Fiddlehead Cellars — Exploring Wine Roads Less Taken

For her Fiddlehead Cellars brands self-titled 'Head Fiddle' Kathy Joseph is working with both Oregon and Central Coast grapes to explore unusual varieties and hold back new releases until she believes they are truly ready to drink. Founded in 1989, Fiddlehead Cellars produces approximately 4,000 cases annually of Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir at the winery in Lompoc, California. This past week I had the great pleasure of meeting with Kathy for a leisurely tasting through a selection of her expansive portfolio. Although she recently sold her iconic Fiddlestix vineyard, many of her current and upcoming releases use those grapes. Also of great interest is her Willamette Valley 'Oldsville' project made with grapes sourced from the outstanding Alloro vineyard. Apart from Pinot Noir, Kathy is a committed advocate for Santa Barbara Grüner Veltliners and Sauvignon Blancs. In a wide-ranging conversation and follow-up email she explained her winemaking goals and the reasons for holding back wines prior to release.

"When I started Fiddlehead a lot of thought went into what I could contribute to the world of wine. I wanted to be original, different and to make wines that [I thought] should have an improved image. Thinking outside the box meant investing in less recognized grape growing districts suited to my target varietals (Santa Barbara County and the Willamette Valley), working with only a few varietals (and the more challenging ones – Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc) where in historical wine regions they were respected as special. I believed I could help improve the image of these wines on the domestic front and make wines that strut elegance and a more refined expression upon release. Investing in extended bottle aging was part of the recipe."

"It was always interesting to me to see that the wines folks brag about is that special bottle of older wine they found in their cellar. The response often is 'lucky you, or where is my invite, or what a treasure…' My model was for the winery to absorb the cost of aging and make those delicious wines more available as a first release with bottle age. The extra cost is really just in the first few years because a new release ensued every year after that. I learned by keeping a library of older vintages that my wines had impressive success with maintaining balance (and that all important acidity) even with 10-15 years of bottle age. So I used winery events and the tasting room to educate my customers’ palates by often pouring verticals."

PG:  As you'll see in my notes below, Kathy generously poured many different vintages for me, and as she says, all were fresh, pristine, aromatic and evocative. They clearly reveal the hand and palate of a masterful winemaker at the helm. But surely, I asked, there must be a downside to releasing wines so much later than the vast majority of your peers?

KJ:  "Many wine writers shied away from reviewing 'older' wines as they did not fit into their 'newest vintage' story line. And quite frankly I understand tasting elegant, evolved wines in the line-up of bright young fresh wines does not show them in the best light. Essentially, I gave up on submitting wines for blind tasting where I did not have the opportunity to have a conversation."

PG:  Exactly why I taste wines in limited peer groups over several days and not blind. I want the conversation, the young wines need the extra time and attention, and to me context is invaluable. Blind tasting deletes all context.

KJ:  " The pandemic allowed me to keep wines even a little longer than usual and I (and you!) almost appreciated the older ones even more. Consider the sex appeal of the 2014 and how it took a little time for the 2015 and 2016 to roll out (so decanting sometimes is a rapid tool to demonstrate the predicted life of a wine, similar to you tasting wines over several days). In later years – 2017, 2018 and 2019 – I slightly altered my production techniques to try and advance the texture of the Pinots prior to bottling by switching out a punch down for a pump over to soften the wines a little earlier, with some success. But I find some of the techniques and bells and whistles used to make red more approachable pre-bottling disrupt the balance.

PG:  Your white wines, on the other hand, are not always held back.

KJ:  "My whites are a different story. It is really more about style. It is interesting to note – are not sparkling wines aged on the yeast longer considered a little more precious? It is frustrating to me that many consumers assume white wines inherently do not age as well as reds. And I often respond that many reds do not age as well as my whites. The winemaker’s palate, intention and winemaking often drive the difference. One is not more correct, but there are important differences. Some wines can be completely enjoyable in their youth and do not age. We just need to help educate how to taste which ones might have the potential to age – which has to do with the chemistry of flavor and structure (i.e. the art of the science!).

I learned I could make three very different Sauvignon Blancs (with appeal to very different wine drinkers) using different winemaking techniques. All are meant to tame the sometimes aggressive nature of the grape, which can be manipulated through farming choices such as trellis systems, leafing, crop load management and timing of picking. Each one of my Sauvignon Blancs emulates a different style that has [its own] history."

PG:  What's the Big Picture in terms of your overall approach to making wine?

KJ:  "In essence I make all of my wines backwards. I know where I want to end up and after years of practice and experimentation I am pretty close. I do not try to copy the process, I try to emulate the result. They are different. Goosebury is intentionally bright and fruit forward and achieves its viscosity though a little lower alcohol and lack of oak. It is definitely a selection of the best stand-alone pick of the vintage. Its balance is not just achieved through stainless fermentation. It is meant to show the purity of the grape when picked on point. Goosebury is not made to age, but oh boy when you taste an aged one, it reminds me of a terrific, aged Riesling.

"Happy Canyon adds modest (but really important) mid-palate creaminess (without the buttery taste from malolactic fermentation) through the marriage of fermentation in stainless steel, new French oak and neutral French oak. I mentioned Pouilly Fumé as the stylistic target. My wine is incredible versatile and almost chameleon-like. This was also my target for the Estate Gruner – but I found it was a better fit to eliminate the new oak and reduce the stainless component to capture the spice of the grape and still have the desired body.

"On the Hunnysuckle I fell in love with the more savory style – that amazing almost lemony character and of course the very rich body without the buttery taste. It very much reminded me of a white Bordeaux (but without the Sémillon), and very much like the impressive Haut Brion Blanc that I was introduced to years ago. 100% new oak is intense but ­– if you have the right balance of all wine components – then with time in the bottle the wine will not taste oaky, it will retain its straw color and will taste amazingly fresh like the 2010 that you tasted.

"My latest project, Grüner, evolved because I so enjoyed drinking these Austrian wines. I loved the range of styles, which reminded me of Sauvignon Blanc. My 'backwards' winemaking took me down a path to make a wine that embraced the unusual nuances of fruit – ginger, honeydew, lemon grass, in a modest understated way – that held its own, say, with garlicky foods. But again, the nuances of this variety evolve with bottle age."

PG: Here are my notes from recent tastings of Fiddlehead wines, including some older vintages no longer available.

Fiddlehead 2016 Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc

573 cases; 13% abv; $30

Smooth, round, mixed citrus fruits, clearly varietal but not grassy or sharp. Drinking very well at this age. Not yet released.

Fiddlehead 2019 Goosebury Sauvignon Blanc

13% abv; $42

This is designed to emulate a New Zealand style. It's bursting with bright fruit flavors of citrus - particularly grapefruit - citrus rind and pineapple. It's juicy and refreshing, while avoiding any hint of sourness. The lively acidity carries it through a long, clean finish. Not yet released.

Fiddlehead 2010 Hunnysuckle Sauvignon Blanc

164 cases; 13% abv; $42

As the name implies, this lightly honeyed wine is loaded with floral highlights, bee pollen and caramel. A decade old, it's dry but has suggested sweetness from the long, layered finish. Current vintage is 2012.

Fiddlehead 2016 Grüner Veltliner

512 cases; 13% abv; $30

Rich, slightly tawny, full-bodied and loaded with luscious citrus fruit, butter and caramel. Scents of diesel come up with aeration. Unique for a GV but absolutely delicious, long and lingering. It has the acids to keep it lively and fresh.

Fiddlehead 2017 Sweetie Late Harvest Grüner Veltliner

9.2% abv; $35/375 ml

Nothing sugary here, just a light suggestion of cotton candy, hints of orange flesh and juice, and surpassing elegance. It touches on the flavors of Muscat without being Muscat, finishing with 128 g/L of residual sugar. Not yet released (the 2016 is still available).

Fiddlehead 2016 Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir

13.7% abv; $46

Lovely aromas with rose petals and cherries in abundance. Smooth, almost soft on the palate, with lush chocolate and nut butter highlights. It's fresh and fruity with silky tannins. About one third of the barrels were new. A touch of sweet spice trails the finish. Spring 2022 release.

Fiddlehead 2014 Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir

2200 cases; 13.5% abv; $46

See Wine of Week above.

Fiddlehead 2011 Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir

1649 cases; 13.5% abv; 

Direct from the winery and tasted just this past week (Feb '22) this had a pleasant whiff of truffle and funk, along with secondary fruit flavors of mixed berries and plums. Drinking quite nicely, it wraps the finish in a lick of chocolate. With several hours of breathing time the wine opened up to full flavors. Sold out. 

Fiddlehead 2008 Seven Twenty Eight Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir

2200 cases; 13.5% abv

In a tasting of several vintages of this wine the 2008 immediately stood out, with the elegance and depth of fine Burgundy. Aromatically complex and layered with dried red fruits, it has clearly moved into secondary fruit flavors with burnished colors that show no suggestion of browning. In short this is a marvelous wine in a peak drinking window; one that could easily extend out another decade. Sold out.

Fiddlehead 2015 Oldsville Pinot Noir

485 cases; 13.7% abv; $60

This four clone mix is co-fermented and aged 15 months in 35% new oak. Still young by Fiddlehead standards, it's got tart red currant, cranberry and brambly red berries, along with a streak of herb and cannabis running down the spine, with tart red currant and cranberry fruit. Give this plenty of aeration.

Fiddlehead 2014 Oldsville Pinot Noir

592 cases; 14.3% abv; $60

Sourced from the Alloro vineyard this is tart and forward, with a juicy mix of blood orange, red berries and pretty cherry fruit. At seven years of age it's in a very fine drinking window, with plenty of acidity but overall perfect balance. May be sold out.

Also Recently Tasted

Fiddlehead's Oregon wines are made with grapes sourced from David Nemarnik's Alloro estate. Alloro winemaker Tom Fitzpatrick also has his own project – Élevée Winegrowers. Here are highlights from recent tastings of both of Tom's portfolio's. All these wines (and the featured wines above) are highly recommended.

Alloro 2020 Estate Chardonnay

250 cases; 13.4% abv; $45

There's a nice juicy tartness to this wine, which teeters on the edges of fresh minerality and squeezed lemons. It's young and clean and bursting with bright flavors. With ample aeration it adds layers of texture and details of herbs.

Alloro 2019 Estate Pinot Noir

1640 cases; 13.6% abv; $45

Streaks of spice and tart herbs are layered in around lighter notions of raspberries and cherries. The earthy/herbal strengths steer this away from pure elegance, but the balance and length promise good things to come over the rest of the decade.

Alloro 2019 Estate Riservata Pinot Noir

500 cases; 13.6% abv; $60

A pretty shade of bluish rose, this nicely-proportioned wine offers flavors of wild blackberries, tart plum and mixed green herbs. Though not as robust as many reserves, it's got balance, definition and length all working well. Best to tuck it away another couple of years before tasting.

============================================================= 

Élevée Winegrowers 2020 Ridgecrest Vineyard Riesling

100 cases; 11.5% abv; $33

Sourced from the oldest site on Ribbon Ridge this outstanding wine could be the poster child for Oregon Riesling. It's deep, dense and delicious, loaded with juicy citrus and tangy highlights of apricot and papaya. The acids are succulent and lively and easily offset any residual sweetness.

Élevée Winegrowers 2019 Madrona Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir

350 cases; 13.2% abv; $52

A pretty toasty edge frames the tart and lemony raspberry fruit. There are subtle highlights of almond paste and nut butter, but the wine maintains a sleek profile in keeping with its relatively low alcohol. It's layered through a finish with polished tannins leaving hints of dark chocolate and ground coffee.

Élevée Winegrowers 2019 Élevée Vineyard Pinot Noir

375 cases; 13% abv; $52

At 20+ years old the estate vineyard is fully established. The lighter vintage brings notes of sweet tomato along with pie cherries, mountain berries and juicy acids. It fills the palate nicely and leads through a lingering, clean and detailed finish with highlights of licorice, Nutella and peanut butter.

Élevée Winegrowers 2019 Björnson Vineyard Pinot Noir

300 cases; 13% abv; $52

Winemaker Tom Fitzpatrick teases lovely subtle flavors out of these grapes. Dive in and find trails of blood orange, lemon zest, peaches, fir cones and lemony herbs. The core fruit is tight and compact. Give it aeration and/or bottle age and it will develop gracefully.

Élevée Winegrowers 2019 Meredith Mitchell Vineyard Pinot Noir

See From/For the Cellar

Élevée Winegrowers 2019 Departure Pinot Noir

200 cases; 13% abv; $90

All four vineyards that are featured individually in Élevée's "Study in Terroir" series contribute to this final blend. This is a complete and nuanced wine with a lush mix of red berries, citrusy acids, subtle barrel flavors of nutmeg and caramel and milk chocolate. It's drinking nicely and may be enjoyed over the rest of the decade.