Mission Codename: Reflections in the Miro

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Infiltrate Miro Cellars and return with their much loved Russian River Valley Zinfandel.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Miro Cellars

Wine Subject: 2007 Russian River Valley 80 Year Old Vines Zinfandel

Winemaker: Miro Tcholakov

Backgrounder:

Zinfandel is related to the Italian Primitivo grape, tracing its origin to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski. Zinfandel is one of the most versatile varietals with the ability to make wines, both rich to fruity, dark to light, and dry to sweet. The Russian River Valley, where this Zinfandel’s grapes are are grown are characterized by their balanced flavors, are gaining in popularity with our Operatives.

Today’s wine comes to us from the Russian River Valley vineyards of the Passalacqua/Seghesio families. Located in along the banks of the Russian River near Fitch Mountain, these vineyards were planted in 1920s – possibly earlier. The region is peppered with old-vine vineyards that were originally planted by Italian immigrants in the early 1900s.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and dark garnet in color with a dark core that reflects ruby and violet hues. Garnet and violet along the edges with fast tightly spaced legs that descend deliberately to the wine below when swirled.

Smell – Classic old vine aromas of wild bramble berries and herbs with a meaty character enhanced by lightly toasted fresh oak and subtle spice; floral and vanilla hints; earthy minerality and black pepper.

Feel – Smooth and dry, this full-bodied wine has firm, but finely structured tannins and well balanced acidity. Textured minerality and solid but not overpowering spice spreads across the tongue and to the far corners of the palate and lingers long into the finish.

Taste – Well focused, with wild and juicy wild berries and bramble brush herbs are well integrated with exotic spice and black pepper. Excellent earthiness and oak emerge and linger. Subtle hints of dark chocolate and vanilla reveal themselves and linger as you swallow.

Finish – Focused and clean with lingering minerality, spice and earth coating the palate and the wild bramble fruit and herbs fading ever so slowly until another sip is taken.

Conclusion – The 2007 Miro Cellars Russian River Valley 80 Year Old Vines Zinfandel is a delicious and well balanced and integrated wine with tons of character. What we love most about old vine Zinfandel is the distinct aromas and flavors from each individual vineyard that linger on the palate, reminding us that we are enjoying a small part of California’s great wine traditions.

Mission Report:

MIRO INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Miro Tcholakov

DATE OF BIRTH: 02.04.1966

PLACE OF BIRTH: Trojan, Bulgaria

WINE EDUCATION: Higher Institute of Agriculture, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, UC Davis, SRJC

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Dry Creek Vineyards-1990-1999 as Assistant Winemaker/Cellar Master, Trentadue Winery-1999-present-Winemaker/VP of Production, Miro Cellars-2001-present. Also consulted and continue to consult for a few other small projects domestically and abroad. Currently serving on the Board of Directors for ZAP and “PS I Love you” organizations

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: “Freedom of Expression”- meaning for Miro wines I source only vineyards that are interesting to me in regard of geology, soil types, location, grape growing styles, grape grower…etc. Not being confined to an “Estate” vineyard gives me the freedom of choice. If the vineyard does not deliver I move on. Great wines can be made without blue blooded heritage and a Chateau in the foreground.

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: So far I made my mark with Petite Sirah for the Miro brand, with my other jobs I have done very well with other varieties and blends. In general I’m very fond of perhaps the only two varieties that California has claim to fame as truly “heritage” –P. Sirah and Zinfandel. My Petite has done well with the gate keepers and media so far.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Well I’m not sure what do you consider Highlight but if you mean wine scores I have a few 90 points and above from Wine Enthusiast, Parker, Wine Spectator, Connoisseur Guide, California Grapevine, top picks in New York Times, USA Today, and hundreds of Gold medals and Best of Class and a few Sweepstakes from wine competitions that matter.
I have met and tasted my wines one on one with Michelle Rolland (without paying for it) if that is considered an event but I found that to be very interesting. I have been on the pages of few wine publications. Once Dan Burger put me on the top 20 winemakers in the country…
There is probably more that I don’t remember…

MIRO QUOTE: Just drink it-it is only wine!

Below is Agent Petite Sirah’s recent interview with Miro.

MIRO INTERVIEW

AGENT PETITE SIRAH: Greetings, Miro. We are thrilled to be showing your 2006 Petite Sirah today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

MIRO TCHOLAKOV: A pleasure. My ’06 has become very popular and your Operatives are going to see the last of it.

PETITE SIRAH: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

MIRO: I don’t think that there was any specific event-wine has always been part of our life back in Bulgaria. We made every year about 1000 liters and manage to drink most of it before the next harvest. Wine has always been part of the life circle, just like making cheese or jam or tomato sauces. We also made grappa every year. My grandfather Mariano was the initial inspiration and the first hand source of winemaking knowledge.

PETITE SIRAH: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

MIRO: The real winemaking I learned during my first years at Dry Creek. I’m not done with the learning by any means yet. Back in Bulgaria we made the wine in the most pure way possible. We rarely used even sulfur! No additives and none of the modern gadgets-just grapes and barrels.

PETITE SIRAH: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

MIRO: Don’t play with the wine just because you know how. Only intervene when you absolutely have to and you are sure of the outcome. Always pay attention to the details all the time. Everything you do to the wine-matters!

PETITE SIRAH: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

MIRO: Well I don’t think there is just one person-it is more of a collective of people and styles. I do not believe that I have a particular style per say-I just try to get out of the grapes the most from every vintage-and that would be different every year.

PETITE SIRAH: How long have you been making wine?

MIRO: Legally? Commercially –this harvest was my number 20!

PETITE SIRAH: Who do you make wine for?

MIRO: I guess I can say that first I want to be satisfied with the wines I make and of course it will be great if a lot of people including media like them as well. Otherwise I’ll have a lot of wine to drink by myself…

PETITE SIRAH: Tell me, what makes the Dry Creek Valley so special?

MIRO: Well, I always had a soft spot for Dry Creek even after moving to Alexander Valley. Dry Creek is less uniform geologically and climate wise than say AV. There are many secluded little vineyards hidden in some small valleys or hill tops. I love the red dirt on the slopes. I just like the flavors that all that combination of dirt and climate do to Zin and PS.

PETITE SIRAH: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

MIRO: You have to love the job. If you are in it just 8 to 5 don’t even think about it. If the love and passion are not there you will be just a booze maker. Also you have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of time and long days and hours away from the family.

PETITE SIRAH: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

MIRO: It is Harvest!! Everything that I normally do plus Harvest on top of it.

PETITE SIRAH: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

MIRO: 2006 Petite is probably the most ready to drink yearly Petite I’ve ever made. The 06 harvest was not exactly a perfect one especially for the late ripening varieties but PS is not one of them. From winemaking point of view I prefer fermenting PS in open top and basically think of it as Pinot with a bit more air exposure. It is an easy to understand wine-just big, dark and delicious. It has a mile long finish and it will stand the test of time and only get better. It has a very seductive sweet and ripe aroma that will make you keep smelling it until the last drop.

PETITE SIRAH: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

MIRO: Petites usually go well with the category of comfort foods-anything related to fall and winter. Meat with root vegetables like stew, oven roasts, something cooked slowly for a long time. Also as a no brainer-grilled meats. Occasionally I love it with the Chicken Livers dish at the Bistro Ralph in Healdsburg.

PETITE SIRAH: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

MIRO: I wanted to be a MD back in Bulgaria but my girlfriend talked me out of it

PETITE SIRAH: Thank goodness for us fans of your wines! What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

MIRO: Rhone wines for sure. I even make one for a winemaker called Cuvee Sasha a GSM-simply delicious without all the pretence.

PETITE SIRAH: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

MIRO: Think of them as $100 bottle of wines and you will not be disappointed. I hate the cliché but they are “affordable luxury”

PETITE SIRAH: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

MIRO: I would like to try again the 1927 Château D’yquem

PETITE SIRAH: What is the one question that I should have asked you, and what is your answer to that question?

MIRO: Have I been connected to KGB? The answer is –perhaps!

PETITE SIRAH: Our intel reports were correct then! Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

MIRO: Thank you, Agent Petite Sirah!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the approximate location of the Old Vine Zinfandel vineyards at the Passalacqua/Seghesio property can be seen in this satellite photo.

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from J. Keverson Winery.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I adore adore adore Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, it is after all my first love, but more and more I’m loving the Zins I get from the Russian River Valley. I love DCV Zins for the punch in the face, the big blackberries, the jam, etc. Russian River Valley Zins are, in my experience, just a bit more on the juicy side, with spices, and tarter fruits, a different style if you will.  Tonight I chose the 2007 J. Keverson Russian River Valley Alton Lane Vineyard Zinfandel. It had  real cork closure, clocked in at 15.5% alcohol by volume, and retails for $35.

On the nose I found spice, anise, cinnamon, blackberry, pepper, black currants, and cedar. The nose displayed tons of spice, like I dipped my nose into the spice rack.  In the mouth I found blackberry, black currants, spice, cinnamon, pepper, tart fruit, and a peppery kick at the finish. Without looking at the label, I never would have guessed the wine was 15.5% alcohol by volume. This had it all going on with structure and acidity and very well integrated alcohol content. If I’ve been a good girl, maybe Santa will bring me some for Christmas.

Hell n Back Pacific Edge 2006 Zinfandel.  GNARLY finish!

Just In

Domaine Marcilhac Cuvée Prestige – super French red from Cahors the spiritual home of Malbec. Tasted this last month and thought it ideal for Malbec fans interested in expanding their horizons. 100% Cot noir (malbec). Produced and bottled en domaine.

Ironstone Reserve Rous Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel – Tasted this at the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) tasting and was simply the best of the eight super wines presented in my opinion. This is a single vineyard product produced from vines planted in 1909. Perfect Christmas present for the Zin Fan – not widely available either.

Bleasdale Langhorne Crossing Generations Shiraz - A rich, cellarable Aussie red. Will be opening a bottle for tasting Christmas week.

Will have lots of new wines at end of this week and in next 3 weeks too. Swing by and check out our selection

Forchini Proprietor’s Reserve Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, CA, 2005

According to Forchini Winery, Forchini Zinfandels are classic Dry Creek and produced from 90+ year old head pruned vines from our historic pre-prohibition vineyard located on the elevated east benchland of Dry Creek Valley. These magnificent non-irrigated vines are a living testament to the unique combination of this old clone with the deep rooted St. George rootstock. Low yields enable maximum ripeness in the fruit which produce a full bodied dry wine with intense mixed briary berry flavors, deep ruby red color, fragrant spice and bold alcohol. Generally co-fermented with small amounts of Carignane for a supple balanced finish without heat and aged 20 months in 35% new American oak barrels. A great wine to pair with braised meat sauces or other fancy Italian entrees.

Aromatics: Right away I have respect for this wine. It’s tame, balanced and the alcohol is in check, which these days is rare for California Zins. There is a certain meaty aroma with a hint of sweet smoke and lots of dark and red fruit.

On the Palate: The meatiness really comes through here. It’s not a chewy meatiness but simply flavors of beef that really make your palate scream for some fallin’-off-the-bone short ribs. Are you salivating yet? You should be! This Dry Creek Zin gushes with blackberries, currants and red fruit with hints of licorice and raisins. Delish!   92 Points. Retail $25. Good value.

This damn recession is really putting a damper on my lushy lifestyle. Bad enough I never go out and eat anymore, I shop at the $5.00 clothing store and have lowered myself to purchasing random gourmet items from the $.99 cents store. I’m now dressing in a new style called campy!! Or Bohemian! I find if you can’t dress expensive, dress exotic. It makes people believe you actually traveled. Or that your from another country.I gotta call it something. No more in Vogue or new of the rack for me baby!

If anyone asks if everything is going OK I say Oh it’s fine I decided to sample a life of poverty and I’m entering a spiritual path of self deprivation, vegan-ism but forget the celibacy cause that’s where I draw the line! To purge my body of materialistic practices and selfish decadence! To protest the lifestyles of the capitalist government that suppresses America!! the despicable American lifestyles yadda yadda….yeah…That gets they’re attention.

I’ll say this while I’m wearing a salwar kameez I bought used for twelve dollars on ebay with matching beaded slippers I got for five dollars at a garage sale and sipping on an 66 year old vine Zinfandel 2005  from small family owned micro winery at thirty dollars a pop minus my 20% off wine club membership price. YEAH MY WINE MEMBERSHIP!!!!

I gave up cable, vacations, bed and breakfast in Napa, new clothes,magazines and periodicals, organic foods, high carb snacks, see’s chocolate, nylons, heat and electricity!! Well not the last two, I got carried away… That’s what happens when you feel deprived. But I will never give up my wine membership damn it!! (it’s all I have left)

And the respect I get when I walk up to the wine bar midweek because we’re still unemployed and receive our free wine club tasting for members only and the cheese and crackers which becomes our daily food ration. Then Aaahhhhhh the herbal bouquet, the cherries and the plum and the dry oak finish…………..10 seconds of unutterable bliss with every sip! Standing with the beautiful people and talking about how good this would taste with the food we used to eat!

My motto for now on will always and forever be that “Life is too short to drink cheap wine!”

Not to confused with my last motto “Friends don’t let friends drink white Zinfandel”

If I go down I’m taking my wine membership with me!!!

By Helene Rose Chavez de Gentili, the Mountain lunatic.

Spirits-wise we added:

• Macallan 10 Year Old single malt Scotch
• Sobieski vodka in 750ml travelers
• Jim Beam Red Stag in 1L bottles
• Evan Williams Green Label in 375ml
• Dr. McGillicuddy’s “Fireball” cinnamon-flavored Canadian whisky
• Dr. McGillicuddy’s Mentholmint Liqueur
• Dr. McGillicuddy’s Cherry Liqueur

Wine-wise we added:

• Quivira Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley)
• Perata Vineyards “Frank’s” Cabernet Sauvignon (Yountville)
• Carrau Tannat Reserva (Uruguay)

I write this post amidst the lunacy and carnage bestowed on this great nation every year.  As our American cousins get set for the biggest shopping day of their year, I am crouched behind the scenes in UK’s own hub of blood sucking deal finders – the BBC Good Food Show Birmingham at the NEC – six days of consumer heaven and wine pourer’s hell.

They're heeeerrrrreeeee - Thriller Zombies coming for my wine

As the metal gates rolled up to begin today’s odyssey the background sun silhouetted the waiting crowd just enough to give an effect of zombies doing their Thriller shuffle to our stand.  I was able to steal away a few precious minutes from the sea of decrepit raised hands clasping plastic tasting cups, backed by anonymous cries “I’ll have the red one.” “Do you have anything sweet?”, to bring you this report…I am a blogger on the front-line.

the bunker

All joking aside, as an aspiring blogger and journalist talking directly to the people who I hope one day read this very blog it would be an injustice to not interact with the public.  It makes me wonder if high profile wine people treat their platform as an opportunity to preach rather than interact.  It’s amazing how very quickly wine trade people, when put in front of the drinker they are targeting  get  uppity, slightly confused and almost nervous.

What am I trying to say? Be nice, when and if you are in the opportunity to deal directly with public have some patience…lets call it grapetience (actually no, lets not do that). Wine already has the snob label stuck to it…all it needs now is the conscientious few to break away from that barrier and be wine Samaritans of sorts. That’s all, nothing complicated.

With that here are two wines that I’ve tried recently…they’re good.

Wines that I’ve tried

Ch Aydie, Madiran, 2006 – 100% Tannat – £12.99 Waitrose

New World, dark berry nose and almost cooked (not jammy) cranberry fruit; surprisingly fresh and tangy palate with grippy tannins – berries all the way through the palate.  A drink now wine from SW France…  I like it but would prefer less fruit and more earthy, grippy Old World style from this part of France.

Ravenswood – Teldeschi – Dry Creek Valley 2006, Zinfandel £24.99 (Majestic, Harrods, Wholefoods, The Wine Society, Direct Wines) – part of the sample package from Constellation via Westbury
Octane nose, backed by blueberry and some interesting spice.  Typical bramble and a savouriness on the that makes this wine that bit more different.  It’s on the palate where this wine excels, there’s a smooth kid leather finish that lasts.  This wine has another ten years on it (and at that price it should).

Mission Codename: Eternal Optimist

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Acquire a limited allocation of the operative requested 2005 Optima Wine Cellars Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Optima Wine Cellars

Wine Subject: 2005 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Winemaker: Mike Duffy

Backgrounder:

Zinfandel is related to the Italian Primitivo grape, tracing its origin to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski. Zinfandel is one of the most versatile varietals with the ability to make wines, both rich to fruity, dark to light, and dry to sweet. Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, which are characterized by their balanced flavors, are gaining in popularity with our Operatives.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Beautiful dark purple with garnet hues that reflect just a little light through its dense but clear core. Along the edges the color remains a deep garnet and when swirled slow fat legs thin as they gain momentum and fall to the wine below.

Smell – Medium in intensity with redolent ripe raspberry and cherry intermingle with subtle floral notes and green chili pepper. Smokey oak, earth, vanilla and spice along with a touch of herbal bramble lie just underneath the spicy fruit.

Feel – Rich and smooth, the dry full-bodied wine has fine but textured tannins and minerality mix with its vibrant acidity and holds the fruit into the finish as it spreads over and coats the entire palate.

Taste – Ripe raspberry and blackberry and other dark dried berry flavors integrate with smokey and toasted oak. Spicy green chili and a touch of black peppercorn adds a kick as hints of baking spice, vanilla and mocha dark chocolate intermingle with bramble for good measure.

Finish – Long with lingering fruit as the spice, oak and earthiness taper off leaving ripe blackberry and raspberry flavors that beg for another sip.

Conclusion – The 2005 Optima Winery Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is a classic Dry Creek. Great vivid ripe raspberry on the nose and the palate, spice and pepper with hints of bramble interlace. A great wine at this price. We recommend decanting or letting this wine breathe before serving and certainly be sure to keep a few bottles in the cellar to see how this wine evolves over the next several years. We predict very good things!

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Mike Duffy

DATE OF BIRTH: May 1959

PLACE OF BIRTH: Oregon

WINE EDUCATION: Graduate of UC Davis in Enology

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: When I finished my Enology degree from UCD in 1981, I was already employed as the Assistant Winemaker at Trefethen Vineyards in Napa Valley. “I was very motivated to earn my degree and start working after being a broke college student for so long. I moved to Field Stone as winemaker in 1988, studying under the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff. For nine years, I worked full-time at Field Stone, saving weekends to tend to my own fledgling winery, Optima.

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: Cabernet Sauvignon

Below is Agent Red’s recent interview with winemaker Mike Duffy.

WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Greetings, Mike. I know how busy you are with harvest right now, so I really appreciate the opportunity to talk with you – if even for a few scant minutes, today.

MIKE: Yeah, we have been plenty busy. We crushed thirty tons of grapes today!

RED: Wow. Again, thanks. Tell me, was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

MIKE: Yes, I was raised around wine. My first job in High School was helping my parents, Bill and Della, at their wine shop, that is what sparked my interest. Later I played with making wine out of anything I could get out of my parents garden. I would take flats of strawberries, peaches and blackberries and craft them into wine. One time I even raided the rose bushes in the neighborhood so I could make a rose petal champagne

RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

MIKE: UC Davis gave me an excellent technical background. It was the basis for my ability to solve problems when they arise. The experience of making wine came from getting in and getting dirty at my internship at Trefethen in 1980. That’s where it all came together for me. I have a unique work ethic and a strong mechanical background, both of which I have my father to thank for. Both those qualities served me well when I left the academic world and helped distinguish me from other classmates and co-workers.

RED: Great places to get your footing! What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

MIKE: Andre Tchelistcheff was the biggest influence on how I make Cabernet, and the greatest source of perspective, history and wine knowledge that I have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed. He approached the entire winemaking endeavor, from the vineyard in the spring, to harvest, and through barrel aging, as one integrated whole. I learned to take Alexander Valley Cabernet and to use its brilliant fruit as the basis for my wines. “Don’t bother making one of those huge Cabernets like many do in Napa, Mike. Anyone can make wines like those.” Andre would say. He inspired me to make a Cabernet that spoke to the virtues of Alexander Valley. A wine with an intense core of fruit and coco, balanced with vanilla and oak. Complex and powerful, yet subtle and soft. He also impressed on me the critical concept of not manipulating the wine, rather helping it become its best.

RED: You don’t know how many winemakers mention Andre as an influence! How long have you been making wine?

MIKE: Well one could say since I was a child but 2009 will be my 30th harvest in Napa and Sonoma. I still enjoy the “seasonality” of winemaking.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

MIKE: I began making wine for my own creative satisfaction. I worked for several top wineries that produced Cabernet, and there was always some step in the process when I said to myself, “If this were my wine I would do this differently”. That need to satisfy my own creativity from beginning to end is why I started my own winery when I was 25. My approach to winemaking combines art and practicality. “I always liked the honesty and hard work of agriculture and to me, winemaking is the ultimate fusion of agriculture and art.

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

MIKE: Like I said, we are in the thick of Harvest and it feels great, this is one of my favorite times of the year. When things slow down I hope to continue working on some old cars that I am restoring. I know that the two sound dissimilar, but a restoration embodies some of the same qualities needed to make great wine. Patience, attention to detail, craftsmanship and pride. When you finish restoring an old car, people can appreciate the quality and craftsmanship just by looking carefully. Wine is the same, but you’ve got to pop a cork.

RED: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

MIKE: I enjoy cooking; to me this is another form of taking an ingredient and using your creativity to make something incredible. My wife thinks I cook so well that she refuses to cook anymore. I love watching all of the cooking shows on TV, especially Iron Chef. I just can’t get enough, they are very inspiring.

RED:What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

MIKE: I enjoy drinking a dry Gewurztraminer from Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, or from the Alsace region of France. It’s a wonderful wine that you can drink alone or with Thai, Asian or Mexican food all of which I enjoy cooking and eating. The best examples have a depth and a perfume that is unbelievable.

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans. Your Alexander Valley Cab is stupendous!

MIKE: Thanks, very much, Red. Now, back to the grapes!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of Optima Winery in Healdsburg can be seen in this satellite photo.

Last weekend the elegant premisses of the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone were swarming with wine lovers from all over the world.
A young banker from South Korea indulging in the 20th glass of Bordeaux was not a rarity and a curious wine junkie from the Czech Republic (me) could not miss this magnificent event annually organised by the UK wine magazine Decanter.

Exceptionally wide selection

From over 600 wines I managed to taste 40 and even left with three bottles as a gift from the lovely representatives of Chateau Peyrabon in Bordeaux. I tasted their wines right at the beginning of my long journey through wine regions of the world. Particularly Chateau Peyrabon 2003 with its black currant and mature taste for such a young age surprised me.

Bordeaux, Bordeaux, …

There were many other Bordeaux such as Chateau Beychevelle, Faugéres, Chauvin or the star Chateau Palmer which reshaped my conviction, that Bordeaux younger than 10 years is almost undrinkable. Their 2003 and even 2005 releases were more than pleasant!

New World wines

Another revelation was Napa Valley’s Heitz Cellars with stunning Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 is perfect for your juicy steak. California really does not stay behind. You only need to search in the immense haystack of for me often boring wines and you discover such treasures like Seghesio’s Zinfandel from Home Ranch Alexander Valley which balanced body with light chocolate entangling your tongue was intriguing.

From the eight winemakers from South Africa I would elevate the Danie de Wet Cape Muscadet 2007 for its exotic li-chi and orange peel flavours are ideal to accompany a peach sorbet. The Decanter Gold medal winner Steytler Pinotage 2006 and Steytler Vision 2006 were fruity and quite sweet. Both are from the Kaapzicht Estate meaning “cap view” as it stems from the wonderful view over Cape Town and Table Mountain.

Fashionable wine

Finally a small revelation. Fashion designers have already made their steps into furniture, hotels, etc. But Roberto Cavalli triumphs over them all as he lets his son Tommaso manage a vineyard on his Tuscan estate Tenuta degli Dei producing Igt wine since 2006. You could buy the classic bottle for £32 at the venue or get a special limited version bottle designed by Roberto himself.

This year’s Fine Wine Encounter was amusing and enriching for me as I have learned there a lot. Furthermore, I could not resist to the special subscription offer from the Decanter magazine and got one year for £29 with a gift in the form of an internationally praised wine guide the Wine Report 2009 by Tom Stevenson (£9.99 at www.dk.com ).

Plenty to win

Throughout the event you could enter a draw and win a place at the WSET level 2 Intermediate Certificate in Wines & Spirits worth £355 from the largest global provider of qualifications in wines & spirits the Wine & Education Trust. What more to wish for Christmas as with their 40 years experience in the wine education your knowledge of wines can move to higher spheres. And this is not all! You could win cases of award-winning wines from Decanter and even a two-night luxury break at one of 17 historic country houses from Handpicked Hotels.

Upcoming events

To grasp all the great producers at the Landmark Hotel is impossible just here, therefore I recommend you visiting the upcoming Decanter events in 2010. The hotel will host The Great Bordeaux Fine Wine Encounter on 20 February and Great Italian Fine Wine Encounter on 15 May. For bookings call +44(0)20 31484513 or go to www. decanter.com/events

I’ll be out for the rest of the week, so in honor of the coming holiday, I’d like to offer a spontaneous list entitled “Things I’m Thankful For …”

The twin loves of my life: my astonishingly wonderful missus Amy, and my magical, beautific daughter Clara Bay

Our parents

Our collective friends and relations

The 1991 Monte Bello

The music of Sleepy John Estes

Coupe glasses, and those that drink champys from them

Rivers

Ireland

Haig’s Hummus

Han-Shan’s Cold Mountain Poems

Single-Vineyard wines

Pocket watches

Pomade

People who know how to shake hands properly

That I don’t own a Kindle

Rock skipping

Son House

The movie “Casablanca”

The novels of John Fante

That I’ll be serving the 2006 Monte Bello Chardonnay on Thanksgiving Day

Duct Tape

Winnie The Pooh

California

The poems of William Matthews

Pre-fusion Miles Davis

Tasting Room Staff that can, when tested, pour perfect 1 0z. pours every time

Capitola

That I’ll be serving the 2005 Lytton West Syrah on Thanksgiving Day

T-Shirts that cleverly deploy swear words

Champys, and the people who drink it out of Coupe glasses

The magnums of 2002 Home Ranch Cabernet that we served at our wedding

Our wedding

The book “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind”

Peanut Butter Toast — actually, toast of just about any sort, especially baked beans on toast, next to a peat fire, in the west of Ireland

That I got to know Donn Reisen before he passed

Jumbo Paper Clips and #2 Pencils

Curtis Mayfield’s soundtrack to “Superfly”

That I’ll be serving the 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Cabernet Sauvignon on Thanksgiving Day

Typewriters made before the 1960s, and especially typewriters from the 20s through the 40s, preferably the ones made by Underwood, Royal, and Remington

My unbelievably wondrous missus Amy, and my heart-achingly stupendous daughter Clara Bay

That Nicole was willing to grant me a phone interview from a truck stop in Wyoming

The surround-sound speakers I hope to have in the tasting room next year

John Coltrane’s album “A Love Supreme”

The 2007 vintage of the Buchignani Carignane

Dice. Especially Boss Dice

Swear words

Ankle boots

Sharpies with sharp points

Ah So Cork Pullers

Hand-harvesting

Haiku

The Clash

Really excellent neckties

People who still call refrigerators “Iceboxes”

People who say “undershirt” instead of “wifebeater”

That I’ll be serving the 2007 Geyserville Essence on Thanksgiving Day

National Steel Resonator Guitars. Specifically, mine

Vertical Tastings of Monte Bello. Specifically, when I’m invited

Red Sauce

The music of Bukka White

Autumn

Every single person who works for Ridge

My job at Ridge

Ridge.

And every thing else I haven’t written down yet, like Fred McDowell, Dylan Thomas, the 2006 Carmichael, brand-new  foil cutters, really well made chopsticks, walking not running, upright bass players that can really swing, kindness, the constellation Orion, Thelonious Monk, the 2002 Lytton Estate Petite Sirah, my daughter’s Ramones t-shirt, that no one I know eats Fudge with any kind of regularity, bicycles that don’t require the wearing of weird footwear, music, literature, the visual arts, beaches, rivers, forests, and WINE!

On this lovely holiday, may your hearts be filled with thanks, your rooms filled with loved ones, and your glasses full of wine! Cheers, and Happy Thanksgiving!

This wine exhibits considerable mid-winter spice, roasted red apple-red pear and scented Fall forest.

***

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It was a clear black night, a clear white moon

Young winos on the streets, trying to consume

Some wines for our steak, so we could get a buzzy

Grilling on the porch, drinking till we’re warm and fuzzy…

Nom

We like to mix things up  now and again, this time doing it right with an end-of-summer BBQ.  The goal?  Pair up our lip-smacking BBQ with some  juicy BBWs (Big, Beautiful Wines).  Goal: achieved. Keeping notes for the blog post: FAIL!
Somewhere in the hustle and bustle of a Wednesday night slosh-fest, the note cards vanished, were stolen, or eaten out of Kelly’s back pocket. Here are the highlights:

• The evening fucking ruled
• The food was delish
• The lineup of wines was legit, Dashe’s 2007 “L’Enfant Terrible” Zin ($24) was a favorite with it’s lighter, brighter, elegant style as well as Boekenhoutskloof’s 2008 “The Wolftrap” Mourvèdre Blend from South Africa ($10) which was fantastically funky and interesting.

The BBW line up

Smells like...

OMG drinking wine is like so much fun!!

Come join us for our next BBQ event (probably when it’s not winter…) and as always feel free to suggest some badass BBQ wines any time.
ywsf

“Yes, we make a single-vineyard Dry Creek Zinfandel. It’s very different.”

You and how many others? Cool.

What do you get when you combine high fruit, high sugar, high alcohol, high flavor, and traditionally smooth flavor?

My favorite wine varietal.

Some oenophile’s think Zinfandels are too sweet to be considered among the elite, but the grape that makes up 10% of the California production is a complex, challenging grape to coax consistent flavor out of.

Tonight the everyday man Zinfandel gauntlet is thrown down. Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Brett Hart in a cage match to the death. Okay, so no death was involved, but this taste test certainly exposes three under $20 Zinfandel wines! Check out the NectarView and tasting notes!

2007  RedTree Zinfandel - Cechetti Wine Company; CA $8

• Swirl – Light in color, could see all the way to the bottom of the glass.
• Sniff - Aromatically challenged with hints of pepper and red fruit, cherry and strawberry.
• Swirl – More pepper than fruit on the front; fruit comes through on the back. Like biting into a sweeter green pepper with a mild cherry finish. Not enough acidity to compete with the big boys.
• Price to Value Ratio: $$$+

For $8, the wine wasn’t offensive or negative in taste. Overall there wasn’t anything exciting to write home about. Your everyday Hulk Hogan wine that has a lot of talk but not much substance.

2006 Roseblum Cellars Zinfandel; CA $12

•  Swirl: Darker plum in color with slight cloudiness, mild legs representing mild acidity
• Sniff: Musty wet basement smell was overwhelming. With effort a little bit of spice comes through. Pretty offensive to the nose
• Sip: Now the fruit, strawberry and cherry, comes through. More acidity and tannin on the finish
• Price to Value Ratio: $ – Not recommended. Could be an issue of poor storage or a bad bottle, but the musty smell was difficult to overcome.

Like Rowdy Roddy Piper very offensive, but tries to compete with the big boys.

2004 Brassfield Estate High Valley Zinfandel; $22

• Swirl: Dark pearlescent plum color with good color. Good strong legs representing good acidity
• Sniff: Wow, before I even put my nose in the glass I could smell the amazing berry fruits – especially strawberry. More investigation revealed more mild pepper, rhubarb cinnamon and vanilla – it smelled like I was going to bite into a freshly made strawberry rhubarb pie.
• Sip: The flavor did not disappoint. Just beyond the berry was a great cinnamon flavor paired with just enough spice and acidity to cut through a roast, pizza, or turkey dinner. Would even be a great dessert wine!
• Price to Value Ratio: $$$$ – Maybe not an everyday value for those on a budget, but definitely a crowd pleaser for the holidays or to show your wine sophistication.

One again Brett Hart shows everyone up as the best and most entertaining of the bunch.

Overall, this was the most interesting taste review. It was super cool to have three different price points side by side to explore the grape quality and wine making quality differences.

Enjoy life with friends and DRINK.HAPPY

Some of the best known family names in wine country are just nameplates on the door. Mondavi, Martini and others have been gobbled up by big companies hoping to cash in on the cachet of wine celebrity.

But there are lots of true family-run California wineries that are getting an injection of energy,  appreciation for new technology and modern advances from a new generation of young guns looking to make their mark on the industry.

I tasted some interesting wines and met some of the new winemaking generation at a wine trends event in Sausalito earlier this week sponsored by the California Wine Institute and the California Association of Wine Grape Growers.

Mauritson Wines

Clay Mauritson

My favorite wine of the day was the 2007 Rockpile Ridge zinfandel ($35) from Mauritson Wines in Dry Creek Valley. It was poured by winemaker Clay Mauritson, representing the fifth generation of his winegrape-growing family.

“I like the 2004 (Rockpile Ridge) but I think the ‘07 is going to be my new favorite. It’s showing very well,” Mauritson said.

I had to agree.

The wine was smooth and full of zinfandel character, tasting of blueberries with an edgy spiciness flanking finely integrated tannins. (To read my blog about Mauritson, click here.)

Wente Vineyards

The tastiest white wine at the event was the  2007 Nth Degree chardonnay poured by Karl Wente, the fifth generation winemaker at Wente Vineyards in the Livermore Valley. This limited production wine is blended from two of the estate’s top vineyards.

Karl Wente

The taste of this lightly golden wine was round and full-flavored on the tongue. It showed a sliver of citrus with hints of melon that developed as the chilled wine warmed up in my glass.

One of the vineyards used for Nth Degree is planted to the renowned Wente clone of chardonnay, which is widely used throughout California . The Wente clone vines are directly descended from vineyard cuttings brought to California from France nearly a century ago by a Wente family member.

“We operate the oldest, continuously operated, family owned winery in the country,” said Wente, who heads the family’s winemaking operations but describes his job as “flavor farmer and tannin farmer.”

Benziger Family Winery

Another family run operation, Benziger Family Winery, is having growing pains — of a sort. A new generation is marching in with aspirations of joining the wine business (Click here to see my blog about Benziger side project, Imagery, where Kathy’s brother, Joe Benziger, showcases his winemaking talents).

The solution is what Kathy Benziger, the last of seven siblings from the winery’s namesake, Mike Benziger, calls “our flaming hoops.”

Any younger nieces and nephews who want to work in the business have got to pass through a series of requirements to earn their spurs. The Benziger “family constitution” requires a college or trade school degree plus working experience outside of the winery.

“It’s really cool to be passing the torch to the next generation and seeing them really get into this business,” said Benziger, who was the East Coast sales manager in New York for more than a decade before returning to Sonoma for a senior marketing position.

Kathy Benziger

“But the millennials think this is easy,” she said. “You have to instill in them that you have to go above and beyond to be successful. You are a family owner and you have to set the very best example.”

The Benziger family, originally from New York, moved to Sonoma in the 1980s to make wine and started the hugely successful Glen Ellen brand, which they sold 16 years ago to Heublein. The family poured the Glen Ellen-winemaking experience, and profit from the sale,  into today’s namesake business.

At the tasting, Kathy poured me a taste of a red wine called “Three Blocks” from the Signaterra collection, a grouping of wines made from specific vineyard sites or special vineyard blocks picked for the confluence of three forces — earth, nature and man.

I liked the soft mint and mild tannins in this $49 Bourdeaux-style blend, which is immediately approachable but could also improve a bit over the next few years. The 2006 is a combination of cabernet sauvignon (64%) and merlot (36%). This wine spent 18 months in French oak and was fermented with native yeast.

More Family Winemakers

For a closer look at some other California family wineries, check out my blog about the Family Winemakers of California tasting event held each summer in San Francisco.

Ok, I’m sure that came out a bit more salacious than I had intended.  Or maybe it didn’t.  But a few nights ago I headed to my wine cave and grabbed a bottle of Menage a Trois, by Folie a Deux.  I believe this came in at about $10-$12 bux.  Not bad at all for a Zin, Merlot, Cabernet blend.

As you can see e enjoyed this wine with pizza.  For the price this was a good choice.  The nose was very tight at first.  I’m glad I had opened it up prior to even ordering the food.  At first I wasn’t picking up much of anything.  But after a bit I got a slight Bubblegum component.  Like the sweetness of Bazooka gum.  There was also a hint of Radish on the tail end.  When tasted, it was all Strawberries.  Sweet at first, with a tart finish.  Unfortunately the finish was over immediately.  Bang! Done!  For what I paid this wasn’t a bad deal.  It went well with the pizza we were having but I think it would have just gotten lost on a more complex dish.  It is worthy of being a wine to pick up on the way home for a quick meal.  It wasn’t Fabulous but it wasn’t bad either.

I am a closet glutton, please help.

I’ve been walking by Numidie for awhile now and only recently stepped in when I saw rouille (and fish soup) on the window menu.  Well actually it was fish soup with rouille but I didnt really notice the soup bit because  I have a sort of crack-like addiction to rouille.  It could have said rouille and 3 day old pizza or rouille and toast., I wouldn’t have cared.

Numidie is on Westow Hill in Crystal Palace and serves French/N.African cuisine.  The place looks nice it has three little art-deco chandeliers, little wooden tables and chairs, and a cool retro-French decor. And best yet there’s a little basement bar too!  Well the basement bar is only part of the best bit…the actual best bit is that three courses is only £14 and nothing on the wine list was more than £40?!

So, they have rouille, the menu and wine list are both excellent value and there’s a cool bar in the basement…PLEASE GOD make the food good!  Well to make a long story short — the food wasn’t good.

le menu

The food was SUPERB! In fact I have since found out that this little bistro is quite famous and has a very dedicated and loyal following.

The fish soup and rouille was very nice, I asked for extra rouille to put on the home-made foccacia-like bread.  For mains I had a roast chicken (always a test for restaurants) with Algerian dumplings and a chickpea sauce. It too was very good.
M, my dining partner enjoyed salade Numidie (say it with a French accent) as a starter – salad leaves mixed with an array of brightly coloured roasted red peppers, houmous and probably the best falafel I’ve ever tried.  For her main M had Couscous Royale with merguez, roast chicken and lamb (I secretly wanted her main) – the portion was huge and like everything else we had, excellent.

I opted out of dessert which was a tarte au chocolate but once taking a nibble of M’s decided it was too good to share, and promptly ordered another (this is the glutton bit, btw)

louis with the rouille

All in all a great experience and the bill came to under £50.  I have vowed not to frequent any more famous chef restaurants, offering little more than a bloated cheque after the meal.  To find such a welcoming, great value and excellent little place only 5 minutes from where I live, was a great surprise and pleasure. I will be most definitely going back.

Oh and nearly forgot, they gave us each a glass of pear digestif after our meals – loved it!

Numidie Bistro – 48 Westow Hill – Crystal Palace – SE19 1PX – tel: 020 8766 6166

Wine I recently tried

If you read imbibe magazine you will see I have a story about Zinfandel in the current issue.  Zin is one of my favourite grapes, that is, if it is made correctly.  Too many times it can be over-ripe, too tannic, sweet – in fact, it can be everything I hate about wine.  But when it is good, I can’t get enough of the stuff.
Sadly, like most things wine and American all the good things come with a price.  Plus with the added bonus in the UK very few California wines – and I’m talking around ten – are good and readily available.

That’s where Ravenswood steps in, Joel Peterson – founder and winemaker – is very well-known for his motto of “no wimpy wines” and this stands true to all that he makes.  Admittedly I am not a fan of all the wines in Ravenswood’s range, but one of my favourite is the Vintners Blend 2006 … for an entry-level, zin-introduction (I refuse to use zin puns) this wine is perfect. So,  I was happy to try it out (again) for the people at Constellation.

very good zin

On the nose there’s loads of dark berry fruit, ripe black-cherries, while on the palate it’s a mouthful of dark black berries, bramble, licorice and a nice cranberry tartness on the finish.  It’s costs £7.99 (Waitrose, Tesco & Spar) and for an entry-level Zin (in fact for a wine in general) it is good value.

By the way I had it with some homemade steak nachos, fresh salsa and guacamole, it was perfect.

]]> http://thewinespies.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/2006-ravenswood-winery-chauvet-zinfandel/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:58:56 +0000 thewinespies http://thewinespies.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/2006-ravenswood-winery-chauvet-zinfandel/

Mission Codename: Quoth the Raven

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: After a protracted surveillance, infiltrate Ravenswood Winery and procure their winery-only 2007 Chauvet Zinfandel, making it available to our Operatives as a World Exclusive wine

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Ravenswood Winery

Wine Subject: 2006 Ravenswood Chauvet Zinfandel

Winemaker: Joel Peterson

Backgrounder: Today’s single vineyard Zinfandel is a Wine Spies World exclusive. Available only at the winery – and here today – this Zinfandel is a rare treat for lover’s of exceptional Zin. Today, winemaker Joel Peterson shows off his winemaking skills and his Chauvet Vineyard fruit, which was planted 135 years ago, in 1874.

Zinfandel is related to the Italian Primitivo grape, tracing its origin to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski. Zinfandel is one of the most versatile varietals with the ability to make wines, both rich to fruity, dark to light, and dry to sweet. Sonoma Valley Zinfandels, which are characterized by their richness and and balance, are vastly popular with our Operatives.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark garnet in color, with a dark and almost Burgundy heart, this wine looks deep and richly foreboding. When swirled, this wine shows off a softly bouncy surface that settles fast, leaving behind tight clusters of thin legs that take a long time to emerge before they march slowly down the glass.

Smell – On opening, the wine presents darkly jammy mixed berry aromas. These are followed by brighter blueberry, dark plum, smoky dark cherry, dark chocolate and dark dusty spice.

Feel – Light and wet on entry, then immediately more complex, with a grippy and mouth-coating feel as the fuller body of the wine makes itself known. After a few moments, the wine evolves, showing beautifully balanced fruit against a spicy tang on the mid palate, with minerals and that add the right amount of dryness.

Taste – Brooding and dark, but energetic balanced balanced flavors of overripe blackberry, smoky blueberry, ripe raspberry, dark plum, dark cherry and smoky baking spice and black pepper.

Finish – The finish is smooth and rich, leading off with dark fruits, and backed by dark cherry, minerals and spices – the flavors evolve before they tail off slowly and silky-smooth.

Conclusion – We are thrilled today to bring you this winery-only wine from Ravenswood. Those that know Ravenswood wines are likely more familiar with their fantastic but more mainstream wines. Today’s wine introduces you to a far more exciting and exclusive Ravenswood wine, their 2006 Chauvet Zinfandel. Produced in very limited quantity, The Wine Spies we able to secure a small quantity of this amazing Zin. With deep fruit that springs out of the glass, this wine is a balanced and delicious treat that is a brilliant companion to any meal – without overpowering it. Exhibiting a balanced feel and an evolving flavor profile that leads to an intriguing finish, this wine gets our heartiest recommendation.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: JOEL PETERSON

DATE OF BIRTH: APRIL 1947

PLACE OF BIRTH: Born in Oakland, California. Fifth generation Californian.

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: ZINFANDEL

WINEMAKER QUOTE: ”Style, history, quality, character – California wine has it all.”

AGENT RED: Greetings, Joel. We are thrilled to be showing your very exclusive Chauvet Zinfandel today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

JOEL: Happy to answer questions, particularly when they are about my favorite subject, wine. I am also thrilled that you are showing my wine today. Direct experience is one of the best ways that we have of developing fans for Ravenswood wines.

RED: I’m sure that our Operatives will respond well to today’s offer. Your Chauvet Zinfandel is excellent! Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

JOEL: My father taught me to taste when I was fairly young. Many young men play baseball or hunt with their fathers (we did those things as well), but what was unusual was that I learned to taste wine and as a result got an olfactory training that is fairly rare. The single wine that change my vision of wine was a 1957 Chateau Fortia. I was about 20 years old and had developed incredibly interesting and complex perfume and flavors making is one of the most memorable wines that I had tasted up to that date.

RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

JOEL: I spent the years from 1973 until 1977 with Joseph Swan learning the nuts and bolts of winemaking. Joe was good friends with Andre Tchelistcheff and used him as a consultant, so I was able to learn in a very hands on way from the best in the business.

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

JOEL: Wines should reflect the flavors of the places that they were grown. Wine should taste like fruit, not oak. Wine should be balanced, rich and complex and interesting. The best wines are the ones that develop well with age. To that end we attempt to let each vineyard express it’s optimal character by using winemaking techniques and careful attention to detail that dwells on each vineyards particular strengths. Our mantra is “no wimpy wines”, meaning that we want each wine we have to exhibit strength of character, not merely power.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

JOEL: There are a whole series of wines that have influenced my winemaking style. Most of them have been European form places like Bordeaux, the Rhone and northern Italy. These memorable wines have a certain balance of fruit, density, acid and tannin that I find desirable in a wine.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

JOEL: 35 years

RED: Who do you make wine for?

JOEL: I make the wine that best expresses the vineyard, the vintage is balanced and tastes good. As a result ,it is fair to say that, Ravenswood makes wine for me, wine reviewers and wine lovers everywhere.

RED: Tell me, what makes the Sonoma Valley so special?

JOEL: We make wine from much of Northern California, though our home is Sonoma. This is a very special region from the stand point of weather, soils, winemaking history in California and age of vines (some of the first vines planted on Root stock,1888, are in Sonoma). We have a great range of volcanic soils, a wonderful marine influenced climate and a local that has been growing grapes and making wine since the time of the Spanish occupation.

RED: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

JOEL: Learn your craft well, be patient and love what you do. It is not “just a job”.

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

JOEL: The usual things, but I spend a lot of time these day sharing the joy of wine and the special aspects Ravenswood with as many people as I can.

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

JOEL: The Bedrock Zin and the Chauvet Zinfandel are both from very old vineyards in Sonoma Valley. The Bedrock was planted in 1888 and the Chauvet was planted sometime before 1920. They are both low production, less than three tons /acre, and they are both planted in Tuscan redhill series soils (very well drained reddish soils of volcanic origin). The Bedrock, while it is about 76% Zinfandel, has many of the grapes planted in traditional old vine California field blends that include Petit Sirah, Carignane, Mouvedre, Syrah, Alicante Bouche, and a few others. Chauvet is mostly Zinfandel with a few percent Alicante Bouche. Both have great vineyard specific character, delicious flavors and the typical Sonoma Valley character of Spicy black fruit character with a distinctive, savory, acid-tannin balance. The Chauvet is a little softer and more forward than the Bedrock.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

JOEL: Anything Italian or Mediterranean inspired. Also, grilled meat.

RED: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

JOEL: I delivered my son, Morgan, at home.

RED: Both of my mini-agents were, as well! Tell me, what is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

JOEL: Sherman and Hookers Shebang. A one liter jug wine from California. Beyond that, I taste so much, my answer should be whatever wine is in front of me.

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

JOEL: With a sense of exploration, joy and with food and company.

RED: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

JOEL: I would never make such a choice. Wine is about diversity and complexity. One wine would be boring. This is not a monotheistic endeavor.

RED: Excellent answer! What is the one question that I should have asked you, and what is your answer to that question?

JOEL: Do you have the best, most interesting, most diverse, most challenging, most satisfying job in the universe? YES

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

JOEL: Every winery needs fans. Without them there is only a singular void. So, thank you to you and all those who make wine part of their daily experience.

Well, I must say, it’s been a rather nice week in the news for Ridge, and I’m very happy to see that our holiday appeal appears to be bi-coastal, in that both the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle recently highlighted Ridge wines for their Thanksgiving Dinner companionability!

The New York times article, written by Eric Asimov, recounts this year’s edition of an annual pre-Thanksgiving tasting:

For six consecutive years, the Dining section’s wine panel has gathered for an early Thanksgiving meal. The mission: to taste potential holiday wines, to determine what works and what does not with a representative feast, and to offer coherent answers to the annual question of what to serve with the bird.

In the red wine category, our 2007 Three Valleys was elected the proverbial Best In Show:

Sam brought our top-rated red, a 2007 Three Valleys zinfandel from Ridge. I always run counter to the Thanksgiving bromide that zinfandel is the perfect American wine for the most American holiday. Zinfandel is often too big and alcoholic. But at 14.3 percent, this zin was well balanced and almost sleek.

On the other coast, Jon Bonné wrote a pair of linked Thanksgiving-theme articles recently; in the first one, from 11.13.09, he gives readers a very helpful general guide to selecting wines for the Thanksgiving table, and in the second, from 11.15.09, he provides tasting notes on some of his personal recommendations. He wrote the following about our 2007 Geyserville:

2007 Ridge Geyserville Sonoma County ($35) A classic Geyserville that shows off why Ridge’s style has endured. Sweet and eloquent, with charred branch, balsam, plump blackberry and a smoky edge. The balance is impeccable. Predominantly Zinfandel, with Carignane, Petite Sirah and Mourvedre.

So, if you’re beginning the process of selecting your wines for Thanksgiving, I am happy to suggest a little something from Ridge!

It was a cool November evening in Phoenix.  Its about darn time actually.  A couple of weeks ago,  it was still in the mid 90s.

Anyway,  some friends invited my wife and I out to Ruth’s Chris Steak House to celebrate a birthday.  I paused,  thinking to myself,  that would be very nice,  but it is on the expensive side,  when I heard,  Oh,  by the way,  we have a gift card.  Excellent,  lets go!

Now,  I wouldn’t call the fare served at Ruth’s Chris gluttonous,  but since I ate it all,  and felt like a beached whale afterword,  it’ll do.

Hey look,  they have a special going on.  There are several items on the menu that are NOT à la carte.  Definitely not the normal type of establishment we frequent.

I had the caesar salad,  and it was awesome.  Just the right amount of dressing,  and the croutons were neither too soft,  nor too hard.  Great flavor.  Now this is where some of the fancier blogs may get into a lot culinary words and such,  but hey,  the salad was good.

The main course,  at least for me,  was an 11oz Prime filet mignon.  The waiter,  is that proper?  Or is it server?  Ok,  waiter it is,  said they sear their stakes in a broiler at 1800 degrees F,  and then put them on a plate,  to bring to the table,  that is only 500 degrees F!  That is hot!  Oh,  they also put a big dollop of butter on top.

1st cut.  Wow,  I think to myself,  I could have just used a fork.  Still very hot.  Melts in mouth.  I try it again.  Same result.  Superb!  I think it is the best filet I have ever eaten.

Oops,  almost forgot the wine.  Looking at the menu,  it recommended a Shiraz to pair with the filet,  but since I didn’t know what everyone else was going to order,  I looked through the wine list.  The first item that caught my eye was a zinfandel,  but since it was priced at $245,  I decided to keep looking.  Zinfandel is one of my favorites,  so I started in that section,  when I noticed a great wine,  although it was restaurant priced,  Seghesio Zinfandel 2007,  I stopped looking.  It can be had for a fraction at your local wine store.

The waiter presented the bottle to me for inspection.  Yessir,  that is it!  He proceeded to uncork the wine,  and poured a tasting in my glass.  I then swirled it around in my glass,  and gave a hearty sniff (as if I knew what I was doing),  then tasted.  Just as good as I remembered.  He then poured for the ladies,  of course,  then got back to me.  Everyone liked the selection.  Even my wife!  WTF,  she doesn’t drink red wine.  Something strange is going on here.  Am I in some sort of alternate universe or what??  Highly recommended,  you should go get a bottle.

Here is what’s going on in the vineyard, now that harvest is officially over:  The bounty has been gathered, de-stemmed, crushed, pressed, settled, decanted, and fermented.  At this phase, the chemistry of winemaking comes into play. Careful measurements of pH, % of alcohol by volume, sugar content and the rate of bacterial conversions of acids are charted.  The young wine must be tasted throughout the entire aging process to ensure the final product is one that is pleasing to the palate.

Cold December morning on top of Syrah Hill

As winter precipitation matures into full blown storms, the summer’s crispy chestnut-tinted hillsides begin to transform into cushy green corduroy slopes. The rains provide no nourishment to the dormant vines, but do administer sustenance to the advancing cover crop.  In January, pruning will commence.

Keep It Simple

People frequently ask me “how can I get started learning more about wine?” My advice is always “keep it simple.”  The easiest way to learn about a lot of wines is to learn first about a few. What I mean is that you first have to learn how to learn about wines and the best way to do that is to start with only a few. Using your experience with those few will help you learn about others and so on.  Confused yet?

I suggest that you limit your initial effort to three or four grape varieties from a couple of geographic regions. For instance you might select Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc as your white-wine grape varieties, and Zinfandel and Merlot as your red-wine grape varieties. A huge number of wines are produced from these four grape so you will have a wide variety of styles of wine to explore.

It is good to remember that grapes are fruit and the climate, terrain and soil (known as the terroir) where they grow effect their flavor and other characteristics. Zinfandel grapes grown in one part of Napa Valley will be different than Zinfandel grapes grown in another part of Napa Valley. As you would expect, the wines made from these Zinfandel grapes will also be different. You might like Zinfandel wines from one geographic area but not from another. So adhering to our “keep it simple” mantra, you will also want to limit yourself to grapes grown in only one geographic region (known as an appellation).

The smaller the appellation you select the more similar the wines made from the same variety of grape will be. So, again trying to “keep it simple”, I suggest you start with a couple of well known areas in California, Alexander Valley and the Central Coast. Alexander Valley is in northern Sonoma County in northern California and the Central Coast area extends from Santa Barbara County in the south to the San Francisco Bay in the north. This is a good choice because both areas produce a great deal of wine and they are diverse in geography and climate.

So now we’ve picked the kind of wine we’re going to concentrate on and the areas in which it is grown. The next step is figuring out if you like any of the wine from these areas and if so, why.  The best approach is to expose yourself to as many wines from these four grapes and two areas as possible. Order wine by the glass at restaurants. Buy different wines every time you shop. Hit up your friends for a glass of wine if they have one of these you haven’t tried. Select wines from as many different makers as possible. The idea is to get as broad exposure as possible to the four grape varieties you picked in the two geographic areas you picked.Now the hard part. Pay attention to what you’re drinking. This takes a little effort. When you find a wine that you enjoy, note at least the following characteristics. In order of importance:

        Grape variety (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Zinfandel or Merlot)

        Geographical origin, (e.g. Alexander Valley or Central Coast)

        Vintner (the wine maker or brand, e.g. Beringer, Mondavi, Sterling, etc.) 

After a time you will begin to see patterns in what you like. You may see that you enjoy Zinfandel from two or three different wine makers and Merlot just from one of these. Or that you like every Merlot you’ve had from Alexander Valley but only Zinfandels from the Central Coast. This is the beginning of really understanding what you like.

Armed with even this basic understanding you will have less fear of wine lists and wine stores. If you can’t find the specific wine you are looking for you will know that there is a good chance you will like any Merlot from Alexander Valley or an unknown Zinfandel from the Central Coast. After doing this for awhile, and eventually expanding your selections outside of these four grapes and two geographic areas, not finding a wine you are familiar with won’t be a problem, it will be an opportunity to something new.

Cellar Notes

I tasted these wines last week at a wine dinner at Raffa’s restaurant. Chef David Welch was lauded by those present for the wonderful pairings that he presented for these wines. You always hope the pairing for every course is going to be perfect, but it rarely is. This dinner was one of those rare occasions where the food and wine of every course worked perfectly. Hats off to Tony Raffa for hosting the event and Robert Gilroy with Majestic Fine Wines the parent company of Murphy-Goode.

Sauvignon Blanc
  Murphy-Goode
  2008 Sonoma California
  Spec’s $10.00 – $15.00

Chardonnay
  Murphy-Goode
  2007 Sonoma California
  Spec’s $10.00 – $15.00  

Merlot
  Murphy-Goode
  2006 Alexander Valley California
  Spec’s $10.00 – $15.00

Liar’s Dice Zinfandel
  Murphy-Goode
  2007 Sonoma County California
  Spec’s $10.00 – $15.00 

Cabernet Sauvignon
  Murphy-Goode
  2007 Sonoma County California
  Spec’s $10.00 – $15.00

Mission Codename: A world of experience

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Acquire a lovely single vineyard Sonoma Valley Zinfandel

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Teresina Vintners

Wine Subject: 2007 MacLeod Family Vineyard Sonoma Valley Zinfandel

Winemaker: Linda Trotta

Backgrounder:

The Sonoma Valley AVA is one of the oldest wine growing regions in California with the first vines being planted in the early 1800s. The AVA is located along California Route 12 and its eastern boundary are the southern end of the Mayacamas mountains. The unique micro-climate with less rainfall and fog than other parts of the region along with its unique soil provides ideal growing conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon and especially Zinfandel.

Varietal Backgrounder: Zinfandel is related to the Italian Primitivo grape, tracing its origin to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski. Zinfandel is one of the most versatile varietals with the ability to make wines, both rich to fruity, dark to light, and dry to sweet. Alexander Valley and the Russian River Valley, where this Zinfandel’s grapes are are grown are characterized by their balanced flavors, are gaining in popularity with our Operatives.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and dark ruby red with garnet hues. This wine’s clear core shows ruby reflections and along the edges the color remains deep ruby and lightens just slightly to pink. When swirled, this wine leaves slow, fat and evenly spaced legs on the side of the glass.

Smell – Rich and spicy-brambly, with rip red and black fruit that is well integrated with a distinct chocolate component. A touch of pepper, vanilla, toasted oak and floral violets rounds out the pleasant and inviting nose of this wine.

Feel – Smooth and rich, this dry full-bodied wine has a distinct minerality about it. Medium textured tannins and balanced acidity hold on to the fruit and spice long into the finish.

Taste – Rich red fruit interlaced with white pepper and dark chocolate that blend harmoniously and create a unique flavor profile. Earthy and herbal bramble are layered over subtle toasted smokey oak as well as the flavors that presented on the nose.

Finish – Long in length with lingering textured minerality and dark and red fruit. Hints of chocolate, spice and bramble fade gracefully leaving this wines textured tannins and minerality to invite another sip.

Conclusion – The 2007 Teresina Vintners MacLeod Family Vineyard Sonoma Valley Zinfandel is a youthful, but rich Zinfandel with all the classic aromas and flavors you’d expect, but framed by a focused and textured minerality and tannic structure. Give this wine some time to open up to fully express itself now or cellar it for years to come. We enjoyed this wine with grilled skirt-steak, fajita style with grilled veggies.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Linda Trotta

DATE OF BIRTH: April 1963

PLACE OF BIRTH: Burbank, CA

WINE EDUCATION: Scientific / Technical Training: University of California at Davis, 1981-86, Practical Training: In the vineyards, cellars and labs of wineries, ongoing since 1986.

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Current: Independent Consulting Winemaker, 1989-2008: Director of Winemaking and Winegrowing, Gundlach Bundschu Winery
1987-1989: Lab and QA Technician, Sebastiani Vineyards, 1986-1987: Cellar Intern, St. Francis Winery, Southern Hemisphere Harvests: Santa Monica Winery, The Rapel Valley, Chile, Rupert & Rothschilde Vignerons, Cape Winelands, South Africa

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Whether making wines reflective of distinct vineyard sites or crafting blended wines that express a consistency of style and profile: Showcase the fruit with balance, finesse, power and grace.

SIGNATURE VARIETY: Tough to pick just one. I’d say the most distinctive wines I’ve made have been (dry) Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. It was with a 1992 Zin that I made an appearance on the Spectator’s Top 100 list.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Anytime I open an older wine I made from a particularly challenging vintage that is delicious. Most recently a 1998 GB Estate Merlot.

WINEMAKER QUOTE: BALANCE —IN WINE AND IN LIFE.

AGENT RED: Greetings, Linda. We are thrilled to be showing your 2007 Zinfandel today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer
questions for our Operatives today.

LINDA: My pleasure. So is that your real voice or an undercover distortion?

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

WINEMAKER: Yes. Birth.

RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

LINDA: I learn something new about winemaking every day. Since most of my days are spent in the vineyard and cellar, that’s where most of my learning happens.

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

LINDA: As I mentioned earlier, it is all about the fruit. Whether I am making a wine that reflects a distinctive vineyard site or expresses a specific stylistic profile (for example a “house blend”) the fruit is what I am showcasing. Everything else in the wine plays a supporting role to compliment and express the fruit in the most compelling, delicious and, above all, BALANCED way.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

LINDA: My style and who I am as a winemaker is ever evolving and is influenced by nearly everything I experience. One specific inspiration I can relate is the night of my Chardonnay epiphany. It was dinner at Postrio in SF. The wine was a 10 year old Meursault, Le Limouzin. Still a baby but it shook me to the core with endless layers of aromas and flavors; round and opulent while staying bright and austere; powerful yet elegant. The experience of this wine inspires me to this day, as I seek to pull together the multiple facets of the fruit into a seamlessly layered wine.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

LINDA: Professionally, for nearly 25 years. Overall, since I started walking and could help my great-grandparents stomp their grapes.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

LINDA: Obviously, in a commercial venture just enough people need to enjoy and buy the wine. There’s a certain style that I gravitate toward and so far enough consumers go there with me.

RED: Tell me, what makes the Sonoma Valley so special?

LINDA: Sonoma Valley is such a diverse appellation, a wide range of wine varieties grow well there. Zinfandel is a variety that does well all over the valley. I have worked with Zinfandel from several locations throughout Sonoma Valley, ranging from coolish to warmish sites, deep to shallow soils, 35 to 10 year old vines. Every single one has been distinctive and delicious.

RED: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

LINDA: Develop a broad perspective on wine and on life. Experience winemaking in as many different environments as you can—work harvests in different parts of the world and the states. Winemaking is a unique discipline that encompasses so many aspects of working and living. Be open to new ideas, different ways of approaching things. Above all, maintain as much balance in your life as possible. Winemaking is hard work involving long hours – make sure it stays fun.

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

LINDA: The 2009 wines are barreled down and either finishing up primary fermentation or starting ML. I’m keeping an eye on them and whispering sweet nothings to keep the ferments going.

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

LINDA: This Zin is sourced from the MacLeod Vineyard in Kenwood, Sonoma Valley. The vineyard has been owned and farmed by George MacLeod and his family for more than five decades, so George has it figured out. The greatest thing about this fruit is that it hits its maturity mark at a relatively low sugar level. So the wine shows all this great raspberry / bramble / peppery spice with mature tannins and an alcohol in the neighborhood of 14%.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

LINDA: Most anything off the grill: lamb chops simply seasoned with salt and pepper, baby back rib with Memphis dry rub and bbq sauce to name a couple of recent indulgences.

RED: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

LINDA: I was a cheerleader for the city football league in my youth.

RED:What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

LINDA: There is always a bottle of bubbles chilling in the home fridge. Always.

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

LINDA: Know what you like and how to get it. Don’t be intimidated or over-think it. Wine is a beverage not a Kafka novel.

RED: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

LINDA: Champagne. I’ve never met a Grande Dame that did not please.

RED: What is the one question that I should have asked you, and what is your answer to that question?

LINDA: Where do I give my attention when not making wine? My wife, our dogs and the home garden (in that order).

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

LINDA: This was fun. You guys are great. Thanks.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the MacLeod Family Vineyard in Sonoma Valley can be seen in this satellite photo.