Perlis Picks: Limerick Lane

June 3, 2017 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

Limerick Lane, while it has been around for a long time, really burst onto the scene when Jake Bilbro acquired the property in 2011 from the Collins Family. The story of the timing of the escrow closing coinciding with bringing in harvest and then the destemmer breaking down is legendary enough that the annual Limerick Lane Hail Mary Syrah is named after it.

Jake Bilbro of Limerick Lane Cellars.

Bursting on the scene is what happened though, with immediate recognition from major wine publications that continue to happen, maybe even at an accelerated rate. Not unexpectedly though, as making great wine seems to run in Jake’s family. Starting with Marietta Cellars, which Jake’s dad Chris named after his great aunt, Jake and his brother Scot have long worked with their father to make delicious affordable wines that everyone can enjoy, growing the winery to 100,000 cases.

[Jake’s other brother Sam, who also worked with father Chris, owns Idlewild Wines, devoted to Italian varietals – I am looking forward to visiting during my next trip to the area. Yet another brother, Lucas, did not get bitten by the wine bug and pursues his own passion as a ballet dancer.]

When Karen and I last visited with Jake, there were not many wines to taste. Success will do that, especially when you are a small winery of only about 4,000 cases. I asked Jake if he planned to expand production given the demand for the Limerick Lane wines, especially with his involvement in last year’s Historic Vineyard Society event and his obvious connection to the great vineyards the organization works to protect. Jake respond that he greatly respects the work that people like Mike Officer of Carlisle and Morgan Twain-Peterson of Bedrock are doing with regard to preserving and sourcing from California great old vineyards. However, notwithstanding the fact that these guys all sell a certain amount of grapes to each other, showcasing the special nature of the Limerick Lane vineyard and the wines it produces is his driving passion and that will be the focus of his time, at least for the foreseeable future.

The vineyards actually consists of fourteen blocks, the oldest dating back to 1910. The Zinfandel blocks are true field blends that also include Alicante Bouschet, Peloursin, Negrette, Mourvedre, Carignane, Syrah and Petite Sirah.

The Russian River Valley sprawls over a large area, and Limerick Lane is at the Northeast corner of it, with hills providing southern and western exposure. The soil is clay and rock, with the clay holding water and the rock providing space for the vines to dig deep. Cool nights and foggy mornings keep the acidity high and the wines vibrant while the warm afternoons allow the development of intense flavors.

Initially planted by the Del Fava family, the property was later purchased by the Collins Brothers in the 1970s. When Mike Collins was ready to sell, he wanted the property to be in good hands, which is why he approached Jake Bilbro. Escrow closed just the day before harvest in 2011. And, to complicate matters, as harvest was wrapping up a few weeks later, the winery’s destemmer broke, with 7 tons of Syrah still to crush. With rain on the way, Jake threw a “Hail Mary” and dumped the grapes, stems attached, into two open top fermenters and hoped for the best.

Personally, I love the complexity that stem inclusion can bring, especially to Syrah. And the Hail Mary bottlings from Limerick Lane live up to this trait. From that year on, Jake has made a Syrah labeled Hail Mary to pay homage to that first vintage. We got to taste the 2014 during our visit and it was great as always.

We also got to taste a few other wines during our visit…

2014 Russian River Zinfandel – from the original vines planted over a hundred years ago. Not your ordinary Zin, the field blend aspect makes this is a complex delicious wine.

2014 Syrah Grenache – it was the 2011 version of this that I raved about along with the RR Zin when I attended Sonoma In The City back a couple of years ago. This continued that tradition.

1910 Block Zin [2014] – You’ll rarely see specific tasting notes from me, but in this case it was just too obvious; it was just like fresh blueberries! Wonderful wine!

2014 Rocky Knoll Zinfandel – another field blend, with Mourvedre and Petite Sirah that give this wine wonderful structure.

These wines get very high scores from the wine publications. Production is small and the wines are very hard to find outside of the tasting room or the mailing list.

I asked Jake what he would like people to know about Limerick Lane. This would have been a perfect opportunity to talk about their great wines and brag about all their great scores and accolades. Instead, he said “Tell them that we’re really nice people. We’re small so we can’t have a lot of people stop by all at once so visitors have to make appointments. But we really do want to see them.”

Go see them. There should be new releases to taste, but don’t wait too long.

Limerick Lane

1023 Limerick Lane
Healdsburg, CA 95448

See photos of our visit to Limerick Lane and others from our trip here: Sonoma County Series.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

July 2013 Vintage Eve: Ojai Vineyard paired with Salt Creek Grille, Fundraiser for Henry Mayo Hospital

May 30, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

I expected a nice dinner, fun company and good wine, which I got, but at the HMNMH Foundation fundraiser I also had some interesting one-on-one time with Ojai Vineyard’s assistant winemaker Fabien Castel.

But first we must start with some hand passed appetizers – marinated tuna and red potatoes – paired with a bright and cheery 2012 rosé that cooled off the guests as they entered and mingled in the private Salt Creek Grille patio.

I got to say hello to Marlee Lauffer, Wendy Whitehead, Jason and April Price, Jill Friedman, Tim and Jenny Ketchepaw, Charlie Borreson, Julia Vose and Jay Cappilla, Diana Vose, Bob and Margo Hudson, Robert Herring, Cindy Tompkins, Jennifer Chadwick, Chef Tamra Levine and Greg Amsler.

Then, settling us down to our tables, Wendy Whitehead, the president of the Guild, thanked the board, Salt Creek Grille and the guests before introducing Castel.

Winemaker Fabien Castel

Castel is French, and his only experience with wine was that he had drank it. Then he met Ojai Vineyards’ winemaker Adam Tolmach and began as his apprentice.

Castel talked about prohibition, how wine had to then be reintroduced, the consequence of that down period and resurgence is what you see today. “Everybody in America is into wine and into learning.” Castel said. They make 20 wines every year but have 150 different bottlings offered at the tasting room. (See my notes below on the 1991 Pinot we got to have!)

“In older wines what I want you to get is that wine is unlike any other product,” Castel said, “Age ability makes it an almost mythical drink. It can stay in cellars and not ever be wasted.”

“To me it’s about sitting down (with wine) and being together with friends and eating. Notice how it interacts with the food. And tonight is about fun, and how wine enhances the experience.”

“What’s not really talked about is that older wines, wine in general, are all different in taste and different in effect. And it was used as a medication, to cleanse wounds, back in the Middle Ages. Fermentation itself is magical in creating a product that helps our digestion and lifts our spirits.”

Castel produced his first vintage in 2001. “When making wine you are reminded of the time it takes to make the wine, even a change in equipment changes aesthetic of the wine.

Winemakers want another voice; a literary voice of America, and that’s what I’m trying to find. We are looking for the next brilliant writer. With wine writers…there isn’t this greatness that has transpired yet. We need a more emotional voice. Writing about wine is not that linear, as a sense of smell and taste is not scientific, so why describe wines in a predictable, practical, one-dimensional way?”

Tonight Castel said he was met by very interested people; a wide diversity of how people approach wine, and (pleasantly) very unpredictable.

“I hear the sound bytes of culture, but reality is more complex and doesn’t fit the sound bites. We have to take the time to taste all over the world and gain worldwide knowledge.”

Back to the Wine and the Dinner

Executive Chef Ignacio Munoz and his staff cooked all of the dishes and Catering Director Tamra Levine designed the pairing menu.

After the appetizers the guests enjoyed a ‘10 Chardonnay with a roasted beet salad; the Chardonnay, similar in taste to a Sauvignon Blanc but with more balance and less acidity, was a nice complement to the tangerine cream dressing that Chef Tamra had designed.

The ‘10 Pinot Noir was excellent with the salmon and steak course – and because I wanted to save the ‘08 Syrah for the decadent chocolate soufflé dessert.

By 7:30 p.m. the sun had set, the air had cooled and the conversation swelled. Most guests revisited the wines we had been served while chatting. Then we got a big surprise as a magnum of cellared Pinot Noir made its rounds.

A ‘91 Pinot, that we were warned had a distinct barnyard nose, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. The manure aromas before and after tasting, blew off in a few minutes of swirling in my glass. It was totally amazing: dry, mature fruit, pepper, 2011 port notes…how was that possible? Those at my table, when I mentioned port could both smell and taste it. Why 2011? Well, only because of the ’11 Vintage port tasting I had attended a few weeks ago had jaded me. It had lingered on my palate as long as this Pinot Noir, from Ojai California, did.

As we neared the end of the evening Salt Creek Grille owner Greg Amsler came out and thanked his chefs and staff. And yes, there was applause.

From Chef Tamra Levine came this inspired menu

Rose with Passed Appetizer

Nicoise Canapés…Marinated Tuna/Haricot Verts/Baby Red Potatoes

Nicoise Olive Aioli

Chardonnay –First Course

Vari-Colored Roasted Beet Salad with Romaine/Spring Vegetables/

Tangerine Cream Dressing

Pinot Noir /Syrah Course

Wood-Grilled Fennel Crusted Salmon

Fireside Cocoa Rub Steak/ Syrah-Cherry Sauce/

Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Potatoes/Catalan Spinach

Dessert Course

Petite Chocolate Soufflé/Ganache Drizzle

The Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation

From the website: http://henrymayogiving.com/

Established in 1984, the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation strives to increase community awareness of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, and raise vital funds for expanding services and acquiring new technology to bolster the level of care already available at the Hospital. The Foundation has raised more than $50 million to give the residents of our community access to exceptional medical care.

Perlis Picks: CLASSICISM in Lodi, by Abe Schoener (Scholium Project wines)

September 17, 2016 by evebushman 2 Comments

It has been no secret that I am a fan of Abe Schoener’s Scholium Project wines. I am also a fan of Abe Schoener. Yes, his wines are good, often great, sometimes challenging. In addition, it is his philosophical approach to winemaking and vineyards that really resonates with me. When I got an email from him recently announcing his Fall release, I wanted to share it with the readers of Eve’s Wine 101,not because I want you to buy his wine [although I think you should] but to give you some insight into what he is all about. He expresses better than I do the importance of the old vineyards of which I am so fond.

With Abe’s permission…

CLASSICISM in Lodi.

This email (now a blog post via Michael Perlis) announces and invites you to purchase our Fall Release. But first a manifesto, to help position it. Reflection before Commerce.

It’s harvest, and of course we are excited. But we have had a pause– it will be two more weeks before we bring more fruit in. So there is time for reflection.

Today, when we were sampling Bechtold, trying to get a sense of when we would bring it in, and how good it would be, it occurred to me that, “Now, I know this vineyard. And so does Alex, and Brenna. We are no longer astronauts on Mars here; we are at home.” We can quickly see the signs of mite damage, and consider how that will affect the ripening; we can cast our eyes on the clusters and sense right away, “bigger than normal, but smaller than the first year, 2008 . . . ” The point is not that we are merely experienced, but that our work here, and in nearly every aspect of what we do, has graduated into a new phase. We are no longer exploring with every move, we are now making things with skill and knowledge. We feel joy with every move– every harvest, every pressing, every bottling. But now in addition to our daily joy, we are making wines with mastery. We are finally in a position to create something classical.

And it is not just we at Scholium. I first realized this over the Winter, in conversation with a friend and colleague in Minneapolis. He wanted to get a bunch of us together and drop the bomb on his city. I was all for it; it is a special place, full of knowledge and excitement. And he said, “Yeah, it will be the New California coming to town . . . .” And I said, “Fuck that. We are already past the ‘New California.'”

And here is what I meant: We are not working or thinking in opposition to some existing pattern or scheme– something “old.” We are working within a world created by our teachers, parents, and anonymous antecedents. We too are trying to fashion something abiding and valuable, that will stand on its own, and stand not just in opposition to or rejection of something else.

No one knows or teaches this better than our friend and colleague, Tegan Passalacqua. Just today at lunch he reminded us of the “legendary ’81 Topolos Alicante Bouschet. Like Hermitage. . . . From two old vineyards in Sonoma.” His knowledge is not antiquarian or even a connoisseur’s– his knowledge is living and dedicated to helping us grasp what came before us, what heights have been hit, then almost forgotten. It is for this reason that we dedicate ourselves to old vineyards and unglamorous regions: because of what has been accomplished there, even if it is now ignored. So it is not just because we are rebels or iconoclasts, or contrarian, or even thrifty, that we have pushed our work beyond the bounds of Napa or the charms of Cabernet– we do so not because Lodi and Trousseau promise novelty, but precisely because they promise the opportunity to do something classical– again.

[About the fall release –] …Two or three really have some claim on the classical: the Prince, from a relatively young vineyard in Sonoma; and 1MN, from the own-rooted Cinsault,…planted in the middle of Lodi in the 1870s; Michael Faraday: Chardonnay noble, strong, like and unlike its peers from Burgundy and the Jura. All of the wines in this release are great, and at least one expresses a spirit of bold experimentation, no matter what I say about the classical.

Now let me share another reflection. What are the peers of these wines? If the wines were vines or microbes, we would ask: what is their ecology?

When I started out, as iconoclastic as my crazy wines might have been, I saw my wines as outsiders positioned both within and against the world of expensive cult Cabernets and rich, pricy Chardonnays. I don’t mean that I hoped for or expected the financial success of the most famous wines, but I did want my wines to compete against them, or at least circulate within the same world. This made me price them a certain way– in part, to make sure that they were compared to, and ranked with these very fancy wines. And now, a little more than a decade after I set the prices for the first Scholium wines, I see that they are now moving in a very different world. What is so interesting to me that the commercial world within which these wines circulate is very wide– it is not in the least limited to California. Our new classics, as much as our earnest experiments, now move in a world full of natural wines from the Loire, old vine Nerello from Mt. Etna, Assyrtiko from Santorini, and an army of (as yet) unpronounceable wines from the eastern reaches of the Hapsburg Empire. And this is true not just in the United States, but in England, Denmark, Japan, even France– where there is now not just a market but a hunger for our wines. And not in opposition to these other wines, but as part of a truly international movement. And this world, of course has the occasional $100 bottle, but it is a world peopled with wines much more modestly priced. They are still luxuries, but middle-class luxuries– not the baubles of oligarchs. This hit me when a friend opened a $40 bottle of St. Bris for me and said, “I hope that it is good. It is my only bottle. This was my whole allocation.” In this new ecology, the most sought after wines do not require exhorbitant prices. And so, you can drink more of them.

This has been quite a lesson to me, and it has seemed only right to try to ensure that the prices of our wines clearly demonstrate the world in which they move. And so once again, we experiment. We are going to lower the prices of our two most expensive whites– and, over the course of time, you will see a few of the other wines simply disappear. I will write more about this in the future, and have told you a little already, but our focus will be on fewer wines, mostly white, and all of them more clearly in the orbit of the St. Bris. There you have it.

I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.

Stay in touch.

Abe

Learn How to Make Wine: Classes from Santa Clarita’s Own World Wine Education

April 28, 2016 by evebushman 5 Comments

Wine Making ~ Receive a Certificate of Completion* Classes are scheduled for 2016, SIGN UP NOW!

Eve’s pic – from the one time I did harvest at DiMaggio Washington’s vineyard!

Location: University Center, College of the Canyons Campus Time: 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Saturdays: April 30, June 11, June 25 and July 23  – Need Minimum of 10 Students to Schedule –  Cost: $75/per class or $225 for Entire Four Class Series Goal/Objective: Basic understanding of Wine Making End Result: *Certificate offered upon completion of all four classes

A quick overview of what the four classes will cover:

Selecting and understanding the vineyard, Harvest: Pre, Post and During
Inside the winery, fermentation and making the wine
Barrel usage, racking, topping off and aging
Bottling, Corks, Labels and labeling laws  Bottom line, these classes will cover from vineyard to bottle and everything in between.  You will come away from this series of classes with a greater appreciation of what’s in your glass and possibly the desire to put your knowledge and passion to work with your own grapes. Either way, you’ll have a great time!

What to bring to class:

An open mind
A great attitude
A passion for wine
An interest in making wine … or at least an interest in how wine is made
Notebook
Pen/Pencil
Calculator … and all your questions!
Call Now To Reserve Your Seat: 818.844.4000 or email: info@worldwineeducation.com  **A minimum of 10 students are required for this 4 class series to move forward.  NOTE: The “Hands-On” Class will be available at harvest (Mother Nature picks the dates) and there will be a handful of varietals to choose from.

We have to wait for the grower to set the pricing, but our 2015 pricing was: 100 lbs. for $150 which includes pick up, delivery, crush, de-stem, press … Gives you an opportunity to put what you’ve learned to work. 100 lbs will make about 6 gallons of wine which will give you about 30 bottles.
- SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
- Options to participate in “Hands-On” Wine Making, both small and large batch to be discussed prior to or during class, with a commitment from those interested AS SOON AS POSSIBLE due to the need to secure grapes from growers.
The sooner the request to secure grapes, the better your chance of availability.  Once again, CALL NOW to Reserve Your Seat: 818.844.4000 or email: info@worldwineeducation.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/worldwineeducation/

http://www.worldwineeducation.com/index.htm

THE OTHER WINE COUNTRY? PART II: Perlis Picks Sonoma Coast and the Petaluma Gap

January 30, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

I know I said that our time on the Sonoma Coast was going to be the wineless part of the trip. Well, I should have said “less-wine” instead of wineless, because “no wine” is just not doable.

The Kellers, photo provided by Ana Keller

Heading south from the Timber Cove Inn, passing through Bodega Bay, we came across a sign with a big SCV on it right on Pacific Coast Highway. Well, being from the Santa Clarita Valley, that definitely got our attention, but in this case the SCV stood for the tasting room for Sonoma Coast Vineyards. The winery had its first vintage in 2002 but the tasting room was just under one year old, so clean and fresh and overlooking the ocean. And just as the tasting room was clean and fresh, so were the wines.

The 2014 Sauvignon Blanc [Laguna Vista Vineyards] was exceptionally rich and not over-acidic as Sauv Blancs can sometimes be, while the 2013 Chardonnay [Antonio Mountain] was a classic California Chardonnay with all the expected flavor but stopping short of being over the top in oakiness or buttery-ness.

Primarily a “Pinot House” [this is the Sonoma Coast, after all], we especially enjoyed the cherry fruit of the 2012 Pinot Noir [Salmon Creek Block] as well the full bodied structure of the 2012 Pinot Noir [Petersen Vineyard].

I was happy to see they also had a Syrah, this one a 2012 from the Occidental Road Vineyard. Cold climate Syrahs are often somewhat subdued in fruit in my experience when compared with warmer climate bottlings of this varietal. This one fit that description, but still had plenty of good Syrah flavor and aroma.

Owned by John and Barbara Drady, the winemaker is Anthony Austin, who you may recall got his start as winemaker of Firestone Vineyards in Santa Barbara County, before starting his own Austin Cellars in that area.

It was now time for Karen and me to officially leave the beautiful Sonoma Coast and head inland. But not too far, as our next stop was the Petaluma Gap.

The gap is officially part of the Sonoma Coast AVA, although that is expected to change soon, perhaps even by the time you are reading this. The gap is known for its winds as well as the fog, which together create a long cool growing season. Its unique geography – proximity to San Pablo Bay to the south and the opening in the hills to the North – creates a terroir that will soon get its own AVA.

Keller Estate is one of the best known wineries in the area. First planted in 1989 with Chardonnay by Arturo and Deborah Keller, the initial harvests were sold to Rombauer. Eventually Pinot Noir was also planted and the state of the art winery was built in the early 2000s with the help of acclaimed architectural firm Legoretta+Legoretta.

Arturo’s daughter Ana has been directing the winery’s operations since 1998. Ana and winemaker Alex Holman both have scientific backgrounds, Ana as a biochemist and Alex as a chemist. That being said, one might expect that they would be heavily involved in how the wine gets to its final representation of the grapes. But, the opposite is actually true, as they truly have a hands-off approach to winemaking.

Ana’s leadership extends beyond Keller Estate to the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance, and was kind enough to put together a representative tasting of not only Keller’s wines but some others from the gap as well:

Fogline Vineyards 2014 Chardonnay Zephyr’s Block – this had a nice zing with very little oak.

Keller Estate 2013 Chardonnay La Cruz Vineyard – I found this to be a delicious Chardonnay in a very classic style.

Then we moved on to the Pinot Noirs, which is probably what the gap is most famous for…

Pfendler Vineyards 2013

Bailiwick Wines 2012 Borderline

Keller Estate 2012 El Coro

Brooks Note 2013

I noted an earthiness and richness in these Pinots that I sometimes find lacking in this variety.

Keller Estate 2011 Rotie – my favorite wine of the tasting. I do like my Syrah, without a doubt, and the touch of Viognier just added to the flavor and aroma.

Pax 2011 Syrah Griffin’s Lair – I’ve had other Syrahs from this vineyard [eg. Bedrock Wine Co.], so I knew to expect something terrific, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Our short visit made me realize there is much to explore here and I am definitely looking forward to a return visit. If you look at the PGWA’s website, you’ll see there is a lot going on here.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Holman Ranch Launches its Inaugural Sip n Chat Series For 2015 at Holman Ranch Tasting Room

January 18, 2015 by evebushman Leave a Comment

CARMEL VALLEY, CA — Do you love wine? Do you love learning new things? What would you think about learning more about wine? Holman Ranch Tasting Room launches its Inaugural Sip n Chat Series for 2015.

Classes are structured to allow each person an opportunity to learn, taste, and enjoy. Holman Ranch will feature a different topic for each class. At each event, every guest will be greeted with glass of wine, enjoy a tasting of three to four additional wines, educational materials, and some light snacks. The class will be taught by a Holman Ranch expert and/or wine educator. At the end of each class, you will be able to order or purchase the featured wines at a 15% discount. Registration is required for each class.

2015 Sip n Chat Dates:

February 26th

o Balance: The Elements of Wine (Components for Making a Premium Wine) acidity, body, fruit, oak, sweetness, tannin

May 21st

o The History of Wine – An hour long journey through the origins of our favorite beverage

September 24th

o From Vine to Glass: Path of wine from the vineyard through production, to bottling

November 12th

o Detecting Flawed Wines – Learn what traits make great wine great and bad wine bad.

Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Location: Holman Ranch Tasting Room 19 E. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley, CA

Reservations are required for all classes and the cost for each event is $25 per person. Classes are $10 for wine club members. This includes the class, wine tasting, small bites, and meeting, learning from a Holman Ranch winemaker. A portion of the class proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer Association. To make reservations call 831-659-2640 or email info@holmanranch.com.

Wine Caves:

The winery at Holman Ranch, located in The Caves, is completely underground in order to take advantage of the natural cooling and humidity held below. The 3000 square foot area maintains a constant temperature of 58˚F-60 ˚F and contains four 750 gallon tanks, four 1200 gallon tanks, and four open top tanks that can hold two tons each. One hundred (100) French oak barrels are maintained year round. Winery operations such as destemming, pressing, fermenting and aging take place within the cool environment of The Caves, while bottling is done directly outside using a mobile bottling line. During harvest, 6 to 8 tons of grapes a day are processed. This may seem low but it is due to the fact that harvesting hours are between 7am to noon on any given day. Grapes are hand picked and loaded into half ton bins, transferred to the winery by tractor and then moved by forklift to the destemmer. White wines take around three weeks to ferment at 50˚F and are bottled in February, while red varietals ferment for two weeks and are bottled in early June. All skins, seeds and stems are composted and returned to the fields. Slow months for our winery are June, July and August with the busiest time being September. The winery will produce 3000-5000 cases annually.

Vineyard & Winery Background:

Located at the north eastern tip of the Carmel Valley Appellation, the family-owned Holman Ranch resides approximately 12 miles inland from the Pacific Coast. Immersed in history and romance, the ranch has not only proven to be an excellent growing location for our vineyards but also for the Tuscan varietal olive trees which have flourished under the temperate climate.

Our estate-grown wine varietals are planted on approximately 21 acres of undulating terrain.
The wines produced are unfined and crafted to deliver the true varietal of the grape from harvest to bottle.
The climate and terroir of the appellation has played a critical part in the success of our wines. The warmth of our inland valley coupled with the cooling marine layer has established itself as an ideal microclimate for the production of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Our Burgundy Clones have thrived from the perfect blend of ideal climate, southern exposure and thin rocky soils.

Holman Ranch Tasting Room:

Holman Ranch’s Carmel Valley tasting room offers the perfect backdrop to swirl, sip and savor the different complexities of Holman Ranch Vineyard and Winery wines. There is something for everyone (4 varietals in fact), from the full-bodied Pinot Noirs to the light, fruity flavors of our Pinot Gris and lightly oaked Chardonnay. Holman Ranch also offers estate grown and bottled Olive Oil available for tasting and purchase at the Tasting Room.

The Tasting Room showcases the estate wines of Holman Ranch which includes our Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Rosé of Pinot Noir. Carefully hand-harvested, cold pressed and bottled, the Extra Virgin Olive Oil produced from the fruits of our Tuscan trees has a delightful spice followed by a buttery finish.

Three tasting flights of three wines each (White, Mountain and Pinot Noir) are available 7 days a week. The Tasting Room also holds a series of cooking demos called In Your Backyard. For more information, call (831) 659-2640.

Olive Grove:

Holman Ranch has its own distinctive olive grove located on a south facing hill of our vineyard. The grove is comprised of 100 trees with multiple cultivars planted. These cultivars consist of 25 Frantoio, 25 Leccino, 10 Mission, 25 Coratina, 5 Pendolino, and 10 Picholine, all of which were originally planted in 2194 in a Carmel Valley orchard then replanted at Holman Ranch in 2007. These mature olive trees allowed us to produce olive oil right away. They are planted in shale for the best production and harvesting results possible. We harvest our fruit by hand in December, which is then milled, producing a superb, high quality product. Although the Olive Grove is not certified organic, we do employ organic practices when farming our trees. Our mill, however, is certified organic. An interesting fact is that olive trees are alternate bearing, which means that one year they may produce 650, 375ml bottles worth of oil, while next year they may produce only 50, 375ml bottles.

Holman Ranch Background:

Holman Ranch: Where the Past is Always Present. Tucked away in the rolling hills of Carmel Valley, Californian historic Holman Ranch provides a unique and memorable setting for weddings, special events, family gatherings, corporate retreats, and team-building events. With its charming gardens, stunning mountain views and serenity, this private estate affords old-world charm while providing modern day conveniences. This stunning Property includes a fully restored stone hacienda, overnight guest rooms, vineyards, olive grove, horse stables and more. www.holmanranch.com

Perlis Picks: Wrath Wines

January 3, 2015 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Wrath

http://www.wrathwines.com/

After a few days in Sonoma, my wife Karen and I were looking forward to a couple days off from this reporter’s wine writing job on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula. However, I should have known that I’d be longing for some wine sooner rather than later. Limiting myself to one tasting room visit, I actually found the choice pretty easy to make…Wrath!

Contributing Editor Michael Perlis

I’ve tasted and enjoyed the Wrath wines at a few events, most notably the Rhone Rangers Los Angeles tasting in 2013. Wrath didn’t participate in 2014, given the event’s date this year being during harvest [a problem a few of the smaller wineries faced], so I was looking forward to tasting their latest releases.

The Wrath winery is in Soledad, about 40 miles from the Monterey Peninsula. There is a tasting room at the winery, but fortunately, they also have a tasting room in Carmel – for those who know the area it is in the Carmel Plaza right next to the Cheese Shop that has been there seemingly forever.

We sat down with tasting room manager Christopher Whaley and learned a few things about the winery. Although I’ve only been hearing about this winery for a short period of time, it does have a longer history. Planted in the 1970s, it was originally called San Saba Vineyards.

When archaeologist Michael Thomas, son of the founders, took over the operation, he renamed it Wrath [from a line in the Led Zeppelin song “Going to California”]. In its latest vintage, Wrath produces 26 different bottlings totaling only 3500 cases annually of single vineyard designated wine. Another 3,000 cases make up their Ex Anima series that feature minimal winemaking intervention and no new oak. [They also provide custom crush services for other wineries at their facility.] Under the direction of winemaker Sabrine Rodems, the winery produces Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grenache and Syrah. There are plans to release a small amount of Falanghina, an old Italian white grape varietal that I had never heard of. It will be fermented in above ground amphora known as dolia in two different styles – as a traditional white wine and also as an “orange” wine with extended skin contact.

[Note – in addition to being winemaker for Wrath, Sabrine consults for a couple other wineries, using that revenue to produce wine under her own label Scratch. She also created an organization called Wines of Danger, which is a group of very small wineries that has an annual tasting in San Francisco.]

Christopher tasted us through a few of the wines in the tasting room. We tried:

2013 Sauvignon Blanc, Ex Anima, Monterey [Nice fruit, not too much of the acidity that make some SBs hard to drink.]

2012 Chardonnay, Fermata, Monterey [Fermata means “halted” in Italian. Malolactic fermentation was halted at about the halfway point, giving the wine richness but still leaving it with structure.]

2012 Pinot Noir Swan/828, Monterey [20% whole cluster fermentation gave this wine great structure without overpowering the fruit. “Structure” seemed to be a recurring theme here.]

2012 Pinot Noir Tonore Grapefield [To me, this seemed the more old-world of the Pinots, with forest floor notes along with the fruit.]

2011 Grenache “Destruction Level” Arroyo Seco [Absolutely amazing Grenache. Sadly, there was none left to purchase.]

2011 KW Ranch Syrah [Brought me right back to why I loved their wines at Rhone Rangers.]

Next time you are strolling the streets Carmel, be sure to give this winery a try:

Carmel Tasting Room

Open Mon-Sat 11-6PM Sun 11-5PM. Located in Carmel Plaza, downtown Carmel at the corner of Ocean Ave. and Mission St., ground floor. 831.620.1909

Visiting ZD and Drive By Del Dotto

October 23, 2014 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Our first day in Napa Valley took us (I was traveling with social networking maven Claudia Sheridan) several places — here are two that turned our heads.

ZD Wines

http://www.zdwines.com/wine

Assistant tasting room manager Chris explained that the winery practiced all organic farming, including from the growers they use. Having the benefit of long term leases from where they buy their fruit, they have nice relationships without owning the land. They also do their own bottling. (see notes below on the bottling.)

The founders’ initials are Z and D, and zero defects was the department the two worked in together as aerospace engineers. Both families were involved for awhile, however, since the 1980s the deLeuze family solely owns and operates the winery.

Tasting ZD

2013 Chardonnay – 45th Anniversary Vintage (Their flagship wine, from all over, 10 months in oak)

Blond oak, unsalted butter, Meyer lemon, steely; tangy, navel orange slices, medium acid, long oaky finish.

2012 Reserve Chardonnay – 16 months in oak.

More toasted oak aromas, white peach; bright acidic fruit, creamy, lingering.

2012 Pinot Noir, Carneros (what they were founded on in 1969, 10 months in oak)

Dried cherries, sweetness, stems and seeds; bright strawberry, tangy, finish never ends.

2012 Rosa Lee Cabernet Franc 100%

All Rosa Lee labels are one white and red that is never planned to be repeated.

Berry, jammy, wet bark; dry, tannic, taste buds standing up, refreshing for a dark red wine.

After the tasting Chris led us on a tour. You know me and winery tours, but I was surprised by two things at ZD: a library cellar with Pinot Noirs dating back to 1969 and Chardonnays dating back to the early 70s. The second surprise was the on-site bottling line. According to Chris most wineries use a bottling truck, however, to keep the control “in house”, they wanted full control of the bottling and labeling too. They only use the room five weeks a year and never bottle for others. And, of course, keeping in line with the way they do things, ZD also does their own shipping.

Del Dotto Vineyards

http://www.deldottovineyards.com

No visit to Napa Valley is complete without at least a Del Dotto drive by. Though I have visited winemaker Gerard Zanzonico almost every year since my first as press in 2008, my travel partner, Claudia Sheridan, hadn’t.

Gerard was in the midst of harvest and with heavy eyelids he still ran us through a quick end-of-the-day tasting of some his new 2013 wines in the ornate barrel room. (Gerard said the 2013 is going to be his best vintage – so get some!) We could tell, though these wines were going to see more barrel time before their release, the incredible rich fruit and oak influence in many, including the new Villa Del Lago Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, due to be released in February of 2016.

We also loved tastes of the 2012 Oakville Connoisseurs’ Series Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2012 Rutherford Estate “The David” blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Claudia was impressed. From the outside of the winery on highway 29 a first time visitor cannot tell what is waiting for them – down stairs. I’ve written about the entire “experience” before but I’m still awed in Gerard’s presence, and by the grandeur of Del Dotto.

Reluctantly we said our goodbyes, though Gerard thought I might want to come by and help sort grapes as I had briefly done once before…I so wished I could.

Facebook album link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10204030874999605.1073741881.1455706632&type=1&l=ef858e481a

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Winemaking in SCV: Since 1987 (Vintage Beacon Circa 6/09)

June 10, 2014 by evebushman Leave a Comment

In wanting to find the oldest wine grapes grown in the Santa Clarita Valley, I remembered that Juan Alonso, owner of Le Chene French restaurant in Agua Dulce, had his own wines on his extensive 34-page wine list.

Stephen Hemmert w/bottle, Juan Alonso

I e-mailed Juan thinking starting with him was the best. Yes, he had been making wine since 1987 and also sold grapes to other winemakers. He invited my husband Eddie and me down for a visit, a tour and…a taste.

We knew our way to the “rock house” (as the restaurant had been dubbed years ago due to its rock-face façade) but never just for wine. We had many meals in the dining room prior to the remodel when you could see the chef handcrafting soups through the little cutout in the wall, surprised our waitress by asking her to read the sealed letter from our obstetrician telling us the sex of our unborn child, had brunch and met Cameron Smythe for maybe the first time at Juan’s generous annual wine tasting benefiting SCV seniors.

Oh that this were an article about the food. Suffice to say from the Escargot through to the rich French sauces thickly poured over your entree, pureed vegetables, cream of anything soups to Crème Brûlée and espresso – there is no finer French dining in our town.

And to go with it, Juan’s wine list has continuously been awarded the Wine Spectator magazine’s Best of Award of Excellence. (From www.winespectator.com: Created to give special recognition to restaurants that clearly exceed the requirements of the Award of Excellence. These lists typically offer 400 or more selections, along with superior presentation, and display either vintage depth, with several vertical offerings of top wines, or excellent breadth across several wine regions.) We had our first Chateauneuf du Pape at Le Chene.

So here we were, just Juan, my husband Eddie and me, sitting at the rich oak bar about to taste from SCV’s oldest vines before a tour of the Alonso Family Vineyards. I spied his newly designed Vinum Conservator (http://www.vinumconservator.com/about.html) that promised to be less work than hand pumping, less money than nitrogen systems and a couple of local wine establishments had recently purchased.

Juan deftly demonstrated the machine and we were happy to hear that he, and friend Alain Frochaux, were also working on a smaller version for private home use. “It allows you to sell a better bottle of wine every time.” Juan said as he poured our tastes.

We tried Felix’s 2004 Cuvee, a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah and then the Felix Cuvee, with 100% Shiraz. Juan leaves his grapes on the wines 2-3 weeks later than other vintners, taking advantage of a marine layer that ends at his property, and a different temperature. Factors that shown in the perfect balance of the two wines we sampled, and agreed, would be the ones to order at our next Le Chene meal.

From there Juan took us to the vineyards that you can see dotting along Sierra Highway on your way north into the town of Agua Dulce. Pulling my car in between the rows you could clearly tell two different grapes were being grown. This year alone Juan had Syrah, Grenache, Tempranillo, Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mencia, Alvarino (Spanish grape) and Chardonnay.

Then we drove a little bit more, back to where his home was, to see the larger area of vines clustered behind an ornately decorated gate. As we toured these, and Juan’s gardens and home, we got to learn a little bit more about the man behind the vines.

“I learned about wine from my dad when we lived in Spain and in France,” Juan began. “He made it for himself and sold some.”

“I didn’t wait until I was 21 to taste what we grew. We didn’t drink sodas, just watered down wine. I would walk on the Cabernet grapes and my dad would stand by to make sure that the fumes didn’t make me pass out – which can happen.”

“Here I started with 100 vines from a nursery and am proud of them all today. I can make up to 1200 cases. Laws do change, and I would prefer to process my grapes into wine and do the bottling. I would have more control here instead of driving it elsewhere.”

As I took photos of the vines, and Juan, I had to put my notepad away. It grew quiet. My husband and Juan chatted amicably about his life’s work. I was in awe. Then Juan, without prompting, raised both his arms out as if to take in all that he had created and said, “These vines, this tour of them, you could be in France or Spain. But it’s more about love than money, because what we see as ‘charming’ is a lot of ‘work’”. And I was left grateful to Juan for doing that work for our community.

Four Must Try Eastern European Spirits

May 1, 2014 by evebushman 1 Comment

I belong to a group known as the Century Club. In order to be a member of this most unique group, one must meet the requirement of having sampled a minimum of 100 grape varietals. Now that is varietals, not wines. When you think about it, many people who enjoy wine seldom get beyond the six major varietals. These are, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling. Point in fact, when it comes to varietals, most sommeliers of my acquaintance are in the 40-50 range. I do have a couple of friends Stateside who have tasted some 80+ varietals. I am most fortunate in that my profession literally takes me around the world. To date, I have tasted 129 individual varietals. I share this fact not to impress, but to make the point that I travel quite a bit; 76 countries to be precise. I am also fortunate that areas of expertise require me to know several varietals. My forte, Italy, boasts over 700 varietals. My passion, the Republic of Georgia, is proud of over 300 recognized varietals.

Not only am I fortunate to taste a lot of wine, I have also been introduced to several not so typical spirits and liqueurs. Today, that is precisely what we will be doing, sampling some very unique and enjoyable spirits from Eastern Europe.

Our first spirit is believed to have originated in Slovakia and is known as “Slovacka Borovicka,” or simply, “Borovicka.” What exactly is Borovicka? It is a unique spirit that is produced from black juniper berries. I have selected the Czech version of Borovicka that is produced by Rudolf Jelinek. This company has been producing Borovicka in the Vizovia region over 100 years. The distillery boasts a special recipe to create the unique and distinctive aroma and flavor of their Borovicka. They believe the secret is in the number of times the black juniper berries have been distilled. The spirit must then settle for a minimum of six months before bottling. It is believed that this process allows the ingredients to blend thoroughly and achieve the sought after balance. The resulting spirit is crystal clear. Alternate recipes from other Borovicka distillers are oftentimes lightly golden in color. The recipe for Borovicka does not require oak aging. Thus begins the debate as to whether Borovicka is brandy or gin. In the glass, our Rudolf Jelinek is crystal clear. On the nose, there is a distinctive herbal aroma. On the palate, Borovicka is a bit tart, and overall, reminiscent of a dry gin. The alcohol content is 45% with a bottle price of $50. Borovicka is meant to be drunk neat, however it does make a nice martini whether shaken or stirred. Unlike gin, shaking will not bruise Borovicha.

For our next spirit, I have selected a Palinka from Hungary. This traditional Hungarian eaux-de-vie (water of life) dates as far back as the 14th century. Zwack House has long been one of Hungary’s premier distillers of fruit brandies. They are renown for combining traditional methods with state of the art equipment. Zwack House uses only the finest apricots from the orchards of Kecskem to produce world class eaux-de-vie such as Precsetes Barrack Palinka. In the glass, our apricot brandy is clear and almost innocent looking. At least until you experience the bouquet. The nose comes to life with robust aromas of fermented dried fruit. On the palate, the twice distilled brandy is abundant in the mellow flavors of honeyed apricot and rich cream. The texture of this spirit is quite creamy, displaying a more than generous amount of sugar. The finish is long and bold, with notes of white pepper and a wisp of minerals. For best results, serve neat as an aperitif. However, due to its high sugar content, Palinka makes excellent cocktails. The alcohol content is 43% with a bottle price of $45. If fruit brandies are your palate, Hungarian Palinka is arguably the best.

For our next selection, I decided on a spirit that hails Armenia, which lies on the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Mulberry is a fruit that is not very well known outside of Asia Minor. However, in Armenia it thrives and since antiquity, Armenians have been crafting a very unique spirit distilled from this delectable fruit. Once again we are confronted with the question, is it brandy or is it vodka? Ijevan, one of the country’s premier producers of fine wines and spirits, boasts a traditional recipe that uses only the finest mulberry fruit from the Tavesh region. Ijevan also uses the purest waters drawn from deep Artesian wells, and distills their brandy three times. In the glass, mulberry brandy is light gold in color. This is due to aging in barrels made of mulberry wood. On the nose, the bouquet is lively and aromatic. Notes of white mulberry, white lily, and plum prevail followed by some pleasingly light smoky notes. On the palate, this brandy is slightly sweet, but overwhelming. There are alluring flavors of white mulberry, Asian spices, and dried fruits. Though somewhat unusual to the American palate, overall, Ijevan has crafted a soft spirit that is laced with mild aromas and light on the palate. The alcohol content is 45% with a bottle price of $50. While in Armenia, I learned that the locals preferred to serve mulberry brandy in glasses that had been frozen. For my palate, glasses that have been slightly chilled will suffice.

Lastly, we travel all the way to Azerbaijan from where our last spirit hails. Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucusus region, and lies on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan is an ancient land that has been producing wine and spirits for several thousand years. However, with the arrival of Islam, many of the traditions and customs of these ancient peoples did not survive. Fortunately there remain 20 grape varietals that produce all of the country’s wine. Over the years, brandy and vodka production has slowly found its way back to an anxious market. One such success story is the company, Vinagro. First established by German colonists back in 1860, the company is proud of its heritage and the fact that it is the oldest distillery in Azerbaijan. Located near the high altitude lake, Goygol, Vinagro uses only glacier water in the production of its Xan VIP Grape Vodka. Grape vodka? Once again we have find ourselves in the middle of a quandary. Is it vodka or brandy? What is important to note is that Vinagro uses only the finest grapes found within the borders of Azerbaijan. Next, the distillers add a small amount of high quality Lux wheat to enhance the flavor of the spirit. To add to the confusion, Vinagro purifies its spirit by a silver richened coconut activated coal. In the glass, Xan is clear. The nose is clean and almost odorless with only the faintest hint of fruit. On the palate, Xan is mild, pure, and balanced. The finish is clean, with very little burn. The alcohol content is 40% with a bottle price of $40. This is a perfect spirit to be enjoyed neat. Xan can be used in cocktails, however it is likely that the grape spirit would be lost to the mix.

Today we shared some unique and quite exotic spirits. Rest assured that they can be easily found Stateside.

Eve Hammond Bushman and Rusty Sly, I’m in the mood for a martini. I think that I’ll give the Borovicka a whirl and see how well it mixes in in a Vesper.

“But that my friends, is another story … “