2013 Joseph Phelps Insignia Release Party

The best release party on the planet just got better!

Joseph Phelps Vineyards held their annual release party this weekend at their beautiful estate in Saint Helena. On top of that they were also celebrating their 40th anniversary. By the late 1960′s Joseph Phelps had built one of the most successful construction companies in the U.S. One client project, Souverain Winery (now Rutherford Hill), was to ultimately change the face of viticulture in the Napa Valley. The idyllic beauty of the Napa Valley inspired him to buy the 600 acre Connolly cattle ranch in Spring Valley dedicating the property to viticulture. The winery was completed in 1974 and produced the first vintages of Syrah and the now world-famous Insignia. Forty years later Joseph Phelps Vineyards has set the bar for exceptional wines, biodynamic viticulture, and unparalleled hospitality.

The Party

Every year, JPV puts on a wonderful 3 day event for their members as a huge thank you for their patronage as well as to debut some of their stunning wines. As you may recall from our coverage last year, we felt it would be nearly impossible to top last years party. We were wrong!

Hospitality gets no better than at JPV

The weather was simply perfect. The wines (we’ll delve in deeper later) were amazing, the food was over the top in terms of quality and diversity, and the music was incredible. The topper was the hospitality. The JPV staff is the best in business and it showed here in spades! We frequently recommend wine clubs here at DdV but there may be no equal to that of JPV. If you join only one wine club, this could be it. Not only does one gain access to the amazing Insignia and Backus red wines but also the small production wines such as the Hyde & Sons Syrah, Estate Viognier, and the brand new Rosè. JPV makes such a fantastic diversity of fine wines there truly is something for everyone.

The members are brought up to the estate in luxury busses and immediately greeted with snack trays and a pour of their stunning new Rosè. In a very thoughtful touch, the trays have a wine glass holder built-in making our grazing easy. The party has two tiers. One at the main tasting room and one at the converted upper parking lot. Each had a diversity of food, wine, and music.

The Food

Pailla!!!

This year they really outdid themselves on the food. The life altering pailla was back as was the brick oven pizza. One offering, a spoon full of sea bass, amazing crisp vegetables and herbs topped with guacamole was a huge new hit. Each of the food offerings paired wonderfully with the wines. Pizza with the Rosè, Chard and Pinot, Pailla with the Rosè and Pinot (the Insignia wasn’t a bad pair either!), the sea bass and Chard/Viognier and of course the grilled faire with the Cab and Insignia.

The grazin’ was amazin’

Other highlights included a clever lobster bisque sandwich, a subtle tomato gazpacho with cucumber, and a tasty corn chowder. The biggest hit with the members though was the grilled fare. Napa Berkshire pulled pork with curry sliders, angus beef with carmelized onion and blu cheese sliders as well as skewers with both Moroccan spiced lamb and chicken and bread with lemon. We also loved the salad infused with delicious bacon and the petite marble potato salad.

The grill masters from Smoke – Open Fire Cooking

Sliders from heaven

How bout some desert?

There was certainly no letdown for desert. Decadent chocolates, passion fruit truffles, creme de caramel, and passion fruit macaroons were all paired with their wonderful Eisrébe desert wine. The chocolate and sea salt bars were also to die for.

The Music

As we walked off the bus, we were greeted with the sounds of some fantastic latin music. Unfortunately, in our rush to fill our pailla fix we didn’t get the name of the band but they were fantastic! If anyone knows the name of the band, please post in the comments section!

The Hummingbirdz

As we walked around we heard from the upper parking lot a blazing harmonica and guitar solo and knew where we would be spending the bulk of the afternoon. As we had hoped, The Hummingbirdz were back again this year. As our readers know, we love these guys!  Up tempo high energy blues music that was fittingly placed near the grill. This year they had some fantastic new songs as well as some of our favorites like Peter Gun, Enjoy Your Beverage (we were!), and the old blues classics Handyman and I Can’t Quit You.

With these guys you come for the music and stay for the solos. As usual they tore it up and had the place buzzing. We’re happy to report that they will also be back for the Taste of Howell Mountain Benefit in June so get your tickets before they sell out!

For more information: www.thehummingbirdz.com

The Wine

Barrel samples of the 2011 Insignia

As great as the food, atmosphere, and music was, the reason we’re all here is for the wine!

2010 Insignia
2010 had a very cool growing season leaving many pundits to proclaim the vintage would not be a strong one. That may be the case for some producers but rest assured JPV will not be one of them. As we projected from last year’s barrel tasting the Insignia would be terrific… And it is! This is not as opulent and big as the 08′ and 09′ but has a wonderful soft nuance that will pair with a number of foods. We couldn’t help thinking about our grilled braised short rib recipe when tasting this wonderful wine. Plenty of big dark berry, plum, and cassis come together with subtle hints of oak and graphite on the finish. Near perfect balance and refined mouth feel. This is a true cellar selection as we project it to gain nuance for the next 8-10+ years.

2011 Insignia Barrel Sample
This was already surprisingly approachable for a wine that is so young. If you thought the 2010 growing season was tough try the 2011 season. A cold spring beset with rain into June disrupted bloom and fruit set. A cool summer plus early rains in the fall made it even more of a challenge. The talented winemakers at JPV overcame these tough conditions to produce some great wines and this projects to be one of them. We see a similar wine to that of 2010. Not as big and opulent as the 08′ and 09′ but still quite delightful and as food friendly as the 2010.

2010 Pinot – Freestone, Quarter Moon, Pastorale
JPV makes three wonderful Pinots from their Freestone Vineyards in the Sonoma Coast. We scored the 2009 Freestone Pinot a classic 95 and the 2010 is right there. Complex aromas of spices, taglio, dark cherry, and cassis give way to opulent plum, dark cherry and dark raspberry. Finishes very long with hints of earth, minerals, and cherry. Near perfect balance. The mouth feel is nothing short of pure luxury. Tannins are more than tight enough to cellar for years and gain nuance. Exceptional and very highly recommended. The single vineyard Quarter Moon and Pastorale Vineyard Pinots are best of the best of the Pinot grapes that make up the Freestone offering. These both are 96+ wines and are even more amazing than the Freestone. Look for a full review in our upcoming Sonoma Coast Pinot issue.

2012 Fog Dog Rosè
This is a brand new wine for JPV and was an instant hit. As our readers know, we love the resurgence of true classic Rosè in California. This is another great wine to add to your summer sipper list. The wine was sourced from a central coast vineyard that formerly produced the popular Mistral wines a number of years back. Soft floral and pomegranate notes on the nose lead to lush strawberry on the mid. A dry burst of mineral and cherry on the finish rounds out this wonderful refreshing wine. Only 100 or so cases were made so we hope they up the production next year!

2011 Viognier
As we wrote in our article about our Easter Ham, we love the JPV Viognier! The new 2011 was being poured and we may love this vintage even more! On the nose bright honeysuckle, orange spice, and tropical fruit. The mid is lush with more tropical fruit, rich peach, and stunningly subtle oak. The finish is crisp and balanced with more subtle oak, peach, and bright minerals. The oak is so cleverly done on this wine and gives it a complexity that is beyond other offerings in this varietal. Wonderful balance and richness.

2010 Cabernet
Somms who complain that Napa Cabs are not food friendly should take a long look at this beautiful food friendly Cab! We love the soft refined nature of this wine. Opulent plum, cassis, and dark berry abound with a long smooth finish. This is softer than previous vintages and will pair perfectly with anything cooked over a flame! We brought one home and had it with a juicy oak smoked filet mignon and it was pure heaven. These are widely available and very reasonably priced for the quality of the wine! This is yet another wine that is a perenial cellar selection. We were fortunate enough to stumble on a 1983 Cab they were pouring and it was a wonderfully nuanced aged wine!

Conclusion

As we stated in the opening we didn’t think they could top last year but definitely found a way to do it this year. We had such a wonderful time and truly enjoyed the entire day more than any other event we’ve been to. The wine, food, music, weather, and hospitality were all perfect. Many thanks to the great staff at JPV for their tireless efforts to make the event so enjoyable. We’d also like to thank the food vendors, serving staff, and musicians who worked so hard to make this day special. We’re now counting the days until next year! Can they beat this one? Something tells me they will!

For more information:

www.josephphelps.com

California Cabernet Society 2013 Passport to Cabernet Tasting

Sneak previews of the 2012 Vintage in a tremendous tasting event

This past Monday on May 6th, the California Cabernet Society put on their Spring tasting event. The tasting consisted of current Cabernet releases and barrel tastings of the 2012 vintage. The wineries present were from all over California including Napa and Sonoma as well as the Central Coast.

The event was held at the Bentley Reserve in San Francisco’s financial district. An elegant setting to show off these world-class wines. Tasty aged cheeses and artisan breads and meats were expertly provided by Winery Chefs.

The Cabernet Sauvignon varietal is unquestionably king in every wine growing country in the world and was the product of a chance crossing between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc during the 17th century in southwestern France. Cabernet is thought to have arrived in California in 1862 by Hungarian-American pioneer Agoston Haraszthy whose first plantings were at his Buena Vista Ranch in what now is Carneros. Today over 75,000 acres are planted to Cabernet from Lake County in the North to Paso Robles to the South. Napa and Sonoma have the greatest reputation for quality but new regions such as Happy Canyon, Red Hills, Paso Robles, and Livermore are quickly gaining solid reputations as well. We also found in our tasting that overlooked Napa AVAs such as Calistoga and Coombsville are producing outstanding wines as we’ll detail below.

The California Cabernet Society was founded in 1991 by 40 small wineries in order to promote their wines to the trade, press, and to consumers. Indeed, many of the wineries were new to us but most if not all made a very big impression on our tasters.

2012 Barrel Samples

Nothing gets a wine geek more excited than getting a sneak peek at an upcoming vintage. When it’s one that had near perfect growing conditions such as 2012, well that’s even better.

The 2012 growing season in both Napa and Sonoma had virtually no damaging weather events. No late frost or freak late rains or major brush fires that presented problems found in recent vintages. A few heat spikes did cause some issues in the Paso Robles areas but most experts feel this will affect quantity more than quality.

If the 28 samples we tried are any indication, 2012 will be a truly memorable vintage. Many of the famous qualities such as feathery tannins and smokey oak were not yet present this early. What most did have in common was big fruit and delicate floral notes such as the Diamond Creek, Louis Martini, Keenan, Jordan, Adelaide, Ackerman, Bell and Volker Eisele. Others had a surprising early balance such as the Steven Kent, Diamond Creek, Guilliams, Linked, and Mario Bazan. The Faust sample had some nice early coffee notes on the nose as well as big fruit. All showed great promise. We are counting the days until these start being released to see how they turn out!

Current Vintages

The current releases from these producers were nothing short of amazing. As we mentioned earlier, many of these small producers were unknown to us. We have some wines below that stood out to us but rest assured all of the wines presented are worth seeking out. Not a bad one in the bunch!

The Napa Contingent Did Not Disappoint
When you think California Cab. Napa is probably your first thought. These were some of our favorites:

Big Mountain Wines Make a Big Impression

Keenan 2009 Reserve Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
This outstanding wine is a wonderful example of Spring Mountain’s magic. Keenan blended two different Cab. clones from their Spring Mountain property with 15% estate Cab. Franc to create this elegant Cabernet. Delightful nose and big mountain fruit lead the way with a sumptuous mouth feel and long finish. Great balance. This is drinking so well it would be hard to cellar but will certainly gain nuance for the next 8-10+ years.

Guilliams Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Another wine sourced from Spring Mountain, the Guilliams Cab. is bold and big but has wonderful balance and elegance. This is a huge Cab. that has enough subtlety to work nicely with grilled beef or perhaps some fava bean puree.  Sourced entirely from their Spring Mountain Estate, the big mountain fruit and soft tannins make this a new favorite.

Trinchero 2009 Haystack Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Amazing mountain greatness from Atlas Peak. Dark mountain berry, subtle cassis, cocoa and cedary spice all come together in a rich opulent but wonderfully balanced wine. Plenty of aging potential but drinks superbly now.

Diamond Creek’s 2009 offering from the fabulous Diamond Mountain was also quite impressive!

Score One For The Chiles Valley

Volker Eisele 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
This was our first wine sourced from the Chiles Valley and we were very impressed! This blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc was fantastic. Big dark berry flavors abound with rich tannins and great balance. Nice graphite hints on the long finish.

Coombsville Coming Out Party
The Coombsville AVA has been on our radar for the past year. This was our first real look and we loved these wines.

Faust 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine was crafted from a blend of Coombsville and Rutherford fruit. 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc make up this beautiful big wine. Wonderfull dark berry and hints of dark roast coffee on the nose lead to lush dark berry and cassis on the mid. Finish is plenty long with some hits of oak and spice. Another finely balanced wine. This will get better and better with age.

Ackerman Family Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
Plenty of dark berry and plum but also has some very nice bright cherry notes that you don’t see in most Napa Cabs. Finish is long and soft with hints of chocolate and smokey oak. Tannins are quite firm but are balanced nicely. Very impressive wine.

Rocca Family Vineyards 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Collinetta Vineyard
Another winner from Coombsville! Big bold dark berry flavors burst from the glass but with great balance and finesse. A great wine for grilled steaks or braised beef ribs. The subtleties of this wine make it a fine food companion.

Sonoma Shows It’s Stuff

Jordan 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
Sourced from Sonoma’s infamous Alexander Valley, this blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec easily held its own against the bigger Napa wines. This more “Bordeaux like” food friendly wine was quite impressive. Blackberry and dark cherry flavors abound with subtle and balanced tannins. Nice elegant finish with hints of spice and oaky vanilla.

Other Sonoma standouts included the Linked Vineyards 2008 Cabernet from Knights Valley, the Sebastiani 2010 Cherry Block Cabernet, and the Louis Martini 2010 Alexander Valley Cabernet. The Martini Monte Rosa was also exceptional!

Down South

Livermore, Santa Ynez, and Paso Robles also had some great wines. The Steven Kent Lineage wines from Livermore were simply astounding. They poured the 2009 and 2010. Both were favorites. The Star Lane 2008 Cab. from Happy Canyon and Adelaida Cellars 2009 Cabernet from Paso Robles were both terrific as well. These wines were sweeter than the Napa/Sonoma offerings which opens up some nice food pairing options.

Conclusion

As is always the case, Sam Peters and his staff made this a very memorable event. The hospitality was spot on and made focusing on the wines easy. The wine makers, proprietors, and staff for each winery couldn’t have been more pleasant and knowledgeable about their wines.

The great thing about tasting events such as these is that you can try the new barrel samples and compare them with older established vintages. This gives one an idea of where the wine will go in time. We truly recommend our readers attend a few of these events every year. Not only can you find new favorites but you can learn volumes about wine in general in a single afternoon.

Very well done. Can’t wait until next year!

For more information:

http://www.californiacabernetsociety.com/

AVA Spotlight – Dry Creek AVA

Diversity and true excellence in Sonoma’s Dry Creek

Welcome to our first AVA Spotlight. This is a new series that will focus on different American Viticultural Areas including history, wineries, climate, soil, and other interesting facts. Our first is the Dry Creek AVA in Sonoma California.

The Dry Creek Valley AVA came onto our radar only very recently while working
on our Sonoma Supermarket Finds showdown. While researching that piece, we found a tasty Fume Blanc and very nice Cabernet from Dry Creek Vineyards. Both had very nice price points and were quite food friendly. As we began looking deeper into this Sonoma AVA, we found a yearly event called Passport that allows wine fans to visit and sample wines from each winery in a festive atmosphere. We’ll dive into the event in a bit but first, some history.

Dry Creek History

Sonoma Plaza in the mission days

The first recorded vineyard in Sonoma was planted in 1824 by Father Jose Altimira at the newly constructed Mission Sonoma. However, it wasn’t until 1870 that viticulture was established in Dry Creek. Early pioneers fueled by the gold rush had discovered Dry Creek’s fertile valley by 1849 but were dedicated to crops such as wheat, hay, vegetables, and fruit trees. Englishman Thomas Winter, a former sailor from Nottingham, began raising vines on his ranch in Dry Creek but it was Frenchmen George Bloch and Alexander Colson who founded the first Dry Creek winery in 1872. Colson soon left the endeavor but Bloch along with his brother carried on founding the Colson Brothers Winery. By 1888, they were producing 175,000 gallons each year. This put them among the largest Sonoma producers at the time and the reviews were very positive.

An 1878 article from the Healdsburg Enterprise proclaimed: “The wine produced by Bloch and Colson has finer flavor than from almost any other winery in the country. It has none of the bitter taste found in many wines.”

Pioneer Spirit

Stamer & Feldmeyer Winery 1889

Although Dry Creek is famous for Zinfandel, to characterize it as pure Zin country is to overlook the great diversity of varietals and wine making styles found there. Zinfandel was first planted by Bloch in 1865. By 1900, waves of immigrants from France, Germany, and Italy were growing varietals and making wines that reminded them of home. From Bordeaux varietals to those of the Rhone and Italy all thrived and created noteworthy wines for the time. This boom lasted until the early 1900′s when a major Phylloxera infestation wiped out a large portion of the valley’s vines. Prohibition soon followed leaving only a handful of wineries left standing.

Rebirth in the 1970′s

Although prohibition was repealed in 1933, the valley had already switched over to orchard crops and remained that way until the 1970′s resurgence. Dry Creek Vineyard led the way in 1972 followed shortly by Mill Creek Vineyards and A. Rafanelli Winery in 1974. Preston Vineyards, Lambert Bridge and Lytton Springs Winery began operations in 1975.

The Dry Creek Valley received its official AVA designation in 1983 and now boasts over 9,000 acres of vineyards and more than 70 wineries. Although the Zinfandel from the valley is well-known, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet and Merlot are outstanding. Perhaps as a testament to the pioneer spirit of the early settlers many other varietals are grown here. Rhone wines such as Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre are exceptional as are the Italian varietals such as Barolo and Sangiovese. Lesser known wines such as Arnais, and Montepulciano are also impressive.

Soil, Climate, and Character

The climate and soil makeup of Dry Creek is ideal for a great many varietals. Located 70 minutes (or much more in rush hour) north of San Francisco and only 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the AVA has a perfect blend of heat and cold. During the day, the valley heats up nicely but cools considerably at night due to the marine influence to the west. During the growing season, daytime highs average in the mid 80′s with the lows in the mid 50′s. Winters are mild and snow free with plenty of rain in normal years.

Growing regions consist of two distinct types. In the low areas gravelly and sandy loam rich in nutrients are predominant. In the rocky benches, red gravelly clay loam is dominate the soil landscape. It is this diversity that allows so many different varietals to thrive.

Events and Tasting

Tasting is available year round either by appointment or during their normal tasting room hours.

The biggest annual tasting event is their Passport Tasting Event held in April. This event covers two days of tasting at all participating wineries for one fee. Participants receive a passport, map, and commemorative glass and are invited to taste at as many wineries as they wish. Food, music, and plenty of great wine is available.

This was our first year attending and we were very impressed with the event.

Alice in Wonderland table display at Bella Winery

From the all out Alice in Wonderland fairytale theme at Bella Winery to the fun dance music at Seghesio, this was an event to remember. Each winery also had plenty of great food. Grilled oysters at Stephen & Walker, pulled pork with the best buttermilk biscuits I’ve ever had at Bella, and amazing meatballs at Unti were the highlights. In a later post, we will give scores and details but here’s some of our favorites at a glance:

Bella Winery
A lush Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc from their second label and the Lily Hill Zinfandel were all outstanding.

SBragia
A lush Savignon Blanc and array of Zins were great. As our regular readers know, we love their Rancho Del Oso Howell Mountain Cabernet. Fantastic!

Quivira
Their Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, and Zin were wonderful but it was their Rosé and Syrah that really knocked us out.

Unti
Amazing light Rosé and a Montepulciano were the standouts.

Seghesio
Rockpile Zin, a lovely bright white varietal called Arneis, and their Italian varietals: Barbera, Sangiovesi, and reserve Sangiovesi (named Venom) as well as their red blend called Defiant were the highlight of the day.

Unti Winery

Overall this was a beautiful day and a very fun event! We will indeed give this a go again next year!

Conclusion

You would be hard pressed to find a more diverse wine growing region than Dry Creek. It really does have something for everyone. The wines are world-class, the people very friendly and passionate about great wine, and..  the best part: the moderate prices make this AVA one to watch and one to patronize. Use the link below to see all of the wineries and get out there at taste!

For more information:
Dry Creek Valley AVA

Supermarket Finds – White Wines April 2013

Nice spring sippers for nice prices

With new releases hitting the store shelves and the weather warming up, we rounded up some nicely priced whites to enjoy with the warm weather. Here we  revisit the new vintages of some old favorites and also add some new favorites.

La Vielle Ferme 2010 Blanc

DdV: 87
Price: $9.99 1.5L
Blend: Bourboulenc , Grenache Blanc , Ugni Blanc , Vermentino
Source: AOC Luberon  - France

Easily the best deal for a 1.5L bottle of tasty white out there. Regularly $9.99 at Costco! Their red wine made our supermarket find of the year last year and this white is right on the same track. This is a terrific fruit forward but dry wine that is very food friendly from chicken and garlic pizza to grilled tilapia. Sourced from within the Parc Regional du Luberon region from vineyards that average 1,000 feet above sea level, this wine shows amazing aromatics and balance for the price point. Nice citrus, honey, and hints of orange on the nose lead to more bright citrus, pear, and rich melon notes on the mid. Finishes crisp and dry. Great for parties or as a starter companion with cheeses or fruit.

Joel Gott – 2011 Pinot Gris

DdV: 89
Price: $10.00 – 11.00
Blend: 100% Pinot Gris
Source: Willamette Valley – Oregon

A very refreshing wine and a great value. On the nose, lime, bright peach, and hints of taglio give way to lush citrus and peach on the mid. Crisp bright finish with mineral notes and a great balance and rich mouth feel make this a joy to drink all on its own. We had this with some grilled garlic/citrus chicken and it really made the dish.

Hess Select 2010 Chardonnay

DdV: 89
Price: $9.00 – 11.00
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Source: Monterey

We here at DdV are huge Hess fans! Their Mount Veeder wines are among the best in Napa and at very reasonable price points. Enter the Hess Select line. Great value wines across the board and this Chard offering is certainly no exception. Lemon and bright lime on the nose gives way to citrus and tropical fruit on the mid. Finishes with a hint of pineapple and crisp mineral notes. Great for fish or chicken dishes.

Cline 2012 Viognier

DdV: 89
Price: $8.99
Blend: 100% Viognier
Source: Sonoma Coast, Carneros – California

Viognier (pronounced vee-on-yay) is a white varietal that gained its fame in the Northern Rhone region of France.  This grape is known for its sweet floral aroma much like that of Rieslings and Muscats.  The big difference is that this grape produces very dry wines more like a Sauv. Blanc or Chard.  For me this is like having my cake and eating it too as I’m not huge on the sweet wines but love floral notes in the nose.

We loved last years vintage and the 2012 is even better! Sourced from a blend of Sonoma Coast and Carneros grapes, this is a very enjoyable and refreshing wine. Beautiful floral notes of honeysuckle, lavender, and citrus on the nose that give way to lush peach, apricot and a hint of orange on the finish.  The creamy mouth feel of this wine makes it a joy to drink all by itself.  You can pair this wine with both the heat and the sweet.  Grilled fish with spicy mango salsa, fish tacos, or Korean BBQ will kill with this wine.  Also try it with some spicy Thai takeout!

2013 Mount Veeder Spring Tasting

An amazing showcase of world-class wines in San Francisco’s Presidio

This past Wednesday April 10th, The Mount Veeder AVA held its spring wine tasting event at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco’s Presidio. Twenty eight wineries were pouring their world-class wines from the AVA that rises above the southern Napa Valley.

The event consisted of trade, media and consumers and occurred on a perfect San Francisco spring day. Tasty bites including artisan breads, cheeses, and nuts were perfectly presented by Winery Chefs. As we will describe below, the wines sourced from this magic mountain were amazing.

Without further ado, here’s some of our favorites!

Some Wonderful Surprises

Lagier-Meredith 2010 Syrah

A stunning “claret like” wine due to the many complex layers of flavors and aromatics. On the nose a bright floral perfume and subtle white pepper lead to lush layers of huckleberry, blackberry, and plum. Wonderful soft finish. Unlike most Syrah offerings that finish with pepper notes, this wine’s nuanced pepper notes greet you immediately and guide you all the way through. Very drinkable now but will gain nuance in the cellar for as long as you can hold out. A new favorite!

Lagier-Meredith 2012 Rosé

This wonderfully refreshing blend of 70% Syrah, 20% Zin, and 10% Mondeuse is the perfect complement to a warm summer evening. Beautiful floral and white pepper notes on the nose give way to delicate strawberry, bright raspberry, and a flash of tangy pomegranate. Finish is crisp and bright.

Lagier-Meredith 2011 Tribidrag (Zinfandel)

Tribidrag was the ancient name for Zinfandel in the Middle Ages, when it was widely grown along the Dalmatian Coast in present day Croatia. There’s no way to mistake this as anything but a bold mountain Zin. However, it has a slightly sweeter and softer side than those from the Howell and Atlas Peak AVAs. A very food friendly Zin that will pair with anything cooked over a flame. A worthy homage to its ancient European roots.

Spotted Owl Vineyards 2011 Pinot Noir

This was the pleasant surprise of the day. To be honest, we expected a rather hot Carneros-like wine but found that this was just the opposite. Closer to a Russian River Pinot, this wonderful medium bodied Pinot really impressed. wonderful nose and delicate balance made this a standout!

Spotted Owl Vineyards 2009 Mountain Cuvee/Lev’s Cuvee

Both efforts are very big, tight and tannic which may not appeal to the finesse crowd but was a huge hit with us. Bold big dark berry flavors led the way with a nice lush structure. Both should cellar nicely.

The Reds

Progeny 2007 Special Selection Reserve Cabernet

This wine is nothing short of pure brilliance. Made as a side project of DdV favorite O’Shaugnessy Vineyards, this is as close to the perfect mountain cab as one could get. Bold rich mountain fruit, opulent mouth feel, and stunning balance and complexity are the reason we really loved this wine. A truly impressive masterpiece by noted winemaker Shaun Capiaux

Robert Craig 2010 Mount Veeder Cabernet

As our regular readers know, we love The Craig and this wine won’t change our minds one bit. Beautiful dark mountain huckleberry and blackberry abound with subtle hits of oak throughout. This has that softer mountain profile common to Mount Veeder with a long finish of graphite and a pinch of cedar. This will gain nuance in the cellar for 10+ years at least.

Anthem 2009 Mount Veeder Cabernet

Lovely floral and stone notes on the nose lead to rich opulent dark mountain berry on the mid. Great structure and balance with a long refined finish of smokey oak. Very impressive!

Yates Family 2009 Cabernet Franc
Yates Family 2009 Alden Perry Reserve Proprietary Blend

We became Yates family fans after the tasting event this past fall. Their wines are exceptional but also have very fan friendly price points making them even more attractive. The Cab Franc is simply wonderful with big fruit and a dry crisp finish that we love. The Alden Perry was a tremendous red blend of 45% Cab, 35% Merlot, and 20% Cab Franc. Rich and big and will pair wonderfully with grilled steak or hearty stews.

Mount Veeder Winery Elevation 1550 Cabernet
Mount Veeder Winery 2010 Reserve Red Wine

MV is among our favorite supermarket finds for their exceptional Napa Valley Cabernet that is nothing short of a steal. Their premium wines from Mount Veeder are even more impressive. Both of these wines are nothing short of stunning. Refined, complex and opulent. Both are very highly recommended.

Lampyridae Communication Block 2009 Red Wine
Lampyridae Communication Block 2010 Cabernet

John and Ashley Derr are primarily farmers who sell the majority of their grapes to other wineries. That is until they came up with the idea to create a terrific wine to support a very good cause. Their Communication Block project supports the Napa Valley Kids Connect program (which promotes academic achievement for children who have severe communication needs) by giving 100% of the proceeds of the sale of this wine to the program. Local vintners and a local artist donate their time to produce this delicious Syrah blend. The 2009 Red Wine is composed of 66% Syrah and 34% Cabernet and exhibits lush bright cherry, plum, and a nice spicy finish. The Cab is lush rich and filled with dark berry and plum with a long finish.

For more info or to purchase:

http://www.lampyridaevineyards.com/the-communication-block.html

Meadowcroft 2009 Cabernet, Foyt 2009 #77 Cabernet

Both of these wines, created by Mount Veeder legend Tom Meadowcroft
feature dark mountain blackberry, cassis, and ripe blueberry and lush mouth feel. Both finish long and balanced.

Rubissow 2006 Merlot
On the nose, dark berry abounds with hints of vanilla and spice. The mid features rich blueberry, huckleberry, and plum. Finish is long with notes of smokey oak, chocolate, and cedar. This is also a great value as is their Cab

The Whites

Spotted Owl Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay

We loved this wine at our first tasting this past fall and loved it just as much this time around. Bright and focused citrus and hints of pear are the highlights of this nicely balanced and refreshing Chard.

Hess Collection 2012 Albarino

We first discovered this wonderful “other white” last fall and are perhaps even more impressed with our second introduction. wonderful white peach and subtle apricot abound with a soft lush mouth feel and refreshing finish. A great food friendly summer wine.

Y. Rousseau 2010 Chardonnay Milady Mount Veeder

A beautiful Chard with a nice floral/citrus nose that leads to more rich citrus, lemongrass and hints of vanilla. Composed of 25% oak aging, the subtle yet clever complexity added lets the fruit stand out but adds just the right touch.

Conclusion

Once again Sam Peters and his staff created a wonderful tasting experience that allowed all of these wines to shine. Prior to the tasting, us media folk, were lucky enough to enjoy a panel of Mount Veeder experts allowing us an even better view of this AVA. Our next post will focus on what we learned in a new recurring feature called AVA Spotlight.

In summary, this was a wonderful day and we can’t wait until next fall when this magnificent AVA once again offers us a chance to sample these world-class wines!

A Different Take on Easter Ham

We go a bit out of the box with outstanding results

Giving thanks, time with family, and a delicious ham dinner is standard for Easter. Also standard is the eternal question of which wine to pair with the ham and fixings. The basic rule has always been: “if you like white go Chardonnay, if you like red go Pinot.” While that is fine advice, we wanted to find a truly fine match for our chosen menu and decided to go out of the box. While taking wine pairing chances on major holiday dinners is not always the wisest idea, I felt extremely confident in my choice and was not disappointed.

The Menu

First here’s what we served:

Baked Honey Ham
Vietnamese Style Lime Rice
Sautéed Garlic Green Beans
Mesclun Salad with Strawberries, Macadamia, and Goat Cheese

The ham was baked straight up. We were hoping to grill it with cherry and apple wood but the rain here in Northern California kept us indoors. The lime rice is simple but wonderful. White jasmine rice with a touch of butter and squeezed fresh lime with finely chopped scallions. The green beans were flash boiled then dumped in a bucket of ice water then gently warmed with butter, a hint of lemon, and sautéed garlic. The salad was a slight deviation from a recipe on Joseph Phelps website. We had mixed greens (mesclun) with sliced strawberry. We substituted the walnuts in the recipe for macadamia nuts and went with olive oil instead of walnut oil to make it brighter and thus pair better with the Viognier. The goat cheese added just the right richness.

For this menu we wanted a bright fruit forward wine but also with complexity and enough richness to work with all the above dishes. The Phelps Viognier was perfect. The bright fruit picked up the ham and rice dishes and more than held its own with the salad and beans. At the end of the evening, we couldn’t have been more pleased. For your next ham dish, try to go outside the box a bit like with this fantastic white.

For more recipes and entertaining ideas go to the Joseph Phelps website:
http://www.josephphelps.com/entertaining/

The Wine

Joseph Phelps 2010 Viognier

DdV: 93
Price: $50.00
Blend: 100% Viognier
Source: Estate Saint Helena, Napa

A truly stunning California Viognier and has deservedly received the highest score we’ve given to a wine in the “other white” category. While this wine is priced in the premium Chardonnay category, it is well worth it and can stand up to most Chards in terms of complexity and balance.

On the nose bright honeysuckle, orange spice, and tropical fruit. The mid is lush with more tropical fruit, rich peach, and stunningly subtle oak. The finish is crisp and balanced with more subtle oak, peach, and bright minerals. The oak is so cleverly done on this wine and gives it a complexity that is beyond other offerings in this varietal. Wonderful balance and richness. Very highly recommended!

2013 Howell Mountain Spring Tasting

Wines sourced from above the fog come down to sea level for a memorable evening of tasting in San Francisco.

On March 20th the Howell Mountain AVA held their spring tasting event at the Bently Reserve in San Francisco. 30 wineries were present pouring the best the mountain has to offer.

Although there has been much debate about terroir or lack there of in California, there is no mistaking wines from this magic mountain. Vineyards here sit between 1,400 and 2,300 feet above sea level and are thus quite different in character from vineyards only a few miles away.  The growing season here begins much later than in the valley. Early on, cool foggy nights and day time temps as much a 10 degrees cooler than the valley are common.  By mid-summer, however, the mountain enjoys much warmer temps as it is above the fog layer that dominates the valley in mid to late summer and early fall. Bud break occurs much later and veraison too is much later than in the valley.

Taken last August, note the Cab from Oakville showing veraison in full effect and the Zin from Howell Mountain just in the first phases.

This produces big, bold, and very complex wines that have a unique character all their own.  Howell Mountain wines are truly unique and are among our favorites.  While the quality of these wines can rival any, their price points are quite a bit less than most top valley wines adding value to the list of reasons to try these fantastic wines!

First, A Bit of History

La Jota Winery built in 1898. One of the founding estates of Howell Mountain

Nestled high above the North-Eastern edge of the Napa Valley, the rugged land dominated by ponderosa pines and redwoods would probably not be an obvious choice for a world-class viticultural area. Fortunately for us wine lovers, the founding vintners of Howell Mountain saw things differently.

The first vineyard was planted in 1877 by Jean V. Chaix and Jen Adolf Brun and produced fruit for their Howell Mountain Winery which managed to make 150,000 gallons of wine per year. The wine, named a Nouveau Medoc, was a huge success and an integral part of the wine boom of the 1880′s.

Not long after, Napa legend Charles Krug established vineyards on the mountain in 1884. Krug was struck by the intense and unique flavor profiles derived from these mountain grapes.

As the mountain’s reputation grew, more and more valley vintners were crafting world-class wines from Howell sourced fruit and by 1891, up to 700 acres were planted.

It was in 1900 that the mountains wines became world-famous. Former newspaperman Frederick Hess establish vineyards and then built his winery named La Jota in 1898. La Jota quickly gained a notable reputation and was accepted into the Paris Expo of 1900 where it took a bronze medal in a field full of first growth and second growth Bordeaux wines. A gold medal at the World’s Fair in St. Louis in 1904 cemented the mountains reputation as a terroir to be reckoned with.

Prohibition killed the wine industry on the mountain but a renaissance took place in the 1970′s and thanks to the talent and tireless efforts of Howell Mountain legends such as Randy Dunn, Mike Beaty, Mike Lamborn, and Robert Craig the Howell Mountain AVA was born in 1983.

Today, wine lovers can enjoy both stunning vistas and some of the best wine in the world when visiting the mountain.

Without further ado, here’s our coverage of this wonderful event.

The Event

The event was held in the elegant Bentley Reserve in San Francisco’s financial district. The 30 wineries were appropriately spaced around the roomy hall. Tasty cheeses, meats, and artisan breads were provided by Winery Chefs and there was a thoughtful supply of water to assist us in getting through all the great wines.

Overall, the setup and atmosphere was perfect for sampling these wonderful wines.

The Wines

Participating Wineries

Adamvs, Arkenstone, Atlas Peak, Blue Hall Vineyard, Bravante, Bremer Family, Cade, Cakebread, Charles Krug, Cimarossa, Cornerstone, Cresta Vella, Dunn, Haber Family, Howell at the Moon, Howell Mountain, John Robert Eppler, La Jota, Neal Family, Notre Vin, O’Shaughnessy, Outpost, Pina, Pine Ridge, Press, Red Cap, Retro, Roberts + Rogers, Sbragia, Spence, Summit Lake

Our Favorites (in no particular order)
Although we will highlight some of our favorites below we do wish to emphasize that all the wineries listed above are worth seeking out. Most offer private tastings in arguably the most beautiful area of the Napa Appellation.

Outpost Winery 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon (Barrel Sample)
$75 upon release

As our readers know, the 2009 Cab from Outpost was in our top three of last year. Here’s what we said:

“This is a big, bold, fruit forward wine but is wonderfully complex and nuanced.  Lush flavors explode out of the glass with plenty of dark huckleberry, plum, currant, and a host of other dark mountain berries (pick one or all here).  Plenty of berry, plum, and a slight hint of floral vanilla on the nose and a long finish with hints of bright stone and subtle spice make this a truly classic Cabernet.”

The 2011 is looking to be just as impressive! Time will tell but the streak of amazing wines from Outpost is most certainly going to continue.

Cresta Velia 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
$65.00

The second label of Outpost, this wine is sourced down the road from their estate vineyard. A very nice complex Cab for a very nice price for a premium wine of this caliber. Plenty of dark berry, plum, vanilla, and italian roast coffee notes with that perfect hint of subtle oak and spice.

Red Cap Vineyards 2011 Savignon Blanc
$22.00

As you may recall we found the Red Cap wines to be among the best in last summers Howell tasting event in Yountville. This spring, we still find them at the top. Their Savignon Blanc was our favorite out of several outstanding Sav. Blancs being poured. This wine is plenty fruit forward but has a wonderful food friendly nuanced quality. Versatile enough for a myriad of seafood dishes and would also play very nicely with some grilled chicken, goat cheese confections, or light salads.

Red Cap Vineyards 2008/2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
$65.00

One of our favorite wine makers Rudy Zuidema (formerly Robert Craig, White Cottage) has created a simply stunning Cab here. This wine is lush, big, and complex with a nose consisting of dark mountain berry, cola, and ever so subtle earthy spice. The mid is full of big dark mountain fruit and finishes long with tobacco and minerals. The $65 price point is another big plus for a wine this elegant. Both of these are drinking very nice now but have no shortage of potential in the cellar. Very highly recommended!

Summit Lake 2011 Blythe Susan Rosé
$19.00

This delicious blend of 50% Cabernet and 50% Zinfandel has plenty of raspberry, pomegranate, and bright strawberry. Wonderfully lush but dry just the way we like it. Great value at $19.00 for a summer sipper that tastes like a guilty pleasure.

Summit Lake 2008 Emily Kestral Cabernet
$60.00

Wonderfully nuanced but big Cab. Nice dark plum and hints of graphite on the nose leads to big dark berry, mocha, and very subtle spice on the nice long finish. A steal at $60.00!! We also liked the 2008 Summit Lake Zinfandel which has all the Howell Mountain Zin properties we love.

La Jota 2010 Merlot
$70.00

A very big but smooth Merlot with plum, dark mountain berry, and black cherry notes. Great balance and just the right hit of smokey oak. Finish is smooth and long with a nice subtle blast of cocoa. We also were impressed with their 2010 Cab although we feel it will significantly improve with more time in the bottle. Both are highly recommended!

Arkenstone 2009 Obsidian Cabernet Blend
$120.00

A huge, opulent Cab. effort here. Rich plum, mountain huckleberry and blackberry abound with a very nice balance of tannins and acidity. Great finish with a perfect blast of smokey oak and vanilla.

Bravante Vineyards 2007 Napa Valley TRIO
$50.00

Wonderful blend for a nice premium price! Nuanced but big claret like red that will pair perfectly with your favorite BBQ.

Bravante 2011 Sauvignon Blanc
$35.00

We were anxious to try this as the last time we did it was 106 degrees and the only white being poured at the Howell Mountain Benefit last summer. Just as refreshing when we were not sweating. Perfect for grilled fish or salads!

Bravante 2007 Cabernet, 2008 Merlot
$65.00/$60.00

We’ve gone on and on about Bravante’s amazing reds so we’ll keep it short and sweet here. Buy these! Outstanding!

More Favorites
You can find our previous reviews of these wines HERE

We love O’Shaugnessy Vineyards 2009 Cab (reviewed here) and were once again impressed with their amazing and creative Cab.

Notre Vin’s Rosé and Cab were once again a true standout as were the Cabs from Cade, Cimarossa, Howell at the Moon, Roberts + Rogers and Atlas Peak. Needless to say the Cab from Dunn and the Syrah from Retro cellars were also at the top of our list as they were last time.

Summary

Once again, we must give our sincere thanks and applause to Sam Peters and his staff, the wineries, Winery Chefs, and the great folks at the Bently Reserve for a truly memorable day of tasting. Until next time!

6 Cheers For California Merlot

Miles isn’t going to like this Yogi

Merlot is perhaps the most polarizing of all varietals here in California. Although its stature has never been shaken in its ancestral home of France, in California it’s reputation has taken a bit of beating since the early 2000′s. Much of this came from the flood of poor, over-ripe, cheaply made offerings that flooded the market following its huge surge of popularity in the 1990′s. The final blow came from the popular film Sideways released in 2004. In it, the main character Miles stated he would rather get up and leave a small dinner party than have to drink the “f#@&ing Merlot!”

While that scene is quite funny, it does not accurately paint the proper picture of the very high quality Merlot made by producers across the state. Here we bring you 6 offerings from a life altering premium wine by Krupp Brothers to some truly delightful wines that are great values and very food friendly.

Krupp Brothers 2007 Merlot

DdV: 96
Price: $70.00
Blend: 75% Merlot, 13% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc
Source: Stagecoach Vineyard – Atlas Peak

Easily the best Merlot California had to offer for the 2007 vintage! As you may recall, we thought this wine stole the show at the Atlas Peak Harvest Celebration last summer. At $70 this is well into the premium category but is a very worthy representative of the magic of Atlas Peak’s Stagecoach vineyard.

Dark cherry and hints of plum, dark chocolate, and currant greet on the nose. The mid features more dark cherry, rich ripe plum, blackberry, and italian roast coffee. Finish is long with cedar and spice. The mouth-feel is lush and opulent. Although this is up there at 15.4% alcohol, the bright tannins level this into a very nicely balanced wine and will gain nuance in the cellar for 5+ years. Perfect for grilled steak, smoked beef ribs, or prime rib. Decant.

Luna Vineyards 2010 North Coast Merlot

DdV: 93
Price: $30.00
Blend: 86% Merlot, 14% Cabernet
Source: Farella Vineyard, Vaca Mtns., Ledgewood Vineyard, East Suisun Valley

A very different style than we’re used to from California Merlot. This wine is brighter than most but still quite lush and nuanced. On the nose plum, blackberry, and oaky vanilla greet. The mid features more dark berry and plum. The finish is long and satisfying with smokey oak and hints of chocolate. Tremendous balance and silky mouth-feel  Great with grilled beef but is bright enough for grilled duck or grilled chicken thighs! Decant.

Rodney Strong 2009 Sonoma County Merlot

DdV: 90
Price: $15.00 – $20.00
Blend: 100% Merlot
Source: Sonoma County

A delightful nuanced Merlot and also a fine value. On the nose, mountain berry abounds with hints of vanilla and spice. The mid features rich blueberry, huckleberry, and plum. Finish is medium long with notes of smokey oak, cocoa, and spice. Great with grilled fare.

Beaulieu Vineyard 2009 Merlot

DdV: 91
Price: $18.00
Blend: 100% Merlot
Source: Rutherford, Napa

Great value for a truly terrific wine. Plenty of plum and dark berry on the nose giving way to lush plum and berry on the mid. Fine balance and texture on the palate. Finish is clean and medium long with a small hint of herbs and smokey oak. Decant to really open it up.

Markham 2010 Merlot

DdV: 90
Price: $20.00
Blend: 91% Merlot, 8% Cabernet, 1% Cabernet Franc
Source: Napa Valley

A very soft, refined Bordeaux like Merlot here more reminiscent of Sonoma than it’s source from Napa. That said there’s plenty of fruit forward characteristics from the rich plum and berry on the nose and mid to the medium long finish of spice, currant, cocoa and oak. Great for grilled or braised dishes.

Robert Mondavi 2009 Merlot

DdV: 90
Price: $21.00
Blend: 93% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec
Source: Napa Valley

Mondavi is such a huge everyday name that sometimes it’s easy to forget how truly delightful their wines are. This is no exception. On the nose a surprising blast of dark cherry with plum and oak. Mid is full of ripe berry and plum rounding out to a nice clean finish of smokey oak, chocolate and subtle spice. Another great wine for BBQ or braised fare. A quick (30 or so minutes) decant really opens up the nose.

Two Wonderful Food Friendly Reds

Two new finds that are right at home with dinner

Spring in Northern California is always a great time of year for BBQ. Warm enough to stoke up the grill but still cool enough to enjoy your BBQ with a tasty red. Here are two recent discoveries that will compliment your grilled or baked dinners.

Merry Edwards 2010 Klopp Ranch Pinot Noir

DdV: 95
Price: $57.00
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Source: Russian River (Sonoma), California

A truly magnificent effort by the newest member of the Napa Vintners Hall of Fame.

On the nose hints of bright cherry, pomegranate, dark berry, and subtle vanilla  lead to more dark berry and bright plum on the mid. Finish is long and balanced with hints of oak and a myriad of spices. The tannins are pronounced but refined giving it an impressive overall balance and strongly hints at a very cellar worthy wine. This new favorite offers a lush opulent mouth feel and possesses some subtle earthiness yet is so perfectly clean. Try this with some grilled veal chops, Cornish game hens, or grilled pork loin. Very highly recommended.

Péna Ridge 2007 Syrah

DdV: 91
Price: N/A
Blend: 100% Syrah
Source: Dry Creek (Sonoma), California

This wonderful Syrah was given to me by a friend who loved this wine so much he wanted to share with me and our readers here at DdV.

Sourced from the Piccetti Family Vineyard on the eastern side of Bradford Mountain in the Dry Creek Sonoma AVA, the wine is a great example of the well-drained hillside terroir from which it hails.

One the nose, dark cherry, and hints of oak and spice give way to bright plum, dark cherry, and mountain blueberry on the mid. Finish is moderately long with a nice balance and very subtle hints of white pepper and spice. We tried this with a spicy meatloaf recipe and it really made it sing.

The bad news is that they are currently not producing any of their wines for the public but may return at some point in the future. We sure hope they do as this was a very enjoyable wine.

Supermarket Finds – Two Reds For Spring BBQ

Two nicely priced grill friendly reds to serve with BBQ

Here in California, our lack of rain and warm temperatures are giving indications that spring has sprung. Here’s two very nicely priced red wines to serve with that early season BBQ. Both are smooth and will pair perfectly with all sorts of grilled fare.

Cinnabar 2009 Mercury Rising Red Blend

DdV: 90
Price: $16.00
Blend: Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec
Source: Various California

A simply fantastic versatile wine that is right at home with the BBQ. On the nose, bright plum, blackberry and some nice hints of spice. The mid is wonderfully smooth with more blackberry, black cherry, and plum. Mouth feel is luxurious and the wine is nicely balanced. Finish is moderately long with some notes of cocoa, spice, and toasty oak. We poured this with some grilled gourmet burger steaks and it was a perfect complement. Highly Recommended!

Acacia 2010 Red Blend

DdV: 88
Price: $7.00 – $8.99
Blend: 85% Syrah, 10% Merlot, 2% Grenache, 2% Petite Sirah, 1% Zinfandel
Source: Various California

An amazing value red that is as food friendly as they get. We’ve always been huge Acacia fans as they consistently deliver delicious wines for very reasonable prices. Add this to the list of great tasting Acacia values! On the nose, bright cherry, hints of pomegranate, and oaky vanilla give way to dark cherry and strawberry on the mid. Nice color and balance. Finish is a bit on the short side but has hints of oak, chocolate, and currant. Great with grilled roasts, grilled pork, skirt steak and burgers. Great pizza wine too! A tremendous value!