The Warden: Georgetta Dane blends at the Big House.

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine Industry, Wine

Snooth was happy to be able to host The Big House Wine Company’s winemaker, Georgetta Dane, while she was making the rounds here in New York last week.

Georgetta, originally from Romania and trained in food sciences as well as oenology, happened to fall into the wine business in her home country but is certainly making a name for herself while defining the style at Big House wines.

Some of you might associate the Big House label with the irrepressible Randall Graham who founded the brand. For some two years now it’s has been functioning independently of Mr. Grahams Empire with the desire to continue to provide complex and interesting wines at affordable prices. One way of keeping the value proposition in balance is to avoid competing for the big money wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in particular.

In their place Georgetta and Big House wines rely on a vast palette of grapes, 42(!) in total. By drawing on the nuances from each grape, Georgetta builds wines of quality and consistency, a difficult challenge indeed.

While speaking with Georgetta, we were able to review her winemaking philosophy, which she compares to a perfumer.  Each varietal wine at Big House is vinified separately, with the exception of the Big House Pink which is produced via the saignée method, bleeding some pink juice from many vats of fermenting red wines to alter the juice to solids ratio in those reds, adding some oomph to the reds and providing a complex base for the wonderful “Pink” they produce.

Once each wine has finished fermenting Georgetta begins the intricate task of creating the final blend that will become either the Big House White or the Big House Red. In the case of the red there may be over 20 varieties in that final blend. The base is always a big, bold wine full of dark fruits. To that base Georgetta adds a middle drawn from “Italian varieties” that are valued for their “ insane fruit that brings harsh tannins but they disappear into the base.” The final layer of the wine consists of the top notes contributed by perfumed and spicy varieties, perhaps even a floral white to add some lift to the nose.

The process is repeated for the white in much the same manner yielding wines that are full yet deliver a remarkable amount of complexity and even finesse at their price points.

There are two tiers of wines produced by the Big House Wine Company, located in Soledad California with vineyards that surround the Soledad State penitentiary, hence the name. The original Big House wines: White, Pink and Red, represent the “lower tier” while the more distinctive offering: The Birdman, The Lineup, The Slammer, and The Prodigal Son, are the “upper tier”. In addition the Big House Wine Company also represents the Cardinal Zin brand which was sold by Randall Graham along with the big house wines.

While these wines offer great value and are lovely on their own and with food I am hopeful that Georgetta might some day have a free hand with some of the varietals she currently works with. I look forward to trying her, Charbono, Tempranillo and Teroldego!

2008 Big House White

This is surprisingly aromatic with a base of apricot fruit topped with very floral notes that recall viognier and a bright lemon drop tone that is complimented by bay leaf, herb, and powdered sugar notes. Medium full in the mouth with enough acidity to balance the touch of sweetness here. A bit simple in the mouth, it’s pretty front loaded but does return some nice floral character on the moderately long finish. 84pts.

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2008 The Birdman Pinot Grigio

A nice note of almond milk greats the nose followed by a grassy, dandelion note that is more wildflower than green grass. In the mouth there is almost a hint of minerally tannin here with decent acids supporting a round but well balanced mouth feel with nice kiwi fruit and a minty top note that leads to a clean, spicy finish of decent length. 86pts

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Big House Pink 2008
Still a touch tanky on the nose with some floral notes and lightly jammy strawberry fruit that picks up a bit of nuanced spice, tea, sandlewood and juniper berry. In the mouth this is bright and juicy with a lean, crisp feel that partners well with the slightly earthy, tarry spice tones. Not a fruit bomb but with fresh strawberry and a hint of peach. 87pts
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Big House Red 2006

A touch grassy at first but then gaining a bit more of an earthy edge that evolves into a dried floral tone. Fairly nice wild red berry fruit on the nose with a core of grapy and lightly gamy tones. The bright acids in the mouth help to support nice sour berry flavors and the modest, if slightly angular, tannins add volume in the mouth with a salty, mineral tang on the back end that leads to a surprisingly long finish. A very solid table wine with character. 86pts

The Lineup 2006

A Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre blend
Very perfumey nose with subtle gamy undertones supporting blue fruits and a snappy Syrah element with a a nice hint of sisal and dried flowers. Nicely balanced in the mouth with a fresh lively feel and intense juicy red berry fruits with hints of spices, cigar box, leather and black pepper adding nice complexity to the black plum fruit on the finish. 86pts

The Slammer Syrah 2006

Another nicely perfumed nose with pepper, tar, wood spice violets and maple bacon all adding depth to the blackberry fruits. Bright and crisp in the mouth with a touch of woodspice brownie up front followed by sweet, but not sugary, red fruits that have a nice vegetal/violet top note that gains intensity but is not off-putting since it offers nice contrast to the fruit. A nice balance of flavors though this does finish a touch short. 87pts

The Prodigal Son Petit Sirah 2006

This smells nicely earthy with a slight edge of char right out of the bottle. Big black grape skin and blueberry fruit are edged with hints of petrol, powdered sugar and bay leaf. This is round and fleshy with plenty of acid to help support the red cherry fruit and nice sandpapery tannins that add a hint of astringency to the mouthwatering mid-palate.  With that blueberry dichotomy of sweet and sour this remains lively in the mouth with good length and volume and a nice finish with a touch of asphalt and hint of woody mintiness reinforcing the slightly rustic quality of the wine. 88pts

Cardinal Zin 2006

A touch stewy on the nose with slow to open notes of macerated cherry with hints of cocoa, pipe tobacco, coconut and eucalyptus. Supple in the mouth with good acids and slightly chewy tannins that are well integrated in the dark wild plum fruits. The back end shows a bit more spicy and wood tones with a touch of woody astringency that adds to the red currant fruit tones on the final. A well rounded and well behaved Zin. 86pts

Gregory Dal Piaz

Community Manager

Snooth

Strike it rich in the Sierra Foothills- Where wine and nature meet

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine

California’s Sierra foothills appellation spans across some of the least heralded great wine producing regions of the state. Unlike Napa and Sonoma, Cabernet Sauvignon did not serve as a historic touchstone here, though the history of wine production is almost as long. In contrast to the hype and glitter of “newer” regions propelled to fame by faddish whims, the Sierra Foothills continue to stake their claim to fame on old vine Zinfandel, as they did during the gold rush, as well as newer plantings of grapes from across Europe that adapt well to the favorable climate of the region.

photo courtesy of: El Dorado Winery Association

The fact that these counties, eight in total, three in particular, from north to south El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras counties, are leading the way in planting exciting, new to the state, varieties, captures the pioneer spirit that continues to infuse not only the people of these beautiful hills but also the wine they produce.

For example, as opposed to competing with the so much of the state, not to mention the world, by planting Cabernet Sauvignon (not that Cabernet doesn’t have it’s spots in this ranging AVA) one finds Rhone style blends based on Grenache and Syrah, Vermentino, Sangiovese, and even Tempranillo!  This “prospecting for riches” carries over a long tradition, going back to Sutter’s mill and the original 49er’s, that’s 1849, who braved the variable climate of this rugged region in search of gold.

Today’s gold comes more frequently in a bottle, and some is even of the golden persuasion. All the wines of the region share a certain character that expresses the unique terroir of this interesting AVA that admittedly crosses many county borders as it travels from meso-climate to meso-climate.  One reason for such an extensive AVA is that the rolling foothills here are the key to providing welcome relief from the heat of California’s central valley.

This slice of the foothills, where vines thrive in the moderate climate between 1400 and 3000 feet of elevation, is double blessed. Not only do the warm days and cool night preserve the acidity in the grapes but these conditions also extend the growing season by slowing down the ripening during the final days of the growing season. This is especially beneficial with Zinfandel since the grape clusters on many Zinfandel vines tend to have berries of varying ripeness as harvest approaches.

These hillsides are also blessed with a variety of soil types that give the wines produced here a distinctive character.  Around the 2000-foot level many patches of decomposed granite are to be found. These poor soils offer great drainage forcing the vines to struggle a bit for their survival, yielding fruit that, when mature, gives rich, rugged flavors and balanced structure to the wines they produce. At higher elevations several regions have soils of volcanic origin that can add a spicy tone to the wines and a crispness to the tannins that makes them distinct and unique additions to the pantheon of California wine.

Situated as they are between the heavily populated coastal areas of northern California and the rich beauty of the Sierra Nevada range, the foothill wineries are ideally located to be part of a true California adventure. Escaping from the herd mentality that drive tourists to Napa, Sonoma and San Francisco provides that savvy wine tripper not only a chance to taste great wines at a pace more akin to that of 1950 but serves as a gateway to some of the most impressive natural beauty one is able to find in the vast land of ours.

So next time you’re thinking of a California vacation consider adding the Sierra Foothills and visits to Yosemite to your plans.  I know I will.

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Amador Foothill Winery -  Leading the way with innovative wines!

With plantings that range from Aglianico to Zinfandel, it should come as no surprise that Amador Foothill Winery is leading the way with innovative wines from the Sierra Foothills. From Rose to Rhone Blend, and never forgetting the Zinfandel, this is a winery that delivers.

Amador Foothill 2008 Rosato of Sangiovese Amador  13.5% 

Soil, oil, dusty earth, pollen, wild raspberry, lovely subtle spice ad herb tones,  a tuch of leather, a bit of Swedish fish, wild cherry+,  A touch sweet up front then the wash of acid cuts through the weight leaving very pure wild berry fruit tones, great interplay of acid/fruit on the palte, really zippy style with duge refreshing acids that lead to a brick finish full or wild raspberry tones with hints of earth and spice.  A lighter style in the mouth and a great rose that may lack a touch of complexity but more than makes up for it with it’s extremely pretty pure fruit and texture that makes you want to drink more. A great rose 92pts

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Amador Foothill  Winery 2006 Katies Cote Shenandoah Valley  14.4%

Lots of cigar box and sweet vanilla laced tones on the nose dominate the blackberry and black plum note though intriguing notes of violet, black pepper and thyme slowly emerge from the glass.  Slinky entry is immediately delicious with crisp herb inflected black fruits that have great intensity yet are not clumsy or thick. The wood adds a bit too much sweetness here yet the ample spice tones with hints of cinnamon, black pepper and juniper add a nice contrast on the back end. This finishes with a touch too much wood induced sweetness again but the tannins are lovely and crisp so this should take another year or two of age well, allowing the wood tones to soften and integrate. Very aromatic and cedary in the mouth at times, this is a rich, gutsy wine with good promise. 51% Syrah/49% Grenache 88pts

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Bantam Cellars – A new winery making Shenandoah wine scene.

With only 3 vintages under their belt bantam Cellars are the new kids on the block. Following in the path blazed before them they are offering an array of Mediterranean varieties yet continue the great tradition that Zinfandel has developed in the region.

Bantam cellars 2008 Vermentino  Amador County12.5%

Quite intense mineral, almond, pear and light spiced white peach fruit on the nose. This is lovely and balanced on the nose. Good acids, a touch grapey fruit, quite grapey fruity in fact but with lemon shaded juicy Asian pear notes that are rich and satisfying.  Finishes with a touch of raspy mineral, a hint of gooseberry and surprising length. A delicious wine perfect for casual sipping and light fair. 88pts

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C. G. di Arie – From the creator of Cap’n Crunch, no kidding!

Set to celebrate their first decade in business C.G di Arie makes the most of their estate fruit. With the major red varieties planted here at 1700 feet the focus here is on getting a consistent expression from these vines while relying on partner grower sto provide top-quality fruit for their non-estate wines.

G D di Arie 2008 Sauvignon Banc Shenandoah valley 13.8%

Starts out with sweetish notes of powdered sugar a sage that are joined by tropical fruit notes.  Soft and broad in the mouth with a velvety texture and juicy orchard fruit tones. A simple wine in an easy to drink style 85pts

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G D Di Arie 2008 Rose Di Arie  Sierra Foothills 13.7%

Earthy sweet raspberries and fleshy black grape tones right off the bat are joined by a touch of herbs, black pepper and peach fruit.  A rich, soft style with tones of sweet red currant and plum fruit tones that are a touch spicy and hold a nice earthy center. Rich and fruity with a touch of RS yet also a nice hint of tannin to add some contrast to the texture. A touch sticky on the finish but with lingering jammy
blackberry tones. If you love a fruity rose this is for you.  50% Syrah/40% Tempranillo/10% Zinfandel 86pts

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Cooper Vineyards – Offering a complete array of wines

Cooper Vineyards produces and impressive line-up of wines encompassing 17 varieties. From Pinot Grigio and Roussanne to Cabernet and Zinfandel, naturally, there is a wine for every palate. And in that inclusive spirit one can also find a pair of dessert wines, one white, and one red to tempt your taste buds.

Cooper vineyards 2008 Pinot Grigio Amador 14.9%

Rather intense citrus zest and ripe herb notes with lovely floral top notes some alcohol shows but surprising well-balanced nose.  Lots of sweet fruit up front, green berries and green plum combine with a rich, plush mouthfeel to produce a rather unusual wine. One that feels over-ripe yet maintains surprisingly good freshness of flavor; inner mouth perfume is very sweet with notes of green tea and jasmine. The wine lacks some freshening acidity but is bursting with apricot and almost guava tones. The alcohol is more apparent in the mouth but this still manages to pull it off. The finish is a touch short but this is quite an interesting wine, though certainly not for everyone. 88pts

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Deaver Vineyards -  Four generations and 150 years later still going strong!

If any name should be associated with the wines of the Sierra Foothills it should be Deaver. With a proud lineage extending back to the first years of wine production in the region it’s no surprise that Deaver continues to be at the forefront with great new Italian and Rhone varietals as well as the classics.

Deaver Vineyards 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Amador 13.3%

Light kiwi and grassy notes on the nose, fresh almost earthy clumps of sod tones that are less herbal than manner SB. Bright zesty and fresh on entry with a very lively and refreshing mouthfeel. Classic medium bodied Sauvignon Blanc feel with modestly fruity flavors and a nice hint of lemon pith and sweet grapefruit that leads to a medium length finish. Actually has good persistence to the modest flavors but the appeal here is drinkability. 86pts

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Deaver Vineyards 2007 Sierra Foothills Chardonnay with an ATTITUDE 14.5%

Smells lemony and floral like some Muscat or Viognier made it into the blend.  The fruit is citrussy and the nose quite high pitched with salty undertones and a touch of honey, toasted spices and green anise seed.  Rich yet lively in the mouth with an impression of sweetness accentuating the deep fruit yellow fruit tones. A mouthfilling wine but well balanced with interesting layers of citrus and peach fruit.. Very clean and crisp on the finish with a touch of lingering almost coffee like toasted spice 88pts

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Deaver Viognier 2007 Amador County 14%

Smells sweet with a leather fruit tone that recalls dried apricot, a hint of lanolin and a touch of water chestnut add some complexity. This gains a nice pale honey note with hints of pollen and light tobacco. Very light with an attractive airy quality even though the wine is noticeably viscous with obvious RS., but it is well balanced by the integrated acidity. Lovely honied flavors of quince, candied lime and peach round out thee mouth. The finish is a bit gentle but with nice feathery complexity and a very friendly disposition. The sweetness is a bit much for a table wine but this finishes fairly read more…dryly so it can work but is better suited as a very light dessert wine particularly well structured for a cheese course. 90pts

 

Deaver Vineyards NV Orange Muscat Amador 12.5%

Gorgeously fragrant nose full of black tea, orange blossom, light passion fruit and pink grapefruit tones. Really intense and fresh and gently frizzante with a honied tone to the warm citrus fruit tones and  an easy appeal. Some tea notes add a bit of depth but this is a rather sweet and slightly rich style of Moscato with long honied flavors yet not much detail. 85pts

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Ironestone Vineyards – A pioneer growing premium grapes in the Foothills.

Ironstone Vineyards is one of the Sierra Foothill’s premium producers of Bordeaux blends. By intelligently adding small amounts of blending grapes and allowing the wines time to age in barrel in the deep, cool caverns under the winery, Ironstone has created nuanced wines in a satisfyingly smooth style.

Ironstone 2006 Cabernet Franc Reserve Sierra Foothills 14.5%

Dark, toasty, grilled fruit notes with spicy herbs lurking, and something very meaty about this wine, Nicely gamy smells like grilling lamb over eucalyptus. Lush in the mouth with lots of rich fruit, plums, cassis, black cherry with hints of dried tomato, herb, mint, and oak,. Very nicely balanced both texturally and favor wise with there is a touch of barbq sauciness on the backend but the bright cherry tones and light vanilla note power through and dominate the long finish. A big velvety richly fruited yet fresh wine with a touch of earth at its core, and just a hint of mint chocolate shavings helping read more…to frame the fruit. Certainly is ripe Cab France 89pts

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Ironstone 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Sierra Foothills 14.5%

Reticent and minty with an interesting mineral edge to the nose, smells granitic.  A touch leaner and more transparent than the CF with a redder fruit profile. Bright acids and nicely measured tannin yield a firmly medium plus bodied wine with a touch of cola/root beer spice helping to frame the astringent red fruits. The wood is really well integrated here and while this is neither super complex or super rich (a good thing) it is very well behaved in the mouth. Not particularly varietal either but rich, polished and fruity. A well-made and enjoyably drinkable wine that finishes a touch short with a Mexican cocoa note.87pts.

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Morse Wines -  A leader in Rhone varieties from the Sierra Foothills

Morse Wines is a new label being utilized by the Il Gioiello Winery to differential their Rhone Varietals from their Italian bottlings. Determined to make a name for both schools in the Foothills, Morse offer carefully crafted small lots of wines that offer a new interpretation of French Classics.

Morse 2007 Ensemble Blanc 55% Viognier/45% Roussanne Sierra Foothills 15.1%

A bit slow to open with soft floral tones married to deep, almost honied, quite smoky baked banana peel, and preserved lemon tones, Gains a big acacia tone with air. Rich with good acidity and a nice mineral edge to the deep orchard fruit tones. Real snap to the flavors and fine balance with rather restrained kwi and goosebbery notes that gain the upper hand on the back end with an interesting candied floral top note and lingering sweet/mineral tension on the moderate finish. Excellent complexity and balance in this very solid wine. 90pts

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Shenandoah Vineyards- A pioneering winery in California’s Shenandoah Valley

With a broad array of small lot reserve wines, Shenandoah Vineyards offers a complimentary line-up to the Sobon family’s eponymous winery. Actually the first of the 2 brands Shenandoah Vineyards continues as a leading producer of wines that represent a classic style that can only be associated with California’s Shenandoah Valley.

Shenandoah Vineyards 2007 Special Reserve Zinfandel Amador 14.4%

Subtle and soft blackberries, peach and black plum skins contrast with a hint of baking spice and coconutty oak tones on the nose.   Very sweetly fruited entry, nice balance with good acidity and very soft tannins give the moderately spicy but very fruity style with a soft, friendly feel.  Full of sweet, vanilla toned black plum and blackberry fruit, on the short finish. Classic Amador Zin though. 86 pts

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Sobon – a family affair dedicated to sustainable farming, and great wine!

The Sierra Foothill’s forte has always been their deep, flavorful old vine Zinfandel. Many of these hillside vineyards were originally planted to supply the 49ers and now are gloriously mature. Sobon has consistently captured the wonderful fruit of these vines, allowing them to express themselves in classic style.

Sobon Estate 2008 Roussanne Amador 14.1%

Great nose, lots of boiled chestnuts and toasted chestnut shells, intense with a noticeable yet integrated oak backdrop. Lilacs, white pepper and very light mangosteen fruit.  Decidedly soft in the mouth with a rich, viscous feel and initial honied fruit note that yields to an almost strawberry tinged mid-palate with rich orange tones and a touch of butter cream.  The finish returns to a more citrussy vein with a nicely floral inner mouth perfume of almost tropical orange blossoms. Big rich balanced and different this is a winner 90pts

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Sobon Estate ReZerve 2008 Rose Amador 13.6%

Mineral, strawberry, herb and roast pork with a hint of rosemary and a hint of flowers on the nose give this a succulent and savory appeal.  Dry and crisp with good focus in the mouth. This is a touch tight even with a subtle richness and lovely, slightly tannic red berry and sweet pomegranate tones with a touch of papaya and papaya seed spice. Wonderful fruit and subtle spice tones linger on the moderately long finish. Great balance and freshness here make this really lovely. Grenache/Syrah/Carignan 90pts

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Sobon Estate 2007 Old Vines Zinfandel Amador 14.9%

A touch of fudge and moist earth with lovely brambly notes of sapwood, herb and wild black raspberry fruit edged with a touch of pipe tobacco. Pure black raspberry fruit on entry, very good acids, lots of sweet fruit here, nice top notes of briar and bramble. Nice purity of well-expressed yet uncomplicated fruit. A wine for drinking, not for thinking about. Finishes with a slightly jammier tone and more wood spice but still nicely balanced and fresh 87pts

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Story Winery – A lovely white surprise from a great Zin producer.

Story Winery has made a name for themselves producing small lots of old-vine Zinfandel from great vineyard sites in Amador county.  In true pioneer spirit they have also explored several white wines enjoying the fruit from these unusual head-pruned and dry farmed vineyards.

Story Winery 2007 Chenin Blanc Shenandoah  15%

A touch funky right out of the bottle with notes of caramel, butterscotch and quince paste over a funky chalky earth, seashell and herb base. Deceptively light bodied with gentle flavors of apple, apple butter and pressed flowers slowly building in the glass. Holds its 15% amazing well. The subtle flavors power through on the medium length finish adding notes or biter orange marmalade and a light cashew brittle tone. Before gaining a nice mouth grabbing chalky tone again. A very subtle wine that will rise to the occasion pairing well with a wide variety of foods. 87pts

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Story Winery 2006 Picnic Hill Old Vines Zinfandel Shenandoah  Valley 16%

Light vanilla tones are backed by lots of astringent red fruits, red currant and pomegranate, with a hint of herb and roast meatiness.  Enters with sweet red fruits, slightly exotic berries fruits, fruit di bosco, nice freshness and good balance that help to hide it’s 16% Very candied but in a fresh way, sugared raspberries with a peppery cinnamon edge for balance, Nice crisp tannins and a lovely stemmy tone add length to the finish.  88pts

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Story Winery 2006 Creekside Vineyard Old Vines Zinfandel 16%

Really briary aromas in the glass are joined by smoky earth tones and reduced wild raspberry notes with hints of lightly spiced cranberry and orange rind.  Rich and velvety, this has power and depth with a slightly sweet character that accentuates the rich wild cherry and astringent, spicy red fruit tones. A mouthfilling wine that is a touch minty and medicinal on the finish with a nice tannic bite that helps balance the RS. This is a monster wine; serve it with cheese or instead of dessert. Really spicy notes gain prominence on the midpalate.  Finishes with a really intense red hots tone. A divisive wine for sure but it’s pretty cool. 90pts

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Story Winery 2006 Alitia Vineyard Zinfandel Shenandoah Valley 16%

Smells like leather and ass and not in a bad way. Slow to open, with slightly buttery licorice tinged tight black fruit. Tight concentrated and velvety with a deep savory core folded up with black currant and dry, not terrible sweet mulberry fruit. This is reticent yet with excellent balance that gives it an elegance that their other wines lack. Shares a touch of that peppery cinnamon with lovely dried herb notes and lots of potential but this needs another year to express itself. 88pts

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Vino Noceto – This Tuscan styled estate is a relative newcomer to the region.

Recognizing that the climate of Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley was Mediterranean in nature, family owned Vino Noceto took a brave and unique path, choosing to focus on premium Sangiovese based wine as opposed to sticking to the Zinfandel roots of the region.

Noceto 2008 Pinot Grigio Clarksburg/Amador 13%

Light rainwater, clay and floral tones on the nose give this an airy note before they are joined by fragrant pear fruit with a hint of dried pineapple.  Round and soft but not flabby, in fact nicely balanced on a rich if medium bodied frame that supports soft, juicy fruit flavors with grace notes of mint and almond and herb that lead to a slightly sweet finish that hints at baked apple with a nice almond tone. 86

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Noceto 2006 Sangiovese Shenandoah Valley 14%

Very intense sweet cherry, vanilla and soft toast notes greet the nose.  There is a slight medicinal note that combines with the black cherry fruit to give this a slight cough lozenge note. A nice hint of herb adds complexity.  Big, rich sweet cherry fruit with just a hint of oak is well supported by tannins are a touch astringent, as they should be, and good acidity giving this a refreshing feel. Very medium bodied and with lightness that keeps this centered in the mouth despite the intensity of the rather simple yet pure cherry fruit. On the backend it turns a bit spice with a nice flourish of strawberry and herb adding to the long finish.  Very solid wine and great for the bar-b-q this summer. 90pts

 

Noceto 2008 Frivolo Moscato Bianco California 7.1%

Delicious smelling with note of lemon, lime leaf, powder sugar and hints of angelica root and white tea, with a gently biscuit note. Just ever so softly frizzante with good acidity balancing the rather light, fresh citrus driven flavors. Plenty sweet but with a touch of lightness on the palate, really attractive flavors of subtle ginger inflected candied citrus fruits, with good length, lovely and freaking delicious 88pts

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Gregory Dal Piaz

Community Manager

Snooth

Summer Vacation.

posted by Dan in Wine, Guest Bloggers, Food

I spent my summer vacation in New York City and Cape Cod eating and drinking with friends.   I don’t have many sublime bottles to report on, but more times than less the idea of sharing good times with a glass of wine, a beer, or a cocktail is all that you need to have an enjoyable vacation.

I kicked it all off with a family affair.  Not a lot of booze was thrown around.  Just a bottle of Larkmead’s 2008 Tocai Friulano.  This wine was bottled back in May and it is drinking superbly at the moment.  The 2008 white wines, (of those I have tasted from Napa) in my opinion, are a little loose, less focused than the razor sharp 07’s.  But the oily, tropical character of the Tocai with its underlying liquid almond character was quite appealing as it finished with great lemon, lime zest acidity.

The next couple of days found me in and out of restaurants and the homes of friends.  I drank well sometimes and overdrank in others.  A couple of highlights from the trip - First, I visited one of Brooklyn’s top new, hip restaurants, from the Freeman’s folks.  New Yorker magazine has written this spot, The Vinegar Hill House, up as the prototype of a museum if a museum of hip and cool actually were to exist.  I would agree, but then anything in New York City these days is hipper than my farmer/winemaker chic.  [Ugh.]  After a disappointing bottle of Southern Italian white wine, I made the executive decision that we finish the meal, the entrees and dessert with a bottle of champagne.  Here’s the thing – Champagne is utterly and completely underutilized.  Champagne should not be relegated to celebratory events, colleague ‘pours’ or cheap aperitifs.  Champagne needs to be explored more, paired more, enjoyed more often.  And it was on this trip.  See below.

First, I felt obligated to recoup the failure of the Southern Italian white wine and when meeting a dear old muse in my life, at il Gottino in Greenwich Village, we shared a bottle of Valle dell’Acate’s Il Frappato, 2007.  I hadn’t tasted this vintage and on a hot, sticky, oppressively humid summer evening, there is no better wine then the chilled Frappato.  The wine sings with bright strawberry and rose petal notes; it is the best alternative to a Rose that I have ever tasted.  And when it warms up in the glass, it even offers a little spice; I guess you can call this Pinot Noir-lite.

Following the Champagne theme, when I got together with a bunch of buddies from Business School to play poker and after a couple of Campari and Sodas (another staple on this trip - a refreshing, icy, bittersweet way to beat the heat), I went on to polish off, almost single-handedly a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.  I have not spent a great deal of time drinking Veuve and have told myself I should read the book recently published, Madame Clicquot.  Well, I must say, the most recognizable wine label in all the world, doesn’t over-deliver or excite me.  At forty-or-so-bucks a bottle, Veuve offers a little less elegance in the glass than I would expect from such a cost.  Playing poker and drinking Champers while my buddies drank beers, I felt a little sophisticated; I thought it would be a worthy complement to my card playing strategies.  It wasn’t.  Maybe I would have had better luck with a $10 bottle of Procesco or $2 beer.

My next stop was Locanda Verde, Andrew Carmellini’s new place in the Greenwich Hotel.  The day prior to my visit Frank Bruni at the NY Times gave the spot a solid review and two stars.  Not sure if any chef/owner would consider two stars a good review, but I debated a friend whether or not a person should (or does a person) in NYC live, breath and eat by Bruni’s reviews?  I was curious.  Let’s think about the demographic profile of the New York Times reader.  I’ll pass on projecting my views, and just give you them right from the online media kit from their website; Median age 50.  Individual Earned Income, $71K.  The latter is an interesting number considering, according to the NY Times, 68% of their readers own their own homes.  Can that be in NYC or the Tri-State area if the earned individual income is $71K (or the average HHI is $114K)?  Maybe I have been away too long, but I thought real estate was expensive in NY!?!?  I digress.  Anyhow.  Enough of the Times audience profile.

The restaurant, wholly Italian, from apperitivi to amari, from banquet to bar, it looked and feeled like a popular French Bistro cut out of the American imagination of what a French Bistro should be, but instead of French food, it served Italian.  After living in Italy for a year and eating and drinking my way around, I will say, I approached nothing that looked like this place.  But this is New York, and New Yorkers live with a certain expression that goes beyond the realities of the world (and good for them for that).  Anyhow.  I arrived at 5 pm and by departure at 7 pm, the place was wall-to-wall, its fair share of tourists, hotel guests, business suits and stylish types filled the seats and ate the modern take on crostini and such.  I waffled on what wine to order, passing on a white from Quintarelli to linger over a bottle of Vie di Romans Flor di Uis - a massive white blend that is seductive on the nose, textured on the palate and refreshing on the finish.  After looking it up online, the wine contains (Tocai) Friulano, Reisling and Malvasia.  It is a serious white wine. And an aspirational wine when I think about the white blend I will be producing this year that has its influences in North East Italy.

I was off to Cape Cod next and spent three days visiting old friends while putting back some Sam Adams, more Campari and Soda, a few rum based drinks, vodka and soda as the nights drew long and a little white wine here and there (did enjoy a 2007 La Cream Chardonnay, a high-quality, value Chardonnay hitting all the tell-tale characteristics as the wine warmed up in the glass).  When the weather is warm and humid and the smell of sea salt is in the air, chowder, cod cakes and lobster adorn your plate; it is way too hard to think about drinking red wines.  And as noted by the choices above, you can see that I didn’t drink much wine at all.  It was a good escape.

However, upon returning to Brooklyn before shuffling back to California, I convinced myself to wine well over my last supper in the City.  I write this on the plane, with last night’s dinner in Brooklyn lingering on the mind.  I visited Franny’s with my mother and friends.  Franny’s is exclusive Italian pizza and wine.  I brought a bottle of Kerber Friulano with me, only to be confronted when I popped it on the bar that it was already on the restaurant’s list.  The bartender was gracious enough to let me know we could definitely open it for a $25 corkage fee (and the waitress was later thanking us for bringing an “Italian” wine; well I had to thank my friends for gifting it to me a week earlier when we ate at Vinegar Hill House).  So, I wasn’t going to let the restaurant staff’s graciousness down by just consuming our wine.  I picked out an aperitif wine, a 500mL bottle of Edi Kante Chardonnay, 2005.

I was excited to try this wine, been reading about Kante for some time but never experienced his wines in full.  I will say the Chardonnay was subtle, was shy and stony, was on the knife-edge of elegant, rusty, honeyed ageiness. I kept sticking my nose in the glass and tried to extract more from the wine and the wine responded, drawing me deeper and bottoming out; enticing me to come back another time.  This is the essence of a great wine - it lingers and leaves you with a desire for more.  Unfortunately, 500 mL and four people doesn’t account for much, but I will be back.  Onto the Kerber. Here’s the thing I have learned with some artisanal white wines from Friuli (and I should have taken this learning into account), there tends to be a period after bottling, what I have found to be about two years, that could be considered a ‘dumb’ period in the wine.  The wine is completely shut down, a bit backward and turning in on itself.  There is no fruit, just creamy, reductive characters and shyness.  I am baffled by this and need to explore it further; and when I have the ‘winemaker’s’ answer, I will report in full.

After sharing four or five appetizers from eggplant with golden raisin and pine nuts lathered in oil to artichoke crostini, we moved on to our pizzas and a bottle of 2006 Cos Cerasuolo di Vittoria “Pithos”.  The Pithos is made in terracotta amphora housed under ground and goes after all the ancient Roman winemaking techniques via the Sicilian grape varieties – Nero d’Avola and Frappato.  The wine jumped out of the bottle immediately with spicy red licorice wrapped in barnyard meat and funk. There was a touch of dried herbs, a la vermouth in the mouth and again a spicy, bitter cherry finish on rather soft tannin and good acid backbone.  The wine, which I haven’t consumed since I lived in Sicily, was quite a treat and a good value considering a bottle of Radikon or Gravner made in similar style will cost you almost double on the retail shelf.

So, that is it.  My plane is on descent into San Francisco airport.  And I am happy to be back in California, counting the days until harvest has me knee deep in red and white wine grapes.  T-minus….

Dan Petroski is Assistant Winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards in Napa Valley. Dan has an MBA from New York University and worked as an Ad Exec in New York for several years, before switching it up and trading his suit for a move out west

The many faces of Sauvignon Blanc: a summer staple

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine

Wines, much like people, tend to be lumped together in broad categories based on over-arching generalizations and limited samples sets. It’s just second nature to presuppose that a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc will taste of gooseberries and chilies while one from France will recall minerals and herbs. While these generalizations are right on certain levels they tend to get extrapolated out and become more about the grape and less about the region. Perhaps it does reveal some inner truth about Sauvignon Blanc: it is after all a grape prone to grassiness and a distinct green pepperiness, but it may prevent people from exploring Sauvignon Blanc in all it’s glory.

Sauvignon Blanc is a quintessential summer white. It tends to be very fresh and crisp with juicy fruit flavors and has typically been made as an unoaked wine. These elements combine to produce a wonderfully refreshing wine with an affinity for foods, particularly those we love in the warm summer months: seafood, salads, and the riches that come from the bounty of our garden, or maybe the farmers market.

Having said that it there are in fact more than a few styles of Sauvignon Blanc and many regions produce wine with a recognizable and distinct character that may overpower the efforts of a winemaker to put his or her stamp on the final product.

Here are a few wines that manage to express so much about their origins and provide maximum refreshment while doing it!

South Africa – South Africa is a relative newcomer to the Sauvignon Blanc scene. As the country’s wine growers hedge their white wine bets, splitting the bulk of production between Chenin Blanc, traditionally called Steen in South Africa, and the decidedly more popular, though perhaps ultimately less compelling Sauvignon Blanc.

It’s not that South Africa is a slouch with Sauvignon Blanc, the opposite in fact is true. The wines tend to be more mineral, precise, and taut than many, due in no small part to the combination of soil and a slightly short, if wonderfully consistent growing season.

The main reason I find South Africa’s Sauvignon Blanc less compelling than their Chenin, is that they enter a much more crowded field and it is all too easy to compare the wines with established styles from around the globe, rather than simply on their own merits.

South Africa, along with France, is the source of most of the Sauvignon Blanc I regularly drink. I prefer the steely, mineral and citrus style that I find comes from many of South Africa’s terroirs though there is a concerted effort on the part of many producers to emulate the more fruit driven style of New Zealand

2008 Sutherland  - light aromatics, crisp yellow fruit, a touch flinty, a touch of green tea, rather soft and easy with fresh citrus flavors, lime, pineapple, and guava, fresh limeadey, decent acid shows up on the backend, clean fruity finish, uncomplicated but appealing in it’s intense lime character and freshness 87pts

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2009 Indaba – ripe with an almost peachy fruitiness on the nose,  fresh cut grass,  almost dandelion like, subtly floral, very fresh in the mouth, a touch lean but crisp with lemon, herb, and very soft chili notes, there’s a ripe sweetness to the fruit here, nice crisp grassy tones on the rather long and succulent finish  which ends with a spearmint finale 88pts

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2008 Brampton – a rich nose with very ripe exotic fruit tones, passion fruit, a little pink grapefruit, roasted green chili, lime leaf, a nice lean mouthfeel with rather ripe fruit tones but retaining decent freshness, this gives up a bit of precision and zing in favor of ripe fruit tones and flavor. A bit loose though there is a nice mineral tone on the finish. 86pts

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 New Zealand, now here is the grand Sauvignon Blanc success story. Unlike France, where the region’s name is king, think of Sancerre, New Zealand has made Sauvignon Blanc their go to grape. With a very fruit forward style featuring pineapple, gooseberry, fresh chilies, grass and even some Kiwi, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has emerged as an affordable, appealing easy drinking, yet full flavored alternative to Chardonnay.

By utilizing the naming conventions typical of the New World, the grape variety takes prominence followed by the producer, country and region, New Zealand has set up the entire country as an easy consumer grab. If you’re looking for a fruity, full throttle Sauvignon Blanc what could be easier than remembering an entire country.

Truth be told there are of course stylistic differences among producers in New Zealand, but the bottom line is that many producers adopted this “New Zealand” style as their own following in the foot steps of some early, and wildly successful trailblazers, like Cloudy Bay.

For me these wines can be delicious, but tend to be too intense to partner with the foods that have a natural affinity for Sauvignon Blanc. They are best served as a cocktail wine in many cases, though just when one feels comfortable making outlandish assertion such as that an exception comes up just to remind you that you are wrong again!

2006 Oriel Mana Marlborough  – big fruity nose with aggressive grass, chili, and dusty gravel tones over passion fruit and even pomegranate tinged fruit, big entry, very zesty with gooseberry, lime and again a touch of pomegranate berry fruitiness, rich but still almost steely with nice balance, finishes with nice cleansing acidity and moderate acidity 88pts

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2008 Sauvignon Republic Marlborough – Intense grass and roasted chili on the nose almost smoky mineral tones as well, smells like a riverbed,  A bit light, disconcertingly so, with adequate acidity but a rather blowsy feel in the mouth, moderate flavors of gooseberry and green plum on the palate with a touch of zesty herb and lime,  rather low key and boring though the lightness grows on you. Eminently drinkable and so friendly that I look forward to trying this in the right situation: i.e. by the pool! 85pts

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One could also be wrong if one were to assume that all Sauvignon Blanc from France were ideally suited to be paired at the dinner table, perhaps much less wrong, but wrong just the same. OK, so maybe only very slightly wrong.

Sauvignon Blanc from France tends to emphasize the mineral crispness of grapes grown in cooler climate with citrussy flavors instead of the more tropical tones associated with New Zealand, for example. These crisp, sometimes almost salty, chalky notes are mouthwatering; that Sauvignon Blanc retains excellent acidity when ripe also helps, and really sets these wines apart.

France lacks the stylistic consistency of many other countries when it comes to their Sauvignon Blanc. While the quality many times is excellent each region imparts a certain style, and there are regional differences in wine making that take into account what nature is able to give in each producer.

Sancerre is arguable the most famous region in France for Sauvignon Blanc. With the rather chalky soil that stretches throughout the region contributing tautness to the wines, these are among the raciest and most beguiling interpretations of the grape in all of France.  Fruit flavors tend towards the citrus but notes of ripe orchard fruit contribute a lovely complexity and provide a wonderful contrast to the tension of the minerality.

2008 Cirotte Domaine de la Croix St. Laurent Sancerre  -  sharp nose, mineral, yellow flower, touch of ash, touch of green pepper, green apple notes, a hint of celery,  lovely zesty entry, succulent with lemon and mineral tones, gains nice depth in the mouth with a suggestion of sweetness from the ripe fruit, a touch of Asian pear to the  lime and grapefruit pith fruit,  nice clean, minerally finish good length, very nice 91pts

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Pouilly-Fumé is another name that is inexorably intertwined with Sauvignon Blanc. Here the wines tend to be a bit bigger than in Sancerre with more varied fruit tones buttressed by an unmistakable smoky note contributed by the flinty soils. These may very well be the epitome of Sauvignon Blanc, full of fruit, mineral, and floral aromas and with a finesse and balance that makes them compelling and complex world-class wine. Of course there is a fair amount of plonk labeled under the name Pouilly-Fumé but such is the price of fame.

With rising popularity has come rising prices, so it’s no surprise that alternatives to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé have come to the market in recent years. Whether from the East, with the best wines of Quincy and Menetou-Salon pulling off rather impressive imitations of classic Sancerre, or from the West’s sprawling Jardin de France, as the Loire valley, home to Touraine, is known, Sauvignon Blanc is a grape with a long and impressive history at these northern most latitudes of winemaking in France.

2007 Chateau Gaillard Touraine  – a lovely nose, slightly woodsy, warm, waxy and almost figgy in it’s ripeness yet maintains a tension bright, super zesty high acid style, totally refreshing with ripe berry fruit, and under-ripe green and yellow tones, a touch of green tea, some tree bark and mint notes, lemon and grapefruit fruits, delicious with a slightly herbal/medicinal finish that is just a touch dilute, 91pts

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At one extreme, stylistically, come the Sauvignon Blanc from Burgundy. These Saint Bris, as the wines are known, come from vineyards that share chalky soils similar to, as well as virtually adjacent to the famed vineyards of Chablis . Here the wines tend to be remarkably linear and crisp with an unencumbered character revealing a purity of green fruit paired with the lean, sinewy feel that is so typical of Chablis. These are wines that refresh and are able to revive one’s palate with their blazing minerality and acidity but are not easy, fruit forward wines that need no thought.

2007 Simonnet Febvre St. Bris  -  crisp white flowers, and lightly smoky soil tones on the nose add to the fruity notes of dried pineapple, dried lime and Asian pear on the nose.  Nice and bright in the mouth with fine balance between the acid spine and fleshy feel, lovely mouthfeel, just rich enough yet still very fresh with subtle shadings of ripe herbs, yellow berry fruit and gravelly spice notes.  Drop off a bit on the finish with a single note citrus return, 88pts

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If one were to move further south one might come to the find the white wines of Bordeaux, based on blends that include Sauvignon Blanc typically blended with Semillon and Muscadelle. But even here, where blending is normal and oak-aging of Sauvignon Blanc an accepted practice, one finds much Bordeaux Blanc where  Sauvignon Blanc takes control of the blend and dominates the finished product with lightly grassy aromas, decidedly less minerality than the more northern wine exhibit, yet a wonderful purity of lemony fruit.

2008 La Mouliniere Bordeaux Blanc  - earthy, melony, a touch of spic y floral tones on the nose with rather waxy fruit tones, a touch of ash.  Light in the mouth, melony and somewhat pink fruit flavors, a touch peachy, very easy style,  nice length, peachy and lightly mineral/vitamin/ashy on the finish then ends with a lime finale. Lacks a little depth but is refreshing. 86pts

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Our own domestic history with Sauvignon Blanc, and it’s alias Fume Blanc, a name craftily massaged by Robert Mondavi, in California is decidedly mixed and even after decades we are still searching for an identity for our wines. We, as is typical, run the gamut of styles.  Growers in California have Sauvignon Blanc planted all over the state and still more time is need to identify the ideal regions for the variety.

Historically Sauvignon Blanc from California has been thought of as a rather grassy, weedy wine, as many early versions exhibited these traits. Ironically the reason may have been that the grapes were planted in regions that were too warm. While this seems counter-intuitive, more heat should yield fruitier wines right? Wrong, the facts are that grapes ripen in stages that are not always well aligned.

A grapes maturity, it’s sugar-acid balance, can fallow a path that allows it to run parallel to it’s physiological ripeness, the ripeness of the skins and pips that contribute to the flavor of the wine. If the maturation curve gets ahead of the physiological ripeness a grower may be forced to pick grapes with perfect sugar and acid reading yet unripe, green flavors. Such is the case with much of California’s Sauvignon Blanc of years past.

Today a new generation of producers has taken a hard look at the issues presented by Sauvignon Blanc and have taken measures to produce wines that are making a break with the past. Growers are either seeking out cooler vineyard site for Sauvignon Blanc or have embraced the styles they can make from their warmer sites utilizing a little bit of wood aging to add depth and a creamy texture to soft wines with rich orchard fruit tones. It’s ultimately a stylistic decision that consumer can embrace.

2008 Robert Mondavi Private Selection  – fresh and crisp with grassy notes and fresh pear, light peach and grapefruit tones.  Bright, a touch small in the mouth and perhaps just a whisper of unneeded sweetness. Round and fruity style, with nothing wrong, just simple, easy, with some subtle grassy and sweet herb tones. Short finish. Clean and simple 84pts

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2008 Hess Allomi Vineyard Napa Valley   -  floral and sweet on the nose with a key lime pie/ lemon custard edge to the fruit, , quite floral, very focused in the mouth with moderately rich flavors of  nectarine,  pink grapefruit and a creamy touch.  A touch of herb and mineral pops on the moderately long finish. A fairly large scaled SB that remains balanced and fresh, bay leaf on the backend 91pts

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2006 Star Lane Vineyard  -  ever so slightly grassy, more herbal and very yellow fruited on the nose with ,a big wild flower note and soft aromas of grape, peach and a hint of banana -  fresh entry with nice body, a bit soft but nice mineral tones back up the soft, ripe yellow fruits that recall the nose,  rather creamy feel on the backend with a touch of banana and more apple and orchard fruit tones than citrus, Made in a richer style this remains zesty and fresh. Nice mineral finish 89pts

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It’s a wonderful thing, this variety we find with Sauvignon Blanc around the world. Unlike some other grape varieties, there is healthy stylistic experimentation and competition going on as different producers and regions attempt to carve out a piece of the Sauvignon Blanc pie for themselves. I can’t think of a better scenario for producer and consumer alike. I’m glad it’s summer and time for our own experiments with Sauvignon Blanc.

Gregory Dal Piaz

Community Manager

Snooth

Barolo 2004, do bargains still abound?

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine

As many of you know I am very enthusiastic about the latest Barolo releases. The  best wines of the 2005 vintage will probably eclipse the best that 2004 has to offer. One small problem is that with the sales of premium wines grinding to a halt it makes no sense for retailers to be buying these 2005’s.

With many 2004’s still on the shelves and discounts popping up left and right I thought it was a perfect time to revisit some of the best values in 2004 Barolo to see how they’ve fared with an additional year in bottle.

As usual I tasted each wine twice, once immediately apon opening and then again after about 4 hours. As is to be expected most of the wines changed significantly over the course of this time, some for the better and some for the worse.

As a group these lower-priced Barolos, with a single Barbaresco thrown in, were a very elegant and immediately appealing group of wines. They are testament to the vintages early appeal with their relatively silky tannins and integrated acidity. A few wines showed a touch of dilution, which is not uncommon in this vintage of relatively high yields.

All in all I found most of the wines have remained true to their earlier assessments. Marcarini continues to impress with wines that start slowly yet have such wonderful balance that they virtually burst into shape with time in the bottle. Guido Porro makes what is arguable the best value in all of Barolo. Luigi Pira needs to be better represented in my cellar, Franco Conterno too!

The notes pretty much speak for themselves and offer a great glimpse at a set of wines that are just finding their running legs before drifting off to their big sleep. On the note I might add that I think these wines will have a relatively short closed window with few exceptions.

Now onto the wines.

Flight 1

Attilio Ghisolfi Barolo -  Apon opening this had a nice array of tarry, herbal and clay tones that recalled calamine lotion with a touch of lurking roasted strawberry. In the mouth it offered up ripe tannins and balanced acidity with relatively simple cherry fruit tones and a touch of earthy spiciness on the follow through. With air this gained a touch of gamy leatheriness and some smoky, white pepper scented notes of sausages. The fruit turned a bit blacker and gained a light medicinal edge but the wine remained an excellent, very typical straightforward slightly rustic Barolo 88pts

Marty felt “the tannins were a little rough on this one, a little rustic” though Justin “loved the style” and found the wine “harmonious”.

Burlotto Barolo – At first this offered up some simple light cherry in alcohol and sweet earth tones but air caused this to gain a touch of a raw/terpene note. In the mouth this was delicate yet drying with a decidedly savory and spicy character that was a bit chewy and tough with a long, mineral tinged finish. Air did not move this much though it did gain quite a clear strawberry tone to the fruit. It never really seemed to come together and remained uninspiring 85pts

James found this to be “ too fruity, too much strawberry”  though John found the wine to be “fresher, yet it seems disjointed”.

Rizzi Barbaresco Pajore - With a light nose that showed sandy soil tones and dried grass notes this was delicately aromatic right out of the bottle.  Airing brought out some sharp, spicy soil tones and a fine white mushroom/woodsy edge to the bouquet.  In the mouth this was zesty and bright with succulent strawberry fruit and delicious, clean yet uncomplicated fruit and soil tones that gained nice complexity with air revealing a touch of anise and bitter root tones that complimented the wild berry/lingonberry fruit that emerged on the round, polished mid-palate.  89pts

Jim found this to be “like herbal tea, but I wish it was sweeter” while John found “an almost Pelaverga pepperiness” to this wine.

Flight 2

Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis – This smelled big and muscular right out of the bottle and that translated into a rich and smooth mouthfeel packed with fine-grained tannins and fleshy fruit though there was a sense that there was more extraction of matter than flavor here as the red currant fruit was a touch diffuse and short on the finish. With air this gained excellent focus on the nose with tight, high-pitched notes of rosehips and tobacco, and while the palate remained a touch diffuse the seductive red fruit notes with their tinges of roast chestnut sweetness had a lovely texture. Ripe tannins and enough acidity to keep this rather consistent wine interesting. 90pts

Justin found this to be “very floral” while Jim thought it was a bit “ chunky but closed”

Vietti Barolo Castiglione - This was very aromatic apon opening with notes of camphor, chalk and earthy, medicinal herbs framing the red fruit. The entry was smooth, suave and sexy with sweet wild cherry and herb flavors only slightly marred by a hint of wood tannin that grew on the finish. This was mouth filling with excellent balance and finesse and wonderful clarity to the fruit so imagine my surprise when I revisited this and found it to be rather closed and almost mean with some oak showing and a slightly muddy, extracted feel.  This shut down rather impressively with air so either drink this quickly or put it away and hope the fruit emerges with the pristine beauty it originally showed. 90pts based on it’s earlier showing.

Justin found this to be “ dilute, buttery and off-putting” while Jim noted “oaky, oaky, oaky”.

Franco Conterno Barolo Bussia “Munie” – This opened slowly with a touch of torrefaction on the nose over a bed of almost weedy herbal components. With air the weediness took on a decidedly floral note and joined delicate notes of macerating cherry on the nose.  What started as an earthy, chewy, yet short mouthfeel blossomed into a lovely rich mouthful of fruit with big cherry tones and layered complexity that saw notes of herbs, flowers, dried spices and root vegetables join in. The finish was beautiful and precise, riding as much on acid as on tannin and finishing on notes of balsamic church candle and mineral notes. A lovely, complete expression of Nebbiolo. 92pts

Marty found this to be “plummy” as did Jim while Justin found “cherry pit, barnyard and dirty winemaking”.

Flight 3

Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero -  Olives and spicy green middle eastern tones immediately greated the nose with this wine and were joined by notes of hung game, moist tobacco and sweet, candied root, angelica root tones after several hours of air.  This was initially quite bitter and beef bloody with lots of candied raspberry fruit tones that gradually added some vegetal, cucumber like notes and a very big flourish of fresh green herbs that set up the palate for this green/red fruit tension that was very intriguing and lead to a crisp clean finish with some subtle pignoli nut bitterness. After several hours air the big herbal element remained as did a very quinine like medicinal tone that framed the red fruits. The mouthfeel remained both zesty and polished and I appreciated the great complexity and sneaky finish but this is a very distinctive Barolo, something I applaud. 91pts

Mark noted that if served this in a restaurant “I’d send it back!”  Justin found this to be “thinnish and flabby” John likened it to a Santa Barbara Pinot Noir and Marty found it to be the “most aromatic, with a touch of comet cleanser”. Jim called it “Burgundian” and added “I love the nose on this.”

Marcarini Barolo La Serra -  Opening with a classic, slightly seaweedy and camphor tinge that served to support subtle, earthy fruit tones, this  just built on the theme with air adding high toned seashell notes and nori to the sweet fruity tones on the nose.  A soft sweet entry is followed by a whisper of very fine tannins and lean yet transparent yellow cherry fruit with gentle notes of macerated flowers and soft wild strawberry fruit that leads to a finish with sneaky, building tannins.  This remains very taut and sheer with air gaining nuanced mint, tar and anise notes that yield to a bit of beet root on the finish. 92pts

Justin called this “Marcarini La Serra!” Mark added “ this is how I expect Barolo to taste”. Marty felt this had “all the elements” and John called it “tightly coiled”

Marcarini Barolo Brunate -  Deep and filled with roses, this begins a bit monotone on the nose with hints of dry earth, sassafras and beet root. With air this gains a bit or a brownie edge, full of moist earth, hints of game and BO and plump, roasted strawberry.  What begins as a lush, round, seductive mouthfeel turns even more polished with air revealing a touch of spice, white pepper and earth that lays like a blanket over the slightly bitter tannins and wonderfully integrated acidity.  This is well balanced and fresh but turns just a touch muddied on the finish.  91pts

Justin thought this to be “very backward and reductive” while John found this to be “ rustic in a way few of the others have been”. James found ‘something industrial” to this wine and Mark thought it “ was a little hot”.

Flight 4

Guido Porro Barolo Lazzairasco -  Initially deep and dark with baked earth notes and a touch of skunk to the nettles and cactus notes on the nose, this gained a bit of spice and light notes of macerated flowers with air but remained reticent. In the mouth this started off with a sweet entry balanced by a nearly bitter tones that emulated the tension of bittersweet chocolate that was followed by a flood of sweet, wild cherry fruit with a huge medicinal top note.  Air caused this to close down significantly, concealing the fruit and highlighting the formidable tannins. The initial taste revealed a wine with lovely polish to the tannins super acids, just a wonderful mouthful of Barolo, layered complex and with inner mouth harmony yet no shortage of energy and big power on the finish with a touch of aged animal/pork fat 92pts

Marty found this to be “full of cherry and earth.” John thought this was “totally classic but approachable” while Mark felt this was “totally typical.”

Luigi Pira Barolo - This started out quite reticent with subtle menthol and balsamic notes that morphed into a wonderfully aromatic nose redolent of waxy fruits, violets and vegetal undertones. Initially this was disjointed, rich and yet cut in half by the bright acidity that highlighted the red currant and cranberry tones of the fruit. The backend was quite lean and tapered off on the finish. Air brought out the lovely, polished ripe tannins that gave this wine the texture of flannel and helped support deep, rich, chewy red fruits in a rich, tannic style of wine that hag great lingering length.  This will get better and better. 91pts

James felt the “tannins are really drying” while Mark thought the “tannins are sweet”.  Marty enjoyed the “big body and nice full finish” of this wine.

Guido Porro Barolo Santa Caterina - This was wonderfully fresh on the nose with heather floral tones and whisps of wild strawberry emerging with some air yet with time the floral elements took control of the aromatics and added a base of cigarette smoke, oily coffee beans and spearmint that was compelling.  Polished and broad in the mouth with wonderfully fresh strawberry fruit and elegant notes of anise and herbs, this remains lithe and refreshing in the mouth. Air adds to the power here, introducing a touch of pruniness and the fruit turns darker but retains a seamlessness and purity that is very attractive. A wonderful bottle of Barolo 93pts.

John thought this resembled a “Barolo Chinato”

And with that a pretty awesome tasting was ended. I am glad to say I have already laid down all of these wines in my cellar except for the Rizzi and Franco Conterno, which were picked up at their respective wineries. I would love to have additional bottles of both stored away and plan to work on remedying that situation soon! These are lovely wines, approachable by Barolo standards, and real values in today’s marketplace.

So get out there and see what’s lying about on your retailers shelves. With the retail market they way it is I wouldn’t be surprised if you could find these wines for a song, and perhaps a dance!

Gregory Dal Piaz

Community Manager

Snooth

Join the ABcC Club!

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine

You’ve heard it before I’m sure. Anything but Chardonnay, and I mean anything, or do I? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but all the cool kids have left that club and formed a new club. You should come and join us in the Anything But (crappy) Chardonnay Club!

Fortunately in this club we are allowed our dalliances with Chablis and Montrachet, not to mention Hanzell, Stony Hill and Aubert. OK I won’t mention them. While wine snobs have chosen to ignore Chardonnay, perhaps revealing a bit of ignorance n their own part, the wine drinking public has continued to embrace Chardonnay.

I am all for ignoring wines that made in a style that doesn’t suit you but throwing the baby out with the bathwater is just nuts. So much great Chardonnay is made around the globe that it would take several tasting just to touch on all the main regions.

This past week we at Snooth took a look at a few examples of the styles now in the marketplace and came up with a few recommendations for almost every palate. Well that may actually be a bit of a reach.

A funny think happened to California Chardonnay over the years. Chardonnay, like Pinot Noir, came to fame in France’s Burgundy region, a place fart less sunny, warm and hospitable than much of California.

The wines that put California Chardonnay on the map came from places like the Sonoma Hills and Santa Cruz Mountains. Places that had growing conditions similar to those of Burgundy. The fruit of these vines was very well adapted to the traditional techniques used in Burgundy. The use of French oak to add spice, Malolactic fermentation to tame the hard acids of cool climate grapes, and long ageing on the lees with frequent stirrings to impart a creamy texture and subtle layer of complexity to these sleek beauties that rarely topped 14% alcohol, heck many barely topped 13%.

Well once Chardonnay became a viable wine in California vineyard creep set in. That’s that insidious habits growers have of planting grapes farther and farther from their ideal terroir. Vineyards first crept down those hillsides and eventually onto the rich soils of the easy to farm valley floors. Warm, luxurious valley floors were grapes got RIPE, yielding wines that routinely topped 14% alcohol, and 15% was certainly not a stretch.

With these wines, rich, fruity and soft the affects of the traditional winemaking techniques used to such advantage in Chardonnays’ earliest years was to create big, tropical fruit laden, buttery wines with little form, or function for that matter. But people liked them, well some did, while others then began to found their own little ABC clubs.

The tipping point for Chardonnay, not coincidentally, came when it finally established itself as the market leader.  Some say it was an accident, a stuck fermentation that gave the world the first taste of what was to become this nation’s most popular Chardonnay. That stuck fermentation left the wine with just enough sugar to make it taste remarkably fruity without being cloying, and ushered in an era of populist plonk that created a backlash like no one had ever seen. A huge, raucous, vocal backlash that had virtually no effect on the sales of Chardonnay!

So what exactly happened one is left to ask. I guess a few vocal people let off a lot of steam while more and more consumer were lulled into believing those slightly sweet, oaky, spicy, butter chardonnays represented Chardonnay at its finest. A true American original.

Now I am being a bit too harsh here, both on the producers of these wines and certainly on their consumers. I am a firm believer in to each his own and that just barely trumps my desire to like all wine. I think we have gotten to a point in our collective American viticultural experience where the idea of terroir, not necessarily that lands speak through the grapes but rather that certain plots of land are better suited to Chardonnay or Zinfandel ,or even almonds and plums!

We have moved beyond the application of certain techniques as fixed recipes. Winemakers are coming of age with both the fruit grown where it should be and the understanding of the impact of each technique on what will become their finished wine.

Chardonnay is emerging from its angry adolescence, all pimply and oily, covered with cream, and hair gel (or residual sugar and oak chips) in a desperate attempt to hide what it was while it searched for what it may become.

We are witnessing, if we choose to taste with an open mind, the emergence from it’s cocoon of a beautiful new Chardonnay. One capable of being big, bold and buttery on the one hand while remaining cool crisp and composed on the other.

Wine is an art, winemakers are the artists, growers create the paints and history has prepared the canvasses. The question cannot be simply do you like the results. One must first answer the question: Is this the best that could have been done with the raw materials?

That is where we are. We have some of the finest artists working with brilliant raw materials. Join the ABcC Club and experience what Chardonnay can be in its range of expressions, then decide if one is right for you. Perhaps, in the end, you will not find one that is right for you. That is as valid a conclusion as any that can be drawn, but making that conclusion on old experiences, or worse on not much more than a fad or fancy is simply, well, it’s simply stupid.

Anyway, onto the tasting and our notes!

Flight 1 – Better Budget Wines

Good Daughter CA 2007 13.5%                    $14.00

Has some nuanced smoky oak tones light a light lemon curd and cut nectarine fruit tones. In the mouth this is a touch sweet and round with a fleshy, friendly feel. A bit soft but shows a sense of restraint as well. 85pts

Both Cheryl and Evan found this to be a bit grassy though Didi and Paul both found nice citrus tones on the palate.

Michael David Vineyards 7 Heavenly Lodi 2006  14.5%        $15.00
A fairly raw woody nose is a touch blunt. There is good acidity here but the wine needs it to balance out the sweetness. A bit of Fruit Stripes gum, artificial banana flavor on the round palate that turns a bit spicy with a bitter, pithy edge to it on the angular finish. 83pts

Eddie thought this was “over the top” and Cheryl and Paul both found this to be typically oaky and indistinctly fruity.

Toasted Head Russian River Valley 2006 13.5%             $14.00

Not particularly aromatic with integrated spice tones and hints of floral, pear, and pineapple. In the mouth this is smooth and balanced with a touch of mineral cut and a dry leanness across the mid-palate that keeps the subtle fruit and spices tones in harmony. This finishes with a hint of refreshing minerality. 86pts

Several people commented on the stinky aspect of this with Didi noting that it was sulfury and Evan added that the buttery. apple flavors grew on him.

Flight 2 -  Cooler Climates, than Napa at least.

Kunde Estate Sonoma Valley 2007 13.8%                $18.00

Earthy and slightly minerally on the nose with dried apple, pineapple and dried floral tones that have a sage like edge. In the mouth this is focused with a big acid spine that keeps this fresh and juicy but not weighty. The flavors are a touch soft and subtle but recall nectarines and apples in a creamy, creamsicle style that grows on the long finish which has a delightfully sneaky return of sweet orchard fruits. Eminently drinkable 91pts

Everyone enjoyed this wine though Paul wanted to see more acidity  and Didi noted a “chemical” scent the consensus was that this was something to go out buy and share with friends.

Stuhlmuller SV Estate Alexander Valley 2007 14.2%        $22.00

A lovely nose with nuanced honey, toasted wood, nutmeat, yellow flowers and dusty earth tone. In the mouth the texture is just fantastic, bright and balanced with intense yet tense and focused mandarin orange, apricot and fig notes that are framed with just a hint of almond and measured oak notes. The finish is fruity, clean and crisp with refreshing acids and a delicacy to the flavors that makes this a winner for geek and novice alike. 93pts

Cheryl liked the “oily texture” of this wine and both Paul and Evan commented on the ” caramel and hazelnut” oak tones. Didi found it “tinny and metallic”.

Bouchaine Carneros 2006 13.9%                    $20.00

This is laden with sweet fruit aromas but has a raw wood note that adds an acrid edge. In the mouth this is very fruit driven with a hint of wood derived honeyed sweetness up front that yields to a chemical vanilla tone on the diffuse mid-palate. This does gain a little bit of creamy intensity on the backend and has good length but the finish feels a little stripped and spoofed. 85pts

Eddie went back and forth on this one, finding that the wine alternated between ” a bit skunky” and “exotic fruit”.  Cheryl and Evan both noted off aromas but then went on to say that they enjoyed both the texture and the flavors of the wine.

Flight 3 – Napa Valley

Duck Shack Napa Valley 2007 14.2%                 $24.00

A touch of vanilla on the nose but this is driven by lime, apricot, and pineapple fruit tones that seem fresh and bright. Zesty acid on entry is followed by cool, crisp flavors of green fruits, pineapple and peach with creamy vanilla undertones and light wood spice notes. The texture is lovely and shows excellent integration. This is refreshing yet doesn’t lack power or richness and finishes with an absolute flourish of lime, starfruit, and peach fruit salad notes with even a hint of blueberry. Delicious 92pts

Nearly everyone loved this wine, though Didi felt the palate was a let down after the nose. Paul notes that this was a “big lemon bomb” and Cheryl added it”like Goldilocks, just right!”

LaTour Mt. Veeder 2006 14.5%                    $25.00

Very oaky on the nose with buttery, nutty, vanilla candy notes that almost become tarry in the glass. Big and soft with lots of flavor but not much focus. This is not fruit driven and while made and in a way Burgundian, with a touch of rocky minerality on the mid-palate, seems a bit to aggressive and lacks a sense of elegance. In it’s own way it is intriguing with a smoky, hazelnut scented finish that has a certain allure but this is not for everyone. Given time I can see this emerging into something distinct and enjoyable.88pts

Both Eddie and Evan found a lot of oak on the nose here with “coconut oil” and “strong toast flavors”.  Paul found the nose to be “the most complex so far with orange blossoms, fig and fresh cream then oak, oak, oak on the palate.”

Frank Family Napa Valley 2007 14.4%                $28.00

This has a nice dominated by spicy French oak with dried apple fruit and a bit of lemon oil. In the mouth this is very bright up front with big citrus tones that yield to a rich, viscous, powerfully built mid-palate full of pineapple, peach and apricot tones with plenty of acid backing it up yet it still becomes cloying and sticky on the backend. The finish is also sweet with big, pure notes of cinnamon toast with cream and vanilla. A lot of wine that’s not my style but should find many admirers. 90pts

For the most part everyone enjoyed the “rich, oily, full, dense” mouthfeel of this wine but the intensity was off-putting to some as was the “spintry oak that paul found though Didi enjoyed the “caramelized, molasses  flavors.”

Flight 4 – Up and down the coast

Ch St Michelle Caone Ridge Estate WA 14.1%            $20.00

The nose here is subtle and seductive with notes of eggshell, lime leaf, butchers wax, and a wildflower sweetness tat is seductive. A leaner style in the mouth, really taut and focused with intense notes of very fresh orange, peach, pear and papaya fruits that even have a suggestion of red berry. A bit soft on the backend yet with great freshness to the slightly exotic tropical fruit flavors. The finish is a little light with a hint of mineral and hazelnut adding complexity. Very nice stuff 92pts

This wine split the crowd with Eddie noting that this was ” big, full and seductive, caressing and bold like Naginsky.” while Paul felt it was “full of black tea, too simple and no fun.”

Ojai Solomon Hills CA 2007   14.0%                $30.00

This smells very hard yet has intense and pure chardonnay fruit with background notes of saffron, honeycomb, and forest floor. Very bright and full of malic acid in the mouth that supports the intense lemon, peach and grapefruit oil fruits in the mouth. The huge acidity keeps this large scaled wine remarkably focused and highlights the wonderful purity of the fruit. The finish is snappy and as refreshing as can be with a gentle almond tone and a hint of toasted coconut. This retains a tightly coiled feeling and I expect this might get even better in the cellar. Not for everyone but a brilliant style of Chardonnay. 92pts

This was not liked by the group. Paul though it was simply “bad” and Didi felt it had a “strong, bitter, pungent taste.” With time some of the group fund more to like though with Cheryl noting that ” it did a 180 going from dirty and funky to clean and and pleasant with a bite.” Eddie added, “this was probelmatic but ended up tieing for my number 2.”

Stoller Estate Dundee Hills OR 2006 14.1%                $31.00

This smells heavy like white chocolate pudding with lots of caramel notes from the wood and not much fruit. In the mouth this is lush and chewy yet feels a bit to fat with good fruit but not much follow through and finishes with over-ripe tropical fruits and movie theatre popcorn. 86pts

The oak on this wine was noted by all with most tasters finding it to be, as Evan put it, “creamy and spicy.” Paul liked it’s “creamy white raisin and mango” flavors while Cheryl found it to be “  astringent and oaky” but still enjoyed the caramel and fruit flavors.

Well that was it. I was actually very surprised by how much I enjoyed several of these. It’s been too long since i took a look at West Coast Chardonnay and I am glad I took the time to give these a test drive. I found a few for my summertime drinking. How about you? Ready to join us in the ABcC club?

Gregory Dal Piaz

Community Manager

Snooth

Sometimes less is more

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine, Food

Now don’t gt me wrong, I love wine, I love overindulging in wine. I gotta a felling that’s gonna come back and bite me! I love intense, complex enveloping experience with wine, but sometimes I just want a glass of wine. Something satisfying yet simple.

Case in point, a few weeks ago I had made plans to meet my brother at my father’s house to make some order. We had a real mess on our hands and some major cleanup  was called for. Long story short, brother didn’t show. so I was stuck cleaning this mess myself.

Now the truth is most of that stuff is my crap. No question about it, ton’s of restaurant equipment left over from my restaurant days but you know it wasn’t easy manhandling the 180lb TEC searmaster grill or ice machine compressor and that 3 door lowboy refer, how was I supposed to get that in the barn? Sheer force of will that’s how. I actually threw out the swoopy black mid-century chair, which was painful but the truth is I found it in the trash so no great loss and we now have two newer, and larger grills so that piece of crap found the bottom of the dumpster as well. It took about 6 hours, and I should have taken a picture of my bloody hands but eventually the yard looked like a yard again and the barn was, dare I say it, organized!

So what does this have to do with wine. Not much except when you consider how beaten I was by the end of the night. I had stopped by the butcher, ok it’s the supermarket but they have a decent butcher there, and got a perfect 1.5lb sirloin steak for myself earlier in the day. That and some mushrooms, shallots and potatoes made for the fixins of a decent meal. All I needed wqas a bottle of wine. What I wanted was something satisfying, with a bright acidic spine. Nothing to complex yet complex enough, aged enough to ring my bell without any effort from me. I ended up choosing a 1982 Gigi Rosso Arione Barolo. Now this should have been exactly what I was looking for.

1982 a great vintage in its prime.

Arione a grand vineyard in Serralunga.

Gigi Rosso an underachiever if there was one but I was hoping that the vintage and vineyard would trump whatever Gig had mastered to ensure mediocrity in his wines.

I was right, barely.

This was no doubt a great bottle of the 1982 Arione. The cork was tight as can be and that near perfect seal held this wine in good stead. Typically pale and borderline oxidized apon opening this freshened up in the glass revealing a moderate core of sour cherry fruit with lovely, subtle tar and anise notes all backed by the mouthwatering acidity I was after.

Truth is it was a perfectly good wine. I scored it a solid 87 points, barely sellable in today’s point beholden marketplace but PERFECT for me this evening. It was exactly what I wanted, what I needed to salve my wounds and nourish my soul and anything better, richer, or more complex would simply have been lost on me, a waste on a wasted man.

I ate my dinner and drank my bottle, exhausted, and now slightly drunk I made my way to bed happy. Oh so happy.

You see sometimes less  really is more.

Sometimes 87 points are better than 90 points.

Sometimes you want to drink the wine and forget about the points.

Ponder that this holiday weekend and have a great Fourth of July!

Yeah that steak is pretty perfectly cooked, thanks for noticing. Hardwood charcoal in the dark, but I used to do this for a living.

Gregory Dal Piaz

Community Manager

Snooth.com

From the Cellar - Beaujolais

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine

Weird title right?

Who pulls Beaujolais from the cellar you might ask. Well I do but I can’t say I’m a leader in that field. In fact several of my friends have rather varied assortments of Beaujolais resting in the deep recesses of their cellars and through their generosity I have come to know the wonder of aged Gamay.

Wines are strange beasts, they start life as one thing and frequently morph into something completely different with age. Gamay in particular seems to really transform itself in the cellar, which is a bit of a surprise as Beaujolais, what most of us think of when we think of Gamay, starts out life as an easy, quaffable, cherry berry delight with little to no promise of improvement.

However, after several years in the cellar wonderful things happen. The fruit both fades and morphs into something gamy and wild with more than a passing resemblance to Burgundy of a certain age.  One of the consequences of this transformation is that the fruit become less flamboyant and more transparent allowing the minerality of the terroir to express itself.

It is somewhat bizarre to think of but Beaujolais with age perhaps expresses its terroir as well as any other wine, maybe even better than any other wine. For me these aged examples of Beaujolais combine the fruit quality of Burgundy with a terroir that recalls some of the finest plots of the Northern Rhone,those granite rich bands through St. Joseph and Cornas in particular.Not a stretch when you consider that Beaujolais lies right in the midst of these two famous wine producing regions.

While I have had Beaujolais older than the wines tasted for this post I think these wine represent the peak along the ageing curve for most of the wines, which is to say about 6-12 years after the vintage. All four wines showed very well with several characteristics in common; a certain Asian spice note, a seamless, delicate texture, transparent fruit and wonderful and refreshing mineral tones.  If this sounds like something that would appeal to your palate do yourself a favors and seek out a few examples of aged Beaujolais to try or just lay down a few of the affordable beauties for your future enjoyment!

Here are 4 examples from my cellar.

1996 Domaine j Chamonard Morgon Le Clos de Lys

Pale dried rose petal color, earthy looking

Funky, earthy, Burgundian nose, intensely smoky with notes of medicinal floral tones, tea and baked wild cherry and medicinal mineral tones, intense stuff! Some dried Asian spiced beef notes dried orange peel

Soft and almost lush with plenty of acid and only a whisper of tannin supporting the dried strawberry fruit. And mandarin orange notes There are nice background notes of mossy earth, tea and Asian spice chocolate on the midpalate with a fresh brisk floral and red berry finish of moderate length.  A very savory and yet curiously fruity wine with solid length. 89pts

~~~

2002 Earl Louis & Claude Desvignes Morgon Cote du Py

dark ruby with a beige cast

A tight noise with a very fine tobacco tone, mineral notes, and a hint of violet all backed up with tight wild berry fruit, opens rather nicely revealing tea, mint,  moss and wild berry tone with some ferrous minerality.

Soft plush and full of gentle fading fruit edged in brown spice and roast fruit tone, some dried apricot up front and still has a nice touch of tannin adding depth, nice and fairly full with earth tone and a brilliantly mineral backend that leads to an almost salty vivid finish the acid here really pops with some air, lifting the fruit like a one pole circus tent and accentuating the earthy front end but this is still a mineral bomb on the back half and into the finish then there is a lovely return of spicy, briary fruit. Killer right now. 92 pts

2003 Duboeuf La Trinquee Julienas

Cedary and woodsy with a touch of zinfandel like briar here, there is a lovely wild cherry jam tone but no too cooked and subtle note of graham cracker and waxy lipstick with a white pepper spice edge.

Soft and sweetly fruity up front with nicely integrated acidity and some very attractive wild red cherry fruit and hints of baking spice and herb. Really mirrors the aromatics. Has some slightly aggressive tannins still that lead to a bit of a woodsy finish that is cut short by an earthy, beet rooty tone which gains traction on the mid-palate after about 30 mins. A touch clumsy at times but still perfectly intact and enjoyable. 85pts

~~~

2003 Coudert Clos de la Roilette

Quite pale and bricky with quite a bit of sediment

Very herbal, and balsamic on the nose with sweet fruity wax lips candy tones and huge notes of macerated flowers, game, earth, violette pastille and stone absolutely captivating aromatics that are sweetly fruited yet savory and earthy and complex.

The entry is almost slick in it’s seamlessness then the structural elements help add some texture with the bright acids adding cut and the fine tannins grab to the earthy, wild cherry, dark toned fruit. There is a lurking spiciness here, almost medicinal and lovely notes of flowers, herbs and exotic fruits like persimmon then this turns a bit lean and austere on the backend but with impressive length and even a bit of drying tannin and mucky cologne on the finale. Really long. Perhaps still a bit young too! 92pts

~~~
~~~

So the short of all this is that these wines are wonderful with some age on them and they absolutley defy our expectations. Time to change expectations folks so buy and cellar some Cru Beaujolais. You will be justly rewarded!

Gregory Dal Piaz

Community Manager

Snooth

Bennett Valley & Chalk Hill

posted by John in Snooth, Wine Industry, Wine, Guest Bloggers

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a blog on Snooth.  It also has been a while since I’ve done anything with the pages I curate.  If you don’t know I curate the Sonoma County and Sonoma Valley webpages.  One way to address both of these pages and get a blog in is to talk about two of the smaller, lesser known sub-appellations in the region.  I give you Chalk Hill and Bennett Valley.

Bennett Valley is a sub-appellation of Sonoma Valley and is located in the Sonoma Mountain chain that leads up towards Santa Rosa.  It is almost an extension of the Sonoma Mountain sub-appellation.

Chalk Hill is a sub-appellation of the Russian River Valley.  It is at the east end of the appellation running up against the Alexander Valley appellation and Knights Valley appellation in the Mayacamas Mountains.

I’m going to tell you a little bit about both.

Bennett Valley

History
Bennett Valley is one of the newest appellations in Sonoma County.  In fact, it is one of the newest California appellations.  The application for the appellation was filed in October of 2001 by the CEO of Mantanzas Creek.  Mantanzas Creek is the ‘anchor’ winery of the appellation.  The appellation was granted in December 2003.  I don’t know for sure if that is a record but it is very fast.  According to information I read, there was on opposition.

The area shares a lot of it’s formative history with Sonoma Valley and Sonoma in general.  Grape growing recorded as far back as mid-1800s.  Many of the original vineyards farmed by immigrants and used for local wines.

Geography

Bennett Vally is, well, a valley.  It is one of the smallest AVAs in the Sonoma County with only 650 acres currently planted out of 8,140 acres available.  For comparison, Sonoma valley has about 60,000 acres planted.   It is a valley that is part of the Sonoma Mountain chain that runs along the west side of Sonoma Valley.  It is surrounded by three different mountain peaks: Taylor Mountain (west), Sonoma Mountain (south) and Bennett Peak / Bennett Ridge (east).  Finally to the north is the city of Santa Rosa.

Bennett Valley, like a lot of the area, around it has volcanic type soil and is a cool weather climate.  It’s unique feature, which separates it from the surrounding areas, is cool air is  channeled into the valley from the north by the peaks via the Crane Caynon / Grange Road wine gap.  The air has no where to go but settle in the valley.

Grapes, Wines & Wineries

You would think with a small amount of land planted that there wouldn’t be a lot of variation of in the grapes being grown.  If you did think that, you’d be wrong.  It planted mostly with Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah, with lesser amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Barbera, Grenache, and Sauvignon Blanc.  You can even find a bit of Petite Sirah, Sangiovese and Zinfandel.

Why should you care?

Bennett Valley is one of those lesser known special places.  It is one of those places that is coming into it’s own.  It is home to a well known and respected winery in Mantazas Creek and a lot of smaller family owned wineries. The growers there provide grapes to some of the best known California names including: Stag’s Leap Cellars, DuMol and Caymus.

Links

Bennett Valley Grape Growers Association

Bennett Valley @ Appellation America

 Bennett Valley @ Wikipedia

Bennett Valley @ Calwineries

Chalk Hill
When people say the name Russian River the first thing that comes to mind is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  That is a fair assessment as that is what the Russian River Valley is known for.  So, when people hear that Bordeaux style wines are being made in Russian River Valley they think someone is smoking some funny cigarettes or they just made a mistake.  The truth is, it is being done in a sub-appellation called Chalk Hill.

History

There isn’t anything outstanding about the history of Chalk Hill.  It wasn’t one of the first places that grapes were grown in California or even in Sonoma County.  It has, like a lot of places in Sonoma, growing grapes.  The Chalk Hill AVA was founded in 1983 when people realized this wasn’t Russian River Valley.

Geography

The Chalk Hill AVA covers about 33 square miles (85 square kilometers) and is situated at the eastern side of the Russian River AVA.  It has about 1,600 acres (650 hectares) of planted vineyard land with about a 1000 of that planted.  It is mostly rocky volcanic ash based soil and the elevation slopes upward the farther east you go.  The AVA ends on the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountain. The elevation of the AVA ranges from a low of 200 but is as high as 1300 feet.  Unlike the rest of the Russian River Valley AVA, the Chalk Hill region is relatively warm due to the influence of a thermal belt that runs through the area.  Harvest time in Chalk Hill often takes place in September while harvest in the surrounding regions usually takes place in October.

Grapes, Wines & Wineries

Chardonnay is still the most grown grape in Chalk Hill.  But there is an increasing amount of Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot.  Like many regions in California people experiment by growing different grapes, other grapes that are grown in Chalk Hill include: Pinot Gris, Sangiovese and Sauvignon Blanc.  With the warmer climate and big variation in altitude it is possible to find an area suitable to a lot of different grape varieties.

So what wineries are in Chalk Hill that you might know?  How about J Vineyards and Rodney Strong?  Yes, they are both in Chalk Hill with, of course, Chalk Hill Estate.
Why should you care?

Like Bennett Valley, Chalk Hill is one of those stealth AVAs.  It is an AVA with great grapes and wineries.  If you are the type of person that knows a secret that other people don’t you want to know about Chalk Hill.  The great thing about it is that you can find all wine in one area.  It produces a bit of everything, Burgundian and Bordeaux wines in 33 square miles.  Oh yeah, don’t forget the sparkling wine courtesy of J Wines.

Links

Chalk Hill @ Appellation America

Chalk Hill @ Wikipedia

Chalk Hill @ Calwineries

John Andrews is a software product manager during the week and is a professional Tasting Room staffer at Loxton Cellars in Glen Ellen, CA on the weekends.

Wine Proxies

posted by AdamL in Snooth, Wine Industry, Wine

There’s an ocean of imported wine out there, so how do you know if something is going to be good or not? While a select few people are familiar with individual producers within a wide range of regions, a slightly larger group just has a firm grasp on the main wine producing regions and sub-regions of the world, yet an even larger group knows they like wine from a specific country or knows they want to try it out. When you don’t consider yourself in that first group, you can learn the names of a few respected importers that you can use a proxy for actually knowing the producer of the wine you are about to buy.

Importers are always popping up and going out of business, but there are a number of reputable firms you can look out for. When I walk into a wine store and am looking for a new imported wine to try, the first thing I do is rotate bottles to look at the back label where the importer information is often stored. There isn’t always a logo on the label as there is in this Kermit Lynch example, but the text should be there. In the US, all imported wine must have some designation of what company imported that particular bottle. Different importers may import the same wine into different states or countries and multiple importers may have the right to import a single wine into the same place, so things can get a little confusing.

I’m mostly familiar with the portfolios of California importers, so this list skews towards the left coast of the US but here are a few of my favorites that I look out for. Some of these importers are distributed nationally.

-Chambers and Chambers – a little bit of everything. In Italy, they even use a consultant named Carla Bocchio who travels around helping them find the best producers. I had the chance to interview Carla a while back when she was in town, so will eventually post this interview on the blog.

-Kermit Lynch – French wines. The famous.

-Winemonger – Austrian wines. I’m still learning about Austrian wines, but there portfolio hasn’t disappointed yet.

-Charles Neal Selections – France

-Cape Classics – South Africa. Between these two SA importers, I think they have most of my favorite wine farms covered.

-Vineyard Brands – South Africa

-Domaine Select – a bit of everything

There are a couple of good articles you can read more on this idea of learning the name of an importer in order to discover new wines: Slate and HalogenLife