When I first discovered wine in a serious way many years ago, among the things I did to fast-forward my wine knowledge was to ask wine lovers for a list of the wines that I should buy. The wines of Cakebread Cellars were on most of those lists. Another list that features Cakebread Cellars wines is the annual Wine and Spirits Restaurant poll who saw it fit to award Cakebread Cellars the rank of number 1 best-selling wines in America.

History of Cakebread Cellars

Earlier this week Dennis Cakebread, Senior VP Sales and Marketing for Cakebread Cellars, visited Jamaica in order to meet some of his customers. I caught up with Dennis for a brief chat on a range of topics.

In 1972, Jack Cakebread (Dennis’s Dad) was under commission as photographer for Nathan Chroman’s photographic history “The Treasury of American Wines.” He stopped one day in the Napa Valley to see family friends, the Sturdivants, an elderly couple who acquired their 22-acre Rutherford ranch in 1946, and had decided to sell it. With the understanding that the Sturdivants could live on the ranch as long as they wished, Jack and Dolores Cakebread purchased it, founding Cakebread Cellars.

So, at age 43, Jack Cakebread embarked on his fifth career, winemaking. Born in 1930, his first pursuits were on his family’s orchard ranch and in 1948 as partner with his father in Cakebread’s Garage. In 1950 Jack married Dolores and while in the Air Force with the Strategic Air Command in North Africa, he developed an interest in photography. In 1959, he undertook photographic studies under the master of landscape, Ansel Adams, and established Cakebread Photography. A 14-year photographic career followed, pursued simultaneously with the family auto repair business, which Jack had purchased from his father in 1963. Cakebread Cellars started from scratch in 1973.

Cakebread makes some of the most recognised premium wines in the world. Their Chardonnays and Cabernets are world renowned and staples at most fine restaurants. The local importer has selected a few wines for the Cakebread portfolio for representation, these are the Sauvignon Blanc, the Chardonnay and the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Exclusive

Mr Cakebread explained that you won’t see his wines in megastores in the USA like Costco — the largest wine retailers there. Why not? Simply because his products need to be sold in an informative setting and places like Costco have no one to assist you.

Dennis Cakebread stopped in Jamaica on his way home from an exciting weekend of activities in the Cayman Islands which hosts some of the top chefs and wine professionals in the world at an event called the Cayman Cookout.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley – The exemplary 2007 growing season commenced with a dry, mild winter and unusually warm spring, which prompted early budbreak and bloom. The summer was consistently mild, which enabled a modest crop of small-clustered Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to ripen slowly and evenly, developing rich, distinctive varietal flavours. Warm temperatures in early September, followed by classic California Indian Summer weather, allowed Cakebread to harvest their Cabernet Sauvignon fruit at optimum maturity between September 1 and October 15. The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon grabs the taster’s attention immediately with enticingly fresh, fruit-forward aromas of black currant, blackberry and boysenberry, joined by seductive chocolate and roast coffee scents. Beautifully structured on the palate, it boasts intense, concentrated, dark berry and cassis flavours balanced by supple, well-knit tannins and a long, flavourful finish with fine acidity and savoury mocha tones. Delightful to drink now, this rich, elegant Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will blossom fully with another five to seven years of bottle age.

2008 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley – In 2008, Cakebread enhanced the wine’s complexity by blending in 4 per cent Sauvignon Musqué, an aromatic clone of Sauvignon Blanc, and 6 per cent Sémillon, which enriched the mid-palate, softened the wine’s acidity and contributed a pleasing citrus tone. The 2008 growing season was a wild one. The year began with torrential rains in January, transitioned into drought conditions in early spring – leading to an early budbreak – then erupted into the worst frost season in over 35 years in late March and throughout April. Combined with inclement weather during the blooming of the vines in May, this significantly reduced the size of the crop throughout Northern California. Beginning in June, however, an extended period of clear, consistently mild weather took hold, enabling us to harvest our pristine, fully ripened Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc between August 12 and September 15. Cakebread night-harvest their Sauvignon Blanc grapes at cool temperatures to preserve its fresh, vibrant flavours and achieve an ideal balance of sugar and acidity. After the grapes arrive at the winery, they immediately press the whole clusters to maximise varietal character while minimising the extraction of astringent compounds from the skins. In 2008, 67 per cent of the juice was tank-fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels; 18 per cent was fermented and aged in barrels; and 15 per cent was tank-fermented with no oak ageing. “Golden” and “sun-kissed” are words that pop to mind when sipping this delicious Sauvignon Blanc, which makes both a wonderful apéritif and a delectable companion to simply prepared seafood, poultry and vegetarian entrées.

2008 and 2009 Chardonnay Napa Valley – The grapes for the Napa Valley Chardonnay come primarily from the valley’s cooler southern regions, which stretch from the fog-chilled Carneros district to relatively warmer sites just north of the town of Napa. Blending fruit from diverse microclimates and soils allows Cakebread to craft a rich, ripe, elegantly structured Chardonnay that’s delicious on release, but also ages well in bottle. To enhance the wine’s freshness and protect the vineyard workers from the high temperatures prevalent during harvest, they pick all of the fruit at night, ensuring it arrives at the winery in pristine condition. The 2008 growing season was a study in extremes. The year began with torrential January rains, segued into drought conditions in early spring (prompting early budbreak), then erupted into the worst frost season in over 35 years in late March and throughout April. The 2009 growing season was “cool” in all respects. Spring rains replenished the water table in Napa Valley, deferring the need for irrigation. Summer brought consistently below-average temperatures, resulting in the slow, even and parallel development of grape sugars and flavours. The 2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay boasts lovely, perfumed aromas of fresh melon, yellow apple, lime and white peach, with complementary mineral and toasty-spicy oak scents. On the full-bodied, yet sleek palate, the wine offers concentrated, beautifully focused peach, apple and citrus zest flavours, with mineral and spice tones enlivening the long, refreshing finish. The 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay seduces right off the bat with brilliantly fresh, complex aromas of lemon-lime, scented pear, ripe yellow apple, honeydew melon and mineral. On the sleek, vibrant palate, rich, concentrated, ripe apple and pear flavours dominate, with refreshing citrus and mineral tones emerging in the wine’s wonderfully long, crisp, finish.

Chris Reckord – Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. He and his wife Kerri-Anne are part-owners of Jamaica’s only Wine Bar — Bin 26 Wine Bar in Devon House, Kingston. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com.