Hess Collection Mount Veeder 19 Block Cuvée 2007

I wanted a Tempranillo at Cafe 322, the one on the wine list.  We had made our way to Sierra Madre, practically on the other end of the earth on a Friday night, after all.  I thought I should have a right to expect that the one wine on the rather extensive list that I wanted could be mine.  It could not.

We had come, Denise and I and Rob and Tricia, to see and hear the wonderful Jack Sheldon and his quartet.  The drive was easier than expected from Mid-Wilshire but still a bit of a pain for anyone who has had the glow rubbed off of driving in Southern California.  Our arrival at the Cafe had come not a moment too soon, and when I plopped myself down in a ringside seat immediately next to the stage, I went right for the wine list and my eyes went right for a Tempranillo.

The waitress explained that it was no longer available.  She did, however, offer a substitute.  It must have been a wine they were trying to move a lot of, because I thought it was rather strange for her to offer me a Napa Valley blend of Bordeaux and Rhone grapes in place of the Tempranillo.

At any rate, not wishing to interrupt Sheldon's performance any more than I already had, I accepted a glass of Hess Collection Mount Veeder 19 Block Cuvée.

It cost a mere $10 per glass, and offered up the expected aromas of rich black cherry, cedar and vanilla.  The effect of the wood was obvious in both the nose and the palate.  A great taste full of spice and cherry cola, with notes of tobacco and tar and something almost sweet, was more than adequate for my enjoyment.

The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Malbec, 4% Syrah, 4% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot.  Alcohol content is a hefty 14.6% abv.  This wine spent 16 months in French Oak, half of which was new.  The Hess Veeder Summit Vineyard, from which these grapes came, has altitudes ranging from 1,300 to 2,000 feet above sea level.

By the way, Sheldon's quartet kicked ass.  He alternated blowing that trumpet and taking it easy while his band took solos.  Great solos.

Bogle Petite Sirah 2007

Don't you love it when you go to restaurant that had found itself  "off the list" for one reason or another, and find that it's back "on the list"?  That happened with Tart on Fairfax.  I don't remember why we stopped going there, but one night it was convenient and - lo and behold - there was a parking space right in front!  That was the clincher.  In we went, and right away the Bogle Petite Sirah jumped off the wine list at me.  It's a good wine, a very good one.  I'd had it before and was impressed with not only the aroma and taste but the price, too.  It seems like it was in the $10 per bottle range.  Here at Tart, $9 per glass.

The nose is full of cherry cola, with a lot of plum and blackberry in there.  You find that on the palate as well - tons of jammy dark fruit with a bit of an earthy taint that just hints of its presence.  It's darkly lush and quite intense.  I had the blackened tuna burgers appetizer and it went quite well with the seared tuna, hitting the nail on the head both with the charred exterior and the extremely rare interior.

Variety:  Petite Sirah
Appellation:  California
Vineyard:  Clarksburg and Lodi
Vintage:  2007
Alcohol Level:  13.5%
Price:  $9/glass
Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author

181 Merlot 2007

The 181 Merlot clone has thrived in the red clay soil of Bordeaux's Pomerol region.  Now we find that the red clay soil of the Clay Station Vineyard in Lodi is producing some excellent Merlot from that clone.  Rich in minerals that have drained from the Sierras, Lodi's soil is said to be near-perfect for growing this transplant.

On a Saturday afternoon visit to The Den on L.A.'s Sunset Boulevard, I tried a glass to see what all the fuss was about.  It's about a luscious nose, an explosive palate and an earthy quality that would have Merlot-hater Miles Raymond taking a second sip. 

Big black cherry flavors abound, along with some nice smokey vanilla and cedarbox notes and a hint or two of cassis.  The backbone is great and the finish lingers long.  It's got a lot going for it, especially considering the price tag is barely over $10 a bottle in some places.

Winemaker:  181 Wine Cellars

Variety:  Merlot

Appellation:  California > Central Valley > Lodi

Vineyard:  Clay Station

Vintage:  2007

Price:  $8/glass

Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author, by the glass

Santa Barbara Winery ZCS 2008

ZCS - the letters stand for the blend, Zinfandel, Carignane and Sangiovese.  60% Z, 24% C and 16% S, it's an obscure blend, to be sure.  I like 'em that way.  The Zinfandel comes from 50-year-old vines and all the fruit comes from Lodi.

Santa Barbara Winery's ZCS is a very aromatic wine, with full black cherry coming across strongly on the nose.  The jammy Zinfandel is offset by the Carignane's depth.  The taste is quite rich and dark.

Upon opening, the acidity was a bit high for me. It felt almost carbonated in my mouth.  A full hour later it still felt a bit grippy.  You should allow plenty of air to get to it before pouring.

The second night I drank it, it had settled down considerably to a smooth drink.  An earthy, brambly taste had also come over it, which I found terribly enticing.

Winemaker:  Bruce McGuire
Variety:  Zinfandel, Carignane, Sangiovese
Appelation:  Lodi
Vintage:  2008
Vineyard:  Wild Rose Vineyard
Alcohol level:
Price:  $13
Acquisition Disclaimer:  Purchased by the author

"They Got This Recession On" Wines, Part 13

Viñas Chilenas Reserva Merlot 2009 

Viñas Chilenas is a Trader Joe brand produced and bottled by Videma S.A.  From Chile's Valle Central area.   It rings up at the register at a paltry $2.99.  Will this wine beat the recession for us?  Let's sip it and see.

First, a look-see shows a dark purple hue I can see through, with some red at the edges.  The nose is a bit tight, but I smell berry and currant, along with a very slight smokiness.  The first sip is a bit tannic, but things smoothed out nicely after just a few minutes.  There's blackberry, cherry and raspberry on the palate.  It's a nice taste, a medium mouthfeel, maybe a little thin for me, and a bit uninspired.

Anything more than a cursory description, I feel, will be damning the wine with faint praise.  It's a decent enough drink, just not very interesting.  For three dollars, I expected less than that.  I generally spend well over that amount on a bottle of wine, so I don't have to settle for a "decent enough drink."  And in the future, I won't.  But if you're trying to stretch your wine dollar as far as possible, you could do worse.

Variety:  Merlot

Appellation:  Chile > Central Valley > Maipo Valley

Vintage:  2009

Alcohol Level:  13.5%

Price:  $3

Acquisition disclaimer:   Purchased by the author

Fess Parker Syrah 2006

Santa Barbara winemekers seem to have a way with Syrah.  And Santa Barbara wine lovers are proud of that.  I attended a wine tasting event in Santa Barbara last year and had a conversation with a lovely grandmother out for a little vino in the sunshine.  I told her about my website, and she seemed genuinely offended at the name, Now and Zin.  "Why not Syrah?" she asked with a fair amount of incredulity showing.  So, just for her, we'll call this site "Yes, Syrah, That's My Bottle" today.  Just this once.

One of the many fine wineries in Santa Barbara County is Fess Parker.  The actor who played Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone made quite a name for himself in other fields, too.  Real estate, for one - check out how much of the coastline has his name on it in Santa Barbara.  Wine for another.  His winery has not only some of the most beautiful grounds on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, but some of best wines, too.

In a brownish Syrah bottle, Fess Parker's 2006 vintage is a stout drink at 15.5% abv.  There is little else on the labels except for a small blurb thanking me for buying the wine and a brief description of the flavors I'm likely to encounter while drinking it.  Oh yes, and a tiny little coonskin cap.

There is a strong nose of currant, some black cherry (or maybe even wild cherry cough drops) and a good deal of spiciness.  Lots of alcohol is apparent, too.  The wine really should be decanted for an hour or so.  I waited thirty minutes after nearly getting a buzz on the first sip.  It wasn't long enough.  Although the wine had tamed a bit by the third night it was open, I still caught a significant alcohol aroma.   Despite the strength of the wine, the flavor really delivered.  The peppery spices are abundant and the fruit was not a bit bashful.  Blackberry and currant are what stand out for me.  It tasted very nice when just a bit of it was taken with a bite of baked ziti.  A mouthful might have overwhelmed the delicate marinara sauce and mozzarella.  I would think a steak charbroiled over a rosemary grill would be more in line with what this wine wants as a partner.

Variety:  100% Syrah
Appellation:  California > Central Coast > Santa Barbara County
Vineyard:  84% Camp Four, 16% Rodney's Vineyard
Vintage:  2006
Alcohol level:  15.5% abv
Price:  $25
Acquisition disclaimer:  Purchased by the author

"They Got This Recession On" Wines, Part 6

Hopefully 2010 will bring us all much better financial positions.  That's where my heart is, but my head tells me not to start buying really expensive wines for the cellar just yet.  In fact, if it's getting darker just before your dawn, here's a pair of wines you could probably afford after just a few hours of hustling change.

Sutter Home Winery has a line of wines available at 7-11 stores - in the cooler - which are small but cheap.  The 187 ml pours come in plastic bottles with a screw cap.  They cost just under two bucks each with tax and CRV included.  If you have trouble with the metric system, 187 ml comes out to about 1/4 of a standard wine bottle.  That's either a generous restaurant pour or a stingy one at the Fuller household.

Sutter Home is a Napa Valley producer whose labels you must have seen at the supermarket.  They are one of those wineries which still produce a White Zinfandel.  This small-format line also includes a Chardonnay, a Pinot Grigio, a Merlot and a Cabernet.  We'll concern ourselves with the White Zin and the Merlot.

Sutter Home White Zinfandel 2008

This much-maligned wine offers a pinkish orange color, like a light salmon.  It looks rather nice in the glass.  There is raspberry and strawberry on the nose, which isn't too sweet smelling.  The palate does show some friendliness, but the cloying sweetness White Zin is infamous for is not present.  In fact, I would describe it as off-dry.  The 9.5% abv made me expect a much sweeter wine, but the grapes were harvested fairly early, sparing us from a sugar bomb.

The nose is probably more interesting than the palate, but not by much.  The wine's acidity is a tiny bit challenged, but it actually goes fairly well with a turkey sandwich.

I hesitate to offer up any categorical slams on White Zin.  If it weren't for its great popularity during the 1980s, many old Zinfandel vines in California might have been uprooted in favor of some more profitable grape.  As a big fan of  "old-vine Zinfandel, " I am personally glad so many people drank White Zin a few decades ago.  I hoist a glass of it from time to time as a salute to those who knew not what cause they served.

Sutter Home's White Zinfandel is a very uncomplicated wine.  It's not a bad wine, it's just not a very interesting one.  It'll do in a recession, though.

Sutter Home Winery Merlot 2008

I'll go ahead and tell you now, I was not expecting a whole lot from this wine.  I got a lot more than my two dollar's worth from it, though.

The Merlot pours up a fairly dark ruby color in the glass.  Perfumy scents of blackberry, blueberry and some cherry cola are not shy about leaping from the glass.  The taste shows a really smokey black cherry quality.  It's quite smooth, even immediately upon opening the bottle.  The wine does have an interesting flavor profile and really feels full in the mouth. It's actually quite satisfying.  I'd be surprised to see someone identify this correctly in a blind tasting.

The tannins are good and the finish is dry and lingering.  If I had only $2 to my name and absolutely had to have a nice glass of wine, Sutter Home Merlot would do just fine.  In fact, I just may keep it on the "buy" list once this recession is over!

Doppio Passo Primitivo Salento 2007

All too often, I think of Italian red wines as lightweight party favors.  Tasty, maybe even interesting, but ultimately with not enough guts to handle anything tougher than a slice of lasagna.  I know, I know, that's a completely unjustified attitude.  But it's just a knee-jerk reaction.  I regularly buy Italian reds because I know how delicious they can be.  And I know that some of them have the stuff to fit in even on tables that aren't covered by red and white checkered cloths.

Doppio Passo Primitivo is such a wine.  This Primitivo is very dark – one can barely see through it when it's held up to the light.  The nose of black cherry or cherry cola also shows a lot of the earth.  The mouthfeel is medium-full and the palate is alive with a very rich and earthy taste – currants and cherries mostly.  It strikes me as the dark side of Zinfandel.  Not too surprising since Zinfandel and Primitivo grapes are international cousins of a sort.  The best part is there's no need for decanting.  This wine is as smooth as silk right out of the bottle!

Doppio Passo Primitivo Salento 2007 

Varietal:  100% Primitivo
Appelation:  Italy > Puglia > Salento

Vintage:  2007 

Alcohol Level:  13.5%
Price:  $18
Acquisition disclaimer:  I bought this wine.

Vidigal Douro Vinho Tinto 2005

The Christmas season of 2009 was full of hustling and bustling and running about, as most Christmas seasons are.  Denise and I took a break after visiting the Glendale Galleria - which is the perfect time for a break - and stopped to check out a wine store I had not been to before.  At 55 Degree Wine I was met with such a wide assortment of possibilities I felt a bit daunted.  After much evaluation, I managed to pick up a few bottles to take home.  This wine, Vidigal Douro, was one of them.

I felt I had been lax in exploring Portuguese wines of late, and the grapes involved - 60% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinta Amarela - seemed very interesting.  I was familiar with Touriga Nacional.  It's the main grape variety used in making Porto.  The Douro region is where Porto comes from, and you can taste the flavor of port in this wine.  It plays remarkably well without the sweetness of Port.  The wine's earthiness really dominates the flavor profile, so don't expect a fruit bomb with this one, at least not in the California style.  

It's a medium-bodied wine with a dark, inky color you cannot see through.  A ruby red tinge around the edge looks quite lovely.  On the nose, expect black cherry with leathery, cedar notes.  The palate shows the wine to be dry with a distinct lack of sweetness.  It strikes me as a rather prunish taste, but I certainly don't mean that to be off-putting.  The acidity is good and some backend heat dies down after 45 minutes of breathing. 

Vidigal's website lists the Douro as “not currently available in the U.S.”  Obviously, that's not quite true, and I am glad it's not.  We paired this wine with our incredible rib roast for Christmas Eve dinner, and it was a stunning hit.  It seems made for beef.

Vidigal Douro Vinho Tinto 2005

Varietal:  60% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinta Amarela
Appelation:  Portugal > Douro
Vintage:  2005
Alcohol Level:  14%
Price:  $14
Acquisition disclaimer:  I bought this wine.

Wine at South Point on Sunset, Los Angeles

It was raining in Los Angeles, which is never good news for the drive home from work. Added to that problem was word of a power outage in Laurel Canyon. Turning west on Hollywood Boulevard from Fairfax confirmed our worst fears. Slow moving traffic up the hill. We quickly decided to jog over to Greenblatt's. That quickly began to look like a bad idea, as the parking lot was jammed and service is never that good when we're the only people in the place. A five minute wait with no attention from the servers had us up and out the door. Let's try South Point, right across the street. The crowd was much more manageable at South Point and we sat near the window with plenty of elbow room. After quite a spell without wine, South Point Argentine Grill - formerly Gaucho Grill - has finally gotten the legalities squared away. It's a nice wine list, with a good variety of Argentine wines to go along with the meaty Argentine menu items. I had the Trapiche Malbec, from Mendoza. Trapiche is widely known as a good producer, growing grapes in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. I liked the look of it, deep purple as it was. The nose brought blueberries and cherries, with a little smack of vanilla as a result of the oak. The mouthfeel was quite full and complete. Black cherry and some spiciness were the stars of the show. I had it with the chorizo appetizer - which is enough for a meal, if you ask me - and the match was quite nice. The drive home was just fine after our little stopover, by the way.