2019-10-01 Robb Report

56 OCTOBER 2019

FAVIA'S

COOMBSVILLE:

JIMMY

HAYES

The Goods | FOOD & DRINK

malt available in early 1970s, and now single

malts are at the forefront. It was a challenge

building a blend. You had to work with

different ages and casks but still keep blends

consistent. You needed to know 25 different

malts and substitute malts from all around for

blending purposes. It was more involved.

Only five or six of us [Scotch whisky

producers] still have our own malting floor

at this point. I’m keen to keep that. It may

make up only 25 percent of our total malt,

but it shows what whisky is made of. You see

it more clearly than when it’s just in a big

mash tun, but there isn’t a big difference in

the impact of the flavor. It does allow us to

experiment with peat, however.

Who is the next “you” in the industry?

I’m proud to say I’ve mentored Brian

Kinsman, who is our current master blender

at William Grant & Sons [the Balvenie’s

parent company]. He looks to push the

boundaries, experiment and try things from

a different angle. I’m also very confident that

I have selected the next Balvenie malt master

in Kelsey McKechnie, and she will also go on

to great things.

Does the release of the final chapter in the

DCS Compendium signal an exit for you?

There are no plans for retirement. This

last chapter of the DCS Compendium is

a celebration of my contribution to the

Balvenie, which spans over 50 years. I

will continue on as malt master, and I’m

thrilled to be working with Kelsey. She is

now responsible for producing fantastic

whiskies of her own. We have a number of

new releases in the planning stage over the

next couple of years, so I need to be around

to work with her on these. Some are finishes,

and others are going to be surprises for our

Balvenie whisky drinkers.

Crack an old viticulture textbook from UC Davis,

and it will tell you that the Coombsville region, in

the southeastern corner of Napa Valley, is too

cool to ripen Bordeaux grapes—Cabernet, Merlot

and their cousins. A newer primer would have

quite a different message about what is now the

newest of Napa’s American Viticultural Areas

(AVAs), the valley’s 16th. Despite the ironic fact

that there are few actual wineries in Coombsville,

just east of the city of Napa itself, its fruit has

become highly sought-after for the elegant,

almost old-world-style reds it can produce.

From the miniature crushpad of his Favia

winery (possibly the tiniest in Napa), Andy

Erickson, who has the likes of Screaming Eagle,

Harlan and Dalla Valle wines on his résumé, points

to the main geographic feature responsible for

the soil here: a perfect half-circle of mountains

to the east, surrounding the vineyards. “Cup

and saucer,” they call the arrangement. Cooling

breezes off San Pablo Bay every afternoon

are pooled and circulated by this part of the

Vaca Range. On any given hot summer day,

according to Erickson, it’s 10 degrees cooler here

than in the northern end of the valley. But with

modern vineyard management, in these cooler

temperatures, winemakers can find ripeness and

restraint at the same time—a balance of generous

fruit, polished tannins and minerality (the volcanic

soils here ensure the last).

Erickson’s winery, which he owns with his

viticulturist wife, Annie, is a slice of the history of

this place named for Nathan Coombs, founder of

the city of Napa. The small, handsome regiment of

red-banded barrels of Favia’s Coombsville wine

represent a style on the cutting edge of Napa

Valley winemaking.

Gone is the thirst for overwrought, über-ripe,

high-alcohol Cabernets of the late 1990s and early

aughts. The buzzwords now are “freshness,”

“brightness” (read: good acidity) and “finesse.”

Erickson describes the Coombsville character

that matches up with that trending taste. Although

the wines can achieve plush, generous ripeness,

he says, “they have a real savory side—not just

blackberry and cassis. There’s pencil lead, sage,

dried herbs, crushed stone... a more European

style, but still with the power you expect in Napa.”

For those lucky enough to acquire it, the

Favia 2012 “Whipsaw” Coombsville Red, a 50-50

blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet

Franc (a variety Erickson loves) is proof enough

of the beautiful balance the region is capable of.

Made only once, and only in magnums ($575),

the seven-year-old has reached a “plateau of

goodness,” says Erickson, with gorgeous earth,

florals, mint, herbs, dark berries and chocolate

backed by structure and rich texture. But look to

the Favia 2016 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

($175) as well, for bright but generous red fruit,

florals and savory earth character, with lovely,

resolved tannins.

Other brands that make elegant arguments

for Coombsville: Covert, Meteor Vineyard, Hobbs

Nathan Coombs Estate, Farella Vineyard and Mi

Sueño Carpignano Vineyard. These are wines

to explore for collectors looking for that elusive,

contradictory character—drinkable now but

worthy of cellaring. Sara L. Schneider

Napa’s New Frontier

“Coombsville’s

fruit has become highly

sought-after.”

Stewart

tastes a glass

in the cask

warehouse.

Favia’s wines show

the beautiful balance

of the region.

G2G_Oct_GDS.indd 56 8/30/19 6:24 PM

56 OCTOBER 2019

FAVIA'S

COOMBSVILLE:

JIMMY

HAYES

The Goods | FOOD & DRINK

malt available in early 1970s, and now single

malts are at the forefront. It was a challenge

building a blend. You had to work with

different ages and casks but still keep blends

consistent. You needed to know 25 different

malts and substitute malts from all around for

blending purposes. It was more involved.

Only five or six of us [Scotch whisky

producers] still have our own malting floor

at this point. I’m keen to keep that. It may

make up only 25 percent of our total malt,

but it shows what whisky is made of. You see

it more clearly than when it’s just in a big

mash tun, but there isn’t a big difference in

the impact of the flavor. It does allow us to

experiment with peat, however.

Who is the next “you” in the industry?

I’m proud to say I’ve mentored Brian

Kinsman, who is our currentmasterblender

at William Grant & Sons [theBalvenie’s

parent company]. He looks topushthe

boundaries, experiment andtrythingsfrom

a different angle. I’m also veryconfidentthat

I have selected the next Balveniemaltmaster

in Kelsey McKechnie, and shewillalsogoon

to great things.

Does the release of the finalchapterinthe

DCS Compendium signal anexitforyou?

There are no plans for retirement.This

last chapter of the DCS Compendiumis

a celebration of my contributiontothe

Balvenie, which spans over 50 years.I

will continue on as malt master,andI’m

thrilled to be working with Kelsey.Sheis

now responsible for producingfantastic

whiskies of her own. We haveanumberof

new releases in the planningstageoverthe

next couple of years, so I needtobearound

to work with her on these. Somearefinishes,

and others are going to be surprisesforour

Balvenie whisky drinkers.

CrackanoldviticulturetextbookfromUCDavis,

anditwilltellyouthattheCoombsvilleregion,in

thesoutheasterncornerofNapaValley,istoo

cooltoripenBordeauxgrapes—Cabernet,Merlot

andtheircousins.Anewerprimerwouldhave

quiteadifferentmessageaboutwhatisnowthe

newestofNapa’sAmericanViticulturalAreas

(AVAs),thevalley’s16th.Despitetheironicfact

thattherearefewactualwineriesinCoombsville,

justeastofthecityofNapaitself,itsfruithas

becomehighlysought-afterfortheelegant,

almostold-world-styleredsitcanproduce.

FromtheminiaturecrushpadofhisFavia

winery(possiblythetiniestinNapa),Andy

Erickson,whohasthelikesofScreamingEagle,

HarlanandDallaVallewinesonhisrésumé,points

tothemaingeographicfeatureresponsiblefor

thesoilhere:aperfecthalf-circleofmountains

totheeast,surroundingthevineyards.“Cup

andsaucer,”theycallthearrangement.Cooling

breezes off San Pablo Bay every afternoon

are pooled and circulated by this part of the

Vaca Range. On any given hot summer day,

according to Erickson, it’s 10 degrees cooler here

than in the northern end of the valley. But with

modern vineyard management, in these cooler

temperatures, winemakers can find ripeness and

restraint at the same time—a balance of generous

fruit, polished tannins and minerality (the volcanic

soils here ensure the last).

Erickson’s winery, which he owns with his

viticulturistwife,Annie,isasliceofthehistoryof

thisplacenamedforNathanCoombs,founderof

thecityofNapa.Thesmall,handsomeregimentof

red-bandedbarrelsofFavia’sCoombsvillewine

representastyleonthecuttingedgeofNapa

Valleywinemaking.

Goneisthethirstforoverwrought,über-ripe,

high-alcoholCabernetsofthelate1990sandearly

aughts.Thebuzzwordsnoware“freshness,”

“brightness”(read:goodacidity)and“finesse.”

EricksondescribestheCoombsvillecharacter

thatmatchesupwiththattrendingtaste.Although

thewinescanachieveplush,generousripeness,

hesays,“theyhavearealsavoryside—notjust

blackberryandcassis.There’spencillead,sage,

driedherbs,crushedstone...amoreEuropean

style,butstillwiththepoweryouexpectinNapa.”

Forthoseluckyenoughtoacquireit,the

Favia 2012 “Whipsaw”CoombsvilleRed,a50-50

blendofCabernetSauvignonandCabernet

Franc(avarietyEricksonloves)isproofenough

of the beautiful balance the region is capable of.

Made only once, and only in magnums ($575),

the seven-year-old has reached a “plateau of

goodness,” says Erickson, with gorgeous earth,

florals, mint, herbs, dark berries and chocolate

backed by structure and rich texture. But look to

the Favia 2016 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

($175) as well, for bright but generous red fruit,

florals and savory earth character, with lovely,

resolved tannins.

Other brands that make elegant arguments

for Coombsville: Covert, Meteor Vineyard, Hobbs

Nathan Coombs Estate, Farella Vineyard and Mi

Sueño Carpignano Vineyard. These are wines

to explore for collectors looking for that elusive,

contradictory character—drinkable now but

worthy of cellaring. Sara L. Schneider

Napa’s New Frontier

“Coombsville’s

fruit has become highly

sought-after.”

Stewart

tastes a glass

in the cask

warehouse.

Favia’s wines show

the beautiful balance

of the region.