Technical Notes
1997 Côtes D'Oakley Vin Rouge California
HARVEST DATE: 7 August - 27 September
MEAN BRIX: 23.8°
TOTAL ACIDITY: 0.62/100ml
FINAL pH: 3.56
RESIDUAL SUGAR:. 05g/ 100ml
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
SUGGESTED RETAIL: $8.50
VINTAGES NOTES
At Cline Cellars, we will remember 1997 as an exceptionally warm and short growing season. In particular, this
growing season will be remembered as one that favored the Southern Rhône varietals used to fashion Cline
Cellars' Côtes D'Oakley Vin Rouge. Temperate weather in late spring significantly concentrated the sugars
in the grapes, while consistently warm summer weather thickened the skins, endowing our wines with dark, vivid
colors and rich flavors. A maritime cooling influence favored our Contra Costa vineyards, which helped to maintain
good acidity and balance in the fruit. Overall, 1997 will be noted for wines of rich, forward fruit and supple
tannins.
VINEYARDS
Côtes D'Oakley Vin Rouge is Cline Cellars' California version of the Southern Côtes du Rhône
blend, incorporating the Rhône cepages 41% Mourvèdre, 32% Carignane, 24% Syrah, 1.5% Grenache, l%
Cinsault, and 0.5% Alicante Bouschet. The grapes for this wine come from our extensive holdings in Contra Costa
County at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers. In this region, a combination of sandy soils,
dry-farmed vineyards, head-pruned 100+ year old vines and a unique cooling band of air from the San Pablo Bay create
an environment perfectly suited to the warm weather varietals of France's Rhône Valley. Here, yields are
restricted to a minuscule 1.5 to 2 tons per acre, producing wines of uncommonly deep concentration and varietal
richness.
For the first time this vintage, Syrah grapes were a major addition to our Côtes D'Oakley Vin Rouge Previously,
this wine was produced using primarily Mourvèdre and Carignane grapes - traditional Oakley varietals. Syrah
grapes, on the other hand, had to be planted, there being fewer than 100 acres growing in the state just ten years
ago. Fortunately, enthusiasm for this varietal has increased dramatically and there are now a few thousand acres
of Syrah being farmed. We feel sure that it will be one of the fastest growing grape crops in the next few years.
FERMENTATION AND AGING
Côtes D'Oakley Vin Rouge is intended to be Cline Cellars' most fruit forward, earliest drinking red. To make
this wine, individual lots of grapes are entirely destemmed and only lightly crushed. We aim to maintain up to
30 percent whole berries in the must, which helps emphasize bright, red fruit character. This year, we also experimented
with fully crushing certain lots of Mourvèdre to add a nice backbone of tannins and vibrant color to the
blend. Fermentations were conducted in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures, employing both inoculated cultures
of selected yeast strains, (including those from France's Rhone Valley), and indigenous yeast fermentations. We
chose to age the wines for the 1997 Vin Rouge in medium-sized oak uprights to emphasize fresh fruit flavors and
a medium structure.
As mentioned earlier, Syrah grapes took on a more dramatic role in the Vin Rouge this year (24%). Aged in barrels
and then blended into the Vin Rouge just before bottling, the Syrah has added a berry, Chateauneuf-du-Pape-like
character to this already complex wine. Spice, an earthy elegance, and extra body are all elements that are also
showcased in the 1997 Vin Rouge. Bottling in late June and early July preserved fruit, fresh acidity and our Côtes
D'Oakley's wonderfully supple texture.
WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
The 1997 edition of our now classic Côtes D'Oakley Vin Rouge has been a continuation of a tradition for me.
I use as my model the best Côtes du Rhône reds from Frances's warm Southern Rhône Valley yet
seek to emphasize a fruit profile that is more characteristically Californian. The weather and terrain in the Contra
Costa County seem to mimic nicely those of the Southern Rhône, providing me with ample, rich and hearty fruit
from which to fashion this blend. This year, I felt that the inherent spiciness of both the Mourvèdre and
Carignane varietals used in our Vin Rouge would lend themselves nicely to the addition of a very fruit forward
grape such as Syrah. This addition has helped further balance the wine. The 1997 Côtes D'Oakley Vin Rouge
is a delicious wine presently and will cellar beautifully for three or four years.
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