Almost certainly, you have drunk one of AXA Millésimes wines, even if you have not been aware of the fact. Owned by the Paris-based AXA insurance giant, its portfolio includes prestige properties in France, Hungary, Portugal and, more recently, the US. Famed names like Château Pichon Baron, Disznókó and Quinta do Noval.
Christian Seely, the long-time managing director, is hosting us for lunch at the London restaurant Quo Vadis to show the wines from their latest acquisition. Having bought Napa Valley’s Outpost Wines a few years back, AXA then acquired Platt Vineyard in neighbouring Sonoma in 2022.This is the first tasting in the UK for Platt’s first vintage of 2023.
British-educated Seely explains that he had no difficulty persuading AXA that since it owned a prestigious Pauillac Grand Cru Classé estate like Pichon Baron, it should buy Outpost Winery in Napa as another location ideal for producing Cabernet.
A similar logic applies to Platt. AXA owns Premier Cru sites in Nuits St Georges and Vosne Romanée. Seely believes the Sonoma property offers “similarly exceptional terroir for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.”
Less than six miles from the Pacific Ocean, Platt Vineyard enjoys a maritime climate. Recognised in 2022, the West Sonoma Coast AVA is the rugged westernmost slice of Sonoma County.Pretty isolated and surrounded by redwoods, the generally shallow soils and cool climate mean low yields.
Platt was established in 2003 by Lew Platt, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, who also had a brief stint running Kendall-Jackson between 2000 and 2001. With his wife Joan, Platt had painstakingly chosen and planted the vineyard.
From 2015 the owners were financial people selling the grapes – not wine people. That’s all changed. Care is now being lavished on the vines and wines. Seely is ably assisted by consultant Thomas Rivers Brown, described as “something of a rock star winemaker,” who was previous owner of AXA’s earlier Outpost Wines acquisition. It seems he only sold his beloved vineyard once the prospect of working at Platt was dangled before him.
The Platt vineyard totals 22 acres, or less than nine hectares. The lower portion sits at elevations between 425 and 580 feet, comprising nine blocks of Pinot Noir. The highest is above 700 feet.
The launch 2023 vintage wines, while not cheap, are being positioned as offering value for money – something that is doubtless sensible, given the state of the market.
We kick off with the two reds. The year 2023 had a cool start and the sunshine didn’t appear until quite late but from mid-July there was no difficulty ripening the grapes.
Platt Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast 2023 (ABV 13.7%, £90 a bottle retail) has notes of dark fruit, blackberries, black cherries and plums. The wine has been aged in French oak barrels for 14 months. It’s understandably still a bit tight, but the finish is respectable.
The more expensive Platt Vineyard, Reserve Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California, 2023 (ABV 13.7%, £185) has notes of sour cherry and an appealing salinity. Tannins will doubtless come to the fore with longer ageing.
We move on to the whites which at this young age are still more pleasing. Platt Vineyard Estate Reserve Chardonnay West Sonoma Coast 2023 (ABV 14.1%, £90) is fresh with aromas of citrus, lemon verbena and white flowers. Fermented and aged on its lees in 35% new French oak, it’s bright with a good minerality. Seely understandably insists: “We are not trying to make Burgundian wine.” Maybe not, but this delightful Chardonnay with its elegance and freshness will give some white Burgundies costing far more a run for their money.
Platt Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay, West Sonoma Coast, 2023 (ABV 14.3%, £185) is sourced from the best blocks at Platt which the vineyard team considers to be more age-worthy and is deeper and more complex. With orange blossom, lemon and peach this should also satisfy Californians’ traditional desire for something buttery.
Noteworthy is the reasonable alcohol levels across the range– nothing here to scare off anyone.
Platt’s distribution model is interesting. AXA has decided not to go down a ‘Screaming Eagle route’ selling direct to private clients. “The catch is that you end up being incredibly well known by 10,000 clients and no one else. Sommeliers don’t talk much about wines if they’re not serving them in their restaurants and wine writers don’t talk much about wines if they’re not available in their markets,” comments Seely.
The aim, instead, is to have a third of sales to private US clients, a third to other US outlets and a third to the rest of the world.
Dining and Cooking