Castor Membership November 2023: Thank You for Oaking and Twice Valid

The ever-present, ever-polarizing Chardonnay-vines at Brick and Mortar.

“Thank You for Oaking”

Brick and Mortar Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California, USA 2022

My two-year old is in an interesting place at the moment when it comes to food; namely, she does not want it, which can be a bit of a conundrum as food is, as it turns out, a basic tenet of human survival and a real mood enhancer to boot. To be fair, however, sometimes it’s not simply a matter of refusing to eat-sometimes, she has convinced herself (an indomitable will on this child, she’s destined to be a hard-line negotiator of, well, something) that she doesn’t like foods that she has, in fact, LOVED in the past and will clearly LOVE here in the present, provided that her stubbornness subsides just long enough for her to place one morsel of said contested ingredient in her mouth.

Rather than besmudge the travails of a two-year old, it occurred to me as I was looking for an angle to assuage her that her refusal to let go of certain mis-conceptions in terms of flavor profiles oddly mirrors the palates of many non-pediatric humans I know, only in their case it’s not a zealot’s level of belief in the merits of certain types of fruit bars over others, but rather flavor and texture stigmas in wine, urban legend blemishes that have been adopted as law.

The unfortunate part is that these “misunderstandings” of flavor profiles and grape characteristics are driven primarily not by the palates of the average wine drinker, but by the products to which they are exposed on a regular basis. In short, a palate honed by lousy wine is no palate at all (I think a philosopher wrote that once). This fact is borne out every time you hear someone with an All-American diet, one that is the most sucrose-laden on the planet and revolves around sugar in all its forms, tell you they don’t drink Riesling because it’s “too sweet”. This blanket dismissal reveals two things: 1) by and large, the examples of Riesling that are available to the vast majority of USA wine drinkers are still very poor, and 2) what we often fail to realize is that it’s not the sugar content of a wine that displeases us, but rather the manner in which it is deployed. Does the wine possess an acidity level high enough to match the sweetness and provide balance? Are there other flavors to detect and enjoy, thereby offering complexity? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had friends and family give me some iteration of “I never thought I’d love Riesling, but this one is amazing, etc.”, which proves my point that it’s not their taste buds that are at issue, but I digress.

Throughout 2023, I have found that my average client has a new urban wine legend they’ve adopted, one that trumps even Riesling’s dubious standing, one that involves a stance that would have seemed unfathomable when I started working in this industry. Almost collectively, we are against Chardonnay. That’s right, the grape that was for decades the only game in town, the staple white wine of the American table, has become taboo, especially if the Chardonnay is…I can’t believe I’m brave enough to write this (gulp)…oaked.

Brick and Mortar vineyards in the Sonoma Coast. Not pictured, the fruit of the Chardonnay in their Sonoma Coast bottling comes from a single vineyard site called “Ocean View”, located within a stone’s throw of the famed Kistler and Ritchie vineyards.

Unoaked Chardonnay’s steely texture and tense acidity certainly appeal more than overly oaked brioche bombs, but Properly Oaked Chardonnay (filing for a trademark as I write this) is the apex of the grape’s potential. To properly oak Chardonay is an art; these are just a few of the choices that must be made by the winemaker:

-new oak vs. neutral (used) oak

-if using new oak, the percentage of new oak used in total

-the type of oak barrel used (here again, just oak barrels are not enough-the oak must be of good quality from an excellent cooper).

-the time and temperature of the barrel’s toasting (this one is critical to the amount of oak “flavor” that will be perceived in a wine)

-choosing a barrel regimen that is appropriate for the grape variety, region where it is grown, and overall style that the winemaker is attempting to achieve.

This last principle is the rule that I most often see broken; winemakers will try to squeeze a wine into an intense barrel regimen when the grape varietal is not structurally sound enough to handle it, or they will ignore their terroir’s natural results and attempt to achieve their flavor profile via wood, which usually only results in the actual wine’s burial behind the aforementioned oak flavor characteristics. Conversely, sometimes the wine is of sufficient ripeness and weight to be able to withstand more and better new oak aging, and a wine that could have been a blockbuster is left feeling curiously flat because the winemaker didn’t see the potential of their own fruit.

Brick and Mortar owners Matt and Alexis Iaconis.

“It’s not a question of whether or not you use it, it’s a question of how it’s deployed when you do”-Me, a few paragraphs ago (paraphrased)

Oak barrels are, in my humble opinion, a few tiers down from base terroir, yield management, and sustainable viticulture when it comes to the most important factors in determining a wine’s quality, but they may be number one with a bullet in terms of snuffing a wine’s potential. It is fascinating that such a seminal element of many wines’ production is also, potentially, the most detrimental. The nurturing effects and complex evolution of a wine aged in wood are undeniable, but so too is the disappointment felt when encountering a wine that has been “oaked” to the point that any attempt to assess the bottling on its own merits is lost in a slew of descriptors that all point to the barrel.

When it comes to Chardonnay, it is no secret that this heavy barrel influence has been taken to such an extreme that many of my clients will flat-out refuse a Chardonnay that has been aged in wood-they detest the “oaky” flavors, and don’t get them started on the “buttery” ones (this flavor profile, often associated with barriques, actually comes from a chemical called diacetyl that occurs naturally in alcoholic beverages but is often added most unnaturally to foods like movie-theater “butter”). The shame of this assumption that all oaked Chardonnay is disgusting is that, just like my Riesling example from earlier, it is so often based on lower-quality wines. The tricky part with Chardonnay, however, is that so many of these middling bottles come attached to hefty price tags, particularly in the New World, where conventional wisdom once mandated that Chardonnay had to be pushed to the limits of fruit extraction and besotted with wood in order to be of any interest to “serious” wine drinkers.

In her seminal book “Wine Grapes”, famed critic and writer Jancis Robinson writes that “without a dominant flavor of its own, Chardonnay can take on a wide array of aromas depending on where it is grown and, particularly, how it is made”. I couldn’t agree more with her assessment of Chardonnay’s chameleon-like ability to express itself differently in varied terroirs and production methods around the globe, but I VEHEMENTLY oppose her viewpoint about the grape’s “dominant flavor”. In my experience, Chardonnay is, in fact, incredibly flavorful, full of intoxicating fruits that range from tropical to tree, acidity that can enliven even the richest examples, and when oak barrel fermentation or aging is used judiciously, Chardonnay is allowed to fulfill its destiny of being one of the greatest grapes in the world. So, I invite you to try this Thanksgiving-friendly single vineyard offering that has been Properly Oaked-I have no doubt that together we can overcome our own misgivings and put this little misperception about Chardonnay behind us. Now, if I could only say the same about my two year old…-D.

Brick and Mortar Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California 2022

Country of Origin: USA.

Places and People: Husband and wife team Matt and Alexis Iaconis honed their love for fine wines, and each other, while working together at acclaimed restaurants, most notably Michelin three-star The Restaurant at Meadowood. In 2011, the couple founded Brick and Mortar as an artisan-level, site-specific winery that works with unique and special vineyards throughout Northern California, crafting small productions of predominantly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a style that pays homage to France. Brick and Mortar is a member of “1% For the Planet”, a group of businesses that give 1% of their gross sales regardless of profit to environmental organizations. Their 2022 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is actually from a single block in a single vineyard, Ocean View Vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley, very close in proximity to the famed Ritchie and Kistler Vineyards, so the Chardonnay potential is compelling. The Brick and Mortar block of Ocean View is planted with Robert Young clone Chardonnay vines that are approximately 20 years of age. Viticulture is all organic, and only 700 cases of the 2022 were produced.

Soil: A unique blend to this area of Sonoma, Ocean View sports some of the region’s famed Goldridge sand, volcanic ash, and deposits of tufa rock.

Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay.

Winemaking: The Iaconis’ hands-off style is evident in their winemaking choices: the 2022 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is whole-cluster pressed and allowed to settle via gravity before being transferred to French oak barrels for fermentation (only 10% of these are new, however). Fermentation is carried out with native yeasts, and as the juice is left to its own devices, this period can take up to six months to complete. However, no malolactic fermentation (secondary process turning malic acid into lactic acid) occurs, preserving more of the wine’s vineyard expression and bright, vibrant fruit.

Aging: 8 months in French barrels-all of these, again, are neutral (used), so the effect is one of rounding and softening textural lines rather than adding flavor notes. No batonage is carried out, keeping the acidity noticeable and balancing Chardonnay’s natural weight. Lightly fined and filtered prior to bottling.

Flavors and Foods: The 2022 Brick and Mortar Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is decidedly New World and yet refreshingly, well, fresh. Pineapple, ripe mango, and passion fruit abound on the nose, along with some fresh cream, but no vanilla/baking spices, wood, or the dreaded butter from diacetyl enter in. Sweet honeycomb/high-toned cereal, along with the pleasant savory side of baking spices make up the bulk of secondary aromas. On the palate, pineapple, mango, and creamy richness of texture that is tempered by the lack of batonage and the wine’s naturally bright acidity make Brick and Mortar a sensory pleasure from the outset. The judicious 8-month aging period in oak serves to round out the texture and mouthfeel while avoiding the barrique-derived flavor profiles. The true strength of the 2022 Sonoma Coast is the acid; it drives the heaviness from this example of Chardonnay and keeps the wine constantly moving, while providing tension. As the wine opens, you lose some of the purely ripe notes and it really becomes honeydew and sweet grains. Pairing partners come easily and include oven-roasted halibut, alternative Thanksgiving proteins (the richness of the wine’s texture will be delightful with turkey, but think honey-glazed ham if you really want fireworks), and rich potato dishes (gratin or dauphenois). Balanced, brilliant Chardonnay that is from a single vineyard in a famed area, aged in oak and produced in artisan-level quantities, at a Castor Membership price? Thankful, indeed!

Service and Cellar: Serve the Brick and Mortar 2022 Sonoma Coast at white wine cellar temperature on the lower to med level (48-50); you don’t need this wine to be too cold, but a little chill to keep the acidity from being sharp is a plus. With the structure and lack of emphasis regarding oak and over-extracted “bubblegum” tropical fruits, this wine has some aging potential. Enjoy now with a little aeration time (15 mins prior to serving) or cellar for the next 5 years.

The beauty of ripened Zweigelt-a hardy, happy cross between native Austrian varietals St. Laurent and Blaufrankisch.

“Twice Valid”

Glatzer Zweigelt, Carnuntum, Austria 2021

I’ve mentioned this to many of you in person, but starting Gemini Wine Company about 20 months ago now has helped me fall in love with wine all over again-in this time of Thanksgiving, this reinvigoration is something that I am truly grateful for. One of the most thrilling things that I’ve been able to do is rediscover wines that I was proud to showcase in my restaurant days and revisit them, especially wines that were considered off the beaten path back then (and in some cases still are).

When I took over the wine program at Central Michel Richard in 2010, I was inheriting a tightly-curated, truly global list from my friend and colleague Brian Zipin (a restaurant lifer who currently helms Georgetown’s venerable 1789 Restaurant). One of Brian’s passions were the wines of Germany and Austria, and I was happy to take his influence and build on it, as much as the context of a French-American bistro would allow.

When it came to Austria, I must confess that while I appreciated good-quality examples of the country’s most famous export, the white Gruner Veltliner, my true affection lay in the red wines produced from native grape varietals and hybrids, from the surprisingly bold Blaufrankisch to the ripely acidic St. Laurent. And, in a classic case of “twice as nice”, my third Austrian red favorite was a hybrid grape cross of the first two, named after the man whose surname literally and very fittingly translates to “Twice Valid”-Zweigelt.

The Ausrian region of Carnuntum was literally the Edge of the Empire: its status as the borderline of ancient Rome is today reflected in the excellently preserved ruins, including the amphitheatre pictured here.

Zweigelt wasn’t always called Zweigelt; when creator and Austria Federal Institute of Viticulture employee Fritz Zweigelt created this hybrid of Blaufranksich and St. Laurent in 1922, he originally named it after the town close to where he created the grape. The village is called Rotburg, and with the Germanic suffix that means “of (insert your town or place here), this new hybrid variety was initially christened Rotburger.

Imagine the fantastic sales opportunities here in English-speaking countries.

Thankfully for us, the success of this grape, created with the intent of establishing a native Austrian varietal that could thrive in the country’s cooler climate and be resistant to disease, caused later scientists and farmers to re-name Rotburger for its creator, and thus Zweigelt was born. Pronounced “TS-VY-GELT”, the grape is indeed very hardy and resistant to both cold and most diseases, although it remains susceptible to oidium (powdery mildew). Medium to full-bodied with a flavor profile that screams “autumnal harvest here we come”, Zweigelt flourishes southeast of Austria’s capital of Vienna in the region of Carnuntum, whose Latin name marks its status as a northern border of the Roman Empire, whose influence can still be seen in numerous well-preserved ruined sites across the region. With a winemaking history that precedes the Romans (the Celts actually planted vines here) and was continued after the Empire’s fall by the monastic community, Carnuntum has a unique combination of exposition, soil, and a slightly warmer climate than other areas in the immediate vicinity; this last element of warmth is particularly crucial to Zweigelt’s ability to adequately ripen here. The beauty of the Danube river is seen in the region’s northeast, where the alluvial soils and flatter plains are ideal for white grapes, but for the Zweigelt and other red varieties to flourish, Carnuntum’s rolling hills filled with denser, stony and loam soils are best.

Almost dead-center in Carnuntum’s predominantly east-west boundaries is the village of Gottlesbrun, where 50 hectares of organic vineyards are farmed by the man whose Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch were my first forays into Carnuntum reds, wines I am happy to have once again reconnected with special orders from the NY/NJ market-Walter Glatzer.

Striking gold rows in the vineyards of Walter Glatzer.

The labels are different (a more modern graphic design has replaced the prim-and-proper green and burgundy design I first saw over a decade ago), but the integrity of the wines of Weingut Glatzer happily remain the same. Now celebrating his 36th harvest, Glatzer has harnessed the wide diurnal temperature swings and south-facing exposures of his vineyards to create wines equally accessible and complex, and whatever his Carnuntum DAC (the Austrian abbreviation for appellation) lacks in structure it makes up for in personality. The Carununtum is sourced from vineyards in and around the winery’s hometown of Gottlesbrun; most of the sites are laden with the golden-colored loamy soil called loess, but a few sport clay and even gravel. Glatzer’s ambition has grown the total production of the winery to 20,000 cases annually, but the sheer number of different cuvees results in lower quantities of each (as mentioned previously, the “base” Carnuntum Zweigelt featured here is not even in regular stock in DC/VA). The freshness and inherent varietal character of Zweigelt is well-preserved by the choice to macerate and ferment the wines in stainless steel tanks, and gentle aging in large 2,000 liter casks (nearly 10 times the size of a typical French Bordeaux barrel) gives the wine subtle air without imparting oak flavors. A grape variety crafted from two “legit” native Austrian varieties, named after a man whose name celebrates duality, revisited by a sommelier whose company echoes the mythology of twins? I like “wine magic” more than “coincidence”, but it’s a good thing either way-D.

Weingut Glatzer Zweigelt, Carnuntum DAC 2021

Country of Origin: Austria.

Places and People: Walter Glatzer founded his winery in 1987 with a scant 5.4 hectares of vines; today he farms over 50 and received organic certification for all of those vineyards as of 2018. Located in the village of Gottlesbrun in the center of the Carnuntum DAC (Austria’s appellation acronym), the area has been cultivated since antiquity, and there are several well-preserved Roman sites scattered throughout the region. The vineyards for Glatzer’s Carnuntum Zweigelt 2021 are a mix of plots in and around the village and are predominantly south-facing in exposition.

Soil: A mix of the primary Carnuntum loess (yellow loam/silt), along with some sand and even gravel.

Grape Varieties: 100% Zweigelt. Developed by Fritz Zweigelt in 1922 at Austria’s Federal Institute for Viticulture, Zweigelt is a cross between native varieties Blaufrankisch and St. Laurent, happily capturing the concentration of the former and the fresh acidity of the latter.

Winemaking: Certified Organic Viticulture. Maceration and fermentation of the grapes occurs in stainless steel tanks, followed by very gentle pump-overs and pressing.

Aging: The Glatzer 2021 Zweigelt is aged for 12 months in 2,000-liter casks.

Flavors and Foods: The Zweigelt’s nose begins with a freshness of fruit (macerated reds, mostly) that, coupled with a distinct rocky soil note, is not unlike that of Gamay. Fresh violets and a clean, low-alcohol nose are echoed in the “ripe yet soft” palate. Here the Gamay comparisons go out the window, and the Glatzer’s fruit profile darkens to black raspberry, black plums, and gently macerated dark cherries (if you’ve ever enjoyed the approachably delicious Portuguese cherry liqueur Ginja, this will strike a happy memory). This dark-shaded red fruit, velvety-fresh texture, and the bright acidity brought from the grape’s half-origin in the St. Laurent varietal, make the Glatzer Zweigelt 2021 an ideal Thanksgiving accompaniment. With decidedly medium alcohol, you can enjoy the Glatzer while cooking, at the table, and during the couch-centric recovery period after. Highlight pairings include oven-roasted turkey with a generous dollop of cranberry sauce and savory sausage stuffing. Non-Thanksgiving applications? Try the Glatzer Zweigelt as a Chianti sub on your next pizza night.

Service and Cellar: In keeping with the grape’s freshness and brightly-adorned acidity, serve the Glatzer Zweigelt 2021 on the lower end of the red wine cellar temperature spectrum (56-60 degrees). This wine is meant to be enjoyed in its youth (the next 1-3 years), and luckily its delicious drinkability is the best kind of deterrent to cellaring.