Complex summer whites

When I think of summer whites, I tend to think of light and refreshing quaffers. Summer's a carefree time of year, and al fresco picnics, summer barbecue, or hanging out by the pool isn't always the time to sit and think about your wine. But if you are looking for something with a little more complexity and versatility, I've had two wines recently that can work in either direction.

Dirty & Rowdy Family Wines 2012 Skin and Concrete Fermented Semillon, Yountville, Napa Valley is 2nd release of this skin-macerated 100% Semillon. It's a little less viscous than the inaugural release, but still has that wonderful complexity, tannic structure, and acid backbone that I liked in the 2011. It's a cloudy bright gold color with perfumy aromas of lemon and orange zest, savory spice, earth, and frommage. The palate is bright, adding mineral depth to compliment the melange of flavors. There's a nice rich feel and presence on the palate, gaining a slight bitterness and salinity on the finish that adds a nice dimension. This would be great with brie, or a citrusy halibut.

A visit to the Brander Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley was a nice refresher on their wonderful lineup of Sauvignon Blanc. The Brander 2011 Estate Sauvignon Blanc au Naturel, Santa Ynez Valley is notable for its 24 hours of skin contact during fermentation, giving the wine added complexity and depth before finishing fermentation and aging in stainless steel. The bright grapefruit and gooseberry is there, but is balanced by layered notes of dried herb, lavender and hints of spice. This is a great California Sauvignon Blanc. I'd like this with a grilled barbecue chicken and a summer salad.

Tasting Sonoma County in a virtual tasting room

I looked forward to working on this post for two reasons. First, I've been interested from afar in the TastingRoom.com product and packaging. Additionally, I had a lineup of Russian River and Alexander Valley wines to taste through. Trione Vineyards & Winery put together a tasting kit of their current release wines through the TastingRoom.com packaging system (disclaimer- I received as a press sample).

I recently saw a Twitter post about TastingRoom.com, and have been curious about the concept. Basically they repackage wine into 50ml and 100ml bottles, to then market themed tasting kits (50ml), and by the glass bottles (100ml). The ultimate goal is to sell the featured wines at full retail, but to me the value of the program is in the tasting kits. Wines sold on the site cover a range of price points, and there are plenty of well-known and premium brands. Most of the wine is domestic, with some international available as well.

The Trione kit came in a black recyclable box. The 50ml bottles are glass with high-quality re-creations of the labels. The transfer of the wine happens in an anaerobic chamber, and the bottling date is listed on the label. Basically the wine is packaged well and the integrity of the wine is intact.

Yes, that's a Pac Man lunchbox in the background

Trione’s wines come from their estate vineyards in the Russian River and Alexander Valleys. Previously growers in Sonoma County dating back four decades, the family began producing wines beginning with the 2005 vintage. I tasted four Russian River wines, all from the clay loamy soils of their River Road Ranch vineyard located in the middle reach area of the valley – 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Chardonnay, 2008 Pinot Noir and 2008 Syrah. The red Bordeaux varietals are grown in their vineyards in Alexander Valley. The 2007 Block 21 Cabernet Sauvignon features Cab grapes from a single block at Cloverdale Ranch, with small percentages of Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec coming from Geyserville Ranch. The 2007 Geyserville Ranch Red is a blend of Bordeaux grapes.

If there’s a thread that runs through these wines, it’s accessibility. The whites are nicely balanced with ample fruit, richness and acid, along with good Sonoma character - well priced too. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Geyserville Ranch Red are like big bear-hugs of wine - ripe and mellow dark fruits with roasted coffee, anise and cocoa notes across a stately warm & welcoming structure - totally Alexander Valley. The Russian River Syrah is a smooth drinker of ripe dark fruits along with nice-enough cool-climate savory notes. Click here for individual notes on all the wines.

However, the standout of the group is the Trione 2008 River Road Ranch Pinot Noir, Russian River. This is a blend of clones 115, 667 and 777. It’s made using traditional techniques such as open top fermentation with partial whole clusters and daily hand punch-downs. It’s pretty prototypical Russian River Pinot on the nose with fruitcake aromas of cherry, raspberry and plum. Things get interesting as this hits the palate with darker fruit, earthy forest and mushroom notes, and just hints of spice - all well balanced and nicely layered. It’s sharply textured with fine tannin and nice length on the finish. This is really enjoyable Russian River Pinot with good depth and interest priced below $30 – highly recommended!

Wine club to the rescue.

Thanks to The Winehound in Santa Barbara for actually getting me out of Santa Barbara wine for a minute. As much as I love the SBC, it's nice to refresh the palate with a little bit of the outside world. I joined their "Premier Cru" wine club which each month nets me two hand-selected $20 bottles of wine from around the world. To me it sounds like a great solution to those wine ruts that we all fall victim to from time to time.

My first May wine was a 2010 Farnese Casale Vecchio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. This is a step up from Farnese's entry-level Montepulciano- from the Casale Vecchio terroir in the Chieti province in Abruzzo and aged in barrique for about 6 months. It is imported by Empson. It featured rich color with tons of blueberry & plum notes and hints of cracked pepper and mint. Forward bright fruit on the palate with plush tannin and a full juicy finish. Good value and perfect for what it is- a full juicy Italian red with forward fruit and just enough rusticity (Rating- I like!). A great pasta wine that can work with a heavier meat dish like a braised short rib.

The second May wine was a Napa white- 2010 Round Pond Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley. This comes from Round Pond's estate vineyards in Rutherford. There's no oak, malo or lees stirring on this wine. A very pale color with aromas of melon, grapefruit, wheat straw and river stone. Round on the palate with medium acid and a touch of leesy spice and a slight heat/astringency. The finish featured a lingering fruit tartness on the front palate. I liked this more as the days wore on- special kudos for it drinking so well on day 4 (rating- I like!). Better with seafood than spicy Asian fare.

Not a wine club wine, but a nice little 2005 Mosel Riesling I had laying around- the 2005 Bert Simon Serriger Herrenberg Riesling Auslese, Mosel Saar Ruwer. This comes from the monopole Serriger Herrenberg vineyard on severe slopes with red and blue slate soils. The importer is Rudi Wiest Selections. Bright and full gold in color, this has notes of nectarine, guava, orange and lime with subtle mineral and botanicals. Weighty on the palate with the sweet fruit coming across very bright and profound. A little short of perfect on acid, making the sweetness slightly aggressive, but one can really ponder on the profoundness of the fruit. Medium length finish (+/- $30) (rating- I like+!)

Brander Sauvignon Blanc

Bottle of Brander with Indian food grease smudged on the label.

A wine tasting junket over the weekend took me from the Santa Ynez Valley up to the Santa Maria Valley.  A few disappointing stops brought an unfocused mish mash of varietals and a tasting list full of close-outs (hello 2007 Rosé!). What wasn't disappointing though was the Sauvignon Blanc at Brander. From the basic Santa Ynez Valley bottling to the single vineyard wines, these were some of the finest California Sauvignon Blancs that I've had in a while.

I bought a bottle of the 2009 Brander Purisma Mountain Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley and popped and poured that night- Straw gold with slate, lime, tropical and floral aromas. Smooth and opulent with a tangy acidity highlighting generous fruit flavors and spice/herbal depth. Full finish. A really enjoyable Sauvignon Blanc. (rating- I like+!) $25.

Ending the day at Figueroa Mountain

2011 Wine Travels- Santa Barbara Top 10

This past May I traveled to California and toured multiple areas of the Central and North Coasts. In September I did a second stint out west to the Willamette Valley and Eastern Washington.  I carefully planned producers to see and mapped my areas of interest. The end result was getting to taste some spectacular wine along the way.

As the year ends and I prepare to move from Atlanta to California, I'd like to take a little stroll down memory lane and list my favorite wines from each region that I visited in 2011. These are all wines tasted and notes written while on the road

Starting things off is Santa Barbara County. In Santa Barbara I visited Melville, Fiddlehead, Qupe/Verdad, Foxen, and the Bien Nacido Vineyard. It was a great day that saw my friends and I completely circling Sta. Rita Hills before heading into Los Olivos via Ballard Canyon Road, and then heading up Foxen Canyon Road to Santa Maria Valley. It's interesting that 2011 ended up being such a cool vintage for California, it was very hot in Santa Barbara in early May while I was there, even in the cool-climate Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley areas.

As you can see from the list there were lots of great Syrahs, and the 2009 Pinot Noir vintage was looking pretty good.

My 10 Favorite Santa Barbara wines from the trip-

2008 Foxen Pinot Noir Black 8 Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

Tasted at Bien Nacido. Pungent bouquet with black fruit, mushroom, and cola. Very bold style continues to the palate. Black fruit, red fruit, mushroom, mineral, cola. Silky but a little hot. Gritty tannins and bold finish. Aggressive but somehow pulls it off- drinks and tastes like Pinot Noir. It's wild- I could see this being profound if it mellowed a little with bottle age. ( I really liked!)

2009 Tyler Pinot Noir N Block Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

Tasted at Bien Nacido. Cola, plum, apple-cherry, spice- expressive bouquet. Mineral, red fruit, and spice- beautifully balanced with a silky feel, fine tannins, and a long finish. (I really liked!)

2005 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley

Tasting room pour. Gamey nose with plum, raw meat, leather, and olive- awesome. Black peppery fruit with plenty of mineral and savory depth on the palate. Firm tannins and long finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2010 Verdad Rosé Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Edna Valley

Tasted at the winery. Strawberry and peach aromas and flavors throughout. Leesy and rich with good finish. Very nice. (I liked!)

2008 Fiddlehead Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley

Tasted at the winery. Lemongrass, apple, toast on the nose- rich and leesy style bold fruit and a long finish. Very nice. (I liked!)

2009 Melville Pinot Noir Carrie's, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasted at the winery. Lots of perfume and floral aromas along with cola, spice, and red fruit. Bright flavors on the palate- fruit, well-integrated spice, subtle earth notes. Great feel. Tannins firmer than past vintages. Big finish. It's all there- can't wait to spend a little more time with this and delve deeper. Very excellent. (I loved!)

2009 Melville Pinot Noir Terraces, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasted at the winery. Aromas are marked with cola, mushroom, earth, and black cherry. Balanced earth, spice, and fruit flavors- bold & intense & elegant at the same time. Lithe structure and feel, fine tannins. Long finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Melville Chardonnay Clone 76 Inox Estate, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasted at the winery. Creamy melon & honey aromas. Hits the palate with brightness and strong acid. Lots of green apple/pear/melon, and leesy richness, along a lengthy finish. Very nice. (I really liked!)

2007 Qupé Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley

Tasting room pour. Gamey, leathery, peppery fruit on the nose. Black pepper, black olive, and lush black fruit fill the palate. Smooth silk feel, round tannins, and long finish. Excellent.  (I really liked!)

2009 Foxen Syrah Dry Farmed Tinaquaic, Santa Maria Valley

Tasted at Foxen tasting room. I lost track of my notes for this one, but you have to know it was a big gnarly savory monster- totally awesome. (I loved!)

Link to the photos-

DAY 2- Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley (part 1)

Friday April 23, 2010

Hirsch Vineyards

The drive up to Hirsch was quite amazing. It took us through the morning fog of the Russian River Valley, up through Monte Rio, and along the Russian River to Highway 1. Following the rugged Sonoma coastline for a spell and then up into the coastal mountains, we finally found ourselves at the Hirsch Vineyards. But not before mile after mountain mile of one-lane road, hairpin curves, and even driving through backyards- ruins of crashed cars notwithstanding. It's a great way to bring the term "Far Sonoma Coast" to life.

Justin and Jon getting the vineyard tour

Upon arrival we were greeted by our hostess, Tess. We took a stroll around the vineyards, starting in the original OVY vineyard blocks- originally planted to Pinot Noir and Riesling back in 1980 before eventually being converted to all Pinot Noir. From there we talked about some of the viticultural practices of Hirsch and viewed the expanse of vineyards spread across hilltops off in the distance- with the Pacific Ocean in the horizon. Hirsch is only 3 miles from the coast, with the San Andreas fault lying between it and the ocean.

Back at the winery, we toured the open-top fermenters and the barrel room, as we were joined by winemaker Ross Cobb. Ross was great, entertaining my friend Justin's questions about his approach to natural fermentation, and showing us the 14 gallon glass demijohns in which his Chardonnay is partially fermented. Finally, we headed into the office to taste a couple of wines they had lying around. Thanks to Tess for setting everything up, and to both Tess and Ross for being so hospitable. This was a great stop, a fascinating departure from the rest of the wine trail circuit. My only regret is not allowing more time before the second appointment of the day. Our 10:00 appointment was followed by a 1:00 back in the Russian River Valley- an hour and fifteen minute drive back. We had to hustle to get back- bottoming out on a random speed hump coming down the mountain and almost nailing a sheep!

Justin and Ross Cobb talking about yeast

The Wine-
-2008 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast- Partial oak, glass, and stainless steel fermentation. Wild yeast fermentation. Full malo. Unfiltered. Neutral oak aging. Earthy nose with pungent notes of aged cheeses and bright apple. Earthy on the palate with bright fruit and mineral balance. Good acid and a long finish---excellent---$50.

-2007 San Andreas Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast- A ruby color with good clarity. Gamey, cherry, and forest floor notes initiate velvety strawberry and cherry fruit soaked in silky tannins. Nice earthy fruit finish---excellent---I could see this further developing the depth of flavors with a few years time---$60.

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Merry Edwards Winery

The tasting at Merry Edwards was definitely structured and seminar-like. It's more of a pitch on the wines than a chance for dialogue. The winery itself is more of a modern working winery facility than a hospitality center. The tastings are put on at conference tables off of the office area. The grounds are really pretty though, with beds of flowers and the Coopersmith Vineyard surrounding the winery. What I liked about the tasting was having a map of the Russian River Valley in front of us with the vineyard locations marked. This was a great tool while tasting through the single vineyard Pinot Noirs. The Pinots were all nice and lush and rich- very prototypical Russian River Valley. Most were with silken red fruit and more spice than earth. For my taste, they lacked just a little bit of that extra depth that might have taken them above and beyond- but very nice all the same. The Sauvignon Blanc was outstanding.

The Wines-

-2007 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- Black cherry & currants with a slight earthiness. Dusty tannins with pepper and baking spice on the finish---very good---$42.

-2007 Tobias Glen Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- A blend of Dijon clones. Lighter in color. Generous aromas of red cherry, mushroom, minerals with red cherry and strawberry fruit with white pepper on the palate. Lighter peppery tannins with a little more earth than spice on the finish---very good to excellent---$54.

-2007 Flax Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- From Pommard clones. Darker and more dense. Cherry cola and herbal notes with raspberry and light spice. A little loose on the finish---good---$54.

-2007 Meredeth Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- Darker with density. Baking spice and cherry with raspberry, dried herbs, and strawberry. Dried herb-laced tannins with additional berry notes on the finish---very good to excellent---$54.

-2007 Klopp Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley- A little lighter color and appearance than the Flax or the Meredeth. Generous red cherry, cola, and pepper with earth and mushroom notes. Silky tannins with a finish of oak and spice---very good to excellent---$58.

-2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley- Barrel fermented in 18% new French oak. Straw-gold. Aromatic with slight vegetal notes and a lot of tropical fruit. Creamy yet crisp tropical fruit flavors- pineapple and lime- with a great finish---excellent---$30.

Next, more notes on Day 2. Click the link for photos of Day 2 in Sonoma County.

DAY 1- Napa South (part 2)

Thursday-4/22/10

Rudd Winery & Vineyards

After lunch at the Soda Canyon store, we headed up the Silverado Trail into Oakville for a tasting at Rudd Winery & Vineyards. Rudd is a beautiful property on the corner of Oakville Crossroad and Silverado Trail near such luminaries as Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle. Food and wine entrepreneur Leslie Rudd bought the property in 1996, bringing it to prominence with the help of famous names such as former winemaker David Ramey and consulting vineyard manager David Abreu. Thanks to Jeff and Kendall for treating us to an informal overview of Rudd's current releases.

-2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Mt. Veeder- 87% Sauv Blanc, 13% Semillon. Native yeasts, partial barrel fermentation. Straw and honeysuckle with citrus and tropical notes. Full but a bit soft. Nice finishing notes of stone fruit and apple---good to very good---$45.
-2007 Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard, Russian River Valley- 50 year old vines. Native yeast, full malo, 15 months in French oak-57% new. Rich and gold. Opens with green apple and butterscotch with additional notes of caramel, stone fruit, and light minerals. Big and full style---good to very good---$65.
-2006 Crossroads Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville- 76% Cab Sauv, 13% Cab Franc, 7% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot. Native yeast, 20 months in 83% new French oak. Inky and dense. Expressive black and red fruit with black tea, coffee, and herbs. Silky tannins and a long finish---excellent---$65.
-2006 Oakville Estate Proprietary Red, Oakville- 80% Cab Sauv, 9% Cab Franc, 8% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot. Native yeast, 20 months in 100% new Fine Grained French oak. Slightly lighter appearance than the Crossroads. Black fruit, vanilla- a little closed on the nose. Opened up into spice box, cigar box, black tea, coffee, and herbal notes with underlying soft black fruit. Tannins are spicy, firm, and long---excellent to stellar---needs 5 to 10 years to reach stellar potential---$125.

We also tasted the 2006 Edge Hill Estate Mixed Blacks, St. Helena. This is a field blend of Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Grenache, Mourvedre, & Alicante Bouschet. I didn't get good notes on this one, but enjoyed it. Very much in the dark, brooding, and gamey style.

All in all these were outstanding wines, especially the two cabs. Both delivering bold and rich flavors with great depth and good balance. The whites were good, but a little into the creamy and buttery-rich territory without the zing of acidity that I look for.

The view from the patio at Rudd

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Hess Collection

We headed up into the hills of Mt. Veeder to taste the wines at Hess. This was an informal tour of the art museum with the wines at the tasting bar. The art makes this a worthwhile visit- very interesting contemporary paintings, sculptures, and photography. The vineyards are tucked in and blocked off behind the winery- hard to get to the views that you think you might get given the elevation. Heading into the tasting bar, there's a pretty cool look-see into the barrel aging cellar.

-2008 Small Block Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County- Musqué clone, Short cooperage in neutral French oak. Straw, mineral, stone fruit, green apple, pear-nice and crisp---good---$19.
-2007 Chardonnay, Mt. Veeder- 18 months in 50% new French oak, no malo. Really strong toasty notes with wet stone and tropical fruit---good---$35.
-2009 Small Block Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley- 99% Zinfandel, 1% Petite Sirah; 12 months in French Oak (2-3 years old). Black fruit and spice-brambly. Light bodied with black raspberry notes---good---$36.
-2009 Small Block Syrah Rosé, Napa Valley- Fermented in neutral oak. Strawberry and candied cherry- fresh and lively---average to good---price??
-2007 Small Block Syrah, Napa Valley- 98% Syrah, 2% Viognier. 17 months in 20% new French oak. Lots of black raspberry and black cherry with peppery firm tannins and lengthy finish---good to very good---$36.
-2006 19 Block Cuvée, Mt. Veeder- 69% Cab Sauv, 11% Malbec, 10% Syrah, 5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cab Franc. 16 months in 50% new French oak. Tight nose- cassis, blackberry, and spice- firm with a nice finish---very good---$36.
-2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder- 86% Cab Sauv, 12% Malbec, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. 18 months in 50% new French oak. Tight nose- black fruit and dried herbs opened up into spice box, tobacco, cedar, and black fruit with spice-driven tannins and a lengthy finish---very good---$48.

Overall good quality, Hess consistently delivers a pretty good value for the price. Interestingly, my pal Justin started his crazy trend of buying large format wines here with a Jeroboam of the Allomi Vineyard Cabernet... fun stuff.



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Peju Province Winery

I wanted to have a crack at a Rutherford stop tasting a Rutherford Cabernet while on the trip. Peju was just about the only option left (open until 6) as we were back down on the valley floor at 5:30. Granted, I'm always a little skeptical of the potential service when going into a tasting room to taste shortly before closing; Peju managed to hit way below my lowered expectations. Our personal pourer had very little to add when talking about the wines and acted uninterested. He even went so far as to tell us that he doesn't really drink much wine and usually sticks with Two Buck Chuck. Out of the three in my party, two of us work in the wine business and we're all fairly wine savvy. We were actively trying to engage over the course of our tasting.

We tasted through their Napa Valley blends- the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2006 Merlot, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2006 Syrah. All were decent, albeit unremarkable wines in their respective categories and price points. I asked several times about tasting their Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon and was denied, seeing an open bottle on my way out. I guess Two Buck Chuck knew we weren't properly presented the wines- as we weren't charged for the tasting. I would have gladly paid to taste the Rutherford Cabernet, and would have considered buying a bottle. This was a waste of time. Perhaps it's the bad taste in my mouth talking, but Peju comes off as a fancied-up Hwy 29 tourist trap winery with little or no substance.

note 4/30- Peju's P.R. Specialist contacted me to apologize for my group's dissatisfaction, with an invitation to contact her directly the next time I come to Napa. While I stand by my notes, I give them credit for their eagerness to contact me so quickly after I wrote the piece. Given the communication, I may consider giving them another chance in the future.

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Overall, day 1 was three great stops, one pretty good one, and one poor one. The ones that required planning were all winners. We grabbed a nice dinner at Leslie Rudd's Press in St. Helena. Great appetizers-oysters, truffled mac & cheese, and filet au poivre sliders... then a blue plate special- pork chops, grits, and asparagus... good stuff. Then it was off over Spring Mountain back to Rohnert Park to get ready to drive out to Hirsch to start day 2.

Link to all Napa day 1 pics.