Exploring Your Wine Cellar Part 2: Comforts of Family
By Mary Margaret McCamic MW | General Manager, Karolus Wine Imports
With shelter in place orders extending throughout California and in many other states across the country, my quest to find comfort in such odd, heartbreaking times continues, as does my desire to share a little happiness by way of the wine bottle.
There have been nights of decadence (see Exploring Your Wine Cellar Part 1, featuring Bollinger R.D. and La Grande Année), nights of pure luxury amidst a classic home-cooked meal (I’ll be writing soon about a bottle of 2008 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne that I paired with seared salmon, garlic potato puree, and blanched asparagus), and of course, more nights than not of casual pleasures, like bottles of Gruner Veltliner, Provence reds, and fresh, lively rosés. But there have also been nights where I want the comforts of what feels like family.
Matt amidst the barrels.
Though there are many bottles I consider old friends, it has been easy for me to find familial comforts in the wines from The Hilt in Santa Barbara, because in fact, they are family. The Hilt Estate, along with JONATA, are under the same proprietorship as Bonneau du Martray; you’ll have to forgive me for sounding like a proud sister when it comes to talking about these properties. And The Hilt, in particular, brings back wonderful memories of vines in Santa Barbara along with memories of traveling in Burgundy with its incredible winemaker, Matt Dees.
Matt, who is known for his gorgeous expressions of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah - the list goes on - from JONATA Estate in Ballard Canyon, is a dear friend and fellow Burgundy aficionado. I’ve convinced him to speak on Master of Wine tasting panels with me because his passion for winemaking, soil, and geology are contagious. Matt also makes The Hilt Estate wines, which triumph chardonnay and pinot noir from Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara. He and I have traveled to Burgundy together, and spent many evenings with friends in Beaune drinking incredible Burgundy, debating our favorite expressions of chardonnay and pinot noir from the world over. We’ve marveled at vineyards with some 30,000 vines per hectare. We’ve tasted barrel samples from every one of Bonneau du Martray’s parcels and opened library vintages from as far back as the 1970s with Emmanuel and Fabien in the cellars. We’ve discussed what it takes to make a white wine age well and tried to determine how in the world a wine can maintain such vibrancy and freshness even in warmer vintages. These sorts of intellectual indulgences are important for me because I represent Bonneau du Martray. They’re important for Matt, well, because he makes some of the best chardonnay and pinot noir in California.
Close your eyes and imagine breathtaking, sweeping hills of vineyards, some more rugged and wild, some more rolling and gentle. The wind whistles gently at lower altitudes and whips vigorously, giving you a chill, as you climb higher. This is Salsipuedes, home of single vineyards Radian and Bentrock, within the beautiful Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara, California. And that’s where the chardonnay and pinot noir from The Hilt are grown. If Sta. Rita Hills isn’t on your bucket list of inspiring wine regions to visit, add it, because once we can all leave our homes again, you’re going to want to know this place.
If it is not obvious at this point, know that my passion for wine extends beyond the reaches of Burgundy, Champagne, and Napa. I love and appreciate wine from all over the world, and I have enormous respect for winemakers like Matt who strive to honor the undeniable California character of a wine while simultaneously capturing inspiration from wine regions he loves. Wines from The Hilt dance on my palate in ways that remind me of Burgundy — there’s flesh, intense acidity, and finesse — yet they are not trying to be something they are not. They are the perfect photographs of their place in the Sta. Rita Hills. The wines encompass the vibrancy of a place that experiences cool, whipping winds while also growing in an environment where the fruit can get desirably ripe. There is a texture and a length that reminds me I am drinking chardonnay of exceptional quality while also playfully reminding me that I should not take myself too seriously, because this is an exhuberant, almost rebellious wine in many ways. To me, The Hilt’s wines manage to capture a unique California spirit while also exuding sophistication. They walk a beautiful, exciting tightrope of expectations. And perhaps more importantly, they deliver complete and absolute pleasure every time I open a bottle.
Pure diatomaceous earth atop Radian vineyard.
Yes - tonight seems like the right night to pop a bottle of 2017 The Hilt Estate Chardonnay, and remember my adventures with Matt the last time we got to drink wine together. When I drink it, I’ll think of exploring the vineyards in Salsipuedes with Matt, listening to him discuss the merits of its diatomaceous soil while picking up the crumbly, ancient debris in his hands, rubbing his hands together, and smelling them. I’ll think of him looking out onto his own vines with that same look of awe and wonder as we did together as we hiked the Hill of Corton, marveling at the history and majesty of it all, picking up the slabs of limestone at the very top.
Most importantly, I’ll remember that wine connects us all, whether it is made in the best vineyards of Sta. Rita Hills, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, or anywhere else in the world, so long as it inspires us and brings us pleasure. I’ll look forward to the time when we can all share a glass together.
Until then, cheers to my wine friends — near and far — from Napa, where the sun is peaking through the trees and the wind is gently rustling their leaves. I’m about to open a bottle of perfectly chilled The Hilt Chardonnay. I hope you’ll open something from your cellar that brings you as much joy.
Drink and be well.
