In preparation for our new Bordeaux blend; Eternity, we decided to chip bud one acre of Cabernet over to Petit Verdot and one acre to Cab Franc. The Petit Verdot is in full production. We budded the Cab Franc this last spring. A typical vineyard planting requires 5 years before the vineyard is in full production. Chip budding gives us an incredible jump on that number.   

The “budders” are true artisans.  First they cut the vine from the trunk leaving about 2 feet of trunk in the ground.  Then a ”chip” is taken from a vine of the desired variety.  The “chip” is the size of the tip of your thumb nail.   Next a tiny wedge is cut into the remaining trunk and the chip is fit in.  Then the trunk with its new chip is wrapped at the budded juncture in a white plastic tape.  From there a whole new vine will grow using the established root system of the previous vine.  It is truely amazing!

Our newly chip budded Cabernet Franc is reaching for the sky.  We will have a bit of fruit this year which will be dropped.  If Mother Nature is kind, by 2012 we expect to have a decent crop.

This recipe by Chef Stephen Barber; Fish Story, Lark Creek Group in Napa, defies the general belief that only white wine or light reds should be paired with fish.  In fact, Chef Barber created this recipe specifically to pair with our Estate Cabernet.  I expected him to come up with a meat dish, but not only does this work, it is spectacular! 

I have summarized the recipe below.  The detailed recipe can be found in, Decanting Napa Valley; the Cookbook.

Clark-Claudon Cabernet
Grilled Crispy Skin Wild Salmon with Creamed Corn, Baby Bok Choy & Beurre Rouge Sauce

Ingredients:                                          Beurre Rouge:
Salmon fillets; wild, skin on                1/2 C Clark-Claudon Estate Cab
4 heads baby bok choy                       1/4 C minced Shallots
4 ears sweet corn                                1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 C cream                                         8T unsalted butter
lemon
olive oil                                                 Garnish:
salt & pepper                                        Pea shoots on top, with a squeeze of lemon & drizzle of olive oil

To Make Beurre Rouge:
Bring wine, shallots, & vinegar to boil
Reduce heat & simmer until liquid is reduced to 2 T
Add 8 T of butter; one at a time wisking continually until thick.
Season with salt & butter.  Hold in warm kitchen spot

Creamed Corn:
Shuck corn & grate on largest side of box grater
Milk cobs by running the back of a knife down them
Bring corn & “milk” to simmer
Add cream, cook for 10 minutes & season with salt & pepper

Bok Choy:
Cut each head in half length wise
Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze of lemon, salt & pepper

To Assemble:
Prepare Grill
Generously sprinke each side of Salmon with salt & pepper
Grill skin side down until skin shrinks and separates from flesh 
Flip and grill until opaque throughout and translucent at very center
Transfere to platter
Grill Bok Choy
Spoon Cream Corn on plate, place Bok Choy on top
Place Salmon, skin side up, on top
Drizzle sauce around. Serves 4

 Next week we will offer three new ways for you to enjoy Clark-Claudon.    I can’t wait to share the news with you.  For now, I am watching  a continuous down pour outside my window. 

I have been asked, What does this do to the vineyard?  We were below the needed rain level about a month ago.  Now, we are well over.  The rain has been battering us for days.  The soil is completely saturated and the reservoirs are spilling. 

This can be a set up for terrace slippage and major erosion.  In addition, with bud break coming, heavy rain can knock off the tender buds. Plus, muddy vineyards and tractors do not get along very well.  Consequently, the cultivation that is usually happening at this time is at a standstill.

Thankfully, the erosion control system at our vineyard is serving it well.  To date, we have not lost any terraces and the cover crop & drainage system are preserving the top soil.  We are all hoping the rain will stop by next week.  If it does, all will be well.  As I have said before, growing grapes and making wine is not for the faint of heart!

I love the smell in the winery right now; baby wine all fruity and lively as it goes to barrel.  I pull out the bung allowing all the wonderful aromas to leap out and then I stick in the “thief” to steal a taste.   Following the wines evolution is such a tough job, but someone has to do it!

In the vinyard, the air is crisp and moist.  The fog swirls around me.  The vines are bare and stark with short canes sticking out at strange uniform angles.

These vines do not have some kind of blight, rather they have been pre-pruned.  All the leaves now gone; the wild canes, once controlled by trellis wires, have been cut to about 2 ft.  This early “haircut” supports the health of the vine while  preparing it for the focused decisions made during the final pruning…The 2011 season has begun.

Given the cool season, this year could turn out to be the best or worst of times. I am betting on the best.  Given the micro climates that make up the Napa Valley, the out come will depend on vineyard location & what Mother Nature hands us over the next weeks.

Right now, the Clark-Claudon Vineyards look better than ever.   The cooler temps are allowing the fuit to mature gradually.  Each day they are a little closer to perfection.  Also, due to location, we were 10 degrees cooler than many other sites during the 2 day heat spike.  And lastly, our retro-fited trellis system accomplished what we had hoped in providing perfect “sun hats.” 

I am absolutely betting on an exceptional vintage!

This is one crazy season.  The wet winter was great; we needed the water.  The cool spring and late bud break was not worth worry.   Even the very moderate weather in June and July still left time for things to warm up.  But now, almost half way into August , it isn’t heating up nor are the vines catching up.  In fact, in most areas verasion is barely beginning or not yet happening at all.

Verasion is the transition from berry growth to ripening. when the fruit begins to turn from green to red for red varieties  or golden for white varieties.  Typically harvest begins 60 to 65 days following verasion.  At Clark-Claudon Vineyards we have begun this process which means our harvest will begin in mid October; 30 days later than usual.  Since  we historically have 3 weeks from the beginning of harvest to the end that means we could finish just in time for Halloween.  Vineyards in even cooler areas might be harvesting right up to Thanksgiving!

There are rumors that this cool system is leaving.  I hope that means a warming trend without any rain in sight!

Financial troubles have motivated some wine distributors, retailers and individuals to sell their wine inventory at extremely discounted prices.  Consequently, there are some very sweet deals out there.  This is good for wine lovers now, but it can cripple small artisan winemakers and have a negative impact on what will be available in the long term. 

 We appreciate all of our customers who have continued to support us and other artisan producers.  Together we are sustaining the art, the passion and the soul found in great wine.

Prompted by the film Bottle Shock, there is a lot of talk these days about the famous Paris tasting in 1976.  It was then that everyone realized that Napa Valley could compete on a wine world stage.  In 1998 a similar tasting was repeated in San Francisco with some new additions, including the 1995 Clark-Claudon Cabernet. 

The tasting was organized by Gordon Getty in conjunction with the Headlands Foundation Wine Auction.  A stellar panel of wine gurus blind tasted 42 wines including each French First Growth & every California Cult Cabernet.  In addition, a number of up and coming wineries were included. 

We were pleased just to be invited to participate.  That pleasure turned to pure thrill when we heard that our 1995 Estate Cabernet took a very strong first place.  Again, a Napa Cabernet won the tasting, but not just any Napa Cab, it was ours! 

If that tasting was repeated again today I wonder what the outcome would be.  As Eric Asimov deftly discussed on August 19th; New York Times, The Pour, “The prevailing style of Napa Cabernet today emphasizes power, weight and extravagance.” A very different animal from the wines that won in ’76 or our 1995 Cabernet that won in 1998.  Yet, he goes on to say, “…a small but significant number of Cabernet producers form a kind of alternate Napa universe. They are making wines of balance and restraint that are a direct link to Napa’s past, when wines…forged the region’s reputation as a source of great Cabernet Sauvignon.”  Asimov then named Clark-Claudon as one of those, “alternate universe” producers.

On August 7th, in the Long Beach, CA Press Telegram, staff writer Eric Nolan writes, “There are many merchants and restaurant sommeliers who believe California’s vintners have strayed off course…Finding wines made in styles similar to the classics of ’76 is the tricky part.  It means gravitating to winemakers who don’t follow rating chasing fads. For Cabernet purism, Stromer of the Woodland Hills Wine Company suggests Clark-Claudon.” 

I appreciated Azimov’s, Nolan’s & Stromer’s views. Finally the pendulum is beginning to swing back again.

Napa Chardonnay went through a similar evolution about 10 tears ago.  The extravagent wines being produced at first dazzled and then diminished its popularity.  Chardonnay sales took years to recover as people sought out varitals that were lighter in style with food friendly balance. Thankfully, though you can still find those huge Chards, today there are many lovely alternatives available.

Napa Cabernet is going through the same growing pains.  The bigger is better logic has prevailed for a number of years.  Yet, many previous Cab drinkers have switched to Pinot, a wine much lighter in style.  Still the fruit bomb Cabs tend to get the very high scores.  In a blind tasting they jump out of the glass always attracting attention.  But, we trust that the pendullum will continue the swing that has begun, back to more complex, nuanced Cabernets that speak from where they come.

I believe the ideal Cabernet combines the best of both the old and the new world.  We strive to produce a wine that is elegant, nuanced & balanced with beautiful varietal fruit character; a wine that is invitingly seductive rather than obtuse; a wine that is delicious upon release, but also worthy of aging.  Most importantly, we want our wines to represent their origin rather than score seeking, over ripe fruit & manipulation in the winery.  If that makes me old fashoned, I guess I will happily own it!

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We are so excited about this new focus!

  From the vineyard…

to the bottle…

,

to medical and educational outreach… the circle feels complete. 

Since our Peace Corp experience, hands-on-philanthropy has played an important role in Tom’s & my life.  We learned as young adults that the perceived giver is often the receiver. From Colombia to Nicaragua to Nepal to our own community, we have been touched by amazing people. Hence, besides making great wine, outreach will always be prominent in Clark-Claudon’s mission. 

 To that end, we have allocated 400 cases of Estate Cabernet to our new 50% Outreach program. 

The details: 50% of the proceeds will be donated annually to our family’s chosen charities.  The program will begin with our current 2004 Vintage. Want to join the movement?…order here & now!

The V Foundation and its tremendous support for cancer research stands out as one of the most impressive foundations dedicated to cancer research.   Hence, it will be the first recipient of our new outreach focus.  Funds raised will go directly to the V Foundation’s 2008 Pediatric Grant.  This new program will be kicked off at the V Foundation’s 2008 V Foundation Celebration weekend beginning August 1, 2008.