|
 This is a story about stick-to-it-ness. Not new and glitzy. Not trendy and fashionable. This is about real winemaking. Long-time winemaking. Tasty winemaking.
For the past 23 harvests, Sandi Belcher, who is the winemaker at Long Vineyards, has been making stellar Cabernets and Chardonnays from vines planted high atop Pritchard Hill, which overlooks Lake Hennessey in Napa Valley.
Haven't heard of Pritchard Hill… or Long Vineyards? The Wine Spectator calls Pritchard Hill "the home to profound Cabernets," calling them "Napa's new Grand Cru." They're referencing newcomers to the 'hood, wineries like Bryant Family and David Arthur. The only thing higher than the scores these wines usually rate is the price charged for them.
But long before these wineries came along and gained fame and fortune - way back in 1977, when Jimmy Carter was President and CDs hadn't been invented — Bob and Zelma Long built a winery on a promontory here.
The Longs produced one of Napa Valley's earliest (and best!) barrel-fermented Chardonnays. Vines planted on their lofty, 121-acre property in the eastern hills between Stags Leap District and Howell Mountain get plenty of sun, plenty of breeze. It's an ideal grape-growing world; with Sandi Belcher's care, these grapes are like the Kobe beef of grape-dom. They get unusually attentive, personal care.
Sandi's seen more years come and go here than a Pirelli tire calendar; we asked what are her favorite vintages produced at Long. "I think the 1977 and 1981 Chardonnays are two of my favorite whites. They were floral and filled with rose petal aromas. Even today, if you open a bottle, the room will be flooded with beautiful aromas."
No less so with Sandi's Cabernet achievements in 1999 and 2000. Outstanding achievements, along with her 1984 and 1992 Cabs. Gorgeous wine. Gorgeous winemaking.
Long Vineyards is more than a typical "family winery;" just as the nuclear family has morphed in America, so too has Long changed — into a "multiple-family winery."
Bob and Zelma Long have divorced but they are still both co-owners of the winery and each, along with his/her new spouse, plays a role in the winery and vineyard operation.
Bob is president and manager; Zelma, over all the years, has given critical direction in selection and blending and works with Sandi to determine the wine's style; Bob's wife, Pat Perini Long, heads PR and marketing; Zelma's husband, Phil Freese, is a wine-growing consultant to Long. It doesn't stop there. Sandi Belcher's husband, John Arns, who is a great vineyard manager in his own right, is vineyard manager at Long. You want winemaking talent? This team's got it.
Bob's interest in grape growing began in 1966 when his family purchased the property on Prichard Hill. Berkeley-raised Bob says that knew all through his career in real estate banking and property management that one day he would settle in Napa Valley and farm.
Zelma Long gained notoriety in the 70s as chief enologist at Robert Mondavi Winery; she cut a swath through Simi Winery in Sonoma County, becoming VP… President… then CEO at the winery, all the while holding the title winemaker, too. Today, Zelma and husband Phillip produce wines in Germany and South Africa under their Zelphi label.
While upstart wineries in the 'hood have been gaining high scores,
and getting lots of press, Long Vineyards has plowed on, continuously
making tasty, food-friendly, delicious wines. These are not
big oak monsters. These are always well made, always approachable,
occasionally brilliant, wines of sophistication and class. They
represent fair value (in the case of the 300-case estate Cabernet
Sauvignon, exceptional value) when you see what the upstarts
are charging for their efforts.
2001 Long Vineyards, Carneros, Pinot Grigio
Wake up, America, and smell the Pinot Grigio! In urban centers, Pinot Grigio is the "hot" grape just now. Called Pinot Grigio by Italians and Pinot Gris by the French, the grape produces a clean, crisp, floral white wine.
As Bob Long's grandparents came from Turin ("I was eating risotto before I was 8-years-old…"), he's paid homage to them by producing a delicious Pinot Grigio.
An ideal summer white, this wine is barrel-fermented in well-used oak and stirred on the lees. The wine has a lovely, floral nose. It has a crisp, almost minerally, finish, with rich, oily weight in the mouth. A delicious wine for seameats, shellfish, or pasta dishes.
|
ilovenapa.com Rating:
$19 |
| |
| 2000 Long Vineyards, Estate Grown, Napa
Valley, Chardonnay
Call this a Heritage effort; the vines producing this
wine were planted on the hillside estate 35 years ago.
The same barrel makers, François Frères of Burgundy,
have been supplying barrels all the while. And the same
winemaker, Sandi Belcher, has been at the helm for 23
harvests. No wonder there is such continuity in the
profile year after year.
There are dusty oak top-notes on the sniff, with a hint
of juicy fruit beneath; the wine is balanced, focused
and offers a tight core of vanilla and a hint of pine.
The acidity is brisk; you would never guess that this
wine sports 14% (by volume) alcohol. The delicious fruit
compote finish goes on for quite a while — you
could give your stopwatch/chronograph quite the work-out.
While not "oily," the wine has sufficient weight, or
fat, to make it an ideal mate to risottos, or grilled,
or roasted, chicken. Think of it as a "white wine for
red wine lovers."
|
ilovenapa.com Rating:
$31 |
| |
2001 Long Vineyards, Sonoma County, Seghesio Vineyards, Sangiovese
We have tasted quite a few Sangioveses in Napa Valley and can say that we have not found many that blow our socks off. Too many times they are coarse, tight, unpleasing. Nothing like what Tuscany produces from this workhorse grape.
And then we discovered the Long version; and here's the short version on the Long version…. This Sangiovese is wonderfully soft, approachable and balanced. There is no added Cab to this wine; it is not trying to be a "Super Tuscan" anything. It is a pretty wine demanding nothing more than a pleasing, well-made meal to accompany it. John Lennon said, "Happiness is a warm gun." We suggest that "Happiness is a bowl of homemade pasta and this Long Sangiovese."
Lovely strawberry and red fruit flavors; ideal for spicy, or tomato-based, dishes. The middle palate is soft, almost "polite," but there is a very long and pleasing finish, which sets the diner up for another forkful of food. Exactly what a good wine is supposed to do. Only 180 cases produced. A curious little wine that will bring much enjoyment to your table.
|
ilovenapa.com Rating:
$25 |
| |
2000 Long Vineyards, Estate Grown, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon
From a 1,000-foot-high, hillside vineyard that is adjacent
to the vineyards producing the cult wine "1147" bottled
by David Arthur, this wine commands your attention. It
is dark, dark, the color of a King's robes. One can't
read tasting notes through this 100% Cab, it is far too
opaque. The nose suggests purple and dark fruit, has lots
of new oak with a creamy, toffee-toasted scent. On the
palate, the wine delivers black currant and the top-notes
of one of our favorite seasonal fruits, elephant heart
plums. Only 300 cases produced. |
ilovenapa.com Rating:
$54 |
| |
|
|
