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Wine Review: California industry becomes specialized

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Specialization has finally reached the California wine industry.

When it was discovered that California was the perfect place for growing every conceivable variety of wine grapes, the growers went wild. Areas in most of the wine-producing countries of the world are designated for specific varieties because of their microclimate and soil. In some cases, the plantings are regulated by law.

California vineyards were unregulated and often a potpourri of every imaginable variety. Cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc grapes were grown in fields next to chardonnay and pinot noir. It is not that these grapes would not grow well there, but to produce a quality grape for a quality wine, each of those varieties prefer a specific growing climate. Pinot noir and chardonnay need a climate that is cool in the evening and is not exposed to excessive heat by day, emulating their ancestral home, the hills of Burgundy, France.

Jim and Mary Dierberg, who formally owned the Hermannhof Winery in Hermann, Missouri, searched for an area favorable for the growing of high-quality pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, which were not suited for the Missouri soil or climate. Their long search led them to the hills and valleys of Santa Barbara, California, where they set up a vineyard and winery specializing in pinot Noir and chardonnay wines. Thus was born Dierberg Vineyards. The philosophy behind it is simple: concentrate on growing the two major Burgundian varieties and produce exceptional wines from them.

Dierberg Vineyards 2013 Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay ($32)
The Dierberg Vineyards 2013 Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay is an exceptional wine that has an aroma overflowing with vanilla, melon, clove, honey and spice. The flavor prominently displays apple, orange blossom, vanilla and the typical summer fruits that are an integral part of chardonnay wines from Santa Barbara County. The summer fruits and apple carry over to the long and complex finish that is complimented by oak and hints of tropical fruits. This wine also has that soft, buttery mouth feel, a feature that is sought after by every chardonnay producer but is rarely achieved.

Dieberg Vineyards 2013 Santa Rita Hills, Drum Canyon Vineyards Pinot Noir ($52)
This wine is a true gem. The color is a deep cherry/ruby and the aroma is a complex variety of fruit flavors featuring cherries and blackberries mingled with oak. Below the surface there is a swirling, kaleidoscopic array of dark summer fruits and berries along with an incense-like aroma that marks a truly great pinot noir. The flavor is as multifaceted as isthe aroma, displaying a host of cherry and berry flavors, all of which are wrapped in that indefinable pinot noir velvety softness. This wine also possesses a substantial body, which is another sign of a well-made, finely proportioned wine. The finish is as long and interesting as the aroma.

Dierberg Vineyards 2013 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir ($44)
This wine offers another view of the pinot noir: an inviting ruby color, a firm body, a captivating aroma, a positive and definable flavor and an enduring finish wrapped in a smooth robe. The aroma displays fig, cranberry, cinnamon, nutmeg and oak. The flavor is about as classical as it can get with black cherry, caramel, spice and a subtle hint of truffles. All of these carry over to the finish, where they linger on the palate for a long time.

Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at ben@articlesonwine.com.

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