Pollux Membership October 2022: Steen and Variations and My One Thing
The omnipresent speakers projecting Classically derived serenity to the vines at DeMorgenzon.
“Steen and Variations”
DeMorgenzon Chenin Blanc Reserve, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2020
As a recovering music geek and current (former?) student of classical voice, I love the idea of music and wine as compatriots; I realize that this is a completely self-serving narrative given my occupation and former (current?) life in music, but I think it’s a leap that is easily made, though I promise I haven’t done even one cheesy “He Pours the Wine and He Sings Between Courses!” wine dinner, although I have pondered the idea before thankfully dismissing it, to the detriment of no one. Music and wine to me spend their time in the nebulous space between art and science, floating ethereally onto one side of the fence or the other as needed. Many sommeliers come from creative backgrounds and are musicians or visual artists, and I have encountered dozens of winemakers and vineyard owners who believe that listening to music shapes their abilities in the vineyards and cellar, but I hadn’t before encountered a story quite like DeMorgenzon in South Africa’s Stellenboschkloof Valley, where the hills are quite literally alive with the sound of music.
The views captivate in every direction of the DeMorgenzon estate, with the ocean as a constant backdrop behind the mountains.
So named because it is the first part of the Stellenboschkloof Valley to receive sunlight each day (DeMorgenzon means “morning sun” in Dutch), the estate of DeMorgenzon is an exquisite place that occupies the highest altitude and aspects in the area; the estate overlooks the pinnacle of the Kanonkop mountain, where historically a cannon was fired to alert farms in the area that a ship had been entered into Table Bay to the west. The region of Stellenbosch, east of Cape Town and one of the foremost areas of wine production in South Africa, was founded by Dutch Governor Simon Van der Stel in 1679 and the property that is now DeMorgenzon was already known, part of a farm called Uiterwyk, which at over three centuries is one of the oldest farms in South Africa. Purchased in 2003 by Wendy and Hylton Applebaum, the estate was transformed into 224 acres of vineyards and gardens, with abundant wildflowers growing throughout the rows of vines. Co-owner Wendy Applebaum serves as the winery’s director and her eponymous foundation has supported causes relating to women’s health and rights in South Africa since its founding. Longtime winemaker Carl Van der Merwe, who crafted the 2019 vintage that Pollux members will enjoy before stepping down in June 2021, has been an indispensable part of the estate’s philosophies of sustainable winemaking, native yeast fermentation, and judicious use of fine-quality French barriques. The DeMorgenzon team’s most interesting splurge on the health of their vineyards, however, is seen at the head of each row of vines, where wooden posts hold small speakers that for the last seven years-all day, every day- have been projecting Classical music (Baroque, specifically) across the winery’s holdings. As Wendy Applebaum notes, “I believe that music influences the way that wine tastes and smells”, and so she took this pretext of contextual experience as it applies to one’s perception of a wine’s quality and reversed it, giving the music back to her plants. She points to research that suggests plants are able to sense and optimally respond to environmental variables, as well as studies that show their improved health and growth with sound waves (the old “talk to your plants lovingly because they hear you” principle). So, why Baroque music as opposed to Renaissance/Romantic/Iggy Pop and the Stooges? Applebaum points to the findings of Enlightenment-era physicist Ernst Chladni, who developed the beginnings of what came to be known as acoustics-the science of sound. His research into the positive effects of sound waves and patterns in nature that reflected scientific sequences (Fibonacci, the Divine Proportion of .618, etc.) led Baroque composers to write music that was formulaic and was often crafted section by section to mimic these naturally occurring patterns they observed in other aspects of life. At DeMorgenzon, the team has employed these “scientific” pieces of music in the hope that they would positively influence each grapevine in the way that “plant signaling” (a process by which one plant leaf, under threat from disease or insect, emits volatile chemicals that signal neighboring leaves to mount a defense) shows a plant’s ability to communicate. So, does all of this musical therapy actually have a tangible effect, or is it a Bach Fugue-sized pile of nonsense? Well, in the seven years since DeMorgenzon has adopted their vinous soundtrack, they have shown independently verified improvement in phenolic ripeness of their grapes, but with lower sugar levels to boot, making wines that have fruit and weight but with slightly lower alcohol levels. Not that they are German Riesling, mind you; the 2019 Reserve still checks in 14.09%, which is no wallflower of a white wine, but some of that can be traced to the grape at play-the aromatic, yellow-apple jewel whose name comes to my mind each autumn: Chenin Blanc, or as it’s known in Afrikaans, Steen.
The Golden hues of ripened Steen, the South African Dutch synonym for the Legendary Loire Valley grape, Chenin Blanc.
Originating in France’s Loire Valley, the slow-ripening, high-acidity Chenin Blanc produces honeyed yellow tree fruit and at its best can be rich with savory character behind the fruit-as weighty as Chardonnay, and due to that persistent acidity, capable of long aging. In South Africa, it is known as Steen, and while it is widely planted and the source of many unexciting, voluminous-production bottlings, it shines when planted in good terroir and handled by conscientious producers. Older vines also are a help, and the Reserve Chenin at DeMorgenzon comes from 50-year-old vines planted in 1972; the vines were originally planted as bush vines but have recently been gently lifted onto trellises. At 250-300 meters above sea level, the Steen Reserve vines enjoy cooling breezes due to their proximity to False Bay (approx 6 miles) and ripen evenly, with sugar levels in check. In preparation for this feature, I tasted the Reserve Chenin Blanc and was struck immediately by the ambition level of the wine; the DeMorgenzon Reserve has a regal air about it, along with a textural richness, that show the true possibility of what can be produced from Chenin in this part of the world-a wine equal in quality to some of the best Loire Valley examples I’ve had, but brimming with a full-bodied, balanced character all its own. Add the phrase “limited availability” to everything that I was tasting, and the DeMorgenzon Chenin Reserve 2019 is a true Pollux Member wine, one that is music to both my ears and palate. Time to savor a glass, plan a delicious autumn menu, and daydream about that singing wine dinner again-D.
DeMorgenzon Reserve Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch 2019
Country of Origin: South Africa.
Places and People: The DeMorgenzon winery was founded in 2003 by the Applebaum family. Located east of the village of Stellenbosch, the estate has some of the highest elevations and aspects in the Stellenboschkloof Valley and boasts proximity to both mountain and sea. This property, known as far back as the 17th century and at one time part of one of the oldest farms in South Africa, is famous for its practice of playing Baroque classical music in the vineyards in an effort to stimulate the plants, a practice that it has been doing 24/7 since 2015.
Soil: The Chenin Blanc vines are planted in decomposed granite soils at altitudes of 250-300 meters above sea level. Vine age is now at an impressive 50 years.
Grape Varieties: 100% Chenin Blanc.
Winemaking: The 2019 vintage required judicious harvesting, as effects from 2018’s drought had left the vines stressed and there was uneven budding. Once a careful selection was made, the juice that was pressed had low levels of PH that resulted in wonderful, racy acidity to balance the opulent fruit. Hand-harvesting was done in the early morning hours, with multiple passes through the grapes, including one in the vineyard. Gentle pressing of whole clusters was followed by a fermentation in French oak (20% new) using indigenous yeasts. Only about 20% of the volume completed malolactic fermentation, meaning that the wine is not creamy or cloying but rather preserves the Chenin’s natural freshness.
Aging: The DeMorgenzon Chenin Blanc Reserve 2019 was aged for 10 months in the same barrels it was fermented in, with the spent yeasts (lees) remaining on the juice for added depth and complexity. No batonage (stirring of the lees) was done.
Flavors and Foods: Call it Steen, Chenin Blanc, no matter…the name that best describes DeMorgenzon Reserve is delicious. This is Chenin Blanc at its very best; a nose of richly perfumed yellow apples and bosque pear is supported by secondary notes of brioche, smoky flint, and baking spices-heady, aromatic, and evocative. The palate is resplendent with the aforementioned yellow apple and pear, along with a distinctive Chenin Blanc trait that I find fascinating: a secondary note of honeyed wheat and cereal, like the best version of whatever oat-related goodness you enjoyed as a child. All of that pleasing richness (Chardonnay drinkers will almost find a kinship in the body weight) is cut by a racy acidity that careens along the mid-palate to the pleasantly lengthy finish. Food pairing possibilities run the gamut from skate wing with brown butter and capers to a slow-roasted ham with a sauce of honey, orange, and brown sugar (specific choices, I know, but this wine is so tasty it’s got me dialed in).
Service and Cellar: The DeMorgenzon is in a great spot now, with an umami feeling of fruit and non-fruit. I suspect this will continue for 2-3 more years before the fruit starts to cede its place and the wine will become less vibrant. A serving temperature of 46-48 degrees F is a bit cooler than I’d typically recommend for Chenin Blanc but I think in this case is necessary to keep the acidity from overpowering the wine’s other components.
Hillside vineyards at Domaine d’Eole, Provence.
“My One Thing”
Domaine d’Eole Syrah Blend “Cuvee Lea”, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, France 2016
I get asked a lot about what my barometer for quality winemaking is. Do I look to feature wines that are organically certified? Do I champion vignerons who make wines according to the biodynamic principles outlined by Rudolf Steiner in 1930s Austria, which have become a calling card for ecological winemaking in the modern age? Is it a winery’s commitment to a certain style or approach (fruit-forward, earthy, etc.)? Last month, I wrote about how I really only ask one question when I taste-whether a wine is good or not. And while I’m not telling you that I don’t ask that question first and always, because I do, what I am trying to say (and doing a poor job of it, let me tell you) is that I have come to realize that when I answer that question in the affirmative, the wines that I find most delicious all have one thing in common, and it’s become more important to me than even organic/bio/sustainable vineyard practices. It’s My One Thing, and that One Thing is (drumroll)…Yield Control.
Crickets…
Tanks for the Memories-keeping the time-honored tradition of concrete aging alive at Domaine d’Eole, January 2020.
Hold on a minute. Before we answer the age-old question “If all of your Members collectively roll their eyes in the forest, does it make a sound?”, let me explain a little further. Yield management, or the process of ensuring that your grapevines produce only ripe, concentrated fruit, is a complicated topic that takes into account several factors, like vine age, farming practices, and a winery’s overarching philosophy. And while some of these circumstances are beyond a winery’s control (you don’t get to choose whether you have naturally low-yielding 100-year-old vines on your estate, they’re either there or they’re not), others become almost a question of ethics. Are you committed to working your land constantly and diligently in order to be sure that, when harvest time comes, you have your vines in position to offer you unctuous, rich fruit? Does your business model as an estate require you to become “vine-greedy” and push your yields in order to churn out an extra 25,000 cases of wine that isn’t what it could (and should) be? For me, a clear relationship has formed over my two decades in the wine business: the best wines are the products of people who sacrifice more fruit (and the potential payday more output brings) for better fruit. To illustrate how one might make such choices and enhance their reputation (and make my life much easier), I’ll show you the choices made by one of my favorite estates that I’ve been working with for almost 15 years, Provence’s Domaine d’Eole.
Domaine d’Eole winemaker and partner Matthias Wimmer.
Domaine d’Eole has only had one winemaker in its 30-year history, German-born Matthias Wimmer. Now a partner in the winery and shepherding along his successor (a biodynamic-focused young man from Marseille named Lodric), Wimmer has been at the forefront of organic viticulture in Provence, seeing Domaine d’Eole certified organic by EcoCert way back in 1996. Provencal winemaking regulations have long been geared towards satisfying the ever-growing demand for rose and easy-drinking wines; hence the allowed yields in the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence appellation are high at 60 hectoliters per hectare. Domaine d’Eole’s yields are mandated by Wimmer and ownership to be 30 hl/ha, or just half of the bloated appellation law, and on par with other more famous regions like Burgundy (the famous Grand Cru vineyard La Tache, for example is allowed 35 hl/ha). For their flagship wine, a blend of Syrah and Grenache called “Cuvee Lea”, Domaine d’Eole lowers those yields to a microscopic 20hl/ha, meaning that each plant is producing less than a bottle of wine. How is this achieved? The aforementioned three factors are all in play: Domaine d’Eole has some Syrah vines that are approaching the half century mark; hence some concentration is happening naturally. Even still, Wimmer isn’t content to just let the old vines do all the dirty work; this is where the farming practices come in. Winter pruning is exacting and borders on harsh, limiting the number of buds in the spring. The arrival of “Le Printemps” brings a removal of the “second crop” berries that form on the vine below the main crop. Green harvesting (cutting off grape bunches as they’re still ripening) is the third line of defense towards densely intense fruit; this occurs prior to harvest. Finally, when harvest time does come, the trained team under Wimmer does a thorough selection, limiting still more fruit and making the grapes that do finally hit the press the best of the best. The last factor I mentioned, the winery’s philosophy, is evident in the final production levels. Cuvee Lea’s US import allocation is rarely more than 25-30 cases. Domaine d’Eole’s team has made the conscious choice to forego quantity in pursuit of quality, and the result is a wine from Provence that, in the case of the 2016 vintage offered to Pollux Members this month, drinks like it should be from somewhere more renowned for top-level red wines. The dedicaton and exacting standards employed by Matthias Wimmer and his team reflect a producer who takes both their responsibility and their potential seriously, and makes them a great way for me to explain all about yield control, a.k.a. My One Thing-D.
Domaine d’Eole “Cuvee Lea” Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence 2016
Country of Origin: France.
Places and People: Domaine d’Eole is located outside of the village of Eygalieres in the northwest corner of the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence appellation. Its distance from the Mediterranean and location in the shadow of the Alpilles mountain range give it a microclimate that is very unique in Provence. Founded in 1992, the estate has only ever had one winemaker, German-born Mattias Wimmer, who has guided the winery towards ecological methods of production from the outset-Domaine d’Eole received its organic certification from EcoCert over 25 years ago in 1996.
Soil: Calcaire, with strong topsoil of pebbles.
Grape Varieties: 80% Syrah, 20% Grenache. (A quick note for members: the back label says there’s a 50-50 split between the two grapes. This is a typo; the Lea has historically been an even blend of Grenache and Syrah but the Syrah in 2015 and 2016 was of such quality that they had the wine lean in that direction.)
Winemaking: The low-yielding, unctuous Grenache and Syrah grapes are pressed into large cement vats. Temperature controlled fermentation is slow and moderate, allowing for more extraction of color and tannin. This 18-day process (during which some pump-over of the juice is done) is followed by a dual-aging format.
Aging: As mentioned above, the Cuvee Lea 2016 ages in two phases: first, the wine ages in oak barrels for 12 months (a mixture of 80% used and 20% new barrels from the celebrated cooper Francois Frere, whose oak is used by Domaine de la Romanee Conti, among others). Then the wine is racked back into the concrete tanks that it fermented in, where it spends a further 6 months before bottling.
Flavors and Foods: A nose of Blackstrap molasses, Dried Mission Fig, black and red cherry compote, fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme, and a trace of Sambuca-intoxicating. On the palate, the Syrah’s ever-savory presence brings briny olives, rosemary, and wood-fired cooking smoke. Black cherries, Italian plums, wild honey, tamarind, espresso, lavender and eucalyptus, cigar wrapper; the hallmark of Cuvee lea is the cornucopia of descriptors that the wine leaves in its wake. The last and most important thing that I always find in Eole Cuvee Lea is tomato leaf, kind of an odd reference I realize but it’s so persistent and consistent vintage to vintage that I have to write about it. Although Eole’s Grenache is always good for inky concentration, Syrah as a general rule will occasionally leave size behind in its search for complexity, but this wine does both: there is no shortage of earthy descriptors on the palate (adding stony earth and scorched black rock to the laundry list of primary and secondary notes above), and the food capabilities with the Lea are amazing: roasted gamey meats cooked over wood fires, red-sauce pastas (taking advantage of that tomato leaf thing), a fuller-bodied alternative to pinot noir or gamay with coq au vin, or the greatest red wine you’ve ever drank with hamburgers (preferably with bacon and carmelized onions).
Service and Cellar: In their 93-point assessment of the 2016 vintage, the Wine Advocate predicted a window of drinking that begins this year of 2022 and lasts another decade, and I’d have to agree-the Cuvee Lea 2016 is a powerhouse that will continue to evolve. Red Wine Cellar temperature is definitely ideal for the wine; 58-62 degrees F and some time in a decanter (30 mins + if you can manage) are recommended.