Wine Bazar

From the late 1800’s to the first half of the twentieth century California represented a land of opportunity for many. In Northern California, this potential seems to have been realized in particular by Italian immigrants who settled North of San Francisco in great numbers, founding small towns up the coast and in the inland valleys. Drive Highway 1, Highway 12, Highway 116, and the Bohemian Highway North of the city and you’ll pass old barns and homesteads, country stores, and several Italian restaurants that have been operating continuously since at least the Thirties.

That these fiercely determined immigrants met with success here is evidenced by not only by the preponderance of these small towns and farming communities, but also that these same towns are, after several generations, still populated with Dinuccis and Gonnellas.

Garen Staglin grew up the son of one of those early Twentieth Century immigrants. His father, Pasquale Stagliano, later naturalized as Ramon Staglin, emigrated at the age of two with his family from Calabria, Italy and settled first in New York and later California. Like so many other immigrants, the Staglianos brought with them their love of food and wine and the central role they both play in family life.

It’s no wonder then that when Garen met with considerable success, going from UCLA to Stanford Business School to the corporate world, and then to boardrooms and the halls of Silicon Valley venture capital, he and his wife Sharalyn dreamed of owning a vineyard. Carefully biding their time, they finally found just what they were looking for.

In 1985 the Staglins purchased a very old, very large estate in Rutherford that for many years had been under the management of André Tchelistcheff, known by some as the “Godfather of California Cabernet.” Tchelistcheff managed this vineyard for Beaulieu Vineyards under the ownership of the La Tour family, and it was this 50-acre parcel that he selected for producing the vaunted BV Georges De La Tour Cabernet.

The Staglins took this vineyard and the adjoining ranch and literally transformed it, carefully replanting the vineyards with direction from Tchelistcheff and building an underground winery and a home for themselves in the style of an Italian villa.

Today, and for nearly the past twenty-five years, Staglin Family Vineyards has been winning praise for the small quantity of estate wine that it produces each year: 350 cases of Sangiovese and 2,000 cases of Chardonnay in addition to the slightly more than 6,000 cases of this Cabernet. They are certainly my favorite producer in Rutherford, and in my opinion, one of the top three producers in the appellation.

Winemaking is currently done by Fredrik Johansson, but I believe this vintage was made by then winemaker Celia Masyczek, who spent almost a decade making some of the most celebrated of Staglin’s wines before continuing her career as one of Napa’s superstar winemakers.

The wine is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grown organically on the Staglin Family estate in the shadow of Mt. St. John in the Mayacamus Range in an area known as the Rutherford Bench. After destemming and crushing, the berries cold soak before a fermentation that lasts anywhere from 14 to 28 days. After secondary fermentation is complete the wine is aged for 26 months in 100% French oak barrels, (65% of which are new).

Tasting Notes:
Medium ruby in color and showing little sign of its age, this wine has a nose of leather, cherry, and wet cedar bark aromas — distinctively an older California Cabernet. In the mouth it offers flavors of fresh and dried cherries, cinnamon, and what can only be described as both the flavor and texture of the softest suede. A long finish completes a very satisfying experience that, if tinged with anything other than pleasure, might be said to involve a little regret at drinking this wine now, as it clearly has a good decade ahead of it.

Food Pairing:
I drank this wine with a nicely grilled filet mignon and fresh vegetables, which is certainly a classic pairing.

Overall Score: between 9 and 9.5

How Much?: This vintage can be had at auction or select retailers for around $120

This wine can be purchased online.

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Andrea Cardelli)

In the Silicon Valley, business incubation is quite common — larger companies often provide financial, operations, and moral support to smaller companies that they themselves have started, or outside start-ups that they believe have a good potential for success. This practice has become so normal that some companies have established entire business models based on incubation.

Incubation has also become common in the wine industry, where the costs of all the equipment and supplies required to make wine can be an extreme barrier to entry, and a source of extremely high overhead for those who do take the plunge. Just like a larger company might rent out some cubes and offer guidance to a smaller company, so to do wineries offer the use of their equipment to smaller producers using the fees from such services to defray the costs of their capital investments.

But incubation in the wine industry does not only happen as a matter of economic convenience, it often happens simply because, frankly, most folks in the wine industry can’t help themselves — they love making wine.

Jeff Cohn comes to winemaking from the world of food and hospitality. He fell in love with eating and drinking in his twenties and decided that he was going to make them his career, heading off for a degree in culinary arts, which was followed by a degree in hospitality management.

His early career saw him as the food and beverage director for Windjammer Barefoot Cruises and then later the manager of a Washington, D.C gourmet store.

During the ten years of his hospitality career, Cohn fell deeper and deeper in love with wine, and by 1993 he couldn’t take it any longer. Enrolling in a masters program in agricultural chemistry, Cohn emerged with a degree emphasizing enology, and was promptly hired by Rosenblum Cellars as its staff enologist.

That same year, Kent Rosenblum allowed Cohn to make a little of his own wine on the side — around 70 cases of Zinfandel — and JC Cellars was born.

You’d think that winemakers would be pretty busy folks — lots to worry about as grapes come piling into the winery by the truckload, dozens of fermentation tanks, hundreds of barrels — and that they wouldn’t exactly have time for dabbling here and there. But I don’t know a single winemaker that doesn’t have some small side project going, whether it’s a little experiment with a new cooperage, a new source of grapes, a consulting project for a little extra cash, or their own private label.

Such activities make for a lot of late nights for winemakers around harvest time, but somehow they manage to pull it off, and Cohn was no exception. He gradually built up a small business on the side, thanks to Rosenblum’s help, and Rosenblum customers got used to shopping at J.C. Cellars after they arrived to pick up their wines at Rosenblum.

By 2000, Jeff was Rosenblum’s winemaker and he had convinced owner Kent Rosenblum to add Rhone style wines (Syrah, Viognier, and Marsanne) to the portfolio, and J.C. Cellars was a steadily growing success. In 2004 Cohn was named vice president of winemaking and production, but in 2006, the time had come to focus all his efforts on J.C. Cellars.

Managed by himself and his wife Alexandra, the winery now produces about 5000 cases of wine and is the poster child for “in-winery” incubation of a new brand. The fledgling winery got its start in the protective shadow of Rosenblum but is now a completely independent entity, and one of America’s most highly regarded small wineries, with an unusual amount of critical acclaim for the wines.

The J.C. Cellars portfolio consists of mostly single vineyard wines, with an emphasis on the Rhone varietals — Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Viognier — plus some Zinfandel thrown in for good measure. Cohn sources grapes from small producers throughout Northern California with long term contracts that allow him to work closely with growers to tailor the fruit to his specific liking.

The wines are made in small batches that are carefully crafted to showcase each specific grape source, from the yeasts to the barrels, to the durations of time that the wines spend in contact with the skins.

Cohn’s wines have a reputation for power and brawn, richness and opulence. They have conjured the adjective “hedonistic” from many. These are accurate characterizations, but I find the wines somewhat more restrained on the whole than other producers that elicit similar descriptions. Cohn’s wines are nothing if not carefully and lovingly made, and this is easy to taste.

Full disclosure: I received these wines as press samples.

TASTING NOTES:

2007 JC Cellars Rockpile Vineyard Rose, Rockpile, Sonoma
Pale ruby in color, this rose of Syrah smells of alpine strawberries and rosehips. On the palate it is bright and silky with bouncy flavors of strawberry and cherry that remain firmly (thank god) in the territory of dryness, making this an excellent, refreshing wine of which to drink many glasses. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $18. Where to buy?

2005 JC Cellars “Rockpile Vineyard” Syrah, Rockpile, Sonoma
Nearly opaque garnet in the glass this wine has a rich sultry nose of earth and black cherry aromas. In the mouth it is silky and thick with flavors of black cherry, leather, earth, and black currant. Dusty tannins emerge as the wine heads to a long finish. Big and brawny, this wine will please lovers of big Syrahs to no end. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $45. Not yet released.

2005 JC Cellars “Ventana Vineyard” Syrah, Monterey
A cloudy medium ruby in the glass, this wine has a nose of white pepper, cassis, and black cherry. In the mouth it comes across as spicy, with continued flavors of white pepper, blackberry, and mixed spices. Lean and less bombastic than some of the other wines from this producer, but no less pleasant for it. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $45. Not yet released.

2006 J.C. Cellars “California Cuvee” Syrah, California
Medium to dark garnet in color, this wine smells of homemade blackberry jam and rose petals. In the mouth it offers flavors of cassis, blackberry, cola, and caramel notes, that head towards a finish with some heat on it. Decent acid, and imperceptible tannins, but the wine doesn’t quite hold together as much as you might like. Feels a bit disjointed. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $25. Where to buy?

2005 J.C. Cellars “Caldwell Vineyards” Syrah, Napa
Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of well oiled leather, black cherry, and earth. In the mouth it offers black cherry, blackberry, and deeper woodier flavors. Good acidity and silky texture make for a very pleasant feeling in the mouth and a long finish. Score: around 9. Cost: $45. Where to buy?

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Andrea Cardelli)

Review By W. Blake Gray

Stop the presses — no, wait, this isn’t printed. OK, stop the Internet — I found an excellent nigori sake!

Nigori is the White Zinfandel of sake. It’s tremendously popular, particularly with people just discovering sake. It tends to be very sweet. And experts turn up their noses at it, usually with good reason.

Nigori sakes are white and cloudy because they contain bits of rice that didn’t complete fermentation. They have an interesting, chewy texture. What turns off sake aficionados, more than their sweetness, is their lack of complexity — you don’t get the fruity, floral flavors and aromas that are the hallmark of quality sakes. Nigori sake reminds me of amazake, a warm, sweet, nonalcoholic rice drink sold at winter festivals in Japan. Imagine saying that a wine reminds you of cocoa.

John Gauntner wrote in 2005 on his authoritative sake-world site, “I have not had a full glass of nigori-zake in at least umpteen years, maybe more.”

I’m generally in the ABN (anything but nigori) crowd myself. Just as with White Zin, I think nigori sakes are great for the industry because they introduce new drinkers who can move up later. But I don’t order White Zin off the wine list either, even the reserve list.

Here’s an example of the U.S. market affecting Japanese sake production: enough people here like nigori sakes, and are willing to spend money for them, that a few companies make upscale versions. (There’s a difference from white Zin; the most expensive white Zin I could find online was $14.99.)

For Kamoizumi brewery in Hiroshima prefecture, making a premium nigori falls in line with company history.

The Maekake family who run Kamoizumi committed to unfiltered junmai production in 1971 when most of Japan insisted on charcoal filtering. Where most breweries saw impurities, Kamoizumi tasted complexities. But Kamoizumi junmais had a touch of color at a time when all sakes were expected to be clear. That decision had to be a lot more difficult than the decision to take Nigori upscale.

Kamoizumi “Summer Snow” Nigori Ginjo is good enough to seduce an ABN drinker. In fact, my bottle emptied with surprising alacrity.

Hiroshima is known for its soft water, a good base to start from. This sake is not chunky; instead it has a viscous mouthfeel. Yet it also rings with acidity and is not at all like the sweet, stewy nigoris that dominate the market.

Tasting Notes:
There’s a strong olive-oil note in aroma and flavor, something I don’t usually detect in sake. You also taste notes of white peach, cream (of course), lemon zest and clay. The medium-long finish never cloys. It’s only very slightly sweet; with an SMV of +1, it’s akin to a German halbtrocken Riesling. I have tasted many expensive non-white Zinfandels that have more residual sugar than this.

It’s the best nigori sake I’ve ever had. Is that damning with faint praise? No, but at the same time I’m not sure it’s convincing to the typical nigori drinker, since I’m openly ABN. Yet I really liked this sake; my bottle emptied rapidly. If nigori is the White Zinfandel of sake, this one’s the dry Pinot Noir-based rose.

Food Pairing:
Appropriately for an American-targeted product, this sake would work with American-style sushi, like spicy tuna roll, which overwhelms the delicate flavors of daiginjos, for example. The viscous mouthfeel makes it an interesting partner for rich-tasting fish, like salmon sashimi or steamed sablefish. I actually had it with slightly spicy Chinese food (salt and pepper squid, pea sprouts with garlic) and it was outstanding.

Overall Score: around 9

How much?: $28

This sake is available for purchase on the Internet.

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Levi Reiss)

Wine country is now 15 minutes from downtown San Francisco, thanks to the surge in wine producers that are popping up all over the East Bay (and in San Francisco proper, too!). Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley are now home to more than a dozen wineries that range in size from a couple of people and a couple of barrels, to some of California’s most lauded wineries.

A couple of years ago, these wineries got together and formed a marketing association that would help them all gain more visibility. This organization, known as the East Bay Vintners Alliance, has begun to put on yearly tastings to showcase the wines of its members and make good on the promise of an urban wine country in the East Bay.

I had a chance to sneak off to Oakland a couple of weeks ago on a picture perfect sunny day and hang out with the hundreds of Bay Area wine lovers that showed up to sample wines and special food pairings from some great restaurants in the area.

The event was, as far as I can tell, a smashing success. The weather alone would have made it a pleasant enough experience, but the food was quite good, including a huge cheese spread that I made several passes on once I had finished tasting all the wines.

This was my first opportunity to sample wines from all the members of the Vintners Alliance, and I’m happy to report that there’s some truly great wine being made in the East Bay’s urban wineries, and not just by the established names like J.C. Cellars, Dashe, and Rosenblum. There were a number of wines that were not to my taste, but the bulk of the wines were competently made and if they weren’t all spectacular, they certainly all showed both the hard work as well as promise of several new small producers.

My scores from my tasting follow below. Prices quoted are the suggested retail price for purchase direct from the winery.

Photo courtesy of John Joh.

Scores for the 3rd Annual Urban Wine Experience

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9 AND 9.5
2007 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel L’Enfant Terrible McFadden Farms, Potter Valley. $24.00
2006 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Todd Brothers Ranch, Alexander Valley. $32.00
2006 JC Cellars Marsanne Preston Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley. $32.00
2007 Rosenblum Cellars Viognier Kathy’s Cuvee.Winery only.
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Kontrabecki. Winery only.

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve French Colombard Domaine de Mirail, Cotes de Gascone. $12.00
2007 Dashe Cellars Dry Riesling McFadden Farms, Potter Valley. $20.00
2006 Eno Wines Grenache “Yes, Dear…” Eagle Point Ranch, Mendocino. $28.00
2007 JC Cellars Rose Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley. $18.00
2007 Prospect 772 Rosé “Babydoll” Sierra Foothills. $15.00
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Petite Sirah Pickett Road. Winery only.

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8.5 AND 9
2006 Andrew Lane Gamay Noir, Napa Valley. $19.00
2005 Andrew Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. $28.00
2006 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley. $24.00
2006 Eno Wines Pinot Noir “Never Say Never” Santa Lucia Highlands. $32.00
2006 Eno Wines Zinfandel “Acres of Happiness” Teldeschi Vyds Dry Creek Valley. $28.00
2005 Eno Wines Syrah “S05″ Las Madres Vineyard, Carneros. $35.00
2006 JC Cellars Syrah California Cuveé . $25.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Pinot Noir Morelli Lane, Russian River Valley. $42.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Pinot Noir Saralee, Russian River Valley. $42.00
2006 Prospect 772 Grenache/Syrah “The Brawler” Sierra Foothills. $36.00
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Rosie Rabbit Late Harvest Zinfandel Winery only.
2007 Two Mile Wines Viognier Bloomfield Vineyards , Central Coast . $23.00
NV Adam’s Point White After Dinner Wine. $16.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8.5
2005 Andrew Lane Cabernet Franc, Oakville. $35.00
2005 Andrew Lane Merlot, Napa Valley. $17.00
2006 A Donkey And Goat Three Thirteen (Southern Rhône style blend). $37.00
2006 A Donkey And Goat Syrah The Recluse, Anderson Valley. $37.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Reserve Syrah Trenton Station, Russian River Valley. $35.00
2006 Prospect 772 Syrah “The Brat” Sierra Foothills. $36.00
2006 Tayerle Wines Carneros Pinot Noir . $30.00
2007 Urbano Cellars Vin Rose Solano County Green Valley. $14.00
2006 Urbano Cellars Syrah Dry Creek Valley. $19.00
NV Adam’s Point Mango Dessert Wine. $16.00
NV Adam’s Point Persimmon Dessert Wine. $16.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8 AND 8.5
2006 Irish Monkey Cabernet Franc, Lodi. $29.00
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast. $28.00
2005 Aubin Cellars Verve Syrah Columbia Valley. $26.00
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve Sauvignon Blanc Paso Robles. $14.00
2006 Tayerle Wines Savignon Blanc Villa San Julliette . $12.00
2006 Two Mile Wines Petite Sirah Rosciano Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley. $34.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Syrah Alegria, Russian River Valley. $35.00
2006 Periscope Cellars Deep 6, California(6 Grape Red Blend). $24.00
2006 Urbano Cellars Petit Verdot Lodi. $16.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 7.5 AND 8
2006 Irish Monkey Syrah Lovall - Borneman Lavender Farm. $26.00
2006 Periscope Cellars Sangiovese, Alexander Valley. $22.00
2006 Two Mile Wines Sangiovese Polesky-Lentz Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley. $42.00
2005 Urbano Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel Solano County Green Valley. $18.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 7.5
2006 Periscope Cellars Petite Verdot, Lodi. $18.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 7 AND 7.5
2006 Irish Monkey Cabernet Sauvignon, “MEF”. $35.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 7
2006 Irish Monkey Primitivo Lovall Valley, Napa Valley. $30.00

WINES WITH A SCORE BELOW 7
2006 Periscope Cellars Zinfandel, Sonoma County. $20.00
NV Adam’s Point Chocolate Dessert Wine. $16.50

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Levi Reiss)

Wine country is now 15 minutes from downtown San Francisco, thanks to the surge in wine producers that are popping up all over the East Bay (and in San Francisco proper, too!). Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley are now home to more than a dozen wineries that range in size from a couple of people and a couple of barrels, to some of California’s most lauded wineries.

A couple of years ago, these wineries got together and formed a marketing association that would help them all gain more visibility. This organization, known as the East Bay Vintners Alliance, has begun to put on yearly tastings to showcase the wines of its members and make good on the promise of an urban wine country in the East Bay.

I had a chance to sneak off to Oakland a couple of weeks ago on a picture perfect sunny day and hang out with the hundreds of Bay Area wine lovers that showed up to sample wines and special food pairings from some great restaurants in the area.

The event was, as far as I can tell, a smashing success. The weather alone would have made it a pleasant enough experience, but the food was quite good, including a huge cheese spread that I made several passes on once I had finished tasting all the wines.

This was my first opportunity to sample wines from all the members of the Vintners Alliance, and I’m happy to report that there’s some truly great wine being made in the East Bay’s urban wineries, and not just by the established names like J.C. Cellars, Dashe, and Rosenblum. There were a number of wines that were not to my taste, but the bulk of the wines were competently made and if they weren’t all spectacular, they certainly all showed both the hard work as well as promise of several new small producers.

My scores from my tasting follow below. Prices quoted are the suggested retail price for purchase direct from the winery.

Photo courtesy of John Joh.

Scores for the 3rd Annual Urban Wine Experience

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9 AND 9.5
2007 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel L’Enfant Terrible McFadden Farms, Potter Valley. $24.00
2006 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Todd Brothers Ranch, Alexander Valley. $32.00
2006 JC Cellars Marsanne Preston Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley. $32.00
2007 Rosenblum Cellars Viognier Kathy’s Cuvee.Winery only.
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Kontrabecki. Winery only.

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve French Colombard Domaine de Mirail, Cotes de Gascone. $12.00
2007 Dashe Cellars Dry Riesling McFadden Farms, Potter Valley. $20.00
2006 Eno Wines Grenache “Yes, Dear…” Eagle Point Ranch, Mendocino. $28.00
2007 JC Cellars Rose Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley. $18.00
2007 Prospect 772 Rosé “Babydoll” Sierra Foothills. $15.00
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Petite Sirah Pickett Road. Winery only.

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8.5 AND 9
2006 Andrew Lane Gamay Noir, Napa Valley. $19.00
2005 Andrew Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. $28.00
2006 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley. $24.00
2006 Eno Wines Pinot Noir “Never Say Never” Santa Lucia Highlands. $32.00
2006 Eno Wines Zinfandel “Acres of Happiness” Teldeschi Vyds Dry Creek Valley. $28.00
2005 Eno Wines Syrah “S05″ Las Madres Vineyard, Carneros. $35.00
2006 JC Cellars Syrah California Cuveé . $25.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Pinot Noir Morelli Lane, Russian River Valley. $42.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Pinot Noir Saralee, Russian River Valley. $42.00
2006 Prospect 772 Grenache/Syrah “The Brawler” Sierra Foothills. $36.00
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Rosie Rabbit Late Harvest Zinfandel Winery only.
2007 Two Mile Wines Viognier Bloomfield Vineyards , Central Coast . $23.00
NV Adam’s Point White After Dinner Wine. $16.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8.5
2005 Andrew Lane Cabernet Franc, Oakville. $35.00
2005 Andrew Lane Merlot, Napa Valley. $17.00
2006 A Donkey And Goat Three Thirteen (Southern Rhône style blend). $37.00
2006 A Donkey And Goat Syrah The Recluse, Anderson Valley. $37.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Reserve Syrah Trenton Station, Russian River Valley. $35.00
2006 Prospect 772 Syrah “The Brat” Sierra Foothills. $36.00
2006 Tayerle Wines Carneros Pinot Noir . $30.00
2007 Urbano Cellars Vin Rose Solano County Green Valley. $14.00
2006 Urbano Cellars Syrah Dry Creek Valley. $19.00
NV Adam’s Point Mango Dessert Wine. $16.00
NV Adam’s Point Persimmon Dessert Wine. $16.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8 AND 8.5
2006 Irish Monkey Cabernet Franc, Lodi. $29.00
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast. $28.00
2005 Aubin Cellars Verve Syrah Columbia Valley. $26.00
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve Sauvignon Blanc Paso Robles. $14.00
2006 Tayerle Wines Savignon Blanc Villa San Julliette . $12.00
2006 Two Mile Wines Petite Sirah Rosciano Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley. $34.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Syrah Alegria, Russian River Valley. $35.00
2006 Periscope Cellars Deep 6, California(6 Grape Red Blend). $24.00
2006 Urbano Cellars Petit Verdot Lodi. $16.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 7.5 AND 8
2006 Irish Monkey Syrah Lovall - Borneman Lavender Farm. $26.00
2006 Periscope Cellars Sangiovese, Alexander Valley. $22.00
2006 Two Mile Wines Sangiovese Polesky-Lentz Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley. $42.00
2005 Urbano Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel Solano County Green Valley. $18.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 7.5
2006 Periscope Cellars Petite Verdot, Lodi. $18.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 7 AND 7.5
2006 Irish Monkey Cabernet Sauvignon, “MEF”. $35.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 7
2006 Irish Monkey Primitivo Lovall Valley, Napa Valley. $30.00

WINES WITH A SCORE BELOW 7
2006 Periscope Cellars Zinfandel, Sonoma County. $20.00
NV Adam’s Point Chocolate Dessert Wine. $16.50

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Andrea Cardelli)

Heritage plays out in many ways in the Napa Valley. There are only a few remaining families that have been farming in the valley since Prohibition, and even those that have tenures lasting more than three decades are increasingly being supplanted by new blood or corporate interests.

Some of those families that have left the valley after decades often move on to other enterprises after cashing out on their vineyard investments. However, it’s tough to abandon Napa Valley once you’ve lived and loved there for so long.

Winemaker Justin Meyer moved his family to the Anderson Valley in 1999 after more than 35 years of making wine in Napa Valley with a vision of producing world-class Port-style wine and establishing a family estate that could be carried on by future generations. Despite this move, the family never truly left Napa, as it continued (and still continues) to farm the same vineyard that in some ways is responsible for the fate of the entire Meyer clan.

Justin Meyer was one of the great icons of the modern California wine industry and one of its greatest success stories. Meyer thought he was destined for a life of prayer and service when he joined the Christian Brothers religious order in the late 1950’s, but a twist of fate led to him being sent to work at the order’s winery in Napa in 1964. That fateful move was the beginning of a forty-year career in the wine industry. After working for several years at Christian Brothers with the famous Brother Timothy, he left the order to marry a woman named Bonny that he had fallen in love with, and with literally a dollar to his name, he co-founded a little winery that he and partner Ray Duncan decided to call Silver Oak. The rest, as they say, is history. Justin spent 28 years at Silver Oak and built it into one of the world’s most sought-after wine brands.

During that time, Meyer, who was a lover of Port, purchased some bulk tawny port on the market and started to make small batches of the stuff under a new label: Meyer Family Cellars. The port was for friends and family, and was also sold in small quantities at the Silver Oak winery to those in the know.

During this time, Meyer raised a family with Bonny, whose name was also applied to a piece of vineyard land adjacent to Conn Creek that Meyer purchased for his wife in 1974.

From an early age, this couple’s son Matt Meyer knew that he wanted to be a winemaker and winegrower like his father. Unlike in his father’s day, the way to do that was pretty straightforward for Matt, who went to U.C. Davis for a degree in Viticulture, and then began working immediately with his father on turning the family winery into something more than just a little port hobby.

The family purchased vineyards in the Yorkville Highlands in 1999 and planted Syrah. Justin Meyer passed away in 2002, leaving the winery under the direction of Matt and his new wife, Karen, a winemaker whom he met while working a harvest in New Zealand in 2004. While their primary focus was growing a business and a brand in the Yorkville highlands, the family took special care to maintain the vineyard from which Meyer had made some of the most famous single vineyard wines for Silver Oak (and for Napa Valley) for more than a decade (1979-1991).

As Meyer Family Cellars gradually settled into a working rhythm and predictable operations, the family decided that the time had come to produce a wine that would honor in equal parts Justin and his wife Bonny — him with a world-class Cabernet, her with the honor of being its namesake. Bonny’s Vineyard last produced a wine in 1991. Since then the family continued to farm it, and completely replanted the vineyard in 1999, making the first harvest of new fruit and inaugurating this project in 2003, the first time that the vineyard has produced a wine in 12 years.

Harvested in mid-September (notably early for Oakville) the grapes for this wine were selected from small bunches of even smaller berries, and destemmed before being crushed. After a day of soaking at cold temperatures to extract color and flavors from the skins, the grapes and juice began fermentation which lasted 10 days before the wine was pressed. It completed its primary and then secondary fermentations in stainless steel before being moved to 100% new American Oak barrels where it aged for a lengthy 34 months before bottling. During that time it was racked once a year (the process where the wine is carefully poured off the sediments that have accumulated in the barrel). The wine was not fined, but was filtered before bottling.

If the pedigree of this wine is not enough to pique a wine lovers interest, two salient facts about its winemaking should gain the attention of those serious about California Cabernet. The first is the daring choice to age the wine in only American Oak, a practice which is increasingly rare in California, and even more so in Napa Valley. The second is the fact that this wine weighs in at only 13.19% alcohol, which, like the choice of oak, is neither good nor bad in itself, but is certainly even more uncommon for Napa Cabernet.

Which brings me to the bottom line on this wine. Those looking for a wine that defies the stereotypes of Napa Cabernet while at the same time upholding its reputation for being some of the tastiest wine on the planet shouldn’t miss their chance to experience the first example of what will likely be a highly sought after wine.

Full disclosure: I received this wine as a press sample.

Tasting Notes:
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine has a nose of luxurious chocolate and cherry aromas. In the mouth it is nothing short of gorgeous. Beautifully smooth and lithe on the tongue, the wine swirls with great acidity that carries flavors of cherry, mint, chocolate, cedar and tobacco across the palate in several waves of pleasurable, layered flavors. The finish soars off the back of the palate effortlessly and endlessly. An incredibly impressive first release that Justin Meyer could not help but be proud of.

Food Pairing:
This wine epitomizes the concept of delicate strength, which means it’s rich enough for grilled lamb on rosemary skewers, but not likely to overwhelm more subtle dishes either. A very nice food wine.

Overall Score: Between 9 and 9.5

How Much?: $135

This wine is being released on August 31st in limited quantities, and I believe it will likely only be available to members of the winery’s mailing list. You can sign up on their web site to purchase up to three bottles.

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Louise Wasa)

The Pinot Days event, which took place on the last weekend in June this year, brings together one of the largest collections of Pinot Noir producers in North America for the tasting pleasure of the public.

It’s taken me quite some time to get this report out. Such tasting reports are the most time intensive blogging that I do, especially when the organizers of events like Pinot Days don’t have an electronic list of the wines that are being poured at the event. Which means I need to transcribe the hundreds of wines and scores that I record in my notebook at the event. And that is tough to do with a newborn in the house. But this weekend I finally got a block of time to spend with my scores and crank them out.

I use such events, comprehensive as they are, as a means of judging the overall quality of the vintage in California, if it is possible to generalize in such a way as this. At this most recent tasting, the 2006 Pinot Noirs were on display, and I found them generally good but not as consistent as those who made good wine in 2005 (a problematic vintage in certain places). 2006 seems to have been more consistent in quality across many regions, from Santa Barbara County all the way up to Mendocino than in 2005. However the character of the wines did not seem as strong as in recent past vintages. In particular I found myself encountering a moderate incidence of volatile acidity in the wines, which seemed more prevalent in Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley wines than in wines from the Central Coast areas.

The field of wine also evidences a continued dialing back of extraction and ripeness from levels that seemed to peak in the 2002 and 2003 vintages. This is especially true for the wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands which tend to be some of the most overripe Pinot Noirs made in Northern California. Wines from Garys’ Vineyard, Pisoni Vineyard, and Rosella’s Vineyard, continue to be moderated to saner levels of fruit and alcohol than in the past.

I’m especially excited about the 2006 wines from the Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley, which seem to be excellent and certainly worth pursuing in greater depth.

I know that some of you have been waiting for this report for some time (and probably given up on ever getting it), but better late than never. I’ve called out the few nice roses I found as well as a couple white wines of note. Also, given the increasingly steep price of most Pinot, I’ve called out those wines that I think represent the best values (under $35).

Enjoy.

Click on the wine names to find online retailers who sell that wine.

PINKS AND WHITES
2007 Patton Valley Vineyard Rose of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $14.
2007 Hartford Family Winery Rose of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. Score: between 9 and 9.5. $22.
2006 Fort Ross Vineyard Rose of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. Score: around 9. Cost: $16. Where to buy?
2007 Coterie Rose of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. Score: around 9. Cost: $??
2007 Inman Family Wines Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley. Score: around 9. Cost: $ 25
2007 Novy “Blanc de Noir” White Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $??

BEST VALUES
2005 Ladd Cellars Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $30.
2004 Fort Ross Vineyard Pinotage, Sonoma Coast. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $32.
2006 Patton Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $35.
2006 Joseph Swan “Saralees Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $35.
2006 Mary Elke Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. Score: around 9. Cost: $26
2006 W.H. Smith Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. Score: around 9. Cost: $28
2006 Joseph Swan “Cuvee de Trois” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. Score: around 9. Cost: $28
2006 Copain “Tous Ensemble” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. Score: around 9. Cost: $30
2006 Fort Ross Vineyard “Symposium” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. Score: around 9. Cost: $32
2006 Eno Wines “Never Say Never” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. Score: around 9. Cost: $32
2006 Melville Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills. Score: around 9. Cost: $32
2006 Eric Kent “Windsor Oaks” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. Score: around 9. Cost: $33
2006 Byron Kosuge “The Shop” Pinot Noir, Carneros. Score: around 9. Cost: $33
2006 Londer Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. Score: around 9. Cost: $35

Complete List of Scores

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9.5
2006 Elke Vineyards Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $38
2006 Derbes Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $45
2004 Derbes “Les Pinots” Pinot Noir / Pinot Meunier, Russian River Valley. $44
2005 Calera “Ryan Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Mt. Harlan. $40
2002 Calera “Mills Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Mt. Harlan. $48
2006 Peay Vineyards “Pomarium” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $52

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9 AND 9.5
2006 Freeman “Akiko’s Cuvee” Pint Noir, Russian River Valley. $52
2006 Fort Ross Vineyard “Estate” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $39
2005 Fort Ross Vineyard “Reserve” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $49
2004 Fort Ross Vineyard Pinotage, Sonoma Coast. $32
2006 Eric Kent “Stiling Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $42
2001 Elke Vineyards Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $55
2005 Elke Vineyards Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $45
2006 Demetria Estate “Le Belier” Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills. $45
1999 Clos Saron Pinot Noir, North Yuba. $N/A
2005 Calera “Mills Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Mt. Harlan. $45
1997 Calera “Reed Vineyard” Pinot Noir (out of magnum), Mt. Harlan. $75
2007 Auteur “Ophelia” Pinot Noir (blend of Oregon and California fruit). $38
2006 Auteur “Shea Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon. $70
2006 Arista “Longbow” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $48
2006 Ancien “Mink Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Napa. $45
2006 Patton Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon. $35
2006 Peay Vineyards “Scallop Shelf” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $52
2005 Pelerin “Rosella’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. $48
2006 Saintsbury “Lee Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Carneros. $45
2006 Hartford Family Winery “Fog Dance” Pinot Noir, Green Valley. $$45
1998 Domaine Naddef “Les Champeaux” Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru, Burgundy, Fance. $??
2006 W.H. Smith “Marimar” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $48
2006 W.H. Smith “Maritime” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $54
2006 Pappapietro Perry “Pommard Clone” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $49
2006 Pappapietro Perry “Peter’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $49
2004 Michaud Pinot Noir, Chalone. $38
2002 Michaud Pinot Noir, Chalone. $N/A
2006 Melville “Terraces” Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills. $52
2006 Melville “Carries” Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills. $52
2006 Londer “Canby Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $50
2006 Londer “Paraboll” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $30
2005 Ladd Cellars Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $30
2006 Ladd Cellars “Gaps Crown” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $??
2006 Kindred “Amber Ridge” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $$44
2006 Joseph Swan “Saralees Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $35
2006 J. Wilkes “Block Q” Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County. $55
2005 J. Wilkes “Block Q” Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County. $55

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9
2006 Goldeneye Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $55
2006 Freeman “Keefer Ranch” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $46
2006 Freeman Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $42
2006 Foursight “Charles Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $46
2006 Fort Ross Vineyard “Symposium” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $32
2006 Flying Goat Cellars “Rio Vista Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. $40
2006 Eno Wines “Never Say Never” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. $32
2006 Eric Kent “Windsor Oaks” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $33
2006 Mary Elke Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $26
2006 Demetria Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills. $40
2006 Demetria Estate “Cuvee Sandra” Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills. $60
2006 Copain “Kaiser En Bas” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $50
2006 Copain “Tous Ensemble” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $30
2006 Copain “Cerise” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $45
2006 Clos Saron “Home Vineyard” Pinot Noir, North Yuba. $45
1994 Clos Saron Pinot Noir, North Yuba. $N/A
2003 Hereszytn Clos Village Vielles Vignes, Gevrey Chambertin, Burgundy, France. $37
2006 Byron Kosuge “The Shop” Pinot Noir, Carneros. $33
2006 Byron Kosuge “Hirsch Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $50
2006 Byron Kosuge “Manchester Ridge” Pinot Noir, Mendocino. $40
2007 Auteur “Sonoma Stage” Pinot Noir, Sonoma. $60
2006 August West “Graham Family Vineyard” Russian River Valley. $48
2006 Arista Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $40
2006 Arista “Mononi Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $56
2006 Ancien “Toyon Farm Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Carneros . $45
2006 Pey-Lucia “Frisquet” Pinoe Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. $39
2006 Saintsbury “Stanley Ranch” Pinot Noir, Carneros. $45
2006 Saintsbury “Brown Ranch” Pinot Noir, Carneros. $65
2006 Siduri “Ewald Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $??
2006 Hartford Family Winery “Lands Edge” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $45
2005 Skewis “Reserve” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $50
2006 W.H. Smith Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $28
2005 Huber “Baden” Pinot Noir, Malterdinger, Germany. $42
2006 Pappapietro Perry “Laura’s Family Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $49
2006 Miner Family Vineyards “Garys’ Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. $55
2006 Miner Family Vineyards “Rosella’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands . $55
2003 Michaud Pinot Noir, Chalone. $38
2001 Michaud Pinot Noir, Chalone. $N/A
2006 Melville Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills. $32
2006 Londer Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $35
2006 Londer “Estate” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $50
2006 Joseph Swan “Cuvee de Trois” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $28
2005 Joseph Swan “Trenton Estate” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $52
2005 Joseph Swan “Great Oak” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $38
2006 Inman Family Wines “OGV” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $45

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8.5 AND 9
2006 Handley Cellars Pinot Noir, Mendocino. $25
2005 Handley Cellars “RSM Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $52
2006 Goldeneye “Migration” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $32
2007 Gary Farrel “Bien Nacido Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley. $50
2008 Gary Farrel “Hallberg Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $50
2006 Freeman Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $42
2006 Flying Goat Cellars “Dierberg Vineyard” Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley. $42
2005 Eno Wines “Fairview Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. $38
2006 Elke Vineyards Rose of Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $18
1998 Elke Vineyards Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $$60
NV Mary Elke “Booneville Bath” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $18
2007 Caloir “Romas Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $44
2007 Caloir “Monument Tree” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $44
2005 Tardy “Au Bas de Combe” Nuits St. George, Burgundy, France. $54
2006 Calera “Mt. Harlan Cuvee” Pinot Noir, Mt. Harlan. $30
2006 Bouchaine “Estate” Pinot Noir, Carneros. $39
2006 August West “Rosella’s Vineyard” Santa Lucia Highlands. $48
2006 Arista “Toboni Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $56
2006 Ancien Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $??
2006 Pelerin “St. Vincent” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. $38
2005 Philo Ridge Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $32
2005 Copeland Creek Pinot Noir, Sonoma. $25
2006 Roesseler Cellars “Dutton Ranch” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $38
2006 Roesseler Cellars “Sanford and Benedict” Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara. $48
2006 Saintsbury Pinot Noir, Carneros. $35
2006 Saintsbury “Toyon Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Carneros. $45
2006 Saintsbury “Cerise Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $45
2006 Siduri “Muirfield” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon. $??
2006 Siduri Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $??
2006 Siduri “Sonatera” Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $??
2005 Skewis “Legenfelder Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $44
2001 Skewis “Floodgate Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $N/A
2006 Suacci “Carcienne” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $48
2005 Tandem “Sangiacomo Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $48
2005 Tandem “Van Der Kamp Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Mountain. $48
2006 Halleck “The Farm” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $50
2005 Huia Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand. $30
2006 Tantara “Bien Nacido - Old Vine” Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County. $48
2006 Tantara “Dierberg Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley. $52
2006 Tantara “Pisoni Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. $60
2006 Ladd Cellars “Moore Ranch” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $35
2006 Ladd Cellars “Swicegood” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $??
2006 J. Wilkes “Hillside Bien Nacido Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County. $42

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8.5
2006 Handley Cellars Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley. $30
2006 George “Vintage IV” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $50
2006 Gary Farrel Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $42
2006 Flying Goat Cellars “Rancho Santa Rosa” Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills. $44
2006 Enkidu “Gina Marie” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $42
2006 Enkidu Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $28
2006 Dovetail Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $39
2006 Dovetail “Indioli Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $52
2006 Clos Saron “Texas Hill” Pinot Noir, North Yuba. $40
2005 Domaine Prince de Menode “Ladoix” Burgundy, France. $31
2005 Serveau “Les Sorbets” Morey St. Denis 1er Cru, Burgundy, France. $73
2006 Bouchaine Pinot Noir, Carneros. $24
2006 Roesseler Cellars “Red Label” Pinot Noir, California. $28
2006 Roesseler Cellars “Griffin’s” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast. $35
2006 Roesseler Cellars “La Encantada” Pinot Noir. $46
2006 Tandem “Auction Block” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Mountain. $60
2006 Tandem “Silver Pines” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Mountain. $60
2006 Tantara “Garys’ Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands. $52
2006 Native 9 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County. $55
2006 Inman Family Wines “Meredith” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. $45
2005 Sonnet “Kruse Vineyard” Pinot Noir, York Mountain. $40

Original post by default@goarticles.com (James Brown)

Good wine is rarely made by accident. So much can go wrong in the winemaking process that to get something that isn’t complete dreck is a triumph, and those who are capable of creating fantastic wines are, despite their modesty and common protestations of “just letting nature take her course,” truly talented artisans.

While wines, and great wines in particular, are made with incredible forethought and planning, sometimes wine labels can spring up overnight as the result of an opportune conversation or new friendship.

Such is the case with this wine, which may be the first an only vintage under its label, though after tasting it, and knowing the folks behind it, I’d be surprised if this one didn’t take on a life of its own.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

One of the more interesting and enterprising folks in the wine industry that I’ve met in the last few years is a guy named Cameron Hughes. In just a short period of time, Cameron has made his own name synonymous with a category of wines that he, and his rabidly enthusiastic customers, calls “extreme value” wines.

Cameron has a long background in wine sales, and has lots of connections to wineries as a result. Over the years he’s heard many times from winemakers who had multiple barrels of finished wine that they couldn’t sell for some reason — either there was no demand in the marketplace for it, or for some reason the winery ended up with more wine than they wanted after making their final blends. At a certain point the message sank in — there was lots of wine out there, and some of it was really good wine, sometimes made by top winemakers, and it was available dirt cheap, as long as someone was willing to promise never to reveal just exactly where, or more importantly, who, the wine came from.

So what was an enterprising guy to do? Cameron decided to become what you might call a modern California negociant (a French term for a type of wine producer who buys grapes or finished wine on the market and bottles it under his own label). He started buying wine from very reputable producers, blending it with other batches, and bottling it for sale under his own name.

Cameron Hughes wine has consisted of small lots of wine, each of which is marketed under simply a lot number and the appellation of the specific wine, and most often for prices between $10 and $20 a bottle. The wines have been sold almost completely through his mailing list and web site, as well as in Costco stores around the country. Due to the cult following he has developed, he has gotten access to more and more interesting lots of wine, which are increasingly not only from California but from elsewhere around the world.

But this is not one of those wines. In fact, it isn’t a Cameron Hughes wine at all. It’s his dad’s wine.

The story goes like this. Cameron’s friend Sam Spencer, winemaker and proprietor of Spencer Roloson winery where he makes excellent Syrah (among other things), was given a chance to buy some Cabernet fruit from one of the vineyards where he was already sourcing Syrah. A Cabernet Sauvignon didn’t fit into the Spencer Roloson portfolio so he offered to make one for Cameron. But Cameron Hughes wines are all about bargain basement finished wine that can be blended and then sold immediately, not brand new wines made with pricey fruit that require expensive barrels and three years of aging before they get sold.

Coincidentally, Cameron’s dad was retiring that year from his job of 33 years, and apparently had an interest in having his own wine. A few phone calls later and a new wine label was born. With the help his best friend, Sandy Wellman, the elder Hughes pulled together the capital to buy the fruit and hire Roloson as the winemaker for their project.

I’m constantly surprised at how quickly, with the right relationships, a wine label can be forged. Gone are the days when in order to make wine you needed to own some land and make huge investments in equipment and more.

The one thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the need to have good winegrowing and winemaking talent behind the scenes, which means that it’s no surprise this wine is excellent. Sam Spencer’s label debuted a number of years ago with great wines, and they’ve only been getting better with time. His La Herradura Syrah is now one of my favorites of all time, so it’s great to see what he does with Cabernet Sauvignon.

In this case, what he does is get excellent mountain fruit from Nell-MacVeagh Vineyard, which sits on the lower slopes of Howell Mountain just to the east of the town of St. Helena. This vineyard, tended to Spencer’s specifications, yields few, but very lush bunches of fruit, which are destemmed and fermented in blocks after four days of cold soaking. After fermentation the wine is transferred to 70% new French oak barrels where it ages for 22 months before bottling. Only 199 cases of the wine were made.

Full disclosure: I received this wine as a press sample.

Tasting Notes:
Inky garnet in color, this wine has what I might call a “classic” Cabernet nose of bright cherry fruit with aromas of green wood, green bell pepper, and wet dirt. In the mouth it offers smooth, very pretty texture with excellent balance and acidity that allow a complex melange of rich cherry, green wood, and earth flavors to swirl and spike their way along the palate to a nice finish. This wine has a lot going on with it and a nice taut quality thanks to the slightly vegetal qualities that hover well below the threshold of objectionable and add a bit of “old world” character to the mix.

Food Pairing:
This is a classic red meat wine, and I’d love to drink it with a perfectly cooked prime rib.

Overall Score: between 9 and 9.5

How Much?: $50

This wine is only available for sale through the Cameron Hughes web site.

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Louise Wasa)

No matter how bad you think you have it, there are other folks who have it worse than you. We American wine lovers like to bitch about what a royal pain it is to buy wine from out of state wineries and from internet merchants. In truth, it is a broken and corrupt system — a perversion of the free market that enriches protectionist state governments and their wholesale lobbyists.

But it’s not as broken as France.

Yes, this is another rant against the idiocy of the French government and their utterly astonishing tendency to ruin their own wine industry, one of the great contributions their culture has made to the world.

The French really seemed to be making progress for a while there. The overhaul of the AOC system that they passed earlier in the year was most definitely a step in the right direction.

But last week, a piece of legislation leaked to the press that proves that either:

1. The passing of the AOC reforms was just a brief bout of sanity from an otherwise completely out-of-touch parliament
2. The legislative branch of the French Government is in the pocket of anti-alcohol lobbyists
3. When it comes to understanding the Internet, Parliament is dumber than a bag of hammers
4. All of the above

The proposed legislation places alcohol in the same category as pornography when it comes to regulation on the Internet. This means that wine cannot be sold on the Internet (which is currently the case), and sites dealing with the promotion or marketing of wine for sale by anyone other than wineries themselves must be approved by the government, and can only be accessible during certain hours of the day.

I hardly know what to say in response to this.

I’m not sure if this is dumber than their last demonstration of their legislative incompetence when they passed a law requiring all articles about wine to carry the same health warnings as the bottles themselves. Regardless it is certainly more dangerous — dangerous to the health of an industry that is struggling in the face of too many challenges to have its own parliament hamstring the ability for the wine industry to promote itself to the French people.

France needs another revolution. First thing we do, let’s kill all the lobbyists.

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Louise Wasa)

Tuscany will always hold a special place in my heart. If not for the dreamlike quality of the rolling Chianti hills in Spring, then for the fact that it was the place I realized I was probably going to marry the woman who is now my wife, and the place she fell in love with wine (she was already in love with me, thankfully) for the first time.

The red wines of Tuscany can be as frustrating as they are fantastic. Just ask anyone who’s had their share of lousy, watery Chianti at neighborhood Italian restaurants in the United States. Like many, my earliest exposures to Tuscan wine left me with a very distinct taste in my mouth, and it wasn’t pleasant. Tuscan red wines, even the good ones, can be quite dry and tannic in their youth, and if poorly made can really make you feel like you’re drinking liquid leather.

Those who have the patience to age their Brunellos and Vinos Nobile de Montepulciano, or to search out the gems of Chianti, Bolgheri, Sant’Antimo, or Maremma are often rewarded with wines of remarkable character and soul. When they’re good, they’re really frikken good, as my wife, Ruth, would say.

I find the Chianti region to be one of the most difficult in which to ferret out excellent wines. I’m sure I’ll draw some ire for claiming so, but I believe that the region has an unusually high proportion of mediocre wine compared to good, even among the DOCG (Denominazione di Orogine Controllata e Garantita) designated producers. Which means that when I find a great producer of Chianti, I get very excited.

My latest discovery is a winery named La Brancaia.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Brancaia is a relatively new producer in the Chianti Classico region. More surprising might be the fact that the estates owners, including the current winemaker, are Swiss German, and never had any intention of becoming wine producers.

In 1981 Brigitte and Bruno Widmer were on vacation in Tuscany for the first time, and not unlike many before them, fell in love with the landscape, the culture, and of course, the food and wine. On the spot, they decided to purchase a property that they might use as a family vacation destination, five hours by highway from their home in Zurich. With the help of a local real estate agent, they managed to find a few ancient farmhouses for sale, and quickly fell for the charm of the most ancient and most dilapidated of them. The property was perfect in every respect except for one: it came with 21 acres of grapes that the Widmers had no idea what to do with. The Widmers were not about to let a few vines get in the way of their dream, so they bought the property anyway, and set about refurbishing the old farmhouse.

Apparently their neighbors were the ones that talked the Widmers into trying their hands at winemaking and gave them support for the first year or two it took to get their small family operation up and running. Whether it was the neighbor’s help, their own Swiss attention to detail, or the raw quality of the vineyards they happened to have bought, it’s not clear, but their 1983 vintage won first place in a major Chianti Classico blind tasting.

And like so many stories of this kind, that was the first day of the rest of their lives.

Over the next 7 or 8 years, the Widmers threw themselves into the creation of a small, high quality Chianti winery. They purchased another vineyard site, bringing their total vineyard acreage to about 75, and fought through the nearly prehistoric local bureaucracy to get a permit to build a modern winemaking facility. All the while, their small production wines were garnering accolades throughout the country.

In 1992 the Widmers hired consulting winemaker Carlo Ferrini to help them take their operations to the next level of quality. Ferrini, even at that time, was one of Italy’s most celebrated winemakers and consultants, and quickly transformed Brancaia into one of Chianti’s most celebrated wineries. With Ferrini’s help, since 1994 the winery’s flagship wine “Il Blu” has been awarded the Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri every single year except one.

Soon after Ferrini began working with the Widmers, their daughter Barbara decided to abandon her budding career as an architect and become more involved with the new family business. After managing sales and event marketing for the winery, she eventually went back to school to train as a winemaker in Switzerland, and after graduating and working at several Swiss wineries, she returned to Brancaia in 1998 to become its full-time winemaker. Barbara, along with her husband Martin Kronenberg who manages operations and sales, has taken over management of the winery, and Ferrini continues to consult.

In 1997, the family purchased another property, this time in southern Tuscany in the Maremma region, from which they make a single wine called Ilatraia.

The wines are all made in the family’s production faculty in Chianti, a three story winery designed to all but eliminate the use of pumps in favor of the gentler forces of gravity on everything from the destemmed, crushed grapes to the fermenting and finished wine. The wines are all aged in French oak barrels, of which roughly 66% are new each year.

Brancaia certainly represents a new wave of producers in Chianti, and may be seen by some as “nuvo” or un-traditional (some Tuscan winemakers consider anyone using French oak to be a non-traditionalist). This may be true, but it should not obscure the fact that Brancaia is producing some truly fantastic wines that are true to the soul of the place from which they come, and top examples of what the region is capable of producing in the right hands.

Full disclosure: I received these wines as press samples.

TASTING NOTES:

2005 Brancaia “Ilatraia” Rosso Maremma Toscana IGT, Tuscany
Dark garnet in color, this wine has an incredibly distinctive nose that screams COLA! Followed by softer murmurs of cherry and chocolate. These murmurs turn into songs of such flavors on the palate, as beautiful rich flavors of cola, spices, chocolate and cherry swirl amidst lovely texture and very faint tannins through to a very nice finish. Tasty, tasty, tasty. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese, 10% Petit Verdot. Score: around 9. Cost: $70 . Where to buy?

2005 Brancaia “Il Blu” Rosso Toscana IGT, Tuscany
Cloudy medium garnet in color, this wine smells of chocolate covered cherries and wet dirt. I don’t know about you, but that tends to make my mouth water. On the palate the wine offers an overwhelming sense of having just been dug up out of the wet ground and plopped in your glass. This damp earth quality quickly plays a low rumble to higher tones of cherries and chocolate that modulate to higher tones of rosehip and herbs on the long finish. Delicious. 50% Sangiovese, 45% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $60 .Where to buy?

2005 Brancaia “Tre” Rosso Toscana IGT, Tuscany
Medium ruby in the glass, this wine has an altogether funky nose of farmyard aromas — gamey, horse sweat, and other pungent but not entirely objectionable smells mesh with red fruit. In the mouth, thankfully, the wine centers around more traditional flavors of leather, sandalwood, and cherry, as well as a distinctive, unusual flavor I couldn’t pin down. This wine is beating to it’s own rhythm. Sangiovese with unspecified amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $18. Where to buy?

2004 Brancaia Chianti Classico DOCG, Chianti, Tuscany
Medium garnet in color, this wine has a beautiful nose of floral and cherry aromas that compels multiple inhales before any drinking begins. In the mouth it is rich and full, while holding the earthy dryness one expects from a good Chianti. The primary flavors are of cherry and leather with rich earth undertones that linger on a bed of fine grained tannins into a nice finish. 95% Sangiovese and 5% Merlot. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $20. Where to buy?

Original post by default@goarticles.com (James Brown)