An Unusual Heritage for an Exceptional California Chardonnay

Owning a major and respected chateau in the heart of Bordeaux and making one of the most desired red wines in the world might seem like the dream of a lifetime, but for Francis and Francoise DeWavrin-Woltner, something was missing.

That something was Chardonnay. You can’t make Chardonnay in Bordeaux. At least, French law says you can’t. And Francis, in particular, was fascinated with the white grape of Burgundy.

The DeWavrin-Woltners owned Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion and its companion white-wine property, Chateau Laville Haut-Brion, both in the Graves district of Bordeaux. Both the red and the white wines are acclaimed as among the finest in the world. But the white is a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. It is not Chardonnay.

The greatness of La Mission Haut-Brion was achieved between 1919 and the early 1980s. First, Frederic Woltner and then his sons, Henri and Fernand, brought the property worldwide recognition for wine greatness.

The Peak of Excellence

It was while Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion was at its peak of excellence, then being run by Fernand’s daughter, Francoise, and her husband, that I met Francis in San Francisco in early 1980.

Francis was simply gurgling about a plot of land he had just visited. “It’s on Howell Mountain,” he said with a gleam in his eyes. “You know Howell Mountain, on the east side of the Napa Valley. You can produce fantastic Chardonnay there.”

I thought it unusual that a man so renowned for the stature of the red wines, and for the marvelous white wine of Graves, would find so fascinating this remote region of the Napa Valley, nearer to a town called Angwin than to more famous St. Helena. In 1980, Howell Mountain had no reputation whatever for white wines.

In 1980, Howell Mountain was gaining fame for its hearty red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Not for Chardonnay.

Little did I know then that Francis was serious about his love for this particular plot of California soil, and for the Napa Valley in general. So serious, in fact, that he bought a 181-acre parcel of land in 1980 and began planting Chardonnay grapes.

Sold to Dillon

Then in 1983, the full impact of our little meeting hit me: La Mission Haut-Brion and Laville Haut-Brion were being sold. The DeWavrin-Woltners were moving to the Napa Valley, but leaving the locks, stock and barrels behind.

And the buyer of the two French properties? None other than an American, C. Douglas Dillon, New York banker; ambassador to France, 1953-57; undersecretary of state, 1958-61, and secretary of the Treasury, 1961-65.

And, incidentally, also owner of Chateau Haut-Brion, the world famous chateau that sits right across the street from the La Mission property.

It is, obviously, ironic that an American would own two such famed French wine-producing houses and that a French family would move to California to make wine. But what’s even more of a curiosity is that the property founded here, called Chateau Woltner, now makes the highest-priced Chardonnay yet released in the state.

That fact irks Francis, and he wants to keep everything in perspective: “Our Titus Vineyard wine is only 7% of our production, and we do make a much less expensive wine, too.”

Less Is More

A thought well noted, except for the fact that the cheapest of the Chateau Woltner Chardonnays is $24, making it merely the fourth or fifth most expensive Chardonnay in the state.

Costs to make these wines are, however, very high, DeWavrin points out. He notes that the young vines yield only tiny amounts of grapes because they are so heavily pruned. The DeWavrin-Woltner team operates on the theory that less is more. That is, the fewer grapes you get from an acre of land, the more intense the flavors in the wine will be.

The first wines from Chateau Woltner were released in 1985 and they were limited in quantity (just 2,151 cases made of all three designations), they were controversial in quality, and expensive. The 1986s were of significantly better quality, but more expensive still, and now the 1987 wines are ready for late spring release and are even more expensive.

Since supply and price are linked, prices are high. Just 2,150 cases of the Estate Reserve were produced in 1987; only 883 cases of the St. Thomas were made, and 309 cases of the Titus were made.

The 1987 wines are, also, exceptional in quality. But they are not, as you might expect, typical California-like expressions of fruit. There is no banana, apple, pear or peach flavors here. Nor is there the traditional toasty, buttery or butterscotch elements of some California Chardonnays that are chewy and unctuous. Nor are they flabby.

No, instead these wines remind me more of Burgundy than Napa. The scents are distinctly complex and include elements such as juniper and a trace of sandalwood. But trying to compare these wines to other fruits or vegetables simply can’t do justice to the fact that they simply taste like great French white Burgundy.

One might make the argument that they come closest to Corton-Charlemagne, and I once had a Clos Blanc de Vougeot that I was reminded of when sampling these.

The best of the ’87 wines is designated Titus Vineyard and is named after the family dog. It is an amazingly deep, intense wine with rich, full flavors on the palate and a finishing spiciness. It also has extremely high acidity to help it age beautifully for some years.

This is a rare characteristic in California, a Chardonnay that definitely should be aged.

Now the prices. Are you sitting down? The Titus wine sells for $54. A bottle. This makes it by far California’s most expensive Chardonnay, and in fact even qualifies it as the most expensive wine in the state, upstaging even the famed Opus One, the red wine that is produced by the joint venture between the Robert Mondavi Winery and Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. It’s only $50.

Prices Vary

Not quite as pricey but still heady ($36) is the wine designated St. Thomas Vineyard, another wine with delicate, spicy notes and lean, firm aftertaste. The mid-palate is very broad, however. The wine designated Estate Reserve ($24) is likewise lean and delicate with as much acid as the others.

With prices as high as this, some wine buyers will opt simply to spend their dough on French white Burgundies, even though they are very expensive these days. (Grand Cru and Premiere Cru Meursault wouldn’t set you back more than $30 or $35 a bottle these days.)

Are these Woltner wines even the best California Chardonnays made today? Probably not, but the style of wines certainly is to my liking. The very high acidity and underlying structure of the wines is rarely found in California Chardonnay today and I’d like to taste them again in two years, to see how they develop.

Some may like the broad, very deep, rich style of Chalone Chardonnay; others may prefer the fragrant delicacy of Trefethen, or the rich, buttery, spicy components in a Chateau Montelena. Chardonnays such as Grgich Hills, Revere, Merlion and Vichon come closest to these Woltner wines, but are not exactly in the same mode.

The Chateau Woltner wines were made by wine maker Ted Lemon in a style few wineries have had the courage to make, in which the acidity is strong and matched to the depth of the wine. The DeWavrin-Woltner team has cast its die in the mold of Burgundy. With prices to match.

Considering that the style of the wines is not what many Americans expect from Chardonnay, and considering that the prices are almost prohibitive, Chateau Woltner is clearly a long shot to capture the public’s fancy.

On the other hand, if some years from today the wines have developed into classics, with all the panache of a Stony Hill or Hanzell, the price will be secondary.

It will be interesting to see what the public makes of this venture.

Wine of the Week: 1987 Konocti Riesling ($6)--Floral and fragrant with hints of carnations, lilacs and jasmine, this wine annually is one of my favorites from California. The only problem is its sweetness: it’s a bit too sweet for serving with foods other than fruit salads. However, it is so well balanced that served well chilled, it should be a nice accompaniment to hot Sichuan or Mandarin cuisine.