Sauvignon Blanc: Top 5 for Summertime Sipping

With this hot weather, I can't get enough Sauvignon Blanc!

My preferred style of Sauvignon Blanc is usually aged "sur lie", which provides a nice creaminess and slightly subdues the level of acid. I prefer to taste tropical fruit flavors and citrus notes. When a wine has descriptors such as fresh-cut grass or wet stone or racy acidity, I'm usually not a fan of it.

In case you missed my previous posts about various Sauvignon Blancs that I have particularly enjoyed, here's a recap of my favorites:

1. 2011 Captûre Tradition Sauvignon Blanc 

2. 2011 Crocker & Starr Sauvignon Blanc

3. 2011 Hanna Sauvignon Blanc

4. 2011 Hartwell Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

5. 2010 Whitehall Lane Sauvignon Blanc

I was surprised to see that I have not previously blogged about Number #5. I have visited Whitehall Lane Winery in St. Helena several times; in fact, I enjoyed a bottle of their Sauvignon Blanc ($18/bottle) last month.

Blended with 8% Semillon, it has a floral bouquet and good acidity with honeydew and citrus flavors. It's terrific with sushi. Cheers!

The Vineyard Experience at Crocker & Starr

If you asked me today what my top ten favorite wines are, three from Crocker & Starr would definitely make the list.

My friend, Julie, and I received a warm welcome by winemaker Pam Starr at the Crocker & Starr Estate in St. Helena yesterday. We began the unique 'Vineyard Experience' on the porch of the farmhouse with a taste of the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc.

I have always loved the Crocker & Starr SB ($32/bottle). Made from organically grown grapes sourced from the Crocker Vineyard and the Hyde Las Trancas Vineyard in Oak Knoll, this wine is medium-bodied, fresh, and fruit-forward. It is aged sur lies, 96% stainless steel barrels and 4% new French oak barrels, which adds a wonderful creaminess to the mouthfeel and intensity to the flavors. Floral aromas with white peach, guava and citrus. Finishes clean with brilliant acidity.

In yesterday's 85+ degree temperatures, this wine was wonderfully refreshing!

Wine glass in hand, we walked from the porch to the edge of the vineyard. You can really hear the passion in Pam's voice as she talks about pruning and vineyard management, clones, and soil types. It was both fascinating and inspiring!

Eager to get out of the sun, we settled at the long walnut table (big enough to seat at least 8 people or more) under the arbor to taste the Estate red wines.

I have been enjoying Pam's wines for about three years now, and they remain consistently delicious year-to-year. As usual, the red wines were outstanding.

The 2009 Cab Franc smells like blueberry pie right out of the oven. The palate offers layers of sweet blueberry, cherry cola, herbs and baking spices (particularly cinnamon and cardamom). Luscious mouthfeel with dry, velvety tannins. The wine ends with lingering flavors of tobacco leaf and cocoa. This wine will age well but is very drinkable now. ($62/bottle, less than 500 cases)

The 2008 Stone Place Cabernet Sauvignon is dark, powerful, and concentrated. This 100% Cab shows rich, black fruit aromas. Blackberry jam and dark chocolate flavors are backed by firm tannins and hints of baking spice. Black licorice and sweet vanilla linger on the palate. Absolutely delicious! Aged in barrel for 20 months, 80% new French oak. I was actually shocked by how well this wine is showing upon release; but it definitely has the potential to improve over the next 10+ years. ($90/bottle, less than 500 cases)

Tours and tastings are available daily by appointment only. Definitely worth visiting! (photo below: Julie and I posing near a vintage wine press)

And I strongly recommend the Prime Rib French Dip sandwich at the Rutherford Grill afterwards. Mmmmmm.....

P.S. Pam also makes super-small amounts of wine specifically for the Crocker & Starr Casali Wine Club (the Malbec is amazing!) and she is the winemaking genius behind the Bridesmaid wines. A second label that she produces with Drew Nieman, the Bridesmaid Bordeaux-style blends are affordable and ready-to-drink. Perfect for summer!

Rosé-tinted glasses

Now that it's officially summer, it's time to start opening easy-drinking wines that are better suited for warm weather (if you haven't started already!). A dry rosé is always my first summer sipping choice.

Stepping Stone by Cornerstone makes an excellent coral-colored wine appropriately named Corallina. This rosé made from Napa Valley-grown Syrah grapes has elegant aromas of rose petal, lavender, and berries. The palate offers flavors of ripe strawberry, cranberry, and currant with vibrant acidity. This rosé finishes dry with a lingering note of tangerine and red fruits.

Rosé can be paired with many summertime dishes; in fact, I think it's more of a food wine than white wine.

The 2011 Stepping Stone Corallina Syrah Rosé is robust enough to stand up to red meat (such as burgers and ribs), duck or grilled salmon--I recommend you have some on hand for your next BBQ. This wine also paired beautifully with a salad I made last night of mixed greens, avocado, fresh figs, and goat cheese with Brianna's Honey Mustard vinaigrette. The pairing possibilities are endless.

Fewer than 500 cases of this wine were produced so it's bound to sell out quickly. Available for purchase at the Cornerstone Cellars tasting room in Yountville or from the website for $20/bottle. Sample received courtesy of Cornerstone Cellars for review purposes.

Don't take my word for it....pour yourself a glass of rosé and see your summer through rose-tinted glasses (they're better than beer goggles haha). Cheers!


  

A very special Sauvignon Blanc

If you're participating in #SauvBlanc Day today, consider celebrating with the 2011 Captûre Tradition Sauvignon Blanc ($30/bottle).

This Sauvignon Blanc offers seductive aromas of flowers, white peach and citrus. Aged sur lie in stainless steel tanks, the palate has a soft elegance without any oak flavoring. The creamy mouthfeel is paralleled by brilliant acidity and finishes clean.

*Serve this wine a little warmer than you think you should and you'll be amazed by its tropical fruit flavors.

Delicious on its own or paired with anything from the seafood selection at Restaurant Picco where this bottle is featured on the wine list.

And a beautiful bottle it is. The story of Captûre Wines is told in the elegant design of the label. The gold embellishment represents the shape of a mountain (which is significant because the vineyards are located high on Pine Mountain in within Sonoma County); it also represents the circumflex above the 'u' in Captûre; and--if you look closely--it looks like a man and a woman embracing. The wines are made by husband and wife winemaking team (May-Britt and Denis Malbec) and founders Tara and Ben Sharp. Very clever!

Production of this remarkable wine (as well as the rest of the Captûre portfolio) remains low, at about one thousand cases. Available for purchase direct from the winery or from Stash Wines. Tastings of Captûre wines are offered at Ma(i)sonry in Yountville.

So get your hands on some and enjoy today!

As good as it gets in Marin

There are many great restaurants in Marin, but with Restaurant Picco about a mile from my house, it's usually where I end up when I go out for dinner. The wine and cocktail selection never disappoints and the food is consistently delicious.

I met a friend at Picco last night; over the course of three hours, we ordered 5 dishes and 5 glasses of wine to share. 

To start, I opted for a glass of the 2009 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris. It was crisp and clean with flavors of pear and green apple. Although refreshing and tasty on it's own, it was the perfect accompaniment to our first course of kampachi crudo and risotto with wax beans and peppers.

Meanwhile, my friend enjoyed the Italian 2010 Ceretto Blange Arneis--a slightly sweet white wine with stonefruit flavors and a medium body.

When the trio of sliders arrived, I quickly ordered a glass of the 2009 Bueyes Malbec from Argentina. Dark and juicy, this approachable red has been on the wine list for a while and I love it! It's also great with the thin-crust pizza served next door at the Pizzeria. 

The Malbec also paired nicely with the hen of the woods mushroom (a meaty mushroom grilled and served in a citrusy beurre blanc sauce). 

The luscious 2008 Lambert Bridge Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel was such a wonderful match for the rich, pungent cheese plate we had in lieu of dessert. For $14.95, the four-selection cheese plate with marcona almonds, fruit and grilled bread, this is the best cheese plate ever.

Why would I go anywhere else when Picco is as good as it gets?

A tasty Torrontés from Trader Joes

It was a stifling 85 degrees when I visited my local Trader Joe's last week. As I neared the wine selection, I put my grocery list away and fixated my thoughts on chilled white wine.

I can't say what it was about the simple white label of the 2011 Alamos Torrontés that caught my eye, but the price tag might have had something to do with it. At $8.99, it seemed like a good gamble.

I unscrewed the cap of this Argentine wine last night as I started to prepare dinner. It was nice to sip on its own and it paired nicely with sautéed summer veggies.

This Argentine wine is a pale straw color in the glass with aromas of white flowers and citrus. The palate expresses lemon, lime, melon, and peach. Good acidity keeps the fresh fruit flavors balanced. The wine finishes with a clean, minerally note. It's a screw-top too!

I will definitely add a few more bottles of this wine to the fridge to have on hand for the next heat wave. Cheers!

Pinot Party at Fort Mason

Yesterday was the 8th Annual Pinot Days Grand Festival at Fort Mason in San Francisco. According to their website, it is the "largest gathering of Pinot Noir producers in the world." With more than 150 producers from California, Oregon, and France, there were many wines to try!

I attended the event with a fellow wine writer and friend, Alana Gentry ("Girl with a Glass", pictured at left). We arrived with no game plan, choosing to approach wineries at random (sometimes it was the label that caught our eye or the winery name or a crowded table that attracted us).

Although there were a few more corporate wineries with large production wines, it seemed like most of the Pinots we tasted were of limited production (a few hundred cases to a couple thousand cases)--and most of them were new to my palate. I can't say I was a fan of every wine I tasted, but after two hours, I had a long list of favorites:

Sequana Wines was a winery I recognized, but I didn't know they made so many vineyard-specific Pinot Noirs. The Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot was super tasty with nice depth and concentration. I also really liked the Dutton Ranch and Russian River Valley Pinots.

Expression Wines was a winery that sounded familiar but I couldn't recall ever tasting their wines previously. They were pouring a trio of Pinot Noirs; one each from Oregon, Sonoma, and Napa. I don't know many wine companies that can offer such a diverse portfolio of wines. Each wine was delicious, full-flavored, and unique!

Woodenhead was another winery that was new to me. Their Russian River Valley Pinot was light and juicy. The second wine they poured us was called "Wet Kiss" and it suited its name--very playful and easy to drink. This winery makes quite a few vineyard designate wines, including Zinfandel and French Colombard.

Cornerstone Cellars was a familiar name to me because of their tasting room in Yountville, but they also produce Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. This was news to me. We tasted two vintages....both were beautiful wines with elegant aromas. Light-hued in the glass. Distinctly Oregonian. At the time, my mouth was watering for duck confit; it would have been the perfect compliment to these wines.

JCB is a collection of wines inspired by Jean-Charles Boisset's French heritage and his love for California winemaking. I loved the simple black label with gold lettering--très chic! They were pouring a very refreshing Brut Rosé from Burgundy as well as a few Pinot Noirs.

Just when we thought we had had enough, I spotted the sign for Abiouness Wines, which I had heard were lovely but had never tasted. Unknowingly, we saved the best for last. Nicole Abiouness, the winemaker/owner, was happy to tell us about her wines and the distinct vineyard sites from which she sources the grapes. I loved the Hudson Vineyard Pinot; it was concentrated with a rich mouthfeel and dark fruit flavors. Oh so wonderful!


I was glad to see a few familiar wineries whose wines I always enjoy...including Dutton-Goldfield, Domaine Serene, Sojourn Cellars, Failla, and Eric Kent Wine Cellars.

Always held in mid-June at Fort Mason, I strongly recommend you attend Pinot Days next year. What a fun event!

Chenin Blanc does not equal jug wine

On Tuesday evening, I arrived for a twilight tennis match with a bottle of 2011 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier in hand. It had been such a hot day, and the idea of drinking something cold and refreshing after my match was something I looked forward to. 

A few other players brought wine, but my bottle was a hit--no pun intended. It was gone before I could refill my glass and it sparked a conversation about Chenin Blanc and its unfortunate association with jug wine.

Chenin Blanc used to be widely planted in the 1970s. It was a high-yielding variety that could thrive in the most unforgiving of conditions; thus it was mass-produced and easy to chug. Today, only a teeny tiny number of California vineyards are still planted to Chenin. 

The varietal on it's own can be one-dimensional and overly acidic, which is why it has become so unpopular over the years. But when produced in small batches and with the addition of Viognier for weight and complexity, Chenin Blanc can outrank any jug wine by a long shot. 

The Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier is light, bright and fresh.  It is a lovely blend with citrus, peach, and honeysuckle notes. 

The twist-off cap makes it a great bottle for picnics, BBQ's and post-match parties. I found it at Trader Joe's for $10.99! 

A scrumptious Pinot of the white variety

Last night at chez moi, the menu featured sautéed shrimp in a buerre blanc sauce with pesto pasta and wilted spinach. My wine of choice? The white wine version of my favorite varietal--a Pinot Blanc.

As I've mentioned previously, Dutton-Goldfield knows how to make a mighty fine Pinot Noir. They do a great job with the white wines, too, including Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewurtztraminer. 

The 2011 Dutton-Goldfield Shop Block Pinot Blanc (Russian River Valley, Sonoma; $25/btl) is a very limited production released just in time for summer. It smells of white flowers and grapefruit but it's less acidic on the palate than the nose suggests. Nuances of cantaloupe, stone fruits, and guava give way to a crisp finish with lingering notes of mineral and lime.

This wine makes a superb aperatif and paired nicely with the shrimp. Cheers!

I heart Hartwell (part two)

Hartwell Vineyards and Winery, located in the Stags Leap District of Napa, has been one of my favorites for some time now. Since I last blogged about Hartwell in 2009, I have continued to enjoy their wines.

When I visited the winery less than two weeks ago on May 25th (before the holiday weekend) with my boyfriend Doug, we had a terrific time. David Robbins, the Director of Retail Sales at the winery and a certified sommelier, was an excellent host.

We started out in the vineyard to discuss the viticulture of the property and sip the very refreshing Estate Sauvignon Blanc (grown in Carneros). The scenery was breathtaking--Doug took the photo at right with his iPhone--and the wine was tasty with light citrus notes.

We walked into the caves to taste the Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, a richly flavored white wine with notes of coconut and carmelized pineapple. I was unexpectedly wowed by this wine (as I thought it had been overly oaky in previous vintages.)

As usual, the Misté Hill Cab was my favorite. The powerful dark fruit aromas of this wine are very unique to the terroir--this wine smells the same year to year (and it is a lovely smell!). The color of the wine is very concentrated in the glass but incredibly smooth and easy to drink. With fine-grained tannins and flavors of cassis, licorice, and sweet blackberry, it easy to pair with many foods.

That being said, we tasted (and purchased) the 2008 vintage of this incredible wine; I just received an email from the winery today to let me know the 2009 vintage was just released. I suppose I'm already due another visit!