(Robert Whitley’s Creators Syndicate Wine Talk column for this week.)
Emily Richer didn’t arrive in the Napa Valley toting saddlebags loaded with gold bullion, as so many others have. Nor was she born to the grape, a child of the industry who took her first tentative steps in a vineyard. Nope, she’s just a self-described Valley girl with a dream; a transplant from Los Angeles with a new wine business, a first vintage in the bottle and obstacles galore.
I tell you all of this for two reasons: I love the wine, the 2007 Virage; and I believe Richer is on to something, though success is far from assured.
Richer is a former financial consultant who got her toes wet in the wine industry evaluating winery business plans, largely when the economy was booming and wine sales were on an upward trajectory as far as the eyes could see. She also graduated from culinary school and worked briefly as an assistant to Karen MacNeil, prominent wine educator and author.
So when she tasted the Havens Bourriquot and fell so in love with the wine that her imagination got the best of her, no one could say she didn’t know what she was getting into when she created Virage. She had decided, against all conventional wisdom, to start a new venture in the Napa Valley at a time when the risks were greatest, and while eschewing the valley’s money grape, Cabernet Sauvignon.
Virage was inspired by Bourriquot, which had been inspired by the legendary Chevel Blanc — perhaps the most revered chateau of Bordeaux’s Right Bank. There is no Cabernet Sauvignon in the Cheval Blanc blend, for the soils and the climate of the Right Bank do not easily ripen Cabernet Sauvignon. The primary grape varieties of the Right Bank chateaux are Cabernet Franc and Merlot, grapes that are not widely planted in the Napa Valley.
There is a growing belief, however, among a small but important cabal of Napa vintners, that the southern end of the valley, in and around the Carneros District, is hospitable to the two much-maligned grapes.
Winemaker Aaron Pott, who consults for a number of wineries, most recently has championed the cause. Pott has vast experience with wines from the Right Bank, having served as winemaker at both Troplong Mondot and La Tour Figeac. Pott currently makes the tony Blackbird Vineyards wines that are mostly blends that mimic the Right Bank model.
Pott contends Carneros and nearby vineyards, including a few in the foothills of Mt. Veeder, are too cool for Cabernet Sauvignon and not cool enough for Pinot Noir — but just about perfect for Cab Franc and Merlot. Pott and Richer worked together briefly when both were consulting at Quintessa, and Pott has reinforced Richer’s notion that Right Bank blends have a place in the Napa Valley.
"What makes my brand interesting to me is I get to talk about something new," said Richer. "New all around. A new style focus — cool-climate Cabernet Franc, the Right Bank — grown in an area not so often talked about, where grape prices are more reasonable; a story that is interesting, a taste that is fresh and different, from a grape as ancient as time, grown in a place that is special, but where there’s no cute little town like St. Helena driving up property values for the lifestyle."
The theme of change to something fresh and new is consistent throughout the conversation with Richer. Even the name Virage means change of direction in French. So you shouldn’t be surprised that the blend is 71 percent Cabernet Franc, 24 percent Merlot, and just a smidge of Cabernet Sauvignon at 5 percent.
The 2007 Virage ($45) is well balanced, exhibits layers of complex red- and black-fruit aromas, spice and fine-grained tannins. Only 900 cases were made. The business plan calls for production to top out at about 1,500 cases, plus a small amount of rose. The Virage website is a bit sparse, so click on the "W" at the bottom of the page for Emily Richer’s blog and more information about Virage.
It is a strong entry in the growing arena of Right Bank blends from the Napa Valley. French winemaker Philippe Melka, another prominent consultant in the Napa Valley, will soon unveil the Right Bank-inspired La Makerra under his own label. Terlato’s Devils’ Peak is another successful Right Bank blend. Jarvis has also made highly acclaimed wines that follow the model.
"I want to produce a great wine," said Richer. "I love the 2007 and want to make it better and better — and I hope robust sales will allow me to keep the price in line. I want that bright, layered, long, complex, plushy red blend I first tasted."
Amen to that.
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