chardonnay
Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay – A Solid Wine With Sashimi
Last week in the Phoenix area we had a great dinner with family (minus Ben and Susan) on Thursday evening. We ate at Kona Grill in Gilbert, a small establishment featuring steak, seafood and sushi with 23 locations throughout the United States. All the food was fresh and cooked/prepared excellently.
The wine list was limited and a bit pedestrian but at least provided a couple of choices for everyone. Selected a typical restaurant standard, Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay. It was good with the meals that three of us enjoyed.
I ordered their Asian Salad with napa& red cabbage, green onions, cilantro, carrots, almond ramen crunch with sweet soy-dressing. This was one of their house specialty items as an appetizer. Followed up with five slices of both Smoked Salmon and Tuna sashimi that were fresh and delicious.
I would recommend this establishment if in a city where they are opened.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2022 Iron Hub Wines Chardonnay With White Bean Chicken Chili
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Chardonnay typically does not do well in the warmer climate of Amador County and when first offered it I was taken back. It was explained that the vineyard for this wine is in Amador County but located at a much higher elevation called Spanish Creek vineyard in the Sierras at an elevation of 2700 feet. The cooler climate is ideal for producing exquisite Chardonnay grapes.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The small lot 2022 Chardonnay on the eyes was a golden straw color with medium viscosity. The first aromas on the nose, was like a shot heard around the world. Fruits of green and Golden Delicious apple and pear shouted out their presence in the glass. Secondary flavors of dry apricots was also present. From the first sip a creamy textural wine with previously mentioned fruits came together like a well-orchestrated symphony. Added to the mix was vanilla which was just slightly present on nose and became infused in the glass with gentle oak overtones. The finish was long, poised and glamorous like a family portrait with a hint of brioche. At $34 per bottle, this wine offers exceptional quality at a reasonable price, in my opinion. It comes in at 14.7% alcohol.
Aged in 34% new French oak barrels and the remainder being neutral French oak. Held in the barrels for 11 months and went through 100% malolactic fermentation. Immediately, this wine made my annual list of Best Wines Tasted in 2026 (list out mid-December). BTW, this wine made my list in 2024 and 2025!
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 one of our favorite wintertime foods, white bean chicken chili. The recipe calls for besides the chicken breasts either cut up or shredded, the following items: extra virgin olive oil, diced yellow onion, ground cumin, dried oregano, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, minced garlic cloves, cannellini beans, diced green chilis and chicken broth. Additional items of can corn, cut up cooked bacon and Flatiron Pepper’s called Dark and Smoky were added. Because of the wine pairing with Chardonnay, the lime juice and cilantro were eliminated as they would compete with the lemon in the Chardonnay. If we had Sauvignon Blanc wine, these ingredients would have been included. Accompanied by freshly baked cornbread and a fresh garden salad.
The food and wine pairing was terrific with the slight heat of the meal contrasting with the mouthful feeling and fruit of the Iron Hub Chardonnay.
The Winery
Photo from Iron Hub website
The winery was founded by Tom Jones from Lava Cap Winery fame in the Apple Hill area near Placerville. Tom completed his master’s degree in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis, and for almost 30 years developed award-winning wines. Tom and his wife Beth’s new endeavor began in 2014 with the purchase of the 33-acre property that had been known as Amador Foothill Winery. Having control of the grapes from vineyard to bottle was key in his quest for quality control with 17 acres planted in vines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The name of the winery came from Tom’s mountain sojourns in the area. On an adventure he discovered an antique, hand-forged wagon wheel hub in a remote area. This small winery on Steiner Road drew a parallel with his goal of making small lot artisan wines like the craftsmanship of the “iron hub” he found on a walk. The beautiful new tasting room was opened in December 2017.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Spencer, their son, following in his father’s footsteps by also graduating from UC Davis with a master’s degree from the Department of Viticulture and Enology, is the winery’s winemaker. Today, they established a dynamic father-son winemaking team. Spencer enjoys the demand of a hands-on approach to every aspect of the winemaking process, from tending the grapes in the estate vineyards to carefully crafting both red and white wines. They recently added 10 acres managing the Spanish Creek site they are leasing. Having now 27 acres of “estate property” to manage is keeping them very busy.
Sláinte,
Michael
2022 Maritana Vineyards “La Rivière” Chardonnay – Always Delivers and Is Praiseworthy
The Wine 2022 Maritana Chardonnay “La Rivière” – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The specific goals for all his wines are to have beautiful floral aromas, stabilized and permanent bright coloring to the eye. Lofty and elegant goals to be sure but he is implementing creative and imaginative techniques to achieve his desired outcome. He definitely hit his mark with this Chardonnay. I knew from previous tastings this wine was going to be outstanding. “La Rivière” means “the River” referring to Russian River AVA where the vineyards are located.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes, the clarity and brightness were ethereal straw, golden yellow and a heavy viscosity (not normally found in Chardonnay). On the nose, predominate aromas of almonds and pears. On the palate is where this wine is exceptional full mouth-filling essence with light lemon and fresh brioche. A slightly sweet finish with flavors of caramel, counterbalanced with a modicum of minerality. What the net effect provides is an elegant layered and slightly creamy Chardonnay. This spectrum of quality is generally found in wines costing closer to $100 and up. The most recent price I remember was $42/bottle and comes in at 13.5% alcohol level.
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 from the cellar to enjoy this evening with fresh Petrale sole. Prepared on a skillet with fresh parsley, lemons, lemon juice, Italian seasoning and capers. Cooked in butter and white wine. Accompanied by small halved roasted potatoes. The food and wine pairing was spot on as the delicate fish and the wine with minerality, lemon and brioche was complementary.
This wine has been an on-going favorite and continues to be a great wine. This vintage will again make my annual Best Wines tasted for 2026.
The Winery
I originally interviewed Donald Patz in his living room back in 2018. He was just starting out his venture with Maritana Vineyards, a project for developing and producing the highest quality of grapes for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Here Donald is implementing his strategy to develop a more balanced and “elegant and perfumed version to show through” with choices of grapes with selected aged barrels. On his Pinot Noir, he has secured three vineyards in the Russian River AVA. For this varietal he is using approximately 60% new oak barrels. The wines for Maritana Vineyards will be his Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2017, “Le Russe”; the Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2017 “La Rivière”; Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2017 “Dutton Ranch/Hansen Hill Vineyard” and his Russian River Chardonnay 2017 “Dutton Ranch/Shop Block 1967”. The last using vines planted in 1967 and using 50-year-old vines in his Chardonnay production!
Fast forward some seven years and today with four decades of experience and intricate knowledge of the vineyards, he has three specific labels. They are:
MARITANA VINEYARDS – Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
SECRET DOOR WINERY – Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
TERMINIM – Mendocino County Marsanne/Roussanne and Syrah
Recently all his wines received scores in mid-90’s (seven with 95 points), which shows his dedication and artisan effort with his craft.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2023 Wood Family Vineyards “Hot Lips” Sparkling Blanc de Blanc
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background and Fun Facts on Sparkling & Champagne Wines
This will be the first release of sparkling wine using 100% Chardonnay grapes from Wood Family Vineyards. There is so much more behind simply “bubbles” in the glass with sparkling wines!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Another fun fact is that in a flute of sparkling wine there are approximately one million bubbles.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Do you know what the metal cage on sparkling wine is called and why it is used? A muselet (French: [myz. le]) is a wire cage that fits over the cork of a bottle of champagne, sparkling wine or beer to prevent the cork from emerging under the pressure of the carbonated contents. The pressure inside a bottle of bubbly is typically somewhere between 70 and 90 pounds per square inch or twice the pressure of a typical car tire! The muselet is an added method of security to keep the cork in place.
The basic three categories of Champagne/Sparkling wine are:
Blanc de Blanc-made exclusively from white grapes
Blanc de Noirs-made exclusively from black grapes like Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Rosé– adding a small amount of red wine or by leaving the red grape skins with juice during pressing.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
To help give a perspective on sugar levels for Champagne or Sparkling wines, here are the basic categories, going from sweet to dry based on dosage of sugar added:
• Doux: 50 or more grams of sugar added per liter. Outrageously sweet.
• Demi-Sec: 32 to 50 grams of sugar. Still sweet but showing some traction in the market.
• Sec: “Sec” in French means dry. But dry here indicates a medium sweet sparking of 17 to 32 grams of sugar per liter.
• Extra Sec: Meaning “Extra Dry” which is less sweet than Sec wine with 12 to 17 grams of sugar per liter.
• Brut: Up to 12 grams of sugar added. This leads to a balance of flavor and acidity. A bit more rounded than Extra Brut. This is one of the more popular levels of Champagne for consumers.
• Extra Brut: With fewer than 6 grams of sugar, this will produce higher acid and accentuate the carbonation.
• Brut Nature: With no sugar added (less than 3 grams), not common but a way for the winemaker to allow the quintessential nature of the Sparkling wine. This will provide strong minerality and high acidity.
Some key and common terms used in Sparkling and Champagne production:
Méthode Traditionelle – Two separate alcoholic fermentations are involved in the production of Champagne. The first is primary fermentation that occurs in stainless steel vats or oak barrels. The second fermentation takes place in the bottle prompted by the addition of a mixture of sugar and yeast that produces bubbles.
Liqueur de tirage – This mixture of wine, sugar and yeast added to still wine promotes a secondary fermentation in sparkling wine production.
Riddling – This involves moving the bottle very slowly from a horizontal to an inverted vertical position in order to dislodge the yeast sediment which slides down the side of the bottle, collecting in the plastic insert under the crown cap.
Disgorgement – When the crown cap seal is removed, the pressure created by the dissolved CO2 ejects the frozen wine, taking the sediment and plastic insert with it.
Liqueur d’expedition – This is a mix of wine and sugar used to make the final adjustment to the sweetness of sparkling wine prior to corking.
Dosage – This is an adjustment of the sugar level in Champagne and other sparkling wines by the addition of liqueur d’expedition.
Zero Dosage (Brut Nature) – No dosage (sugar) is added.
This 2023 “Hot Lips” Sparkling uses Methode Champenoise (traditional) and uses no additional dosage of sugar.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine is called Blanc de Blanc Sparkling meaning it uses only Chardonnay grapes. Most traditional Champagnes, greater than 95%, use three grapes in France: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Some additional grape varieties are allowed such as Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Voltis and Pinot Gris.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine using only 100% Chardonnay is a little one dimensional yet still tasty with their exquisite and fan favorite Chardonnay grapes with 30% coming from Block 12 at Kaltoff Common in Livermore and 70% from Wisner vineyard. Many of the key characteristics of their exquisite Chardonnay carry to the sparkling wine. Noticeable is the coloring of a bright and light golden color. On the nose, green apple with a light brioche came through wonderfully. On the palate a softer and milder Chardonnay tastes of almond and soft yellow fruit. The bubbles provided an uplifting and spring freshness.
The sparkling will be release at their “Bottomless Bubbles and Bunch” on November 2nd with two seatings and at their Fourth Quarter Release Party November 22nd and 23rd. The price will be $50/bottle.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
And
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Two charcuterie plates were served with the sparkling Blanc de Blac this late afternoon/evening. They included some nutty cheese like aged Gouda, Brie and others along with crackers, salami, nuts and cranberries. All were served to highlight the wine and not overpower the delicate taste.
Personally, I think this sparkling necessitates a careful and purposed choice of foods to bring forth the quality of the wine, so the food will not overpower it.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2015 Peter Michael ‘La Carrière’ Chardonnay – A Great Pairing With Blackened Salmon
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. As stated by their marketing ‘La Carrière’ provides a signature complexity and liquid minerality from its mountainous origin”.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The winery produces other top-rated wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon blends, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Their winery is located in Knights Valley in Somona County.
The history of Sir Michael David is a great read on their website listed below.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2015 Peter Michael La Carrière Chardonnay is a wine that can be aged like many top-shelf French Chardonnays. The deep and rich golden color was striking along with its minerality, 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. Wine Advocate gave this wine 95-97 points. Currently online it is running around $170/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 (Saturday) to enjoy some good food, wine, getting caught up and laughter! Ordered the blackened Salmon with lemon-butter sauce on the side, served over herb risotto, accompanied with sautéed fresh vegetables. Besides the fish being excellent, the risotto and vegetables were extremely tasty.
The Chardonnay provided a cooling down effect on the slight spiciness of the blackened Salmon. A beautiful and delicious food and wine pairing for the evening. Peter Michael consistently makes my Best Wines tasted during every year.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We also enjoyed some other delicious wines this evening from Sonoma and Calaveras Counties with various dishes.
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
2023 Wood Family Chardonnay – A Great Vintage!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Rhonda Wood has been producing awarded 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 to 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.
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.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
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 this Chardonnay food pairings dishes have included: 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 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 creamy 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 were present. On the palate most notable was the weightiness of the wine in the mouth. Honeydew melon was the dominant flavor with both 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 as pronounced, yet the wine encapsulated the mouth with a spring freshness.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2023 comes from two vineyards with 70% being Wisner and 30% being from Kalthoff Common area. These two are on opposite sides of Livermore. Barrel treatment 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 sells for $36/bottle and comes in just slightly higher alcohol than 2022 at 14.6%.
The 2022 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay won Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
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
A bit of a gamble this evening, pairing the wine with chicken stir fry with Udon noodles. Ingredients included broccoli and topped with slices of green onions. I was a bit concerned that the Udon spicy sauce would be too much for the Chardonnay. The Wood 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. Just added one more dish to the mix for this lovely Wood Family Chardonnay!
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
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
Rombauer Wine Dinner at Verona18 – With a Few Nice Surprises!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
It had been almost twenty years since I had a full tasting experience of Rombauer wines, so when and our local clubhouse restaurant, Verona18 and Rombauer held this event thought it was about time. Rachael Akerley from Rombauer in Plymouth conducted the wine portion of the event for about fifty attendees.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Chef Jaime Alderete prepared the exquisite dinner for the evening. The evening started off with a Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with herb oil as a shooter. This was the first surprise being paired with a 2024 Rombauer Sauvignon Blanc. Conventional thinking is that “tomato-based foods” usually trend toward high acid lighter red wines. The shooter was heavenly sent and the pairing with the wine was strikingly delightful. It generally got the best reviews for the evening for a wine and wine/food pairing from the crowd!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up a Sicilian-style Tuna Carpaccio with a garlicky herb dressing. Again the food was top notch and Rombauer 2023 Chardonnay, perhaps not to my likely, is still the number one selling Chardonnay in the USA and the number one Chardonnay for restaurants in the USA. The food and wine pairing was good but I kept thinking the Sauvignon Blanc would have tasted even better with the food.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up, and another surprise, was the Squash Ravioli of sage brown butter sauce, diced squash and tomato. The surprise was the taste of this light and tasty ravioli with a little sweetness. This was paired with their 2023 Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia Highlands from the Central Coast of California. The pairing with the Pinot Noir again for me did not seem to have enough weight to pair with the Pinot Noir. By the way for all the pairings, whether good or great, there wasn’t any wine left in the glasses!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Before the main entrée was served, an intermezzo refreshment with Prosecco and lime/orange sherbert as both a palate cleaner as well as to stimulate the appetite.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The main entrée was served up and a unique Surf & Turf of filet mignon, sauteed shrimp & lobster, with browned white wine and shallot cream sauce. The sauce was tasty and perfectly suited for both seafood and beef. This was another surprise of the sauce being well suited for both on the same plate. The beef was served medium rare and very tender.
The wine being paired was the Rombauer 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon with pronounced cherry, oak and medium tannins. This was a solid pairing with the filet, but the lobster and shrimp were left out in the cold with the Cabernet Sauvignon not making it a good pairing. Not to sound like a broken record but believe having two glasses to taste with the entrée would have been spot on with the Cabernet Sauvignon caressing the filet and Sauvignon Blanc with its citrus and passion fruit notes complementing the lobster and shrimp. Accompanied by fresh string beans and potatoes.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Last up was another surprise of Poached Pear with Gorgonzola dolci, tuile, chocolate mousse. This was paired with two Rombauer wines: 2022 Zinfandel and 2022 Zinfandel, Twin Rivers from El Dorado. Both wines were good with dessert and lots of discussion on which of the two wines went best with the desserts.
Video ©Michael Kelly
The crowd was very appreciative of Rombauer and Verona18 hosting the event and Jaime preparing such a wonderful meal to be enjoyed.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Picture of Rachael Akerley of Rombauer who conducted the tasting.
and
And Executive Chef Jaime Aderete who prepared each wonderful and delicious dishes for the evening.
A couple of us the following afternoon drove to Plymouth to a tasting with Rachael. We were treated to several reserve, older vintages and special wines which were all scrumptous. Here are just a few:
Photo ©Michael Kelly
and
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Would encourage everyone who has only tasted their regular lineup and have an opinion on Rombauer to try their “higher end” lineup for a comparison. You will be surprised!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2021 Maritana Vineyards Chardonnay “La Rivière” From Sonoma County
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
I normally write a story with a food pairing but last weekend when the weather was pleasantly warm and comfortable we sat out on the patio in the early evening and enjoyed this spectacular wine sans a meal. While often using the quote by Andre Simon speaking about wine and food pairings that “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” this wine was perfect by itself.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wine 2019 Maritana Chardonnay “La Rivière” – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The specific goals for all his wines are to have beautiful floral aromas, stabilized and permanent bright coloring to the eye. Lofty and elegant goals to be sure but he is implementing creative and imaginative techniques to achieve his desired outcome. He definitely hit his mark with this Chardonnay. I knew from previous tastings this wine was going to be outstanding. “La Rivière” means “the River” referring to Russian River AVA where the vineyards are located.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes, the clarity and brightness were ethereal straw, golden yellow and a heavy viscosity (not normally found in Chardonnay). On the nose, predominate aromas of almonds and pears. On the palate is where this wine is exceptional with its heavy and full mouth-filling essence with light lemon and fresh brioche. A slightly sweet finish with flavors of caramel, counterbalanced with a modicum of minerality. What the net effect provides is an elegant layered and creamy Chardonnay. This spectrum of quality is generally found in wines costing closer to $100 and up. The current price is $42/bottle and was rated by James Suckling at 96 points. The grapes were hand harvested, hand sorted using 95% used and 5% new barrels. It went through 100% secondary malolactic fermentation and is 13.5% alcohol level.
The Winery
I originally interviewed Donald Patz in his living room back in 2018. He was just starting out his venture with Maritana Vineyards, a project for developing and producing the highest quality of grapes for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Here Donald is implementing his strategy to develop a more balanced and “elegant and perfumed version to show through” with choices of grapes with selected aged barrels. On his Pinot Noir, he has secured three vineyards in the Russian River AVA. For this varietal he is using approximately 60% new oak barrels. The wines for Maritana Vineyards will be his Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2017, “Le Russe”; the Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2017 “La Rivière”; Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2017 “Dutton Ranch/Hansen Hill Vineyard” and his Russian River Chardonnay 2017 “Dutton Ranch/Shop Block 1967”. The last using vines planted in 1967 and using 50-year-old vines in his Chardonnay production!
Fast forward some seven years and today with four decades of experience and intricate knowledge of the vineyards, he has three specific labels. They are:
MARITANA VINEYARDS – Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
SECRET DOOR WINERY – Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
TERMINIM – Mendocino County Marsanne/Roussanne and Syrah
Recently all his wines received scores in mid-90’s (seven with 95 points), which shows his dedication and artisan effort with his craft.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
A Wonderful Birthday Dinner
Stayed home this evening for some of my favorite foods and wines. A bit of difficult choice as I enjoy many foods and wines. Did settle for the following items.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with an assortment of sashimi from Shiro Ninja restaurant in Angels Camp. A combination of Maguro (tuna), Hamachi (yellowfin) and Sake (salmon). Served with wasabi and ginger. This is only the third time enjoying the fish from Shiro Ninja and very happy with the freshness of their offering.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The food and wine pairing were excellent with the richness, delicate flavors and texture of the fish, complimented by the mouth feel and voluptuous wine. Did need to reduce the amount of soy sauce and wasabi for each bite so as not to overwhelm the sashimi.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2014 Peter Michael La Carrière Chardonnay is a wine that can be aged like 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 online it is running between $100 to $130/bottle. It should be noted that this is one of the few American Chardonnays that is age worthy. I generally drink them 8-11 years after the vintage date. Peter Michael in their notes today states the 2014 can easily go another 10 years!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
For the first dessert was a homemade pineapple upside down cake baked by Susan Kelly. This is one of my three favorite cakes the others being NY style cheesecake and German chocolate cake.
After a few other phone calls, video calls and emails, we sat down to watch a very intriguing movie on NETFLIX’s called Now You See Me. A mystery and suspense movie with a great ending!
As we watched the movie we enjoyed the second dessert, a 2013 Outpost Wines True Vineyard Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
On the eyes a deep purple, almost black color like none other with medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose a bouquet of floral aromas wafted into the senses. Once on the palate, blueberries and blackberries were the dominant flavors with a slight sweet vanilla tobacco hiding. The finish was invigorating with what felt like fireworks bursting with flavors on all corners of the palate. It was the quintessential throwback to Napa Valley historical roots of what a Cabernet Sauvignon should taste like. Robert Parker stated “the finish was close to a minute” long. It seemed longer and small sips were taken to savor the experience. It was rated 99 points and current pricing ranges from $189 to $249/bottle and up.
And that is how my simple and enjoyable “58th birthday” concluded.
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
2021 Iron Hub Winery Chardonnay – A Great Wine and Perfect Match for Blackened Ahi
The Winery
Photo of Spencer, Beth and Tom (L to R) from Iron Hub Winery website
The winery was founded by Tom Jones from Lava Cap Winery fame in the Apple Hill area near Placerville. Tom completed his master’s degree in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis, and for almost 30 years developed award-winning wines. Tom and his wife Beth’s new endeavor began in 2014 with the purchase of the 33-acre property that had been known as Amador Foothill Winery. Having control of the grapes from vineyard to bottle was key in his quest for quality control with 17 acres planted in vines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly with view of snowcapped Sierra’s in background
The name of the winery came from Tom’s mountain sojourns in the area. On an adventure he discovered an antique, hand-forged wagon wheel hub in a remote area. Thus, this small winery on Steiner Road drew a parallel with his goal of making small lot artisan wines like the craftsmanship of the “iron hub” he found on a walk. The beautiful new tasting room was opened in December 2017.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Spencer, their son, following in his father’s footsteps by also graduating from UC Davis with a master’s degree from the Department of Viticulture and Enology, is the winery’s Assistant winemaker. Today, they form a dynamic father-son winemaking team. Tom and Spencer enjoy and demand a hands-on approach to every aspect of the winemaking process, from tending the grapes in the estate vineyards to carefully crafting both red and white wines. They recently added 10 acres managing the Spanish Creek site they are leasing. Having now 27 acres of “estate property” to manage is keeping them very busy. Tom has stated that “Our estate affords me creative control from the vine to the bottle”.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Chardonnay typically does not do well in the warmer climate of Amador County and when first was offered it I was taken back. It was explained that the vineyard for this wine is in Amador County but located at a much higher elevation called Spanish Creek vineyard in the Sierras at an elevation of 2700 feet. The cooler climate is ideal for producing exquisite Chardonnay grapes.
The small lot 2021 Chardonnay on the eyes was a golden straw color with medium viscosity. The first aroma on the nose was like a lightning strike! Fruits of green apple and pear shouted out their presence in the glass. Secondary flavor of dry apricots was also present. From the first sip a creamy textural wine with previously mentioned fruits came together like a well-orchestrated symphony. Added to the mix was vanilla which was just slightly present on the nose and became infused in the glass with gentle oak overtones. The finish was long, poised and glamorous like a family portrait with a hint of brioche. It sells for $34 a bottle and for my money an excellent price for such high-quality wine. It comes in at 14.7% alcohol.
Aged in 34% new French oak barrels and the remainder being neutral French oak. Held in the barrels for 12 months and went through 100% malolactic fermentation. Immediately, this wine made my annual list of Best Wines Tasted in 2025 (list out mid-December). This will make three years running their Chardonnay has made the annual list.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
If you want more oak in your Chardonnay, on a recent visit to Iron Hub Winery, we saw something new on their menu and asked if we could taste their Proprietary Reserve Chardonnay ($48) which I did not know they made. An excellent wine being 16 months in new small French oak barrels, 11 months in bottle. While excellent, for my taste buds it was a bit “too oaky” but still delicious.
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
My wife picked up a fresh ahi steak loin yesterday and last night made a blackened ahi. Placed on the skillet with Canola oil on high heat in cooking white wine. Prepared in advance a blackening seasoning with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, thyme, cayenne pepper, Himalayan Sea salt and black pepper. Two minutes a side with the seasoning on it and plated with a mixture of cut pineapples, cut Mandarin oranges and green onions. Topped with both black and white sesame seeds and served very rare. The wine welcomed the spiciness of the fish and provided a great counterbalance of cooling refreshment to the fish spices. An extraordinary meal and exquisite wine!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly