Reserve Pinot noir Club™
October 2007
Quercus Wines -- continued from page 1
When he founded Quercus Wines (aptly named for the oak genus used to make wine barrels), Berkley determined he would run it as closely as he could to how a small Burgundian producer operates, “without,” he added, “the family involvement.” Quercus is a one-man band.
“I try to emulate the hands-off technique from Burgundy, gently herding the wine to its final destination,” said Beckley. “I don’t have any delusions that Oregon is Burgundy—it is still Oregon, with its own unique grape-growing atmosphere.
“But the [winemaking] techniques are interchangeable,” he added. “They generally mimic what has been done in Burgundy for hundreds of years.” An analogy Beckley might draw is to the way a jazz standard is played differently each time it’s approached by a new musician. The song is the same, and there are traditional methods with which to play it; the interpretation is unique.
Beckley believes that, in winemaking, some traditional methods are marks of integrity, and that, “many dedicated, small producers of all kinds of reds will use these techniques now.”
He is not opposed to using techniques such as fining and filtering if he knows they will help to produce a better wine. His philosophy values thoughtful use of these processes.
“Fining and filtering ought to be just tools,” he said. “If you do it all the time, it is part of your process—you’re not thinking. The role of the winemaker is to nurture. I’m ‘hands-off,’ but not at all costs.”
The Quercus barrel program is strictly French, and Beckley says he’s not a fan of new wood and that, “If I wanted to suck on a tree, I’d go get a tree,”
He does admit that new wood will lift the fruit, but said it usually ends up overwhelming his palate. Beckley’s barrel cocktail comes from a variety of coopers: Taransuad, Cadus, TM Mercurey France, Tonnellerie Claude Gillet, Dargaud & Jaegle.
Another priority for Beckley is maintaining lower alcohol levels in his wines. His Harmonia Pinot Noir and his Theia Chardonnay are below 14 percent alcohol, and he’d like to see it lower. “I’d love to do a 13.1/12.9%, something that doesn’t put you under the table,” he said.
As an independent producer, Beckley carefully selects the vineyards he buys from (which now includes Archer, Bayliss, Coelho, Hidden Rocks, High Valley, Momtazi and Temperance Hill), based on quality fruit and management. He seeks out healthy grapes with good color and acidity levels—and grapes grown in a natural environment.
Beckley’s objective is to avoid tampering with what is already healthy, or already working out fine. This is why before he reaches for the amp and the cord he reaches for his acoustic guitar. And he’s consistent, even down to the food he eats. “Eighty percent of my diet is organic,” he said. “I don’t spray anything on my property. In the cellar, I try to be as low-impact as possible, trying to translate those grapes into as natural and pure of a shape as possible—just as one would like to see in the vineyard.”
