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Spring 2002 Newsletter
General Winery News Winemaking News Special Report Uncorked! From our Hospitality Staff New Releases Awards and Reviews Personnel Corner |
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General Winery News: The Ageability
With the release of the 1999 vintage, Insignia celebrates its 25th birthday, with most of the early releases still going strong. What accounts for the wine's extraordinary longevity?
In October of 2001, Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine published the results of a vertical Insignia tasting which included 15 wines beginning with the inaugural 1974 vintage. Of that wine they wrote: "Even today, the wine is rich and supple with sweet fruit and mild tannins holding it up . . . This first Insignia is still a remarkable bottle of wine." (Click here for additional excerpts from the review.) When asked to analyze the various viticultural and enological components that contribute to a wine's ageability, Craig Williams, JPV's Senior Vice-President and Director of Winemaking, answers, "Aging potential is related to a wine's ability to resist oxidation." Craig's first Insignia goes back to the 1977 vintage, but he credits Walter Schug, JPV's first winemaker, with laying the foundation for quality control standards. "Walter was very focused on cleanliness of barrels, temperature in the barrel room, and hygiene and sanitation in general. He was fastidious in minimizing a wine's exposure to oxygen while it was being transferred and racked, and all of this contributed to Insignia's ageability." Still, before the 1990's, when JPV's Insignia vineyards came into their own, there was much more luck involved in both the quality and ageability of the wine. "A lot changed in the 90's," Craig explains. "We became more detailed in the selection and blending process. In the past, we would take the press wine and free run and age them separately, then blend them back together. But in some years this process created too much resistance to oxidation and created overly tannic wines. Today we grade the press wine and free run separately and make multiple cuts before blending them together. We also blend earlier, which creates a buffer against oxidation." Grape sources for Insignia are primarily estate-owned Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vineyards in Stag's Leap and Rutherford, but blending options are kept open, and both the '97 and '99 vintages have included a small amount of Petit Verdot from the home ranch in Spring Valley. Following the Bordeaux tradition, in years that are warm enough, late-ripening Petit Verdot contributes structure and ageability by increasing the quality of color and tannins. Today's Insignia represents an evolutionary process with vintages from the last ten years displaying more vibrant, youthful flavors and greater potential for longevity. This is attributable not just to superior quality vineyards, but to more sophisticated winemaking techniques. "The 1999 and 2000 Insignias had different crop loads and different chemistry," Craig explains, "but both are outstanding examples of their respective vintages and have similar aging potential. Technique is the reason for this, and 25-plus years of experience goes a long way in helping mitigate the ups and downs of different growing seasons." |
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RELEASE DATE: Spring 2002.
BLEND & GRAPE SOURCE: 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot, 1% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc, primarily from estate-owned vineyards in Stag's Leap and Rutherford, with additional fruit coming from independent growers in Carneros and St. Helena. WINEMAKER NOTES: The outstanding 1999 vintage was characterized by a long growing season which allowed flavor development to proceed at a measured pace. Temperatures were mild, there was no threat of rain, and warm weather in mid-July allowed the crop to mature into picture-perfect clusters of small berries which, by harvest, displayed optimal color, flavor and acid levels. The Insignia from this growing season is a deep, black cherry red color, with aromas of roasted black fruit, licorice, cedar and spice. The tannins are rich and full in flavor and texture to give this wine incredible depth and length in the finish. |
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