Tasting the wines of Arkenstone with Jake Krausz, Estate Director

One of the treats of my previously annual jaunt to Premiere Napa Vally was tasting the wines of Arkenstone with Susan Krausz (estate co-owner) and Sam Kaplan (its highly accomplished winemaker). I was especially drawn to the Sauvignon Blancs which, in my humble opinion, are among the best produced in the United States.

Author with Arkenstone Winemaker
Sam Kaplan at Premiere Napa Valley 2017

I had an opportunity to revisit these memories on Tuesday last when Jake Krausz, the Estate Director, brought the key wines to Wine on the Way for a consumer tasting. The tasting was held in a "Happy Hour" format with Jake mingling among patrons on "this side" of the "bar" and Robert Zaun (Terroir Selections) and Connor Barbaree (Arkenstone) doing the pouring.

Jake Krausz, Arkenstone Estate Director

Arkenstone sits on the western ridge of Howell Mountain on land -- ranging between 1400 and 1650 feet elevation -- purchased by Ron and Susan Krausz back in 1988. After gaining the insight that the property was capable of producing high-quality wines, the Krausz's began a methodical and studied journey which has resulted in an estate and wines that have garnered attention and acclaim from consumers and critics alike.

Howell Mountain appellation with
Arkenstone indicated by red oval.
(Map sourced from howellmountain.org).

The Arkenstone vineyard is 13 acres in size and is planted mostly to red and white Bordeaux cultivars -- along with a small amount of Syrah. The vineyard is divided into 22 blocks and I could see a look of pain descend onto Jake's face as he told of digging rocks out of those blocks in his teenage years in order to expose the soil for reception of the vines. The Sauvignon Blanc vines were planted in 1997 and the red varieties in 1998.

Arkenstone Blocks

As is the case for most of Napa, a wide variety of soils underlie the Arkenstone vines. Grades range between 2% on the flattest portions of the vineyard to as much as 50% on the steepest portions.

Howell Mountain provides a favorable climatic environment for those fortunate enough to grow grapes on its surface. The AVA sits above the fog line during the growing season and, as such, is able to deliver more extensive sunshine to its vines than can its neighbors in the valley below. The combination of altitude, nutrient-poor volcanic soils, and an abundance of rock yield stressed vines and smaller clusters with smaller berries. The lower juice-to-skin ratio results in concentrated wines with robust tannins and great acidity.

In addition to the estate fruit, Arkenstone produces 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc wines from grapes procured from high-elevation vineyards in the Eastern Napa Mountains. Sam Kaplan oversees the grape-growing in both the estate and grower vineyards, ably assisted by a Vineyard Manager who has been with the enterprise since day one. Arkestone farms organically, using cover crops and compost as integral parts of its strategy.

Yields are further managed by pruning and leaf-thinning. Harvesting is done in pre-dawn hours to preserve freshness of fruit. After sorting and destemming on the crushpad, the berries are moved by gravity-flow into the lower level of the winery for fermentation and aging.

We tasted the Estate and NVD Sauvignon Blancs and Cabernets on Tuesday night.

Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2014
The Sauvignon Blanc grapes for this wine are grown on six very steep, very rocky vineyard blocks distinguished by nutrient-poor, well-drained, white volcanic soils. The Semillon grapes are grown in a single, small block that is located in the lower portion of the vineyard.

After fermentation, the wines are distributed 1/3 each into concrete egg, new French oak barrels, and used French oak barrels where they reside for 11 months on their lees. They are then bottled and spend 18 months aging before release on the market.

This wine has 6% Semillon by volume and showed hints of tropical fruit, to include pineapple, as well as citrus notes and lime skin. Salinity, spice, and minerality on the palate. Great texture and acidity. Lengthy finish.

Robert Zaun waxing poetic
about the wines on show.

Sauvignon Blanc NVD 2015
Austere on the nose when compared to the Estate. Elegant. Hint of tropical fruit. Riper fruit on the palate and broader than the nose implied. Citrus skin and minerality. Lengthy mineral finish.

Connor Barbaree reaching for the star(s)

Estate Cabernet Blend 2015 (formerly Obsidian)
This wine is generally made from Cabernet Sauvignon (67%), Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec grapes drawn from the top 16 of the 22 blocks dedicated to the Estate Blend. The lots are fermented and aged (90% new oak) separately, with the blending process beginning 11 months post-fermentation. After blending the wines are placed back into barrels so they can integrate fully while aging. The wines are aged in bottle for an additional year before being placed on the market.

Sweet, dark fruit on the nose along with spices, olives, and smoke. Very smooth on the palate.

Cabernet Sauvignon NVD 2015
This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon made from grapes sourced from Pritchard Hill, Soda Canyon, Calistoga, and Howell Mountain. Rich, creamy nose with blue/black fruit and chocolate note. Ripe fruit. Textured. Lengthy finish.

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A unique and, ultimately, successfully approach to showcasing the wines. Attendees had access to Jake's perspective in an unhurried fashion but also had access to the expertise of Robert and Connor behind the "bar." The wines showed well but my personal bias still trends to the Sauvignon Blancs.

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