2008-03-21
DOMAINE CARNEROS
Carneros Fruit, French Plan
by Richard Paul Hinkle
My wife and I had a picnic with Eileen Crane at the then-unfinished Domaine Carneros. This would have been early in 1988, the winery was still mostly shell, though the interior was elegantly taking shape. (I remember it well, because our twins were about six months old and we drove over from Sonoma in my 1946 DeSoto, an equally elegant and most comfortable automobile.)
I especially remember Eileen’s thoughts on building her second winery in less than a decade (she had also been responsible for the construction of Gloria Ferrer over at the westernmost end of the Carneros). From a background in nutrition and an apprenticeship in the lab at Domaine Chandon, it had been a dizzying ride for the bright, enthusiastic Crane.
“French” and “elegant” were the theme words she emphasized then: “The French no longer consider California a second rate outpost when it comes to quality wines. Though the Carneros is obviously not Champagne, they recognize its capability to produce top-quality sparkling wines. Thus, it’s worth more than just putting up a barn. We could easily get away with a metal roof, but the roof will either be copper or slate [it is slate], because that’s what fits best into the overall French chateau, the French Champagne motif. All the partners want that elegant style to be carried through, from the design of the facility to the wine itself.”
Dramatically dominating the ground sloping up from the highway, the light-mustard-yellow and reddish-brown-brick colored building seems a perfect piece of Champagne set down in the midst of what was once sheep country (the Spanish word carnero means “ram”). The gloriously laid out gardens that flank the front stairway provide an elegantly long entrance to a structure that is even more stylish, more French inside (marble flooring, the Louis XV fireplace, the ultra-suave salon, the plush royal-blue upholstery of the dining room chairs).
Crane says she’s quite pleased with the activity of the Domaine Carneros wine club, The Chateau Society. “We host at least fifteen events each year for our club members, and they even have their own room here at the winery!” Indeed, these VIP customers can choose how many wines they want shipped automatically to their homes every other month, have exclusive access to library wines, are offered discounts on wine purchases, have access to the private club room at the Chateau, are invited to bring guests for free tours, private wine and caviar tastings, summer dinners, cooking classes, harvest brunches, and even to club events in Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City.
Here are four wines that are available only at the winery or to the Chateau Society members. The first is the Avant-Garde Pinot Noir 2005 ($24), with wonderfully ripe strawberry and red cherry fruit, a hint of smoke, and the lively spiciness of vanillin and clove in the finish. “This is the most fruit-forward of our Pinots,” says Crane. “We think it will enhance the vibrant flavors of California or Mediterranean cuisines, from salmon to chicken, from veal to pork.”
Much more complex is “The Famous Gate” Pinot Noir 2005 ($68), a full-throated beauty with deeply ripe strawberry and black cherry fruit, cola and clover spiciness, graham oak notes, and that rich, rare filet mignon essence that excites one’s salivary glands and points you toward the rack of lamb, the real filet itself, or something on the game side, like roasted quail. We’re talking lip-smacking good here, in the very best sense of that analogy.
On the sparkling side, there are the 2003 Ultra Brut ($36) and the mighty Le Reve Blanc de Blancs 2002 ($85). The former – available solely for Chateau Society members – is a crisp, dry, almost austere aperitif wine. The latter carries more heft, more weight, and shows off a lean pear and lemon essence that couples nicely with the French bread and crème brulée character that derives from extensive time on the yeast. “The blend of the 2002 Le Reve is ninety-eight percent Chardonnay, selected from five different estate clones, and two percent Pinot Blanc,” notes Crane. “It is drinking beautifully now, but will continue to age and develop for many years.” In my experience, this wine is usually at its best between five and ten years after the vintage, when it gets really toasty and rich.
Domaine Carneros is located at the corner of Highway 12/121 and Duhig Road (1240 Duhig Road), between Sonoma and Napa (just across the road from the famed Di Rosa Preserve art museum). Phone (707) 257-0101 or 1-800-716-BRUT (2788). The tasting room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for tasting, tours and sales. The website is www.domainecarneros.com.
[The author of eight wine books, Hinkle also enjoys writing brochures, newsletters, press kits and the
like. See his work online at www.RichardPaulHinkle.com.]
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