The Huber Vineyard is the third oldest vineyard planted in the Santa Rita Hills (after Sanford and Babcock plantings) with an average vine age of nearly 30 years, which is in the optimal period for producing extremely luxurious and very high quality wines. Additionally, the vines may reach depth’s of 6 to 7 feet, thereby transmitting complexity and minerality to the wines.
Vineyards are very beautiful: their curvacious undulations as they glide over hilltops, their winding aisles as they contour to the landscape, or their straight rows casting perfectly symmetrical lines and parallel shadows all touch our intimate sense of romance. But within the vineyard is a whole other - equally as beautiful - world that most never see. It is the secret world hidden within and between the vines...an awe inspiring beauty found only there within is in the form of life, shapes, and colors. Norm Huber granted us a special, rare privilege and let us roam around inside the vineyard! Above is a kaleidoscope of the many things we found to be natures own beauty, hidden amongst the vines.
Before becoming a vintner, Norm was a woodworker. His work is displayed throughout the estate, including a small chapel near the garden and the interior tasting room. In fact, the label for their Hafen is designed after Norman's hand-carved statuette of Bacchus! Also presented are the numerous awards for their highly internationally acclaimed wines, which will be thoroughly explored in future publications on this site.
Huber Cellars has both an indoor and outdoor tasting area. The outdoor tasting area is covered with spaced wooden slats (pictured above) and is open air right next to the vineyard: When guests come for a tasting, they are literally at the edge of the vineyard. Prior to planting a vineyard, Norm and Traudl ran an apple orchard. A historical remnant of the orchard can be seen in the background (pictured above) where they would store portions of the harvest. The bucolic beauty of the estate makes for a very relaxing afternoon of wine tasting. To add to the joy of exploring some of the best wines in the world, Norma and Traudl are the most warm, welcoming, and kind-hearted people one will ever meet, which always makes a visit here the one that makes the day.
Whereas Norm handles the affairs of the vineyard and wine production, Traudl handles the garden and kitchen. She home-makes jelly's (usually a Dornfelder jelly and a Jalapeno jelly) and the proceeds go to the Santa Ynez ASPCA - the local animal shelter. If not to help out poor orphaned kittens and puppies, one should really buy as many of her jelly's as possible because they are quit delicious - and where else can one acquire authentic, home made jelly's (without preservatives or chemicals) as they used to be in our grandparents day!
The Hubers have good friends in Munich, who - as a graduation gift to their young cousin - purchased a round-the-world trip for the young man. A few months later, the young German was half way around the world, bicycling down a road in Indonesia when he came across a motor scooter accident. A young local woman had somehow lost control of her scooter, crashed badly along side of the road and was lying in the ditch. She was not in good condition and required medical assistance. The young German reacted quickly, brought her out of the ditch, did what he could for her, and managed to get her to a hospital. Due to his efforts, she made a full recovery. However, Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country and follows a conservative religious doctrine, especially in those days - it was forbidden for the young German to have touched in any way whatsoever the young Indonesian woman. There were no exceptions. Especially in the case of a young religious temple dancer. The young woman's father was furious! Not knowing each other at all, the couple was quickly "shot gun" married. They then moved to Munich where she learned his family's trade (butchery), learned German, fell in love, had children, then had grand children and lived a rich, loving life together. Somewhere in the middle, they bought a hotel in Bali.
The Huber's friend, the benevolent uncle, works for the Finanzamt - the German IRS, and sometimes travels to Bali to check the books of the couple's hotel. With a desire to present a nice gift to Norm and Traudl, who both certainly possess a deep affinity and appreciation for wood craftsmanship, he brought a photo of the Huber family heraldic coat of arms with him to Bali and had commissioned the wood carving that hangs in their interior tasting room today (which is also the icon for Huber Cellars' wines). There are several variations of the coat of arms, however the coat of arms with the grapes on the escutcheon is the original. The Huber name has been traced as far back as 1190 A.D. and there has been some indication that the first Huber to wear the coat of arms was a Knight from Austria.
The Huber's friend, the benevolent uncle, works for the Finanzamt - the German IRS, and sometimes travels to Bali to check the books of the couple's hotel. With a desire to present a nice gift to Norm and Traudl, who both certainly possess a deep affinity and appreciation for wood craftsmanship, he brought a photo of the Huber family heraldic coat of arms with him to Bali and had commissioned the wood carving that hangs in their interior tasting room today (which is also the icon for Huber Cellars' wines). There are several variations of the coat of arms, however the coat of arms with the grapes on the escutcheon is the original. The Huber name has been traced as far back as 1190 A.D. and there has been some indication that the first Huber to wear the coat of arms was a Knight from Austria.
It is a prerequisite to have loving animals if you own a vineyard and make your own wine! It is the sin quo non of the winery culture - what peanut butter is to jelly! This is Heidi and Blackie - mostly Heidi - because Blackie is always so elusive when the Bon Vivant Gourmets visit. The two are like brother and sister, often working in tandem to steal treats from the kitchen or wreak havoc when they don't get what they want. Both have vivacious, mischievous personalities and very gentle souls. Heidi is always the first to greet arriving guests with a big smile filled with excitement and demanding an immediate hug! Be sure to have puppy treats in your pocket as her love can be bought!..as well as a few kitty treats so Blackie doesn't feel left out!
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Up Close and Personal with the Hubers
by the Bon Vivant Gourmets
Huber Vineyards and Cellars is obscurely nestled behind a row of houses on Hapgood Rd., just off the 246, between Buellton and Lompoc. Getting to the winery was an adventure in itself, particularly on a cloudy, rain soaked day. When on Hapgood Rd., if you make a wrong turn, or rather if you don’t make a turn at all, you’ll finds yourself in the most interesting of places – in the middle of a mud soaked open field. With our route corrected, we arrived at the winery, where we were very eagerly and excitedly greeted by a very sweet, gentle, and benevolent Heidi, who lavished kisses upon us with exuberance. Heidi is a beautiful Australian Shepherd, with one blue eye and the other brown; both somehow seem to gleam excitement, mischief, and exude a constant notion that she’s always asking, “how can we get into trouble together!” when she looks at you. Norm and Traudl Huber welcomed us with the warmth of a crackling fire in winter. Norm is a tall, strong, proud, and hard working man who is a master at weaving wood into anything he imagines (he designed and created several tasting bars for local wineries, including his own, and lead the rebuilding of the woodwork on the Queen Mary, now in Long Beach). He is also the one who oversees the viticulture and vinification of the wine and runs the business. He is more reserved than Traudl, who is as energetic as Heidi and immediately engages in witty conversation. At first, she looks like everyone’s favorite grandmother, but as she speaks, the maturity of her mind and the youthfulness of her spirit unite to show a woman who has strong rational ideas, a moral fortitude, a rare feisty nature, and an ingrained sense of warmth and caring. Traudl helps Norm in the tasting room, often with the interruption of Heidi getting into daily mischief (sometimes with co-collaborator, Blackie, their domesticated male cat who is more than happy to jump up onto the fridge, knock over Heidi’s box of treats, and then hide as Heidi happily cleans up the mess). She is also the genius behind the garden, kitchen, and all things produced from each. She also makes home-made jams, one of which is derived from their specialty grape, Dornfelder. All proceeds of her jam sales go to benefit the local ASPCA.
The Hubers, originally from Munich, Germany, came to the Sta. Rita Hills at the urging of their friend and fellow vintner Walter Babcock, when he informed them of a real-estate opportunity across the road. At first, the Hubers planted an orchard. From behind the counter in their warm, wooded and intimate tasting room, Traudl, slightly belligerent, and thumbing her husband scoffs, “…and this one promised to help me sell them (the apples) up on the road, but did he?” Norm, chuckling, defends himself, “But I couldn’t fit very many apples in my Porsche!” Traudl looks at my wife as if to say, see what I had to deal with. Norm then explains the switch to vines. “Things were very difficult back then. The large grocery store chains started to buy in bulk, cutting us out of the supply chain. We had no choice but to find something else to do.” It was again, their neighbor, Walter Babcock, who advised them to plant vines. “We knew nothing about wine and were starting from scratch,” Norm continued, “and back in those days, there weren’t many vineyards around.” Traudl interjected, “Just Babcock and Sanford.” So in 1986, Huber Vineyards and Cellars was established with the planting of roughly 22 acres under vine a year later and then the grapes were sold to winemakers throughout the area. Norm would later increase the acreage under vine to about 24 with the addition of Dornfelder: a grape used in Germany to produce light wines predominantly used in blends (the Huber’s Dornfelder was a gift of 6 vines from friends in Germany who wanted the Hubers to have something in the vineyard that would remind them of home). With only 24 acres under vine, this represents an extremely exclusive mesoclimate[1]. This translates into an intimate production of less than 3000 cases per annum (compared to some other wineries whose productions may exceed 500,000 cases per annum), thereby allowing Norm to pay closer attention to the grapes and vinification process (such as hand-picking the grapes at different times and places within the vineyard to optimize quality or make very specific barrel selections for specific cuvées). This, in turn, results in the creation of extremely rare, highly exclusive, masterpieces of art in very small quantities.
From atop a wooden bar stool made from wine barrels, I then asked them about the soil. Norm explained that the soil is made of topsoil followed by sandy loam[2]. Traudl’s eyes widened and she exclaimed, “You know, that first year, I was so worried and scared! I thought we had lost everything! When it first rained, the entire vineyard foamed up!” Norm smiled and said, “Yes, but we worried for nothing, it was completely a natural occurrence.” He continued to explain while uncorking a bottle that the vineyard has a natural underground spring which provides some sustainable irrigation but in most years, additional irrigation is needed. This thus strains the vines, causing the roots to reach as far as six feet beneath the topsoil, yearning for water, resulting in highly concentrated grapes.
He poured a 2009 barrel-fermented estate-aged Chardonnay. Norm believes in preserving as much as possible the natural characteristics of the fruit and therefore tries to leave it as much alone as possible during the fermentation process. The extra time held in cellar for aging helped in making this wine majestic. It was very well structured, perfectly balanced, and opulent in the mouth. This wine was fermented in French oak barrels (20% in new oak for 12 months) with some partial malolactic fermentation[3]. It was luscious, smooth, and silky with exotic fruit flavors of lychees, mango, and subtle hints of vanilla. The oak aging also adds hazelnut notes on the finish. As I was admiring the wine with the surprise and attention of a first kiss, I felt a bump on my leg and looked down to see Blackie vying for my wife’s attention, which was monopolized by Heidi. Heidi, having experienced love at first sight, held her ground. Eventually, Blackie would abdicate and pout under the hot air vent. I asked Norm about animals in the vineyard and if they cause any problems. He said, “Birds. Birds are a big problem. We have to use netting to protect the grapes.” Apparently, without the netting, wild birds can cut yields by as much as 15%. And then Traudl interjected as she grimaced and tightened her face with firm disdain, “…and I don’t like the snakes!” Normal chuckling said, “Oh come now, you only saw one once.” Traudl emphatically responded, “That’s all I need, once is enough!” I asked her where she found it as I lifted my feet high up onto the stool. “Oh, not far, at the edge of the vineyard.” Norm, pouring the next glass, muttered, “They’re more afraid of you than you are of them.” Traudl gave my wife that look again, but this time it implied, yea right!
One of the ways large wineries will hold a market is to manipulate a wine to meet the demands of a particular flavor profile or to maintain the exact same flavor profile from vintage to vintage. Often, this is done by adding elements to darken a Pinot Noir (or let them rest too long on their skins, something experts call “over-extracted” or use excessive amounts of oak to hide bulk grape profiles) in order to make it more marketable to what general society expects of a particular wine, often dominated by heavy and rich Cabernet Sauvignons or Merlots. Not the Hubers - they believe in creating a natural Pinot Noir where nature determines the structure of the wine and allows the fruit to put itself on display. In this manner, the wines are not manipulated to fit into a certain expectation and accurately represents vintage and terroir. The Huber Estate Pinot Noir 2008 and 2009 are perfect examples of what nature can do from one vintage to another. The ‘08 is light in color, medium in body, and possesses very elegant flavors of boysenberry, raspberry, and hints of earth on the finish. It is a delicate wine. Their Estate Pinot Noir 2009 is heavier, darker, and full-bodied. Whereas the ‘08 would be perfect for a pleasant spring or summer afternoon’s picnic, the ‘09 would be more suited for a dinner in the autumn or winter. The ’09 is rich, full of dark red fruits and terroir. It also has the potential for aging. Their Pinot Noirs receives 20% new French oak each year for 12 months except for Norm’s prestige cuvée: his very best barrel – the Barrel-Select, which receives an 18 month barrel regiment. “The Barrel-Select is different from the other Pinots because it consists of 100% clone 667, which characteristically is larger than the clone 115 that we use in our Estate Pinots,” he explains.
He poured a taste. I took a sip. I paused, letting it take hold of me. It was absolute bliss in a bottle! With a sly smile, he poured himself a taste, “I should probably make sure this bottle is good.” Taking a sip, he slightly nodded and the look in his eye was one of subtly hidden pride. The wine was huge, silky smooth, elegant, yet massive. Both heavy Cabernet drinkers and die hard Pinot drinkers would equally love this wine. In the mouth, it felt like waves and layers of dark red fruit flavors of black cassis, Bing cherries, raspberry compote, and blackberries, undulating atop a foundation of earth, truffles, figs, mushrooms, and plums. The finish lingers for what seemed like an eternity.
Hanging on the wall of the Huber’s tasting room is an artist’s rendering of Charlotte. Traudl’s eye’s filled with tears as Norm left the room, “Charlotte was the beauty of the vineyard, our beloved companion.” She was the cherished predecessor of Heidi and has since found her place in the lord’s dog park. “Charlotte first came to be with us after we discovered her at a local farmers market,” said Taudl, fighting back tears. Having made such a profound impact on their lives, the Hubers annularly host the Cheers for Charlotte gala, where all gala benefits are donated to the Humane Society (as is ten percent of each sale of Charlotte’s Reserve – a blending of the two most elegant barrels of Dornfelder). All of the wineries that have dogs are invited as are members of their wine club.
Having recomposed himself, Norm re-enters the room, clearly affected by the topic of Charlotte. The Hubers recognize what is obvious to all pet owners – that they are intimate members of the family.
Dornfelder is a varietal uncommon in the United States and one of the indigenous varieties of the Huber’s native Germany. In Germany, Dornfelder is primarily used for blending and when used as a single varietal, it is very light and acidic (due to being picked early); almost similar to a Montepulciano. Norm does the opposite. “I pick it late when the fruit is rich in sugar,” and he produces 3 extremely rare and majestic Dornfelders. He is the only one who makes Dornfelder on the west coast and one of three in the U.S.
The three Dornfelders that Norm creates is an Estate Dornfelder, the barrel-select Charlotte’s Reserve, and a port-style wine called Hafen (harbor in German). The Huber’s Estate Dornfelder 2008 is full-bodied, dark, rich, and aged in French oak (20% new French oak). Having rested in perfect cellar conditions for 14 months has allowed the powerful tannins to integrate into the wine, thereby creating a silky smooth mouth-feel. Up front in the mouth black cherry, blackberry, and ripe dark fruits dominate the first layer of flavors. In the middle are notes of tobacco, pepper, and tar, followed by a subtle earthy finish, thereby bringing a beautiful balance to this very complex wine.
For the Hubers, the Charlotte’s Reserve is the epitome of what nature and Norm can do. After a year in barrel, he selects the two finest barrels, blends them together and then lets them rest for another six months prior to bottling. The final results are spectacular! The 2009 is elegantly balanced with rich, dark fruits and silky smooth integrated tannins. Concentrated jammy fruit flavors rarely found outside the fuits confits d’Apt fill the mouth followed by hints of smoke and coffee. The texture invites images of ancient molasses and the long inky legs in the glass makes you think that there may be some within this rich nectar. Each vintage of Charlotte’s Reserve is released at the Cheers for Charlotte gala.
Hafen is German for port or harbor, and the Hubers produce an amazing Dornfelder port. As Norm pours, Traudl points to the chocolates they’d set out for us, “I made these this morning and have many of my German recipes online.” I take a small bit of her Chocolate Toffee Delight and am amazed at the graceful blending of flavors. She knows what she’s doing in the kitchen! I pick up the glass of Hafen Norm just poured. I take my time, taking in the nose, and ask Norm questions about the vinification. He explains that they wait a month or two after the regular harvest for the grapes to increase in sugar levels and then begin by making the wine the same as the other Dornfelders. When two-thirds of the wine is fermented, fermentation is arrested by the introduction of brandy and the lowering of the temperature in the fermentation tank. The result is a very sweet wine with intense, concentrated black fruits, dark tannins, and balanced acidity. I take a bite of chocolate and find a match made in heaven. Bacchus himself is present in this wine (which explains his picture on the label).
As we finished the tasting, we realized that Norm and Traudl were as delightful and as elegant as their wines and knew that this would be the beginning of a very long friendship. We immediately signed up for the wine club and have been enjoying their wines, often by the case, for more than half a decade and look forward to our next shipment, which is always within the next three months!
[1] Mesoclimate refers to the climate of a particular vineyard site and is generally restricted to a space of tens or hundreds of meters. From: J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 416, 439, 442 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0-19-860990-6
[2] a nutrient rich mixture of sand, silt, and clay.
[3] Malolactic fermentation (or sometimes malolactic conversion or MLF) is a process in winemaking where tart-tasting malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation tends to create a rounder, fuller mouthfeel. It has been said that malic acid tastes of green apples. By contrast, lactic acid is richer and more buttery tasting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malolactic_fermentation
The Hubers, originally from Munich, Germany, came to the Sta. Rita Hills at the urging of their friend and fellow vintner Walter Babcock, when he informed them of a real-estate opportunity across the road. At first, the Hubers planted an orchard. From behind the counter in their warm, wooded and intimate tasting room, Traudl, slightly belligerent, and thumbing her husband scoffs, “…and this one promised to help me sell them (the apples) up on the road, but did he?” Norm, chuckling, defends himself, “But I couldn’t fit very many apples in my Porsche!” Traudl looks at my wife as if to say, see what I had to deal with. Norm then explains the switch to vines. “Things were very difficult back then. The large grocery store chains started to buy in bulk, cutting us out of the supply chain. We had no choice but to find something else to do.” It was again, their neighbor, Walter Babcock, who advised them to plant vines. “We knew nothing about wine and were starting from scratch,” Norm continued, “and back in those days, there weren’t many vineyards around.” Traudl interjected, “Just Babcock and Sanford.” So in 1986, Huber Vineyards and Cellars was established with the planting of roughly 22 acres under vine a year later and then the grapes were sold to winemakers throughout the area. Norm would later increase the acreage under vine to about 24 with the addition of Dornfelder: a grape used in Germany to produce light wines predominantly used in blends (the Huber’s Dornfelder was a gift of 6 vines from friends in Germany who wanted the Hubers to have something in the vineyard that would remind them of home). With only 24 acres under vine, this represents an extremely exclusive mesoclimate[1]. This translates into an intimate production of less than 3000 cases per annum (compared to some other wineries whose productions may exceed 500,000 cases per annum), thereby allowing Norm to pay closer attention to the grapes and vinification process (such as hand-picking the grapes at different times and places within the vineyard to optimize quality or make very specific barrel selections for specific cuvées). This, in turn, results in the creation of extremely rare, highly exclusive, masterpieces of art in very small quantities.
From atop a wooden bar stool made from wine barrels, I then asked them about the soil. Norm explained that the soil is made of topsoil followed by sandy loam[2]. Traudl’s eyes widened and she exclaimed, “You know, that first year, I was so worried and scared! I thought we had lost everything! When it first rained, the entire vineyard foamed up!” Norm smiled and said, “Yes, but we worried for nothing, it was completely a natural occurrence.” He continued to explain while uncorking a bottle that the vineyard has a natural underground spring which provides some sustainable irrigation but in most years, additional irrigation is needed. This thus strains the vines, causing the roots to reach as far as six feet beneath the topsoil, yearning for water, resulting in highly concentrated grapes.
He poured a 2009 barrel-fermented estate-aged Chardonnay. Norm believes in preserving as much as possible the natural characteristics of the fruit and therefore tries to leave it as much alone as possible during the fermentation process. The extra time held in cellar for aging helped in making this wine majestic. It was very well structured, perfectly balanced, and opulent in the mouth. This wine was fermented in French oak barrels (20% in new oak for 12 months) with some partial malolactic fermentation[3]. It was luscious, smooth, and silky with exotic fruit flavors of lychees, mango, and subtle hints of vanilla. The oak aging also adds hazelnut notes on the finish. As I was admiring the wine with the surprise and attention of a first kiss, I felt a bump on my leg and looked down to see Blackie vying for my wife’s attention, which was monopolized by Heidi. Heidi, having experienced love at first sight, held her ground. Eventually, Blackie would abdicate and pout under the hot air vent. I asked Norm about animals in the vineyard and if they cause any problems. He said, “Birds. Birds are a big problem. We have to use netting to protect the grapes.” Apparently, without the netting, wild birds can cut yields by as much as 15%. And then Traudl interjected as she grimaced and tightened her face with firm disdain, “…and I don’t like the snakes!” Normal chuckling said, “Oh come now, you only saw one once.” Traudl emphatically responded, “That’s all I need, once is enough!” I asked her where she found it as I lifted my feet high up onto the stool. “Oh, not far, at the edge of the vineyard.” Norm, pouring the next glass, muttered, “They’re more afraid of you than you are of them.” Traudl gave my wife that look again, but this time it implied, yea right!
One of the ways large wineries will hold a market is to manipulate a wine to meet the demands of a particular flavor profile or to maintain the exact same flavor profile from vintage to vintage. Often, this is done by adding elements to darken a Pinot Noir (or let them rest too long on their skins, something experts call “over-extracted” or use excessive amounts of oak to hide bulk grape profiles) in order to make it more marketable to what general society expects of a particular wine, often dominated by heavy and rich Cabernet Sauvignons or Merlots. Not the Hubers - they believe in creating a natural Pinot Noir where nature determines the structure of the wine and allows the fruit to put itself on display. In this manner, the wines are not manipulated to fit into a certain expectation and accurately represents vintage and terroir. The Huber Estate Pinot Noir 2008 and 2009 are perfect examples of what nature can do from one vintage to another. The ‘08 is light in color, medium in body, and possesses very elegant flavors of boysenberry, raspberry, and hints of earth on the finish. It is a delicate wine. Their Estate Pinot Noir 2009 is heavier, darker, and full-bodied. Whereas the ‘08 would be perfect for a pleasant spring or summer afternoon’s picnic, the ‘09 would be more suited for a dinner in the autumn or winter. The ’09 is rich, full of dark red fruits and terroir. It also has the potential for aging. Their Pinot Noirs receives 20% new French oak each year for 12 months except for Norm’s prestige cuvée: his very best barrel – the Barrel-Select, which receives an 18 month barrel regiment. “The Barrel-Select is different from the other Pinots because it consists of 100% clone 667, which characteristically is larger than the clone 115 that we use in our Estate Pinots,” he explains.
He poured a taste. I took a sip. I paused, letting it take hold of me. It was absolute bliss in a bottle! With a sly smile, he poured himself a taste, “I should probably make sure this bottle is good.” Taking a sip, he slightly nodded and the look in his eye was one of subtly hidden pride. The wine was huge, silky smooth, elegant, yet massive. Both heavy Cabernet drinkers and die hard Pinot drinkers would equally love this wine. In the mouth, it felt like waves and layers of dark red fruit flavors of black cassis, Bing cherries, raspberry compote, and blackberries, undulating atop a foundation of earth, truffles, figs, mushrooms, and plums. The finish lingers for what seemed like an eternity.
Hanging on the wall of the Huber’s tasting room is an artist’s rendering of Charlotte. Traudl’s eye’s filled with tears as Norm left the room, “Charlotte was the beauty of the vineyard, our beloved companion.” She was the cherished predecessor of Heidi and has since found her place in the lord’s dog park. “Charlotte first came to be with us after we discovered her at a local farmers market,” said Taudl, fighting back tears. Having made such a profound impact on their lives, the Hubers annularly host the Cheers for Charlotte gala, where all gala benefits are donated to the Humane Society (as is ten percent of each sale of Charlotte’s Reserve – a blending of the two most elegant barrels of Dornfelder). All of the wineries that have dogs are invited as are members of their wine club.
Having recomposed himself, Norm re-enters the room, clearly affected by the topic of Charlotte. The Hubers recognize what is obvious to all pet owners – that they are intimate members of the family.
Dornfelder is a varietal uncommon in the United States and one of the indigenous varieties of the Huber’s native Germany. In Germany, Dornfelder is primarily used for blending and when used as a single varietal, it is very light and acidic (due to being picked early); almost similar to a Montepulciano. Norm does the opposite. “I pick it late when the fruit is rich in sugar,” and he produces 3 extremely rare and majestic Dornfelders. He is the only one who makes Dornfelder on the west coast and one of three in the U.S.
The three Dornfelders that Norm creates is an Estate Dornfelder, the barrel-select Charlotte’s Reserve, and a port-style wine called Hafen (harbor in German). The Huber’s Estate Dornfelder 2008 is full-bodied, dark, rich, and aged in French oak (20% new French oak). Having rested in perfect cellar conditions for 14 months has allowed the powerful tannins to integrate into the wine, thereby creating a silky smooth mouth-feel. Up front in the mouth black cherry, blackberry, and ripe dark fruits dominate the first layer of flavors. In the middle are notes of tobacco, pepper, and tar, followed by a subtle earthy finish, thereby bringing a beautiful balance to this very complex wine.
For the Hubers, the Charlotte’s Reserve is the epitome of what nature and Norm can do. After a year in barrel, he selects the two finest barrels, blends them together and then lets them rest for another six months prior to bottling. The final results are spectacular! The 2009 is elegantly balanced with rich, dark fruits and silky smooth integrated tannins. Concentrated jammy fruit flavors rarely found outside the fuits confits d’Apt fill the mouth followed by hints of smoke and coffee. The texture invites images of ancient molasses and the long inky legs in the glass makes you think that there may be some within this rich nectar. Each vintage of Charlotte’s Reserve is released at the Cheers for Charlotte gala.
Hafen is German for port or harbor, and the Hubers produce an amazing Dornfelder port. As Norm pours, Traudl points to the chocolates they’d set out for us, “I made these this morning and have many of my German recipes online.” I take a small bit of her Chocolate Toffee Delight and am amazed at the graceful blending of flavors. She knows what she’s doing in the kitchen! I pick up the glass of Hafen Norm just poured. I take my time, taking in the nose, and ask Norm questions about the vinification. He explains that they wait a month or two after the regular harvest for the grapes to increase in sugar levels and then begin by making the wine the same as the other Dornfelders. When two-thirds of the wine is fermented, fermentation is arrested by the introduction of brandy and the lowering of the temperature in the fermentation tank. The result is a very sweet wine with intense, concentrated black fruits, dark tannins, and balanced acidity. I take a bite of chocolate and find a match made in heaven. Bacchus himself is present in this wine (which explains his picture on the label).
As we finished the tasting, we realized that Norm and Traudl were as delightful and as elegant as their wines and knew that this would be the beginning of a very long friendship. We immediately signed up for the wine club and have been enjoying their wines, often by the case, for more than half a decade and look forward to our next shipment, which is always within the next three months!
[1] Mesoclimate refers to the climate of a particular vineyard site and is generally restricted to a space of tens or hundreds of meters. From: J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 416, 439, 442 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0-19-860990-6
[2] a nutrient rich mixture of sand, silt, and clay.
[3] Malolactic fermentation (or sometimes malolactic conversion or MLF) is a process in winemaking where tart-tasting malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation tends to create a rounder, fuller mouthfeel. It has been said that malic acid tastes of green apples. By contrast, lactic acid is richer and more buttery tasting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malolactic_fermentation
