Month: July 2024
2019 Ehret Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley
The Winery
Photo from Ehret Family Vineyards website
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
Color: Deep lively crimson and very dark
Velocity: medium-heavy
Aroma: blackberry and bramble
Complexity: It possessed a range of flavors and structure but not as much as their Hillside Cabernet. Blackberry, raspberry fruits with soft young leather with a slight hint of cinnamon and vanilla.
Terroir/Sense of Place: One sip and you could tell it was Knights Valley/Sonoma
Finish: Strong tannins coated the mouth but not overwhelming
Price Point/Value: Definitely a solid value at $75 and comparable to wines much higher.
Being the “least expensive” Cabernet Sauvignon in the Ehret Family Winery lineup, it still delivered like one of their premier wines! First on the eyes a dark luscious coloring almost black and with heavy viscosity. On the nose one of the more expressive and startling aromas with dark cherries exploding in the senses. On the palate a symphony of flavors broke out in merriment with red raspberry and black fruits. On the finish, strong and yet velvety tannins provide a smooth and gentle conclusion to each sip. This wine can easily be enjoyed with various foods or even as a standalone drink.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The grapes are handpicked from their estate Bavarian Lion Vineyards. 300 cases were produced and the 2019 vintage is listed at $75/bottle. This has an alcohol level of 15.5% and only 600 cases 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
Select the wine to pair with a “Black & Blue filet mignon” tonight. Black and blue steak is charred on a very hot grill (1500 degrees) and yet the inside is rare. The blue referring to almost “cold” on the inside. However we do like it a bit warmer or medium rare! Topped with a mixture of butter, Danablu blue cheese and fresh chives. Accompanied by halved seasoned and roasted small potatoes and sautéed Brussel sprouts drizzled with balsamic reduction.
An excellent food and wine pairing!
Sláinte,
Michael
2022 Wood Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc – Another Sure Bet!
The Winery
Photo 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
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I have developed a chart below to visually comprehend the relative merits of the wine being reviewed. First is a simple definition which each could have it own story, but for brevity I simply listed a few points.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Definitions:
Color/Clarity: Does it feature the “standard color” for this type of wine, unique color or sub-standard color for the grape varietal. Some wines are unfiltered and unfined, so that has to be taken into account.
Aroma: When that first aroma wafts into the senses, is it flowers, perfume, berries, etc. Is it pleasant or harsh? Does it beckon you to take that first sip?
Balance: Fruit verses acidity/tannins. Think of a tight rope walker with too much in one direction they will be unbalanced. Same with oak treatment imparting too much tannins and overwhelming the wine.
Complexity: Excellent wines are complex, with multi-layered flavors and subtleties. As the wine reaches different temperatures, does it change it’s profile? Many commercial wines are monotone or flat.
Terroir/Sense of Place & Time: Does the wine reflect the area that it is grown? Easy examples are Cabernet Sauvignon having “Rutherford dust” or an Albariño having a slight salinity from Portugal. Is it typical from the region?
Finish: Key is how long the taste sensation lingers on the palate and the intensity of the flavor. Key is the duration be in short (sub-standard) or elongated (excellent).
Price Point/Value: The range of pricing can vary greatly. Key is the value for the dollar in a comparison of like quality wine varietal from a given area. It is not fair to rate a French Montrachet Chardonnay compared to a Central Coast Chardonnay in pricing.
The grapes come from 3 vineyards in Livermore: 75% from their estate (One Oak), 12.5% from White Cat, and 12.5% from Sachau. Barrel treatment is mostly French oak with several Hungarian oak barrels. New oak is 35% in total with new French oak being 27% and 8% being new Hungarian. It is aged for 18 months and 390 cases were produced. The price point is $44/bottle and it is 13.5% alcohol. The wine will be released August 4th at the winery.
Recent awards from previous vintages include:
2021 Cabernet Franc, Double Gold from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
2019 Cabernet Franc, Double Gold from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Below is the link to the previous vintage release of Cabernet Franc:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2023/05/30/2021-wood-family-vineyards-cabernet-franc/
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 last evening with a BBQ’ed ribeye steak, roasted and seasoned small halved potatoes and sautéed broccoli and sliced Cremini mushrooms. Also accompanied by a beautifully tossed fresh salad.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The food and wine pairing was excellent with the velvety but firm tannins embracing the steak.
Once again, this Cabernet Franc will make my annual Best Wines tasted in the year. The list is published in December.
Sláinte,
Michael
Small Vines Wines – Unique Winery and Dedicated Vineyard Management Care
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
I met with Paul and Kathryn Sloan, owners of Small Vines Winery recently to better understand and appreciate their vineyards and philosophy behind the label. They undertook a project no less than a goal in their quest to make vineyards similar to those in Burgundy. Their goal was to reinvigorate and make their viticulture estate mirror the best European vineyards. Believing growing only small vines is the key to create as Paul states “meaningful wine of authenticity, balance and structure”. This is his thoughts on what makes the greatest Pinot Noir’s and Chardonnay’s in France by starting in vineyards. The Sloan family has a mantra “the smaller the vine, the better the wine”.
This obviously goes against almost all the large wineries and giant corporate winemaking principles garnering higher tons per acre. Paul prefers achieving smaller yields or less fruit per vine, from higher density plantings. For example here is a typical California Chardonnay vineyard with 8 x 5 (8 feet between the rows and 5 feet between vines) versus the second photo of Small Vines Winery 4 x 3 rows.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Photo ©Michael Kelly
With the rows being so narrow, farming equipment was purchased in France and shipped over to achieve their vineyard goal. Below is a picture from Small Vines Winery during harvest.
Photo from Small Vines Winery website
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Their first release in 2005 immediately sold out and received excellent scores and accolades. They bought the estate property in 2007 and planted 12.5 acres in 2009 with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir plantings. The estate is on a hilltop in the Russian River Valley close enough to receive the cooling winds and fog from the Pacific, yet hot enough during the day to allow development. With these factors, it is as Paul states a “perfect location for crisp age worthy acidity and brightness and for richness and tannins”.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paul prefers to use natural yeast and acid to create vibrancy and ageability in their wines. Harvest time requires all sorting being done twice for quality assurance. They often use whole cluster during fermentation to extract a given flavor profile with natural tannins from the stems. Just one of the unique aspects of Small Vines is that all French barrels staves are aged 3 years before seeing their fruit so as not to impart too harsh an impact on their gorgeous fruit. Their Pinot Noir is aged 14 months in the barrels on lees. Both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
The Wines – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Their TBH Chardonnay name comes from The Barlow Homestead where the winery sits today. The actual winery is a solid fortress where apples were stored. Their Chardonnay uses a combination of new and neutral French barrels and the Chardonnay’s tasted were the 2020 Small Vines Sonoma Coast and the 2018 TBH Chardonnay.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
In total 5 wines were tasted with the Sloan’s. The Pinot Noir wines tasted were the 2021 Estate Cuvee, the 2020 TBH and the 2019 Baranoff Vineyard.
Below Paul showing his pristine Chardonnay vines with no overlapping in the vineyard.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Each wine tasted was unique in the aromas, mouth feel, taste and finish. I truly was impressed initially and even more so once reviewing my notes on the precise care Paul takes in the vineyard to bring his European expression of each grape cluster and vine to make his wine. I left the tasting purchasing a few bottles for future enjoyment with food.
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 selected for dinner was the 2019 Small Vines Pinot Noir from the Baranoff Vineyards located in the Russian River Valley. Only 140 cases were produced and sells for $100/bottle. This wine comes in at 12.9% alcohol.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A semi-transparent brick red on the eyes. On the nose initially on the pour, strong aromas burst into the senses of black cherry. On the palate with the first sip, blackberry, strawberry fruits swirl about in the mouth. Intense flavors hit the front of the tongue and noticeable tannins on the upper teeth. On the finish bright acidity abounds and is surrounded by flavors of rhubarb and cranberry. It is then counterbalanced with a hint vanilla. A very dry Pinot Noir with the wine showing strong minerality.
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 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. It was then drizzled with a Cherry Pepper sauce. The meal was accompanied by roasted potatoes, sautéed asparagus and sliced Cremini mushrooms and a fresh garden salad.
Sláinte,
Michael
2022 Wood Family Vineyards GSM – An Artistic Masterpiece!
Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
GSM in the wine world stands for Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre – three important grapes grown in the Côtes du Rhône region of France. Today, it is universally produced around the world. Why blend these three wines? The blend produces a great complex red fruit flavors and is age worthy. Typically GSM wines are bright, with in your face aromas of ripe fruit, sage, herbs and can range from smooth to having edgy tannins. By changing the percentages of each varietal in the GSM, a winemaker can significantly change the flavor profile. By adding more Grenache, the lighter of the three grapes, the outcome will be a lighter wine. Adding more Syrah, the outcome is a stronger and bolder wine. Mourvèdre a strong grape varietal, is typically added in small amounts. The end result of each winemakers’ blend, when a bright and fruity Grenache is blended with deep and peppery Syrah and Mourvèdre, is like an artist creating a master piece to their liking. GSM, with three distinctly different grapes, can run the gamut of coloring and flavor profiles.
Many have only tasted a weak GSM, while desiring more flavor and written off the entire classification of GSM wines. One size does not fit all with GSM percentages varying from winery to winery.
As I was preparing the wine to go with this evening meal, I was thinking that I normally am not a fan of GSM wine from any winery. However, opened it up and was so surprised! Could not have imagined that this wine would possess such an impactful flavor and spice. So now I believe GSM also stands for “get some more” wine!
The Winery
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
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Immediately pouring the wine you are taken back with a semi-transparent magenta coloring with traces of purple and violet coloring and a medium viscosity. On the nose and palate is where you are awakened to something beautiful and appealing. On the nose, pepper, strawberry, and blackberry waft into the senses. On the palate is where the “masterpiece is painted” with the soft and yet spicy berry notes from the Grenache, the dark fruit of the Syrah and intense coloring, tannins and earthy notes of the Mourvèdre. All of these components provide beautiful and compatible flavors of strawberry, blackberry, dark plum while still providing a bright fruit on the palate. The finish is long and satisfying with gripping tannins which was surprisingly welcomed after the fruit, adding structure and complexity to a robust conclusion. One of the best GSM’s tasted in recent memory and Rhonda Wood’s winemaking strikes gold again!
This 2022 GSM will be available on August 4th and will sell for $42/bottle. This vintage blend is 53% Grenache, 37% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre with 526 cases being produced. The wine comes in at 14% alcohol. The grapes are from various site locations in Livermore: Grenache coming from two sites, Fong Vineyards (Kalthoff Common area) and Marina Vineyard (central area); Syrah coming from one site being Clark Vineyard (eastern side); and the Mourvedre from Raboli Vineyard (eastern side).
Barrels used in production were mostly neutral oak and 11% new oak, with 3.6% being French and 7.4% being Hungarian. The Grenache had a new twist being aged on lees without stirring or racking. The wine was aged 17 months in barrels.
This wine will also make my annual Best Wines tasted in this year’s report.
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 this evening was chosen to go with a new stuffed bell pepper recipe. The ingredients included olive oil, ground beef, Italian sausage, yellow onion diced, minced garlic cloves, salt & pepper, Italian seasoning, tomato paste, brown sugar, diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, cooked brown rice and cheddar cheese. Accompanied by an artichoke. The refreshing Wood GSM helped to surround the spicy entrée and yet still provide the spiciness of the wine as previous described. A very good food and wine pairing.
Sláinte,
Michael
An Interview with Alex Ehret of Ehret Family Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
In 2024 I met Alex Ehret over an email and subsequent phone calls. Didn’t have the opportunity to meet him in person until last week. He arranged to meet as I was driving to the coast and could stop by. What a great treat hearing the family history, viewing the expansive vineyards and gaining a comprehensive understanding of their operation as well as meeting Alex in person.
While having written some eight stories on their various exquisite wines with some rated 99 points, it is simply not the same as sitting down and “feeling the family story” from Alex.
The Winery
Photo from Ehret Family website
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 Wines – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Many of the wines discussed and the original signage Alex’s grandfather painted.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Their first production wine was in 2005. Alex showed me a bottle kept under “lock and key”!
Photo of Ehret’s vineyards Knights Valley ©Michael Kelly
Ehret Family Winery in their 20 years of production with 500 acres of planted grapes only uses about 1% for their family winery with the balance being sold off as fruit to some of the more prestigious wineries in the area.
Alex and his brother are planning to increase their wine label production and also have a “top secret” plot of land dedicated to a “non-wine” adventure that will certainly grab the attention of folks.
While reviewing a couple of new vintages, I look forward to purchasing for future enjoyment.
For reference here are the links to previous stories on Ehret Family Winery:
Cabernet Sauvignon:
Merlot:
Sauvignon Blanc:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2024/03/14/2022-ehret-family-winery-sauvignon-blanc/
Zinfandel:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2024/07/02/2021-ehret-family-zinfandel-from-knights-landing/
Sláinte,
Michael
2023 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay – A Study in Consistency
Background
Rhonda Wood has been making award winning Chardonnay for at least 7 years in a row and before. I personally have enjoyed this wine extensively for the same amount of time. It has also won my Best Wines tasted during the year for the same amount of time. Over the last 7 years, as a testimony of her quality of Chardonnay, I have purchased 8-14 cases a year. What I also find interesting while a thread of flavors are evident year to year, the nuances of the wine do change with the “terroir” of the year.
By the way when one is consistent in a sport they are called All Star, consistent in horse racing they are known as a thoroughbred, consistent in car racing they are called a champion, etc. All those accolades and more are indeed worthy of Rhonda’s Chardonnay and several of her other wines.
I have called in the past Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay the “Utility Player of Wines” as it goes so well with so many dishes. In reviewing stories I have written about the Chardonnay food pairings dishes that include: Asian chicken wraps, swordfish, seared Ahi tuna, baked stuff chicken, stir fried chicken with Bok Choy, baked butterflied chicken with Swiss cheese, blackened Mahi Mahi, Tempura chicken with noodles, shrimp Pad Thai, Firecracker chicken, seared scallops and many more dishes.
The Winery
Photo 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
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes a bright and deep golden color. Swirling the wine in the glass, you immediately see the thick and rich texture of this wine. On the nose when cold, a slight lime note wafted in the senses, but as it warmed up, green apple and a tinge of green tea was present. On the palate most notable was the weightiness of the wine in the mouth. Honeydew melon was the dominant flavor with both a buttery brioche dough and soft lemon zest and almond coming to the party. Also on the finish a fresh star fruit quality was present. This year the butter scotch finish was not present yet the wine encapsulated the mouth with freshness.
The 2023 comes from two vineyards with 70% being Wisner and 30% being from Kalthoff Common area. These are in opposite sides of Livermore. Barrel treat was 100% French oak with 32.5% being new 30% being once used and the balance being neutral. The wine was aged 9 months and 900 cases were produced. The lees were stirred once every two weeks for five months. It will be released on August 4th for $36/bottle and comes in just slightly higher alcohol than the 2022 at 14.6%.
The 2022 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay won Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and fully expect the 2023 to do the same!
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 chicken Piccata dish. Ingredients included fresh ground black pepper, egg whites, whole wheat bread crumbs, butter, white wine, chicken broth, capers and lemon juice. Accompanied by a baked Russet potato and fresh garden salad. Plated with lemon slices that were drizzled on to the chicken filet. The 2023 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay was a perfect match for the food. The honeydew melon, along with the lemon zest and brioche in the wine was both simpatico and a little polarizing, to make each bite delightful.
Sláinte,
Michael
Cellar 13 Winery Visits and Treats Us All to Many Wonderful Wines
Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The owners of Cellar 13, Darin Winton (winemaker) and Gail Henderson (marketing & sales) were originally scheduled to hold a winemaker’s dinner locally unfortunately it was cancelled. I invited Darin and Gail to visit and invited 23 friends to taste their award winning wines. Each person attending brought an appetizer and we enjoyed tasting six excellent wines.
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Darin spoke on a variety of subjects on barrel selection effecting the wine, to yeast augmentation, vineyards selection, etc., all to formulate and make award winning wines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Cellar 13 was founded by Darin Winton, who also happens to be one of the few Native American Winemakers in the United States. He proudly uses the Cherokee language to name their two Bordeaux style blends. The Right Bank blend is named “Aliheliga” which means grateful and the Left Bank blend is named “Tsogadu” the number 13. On the backside of these two labels is artwork from Cherokee artist John Balloue.
Darin retired in 2017 and was immediately hired as the Assistant Winemaker at 3 Steves Winery in Livermore, California. Here he learned about wine making from start to finish. He was also able to produce his own wines under his label. He has used a few wineries in Livermore as an impromptu “custom crush operation”. Darin handles the winemaking and Gail Henderson runs the operations and marketing side of the winery.
The goal of Cellar 13 is making high quality and award winning wines using fruit from only the best Vineyards. To that point here is just a partial list of their award winning wines in just a few short years:
CHARDONNAY
* 2017 Chardonnay – Double Gold – 2019 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
* 2018 Chardonnay – Gold Medal Winner 94 points – 2023 Sunset International Wine Competition
* 2019 Chardonnay – Best in Class Winner – 2021 Livermore Valley Uncorked Wine Competition (Best Chardonnay in Livermore), Gold Medal Winner – 2021 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
ALBARIÑO
* 2021 Albariño – Gold Medal Winner – 2023 Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
* 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon – Double Gold Medal Winner -2020 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
* 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon – Silver Medal Winner -2023 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
* 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon – Double Gold Medal Winner 97 points – 2023 Sunset International Wine Competition, Gold Medal Winner – 2023 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
BORDEAUX BLENDS
* 2017 Tsogadu (13 in Cherokee) – Left Bank Bordeaux Style Blend – Gold Medal Winner -2020 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
* 2018 Tsogadu (13 in Cherokee) – Left Bank Bordeaux Style Blend – Gold Medal Winner – 2021 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
* 2019 Tsogadu (13 in Cherokee) – Left Bank Bordeaux Style Blend – Gold Medal Winner – 2023 Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition
* 2019 Aliheliga (“Grateful” in Cherokee) – Right Bank Bordeaux Style Blend – Best in Class Winner – 2023 Livermore Valley Uncorked Wine Competition, Gold Medal Winner – 2022 SF Chronicle Wine Competition.
OTHER REDS
* 2019 Cabernet Franc – Double Gold Medal – 2023 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
* 2017 Merlot – Silver Medal Winner – 2021 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
The Wines – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Wines tasted were from right to left: 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, 2023 Sidanelv (white Bordeaux blend), 2023 Albariño, 2018 Tsogadu- Bordeaux blend, 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2019 Cabernet Franc. All these award winning wines were delicious. My favorite two were the Sauvignon Blanc and the Cabernet Franc. Personally, I just recently purchased his 2023 Albariño. Unfortunately, their Chardonnay was just bottled and could not be tasted for another 4-6 weeks.
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
Just a few of the great appetizers brought by those attending the tasting which included: spicy tuna fish spread, shrimp, meat balls, vegetables, bacon wrapped asparagus, sausage & mushroom rolls, various cheese platers, dips, charcuterie boards and many more items.
Photos ©Michael Kelly
The appetizers went beautifully with various wine selections.
In the end, six or so folks joined their wine club and many, many cases of wines were bought by those attending.
Sláinte,
Michael
2014 Peter Michael “La Carrière” Chardonnay – Always Exquisite
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
From their website: ‘La Carrière’, French for “The Quarry”, reflects the vineyard’s spoon shape and tremendously rocky soils. Situated between 1,200 and 1,700 feet (366 and 518 meters) above sea level on steep mountain slopes exceeding 40 percent in grade, the vineyard has ideal southern and southeastern exposures. The shallow, rocky soils provide excellent drainage with restricted fertility, resulting in lower fruit yields with profound richness and character. ‘La Carrière’ provides a signature complexity and liquid minerality from its mountainous origin”.
The winery produces other top rated wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon blends, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
The history of Sir Michael David is a great read on their website.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2014 Peter Michael La Carrière Chardonnay is a wine that can be aged similar to many top shelf French Chardonnays. The deep and rich golden color was striking along with its minerality (La Carrière translated mean the quarry), almond, jasmine, lemon and pear notes. The intense creaminess was the hallmark of this wine coupled with a heavy viscosity. The finish provided jasmine and pear with a touch of butterscotch. Robert Parker gave this wine 96 points. Currently on line it is running around $130/bottle. It should be noted that this is one of the few American Chardonnay’s that is age worthy. I generally drink them 8-11 years after the vintage date.
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 Friday Night Wine & Dine Group met last evening to enjoy some good food, wine and laughs! Ordered the Mahi Mahi blackened with sautéed fresh summer squash and vegetables. Besides the fish being excellent, the risotto was light and extremely tasty.
The Chardonnay was great cooling down the spiciness of the blackened spices. A beautiful and delicious food and wine pairing for the evening. Peter Michael consistently makes my Best Wines tasted during every year.
We also enjoyed some other delicious wines this evening from Sonoma County, Calaveras County, Paso Robles and Napa Valley.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Sláinte,
Michael
Understanding Wine and Winemaking at a Deeper Level
Complexity and structure:
Photo ©Michael Kelly
As stated by Master of Wine, Nova Cadamatre, “complexity in wine means that the wine is multi-faceted”. Wine may have different aromas and flavors of depth on the palate, especially with aeration and temperature change over time. A complex wine will be one profile on the first sip and later taste very differently. Complex wine is not a one note wonder or monolithic flavor start to finish. The broad range of flavors are intense and possess nuances not associated with “off the shelf” wines.
Key wines are often associated with being complex: Burgundy, Bordeaux blends, Champagne and Cabernet Sauvignon’s. A key characteristic of complex wine is its ability to morph with aging, yet holding tannins, fruit and acidity in a stalemate state with each other so one does not overpower the others. Again this requires key parameters of the storage environment: dark and no direct sunlight, constant temperature (ideally 55 degrees), humidity levels between 50-70% and no movement to ensure correct wine development.
Barrel and bottling aging driving flavor traits:
Picture courtesy of TN Coopers USA
Barrels are a winemaker’s “secret weapon” instilling complexity with flavor profiles. The barrels start off with various “toasting levels” light, medium or even heavily toasted. For instance the material can impart a different taste profile and complexity for example be it oak or acacia wood. Varying oaks from different countries influence the complexity of the wine be it French, Hungarian, Slavonia, American and even Russian. For more see an article on barrel making and the effects of choices:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2020/12/16/the-barrel-a-winemakers-secret-ingredient/
Blending to build unique traits:
Picture of Rudy Zuidema blending wines at Shadybrook Estate Winery
Blending can be a range of items. It can be as simple as blending a vintage from a southward facing vineyard with a north facing vineyard in varying percentage to reach an optimum complexity. It can also mean blending different clones of the same varietal. More often it means adding small percentages of different varietals to show the various levels of complexity of a wine. Take for example Steven Kent Mirassou’s Lineage and how each added component brings out uniqueness to the wine. An excerpt from an article written in 2021 and the full story link:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2021/12/27/2009-lineage-collection-bordeaux-style-wine/
“Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone 30: Dark cherry and cassis flavors, fine-grained tannins and acidity. Less opulent but more age worthy than Clone 4. (For the 2009, only Clone 4 was chosen).
Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone 191: Cassis, coffee, and mocha flavors, angular, tannic structure and lengthy, persistent finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone 4: Powerhouse rich, viscous flavors of dark fruit and chocolate with broad tannins.
Cabernet Franc: Not as “big” as CS but with more finesse and an aromatic palate of sandalwood and chocolate. Acidity is the watchword of this variety. Its acid-based red fruit flavors marry well with the darker more tannic Cabernet Sauvignon to enliven and length Lineage’s finish.
Petit Verdot: Contributes tannin, color, and grapey aromas and flavors of violet and black fruit. This variety helps to build density in the mid-palate of the wine.
Malbec: Adds fruit and tannin; quite different from Cabernet in its sauvage mix of dried berry and raspberry fruit notes. It signature aromatic note is obvious when the wine is young. As Lineage ages, the Malbec takes on a dried-fruit edge and nice acidity.
Merlot: Noble variety of Bordeaux’s Right Bank; as counterpoint to CS’s austere structure, Merlot is fleshy and opulent; ripe red/dark cherry flavor, a touch of herbal complexity which adds to Lineage’s rich mid-palate.”
Judging the quality of the wine: Terroir or Manipulation
Picture from Acquiesce Winery website
Everyone’s tastes are different, thus subjective. That said there is some objectivity to determine the quality of the wine besides the statement “I simply like it”. While that may be the reason to buy a particular wine, it falls short of the key criteria of quality wine. The first consideration is the wine made to the varietal standards? While a wine may taste good, for example Belle Glos Pinot Noir, is it to the classical criteria of a Pinot Noir? Many would argue that the wine is manipulated with Mega Purple or other varietals to achieve its coloration and flavor profile. So it may taste fine, but is it a quality wine? Ditto for reflecting the “terroir”. Several wineries hold back wines from a vintage to blend with the following year to provide a similar taste wine year to year. As a consumer this may be a great thing knowing that if you buy a particular brand it always is good year to year. As a wine aficionado, wine should reflect the terroir of the year (weather, soil, wind, temperature, diurnal range, etc.) being “place and time”. Each year the wine is unique and different as is the terroir. For a scholarly summary on terroir read:
https://oeno-one.eu/article/view/5448
Everyone is uniquely different as are the wines. One’s subjective experiential knowledge of wine ranges greatly based on availability and affordability. The broader the approach to wine allows for diversity and finding hidden treasures. Similarly a Crayola box of 8 color crayons cannot draw the same as a Crayola box of 152 colors. Seeing the complete wine spectrum provides a more comprehensive approach and appreciation of wine.
Sláinte,
Michael
2020 Orfila Vineyards Lagrein and Tri-tip Steak
Background on story & Lagrein
Two new friends were out to California wine tasting in April. While we went to many wineries in 4 separate sub-AVA’s, she mentioned Orfila Vineyards Lagrein was one of her favorites. I had not tasted it before but while visiting here in Arizona (where they live), they gave me a bottle. Opened it up for a dinner and that is how this story came to be and I was so pleased with the wine!
A quick background on Lagrein being a dark black grape from South Tyrol in Northern Italy. The grape is a descendant of Teroldego and related to Syrah so you know it is going to be a dark bold wine! The grapes dates back to the 17th century.
From the California Grape Crush final report for 2023 Lagrein represented a phenomenal small amount of the crush coming in at .02%. The total red wine grape crush represented 1,970,643 tons and Lagrein portion was only 478 tons. Most of the grapes (92%) came from Zone 8 (comprising San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties) and Zone 11 (portions of San Joaquin and Sacramento counties).
The Winery
The winery is located at 13455 San Pasqual Road in Escondido, California in San Pasqual Valley about 30 minutes from San Diego. The tasting is on their 70 acre estate. Orfila opened in 1994 and has an impressive record of wining over 1,300 medals from various competitions. Their focus in has been Italian and French varietals. They source the grapes from their estate as well as select vineyards from Sonoma, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Andrew Wisniewski is their winemaker. The vineyards have been growing in this location since 1973 and was initially the San Pasqual Winery. It later became the Thomas Jaeger Winery. Then in 1993 Alejandro Orfila purchased the winery and thus the name Orfila Winery.
Today they make an assortment of wines including the white wines of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay. Their reds include Merlot, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Syrah and a few blends. Additionally they have a sparkling and a Rosé wine.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was the quintessential Lagrein and the best tasted to date! First on eyes, a cavernous deep almost black coloration and full body viscosity. On the nose the fragrance was evident without holding the glass up to the nose with fruits of plums blackberry aromas dominating with flowering violets. On the palate the fruits showed their core essence without the sweetness but with deep flavors contrasting with leather, minerality and an earthiness. On the finish, herbal notes of black pepper, licorice and old-world chewiness. The tannins which are normally strong in this varietal were present but more silky than jagged. The acidity was definitely noticed but not overtly so to ruin the wonderful finish.
The wine came in at 14.2% alcohol with only 640 cases produced. The barrel treatment was unique with 15% being new French oak, 15% 1-3 year barrels, 50% being 3-5 year barrels and 20% neutral barrels. The wine lists for $44/bottle.
This wine will make my annual list of Best Wines tasted during 2024. That list is limited to less than 5% of some 1600-1800 wines tasted during the year! The annual report comes out in December.
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 paired with a 24 hour marinated tri-tip steak and cooked in the smoker. Cherry wood pellets were used. My son-in-law, while not giving away his marinade recipe, I did observe a heavy dose of whisky being added! Accompanied by steamed broccoli and smashed potatoes. A delicious food and wine pairing with the meat smoked in cherry wood and the flavors of Orfila Lagrein….near perfection!
Sláinte,
Michael