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

End of the Road- de Trafford

Hey Everyone,

I capped off my week of winery visits with one that I am somewhat more familiar with. I had spent so many afternoons bouncing along the Blaauwklippen Road from Dornier to Keermont, that I figured it would make sense to finish off with the folks at the very end of the valley. Nestled up where the Helderberg and Stellenbosch Berg meet, de Trafford is the highly regarded operation by architect-turned-winemaker David Trafford and the source of several wines I am very fond of.

By now I've become accustomed to the bumpy improvised nature of this end of the Blaauwklippen Road where two vehicles coming in the opposite direction do well to be creative when it comes to getting past. Generally when I am traveling out this way, I will have one or two cars in front or behind, but by the time we reach Dornier they've turned off and certainly once I've passed Waterford I am alone on the road as I approach Keermont, the Mont Fleur conference centre and eventually de Trafford.

For my first visit to the winery, however there were a few surprises in store. I arrived at the quiet winery uring the very limited tasting times with the intention of introducing myself, maybe refreshing myself on a few of the wines I hadn't tasted in a while and maybe picking up a bottle of Chenin for my dinner. I saw a pair of visitors being served by a lone employee and joined them until they left. Hoping to chat a bit about the wines and maybe have a look around the cellars, but wave after crushing wave of visitors arrived, flooding the tasting room with at least twenty people at a time, all of them at a different point in the line-up of wines, some asking questions and others putting in order forms to buy wine direct. I have to say that the entire situation was handled with remarkable efficiency considering there was only one person on duty!

I can tell you that there is a reason for all this to-do about this winery. De Trafford's range rarely fails to be enjoyable and this visit to the winery was no different. My favourite of the range is still the Merlot for the combined style, quality and price. Sold for about £22 it has a big, tannic structure with plenty of bright fruit, but a balancing touch of spice, earth and wood, all while avoiding the overly sweet confected flavours that many full bodied Merlots develop.

I also liked the Chenin Blanc, for both the flavour and the use of Rita Trafford's artwork on the label, which changes from year to year. It's a barrel fermented Chenin that carries its oak delicately, while displaying big, full fruits and a bright acidity.

The other reds, including the estate Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and the Elevation were all superb renditions of style. The Syrah lead with its dark fruit, but subtle hints of peppery spice and violets show the layers of this tasty wine. The Cabernet is similarly faithful to it's varietal and I think it's one of my favourite South African Cabs. The Elevation, referring to David's architectural background was a marvellous red wine with nothing if not structure. A classy Bordeaux blend it is an elegant wine that certainly carries a lot of power behind its veil of polished tannins and acidity. I read an article in which four vintages of the Cabernet were tasted off against their counterparts from Chateau Latour, and by a narrow consensus view emerged triumphant.

Such blind tastings have their flaws but it shows that de Trafford wines can hold their own on the international stage when compared with the best of them. As new world wines generally fare better in taste offs I think that this tasting could be even more poignantly staged between de Trafford and a California great like Harlan or Screaming Eagle if we want to see where things stand and I personally wouldn't be too hesitant to put my money on de Trafford repeating its strong showing win or lose. Also, I would personally love to attend such a tasting if anyone with the resources decides to organise such an event!

While it did not take a tasting at the vineyard to say that de Trafford is a great winery, what it did show me is that even with its remote location and six hours each week of tasting time, the public recognise the quality inherent in this producer. Rightly so, in my book. I've not yet come across a wine from de Trafford I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. They make classy, poised wines that deserve all the positive press they can get. I'll be travelling next week to go out and have a look at their other operation out in Malgas; Sijnn. I've already done a post on the Sijnn wines based purely on tasting. I can't wait to go and have a look at the property itself, as it pioneers wine in the Malgas region.

This week I'll be heading to wineries Eikendal, Vergelegen and Reyneke so be sure to check in regularly for more details!

Much Love,

George

 

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