Winemaker Helen Keplinger: One to Follow
People will tell you that much of winemaking takes place in the vineyard. They say that 80% of what goes into a wine’s quality is produced in how that vine is grown and nurtured. I buy that in many ways. That leaves at least 20% to the skills, abilities and palate of the winemaker. That 20% really matters. Helen Keplinger is one winemaker to follow – no matter where she is or what grapes she is working with, her wine is of remarkable quality. (See this recent post called California Women of the Rhone, which highlights Helen and three other winemakers who focus on Rhone varietals.)
I first tasted one of Helen’s early wines back in 2008. The bottle was a full throttle Grenache named Red Slope. The vintage was 2006, and I remember it well. Rich, fleshy and deep fruit flavors. I immediately went back to buy more and immediately joined the Keplinger mailing list. I have been buying her wine ever since and watching as her career and reputation have taken off. She has worked with many of the best in Napa Valley and been the winemaker for several different labels.
The focus for her winemaking, though, is Rhone Varietals (notably, syrah, grenache, and mourvedre). As she states, Rhones are the “wines she and her husband DJ reach for most often.” They are food-friendly and, in my opinion, lovely to quaff by themselves. Helen sources her grapes from many different areas in Northern California, such as Sonoma and Amador County. They are then transformed by her deft hand.
In addition to her Keplinger wines, she makes a red wine under the name of Vermillion. I just opened the most recent vintage of this wine and quite frankly was wowed. It is a 2014 – very young – yet very approachable. It has bright red fruit; it’s plush on the mid palate; and it has a long finish. This wine is a blend, of course, of Rhone varietals. This all for only $35 a bottle! This is a real value and something I would highly recommend. At the current time, since it is a small production, the only way to obtain the wine is by signing up at the Vermillion website. This would afford access to the Vermillion offering each spring.
Enjoy!