Thanks to UPS overnight shipping, which took only three (3) days to get here, thanks to some uncharacteristic ineptitude on the part of UPS, we had plenty of time to plan and execute a meal which we thought would work nicely with the Wilkes Viognier. Full disclosure: Viognier has long been one of my favorite white wines.
So, after pouring a bit into the glass, I was delighted with the aromas of honeysuckle, peach, and apricot, with maybe a hint of citrus, and an underlying minerality. The first sip, however, didn’t really live up to the promise; the flavors were there, but subdued by a sharpness on entry, and a trace of bitterness at the back of the palate. Undaunted, we proceeded to try it with our meal, described in detail in LW’s notes, and found that it wasn’t as good a pairing as we’d hoped for. It was pleasant enough, but that sharpness was still there, and the flavors just didn’t seem to be working with the food.
Ultimately, we decided to cap the rest and put it back in the fridge, saving it for the next night, with hopes of a better pairing. Meanwhile, looking at the label, and finding an ABV of 15.2%, I think I’d uncovered the source of the “sharpness.” I’m simply not used to finding an alcohol percentage that high in white wines, especially Viognier.
The second night, while the food pairing was better, the wine had suffered ever so slightly from the overnight stay: the nose was a bit more subdued and the freshness of the previous day was reduced significantly. Still, a pleasant wine, representative of the varietal, but with that alcohol sharpness still fully present, and the bitterness more pronounced.
This was a very worthwhile experience for us, a decent wine, but with a couple of things that didn’t fit with our sense of what a good Viognier should be. The alcohol was the biggest concern. I think it got in the way of what I felt was otherwise a good overall flavor profile. All of that said, putting aside all of the preconceived notions I have from my prior experience with Viognier, for someone who’d like to try one, I’d call this a worthwhile buy, especially at the case price.
@ddeuddeg
J Wilkes WM here: I would suggest the ‘sharpness’ comes from the high phenol/polyphenol level of viognier, as the skins tend to shear during pressing. It almost gives the unctuousness of a oaked Chardonnay and a little bite, even non-ML. ABV is just a number to me–I did not intend to make a high alcohol wine, but with 25 years of vit and wm experience, I pulled the trigger on harvest at the right moment from my POV, and I wouldn’t change a thing in this wine. Glad you enjoyed, and it certainly can take a few days in the fridge and still show freshness, at least in my experience.
Last week I received the coveted Lab Rat email notification. Unfortunately, given UPS delivery info, we expected the bottle to arrive on Thursday. We waited and waited, getting an alert that it would be delivered before 9 p.m. We had to go out, but I left a note on our delivery door that I was in a meeting, and please leave the package. One car was visible in the driveway. This driver did not leave the box; he was doing his job properly. And so, our poor bottle went on another tour of our fair city on Friday. The good news is that it was not excessively hot those two days! When our package arrived, it contained a bottle of the 2018 J. Wilkes Viognier. I was quite excited. I really do love a nice Viognier! This one was from Paso Robles Highlands District—not further north.
We let the bottle acclimate to our house for more than a day and then, chilled it. ddeuddeg and I worked at planning an appropriate meal for this wine. We had some carrots and carrot tops that we had picked up from our local urban farmer. This was a perfect opportunity to make our beloved Beet Couscous with Balsamic Glazed Carrots and Warm Carrot Top Salad. When we have carrot tops, we HAVE to make these two recipes! They work so well together! Plus, they both use carrot tops! If you have never tried roasted carrots, they are soooo sweet! We always make more than the recipe calls for because they do shrink.
Upon first opening the bottle and pouring, I noticed a nice clear wine and a crisp nose with aromas of honeysuckle and peach. Upon first taste, I got some apricot, peach, and a lot of minerality. I also noticed some kind of bite on the front of my tongue and also, a backbite that I just couldn’t lose. There was a lot of acidity. It didn’t seem well-balanced to me. But, it did have some nice Viognier flavors. I put the glass down gave it a few swirls and got the same. So, I decided to try it with food. Sometimes wines just need food.
The Beet Couscous has a lot going on in it: carrots roasted in a balsamic glaze, couscous cooked with a roasted, puréed beet added to the broth, and a dressing with some lime juice and, of course, carrot tops. The Warm Carrot Top Salad includes a can of garbanzo beans and also, the juice of one lemon. We figured that these foods would work with a Viognier. I tried the wine with the Beet Couscous first and then, the Carrot Top Salad. There was no big change. Usually, the flavors will round out with food and with time being open. It didn’t happen. I got a lot of acidity in this 15.2% alc wine. I don’t usually expect a Viognier to be that high in ABV. Perhaps this is characteristic of a Viognier from this region? Winemaker input appreciated.
@bahwm@klezman
It’s pretty common for Paso white rhones to get into the 15% ABV range, especially Viognier because of its flavor development, usually requiring a little more hang time. The acidity is natural in this wine, so you can see if we picked any earlier it would have been a bit shrill. A bit extra chill will tame the ABV of any wine.
@bahwm@WesHagen I tend to prefer lower abv, all else equal. At least without tasting the wine myself. But then again I’ve been known to enjoy a high(ish) octane Turley now and again.
I find that I’ve quite enjoyed a lot of Paso Robles Grenache Blanc more than other white Rhône varieties, maybe because it retains even more acidity than the rest. The Halter Ranch GB was a winner from a past trip up there. I’ve also enjoyed the Eberle Cotes-du-Robles Blanc.
@WesHagen I’m told that there is technology that allows winemakers to reduce ABV post fermentation (RO I think.) Would you care to opine on such manipulation?
@KitMarlot
Yes, RO, or we call it the ‘spinning cone’ sometimes. I have participated in tasting seminars to learn ‘sweet spots’ of de-alced wines. It works like this: you take a ‘hot wine’, say 16% ABV and spin samples to .5% from 12.5%-15.5% and then code them and taste them blind. Three or four tasters try to find their blind sweet spot and discuss the samples and how they show. One thing you may not expect is the sweetness that ethanol (glycerin/glycerol) provides, and it’s common for thre slightly elevated alcohol wines to show more breadth and persistence in the palate.
Ok, so played with one pour for about 45 minutes or so this afternoon. First go at it was 47 F after sitting in the glass for a few. Nose subdued, almost an earthiness/muskiness to it. Not bad as in musty or off, so I’m not going there at all. But not what I expected. Took a sip, it’s too cold, not getting much at all. A spiciness particularly on the finish that I’m attributing to abv.
Next up 61 F. Still not complicated, trying to coax some perfume or floral out of it, but it’s just not there. Subtle, maybe, but not really. It has taken on a just a wisp of bitter waxiness on the finish. Alcohol still a bit bothersome.
66 F then 71 F. A more complete drink, the aromatics have picked up some but I’m still wanting more out of this.
A couple hours later a small pour straight out of the fridge with a piece of spicy garlic pork/beef meat stick from the smokehouse a few miles down the road. Damn, I’m on to something. These sticks are awesome by the way, and a nice course grind…don’t eat much of that stuff, but hey
This is ok, nothing wrong with it. Pouring another glass in a bit. I don’t drink much viognier, and the stuff I do is typically not domestic and is oaked. So that may skew my expectations. Bottom line I was looking for a little more body. Maybe not happening because, again, this is in steel. But still the grape should lend itself to a fuller feel. Unless it’s the alcohol that takes away from that?? And looking for more perfume and floral notes.
@kaolis Status quo last night. A little sip this morning, nothing new to report really. Seems a little rounder, lost a little bit of zip. A little funky. Bottle was simply recorked and in the fridge overnight.
Due to some logistical troubles just put my hands on a bottle of this late last night. Don’t think it’s going to be breakfast of champions but should be able to have a couple of glasses come lunch
@kaolis looking forward to your rattage! My favorite Viognier, so far on Casemates, has been the Jaffurs. I like the Hawley, too, but not as much as Jaffurs…it will be interesting to hear your thoughts on this one, seeing as the other 2 rats were a bit mixed.
A little info from Wine Business Monthly, Hot Brands of 2019:
J. Wilkes Wines
2018 Viognier
A Wine That Wears its Sensuality on its Sleeve
In the 1980s and 1990s Jefferson Wilkes could be found promoting the grapes and wines of the Paso Robles Highlands and Santa Maria Valleys—the Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills and French Camp Vineyards in particular—to retailers, restauranteurs and anyone who had an interest in learning about what the Central Coast wine industry had to offer. He was a staunch supporter of the region, and his passion eventually spilled into winemaking as well.
Not content to just sell Santa Maria winegrapes, he wanted to take his interest to the next level and start his own brand. He reached out to his employer, Steve Miller, whose family has been entrenched in agriculture and viticulture on the Central Coast since the 1870s.
Wilkes’ concept was simple: you have to start with great ingredients.
“When you’re making wine from the greatest vineyards in the world, it’s like being a three-star Michelin chef,” said friend and winemaker and brand ambassador for J. Willkes Wines, Wes Hagen. “It’s not about what you do to the food, it’s what you don’t do to the food.”
As Hagen reports, Wilkes’ philosophy was always that the wine was not about himself, not about imposing a style or a making a footprint. He was a “wine is made in the vineyard” type of guy. He wanted to showcase the best of what Santa Maria Valley and Paso Robles could produce.
Wilkes was fortunate enough to begin his winemaking career working with fruit from two acclaimed and historic vineyards. He launched his first vintage in 2001 and continued to make Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay until his passing in 2010. But the Miller family didn’t want his legacy to fade with him, and so they re-launched the label in 2012, brought in Hagen as winemaker in 2015, and doubled down on the commitment to wines of character, style and, perhaps most importantly, AVA.
“As someone who’s written more AVAs than any other living winemaker, that’s a great platform for me to talk about dirt and place. If the wines represent the AVA where they’re from, that’s what I want to give to my generation and younger generations of wine drinkers in the United States—great wine that’s delicious no matter what. And if you want to go down the rabbit hole of ‘place,’ then let’s give you a baseline to understand, say Santa Maria Valley,” Hagen said.
That is the heart of Hagen’s winemaking message. Though the wines he makes are made with grapes from Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills and French Camp Vineyards—which other wineries/brands often bottle as individual vineyard designates—Hagen wants to ensure that the wines are first and foremost something he would enjoy drinking.
Case in point: The 2018 Viognier, a crisp, bright, graceful version of a grape that can easily show as overly perfumed or over-the-top, with a strong potential to lose acidity in warm growing regions like Paso Robles. But because the grapes are sourced from a block in French Camp Vineyard that lies at a high elevation with a diurnal shift that averages 50 degrees during the growing season, the Viognier is able to maintain a naturally high level of acidity.
“We’re looking at natural, unmodified juice making a wine at 15.2 percent alcohol, at 3.3 pH and six grams of acid—without adding acid. That is a miracle,” Hagen said.
Hagen then takes care not to lose that “miraculous” effect produced by those warm days and cold nights, avoiding oak and letting the grapes and the land speak for themselves.
“I have to be very careful. This is a Viognier that was crafted and blended with the idea that we wanted it to be an accompaniment with food, but not overwhelming. We wanted it to be a little bit more on the elegant and restrained side,” he said. “I know what I love in wine and I’ve always, for the last 25 years, tried to produce wines that I myself love to drink so I can bring them to market and promote them with honesty and passion.”
When he’s out promoting the Viognier against some of the more popular varieties, his enthusiasm is matched by buyers.
“Buyers get it and they also know that Viognier is one of those rare wines that is not only a geek wine, but when people get it in a glass, even if they’ve never had it, it’s like a beautiful woman or a handsome man just saying hello and giving you a kiss on the cheek,” he said. “It is immediately accessible because it is immediately sensual. Pinot Noir is tricky sensual. Viognier likes to wear its sensuality on its sleeve.”
Going forward, Hagen will continue to promote the J. Wilkes brand, just as Jeff Wilkes had done before. He and the Millers have doubled production every year for the last four years, producing nearly 20,000 cases in 2019. But he’s hoping the brand, and the story of Jeff Wilkes and the Central Coast AVAs, will continue to expand in production and reach consumers in every state.
Again, gotta wonder where Wes Hagen or someone else.from the winery is - lots of questions but no one to answer them.
It’s not uncommon for Viognier to get that ripe leading up to a wine that is 15%+. Many times, the wine can handle this seamlessly, but others, the alcohol will be noticeable.
For your sake, I do hope the winery gets in here . . .
@tercerowines
Had my hands full for a few days, sorry for the delay. I provided quite a bit of info on the wine, including a video, so I hope that tided these wonderful and curious wine geeks over! And I hope you are well, Larry.
@tercerowines@WesHagen
The participation is much appreciated and a big part of what makes this place special. Hope to see more of your wines here in the future!
You guys need to fix your email. I got excited when I saw a viognier from a winery I just ordered the same bottles from online through a different company at a price cheaper than what I paid and they lists it ships to PA, to check out and see it don’t ship to PA. I’m now sad and will have to drink something else.
@klezman
Yes indeed. I think it carries the alcohol well, and with a chill I don’t think its noticeable, personally. If you know my WM style you will also know I take elegance and balance seriously.
@WesHagen Thanks Wes. Although I recognise your name, I don’t know the other labels off the top of my head that you’re part of. Could you remind me? What winemaking style do you strive for? Do you have approaches you always/usually use?
@klezman
I was the vineyard manager and winemaker for Clos Pepe Vineyards and Estate Wines from 1994-2014, and I wrote the AVA Petitions for Sta Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Happy Canyon of SB, and coming soon: Alisos Canyon. I strive to let the site/AVA do the speaking, and prefer to make wines that show CA sunshine, but also the complexities inherent in wines that are not homogenized by extreme ripeness. One approach I use is minimizing new French Oak, which I think takes the flavor profile across the Atlantic, and I don’t think CA wines need a French accent if they are well made.
2018 J. Wilkes Viognier, Paso Robles Highlands District
Tasting Notes
2019 Top 10 Hot Brands, Wine Business Monthly
Aromatics
Lime blossom, peach, white flowers, Earl Grey tea, and a hint of granite minerality.
Palate
Medium to heavy-body with big mid-palate presence, persistent apple and nectarine. Bone-dry but dense, delicious, fruity and floral with mild acidity structure.
Food Pairing
Grilled chicken or fish with a fruit salsa or steamed clams with bacon and parsnips.
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Grapes: 100% Viognier
Appellation: Paso Robles Highlands District
Alcohol: 15.2%
pH: 3.30
TA: 4.98 g/L
Harvest
Night picked at ’27.5° Brix.
Pressed cold and racked off lees aft–er one or two days.
Fermentation:
100% stainless steel fermentation
Aging:
100% stainless steel
No malolactic fermentation
Winemaker: Wes Hagen
Included in the Box
4-bottles:
4x 2018 J. Wilkes Viognier, Paso Robles Highlands District
Case:
12x 2018 J. Wilkes Viognier, Paso Robles Highlands District
Wines Of Character, Wines Of Place.
J. Wilkes Wines was established in 2001 by Jefferson Wilkes, a widely respected wine industry veteran who loved the community of Santa Maria and sailing the Pacific Coast.
J. Wilkes Wines are blended from the best vineyards on the Central Coast of California. The goal in crafting these wines is to source the highest quality fruit and to age and bottle the wines with a focus on allowing vintage and region to show clearly and deliciously.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, WA
Thanks to UPS overnight shipping, which took only three (3) days to get here, thanks to some uncharacteristic ineptitude on the part of UPS, we had plenty of time to plan and execute a meal which we thought would work nicely with the Wilkes Viognier. Full disclosure: Viognier has long been one of my favorite white wines.
So, after pouring a bit into the glass, I was delighted with the aromas of honeysuckle, peach, and apricot, with maybe a hint of citrus, and an underlying minerality. The first sip, however, didn’t really live up to the promise; the flavors were there, but subdued by a sharpness on entry, and a trace of bitterness at the back of the palate. Undaunted, we proceeded to try it with our meal, described in detail in LW’s notes, and found that it wasn’t as good a pairing as we’d hoped for. It was pleasant enough, but that sharpness was still there, and the flavors just didn’t seem to be working with the food.
Ultimately, we decided to cap the rest and put it back in the fridge, saving it for the next night, with hopes of a better pairing. Meanwhile, looking at the label, and finding an ABV of 15.2%, I think I’d uncovered the source of the “sharpness.” I’m simply not used to finding an alcohol percentage that high in white wines, especially Viognier.
The second night, while the food pairing was better, the wine had suffered ever so slightly from the overnight stay: the nose was a bit more subdued and the freshness of the previous day was reduced significantly. Still, a pleasant wine, representative of the varietal, but with that alcohol sharpness still fully present, and the bitterness more pronounced.
This was a very worthwhile experience for us, a decent wine, but with a couple of things that didn’t fit with our sense of what a good Viognier should be. The alcohol was the biggest concern. I think it got in the way of what I felt was otherwise a good overall flavor profile. All of that said, putting aside all of the preconceived notions I have from my prior experience with Viognier, for someone who’d like to try one, I’d call this a worthwhile buy, especially at the case price.
[edited for shipper]
@ddeuddeg Oops! Blast from the past! Shipping was via UPS!
@ddeuddeg thank you for the report. always interesting how a wine does on the 2nd day.
@ddeuddeg
J Wilkes WM here: I would suggest the ‘sharpness’ comes from the high phenol/polyphenol level of viognier, as the skins tend to shear during pressing. It almost gives the unctuousness of a oaked Chardonnay and a little bite, even non-ML. ABV is just a number to me–I did not intend to make a high alcohol wine, but with 25 years of vit and wm experience, I pulled the trigger on harvest at the right moment from my POV, and I wouldn’t change a thing in this wine. Glad you enjoyed, and it certainly can take a few days in the fridge and still show freshness, at least in my experience.
Last week I received the coveted Lab Rat email notification. Unfortunately, given UPS delivery info, we expected the bottle to arrive on Thursday. We waited and waited, getting an alert that it would be delivered before 9 p.m. We had to go out, but I left a note on our delivery door that I was in a meeting, and please leave the package. One car was visible in the driveway. This driver did not leave the box; he was doing his job properly. And so, our poor bottle went on another tour of our fair city on Friday. The good news is that it was not excessively hot those two days! When our package arrived, it contained a bottle of the 2018 J. Wilkes Viognier. I was quite excited. I really do love a nice Viognier! This one was from Paso Robles Highlands District—not further north.
We let the bottle acclimate to our house for more than a day and then, chilled it. ddeuddeg and I worked at planning an appropriate meal for this wine. We had some carrots and carrot tops that we had picked up from our local urban farmer. This was a perfect opportunity to make our beloved Beet Couscous with Balsamic Glazed Carrots and Warm Carrot Top Salad. When we have carrot tops, we HAVE to make these two recipes! They work so well together! Plus, they both use carrot tops! If you have never tried roasted carrots, they are soooo sweet! We always make more than the recipe calls for because they do shrink.
Upon first opening the bottle and pouring, I noticed a nice clear wine and a crisp nose with aromas of honeysuckle and peach. Upon first taste, I got some apricot, peach, and a lot of minerality. I also noticed some kind of bite on the front of my tongue and also, a backbite that I just couldn’t lose. There was a lot of acidity. It didn’t seem well-balanced to me. But, it did have some nice Viognier flavors. I put the glass down gave it a few swirls and got the same. So, I decided to try it with food. Sometimes wines just need food.
The Beet Couscous has a lot going on in it: carrots roasted in a balsamic glaze, couscous cooked with a roasted, puréed beet added to the broth, and a dressing with some lime juice and, of course, carrot tops. The Warm Carrot Top Salad includes a can of garbanzo beans and also, the juice of one lemon. We figured that these foods would work with a Viognier. I tried the wine with the Beet Couscous first and then, the Carrot Top Salad. There was no big change. Usually, the flavors will round out with food and with time being open. It didn’t happen. I got a lot of acidity in this 15.2% alc wine. I don’t usually expect a Viognier to be that high in ABV. Perhaps this is characteristic of a Viognier from this region? Winemaker input appreciated.
@bahwm I’ve had Viognier from Paso before (and other Rhone whites) and I don’t recall anything getting much over 14.5%, let alone 15%.
@klezman Same with us. We thought this was quite high.
@bahwm thank you for reporting. And I’m going to look into Carrot Top Salad.
@bahwm @klezman
It’s pretty common for Paso white rhones to get into the 15% ABV range, especially Viognier because of its flavor development, usually requiring a little more hang time. The acidity is natural in this wine, so you can see if we picked any earlier it would have been a bit shrill. A bit extra chill will tame the ABV of any wine.
@klezman @WesHagen Thanks for your response.
@bahwm @WesHagen I tend to prefer lower abv, all else equal. At least without tasting the wine myself. But then again I’ve been known to enjoy a high(ish) octane Turley now and again.
I find that I’ve quite enjoyed a lot of Paso Robles Grenache Blanc more than other white Rhône varieties, maybe because it retains even more acidity than the rest. The Halter Ranch GB was a winner from a past trip up there. I’ve also enjoyed the Eberle Cotes-du-Robles Blanc.
@WesHagen I’m told that there is technology that allows winemakers to reduce ABV post fermentation (RO I think.) Would you care to opine on such manipulation?
@KitMarlot
Yes, RO, or we call it the ‘spinning cone’ sometimes. I have participated in tasting seminars to learn ‘sweet spots’ of de-alced wines. It works like this: you take a ‘hot wine’, say 16% ABV and spin samples to .5% from 12.5%-15.5% and then code them and taste them blind. Three or four tasters try to find their blind sweet spot and discuss the samples and how they show. One thing you may not expect is the sweetness that ethanol (glycerin/glycerol) provides, and it’s common for thre slightly elevated alcohol wines to show more breadth and persistence in the palate.
Ok, so played with one pour for about 45 minutes or so this afternoon. First go at it was 47 F after sitting in the glass for a few. Nose subdued, almost an earthiness/muskiness to it. Not bad as in musty or off, so I’m not going there at all. But not what I expected. Took a sip, it’s too cold, not getting much at all. A spiciness particularly on the finish that I’m attributing to abv.
Next up 61 F. Still not complicated, trying to coax some perfume or floral out of it, but it’s just not there. Subtle, maybe, but not really. It has taken on a just a wisp of bitter waxiness on the finish. Alcohol still a bit bothersome.
66 F then 71 F. A more complete drink, the aromatics have picked up some but I’m still wanting more out of this.
A couple hours later a small pour straight out of the fridge with a piece of spicy garlic pork/beef meat stick from the smokehouse a few miles down the road. Damn, I’m on to something. These sticks are awesome by the way, and a nice course grind…don’t eat much of that stuff, but hey
This is ok, nothing wrong with it. Pouring another glass in a bit. I don’t drink much viognier, and the stuff I do is typically not domestic and is oaked. So that may skew my expectations. Bottom line I was looking for a little more body. Maybe not happening because, again, this is in steel. But still the grape should lend itself to a fuller feel. Unless it’s the alcohol that takes away from that?? And looking for more perfume and floral notes.
Ok, as mentioned, another glass coming up.
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!
@kaolis Status quo last night. A little sip this morning, nothing new to report really. Seems a little rounder, lost a little bit of zip. A little funky. Bottle was simply recorked and in the fridge overnight.
@kaolis very interesting with the varying temps. Much appreciated.
@kaolis Fun with wine temp! Love it.
@kaolis great report, as usual.
Due to some logistical troubles just put my hands on a bottle of this late last night. Don’t think it’s going to be breakfast of champions but should be able to have a couple of glasses come lunch
@kaolis looking forward to your rattage! My favorite Viognier, so far on Casemates, has been the Jaffurs. I like the Hawley, too, but not as much as Jaffurs…it will be interesting to hear your thoughts on this one, seeing as the other 2 rats were a bit mixed.
@kaolis @TimW Agreed on Jaffurs. One of my local faves as well.
A little info from Wine Business Monthly, Hot Brands of 2019:
J. Wilkes Wines
2018 Viognier
A Wine That Wears its Sensuality on its Sleeve
In the 1980s and 1990s Jefferson Wilkes could be found promoting the grapes and wines of the Paso Robles Highlands and Santa Maria Valleys—the Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills and French Camp Vineyards in particular—to retailers, restauranteurs and anyone who had an interest in learning about what the Central Coast wine industry had to offer. He was a staunch supporter of the region, and his passion eventually spilled into winemaking as well.
Not content to just sell Santa Maria winegrapes, he wanted to take his interest to the next level and start his own brand. He reached out to his employer, Steve Miller, whose family has been entrenched in agriculture and viticulture on the Central Coast since the 1870s.
Wilkes’ concept was simple: you have to start with great ingredients.
“When you’re making wine from the greatest vineyards in the world, it’s like being a three-star Michelin chef,” said friend and winemaker and brand ambassador for J. Willkes Wines, Wes Hagen. “It’s not about what you do to the food, it’s what you don’t do to the food.”
As Hagen reports, Wilkes’ philosophy was always that the wine was not about himself, not about imposing a style or a making a footprint. He was a “wine is made in the vineyard” type of guy. He wanted to showcase the best of what Santa Maria Valley and Paso Robles could produce.
Wilkes was fortunate enough to begin his winemaking career working with fruit from two acclaimed and historic vineyards. He launched his first vintage in 2001 and continued to make Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay until his passing in 2010. But the Miller family didn’t want his legacy to fade with him, and so they re-launched the label in 2012, brought in Hagen as winemaker in 2015, and doubled down on the commitment to wines of character, style and, perhaps most importantly, AVA.
“As someone who’s written more AVAs than any other living winemaker, that’s a great platform for me to talk about dirt and place. If the wines represent the AVA where they’re from, that’s what I want to give to my generation and younger generations of wine drinkers in the United States—great wine that’s delicious no matter what. And if you want to go down the rabbit hole of ‘place,’ then let’s give you a baseline to understand, say Santa Maria Valley,” Hagen said.
That is the heart of Hagen’s winemaking message. Though the wines he makes are made with grapes from Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills and French Camp Vineyards—which other wineries/brands often bottle as individual vineyard designates—Hagen wants to ensure that the wines are first and foremost something he would enjoy drinking.
Case in point: The 2018 Viognier, a crisp, bright, graceful version of a grape that can easily show as overly perfumed or over-the-top, with a strong potential to lose acidity in warm growing regions like Paso Robles. But because the grapes are sourced from a block in French Camp Vineyard that lies at a high elevation with a diurnal shift that averages 50 degrees during the growing season, the Viognier is able to maintain a naturally high level of acidity.
“We’re looking at natural, unmodified juice making a wine at 15.2 percent alcohol, at 3.3 pH and six grams of acid—without adding acid. That is a miracle,” Hagen said.
Hagen then takes care not to lose that “miraculous” effect produced by those warm days and cold nights, avoiding oak and letting the grapes and the land speak for themselves.
“I have to be very careful. This is a Viognier that was crafted and blended with the idea that we wanted it to be an accompaniment with food, but not overwhelming. We wanted it to be a little bit more on the elegant and restrained side,” he said. “I know what I love in wine and I’ve always, for the last 25 years, tried to produce wines that I myself love to drink so I can bring them to market and promote them with honesty and passion.”
When he’s out promoting the Viognier against some of the more popular varieties, his enthusiasm is matched by buyers.
“Buyers get it and they also know that Viognier is one of those rare wines that is not only a geek wine, but when people get it in a glass, even if they’ve never had it, it’s like a beautiful woman or a handsome man just saying hello and giving you a kiss on the cheek,” he said. “It is immediately accessible because it is immediately sensual. Pinot Noir is tricky sensual. Viognier likes to wear its sensuality on its sleeve.”
Going forward, Hagen will continue to promote the J. Wilkes brand, just as Jeff Wilkes had done before. He and the Millers have doubled production every year for the last four years, producing nearly 20,000 cases in 2019. But he’s hoping the brand, and the story of Jeff Wilkes and the Central Coast AVAs, will continue to expand in production and reach consumers in every state.
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:sN2PXFXzQdwJ:https://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/%3Fgo%3DgetArticle%26dataId%3D225274+&cd=28&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Yup, meh as well with a Broken Earth offer
2013 Wine For Home Red Blend for $95
@rjquillin that’s actually a pretty funny label idea.
Again, gotta wonder where Wes Hagen or someone else.from the winery is - lots of questions but no one to answer them.
It’s not uncommon for Viognier to get that ripe leading up to a wine that is 15%+. Many times, the wine can handle this seamlessly, but others, the alcohol will be noticeable.
For your sake, I do hope the winery gets in here . . .
Cheers.
@tercerowines
Had my hands full for a few days, sorry for the delay. I provided quite a bit of info on the wine, including a video, so I hope that tided these wonderful and curious wine geeks over! And I hope you are well, Larry.
@tercerowines @WesHagen
The participation is much appreciated and a big part of what makes this place special. Hope to see more of your wines here in the future!
You guys need to fix your email. I got excited when I saw a viognier from a winery I just ordered the same bottles from online through a different company at a price cheaper than what I paid and they lists it ships to PA, to check out and see it don’t ship to PA. I’m now sad and will have to drink something else.
J. Wilkes Viognier
4 bottles for $54.99 $13.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $114.99 $9.58/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2018 J. Wilkes Viognier
Viognier with 15.2% alcohol?!
@klezman where’s swilly!?
@klezman Yesh, yay J. Wilkes! The Hawley Viognier was only 14.2%. And I’m just about out …
@klezman
Yes indeed. I think it carries the alcohol well, and with a chill I don’t think its noticeable, personally. If you know my WM style you will also know I take elegance and balance seriously.
@WesHagen Thanks Wes. Although I recognise your name, I don’t know the other labels off the top of my head that you’re part of. Could you remind me? What winemaking style do you strive for? Do you have approaches you always/usually use?
@klezman @WesHagen
IIRC he was the winemaker at Clos Pepe vineyards for many years? And made many great wines.
@klezman
I was the vineyard manager and winemaker for Clos Pepe Vineyards and Estate Wines from 1994-2014, and I wrote the AVA Petitions for Sta Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Happy Canyon of SB, and coming soon: Alisos Canyon. I strive to let the site/AVA do the speaking, and prefer to make wines that show CA sunshine, but also the complexities inherent in wines that are not homogenized by extreme ripeness. One approach I use is minimizing new French Oak, which I think takes the flavor profile across the Atlantic, and I don’t think CA wines need a French accent if they are well made.
@CorTot @klezman Swillman Brown? Or am I mistaken.
@WesHagen Awesome history, thanks Wes! I think I’ve also seen you chime in on Larry’s Facebook posts
OWLS! TOWELS! JOWLS! AWESOME!
@CorTot @klezman @WesHagen he gets it!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2018 J. Wilkes Viognier - $50 = 30.29%
2018 J. Wilkes Viognier, Paso Robles Highlands District
Tasting Notes
2019 Top 10 Hot Brands, Wine Business Monthly
Aromatics
Palate
Food Pairing
Specs
Harvest
100% stainless steel fermentation
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
$328.75 at J. Wilkes Wines for 12x 2018 J. Wilkes Viognier, Paso Robles Highlands District
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, WA
Estimated Delivery
Monday, August 24th - Tuesday, August 25th