Zoom Tasting: 2012 Phifer Pavitt DATE NIGHT Cabernet Sauvignon

April 24, 2020 by evebushman

Did my first online Zoom wine tasting with a winery I’ve known for 10+ years: Phifer Pavitt. We happened to have the wine of choice, their 2012 vintage of Date Night Cabernet Sauvignon in our cellar so we were good to go. This is an excerpt from their invitation:

Good afternoon Eve,

We are so excited to be launching our first official Virtual Tasting …This wine is coming out of the library and has been singing as of late! We will discuss the vintage, the wine, and answer all your questions. If you do not have the 2012 Phifer Pavitt DATE NIGHT Cabernet Sauvignon, do not fret! Open whatever Phifer Pavitt you have close or that is your favorite…

Cheers,

Luke Speer

Director of Hospitality

Zooming in on DATE NIGHT

Always nice to see and chat with Suzanne Phifer Pavitt, we’ve also tasted with Luke Speer at the winery too. (Just google the winery name on EveWine101.com to see how often we’ve made a stop at their winery over the years!) So tasting one of their older bottles, with Suzanne, Luke and other Phifer Pavitt lovers, sounded like fun to me. Here’s what happened:

Nearly 40 people zoomed in at 4pm with wine in their glass and smiles on their faces. Many from California but many from other states. Suzanne greeted each and then talked a bit about the wine. We learned:

Currently in Napa Valley it was 65 degrees, bud break had yet to take place. They are Napa Green Certified and organically farmed. They are “16 years in” and believe that their wines can age 20-25 years. Every Christmas they taste all of the vintages and “no apex” has been seen yet.

This wine is from the Temple Family Vineyard. They have a wild yeast fermentation and their approach is all hands off. Gary Warburton, their white winemaker taking part in the Zoom meeting, chimed in to say that there were three to four different yeasts – from different molecules that combine for decades – and each contributes to the ageability of their wines.

Before we were finished I made my own notes on the wine: Dark purple color and opaque; on the nose were notes of black dusty fruit, multi-colored peppercorn, hard cherry candy, earth, tobacco, toasted oak, cedar chips and mint chocolate. Suzanne also noted worn leather and clove. On the mouth I got huge dark fruit and spice, very big and very balanced. Luke added that it was a round wine, very voluptuous. 15.1% alcohol, 97.5 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5 % Petit Verdot. 95 Eve pts.

My takeaway from a Zoom tasting: Zoom is really perfect for having communal time – especially now – and comraderie with like-minded wine lovers. Not only for a sense of community, the Zoom format allows for wine education (we are muted until asked a question and we raise our hands to speak) and having both Suzanne and Luke there made me feel like we were visiting in the winery.

From the website: DATE NIGHT is the ‘proof’ of Shane and Suzanne Pavitt’s dedicated commitment to a weekly date night.

Tasting Notes: A rich, wild and densely layered wine that seems to evolve endlessly in the glass. Aromas of melted chocolate, licorice, and garden roses, with hints of fire roasted meats, crushed rocks, and savory brown butter. This wine wows the palate, wasting no time as flavors come through fast, focused and silky. A plush wave of velvety mouth-coating tannins frames the black fruits, cocoa, tar, tobacco, caramel, and butterscotch. Each successively decadent note circling and swirling in harmony. Drink now or cellar through 2035.

Winemaking Details: Extended cold-soak maceration period prior to “wild” yeast fermentation. Wine spent 4 weeks on skins before draining and pressing straight to barrel where it underwent “wild” malolactic fermentation. The wine was racked only once during its 18 months in barrel. In short, our philosophy is one of minimal intervention in pursuit of the most natural and harmonious winemaking style possible.

APPELLATION/GROWING REGION: Napa County – Pope Valley VINEYARD: Arthur Spencer for his family’s Temple Family Vineyards AGE OF VINES: 23 years old
FARMED: Organically

VARIETAL CONTENT: 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petite Verdot
HARVEST DATE: October 19 and 20, 2012
HARVEST PROCEDURE: Hand picked in the cold midnight, then destemmed, sending the whole, unbroken berries straight to the fermenter for five days of extended cold soak.
FERMENT: Mix of temperature controlled stainless steel, and open top fermenters
YEAST: Indigenous
TIME IN OAK / TYPE OF OAK: 18 months in 75% new 225 Liter French Oak barrels BOTTLED: June 2014
ALCOHOL: 15.1%; TA: .59; pH: 3.85
BRIX AT HARVEST: 25.9
FINING: none
CASES PRODUCED: 980 cases
PROPRIETORS: Suzanne Phifer Pavitt & Shane Pavitt
WINEMAKER: Ted Osborne

www.PhiferPavittWine.com

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Discovering Folded Hills Winery – Plus Winemaker Angela Osborne

February 28, 2020 by evebushman

Once again the #LAWineWriters met up at Napa Valley Grille in Westwood to have a wine paired luncheon. This time organizer and fellow writer Cori Solomon invited us to taste through some new Rhone wines – Grenache predominant – from a winery in the Santa Ynez AVA: Folded Hills Winery Farmstead Ranch.

We were greeted by the owner, Kim Busch, and general manager Tymari Lore on the patio of the restaurant. There were no less than nine wines for us to try, along with a six course meal created by Chef Ben Diaz. (See photos here.)

What we learned about the winery:

The vineyards are situated further south than any other vineyards in the Santa Ynez AVA and provide for cooler climate wines.
The winemaker, Angela Osborne, is also known for her A Tribute to Grace wines.
Their wine club is called “The Fold” and is very event-centered.
If you like French Rhônes, many of which are lower in alcohol than the American version, know that the Folded Hills wines we tried ranged from low to mid-range at 12.10% alcohol to 14.5%, with most hovering at about 13%.
They launched in April 2017 and you can taste the wines in their Montecito tasting room or at the estate in Gaviota.
This is a small production winery, with 5,500-6,500 case production, and they tend to “sell out fast.” Owner Kim Busch added, “Yes we do sell out of most our wines, all but 2 of which are purposely higher production.”
If you visit the winery you will not only see vineyards but also fruit trees and farm animals.

According to their brochure the wines “have no residual sugar and one gram or less of carbs, no commercial additives, minimal sulfur, only native yeast, are grown organically following the biodynamic calendar, made from grapes that are 95% estate grown, hand harvested using sustainable practices in the vineyard, are vegan, and crafted consciously to be lower in alcohol…” as well as being family owned.

Below are my tasting notes on the wines and food pairings:

ONE

Beet Tartare: Yuzu, hazelnut chimichurri, radish, nasturtium, country bread.

2018 Lilly Rose Grenache: 100% Folded Hills Grenache. Salmon in color, aromas and flavors of pink grapefruit, apple, lemon, graphite. Loved the beets and the Rose cooled down the heat of this dish.

TWO

The Nomad Flatbread: Salmon belly, crème fraiche, escabeche, radish, chervil.

2018 August White: 68% Folded Hills Grenache Blanc, 32% Area 51 Roussanne. White flowers, pears in light syrup, concrete, mild acidity. I loved the salmon – and had seconds – with this white Rhone.

THREE

Apple and Brie Flatbread: Granny Smith, picked red onion, triple crème brie, prosciutto, heirloom tomato velouté.

2018 Estate White Santa Ynez Valley: 50% Grenache Blanc, 25% Marsanne, 25% Clarette Blanche. Apple, peach, butter, toasted oak, crisp and clean mouthfeel, and my favorite white in the tasting. Loved the apple notes in the wine with the apples in the flatbread.

FOUR

Mary’s Free-Range Chicken Wings: Thai passion fruit chili, petite frisee, Heirloom radish, cilantro.

2017 August Red: 67% Grenache, 33% Syrah. Very perfumy aromatics, velvety red fruit, black cherries, big and tannic – especially when compared to the other red wines. My fellow writers oohed and awed over the pairing; it was quite nice with the spices on the chicken.

FIVE

Yellowfin Tuna: bubu arare, porcini crema, truffle ponzu, maitake.

2017 Cluster Grenache: Whole cluster Grenache, 100% Folded Hills. Cherry cola, green peppercorn and a nice easy drinker.

2017 Estate Grenache: 100% Folded Hills Grenache. Cherry liqueur, brambles, minty and dry.

2017 Grant Grenache: 92% Grenache, 8% Syrah. Raspberry, bright, oak and tannic.

All were really nice with the tuna, and as it was served cold it was a perfect picnic as we were outdoors on a cool day with low alcohol wines. These last two Grenache were my favorites of the reds.

SIX

Charred Te Mana Lamb: honey nut squash, baby kale, pine nut relish, au poivre.

Twice Fried Brussels Sprouts: Balsamic, parmigiano reggiano, togarashi, shaved bonito.

2017 Stolpman Syrah Ballard Canyon: 100% Stolpman Syrah. Strawberry, richly oaked, cola, tart.

2016 G.S.M.: 80% Folded Hills Vineyard, 20% Thompson Vineyard. 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre. Red berries, ash, long finish.

Both wines were very nice with the lamb and Brussels Sprouts, if I could have eaten more I would have!

https://foldedhills.com/

https://www.facebook.com/foldedhills/

https://napavalleygrille.com/

https://www.facebook.com/NapaValleyGrilleWestwood/

GOfermentor® wins innovation award for the Wine Industry

December 18, 2019 by evebushman

FAR HILLS, N.J. /PRNewswire/ — The GOfermentor is an example of an industry outsider bringing a new perspective and expertise to winemaking and challenging how things are being done. Vijay Singh is a biotech engineer, who revolutionized the way pharmaceutical fermentations are done by introducing a single use sterile bag to replace stainless steel. Now he’s bringing the same concept to winemaking and is harvesting medals for his winery as well as significant production advantages.

“The wine industry can be slow to change, so it is invigorating to have experts like Vijay Singh come into the industry and bring their fresh approach and knowledge from another industry to winemaking. It is not often that you see new solutions that are at once cost saving and quality enhancing. The GOfermentor has the potential to cause a paradigm shift for small lot winemaking.” – George Christie, President Wine Industry Network

When grapes are crushed, they are placed into a one ton GOfermentor single use bag and the unit is programmed to automatically perform punchdowns at regular intervals. The automation reduces labor, and the frequent mixing action also eliminates temperature gradients within the fermentation, with the result that sulfides from yeast retooling are not observed. The plastic bag protects the wine from unwanted exposures from yeast, oxygen, smoke, and bacteria from the outside environment.

At the end of fermentation, the GOfermentor presses the grapes, leaving behind the pomace in the biodegradable plastic bag for easy disposal. The disposal of the bag means savings on labor and time spend cleaning as well as a 90% reduction in water usage. The GOfermentor is a paradigm shift in winemaking that many winemakers will likely be hesitant to accept, but the low cost and barebones infrastructure required to use the GOfermentor makes it easy to try with a very low investment.

“Traditional wineries are 90% janitorial and 10% winemaking. With the GOfermentor and SmartBarrel racking system, we changed that to 90% winemaking and 10% cleaning.” – Dr Vijay Singh, Inventor

About GOfermentor

The GOfermentor is an advanced winemaking system for artisanal and small batch (< 1 ton) production. Many units are in use worldwide. Automated punch and built-in press reduces cost and labor. Single-use technology minimizes water usage. US patents 9260682, 9611452, 9802805, France 14 61410, Australia 2014268161. Others pending.

For more information, visit www.gofermentor.com

Perlis Picks: From Abe Schoener — Wine Study in the Loire: Lessons in the Foundation of Winemaking – Part Three

September 23, 2017 by Michael Perlis

A Continuation of Abe Schoener’s [The Scholium Project]…

A NEW LESSON IN THE MORAL NATURE OF WINEMAKING: LES JARDINS DES ESMÉRALDINS

The Wines: Transcendental and somehow Historical at once

Abe Schoener via YouTube

When we taste, he is very eager for our impressions, our reactions. He watches our faces, especially our eyes, carefully. He is clearly proud of how old the wines are: 2004– it was so fresh; I knew that it was not a 2016 from barrel, but perhaps a 2015? No, 2004; bottled in 2010. Totally fresh, punchy, dense but light on its feet at once.

Bottled in 2008. Equally fresh. Showing the beginning of what you could call bottle age. Then, he pulls out and pours a wine that is slightly golden by comparison– 1999. “The first wine that I ever made.” We cannot believe that he is sharing a bottle with us.

This wine too is absolutely fresh, vigorous, even electric. The wine is perhaps more viscous than the others, and more golden to the eye– but not tired or even maturing in the mouth. The wines are complete and developed– and in this sense, mature– but there is no sense that the first two wines have aged at all, and it is hard to place the bottles in time in any way. They are, in this respect transcendental, which is difficult for wine– but they have dates. 1999 was the first year that I made wine too; it is hard for such a wine not to seem historical in this respect. How can a winemaker’s first wine not be historical?

We taste a red wine from 2004 and another early white, from 2001, that finished primary fermentation in bottle (by surprise). Both wines were very good, even great in some way– but it was so hard to come back and down from the 1999, the wine of origin. He calls all of the wines: “Genèse”– Genesis. The winery is the Gardens of Emeralds; the wines are Genesis White and Genesis Red.

All of the wines have intensity– particularly in what you might call “minerality.” They are saline and have the body and density that comes from fruit– but they do not taste or smell of fruit. Nor do they smell of yeast, in spite of their long lees contact. Nor do they seem oxidized. Even the 1999, opened 15 days ago, was fresh and yellow– no more golden than many Chenins only a couple of years old.

You could say that the wines are rocky– but you must somehow also mean that they are graceful. You could point to nuts and nut skins, and high-acid, young champagne, but you would have to be careful not to simplify too much. It is also worth saying that the wines taste and smell reduced, but that this is not an overwhelming sensation; and that there is no trace of VA at all, or, at most, perhaps one senses some acetic in the mouth, but nothing else, and certainly nothing acetate-y. The wines do not have the markers of wines that stand out as “natural” and seem utterly classical in spite of their unconventional origins.

Lastly, the wines have no typicity for me. I cannot identify the whites as Chenin (though they are not so far from what Eben Sadie sometimes accomplishes by rather different means). I cannot place them as Loire wines. This does not bother Xavier at all. He is in fact proud of this. Even though he is a super careful farmer, he is not interested in revealing or somehow representing the vineyards. There is clearly an unbroken continuity for him between the vines and the wine, but he nonetheless does not feel that he respects this continuity by seeking typicity, or by making single vineyard wines. Neither holds any interest for him.

He suggests, with both pride and mischief in his eyes, that the wines would be hard to identify in a blind tasting. When I agree and tell him that the 1999 reminds me of old first growth Bordeaux, he is clearly pleased– not because he cares at all about old Bordeaux, but because my mind roamed.

To be continued…

Vintage Eve Circa 12/2013: Wine Enthusiast Magazine Best of the Year Issue Reviewed

August 1, 2017 by evebushman

I am a loyal Wine Spectator (WS) magazine reader, have been for over 20 years. With that said, I’ve leafed through Wine Enthusiast (WE) magazine many times. I had an opportunity to meet and interview West Coast Editor Steve Heimoff and often find myself in agreement with him on his tasting notes. As I thought our palates were sometimes in sync, when I got the press release below presenting the magazine’s 2013 Top 100 Wines, Top 50 Spirits and Top 25 Beers…I thought I better do more than leaf through the issue.

top row l-r: Tim McDonald, Richard Jennings, Eve, Steve Peck. bottom l-r: Eva and Fred Swan, Steve Heimoff, Gina DeGirolamo

Starting with the article, “The Top 10 Wines Stories of 2013”, penned by editor Adam Strum, I learned that both men and women enjoyed more white wine this year, more wine producers are using social media, wine growing regions like Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Santa Barbara are gaining more attention, as well as wineries producing organic wines.

Then I noticed some other key pages: WE Instagram favorites, suggestions for moving the palate from, say, a Rioja’s Tempranillo fruit to try a Mexican Nebbiolo, where to find great wine lists in the Caribbean, where to eat in Denmark and Bordeaux, several winter cocktail recipes and single malt scotch recommendations.

Lengthier articles included an explanation of the different methods in making a sparkling wine, followed by a few suggestions that were not the standard fare, and ranged in price from $14 to $150; a feature on Portuguese winemakers; cooking classes available in Napa; recipes paired with white wines and their monthly Buying Guide.

Then came their “Must-Have Wines” selected from 16,500 globally tasted wines. A picture of the wine label accompanied most wines featured on the list – and if you’re like me a photo does help you to remember what to buy lest you show up at a store with the entire magazine in tow. (The number one wine was a sparkling: Roederer Estate 2004 L’Ermitage Brut, Anderson Valley at $47 retail and received a 97-point rating.)

Then came their “Top 50 Spirits” which I really looked forward to seeing as this is not something I’ve seen normally covered in a wine magazine. It sounded like they had fun tasting, among other things, “an unusual barrel-aged gin, a field-to-flask whiskey and a citrusy Tequila fermented using wine yeasts…”

Broken down by individual spirit, using photos as well, this time the number one winner was the Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2002 Edition, USA, Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown, KY, at $26 retail and receiving 97 points.

Then we have the Top 25 Beers to look over that was “culled from our monthly Beer Buying Guide.” This time, the same format again employed, and the number one beer was New Glarus Wild Sour Ale, American Wild Ale, New Glarus Brewing Company, WI, at $10/12 ounce four pack and receiving 98 points. More can be found at www.buyingguide.winemag.com

I thought the magazine would end there, but I was only halfway through. Next came the WE Wine Star Awards that honors “individuals and companies”… “notable for their energy and groundbreaking vision…” The 2013 Wine Person of the Year was named as Barbara Banke, the chairwoman of Jackson Family Wines, and awarded due to the remarkable growth of vineyard holdings she has overseen…and other stellar individuals responsible for the success of our wine landscape follows her. I look forward to reading more in this section and getting to know more about whom we will be watching in the years to come…

# # #

Press Release:

WINE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE UNVEILS ITS BEST OF YEAR ISSUE

RANKING THE TOP 2013 IN WINES, BEERS AND SPIRITS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

The Ultimate Resource and Foremost Authority on Wine Lifestyle Announces its Annual Issue Featuring its Editorial Team’s Top Picks for the Year

Officially hitting newsstands this week, and sure to surpass expectations, the Wine Enthusiast Magazine Annual BEST OF YEAR Issue is finally here! Passionately committed to presenting the nation with its choice picks for the top wines, beers and spirits tasted this year, the Wine Enthusiast Global Tasting Panel and team of Editorial Experts have come up with a one of the most interesting and stellar lists to date, with the best-of-the best for every palate, style and price point imaginable.

This year’s list includes unique, first-rate picks that boast exceptional quality, drinkability, innovation and availability – aiming to represent the outstanding diversity in each category of wine, beer and spirits available in the market today. Conducting over 20,000 tasting’s over the course of the year and across all categories, the tasting panel and experts whittled the list down to include only the most interesting picks for this issue. Featuring the Top 100 Wines, Top 50 Spirits and Top 25 Beers that were tasted and reviewed throughout 2013, this list is the ultimate guide and resource for exceptional imbibing year-round.

“We are thrilled to present our record-breaking Best of Year Issue with one of the most interesting Top 100 Wines lists in our 25 years of publication,” states Editor & Publisher Adam Strum. “Not only does this list go above and beyond our ongoing promise to search for the best quality-to-price ratio, but we also set a record with a sparkling wine taking the number one spot for the first time in the history of the magazine.”

Standing out from the rest, the wine list in particular showcases more then ever the magazine’s unwavering dedication to providing its readers with incredible wine discoveries. With its creatively curated wine selection it is no wonder that Wine Enthusiast’s Best of the Year issue is setting new standards everywhere. Highlights from the list include:

A number one scoring sparkling wine
Some of the world’s best wines for $16 and under
Exciting emerging regions such as Canada, Israel and Georgia

As one of the most respected and quoted authorities in the world of wine, beer and spirits, it’s no wonder that Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Best of Year Issue is the definitive leader and guide for the top alcoholic beverage picks year after year. Consistently featuring only the hottest trends in everything related to wine lifestyle, Wine Enthusiast’s seasoned editors do the work for their readers. The ultimate list for an amazing year, Wine Enthusiast Magazine has the best of the best for 2013.

# # #

About Wine Enthusiast Magazine:

Wine Enthusiast Magazine educates and entertains readers about wine and the wine lifestyle in an accessible and user-friendly way. Published 13 times per year, the magazine’s readership is more than 800,000. The magazine and its Buying Guide with more than 100,000 ratings and reviews are available online. The magazine hosts signature Wine Enthusiast events for both consumer and trade. www.WineMag.com

Eve Wine 101: Sustainable or Organic Wines Choices

August 28, 2015 by evebushman

Do you select wine based on a winery’s choice in being sustainable or organic? Do you know what those terms even mean?

Lets start with some basic Definitions (from Wine Spectator’s Dr. Vinny)

These terms vary in the way they’re defined and regulated, but I’ll do my best to sort out the way they’re most typically used.

The U.S. government regulates use of the term “organic,” but “sustainable” and “biodynamic” have no legal definitions. So I’ll start with organic: there are two types of organic listings on wine bottles. Wines can be made from certified organically grown grapes, avoiding any synthetic additives, or, to take it a step further, “organic” wines are made from organically grown grapes, and are also made without any added sulfites (though naturally occurring sulfites will still be present).

Biodynamic is similar to organic farming in that both take place without chemicals, but biodynamic farming incorporates ideas about a vineyard as an ecosystem, and also accounting for things such as astrological influences and lunar cycles. A biodynamic wine means that the grapes are farmed biodynamically, and that the winemaker did not make the wine with any common manipulations such as yeast additions or acidity adjustments. A wine “made from biodynamic grapes” means that a vintner used biodynamically grown grapes, but followed a less strict list of rules in winemaking.

Sustainability refers to a range of practices that are not only ecologically sound, but also economically viable and socially responsible. (Sustainable farmers may farm largely organically or biodynamically but have flexibility to choose what works best for their individual property; they may also focus on energy and water conservation, use of renewable resources and other issues.) Some third-party agencies offer sustainability certifications, and many regional industry associations are working on developing clearer standards.

If you’d like to know if a wine falls into any of these categories, check out the label. Here you’ll find a lot of clues—various trademarked symbols and logos are used, and if a winery is going to adhere to these practices, they’re likely to want you to know about it. You can also check out a winery’s website, which usually goes into details about how a wine was grown and made.

Okay, now back to me, and my own feelings to share with you at this point in your wine education. After reading the knowledgeable Dr. Vinny, do you feel compelled to seek out wines made via organic, biodynamic and/or sustainable winery practices? If so, I think you should.

I’ve tasted my fair share of wines made in many different ways. My personal opinion (and I know I may lose a few readers over this) is similar to how I feel reading a book. Does the information presented, in both fiction and non-fiction, further the story or not?

Taken a step further, and down a row of vines, if the wine tastes better because owls (in one winery case the owls had fine “condos” built for them to attract them to the property) killed a pest like gophers then that’s great. If the wine’s price increased because of the winery practices, that’s okay with me too, within reason. But if the wine takes a page from my book instead of adding to it, I’d skip the wine in the future.

To be more succinct: I’m ruled by palate and not winery practices. You have to do your own tasting/testing to make your own decision. And, if you find an organic/biodynamic/sustainable wine that tastes better because of the winery practices? Let me know about it!

(Note: a word about sulfite preservatives. There are two schools of thought: They cause headaches and they don’t cause headaches. One wine educator explained that if the sufferer also suffers headaches after eating dried fruit with sulfites then it’s the sulfites. More often, and I tend to agree, it’s dehydration that causes the headache. My rule of thumb is to consume one glass of water for every glass of wine.)

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