Cold Heaven tasting with Scott Manlin

WINE TALK
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Morgan is not an advocate of aging Viognier much past 5 years save perhaps, the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. She suggests that you drink it. We are going to look and see if we have a library bottle and we’ll pull one and taste it and let you know. LBC can age, but given its natural acidity, that evolution will be a bit different from the older vine S&B. I say crack it and let’s us know. If there is an issue with it, I’ll replace it for you.

In general, the LBC vineyard viogniers are my personal favorite in her line up. I love the racy acidity. No flabby viognier for me…

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I agree! I don’t care for the Vogelzang at all, to be honest. It’s made well, but the climate is too hot to keep the balance that is evident in wines made from grapes grown in cooler areas. The Le Bon Climat is as good as it gets, or at least as good as I’ve found in Viognier. All the aromas and concentration without the fatness of dry white port style Viognier.

I’ve found Cold Heaven’s Viogniers are better younger, within about 2 years of vintage. They’re fresher, more aromatic.

23

Agree with you as well.

We no longer make the Vogelzang. That was replaced with Santa Ynez Valley (Curtis r-clone) which everyone loves. We are sold out of the 08 LBC which is my personal favorite.

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Viognier is one of my favorite grapes. But rarely is it done correctly. “no flabby” is a very good start to get my attention. “Racy acidity” can be good, but doesn’t tell me enough.

Viognier is a beautiful grape when handled right, and one of the most versatile wines I have ever had with food.

I might have to try some of these. No candyish stuff. No too fat stuff. No oaky stuff…for me. These seem to be in my wheelhouse. [welldone.gif]

25

Steve

here are the notes that Morgan and I wrote up recently for a dinner that we are having at L20 in Chicago. Hope this is the “more” you were asking for…

2009 Santa Ynez Valley Viognier

This is a brand new addition to the Cold Heaven line-up. The clonal selection, “R”, gets its’ name from Rousanne, which for many years it was thought to be and was propagated as in a few California vineyards. We love it because it holds its balance in a warm climate and gives us the fresh, lively style we strive to make. This wine has classic viognier flavors, balanced and elegant, lush but not overly dense. White pepper, ripe pear, mineral, pineapple, kiwi, and vanilla dominate what we like to call Viognier 101.


2008 Cold Heaven, Le Bon Climat Viognier

Le Bon Climat Vineyard viognier is a sharp departure from typical California viognier. This wine is elegant, structured, and bursting with minerality and white flower notes along with classic viognier flavors of peach, pear, apricot and vanilla. On the nose and in the mouth there is wet stone and stone fruit pit. The structure is completely natural and is the product of Santa Maria’s long cool growing season. A long finish and takes time to open in the bottle. A rare jewel among California viogniers; it will age well up to 5 years. This is the flagship viognier of Cold Heaven’s three separate single vineyard line-up.

2008 Cold Heaven, Sanford & Benedict Viognier

Sanford and Benedict is one of the oldest vineyards in Santa Barbara County and is in the heavily touted Santa Rita Hills appellation. This cool climate viognier always takes its time coming around and is known to be a late bloomer in the bottle. But what a proverbial swan it becomes! This wine has lots of minerality, aromas of grapefruit, apricot, pear and peach pit. The mineral continues on the palate with lots of structure that lends to a finish that continues on and on.; truly an elegant viognier.

NV Deux C Viognier

What can one say about the perfect viognier? This is a blend of finished wines from Cuilleron’s Les Chaillets vineyard and our Sanford and Benedict vineyard. We air -shipped the Condrieu to our winery and then blended and bottled the wine in California. Because this is a Franco-American blend we cannot list the vintage or varietal on the label. The Condrieu component of this wine leads on the nose and attack and the California rounds out the mid-palate and finish, making this, what we believe, the perfect viognier. This is a very limited wine and is not made in every vintage.

2007 Domaine des Deux Mondes, Saints and Sinners Viognier

Domaine des Deux Mondes is a collaboration between Morgan Clendenen and Condrieu specialist, Yves Cuilleron. It is made from fruit from the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard and produced in Cuilleron’s style, using ample new oak and native yeasts. Bright apple, pear, and citrus peel on the nose. Pineapple, vanilla, green mango, and white pepper on the palate with texture and long on the finish.

2008 Pinot Noir “Makepeace”

This is our first foray into Pinot Noir since 2002, when our entire crop at Le Bon Climate vineyard was lost. The vineyard sits on the edge of the Santa Maria appellation and screams the spice and red berry fruits for which the region is so well known. Black pepper, Bing cherries, fraise de bois, dried rose petals, black tea all sewn up with the structure that is in classic Cold Heaven style. This wine is just a teaser for more great Pinot Noir to come.


2003 Syrah “Second Sin”

With the loss of our vineyard source for pinot in 2003, we turned our attention to a new grape in the Cold Heaven line-up. This wine is a blend of fruit from Beckmen’s Purisima, Vogelzang, and the historical Bien Nacido vineyards. In the tradition of Chave’s Hermitage, we aged the wine in French oak for two years (30% new), and then in bottle for another 2 years prior to release. This is not your typical California syrah, this wine is elegant and has loads of finesse.

On the nose is a perfume of ripe Bing cherries, blueberries, raspberries, plum, blackberries, Herbes de Provence, with a hint of smoke and bacon. On the palate, juicy dark berry fruits, peppery spice, and fine chalky tannins. The wine is elegant and the fruit pure. Despite its aging, it remains fresh with great structure, vibrant acidity and a smooth persistent finish of blackberry, ripe cherries and black pepper. This is a special library selection and only offered in limited quantities.

2005 Syrah “Second Sin”

There is little we can say about this wine except that we love it. Again, a blend of three separate vineyard sites, but we replaced the Bien Nacido with fruit from the Los Alamos area of Santa Barbara County. We like to call this the pinot noir of syrahs because it’s so elegant and pure. Don’t be fooled by the description; there is plenty of chocolate, caramel, and smoky aromas to let you know you’re having one of California’s unique syrahs. This is a more youthful version of our '03.


2008 Domaine des Deux Mondes – Syrah

A few years ago, Yves expressed a yearning to have a syrah under the DD2M label. Having found such a wonderful source in Los Alamos, with tiny syrah berries and natural acidity that we loved, we decided to create a syrah together. 100% of the fruit came from the same source and we used 30% new Hermitage barrels to add a certain “je ne sais quoi” to the mix. The wine boasts loads of structure and big fruit up front. Ironically the wine comes across as new world as it doesn’t see the additional aging in bottle that the Cold Heaven Syrah receives. This wine has plenty of fresh fruit, acdity and tannins; a wine that will benefit from further aging.

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I find it hard to put into words, but when I find the rate Viognier that works for me, I know it. I have put in blue, the words that work for me when describing Viognier. And in Red the words that turn me off for the most part.

I see there is a “store” in NJ that carries older vintages, but I imagine that they won’t be available in NJ. [scratch.gif]

27

It is all about balance… or the relationship of blue to red words. David Bowler brings Cold Heaven into NY. I believe Vestry in the Village carries CH and if not, they can get it. David brought in the LBC and the S & B Viogniers.

The “typical” Viognier has overly exotic, tropical fruit notes. In the CH wines, I find them at a much lower amplification. The tell tale notes are “there” but not over-whelming… You should try the LBC, then S & B and then the SYV in that order, at least that is my guess as to your order of preference based on your comments.

Unfortunately, we cannot ship to Jersey.

28

Scott:
Thanks for the help. I corrected the notes.
It was definitely the 2008 that was closed down, though. That’s why I remarked about it. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a 2009 closed down.
Thanks again for your generosity in the tasting. It looks like you picked an excellent winery into which to invest your money and your time. I hope you can also find the time to make some more syrah.

29

What are some viogniers you like?

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Was in the 08 S & B or LBC, I now getting myself confused :slight_smile:

Appreciated. Glad you enjoyed yourself. That is why we do this.

We would LOVE to make more Syrah. There are two things that limit us from doing that; the first is finding “cool climate” sites and the second is the “market” for syrah scares me. I am happy to be a contrarian, but a lot of distributors/brokers get scared by the mere mention of the word. At 100 to 200 cases per year, we can sell it. I don’t want to risk not being able to sell 1000’s. It is not about quality, because quality isn’t selling well either.

31

Well, there are few and far between that I can say I was wowed by …

Not sure of vintages, but Melville has done well, and I have had one from Australia that can be very good at times, although I have not had one in years, called Yalumba Viriglius (or something like that).

I have had some friends treat me to a Cayuse I believe and SQN that I don’t remember the name of that was outstanding. Delas Freres (sp?)…tasted some really nice stuff from that producer in Condrieu. Calera I think has done ok at times, unless I am mixing them up.

And the surprise of the century would have to have been the Horton Viognier from 1993…which of course was drunk back around '96 or '97. One of the best Viogniers I have ever had. They quickly went downhill from there. But let me be clear, that year was TAAAAstee.

Sort of Viogniers that I don’t like would be Pride or Arrowood types.

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Here’s a shot of Morgan and two derelicts at Cold Heaven.

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Yeah, easy on the eyes. Maybe she’ll let the restraining order against me expire.
[snort.gif]

34

You two behave, ya hear? :slight_smile:

35

Best of luck with your wines, Scott. And I hope you find all of the fruit you are looking for.

Cheers,
[cheers.gif]

36

My buddy Scott Manlin, an avowed Francophile who has sworn off California and sold basically all of his (considerable) collection, is now making California pinot noir! In conjunction with Morgan Clendenen and her Cold Heaven label, Scott is preparing to release his first vintage of 2009 pinot. Made in the Santa Barbara area, the wine is delicious. I tasted a barrel sample that Scott brought last week, and it was killer. I was very happy, because as he is my friend I was buying the wine no matter what it tasted like. Luckily it was excellent. Knowing Scott as many do, you can imagine the attention to detail and the passion involved in making the wine.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Morgan’s Viognier lineup. She makes outstanding wines, and I was luckily enough to enjoy the entire lineup during a dinner at L2O. These are excellent food wines that greatly enhanced the food that L2O prepared. I can’t recommend them enough.

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an avowed Francophile who has sworn off California

It’s why generalizations like that are so stupid.

Congrats to Scott for realizing how silly it is to be an extremist, for actually taking the plunge, and for his inaugural vintage.

Best of luck to him! Looking forward to trying a bottle.

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No details at 10 needed…they are already here -
http://www.wineberserkers.com/viewtopic.php?p=443013#p443013" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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HA!!! who said I would like or drink the wine I am involved with? :slight_smile:

All kidding aside, it is a challenge to make the kind of wine we want to make in CA. But more and more people are doing it, which I see as a real positive. 09 was a good vintage for doing that. What compels me about Morgan’s style of wine making is that she tends to emphasize natural acidity and eschews over-ripe flavors and flabby textures. The same focus that she brings to her whites she does with our reds. Cool climate vineyards, good acid, polished, but firm tannins, fresh fruit, ample complexity…basically a drinking wine. Not trying to make anything precious, just something very enjoyable to drink. My personal goal was to make something that I would enjoy drinking that was a red counterpart to her whites that I really like. It is not a surprise that there is commonality between the styles of the whites and reds as she is the winemaker, I just drag the hoses, do the some of the punch downs and wear the carhartt. :slight_smile: (PS thanks Jim, glad you enjoyed)

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Scott can cook!