Bearish On ZInfandel

Beran owner and winemaker Joseph Wagner is a fifth generation California wine person, carrying on the family tradition passed down to him from his dad Chuck. Already the originator of Belle Glos and Meiomi, his Copper Cane Wines and Provisions has that millennial ring to it. Beran is under that umbrella. Director of Winemaking John Lopez grew up knee deep in grapes, too.

These grapes of California's heritage variety came from all over the Napa Valley. They were grown high on Atlas Peak and down on the valley floor in Calistoga. Some old vine Petite Sirah is in the mix, as well.

The winery headlines its website with "Strength, conviction, Zinfandel." It’s a stance that Zinfandel drinkers appreciate, the ones who look at Zin the way Texans look at the Alamo. Aging took place in French and American oak barrels over the course of a year. The Beran's alcohol level is super-ripe at 15.4% abv, and the retail price is $48.

The Beran Napa Valley Zinfandel 2012 is inky black, with no light getting through at all. The nose is deep and black - blackberries, blueberries, cassis, tar, leather - it's rich. But when the sip hits the tongue it's amazing. That dark fruit gets a nice treatment from the oak and displays wonderful spice notes. There's more than just vanilla at work - pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, the whole rack fell into the cask, it seems. The tannins are plenty firm enough for pairing with grilled meat, but the wine, as if it is showing off, is smooth.

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California Cab And A Bookshelf Of Grapes

Randall Grahm's Bonny Doon Vineyard stopped messing around with Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1980s, about the time he was anointed as the Rhône Ranger. One simply couldn't fly the Rhône banner with one hand while doing trade in the Bordeaux varieties with the other. Since his "come to Syrah" moment, Grahm has reportedly held "indifference, occasionally bordering on amused disdain," for Cabernet Sauvignon.

A Proper Claret 2014 is an oddity in the house of Doon, described by the winemaker as "lean, neither overly alcoholic … nor overly extracted, nor overly oaked." Grahm figures if you gotta drink a Cab, drink this one.

The blend of grape varieties sorts out this way: 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Petit Verdot, 22% Tannat, 9% Syrah, 7% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petite Sirah. I think the healthy shot of Tannat is what made this Cab blend slip in with Mr. Grahm's somewhat grudging blessing. It carries alcohol lightly, 13.2% abv, and retails for a similarly light 16 bucks.

The cross-dressing bookworm on the label is a Bascove creation, one that Grahm's veddy, veddy Proper alter-ego considers a "tasteless monstrosity." Nonetheless, it's there on the bottle.

Bonny Doon wines always carry a note of sophisticated savoriness, unlike any Brand X you may care to compare. A Proper Claret 2014 adds a violet sense to the nose, possibly as a result of the healthy drop of Petit Verdot. Blackberry and leather aromas also decorate the scene. On the palate, APC shows a Pinotesque restraint and even a little tartness reminiscent of Pinot Noir. Savory cuts a wide swath through the abundant dark fruit, with black olives, dried tomatoes and smoked meat making appearances. The finish is rather long and the savory stuff stays longest.


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Darkness Becomes You

The name "Apothic" is inspired by the Greek word, apotheca, which is defined as a repository or storeroom where wine was kept. There are wines named after natural beauty, mythological creatures and spaceships in France, but not too many named after a warehouse.

The grapes are from Lodi. I'm led to believe the varieties are Petite Sirah, Teroldego and Cabernet Sauvignon. Alcohol is actually a little low for that area, at a mere 14% abv. It retails for about $12 and comes bottled under a synthetic cork. Black, of course.

Apothic Dark is frightfully dark, enough so that we can just go ahead and call it black. As in a black hole, as in no light gets through. As in the pot and the kettle are green with envy. The aromas peg the needle on the dark side as well. Blackberry, black currant, black plum and - for variety - blueberry. Flavors are in that same realm, with a dollop of oak spice on top.  Other Apothic wines throw that element in with too heavy a hand for me, so it was a relief to find the oak effect more restrained in the Dark.


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Paso Robles Wine - Rocky Creek Cellars

A visit to wine country isn’t really complete without an encounter with a unique personality at the tasting bar. John Somogyi was that personality for me on a recent trip into California's San Luis Obispo County. Rocky Creek Cellars is a great place to stop while driving the lovely 46 West in Templeton, near Paso Robles.

The convoluted roads twist and turn around the little building that houses him and his wines. You can see it, you just don’t know how you'll get to it. Suddenly, a well-traveled back road appears and you're parking the car.

Somogyi’s stories pile one on top of another until disbelief makes way for amazement.  His dad and uncle were both Olympic athletes. He was sent to Oakland as a 12-year-old to live with relatives after the Hungarian revolution of 1956. He has worked in construction, lumber, and smiles broadly while telling of his adventures in Big Sur that led him to settle in the Central Coast. Somogyi - suh MO jee - left behind climbing 300-foot tall trees to open the winery. He still likes to build things from wood, and the bar in his tasting room was crafted by his own hand.

Somogyi likes to age his wines - all are cellared for at least three years - and he likes wine with food. He’ll go on for a good while about how recent health issues have limited his diet, and it’s easy to tell from his protestations that he’d give anything to have his preferred cuisine routine back with him.

Many of the grapes he sources very locally are grown in a microclimate that he says gets 29 inches of rain yearly, as opposed to less than eight inches a few miles over in Paso Robles. His York Mountain location in Templeton is where most of his fruit is grown

Rocky Creek 2009 Pinot Noir - Ripe, several years in barrel, smooth and earthy $30

Rocky Creek 2010 Sangiovese - Delightful, bright cherry $30

Rocky Creek 2006 Syrah - Medium dark, earthy, grapey $28

Rocky Creek 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon - Excellent, smooth and silky with good ol’ Paso earth $34

Rocky Creek 2009 Petite Sirah - Soft and lovely $30


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One Wine Worth 1000 Stories

There seems to be one story in particular that stands behind 1000 Stories Wines.  It’s the story of America's heritage, what the company’s website calls "a heritage woven with one thousand stories, unique traditions, and a pioneering spirit."  The buffalo is the iconic imagery here, and Zinfandel is what’s in the bottle. Talk about heritage. Talk about pioneers.

The small batch Zinfandels are aged partially in charred bourbon barrels, which seems to be the new way of making the old way new. As far as heritage goes, pioneering winemaker Bob Blue says when he started out in the business he found it expedient and more cost-effective to buy old bourbon barrels instead of new oak containers.  Some of the barrels used to age this wine formerly housed bourbon for more than a dozen years.

The grapes in Batch 11, the 2014 blend I was given to sample, come from Mendocino, Dry Creek Valley, Lodi, Contra Costa and Colusa counties. It’s mainly Zinfandel, with some Mendocino Petite Sirah rounding it out. The wine stands at 15.5% abv and sells for under 20 bucks.

The 1000 Stories Zinfandel is very dark looking and smelling. And tasting, too. Plum and blackberry flavors get a savory working over from the bourbon barrels, but not as much as I had feared. Or hoped. I don't know which way to lean on this kind of oak influence. On the one hand, too much oak is bad. On the other, too much bourbon oak might be just enough. The savory streak plays through on the palate with a hint of that bourbon-laced oak pushing it along. There’s vanilla, pepper and leathery cherry as well.


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Folly Indeed: Edmeades' Wacky Blend Works

Edmeades is a Mendocino County mainstay since the 1960s, with grapes grown in the region’s rugged coastal mountains. The Jackson Family bought the acreage in 1988 and brought current winemaker Ben Salazar into the fold in 2012.

Edmeades' Folly 2013 

When Dr. Edmeades planted his first vineyards in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley in 1963, he was met with so much derision the plot was known as "Edmeades' Folly." In true California winemaking fashion, he made a sign saying as much and hung it in the vineyard. This wine harkens back to those days, with much less naysaying now. It’s a playful blend of 47% Zinfandel, 23% Syrah, 15% Merlot and 15% Petite Sirah. Mostly neutral oak is use in aging and alcohol hits a ripe 15% abv. It retails for $26.

Folly, indeed. This brash blend has a campfire burning n the nose, with cigar, leather, a little funk and some hefty black pepper, clove and anise joining the olfactory party. On the palate, the medium-dark wine shows a brambly sage note and spills black and blue fruit flavors all over the table. The way Syrah, Merlot and PS played around in the aroma department, so does the Zinfandel on the flavor profile.

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"Liar's Dice" Zinfandel Sonoma County Wine

"Liar's Dice" is a game played with five dice in a cup. It sounds like it should be played while drinking, because if it’s not, it’s called Yahtzee. It could also be played as dice poker, but really, that’s just not cool. Get a deck of cards.

Murphy Goode's 2013 Liar's Dice Zinfandel was conceived, so the website says, by co-founder Tim Murphy. There were many games of Liar's Dice played while brainstorming this beverage in the one-horse Sonoma County town of Geyserville. One horse, but, like, 37 wineries. Geyserville is actually still waiting for their “cool” status. All the "cool" in the area is currently sucked up by Healdsburg a bit down the road. But Geyserville is cool enough for me, as some really good grapes are grown there.

There is nearly a full dice cup of Sonoma County Zinfandel here, 96%, with the remainder being beefed up by Petite Sirah. Winemaker David Ready Jr. has been head man in the cellar for about 15 years, so he knows his way around the barrels. The wine is a full-throated 15.4% abv and sells for $21.

It's medium dark in the glass and has a gorgeous nose, ripe and spicy. The expected vanilla and clove notes are met with brambly hints of coriander and allspice. On the palate, it's big and bouncy with rollicking cherry and cola flavors rolling over a blackberry base. Cinnamon, cardamom and a nice package of herbs nudge this wine in a savory direction, but it stays closer to the fruity side. Big tannins here, so bring tri-tip.


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Petite Sirah: Dark Mendocino Nights

Edmeades is a Mendocino County mainstay since the sixties, with grapes grown in the region's rugged coastal mountains. The Jackson Family bought the acreage in 1988 and brought current winemaker Ben Salazar into the fold in 2012.

Edmeades Petite Sirah 2013

They say on the website that this wine is as "dark as a moonless night."  It is, in fact, a deep indigo with dark purple showing around the edge of the glass. The winery folks explain that the wine is made only when the grapes are right, in select vintages. 2013 was, apparently, such a year.

This dark wine smells delicious, with dark fruit challenged by oak spice, cedar and vanilla being the most prominent. The nose is complex, with notes of licorice, cigar box, cinnamon and blackberry coming forth. Tobacco and a chocolaty mocha abet those flavors on the palate. It’s 93% Petite Sirah and 7% Zinfandel, with mostly neutral oak use in the aging. Alcohol hits 14.5% abv and only 250 cases were made. It retails for $35.


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Good Wine - No Joshing

Josh Cellars produced 130,000 cases of wine in 2012.  This year, they’ll put out nearly a million. They have reached that rarified area as fast - maybe faster - than any brand before them.  Owned by Deutcsh Family Wine and Spirits, the Josh brand has taken off in the $13 to $19 range.  That happens to be the fastest-growing segment in retail wine right now.  So, they are lucky. But people also like their story.

The winery's founder, Joseph Carr, chose the name Josh for his wine to honor his dad. His father’s name was Joseph, too, but his friends called him Josh. He was a soldier, a firefighter and a big proponent of “taking care of each other.” Winemaker Wayne Donaldson does both Joshes proud with his creations. The wines are good, they are priced well and people seem to be snapping them up almost like they do with Yellow Tail, the brand Deutsch is best known for.

Josh Legacy Red Blend 2013

The is wine mixes Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah & Petite Sirah in an inky blend that smells of blueberry, sage, mocha and tobacco. It is a fairly complex and dark aroma package.  On the palate, dark blue fruit is ripe and juicy, with acidity to spare and enough tannins to tackle a t-bone. The finish is medium-long and savory with a kick of coffee in it. Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv and it sells for $16.


Josh Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

The blend here is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. It, too, is from the  California appellation, but the label promises fruit from Mendocino, Lake County, Napa Valley and Sonoma County along with other "premium California growing regions." Alcohol hits 13.7% abv and it’s also a $16 wine.

Aromas of blackcurrant and plum are forceful enough, and the accompanying oak spice is sweet yet pungent. There is a strong cedar and cigar component with a bit of black pepper thrown in. On the palate, the berry flavor is a little on the tart side, and spice notes meet some fairly dark earthiness. It’s a complex wine all the way around, and the tannins are big enough, but not too big. That tart, earthy feeling lasts into the long finish. It may not be exactly what you want in a Cab, but for a $16 wine, you get pretty good value for your money.

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Virtual Wine Tasting: Cycles Gladiator

A group of wine writers spent a fun hour recently with Cycles Gladiator winemaker Adam LaZarre, thanks to Charles Communications. We were quick to learn that the Lady on the Bicycle is an homage to women's freedom during the Belle Epoque, when bicycle sales flourished prompted by the suffrage movement. Susan B. Anthony noted that bicycles gave women the ability to leave the home to work and vote. Cycles was just one bicycle company that "plastered Paris with posters" depicting free and liberated women on bikes au naturel.

The event was hash tagged as #CyclesGladiator and you can check out the video online.

LaZarre says he grew up in New York’s Finger Lakes area, but not until a U.S. Navy stint in Seattle did he get the wine bug. He started Cycles Gladiator in 2005. There were favorable comments during the virtual event on LaZarre’s creative tasting notes. He tweeted that he used to write them while drinking tequila. "I don’t do that anymore," he wrote, "I changed to bourbon."

2014 Chardonnay

Three vineyards are used for the Cycles Gladiator ‘14 Chardonnay, from Livermore Valley, east of San Francisco Bay.  The cool fog from there and from Monterey Bay make the wine special, according to the winemaker. He claims it goes great with "meat, pasta and popcorn." It’s mostly tank fermented, with 15% of the juice vinified in one-year-old barrels.  Alcohol is somewhat restrained at 13.4% abv and the aging was done  70% in the tank, 20% in new French oak barrels and 10% in new American wood.  The Central Coast wine retails for $11.

This Chardonnay shows a medium straw color in the glass and smells really beautiful.  The nose displays ripe nectarines and a hint of lemon wearing a shawl of oak spice. The wood definitely makes itself known, but it is a pleasant presence. Flavors are juicy and ripe, too, with that oak touch adding a bit of heft without getting carried away. It has me wanting a piece of broiled fish or some roasted potatoes to go with it.

2014 Pinot Noir

"It slipped  down my throat like the little lord Jesus dressed in velvet pantaloons." This is not LaZarre’s quote, he says it comes from some Burgundian nuns 400 years ago when they described the wines of their vineyards. LaZarre uses the centuries-old quote to describe his own Pinot Noir. Boiled down to modern terminology, "silky, lush, sexy, an elegant Pinot balanced between Power and Grace," is how he translates.

Chualar Canyon Vineyard in Salinas Valley and and the Los Alamos Vineyard in Santa Barbara County are the hillside properties from which the grapes come, with low yields to concentrate the fruit. He says the former gives high-acid aromatic grapes while the other makes for fatter, juicier wines. This Pinot is made from 70% Chualar Canyon grapes. Alcohol tips at 13.9% abc and retail is only  $11. The wine was aged for 13 months in oak, 22% new French, 5% new American and the rest neutral.

This Pinot Noir is one big Pinot Noir, so if you are looking for Elegance Street, this is really the wrong address. That said, I like this wine. I do like my Pinot to offer a touch of grace, but in certain cases it's alright if it takes a swing at me.

This wine is very dark and earthy on the nose and has a palate that is more suited to chuck than chicken. The tannins are on the forceful side and the weight is not light. It's got some brawn to it, and it's not shy about it.

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

Three vineyards contributed to this Central Coast wine, one from Paso Robles’ east side, one from Indian Valley in southern Monterey county and Collier Canyon Vineyard north of Livermore. The latter provided the dominant component. It is reportedly one of the wines to be featured on Starbucks’ nighttime menu.

Aging took place in 18% new French oak, 15% new American oak and the rest neutral barrels. Alcohol is in control at 13.8%  abv and the price tag is, again, $11. The Cabernet is blended with 12% Merlot and 8% Syrah.

It’s not a terribly complex wine, but it is drinkable, with firm tannins and a cassis flavor that carries it along through some mineral-laden meanderings. It may not be the Cabernet you’d choose go with a $50 steak, but you may get it at Starbucks and have a good time sipping it. Try something chocolate with it.

2014 Petite Sirah

During the virtual tasting, LaZarre said, "Petite Sirah is one dimensional, no matter where it’s grown," but countered with, "Syrah adds another layer and makes it more food friendly, more interesting." That’s why he blends in 18% Rancho Arroyo Grande Syrah with the Paso Robles and Livermore Valley Petite Sirah grapes.

Petite Sirah was called Durif in France in the 19th century. When it was brought to California, planters believed it to be Syrah, but the grapes were much smaller so they called it Petite Sirah.
Hot, dry days and windy conditions are best for PS. The winemaker calls this wine “blueberry motor oil that will stain your soul.” He also advises that you not spill any on your shirt. A Central Coast appellation, the Cycles Gladiator Petite Sirah hits 14.8% abv and sells for a pretty incredible  $11.  The wine spent 15 months in oak, half new American and half neutral.

This is a dark wine, very dark, non-porous dark. There is no light getting through this indigo pour at all. Loads of blueberry smells jump right out, followed by abundant oak spices. A little smoky and savory angle sneaks through at the edge of the glass.  The wine is very easy to drink, with fine tannins and beautiful dark-fruit flavor laced with that oak effect.


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Lodi Wine: Borra Blend

Borra Vineyards dates back 100 years to Steve Borra's grandfather, but the last 50 years have been under Steve’s watchful eye. Swiss-born winemaker Markus Niggli has handled the cellar since 2010.

The 2012 Borra Red Wine 47.5" is a masterful mix of 80% Petite Syrah, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, three great varieties for Lodi. They only made 115 cases, the wine hits a very reasonable 13.7% abv and it sells for $35.

2012 was a warmer vintage, unlike 2011. The grapes are not pressed, the juice is free-run overnight. Yjhe wine spent 22 months in French oak, 75% of which was new. That said, the oak treatment is beautiful, not overwhelming.

The wine shows a dark color with a nice purple rim. The nose is loaded with big, black and blue fruit and a touch of graphite that makes me think there must be some Cab in it. Cinnamon and licorice join a sweet, vanilla-laced oak spice which plays a major role but is not overdone. The palate is extremely smooth, and I want to stress that adjective. I don't know that I have ever tasted these grapes appearing so elegantly in the mouth. Tart blackberry flavors and a good acidity go right into the finish. It's dry and has a great oak feel. An herbal slant is marked by a very slight green pepper note, while a bit of a smoky essence comes on after it has sit for a while.


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The Paws That Refreshes - Or Not

If you have ever visited a winery, you know that there are three things you are bound to find there - barrels, old pickup trucks and dogs. Winery dogs are often highlighted in the literature as mainstays in the tasting room, the winemaker's best friend. The common trait winery dogs seem to exhibit is docile behavior - beyond the point of being accustomed to having humans around. They usually seem downright bored to death with us.

It seems every year there is another line of wines dedicated to dogs, with proceeds benefiting them in some way. Rosenblum Cellars gets the chew stick this year, for their Château La Paws wines, which provide a portion of the take to support no-kill shelters.

Château La Paws Sweet Red Blend does not set my tail wagging. The nose, although quite earthy, is also quite grapey - much like a wine made from North American hybrid grapes. The grapes used are actually Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and "other."

The nose is very close to being what one might call "foxy." The palate offers a similar reference to Welches, and a similar foxiness. The label advises we not feed it to dogs - too bad, as they would probably appreciate it more than humans. French and American oak are used in the aging of the wine, and that sweet vanilla oak note could be the best part of the beverage. Retail, $18.

The Château La Paws Sauvignon Blanc label offers no vintage information on this Lodi bottling. It is 97% Sauvignon Blanc and three percent Viognier, hits 13% abv and sells for $18. The wine gives a pale yellow tint and a fresh and grassy, springlike nose. Aromas of golden apples and moderate tropical fruit are joined by a big citrus play. On the palate things are bright and lively, with apple, lemon, minerals and a very nice acidity. It finishes clean and brisk. There is nothing really exceptional about the wine, but it does provide a tasty and refreshing interlude to enjoy while you tell your dog how you contributed to the cause.


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Lodi Wines: Outside The Box For Thanksgiving

Pairing wine and food is easy, but many people feel they don’t have adequate skills to select the perfect wine for a holiday feast. It can be as simple as “drink what you like,” or as difficult as you care to make it. Wine is an expansive topic, and it will take up all your extra time if you let research get just a little bit out of control.

For those who don’t have the time - or inclination - to become heavily invested in wine and food pairing minutiae for the holidays, the nice folks at the  Lodi Winegrape Commission put together a virtual tasting experience which examined a few “outside the box” wines for Thanksgiving. The social media event took place on the BrandLive platform, and I was invited to participate.

The tasting session was hosted by Stuart Spencer, owner and winemaker at St. Amant Winery and Program Manager at the Lodi Winegrape Commission, and featured Layne Montgomery, winemaker at m2 Wines,  Susan Tipton, owner and winemaker at Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards and Adam Mettler, general manager/winemaker at Michael David Winery.

The wines tasted were:

Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards Viognier 2014
Michael David Winery Symphony 2014
m2 Wines Alicante Bouschet 2013
Mettler Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2013

These wines are available from the respective wineries, and also as a set from the Lodi Winegrape Commission’s online store. There is a special price of $80 for all four wines when purchased from LodiWine. The recipes for the pairing suggestions are also available there.



Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards Viognier 2014, paired with Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque

Susan Tipton fell in love a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and from that point on, she was a white wine fan. Her Acquiesce Winery produces only white wines and rosés of the Mokelumne River appellation.  Her wines are all about the grapes - handpicked and whole-cluster pressed - with no influence of oak to alter what nature has given.  The '14 Acquiesce Viognier retails for $23, carries an alcohol number of 13.5% abv and comes bottled under cork. The cuttings from which her vines started are from Tablas Creek, which originated in the vineyards of Château de Beaucastel, in the Rhône Valley. By the way, you may find it hard to throw away or recycle Tipton's pretty, French bottles.

During the virtual tasting event, @MsPullThatCork referenced the soup recipe which was paired with this wine. "We made the bisque," she tweeted. "Great roasted squash, spice, creamy flavors and texture." @Fiery01Red loved the "surprisingly vibrant acidity w/a grape that tends to be low in acidity. Very nice Viognier!" @ThisMyHappiness summed it up with, "Elegant #wine!" Couldn’t agree more.

The Acquiesce ‘14 is one nice Viognier. This is Susan Tipton's calling card. Mellow yellow gold in the glass, the wine gives a beautiful nose of apples and lemons with a floral accent. The palate is as refreshing as you would want a wine to be. Citrus-y apples, a nice savory streak and a strident acidity are a complete joy.

The roasted butternut squash bisque recommended by Lodi Winegrowers is a great match, and so is my wife’s rustic potato, carrot and cabbage soup. Peel and eat shrimp would be fantastic, as would a Cobb salad.

Michael David Winery Symphony 2014, paired with Peach Cobbler and French Vanilla Ice Cream

A true California grape, Symphony was created by UC Davis viticulturist Dr. Harold Olmo. He began the 35-year process of crossing Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris in 1948. The grape was made available commercially in 1981, patented in '83. It registers a low 11% abv on the alcohol scale - Mettler says it is closer to 10% - and carries a retail sticker price of $15.

The '14 Michael David Symphony is frizzante in the glass, showing some fine bubbles around the rim. The golden color looks nice, while the nose gives up some muted apricot and lanolin notes. There is a savory aroma that cuts right down the middle. On the palate, things get kinda sweet, with apples and lemons - but the acidity is fresh and zippy. The finish brings to mind a margarita, go figure. Layne Montgomery quipped during the event that the wine "smells like Thanksgiving in a glass."

You can pair this with spicy dishes - maybe chicken enchiladas or pork in a chipotle sauce. Thai and Chinese food will also serve it well. I would like it with an anchovy Caesar salad. LodiWine likes it with peach cobbler and French vanilla ice cream.

m2 Wines Alicante Bouschet St. Jenise’s Vineyard, 2013, paired with Marinated and Smoked Paprika Grilled Pork Tenderloin

With its roots in France, the Alicante Bouschet grape was widely planted in California in the early 20th century. Winemakers loved the deep pigmentation and used it to add color to wines that appeared too thin. After Prohibition fell, the grape became less popular and it is now a novelty item in just a few California vineyards. Varietal examples that do not limit Alicante Bouschet to the status of a blending grape are pretty rare.

Montgomery explained that "the vines are only six to eight years old, but the wine drinks a lot older." On social media, @camron94 gushed, "Alicante is truly a beautiful and interesting wine that is underutilized as a stand alone varietal." Couldn’t have said it better myself. On the panel, Tipton likened the wine to "a Pinot Noir on steroids." It also reminds her of Sangiovese.

The back label indicates, "this is not a wine for the faint of heart." Robust and meaty, the wine shows only moderate alcohol, 13.7% abv and sells for $26. When asked what he tells his customers to pair with this wine, Montgomery showed his entertainer roots with a fast comeback, "Another bottle!" That’s a pretty good suggestion, too.

The '13 m2 Alicante Bouschet St. Jenise's Vineyard is as dark as dark gets. The inky indigo color does, indeed, look like it means business. On the nose, you get aromas of cassis and a fistful of spice - clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and anise play into the profile. The palate shows monstrous black fruit - blackberry and plum - with plenty of spices getting plenty of play. The spicy character lasts into the finish and stays awhile.

If a rib roast is on your holiday table, this should be, too. It will pair with lamb just as nicely. The Lodi Wine folk say they like it with a smoked paprika pork chop, and now I want some of that.

Mettler Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2013, paired with Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs on Creamy Yukon Gold Parsnip Potatoes

Back in the 19th century, French botanist François Durif had a home nursery of different grape varieties, including Peloursin and Syrah. Those two vines cross-pollinated, resulting in a grape that was named Durif, which we know today as Petite Sirah. The US government recognizes the two names as synonymous, although the grapes are technically different. In fact, it is noted that the majority of Petite Sirah plantings in California are actually Durif. It was revealed during the tasting session that the Lodi appellation is the number one producer of Petite Sirah in California.

On Twitter, @wineandgoodfood chirped, "The @MettlerWines Petite Sirah is super rich and ripe," while Montgomery threw out another one-liner:  "If purple had a flavor. this would be it." @winebratsf got all eclectic on us: "It tastes like an AC/DC velvet blanket wall hanging." Kudos, by the way, for the descriptor of the evening.

Six generations of Lodi winegrowers can all be proud of this varietal wine. The ‘13 Mettler Petite Sirah shows very dark color and very dark aromas. Black and blue fruit gets help from a savory streak full of leather, tobacco and black olives. That savory feel carries over onto the palate, which is as dark as the color and smells have advertised. This is a beautiful and complex example of Petite Sirah, sometimes fancy, sometimes rustic. It’s an elegant wine masquerading as a roughneck. It hits 15.5% abv and retails for $25.

This wine will pair well with the short ribs suggested, as it will with any type of beef dish. I would love it with a beef stew on a wintry day.

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The Ferrari Of Zinfandel

In my home state, Lone Star Beer is marketed as "the national beer of Texas." In the state I have called home for over 25 years, Zinfandel is thought of as the national wine of California. The Zinfandel grape has been here almost as long as winemaking has. Certain regions of the Golden State are known for their great Zinfandel grapes - Lodi and Paso Robles come to mind, and so does Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley.

Ferrari-Carano makes a wine composed of 97% Zinfandel grapes with a splash of Petite Sirah. Their 2012 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is fermented in steel tanks before aging for 16 months in French oak. A third of that oak is new. The wine retails for $28 dollars.

The Dry Creek Valley Zin is an incredibly dark wine, almost black when held to the light. Its appearance led me to expect a gigantic, ripe, imposing, blammo nose to explode in my face like a loaded cigar. What else from a deep, dark Zinfandel? The nose is not at all blustery, though. It is elegant. Blackberry fruit is ripe, to be sure, but the nuances of sage, cinnamon, pepper and basil play lightly across the olfactory nerve endings.

On the palate, the expectations are met. Flavors of black plums, cherries and dark berries don't even try to be subtle. There is black pepper galore and enough minerals to allow me to skip my multi-vitamin in the morning. Great mocha notes come into play late. The juicy acidity needs to be paired with some meat, and fast. A hearty mouthfeel and bold tannins round out a great wine to have with a thick, juicy steak.

You could also pair this Zinfandel with anything off the grill - I'm thinking of mild Italian sausage right about now - or a burger with blue cheese on it instead of mustard.

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Ferrari-Carano Siena 2012 Sonoma County

Don and Rhonda Carano had a dream that involved land, grapevines and the natural result of that marriage. Ferrari-Carano is where the dream lives, and it's the piece of Dry Creek Valley where the wine is made.

The 2012 vintage in Sonoma County offered great growing conditions, with lots of hang time, which translates to the big, ripe flavors found in this wine. Aging for the Siena 2012 was done in 20% new Hungarian oak and 80% older French oak barrels. The alcohol hits 14.5% abv and the wine retails for around $20.

This Ferrari-Carano mix of (mostly) Sangiovese, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon has a medium-dark hue and a nose of red plums, blueberries and sweet oak spice. Stony minerals define the mid-palate. The wine is light in the mouth, with easy tannins. Red berries, cherries and a touch of cola appear on the palate, and it finishes bright and festive with spices - cinnamon and anise - lingering.

The winery says Siena "pairs perfectly with savory Italian food, pasta with flavorful tomato sauces or pizza." Can't argue with that. They also like it with chicken cacciatore, duck salad with raspberries and oranges, or prosciutto on crostini bread.


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Quivira Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2012 Sonoma County

The portion of Sonoma County known as Dry Creek Valley may sound like a parched, sun-baked no-man's land, but it wears that name as a disguise. It's a great place to grow grapes.

The 2012 growing season in Dry Creek Valley allowed for slow and even ripening. Nobody ever brags about fast, uneven ripening. You get that a lot in some other parts of California, but Dry Creek Valley gets to do a lot of bragging about their special climate. It's a warm part of the county, to be sure. They do like their slow, even ripening, though.

The grapes for this wine came from Quivira Vineyards' three estate vineyards, which all follow organic and biodynamic farming practices. The grapes from Anderson Ranch Vineyard provide red fruit to the mix, the ones from Wine Creek Ranch Vineyard add structure and spice while fruit from Goat Trek vineyard account for concentration and tannin. Fruit was also sourced from other local growers.

Winemaker Hugh Chappelle vinified the lots separately, which were aged in French, American and Hungarian oak , 20% of it new, with medium toast to allow the terroir to speak freely. The alcohol hits a hearty 14.5% abv and the wine retails for $22. It is 89% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah and 1% Carignane, and these spicy varieties play very well together. 11,475 cases were produced. Chappelle says, "Dramaless years are rare for winegrowers, so we welcomed 2012 with open arms in Dry Creek Valley."

The Quivira Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2012 appears inky, so much so I can't see light through it. The nose displays beautiful blueberry, pepper, tobacco and a hint of vanilla. The palate is just as comely, with gorgeous fruit represented by juicy blackberry and plum colored by savory streaks of cinnamon, chicory and clove. The wine boasts great structure and acidity.

Quivira Zinfandel is made to pair with meat dishes - anything hot off the grill will do - with pasta Bolognese running a close second. If you have some left at dessert, try it with dark chocolate. OMG.


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Who Do You Have To Know To Get A Proper Claret Around Here?

Reginald ffrench-Postalthwaite is billed as the alter ego of the beloved, quixotic, notorious Bonny Doon winemaker Randall Grahm. His flowery prose graces the back label of the 2013 A Proper Claret, and his missive to me, accompanying a sample of the wine, is similarly evocative and properly footnoted. It may well be the only wine label in existence with footnotes.

On the label, ffrench-Postalthwaite wonders aloud - albeit in print - what one has to do to "be served a glass of Proper Claret around here?" Claret is the generic British term used for wines of Bordeaux. There may have been a jab directed at France by the word, which formerly meant something of light color. The wines of Bordeaux once actually were of light color, but that was quite a while before they stormed the Bastille.

The pejorative stuck, as did the use of the phrase "the French disease" to describe syphilis. It may or may not be true that the French fought back on that one, calling syphilis "the English disease." They also got in a shot of their own by recognizing the American colonies as independent of Great Britain, while not recognizing the wine of England as anything at all.

But, as ffrench-Postalthwaite might annotate in his footnotes, I digress. He writes me that A Proper Claret "nominally purports to represent an old-fangled style of' 'Claret,' it frankly strikes me as perhaps more of a version of the Cabernets I remember of the '60s and '70s. Slightly riper and richer than the '12 version, it is still quite elegant and restrained." Which is more than we can say for ffrench-Postalthwaite. Nearly 16,000 cases of A Proper Claret were made.

This wine is composed of a blend of red grapes, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 15% Tannat, 13.5% Petit Verdot, 7.7% Syrah and and .8% Petite Sirah. Did he say "point-eight-percent?" Did he say "Tannat?"

The interesting reading on the back label should not - could not - distract you from the wonderful illustration on the front, by New York City artist Bascove. The wine clocks in at a restrained 13.5% abv, no faint feat considering the high-octane grapes used in the mix. It retails for $16 and comes bottled under a proper screwcap.

The wine is as dark as night. Black fruit on the nose is adorned in customary Grahm-savory fashion by notes of sage, rosemary and a delicious black olive scent. The palate shows blackberry and cassis, but the wine is not dominated by fruit. Notes of cedar, cinnamon and cardamom play a huge role on the palate. The tannins are are firm, but elegant, and it should pair as as well with British bangers as they do with a good old American beef brisket.


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Charles Krug Wine Napa Valley Merlot

A May virtual tasting event under the BrandLive banner featured Charles Krug Wine proprietor Peter Mondavi, Jr. tasting and tweeting about his family’s stake in the Napa Valley.  Charles Krug is the oldest winery in California and Peter Mondavi, Sr. is perhaps the oldest vintner.  He is within swirling, sipping and spitting distance of the century mark.

2011 was the 150th vintage for the Charles Krug label, and three of the wines on the tasting list for the Twitter event were from that vintage, their Napa Valley Merlot, Family Reserve "Generations" blend and Family Reserve "Howell Mountain" Cabernet Sauvignon.  See the video of the tasting here.

Wine lovers in the twitterverse came alive for the event.  During the virtual tasting, @WineJulia commented on the wine’s drinkability, messaging that "the lower alcohol keeps these elegant, while the complexity & tannins bring them to life!"  @WineFashionista tweeted, "Interesting that of these four wines Merlot is Charles Krug's best seller!"  @WineHarlots mentioned of the Merlot, "Miles has left the building."

The Mondavi blurb writer calls the 2011 Charles Krug Napa Valley Merlot their “Cab lover’s Merlot,” and with good reason.  It is as big and bold as many a Cabernet Sauvignon hailing from America’s best-selling wine region, despite a cool growing season in 2011 that made harvest a few weeks later than usual.  The yield was down and the sugar content of the grapes was lower than they like, but the winemaking team members were thrilled to capture so much flavor despite the obstacles.

The Napa Valley grapes which make up this red blend are 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petite Sirah, 3% Malbec and a 1% splash of Petit Verdot.  The wine spent 18 months aging in French and American oak barrels.  Alcohol clocks in at a pretty reasonable 14% abv - thank you, cool vintage - and retails for $25.

The wine has a very dark color, opaque ruby red in the glass.  The nose displays robust aromas of black cherry and blueberry with a nice plume of smoke laying over the fruit.  On the palate, the moniker “Cab Lover’s Merlot” really hits home.  Rich, bold fruit flavors burst forth impressively.  Savory undertones join the show, awash in dark berries and vanilla.  A very slight herbal sensation peeks through, a light bell pepper note - the only aspect of the taste that points to a cool vintage.

Pairing with red meat is a no-brainer - the tannins are fine and the acidity is juicy.  A cheese plate would be welcome, too.  Include some Camembert, Gouda and Gruyere.

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Vibrant And Complex, Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Vines Zinfandel 2011

Zinfandel is often called California’s heritage grape.  It was one of the first grapes planted in the Golden State which still remains in large numbers today.  Some Zinfandel vines in Sonoma County date back to the California Gold Rush era.

UC Davis has a one-acre vineyard - the Heritage Vineyard - where 90 selections of Zinfandel cuttings - 60 years and older - from 14 different California counties are planted.  They hope the study there will serve as the key that unlocks some of Zinfandel’s mystery.  They hope to find  "whether the grapes' uniqueness is due to the particular clone of Zinfandel or the site, climate, soil and cultural practices."

I have had the good fortune lately to sample some Zinfandel wines of Dry Creek Valley.  The good folks at Dry Creek Vineyard provided me with a sample of their 2011 Heritage Vines Zinfandel.

This wine was first released in 1997 as Heritage Clone Zinfandel.  The vines are old, but were bud grafted into a new vineyard.  The average vine age for the grapes used here is 30 years.  The winery claims that the grapes show a youthful vibrancy, along with the complexity of a true old-vine wine.  The vineyard offers gravelly loam and clay-based soils on rolling hills and steep hillsides.

The 2011 vintage was marked by winter rain that lasted into late spring and early summer.  An unusually cool growing season helped restrain the alcohol, even though it still rocks 14.5% abv.  The winery also credits the wine’s silky structure to the cool vintage.

The Heritage Vines Zin was fermented in stainless steel, then aged in French, American and Hungarian oak barrels for 19 months.  Flying under the Sonoma County appellation, 10,310 cases of the wine were made, and it retails for $19.

The wine is made from 84% Zinfandel grapes and 16% Petite Sirah.  The 2011 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Vines Zinfandel carries a medium garnet color and looks a little lighter than many wines of this variety.  The nose carries plenty that I like about Zinfandel - clove, vanilla, sage, brambly currant, raspberry - and the aromas are not shy at all.  The palate offers spicy peppery eucalyptus and strawberry, raspberry and cherry fruit that is  juicy and somewhat tart.  The fruit shows very well, but the spicy character really steals the show.  This wine will dress up even the plainest piece of meat you can put on the table.

By the way, if you wonder why a winery in a place named after a dry creek would sport a sailboat on their labels, it's because they simply happen to love sailing.  They began featuring sailboats on their labels in the 1980s, and it proved to be an aye-catching and memorable design.  Sonoma County artist Michael Surles has provided all the beautiful paintings for the Dry Creek Vineyard labels.  The winery also supports the sailing community in many other ways.


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Lodi Wine: A Great Place To Be Stuck Again

John Fogerty made Lodi sound like a lousy place for an entertainer to be stranded, but a grape-growing winemaking family could sure do a lot worse.  Lodi is full of generations-old farming families who have turned their farms into vineyards and their barns into wineries.

A recent virtual tasting of a handful of Lodi wines featured the Mettler Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2010.  The Mettlers have been at the grape thing for a while now - their estate was established in 1899.  Five generations of Mettlers have tended the vines and winemaker Adam Mettler helps carry on the family tradition.  Both vineyard blocks used in the making of this wine are organically and sustainably farmed.

The Mettler Cab has a varietal makeup of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petite Sirah and 1% Petit Verdot.  It is bottled under natural cork, aged in French oak for 22 months and strikes 14.9% abv.  7,800 cases were produced and the bottles retail for $25.  I was given a sample to review.

Some of my cohorts taking part in the Twitter tasting were mightily impressed by the Mettler wine:  "I find the @MettlerWines Cab is, ironically, very Napa stylish...it's good!"  "Mint and eucalyptus nose! almost birch beer."  "Big with fruit, soft with tannic structure. very drinkable & food friendly."

Inky purple in the glass, this Lodi Cab does produce quite a sensory experience for the nose.  Aromas of blackberry, cassis and clove are major players, but the fruit stands forward.  Other herbal qualities also take turns in the spotlight.

The palate is all big, dark fruit.  The wine has great acidity and tannic structure, but it drinks very smoothly.  Cedar notes carry a little spice - the oak is very pleasantly noticeable here.  There is a hint of bramble in the finish, but the sip goes away as smoothly as it came.


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