Unfined and Unfiltered - Words From The Winemaker
At Chalk Hill Estate, I obsess over quality. From vineyard development to bottled wine, no single operation is overlooked, no matter its perceived significance. The pursuit of quality, however, comes at a price: increased expenses (labor, sorting, gentle handling equipment), meticulous experimentation, and a bit of risk. And, I am no stranger to taking risks for the benefit of wine quality. In 2004, I put an end to fining and filtering our Chardonnays.
Although I have long forbidden filtration for all wines because it strips wine of flavor, nuance and its rich texture, until 2004 I fined all white wines. "Fining" is adding protein agents to wine, usually prior to bottling. These agents can act to bind bitter/harsh compounds in the wine, create heat stability (if not fined, a wine heated to extreme temperatures can become hazy), and assist in clarification. Ultimately, the fining agents settle out of the wine. The most common fining agents are bentonite (earthen clay/dirt) and isinglass (sturgeon bladder) - sounds delicious, right?
Besides my aversion to adding fish guts to wine, I am also troubled by the stripping effect they have on the wine's richness, texture and finish. I work diligently to assure that the grapes, juice, and wine have no harshness or edge to them. Clarification, to me, is merely a cosmetic issue. If wine is exposed to high temperatures, the risk of haze is nothing compared to the cooked character the wine will have. So, I asked myself, why fine?
Those in the "pro-fining," "pro-filtration" camp advocate their position by citing what can go wrong should you not fine or filter. And, while it's true that nobody wants spoiled wine, their support of fining and filtration is more of a cop-out than an assurance to the consumers. The only real assurance a consumer has when they drink a fined and filtered wine is that the wine has been marginalized. In my fifteen years in winemaking, I have invariably preferred the unfined and unfiltered wines in the blind tastings I have conducted - including experimental tastings on the influence of fining and filtration!
It is a great fortune that I can fashion Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay without fining or filtration. I try to provide wines with the greatest expression and least manipulation. Our Chairman's Club offers extremely limited production wines with the highest levels of personality - the 2005 Chairman's Club Chardonnay Clone 76 is a two-barrel selection from a low-vigor hillside vineyard site. Like all of our Chardonnays, it is a bit hazy - more of a visual commitment to quality than a cosmetic flaw.
Gone are the days of dirt and fish guts in our Chardonnays...
— Steven Leveque, Winemaker
Chairman's Club Dinner
On September 29, 2007, the Second Annual Chairman's Club Reception and Dinner will be held at the Chalk Hill Estate Pavilion. This is a chance for wine aficionados to gather and experience the fabulous cuisine of Executive Chef, Didier Ageorges and to visit the beautiful Chalk Hill Estate. Guests are invited to taste our newly released Chalk Hill wines, including our limited production Chairman's Club wines. Chef Ageorges has designed the menu especially for the club members, and it is sure to be sumptuous. This event is only open to current Chairman's Club members. For more information on how to join the exclusive Chalk Hill Chairman's Club, contact Diana Brown at (707) 657-4845.
From the Estate Kitchen
Sautéed Duck Foie Gras
Quince Chutney, Au Jus
Ingredients (4 servings)
8 slices of grade "A" foie gras
2 cloves
1 cup and 1 tablespoon water
1 cup and 1 tablespoon white vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 pounds quince segments
1 pound white onion
1 shallot
1 quart of chicken jus (see recipe below)
Chervil
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
Chicken Jus:
Melt butter in pan. Add chicken bones and sauté until brown. Add chopped garnishes.
Sweat and cover with water. Cover and cook slowly for approximately 25 minutes.
Strain using a fine mesh strainer.
Quince Chutney:
Mix cloves, water, vinegar, and 2/3 cup sugar in pot. Sauté 11/2 pounds blanched
quince segments with butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Strain. Dice fresh white onions. Bring
cloves, water, white vinegar and sugar to a boil. Add mixture of blanched quince and
diced onions. Simmer until quince is cooked.
Sauce:
Mince shallots, sweat with quince trimmings, deglaze with 2005 Chalk Hill Chairman's Club Chardonnay Clone 76, add the chicken jus and reduce by half. Strain the sauce.
Sauté foie gras 2-3 minutes on each side. Place foie gras on top of chutney on serving plate. Pour the sauce around and on top. Garnish with chervil.
Serve with toasted slice of rustic country bread.
Pair with 2005 Chalk Hill Chairman's Club Chardonnay Clone 76.
Recipe Provided by Chalk Hill Estate Executive Chef, Didier Ageorges.
Featured Wines
The wines featured below include the newly-released Estate Bottled Merlot as well as the Chairman's Club Semillon which is produced in limited quantity and is the first Semillon produced at Chalk Hill since 1997.
 | 2005 Chairman's Club Botrytised Semillon |
 | 2003 Estate Bottled Merlot |
Events
Chalk Hill Estate is pleased to participate in this upcoming event:
San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival - You won't want to miss the 160 world-class wineries, including Chalk Hill Estate, and 60 fine dining restaurants. Come join more than 6,000 tastemakers including legendary winemakers, celebrity chefs and others with great taste in sunny San Diego.
November 14-18, 2007
Contact
Chalk Hill Estate10300 Chalk Hill Road
Healdsburg, California 95448
(707) 838-8406
concierge@chalkhill.com
