Chateau
Woltner
"Nouveau Medoc" on Howell Mountain (3/20/01)
Hovering high above the Napa
Valley floor, rising to the East of the Silverado
Trail, looms the Howell Mountain Appellation.
Chateau Woltner is perched at the crest of the
mountain at 1,800 feet. The original winery at
this site was named Nouveau Medoc Vineyard, and
the current owners previously owned Chateau La
Mission Haut-Brion in Bordeaux. Both the Howell
Mountain property and La Mission Haut-Brion have
well over 100 years of winemaking history. These
combined histories weave an interesting tale, and
result in some very good wines.
This winery on Howell Mountain
was established in 1877 as California's 13th
licensed winery. It was formed by Jean Brun, a
native of Bordeaux, France and W.J. Chaix, whom
he met in Napa. They were licensed as Brun &
Chaix, Inc. but labeled the wines as Nouveau
Medoc Vineyard. This was in reference to the
Medoc region in the Western portion of Bordeaux.
Brun & Chaix were among the first to plant
vineyards up on Howell Mountain instead of on the
Napa Valley floor. Their experiment was justified
when they won a Bronze Medal in the 1889 Paris
World Competition. By this time their small
winery had grown to include a three-story
building with thirty-inch thick stone walls and
115 acres under vine. After the death of Jean
Brun and W. J. Chaix, Brun's widow sold the
winery in 1902 and it became part of C.W.A.'s
large operation. From 1909 to 1935 the property
was not kept up due to a string of challenges.
First, Seventh Day Adventists had purchased a
large parcel of land nearby in 1909, and they
were strongly against alcohol. Next, Phylloxera
(a root louse that destroys the vines) made it's
way to Howell Mountain. Finally, Prohibition kept
the vines untended for it's 14 years. After
Prohibition was repealed, the winery went through
five ownership changes from 1936 to 1949 with
very little success. The property was silent
again for 31 years until the winery was
re-established in 1980, when the current owners
took over.
The current owners, Francis and
Francoise DeWavrin are the former owners of
world-renowned Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion in
Bordeaux. Francoise's grandfather, Frederic
Woltner, purchased La Mission Haut-Brion in 1919
from Victor Coustau. In 1934 Madame Coustau gave
Madame Woltner the adjacent La Tour Haut-Brion in
her will. Frederic Woltner passed on both
properties to his sons Henri and Fernand, who in
turn passed them on to Henri's daughter
Francoise. Francoise Woltner married Francis
DeWavrin and they ran the properties together
from 1977 until it's sale in 1983. The chateau
was very successful under Francis' and
Francoise's supervision. During their tenure the
chateau's wines averaged over 90 points out of
100 from Wine Spectator's tasting panel. The 1982
was rated a whopping 97 points
"Classic". They sold their chateau at
the peak of its fame, to concentrate on their new
venture, the former Nouveau Medoc Vineyard on
Napa's Howell Mountain.
The DeWavrins renamed the
property Chateau Woltner. They cleared the land
and replanted the vineyards, producing their
first vintage in 1985. They are still using the
original stone building completed by Brun &
Chaix in 1886. Shortly after they purchased the
property, Howell Mountain was declared the first
official sub-appellation within Napa. This region
within a region was established in 1983 and
covers the portion of the mountain above 1,400
feet. Their property now covers 181 acres with 55
of the acres planted. The DeWavrins plan to
eventually have 100 acres planted.
Chateau Woltner produces a Howell
Mountain Chardonnay and three vineyard designate
Chardonnays (still using grapes from their Howell
Mountain property, but only from a specific
vineyard). 1995 marked the release of their first
red wine, the critically acclaimed 1995
Private Reserve Red, a Bordeaux style
blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Their
winemaker is Ted Lemon who has also garnered a
good deal of acclaim for his own label, Littorai
Wines.
Chateau Woltner, Howell
Mountain, Chardonnay, 1997
This is a great value for California
Chardonnay. It has a subtle yeasty aroma from
being aged on the lees (the residue from
fermentation). This mingles nicely with aromas of
caramel and vanilla picked up from 6 months aging
in French oak barrels. The oak is not
overpowering as the wine also spent 6 months in
stainless steel tanks. The result is a very well
balanced Chardonnay with well-integrated oak,
crisp green apple flavors, solid acidity, and a
long dry finish. 9,712 cases were made. Their St.
Thomas Vineyard 1996 Chardonnay is more
lush and creamy than the Howell Mountain 1997
Chardonnay. The Titus Vineyard 1996
Chardonnay is mustier with a very slight
nutty, sherry aroma. The Frederique
Vineyard 1997 Chardonnay (named after
Francis' and Francoise's daughter) is slightly
leaner, has more crisp acidity, and is not as
musty as the Titus. None of their Chardonnays go
through malo-lactic fermentation (a secondary
fermentation which converts sharp malic acid into
softer lactic acid). This and the slightly cooler
temperatures at their elevation contribute to the
leaner, crisper Burgundian style of their
Chardonnays. The Howell Mountain Chardonnay is
made for immediate consumption, while the three
vineyard designates have 6-10 years ageability .
The Frederique seems to have the best aging
potential. I did not have the opportunity to
taste the Private Reserve Red as the 1995 and
1996 are no longer available. However, I did get
to taste a barrel sample of the 1997 Cabernet
that will be a part of the final blend for that
vintage. It had deep cassis and blackberry
flavors with chalky, gripping tannins. The final
blend will be released sometime in the next year
or so.
