Friday, April 29, 2016

California White Wines: Shenandoah Valley

We have explored two Zinfandels of Bella Grace Vineyards, now let's try two of their white wines.  Bella Grace, as noted earlier, is in the Sierra Foothills region of Amador County.  The family-run business produces wine from 12 grape varieties harvested there.  Nearly seven acres of the estate are devoted to four different clones of sustainably-farmed Zinfandel grapes.

The ten-year-old winery is powered completely by solar energy and has been collecting awards since its first releases.  Bella Grace is one of nine producers on the Steiner Road wine trail.  Owned by husband-and-wife vintners Michael and Charlie Havill, the operation takes its name from their two grandmothers, Bella and Grace.


Bella Grace Shenandoah Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2015

The Bella Grace 2015 Shenandoah Valley Sauvignon Blanc is pale - Maine-in-the-wintertime pale - with a nose as fresh and grassy as a new-mown lawn. It's close to being New Zealand grassy, but the aromas stay completely herbal and don't get into the kitty box area. On the palate, limes and lemons dominate with a very slight nod to California ripeness. Minerals are readily apparent and the acidity is zippy, but not bracing.  It's a very enjoyable wine, especially for fans of California SauvBlanc.  Try it with chips and guacamole this summer.


Bella Grace Shenandoah Valley Vermentino 2015

Vermentino is one of my favorite white wines, although I had never tried one, or even heard of one, from California before now. I usually have Italian versions, usually from Siciliy. This one is different and very enjoyable.

 A moderate 12.2% abv number makes this wine quite drinkable, and at $25 retail, it’s not too hard on the debit card. It is 100% Amador County Vermentino.

This beautiful, pale white has a wonderful nose of bright citrus, tropical fruit, minerals and salinity, although the ocean flavor is somewhat lower than found in Sicilian versions of the grape. The palate comes on a bit sweeter, with a Meyer lemon overlay on the minerals. The acidity is fresh and zippy, so it should do nicely next to a Caesar salad or, as a friend’s grandmother says, "a nice piece fish."


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Wednesday, April 27, 2016

All Grenache, All The Time

Grenache is a tough grape to figure. A darling of the Rhône Valley, it’s used primarily as a blending grape there, abetted by its likely companions Syrah and Mourvèdre. It is a late-ripening grape, one of the most widely-planted red wine varieties in the world. It likes hot, dry climates best, which is why it is a favorite in Spain, where it is known as Garnacha. Many California climes also lend themselves well to this grape, which is just one reason it is a favorite of mine.

Bonny Doon Vineyards winemaker Randall Grahm calls this 100% Grenache the "misunderstood Ugly Duckling" wine. Grenache gets a bad rap for not being "pretty" enough, not standing well on its own, but this one dispels those notions, although through the glass darkly. At 14.5% abv, it’s hefty, but it balances it's weight very well against the aromas, flavors and mouthfeel. The Monterey County fruit comes from the Rancho Solo vineyard planted years ago, as Grahm explains.

The Bonny Doon Cuvée R Grenache 2014 shows a medium ruby color, has a beautiful, yet feisty nose of cherry, allspice and dark berries with a palate displaying dark fruit and earthy spice and minerals. Good tannic structure meets a refreshing acidity and the whole sip finishes long with black cherry notes persisting.


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Monday, April 25, 2016

Spanish Wine: Vionta Albariño

The way American wine drinkers go after Chardonnay, that’s how Spanish consumers feel about the Albariño grape.  It’s the white wine of choice on that big chunk of the Iberian peninsula, and with good reason.  It’s fresh, aromatic and downright tasty.  Not to mention, it pairs well with just about any kind of food.

This Vionta white wine is all Albariño from the Rias Baixas area of Galicia in northwest Spain.  It’s imported by the Ferrer family under the Freixenet banner.  I was kindly provided a sample of this wine for the purpose of review.

The 2014 vintage was a little light, yielding small bunches of grapes in late September that were highly concentrated as a result, according to the winery.  They say the vines are mostly over 15 years old.  More than two-thirds of the harvest was vinified "on the lees," or in contact with the spent yeast cells, lending roundness and weight to the mouthfeel.  The alcohol clocks in at 12.7% abv and the wine retails for $15.

The wine has a beautiful golden tint and smells of green apples and lemon/lime with just a hint of flowers.  On the palate, the apple notes are crisp and laced with citrus. There is a salinity that runs through it right into the finish and a bracing acidity that really makes it a refreshing sip. Pair it with fish, hummus or crackers and blue cheese.  The salinity also hits well alongside sweet cheeses.


Friday, April 22, 2016

Amador County Zinfandel Wine

Bella Grace Vineyards is located in the Sierra Foothills region of Amador County, and has tasting locations in the Shenandoah Valley and Sutter Creek.  The latter is situated in a restored, Victorian-era cottage that fits right in with the historic feel of the town. The family-run business produces wine from 12 grape varieties harvested there, and they also have three types of olives growing on the estate.

The ten-year-old winery is powered completely by solar energy and has been collecting awards since its first releases.  Bella Grace is one of nine producers on the Steiner Road wine trail.  Owned by husband-and-wife vintners Michael and Charlie Havill, the operation takes its name from their two grandmothers, Bella and Grace.

Nearly seven acres of the estate are devoted to four different clones of sustainably-farmed Zinfandel grapes.

2013 Estate Amador County Zinfandel

The 2013 Estate Amador County Zinfandel brings an alcohol level of 14.3% abv to the table and retails for $20. The winery describes it as a "young, assertive Zinfandel," that has great aging potential over the next few years.  It’s one of those award winners we heard about earlier.

This wine is a treat. The bright, zippy cherry fruit on the first night turns into darker and more savory stuff on the second, and I love when that happens. The nose is fruity enough, but it does show the minerality nicely along with smoke, leather and cigars. The palate is dark and beefy with some spiciness coming through. The tannins are healthy, but they don't get in the way of the sip.


2013 Old Vine Zinfandel Amador County

Dry farmed in Crain Sleeper Vineyard, a "heritage vineyard" in Shenandoah Valley, this 100% Zinfandel hits 14.5% abv in alcohol and rings up at 30 in American dollars. The grapes were grown and managed by Bob and Carol Sleeper, descendants of one of the original families to settle in California's Shenandoah Valley in the early 1850's. The old vines we have here were planted in the early 1970s, and yes, that makes me feel old, too. The early 1970s were great for music and movies, and apparently for Zinfandel grapes, as well.

The wine is earthy, spicy and deep. It has a dark ruby color, a nose of holiday spices and cherries with minerals all over the place. In the mouth, it's juicy and ripe and full of red fruit with those minerals riding herd over the components. The finish is lengthy and the tannins chewy.


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Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Wine Country Connecticut: Saltwater Farm Vineyard

The Nutmeg State’s wine industry - in the modern era - started with the passage of the Connecticut Winery Act in 1978. Wine goes back a lot further than that, of course.  The early colonists loved wine, and there were plenty of native grapes around, but they weren’t very good at growing wine grapes. They relied mainly on European imports. In the 19th century, some progress was made in the area of viticulture, but production remained rather small until more than a hundred years later.

There are two American Viticultural Areas in the state, which are home to about three dozen vineyards and wineries. There’s the Western Connecticut Highlands AVA in the west and the Southeastern New England AVA toward the eastern part of the state, which is where you will find Saltwater Farm Vineyard.

Saltwater Farm is in the sleepy seaside town of Stonington, and its owners look to preserve the history of their property as "coastal Connecticut farmland and a WWII-era private airport." It is a beautiful property that overlooks the tidal salt marshes of Wequetequock Cove and traces its agrarian roots back more than 350 years to the founding of Stonington in the mid-1600s, according to the winery.

Rhode Island native Michael M. Connery bought the property in 2001 and refurbished the old hangar into a striking winery facility. The vineyard is split by a grassy landing strip and the estate is a part of the Coastal Wine Trail. The property is under vines on 15 of its 100 acres and it offers some nice vistas of Long Island Sound

Winemaker Gilles Martin is a Frenchman who lives and works in Long Island, New York. He is also the winemaker at several vineyards on the island’s North Fork

They have a lot of weddings at Saltwater Farm, like many wineries, but Bride’s Magazine voted Saltwater Farm as one of the most romantic wedding venues in the U.S. The winery should be open for the season by now.  If you will be in the area this summer, check out the Connecticut Wine Festival in July.

2013 Gold Arc Chardonnay

The wine has a lovely golden color, showing some age and oak. The nose is somewhat muted, but fascinating, nonetheless. An earthy tone drapes over some Meyer lemon, oak spice and a beautiful caramel note.  The palate is great, not too oaky - just enough - and a very clean and full mouth. The citrus note advances first, followed by that incredible earth with a creme brulee finish. And the acidity is zippy, too. I could hardly ask for more from a Chardonnay than what is delivered here.

2013 Merlot

It’s a fairly dark wine, with a nose showing cherry, mocha, just a hint of oak, a slight trace of earthy salinity and a smoky element that often makes its way out of a glass of Merlot. It's not an extremely forceful nose, but there’s quite a lot going on in it. Some of that has to do with 16 months of oak aging. The taste of this 100% Merlot is what I expect from a cool climate red wine, restrained and food-friendly, with a nice acidity and a flavor that leans more towards tart than ripe, although it isn't far from the midpoint of that scale. It's a great wine to have with food, that's for sure. Coffee notes are a great find on the finish.



Monday, April 18, 2016

Big, Rugged Pinot Noir From Mendocino

The Eagle Peak AVA in Mendocino County is just a couple of years old, its rugged mountain terrain providing a cool-climate home to a handful of growers and one winemaker, Masút Vineyard and Winery.

Owned by the Fetzer family, winemaker Jacob Fetzer says his late father, Bobby, was intrigued by "a hillside site of fast draining soil, desirable sun exposure and marine influenced winds." He chose to plant Pinot Noir there.

This estate wine is made from three different clones of the grape, 115, 23 and 777. It spent 15 months in French oak, half of which was new and it hits an alcohol number of 14.7% abv while retailing for $45. It’s not a dainty little Pinot. It’s rugged and unrelenting, much like its parent terrain,

Dark ruby, almost opaque, the Masút Pinot Noir 2014 is a dark wine on the nose, too. Earthy raspberry and blackberry flavors jump right out. Spice is right up front. There is large fruit on the palate, as well. It’s no peekaboo game, this one. This is an industrial strength Pinot Noir. Please give it time to blow off a little alcohol. It does settle down quickly, but it never takes off the gloves. This wine’s brawn is undeniable, but it’s something for which people generally buy Syrah or Cab, not Pinot Noir.

This wine tastes great without any reference point, but when you know it’s Pinot Noir, it loses some luster, to me. Pinot shouldn't act like this.


Friday, April 15, 2016

Three Nights Of L.A. Rosé

Rosé wine is more popular than ever now. Even the guys are getting into the pink. There's a good reason for rosé to be popular. It's delicious, it's refreshing, it's festive and it's food-friendly, not to mention pretty.

So, it’s great that there is a fantastic rosé wine event coming to Los Angeles in May. It's also coming to New York and London in June. It was just in Miami, and the winter event was held in New York.

It’s called La Nuit en Rosé - French for Rosé Night - and its organizers say  it is the world’s first food and wine tasting festival specializing in rosé wines. La Nuit en Rosé's founders contend that rosé wine is not just an emerging trend, but rather a movement that is here to stay. This culinary experience will highlight the diversity of rosé wines from all around the world.

The festival will span three big nights at Mondrian Los Angeles, May 13th-15th. Tickets are available by logging onto their website.

  • Friday night  is a VIP Rosé Wine Pairing Dinner Under the Stars at Mondrian's Ivory on Sunset.
  • Saturday night it’s a Rosé Sunset Soirée poolside at Skybar.
  • Sunday afternoon, wrap up the weekend with a Rosé Pool Party, also poolside at Skybar.

May is thought to be "just right" for rosé, but don't forget that it's always a good time to drink pink.


Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Tercero Wines Of Santa Barbara County

It had been a while since I stopped in on Larry Schaffer at his Los Olivos tasting room for Tercero Wines, so it was a great and pleasant surprise to see him in Los Angeles recently for a tasting event.

Schaffer uses grapes from some top-notch vineyard sites in Santa Barbara County to make his mostly-Rhônish wines. His reds seem to be what people really want to experience, but his whites are the show-stoppers, in my opinion. I love a good white wine, and the Tercero whites are much better than that.

Tercero 2013 Grenache Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley - This is possibly my favorite. It has a beautiful, savory nose and palate, with a slight funk and great acidity.  $25

Tercero 2014 Albarino, Santa Ynez Valley -  Funky and floral, the salinity comes through on the sip.  $25

Tercero 2014 Outlier Gewurztraminer - Floral to spare, but minerals make it more complex and less sweet than this grape usually turns out.  $25

2015 Mourvedre Rosé - Grapes from Vogelzang Vineyard, in the Happy Canyon AVA are footstomped and fermented, with some oak involved. The light cherry and strawberry flavors show wonderfully right now, and this rosé gets even better with age.  $25
 
Tercero 2011 Mourvedre Santa Barbara County - Schaffer likes the mix of warm and cool areas in a cool vintage, Larner and Camp Four vineyards being the draw here.  There is a great use of oak (nearly three years.)  He says it’s his best-selling red and he didn’t get to make an awful lot of the 2012 to be released soon.  $35

Tercero 2011 Grenache, Larner Vineyard, Ballard Canyon - This wine is muscular and savory. Shaffer calls it, "my favorite grenache," and you just may as well.  $35

Tercero 2015 Abberation - 40% Cinsault, 40% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre, all from the Camp 4 Vineyard in the newly created Los Olivos District. It’s a steel-aged red, and it takes a chill very well and still shows the dark earthiness of the soil.  $35


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Monday, April 11, 2016

Grapes From Spain In L.A. Taster

Spanish wine is good no matter where it comes from. I should say, wine made with Spanish grape varieties is good all over, especially when the grapes are Tempranillo.

A recent Los Angeles tasting event for TAPAS – Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society – was a hit, hosted by the great L.A. wine educator Ian Blackburn of WineLA.

In case you are unaware, TAPAS is "a nonprofit trade association of wineries, growers, and amigos, whose mission is to promote Tempranillo and other varietal wine grapes native to the Iberian Peninsula, and wines produced from them in North America." The group has been around since 2006, doing their best to raise awareness of these food-friendly wines.

An invitation was kindly extended to me, and here are a few of the wineries that were poured for me at the event.  The trade session I attended was held at Republique, while the public session that evening was at La Brea Bakery.

Lake County
Six Sigma Ranch and Winery - Winemaker Matt Hughes said that despite his Lake County estate’s  "hot, dry, weather and volcanic soil, it’s hard to get fruit overripe." The reserve Tempranillo is dark and delicious, while the Cab/Tempranillo blend has bright red fruit.

Napa Valley
Irwin Family Vinetyards - These wines are made by Derek Irwin with grapes grown in the Sierra Foothills.  The '14 Verdejo has a huge green apple component in a wash of savory notes.  The Tempranillo and Tempranillo blends make great steak wines, with grips like an arm wrestler.

Lodi
St. Amant Winery - Stuart Spencer's Amador County wines are delightful. The '14 Verdelho is all steely grapefruit, while the '13 Touriga is big and juicy.  The '13 Tempranillo has chewy tannins and a long finish, while his NV Tawny is viscous and Madeira-like.

Central Coast
Verdad Wines - Louisa Sawyer Lindquist poured her '15 Edna Valley Albariño, which is laden with the chalky limestone soil of the EV. It’s floral, it’s savory, it has wet rocks and citrus and it’s well worth checking out.

Monterey County
Pierce Ranch Vineyards - Showing off their newly-established AVA, the San Antonio Valley, it's more like Paso Robles than Monterey, where it is the southernmost property. Their oak/steel Albariño is vibrant, while the unoaked version shows dramatic salinity. Oak leaves a big vanilla mark on the '14 Verdelho while the Tempranillo, Touriga and Graciano deal out a nice mix of leather and flowers.

Santa Barbara County
Longoria Wines - Rick Longoria poured two excellent Tempranillo blends, one with Grenache and another with Merlot, a spot of Syrah in each.  The Santa Ynez Valley offerings put forth some beautiful floral tones and a wild savory kick that I just love.

Oregon

Abacela Earl Jones’ Umpqua Valley wines included the '13 Albariño, with its beautifully floral nose and salinity on the palate.  Their '12 Port-style wine shows big fruit and is very sweet, using five Portuguese grape varieties.

RoxyAnn Winery - Kent Barthman’s Rogue Valley Tempranillo 2012 is masculine with big red fruit on the nose and a wonderful, savory finish.

Texas
Texas Fine Wines poured four wonderful Tempranillos that show just how far the Texas wine industry has come. From Brennan Vineyards’ rich and smoky finish to the juicy, ripeness of Pedernales Cellars, to the delicious oak expression of Bending Branch Winery’s High Plains Tempranillo to the Riojaesque savoriness of Spicewoods Vineyards, Texas winemakers have found a grape they can call their own.


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Friday, April 8, 2016

It's A Lambrusco Day

A good wine list is a beautiful thing. Even if I don’t plan on having a glass of wine at a restaurant meal, I just hate it when I give a glance to the eatery’s vino offerings and feel completely uninspired.

Denise and I had a nice lunch recently at a restaurant we had been meaning to try for quite a while. La Buca Osteria L.A. is way east on Melrose and has a sign in front intimating that it might be time to stop looking at the sign as you drive by and stop in already. So we did.

We like to celebrate Fridays with a nice lunch together under, hopefully, perfect conditions. That’s not an unreasonable request in Southern California, where you can probably count the less-than-perfect-weather Fridays each year on one hand. It was a gorgeous spring day when we sat down at the table, covered with butcher paper decorated with an ink stamp of a motorcycle.

I like the way Denise fills me in on the details of our dining experience. She digs a lot deeper into the L.A. food scene than I do, and she always has an interesting tidbit or two culled from her personal research. It appears, she told me, that the original chef left the resto in a dispute over meatballs. A scene from “Big Night” immediately comes to mind. There are no meatballs on the menu now, and I guess that’s one way to work it out. “Chef Out In Meatball Beef.”

The wine list had some nice options for a beautiful day - a rosé,a Chenin Blanc… wait, what’s this? A Lambrusco? Perfect. I'm inspired.

The Barbolini Lambrusco is just that - a perfect Lambrusco. Italian journalist Curzio Malaparte wrote in Lambrusco and Freedom, "A good drinker of Lambrusco is not only a proud, warm and generous man, but he is above all free. Therefore what is it, if it isn't Lambrusco that gives the Parmesan people that bright, sincere and dominant air; that sparkle in their eyes, that loud voice and tough expression? It is the wine of freedom and of the free man."

The wine comes from the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, perhaps better known for its cheese. This Lambrusco has beautiful purple bubbles, the result of a secondary fermentation, and it comes bottled like any other sparkling wine. Please don’t confuse an artisanal Lambrusco like this one with the jugs in the grocery store. They are nothing alike.

The Barbolini Lambrusco has a wonderful frizzante, or bubbly character, and it holds a chill extremely well. The earthy grape flavor has plenty of minerality and almost no tannic grip. It’s a great sipper, but it goes very well with food, especially cured meats. I had it with La Buca’s fabulous grilled octopus and it was even better with their rustic and incredible cacio e pepe pasta dish.

So perfect was this Lambrusco that we immediately went and bought another one to take home.


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Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Edna Valley Chardonnay - It's No Myth

True Myth is a banner for the Niven family, pioneers of San Luis Obispo’s’ Edna Valley. Their portfolio contains some of my California faves, Baileyana and Tangent, both worth checking out. The label blurb explains, thankfully, that Mother Nature is the true myth, and she is honored on that label with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson,  "Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."

True Myth 2014 Chardonnay

The grapes for the True Myth 2014 Chardonnay are from the Paragon Vineyard in the Edna Valley AVA in San Luis Obispo County, a great place for white wines. In fact, they advertise that fact: "The Edna Valley provides one of the most special micro climates on earth to grow Chardonnay," they say, and the vineyard is a little more than five miles from the Pacific Ocean. They also note that it’s "the coolest growing region in all of California," which I can’t dispute but I have a hard time believing. Cooler than Russian River Valley? Cooler than Sonoma Coast? Cooler than Mendocino? Okay, it's cool.

The wine is aged nine months on the lees, half in a tank and half in French oak barrels, 38% of which are new. Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv and it retails for  $18.

I have had a Chardonnay from Paragon Vineyard before,and this reminds me of it, quite a lot. It’s a SIP certified sustainable growing site and winemaker Christian Roguenant gets a nice full mouthfeel from the lees and the oak.

The straw-colored wine shows quite a bit of minerality on the nose, to be expected from Edna Valley grapes. The wet rocks and lime aromas are always a pleasure, as the are here. On the palate, there are tropical tones and plenty of citrus along with the beautiful oak effect - the wood is used in a very tasteful way. I vacillate between liking oaky Chardonnays and those with none. This one hits in the middle of the range and could be my favorite - for a while, anyway.


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Monday, April 4, 2016

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.



Friday, April 1, 2016

Four Rosés From Bonny Doon #4

This is not an April Fool's joke. Randall Grahm's Bonny Doon Vineyards currently has four rosé wines available. We have sampled three during the past few weeks, they are all awe-inspiring - even the "fun" one - and we have saved the best for last. No joke.

2015 A Proper Pink
(69% Tannat, 31% Cabernet Franc)

A rosé made with Tannat? Thank you, Randall Grahm. This Bonny Doon Vineyards oddball is a great rosé for a backyard barbecue. It takes a chill very well but try it at cellar temperature - or even room temperature - first. The aromas and flavors are explosive and it’s an all-around fun champion.

Grahm lets loose his veddy British alter ego, Reginald ffrench-Postalthwaite, on the label. He offers a quip on the current trend of masculine types sipping the pink: "The beastly locution 'Brosé' (shudder) has even infiltrated the language of Disraeli, Gladstone and our beloved Winnie! I’ll tell you. Some of us 'real men' have been in touch with our, shall we say, more leeward side for some time now."

Grahm writes of this inaugural vintage of A Proper Pink that it is "the companion to A Proper Claret [fully red] and Gravitas [white] and while the Vin Gris de Cigare [light pink] is intended for more sober-minded occasions, this is definitely the less buttoned up in style." It does let its middle-red hair down.

Looking just slightly off ruby red, this wine carries the full aroma and mouthfeel of a red. Rich strawberry on the nose is joined by an herbaceous quality that balances well. You can think of it as a fruit bomb - it’s certainly loaded with red fruit - but there is a green edge to it that brings a deeper dimension. Acidity is fabulous and the finish is lengthy. A Tannat/Cabernet Franc rosé? Here it is. It sits at a very proper 13% abv, sells for $16 and 3573 cases are available. But I'm sure they are going fast.


Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Don't Myth This Paso Cabernet

True Myth is a banner for the Niven family, pioneers of San Luis Obispo's' Edna Valley. Their portfolio contains some of my California faves, Baileyana and Tangent, both worth checking out.

The label blurb explains, thankfully, that Mother Nature is the true myth, and she is honored on that label with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson,  "Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."

True Myth 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

The marketing folks offer that "Paso Robles is hands-down a stellar place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon," and just because the marketing folks wrote it doesn’t mean it's not true. I think the limestone earth that is prevalent in the region has a lot to do with it. Paso Robles grapes from six different Paso vineyards were used to make the True Myth 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was aged in French and American oak barrels for 18 months, and half of the oak was new. It has a full 14.5% abv number and sells for $24, which is a steal for a Cab this good. Winemaker Christian Roguenant made it.

While the fruit of a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon seems elegant, I prefer the rambunctious nature of the Cabs of Paso Robles. This one lives up to that expectation. The blueberry is a little brighter, more playful, the earth is a little heavier and the spice a little, well, spicier than its cousins from further north. The oak on the nose is pretty and punchy, while the baking spice aromas make me think of cherry pie. The palate offers ripe blackberry and plum flavors with a good whack of oak and firm, yet supple, tannins. The finish is a fruit/earth mixture that plays on your taste buds a good long while after the sip.

By the way, if you like Paso Robles Cabernets, too, you may want to check out this year’s CABs of Distinction, April 12-14, 2016 in Paso, although True Myth - unfortunately -  does not appear to be a member.


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Monday, March 28, 2016

Spanish Whites: Paramus Verdejo

Paramus Verdejo is made at Bodegas Soterrano, according to Ferrer Family Wines, under the guidance of winemaker Adolfo Heredia. The Rueda wine region specializes in white wines, and the Verdejo grape is its big daddy. Verdejo can be a bit tart on its own, while Viura can be a little boring. That's why the two are often blended.

This Rueda wine hits 12.9% abv on the alcohol scale and retails for $16. Only the pressed juice is used in making it, not the free run juice.

This 2014 Spanish white has a faint golden hue with a nose of citrus and salinity. The palate brings very nice acidity and lemon-lime notes in a plump mouthfeel. The full mouth comes despite the lack of malolactic fermentation and a year of bottle aging - no oak. The wine sat on the spent yeast cells for two months, which smooths out the sharpness quite a bit.


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Friday, March 25, 2016

Four Rosés From Bonny Doon #3

I will admit right off the bat that Randall Grahm is one of my favorite winemakers, if not right at the top of the list.  It's what he does with rosé that really endears him to me. Imagine my glee to find that Grahm is now pushing not one, but four rosé wines. We are visiting each one this month, to get you ready for rosé weather, whatever that is.

2015 A Proper Pink

A rosé made with Tannat? 69% Tannat and 31% Canernet Franc? Thank you, Mr. Grahm. This Bonny Doon Vineyards oddball is a great rosé for a backyard barbecue. It takes a chill very well, but try it at cellar temperature - or even room temperature - first. The aromas and flavors are explosive and it’s an all-around fun champion.

The Tannat grapes come from Mt. Oso Vineyard in Tracy, California, between Livermore and Modesto.  The Cabernet Franc hails from the Fetzer family's Ceago Vineyards on the shores of Clear Lake.

Grahm let's loose his veddy British alter ego, Reginald ffrench-Postalthwaite, on the label. He offers a quip on the current trend of masculine types sipping the pink: “The beastly locution ‘Brosé’ (shudder) has even infiltrated the language of Disraeli, Gladstone and our beloved Winnie! I’ll tell you. Some of us ‘real men’ have been in touch with our, shall we say, more leeward side for some time now.”

Grahm writes of this inaugural A Proper Pink vintage that it is “the companion to A Proper Claret [fully red] and Gravitas [white] and while the Vin Gris de Cigare [light pink] is intended for more sober-minded occasions, this is definitely the less buttoned up in style.” It does let its middle-red hair down.

Looking just slightly off ruby red, this wine carries the full aroma and mouthfeel of a red. Rich strawberry on the nose is joined by an herbaceous quality that balances well. You can think of it as a fruit bomb - it’s certainly loaded with red fruit - but there is a green edge to it that brings a deeper dimension. Acidity is fabulous and the finish is lengthy. A Tannat/Cabernet Franc rosé? Here it is. It sits at a very proper 13% abv, sells for $16 and 3573 cases are available. But I'm sure they are going fast.


Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Monterey Grenache Blanc, Celadon

Topanga Vineyards sounds more L.A. Than Central coast and, sure enough, the 90 vines planted in the SoCal hideaway of Topanga Canyon started the wine effort of husband and wife team Sandy Garber and Ralph Meyer. Those vines are for wines they use for a home winemaking hobby, though. They source fruit from more agriculturally-suited areas of California for their general release wines.

Their Celadon 2012 Grenache Blanc is made from Arroyo Seco grapes out of Monterey, from the Beeswax Vineyard. It is 100% Grenache Blanc and sells for $25 retail and it was $13 by the glass at Los Angeles restaurant AOC, although they had it listed as Santa Barbara County! Larry Brooks is the winemaker.

This fine Grenache Blanc carries a beautifully funky note from the nose right through the palate. Aromas of salinity, earth and lanolin lead to fennel flavors with limes and minerals thrown in. There is a great acidity which makes it superb for pairing with what we had at AOC: spinach salad with grilled chicken and bacon, lobster and shrimp roll and even the lamb share plate.


Monday, March 21, 2016

Spanish Wine: Old Vine Garnacha

A virtual tasting event featuring Garnacha wines from Spain hit Twitter recently, with the hashtag #LoveGarnacha serving as a good way to look up the stream. Several Garnacha fans chimed in during the hour, which was moderated ably by @canterburywine. She covered everything from Garnacha Blanca to Garnacha Gris to Garnacha Noir. "There’s 1 other type of Garnacha," she tweeted, "Garnacha Peluda, whose leaves have furry undersides." I wouldn’t think of holding that against them. She was full of fun facts, including the factoid that the earliest known mention of Garnacha was in 1513. Of course, "Garnacha is grown throughout the Mediterranean," she noted, "but it is originally from Aragon in NE Spain."

The wines tasted were Celler Batea Terra Alta Vall Major Blanca, Care Finca Bancales Reserva, Cruz De Piedra Selección Especial, Pdm Moncayo Garnacha and Marin Old Vine Garnacha. @chasingthevine noted that "the wines have an earthy, savory quality that is so different from the fruit-bright purity of California Grenache," which is a great reason to have a Master of Wine candidate in the group.

Marin Old Vine Garnacha

Bodegas Ignacio Marin was founded in Spain’s Cariñena region in 1903. This 2010 wine is Garnacha, "with a touch of Tempranillo," according to the bodega’s website. Grapes were taken from their oldest vines. The wine was aged at least three months in French oak barrels. Retail comes in at $12 and alcohol is quite restrained at 13% abv.

The wine is a dark ruby color, but beginning to show some brick notes on the edge, possibly a sign of its age. On the nose, big cherry aromas are met with violet and a smokey oak spice. The taste gives dark notes of cherry with earthy minerals and a nice grip, but the tannins are not too toothy. In fact, it’s fairly smooth. The finish is medium long.


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Friday, March 18, 2016

Four Rosés From Bonny Doon #2

I will admit right off the bat that Randall Grahm is one of my favorite winemakers, if not right at the top of the list.  His touch with Rhône reds is masterful, his work with Iberian and German whites is close behind. But it’s what he does with rosé that really endears him to me. Imagine my glee to find that Grahm is now pushing not one, but four rosé wines. We are visiting each of them this month, to get you ready for rosé weather, whatever that is.

Bonny Doon 2015 Il Ciliegiolo Rosato 

Ciliegiolo (chee lee eh JOE low) is not a character from a spaghetti western, it’s an Italian grape variety which is either a parent of the Sangiovese grape or an offspring of it, depending on whose DNA test you believe.  It is often found, barely, in Chianti and in some wines of Umbria. 

Apparently, there are some vines in California, too, because Grahm made a rosato from this grape for his Bonny Doon label.  

Grahm writes, "While it had been our original intention to produce this wine as a red, the grapes rather distinctly expressed their preference to be pink." The wine actually looks more like a light red to me, which I suppose is why Grahm put "Rosato" on the label. He is a fan of hard-to-find, hard-to-pronounce grapes, and he believes "that there is a great future for this style of wine in California, and hope we will be able to repeat, if not improve upon this bottling."

The wine is all Ciliegiolo, all the time, and it sells for $24, exclusively to the winery’s DEWN Club members. The grapes come from Mt. Oso Vineyard, southeast of Modesto, in the Tracy Hills AVA. The alcohol sits peacefully at 12.4% abv and it’s as dry as the proverbial bone but it smells a lot better. The label features great artwork - a Bonny Doon hallmark - by Alex Gross.  Grahm made 442 cases of the beautiful stuff.  He suggests sipping it "whilst quietly pondering the great wonder of it all."

The wonder is why we haven't heard of this grape before. The nose offers strong cherry and an only slightly weaker herbal note. In the mouth, this wine drinks like a red, full and luscious with big fruit flavor, a very good acidity and more tannic structure than you probably have ever experienced in a rosé. All that is missing from this one is Grahm’s usual salinity. It’s a fruity - and completely wonderful - rosato.





Wednesday, March 16, 2016

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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