Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1061132
82 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018/2019 As Maloney invited us to sample wines at various stages of fermentation, a lively discussion ensued as he described the activity taking place on a microbiological level. DeLoach allows every fermenta - tion to take off naturally with indigenous yeast, which adds a richness to the wine before local saccharomyces swoop in like a "big beach ball," Maloney explained. He added that texture in wine is really about dead yeast, or nano-proteins, breaking down during fermentation. "When you have a lot more bodies, that's a smaller surface-to-volume ratio and there's a lot more of those nano-proteins coming out," he continued. "So essentially you've built up a base mouthfeel into the wine that you wouldn't have otherwise if it was just straight saccharomyces." Maloney went on to describe the battle that ensues: "Saccharomyces is incredibly efficient at gobbling up sugar really fast. That's the goal: It wants to deprive every - thing else of sugar and then start polluting its own environment [with alcohol] to kill everyone else off," he explained. "So in the end, all that's left is saccharomyces in the tank. That's what we want." After a well-earned lunch in the Theater of Nature, where we refueled on bowls of gazpacho made from the estate's toma - toes, cucumbers, and watermelons, we filed back on the shuttle to visit Saitone, one of the oldest vineyard plantings in the Russian River Valley. Located on Olivet Road, the property was planted in 1895 as a traditional field blend: a mix of primarily Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, and Carignan with small amounts of French Colombard, Petit Bouschet, and Grand Noir. As we walked the 17-acre vineyard with Taylor Ramsey, Manager of Grower Rela - tions for Boisset Collection, we sampled the 2014 Saitone Vineyard Zinfandel. The wine, which burst with dusty aromas of hibiscus tea and tobacco with plummy red fruit, was incredibly mouthwatering. "That's one of the best things about this site: the acidity," Ramsey said. We then traversed back to DeLoach Vineyards for a growers' tasting with the owners of Pennacchio Vineyard, located in Sebastopol Hills, and van der Kamp Vineyard; based in the Sonoma Mountain AVA, the latter holds the distinction of be - ing one of the oldest Pinot Noir plantings in California. "These are all drought years, and the middle wine [2015] is going to be the Participants sample fermentations at various stages as Brian Maloney describes the process on a microbiological level. The somms sort La Tâche clone Pinot Noir from the morning harvest. A Trio of Select Wines J. Moreau & Fils Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin This happens to be the southernmost Premier Cru vineyard in Chablis with a high concentration of Kimmeridgian soil. "You get a ripe- ness off this vineyard that you don't get with any other Premier Cru Chablis," Hoernlein said. Flinty and chockfull of citrus with subtle hints of guava and salty-biscuit notes, the wine fills out in the mid-palate with a slight hint of lemon curd balanced by mouthpuckering acid. DeLoach 2015 Maboroshi Vine- yard Pinot Noir Higher-toned with pronounced blueberry and pome- granate fruit with a savory backbone. During the comparative tasting on Day 1, the murmurs around the room proved this was one of the favorites. "It's juicy, lingering, and has more in the ripeness of the palate," said Joel Arias Quito, Sommelier at La Mar in San Francisco. DeLoach 2016 van der Kamp Vineyard Pinot Noir Savory, wild strawberry; blonde tobacco; and hints of geranium emerge alongside firm tannins. The prickly texture on the finish is reminiscent of fresh raspberries. The camp's last feast unfolded in the original cellars of the historic Buena Vista Winery, which was established in 1857.