Once before I blogged about what was on my mind concerning the wine world. This stopped after two entries. However, my interest in wine has continued to deepen. Combined with my knowledge of food, I have decided to look at the topic from what I hope is my own angle, and God knows what that is.
I hope to enter my thoughts on a fairly regular basis, covering events that I attend, wines that I have enjoyed, thoughts about the industry and so on. I hope that my observations are on target and hopefully thought provoking, as my views on wine are certainly changing all the time.
I'm going to finish this post with several of my favorite sites for wine news.
1. The Daily Grape. I find Gary Vaynerchuk to be erally obnoxious at times, but he has one hell of a pallet.
2. Natalie Mclean. Always thoughtful, always upbeat.
3. Wine Spectator.com. I find that I disagree as much as I agree.
4. Robert Parker. Interesting, but you have to be familiar with his pallet.
My next post . . . My CIA Wine Immersion Program experience.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Sonoma in the City Version 2011
Rarely have I attended such a well thought out event as the Sonoma in the City Grand Tasting. Someone spent a lot of time figuring out how to best promote the wines of this county by not presenting Sonoma as a monolithic region, a la Napa County, but as a sum of many different and unique regions. This made for a very informative as well as exciting event.
How was this accomplished? By making it easy to taste the various climates and appellations by themselve.As you entered the event there was an anteroom where could individually explore the various climates of Sonoma County. So at the cool climate table, there were chardonnays and other wines that were produced with fruit from this region. From the warm area, zinfandels. You get the idea, by tasting individual samples from each cliemat.you developed an appreciation for the wide range of growing regions that Sonoma offers. Cleverly, these tables were manned by growers from these climates leading to some very informative discussions their wines as well as the wines from their neighbors. In many cases a grower had wines made by several different wineries. Here you were able to find out which grower where produced where.
Then there was the main tasting. Most walk around tastings have the wineries in alphabetical order. Not here, they were organized by AVAs and growing regions. So there were tables for Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley and several new and exiting areas such as West Side (Sonoma Coast), Petaluma Gap (Believe it or not also Sonoma Coast), and Rockpile. While there were some confusing elements as some wineries produce wines from multiple AVAs, for the most part it worked very well as you were able to understand the particular subtle differences between appellations.
Being that Sonoma County Vintners has embraced the concept of being a sum of all AVAs, each region had a regional table that highlighted the wines from that region. That allowed you to sample the regions and then go to the wineries that interested you. A great way to prioritize your tasting.
So how were the wines, as always some great, some very good, and some not so good.
The area I was most excited by was the West Sonoma Coast Winery area. Flowers, Freeman, Peay and Martinelli (they were at the RRV area) were all pouring some outstanding pinot noirs and chardonnays. They all will be participating in the West of the West event being held in Occidental August 5-7. Mark your calendars.
Other standouts included Arrowood's Syrah which had great structure with some interesting acidity, bright cherry and a smooth finish with a touch of oak. Beringer was pouring a Meritage and Cabernet from Knight's Valley. Knights Valley cab has always been one of my go to wines and it was the same here. A great wine for current drinking while waiting for the Private Reserve to come around. Great dark fruit, a subtle undertone of forest floor and firm tannins that allowed the finish to flow smoothly through you pallat.
Buena Vista Carneros is a consistantly underrated producer of Carneros Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, and this tasting re-enforced my opinion. The Ramal Vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were very typical Carneros wines with great acidity and wonderful fruit. Right at the next table, Chateau St. Jean was pouring their signature Cinq Cepages Cabernet blend It was delicious, dark fruit, casis, an earthy undertone and a very long and smooth finish.
Cloud's Rest 2006 Limited Release Sonoma Coast was without a doubt the best pinot noir I tasted The are going to pour at the West of the West event. Another reason to get tickets. Freeman, another WOW winery, was pouring an absolutely wonder chardonnay from Ryo-fu vineyard in the Russian River. It had great acidity, with pear and green apple with vanilla and toast. Great stuff, and their 09 Pinots were great as well. I liked the Russian River Valley bottling the best as it had an refreshing minerality and acidity.
Hartford Family, one of the wineries that had wines from several appellations had their wonderful Russian River Valley zin on display. Great briary, brambly, pruney and jammy. In other words get out the BBQ.
My favorite wine of the event was poured by Hook & Ladder. Founded by the DeLoach after they sold that namesake brand, their Station 10, a field blend of mixed black woods, was a revelation. Deep and inky, it showed tremendous dark fruit, some refreshing acidity and silky tannins. And at $17 a bottle, a steal. Go to the web site and get some.
Some other hightlights inclulded Ravenswood which was pouring their 08 Old Hill Zin. Great stuff. The Sbragia Family Vineyards was pouring a Monte Rosso Cabernet. For those who do not know, Monte Rosso is one of Sonoma County's great vineyards with outstanding zin and cab. This wonderful cab in the hands of Ed Sbragia made for a memorable wine, the best cab at the tasting. Priced at $50 a bottle, it packed a lot flavor at a semi reasonable price.
Last but not least was Seghesio's Omaggio, their version of a Super Tuscan. It had many of the great characteristics of these wines, but is a touch on the pricey side at $60 per bottle. However, the wine tasty and delicious, but there are many quality Super Tuscans avaiable at half that price. The Seghesio zins are always worth seeking out, and they showed well.
That was a lot of wine for an afternoon, But someone had to taste it!!!!!!!
This weekend it the Paso Robles grand tasting in San Francisco, and it looks like a great one. And after that my family is taking a cruise to Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. With restaurants by Nobu ( NYC and LA fame) and Valentino (of Santa Monico and Las Vegas) and a great wine list administered by a Master Sommelier and service done by certified soms, it will be some trip. I will be blogging from the ship on the food and wine aspects of the voyage. I am especcially looking forward to a wine and food pairing dinner in their Vintage Room.
Thanks for reading my blog, and please feel free to send me your comments.
How was this accomplished? By making it easy to taste the various climates and appellations by themselve.As you entered the event there was an anteroom where could individually explore the various climates of Sonoma County. So at the cool climate table, there were chardonnays and other wines that were produced with fruit from this region. From the warm area, zinfandels. You get the idea, by tasting individual samples from each cliemat.you developed an appreciation for the wide range of growing regions that Sonoma offers. Cleverly, these tables were manned by growers from these climates leading to some very informative discussions their wines as well as the wines from their neighbors. In many cases a grower had wines made by several different wineries. Here you were able to find out which grower where produced where.
Then there was the main tasting. Most walk around tastings have the wineries in alphabetical order. Not here, they were organized by AVAs and growing regions. So there were tables for Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley and several new and exiting areas such as West Side (Sonoma Coast), Petaluma Gap (Believe it or not also Sonoma Coast), and Rockpile. While there were some confusing elements as some wineries produce wines from multiple AVAs, for the most part it worked very well as you were able to understand the particular subtle differences between appellations.
Being that Sonoma County Vintners has embraced the concept of being a sum of all AVAs, each region had a regional table that highlighted the wines from that region. That allowed you to sample the regions and then go to the wineries that interested you. A great way to prioritize your tasting.
So how were the wines, as always some great, some very good, and some not so good.
The area I was most excited by was the West Sonoma Coast Winery area. Flowers, Freeman, Peay and Martinelli (they were at the RRV area) were all pouring some outstanding pinot noirs and chardonnays. They all will be participating in the West of the West event being held in Occidental August 5-7. Mark your calendars.
Other standouts included Arrowood's Syrah which had great structure with some interesting acidity, bright cherry and a smooth finish with a touch of oak. Beringer was pouring a Meritage and Cabernet from Knight's Valley. Knights Valley cab has always been one of my go to wines and it was the same here. A great wine for current drinking while waiting for the Private Reserve to come around. Great dark fruit, a subtle undertone of forest floor and firm tannins that allowed the finish to flow smoothly through you pallat.
Buena Vista Carneros is a consistantly underrated producer of Carneros Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, and this tasting re-enforced my opinion. The Ramal Vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were very typical Carneros wines with great acidity and wonderful fruit. Right at the next table, Chateau St. Jean was pouring their signature Cinq Cepages Cabernet blend It was delicious, dark fruit, casis, an earthy undertone and a very long and smooth finish.
Cloud's Rest 2006 Limited Release Sonoma Coast was without a doubt the best pinot noir I tasted The are going to pour at the West of the West event. Another reason to get tickets. Freeman, another WOW winery, was pouring an absolutely wonder chardonnay from Ryo-fu vineyard in the Russian River. It had great acidity, with pear and green apple with vanilla and toast. Great stuff, and their 09 Pinots were great as well. I liked the Russian River Valley bottling the best as it had an refreshing minerality and acidity.
Hartford Family, one of the wineries that had wines from several appellations had their wonderful Russian River Valley zin on display. Great briary, brambly, pruney and jammy. In other words get out the BBQ.
My favorite wine of the event was poured by Hook & Ladder. Founded by the DeLoach after they sold that namesake brand, their Station 10, a field blend of mixed black woods, was a revelation. Deep and inky, it showed tremendous dark fruit, some refreshing acidity and silky tannins. And at $17 a bottle, a steal. Go to the web site and get some.
Some other hightlights inclulded Ravenswood which was pouring their 08 Old Hill Zin. Great stuff. The Sbragia Family Vineyards was pouring a Monte Rosso Cabernet. For those who do not know, Monte Rosso is one of Sonoma County's great vineyards with outstanding zin and cab. This wonderful cab in the hands of Ed Sbragia made for a memorable wine, the best cab at the tasting. Priced at $50 a bottle, it packed a lot flavor at a semi reasonable price.
Last but not least was Seghesio's Omaggio, their version of a Super Tuscan. It had many of the great characteristics of these wines, but is a touch on the pricey side at $60 per bottle. However, the wine tasty and delicious, but there are many quality Super Tuscans avaiable at half that price. The Seghesio zins are always worth seeking out, and they showed well.
That was a lot of wine for an afternoon, But someone had to taste it!!!!!!!
This weekend it the Paso Robles grand tasting in San Francisco, and it looks like a great one. And after that my family is taking a cruise to Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. With restaurants by Nobu ( NYC and LA fame) and Valentino (of Santa Monico and Las Vegas) and a great wine list administered by a Master Sommelier and service done by certified soms, it will be some trip. I will be blogging from the ship on the food and wine aspects of the voyage. I am especcially looking forward to a wine and food pairing dinner in their Vintage Room.
Thanks for reading my blog, and please feel free to send me your comments.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Hurray For Mixed Black Woods
Back when Italian immigrant families were planting vineyards in Northern California, they instinctively knew that they needed a variety of vines to ensure that odds were on their side to get a crop each year. These "Dago" Red field blends usually included, among others, Zinfandel, Allicante Buchet, Mouvedre, petit Sirah, Carignane, Grenache, and whatever else they could mix in. As single varietal and single vineyard plantings gained in favor, a lot of these heirloom vineyards were pulled and planted over to more profitable grapes, such as cabinet and Merlot.
What a pity. If you have ever drank a wine from one of these heirloom vineyards you are in for a treat. They are usually dark as night, smokey, fruity and headonistally full of flavor and umpth. These were the wines that the Italian immigrants made for themselves. Many of these vineyards were in the Sierra Foothills and Mendocino, and we almost lost them.
Then as an unintended consequence to a totally commercial development, White Zinfandel. As this wine gained in popularity, vineyards yielding Zinfandel had to be saved to feed the nation's craving for this product. Along with these Zin vineyards were many mixed black vineyards as well.
The first major producer to make use of these gems was Ridge. They developed a whole range of Zinfandel based wines that were field blends. In the 80's they even took Zinfandel off the label and only identified the wine by where it was from, Geyserville, Litton Station, Paso Robles, etc. These wines showed amazing depth and terroir and were immediate sensations. I remember participating in a vertical tasting of the Geyserville wine and a question came up about something or another. As it was 7:30 New York City time, we called the Ridge winery in Cupertino to speak with Paul Draper, their winemaker. He took the call and then participated long distance with us for the rest of the tasting. Getting his comments on what he was trying to do with each wine was priceless.
Recently I had the rare opportunity to sample Rudd Winery's Edge Hill Mixed Blacks. Edge Hill Vineyard is a small block located off Highway 29 in St. Helena, it contains all the varietals you expect to find in Mixed Blacks. It was a revelation, showing just how unique and wonderful these field blends really are. Edge Hill Mixed Blacks received a 96 from Parker, is very rare (under 100 cases), and very expensive ($100). And it is very worth seeking out.
Ravenswood, a Zinfandel that brags about making No Wimpy Wines (you can get bumper stickers and buttons with this slogan in a myriad of languages from the winery) has their own field blend called Icon Mixed Blacks.Dense with black fruit and black pepper, and with firm tannins, this wine is also worth seeking out. At 1000 cases and only $75, it is probably available from fine wine dealers in numerous places.
And that finally brings me to last Wednesday. While attending a tasting at the Meritage Hotel in Napa, I stumbled upon Trintas Winery's Old Vine Cuvee. It was a stunning mixed black blend from Mendocino County. At $20 per bottle it was the steal of the year. While not as dense as the Edge Hill or Icon, it packed plenty of power and all that brambly fruit that these blends are designed to deliver. Look for this and buy it by the case, values like this are hard to find and must be acted upon immediately.
All of these wines are part of the California wine heritage and should be treasured. We as serious wine drinkers cannot let these wines disappear.
What a pity. If you have ever drank a wine from one of these heirloom vineyards you are in for a treat. They are usually dark as night, smokey, fruity and headonistally full of flavor and umpth. These were the wines that the Italian immigrants made for themselves. Many of these vineyards were in the Sierra Foothills and Mendocino, and we almost lost them.
Then as an unintended consequence to a totally commercial development, White Zinfandel. As this wine gained in popularity, vineyards yielding Zinfandel had to be saved to feed the nation's craving for this product. Along with these Zin vineyards were many mixed black vineyards as well.
The first major producer to make use of these gems was Ridge. They developed a whole range of Zinfandel based wines that were field blends. In the 80's they even took Zinfandel off the label and only identified the wine by where it was from, Geyserville, Litton Station, Paso Robles, etc. These wines showed amazing depth and terroir and were immediate sensations. I remember participating in a vertical tasting of the Geyserville wine and a question came up about something or another. As it was 7:30 New York City time, we called the Ridge winery in Cupertino to speak with Paul Draper, their winemaker. He took the call and then participated long distance with us for the rest of the tasting. Getting his comments on what he was trying to do with each wine was priceless.
Recently I had the rare opportunity to sample Rudd Winery's Edge Hill Mixed Blacks. Edge Hill Vineyard is a small block located off Highway 29 in St. Helena, it contains all the varietals you expect to find in Mixed Blacks. It was a revelation, showing just how unique and wonderful these field blends really are. Edge Hill Mixed Blacks received a 96 from Parker, is very rare (under 100 cases), and very expensive ($100). And it is very worth seeking out.
Ravenswood, a Zinfandel that brags about making No Wimpy Wines (you can get bumper stickers and buttons with this slogan in a myriad of languages from the winery) has their own field blend called Icon Mixed Blacks.Dense with black fruit and black pepper, and with firm tannins, this wine is also worth seeking out. At 1000 cases and only $75, it is probably available from fine wine dealers in numerous places.
And that finally brings me to last Wednesday. While attending a tasting at the Meritage Hotel in Napa, I stumbled upon Trintas Winery's Old Vine Cuvee. It was a stunning mixed black blend from Mendocino County. At $20 per bottle it was the steal of the year. While not as dense as the Edge Hill or Icon, it packed plenty of power and all that brambly fruit that these blends are designed to deliver. Look for this and buy it by the case, values like this are hard to find and must be acted upon immediately.
All of these wines are part of the California wine heritage and should be treasured. We as serious wine drinkers cannot let these wines disappear.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Industrial Strength Wine Touring
In the summer of 2004, my family decided to spend a summer week vacationing in Pismo Beach. As part of our vacation, we planned to spend a day tasting the wines of Edna Valley. One of my customers suggested that I visit his brother who owned Stephen Ross Wine Cellars. So as part of my vacation planning, I emailed Stephen Dooley and set up an appointment.
When the day of our visit came, we headed out of Pismo to the warmer Edna Valley. After cruising up and down the valley's main highway, we could not find the winery. I called Mr. Dooley and he described where he was. We pulled up and the winery was in the middle of a large industrial park. This was not the romantic vision of wine country that is served up by the Chamber of Commerce.
Come to think of it, why do you need the fancy shell to house the components of a winery. All you need are is an area for your tanks, temperature controlled room for barrels, a lab and a bottling line. And the bottling line can be rented.
As I've continued in my immersion in the wine world, I have come across more and more of these industrial facilities, or as Elliot Stern put it, making wine out of large tanks. These facilities are sprinkled throughout wine country, in American Canyon and the southern reaches of Napa, 8th Street in Sonoma, the northwestern reaches of Santa Rosa and along Highway 116 north of Sebastopol. It is here that aspiring winemakers can start brands with (relatively) little money up front. These facilities provide everything needed to start production.
And these facilities are home to some of the most exciting wines being produced in Wine Country. I have personally tasted brands from Calstar in Sonoma, Covenant in Napa and most recently Sonoman in Santa Rosa, all produced in these wine factories.
Recently, several of the Santa Rosa industrial wineries have banded together to form the Santa Rosa Wine Trail. This trail is not for tourists who are looking for vine shaded picnic areas and roads that wind through picturesque vineyards. This wine road is for serious tasters who are looking for exceptional wines. Included in this trail is Carol Shelton, one of California's most idiosyncratic zinfandel producers and Siduri/Novy Winery, maker of some of California's best pinot noirs and syrahs.
Which brings me to the recently opened Vinoteca Cooperative tasting room located in the heart of the Coffey Lane Industrial Park. Vinify Wine Services, which operates this tasting room, is a cooperative that houses 8 small wineries. Earlier this week, they held an open house for the wine trade and it was eye popping, I tasted some of the most exciting wines that I have tasted in years. Ogdon Olsen, who's pinot noirs are very good, was pouring a syrah that was magnificent. Smokey, fruity, meaty with a solid acidity and smooth tannins, it screamed for us to get out the Barby and cook up some animal protein.
Then there was the Great Sonoman. They poured a 2006 Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that was in the same league as many Napa cabs that I've recently tasted. Smooth with very integrated tannins, this wine was redolent with bright floral notes, chocolate dust, cedar and cigar smoke and deep dark fruit flavors. It had a finish that went on for what seemed to be weeks. This was an exquisite wine. And it sells on their web site for under $40. A steal in any language.
You can find great wine in many offbeat places, including industrial parks.
In 19 days I will leave for Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. The Symphony has restaurants by Nobu and Valentino and a wine list that has all of Bordeaux's great growths as well as Tiganello and many other great wines. I will be blogging about the food and wine of this trip as I go along.
Thanks for reading.
When the day of our visit came, we headed out of Pismo to the warmer Edna Valley. After cruising up and down the valley's main highway, we could not find the winery. I called Mr. Dooley and he described where he was. We pulled up and the winery was in the middle of a large industrial park. This was not the romantic vision of wine country that is served up by the Chamber of Commerce.
Come to think of it, why do you need the fancy shell to house the components of a winery. All you need are is an area for your tanks, temperature controlled room for barrels, a lab and a bottling line. And the bottling line can be rented.
As I've continued in my immersion in the wine world, I have come across more and more of these industrial facilities, or as Elliot Stern put it, making wine out of large tanks. These facilities are sprinkled throughout wine country, in American Canyon and the southern reaches of Napa, 8th Street in Sonoma, the northwestern reaches of Santa Rosa and along Highway 116 north of Sebastopol. It is here that aspiring winemakers can start brands with (relatively) little money up front. These facilities provide everything needed to start production.
And these facilities are home to some of the most exciting wines being produced in Wine Country. I have personally tasted brands from Calstar in Sonoma, Covenant in Napa and most recently Sonoman in Santa Rosa, all produced in these wine factories.
Recently, several of the Santa Rosa industrial wineries have banded together to form the Santa Rosa Wine Trail. This trail is not for tourists who are looking for vine shaded picnic areas and roads that wind through picturesque vineyards. This wine road is for serious tasters who are looking for exceptional wines. Included in this trail is Carol Shelton, one of California's most idiosyncratic zinfandel producers and Siduri/Novy Winery, maker of some of California's best pinot noirs and syrahs.
Which brings me to the recently opened Vinoteca Cooperative tasting room located in the heart of the Coffey Lane Industrial Park. Vinify Wine Services, which operates this tasting room, is a cooperative that houses 8 small wineries. Earlier this week, they held an open house for the wine trade and it was eye popping, I tasted some of the most exciting wines that I have tasted in years. Ogdon Olsen, who's pinot noirs are very good, was pouring a syrah that was magnificent. Smokey, fruity, meaty with a solid acidity and smooth tannins, it screamed for us to get out the Barby and cook up some animal protein.
Then there was the Great Sonoman. They poured a 2006 Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that was in the same league as many Napa cabs that I've recently tasted. Smooth with very integrated tannins, this wine was redolent with bright floral notes, chocolate dust, cedar and cigar smoke and deep dark fruit flavors. It had a finish that went on for what seemed to be weeks. This was an exquisite wine. And it sells on their web site for under $40. A steal in any language.
You can find great wine in many offbeat places, including industrial parks.
In 19 days I will leave for Alaska on the Crystal Symphony. The Symphony has restaurants by Nobu and Valentino and a wine list that has all of Bordeaux's great growths as well as Tiganello and many other great wines. I will be blogging about the food and wine of this trip as I go along.
Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Burgundy To Bordeaux, I Mean Sonoma Coast to Calistoga, in One Day
Sunday was the type of day that can only happen in Northern California. Warm and sunny in Marin where I live, cold and sunny in San Francisco, and hot (I mean very hot) and sunny in Calistoga. What does that have to do with anything? Well on Sunday I attended Pinot Days in San Francisco and Celebrate Summer Calistoga Style in Calistoga. It was the equivalent of Burgundy to Bordeaux in the space of one afternoon!
Pinot Days itself is kind of an unusual celebration in that the sponsoring organization is a for profit entity. This practise is contrary to all the other varietal/appellation events that are held in San Francisco during the year. ZAP, Family Winemakers of California, Rhone Rangers, Passport to California Cabernet,Grape to Glass in Russian River, Napa Stomp are all sponsored by promotional/marketing organizations with any proceeds dedicated to promoting the wines of the members. As a result, several of the big hitters were not at Pinot Days. Among the missing were Williams Seylem, Kistler, Hartford Court, Marcassin and others.
That does not mean that the wines were lacking. There were plenty of wines to sink you pallets into! Some of the highlights were Peter Paul Wines, made by my friend Jeff Morgan and his partner Daniel Moore. Nice fruit and an outstanding structure with good acid makes this a fine wine for food. Another standout was Gundlach Bundschu, which I found surprising. Featuring a funky, smokey nose and sneaky fruit, this structured wine was downright delicious.
Two other standouts were established Pinot stars Kosta Browne and Landmark Vineyards. Kosta Browne, now part of the VinCraft Group, produces extremely fruit based wines that can bludgeon you in ripeness. These wines showed a lot of finesse, something that I did not expect. Landmark's Kanzler Vineyard Pinot Noir was the standout of the event. This wine had a perfect balance of fruit, smoke, acid with some unexpected tannins sneaking through the pallate. This was an immensely enjoyable wine.
It was into the car for a trip north to Calistoga. As the thermometer started to climb from the low 60s in SF, the mid 70s in Marin, high 70s in Carneros, mid 80s in St. Helena, all the way up to the mid 90s in Calistoga, I reflected on what the wines from this appellation would show. With this heat, all I wanted to drink was Savignon Blanc, and I was not disappointed. I found myself continuing returning to Kelly Flemming and Larkmead for the SBs. As the sun set, and the temperature took a 30 degree dive, I found myself exploring the cabernets.
All I can say is wow. These were big chewy wines, loaded with tannins, that had a surprising finesse. I especially enjoyed the cabs from Larkmead, Bennett Lane, Kelly Fleming, and just about everyone else.
And what can you say about a dining experience in the vineyards at Sterling. It was gorgeous, I expected to see a photographer from either Food & Wine or Bon Appetite pop out from the vines and start clicking away. In fact Napa Valley Grape growers were taking pictures and they are posted on their Facebook page.
All in all, a wonderful day spent with some of the best of California. I am starting to see a distinct California personality in wines, what it is I have not yet determined, but it is there. Thanks for reading.
Pinot Days itself is kind of an unusual celebration in that the sponsoring organization is a for profit entity. This practise is contrary to all the other varietal/appellation events that are held in San Francisco during the year. ZAP, Family Winemakers of California, Rhone Rangers, Passport to California Cabernet,Grape to Glass in Russian River, Napa Stomp are all sponsored by promotional/marketing organizations with any proceeds dedicated to promoting the wines of the members. As a result, several of the big hitters were not at Pinot Days. Among the missing were Williams Seylem, Kistler, Hartford Court, Marcassin and others.
That does not mean that the wines were lacking. There were plenty of wines to sink you pallets into! Some of the highlights were Peter Paul Wines, made by my friend Jeff Morgan and his partner Daniel Moore. Nice fruit and an outstanding structure with good acid makes this a fine wine for food. Another standout was Gundlach Bundschu, which I found surprising. Featuring a funky, smokey nose and sneaky fruit, this structured wine was downright delicious.
Two other standouts were established Pinot stars Kosta Browne and Landmark Vineyards. Kosta Browne, now part of the VinCraft Group, produces extremely fruit based wines that can bludgeon you in ripeness. These wines showed a lot of finesse, something that I did not expect. Landmark's Kanzler Vineyard Pinot Noir was the standout of the event. This wine had a perfect balance of fruit, smoke, acid with some unexpected tannins sneaking through the pallate. This was an immensely enjoyable wine.
It was into the car for a trip north to Calistoga. As the thermometer started to climb from the low 60s in SF, the mid 70s in Marin, high 70s in Carneros, mid 80s in St. Helena, all the way up to the mid 90s in Calistoga, I reflected on what the wines from this appellation would show. With this heat, all I wanted to drink was Savignon Blanc, and I was not disappointed. I found myself continuing returning to Kelly Flemming and Larkmead for the SBs. As the sun set, and the temperature took a 30 degree dive, I found myself exploring the cabernets.
All I can say is wow. These were big chewy wines, loaded with tannins, that had a surprising finesse. I especially enjoyed the cabs from Larkmead, Bennett Lane, Kelly Fleming, and just about everyone else.
And what can you say about a dining experience in the vineyards at Sterling. It was gorgeous, I expected to see a photographer from either Food & Wine or Bon Appetite pop out from the vines and start clicking away. In fact Napa Valley Grape growers were taking pictures and they are posted on their Facebook page.
All in all, a wonderful day spent with some of the best of California. I am starting to see a distinct California personality in wines, what it is I have not yet determined, but it is there. Thanks for reading.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Some Random Wine Thoughts
Random thought 1: Sunday is the Pinot Days Grand Tasting, one of the four public events that allow any wine lover to sample almost every winery and wine produced in California. The others are the ZAP grand tasting, Family Winemakers of California, and Rhone Rangers. To quote a Chevron commercial "Too much good stuff!"
Random Thought 2: AT&T Park has a great wine by the glass selection. There is a wine bar on the view level of this ball park that offers 20, yes 20 wines by the glass. My only gripe is that at these prices, they can afford to offer those wonderful one time disposable wine glasses. Maybe the head of their concession company reads this blog.
Random Thought 3: Attended Taste of Mendocino last week. This event was interesting, but from a marketing, not wine perspective. Outside of established standouts Londer and Roederer Estate, the wines were average. But the event effectively showed off Mendocino as a wine and food travel destination. Let's face it, you can't just buzz up to the Anderson or Redwood Valleys from the Bay Area, as it is at least a 3 hour trip each way. They had a lot inns, attractions and restaurants showing off their stuff along with the wineries. Great concept and great execution by the organizing committee.
Random Thought 4: Sampled the wines of Navarro Spain last night at Oxbow Wine Merchants. The 2010s were simple and tasted very grapey, similar to my experience with the La Mancha wines. However, the modern wines, blends with Tempernillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Graciano were very tasty. And the price points were better still, all were under $20 per bottle. I really have to drink more Spanish wines are there are some tremendous values.
Random Thought 5: I am also attending the Celebrate Calistoga Style event on Saturday. BBQ and Cab, great combination!
Thanks for reading, I will be discussing the Pinot Days Grand Tasting in my next blog.
Random Thought 2: AT&T Park has a great wine by the glass selection. There is a wine bar on the view level of this ball park that offers 20, yes 20 wines by the glass. My only gripe is that at these prices, they can afford to offer those wonderful one time disposable wine glasses. Maybe the head of their concession company reads this blog.
Random Thought 3: Attended Taste of Mendocino last week. This event was interesting, but from a marketing, not wine perspective. Outside of established standouts Londer and Roederer Estate, the wines were average. But the event effectively showed off Mendocino as a wine and food travel destination. Let's face it, you can't just buzz up to the Anderson or Redwood Valleys from the Bay Area, as it is at least a 3 hour trip each way. They had a lot inns, attractions and restaurants showing off their stuff along with the wineries. Great concept and great execution by the organizing committee.
Random Thought 4: Sampled the wines of Navarro Spain last night at Oxbow Wine Merchants. The 2010s were simple and tasted very grapey, similar to my experience with the La Mancha wines. However, the modern wines, blends with Tempernillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Graciano were very tasty. And the price points were better still, all were under $20 per bottle. I really have to drink more Spanish wines are there are some tremendous values.
Random Thought 5: I am also attending the Celebrate Calistoga Style event on Saturday. BBQ and Cab, great combination!
Thanks for reading, I will be discussing the Pinot Days Grand Tasting in my next blog.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Sean Thackrey is the Alex Chilton or the Wine World
To quote the Replacements "What's that song?"
For those who don't know who Alex Chilton (he died a little over a year ago), he was a legendary singer/songwriter for the Boxtops (classic soul knock off called the Letter) and then as a recluse recorded several albums as Big Star. These albums were favorites at my college radio station, yet were commercial failures. Alex Chilton was forgotten until The Replacements sang about him in their 1987 song celebrating this reclusive, yet very influential artist.
What does this have to do with wine? For many years I have heard about Sean Thackrey. Robert Parker has written "One of California's most iconic and mystical winemakers, Sean Thackrey has logged in 20 or more vintages of consistently stunning wines that perhaps say it all with the simple quote on his label Sean Thackrey, Bolinas, CA." Every one of his wines is rated 90+ and above. The Wine Spectator wrote that his winery is as far from the glamour of Napa as is humanly possible, yet still in California. Above all, he has no tasting room, and no one sells his wines. In short, after 25 years of traveling in most of California's wine regions, he remained an enigma.
So when the Marin Winegrower's Association and the Marin Agricultural Land Trust sponsored a wine event focusing on Marin County wine grapes, in small print, along with the other producers, was the name Sean Thackrey. I had to go.
Now I hear the skeptics, Marin is a suburb of San Francisco. This is true only as far as it goes. Over 60% of the county is agricultural, rural, and extremely remote. All I have to do is make a right on to Lucas Valley Road, travel about 3 miles and I am definitely in rural America. I also pass George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch, where some of the grapes from yesterday's event were sourced. The other areas are Devil's Gulch, which is near Nicasio (Check out Rancho Nicasio, one of the great bars in Marin, and top of the line musical talent plays there as well), and the northernmost area in Marin, Chileno Valley. They are all extreme wine growing areas with more in common with the Sonoma Coast than the warm areas of Napa or Sonoma. And some of the wines were really delicious, and proved to be serious values as well.
Some of the standouts were Pey Marin who poured a very nice Trois Filles blend Pinot Noir that had a wonderful structure, showed great acid, and nice fruit. Their star was their Riesling, which was dry, but extremely fruity. I loved it, as it compares with a good German Spatlesse. This wine begged the question, why not more Riesling in Marin. The answer is economics, if your getting $50 a bottle for Pinot, why grow a graped where you only can get $25. It's a pity that Riesling is not appreciated by most Americans.
Dutton Goldfield was pouring several vintages from Devil's Gulch. Again, great acid and structure and some very nice fruit. A fine effort. Another large winery, DeLoach was pouring a Pinot from Skywalker Ranch, as well as 2 pinots from elsewhere. The Marin County blend was a standout, with bright acidity and fruit, nice tannins and great structure.
Then we got to the reason I went to this event, to finally try wines from the wine enigma Sean Thackrey. OMG, the 2008 Andromeda was a great, not good, but great wine. This was a wine with personality as well as a sense of place. There was a funkiness that I've really come to love, as well as fruit, great acid, light and elegant tannins. There is no other place in the world where this wine could have come from but a climate challenged area. This was a wine for the ages, and it should be spectacular in 10 years, if I can lay off drinking it before then.
Yes there are some really interesting wines from Marin County. The common element is that they are very well structured with great bright acidity, which means they will go great with all types of food.
And I was invited by Sean Thackrey to visit him at his winery so I can taste his whole portfolio. I can't wait.
For those who don't know who Alex Chilton (he died a little over a year ago), he was a legendary singer/songwriter for the Boxtops (classic soul knock off called the Letter) and then as a recluse recorded several albums as Big Star. These albums were favorites at my college radio station, yet were commercial failures. Alex Chilton was forgotten until The Replacements sang about him in their 1987 song celebrating this reclusive, yet very influential artist.
What does this have to do with wine? For many years I have heard about Sean Thackrey. Robert Parker has written "One of California's most iconic and mystical winemakers, Sean Thackrey has logged in 20 or more vintages of consistently stunning wines that perhaps say it all with the simple quote on his label Sean Thackrey, Bolinas, CA." Every one of his wines is rated 90+ and above. The Wine Spectator wrote that his winery is as far from the glamour of Napa as is humanly possible, yet still in California. Above all, he has no tasting room, and no one sells his wines. In short, after 25 years of traveling in most of California's wine regions, he remained an enigma.
So when the Marin Winegrower's Association and the Marin Agricultural Land Trust sponsored a wine event focusing on Marin County wine grapes, in small print, along with the other producers, was the name Sean Thackrey. I had to go.
Now I hear the skeptics, Marin is a suburb of San Francisco. This is true only as far as it goes. Over 60% of the county is agricultural, rural, and extremely remote. All I have to do is make a right on to Lucas Valley Road, travel about 3 miles and I am definitely in rural America. I also pass George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch, where some of the grapes from yesterday's event were sourced. The other areas are Devil's Gulch, which is near Nicasio (Check out Rancho Nicasio, one of the great bars in Marin, and top of the line musical talent plays there as well), and the northernmost area in Marin, Chileno Valley. They are all extreme wine growing areas with more in common with the Sonoma Coast than the warm areas of Napa or Sonoma. And some of the wines were really delicious, and proved to be serious values as well.
Some of the standouts were Pey Marin who poured a very nice Trois Filles blend Pinot Noir that had a wonderful structure, showed great acid, and nice fruit. Their star was their Riesling, which was dry, but extremely fruity. I loved it, as it compares with a good German Spatlesse. This wine begged the question, why not more Riesling in Marin. The answer is economics, if your getting $50 a bottle for Pinot, why grow a graped where you only can get $25. It's a pity that Riesling is not appreciated by most Americans.
Dutton Goldfield was pouring several vintages from Devil's Gulch. Again, great acid and structure and some very nice fruit. A fine effort. Another large winery, DeLoach was pouring a Pinot from Skywalker Ranch, as well as 2 pinots from elsewhere. The Marin County blend was a standout, with bright acidity and fruit, nice tannins and great structure.
Then we got to the reason I went to this event, to finally try wines from the wine enigma Sean Thackrey. OMG, the 2008 Andromeda was a great, not good, but great wine. This was a wine with personality as well as a sense of place. There was a funkiness that I've really come to love, as well as fruit, great acid, light and elegant tannins. There is no other place in the world where this wine could have come from but a climate challenged area. This was a wine for the ages, and it should be spectacular in 10 years, if I can lay off drinking it before then.
Yes there are some really interesting wines from Marin County. The common element is that they are very well structured with great bright acidity, which means they will go great with all types of food.
And I was invited by Sean Thackrey to visit him at his winery so I can taste his whole portfolio. I can't wait.
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