Wine I Like!

The Amazing Brick House Chardonnay

2012-02-01T00:56:00.000-05:00

I've had good and likable Chardonnays from the Willamette Valley, but nothing has knocked my socks off like Brick House Vineyards' 2009 Cascadia Chardonnay. Tasting at the winery back in September, this was silky and rich with nice exotic & stone fruit along with subtle spice and depth. I really liked it then. Recently I opened a bottle to see if it might live up to the potential from the winery visit. The price was reasonably in the low $30's.

Brick House is located in the Ribbon Ridge AVA of Willamette Valley- 40 acres of biodynamically-farmed grapes planted in sedimentary soils along rolling hills. Their wines are made in a Burgundian style of gentle handling in the cellar and expression of terroir. Wines are produced by hand using only native yeast fermentation and are bottled unfined and unfiltered. The Chardonnay is a blend of Dijon clones originating in Mersault. It is barrel fermented in neutral French oak, resting on its gross lees prior to bottling.

2009 Brick House Vineyards, Cascadia Chardonnay, Ribbon Ridge, Willamette Valley

Pale gold color. Evokes honeydew melon and tropical fruit like guava; along with river rock, floral and honey notes. Just hints of butterscotch too. That's just the bouquet- it drinks with a neutral creamy richness that the fruit and hints of spice glide across. Stitched together with balanced acid. Lingering mouthwatering finish. Exceptional on its own or with food. Develops after opening- ageworthy. 13.6% ABV. (I love!)

Biodynamic French Trio

2012-01-26T01:17:00.000-05:00

I visited The Winehound in Santa Barbara looking for a good Languedoc Red under $20. I left with three recommendations- each under $20, from a different region and each produced from biodynamically grown grapes.

2010 Domaine de la Louvetrie (Landron & Fils) Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sue Lie
The first label of famed Muscadet producer Jo Landron. Landron's wines are farmed biodynamically, hand plowed and hand harvested. Fermentations begin naturally. The Domaine de la Louvetrie is a blend from several sites and diverse mineral-laden soils.

Tasting notes- Rocky, floral and sharp lime notes through the bouquet. Tangy acid and brine greet the palate and then washes away through a wave of citrus. Sharp but balanced with broadening lingering fruit on the finish. (I really like!).

Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine is not a wine that I drink everyday, so when I decide to pick one up I want it to be special. This definitely fit the bill. Excellent all the way around, and at $15.99 I thought it was a great buy. Sadly I couldn't make an oyster pairing work, but a caprese sandwich filled in quite nicely.

2010 Marie-Pierre Plumet Côtes du Rhône La Cabotte Colline
Grenache and Syrah. From clay and limestone soils in the Uchaux district in the Côtes du Rhône. Farmed biodynamically and aged in vats.

Tasting notes- Blackberry, bread dough and cracked pepper on the bouquet with plenty of black cherry and dried herb on the bouquet. Red fruit and mineral emerge with air and food. Medium body, chalky grainy tannins and a savory medium finish (I like!).

Another good recommendation- outperforming its price point of 11.99.

2010 Borie La Vitarèle Saint-Chinian Les Terres Blanches
Grenache and Syrah. This is from the Saint-Chinian AOC in the Languedoc. Borie La Vitarèle's estate is on limestone, clay and gravel soils. The wines are biodynamically farmed, de-stemmed, foot crushed and fermented with natural yeasts. The Les Terres Blanches spends a year in barrel and a year in tank with lees disturbance.

Tasting notes- Garrigue, wild oats, rocks, violets and blueberry bouquet. It picks up a hint of dark chocolate on the palate to go along with its savory fruit. Nice focus of flavors with a bit of silkiness to the feel. Fine grainy tannins a finish of mineral fruit. (I like+!)

I really like the depth and breadth of this wine for the price (17.99). Nice focused flavors- a great value. I'll look for more Languedoc reds like this.

Lompoc Wine Ghetto- Day 1

2012-01-23T00:55:00.000-05:00

Nothings evokes wine country images quite like an industrial park behind a Home Depot store. Just beyond the tranquil vineyards and rolling hillsides of Sta. Rita Hills is the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. It sits at the edge of Lompoc, CA and houses a plethora of great Santa Barbara County producers -- both well known and emerging. It's primarily tasting rooms, although there are a few winery operations there too. You could literally spend days tasting through all the wines.

I'm spending my Sundays there now working in the Arcadian tasting room. It's just a little part-time job as a hobby... Having worked hectic full time schedules in the wine business in my past life, it's a real pleasure to swoop in one day a week to talk about and taste wine with people who are there for that reason. I look forward to meeting people in the area and getting to know more about the wines.

An awesome lineup at Arcadian- as good as the Pinot Noirs were, the 05 Stolpman Syrah was stupid good. All the Syrah concentration and savory fruit with a Pinot Noir-like supple elegance.

A great lineup of 2009 Pinot Noir from Evening Land. One from Edna Valley and two from Sta. Rita Hills.

Santa Barbara County- The Arrival

2012-01-18T00:26:00.001-05:00

It's been a hectic few weeks. A cross-country move by car was followed by work training and travel -- with temporary housing thrown on top. I'm in the Santa Barbara area, but circumstances have barely given me time to get to know the area -- much less unpack and enjoy wine.

My final destination is 45 minutes north in the Santa Ynez Valley. I've spent a few days driving from one side of the valley to the other looking for a place to live. It's been a little surreal. Having traveled there for wine tasting it's now becoming a place of real life and responsibility. One thing that's striking is how much bigger the area seems when you're not breezing through for wine tasting. Visiting in May I visited wineries in Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley all in a single day. That seems a little crazy to me now.

It's easy to understand some of the climatic and geographical differences of Santa Barbara's AVA's on a surface level. Starting a new life here however is a full realization of the enormity and diversity of the area. It's little things like making the drive from Lompoc to Solvang; along the way watching the thermometer in my car change, or watching the landscape and vegetation change. Or realizing that it might actually take me a half hour if I want to take the alternate route of Santa Rosa Road through the heart of Sta. Rita Hills. I'm fully realizing and respecting the uniqueness of the each wine region. I haven't even had time to get up to Santa Maria Valley yet -- it seems like a world away.

It's been a dry winter this year in Santa Barbara County. The dormant winter vineyards and dry landscapes of the hills and mountains show like a beautiful sophisticated face -- the projection changing with sunlight and mood. Poignant moments behind the wheel to and fro.

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This past weekend was the first chance to get out and actually do some wine tasting. I visited the Tercero tasting room in Los Olivos, Rusack Vineyards, and Brewer-Clifton's open house.

The Tercero Wines tasting room is located in the town of Los Olivos; amongst the plethora of tasting rooms, restaurants and shops. Tercero is the brainchild of Larry Schaffer, who switched mid-career from the publishing industry to wine. His focus is on Santa Barbera-grown and mostly Rhône varietals with a style that marries pure opulent fruit to balanced elegance with added subtle depth. The wines are focused and purely enjoyable. My favorites were-

-2009 TerceroGrenache Blanc Camp 4 Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley- Aromas of pine and eucalyptus stand out, accompanied by lemongrass and slate. Lots of slate and citrusy flavors on the palate with nice feel and balance. Pure flavors. Medium finish. (I like+!)

-2007 Tercero Grenache Camp 4 Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley- Darker fruit profile on the bouquet than typical Grenache- chocolate-covered cherries, plum & anise. Flavors of black cherry, plum, cocoa and cracker pepper. Nice feel and weight. The tannins are firm and fine leading to a nice full finish augmented with spice notes. (I really like!)

-2007 Tercero Syrah, Thompson Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley- Meaty aromas of blueberry and cassis. Opulent on the palate with blue & black fruit along with savory notes highlighted with white pepper. Pure flavors with nice balance. Drinks with a nice roundness and fine tannins- finishing full. Pure enjoyment. (I really like+!)

The Rusack Vineyard tasting room is located along beautiful Ballard Canyon Road in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. This is a prime location for Syrah- which Rusack grows there in their vineyards. They also make the Bordeaux blend Anacapa from Santa Ynez Valley grapes as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley. Rusack is also launching a really cool project producing wines from Santa Catalina Island. The tasting room was crazy busy when I was there, but I managed to taste through their current releases. I found the wines to be enjoyable and balanced overall, albeit without anything that blew me away. The favorites were-

-2009 Rusack Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley- Black cherry, rhubarb, licorice spice on the nose. Layered fruit and mineral spice on the palate- red raspberry & cherry with an added note of tea. Silky fine tannins and a medium finish. (I like!)

-2009 Rusack Reserve Syrah Ballard Canyon,Santa Ynez Valley- Aromas of vanilla, cracked pepper, eucalyptus and blue & red fruit. Streamlines into blueberry, coffee bean and baking spice on the palate with a rich feel and round tannins. Medium finish and more notes of baking spice. (I like!)

The final stop was in Lompoc for Brewer-Clifton’s annual open house. The event featured current releases and library wines, as well as a meet and greet with Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton. I’m a big fan of their wines, which are vineyard designate Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (if you’re not familiar). All wines are vinified in the same manner, leaving the individual vineyards to speak for themselves. For example- all of the Pinot Noir is whole cluster fermented, inoculated with neutral yeast and aged in neutral French barriques. Favorites of the lineup included the 2010 3D Chardonnay, 2007 Rancho Santa Rosa Chardonnay, 2010 Gnesa Chardonnay, 2010 Machado Pinot Noir, 2010 3D Pinot Noir and the 2006 Rancho Santa Rosa Pinot Noir. My favorite overall was-

-2006 Brewer-Clifton Lindsay’s Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills- Really cool dank and rustic notes on the bouquet- earth, floral, red fruit and mineral. Bright raspberry & strawberry flavors with slate and earth- accented by briary spice notes toward the back of the palate. Silky fine tannins and a full breathy finish. (I loved!)

Camped Out In Cucamonga

2012-01-10T01:34:00.001-05:00

A Cucamonga Valley vineyard near I-15 and a shopping center

This past week, I've been spending an inordinate amount of time in the Inland Empire east of Los Angeles. City after city -- Ontario, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, et. al -- with tons of people (most with 100k-200k population), endless miles of shopping centers & bright sunshine and huge surrounding mountains. Despite its relative proximity to Los Angeles, the IE is its own entity -- as evidenced by three international airports and its own Craigslist page (the true mark of area sovereignty!).

I wasn't necessarily thinking about vineyards and wine when I rolled into town for the first time. I'd heard a little bit of old head-trained Zinfandel vineyards in the Cucamonga Valley (the valley that houses Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga), but I didn't realize that the entire valley was once covered with vineyards to the extent that it was. Nor did I realize the historical significance of the valley's viticultural past -- it was a leading wine-producing area in California at the onset of Prohibition. Signs of the past can now be seen in the form of gnarly old vineyards oddly mixed in with highways and shopping malls. Grape clusters are the on the city seal and the road signs of Rancho Cucamonga as well.

The Cucamonga Valley was granted AVA status in 1985. It's marked by a hot climate for viticulture and by sandy alluvial soils. Its historic wines would be Zinfandel and Mission, but today there is Cucamonga Valley Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre to go along with Zinfandel. Groups like CucamongaHeritage.org work to preserve vineyard land and viticultural history.

I visited the Joseph Filippi Winery & Vineyards to get a sense of the wines of the valley. Joseph Filippi dates back to 1922, and is one of if not the area's largest producers at approximately 40k cases per year. The tasting room is an expansive space- it has a large wine bar for tasting and by the glass service, a large retail area, and what amounts to a museum of Southern California wine history. I tasted through a lineup of locally produced dry reds -- 2008 Cucamonga Valley Sangiovese, 2009 Cucamonga Valley Tempranillo, 2008 Cucamonga Valley Cabernet Franc, 2008 Five Estates Red Blend, 2007 Cucamonga Valley Petite Sirah & 2009 Estate Zinfandel.

If there was a flavor marker I picked up among these wines, it was notes of mineral and eucalyptus along with ripe but mellow blue fruit. The wines ranged in price from around $10 for the everyday drinkers to upwards to $30 for their flagship wines. The wines I liked from the lineup were:

-'09 Joseph Filippi Tempranillo, Cucamonga Valley- earthy fruit and minerality with smooth tannins.

-'08 Joseph Filippi Five Estates (Petite Sirah, Syrah, Mourvedre, Zinfandel & Grenache)- nice red fruit with floral, mint & crushed stone and a smooth feel.

-'07 Joseph Filippi Petite Sirah, Cucamonga Valley- brambly fruit with rock, coffee & eucalyptus with a firm structure.

-'08 Joseph Filippi Estate Zinfandel, Cucamonga Valley- coffee, maple, leather and peppercorn notes along with currant and blueberry finishing with firm tannins.

Link to all of the above wines

This piece of California wine history will likely continue to diminish over time. Check out the story and the wines if you get a chance...

Tasting in Verde Valley, Arizona

2012-01-04T23:37:00.000-05:00

This past New Year’s weekend, I found myself passing through Northern Arizona and I decided to devote a few hours tasting Arizona wines in the Cottonwood/Jerome/VerdeValley area. A cursory plan took me to Alcantara Vineyards, mostly because I wanted to visit an actual vineyard in the area. I also visited two winery tasting rooms in the Maynard Keenan-owned group of Arizona wineries -- Arizona Stronghold and Caduceus. These properties, along with Stronghold partner Eric Glomski’s PageSprings Cellars, seem to represent the vanguard of pushing the Arizona wine movement forward. Their wine projects are profiled in the 2010 film Blood Into Wine.

I started at Alcantara. The vineyard and winery are located in the Verde Valley – an area about 75 or so miles north of Phoenix. This area is just below the southern edge of the Colorado Peninsula, so it has warmer temperatures than the cold/higher elevation areas of Northern Arizona, but sits at about 2000 feet in elevation above Phoenix with more moderate heat and cool nights. Its soils are sandy loam. Alcantara’s vineyards are on slopes near the floor of the valley, beside the Verde River.

I tasted wines in their tasting room at the vineyard. Somewhat disappointingly, many of their wines were either sourced entirely or partially from California (Paso Robles) fruit – a trend that I would see throughout the area visit. From talking to the tasting room pourer, it sounds like their estate program is still a work in progress, with a focus toward varietals that can potentially thrive in the warm arid climate of the area – Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Mourvedre and Sangiovese. All of the wines that I tasted were well-made and drinkable wines, albeit with optimistic pricing mostly in the $30 range. The estate-grown 2009’s Mourvedre and Zinfandel were the standouts- with ripe but mellow fruit and soft supple nuances from neutral oak aging. The Mourvedre had a marked mineral note to compliment juicy black cherry and blueberry as well as round approachable tannins. The Zinfandel more herbal than a brambly California Zin, featuring black pepper and dried herb notes going along with open blueberry and red apple notes.

Next was a stop on Main Street in Cottonwood at the Arizona Stronghold Vineyards tasting room. The vineyard and winery are a partnership between Eric Glomski and Maynard Keenan. They have two estate vineyards in the Southeast portion of the state – the Arizona Stronghold Vineyard in Coshise County and to the norththe Bonita Springs Vineyard. Both vineyards are farmed sustainably, on high elevation sites at roughly 4300 feet above sea level, with soils of sandy loam and sub-soils of clay loam. The elevation moderates temperatures with diurnal variations as much as 50 degrees during the growing season. Some vines at Stronghold are as much as 27 years old. A surprisingly full range of varietals are grown there, with an impressive production of 80,000 cases.

I came away from the tasting impressed by the quality, depth and breadth of the production at Stronghold. Furthermore, the wines were the most fairly priced of the wines that I tasted that day. The 2010 Tazi -- a white blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malvasia Bianca, Pinot Gris and Riesling was fresh and rich with bright tropical fruit notes. Interestingly, Malvasia Bianca (a white grape known primarily as a minor blending grape in basic Chianti and one of the grapes of Madeira) is seen as a specialty of the vineyard. It makes up a substantial portion of the Tazi. There was also an excellent dry rosé, the 2010 Dayden -- primarily Zinfandel. It was clean and refreshing with pure mineral and spicy fruit notes. On the red front, from their “Site Archive” series, the 2009 Bonita SpringsCabernet Sauvignon offered nicely balanced fruit, mineral, and leathery spice notes, while the 2010 Stronghold Mourvedre showed pure blue fruit along with nutty and peppery notes. The reds tend to be aged with small percentages of new French oak barrels and otherwise in neutral oak.

The last visit was to Maynard Keenan’s Caduceus Cellars & Merkin Vineyards tasting room. The location was in a hip spot on Main Street in the funky mountainside town of Jerome. Compared to Arizona Stronghold, Caduceus is designed to feature wines grown in the high elevation Merkin Vineyards in Verde Valley. Among the Merkin sites, elevations range from 4200 to 4800 feet and varying soils. The wines are made in smaller lots, with longer aging in higher percentages of new oak. The wines are pricier than their Arizona Stronghold counterparts, in sleeker silkscreened bottles. Also, while the Merkin vineyards are maturing, many of the wines are still coming from the Stronghold & Bonita Springs vineyards as well as from estate sites in Paso Robles, California.

Disappointingly, none of the wines available for tasting when I was there were from the Verde Valley sites. There was the 2010 Dos Ladrones, Bonita Springs Vineyard – a Malvasia Bianca and Chardonnay blend not dissimilar to the Arizona Stronghold Tazi, albeit pricier. The red offerings included the 2009 Primer Paso from the Arizona Stronghold Vineyard – a Syrah with small percentages of Malvasia Bianca. It’s a nice wine with lots of leathery and gamey notes to go along with full dark fruit and approachable tannins. Also available for tasting was the 2009 Nagual de la Naga from Paso Robles – a Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blend with nice mulled spice, black cherry, tea and mineral notes with good structure. These were very nice and well-made wines. The pricing was definitely on the optimistic side though ($40 for an Arizona white wine!). In fairness, there is definitely significant investment in the vineyard and cellar programs, coming from a famous rock star with a rabid fan base, and pretty stunning packaging. I’ll watch this program with interest as it develops – especially the Verde Valley wines – but I’m not yet a buyer.

For that I’ll look to the Arizona Stronghold label. In my quest to taste Arizona wines that were solid and sound in quality and value, and that hinted at terroir, Stronghold was the clear winner. I’ll look for them in the market while looking forward to following the progression of all of these wines in the future.

Vineyards at Alcantara

2011 Wine Travels- Best of Columbia Valley

2011-12-30T22:44:00.000-05:00

I also visited Washington wine country in September. And when I wasn’t winning grape stomping competitions, I was sampling wines from some of the finest producers in Walla Walla Valley, Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain.

These were mostly 2008 and 2009 new releases; the quality of which I thought was consistently very good. If there was a difference between the two vintages, it might have been the structure of the 2008’s being a little stronger -- not unlike the 2007 vintage for full opulent fruit, nice balance and firm structure. The 2009’s that I tasted had a little more hedonistic flair.

Also of note, I did not include any whites on this top 10 list – There were just not many offered for tasting among the producers that I visited, and none that warranted a slot among my favorites given the goodness of the wines below. If I had a favorite white, it was the 2009 Fidelitas Optu, a Sauvignon/Semillon blend. Also, none of my tastings included any Riesling.

The wineries visited were Buty, Pepper Bridge, Sleight of Hand, K Vintners, aMaurice, Gramercy, Kiona, Fidelitas and Hedges. Below are my 10 favorite wines – click the link on the wine names for further info on the wines. And thanks for putting up with all of my year end top 10 lists!

2008 Fidelitas Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills

Tasting room visit- 9/10. Notes of cedar, tobacco, anise, cassis, spice and mineral on the nose. Palate of blue and red fruit with a backdrop of mineral, cedar and spice. Silky round tannins and a long finish of fruit and spice. (I loved!)

2008 Fidelitas Cabernet Sauvignon Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain

Tasting room visit- 9/10. Mineral, red fruit, cedar, spice and tobacco on the nose. Similar notes on the palate with additional open notes of cherry and silky tea. Round tannins finishing with ample fruit and spice. Excellent. (I loved!)

2009 Sleight of Hand Syrah The Funkadelic, Walla Walla Valley

Tasting room visit- 9/9. Dank earth, bacon, dried herb, mineral, and red fruit notes on the nose and through to the palate. Nice feel but tight as a clinched fist. Round firm tannins and ripe red fruit on the finish. It would be interesting to see how this develops. (I really liked!)

2006 Pepper Bridge Reserve, Walla Walla Valley

Winery tour and tasting- 9/9. Aromas of tobacco, earth, cassis, mineral, and cherry. Layers of complex flavors on the palate- tea, black and red cherry, leather, cigar box. Creamy silky texture. Firm round tannins. Tons of structure and still tightly wound despite everything that it shows. A long layered finish. A great wine with a long life ahead. (I loved!)

2008 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley

Winery tour and tasting- 9/9. Aromas of cherry, leather, cassis, and mineral. Additional darker fruit notes on the palate with added spice, tea, and cocoa notes atop the cassis and leather. Feels of pure silk, picking up notes of violet along firm, round, and polished tannins. Long finish of pure fruit and mineral notes. A great wine. (I loved!)

2009 K Vintners Ovide En Cerise Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley

Tasting room visit- 9/9. Notes of blueberry, lavender, cedar, and mineral on the nose. On top of fruit there are intensely layered flavors of mineral, cassis, currant, tea, vanilla, allspice. Nice smooth feel and round tannins. Medium-long finish. The most complex wine of the lineup I tasted, and nice balance. (I really liked!)

2008 Buty Rediviva Phinny Hill Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills

Tasting room visit- 9/9. Massive aromas- tobacco leaf, leather, butterscotch, cassis. Smooth and polished on the palate with additional currant, black cherry, and slate flavors. Round tannins full of red fruit and spice on a medium-long finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2003 Kiona Syrah Estate Bottled Reserve, Red Mountain

Opened with a short decant. A dark ruby color with medium density. Aromas of black cherry, dried herbs, eastern spice, cracked pepper, with hints of cedar. Lots of red fruit and spice with some savory notes on the palate- cherry, currant, cinnamon, tea, olive, black pepper, and vanilla. Rich and silky feel with polished tannins. Nice length on the finish with ripe with notes of blue and red fruit. I purchased this at the winery... it's a superb value for an aged wine of this quality in its prime (I really liked!)

2006 Gramercy Cellars Syrah “Lagniappe”, Columbia Valley

Tasting room visit- 9/9. Bouquet of blueberry pie, anise and licorice along a savory backdrop. The palate brings brambly fruit, spice, dried herbs, and olive notes. Lush round tannins. Spice and ripe fruit on the long finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Gramercy Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla Valley

Tasting room visit- 9/9. Aromas of blueberry pie and gamey spice and pepper. Dark fruit on the palate with pepper, blue spice, black tea, and black olive. Concentrated flavor, silky in feel. Fine tannins and a long ripe finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2011 Wine Travels- Best of Willamette Valley

2011-12-28T22:47:00.000-05:00

September 2011 brought two wonderful days in the Willamette Valley. It what was turning out to be a cool vintage in Oregon, as the vines were just getting into veraison in the first week of September.

I visited AVA's and wineries throughout the northern part of the valley. Most of the wines available to taste were new release 2009's. On balance these were forward and open with generous fruit and silky texture with balanced spice and earth notes. The best of the bunch had the structure to suggest some longevity. A few of the vaunted 2008's were sprinkled in. These were dense and serious, suggesting of things to come.

The producers visited were Domaine Drouhin, Eyrie, Bethel Heights, St. Innocent, Cristom, J.K. Carriere, Brick House, Beaux Frères, KenWright & Elk Cove. My 10 favorite wines from these visits are below- please click on each wine's link for more info.

2009 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton

Tasting room visit- 9/7. Mineral, mushroom, casses, fig and vanilla aromas. Earth, spice, floral and cherry fruit on the palate. Very balanced and complex with earthy tannins and a long finish. My favorite of the lineup. (I really liked!)

2009 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir The Upper Terrace, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Aromas of cherry, plum, spice, earth and mushroom. Satin on the palate with tea notes, rich spice and fruit, and further savory earth and mushroom and earth. Firm round tannins and a big finish. Bolder and more streamlined than the 2009 Beaux Freres Vineyard PN but not quite as complex. (I loved!)

2009 Beaux Frères Pinot Noir Beaux Frères Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Savory full bouquet of mushroom, earth, mineral, anise, fig and allspice. Full flavors of spice, ripe fig, black tea, cedar, leather and mushroom- deep and savory. A fine silky feel with polished firm tannins and a pleasant zip of acidity. A full long earthy finish. Bold and heady yet grounded with balance... an outstanding wine. (I loved!)

2009 J.K. Carriere Pinot Noir, Antoinette, Willamette Valley,Eola-Amity Hills

Winery visit- 9/8. Cola, violet, sandalwood, cranberry notes on the bouquet. Moves along to cherry, fig, mineral, and earth on the palate. Seamlessly layered with a rich silky feel. Polished tannins with pronounced acid. A long creamy fruit finish. (I really liked!)

2009 Brick House Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais, Willamette Valley,Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Lots of spice on the bouquet- eastern and baking. Additional lavender and fig notes. Layers of flavors on the palate- cherry, raspberry, crushed rock, white pepper, and subtle earth. Great weight and feel. Round tannins. Floral and fruit notes on the finish. Nice length. Very elegant. (I loved!)

2009 Brick House Chardonnay Cascadia, Willamette Valley,Ribbon Ridge

Winery visit- 9/8. Alluring aromas- mineral, lime, straw, and butterscotch. Leesy rich palate with stone fruit and butter toffee notes. Pleasing silkiness and good acid. Lengthy finish- lush and breathy. (I really liked!)

2008 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard, WillametteValley, Eola Amity Hills

Tasting room visit- 9/8. Plum and cherry notes on the nose with additional earthy spice. Deep on the palate- with mineral, cranberry, cherry, earth, fennel, and spice notes. Firm tannins and a lengthy finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir Original Vines Reserve,Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

Tasting room visit- 9/7. Huge aromatics- reminded me balsam-wood, cedar, leather, violet, fig, cherry, and mushroom. On the palate it hones in on cranberry and fig fruit, mineral and earth, and subtle oak. Round and fine with polished tannins and savory fruit on a medium-long breathy finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley

Tasting room visit- 9/7. Aromas of slate and rich apricot. Rocky citrus and stone fruit flavors. Opulent feel with balanced acid. Rich leesy notes on the finish. Very nice and an excellent value. (I really liked!)

2008 Cristom Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard, WillametteVineyard, Eola-Amity Hills

Lost notes- but I remember this for big earthy stemmy tannins, big fruit, and plenty of floral, spice and earthy complexity. the Cristom wines were great- Several could have made my favorites list. (I loved!)

Day 1 Photos

Day 2 Photos

Q&A with Joon Lim, Atlanta's Top Sommelier for 2011

2011-12-23T22:11:00.001-05:00

Let’s face it: many of us out there still have the mental picture of the stuffy sommelier -- that authority of all things wine in a dark suit looking down their nose at us as we struggle to order wine when we dine out. In reality it’s an outdated stereotype, but I’m surprised by how many of my non-oenophile friends still have this perception.

If there’s a movement afoot to change the perception, young sommeliers like Joon Lim are at the forefront. Joon’s story is as interesting as it is dynamic. He transformed his passion for wine into professional achievement as he attained CSW certification and rose all the way to Level 3 (Advanced) certification by the Court of Master Sommeliers in the span of just four years. In addition to his most recent Advanced Sommelier certification, Joon has recently won Taste of Atlanta’s Best Sommelier Competition. Joon’s restaurant career has rapidly moved him from Park Café in Duluth, GA to his recent rise to Beverage Manager at one of Atlanta’s top restaurants, Rathbun’s. On top of it all, Joon earnestly shares his knowledge and passion for wine with enthusiasm and humility.

Matt- Tell me about your background before wine? How long have you been studying and how were you first drawn to wine?

Joon- I was a college student also working full time at a local Starbucks coffee store. College wasn't working out too well for me so I seriously considered a career with Starbucks. It didn't turn out to be anything fulfilling, but I loved coffee, and found myself complacent. Just as I was feeling comfortable, I was invited to a wine tasting. Wine was an intimidating subject. There was so much prestige and mystery that it made me more curious. I saw people in their suits, swirling, sniffing, and tasting. They were able to tell where it was from and what soil it was grown in. I knew that's what I wanted to do for a living. So I picked up my first book, Wine For Dummies when I was 23. Since then, I've been buying wine books like they’re crack. :)

Matt- As you advanced in your wine studies, what made you decide to pursue your career as a sommelier at Rathbun’s?

Joon- I'm dumbfounded as to how I advanced so quickly. I come from a non-restaurant background with limited experience. When our owners Cliff Bramble and Kevin Rathbun approached me when I was serving at the 'Steakhouse', I told them that I wasn't much of an executive. My natural personality is to be shy and reserved and very passive. I still have no idea why they promoted me.

Matt- How did you incorporate food and cuisine into your studies?

Joon- Coming from the restaurant industry, it wasn't too difficult to do. I was fortunate to work with some great chefs. One of the first chefs I worked with was classically trained in French cuisine. French cuisine taught me a great deal about flavor building and putting flavors together. It forced me to think about why certain flavors go together. Take for example, peanut butter and jelly. I can't explain to you scientifically why they're perfect together. But I can learn some principles from that combination- Peanut butter is creamy and jelly is jammy. If that's the case, could be that a creamy risotto can also pair nicely with a jammy zinfandel?

Matt- What were the early wines that inspired you? How have your tastes changed?

Joon- The first bottle of wine I ever bought was a Dolcetto. That was because Wine For Dummies told me it was an easy wine to get to know. I found it to be delicious. Then, I moved on to bigger, more tannic wines and that's all I wanted. I craved more spice, more heat, and more fruit. It was that way for a number of years. Then recently, I've been craving more elegant and silky wines, like Domaine Dujac and Armand Rousseau. These days, I'm drinking Sonoma and Russian River Valley pinots because they soothe the palate. It's all about texture for me these days.

Matt- What did you do to prepare for the various levels of Sommelier certification to ensure your success?

Joon- I ask myself the same thing. At the advanced level 3, the world is fair game, so where does one start? I made 3000 flash cards, filled up 5 spiral note books, read books of biblical thickness. You just try to do everything you can.

Matt- How did you become involved in Taste of Atlanta’s Best Sommelier competition?

Joon- I almost ended up not competing. I wasn't sure of myself. However, the other sommeliers told me to compete because they wanted to kick my butt. I decided to stand up for myself and compete. I prayed to God that I was up against goliaths, and that he had to help me just as he did with David. :)

Matt- What is the most difficult wine to identify in competition?

Joon- Identifying wine becomes more difficult if you have two wines side by side that are similar. I have the most trouble distinguishing Brunello and Barolo. Both are thin skinned, tannic, have sour cherry notes and rose petal-like notes. You really have to look for that whisper of tar to know which one is the Barolo.

Matt- Are you planning to pursue becoming a Master Sommelier?

Joon- Yes I do plan on becoming a master sommelier. :)

Matt- What are some characteristics that make for a quality wine list? What are your goals in developing the wine program at Rathbun’s?

Joon- I think sommeliers need energy. It's so easy to get tired and complacent especially with all the managerial duties that have to be dealt with. We work very long hours; deal with pressure from servers, guests, and owners. It's easy to burn out and lose inspiration. So a quality wine program starts with an inspired sommelier. I'm willing to do what's never been done before in the history of our restaurant. Example, I have brought in Dom Ruinart and am featuring it for $39 a glass. I want to push the envelope and show what Atlanta is capable of. There are a handful of us who are committed to taking Atlanta to the next level. We are the few. The beverage program at Rathbun's will feature a half bottle selection, a craft beer menu, and more emphasis on the classic styles. Right now, it is about 95% new world (American). I will also be rolling out a new cocktail program early next year.

Matt- What do you like in a retail wine program?

Joon- I believe sommeliers have a key role to play in the retail realm. I like stores that hire knowledgeable people who don't lie. Whether you're a sommelier working the floor of a restaurant or a retail wine shop, you're still trying to help the guest make the proper wine selection. There's an underlying notion among retail owners that stocking clerks are able to answer questions that a customer might have about a particular wine. They really need to invest in a team of sommeliers (depending on the size of the store of course) that can not only help customers, but also train the staff. A couple of my favorite stores are Total Wine and the BeverageSuperstore in Suwanee. Even as a professional sommelier, I depend on experts in the respective stores to help me navigate. The diversity of ideas is incredible and I always learn something from them.

Matt- What are the key issues facing the wine industry? What concerns you?

Joon- Wine snobs. :)

In all seriousness, I worry about the accessibility of fine wine to the common person. Take for example the global demand for Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux. The prices have become prohibitive and I fear it's just a matter of time before we see the same thing happening to California cabernets. Can you imagine Nickel and Nickel selling for $1200 a bottle? Just like there was a real estate bubble, I believe there is a wine bubble. The prices are going to hit a ceiling and they will come crashing down as people learn of better alternatives to Grand Cru Bordeaux. On the flip side, there are more outstanding values than ever before.

Matt- What are your favorite wine regions?

Joon- Napa Valley of course! Finger Lakes, NY, Niagara on the Lake, Canada, Margaret River, and Bordeaux.

2011 Wine Travels- Napa/Sonoma "Lucky 13"

2011-12-19T15:52:00.000-05:00

Spending three days of the trip throughout Napa Valley and Sonoma County, there were plenty of sensational wines to be tasted. Standing out were 2008 Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley, as well as some outstanding 2008 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from Littorai's Petaluma Gap area vineyards (south of the areas affected by the wildfires).

In Napa Valley I visited Schramsberg, Chappellet, Pride, Spottswoode, Black Sears, Anderson's Conn Valley, Reynolds Family and White Rock. I was mostly in Northern Sonoma- visiting Littorai, Wind Gap, Joseph Swan, Porter Creek, Jordan and Pezzi King.

For your reading pleasure, below are my "Lucky 13" favorite wines from the 2011 Napa/Sonoma wine trip tastings. I've included any available links to each wine for further pricing and technical info. Cheers!

2008 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, St. Helena, Napa Valley

Winery tour tasting. Loads of aromas- cherry, tobacco, leather, cracked pepper, cedar, red currant, with subtle spice. Profoundly elegant flavors and mouthfeel- silk, tea, black currant, black cherry, leather, cigar box. Seamlessly layered balance. perfect weight and presence. Fine tannins that are firm and gripping. Long finish. Awesome to taste now, but I won't touch this for many years. (I loved+++!)

2010 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

Winery tour tasting. Alive on the nose with Meyer lemon, wheat straw, and fresh green apples. Rich and silky on the palate, apple butter, subtle caramel notes, and lime. Nicely structured- just the right acid balance. Long finish. Really vibrant and distinct flavors- excellent. (I loved!)

2008 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard HillEstate Vineyard, Napa Valley

Tasted at the winery. Deep aromas of slate, cherry, tobacco, shoebox leather, and anise. Seamlessly complex palate of leather, allspice, blueberry, cherry, curry, black tea. Silky, round, and voluptuous tannins, tightly stitched and well structured. Very long finish. Very outstanding... (I loved!)

2009 Chappellet Vineyard Chenin Blanc Dry, Napa Valley

Tasted at the winery. Lemon, slate, creme fraiche on the nose- with rich honeydew melon, and nutty and tropical notes. Round and silky with a beautiful finish. (I really liked!)

2008 Littorai Pinot Noir Platt Vineyard, Sonoma Coast

Tasted at the winery. Curry, clove, vanilla, and red fruit on the nose. Red berry, tea, and silk; with velvety tannins and long length. Outstanding feel, flavor, and balance. (I loved!)

2008 Littorai Pinot Noir Pivot Vineyard, Sonoma Coast

Tasted at the winery. Smoky, earthy, spicy fruit on the nose. Silk and tea on the palate, with sweet and eastern spice and bright fruit. Silky round tannins and a long finish. (I loved!)

2008 Littorai Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard, Sonoma Coast

Tasted at the winery. Mineral, lemon, and honey on the nose. Silky feel, with subtle cream notes and bright apple and citrus fruit. Rich finish, good weight and balance, good length. (I loved!)

2008 Wind Gap Wines Syrah, Sonoma Coast

Tasted at the winery. Great Syrah nose- gamey, bacon fat, pepper, and black olive were all there. Explodes on the palate with juicy red fruit, along with spice and savory notes. Finishes long with silky tannins and notes of black tea. (I loved!)

2008 Anderson’s Conn ValleyVineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve, Napa Valley

Tasting room pour. Shoebox leather, cedar, black pepper, and earth throughout; with emerging black currant and cassis. Silky, with round and firm tannins. Slate and emerging fruit on a lingering finish. This is a huge wine with layers of savory flavors. As the fruit fills in this could be a blockbuster. (I loved!)

2005 White Rock Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Laureate, Napa Valley

Tasted at the winery. Vanilla, cedar, toffee, minerals, currant, and cassis are introduced on the bouquet. A beautiful satiny feel in the palate, with added notes of black tea, iron, red currant, and cherry. Nice weight throughout. Firm, gripping tannins. Big finish with spice and currant. Multi-layered, it's outstanding now and but will continue to benefit with time. (I loved!)

2010 Black Sears Winery Zinfandel Estate, Howell Mountain,Napa Valley

Tasted from barrel at the winery. Notes of vanilla, mineral, and blueberry on the nose. Mineral, black tea, blackberry, and pepper on the palate; along with a pleasing silkiness. Round grainy tannins and full finish. (I loved!) ***link notes are for 2009, 2010 not yet released.

2006 Joseph Swan Zinfandel Zeigler Vineyard, Russian River Valley

Dark fruit and subtle spice on the bouquet. Very balanced rich dark fruit with integrated clove and vanilla notes. Round tannins and nice finish. Drinking very nicely (I really liked!)

2007 Joseph Swan Pinot Noir Saralee’s Vineyard, Russian River Valley

--lost my notes. This was an excellent example of Joseph Swan’s style of bright fruit with nuanced spice, earth and floral notes. It was my favorite of an enjoyable lineup of Swan Pinot Noirs that I tasted (I loved!)

Photos-
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

2011 Wine Travels- Paso Robles Top 10

2011-12-14T20:45:00.000-05:00

Onward and upward. The same trip in May produced a wonderful afternoon strolling around the Westside hills of Paso Robles. If you've never taken a ride on Vineyard Dr, it's truly one of the great scenic wine country drives in California.

The day included stops at Turley, L'Aventure, Denner, Tablas Creek and Adelaida. Through the day I enjoyed a nice variety of Westside Paso wines and caught plenty of highlights of what the area does well- Syrah, Rhône blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel- below were my 10 favorites:

Click the links for more info on the wines

2007 Adelaida Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Viking Estate Vineyard, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Mineral, tea, floral, and red fruit on the nose. Additional red fruit, tea, lavender, and cedar notes on the palate. Well structured with good weight and feel, grainy tannins, and a long finish. (I really liked!)

2008 Adelaida Syrah Anna’s Vineyard, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Meaty, floral, and blue fruit notes on the nose. Plush fruit, floral, gamey flavors- with lush round tannins and long fruit notes to finish. (I really liked!)

2008 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Cherry, fruitcake, herb, and spice notes on the nose. Beautiful silky feel on the palate with red fruit, mineral, and peppery notes. Firm-fine tannins and a long finish. A lot more to this than tasting room notes can indicate. Outstanding and should develop nicely. (I really liked!)

2010 Tablas Creek Rosé, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Rich red fruit and toffee on the nose. Strawberry and cherry fruit, rich and full, with a nice finish. Excellent rosé. (I really liked!)

2008 Tablas Creek Mourvedre, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Meaty, mineral, red & blue fruit on the notes. Notes of tea, red fruit, and light spice on the palate. Firm round/ripe tannins, and a lengthy finish. (I really liked!)

2009 Denner “The Ditch Digger”, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Tight aromas- mostly cherry and red currant. The palate gives black cherry and mineral notes with rich spice and round tannins. Finishes long. (I really liked!)

2010 Denner Theresa, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Stone fruit and floral nose. Leesy and rich fruit through the palate with a lengthy finish. Very nice. (I really liked!)

2008 L’Aventure Estate Cuvée, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Mineral, tea, black currant, and cherry notes in the bouquet. Full dark fruit along with mineral and toffee notes on the palate. Round firm tannins and good length. (I really liked!)

2005 L’Aventure Optimus, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Cracked pepper, cherry, and dried herbal notes on the nose, leading to darker currant, leather, and graphite notes on the palate. Great feel and structure. Gripping round tannins and a long finish. (I loved!)

2009 Turley Zinfandel Dusi Vineyard, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Blackberry, cherry cola, and spice on the nose. The palate shows additions of red fruit and black tea, with a nice satiny feel. Tannins and round and fine with spice and fruit lingering on the finish. (I really liked!)

Click for more Paso Robles pictures

2011 Wine Travels- Santa Barbara Top 10

2011-12-12T21:38:00.001-05:00

This past May I traveled to California and toured multiple areas of the Central and North Coasts. In September I did a second stint out west to the Willamette Valley and Eastern Washington. I carefully planned producers to see and mapped my areas of interest. The end result was getting to taste some spectacular wine along the way.

As the year ends and I prepare to move from Atlanta to California, I'd like to take a little stroll down memory lane and list my favorite wines from each region that I visited in 2011. These are all wines tasted and notes written while on the road

Starting things off is Santa Barbara County. In Santa Barbara I visited Melville, Fiddlehead, Qupe/Verdad, Foxen, and the Bien Nacido Vineyard. It was a great day that saw my friends and I completely circling Sta. Rita Hills before heading into Los Olivos via Ballard Canyon Road, and then heading up Foxen Canyon Road to Santa Maria Valley. It's interesting that 2011 ended up being such a cool vintage for California, it was very hot in Santa Barbara in early May while I was there, even in the cool-climate Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley areas.

As you can see from the list there were lots of great Syrahs, and the 2009 Pinot Noir vintage was looking pretty good.

My 10 Favorite Santa Barbara wines from the trip-

2008 Foxen Pinot Noir Black 8 Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

Tasted at Bien Nacido. Pungent bouquet with black fruit, mushroom, and cola. Very bold style continues to the palate. Black fruit, red fruit, mushroom, mineral, cola. Silky but a little hot. Gritty tannins and bold finish. Aggressive but somehow pulls it off- drinks and tastes like Pinot Noir. It's wild- I could see this being profound if it mellowed a little with bottle age. ( I really liked!)

2009 Tyler Pinot Noir N Block Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

Tasted at Bien Nacido. Cola, plum, apple-cherry, spice- expressive bouquet. Mineral, red fruit, and spice- beautifully balanced with a silky feel, fine tannins, and a long finish. (I really liked!)

2005 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley

Tasting room pour. Gamey nose with plum, raw meat, leather, and olive- awesome. Black peppery fruit with plenty of mineral and savory depth on the palate. Firm tannins and long finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2010 Verdad Rosé Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Edna Valley

Tasted at the winery. Strawberry and peach aromas and flavors throughout. Leesy and rich with good finish. Very nice. (I liked!)

2008 Fiddlehead Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley

Tasted at the winery. Lemongrass, apple, toast on the nose- rich and leesy style bold fruit and a long finish. Very nice. (I liked!)

2009 Melville Pinot Noir Carrie's, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasted at the winery. Lots of perfume and floral aromas along with cola, spice, and red fruit. Bright flavors on the palate- fruit, well-integrated spice, subtle earth notes. Great feel. Tannins firmer than past vintages. Big finish. It's all there- can't wait to spend a little more time with this and delve deeper. Very excellent. (I loved!)

2009 Melville Pinot Noir Terraces, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasted at the winery. Aromas are marked with cola, mushroom, earth, and black cherry. Balanced earth, spice, and fruit flavors- bold & intense & elegant at the same time. Lithe structure and feel, fine tannins. Long finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Melville Chardonnay Clone 76 Inox Estate, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasted at the winery. Creamy melon & honey aromas. Hits the palate with brightness and strong acid. Lots of green apple/pear/melon, and leesy richness, along a lengthy finish. Very nice. (I really liked!)

2007 Qupé Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley

Tasting room pour. Gamey, leathery, peppery fruit on the nose. Black pepper, black olive, and lush black fruit fill the palate. Smooth silk feel, round tannins, and long finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Foxen Syrah Dry Farmed Tinaquaic, Santa Maria Valley

Tasted at Foxen tasting room. I lost track of my notes for this one, but you have to know it was a big gnarly savory monster- totally awesome. (I loved!)

Link to the photos-

Calluna Vineyards Revisited- Aux Raynauds Merlot

2011-12-02T22:19:00.000-05:00

In May of 2010 I visited Calluna Vineyards in Chalk Hill. Owner/Grower/Winemaker David Jeffrey showed me around the vineyards, detailing his goal to create wines from his new site in Chalk Hill sharing as much with Bordeaux as California. It was great at the time to visit such a unique site, seeing something cool and new. I liked all of the wines very much, and it was clear to me at the time that the 2008 Calluna Aux Raynauds Merlot, Chalk Hill was something special.

I guess Merlot's not the most prestigious grape being grown in California these days, but I think it's suffered an unfair decline in popularity. No one is penalizing California Cabernet, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir for the sins of their bulk commodity producers. Merlot however has developed the reputation of soft and jammy; a quaff-able crowd pleasing red that doesn't require the serious attention and scrutiny of other more distinguished varietals.

The Calluna Aux Raynauds would have none of that. It was a young wine of serious structure and depth- coming from Jeffrey's Raynaud vineyard, named for Alain Raynaud of Chateau Quinault in Saint-Émilion whom he worked harvest in 2003 with. It exhibited a Right-Bank style in its profile and blend (Merlot with 4% Cabernet Franc). Aged in 50% new French oak and with only 60 cases made, I was pretty stoked about the level of this wine for $40.

Fast forward a year and a half, I opened a bottle and enjoyed over the course of my Friday night: Decanted, with a dark black-garnet color of slight clarity. In the bouquet I picked up aromas reminding me of cassis, rose hips, white pepper and blackberry. Full and open on the palate with big dark fruit flavors- currant, black cherry and blueberry. The fruit is melded in a range of notes- tea, mineral, cracked pepper, tar, spice. Silky in feel with firm fine-grain tannins and juicy black fruit and peppery spice on a generous finish. Seems to be at the beginning of a long ascent. (I really like!)

I'm starting to see some nice reviews for the Calluna wines in Wine Spectator and Wine & Spirits. They are well deserved. This is still a small project in its infancy, so look them up online and check it out!

Thanksgiving Heavy Hitters

2011-11-28T23:11:00.000-05:00

There's not a better holiday for wine than Thanksgiving. You can put your food & wine-pairing acumen to the test, or you can pull corks on some epic bottles to share with friends and family. I prefer the latter.

I bought a nice dry Pfalz Qualitätzwein Riesling at Murphy's in Atlanta to get things started, and then moved on to some heavy hitters from my stash over the course of the weekend. All the wines paired well with holiday fare (and leftovers). The salty, savory and sage flavors of the holiday fare complimented the good acid and bright juicy fruit of each of these wines:

Müller-Catoir 2009 Riesling Trocken, Pfalz (Imported by Michael Skurnik)- Lemongrass, petrol and slate aromas. A bracing dose of lime, wet rock and mango hits the palate. Juicy rich feel with hints of dried herb. Good length. Paired classically with Thanksgiving dinner. Could add nuance with aging. (I like!)

Melville 2009 Terraces Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills- Opened for Thanksgiving- did not decant. A striking cloudy ruby color. Broad bouquet with hints of Christmas spice, cherry, cranberry, sandalwood and mushroom-earth. Hits the palate with a balanced intensity from the bouquet and adds floral, mineral and tea notes to the mix. Full and sharp on the palate with a glassy smooth feel augmented by stemmy tannins both firm and fine. Ample finish. Excellent. Will be interested to see where this is going. (I really like!)

St Innocent 2009 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton- Opened for Thanksgiving weekend- no decant. Dark dense clear ruby color. Aromas of black cherry, dusty herb & spice and balsam. Full and generous on the palate with ample red & black fruit, spice, herb, eucalyptus, mineral and coffee notes. Smooth and creamy feel lined with round-fine tannins. Finishes medium-long with red fruit and baking spice. Excellent.... in that opulent new world Pinot kind of way. I'm sure this would mellow and add some extra nuance with more bottle age. (I really like!)

Storybook Mountain 2006 Estate Reserve Zinfandel, Napa Valley- Opened for Thanksgiving weekend, no decant but several hours open. A dark clear garnet color. Generous note of plum, blueberry, clove, tobacco and leather on the bouquet. Vibrant and open fruit on the palate, both blue and black, deftly balanced with seamless hints of spice, cedar, herbs, cocoa and earth. It glides through the palate with fine and round tannins, finishing long with all of the seamless layers of flavor demonstrated throughout. Elegant like a Pinot Noir. Imminently approachable and effortlessly complex- this is a sensational wine. (I love!)

This was a pretty special lineup of wines to enjoy over the weekend. The Müller-Catoir Riesling was a great starting point... great with Thanksgiving dinner and beautifully bright and vibrant with its fruit. The Melville and St. Innocent were both balanced and bold young Pinot Noirs with layered fruit, spice and depth. I have to say, the St. Innocent definitely plays on the California side of the fence for an Oregon Pinot Noir. The Storybook Mountain is a special wine, classically-styled like an aged claret. A California Zinfandel that was the most elegant and beautiful of the three.

Click the links on the wines above to learn more about each of these wines and how they are grown and made.

The 2011 Thanksgiving BV Twitter Debacle

2011-11-25T22:47:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Beaulieu Vineyard & Diageo on your excellent social media campagne!!!! No more virtual underage drunk winos!

Epic Grapestomping at Chateau Champoux

2011-11-22T22:53:00.000-05:00

In September my friends Justin and Jon traveled with me all the way to Washington and Horse Heaven Hills to compete in Chateau Champoux's 2011 Grape Stomping Competition. Needless to say, three strangers from Georgia were the heels of the competition!

None of us had ever stomped grapes, but Justin was determined to win. After his pep talks in the car and a game plan derived from watching YouTube videos, we were ready an intense 5 minutes of grape stomping action!

The end result was victory against eleven other teams (by a full 2 fl.oz over 2nd place) as well as a prize for longest distance traveled. Prize baskets of cool schwag and wines grown at Champoux from the likes of Quilceda Creek, Sineann and Three Rivers were scored...

The winning effort (pardon the poor audio)

The Loot-

Some recent tastings of Champoux wines-

-Fidelitas 2008 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills- Tasting room visit 9/10. Notes of cedar, tobacco, anise, cassis, spice and mineral on the nose. Palate of blue and red fruit with a backdrop of mineral, cedar and spice. Silky round tannins and a long finish of fruit and spice. (I really like!)

-Sineann 2007 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Horse Heaven Hills- Decanted for an hour. Dense and dark color with lightening garnet edges. Aromas of violet, gingerbread, red & black currant. Dense and tight hitting the palate; it opens up to notes of clove & cinnamon-flavored tea, red cherry & currant, and leathery-peppery-vanilla. Bright and full-flavored and developing through the palate. Plush feel with dusty tannins and a large lingering finish (I like!)

-Sineann 2006 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills- 375ml, opened for 2 hours without a decant. A dense dark garnet color. Notes of slate, cinnamon, curry and red fruit on the bouquet. Glassy smooth with strong hot flavors of cinnamon spice and baked red fruit. Some coffee and cedar backing notes that are mostly overshadowed. Peppery spicy round tannins and a sweet port-like finish. Some nice parts, but the sum is a hot mess.

2011- Sans Blog

2011-11-18T20:24:00.000-05:00

Damn... what happened? The last time I posted the blog was called "Wineheimer" and it was September of 2010. It's been crazy busy since then with a wine sales job taking most of my time and energy.

2012 will bring a new location and hopefully the time and energy to post again. I'm relocating to Santa Barbara CA, and hopefully will be posting wine blogs in the new location from a new perspective. I'm no longer in the wine business, so I feel comfortable relaunching the blog from the perspective of a wine enthusiast and overall superfan!

In the meantime I'm posting a photo recap of my highlights of 2011. The links below are photos from my vineyard travels of 2011... Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Monterey, Napa, Sonoma, Willamette Valley, Columbia Valley. If you like vineyard pictures ad nauseum you'll want to check these out.

SANTA BARBARA 2011

PASO ROBLES 2011

MONTEREY, SAN BENITO, SANTA CRUZ

CHATEAU CHAMPOUX (please note that my team won the grape stomping championship!) and RED MOUNTAIN

Red Teeth on Red Mountain- A Visit to the Red Mountain AVA

2010-07-12T19:31:00.016-04:00

People in the know about Washington wine often call Red Mountain the "crown jewel" of Washington AVA's. Last month I attended the Wine Bloggers Conference post-conference excursion to the Red Mountain AVA. The Red Mountain vintners and growers who hosted my group set out to make us believe it.

Red Mountain is located just east of the Yakima Valley AVA, and just north of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. It's the smallest of Washington's AVA's, distinguished by it's tributary (Yakima River), its sand and clay silt loam soils left from ice age glacial floods, and its gentle slope up the 1400 foot Red Mountain. The weather is high desert climate; with only 4 to 6 inches of rain a year, hot summer days, moderating breezes, cool evenings, and a long growing season. All these factors combine to create a terroir well-suited for the Bordeaux red varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as Rhone varietals such as Syrah.

After meeting the group at Terra Blanca Winery, we headed up the slope to Col Solare. Col Solare is an instant classic of a wine estate; founded in 1992 as a partnership between Chateau Ste Michelle and the Antinori family of Tuscany. It produces one of Washington's preeminent wines. Col Solare's red wine, a blend of mostly Bordeaux varietals with just a touch of Syrah, is sourced from top vineyards throughout Red Mountain, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope, and Horse Heaven Hills- including Col Solare's Red Mountain estate vineyard.

The modern and stately winery is beautifully situated toward the top of the Red Mountain slope. It overlooks the Red Mountain AVA below as well as the Horse Heaven Hills in the distance. We listened to the story of the winery on the patio overlooking the vineyards, then headed into the aging cellars to taste the 2006 Col Solare, Columbia Valley ($80). Aged in 100% new French (75%) and American (25%) oak, the 2006 is a wine of great beauty, finesse, and seamless structure. It is marked by mineral, cherry, and spice aromas; and beautiful lush black fruit, spice, and vanilla across the palate. Lush and rich in tannic structure, this is a stunner that I'd love to watch develop over time. As an added bonus, we tasted the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon component for the blend from barrel- a promising preview...

After the tasting, we hiked through the vineyards and down the slope to Hedges Cellars. Learning along the way about some of the prevailing viticultural philosophies of Red Mountain growers (covered later at Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard).

Finally, at Hedges Cellars, we were greeted by Christophe Hedges. Christophe, the national sales manager, expressed strong opinions to the group about the importance and distinction of estate wines- grown and produced. He talked with conviction about his belief in Red Mountain as unique terroir, and about how Hedges strives to maintain this in their wines. He tied in the role of critics and wine ratings to diminishing the unique terroir of places like Red Mountain and other areas throughout the wine world.

From there, we headed into the aging cellars to taste Red Mountain wines side by side with landmark wines from other famous regions. The pairings included:

~2007 Obolisco Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain with 2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- comparing the former's leafy savory fruit elegance with the latter's powerfully lush structure and rich dark spicy fruit. Two different expressions of Cabernet, both excellent wines.

~2008 Descendant's Liegeois Dupont Syrah, Red Mountain with 2008 Kaesler Shiraz, Barossa Valley- comparing the former's musky & gamey tobacco and fruit with the latter's lush black fruit and sweet spice. Distinctly different Syrah/Shiraz with great results.

~2006 Hedges Family Estate, Red Mountain with 2006 Chateau Talbot, St-Julien- comparing the gamey black fruit & musky herb/spice notes & silky minty structure of the former with the latter's dusty tobacco and spice & mineral fruit. An incredible comparison, both great wines.

~2006 Goedhart Family Bel' Villa Syrah, Red Mountain with 2006 René Rostaing, Côte Rôtie- both exhibiting a wild and free gaminess along with brambly fruit, tea, and mineral- along with various spice accents. What a couple of magical Syrahs!

Lesson learned- the wines of Red Mountain stand toe to toe with world class wines from more famous regions. If there's an identifier of Red Mountain that I'm picking up at this point of the day, it's fine structure and elegance... and ripe fruit delivered deftly yet powerfully. This was the common thread that I picked up from Red Mountain on this day.

From there we were off, just down the way, to the famous Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard. Originally developed in 1975 and planted with Riesling, Chadonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon; Ciel Du Cheval is now most known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Its wines have averaged 92 point scores from major publications over the last 5 years.

We were greeted by owner, Jim Holmes. Mr. Holmes talked about his philosophies on vineyard and people management. The vineyard workers don't work when the temperature hits 95 degrees. He practices his own brand of sustainable farming, deeming sulfur sprays as harmful to the soil, his people, and surrounding lands (sulfur is approved for use in organic farming). They don't change the soil composition by introducing organic compounds and composts. And the vineyards is developing alternatives to use of artificial fertilizers. We then got our hands dirty with the soil, learning how to distinguish the different types of soil by how it responds to moisture.

Such Washington luminaries as Quilceda Creek, Andrew Will, and Januik make wines from Ciel Du Cheval.

Finally, it was back to Terra Blanca Winery. Located toward the bottom of the Red Mountain slope, Terra Blanca is a grand setting for a winery. It's set among its vineyards with grand views of the Horse Heaven Hills. Proprietors Keith and Renae Pilgrim led us into the cellar for a vertical tasting of Terra Blanca's Onyx- a Bordeaux blend from their Red Mountain estate vineyards. We tasted the 2006, 2001, and 1999- all very enjoyable with savory, spicy, minerals, and earthy depth; and laced with lush refined fruit and elegance. The older two wines very much exhibiting and enhanced depth and silky feel.

From there it was on to a grand tasting of Red Mountain wines from various vintners, and then a Spanish-style barbecue dinner on the patio of Terra Blanca overlooking the Horse Heaven Hills at sunset.

What a wonderful day, complete with great wines and great learning about this beautiful area of Washington. This was a wonderful close to my time in Pacific Northwest wine country. For more pictures of the Red Mountain AVA, click the link.

Alla Walla Walla

2010-07-06T21:38:00.016-04:00

With last month's Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, WA; the local wine community rolled out the red carpet in a big way. Friday night featured a downtown walkabout, with all of the downtown tasting rooms open and pouring.

Saturday morning brought a seminar on Walla Walla terroir with geologist Kevin Pogue. The seminar centered around many factors that are key to the success of Walla Walla wines. The ice ages and the Great Missoula Floods left silt soils rich in minerals. The high desert climate and it's bitter cold winters has kept out phylloxera, allowing Walla Walla's vines to remain ungrafted. The northerly latitude and warm summers allow for a long growing season, with plenty of radiant sunshine to the vines. Conversely, the cool nights keep acids high enough and allows for even ripening. Finally, the dry weather allows for consistent vintages due to the predictable amounts of water to the vines. These are notable built-in advantages that have helped Walla Walla (and many other areas of Washington for that matter) come into its own as a wine growing region.

The seminar concluded and we were off to tour vineyards and wineries in Walla Walla. Our exact destinations were unknown, as we randomly choose school buses to board with various destinations.

Les Collines Vineyard

I boarded a bus that started at Les Collines Vineyard for a vineyard tour and tasting. Les Collines is a leading vineyard in Walla Walla. Our hosts were vineyard founder and Amavi Cellars vintner Norm McKibben, and Brandon Moss from Gramercy Cellars. Les Collines features 240 acres of vines in the southeast of the Walla Walla AVA. With more rain in the eastern foothills of Walla Walla, this is one of the wettest vineyard areas in Eastern Washington, albeit with only about 24 inches a year. The vineyard is less reliant upon irrigation than other nearby areas, with only light irrigation in August. Les Collines is certified sustainable, practicing minimal input farming and a self composting operation. Vineyard practices include meticulous pruning, shoot thinning, green harvesting, and control of soil moisture. The three primary grapes grown here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah,
and Merlot.

We took a walk through the vineyard, with Norm pointing out their shoot positioning and the stage of berry set on the vines. The vineyard is stunningly beautiful, and in the prettiest area of Walla Walla that I saw over the course of the weekend. It was a stark and desolate beauty; located next to wheat fields, and spread across gently rolling hills, with expansive views of the surrounding foothills.

The Wines-

Finally it was time for the real treat. We tasted three wines made from Les Collines grapes.

~2007 Amavi Cellars Les Collines Syrah, Walla Walla- Aged 16 months in 20% new French oak. Rich in the glass with gamey fruit, olive, and savory herb aromas. Lush and smooth on the palate with black fruit, leather, pepper, and mint; and a dusty gripping structure and finish---excellent---$34.

~2006 Gramercy Cellars Tempranillo, Walla Walla- Tempranillo, Grenache, and Syrah. Soft floral and mineral accented by the fruit. Drinks nice and elegant with red fruit, coffee, & earthen spice. Silky with spicy tannins and nice length---very good to excellent---$40.

~2008 Gramercy Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla- The nose held aromas of violets, cured meat, black olive, pepper- accented with subtle fruit. On the palate the fruit came to life with notes of lush blueberry, while carrying through the depth of the nose, before finishing with peppery tannins and a long finish---excellent---$42.

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Panel discussion at Reininger Winery

The second stop on our tour was at Reininger Winery. On the way there, our bus driver nearly caused an accident as we pulled right out in front of oncoming cars. A honk and a bird later, we made it in one piece to Reininger! There, we sat for a panel discussion with Chuck Reininger, Ron Coleman of Tamarack Cellars, and Mike Tembreull of Tero Estates. It was an interesting discussion with questions and input from our group.

Some of the things that were discussed included: the relative ease of doing business in Walla Walla compared to California wine regions (and how that has helped the area's development as a wine region); the evolution of the AVA- they are still discovering what grapes and practices work best; and what wines should be the identity of the AVA.

The Wines-

We tasted a wine from each of the vintners in attendance.

~1999 Reininger CIMA, Walla Walla- Sangiovese, Cab Sauv, and Merlot. Very dark in color with brick highlights. The nose reminded me of chocolate covered cherries, along with hints of earth. The cherry was riper and more prevalent upon drinking, with hints of coffee, tobacco, and cocoa. Silky with smooth loose tannins. Nice, seemed a little past its peak---good to very good---$? (no longer available)

~2008 Tamarack Cellars Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley- Deep garnet color with aromas of dried herbs & violets, vanilla, and minerally red fruit. Lots of red fruit on the palate with backing spice and pepper. Silky and creamy tannins and spice on the finish---very good---$28.

~2007 Tero Estates Windrow, Walla Walla- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec- harvested at the same time and fermented as a field blend. Aged in 500L oak puncheons. Meant to be a precise representation of the vineyard at a particular moment in time. Aromas of mineral, black cherry, pipe tobacco, and coffee- with the addition of caramel, black fruit, and light spice on the palate. Supple structure with opulent tannins---very good---$42.

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Northstar Winery

The final stop of the day was for a lunch and private tour at Northstar Winery with winemaker David "Merf" Merfeld. Northstar is Chateau Ste. Michelle's Walla Walla property, and is in the south of the AVA. They've set out to highlight the potential of Merlot in Walla Walla and the Columbia Valley, making big Merlot wines with lots of oak character and firm structure. Northstar is a large-scale winery with full visitor amenities.

The Wines-

~2006 Merlot, Walla Walla- 78% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cab Franc. Aged 17 months in 56% new French oak. Big and unctuous with lots of cocoa, coffee, and black fruit- oak driven. May need some time for the oak to integrate further---good---$50.

~2006 Merlot, Columbia Valley- 76% Merlot, 19% Cab Sauv, with Petite Verdot & Cab Franc. Aged 18 months in 70% French & 30% American oak (total 65% new). Savory black fruit and notes of spice- with hints of mineral, spice, black fruit, and integrated espresso oak notes. Well structured and firm---very good to excellent---$41.

Not available on their website, we also tasted the 2005 Columbia Valley Syrah, and the 2006 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet was my favorite wine of the visit; with plenty of leather, cedar, red & black fruits, spice, and tobacco- all with peppery firm tannins---very good to excellent.

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Being a younger region, and without the high profile of the California wine regions, an AVA like Walla Walla is one that I previously viewed from the periphery. Knowing some of the benchmark wines, but not really knowing Walla Walla. This was a great indoctrination, and one that I'll look forward to exploring further in the future.

Click the link for all Walla Walla photos.

A Visit To K Vintners

2010-07-04T16:17:00.009-04:00

Seeking a quick sabbatical from the Wine Bloggers Conference, I headed west of downtown Walla Walla to visit the venerable K Vintners. K is one of Charles Smith's three primary brands, along with Charles Smith Wines and The Magnificent Wine Company. The story is well known- Smith comes from Northern California via Europe, where he managed rock bands. He somehow ended up in Walla Walla, WA as a rock star winemaker, both literally and figuratively. He's famous for Washington Syrah, mostly from the Walla Walla Valley and the Wahluke Slope.

His branding, modernist and surreal, is iconic. Fortunately his wines walk the walk. K Vintners and Charles Smith wines are not only among the most highly regarded domestic Syrah; they've established themselves among the most highly regarded domestic wines period. Smith's Syrah wines have been rated consistently in the classic range in the Wine Advocate and in Wine Enthusiast. Aside from high-end Syrah, Smith's more value oriented brands such as The Magnificent Wine Company's House Wines and Charles Smith Wines' Kung Fu Girl Riesling bring style and value to everyday wine drinking.

The K Vintners winery and tasting room is located inauspiciously among the Phil Lane estate vineyard in Walla Walla. It's marked by a life-sized "K" along the road. There's farm pasture land across the street, with curious cattle that scampered off when I walked up to take a picture. With an old farm house, quaint vineyards, tall trees, and the winery in a old barn off to the side; the setting reminded me of the rolling Midwestern farm land that David Lynch brought to life in "The Straight Story" film.

The tasting room further reminded me of surreal themes of David Lynch- stark and mostly bare with concrete-colored walls... tiny little windows into the barrel room cut in asymmetrical patterns... the wines laid out on a bare antique table accompanied by a lone candle... a random assortment of weird tunes blasting from behind a mysterious black door... and my host sitting on a tiny little chair behind the table. The scene tied the cinematic and surreal influence on K together for me. As great as the wines are, every little nuance of the overall aesthetic is part of the show.

-The Wines

Per their technical information- K foot-crushes their fruit, ferments with only native yeasts, manually punches down, uses basket presses, and are aged in French Burgundy barrels.

~2009 Viognier, Columbia Valley- Barrel fermented in neutral barrels. Rocky and floral aromas flushed with stone fruit. Lush on the palate with peach, honey, apple, and apricot. Crisp and balanced---very good---$20.

~2008 "Milbrandt" Syrah, Wahluke Slope- 90% Sundance and 10% Pheasant Vineyards, sustainably farmed and owned by the Milbrandt brothers. Unfined. Floral notes with leathery spice and red fruit. Gamey on the palate with earthy red and blue fruit notes, layed over a spicy structure and finish---very good to excellent---$25.

~2008 "Clifton" Syrah, Wahluke Slope- Another vineyards owned and sustainably farmed by the Milbrandt brothers. Unfined. Cured meats, leather, baking spice leading into brambly red and black fruits. There's a spicy rich structure, tightly wound, leading into a full silky finish---excellent---$35.

~2007 "Phil Lane" Syrah, Walla Walla- From the sustainably-farmed estate vineyard in Walla Walla. Cobbley loam soil with vines trained low to the ground. Large brambly fruit on the nose with smoked meat and pepper. Lush fruit, black pepper, black olive, and spice- firm with a beautiful finish. This one could be special---excellent to stellar---$70.

(Domaine Drouhin & Eyrie) Hey Turkey! Follow Me To The Willamette Valley!- Part 2

2010-07-02T19:55:00.009-04:00

The second half of the day brought two of the great names in Oregon wine. There was a tour at Domaine Drouhin, and then a stop in Mcminnville at Eyrie.

Domaine Drouhin Oregon

Throughout the 70's and 80's, Robert Drouhin of Burgundy's famed Domaine Drouhin, developed an appreciation and love for the terroir of the Willamette Valley. Participating in, and sponsoring tastings in France that helped to showcase Oregon Pinot Noir in comparison to its Burgundian brethren. In the late 1980's, Domaine Drouhin Oregon was born. Robert's daughter Véronique was tapped to make world class Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley. The attention of a world class vintner from Burgundy became another feather in the cap of Oregon wine.

Located in the southeast of the Dundee Hills AVA; Domaine Drouhin is a state of the art, gravity flow winery. Its regal, hilltop location overlooks an expanse of 225 acres, including 95 acres of vineyards. The view from the winery is epic; expanding past the vineyards, out over the valley, and toward Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood. The winery is stately and traditional in feel & decor, but fits in well with the aesthetic and feel of the Northwest.

While our tour was looking out over the vineyards, the recorded sound of squealing pigs moaned in the background. Meant to scare off deer looking for the sweet fruit, our guide joked that it may have reached the point of diminishing returns. Drouhin's vineyards are among the most densely planted in the US, with over 3,300 plants per acre. With site specificity in mind, Drouhin cultivates their own rootstock and propagates their own plant materials. The vineyards are sustainably farmed, and yields are very low at around 1 ton per acre.

I asked if Véronique had divided the vineyard into separate lots or blocks for designated bottlings, and was told that she was still waiting for the 20+ year old vineyard to mature before making such designations. Currently, reserve bottlings come from designated fruit as opposed to designated lots. Intuitively, these are wines made in old-world traditions to be refined in style. Uninoculated fermentation, minimal handling, and judicious use of new oak are common.

Our tour headed inside and lasted throughout the winery, stopping to converse with cellar workers along the way. We were treated with a sample of the stainless steel portion of the 2009 Chardonnay, still in tank and yet to be filtered or fined. It was rich and crisp with a beautiful toastiness from the lees. Finally, we headed back upstairs for a seated tasting with fine cheeses and vineyard views. Wines aside, this was an exceptional tour and winery experience. Kudos to Terrie for her hospitality.

The Wines-

~2009 Pinot Noir Rosé, Dundee Hills- Natural yeast fermentation. Saignée method of extraction. Aged 6 months in stainless steel. Vibrant with lush cherry, apple, and melon flavors that are accented with mineral and honey. A beautiful rosé---very good---$20.

~2008 Chardonnay "Arthur", Dundee Hills- Dijon clones. 50% fermented in barrel (20% new), and 50% fermented in stainless steel. Aged 8 months and blended. Light gold. Notes of mineral, green apple, pear, and lilac flowers- with ripe melon, pear, and apple flavors highlighted with floral and light spice. Crisp yet rich, a beautiful wine---excellent---$30.

~2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- Native yeast fermentation. Aged in 20% new French oak. A garnet color with medium to light density. Earthy on the nose- with mushroom, cedar closet, and tobacco highlighted with subtle notes of candied cherry. Very balanced flavors with great depth- mineral, cherry, cranberry, and earth. Lithe and luxurious with hints of pepper on the tannins, all culminating in a long finish. Poetic---excellent---$40.

~2006 Laurene Cuvée, Dundee Hills- Native yeast fermentation. Never more than 20% new French oak. Barrel selected. Slightly darker color. Aromas of tangy cherry, wet forest floor, and mossy earth- with further notes on the palate of caramel, cherry, vanilla, and earthy spice. Long finish. I'm smitten---excellent---$65.

~2004 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- Similar methods as 2007 WV Pinot. A little more brown and brick color. Medium density. Red fruit, caramel, and mossy earth- with flavors of cherry & cranberry, along with traces of floral and mineral notes. All layed out long with spicy tannins and silky fruit on the finish---excellent---$?

~2002 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- Similar methods as the other WV Pinot's. A softer brick color. Leafy cherry tobacco aromas with cedar and spice. Bold fruit on the palate, earthy with subtle spice and traces of cedar. Seamlessly balanced. Silky and spicy in its structure and finish. Epic---stellar---$?

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The Eyrie Vineyards

The history is Eyrie is well-writted. In 1965 David Lett moved north to Oregon to plant the first Pinot Noir & Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley; as well as the first Pinot Gris in the US. His Pinot Noir went toe to toe with the finest Burgundy in high profile tastings throughout the 1970's. His work led the way for players like the aforementioned Drouhin family to put down roots in the Willamette Valley. Today, Jason Lett carries on the tradition of excellence at Eyrie.

While Eyrie's estate vineyards are all located in the Dundee Hills AVA, the modest winery and tasting room are in downtown Mcminnville. Jacques, our host in the tasting room, explained that in such early stages of Oregon's wine evolution, the banks would not loan money to the Letts to build a winery in the hills. As a result, the winery has always been located inauspiciously in the town. Jacques was a great host and it truly was a pleasure to taste through the wines.

The Wines-

~2007 Pinot Gris, Dundee Hills- Orange, Juicy Fruit gum, stone fruit- with very pleasant spice---Very Good---$14.

~2008 Original Vines Reserve Chardonnay, Dundee Hills- Selected from old vines. Aromas of toast, stone and tropical fruits come alive on the palate and are melded with pleasant spice---Very Good to Excellent---$45.

~2007 Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Pleasantly light in color; with aromas of cranberry, cinnamon, and violets. Deepens on the palate with black cherry, pepper, and fruit cake- with silk and spice in the structure---Very Good---$30.

~2008 Black Cap Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Rich style. Aromas of maple, caramel, black cherry, and plum- tightly wound. The palate holds silky spicy red and blue fruit and minerals all solidly structured---Very Good to Excellent---$45.

~2006 Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Earthy, gamey, musky, and feminine on the nose. Opens up to spice, rich red fruit, and earth on the palate. Lithe and silky throughout with solid structure---Excellent---$60.

~2005 Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Lighter. Still earthy, but with vanilla and white pepper along with its red fruits. Candied red fruit flavors, cola, spice, and pepper- all silky and lush---Very Good---$60.

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We capped off a great day of tasting with a dinner at the McMenamins' Kennedy School in Portland. Then it was time to hit the road for Walla Walla, WA and the Wine Bloggers Conference. It was a dusk drive into the Columbia Gorge and beyond. More on wines from Walla Walla and Red Mountain in the coming posts... Cheers!

Columbia Gorge at dusk

All Willamette Valley photos here-

Hey Turkey! Follow Me To The Willamette Valley! - Part 1

2010-06-30T22:34:00.015-04:00

Traveling out to last week's Wine Bloggers Convention, I stopped in Portland for a day of tasting Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. My friends Chad and Erin were kind enough to take in a weary traveler from the East Coast. From Georgia, they've taken well to being cool and eccentric Portlanders. He's a college professor, and she designs umbrellas. They also raise chickens and have a pet turkey ("Turkey") in the backyard.

Needless to say, Erin and I were eating local eggs for breakfast, before heading south into the Dundee Hills and Yamhill-Carlton districts of the valley. This was my first time in Willamette. The plan was to visit some of the valley's famous names before heading out to the conference in Washington later that evening. After struggling to get out of Portland traffic, we made it to our first stop at Archery Summit ready for action.

The Willamette Valley lies at roughly the same latitude as Burgundy.
The climate is mild and moist, with cool & damp winters and dry & warm summers.
Mineral-rich sediment soils were left after the Missoula Floods that flooded the valley between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago.

Archery Summit Winery

Located in the Dundee Hills, Archery Summit produces wine from vineyards throughout the AVA, as well as in the adjacent Ribbon Ridge AVA. Their program is 100% estate, and they cater their farming to suit each individual vineyard. Sustainable practices such as natural pest-control and hand cultivating are often used. The winery is 100% gravity flow, allowing minimal handling of the wines during production. They have an aggressive new French oak aging regimen on their Pinot Noir (consistently getting more than 50% new oak during cooperage). The style of the wines is bold and rich, with pronounced oak influence and comparatively high alcohol levels (mid 14% range). Although the tasting room is small and quaint, visitors can roam the aging caves.

The Wines-

~2007 Premier Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- A blend from all their estate vineyards, combining Dijon, Pommard, & Wädenswil clones. Fermented with 12% whole clusters using native yeast fermentation. Aging was 10 months in 54% new French oak barrels. The wine was front-loaded with black cherry, plum, and cola notes with a bit of mossy earth. Silky and solid with smoke and further earthy notes to close---good to very good---$48.

~2007 Renegade Ridge Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Biodynamically farmed vineyard using Dijon clones. Native yeast fermentation. 10 months aging in 65% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Sweet & spicy red cherry, cranberry, and plum notes are enhanced with maple syrup and earthy depth. Lush and silky with dusty tannins---very good---$85.

~2007 Looney Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge- Dijon, Martini, Wädenswil, and Pommard clones. Native yeast fermentation. 10 months aging in 60% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. I really liked this one- leads with mineral, floral, and mushroom notes that are accented with cherry. Refined on the palate with savory notes- truffles, dried herbs, then highlighted with red fruit. Light peppery tannins and a lengthy spice finish. Should age well as the fruit enhances with time---excellent---$85.

~2007 Arcus Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills - Dijon and Pommard clones. Fermented with native yeasts using 3% whole clusters. Aged in 62% new French oak for 11 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Lighter in color. Aromatic and savory- truffles highlighted with floral and cherry & plum fruit notes. Silky and light with nice earthy mineral accents. Politely firm with a nice finish---very good to excellent---$85.

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Penner-Ash Wine Cellars

The second stop brought us to the eastern edge of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, just west of the tiny Ribbon Ridge AVA. There, Lyn Penner-Ash makes killer Pinot Noir from single vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley. The modern-rustic eco-friendly winery has a tasting room that overlooks the gravity-flow cellars, also with sweeping views of across the valley. Lush landscapes and vineyards surround the winery. Warm, friendly, and elegant surroundings were a nice precursor to the wines.

The Wines-

~2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir- Aged 10 months in 35% new French oak. Cherry, floral, and mineral notes releasing further savory and dark berry flavors. Silky with lots of earth and fruit to finish----very good---$45.

~2007 Palmer Creek Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills- Dijon & Pommard clones. Aged 10 months in 29% new French oak. Lighter, with expressive mineral, floral, and spicy cherry aromas. Beautiful spice, herb, and honey aromas framed vibrant yet subtle fruit. Nice acid-tannin balance. Fine structure and finish. Should age well.---excellent---$55.

~2007 Carabella Vineyard Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains- Dijon & Wädenswil clones. Aged 10 months in 36% new French oak. Cherry cola, toffee, floral, and mineral notes. Firm with nice acid, closing with berries, mineral, and spice---excellent---$55.

~2007 Dussin Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton- Their estate vineyards, planted to Dijon clones. Aged 10 months in 40% new French oak. Deeper and richer. More blue fruit and black cherry with only very subtle hints of mineral and earthy elements. Silky tannins---very good---$60.

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Next up was a tour at Domaine Drouhin, and then a tasting at Eyrie. To be continued...

In the meantime, check out more photos from the day in Willamette Valley here.

North GA Montains- Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Montaluce Winery

2010-06-13T20:45:00.012-04:00

The view at Wolf Mountain

With the gloomy Atlanta heat & humidity, it was a great day to head north toward the Appalachian foothills of Dahlonega. The weather is a few ticks cooler, and there's usually a shady spot to find some respite.

There's a burgeoning wine scene in the hills around Dahlonega. Georgia wineries dedicated to growing and producing Vinifera grapes are making good quality wines. Climatically, the growing areas are moderate in temperature due to the high elevations- typically in the 1500 to 2000 foot range. Moreover, the growing season is long. Much of the soil for wine growing in North Georgia is Terra Rossa clay, well draining and often planted on steep hillsides.

Fellow Atlanta-area wine bloggers Joe Herrig and Ed Thralls have done a great job chronicling this wine scene and bringing extra awareness to it. My experience with it is fairly limited, previously tasting wines from Wolf Mountain, Frogtown, and Persimmon Creek. I had a bit of a negative experience the last time I drove up to Dahlonega to taste, so it's taken me some time to get North Georgia tasting back on the radar. The plan was to start at Wolf Mountain, whose wines I had enjoyed in the past. Second would be the newest vineyard and winery in Dahlonega, Montaluce.

Wolf Mountain Vineyards

Wolf Mountain was founded in 1999 by the Boegner family. The 25 acre property features estate vineyards planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Mourvedre, Tannat, Petite Verdot, Malbec and Touriga Nacional. For whites, they source Chardonnay and Viognier from local vineyards outside the property better suited to those varietals. Atop the hillside vineyards sits a Craftsman-style gravity flow winery with a full hospitality area. It's a fabulous vista point overlooking the vineyards and surrounding mountains. The tasting room staff was knowledgeable and attentive.

The Wines-

These were consistently well made and solid wines. Wolf Mountain does a great job. Their philosophy is to make blended varietal wines. With Vinifera grapes being newly reintroduced to North Georgia, and with the sometimes unpredictable growing conditions from vintage to vintage, this approach allows them to adjust the blends as necessary to make the best possible wines.

-2008 Blanc de Blancs Brut- The only Georgia winery producing Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine. 100% Chardonnay. This had nice bready and yeasty character on the nose with some nice floral aromas. Notes of citrus, sweet golden apple, and wheat were full with a pleasing effervescence. Very enjoyable and quite an accomplishment in Georgia wine---very good---$26

-2009 Plenitude- 70% Chardonnay and 30% Viognier, stainless steel fermented. A little tight on the nose, offering honey, lemon, and mineral notes. More mineral notes along with stone fruits on the palate---good---$20.

-2008 Chanteloup- 70% Barrel fermented and sur-lie aged Chardonnay with 30% stainless steel fermented Viognier. A rich gold color. Light notes of toast and vanilla without much fruit on the nose. Pleasant on the palate with melon, crème fraiche, stone fruit, and light floral notes---good---$24.

-2008 Sunset Rosé- Mourvedre, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon produced in the traditional saignee method and fermented in neutral oak. Aromas of honey and cherry; with forward apple and cherry fruit, along with floral and mineral notes. Opens up nicely in the glass---good to very good---$16.

-2007 Instinct- A field blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in lots for 10 months in new French oak, then blended and re-barreled for 8 additional months. A ruby-violet color with medium clarity. Notes of maple, cigar humidor, black cherry, and black raspberry; with dark berry, light spice, and cedar closet notes. The tannins are supple with an elegant finish---good to very good---$26.

-2007 Claret- Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvedre. Aged for 16 months in new French oak, blended & re-barreled for 8 months. Darker, richer, and deeper in color. Woodsy and cedar notes with rich dark fruit aromas. Full bodied. Rich berry flavors with cedar, light mineral, and spice. Supple tannins and spice on the finish---good to very good---$28.

-n/v Delicieux Port- Not fortified, double fermented. Jammy red and black fruit with mineral and cedar notes closing with spicy tannins---good---$?

Montaluce Winery & Estates

Montaluce is a newly developed property. It's a real estate development with European style homes and villas scattered throughout the rolling hills and vineyards of the property. It features a hospitality center, restaurant, and winery as the centerpiece of the development. The grand villa-style hospitality center overlooks the main vineyard of the property. The vineyard slopes toward the Etowah River, providing a moderating influence to the summer heat. The tasting room staff was friendly, and included a sommelier to enhance the educational aspect.

The Wines

I tasted the wines of Montaluce's inaugural 2008 vintage. There were five wines, mostly single varietals. With this being the first vintage, I get the sense that they're still finding their way. However the wines were all well made, with a couple of nice highlights.

-2008 Risata- A rosé made from 80% Sangiovese and 20% Viognier. A pleasantly interesting nose of perfume, melon, berries, and spice- with similar flavors along with mineral notes. Crisp and lively---good---$19.

-2008 Chardonnay- Blended with 5% Viognier. Stainless steel fermented. Straw and honey with hints of fruit and mineral. Melon, citrus, and light mineral with some toasty notes despite this seeing no oak---good---$26.

-2008 Viognier- My favorite of the tasting. Stainless steel fermented. Expressive stone fruit, citrus, and floral notes- with honey, melon, stone fruit, and spice long and lush throughout the palate---very good---$24 (sold out).

-2008 Merlot- Dark rich violet. Gamey cedary and dark fruit notes- with raspberry, black cherry, and woodsy notes. Finishes with dusty, minty tannins---fair to good---$25.

-2008 Cabernet Sauvignon- A rich, dense, and dark violet color. Cedar, red & black raspberry, and violet notes of the nose. Tart red and dark berries, violet, tar, and spice on the palate. Supple tannins, a little loosely structured, but a nice young wine---good---$22.

I'm happy that I got up to North Georgia again to experience its wines and scenery. Wolf Mountain & Montaluce were enjoyable stops. Both offer a good look into the new and exciting world of fine winemaking in North Georgia. The wines are interesting, as they represent a developing definition of what constitutes the characteristics of North Georgia wine. I think of them as an interesting mix of bold fruit, unique earthiness & minerality, presented with restraint and subtlety. A mix of old and new world styles. The tasting experiences were well done, with the same bells and whistles you see in more famous wine regions. All just a quick jaunt up GA 400. Cheers!

Cru Bordeaux Tasting

2010-05-20T22:07:00.005-04:00

The 2007 Bordeaux vintage is interesting to me. Mainly, because I've been fortunate enough to taste a fair sampling of the wines. I went to the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux trade tasting in January and tasted wines from throughout Bordeaux, then got to follow that up with a Bordeaux tasting class at Atlanta Wine School that featured another sampling of 2007's. Furthermore, 2007 is a less than stellar vintage. With the wines initially priced high, and as inventories throughout the trade stagnate, there should be some nice bargains available over the next couple of years. For what it's worth, here are some notes on the wines that I tasted tonight.

~2007 Domaine de Chevalier Bordeaux Blanc, Grand Cru Classé de Graves, Pessac-Leognan- 80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon. Nose of honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and river rock that grows more floral with time in the glass. Crisp citrus on the palate with mineral notes and light touches of heather honey. Finishes with lilac floral notes and lime---very good to excellent---$75-$100.

~2007 Chateau Canon-la-Gaffeliere Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion- 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Really detailed with secondary depth on both the nose and the palate, with the black fruit wound tightly within. Aromas of cedar, coffee, cracked pepper, and minerals. Flavors of fig, currant, slate, violet, leather, apple, and espresso. Cedary tannins with closing notes of tea and wood that further clip the fruit. With some age and the fruit opening up to intermingle with the host of other notes, this could really shine---Very Good to Excellent---$60 up to $130 online.

~2007 Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan- 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. Woodsy notes of cedar, chocolate, cherry- inviting with forward notes lavender, raspberry, mineral, and tea. Lush feel with herb-laced tannins. Good now.---Very Good---$20-$30.

~2007 Chateau Beaumont, Haut-Medoc Cru Bourgeois- 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc. Piney aromas of eucalyptus and pipe tobacco- with espresso, sour cherry, tea, and bitter chocolate. Finishes with silky tannins---fair to good---$15-$20.

~2007 Chateau du Tertre, Margaux, 5th Growth- 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. Leathery, anise, floral notes, and raspberry- with raspberry tort, cherry, wet stone, and chocolate. Velvety with lush finishing notes---Very Good---$30-$40.

~2007 Chateau Lynch-Moussas, Pauillac, 5th Growth- 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot. Musky nose with leather and hints of fruit, and slightly medicinal- with berries, currant, violet-ripe with light secondary notes. Lush tannins with spice and fruit. Good now.---Good to Very Good---$38.

~2007 Château Branaire-Ducru, Saint-Julien, 4th Growth- 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Dense in the glass. Nose of tea, river rock, raspberry jam, cedar, and coffee- with integrated raspberry and currant fruit, slate, clove, tea, espresso, mint. Racy tannins with a long finish. Beautiful stuff with a long life ahead---Excellent---$35-$50.

~2007 Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey Sauternes, 1er Grand Cru Classé- 90% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Muscadelle. Shines in the glass. Profound floral notes, mineral, key lime, and tropical fruit on the nose. Viscous texture with notes of tangerine, banana, coconut, and apricot-seamless. Lively and slightly medicinal. Decadent and long. Amazing stuff---Classic---$40-$60.

Day 5- Sonoma County- Calluna Vineyards + Four More Stops

2010-05-15T21:40:00.015-04:00

Alas, all good things must come to an end. Napa and Sonoma in April 2010 were marked by celebration and discovery. A celebration of the spiritual connection to the world of vino, being there among it and soaking it all in-both old and new-discovery. There was one more day to achieve these goals, primarily in untapped areas on this trip. Starting in Chalk Hill and then working my way through Sonoma Valley and into Carneros.

Calluna Vineyards

The day started at Calluna Vineyards in the Chalk Hill AVA. I learned of Calluna from reading a post on the CabFrancoFiles blog about Calluna and some of ideas about winemaking, myths of California wine, and Chalk Hill. Calluna is a fairly new vineyard and winery, the brainchild of proprietor and winemaker David Jeffrey. Jeffrey was a longtime New York area wine collector and enthusiast who decided to pack up and move west, diving head-first into a new vineyard and winery project. He studied Enology at Fresno State and then worked the 2003 harvest in Bordeaux with Alain Raynaud at Château Quinault in Saint-Émilion, all the while searching for a vineyard site in Sonoma County that would meet his goals of making world class wine that combines the power and balance of Bordeaux, with the bold and rich flavors of Sonoma.

That site was newly developed as Calluna Vineyards in the Chalk Hill appellation, an AVA that Jeffrey believes achieves the perfect climatic balance for Bordeaux varietals. It gets a cooling influence from the Russian River Valley to the west, but with plenty of warmth and a smaller diurnal temperature variation than most other areas of Napa and Sonoma. Jeffrey relates these climatic factors to the great sites in Bordeaux, with ideas that sometimes fly in the face of conventional wisdom regarding California viticulture. The hallmark of the Calluna Vineyard sites for Jeffrey, is the ability of his grapes to reach full phenolic ripeness without excess sugar development. This allows him to make wines that fully express the terroir of Chalk Hill, without the addition of water to the must or tartaric acid. He is also in the process of implementing a barrel fermentation method, unique for red wines, where the barrels are able to be rolled in place helping to submerge the cap of skins back into the wine without having to punched down.

Mr. Jeffrey gave me a detailed tour of his vineyards, explaining the different exposures and soil variations that worked best for each of the Bordeaux varietals that he grows. Aside from being a great vineyard site, the property has spectacular panoramic views of the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill, and the mountains of Napa Valley. Then it was on to taste the wines- current releases including the 2008 Calluna Vineyards Cuvée, the 2008 Merlot "Aux Raynauds", and the 2007 Windrift. The limited production Cabernet Sauvignon wines are sold out from the 2007 vintage, with the 2008's not yet ready for release. The wines are detailed below, but overall I can say that the proof is in the wine that this is an impressive undertaking. With the 2008 being only the second vintage, it amazes even further. What was available for tasting primarily was Merlot-based. It's pretty clear to me that this is a special site for Merlot. I look forward to trying the Cabernet-based wines in the future.

The Wines-

-2007 Windrift Red, Chalk Hill- This is Calluna's everyday wine. 39% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Malbec. Aged 20 months in French oak. Expressive aromas of red and black currant, slight herbal, and peppery notes- with fresh herbs, baking spice, and full secondary fruit. Sweetly spiced tannins finishing with nice length---very good---$20.

-2008 Windrift Red, Chalk Hill- Starts with tea, leather, rubbed herbs, and secondary fruit on the nose. Red fruit, spice, and graphite notes lead into silky coffee flavored tannins. Darker and more dense than the 2007---very good---$?

-2008 Calluna Vineyards Cuvée, Chalk Hill- Aged in 40% new French oak. 44% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, and 1% Petite Verdot. Great color- a rich purple-garnet that shines in the glass. An expressive nose with smoky black cherry, floral-violets, blackberry, and secondary spice. Much the same vein on the palate with lush and silky tannins brushed with white pepper and secondary fruit on the finish---excellent---$30.

-2008 Merlot "Aux Raynauds", Chalk Hill-Aged in 50% new French oak. 96% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. A bright ruby/garnet. Aromas of coffee, cherry, red currant, and spices- fully expressive. A ton of depth on the palate with coffee, leather, mint, dark berries, and currant- full throughout, with gripping dusty tannins. Finishing long with berry and spice notes---excellent to stellar---$40.

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Arrowood Vineyards

Heading down into the Sonoma Valley, I stopped for a quick tasting in Glen Ellen at Arrowood. Arrowood is the namesake of famous Sonoma County winemaker Richard Arrowood, who still makes the wines there today. The winery is located along Highway 12, surrounded by a few parcels of their estate vineyards, and abutting the Mayacamus Mountain. The property is very much New England-style farmhouse in style, with a tasting room that overlooks Sonoma Valley. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and the wines were uniformly good- a mix of Rhone, Burgundian, and Bordeaux varietals.

The Wines-

-2006 Réserve Spéciale Chardonnay, Sonoma County- Russian River Valley fruit from multiple vineyards. Unfined, 100% Barrel and Maloactic fermentation. Aged a total of 14 months in French oak. Nose of floral and mineral notes green apple fruit. Slight creamy notes, well balanced with crisp fruit and lively acidity---very good to excellent---$40.

-2007 Côte de Lune Blanc, Saralee's Vineyard, Russian River Valley- Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier with barrel aging and full malo. Floral aromas with peach and tropical fruit. Honey, mango, and peach flavors- nicely layered and with good acidity---very good---$25.

-2006 Estate Malbec, Sonoma Valley- Aged 27 months in French and American oak. Unfined and unfiltered. Coffee, tangy black cherry, and plum aromas with ample black cherry & plum flavors over a backdrop of secondary spice. Mellow tannins on the finish---good to very good---$40.

-2004 Réserve Spéciale Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County- From select mountain and benchland sites around Sonoma Valley- including Monte Rosso. Unfined and unfiltered with up to 30 months in French and American oak. Coffee, mocha, vanilla bean, with undercurrents of black fruit. Balanced on the palate with currant, spice, mocha, cocoa, and raspberry. Nice and supple with spicy tannins and a long finish---excellent---$110.

-2006 Côte de Lune Rouge- Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah. Unfined and unfiltered with 16 months in French oak. Smokey plum and cherry with spice box aromas. Coffee bean, plums, and chocolate with spicy tannins---very good---$30.

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Audelssa Vineyards

The next stop was an appointment at Audelssa Vineyards above the Sonoma Valley floor. It's located far up the western slope of Mt. Veeder. A visit up to Audelssa begins and ends with the incredible view. Standing in the vineyards, the southern view starts with the famous Monte Rosse vineyard just below, and extends all the way across the San Pablo Bay to the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. The western view is of the entire Sonoma Valley floor. In an area not short of spectacular views, this really stood out.

We did a quick overview of the vineyard and history of the property. The Shaefer family developed the vineyards in the early 1990's, and their wine was originally made by Richard Arrowood at his winery on the valley floor below. Winemaker Erich Bradley, who worked at Arrowood, eventually started to work with the Shaefer's, developing a program completely customized to fully express the estate's Sonoma Valley/Mt. Veeder terroir. I tasted through their current releases at the tasting bar overlooking the vineyard.

Your humble author, guilty of wineteeth

The Wines-

-2008 Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley- Rich gold color. Much fruit on the nose, with light creamy notes. Explodes with oak and malo notes on the palate- butter and creme fraiche with lighter pear notes. The acid holds up, but this definitely fits the bill for big buttery oaky CA Chardonnay---good to very good---$??

-2006 Alder Springs Merlot, Mendocino County- Aged 28 months in French oak. Violet, perfume, vanilla, and underlying fruit on the nose. Oak-driven spice flavors included vanilla, clove, and cigar box; with black cherry. Underpinned with more baking spice on a lengthy finish---very good---$60.

-2007 Summit, Sonoma Valley- 38% Cab Sauv, 35% Merlot, 12.5% Cab Franc, 10% Malbec, 4.5% Petite Verdot. Aged 22 months in 40% new French oak. Earthy aromas of black truffles mixed with black raspberry & cherry and other spices. Plummy, with black cherry and spice. Silky tannins are deceptively gripping with a nice finish---very good---$52.

-2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley- 28 months in French oak. Smoky notes of black currant, spice, cherry, and baked earth- with beautiful mixed berry flavors and supple spice-laden tannins, finishing with good length. Some bottle age should help the depth of the nose integrate into the flavors---excellent---$40.

-2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley- 28 months in French oak. Chocolate, cherry, red raspberry aromas with red currant, leather, tobacco, and mocha- silky with a light grip. Good finish---very good---$90.

-2007 Zephyr, Sonoma Valley- 37% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 29% Mourvedre, 1% Voignier. 18 months in neutral French oak. Vanilla & cloves, cherry, sarsaparilla that moves onto the palate with mellow red berries, mulled fruit, and firm tannins---very good to excellent---$48.

-2007 Tempest, Sonoma Valley- 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier- co-fermented. 18 months in 20% new French oak. Red cherry, raspberry, currant, and lavender- pepper, currants, and a dusting of spices. Gripping, peppery tannins that preclude a long finish---excellent---$48.

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Bouchaine Vineyards

As I was leaving Audelssa, I realized that I was dangerously close to running out of gas. With nothing between Audelssa and the valley floor, it was going to be a long 15 minute ride to the bottom... wondering if I was going to make it. Luckily, I was able to ride the whole way down the mountain in neutral... only once giving any gas. When the car leveled out, my gauge looked a little more optimistic, so I was able to comfortably get to a gas station while heading south toward Carneros.

Bouchaine is on the Napa side of Carneros, heading to the south of the appellation. Carneros is an interesting region for me visually. It seems like most of California's vineyard scenes have a background of mountains somewhere in the picture. In Carneros, I look around and see only benign rolling hills carpeted with vineyards. With a relative lack of trees, I can imagine it as a desert if the vineyards were removed. With the proximity to the San Pablo Bay and its cooling effects, this is a prime Pinot Noir and Chardonnay region; and Bouchaine certainly has plenty to choose from. It's a historic winery property that dates back before prohibition. Beringer bought the property in 1951, re-establishing the winery. It was purchased in 1981 by the current owners, Garret and Tatiana Copeland, who refurbished the winery into a rustic hop kiln style. Eventually they hired Carneros veteran Michael Richmond as winemaker and general manager, establishing their current viticulture and winemaking standards. The tasting room was warm and welcoming, with friendly staff and a great view.

The Wines-

-2008 Chêne d'Agent Estate Chardonnay, Carneros- Unoaked. Green apple, lilac, and river rock notes open on the nose- with crisp pear, apple, and honeycomb. Lively balance---good to very good---$24.

-2008 Estate Chardonnay, Carneros- Primarily barrel fermented with some stainless fermentation, partial malo. Expressive mineral notes-floral and with bright fruit. Stone and apple on the palate with pleasant creaminess, butterscotch, and vanilla---nice depth on the finish---very good---$25.

-2008 Laird Cold Creek Pinot Gris, Carneros- Neutral oak fermentation and aging with full malo. Bright apple and tropical fruit highlighted by floral notes- with pear and honey- full bodied and creamy. Good acid balance---good to very good---$25.

-2006 Rockin H Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast- Barrel aged with partially new Hungarian oak. Notes of honey, butterscotch, truffle, and black fruit- with black cherry, plums, and creamy tannin spice---very good---$25.

-2007 Estate Pinot Noir, Carneros- Smoked meats, cherry, and herbs- with earthy and lightly spiced cherry and raspberry. Tannins with a touch of rubbed herbs, finishing with good depth---very good to excellent---$40.

-2007 Mariafeld Pinot Noir, Carneros- Mushroom, black cherry, herbs, and spice on the nose. Good acid greets the palate-with earthy & smoky black cherry, plums, and silky baking spice- with peppery tannins and nice spice on the closing---excellent---$30.

-2007 Estate Pinot Meunier, Carneros- Pepper, cherry, and violets- with more cherry and spice. Silky texture---very good---$??

-2007 Rockin H Syrah, Sonoma Coast- Gamey black fruit and spice throughout. Lush and fruity---good---$24.

Overall, these were nice wines for their price point. Nothing that blew me away, although the Mariafeld Pinot comes close when you consider the price. I like to add a little info about the winemaking, but their website was lacking info and hard to navigate...

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Gundlach Bundschu

Not content with 23 wineries in 5 days, I slid into Gundlach Bundschu right before closing. Those sneaking in under the bell stops can be a little iffy, see my 1st day stop at Peju in Napa. The staff at Gundlach Bundschu however, was helpful and engaging. I was able to taste through their reserve lineup, with a couple of extra pours thrown in.

There are a couple of interesting things about Gundlach Bundschu. Remarkably, it has been owned within the same families for over 150 years; surviving events like phylloxera and prohibition. Also, the property sits right on the border of the Sonoma Valley AVA, adjacent to Carneros AVA, and just over the Mayacamus foothills from Napa Valley. The Rhinefarm Vineyard's location- spread across 230 hillside, benchland, and valley floor acres- with the different climatic influences meeting- means that there's a good spot for just about any varietal somewhere on the property. There are underground caves, the tasting room is built into a hillside, and there is a really cool mural on the winery to honor its generations of vineyard workers. By all rights, my palate should have been shot by now, but I enjoyed the full range of wines that I had here, and still felt like what I was tasting made sense. Like Bouchaine in Carneros, these were well priced, extremely well-made wines, with nice balance and good depth.

The Wines-

-2008 Estate Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley- Inoculated and indigenous yeasts, barrel fermented, lees stirring up to 5 months, 30% malo, 9 months in 10% French oak. Caramel, buttered popcorn, apple and pear aromas- with apple, heather, and honey- full bodied with a nice finish---very good---$27.

-2007 Estate Pinot Noir, Sonoma Valley- Dijon and Pommard clones, up to 40 year old vines, 12 months in 40% new French oak. Truffle, cherry, and clove aromas- with vanilla, cherry, herb, and spice notes full throughout the palate. Vibrant with gripping tannins, and a long spice-laden finish---very good to excellent---$34.

-2007 Estate Tempranillo, Sonoma Valley- 14 months in 40% new American oak. Leather, spice, maraschino cherry, rose petals- with spice, ample fruit, baked earth, and green herbs- fairly well balanced and a light finish---very good---$36.

-2007 Estate Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley- 15 months in 35% new American oak. Plums, cherry, butterscotch, and vanilla- with pepper, nutmeg, black cherry, and lavender. Silky with spicy oak tannins and nice length---very good to excellent---$38.

-2007 Estate Syrah, Sonoma Valley- 14 months in 40% new French oak. Blackberry, leather, cocoa, and espresso notes- with earthy, gamey cherry & spice. Silky and long---very good---$36.

-2007 Estate Cabernet Franc, Sonoma Valley- Violet, lavender, plums, and other black fruits- silky on the palate with black currant, cherry, and herbs. Cracked pepper on the tannins with nice length---very good to excellent---$38.

-2006 Vintage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley- 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 6% Petite Verdot. Aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. Fig, tea, cherry, and coffee notes- with leather, roasted coffee, cigar box, and black currant. Silky and spicy throughout with depth to ride it out---very good to excellent---$80.

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And so it goes, Spring 2010- Napa & Sonoma, is in the books. Thanks to my friends Justin and Jon for tagging along with me for most of the trip. Thanks to all the helpful and friendly people that I met along the way. I didn't taste a bad wine while on the trip, just varying degrees of quality. Great times and great memories... cheers!

Link to all day 5 photos

Vibrant Rioja Comes to Atlanta-

2010-05-13T22:07:00.006-04:00

Good times were to be had at One Midtown Kitchen today for the Vibrant Rioja Atlanta trade tasting. Featured were some of Spain's best Riojas- from heavy hitters like Marqués de Riscal, Muga, and Campo Viejo; to the small familial estate producers. Overall, the quality of the wines was very high with an attractive quality to price ratio.

On the value end, Rosé was a very attractive option. I generally like Rosé wines, but have a hard time finding one that I love. The Rioja Rosado wines that I tasted today brought me closer to finding that passion. Some highlights included: the Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rosado 2oo8- 100% Tempranillo- lively green apple, spice, mineral, and violets; the Muga Rosado 2009- 60% Garnacha, 30% Viura, and 10% Tempranillo- fresh mineral notes with strawberry and apple; and the El Coto Rosado 2008- 50/50 Garnacha and Tempranilla, vibrant with a peppery and leathery kick and beautiful perfumed red fruit. All of these wines are perfect for casual summer drinking, but offer an added dimension of depth along with the crisp fruit- and all hover around the $10 price point!

There were several standouts among the reds. The best of them had lush dark fruits standing out among the earthy and leathery characteristics of the Tempranillo, with the new oak spice deeply wound within. A perfect example of this was a pair of wines from Maetierra Dominum. Their Quatro Pagos 2005, from old vines and aged 15-18 months in new French oak, is steeped in vanilla bean, espresso, and currant; building to a palate of silky currant and berries where the oak notes from the nose fade into a finish of mellow tannins and fine length. MD's Quatro Pagos Vintage 2005 ups the ante with over 18 months in new French oak; and notes of perfumed lavender, wild berry, and vanilla- with vibrant plum and cherry notes and fully integrated spice. The tannins are long with a velvet grip. These wines sell for between $40-$60. Outstanding with equal parts bold/hedonistic and depth/nuance. Other standouts for me included the Baron de Ley Gran Reserva 2001, and Campo Viejo's Ysios Reserva 2004.

This was a great opportunity for a crash course in Rioja, and a great reminder of the outstanding quality and value of these wines- from the everyday to the high-end. I hope to explore this region a little further in the future- cheers!

Day 4- Sonoma- Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley

2010-05-09T22:14:00.016-04:00

Sunday 4/25/2010
Arnot-Roberts Winery

Sunday had us back in the Russian River Valley, with 4 stops in its different regions before heading up to Alexander Valley. The first stop was in Forestville at Arnot-Roberts, a winery founded in 2001 by longtime friends Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts. Both have spent their lifetime around winemaking in Napa Valley; Nathan being a second generation cooper-making all of the new barrels that Arnot-Roberts uses, and Duncan formerly working at several big name Napa wineries. They operate out of an old winery warehouse building in Forestville, a small town in the west of the Russian River Valley. Their wines are produced using natural yeast fermentations, without fining or filtering, and with little sulfur added at the fermenter. For aging, new oak is used very judiciously and the barrels are toasted to work specifically for the vintage at hand.

Of note, Arnot-Roberts wines on balance are a point or more lower in alcohol by volume than most of their contemporary California wines. Very finessed and truly European in style. Produced in very small quantities, and sourced from distinctive vineyards in Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino Counties. Arnot-Roberts fits a more appropriate definition of a cult wine in my opinion- down to earth guys making wines that fly in the face of current convention in California; and in an unassuming Bohemian-type warehouse space. I really dig the aesthetic of the packaging as well- embodied by the California Fuchsia painting by Nathan's grandmother, Margrit Biever Mondavi, that dons most of their bottles. It was a real treat to taste through this rare wine with Nathan, the time was much appreciated. Special thanks as well to Hardy Wallace and his Dirty South Wine blog for turning me on to these guys.

The Wines-

-2009 Green Island Vineyard Chardonnay, Napa Valley- Unfiltered, all neutral oak. Straw in color. Beautiful nose with aromas of brie, wet stone, lime, and caramel. Lemongrass flavors with lime, flint, honeycomb, and green apple. Chablis-esque. Tart acidity, nicely integrated and balanced---excellent---+/-$30.

-2008 Syrah, North Coast- Inky in appearance. Expressive feminine lavender, berries, and perfume aromas with lean and tart berry, mineral, and cured meat flavors- tightly structured with added berries on the finish---very good---$20-$30.

-2007 Bugay Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County- Bright purple in the glass. Floral notes of lavender, cherry, leather, and herbs with pepper, herbs, red cherries, & currants. Spicy tannins finishing with notes of vanilla---excellent---+/-$50??

-2007 Alder Springs Syrah, Mendocino County- Inky with notes of bacon, sweet red cherry, and boysenberry. Explosive on the palate with currants, cracked pepper, red raspberry, and cherry- accented by gamey notes and peppery tannins- structured with a racy acidity. Lingering finish---excellent---+/-$50.

-2007 Clajeax Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hill- Bright purple. Spicy aromas-clove, nutmeg, cedar, with red and dark fruits. Flavors of lavender, black currents, cassis, leather, pencil lead- full throughout with gripping tannins and a lengthy finish dusted with traces of fruit. Impactful yet elegant-very much like a fine Bordeaux---excellent to stellar---+/-$75.

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Iron Horse Vineyards

In Green Valley near Forestville, Iron Horse was just a quick hop over from Arnot-Roberts. It served as a nice little diversion into sparkling wines. If you've never been to Iron Horse before, the tasting area is outdoors and the winery sits on top of a hill above the vineyards. There is a fantastic view east across Russian River Valley all the way to Mt. St. Helena. The pourers are cool and the vibe is laid back. We opted for the tasting with 5 of Iron Horse's méthode Champenoise sparking wines- all estate estate grown in the Green Valley appellation.

The Wines-

-2004 Blanc de Blancs- 100% Chardonnay aged 4+ years on the lees. Fine and persistent bead. Yeast, mineral, and light fruit notes open up into fresh citrus and apple- bright and crisp---very good to excellent---$38.

-2006 Wedding Cuvée- Blanc de Noirs- 86% Pinot Noir, 14% Chardonnay. Fine in the glass. Yeast, wet stone, light cherry, red apple, and chalk on the finish- nice and long---excellent---$38.

-2005 Classic Vintage Brut- 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay. Aged 3 years on lees. Fine beads. Nice brioche and lemon notes with rich mineral, citrus, and apple notes and finish---excellent---$33.

-2005 Russian Cuvée- 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay. Aged 3 years on lees. Still Brut, but slightly sweeter dosage. More red fruit- apple & cherry along with yeast notes. More fruit driven---good to very good---$33.

-2005 Brut Rosé- 81% Pinot Noir, 19% Chardonnay. Color comes from extraction rather than blending in still wine. Red cherry and strawberry with further darker notes predominate on the palate- the extraction is a little overpowering for my tastes---good---$50.

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Joseph Swan Vineyards

Moving back east into the heart of the Russian River Valley, we stopped to taste at Joseph Swan Vineyards. Joseph Swan was a pioneer of Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley. The winery is now owned by longtime winemaker Rod Berglund. They still specialize in small lots of unique and interesting single vineyard Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. The wines are rich and bold with full fruit and spice, yet elegant and very refined with less extraction and alcohol than many contemporaries. In their way they really embody the Russian River Valley. The tasting room is in the middle of the cellar- very low key and all about the wines.

The Wines-

-2006 Cuvée du Trois Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- Blend, Partial whole clusters, wild and cultured yeasts, 10 months in French Burgundy barrels, unfined and unfiltered. Dirty brick red with clarity. Cinnamon and sour cherry with nice full flavors of cherry and allspice. Lots of spice and good acidity. Dusty grip with a nice finish---very good to excellent---$28.

-2006 Trenton View Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- Same brick red color. Similar cinnamon and cherry notes with a greater earthiness. Mushrooms, spice, and red fruit with a nice, long grip---excellent---$35.

-2005 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel, Russian River Valley- Medium ruby color. Mulled cider, cherry, and maple with spice rack and red fruit. Silky tannins and finish---very good to excellent---$26.

-2005 Zeigler Ranch Zinfandel, Russian River Valley- Similar color to the Mancini. Spices and mulled raspberry notes with more sweet, mulled red fruit on the palate. Silky with nice length---very good to excellent---$26.

-2006 Saralee Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- Clear ruby. Earth, spice-box, and red fruit with cherry and cola flavors. Great acid profile with gripping tannins and lingering red fruit flavors---excellent---$36.

-2005 Trenton Station Syrah, Russian River Valley- Inky. Smokey and gamey with black fruit, herbs, and pepper. Pepper, olive, and spice notes all compliment the black fruit. Pure silk through the tannins---very good to excellent---$22.

-2006 Matthew's Station Tannat, Russian River Valley- Brown-ruby. Port-like with maple notes. Big black fruit with firm tannins---good to very good---$28.

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Thomas George Estates

Our last two tastings were set up the previous day during our chance meeting with Fritz Stuhlmuller. He was nice enough to hook us up at Thomas George Estate, as well as Stuhlmuller Vineyards. Thomas George Estates is a fairly new winery along Westside Road in the north of the Russian River Valley- the historic former site of Davis Bynum. Jeremy Baker, a Toronto restaurateur, purchased the winery and the estate vineyards in a family partnership in early 2008, and completely renovated the winery complex. They're developing three vineyards for an estate program- Baker Ridge-above the winery, Cresta Ridge-in Green Valley, and Starr Ridge-in northeast of the Russian River Valley appellation. The winemaker is Chris Russi, formerly of Christopher Creek Winery in Russian River Valley.

The winery and tasting room are modern and upscale-contemporary in feel, with beautifully appointed grounds. There's much attention to detail-with the feel of a facility tied to a touring business. The wines were consistently enjoyable- bold fruit, good balance, some finesse, integrated oak spice- solid and consistently Russian River Valley in style.

The Wines-

-2008 Sauvignon Musque, Dry Creek Valley- Apple, citrus, and mineral aromas with honeyed citrus notes, apple, and lime. Clean finish with lingering citrus fruit---very good---$25.

-2008 Windsor Oaks Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley- 100% Stainless steel. Lime, banana, and citrus- with lemon grass and apple flavors. Lively acidity that balances and mellows as it finishes---very good---$25.

-2008 Viognier, Sonoma Valley- Stainless steel fermented, no malo. Full expressive aromas of Rose petals, minerals,apple, honey, and peach- with honeyed floral and peach on the palate. Good acid and balance and with a nice finish---very good---$28.

-2008 Stuhlmuller Chardonnay, Inox, Alexander Valley- Unoaked with no malo. Straw, honey, lemon, and apple with mulled apple and lemon meringue. Nice balance-smooth and creamy on the palate---very good to excellent---$32.

-2007 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- 2-4 day cold soak, inoculated, 10 months in 33% new French oak. Honey, maple, raspberry, and floral aromas-inviting. A silky rush of fruit with herbal and floral notes. Balanced with acid and spicy oak tannins lacing the red fruit finish---very good to excellent---$38.

-2007 Allen Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- Aging in 33% new French oak. Cedar on the nose with floral-violet, earth, and cherry notes. Red fruit with mushroom and mossy notes- rich and silky with a great finish---excellent---$55.

-2007 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley- 5 day cold soak with 8-10 day fermentation w/thrice daily punch downs. Aged for 10 months in 33% new, 66% American oak. 5% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah. Vanilla, black cherry, and boysenberry with cedar and black fruit. Peppery and spicy tannins with a long finish---excellent---$28.

-2008 Tre Torrente Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley- Aged in 25% new American oak- 16.5 abv. Vanilla, spice rack, lavender, and subtle fruit with port-like black fruit and more vanilla spice on the tannins and some pepper on a big finish---excellent---$33.

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Stuhlmuller Vineyards

Stuhlmuller Vineyards is located on the southern border of Alexander Valley- to the adjacent north of the Russian River Valley appellation, and to the adjacent northwest of Chalk Hill. Their riverside Chardonnay vineyards benefit from the cool morning fog of the Russian River. The Cabernet is grown on the slopes off the river. The Stuhlmuller's bought the vineyards in the 1980's and operated the property solely as vineyards until 2000, when their son Fritz achieved the dream of establishing an estate winery on the property. The style is rich and crisp, cool climate Chardonnay; and approach-ably bold and balanced Cabernet. It's a great little spot in the middle of the vineyards- in a tucked away part of Alexander Valley. The modest tasting room looks into the winery.

The Wines-

-2008 Estate Chardonnay, Alexander Valley- Fermented with indigenous yeast and aged sur lie in 10% new French oak for 8 months, 76% undergoing indigenous maloactic fermentation. Pear, Meyer lemon, and citrus with additional spice, apple, and caramel. Very balanced with lively acid-finishing with apple and spice---excellent---$24.

-2007 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Alexander Valley- Fermented in barrel and aged for 14 months sur lie with 40% new French oak. Unfiltered. Indigenous yeast with full malo. Richer in color. Butterscotch, caramel, and candied apple with rich buttery apple flavors---very good---$38.

-2008 Estate Zinfandel, Alexander Valley- Not yet released. Boysenberry, cherry, caramel, spice, and blueberry- with more cherry and spice, full through the tannins and long finish---very good to excellent---$28.

-2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley- 18 months in 46% new French oak. Black cherry, spice, mint- light and floral- with red fruit, tobacco, and earthy spice. Firm with nice length---very good---$36.

-2006 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley- 3.5% Petite Verdot blended in. 18 months in 55% new French oak. Red raspberry, boysenberry, and mossy earth with black cherry, raspberry. Gliding and silky with with spicy tannins before finishing long with smooth flavors of baking spice---excellent---$65.

**********

With good luck and good planning, it was another awesome day of wine tasting. Alas, it was time to see my buddies Justin and Jon off to a red eye flight back to Atlanta. I had another day before my departure. We ended up in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Rohnert Park, with the two of them trying to pack up massive amounts of wine to fly back home with... they managed to make it work and get to their flight. There was one more day to follow for me, with multiple stops in Sonoma County and Carneros...

Click here for all Day 4 pictures-

Day 3- Napa Valley-north

2010-05-04T21:16:00.015-04:00

4/24/2010

Robert Keenan Winery

Saturday we headed back into Napa Valley, this time covering areas north of Rutherford. Starting on Spring Mountain at Robert Keenan, all of the stops were potential highlights. Back in the 1970's Keenan restored the winery and vineyards, which had originally been cultivated before prohibition. Now they regularly churn out acclaimed wines under the guidance of consulting winemaker Nils Venge, who in 1985 became the first American winemaker to receive a perfect score from Robert Parker for his 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Keenan is known for big, briary Cabernet and Merlot with restrained and elegant fruit.

The mountain cabin-esque winery is perched on the slopes of Spring Mountain, overlooking the vineyards and the valley farther below. The tasting bar and table overlooks the barrels, under cathedral wood ceilings. A cool setting befitting the mountain location. We were served a great assortment of cheeses along with the wines. Very nice, but casual at the same time. Overall the wines were very enjoyable, a nice way to start the day.

The Wines-
-2007 Chardonnay, Spring Mountain- 80% Barrel fermented in French & American oak, weekly lees stirring, and no malo. Butterscotch, pear, and peach with light caramel and subtle fruit. Light mineral notes- balanced and nice---very good---$29.

-2006 Merlot, Napa Valley- 97% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. A blend of Spring Mountain and Carneros fruit. Aged 18 months in 33% new French and American oak. Boysenberry and black cherry greets the nose- lean and rich black fruit with firm tannins and earthy herbal and coffee notes---very good---$36.

-2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain- 86% Spring Mountain, 14% Pope Valley fruit. 20 months in 33% new French & American oak. Fig and red berries usher in black & red fruit, light spice, and pepper notes. Lean and firm with a peppery finish---very good with excellent potential---$45.

-2006 Zinfandel, Napa Valley- 70% estate. A Napa Valley blend with aging in French and American oak. Gamey black raspberry & blueberry with spice and pepper. Lean with light creamy tannins---very good---$34.

-2006 Mernet Reserve, Spring Mountain- 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc. Black pepper, violet, and black fruit with spice and creamy tannins. Long with earth and spice notes---excellent---$96.

-2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain- 100% estate, no aging info given. Dense extraction. Earthy and pungent black raspberry notes- elegant on the palate with dried herbs and allspice along with dark fruits and creme de menthe laced tannins that linger---excellent with stellar potential---$96.

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Storybook Mountain Vineyards

Storybook Mountain north of Calistoga is the Zin-haven of Jerry Seps- the pioneer of ultra-premium Zinfandel in Northern Napa Valley over the last 30 years. Our tour started in the redwoods around the winery and lead up into the vineyards, where we saw Mr. Seps working the organic vineyards. The expanse of east-facing hillside vineyards like an offering for Mt. St. Helena in the distance . We tasted the wines deep in the aging caves. Along with another group we ran across, the tasting turned out to be more like a cocktail party. All was good though, we met Fritz Stuhlmuller from Stuhlmuller Vineyards- a great dude who set us up on some good stuff for the following day. The visit to Storybook was a lot of fun- great surroundings, cool caves, and fantastic wine.

The Wines-

-2009 Estate Zin Gris, Napa Valley- Barrel fermented, Zinfandel rosé. Cherry blossom and strawberry- fresh and crisp---very good---$19.

-2007 Mayacamus Range Estate Zinfandel, Napa Valley- Vanilla, nutmeg, and blackberries along with mint, spice rack, and cigar box notes. Supple tannins with lingering spice- elegant---excellent---$34.

-2006 Anteaus Estate, Napa Valley- Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Merlot. Non-inoculated fermentation, French oak aged. Black currant, fig, tobacco with cigar box, cassis, and spice. Long with silky tannins---very good to excellent---$40.

-2006 Seps Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- Smoky pipe tobacco, herbs, figs, and currants. Rich & bold fruit, fine balance, light and silky tannins with a white peppery finish---excellent---$65. -2006 Estate Reserve Zinfandel, Napa Valley- Gamey, black cherry, blackberry, coffee, black tea, a gamut of spices and more fruit. Silky and wrapped in clove-laced tannins with layers of flavors throughout---excellent to stellar---$55.

-The 2008 Seps Estate Zinfandel was really nice as well***

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Joseph Phelps Vineyards

After all that Zin, we needed to refuel with some killer beef tri-tip at Buster's Southern Barbecue in Calistoga. With the mission accomplished, it was off to Joseph Phelps for a quick terrace tasting. The plan here was to taste Insignia, completing a trifecta with Hillside Select, Monte Bello of classic California Cabernet tasted on the trip. Instead of their formal tastings, we tasted outside on the terrace patio- a great setup. You can taste and relax at your own pace- overlooking the vineyards and soaking up the scenery. Overall the wines leading up to Insignia were good quality, albeit a little overpriced and non-distinctive. The 2006 Insignia was excellent as expected.

The Wines-

-2006 Freestone "Ovation" Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast- 15 months in French oak, 60% new. Buttered popcorn on the nose with pear, candied apple, and butterscotch. Balanced with good acid. Not overly buttery. Finishes with the oaky vanilla---very good---$45.

-2007 Viognier, Napa Valley- Stainless steel fermented with 10 months in French oak. Partial malo. Meyer lemon, yellow apple, and floral notes with tart lime on the palate. Tart with good balance---very good---$50.

-2006 Freestone Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast- 100% estate grown with 15 month in 65% new French oak. Black and red cherries, red curry, and tea. Silky notes of cherry and spice on the palate. Nice, but a little loose in structure---good---$55.

-2006 Merlot, Napa Valley- Aged 18 months in 40% new French oak. Smoked black fruit on the nose turns fleshy and tart on the palate. Spicy tannins and fine structure---very good---$40.

-2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot, and 2% Malbec. Aged 19 months in 50% new French and American oak. Tight cherry, basil, and mint notes- silky red fruit with spice rack. Steady tannins finishing with mint and leather---very good---$54.

-2006 Insignia, Napa Valley- 24 months in 100% new French oak. Fully extracted. Dusty spices, leather, cigar box, and berries with currants, anise, and herbs. Firm and finishing long with herbs & spice and red fruit---excellent---$200.

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Seavey Vineyard

We wound our way down Conn Valley Road- a short little departure from the valley floor that really feels far off the beaten path- finally arriving at Seavey. Seavey is essentially an old dairy farm in Conn Valley, restored into a winery and vineyards in 1981 by William Seavey. The winery is an old stone building overlooking what remains of the dairy farm. The vineyards are off in the distance on gentle low mountain slopes and across the pasture toward Lake Hennessey and Pritchard Hill. The vineyards are sustainable farmed and the winery is solar powered. All wines are 100% estate grown. The winemaking is overseen by consulting winemaking superstar Philippe Melka.

Oddly enough, we ran across the same group we saw at Storybook Mountain and had the pleasure to ride their coattails and taste some 1997 Cab. It was a lot of fun, and the wine was unbelievable... the best of the trip.

The Wines-

-2007 Merlot, Napa Valley- 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. Tobacco, black fruit, and tea with black pepper, coffee, black raspberry, and currants. Firm and gripping lingering mocha notes---excellent---$45.

-2007 Caravina Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with 19 months in 40% new French oak. Coffee, raspberry, and tea with oak and cedar notes. Waves of vanilla, mocha, black fruits, leather, and cigar box. Firm and gripping with a long deep finish---excellent---$55.

-2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Verdot. 19 months in 50% new French oak. Extracted. Vanilla, tobacco, and peppery black fruit aromas. Silky on the palate with vanilla, cracked pepper laced black fruit, and nutmeg. Clove wrapped tannins that are firm but supple. Very lengthy finish with fruit, spice, and pepper---stellar with classic potential---$105.

-1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petite Verdot. 18 months in 40% new French oak. Extracted. On the nose I got barnyard, meaty, gamey, coffee, currant, fig, and cassis notes-profound. On the palate it was creamy notes of vanilla, nutmeg, and cloves with loads of baking spice and cracked pepper. The tannins are lush with fruit and spice- very long. This could make you cry tears of joy!---classic---$205.

-2008 Chardonnay, Napa Valley- Whole cluster pressed and fermented using indigenous and inoculated yeast, barrel fermented in 33% new French oak. Green apple, blue cheese, and yeast with more rich cheese notes, red apple, and citrus. Interesting, excellent balance. Mineral notes and good acidity finishing long---excellent---$40.

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We had planned to taste at Cade on Howell Mountain, but didn't make it before they closed. We did get some cool pictures though. Dinner was at Girl And The Fig in Sonoma- steak tartar appetizer with a grilled salmon- it totally lived up the hype. Day 3 was an amazing day! Click the link for day 3 pictures.

DAY 2- Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley (part 2)

2010-05-02T20:16:00.007-04:00

4/23/2010

Dutton-Goldfield Winery

After a quick lunch at Bill's Deli & Grocery on Gravenstein Hwy in Sebastopol, we headed across the street to the new Dutton-Goldfield tasting room. I visited Dutton-Goldfield at their shared location with Balletto Vineyards last year, and loved the wines. With the proximity to Merry Edwards, this was a great chance to pop in for a quick visit to taste through the new releases. The new facility serves the dual purpose of being a tasting room and their warehouse storage facility. It's a nice open space with a contemporary feel and artwork on the walls. While we were there, winemaker and co-proprietor Dan Goldfield was blasting out some Stevie Ray Vaughn tunes to test out the sound system. Dutton-Goldfield is a no-frills tasting experience; just extremely solid wines served at the bar- perfect for a drop-in tasting.

The Wines-

-2008 Gewurztraminer, Green Valley- Peach cobbler and crisp citrus fruit, with honey and heather notes. Nice and refreshing with good aromatics---good to very good---$25.

-2007 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, Russian River Valley-All barrel fermented in 40% new French oak with twice monthly lees stirring, 100% malo. Straw-gold. Butterscotch, apple, and caramel with bright mineral notes and nice finish---very good---$35.

-2007 McDougall Ranch Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast- Aged 17 months in 45% new French oak. Medium clarity. Red cherry, pepper, and earth notes highlighted with red apple and baking spice-laden tannins. Great finish---excellent---$58.

-2007 Freestone Hill Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- Aged 17 months is 55% new French oak. Brighter garnet color. Cherry cola and violets with bright cranberry, cherry, and cinnamon with silky tannins and a lengthy finish---excellent---$58.

-2007 Sanchietti Pinot Noir, Green Valley- 17 months, 55% new. Earthy and gamey red berries with cherry cola and baking spice. Spicy tannins and finish---very good to excellent---$58.

-2007 Devil's Gulch Pinot Noir, Marin County- Terrace and slope lots fermented and aged seperately, 17 months-60% new. Deeper and more dense. Cherry and pepper- silky red berry and light spicy tannins---very good---$58.

-2008 Morelli Lane Zinfandel, Russian River Valley- Like pinots- cold soaked with gentle punch-downs, aged 16 months in 40% French oak barrels. Ruby & bright with medium clarity. Black fruit and cherry with silky berry notes and spice. Cool silky tannins and long finish---excellent---$40.

-2007 Cherry Ridge Syrah, Russian River Valley- 20 months in 40% new French oak barrels. Ruby and dense. Gamey black cherry and spice notes with gamey rich red fruit with supple tannins and a berry finish---excellent---$35.

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Peterson Winery

We headed up into Dry Creek Valley to taste at Peterson Winery. Peterson is located on Dry Creek Road in the Timbercrest Farms complex along with several other wineries. Fred Peterson has been producing wines in Dry Creek Valley for over 20 years, with his son Jamie recently moving to the position of winemaker. The Petersons believe in sustainable farming and minimal intervention in the winemaking process. Much of their wine comes from their own Bradford Mountain vineyard in the northwest of Dry Creek Valley. We tasted through the Peterson wines with Jamie.

The Wines-

-2009 Timbercrest Farms Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley- 96% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Muscat Blanc. Fermentation begins in stainless steel then is moved to French oak (10% new), full malo. Lemon-grass nose with ample tropical and citrus fruit on the palate. Balanced acidity and minerality---good to very good---$17.

-2007 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley- 84% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 6% Carignane. 80% neutral mixed oak, 10% new Hungarian, 10% new American. Ruby with medium density. Bacon, cherry, vanilla with coffee, black fruits, and baking spice tannins. Nice and ripe but not overly aggressive---very good---$23.

-2005 Bradford Mountain Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley- Unfined and unfiltered. Aged 21 months in 20% new French, 20% new Hungarian, 60% 3-5 year old French Oak. Ruby and dense. Black cherry and anise with currant, pepper, vanilla. Peppery tannins and long cinnamon on the finish---excellent---$32.

-2007 Shinbone, Dry Creek Valley- 60% Shiraz, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfined and unfiltered. 40% new Hungarian, 20% new French, and 40% 2-4 year old American barrels. Full throttle-cocoa, mocha, and black fruit with soft tannins and spice on the finish---good to very good---$28.

-2002 Agraria, Bradford Mtn Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley- 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot. 26 months in 100% new French Oak. Floral on the nose with tobacco and cedar. Violets and strawberry, baking spice, cherry. Silky firm with spice on the finish---very good---$60.

-2007 1-2-3 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley- Inky and dense. Gamey, briary red fruit with licorice, ripe blackberry, and peppery tannins---good---$23.

-2006 Bradford Mountain Syrah, Dry Creek Valley- 92% Syrah, 7%Viognier, 1% Petite Sirah. Unfined and unfiltered. 22 months in 60% new French Oak. Inky and dense. Meaty wild black fruit with mocha, vanilla, and dried herbs. Smooth and silky tannins with a long finish of herbs and spice---excellent---$45.

-2007 Home Farm Muscat Blanc- 75% Muscat Blanc, 25% Orange Muscat. Fortified. Lightly sweet orange and honey notes with great balance---excellent---$30 375ml.

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Ridge Vineyards-Lytton Springs

We snuck into Ridge-Lytton Springs right before closing time; which ended up being a coup, as they were pouring the Monte Bello Cabernet. Lytton Springs is right on the eastern edge of Dry Creek Valley heading back into Healdsburg. It's an eco-friendly winery and tasting room with 125 year old Zinfandel vines greeting you as you head inside. Our pourer was friendly and engaging; I have to give alot of credit to her as we were tasting at the end of the day.

The Wines-

-2006 Monte Bello Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains- Unfiltered. Mineral, creme fraiche, and lemon grass with honeysuckle, pear, and butterscotch with balanced acidity and a nice finish---very good to excellent---$60.

-2006 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains- 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Natural yeasts. Brambly fruit- boysenberry and red berries, leather and pencil lead- classically styled with ample red fruit and spice. Dusty and firm with herbs and spice, finishing long and elegant---excellent to stellar---$145.

-2006 Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley- 80% Zinfandel, 16% Petite Sirah, 4% Carignane. Cherry pie, raspberry tort, vanilla with blue & red berries, vanilla, and light spices. Spicy, firm and long---very good---$35.

-2006 Geyserville, Sonoma County- 70% Zinfandel, 18% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro. Red ruby and less dense. Tight nose with herbal black fruit. Black fruit with touches of strawberry & plums with supple tannins of black pepper and lengthy finish---very good---$35.

-2006 Old School Zinfandel, Alexander Valley- Black currant, vanilla, with ample black fruits and clove spice- silky and long---very good to excellent---$???.

-2006 Ponzo Zinfandel, Russian River Valley- Natural fermentation and aged 12 months in American oak. Musky, mushroom, and red fruit with plums, pepper, and lush tannins---very good---$28.

-2007 Nervo Zinfandel, Alexander Valley- Candied red fruit and peppery black fruit with firm tannins and cinnamon notes on the finish---very good---$???.

-2006 Caboose Zinfandel, Nervo Vineyard, Sonoma County- Natural fermentation, 15 months in American oak. Medicinal, tar, and floral notes with black & red fruit, clove & cinnamon. Silky with spicy tannins finishing long---excellent---$28.

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Wow- what a crazy day of wine tasting and touring. We went from coastal mountains along the Sonoma Coast to the pastoral Dry Creek Valley, tasting a crazy variety of wines. We grabbed a beer at the Dry Creek Valley General Store, where we met the owner- Gina Gallo. Dinner was at Bistro Ralph in Healdsburg. A pretty amazing cheese plate precluded the best Caesar salad I've ever eaten. A pretty decadent lamb meatloaf topped pretty much did me in from there...

Full photos from day 2. Next- back to Napa Valley-Storybook Mountain, Keenan, and Seavey.

DAY 2- Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley (part 1)

2010-05-01T20:16:00.007-04:00

Friday April 23, 2010

Hirsch Vineyards

The drive up to Hirsch was quite amazing. It took us through the morning fog of the Russian River Valley, up through Monte Rio, and along the Russian River to Highway 1. Following the rugged Sonoma coastline for a spell and then up into the coastal mountains, we finally found ourselves at the Hirsch Vineyards. But not before mile after mountain mile of one-lane road, hairpin curves, and even driving through backyards- ruins of crashed cars notwithstanding. It's a great way to bring the term "Far Sonoma Coast" to life.

Justin and Jon getting the vineyard tour

Upon arrival we were greeted by our hostess, Tess. We took a stroll around the vineyards, starting in the original OVY vineyard blocks- originally planted to Pinot Noir and Riesling back in 1980 before eventually being converted to all Pinot Noir. From there we talked about some of the viticultural practices of Hirsch and viewed the expanse of vineyards spread across hilltops off in the distance- with the Pacific Ocean in the horizon. Hirsch is only 3 miles from the coast, with the San Andreas fault lying between it and the ocean.

Back at the winery, we toured the open-top fermenters and the barrel room, as we were joined by winemaker Ross Cobb. Ross was great, entertaining my friend Justin's questions about his approach to natural fermentation, and showing us the 14 gallon glass demijohns in which his Chardonnay is partially fermented. Finally, we headed into the office to taste a couple of wines they had lying around. Thanks to Tess for setting everything up, and to both Tess and Ross for being so hospitable. This was a great stop, a fascinating departure from the rest of the wine trail circuit. My only regret is not allowing more time before the second appointment of the day. Our 10:00 appointment was followed by a 1:00 back in the Russian River Valley- an hour and fifteen minute drive back. We had to hustle to get back- bottoming out on a random speed hump coming down the mountain and almost nailing a sheep!

Justin and Ross Cobb talking about yeast

The Wine-
-2008 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast- Partial oak, glass, and stainless steel fermentation. Wild yeast fermentation. Full malo. Unfiltered. Neutral oak aging. Earthy nose with pungent notes of aged cheeses and bright apple. Earthy on the palate with bright fruit and mineral balance. Good acid and a long finish---excellent---$50.

-2007 San Andreas Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast- A ruby color with good clarity. Gamey, cherry, and forest floor notes initiate velvety strawberry and cherry fruit soaked in silky tannins. Nice earthy fruit finish---excellent---I could see this further developing the depth of flavors with a few years time---$60.

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Merry Edwards Winery

The tasting at Merry Edwards was definitely structured and seminar-like. It's more of a pitch on the wines than a chance for dialogue. The winery itself is more of a modern working winery facility than a hospitality center. The tastings are put on at conference tables off of the office area. The grounds are really pretty though, with beds of flowers and the Coopersmith Vineyard surrounding the winery. What I liked about the tasting was having a map of the Russian River Valley in front of us with the vineyard locations marked. This was a great tool while tasting through the single vineyard Pinot Noirs. The Pinots were all nice and lush and rich- very prototypical Russian River Valley. Most were with silken red fruit and more spice than earth. For my taste, they lacked just a little bit of that extra depth that might have taken them above and beyond- but very nice all the same. The Sauvignon Blanc was outstanding.

The Wines-

-2007 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- Black cherry & currants with a slight earthiness. Dusty tannins with pepper and baking spice on the finish---very good---$42.

-2007 Tobias Glen Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- A blend of Dijon clones. Lighter in color. Generous aromas of red cherry, mushroom, minerals with red cherry and strawberry fruit with white pepper on the palate. Lighter peppery tannins with a little more earth than spice on the finish---very good to excellent---$54.

-2007 Flax Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- From Pommard clones. Darker and more dense. Cherry cola and herbal notes with raspberry and light spice. A little loose on the finish---good---$54.

-2007 Meredeth Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- Darker with density. Baking spice and cherry with raspberry, dried herbs, and strawberry. Dried herb-laced tannins with additional berry notes on the finish---very good to excellent---$54.

-2007 Klopp Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- A little lighter color and appearance than the Flax or the Meredeth. Generous red cherry, cola, and pepper with earth and mushroom notes. Silky tannins with a finish of oak and spice---very good to excellent---$58.

-2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley- Barrel fermented in 18% new French oak. Straw-gold. Aromatic with slight vegetal notes and a lot of tropical fruit. Creamy yet crisp tropical fruit flavors- pineapple and lime- with a great finish---excellent---$30.

Next, more notes on Day 2. Click the link for photos of Day 2 in Sonoma County.

DAY 1- Napa South (part 2)

2010-04-29T20:52:00.010-04:00

Thursday-4/22/10

Rudd Winery & Vineyards

After lunch at the Soda Canyon store, we headed up the Silverado Trail into Oakville for a tasting at Rudd Winery & Vineyards. Rudd is a beautiful property on the corner of Oakville Crossroad and Silverado Trail near such luminaries as Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle. Food and wine entrepreneur Leslie Rudd bought the property in 1996, bringing it to prominence with the help of famous names such as former winemaker David Ramey and consulting vineyard manager David Abreu. Thanks to Jeff and Kendall for treating us to an informal overview of Rudd's current releases.

-2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Mt. Veeder- 87% Sauv Blanc, 13% Semillon. Native yeasts, partial barrel fermentation. Straw and honeysuckle with citrus and tropical notes. Full but a bit soft. Nice finishing notes of stone fruit and apple---good to very good---$45.
-2007 Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard, Russian River Valley- 50 year old vines. Native yeast, full malo, 15 months in French oak-57% new. Rich and gold. Opens with green apple and butterscotch with additional notes of caramel, stone fruit, and light minerals. Big and full style---good to very good---$65.
-2006 Crossroads Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville- 76% Cab Sauv, 13% Cab Franc, 7% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot. Native yeast, 20 months in 83% new French oak. Inky and dense. Expressive black and red fruit with black tea, coffee, and herbs. Silky tannins and a long finish---excellent---$65.
-2006 Oakville Estate Proprietary Red, Oakville- 80% Cab Sauv, 9% Cab Franc, 8% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot. Native yeast, 20 months in 100% new Fine Grained French oak. Slightly lighter appearance than the Crossroads. Black fruit, vanilla- a little closed on the nose. Opened up into spice box, cigar box, black tea, coffee, and herbal notes with underlying soft black fruit. Tannins are spicy, firm, and long---excellent to stellar---needs 5 to 10 years to reach stellar potential---$125.

We also tasted the 2006 Edge Hill Estate Mixed Blacks, St. Helena. This is a field blend of Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Grenache, Mourvedre, & Alicante Bouschet. I didn't get good notes on this one, but enjoyed it. Very much in the dark, brooding, and gamey style.

All in all these were outstanding wines, especially the two cabs. Both delivering bold and rich flavors with great depth and good balance. The whites were good, but a little into the creamy and buttery-rich territory without the zing of acidity that I look for.

The view from the patio at Rudd

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Hess Collection

We headed up into the hills of Mt. Veeder to taste the wines at Hess. This was an informal tour of the art museum with the wines at the tasting bar. The art makes this a worthwhile visit- very interesting contemporary paintings, sculptures, and photography. The vineyards are tucked in and blocked off behind the winery- hard to get to the views that you think you might get given the elevation. Heading into the tasting bar, there's a pretty cool look-see into the barrel aging cellar.

-2008 Small Block Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County- Musqué clone, Short cooperage in neutral French oak. Straw, mineral, stone fruit, green apple, pear-nice and crisp---good---$19.
-2007 Chardonnay, Mt. Veeder- 18 months in 50% new French oak, no malo. Really strong toasty notes with wet stone and tropical fruit---good---$35.
-2009 Small Block Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley- 99% Zinfandel, 1% Petite Sirah; 12 months in French Oak (2-3 years old). Black fruit and spice-brambly. Light bodied with black raspberry notes---good---$36.
-2009 Small Block Syrah Rosé, Napa Valley- Fermented in neutral oak. Strawberry and candied cherry- fresh and lively---average to good---price??
-2007 Small Block Syrah, Napa Valley- 98% Syrah, 2% Viognier. 17 months in 20% new French oak. Lots of black raspberry and black cherry with peppery firm tannins and lengthy finish---good to very good---$36.
-2006 19 Block Cuvée, Mt. Veeder- 69% Cab Sauv, 11% Malbec, 10% Syrah, 5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cab Franc. 16 months in 50% new French oak. Tight nose- cassis, blackberry, and spice- firm with a nice finish---very good---$36.
-2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder- 86% Cab Sauv, 12% Malbec, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. 18 months in 50% new French oak. Tight nose- black fruit and dried herbs opened up into spice box, tobacco, cedar, and black fruit with spice-driven tannins and a lengthy finish---very good---$48.

Overall good quality, Hess consistently delivers a pretty good value for the price. Interestingly, my pal Justin started his crazy trend of buying large format wines here with a Jeroboam of the Allomi Vineyard Cabernet... fun stuff.

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Peju Province Winery

I wanted to have a crack at a Rutherford stop tasting a Rutherford Cabernet while on the trip. Peju was just about the only option left (open until 6) as we were back down on the valley floor at 5:30. Granted, I'm always a little skeptical of the potential service when going into a tasting room to taste shortly before closing; Peju managed to hit way below my lowered expectations. Our personal pourer had very little to add when talking about the wines and acted uninterested. He even went so far as to tell us that he doesn't really drink much wine and usually sticks with Two Buck Chuck. Out of the three in my party, two of us work in the wine business and we're all fairly wine savvy. We were actively trying to engage over the course of our tasting.

We tasted through their Napa Valley blends- the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2006 Merlot, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2006 Syrah. All were decent, albeit unremarkable wines in their respective categories and price points. I asked several times about tasting their Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon and was denied, seeing an open bottle on my way out. I guess Two Buck Chuck knew we weren't properly presented the wines- as we weren't charged for the tasting. I would have gladly paid to taste the Rutherford Cabernet, and would have considered buying a bottle. This was a waste of time. Perhaps it's the bad taste in my mouth talking, but Peju comes off as a fancied-up Hwy 29 tourist trap winery with little or no substance.

note 4/30- Peju's P.R. Specialist contacted me to apologize for my group's dissatisfaction, with an invitation to contact her directly the next time I come to Napa. While I stand by my notes, I give them credit for their eagerness to contact me so quickly after I wrote the piece. Given the communication, I may consider giving them another chance in the future.

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Overall, day 1 was three great stops, one pretty good one, and one poor one. The ones that required planning were all winners. We grabbed a nice dinner at Leslie Rudd's Press in St. Helena. Great appetizers-oysters, truffled mac & cheese, and filet au poivre sliders... then a blue plate special- pork chops, grits, and asparagus... good stuff. Then it was off over Spring Mountain back to Rohnert Park to get ready to drive out to Hirsch to start day 2.

Link to all Napa day 1 pics.

DAY 1- Napa south (part 1)

2010-04-28T20:55:00.012-04:00

Thursday 4/22/2010

Shafer Vineyards

As we drove up to the venerable Shafer Vineyards in Stags Leap, my first thought was of the understated nature of the property. Pretty hillside vineyards and a nice modern winery, but nothing that screams of the utter joy of wine that awaits you. This was the first stop of the trip- why not start big?

Running a minute late, we joined the group out on the patio as our host pointed out the Hillside Select vineyards surrounding the winery, and talked about Shafer's sustainable farming practices. It was all fairly simple, more of an orientation than a tour. The treat came when we were taken into the cellar to see the 2008 One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon being bottled. Winemaker Elias Fernandez was overseeing everything, and was kind enough to say hello to everyone. We tasted the 2008 One Point Five in the cellar- with beautifully forward fruit and elegantly layered spice and tannins that should develop and integrate while the wine rests in bottle awaiting release.

We tasted through the Shafer wines in a sun room overlooking the patio and vineyards- a magnificent setting. To highlight the tasting, John Shafer came out and shared a few moments of his time with the group. It's a highly structured tasting, so we didn't get too caught up in every detail of Shafer's winemaking process. As a whole, the wines are balanced and classically styled, but unmistakably Californian. Bold and rich, but unmistakably luxurious and silky. The tasting was capped off with some insanely good chocolates paired with a nice port-style dessert wine only available at the winery. What a magnificent kick-off to the trip!

-2008 Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay, Carneros- 75% barrel fermented, no malo, wild yeast. Straw, green apple & stone fruit, pear, light oaky vanilla notes. Crisp and bright with great balance---Excellent---$48
-2007 Merlot Napa Valley- Caramel apple, cherry, plum. Elegant with silky spice tannins and mint on the finish---Very Good to Excellent---$48
-2007 One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap- Dense and full. Vanilla, butterscotch, cassis, tobacco. Gliding red & black fruits that soar into cedar and spice box notes on the tannins and finish. Silky and velvety---Excellent to Stellar---$70
-2006 Relentless, Napa Valley Syrah/Petite Sirah- Co-fermented. Inky and full. Cassis, leather, white pepper, with meaty notes. Meaty black fruits, pepper-bold but elegant with firm peppery grip and spicy finish---Very Good to Excellent---$70
-2005 Hillside Select, Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon- 32 months in 100% new French Oak. Dense and full. Vanilla, green olive, cassis, currant, and cedar on the nose. Waves of cassis, cigar box, herbs, vanilla, cedar, and red berries that are elegant and silky. Firm white pepper tannins lead into a finish of berries and olive---Excellent to Stellar, but will move to "Stellar to Classic" as the red and black berry notes develop and the tannins further integrate with many years in the bottle---$215

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White Rock Vineyards

It was a short drive southeast into the Soda Canyon area off the Silverado Trail. Soda Canyon is not an official AVA, but like the hillsides of Stags Leap it features a slightly cooler climate than the valley floor. With a long history, the White Rock Vineyards were reclaimed by Henri Vandendriessche in 1977. Henri pointed us around his vineyards, planted to Bordeaux reds and Burgundian white- Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, & Petite Verdot; along with two Dijon clones of Chardonnay. The vineyards have been farmed organically since the early 1980's.

The winery is totally underground, with an extensive cave where Henri also leases space to other small labels in Napa. One of the cooler things I've seen while touring wine caves, were the massive enclaves they carved out in the walls to age the bottled Bordeaux blends- totally unique. Henri and his family have been here for many years- low key in Soda Canyon, making just a few thousand cases each year of their classic Bordeaux style reds and Burgundian style whites. Henri's sons Michael and Christopher, are now winegrower and winemaker respectively. These are lean and European style wines by Napa standards- very enjoyable and well priced. This was a great stop-one of those cool "off the radar" places that are so much fun to visit.

-2007 Chardonnay, Napa Valley- Fermented in barrel w/natural yeast, 10% malo, 10 months on lees in 5% new French Oak. Lean. Peach, straw, and pear- vibrant apple and tropical fruit. Good balance and finish---very good---$30.
-2008 Reserve Chardonnay, Napa Valley- 50% malo. Richer color. Honey, peach, apple- balanced and lively- finishes long with butterscotch and pear---very good to excellent---price?
-2005 Claret, Napa Valley- 40% Cab Sauv, 35% Merlot, 14% Petite Verdot, 11% Cab Franc; 22 months in French Oak- 33% new. Caramel, dark berries, cigar box aromas descend into tart red berries, anise, herbs, and pepper through to the finish. Firm and balanced---very good---$36
-2004 Laureate, Napa Valley- 75% Cab Sauv, 20% Cab Franc, 3% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot; 22 months in French Oak- 33% new. Lively color. Red fruit & boysenberry- fresh herbs, leather, and tobacco. Big tannins, integrated and long---very good to excellent---$50.

Next- more notes on the remainder of Day 1. Click the link for more photos of Napa day 1.

Tour of Napa Valley and Sonoma County Growing Areas- April 2010- Summary

2010-04-27T21:53:00.007-04:00

Justin, Jon, and I enjoying some Seavey Cab

Sonoma Coast-Hirsch Vineyards, looking out to the Pacific

I’ve completed a 5 day tour of the major growing areas of Napa Valley and Sonoma County. In 5 days, I tasted wines from 24 different producers in diverse areas- from the Stags Leap district in Napa, to the mountaintops of the far Sonoma Coast overlooking the Pacific, to seemingly everywhere in between.

The itinerary was planned well in advance, with a few last minute changes. The plan was to taste and tour in as many of the Napa Valley and Sonoma County AVA’s as possible. All told, I visited Stags Leap, Soda Canyon (Napa Valley AVA), Oakville, Mt. Veeder, Rutherford, Spring Mountain, Calistoga, St. Helena, Conn Valley (Napa Valley AVA), and Carneros in the Napa Valley. In Sonoma, I visited the far Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Green Valley, Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill, and Sonoma Valley. With few exceptions, each of the wineries that were visited sampled at least a couple of wines made from grapes grown in their region of location. Ideally, this allows for some sense of terroir to come out of the trip.

I tasted Cabernet Sauvignon throughout the trip. The vintages varied, mostly from 2005’s to 2007’s, making it difficult to draw much of a first hand definitive conclusion about the vintages, especially the 2007’s. However, I think my notes in the days that follow will show a diverse range of styles in California Cabs currently on the market. Much of the Pinot Noir that I tasted was from the 2007 vintage, displaying a silky rich fruit profile and lots of oaky spice with varying degrees of earthiness. The Chardonnays were made in a myriad of styles from lean to rich and everything in between- most from the 2007 and 2008 vintage. There were some enjoyable Zinfandels on display throughout, as well as many other varietals. On balance, I thought the quality was very high across the board. This could be a reflection of my plans matching my tastes and interests, but I thought a consistency in character and balance was demonstrated throughout the trip- from more classically styles wines to the bigger, riper, more oak-laden wines.

Late April was a great time to visit. The vines were a few weeks past budbreak and were starting to show lots of green. You could see buds on the vine preparing for the upcoming flowering. At the same time, it was early enough in the season to get a good look at the trunks and the cordons, and to gain some insight on the different vineyard practices when it comes to training and trellising. It’s also a pretty relaxed time in wine country, so it was a good opportunity to meet a few proprietors and winemakers along the way. The weather was sunny and clear- in the mid 70’s everyday. With a wet winter and early spring, the landscape was nice and green.

Over the next week or two, I’ll post a day by day summary of the places visited and the wines tasted. There will be photos and links to more photos. If you’re a junkie for California wine, I hope you enjoy. Cheers!

Napa- part 1 photos

2010-04-26T01:51:00.003-04:00

Okay, it's been a few days between posts. I've been traveling in the Napa and Sonoma wine country. The plan is to post full reports and tasting notes of my winery visits when I get back. In the meantime, here's a link to my Napa day 1 photos. More to come...

Finding The Sweet Spot

2010-04-03T20:41:00.013-04:00

Clark Smith is a winemaker and consultant with a controversial specialization. He uses the reverse osmosis and micro-oxygenation techniques to change alcohol levels in his wines, and helps other winemakers put them into practice. The philosophy is coined Grapecraft; essentially using the most advanced and modern techniques to bring the wine into proper balance- or as stated on their website, "The practical art of connecting the human soul to the soul of a place by rendering its grapes into liquid music." He speaks of winemaking as a kinship to cooking, not merely to science.

The Grapecraft website gets into great detail on the philosophy and the techniques-I highly recommend checking the links to get more information. Certainly this is the other side of the coin from the natural wine argument. Grapecraft would argue that these methods are bringing wine into its most natural and balanced expression. Personally, I do think the goal to make wine in as natural a manner as possible is desirable and of interest. However I'm not an ideologue when it comes to this. Give me a good philosophical basis for the means to making wine, and I'm game.

Grapecraft produces wines under three primary labels- WineSmith, CheapSkate, and Penny Farthing. These wines are sourced from a variety of sites, and are priced at a variety of price points under $20. My friend and colleague, Justin, bought a sampler pack of the Penny Farthing Cabernet Sauvignon California 2007. The wine is sourced primarily from Lodi grapes, and is labeled at 13.5% alcohol by volume (AbV). This gives it an actual leeway of anywhere between 12% and 13.99%, as anything under 14% has a 1.5% wiggle room up to the 14% barrier. The sampler pack included 4 bottles of the Penny Farthing Cabernet starting with the unaltered version of the wine at 15.1% AbV, and 3 other versions altered with reverse osmosis at 14.2, 13.95, and 13.7 AbV's respectively. One of these wines has the "sweet spot", a term that Grapecraft uses to describe that magic AbV where the wine comes into balance.

Justin organized a gathering of wine-interested friends to blind taste the wines and assess the different qualities of each. The bottles were wrapped in aluminum foil and marked with letters A. B, C, or D. At the end of the tasting we all guessed which wine matched the mystery AbV, and named our sweet spot wine, before unveiling the identities of each bottle. Below are my notes and overall assessments for each wine-

Wine A-
Color/body assessment- medium to full body. violet-garnet color and a rich appearance with medium density.
Nose- subtle red fruit, black fruit, and pepper
Palate- red fruit, baking spice, and pepper. A little light across the palate before finishing with fading tannins.
Overall- A decent wine. It developed character in the glass but dropped off across the palate and on the finish. My least favorite of the 4- I guessed this as the 13.95% AbV.

Wine B-
Color/body assessment- medium bodied. a richer purple with garnet highlights. medium extraction in appearance.
Nose- a little muted at first, developed into similar red/black fruits and notes of pepper.
Palate- more defined fruit- currants & other berries, and a mixture of spices & cedar- full weight on the middle, showing good structure and a lingering finish with spicy & gripping tannins.
Overall- A nice classically styled wine with solid fruit, spice, balance, and structure. Opened up with air. Very solid for an under $20 Cabernet. My favorite of the 4- I guessed this as the 13.7 AbV.

Wine C-
Color/body assessment- appeared fullest in body. violet/purple with a dense appearance.
Nose- similar to A & B- peppery spice notes with a little more defined note of currant.
Palate- Red fruit and cassis, full and ripe on the middle palate and finishing with sweet & spicy tannins.
Overall- Drank almost like a Zinfandel with defined ripe red and dark fruits with a little sweetness and heat. I liked its opulence, it maintained structural integrity without going over the top... definitely came off as the "big" wine of the 4. My second favorite- I guessed this as the 15.1 AbV.

Wine D-
Color/body assessment- full body. violet and dense in appearance.
Nose- muted olive, light black fruit notes- opened up slightly with time.
Palate- red fruit, peppery spice notes, full through the middle palate. finished with light tannins.
Overall- This one had a little promise, but fell off on the end. It felt a little disjointed but had nice primary character. My #3 of the 4 wines- I guessed this at 14.2 AbV.

Overall, the wine had some similar characteristics at all 4 alcohol levels. Color, appearance, aromas, and primary flavors were all in the same ballpark- only minor variations. Where the wines really showed their differences was in their weight on the palate and overall structure. Wines A and D both dropped off toward the finish. Wine A had a hollow middle along with a very light finish. Wine D showed some weight across the palate, but again had a pretty non-descript finish. To me, these two wines were the most similar.

The consensus among the group was that Wines B and C were the best. Most went with Wine B- it showed great structure and style with very well developed flavors. It walked a nice line between finesse, power, and flavor. It appeared the lightest and had the most developed tannins along with the best balance- causing me to put it the low of the four in AbV. Wine C was the yang to wine A's yin. It was a big and full throttle red with ripe fruit and a bit of heat. It retained enough structure and balance to keep it enjoyable. These factors had me guessing it to be the 15.1.

The unveiling-

Oddly enough, after wrapping the bottles and moving them outside to the patio, the unveiling revealed them to be in the correct A-D order-

Wine A- 13.7% AbV
Wine B- 13.95% AbV
Wine C- 14.2% AbV
Wine D- 15.1% AbV

Alas, I didn't get any of the four exactly right. However I did have the two highest and two lowest grouped correctly. In retrospect, the results make a lot of sense. Wines A and D were the least balanced. Wine D was possibly taken out of balance by too high an alcohol level, the ethanol likely overpowering the tannins. Counter-intuitively, it didn't taste overpowering or overripe at 15.1%. On the other hand, Wine A could have lost balance due to the fruit lacking the body from the alcohol to allow the tannins to come through.

In my opinion, Wine C was near the sweet spot. The alcohol gave an edge to the fruit and only diminished the tannins very slightly. Wine B is where all the components came together in harmony, and the tannins and structure really shined through. This allowed the fruit to most fully express itself. The sweet spot was found at Wine B. Fittingly, Wines B & C were right in the middle of the range at 13.95 and 14.2 respectively.

Overall this was a fascinating exercise. I appreciate Justin's effort to secure the wines and organize the tasting. You can contact Winecraft about the tasting kit. It's a fun way learn about balance in wine, and a great wine tasting to organize with friends.

What's In Your Tech Sheet?

2010-03-31T20:33:00.004-04:00

Like many wine lovers, I have at least some interest in the details of how a wine is made. I don't however, have the time to research the small details of every wine that I drink.

Much of what I learn comes from the wine's tech sheet. It's usually available in some form from the winery website. Sometimes as a separate PDF file, and other times as listed on the main description page. I'm interested in any information that the winemaker is willing to share on the tech sheet, but at a minimum I like to know a few things. Site specific information; time in oak with percentage new; native or inoculated yeast, brix level at harvest, general fermentation information, viticultural info, and clones used (on high end wines) are a few things that are useful for me when listed in tech sheets.

There are other items that would be interesting to know about, but aren't going to appear on a tech sheet anytime soon. Things such as acidification, watering down or other alcohol lowering techniques, added enzymes, etc are certainly of interest. However you're probably going to have to do some serious reading to get this information. Recently I've found some pretty candid information from winemakers in books like New Classic Winemakers of California and North American Pinot Noir.

What kind of information is an interested consumer owed in the form of a wine tech sheet? I'm sensitive to the different angles that this question addresses. As a wine lover, I want to know and understand wine more fully. The decisions made in the winegrowing and winemaking process, and the different means and philosophies behind those decisions, are endlessly fascinating. I try to keep an open mind in any of the possible directions. It's the same kind of interest in reading album liner notes where the musicians give you information about the recording process, the different equipment that was used, and the players on the album.

On the other hand, I understand that much of this information is seen as proprietary, to be doled out at the discretion of the vintner. The information that can be withheld is not of a concern to the immediate health of the consumer, so maybe it is up to the interested consumer to search out what they're interested in on their own. We're free to make buying decisions based on the information given or not given. As in music, there are plenty of great albums that share very little information in the liner notes.

With all this in mind, I've linked five tech sheets below. These are wines that I've written about over the last year. I'm listing the information beside each that is given; click the link for the wines. As you'll see, it's an interesting variation. There's definitely no standard format or level of information.

Tech Sheet 1 (domestic)- total production, release date, site specific information, soils, clones, fermentation details, time in oak with percentage new, harvest yield, alcohol by volume.

Tech Sheet 2- (imported)- grape varietals, alcohol by volume, acid level, pH level, sugar level, harvest dates, type and temperature of fermentation, fermentation techniques, type of oak, time of oak w/percentage new.

Tech Sheet 3- (imported)- alcohol by volume, basic aging information, winemaker name, very basic harvest and fermentation info, grape varietals.

Tech Sheet 4- (domestic)- winemaker name, vineyard name, time/type/percentage new oak aging, growing season/harvest overview, harvest period, brix at harvest, alcohol by volume, total acidity, pH level, grape varietals.

Tech Sheet 5- (domestic)- vineyard/harvest overview, time of harvest, brix at harvest, detailed fermentation information, use of inoculated yeast, time in oak w/percentage new/1yr/neutral, percent estate vineyard, grape variety, clones, alcohol by volume, total acidity, pH level, residual sugar, winemaker name.

How important is the technical information to you, and how much should be offered to you vs you seeking it out?

The High Museum Trade Tasting

2010-03-25T20:16:00.005-04:00

Today was the first day of the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction, the 4th largest wine auction of its kind in the US. Proceeds from the auction benefit the High Museum. Kicking everything off was the Thursday afternoon tasting for those in the trade... With a connection to the wine business in Atlanta, a $15 donation got you an afternoon of tasting and a nice Riedel glass. Proceeds from the tasting go to assist Metro Atlanta Public Schools' access to the arts.

Between the crowds and the sheer number of wines that I was trying to taste, I decided to forgo writing any tasting notes. However I did have a few favorites- Au Bon Climat, Brewer-Clifton, Melville, Peay, Russian Hill, and Van Duzer (the 2007 making up for the 2006!) topped my list in Pinot Noirs... I was stoked to try the new 2008 Melville small lot Pinots- Terraces and Carrie's. Peay was new for me as well- loved their Sonoma Coast trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah- all from the 2008 vintage. They had great balance along with vibrant fruit. Their Syrah was awesome, balancing the full gamey and spicy fruit with cool climate finesse. Speaking of Syrah, K Vintners and their 2007 Walla Walla Valley Morrison Syrah was pretty special... full on waves of black fruit, savory spice, and earth- fully balanced with precision. I guess this is one of the entry level Syrahs from K and Charles Smith... pretty heady.

I tasted a fair amount of big Napa Cab's and Merlots from the 2005 - 2007 vintages, most of them needing time to mellow out and settle in. Caymus, Kathryn Hall, Pahlmeyer, and Pride all were pretty dark, loud, and brooding wines- intense on the palate with all the components fighting for airtime. I'd need to sit down with these and either give them time, or a lot of air to get a fair assessment. A few of the Cabs that were already showing nice refinement were the 2005 Grgich Hills (awesome 2007 Chardonnay as well), the 2006 Ramey Claret and Napa Cab, and both of Silver Oak's 2005 Cabs.

The biggest disappointments were probably Kosta Brown's 2008 Sonoma Coast and Russian River Pinot Noirs- good wines but didn't impress me as much as the Pinots mentioned earlier; some of the aggressive Cabs listed above (like I said, they need more time with me or I need more time with them...), and some high alcohol mashers from Martinelli- a Russian River Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that were both north of 15%, along with a Zin that came in at nearly 17%! Too much body and sweet gnarly fruit, they were like drinking fruit splinters and cotton candy.

There weren't too many imports, a few Australian and Chilean wines that I didn't get to. Maisons Marques and Domaines were pouring some of their portfolio- a beautiful Domaines Ott Rosé from Provence and a 2006 Pio Cesare Barolo. Very nice indeed.

So there you have it, a layman's view of the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction trade tasting all from memory, shoddy note-taking, and wine-stained brochures. Here's to next year!

Corkd.com Tasting Notes at Retail

2010-03-10T19:30:00.006-05:00

If you write wine reviews on corkd.com, you might start seeing your reviews on a wine display at a store near you. I'm working Augusta, GA this week, and saw accolades on wines for sale at the White Horse Beer & Ale store attributing ratings and tasting notes to corkd.com. Big Vine Napa Cabernet Sauvignon was allegedly rated a 94 on corkd (I couldn't find it on the site), and Red Hawk Winery Cabernet Sauvignon was rated a 92. The Red Hawk review and score came from the user "winewriter", the actual average score was 91. The wholesaler in GA for these wines is LaFayette Distributors. They obviously are scouring the web far and wide for ratings to help sell their wines....

I've read others in the blogosphere speculating as to how long it might be before we start to see wine accolades quoting blogs. This is an interesting development in that regard. As someone who blogs about wine on corkd.com and on this site, I'm not sure that my tasting notes would belong on a retail shelf when compared to a professional wine writer/taster, but it's an interesting development nonetheless.

Too Much Information?

2010-03-02T22:17:00.004-05:00

Matt Kramer's "Manifesto 2010" column in the new Wine Spectator (March 31, 2010) hits on the theme of transparency in winemaking. Among all the talk about high alcohol levels; interventionist vs. natural winemaking; biodynamic farming; and the myriad of other topics surrounding the making of wine- I agree with Mr. Kramer that transparency is the centerpiece in the discussion.

At the same time, I'm not sure how much unsolicited information is owed by vintners about their winemaking techniques and philosophies. Accurate alcohol by volume seems like a no-brainer to me, but the 1% (on wines less than 14%) and 1.5% (on wines greater than 14%) leeway that US law allows on label is such a large range that you have to take the information with a grain of salt. You'd think this would be the most basic information that you could rely upon regarding the wine.

Outside of that, how much information is owed to the consumer? I've seen tech sheets detailing rootstock, clones, soil, yeasts, percentage of new oak, type of oak, size of barrel, farming methods, and everything in between. On the other side of the coin, I've seen only the most basic technical information given. I was looking on the website for Chateau La Tour Carnet the other evening and it couldn't tell me the percentage of new oak that was used in aging.

Is it more interesting to speculate whether a wine was watered back, or aged in what percentage of new oak, or fermented with natural yeast... or more interesting to know all this information going in? I like to get my own impressions and then see how they might be correct or mistaken. I'm not sure that any of the detailed technical information is owed to me- part of the onus is on me to find it out if I have an interest. I'm not sure what to read into the less detailed tech sheets and websites... as long is doesn't potentially affect the health of the consumer (i.e. alcohol, sulfites), then to me its proprietary information. If the winery thinks putting it out there is useful then I guess they do it. Maybe they just think if you or me is interested enough we'll find a way to get the information... maybe we ask the question in the tasting room or email the winery.

That's not to say that I don't appreciate full disclosure when it is offered- both positive and negative. I guess its easy to disclose that you farm biodynamically, or ferment with natural yeast, or don't filter or fine on your tech sheets if you think this is appealing to your target customers. What's impressive to me, as Matt Kramer mentioned in the column, is the concept of disclosing a potentially unfashionable detail about your wine. In New Classic Winemakers of California, Bill Wathen of Foxen mentions that some wines have to be watered back- but not something they like to do. I overheard Steve Beckmen of Beckmen Vineyards saying in their tasting room last year that the 2007 vintage didn't need to by acidified... I don't doubt the integrity of Foxen or Beckmen for these reasons. I'm sure there are plenty who avoid talking about that stuff, but in avoidance maybe the opportunity is missed for a meaningful discussion with perspective about hot-button winemaking issues.

It would be great to see a more open discussion, but I'm still unsure that I am owed any more from a winemaker than I would be from a musician, or an artist. Maybe the methods are essential to the final result, maybe the ends always justify the means. It's in the eye of the beholder I guess- from the winemaker to the consumer.

Wines of Germany tasting

2010-02-23T22:26:00.007-05:00

Tonight was the Wines of Germany class at Atlanta Wine School. A great opportunity for exposure to more serious German Wines. I don't often drink German wines, although not due to lack of interest. It's more a case of lack of exposure to anything beyond the basic mass-imported QbA's, Kabinetts, and Spatlese. I know that profound expressions of Riesling emanate from the beautiful slopes above the Mosel River and throughout the rest of the German wine countryside- so the class was a welcome opportunity.

German wine can seem a bit dense on the surface. The nomenclature on the labels seems complicated, but is actually fairly simple upon memorization. The classification of levels of ripeness/sweetness on the top level QmP wines is different, but overall the quality classifications are similar to other European countries. The aesthetics of the bottles are unique but grow on you as you come to appreciate the wines. The German Wines website is a good source of specific information.

We tasted wines from Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Rheinhessen, Pfalz, and Rheingau. All were Riesling (QbA, Kabinett, Spatlese, and Auslese) except for a Scheurebe Spatlese from Pfalz and a QbA Troken (dry) Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) from Rheingau. Generally, I ended up preferring the sweeter Kabinetts and Auslese wines as the residual sugar consistently came with an intensity from the fruit profile and acidity. A good example of this was the Joh Jos Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 2006 from Mosel- beautifully elegant and sweet heather honey flavors that were ushered into the palate by an attacking tart tropical fruit profile- bone dry on the tip of the tongue before the lush sweetness comes in. The Joh Jos Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese 2005 was less sweet and more marked with apple, lime, petrol, and floral notes- very nice as well.

Other favorites included Gysler Weinheim Riesling Kabinett 2007 from Rheinhessen- red floral notes, red apple, and honey on the nose moving into citrus, exotic spice, pear, apple, and honey on the palate- very rich and complex. I also liked the Kurt Darting Durkheimer Spielberg Scheurebe Spatlese 2007. Great aromatics of currants, grapefruit, and wet stone and a palate of honeycomb, forest floor, grapefruit, and apricot- very nice. Both of these wines are selections of noteworthy importer Terry Theise.

A great overall experience, and a nice break from my usual wine suspects...

2005 Chateau Fombrauge

2010-02-15T22:07:00.003-05:00

I recently was the recipient of an email from Green's, a large beverage retailer in Atlanta. They had secured a great deal on a few 2005 Bordeaux as the wholesaler was reducing inventory. Some of the available wines originally were priced in the $50 price range, but were on sale for more than half off. One of them was the 2005 Château Fombrauge Saint-Emilion Grand Cru.

Picking this up for $24.99, there was no guilt about opening it early and partaking in the great 2005 Bordeaux vintage for Valentine's Day. Dinner was at 10 Degrees South in Buckhead, a great little spot serving South African-influenced cuisine. (see yelp review here). The corkage fee was very fair and the sommelier provided great service. With my wife's filet in a peppercorn cream sauce and my rack of lamb, the wine was a good overall fit with dinner.

As for details of the wine- it gets 18 months in oak; is 77% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon; and the AbV is 14.5%. In the glass it is a highly extracted black-ruby color with full body. Light notes in the nose of blueberry, creme de cassis, vanillin, and oak. Blueberry and pencil shavings open on the front palate with full flavors of cedar, espresso, dried herbs, and leather in the middle, accompanied by secondary notes of dark fruit and chocolate. It finishes with coffee and black cherry with very firm tannins. It's tight but has good structure and a broad range of integrated flavors. Very nice- the complexity is very pleasurable, and with time to brighten the fruit this can reach an even higher level. Very respectable at its original price point, and quite a find at $24.99.

I've had good luck with wine store email lists; it's a great way to shop for wine. You never know what's coming down the pike next... Here's to great food and wine on Valentine's Day!

**On a side note, I'd like to thank the State of Georgia for passing the law that allows consumers to take open bottles of wine home from restaurants. It's consumer and business friendly while promoting responsible drinking.

Purchased at Green's

Thoughts From New Classic Winemakers of California

2010-02-14T21:47:00.005-05:00

I recently read New Classic Winemakers of California. The book is a series of conversational interviews conducted by Steve Heimoff from Wine Enthusiast with noteworthy California winemakers. The sections are divided by decades which the winemakers got their start, either the 70's, 80's, or 90's. Big names such as John Alban, Heidi Peterson Barrett, Greg Brewer, Merry Edwards, Elias Fernandez are profiled- and the list goes on and on.

Heimoff does a great job conducting candid conversations with the subjects. For instance, the question is often asked about rising alcohol levels in California fine wines. The variations of responses are fascinating, and some winemakers offer theories about why this might be the case. An idea that came up more than once was the role that lowering yields plays in driving up sugars in the remaining fruit. If the goal is to pick with ripe mature tannins, then the brix is often already high due to the reduced yields, resulting in higher alcohol. Another idea that was mentioned was the lack of old vines in California. The idea being that old vines produce a naturally lower yield and this allows the tannins to ripen in concert with the sugars in the grape- allowing for a complex profile at a lower brix. This makes sense when considering the recent history of California viticulture- new vineyard development, replantings, phylloxera in the late 80's, etc.

The discussion also gets into cellar techniques that winemakers may or may not use when picking at high brix. At least one noteworthy producer admits that they are willing to resort to water addition as a means to lower alcohol. Others say the high alcohol is better than using reverse osmosis or water addition, they view it as the natural expression of the vineyard. Most seem to regard it as an issue that they are beginning to deal with and that the levels will start to come down in the future. Plenty of other subjects in the cellar and the vineyard are discussed, the brix discussion just happens to be what resonated most with me.

If you're interested in issues in the vineyard and the cellar and haven't checked this out, it's a fascinating and worthwhile read. I like Steve Heimoff's stuff in Wine Enthusiast- his reviews seem to correspond with my tastes, and he's not easy to peg like other critics can be. I'll look forward to reading his earlier book, A Wine Journey Along The Russian River.

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2007 Vintage Tasting

2010-01-21T21:29:00.005-05:00

Atlanta was one of four U.S. stops on the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2007 Vintage tasting tour. Thanks to an Atlanta Wine School email, I was able to be there today experiencing a virtual tasting tour through Bordeaux. It was truly a unique opportunity to taste my way through each of the appellations-experiencing the differences in terroir and style.

From all reports, the 2007 vintage in Bordeaux was a mixed bag. A wet summer put a damper on hopes for a good overall vintage; but a sunny, cool, and dry September improved prospects and some quality wines were made. This tasting included whites and reds from Pessac-Léognan, reds from Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis-en-Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Médoc, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, and sweet whites from Sauternes & Barsac. The Saint-Émilion were all Grand Cru Classé, and there were a good amount of classified growths among the Médoc and Sauternes offerings. I was able to taste 44 different wines.

From Pessac-Léognan my favorite white was Domaine De Chavalier- very nice hints of tropical and citrus fruit elegantly balanced with mineral and straw notes. From the reds I liked Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion with its anise, coffee, black fruit, and herbal notes; their white was good as well-very Semillon influenced. Overall the whites were more consistent than their reds. The reds were fairly muted in their fruit and astringent.

The Saint-Émilion wines were a little uneven, mostly highlighted with herbal and earthy notes. On the ones where the fruit came into balance you could see nice potential. My favorites were Château La Tour Figeac & Château Trottevielle. The Pomerol wines were big and ripe compared to the Saint-Émilion, the Merlot really standing out much more. The ones I tasted were nice but fairly simple and straightforward with fairly muted aromas. Château Clinet was a favorite here. Between Listrac and Moulis, Château Chasse-Spleen was nice- with good ripe fruit and light spice notes. Of the Haut-Médoc, Château Cantemerle stood out for its elegant balance of dark fruit and spice.

The Margaux wines were consistently very delicate and complex- many with beautiful floral and red fruit notes on the nose and complex palates of fruit, herbs, and baking spices that suggested great potential for development. Château Lascombes and Château Rauzan-Ségla were standouts here; several more were very nice as well. Moving into the Saint-Julien wines- what stood out here was the gripping tannins and fine structure. The fruit-spice balance like that of Margaux was present, but with the fruit a little more to the forefront and consistently firm tannins. Flavors like cracked pepper and coffee beans were present in some of the best of these as well. I think the Saint-Juliens were the best overall of the day- with Château Lagrange, Château Léoville Poyferré, and Château Saint-Pierre as the standouts. Their complexity and structure showing great potential. The wines of Pauillac had more brawn and masculinity- dark spice, dark fruit, and ripe tannins. Bolder and richer than Saint-Julien but with a more relaxed structure, probably a little more drinkable now. Château Lynch-Bages was the standout. Of the Saint-Estèphe wines, Château De Pez was similar in profile to the Pauillacs- big fruit and rich spice with coffee notes- nice for now. Château Lafon-Rochet was big and tannic with notes of pencil shavings, herbs, and enough fruit to suggest nice potential for development.

I finished with a few Sauternes. The flavors here seemed pretty developed-ranging from the very aromatic Château Bastor Lamontagne, whose nut-brown sweetness was very balanced with rich fruit; to the intense Château La Tour Blanche, whose dense layers reminded me of apple and lemon meringue pies with a intense tart acidity.

So for what it's worth, these are my observations of a cross section of the 2007 Boudeaux vintage. It may not be another 2005, but I'm sure I could be happy for a long time with a supply of 2007's! Thanks again to Atlanta Wine School for getting me into the loop for this fascinating tasting!

Favorites of 2009-

2009-12-21T20:45:00.004-05:00

I'm a sucker for lists. To satisfy my end of the year listing urge, I've made note of a few wines that I've had over the last year (mostly since I've started this blog) that stood out as special. I've linked back to original posting that mentioned them. Here's to more great wines in 2010!

Favorite Wines-

~Melville Terraces Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2006-
~Mount Langi "Ghiran Langi" Grampians Shiraz 2005-
~Everything I tasted at Chappellet-
~Beckmen Santa Ynez Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2008-
~Adelaida Anna's Vineyard Paso Robles Syrah 2006-
~Clos Du Marquis Saint-Julien 1996-
~Chateau De Pez Saint-Estephe 2005-
~Ferraton "Le Parvis" Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2005-
~Juan Gil Jumilla Monastrell 2006-
~Pewsey Vale "Contours" Eden Valley Riesling 2003-
~Produttori del Barbaresco "Ovello" Barbaresco Riserva Piedmont 2004-
~Argiano Brunello di Montalcino Toscana 2004-
~Melville Santa Rita Hills Estate Chardonnay 2007-
~Dutton-Goldfield McDougal Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2007-
~Dutton-Goldfield Russian River Valley Zinfandel 2007-
~Smith Madrone Diamond Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004-

Sonoma photos

2009-12-21T17:03:00.003-05:00

These were the last photos that I needed to organize from the summer. Included in this last link are photos from Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Russian River Valley; as well photos of the drive out to Sonoma Coast Beach. Wineries photographed include Robert Young, Quivira, Preston, Russian Hill, and Balletto/Dutton-Goldfield. Thanks for checking them out.

Napa Valley- Day 1 pics

2009-12-17T21:07:00.002-05:00

I'm on a role on flickr.com- trying to get my photos from the summer uploaded and labeled. Click the link for more Napa Valley photos taken at Silverado, Rubicon, and Smith-Madrone. There's also a few from taken at Matanzas Creek in the Bennett Valley of Sonoma. Thanks for checking them out!

Paso Robles Pics

2009-08-21T21:28:00.000-04:00

I finally was able to get my Paso Robles Wine Country photos uploaded, tagged, and put into a set on flicker. These photos are from the visit covered in an earlier post. We hit some high spots on the west side of Paso Robles starting on Adelaida Road and then down Vineyard Drive back to Hwy 46.

**Coming soon I'll have the remainder of my notes from Napa and Sonoma as well as pics.

Northern Sonoma Wine Country

2009-08-08T21:59:00.000-04:00

After Paso Robles we headed over to the coast, through Big Sur & Monterey, and through San Francisco. Two days later, we were ready to head into Northern Sonoma. The plan was to hit some highlights in Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and the Russian River Valley.

Stop #1 was a tour and tasting at Robert Young Estate Winery in Alexander Valley. We met our guide and headed into the tour. Robert Young was a pioneering grape grower and among the first to grow wine grapes in the Alexander Valley. His vineyards were converted from prune orchards. Sadly, Mr. Young had passed away a few days prior to our visit. Several big-name wineries have been buying his chardonnay grapes for years, which are grown on the valley floor. The winery makes a serious Cabernet-based blend called Scion from hillside grapes. All of the wines are Alexander Valley estate grown.

The tour was a quick walk through the winery and into the caves; then it was on to the tasting. The only white wine they make is their Chardonnay. It was definitely of the big, buttery, and oaky style- with barrel and maloactic fermentation. I thought the buttery vanilla notes were a bit overbearing on the fruit, but there's definitely an audience for this style. We also had the Merlot which was nice but not overly memorable; and the Red Winery Road which is a Cab Franc dominated blend that I thought came off a little too lean and green. Where this stop was made was tasting an '03, '04, & '05 vertical of the Scion. All three were big, juicy, and complex Cabs with loads of dark fruit & spice braced with gripping tannins- completely enjoyable and reasonably priced in the high $50 range. All were drinking well- the '04 seemed the most ageworthy. The estate has beautiful views of the valley and the tasting/tour is a mere $5, a great little stop in Alexander Valley.

Next it was on to Dry Creek Valley for stops at Quivira Winery and Preston Vineyards & Winery. Quivira is known not only for their Zinfandel, but also for their commitment to sustainable environmental practices and biodynamic farming. Their Zinfandels included a Dry Creek Valley appellation and two single vineyard bottlings- Wine Creek Ranch & Anderson Ranch. The style of the Zins gives you that hedonistic big fruit on the front, but is balanced on the back with plenty of vanilla and peppery spice with well structured tannins. My favorite was the Wine Creek Ranch bottling- $34 for a single vineyard Zin. The Dry Creek Valley Zin is a steal for $20 as well. They also make Rhone-style varietals and Sauvignon Blanc- all that we tasted were good wines but the Zins are the star here. It was also a great stop to walk around and see Wine Creek and the great views of the valley.

Preston is a neat & homey little organic farm and winery. They make a full assortment of wines including Zinfandel, Rhone Varietals, Italian Varietals, and Sauvignon Blanc; and they take a minimalist approach in their winemaking. The standouts were definitely the Vin Gris, a Cinsault and Mourvedre-based Rose that was bright and crisp with lots of tart red fruit. The Sauvignon Blanc was a standout- lots of citrus fruit, stone & grassiness. Of the reds- they had a nice Zinfandel and Barbera. The last wine I tasted was a Syrah, it had a vegetal characteristic and wasn't quite up to par with the others. Overall another solid stop though, and they also make some really tasty olive oil. Wine prices are in the $20 and $30 range.

Taking scenic Westside Road from Dry Creek Valley down into Russian River Valley, we headed to Russian Hill Winery and then to the Dutton-Goldfield Winery tasting room at Balletto Winery. Russian Hill is located south of the river right in the middle of the appellation, next door Sonoma Cutrer's "Cutrer" Vineyard. They specialize in food-friendly Pinot Noir; also making Chardonnay, Syrah, and Viognier. They weren't pouring any of their single vineyard Pinots, but both the Russian River Valley and the Estate Vineyards Pinots were outstanding- great acidity and texture with bright fruit and some earthiness. The Russian River Valley bottling was a newly released 2007 vintage. Both were in the $30 range and excellent quality in the price range. The Viognier was stainless steel fermented without maloactic fermentation- very floral with nice ripe fruit, good acidity & body. It stood out the most other than the Pinot Noir. The winery has a nice little patio with awesome views of the vineyards below.

The Dutton-Goldfield tasting room is located at Balletto Winery on the south end of the appellation. They make mostly single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a few other varietals thrown in. As for the Pinots, there were two different styles being poured- the Dutton Ranch Pinot from Russian River Valley was the more fruit forward, and the McDougal Ranch Pinot from the cool reaches of the Northern Sonoma Coast was bigger, richer, and earthier wine. $38/2007 and $55/2006 respectively. Both were awesome wines. The 2007 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay is a solid Burgundian style with judicious notes of oak and lots of acidic fruit. There was also an awesome Russian River Valley Zinfandel- very elegant and complex; and Green Valley Gewurztraminer that was nice and tasty. Probably the most impressive lineup of the day overall, and many thanks to our friendly pourer for the free shipping box!

This day was probably the best overall of the trip. There was such a great variety of wines, friendly people, and great scenery. We were able to cap the day off with a drive following the river out to the coast. Pretty spectacular stuff.

Robert Young Winery, Alexander Valley

Robert Young Chardonnay Vineyards

Alexander Valley

View into the vineyards at Quivira, Dry Creek Valley

The tasting room at Preston, Dry Creek Valley

Vineyards in Russian River Valley, north near Dry Creek Valley

View into the vineyards at Russian Hill Winery, Russian River Valley

The tasting room at Baletto/Dutton-Goldfield, Russian River Valley

Paso Robles- Westside- June 2009

2009-07-28T21:59:00.000-04:00

There was half of a day to do a quick jaunt into Paso Robles wine country as we headed out to the coast. I chose a few westside spots partly for convenience, but mainly because the westside was my primary interest... the general idea being that the east side of Paso is where you'll find the big, full, & sometimes overripe red wines, and that the west side is where you'll find a more balanced style with a little more finesse due the influence of slightly cooler air.

The first stop was Adelaida Cellars in the "Far Out" area up in the mountains toward the coast. Quickly out of Paso Robles you get into the twisting mountainous Adelaida Road and then to Adelaida Cellars. Arriving soon after they opened, we had sharp palates and the full attention of the tasting room staff. Adelaida is one of those wineries that runs the whole gamut as far as varietals go. Sometimes this can be a negative, but in this case it works very well. The mountains west of Paso Robles provide a great degree of geographic diversity within close range. They have a vineyard (HMR) who's elevation and proximity to the ocean moderate the temperature making it very suitable for Burgundian grapes. Also, HMR runs along a limestone shale underground that makes it very suitable for Rhone varietals like Syrah. Their Viking Estate Vineyard is located nearby on the south end of the Santa Lucia Mountains. The high elevation sunshine and 50 degree diurnal temperature variations help produce very complex and elegant Cabernet.

We tasted through a lineup that included standouts Pavanne; a Rousanne & Grenache Blanc based white that mixes in small amounts of Viognier and Chardonnay. It was a beautiful wine with loads of generous fruit, moderate acidity, and a complex & floral nose... I picked up a bottle for around $20. The HMR Estate Chardonnay (around $30) was a nice Burgundian style Chardonnay showcasing minerality and acidity. The Anna's Estate Syrah (around $30) was right there with any of the Syrah that I had in Santa Barbara. It was that perfect mix of cool climate finesse and ripe fruit tannins that I had been looking for... all laced with peppery spice, leather, and olive notes. Finally, the Viking Estate Reserve Cabernet was truly exceptional. Like the Syrah, it did a great job balancing finesse and power. Dark fruits, mint, coffee, and ripe tannins beautifully structured together. At $75, I made the mistake of passing on a bottle (Napa was still ahead on the itinerary), but this baby was easily as good as any of the Cabs still to come. They also make a very well regarded Pinot Noir... not being poured when we were there. Everything was very solid all the way around, and with the variety this would make a good choice for a wine club membership in my opinion.

Next it was on to Tablas Creek. It was founded in the late 80's as a joint partnership between the Perrin family of Southern Rhone fame (Chateau de Beaucastel) and American importer Robert Haas. Since its inception it's been at the forefront of Rhone varietal growing and winemaking in the U.S. (they were using Tablas clones at Beckmen in Santa Ynez). They chose the hills west of Paso Robles as an ideal place to grow Rhone varietals like Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Marsanne, Rousanne, etc. All of the grapes are estate grown and organically farmed ( as were many of the wineries I visited on the trip). Like wines from the Southern Rhone Valley, most of their wines are blends of several varietals.

It was another good choice of places to visit, and the wines were all very solid. Standouts included an excellent limited edition unoaked Chardonnay that would make an excellent food pairing wine- very much a Chablis style with pronounced mineral notes & acidity coupled with bright notes of pear. It's one of the few non-Rhone varietal wines they make. Of course, their signature Esprit de Beaucastel (Mourvedre-based) red was a real treat... in the style of a Chateauneuf du Pape but with a little more vibrant red fruit. I also liked their Rose (Mourvedre-based). Also of interest, they make a Tannat if you're interested in trying something different... it's a tannic red grape from SW France. The wines were all priced appropriately between $25 to just under $50.

After a scenic route down Vineyard Drive, we hit the bustling Peachy Canyon Winery tasting room off of Highway 46 to try some Zins. We had several of their single vineyard Zinfandels, all of them showcasing the terroir of various sites around Paso Robles. Their style tends to show generous herb and spice notes nicely balanced with the fruit. Generally not the overripe and high alcohol style. We enjoyed them all and I left with a bottle of the Mustang Ranch Zin ($34).

Hey, I know that I'm doling out alot of praise... I live in Georgia and get maybe one crack a year to head west for wine tasting. I have to make it count... so alot of research and thought went into the stops. Thankfully, the thought payed off in Paso Robles and elsewhere, so the notes are mostly positive. From there, we headed west and north up through Big Sur and then up to Napa and Sonoma.

Adelaida Cellars, Paso Robles

Tablas Creek, Paso Robles

Old Zinfandel vines, Vineyard Dr., Paso Robles

Peachy Canyon Tasting Room @ Old School House Vineyard

Santa Barbara Wine Country- June '09

2009-07-23T21:35:00.000-04:00

2009's wine country road trip started with a flight into LA on a Thursday morning and a quick jaunt up into Santa Barbara. By the time we finally made our way over the San Marcos Pass and into Santa Ynez Valley, we had time for a quick stop at Beckmen Vineyards to kick things off.

I had enjoyed their Cuvee Le Bec before (a Southern Rhone style blend) and had read about them otherwise, so I was looking forward to the stop. Walking in, the winemaker Steve Beckmen and the pourer were engaged with another party, so we looked over the two tasting options and opted for the basic tasting. Getting into the tasting we were able to get quite a few pours from the reserve list, so it all worked out.

Having just gotten off of a long early morning flight, talking to the winemaker was kind of blowing my mind... and my palate wasn't really connecting either. With that in mind, what I did enjoy were a couple of really good Sauvignon Blancs. The 2007 and 2008 Estates both were great wines. The 2007 being an explosive tropical fruit style not unlike a New Zealand SB, with the 2008 switching to a more traditional California style with notes of tree fruit and grassiness. Of the other wines I tasted, I was really taken by their Grenache. There was a Rose, an Estate bottling, and a Purisma Mountain vineyard bottling. The reds really over-delivered on grip and tannins- more than I expected from a Grenache. I also tasted a reserve and a Purisma Mountain Syrah. Opposite of the Grenache, the Syrahs gave less tannin and grip than expected, but the finesse was nice. I thought the Estate Syrah was a pretty good buy... would have to revisit the Purisma Mountain Syrah another time to get a good opinion on it.

Beckmen's wines are all in the $20-$50 price range, and they hold their own in their price points. The question with them is style. To me, their Rhone varietal reds have alot of mellow fruit and sweet spice notes. On the syrahs, they're lighter on the tannins and peppery notes that you might expect.

We ate dinner that night at the Hitching Post II. The steak was awesome as advertised. The wines on the other hand were a little disappointing. I tried the Santa Rita's Earth Pinot Noir and the Syrah. Both were all fruit, and seemed deflated by a lack of acidity and tannins. I probably should have tried the Highliner Pinot Noir to get a real feel for them. Again, it was long day and my palate could have been off...

The next day started with a tour at Melville Winery in Santa Rita Hills. Like Beckmen, Melville is all estate grown. Like most in Santa Rita Hills, Burgundian varietals are the focus. I'd been to the winery before and was already a fan; this trip further solidified my fandom. The tasting room manager hooked us up with a great tour that included a little jaunt out into the vineyards. We got to see newly formed clusters of chardonnay and syrah as she pointed out the differences between them.

As for the wines- we tasted though the Verna's & Santa Rita Hills Estate Chardonnays. Melville's Chardonnays are barrel fermented in mostly neutral oak and with just a little bit of maloactic fermentation, you get alot of nuanced fruit, minerality, and acidity... a Burgundian style that's really pleasing. The Pinot Noirs were from the estate small lot collection- Carrie's and The Terraces. Both of these wines are big and extremely complex- completely fantastic wines that you'll want to hang onto for a while. North of $50 per bottle, they're more than worth the price. There's alot of technical information on their website on the clones, vineyard practices, and winemaking practices for these wines (http://www.melvillewinery.com/)... too much to get into here. As for their other wines, they make a few Syrahs. We tasted the Estate Syrah... it's nice but a little anticlimatic after the Pinot's. Cool climate, lighter in style, finesse. I tend to like Santa Ynez Syrah over the Santa Rita Hills ones. The Verna's Viognier was really good- great aromatics, fruit, enough acidity... really nice. Thanks again Melville for a great visit.

As for the rest of the day, we hit the tasting room at Lafond in Santa Rita Hills. Some quick notes on Lafond- big, buttery, oaky Chardonnays, one was from the Sanford and Benedict Vineyard... good but not my favorite style; solid Pinot Noir- generous red fruit but nice balance with earthiness & spice- nice value on the Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir at $27; I wasn't big on the Syrah- felt like it needed more tannins. Overall I liked Lafond, but I would gravitate to the SRH line in the $20 range- really good values from a small collection of vineyards in Santa Rita Hills. Their single vineyard wines were good too, but the SRH line really delivers on bang for the buck.
Next we were at River Bench Winery in Santa Maria Valley. It is all estate grown fruit from the long standing River Bench Vineyard. They made a Pinot Noir Rose which I wasn't really into; three different Chardonnays that ranged from an unoaked style to a fully oaked maloactic style- all very good; and two Pinot Noirs. I liked their Pinot Noir. Differing from what I had in Santa Rita Hills, this was lighter in color & a little more fragrant with a really pronounced spice notes & acidity- the tannins and earthiness lurking in the background. All these wines ranged from $24 to $42- all fairly priced.

Finally on our way out of SB County we stopped at Laetitia in the Arroyo Grande Valley. It was "free tasting Friday" so we just tasted through some of the basics. The n/v Brut sparkler was very nice; they had a great little Pinot Gris; and their Pinot Noirs delivered as well. It was the end of the day, so my palate wasn't as sharp... I'd love to revisit and spend a little more time at Laetitia...

And then it was on to Paso Robles....

So putting this visit to Santa Barbara County into a synapsis... The Pinot Noirs excelled in both Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley. The Chardonnay's were solid as well. I didn't find a Syrah (or other Rhone varietal) that I loved at any of the stops... I'd try Beckmen again and next time I'll get to Zaca Mesa and the Qupe tasting room.... Didn't try any Bordeaux varietal (other than Beckmen's excellent Sauv Bl) or Cal/Ital styles this time... Beckmen has a Cab on their list but wanted to pour something else instead.

At Beckmen, Santa Ynez Valley.

Melville Winery & Vineyards, plus newly formed chardonnay clusters- Santa Rita Hills

At Lafond, Santa Rita Hills.

The tasting room and vineyards at Riverbench Winery in Santa Maria Valley.

The tasting room and vineyards at Laetitia in the Arroyo Grande Valley.

Santa Barbara County Pictures

2009-07-19T22:23:00.000-04:00

Last month I took a week-long jaunt through some of the highlights of California wine country. The trip included stops in Santa Barbara County, Paso Robles, Sonoma County, and Napa Valley. My son took tons of pictures, many of them turned out quite good. I'll end up using many of the pictures while writing about the wineries in various posts, but if you're interested I have all my Santa Barbara pictures up and tagged on flickr... check them out... http://www.flickr.com/photos/35155188@N06/.