GREETINGS FROM CHALK HILL ESTATE
At the beginning of this new year we think back on 2009 and the conclusion of another successful growing season and harvest at Chalk Hill. Every harvest leads to wines of great quality and character at Chalk Hill and 2009 was no exception.
The 2009 growing season began with cool weather leading to bud-break occurring about a week later than usual. Rain in early May provided slightly higher than average yields and a long, cool growing season followed. In early summer Vice President of Vineyard Operations Mark Lingenfelder and his team focused on shoot position and canopy thinning to ensure even ripening of clusters. Very warm weather arrived in August and September which allowed the berries to mature to their fullest expression before harvest. Hand-harvesting began in October with Pinot Gris and ended in November as the botrytised Semillon grapes were brought to the winery.
Jordan Fiorentini, Winemaker, describes the factors considered in determining when a particular vineyard block is ready to be picked: "The primary consideration is flavor. Others factors that may come into play are chemistries, vine and grape physiology and weather." Choosing when to harvest is not a decision to be taken lightly: Once the grapes are harvested there is nothing that can be done in the winery to change their basic character and degree of ripeness. Each vineyard block is individually assessed for maturity and is harvested and fermented separately. Some blocks are harvested in several passes with each pass taking only the clusters that have reached optimum maturity. This is a very labor-intensive process but results in the production of the very best wine possible from each vintage.
Following a successful 2009 harvest at Chalk Hill another year has begun. Mark and his team are in the process of pruning the vines and we are looking forward to the 2010 growing season. I would like to take this opportunity to invite all our friends to visit us and experience the seasons of the vine at Chalk Hill Estate.
— Frederick Furth, Proprietor
Q AND A WITH VICE PRESIDENT OF VINEYARD OPERATIONS, MARK LINGENFELDER
Mark Lingenfelder, an 14th-generation wine grower, has a keen understanding of how to grow grapes at Chalk Hill. 2009 marked his 30th vintage at Chalk Hill Estate.
Q: What is your most memorable vintage at Chalk Hill?
A: That's a tough one as every vintage is memorable for its own unique reasons and every vintage is like no other. Each vintage has a personality all its own. At this point though I would have to say that perhaps 2009 is at the moment most memorable as it is still fresh in my mind and especially because it was my 30th vintage at Chalk Hill. Thirty vintages at one vineyard is a milestone that very few vineyard managers have reached.
Q: How do the different growing seasons challenge you?
A: The biggest challenge is that each vineyard operation is time critical with a narrow window in which it must be performed for the optimum results. This window can then widen or narrow significantly based on the weather and especially temperature. I need to carefully monitor and calculate the number of man-hours needed to finish each current task in order to fit within this moving target of an opening or closing window and adjust the crew size and hours and days worked accordingly. With too large a crew and a period of cool weather that slows the vines growth you could run out of work and need to lay people off, and then they might not be available when you need them again. With too small of a crew you won't get the work done in a timely manner and then there may be no way to catch up and start the next task on time.
Q: How would you describe your approach to vineyard management?
A: I have spent thirty years developing and fine tuning a system of low input sustainable viticulture which is also very site specific. As each year goes by I manage the vineyards in smaller and smaller units in order to optimize the quality potential of each one. This requires a lot more thought, consideration, and attention to detail than the painting in broader strokes which is the norm in vineyard management.
Q: Why did you choose the profession of vineyard manager?
A: When I started in vineyard management over 30 years ago our knowledge base for high quality wine growing was much smaller than it is now. There was so much potential to learn and contribute to that base. The major emphasis in quality wine growing over the past 20 years has been on how viticultural practices and techniques can influence wine character and to use them to meet stylistic and quality goals for the wines. I was fascinated with the prospect of contributing to that effort and chose to dedicate my career to those goals.
FROM THE ESTATE KITCHEN
Boudin Blanc
with Mushroom Fricassee & Jus
Recipe provided by Estate Chef Didier Ageorges
to be paired with
2007 Founder’s Block Chardonnay.
"Boudin" is the French term for a blood sausage or pudding made with the blood of a pig. "Boudin Blanc" is a white sausage made with pork, chicken and milk and no blood. This recipe is a simplified variation that does not call for stuffing sausage casing at home.
10 Servings
Boudin Blanc
1 lb. ground chicken
6 oz. ground pork shoulder
1 egg
1 egg white
1 Tbsp. salt
1 1/2 cup milk
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 1/2 oz. corn starch
1 1/2 cup of cream
Bring milk, onion, bay leaves & thyme to a simmer. Turn off the heat, cover and let infuse for 20 minutes. Strain. When it is lukewarm, add starch.
In a food processor, combine chicken, pork, egg, egg white & salt. Work until smooth and then add cream.
Grease 10 individual ramekins with butter. Fill them with the mixture and place in a pan with water so the ramekins are half submerged. Cover with greased parchment. Place in a 300 degree oven for 35 minutes.
Let rest for 5 minutes before unmolding.
Chicken Jus
1 lb. chicken bones
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 quart veal stock
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
Heat a sauce pan and add olive oil and bones and begin browning. Reduce heat to low to avoid burning. Continue browning for about 20 minutes.
Add garlic and shallots and continue browning for another 10 minutes.
Pour off fat and add veal stock. Reduce to the consistency of a thin gravy.
Strain through a sieve. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Mushroom "Fricassee"
2 lbs. Matsutake & Oyster mushrooms
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots
1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
salt & pepper
In a large pan, bring olive oil to high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until nearly dry. Strain.
Using the same pan, heat the butter. Add mushrooms, shallots & garlic. Season to taste. Sprinkle with parsley.
Place the boudin in the center of the plate. Cover with jus and place the mushrooms around the boudin. This recipe pairs beautifully with the 2007 Founder’s Block Chardonnay.
FEATURED WINES
The wines featured in this newsletter are the 2006 Estate Merlot, 2007 Estate Sauvignon Blanc and 2007 Founder’s Block Chardonnay, which is produced only in exceptional vintages:
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2006 Estate Bottled Merlot |
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2007 Estate Bottled Sauvignon Blanc |
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2007 Founder’s Block Chardonnay |
Events
Please join us for the following upcoming events:
March 10th-March 13th, Cincinnati International Wine Festival, Cincinnati
March 13th and 14th, 32nd Annual Wine Road Barrel Tasting, Healdsburg
March 25th-27th, High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction, Atlanta
April 9th-10th, UNL Vino, Las Vegas
April 24th, Great Chefs and Wineries of Marin, San Francisco
April 24th, Wine Spectator Grand Tour, Las Vegas
April 30th, Wine Spectator Grand Tour, Washington D.C.
May 4th, Wine Spectator Grand Tour, New York
May 14th-15th, Martha’s Vineyard California Wine Affair, Edmonton
May 15th, Las Olas Food and Wine Festival, Fort Lauderdale
View our online calendar for more details on these events.
CONTACT
Chalk Hill Estate10300 Chalk Hill Road
Healdsburg, California 95448
(707) 838-8406
concierge@chalkhill.com
