Chances are you’ve seen, read or heard the term “field blend” in relation to wine. On one level, its meaning isn't super difficult to parse: a field blend is wine made from at least a few different grapes that share a common habitat - specifically, a field/vineyard, like it says right there in the name. But what distinguishes such a bottling from others, whether single varietal or non-field blends, can be less clear, even though the distinction carries significant implications w/r/t winemaking philosophy, methodology and, perhaps most importantly, in-the-glass experience. So for this installment of Red Rogues we are offering up two outstanding examples of field blends at work (and play) - and one great non-field combo, for contrast. All come from California, as the Golden State is as refulgent a prism as any through which to view this particular hue-niverse (sorry) of (red) fruited plains.
First though, a brief primer on field blends. The vast majority of the blends you drink, including all the most famous (Bordeaux, Cotes du Rhone) are made by taking grapes grown in different varietal-specific vineyard sites, fermenting them separately, and then combining them together to produce the final wine. Field blends on the other hand are a melange, hodgepodge or farrago ( feel free to agglomerate your preferred term) of grapes grown in a single place that are picked and fermented simultaneously. And for most of the history of viticulture, they were very much the norm; until quite recently, farmers had neither the tools nor the time or technology to farm, harvest and vinify grapes from disparate sites. So they planted different grapes for different reasons - some for acidity, some for color, others for ripeness - a method that also provided a kind of insurance against various environmental caprices. If one grape crop was ruined by bad weather, they could use the others, with different ripening schedules, to mitigate the loss. Makes sense.
But in our present epoch of scientific and technological surplus, with the focus on precision, rigorous clonal selection and single varietal expressions, what explains the persistence of the field blend? Well, there are some places - Austria w/ its Gemischter Satz heritage Portugal and its countless native varietals - where the methodology is a long-standing tradition, and its resultant products arguably the quintessential expressions of the local terroir. And while it isn’t immediately apparent that California, renowned for Cab Sauv, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, might be among them, field blends span the entire history of California winemaking, and are experiencing a real renaissance of late. This is perhaps most evident in Zinfandel, maybe the California grape and the predominant ingredient of most of the state’s old vine blends. Field blends are by definition composed of older vines that have survived the mono-varietal takeover; the complexity and balance they can offer makes them an attractive proposition despite the intensive labor their cultivation demands, and the vintage-to-vintage consistency they lack, when compared with single grape bottlings.
Anyway, this quarter we are spotlighting three of our favorite such concatenations, made with varying degrees of fealty to the field blend ideal. The Mengler Medley Red Blend is as field blend as it gets, composed of 60+ different varietals from the Algeria vineyard in Russian River Valley. The Mora Estate Valpo features 6 grapes all, except for Cab Franc, from the Veneto region of Italy. While they are all from the same vineyard site, they are not all fermented together. The third selection is a blend of mostly Spanish grapes from different vineyards, by the great Enfield label.
Cheers,
The PlumpJack Wine Team
Mengler Medley Red Blend 2022 |
|
|
Region/Country of Origin: Alegria Vineyards, Russian River Valley, Sonoma California |
About The Winemaker: Mengler Family Wines was founded in 2014 with a focus on producing vineyard designated, unique and exclusive wines for the purpose of creating memorable wine enjoyment experiences. Family and friends do almost all the work throughout the year on this block from pruning, trimming and leafing all the way to harvesting the grapes by hand in the darkness of night. About the Winemaking: The winemaking principle is to use all Sonoma County grapes combined with all American Oak using techniques designed to highlight the characteristics of the varietals. This is a true field blend, composed of 60+ varietals. |
|
Winemaker: Chris Mengler |
|
|
Price per bottle: $47.99 |
|
|
Suggested Food Pairing: Red meats, Hearty stews, Grilled Chicken |
|
Mora Estate Valpo 2022 |
|
|
Region/Country of Origin: California |
About the winemaker: Fabiano Ramaci, Winemaker and Chef, has been surrounded by wine his entire life. His love of wine and food began at his family’s restaurant, La Traviata, an iconic San Francisco restaurant and a favorite dining room of the opera stars. Fabiano’s dream has always been to create wines in a method that shares a balance of old world and new world, while maintaining the sophistication and elegance of the wine. He is proud to be the only winemaker in California making wine in the Amarone tradition. About the Winemaking: The varieties are harvested together and the marriage of flavors begins at the inception of the wine. About a third of the fruit is placed on drying racks, which are stacked and left to dry for 120 days. The remaining two-thirds of the fruit is fermented on the skins with the lees from the previous vintage of our Amarone. This method, known as ripasso, or double fermentation, adds more structure, body and flavors to the wine. Tasting Notes: Layered, intriguing aromatics of plum, currant and mixed dark berries merge with baking spices and dusty tannins. The palate hosts an array of bright, spicy flavors that linger on. Queen Anne cherry, pomegranate arils, bright strawberry and traces of rhubarb blend with hints of spice in the long finish. |
|
Winemaker: Fabiano Ramaci |
|
|
Price per bottle: $42.99 |
|
|
Suggested Food Pairing: Braised oxtail tortellini with a black truffle sauce, or assorted cheeses with membrillo. |
|
Enfield Pretty Horses Red Blend 2022 |
|
|
Region/Country of Origin: California |
About the Winemaker: Enfield Wine Co. is the family project of John Lockwood and Amy Seese, with a focus on producing wines of personality. They do not subscribe to the ideal of the perfect wine, but to the notion that the very best wines tell a unique story. Driven by soil first and foremost, Enfield Wine Co. seeks out vineyards that possess a distinct and powerful sense of place – across region, grape variety, and vine age. Working only with small vineyards and independent growers, every step of the process is guided by the intent to maximize this character of terroir. Grapes are harvested for balance and the wines are all given the chance to ferment naturally. After surviving a summer job in high school hand-weeding grape vines at a winery in Vermont and studying as an apprentice to a Master Luthier (guitar builder) in Oakland, John Lockwood got his start in the California wine industry in 2004 working up at Heron Lake vineyard with David Mahaffey. He went on to work harvests with Ted Lemon at Littorai, Bodega Melipal in Argentina, and Failla Wines with Ehren Jordan where he worked for 5 years farming and managing the Sonoma Coast and Russian River estate vineyards. He started Enfield Wine Co. in 2010 as small side-project while still working at Failla, and in 2013 took the plunge with Enfield as a full time project. |
|
Winemaker: John Lockwood |
|
|
Price per bottle: $29.99 |
|
|
Suggested Food Pairing: Paella, Grilled Lamb, or Lasagna |
|
