Simply Chambourcin Dry Red Wine, made with natural processing from Gascony Vineyards organic grapes
The Process of Making Simply Chambourcin by Tom Kalb, Winemaker
One of the nicest things about reaching my forties a few years back was the acceptance that, although I knew a lot, I really know nothing. With this knowledge comes the freedom to ask questions. And it was with this insight that I approached the task of developing the first wine of the modern era made from grapes grown here in Missouri using organic methods. The philosophy: ask and ask a lot. Fortunately the wine community is very open and sharing…this is not to say we all don’t have our little secrets, but as far as problem solving everyone is most generous.
Using grapes grown with organic methods was going to provide me with quite of few exciting challenges, as the compounds used in the vineyard alter some of the chemistry of the grape than that of traditional methods. Thrown on top of this was the Missouri climate and how it would react with these methods and alter the grape. Tim had also chosen one of Missouri’s finest but most difficult to grow grapes…the Chambourcin. And if that wasn’t enough…the vineyard is quite young, at least a couple years away from producing grapes that conventional wisdom states are prime for winemaking.
Once the grapes ripened, they were of such exceptional quality and taste my fears of their young age were pretty much put to rest. The grapes were hand harvested on Sept. 6th 2008 a cool pleasant morning. The grapes were not yet fully ripe causing the PH of the grape to not be optimum, however it was necessary to harvest due to the small amount available and the attack of the birds. (Birds love grapes also).
Once at the winery the approach was to do minimum adjustments and allow the wine to follow its own course. The Idea being the less variables the easier it would be to pin point possible reasons for the developing flavors and aromas. Fermentation proceeded wonderfully and followed along perfectly with my game plan. Pressing was a nightmare. This was not due to the grape but do to the winemakers choice of method. Extraction was excellent but the time involved was 5 times what it would have been had I approached it differently. (Lesson learned).
We decided the results were amazing enough that we wanted to share this exciting new wine and decided to make our 2008 Nouevau from this wine. The reaction from the public was most encouraging. The wine was young, fruity, and a tad sharp from the PH with a slight sulfur content to the nose. This sulfur content diminished when the wine breathed. All of this was good information to help guide the handling of not only this wine but future vintages. In March it was decided the wine had softened and smoothed out not only in taste but also in the sulfur content to the nose. It was at this point I decided to make the release date June the 6th 2009 and develop a festival with an organic theme to coincided with it’s release.
What to expect.
Our approach to the 2008 harvest of these grapes and subsequent winemaking techniques has produced a high quality wine rich in fruit tones, slightly tart, with a deep rich color and wonderful body. These results are beyond encouraging. With an increasing yield, evolving techniques, and a better understanding of the Missouri climate's effects on organic, I envision ascending quality, increased production, and the realization that Missouri organics are here to stay.
