Calera Drops By Artisan
James and Christine (owners of Artisan Wine Depot) were nice enough to invite us to taste the wines of Calera, justifiably famous for their pinot noirs. We jumped at the chance.
As we learned, Calera’s vineyards are atop Mt. Harlan, a designated American Viticultural Area. And Calera is the sole winery in this AVA. That gives them quite a marketing edge. If you like grapes from Mt. Harlan, Calera is the only game in town. According to Marta Rich, National Sales Manager, the Mt. Harlan AVA was designated in 1990. And Calera still owns and manages the only vineyards in the AVA. Marta assures me that Calera does not sell any Mt. Harlan fruit. As an economist and small business owner, I appreciate the benefits of market power like this!
Four Whites
The tasting opened with two chardonnays. The Central Coast blend ($20) opens with aromas of oak and Meyer lemon. The palate that tension between pineapple and green apple with a hint of caramel. Thoroughly satisfying and fairly priced.
Kudos to Calera for truth in labeling. The back labels of the Central Coast blends give the percentages from each vineyard. The Mt. Harlan varietals include vast amounts of technical information. 2013 Central Coast Chardonnay back label (click for larger version)
The Mt. Harlan ($36) had too much oak for our taste. With age it may come around. We detected some lime and almonds that make it worthwhile to age a couple of bottles for several years.
And then there were two 2013 viogniers, also from the Central Coast and Mt. Harlan. The Central Coast blend ($18) opens with aromas of honeysuckle followed by lime and bosc pears. The finish is lemon custard. This is a relatively austere viognier with outstanding scents.
The Mt. Harlan ($32) is very austere.Hints of pear and honeysuckle on the nose followed by a mineral palate with a touch of green mango. The best way to describe the finish is juicy and long. Mt. Harlan back label (click for larger image)
On to the Pinots
Like the chardonnay and viognier blends, Calera also offers a 2013 Central Coast pinot noir ($28). Starting with aromas of rose petals and black cherries, the palate is predominately black cherries with a hints of spice and butterscotch. 2013 Central Coast Pinot Noir back label (click for larger image)
The first single-vineyard pinot was the 2012 de Villiers ($48). Wet slate and dark fruit aromas are followed by more minerality on the palate. The technical notes on the website say this wine was not racked and is unfiltered. The chewy texture fits that perfectly.
The Ryan 2011 ($48) has a gritty, dark, earthy profile. Herbs and pepper on the nose lead to more earth and a hint of spice.
The 2012 edition of Ryan ($50) is much better. Aromas of black cherry and herbs are followed by more black cherry and blackberry on the palate. Nice structure and a long, delightful finish.
Calera’s Mills 2011 ($54) is lighter than the Ryans. Aromas of red raspberries and bing cherries lead to darker cherries and spice on the palate.
The tasting closed with the Jensen 2012 ($85). Like a number of high-end pinots, this one is beyond the scope of our taste buds. We did recognize aromas of cherries and leather followed by complexity and depth that we could detect (if not fully appreciate).
Calera’s Story
Calera is sited near an old lime kiln in the Gavilan Mountains. The vineyard is atop a mountain of limestone, just like Calcareous in Paso Robles.
Calera Location (click for larger image)
As we’ve learned, limestone is part of the classic terroir for pinot noir. Here’s the Calera vineyard map: Calera Vineyard Map (click for larger image)
Owner Josh Jensen studied winemaking in Burgundy and searched for two years before finding the ideal location. Despite being 25 miles from the ocean, the vineyard’s 2,200 foot elevation yields the cool nights pinot noir and chardonnay need. It happens that “calera” is Spanish for limekiln, serving as both the basis for great wine and the winery’s logo.
Calera Logo
Compare with the original: The Calera (click for larger image)
Josh Jensen
Josh planted his first pinot noir grapes in 1975. That same year he released his first wine. Clearly it wasn’t from those grapevines. In fact, it was a zinfandel made from purchased grapes. From the Calera website:
In 1977 Josh purchased property on which to build the winery. He chose a 100 acre site on Cienega Road halfway between the vineyard and the town of Hollister. Located 1000 feet lower in elevation than the vineyard, this property was blessed with the all-important attributes of a paved road, and both telephone and electrical service (services which to this day are unavailable on Mt. Harlan).
On the Cienega Road property. a multi-level rock crushing facility had been built into the steep hillside in the 1950s. The facility was abandoned before it was ever used for crushing rock, but 20 years later the walls and terraces, with some substantial seismic retro-fitting, (the San Andreas fault lies just 100 yards away) became the heart of Calera’s gravity-flow winery. The multi-layered hillside construction has allowed for the gentlest possible handling of the Calera wines. Wines move through the winemaking process by the mere force of gravity, rather than by the use of pumps.
Conclusion
We’ve encountered Calera many times over the years. It was a pleasure to experience a focused tasting of their wines.
Field Recordings in Paso Robles
We spent a long July 10 weekend in Paso Robles. Naturally we spent two afternoons visiting wineries. Our exciting newcomer is Field Recordings. More on those folks in a minute.
The Canyon Villa William and Katherine
[pullquote]William Carter and Katherine Bloxsom-Carter purchased The Canyon Villa from former Innkeepers Diane and Jim Babcock in early April. The Canyon Villa plans to upgrade the guest experience by offering unique dining experiences, winemaker-led private tastings, holiday celebrations and special weekend packages.[/pullquote]
Our other purpose was to get acquainted with the new owners of the Canyon Villa. From the e-mail announcing the ownership change→
William and Katherine are absolutely delightful hosts. Pizzas and other dishes from the wood-fired pizza oven are now regular events. For those staying at least three nights, they offer a Sunday supper at no additional charge. They have added catering services and are planning to host business events during the workweek. We are pleased to continue our five-star rating for this wonderful experience. The Canyon Villa. Copyright © 2015 William S. Carter. Used by permission. (click for a larger version)
Field Recordings
Andrew Jones
This winery boasts one of the most unusual names we’ve encountered. Owner-winemaker Andrew Jones knows grapes from the ground up — literally:
Field Recordings is 34-year old winemaker Andrew Jones’ personal catalog of the people and places he values most. Spending his days as a vine nursery fieldman planning and planting vineyards for farmers all over California, Andrew is sometimes offered small lots of their best fruit on the side. Having stood in just about every vineyard on the Central Coast, he has a keen eye for diamonds in the rough: sites that are unknown or under-appreciated but hold enormous untapped potential. As friendships are made and opportunities are embraced, Andrew produces small quantities of soulful wine from these unusual, quiet vineyards.
Taken from photographs of starlings in flight, the artwork for the Field Recordings label documents natural, un-staged patterns that can never be repeated nor replicated. In the same way, each bottle of Field Recordings Wine captures the inimitable circumstances of each vineyard, vintage, and friendship that made it possible.
As our tasting room host Jennifer Bartz put it, “Andrew believes wine should reflect the vineyard and grapes as much as possible. His wines are faithful recordings of what happened in the fields where the grapes were grown.”
The Wines
Field Recordings’s annual production varies wildly depending on where Andrew can get grapes he can work with. They make 50 wines, with 80% of their production going into cans. Their biggest markets are Chicago and Texas. Canned wine for sporting events that don’t allow glass bottles!
The winery boasts two secondary labels, Wonderwall and Fiction. These are vineyard-specific, but the Wonderwall label is exclusively reserved for pinot noir and chardonnay.
Before diving into the reviews, we have to note one thing. Each and every one of these wines is a bargain. We’ll especially recommend the Wonderwall chardonnay. To our tastes (and economist minds) it competed well with chardonnays priced 50 percent higher — in the $30 range. We started with the 2014 chenin blanc ($22). Unusually, this wine was aged in acacia barrels. And it worked. This is close to a French Chablis but without the minerality. It’s light, refreshing, and very quaffable.
Wonderwall Chardonnay
Next up was the 2014 Wonderwall chardonnay from the Spanish Springs vineyard in Edna Valley ($22). Andrew put this wine in barrels just long enough for some oak aromas. But there is none on the palate. Flavors of lemon cream, hints of lime and pineapple lead to a mineral finish. This is a major bargain, competing easily with wines priced over $30.
The 2013 tempranillo ($18) was from the Ventucopa vineyard in Santa Barbara County. We’ve tasted tempranillo before and even bought a few bottles. But this is absolutely unique. Aromas of boysenberries and earth are followed by a flavor fruit bomb including ripe figs and oranges with a hint of cranberry.
The 2014 Wonderwall pinot noir ($22) is also from the Spanish Springs vineyard in Edna Valley. Aromas of black cherries and cola are followed by smoke and pepper on the palate. A hint of cinnamon adds to a long, delightful finish.
A wine labeled 2014 carignan ($25) was actually blended with 25% cinsault. Yes, we know, this percentage is well within legal limits. And the cinsault is clearly identified on the label. Moral: read the label! The grapes are from the Camp 4 vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley near Los Olivos. The nose is rose petals, eucalyptus, and spice, with a strawberry, cotton candy, and licorice palate.
Inevitably, there will be a cabernet sauvignon in any wine tasting. This one was a 2013 ($29) from the Grassini Vineyard in Santa Barbara. The wine is blended with 12% petit verdot, putting it 2/5 of the way to the traditional Bordeaux blend. Thankfully, the wine has pure cabernet sauvignon character with no green pepper. This is about as good as a cabernet gets.
A 2014 “Hinterland” cabernet franc ($22) was truly amazing. Blueberry and blackberry aromas followed by more of both on the palate.
Conclusion
On a trip like this we’re lucky to find two or three good wineries that are new to us. This trip was exceptional. A future post will discuss the others, actually about half a dozen. But Field Recordings and the revitalized Canyon Villa were too good to wait. Stay tuned for more from Paso Robles.
Family Winemakers Pomona: William James Cellars and Talisman
Yes, we know, March 15 was a long time ago. We’ve been busy with various activities. We still have to earn income to support our wine habit!
In this review we’ll look at two more from Family Winemakers Pomona: William James Cellars and Talisman.
William James Cellars
William James Cellars offered a 2011 Santa Barbara County ($28). This wine is made from a Martini clone graft from the Makenna vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. (The graft was taken from the justly famous Bien Nacido vineyard.) We found it a nice representation of the Santa Rita Hills. Opening with nice aromas of red raspberry and bing cherries, the wine slides into a nice, albeit slightly acid, palate. Decidedly Burgundian and a bargain.
[pullquote]Robin’s Manifesto: I am a goddess, and my body is my temple; so therefore I drink wine![/pullquote]
William James is owner – manager – winemaker Robin Bogue’s baby. The winery name is a composite. William is her father. James is her son. (And that means that the winery is not, truly, her baby.) The winery is in the Santa Maria area with a tasting room in Orcutt. The website reflects her general approach to winemaking (and, most likely, life):
It’s a Wonderful Life! Ingredients for Happiness and Prosperity Bread-that this house may never know hunger; Salt-that life may always have flavor; Wine-that joy and prosperity may reign forever. William James Cellars owner and winemaker Robin Bogue believes in making wine that she’d like to drink—and creating fun pairings that buck the status quo. – Photo by Kaori Funahashi
Talisman
A few hundred miles north, the Sonoma town of Glen Ellen is where you’ll find Talisman. We’ve written about Talisman before, but it was good to renew our acquaintance. (click for larger image)
Talisman wines generally need aging and decanting. The aroma rounds out nicely once the wine is exposed to air.
The wines started with the 2011 Los Carneros Adastra Vineyard ($56). Aromas of earth and leather, followed by very nice flavors. “Pleasant” was the word that came to mind.
The 2012 Sonoma Coast Wildcat Mountain Vineyard ($52) also needs some time to open up. This wine is lighter than the Adastra, with a mild raspberry palate and a hint of vanilla on the finish. Wildcat Mountain is on the opposite side of Carneros valley from Adastra. Once again we are reminded of the sensitivity of pinot noir grapes to terroir.
The 2012 Sonoma Coast Spring Hill Vineyard ($42, available only to wine club members) is from a vineyard in the infamous Petaluma wind gap. Aromas of cherry, spice, and leather lead to a palate of Santa Rosa plums and mineral. The finish is long with a hint of spice.
Here’s one you can’t buy: the 2010 Badger Block. Total production: one barrel. This wine was too special for our taste. Scents and tastes of blackberries and violets, some mineral, and a bit of spice.
The 2012 Yorkville Highlands Weir Vineyard ($65, available only to wine club members) is also for patient consumers. Aromas of forest floor with bing cherry and “desert” notes are followed by more cherries and herbs. The finish is tannins and oak. Great aging potential. Buy a case, put it in the cellar, and open one bottle a year until 2020. Maybe longer.
Scott and Marta Rich
Talisman is the pet project of Scott and Marta Rich. Scott learned the basics of winemaking when he was six years old. Greek friends made wine annually. He attended graduate school in the enology program at U.C. Davis and has worked as a research enologist for both RH Phillips and Robert Mondavi. Marta’s dad made wine in their Minnesota home. After getting her degree in psychology at the University of Colorado, she moved to Napa Valley, beginning an 18-year stint at Robert Mondavi. Before departing she was in charge of Mondavi’s Northern California sales team. Her two current positions are aDirector of Sales for Calera and Director of Sales & Marketing at Talisman.
Artisan Hosted Winemaker Philippe Secondé from Champagne Barnaut
On June 24 our friends at Artisan Wine Depot hosted winemaker Philippe Secondé from Champagne Barnaut (founded 1874).
M. Philippe Secondé and Tony
M. Secondé brought three champagnes with him, each from Barnaut’s vineyards in Bouzy, France. More on the winemaker and the vineyards after we look at the wines.
The Champagnes
These are the real deal. You may or may not like any or all of them, but they are 100 percent authentic Champagne, reflecting the terroir and the skill of M. Secondé. And, at Artisan’s prices (quoted here), each qualifies as a real bargain. The Grande Reserve NV Brut Champagne Grand Cru ($40) opens with the traditional yeast nose (specifically sourdough yeast) and a hint of anise followed by more chewy yeast on the palate with an explosion of bubbles. Flavors develop into red currants and honey. The finish is long with a hint of toasted nuts. The wine is a blend of about two-thirds pinot noir and one-third chardonnay.
Next up was our personal favorite, the Blanc de Noirs NV Brut Champagne Grand Cru ($40). We usually don’t like 100 percent pinot noir champagnes because they offer too much “blanc” and not enough “noir.” But this was an exception. M. Secondé has managed to keep the pinot character while making an excellent champagne. Aromas of white peach and bosc pear with a hint of citrus and minerality are followed by a hint of ginger and more pears on the palate. A chewy finish with mineral and more peaches rounds out an excellent experience.
The final wine was the Authentique Grand Cru NV Brut Rose Champagne. This is complex, interesting stuff, not quite as fizzy as the previous two, but quite acceptable. Cranberry and tangerine aromas are complemented with hints of roses and smoke. The palate is chewy, but too bitter for our taste with hints of orange zest and more cranberries. The best description we can come up with for the finish is, “Too rosé-ish.”
Meet Philippe Secondé
M. Secondé has been the owner, manager, and winemaker at Champagne Barnaut since 1985. In 1999 he took a second job as vice-president (Région Viticole) of Acolyance, a consulting agency for all aspects of making and selling Champagne. (Acolyance also consults in other agricultural areas, but those are probably not in M. Secondé’s area of expertise.) [pullquote]The wine making is not easy: hand picking the grapes, the manual sorting bunch by bunch, cold maceration, followed by a perfectly timed fermentation. These steps are the beginnings of a rigorous process which will produce a thousand bottles in years that allow it.[/pullquote]
But his main job is making great wine. Here’s a translated version[1] of the job description from the Champagne Barnaut website →
He also has an impressive educational background with baccalaureate and graduate degrees in viticulture and oenology from Lycée Viticole de Beaune. His post-graduate work was at Faculté d’Oenologie de Dijon – Institut Jules Guyot and Centre de Formation Professionnelle Beaune.
Champagne Barnaut
The company is located in the town ofBouzy, 16-3/4 miles south of Reims and 12 miles east of Épernay.
Reims to Bouzy (click for larger image)
Here’s what 1 Rue Gambetta looks like:[2] Champagne Edmond Barnaut (click for larger image)
This is everyone’s idea of what a French winery should be. Owner operated, estate grown grapes, and a winemaker who is really good at making Champagne.
[1] Initial translation by Google Translate. Additional editing by Tony Lima.
[2] Google street view, image from 2014.
Artisan Hosts The Donum Estate
Our friends at Artisan Wine Depot invited us over for a Saturday (May 8) afternoon tasting of pinots from The Donum Estate. Donum pinots are pricey, including one with a suggested retail of $90. Is it possible that there is a pinot noir worth $90 a bottle? We have drunk a few bottles of Hartford’s Arrendell which is about the same price. And we only thought the Arrendell was a little overpriced. For our conclusion, keep reading.
The real surprise in this tasting waswines from Robert Stemmler. Apparently Mr. Stemmler wanted to retire in the late 1990s. Donum bought the brand around 2001. According to Wines & Vines,[1]
[Anne Moller-Racke] became more and more intent on developing Tula Vista Ranch as an estate, somewhat in the Burgundian mode, for artisanal wine production. When Allied-Domecq bought Buena Vista in 2001, she wisely retained Tula Vista, which she had renamed The Donum Estate, as a Racke holding (the company name), and began to develop it as the heart of a largely Pinot Noir-focused operation. She also plucked out the Robert Stemmler brand and brought it a long to Tula Vista.
More on Ms. Moller-Racke after we look at some of the wines.
The Pinots
The tasting opened with the 2012 Robert Stemmler Carneros ($25). Aromas of plum and black raspberries lead to spice and huckleberry on the palate. This wine is juicy and a real bargain.
Next up was the Stemmler 2012 Russian River Valley Winside Vineyard ($44). Norma describes this as “Lynmar-esque.” (Long- time readers will know about our affinity for Lynmar Estate pinots.) Flavors of plum, cherry, and spice lead to a somewhat unfortunate finish with hints of black licorice.
On to the high-end wines. The Donum Carneros Estate 2012 ($72) is on the big side, with a multitude of flavors. Starting with an earthy palate, the layers reveal cranberry, herbs, and cedar. This one can use a year or two in the bottle before you open it.
Donum also makes a Russian River Valley blend ($72). This is pretty good, but too sophisticated for our palates. At this price we prefer Lynmar or Hartford. Aromas of strawberries and red raspberries are followed by black raspberry and licorice on the palate. The finish features firm tannins with a hint of oak.
And now for the top of the line: the Donum Ten Oaks pinot noir 2012 Sonoma County ($90). This wine might actually be worth the price. This is also too sophisticated for our palates. But we could tell we were tasting something very special. We rely on the Wine Spectator’s review. “Fresh and snappy, with vibrant mineral, red berry, spice and red licorice flavors. Ends with firm, fine-grained tannins and good length.”
And again, we discover that our aging palates are simply not discerning enough to appreciate what The Donum Estate is doing. But we are certain that Anne Moller-Racke knows what she’s doing. Let’s take a closer look at her history.
Anne Moller-Racke[2]
Anne Moller-Racke in 2004
Anne arrived in California in 1981 with her then-husband Marcus. The Moller-Racke family had just bought the historic Buena Vista winery in Sonoma. Marcus was on-site to manage the transition. Anne worked in the tasting room. An inauspicious beginning for a fine career. After the transition to new ownership was complete, Anne took over the job of managing the vineyard. This move from pouring and talking to getting her fingernails dirty allowed her to realize that she really liked the entire winemaking process from grapegrowing through bottling.
Anne and Marcus divorced in 1991. (Calm down, guys. She is currently married to Saul Gropman.) She held on to the Tula Vista Ranch vineyard. After a few years in college,she returned to manage the vineyard at Buena Vista. Yes, she was working for her ex-husband who had decamped to Germany.
In 2001 Buena Vista was sold to Allied-Domecq. Anne kept Tula Vista which she renamed The Donum Estate. About this time, Robert Stemmler wanted to retire, so Anne bought the brand. Backed by Racke Holdings, a family company, she focused on Burgundy-style pinot noirs. In 2003 Donum Estate released their first wine, a 2001 pinot noir.
Updating to 2014, Anne is the vice-chair of the reconstituted Carneros Vintners Alliance.[3]
Speaking to the group of growers and winemakers, the board’s vice chair Anne Moller-Racke, who is the president of the Donum Estate, said she was thrilled to see the renewed focus of the alliance. She said the collaborative and cooperative spirit of the region is part of what sets Carneros apart—as well as the area’s excellent Chardonnay. “For myself, I think we should always pay more attention to Chardonnay,” she said. We’ll forgive her for her heresy as long as she keeps making great pinot!
[1] Walker, Larry, ” Anne Moller-Racke’s Quest: The Ultimate Pinot Noir.”Wines & Vines, October, 2004, pp. 18-21. Available on the Stemmler website at http://www.robertstemmlerwinery.com/trade_media/PDFs/articles/ quest_ultimate_pinot.pdf.
[2] Walker, op. cit.
[3] Adams, Andrew, “Carneros Wine Alliance Adopts New Focus.” Wines & Vines, April 2, 2014. Available at http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=news&content =130588 Santa Lucia Highlands Gala
On May 16 we made our way to Salinas. Mainly known for being “America’s salad bowl” and the home of John Steinbeck, this little town has recently become the gateway to the Santa Lucia Highlands. We had returned to Salinas for the ninth annual Santa Lucia Highlands Gala.
The Santa Lucia Highlands (SLH) AVA is justifiably famous for pinot noir and chardonnay grapes. Naturally we were there for the pinots. And we found quite a few good ones.Several wineries were new to us. But the biggest surprise was a few that we have known about for years. These old friends have changed their ways and are now producing pinot that we like.
The Venue
The Mer Soleil Vineyard once again hosted the event. Mer Soleil is not open to the public. This was a rare chance to visit them.
Mer Soleil Winery The Newbies
These folks are all making very good pinot noirs. We’ll discuss them in the order in which we tasted.
Hope & Grace
First on our list was Hope & Grace. Their Doctor’s Vineyard 2012 pinot noir ($48) opens with black cherries and strawberry aromas. On the palate we discovered spice and slight tannin. This wine is not a bargain but is fairly priced. The Doctor’s Vineyard was new to us. Here’s what the winery website has to say:
The Doctor’s Vineyard is planted on the terraces of the Santa Lucia mountain range, overlooking the Salinas River Valley. Here, the fog and breezes off nearby Monterey Bay funnel southeast, between the Santa Lucia and Gabilan ranges, creating a cool, true Region 1 climate. The vines elevated site takes full advantage of the morning sunshine before the brisk afternoon maritime winds slow down photosynthesis, making for long and gentle ripening.
Owner Charles Hendricks, started Hope & Grace in 2001. Hope and Grace are his daughters. The 2012 is his first SLH vintage. The tasting “salon” is in Napa, squarely in the middle of Yountville. Annual production is about 3,500 cases. Charles has been making wine in the Napa Valley for 33 years. We’re very happy he has decided to go it alone. Charles Hendricks
Miner Family Winery
Our next stop was Miner Family Winery, located on the Silverado Trail north of Oakville on the east side of the Napa Valley. They were pouring four pinots, all 2012.
If you like French-style pinots, these are the wines for you. The first two were from Rosella’s Vineyard.
[pullquote]The “777” Dijon clone is a specific variety within the Pinot Noir family originally from Burgundy’s Morey St. Denis region in France.[/pullquote]
The Rosella’s “777” ($75) is unusual. Made entirely from clone 777, this wine is intense and appealing with rose petal and spice aromas followed by dark berry flavors. This note from the winery website →
Miner also offered a Rosella’s ($60) that was a blend of clones (presumably). This pinot showed more fruit than the 777. Aromas of cherries are followed by more cherries and cedar on the palate.
The Garys’ Vineyard ($60) opens with faint aromas of rose petals. This wine is fairly austere, with flavors of black cherries and a hint of oak. The finish features spice and tannins. The spec sheet for this wine makes a point that took us about a week to figure out last summer:
This 50 acre vineyard was planted in 1995 by friends and growers Gary Franscioni and Gary Pisoni along the terraces of the Santa Lucia mountain range, overlooking the Salinas River Valley.
Finally, Miner’s Sierra Mar Vineyard ($75) is the biggest of the four. Our guess is that a year or two of aging will improve this, although it may not have enough backbone to support it. Today the wine features intense, black raspberry and violet aromas with a smooth, toasted oak finish.
Miner Family at SLH McIntyre Vineyards
[pullquote]The McIntyre Estate Vineyard lies in the “sweet spot” of this rolling, benchland region. It produces incredibly intense and complex Pinot Noirs and well- structured, concentrated Chardonnays.[/pullquote]
McIntyre Vineyards is Steve McIntyre’s pet project. Steve farms 11,000 acres of winegrapes in Monterey County as the owner/operator of Monterey Pacific. From the wine spec sheet →
Steve McIntyre
McIntyre’s 2013 Santa Lucia Highland Estate pinot noir ($34) is a major bargain. This was the first pinot that we found interesting. While the aroma a bit musty, suggesting wet earth, the flavors develop into cranberry, red raspberry and a hint of cherries. A long spice finish with silky tannins round out a wonderful experience. Sarah’s Vineyard
Tim Slater
[pullquote]Tim is a reclusive and eccentric scientist, engineer, and inventor, who worked over the years in Silicon Valley at a variety of small startups, in a little known field called micromachining. A relatively prolific inventor, Tim is named on over 25 patents in his chosen field and has worked on projects as widely varied as micro-satellite thermal controllers, artificial retinas for vision restoration in the blind, and large-scale optical networking equipment.[/pullquote]
Sarah’s Vineyard is in the Hecker Pass winegrowing area west of Gilroy. If you’re trying to find the website don’t use a search engine. There’s a “winery” in Ohio that has apparently bought up all the Google adwords.
Tim Slater bought Sarah’s in 2001. Before that he worked in tech. From the winery website →
We spent some time chatting with Tim. He may be eccentric, but he has gotten over any reclusiveness that he might have once had.
There were two Santa Lucia Highlands pinots from Sarah’s, a mini-vertical tasting. The 2012 ($32) is the more intense of the two. Aromas of bing cherries and red raspberries followed by more cherries and raspberries on the palate. The 2013 ($32) is a little lighter. Slightly less intense aromas of bing cherry and raspberry lead to more bing cherries, black cherries, and raspberry palate. Both rate as bargains.
Prim Family Vineyard Prim at SLH
Prim Family Vineyard is a new boutique winery in the Napa Valley. It’s a project started by Wayne and Victoria Prim in 2009. They have been selling wine since 2014, making them all of one year old as a commercial enterprise.
Current production is 600 cases per year, but they expect it to nearly double to 1,100 cases next year. Their 2012 Napa pinot noir won a gold medal at the San Diego competition.
Now they have sourced fruit from the Apex Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Apex is at the top of the Highlands — what did you expect? — an altitude of 1200 feet. Their 2013 Apex Vineyard ($38) is on the licorice – tobacco style. Not to our taste, but still very good.
And Some Old Friends
We always like to check in with wineries we know just to keep them honest. J Seriously, it’s always fun to catch up with folks we’ve talked to before, find out what’s new, and taste their latest products.
Mansfield-Dunne
We discovered Mansfield-Dunne at the 2014 SLH gala and loved their pinot. We dropped by their table to see how they are progressing. We were greeted by John Peterson who was offering two pinots.
John Peterson
The 2012 Santa Lucia Highland ($36) is a bargain. Intense aromas of herbs, smoke and tea lead to blackberry and raspberry flavors. Smooth tannins balanced with nice acidity make for a long, delightful finish.
The 2012 Peterson Ranch ($48) is the winery’s estate wine. If you’re going to drink this wine now, we would recommend decanting it to open the aromas a bit. As it is, there are hints of blackberries, cedar and oak aromas. A palate of ripe plums and wild strawberries draw your attention to the balanced acidity and oak. Pisoni/Lucia
The Pisoni Family
We also discovered these wineries at the 2014 event. And we were impressed. Their Lucia 2013 Garys’ Vineyard ($65) is little too smooth with some subtle complexity. Look for black cherries, a slight hint of caramel, with spice and tannins on the finish.
Paraiso/Alexander Smith
We first encountered Paraiso at a long-forgotten Palo Alto wine bar quite a few years ago. We thought it was good, but the wine had some unfortunate pharmacological side effects (upset stomachs, noticeable hangover). We decided to take a chance after noting their newly-designed main label and the new second label (Alexander Smith).
Paraiso’s 2012 Santa Lucia Highlands pinot noir ($45) opens with raspberries and raisins on the nose. That combination works in practice much better than it sounds in print. Flavors of cherry, oak, and red licorice lead to a long finish. Pretty darn good. Unfortunately they had run out of their Alexander Smith wines.
Morgan
I was reluctant to try Morgan, but I followed Norma to their table. And we’re both very happy that we did. Morgan appears to have changed their ways, stopped producing monsters that need ten years aging, and are now making wines we like.
Owners Dan and Donna Lee
Their 2013 Garys’ Vineyard ($58) is pretty good, but overpriced. Aromas of baking spices, dark chocolate, and rose petals are melded with plum, black licorice, and sage on the palate.
Conclusion
The ninth SLH Gala was even better than the eighth. With any luck we’ll be back next year. Artisan Goes German
Our chums at Artisan Wine Depot invited us over for a taste of an eclectic mix of wines on June 18. Of the many wines offered, two stood out, both German. Hence, Artisan goes German.
Frank Heyden And Family
(click for larger image)
Weingut Dr. Heyden offered a 2011 riesling from the Oppenheimer Sackträger vineyard Rheinhessen region. Artisan’s price is $19.97. Basil and tarragon with hints of green apple, pear and citrus on the palate. Hints of smoke and cedar on the finish. Described on the label as “old vines, dry style,” this wine is not sweet. A major bargain. Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt supplied a trocken Riesling that was also very good (and also $19.97). The2013 Schloss Marienlay opens with a luscious aroma of white peach followed by Asian pear on the palate. The finish is nicely balanced with acid. Another bargain.
Schloss Marionlay The rest of the German wines were too sweet for us. But we enjoyed the two we bought!
Loring Wine Company’s Visit to Artisan
We discovered Loring Wine Company at the 2014 Santa Lucia Highlands Gala. They specialize in pretty good pinot noir. When our friends at Artisan Wine Depot invited us to come taste the latest releases, we said, “Yes” almost immediately. We were not disappointed with Loring Wine Company’s visit to Artisan. (Note: all prices are Artisan shelf prices. Many of the wines we tasted are not available through the Loring website.) Brian and Kimberly Loring continue to produce high- quality wines at reasonable prices.
Two Chardonnays
There were two chardonnays opening the show. We found the 2010 Durrell Vineyard Sonoma County ($44.99) too big and oaky for our taste. The 2010 Sierra Mar Santa Lucia Highlands ($35.99) was lighter and more to our taste. Flavors of white peach and caramel with just enough green apple and citrus acid to balance the wine.
Four Pinot Noir Blends
The first four pinots were 2013 blends from Santa Barbara County ($26.97), the Russian River Valley ($34.97), the Santa Lucia Highlands ($32.97), and the Santa Rita Hills ($30.97). The Santa Barbara was light with aromas of red raspberry and bing cherries. Spicy herbs marry strawberry flavors lead to a rose petal finish. We bought a couple of bottles of this goody. By contrast, the Russian River Valley was bigger, representative of the AVA. Aromas of cranberries and dried roses followed by black cherry, cedar on the palate. The finish featured blueberries, quite a surprise. But this pinot was too heavy for our taste.
The Santa Lucia Highlands was also on the big side. Bing cherries with floral notes on the nose followed by plenty of dark fruit. Again, this wine was too big for our taste.
But the Santa Rita Hills avoids the aromas and flavors we call “desert.” Earthy notes combine with spice flavors and an all- around lighter touch. We also bought two bottles of this one.
Five Single-Vineyards
The four blends were followed byfive single-vineyard offerings. The 2013 Keefer Ranch Russian River Valley ($42.97) opens with bright cherry aromas. More cherries on the palate as well as a hint of spice. This wine has intense flavors but still is light in your mouth, an austere French-style pinot. While we hesitate to call this wine a bargain it is reasonably priced for a pinot from this justifiably famous vineyard.
Next up was the 2012 Graham Family Vineyard Russian River Valley ($39.99). It’s rare for us to discover a new vineyard, but this was our first taste of the Graham Family fruit. Oak, spice and blackberry aromas followed by flavors of cherries and cola with just a hint of spice. This one was also too big for us.
The 2013 Cargassachi Santa Rita Hills ($44.97) greeted us with aromas of cocoa, coffee, licorice, and spice. Flavors of wild black raspberries and acidic cherries balance each other nicely. Powerful stuff. We have a long history of not particularly enjoying wine from this vineyard. Brian Loring did his best, but it’s not for us. Rosella’s Vineyard 2013 Santa Lucia Highlands ($44.97) is another familiar name. This is a quintessential Santa Lucia Highlands pinot. Featuring a nice medium body, the aromas of black raspberries, red raspberries and rose petals blend nicely. Flavors of black cherries lead to an explosive caramel finish. This wine is very fruit-forward, perhaps too aggressive.
The last pinot was from Garys’ Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands ($43.97). Garys’ is justifiably famous not only for terrific fruit but for being owned by two guys named Gary. Hence the plural possessive. Garys’ was planted in 1996 by two well- known Garys (Pisoni and Franscioni). This wine features huckleberry, forest floor, and floral notes on the nose. The wine itself is medium-bodied, but loses a bit of punch on the finish. Age it for a year or two and let it develop.
Brian and Kimberly Loring
Brian and Kimberly Loring continue their excellent work in Lompoc. An Eight Year Old Zin Worth Pursuing
Tonight we cracked open a bottle of 2007 Passalacqua Dry Creek zinfandel that had been hanging around in our cellar. The notation on the bottle said we should have opened it in 2011. Luckily we forgot about it until recently. This is an eight year old zin worth pursuing.
This is terrific stuff. Aromas of brambleberry and spice. The palate opens with traditional zinfandel spice followed by layers of complexity: a hint of vanilla, a touch of black raspberry, and more spice on the finish.
The year 2007 was a good one for Passalacqua zins. The winery was making them quaffable, sometimes approaching pinot noir complexity. We’re happy we held on to this one for eight years.
University of Burgundy Launches Free Online Wine Course
Exciting breaking news! The Université de Bourgogne in Dijon is offering a free, online wine course starting May 21. There are a few glitches in the registration process which I’ll outline below. For now, let’s just say that if you’re following the instructions in this article and are on a Mac, use Firefox, not Safari.
Background
We learned about this course viaDecanter.com . From their description:
The Open Wine University – Université de la Vigne et du Vin pour Tous – will offer the dual-language courses starting on 21 May 2015.
Course content has been put together by the main teaching staff of the Jules Guyot Wine and Vine Institute including Sandrine Rousseaux and Olivier Jacquet, with input from winemakers including Françoise Arpaillanges of Domaine Françoise Jeanniard in Pernand-Vergelesses.
The course covers subjects from viticulture, understanding terroir, tasting techniques and vinification, alongside the history and cultural importance of wine, and will be presented over five weeks in various formats from online seminars to videos-blogs and interactive tastings.
‘I am a graduate of oenology from the Jules Guyot Institute,’ Arpaillanges told Decanter.com. ‘So, I was happy to contribute to the course research. I gave background on understanding the different terroir and climats of Burgundy, and the historical basis for today’s vineyard locations. This will now be turned into parts of the teaching material, although I am not teaching directly myself.’
Links to registration and other information are available via Americans in France. Tip: right-click the link and select “open link in new tab.”
Registration Issues
The MOOC registration site has a few problems. First, don’t try to register with Safari unless you’re in one of the following countries:
If you try to register as “Other Country” with Safari you won’t be able to type anything into the text box that opens. Save yourself some trouble and use Firefox instead. Here’s the form: Click the pull-down menu that lists MOOC providers. Relax — there aren’t all that many.
In fact, here’s the entire list of providers. Make the obvious choice. Once you’ve clicked Université de Bourgogne you’ll need to click the Search button. The site is not up to date on php. Search will show this:
Click the obvious choice and you’ll see this: Course Home Page
Be careful! You’re signed in. Don’t click the “Enroll” button unless you’re fairly sure you want to enroll.
As of May 13, 2015, 2:00 GMT, the page shown above is only available in French. Here’s a link that will show you the page using Google translate.
Read the description, look at the schedule, study the syllabus, review the instructors’ backgrounds, then decide if you want to enroll. If so, all you do is click Enroll:
Enroll!
Unfortunately, I have to work on May 21, so I will miss the opening session. I hope the folks putting this together will supply podcasts. Stay tuned.
Big Surprises in Pomona
On March 14 we took a deep breath, had our mechanic bless our ancient BMW 530i, and headed south. Our destination was the Los Angeles County Fair venue (the “Fairplex”) in Pomona (out toward San Bernardino). The event was the next day, a southern California edition of the Family Winemakers tasting. As an added bonus the venue includes a Sheraton hotel that was walking distance from the pavilion.
And what a tasting it was. We found half a dozen wineries making terrific pinot noir. But two really stood out: Picayune Cellars and Flying Goat Cellars. There were big surprises in Pomona!
Picayune Cellars Jennifer Roberts at FWC
Picayune‘s 2013 Sonoma Coast ($29, MAJOR BARGAIN) is an excellent representation of this AVA. Aromas of cedar, wild strawberry and red raspberry followed by smoke, leather, and a hint of caramel on the palate. The finish is long and surprisingly aromatic.
Jennifer Roberts, c0-owner of Picayune, was behind the table. We chatted for a while. Their first bottling was a sauvignon blanc in 2011. Annual production is about 1,500 cases.
Jennifer Roberts and Claire Weinkauf Every good winery has a story and Picayune is no exception. The founders are Ms. Roberts and Claire Weinkauf. At the time Claire was working with Paul Hobbs and Jennifer was a wine broker. Claire had the idea, Jennifer had the liquor license, and one night after consuming quite a bit of sauvignon blanc the idea came together. And here they are five years later. Claire married Aron Weinkauf, the winemaker at Spottswoode. Jennifer’s husband Nathan Roberts is co-owner and winemaker at Arnot-Roberts. As Jennifer put it, “This is our little bit.” (Look up the definition of “picayune” to get the joke. Or read this.)
Flying Goat Cellars
Flying Goat Logo and Philosophy (click for a larger image)
Picayune, Flying Goat — who said the industry was running out of creative names? Flying Goat co-owner and winemaker Norm Yost was ably assisted behind the table by Danielle McKee. In an entertaining economics side-note, the other co-owner, Kate Griffith, lobbied Congress on behalf of the Mexican government to help get NAFTA passed. (On the home page, Ms. Griffith’s job description is “proprietor/chief philosopher.”) Norm and Kate are almost newlyweds, having gotten hitched January 1, 2010 (01/01/10 for numerologists). Flying Goat’s 2011 Dierberg Vineyard Santa Maria Valley ($46). Aromas of dark fruit with cherry notes are followed by ripe fruit with hints of smoke, leather, and earth on the palate.
The 2011 Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard Santa Rita Hills ($48). Opening with scents of dark fruit and black cherries lead to a great mouth feel with spice that lingers on the palate. A hint of vanilla at the end of the finish.
And their 2010 Rio Vista Vineyard Clone 2A Santa Rita Hills ($42) is a fruit bomb that may put you in a diabetic coma. Scents of huckleberry lead to smooth tannins with hints of freshly-ground coffee. Flying Goat is located in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. Somebody needs to put a decent hotel in Lompoc so we can visit the area easily. But Kate was once the Economic Development Manager and Planning Commissioner for the City of Lompoc, so perhaps she can do something about this. She is on the Lompoc Wine Alliance Board of Directors. And — best of all — she is treasurer of the Lompoc Valley Beekeepers Association.
Norm is currently on the Board of Directors of the World of Pinot Noir after serving a stint as president. He is also a former board member of Santa Rita Hills Winegrowers Alliance and Santa Barbara County Vintners Association, and winemaking instructor at Allan Hancock College. In his 30+ years in the industry he has made wine starting in the Willamette Valley and working south until 2000 when he settled in the greater Santa Barbara area and started Flying Goat. #protip
We have a buying tip. Have you ever wondered what happens with the unopened bottles of wine after a tasting event? If you find something you like and whoever is pouring has the authority, offer to meet them after the event ends so you can take some of that wine off their hands. You’ll pay for it, but you’ll also generate quite a bit of goodwill. These folks don’t want to truck the wine all the way home.
Conclusion
We continue to be amazed by the number of new pinot noirs, the ongoing increase in the number of wineries, and the incredible job growers and winemakers are doing with this most-difficult grape. After this event, we are in awe.
Coming next: the half-dozen other pinot noir wineries worth looking for. Yes, that’s right: eight wineries producing pinot noir that we want to write about.
RN Estate Solomon Hills Vineyard Vertical
While exploring our wine-cellar[1] this afternoon, we were pleased to discover two bottles of the RN Estate Solomon Hills Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley). The vintages were 2011 and 2012. Forthwith, our RN Estate Solomon Hills Vineyard vertical tasting.
The 2011 ($55, two bottle limit) is the more approachable of the two. In a word, this wine is “pretty.” Aromas of black cherry and strawberry lead into Asian five-spice and more black cherries on the palate. The finish is slightly spicy with lingering silky tannins.
The 2012 ($49) needed to breathe a bit to open up. (If you are lucky enough to have a bottle or two, I’d advise waiting another year, at least.) Aromas here are more consistent with what we call “desert,” creating images of sand and tumbleweeds. But the palate is an explosion of delectable fruit with just a hint of tobacco. There is also a very small hint of spice on the finish with more smooth tannins.
The Vineyard
[pullquote]The Solomon Hills Vineyards takes its name from its neighboring hills named for Salomon Pico, a celebrated bandit who in the 1850’s traveled frequently along the stretch of El Camino Real that is known today as Santa Maria Valley. Pico’s life was so colorful that it is believed by many to have inspired the legend of Zorro.[/pullquote]
The Solomon Hills Vineyard was developed in the late 1990s. It is located on a western slope of the Santa Maria Valley, adding a more pronounced ocean fog influence to the terroir. The soil is sandy loam, reflecting the sea that once filled the valley. This vineyard is near the justly-famous Bien Nacido and Sierra Madre plots.
But, of course, the name must have a story →
We hope the partnership between Roger Nicolas and the Solomon Hills team continues for many years.
[1] OK, it’s really just a couple of wine racks in the garage with a portable air conditioning unit for summer use. We can call it whatever we want. Tasting Room Fail
Over on Facebook I’m regularly bombarded with ads for “Tasting Room.” I’m not going to link to their site for a very good reason. Shown above is the artwork that was included in one of their ads today. Tasting Room apparently doesn’t know much about wine tasting.
Pinot Paradise Lost – Gripes amidst the Santa Cruz Grapes
The Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association (SCMWA) invites member wineries to pour their pinot noirs the last Sunday of March at the lovely venue of Villa Ragusa in quirky downtown Campbell . If you live in Silicon Valley, It’s usually been a great way to taste a lot of pinots without a lot of driving.
We were lucky enough to attend both the 2007 and 2008 editions.This year 35 wineries trotted out about 75 pinot noirs for our tasting. There were two immediately noticeable changes from 2007.
First there were many people at the 2008 event who seemed to think this was an excuse to drink a lot and converse loudly with their friends. Second, it seems to us that a number of wineries have either stopped attending Pinot Paradise or (even worse) are showing up but only pouring their low-end wines. For whatever the reason, there were about 600 people at the 2008 tasting. In 2007 there were 400 folks, making for a much more pleasant event.[1]
The upside to the more raucous 2008 event was one winery whose pourers wore t-shirts reading “Pinot Envy.” Yes, they were all women. Yes, the winery was selling the shirts. No, we didn’t buy any.
All this plus 13 “fine food purveyors” handing out snacks for a mere $60 per person.
A Paen to Pinot Pinot noir – the grape that’s difficult to grow and nearly impossible to turn into good wine. Pinot noir grapevines yield about 60% less per acre than most other wine grapes. Right off your costs are about doubled because it takes roughly twice as many grapes to make the same quantity of wine. Then you get to the winemaking and it becomes downright impossible. These grapes are so fussy and fragile that it’s easy to overcome the delicate pinot noir nose and fruit with tannin, oak, excessive water, or the wrong yeast. But when we find one we like, we tend to stick with it until proven otherwise. (The “we” includes my lovely wife Norma.)
The central issue: are there wineries that produce pinot noir that we consistently like? Granted the sample is way too small (both in number of wineries and years) to draw any conclusions. But what the heck – this is a blog, not the Journal of Wine Economics. What follows is our impressionistic comparison of the 2007 and 2008 Pinot Paradises.
Warning: we like our wines fruit-forward with light tannins, if any. We’re amenable to unusual flavors. The vanilla finish is one of my favorites, but some of the more slate- like, mineral flavors can also appeal. The Wines We managed to taste wines from 26 of the wineries this year. At the 2007 event we sampled the pinots from 20 different wineries. Some were pouring a single pinot, a few were pouring as many as three. The overlap between the two years wasn’t complete – we skipped some tables where we sipped in 2007 because we didn’t think they were trying to make wine we liked.
It’s a tough job but someone has to do it.
Let’s cut to the chase. There are two wineries that performed consistently at both events: Hallcrest Vineyards and Muccigrosso Vineyards. Neither is cheap, but at least you can purchase quantities of the Muccigrosso Santa Cruz Mountain Pinot Noir ($35/bottle). Hallcrest routinely puts its pinots on allocation, usually four to six bottles maximum. But the prices are usually upwards of $40/bottle.
Wineries that seemed to be producing good pinots at the 2008 tasting included:
Roudon-Smith 2006 Santa Cruz Mountain ($24/bottle). Berry on the nose and palate with a bit of spice. Cherry on the palate, nice finish. Hallcrest Vineyards 2004 Vista del Mar vineyards ($42/bottle). Lovely floral nose, deep intense fruit. Burrell School Vineyards & Winery 2005 “Principal’s Choice” ($44/bottle). Smoky nose, some tannin, a bit of licorice, very intense. A pinot for steaks. Not listed on their web site as of March 31. Woodside Vineyards 2004 ($36/bottle). Another pinot trying to be a zinfandel with a smoky nose and considerable spice on the palate. Windy Oaks Estate Vineyard and Winery 2005 Estate Pinot Noir Reserve is completely sold out to the general public, but available to wine club members for $48/bottle. At the 2007 tasting we rated this wine as fruity with a little spice. Windy Oaks was only pouring the 2006 Estate Cuvee ($38/bottle) and the 2006 Estate Diane’s Block ($45/bottle) at the 2008 Pinot Paradise. Of the two we preferred the Diane’s with a bit of fruit, some mineral qualities, but quite drinkable. But we find them all pricey.
Under the heading of wine you can’t buy is Sarah’s Vineyard 2007. The winery was offering samples of their barrel tasting. Due for release in 2009, it’s worth taking a second look when it hits the market.
Who Fell Off? So who were the folks that did such a good job in 2007 but fell apart in 2008? Perhaps the longest drop was McHenry Vineyard. After the 2007 Pinot Paradise we ordered a case of their 2003 estate pinot. Light, fruity, a hint of secondary fermentation. We drank the 12 bottles with considerable pleasure. Unfortunately that may have been a one-time occurrence, as the 2004 and 2005 were almost watery with very little flavor of any sort. And beware ordering the older pinots from McHenry’s web site. We tried a few and the best of the lot were over the hill. Some had gone bad.
What About The Rest? By my count we tasted 36 different pinot noirs on March 31. We can only recommend six. In part, this has been the impact of that stupid movie. Many wineries are planting pinot noir grapevines in places where the grapes will not do well. And a fair number are asking their winemakers to attempt making a wine that they don’t have the skills to handle.
Paradise Lost As a wine economist, my natural reaction to a situation like this is to raise the price. Clearly $60 per person is attracting a crowd that isn’t much interested in pinot noir. But as a wine lover who especially enjoys pinot noirs I have my doubts about whether that’s a good solution. Let’s suppose the SCMWA doubles the price in 2009. That would, in fact, keep out some of the folks who just came by to get drunk. But it will also prevent pinot noir lovers from attending simply because their incomes are too low. The economist’s solution is far from ideal in this situation.