chardonnay
Shimogamo Restaurant Lunch with Stolpman Vineyards Uni Wine
Background
Photo from Shimogamo Restaurant
While at the SanTan Art & Wine Festival this weekend and just around the corner was Shimogamo, featuring fine Japanese cuisine. The three of us stopped there for a late lunch. They have two locations, their original one in Chandler and just over a year ago, the one opened in Gilbert.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I ordered various sashimi pieces and a bottle of Stolpman Uni, a blend of Roussanne and Chardonnay that was recommended from a previous visit. The wine comes from Ballard Canyon AVA in Los Olivos, California. Here the delicate richness and mouth filling Roussanne combined with crisp and bright Chardonnay with apple and pear tastes, provided a great accompaniment to the fresh sashimi.
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
Ordered several pieces of two of the specials. One was Ma Aji served with a smidgin of onion and ginger. The other was Hirame (Halibut) with chili pepper crisp. Both were excellent. Each piece of sashimi was delicious and extremely fresh. The wine complimented each morsel of fish consumed.
The Winery
This is now the third time I have enjoyed a Stolpman wine and will not be my last. Stolpman is known for their Syrah and Roussanne grapes growing in limestone outcropping near on the Central Coast with the nearby Pacific Ocean breezes. They are committed to dry farming, native fermentation and with minimal manipulation bringing forth their wines.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
Bodega Pierce Visit at Willcox AVA
This was the last stop on my three-day visit to the Willcox AVA district. While the last stop, it was the first one recommended by friends in Mesa to visit but timing worked out to be the last stop. Met with Dan and Barbara Pierce who are a fountain of knowledge regarding the Willcox bench, water issues and the history of the area.
The vineyard and tasting room in Willcox is at 4511 E Robb Road. Here on their property of 80 acres with 27 acres under vines at 4,200 feet elevation they produce 18 varietals. They include Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Malvasia Bianca, Muscat of Alexandria, Zinfandel and Graciano. While knowing of their Cabernet Franc, which they have entered the annual International Cabernet Franc Competition, I was taken back by their offerings of varieties.
Photo from Bodega Pierce
They purchased the property in 2011 that was an existing winery with vineyards planted in 2005. They did an extensive rejuvenation and expansion of the vineyard and opened the tasting room in 2014. Currently they are producing approximately 2500 cases a year.
Their other tasting room and the production winery is in Clarkdale, Arizona at 1341 W State Route 89 A, about halfway between Sedona and Prescott Valley. Dan and Barbara’s son, Michael is their winemaker. Michael studied winemaking at UC Davis and Washington State University. Michael has a distinguished pedigree starting out head winemaker at Stronghold Vineyard (2010-2014), Director of Enology (2014-2018) & Director of Viticulture & Enology (2018-2025) at Yavapai College and now is at Yavapai College, University of Arizona adjunct faculty working on a variety of activities regarding commercial horticulture. His background is very extensive as well as being the head winemaker of Bodegas Pierce. His work was acknowledged by Wine Business Monthly in 2020 as Bodega Pierce being named Hot Brands of the year.
Barbara is currently the immediate past president of the Arizona Wine Growers Association and still active in political water right discussions. Dan also is extremely involved in the water rights for Willcox AVA and provided some keen insights into the water perspective.
Willcox AVA Background
The Willcox AVA is the largest in Arizona and encompasses 833 square miles in southern Arizona.
Map from University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
The AVA length ranges from 40 to 45 miles, running north and south and the width averaging between 15 to 25 miles wide east to west. It is a large flat valley (or playa/bench) with an average elevation of most vineyards being 4,200 to almost 5,000 feet elevations. The Willcox Playa is sitting between the Dragoon Mountains to the west reaching 7,500 feet and the Chiricahua with the highest point 8,000 feet and Dos Cabezas Mountains 7,500 feet to the east. The highest mountain peak is in the northeast at 8,100 feet. With the high mountains surrounding the high valley floor, the diurnal temperature swings (daytime to nighttime) can average between 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit. This cooling down feature from the mountain air sinking to the basin, is a hallmark in preserving acidity in the grapes.
The land is a combination of sandy-gravelly, alluvial and volcanic loam soils which are ideal for vineyard sustainability. The Willcox AVA was designated in September 2016. Many indigenous people occupied the land like the Chiricahua Apache’s including the well-known leaders Cochise and Geronimo.
The conversation started out like a few previous ones with other wineries discussing the AMA (Active Management Area) that was designated by the Arizona Department of Water Resources to preserve groundwater supplies, address land subsidence and stop earth fissures caused by over-extraction. The issue for Willcox AVA, that being registering for well water rights as to obtain water, everyone must drill wells to a depth of 420 feet. There is conflict with the valley ranchers who reportedly have an estimated one million to one million and a half head of cattle consuming an extraordinary amount of water. The cattle ranches are “gobbling” up land to increase their ranches and herds. Grape growers in the AVA use a fraction of the water but are strictly regulated. The irrigation freeze (with some wineries grandfathered) prohibits entirely new acreage being planted. Landowners can only irrigate acres there were legally watered between 2019 and 2024. The crux of the issue is that lactating cows consume 25-35 gallons of water per day, beef cows 6-15 gallons per day and bulls require 10-15 gallons per day year-round. Vineyards in the heat of the summer require 5-8 gallons and with a drip system can get by with only 2 gallons a day, being watered 2-3 times a week. With vineyards being dormant in the winter there is a large disparity in consumption with the wineries being shortchanged in this archaic and uneven handed mandated ruling by the government.
Bodega Pierce Wine Tasting
Being caught up in the rich and presently dynamic history of the AVA, we ran out of time to really do any extensive tasting of their wines. I asked Dan and Barbara to pick out three of their favorites as time was running short and only got one picture of three tasted.
The first wine tasted was the 2025 Chardonnay that was surprisingly intriguing and delicious. I had tried a few this visit, but this was distinct and of high quality. I asked Dan what clone they used and he later got back to me stating that their Chardonnay block had clones 04, 76 and 95 planted. I didn’t get the percentage of each clone, but the quality was similar to many Chardonnay’s in California. Clone 4, known as the Wente clone, represents about 80% of the Chardonnay vineyards in California. Upon tasting the wine, all the key characteristics were spot on for the visual, aroma, taste and finish. It received all high marks and rated highly.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Dan was especially fond of this 2024 wine which is not a common varietal. The first thing noticed upon the pour was the extremely powerful aromatics from the glass of floral and tropical fruits. This was light to medium viscosity with clarity in the vessel. A great summertime wine with light fruit, salads and light seafood. This grape varietal also goes by the names of Muscat d’ Alexandrie or Gordo Blanco. Again this made all positive marks across the board and rated very high.
The 2023 vintage was selected for tasting. And once again made all high marks for key characteristics and rated very high on my scoring.
Because of the engaging and thoughtful conversation of the visit, wine tasting actually took a back seat. Tasting never should have been secondary but we were caught up in the discussion beyond just their winery including the entire AVA, the industry, the International Cab Franc Competition, judging and many other topics. A return trip is in order and most likely be at their Clarkdale facility.
I would highly recommend stopping at the Willcox AVA tasting room and meeting two knowledgeable wine folks with a passion for not only their wines, but Arizona wines in general. And please allow enough time to enjoy their wines!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
2022 Iron Hub Winery Chardonnay – One of the Best Chardonnay Wines Under $50
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.
The small lot 2022 Chardonnay on the eyes is a glistening golden color with medium viscosity. The first aromas on the nose were 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 were 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.
Iron Hub Chardonnay has made my annual Best Wines Tasted each year for the last five years. It will also be included in the 2026 listing.
The current vintage is 2023 and is still listed at $34/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
Paired this evening with a new recipe called Baked Pistachio Crusted Chicken. A chicken breast is coated with mixture of grounded pistachios, garlic powder, onion powder, a dash of Cayenne, black pepper, salt and Dijon mustard. The flavors and texture of this chicken were excellent. Accompanied by Mediterranean couscous with herbs and baby asparagus. A tasty meal with the Iron Hub Chardonnay providing both a mouthful of texture and creaminess. A very intriguing and solid food and wine pairing.
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 Kelly
2015 Peter Michael Winery Chardonnay “La Carrière” and Baked Italian Chicken Rollatini
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
From Peter Michael Winery 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 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
Paired this evening with a new recipe called Baked Italian Chicken Rollatini that came out spectacular! It is baked chicken rollatini that is rolled, breaded and filled with prosciutto and smoked provolone cheese. The ingredients are chicken breasts filleted and pounded, kosher salt, black pepper, EVOO, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, smoked Provolone cheese, butter, prosciutto, chicken broth and white wine. Accompanied by baby asparagus and half a baked Russet potato.
A very good wine pairing with the Chardonnay complementing the chicken and a counterbalance to the prosciutto.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
2024 Wood Family Vineyards “Para Mas Amigas” Chardonnay
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
There is simply no simple explanation on how Rhonda Wood makes consistently great Chardonnay wine except that she is a perfectionist! She has for seven to eight years made Chardonnay wines that have been one of my favorites and annually makes the yearly listing of Best Wines Tasted in the year. It is once again for her 2024 vintage for the Best Wines Tasted in 2026.
This wine comes from two different vineyards in Livermore, one on the valley floor and the other in the hills. The wine is barrel fermented in 100% French oak barrels with 35% new for 10 months. The stirring of the lees was every two weeks.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First in the glass a slightly darker golden color that shimmers in daylight with brightness. A heavier than usual Chardonnay. On the nose a cornucopia of fruits rise to meet the imbiber with green apples and pears being dominant. Once on the palate the fruits of green apple and ripe pear swirl about merrily in the mouth. Additionally stone fruits of apricot and peach provide a secondary flavor and slightly shy quality, but welcoming. On the finish a brioche quality of “heaviness” provides a beautiful conclusion to each sip. Less sweet than the previous vintage with more fruits allowed to come into play.
This release for 2024 Chardonnay is targeted for mid-August. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol and list price is $36/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
Paired this evening with a silver salmon caught in Alaska on the Kenai River. It was vacuum sealed and frozen and transported to Phoenix. I was given a beautiful filet by Mike & Jenn Cole. This was one of the most delicious pieces of salmon I have eaten.
Photo from Wikipedia of Kenai River
Prepared on the stove top in a blackened rub consisting of coriander, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, sea salt and cayenne pepper. It was cooked in olive oil, white wine and lemon juice. Served with diced mangos and pineapple. Accompanied by small red potatoes baked with herbs and a fresh garden salad with French Blue cheese and bacon.
The wine with its fruit and smoothness paired calmed down the spicy blackened salmon was a winning combination! A great food and wine pairing.
The Winery
Photo from Wood Family website
Wood Family Vineyards, located in eastern Livermore Valley with Rhonda Wood owner & winemaker, has been producing award winning wines for over two decades. You can read more on Rhonda’s background from airline pilot to award winning winemaker at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/10/wood-family-vineyards-2
Recently at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (largest in North America), Wood Family Vineyards won the following awards, and not all are listed:
2019 Cabernet Franc – Double Gold
2021 Malbec – Double Gold
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon “Clone 30” – Double Gold
2021 El Loco Rojo Red Blend – Double Gold
2021 The Captain Red Blend – Double Gold
The list of awards is extensive featuring all their wines on their website.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
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