Home for the holidays with Atlanta Wine School's new Vino Venue

I’m closing out the year back home in Atlanta visiting friends and family, where The Atlanta Wine School’s new Vino Venue provides a nice diversion from the usual holiday fare.

Vino Venue came together late in 2012 after much planning and preparation. The results are spectacular. It’s a beautiful spot with literally everything wine under one roof – a wine bar; an enomatic pouring system; a nice retail selection; service for small-plates and tapas; and an educational room with a gourmet kitchen. This is a must-visit if you live in or visit Atlanta. Between education (including WSET & CSW), shopping, or a leisurely evening out – all of the bases are covered!

 My stop was for a tasting featuring several highly rated wines from California, France, Spain and Italy. The tasting featured fine cheeses and charcuterie and was hosted by local Master Sommelier Michael McNeill. Wine highlights included a 2008 Bucella from Napa and a beautiful 2007Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano. Click here for notes on all of the wines tasted.

Retail-wise it was a good spot to pick up a great little entry-level Etna Rosso for holiday dinner. A 2011 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso, which is made from the Narello Mascalese grape and is from the unique soils of the active Mt. Etna volcano in Sicily. Think lightness and elegance of Pinot Noir with bright red fruit and crazy floral/mineral qualities, tidied up with sharp acid and firm tannins. I’m probably selling its uniqueness a little short with that description, so check it out for yourself.

 And with that here’s to a Happy New Year and more great wine and times in 2013. Cheers!

Revisiting K Vintners 2007 Phil Lane Syrah

I originally visited the K Vintners site in Walla Walla in June of 2010, and wrote about the experience and the wines. My favorite wine from that day was K Vintners' 2007 Phil Lane Syrah, Walla Walla Valley. I recently revisited this bottling after two and a half years in my stash. 

Charles Smith produces what I would consider an arsenal of powerful and expressive Washington Syrah bottlings under his K Vintners and Charles Smith Wines labels. Like other of Smith's wines the 2007 Phil Lane is crushed by pigeage, partial whole-cluster, fermented with native yeasts, with elevage in Burgundy barrels from various coopers. 

It is estate-grown in the Walla Walla Valley from pebbly loamy sedimentary soils, brought on by the catastrophic ice age Missoula Floods. These ancient floods and their impact on the soils are one of the hallmarks of Columbia Valley terroir. To me there's often a distinct mineral highlight on Washington Syrah  contrasting with the fruit and accenting the structure and depth.

For drinking I decanted and returned to bottle. The color is a dense dark garnet with just hints of clarity. Notes of ashy-mineral, savory earth, blue violet, cassis & currant are highlighted throughout. On the palate this has opened nicely, showing a juiciness to the fruit to balance against powerful concentration. Weighty and polished with creamy tannins and long finishing notes of dark fruit and bitter espresso. This is excellent (good enough for me to save the empty bottle) - and just beginning to blossom - probably a few more years from its drinking window. Originally priced at $70. Drink or hold. 

Mmmmm Champagne!

It wasn’t a tough decision to make time after work on a Thursday to attend the 6^th Annual Holiday Champagne Tasting at Renegade Wines in Santa Barbara. This was a treasure trove of hors d'oeuvres and Champagne, including smaller production and grower-producer bottlings. The selection consisted of non-vintage cuvees, showcasing the house styles of the featured producers.

Between bites and with mostly one hand, I managed to scratchout a few notes while enjoying the wine. Overall it was a tight group from a quality standpoint; but with a nice range of styles. In the end I was able to pick out a few favorites.

The house of Alfred Gratien has been producing Champagne since 1864. They employ traditional production techniques in the primary fermentation such as fermenting in barrel, while inhibiting secondary malolactic fermentation. These methods build a base wine of great depth and character, while retaining focus and purity of fruit. All of the fruit comes from the Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims terroirs. Each of Alfred Gratien’s Champagnes is aged in bottle for at least three years. The Alfred Gratien NV Cuvée Classique Brut is a blend that features Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. It’s full of yeast and chalk on the bouquet, but the fruit beams through on the palate with much focused apple and lime. It’s bright with good depth and nice mouthwatering length on the finish. This is very enjoyable and highly recommended. $45-$50.

Champagne Le Mesnil is a coop-owned production coming from the chalk soils of grand-cru vineyards in the famous Le Mesnil-sur-Oger village in the Côte des Blancs. The Champagne Le Mesnil NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru is fine in appearance and full of aromas of yeast & chalk and caramel-candied apple. It’s a big wine that is rich and sharp to the palate with bright fruit and mineral-driven spice. It’s got lots of body and structure throughout and has a solid finish. This is also very nice and highly recommended. $45-$50.

Lastly, a couple of rosés from two of Champagne’s oldest houses were great highlights of the tasting.

The house of Ruinart, established by the monk Dom Ruinart in 1729, was the first established Champagne house. Its wines showcase Chardonnay coming from Côtes des Blancs and Montagne de Reims. The non-vintage wines are aged up to three years in bottle. The Ruinart NV Brut Rosé is made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, mostly classified Premier Cru, and is fermented in stainless steel before undergoing full malolactic fermentation. This rosé was clean and pure, with a floral nose and aromas of rose petal, strawberry and slate. It brought rocky notes to the palate, along with spice and strawberry. It’s rich and lush through the finish and focused throughout. Excellent overall. $60-$65.

Gosset is the oldest wine house in Champagne, established in 1584 in Aÿ. Its wines are made up almost entirely of grapes coming from Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards, and are known for their structure and longevity. They avoid malolactic fermentation in their winemaking, and age their wines in bottle between 3 and 5 years. The Gosset NV Grand Rosé Brut is made up of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, blending three vintages and including 10% reserve wines. It’s tightly wound with soft wheat aromas and big structure on the palate with flavors of wheat, red berry and spice. Richly polished in feel and with a full finish, this is beautifully complex, and good for cellaring. $70-$75. 

The best of the rest

I try to do more than just blog tasting notes, but I've amassed a few over the past month on wines I've not otherwise blogged about. Several of the wines are very nice, so I thought I’d combat writer’s block by dedicating a post to these notes!

~Arrowood 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Réserve Spéciale, SonomaCounty – Aromas of plum, earth-slate, and currant with deep black fruit on the palate with tobacco, cedar, and blue-floral notes. It’s balanced and rich with round polished tannins and a full finish. Nicely developed and still tastes young. $68.

~Cakebread 2009 Chardonnay, Napa Valley – Touches of mineral, honey and butterscotch, along with stone fruit. It adds subtle notes of citrus on the palate, with polished feel, good acid, solid structure, and a decent finish. Drinking well. $38.

One of the highlights

~Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley – Popped and poured with Thanksgiving leftovers. Clear ruby and medium body in the glass. Aromas of black tea leaf, red curry, sandalwood and fresh fig. Beautifully expressive palate of open red fruit, melted stone, red florals and flourishes of spice. It’s polished in feel, elegant, and fleshy throughout with balanced acid and fine tannin. It finishes long with nice black peppery fruit. Excellent, really drinking well right now. $38.

~Firestone 2010 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County – Nicely expressive strawberry and cherry fruit throughout with subtle spice and earthy depth. Silky and rich with elegance, roundly structured with good acid-tannin balance. Decent finish. Very good value. $24

~Firestone 2009 Malbec, Santa Ynez Valley – Black and blue fruits dominate with secondary black peppery notes and hints of oak. Full fruit, round on the palate, easy drinking style with fleshy tannins. Good. $24.

Firestone Vineyard in the Fall

~Firestone 2007 Chairman Series Merlot, Santa Ynez Valley – Cedar and leather on the nose draping the fruit. The flavors are black cherry and blackberry with subtle oaky vanilla and mocha notes along with hints of dried herb. Dry firm finish with decent length. Nicely done. $42.

~Firestone 2009 Chairman Series Cabernet Sauvignon, SantaYnez Valley – Plenty of cassis and currant aromas along with dried herb. Cassis and red fruit flavors on the palate nicely integrated with subtle medicinal herb along with oak notes of cedar and espresso. Fine firm tannin and a full finish. Very good. $42.

This big boy needs a little time and TLC!

~Firestone 2009 Proximity Twenty Six, Santa Ynez Valley – Bordeaux blend- mostly Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Red currant, cedar, cherry and licorice are on the bouquet. There’s tons of oak on the palate, with flavors of coffee and cedar with currant, cassis and brown spice. Round and lush with silky tannins and a spicy long finish. It needs time for the oak to resolve. $75.

~Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cuvée Fleur de Champagne Blanc de Blancs – Tasting out of Bordeaux glass so not a great display for the bubbles. Plenty of yeast, toast and brioche notes on the nose. It’s bright with lively citrus on the palate with mineral notes to accent the bready yeasty depth. Slightly honeyed flavors with a deep and long expansive finish. Excellent. $230.

~Tenuta Sant’Antonio Scaia, Veneto IGT – Garganega/Chardonnay. Light straw color. It’s very Sauv Blanc-like on both the nose and palate with tons of gooseberry and grapefruit and very subtle depth. Round and bright on the palate with full body and a crispness to the finish. This is a bright and pleasant casual drinker with an odd similarity to new-world Sauvignon Blanc. $12.

~Sea Smoke 2010 Southing Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills – Aromas of rhubarb, earth and plummy fruit. Well balanced on the palate, showing nice mineral, earth, tea, and dark floral notes that temper the darker fruit. Silky feel on the palate with sharp acid and fine tannins. Medium-long finish. Nice complexity. Very well done. $60.

~Siduri 2010 Sonatera Vineyard, Sonoma Coast – Popped and poured with dinner. Nice bouquet of tea leaf, wild mushroom, white pepper, Christmas spice and cherry fruit. It’s ripe and aggressive to the palate with black cherry and fig jam along with piney, earthy and herbal depth. Fine and polished in tannin with seemingly good acid and a decent finish, it's just not very graceful or balanced with this tasting. The fruit awkwardly sticks out like a sore thumb. Not how I remembered it, perhaps it just needs some time to mature back into balance. Day 2- Much improved with the fruit integrating and adding nuances of cedar and sandalwood. Shows balance and elegance. Nice mouthwatering acidity and fine tannin on the finish. Good on the second day- air it out before drinking or hold. $48

~Silverado 2006 Merlot, Napa Valley – Notes of cigar box, black currant and leather on the nose. This is densely structured palate of cassis, cedar, tobacco and black cherry. It’s broad on the palate, nicely polished, and with big chewy tannins, along with hints of mineral and earth on a full finish. Drinking well. $29.

~Stag’s Leap 2009 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – Plummy aromas with anise, currant and cedar notes. Black fruit on the palate with stony, black-floral, and ashy-mineral notes. Integrated oak. Elegantly structured with fine tannin and full finish. Very nice. $45.

Just released- 2011 Tensley Syrah

A quick tasting stop this weekend in Los Olivos netted nice results, as a few of the newly released 2011 Tensley Syrah wines were available in their tasting room. These are low production and very well regarded – in other words you try them and buy them while you can.

Joey Tensley began producing his wines starting with the 1998 vintage. The original idea was to produce site-expressive Syrah from unique vineyard sights in Santa Barbara County. Most are made in a similar fashion with partial whole-cluster fermentation and using mostly seasoned French oak for about an 11 month elevage on lees. The single vineyard wines are generally released about a year after harvest. Production has grown to 4,000 cases with other Rhone varietals being produced as well as Pinot Noir from Jennifer Tensley under the Lea label.

The tasting featured the 2011 Santa Barbara County Syrah, the 2011 Thompson Vineyard Syrah and the 2011 Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah. All show a common style of bold balanced fruit with secondary savory depth and hints of rusticity and old-world Syrah character.

The Santa Barbara County bottling comes from five sites from throughout the county, blending both warm and cool sites as well as a variety of soil types. It features nice forward brambly fruit with subtle spice and mineral accents, finely structured with good depth and length. It’s an attractive price point too at $25.

The 2011 Tensley Thompson Vineyard Syrah comes from the moderate climate Los Alamos Valley. The vineyard’s south-facing slopes ensure ripeness while the depleted soils keep yields low. I noted lots of blueberry, dried herb and peppercorn aromas and flavors that added rocky notes and brown spice through the palate. It was full and rich, yet balanced with gripping tannins and nice length and an underlying rusticity. Really nice but still so young, it’s a little unfocused at this point but should take shape nicely. 155 cases produced, $38.

 Lastly the 2011 Tensley Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah comes from volcanic soils set high in the foothills above the Santa Maria Valley. It’s warmer than the valley floor due to its elevation above the fog line. The Colson Canyon is the only of Tensley’s single vineyard Syrahs to receive any new oak aging. Here I noted striking aromas- tea leaf, tobacco, spice, currant. It was layered and complex with subtle meaty notes through the palate. Round and polished throughout with firm structure and a full finish. It was the most distinctive at this point while still showing the potential to tie up the loose ends. Excellent. 1620 cases produced, $38.

I also tasted the 2011 Santa Barbara Grenache and the 2011 Lea Pinot Noir. Click here for the full lineup of notes. 

Checking in with Carmerère

In 2011 Argentina surpassed Chile as the fourth largest importer of wine to the US. This of course is due to the ongoing growth of Malbec, Argentina’s main varietal. Its trajectory reminds me of the growth of Australian Shiraz many years ago, both with easy-to-brand varietal names and full-flavored & palate-friendly wines at attractive price points.

While Australia makes a vast array of great wines in varying styles, it seemed to over-leverage Shiraz. Commodity brands such as Yellow Tail devalued its wines to consumers. On the flipside, some expensive & highly rated Australian Shirazes were not aging gracefully, creating a backlash among high-end consumers. These factors combined created a bit of a lost decade for Australian wine.

I sometimes wonder if a similar leveling and subsequent decline is coming for Argentina. Like Australia, Argentina makes plenty of interesting wines. But also like Australia, the brand of the country is based on one varietal. And with growth and demand and the development of new brands comes the potential tipping point where the wines become generic in the minds of the average consumer.

Meanwhile, Argentina’s neighbor to the west continues to pump out volumes of very solid wine (especially reds). If anything, Chile seems to display the opposite of Argentina. They do a lot of things very well but don’t really appear to have one “go-to” varietal from a sales perspective. The climate of Chile tends to lend itself to wines that bridge the gap between new world and old world. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah all do very well. But it’s tough to stand out with these varietals against the more famous versions from around the world.

Carmenère seems to be the most natural varietal to lead the way for Chile. It’s unique to Chile and has a great story as the lost Bordeaux grape reappearing under the guise of Merlot. However the bell pepper and herbal notes it sometimes displays, especially in the lower-priced versions, can keep it from being as mainstream-friendly on the palate as Malbec. When at its best however, Carmenère can take those green tendencies and turn them into an exotic mix of black herbal & anise/licorice notes, framed with solid structure and bold dark fruit. Some of Chile’s best and most famous wines are Carmenère, such as Casa Lapastolle’s Clos Apalta and Montes’ Purple Angel.

You don’t have to break the bank though. Wines like the Terranoble 2010 Reserva Carmenere, Maule Valley, show bold fruit and streaks of savory herb and black pepper. This is a great little wine priced at around $12. Terranoble also ups the ante with its 2010 Gran Reserva Carmenere, Maule Valley. This comes from rocky and mineral-rich soil within the Maule Valley and is aged for a year in French and American oak. The profile features added depth and balanced structure with notes of black currant, anise, coffee & cocoa. Another great buy at around $18. Both of these wines add a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon.

For the crème de crème, I love the Montes Purple Angel. Montes was a pioneer in exporting ultra-premium Chilean wines, and along with Montes’ Alpha M (Bordeaux Blend) and Folly Syrah, Purple Angel is one of the country’s finest wines. It comes from the best blocks of Carmenere blended with 8% Petit Verdot and is sourced from Montes' two estates in the Colchagua Valley – 50% from warm and sunny Apalta and 50% from coastal and cool MarchigÜe. It's hand-picked and hand-sorted, aged 18 months in new French oak, and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

I recently opened a bottle of the 2008 Montes Purple Angel (around $50) and double decanted. It was dark, dense and full-bodied in the glass with notes of anise, cassis, black & blue berries, cocoa and espresso. Powerful juicy-ripe fruit was concentrated on the palate with integrated oak that was slightly bitter through the mid-palate. It was big and broad yet graceful throughout with polished creamy tannin and a long finish. Excellent now with decanting and should continue to hold and improve. The wine is an interesting dichotomy of hedonism and elegance, displaying alternating elements of both. 

At its best, Carmenere makes its mark as the signature red grape of Chile with interesting, powerful and endearing wines. Whether its profile can appeal to popular tastes enough to become the next hot import remains to be seen.

An exciting and inexpensive white from the Southern Rhone

The southern Rhone Valley is a great place to find exciting wine at affordable prices. I tend to think of reds more than I do whites – and among wines like Côtes Du Rhône in the $10-$15 range, Vacqueyras in the $20-$30 range, and Gigondas and lower-priced Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the $30-$40 range – you can find wines with a sense of place, structural integrity, and bold expressive fruit that far out-drink their price points.

While reds lead the pack throughout the Rhone Valley, it’s also fun and easy to find excitement among the Rhone’s whites. My most recent find was a simple white blend, classified outside of France’s AOP classification as a Vin de France (AOP is the replacement for AOC, and Vin de France is the replacement for Vin de Table in the recent reforms of France’s wine classifications). The lower classification is merely because the wine includes 30% Sauvignon Blanc in its blend, a varietal not permitted in any of the Rhone AOP’s.

Coming from the Costières de Nîmes region in the south of the Southern Rhône Valley – the wine in question is produced in a partnership of Costières de Nîmes producer Michel Gassier, oenologist Philippe Cambie, and US importer Eric Solomon. The Michel Gassier 2011 Cercius Blanc is named for the Latin term for the mistral winds of Provence that sweep through the region, preserving freshness and acidity in the wines. It’s made from 70% Grenache Blanc and 30% Sauvignon Blanc, from 25 year-old vines grown in organically-farmed rocky soils. Fermentation and aging on lees takes place in cement tanks.

Think fresh and bright. The wine is light gold in color with notes of tangerine, grapefruit, rose hips and slate. Medium-bodied and rich on the palate with nice brightness augmented with subtle honeyed and spice depth. It finishes with nice balance throughout as well as lingering crisp fruit. Inviting and alluring on its own; it’s well rounded to pair with any number of foods. My vote would be seafood paella, with the brightness and minerality of the wine matching the rich spice and garlicky savory seafood. This is excellent overall and even better when you consider the $12.99 price point. It would also be a perfect wine by-the-glass in restaurants as well. 

There’s also a Cercius Côtes du Rhône red that’s a blend of Grenache and Syrah, also reasonably priced and fermented and aged in concrete – I’ll definitely pick that up if I come across it.

Opening up a ray of sunshine- 2004 Querciabella Palafrena

I love to get excited about a wine. And a great Italian red is squarely in my wheelhouse when I need a wine to be excited about.

Delivering on this promise is a beautifully vibrant wine made from 100% Merlot, and grown in the biodynamically-farmed marlstone soils of Greve in Chianti Classico. Querciabella’s Palafreno was first made in 2000, and since then it’s become one of the estate’s top wines.

The production is intensive – low yields are harvested and destemmed into stainless steel and concrete tanks for long and slow fermentation. After 12 months of élevage in new and one-year old barriques from Allier, Tronçais and Vosges – top lots are assembled and put back into barrel for 6 additional months.

Mine was a bottle of Querciabella 2004 Palafrena, Toscana IGT; received as a gift from a friend and brought along to a great little Italian restaurant where I live for a special occasion dinner. With 2004 being a top recent Tuscan vintage, I hoped to find this coming into its own. What was readily apparent upon opening was the beautiful tension between rusticity and refinement.

Dark and dense in the glass – it featured aromas of cedar, black olive, black cherry and dried lavender. It quickly came to life with a palate of generous dark fruit of the Merlot along with the dusty earthy mineral and dried floral notes reminiscent of Chianti Classico. It had vivacious, rich, and rustic characteristics – finishing with sharp acid and leathery gritty tannin, along with good length and concentration.

This had great flavor, depth, nerve and structure. It showed the highlights and excitement of Bordeaux varietals in Tuscany along with that salt-of-the-earth realness that is so awesome in the great reds of Italy. I loved it – definitely one to get excited about. ($85, still some availability online, drink/hold). 

The wine slump.

Do you ever get into a wine slump?

To me this is along the same lines as a food slump. I sometimes get tired of everything I'm eating. Nothing sounds good, and nothing new or different easily comes to mind.

There's a great lyric to a song from the band Nada Surf that describes this. The song is called 'Fruit Fly' and its lyrics vividly illustrate depression from the perspective of the writer's mundane observations and subsequent thoughts in observing fruit flies in his kitchen.

"Left straight right straight
I can't find a reason
I know I'll keep going but
I can't find a reason
Nothing looks right
Nothing smells right
And I can't land"

These "slumps" that I speak of are probably rooted in some form of anxiety or depression. The world has seemed particularly dark and bleak to me recently... Elections cycles are great to remind me of how dysfunctional we can be as a society. Storms, heatwaves, and droughts are constant reminders of the fragile world in which we live.

Personally and professionally, I'm feel like I'm in a bit of a purgatory. I know, I know I should just be happy to be working. Whatever.

So the wine slump... I love tasting different wines. And despite the awesomeness of moving to an area among vineyards and winemaking, my tasting regimen has suffered since getting to my destination. Before I got here I had a career in wine -- equal parts exhilarating and exhaustion. Lots of exposure and learning, but lots of stress and headache. There was no time to do the blog. Now my career is outside of wine. I've tried to move the passion for wine into a hobby by getting back into blogging, and through part-time winery work here in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Something is missing though. I'm aimlessly looking for forced exposure to new and exciting wines. Everything seems stale. I'm trying to find my way back into that exhaustion and stress. Maybe a new wave of inspiration will strike and the blog can fill the void. Short of that, all that I have to offer right now is this meandering reflection of my non-inspiration.

By the way, when mired in a wine slump and food slump, high quality store-bought sushi (thanks El Rancho Market!) and Gruet Blanc de Noirs are a good start in climbing out!

Oh yeah, check out Fruit Fly... it's a great tune.
 

THE SEARCH IS OVER! (for your next "interesting white")

Renegade Wines is one of the more unique wine stores that I've been to. It’s like the underground speakeasy of wine shops – unassumingly located in a warehouse complex in Santa Barbara. They offer a smart selection specializing primarily in California and French wines – as well as little idiosyncrasies like maybe or maybe not being there when you drop by (they’re sometimes off making local deliveries). But when you can get in the door, you’re sure to have an interesting conversation about wine and be turned on to some cool stuff.

Last week was their monthly Friday tasting, which featured Spanish, French and Italian wines from an area wine distributor. While there was a nice assortment of quality wines at attractive price points throughout the selection, what really stood out to me was a vibrant white from the Apulia (the heel) region of Southern Italy. This Apulia white comes from the Verdeca grape, a varietal native to Southern Italy that shows vibrant mineral and acid alongside its fruit despite it thriving in the warmer climates of Southern Italy.

While Apulia may not have the same caché that Italy’s regions to the north and northwest have, it does produce more wine than any other region in Italy. It is known more for its reds than whites – namely the juicy reds made from Primitivo and the more structured reds made from Negro Amaro. And while whites take a back seat to reds in almost every region of Italy (with the exception of Pinot Grigios from Alto-Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia), I believe that Italy is a treasure trove for those wines you often see listed as “interesting whites” on wine lists and in wine shops.

Masseria Li Veli’s 2011 Askos, Valle d’Itria IGT comes from eastern oriented 1000+ feet elevations in the Salento region of Apulia, between the Ionic and Adriatic Seas. The maritime location allows for a cooling evening influence tempering the hot dry summers. It comes from 32 year old vineyards and calcareous & sedimentary soils. Fermentation is on the skins and takes place in cold temperature-controlled tanks with malolactic fermentation inhibited.

The profile is bright, full and lively – with floral, honeyed and tropical aromas. There are vibrant tropical and citrus flavors on the palate. It’s crisp with strong mineral notes, and fully textured with a juicy finish. It has the vibrancy for mussels, but the weight for heavier seafood pasta. It doesn’t need food though – it has plenty of pure bright tropical fruit to sit and enjoy. The retail is about $25, and it certainly hits the mark as a white bringing something special and different to the table.

If you can’t find the Masseria Li Veli Askos, do a little research on some other good options from the Verdeca grape in Apulia. It’s an obscure Italian white worth seeking out. 

A couple of palate refreshers

Last month I wrote about the new Dirty & Rowdy Family Wines project, and profiled the 2011 Yountville Semillon. As a follow up I’d like to give a couple of impressions on their 2010 Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard Mourvedré.

The mourvedré is grown at high altitudes in the arid eastern mountains of Santa Barbara County (far away from the idyllic Santa Ynez Valley). Dirty and Rowdy produce it with whole cluster fermentation, native yeast, no temperature control during fermentation, and with light foot-treading. Aging takes place in neutral French oak.  

The result is a wine that runs contrary to how one might think of mourvedré. It’s dark in color, but with clarity that brings levity to the appearance. Think elegance rather than concentration – with aromas of lavender & herb, blue fruit and spice melding through into the palate. Vibrant floral fruit flavors accompany subtle underbrush and spice. With a silky and fine structure – it’s very pinot noir-like in feel; finishing with lingering peppery fruit. The acid is good and the wine has plenty of ripeness given a very modest ABV of 12.8%.

Not only is it an excellent wine, it’s interesting. Like the Semillon, it’s a definitely something different. I served it with baked salmon – the elegance, good acidity, and pure fragrant fruit flavors made it a great match.

It’s too late to buy this wine from the winery, so you might have to do some digging around for it. The retail is around $36.

Another winner is the 2011 Schloss Gobelsburg Riesling (Kamptal, Austria). This wine is a Terry Theise selection, from an ancient estate undergoing qualitative changes and offering good overall values.

This dry riesling is grown in Kamptal’s sandstone, slate and gravel soils. It’s light gold in the glass; with an expressive slate, citrus zest and lilac nose. It has vibrancy on the palate with appealing front-palate acid. There’s ripe citrus with mineral and spice depth, along with hints of black pepper. The palate presence is there throughout with good weight. The finish is tangy and juicy - very enjoyable. The price is nice as well at around $18.

Another defense of California Syrah

Tasting some memorable Syrah at Piedrasassi

In a blog post last week, Steve Heimoff critiqued California Syrah in general as having quality issues due to a lagging price point. Flaws such as brettanomyces and searing acid were listed by Mr. Heimoff as stumbling blocks to the varietal being on the top echelon of California red wine. And it was theorized that due to its price point being behind top reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, producers are not making the necessary investments into production in order to make the best possible wines. In short, due to the market the grape doesn't meet its potential in the state.

It’s an interesting observation. Syrah’s greatest strength can sometimes be its greatest weakness. Its versatility as a grape – growing effectively in a variety of climates and locales – creates different profiles of wine that can be confusing to the average consumer. As a result, domestic wine tends to struggle in the three-tier system as distributors and retailers tend to gravitate toward things that roll quickly downhill. Throw on top the confusion people can easily run into about what is Shiraz? Petite Sirah?

Syrah seems to do best in the hands of producers selling directly to a consumer base that they can taste and educate on the wines. Or in the hands of sommeliers who can educate staff and guests on how versatile it can be with a menu; or how it expresses differently according to climate and terroir. Once the mysteries are unraveled, Syrah doesn't seem to have a problem attracting fans – both consumers as well as other wine critics.

A flaw such as brettanomyces that's listed in the blog post comes from uncleanliness in the cellar, and it doesn’t discriminate by varietal. Acidity is a virtue in California wine, not an problem. The best examples of California Syrah have a juicy acidity built around the fruit and depth. And is Syrah any more uneven in quality than Pinot or Cab in California? There are plenty of flabby overripe Pinots and Cabs, up to the highest price points.

The quality of Syrah in California is the least of its problems. There are plenty of great options in all price points and of varying styles. Value is excellent as well – I believe that one can consistently be amazed by California Syrah at price points well under those of top Cab and Pinot.

Here are four excellent California Syrah wines that I’ve had over the last few months that represent excellence, variety and value.

Tercero 2007 Thompson Vineyard Syrah, Santa Barbara County- From steep south-facing hillsides in the Los Alamos Valley of Santa Barbara County. 25% whole clusters. Lots going on. Bitter chocolate, cassis, cracked pepper, blueberry aromatics. All that and more pure fruit on the palate- blue and black. Smooth and round and polished- a pretty wine with fine balance. A full finish with peppery fine tannins. Excellent stuff. $30.

Cambria 2009 Tepusquet Vineyard Syrah, Santa Maria Valley- Loamy soils. Destemmed and cold soaked for 7 days. Pressed off at 2-3 degrees brix with fermentation finishing in barrel. Purple black opaque appearance. Primary notes of black olive, tomato skin, lavender and peppercorn. Ripe notes of cassis and black cherry forward on the palate. Round and polished with nice balance. Fine tannins and juicy acid on the finish, along with lingering fruit. Nice wine and very nice QPR. $22.

Piedrasassi 2009 Rimrock Vineyard Syrah, San Luis Obispo County- From cool-climate coastal southern San Luis Obispo County (around Nipomo). 100% whole cluster. New and neutral French oak. Aromatic savory fruit nose. Amazingly bright and vibrant with electric acid and pure fruit along with spice and long earthy depth. Firm structure and long finish. A great wine. $56.

Copain 2009 Les Voisins Syrah, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino Co- Vineyard blend coming mostly from schist soils. Aging in neutral French oak. Plump aromatics of black pepper, black olive, marinating beef, violet and plum. Pure fruit and savory depth on the palate- seamlessly woven with fleshy feel and fine firm tannins and full finish. Deft balance. Excellent. $34.

A day in the cellar

Thanks to Joe Davis and Chris Bratcher for the generosity of their time and for their teaching and sharing spirit. I was able to work a day of crush at Arcadian Winery this weekend - my first day of meaningful time in a working winery.

First was a session of pigeage through the various fermenting lots of Arcadian and Bratcher Pinot Noir. This is the traditional foot-treading (as opposed to punch downs) of the grapes submerging the cap of skins and clusters back into the wine. It’s like jumping into quicksand, with the cap quickly giving way to the fermenting juice below. And with about 5-10 minutes in each bin churning about 3 feet worth of wine, it’s hard work. Also depending on the stage of fermentation, it may either be hot or cold on the bins.

The most difficult part of the whole thing though is pulling yourself out of the fermenter, and balancing yourself back onto the ladder without touching the floor, before moving on to the next fermenter. At about the time I got into a groove with all this, I got an audience of guests visiting the winery!

Later it was sorting the previous night’s harvest (Clone 115 from Clos Pepe for Arcadian) of Pinot Noir going into the destemmer. This is looking for poor clusters to sort out- botrytis or green berries. It’s also looking for good looking clusters to separate out and put into the fermenter whole. The free-run juice from the sorting table, and the juice and skins from the destemmer, goes on into the fermenter. The best-looking bins of grapes were spared the de-stemmer and shoveled into the fermenter whole-cluster.

Below are a few pictures I took. Unfortunately no action-shots of the pigeage, but you can get an idea of what I was jumping into.

Getting ready for the pigeage

Taking a break on the forklift while Joe entertains guests

Part of the prior night's harvest

Clone 115 going into the destemmer

Cold-soaking clone 115 pinot noir 

2012 vintage in photos

2012 was a new beginning. It was a culmination in a chain of life events that ultimately brought me to Santa Barbara County. Wine wasn’t really a part of it, although it definitely added to the excitement of the destination.

Among the myriad ways in which wine romances and symbolizes deeper things, to me the cycle of the vine is chief among them. There are new beginnings, struggles and challenges throughout a vintage. Crazy important decisions are made at crucial junctures. Mistakes are sometimes made and hard lessons are learned. Ultimately the cycle ends, people commemorate, and fruits of the labor move on to a whole new set of trials.

So with these things in mind, I’m commemorating my first year living near all things vineyard and wine. I've compiled photos taken throughout the vintage. Please enjoy!

Stolpman Vineyard, Ballard Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley- January

Rusack Vineyard, Ballard Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley- January

El Jalabi Vineyard at Alma Rosa, Sta. Rita Hills- February

Bud break at Clos Pepe Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills- April

Evening Land Vineyard entrance, Sweeney Canyon Rd, Sta. Rita Hills- May

Spring in the Santa Ynez Valley- May

Flowering Chardonnay at Rita's Crown Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills- May

Checking on Bratcher Chardonnay at Rita's Crown Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills- May

Fruit set (Pinot Noir) at Bent Rock Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills- June

Bent Rock Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills- June

Smith Madrone Vineyard, Napa Valley- early July

Cab Sauv at Kronos Vineyard, Napa Valley- early July

Zinfandel at Ridge Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley- early July

Pinot Noir in veraison, Melville Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills- late July

Pinot Noir in veraison, Santa Maria Valley- late July

Lynn Penner-Ash, pruning "shoulders" off the  Pinot Noir clusters, Willakenzie, Willamette Valley- August

Sunset overlooking the Willamette Valley, Willakenzie- August

Westside Paso Robles, Terry Hoage Vineyard- early September

Ripening Chardonnay, Cambria in Santa Maria Valley- September

Ripening Pinot Noir, Cambria in Santa Maria Valley- September 

Harvesting Pinot Noir at Clos Pepe- September

The crew at Clos Pepe harvesting Pinot Noir for Arcadian Winery

Down time

Happy Wine Wednesday! I'm taking the week off from blogging- catch you next week!

Something dirty and rowdy this way comes.

If there’s a single migratory pattern worth mentioning since the last US census, it would have to be renegade wine bloggers moving west to stake claims in the wine business. Whether in wine writing, social media, or winemaking, there are plenty of fresh faces and interesting projects.

And if one person blazed the trail, it would have to be Hardy Wallace. From the Dirty South Wine blog, to high profile social media work with wineries, to finding a home championing and then making minimal-intervention “natural” wine, Hardy’s smiling face and genuinely enthusiastic (yet sarcastic) wit have become something of a personal brand. All of this has culminated with the first release of Dirty and Rowdy Family Winery, a partnership of Hardy and fellow Atlanta ex-pat and food blogger/videographer Matt Richardson.

Their winery features aesthetics more akin to an indie rock band than a winery. A surreal cartoon involving a leopard, snake, weedwhacker and hedge clippers adorns the label. Artsy still life photos of people and winery scenes and iron skillet fried chicken are prominent on a website proclaiming them as “America’s #1 Winery.” As a Generation X’er informed by the counter-cultural and subversive aesthetics of 80’s hardcore punk, these are all things that I enjoy and appreciate. It’s kitschy and clever without undermining the integrity of the winery.

As for the wine, the varietals are Sémillon and Mourvedré. The first release features a 2011 Semillon from the Gamble Vineyard in Yountville in Napa Valley, and a pair of Mourvedré wines (2010 and 2011) from the Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard in a remote eastern corner of Santa Barbara County.

I opened a bottle of the 2011 Dirty and Rowdy Sémillon, Yountville,Napa Valley ($28) to pair with rosemary roasted chicken. This is from valley floor silt soils. Fermentation was divided into to two native fermentations, one taking place in concrete egg and the other on the skins in open-top fermenters. Aging took place in neutral French oak.

In the glass the maceration on the skins showed in the rich and cloudy gold color. The bouquet presented a mélange of interesting expressions – running the gamut from dried floral, to white pepper & herb, to mushroom & earth, to frommage and then to citrus zest. Complex but wound tightly. It was surprisingly rich on the palate considering the low alcohol (+/- 12.5%), with crisp freshness along with mineral and earthy highlights accenting the floral fruit and spice. It had that nicely weighted gliding thing going on throughout the palate before finishing with fine tannin. Rich and complex and structured are the keys here.

This is serious Sémillon. If you ever pine for aged Hunter Valley Sémillon then sock this baby away for a bit and let it unfold- this could satisfy that urge. Or just open it and let it breathe and enjoy – it’s beautiful stuff, and an exciting new addition to the new wave of California wine. 

The everyday luxury side of Bordeaux

All I really want out of an inexpensive bottle of Bordeaux is something to remind me of how great the bottles are that either a) I can’t afford, or b) I have but can’t open. So when I opened a bottle of 2006 Château Listran from the Médoc, I hoped for just a little reminder of something special.

2006 Château Listran, Médoc

This is a wine that has some availability in the US. It was formerly imported by Palm Bay, and Winesearcher shows some amount remaining at retail between $16 and $19.

Classified as Cru Bourgeois, the estate is located in the lower elevation Médoc AOC north of the four famous communes of the left bank. They grow primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot along with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in gravelly sedimentary soils from the Garonne River. With acreage under vine at the estate once as high as 875, a succession of owners have reduced the acreage under vine to as low as 55 acres today. Current production is approximately 200,000 bottles. 

The wine is vinified using traditional methods and is finished in tank, aging of 90% of the wines taking place in barrel (20% new) for 12 months. It is bottled unfiltered.

In the glass was a dense ruby color with emerging aromas of dried lavender and sandstone, along with cherry and raspberry fruit -- overall a really pretty ethereal elegance that was the highlight of the wine for me. The notes were consistent on the palate although not as striking, with the fruit still showing nicely. Medium bodied and angular in structure, it added hints of black olive and espresso through the mid palate before finishing with firm tannins. The flavor profile was very nice and it drank well overall, albeit with a short finish.

I opened it for simple steaks on the grill, and it worked very well as a dinner companion before putting half the bottle away under The Wine Shield for two days. The revisit two days later day showed more of the oak and less of the vivacity from the fruit and florals, although it was still drinking well.

So was it what I was looking for? The beautiful bouquet and flavor highlights were easy to like and served as a reminder of greater things. Another reminder was the value of this price point in Bordeaux. If not this wine again, I’ll ask for a recommendation from my local wine shop. There’s plenty out there.

I'm 100 points on this blog post

It’s easy for one who follows wine as closely as most of my wine friends to understand the nuance and subjectivity of the 100 point rating system. A 92 on a given wine can mean completely different things depending on the reviewer. A 92 can also mean completely different things to the reader. There can be any numbers of variables in play; we all know that. Understanding it in this way makes it no different than placing in the proper perspective the rating system of any given form of art, craft or culture.

 To me, the dynamic that comes into play with wine ratings is the factor of intimidation on the part of a given consumer. No matter what type of music a person listens to, they’re probably not intimidated by the subject of “music.” On some level there’s a common bond that everyone has with it. Styles and preferences go from there, and a person thus knows how to place the subject of music criticism in perspective according their context.

The same could be said for many other forms of reviews. Movies, books, food – we’re not really intimidated by those words alone. A person can choose the level of criticism to follow based on the area of interest one has within the subject.  Also the great works of literature, music and film do not have a collectable aspect to them.

I think of wine criticism as I would art criticism. A work of art is finite and can fetch great sums of money. Collectable wine is similar. So the original context of the criticism takes on an entirely different meaning. To me it filters down through all levels of a wine purchasing decision. Ultimately, the wine review is a statement on the relative value of a purchase decision.

A person may love wine and care about it enough to spend large sums of money on it, but they may not sit on the computer writing wine blogs and reading wine message boards to the point where they assign context to a wine review. Or the person walking into a store may love to drink wine, but doesn’t feel comfortable asking a question. This is the point where the wine review along with an assigned number becomes king.

Two moments I experienced over the last week shed light on why the debate over the 100-point scale in wine criticism continues to live and breathe as it does. Whether on blogs or part of winery marketing, it’s an exhaustive dialogue that constantly breathes with new life.

I was working with a guest in a tasting room the other day. The guest was reading a sheet of recent reviews and asked with a sense of amazement how the stated drinking windows of the wines could vary as written. It was as if ‘the word is law.’ A few days later I was speaking with a wine merchant about the change in California reviewing in The Wine Advocate. A customer who had purchased and enjoyed recent vintages of a wine that Robert Parker gave 98 points was reluctant to buy the new vintage of the same that Antonio Galloni gave 95 points. It’s as if the publication was a united front that could not allow for a deviation of 3 points at the top of the scale from one reviewer to another.

That’s a lot of power to give to subjective numbers.