The Golden State IV

(Continued from “The Golden State IV”
on 24 December 2015)

As California’s largest and most prolific county-­level AVA (American Viticultural Area), Sonoma County has under its name 16 district-level AVAs, covering in excess of 24,000ha under vine. Viticulture and winemaking were introduced to Sonoma County by the Franciscan missionaries in the early 19th century and, with the advent of the Gold Rush, commercial production began in earnest in the mid-19th century. As elsewhere in California, Sonoma County wine was decimated by the puritanical and foolhardy Prohibition.
Since the Californian viticultural renaissance in the 70s of the last century, Sonoma County has gradually earned a stellar name for itself and become renowned for producing some of the most elegant cool-climate wines of the US. Whilst Napa County shares a certain masculine style with the likes of Pauillac, Gevrey-Chambertin and Barolo, Sonoma County represents a discernibly feminine style alongside Margaux, Chambolle-Musigny and Barbaresco. Within the regional North Coast AVA, Napa County and Sonoma County are undoubtedly the king and queen respectively.
Traditionalists may still be of the opinion that American wine, and for that matter New World wine in general, puts winemakers before vineyards. Little known is the fact that plots within the regional North Coast AVA, although not delimited over the centuries by Benedictine and Cistercian monks, were largely defined according to their geographical, hydrographical and topographical characteristics.
Situated in the heart of the district-level Chalk Hill AVA, Trinité Estate is the brainchild of Claire and husband Gonzague Lurton, who own three Grands Crus Classés estates: Durfort-Vivens (Deuxième Cru from Margaux), Ferrière (Troisièmes Cru from Margaux) and Haut-Bages Libéral (Cinquième Cru from Pauillac). Whether at the risk of presupposition or with the benefit of hindsight, this may be one of the reasons why Trinité Estate’s flagship wine Acaibo embodies such elegance.
Hailing from two prominent winemaking families from Bordeaux, Claire and Gonzague Lurton attach great importance to terroir, insisting on organic farming, precision viticulture and sustainable water management (vital to a state which is regularly hit by droughts). Manually harvested at night or early in the morning, grapes are then rigorously sorted and undergo extended maceration in stainless steel tanks, followed by malolactic fermentation and maturation in largely new French oak barrels.
Claire and Gonzague Lurton may have decades of experience between them, but the establishment of this 9ha – and growing – estate is the first time the couple have the opportunity to name a property. Ostensibly religious, Trinité (French for “trinity”) refers to their three children, three Grands Crus Classés estates and the three varieties planted at Trinité Estate. Acaibo, meanwhile, is the portmanteau of “aca” (meaning fish) “aka” (meaning water) and “sibo” (meaning three) in the Native American language.

Trinité Estate Acaibo 2013
A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Dark garnet with purple-rosewood rim, the nose is aromatic and expressive, offering blackberry and cassis for fruits, augmented by nutmeg, cocoa, sandalwood and pencil shavings. Anchored by bounteous acidity, polished tannins and clean minerality, the palate is redolent and scented, supplying bilberry and mulberry for fruits, complemented by clove, dark chocolate, caffè espresso and graphite. Full-bodied at 13.9%, the fleshy entry carries onto a vibrant mid-palate, leading to a potent finish.

Trinité Estate Acaibo 2012
A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 53% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Dark garnet with carmine-purple rim, the nose is brooding and graceful, presenting boysenberry and plum for fruits, enriched with spice box, cigar, balsam and crushed rock. Braced by generous acidity, refined tannins and palpable minerality, the palate is profound and structured, delivering cassis and damson for fruits, supplemented by allspice, caffè ristretto, charcoal and game. Full-bodied at 13.9%, the rounded entry continues through an intense mid-palate, leading to a persistent finish. Jacky I.F. Cheong

To discover the gems of Sonoma, contact Mr Ross Chan of CCF Wines; W: www.ccfwines.com; E: [email protected]

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