This project all began with a book idea, and one of the first vintner to respond and take the time to meet with me was Josh Klapper. He started making wine under the La Fenetre label in 2005 and has been building a very solid lineup of wines. La Fenetre is french for the window and Josh believes that artistic expression is the window to a person's soul. Winemaking is his art and his window and a great reason to raise another glass.
While working as a Sommelier, Josh was exposed to many great Central Coast wines and decided that it was time to make the move from selling wine to making wine. Following the tradition of a Burgundian Negociant, La Fenetre wine grapes are sourced from only the choicest vineyards in and around Santa Barbara County. By working with great sites and buying only the highest quality fruit Josh is able to craft wines that are pure and seamless. His goal is to maintain balance and always present a wine that will pair well with food.
While I have not had the opportunity to taste all of his wines I am certain that there is something to be enjoyed and appreciated in all of them. I encourage you to seek them out and support his effort. Today I am focusing on the two Pinot Noirs that I tasted in our meeting. I would like to point out the difference that even just a degree of brix can make. I believe that terroir is more than just a mystical french notion and while soil is probably the single greatest influence, it is even more than that. It is more than reverence for the land and more than just the geography and climate of a said location. Terroir is the soul of the land, vine, and farmer melding into one to create a beautiful work of art that will bring happiness and ecstasy to the one who takes the time to enjoy and appreciate its beautiful melody. I also believe that picking at the right time and then getting out of the way is the only way for a winemaker to allow terroir to shine through.
Cargasacchi has quickly become one of my favorite vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills, and one of my favorites in all of North America. This wine is from the Jalama Vineyard which is situated just outside of the Santa Rita Hills. Owned and operated by Peter Cargasacchi, he is a fanatic when it comes to farming and low yields. Its location, soil, and cool climate make the perfect site for growing world class Pinot Noir. This appellation has become the hot spot for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Santa Barbara County and there are some outstanding wines being crafted by passionate winemakers. I was very excited when Josh pulled out this gem and I was not to be disappointed. We tasted it while I was working at Zooker's so I really could not wrap my mind around it at the time, but Josh was nice enough to send the rest of the bottle home with me. When I taste wines to review I like to spend 24 hours with them to let their true personality come out and to track their evolution. I believe this is the only path to really understand what is in the bottle. Here are my notes from the time spent with the 2006 La Fenetre Cargasacchi Jalama Pinot Noir.
WOW! This wine is amazing. So many facets and layers. I could spend hours in the nose alone. Bing cherry, pomegranate, violets, rose petals, sage, cardamom, cinnamon, and orange zest just dance around exploding from the glass.
The light, haunting color is no indication to what your in store for when the wine hits your taste buds. On the palate the flavors are everywhere and flow seamlessly. This wine is perfectly balanced and unbelievably complex. A little earth, with just the slightest hint of mushroom lead the way to bright fruit, tons of spice and just a cool grip of tannins that hold it all together, while the acid keeps it very focused. This Pinot is beautiful and it calls to mind the Estate Cargasacchi as well as Ken Browns effort from this vineyard. I could drink this for days and I would suggest laying some down if you can get a hold of any. Josh said that he picked this wine around 23 brix and the label states the alcohol being 13.5 % (in my mind the perfect number for Pinot)
The other Pinot we tasted that night was the Calmant Creek also sourced from the Santa Rita Hills. This was my first experience with this vineyard and unfortunately I have not been able to find out much information about it. Josh told me that the biggest difference between the two vineyards is that Calmant Creek is a little warmer and at a higher elevation. He let the fruit hang a little longer and said that he picked around 24 brix and the label states the finished alcohol being 14.2 %. This wine had beautiful fruit, but not much more than that. It was well balanced and definitely food friendly, but did not show near the complexity or depth of the Cargasacchi. The land was not speaking to me. Both were handled in exactly the same manner once in the winery. The difference could be more than the one degree difference in brix, but unless they are harvested at the same number we will never know. That is why I really seek winemakers who harvest wines from different sites at the same brix, and especially the ones who try and harvest at or before 23.5.
While I enjoyed both wines, I definitely prefer the Cargasacchi. I
liken the Calmant Creek to a model or an athlete with little substance.
Fun to look at and a good time to be sure, but when you get beneath the
fluff there is little conversation or interest. The Cargasacchi on the
other hand is like a cute intellect. The first glance is just a glimpse
of what is beneath. Wonderful conversation as well as a beauty, you
could spend hours and never lose a step.
That being said we all have our own preferences and you need to learn yours. Maybe you love fruit forward, rich wines. That is fine, and you will love the Calmant Creek. If you love complexity and subtlety then you will love the Cargasacchi. Until you try them you will never know. Unfortunately Josh has already sold out of this vintage. Sign up for his mailing list to make sure you get a hold of the new releases and in the meantime his wines can be found at various fine restaurants and retailers.
Remember, we will never change the state of domestic wine until we shift our buying power to the winemakers who are doing things the right way. Stop buying wine made by corporations or retired dot commers. Quit drinking spoofulated wines. Support the ones who care! Only drink wines with Arete!
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