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Methode Champenoise

From The Vineyard to the Press

Grape Selection: The Methode Champenoise entails much more than making sparkling wine according to an established set of procedures. All fine wines start in the vineyard and sparkling wines are no exception. Selection is a word that is applied at many steps in making sparkling wine. Selection starts with identifying those vineyard sites suitable for growing grapes for sparkling wine where ripening occurs slowly over an extended growing period. These sites tend to be cooler which allows grapes to retain their acidity and reach maturity without being overripe.

Grape Pressing: Pressing of the fruit is performed as soon as possible after picking. To assure this is done, facilities for pressing are situated in close proximity to vineyards. Most of Meriwether's growers are less than 1-2 hours drive from the winery.

Following delivery, whole cluster fruit is gently pressed to minimize extraction of bitter and astringent substances from the seeds, skins, and stems. Again selection is applied; we separate the ~150 gal/ton of juice released into three press fractions: the first and best juice (~ 110 gal) is Cuvée used for Meriwether sparkling wines which is generated at the lowest pressures from the central portion of the grape; the second fraction or Tailles (~ 23 gal) is obtained with slightly higher pressure and is used for Discovery; the third fraction or Rebeche (~15 gal) is obtained at the highest pressure and can be used for table wine. Cuvée juice from each of our growers is collected separately; all juice is kept cool and allowed to settle in a tank for 24 hrs to allow grape solids to separate.

Primary Fermentation Yields Base Wines

Each lot is fermented and maintained separately. Selection again is important in determining which of the Cuvée lots will be fermented in stainless steel tanks and which will undergo primary fermentation in barrels. This decision is made each year based on tasting and laboratory analyses of each lot. Whether done in tank or in neutral oak barrel, the purpose of this first fermentation is to provide a number of dry, still base wines. These are the pieces that will be assembled later by our winemaker Jean-Louis Denois into the tapestry of the final blend.

Though of the same grape variety, different clones grown at different sites on different trellis systems yield wines with differing flavor profiles. We strive for this diversity because it contributes to the unique character of Champagne and other fine sparkling wines.

Malolactic Fermentation

Oregon's Willamette Valley is like other cool climate wine-growing regions such as Champagne where acidity of the base wines may be excessive. For this reason an ancillary bacterial fermentation is often employed to convert malic acid to lactic acid in order to balance the acidity with a softer round flavor. This is used frequently in Champagne to allow earlier marketing of the wine.

Assembling And Blending The New Wines

In January or February following each vintage all of the base wines are tasted and evaluated. Then a plan is developed to prepare the blends for each finished wine.

If, in our tasting, we find that one lot of Pinot Noir and one lot of Chardonnay are of exceptional quality, we will combine these and create a prestige Cuvée — Thomas Jefferson Cuvée, which is aged for at least 5 years before release. 1998 is our first Prestige release.

Because we seek subtlety and elegance in our wines and want good expression of Pinot Noir, our blends emphasize Pinot and temper the often aggressive tropical fruit influence of the Chardonnay clones available for our use.

Once the base wines for the Prestige Cuvée are designated, the remaining lots are used to make our other wines: Captain William Clark Cuvée, Fort Clatsop Cuvée — a Blanc de Blancs, and a small amount of Rose — Olivia's Cuvée. In blending the many different lots and building a final wine, Jean-Louis must envision the final product when it contains bubbles, 1.0% more alcohol, and acidity is apparent. This is where winemaker skill and experience are of paramount importance, as any flaws or imbalance will be amplified by the second fermentation.