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Dirt is dirt, you say? Yet despite having similar climates, some wine regions make better wine than others. Why? To paraphrase a famous presidential campaign dictum, it's the soil, stupid. There most dramatic example of the importance of soil than that of the famous Chateau de Beaucastel of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Its vineyards are planted on both sides of a road. The grapes are farmed identically, and the wines are made identically. Yet the grapes from one side make the majestic Beaucastel Châteauneuf ($100). The grapes from the other side make a very good wine (Coudoulet de Beaucastel, $32), but it doesn't approach the quality of the Châteauneuf! The following is an edited version of an article by Sunny Brown that appeared on www.winegeeks.com.
Those in the know in the wine biz get all giddy when talking about soil. Wine lovers and makers alike droll on about how one vineyard has subterraneous tufa, while another vineyard boasts a blend of calcareous marl and limestone clay. Even without a degree in geology, it is easy to see that certain places in the world are better for growing grapes than others. Why? Lots of places have warm weather and low amounts of rainfall. There are plenty of fine winemakers who are not limited to the more famous regions. So what is it about Burgundy, the Mosel Valley, and the Rutherford Bench that set them apart from so many other quality areas? It isn't because they were there first or because of dumb luck that certain regions have become famous. For centuries winemakers have plotted out through trial and error specific sites that grow the finest wine grapes in the world. They tend to have unique geological compositions. A quick primer on soil types: Alluvial - A combination of clay, silt, sand, and gravel that forms over time from mineral deposits left by running water. Calcareous - A soil primarily composed of calcium carbonate and high in chalk or limestone as well as fossilized shells. Granite - A hard and granular rock with a high content of crystals, particularly quartz. Jory - A volcanic soil composed mostly of basalt, which is in turn a hard and dense soil that often has a glassy appearance. Limestone or Chalk - A soft soil made primarily from fossilized seashells. Loam - A crumbly mixture of clay, sand, and silt. Marl - A crumbly mixture of different clays as well as calcium and magnesium carbonates with fossilized shells mixed in as well. Sandstone - A combination of silica and sand compacted together by pressure and time. Schist - A metamorphic rock derived mostly from clay, but it can be made from several other rocks. Schist is a soft rock that flakes and breaks easily. Shale - Layers of clay-like, fine-grained sedimentary rock. On the surface, where the shale breaks, it often forms beds of sharp fragments. Tufa - A mix of silica, calcium carbonate, and sometimes volcanic ash that has been deposited over time by streams, lakes, and other water sources.
What follows is a "Top Ten" list of great wine growing soils. The criteria are unique qualities, historical importance, and market appeal of the wines. As with any list, this is bound to offend those who are omitted or feel slighted at their ranking. 10 – Mendoza, Argentina Lots of sunshine during the day, very cool temperatures at night, and dry mountain air combine to provide a very long growing season for the spicy Malbecs, rich Cabernets, and full-bodied Bonardas of Mendoza. The wines are said to boast very high concentrations of resveratrol and antioxidants due to the long hang time on the vine. All that flavor and health benefits too! 9 – Coonawarra, Australia The resulting soil is rich in nutrients and minerals, drains very well, and has a thin layer over the limestone beneath. Many wineries have found this to be a perfect growing environment for Cabernet, with Bowen, Parker Estate, Wynns, and Highbank Vineyards among the best. 8 – Priorat, Spain One of my favorite stories in the wine world is that of the cost of the local donkey in Priorat. Almost abandoned as a wine region in the 1970s because the hills are so steep they must be worked entirely by hand, innovative winemakers from across the world have recently settled in this area to take advantage of the unique combination of soil, climate, and old vines of Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan. Although new investment has flooded into the region, the vines must still be worked by hand so the price of the local burro has gone up ten fold! 7 – Tuscany, Italy The higher altitude vineyards around San Gimignano make a great home for Vernaccia. The rocky, low-vigor soils of Chianti and Montalcino are perfect for Sangiovese, while areas in between have more sand, clay, and alluvial deposits, a great spot for international varieties that make up the backbone of the great Super Tuscans. 6 – Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, France The resulting wines are spicy, rich, full-bodied and higher in alcohol than many of their brethren elsewhere in France. If you like Syrah and Grenache but haven’t yet tried a good Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, then you haven’t yet begun to live. As a side note, it is a good thing that the vines take so readily to this soil since some of these vineyards are so rocky that they look like the bottom of an aquarium. What else on earth could grow there? 5 – Alsace, France The Grand Crus of Alsace read like a laundry list of famous soils: the sandstone of Kitterlé; the limestone of Zinnkoepflé; the granite of Brand; the warm volcanic soils of Rangen. The list goes on and on. Over the years, each vineyard has developed a reputation for which grapes grow best within its hallowed grounds. The Grand Cru of Schlossberg, or Castle Hill as it is translated from German, is free-draining, stony, and rich in granite. Riesling is a natural choice here, while just a few hundred yards away, the Grand Cru of Furstentum has a higher proportion of limestone clay and is famous for juicy and rich Gewürztraminer. Many of the famous vineyards in Alsace can trace their wine-growing heritage back to the 1300s. Despite wars, changes in nationality, changes in climate, and even phylloxera, this strip of vineyards barely a mile wide continues to crank out world class white wines. 4 – Rutherford, Napa Valley So what is Rutherford dust? Well, I can tell you what it is not. It is neither an actual soil type nor an additive to the wine. It is a dusty and spicy berry element that can be found in all great Rutherford Cabernets. Some have described it as mocha, others as allspice, but regardless of specific flavor descriptors, it is an ever-present, ethereal nuance that sets the wines of Rutherford apart from its prestigious neighbors of Oakville and Saint Helena. This is not to say that Rutherford is without merit in terms of soil. There are three distinct alluvial fans that were formed from the runoff of mineral deposits left in the valley floor over eons. They range from gravelly to sandy to loamy, and some of the most famous vineyards in the U.S. sit atop the shattered sandstone and limestone base. Bosche, Martha’s Vineyard, Bella Oaks, the Opus One vineyards are more than enough to keep any collector happy. 3 - Bordeaux, France Since then the best examples of Bordeaux have been considered the greatest and most expensive wines in the world. The first growths command such respect that the wines are sold at staggering prices from the wineries long before they are even bottled. Farther to the south, fine white wines are produced along with some exceptional reds in the arid, sandy, and gravelly soil of Graves. And if that were not enough, Sauternes and Barsac produce some of the greatest, richest, and most decadently sublime dessert wines on the planet. 2 - Mosel, Germany These factors provide a long, slow ripening period for the fickle Riesling. No other grape is more reflective of the soil in which it is grown. Riesling seems to absorb every nuance of nutrient and structure of the soil and parlays them into the glass with such clarity and focus as to seemingly scream the soil from whence it came. Rieslings separated by just a little bend in the river will taste entirely different, no matter the similarities in production methods or ripeness. Of the great vineyards, Wehlener Sonnenuhr boasts deep, blue-gray slate, while Erdener Prälat has dark red slate. The red volcanic soils of the Urzinger Würzgarten (Spice garden) create wines that are just as they sound - spicy and with depth of character. The list goes on and on. I urge you to try each vineyard. The subtleties of each individual soil type will become apparent, and you will be drinking some of the greatest white wines on earth. 1 - Burgundy, Champagne, and the Loire Valley, France The success of the vineyards atop this chalky soil has been known for centuries. Champagne was famous long before a certain monk accidentally put a few bubbles in the bottle. The Grand Crus of Burgundy are separated by walls that date back to monastic times. The Grand Cru of Corton-Charlemagne was the king's favorite vineyard some 1200 years ago. The best vineyards of the Loire mix limestone, clay, and silica to form a flint and sand mixture known as silex. Attempts have been made to duplicate the success of these soils. After much frustration and effort, quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are now being made outside of Burgundy, but they never reach the heights of the best Burgundies. The same is true of tasty sparkling wine. And the best Loire Valley wines hold a haunting mix of earth, fruit, structure, and nuance that has not been duplicated. It is in this spirit that I feel that the Kimmeridgian soil is the most famous and important on earth when it comes to fine wine. The quality, longevity, and unique features of this particular blend of limestone and clay have driven the wine world for centuries. Battles have been won and lost, fortunes come and gone, and even nations have been created and remade in the time these wines have been famous. And for that, there is no comparison.
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