Dear Wine Friends, Jarvis Winery is regarded as a great cave winery to visit, but the backbone of any Estate Winery has to be in its vineyard. Here is the story of how a particular clone of Cabernet Sauvignon became the corner stone of Jarvis Winery. First, all Cabernet Sauvignon vines are not the same. The famous Sunridge Nursery in Bakersfield today stocks nine different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, each one different as to its crop yield and the flavor of its wine. Each clone is a separate genetic variation within the variety of Cabernet Sauvignon, the genetic changes being likely caused by cosmic radiation over the years. The University of California at Davis lists nineteen such clones that it studies. Selection of the best clone is a major decision for an Estate Winery. The history behind the Jarvis clone selection goes back to early experiments that our winemaker Dimitri Tchelistcheff helped conduct for ten years from 1980 to 1990. Dimitri and his father, André, were working for Beaulieu Vineyards at the time and conducted these 10 year trials in collaboration with Dr. Austin Goheen from UC Davis and Anthony Bell, founder of today’s Bell Wine Cellars. This was the most ambitious research undertaken worldwide at that time with respect to grapevine clones and had much significance in improving the quality of Beaulieu wine into the next century. Beaulieu had been founded by legendary George de Latour in 1900 and was until recently under the winemaking leadership of Joel Aiken. During most of the 1980’s André Tchelistcheff was Beaulieu’s consulting winemaker, Anthony Bell was Beaulieu’s vineyard manger, Dimitri was consulting as the winemaker for the clone project, Joel Aiken was the Oenologist and Leigh Knowles was President of Beaulieu. The research project was conducted on fourteen different Cabernet Sauvignon clones which had been pre-selected from the best clones of the United States, France, Argentina, Germany, Australia and Italy as well as the probable “family tree” of Cabernet Sauvignon in California. See the chart on the next page for a complete listing of these clones and their characteristics. The variations noted from one clone to another are indicative of the importance of clone selection. Plantings were done in the BV#4 vineyard, now known as the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. Each year during the ten years of trials, Dimitri and his father noticed one standout clone, the French INRA 5197 which won their blind tasting year after year. This clone was truly great but it also had the least production, only 3.28 tons per acre compared to the UC Davis 04/Argentina Mendoza clone which had the highest tonnage per acre of 6.9 tons. The low yield of INRA 5197 limits its present usage in many commercial vineyards but we are most happy to have it in the Jarvis vineyards. In 1994, when phylloxera caused Jarvis Winery to replant, Dimitri suggested three top clones from his Beaulieu experiments which had only recently been carried out. After planting these three top clones we did our own tasting in subsequent years to determine the best clone. William Jarvis and Dimitri Tchelistcheff then determined that the INRA 5197 was a clear winner of our annual tastings, and then always going for perfection, we budded over all our vines to this clone! It was no surprise that this was the same winner as at Beaulieu for Dimitri and his father, André. Today the INRA 5197 Cabernet Sauvignon grapes make up 50% of the Jarvis vineyard and produce our flagship wines. In like manner for our Chardonnay, which makes up 21% of our vineyard, we use the Wente 2a Clone which is famous for its small berries that give extra body and flavor to all Jarvis Chardonnays. The remaining 29% of the vineyards are made up of smaller acreages of Cabernet Franc Clone 1, Merlot Clone D6, Petit Verdot Clone 2 and Tempranillo Clone 1. In a similar manner we use four different root stocks, all chosen with care, to support the great wines from Jarvis. Have a great New Year! William and Leticia Jarvis
Comparison of Fourteen Clones of Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2003 vintage is a remarkable 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine that seduces you with its dark crimson color. Intense dried fruit aromas precede candied fruit and allspice. Medium tannins gracefully lead you on a journey of many nuance. Twenty-four months in new French Haute Futaie oak barrels adds a dimension of toasty vanilla. After bottling, the wine continued its development in the bottle for four years prior to its release, making it perfect for enjoyment now. With ideal storage, the 750ml bottles of this wine will continue to age beautifully through 2014. Only 1,023 cases produced! 94 pts. & A Gold Medal from the BTI*
Full Bottle (750ml)
$85
Half Bottle (375ml)
$47
Magnum (1.5L)
$170
Double Magnum (3L)
$340
Imperial (6L)
$680
Upcoming Releases: March 1st Chardonnay Finch Hollow 2008 The 2008 Finch Hollow Chardonnay is made of grapes from a special vineyard called “Finch Hollow”. It is a small plot that in previous years was harvested by flocks of Finches and Blackbirds. After all vineyards were netted and completely harvested by ourselves, our Winemaker Consultant Dimitri Tchelistcheff, noted that it was a distinct terroir which contributed an intense tropical fruit character. In this unique setting the vines grow in shallow soil on a steep hillside. Year after year we are impressed with the chardonnay from Finch Hollow. It is barrel fermented in new French oak, and sur-lie aged with weekly stirring. The result is a bright, sunshine yellow wine with floral aromas and ripe mouth filling fruit – an elegant wine from an amazing harvest sure to make those you share it with feel privileged. This wine is ready to enjoy now. 750ml $95, 1.5L magnum $190
Chardonnay Reserve 2008 For the Reserve Chardonnay our Winemaker Consultant Dimitri Tchelistcheff had us use barrels from the unique Finch Hollow vineyard which has a distinct terroir, and taking the winemaking one step further he bottled it unfined and unfiltered so as to retain all the subtle flavor elements. This along with aging 10 months in new French oak barrels and complete malo-lactic fermentation produced our most full-bodied wine with rich canary hues and true varietal essence that has an amazingly long, smooth finish gratifying even the red wine lover. We suggest enjoying this wine through 2012. 750ml $95 Enjoy Jarvis wines at these upcoming events February: 19: Somerby Country Club Winemaker Dinner in Rochester, MN 26-28: South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami, FL
April: 23-24: Wine & Dine in Paradise Charity Event in Destin, FL
