A Napa Legend- Freemark Abbey

'It is one thing to be a Napa winery, it is quite another to be a Napa legend.'  So says the quote on the winery's website. But what does it take to be a 'Napa legend?'  How about being founded in 1886 by a woman who may have been the earliest recorded female winemaker in modern history?  Or topping 22 Chardonnays from around the world at a New York tasting in 1973?  Or perhaps being the only producer to have two wines selected by Steven Spurrier for the historic Judgement of Paris in 1976?  Perhaps it is a combination of those things, but Freemark is certainly a legend of the Napa Valley.

Now I know I usually try and write up unsung heroes of the wine industry and Freemark is anything but unsung, however this is a winery that has been in my life for a long time and I so rarely find exceptional examples of proper Napa Valley wines these days that when one crosses my path I have no choice but to write about it.  I like Freemark; it is classic and honest.  Its prices are relatively reasonable. 

Named for a trio of investors who took over the winery in 1939, Charles Freeman, Markquand Foster and Albert 'Abbey' Ahern, Freemark Abbey produces very elegant takes on American wines.  The two varietals which show best in Napa Valley; Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are the flagships among a range of distinct styles, including Sangiovese, late harvest Riesling and others.

The 2011 Chardonnay, a descendent of the victor at the 1973 New York Tasting, is a rich yet elegant white.  Bright fruit aromas of tangerine, banana and honey lead the nose before vanilla and and buttered toast follow through, courtesy of the lightly charred new oak barrels.  This style is at risk of the over-opulent style many Californians are guilty of, however a wise decision by winemaker Ted Edwards to forego Malolactic fermentation, kept the racy acidity to ensure that the rich, bold body maintained freshness and highlighted the fruit rather than the oak.

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon is a prime example of Napa Valley Cab.  Garnering a 92-point score from the Wine Advocate, this bold, full-bodied Cabernet comes from the prime Napa vineyards of Bosché, Sycamore and Veeder.  The nose is very direct with a burst of cassis, cigar-box and violets with clove spice and coffee.  The palate is still quite firm with solid tannins and acidity that begs for a rich meaty lamb dish.  Some cellaring will be well rewarded over the next few years as the wine evolves, but this style is best enjoyed with a bit of youth for the sake of that full-bodied, punchy structure.

In a way the 1976 tasting in Paris serves as a similar watershed in American wine history to the 1855 Bordeaux Classification in that the wineries taking part have come down to this day as the heroes of American Wine.  Stag's Leap, Montelena and Ridge alongside Freemark are all reliable sources of high-performing, top-end wines.  Despite upstarts such as Screaming Eagle and Sine Qua Non with their outrageous prices they remain true to origin as America's first growths.

G

Best Value Red Wine in the World?

Hey Everyone,

After a long break from writing following my return from South Africa I have been active in trying to determine the course of what I will be doing over the coming year. With plans to replicate my South African experience in Napa Valley this coming vintage, there is plenty to be excited about, but until more concrete plans take shape I'll hold off on going into more detail.

A few days ago I came across a bottle of wine which the world's most influential wine critic, Robert Parker, Jr (or at least his Wine Advocate cronies) has declared to be the best value red wine in the world. Now inappropriate superlatives aside, I take great exception to many things Mr. Parker has contributed to the wine world; whether it be the inordinate influencing of prices by releasing his reviews of en primeur wines before they are priced by the producer, or the gradual disappearance of traditional wine styles as more and more producers strive to impress his Napa-Cab loving palate. Many things have been changed forever by the American wine critic for better or worse and now the wine world must continue as it is.

But the wine in question, Bodegas Borsao 2011 was reviewed by Mr. Parker to be the world best red wine for the price in the world. I tasted said wine, and while I found it perfectly enjoyable for the price, I found it predictably flavoured for the review it was given. Ripe fruits, a little complexity and a very enticing mouthfeel. I really don't see what it is that separates this £9 red wine from the rest of the pack. I enjoyed it perfectly well, I would enjoy it again and would happily pay for it. But in my head there is an ever growing list of wines between £8 and £10 that I would take long before Borsao.

I found the nose to be full of abundant fruits: ripe raspberries, some red currants and even a touch of strawberry jam and delicate spice. The palate is easy-going, a classically Spanish blend of Garnacha, Syrah and Tempranillo that works quite nicely and offers a tasty bottle of wine for a great price.

Therefore I do not blame the wine, merely the practice of decrying it so hyperbolically and laughably. Why Mr. Parker elected to elevate this wine over the rest of the world's medium priced wine, I think we shall never know, but here we are and this is the world we live in; the tastes and palate of one man being over-credited when it would suffice to call this wine what it really is. It is a good, reliable and solid wine for a damn good price and nothing less. I would give this wine a good rating, but as I am not in the usual habit of assigning numerical scores to the life-work of other people, I'll merely leave it at this...

Well done Borsao, very well done indeed!

Much Love,

G

 

Posted with Blogsy