Summer Wine: Bonny Doon Le Cigare Blanc 2010

When I ran into Bonny Doon Vineyard’s founder and President For Life, Randall Grahm, at the Los Angeles Rhone Rangers tasting event, he seemed baffled at the popularity of his Le Cigare Blanc.  Grahm told me he never thought he’d see a “wellspring of interest in white Rhone grape varieties,” hypothesizing that it may have been connected with the Mayan calendar and the end of the world.  If that’s the case, drink up.  There’s not much time left to enjoy it.

The grapes for this wine - 55% Roussanne and 45% Grenache Blanc - come from Beeswax Vineyard, a biodynamically-farmed plot in the Arroyo Seco AVA in Monterey County.  The Bonny Doon website describes, “Surrounded on three sides by wilderness and shielded from the cool Pacific Coast winds by the Santa Lucia Mountains, Beeswax Vineyard grows complex, concentrated and mineral intensive grapes, produced from deeply rooted vines."

It’s called, on the label, “white wine of the earth,” and the minerality found in it bears that out.  At a breezy 12.7% abv, this wine refreshes, and won’t leave you feeling woozy on the porch.

For the uninitiated, the name is taken from Bonny Doon’s flagship wine, Le Cigare Volant.  It’s a reference to a cigar-shaped flying saucer reportedly seen at one time over the vineyards of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  The local government feared these aliens would damage the sacred crop, so a decree was issued banning the spaceships.  It must have worked, as I don’t think the Rhone Valley has been bothered by UFOs since then.  As a remembrance, Le Cigare Blanc comes bottled under a screw cap bearing the likeness of an alien.

The wine shows a nice color - a light golden hue - in the glass.  I smell apricots, tropical fruit, citrus and cantaloupe, with a soft vanilla note from the French oak wafting in and out.  On the palate, pears and apricots are joined by a melon rind minerality.  There’s the suggestion of an almond -butter-and-quince sandwich in there, too, with a savory note on the finish, which lingers long and well.

The acidity is fantastic, and makes me want a pork chop, or a nice soft cheese.  In my brief chat with Grahm, he explained the popularity of Le Cigare Blanc by saying, “white Rhone grapes, especially Roussanne, are fabulous food wines.”  We already knew that, and - presumably - so do the aliens.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

Los Olivos Wine Tasting Day Trip

A wine country day trip is something I’d like to have once a week - every day, if I can manage it - but lately, it seems they have been few and unbelievably far between.  Denise, our friend Guido and I fixed that with a drive up the 101 Freeway from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara County.

Denise and I have a certain rhythm for these trips, from which we do not feel the need to stray.  The first stop comes in Camarillo, off at Santa Rosa Road for breakfast at the New York Bagel Company.  My pizza bagel recommendation was a hit with Guido.  A secondary stop occurs in Santa Barbara at the Trader Joe store just off the freeway, if needed.

We blew through Gaviota Pass like the cool breeze on the outside of the car and before we knew it, Buellton appeared.  Amazingly, we took a pass on Pea Soup Andersen's and turned left to head out into the Sta. Rita Hills.  We stopped at Foley Estates Winery and sampled the Chardonnay.  Regular readers may remember something about that yesterday in this space.  We tasted the Chardonnay, we bought the Chardonnay.  Then we headed back east and up to Los Olivos.

Lunch

There aren’t very many places for lunch in the tiny downtown area, but what’s there, as Spencer Tracy said, is cherce.  Downtown Los Olivos really isn’t much more than a block filled with wine tasting rooms.  That’s my kind of block.  My favorite place to grab lunch is the new location of the Brothers restaurant, Sides Hardware and Shoes.  It’s the name the building bore back in the day when it was, well, a hardware and shoe store.  There’s a great bacon burger there, and a chilled pea soup with a dollop of sorbet that is great on a hot day.

Tensley

Fully fed and getting down to the business of tasting wine, we went to a place Guido had visited before, the Tensely Wines tasting room

Their Detente is a very plainly labeled red wine which is half French, half American.  The American half of the blend is 2009 Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah.  The French half is 2009 Domaine de Montavac Gigondas - 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 5% Mourvédre.  The wine demonstrates the American winemaking talents of Joey Tensley and the French ability of Cecile Dusserre.  It has a rich, dense nose and a juicy blackberry palate, although it runs a bit hot at 14.9% abv.

Tercero

Just around the corner is Tercero Wines, 2445 Alamo Pintado Drive.  This is the main side street in Los Olivos, and Tercero is about a block off the beaten path of Grand Avenue, right next to Dragonette Cellars’ tasting room.  It was nice to see Larry Schaffer (right) in a more comfortable environment than a wine tasting event, but he always seems a little wound up when he’s pouring his wines for people.  Here’s what he poured for us:

2010 The Outlier Gewürztraminer - “Nobody in California should call it Gewürz,” says Schaffer, who apparently likes tongue twisters.  The wine is spicy and flowery.

2010 Viognier from White Hawk Vineyard sports a lovely floral nose with fantastic acidity and fruit.

2010 Grenache Blanc is a new release for Larry. Nutty, saline minerality on the nose meets peaches, flowers and rocks on the palate.  It’s zippy.

2008 Cuvée Christie has a pretty, floral nose and an earthy edge to the rich, fruity flavors.

2007 Larner Vineyard Syrah shows a dense, dark nose and lovely rich fruit flavors.

2007 Thompson Vineyard Syrah has an extremely dark and delicious bouquet with a rich, black cherry flavor.

2007 The Climb is a half and half mix of Syrah and Petite Sirah.  It puts me in mind of old world Cabernet Franc souped up to Cali specs.

Thread is an effort in which Schaffer was one of five winemakers who contributed a wine to the blend, his Larner Vineyard Grenache.  This one has a really smoky nose and a big spicy taste.

Andrew Murray

We walked the short distance back to Grand Avenue for the Andrew Murray tasting room.

2011 Viognier shows a nice, floral nose and flavors of spiced peaches with a rocking acidity.  Santa Maria Valley fruit does a star turn, but only 50 cases were produced due to low yields.

2010 Eleven Unplugged is Murray’s attempt at being a rock god.  He explains that the blend is like three guitarists playing together.  “The lead is the Chenin Blanc...Sauvignon Blanc trying to steal the show...balanced by the oldest player, Chardonnay.”  It’s unoaked, spicy and zesty.

2011 Sanglier is a rosé of Grenache, Mourvédre and Syrah inspired by a wild boar who used to steal the fruit when it was ripe.  Murray decided to pick early to foil the animal, and the grapes turned out to be better for rosé than red wine.

2009 This Is Eleven Red is another rock music-themed effort, a five man electrical band of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Grenache from the Santa Ynez Valley.  A nice rich nose leads to black and blue fruit on the palate.  The Cabernet Franc really shines in this one.

2009 Syrah, McGinley Vineyard has dense smoke on the nose and lush blackberry on the palate.

2010 Syrah, Watch Hill Vineyard is beautiful to smell, lovely lush and dark to taste.

2009 Syrah, Terra Bella Vineyard has great dark fruit with minerality from the limestone hillsides of Paso Robles coming through strongly.

2010 Grenache, Terra Bella Vineyard offers a whiff of earthy cherry and sails into a lovely sour cherry candy finish.

Dinner & a show

It was quite a long day for us, as we saw a screening of “Snow White and the Huntsman” back in Los Angeles - a valley in a day full of peaks - and finally wrapped up with a late snack at Salt’s Cure, one of those hip, locavore restaurants in L.A.  I must say I was impressed with my squid and sausage alongside a glass of Mourvédre rosé from Sonoma County producer Bedrock.  Morgan Twain-Peterson is the winemaker, and he is Zin-master Joel Peterson’s son.  One of the bullet points in Bedrock’s mission statement is “To reclaim rose’ from the excesses of saignee and focus on precision, delicacy, aromatics, and food friendliness.”  He does a fine job with this delicate, pale, dry effort produced from vines planted 120 years ago.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

A NICE WINE STOP FOR AFTER THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE TAPING

L'Epicerie Cafe and Market is a good stop for a bite and a sip anytime you find yourself in the vicinity of Culver City, California.  It's right across Culver Boulevard from the Sony studios, which makes it convenient to a taping of Wheel Of Fortune or Jeopardy.

A friend of ours became the announcer for Wheel Of Fortune recently, and he finagled us a couple of VIP admissions.  He joined us afterward and we got to catch up a bit.  I've known Jim for around 20 years, but most of the contact we've had has been over a telephone or a two-way radio, so a little face time with the voice guy was welcome.  Denise gets to see him pretty regularly across the console at the Los Angeles news powerhouse, KNX 1070.

We ordered some oysters, some mushrooms, a pork belly confit, a savory crepe and maybe some other stuff, too.  It was all delicious.  So was the wine.

I opened with a Big Vine Pinot Noir 2009, a Central Coast effort combining grapes from the Arroyo Grande Valley and the Sta. Rita Hills.  Bacon on the nose mixes with dark, earthy fruit and the palate is a riot of cola, meat and cassis.  It is $10 by the glass and went very well with the garlicky mushrooms.

The oysters were nicely abetted by the Côtes-du-Rhône Maison Arnoux Vieux Clocher.  This blend of Grenache Blanc and Viognier offers floral and citrus aromas and a rather full mouthfeel with a decent level of acidity.  At $11 by the glass, it actually favored the pork belly better than it did the oysters.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter

CURRAN GRENACHE BLANC 2009 SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

In Southern California, there is an embarrassment of riches where wine is concerned.   Beautiful wine country, vineyards and rustic wineries are never very far away, in any direction.  Living just a two-and-a-half hour drive away from the Santa Ynez Valley north of Santa Barbara has helped me fall in love with the wines of this region over and over again.

Winemaker Kris Curran is half of the D’Alfonso-Curran label.  Bruno D’Alfonso makes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while Curran makes her own wines of several European varieties.

The team makes wine near Lompoc and the tasting room is in Solvang, but the grapes for Curran’s Grenache Blanc are sourced from the warm eastern side of the Santa Ynez Valley.  The grapes were whole cluster pressed, giving the wine an amazing herbal quality.  The alcohol content is a hefty 14.1%, and the bottle cost $19 at a Manhattan Beach wine store.

The Curran Grenache Blanc is a pale golden color in the glass.  It has a most interesting and aromatic nose, showing the smell of apricot and melon covered with an herbal component, like fresh snap peas or cauliflower.  There is also some wet hay in the bouquet.  More than a hint of alcohol sneaks into the aromas at first, but that diminishes over time.

Full and rather oily in the mouth, the palate displays peach and apricot flavors which are met with a sense of almond paste and a hint of straw.  Minerals are clearly present, while a tropical guava note persists into the lengthy finish.  I love the way the almost-creamy mouthfeel gives way to a strident acidity on the finish.  Malolactic fermentation was inhibited during the creation of this wine, making its fullness somewhat a surprise.  It’s rather like a magic trick, a rewarding one.


Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter.

CURRAN GRENACHE BLANC AT AKASHA

People have different reasons to explain their particular attraction to one restaurant or another.  A special dish or a favorite waiter might bring you back to a certain restaurant repeatedly.  As you might guess, I find myself returning over and over to eateries which have nice wine lists.  Akasha, in the Los Angeles suburb of Culver City, is one of those places.

The wines on their blackboard have pleased me each time I've had one, and they feature quite a few wines of California's Central Coast, particularly the Santa Barbara area.

Lunchtime fish tacos - sea bass instead of the usual mahi mahi - fit perfectly with a wine from the Santa Ynez Valley, the Curran Grenache Blanc 2009, from winemaker Kris Curran.

Showing a lovely golden-yellow hue in the glass, the Curran's nose is accented by cantaloupe and flowers, with some wet rocks to show the minerals.  It tastes a bit of those minerals, too, but offers mainly a tropical guava flavor.  The acidity doesn't seem to be too strong until the finish, where it really kicks in.  The wine has very good weight and a full mouthfeel.  Despite the minerality, the mid-palate is smooth and almost creamy feeling.

That smooth nature plays very well with the somewhat picante guacamole which topped the fish.  The acidity shows up right when you need it, at the end.

LONE MADRONE PASO ROBLES

I have sampled the wines of Lone Madrone at several tasting events around Southern California, but have never had the pleasure of a visit to their tasting room.  The Paso Robles AVA currently sports over 200 wineries - 219, according to the Lone Madrone tasting room - so I hope you’ll excuse me for not having stopped in yet.  My friends Anthony and Meri did stop in on a recent visit to Paso, and they brought me a wealth of information I thought I would pass along to you.  They found the wines as mesmerizing as I did, and I think I can safely say they appreciated my recommendation.

Neil Collins is the winemaker for Lone Madrone, and he has been making wines in the area for about 20 years.  He came up with the unusual name after seeing a single Madrone tree on a hilltop overlooking the York Mountain Vineyard.

The current tasting room has been open since 2006 and features not only their wines, but many artisinal items from local artists and points farther away, like Columbia and Africa.  Wood furniture, glass,  jewelry and clay pottery compete with the wines for a visitor’s attention.  It’s said to be a great place for a picnic, too.

The tasting room menu I was given is graced with a quote from Mark Twain:

“There are no standards of taste in wine, cigars, poetry, prose, etc.  Each man’s own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard.”

Here are the wines that were being poured at the Lone Madrone tasting room the day my friends were there:

La Mezcla 2008 - This white blend is Grenache Blanc and Albarino.  There are plenty of tropical notes on the nose and the palate.  I have tasted this one, and their recommendation of pairing with oysters, clams or ceviche is completely justified.

Points West White 2007 - A golden color, a honeydew bouquet and minerals aplenty make this Roussanne a delight.

Rosé 2009 - The notes say the nose is lush with strawberries, cranberries and cherries.

The Will 2007 - Cherry and cassis on the nose lead to a full mouthfeel.  This dark and inky blend of Grenache Noir, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel has a full complement of tannins to work with.  They say it will stain your teeth.  I say you won’t care.

Old Hat 2006 - Zinfandel and Petite Sirah meet in this battle royal, and they both win.  Spice, vanilla and tobacco on the nose, with fruit and spice on the palate.

Barfandel 2007 - This was not on the menu that day, but they poured it anyway, then packaged a bottle that my friends took home.  Zin, Petite Sirah and Barbera combine here for a complex nose they say features candy apple, blackberry, strawberry, white pepper, cardamom and smoke.  They advise you enjoy it with anything grilled or glazed.

The Lone Madrone tasting costs $10 and includes the Riedel glass.

LA VIEILLE FERME COTES DU LUBERON 2008

We tried a new place for lunch recently, House on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. It's been open about six months and has a really comfortable vibe. The mix'n'match decor is highlighted by dark wood ceiling beams that look great against the white interior. The decor features a big clock here, an old Dr. Pepper sign there and a TV that can be seen from any table in the house. Wine crates are on high shelves near those ceiling beams. Their wine cellar is completely visible through lucite walls, a trend in wine-savvy restaurants of which I heartily approve. I have posted a couple of interior shots on the Now And Zin Facebook page. Take a look if you like.

The food's good, too. I had the House Chopped Salad, which is pretty much a Cobb salad, tossed. Denise had the short rib tacos, and the pork really melted in my mouth. The soft corn tortillas tasted homemade, too.

The wine list sported some interesting choices. There seem to be quite a few Spanish reds, which I like. On a warm afternoon, though, I opted for a French white wine from the Cotes du Luberon, the La Vieille Ferme 2008. The blend is 30% Grenache Blanc, 30% Bourboulenc, 30% Ugni Blanc and 10% Roussanne. 90% of the cool fermentation takes place in vats, while 10% is in new French oak. It then goes into stainless steel until bottled.

It's a pale wine with a yellow-green tint. The nose is rather herbaceous with a hint of wonderful funkiness. Denise detected some vanilla, but it was not apparent to me. On the palate, the wine is smooth, fresh and bracing all at once. Pears and melons are laced with a nutty flavor. The finish lingers pleasantly and reveals a nice acidity. It's a rather full-bodied white, and is quite refreshing.

Tasting Room: Consilience, Los Olivos

I paid my first-ever visit to the Consilience tasting room in Los Olivos recently, and I came away wishing I hadn't waited so long.

It's nice, but not ornate; casual, but not too loose.  The pourers on duty were very friendly and helpful, with answers to all my questions.  Consilience has no vineyards, so they source all their fruit.  They rely mainly on grapes from Santa Barbara County.

Here are my notes on the wines I sampled:

Grenache Blanc Santa Barbara County 2006 - 94% Grenache Blanc from Camp Four Vineyard, 6% Viognier from the Daniels Vineyard - floral nose with lots of minerals to taste - nice acidity - taste is rather floral, too.  Oddly, it's not sweet

Roussanne Santa Barbara County 2006 - floral, nutty nose, very, nutty creamy taste - love it!

Cuvée Mambo White Santa Barbara County 2006 - a little tight on the nose - nutty and apricot - really creamy yet crisp -  made up of Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne

Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 2006 -  very aromatic, from 4 vineyards - smoky earth, raspberry and lavender nose - taste is very earthy cherry

Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard 2006 - palate not as aromatic as previous - again a very earhty palate, smoky cherry

Syrah Falcone Vineyard 2005 - 100% syrah - peppery nose - earth and spice dominate palate

Syrah Camp 4 Vineyard 2005 - smoky leathery fruit on the nose and palate- really earthy and dark, yet with a ray or two of brightness shining through

Petite Sirah Santa Barbara County 2006 - 85%/15% PS/Syrah - $24 - the nose owes a lot to the syrah - really earthy taste - I mean really earthy - I love this one too

Las Colinas del Ebro 2008

Las Colinas del Ebro is a Grenache Blanc made in the Spanish highlands of Terra Alta in southern Catalunya.  It is said to be made from grapes that are hand-harvested from 100 year-old vines, some of the oldest vines in the nation.  Stainless steel fermentation promises a crisp and clean taste.

The nose certainly smells fresh.  There's a good, clean whiff of minerals, but along with that comes a fruity and flowery aroma profile.  It's actually sweet smelling - not sugary sweet, but rather like honeyed fruit.

The palate shows that fruit well.  I imagine honeydew melon mixed with nectarines.  A good sense of minerality comes along about halfway through and delivers a very nice tang.  I initially felt the acidity could be a bit higher for me, that despite all the good things happening aroma- and taste-wise, the wine fell just a tad flat for lack of a backbone.  However, remembering the Argentine chicken and zucchini in the refrigerator, I decided to give it a shot.  Rather surprisingly, the wine paired quite well with the dish - as well as with a few stray sauteed mushrooms.

It's quite possible that Las Colinas del Ebro could very well have a spot on my deck all summer long - and at my table year-round.

Winemaker:  Luis Marin

Variety:  100% Garnacha Blanca (Grenache Blanc)

Appellation:  Spain > Catalunya > Tarragona > Terra Alta

Vintage:  2008

Alcohol Level:  13% abv

Price:  $12, but it appears it can be had for $9 in a lot of places

Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author

Infinity Central Coast White Blend 2008

As I may have mentioned before, I'm a sucker for blends.  I love finding out what winemakers can do with a couple of beakers and a graduated cylinder.  I was in K&L in Hollywood and could not remember having ever tasted a Grenache Blanc/Viognier blend.  I like both varietals a lot, and was immediately curious to find out what would happen when the grapes met.

My curiosity was further piqued to find that Infinity is a Central Coast wine. I thoroughly believe in exploring wines produced near me.  This takes me back time and time again to the Central Coast, to enjoy its wines and beauty.

Infinity is a blend of 60% Grenache Blanc and 40% Viognier.  It pours up a very pale golden color in the glass, with just a hint of color.  It looks very pure.  The nose is alive with wet driveway and grapefruit peel, even when fully chilled.  Tropical notes on the palate get a knife-edge assist from an assertive mineral streak and that citrus that stays in play.  The acidity seems nice enough at first but it drops off rather quickly; I'd like to see a little more acidity before speculating on the food pairing possibilities.  It's a great sipper, and may serve well in non-demanding food situations.  The finish sports a medium-long, last taste of the stones and citrus that dominate the wine's flavor profile.  My only quibble is the acidity, but with aromas and tastes like the ones offered here, I'd feel ashamed to complain too loudly. 

Winemaker:  La Fenetre

Varietal:  Grenache Blanc, Viognier

Appelation:  California > Central Coast > Santa Maria

Vintage:  2008

Alcohol Level:  13.5%

Price:  $10

Acquisition disclaimer:  I bought this wine myself.

Tasting Notes: K&L Domestic Rhone Varietals

I have been meaning to get over to a tasting at K&L wines in Hollywood for what seems like ages. I finally made it over there today. As luck would have it, the topic of the day was domestic Rhone varietals. I like not only the wines produced using Rhone varietals, I also get a kick out of checking out the list of grapes that are used in the Rhone. I mean, if your restriction includes grapes like Bourboulenc and Piquepoul Blanc, why not just open the door and let 'em use anything? Seriously, it is interesting to find out how the 22 grapes of the Rhone are used by different winemakers. In California, of course, there are no restrictions on which grapes can be used. But there are plenty of winemakers who are ready to take up the challenge anyway.

There were 10 wines on the menu this afternoon. Prices ranged from $13 to $43, with a pretty even spread. Three of the wines were less than $20, three were in the $20 range, three were in the $30 range and only one was over $40.

Here are my notes:

Tablas Creek "Esprit de Beaucastel" Blanc 2007 (Paso Robles) - A classic Rhone-style blend to start with, this one was 68% Roussanne, 22% Grenache Blanc and 10% Piquepoul Blanc. Light grass and citrus on the nose, the taste was fairly tart and earthy.

Stolpman Vineyards "L'Avion" Estate Santa Ynez White 2006 - Funky on the nose and palate, but I mean that in a good way. Very grassy and oaky nose. Lots of that oak on the palate, too, with minerals coming through strongly.

Beckman Purisima Mountain Vineyard Grenache Rose 2008 - Strawberry red with a somewhat obscured nose, to my nose, anyway. Dry with a nice acidity, this should do well with food. The minerals seemed to outweigh the fruit, but I like that.

Copain "L'Hiver" Mendocino County Syrah 2006 - Dark purple in color, the wine had an oaky nose with mushroom notes. Blackberry, pepper and clove are all over the palate.

Skylark North Coast "Red Belly" Red Blend 2007 - 47% Carignane, 47% Syrah and 6% Grenache. I liked this before I tasted it. It's a darkly colored wine, with oak and dark berries on the nose. It had a very nice earthiness, but a little too much heat.

Owen Roe "Sinister Hand" Columbia Valley Rhone Blend 2007 - This one is 62% Grenache, with the remainder split between Syrah and Mourvedre. Somewhat lighter in color than the previous two, with a medium body and a spicy, dark flavor.

Four Vines "Peasant" Paso Robles Red Blend 2007 - The makeup on this one screams "Rhone": 33% Mourvedre, 30% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 7% Counoise and 5% Tannat. That last one sneaked in somehow, even though it is not a Rhone varietal. When you get down to the fifth grape, who's keeping score? A ruby color with a slightly obscured nose and huge tannins.

Margerum "M5" Santa Barbara County Rhone Blend 2006 - This is another 5-pack, with 52% Syrah, 26% Grenache, 9% Mourvedre, 4% Counoise and 4% Cinsault. The other 5% comes from several different cofermentations of the separate grapes. The wine was somewhat light in color, with a raspberry/cranberry/clove component making itself quite known. It's very different - and very nice.

Prospect 772 Sierra Foothill "The Brawler" 2006 - From Calaveras County, this wine is 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier. Fruity and oaky on the nose and the palate, it had a very hot finish.

Ojai "Melville Vineyard" Santa Rita Hills Syrah 2004 - Very dark purple in color, the nose was full of blackberry and spices. A very smooth palate featured raspberry and red plums.