Month: May 2024
2023 Wood Family Vineyards Barrel Aged Sauvignon Blanc
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Wood Family Vineyards introduced their new Sauvignon Blanc on April 28th, 2024. What makes this different than their current Sauvignon Blanc which is produced in stainless steel tanks, they made a barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc. This entailed making 4 barrels in neutral oak barrels and 1 in an Acacia barrel. After 3 months, they transferred the wine from the Acacia barrel to another neutral barrel. They continued aging the wine in oak for an additional 5 months before bottling.
The great fact of the matter, Sauvignon Blanc wine lovers now will have a choice in two distinct profiles going forward. Best to describe their stainless steel Sauvignon Blanc first and then below under “The Wine” describe this new offering.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The first thing you notice is a different bottle. The stainless steel Sauvignon Blanc bottle is clear with a screw cap. The barrel treated version has the colored glass bottle and a cork top.
Generally speaking the specific Acacia wood barrel and stirring of the lees makes the wine feel creamier and much broader on the palate. This is exactly the taste and texture Wood Family Vineyards targeted for this wine. Still the same basic flavors of the stainless steel but some slight nuances. The 2023 Barrel Aged Sauvignon Blanc picked up besides texture qualities, it also mellowed out or tempered the stronger notes of the grapefruit and citrus. The aging also provided a secondary aroma and herbaceous flavors not found in the stainless steel. Also present was more lemon grass and a tinge of vanilla on the finish which was so refreshing and contrasting to the citrus qualities. The wine ends up being refreshing, high in acidity, complex and creamy. This is precisely the qualitative difference Rhonda Wood was striving to make showcasing the barrel aging offering. The release price is set at $40/bottle and is 13.6% alcohol with only 135 cases being produced.
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
Tonight’s dinner was a BBQ’ed and quickly seared Atlantic Salmon. Rather than marinating the fish, I constructed a pasta/sauce to add while BBQ-ing. Also drizzled on the salmon when plated. It consisted of wasabi, fresh ginger, minced garlic, low sodium soy sauce, sesame seed oil, honey, and fresh ground black pepper. This wine was chosen for the meal so as to envelope the tangy sauce with the mouthful and creamy Sauvignon Blanc. The combination of the tangy sauce on the fish with the Sauvignon Blanc was excellent. Accompanied by sautéed asparagus, artichoke and a fresh garden salad. A great food and wine pairing!
Sláinte,
Michael
2021 LXV Wines Cabernet Franc – Continue Their Winning Ways!
Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
For two years in a row their wine has won many awards at the Annual International Cabernet Franc Competition. First they won Best of Category ($76 to $100) as well as Double Gold Medals by the Professional Judges. The judges also awarded it Best Cabernet Franc for the California Division and Grand Sweepstakes winner overall! This is a commendable feat when going up against so many excellent wines, priced up to almost $200, from around the world!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The People’s Choice Judges also awarded Double Gold Medals for the California Cabernet Franc wines. Winning this many awards from two sets of judges, confirms it’s pedigree as a thorough bred and standout wine.
The Winery
Photo from LXV Wines website
A unique experience from a unique culture to the wine industry. Neeta Mittal is the owner of LXV Wines. It started in India in a village south of Mumbai, where her mother lives and frequently visits the spice market to find fragment herbs for Tandoori Masala. The goal of Neeta is unconventional in that her goal is to open up as she states “the restrained jargon of pH and acidity” to flavors and senses. The LXV Wine experience at the tasting room in Paso Robles was named to the Top 10 by USA Today. The end goal is to create at their tasting room “a movement that inspires and heightens moments, and that transcends the personal, business and community”. Lofty goals for sure and she is obtaining them often. I was privileged to enjoy a home cooked meal a few times with their various Cabernet Franc wines, and the creativity and uniqueness was far beyond any typical food and wine pairing.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Just as unique was how they found Paso Robles! Her husband Kunal and she on a flight wanted to land at Oceano’s county airport, but being fogged in, they detoured and landed at Paso Robles. They immediately made the most of this unexpected arrival and connected with the people of Paso Robles. The land also reminded them of India.
They hired consulting winemaker Jeff Strekas with his background from Napa and Bordeaux style of wine making that was a match for Neeta and Kunal. Jeff’s creativity and willingness to experiment in new varietals that Neeta enjoys has proven excellent. Additionally Jeff has adapted to Kunal in his love for Cabernet Franc. The vineyards are situated mostly around Paso Robles on some of the most pristinely manicured and hand selected vineyards.
The tasting room just off the main square in downtown Paso Robles has three separate areas to taste their exquisite wines- the main tasting lounge, the Cellar room and the outdoor patio. At each location, besides the wine, flavor samples are available with simply exotic spices and aromas. For example Irish Monk – dulse flakes, miso, pink peppers, amchur, cardamom and black vanilla. Another is Chai Garm Chai – black tea, tulsi, green & black cardamom, star anise, cloves, fennel, rose petals. Currently seven other tastings are available with various wines.
Today they offer besides a variety of “Bordeaux influenced wines”, and others like Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Syrah and many more
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2021 LXV Wines Cabernet Franc was even better than their winning 2020! On the eyes an enticing dark cavernous purple coloring. On the nose, raspberries and lavender reach out to the senses with spectacular display of fragrances. On the palate is where the wine shines with fruit including blueberries and vanilla. The finish shows a depth of structure and spices of white pepper and sage. Unique is the smoothness of caressing velvety tannins let present enough to handle meat (story below). So uniquely smooth and enjoyable. Their notes include “structure of Chinon (France) and the aromatics of Bourgueil! Laced with herbaceousness, blessed with copious fruit”. In the production, the grapes were fermented 17 days using short and gentle pump-overs to avoid over-extraction. Aged in 40% new French oak barriques and puncheons for 20 months. While having a wide ranging taste it is only 14% alcohol.
The 2021 LXV Cabernet Franc was released in August 2023 and sells for $100. The 2021 Cabernet Franc wine from LXV Wines made my list of Best Wines Tasted for 2024 that is published annually in December. Only five barrels were produced. The grapes came from Portico Hills Vineyard located in Santa Barbara County.
Map from website “Visit the Santa Ynez Valley” (https://www.visitsyv.com/)
Los Alamos Valley is the home of Portico Vineyards characterized by cool nights and warm days, allowing grapes to achieve both concentration and balance. It is located in Santa Barbara County. The area has multiple slopes with many acres planted in 10% to 25% slope. The hilly topography with sandy soil promotes great drainage and produces award winning wines. Currently from Portico Vineyards, 26 wineries are using their award winning grapes.
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 BBQ’ed and seared filet mignon steak served medium rare with crumbled Blue Stilton Cheese from the United Kingdom topping the meat. Accompanied by halved roasted Brussel sprouts, and drizzled with reduction balsamic vinegar. Also a Santa Fe southwestern salad was served. A wonderful and enjoyable meal with the wine while being silky smooth, had enough tannins to handle the meat.
Sláinte,
Michael
2022 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay for National Chardonnay Day!
The Winery
Pictures from Wood Family Vineyards
Wood Family Vineyards, located in eastern Livermore Valley with Rhonda Wood owner & winemaker, has been producing award winning wines for over two decades. You can read more on her background from airline pilot to award winning winemaker at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/10/wood-family-vineyards-2
Recently at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (largest in North America), Wood Family Vineyards won the following awards and not all are listed:
2019 Cabernet Franc – Double Gold
2021 Malbec – Double Gold
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon “Clone 30” – Double Gold
2021 El Loco Rojo Red Blend – Double Gold
2021 The Captain Red Blend – Double Gold
2022 Chardonnay – Gold
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First off, my apologies to Robert Louis Stevenson:
“In the glass, the juice glistens of golden perfection,
A sculptured artwork displaying the winemakers’ vineyard reflection
Of quality, detailed preciseness and caressing hands.
Aromas abound from the origins of the vineyard of dreams
Conjoined with the bountiful fruits of the vine, apple & pear flavors
With an undercurrent of almonds, light citrus and encased in a brioche wafer.
The finish of exquisiteness frames the sip and beckons again to the taster.
But enough, as it is time to partake and enjoy this invigorating elixir”.
-ode to Rhonda Wood’s Chardonnay by Michael Kelly
It is a great wine with fruit flavors and with a medium heavy viscosity. Coming in at 14.1% alcohol and is priced at $34/bottle on their website. This wine has made by annual Best Wines Tasted in a given year for the last five years!
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
Tonight’s dinner was a marinated and seared Swordfish. It was marinated in a wasabi and ginger sauce consisting of fresh ginger, shallot, garlic clove, mirin, low sodium soy sauce, wine vinegar, honey, fresh wasabi and paste with fresh ground black pepper. Marinated for 7 hours and then seared a few minutes on each side. Topped with a salsa of fresh chopped Mango and Mandarin oranges. The salsa and fish were excellent with the Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay. The combination of the tangy marinade and sweet fruit was a beautiful contrast. I would next time “cut down” the soy sauce, mirin and wine vinegar to make the marinade a bit thicker and increase the measurements of ginger and wasabi to spice it up a bit. Still a great food and wine pairing!
Sláinte,
Michael
2020 Vermilion Valley Vineyards Chardonnay
The Winery
From Vermilion Valley Vineyards Website
I recently did several stories on Vermilion Valley Vineyards and The Winerie at Sandusky (both labels are the same ownership and winemaker). The Vermilion Valley story was on how delicious their Pinot Noir and who knew this high quality of Pinot Noir could be grown in Ohio.
Another story was on a wine seldom seen in California and many have never tasted, Lemberger wine.
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2024/03/10/the-winerie-at-sandusky-2021-lemberger-wine
Vermilion Valley Vineyards has 100 planted acres in four different locations. With micro climates, this allows all his wines to be 100% estate grown. What is interesting about Ohio is that some 370 wineries exist but only 900 acres of grapes are planted! Doing some simple math, removing the five largest vineyards in the state, you are left with each winery having a one acre parcel! Thus many wineries in Ohio rely on importing juice from various areas like the Central Valley of California and Washington. That is one of many unique characteristics of Vermilion Valley Vineyards and their estate wines.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes a very pale yellow straw coloring and very bright. On the nose a slight tinge of orange blossoms wafted up to the imbiber. On the palate, orange blossoms, coupled with a “lemon tart” filled the mouth. The second malolactic fermentation provided enough roundness to the wine to soften it up. On the finished, toasted oak was very dominant with a hint of vanilla to balance it. This Chardonnay had a few similar citrus characteristics as their Sauvignon Blanc.
The website shows it listed at $22/bottle and comes in at 14% alcohol.
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 lemon caper chicken. Using both flour and panko with garlic salt, pepper and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Accompanied by steam broccoli and a fresh garden salad. The food pairing was good as the lemon chicken reflected the “lemon tart” in the wine. The medium heavy viscosity of the wine also coated each bite with buttercream.
Sláinte,
Michael
2019 Brick Barn Estate Winery – Fatalist Cabernet Franc Grand Sweepstakes Winner
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
This wine won so many awards at the 5th Annual International Cabernet Franc is was amazing! First they won Best of Category ($101 and up) as well as Double Gold Medals by the Professional Judges . The People’s Choice Judges also awarded it Double Gold Medals, Best of Category, Best of Show for California Cabernet Franc wines and Grand Sweepstakes verses all divisions. While Brick Barn had submitted in prior compettions with their regualar Cabernet Franc winning many awards, this is truly a remarkable feat for this first time entry of Fatalist Cabernet Franc!!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Santa Ynez Valley AVA
Map from https://carrwinery.com/
The AVA is unique to California as it is a long, east-west valley with both cool and warm climates. This allows for a range of varieties to be grown from Pinot Noir closer to the ocean breezes/fog to Cabernet Franc/Sauvignon to the eastern regions. Many Rhone grape varietals also have thrived in this versatile appellation such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Roussanne and Viognier.
The Winery
Norman and Kathleen Williams started with a vision for taking his 40 acres acquired in 1968. Today the property, Buell Ranch, has expanded to 1,060 acres with 35 acres planted in vineyards. Their inaugural wines were produced from the 2015 vintage and they opened the tasting room in 2018. For a “more recent winery” they have garnered a real presence in Santa Ynez Valley.
Their “terroir” is unique being between the Pacific Ocean (only 10 miles away) and the warmer inland valley. This allows both the cool marine elements of morning fog and breezes to co-mingle with the warmth of the summer months. The net effect is ripening occurs steadily with closing down for evening, producing great natural acidity and layers of structure/complexity for the grapes.
Picture from Brick Barn Estate Winery
The winemaker is Adrian Bolshoi who upholds the vineyards “non-invasive farming practices” that allow the vineyards to speak for and show their distinct personalities. Thus minimal interventions are the hallmark of their wines. They use a variety of vessels in the making of their wines, including neutral oak barrels, new oak barrels, oak puncheons, stainless steel, and concrete. The reason being to highlight each wine’s fermentation process, which express the varietals full characteristics.
Today their award winning white wines include: Chardonnay (various), Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino and Viognier. Their red wines include: Cabernet Franc (& a Reserve), Grenache, Pinot Noir (various), a Rhone Blend and Syrah. Additionally they produce their Fatalist label featuring the finest barrels and tedious management and craftsmanship. Those wines in the Fatalist lineup include: Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah.
For both the standard and Fatalist offerings the awards are too numerous to list and can be found at:
https://www.brickbarnwineestate.com/wines/accolades/
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
They first introduced the Fatalist Cabernet Franc with their 2017 vintage. The 2019 is now their second release. First on the eyes a deep royal purple and maroon coloring and medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose dark cherry bursts into the olfactory senses with a floral aroma quickly following. On the palate upon the first sip, the dark cherries spring forth with an appropriate amount of fruit, cedar and a faint vanilla pipe tobacco and rhubarb. The finish provides stately pedigree tannins but come across with a velvety but persistent presence. The end result being an extremely smooth and balanced wine!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Only two barrels of this exquisite wine were produced using Russian oak. It is listed at $180/bottle and comes in a remarkable low 13.6% alcohol content for such a big and bold flavor.
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 BBQ’ed filet mignon served medium rare. Topped with a slice of white mushroom with an aioli sauce of wasabi and ginger. Accompanied by halved Brussel sprouts roasted and drizzled with balsamic reduction and a fresh garden salad with blue cheese dressing. A wonderful food and wine pairing!
Sláinte,
Michael
2020 Ehret Family Winery, Bella’s Cabernet Sauvignon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
Picture from Ehret Family Winery
The Ehret Family Winery owners are Pierre and Susan Ehret with their three children Alex, Christian and Isabella. They established the vineyard and started producing grapes in 1996 at the Bavarian Lion Vineyards. It is one of the largest estates in Knights Valley consisting of 1800 acres of both hillside and valley floor terrain. Currently 500 acres are planted in vineyards allowing the balance to provide an ecosystem for plants and birdlife to dwell. From 1996 they sold their fruit to some of the more well-known wineries throughout Napa and Sonoma counties. In 2005, they selected the highest quality grapes and started their family brand, Ehret Family Winery. Today they produce various Cabernet Sauvignon’s, Red Blends, Zinfandel, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc wines. Their tasting room is located in Healdsburg at 422 Healdsburg Ave and appointments are required.
Knights Valley is located in Northern Sonoma County between Alexander Valley and over the Napa Valley border next to Calistoga.
The winemaker is Erin Green who has been there since 2015. Previously Erin has had experience at Sonoma-Cutrer, Vinewood Cellars and Napa Wine Company. She has also blended wines for various premium projects such as Bryant Family, Colgin Cellars, Martinelli Winery and Pahlmeyer. From 2000-2012 Erin was the winemaker and Director of Winegrowing at Pahlmeyer.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine in 2019, previous vintage, was rated at 99 points and won Best of Class at the International Women’s Wine Competition. It was also rated 98 points and Best of Class at the North Coast Wine Challenge. The 2020 will continue to win similar accolades for its beautiful taste.
First on the eyes a deep maroon and with lively purple hues around the rim. On the nose, one of the most aromatic Cabernet Sauvignon’s this year! The fruits burst into the sense like a cornucopia overflowing with blackberries, black cherries and blueberries. Truly one of the most fragrant Cabernet Sauvignon’s. On the palate, besides the aforementioned juicy fruits, a full body elixir presented itself with layers of fruit and spices. Black cherry was dominant yet secondary flavors of peppercorns, plums and pepper were noticed. On the finish, one of the longest in recent memory with firm and hugging tannins. The balance of fruit forwardness and acidity was near perfect. The dry wine, but with so much fruit, provided a level of sweetness but not residual sugar.
The wine goes for $85 for the 2019 but no price yet for the 2020. For the 2020 only 139 cases were produced. Aged 18 months in 68% new French oak barrels. The 2020 is composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. This is the quintessential Sonoma or Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon! It comes in at 15.5% alcohol level.
This wine definitely made my annual list of Best Wines Tasted during the year!!
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 with a seasoned and seared ribeye on the BBQ at 1450 degrees. Served medium rare and accompanied by an artichoke and fresh garden salad. The seared charred finish on the ribeye was met with the fruit forwardness of the wine to be embraced and yet with enough tannins to stand up to the beef. Truly a wonderful food and wine pairing last evening.
As a side note, the wine was so exceptional, left two glasses in the bottle and invited friends over to enjoy this wine. Both thought it was spectacular similar to our conclusion. We continued to talk and I went back to the cellar to pull two other Cabernet Sauvignon’s I have rated very highly. Both were 2014, Ledson, Napa Valley “Stagecoach Vineyards” and Tate Wines, Mt Veeder. All were delicious but the unanimous winning wine was still Ehret Ella’s Cabernet Sauvignon.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
As summer approaches, enjoy the BBQ-ing season!
Sláinte,
Michael
2023 Jazz Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Jordan Oaks Vineyard
The Winery
The origin of the word “jazz” is as varied as the music being played today called jazz. Perhaps the best origin is from the slang “jasm” from around 1860 which meant “energy, vitality, and spirit”. That seems to capture the essence of music referred to as jazz. That is how the two owners of Jazz Cellars have composed their wines. On a recent re-visit based on an invite by Joe and Bob, I visited Murphys and ventured to taste one of the wines that I have previous enjoyed, their Pinot Noir and a few others.
First a quick background on the two owners/composers of Jazz Cellars. Bob Smith and Joe Lazzara are both neighbors, musicians and high tech folks who shared a vision of producing great wine. They started and are still headquartered in Foster City. They had been using a well know facility in the Dogpatch area of San Francisco to create their master pieces prior to 2020. Currently they are now making their wines in Murphys. The tasting room is located in Murphys California in the lower Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The unique aspect of Jazz Cellars is that they search and find the “right terroir” in order to produce award winning wines. At last count they had accumulated well over 100 awards in a very short period of time, without a dedicated vineyard! No small feat.
So while in Murphys (Calaveras AVA), I stopped by to taste their wines as it had been some time since I had visited. They are located 100 feet down a side alley off Main Street. The wines being served that day did include several using “Calaveras County” grapes. While stopping for one wine, I ended up sampling four wines and was very much impressed with each varietal offered.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
One of the wines purchased was this 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, thinking it would be a beautiful wine to be consumed this summer. So last evening, being a warm evening and having acquired some fresh jumbo shrimp, this was the chosen wine. First on the eyes a very pale yellow hue and light viscosity. On the nose, various tropical notes including pineapple. Once tasting it, the expectations of a very “New Zealand” style Sauvignon Blanc were much pushed aside. Yes lemon zest and citrus were very present but downplayed on the taste. It was crisp and clean and with a modicum of sweetness. The finish was pleasantly medium long and enjoyable.
The wine possesses a 14.1% alcohol and goes for $28/bottle. What made this wine perfectly enjoyable was the food pairing!
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
Having picked up some fresh jumbo shrimp and having a spicy red cocktail sauce (even added some Tabasco) the shrimp when dipped was spicy and tangy. The cool and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc counterbalanced and smoothed out the zesty cocktail sauce. A more traditional “New Zealand” full on citrus Sauvignon Blanc would have been “drowned out” by the sauce. Here the Jazz Cellars provided “coolness and calm” to the meal. An excellent food and wine pairing!
Sláinte,
Michael
2012 St Rose Winery Pinot Noir, Nunes Vineyard Ten Block
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
On the northern side of Santa Rosa, I met with Fred and Wendy Nunes a few years back. If you ever wanted to know what “unbridled enthusiasm” looks like, you have to look no further than to see Fred Nunes! He walked into the small tasting room behind their house and it was a full on engaging conversation from helicopter firefighting to GPS systems to drones and finally growing of Pinot Noir grapes. Fred in his “second career” used some of his knowledge from his degree in systematic biology and ecology. He combined his intuition with science and hooked it up to his bigger than life presence to grape growing and winemaking. In recent years he has not produced his own wine, but chosen to sell his grapes.
Fred meticulously works each row and vine and has developed a detailed diagram for harvesting and cultivating his award winning Pinots. The 2012 Ten Block Pinot scored 94 points from Wine Enthusiast. Fred has consistently received 93 and 94 points. He also makes a unique 100% Clone 777 with limited production. Now the kicker—for his 2012 he only produced 98 cases of his Ten Block. He is actually the smallest commercially bonded winery in Sonoma County when I visited some 8 years ago, which he takes pride in producing some of the best Pinot’s.
That said, they do sell grapes to approximately five other wineries which have a designated Nunes Vineyard Pinot. Fred is so well known and respected, the others wineries allow Fred to be the vineyard manager for their wines, certainly not a common occurrence. Fred has developed high tech sensors to monitor temperature and variations as well as manually walking the vineyard every day. He seems to be the Pinot Noir “vine whisperer”. Fred is the ultimate steward of this 43 acre parcel with Pinot Clones planted on 35 acres. This is his 24th harvest.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Remarkably being 12 years old, this wine possessed beautiful aromas. On the eyes is a deep violet and medium heavy viscosity. On the nose, violets, Rose petals red berries, strawberries and cherry. On the palate, vanilla, nutmeg, strawberry abound with baking spices and a tinge of French oak. The finish is excellent producing a smooth, textual and long lasting experience. It is 13.9% alcohol. It made a previous year’s best wines of the year tasted.
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
The wine was specifically selected for tonight’s dinner to go with a dry rubbed BBQ’ed pork tenderloin. This was a slightly different recipe that was a bit spicier than a previous one. The dry rub included chili powder, brown sugar, dried oregano, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, fine sea salt, pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil. The slices of pork tenderloin each provided ample flavors to assimilate this refreshing and exquisite wine without overpowering it. The meal was accompanied by a fresh garden salad. The slices of pork tenderloin were served with Stewart and Jasper Cherry sauce. A beautiful food and wine pairing and made complete by this wine.
This was my last bottle and should he produce more, I will be ordering more as this is an elegantly refined, complex and quintessential Pinot Noir.
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
https://www.nunesvineyard.com/saintrosewinery/
2022 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay – Liquid Gold!
The Winery
Pictures from Wood Family Vineyards website
Wood Family Vineyards, located in eastern Livermore Valley with Rhonda Wood owner & winemaker, has been producing award winning wines for over two decades. You can read more on her background from airline pilot to award winning winemaker at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/10/wood-family-vineyards-2
Recently at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (largest in North America), Wood Family Vineyards won the following awards and not all are listed:
2019 Cabernet Franc – Double Gold
2021 Malbec – Double Gold
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon “Clone 30” – Double Gold
2021 El Loco Rojo Red Blend – Double Gold
2021 The Captain Red Blend – Double Gold
2022 Chardonnay – Gold
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First off, my apologies to Robert Louis Stevenson:
“In the glass, the juice glistens of golden perfection,
A sculptured artwork displaying the winemakers’ vineyard reflection
Of quality, detailed preciseness and caressing hands.
Aromas abound from the origins of the vineyard of dreams
Conjoined with the bountiful fruits of the vine, apple & pear flavors
With an undercurrent of almonds, light citrus and encased in a brioche wafer.
The finish of exquisiteness frames the sip and beckons again to the taster.
But enough, as it is time to partake and enjoy this invigorating elixir”.
-ode to Rhonda Wood’s Chardonnay by Michael Kelly
It is a great wine with pears and brioche with a medium heavy viscosity. Coming in at 14.1% alcohol and is priced at $34/bottle on their website.
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 with a BBQ seared pepper encrusted Ahi tuna on the outside and raw in the inside. Drizzled with lemon juice, served topped with Mandarin oranges and green onions. Ingredients included olive oil, sea salt, ground pepper, peppercorns and garlic salt. Accompanied by a fresh garden salad (not shown). An excellent food and wine pairing. This wine was already noted to be in my best wines tasted in 2024.
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.comhttps://woodfamilyvineyards.com
2020 Vermilion Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris
The Winery
From Vermilion Valley Vineyards Website
I recently did several stories on Vermilion Valley Vineyards and The Winerie at Sandusky (both labels are the same ownership and winemaker). The Vermilion Valley story was on how delicious their Pinot Noir and who knew this high quality of Pinot Noir could be grown in Ohio.
The second story was on a wine seldom seen in California and many have never tasted, Lemberger wine.
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2024/03/10/the-winerie-at-sandusky-2021-lemberger-wine
Vermilion Valley Vineyards has 100 planted acres in four different locations. With micro climates, this allows all his wines to be 100% estate grown. What is interesting about Ohio is that some 370 wineries exist but only 900 acres of grapes are planted! Doing some simple math, removing the five largest vineyards in the state, you are left with each winery having a one acre parcel! Thus many wineries in Ohio rely on importing juice from various areas like the Central Valley of California and Washington. That is one of many unique characteristics of Vermilion Valley Vineyards and their estate wines.
At a recent event I got a chance to meet Joe in person and had a brief but engaging conversation. His personal life story is very interesting, that is for him to share, but he has an undeniable infectious smile!
Photo from Facebook
Currently they produce the following red wines: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Dorsa, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lemberger, Chambourcin, Dornfelder, Nebbiolo, Malbec, Pinotage and Merlot. Ditto for their white wines producing: Muscat Ottonel, Riesling. Gruner Veltliner, Müller-Thurgau, Traminette, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Valvin Muscat, Ribola Gialla, Petit Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Albariño, Pinot Blanc and Arneis. That is a wide variety of wines and all estate grown!
You can read their webpage about their high level of sustainability incorporating land use and their buildings. Link at the bottom of the page
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The first thing is understanding that Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris have two different profiles but are the same grape. Where it is grown makes the significant difference. Pinot Grigio is the more popular of the two and can be found at many restaurants. The characteristics are that it has a “lighter body, is clean and crisp with citrus flavors” according to Wine Spectator. Pinot Gris has a touch more spicy tropical fruit aromas, low in acidity, higher alcohol and a richer texture. Another way of looking at the difference is that Pinot Gris is based on the French Alsace style, whereas Pinot Grigio is based on the Italian style lighter and crisper! Pinot Grigio is an early budding and ripening grape and is best suited to cooler climates.
The 2020 Pinot Gris from Vermilion exemplifies these characteristics. On the eyes a pale golden yellow which at first I was suspect it would be lacking a punch. However once on the nose, a floral bouquet of white flowers (jasmine & honeysuckle) and tropical fruits awaken the imbiber. On the palate, the cool refreshing honeydew coupled with the bright acidity provided a beautiful wine to be enjoyed. The finish continued with clean light citrus notes of lemon and tangerine flavors. An excellent summer time wine!
The Vermilion Pinot Gris is a dry white wine and is listed on their website for $20/bottle. This wine is 13.5% alcohol.
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
This wine was chosen this evening to be paired with chicken Piccata. The ingredients were ground black pepper, egg whites, whole wheat bread crumbs, butter, fresh lemon juice, white wine and capers. It was then served with fresh lemon slices to be squeezed on the chicken. Accompanied by cooked corn and a fresh garden salad. A very good food and wine pairing with the “soft citrus notes” in the wine coupling up with the citrus of the lemon in the chicken.
Sláinte,
Michael