Again in 1972, Jerry Lohr and his younger household planted vines within the Arroyo Seco area of Monterey County, Calif. Amongst them have been Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and (one thing he thought was) Gamay Noir.
Not like the Cabernet Sauvignon, which struggled and proved, “the worst resolution I ever made,” in accordance with Lohr, these Gamay vines cropped prodigiously, yielding as much as 12 tons per acre if not thinned. The grapes have been large and juicy and darkish as a moonless sky on the backroads of Monterey County, that are nonetheless a lot as they have been again in 1972. It was the caboose of the grape crop yearly, however J. Lohr fortunately produced it classic after classic. So did a handful of winegrowers in Napa Valley, who had additionally planted the vines and known as them Napa Gamay. This is able to come again to chunk them.
It’s customary within the Beaujolais area of France to supply Beaujolais Nouveau in November. A carbonically macerated crimson wine historically constructed from Gamay Noir grapes, Beaujolais Nouveau is consumed virtually instantly as a part of the tip of harvest celebration, whereas the remainder of the reds are left to determine themselves out in barrel over an extended winter’s sleep. That fashion of wine was very interesting to California winemakers who might additionally see speedy income from a product that didn’t require growing older.
Nonetheless, what was believed to be Gamay Noir (and, therefore, additionally Napa Gamay), was, the truth is, a totally completely different grape.
DNA doesn’t lie
J. Lohr CEO and President Steve Lohr, eldest son of Jerry, shares the story. Apparently, the French authorities began clamping down on use of the time period “Gamay” within the Nineties. Genetic testing then confirmed that what the Lohrs have been rising in Arroyo Seco was truly Valdiguié, a local of France’s Languedoc area — not Gamay Noir.
Explains J. Lohr crimson winemaker Brenden Woods, “Valdiguié got here right here as Gamay Noir within the early 1900s, earlier than Prohibition, and was planted up and down the West Coast. It was beloved for its giant yields and decrease alcohol. Throughout the Sixties and ’70s, it was bought as Gamay Noir, and Napa growers known as it Napa Gamay.”
Woods continues, “We had been calling it ‘J. Lohr Wildflower,’ and had been making it with the identical winemaking approach because the Beaujolais fashion of Gamay. There’s no malolactic, to maintain it vibrant and crisp. We do one-third carbonic and two-thirds conventional fermentation. The carbonic provides the identical properties as whole-cluster processing.” (Which suggests it provides all that good stemmy stuff! Provides a little bit of chewiness and depth to the mid palate to offset the fruitiness)
The massive purple berries ripen actually late. The 2021 Valdiguié was processed in December: the caboose, certainly.
New search for a brand new period
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of its planting, though below an assumed identify, J. Lohr developed an attractive new package deal to showcase this spiffy, spunky quaffer. Together with Riesling, made by proficient white winemaker, Kristen Barnhisel (who crafts all of the model’s whites), the present launch of Valdiguié (2021) seems in boldly silkscreened packaging below a separate tier known as Monterey Roots.
The Valdiguié packaging options shiny blue Monterey lupine, poppies and the Checkerspot butterfly, whereas the Riesling has an attention grabbing wave and a standout Monterey cypress.
Each these varieties as soon as dominated retail shelf house till two issues occurred, in accordance with Lohr: “Our J. Lohr Valdiguié was massively standard till the arrival of crimson blends about 20 years in the past. When Moscato got here on-line, it killed Riesling as a class, and our shelf placements have been eradicated. However Moscato is now on the decline, which is opening room for Riesling.”
He hopes the daring packaging and the tales behind the Monterey Roots wines will encourage individuals to take one other look — and style.
Mockingly, the J. Lohr portfolio now rests squarely on the shoulders of 1 grape that was Jerry’s greatest mistake in Arroyo Seco: Cabernet Sauvignon. Seems, it was the proper grape within the unsuitable place.
“We’re at 1.8 million circumstances now as a model, and 1 million of these are Cabernet Sauvignon — virtually all of it from Paso Robles,” says Lohr. “Our 7 Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon is the primary Cabernet within the $14 to $20 worth level nationwide.”
Whereas the Riesling and Valdiguié might not occupy as a lot shelf house as the opposite J. Lohr wines, such because the wildly standard October Night time Chardonnay, Arroyo Vista Sauvignon Blanc and Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon, they most actually occupy a really particular place within the hearts and minds of wine lovers and historical past buffs in all places.
And who doesn’t love an imposter that seems to be downright scrumptious?
_______________________________________________________
Laura Ness
Laura Ness is an avid wine journalist, storyteller and wine columnist (Edible:Monterey, Los Gatos Journal San Jose Mercury Information, The Livermore Unbiased), and a very long time contributor to Wine Business Community. Often known as “HerVineNess,” she judges wine competitions all through California and has a corkscrew in each purse. Nonetheless, she needs that every one wineries would undertake screwcaps!
