Vintage Eve Circa Feb 2012: Wine Tasting on Cruise Ships

September 6, 2016 by evebushman

Cruise ship wine tastings are a nice diversion for a day at sea. And since it takes a day just to get to Glacier Bay in Alaska, and I wasn’t going to spend it all in the spa or playing Rummikub with my mother, carving out an hour of me time was not a problem. We enjoyed two wine pairings while on board the Holland America Zaandam; each one a sample of the different wine packages you could order from while on the cruise.

The movement of the boat, or some such excuse, restricted my notes so there are no “Eve Points” in today’s column. But I still had you in mind as I foraged ahead.

Premium Wine Tasting

Led by Cellar Master Rodrigo Geducos in the boat’s posh Pinnacle dining room, we began our escape with Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial, France, NV. (Non Vintage, aka NV, is common for most Champagnes.) Popped open just for us of course, I watched as the little bubbles danced into my glass. Notes of honeyed-sugar and green apple in our Champagne paired well with fresh strawberries.

Next came an 04 Lanzerac Chardonnay, South Africa, with a honey color in the glass, fresh oak on the nose, and but I thought it had an unpleasant taste. Geducos paired this with Brie, which helped blow off some of the wine’s aromas, and successfully tuned the pairing.

08 Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir, had a young, fruity nose, dry, no tannins in the taste, and a light finish. Again, the pairing made this wine more remarkable: duck pate.

07 Hedges Red Mountain Blend, Family Vineyards, had a perfect nose and the taste held fully matured fruit, some pepper, tannins, and went well with goat cheese.

The last in this tasting was an 05 Silverado Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, with strong flavors of black pepper, wood and structured tannins. The blue cheese it was paired with, not my favorite Stilton Blue, was stronger than the wine deserved.

The wines I liked the best were the Champagne, the blend and the Cabernet.

“We hope that this selection is just enough to please you,” said Geducos. It was.

Navigator Wine Tasting

I gave you the premium first, opposite of what I’d do at home, where I save the best for last. But, as a dry audience, I thought I’d get your salivary glands activated by reversing the order. I’m confident that these should continue to whet your palate:

Again Cellar Master Geducos aptly led us through:

An 09 Robert Mondavi Riesling, Monterey County was full of banana and honey on the nose, pear flavors and a delightful effervescence that dissolved into a long velvety finish.

08 Danzante Pinot Grigio, Italy had a green floral nose, a high acid mouthfeel, more tang than sweet and quite dry.

09 Laboure Roi Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France that I really wanted to like, but with its unripe cherry nose, and empty taste, I hoped it was just too young and would have benefited with decanting.

05 Errazuriz 100% Merlot, Chile, had a great spicy nose, with jammy black cherry and pepper.

08 Diseno Malbec, Argentina, had a lovely mature fruit – almost a perfect plum – and was good to drink. Ordered for dinner that night too!

In this tasting I loved discovering the Riesling, Merlot and the Malbec.

Vintage Eve Circa 9/2011: Old Bridge Cellars Tasting

May 3, 2016 by evebushman

For a recent wine tasting I was tasked with finding a wine made from the Semillon grape to share with a dozen or more other people, with the same task. I did an Google search to see what was new that I could come up with.

I was interested in trying Stickybeak as another Facebook pal had mentioned it, so I contacted the winemaker, Wayne Donaldson. Wayne and I exchanged a few e-mails and then he forwarded my query to Old Bridge Cellars.

Not a winery, “Old Bridge Cellars is an importer of fine Australian wines, and also produce their own Californian wines under the Stickybeak label, with Australian Wayne Donaldson acting as winemaker.” I e-mailed the company, told them of my quest, and they sent me the two bottles listed below to share. Below are my reviews, I used quotation marks for comments made by others in the group.

2010 Brokenwood

100% Semillon

Hunter Valley, Australia

11.5% alcohol

Appearance – Clear, diamonds, pale amber edge.

Nose – Cologne/perfume, fresh mown grass, slight kiwi, “crisp, clean.”

Palate – One guest called it an “explosion of fruit”, high acidity, “lemon/lime,” “springtime”, ending with a “lemon-flavored Jolly Rancher or Sweet Tart candy.”

Finish – Long length, one guest suggested a “pairing with Sea Bass”.

2009 Stickybeak

2009 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

Sonoma County

72% Semillon, 28% Sauvignon Blanc

13.5 % alcohol

Appearance – Clear, palest of gold on the edge.

Nose – Grassy, honey, pineapple, “grapefruit”, “pomelo”.

Palate – green grass, “green apple”, “light fig”

Finish – One couple agreed: “Our favorite of the night!”, “Doesn’t need to pair with food!”, “I’d like with Oysters.”

My conclusion: We had nearly a dozen Semillon to try that night. We have found that only sampling one varietal, with a group, allows us to really learn about the wine’s nuances. My thought at the start, and a collective one my the end, was that the Semillons we tried from old and new world wine areas had one thing in common: aromatic noses that didn’t always carry through to the taste. It didn’t make too much a difference on what we liked, it was just an observation to call us the next time we try Semillon.

From the Old Bridge Cellars Website

In this age of ‘big company’ buyouts, increasing consolidation and mass production, Old Bridge Cellars brings you a group of Australian winemakers who retain their belief in artisan winemaking. Respecting the land and with minimal intervention in the winery, their wines remain true to the soils from which they come.

They share a fierce commitment to quality and a determination to preserve their independence and regional heritage. Many are the second, third and even fourth generations of their family to work the vineyards. It’s their intuitive understanding, quiet confidence and desire to produce only the best they can from each vintage that has made them Australian benchmarks, universally acclaimed by wine critics across the globe.

Founded in 1990, Old Bridge Cellars embraces the intense passion of these winemakers and remains one of only a few U.S. importers dedicated solely to the best of regional Australia. Our knowledge of Australian wine runs deep and has been recognized in such publications as The Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, Wine and Spirits, International Wine Cellar and Wine Enthusiast. Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate has gone so far as to say, “thanks in large part to the work of such talented importers as Old Bridge Cellars et al… American consumers have never had such an enormous selection of Australia’s finest as well as rarest wines.”

We see as our mission the promotion of Australia’s ‘real wines’, championing those winemakers who give everything in their pursuit of truly distinctive, regionally defined styles that sit comfortably with the world’s best. And who believe they can do it even better again next vintage!

It’s an enlightening, exhilarating journey. Welcome aboard.

http://www.oldbridgecellars.com “The Face of Australian Wine”

Visiting Greece, Via Ktima Gerovassiliou

April 29, 2016 by evebushman

Cori Solomon, organizer of #LAWineWriters, recently arranged for our group to meet with Thrass Giantsidis of Greece’s renowned Ktima Gerovassillou all-estate winery. The plan: To boldly go where…wait…to be led through a tasting of his highly-awarded wines along with some small plates at Downtown LA’s Ledlow restaurant.

I did a little research on Ktima Gerovassiliou before the luncheon, and besides learning that they make a wide range of whites (including a Viognier) and reds (hoping to try the Syrah), the winemaker Vangelis Gerovassiliou has created a Wine Museum at the winery filled with all types of tools used in viticulture…including an impressive collection of corkscrews. I was starting to look forward to tasting and learning more.

Greek Wine Lesson

Giantsidis began by explaining a little about the range of climates in Greece. Some vineyards that are close to the sea are in the Mediterranean region (Ktima Gerovassiliou is in this group) while some regions are warm. The land “is mountainous” with 66,000k hectares growing vitis vinifera. However, there are more table grapes than wine grapes being cultivated. It’s just a small portion (3.9 million hectares) of the whole of Greece that is devoted to grape cultivation. And there are more than 300 species of their own native grapes made into wine. (Note: 2.5 acres is equal to 1 hectare.)

Winemaker Vangelis Gerovassiliou saved the Malagousia grape from extinction. It is known for its aromatics. 50% of this grape is in their Estate White blend.

Vangelis Gerovassiliou was with Greece’s Porto Carras for decades.

Domaine Gerovassiliou has 63 hectares of estate grapes.

These wines, a little costlier than other Greek imports, are a quality we may have not yet seen.

The estate is sustainable and all work is done by hand.

A majority of the Greek wineries use indigenous grapes.

All wines have received “lots of distinctions”, according to Giantsidis, and the entire portfolio is estate grown.

The average person visits historical sites such as Athens, however, the wines of Greece are not found in the normal tourist spots.

The North is more red producing while the South makes more white.

Greek Tasting (As usual my notes on aroma and flavor are divided by “;”)

2014 Estate White

Malagousia an Assyrtico

Limeade, pear, Meyer lemon, jasmine, steely; white peach, lemon-lime, lovely mouth-feel, medium acid. Wanted a chilled seafood salad with this. 90 Eve pts.

2014 100% Malagousia

White peach, pears in light syrup, pink grapefruit, reminds me of a Viognier on the nose, honey; mouthfeel, again a medium acid, more lemon, grapefruit, more Sauvignon Blanc on the palate. (This wine had some time in “seasoned oak” which meant that the barrel had been “seasoned” by being filled with wine before. What is also referred to as “neutral” oak. Both distinctions mean that the wine will not have any predominate oak characteristics.) 90 Eve pts.

2013 Fume Sauvignon Blanc

(As this had some time with oak that’s why the word “Fume” is used in its name.) Bruised golden delicious apples, honey, white honeysuckle flowers, toast; fruit cocktail, lemon hard candy, medium acid again and a nice mouthfeel, again.

89 Eve pts.

2014 Chardonnay

(most planted of the foreign varietals in Greece.) About 800 cases per year. Lemon butter, oak, perfumy, white pepper; toasted oak, cream, lemon. 88 Eve pts.

2010 Viognier

Color – golden yellow – that is indicative of some age. Can you say HONEY, wow, I sure could! Smells like a late harvest wine with cling peaches also on the nose; not as sweet on the palate as it is in the aroma, with citrus, tang, stainless steel, medium-high acid. 88 Eve pts.

2010 Estate Red Blend

Syrah, Merlot and Limnio

Dusty, black fruit, black cherry, mushroom, velvety, milk chocolate, pepper; nice tannin structure, my whole tongue wanted more, blueberry, blackberry. 90 Eve pts.

2008 Avaton

Limnio, Mavroudi and Mavrotragano

The wine’s name, Avaton, means “inaccessible and impossible to reach.” This was the first wine that they made with indigenous Greek wines. Also to know, the word Mavro means black. Stewed plums, dried cherry, clove, tri-color peppercorns, mulled wine, charred steak; dark and dry fruit, balance is dead on even with extra firm tannin, oak, same black fruit. Need charred steak to have with this. 90 Eve pts.

2008 Evangelo

Petite Sirah, 92%, the balance is Viognier. Malolactic fermentation, and some oak – 15 months.

Gerovassillou explained that the Viognier stabilizes the color and makes it a “feminine wine” style. The whole barn is in your glass! It was rich, thick, earthy, gamey, minty, and with a hint of chocolate covered berries; more youthful on the palate than expected, red to black fruit, spice, tannic, dry. 92 pts.

2009 Late Harvest Malagousia

Caramel covered apple, peaches in heavy syrup, white pepper, Monet’s Garden; huge mouthfeel, lovely long finish, potpourri, and local honey. 91 Eve pts.

About Ktima Gerovassillou

From the website: Deep knowledge and use of up-to-date technology combined with more traditional and conventional wine-making methods lead to the production of high-quality wines with distinct micro-climate (terroir) characteristics. All Ktima Gerovassiliou wines are produced from grapes cultivated in the privately-owned vineyard. Every year the Gerovassiliou wines gain significant international distinctions for their high and consistent quality. 30% of Ktima’s production is exported to other European countries, the USA, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Australia and Singapore… The efforts of Vangelis Gerovassiliou and his partners’ along with the high and consistent quality of Gerovassiliou wines are recognized with European and global distinctions. Ktima Gerovassiliou is included in the 100 top wineries for six years, Vangelis Gerovassiliou is among the six best wine-producers worldwide and the Gerovassiliou wines receive every year very important distinctions.

http://www.gerovassiliou.gr/

http://www.gerovassiliou.gr/en/shop

http://www.gerovassiliou.gr/en/museum

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 judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. 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

Vintage Eve Circa 9/2011: Two Bottle Post – Patland

April 26, 2016 by evebushman

As it’s the Friday before a long weekend, I give you two wines from Napa Valley’s Patland Estate Vineyards to consider drinking if you’re housebound or bound to parts unknown:

08 Proprietary Red Wine

Terra Del Cuore

14.8% alcohol

Bottle No. 1008 of 1560

Napa Valley

Color – Opaque, purple, deep ruby edge.

Aroma –Mint, cigar, wood, pepper, dark mature fruit – but not a great deal of it on the nose.

Taste – Blackberry jam, full-fruit gives way to excellent balance, nice tannins.

Finish – Long finish. Pleasantly dry.

Conclusion – Very exuberant, I liked how it started one way with so much fruit and finished with deep tannins. Drink now to 2020.

89 Eve pts.

2010 Sauvignon Blanc

14.4% alcohol

Bottle No. 363 of 600

Napa Valley

Color – Clear, clean, almost colorless save an echo of gold on the edge when held over white paper.

Aroma – Green apple, lemon, honey, unsalted butter, anise.

Taste – Tangy, crisp, acidic but not through to finish, lemon-lime, nice viscosity.

Finish – Short to medium length.

Conclusion – Perfect on a 106 degree evening on my front porch.

88 Eve pts. Drink now.

(Disclosure: These samples were sent to me from the winery for review.)

From website:
At the time of purchase, Terra del Cuore had Merlot, Petit Syrah and Sangiovese grapes planted on the estate’s property.

In 2007, those were the grapes that went into the Proprietary Red wine. A unique ruby garnet blend, rich in aromas of red berries, clove, vanillin, cigar spice and nutmeg. The wine possesses an elegantly soft, satin-like approachable finish. This particular blend is exclusive to 2007 production only.

In 2008, upon returning from a trip to wine country in Argentina and Chile, and following the advice of Jay Buoncristiani, Patland Estate’s winemaker, the decision was made to convert the vines present on the property into Malbec. The climate, the location and the quality of the soil seemed ideal for a consistently great production of a rich Malbec blend.

For the PEV 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blends, highly desirable grapes from Stagecoach vineyards were purchased.

For Cabernet Sauvignon, Jay blended 95% of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes with 5% of Malbec and created a dark, rich wine, deeply layered with aromas of black cherry, truffle, molasses, French oak, sage, vanilla and black pepper. The persistent yet balanced finish exhibits excellent depth, purity and elegance.

For the Syrah, he used 100% Syrah grapes and the wine emerged possesses the complex aromas of vibrant wild berries, toffee, maple, dark chocolate, white pepper and violets. Ripe dark berries, cedar spice and mocha continue to gush forth during the ultra fleshy velvet-textured long finish.

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

January 30, 2016 by evebushman

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…

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.

Vintage Eve 4/2011: A Truly Inspired Cass Wine Pairing Dinner

January 5, 2016 by evebushman

“If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.” Ted Plemons, CASS winery partner.

Guests at a recent CASS wine pairing dinner were treated to more than one Ted-Ism, as Ted Plemons wife, Lisa, calls her husband’s affable speech, on a warm night on Salt Creek Grille’s patio. But first, SCG owner Greg Amsler, had a few –isms of his own to bestow on Ted.

“The first time I met Ted my wife Chell and I had VIP reservations,” began Amsler. “And, we had a couple of other tastings before so we were ready for Cass.

We were greeted by a surfer dude wearing flip flops, cut off jeans and a UCLA Bruins t-shirt that said, ‘Dudes, can I help you out?’ That was Ted. It was the best time we’ve ever had at a winery. We became friends and have been in touch, planning this dinner, ever since. Many of our guests kept asking if Ted was coming to the dinner, as, everyone knows Ted.”

And with that, Amsler introduced Ted Plemons to the room.

“I want to add a little to that story of what happened that day we met,” Plemons started, preparing us for the Ted-ism to follow. “Some call it tasting, I call it drinking.”

From there Plemons teased us no further and said, “What happens in the barrel room stays in the barrel room.”

Plemons explained that he started in Paso doing construction over 30 years ago, and continues to this day, while also being a partner at Cass Vineyard and Winery. He also built Cass.

“We don’t embellish wine, we just take from our vineyard and try not to mess it up.”

What Was Paired (Notes on some of the food, and all of the wines, are below in bold. All of the food was under the watchful eye of Chef Ignacio Munoz and designed by Chef Tamra Levine. Tamra is the ONLY chef in town that is nearest a sommelier and always does excellent wine pairings.)

Butlered Amuse Bouche

Olive Cake with Smoked Onion Jam

Cones of Smoked Sturgeon Mousse and Horseradish Granita (I liked how the Viognier worked with the horseradish as opposites, I though it “A dance on my palate while a full symphony played.”)

Viognier (Color – clear, pale yellow with the faintest of green. Aroma – Honey, lemon, cantaloupe. Taste – grapefruit, pineapple, high acid, med-long finish. One of my favorites of the night. Lil Lepore thought it cut through the Olive Cake nicely.)

Beginnings

Spring Pea Flan… Sweet Carrot Emulsion, Butter Poached Lobster, Microgreens (“Frickin’ delicious” per Lil Lepore. I liked the chalkiness of the peas against the blend)

Rockin’ One White ’09 (60% Rousanne and 40% Marsanne. Color – mid-yellow. Aroma – spice, possibly white pepper, oak. Taste – nice viscosity coated my mouth, high acid, grapefruit, lemon, medium finish, tickles the tongue. My favorite of the night.)

Middle One

Ratatouille Mille Feuille… Savory Rosemary Shortbread, Mustard and Herbed Crusted Lamb (Eddie liked the spiciness of the veggies against the Syrah, I enjoyed the melt-in-your-mouth shortbread.)

Syrah ’08 (Color – deep garnet, opaque. Aroma – chocolate. Taste – balanced, soft tannins, medium finish, some toast per Lil Lepore.)

Middle Two

Chocolate Braised English Short Ribs..Mint Pesto Cipolini, Onion Confit…Sun-Dried Tomato Grits (Loved that it was shredded, and the playfulness of a hint of mint. Brought out quite a bit of pleasant smoke in the wine. And the grits were so creamy with no extra-sharp pungent flavors from the tomato – most welcome.)

Cabernet Sauvignon ’08 (Color – dark garnet and opaque again. Aroma – fruit bomb, eucalyptus, pine, dark cherries. Taste – some cherry (Yes, we guessed something was blended in, thought maybe Petit Verdot or Merlot), dry on the mid-palate.)

Sweet Endings

Meyer Lemon Cake Tower draped in Lavender Glaze

Apple – Calvados Sorbet (I found the anise in this! Wonderful! Really neat with the Port!)

Port macerated figs, walnut and gorgonzola Rugalach

Syrah Vintage Port 08 (Color – black. Aroma – licorice and raisins. Taste – high tannin, sugary-sweet and dry. It was Ted’s gift of the night as it came from his personal cellar and he only had 9 bottles left – before tonight! Thanks!)

Who Was Seen and Thanked

Jim and Monica McClafferty, Louise Castaldo, Steve and Julie Sturgeon, John and Debbie Heys, Bob and Margo Hudson, Skip Newhall, Lil Lepore and Shari Frazier, Wendy Ora Roberts, Greg and Chell Amsler, Jennifer Chadwick, Jennie Wagner, Jen Baker, Steve and Cathy Martin, Steve and Marcia Tannehill, Ted and Lisa Plemons, Jeff and Tamra Levine, Chef Ignacio Munoz and the Salt Creek kitchen staff…

http://www.casswines.com

Vintage Beacon April/2011: Goddess Night

December 29, 2015 by evebushman

There was more than one Goddess braving the SCV cold in nothing but a toga and a ceremonial grapevine headdress on one recent Friday night.

Me, as the temporary Goddess for Circle of Hope’s Vine 2 Wine event in June, and the Goddess of Wine, a fellow-wine blogger, wine educator, WSET Level Two Certified, lucky-for-me-she-lives-in-Burbank-and-can’t-take-my-peeps-home-with-her, buddy Denise Lowe.

No, we weren’t really wearing togas. But I can tell you that we both carry waiter’s corkscrews, business cards, notepad and pen, wherever we go.

I’ve interviewed Denise before for the Beacon. While we both have blogging and the WSET certification in common, she does much more wine education and traveling than I do while I do more writing and marketing than she does. We learn a lot from each other, and we keep each other motivated. She also drives up, with her affable husband John Dickey, “JD”, every month to attend our Grape of the Night meetings.

This time, instead of an interview, I invited my pal to visit some of the wine bars in our fair city.

As we had taken our WSET classes at The Cellar together, and we attend Grape of the Night at Valencia Wine Company, I tried to squeeze in visits to some the wine bars she hadn’t been to.

So, with that in mind, I asked her to come to my house by 4:30 p.m. to get started. (I think she MAY have been motivated to see the new kitchen too!) From my place we drove over to Vino 100 Valencia for a tasting from Toolbox Wine Company that was set to start at 5 pm. And, as I had advertised the event on Facebook, and rsvp’d to a meet-up of “Wine-y Women”, I was sure to run into a few peeps to introduce Denise to.

Kathy Lockhart, the organizer for Wine-y Women had written this in her invite:

Toolbox Wine Company was created by three Napa Valley girlfriends who share passion and expertise in all facets of the wine industry. Their vision is to offer excellent (and fun) wines while raising awareness and money for Habitat for Humanity. With their catchy label, they prove that you cannot “judge a book by its cover”. They have successfully produced some wonderful, fun wines that are high quality and affordable. Meet Katie Hamilton Shaffer, co-founder of Toolbox Wine Co., who is looking forward to sharing their story and passion for wine. Enjoy tasting several of their newest releases. Light, tasty appetizers will also be served. HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US!

By 5:05 pm, we were well into the tasting and Denise had met both Lil LePore and Shari Frazier, the owners of Vino 100, some of the Wine-y Women (Kathy Lockhart, Rhona Jukes, Denise Van Arsdale-West, Kat Kombrinck, Pam Ingram…) and some pals of my own (Shipwreck Bob Schwemmer, Beth Greenwald, Kym Pease Cappi, Ray Tippet, Judy Penman, Shawneen Rubay…)

Of the line-up that was poured, the 09 Clarksburg Pinot Grigio, with .2% Muscat, was my favorite. The nose was a lovely mix of pineapple, apricot, lemons and lime. The taste, bringing some of that fruit forward, had high acidity with a nice mouth-coating viscosity. Short finish that just made me want more. We also enjoyed:

07 Oak Knoll District Napa Valley Chardonnay – Pale honeyed-yellow color, aroma of oak and green apple, with medium acid and a medium finish.

07 Napa Valley Merlot – 10% Cab and 90% Merlot, “Chianti-style” per co-founder Katie Hamilton Shaffer. Very dark edge on the color and opaque throughout, the aroma had tons of black fruit with a surprising blueberry-sweet nose. And the taste was dry, medium tannins with blackberry jam and a medium finish.

07 Cabernet Sauvignon – Plum color, fresh berries and pine on the nose, ripe berry flavors, dry with a medium length.

From there we moved onto Lee’s Wine Bistro for dinner. Denise selected a wine that is meant to be savored with a meal: 2006 Villamedoro Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. Owner Lee Yoon was able to come over to say hello and chat, but not for long, as it was soon growing into a busy Friday night.

Denise seemed to enjoy the place, as our laughter grew louder and louder to be heard over the music and other guests.

From there I drove across the street to Wine 661 to introduce Denise to Tanya Green, the owner, and to computer whiz Tony Wire, her boyfriend that is always at her side. Now it was time to order a wine by the glass, as we needed to slow down. We both had a blend by Trinitas Cellars in Mendocino. And, true to form, Tanya swirled the wine she poured into our glasses, making sure that our wine was ready for tasting. I also requested Tanya’s spa water – iced water infused with fresh cucumber – to cleanse our palates, and, eventually, move us Goddesses over from wine to water.

As we sipped and listened to the band, four last peeps made their entrance and met Denise. Tim and Erin Dixon, and, Mark and Ann Drexler, had stopped by to purchase a bottle to take home with them.

Funny, Denise lives in Burbank, as I mentioned earlier, and we have more wine bars in one small area that she does in her big city. It’s a wonder. Or, is it just our growing infrastructure, or demographics, meeting our needs? It doesn’t matter. When it comes to wine, it’s all good for Goddesses.

Tasting the September 2015 New Releases from Vina Robles Vineyards and Winery

October 23, 2015 by evebushman

This is the third vintage from winemaker Kevin Willenborg at Vina Robles in Paso Robles, and, as I was a fan of the last two, I couldn’t wait to taste them. We work our way up dear reader, whites to reds in a tasting of four wines that I don’t think you should pass up.

2014 White4

$16 retail, $12.80 wine club

54% Viognier, 22% Vermentino, 15% Verdelho, 9% Sauvignon Blanc

Aroma: Lemon zest, crisp green apple, jasmine flower, Jolly Rancher lemon hard candy, white peach, pink grapefruit, sourdough toast, wet pebbles.

Flavor: Tingly, apple again, lemon-lime, orange marmalade, hint of dill, medium acid. Funny, the overall flavor reminded me of a romaine lettuce salad with a creamy dressing like this one with mayonnaise, Champagne vinegar and mustard; which would be a fun pairing too.

88 Eve pts.

2014 Sauvignon Blanc – Estate

$16 retail, $12.80 wine club

100% Sauvignon Blanc

Aroma: Peach, Meyer lemon, dried apricot, candied ginger, something floral and a tiny bit of vanilla.

Flavor: Pink lemonade, white wine Sangria, kiwi, pineapple, fruit cocktail, medium acid and an incredible length. I’m not a fan of high acid, this one was just the right note for my palate. Would love it with a bowl of vanilla ice cream covered with some cling peaches in light syrup. Slurp.

89 Eve pts.

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon – Estate

~~SOLD OUT AT WINERY~~ “released on October 16 and we have plenty to sell!”

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petite Verdot

Aroma: Juicy plums, black cherry, cherry brandy, dust, milk chocolate, vanilla bean, cracked black peppercorns and warmed tree bark.

Flavor: Smooth chocolate, blackberry jam, fig, rich mouthfeel, incredibly balanced dark fruit flavors and spice with nice tannins on the finish. Would work with any meaty main dish straight through to a chocolate cream pie or a Snickers bar. Yes.

91 Eve pts.

2012 Petite Sirah – Estate

$29 retail, $23.20 wine club

100% Petite Sirah

Aroma: Blackberry, black currant, espresso, balsamic, mushroom, leather, wet leaves and this: a juicy medium grilled steak.

Flavor: Big and bold with peppery black fruit, dark chocolate, coffee bean, sharp at first but rounds off quite quickly and ending with a deep finish. I’d like a marinated tri-tip with grilled mushrooms or a Chile Colorado burrito drenched in Enchilada sauce with this one.

90 Eve pts.

http://www.vinarobles.com/

KITA Wines and the Camp 4 Vineyards of the Chumash Tribe, by Barbara Barrielle

August 20, 2015 by evebushman

I must admit that, living in Healdsburg, I was mortified when an Indian casino was built into the pristine hills above neighboring Alexander Valley. And I still think River Rock Casino is an eyesore and does not belong perched on a hill overlooking vineyards.

Recently, I discovered a different side of the tribal gaming story and their involvement in wine when trying Kita Wines, “our valley oak” in the Chumash language of Samala. The cool twist on these well-made Central Coast wines is that the Chumash Tribe owns the vineyards and they funded the winery that is headed by Native American winemaker Tara Gomez with assistant winemaker Tymari Lore.

In 2010, the Santa Ynez branch of the Chumash Tribe bought 256 acres of vineyards originally planted by the legendary Fess Parker in 1999. Producing primarily Bordeaux and Rhône varietals at the Camp 4 vineyard, the Tribe sells most of their grapes to other producers but their ownership of the property at the gateway to Happy Canyon prompted the establishment of a Tribe-supported winery. Although she has the benefit of tribe support, Tara is clear that she worked hard to present a business plan to the tribal leaders and continues to have to prove her bottom line.

Tara Gomez studied Enology at Cal State Fresno and was one of only two women graduating in 1998 in the winemaking field. One of her earliest jobs was actually with Fess Parker Winery and this was followed by time in Paso Robles and in Europe honing her winemaking knowledge. She was an accomplished winemaker by 2010 when the Tribe helped her establish Kita Wines.

Kita has the advantage of their own vineyards for their Bordeaux and Rhônes varietals and blends but Tara sources what she considers the best in Santa Rita Hills for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Current Kita offerings include the hip Grenache Blanc and very crisp Sauvignon Blanc as well as T’AYA, “abalone shell” in native Samala language, blend of Marsanne, Roussane and Grenache Blanc which has stone fruit, floral notes and a bit of minerality on the nose which is followed by apricot and honey in the mouth and balanced acid throughout the finish. All whites are $22-24.

On the red side, the Samala word SP’EY means “flower” and this aptly describes Kita’s gorgeous blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignane, the latter on of Tara Gomez’s favorite varietals. A lovely wine with elegant floral tones, blueberry and candied fruit that develops in long mouth filling flavors of berry, licorice and spice. Great balance and memorable for only .
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Kita also makes outstanding Pinot Noirs from the popular Hilliard Bruce vineyard in Santa Rita Hills and Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Syrah from their own Camp 4. Spectacular offerings from an even better story that will only continue to get better with time. Kita wines are offered in tribal casinos throughout the U.S. which certainly raises the stakes of getting a decent glass of wine at the blackjack table!

The Remarkable Wines of the 2015 Chardonnay Symposium

June 12, 2015 by evebushman

“This will probably be 2015’s most exciting wine event featuring the world’s most popular wine. TCS was started about six years ago by the Santa Maria AVA folks, featuring local notables like Jim Clendenen, Adam Tolmach, Jonathan Nagy… It was basically a couple simultaneous panels with a Grand Tasting afterward. Over the years it attracted panel leaders like Steve Heimoff and Karen MacNeil and then last year moved to Pismo in a slightly smaller format, with Matt Kettman as panel leader. This year it seems to have exploded into an international event with the edginess of In Pursuit of Balance and the comprehensiveness of WOPN. There are Grand Tastings both Friday and Saturday; intriguing dinners both nights and seminars that will appeal to everyone from the Interested Consumer to the Over-Achieving Professional…” Santa Barbara Photographer, Bob Dickey.

Tasting

Thanks to Bob Dickey I had this great precursor to The Chardonnay Symposium (TCS). I was looking forward to my full-throttle education of all things Chardonnay, already knowing that the best way to learn about a varietal is to taste from different AVAs and winemakers. After experiencing TCS for the first time, I hope that more wine event planners move away from the “drunk fest” and into this arena as we, as attendees, not only learn more that way, but our winemakers are met with the truly interested and not just those out for a buzz.

I attended both the Friday and Saturday grand tastings. (See the story in photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10205711364290787.1073741919.1455706632&type=1&l=e289a928f1) as well as a killer tasting of older Chardonnays in a seminar lead by Master Sommelier Fred Dame. (More on that below.)

All of my notes are from the class (as that’s where I could sit and type on my mini) but I thoroughly enjoyed the two tastings too. If you scroll down to the bottom of this post I have highlighted my favorites in bold.

Hanzell Mount Eden Retrospective Tasting

Just check out the years of these wines – a “historic tasting” from 2011 back to 1994! If you haven’t had an older vintage chardonnay, or even if you have, there is something to learn from what a little age can do to a wine varietal not commonly aged.

Fred Dame, MS, led our seminar. He started with a story of when he drank a 1929 Montrachet – a Chardonnay – that stayed perfect throughout a dinner. Dame said that we don’t cellar our wines, homes aren’t built with cellars and the average aging time for a wine is 8 hours. This may have been a jest but we all understood that the average consumer does not hold onto their wines for very long. They are usually purchased to drink now.

Fred Dame, MS, in one-liners

Dame said, seeing us salivate, that this experience “is too dry” so let’s get started with the tasting.

Original Chardonnay was called Pinot Chardonnay in the states.

Martini planted Chards in the 50s and 60s.

Most back then were fortified wines, and the vines were in mostly Riverside.

The wines we have today are really newcomers.

There are ongoing experiments using high elevation, and the older ones are doing really well.

These two, Hanzell and Mount Eden, sell most if not all wine to members.

First read on a plaque at a golf course, Dame shared, “Gentleman stand back a moment, you are one of the privileged few to have this experience” which we all found truly apropos for today as well.

Hanzell Vineyards

Winemaker Michael McNeill said that their wines are made based on their ability to age in the cellar. Hanzell built the first stainless steel fermentation tanks in the world. “A quantum leap as to what was done before” McNeill said. They “pioneered the use of inert gas” and wanted to use French oak to follow what was being done in France. (The new winery is now all from scratch, Dame added. The original Heritage winery is now abandoned.) McNeill’s first vintage would be the 2008 we were going to taste today.

Mount Eden Vineyards

Along with Stoney Hill, these three (Hanzell and Mount Eden) were early big wineries, according to winemaker Jeffrey Patterson. Martin Ray, while recovering from a nervous breakdown in his 30s, bought Masson from Paul Masson – though Masson was sure he’d be successful if Ray bought and planted his own vineyard. Ray owned Masson for six years before he sold it to Seagram in 1943. Then Ray, heeding Masson’s original idea, bought the property right next door and planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Patterson believes that his white burgundy (chardonnay) is comparable to a grand cru classic burgundy. First vintage was 1972 and Patterson has been there since 1981.

Tasting – aromas and flavors separated by ;

2011 Mount Eden

There was a winter storm in the middle of bloom, following a cold winter, which made the crop small and the wine more ripe and concentrated.

Pineapple, honey, lemonade; lemon, grass, low acid, medium finish.

2011 Hanzell

Light and clean, apricot, steely; tart apple, lime, nice mouthfeel, medium acid and finish.

2008 Hanzell

A warm vintage, especially during harvest, which was done in about 10 days.

Toast, sweet citrus fruit, warm ceramic tile – if you can imagine that; really good fruit, balanced acid, lingering viscosity.

2006 Mount Eden (from magnum)

One of three years where harvest was relaxed with moderate weather. Patterson picked it for us to have today because he liked it.

White pepper, cigarette, pears in light syrup; very balanced, and a nice rich finish.

2001 Mount Eden (from magnum)

Patterson said this was his worst vintage, and the wine got remarkably better with age.

Cheddar cheese, some bark, peach; huge in the mouth, both the fruit and a backbone of smoke, could be described as both fine and intense. My favorite so far…

2001 Hanzell (from magnum)

Anise, Brie, ripe pineapple; tastes like the same profile of a younger wine, very crisp, acidic, extremely long finish.

1996 Mount Eden

Patterson used cross cultivation, no weeds, square grid and a 10 by 10 spacing, and that was the last year to use old vine fruit.

Honey, jasmine, cling peaches; not that sweet on the palate as it was on the nose, creamy, beautiful fruit, clinging to my tongue but still craving more. Remarkable. My second favorite of the tasting.

1994 Hanzell (from magnum)

McNeill said that fine wine is incredibly inspiring, and these older wines show what Chardonnay can be.

The most honey-colored of the older wines. Smells like a dessert wine, honeysuckle, very fresh, honey, hard candy; creamy, again not as sweet on the palate, but a perfect balance of fruit and acidity with a staggeringly long finish. Another learning experience, I agreed with McNeill, this is what Chardonnay could be.

My Conclusion

Between the seated and walk-around tastings I kept thinking, these are all very fine, whether the winemaker chose to use no or some oak contact; and 100% of the cellared older vintages were really interesting. I generally felt that the fruit and mouthfeel lingered quite pleasantly on the older wines, which was a new discovery for me. So I’ll be holding some in cellar from now on. And I gotta buy some magnums to do it! Maybe a 1995, our daughter’s birth year, would be a good one to seek out.

Participating Wineries

ADELAIDA Cellars

Au Bon Climat

Beauregard Vineyards

Bodega Catena Zapata

Byron Winery

CALDORA

Calera Wine Company

Cambria Winery

Capensis

Center of Effort Wines

Chamisal Vineyards

Clos de Chacras

Cotiere

Cuvaison Estate Wines

Edna Valley Vineyard

Falcone Family Wines

Fog Crest Vineyard

Foxen Vineyards

Gainey Vineyard

Grgich Hills Winery

Hanzell Vineyards

Hugo Casanova

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

J. Wilkes

Jack Creek Cellars

Labyrinth Winery

Laetitia Vineyards & Winery

Liquid Farm

Mattina Fiore Wines

Melville Winery

Migration

Mooney Family Wines

Mount Eden Vineyards

Neotiants USA

Niner Wine Estates

Niven Family Wines

Patz & Hall

Paul Lato Wines

Poseidon Vineyard

Presqu’ile Vineyards

Sinor-LaVallee

St Francis Winery

Stephen Ross Wine Cellars

Swanson Vineyards

Talley Vineyards

Thomas Fogarty Winery

Toad Hollow Winery

Tolosa Winery

Tooth & Nail Winery

Tudor Wines

Wente

Wine Australia

Wolff Vineyards

Wrath Wines

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