Month: August 2024
Vermilion Valley Vineyards Wines Best of Show for Central Division at 5th Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition
The Winery
Picture from Vermilion Valley Vineyards
Had an exchange with Joe Juniper, owner & winemaker at Vermilion Valley Vineyards about entering the 5th Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition. His concern was that the Ohio region/his winery, made wine more in the Chinon style and would not be fairly evaluated against California wines. I explained that each region is evaluated on their own terroir and not against other regions. He not only entered the competition but sent me a bottle of his 2020 Cabernet Franc to try. He was spot on with his lighter/Chinon style Cabernet Franc (see below under The Wine section).
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Interestingly enough he won Best of Show from the Professional Judge’s!
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 the 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.
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
While this picture is nice, it doesn’t show the “lighter character of the wine” compared to California. The Chinon style of Cabernet Franc typically is one of dry, strong notes of roses, fruity, possesses structured tannins and can provide hints of pencil shavings and black berries.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
On the eyes, the wine’s color is violet and crisp. On the nose the wine provides strong floral notes and has medium viscosity. On the palate refreshing blueberry with a tinge of blackberry. Eloquent and refined are the two best words to describe this wine. On the finish, complex and well-structured tannins reminds one of its pedigree. Soft vegetable notes and pyrazine flavors were noted, but not prominent. The 2020 Vermilion Valley Vineyards goes for $28 and is far less expensive than a trip to the Chinon region in France!
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
Typical pairing with Cabernet Franc are more likely to be beef, pork, pasta and cured meats, this evening it was paired with a roast beef cooked in a slow cooker all day. Cooked in brown gravy and seasoned with garlic, red wine and various seasonings. This Cabernet Franc with fruit and mild tannins engulfed the dry roast beef slices (while there was gravy, I like mine dry with Tabasco sauce). Accompanied with smashed potatoes with sautéed sliced mushrooms and broccoli with a side fresh salad. A very good food and wine pairing!
While hosting the blind Cabernet Franc Wine Competition, and not a judge, I was pleased that Vermilion Valley Vineyards did so well.
Sláinte,
Michael
2020 Camaraderie Cellars Wins Best of Show at 5th International Cabernet Franc Competition
The Winery and Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
At the 5th International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition & Celebration, Camaraderie Cellars won from the Professional Judges the Best of Show for the Northwest Division and a Gold Medal.
Camaraderie Cellars is located in Port Angeles, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula. Camaraderie Cellars has been recognized for over 25 years making quality and award winning wines. The winery is owned by Don and Vicki Corson. Don is the winemaker. Don has two outstanding quotes on their website, the first being “Our wines are more meant to go with food than just opening the mail”. A personal philosophical position I take, that the food and wine pairing elevates both up to a better place. His second quote is on how they prefer traditional wine methods when producing wines, specifically using a lot of different types of barrels concluding with “I want to use oak to frame the picture and not be an opportunity for an oak carving”. Well stated Don!
Photo ©Pam Russell from Camaraderie Cellars website.
Don is a geographer by academia and fully understands a “sense of place” and it shows with them getting their grapes from primarily five major vineyards located in Eastern Washington. Each being hand selected. Today Camaraderie Cellars make about 3,000 cases in total of Sauvignon Blanc, “Bordeaux style” blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Sangiovese Grenache, Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and a few others.
The Wine “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Besides the Cabernet Franc awards at the Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition, they have also won Gold at the Seattle Wine Awards and scoring 91 points. Additionally they won a Bronze at the Jefferson Cup Invitational. This wine was a primary color of red bricks with a purple violet rim and medium viscosity. On the nose floral aromas of violets waft into the senses along with red fruits (cherry, raspberry). On the palate the dominant flavors of freshly picked raspberries is noted and presents a wide range of secondary flavors of vanilla pipe tobacco, leather and earthiness (moist forest floor). On the finish, rounded and caressing tannins are barely noticeable. Pyrazines are minimal for those not liking a bell pepper Cabernet Franc. A slight finish of sweetness of vanilla completes the tasting. At 14% alcohol it has enough to “pack a punch”. Their website lists the wine at $31.50/bottle. This wine is made from grapes from Yakima Valley, Washington and uses 100% Cabernet Franc 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
This wine was chosen specifically for this meal serving center cut pork chops with a special mushroom sauce. The pork chops were seasoned and sautéed. The sauce consisted of kosher salt, black pepper, sliced Cremini mushrooms, garlic, Dijon mustard, flour, beef broth and red wine. Accompanied by smashed potatoes, sautéed yellow summer squash and a fresh garden salad. The food and wine pairing was delicious and the first time trying Cabernet Franc with center cut pork chops.
While not visiting Washington often, after this tasting experience, I would like to visit and taste their Syrah and Malbec wines.
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
https://store.camaraderiecellars.com/
2013 Trespass Vineyard Cabernet Franc
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This 2013 Trespass Vineyard 100% Cabernet Franc wine came up on the “To Drink” list for 2024. A perfect after dinner wine while enjoying the rising moon on a warm summer evening. Have enjoyed this wine for over a dozen years. It possesses the typical aromas of raspberry and bramble. Absent is the bell pepper (pyrazine notes) just lively fresh fruit and spiced chocolate. A dark deep red/purple on the eyes with a medium body. On the nose, aromas of cherry, wood and black pepper are prevalent. On the palate, the fruit is strong with black cherry and an earthiness. The tannins are kept in check with a soft vanilla finish. The wine is bottled unfiltered and un-fined. Kirk Venge, along with Don & Dana Gallagher, collaborate in the winemaking process. An excellent example of Napa Valley Cabernet Franc. 150 cases of the 2013 were produced. The wine was aged 22 months in 75% new French oak and 25% neutral French oak. The current vintage is 2019 which 125 cases were produced and sells for $110/bottle.
Photo from Trespass Vineyard website
As an aside to the wine itself, two items have always caught my attention. First it is the label which is a beautiful water color of the vineyard at the base of Spring Mountain in Saint Helena. The second item is the statement on the back of the bottle which reads “Now and again one comes across a place so extraordinary it captures the imagination, yet you are not allowed to enter. We invite you to TRESPASS”. A very nice play on the wording with the picture on the front of the bottle.
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
https://trespassvineyard.com
2016 Whalehaven Winery Cabernet Franc from South Africa – A Double Winner!
Background
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Whalehaven Winery was both the Professional Judges and the People’s Choice Judges winner as Best of Show at the 5th Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition in the “International Division”. The International Division was for wines outside of the USA. Of the eight categories, this is one of three where both sets of judges selected the same Best of Show! This was for their 2016 vintage.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
Photo from Whalehaven Winery website
Their slogan is “Wine is sunlight, held together by water”, a quote for Galileo Galilei. I have not visited the winery but this boutique winery is located near the protected bay in Hermanus, South Africa where the waters are for breeding Southern Right whales.
The winery has been owned by the Bottega Family since 2003. The winemaker is Reino Thiart providing an array of quality wines. Currently producing the following white wines of Viognier, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. On the reds, besides Cabernet Franc, he is producing Pinot Noir, Merlot, Pinotage and a Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon blend.
Photo from Whalehaven Winery website
Thought this interesting from the Whalehaven Winery website and passing it along verbatim: “The Hemel-En-Aarde region. In May 2004, the Walker Bay Wine Ward was reclassified as a Wine District – one of 21 in the South African winelands. Given its size and the greater number of wine producers active in the area with a multitude of different wine style, Walker Bay was increasingly unable to justify Ward Status. A Wine Ward is the smallest unit of appellation after an individual wine estate and is supposed to delimit an area of relatively homogeneous terrior. The way was now open for producers in the District to create their own more relevant wine awards with the assistance of a committee of soil specialists and viticulturists. Within the Hemel-en-Aarde region, three wards were created: the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Each appellation has its own signature character and personality”.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes a deep dark brick red in coloring and medium heavy viscosity. On the nose, bell pepper (pyrazines) greet the olfactory senses. On the palate, tobacco and a dusty minerality (similar to the famous Napa Rutherford dust) combine with tart cranberries and ripe red cherries filling the mouth. On the finish this dry and acidic Cabernet Franc has bold tannins claiming rightful attention of the imbiber. The wine has a 14% alcohol level. The price is R225 or roughly $12.25 in South Africa. Figure roughly between 3 to 4 times that price here in the USA for export taxes, importation taxes, transportation and distribution.
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
On this warm summer day, nothing goes quite so well as a BBQ’ed burger. When our friends/neighbors provided some homegrown vegetables, Jalapeño and Poblano peppers they were also roasted on the BBQ. Add some fresh Better Boy tomatoes, a slices of purple onion and the meal was just about complete. A cold pasta salad was served comprised of two different pasta noodles, ripe bell pepper (also from the neighbors garden), black olives, diced white onions, green onions, diced Jalapeno & Poblano peppers, peas, cubed extra sharp cheddar cheese and thousand island dressing. A tasty and zestful meal complimented by this award winning wine made an excellent summer food and wine pairing.
Sláinte,
Michael
Tipsy Frog Wine Bar Closing! One Door Closing and Another Door Opening
Tipsy Frog Wine Bar is closing the end of August after 10 years. Last evening an appreciation of her effort was shared with her friends at their home. Donna poured so much energy into the wine bar but alas all good things come to an end. So many in the community appreciated her steadfastness and sharing her wine knowledge with customers and friends.
Her new adventure will be booking exciting trips and travel working with Karl. The company is called Cruise Planners and their website is www.captainsclubtravel.com or https://donna.sunandsails.com/ .
This is a reprint of the story I did back in May, 2016 when we first moved to Copperopolis.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I normally don’t write about wine bars, but this is really a standout gem located in the Town Square of Copperopolis. Donna Iaquinto and Karl Dahlin have combined to offer a unique experience to the community and those passing by. While the underlying intent may be to showcase wines from Calaveras County, they offer wines from “around the world”. On the day I was there, besides the Calaveras wines like Prospect 772, Lavender Ridge, they offered wines from Argentina (Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon) and Sonoma (Cabernet Sauvignon). They also sell what is being tasted, be it local, Sonoma, Napa, Argentina, Australia, France, etc.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Their basic varietals for white are: Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache Blanc and Chardonnay. Their reds include Grenache, GSM, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Primitivo, Barbera, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Shiraz, Mourvedre, Cab Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. In addition, they do have some “off dry/sweet wines” like Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Port, etc., along with Sparkling wines. With such a variety of wines in one location, you are sure to find a delicious glass to make a memorable experience.
Another solid marketing plan is to hold “fun events” like pizza night, exotic cheeses and the like to get folks to stop by. While I was there a person booked a large private party for Thursday (today) for their pizza night.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Donna and Karl are also providing educational events like “Introduction to the Wines of France” to be held June 10th 5:30 – 8 pm. Lindsay Gwin, Sommelier based in Murphy’s, will be conducting the class. Key for Donna is offering food pairings to go with the wines served.
And finally who could not like their mascot/logo, indigenous to the draw of Calaveras County by Mark Twain.
Sláinte,
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
http://www.tipsyfrogwinebar.com/
www.captainsclubtravel.com or https://donna.sunandsails.com/
2019 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon – An Exceptional Wine at a Remarkable Price
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
Stuart on the left and Charlie on the right Photo ©Michael Kelly
Smith-Madrone Vineyards is located on 160 acres on top of Spring Mountain west of St. Helena with 38 acres planted in vineyards. The vineyard elevation ranges from 1,300 to 2,000 feet. The Founder, managing partner and enologist is Stuart Smith, Charles Smith is the winemaker and the associate winemaker is François Bugué. Truly a family affair! All the wines are estate and dry-farmed on top of the Mountain. Currently their production is approximately 3,000 to 4,000 cases a year. They are producing Estate Chardonnay, Estate Riesling, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and their iconic Estate Cooks Flat (blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc), as well as an Estate Rosé in some years.
Photo from vineyards looking east with Napa Valley below and Howell Mtn across the valley. Photo ©Michael Kelly
Stuart has his own proprietary trellis system being 4 cross bars for canopy management. The first bar at the fruit is twelve inches wide, the next going up is eighteen inches, the next being twenty-four inches and the top cross section being thirty-six inches. It provides flexibility to shade those grapes getting more sun and allows more sun for those needing it. While difficult to see the cross sections, you can see a uniformity in the development of these Cabernet Sauvignon clusters in the picture below.
Photo of Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon grapes ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The first thing that comes to mind, besides the actual wine is the price of $65/bottle! I have not found a comparable wine at this price from Napa Valley. This is an absolute bargain and should not be overlooked. Ratings on this wine range from 93 to 95 points.
When popping the cork and smelling it, I knew this was going to be an exquisite treat! Can’t remember getting such a beautiful aroma from any cork. Once poured into the glass, the coloring was a deep dark black coloring with dark red hues on the edges. On the nose, blackberry and dark cherries greeted the imbiber not only with fruit but with a classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon of days long gone by going back to the Napa Valley roots. On the palate, the fruit swirled about like a tropical storm in the mouth, the deep dark colored fruits conjoined with cedar, light oak, minerality and earthiness to create a layered and intense flavor. On the finish, a light vanilla scent and anise accompanied with soft leather were dominant. The tannins were gripping but did not hold the overall experience hostage.
This wine is comprised of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon 5% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc and aged 18 months in 55% new French oak barrels. An absolute stellar Cabernet Sauvignon. If you can find a better wine of this quality for the price, buy it and then call me! I know I am placing an order for more on Monday!
So it is understandable why this wine will make my annual Best Wines tasted during the year. This list comes out each December and represents 2-3% of the wines reviewed.
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
Pulled this wine tonight to go with seared “Black & Blue” filet Mignon. Seared at 1500 degrees and served with a nice burn on the outside and rare on the inside. Served topped with crumbled Danish Blue cheese and chives. Accompanied by seasoned and roasted quartered small potatoes. Also served was halved roasted Brussel sprouts and topped with a balsamic glaze reduction. A fresh garden salad completed the meal. This was an excellent food and wine pairing with the wine bringing the tannins to engage with the meat.
Sláinte,
Michael
2020 Ancient Peaks Winery Merlot and Cabernet Franc – Two Treats in August!
Background
Last December while in Paso Robles for Cabernet Franc Paso Robles, I met with Mike Sinor, winemaker at Ancient Peaks. I had tried only one of their wines prior but after an extensive tour and tasting, came home with many bottles. This story is about two of their offerings, the 2020 Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
The Winery
Ancient Peaks Winery is LARGE, consisting of 14,000 acres with 1,000 acres under vine. Here the video from the Oyster Ridge event center you get a 360 degree view of the property.
Video by ©Michael Kelly
As it turns out Santa Margarita is the only vineyard in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA in the most southern portion of the AVA. Some of the more interesting factoids of the vineyard were:
- Five separate soils are intermixed and found on the property, shown on one of their labels.
- The vineyard is only 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean and draws the fog onto the property
- It is the coolest sub-AVA in Paso Robles AVA.
- Being the coolest region, they are often the latest in full maturing of the vineyards. This helps in providing a slowing ripening process (often with challenges) but the reward is flavor, structure and with the varying soil types provides unique character to the grapes.
- They average 29 inches of rain with the surrounding Santa Lucia mountain range.
- Their sustainability practices have earned them SIP Certification (Sustainability in Practice).
- The owners of the winery are Karl Wittstrom, Rob Rossi and Doug Filipponi all local wine growing and ranching families in Santa Margarita.
- Santa Margarita was originally settled by the Franciscan missionaries around 1770. In 1889 the area was part of the Mexican Alta California land grant.
- It is named for Santa Margarita de Cortona Assitencia, an Italian saint.
- A rich and detailed history can be found on Santa Margarita and is fascinating reading. https://santamargaritahistoricalsociety.org/
Today they have the Oyster Ridge event building/site which is an ideal spot for weddings, corporate retreats and private events over-looking the vineyards and ranch. Additionally they provide a host of activities in the agritourism business on the 14,000 acres including vineyard zip lining, wild life tours and horseback trail rides.
The label called Oyster Ridge comes from so many oyster bed fossils found about the property. Here Mike Sinor is holding one fossilized oyster.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wines by Ancient Peaks – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Learned that their wines have three distinct labels/branding going to market which are: Ancient Peaks, Oyster Ridge and Pearl. Many of the varieties are offered with all three labels/branding. Their white wines consist of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. The red wines offered are extensive with Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Zinfandel and of course the wine we sought out their Cabernet Franc. We were offered to taste “all the wines” but practically speaking it would be too much unless we camped overnight in the tasting room! We did taste the following wines and a couple of others. A second or third visit is definitely forthcoming to taste their Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir and Petit Verdot.
The first wine enjoyed in early August was the 2020 Merlot. This Merlot was extraordinary in “mellow-ness” yet provided ample flavor and character. First on the eyes, a beautiful deep red coloring and aromas of black plum and oak. On the palate, intense flavors of black cherry and blackberry. The finish was silky smooth with caressing tannins and a tinge of vanilla and cinnamon. The wine was aged 24 months in French oak barrels providing an almost perfect integration of the wine with the tannins. This wine goes for $68/bottle and definitely a wine to be sought after!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The second wine enjoyed in mid-August was the 2020 Ancient Peaks Cabernet Franc wine which was dark and opulent on the eyes and with medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose, cherry and blackberry wafted into the senses beckoning and drawing one to partake in a sip. On the palate, the aforementioned fruits burst into a parade of flavor profiles, coupled with plum and secondary flavors of coffee and vanilla. The finish was expressive with grippy tannins and an intense structure, not typical of Cabernet Franc from the region. A real surprise and welcomed treat!
The wine consists of 92% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot. Their limited-edition offering was hand selected from their finest vineyard rows and aged for 23 months in 50% new French oak. The price is $50/bottle and belongs in their Pearl Collection. The wine comes in at 14.9% and extremely smooth.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
So glad we picked these wines (and others) from our visit last December. Wine Advocate summed up Ancient Peaks in a quote “keenly priced, high quality wines that deserve to be better known”.
These two wines will make my annual Best Wines tasted for 2024 that comes out in mid-December.
I hope this article provides you an incentive to check out their gorgeous property and quality wines.
Sláinte,
Michael
2013 YoungInglewood Vineyards Cabernet Franc – Aged to Perfection
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Opened one of our prized Napa Cabernet Franc’s last night. YoungInglewood is one of my top ten Cabernet Sauvignon wines of Napa Valley. It is a small family winery in the southern edge of Saint Helena up against the western mountains in Napa Valley. YoungInglewood is a boutique winery, which has consistently produced deep and concentrated red wines.
The Young’s, Jim & Jacky had some many years in France and have purposed to make wines that reflect the traditional roots and values, with a Napa Valley twist. I had written about YoungInglewood in a previous article in 2016 in more detail. You can click on this to read their story at
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/16/younginglewood/ .
I have been an admirer of the winery since their inception and have always stated their label of the tightrope walker represents one of the best labels – showing how the winemaker must balance so many facets of the production in order to arrive at the destination with a grand product. This includes vineyard management, canopy trimming, dropping fruit, harvesting at the precise moment to extract the perfect juice, formulating the right blend, keeping tannins and fruit in check, etc. I seldom talk about wine labels but theirs is the exception. The label is one of the simplest yet says so much about their wine with the balancing of the tightrope walker. This is a paradigm for balance in the fruit, tannins, acidity and color. A little too much of any one item, and a misstep happens. Even deeper is their aspiring sense of balance in life, starting in the vineyards with organic and sustainable practices. All of this requires the balance and finesse summed up by a tightrope walker!
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon was aged 22 months in 100% French oak, with 60% being new barrels. Only 300 cases were produced of this vintage. It is a mother/son team heading the wine making, Jacky and Scott Young, for this lush and extremely intense wine. The current release is the 2019 with only 100 cases being produced and sells for $150/bottle. The 2021 will be released in the fall 2024.
On the eyes one can only anticipate what the dense dark red and purple juice will taste like. On the nose, aromas of black cherries, raspberry engulf the olfactory senses. On the palate, vanilla, dark chocolate, clove, licorice, plum with a hint of soft lingering pipe tobacco & leather conjoin to make an expression of wine so delicious and yet graceful. The finish is smooth, integral, long and the defined tannins are present yet subdued. The structure of this wine is excellent. When finished savoring each sip you are left in amazement and awe of experiencing this wine.
Sláinte,
Michael
2018 Shale Canyon Wines Cabernet Franc
The Winery and Background
So who are the owners/winemakers of Shale Canyon Wines? It started out as three brothers and Ken Gallegos as the winemaker. Today it is a two man show with Keith Prader and his brother Tim. The responsibilities are for Keith to handle the winemaking, software, sales and marketing. Their tasting room is located in downtown Carmel-By-The-Sea village on Paseo San Carlos, west side of San Carlos between Ocean and Seventh.
Photo from Shale Canyon website
Previously Shale Canyon Wines won Best of Class for their 2017 from the Professional Judges at the 2023 International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition and a Gold Medal. In 2024 their 2018 Cabernet Franc received a Gold Medal from the People’s Choice Judges. The property is 375 acres with only 7 acres planted in vineyard. On the estate property they have planted besides Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel. Keith mentioned to me that on the estate grapes, they drop a lot of fruit and target about 3 tons per acre. Flavor profile is key and dropping fruit allows more “flavor per grape” (FPG). They have sourced grapes for their Chardonnay, Malbec and Syrah. Since starting in 2007 and having their first crush in 2008 with purchased grapes, they have been primarily producing 100% varietals. A small exception was their Consortium blend with limited supply for club members, essentially a “Bordeaux style” blend.
For those not familiar with Arroyo Seco AVA in California, here is a map first of the area in California and secondly a map of where Arroyo Seco AVA fits in:
(Map from Arroyo Seco Winegrowers)
Consisting of 18,240 acres the Arroyo Seco AVA is one of the smallest AVAs in California. While this area receives about 13 inches of rain per year, Shale Canyon have gone 100% solar power for their operation and today are one of two wineries working completely off the gird.
The Wine “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine is a dark violet on the eye with medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose, black cherries followed by floral aromas. On the palate a wondrous blend of blackberry, blueberry, plum and a slight chocolate. The finish provides just a hint of vanilla and mellow pipe tobacco. Tannins are present on the teeth and roof of the mouth, but are velvety and unobtrusive. Priced at $40/bottle, this is a tremendous bargain for the astute Cabernet Franc buyer! They produced 89 cases using 1/3 new American oak and 2/3’s neutral oak. Keith calls his Cabernet Franc “definitely our flagship wine and a fan favorite in the tasting room”. I couldn’t agree more.
Always making my best wine tasted during a given year and again will make it for the list coming out mid-December.
Sláinte,
Michael
Smith-Madrone Vineyards – Paradise Found!
Photo of Stuart on the left and Charlie on the right ©Michael Kelly
When John Milton wrote his classic book Paradise Lost, I can surely suggest that the vineyards of Smith-Madrone is where Paradise are found! Rather than Adam and Eve, it is about two brothers Charlie and Stuart Smith. You could not find two more intriguing, knowledgeable, humorous and imaginative persons working side by side since the early 1970’s! Last week I had the honor to sit with both of them for many hours discussing a wide range of topics about Smith-Madrone Vineyards, wine making, vineyard management, soil conditions, the historical Napa Valley policies, social movements regarding the wine industry and so much more. Personally I soaked in so much information I only wrote two brief notes while interviewing and talking with them! For me it was like a roller coaster ride that would never end with twists, turns, gasps, etc. The only thing that was missing were the screams, but they would have been drowned out by our laughter and at times intense conversation.
The Winery
Smith-Madrone Vineyards is located on 160 acres on top of Spring Mountain west of St. Helena with 38 acres planted in vineyards. The vineyard elevation ranges from 1,300 to 2,000 feet. The Founder, managing partner and enologist is Stuart Smith, Charles Smith is the winemaker and the associate winemaker is François Bugué. Truly a family affair! All the wines are estate and dry-farmed on top of the Mountain. Currently their production is approximately 3,000 to 4,000 cases a year. They are producing Estate Chardonnay, Estate Riesling, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and their iconic Estate Cooks Flat (blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc), as well as an Estate Rosé in some years.
Photo from vineyards looking east with Napa Valley below and Howell Mtn across the valley. Photo ©Michael Kelly
Stuart has his own proprietary trellis system being 4 cross bars for canopy management. The first bar at the fruit is twelve inches wide, the next going up is eighteen inches, the next being twenty-four inches and the top cross section being thirty-six inches.
Stu has experimented with as many as seven different vineyard spacing’s ranging from 12 feet between rows and 6 feet between vines and 8-feet between rows with 5-feet between vines. Their most common spacing is 10-feet between rows with 5-feet between vines. The type and quality of soil determines the vineyard spacing. The fruiting wire is 38-40 inches above the ground. If the vines are cordon trained then there is a single wire to support the cordons. If the vines are to be cane pruned than the first cross arm supports the fruiting wire which in turn supports the canes. There are then three additional cross arms each 12 inches higher than the previous one. So there is a 12 inch X-arm for the canes, the 12 inches higher is an 18” X-arm, then a 24 inch X-arm and finally a 36 inch X-arm.
It provides flexibility to shade those grapes getting more sun and allows more sun for those needing it. While difficult to see the cross sections, you can see a uniformity in the development of these Cabernet Sauvignon clusters in the picture below.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wines – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Had a chance to taste a variety of their wine starting with a 2003 Riesling that was golden in color with an appropriate amount of sweetness being bottled up for 21 years!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up was a 2010 Riesling. A tad lighter and with many of the same qualities of their 2019. See a previous written story on their 2019 Riesling at: https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2024/03/24/2019-smith-madrone-riesling-a-classic-riesling/
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We moved on to their red wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and their premier Cooks Flat, a Bordeaux inspired blend. I had not previously tasted their red wines and this was a delightful experience. These were not “cookie cutter” varietals, each possessed a distinct earthiness and roughness, yet was smooth as a royal red carpet for the palate. Each came with their own structure and layers and finished with meaty tannins that begged another sip.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Besides the wines already mentioned they produce a 2019 Chardonnay, 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2023 Rosé made with a 50/50 blend of Merlot & Cabernet Franc.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
This is where I normally talk about a food and wine pairing meal. That is yet to come and will be with their 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon soon!
Sláinte,
Michael
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