WORLD VINIFERA CONFERENCE, SEATTLE, JULY 2000, including "Scoring, Rating, Evaluating: can you quantify," "Quest for Quality?" and "The International Taste-Off," "Syrah, Transitions from the Old World to the New"  

    Washington state is the second largest producer of vinifera wines in the U.S.  It’s no wonder then that the Washington Wine Commission has such an enthusiastic--and capable, I might add—staff to stage the World Vinifera Conference biannually.  Executive Director Steve Burns told me they had been developing the July 2000 program for two years.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      "It all came together remarkably well," he says. "The theme ‘Quest for Quality’ helped  wine industry leaders prepare engaging sessions that challenged and informed the participants."I can vouch for that statement. Some of the session topics included: "Quest For Quality: A World Perspective," "The International Taste-Off," "Syrah Transitions From The Old World To The New,"  and "Scoring, Rating, Evaluating: Can You Quantify Quality?" were just some panels among the three-day event that keep the interest of approximately 400 participants.

    "Scoring, Rating, Evaluating: can you quantify quality?" panel was lively and often fiery. In answering the question, everyone had a strong opinion.  JEFF MORGAN of Dean & Deluca believes each wine reviewer has his own rating system that expresses his opinion and that one can indeed quantify quality.     Dr. ANN NOBLE of UC Davis, however, disagreed. "No, of course not," she replied. "Unless you know the scorer personally and how he scores, just having a number doesn’t mean anything. Reaction time is a result that depends on how we process information. You really do want to have some overall view to rate the wine—a value judgment.  Britisher TIM ATKIN of the The Guardian made a comparison to what some consider art. He showed a slide of an item displayed at London’s new Tate Museum--an old mattress. "Of course it is ridiculous—not art, but what sort of rating would you give it? No one could think that this is art. Scores do not tell you anything. The same wine tasted again over several days would taste differently and score differently. Points encourage wine collectors, not drinkers. Points make wine drinkers lazy, making people more rigid in what they choose rather than what they want. Points stop people thinking for themselves. Get away from points and get back to what is all about—which is pleasure."   STEVE TANZER of International Wine Cellar feels that "scoring is an attempt to make wine objective when it’s a subjective exercise to drink.  But, readers demand scores. All life is a continuation of high school (where points matter). Scoring forces a degree of responsibility to name a certain quality of that wine. I can’t understand a Brit’s scores or opinion of a wine from his notes. But doesn’t a person who is new to wine need some guidance?                                                                                                               AUDIENCE GUEST: "Americans want a short answer. I personally hate the scoring system because it either causes a wine to sell out immediately at a 90-point rating or at a lower score, no one wants it. Give the wine a week and it might score better, but the score at the time is final—there’s no leeway."                                                                      Panelist JEFF PRATHER: "In the last decade the U. S. has become a wine-drinking nation and it couldn’t have happened if we hadn’t had a scoring system—for better or worse. Words give you room to maneuver, but scores do not."                                                                                                                                                                                                       There was, of course, no consensus. I guess each wine drinker will have to assess for himself how much he relies on scores in selecting wines. I encourage my students to train and trust their own palates; of course, my students have the opportunity to taste 15 or more wines at my table each month. They know from tasting which wines they like and they buy them.  My answer is try and buy.

"Quest for Quality" had some answers and raised some questions.

    Bob Betz, M.W. - Washington Wine Commission, and Stimson Lane Vineyards & Estates: "It’s a great time to be drinking wines because we are collectively drinking the finest wines that have ever been made. Geography is not destiny because it doesn’t preclude discovering other great sites. The quest for quality continues.  Even Bordeaux has been under fire for the AOC laws.   Washington has bonded new wineries every 13 days over the past five years—26 wineries a year.  The quest is ongoing.

    "The Washington Wine Commission  was looking for a definition for the term 'reserve.' The concept was immediately embraced by all WA producers. There’s a mission—it’s been a creative and cooperative vision in WA to be world’s premier wine producing region. The criteria include using 100% vinifera, 100% WA grapes, 75% of varietal on label, no generic names (like Champagne, Burgundy, etc.). It’s more about attitude than rules. We’ve stayed away from dictating rules (like the AOC). The idea is that you can’t legislate the relationship between winegrower and the vines, the winemaker and the barrels. "

    Donald J.P. Ziraldo - VQA, Canada, Inniskillin Wines: "Who determines the standards for areas? For the French, the AOC (1923) has been the standard. For the U.S. it’s the BATF. There are defining characteristics: for France it’s terroir; for Carneros it’s the fog; and around the world there are strict rules and regulations. Can you trust the AOC?  No. Trust the producer along with the appellation."

    Prof. Mario Fregoni - Instituto di Frutti - Viticoltura, Italy: "Variety, climate, soil, together with clone, vineyard practices, rootstock are defining characteristics of a region. Washington is a viticultural paradise for me—this is my first visit. Virus-free Washington is a dream; viruses in Europe are a catastrophe."  His suggestions for quality—"Washington should use low-density plantings and create plant competition—these conditions are good for quality. More roots per hectare means better quality. Phenolic maturity is important and it concerns anthocyans plus tannins, skins and seeds."

"The International Taste-Off"   Moderators Sarah Kemp, Decanter Magazine, London, and Brian St. Pierre, Freelance Wine Writer, London, moderated a panel of U.S. and U.K. representatives.   They discussed the concept of an international palate and together with the audience of about 400 tasted eight wines blind and ranked them according to preference—one through eight.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Panel Members from the UK: Steven Spurrier - Wine Writer, Decanter Magazine, UK; Christopher Burr, M.W. - uvine.com, UK and Jasper Morris, M.W. - Wine Buyer, Morris & Verdin, Ltd.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Panel Members from the US: Howard Goldberg - Wine Writer, The New York Times, New York; David Lake, M.W. - Winemaker, Columbia Winery, Washington; Jeff Prather – Wine.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            SARAH: "Do we have cultural palates and can we identify styles and place?"                                                                                                                                                                      JASPER: "If they’re overly tannic, overly extracted, there over-there (U.S.)."                                                                                                                                                                     STEVEN: "U.S. wines have higher alcohol."                                                                                                                                                                                                                               CHRIS: "U.S. has more fruit and alcohol. And Europe has more elegance and finesse. I like tannin; it clears the palate."                                                                                          DAVID: "I’m Canadian but I’ve been here 23 years so have some perception of both palates. Brits appreciate high acidity and here sugar dominates. When I left Britain, it was high tannins as a preference and now it has changed.  We like tannins more here in the U.S. There’s a confusion of semantics. 'Quite good' in England is different from 'quite good' in U.S."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      JEFF: "There are language barriers and we use it here (U.S.) in a careless or more imprecise way."                                                                                                                           HOWARD: "Like other Americans, I was brought up on colas and acquired a sweet tooth for drinks. What I like now is understatement—underpowered—and many thiings are considered, the day, the moment, the kind and psyche of the wine and of me."                                                                                                                                                               CHRIS: "Concerning the the 1995s, first, 1991-1994 were all disastrous vintages in France. 1995 was hottest vintage in 40 years-- 82-85 degrees in September--and there were heavy rain showers.  Cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc were especially ripe with big tannins, and very good wines were made with ripe tannins—one of the best of the decade."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               &nb{p;                                  DAVID: "1995 was a long and tiring harvest here in Washington.  It was a cool year with a mild winter, late April start, flowering mid-June, substantial harvest, cool summer, thinning of crops to reduce the yield, unusually small amounts of rain, quite cool in July and August."                                                                                             STEVEN: "Bordeaux stylistically is becoming more a varietal wine. One looks for balance and harmony."                                                                                                           CHRIS: "I’m impressed by the way both Washington and French wines are aging. Both have good acidity. I also like the fruit character and the Bordelaise are trying to get more fruit in their wines."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       JASON: "I’m impressed with the Washington wines this time.  It’s getting more difficult to differentiate between Washington and Bordeaux."                                  HOWARD: "It’s a very rewarding tasting because of the confusion it sows. Intellectual experiences are rewarding. Washington wines have something of real interest to discover."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      DAVID: "Washington is very dynamic. We make different styles in different years."                                                                                                                                                      JEFF: "Washington has come a long way in the last 10 to 15 years.  And customers are so much more sophisticated. When I was at Ray’s Boathouse, customers asked to see the "chandelier" (meaning the sommelier). We called them CMOs—certified masters of the obvious."

    The audience tasted eight wines blind--the best of each region.  The wines were scored  preferentially, one through eight.    The top three wines were Washington wines according to the audience—predominantly American. So the answer to the question is "yes," there is an international palate—and like so much of a home culture, one becomes acculturated to the indigenous.

My wine notes included the following comments.

  1. 1.  (ranked 4th) 1995 Chateau La Tour Figeac (60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, retail $103.)

    Big tannins, heavily extracted, mild subtle fruit, tightly textured, briery, herbals and nutmeg                                                                                                                                2.   (ranked 5th) 1995 Chateau Ste. Michelle Ethos (50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, retail $34) fruitiness, lighter in texture, nice evolution over palate, softer tannins, elegance                                                                                                                                                                                                                    3. (ranked 1st) 1995 Columbia Crest Reserve Red (47% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, retail $26) perfumy, charred oak perception, soft tannins, nutty, concentrated, full-bodied, berries                                                                                                                                                                                                                               4. (ranked 6th) 1995 Chateau Rauzan-Segla (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, retail $109) some dense fruit, cherry, nice tannins, dry but short finish, touch Brett, (Howard said "I might date this wine, but I’d never marry it) chewy, dry, austere                                                                                                   5.   (ranked 8th) 1995 Chateau Phelan-Segur (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, retail $89 Brett, leather, dense, tight, earthy                  6.   (ranked 3rd) 1995 L’Ecole No. 41 Apogee (67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot retail $35) perfumy, gardenia, coconut, fruit-forward, coming nose, light chewy tannins, evolve nicely with oak expressions                                                                                                                                                                                                             7.   (ranked 7th) 1995 Chateau Haut-Bages Avarous (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 % Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc retail NA) tight, biting tannins, bold structure, charred, anise, dry, austere

    8. (ranked 2nd) 1995 Woodard Canyon Artist Series (100% Cabernet Sauvignon retail $34) black pepper, fruity, soft tannins, nice evolution, chewy, evolves well, leather, depth, finesse, fruit intense, balanced with complexity, ripe flavors, charming                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

"Syrah, Transitions from the Old World to the New"

Moderator: Patrick W. Fegan, Wine Writer Chicago Tribune, Director Chicago Wine School.  Panel Members: David Lake, M.W., Winemaker Columbia Winery, Washington; Craig Williams, Winemaker Joseph Phelps, California; Michael McCarthy - SARDI, Australia.

    Patrick Fegan came loaded with world statistics and other helpful information.  For example, among 50 grape varieties planted worldwide, syrah is ranked 13 in acreage and France dominates with 111,415.  The largest U.S. plantation is in California, 10,298, and Washington has 1,500 acres--seemingly all produce good wine.    Syrah, according to wine historian Patrick Will, is a corruption of serah, which means long lasting.  It is called Shiraz in Australia. 

    "The cradle of syrah is the northern Rhone," Will says.  "It is most highly regarded in the Cote Rotie and Hermitage.  These two regions were identified early on a being best for syrah--as long as twenty centuries ago by the Romans.  Their slopes can be 55 degrees."

    According to David Lake, syrah came to Washing in 1985.  "We have the volcanic ash and sandstone syrah likes.  We had to take a bulldozer to break down the cliffs and soils for Red Willow Vineyard and even put a chapel at the top of a hill like you'll see in the Rhone."

    Dr. McCarty says shiraz is physiologically different.  "More than other grapes, with shiraz wines they truly begin in the vineyard.  There are many young vineyards but the older vines are better--some more than 100 years.  Fortunately we do not have phylloxera so they have not had to be bulldozed down.  They should not be planted, however, in the direct sun as they burn easily and will shrivel."  Australian author Halliday says the wines are "bloody marvelous."

    As for yields, in Australia the average is five tons to the acre, in the Rhone it is two to two and one-half,  in California it's three to three and one-half (8 to 10 in the Central Valley) and three to five tons in Washington.  Blending is the rule in the Rhone and is believed to strengthen   the wine overall.  Increasing acres of  vineyards includes plantings of syrah.  It is predicted to be the second--most planted red grape after merlot. 

    My tasting notes for the selection of Syrah/Shiraz wines follows

    1.  Columbia Winery 1997 Syrah, Red Willow Vineyard, Yakima Valley: "exploding and compelling nose, gardenia, floral, coconut, red berries, big and tannic, tightly structured but charming and fuit filled."

   2.  McCrea Cellars 1997 Syrah, Ciel du Cheval, Yakima Valley: 'huge, massive oak, unctuous, hint herbals, black pepper, big tannins, pithy, some spice

    3.  Joseph Phelps Vieayrds, 1997 Syrah, Napa Valley: lovely nose, perfumy, coal, medley of berries, ripe, rich, fresh sage, c omplexity, black pepper, tight

    4. Zaca Mesa 1998 Syrah, Zaca Mesa Vineyards, Santa Barbara County: dusty, chemical nuances, tar, odors mitigate on second nose, may be in dull period

    5.  Penfolds 1997 Syrah, Magill Estate: lovely floral accents, gardenia, fruitiness, intense, forward pleasant nose, black pepper, chewy sweet oak tannins, evolves nicely, complexity with integration of layers of flavors

    6. Seppelt 1996 Shiraz Chalambar, Victoria: dusty, hints of clean soap fragrance, some slight herbal, complex herbaciousness--sage, herbs pot pourri, lovely nose evolves and nice expression

    7. E. Guigal 1995 Cote Rotie "Brune et Blonde": Black pepper, cranberry, purple  floral mixture, big tannins, old stored blankets, pitihy, tannins dominate

    8.  E Guigal 1995 Hermitage Rouge: earthy, leather, oil, unctuousness, smoky, black pepper, hints of berries, tightly structured, big tannins dominate, potential with minor fruit

     Dr. Wade Wolfe of Hogue Cellars forecasted, "I expect a third wonderful vintage for Washington State, perhaps better than the 1998 and 1999 vintages, in the Yakima Valley. Wolfe also pointed out that this year’s fruit condition was “near perfect”.
    Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers gave credit to early fall and late summer temperatures for another classic vintage.  There's an increase in total bearing acres--24,806 acres (10,039 hectares), and for the first time, red varietals exceeded  white. 

    Washington has everything going for it with wine growing--even nature.  The northern latitude gives Washington two hours more of daily sunlight than California so the fruit can achieve great ripeness.  And coupled with cool nights that help maintain acidity, the full-flavored varietal wines retain balance.   Aren't we lucky to live in America!!