Wine Country Texas: Brennan Vineyards

Brennan Vineyards is located between the Central Texas Hill Country and the high plains of West Texas, the two most acclaimed winegrowing regions in the Lone Star State.  The town of Comanche is home to the winery, on Texas Highway 16, southwest of Fort Worth.  The Brennan tasting room is situated in the historic McCrary House, one of the oldest remaining homesteads in Texas.  It’s an official landmark and is so designated by the Texas Historical Commission.

Their two main vineyards produce a diverse selection of grape varieties: Cabernet and Syrah in Comanche Vineyard and Viognier and Nero d'Avola on the Newburg vines.

Brennan’s Lily 2011 is a white blend of 53% Roussanne, 25% Viognier and 22% Grenache.  That’s Grenache, not Grenache Blanc.  More on that in a bit.  The grapes come from the Bingham and  Reddy Vineyards in Texas’ High Plains AVA.  Alcohol is a very restrained 13.2% and the bottle retails for a similarly restrained $17.50.  I received a sample for the purpose of this article.  619 cases were produced.  The unoaked white has won gold and silver medals in a handful of wine competitions.

Winemaker Todd Webster puts his signature on the bottle and he also advises on the label that we all "Enjoy With Care."

Webster also commented by email on the Grenache issue.  “We planned on using it in our red Rhone blend,” he says, “but the color was so weak we decided to press it right away and use it in our white Rhone. It worked out great.”

Talk about unusual vineyard practices.  Webster continues, “We contemplated harvesting [the Grenache] twice this year.  Early for the white Rhone and late for the red Rhone.  But a freeze on May 4th took that possibility away.  No 2013 Grenache grapes.”

Color is something that is often lacking in a white wine, but not this one.  It's a beautiful yellow-gold in the glass.  The nose reveals honey, apricots, flowers and spice.  That spiciness - and the rich color - led me to expect some oak treatment, but Webster says there is none.  Also, since the wine is over half Roussanne, I expected a more savory or nutty aspect to the palate.  It's there, but it sits in the row behind the gorgeous apricot fruit flavor and a floral note.  Lemon peel and green apples come in late and stay for the finish, which is lengthy.  The acidity won't rip your teeth out, but there is certainly plenty of freshness there.  I'd like Lily with lobster.


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A Pair Of Bonny Doon Wines: Le Cigare Blanc

Le Cigare Blanc is the white version of Bonny Doon Vineyard’s masterful homage to Châteuaneuf-du-Pape, Le Cigare Volant.  For the uninitiated, that red wine is named to honor a decree issued in a village in that famous wine region which banned flying saucers from ever landing there and ruining the vineyards.  The region has never encountered the need for enforcement of that decree.  The light-hearted aspect of the name sits at the crux of Bonny Doon winemaker/owner Randall Grahm's sense of humor, a sensibility that permeates his writing and his labels.  As "president-for-life" of Bonny Doon, it is his wit that marks the wines and the marketing effort behind them.

Le Cigare Blanc Beeswax Vineyard 2011

This blend of 62% Grenache Blanc and 38% Roussanne is Grahm’s tip of the hat to the white blends of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  He e explains on the label, “Resistance is futile,” and he is correct.

The grapes come from the Beeswax Vineyard in the Arroyo Seco AVA of Monterey County and are
biodynamically farmed.  2011 was a particularly cool vintage, so the wine offers great flavor at a modest alcohol level of 12.5% abv.  1,650 cases were produced and they all are contained under what Grahm knows as a Stelvin closure.  You may know it as a screwcap.

The wine underwent a complete malolactic fermentation, so the mouthfeel is full and rich.  Aging took place in French oak barrels, and the suggested retail price is $28.

Le Cigare Blanc has a golden tint and a nose of apricots and cantaloupes, with a nutty little backbeat.  A quince flavor leads the way on the palate, with a savory quality - an almost salty quality - that intrigues me greatly.  Despite the intensity of the fruit here, it is the salinity that stays with me as a reminder.  The acidity is razor sharp and ready for whatever food you'd like to have with a white wine.  This wine's complexity is - to me, anyway - literally dazzling.  As much as I admire Grahm's red wines, Le Cigare Blanc may well be my favorite of the Bonny Doon line.

Le Cigare Blanc Réserve 2010

The Réserve version of Le Cigare Blanc is labeled as en bonbonne, meaning the wine is aged in a carboy - a big glass jug.  Grahm feels this type of aging allows the wine to retain its freshness over a number of years.

The 2010 vintage is the second for this version of the wine.  The fruit again comes from Beeswax Vineyard, while the mix is 56% Grenache Blanc and 44% Roussanne.  Easy on the alcohol again, too, with 12.4% abv.  Bonny Doon produced only 498 cases, and the screwcap closure is used, as in all of Grahm's bottlings.  He says you can tuck this one away until 2020 without a worry.  According to Grahm, it tastes younger every time he samples it.  The unfiltered wine may appear partly cloudy in your glass - it did in mine.  It is sold only to DEWN club members at a retail price of $50.

It is highly interesting how two wines of such a similar nature can be so different.  Clearly, the aging process tells the story of these fraternal twins.  The Réserve - aged in glass - shows a very different bouquet than its wood-aged counterpart.  Strong floral scents  mingle with orange peel and a bit of almond on the nose, while the palate is youthful and breezy, with plenty of citrus.  The two wines do share certain qualities, though.  The bracing acidity and the savory taste are here, with that lovely salinity lasting long into the finish.


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STARS Of Santa Barbara 2013 Wine Tasting Event

Santa Barbara wine country came to the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills as another Learn About Wine event wowed the crowd.  The tenth annual STARS of Santa Barbara wine tasting event was held January 23, 2013 and the wines on display were, on the whole, awesome.  Wines of unique character and terroir elicited much talk from attendees as they made the circuit of tasting tables.  Plenty of winemakers were on hand to soak up a little much-deserved admiration.  Several of the winemakers brought their wines to the VIP luncheon which preceded the event.

I don't know if the balmy weather that had set upon Los Angeles this winter day was the cause, but two of my favorite wines at the event were whites.  There was plenty to like that stained my glass red, too.  I have highlighted the wines which particularly impressed me.  Here's what I tasted:


Buttonwood Winery
I commented to winemaker Karen Steinwachs that I have been liking the Buttonwood wines much more than I did six or seven years ago.  She told me that she came on board at Buttonwood in 2007, and thanked me for the compliment.
Sauvignon Blanc 2011 - All steel fermentation, with a splash of Semillon to smooth it out.   A nice grassy nose.  The grapes sprout from vines which were grafted onto Cabernet Franc rootstock.
Rosé 2012 - Syrah, with expectedly good acidity, big fruit and deep pink hue.
Merlot 2009 - Smoky cherry nose, nice acidity.

Cambria
This Santa Maria Valley winery poured representatives of each of their four estate vineyards.
Chardonnay 2011 - Katherine’s Vineyard; 15 months in oak.  Yes, it’s oaky, but it’s nice.
Pinot Noir 2010 - Julia’s Vineyard; smoky, black tea.
Pinot Noir 2007 - Bench Break Vineyard;  earth, raspberry and cherry, in that order.
*2010 Syrah - Tepusquet Vineyard;  notes of coffee and mocha are a real delight.  A fave.

Cordon
Belgian-born winemaker Etienne Terlinden is a Central Coast veteran, who is also the winemaker for Summerlin Winery.
Zinfandel 2011 - An outsider at this event, as the fruit comes from Paso Robles' French Camp Vineyard.  A little Petite Sirah thrown into the mix, and chocolate cherries lace the nose.  Great structure.
Syrah 2010 - White Hawk Vineyard;  Peppery dark fruit, lots of earth.

D'Alfonso-Curran
The husband/wife team of Bruno D’Alfonso and Kris Curran do what they like - Italian and Spanish varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
DiBruno Sangiovese 2007 - Stolpman Vineyard fruit from the Santa Ynez Valley.  Great tannic structure, huge cherry flavor with spicy notes.
Curran Syrah 2009 - Los Alamos Valley grapes make a peppery blackberry taste with great grip.

Epiphany Cellars
GM Tim Snider (above) says the company was formed as an outlet for Eli Parker’s more artisanal winemaking desires, the Fess Parker label concentrates on Rhône varieties.
Gypsy 2009 - Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise and Cinsault inhabit this southern Rhone blend. 22 months in oak with a very spicy nose and a spicy cherry palate.

Flying Goat Cellars
Norm Yost (right) has thirty-plus vintages under his belt, working mainly with cool-climate vineyards.  His love of vineyard designated Pinot Noir and sparkling wine led him to launch Flying Goat in 2000.  His wines have become quite popular in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto.
Goat Bubbles Rosé NV - A pink sparkling Pinot Noir - very dry - with fruit and toast enough to please.  Grapes from Solomon Hills Vineyard.
Pinot Noir 2009 - Garey Ranch Vineyard. Wonderful earth in this Santa Maria Valley wine.
Pinot Noir 2009 - Rio Vista Vineyard.  This Sta. Rita Hills “Cacau’s Cuvée” features clone 2A.  Raspberry and earth are dominant.
Pinot Noir 2008 - Rio Vista Vineyard.  This Dijon clone Pinot is dark and delicious.

Grassini Family Vineyards
This family’s Italian heritage is the inspiration behind their Happy Canyon estate vineyard at the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley.  Bordeaux varieties.
Sauvignon Blanc 2011 - Mostly steel with some neutral oak.  Great acid, beautiful nutty edge.
*Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2009 - barrel aged, with a gorgeous earthiness and oak spice. One of my favorite wines of the event.
Articondo 2010 - BDX blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.  Aromatic nose of red flowers and lovely, bright cherry fruit flavors.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - A touch of Merlot is included here.  There’s a nice graphite edge to the really bright fruit.

Hilliard Bruce Vineyards
Strictly estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from this small Sta. Rita Hills producer.
Rosé 2011 - Pinot Noir grapes fashioned into a beautiful, dry wine that comes in under the 12% mark.
Chardonnay 2010 -  Sixteen months of oak plays elegantly.  Great acidity and a smoky edge to the citrus notes.
Sun Pinot Noir 2010 - Sweet fruit and black tea.
Moon Pinot Noir 2010 - A big Pinot, with cola, tea and structure.

Jaffurs Wine Cellars
Craig Jaffurs sources fruit from the top vineyards in the county.
Grenache Blanc 2011 - Thompson Vineyard.  70% stainless steel fermentation.  Beautiful peach and apple.
Viognier 2011 - A huge floral nose on this fruity wine, and a good zip from acidity.  Bien Nacido and Volgelzang Vineyards.
Grenache 2009 - Thompson and Larner Vineyards.  Partially whole-cluster pressed, giving a green aspect to the.beautiful cherry flavor.
Syrah 2010 - A blend of six vineyards. Great black pepper notes.
*Petite Sirah 2010 - Thompson Vineyard.  Great savory quality, especially in the nose.  A favorite.

Koehler Winery
Located along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, their estate vines average 40 years of age.
Quartetto 2010 - Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc and Viognier.  Touch of oak on the nose; Grenache Blanc shines on the palate.
*Pinot Noir 2010 - Rio Vista Vineyard.  Chocolate rose petals. A fave.
Magia Nara 2009 - Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in a light Tuscan-style blend. Red fruit loaded.

La Fenêtre Wines
Owner/winemaker Joshua Klapper (left) jumped from restaurant service to winemaking in 2005.  He sources fruit from the top locales in the Central Coast.
À Côté Chardonnay 2011 - Bien Nacido Vineyard.  Eleven months in French oak, and it is done very nicely. Full mouth, minerality, tropical fruit.
La Fenètre Chardonnay 2009 - Bien Nacido Vineyard. A little butter on top of the lovely fruit.
À Côté Pinot Noir 2011 - Just released, a Central Coast blend. Tea and cola on the nose, sour cherry and raspberry on the palate, with brilliant acidity.
 - Bien Nacido Vineyard. Dark Santa Maria Valley minerality.
*La Fenêtre Pinot Noir 2010 - Presqu’ile Vineyard.  Lovely violet nose.  The fruit is so ripe that 40% whole cluster pressing doesn’t dampen the bright flavors.  One of my favorite wines at the event.
Syrah 2009 - Sawyer-Lindquist Vineyard.  Grapes from San Luis Obispo’s Edna Valley.  Brilliant acidity is the big note here, lean and mean for a Syrah.

Lafond Winery and Vineyard
Pierre Lafond started Santa Barbara County’s first post-Prohibition winery in 1962 (Santa Barbara Winery) and Lafond came along in the ‘90s.
Chardonnay 2011 - Sta. Rita Hills; slight smoke, nice fruit.
Pinot Noir 2010 - Sta. Rita Hills; light mouthfeel, tea.
Syrah 2010 - Sta. Rita Hills; nice fruit, medium mouth.
Sangiovese 2009 - A Santa Ynez Valley bottling under the Santa Barbara Winery label, this one sports cherry galore.

Refugio Ranch
The Gleason family’s Santa Ynez Valley spread has a 26-acre vineyard on it.
*Ineseño 2010 - 60% Roussanne, 40% Viognier, this estate wine is aged on the lees for 15 months in 20% new French oak.  It has a big, beautiful mix of savory and floral notes.  One of my favorites of the event.
Sauvignon Blanc 2011 - 20% Semillon gives a creamy mouthfeel to this grassy and fresh wine, which is fermented in cement.
Tiradora Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - A 100% varietal wine, it’s fresh and fruity with a hint of oak.

Riverbench Vineyard and Winery
Other winemakers have been using the Riverbench Santa Maria Valley grapes since 1973.  The vineyard owners started their own label in 2006.  Winemaker Clarissa Nagy (right) has been on board for less than two years.
Pinot Noir 2010 - Lovely floral, great acidity.
Chardonnay 2011 Bedrock - Beautiful fruit, light touch of oak.

Stasis
Rob Murray’s Murmur Vineyard, in the super-cool southwestern corner of the Santa Maria Valley, is yielding some very impressive estate wines from winemaker Robert Henson and grower Andrew Nelson (left.)
Pinot Noir 2010 - Smoky and dark.
*Syrah 2010 - Big, dark, bold.  A fave.



Summerland
More great wines from Etienne Terlinden (see Cordon above) which are mostly vineyard specific.
Viognier 2012 - Quite a floral nose on this Santa Ynez Valley wine, with flavors of peaches and apples.
Chardonnay 2011 - A clean and fresh Santa Barbara County wine with a savory edge to the palate.
Chardonnay 2011 - From Marmon Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. Light oak with a savory edge.
Syrah 2010 - Paradise Road Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley. Great grip, plums.

Tantara
Winemaker Bill Cates gets great fruit to work with.  No wonder he works wonders.
*Chardonnay 2009 - A favorite.  Bien Nacido Vineyard;  smoky fruit, delightful, 14 months in oak.
Pinot Noir 2009 - Solomon Hills Vineyard;  smoke and cherry.
Pinot Noir 2009 - Bien Nacido Vineyard;  old vines; raspberry, cranberry and tea.
Pinot Noir 2009 - Rio Vista Vineyard; earthy, ripe fruit, some pez candy
Syrah 2009 - Bien Nacido Vineyard; big and dark; beautiful chocolate-dipped fruit flavors.

Tercero Wines
Larry Schaffer loves the Rhone varieties and gets amazing results from them.
Rosé 2012 - I always look forward to the Tercero rosés each year.  A pink Mourvèdre - “one of the few in California,” says Schaffer - it’s not afraid to show some funk on the nose.  Five months in oak leaves the red fruit coming through nicely, carried along by a bracing acidity.
*Grenache 2009 - Larner Vineyard; one of my faves at the event.  75% whole-cluster press, but still a really intense nose, big red fruit and dynamite acidity.
Syrah 2009 - Larner Vineyard; not released yet, but when it’s time, it will have spent 40 months in neutral oak;  extra dark and concentrated.
Syrah 2009 - Thompson Vineyard;  Schaffer calls this one, “The most backward wine I make.”  He says that with a smile.  100% whole-cluster pressed, aged in neutral oak for ”only” 30 months.  Another smile.  A big, powerful wine.


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Another Wine Surprise From Trader Joe's Bargain Rack

I keep tasting Trader Joe’s wines that are made in Santa Maria, and I keep finding them to be excellent wines for the price point.  Comique Révolution 2010 is another that exceeded my expectations.

Produced by Santa Maria’s Central Coast Wine Warehouse - an outfit now known as Central Coast Wine Services which produces other wines available at Trader Joe’s - I gave it a try based solely on the attraction of the name “Santa Maria.”  It’s one of my favorite wine locales in California’s Central Coast.  I don’t know that the grapes are sourced there, but it does bear the mark of the Central Coast AVA.

There is very little of value on the label - just some prose and tasting notes.  The wine carries an alcohol content of 14.2% and sells at Trader Joe’s for five dollars.

The label has no information on the grape varieties used, but the Trader Joe website tells me this is a southern Rhône blend of Roussanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Marsanne - grapes I don’t expect in a wine that sells at this price.  the website also mentions in a roundabout way that the Central Coast Wine Warehouse is a collective of grape growers turned winemakers.  Steve, Nicholas and Marshall Miller are the owners, while Chris Brown is the director of winemaking.

The wine’s color is a pale yellow, and the bouquet is quite inviting.  Aromas of white flowers, peaches and tropical fruit are pleasant, if not terribly forceful.  On the palate, the wine shows medium weight and bright, fresh acidity.  There are flavors of stone fruit, but the taste is centered around a vibrant minerality.  Earthy, nutty tones are at the forefront, while spices and citrus peel dart in and out during the sip.  I guess the spice is a result of oak treatment, although I could not find any technical sheet to confirm that.

As I have said before about wines of this type, it’s not knocking anybody off their feet.  But spending half a sawbuck for wine that delivers what this one does is what I call a good deal.


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Refugio Ranch Ineseño 2009, Santa Ynez Valley

Here’s a nice way to expand your ability to recognize grapes in a blend.  When you find a blend on a wine list with no explanation of which grapes are used in making it, order the wine and try to figure it out.  I wasn’t familiar with the Refugio Ranch Ineseño when I ordered it.  It’s a white wine from the Santa Ynez Valley selling for $10 by the glass - that’s all the wine list offered.

I know there’s a lot of Sauvignon Blanc grown in the Santa Ynez Valley, so I thought that might be a good starting point.  I eliminated that grape right away, though, due to a lack of grassy and tropical aromas and flavors.

Chardonnay?  It’s possible, but the fruitiness takes a back seat to salinity.  Hmm.  Roussanne?  Maybe, but there’s a lot of fruit in there, too.  Roussanne/Chardonnay?  I don’t feel it.  A creamy mouthfeel... Viognier?

The Refugio Ranch Ineseño has a green tint in the glass and offers a savory nose of minerals, melons and spice.  Some green notes waft in and out.  The palate shows a nice salinity, almost like a Vermentino.  Cantaloupe and a buttery note add complexity.  The acidity is very nice, despite the creamy consistency.  It hits the New England clam chowder just right, and also plays well with the bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich.

Ineseño is a blend of Santa Ynez Valley Roussanne and Viognier.  It’s aged on the lees for 15 months in 20% French oak barrels of different types.

The Refugio Ranch - once cattle land - now features vineyards dominated by Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.  They also grow Roussanne, Petite Sirah, Semillon, Sangiovese, Grenache and Malvasia Bianca.  The ranch is owned by the Gleason family, who employ winemaker Ryan Deovlet.  The vineyards are in the eastern part of the Santa Ynez Valley, but the Refugio Ranch tasting room is at the corner of Grand Avenue and Highway 154 in Los Olivos.

The meaning of Ineseño?  It is a dialect once spoken by the Chumash Indians who lived along the Santa Ynez River.


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California Wines Road Trip Tasting Event

Wine country is not a long drive from Los Angeles.  In Southern California, though, drives have a way of becoming long even when they aren't supposed to be.

Wine Institute staged a wine tasting event on September 6, 2012, that left the driving to the wineries.  The California Wine Road Trip tasting event brought the wines to Los Angeles.  Actually, to the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.  The Verandah Room - with its part outside, part inside design - is a great place for a wine tasting event, even on a hot and muggy afternoon.

Different California wine regions were laid out at their own tables, so one could get a glimpse of a whole region while standing still.  Here are some highlights from my own tasting notes.

Lake County
Rosa D'Oro Vineyards Aglianico 2010 - A big, earthy, funky nose shows strong minerality.  Great flavors of red fruit, candy finish and firm but smooth tannins.

Six Sigma Ranch Tempranillo 2008 - Tastes cherry delicious, with great acidity.  Nice touch with the oak spice.

Livermore Valley

Fenestra Winery Pinot Gris 2010 - Earthy peach aromas, with minerals shading the fruit on the palate.  Good acidity.  Really nice touch of oak.

Mitchell Katz Winery Sangiovese 2010 - Smokey, rosy cherries all over the place.  Great acidity.

Steven Kent Winery Lineage 2009 - A blend of Bordeaux grapes from the east end of Livermore Valley.  Big fruit, very smooth, tart finish lasts forever.  Steven Kent Mirassou said he had been on the road for several days, and the wine was just beginning to show like he wanted it to.  It was showing very well.

Wente Vineyards Morning Fog Chardonnay 2010 - Pears, melons and apples.  Oak just right. Great acid.  100 year-old vines.  Wente claims to have done the first bottled Chardonnay in California.

Lodi

McCay Cellars Rosé 2011 - Carignane is the heart of this rosé.  It's not done in the saignée method, where the juice is bled off in the making of a red wine.  This is intended to be rosé all the way.  The Carignane is picked from an old field blend vineyard where the grapes were conveniently laid in rows, more or less.  Some Grenache, which imparts a bright cherry flavor, comes from a different vineyard.  Michael McCay talked about micro climates and how the ocean cools an area 60 miles inland with breezes through the delta.
One of my favorite wines of the event.

Peltier Station Winery hy.brid Vermentino 2011 - Notes of the earth rather than the ocean, as is found in the Italian version of the grape. Nice acid, minerals.

Monterey

Bernardus Winery Fairview Pinot Noir 2009 - From Fairview Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Subtle tannins.

Paso Robles

Austin Hope Wines Grenache 2010 - Brilliant fruit and acidity.

Justin Vineyards Icosoles 2009 - Extremely fruity nose, big dark fruit flavors and great tannins. Steak, please.

Villa Creek Cellars Rosé -  Grenache, Counoise, Mourvedre and Roussanne combine for a smooth and refreshing wine. The acidity comes on the finish.

Tablas Creek Vineyard Cotes de Tablas Blanc 2010 - Fantastic minerals and salinity from a four-grape blend: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne.

San Luis Obispo County

Tangent Winery Albarino 2011 - Great floral nose.

Zocker Winery Gruner Veltliner 2011 - Floral meets mineral on the nose, more minerals on the palate.  Acidity really zips.

Saucelito Canyon Vineyard and Winery Cotes de Blanc 2011 - Roussanne, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc blend shows big minerals.

Santa Barbara County

Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay 2010 - Great, smokey oak bouquet, fruit forward and brilliant acidity. What more do you want?

Buttonwood Farm Winery Cabernet Franc 2009 - Beautiful red fruit and great acidity.

Foxen Winery Syrah 2010 - Great Rhone funk shows on the nose.  Dark fruit, nice grip and a fabulous finish.

Margerum Wines M5 2009 - Doug Margerum adds Counoise and Cinsault to the standard GSM mix and gets an herbal wave over red fruit on the nose, with a tart edge to the flavors and extremely nice acidity.  Huge tannins: beware the brawn!

Temecula

South Coast Winery GVR - Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne combine in a tasty mash up of flowers and nuts.  It's mostly stainless steel, with just a small portion of the Viognier fermented in oak.  Really refreshing.

Palumbo Family Vineyards Merlot 2009 - A 100% varietal wine this 2009 effort shows smokey roses on the nose, with earth and cherry cola flavors.  The tannins and acidity are fantastic.


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Bastille Day In Beverly Hills

If you’re going to celebrate Bastille Day with wine, I suppose it had better be French.  It was quite by chance that I happened to be sitting with a Roussanne before me on the French holiday.  I was in Beverly Hills, and it was a Paso Robles Roussanne, but it still had its roots in the Rhone Valley.  I mentally waved a little tricolour while I sipped.

The Roussanne in question is from Vampire Vineyards.  Their Roussanne provided a nice break from a rather hot afternoon in Beverly Hills.  The Vampire Vineyards tasting room is on Little Santa Monica Boulevard, right across from the Peninsula Hotel.

The nose has notes of tangerine, almond and oak spice.  The oak makes quite a prominent play in this wine.  On the palate, tangerines, peel and all, dominate the flavors.  Some blues on the sound system provided an American twist to the moment.

Later, also quite by chance, I found myself in the bar at the Peninsula.  I figured as long as I was killing time, I might as well have a more internationally suitable wine for the day.

I settled back into the plush couch with a Pascal Jolivet 2010 Sancerre, from the Loire Valley.  Soils of clay, limestone and flint result in a mineral-driven nose of rocks, apples and pears.  The palate is vibrant and fresh. Fruit in the form of golden apples and lemon rind are plain enough, but the minerality is in the driver's seat. The wine is vinified in stainless steel, but picks up complexity during the four to six weeks it sits on its lees.  Sinatra and cool jazz waft from the ceiling while I enjoy my own private Bastille Day.

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.


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LONE MADRONE, PASO ROBLES

Several years ago at the Ojai Wine Festival I tasted a white blend by Paso Robles producer Lone Madrone that I fell in love with.  It's called La Mezcla.  The notes of bananas and tropical fruit on the nose, the citrus and minerals on the palate and the zesty acidity made this mix of Grenache Blanc and Albariño an instant favorite of mine.

Lone Madrone's owner and winemaker Neil Collins may be known to you as the Tablas Creek winemaker.  Lone Madrone is his personal label.

As long as I was in Paso, I figured I'd better stop in to the tasting room and see what else Collins had to offer.

Lone Madrone's Points West White 2008 has a funky nose and fabulous acidity.  A full-feeling wine, it's a blend of Roussanne, Viognier and Picpoul Blanc which displays pears, peaches and a sense of wet rocks on the palate.  The '07 Sweet Cheeks is an amazing wine. the grapes are handled in Vin de Paille style, where they are set out on straw in the biodynamic vineyard for a few days after harvest.  It has a beautiful, full mouthfeel bursting with apricot nectar.

A dry rosé, the 2010 Zin Blanco is all Zinfandel, showing earthy strawberries for summer.  The'09 La Mexcla Roja is great for warm weather, too.  It's a bright red wine with a slight effervescence and plenty of earthy minerals.  Serve this blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Counoise, Nebbiolo and Zinfandel chilled.

Points West Red 2007 is made of Syrah and Mourvèdre.  It has a briar-laced strawberry nose and big red fruit on the palate with a touch of vanilla spice.  Barfandel is not a new grape - or a stomach disorder - it's Lone Madrone's blend of Barbera and Zinfandel.  White pepper in the bouquet is joined by spicy, brambly red fruit on tha palate.

MICHAEL DAVID INCOGNITO VIOGNIER 2007

Lunchtime in Beverly Hills usually takes us to one of a bushel basketful of Italian restaurants located in and around 90210.  This time, we tried a place that was new, for us anyway.

Da Pasquale Trattoria Italiana in Beverly Hills is a bright and comfortable place to grab good Italian food.  There are streetside tables on the sidewalk, but I honestly don't see what people find so enthralling about dining three feet from Los Angeles traffic.  We went indoors.

The wine list is fairly decent, but when I asked which whites were unchilled, it was a choice between a Lodi Viognier and a California Chardonnay.  I think I made the right choice.

Brothers Michael and David Phillips carry on a family tradition of farming that dates back to the 1860s.  The vineyards are irrigated by the Mokelumne River, and the family no longer relies on selling their grapes to other winemakers - they make their own wine.

The Michael David website calls Incognito "the Viognier formerly known as Roussanne. Originally thought to be Roussanne, D.N.A. testing found it to be a rare clone of Viognier."  The winery also produces a red wine which goes as Incognito Rouge.

Incognito shows a beautiful golden color, with a nose not as floral one might expect from Viognier.  There is a big flourish of apricot, with a touch of peas, or maybe edamame.  Apricots dominate the palate as well, with a vegetal accent and a wet rock minerality.   Incognito has a very full mouthfeel.  It's a lush drink with nice acidity and a long finish.  It paired well with my spaghetti aglio olio, which was garlicky and simply fantastic.

BRIDLEWOOD CENTRAL COAST RESERVE VIOGNIER 2008

Although Italian food calls for Italian wine, Denise and I knew we'd be waiting a few minutes for Guido, so I decided to break tradition and go with a good old Central Coast white as a pre-meal refresher.

Sprazzo - on Westwood Boulevard in Los Angeles - has a good, but not great, wine list.  It does have its high points, though.  One of those highlights is the Bridlewood Viognier.

Winemaker David Hopkins blended several different lots of grapes from Central Coast vineyards for this lush wine.  Destemmed grapes - 90% Viognier, 4% Chardonnay, 4% Marsanne and 2% Roussanne - are fermented and aged in stainless steel, so it's fresh, clean and crisp.  The alcohol content is 14.2% abv.

This Viognier is very pale, with a greenish tint.  Matching that hue are aromas of limes and a slight grassiness on the nose.  There's quite a floral element, too.

The mouthfeel is full and creamy - it just feels delicious - and there's a wonderful acidity, which seems downplayed at first but comes on stronger at the finish.  Soft flavors of grapefruit and a citrus zestiness give the wine a very refreshing character.

DOMAINE DE LA BECASSONNE COTES DU RHONE 2009

This wine was purchased as a food and wine pairing experiment.  It started at the recent Artisanal L.A. show in downtown Los Angeles.  Max Lesser, owner of Morning Glory Confections, asked Denise and I to come up with a pairing involving his New Mexico Chili and Pumpkin Seed Brittle.  I had the idea of pairing it with a Roussanne because I felt the grape’s natural funkiness was a good match for the offbeat brittle ingredients.  Denise thought some goat cheese would form an unbeatable triple play.

A fortunate mistake had me pick up herb goat cheese instead of plain, but Denise felt it worked even better than she had imagined.  The mouthful of brittle, herb goat cheese and a Roussanne blend was nothing short of fantastic.  Max liked it, too.

The Roussanne blend is produced by Andre Brunel, a Châteuneuf-du-Pape producer, but these grapes are from the Côtes-du-Rhône - 50% Roussanne, 30% Grenache Blanc and 20% Clairette.  It has 13% abv and carries a price tag of $17.  The grapes are grown in the clay and limestone soil on the Rhône Valley, and the wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation.

It’s a pale yellow wine, with a nose showing a banana-meets-guava tropicality, some minerals and spices along with a vanilla note.  Full and round on the palate, the taste offers a savory tartness or zestiness of citrus, a ripping acidity - a must if you’re pairing with candy - and a lemon-lime finish with an underlying nutty flavor way in the back.

By the way, the wine also paired quite nicely with another purchase from Artisanal L.A. - the Welsh Cakes from The Welsh Baker!  They call them "Not quite a cookie, not quite a scone," and that seems a reasonably good description.  Welsh Cakes and wine make a pretty good little snack.

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.

Consilience Roussanne Santa Barbara County 2006

On a recent trip to the Consilience tasting room in Los Olivos, I was mesmerized by their Roussanne.  Fellow wine blogger Erin McGrath (@vintwined) tweeted me on my favorable comments, mentioning that she had always heard that if it was high in alcohol, it was low on grace.  As I responded to her, I am not a fan of wine that is over-amped with alcohol.  And certainly, Consilience has a roster of wines that are not shy about their stratospheric alcohol levels.  But I always let my palate be my guide.  My palate told me to take home some Roussanne.

It is a beautiful, rich, golden color in the glass.  The nose is very floral, explosively so, featuring notes of honey and a flower stem component I find exhilarating.  The floral aspect hits me with not just the petals but the stalk, too.

The taste is vibrant.  I find apricot and honey in there with an almond paste flavor working the sidelines.  The wine had me at the color, but I found it delightful all the way to the nice, lengthy finish.

I had it with a simple lettuce salad sprinkled with pecans and feta cheese in oil and vinegar, and I loved the pairing.  I may have a new favorite white wine, despite the 15.9% abv number.  To be honest, I would not have guessed it to be that high.  It simply didn't taste like it.

The Consilience Roussanne contains 90% Camp Four Vineyard Roussanne, 5% Camp Four Vineyard Grenache Blanc and 5% Daniels Vineyard Viognier.  The bottle cost $20 in the tasting room.

Appellation: California > Central Coast > Santa Barbara County
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol Level: 15.9% abv
Acquisition disclaimer: Purchased by the author

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

Madam Preston Grape Wine

The Bottle: An unusual shape gives this clear specialty bottle a distinctive look. And a distinctive wine it is - as I will cover in a moment. Preston is an organic family farm in the Dry Creek Valley appellation of Sonoma County. Grapes are just one crop they produce. The wine they make from it, I must admit, does not strike me as "right up my alley," based on my sampling in their tasting room. This wine, however, made an impression on me. It's a white Rhone blend, I believe of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier. The abv is 14.2%. It seems to be a non-vintage.

The Nose: There's a very fragrant nose, with flowers and a sweet honey component. I pick up traces of wet rocks, too.

The Taste: The fruit is quite subdued, very French tasting in the mouth. There's a good bit of minerality and a sort of nutty flavor that lurks in the finish. A bit of oak gives the wine a lot of character. The structure is quite nice, with a good backbone that will make this wine a friend to food. I will try it with pasta. I would guess mushrooms would go well. I had it with Hook's 12-year cheddar and it was sublime.

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.