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by Fred McMillin
for December 11, 1998
Winery of the Week
The Durell Spell
Prologue
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF)—If a vineyard is named on a label, 95% of the grapes must come from that vineyard.
The Rest of the Story
The names of five vineyards appeared on the labels
of our last blind tasting. After ranking the
wines, we uncovered them, and suprise. The top
two bottles were from different wineries, but
from the same vineyard, owned by Ed Durell. So
our "Winery of the Week" is the Durell Vineyard.
Its 150 acres extend from the southern end of
the Sonoma Valley south into the western portion
of the cool Carneros. It is located in the hills.
Wine whiz Jed Steele says this provides protection
from the cool winds off the San Francisco Bay,
producing richer-flavored grapes. Those grapes
are chiefly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Vineyard
manager Steve Hill found Pinot Noir the more
difficult to master. It required such
heart-wrenching steps as snipping off all the
clusters that lacked the richest color.
In any case, my tasters are convinced that his
tricks really work, as displayed in these two
winning wines.
Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir by Chateau St. Jean
from vines planted in 1980
Vintage 1995—I held it in my cellar for a
year after release. SILKY!
Rating—HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Price—$30 range
Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir by Steele Wines
"Grapes of the Durell yield the most complex, the
most Burgundian of the Pinots we produce."
Vintage 1996—Grapes ripened unusually well...hence,
a velvety wine.
Rating—HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Price—$26 range.
Postscript
Winemaster Jancis Robinson in Vines, Grapes & Wines wrote that California Pinot Noir "often has an unnerving suggestion of overboiled cabbage about it." For sure, the Durell Vineyard is not cabbage country.
Credits—Marie and Jed Steele provided much of the information about Durell.
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About the Writer
Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. He currently teaches wine courses at San Francisco State and San Francisco City College. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers. |
WineDay Annex
More articles by
Fred McMillin
Welcome to WineDay, the electronic Gourmet Guide's daily update. Monday through Thursday, WineDay presents a wine profile. Then on Fridays we present the Winery of the Week to take you through the weekend.
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