It has been raining in the Napa Valley this past week.  A cold arctic wind is blowing from the North, bringing cold rain and grey clouds. The community of Angwin on the top of Howell Mountain at around 1800 feet has some snow, as does Atlas Peak, to the south of the valley.  As I drive down the hill from Angwin down Deer Park Road, there are patches of blue emerging occasionally across the valley behind the lush greenery of Spring and Diamond Mountains.  Across the valley, the branches of the vines are bare and spread their spider-like fingers across the slate coldness of the sky.  There is a fresh, clean quality to the day that seems to come with cold fronts.  Driving South on the Silverado trail, just past The Napa Valley Reserve, the brilliance of a majestic rainbow emerges from the vineyards to the left of me, just at the entrance of the Meadowood Resort.  These vines belong to individuals that have purchased the right to have the fruit processed by Bill Harlan and his team at the Reserve into world class wines that they will design labels for and have for their own consumption and for gifting.  Lance Armstrong is among those that have bought into the program at the Reserve and last year I toured a few groups through this same vineyard to discuss plant physiology and to allow guests a more hands-on approach to vineyard production and plant life.

 

The sun is starting to emerge with more frequency, and as I pass the Pope Street bridge, I pick up the trail of another rainbow.  To the left of the Silverado Trail, behind the hills, I can barely see the top emerging.  Coming around the corner by the Spring Valley Ranch of Joseph Phelps, a huge, broadly banded multi-hued beauty sits smack dab in the middle of the Phelps vineyard.  On a whim I veer the car into the long driveway and decide to see if they can fit me in for an unscheduled tasting.  Wintertime in Napa Valley is one of the best times to taste.  The crowds have dissipated and there is a regal quality to the valley that emerges in the silence of dormant vines and lush greenery.  The parking lot is somewhat empty, so my chances look good. I present myself at the reception and am pleased to learn that they will be able to squeeze me in.

 

For those who are familiar with Joseph Phelp's wines, you know that they are constantly being lauded with high scores and awards, year after year.  The wines are a mainstay in all of the crucial wine critic's reviews and they can safely be put into the 'trophy' category of California Wines.  Less known but more importantly, is the fact that Phelps has quietly been converting his vineyards to fully Biodynamic over the years, nearing 100% at the time of this article.  The handful of Napa Valley producers that farm biodynamically and simultaneously continue to capture discriminating audience's hearts are at the vanguard of the emerging green consciousness that is slowly pervading not only wine making, but most sectors of production from energy to food.  However, for Phelps, as well as for the other Biodynamic producers in the world of wine that have had the vision and the wisdom to realize that the best way to ensure profitability for their business is to increase the longevity of their soils and increase the health of their vineyards, the true test may be in demystifying the biodynamic process for their consumers and informing them as to why they have decided to commit to Biodynamic principles without sounding too "mystical."

 

According to Joseph Phelps literature, they have this to say about their commitment to biodynamics:

 

 

In addition to the above statement, Philippe Pessereau, Director of Vineyard Operations at Phelps has prepared the following summary of Rudolf Steiner's vision for Biodynamics:

 

 

There are basically Seven Key elements to the hands-on approach to Biodynamic farming at Joseph Phelps. They are as follows:

 

1. Appropriate Production is the very basic building block of all good farming. it involves a very careful selection of what to grow and where.

 

2. Biodiversity is nature's fundamental premise. It aims at helping as many plant and critter species as possible grow, co-exist, and mutually support each other.

 

3. Soil Fertility includes a focus on proper levels of organic matter, good humus content and healthy microbial activity in the soil (bacteria, fungi, yeasts, protozoa, etc.). At JPV, we have produced our own biodynamic compost since 1999 to foster our soil humus.

 

4. Natural Crop Nutrition involves feeding compost to our vines and cover crops, herbs, flowers and orchards. done correctly, compost produces nutrient rich, microbial rich, moist, spongy, sweet smelling and long lasting humus.

 

5. Whole Farm Self-Sustainability is the goal of any self-sustaining farm and is achieved by creating healthy soils and a bio-diverse set of crops.

 

6. Integration of Farm Animals began in 2006 when we brought sheep to graze in the vineyard during vine dormancy. Our purpose was twofold: we wanted to increase biodiversity on the home ranch (we have chickens and bees which perform a similar ro le within their respective realms), while maximizing use of our natural resources.  Sheep grazed on the cover crop and transformed it, illustrating the animal's role on a farm.  they not only recycled the grass but most importantly they influenced the soil ecology (manure=deposition of organic matter=humus) as well as the flora.  In addition, they enabled us to keep the vineyard floor mowed and ready for frost season.

 

7. Biologically Integrated Pest, Disease & Weed Prevention & Management is achieved by producing healthy plants which, when grown on healthy soil, are better fit to naturally resist pest and disease attacks. Thus, this system produces the optimal foundation for pest and disease prevention.

 

 

This is the time of the year that the cow horns are stuffed with manure and then buried prior to the Winter Solstice.  The images below give a good indication as to the beneficial results of applying the tea that will be invariably be made from the manure that is buried.

 

 

 Right:  Biodynamic field spray 500 is made by packing female cow horns with cow manure and burying them for 6 months (from fall to spring equinox). Middle: After the cow horn preparation is removed from the horn, a tiny amount is added to lukewarm water and stirred for one hour, thereby creating a vortex where the energy of the preparation is transferred into the water. One-quarter cup of preparation covers one acre. Left: A biodynamic farming experiment in which the plants on the right received an application of horn manure. The plants on the left were grown in untreated soil.

 

And so what about the wine? My notes are as follows:

 

90% Cabernet sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot from estate-owned vineyards (75%) and independent growers (25%)

Grapes were harvested between September 10th - November 3rd, 2005 at an average 24.7 degrees Brix, fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged 18 months in a combination of new French and American oak barrels (50%) and 2 year old (50%) from coopers Sylvain, demptos, Nadalie, Canton, Taransaud, Vicard and World Cooperage.