I know that you can’t tell a book by its cover, nor the quality and flavor of a wine by its label, but every now and then, things happen to make one a little unsure of those old proverbs.
Blame Francis Ford Coppola. Like so many rich people who moved to northern California for the climate, the laid-back atmosphere and other rich people to socialize with, only to suffer the fatal bite of the wine bug, Coppola bought property in the Napa Valley. Whether fortunately or unfortunately, his neighbor down the road was Robert Mondavi, and when grapevines and movie film engaged one another like the spider and the fly in the former’s parlor, another wine producer was born.
Coppola, one of the finest directors in movie history, originally bought 1560 acres of the Napa Valley Inglenook estate in 1975; it dates to the mid-19th century, when it was established by California wine pioneer Gustave Niebaum. Coppola established the Niebaum-Coppola brand, then bought the rest of the estate 20 years later and established the Rubicon label. Caesar’s commentaries, which I have not read since my high school days, began, "Omnius Galium en tres partes divisa est," which means that all of Gaul is divided into three parts. It added, as Caesar departed from Rome, "and then Caesar crossed the Rubicon and entered into the land of the Gauls." The symbolism of crossing the Rubicon has remained.
All the Rubicon Estate wines come from 236 acres in Rutherford, Napa County.
His Director’s Cut wines, and other labels with his name, plus related businesses, are based in Geyserville, in Sonoma County, as part of Francis Ford Coppola Presents, LLC. Through the years, Souverain had featured glorious views, a splendid restaurant (I remember a meal to match the view when I visited in the late 1970s) and unexceptional wine. The winery is open to visitors while major renovations are under way; it is scheduled to reopen next year as a destination winery, with lodgings and a revived restaurant.
Coppola and winemaker Corey Beck are producing Sonoma wines under the Director’s Cut label. Regional sales manager Jay Koeller recently poured four very good – and under $25 – Director’s Cut wines at a dinner where Rich Lo Russo’s staff prepared some excellent matching dishes.
Oh, before I so rudely interrupted myself, I was talking about labels, wasn’t I?
The labels wrap around the bottle as if they were strips of film, and in a sense they are. They are copies of Zoetrope strips from Coppola’s private collection, made for Zoetrope devices more than a century ago, in the beginning days of motion pictures. The strips were inserted into a cylinder with slits, and the cylinder was spun. Through the holes, it looked as if the figures on the strip were moving, and looking at the Coppola label, one can see a girl jumping rope on one, for example. Others have different action.
Film buffs also will remember that the first cooperative venture between Coppola and George Lucas was called Zoetrope Studios.
And one other thing: Because of the labels, and problems with affixing them, the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which usually are distributed in Burgundy-style bottles, whose sides slope inward, are packaged in Bordeaux-style bottles, whose sides go straight up and down. No problem for the consumer, but wine-shop owners will be disgruntled.
In addition to the Director’s Cut series, Koeller also poured a sparkling aperitif called Sofia ($16), designed for the wedding of Coppola’s daughter in 1999. The 2007 Blanc de Blanc, in the French tradition, is made solely from white grapes, a blend of Pinot Blanc and Muscat in this particular vintage. There’s a pleasing dryness and long flavor from the former, a hint of sweetness from the latter but not so much as to interfere. It was delicious. The wine comes from the Napa Valley Rubicon estate.
An ‘06 Russian River (Sonoma County) Chardonnay ($17) was pleasant, but not special. Satisfactory flavor, nice dryness and finish, only a little of the California-style "buttery" flavor that bothers me. Many like that flavor more than I do, however.
Three Sonoma County reds were delicious, led by an ‘06 Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley ($17), a splendid wine with a bargain price tag. It’s rich and brambly, with tobacco overtones in the aroma and a deep, oaky feel on the palate. It will be helped by a year or two of aging, which will turn it into one terrific wine.
The 2005 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($21), with some grapes from the glorious Jordan vineyards, is excellent. Black currants and plums dominate the aroma and flavor, and it has a long, delightful finish. Another year in the bottle will improve it.
As background, Koeller brought along a DVD of Coppola’s brilliant "The Conversation," a 1974 release that earned him Oscars. Made two years after "The Godfather," it has a marvelous tone and feel, the San Francisco fog creeping between the frames of film as it ran, a silent backdrop to the dinner. As a professional eavesdropper, Gene Hackman is terrific, and to see then-young actors like the late John Cazale, Teri Garr, Harrison Ford, Frederic Forrest and an uncredited Robert Duvall is a real pleasure. Taut, tense and terrific.
-Joe