living in symbiotic relationship. Felipe welcomed us warmly at the door. After quick pleasantries we were quickly brought inside to yet again another phenomenal experience. Beautifully balanced wines, this winery has estate fruit scattered across five Chilean wine valleys including: Casablanca, Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua, and the Bio-Bio. Emiliana produces many stunning wines, however our two favorites were a Chardonnay, Viognier, Marsanne white blend and a Syrah, Mouvedre red blend. The white, as one might suspect by its components was complex and rich with nice palate weight, similar to Airfield’s Lightning. The red was rich, bold and heavy. We actually enjoyed the red so intensely we ordered a bottle of the Syrah, Mouvedre blend at our restaurant with dinner the next evening.
Our final highlight from the Casablanca valley was the Casas del Bosque. This winery was gorgeous. A gated entry led us down a dirt path. Stepping out of our car we were greeted by the first winery dog we had seen on the trip. After registering we were led to a beautiful private tasting room. Casas del Bosque is known for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, both of which held up to their reputations. The Sauvignon Blanc was tremendously complex. Various citrus flavors exploded at various points along the palate. With intense acidity, this wine was a fantastic treat. The Pinot Noir was equally exceptional. Medium bodied, this wine demonstrated smokey flavors with hints of chocolate and vanilla.
The final consensus after our time in Chile was that we had barely tapped the surface of this superb wine region of the world. Departing left us solely with the option that someday soon we would both return. It was a perfect experience and we both crossed our fingers that none of our new treasures would break in our suitcases!
Airfield’s spring bottling is just around the corner, so the time has come for the final products to show themselves. Listen in as Marcus discusses the steps he is taking to ensure that the most phenomenal wines will find their way into the bottle.
Make sure to get your hands on some of these wines as they will be sure to disappear quickly!
Gotta keep things fun to keep things going and that’s what Mike does here at the winery. Join him for a quirky take on the happenings of Harvest 2009 at Airfield Estates while Marcus takes a breather…
Sauvignon Blanc has entered the winery as the first fruit of the 2009 harvest. These grapes were machine harvested. 40+ tons ran through our press. The harvest numbers were as follows: Brix: 21.4, pH: 3.3, TA: 6.45.
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned varietal which originates from the Bordeaux region. This grape generally produces a crisp, dry, and refreshing white wine, pairing well with shellfish, salads and cheeses. Sauvignon Blanc is the backbone of our Thunderbolt blend. The 2008 Thunderbolt was a winner in the Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition, sponsored annually by Taylor Shellfish Farms.
Listen in as Marcus talks about the first fruit in the house.
Listen in as Marcus describes three of the most recently bottled wines, the Mustang, Hellcat, and Spitfire. Get valuable insights from the winemaker to wet your palate and he depicts flavors and compares these wines to the previous vintages.
This Chardonnay wears its reserve name loud and proud with rich fruit flavors of white peach and melon intertwining with luscious vanilla layers. Listen in as Marcus gives his first impressions of this exciting new wine and prepare yourself to be amazed by this delightful Chardonnay.
Syrah
Cinsault
Grenache
Mourvedre & Counoise
Viognier
Roussanne & Marsanne
