Showing posts with label varietals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label varietals. Show all posts

Friday, September 16, 2016

Fox Valley Winery and Vineyard

Illinois Wineries and Wine Production Progressing - Fox Valley Winery and Vineyard

Touring the Fox Valley river communities recently, we happened upon Fox Valley Winery tasting room. Illinois is not known for or thought of as a wine producing state, yet it is one of the leading agriculture producing states, mostly known for corn and beans. It has rich fertile soils that lend themselves well to specialty crops such as pumpkins, fruit trees and grapes. This is actually somewhat detrimental since wine grapes often thrive in poor rocky soils unsuitable for more rigorous crops.

The dichotomy of wine grape growing is that some of the most famous or best known wine regions actually are known for arid regions with minimal rainfall, rocky soils, and or steep mountainous or valley overlook hillsides where the little rainfalls drain well or run off.

Indeed, some of the most storied wines are named for or associated with rocky, even volcanic soils. Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou,  premier grand cru producer in Bordeaux actually translates to 'tiny pebbles', a tribute to the rock filled terrain which drains exceedingly well. Diamond Creek Vineyards, one of the premier wine producers in Napa Valley are known for vineyard designated wines with distinctly different vineyards that yield premier Cabernet Sauvignons. The famous legendary vineyards of Diamond Creek are Gravelly Meadow, Red Rock Terrace and Volcanic Hill.

Rocky vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape
The most concentrated richest grapes are those that are starved for nutrients, especially in years starved for rainfall during the latter part of the grape growing season.

Shown left is the vineyard of Chateau Beaucastel in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation of the Southern Rhone River Valley. The soil is almost completely rocky pebbles down to twelve feet deep.

Hence Illinois is challenged with it agricultural friendly climate of seasons, rainfall and rich quality soil as a wine grape producing State. Never-the-less, wine production in Illinois is growing albeit from small empirical numbers, especially in the last five years. Last year, 80 wineries farmed 200 vineyards and produced about 500,000 gallons of wine generating about $21m in revenue. The average vineyard is relatively small, about 4.6 acres on average.

Most major popular wine regions around the world are known for specific varietals of grapes that are synonymous with those regions, such as the Bordeaux varietals associated with the famous Bordeaux wine growing region - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The legendary Burgundy wine growing region in central France is known for or associated with Burgundy varietals Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Italy is famously known for growing over 500 varietals of grapes. Sangiovese is Italy's most planted red varietal, grown in the central Italian regions of Tuscany and Umbria, and others, it is the major grape of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and the only variety in Brunello di Montalcino.

Nebbiolo grapes are grown in the Italian Piedmont region and is the primary grape in two of Italy’s  greatest red wines, Barolo and Barbaresco.

The old wine regions of the world are known for specific grapes as a result of decades or even centuries of learning, experimenting and fine-tuning grape production to their specific terroir - that specific essence of 'place' - terrain, climate and soil.

So it should not be a surprise the the selection of grapes in Illinois is still evolving and being refined, as producers learn what grapes grow best in their specific locales. At this time, the grapes mostly grown in Ilinois are Chardonnel, Chambourcin, Norton, Traminette and Vignobles.

Such is the backdrop of our recent visit to Fox Valley Winery in nearby Oswego, Illinois. We live near the Fox River that winds through the far western exburbs west of Chicago down to where it meets the Illinois River in north, west, central Illinois. The Fox River winds through river towns such as Elgin, St Charles, Geneva, adjacent Aurora, and Oswego, down to where it meets the Illinois River in Ottawa.

Fox Valley Winery sources grapes from 25 acres of vineyards farmed by the Faltz Family Vineyard and farm near Sheridan, IL. Their vines were first planted in March of 2000, along the south-facing rocky ledges of the Fox River Valley. They also source grapes from growers from various regions of the midwest including Southern Illinois and Southwestern Michigan - two more established and growing wine producing areas.

We had a chance to taste several Fox Valley wines in their tasting room at the winery on the western outskirts of Oswego, where they offer about thirty different wines. Their range of wines is broad, from dry whites and dry reds, off-dry to sweet whites and reds, to sweet wines and ultra sweet or fortified dessert wines.

We focused on their flagship Reserve and their Estate wines - those sourced from grapes grown in their own vineyards. I must admit, their wines exceeded my expectations which here-to-fore, have been set by Midwestern wines (with grapes sourced) from Michigan, Missouri and Indiana. These were more balanced, complex and sophisticated wines that did not succumb to the detrimental non-fruit flavors such as grass, wet wood and mustiness that too often predominate or infiltrate Midwestern wines.

Fox Valley Estate Grown Unoaked Chardonnay 2013

Light straw colored, medium light bodied, modest green apple fruit with hints of pear and wet stone with a crisp clean finish.

RM 85 points. 

Fox Valley Estate Grown Barrel Aged Chardonnay 2013

Almost indiscernible from the unoaked label, a slight oak tone may differentiate the two, but it is oh so subtle. In a blind tasting, only the most discriminating might pick up the difference.

RM 85 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2471799


R. A. Faltz Vintner Reserve 2011

Their flagship or signature wine, as it is named for the proprietor / winemaker. Like expensive premium wines from around the world, this wine is aged in a mix of French and American oak barrels for fourteen months. Other recent vintages were aged for ten and eighteen months respectively.

Garnet colored, medium bodied, as one might expect from red wines from this part of the country, the fruits were modest and rather subdued, especially when compared to big forward fruit bombs from some of the world's leading wine regions. However, it was surprisingly approachable, reasonably balanced, and almost bordering on sophisticated drinking, with earthy leather, tones of tobacco and hints of cedar, with impressive moderate tannins on a lingering finish.

RM 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2471781
 

Fox Valley Illinois Cabernet Franc 2011

Perhaps reflecting the cost of the fruit for this is sourced from 100% Illinois grown Cabernet Franc, which is one of the Bordeaux varietals, this was the most expensive wine on the list at $45.

Like the Faltz VR above, dark garnet colored, medium bodied, the fruits again were rather modest and subdued with a slight astringency turning to earthy leather, slight spice and black pepper, with moderate firm tannins on the finish.

RM 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2471788


Fox Valley Heritage Collection 2008

A blend of Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin and Corot Noir. Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, nicely balanced, modest black cherry fruit turning to earthy leather with hint of creosote on a moderate lingering tannin finish.

At around half the price of the flagship wine, and almost a third of the Cabernet Franc, this represents a more appropriate price-point and reflects reasonable value in this approachable easy drinking red sipper.

RM 84 points.


https://www.foxvalleywinery.com/














Friday, June 21, 2013

Napa Cab Duo and Tomahawk Rib-eye Feast - Ruster Ausbruch, Flowers Chardonnay

Napa Cab Duo and Tomahawk Rib-eye Feast - Ruster Ausbruch, Flowers Chardonnay


Perhaps the ultimate grilled steak may be the 'tomahawk' bone in rib-eye (shown left), a cut with the full bone resulting in a tomahawk shaped beefsteak. What fun to have these whilst in the middle of our beloved Blackhawk's run for the championship Stanley Cup. Also shown is Mark with the Atlantic Coho Salmon filets.

For such as feast at Mark Z's, we took two 2004 vintage Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon blends - Robert Craig Affinity and Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry Reserve. Both were decanted before serving.

Before dinner we opened a Ruster Ausbruch Austrian Chardonnay blend based dessert wine which we tasted with artisan cheeses and French breads.

Mark also prepared grilled Scottish North  Atlantic Coho wood plank Salmon (pictured above left) with which we served a Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2007. Completing the dinner were twice baked potatoes and steamed grand purple asparagus spears.

The wine flight is pictured left.


Herbert Triebaumer Ruster Ausbruch Burgenland Neusiedlersee-Hügelland Rust 1996/1997

Burgenland is a wine region in Austria along the Hungarian border, across from the region that produces Tokaji dessert wines. Neusiedlersee-Hügelland (Neusiedler Lake Highlands) is one of the sub-regions of the area, adjacent to and influenced by the Neusiedler Lake (Neusiedlersee) body of water that defines the region.  This northernmost Neusiedlersee area produces full-bodied white wines, including the country's best Chardonnays. Due to the vineyards proximity to the lake and the climatic hot Pannonian zone, the grapes develop the "noble rot" (botrytis cinerea) which creates heady dessert wines.Rust is a village in the Neusiedler Lake Highlands, where the famous Ruster Ausbruch dessert wines are produced.

The label says Erzeugerabfüllung which would translate to producer's bottling or what we would call 'Estate Bottled' in America or Chateau Bottled (mis en bouteille au chateau, ala bottled at the chateau) in France, meaning the grapes are grown of sourced on the producer's property and the wine is produced by the land (estate or chateau) owner.


This is a Chardonnay blend of Fürmint and Gelber Muskatellier (Furmint and Gold Muscatel grape varieties). While this was no doubt straw colored upon release, over time it darkened to butter color, then weak tea colored, eventually darkening to the dark orange rust color it possesses now. Allowed to continue to age, this will likely eventually darken to dark strong tea color, although I suspect it won't necessarily improve the flavor and suitability of the wine. Some classic dessert wines are built to last decades, I suspect this Ruster Ausbruch is at or even past its peak drinking window. We still have a case of this wine, so watch this blog as we monitor this over the coming months and years.

The thick almost syrupy extracted sweet fruit was offset by a smoky almond nut flavor. Rather than the highly desirable apricot or peach flavors, this tended to be more cirtus focused. This was a great complement to hard Parmesan cheese.

RM 88 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1455246

Robert Craig Napa Valley Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 

Robert Craig produces this blend of Napa Valley Cabernets from his various vineyard sources on Mt Veeder, Howell Mtn and Napa Valley. He also sources fruit from Mt George and Spring Mtn distict for his wines. He calls Affinity 'three mountains and a valley cabernet'. Its produced for early enjoyment but we continue to find it ages well too. We continue to hold a vertical of this wine dating back to the inaugural 1993 vintage. This wine was a highlight of the evening and was a perfect pairing with the grilled rib-eye steaks, and also went especially well with the the pre-dinner double Gloucester cheese.

Consistent with earlier tasting notes, deep dark purple inky color, huge ripe berry fruit aromatics, full body, ripe berry fruit, accented by a undercurrent of caramel with a hint of anise, tobacco and firm full tannins on the long fruit filled finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=323482

Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

In the comparison tasting, while this went well with the grilled steak, it was overshadowed by the big aromatic fruit of the Affinity.

Consistent with earlier tasting notes, dark garnet colored, medium-full bodied, a bit tight and closed, the black berry fruits were a bit overtaken by tones of tea, tobacco and hints of cedar, anise and smokey oak on a moderate tannin lingering finish.

RM 89

 https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=410294




Flowers Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2007

This Chardonnay went well with the salmon and the white cheeses. Light to golden straw colored, balanced and full complex layers accented by lemon citrus, tones of mineral and a hint of vanilla, pear and buttery oak, giving way to citrus on the crisp clean finish. This wine is a blend of several Sonoma Coast vineyards, including Camp Meeting Ridge ; a blend of Dijon clones (95 and 76), mature vine clone 4, and the low-yielding "Old Wente" selection.

RM 87 points.  .

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=595115

http://flowerswinery.com/