May 2013 Mud City Weekender Page 5

STORYBOOK MOUNTAIN Master of zin, Seps’ success not just a fairytale

By Tony Poer Napa Valley history. those Brothers Grimm—with the “We bought the place in 1976 couple’s impression that their Mu d Ci t y We e k e n d e r and started our replanting program hillside property offered scenery in ’77,” he said recently while out of a fairytale. They say that cabernet sauvi- taking a break from tending his At 40 acres, Storybook’s foot- gnon is the king of grape varieties vines on a breezy afternoon. “It print today is the same as it was in to grow and produce as in was an abandoned . There 1976. For the Seps, planting a new Napa Valley. The case is a strong had been the Hanley fire in ’64, vineyard all those years ago meant one: consider the international so 12 years before we got here taking a well-informed risk. With stature of Napa cabernet since it burned right through this area. some peerless consultation, they the tasting in This was a very large at settled on becoming 1976, not to mention the combina- one time.” Motioning out towards growers. tion of cabernet’s huge consumer the steep, vine-covered hills, he “We talked to people like popularity with its critical acclaim added, “When we got here in ’76, [Andre] Tchelistcheff,” Seps said, among wine writers and profes- we literally had to start from the mentioning Beaulieu Vineyards’ sional tasters across the U.S. This ground up.” legendary winemaker, who steered famous grape variety often seems To many zinfandel aficionados, him towards planting vines that to epitomize . the story of how Dr. Jerry Seps, weren’t . “He But in a tucked-away little professor of European history, and was one of the last people we talk- corner of Napa Valley, Jerry Seps, his Bavarian-born wife, Sigrid, ed to, and everyone agreed there’s the owner and winemaker of Sto- started “from the ground up” is just no finer spot for zinfandel in rybook Mountain Vineyards, turns a familiar one: in that watershed the Napa Valley than the red clay out extraordinary made year of 1976, they purchased a soils above Calistoga. So that’s from California’s “other” derelict property on Highway 128, why we started with zinfandel.” grape, zinfandel. a few miles north of Calistoga. Asked to compare that ear- Working in a cool pocket of The name they gave it, Sto- lier time to the present day at the east-facing hills near Calistoga, rybook Mountain, would meld estate, Seps emphasized that he Seps is widely acknowledged as an historical coincidence—the believes “it’s just a question of one of zinfandel’s most quality- original 19th century founders driven proponents. And like the of the property were German See STORYBOOK page 7 Paris Tasting in ’76, he’s a part of brothers named Grimm, just not Jerry Seps started his hillside winery in 1976.

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STORYBOOK It would be somewhat mind- It’s almost completely concealed Continued from page 5 boggling to picture this well-spo- by a stately redwood grove from ken farmer and retired academic the guest parking area only a few doing his viticultural due diligence dozen yards away. The design refinement. What we are trying on many thousands of gnarled zin- scheme at Storybook is functional to do is the same thing we tried fandel and cabernet vines planted and integrated, right down to initially. We found this beautiful on rugged hillsides of ski slope the winery’s cast concrete walls. piece of land, and I honestly felt precipitousness all by himself. Ascending the exterior stairway, that if we took care of the land, the Asked if this was the case, he Seps pointed this out. “You’ll see land would eventually take care smiled and answered no. “But we there are ribs in the construction,” of us.” have a huge advantage: we’ve had he said. “And those ribs were For all of the intense focus on the same family work for us for solid. What we did was we took zinfandel over the years, Seps 37 years.” He went on to describe an eight-pound hammer, and we has had to remain a flexible grape the role of the Ayala family from knocked out the surface so that grower. “Taking care of the land,” Michoacán, Mexico, four of whom you could see the interior and get he said, continuing the thought, work full-time at Storybook. a feeling for the intrinsic material “means a number of things: it “They’re here five to six days a that is part of this hill. And it’s that means being organic, and we’re week. I think that’s been important kind of tactility that we’re looking now certified. So that’s one way. Ph o t o b y To n y Po e r to our success. They know the for in the wines.” But the other way, if you’re a Storybook Mountain Vineyards winemaker and owner Jerry Seps vineyard. They care about what On the map, the vineyard and viticulturalist, is to try and find the opens the gates to the winery’s caves. they’re doing. And,” he added, winery seem fairly remote, though right match of grape and site.” camas Range, Eastern Exposures, times eliminating grapes before with feeling, “when their friends they’re only a short drive from This conviction led Seps to and Estate Reserve cuvées have they get to the stemmer-crusher. come from Michoacán, the Ayalas downtown Calistoga. Heading plant cabernet sauvignon in 1995 for years received heaps of praise We really regulate crop size and show them their vineyard and their northwest, Storybook Mountain at a hillside location that had from serious wine publications average two or two and a half tons cave. And it’s true. I mean, they is the last Napa Valley winery always been judged too cool to like The Connoisseurs’ Guide to per acre. are very much a part of this.” you pass on Highway 128 before grow zinfandel. He shook hands California Wine and Wine & Spir- “But I think perhaps most Seps’ office is in the winery, crossing into Knights Valley and with the devil, so to speak. “As I its Magazine. The former gave the important of all is that we are which was built in 1996 on top Sonoma County. The vineyard’s tell my friends down-valley,” he current 2009 Reserve its highest continually trying to make the of the Grimm brothers’ original hillsides face east, and the prop- joked, “when you have extra land, zinfandel score ever in its 35-year vineyard better. By that I mean, . As a series of three erty sits a short distance south of and you’re in the Napa Valley and history; the latter regularly names we have 96 different areas of a connected tunnels, the cave was the Chalk Hill Gap, a geographi- it’s not good enough for zinfandel, Storybook as one of the top 100 vineyard of 40 acres. What I do hand-dug by Chinese laborers out cal feature straddling Napa and you’ve got to do something with in the world. Seps also at the end of every season is that of volcanic rock over a century be- Sonoma counties that allows cool it!” grows and produces a dry I grade each area. I grade on the fore and is where the patient busi- afternoon breezes and fog to pen- The Storybook Mountain made from this floral quality of fruit first, of course. ness of aging about 400 barrels of etrate the upper reaches of Napa cabernets are elegant, structured Rhône Valley variety. And I grade it on the quality of Storybook wine takes place. See STORYBOOK page 20 wines that represent roughly 15- Asked what he attributes his the vines. Do they look good? Are The main winery building is 20% of the estate’s production. wines’ critical success to over the they healthy? Are they balanced? its own architectural statement. But if the winery’s reputation is years, he slipped easily into pro- And anything that finishes at the practically written in stone, it’s fessorial mode. “It’s the way we bottom of the 96 gets replaced. We because of its three celebrated take care of the grapes,” he began. replace a minimum of a half-acre bottlings of zinfandel. 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STORYBOOK more comfortable for ern California restaurant accounts. The Pelters’ store is well- Continued from page 7 two reasons: one, we It was fairly long list, replete with stocked with Calistoga-area labels, face east, so you don’t fantastic places to eat around the along with wines from up and Valley. Both of these details are get that late afternoon Bay Area. Some were well-known down Napa Valley. “[Storybook’s] key to Seps’ goals as a winemaker bake that you get along and some more obscure. Names wines have as good an aging and to Storybook’s success as a the Trail side of the like Chez Panisse, Boulevard, and potential as any zins made in Cali- brand. “If you make a division in valley; and the second the French Laundry practically fornia,” Pelter said, reflecting on the world of wine between cool- thing is that the Chalk jumped off the page. “If you’re his tasting experience with them. climate wines and warm climate Hill Gap is right above talking about the quality of the “I think a lot of that has to do with wines,” he said, “ours are defi- us. We’re right in the wines, I think if I can get that the balance. They’re not out of nitely cool-climate in the sense of zone between the two many buyers in the very competi- balance. They’re put together well. their structure and acidity.” valleys. So when that Colleen Seps Sigrid Seps tive areas of Napa Valley and San If they’re well taken care of, they Even compared to his thoughts breeze comes up, just Williams Francisco to purchase our wines have a lot of aging potential.” on , the misconception like it has right this for their customers to enjoy, I’m Then he laughed. “Whether of the Calistoga AVA as a “hot second, we’re going to making a style of wine that has a we want that or not is another climate” region seems to get Seps feel it. Again, it could be ten bright acidity and framed by even following among the most critical story. We’d prefer you drink them the most animated, and not neces- degrees cooler, and when it’s 100 finer tannins. audience there is.” the day you buy them, and buy sarily in a happy-go-lucky way. down-valley and 90 up here, you Echoing the surrounding “It was a lot easier in the 70s,” another bottle the next day! But “That’s been one of my hesita- really appreciate it.” architecture, the wine seemed to he said with some nostalgia. “It for people who like to treasure tions about putting the [Calistoga] To drive home the point, Seps possess Seps’ characteristic of was great being a new winery, something, the wines hold up appellation on the label,” he pointed out that his site gets “tactility.” It would impossible to going around and presenting your beautifully.” explained patiently. “You know, “almost as much fog as Carneros produce such an essential zin- wine. Everybody had the door Seps had mentioned early in with , we were does. And this particular vineyard, fandel in anything less than ideal open and was happy to taste. And the conversation that his first wine the two wineries that spearheaded if you do the heat summation, climactic conditions. that went on in the 80s. Now, I job was as the at the fa- getting the appellation. I think that as I’ve done, has the same heat Back behind his desk, with a think it’s exceedingly hard when mous Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosem- overall for Calistoga, it’s a good summation as Carneros. So this is redwood-lined view to the east, you knock on that door, for that ite National Park. He was 21 and thing. But there is this common really a cool-climate vineyard.” Seps shared a bit more history. door to open. Thank god we have described it as a great job but “a perception that this is the hot area Unfortunately for many “Over 30 years ago when we the reputation. Upon saying I’m long, long time ago.” Glancing of the Valley, and it’s really not zinfandel-producing wineries in started, we just wanted to make a from Storybook, it does help open at the list of Storybook’s restau- true. It is along the Silverado Trail, California, the term “cool-climate living up here. The kind of wine the door.” rants, there it was at the top: the maybe. Three Palms Vineyard is zinfandel” is oxymoronic. Happily we produce, though, I think has Some of the most enduring Ahwahnee. It made perfect sense. a very warm site, as an example. for Seps and his associate wine- given us both a responsibility and support Storybook Mountain Most of what goes on at Story- But the other half of this whole maker, Colleen Williams (who is a reputation. The reputation is in a has received over the years has book Mountain seems to makes appellation is relatively cool. I also his daughter), due to the ideal sense that if people talk about first come from right down the road sense. The place has both history think the heat is a misnomer, and location of their vineyard, it’s an growths of zinfandel,” he said, in Calistoga. Tom and Tammy and symmetry. Its wines—and its it’s something I’ve been trying to accurate description of their style referring to the historic classifica- Pelter, owners of the Calistoga owners—are iconic. overcome for a number of years.” of wine. tions of the great wines of Bor- Wine Stop, are respected retailers “We didn’t come here for Earlier in the day, stand- Tasted in the cool, rustic cave, deaux, “we are there. We definite- and longtime fans of Seps’ wines. zinfandel,” Seps summed up, re- ing among the vines, Seps had the 09 Mayacamas Range showed ly are. We might not be Chateau “I think we’ve had every wine calling the beginnings of Sigrid’s stressed that “you’d be 10 degrees amazing depth of red and black Latour, but we’re very probably they’ve made over the years,” and his lives as winegrowers. “We more comfortable than you would fruit flavors on the palate, not to Chateau Lafite. That’s the style Tom Pelter said. “Maybe there’s a came to make fine wine, and we just north of St. Helena on the mention penetrating, spicy aro- of our wine.” It came across as a or two that we missed, but tell people we make fine wine that Silverado Trail, which is the hot mas. It was a densely concentrated somewhat bold claim until Seps we pretty much have three or four happens to be zinfandel, because spot in the valley, and you’d be red wine, buoyed by a fine layer of shared a list of Storybook’s north- Storybooks in here at any time.” that’s what goes with the land.”

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