WHEN the World Health Organization (WHO) first announced last March that the COVID-19 outbreak was already a pandemic, the world went into absolute shock. That was over eight months ago. Back then, COVID-19 was an unknown virus that was considered quite lethal, and was even being compared to one of the deadliest pandemics of all time, the Spanish Flu from 1918 that killed an estimated 20 million people worldwide.
I remember during the immediate days and weeks after the WHO’s pandemic announcement that the internet and social media were morbidly mentioning the popular late 1980s hit song “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by legendary American alternative rock band R.E.M. This apocalyptic song, released in 1987, became extremely popular on iTunes downloads and Spotify playlists. R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe even made his own YouTube video that came out during Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17), showing him in isolation and singing this song’s famous chorus acapella. This song remains in my doomsayer playlist, as the Philippines is unfortunately not yet over the COVID-19 hump, given that our country is still hovering in the top 20 in terms of number of infected, out of 214 countries.
While the world is preoccupied with COVID-19, over two dozen wineries in world-renowned Napa Valley had their doomsday moments too when the Glass fire (named after nearby Glass Mountain Road) devastated the Napa and Sonoma wine regions on Sept. 27. The Glass fire destroyed over 27,000 hectares of land, around 1,550 structures, including over 650 homes along its path. Meanwhile, another wine-producing country, Australia, experienced bushfires in March that had badly damaged the grape growing regions of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. The bushfires were a key factor for why Australia had a 12% drop in wine grape crush in 2020 compared to 2019 (source: Wine Australia).
A LOOK AT NAPA REDS
After cringing while watching the news that the Glass fire destroyed several Napa wineries, I thought of writing about this wine region.
Napa is one of the very first wine regions I fell in love with when I started my wine career. Admittedly I am not a fan of Napa whites through the years, though there are quite a few notable exceptions including the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. Chateau Montelena was the one that got California Chardonnay onto the world map because of the historic 1976 Judgment of Paris blind tasting, where this Napa Valley Chardonnay of 1973 vintage won first place against prestigious Cote de Beaune white burgundies.
Another white wine I like consistently from Napa is the Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc — basically, Mondavi’s version of Sauvignon Blanc. The trendsetting Napa icon Robert Mondavi made this name in 1968 inspired by Loire’s oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc, popularized in the Pouilly-Fumé appellation. Fumé is “smoke” in French, and the Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc was supposed to have drier and oak-influenced wines, compared to the more commercialized Sauvignon Blancs that are fresher, juicier, and sweeter.
While Cabernet Sauvignon is the de facto Napa varietal, making up easily 40% of total Napa wine production, and an overwhelming majority of all reds made in the region, there are other red varietals that are also making their names in Napa, including Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah.
THE BORDELAIS’ TAKE ON NAPA
Speaking of the song “It’s the End of the World,” I would like to believe that Jonathan Maltus’ World’s End winery in Napa Valley got its name from this R.E.M. song. After all, World’s End wines go by labels like “Good Times Bad Times” (a Led Zepellin song from 1969), “Stir It Up” (a Bob Marley song from 1973) and “Crossfire” (a Stevie Ray Vaughan song from 1989). But I was sadly wrong.
According to Xiao Qi, JCP Maltus regional export manager for East & Southeast Asia, Jonathan Maltus, during the early 1990s prior to moving to France, was an owner of a restaurant located in the World’s End district of Chelsea, London. So, this Napa Valley winery is named after the Chelsea district, and now its name is more relevant, and hopefully less prophetic.
The approach of Jonathan Maltus — one of the “Saint-Emilion garagiste” movement pioneers — to Napa wines has been intriguing, to say the least. I remembered interviewing Philippe Bascaules, the present Managing Director of Chateau Margaux, during the time he took a short tenured job with Francis Ford Coppola as its Managing Director/Chief Winemaker at Inglenook Estate. During this short tenure, the wines Philippe churned out were more elegant than those normally seen in Napa because, all of a sudden, the winemaking rules were a lot more relaxed than those practiced in Bordeaux, from irrigation of vineyards to acidification, and there was more technical leeway to produce exceptional wines. Napa wines are notorious for high alcohol and residual sugar, and the Bordelais take is to try to reduce both. In the case of Jonathan Maltus, he decided not only to bring in French winemaking knowhow, but also to collaborate with Napa’s most influential grape-grower and vineyard owner, Andy Beckstoffer to source grapes from the Beckstoffer’s premium vineyards in Oakville, Rutherford, and Carneros. World’s End’s first vintage was 2008, and I was very fortunate to have tasted some of World’s End’s initial wines from the 2008 and 2009 vintages during one of the wine events at Wine Story several years ago.
NAPA WINE STAPLE BRANDS
Treasury Wine Estates is among the top five largest wine producers in the world, and this huge wine conglomerate, headquartered in Melbourne Australia, owns a good number of very reputable Napa Valley wineries, including two regular fixtures in the local market: Beringer Vineyards and Stags’ Leap Winery.
Incidentally, both these wineries are quite historical and have vineyards planted since the late 19th century. To me personally, outside of Mondavi, Beringer is perhaps the most recognizable Napa winery in the world. The Beringer Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has always been a safe and consistent go-to Napa wine for as long as I remember drinking Napa wines.
On the other hand, Stags’ Leap Winery is often mistaken for the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (note the difference is in the placement of the apostrophe). Stag’s Leap SLV Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 vintage won as the best red against Grand Cru Bordeaux wines in the same 1976 Judgment of Paris blind tasting that saw Chateau Montelena Chardonnay win against its French counterparts. Even assuming consumers like myself were at first confused on which Stags Leap wine won the Judgment of Paris, I have tried both Stag’s and Stags’ Leap wines, and I really enjoyed their respective wines. In the case of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, it is their Cask 23, and for Stags’ Leap Winery, it is their Petite Sirah.
NAPA REDS TASTING NOTES
Below are some amazing Napa wines performing at the top of their game:
Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2015 — the quintessential Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, and I believe this is the best selling Napa Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) brand in the market; “aromatic, sweet oak, blackberries, anise, coffee-latte, silky on the palate, refined tannins, with lovely mocha flavors lingering at the end”; P2,500/bottle retail average
Stags’ Leap Petite Sirah Napa Valley 2014 — made from 76% Petite Sirah and 24% of Rhone varietals (Syrah, Grenache, etc.); Petite Sirah is also known as Durif, especially in Australia; this varietal is a crossbreed of Syrah and Peloursin vines; “smoked BBQ nose, meaty, cassis, vanilla, violets, has unique aromatics, lovely velvety texture, finishing with alluring blueberry pie flavors”; P2,800/bottle retail average
World’s End Crossfire Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014 — from the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford; “captivating nose, blackcurrant, flambe berries, vanilla, continuously evolving inside the glass, long and lengthy flavors, ripe cherry taste, graphite, dry peppery finish”; P6,000/bottle estimated retail (based on cost price, import taxes, freight, forex and importer’s typical margin)
World’s End Good Times Bad Times Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014 — from the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville; “blackcurrant, red plums, subtle eucalyptus scent, cold brew coffee, so silky, very dry, with lavender, clean and elegant finish”; there is a Medoc feel to this one; P8,500/bottle estimated retail
World’s End If Six Was Nine Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014 — “wild berries nose, super luscious, chocolatey, almost like Raisinets on the palate, satin like texture, lingering crème de cassis towards the end; a really nice ripe and juicy Cabernet”; P3,500/bottle estimated retail
World’s End Rocksteady Reserve Red Blend Napa Valley 2014 -— this is a proprietary red blend made from 49% Merlot, 18% Syrah, 15% Petit Verdot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon; “musky, farm nose, cured meat, blackcurrant, coffee-like bitter tannins, dry, leafy and charcoaled finish”; P3,300 estimated retail price
World’s End Stir It Up Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2014 — from the Stagecoach vineyard in Atlas Peak; “plummy, blueberries, graham cake, luscious flavors, bitter-sweet tannins, caramelized onion, very nice cinnamon spice aftertaste”; P7,400 estimated retail price
World’s End is looking for an exclusive wine importer in the Philippines for their premium Napa Valley wines. If interested, kindly contact Xiao Qi at xiao@maltus.com or visit their website at www.maltus.com. Beringer and Stags’ Leap Napa wines are available in select leading supermarkets.
The author is a member of the UK-based Circle of Wine Writers (CWW). For comments, inquiries, wine event coverage, wine consultancy and other wine related concerns, e-mail the author at protegeinc@yahoo.com or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/sherwinlao.
