AIRFIELD ESTATES RHONE VARIETALS
August 25th, 2010As 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:
- Growing Rhone Varietals at Airport Ranch
- Making Wine From Rhone Varietals
- Overview of the Rhone Valley in France
Growing Rhone Varietals at Airport Ranch
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.
- By Mike Miller, Grape Grower
Brief Interview w/ our busy Winemaker
Topic: Making Wine from Rhone Varietals
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.
- By Marcus Miller, Winemaker
The Rhône Region of France
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 origin”. 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.