Harvest at Vineyard 7 and 8

It was the game changer. In 1988, we were at Christophe Roumier’s place in Chambolle Musigny when Christophe’s brother-in-law, Dominique Lafon, showed up with a bottle of 1982 Meursault Charmes. The wine was golden in color, unctuous and rich with a tight kernel of lemon confit fruit. We were skeptical. For us, the color indicated oxidation. The “Charmes” might be delicious with the overcooked poulet roti (Christophe was about 25 at the time, already en route to winemaking brilliance, but he wasn’t much of a cook!), but it would never age. Or so we thought.

Fifteen years later, dining at a restaurant with a group of chef friends, one guy showed up with an old bottle of white Burgundy. It was Lafon’s 1982 Meursault Charmes. We grimaced, certain that the bottle had seen its best days a decade before. The wine was a deeper gold. The aromas were now pure lemon-honey, but not a hint of oxidation. That’s when we first came to understand the counterintuitive nature of batonage (stirring the lees), how that cellar cuisine not only draws out honey, but actually retards oxidation.

In August, we got a new taste of lemon confit. We were high atop Spring Mountain with Wes Steffens and Luc Morlet, the team that has completely rejeuvenated the amazing 25-acre property at Vineyard 7 and 8, set at 2200 feet, way above the fog line. Steffens and his father, Launny, made the decision to bring in the super-talented Morlet (formerly the magician at Peter Michael). Since then, the Napa Valley cognoscenti have been on the edge of their seats waiting for the first release of the new regime. If this 2007 Chardonnay is any indication of what’s in store for Vineyard 7 and 8, this may well be the first introduction of Napa’s next great estate.

The 2007 Vineyard 7 and 8 Chardonnay provided us with an ‘82 Lafon Charmes Deja Vu. The color is golden. The aromas are at once concentrated but light on their feet. But it’s that fabulous tight kernel of lemon confit fruit (promising so much more down the line) coupled with the superb, crisp finish — despite all that concentration — that immediately catapults the new regime into the very top echelon of California Chardonnay makers.

But what’s the secret? How did Steffens and Morlet reinvent Spring Mountain Chardonnay, creating a sort of mountain Chardonnay goes Montrachet? The answer is one part investment, the second part savoir faire. Under Morlet’s direction, the Steffens brought in Napa’s top viticultural consulting firm. Plant by plant, they reworked the vines with an eye not so much on cutting yields (they’re already so low), but towards providing greater plant balance. The result in the warm 2007 vintage was immediate and spectacular, bringing in Wente Clone Chardonnay of perfect ripeness and purity without sacrificing the firm acid that the variety requires. Part two was Morlet and his wizard-like techniques in the cellar, stirring the fine lees frequently so as to enhance mouthfeel and richness, while actually retarding oxidation.

Tasting Notes

“Good medium yellow. Aromas of soft citrus fruits, lemon oil, creme brulee, hazelnut and butterscotch. Supple, fat and rich, with a chewy texture to the sweet citrus and stone fruit flavors. Broad but not heavy, thanks to vibrant underlying minerality and the high percentage of porous white volcanic ash here. The best vintage yet for this bottling.”
92 points — Stephen Tanzer, The International Wine Cellar

“Bright golden color. Wonderful aromas of lemon confit tightly knit with medium-toast new wood. Rich, intense bitter lemon kernel of fruit with fine minerality. Plenty of density and muscle, but with excellent backbone, promising a long future in bottle. Drink now for its power and grace or allow to age for up to seven years so that lemon confit can work its way into bitter honey.”
– WineAccess Travel Log