We’ve always been great fans of California’s Sonoma County, and not just because of its wines. We like the fact that it’s a little more relaxed than Napa, just across the mountains to the east. We are awed by Sonoma’s fertility and the great abundance of crops in addition to grapes. We enjoy fact that it extends to the Pacific Ocean on the west, and it is close to Bodega Bay, where succulent oysters grow.
It’s home to dozens of wineries, and on a recent visit to the area, we stopped at Clos du Bois, in the town of Geyserville, to taste some wine and visit with winemaker Erik Olsen, who is responsible for nearly two dozen different labels. Clos du Bois works on four levels – 10 Classic Varietals, all under $15; a half-dozen examples of the Reserve Series, all with area designations and all but one under $20; three Proprietary Series offerings, delicious and delicate and more expensive, of course; and eight regarded as limited releases, sold at the winery and including several that may some day move into one of the other categories.
Olsen, relaxing in the Sonoma sunshine on a glorious day, has been at Clos du Bois only a half-dozen years, but is a winemaker of great experience and a broad academic base that includes a B.S. in fermentation science from the University of California-Davis (a school that produces winemakers the way Notre Dame or USC produce football players), a master’s in food science from Cornell University, in the heart of the upstate New York wine country, and an M.B.A. from the University of Washington. He made wines at Robert Mondavi and Simi in California and Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington before moving to Geyserville.
The winery was deeply involved in sustainable agriculture before Olsen arrived, but he has extended and deepened that culture in the four appellations – Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Coast and Alexander Valley – that provide most of the grapes for Clos du Bois.
"It all starts in the vineyard," he said, looking toward the bright green vines that stretched for what seemed like miles. And sustainability also starts in the vineyard, with a program that recycles 90 percent of solid waste, including grape-processing waste, which is composted and mixed into the soil that feeds the vines. Vineyards are irrigated with a drip method, and waste water from the winery is recycled and rerouted to the vineyard, where cover crops encourage the growth of "good" insects, whose meals and recreation come from catching and devouring "bad" insects.
Winemakers are about as trendy as teachers or physicians, so Clos du Bois is not the only winery to ride the sustainability track. Good farm practices may not necessarily produce great wines, but they don’t hurt the process, and sampling nine of Olsen’s wines was a treat. All are easy to recommend, but four were true standouts, three of which will improve with a few years more of bottle age.
The exception is a 2007 Rose, a beautiful, bright, light-hearted wine for summer. Olsen’s blend is slightly different from many winemakers; he uses 70 percent Syrah and 30 percent Merlot, which adds considerable color and makes the Clos du Bois rose a little darker than most. At the same time, the Merlot adds a lot of flavor, so the wine is brisk and easy to drink on a picnic, but with more flavor than many of its counterparts. And at about $12, it’s a real bargain.
Olsen’s ‘06 Alexander Valley Merlot (about $20) is another winner, with some Cabernet Sauvignon adding a little structure but with the Merlot’s fruit extremely forward, its richness underlined by black cherry and spice. A similar ‘06 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel (about $16.50) is a remarkable wine (Olsen likes to blend a little Petite Sirah into his Zins), showing blueberry in aroma and flavor, and a backbone that makes it a delight with pulled pork or ribs from the barbecue. So is his 2005 Marlstone Cab, an Alexander Valley Meritage, aon the expensive side at about $50, as are all Meritage wines. This rich, delicious offering, with plum and dark cherry overtones, is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (89 percent), blended with Malbec (5), Cabernet Franc (3) and Merlot (3). Once again, there is softness from the Merlot, and a fine structure throughout.
Clos du Bois also turns out a delicious Riesling from the Santa Lucia Highlands ($12); a splendid Carignane ($22) from the Alexander Valley, a little hard but with some delicate edges that are fascinating; a fine, barrel-fermented Chardonnay called Calcaire, from the Russian River Valley, always a source of good Chardonnay grapes ($25); a bright Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast ($25); and a well-aged Tempranillo, from a Spanish grape that produces a hearty red from the Alexander Valley, softened by the addition of some Cabernet Sauvignon for softness ($18). A treat from Erik Olsen and Clos du Bois.
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ON THE LOCAL WINE SCENE: Mark Baehmann, winemaker at Mount Pleasant Vineyards (Augusta) since 1992, has moved to the Chaumette Vineyards and Winery in Ste. Genevieve. Baehmann, who made wines for Chaumette’s 2000 vintage, when the Ste. Genevieve winery was just beginning, is bottling the 2008 wines now and will be more deeply involved as he turns to other projects.