Friday, May 30, 2014

California Grenache: McCay Cellars

California winemakers who are looking for the Next Big Thing in California wine are asking, "Why not Grenache?"

Grenache does have plenty of what the wine-buying public likes - fruit, tannins, acidity - and it is often available at great price points, Even though it is sometimes deemed not elegant enough without cohorts Syrah and Mourvèdre, Grenache is poised to make some noise on its own.

In this Now And Zin series, we will sample some California Grenache wines from different parts of the state.  Most of the wines featured will be varietal wines, all or mostly Grenache.  After starting in Santa Barbara County, we go today for some Lodi Grenache from McCay Cellars.

Michael McCay - a Lodi grape grower since the '80s - has made his own wines for a handful of vintages now.  He loves and lives Lodi, gushing on the McCay website, “Lodi has California’s best climate for producing wine grapes.  The Mokelumne Rivers’s sandy loam soil along with the Delta’s cool breezes provide the perfect and unique environment for growing the best wine grapes in the world.”

McCay thinks Grenache just may be Lodi’s Pinot Noir.  He thinks it could rival Zinfandel as the region’s big grape.  He explains, to Lodi Wines, “We can make can make an incredibly elegant style of wine in Lodi because of our consistent, predictable growing season.  The sun comes up over the Sierras and sets over Mount Diablo, giving the Delta the hot days that Mediterranean grapes love, and cool evenings with temperatures dipping down into the 50s at night.  That’s a home run for Zinfandel if you pick early enough, and you’re going for a more restrained, floral, layered, delicate style.  For Grenache, you get absolutely beautiful wines, with the prettiness that kind of reminds you of Pinot Noir grown in colder climate regions - with its own spice and bright fruit qualities, of course.”

McCay calls his latest Grenache his new favorite.  It is produced with 100% Grenache grapes grown by the meticulous Abba family, who have been at the grape-growing game since the forties.  The wine spent 18 months in neutral French oak barrels and lists an alcohol level of 14.1% abv - fairly reasonable in a region known for big and bold.  The wine is bottled under natural cork, sells for $35 and was kindly provided for review.

Medium red in color, the McCay Grenache is a great sensory experience.  The nose of strawberry and cherry lifts quickly from the glass and lots of spices join the parade in short order.  Flavors of cherry and spice adorn the palate, with a beautiful note of bramble and sage.  A smoky aspect becomes prominent on the second night the bottle is open.  The strawberry finish lingers a long time.


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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Drink Pink: Casey Flat Ranch Rosé

The California wines of Casey Flat Ranch were featured in a virtual tasting event recently.  The sustainably farmed vineyard and winery are located in the mountains of California’s Capay Valley, east of Napa Valley, at an elevation of 2,000 feet.  Soil conditions on the ranch range from rocky to sandy, with a sandstone base.  The climate is much like that of northern St. Helena, with a swing of 40 degrees between daytime and night - suitable for Bordeaux and Rhône varieties.  That Texas longhorn on the label represents the 200 head of longhorn cattle who graze on the ranch's grassland.

The Twitter tasting was also on a live video stream, archived here.  Casey Flat Ranch Managing Partner Alison Garrett and winemaker Laura Barrett hosted, while those who joined in sipped and commented on four CFR wines, one of them being the 2013 Rosé.

The 2013 Casey Flat Ranch Rosé of Syrah is all estate Syrah, grown in the Capay Valley hills east of a Napa Valley.  Alcohol clocks in at 14.1% abv and it retails for $18.  205 cases were produced.

Winemaker Barrett reveals, “The Casey Flat Ranch Rosé is made from Syrah grapes, which are harvested early and whole-cluster pressed to yield a pale pink, well-balanced juice with all natural acidity.”

The wine is tinted a light salmon, actually almost copper-colored.  There was no skin contact, as the juice was extracted especially for the making of this rosé.  The nose is as fresh as spring itself, with strawberry aromas laced with orange peel.  An herbal note underlies the fruit, a result of pressing the grape clusters whole, with stems and all.   This rosé's palate is fruity and delicate, with strawberry, raspberry and citrus abetted by an amazing level of acidity.  Despite the angular freshness, there is a full and almost creamy feel in the mouth.  It finishes with a raspberry tartness.

On Twitter, the Casey Flat Ranch Rosé garnered some pink love.  @WINEormous tweeted, “Gorgeous pale rose color. Bone dry.”  @WineUpdate chimed in with, “deeply stylish: Sweet cherry, cranberry, mineral, spice. Savory and giving.”  @Luscious_Lushes typed, “full of blood orange and rosehips. Juicy wild strawberry, hisbiscus zing. loving the spicy notes. Perfect for Thai.”  @cliffordbrown3 offered these tasting notes, “strawberries, spice, cherries, minerals and orange blossoms.”  @MsPullThatCork let us know that the wine is “made from 100% Syrah, no skin contact! All stainless. ‘Ballet slipper pink’ in color. Delicate berry flavors, juicy acidity. “  @BigNoseWino liked the “super strawberry spicy nose w/ nice acidity that slaps the back of your throat on the finish.”  @WineJulia chipped in with, “made in a classic style & harvested for making rose'. No skin contact w/ gorgeous color!”



Monday, May 26, 2014

Cornerstone Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Label 2011

Napa Valley's Cornerstone Cellars is known for their top-shelf Cabernet Sauvignon, as are many wineries within the narrow confines of that swath of expensive land.  In recent years they have delivered a wine targeted to a younger crowd, the Stepping Stone label.  Stepping Stone wines have filled the “affordable Napa Valley” niche.  The company has announced that they are now forced to choose between quality and price.

Cornerstone will discontinue its Stepping Stone label and replace it with a Black Label version of its Cornerstone Cellars brand.  The wine pictured and described here is, to my understanding, the last vintage to wear the Stepping Stone label.  They have also produced a Cabernet Franc and a Syrah similarly attired.

Cornerstone Managing Partner Craig Camp tells me the decision did not come easily - it was a fork in the road, and it was one direction or the other.  Camp explains, “We have decided to ... give up a less expensive line of wines to introduce a new range of wines made with no concessions in the tradition of our iconic White Label Cornerstone Cellars wines. The one thing we have not left behind is our obsession with offering exceptional values. However, we are a small company and can't do everything. To produce this new group of exciting wines something had to go by the wayside. So this is both the end of an era and a new beginning as we could not travel both paths.”

So, while Cornerstone’s new Black Label indicates a farewell, it’s not funereal.  The new label underscores a line of wines envisioned to be centered on elegance.  The company does consider the Black Label a value line, it’s simply value at a price that is more sustainable in the context of the Napa Valley marketplace.

“Our vision is to make dramatic, elegant and complex wines from great vineyards,” says Camp.  “This means that the value in our wines is not that they are inexpensive, but that they have such an expressive personality, combined with our singular character, that their value is not on their price tag, but on your palate.”

The 2011 Cornerstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Label is made from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot and retails for $45.  Alcohol is right in the Napa Valley wheelhouse at 14.3% abv.

The dark purple wine casts a spell at arm's length.  The aromas start as dark, ripe fruit.  Further inspection - don’t try to resist, further inspection is inescapable - reveals a subtle spiciness, a subtle herb character and a subtle smell of a box of cigars.  In fact, there is so much subtlety going on, the collective subtlety really starts to hog the scene.  It is very hard to upstage dark, ripe fruit, though.

That fruit comes forward prominently on the palate.  As big and juicy as the wine is, it is still very complex.  Huge flavors of blackberry and currant are joined by a little tobacco, a dash of nutmeg, a smidge of eucalyptus, a bit of bell pepper, a dollop of white pepper and a chunk of chocolate.

2011 was a very cool vintage for Napa Valley, so much so that at least one winemaker called it “horrible.”  Cornerstone’s winemaker Jeff Keene appears unfazed by the challenges of 2011.   He has created a stunning and forceful wine that offers explosive fruit, savory complexity and great acidity, all in one nicely dressed bottle.


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Friday, May 23, 2014

California Grenache: Zaca Mesa Z Cuvée 2009

California winemakers who are looking for the Next Big Thing in California wine are asking, "Why not Grenache?:

Wine writer Jon Bonné called Grenache "the Jan Brady of grapes," often not pretty enough when standing on its own.  He did, however, follow that line by citing examples of California Grenaches that are pretty - even beautiful and complex.

Grenache does have plenty of what the wine-buying public likes - fruit, tannins, acidity - and it is often available at great price points, Grenache is poised to make some noise.

Over the course of the next few weeks in this series, we will sample some California Grenache wines from different parts of the state.  Most of the wines featured will be varietal wines, all or mostly Grenache.  We start the tasting today, though, with a blend from Zaca Mesa Winery and Vineyards.  The Zaca Mesa Z Cuvée was provided as a sample by the winery.

The grapes - 53% Grenache, 39% Mourvèdre and an 8% splash of Syrah - are sustainably farmed on the Zaca Mesa estate north of the Santa Barbara County wine town of Los Olivos.  The wine hits 14.5% abv and sells for $20.  6,269 cases were produced.

Zaca Mesa has a way with vintage description: "It was another cold and dry winter in the Santa Ynez Valley.  Spring was mild and long with plenty of cool sunshine to awake the vines.  Summer was surprisingly cool, but we welcomed the usual heat spikes around early September.  A threatening storm quickened our pace in mid-October, as we raced Mother Nature. The mild year provided great flavor development without excessive sugar for wines of great balance."  It reads like a Hollywood movie plot line, complete with the happy ending.

After the grapes were fermented, the wine was placed separately into French oak barrels for seven months of aging.  Once the blend was decided, the cuvée went back into oak for another nine months.  Winemaker Eric Mohseni can be justifiably proud of this GSM blend.

The wine is inky dark and smells of the fruits the three Rhône grapes bring to the glass - raspberry from the Grenache, blueberry from the Mourvèdre and blackberry from the Syrah.  Hints of cinnamon and meat aromas drift in, too.  The palate is full and robust - dense, even - with the acidity expected from a cool vintage.  Great savory notes mix with the fruit and result in a gorgeous, complex wine.  The tannins are up to a pairing with any sort of beef while not getting in the way of a great sipping experience.  


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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

California Grenache

California winemakers have been laboring under the apparently incorrect assumption that Syrah was the Next Big Thing.  They have heard and told the jokes about “getting rid of a case of Syrah” so often that the once-humorous lines now elicit a rolling of the eyes.  And those eyes are looking for a New Next Big Thing.  Why not Grenache?

The Grenache grape is thought to have originated in Spain - as Garnacha - before running off to France - does the name Châteauneuf-du-Pape ring a bell? - and Sardinia, where it goes under the name Cannonau.  It was one of the first varieties brought to Australia, where it did not feel the need to assume a nom de vin.  It was only natural the grape would come to California for a long vacation and decide to stay for awhile.

The buds break early on Grenache vines, and they take their sweet time about getting ripe.  Often one of the last grapes out of the vineyard, Grenache fruit tends to make a high-octane wine, which is why it has a habit of taking on a support staff.  Syrah and Mourvèdre finish off the Rhône trio of GSM.

In a recent article about California Grenache, Jon Bonné wrote that the grape, when left on its own, is sometimes responsible for wines that are just not pretty enough - "the Jan Brady of grapes," he wrote.  Then, he spent the rest of his article flipping the Grenache coin, citing examples of California Grenaches that are pretty - even beautiful and complex.

Grenache seems well-suited to California, particularly the cooler vintages.  Sporting plenty of what the wine-buying public likes - fruit, tannins, acidity - and often available at great price points, Grenache would seem to be poised to make some noise.

Over the course of the next few weeks, we will sample some California Grenache from different parts of the state.  I hope you will check out the wines with me.  Most of the wines featured in the series will be varietal selections, all or mostly Grenache.  Some will be Grenache-based blends.  All will show various aspects of what Grenache has been doing since arriving in California.


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Monday, May 19, 2014

Bonny Doon Vineyard Albariño Central Coast 2013

Spring is taking its dear, sweet time about settling in this year.  Earlier this month I was still noticing baseball umpires wearing heavy jackets and gloves in Chicago.  Of course, in Chicago that might be considered routine.  The coldest baseball game I ever attended was in Chicago on Memorial Day weekend.  My eternal gratitude goes out to the nice folks who sat next to me.  They brought an extra blanket.  And to the hot chocolate machine.  It was way too cold for a beer.

Here in Los Angeles, spring comes and goes all year long.  Summer has already started trying to crowd its way in.  The tourists in rented convertibles are starting to look like they aren’t freezing with the top down.  Whether your spring is swinging, or you need some help really feeling it, an Albrariño just might do the trick.

Randall Grahm’s Bonny Doon Vineyard has a recently released Albariño that is perfect for spring, and several other seasons, too.

Yes, the iconic “Rhône Ranger” also works his magic with the Iberian grape variety.  To hear him describe his minimal intervention winemaking, though, you get the impression there’s no magic involved.  You  may even think he simply throws some grapes in a tub, sits doon, waits a while and puts on a screw cap.  That’s not true, though.  Mr. Grahm has a machine which puts on the screw caps.

The Bonny Doon website offers a brief intro to Albariño:  “Until 1989 Albariño was one of the rarest wine varieties in the world, rarely glimpsed outside the Iberian Peninsula. Since that time, this light yet vibrant white grape has become a darling of wine geeks worldwide with its preternatural ability to pair with all types of seafood, cheese and salty dishes.”

The grapes for the 2013 Bonny Doon Albariño are Central Coast fruit, all Albariño.  73% of the grapes were grown in Kristy Vineyard in the Salinas Valley while the other 27% are from Edna Valley’s Jespersen Ranch.  Grahm notes that both sites are windy and cool during the summer.

The wine’s alcohol content of 13.2% makes it a perfect choice for spring and summer refreshment.  To paraphrase the brewer’s old ad copy, it’s a great wine for "when you’re having more than one."  Production was 1,592 cases and the wine retails for $18.

Pale straw in color with just a hint of green tint, the wine looks slightly frizzante in the glass.  A ring of small bubbles cling to the rim.  One sniff brings springtime into full focus.  A floral note of hibiscus mingles with peaches, pears and citrus mineral notes.  The palate shows some very nice mineral-laden salinity riding herd over the peach and lemon peel flavors.  There’s boat load of acidity, so the wine is completely refreshing.  It's also a great food wine.  Look for some Thai food or shellfish to make it really sing.


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Friday, May 16, 2014

Casey Flat Ranch Viognier

The spring releases from California winery Casey Flat Ranch - located in the mountains of California’s Capay Valley in Yolo County - were featured in a virtual tasting event recently.  PR firm Charles Communications staged the Twitter tasting, which was also on a live video stream archived here.  Casey Flat Ranch Managing Partner Alison Garrett and winemaker Laura Barrett hosted, while those who joined in sipped and commented on four CFR wines.

The vineyards of this historic longhorn cattle ranch are nestled 2,000 feet high in the Vaca mountains, overlooking the Capay Valley - the AVA was formed in 2002 - to the east and bordering Napa county to the west.  I am told that the high elevation produces terroir-driven  wines, “serious, elegant wines, packed with fresh fruit and stunning minerality.”

The Capay Valley was settled in the 1850s, and vines were planted in the next decade.  The grapes at Casey Flat Ranch were planted much more recently, in 2002 and 2008.  Soil conditions at 2,000 feet on the ranch range from rocky to sandy, with a sandstone base.  Temperatures are similar to northern St. Helena, with a swing of 40 degrees between daytime and night - suitable for Bordeaux and Rhône varieties.

Casey Flat Ranch utilizes sustainable vineyard practices and is home to a variety of wildlife, including 200 Texas Longhorn cattle. 

The 2013 Casey Flat Ranch Capay Valley Viognier is a 100% varietal wine.  The vintage featured an early and warm summer, which resulted in one of the ranch's earliest harvests.  220 cases were made, and the wine sells for $20.

Winemaker Barrett says, "Casey Flat Ranch has just one acre of Viognier, which originally planted as a blending component.  The resulting delicate and fragrant wine was to delicious to blend away."

This Viognier is beautiful.  A fragrant nose begins with a floral scent and opens up into apricots masquerading as canteloupes.  A touch of spice weaves in and out playfully.  On the palate, peach flavor takes a cue from tangerines and a mixture of spices.  Ripping acidity is completely fresh and a strong current of minerals runs through the flavor profile.  

This is a great spring/summer wine, but I mention that only because of the calendar.  I think it would fit just as well in place of a Riesling on the Thanksgiving table or unchilled with the Christmas ham..




Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Lodi Native Zinfandel: St. Amant Winery Marian's Vineyard 2012

The grape variety on which Lodi hangs its hat is Zinfandel, and a new collective of Zinfandel producers - Lodi Native - has been formed.  The six winemakers have banded together to bottle some single-vineyard Zins under their collaborative banner.

Their mission is to accent Lodi’s heritage plantings – many of them dating back to the late 1800s – through sensible viticulture and minimalist winemaking practices.  Native yeast fermentation and the lack of new oak in the aging process help put the focus on Zinfandel’s terroir - on the taste of vineyards rather than varietal character or brand.  Read more about them here.

Lodi Native recently held a virtual tasting event on Twitter, which you can research at the hashtag #LodiLive or watch in recorded fashion.  Here is one of the wines discussed.


St. Amant Winery 2012 Marian’s Vineyard Zinfandel - Winemaker, Stuart Spencer (St. Amant Winery) - Growers, Jerry and Bruce Fry (Mohr-Fry Ranches)

Ticking 14.5% abv, this is a relative lightweight in Lodi Zin Land.  St. Amant's Marian's vineyard entry is tinted ruby red and smells of violets and spices.  Perfume comes to mind.  On the palate, blackberry flavors get a minty treatment and the spice keeps its hand in play.  It would pair well with pork chops, but I had it with a piece of chocolate and it rocked.


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Monday, May 12, 2014

Virtual Wine Tasting: Casey Flat Ranch

The spring releases from California winery Casey Flat Ranch - located in the mountains of California’s Capay Valley in Yolo County - were featured in a virtual tasting event recently.  PR firm Charles Communications staged the Twitter tasting, which you can search on Twitter at this hashtag: #CFRBrandLive.  The event was also on a live video stream - archived here.  Casey Flat Ranch Managing Partner Alison Garrett and winemaker Laura Barrett hosted, while those who joined in sipped and commented on four CFR wines:  the 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2013 Syrah Rosé, the 2012 Viognier and the 2011 CFR Estate Red Blend.

The vineyards of this historic longhorn cattle ranch are nestled 2,000 feet high in the Vaca mountains, overlooking the Capay Valley in Yolo County.  The AVA - with Napa County bordering on the west - was formed in 2002.  I am told that the high elevation produces terroir-driven  wines, “serious, elegant wines, packed with fresh fruit and stunning minerality.”   The wines will be covered individually on Now And Zin in the coming weeks.

The Capay Valley was settled in the 1850s, and vines were planted in the next decade.  The grapes at Casey Flat Ranch were planted much more recently, in 2002 and 2008.  Soil conditions at 2,000 feet on the ranch range from rocky to sandy, with a sandstone base.  Temperatures are similar to northern St. Helena, with a swing of 40 degrees between daytime and night - suitable for Bordeaux and Rhône varieties.

Casey Flat Ranch utilizes sustainable vineyard practices and is home to a variety of wildlife, including 200 Texas Longhorn cattle.

Twitter users who participated in the tasting event did their homework before logging on.  @wineandgoodfood found that “Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet, Cab Franc, and Tempranillo are among the grapes that dominate the Capay Valley AVA.”   @WineJulia commented that  “Casey Flat Ranch is totally off the grid! Solar powered - very cool”  @MsPullThatCork let us know that  “Sustainable farming practices a high priority at CFR. They're solar powered! “  After the event, @winethropology summed it up for us all: “Terrific line-up tonight - Informed consumers should definitely keep eyes peeled for this emerging wine”

Those in the Twitter-verse really enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc.  From @WINEormous: “really love the nose on the 2013 Casey Flat Ranch Sauvignon Blanc. Tons of peaches. Great price point - $18”  @martindredmond said,: “Loving the Casey Flat Ranch Sauvignon Blanc. Made with Musque clone. Aromatic, Crisp, refreshing!”  @Luscious_Lushes agreed.  “I love the Musque clone. It gives it such a roundness and floral quality that i love,” adding later,  “Ok madly in love with this SB. It has all of the juicy acidity but none of the bite. crisp granny smith apples. REFRESHING.”  @WineJulia tweeted,: “What a gorgeous tropical nose on the SavBlanc. Pineapple, limes, grapefruit!”  And @winethropology was similarly blown away.  “Seriously, this Sauv Blanc is insanely captivating. Wow.”

Those tweeting their thoughts on the 2012 Casey Flat Ranch Viognier commented quite favorably.  @WineUpdate: “Nice to have a Viognier w/out too heavy a texture. Well-balanced and elegant.”  @cliffordbrown3: “Viognier - peaches, ripe apples, baking spices, white flowers, orange zest, minerals and melon.”  @wineandgoodfood: “Love that the Viognier is aged in both neutral oak and stainless steel...gives it a nice texture!”  @WineJulia: “Casey Flat Ranch wines are mainly bone dry. Love this peachy, orange blossomy Viognier.”  @vinogger: “Love the texture & acidity on the Viognier and that its stainless & neutral oak well done”  @winethropology: “Viognier $20 Breaking my belief that NorCal viognier is a fool's errand. This has got guts and grace.”  @MsPullThatCork: “Viognier is delicately floral with stone fruit flavors. Yum!

On Twitter, the 2013 Casey Flat Ranch Rosé garnered some pink love.  @WINEormous: “Gorgeous pale rose color. Bone dry.”  @WineUpdate: “deeply stylish: Sweet cherry, cranberry, mineral, spice. Savory and giving.”   @Luscious_Lushes: “full of blood orange and rosehips. Juicy wild strawberry, hisbiscus zing. loving the spicy notes. Perfect for Thai.”  @cliffordbrown3: “strawberries, spice, cherries, minerals and orange blossoms.”  @MsPullThatCork: “made from 100% Syrah, no skin contact! All stainless. ‘Ballet slipper pink’ in color. Delicate berry flavors, juicy acidity. “  @BigNoseWino: “super strawberry spicy nose w/ nice acidity that slaps the back of your throat on the finish.”  @WineJulia: “made in a classic style & harvested for making rose'. No skin contact w/ gorgeous color!”

Tweeters who were tasting at home chimed in with lots of favorable notes on the Casey Flat Ranch Estate Red Blend.  @cliffordbrown3: “blackberries, dried herbs, cassis, minerals, cedar, tobacco and dried violets. I need a piece of juicy meat, hot off the grill to go with the CFR Estate Red.”  @Luscious_Lushes: “Red Wine blend, kitchen sink - deep, dark, brooding. Coffee -- 75% new French oak. Black cherry, blackberry notes - anise. ohh yes, Earl grey tea in there.”  @WineUpdate: “Spice cake, plum, blackberry-balsamic, peppercorn, black tea. Balanced oak. Excellent!”  @BigNoseWino: “big herbal, berry bomb nose w/ a savory mid palate & lightly acidic, tannin finish.”  @WineJulia: “$35 is an outstanding price for this red blend. It's lush and beautiful!”


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Friday, May 9, 2014

Blood Of The Vines: Withnail And I


Wine Goes to the Movies with 
Now And Zin and Trailers From Hell

In "Withnail and I," two English chums go "on holiday by mistake" and seek refuge from their horrid lives in a bottle of whatever is nearby.  The movie is loaded with writing that is memorized and used by the film’s fans in their daily lives as often as possible.

How can anyone resist lines like, "We want the finest wines available to humanity.  We want them here, and we want them now!"  And, of course, "There must and shall be aspirin!"

"Withnail and I" centers on two actors who can't get a role if the rent depends upon it - and it does - who take a bit of R & R at uncle Monty's English country shack for the weekend.  This film features plenty to drink: there's wine, there's sherry, there's more wine, there's a pint of something and there's lighter fluid.  Oh, there's also an enterprising drug supplier and an eel poacher at the pub.  Now you're hooked, right?

Richard E. Grant's performance in the role of Withnail is a masterpiece, particularly since he had to learn how to act drunk.  He Withnailed it.  Paul McGann as "I" plays the foil to Withnail's drunken bluster.

The opening sax version of "Whiter Shade of Pale" by King Curtis signals good things from this movie.  The inclusion of recordings by Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles indicate some deep pockets on the production side.  George Harrison had some fairly deep pockets and an inside track on getting a Beatles song licensed.  This is George's movie, and he made sure it sounded like it.

Hard times hit early on when the guys are caught without anything decent to drink, so a can of lighter fluid becomes a topic for quick debate.  And if you are drinking lighter fluid because even the bum wine has run out, don't chase it with anti-freeze.  "You bloody fool, you should never mix your drinks!"

When the pair run out of wine in the bucolic English countryside, uncle Monty comes to the rescue with a case of the good stuff.  As Withnail says about Monty, "He keeps a sensational cellar!"  A little Chateau Margaux gets the boys into the realm of real drinking.  That wine was also featured in "Intolerable Cruelty."  I don't, however, recall George Clooney knocking back a swig of lighter fluid.  Or anti-freeze.  And you shouldn't, either.

Chateau Margaux 1953 is the pick here - since the wine is used in the movie.  If you are uncorking a bottle for a viewing party, DM me on Twitter.  It's the only way I'll ever get any.  On second thought, skip it.  That last blast of lighter fluid ruined my palate.  Recent vintages of Chateau Margaux start at over a hundred dollars a bottle, and go up to the stratosphere for the more desirable years.  Expect to pay in the thousands for the best of this grand cru wine.

For derelicts on a budget:

Wild Irish Rose gets some serious attention from aficionados of cheap wine aimed at people who drink to get drunk.  Alcohol at 18% certainly gets you a headstart on the party, for less than a fiver.  The White Label is said to have a nose of rubbing alcohol, and a palate that's even meaner.  Better than lighter fluid, though.  Sort of.

Sure, Gallo brought us Night Train and Thunderbird at higher alcohol levels, but there's a warm spot in any drunk's heart for their Ripple brand.  Of course, that might be due to a peptic ulcer.  Hey, it was Fred Sanford's wine of choice.

It should be noted somewhere in here that Ronsonol Lighter Fluid, after all the jokes are done, is not intended for internal consumption.  It is intended for internal combustion.  Those great videos in which an idiot blows up his barbecue grill?  That's Ronsonol.

And after the '53 Margaux is done, "I have some extremely distressing news.  We've just run of wine."


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Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Lodi Native Zinfandel: Maley Brothers Wegat Vineyard 2012

The grape variety on which Lodi hangs its hat is Zinfandel, and a new collective of Zinfandel producers - Lodi Native - has been formed.  The six winemakers have banded together to bottle some single-vineyard Zins under their collaborative banner.

Their mission is to accent Lodi’s heritage plantings – many of them dating back to the late 1800s – through sensible viticulture and minimalist winemaking practices.  Native yeast fermentation and the lack of new oak in the aging process help put the focus on Zinfandel’s terroir - on the taste of vineyards rather than varietal character or brand.  Read more about them here.

Lodi Native recently held a virtual tasting event on Twitter, which you can research at the hashtag #LodiLive or watch in recorded fashion.  Here is one of the wines discussed.


Maley Brothers 2012 Wegat Vineyard Zinfandel - Winemaker Chad Joseph, of Maley Brothers; Grower Todd Maley.

A product of the Mokelumne River region of Lodi, this wine carries a big alcohol stick, hitting 14.9% abv.  Wegat Vineyard is a 21-acre planting of head-trained vines, field budded on St George rootstock in 1958.  Its fine, sandy loam is typical of west-side Lodi.

It’s an inky wine, with  blueberry and wild berry on the nose.  Aromas of big fruit and minerals with a hint of anise are almost overpowering.  On the palate, explosive dark fruit and fresh acidity provide a great mouthfeel, while firm tannins add structure.  A slightly herbal angle plays through the enormous fruit for even more complexity, and lingers on the finish.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Birthday Wine: Sagrantino - You Shouldn't Have, Glad You Did

Birthday dinners have come and gone for me for quite some time now.  Some are more memorable than others, for different reasons.  One thing that always sets a birthday dinner - or any dinner, for that matter - apart is the presence of good company.  At my most recent birthday dinner, my lovely wife was my dining companion, so it’s guaranteed to be one I’ll remember forever.

The locale for this dinner was special, too.  3Twenty Wine Lounge - named for its address on South La Brea in Los Angeles - is a place I discovered in 2011, when it was still nearly brand new.  I wandered in one Saturday afternoon to find proprietor Edgar Poureshagh all alone and more than ready to let the wine flow from his by-the-pour wine dispenser.  He loves to talk about wine, and we did so until he had to busy himself for the evening clientele.  He’s not so alone anymore, by the way.  3Twenty has become a very popular stop for diners, wine lovers and Yelpers in the La Brea/mid-Wilshire area.

Edgar is a great friend, and he gave me a very nice bottle of wine for my birthday.  A 2003 vintage of Tabarrini Montefalco Colle Grimaldesco Sagrantino, for which I can’t thank him enough.  It’s always nice to get wine as a gift, especially when it is this good.  The Tabarrini website explains that, “Colle Grimaldesco is the brand that the Tabarrini Family reserve for their highest quality wines.”  This one certainly lives up to the billing.

The ‘03 Tabarrini Montefalco Colle Grimaldesco Sagrantino is made from 100% Sagrantino grapes, harvested from ten- to 15-year-old vineyards in the Umbrian community of Montefalco.  The wine is soaked on the grape skins for 30 days and aged in oak for 30 months.  Another six months - in the bottle - and this baby is good to go.  13.5% abv.

This Italian's nose is quite expressive, showing off smoky blackberries layered with tobacco, leather and tar.  The oak spices which adorn the fragrance are generous, but not even close to overdone.  The palate is dark and brooding, with amazing acidity and sweet tannins.  It is extremely full in the mouth and long on the finish, a pleasure to drink.  Cheers, Edgar.


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Friday, May 2, 2014

Lodi Native Zinfandel - A Six-Pack Of Terroir

Lodi is hard at work, carving out their piece of the California appellation pie.  The area is rooted in family-owned vineyards, with generations upon generations of farmers working the dirt there.  They are getting out the message in every way possible that Lodi is a wine region of note.

The grape variety for which Lodi has become known is Zinfandel, and a new collective of Zinfandel producers - Lodi Native - has been formed.  The six winemakers have banded together to bottle some single-vineyard Zins under their collaborative banner.

Their mission is to accent Lodi’s heritage plantings – many of them dating back to the late 1800s – through sensible viticulture and minimalist winemaking practices.  Native yeast fermentation and the lack of new oak in the aging process help put the focus on Zinfandel’s terroir - on the taste of vineyards rather than varietal character or brand.

The group’s mission statement makes it clear they intend to get the public up to speed on Lodi wine:  “To demonstrate ... that distinguished, distinctly identifiable vineyards exist in Lodi, similar to other great wine regions of the world.  To encourage preservation and appreciation of old vine plantings – well as of Lodi’s long tradition of grower/custodians – by focusing more attention on vineyard sites, vis-à-vis real and tangible sensory expressions in each bottling.  To build professional camaraderie, a culture of information sharing, and new challenges for Lodi’s Zinfandel specialists.

Lodi Native wines are available for purchase in six-bottle cases only, each consisting of all six different single-vineyard bottlings.

Lodi Native recently held a virtual tasting event on Twitter, which you can research at the hashtag #LodiLive or watch in recorded fashion.  Following are the wines discussed and the growers and winemakers who took part.  I’ll be adding my comments on the specifics wines over the coming weeks.

Maley Brothers 2012 Wegat Vineyard Zinfandel - Winemaker, Chad Joseph (Maley Brothers) - Grower, Todd Maley

A product of the Mokelumne River region of Lodi, this wine carries a big alcohol stick, hitting 14.9% abv.  Wegat Vineyard is a 21-acre planting of head-trained vines, field budded on St. George rootstock in 1958, with fine sandy loam typical of west-side Lodi.

It’s an inky wine, with  blueberry and wild berry on the nose.  Aromas of big fruit and minerals with a hint of anise are almost overpowering.  On the palate, explosive dark fruit and fresh acidity provide a great mouthfeel, while firm tannins add structure.  A slightly herbal angle plays through the enormous fruit for even more complexity, and lingers on the finish.

m2 Wines 2012 Soucie Vineyard Zinfandel - Winemaker, Layne Montgomery (m2 Wines) - Grower, Kevin Soucie
Terroir is the name of the game at m2 Wines.  They promise to create every thing that has terroir, from  “Lodi Zinfandel to classic Napa Cabernet to exciting Rhône wines from the Sierra Foothills, m2 wines are created to fully express the character of the vineyard and the fruit of the vine as wine that is true to itself.”  You can’t ask for more than that.

This Mokelumne River wine shows its terroir from an arm's length away.  Tinted medium dark red, the wine gives off wild aromas of spice and herb in large quantities.  Nutmeg, mint and eucalyptus fragrances wash over the blackberry, raspberry and blueberry fruit.  The palate brings these elements forward even more, and the spices actually ride herd over the fruit.  Black cherry and raspberry flavors take the lead, but are pushed along under the whip of minty spices, sage, cinnamon, cola and tea.  There is a darkness here, too, but not an empty darkness.  It’s a darkness of plenty.  It’s the darkness of a forest of tall trees.  Of the wines I am privileged to taste each year, one always hits me as a Christmas wine.  This is the wine I want over the holidays.

Please do give this wine ample time to breathe.  It opens up amazingly.


McCay Cellars 2012 Trulux Vineyard Zinfandel - Winemaker, Michael McCay (McCay Cellars) - Grower, Keith Watts

St. Amant Winery 2012 Marian’s Vineyard Zinfandel - Winemaker, Stuart Spencer (St. Amant Winery) - Growers, Jerry & Bruce Fry (Mohr-Fry Ranches)
Ticking 14.5% abv, this is a relative lightweight in Lodi Zin Land.  St. Amant's Marian's vineyard entry is tinted ruby red and smells of violets and spices.  Perfume comes to mind.  On the palate, blackberry flavors get a minty treatment and the spice keeps its hand in play.  It would pair well with pork chops, but I had it with a piece of chocolate and it rocked.

Fields Family Winery 2012 Century Block Vineyard Zinfandel - Winemaker, Ryan Sherman (Fields Family Wines)
notes coming

Macchia 2012 Noma Ranch Zinfandel - Winemaker, Tim Holdener (Macchia Wines) -
Grower, Leland Noma
notes coming


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