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2009 Spring Newsletter
I would like to thank those of you who came by our open house last month. I'd like to think it was a success. I also hope those of you who ordered the 07 Sonoma County Pinot Noir are finding it to your liking. Judging from the feedback we have been getting that certainly seems to be the case. But as they say in baseball, wait till next year; the ’08 version to be released in the fall looks to be even better. I’m sure we will be continuing the Sonoma County program even after we return to financial good times assuming we can afford to put out a wine at that price point with west county grape prices. It certainly seems to fit a niche.
Regarding the release of the 2007 appellation Pinot Noirs which usually come out about this time of year we have decided to push it back into the fall. I had lunch during the recent holidays with a grower with whom I have a planting contract and brought along a bottle of 2005 Sexton Pinot Noir. I was amazed at how the wine had improved in the bottle. I, like most people can’t wait to get into my stash after it arrives but not giving these wines a little more time does a disservice to the potential of the wine. I know it may be presumptuous of me to tell you when to drink your wine but trust me I’m doing this for your own good.
So, with no wine release to talk about I have a chance to participate in one of my favorite past times, ranting and raving and the topic this time is Pinot Noir. I know the trend with wine in general and Pinot Noir in particular is overripe, extremely extracted and concentrated wines leaving behind high alcohol but even worse, residual sugar from stuck fermentations along with the destruction of varietal character which is the single most important component of Pinot Noir. Blending in Syrah is another cheap trick used to obtain color and concentration which also destroys varietal character. There is nothing more off putting in a Pinot Noir than one that tastes of a cloyingly sweet generic red wine. This attitude has been influenced by the media. Well, as those of you who have had our Pinot Noirs know Chasseur’s are truly varietal and show fullness and richness but without the requisite residual sugar that the media has come to appreciate. This is the fundamental difference between the current California Pinot Noir style and the fine wines of Burgundy. This is the fundamental difference between big, over ripe, over the top Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir which exhibits finesse and elegance.
And yes I realize finesse and elegance are often used as euphemisms for light and thin but the well made premier and grand cru’s in vintage years from reputable producers in Burgundy have good extracted color and flavor and yet have grace, finesse and elegance. The two are not mutually exclusive. This is the kind of work we feel we are accomplishing here at Chasseur and this is what makes Pinot Noir so difficult to make, i.e. splitting the difference between plumy, over extracted and cloying wines and those thin and devoid of color. And I also realize one can’t make a Burgundy in California and this is not what we are trying to do however, we are making wines similarly in style. The most important reasons for the quality of Chasseur Pinot Noir is west county fruit, timing of harvest and the attention to detail to the small lot fermentations during harvest.
On another note Andrew Berge has been with the winery for almost three years now and is expected to move into the winemaking duties eventually. We will have more on him in the next newsletter. We also have some ’06 wines available which we have held back to start our library wine selection. We will be reminding you of older wines available every so often to give you a chance to see how these wines evolve over time.
We are also now open for tastings by appointment. If you plan to be in the area contact us to schedule your tasting experience.
Hunter
04/28/2009 – 2007 Sonoma County Pinot Noir Release
01/31/2008 - 2008 Winter Update
10/30/2007 - Fall 2007 Chasseur Newsletter
10/22/2007 - Pinot On the River
10/18/2007 - Chasseur Wines will be released to the General Public
09/04/2007 - Fall 07 Pinot Noir Legacy
09/04/2007 - Fall '07 Chardonnay Vineyard Designates
09/04/2007 - Fall '07 Pinot Noir Vineyard Designates
06/13/2007 - Chasseur 2007 Spring Chardonnay Newsletter
07/14/2006 - Chasseur Wines Fall 2006 Newsletter
05/09/2006 - Chasseur Wines 2006 Spring Release of Chardonnays
02/22/2006 - Chasseur Wines 2006 Spring Release of Pinot Noir
09/06/2005 - Fall 2005
05/17/2005 - Chasseur Wines Spring 2005 Newsletter
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Chasseur Wines is known for not only great Pinot but also some amazing Chardonnay. Click Here for more information.