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2018 Wood Family Vineyard Malbec and a Paella Dinner
The Winery
Rhonda Wood, winemaker at Wood Family Vineyards, makes some exceptional wines from Livermore, California. The background on the winery can be found in another story at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2021/11/06/2018-wood-family-vineyards-chardonnay/
Rhonda and the family winery are small in comparison to some of the Livermore’s known name wineries, but have been regarded for years as one of the top quality wine producers. For example, just recently they received the following accolades for her 2017 Malbec:
• 2017 Malbec – 93 points Wine Enthusiast
• 2017 Malbec – Best of Show – SF Chronicle Wine Competition 2020
The Wine
This wine on the eyes is medium viscosity and with a deep royal purple coloration, yet around the rim it is almost translucent (per the picture). On the nose blackberries and dark red plums are the leaders rushing into claim dominance in the olfactory senses. On the palate, besides blackberries and plums, you experience a soft note of milk chocolate and gentle smokiness counterbalanced with fresh ripe cherries. The finish is velvety smooth with medium acidity and tannins with no sharpness. Also on the finish the presence of ground stone minerality. Alcohol was 14.5% with only 210 cases produced and listed at the winery at $34. This is one of my four favorite wines from Wood Family Vineyards!
The Food Pairing with 2018 Wood Family Vineyards Malbec
Are friends Jeff and Mary had prepared a Paella dinner with shrimp, chicken and Chorizo with Bomba rice and lots of spices! While many suggestions on which wine to bring, but ended up pulling the 2018 Malbec to go with the meal. The host and we both thought this made an excellent and enjoyable wine with the dinner. Accompanied with a fresh garden salad with apples, onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, sunflower seeds and a few other items.
Sláinte,
Michael
2017 Rosa Fierro Cellars Primitivo – An Excellent Wine
The Winery
Rosa Fierro opened Rosa Fierro Cellars in 2014 and recently left her full time job and career as a legal assistant to concentrate 100% on the winery. “Rosie” as she is called, had worked in tasting rooms, made port in her garage and eventually worked with many of Livermore’s better winemakers at a production facility in Livermore. The winery is 100% woman owned and operated with women staff. Rosie specializes in hand crafted, limited production wines. Her grapes come from both Livermore and Napa Valleys. One of the key points of her winemaking is selecting the best grapes in the vineyard. Each varietal is limited to 50-200 cases. Those wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay (both oaked and unoaked versions), Merlot, a Rosé (from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes), Zinfandel, Primitivo, a Red Blend and her latest being the Cabernet Franc. Her total production is approximately 1,000 cases. She has won many awards in a relatively short time. The tasting room is located at 2245 South Vasco Road, Livermore. The backgrounds on her and her staff on the website are especially creatively done! Rosie’s other passion is photography and her pictures adorn each unique label.
The 2017 Primitivo
After dinner, pulled this refreshing Primitivo wine out of the cellar. On the eyes a lush deep brick color and medium body. On the nose aromas of spices and typical earthiness of Primitivo. On the palate, plums, figs and coupled with brown sugar. Blackberry with bramble and pipe tobacco round out the fullness of the ruggedly soft Tempranillo. The finish provides a long and elevated spiciness and a distinct oak flavor. Alcohol level is a whopping 17% and only 75 cases were produced. This was a Gold Medal Winner at the 2020 San Francisco Chronical Wine Competition. Price is $32. I believe this is one of her best production wines thus far!!
Sláinte,
Michael
Thanksgiving Turkey With Wine: Two Schools of Thought
Seems like every year a list comes out of wines to have with Thanksgiving turkey dinner. First it really depends on how the turkey is prepared and what and how many trimmings will accompany the meal. Also what kind of dessert will be served, i.e., pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie or something else. The first school of thought is to go with your traditional Chardonnay. Chardonnay can provide the following benefits for a turkey meal:
*Flexibility – oaked or non-oaked and from a variety of regions
*Flavor profiles – range from fruit forward to bright acidity to big & rich
*Spices – Vanilla to buttery and even as one winemaker stated “crackerjack flavors in a wine”
*Wine strength – soft and delicate to a more intense
Some suggested tasty and solid Chardonnays depending on budget (range is from $11 to $100) include:
3 Steves, Livermore Valley
Alyris, Napa Valley
Cellar 13, Livermore Valley
Duckhorn Vineyards,
Harken, Arroyo Seca
Iron Hub Winery, Amador County
Kistler, Sonoma
Maritana, La Riviere and Dutton Hill, Sonoma
Mer Soleil S.L.H. Reserve, Central Coast
Peter Michael, La Carriere and Mon Plaisir, Sonoma
Tate Wines, Napa Valley
Tenbrink, Suisun Valley
Wood Family Vineyards, Livermore Valley
A second school of thought is the “A.B.C.” mindset. The “A.B.C.” stands for “anything besides Chardonnay”. Getting a perspective from a non-traditional point of view has some amazing benefits. It is like the anonymous quote “adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you”. Experiment and try something new! First, some of the white wines worthy of consideration are listed below with a couple of winery names:
Bourboulenc – Acquiesce
Champagne – Chateau de Bligny, Mumm
Chateauneuf Blanc – Domaine de la Charboumere
Chenin Blanc — Dracaena Wines
Clairette Blanche — Acquiesce
White Blends – Acquiesce
Picpoul Blanc – Acquiesce
Pinot Blanc – Lucien Albrecht, Saddleback Cellars
Riesling – Smith-Madrone
Roussanne –Lavender Ridge, Acquiesce
Roussanne/Marsanne Blend – Terminim Cepages d’ Or, Jazz Cellars
Sauvignon Blanc – Hindsight Wines, Matua, Acre Vineyards, Cliff Lede, Dave’s Porch Wine, Ledson
Vetliner-Grunter – Weingut Franz Hirtzberger
Viognier – Eberle Winery, Domaine Georges Vernay, Parducci Small Lot, Locke Vineyards
Secondly even some red wines, while non-traditional may include those on the lighter side and mellower side like:
Gamay – Broc Cellars, Brick House Vineyards
Grenache – Outpost, Zuidema Wines, Wood Family Vineyards
Malbec – (especially with a smoked turkey) Crocker & Starr blend, Mendel, Mineral Wines, Wood Family
Merlot – Acre Vineyard, Wood Family, Cuda Ridge, Duckhorn, Barnett Vineyards, Tate
Pinot Noir – Ledson, Gracianna, Maritana Vineyards (La Russe and Jenkins Ranch), Dutton-Goldfield
This is by far not a complete listing of wineries making these varietals, just some of the ones which I have written about or tasted. You can read more on each wine by typing in the winery on the search engine on https://californiawinesandwineries.com on the first page:
And while you are looking up a winery, just below the search engine you can enter your email to receive free updates on many enjoyable wines!
Happy hunting for your wine of choice and Happy Thanksgiving,
Michael
2018 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay
The Winery
Rhonda Wood, winemaker at Wood Family Vineyards, is a charismatic person which influences the entire winery. From high in the sky to down to earth wines!! Yes Rhonda Wood, winemaker/owner of Wood Family Vineyards used to fly planes (US Airways) but now can be found in the vineyards tending vines. She and husband Michael (with their two sons), have a winery in eastern Livermore. Rhonda started making wine in 1996. Besides sourcing wine on their property (Merlot), they have 17 specific vineyards which are manicured to their specifications throughout Livermore’s ideal climate. Rhonda and the family winery are small in comparison to some of Livermore’s known name wineries, but have been regarded for years as one of the top quality wine producers.
The Wine
Pulled from the cellar the last two bottles of Wood Family Vineyards 2018 Para Mas Amigas Chardonnay, Gold Medal Winner from SF Chronicle Wine Competition in 2019. This wine burst with lemon and pear, followed by butterscotch and as Rhonda Wood states “crackerjack flavors”. Not an over the top buttery Chardonnay like Rombauer, but just enough to provide a buttery caramel and texture in the mouth. First on the eyes, a golden hue and medium viscosity is obvious. On the nose and palate, the wine has lingering tropical fruits, peach and pear on the palate. A portion under goes 100% secondary malolactic fermentation, but allows a final mix, to allow old world and new world Chardonnay to coexist in harmony. In a recent conversation, Rhonda stated she blended her Chardonnay from both “tightly grained barrels and loosely grained barrels” into the final production wine.
The Food and Wine Pairing
For the meal this evening was a baked Swiss cheese chicken recipe. It consists of chicken breasts covered with Swiss cheese, a soup and wine mixture, then topped off with croutons and butter. Accompanied with oven roasted Cauliflower (olive oil, unsalted butter, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper) and smashed Yukon Gold potatoes. A delicious food pairing with one of my all-time favorite Chardonnay from Wood Family Vineyards.
Sláinte,
Michael
2018 Smith-Madrone Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon A Great Wine at a Moderate Price
The Winery
Smith-Madrone Vineyards is located on 200 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 Sam Smith is the assistant winemaker. Truly a family affair! All the wines are estate and dry-farmed on top of the mountain. Annual production is between 3,000 to 4,000 cases a year. Currently they are producing Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and their iconic Cooks Flat (blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc).
(Photo taken by Matthew Denny)
The Wine
The 2018 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon provided a unique perspective to Cabernet Sauvignon’s from Napa. While I have enjoyed many Cab’s from Spring Mountain, I suspect it is the dry farmed quality that presents such a welcoming twist. First on the eyes a deep red crimson color, along with royal purple hues presenting a medium heavy viscosity, intrigues your visual awareness. On the nose raspberry, dark Bing cherries, vanilla pipe tobacco waft up to stir up your excitement. Once in the mouth dark fruit mixed with red fruits are predominate. Then leather weigh in with the fulfillment of the aromas previously mentioned along with “Christmas spices” of nutmeg and cinnamon”. On the finish, it is smooth and silky at first but later puffs out its structure and tannins as a proud authentic wine. Also traces of minerality provide a complete and enjoyable wine. The wine contains 86.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 7.5% Cabernet Franc. It spent 21 months in barrel, 50% new French oak and 55% neutral oak. Smith-Madrone made 1,006 cases and this is a solid mid-priced wine at $62 at the winery! This was just released in October. I have had many others wines much closer to $100 that did not provide the balance, fullness and enjoyment that this did!
The Food and Wine Pairing
Paired with a BBQ’ed Carne Asada dish. Marinated 24+ hours with cilantro leaves, olive oil, soy sauce, fresh squeezed orange & lime juice, minced garlic, diced jalapeno, cumin and salt/pepper. Served with mixed long and short grain rice and a roasted broccoli and mushrooms. An excellent pairing with the 2018 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon from Spring Mountain.
Sláinte,
Michael
2015 Bench Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
The Background
Looked on my list of “Wines to Drink” for 2021 the other night and this bottle came up. I’ve never had Bench Vineyards and actually had to look up how and when this bottle was obtained. A friend had given it to me some 3 years ago and it had been resting comfortably in the cellar. Once that was resolved, I opened it up and was met with absolute delight in the aroma!
The Winery
Since they are new to me, I only gleamed a little off their website. The first thing that gets your attention is the Heron on the label. We have a lot of Blue Heron’s here in the local area and they are seen daily in their hunting / stalking mode. The owners state on their website that the Heron “is recognized in many cultures as a symbol of strength, purity, patience and long life. We craft our wines in the same spirit”.
Mike Smith and Bob Pepi are the winemakers alongside with the owners Allison Steltzner and Sam Sharp. Their stated goal is to make “vibrant terroir driven wines”. The name Circa Wines 64 is to honor Allison’s father, Dick who in 1964 purchase the property in Napa. Besides the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a single vineyard, they also make a red blend.
The Wine
On the eyes, a very deep red almost black coloring with heavy viscosity. On the nose the primary wafting aromas of dark cherry, raspberry and chocolate ricocheted off the senses. Once on the palate, plum combined with vanilla pipe tobacco swelled up in the mouth. These along with black licorice and dark roasted coffee provided a symphony in the mouth of immense proportions. The finish with oak, edgy tannins provided a long lasting and mouth filling experience. The current release is 2018 and is listed for $150/bottle on their website.
I will need to look deeper into this “hidden gem” in the Spring Mountain AVA! That said, it is a beautiful wine for any special occasion.
Sláinte,
Michael
2013 Lail Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint From Multiple Vineyards
The Winery
Their story began in 1879 when Robin Daniel Lail’s great-granduncle, Gustav Niebaum, pioneered fine winemaking in the Napa Valley when he founded Inglenook Winery. Inglenook was passed down to Robin’s grandfather and then to her father, John Daniel Jr. In 1995, after many years working with other Napa Valley icons (Robert Mondavi, Bill Harlan, etc.), Robin’s dream of wanting to create her own extraordinary wines was launched. She and her daughters, Erin and Shannon, assembled a team of talent individuals and set out on their own by launching Lail Vineyards. Today, the winery has a long standing tradition of winemaking. Currently they continue a legacy of perfecting vineyards to make extraordinary wines, including some 100 point wines!
The Wine
Another nice treat last week pulled from the cellar, Lail Vineyards Blueprint 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Blueprint, which comes from six vineyards in Napa Valley and is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine on the eyes was a deep garnet red and purple color and medium heavy viscosity. On the nose, aromas of boysenberry and black cherry are predominate. On the palate, besides the ripe fruit, it opens up to reveal mocha, vanilla pipe tobacco and leather. The finish is mouth filling, long and with a refined “upper class” edginess to it. The tannins are present but relatively tamed and smooth. The wine was aged in French oak barrels for 17 months with 64% being new. 1583 cases were produced by Philippe Melka. The current release is the 2019 and is listed at $90/bottle. Ratings from Parker and Wine Advocate were 92 points and 94 points respectively.
When they say the sum is greater than parts, this is the wine that exemplifies this saying!
Sláinte,
Michael
MadoroM Vineyards and Winery 2016 Merlot, The Paul Bunyan of Merlot’s
The Story of Paul Bunyan, is that he was a giant lumberjack of mythical stature in lumber camps in the United States. He symbolized a bigness, strength and vitality. More to follow below.
The Winery
MadoroM Vineyards and Winery is a family affair creating handcrafted and artisan wines from Napa Valley grapes. They produce, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, a Proprietary Red Blend (see a previous article at: https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2021/10/07/2018-madorom-camouflage-proprietary-red-wine/ ) and Sauvignon Blanc. Their new tasting room is located on the Silverado Trail. MadoroM wines is a collaboration of Andy and Marissa Amador and the talented winemaker Mike Blom. At age 27, Andy purchased a 188 acre ranch in the eastern Napa Valley and he planted 50 acres on the property. He later planted a vineyard at the base of Mt. Veeder. The name MadoroM is an incorporation of all their names!
The Wine
If you are a fan of the move Sideways and distain Merlot’s that are blah and timid Merlot’s, I would like to introduce you to a “meaty and hearty Merlot”! Having never tried this wine, I was somewhat expecting a disappointment. But once the cork was pulled, I knew something special was in store. On the eyes a charismatic brick red juice presented itself with a medium heavy viscosity. On the nose, juicy red plum overcame the senses with expectation of a rich and lavish Merlot. On the palate, red and tart cherries burst into the mouth, bringing with it lightly toasted oakiness, followed by surprisingly defined tannins and structure not normally associated with Merlot. On the finish it was a mouth filling delight with a longish and drawn out enjoyment. This is why I called it the Paul Bunyan of Merlot’s! Personally I think to the average consumer in a blind tasting, it might even pass as a Cabernet Sauvignon! What a great find. It is listed on their website for $70 and it is a steal for this big, bold and delicious Merlot.
The Food and Wine Pairing
A fantastically prepared Andouille Cajun Rice Skillet dish was chosen to pair with the wine. This was a “warm temperature flavor” dish with spiciness and far reaching textual appeal in the mouth. The recipe called for Andouille Cajun sausage, yellow onion, red & yellow bell peppers, minced garlic, Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, kosher salt, tomato paste, fresh sliced Roma tomatoes, crushed red peppers and brown rice. A fresh garden salad with chucky Blue cheese dressing on the side. Paired with the 2016 MadoroM Merlot was an excellent choice to counterbalance the spiciness and big flavor of the meal. As an aside, the meal may have been a little too spicy to fully appreciate the wonderful wine.
This wine just made my list of the Best Wines tasted in 2021. The list will be published December 15th 2021 and over 1600 wines will have been tasted and roughly only 3% make the list. MadoroM Merlot will be listed.
If you have been turned off by Merlot’s, this 2016 MadoroM Merlot will bring you back to being an advocate of this once popular wine.
Sláinte,
Michael
Wine Media Event at Hindsight Wines October 29, 2021
Yesterday a casual media event was held at Hindsight Wines in Calistoga, California. It was held at the house of Seth Gersch and Dr. Alisa Gean, owners. Also in attendance was their new winemaker Michael Weis, they provided some delicious appetizers and poured all their new releases for the various wine writers and media personnel. The three new releases that were especially outstanding were their 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2019 Chardonnay and the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain. You can read about these wines below at (the previously released 2017 Howell Mountain is in the story):
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2021/10/03/2019-hindsight-chardonnay-paired-up-with-vine18-mahi-mahi/
Hindsight Wines has a stated goal of offering solid representative varietals of Napa Valley at a fair and competitive rate. Dollar for dollar, pound for pound they have succeeded in accomplishing this goal. While not having a tasting room or an active wine club, they do offer some amazing sales (40% to 50%) on occasion and it is worth joining their mailing list and acting quickly when they are announced.
Their 20/20 Hindsight Cabernet Sauvignon is a great everyday wine to be enjoyed with a steak or simply by itself as it is smooth and provides just enough panache without breaking the bank! Read a previous story on the 20/20 at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2020/12/28/the-year-2020-and-hindsight-wine-20-20/
I will state while all their wines, from their refreshing whites to their absolutely delicious red wines, my personal favorite is from the Bella Vetta Vineyard on Howell Mountain. While not an everyday wine, it truly is a remarkable wine. It has enough structure and tannins to last 7-10 years and is perfect with a juicy steak as the pictures in the below stories can attest.
No matter which wine you chose from Hindsight wines, your Hindsight will ask you why didn’t I discover these wines sooner. As they say Hindsight is always 20/20!
Sláinte,
Michael
2010 Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon from Branding Iron Vineyard
The Winery
Nickel & Nickel was founded in 1997 to showcase single vineyard production of wines. The Branding Iron Vineyard is located at the base of the Mayacamas range on the western side of Napa Valley. It is an eight and one half acre vineyard planted in 1998. Currently they have 17 different single vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon’s!
The Wine
Pulled this out of the cellar where it had been resting comfortably for the last 9 years! The 2010 Branding Iron Cabernet Sauvignon used 48% new French oak and the balance once used oak. It was aged 18 months in barrel and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
This wine is always special to enjoy by itself or a with a big juicy steak. This evening was enjoyed by itself with each sip being thoroughly appreciated. On the eyes a very deep crimson color with medium heavy viscosity. On the nose, dark and red fruits waft into the senses. Once on the palate, blackberry, raspberry fruits abound. Secondary flavors of spices, light tobacco and rounded tannins performed their magic in the mouth. The finish with light tannins, yet a strong structure existed, provided a clean and enduring finish. This is a rich and bold Cabernet Sauvignon. Their current release is their 2018 and the website shows it for $125/bottle.
When aged this long, I would highly recommend decanting and filtering before severing as there was a large buildup of sentiment due to cellaring.
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 