An Ode to Oak

Wednesday, Feb 15th, 2012

 

I’m generally not an emotional guy.  Why then, am I having such a difficult time parting ways with the first two barrels that ever held my wine?

The time has come to cruelly determine which of our used oak barrels must be sent out to pasture, literally.  I’ve been through wars with these veteran barriques.  They’ve seen good wine, bad wine and everything in between.  Some have been a working fixture in our barn for eight years.  Now you must decide which old soldiers can no longer carry out their job, good luck with that!  This unceremonious send-off just doesn’t seem to befit such a valuable part of our winery.

Good oak is the winemaker’s not-so-secret weapon.  Sure they are expensive (our largest capital expense from year to year) but they are essential.  I’ve come to learn that new oak should never be taken for granted and never be used in overabundance.  Too much new oak can mask and possibly ruin the fine subtleties of an aging wine.  Restraint should always be exercised.

My attachment to each individual barrel is surely due to the small size of our operation.  Over time I become acutely aware of their “personalities” through weekly tasting and topping regimens.  Some are big softies, while others are boldly complex.  Some barrels make the retirement decision easy for me.  No amount of sterilization can rid them of the contaminants they’ve accumulated over the years, so out the door they go.  But what about the barrel who’s only knock is it’s old age and bland neutrality?  That is the dilemma staring me in the face right now.

Back in 2004, under the guidance of Creekside Estate Winery winemakers Rob and Craig, I assembled a two barrel blend of Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from our vineyard.  With a pool of twelve barrels to choose from, we experimented with 50L from here and 25L from there until we all agreed upon a blend that I could confidently open a winery with.  It was decided that the wine should be housed in a couple of beautiful, two year old French oak barrels made by Burgundian cooper Claude Gillet.  The wine would stay cloaked in these barrels until 2006, when we bottled our first Five Rows release – the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Those same two Gillet barrels proved tremendously versatile with each successive vintage of Five Rows Cab Sauv.  What they lost in intensity each season, they gained in character and elegance.  This past week I racked some 2009 Cab Sauv from the Gillet twins and was pleasantly surprised at the finished product.  I didn’t hold out much hope for the 2009 Cab at this time last year, but an additional 12 months spent soothing in neutral oak really did the trick.  We’ll bottle the 2009 Cab Sauv this spring.

So there they sit after ten long years of service, empty and willing…but sadly there is no wine to fill them.  Now the decision is upon me.  No more stalling filibusters, it’s time to take these two out behind the barn and “pop the bung” for good.  I swear I’d have an easier time putting down Old Yeller.  At least he had rabies.

One day soon I’ll crack a bottle of 2004 Cab Sauv in their honour.  Few times will I enjoy a bottle more.

barrel graveyard

The Weight

Sunday, Oct 09th, 2011

Defining a personal “style” of winemaking has always been a difficult proposition for me.  I still consider myself an unexperienced rookie, then I glance at the calendar and realize I’ve been at this gig for quite a while.  As visions of past vintages scan by quickly in my mind, I recall my early days in Nova Scotia through my time as Viticultualist at Creekside Estate Winery.  I’m suddenly astounded when it hits me that I’ve been making wine for Five Rows since way back in 2004!  Has it really been that long?

Questioning my personal style is standard practice around this time of year, as I debate what tweaks to make in each of our of 2011 wines.  The quandary is whether to mess with the formula that has produced a certain style of wines people have come to expect and enjoy.  The safe move is to keep thing status quo, but that’s not why I got into this.  I want to push envelopes and ultimately change perceptions of St. David’s Bench Terroir.  But what if I screw it up?

I present the case for my 2011 Sauvignon Blanc.  Previous successful vintages (2007-2010) could be chalked up to equal parts fruit quality, terroir, and winemaking technique.  Beautiful late-summer weather assured the success of this year’s crop, with ideal acid and sugar parameters, ripe seeds and classic Lowrey Sauv Blanc flavours.

Do I treat this fruit the exact same way as I did in previous vintages or do I make a few subtle changes to the winemaking protocol in an effort to improve?  “Fence-sitter” Wes says, “Don’t rock the boat, people like it as is.  There is no need to alter the oak to stainless steel ratio, yeast type, fermentation temperature, and residual sugar content if you don’t have to.”

“Devil May Care” Wes says, “Deep down you know there was some room for improvement in the 2010 Sauv Blanc (and I don’t care if it sold out already!).  Trust your instincts and do what it takes to make the wine you envision.  When you first started making wine you didn’t care about defining a style, you just wanted to achieve the best possible representation of your terroir.  Ultimately, if you like the wine, so will everyone else.”

I chuckle at the irony when I read this over and tend to agree with “Fence-sitter” Wes, but all kidding aside, I feel it important to proceed without the boundaries of a defined style in all my wines.  The success or failure of a wine should not be judged by public perception or sales figures, but on whether the winemaker achieved their goal.

Out With the Old, In With the New

Thursday, Sep 30th, 2010

 

It’s an exciting time at the Lowrey Vineyard.  The majority of 2010 fruit has been harvested, and the usually stress-inducing  late varieties are ripe already!  Summer wine sales have exceeded our initial projections and we’ve sold out of most vintages much sooner than expected.  I still have to pinch myself at times to make sure this is all really happening.

I’m continually amazed at the awesome people who happen upon our winery each weekend.  It turns out that if you build it, they really will come.  They pick me up on rough days and drive my passion to continually push viticultural boundaries.  They are always patient when I’ve got a barrel to fill or tank to clean, so I will always try my best to craft wines that keep them coming back.

As the old vintages sell out, I quell my nostalgic thoughts with the early reviews of our 2009s.  We’ve been selling a few hastily labelled and waxed bottles of our new 2009 Sauvignon Blanc to a few customers who refused to leave until I could prove to them that this wine was not ready to sell yet.  They ended up winning the argument and left with bottles 1 through 12.  We are now taking case orders for this wine ($25/bottle).

In other news, we’ve recently made a decision not to actively promote our wines through submissions to wine writers.  I’m happy to arrange a tasting for any reviewer at any time, but unfortunately we just don’t have the quantities to send samples to all those who have put in a request.  Up to this point in our evolution as a craft winery we’ve relied mainly on “word of mouth” to sell our wines, and I see no reason that needs to change.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Sunday, Jun 13th, 2010

I want to personally thank all the people who made the trek to our first ever Customer Appreciation Weekend!  It was great to catch up with those we hadn’t seen in a while and also meet some new friends along the way.  We decided to give people a sneak preview of upcoming Five Rows releases including the 2007 Pinot Noir and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.  After some gentle prodding, it was decided to also tap into some promising tank samples of our 2008 Shiraz and 2009 Riesling.  I sincerely appreciate all the constructive feedback.

We are now filling orders for the 2007 Pinot Noir, so you’re welcome to pick up your pre-ordered case if you haven’t already done so.  The 2007 Cab Sauv also generated a lot of interest over the weekend, so I now feel confident releasing this wine for sale.

2007 Five Rows Cabernet Sauvignon

Vinification Notes:

My third crack at crafting a single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from our own vineyard was by far the least stressful to date.  We hand picked just under a tonne (900kg) of ripe, clean fruit on October 25th, 2007.  This harvest date really snuck up on us, as we hadn’t really anticipated the Cab being that ripe, that early.  For growers of multiple grape varietals, harvest time is a crazy sprint from the first Pinot’s of mid-September to the last of the Cab Sauv in November.  To pick ripe Cab in October is a luxury we are rarely afforded.

Normally a row of Cabernet Sauvignon in our vineyard would yield about 500kg of fruit, but the 4 rows we sourced for this wine were thinned down to one bunch per shoot resulting in a yield of 225kg/row.  The fruit came in like sweet little black marbles, at a shade under 24 degrees brix.  After processing and a brief cold soak, the fruit was warmed back up for fermentation.  I decided to use Zymaflore F15 yeast for this wine to maximize glycerolic production.  I figured this would be a big wine from the get-go, so any added elements to help round out the mouthfeel would eventually pay dividends.  Fermentation was carried out at a nice moderate pace over 7 days, with peak temperature of 26.8 degrees Celsius.  Malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel to aid in oak integration.

After 24 months in one old and one new French oak barrel, this wine was blended to a stainless steel tank for final settling.  50 cases were eventually bottled on February 18, 2010.  My only regret at the end of this process is that I didn’t have the foresight to make more Cabernet Sauvignon form this superb vintage.

Aromas:  blueberry pie, black cherry, mint, oak spice, red licorice

Flavours:  raspberry, blueberry, dark chocolate, powerful length

Cellaring:  Drinking well now, but should age gracefully for 20+ years

Price: $50 / bottle

2007 Pinot Noir Vinification Notes

Tuesday, Jun 01st, 2010

2007 Five Rows Pinot Noir

Vinification Notes:

The hot summer of 2007 brought ideal picking conditions to the St. David’s Bench.  Roughly three tonnes of Pinot Noir were hand-picked on September 23 at just under 22 degrees brix, having TA of 6.55 and pH 3.31.  Prior to picking, seed and skin tannins were both showing excellent maturity, and flavours were reminiscent of ripe seasons past (1998, 2001).

It was decided to source equal amounts of fruit from the three Lowrey Pinot blocks of differing ages (20 years, 15 years and 10 years).  Each block was processed into open-top fermentors, with 15% of the fruit being left as whole-bunch.  Bins were then sealed and underwent a lengthy cold soak to promote extraction.

Ferments were generally quick and warm, with peak temperatures in the low 30s.  The wines were pressed into five French oak barrels (2 new, 3 old). Malolactic fermentation was carried out over the next few weeks in barrel.

After about a year of aging, it was apparent that the 2007 reds packed a real punch in both flavour and tannin.  To mellow the mouthfeel, it was decided after bench-top trials to fine the wines with small volumes of Pinot Gris lees from the 2008 vintage.  Following a few days settling, the wines were racked off all lees.

24 months and countless blending trials later, the final cut was married together in a stainless steel tank for final settling and stabilization.  99 cases of this wine were bottled on February 18, 2010.

Aromas:  cherry, strawberry, raspberry, earth, and faint tobacco leaf

Palate:  flavours of luscious black cherry, great balance, and ample tannin for optimal aging potential

Price: $50 / bottle.  Your order can be directed to wines@fiverows.com.

Vinification Notes

Thursday, Oct 29th, 2009

 

When you get to a point where the line between work and life is so blurry that the majority of your day seems like filler between fixes of caffeine, and what little sleep you do get is haunted by images of Multi-coloured Asian Lady Beetles and under-ripe Cabernet Franc…it’s best to step back, focus, and re-consider exactly why you do what you do.

Thankfully, success breeds perseverance.  The following are two reasons why I still choose life as a winemaker:

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

A severe winter led to an average of 50% bud damage in the Lowrey Vineyard.  This Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from vines that were shouldering a much lighter load than they were used to, hence a greater opportunity for ripening was in the cards.  Thankfully, the growing season weather co-operated and the resultant fruit was as good as has ever been produced on our farm.  The St. David’s Bench microclimate really strutted its stuff, with even the later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon reaching optimal sugar and TA levels.  Like our first “Five Rows” vintage in 2004, we took equal portions of Young and Old Cab Blocks to maximize clonal complexity.  Following traditional small batch punch downs, the wine was aged in a 50-50 blend of American and French Oak with an average age of 1.7 years per barrel.  A comparative barrel tasting took place on July 5, 2007 and as with previous years, the highest rated wines were housed in two-year old wood (a 2003 Barrel Associates & 2003 Berthomieu).  These two superior bottles were bottled on July 18, 2008.  This wine showcases the potential of minimally-cropped Cabernet Sauvignon from warm vintages in the Lowrey Vineyard.  Aromatic highlights include wild blueberry, ripe cherry and vanilla.  Very ripe and jammy on the palate with soft, mature tannins and excellent length.  Although hard to resist its youthful charm, this Cab is only entering its prime.

Barrels: 2       Cases: 45        Alcohol: 13.4%         Price: $50/Bottle

2008 Pinot Gris

In an effort to instill confidence, I tell my wines that it is never fair to compare themselves to their predecessors.   For that reason we won’t speak further of the effusive praise garnered by the 2007 Five Rows Pinot Gris.  Some shoes are just too big to fill.

Harvested on September 19, 2008, this Pinot Gris began its life fermenting slowly in stainless steel and older French Oak.  The oak component was added in an effort to further enhance mouthfeel and increase aromatic complexity.  A nice cool ferment, dotted with periodic lees stirring, was complete by mid-October.  The finished wine was blended, then fined with bentonite for protein stability.

Early tasting sessions showed strong notes of McIntosh apple and anise, while one panelist was sure he could smell “catbox” (depending, of course, on the type of litter you prefer).  The French Oak and lees stirring helped create rounder texture and seemed to lend tropical nuances such as star fruit.  The wine was left with just enough residual sugar to balance the acidity.  Lemon-lime citrus flavours are predominant.  Bottled September 14th, 2009.

Cases: 57             Alcohol: 13.3%       Price: $25/Bottle

Both wines are now available for purchase!

Podcast & 2004 Cab Notes

Wednesday, Nov 19th, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of weeks ago I was flattered to be asked to participate in a podcast interview with Sommelier Jamie Drummond of the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar in conjunction with our upcoming limited release.  I have to say that I was pretty nervous going in, but Jamie’s easygoing style and the comfortable restaurant atmosphere really put me at ease, to the point where I didn’t even realize we were being recorded.  It was truly a pleasure to discuss such a broad array of topics with someone as knowledgeable and genuinely interested as Jamie.  You can hear the podcast interview at:   http://www.jamiekennedy.ca/v1/welcome.html

2004  FIVE ROWS  CABERNET SAUVIGNON:

A wet summer gave way to a beautiful fall and great ripening conditions for the late varietals.  This Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested on November 4, 2004.   The Lowrey Cab Sauv is grown in two blocks which differ in vine age, clone, and soil profile.  The older block is a mix of clones 337, 339 and 15, while the younger block is planted solely with clone 169.  All vines are grafted onto low vigour rootstock 3309.  Approximately 10 tonnes of fruit were picked that day, at an average of 21.5 degrees brix.  Characteristically the older fruit gives the resulting wines structure and balance while the clone 169 block provides the ripe fruit notes.

The resulting fruit was processed in small batches with three daily punchdowns for maximum colour extraction.  The wine was left on the skins to macerate following fermentation to help with tannin structure. The cooperage was primarily French (75%) and mainly older barrels (only 20% new oak).  Overall time spent in barrel was 30 months.  The wine for my blend was selected following an intensive barrel selection process where I actually pulled different volumes from a variety of barrels to compose my final 2 barrel blend.  The majority of the blend (300L) came from two 2002 Gillet barrels that showcased good overall components of oak integration, aromatics and palate structure.  The other 150L came from a new 2004 Taransaud barrel that featured amazing ripeness and notes of candied cherry and raspberry.   This wine was bottled in the summer of 2007 and allowed to age gracefully in bottle for a year and a half before this release.
Cases: 45 Filtered & 2 Unfiltered
TA: 6.60g/L
pH: 3.67
Alcohol: 13.2%

’04 and ’05 Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting

Monday, Aug 25th, 2008

The bottle you see above is one of a lot of two barrels of 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% sourced from Lowrey Vineyards.  It was bottled last summer following two anxious years of aging in older French oak barrels.  That lot is very special to us because it represents the first wine we will release under our yet-to-be-named winery label.

A couple of weeks ago, we bottled our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon after a similar aging period in a somewhat different barrel regimen.  The two barrels of ‘05s were initially aged in older Frenchies like the ’04s.  After an initial tasting of the ‘05s, I surmised that adding an American oak barrel to the mix after the second racking (12 months in) would help frame the slightly bigger tannins and bolder overall mouthfeel.

It was one recent evening on our annual trip to Bobcaygeon that I decided to recruit some unbiased family palates to conduct our first ever cross-vintage wine tasting.  Exciting stuff!  After nervously setting up the blind tasting, I was intrigued to watch my father skip the aromatic profile altogether, swig back the wine and conclude that “It tastes good.”  The more sophisticated family members assured me that both wines showed well and I was impressed that some were even able to recognize the subtle differences between vintages.  Thanks guys!

Look for the ‘04s sometime soon and the ‘05s early next year after some quality time in bottle.