Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Valley Wines

Heart O' The Mountain

2011-11-20T08:33:00.001-08:00

The Heart O' The Mountain estate sits on a southwest facing slope on Mount Roberta near Scotts Valley, 1000 feet above Monterey Bay. It was originally established in 1881 when Pierre and Sada Cornwall purchased an 85 acre parcel for $500. Cornwall was a lawyer and a partner in the Coldwell, Cornwall and Banker real estate firm. He planted Cabernet Sauvignon and established the Santa Sada winery, which apparently continued producing until Prohibition forced its closure. Cornwall also purchased additional neighbouring land, bringing the total to 154 acres.

In 1940 the property was purchased by the director Alfred Hitchcock, who had recently moved from England. The vineyards were replanted with Riesling and the fruit sold to the re-opened Cresta Blanca winery in Livermore. Hitchcock lived there on and off for the next 30 years and was noted for hosting lavish parties attended by many Hollywood celebrities. When the Hitchcocks sold the property in the 1970s the vineyard was neglected and became overgrown. It was subsequently purchased in 1978 by the Brassfield family, founders of GNLD - a successful network marketing company that sold nutrition supplements.

The property is only reachable via a long, winding single track road. As you climb up the mountain there are some great views towards the coast, but it's only when you reach the top that you'll realise what Cornwall and Hitchcock saw in it. The Brassfield family have tried to preserve the property the way that Hitchcock kept it; they have a self-guided walking tour around the buildings and gardens.

When Bob Brassfield retired in 2000 he and his son Brandon decided to restore the property's viticultural heritage. Together with vineyard manager Jim Bauer they planted Pinot Noir, selecting five Dijon and Pommard clones. The first harvest was in 2004; just two barrels were made and were not released commercially. Of the 150+ acres in the estate a scant 6.5 acres are under vines. There are a couple of additional blocks that would be suitable, but the family don't have plans to extend beyond around 1,000 cases.

Each of the clones is harvested, destemmed and vinted separately in small bins, with manual punch-downs. Yeast is added to most lots, though the winery occasionally experiments with wild yeast fermentations on small batches. Ageing is for around 18 months in French oak, with the Estate being blended just prior to bottling.

Initially the winery released a single Estate Pinot Noir; it's available at a few local restaurants and specialist retailers, such as Vinocruz and Unwined. As the vines matured and produced more fruit they began bottling some of the individual clones separately, beginning in 2006 with the Pommard clone - these are available to wine club members only.

The winery has no tasting facility due to its remote location, but holds occasional events for club members only. I was recently invited to the autumn release party.

2007 High Valley Winery Fume Blanc
From a winery in Lake County owned by Bob's brother, Dustin Brassfield.
Nose of citrus - particularly grapefruit - and some smoke.
On the palate it's very fruity and soft with notes of 'Starburst' candy. 84

2008 Estate Pinot Noir
Big, perfumed nose - spicy, smoky and ripe. Notes of cherry, strawberry and spice. Tannin and Oak shows on the finish 90

2008 Clone 828 Pinot Noir
Gamey, meaty nose with floral notes. Black cherry, herbs, cloves and dried orange peel. Dry, tannic finish. 90

2009 Wild Yeast Pinot Noir
Very fruity; cherry, cranberry, pear drops - this follows on the palate, adding white pepper. Ripe tannins. 90

2009 Clone 115 Pinot Noir
Earthy, cherry and smoke. Rustic flavours of cherry, herb, black pepper, clove and orange peel. 90

2009 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir
Bright nose of cherry and clove. Strawberry, cherry, orange and some spice. 91

2008 Roberts' Reserve Pinot Noir
Just half a barrel was made of this private blend.
Nose is smoky with cherry, pear drops, allspice and earth. The spicy palate shows raspberry, cherry, cinnamon and clove. 93

2011 Vintage Report - First Look

2011-11-19T08:05:00.001-08:00


Ascona Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains

Wine Spectator magazine recently published a series of reports on the 2011 vintage. Their report on California covers Napa, Sonoma and Paso Robles, but omits the area in between. So here is a provisional report on the 2011 vintage for the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Valley.

Let's start by getting some boring science stuff out of the way.
Last winter saw one of the strongest La Niña events ever recorded. When this occurs the surface temperature of equatorial waters cools by several degrees, which in turn alters the path of the jet stream that crosses the USA. The effect usually fades in spring, but in 2011 it remained strong much later than usual. The jet stream remained farther south and blew more strongly. The effects were felt across the country, with many states experiencing near record highs or lows of temperature and rainfall.

In California the effect resulted in a spring that was colder, wetter and later than usual. The cold weather delayed budbreak, while rains during bloom affected 'set' - the formation of the grape cluster as flowers turn into berries. Yields were affected across the state, with many regions reporting 20% to 30% below normal, but the Santa Cruz Mountains vineyards were impacted more severely, particularly at higher elevations. Growers are typically reporting yields 40% to 60% below normal, with some vineyards being written off entirely.

Summer was long and cool without unexpected heat spikes; this increased risk of mildew - growers had to be diligent about spraying. Mary Lindsay of Muns Vineyard reported adding potassium to sprays to help boost vine health and encourage better and more even ripening throughout the vineyard. The cool weather did little to help the already late running harvest, and some light October rains brought an additional threat of botrytis. Paul Romero of Stefania Wine called it "a tough, unhappy year - 2010's work with 2008's yields ... larger berries than 2008 but close in quality [and] without the tannin issues".

On the positive side, the long, cool season and low yields rewarded those who had looked after their vines with crops of high quality fruit. Many growers report good balance of acids, fruit intensity and tannic structure, with full ripeness at lower sugar levels. Marty Mathis of Kathryn Kennedy Vineyards described their Estate Cabernet harvest numbers as "perfect as I have ever seen in my 30 vintages".
The expectation is for some elegant, balanced wines at lower alcohol levels. Bradley Brown of Big Basin vineyards said "Quality appears to be remarkable and for those who picked at the right time and maintained healthy vineyards, this could be one of the best vintages in a long time."

References:
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/feature/ENSO-feature.shtml
http://www.worldweatherpost.com/2011/06/14/u-s-had-most-extreme-spring-on-record-for-precipitation/#.TsfaBXKwXAg

Ridge Zinfandel Pairs 1978-1990

2011-10-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

Ross Bott runs a tasting group that meets twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. The theme for this tasting was Ridge Zinfandels. There were two different wines from four vintages; 1978, 1983, 1985 and 1990. As usual the wines were poured blind, though we had a list of the wines beforehand. The wines were not decanted prior to serving.
The colours of the wines were all remarkably consistent; despite each one being at least 20-30 years old they still tended more towards garnet than brick.

A (1985 Geyserville) - Ranked 3rd overall, no first place votes
The nose was initially musty, though this faded with time. Notes of leather, with raspberry becoming increasingly evident as the mustiness faded.Nice raspberry fruit, with the tannin and acidity well balanced, and a dry finish. Was fading a little by the end.

B (1985 Howell Mountain) - Ranked 4th overall, though it did receive 2 first place votes.
Rich, brambly nose with a herbal noteBright red fruit - raspberry and cranberry, with an earthy 'old world' finish.Held up well

C (1978 York Creek)- Ranked 2nd overall, with 1 first place vote.
Nose showed matchsticks, mushrooms and leather. Mature with flavours of black fruit, coffee, cola and strawberry. Some leather, and a long finish.

D (1990 Geyserville) - Ranked 7th overall.
The nose wasn't great (I wrote 'stinky') - earthy and leathery. There was some debate as to whether it was corked, but it was certainly flawed in some way. Some sweet, ripe, pruney fruit and what I took for brett on the finish

E (1990 Lytton Springs) - Wine of the night; only 4 tasters did not rate it #1 which is almost unheard of at an event like this.
Ripe fruit on the nose, with floral notes. Palate shows loads of rich, sweet fruit - blackcurrant and raspberry - and a long finish. An awesome wine; easily 95+ points.

The last three wines were all a bit disappointing. Unsurprisingly 2 of the 3 were from the weakest vintage: 1983.

F (1978 Langtry Road) Rated 6th overall, despite getting one first place vote.
If I hadn't known that all these wines were Zinfandels I'd have called this as a Petite Sirah. It does in fact contain 30% Petite Sirah as well as 10% Carignane; I think labelling rules were more flexible back then.
It had the darkest colour of all the wines; nose showed some barnyard and earth. There was some black fruit but this was dominated by some monster tannins. Somewhat unyielding initially, though it did soften a little as time went on.

G (1983 Park-Muscatine, Howell Mountain) - Rated 8th
The nose was light, with floral, berry and smoky notes. On the palate there was some raspberry and bramble, but it was light, tart and tannic.

H (1983 Geyserville)
The earthy nose showed a 'porty' note. As with the previous wine (from the same vintage) it was light with some brambly fruit. Seemed a bit oxidized, though it still had some tannins left.

Afterwards we were treated to a delicious 1978 Dusi Late Harvest, with 10% residual sugar and 14.2% alcohol.
Colour of amber/tea.Great mature nose with raspberry and port notes.Great flavours of raspberry, coffee, cocoa, fig and dark chocolate backed by nice acidity. 94 points

Selling wine

2011-10-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

I read a post by my friend Jo Diaz, discussing the problems of how we as wine consumers can go about selling a bottle of wine that's in our possession. In her article Jo suggested two well known auction houses. I proceeded to write a detailed comment on her blog, which the capricious software elected simultaneously to reject and delete. Rather than spend the time typing it all in again there I thought I'd answer here instead.

As a private individual you are faced with two distinct problems: firstly, that it's typically illegal to sell wine that you own without a licence* and secondly that it's not simply illegal to ship wine, it is in fact one of only two ways that you as an individual can violate the US Constitution. The 21st amendment - possibly the most tersely worded piece of legislation since the ten commandments - section 2 states: The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.. Incidentally, if you're curious, the only other way that you can violate the constitution is to enslave someone. Of course if you get your slave to deliver the wine then by the legal principle of duos nefas correctum you're probably okay. But I digress.

The simplest, legal way to sell your wine is therefore to contact a local wine retailer who specialises** in such things. In the Bay Area, one such retailer is K&L Wines; they have an entire department dedicated to purchasing private collections. They typically prefer to buy entire cellars rather than individual bottles, so this may not be ideal for someone seeking to sell off a few extra bottles. You will also need to demonstrate provenance; that the wine has been stored appropriately and how you acquired it.

The other legal way its to use a licenced wine auction house. There are several around, but the best known among collectors is probably WineBid. You will need to ship or deliver the wine to them to be appraised; since they are licenced they will provide appropriate paperwork which means that it's they who are legally responsible for shipping (although you are the one who pays). Since it's an auction you can't negotiate a price up front, though you can specify a reserve. However if the wine fails to sell due to too high a reserve there may be a fee to pay. You will also pay a commission of around 15% to 25% of the "hammer price" when the lot is sold. As with retailers, many auction houses don't like to deal in small lots, so there may be a minimum amount that they will accept. It may also takes some weeks before you receive the money for your sale.

There is a second type of auction house which is unlicenced; the best known is WineCommune. This operates in a similar manner to sites like eBay; they simply connect buyers and sellers; they take no responsibility for the legality of the transaction. The benefit is greatly reduced commission fees (around 3% to 5%), but the trade-off is that there's very little comeback. Since selling without a licence is illegal you're breaking the law and there have been instances where the authorities have fined sellers, though these have apparently been people using the service extensively rather than casually.

The last option is a private sale on an online wine forum. There are many discussion forums (or fora, depending on your preferred level of pedantry) which include a commerce or trading area. The benefit of these boards is that you're likely to agree a price close to the real value of the wine without paying commission charges. However it's a good idea to establish yourself as a member of the board before offering wines for sale; the boards can be suspicious of (and merciless to) brand new users posting lists of wines for sale.

If you choose to use either of these latter approaches you hit the second snag: it's illegal to ship the wine without a shipping licence once you've sold it. Carriers won't even accept a shipment if they believe it contains alcohol. So unless you have a contact with a shipping licence you need to be creative. A common approach is to label the package as containing some other liquid, such as Olive Oil; another way is to disguise it using boxed previously used for some other purpose. Either way, rather than taking the package to a carrier's office it's generally considered safer to leave it to be picked up, especially if you work for a large company that has a daily collection. Even so, there have been instances where packages have been intercepted and destroyed, so be aware, particularly when shipping to states with more draconian rules.

So there you have it. You can either pay huge fees, accept a fraction of the wine's value or become a criminal.

* I'm British. That's how it's spelled. And wile we are on the subject, there's a U in Colour.
** See previous. It should be a S not a Z***
*** Which is pronounced "Zed" like "bed"

Bloggers' tasting at Ridge Lytton Springs

2011-09-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

Recently I was invited up to Ridge's Lytton Springs facility for their quarterly bloggers' tasting. Although the post count may have slowed to the point where I barely qualify as a blogger any more I wasn't going to let that stop me from going - neither was the weather, which was starting to suggest that summer was almost over and done with.

Lytton Springs is just off the 101 in Dry Creek Valley - my favourite Zinfandel region overall. The site was originally a Victorian spa and hotel, with the first vineyards being planted from 1901 to 1910. Around 15 additional acres were planted in the 1950s. Ridge has made wine from the vineyard for 40 years and has owned it since 1991. The old vines are head pruned and are a field blend of mostly Zinfandel with small quantities of Petite Sirah, Grenache, Carignane, Alicante Boushet, Mataro (Mourvedre) and others. We tasted through a vertical of the Lytton Springs Zinfandel blend on our visit last year; this tasting would focus on the Rhone varieties. In recent years several blocks of Syrah have been planted to the West, together with some Viognier and Grenache. The latter are typically blended or cofermented with the Syrah, though occasionally they are bottled on their own. The wines are typically only available to members of the ATP list or at the tasting rooms.

Before the tasting Chris took us on a tour of the facility. The recently constructed winery and tasting room is very impressive and eco-friendly; the wooden frame is insulated with blocks made from local straw and clay; and the facility is almost entirely solar powered. The last time we visited the tasting was held on the crush pad, but with harvest in full swing we we assembled in the barrel room. We began the tasting with two Grenache blends.

2002 Grenache
78% Grenache, 13% Petite Sirah, 9% Zinfandel
This wine is a field blend, sourced from some century-old blocks that contain a high proportion of Grenache, plus some younger vines planted in 1991
The nose shows musty caramel and blueberry. There's nice black fruit up front; good rich concentration and plenty of structure. Grenache is typically drunk young since they have a tendency to age fairly rapidly, but this still seems very youthful; perhaps due to the age of the vines and the blended components, I'd say it still needs another 3 - 5 years. 92+

2003 Grenache/Syrah
50% Grenache, 50% Syrah
A softer, fruity nose than the Grenache with more floral character. Unfortunately it shows rather a lot of oak. There's nice black fruit but it's somewhat overshadowed, particularly on the finish. 89

Richard Jennings had brought a mystery wine, and Chris presented it now, blind. He asked us to guess the grape and the vintage.Light in colour, with a meaty, gamey nose suggesting bacon or sausage. On the palate there was tart cranberry, with light tannins and a medium finish. I accidentally caught a glimpse of what looked like a zero on the cork, so guessed 1990. For variety I thought it seemed like an Italian; I don't know what Italian varietals Ridge has made, but we've tasted Sangiovese in the past from that era, so that as my guess. Close, but not good enough; it was in fact a 1990 Rancho Pequeño Barbera.

We then tried several vintages of Syrah in pairs. The newer wines are designated Lytton West, the older ones Lytton Estate; the vines are the same, it's purely a branding thing.

2003 Lytton West Syrah
91% Syrah, 9% Viognier
The nose shows ripe black fruit and some white flowers from the viognier. On the palate there's good rich fruit balanced by some nice tannins. A lot of oak shows on the finish. 90+

2005 Lytton West Syrah
91% Syrah, 6% Viognier
Bright floral nose with notes of pepper. Again there's ripe fruit - lots of blueberry and bramble with some liquorice and a floral note, leading to a long finish. 93+

2002 Lytton Estate Syrah II
76% Syrah 22% Grenache 2% Viognier
In 2002 there were two lots of Syrah; both were blended with Grenache but neither lot really worked. As an experiment one lot got a small amount of Carignane added,the other got a similar amount of Viognier. Those small additions made all the difference, and both wines were released.
Nose is smoky and meaty, with floral notes. There's plenty of black fruit backed by fine tannins and soft acidity. A medium length finish with a note of white flowers. Very tasty. 92

2001 Lytton Estate Syrah
99% Syrah cofermented with 1% Viognier.
A really gamey, salami, smoky note. The black fruit really pops; plum, currant and berry notes, some liquorice and black pepper. There's a good smooth finish; the tannins are mostly resolved. It's drinking great right now. 93

2000 Lytton Estate Syrah
99% Syrah cofermented with 1% Viognier.
Nose is very faint in comparison with the 2001.This was the first wine that is starting to show some nice secondary characteristics; black fruits with leather and a touch of old-world rusticity. Good finish. 94

1999 Lytton Estate Syrah
Smoky, musty noseAssertive fruit and bright acid; seems to have more acidity than previous vintages. Good fine grained tannins. A hint of leather, not as much as in the 2000. 94

1997 Lytton Estate Syrah
Talk about saving the best until last. The nose was smoky, with some chinese 5 spice, The nose is constantly evolving; come back 5 minutes later and notice something new.Rich, unctuous fruit, endlessly layered. Soft and velvety; a delight. 95
A second bottle showed slight variation; a slightly rustic, barnyard note. 94

A great tasting; as you can see, the wines just seemed to get better and better. Huge thanks to Chris and everyone at Ridge for thsi opportunity, and to Richard for the Barbera. Everyone knows that Ridge make great Zinfandels, but the Syrahs and other wines from the ATP series can be just as good, if not better. As I noted at the start these wines are usually only available at the tasting rooms, but are well worth seeking out.

2007 Sarah's Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Clara Valley

2011-08-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

In 1977 Marilyn Clark and John Otterman bought a 10 acre property off Hecker Pass Road. They planted 7 acres of Chardonnay and named it Sarah's Vineyard. The first Estate vintage was made in 1983. The winery quickly established a reputation for wines of richness and depth with good aging potential. The winery stood apart from its neighbours, at a time when most of Santa Clara valley was producing cheap 'jug' wine. No expense was spared; even the labels were reportedly printed on stock normally reserved for wedding invitations, printed by a company that produced banknotes using a custom die made by an engraver from Smith & Wesson. However as time went on the price increased drastically while the quality became more variable. By the late 1990s the Estate Chardonnay cost $45 or more a bottle, but was only getting 80 points when reviewed by Wine Spectator.

In 2001 the winery was purchased by Tim Slater, who set about revitalising both the vines and the brand. The estate vineyards were replanted or retrellised, the buildings were renovated and extended, and a stack of brand new high-tech equipment was installed including a neat compact bottling line and a small but sophisticated laboratory. The winery currently produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from their estate vineyards and the Santa Cruz Mountains. They also source a range of Rhone varieties from the nearby Besson Vineyard, itself notable for providing Grenache to Bonny Doon's Cigare Volant for over 20 vintages.

The good news is that the 2007 Sarah's Vineyard Estate Chardonnay is far more reasonably priced than it would have been 10 years ago - $30 at the winery, but I've seen it as low as $20 at retail. It shows lots of toasty oak on the nose; On the palate there's apricot, lemon, cream and vanilla, with a rich, almost oily mouthfeel. The oak is very prominent on the finish. Despite its youth this bottle was already starting to show some mature notes; given the low acidity I wouldn't plan on holding it for more than another year. 88

2011 SCMWA wine competition

2011-08-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association runs an annual Commercial Wine Competition, open to all of its members. This year's competition was held last Monday at Ma Maison restaurant in Aptos, and I was invited to be a judge. The judging panel is made up of both trade professionals - restauranteurs, sommeliers, wine buyers etc., and consumers.

Judging Table. 8 judges each tasting a different set of wines.

I arrived in Aptos at 9:30 and was greeted by the chilly grey morning skies that help to make the western side of the mountain such a great place to grow Pinot Noir. I signed in at the main desk and was assigned Flight #5 - Pinot Noirs. When everyone had arrived we were led into the restaurant and told to sit at any table, in front of our particular number.

Each table had 8 judges, with every judge tasting a different flight. The purpose of this is so that you can talk to your fellow judges without worrying about affecting the results. The wines were laid out on the table in front of us, with each glass labelled only with a 4 digit code number. We were also given a sample of a white wine (a rather pleasant New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at a guess) as an introduction.

The organisers gave some basic instructions on evaluating the wine. We were to score on the 100 point scale, with 90+ indicating a gold medal, 85-89 indicating silver and 80-85 indicating bronze. We were advised that around 20-25% of wines typically fall into the Gold category and around half fall into the Silver category. Very few get no medal at all. This seemed reasonable; in my personal scoring system anything below 85 isn't worth buying, anything below 80 is not worth drinking. On this scale 70-79 is supposed to indicate an 'average' wine, so I take that to indicate the mass of sub-$5 supermarket plonk.

As with most blind tastings the wines were poured in the same order for everyone. I typically go through the wines in order and smell them, to get a first impression. I then taste them in an order based on those impressions; if a wine seems odd or unbalanced I'll leave it until last. After tasting them all I'll go through them again to confirm my decisions.

The first flight. Each wine is identified by a 4 digit code number

The first flight was fairly straightforward. There were 7 wines, 2 of which I gave Gold scores to. They turned out to be 2008 Clos LaChance Santa Cruz Mountains and 2008 Sonnet Muns Vineyard. I gave good marks to the 2008 Domenico Santa Cruz Mountains and 2008 Black Ridge Estate.

The second flight had one wine that I found particularly unusual. It had almost overpowering notes of white pepper and spice. After trying it a couple of times I decided that it worked and awarded it a Gold - it turned out to be the 2008 Beauregard Santa Cruz Mountains. Another Gold went to the 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyard Branciforte Creek, and an honourable mention to the 2008 Ahlgren Veranda Vineyard.

The final flight was unusual in that the first and last wines seemed very strange; I left them until the end and declared them both to be not medal worthy. My favourite turned out to be the 2008 Woodside Estate, with 2008 Muccigrosso and 2009 Soquel Estate also scraping Golds.

We then had a pause while the administrators tallied up the scores to determine the top 10 wines. While we were waiting there were some snacks including some delicious rillettes on mini croissants.

Finally the top 10 wines were revealed. We were told the variety in each case, and they were presented in order of lightest to heaviest, so I sampled them in that order. I was suprised to see that the winning Pinot Noir was not on my tasting list. It turned out that there were so many entrants that a fourth flight of Pinots had been given to a different set of judges, who had also been tasting the 'mixed' reds and blends. Frankly I wasn't overly impressed by their choice; there seemed to be a lot of sulphur evident, with the nose showing struck match and the fruit muted.

One of the judges analysing a wine.

Picking a favourite from 10 completely diverse wines is tough; ranking them in order is tougher still. Of the reds I particularly liked the Cabernet Sauvignon which was revealed to be the 2007 Woodside Estate; they also were awarded the best Zinfandel. I correctly guessed that the Petite Sirah was from Sones, though I thought it was probably from French Camp. The Soquel Chardonnay was very good and well balanced, and the dessert wine - a 2004 Angelica from Picchetti - was in a class of its own in more ways than one.

But in the end the top award went to Martin Ranch for their delicious 2009 Thérèse Vineyards Malbec. What's even more impressive is that Martin Ranch also scooped the top honour last year for their 2007 Lester Family Vineyard Syrah. Congratulations to Dan and Thérèse Martin!

Top 10 wines (Santa Cruz Mountains AVA unless noted)
2009 Martin Ranch Thérèse Vineyards Malbec Santa Clara Valley, Dos Ninas Vineyard
2010 Soquel Chardonnay, Ben Lomond Mountain, Meyley Vineyard
2009 Black Ridge Viognier
2007 Byington Pinot Noir Block 4
2008 Martin Ranch JD Hurley Merlot, Santa Clara Valley
2008 Sones Petite Sirah, Lodi
2008 Bargetto Syrah, Nelson Vineyard
2007 Woodside Cabernet Estate
2007 Woodside Zinfandel Estate
2004 Picchetti Angelica of Chardonnay

Helping out at Chaine d'Or

2011-07-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Paul and Stef of Stefania Wine asked for volunteers to help out at the Chaine d'Or vineyard in Woodside, so on a glorious Sunday morning I drove up to lend a hand. Chaine D'or is located close to the junction of 84 and 35 (Skyline). It's a pretty 2 acre vineyard on a south facing slope, planted in 1987. The upper and lower blocks are Chardonnay, with a block of Cabernet in between. It is laid out in rows running north-south at the top, gradually curving to almost east-west in the lower part. The vineyard uses the Vertical Shoot Position trellising system which originated in France and is now common practice, particularly up in Napa and Sonoma, but at the time its use in California was considered novel. In Chaine d'Or there is a single lower wire around 3' off the ground to which the vine's cordons are trained. Above it are two pairs of catch wires which are fixed (in some vineyards they can be raised and lowered, but not here) and at the top, around 7' up there's a single wire that the vine's tendrils can latch on to.
The rootstock is unknown; it was whatever the nursery had in at the time. Paul's guess was St. George since that was popular then, though the leaves don't seem to match.

View of Chaine d'Or vineyard looking south. Morning fog burning off the mountains.

I arrived a little after 9AM. The crew had already started; some had been there since early morning. We were tucking the vine shoots under the catch wires as well as removing suckers and shoots without any clusters. (The grapes are fed by the leaves further down the shoot; any shoots without fruit simply use up nutrients and water.)
As you can see by the first picture, left untouched the vines will grow in all directions and their tendrils will wrap around those of vines in the next row, making passage difficult. This also provides an environment where powdery mildew can proliferate. Once tucking is complete the vines can be treated by spraying with organic sulphur.

Finished rows of vines. Workers and tractors can move easily between the rows.

Suckers are shoots emanating from the base of the plant.
In this case the sucker is coming from below the graft,
so the leaves are those of the original rootstock (left).
Compare size and shape that of the grafted Chardonnay.

Vineyard work is, like most forms of farming, pretty laborious. The essential tools are sunscreen and water; a hat is advisable and pruning shears come in handy.

The job was straightforward; feed the flexible shoots under the two sets of catch wires and point them at the upper wire. The shoots are flexible and rarely break by accident, unlike the brittle stems of many garden plants like tomatoes. It all seems very simple and relaxing; just you, the vines, a nice warm day and the constant scream of motorcycles tearing up and down Skyline; it sounded more like Laguna Seca than sleepy Woodside. The work doesn't seem particularly strenuous, but I certainly noticed the effects in my back and shoulders later that evening!

The vines were on the whole looking healthy; most of them are over 20 years old and a few are showing signs of common diseases, such as shoots with red, shriveled leaves.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a later maturing grape,
so it was largely unaffected by the weather;
the clusters looked to be in much better shape.

Sadly the Chardonnay crop appeared to be exceptionally small; it's doubtful that there will be enough fruit for a commercial release.

It may surprise some of you to know that this year's crop is not determined by the weather at the time of flowering (though obviously that can have an effect) but by the weather the previous spring. That's when the buds which would produce this year's crop developed. Spring 2010 was particularly cold, with lots of late frost, and it's likely that Chardonnay yields across the state will be significantly lower in 2011.

We called a halt at around 2PM after a good 4 hours of work. We still hadn't quite finished; there were a few rows left, but Paul's day crew would take care of them the following morning.

Overall it was an enjoyable way to spend a summer morning, but for a deskbound computer geek like me it's hard to imagine doing this on a daily basis. The next time you look at a neatly manicured vineyard remember that it doesn't get that way by itself; spare a thought for the humble labourers, and raise a glass to them.

11 vintage Monte Bello vertical

2011-06-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

Summer has finally arrived and last Friday was a gorgeous day for a drive up Black Mountain for another of Ridge's regular wine bloggers' tasting. This event was held in the newly opened Black Mountain Suite - a brand new conference area located above the existing tasting room. The room is accessible via the old winery building, which now boasts fine new reproductions of some old photographs featuring the Ridge founders, a youthful Paul Draper and even Oseo Perrone, who first planted grapes on the mountain top over 100 years ago.

To celebrate the opening of the new suite we were being given the opportunity to taste through the latest library releases of Monte Bello. Ridge maintains a significant stock of older vintages and regularly tastes them to follow their progress. The wines were to be poured blind; our task was simply to put them in chronological order. Sounds easy enough, right?

As we settled down and prepared ourselves we were offered a sample of the as-yet-unreleased 2008 Monte Bello Chardonnay. Nose of green apple, lemon and wet stone; flavours of tart apricot and lemon with fresh grassy notes and some vanilla; the oak was not obtrusive despite it's youth. 92

We then began to taste through 11 vintages of Monte Bello. The wines were labelled A through K and were poured in pairs, which meant that you couldn't go back and compare against a wine from a previous pairing. This made the task harder still. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

A My first impression of this was that the colour suggested a young wine. Unfortunately that can be deceptive with Monte Bello. It seemed lighter than the accompanying wine B. The nose seemed ripe and fruity nose, with lots of black fruit, some mint and eucalyptus; the palate had plenty of tannin and blackcurrant, but overall it seemed a little lean and tart; a bit closed. Overall I think it was my least favourite and I guessed that it was from a 'lesser' vintage, such as 2004, 2000 or even 1998. 91

The colour of B was noticeably darker than A; a deep garnet. The nose was very rich and rustic; a much thicker mouthfeel, with stacks of tannins, less evident fruit and lots of earth, though less acidity. A big and meaty wine. I guessed it to be significantly older than A; probably mid 1990s. 92+

C seemed darker still than B. Plenty of that eucalyptus and mint; rich and balanced. Lots of bramble, blackcurrant and black cherry flavours. The tannins are much smoother. I could drink this all day. It still had plenty of life, but I doubted I'd want to keep it much longer. Mid 1980s? 95

D was the first wine that really showed significant age. The colour was a deep brownish red, and despite having been double-decanted there was still some sediment. It smelled old - lots of leather and cigar box notes. In the mouth there was still some fruit but loads of secondary characteristics. The tannin was mostly gone. It was certainly the oldest so far; I guessed it would probably be the oldest overall. It didn't improve in the glass beyond the first delicious taste; this was a fine example of a mature Monte Bello. Certainly 1970s, maybe even older. 96

E was the first controversial wine. The color was a dark red, with some bricking around the rim. However the nose was odd; almost cheesy - Fred to my right called it soy. Certainly it had some savoury notes; it tasted fine and the odd note blew off somewhat with time. 92

Chris took note of the various comments on the nose and reappeared with a second example of the same vintage. The colour of this bottle seemed slightly redder; the odd note wasn't present and overall it showed significantly more fruit. It was alittle cold to start with and improved as it went on. I began to wonder if this was the much-maligned 1986, though it didn't seem quite that old. Early 90s? 94+

F was another great mature example though it didn't seem as old as D. There was a nice red-brown colour and a fascinating nose of rich leather and dried fruit.
I guessed it was younger than D but not by much. Probably mid 1970s. 96

G was another dark one, again showing plenty of sediment despite the decanting. The nose didn't seem to be giving that much away; some smoke and earth. On the palate there was huge fruit; lots of bramble and blackcurrant. The tannins are chewy, so it's clearly a younger wine that will improve with age. Mid to late 1990s? 95+

H Looked older than G. It was very earthy, both on the nose and the palate. I took a wild stab and guessed early 1990s. 94

I think of all the wines I surprised me the most. There seemed to be some browning on the meniscus; Lots of coffee and chocolate and stacks of delicious fruit. I jokingly suggested the 2005; it seemed a big wine from a ripe year so I guessed 1990. Wes thought it seemed older. 95+

I think everyone instantly recognised J as a barrel sample of the 2010, if only by the bright purple colour. This has got better each time I've tried it; there's huge primary fruit and immense structure - it's likely to be a particularly long lived vintage. Some of the tasters went so far as to declare it their favourite. 95+

Finally K was clearly a very recent release; I couldn't be certain which but the youngest wine poured (after the barrel sample). At this point we were wrapping up and I failed to take detailed notes. 93+

So after much umming and ahhing I finally decided on the ordering J K A G I B H C E F D. Boy was I wrong; the only ones I correctly spotted were the oldest and the newest. The actual ordering was J K B C A E G H I F D. I only managed to put 4 out of 11 in their correct positions. I was only slightly encouraged by the fact that the best score anyone managed was 7 out of 11!

D 1977 ($400) - Perhaps it should have been easier to spot, given that I only tasted it a month ago. In comparison to the rest it seemed even older, though still holding its own.
F 1978 ($475) - I got this too. 1978 was a very good year, so it's unsurprising that it seemed noticeably younger than D
I 1981 ($185) - I was astonished by this. I'd have said it was a decade younger. I don't recall having tasted anything from 1981; the advice I've been given in the past was that 81-83 was a run of three weaker vintages. Excellent value.
H 1985 ($300) - This one fooled me by a decade as well. I had it as early 1990s.
G 1990 ($250) - Getting a bit closer; I had it as late 1990s
E 1994 ($250) - I went for early 1990s. I think that qualifies.
A 1995 ($300) - I was wrong about the lesser vintage, but I'll stand by the 'closed' comment. I think this needs more time.
C 1999 ($225) - Chris was amused by my comment that I could drink this all day, since the genesis of these tastings can perhaps be traced to comments that Wes and I made on the same wine a couple of years ago - see my original post and the notes from the follow up tasting. I think the 1999 is showing rather well right now and would again question whether it's one to hang on to in the long term.
B 2000 ($225) - Slightly younger than I thought. Surprisingly big for what's generally considered a weak vintage.
K 2006 ($150)
J 2010 ($NR)

Huge thanks to Chris and the staff at Ridge for a hugely enjoyable - and somewhat humbling - event.

Monte Bello 2010 final assemblage tasting

2011-06-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

I realise that this blog is starting to look like a Ridge fan page, and for that I apologise. But the assemblage tastings at Ridge are some of the most fun events of the year, so it's not one that I miss if I can avoid it. In addition, Wes Barton usually organises a picnic with some unusual older vintages to taste.

We began the official tasting with the recently released 2009 Jimsomare Chardonnay. I didn't realise I was tasting it for the first time, so largely glossed over it and didn't take much in the way of observations beyond a lemon sorbet note and a distinct mineral character. I was keen to get on to the main event, which comprised 4 vintages of Monte Bello going back over 30 years.

There's not much I can say about the 2005 Monte Bello that I haven't already said. I consider it to be an excellent vintage with concentrated fruit (by Monte Bello standards) and amazing depth. 95

I tasted the 1995 Monte Bello a couple of months ago at the wine bloggers' tasting and loved it, once it had opened up. The nose is earthy, with plenty of black fruit; rich flavours of bramble, blackcurrant and hints of mint and eucalyptus. There is still plenty of tannin and it's still a way from its peak, though it wouldn't be a crime to drink it now with a good steak. 94+

I don't believe I've ever tried the 1977 Monte Bello before. The mid 1970s produced a string of very good vintages; 1977 was a drought year which can result in small, tough berries with concentrated flavours and tannins. I have no idea what this was like in it's youth, but I'm betting it was a chewy, tannic monster. The deep brick red colour tells you it has some age, although few would realise how much. The nose is great, with earth, leather and underbrush. In the mouth there is tart black fruit, with leather, cigar and herbal notes. Despite its age it still has plenty of tannin left. Delicious. 94

The current release is the 2007 Monte Bello. Of the four finished vintages it smelled the ripest, with some dusty oak. There was lots of brambly fruit, with some mint, violet and graphite notes. Balanced and well structured, as you'd expect. 94+

Finally the barrel sample of the 2010 Monte Bello. The blend is currently 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Petite Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The colour is a very deep purple - the darkest for a few years. 2010 was a cool vintage resulting in berries that were on the small side with thick skins. The violet note from the Petite Verdot was particularly evident. There's lots of tannin, with plenty of black fruit and floral notes. It certainly comes across as a wine to cellar for a long time; buy it for your unborn children.

Afterwards we enjoyed a picnic in the gardens and sampled some other older vintages.

1990 Zinfandel Alegria Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Herbal, with earthy, dried berry flavours. Rich and dry. The tannins are fully resolved. 92

1976 Lytton Springs
90% Zinfandel 10% Petite Sirah
Lovely complex nose of leather, dried flowers and caramel. There is plenty of acid, some tart raspberry flavours, perhaps a bit tired. 89

1977 Zinfandel, San Luis
60% Zinfandel, 35% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane
The nose wasn't great - seemed stale, with mushroom and compost. However it's still got some fruit; sour redcurrant with savoury notes. 83

1996 Geyserville
75% Zinfandel 17% Carignane 6% Petite Sirah 2% Mataro
Great nose; lots of herbs, with some raspberry syrup. A lovely wine; plenty of rich fruit, lots of structure, still improving. 94

2007 Old School Zinfandel
Seemed very ripe, with some residual sugar. Intense Raspberry syrup, a little oak. Not really a food wine; it might go well with chocolate. 89

Cinnabar Current Releases

2011-05-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

Since 1983 Cinnabar has been making a range of wines from both estate fruit grown at the vineyard in Saratoga and fruit purchased from Centarl Coast and beyond. Following founder Tom Mudd's death in 2007 the winery and vineyards were sold to Mount Eden, but winemaker George Troquato continues to produce great wines under agreements at a number of locations. The winery maintains a tasting room in the village of Saratoga.

The entry level wines carry a distinctive yellow label and are made primarily with fruit from Central Coast. I recently received two samples from the range for review.

2008 Mercury Rising, California
Mercury Rising is a blend of Bordeaux varieties sourced from several different regions, including Paso Robles, El Dorado and Lodi. As a result it carries the California designation.
There's a lovely nose of chocolate and blueberry, which follows through on the palate. The oak is prominent but not overpowering. It's full bodied and mouth coating, with a medium finish. This may be the best vintage of Mercury Rising that I can remember. The retail price is $21, but I've seen it as low as $15 and can highly recommended it at that price. 89

2009 Chardonnay, Monterey County
Chardonnay is a versatile grape whose wines range from being flinty and acidic to flabby, oaky and buttery. Sadly this one strays too far in the latter category for my tastes. There are some nice tropical fruit notes, but there's too much sweetness and not enough acidity; it's bland and simple. And while there's a ready market for wines like that it's already packed with examples at half the price. 81

The real gems of the Cinnabar range are the Santa Cruz Mountains wines, as well as some limited release wines made in small quantities and only available directly from the winery.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
Opens up with an earthy, smoky nose betraying a little heat and barnyard notes. On the palate there's firm acidity, with notes of mint, eucalyptus and brambles. As it opens up the fruit becomes more defined, with blackcurrant and plum adding to the mix, and the earthy notes recede. Very good indeed. 92

2007 Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Now this is more like what I want from a Chardonnay. The nose shows white flowers, wet stone, brine and lime. Flavours of lemon and lime, with salty notes. The oak isn't prominent at all. Acidity is a bit on the light side. 89

2008 Syrah, Sextant Vineyard, Paso Robles
Nose shows notes of roast beef, dried fruit and menthol.
Flavours of redcurrant and blueberry with mushroom and allspice notes. The finish is oaky and tannic. Softened up with air, but really needs some cellar time to show well. 89+

2008 Sorcerer's Stone
Last year cinnabar released a non vintage wine entitled "Lot 310 - Philosopher's Stone". This was a blend of 2/3 Zinfandel and 1/3 Teroldego, and was a fascinating and delicious wine; I wish I'd bought cases of it.
The 2008 Sorcerer's Stone is the successor to that wine. It could be labelled as a Sonoma County Zinfandel since the remaining components are just 10% Petite Sirah from Clarksburg and 5% Teroldego, which I presume is also from the Mistral vineyard in the Santa Clara Valley.
The nose showed a lot; fireplace, black pepper and herbs, with black fruits and other savoury notes developing over time. On the palate there were rich yet rustic raspberry and blackberry flavours, with a long finish. The oak doesn't seem quite integrated yet, but it certainly has the stuffing to warrant cellaring for a year or so. 91+

Coterie Cellars offer on LivingSocial

2011-04-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

For the uninitiated, LivingSocial is one of those sites that has daily offers at big discounts. Today's offer is from Coterie Cellars; $20 gets you a bottle of their Casatierra Vineyard Rosé of Syrah, a ticket to a 2 hour wine tasting and $20 off the purchase of any 3 bottles of Coterie's wines. Coterie is a small winery in south San Jose specialising in Pinot Noir and Syrah, as well as Rousanne and Viognier.

Buy the ticket on LivingSocial. Today (April 21st) only.

Downhill takes Flight

2011-04-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

Frank Ashton, owner of Downhill Cellars, has opened a tasting room and wine bar in Cupertino. Flight Wine and Food is at 20333 Stevens Creek Boulevard, close to De Anza Boulevard.

The wine bar has a varied selection of local wines as well as some unusual imported Croatian and other European wines. Prices seem reasonable, and wines are available to-go. The wine bar is open midweek from 4-8, weekends 12-5 and will be open this weekend for Passport Day.

Tasting Notes from Pinot Paradise

2011-04-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

Pinot Paradise is the annual showcase of Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains. Most of the local Pinot producers attend, pouring one or two of their current releases. Here are my brief notes from the event. As usual I wasn't able to get round all of them.

If you're confused, Remde Vineyard is another name for Veranda Vineyard. Similarly, Deer Park Vineyard and Lester Family Vineyard are the same.

Ahlgren

2008 Veranda Vineyard
Fresh dug earth and dried currant. Rich glace cherry. Tart herbal, floral finish. Light tannins 89

Alfaro

2008 'A' Schultze Vineyard
Earthy, spicy. Rich cherry. Similar to the Windy Oaks Henry's Block 90
2007 Lindsay Paige Vineyard
Cherry, fresh bread. Rich tart cherry, raspberry, earth. Long finish. This is the best showing I've seen from any vintage of this wine; they generally seem tight and tough on release. 91+

Black Ridge

2008 Estate
Tart cherry, espresso. Smooth cherry, cranberry. Prickly tannins. Medium finish. 88

Burrell School

The vines were planted in 1991; there are 4 different clones, roughly evenly divided. Now well established, they are dry farmed.
2008 Estate
Darker colour than the 2007, with a slight funky nose, some alcohol/volatile, bright cranberry, tart earth, black cherry, dark raspberry. Firm tannins. 87
2007 Estate
Much earthier than the 2008 notes of iodine, mushroom, forest floor, with some black cherry. Firm, grippy tannins. 86

Cinnabar

2008 Lester Family Vineyard
Lots of funky earth. Surprisingly light and bright; Earthy redcurrant. Medium finish 87
2007 Santa Cruz Mountains
50% Lester Family Vineyard, 50% Estate
Soft funky nose Lots of cherry and redcurrant Long tannic finish. 90

Clos LaChance

2007 Santa Cruz Mountains
Light smoky nose. Rich sweet redcurrant, coffee. Firm tannins. Long finish. 89
2007 Biagini Vineyard
Funky earthy Sweet red fruit, caramel, good finish 89

Cumbre

2007 Rafaelli Vineyard
Earthy, meaty. Fresh earth, sweet red fruit, wild strawberry. Lots of tannin on the finish. Needs time. 88

Dancing Creek

2008 Regan Vineyard
Much darker than any of the other wines on offer. I guessed that there was something else here and was told that it contains 15% Nebbiolo from Santa Barbara.
Strikingly different nose from all the other wines; lots of black fruit. Bramble, black cherry, cassis, dried fruit. Nice wine and good value, but if you're looking for an expression of the Pinot Noir grape, this isn't it. 89

Downhill

Peter Martin Ray Vineyard was once part of Mount Eden. It's a separate small vineyard lower down the hill planted to the same clones; head trained and never replanted.
2006 Peter Martin Ray Vineyard
Earthy, spicy, candied peel. Rich cherry, cinnamon, citrus peel. Hint of Brett on the long finish. 90
2007 Peter Martin Ray Vineyard
Lighter nose than the 2006. Bigger and richer; more concentrated than the 2006, with a long finish. Excellent value. 92

Hallcrest

2005 Terra Serena Vineyard
Smoky cinnamon. Sweet cherry, cranberry. Tart, tannic, earthy finish. 88
2006 terra Serena Vineyard
Odd (VA?) note on nose. Sweet cherry, redcurrant, dark fruit. The acidity seemed less evident than on the 2005, yet technically the 2006 has more. 87

Heart o' the Mountain

2007
Pear, pepper. Sweet redcurrant, maraschino cherry, medium finish, soft tannins. 88
2008 Six Sixty Seven
Wild strawberry on the nose and palate. Sweet, spicy, peppery finish. 88

Kings Mountain

2002
Earthy, iodine. Cherry, red fruit and mushroom. 85

MJA Vineyards

2007 DaVine Regan Vineyard
Savoury - almost cheesy - nose. Meaty umami, black fruit, tannic finish. 88

Rhonda Boos of The Mountain Winery

Mountain Winery

2008 Estate
Elegant, light nose. Asian spice. Complex rich cherry and savoury with firm tannins. Needs cellar time. 92

Mount Eden

2008
Orange peel, herb, smoke. Rich spicy cherry, pomegranate, Long finish. 94+
2009 Domaine Eden
Mostly from the old Cinnabar vineyard, which Mount Eden purchased in 2008. The existing Cabernet vines were grafted over to Pinot Noir (Dijon clones, rather than Mount Eden); this is the first vintage since then. There's also some Pinot from Woodside and Santa Cruz in the blend.
Faint nose. Soft berry, cranberry flavours. Light weight. 87

Muccigrosso

2006
Bright nose. Meaty, rich dark fruit, mocha, black cherry. Plenty of tannin. 88
2007
Fainter nose. Similar to the 2006, but with a slight oxidised/pruney note. 87

Muns

2006 Vineyard
Smoky, rich bold, cherry. Coming together well; some interesting green herbal notes. 89
2007 Vineyard
Tangy cherry, smoke. Chocolate cherry, subtle earthy notes, lots of tannin. 89

Nicholson

2008 Estate Brookes' block
Interesting caramel and cherry. Nice complex cherry, earth, herb, meat. Medium finish, fine tannins. 89+
2008 Estate Reserve
Light, smoky cherry. More intense oak, good cherry flavour, more structure, needs time. 89+

Odonata

I was particularly impressed by both of Denis Hoey's offerings; the guy is an extremely talented winemaker. You should get on his mailing list while you still can.
2009 Domani
Black cherry, fig. Good dark fruit, bright acid, smooth tannins. Needs 3-5 years minimum. 91+
2009 Woody & Jenny's Top Block
Tangy and spicy. Lots of spice and bold red cherry flavours. Unbelievably this was aged in neutral oak; all that spice is coming from the vineyard, not the barrel. 94+

Pelican Ranch

2007 Deer Park Vineyard
Smoky, savoury. Rich, sweet cherry. Bitter tannins on finish. 86
2007 Remde Vineyard
Smoky raspberry. Sour cherry, raspberry, red fruit. Dry, tart finish. 86

Pleasant Valley

2006 Dylan David
Smoke, cinnamon, clove. Sweet red cherry, nutmeg. Soft tannin. 88+
2008 Lester Family Vineyard, Clone 667
Earthy, musty, bubblegum. Sweet earthy, strawberry. Fine tannins. 88
2008 Lester Family Vineyard, Clone 115
Less earth, more red fruit. Sweet redcurrant, cinnamon. Long finish. 89

Poetic Cellars

2008 Regan Vineyard
Light savoury Smooth redcurrant light acid Dr pepper light oak 88

Regale

2008 Estate
Rose petal, earth, cherry Sweet concentrated black cherry lots of tannin. Needs cellaring, though the acid is a little light. Give it 2-3 years 90+

Roudon Smith

2008 Private Reserve
Corralitos (partly Regan) Light perfumed nose Soft red fruits - cherry redcurrant a little spice Soft tannins 88
2009 Armitage
Corralitos (Rembe) Bright cherry and berry Smooth fruit, some earth chewy tannins. 89+

Sarah's

2009 Santa Cruz Mountains
2 corralitos Vineyards Bright red and black fruit notes Concentrated fruit, earth and tannin. Needs time. 89+
2007 Rebhahn Vineyard
Black fruit, earth Rich sweet intense black fruit Firm tannins. Long finish. Come together nicely 90+
2007 Veranda Vineyard
Smoky Cherry Tart black cherry earthy tannic finish. 90+

Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard

2001 Estate Reserve
(new release), 22.5 brix 3.20 pH finished 12.5% 1200'
spicy nutmeg a little fresh earth,
tangy acidity - raspberry, red fruit
nice finish plenty of structure still very ageworthy 90+
Needs food
2004 Bailey's Branciforte Ridge "Bella's Reserve"
14.2% 3.48pH 800'
French and hungarian oak. Inoculated
earthy, cherry
bright cherry fruit
long finish, good structure, 90+
2008 Branciforte Vineyard
Earthy funk Sweet cherry herb earth loads of structure 91+

Savannah Chanelle

2007 Estate
Interesting funky nose, earth and spice Rich intense red fruits, black cherry, spice. Good structure. 91+
2009 Muns Vineyard
Barrel sample Nose is bright smoky cherry Intense red and black fruit lots of structure 90-93

Silver Mountain

2006 Miller Hill Vineyard
Smoky funk hint of acetyl? Structured red fruit, bold tannins Earthy finish 88+
2007 Muns Vineyard
Lighter floral nose Lots of structure. Fruit in the background. Needs more air. 88++

Annette Hunt of Skov Winery

Skov

2008
light cherry cinnamon nose Soft cherry fruit Smooth tannins 87

Sonnet

2008 Muns Vineyard
Earthy black cherry Assertive sweet fruit - cherry redcurrant earth spice lots of tannin 90

Thomas Fogarty

2008 Windy Hill
- highest elevation, just under 2000' 2.5 acres 8x10 Martini clone on AXR1, some variation, last to be picked, exposed to weather
Vigorous rootstock, no phylloxera issues, all cane pruned
1/3 whole cluster, always native yeasts, no SO2 at crush 100% french 50% new

Medium colour
Fragrant, floral
light sweet fruit redcurrant/raspberry
oaky tannin on finish 89

2008 Rapley Trail
fainter nose, less floral, some smoke
Tarter redcurrant, cranberry, less tannic 88

Villa del Monte

2009 Regan Vineyard
Savoury dried herb roast meat Sweet redcurrant, spice Smooth tannins. Balanced. 88

Vine Hill

2008
Cherry vanilla Soft red cherry Fairly simple Light tannins 85

Vino Tabi

2008 Lester Vineyard
Bright cherry syrup nose and palate. Some pepper. Prickling tannins on finish 86
2008 Regan Vineyard
Smoky oak, coffee Rich redcurrant, blue cheese Medium finish 86

Windy Oaks

2008 Henry's Block
spicy cinnamon/clove, cherry rich spicy black cherry, parma violets, red vines long finish early drinking 90
2008 Wild Yeast
Lovely nose elegant floral Intense red fruit up front, fresh earth on finish 92

Ridge Bloggers tasting, March 2011

2011-03-31T23:19:00.000-07:00

Has it really been 3 months since the last Bloggers' event? Once again, Chris Watkins invited a group of wine bloggers to a tasting of current, unreleased and library wines at the Monte Bello tasting rooms. A dozen of us braved torrential rains and hailstones; some of the regulars were joined by Chiara Shannon of K&L Wines, Melanie Friedman and Erin Grant.

Chris likes to have a different theme for each event, and this turned out to be a demonstration of how Ridge wines age over decades.

We began with a couple of the newly releases. Ridge has dropped the "Santa Cruz Mountains" designation in favour of "Estate" for both the Chardonnay and the red blend, which is now a fully fledged Cabernet.

2009 Estate Chardonnay
Nose shows peach, apricot, a touch of of almond and creamy vanilla. On the palate there's sweet white fruit up front, and a salty note. There's some bitterness from the oak and tannin on the finish; it needs a little cellar time. 90+

2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Earthy nose with blackcurrant, mint and herb. Tart fruit flavours of bramble and blackcurrant backed with earth and smoke. Good structure; firm tannins on the finish. Nice now, but will repay cellaring. 92

We moved on to a 10 year comparison of Geyserville - the newly released 2009 vintage and the 1999 from the library.

2009 Geyserville
The 44th vintage is a blend of 74% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 6% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 1% Mataro.
The colour is a bright red-purple. The nose is tart, with a medicinal note. Flavours of cherry and redcurrant, with bright acidity. 91 It's a nice wine, but it was completely overshadowed by

1999 Geyserville
Blend of 68% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane and 16% Petite Sirah.
A deep brick red colour. Lovely mature nose and great flavours of dark fruit, dried cranberry, leather. There's amazing depth and a long finish. 94

This was followed by three impressive vintages of Monte Bello spanning two decades.

1985 Monte Bello
93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot
Similar deep brick red colour to the Geyserville.
Aromas of leather, dried fruit and hayloft; palate showed earth with some blackcurrant (but not a lot), and savoury, meaty notes. Still a surprising amount of tannin on the finish.
The fruit showed more clearly when tasted alongside food. After the tasting was over I went back and retasted all the Monte Bellos and was surprised by how the fruit showed - here's a 25 year wine that needs air to show its best. 95

1995 Monte Bello
The nose was musty and earthy, with notes of menthol. The palate showed lots of bright acidity and earth, hiding the fruit, and lots of tannin. It seemed shut down tight and I wasn't going to assign a rating, but revisiting after a couple of hours the fruit came out - great, rustic brambly and herbal notes. Clearly many years from its peak. 94+

2005 Monte Bello
This wine has always been a delight; the nose is big and fruity, with mint and earth notes. On the palate there's lots of intense black fruit - blackberry, blueberry and blackcurrant, with graphite, smoke and pepper - the finish just goes on and on. With air it got even better and showed a liquorice note. The best young Monte Bello I've tasted. 97

We then moved to two examples from the ATP programme, which focuses mainly on Rhone varieties.

2004 Lytton Estate Syrah
Cofermented with 10% Viognier, and blended with an additional 8% Grenache.
The nose shows spicy, peppery red fruit which follows through onto the palate. Notes of redcurrant, tobacco and allspice. 91

2006 Lytton Estate Syrah
The 2006 is not yet released. The nose is altogether more assertive than the 2004 and overall there's significantly more going on; lots of red fruit and spice with a long finish. Definitely one to watch out for. 94

Alan Bree then teased us with two blind wines from his extensive personal Ridge cellar. He firmly believes that all of Ridge's wines deserve cellaring and are typically consumed too young. We had no other clues as to what was being offered.

Both wines had a similar brick red colour to the 1999 Geyserville and 1985 Monte Bello, so my guess was that the wines were 10-15 years old.

The first had a light nose that suggested cigarette smoke. Nicely mature, with notes of sweet raspberry fruit and some good tannins. The raspberry and tannin made me guess a Zinfandel blended with Petite Sirah. (Dead wrong)

The second showed a slightly redder colour, suggesting that it was the younger of the two. There was a sour note on the nose that I didn't care for, but the flavour was surprisingly sweet. Again a raspberry note made me think it was a Zinfandel, but the tannins were much softer.

The wines turned out to be 1997 and 1998 Sangiovese, from Dry Creek Valley. The 1997 was blended with 17% Merlot, while the 1998 was 100% Sangiovese. I would never have guessed this as I was unaware that Ridge had ever made a Sangiovese. (Apparently they took over the vineyard in 1997 and replanted it in 1999.) Two fascinating wines, probably slightly past their peak despite the tannins on the 1997, but still interesting and tasty. I didn't score them at the time, but in retrospect I'd probably say 89 each.

SCMWA Trade Tasting 2011

2011-03-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some tasting notes from the SCMWA trade tasting last month. This is an annual event open to retailers, restaurateurs and media, which was held at Farallon restaurant in San Francisco.

Unfortunately my punishment for somehow angering the tech gods continues and I've been unable to find the iPod that I had used to record most of my comments. Thankfully I had sync'd it with my PC before it evolved legs, so the notes were safe, but somewhat inaccessible; Apple certainly doesn't believe in letting you have easy access to your own data and I was damned if I'd pay the necessary $25 for what seems to be the only available third party recovery application.

I finally got around to doing the necessary hackery myself to extract the data from its binary prison; it turned out to be a bit easier than I expected. And so, with apologies for the delay, here are my notes.

All wines carry the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation unless otherwise noted.

Beauregard

2007 Estate Chardonnay
This had a really smoky, oaky nose. Big, creamy and smoky with baked apple flavours. Good acidity. Long oaky finish, but despite all the wood I enjoyed it. 90
2007 Bald Mountain Chardonnay
This wasn't showing the oak anything like as much as the Estate Chardonnay, which is surprising given that it sees 100% new French oak and the Estate sees less. Nose shows creamy apples; notes of lime, salt and honeysuckle with a medium to long finish. Reminds me of Varner. 92
2007 Estate Pinot Noir
Light smoky, earthy nose. Earthy and austere with redcurrant and herbal notes. lightly tannic finish. 88
2008 Bald Mountain Pinot Noir
Smoke and maraschino aromas. Earthy but less austere than the estate with black cherry flavours and a medium finish. 90

Big Basin

2008 Homestead Syrah
Blend of 73% Monterey and 27% Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose has roast meat and blueberry. Rich and fruity with smoky berry flavours and a medium finish. 90
2007 Fairview Ranch Syrah, Santa Lucia Highlands
Floral, berry nose. Fairly gentle tannins, smooth red berry flavors showing white pepper on the long finish. 91
2006 Rattlesnake Rock
The nose is very complex, showing smoke, meat, fruit and spice. Rich, smooth flavours of smoked meat, redcurrant and pomegranate, with a longish finish. 93
2007 Mandala
The nose suggests dusty old books, but on the palate it's sweet and spicy, with blueberry and blackberry notes and nice firm tannins on the finish. 92

Cinnabar

2007 Chardonnay
Lemon and lime on the nose; flavours of citrus, oak and mineral notes. Oak seemed harsh on the finish; give it time. 87+
2007 Pinot Noir
Funky, earthy nose; spicy flavours of sweet cherry, cinnamon and cedar. Very good. 92
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Dusty blackcurrant nose. A rather concentrated combination of rich fruit, smoky oak and chewy tannins. 89+

Clos LaChance

2007 Chardonnay
Vanilla and apple on the nose; sweet baked apple and vanilla cream on the palate. Seems low in acidity, with notes of sweet caramel on the finish. 88
2007 Pinot Noir
Inviting nose of cherry pie; sweet cherry and allspice flavours. Oak came across as a little harsh - needs time. 88
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Dusty bramble nose; flavours of blackcurrant, oak and underbrush. Promising. 89

Kathryn Kennedy

2000 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Leather and black fruit on the nose. Complex flavours of cassis, earth, leather and cedar; a big wine with a long finish. 94
2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Softer nose than the 2000. Showing lots of primary blackcurrant fruit; good structure, just needs time. 93
2007 Small Lot Cabernet sauvignon
Rustic black fruit, balanced oak, plenty of tannin, good finish. Cellar this. 93

La Honda Winery

2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma
Smooth gooseberry and grapefruit flavours; creamy, clean finish. 87
2008 "Sequence" Pinot Noir
Interesting nose - sandalwood? On the palate it's got lovely spicy redcurrant notes with silky tannins and a longish finish. 91+
2009 Exponent
Blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 18% Grenache and 14% Sangiovese
As the blend suggests it's an easy drinking red table wine; light fruity nose and soft brambly fruit. Only $15 at Beltramos; a good value midweek red. 88
2008 Salinian Block Cabernet Sauvignon
5 vineyard blend from small vineyards around the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Nose shows smoke, cassis and brambles. Bold black fruit, lot of tannin, dusty oak on the finish. 90+
2007 Naylor's Dry Hole Vineyard, Chalone AVA
Lots of cassis on the nose. Spicy blackberry, blackcurrant fruit, lovely smooth tannins, a rather elegant wine. 92

Martin Ranch

JD Hurley 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Rustic, with notes of blackcurrant and allspice. Tannins are silky and the oak is nicely balanced. 89
JD Hurley 2008 Zinfandel, Santa Clara Valley
Some nice tart raspberry flavours, but perhaps a little oxidized? 86

MJA Vineyards

Marin Artukovich recently relocated his winery from St Helena to Los Gatos. The winery has a tasting room on Ingalls St. in Santa Cruz and a Pinot Noir vineyard on Highland Way (the continuation of Summit Road) in Los Gatos. A second tasting room at the vineyard is scheduled to open next month. The winery has two labels; Serene Cellars and Davine Cellars (not to be confused with nearby DeVine Consultants). The winery produces Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc from Napa and a Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir.
2007 Serene Cellars Sauvignon Blanc
An oaked Sauvignon Blanc. Creamy and low in acidity, with some gooseberry notes. 85

Naumann

2008 Chardonnay
Lots of butterscotch on the nose. Flavours of creamy apple, with mineral and brine; clean finish. 88
2006 Merlot
Bright plum aromas, some smoke. Berry and plum fruit, oak seems nicely integrated. 88
2007 Merlot
Earthy nose, which comes across on the palate too. Sweet fruit, some spice and smoke. Tannic finish. 89

Ridge

2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
The new name for the Santa Cruz Mountains blend; with more of the younger Cabernet vines now producing the balance of the blend has shifted and it can be called a Cab. The blend is 75% cabernet and 20% Merlot, with 3% Petite Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Nose is brambly with a little smoke; rich flavours of cassis and spice. Terrific value. 93
2007 Monte Bello
Did not disappoint. I'm a big fan of this vintage, as you probably know. 95

Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard

2009 Verdelho, Silvaspoons Vineyard Alta Mesa AVA
Impressive floral nose, kind of a cross between Sauvignon Blan and Viognier. Light bodied; floral and crisp gooseberry notes with caramel on the finish. 89

Savannah-Chanelle

(Edited. Zinfandel vines aren't the oldest of their kind in the state but Cabernet Franc vines probably are. Thanks to Tony Craig for the correction.)
2007 Cabernet Franc
From vines planted in the 1920s; believed to be the oldest Cabernet Franc vines in the new world. Smoky blueberry nose. Concentrated fruit - blueberry, redcurrant and cranberry. Chewy, tart finish. Hint of cigar. 91
2007 Zinfandel
Sourced from hundred year old vines. Dark blackberry/raspberry nose. Good concentration. Lots of tart raspberry syrup, backed by great acidity. Rich intense flavour and a long finish. I really liked this. 93
2007 Montmartre
Blend of roughly equal parts Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel and Carignane, with a little Syrah. Light meaty, smoky nose. Most tannic of the three wines. A chewy, spicy fruit medley that will need time to show well. 90

Storrs

2008 Chardonnay
Big, ripe nose with lots of vanilla. Rich and creamy with good acidity and flavours of red apple, lemon and lime. 88
2008 Chardonnay, Christie Vineyard
Rather shy nose, showing a little apple. Crisp apple and pear flavours, with the oak far less evident. 88

Thomas Fogarty

2007 Chardonnay
Nose of caramel and apple. Crisp apple, lime and brine. Mineral on the medium finish. 87
2008 Gewurztraminer, Scheid Vineyard, Monterey County
Consistently a great value wine and my favourite domestic Gewurztraminer.
Lovely spicy, floral nose. There's a hint of sweetness, nice citrus flavours, low acidity with a long, floral finish. 90

Monte Bello component tasting

2011-03-08T22:41:00.001-08:00

The annual barrel tasting at Monte Bello is an opportunity to get an early glimpse at the most recent vintage. 2010 was a particularly cool year punctuated by occasional heat spike; from what I've heard it was not an easy year for the local growers. The Monte Bello tasting showcases four distinct varieties, as well as the first assemblage of the Monte Bello blend.

We began with the 2007 Monte Bello Chardonnay, with its enticing nose of lemon, lime and honeysuckle. The oak is prominent, as is typical on the new releases; there's creamy lime and mineral flavours, but the oak takes over on the long finish. 93

The barrel sample of Merlot was somewhat unyielding. There was a nice nose of red fruits and floral notes, but on the palate it was structured and herbal, with taut acidity.

The sample of Cabernet Franc was the first harvest from recently planted vines, and will not be a part of the Monte Bello assemblage. The nose showed ash or fireplace, with notes of brambles and coffee beans. On the palate there was lots of tannin and some earth, but very little fruit.

Cabernet Sauvignon makes up the bulk of Monte Bello. This sample showed smoke, brambles and blackcurrant. On the palate there was smooth black fruit backed by earth, light tannins and a touch of dried herbs.

The final component of Monte Bello is Petite Verdot. It's a late ripening grape and thus does not always get ripe enough to be included in the blend, but when it does it adds spice and a violet note. Since 2010 was a cool year it was doubtful whether the fruit would ripen fully; the winery went to the trouble of laying reflective film between the rows to help the process; it worked. The sample had a great nose, with floral violet notes. On the palate there was rich, black fruit and good acidity with a smoky finish and good tannins that were not too pronounced.

So on to the first assemblage of 2010 Monte Bello. The initial breakdown is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merot, 5% Petite Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The volet notes of the Petite Verdot were evident on nose; there were notes of fireplace and black fruit. At first tasting it seemed taut and tannic; there was some black fruit, meaty and mineral notes. It seemed particularly difficult to judge at this early stage; I got the impression that it's going to take longer than average to show itself fully. On second tasting, which saw much more air, the fruit became more evident. It does give the impression of being a long-lived vintage.

For comparison we then tasted a 1992 Monte Bello poured from 375ml bottles. This turned out to be an interesting example of how bottle variation is amplified with age; one sample showed cedar, leather, black fruit and herbal notes, with a rich, layered, earthy finish. In contrast a second sample from a different bottle was somewhat earthy; the nose showed barnyard and herbs, with black fruit, earth and leather flavours. Both were of excellent quality. 94

Down in the main tasting room they were pouring the newly released 2008 Monte Bello. It's come together nicely since the barrel tasting two years ago; the nose has violet, mint, meat and brambles. It's young and structured, with rich fruit and mint but overall seems slightly thinner than recent vintages. It will be interesting to retaste in a year or two. 92

4th Bloggers tasting at Ridge

2011-01-23T23:07:00.000-08:00

It can't have escaped the attention of any regular readers that updates have been few and far between recently, for which I can only apologise and blame various factors including the day job, not one but two catastrophic computer failures and my own laziness. However with Christmas and the New Year over it's time I got back to updating the blog, and where better to start than with a report from the final Bloggers' tasting at Ridge.

Since Chris Watkins, the Monte Bello tasting room manager began these quarterly events we've had the opportunity to review an impressive vertical of Lytton Springs Zinfandels, compare our views on recent Monte Bello vintages with those of Robert Parker (he was completely wrong about the 2007) and compare vintages of Rhone varietals released to ATP members.

For this tasting Chris promised us a different theme, which turned out to be an anagram; certain letters from the wines spelling out the words WINE BLOGGER. This explained the rather eclectic list of wines that we were offered.

The usual core of Wes, Richard, Amy and myself were joined by Fred Swan of NorCalWine and Allan Bree of Gang Of Pour, who came bearing gifts; more of which later.

So onto the wines:

2007 Monte Bello Chardonnay
Huge nose; lots of lemon, white flowers, with nice oak and vanilla
Lots of wood on the palate, nice white peach, ice cream. Long finish.
Needs cellar time, obviously. Really good. 94+

2008 Buchignani Ranch Carignan
Light nose - dried berries - raspberry, cranberry and smoke.
Light, tart and tannic, with some redcurrant fruit. Lighter finish. 87

2008 East Bench Zinfandel
From the Dry Creek Valley; one of my favourite Zinfandel appellations. Produced from younger vines.
Nose of spicy berry, pepper and coriander.
black raspberry flavours, with dark chocolate notes. Drinking well now. 90

2007 Lytton Estate Zinfandel
Sourced from a block planted with young Primitivo clones, blended with 4% Carignane and 3% Petite Sirah.
Nose doesn't immediately suggest Zinfandel - Earthy and woody with caramel notes.
Rustic and herbal with notes of maraschino cherry and thyme. Needs time. 91+

2003 Geyserville
A blend of 76% Zinfandel, 18% Carignan and 6% Petite Sirah.
Nice amethyst colour. Slightly musty nose suggesting old books, and tart raspberry
The oak is still quite evident; floral raspberry and espresso flavours. Still young. 92

2002 Nervo Zinfandel
Source from a head trained, dry farmed vineyard in Alexander Valley and blended with 8% Petite Sirah.
Deep red colour with some bricking. Interesting feminine nose, dried herbs (lavender)?, showing some heat.
Nice mature fruit; probably at its peak. Nice notes of Raspberry coulis and leather 91

2002 Lytton Estate Grenache
Deep red, no sign of browning. Nose shows earth and wood, slightly musty. A lot in common with the Zinfandel from earlier. In the mouth there's plenty of sweet fruit; golden raisins and wild strawberry.

2003 Syrah, Lytton West
Co-fermented (rather than blended) with 9% Viognier
Nose shows black fruit, plum and pepper, with some floral notes from the Viognier.
Some residual sweetness, with gamey notes. The tannins are still prominent. 90

2007 Old School Zinfandel
100% Zinfandel. Formerly known as Independence School (Can you believe they changed the name just for the sake of an anagram?)
Nose of tart raspberry, and a hint of something odd - at first I thought aldehyde. Palate was jammy and sweet, with notes of raspberry syrup. I found that the residual sugar made it seem one-dimensional. 87

2003 Independence School Zinfandel
Blended with 9% Carignan and 3% Petite Sirah. It had the same odd aldehyde note, which suggests it's a vineyard characteristic rather than a flaw. Not as sweet as the 2007 bottling. Good tannin, with flavours of raspberry and brambles. A little rustic. I felt the blend provided more structure and complexity than the 2007,
but still not my favourite. 89

The flight finished with a 2000 Monte Bello
Great complex nose with notes of herb, mint and meat. Lithe black currant and brambly fruit. Meaty, musty tannins, medium to long finish. 93

We were then offered a flight of three wines that Alan had brought. Served blind, we were told that it was a vertical from the 1990s. They turned out to be three Pagani Ranch Alicante Bouschets, though I utterly failed to recognise the similarities between the three wines. In each case they are blended with around 25% Zinfandel.

1993 Alicante Bouschet Pagani Ranch
This reminded me of a Lytton Springs Zinfandel. Earthy, with cherry and redcurrant flavours. Nicely integrated tannins. Very smooth. 92

1994 Alicante Bouschet Pagani Ranch
This made me think of Petite Sirah. Somewhat reductive, stinky nose. Earthy, with lots of tannin and flavours of redcurrant and herb. Would appear that it still needs time to sort itself out. 88++

1997 Alicante Bouschet Pagani Ranch
This was my favourite wine of the whole tasting. It had a lovely feminine nose, with floral notes. Everything came together, the fruit was delicious 95

The last wine was a 2007 Zinfandel Geyserville Essence
Blended with 23% Petite Sirah 16.9% residual sugar and 13.5%ABV
Powerful, concentrated nose of raspberry syrup. Obviously very sweet, with lots of raspberry fruit. An interesting, complex wine. 92++

iPhone apps

2010-11-24T15:01:00.000-08:00

I've been an iPhone user since the first generation unit was released - in fact I'm still using the same one. I love it, despite the fact that it's made by Apple and forces you to use iTunes to do anything. It's probably the handiest gadget I've ever owned; a phone, camera, map, notepad and web browser all in one package.

One of the selling points of the phone is its extensibility through dedicated utilities and games; it's such a huge market that there are even TV commercials for iPhone apps. The wine world is no different; there are dedicated winery apps; Ridge has one which has details of current releases, photos, events and a link to the store. Then there's Cor.kz which offers an alternate interface to Cellar Tracker's inventory management and tasting note database.

I recently got an email announcing a new free app covering the wineries of the Santa Cruz Mountains, so thought I should try it and see how it compares to the competition. I already have a review copy of Winery Quest Pro.

I thought that I'd reviewed the Winery Quest app in the past, but it doesn't appear to be on the site. Not sure what happened there. There are two versions; a 'basic' version costing $4 and a 'pro' version costing $8. It's effectively an interface into the Wine Questers web site, showing the same winery data in an easier to read format. This means that if you're in a cellphone blackspot - such as large parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains - then it can't get any data. The interface opens up with a scrollable list of over 20 regions, from Mendocino to Temecula. The Santa Clara Valley wineries are classified as "Gilroy - Morgan Hill", so wineries outside that area such as J Lohr, Coterie Cellars or Casa de Fruta aren't counted. Overall the interface is a little confusing, but after a while you start to get used to it.

Winery Quest's key selling point is the accuracy of its maps - the developer visits each winery with a GPS rather than relying on Google's address mapping software; if the winery hasn't been visited then it's not on the list. Unfortunately the choice of icons results in a map that looks rather cluttered. The data is further limited to tasting rooms that are regularly open to the public, which means that many smaller wineries that are appointment only or only open at certain times aren't listed.

There are a number of 'just because we can' features, such as a 'spin the bottle' game that randomly selects a winery for you to visit. Overall it's a tool for someone who wants to plan a trip to a wine region for the first time and visit a few tasting rooms; it's not intended to be a guide for the serious geek looking to discover new hidden gems. The price may seem a little high for what you get, but it's less than a typical tasting room fee.

The new app, which bears the unwieldy title of Santa Cruz Mountains Winery Directory (though given the title of this blog I have very little room to talk), seems to target a similar audience. The main screen follows a more traditional grid layout of icons with functions at the bottom. Since it's a free app they've saved costs by using stock clip-art, so the differing icon styles look a little odd. Unlike Winery Quest the data seems to be stored locally, which means that it works offline. There's also elements of 'because we can' to it; for example in the list of wineries each entry has a picture next to it that's too small to be useful, is of varying size, and takes a while to load on my old phone.

The app uses the phone's location facility and groups the wineries by proximity. That would be fine if you were looking for the nearest winery to wherever you are, but if you're planning a trip it would be more useful to specify the start point, or to find wineries that are close to each other. It also doesn't help that the data isn't entirely accurate; last time I checked Ridge was still on Monte Bello Road, not at Stevens Creek and De Anza. The Google map is a little easier to read than the Winery Quest version, although the same colour pin is used for wineries and other locations which can be a little confusing.

Speaking of the maps, there's a rather unfortunate bug here; once you enter the map screen the button to go back doesn't work; the only solution is to quit and restart.

The free app has a different set of wineries to Winery Quest. For the most part they overlap, but not entirely; for example Windy Oaks is included but not Zayante. The set also includes around half of the Santa Clara Valley wineries. Once again, if there's a selection criteria it's unclear; with Fernwood and Martin Ranch included but J Lohr, Creekview and Jason/Stephens missing.

Overall for a free application it's hard to be too critical; it's worth the 2Mb or so of space that it consumes and presumably will continue to be updated since it must intend to somehow derive revenue from advertising.

Looking on the app store I see that there's also another app called Wineries Locator. It costs $5 but the reviews look terrible.

Maybe I should learn how to write iPhone apps.

Big Basin Tasting Room

2010-10-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

At the end of August Big Basin Vineyards opened a new tasting room in Saratoga. Wes and I took a trip out to the winery and called in on the way to see the place and taste the current range.

The tasting room is in a brand new building on Highway 9, next door to Cinnabar - the address is at 14598 Big Basin Way. The room is light and airy, with a large L shaped bar and some comfortable seats. The walls are decorated with photographs of the vineyards taken by the owner and winemaker Bradley Brown and artwork by Matt Jones, whose work is used on several of the wine labels.

Tasting for a flight of 6 wines is $10, refunded with $100 purchase. There is currently a 2 for 1 promotion. You can also purchase wines by the glass; since the tasting room is open until 7PM on Fridays and Saturdays that makes it an ideal place to meet up prior to dinner.

2009 'Aura' Rose of Syrah, Monterey County
Floral nose, with notes of rose hip. While not sweet it doesn't come across as bone dry; it's fruity with a slightly bitter finish and flavours of crisp red apples. Light acidity. $18 89

2007 Alfaro Family Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
I've often found the wines from the Alfaro Family vineyard to be rather tannic and unyielding when young, but Bradley's treatment doesn't show that at all. The nose has sweet candy and dried cherry; in the mouth it's richly textured and spicy with flavours of dried cherry and white pepper, and a tart finish. $42 91

2007 Syrah
This is a 50/50 blend of Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey County fruit.
The nose is soft and plummy, the fruit is smooth and light fruit with some tart berry notes and a light finish. $28 88

2006 Rattlesnake Rock Syrah, Santa Cruz Mountains
The flagship estate wine; when I've tasted previous vintages it's been a really big textured wine. This seems lighter than in other years; the nose is fairly restrained with dried currant notes. However it's still pretty big and rich; there are layers of layers of dried fruit, herb and minerals and a longish finish showing those mineral notes again. $54 92

2007 Mandala, Santa Cruz Mountains
This is predominantly estate Syrah, with around 14% Cabernet Sauvignon from a vineyard in Los Gatos blended in. Surprisingly the Cabernet seems more prominent; the nose shows blueberry and pepper, with a balsamic note. On the palate there's blueberry and blackcurrant with oak and tannin showing on the finish. $39 91

2007 Coastview Syrah, Monterey County - Gabilan Mountains
Interesting nose; more assertive than the Rattlesnake Rock with herbal notes, some green pepper and nice black fruit. In the mouth it's another big, richly textured wine; concentrated black fruit flavours with some candied orange peel and meaty notes, leading up to a long finish. Nice smooth tannins; really a delicious wine. $48 93+

Wine and doughnuts?

2010-10-07T23:17:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of emails from wineries announcing particular tastings or promotions. I don't usually post them here, largely on the grounds that I can't do them all (translation: I'm too lazy). But there's a particularly bizarre event this weekend at Poetic Cellars - pairing doughnuts with wine. And not just sweet wines either; there's a chocolate doughnut paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon. I wonder what Homer would say.
For more details go to poeticcellars.com

Wild yeast?

2010-10-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

At the recent Ridge bloggers' tasting there was a fairly interesting discussion about the relative merits of cultured and 'wild' yeasts. Ridge is one of those wineries that never adds yeast, relying on the fruit to ferment on its own, with yeasts from the environment. The debate mainly centered around whether those yeasts were endemic to the vineyard or the facility.

My personal view on this is that there's a strong correlation between the use of 'wild' (or 'natural') yeasts and quality wine, but that (as 99.7% of statisticians will tell you) correlation doesn't imply causality. Or, in other words, just because vintners who use wild yeasts typically make great wines doesn't mean that using wild yeasts will automatically result in a better product.

I was planning a blog post on the subject, only to come across an interview with the man himself - Paul Draper on Alice Feiring's blog. Clearly he can explain these things way better than I can. It's a good read; I especially like the sign-off quote:
In California for at least the last ten or fifteen years we have heard that the wines are now made in the vineyard. What is not mentioned is that in most cases they are then re-made in the winery.

Delayed Tasting Notes

2010-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

As you've no doubt noticed, the blog has had to take something of a holiday over the past few months due to family and work pressures. But that doesn't mean I haven't been drinking some great local wines. Here's a roundup of some highlights over the past few weeks in no particular order.

2006 McHenry "Swan Clones" Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
A little known gem from the Bonny Doon area. I believe that technically the vineyards lie within the Ben Lomond Mountain sub-AVA, though it carries the SCM appellation. Interesting nose, with lots of forest floor and earthy funk. On the palate there's great cherry flavours and some savoury "umami" notes, and a medium length finish. Only about 150 cases made, but terrific value at around $26. 91+

2009 Martin Ranch "JD Hurley" Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Clara Valley
My tastes in Sauvignon Blanc typically run to the more acidic New Zealand and Sancerre styles, but this was really good on a hot autumn night. Nose shows apricot and lime; on the palate it's soft and creamy with light acidity and citrus flavours, and some caramel on the finish. Apparently it contains some Semillon. 88

2007 Sarah's Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Clara Valley
Nose is earthy and smoky, with dried herb and dried cranberry notes. Great flavours of cranberry and cherry. 90

2006 Fernwood Cellars "Small Vineyard Selection" Merlot
The fruit for this wine is sourced from a number of private vineyards in Los Altos, Saratoga & Monte Sereno. On the nose it's rather old world; lots of earthiness and underbrush, with some black fruit. But in the mouth it's got plenty of new world sweet fruit. 89

2007 Aver Family Vineyards "Hope"
A Rhone blend, with around 1/3 Petite Sirah (which technically isn't a Rhone grape, but the Rhone Rangers have claimed it as one of theirs). Good nose of blueberry, cranberry, dried herbs and pine. Flavours of blueberry, gooseberry and white pepper. Tannins are marked but not excessive. Benefited from an hour in a decanter. 90+

Santa Clara Valley Passport Weekend

2010-09-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

The Wineries of Santa Clara Valley are holding their autumn Passport event this weekend, October 2nd and 3rd. For those more familiar with the Santa Cruz Mountains events, this is more like the SCMWA Vintners' festival than their quarterly passport program.

A passport costs $30, includes a souvenir glass and is valid for both days only. All the member wineries will be open from 11-5PM both days, and may have additional promotions, refreshments and entertainment. This is a great opportunity to visit some of the less well known local producers.

In addition Aver Family Vineyards will be pouring at D’Vine Jazz & Wine from 12-5PM and at Westside Grill from 11–5PM both days. They may also be joined by Mann Cellars - who poured at both locations in March - though this is unconfirmed.

Ridge Bloggers' tasting #3

2010-09-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

For the third edition of Ridge's quarterly bloggers' tasting we were invited up to the Lytton Springs facility in Healdsburg. This was a first time for me; though I've visited the Dry Creek area several times and think it's arguably the best AVA overall for Zinfandel, I've never been to Ridge's other tasting room.

The ultra-modern facility was built around 10 years ago and combines numerous environmentally friendly features. (You can read about it here.) It's constructed from recycled lumber and bales of rice straw, covered with adobe made from the local clay. The shining roof is covered with solar cells which produce up to 65kW. The crushpad is shaded from the sun by a large overhang - this last feature was of particular importance, since it was an unusually hot weekend for September and that was where we would be tasting.

The focus of the event was on Ridge's Lytton Springs bottling. This is a field blend of mainly Zinfandel, with some Petite Sirah and Carignane. Though the blend typically contains more than 75% Zinfandel the varietal designation was dropped after 1992.

We were to taste 10 vintages spanning 20 years. Now as a general rule I don't age Zinfandels beyond around 5-8 years, usually much less. I find that when bottled as a pure varietal the fresh raspberry notes are so pleasant in the early years that it's hard to justify keeping them. In addition the current trend - particularly in hotter regions such as Amador, Lodi or Paso Robles - seems to be for wines that are high in alcohol and low in tannin and acidity, wines that aren't intended to be kept around. But as always Ridge is an exception; many of their Zinfandels will age gracefully for a decade or more.

All the wines were opened around 2-4 hours earlier and double decanted.

First flight

We began with the older vintages, starting with the oldest first.

1987 Lytton Springs Zinfandel
Red/brown brick in colour. An interesting meaty, musty nose, with hints of mint or wintergreen.
Plenty of dark fruit and nice weight, though there's not much tannin left. I wouldn't have guessed that it was 20+ years old. Drink now. 93

1992 Lytton Springs Zinfandel
Very similar in colour to the 1987, though slightly darker. More herbal than the 1987, less musty but possessing similar fruit and mint notes. On the palate it's really intense; strong flavours of black cherry and raspberry which go on and on. One of the best old Zinfandels I've tasted. Drink now. 94.

1993 Lytton Springs
A lighter brick red than the previous two. Nose shows smoky, gamey meat, hawthorn, and that minty note again that seems to be a signature of Lytton Springs. Lighter bodied, but nicely balanced. Flavours of raspberry and pomegranate, light tannins and a nice finish. Drink now. 93

1996 Lytton Springs
A darker, deeper, more opaque reddish colour.
There's a definite consistency of those herbal, meaty flavours between vintages. The minty note is less pronounced, but still detectable. On the palate there's plenty of rich dark berry fruit and for the first time the tannins are pronounced. This one still has plenty of potential, so hold on to it. 92+

1999 Lytton Springs
Deep red in colour, very little fading in the meniscus. Got some initial heat on the nose; aromas of white pepper, black plum and raspberry. In the mouth it's very spicy/peppery. There's lots of primary raspberry fruit, and it's definitely the sweetest so far. Seems to possess less structure than the 1996, so I'd drink it sooner rather than later. 92

Second Flight

After a short break we resumed with the newer vintages. This time we tasted the younger wines first.

2007 Lytton Springs
A deep, inky purple colour. The nose shows liquorice and berry. There is some of that herbal and mint character but it's very much in the background at this stage. In the mouth the intense fruit hits you. There's loads of raspberry, with a touch of cocoa. Some ripe sweetness again, as with the 1999. Obviously it's very young. 92+

2005 Lytton Springs
The most floral nose of all the wines tasted, and possibly the highest acidity (though that's one of the few details Ridge omit from their notes.) Tart golden raspberries, with citrus and herbal notes. The dark fruit and tannin from the Petite Sirah shows well. This should be a very long lived wine; apparently it's one of Paul Draper's favourites too. 94

2003 Lytton Springs
While similar to the other young vintages the nose was noticeably lighter. Overall it seemed tighter than others; the fruit more restrained. There was an interesting brine and baking soda note particularly on the finish. 91+

2002 Lytton Springs
This had a particularly ripe fruity nose, with blackcurrant and eucalyptus. Immensely rich, layered currant fruit, with some bitter chocolate and a great finish. Reminiscent of a cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon. Just lovely. 95

2001 Lytton Springs
The nose on this was very different to many of the others; notes of autumn leaves and dried fruit. Flavours of dried berry, with savoury notes but there was a rather harsh note; perhaps because it seemed to be a little warmer than the rest. The tannins also appeared more harsh. Showed the least well of all the wines; probably needs more time. 90+

Third Flight

For a final flight Chris had brought three older vintages of Monte Bello in 375s. This is a flight that's going to be available in the Monte Bello tasting room in October. The wines were opened and tasted individually to check for variation, then two bottles combined in a decanter.

1991 Monte Bello
Really herbal nose. Light fruit. Some eucalyptus notes.
Lots of fruit on the palate; Blackcurrant, bramble jelly, some leather. There's a fresh earth note on the finish. Thoroughly delicious. 95

1992 Monte Bello
Amazingly rich red colour in comparison to the similarly aged Lyttons.
Similar herbal notes to the 1991;
If anything it seems more mature.
But on the palate it's another story - very fresh fruit, bright acidity. Tannins are soft but still present, less earthy. Hint of menthol on the finish. 94

1994 Monte Bello
Interesting smoky note on the nose, in addition to the herbal and cassis notes.
Lithe acidity, good fruit. Still plenty of acid and tannin; despite being from a 375 it will still stand cellaring for several more years. 93

Thomas Kruse

2010-09-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

California has always had a tradition of home winemaking. Even during Prohibition, families were allowed to produce up to 200 gallons for personal use (that's around 3 bottles a day). Thomas Kruse began making wine at his home in Gilroy in the early 1960s. Pleased by his initial vintages he began studying oenology and viticulture, and opened a store for fellow enthusiasts, selling home winemaking supplies and sharing his new found knowledge.

In 1971 he purchased a small acreage on Hecker Pass Road where he established a vineyard and the eponymous winery. He made wine from whatever grape varieties were available, even table grapes; His maverick style and value pricing attracted a loyal local following.

After 20 years the winery moved to a larger 22 acre property on Dryden Road. Kruse planted 12 acres of vines, mostly red, with some Chardonnay. The vineyard is named Claire's Field, after the late family dog.

All wines are Estate except the non-vintage Clare's Field Red. Prices range from $10-$14, with significant discounts (50% or more) for case purchases. There is also a méthode champenoise sparkling wine which was not poured.

2009 Blanc de Noir
A dry blush Zinfandel with a floral nose. Fruity, soft and simple with flavours of red apple. 81

2009 Chardonnay
This had a cidery, yeasty nose and gave the impression of a floral, oaky cider with a bitter note on the finish. 75

NV Claire's Field Red
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Syrah.
Smoky nose with notes of red fruit
Smooth, soft redcurrant flavours, with a bitter finish. 79

2007 Merlot
Smoky nose; Simple fruit, lots of tannin, quick finish. 80
The bottle had been open some time; a second, fresher bottle was a little better - 82

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Light nose showing blueberry and smoke. Pleasant blueberry and herb flavours with an earthy finish 84

2007 Zinfandel
Earthy raspberry nose, but on the palate it's sadly lacking fruit. There's lots of tannin and a hint of wintergreen. 82

Burglaries at Santa Clara Valley Wineries

2010-08-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

As if our local wineries didn't have enough to worry about with the economic downturn and the unusually cool weather, it seems that they are increasingly being targeted by burglars. Over the past year at least 7 Santa Clara Valley wineries have been robbed - that's around a quarter of the total. Just this month two more were attacked, with the thieves causing significantly more damage than the value of items they took.
Fortunately one of the targeted wineries had installed hidden security cameras and the thief was photographed.

Bloggers' Event at Ridge: ATP Tasting

2010-07-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Ridge are best known for their Estate wines and Zinfandels. What's perhaps less well known is that they also produce a wide range of wines from other varieties. Paul Draper is a great believer in the expression of terroir through single vineyard designated wines, so on joining Ridge in 1968 he began to seek out quality vineyards around the state.

Production of these wines tends to be around 1000 cases and while that's more than the total production of many local wineries, by Ridge's standards it's pretty limited. Consequently these wines are only available at the winery or via the ATP wine club.

For the second Ridge bloggers' tasting event, tasting room manager Chris Watkins decided to focus on this range. We compared current and older vintages of four different ATP releases. But as is customary we began with some estate Chardonnay:

2008 Jimsomare Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Opens with vanilla oak and lemon curd. There's creamy lemon and a mineral finish. Right now the oak is a little harsh, so short-term cellaring might be in order. 91

2008 Mikulaco Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
A more lemony, floral nose than the Jimsomare, with less oak evident.
Lighter weight, with creamy green apple and a hint of ginger, and a chalky finish. Drink now. Good value at $25. 90

Buchignani Ranch Carignane

Carignane is believed to have originated in north eastern Spain, but nowadays it's mostly grown in the Languedoc region. In the 1980s it was France's most widely planted grape, producing huge amounts of low quality vin ordinaire, though government sponsored vine pull schemes have reduced the acreage significantly. In California it's also in decline; the number of acres planted has decreased by over 50% in the past 10 years, but that seems to have stabilised. Currently there are around 3500 acres planted, mostly in Madera and San Joaquin counties, where it's used as a blending grape providing tannin, colour and acidity to jug wines. Ridge is one of a handful of wineries making varietal wines.

Buchignani Ranch is close to Dry Creek Valley, in Sonoma. The head-pruned vineyard was first planted in 1927; today the vines are between 50 and 80 years old.

2002 Buchignani Ranch Carignane, Sonoma County
The earthy, smoky nose initially masks the fruit. It's light in weight, with bright acidity and flavours of cranberry, tart strawberry and some dried herbs. 88

2005 Buchignani Ranch Carignane, Sonoma County
Bright nose of black cherry and raspberry. Again it shows some bright acidity and light fruit with an earthy finish. The tannins are rather soft. 89

2008 Buchignani Ranch Carignane, Sonoma County
The colour is rather purple in the rim, suggesting limited barrel ageing. On the nose there's cola and raspberry. Fresh bright 'fruit punch' flavours, with tannins showing a little on the finish. Judging by this vertical I'd say that short-term cellaring would be beneficial; drink over the next 3-5 years. 88 $26

Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache

The Lytton Springs vineyard was first planted at the end of the 19th century. Ridge began sourcing fruit from there in 1972; 20 years later they purchased the property outright. One of the original blocks, which was planted in 1902, is a field blend that is predominantly Grenache interspersed with Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. The Lytton Springs' western vineyards were purchased in 1995 and include Grenache blocks planted in 1963 and 1991. Recent plantings include 10 acres of Syrah and an acre of Viognier.

Ridge has produced a Grenache since 1995 and a 50% Syrah, 50% Grenache blend since 2001.

2006 Syrah/Grenache, Lytton Estate, Dry Creek Valley
Bold fruity nose showing blackberry, cherry, perhaps a hint of VA?
More full bodied than the Carignane, with fairly intense fruit - blackberry and 'red vines' - finishing with nice smooth tannins. The Syrah seems dominant in the blend. 91
Not yet released, expected to be $35

2005 Syrah/Grenache, Lytton Estate, Dry Creek Valley
Strange note of blue cheese on the nose at first; this blew off revealing cranberry and raspberry aromas.
In contrast to the 2006 the Grenache appears dominant, with earthy raspberry flavours. Nicely balanced and a bit less tannic. 92

Lytton West Syrah

The Lytton West Syrah is cofermented with a small amount of Viognier. This is a practice common in Rhone, particularly the Côte-Rôtie appellation; the viognier not only adds some aromatic notes, it also assists in the extraction and stability of the colour from the Syrah.

2005 Syrah Lytton West, Dry Creek Valley
Cofermented with 6% Viognier.
Very dark colour. The nose is heavy with herbal notes and brambly fruit.
Lovely blackberry and red currant fruit, with black pepper and floral notes, and dusty tannins. 93+

2003 Syrah Lytton West, Dry Creek Valley
Cofermented with 9% Viognier.
Deep red colour. Nose is strange with notes of liqueur (tequila?), a little aldehyde and black pepper. Flavours of sweet dried cherry and orange peel, with light acidity and soft tannins. 90

Dynamite Hill Petite Sirah

When searching for new vineyards, one of Draper's first discoveries was some old-vine Petite Sirah at the York Creek vineyard on Spring Mountain. The vineyard has remained a source of fruit for 40 years. Petite Sirah is notorious for producing monolithic, tannic wines lacking in fruit, but if the tannins are properly controlled the results can be very good.

2006 Petite Sirah, Dynamite Hill, York Creek Vineyard, Spring Mountain
Smoky nose with bright acidity and blueberry notes.
Good balance, with the tannins not overpowering; nice flavours of blueberry and white pepper. Surprisingly good now. 91

2003 Petite Sirah, Dynamite Hill, York Creek Vineyard, Spring Mountain
Nose shows notes of fireplace and roast meat.
Smooth blueberry fruit, with flavours of Italian sausage and pepper. A great barbecue wine. 92

Thanks to Chris Watkins for arranging this event, and greetings to my fellow bloggers: Wes Barton , Richard Jennings, Gary Chevsky, Liren Baker, Thea Dwelle, Jason Mancebo, Jason of Jason's Wine Blog and
Fely Krewell

Monte Bello Dinner

2010-06-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

I got together with some friends recently for a pot-luck dinner and tasting around a dozen vintages of Ridge Monte Bello spanning a few decades.

Most of the older wines were in great shape, though as you can see the cork on the 1973 was in a terrible state and it came as no real surprise to find the wine hopelessly oxidised.

We began with a 1999 Ridge Monte Bello Chardonnay - Light mineral nose, lemon thyme and light oak. Initially showed some sulphur, but that soon dissipated. Flavours of peaches, cream, and some mineral notes. Plenty of oak on the finish. Still very youthful. 93

First Flight

1973 Ridge Monte Bello
The fill level seemed a little low and we soon found out why; the cork had totally failed and wine was bubbling up around it. DOA.

1983 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet
The 1983 Monte Bello was declassified and all the fruit went into the Santa Cruz Mountains bottling. On the nose there's some nice black fruit, a little herbal, perhaps vegetal. There's perhaps rather too much acid for the remaining fruit; it's simple but pleasant, and not bad for a 25 year old wine from a weak vintage. 87

1984 Ridge Monte Bello
There's a lot going on here; earthy, brambly fruit and some smoky notes. On the palate it's big with loads of smooth black fruit. The tannins are almost fully resolved, and there's nice acidity. This got better with air over the next 15 minutes. 93

1986 Ridge Monte Bello
A brighter nose than the 1984, with lots of pencil box and brambles. Again there's nice rich black fruit and a bit more tannin than the 1984. However where the 1984 seemed to improve with air the 1986 seemed to decline. Perhaps tasting the 1984 after the 1983 gave it an advantage, but to me the 1986 didn't seem quite as strong. Though we didn't tally scores the group seemed to be pretty evenly split between the two. 92

Second Flight

1992 Ridge Monte Bello, served from 375s
Meaty nose, with blackcurrant and brambles. Rich smooth fruit, nicely balanced, very drinkable. Coming from a half bottle certainly helped, though there was some definite variation between the two. I was lucky and got the better of the two. 94

1996 Ridge Monte Bello
There was initially a little heat on the nose, which soon passed leaving dark berry, plum and blackcurrant notes. Stacks of rich black fruit, with a hint of mint.
There is still plenty of tannin as you'd expect, and it continued to improve in the glass. More elegant than the 97, and still evolving. 95

1997 Ridge Monte Bello
1997 was a riper year, and this shows on the palate. It's a more fruit-forward wine than the 1996 (though still very restrained by Californian standards) - layers of rich sweet fruit and a hint of smoke, with a longer finish than the 1996. For now I gave it the edge, though I think in the long term the 96 might be a better bet. 95+

1998 Ridge Monte Bello
Not declassified, but perhaps it should have been. Apparently Ridge pulled out all the stops to help the grapes ripen in this terribly wet El Nino vintage. A much lighter weight wine than any other in the flight, with cranberry and plum notes, and some green tannins. Seemed simple compared to the others, but reasonable. 88

Third Flight

Each of these had been double-decanted that morning.
2001 Ridge Monte Bello
Rather bright on the nose - cranberry, black cherry and blackcurrant on the nose and palate. I also got liquorice root. Plenty of chewy tannins backed with loads of acidity. Keep it locked away for at least a decade. 94+

2006 Ridge Monte Bello
I felt this was a slightly weaker showing than the last few times I've tasted it up at Ridge - perhaps they had it open much longer. Loads of structure, with a dark chocolate note that I didn't notice previously. I took the last quarter home and finished it a couple of days later; it didn't seem to have faded in the slightest, which bodes well for a long future. 93+

2007 Ridge Monte Bello
I didn't really take notes on the 2007; I've had it several times recently and I think it's delicious. There was some discussion as to whether it's got the same ageing potential as other vintages, but I remain confident that it's a 20+ year wine. 94+

Barrel tasting at Stefania

2010-06-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

Following the visit to Varner (see previous post) our group called in at Chaine d'Or. Paul poured a few barrel samples of the 2009 and 2008 vintages.

2009 Syrah, Split Rail Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains Barrel sample
Since the beginning Stefania have been looking for a local source for Syrah, and have found an excellent one in the Split Rail vineyard.
The nose is savoury, with soy, smoke and black fruit. It's rich and intense; lots of black fruit and white pepper, with a touch of liquorice on the finish. Delicious, even at this early stage.

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chaine d'Or Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains Barrel sample
The Chaine d'Or vineyard is in a particularly cool microclimate; as a result the wines are very strucured and take a while to come round. The 2009 has a nose that's somewhat old world, with earthy, meaty and forest notes, with some smoke. In the mouth it's tight with black fruit and lots of tannin especially on the finish. It's going to need at least 5 years.

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Crimson Clover Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley Barrel sample
The Crimson Clover Vineyard will replace Uvas Creek as Stefania's source for Santa Clara Valley cabernet. The vineyard is located in the same vicinity and is farmed by Paul and Stef. The nose is elegant and dusty; on the palate there's rich blackcurrant fruit with, biscuit and herbal notes on the finish. It's a big, rich
new world wine in stark contrast to the Chaine d'Or Vineyard.

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains Barrel Sample
This is the final blend, returned to barrel prior to being bottled. At the moment it's pretty tight; the nose was showing some earthy black fruit, but not much. There's the typical blackcurrant, eucalyptus and menthol from previous vintages, with good structure and a long finish.

If you're already on the Stefania mailing list these should be no-brainer purchases. If you aren't on the list then you should be; I don't know of anyone making better wines anywhere in California at this price point.

Nir-Varner

2010-06-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

According to Bob Varner there are really only two ways to approach winemaking. You can begin with a budget; the wine will have a retail price of so much, which means I can spend this on grapes, that on barrels, bottles, corks, and so on. Or you can say I'm going to make the very best wine I possibly can, regardless of what it costs. That's the approach he and his twin brother Jim take to their wines.

The idea behind Varner Winery began when the brothers were at UC Davis; Jim studied oenology, Bob biology. After graduating they were introduced to Dr Kirk Neely, a local dentist who owned an idyllic property next to the Windy Hill open space preserve in Portola Valley. The area seemed perfect for a cool climate vineyard, located just below the fog line, and in 1980 the brothers planted two acres of Chardonnay by Dr Neely's house which became known as the Home block. The vines are own-rooted and the clone is unknown, but probably Cloned 4; they were simply purchased from a local nursery. Further down the hill they planted Gewürztraminer on its own roots. The following year they added the Amphitheater block, which was again own rooted, probably to Wente clone. A few years later in 1987 the Bee block was planted, this time with hybrid rootstock and grafted with cuttings from the Home Block.

Over the following years they farmed the vineyard and the fruit was sold, mainly to Thomas Fogarty and Bargetto. The brothers established a wine import business and worked at Fogarty. Then in 1996 they finally got bonded as Varner Winery and produced their first vintage. Permits to allow construction of a winery took a while longer, so the initial vintages were produced at Mount Eden and Chaine d'Or.

In 1997 they began planting Pinot Noir; the Hidden block contains Clone 115 and the Picnic block contains Clone 777. They later grafted over the 25 year old Gewürztraminer in the Picnic block to clone 777; the vines had been producing excellent fruit, but commercially were not viable.

The Varner philosophy is to be as hands-off as possible. The vines are trained in an unusual way, with two short cordons, each of which is pruned to two canes, and a single catch wire above. This results in an open canopy allowing each side to ripen evenly. All blocks except for the lowest are dry farmed. Sulfur is sprayed to control mildew, but that's all. Any imperfect fruit is dropped prior to harvest, with the result that there is little or no sorting required. The fruit is destemmed and crushed into a tank to allow any solids to settle, then pumped into barrels to ferment. No yeast or sulfur are added.

When it comes to racking, most wineries either siphon or pump the wine. Again the Varner philosophy is different - each of their barrels has a second hole in the 'head' (the flat part) stoppered with a bung, like a traditional cask, and racking is done purely by gravity. They even have a device to gently tilt the barrel when it's nearly empty. As a result of this gentle handling no fining or filtration is required. After fermentation the wines stay in barrel for around 9 months; the French oak barrels are on a three year rotation, so roughly one third are replaced each year. Each block is then blended separately.

The winery's total production is around 100 barrels, or 2500 cases annually. Visits are strictly by appointment only.

2009 Home Block Chardonnay, barrel sample
The nose was light, with cracker and lemon notes. On the palate there was creamy lemon, green apple and melon, with nice acidity. The Home block typically has lower alcohol since the own-rooted vines reach full ripeness at lower sugar levels.

2009 Amphitheater Block Chardonnay, barrel sample
Slightly lighter in weight than the Home block, with a more citrus/floral character. the finish showed interesting hoppy notes.

2009 Bee Block Chardonnay, barrel sample
The vines on Bee block are 6 years younger than Home block. Bee block is typically the most 'Californian' in style. This showed more toast, stone fruit and asian pear notes.

2009 Hidden Block Pinot Noir, barrel sample
Two samples from different new barrels. Both showed delicious cherry and raspberry fruit on the nose, with one having a smoky note and the other more woodland. The wine is light in colour (for California) with lots of rich spicy cherry fruit, pepper and rhubarb and a great long finish.

2009 Lower Picnic Block Pinot Noir, barrel sample
Nose shows strawberry and floral notes; on the palate it's earthy with rich, dark fruit and mineral notes.

2009 Upper Picnic Block Pinot Noir, barrel sample
Slight funk on the nose; this was less earthy and lighter, with cherry and berry notes, good tart acidity and nice structure. the Picnic block needs more time than the Hidden block from my experience.

Varner remains one of my absolute favourite producers (I own more of their Chardonnay than anyone else's), and a visit to the winery is highly recommended.

Jeff Emery

2010-06-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

I heard over the weekend that Jeff Emery, owner and winemaker of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, is recovering from a biking accident. Apparently he fell off his mountain bike while out riding last Wednesday and hurt his neck, bruising his spinal cord and requiring surgery.

The good news is that he has been discharged from hospital and is at home recuperating; the signs are that he should make a full recovery.

Our thoughts and best wishes go out to him; I plan on opening a SCMV Grenache later this evening and toasting his speedy return to health

2010 Vintners' Festival

2010-06-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

June see the annual SCMWA vintners' festival, with most of the region's wineries open for tasting. The first weekend showcases the western side of the mountains. The cost is $30 in advance or $35 on the day, and covers all four dates. For details see the SCMWA web site

This weekend the following wineries will be open from 11AM to 5PM:

Alfaro, Bargetto, Big Basin, Burrell School, Byington, Downhill (at Byington), Equinox, Hallcrest, Heart o' the Mountain, Hunter Hill, Loma Prieta, McHenry, Nicholson, Odonata (at SCMV), Pelican Ranch, Pleasant Valley, Poetic Cellars, Roudon Smith, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, Silver Mountain, Sones Cellars, Storrs, Trout Gulch, Vine Hill, Windy Oaks, Zayante

In addition, several other wineries will be pouring at local restaurants.
Note that the restaurant locations close at 4PM.

Ahlgren - Scopazzi's, Boulder Creek
Aptos Creek - Michael's On Main, Soquel
Bruzzone Family - Rancho Don Bosco, Santa Cruz
Clos Tita - Rancho Don Bosco, Santa Cruz
Cordon Creek - Michael's On Main, Soquel
Dancing Creek - Rancho Don Bosco, Santa Cruz
Domenico - Tyrolean Inn, Ben Lomond
Muccigrosso - Tyrolean Inn, Ben Lomond
Naumann - Michael's On Main, Soquel
P M Staiger - Michael's On Main, Soquel
River Run - Michael's On Main, Soquel
Roudon Smith - Rancho Don Bosco, Santa Cruz

Next weekend features the eastern side, and the line up includes

Black Ridge, Burrell School, Byington, Cinnabar, Clos LaChance, Cooper-Garrod, Domenico, Downhill (at Byington), Fleming Jenkins, La Honda, Loma Prieta, Muccigrosso (at Domenico), Odonata (at Domenico), Savannah-Chanelle, Testarossa, Woodside

and pouring at restaurants until 4PM:

Cordon Creek - La Fondue, Saratoga
Hallcrest - Nonno's Restaurant, Redwood Estates
Heart o' the Mountain - La Fondue, Saratoga
La Rusticana d'Orsa - La Fondue, Saratoga
Naumann - La Fondue, Saratoga
P M Staiger - Nonno's Restaurant, Redwood Estates
Poetic Cellars - La Fondue, Saratoga
Roudon Smith - La Fondue, Saratoga
Windy Oaks - Nonno's Restaurant, Redwood Estates
The Surf City Vintners group - Nonno's Restaurant, Redwood Estates

Ridge 2009 Monte Bello final assemblage tasting

2010-05-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

Another trip up Monte Bello Road on a beautiful spring Sunday morning, albeit unseasonably chilly thanks to some cold Alaskan air that has been visiting us recently. The vines are flowering, as are the California poppies, and the air was clear giving great views all across the valley.

But we didn't just come here to admire the views. Last weekend was the final assemblage tasting for the 2009 Monte Bello, as well as an opportunity to taste a few older vintages.

2008 Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Citrus, vanilla, mineral and some fig on the nose. Nice rounded mouthfeel; creamy lemon and wet stone with a toasty finish. I still say this needs 3-5 years. 91+

1990 Monte Bello
Poured from a 375ml bottle. The colour was brick red; the nose was much more mature than I'd have expected from such a strong vintage - mushrooms, leather and a little dried fruit. On the palate it had tart berry flavours, earthy leather and a hint of dill pickle. I'd consider it past its peak. 88

1992 Monte Bello
Also poured from a 375ml bottle. Quite a contrast to the 1990; the nose had plenty of smooth red berry fruit and fresh earth. On the palate everything was integrated; still some good tannins, plenty of fruit, with leather, tart cranberry and herbal notes. Drinking well, but will continue to develop. 92

1995 Monte Bello
This was poured from a 750ml bottle. Lots of black fruit and some eucalyptus on the nose. In the mouth there's loads of rich fruit and bags of tannin; it's still very youthful. Pleasant now, but some way from its zenith. 93

2009 Monte Bello, barrel sample
The final blend is 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot.
The colour is a deep red/black. The Petit Verdot seems to dominate the nose with its floral, violet notes, and some fresh bread. Stacks of rich sweet fruit; bramble, currant, graphite, with a dry herbal finish. Lots of potential; another clear winner. 94-96

Down in the tasting room they were pouring the current releases:

2007 Santa Cruz Mountains
The nose has a nice balance of herbal and fruit notes. Good fruit - tart black cherry, brambles and blackcurrant with a herbal finish. Good value. 92+

2006 Monte Bello
I've had this a few times recently; it never disappoints. The nose is enticing with lots of smoky black fruit; on the palate it's rich and rather concentrated, with loads of blackcurrant and brambly fruit, and a good long finish. 94

We then had a picnic and opened some interesting older bottles:

1987 Geyserville
Mature nose, leather and musty. Still has good fruit; raspberry, cranberry, lots of leather. 91

1994 Lytton Estate
Tart berry and light leather notes. Rich sweet raspberry candy, tobacco and wood. 91

1986 Monte Bello
Mature vegetal, rather stinky nose. But on the palate there's sweet fruit and plenty of it, along with earth and leather. 92

Relyea-Wood Vineyards

2010-05-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Noël Relyea and Bill Wood are retired biochemists who own a beautiful property off Monte Bello Road. The property is located half a mile up a narrow dirt track close to the old Montebello school. It is situated on a ridge at around 1900 feet, with an incredible view west across the whole valley. The winery is in an annex separate from the main house, replete with shiny new steel tanks and a crusher/destemmer powered by solar panels on the roof.

In 2005 they worked with with Ron Mosley, the vineyard manager at Cinnabar, to install a picturesque vineyard on a half-acre of hillside behind their home. Unlike many small vineyard owners who have wine produced by sharecrop or custom crush facilities they decided to established their own bonded winery and do everything themselves. After all, as experienced biochemists they were already familiar with the principles.

2008 they saw their first harvest which yielded just 35 cases. To augment the estate fruit they also purchased Syrah from Santa Clara Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Sacramento Delta. The latter wines were released in May 2010 and almost instantly sold out. The 2008 estate Cabernet Sauvignon is scheduled to be be released next year.

The couple are also keen astronomers; the winery even has its own observatory dome. In keeping with this the screen-printed bottle designs each incorporate a diagram of a constellation - the Syrah carries Ursa Major, while the estate Cabernet Sauvignon carries Orion - accompanied by a quote from Leonardo da Vinci: The discovery of a good wine is increasingly better for mankind than the discovery of a new star.

For 2008 the total production for all three wines was less than 100 cases. For 2009 the winery purchased Cabernet Sauvignon from Mount Veeder in Napa and a neighbouring vineyard as well as the Santa Clara Valley Syrah, so the total production should be around 150-200 cases. The target production for the winery is a scant 200 cases a year; although the winery could theoretically handle more the barrel room is rather tiny, and that's as much as Noël and Bill currently feel comfortable with.

2008 "Summertime" Red Table Wine, California
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from the Tamayo Family Vineyard in Brentwood. As the name suggests it's a lighter styled wine, with a dusty, bramble jelly nose. On the palate there's plenty of smooth blackcurrant fruit with some floral notes and just a little oak. Very reasonably priced at $12. Only 32 cases made. 88

2008 Syrah, Mosley Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley
The fruit comes from vineyard manager Ron Mosley's own vineyard in Morgan Hill. Primary and malolactic fermentation took place in tanks before being pressed and transferred to the barrel room downstairs, where it rested in new French oak for 11 months. Dark in colour with plum and spice on the nose. Quite intense; concentrated sweet fruit backed by white pepper and plenty of tannin. Perhaps a little riper than I would prefer, but an excellent first effort and very well priced at $30. I plan to revisit this in 6 months or so. Only 14 cases made. 92+

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Camalie Vineyard, Mt. Veeder, barrel sample.
Lots of black fruit - brambles and blackcurrant, without pushing the ripeness the way the 2008 Syrah does. There's good balance; as you'd expect from a barrel sample it finishes a little weakly, but that should develop. I definitely look forward to trying the Santa Cruz Cabernets. 3 barrels made, which should yield around 75 cases. Target price is $30-$40. 92-94

Woodside Vineyards' new home among the ... Ferraris?

2010-05-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

In 1960 Bob Mullen produced a batch of home-made wine from some abandoned vines in Woodside. Further research revealed that those vines were all that remained of Emmett Rixford's award winning La Questa vineyard, planted in the 19th century. Soon after Bob purchased a property on Kings Mountain Road in Woodside, planted vineyards of his own and founded Woodside Vineyards. The winery established a great reputation for their excellent red wines, all produced from small vineyards all over Woodside.

Eventually Bob retired from winemaking and was succeeded by his business partner Brian Caselden. In 2008 Bob decided to sell his home, so the winery needed to find new premises. They partnered with Buff Giurlani and Dick Burns, owners of Auto Vino in Menlo Park, a company specialising in the storage of fine wines and rare cars. Now after almost half a century on Kings Mountain Road, Woodside Vineyards has finally completed their move.

The new facility is at 205 Constitution Drive, just off 84 between Marsh and Willow, close to the Dumbarton Bridge. From the outside there are no signs that it's anything other than another business unit, but drive to the rear and you'll see the tell-tale discarded barrels.

Inside there's a mixture of high-tech and history. The main showroom is home to a dozen or so pristine vehicles from former race cars to classic Ferraris. Alongside them are winery relics including a century old corker, the hand crusher that Bob used until the mid 1970s, and Duane Cronin's old basket press. At one side there's an honour bar where club members can buy wine at any time, while at the other side there's a tasting area made from old champagne riddling racks propped up on barrels. Behind that through a window you can see the wine barrels stacked 5 high. In addition to guarding these pieces of automotive history AutoVino also rents out temperature controlled wine storage lockers (a 27 case unit costs $54 per month, if you were wondering).

The new facility will allow Brian and Bob to gradually increase production from the current 2,000 cases to a target of around 3,500 cases. The Woodside Vineyards wines will continue to be made only with estate grapes from the Woodside area, but there are plans to eventually introduce a second label made with fruit sourced from elsewhere in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There is also space for future expansion including a catering option.

Brian is currently preparing for the official relaunch, on Memorial day weekend. The winery will be open from 1-5PM on May 29th, 30th and 31st as well as on Sunday June 6th. Additionally the winery will open for the Vintners Festival on June 12th and 13th from 11AM-5PM the following weekend.

HR 5034 update

2010-05-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

I wrote recently about HR5034, a bill being discussed in Congress that would allow states to prohibit the shipping of alcohol outside of the distributors. This is a bill that could be devastating for many small wineries (as well as being terrible for consumers). It would mean that you could purchase things like guns, knives, cigarettes, prescription drugs and pornography from out of state, but not wine.

Around 100 Representatives have signed up to support the bill. The current list includes: Bobby Bright [D-AL2] Harry Mitchell [D-AZ5] Edward Pastor [D-AZ4] Bob Filner [D-CA51] Gary Miller [R-CA42] Laura Richardson [D-CA37] Vern Buchanan [R-FL13] Ted Deutch [D-FL19] Lincoln Diaz-Balart [R-FL21] Mario Diaz-Balart [R-FL25] Alcee Hastings [D-FL23] Connie Mack [R-FL14] John Mica [R-FL7] Bill Posey [R-FL15] Adam Putnam [R-FL12] Thomas Rooney [R-FL16] Clifford Stearns [R-FL6] Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D-FL20] John Barrow [D-GA12] Paul Broun [R-GA10] David Scott [D-GA13] Lynn Westmoreland [R-GA3] Bruce Braley [D-IA1] Michael Simpson [R-ID2] Danny Davis [D-IL7] Bill Foster [D-IL14] Phil Hare [D-IL17] Jesse Jackson [D-IL2] Mike Quigley [D-IL5] Bobby Rush [D-IL1] Aaron Schock [R-IL18] André Carson [D-IN7] Joe Donnelly [D-IN2] Brad Ellsworth [D-IN8] Peter Visclosky [D-IN1] Michael Capuano [D-MA8] Frank Kratovil [D-MD1] John Dingell [D-MI15] Dale Kildee [D-MI5] Thaddeus McCotter [R-MI11] Gary Peters [D-MI9] Mark Schauer [D-MI7] Timothy Walz [D-MN1] Travis Childers [D-MS1] Gene Taylor [D-MS4] Bennie Thompson [D-MS2] Dennis Rehberg [R-MT] Howard Coble [R-NC6] Walter Jones [R-NC3] Patrick McHenry [R-NC10] Heath Shuler [D-NC11] Earl Pomeroy [D-ND] Paul Hodes [D-NH2] Robert Andrews Rush Holt [D-NJ12] Frank LoBiondo [R-NJ2] Frank Pallone [D-NJ6] William Pascrell [D-NJ8] Harry Teague [D-NM2] Shelley Berkley [D-NV1] Timothy Bishop [D-NY1] Michael McMahon [D-NY13] Edolphus Towns [D-NY10] Steve Driehaus [D-OH1] Timothy Ryan [D-OH17] Zachary Space [D-OH18] Betty Sutton [D-OH13] Charles Wilson [D-OH6] Robert Brady [D-PA1] Christopher Carney [D-PA10] Chaka Fattah [D-PA2] Patrick Murphy [D-PA8] Tim Murphy [R-PA18] William Shuster [R-PA9] Glenn Thompson [R-PA5] Henry Brown [R-SC1] Addison Wilson [R-SC2] Stephanie Herseth Sandlin [D-SD] Lincoln Davis [D-TN4] Henry Cuellar [D-TX28] Charles Gonzalez [D-TX20] Raymond Green [D-TX29] Rubén Hinojosa [D-TX15] Eddie Johnson [D-TX30] Randy Neugebauer [R-TX19] Solomon Ortiz [D-TX27] Ted Poe [R-TX2] Silvestre Reyes [D-TX16] Ciro Rodriguez [D-TX23] Lamar Smith [R-TX21] William Thornberry [R-TX13] Jason Chaffetz [R-UT3] Gerald Connolly [D-VA11] Glenn Nye [D-VA2] Ronald Kind [D-WI3] Shelley Capito [R-WV2] Alan Mollohan [D-WV1] Cynthia Lummis [R-WY]

You can view them on a Google Map at http://tinyurl.com/StopHR5034

The good news is that despite all this support there is wide opposition in Congress, including from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (who herself owns a vineyard and understands very well the implications of this bill); additionally there is so far no support for it in the Senate, so overall it would appear unlikely to succeed.

However if you haven't already written to your Representative then please do so. HR5034 is bad for wineries, customers and business generally; it's only good for the wholesalers who want to protect their monopoly.

Keep up to date on the campaign at http://www.stophr5034.org/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/STOPHR5034

West Coast Wine Competition - 2010 Results

2010-05-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Sycamore Creek, who got Best Red Wine/Double Gold for the 2007 Mosaico as well as a Double Gold for their 2007 Uvas Valley Cabernet at the 2010 West Coast Wine competition. Out of 1400 wines only 14 Double Golds were awarded, so to win two of them is a remarkable achievement.

Full results are here. Other local winners include:

Clos LaChance:
Silver - 2007 Merlot, Central Coast
Silver - 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast
Bronze - 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast
Bronze - 2006 Syrah, Central Coast

Dancing Creek:
Silver - 2008 Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Bronze - 2008 Merlot, Santa Cruz Mountains

Martin Ranch:
Silver - 2006 JD Hurley Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
Silver - 2007 Therese Vineyards Syrah, Santa Cruz Mountains
Silver - 2006 Therese Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains
Bronze - 2009 JD Hurley Sauvignon Blanc, Arroyo Seco
Bronze - 2007 JD Hurley Zinfandel, Santa Clara Valley
Bronze - 2006 Therese Vineyards Syrah, Santa Clara Valley

Jason/Stephens
Silver - 2006 Dorcich Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Clara Valley
Silver - 2006 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
Bronze - 2006 Syrah, Santa Clara Valley
Bronze - 2006 Merlot, Santa Clara Valley

Kings Mountain Vineyard
Bronze - 2005 Meritage, Santa Cruz Mountains

La Rusticana d'Orsa:
Bronze - 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains

Loma Prieta:
Bronze - 2008 Pinot Noir, Saveria Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
Bronze - 2008 Pinot Noir, Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains

Pietra Santa:
Gold - 2005 Vache Red Blend, Cienega Valley
Silver - 2008 Pinot Grigio, Cienega Valley
Silver - 2008 Chardonnay, Dunne Ranch, Pacheco Pass
Silver - 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cienega Valley
Bronze - 2007 Chardonnay Signature Collection, Cienega Valley
Bronze - 2006 Sangiovese, Cienega Valley
Bronze - 2007 zinfandel, Central Coast
Bronze - NV Sacred Stone, Central Coast

Poetic Cellars:
Silver - 2005 Petite Sirah, Livermore Valley
Bronze - 2007 Ballad, Livermore Valley

Sycamore Creek
Best Red, Double Gold - 2007 Mosaico, Santa Clara Valley
Double Gold - 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Uvas Valley Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley
Silver - 2007 Syrah, Santa Clara Valley
Silver - 2007 Cabernet Franc, Santa Clara Valley
Silver - 2007 Malbec, Santa Clara Valley
Bronze - 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey

Vine Hill:
Gold - 2007 Cumbre Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
Silver - 2007 Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains

Windy Oaks:
Bronze - 2007 Pinot Noir 'Diane's Block', Santa Cruz Mountains

Tourist guide part 4: Skyline Boulevard to Boulder Creek

2010-05-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

Open Daily/Weekends: Ahlgren, Burrell School, Byington, David Bruce, Regale, Silver Mountain
Appointment/Passport: Big Basin, Downhill, Loma Prieta, Muccigrosso, Muns, PM Staiger, Sonnet, Zayante
Unknown: Forest, Forty Stump, JM Barranti, Redwood Ridge, Windhover

Skyline Boulevard is aptly named since it runs along the top of the mountains, from Highway 84 to 17. South of 17 it eventually connects to Highway 152 (Hecker Pass Road), though a significant stretch of that is dirt track for which 4 wheel drive is advisable.

East of 17 there is a cluster of wineries. Burrell School is open daily from Thursday to Sunday from 11-5PM. Right next door is Regale, whose tasting room is open weekends from Noon-5:30PM. Further down the road Loma Prieta is open on Passport days and by appointment. Muns Vineyard is open by appointment only; for Passport events they typically pour at an alternate location.

5 minutes south of Summit Road is Silver Mountain. Currently open on Passport days and by appointment, the winery recently got approval to open on Saturday afternoons. As of May 2010 that approval is currently on hold pending appeal, so call first. The winery is also home to Sonnet who also pour on passport days. Nearby, the status of Barranti Vineyards is unknown. They were a small Pinot Noir producer from 2003 onwards, but nothing has been heard in the past 2 years.

West of 17 there isn't much until you get to Bear Creek Road. There you'll find David Bruce open daily from 12-5 and 11-5 at weekends. Close by, Byington is also open daily from 11-5PM. Byington is also home to Downhill Winery, who pours there on passport events and occasionally by appointment. Muccigrosso are also located nearby, but they typically pour for SCMWA events at alternate locations.

4 miles south of Highway 35 is Zayante Vineyards. They open for passport events and by appointment.

Further west in the Boulder Creek area you'll find Ahlgren open on Saturdays from Noon-4PM. P & M Staiger are SCMWA members who typically pour at an alternate location for passport events. Big Basin is open by appointment as well as passport events and certain open days through the year.

There are a few other wineries in the area whose status is currently unclear. Forty Stump and Windhover seem to be not yet open. Redwood Ridge is a wedding facility with its own vineyard.

Your help needed: Silver Mountain Tasting Room

2010-05-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

Update Samantha Haschert's email address was incorrect. The right address is is pln145@co.santa-cruz.ca.us

Silver Mountain winery is located in a quiet part of the Santa Cruz Mountains around 10 minutes drive from Highway 17. The winery has a tasting room that's open by appointment and for SCMWA events. After years of trying at a hearing in March the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission zoning administrator granted a permit allowing the tasting room to be open Saturday afternoons.

Unfortunately the permit is currently on hold pending an appeal from some residents, who claim that being open to the public for five hours a week rather than by appointment would generate unsafe traffic and nuisance noise. If this appeal succeeds then it sets a precedent that could have a significant impact on other wineries who are applying to be open other than by appointment; it could also result in the revocation of existing permits.

There is a Planning Commission Hearing to discuss the future of Silver Mountain's Winery Tasting Room at 9AM on Wednesday May 26th in Santa Cruz. If you can attend in person the hearing is in the Supervisors chambers in the County Building on Ocean Street. But if you can't then please take a moment to contact the Santa Cruz County project planner Samantha Haschert either by phone at (831) 454 3214 or by email at pln145@co.santa-cruz.ca.us

Messages of support can also be sent to the winery at info@silvermtn.com

Tourist guide part 3: Los Gatos and Campbell

2010-05-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Open daily: Fleming Jenkins, Testarossa
Open weekends: Pinder, Black Ridge
Appointment Only: Heart's Fire, Perrucci Family, Sensorium, Stroth-Hall, Travieso

Testarossa are open daily from 11-5PM in the old Novitiate winery in Los Gatos. They also make wines under the Novitiate label. Fleming Jenkins have a tasting room nearby in downtown Los Gatos, open daily except Mondays from noon-6PM. To the south just off Highway 17 Black Ridge are open from 11-5PM on the third weekend of the month, and at other times by appointment. Sensorium Wines and Perrucci Family are also located in Los Gatos; I believe both are available by appointment but I've never visited either of them. Neither are participating SCMWA members.

In Campbell four wineries share an industrial unit close to the junction of San Tomas and Highway 17 under the banner of Campbell Winemakers' Studio.
Pinder and Travieso pour their wines every Saturday between 11AM and 4PM. Heart's Fire are open between 1-4PM on the first Sunday of each month. Stroth-Hall are only open by appointment.

Tourist guide part 2: Cupertino and Saratoga

2010-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Open daily/weekends: Cinnabar, Cooper Garrod, Mountain Winery, Picchetti, Ridge, Savannah-Chanelle
Open by appointment: Naumann, Mount Eden
Not Open: Fellom Ranch, Kathryn Kennedy, R&W Vineyards, Vidovich

If there's one winery on almost everyone's list to visit, it's Ridge. The views are as stunning as the wines, as the photo at the top of my blog demonstrates. The winery's tasting room is open every weekend from 11AM to 5PM (4PM in winter); midweek visits can be arranged by appointment. At the bottom of the hill you'll find Picchetti, which is open daily from 11-5PM.

Monte Bello Road is also home to several other wineries. Naumann Vineyards is open for SCMWA events and occasionally by appointment. Fellom Ranch is also a SCMWA member, but is being renovated and has not been open to the public for some time. Vidovich is not open to the public. Finally R&W Vineyards are a brand new, tiny winery producing just a few cases. They are about to open for the first time; I hope to be there and will report back.

Further south, Cinnabar have a tasting room in downtown Saratoga that's open daily from 11-5PM.
West of Saratoga on Highway 9 you'll find Savannah Chanelle open daily from 11-5.
There are three wineries located off Pierce Road. Cooper-Garrod is open daily from 12-5 and 11-5 at weekends. Mountain Winery is open at weekends from 12-5 (though hours may vary if there's an event on). Finally it's well worth making an appointment to visit Mount Eden.. Both Montallegro and Kathryn Kennedy are based in Saratoga, but neither are open for visitors.

It's easy to visit Cooper Garrod, Mountain Winery, Cinnabar and Savannah-Chanelle in any order. If you want to visit Ridge and Pichetti too that's possible, though you may be a little rushed with only 45 minutes at each stop. I recommend starting at Ridge, then Picchetti, then Cooper-Garrod.

If you manage to get an appointment at Mount Eden be warned that it's at least a two mile drive up a narrow dirt track to the winery. Expect to spend at least an hour or two there.

As always, try to arrange a designated driver as some of the roads are tricky at the best of times. When tasting it's a good idea to spit even if you aren't driving.

Tourist guide part 1: North

2010-05-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Open Daily: Barterra, Domenico, La Nebbia, Thomas Fogarty
Open by appointment: Chaine d'Or/Stefania, Great Blue Heron, La Honda, Varner
Not Open: Clos de la Tech, King's Mountain, Martella, Orchard Hills, Rhys/Alesia, Waxwing, Woodside

The northern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains is known for Emmet Rixford's winery and La Questa vineyard. It's the coolest part of the AVA and is the source of some excellent Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

If you happen to be in Half Moon Bay there are two tasting rooms close by. Barterra is located in the town centre and La Nebbia is on Highway 92 to the east. But if you aren't in the city anyway it's difficult to justify making a special trip.

On the eastern side of the mountains Domenico in Redwood City is open from 12-5PM daily.
Thomas Fogarty on Skyline (Highway 35) is open Wed-Sat 11AM-5PM and Sunday 1-5PM.
La Honda Winery is located in Redwood City and is open by appointment. They are SCMWA members and often host other wineries on passport or Vintners' Festival weekends.
Varner are open midweek, by appointment only. The Spring Ridge Vineyard is located in Portola Valley.
Great Blue Heron is a tiny winery producing a few barrels of estate Pinot Noir from the owner's garage. Tasting is by appointment at weekends.
Chaine d'Or is located close to the junction of Highways 84 and 35. It's now managed by Paul and Stef Romero of Stefania Wine and takes visitors by appointment.

Varner, GBH, Chaine d'Or and Fogarty are all located within a half hour drive of each other. My recommendation would be to try to start at Varner or GBH, then go to Chaine d'Or and Fogarty. From Fogarty you can then go to La Honda and (if there's time) Domenico's. To get from Fogarty to La Honda the quickest way is via the 84, which takes you through Woodside. You can stop off at Roberts Market - they generally have an excellent selection of local wines. Alternatively you can head south on Skyline to Page Mill Road - that drive is around 20-30 minutes longer, but it's more scenic and fun.

Other wineries in the area:
Woodside Vineyards recently moved from their home of almost 50 years to a new facility in Menlo Park. Though one of the founders of SCMWA they don't pour on passport weekends and traditionally only open for events a few times a year, but the new premises may make appointments possible. Watch this space.
Kings Mountain are located in Woodside. Though the vineyards are visible from the road, the wine is made elsewhere. They are members of SCMWA and typically pour on passport weekends at other local wineries, such as La Honda or Domenico.
Rhys are based out of an industrial unit close to Domenico. They open a couple of times a year to allow mailing list members to pick up their wines, and they also organise a few vineyard tours in the summertime which get booked up well in advance. They are building a new facility off Skyline which is expected to open later in 2010.
Clos de la Tech are also building a facility off Skyline; the opening date hasn't been announced. In the meantime the wines are made at Domenico's facility; any tastings are by personal invitation from the owners. Domenico is also home to a number of other small producers, including Waxwing who have been known to pour on rare occasions.
Michael Martella is the winemaker at Thomas Fogarty. Occasionally one or more of his wines will be available in the tasting room. Martella is a SCMWA member and normally pours for their events at an alternate location, not at Fogarty.
Orchard Hills is based out of Atherton, though the wines are actually made in Paso Robles. The vineyards are visible from the road, but the city's rules prohibit any visitors or sales. If you want to taste the wines your best bet is Vino Locale in Palo Alto.

Tourist guide introduction

2010-05-11T21:01:00.001-07:00

I frequently get asked for advice on which wineries to visit. It's a question that's difficult to give a simple answer to, as a lot depends on what you expect to get from the visit.

If you're looking to hit a few tasting rooms and have a picnic then a good place to look is Wine Questers. Jim Preston is building a database of winery tasting rooms all over the state, with details such as whether they are kid and pet friendly. There's even an iPhone app that you can download.

But if you're looking for a more personal visit, where you get to meet the owner, vineyard manager and winemaker (quite often it's the same person) then that usually takes a little more planning. Typically you'll have to make appointments. Also it can be a long drive from one winery to another, and some mapping software doesn't take into account just how bad the roads can be; in a few places they are quite literally dirt tracks that really requite a 4X4. So I thought I'd write up a brief tourist guide to visiting the wineries. Stay tuned for part 1.

Two older Santa Clara labels

2010-05-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of interesting older labels from the Santa Clara Valley. They were opened at a recent party by Wes Barton, who has a great knack for finding interesting local wines. I didn't get the chance to take proper notes, but I managed to rescue the empty bottles and remove the labels.

Congress Springs was founded in the 1970s by Daniel Gers. He discovered a derelict vineyard in Saratoga with head pruned Zinfandel vines dating back to before prohibition. Together with his wife Robin they restored the vineyards and launched a successful winery. Around 1990 Daniel sold the winery and it became Savannah-Chanelle winery. The head-pruned Zinfandel vines are still producing today.

Congress Springs was well known for their San Ysidro Chardonnay, which often gained 90+ ratings from Spectator. The wine was still in very good shape despite its age; an amber colour and nice mature flavours.

Fortino was established in 1970 in Santa Clara's Hecker Pass, and is still going 40 years later. They make around 15,000 cases, mainly sold from the tasting rooms and local stores and restaurants.

Ruby Cabernet is a cross developed at UC Davis in the 1930s. The aim was to to produce a vine combining the quality of Cabernet Sauvignon with the heat and drought tolerance of Carignan. An acre was planted at Ridge in the 1950s, and the winery produced a series of rather good Monte Bello Ruby Cabernets from the late 1960s through the mid 1980s, but overall it wasn't a great success and is now mainly planted in the central valley, where around 6,000 acres are grown as a blending grape for bulk wines.

So a 30 year old wine made from an unremarkable grape by an unremarkable winery? It turned out to be surprisingly pleasant, still having a fair amount of fruit left as well as a little tannin. The colour was a nice red brown.

2006 Big Dog Cabernet Sauvignon

2010-05-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Look east from San Jose and you'll see the barren savannah foothills of the Diablo Range. In contrast to the urban sprawl of Silicon Valley the hillsides appear largely untouched by man.

In the 19th Century the area was farmland, but in response to increasing demand for water from the growing cities much of it was purchased by the Spring Valley Water Company. Today over 150km² are owned by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. There are some cattle and horse ranches in the area, but at present there is only one winery.

2006 Big Dog Cabernet Sauvignon, San Francisco Bay AVA
There's lots of oak on the nose, which isn't surprising given that it saw 28 months of new wood - it's like someone's dropped a bottle of blackcurrant cordial in Home Depot. In the mouth there's concentrated blackcurrant, blueberry and brambly fruit that just about manages to overcome all that oak. Drink now. 88 $28

2007 Woodside Chardonnay

2010-05-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

Looking through my cellar I discovered a bottle of Woodside Chardonnay that I'd forgotten about. Although Woodside makes some really good reds I don't normally care for their Chardonnay and at first I wasn't sure why I'd bought it.

Then I remembered that at the last visit they were roasting chestnuts on a smoky wood fire. All I could smell and taste was the fire, not the wine, so I'd bought a bottle to try later. Turns out it wasn't anything to do with the fire after all.

2007 Woodside Chardonnay, Estate
The nose shows oak, with some pear and apple notes. On the palate there's oak. That's it, just masses of oak. No Chardonnay character whatsoever and no acidity to speak of. As far as I could tell it wasn't technically flawed (oxidised, corked etc.) so by the terms of the 100 point scale it earns 70 points, but no more.

Do you know about H.R. 5034?

2010-04-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

If you haven't read about HR 5034, also known as the Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness (CARE) Act of 2010, you should. It's a bill that would have a profound impact on consumers and wineries, leading to increased prices and winery closures. Although there is widespread opposition to the bill it's also gaining support.

I'm not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV, and I didn't sleep at a Holiday inn last night. So I urge you to get the facts and make your own minds up, but here is my understanding.

The problem goes back to the repeal of Prohibition and the passing of the 21st amendment. Unlike most legal stuff it was brief and plainly worded. It says:

Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

Following this, various states set up alcohol distribution systems that were either owned by or regulated by the states. The 3 tier system was born: producers sold to wholesalers, wholesalers sold to retailers, retailers sold to customers and everyone got to make a profit (except the customer). For a long time nobody really cared too much; there was relief that prohibition was over and most people purchased their beer, wine and spirits from their local stores. Since the distributors controlled the flow of alcohol they got to become rich and powerful, and effectively stifled competition by merging and lobbying.

The recent winery boom began to challenge this. Small wineries like to interact directly with their customers; the profit margins are higher and the customer establishes a connection that goes beyond mere brand loyalty. If there's a problem with the wine due to flaws or bad shipping the winery can deal with it personally. It's good for the winery and the customer.

But not the wholesaler. They see this as a challenge. Despite the fact that it's a tiny fraction of the overall market, it's their market and they want to keep that fraction. The problem eventually reached the Supreme Court in the case of Granholm V Heald which effectively said that the 21st amendment did not give a state the right to treat wineries within the state differently from those based in other states.

HR 5034 (which was drafted by the National Beer Wholesalers' Association, or NAMBLA) would effectively overturn the Granholm V Heald ruling, granting each state the right to regulate alcohol however they see fit, regardless of the commerce clause. It also amends the 1890 Wilson act, which states "that all fermented, distilled or other intoxicating liquors or liquids transported into any state or territory" are subject to the same rules as alcohol produced within the state. This would greatly strengthen the wholesalers' position and allow the states to prevent wineries from shipping to customers.

Laws designed to limit alcohol shipping are often claimed to have the aim of preventing minors from accessing alcohol. But how many minors buy alcohol over the internet? HR 5034 would allow states to make it illegal for wineries and retailers to ship alcohol to adults. Meanwhile firearms collectors and dealers are still allowed to ship guns. Tobacco retailers can ship cigarettes and cigars. Pharmaceutical companies can ship prescription drugs. Does that make sense? You could buy a Smith and Wesson, but not a Smith-Madrone? Viagra but not Varner? Montecristos but not Montallegro?

HR 5034 is a terrible bill that would be disastrous for small wineries such as those in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but don't just take my word for it. Rep Mike Thompson (D-CA), co-chairman of the Congressional Wine Caucus says it would "devastate California’s and other states’ wine industries, stunt economic growth, and harm consumers by allowing discriminatory law and regulation to be passed and go unchallenged."

What can you do? Write to your Representative, asking them to oppose the bill.
Free The Grapes has a Write Your Congressperson web page that lets you do this automatically.
Send a fax to the office of the House Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy at (202) 225-3673.
Become a fan of the STOPHR5034 page on Facebook

What's your view on HR 5034? Have you heard back from your Congressperson on whether they will oppose it? Let me know in the comments.

The Mountain Winery

2010-04-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

Paul Masson (1859-1943) is to this day one of the world's most well-known winemakers. He left his native Burgundy at the age of 19 and came to California, where he worked at the Almaden winery and vineyards, founded by Etienne Thee. In 1888 he married Charles Lefranc's daughter, and the business was retitled the Lefranc-Masson Wine Company.

Masson set out to demonstrate that his vineyards could produce a domestic Champagne that was the equal of the French. Before long his wines were winning awards, including a gold medal at the Paris Expo of 1900. With his new found fame and fortune he decided to build a new winery that he named La Cresta, on an ideal southerly slope of Table Mountain in Saratoga.

The winery's reputation was such that even with the passing of Prohibition, the Paul Masson Champagne Company was granted a limited exemption to produce champagne 'for medicinal purposes'. When Repeal eventually came Masson was in his 70s, and was eventually persuaded, cajoled or tricked (depending on who is telling the story) into selling La Cresta. It was purchased by Martin Ray who operated the winery until 1942, when it was sold to Seagrams. Ray subsequently purchased another property nearby on the same mountain and established what eventually became Mount Eden.

Under Seagrams ownership the Paul Masson brand became a mass-produced label, featuring gimmicks such as 1 litre screw-topped carafes, and famously advertised by Orson Welles. Wine production at La Cresta ceased in 1950 and though the vineyards remained they were somewhat run-down, producing less than half a ton per acre.

In the late 1950s a small ampitheater was built and the first summer concert series was held there, launching an annual tradition that continued for 30 years. Eventually the vines were dug up and what was once considered one of the greatest vineyards in the country became a car park.

In 1989 the facility was sold to a developer for $5.3M. Seagrams retained the "Paul Masson" name, so the name was changed the name to The Mountain Winery. Over the next few years the facility had a number of owners and went through bankruptcy before being purchased in 1999 by four partners including a developer, a founder of Hotmail and a former Intel exec. Together they have overseen the rebuilding and expansion of the ampitheater and the replanting of 9 acres of estate vineyards. The vineyards were installed and are managed by Jeffrey Patterson.

The winery opens for tasting most weekends, from 12-5 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There are two flights available, the 'Reserve' wines which are made from purchased fruit and the two 'Estate' wines. Each flight costs $10, or $18 to try both. The reserve wines are priced in the mid $20s, with the Estates priced at $39 and $45. Given those prices the tasting fees do seem somewhat excessive. All the wines are made by Jeffrey Patterson at his Mount Eden facility, which allows the Santa Cruz Mountains wines to use the Estate designation.

2007 Estate Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose shows cider, oak and peach. Rich apple and lemon flavours. Lightly oaked, with firm acidity. 90 $39

2007 Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
The nose is complex, with smoke, black cherry, raspberry and spice. On the palate it's a little austere and tannic. There's good cherry fruit and nice tannins. Needs a couple of years. 91 $45

2007 Reserve Chardonnay, Monterey County
Light lemon and lime nose, with some vanilla. Tart citrus flavours, nice acidity and minerality. Pleasant, though not particularly complex. 87 $26

2006 Reserve Merlot, Sonoma County
A big nose with smoke, black plum and brambles. Smooth and oaky with some tart black fruit. Dusty, bitter tannins on the finish 86 $22

2007 Reserve Syrah, Napa Valley
Lovely nose. Heavily floral with black fruit and soy sauce. In the mouth there's lots of good savoury fruit. Overall it lacks the structure for ageing but is very tasty now. 89 $22

2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Smoky oak hides the brambly fruit on the nose. The palate has plenty of sweet blackcurrant fruit and an oaky finish. 87 $27

Have you tried the Mountain Winery wines? What did you think? Let me know in the comments.

Disappointments

2010-04-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

Looking back at the wines I've tasted for this blog, almost all of them were rated above average. This might not seem logical until you consider the millions of gallons of mass produced plonk out there. Bronco, makers of Charles Shaw, farm 100 times as many acres as are planted in the whole of Santa Cruz County.

Of course there are the exceptions. Take for example the 2007 Picchetti Viognier, Still Water Vineyard, Paso Robles. Viognier typically makes light, crisp, floral wines, but in this instance it's been pummeled with oak and malolactic fermentation to the point that it resembles a generic over-manipulated Chardonnay. Loads of vanilla and buttered toast masking the fruit apart from some honey notes. 75

Then there's the NV Fortino Mirabella, Central Coast. Now this time I had fair warning; non-vintage, generic appellation and no vineyard or grape varieties listed. It's just a few left-over barrels blended together, and it tastes as you'd expect; a simple, sweet fruit cocktail, without much structure. It's a wine for people who don't like wine - which is fair enough, but the $16 asking price is unreasonable for what you're getting. 75

Neely is good enough

2010-04-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

Dr Kirk Neely is the owner of several acres in Portola Valley, just north of the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. In 1980 Jim and Bob Varner began planting vines on the south-easterly slope of the delightfully named Bozzo Gulch, and Spring Ridge Vineyards was born. Initially the vineyard was planted with Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer, much of it on its own roots. The Varners farmed the land effectively organically with the fruit being sold to Thomas Fogarty and Bargetto.

After working at Fogarty for some years the brothers decided to open their own winery, and the Varner label was launched with the 1996 vintage. The following year they planted the "Hidden Block" Pinot Noir and more recently grafted the "Picnic Block" Gewurztraminer over to 777 clone Pinot Noir.

Three Chardonnays carry the Varner label, each produced from a different block in the vineyard. The Home block was the first to be planted and is own-rooted, as is the Ampitheater block; the Bee block is grafted. In addition a fourth wine is produced; a blend of barrels sourced from each of the three blocks. This is released under the Neely label in tribute to the vineyard's owner.

All the wines are produced in the same way - no pesticides except for sulphur to control mildew, no irrigation, no added yeasts - so the differences between the wines are purely down to the individual vines and microclimates.

2004 Neely "Holly's Cuvee" Chardonnay
Soapy nose with pear, lewmon and oak. On the palate there's rich, concentrated fruit - pear, peach, kiwi, lanolin and brine. A slightly oaky bite on the finish - still needs time. 94

2006 Neely "Holly's Cuvee" Chardonnay
Nose shows vanilla, pineapple, guava and some spiciness (botrytis? surely not). Rich, sweet tropical fruit, lime and mineral notes, with oak showing on the long finish. This is delicious. 94

2007 Varner "Home Block" Chardonnay
Nose seemed reductive; not showing much at this stage. Compared to the two Neelys it's lighter in weight with flavours of mineral, lemon, pear and melon and a medium finish. 89+

2010 SCMWA South Bay Trade Tasting

2010-04-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

This year's SCMWA spring trade tasting was held at the Professional Culinary Institute in Campbell. Around 40 wineries crammed into two small conference rooms pouring a wide array of wines. As usual I managed to hit around half of the wineries in the three short hours allocated, making an effort to reach those I've missed at previous tastings. And as usual, my apologies to those that I missed.

Because the focus of these tastings is on trade customers several of the wineries choose to pour blends aimed at restaurants with by-the-glass programmes, so some of these wines may be hard to find at retail. Wines are Santa Cruz Mountains unless stated otherwise.

Some of the standouts were the Torrontés from Downhill, Sauvignon Blancs from Kathryn Kennedy and Martin Ranch, and Chardonnays from Beauregard and Odonata.
In the reds I particularly enjoyed Odonata's Grenache, Pleasant Valley's Pinot Noirs and all of Kennedy's range.

Bargetto

2007 Pinot Grigio, California
The nose is nice, with floral notes and stone fruit. But on the palate it's simple and bland with low acidity and some residual sugar. 80
2007 Chardonnay
Good nose; smoky lemon and stone. Sweet tropical fruit, melon and vanilla, with a nice finish. 87
2007 Zinfandel, Lodi
Oak and raspberry on the nose. Sweet raspberry syrup and oak on the palate. 84
2007 Merlot
Now we're talking. Nose is on the lighters ide with smoky plum notes, but on the palate it's rather concentrated with good tannin, good fruit and a long finish. Needs time. 89+
2004 "La Vita"
A blend of 60% Dolcetto, 24% Refosco and 16% Nebbiolo.
Gamey, smoky and oaky nose. Lots of tannin and camp fire with some black fruit underneath. Still needs a few years in the cellar to show well. 89+

Beauregard

2006 Chardonnay
Nose shows lemon, cereal, vanilla and some smoke. Concentrated flavours of stone fruit, lemon and lime. Long finish. 91 $25
2007 Pinot Noir, Estate
A light nose evoking walnuts and cranberry. Rich cherry flavours with some spicy oak. 88

Big Basin

2007 Syrah (no AVA stated)
A blend of Santa Cruz and Monterey County fruit.
Tasted last so unfortunately this was rather rushed, which is a shame because I rather liked it.
Smoky, black fruit on the nose; rich, smooth black fruit on the palate. 90++

Dancing Creek

2008 Pinot Noir, Regan Vineyard
An atypical Pinot Noir with a nose of black cherry, menthol and eucalyptus. These come over on the palate too, adding some cassis. Interesting. 89 $26
2008 Reserve Merlot
Light and fruity 'Starburst' nose. Full bodied with good structure and flavours of sweet plum and tobacco. 88

Downhill

2009 Torrontés
Powerful floral, citrus nose. Light weight and refreshing with great citrus flavours and a crisp mineral finish. Terrific value, and even better than the excellent 2008. Highly recommended. 91 $16
2008 Pinot Noir, Carneros
Earthy nose. Good cherry fruit and an earthy, tannic finish. Fairly priced at $18. 87
2007 Barbera, California
A blend of El Dorado and Amador fruit. Has a meaty nose, followed by sweet black fruit. A little on the flabby side. 87
2007 Cabernet sauvignon, Andersen Vineyard
Smoky, brambly nose. Soft and rich on the palate, with smooth black fruit and an oaky, tannic finish. Good value at $22. 88

Heart o' the Mountain

2006 Pinot Noir, Estate
Rich cherry nose with some oak evident. Lovely spicy cherry fruit; drinking really well right now. 91
2007 Pinot Noir, Estate
Nose has pear drops and smoke. Rich black cherry, plenty of tannin and a longish finish. Needs time. 90

Kathryn Kennedy

2009 Sauvignon Blanc, California
Blend of three organic vineyards. The nose is lively; citrus and stone fruit just pour out. On the palate there's great acidity and loads of fruit - citrus, guava, melon and more - and a long finish. Outstanding, my favourite white of the day. 93
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate
Nose shows that gorgeous soft Saratoga fruit with some smoke. This carries on to the palate; it's huge with rich black fruits; brambles, blackcurrants and blueberries. The finish goes on and on. 94
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate
Almost an anticlimax after the 2003; the nose is in the same vein but much lighter. On the palate there's lots of tannin, blackcurrant and berry with a smoky tannic finish. Needs plenty of cellar time. 91+
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, "Small Lot"
An earthy, funky nose. Rich blackcurrant fruit, intense tannins and a long finish. Another wine offering great value for money. 92+
2005 Syrah, Reserve. Maridon Vineyard
Nose shows black fruit and underbrush. It's deep black fruit on the palate too, with lots of tannin. Another candidate for long cellar time. 92+

King's Mountain

2007 Chardonnay, Estate
Smoky lemon and wet stone. Rich and buttery, with creamy stone fruit. There's good acidity and a long, oaky finish. Needs some time for that oak to integrate properly. 88
2006 Pinot Noir, Estate
Nice spicy, black cherry nose. Rich, smooth fruit, well balanced. 89
2005 Meritage
Barnyard nose with hints of black fruit. Good blackcurrant and brambly fruit flavours with a medium length finish. 90

La Rusticana d'Orso

A 4 acre vineyard in Los Gatos planted with all 5 Bordeaux grapes and producing just 200 cases a year of one wine. The winemaker is Jeffrey Patterson at Mount Eden. The bottles are unusually long and thus fail my cellar test.
2005 La Rusticana d'Orso, Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose is earthy, with violets and nice black fruits. Rich, sweet fruit; blackcurrants and brambles, with soft tannins. 89 $50
2006 La Rusticana d'Orso, Santa Cruz Mountains
Mint and black fruits on the nose. Flavours of blueberry, blackberry and coffee. Compared to the 2005 it shows better balance and structure, with nice tannins. Medium finish. 90
2007 La Rusticana d'Orso, Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose shows spicy, brambly fruit and toasty oak. Flavours of smoky black fruits. Initially seems more concentrated than the 2006, but the finish is quicker. Perhaps needs time to show well. 89+

Martin Ranch

2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Clara Valley
Nose has grass, lychee and gooseberry notes. Bright grapefruit and citrus flavours with a good, crisp finish. 90

Naumann

2006 Chardonnay
Nose shows oak, buttered toast and apricots. Smooth flavours of apricot and citrus, with some butterscotch and an oaky finish. The oak needs to integrate better 87+
2005 Merlot
Smoky plum nose with a hint of pear drops. Rich smooth fruit - tangy brambles and plum, soft tannins and a good finish. 89

Odonata

2008 Chardonnay, Peter Martin Ray vineyard
Some straw and pear notes on the nose. Good apple and pear fruit, with a salty mineral finish. Nice use of oak. 90+
2008 Grenache, Alta Mesa
The Alta Mesa AVA is located within the Lodi AVA.
This is a fascinating wine. Tasted blind, I'd have sworn this was Pinot Noir; it had lovely spicy cherry on the nose. Flavours of dried, sweet cherry and baking spice, with a long finish. Delicious. 93
2007 Malbec, St. Olof Vineyard, North Coast
Aromas of tangerine and blackberry jam. Black fruit flavours with bright acidity. Tannins seem a little angular at this stage; give it a year or two. 90+
2007 Durif, McDowell Valley Vineyard, Mendocino
Smoky black fruit on the nose and palate. Tannins are pronounced, though not by the grape's usual standards. 91+

Pleasant Valley Vineyards

2007 "Brittany Morgan" Chardonnay, Estate
Didn't seem up to the usual standard. Nose showed apple and aldehyde notes; the aldehyde showed on the palate too. Bright acidity, notes of pastry and mineral, and a sour finish. 84
2008 "Erika Anna" Viognier, Hansen Vineyards, Paso Robles
Barrel fermented. Lovely honeysuckle nose. Rich, rounded mouthfeel. Flavours of honey, grapefruit, guava and spice. Acidity is on the light side. 90
2006 "Dylan David" Pinot Noir, Estate
Lovely fragrant spicy cherry fruit. Rich cherry and cinnamon flavours, nicely integrated oak, long finish. Drinking very well now, but will improve over the next few years. 92
2008 "Dylan David" Pinot Noir, Lester Family Vineyards, Thelma Henrietta Block
Made from Dijon Clone #115. Earthy with raisin/dried cherry notes. Lively, sweet black cherry and strawberry, some liquorice on the finish. 91+
2007 "Sean Boyle" Syrah, Lester Family Vineyards
Lots of oak on the nose which rather masks the underlying fruit. Gamey and smoky with flavours of blueberry and fresh 'flame' grapes. Tannic finish. 89+
2007 "Casey Alexander" Merlot, Edsell Vineyard
Nose has plum and smoke, with perhaps a touch of VA. Smooth plum fruit, bright acidity and an oaky finish. 86+
2007 "Abby Madison" Cabernet Sauvignon, Martin Ranch
Good brambly, blackcurrant fruit. Rich, smooth black fruit, good balance, nice fine tannins. 90

Poetic Cellars

2007 Chardonnay, Chestnut Hill Vineyard
Green apple, lemon, vanilla and floral notes. Lightweight, with good acidity and light use of oak. Nice apple and lemon flavours. Touch of bitterness on the medium length finish. 89
2006 Mourvedre, Muse Vineyard, Livermore Valley
Musty and gamey on the nose, with some black fruit. Balanced and smooth with soft tannins and dark fruit flavours. 88
2006 Petite Sirah, Pentameter Vineyard, Livermore Valley
Faint nose shows just a little dark fruit. Smooth with fine tannins and some black fruit. 87
2006 Syrah, Stanza Vineyard, Livermore Valley
Smoky black fruit, toasty oak on the nose and palate. Nice acidity, fine tannins. 88

Roudon Smith

2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County
Nose has grapefruit and gooseberry. Light acidity; the fruit is pleasant but it finishes rather quickly. 86
2007 Chardonnay
Cider/aldehyde notes on the nose. Rounded, smooth apple flavours and a quick finish. 86
2007 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
Nice nose of lemon and vanilla ice cream. Rich and creamy with good tropical fruit flavours. Lightly oaked. 88
2007 Pinot Noir
Rich chocolate and cherry nose. Good ripe cherry flavours, some floral and herbal notes, nice tannins. Good value at $30. 90+
NV Claret
Blend of 2005 and 2006 vintages, including Syrah, Zinfandel and Merlot. Brick red colour suggests it's older than it really is. Light, citrus-y nose, soft red fruit and a hint of leather on the finish. Nice acidity. 87
2006 Cabernet Franc, Monterey
Earthy, barnyard nose. Flavours of tobacco and black fruit; good tannins, particularly on the finish. 89
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles
Nose is light, with dusty blackcurrant. Medium bodied with good blackcurrant/blackberry fruit and a little oak on the finish. Well structured; I wouldn't have guessed it was from Paso Robles. Good value at $24. 90

2008 Sones "Cancion Del Mar", California

2010-04-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

One minor downside to living in a region known for great Chardonnay is a dearth of alternatives. There are roughly 5 acres in total of other white varieties planted in all of Santa Cruz County. As a result most local wineries don't make any other whites, which is frustrating; much as I love a good Chardonnay it's nice to have a change. So this year I've made a conscious effort to find some good alternatives.

Sones make an interesting white blend, formerly known as La Sirena, now called "Cancion del Mar". The 2008 vintage is based on Viognier and Torrontés sourced from Lodi along with Sauvignon Blanc from Monterey and some Pinot Gris sourced locally from the Dettamanti Vineyard.

2008 Sones "Cancion del Mar", California
The nose is lively and floral, with grapefruit and lychee. It's lively in the mouth too, with good acidity and lovely flavours of tropical and stone fruits. 89 $21

2008 J Lohr "Riverstone" Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco

2010-04-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

My local supermarket has been carrying this Chardonnay for several months, priced at $9 if you buy any mixed six. I've bought it a few times, but it doesn't appear that I've ever written up any notes on it; time to rectify that.

With annual sales around one million cases, J Lohr is one of the largest wineries in the USA. Their brands range from downright mediocre plonk to some excellent vineyard designate wines, with fruit sourced from Napa, Paso Robles and Arroyo Seco, though sadly not from the Santa Clara Valley.

The Riverstone Chardonnay comes from Monterey's Arroyo Seco AVA. Unlike altogether too much Monterey fruit it doesn't get excessive oak treatment, so the result is a wine that still shows plenty of Chardonnay character. The 2008 won a gold medal at the most recent SF Chronicle tasting.

2008 J Lohr "Riverstone" Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco
Nose shows pear and melon, with notes of lemon thyme and a subtle use of smoky oak. On the palate it's creamy and rounded with plenty of tropical fruit. The acidity is on the light side, but that's to be expected given the target market. Overall it offers very good value at under $10. 88

1979 Sycamore Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, San Luis Obispo County

2010-04-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the tough economic conditions pretty much everyone is cutting back on their purchases. As Paul Romero noted in his current blog entry, people are in the market for wines at a lower price point than they previously paid.

One good place to pick up bargains is in the secondary market. Cellar storage isn't free; not for wineries or for customers, so if tastes have changed and people have wines they don't plan to drink it may make more sense to cut their losses and sell them off. In many cases it's possible to buy mature, well cellared examples of wines for less than the price of current releases.

I spotted a couple of vintages of Sycamore Creek at auction recently. One was the excellent 1978 which I've written about previously and also the 1979. A weaker vintage to be sure, but I put in a low opening bid and won.

Unlike the 1978 which carried the Central Coast label, the 1979 was made with fruit from San Luis Obispo County. (The winery had replanted in 1977 and the young vines were not yet producing.)

1979 Sycamore Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, San Luis Obispo County
Fill level on the bottle was good; base of the neck. Removing the foil showed a little mould on the cork but no obvious seepage. The cork came out easily, unlike the 1978s; it was stained almost entirely and the sides were moist, with some tartrate crystals in the void spaces.
The wine had a russet colour, with a clear meniscus. The nose was a little musty and slightly sherryish, with aromas of beef jerky. On the palate it was fully mature - flavours of leather and cedar and a little dill. There was still plenty of tannin and acidity, and some dried berry fruit, but not much. Some mustiness on the finish. But when served with food the tannins were diminished and the sweet dried fruit came to the fore. 86
Although it's by no means a classic the wine has held up remarkably well, especially considering it's from a weaker vintage. Well worth the $10 I paid for it.

2010 Wine Blog Awards

2010-04-02T15:33:00.000-07:00

Chris Watkins at Ridge has drawn my attention to the fact that the niminations are open for the 2010 Wine Blog Awards. Frankly I haven't paid much attention to this in previous years; it seems that the people who are most interested in it are the ones whose blogs carry advertisements. That said, since my reason for writing this blog is to raise interest in and awareness of the region, a bit of shameless self-promotion would presumably help. So if you enjoy what you read here please consider nominating or voting for it; I'd suggest the Single Subject Wine Blog category. I'd also encourage you to consider Ridge, Stefania, Martin Ranch and Clos LaChance in the Best Winery Blog category.

Local winemaker in TTB feud

2010-04-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

A prominent local winemaker is locked in a bitter feud with the BATF over the labelling of his Gobbin wine. In 2006 Rolf Paoli, owner of Spurious Cellars in Aptos, discovered a small vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Overgrown and forgotten for decads, he painstakingly restored the vines.

Identifying the grape was difficult; initially it was thought to be Primitivo Bianco, but researchers at UC Davis eventually concluded that the grape was a little known French variery called Gobbin, also known as Poisson d'Avril. Once prevalent in the region south-east of Languedoc in France, in the late 19th century the grape became unfashionable and all but died out. This is believed to be the only surviving planting in the continental USA. The grape is an exceptionally early ripener but produces very small clusters and is difficult to work with.

In 2008 Paoli teamed with with reknowned winemaker Sizdah Bedar and together they produced just 100 cases of wine. However neither Gobbin nor Poisson d'Avril currently appear on the TTB's list of approved wine grapes, and as a result the TTB are preventing its release.

2008 Rolf Paoli "Gobbin"
Harvested in early August at 32 brix, the wine is refreshingly light at less than 13% alcohol. Unoaked; there's just a touch of residual sugar and a strong note of dihydrogen monoxide on the finish which may evaporate with time. 95+

2008 Dahlia Chardonnay

2010-03-30T21:49:00.000-07:00

Regular readers will recall that I've already reviewed both the Dahlia Pinot Noirs. There are two Chardonnays too; as with the Pinots the 'Reserve' has a black label while the other has a white label. All the wines were made by Bill Brosseau of Testarossa from fruit sourced in Monterey.

The other day I sat down to watch the new season of Top Gear with a glass of the 2008 Dahlia Chardonnay. Frankly it tasted exactly like Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, which is boring as hell and a damn sight cheaper. As I struggled to think of anything good to say about the wine, an idea came to me. Why don't I review the wine in the style of Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson? Now if you haven't seen the show, Clarkson has an amazingly arrogant, condescending attitude. I then spent altogether too much time wondering how he would describe the wine: This is a wine that would appeal to people (pause, look at the camera) who wear hats. Or maybe If this wine were a car, it would be a Geo Metro. (pause) In beige.

I was all set to write the review when my wife returned home from her tennis match. Now I supply the wines for her team so I always pick wines that I'd be happy to drink myself. Partly it's for the image, but mostly it's because she brings whatever is left home with her. Recently we've all been enjoying Clos LaChance's hummingbird series unoaked Chardonnay ($6.50 at Safeway) and Merlot ($5 at Trader Joe's). However on my last trip to Safeway I'd picked up a bottle of Meridian Chardonnay to see if it was any good.

The team had drunk all the Merlot, but had left most of the Meridian; after one sip I could see why. This was an uttery soul-less wine, the very epitome of mass-produced supermarket dross. There was nothing particularly wrong with it; technically it was sound, but there was no pleasure at all in drinking it. I realised I'd underestimated the Dahlia. It wasn't mass-produced supermarket dross after all, it was better than that.

Just not very much. 82 $20 ($13 with loyalty card.)

2008 Kirigin Cellars Malvasia Bianca

2010-03-29T22:19:00.003-07:00

Kirigin is the oldest active winery in the Santa Clara Valley. Its history goes back before Prohibition; the original Bonesio Winery was founded in 1916 by Pietro (Peter) Bonesio. In 1976 it was taken over by Nikola Kirigin-Chargin, who renamed it Kirigin Cellars. Then in 2000, aged 84 he finally retired and sold to Dhruv Khanna, founder of Covad. Khanna apparently has little interest in wine; his real passion is sport, and the vineyard would soon be augmented with cricket and football (soccer) pitches.

The winery continues to operate under his patronage, in the main producing fairly unremarkable wines. One standout is their Malvasia Bianca. The winery's own description (Flowery, grapey aroma, noticeable flavor, slightly sweet) doesn't do it justice.

2008 Kirigin Cellars Malvasia Bianca, California
An initial note of struck match soon blows off revealing nice pear and lychee aromas. On the palate there's lots of tropical fruit - gooseberry, lychee, melon and kiwi. The finish is rounded though perhaps a little short. 88 $18 ($9 after case discount.)

Pinot Paradise, Grand Cruz Tasting 2010

2010-03-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the SCMWA's Pinot Paradise event, an annual event where most of the region's Pinot producers get together to show off the latest releases. It's always a great event, well organised and supported. The food looked and smelled lovely, but I was trying to concentrate on the wines.

Last year I moaned a little about the number of dump buckets and lack of water on the table; I'm pleased to say that the organisers took care of that this year; I didn't see a single table without a bucket and the staff ensured they never got too full. Thank you!

I was disappointed not to see McHenry or Ahlgren there; I hope that all is well with them both.

As usual I struggled to get to everyone, managing to visit about 2/3 of the tables. Apologies to everyone I missed. I'm sure that Richard Jennings and Wes Barton will fill in the gaps.

All wines are from the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA unless noted otherwise.

Alfaro Family

2007 Alfaro Family Vineyard
An odd plastic note quickly blew off to reveal an earthy, brambly nose. Smooth and spicy black cherry, with a tannic finish. 90
2007 Lindsay Paige Vineyard
Vanilla and tangerine on the nose. Much more tannin than the Alfaro Family Vineyard; flavours of tart cranberry and cherry. 89+

Martin Alfaro

2007 Lester Family Vineyard
Bright cherry aromas, with a little cinnamon. Rich, sweet cherry fruit, oak showing on the finish. 90

Bargetto

2007 Devery Vineyard
Smoky, tart nose with redcurrant and grapefruit. Flavours of bright cherry and grapefruit; light in both body and tannins, decent acidity. 88
2007 Estate
Smoky, earthy, berry nose. Sweet, simple fruit flavours with a little spice. Some tannin on the finish. 84

Beauregard

2007 Beauregard Ranch Vineyard. Ben Lomond Mountain AVA
The first vintage from new vines. Nose shows rose petals and cranberry. Flavours of earth, mushroom and black cherry; nicely structured. 90+
2007 Trout Gulch Vineyard
Interesting nose of orange with a hint of clove. Sweet red cherry flavours with a touch of smoke; nice acidity, fairly light tannins. 89

Big Basin

2007 Alfaro Family Vineyard
Floral oak and cherry aromas. Rich complex fruit with some cinnamon notes and a good long finish. 93
2008 Woodruffe Vineyard
Lighter nose, with violets and black cherry. On the palate it's got quite concentrated, smoky cherry flavours and a nice medium-length finish. 92

Black Ridge

2006 Estate
This has come together nicely since I first tasted it 2 years ago. Nice bright cherry, with smoother tannins. Drinking well now, but will hold. 90
2007 Estate
Has a richer nose than the 2006; still lots of tannin backed by plenty of black cherry and a medium length astringent finish. Still needs a couple of years. 90+
2008 Estate, barrel sample
This had an unusual nose, with mint, tangerine and sandalwood. Flavours of baking spice, redcurrant and cherry. 89-92

Byington

2007 Estate - Unfiltered
Definitely unfiltered - this was very cloudy indeed; almost soupy, and a little offputting. However the nose was interesting; stemmy and floral. Flavours of sweet cherry, raspberry and dough. Liquorice on the finish. 85
2007 Estate Block 4
Smoky nose with raspberry and orange. Rich, sweet fruit but fairly one-dimensional; light tannins on the finish 86

Clos LaChance

2007 Santa Cruz Mountains
Light nose with hints of barnyard, cherry and caramel. Lovely smooth cherry flavours with some baking spice and a long finish. Good value 92+
2007 Biagini Vineyard
A blend of four clones: 113, 114, 115 and Mount Eden.
Earthy yet rich with nice strawberry notes and good structure. 92
2007 Biagini Vineyard Nancys Block
Made solely from Mount Eden clone; I was particularly impressed by this one.
Nose has smoke, oak, cherry and spice. Lashings of good rich fruit, lots of spice and a long finish. Really nice. 94

Heart of the Mountain

2006 Estate
Light smoky nose. Rich, tart cherry, nice vanilla oak, medium finish. 91
2007 Estate
Similar nose to the 2006, though with a hint of stemminess. (More whole cluster?). Palate has darker fruit; brambly notes and a longer finish. 92

Hunter Hill

2008 Estate
Nose shows redcurrent backed by an oddly chemical note - perhaps a trace of va? Earthy, with cranberry, redcurrant and some minerality; nice acidity. 86

Kings Mountain

2005 Estate
The nose shows some bretty barnyard and band-aid characteristics. There's some good cherry and strawberry fruit behind it, with a mineral (possibly sulphur?) note on the finish. 88

Loma Prieta

2007 Saveria Vineyard
Lovely expressive nose, floral with notes of pine and earth. Rich earthy cherry flavours, but a harsh oaky finish spoils it. Hopefully that will resolve with time. 88+
2008 Saveria Vineyard
More earthy, forest floor notes than the 2007. Brooding, earthy black cherry and a very earthy finish. Interesting. 89+

Mountain Winery

Second vintage from the replanting of what was once one of the finest vineyards in the country. The young vines (777, 828 and Swan clones) are still getting established, but signs are good. In a sense history comes full circle, since the wine is being made by Jeffrey Patterson at Mount Eden. I expect great things from this label; I hear the Chardonnay is outstanding.
2007 Estate
Tart cherry and earth on the nose; Rich, spicy cherry flavours with a tart finish. Needed more air. 91+

Mount Eden

2006 Estate
Awesome rich, spicy nose. Complex, with plenty of spicy black cherry, and lots of tannin. Needs 5+ years. 92+
2007 Estate
I've already praised this wine enough, but I wasn't going to pass up the chance to taste it again. While the nose is more restrained than the 2006, the palate is superb, with loads of concentrated fruit. 95+

Muns

2006 Estate
Light cherry, berry nose. Good, balanced red fruit with some spice and an earthy finish. 90
2005 Estate
Nose shows pear drops and vanilla essence. Tart cherry and strawberry, with a medium finish. 86

Nicholson

The winery struggled a little in the earlier part of the decade, relying on consultants. In 2007 they took on Ian Brand as full-time winemaker; 2008 is the first vintage that he made from start to finish.
2008 Santa Cruz Mountains - Barrel Sample
Fruit sourced mostly from Corralitos. A light nose, with spice, oak and red fruit. It has a big, chewy mouthfeel with bright red cherry flavours and a medium length, tannic finish 90-92
2008 Estate - Barrel Sample
This has a brighter nose than the other sample; shows more oak, with nice flavours of cherry pie, good structure and a dry finish. 90-92

Pleasant Valley Vineyards

Formerly a tiny all-estate producer, now producing a range of additional wines with purchased fruit. Their Pinots and estate Chardonnays remain the outstanding centrepieces.
2007 Thelma Henrietta Block
It's full name is 2007 Dylan David Pinot Noir, Lester Family Vineyards, Thelma-Henrietta Block (Dijon Clone #115) and the wine is as much of a mouthful as the name.
Nose shows smoke and black fruit. In the mouth there's lots of concentrated black cherry and brambly fruit, with a good, long finish. 93+
2007 Willa-Louise Block
Sharing a similar name and pedigree, this is made from a block of Clone 667. Bright strawberry fruit on the nose; Rich red fruit - strawberry and raspberry - on the palate, with light, silky tannins. 92+
2007 Dylan David Estate
Here's a wine that I know from experience needs a lot of time and air to show its best; I got the first pour from a freshly opened bottle. The nose was restrained, not showing much beyond oak and earth. On the palate it's quite intense and earthy, with dark cherry and brambly fruit. 93+

Regale

First time attending Pinot Paradise for Regale, an impressive new property on Summit Road near to Burrell School. They have around 4 acres of Pinot planted as well as a little Chardonnay. 2007 was their first vintage from the young vines; less than 50 cases were made.
2007 Estate
Nose shows herbal notes - mint, lavender and liquorice. In the mouth there are concentrated black fruit flavours - berry, currant, cherry. A surprisingly intense wine from such young vines. 93
2008 Estate
As yet unreleased. This had a lighter, fruitier nose than the 2007, with some sulphur evident. A touch more elegant, but with nice black cherry fruit and lots of tannins. 92+

Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard

2007 Branciforte creek
Very earthy, spicy nose. Bright, intense cherry and cranberry flavours with a longish, tannic finish. 92+
2006 Baileys vineyard
Lighter than the Branciforte and with more acidity. Good cherry, cranberry fruit and a long finish. 92+

Sarah's Vineyard

Sarah's has a new winemaker. Ken Deis, formerly of Flora Springs has taken over from Robert Henson. The winery has recently launched a range made from Rhone grapes, as well as a fourth Pinot Noir.
2008 Santa Cruz Mountains
Sourced from the Regan and Veranda vineyards. Nose of raspberry and black cherry; floral, with flavours of sour cherry. Some nice tannins. Seems more substantial than the 2007. 91+
2009 Santa Cruz Mountains - Barrel Sample
Nose shows plenty of red fruit - redcurrant and raspberry. Lots of red fruit up front, tails off somewhat in the middle. 88-91
2007 Rebhahn Vineyard
A tough vineyard to deal with, out of the way on a steep hill. The clusters are unusually small.
Black fruits on the nose, particularly blueberry. Dark, rather high acidity and quite tannic. Certainly needs time to come around. 88

Silver Mountain

2007 Miller Hill
Light nose - mineral and tart cherry. Bright acidity on the palate and lots of tannin. Some red fruit, with an earthy finish. 86+
2007 Estate
An initial odd, plastic note, which soon blew off revealing some cranberry. Nice flavours of redcurrant, cranberry and gooseberry, with good acidity. 89

Thomas Fogarty

2008 Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose is floral, with oak and red fruit. Sweet red cherry and strawberry with a hint of cocoa. 91
2007 Windy Hill
Dark fruit and undergrowth with some stemmy notes. Nice sweet red fruit flavours; the stemmy notes return on the finish. 91

Trout Gulch

2007 "La Source"
A light, tart nose, with notes of mineral and cherry. Good flavours of sweet cherry and raspberry, with a nice finish. 91
1999 Estate
Clearly a mature nose, reminiscent of apple cider. Rich and meaty on the plate with flavours of dried cherry and cranberry, and some pastry. Still plenty of tannins. Interesting. 89
1990 estate
Odd nose that reminded me of blue cheese! Mature, earthy flavours with some dried cherry. Probably a little past its peak for my tastes. 87

Windy Oaks

Perhaps more than any other winery on show, Windy Oaks needs time or air to show its best. In particular I got surprisingly little out of the 2007 Wild Yeast, which is odd as I've really enjoyed the 2006. I suspect with a few hours of air I would have scored each of these a few points higher, particularly the first two.
2007 Wild Yeast
Nose showed a little sulphur and red cherry. Nice cherry with notes of fresh earth and quite a lot of stemmy tannin. 90++
2007 Cuvee
Bright nose of earthy cherry. Fruitier and a little lighter than the Wild Yeast, with good acidity. 91++
2007 Henry's Block
Lovely perfumed nose showing roses and raspberry. Rich smooth fruit, nice complexity. 92+
2007 Whole Cluster
Floral - rose petal nose with earthy notes. Fuller and richer than the Henry's Block. Fresh earth, sappy tannin, less pronounced fruit. 92+

Woodside

2006 Estate
A nice earthy, spicy, smoky nose. Rich and complex with dark cherry and a long, spicy finish 93

Budbreak at Chaine d'Or

2010-03-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

Spring is here, and the vines are emerging from their dormant state. I was up at Chaine d'Or for the Stefania spring pickup yesterday - the Chardonnay vines have already sprouted new growth, but the Cabernet is still a little behind. Further south in warmer areas the new growth is more advanced. Here's wishing everyone a successful 2010 vintage.

Happy 21st Birthday, Santa Clara Valley AVA

2010-03-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Santa Clara Valley AVA officially came into existence on March 28th 1989 following a petition by Gene Guglielmo. The AVA covers around 330,000 acres within within Santa Clara County and a portion of San Benito County. It encompasses historic sites such as the former Leland Stanford Winery in Fremont and the campus of the university that bears his name, as well as the New Almaden Winery. To the south it includes Uvas Canyon, where early settlers found native grapes growing wild. It took in the existing Pacheco Pass AVA and also the San Ysidro District which would be granted AVA status the following year.

Here are some other interesting facts about the AVA:

The first Californian wine made from Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec) was produced by the New Almaden Winery. There are many inaccurate statements commonly repeated about the winery; even the commemorative plaque that marks its location has at least two significant errors¹. In 1852 Etienne Thee planted Vitis vinifera grapevines at the site. As was common at the time the variety was what is commonly known as "Mission", now identified as a little-known Spanish variety called Listan Prieto. Fellow Frenchman Charles LeFranc joined the company a few years later; unsatisfied with the quality of the wines produced he sent to France for cuttings from Bordeaux which were grafted onto the existing vines.

Within a short time Santa Clara County had more acres of vineyard than any other county in the state, with over 100 different varieties of grape being grown. At its peak there were over 120 wineries based here.

The Almaden winery is now a housing estate, and the brand that bears its name is based in Merced. However two other Santa Clara Valley wineries can trace their history to before Prohibition. Solis Winery was originally Bertero, and was founded in 1919. Kirigin Cellars is even older; it was previously called Bonesio Winery, founded in 1916.

The largest vineyard in the AVA is Dunne Ranch. This 1000 acre property has over 370 acres of grapevines - more than all of Santa Cruz County combined. Among them are around 300 acres of Chardonnay; this planting alone makes it the most prolific variety in the valley. The fruit is mostly sold to large producers like Kendall-Jackson for their California blends.

After Chardonnay, there are more acres of Gewürztraminer planted in Santa Clara County than all other white varieties combined. Almost all those vines are in the Dunne Ranch vineyard too.

At over 100 acres, Ridge's Monte Bello vineyards are the largest in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, but are only 6th overall in Santa Clara County.

The Wineries of Santa Clara Valley is an organization representing many local wineries. This weekend is their twice-yearly Passport event; a passport costs $30 and gives you entrance to 25 different wineries.

¹The plaque reads: On this site, in 1852, Charles LeFranc made the first commercial planting of fine European wine grapes in Santa Clara County to found Almaden Vineyards. LeFranc imported cuttings from vines in the celebrated wine districts of his native France, shipping them by sailing ship around the Horn. This is incorrect, as outlined above.

2009 Barrel tasting at Coterie Cellars

2010-03-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

The 2009 vintage is already being hyped by the Wine Institute as being another excellent year, particularly for early ripening varieties. Last weekend Coterie Cellars held a barrel tasting, giving me my first chance to try some of the 09 Pinot Noirs for myself.

Tucked away in an industrial unit off Almaden Expressway, Coterie Cellars is the pride and joy of Kyle and Shala Loudon. Kyle is a software developer by training who apprenticed with Eno and Harrington in Oakland before getting bonded in 2007. The winery focuses on Pinot Noir and Rhone varieties, sourcing fruit from Saralee's Vineyard in Russian River Valley and Fairview Road Ranch in the Santa Lucia Highlands.

Two samples were poured from Saralee's Vineyard. The first was from Pommard 4 clone and was light and floral, with some bright cherry fruit. The second was from 667 and showed more earth and structure.

From Fairview Road Ranch came a blend of clones 113 and 23, showing more dark fruit character than the lighter Russian River Valley fruit, with some brambly notes.

For 2009 Coterie have added a third Pinot Noir vineyard - Tondre's Grapefield, also in the Santa Lucia Highlands. All the wines I've had from this vineyard until now have been made by Tony Craig and Gerald O'Brian at Silver Mountain. This is in a riper style with a darker purple colour and more concentrated black cherry and brambly fruit.

The winery is located at Unit 110, 1805 Little Orchard St. in San Jose and is open by appointment.

Bloggers vs Bob - a tasting at Ridge

2010-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Chris Watkins, tasting room manager at Monte Bello and Ridge's blogger-in-chief, recently invited a few local bloggers up the mountain for what is hopefully the first in a regular series of events. As you probably know, the influential critic Robert Parker Jr recently reviewed some recent vintages of Monte Bello for the first time in several years. Chris thought it might be interesting to get the opinions of some of us wine blobbers as Mr Parker disparagingly calls us, and see how our opinions equated to those of His Bobness.

Never ones to decline an opportunity to drive up the beautiful mountain, my friend Wes Barton and I headed up on a glorious spring morning. Also in attendance were Thea "The Wine Brat" Dwelle, Amy Cleary, Gary "Iron" Chevsky and Liren Baker

I've added Mr Parker's scores where available. For the record I was pretty sure I could quote his scores for the Monte Bellos but couldn't remember what he'd scored the others beyond the fact that I thought they were all 90+

We began with a couple of whites. Jimsomare is the lower of the Monte Bello vineyards, lying below the fog line. The 500 acre ranch has supplied fruit for over 40 years and is currently under a 30 year lease. In the past Ridge have made both Cabernet and Zinfandel from the vineyard, but this is the first Jimsomare designated Chardonnay.
In 2008 the Chardonnay yields were quite good. During the selection for the Monte Bello and Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnays it became evident that a few lots showed a particular character that didn't fit the profile. In all around 8 barrels were identified, and as a result this one-time blend was created. As yet unreleased, it will probably be priced below the Santa Cruz Mountains, in the mid $30s.

2008 Jimsomare Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
14.8% alcohol. Typical pale straw colour that Ridge Chardonnays usually have.
Nose shows tropical fruit, lemon and fig. There's some minerality, but less than usual. On the palate it's creamy and smooth, with lemon and sweet green apple. Nice longish finish, with a hint of caramel. Showing well for a young Ridge Chardonnay - one to drink young. 91

2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay
Nose shows lemon, pear and toasty oak. There's significantly more acidity than the Jimsomare, and more minerality, with less immediate richness and a crisp, lemony finish. This needs a year or two. 91+

Now on to some flights of Zinfandel. The East Bench comes from a vineyard in Dry Creek Valley that is newly replanted with cuttings taken from Lytton Springs. The first vintage was in 2006.

2008 Zinfandel, East Bench, Dry Creek Valley
Not yet released.
Light, herbal nose with raspberry and cherry notes. Lots of tannin, flavours of "red vines" and liquorice; there's some good bright acidity but a fairly short finish. 87 (RP90-92)

We were supposed to be tasting the 2007 East Bench too, but it was unavailable so the 2006 was substituted. Just out of interest, here's my note on the 2007 from a tasting in January:
2007 Zinfandel, East Bench, Dry Creek Valley
Ripe nose, with raspberry and date. Big, rich brambly fruit with a herbal note. Good structure, tannin shows on the finish. 90 (RP90+)

2006 Zinfandel, East Bench, Dry Creek Valley
A more expressive nose than the 2008, with spicy oak and sweet berry aromas. In the mouth it's rich and smooth, with lovely raspberry and spice flavours. 89

Geyserville and Lytton Springs are the pinnacle of the Ridge Zinfandels. Two very different wines, each is a field blend which often contain less than 75% Zinfandel and thus are no longer explicitly designated as such. Both have an enviable track record for ageability; typically I find the Lytton Springs to be more approachable when young.

2008 Geyserville, Sonoma County
20% Carignan 6% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro
Smoky nose, with dark, brambly fruit. Full bodied and a good mouthfeel and nicely balanced. Complex flavours of raspberry and black fruits. Dry, astringent finish. Drink some time after 2012 92 (RP90-92)

2007 Geyserville, Sonoma County
22% Carignan, 18% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro
There are toffee, cedar and floral notes on the nose. A dark and brooding wine, with the additional Petite Sirah really showing. Lots of chewy tannin partially masks the black fruit; here's a wine that needs 3-5 years to show and will last 20+ years. Tough to rate; right now for me it's a 91+ but in time will most likely rate 2-3 point higher. (RP91)

2008 Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley
21% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignan
This had a lovely brambly, raspberry, spicy nose. Very fruit forward, with concentrated raspberry, black cherry and allspice. Showing well now but posessing enough structure to merit ageing. 92 (RP91-93)

2007 Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley
The nose is more integrated nose than the 2008, with dark brambly fruit and smoky oak. Good concentrated fruit and a fairly long, tannic finish.. More structured than the 2008, this needs 2-3 years. 92+ (RP92)

Then we switched to the local juice. Starting in the late 1970s Ridge began producing a second Cabernet Sauvignon called the Santa Cruz Mountains Estate. Lots that were considered too fruit-forward, less structured went into this second label.
Starting with the 2000 vintage the wine developed a specific identity, becoming a blend that typically contains around 40% Merlot and under 60% Cabernet. Consequently the Santa Cruz Mountains is no longer designated as a Cabernet Sauvignon.

2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot.
Big nose of blackcurrant, menthol and coffee. Lots of plum and blackcurrant backed by nice herbal notes. Great fruit without being too fruit-forward; nice structure - lot of tannin on the finish. A great food wine; approachable now with air but will repay cellaring. 93 (RP88)

2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate
56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot 2% Petite Verdot
Nice bright nose - lots of blackcurrant. The small amount of Petite Verdot contributes some floral violet notes. Initially very tannic, though there's good fruit in the background. Nice notes of grilled meat and dried herbs. Needs time. 91 (RP91)

2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot.
Elegant nose; meaty, brambly and smoky, with a touch of mint. This is now nicely integrated; the tannins are much smoother than the younger examples. Tart brambly, blackcurrant fruit and a good, longish finish. Everything is in the right place. 93+ (RP92)

And finally a wonderful vertical of young Monte Bellos. We began with a barrel sample of the 2008 and ended with an interesting older example.

2008 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains Barrel sample
A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 28% Merlot. None of the Petite Verdot or Cabernet Franc made the final selection.
Savoury nose; ash, brambles, red currant and meat. On the palate there are soft, silky tannins and smooth black fruit. Unsurprisingly it's still very primary. 91-94 (RP94-96)

2007 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
This was only opened that morning and on the initial showing I can see why Parker didn't rate it as highly as I did.
The nose showed smoked meat, black fruit, mint, pencil shavings. In the mouth there is concentrated black fruit but it's very tight and not showing anything like as well as it did the last time I tried it.
So having tasted though the rest of the line-up I came back to it. By then it had opened up quite a lot and was showing far more fruit and less of the tannin. Still very primary, but good delineation, nice black fruit and a long finish. I'm right, Parker is wrong. 95+ (RP92)

2006 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose is floral, with violets and black fruit. Silky tannins, great black fruit and nice herbal notes with a longish finish. 93+ (RP94)

2005 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
What a great nose this wine has. Intense and smoky, with rich black fruit. On the palate it's very concentrated and chewy. Wes had warned that the last bottle he had was closing down, but there was no sign of that here. Full bodied, rich and smooth, elegantly structured with great black fruit and a long lingering finish. Amazingly drinkable right now for a young Monte Bello, but try to keep your hands off it. A true classic. 96+¹ (RP97+)

2004 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
Interesting grassy, straw nose with some blackcurrant fruit. In the mouth it's tannic, herbal and earthy, with some bell pepper notes and a dry, medium length finish. This is the only release I've passed on since 2001; it will be interesting to see what happens in 10 years. 91 (RP91)

2003 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
The nose had an unusual 'grain silo' note, along with the typical black fruit and violets. Smooth rich fruit - blackcurrant blackberry, coffee and camphor. Tannins are pronounced on the finish. 94 (RP95+)

1996 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
Deep brick red colour. The nose has signs of brett, with earthy, barnyard and leather notes. There are layers of rich fruit; black berry, pomegranite, cherry. The hint of brett also provides interesting secondary flavours of leather and cigar box. Smooth, fine tannins. Long finish.
Still very youthful; hopefully the brett won't continue to develop and end up overpowering the wine. Worth keeping an eye on. 94

I'd like to thank Chris and Darren for hosting us and opening such an array of great wines. Here's hoping that this turns out to be a regular event.

¹ Just as an aside, since I adopted the 100 point scale 96+ is the highest score I've awarded.

New blog layout

2010-03-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

After 2 years and over 300 posts I decided it was time to do something with the layout.
It's still not quite as I'd like it, but I could probably spend weeks trying to get it right, so it will have to do. Hope you like it.

BYO and Corkage

2010-03-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've become a great believer in the practice of bringing my own wine to a restaurant.

It used to frustrate me that I'd go out for a nice meal and find the wine list full of stuff that I either didn't like or couldn't afford. Meanwhile at home I had plenty of wines that were ready to drink that I was saving for "a special occasion". The final straw was about 10 years ago at a nice restaurant in San Jose where my wife asked for a Cabernet Sauvignon and I couldn't find a single one on the list for under $50.

At first the idea of bringing my own wine to a restaurant seemed odd. Back in the UK it was acceptable to bring drinks if a restaurant (most often Indian/Balti) did not have a licence to sell alcohol, but almost unheard of in a licenced restaurant. Nowadays almost the first thing I think of when going to a restaurant is what wine to take. I choose my dishes from the menu based on how they would pair with the wine I've brought.

The reason I bring this up is because I recently read a discussion on the Wine Spectator forums regarding the legality of BYOB, particularly with regard to a bottle that had been opened earlier. I've done this myself a couple of times without a problem, but I learned a few things as a result of the discussion that I thought people might find interesting or useful. Obvious disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer.

In California there is no law either for or against corkage.
According to a poster on the Wine Spectator forum, quoting an un-named California ABC official:

Neither the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act nor our business regulations specifically allows the practice of an adult customer bringing a personal bottle of wine into a properly licensed premises (“BYOB”). On the other hand, nothing specifically precludes the practice. A licensee may or may not permit BYOB as he or she sees fit.
Since there is no law, opening or decanting is not prohibited.
Perhaps you want to decant the wine to remove the sediment, so that it doesn't get shaken up on the way. Or maybe it's a younger wine that will benefit from several hours in the decanter. Either way, there's no law against it. However according to the same post:

While a restaurant manager may not have any problem permitting BYOB, it is possible that for other (non-ABC) reasons these managers may insist on his/her wait staff opening the bottle of wine inside the restaurant. You may want to discuss this matter with the restaurant owner or manager.
There are laws in most - if not all - states against transporting open bottles.
This is something that catches many of us foreigners by surprise. You aren't allowed to be in posession of an open beverage container in a vehicle, unless the container is locked in the trunk/boot or glove compartment. If your car doesn't have a trunk then that's OK, the bottle

shall be kept in some other area of the vehicle that is not normally occupied by the driver or passengers. For the purposes of this paragraph, a utility compartment or glove compartment shall be deemed to be within the area occupied by the driver and passengers

This rule doesn't apply to buses, taxis or limousines. (Source: WWW.DMV.CA.GOV). Rules about carrying an open bottle as a pedestrian can vary by locality.

What about taking unfinished wine home?
This is another area where the laws vary wildly. Some don't allow it, which I find very strange. Some states such as New York have laws mandating specific seals or bags, others just require that the bottle is properly sealed. In California the rule seems to be that if you buy wine in a restaurant they must open it, but you don't have to drink it and can take it home - handy if you happen to be in a restaurant that comps corkage with purchase. You can often find a bottle on the list that costs around the same - ask whether a half bottle counts too. Also when trying to push the cork back in, hold the bottle by the base and press the cork against a hard surface such as a wall, leaning on it if necessary. Much easier than trying to press the cork in by hand.

Rhys - Spring pick-up day

2010-03-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the spring pick-up day and open house at Rhys Vineyards. Cellarmaster Josh Beck was pouring a selection of as yet unreleased wines at their facility in San Carlos. This will probably be the last event held here as the new winery is nearly completed.

According to Josh, they are very pleased with the way the 2008s are turning out. 2007 has been recognised as an excellent vintage, with remarkable concentration and depth, but the wines are already starting to shut down, needing a lot of air to show well. On the other hand the 2008s are more elegant and feminine; though they may lack some of the concentration they are expected to show better when young (though still to age well).

The wines had been opened the night before to check for cork taint.

2008 Alesia Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
The 2008 vintage in Sonoma was significantly weaker than 2007. As a result there will be no Alesia releases from Green Valley or Falstaff; the fruit all went into the Sonoma Coast bottling. 2008 is planned to be the last vintage for the Alesia label, since all the Santa Cruz Mountains estate vineyards are now on line.
On the nose there's cola, red fruit and some rose petals. Light bodied with good acidity and nice red currant flavours. 88

2008 Family Farm Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose shows some black, brambly fruit. On the palate it's fairly rich with black cherry, firm tannins (compared to the Sonoma Coast at least) and a stemmy finish. 90+

2008 Alpine Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
This had the darkest colour of the Pinots. An interesting, complex, floral nose with some redcurrant. Rich and more intense than any of the others; still very primal but has very good structure and a long finish. 93+

2007 Horseshoe Ranch Syrah, Santa Cruz Mountains
The first vintage of Syrah from Horseshoe Ranch. Unlike most Rhys wines this was 100% destemmed. (The 2008 was not destemmed. The 2009 vintage was ruined by the rains and is unlikely to be released)
Nose is floral, with violets and some dusty oak. Much more concentrated and structured than a Fairview Ranch that I tasted recently. Lovely fruit, nice black pepper notes and a pretty, floral finish. Lots of potential; very good indeed. 92+

2008 Bearwallow Vineyard, Anderson Valley
Bearwallow is the first estate vineyard outside the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is in the process of being replanted, but already had some established vines in place Pommard, 777 and 115 clones. Those will be replaced in due course.
Cherry, strawberry nose. Lots of dry, astringent tannin; there's good fruit but it's rather in the background at this stage. Somewhat different to the other Rhys wines, but still good. 90

Communication Breakdown

2010-03-13T17:44:00.000-08:00

When you look at the number of big wine events held in the bay area it seems like there's at least one or two every month. You wonder how the organisers manage to arrange things so that they don't clash. And then it dawns on you - they don't even try. Case in point, in two weeks it's Pinot Paradise. As a wine writer covering the Santa Cruz Mountains that's probably the cannot-miss event of the year. It's the only event of the year that focuses entirely on this one region, with most of the top producers gathered in one place pouring their latest releases. It's always challenging, but a lot of fun.
Meanwhile up in San Francisco the Rhone Rangers are having their annual grand tasting event at the Fort Mason centre at the exact same time. So local wineries that make both Pinot and Rhones - and there are several - have a tough set of choices (as do we consumers).
But if that wasn't bad enough the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley are holding their Spring Passport weekend then too.
And in typical contrarian fashion, Stefania are holding their Spring pick-up open house at Chaine d'Or in Woodside on Saturday 27th. So all in all, it's going to be a busy weekend. Whichever events you attend, please remember to spit!

Mount Eden Winemaking

2010-03-11T23:58:00.001-08:00

Here's the second of my videos from Mount Eden. Jeffrey discusses the techniques he uses to craft his 2006 Estate Pinot Noir.

Watch on YouTube

Mount Eden: History

2010-03-10T22:43:00.000-08:00

First of two short videos that I shot last year on a visit to Mount Eden Vineyards. Winemaker Jeffrey Patterson talks briefly about Martin Ray and the history of the winery.

Watch it on YouTube

2009 Ridge Monte Bello Component Tasting

2010-03-08T13:03:00.001-08:00

The Ridge Monte Bello component tasting is always a fun event, even on a cold, foggy and windy March morning. For many of us it's the first chance to get personal experience of the most recent vintage as well as to try the most recent Monte Bello release.

As usual the tasting was held in the barn just up the hill from the tasting room. Paul Draper and Eric Baugher were in attendance to pour the first assemblage and talk about the vintage, but due to the lack of a babysitter I wasn't able to spend any time chatting.

We began with the newly released Chardonnay:

2007 Ridge Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
This had a lovely nose of fig, oak, stone and lemon. On the palate it's rather light and creamy, with some lemon and lots of briney mineral notes. Definitely not your typical California Chardonnay. Right now the palate doesn't really seem to live up to the richness of the nose, although it was rather cold. I suspect others will rate this much more highly than I did, and with time I might well agree. 89+

2009 Cabernet Franc, barrel sample.
Nice aromas of fresh blackberry, liquorice root and green pepper. But on the palate there was lots of tart acidity and harsh, green tannin, which was masking what little redcurrant fruit there was. I'd be very surprised if this makes the final blend.

2009 Merlot, barrel sample.
Rather good nose; some oak is showing already. Nice plum and herb notes.
Good balance; flavours of mint or wintergreen, with nice black plum/cherry fruit. Plenty of tannin on the finish. Impressive.

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, barrel sample.
Nose is floral with plenty of blackcurrant fruit. Great mouthfeel; rich and full bodied, with plenty of good fruit and a dry, astringent finish.

2009 Petite Verdot, barrel sample.
One day a region is going to take on Petite Verdot and allow it to show in its own right. It is an interesting grape that seems to add a lot to the Monte Bello blend, particularly aromatically.
This sample - darkest of all the barrel samples - had a powerful nose of violets, backed with black fruit. On the palate there was soft black fruit with fresh earth notes and good structure.

2009 Monte Bello, First assemblage.
67% Cabernet Sauvignon 25% Merlot 8% Petite Verdot
I didn't get chance to talk to Eric or Paul about this, but I did hear Eric confirm that they are particularly pleased with the way that the Merlot turned out this year. All the Petit Verdot is in the blend and as I expected no Cabernet Franc. There are some lots of Cabernet Sauvignon still in consideration so the final composition could be higher.
Beautiful nose of violets, blackberry, blackcurrant, smoke and pencil shavings. There is lovely rich fruit ans plenty of structure. At present the finish seemed somewhat lean, but that's something which will develop. Certainly seems to be another winner. 94-96

2007 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
Fresh black fruit and spicy oak on the nose. Rich flavours of mint, herb and blackcurrant with plenty tannin. Really needs at least 3-5 years and probably much longer. 92

2007 Ridge Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
Good powerful yet elegant nose of violets, cassis liqueur, graphite and cedar.
Wow. Hugely rich and concentrated by Monte Bello standards. Oak is a little harsh right now, but to my mind this is significantly better than the 2006. 95+

Wes brought some great examples of older Ridge bottlings which we opened with lunch. I took brief notes of a couple of them:

1975 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
From the days when it was officially billed as a Cabernet, this includes just 4% Merlot
Nose is earthy, almost stinky, with redcurrant notes. For a 35 year old wine it still had loads of sweet fruit and some nice leather. Amazingly youthful, with a long finish showing mint and herbs 93

1998 Petite Sirah, "Paddock Block", York Creek
Rather mature for a Petite Sirah, but this was from the very wet 1998 vintage. Nice earthy, black fruit. Very smooth with herbal and leather notes. 88

Some great notes as usual by Richard Jennings on CellarTracker

2008 Dahlia Pinot Noir, Monterey County

2010-03-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I commented on the 2008 Dahlia Reserve Pinot Noir, a wine made for the retailer Beverages and More by Testarossa in Los Gatos. There are in fact four wines in the range; two Chardonnays and two Pinot Noirs, all made from Monterey fruit.

The Reserve Pinot Noir - which wasn't bad value at $20 - seems to be all sold out around here, but it non-reserve sibling is still available. List price is $20, loyalty card holders get it for $15, so I decided to give it a shot. (I also picked up the non-reserve Chardonnay at $13 and will review that at a later date.)

2008 Dahlia Pinot Noir, Monterey County
Bottled under screw-cap. Nice bright colour. The nose has straw and cherry, with some earth. On the palate it's fairly simple, with sweet cherry fruit. On the finish there's some orange-pith bitterness and rose petals. Acidity and tannins are both rather light. There aren't many good Pinots for under $20, and sadly this doesn't alter that fact. It's well made as you would expect from Bill Brosseau, but is rather dull. Frankly even at $15 it's overpriced, it should be under $10. 83

Happy 50th Birthday Ridge

2010-03-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

Ridge was officially founded 50 years ago this week. In recognition of this achievement here are a couple of excellent articles by Eric Asimov in the New York Times and Jon Bonné of the San Francisco Chronicle.

In addition, the latest edition of the Wine Advocate has come out with some very nice scores for recent vintages of Monte Bello, including a 97+ for the stunning 2005 and a 94-96 for the 2008. Congratulations, guys.

The winery is celebrating by organising a grand retrospective tasting and inviting several major wine writers. Sadly, my invitation seems to have been mislaid, however I'll be heading up the mountain this weekend for the annual Monte Bello Futures Tasting.

Two 2007 Stefania Cabernets

2010-03-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

I normally begin my posts with a brief overview of the winery in question, but for Stefania I've already said everything there is to say. Instead I'll start this one with a whole slew of disclosures: these wines were received as trade samples and were not tasted blind. Add to that the fact that Paul and Stef are friends, I've been a fan of their wines since release and have purchased every wine they have released to date.

Okay, so with that out of the way, what do we have? The Stefania Spring release comprises a brace of Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignons. One is a blend from several vineyards that Paul and Stef manage, together with a significant portion from Harvest Moon/Martin Ranch. As you'll know from my previous post this vineyard is located in a valley at the south-east end of the appellation.

By contrast, the other wine is from the Chaine d'Or Vineyard in Woodside. This is at the northern end of the AVA, not far from the historic La Questa vineyard and close to Summit Road. It's significantly cooler up there. So what we have is a quite interesting contrast. I therefore decided to open the wines side by side and drink them over two nights. The bottles were recorked but not refrigerated.

2007 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon, Chaine D'Or Vineyard
Not decanted. On first opening all I got was oak; it took quite some time before the fruit started to show on the nose, along with some smoke. Similarly on the palate the first impression was of tartness, austerity and light weight. Over the next hour it loosened up to reveal complex black fruits - cherry, currant and berry with fine tannins.

On day two the nose had earth, oak and fruit right from the start. It seemed to have significantly more weight than before, good blackcurrant and black cherry flavours with fresh earthy notes. A light and elegant wine. I'd give this at least 5 years. 91+ $24

2007 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
Not decanted. This has a lot more fruit on the nose. It's smoother, fuller bodied and significantly more opaque than its sibling, with plenty of up-front black fruit. Over the next hour it seemed to tighten up; the tannins and oak became more pronounced.

On day two it was much the same story; some more smoke on the nose, brambles, blackcurrant and mint, good structure. Drinking nicely now, but will certainly last a while. 92 $40

Fernwood Cellars

2010-02-23T21:36:00.000-08:00

Although Fernwood Cellars has only been in existence a short time the land has been in Matt Oetinger's family for over 130 years. His great-great-grandfather established a luxury hotel called Redwood Retreat in a secluded valley off Watsonville Road. The hotel boasted tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool, and maintained its own vegetable gardens, orchards and vineyards. Though a fire burned down the main building in 1908, the resort remained open until the great depression forced its close. The family moved to San Jose and for over 50 years the area was abandoned to nature and the occasional trespassers.

In the 1990s the family returned and restored some of the remaining buildings. A new 8 acre vineyard was planted, and Matt went to study biology at Davis. On graduating he got a job as vineyard manager at Clos LaChance and started making wine from the family vineyard. Fernwood Cellars was launched in 1999, with the aim of making wines solely from fruit that Matt manages. As a result almost all the wines are technically permitted to be called estate, though not all carry that designation. The winery produces around 3000 cases annually.

2007 Chardonnay, Vanumanutagi Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
Sourced from a neighbouring vineyard that was one home to Robert Louis Stephenson's family, all the blocks are named after his novels.
Nose shows green apple and persimmon. It's rich and buttery, with sweet apple pie and tropical notes. Doesn't show as much of the butterscotch/caramel notes than marred previous tastes. 90

2006 Merlot, Small Vineyards Selection, Santa Cruz Mountains
Sourced from 5 different domestic vineyards. Smoky, earthy nose with some plum. Dry and tight, showing some bretty barnyard character and minty notes with plummy fruit on the finish. 88+

2007 Zinfandel "Oetinger Reserve", California
A 50/50 blend of estate fruit with fruit sourced from his father's vineyard in El Dorado.
Nose has spicy raspberry, with porty notes. Dry, very tannic and oaky with some brambly fruit. Time may help. 85

2007 Estate Syrah, Santa Cruz Mountains
Spicy black berry/cherry nose. Smooth, rich mouthfeel. White Pepper, blueberry and black cherry fruit. Lots of acidity. 88

2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose shows smoky oak, tobacco and some blackcurrant. In the mouth there's sweet fruit backed by some earth and chewy tannins, with a good finish. 89

Martin Ranch

2010-02-23T21:10:00.000-08:00

While the east coast has been shivering under a blanket of snow, over here in California it's been an early spring time. We had several gloriously sunny days last week - then the weekend came and with it the rain. Hardly ideal conditions to visit a vineyard, but some of the wineries of Santa Clara Valley are only open one weekend a month.

Martin Ranch is located near the end of Redwood Retreat Road. The ranch and its estate vineyard sit astride the 600' contour which normally marks the border between the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Clara Valley AVAs, but when the application was drawn up it specifically included the Redwood Retreat area, along with the noted Bates Ranch just a few hundred yards away.

The estate vineyards were first planted by Dan and Thérèse Martin in 1993. Most of the early crops were sold to Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard under the name "Harvest Moon", but the Martins kept back a small amount. Then in 2002 they began producing wine commercially and swiftly grew to around 3500 cases, with additional fruit being purchased from some local Santa Clara Valley vineyards.

Though the Martins work together they maintain two distinct labels aiming to reflect their individual personalities; JD Hurley (named after Dan's favorite uncle) and Thérèse Vineyards.

Weather permitting, the winery is an ideal family destination; there's a play area at the back and ample picnic space. They offer a generous 35% discount on any wines purchased for immediate consumption.

The tasting fee is $10 for 6 wines. There was also a flight of 2oz pours of three other wines for $8. On this occasion Dan was also offering barrel tasting of three forthcoming wine club releases.

2008 JD Hurley Chardonnay, Santa Clara Valley
The last time I tried this wine I got a distinctly cider-y (as in "hard cider") quality to it, that I wasn't keen on. This time I didn't get that at all. Instead the nose shows crisp lemon and vanilla. It's tart and lightweight, with flavours of lemon curd and green apple, and not too oaky. 88

2006 JD Hurley Merlot, Santa Clara Valley
Sweet fruity nose; blueberry and smoke. Lots of rich black fruit and plums. 89

2005 JD Hurley Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
Toasty oak and blackberry nose. Initially dry and tannic; a little thin with some black fruit and an astringent finish. 85

2006 Thérèse Vineyards Sangiovese, Santa Clara Valley
Bright redcurrants on the nose. Lovely rich fruit, good structure, tannins showing on the finish. Very nice. 91

2007 Thérèse Vineyards Syrah, Lester Family Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains
Very floral nose, with raspberry and redcurrant notes. Tight and tart with flavours of blueberry and chocolate. Good acidity and a medium length finish. Seems very young; should come together with time. 88+

2005 Thérèse Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Dos Rios Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley
The Dos Rios Vineyard is located at the entrance to Redwood Retreat Road, just off Watsonville Road. It's less than 4 miles from the winery, but on the other side of the AVA boundary.
Light berry nose. Lovely rich fruit; blackcurrant and blackberry. Smooth, with fine tannins and a long finish. 92

2006 Thérèse Vineyards Petite Sirah, Madeline Vineyard, Santa Clara Valley
The Madeline Vineyard is located off Day Road.
Nice nose - floral with some black fruit. Dry blackberry flavours, quite a lot of tannin and acidity. However there was a slightly medicinal note that I found offputting. 86

Then three barrel samples:

2009 "Cabbiolo" Rose
This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo. The Cabernet is estate fruit - two rows that always ripen later than the rest and this year didn't quite achieved full maturity. The Nebbiolo came from another vineyard and had large berries with a low skin-to-juice ratio. Some juice was taken after the first day (a method known in France as saignée) and blended to make this wine.
Light pink colour. Floral, with strawberry and earth notes. Still slightly effervescent from the malolactic fermentation; light, sweet fruit (though bone dry) with mineral notes. Fairly simple but pleasant nontheless - a nice summer wine. 85-87

2008 Grenache, Santa Clara Valley
From a new, as yet un-named vineyard at the junction of Sunnyside and Watsonville Roads. This is the first vintage from these vines. The nose was fairly faint, which was not helped by being cold, but the flavours were amazingly rich; lots of redcurrant fruit and a long finish. Very impressive for a first vintage; one to watch. 92-94

2008 Malbec
I confess that between the Grenache and my kids distracting me this one didn't get much attention. I failed to note the AVA and simply wrote that it had a deep colour, a rich, plummy nose and was fairly light and dry. 88-90

2006 McHenry Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir

2010-02-22T20:59:00.000-08:00

McHenry Vineyard is located within the Ben Lomond Mountain AVA, close to Bonny Doon. Four acres of Pinot Noir are planted on a sandy slope, 1800 feet above sea level. The vineyard was first planted back in 1972 and produced several award winning wines, but in the early 1990s it became infected with Pierce’s Disease. The family continued to produce wine, sourcing fruit from Carneros as well as Amaya Ridge in Soquel and the vineyard was eventually replanted around 1997-98 with four distinct clones.

The current trend in Pinot Noir that's popular among the critics seems to be for dense, rich, concentrated wines that some have nicknamed "Pinotfandels". McHenry's style is about as far from that as you can get. Many Santa Cruz Mountains Pinots are light in colour, but I think theirs are the lightest I've seen - I've had a darker Rosé. High acid, earthy notes, elegance and delicacy are hallmarks, with careful use of French oak; I don't think they'd be wildly out of place in a line-up of old-world wines.

Currently the winery offers two releases, both from their estate vineyard. One is the Estate Pinot Noir, the other is designated "Swan Clones". Both are available for around $25-$30 and are excellent value.

2006 McHenry Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir
Very light colour, even by the usual Santa Cruz Mountains standards.
Earthy nose with red currant and cherry. Lots of acidity at first, but as you get used to it the fruit shows through, with nice cherry notes. The tannins appear light, but there's enough there to indicate that it may benefit from cellaring. Light bodied at first, it seems to gain weight with air. Very good value. 91

2006 Jason Stephens 'Dorcich Estate' Cabernet Sauvignon

2010-02-18T22:18:00.000-08:00

Have you ever pulled the wrong bottle from your cellar, and not noticed until it's too late?

Jason Goelz makes two Cabernets from the Dorcich vineyard on Watsonville Road. One is a lighter, softer wine that's intended to be drunk now, whereas the other has rather more intensity, oak and tannin, and could really have benefited from another year or two in a nice dark place instead of having its cork untimely plucked and being consumed without so much as a splash decanting.

2006 Jason/Stephens 'Dorcich Estate' Cabernet Sauvignon
Nose shows smoke, meat and mint. Initially there's lots of tannin and some tobacco notes; the blackcurrant fruit comes out with time. Either leave it in the cellar for a while longer or decant it first. 88+

2006 Montallegro Cabernet Sauvignon

2010-02-18T20:38:00.001-08:00

Arata Winery and Orchards were wine wholesalers and orchardists based in Sunnyvale over 100 years ago. They purchased bulk wine from around the state and marketed it under their own labels.

In 1955 the Arata family purchased 18 acres in Saratoga, on which they planted apricots and plums. When those trees were wiped out by a severe frost in the early 1970s the family planted a vineyard instead. Their fruit was sold to other local wineries and the Aratas continued to purchase and market finished wines. Over the years Saratoga grew, and over half of the original estate has been sold. By the early 1990s a little over an acre of Cabernet Sauvignon vines remained; tightly spaced and head trained.

David Arata is now a lawyer in San Jose. Around 1994 he met Tom Leonardini of Whitehall Lane Winery in Napa. The two became friends and Tom agreed to crush the 1995 vintage for him. Though the harvest was small the quality was clearly there.

Since the Arata brand was already established as a 'jug' wine, the winery needed a new name. He chose Montallegro, after a 14th century church in Rapallo, near Genoa in Italy. (A small, stylized representation of the church appears on the label).

The vineyards produce around 2 tons, which results in a total production of up to 200 cases. The wine is available from the winery or from Napa Valley Winery Exchange in San Francisco. This bottle was received as a sample; it retails for around $40 to $60.

2006 Montallegro Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
Opened and decanted. Dark purple in colour. The nose has earth, mint and blackberry. On the palate it's initially very tight, dry and tannic, but over the next hour or two it opened up to reveal lots of savoury blackberry and blackcurrant. I'd give it at least 3-5 years in the cellar, if not more. Fans of Mount Eden, or Kathryn Kennedy's "Small Lot" Cabernet should love this. 93

Monte Bello half bottles

2010-02-15T22:13:00.001-08:00

The almost universally accepted rule is that larger format bottles age slowly, smaller format bottles age more quickly. The science behind this isn't entirely understood, but it seems to involve a long, slow oxidation process. Larger bottles have a far greater ratio of the volume inside to the size of the opening, so the ageing process takes longer. So the good people at Ridge thought it might be fun to open some older vintages from half bottles for a change, to see how they were doing.

First off though, the current releases:

2006 Monte Bello Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
On this occasion the nose was showing lemon thyme, nuts and a hint of smoke. Flavours of crisp, flinty lemon. As with most Ridge whites the oak is present without being unobtrusive, and there's a long, mouthwatering finish. 91+

2006 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains
Deep red colour. Nose is herbal, with violets and blueberry. Bright blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, chewy tannins, medium finish. 91+

2006 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
Unusually tight and more tannic than the last time I tasted. Smoke, blueberry and graphite on the nose. Some fruit but very closed, unyielding; didn't seem to want to give much away.

Now onto the main event: 1987, 1988 and 1993 vintages from 375ml bottles. I didn't make a note of the composition, but it's on the Ridge website for the curious.

1987 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
Russet in colour, the meniscus is very pale, almost clear. Very mature nose - leather, cigar box, hint of Brett? Palate is earthy. Still some tannin left and shy blackcurrant fruit, hint of mint. Nice finish. A good example of a wine that's showing its age; should probably have been drunk by now. I bet the 750s of this are in fine form right now. 89

1988 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
Brick red colour, menuscus less faded than the 1987.
Lovely nose - cedar, pencil shavings and smoke. It tasted a decade younger than the vintage; there was bright brambly fruit and a finish that was a little soft. 93

1993 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains
Also a decade younger than the vintage would suggest. Deep red-purple colour, almost opaque, partially due to a large amount of sediment. (The wines had all been decanted; I must have got the last pour.)
Some bricking evident on the meniscus, but youthful and fruity on the nose. Concentrated blackcurrant, mint and eucalyptus. Lots of acid and tannin. 94

Go Team!

2010-02-10T22:09:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday was apparently "Superbowl Sunday". Everyone was talking about their teams - the Colts or the Saints. I was more interested in a completely different team: Team Zin.

Bob Peterson is a professional chef and owner of The BBQ Boys in San Jose. A chance encounter with a Ridge Jimsomare Zinfandel from the 1970s turned him into a Zinfandel enthusiast and he began making wine at home.

Team Zin was bonded back in 2004. Initially the amounts that had been produced were so small that the wine was just sold to friends and other clients, and no real effort was made at marketing. Then came a couple of setbacks; most of the 2005 vintage was lost when a pump malfunctioned and medical issues meant there was no 2006 vintage.

The first wine from the 2007 vintage is in bottle and the winery is now open to the public on the first Sunday of the month. It's located in an industrial unit off Gish, not far from the junction of 101 and 880. Apart from the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, all the wines carry the "Inspirit" label.

2008 Zinfandel, Belloti Ranch, Alexander Valley
Barrel Sample, not yet bottled. Field blend: approx 84% Zinfandel, 13% Petite Sirah and 3% Carignan. Around 130 cases.
The initial nose had an odd chemical note, something like acetone or nail polish remover, which blew off after a few minutes to reveal vanilla and oak. On the palate it had good brambly, raspberry fruit. The finish was dry, with smooth tannins. Overall it's a tasty wine; I'd just be a little concerned about that nose and how it will develop.

2008 Ponzo Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Barrel Sample, not yet bottled. Field blend: approx 60% Carignan, 20% Zinfandel and 20% Petite Sirah. Around 145 cases.
Bob Ponzo's vineyard is used by some well known producers including Ridge and Nickel & Nickel. The fruit came from three rows that were not picked by the intended purchaser, and is primarily Carignan. The nose is floral, with shy black fruit and sweet oak. It's rich, with fairly concentrated black fruit and a long finish. The wine would probably benefit from 2-3 of years ageing before it peaks. 89-91

2007 Zinfandel, Oldini Ranch, Alexander Valley $26, 225 cases
13% Petite Sirah. Smoky nose, with raspberry and coriander seed. Dry and tight; concentrated raspberry fruit and some orange peel notes. Medium finish. 89

2004 "Discovery" Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley $22
Sourced from the Murphy Ranch Vineyard (as in Murphy-Goode winery).
84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot. ABV 13.6%
Nose is feminine and sweet, with some violets. Soft blackberry fruit with herbal notes. Dry, tannic finish. Good value. 88

2004 Zinfandel, Teldeschi Ranch "Heritage Clone" $22
15% Petite Sirah, ABV 15.6%
Smoky, earthy nose with some dried orange peel. Slightest hint of residual sugar; peppery raspberry and blackberry. Astringent, smoky finish. 87

2004 Zinfandel, Teldeschi Ranch "Late Picked" $26
Picked 2 weeks later than the "Heritage Clone", this has 16.2% ABV and 12% Petite Sirah.
The wines are similar, with this having more tannin and concentration as well as higher alcohol. 87

2006 Downhill Chardonnay, Peter Martin Ray Vineyard

2010-02-06T16:50:00.002-08:00

In 1972 Rusty Ray lost control of most of his mountain and its vineyards to his shareholders and creditors. The winery became Mount Eden Vineyards, and today produces some of the finest wines in the state.

The family kept their house and a small vineyard lower down the mountain. With Ray's death in 1976 the land passed to his stepson, Peter Martin Ray. As you drive up the two mile dirt track that leads to Mount Eden Vineyards the first vines that you see, head pruned and sprawling, are the Peter Martin Ray vineyard. Planted in the 1960s there are around 5 acres in total of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The grapes are mostly sold to local producers. Duane Cronin was one buyer; he produced many notable vintages of Peter Martin Ray Pinot Noir in the 1990s. Current purchasers include Denis Hoey's Odonata label as well as Frank Ashton's Downhill.

2006 Downhill Chardonnay, Peter Martin Ray Vineyard
Nose of baked apples, vanilla and caramel. Sharp acidity, nice fruit with mineral notes. Oak is evident without being too obtrusive. Needs time. 88 Listed at $23

1984 Cabernet Retrospective

2010-02-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

Photo by Richard Jennings
Local wine collector Ross Bott organises a wine tasting group that meets twice a week. Last Thursday's theme was a retrospective of Cabernet Sauvignons from 1984. Now my experience of older wines is limited, and that's putting it mildly, so I was very interested to try them; particularly when I saw the wines in the line-up.

Each taster brings 8 glasses. The wines are opened then bagged, and are poured using a measuring cup and minimal agitation. You are asked to rank them in order of preference, 1-8. This turned out to be much more difficult than I imagined.

The first thing that struck me was that the colours were all very consistent; wine #7 was slightly darker (although I got some sediment in that glass), but the others seemed identical; lovely warm brick red colours.

Another thing that became apparent was the way the wines continually evolved in the glass. One that appeared tight at first opened up after 30 minutes in the glass. The nose changed on each pass, and new flavours emerged. All the wines were very good and sound, without flaws or oxidation. I'd be pleased to have any of them in my cellar.

1984 Ridge "York Creek Vineyard", Napa Valley (12.9%)
Nose had a hint of volatile acidity, but that blew off. I decided to taste it last just in case. When I came back to it the VA seemed less obvious and was showing vanilla and rose petals.
The palate was surprising smooth, with light acid. The VA wasn't as evident as I feared, and was showing rose hips and currant. 90

1984 Rodney Strong "Alexander's Crown", Alexander Valley (13.8%)
The initial nose showed cedar and leather, with some brambly fruit. A later pass showed more of a meaty character.
This showed the most fruit of all the wines, there was a rich, concentrated blackcurrant note, backed by meaty (I wrote "oxo cube") and mushroom notes. 92

1984 Chateau Pichon Lalande, Pauillac (12.3%)
Nose showed a distinct bretty, underbrush character, with red cherry, smoke and caramel.
Seemed lightweight by comparison to the others. Some black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, with leather on the finish. I guessed this as the Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains. 88

1984 Joseph Swan "Estate", Northern Sonoma (12.5%)
This had a earthy yet perfumed nose with some brambly fruit.
It had good balance and bright acidity, with plenty of blackcurrant fruit. Cranberry showed later. A nice herbal, medium length finish. Really opened up during the tasting. 93

1984 Girard "Reserve", Napa Valley (12.5%)
Tart cranberry nose with musty notes.
Lots of acidity. Raspberry, brambly notes with some mushroom and a nice finish. 92

1984 Ridge, Santa Cruz Mountains (12.0%)
Funky nose (brett?) with dried herbs and leaves.
Palate showed lots of leather and cedar, but no fruit to speak of. I later tried it again after eating some bread and cheese and noticed some black fruit in the background. Earthy, herbal finish. I guessed that this was the Bordeaux. 87

1984 Mount Eden "Estate", Santa Cruz Mountains (12.8%)
This had the darkest colour of all the wines.
The nose had lively fruit with notes of pencil shavings.
Good acidity, nice tart blackcurrant and graphite, and an interesting finish. 89

1984 Ridge "Montebello", Santa Cruz Mountains (12.9%)
An earthy, smoky nose. This was the first wine I tasted; it seemed rather closed. The palate was tart and savoury but there wasn't much in the way of fruit. With time the raspberry, brambly fruit started to come out. Had the most tannin of all the wines. I marked it down because it wasn't as open as the rest; perhaps that should have been my clue. Several of the more experienced tasters quickly recognised this as the Monte Bello. Clearly still has plenty of life. 91

Wes Barton's notes are http://bartonorchard.blogspot.com/2010/02/84-cabernet-blind-tasting-2410.html>here.
Richard Jennings' notes are here.

ZAP festival round-up

2010-02-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

ZAP are the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers - their annual Zinfandel festival is one of the biggest public wine events of the year. It was held last weekend in two of the old piers at Fort Mason in San Francisco.

I've never attended the ZAP festival before and was a little surprised by the scale of it; it's almost twice as big as Pinot Days, which means that parking is nigh on impossible, even for the morning trade only session.

Overall I was very impressed with the way the event was run. I particularly appreciated the bottled water and sourdough baguettes, though next year I need to bring a jacket with more pockets and perhaps a couple of spare arms to hold my wine glass, spit cup, programme and iPhone. On that note my only minor complaint was that I'd have liked to have seen some more free tables so that people can step away from the pouring to taste the wines.

Something that the organisers might like to consider is a way of colour coding the producers by region; at Pinot Paradise last year each winery had coloured balloons indicating the grape sources - Corralitos, Skyline, etc. This would be great at ZAP so that you can see from a distance which producers are from Dry Creek, Paso Robles, Sierra Foothills etc.

I didn't really take detailed notes - it's near impossible in that format; instead I posted a few brief impressions on Twitter if anyone's interested. Here are a few of my conclusions.

2007 and 2008 both seem to be excellent vintages. The 2008s seem very concentrated due to the lower yields. Ridge were pouring eight 2008s, all of them 90+ pointers in my view. The "Carmichael" was particularly interesting, it's from a block within the Geyserville vineyard.

2006 was clearly a weaker vintage, but I found a particularly nice one from Bradford Mountain at just $22. However I've not been able to find it at retail anywhere; most places are still carrying the 2005. And though the 2005 vintage may have been slammed by some critics I can recommend the 2005 Lion Oaks from Storrs.

I was pleasantly surprised by some of the offerings from Paso Robles, including Gray Wolf Cellars. Another surprise was a boxed Zinfandel from Bota Box. Priced at under $20 for a 3L box it was a light, fruity wine that's way better than anything else I've tried in its price range.

I don't like Zinfandel 'port'.