Vintage Eve 3/2018: Appellation Alentejo in Portugal, A Tasting and Masterclass

November 24, 2020 by evebushman

One rare not-so-sunny day I traveled to the Mondrian Los Angeles in West Hollywood for a wine class and tasting on the Alentejo region of Portugal. My education on Portugal had been, up to this point, mostly spent on the obvious: Ports. However, as a wine writer, it’s always special to not only taste new wines but also have the additional benefit of learning. Here goes…

Image from CellarTours.com

The Masterclass

The session will be presented by Evan Goldstein, MS, one of our industry’s most engaging and informed wine educators, in addition to being a leading expert on Portuguese wines. At the masterclass, Evan will offer a snapshot of the grapes, zones, sub-zones and characteristics that define Alentejo’s wines and collectively establish it as one of the most promising wine regions in southern Europe today.

Takeaways for Wine 101ers

Three sides of Portugal is bordered by Spain.

It takes less than 90 minutes to travel by train from Lisbon to Alentejo.

Alentejo covers one third of Portugal.

Alentejo is the size of Belgium.

They’ve been making wine for over 4,000 years; the Roman settlers were the first to plant vineyards.

They are 9^th in the world in vineyard acreage.

They are 11^th in total worldwide production (USA is 4^th)

Portuguese have the largest wine consumption in the world, 54 liters per person per year.

Nearly 80% of the wines are reds.

Blending is allowed and they “embrace everybody’s grapes” in Alentejo.

Tasting

We had 12 wines to taste, starting with a sparkling Rose, two whites and the remainder were all reds. Evan wanted us to taste blind – this was lost on me as no one seemed that familiar with the grapes to begin with, we were there for a lesson, so not sure why the blind format – but it didn’t slow us down. In fact, by “halftime” we had been given less time to evaluate each wine.

Surrounded by fellow media and some members of the trade, we began our task. Number, year, producer and then the name of the wines are below. The many wine grape varietals are in parenthesis.

Rose: 2014 Herdade do Rocim, Espumante Brut Rose (Touriga Nacional)

Color: fresh peach.

Aroma: strawberry, cherry blossom, French toast, yeast.

Flavor: cherry, strawberry, tart, medium acid.

One: 2015 Rui Reguinga, Terrenus Reserva Branco (field blend of mixed whites)

Color: 24 carat gold.

Aroma: honey, kiwi, stone fruit.

Flavor: green apple, grapefruit, orange zest, medium acid.

Two: 2016 Luis Duarte, Rubrica Branco (Antao Val, Verdelho and Viognier)

Color: pale gold.

Aroma: green hay, barnyard, yeast and cheddar cheese.

Flavor: sweetened grapefruit, tinny, good mouth-coating viscosity, short finish.

Three: 2013 Susana Esteban, Procura Tinto (Field blend, Alicante Bouschet)

Color: purple.

Aroma: blue to black fruit, Cabernet-like, chocolate.

Flavor: dry, tannic, dried dark fruit.

Four: 2013 Joao Portugal Ramos, Vila Santa Reserva Tinto (Aragonez – aka Tempranillo – as well as Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet)

Color: dark garnet.

Aroma: red fruit, stems, cigar, wet bark, medicinal.

Flavor: red fruit and stems again.

Five: 2011 Mouchao, Tinto (Alicante Bouschet, Trincadeira – commonly used in port wine reduction but I didn’t know that until I looked up the grape!)

Color: dark purple.

Aroma: sweet, port-like, blueberry, blackberry jam.

Flavor: drier in mouth than expected, same port-like qualities and cigar.

Six: 2014 Esporao, Reserva Tinto (Aragonez – aka Tempranillo –as well as Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet.)

Color: dark purple.

Aroma: cigar, dark chocolate, espresso, mint.

Flavor: mature fruit, balanced with spice, good dark fruit.

This was the first of my favorites in the tasting.

Seven: 2014 Cartuxa, Tinto (Aragonez – aka Tempranillo – as well as Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira.)

Color: purple.

Aroma: pungent red to blue fruit – a lot, and a nice amount of spice.

Flavor: black fruit, balanced, spice milder.

This was the second of my favorites.

Eight: 2012 Dona Maria, Grande Reserva Tinto (Alicante Bouschet, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Touriga Nacional)

Color: dark purple.

Aroma: tart nose of blueberry, dark cherry and white pepper.

Flavor: red fruit, some spice, tannic.

Nine: 2015 Cooperativa Granja Amaraleja, Moreto Pe-Franco Tinto (100% Moreto – in amphora!)

Color: dark garnet.

Aroma: sweet, stewed fruits, plump raisings, milk chocolate, dark cherry.

Flavor: Nice big, bold and dark fruit, good spice.

My third favorite in the tasting. Been a long time since I had a clay pot, aka amphora, wine.

Ten: 2015 Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, Malhadinha Tinto (Alicante Bouschet, Syrah, Tinta Miuda and Touriga Nacional.)

Color: dark garnet.

Aroma: fresh bowl of cut red fruit, juicy darker fruits, mint, earth.

Flavor: deep, layered, balanced fruit, spice and tannins.

Also a favorite for me.

Eleven: 2013 Cortes de Cima, Tinto (Aragonez – aka Tempranillo – as well as Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Petit Verdot.

Color: dark red.

Aroma: red to blue fruit, nicely balanced.

Flavor: heavy red fruit, deep, flavors well integrated.

Facebook: Wines of Alentejo USA

Twitter: @winesofalentejo

Instagram: winesofalentejousa

#WinesOfAlentejo

http://www.winesofportugal.com/us

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, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Vintage Eve Circa 6/2015: Living the Vida LoCa Via Lodi

August 14, 2018 by evebushman

The #LAWineWriters struck again en masse for a recent tasting and lesson, this time on the Lodi winemaking region:

Camron King and Craig Ledbetter were on hand to tell us all about the wineries and vineyards in LoCa, aka the wines of Lodi. Camron is the director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission, and Craig is a partner at VinoFarms, and helped developed the region’s benchmark 3rd-party certified sustainability program.

Introduction

Camron, to get us up to speed, gave us an overview of the Lodi region and then led us through the tasting. Maybe three of our group of 12 #LAWineWriters had visited Lodi. Camron said Lodi is directly east of the San Francisco Bay, giving them a “beautiful region” for wine grape growing due to the pacific breezes. Lodi does have warm degree-days in summer time and during the growing period, but the delta breezes provide a 40 – 45 degree cooling change and that coolness develops great acidity in the fruit.

Lodi History

They have been growing grapes in Lodi since the 1850s. Over 100 different wine varietals, from Albariño to Zinfandel, including old and new world wines, and all are “expressing quite nicely.” Now they have over 85 wineries and of those 65 having tasting rooms, making the growth perfect for wine tourism. Many wineries are small, boutique and direct-to-consumer. Michael David Winery, with its 7 Deadly Zin, is their biggest commercial winery.

With wine production in every U.S. state many of these states get their grapes from Lodi. Leading with many different varietals, Lodi helps others meet the demand for wine.

The longevity of the famous old vines in Lodi are due to the sandy soil, and because of that soil they don’t have the pests that other grape growing regions deal with. And according to our hosts, Zinfandel loves sandy soils. Though “the flagship variety” in Lodi is Zinfandel – and they are the world’s leading producer of Zinfandel, and produce about 40% for the state – they have wine varietals from all over the world.

Many vines are over 100 year old. They have one of the oldest, 132 years old, the Bechthold Vineyard, (vineyard of the year designate in 2014) which produces Cinsault. Bechthold isn’t the only Lodi winery to win a recent award, Delicato Vineyard is the winery of the year for 2014.

Also in 2014 “The Ledbetter family, which owns and operates Lodi-based Vino Farms, received the California Association of Winegrape Growers’ Grower of the Year Award…” more.

Lodi’s famous Zinfandel, and other grapes, may be picked at a higher brix level, which will translate to higher alcohol. And across the board, the majority of the wines are priced up to about $30.

A Word about Water

Homes use more wine than vines do. Though producing more food now then in past years they are using less water too. In a near joint quote Camron and Craig said, “This is a health food product, relaxes us and minimizes conflict – at times…it’s the wine, not the cheese or the almond, people talk about.”

The Ledbetter Family

Craig Ledbetter is a third generation wine grape grower, with zero association with any of the wines we were set to taste. He is interested in selling the region as a whole. In 1972 Craig’s grandfather, along with two partners, moved to Lodi to start farming wine grapes. Vino Farms now farms 16,000 acres, and is still a family operation with members living in different counties (they farm in 8) all over California.

Their goal is to improve the reputation of “the valley” for being too hot. It may get up to the low 90s during the day but it dips down to 50s in the night. Lodi growers know they can grow high quality wines with these conditions. Stags Leap in Napa has a hotter climate than Lodi, Craig said, but they “don’t compete with Napa.”

Town of Lodi

They have a beautiful downtown area, made up of cobblestone streets with plenty of shady trees. The city crest is a grape cluster, the buses are called the GrapeLine and the shopping center is The Vineyards. Population is 60,000 with most in the wine industry. The tasting rooms are considered “quaint” as family members man most. Lodi is considered to be a very philanthropic community that is very “tied together” and vested in the future.

Tasting

Aromas and flavors separated by ;

2014 LangeTwins Sauvignon Blanc (89 WE)

Bright green apples, buttery caramel, Meyer lemon; full and viscous, lemon zest, refreshing, crushed pineapple.

2013 Harney Lane Albariño

Sweet Hawaiian pineapple, fresh apricot, cut pear with a hint of anise; the same lovely fruit, nice medium acid, long finish. Well done. There are lots of Albariño wines in the restaurant and tasting room menus in Lodi according to our hosts.

2013 Bokisch Vineyard Vista Luna Verdelho

Candied red apple, kiwi, lemon-lime, cling peaches; not a sweet palate, more of a welcoming tang followed by balanced citrus and tropical fruit. This would be nice with a cool seafood salad.

2012 Bokisch Vineyard Tempranillo

Plum, cigar, sautéed mushroom, blueberry; dark fruit, dusty, dry, tannic. Can I have my New York steak now? Well done, wine that is.

2012 M2 Wines Soucie Vineyard Zinfandel (Old Vines from 1916)

Blueberry and blackberry jams, milk and dark chocolate, a hint of mint; very balanced, a perfect marriage of fruit and spice. I’d love this in a chocolate pairing.

2013 St. Amant Marian’s Vineyard Zinfandel (Old vines from 1902)

Heavy dusty dark fruit, black olive, black peppercorns, can’t wait to taste; chewy spicy fruit, nice and tannic, want steak with this one too.

Learn more and plan your visit: http://www.lodiwine.com

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

More From Napa: Phifer Pavitt, Tank Garage Winery, Larkmead, Joseph Phelps and Switchback Ridge

December 29, 2017 by evebushman

This is the last article in my series on the Napa Valley for 2017. Today we will have a virtual taste from Phifer Pavitt, Tank Garage Winery, Larkmead and Joseph Phelps.

Phifer Pavitt

We met with Luke Speer, the Director of Hospitality, for our tasting. Phifer Pavitt is known (written up in Wine Spectator 13 times so far) for their “Date Night” Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. New for them: the XRoads Cabernet Sauvignon. A sparkling has recently been added but, woe is me, none was available for tasting during our visit.

We began with the 2016 Phifer Pavitt Sauvignon Blanc – fresh, crisp, lemon-lime, fleshy peach with low acid and a long finish. I’m partial to this wine as I’ve known the winemaker before he made commercial wine and have been a longtime fan: Gary Warburton. Next we tried the 2013 Date Night – It was big, dry and tannic with exceptional plump blue to black fruit, fig, smoke, aromatic and perfumy. Their red winemaker Ted Osborne always does a great job. Now onto the 2014 Date Night – I got a bit brighter fruit than I did from the 2013, but with the same plumpness. Very well done. The 2014 XRoads Cab had great fruit from the valley floor: red fruit, dried blueberry, black cherry, and very balanced with the tannins. Destined to be a hit.

www.phiferpavittwine.com

Tank Garage Winery: Completely Out of the Tasting Room Box

Can’t recall exactly where I heard about the Tank Garage Winery, but it was either via a wine trade or marketing magazine. I had read it was a unique space with a unique brand. What I discovered is that this is a must stop for those looking for a different experience, or those new to wine looking for some fun.

Several out-of-the-box ideas flew at me:

Turned a 1930s era filling station into a tasting room and…a cozy Speakeasy in the back for members only.

The wines are all one and done. Each release is an all new blend, name and package.

The official motto is actually “Never Dream Alone” and they’ve “found a ton of amazing people to dream” with them.

All of their wines are in fact small batch. At one point, they were all under 125 cases, but as they’ve grown, some are as large as 500 cases, like their brand new Chrome Dreams.

They have four wines that are distributed at larger production including a Rosé, Chardonnay, Cab and Red Blend called All or Nothing, which is primarily Zin, Cab and Petite Sirah.

The Wine Club has three levels, 3-Bottle, 6-Bottle and 12-Bottle. The Half-Tank and Full-Tank options are just for purchases in the tasting room.

The wines we quickly tasted through (I didn’t make an appointment and had another coming up) included a 2016 “California Stroke” White Wine, California, 92% Vermentino with 8% Verdelho, skin fermented; 2015 “Nothing Gold Can Stay” 100% Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 40% new oak and 60% neutral; 2015 “Like You Stole It” Red Wine, Contra Costa County, blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Carignane; 2015 “Take It Easy” Red Wine, Sonoma County, a blend of 96% Zinfandel, 3% Petite Sirah and 1% Carignane; 2014 “The Heavy” Red Wine, Napa Valley – the only label that stays with each vintage – and a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc.

Larkmead Vineyards

Jeff Smith from Hourglass suggested we make a reservation to taste at Larkmead. Beautiful tasting areas both inside and out, we snagged a couch and settled in for a few tastes. We did learn that the vineyards were established back in the 1800s and the first vintage came in 1930s! Look up Lillie Hitchcock Coit (yes, of Coit Tower fame) to sleuth around more. Lillie had a wild life before she died in 1929. She was the first female volunteer firefighter and sold grapes to churches during prohibition – among other things.

The wines are “heavily allocated” to loyal members. Though all from the valley floor the vineyards have a diversity of soils and gravel. One vineyard, the Dr. Olmo, is named after the famed UC Davis Dr. Olmo that is credited for fighting Phylloxera. We tasted three wines: 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon was all mature developed fruit, velvety soft, pepper and nicely balanced black currant, black plum and black currant with crushed black pepper and spice. The 2014 Dr. Olmos started with that barnyard nose with the addition of dark chocolate and blackberry while the taste was dry with layered black fruit and tasted oak. The final wine, the 2014 Solari Cab had that barnyard funk, prune, ripe berries, dusty, mint and tannin. The lingering length on this one made it our favorite.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

The benefits of membership: calling to make an appointment as you park the car in their lot! We had just received our allocation but my hubby wanted to taste the new Insignia before we put it away for a few years. We got to try more than that, and as I wasn’t “covering” the winery I just wanted to at least give their wines a shout out, sans tasting notes, as I’ve never ever been disappointed with Joseph Phelps: 2014 Pinot Noir, Pastorale Vineyard, Sonoma Coast; 2014 Pinot Noir, Quarter Moon Vineyard, Sonoma Coast; 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley; 2012 INSIGNIA, Napa Valley (I did note this one as “perfect”); 2014 INSIGNIA, Napa Valley; and a 2015 INSIGNIA, Napa Valley, barrel sample.

Switchback Ridge

Last but not least we had the opportunity to try another winery new to us: Switchback Ridge. Their 2014 Switchback Ridge Merlot gave off that interesting funky barnyard nose, saddle leather at first. Some of that blew off and I got good dark fruit while the 2014 Switchback Ridge Cabernet had pungent thick fruit that softened in the glass, a bit of mint and licorice on the nose as well. In the mouth I tasted layers of blackberry, black cherry, cigar, oak and tannin. Bob Foley makes these two wines.

www.switchbackridge.com

Tasting the latest Scholium Project wines, by Michael Perlis

April 30, 2016 by evebushman

I think I am finally beginning to understand the Scholium Project wines. A little. Maybe. It’s taken me a few years.

Perhaps it has to do with how I think and feel about wine. You may have noticed that even though I have been contributing to Eve’s Wine 101 for several years now, I rarely review individual bottles of wine. Eve does most of that and she is great at it.

Of course, for the wineries out there, if you want me to review your wines, feel free to send them to me. But, I’ll review them my way, which basically has to do with how I feel about them in the context in which I am drinking them.

Which brings me back to the Scholium Project.

As I said, I’ve been drinking Scholium for a few years. I’ve enjoyed the wines; some are more challenging than others. I’ve had people whose palates I admire roll their eyes when I mention Scholium; I’ve had others’ eyes light up.

When asked what they taste like, I’ll often reply that, well, they taste like Scholium. Admittedly, I stole this from an article that I read awhile back wherein the author of the piece asked one of winemaker Abe Schoener’s assistants what a particular bottling named Glos tastes like and she replied that “it tastes like Glos.” To me, that was the perfect answer, as Abe’s wines taste of what they are, representative of the conditions in the vineyard that day and what has happened to the wine with minimal intervention. Even knowing the varietal becomes of reduced importance.

The best way to developing an understanding of what Abe is doing is to attend one of his lectures/tastings. Philosophy becomes the core and the wine almost becomes secondary, except of course, it isn’t.

Recently, along with assistant winemaker Alex Pitts and master of presses and everything else Brenna Harrington, Abe hosted a tasting at Everson Royce Bar in the developing Arts district of Downtown Los Angeles. On a stereotypical warm late Winter So Cal day, about 20 or so of us had the opportunity to taste the latest releases of the Scholium Project.

Before and during tasting, bearing in mind his academic roots [Ph.D. in Pre-Socratic Philosophy], Abe discussed the wines in both big picture and small picture terms, referring to celestial and agricultural cycles and the release of wines being not only dependent on their development but on the “necessities of commerce”. [Italics are mine to point out that Abe does live in the real world with all the rest of us.]

Abe also pointed out that wine has an overriding theme of “doom and decay.” From the moment the winemaking process starts to the point the wine is consumed, it constantly changes, at some point, sooner or later, reaching a peak and then falling off, with the ultimate elusive goal of consuming the wine at exactly the right point in time.

[In my own mind, I carry this theme to a micro level, opening a bottle and having it develop over the next hour or two from that initial taste to the last sad glass.]

And yes, there was wine. I’ll list them below, without attempt at tasting notes, but with a little bit of commentary.

Blowout – Scholium now produces sparkling wines, both a white and rose. Primarily Gruner and Verdelho [the rose also has Zinfandel], closed with a beer bottle cap. 2015 vintage – great way to start [white] and finish [rose] the tasting.

We then tasted the latest releases of…

2015 Naucratis [Lost Slough Vineyards] – incredibly rich Verdelho.

2015 Rhododactylos [Bechtold Ranch] – the label says white wine for some reason that I don’t understand. The color varies but it always is some shade of pink; this one the darkest I can remember. This is typically one of my favorite Scholiums, I think of pure river water when I drink it.

2015 FTP [Kirschenmann Ranch] – Pinot Grigio from Tegan Passalacqua’s vineyard in Lodi. The name is an homage to Tegan, who is perhaps best known as the winemaker for Turley. The TP stands for Tegan Passalacqua, the F stands for what F usually stands for.

2015 Il Ciliego – tasty light version of zinfandel, first vintage and a move away from heavy reds that Scholium had been known for.

2014 Androkteinos [Hudson Vineyards] – delicious Syrah, one that I will very much miss as Abe is discontinuing this wine with his focus more on white wines.

2013 Babylon [Tenbrink Family Vineyards] – fortunately, this Petite Sirah is not going away. My favorite of the day – yes, I asked for seconds.

And the olive oil.

After the tasting, I commented to Abe that he is an “outlier”. I’m not sure he appreciated that, but I definitely meant it as a compliment. The wine industry, any industry, needs those who approach their work outside of typical boundaries in order to move the industry forward.

One last thing…I was commenting to someone at the tasting that I wish Abe et al did a better job of selling their wines. The woman I was speaking to said they need to sell just how they do it, a bottle at a time. Personally, I disagree. With a patio full of adoring fans who were clearly feeling “all in”, what better way to encourage further commerce than to suggest website purchases and even better to join the Scholium Obligants and receive quarterly shipments? Abe didn’t mention it at the tasting, so I am mentioning it here.

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.

Vina Robles Offers New Tapas Menu and Wine & Food Pairing Experience

November 22, 2015 by evebushman

Paso Robles, CA— Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery has expanded its regular tasting offerings to include a new Wine and Food Pairing Experience as well as a selection of tapas plates that pair with the winery’s estate wines.

The Vina Robles Wine and Food Pairing Experience showcases a flight of five limited-production wines each paired with a small, delectable bite. The fall/winter pairing menu starts off with a “puddle” of soft-ripened Crescenza cheese drizzled with orange-infused olive oil and crushed red pepper paired with the Vina Robles 2013 Verdelho – Huerhuero. Continuing with savory pairings featuring bresaola and dates, the tasting ends on a sweet note with an almond macaroon filled with whipped chocolate ganache paired with the winery’s 2012 Segredo dessert wine.

The Wine and Food Pairing Experiences are guided by one of Vina Robles’ Hospitality Center Hosts who will help guests explore the world of aromas and how certain flavors can complement each other to highlight the wines. This tasting is an ideal way to entice experienced foodies to explore new and exciting pairings. Food and wine pairing novices receive the opportunity to learn how to create their own matches, taking with them the confidence to decide what wines to order at a restaurant or create their own memorable pairings at home.

As a nod to the winery’s Swiss heritage, visitors will find European-inspired items incorporated into both the Wine & Food Pairing Experience as well as the tapas menu, such as Raclette, a sumptuous traditional Swiss dish of melted cheese. Other tapas selections include crostini with Speck and Piave, hummus plate, olives, almonds, and a charcuterie plate.

Pricing for the tapas selections range from $6 to $35, the Food and Wine Pairing Experience is priced at $40 (discounts offered to Vina Robles Signature Wine Club members). Tastings and tapas are offered daily at the Vina Robles Hospitality Center located at 3700 Mill Road, off Highway 46 East, in Paso Robles from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. summer and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. winter. Reservations are encouraged for the Wine and Food Pairing Experience.

About Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery: European Inspiration – California Character. Vina Robles crafts wines that represent a stylistic bridge between the Old and New worlds, capturing the finesse associated with European wines while celebrating the bold natural flavors of their estate vineyards in Paso Robles. Here, proprietor Hans Nef and managing partner Hans – R. Michel bring their Swiss heritage to California’s Central Coast, where they aim to unite the best of both experiences. For more information, visit www.vinarobles.com.

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/

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

Perlis Picks: Family Winemakers of California [Part 2 Favorite Wines]

April 18, 2015 by evebushman

Last week, I wrote about my own history with Family Winemakers of California. This week’s article is about my favorite wines at this year’s tasting. I did my best to visit some of my old favorites as well as try to find some new ones. With almost 100 wineries pouring hundreds of wines, I barely made a dent, but of what I tasted, here are the ones I liked the best:

Ancient Peaks – Mike Sinor is the winemaker for this Santa Margarita winery, just south of Paso Robles. My favorites were the Renegade Rhone blend and the Oyster Ridge blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot and Malbec. I think these are my two favorites from them every year.

BellaGrace Vineyards – A fairly new [2006] winery based in Plymouth. Barbera is one of the things Amador County does best, and there’s was no exception. Their Primitivo was tasty as well, but my favorite was their old vine Zinfandel – not surprising as Amador boasts some of the oldest Zinfandel vineyards in California.

C.G. Di Arie Vineyard & Winery – Another Sierra Foothills producer great Barbera, Primitivo and Zinfandel, along with a Cabernet Sauvignon that I really liked.

Ca’Momi Winery Napa Valley – very good Zinfandel from this Napa winery. My wife Karen enjoyed their Prosecco and their Rose.

Carlisle Winery – I can’t say enough good things about Carlisle. I’ve been a fan since they started in 1998, and Mike and Kendall Officer continue to support FWC and those retailers who supported them since they began, despite huge accolades and a waiting list to buy wine that is miles long. Loved their Gruner Veltliner [as did Karen], as well as the two single vineyard Zinfandels they were pouring [Montafi Ranch and Papera Ranch], and it was amazing to me how delicious their Sonoma County Syrah was – this wine is priced as an everyday wine but definitely does not have an everyday taste.

Cima Collina – tasty wines from Marina, California. Liked their Syrah and loved the Mourvedre.

Clavo Cellars – Neil Roberts continues to make outstanding wines out of Templeton. His whites are always great and the reds keep getting better and better. I especially liked the Zinfandel and Collusion red blend.

Inspiration Vineyards & Winery – very small winery based in Santa Rosa, owner/winemaker Jon Phillips is make some very nice wines. I found his red Rhone blend to be really tasty.

Mattina Fiore Wines – a new winery for me, and a pretty new one overall [2011], this wine was a great discovery for me. Based in San Luis Obispo, as I was tasting the wine the words that kept coming into my head were “These wines are very pretty.” The only Chardonnay I had that day, and it was outstanding. Their Grenache, Syrah and Red Rhone blend were great as well.

Nottingham Cellars – this was another big find for me. The winery is in Livermore, an area to which I have previously paid little to no attention. The Rhone blend was outstanding and the Petite Sirah was a dollop of deliciousness on my palate.

Rock Wall Wine Company – Sadly, winemaker Shauna Rosenblum did not make the trip down from Alameda this year, which is understandable since her baby is due any time now. Fortunately her wines did – I’m a big fan of her Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Tannat, as well as the Obsideana red blend.

Sobon Estate / Shenandoah Vineyards – another Amador County producer, so naturally I enjoyed their Barbera, Zinfandel and Primitivo.

Thirty-Seven Wines – based in Sonoma, I was really excited to try these wines, especially when I found out that Shane Finley is their winemaker. The Grenache and Syrah were amazing, as was the red blend. These wines really over-delivered – very reasonable price points and very high quality.

Tres Sabores – winemaker Julie Johnson is making nice wines at her winery in St. Helena. I enjoyed the Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and the red blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot named Por Que No?

Vezer Family Vineyard – another winery that was new to me, this one is based in Fairfield. Enjoyed their Petite Sirah and Zinfandel, as well as their red blend. [Karen really liked their Verdelho.] And I liked their Cabernet Sauvignon as well.

You may have noticed a recurring theme here, but not unexpected to anyone who knows me or reads my articles on a regular basis. I gravitate toward Zinfandel and the Rhones, and with the breadth of selection here, it was easy to create a tasting game plan that would meet those desires. But there was also plenty of high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir being poured. This was truly a tasting for everyone and I am looking forward to what they do with it next year.

As Paul Kronenberg, President of Family Winemakers of California said to me: “There are an enormous amount of brands every year that consumers are exposed to and everyone’s palate is different. We strongly encourage them to explore all the varieties that California has to offer and to spread the word about what they discover.”