Hudson Vineyard Syrah

There is a scene in Revenge of the Nerds where the super-hot lead cheerleader gets deceived into getting head from one of the nerds on a faux-moonscape. She moans “God, it has never been so good, where did you learn this?” just before removing her permed locks to realize it is not her quarterback boyfriend nestled between her thighs but rather a bespectacled nerd in a gorilla suit. The gorilla responds something like, “I have been thinking about how to do this perfectly my whole life, I just never got the chance!” Well, in similar fashion, and I have been thinking about how I would make Hudson Vineyard Syrah for ten years now.

As I mentioned a few days ago in a post, the archetypal vineyard for North Coast California Syrah is Hudson Vineyard. Though Alban in Santa Ynez is probably the most important in the United States in terms of history, clonal assortment, pioneering viticultural techniques, etc. Hudson, along with Bien Nacido Vineyard, has been the most important in spreading the gospel of cool-climate Syrah. Though the amount of Syrah planted on the ranch pales in comparison to the amount of Chardonnay (and Lee is doing some amazing plantings of heritage California clones of Chardonnay right now– Hanzell, Mt. Eden, Wente, Hyde, etc.), the gang over at Hudson has spread the acreage out over a large number of small-winery clients– many of whom I am sure you have heard of. In fact, the number of amazing wines that emanate from Hudson is simply amazing considering it is nearly 1/3rd the size of Bien Nacido. This is clearly a result of the expertise and experience of Lee Hudson– the co-mack-daddy of the Napa Carneros with Larry Hyde. There is a scarce few blocks that are NOT growing vineyard designate fruit, and this is only because Lee is very conscious about only allowing the best wines to bear the Hudson name.

I am just pumped that today I became one of the vineyards clients.

The ranch is divided into two sections. The front ranch, which abuts the Carneros Highway as one passes Domaine Carneros on your way to Sonoma, is planted to Chardonnay (Kistler takes this), some Merlot and a small patch of Cabernet Franc (which makes up Arietta’s Variation One), and a few patches of Syrah, the two main ones being taken by Kongsgaard and Havens. There are also small patches of Grenache (also Havens), a touch of Viognier, and some new Roussanne and Marsanne plantings. The back ranch lies on the other side of a steep ridge, one of last fingers reaching towards the bay of the Mayacamas Range. Nestled in a little canyon all to itself, the back ranch features completely different soil types and slightly warmer temperatures (we are still in Chardonnay land though). The wedge of soil on which the grapes grow is actually a land fragment that lies along a faultline; activity long ago gradually moved this piece of soil up from around San Luis Obispo. In one section of new Chardonnay plantings there is actually what resembles black sand and pieces of sandstone composed of ancient mollusk fossils.

The 7 rows of Syrah. The last knuckle of the Mayacamas range is in the back-ground towards the south-west.

It is from this back ranch that a bevy of producers get small blocks of grapes– among them Patz and Hall, Arnot-Roberts, Lewis Cellars, Elyse Winery, Arietta, Cakebread, and Neyers, along with the Syrah and Chardonnay that Lee takes for his own wines. In addition, there are some experimental rows of cool aromatic Mediterranean varietals such as Refosco, Barbera, and Freisa, made, for the time being, into a house wine.

The fruit that Lee is selling me comes from the back ranch, on the top of a beautiful block of 9 year old, Alban Cote-Rotie clone, on 3309 rootstock planted on an 8×4 axis. The last couple years Lee took is for himself but has instead moved over a block so all of his grapes are grown near each other. I had his newly released 2005 effort in a blind tasting prior to the MW exam a couple of weeks ago and was blown over by it– deep, sexy, dark fruits, smoke, bacon fat, along with elegance and lift– it was actually better after 36 hours of being open.

Obviously, with such a prime parcel of fruit from one of my favorite vineyards, I am going to pull out all the stops. If the fruit is as strong as I expect it to be it will see fermentation in new puncheons, an extended maceration of 15-30 days post primary ferment, followed by 36-42 months in 100% new oak– ala Guigal La Turque, La Landonne, or La Mouline. Viognier will be used for cofermentation– as much as Lee can give me– hopefully between 3 and 7 percent. The decision of whether to use whole-cluster or not will be a game-time decision based on the year. My guess is that I will make two cuvees separately– one where the fruit is completely destemmed, the other utilizing 60-90% whole clusters.

As for cooperage, since I am planning on such an extended time in barrel I am using the tightest grain oak available from my favorite coopers. The base-note will come from my “bacon-fat and smoke”barrel– tight grain, long-toasted, barrels made for me by Tonnellerie Meyrieux. The suavity and sex-appeal will come from Tonnellerie Remond Troncais M and Allier M+ barrels, the top-note will be provided by the ultra-tight grain barrel from Tonnellerie Rousseau called the “Video.”

The contract signed today is the beginning of a truly long-term project where I try to make an epic California Syrah that will live up to the grapes sacred origin. I should note that, unlike other contracts where growers are begging for vineyard designation, I have no guarantee of being awarded that honor. As Lee said, the vineyard name only appears on the label when he tastes with the winemaker and both go “yes!” It is clearly a risk to take: Hudson fruit, as one would expect is expensive. Frankly though, it is a risk that I would have to be a f-ing idiot not to take– it is a risk I have been begging to have for over a year now.

Take that Terry Thiese and your, Kremstal Gruner Veltliner = hot sex, analogies!!