A couple of weeks ago I received a special invite, from LearnAboutWine.com founder Ian Blackburn: “Tastemakers, Sommelier and Press, please accept my invitation to a special press gathering for the STARS of California Wine.” And that was enough for me to send off my rsvp right away.

I knew from a previous luncheon that the meeting – very intimate with a little over a dozen of us in attendance – would be stellar, the restaurant would be remarkable and the wine, presented by a winery representative or owner, chosen with care.

This time we met at a penthouse private room in the TAKAMI Restaurant, in downtown Los Angeles. Our wine representatives included Larry Schaffer, winemaker and owner of Tercero Wines; Timothy Carl, the managing director of Knights Bridge Winery; and Michael Young, the sales and marketing director of L’Aventure Wine.

I had just visited Larry at his Los Olivos Tasting room last month. The two wines he presented at our luncheon, 2011 Viognier and 2009 Grenache, I covered in my notes, as well as information on Tercero. You can read that here: http://westranchbeacon.com/2013/03/eves-wine-101-tasting-with-winemakers-in-the-santa-barbara/

On this occasion, however, I enjoyed Larry’s wines with three Robatas: Angus New York, Chicken Negima, Chilean Sea Bass; and then a selection of sushi rolls. For me, I prefer to make tasting notes sans food. But, in real life, this is how we do it – and it was very enjoyable to sit back and just enjoy as my tasting notes had already been done. The rest of the guests, some new to Larry’s wines, remarked that they really enjoyed them and what he has accomplished with Rhone varietals.

When Timothy Carl introduced Knights Bridge he explained that his family has ten generations of grape growing experience. They only produce Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon in their vineyards about five miles Northwest of Calistoga.

Almost everyone immediately became a fan of the Knights Bridge Sauvignon Blanc. My notes mention balanced acidity and minerality. Carl remarked that they “squeeze the fruit to get the right Ph” and by doing that you “may lose some juice potential…but you get the aromatics, mouth feel and fruit components like orange blossom.”

The stand out wine for me was Carl’s 2008 Knights Bridge Pont Chevalier Cabernet Sauvignon filled with blackberry, lavender, cassis, and minerality in perfect balance.

Then Michael Young introduced his L’Aventure “meat and potato” wines to pair with a Grilled Angus drenched in a Black Truffle Sauce…and potatoes. The 2010 Optimus was 55% Syrah, 27% Cab and 18% Petit Verdot. I thought it was a fruit bomb with plenty of spice on the back palate, bold and tannic, a great wine. Young followed it up with the 2010 Estate Cuvee that was a blend of 42% Syrah, 42% Cab and 16% Petit Verdot. Only slightly softer than the Optimus, another fabulous wine.

As we chatted it up, huge dessert platters arrived, bottles were offered to “revisit”, business cards were passed around…and then our hosts had to rush off for their second appointment of the day because after the luncheon was a press tasting event, to be followed later in the evening with a public tasting.   I had to skedaddle as well, but this was the wine list others were to enjoy all evening on the rooftop:

2013 Participants:

D’Anbino – Paso Robles

Knights Bridge – Sonoma

Hammersky – Paso Robles

Beekeeper – Sonoma

Chateau Margene – Paso Robles

Tudor – Santa Lucia

Hope Family – Paso Robles

Zaca Mesa – Santa Barbara

Adelaida – Paso Robles

Tercero – Santa Barbara

L’Aventure – Paso Robles

Stanger – Paso Robles

Dubost – Paso Robles

Robert Murray – Paso Robles

Pipestone – Paso Robles

Kiamie – Paso Robles

Edmond August – Paso Robles

Levigne – Paso Robles

Sculpterra – Paso Robles

Frank Family – Napa Valley

Calcareous – Paso Robles

Hoyt Family – Paso Robles & Malibu

Shai – Santa Barbara

Eden Canyon – Paso Robles

Rocca – Napa Valley

Cakebread – Napa Valley

Turiya – Santa Barbara
Snowden – Napa Valley

Peju – Napa Valley

and many more to come….