(Continued from “The Golden State” on 9 October 2015)
Roughly the size of Sweden and with approximately 1,200 producers, California is overwhelmingly the largest wine-producing state in the US, responsible for 90% of national production, or nearly 20 times the combined total of Washington State and Oregon, its closest rivals in terms of quality and reputation. If it were a country, California would easily be ranked the 4th largest by production, closing in on Spain’s long-held 3rd place.
The sheer size of the Golden State renders any attempt to generalise its diverse climates, terroirs and wine styles futile, although Californian wine is well known for its fruit-forward qualities rather than earthiness or minerality. California comprises 5 regions: North Coast, Central Coast, Central Valley, South Coast and Sierra Foothills. Below these regional AVAs are county-level AVAs, then district-level AVAs, and finally area-specific AVAs; for example, California (state) à North Coast AVA (region) à Napa County AVA (county) à Napa Valley AVA (district) à Oakville AVA (area).
Situated along the 38th parallel north, Napa County is latitudinally on a par with such wine-producing regions as Setúbal (Portugal), Alicante (Spain), Calabria (Italy), the Ionian Islands (Greece) and, curiously, the Korean Demilitarised Zone. Napa County, like so many other AVAs in California, can trace its history of viticulture and winemaking back to the Gold Rush in the mid-19th century.
One of the leading wine-producing areas of California and indeed of the entire New World, Napa Valley is home to some of the most sough-after cult wines and most expensive agricultural lands in the world. Although representing merely 4% of state-wide wine production, Napa Valley accounts for a whopping 30% of state-wide wine economy.
Subsequent to the phylloxera plague, the Prohibition and the Great Depression, while many others were still mass-producing sweet plonk-de-plonks in the 1960s, Napa Valley led the way in crafting some of the finest red wines in the US. Napa Valley wine is no doubt one of the most compelling styles of Bordelais varieties, so much so that the word “Napa” is almost automatically associated with the valley more than the county. In addition to its high standards and fashionable style, Napa Valley wine is particularly media-savvy: most decent wines would eagerly participate in competitions and receive ratings. Napa Valley is also easily accessible from San Francisco, which lies merely 55km to its south. Jacky I.F. Cheong
Calla Lily Napa Valley Ultimate Red Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Dark garnet with cardinal-ruby rim, the nose is ebulliently fragrant, offering cassis and damson for fruits, augmented by clove, dark chocolate, oaky vanilla and smoke. Anchored by abundant acidity and ripe tannins, the palate is resplendently scented, delivering black cherry and prune for fruits, intermingled with black pepper, caffè macchiato, sous bois and graphite. Full-bodied at 14.9%, the dense entry carries onto a fleshy mid-palate, leading to a luscious finish.
Calla Lily Napa Valley Ultimate Red Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
Dark garnet with carmine-rosewood rim, the nose is exuberantly perfumed, presenting boysenberry and cassis for fruits, infused with eucalyptus, vanilla pod, sandalwood and iris. Braced by profuse acidity and tasty tannins, the palate is jubilantly aromatic, supplying bilberry and blackberry for fruits, interwoven with allspice, caffè espresso, cedarwood and leather. Full-bodied at 14.5%, the polished entry continues through a chiselled mid-palate, leading to a stylish finish.
Calla Lily Napa Valley Audax Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Dark garnet with purple-ruby rim, the nose is exultantly scented, effusing cassis and dried cherry for fruits, complemented by spice box, cedarwood, camphor, graphite and lavender. Buttressed by succulent acidity and meaty tannins, the palate is alluringly opulent, emanating prune and blackberry confit for fruits, supplemented by black pepper, dark chocolate, caffè ristretto, tobacco and tar. Full-bodied at 14.8%, the impressive entry persists through an expansive mid-palate, leading to a potent finish.
To be continued…
To uncover the charm of Napa Valley gems, contact Mr Ross Chan of CCF Wines; W: www.ccfwines.com; E: rosschan@ccfwines.com; A wholly-owned subsidiary of CCF International Properties, which owns Calla Lily, CCF Wines is the exclusive distributor in the region.
Jacky I.F. Cheong is a legal professional by day and columnist by night. Having spent his formative years in Britain,
France, and Germany, he regularly writes about wine, fine arts, classical music, and politics in several languages
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