Perfection is Myth!

Nature is inherently imperfect. If nature were flawless, there would be no mutation, no adaption and, ultimately, no life. Our flaws define our character; our weaknesses accent our strengths. Yet our culture often drives us to strive for perfection. As children we are conditioned to aspire to an idealized standard, taught to desire normalcy and disdain perceived flaws. We learn to conquer, fix, or change the things that do not meet our ideal and we fear that which we cannot control. There’s a lot to fear in winegrowing: weather, insects, fungus, weeds, birds. To give in to fear is to declare war on nature in a misguided quest toward a cosmetic ideal – an ideal that attempts perfection but lacks the character that gives wine life, never mind a sense of place.

You can sense when a wine is alive. Language is of little help in conveying what qualifies a wine as such, but you know one when you taste one. It has a vibrancy that puts a smile on your face. It feels real. It feels integrated. It is honest and true. When a wine triggers an intellectual spark and leaves your palate and mind begging for another sip, it’s alive.

Many wines are technically correct, even flawless, but not alive. In pursuit of perfection, some vineyard managers obliterate anything deemed competition, leaving the soil a dead medium that holds the vine in place, but does little else. Since artificial amendments are then required to feed the vine, the resulting grapes require aggressive and remedial winemaking, deconstructing and then reconstructing, to balance the juice. Dead soil cannot produce live wine.

A live wine begins with respect for the natural processes that occur above and below the soil. Organic, and particularly Biodynamic methods, follow the rhythms of nature by embracing the forces that enhance life, focusing those energies on nurturing a living, dynamic soil to provide the complex mix of micronutrients and trace minerals the vine needs, in a natural form the vine can accept, when the vine requires them.

Not long ago, cellar technique seemed to define a great wine. Some winemakers were regarded as alchemists armed with formulas and the power to transform mediocrity into an icon of luxury. Now, these “trade secrets” are common knowledge, and many of these manufactured wines are boring in their perfection. So, a new paradigm based on character and authenticity is emerging. This honest style demands that a winemaker eschew heavy handed technique and opt for sensitivity, interpreting the essence of a vineyard’s unique fruit and letting its natural beauty be the guide. However, blind adherence to an idealized ‘natural wine’ standard can be wrought with just as much danger as any other perfectionist pursuit. A winemaker must still be on his game to protect the wine from spoilage flavors that can obliterate a wine’s true essence as effectively as overwrought winemaking. Well-grown fruit needs little adornment and sound, sensitive winemaking can allow that fruit to become a vibrant, expressive bottle of wine. For a practical demonstration of such a wine, RSV offers the very much alive, Cabernet Sauvignon, SLD Estate, 2005.

Tasting Notes

A youthful, deep purple color heralds an intense sensory experience. Suspense builds with classic Cabernet Sauvignon aromas of cassis, cherries, cocoa, sweet herbs and a light touch of capsicum. Firm, but supple structure provides a densely woven, luxurious venue for succulent flavors of extra dark chocolate, black cherry, plums, licorice and herbs that last and last. Brawny, but ripe, polished tannins and a refreshing zip of acidity counter the hedonistic flavors and broaden the wine’s culinary applications. This wine is balanced and would serve well tonight paired with a nice joint of meat; however, its potential longevity can be measured in decades.

Winegrowing Notes

Record-setting rains delayed things a bit in 2005, but bloom and fruit set went very well. Summer was long and exceptionally cool, without heat spikes that can turn a perfectly ripe grape into a raisin in a few blistering afternoons. The gentle weather toward the end of the growing season allowed for a well-paced, deliberate harvest as each block of fruit reached its potential, with full flavor developments at relatively modest sugar levels.

The whole crop from the SLD Estate vineyard was de-stemmed, but about 20% of the grapes entered the tank intact. The whole berries in the mix help manage tannins, promote extraction, and slow down the ferment a bit, providing the wine more time on its skins, eleven days in all for this wine.

The wine rested in French oak barrels, 35% new, for 20 months before bottling. A good measure (21%) of Merlot from RSV’s SLD Estate keeps the Cabernet Sauvignon company.

Roast chicken is my comfort food. When I tire of fancy meals and need to sustain my simple inner self, I take a trip to the Fatted Calf in Napa’s Oxbow Market to buy a Soul Food Farm or Hoffman Ranch Chicken. If you start with a good bird you have a much greater chance of reaching roast chicken nirvana. Almost anywhere in this country, there is a small chicken farmer tucked away within a 50 mile radius of home. It might take a little detective work to find one that farms in a humane way with wholesome feed and happy chicks, but your efforts will be rewarded with a tasty, meaty bird that puts those plastic-wrapped, anemic-looking, commercial chickens to shame. A good resource is the local coop or farmer’s market.

With the advance of cooler weather, I start seeking out lustier red wines. In the RSV line-up, I look to the SLD Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is wonderful with a magnificent rib roast, but is supple enough to pair beautifully with an herb roasted chicken. I credit this to its elegant structure, with good acidity, finely textured tannins and purity of fruit. I can’t imagine a more perfect scene than spending a relaxed evening in a home filled with family and friends, the aromas of a well-roasted bird and a good bottle of red.

Until the next wine…
Maria