Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/116287
TECHNICAL REVIEW WINEMAKING Cellar staff employ an OxOlift forklift attachment to load and unload barrels used for fermentation. Maintaining a legacy A former storage room in the main winery has been redone into a small museum with a few pieces of old winemaking equipment, ledgers noting grape delivery, photos and the framed menus of dinners for heads of state. Stambor takes some time to discuss the privilege of working with some of the great names like André Tchelistcheff that have been associated with the estate as well as continuing the legacy of the Georges de Latour brand. He acknowledges, "Wines are so different today than they were 20 years ago," but that's driven by more than just consumer tastes or a critic's palate. In the early 1990s, Stambor said tannin perception was largely affected through acidity. Grapes with a higher acidity could be perceived as having better tannin structure. Today, with advances in viticulture and winemaking, it's possible to achieve a little bit more ripeness yet still integrate the tannin structure for a more balanced wine that also has good texture. The stainless steel tank wines exhibit the fruit and terroir of the vineyards but come with tight-wound tannins that need extra aging, Aiken said. Blending that wine with barrel-fermented lots results in a multi-layered wine that is more approachable in its youth yet has enough structure to age in the cellar. "That really helps to tame some of those tannins and add layers of complexity," he said. Napa Valley winemaking was changing in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At the time, Aiken said, he wanted Georges de Latour to earn high marks from reviewers but also be the best wine possible. Now he thinks that has been achieved. "I've been tasting those wines from those first vintages in the reserve winery, and they just have everything we were looking for," Aiken said. With a modern winery and newfound critical acclaim for the latest Georges de Latour wines, Stambor said he's looking to continue the wine's legacy. "I'm pretty happy with what the present and the future hold for us," he said. We're Getting Bigger So You Can Get Better. Vintage Nurseries…growing with your success in mind. Day after day, we plant and plan at Vintage Nurseries, expanding our product selection and service to meet your growing needs. In an effort to be a reliable source for all of our customers, we strive to maintain the highest standards in the industry. Quite simply, the bigger we get, the harder we work to keep your success and satisfaction our top priority. Wasco 661-758-4777 Paso Robles 805-237-8914 www.VintageNurseries.com Modesto 209-523-8036 800-499-9019 SerVINg the WINe, table grape aND raISIN INDuStrIeS 38 W in es & V i ne s APR I L 2 013 Santa Rosa 707-542-5510