2020 Livermore Valley Vintner’s Collective and Wood Family Vineyards
The Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The background on the Livermore Valley Vintner’s Collective (LVVC) started out with six small family run wineries with a purpose. Livermore Valley Vintners Collective is a group of highly motivated and creative winemakers residing in the Livermore Valley. Driven by collaboration and inspiration, the group decided to begin a winemaking project. At the core were a few central questions: What would happen if you give a group of winemakers a framework of varietals and ask them to make a wine. One that is totally unique, accessible and interesting. A representation of the specified grapes from the appellation, but with the fingerprints of each personality. Would you end up with similar wines? Would they be drastically different? Other rules apply like not have any more than 50% being new barrels, no one varietal can exceed 20%, etc. Check out the LVCC website at: https://www.lvvc.net/
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I had attended the 2023 Livermore Valley Vintners Collective release on Saturday, June 24th at the Bankhead theater lobby. This was for their 2020 vintages. Each year six Livermore Valley wineries agree on a format to be followed and each winemaker putting their creative spin on the end product within the guidelines. Six wineries participated in Saturday’s event. The rules this year were five wines were to be chosen and each representing twenty percent with all grapes being from Livermore Valley. The varietal choice was up to each winemaker. This review is on the Wood Family Vineyards LVVC 2020 release.
The Wine 2020 LVVC by Wood Family Vineyards – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
For 2020 it was decided that they would produce a blend of five varietals each composing 20% of the total featuring: Grenache, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. This wine is a kindred spirit to a typical symphony with four movements. The first addressing the mind, the second targeting the heart, the third a wake call with up tempo music and the fourth/final movement a strong and powerful, stirring and cheerful rendition of the previous movements. So it is with Wood Family Vineyards LVCC Red Blend. It starts off focused on the intellect trying to dissect varying and contrasting flavors of Grenache (bright cherry, ripe fruit, licorice), Cabernet Franc (medium body, herbs, pepper, earthiness) and Cabernet Sauvignon (robust, chewy, leathery). The second movement is the heart of the blend, flavors and aromas bursting with flavors of cocoa, and velvety tannins. The third movement is the wakeup call focused on easy to drink Cabernet Franc contrasting to the robust chewy tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon. The final crescendo pulling it all together, is the combination of red fruits, coffee, herbs, blackberry and layers upon layers of opulence and exuberance picking up all the nuances of the various components. Alcohol is 14.7 % and listed at the winery at $45/bottle.
The Food and Wine Pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with a teriyaki stir fry steak with green beans and green onions. Ingredients included flank steak, teriyaki sauce, trimmed green beans, salt, beef stock, white wine, Asian red chili peppers, cayenne pepper, cornstarch, sliced shiitake mushrooms, sliced garlic cloves, ginger and trimmed green onions. The Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon provided enough tannins for the meat, the other components of the wine provide a wondrous flavoring and companion to the food pairing.
Sláinte,
Michael