A vertical tasting with Alexis

Dinner this past Friday night was a very special occasion—I finally got to open a vertical of proprietary red wines from a well-known winery in Oakville.

Swanson Vineyards has been one of my favorite wineries for sometime, both for the wines and for the unique artwork on display in the salon. Since 1985, they have grown Merlot between the vineyards of Opus One and Silver Oak along Oakville Crossroad and they have garnered a reputation for making some of the best Merlot in the Napa Valley. In addition to Merlot, they also make a delightful Pinot Grigio, a Cabernet Sauvignon dubbed “Alexis” (more on that in a moment), and limited production offerings (like Sangiovese and Chardonnay) to members. 

The Alexis wine, named after the Swanson’s eldest daughter who is also the winery’s Creative Director, is a Bordeaux-style proprietary blend. Less than 2000 cases of this wine are made each year, and the blend varies from year to year (the exact percentages are not published on the label). At $75/bottle, the Alexis is designed to be aged. But I’ve heard from numerous sources that Napa Cabernet should generally be opened within 10 years of the vintage date (unfortunately, aging wine is not an exact science). Knowing this, I have been getting anxious to open my 2002 Alexis.

So that’s exactly what I did this past Friday night. We were invited to dinner at a friend’s house and because one bottle doesn’t go very far for four people, I also brought along the 2003 Alexis, the 2004 Alexis, and the 2008 Merlot (for comparison’s sake).

The 2002 Alexis Red Wine smelled like a mix of star anise, hot tar, asphalt and black tea. Black olive and green bean dominated the palate with undertones of sour cherry and blackberry. It was an interesting mix of mostly savory notes, albeit past its prime.

The 2003 Alexis Red Wine tasted better than the first. The bouquet offered aromas of cherry liqueur, currant and orange zest. Flavors of black cherry and tart cranberry were supported by dry tannins. If I had had a magic ball, I probably would have opened this bottle 2-3 years ago.

2004 Alexis Cabernet Sauvignon was definitely our favorite of the four. The current winemaker, Chris Phelps, took over in late 2003; the difference between the 2003 and 2004 vintages was huge. Even the labels had been updated and a foil topper was added in 2004. In this case, change was a very good thing indeed. The ’04 smelled like burnt orange and spice. The palate expressed more fruity notes of black cherry and raspberry while the finish imparted notes of orange zest and red fruit.

We also decided to open the 2008 Swanson Merlot, the current release ($38/bottle). The Merlot seemed simple in contrast to the Alexis wines. It was robust and jammy, with flavors of black cherry, plum, sweet oak, and mocha. This is an easy-drinking wine and would pair well with many dishes, but I would not hold onto for more than a year after purchase.

I have visited the Swanson tasting room in Oakville on many occasions. They offer a beautifully appointed, sit-down salon tasting with food pairings (which, at $65 per person, is one of the most expensive experiences offered in the Napa Valley) or a more casual tasting in the Sip Shoppe (with flights starting at $20 per). Although pricey, it’s definitely worth a visit!

David Arthur Winery: incredible wines and views

The next time you plan a trip to the Napa Valley and you want to visit a winery that’s off the beaten path, make an appointment at David Arthur Winery, located to the east of the Silverado Trail north of Yountville.

The driveway is steeper and longer than you can imagine (it’s called “Long Ranch Road” for a reason!), but once you get to the top of Pritchard Hill, you’ll see that the trek was worth it. The views of the valley 1200 feet below are incredible!

I went for a tasting in September last year and, unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures. Don't make the same mistake! (The one above is from their website and does not do the beautiful views justice.)

I must have tasted ten different wines that day—they were some of the biggest, most intense mountain-grown wines I have ever tried. The one wine that I knew I had to go home with was the Cab Franc ($60/bottle).

After allowing this wine some time to mellow out in the bottle, I opened it this past Monday night. The 2009 David Arthur Cabernet Franc was just as big and intense as I remembered it!

Dark purple and very concentrated in the glass, this Franc has a perfume of black cherry, sweet blackberry jam, and violets. The palate is lush and effusive, offering layers of cherry cola, vanilla, star anise, and crème de cassis. Tannins are superfine and velvety. It ends with ripe berry and spice notes (and the urge to take another sip).

This wine was even better the second night, which tells me I could have held onto it a little longer (and that I should have gotten more than just the one bottle). The winery didn’t make much of it (less than 150 cases), as is usually the case with Napa-grown Cab Franc. If you can get your hands on some, don’t put off the pleasure of drinking it for too long!

Oh, and be sure to check out Chappellet and Ovid while you’re up there on Pritchard Hill!

Just the right amount of oak

If I were to play the word association game with wine varietals, it would go something like this….

Cabernet Sauvignon: dark fruit.

Merlot: velvety tannins.

Cab Franc: spice.

Sauvignon Blanc: acidity.

Chardonnay: umm.

In my opinion, Chardonnay has the broadest spectrum of styles and flavors. It can be oaky and buttery, floral and fruity, crisp and lean, rich and full-bodied, funky (i.e. barnyard or cat piss), spicy or sweet (or any combination of these descriptors).

How can one grape yield so many different wine styles? Whether or not the wine is aged in oak makes all the difference.

I’m not saying Chardonnay is a blank slate, but it’s a very malleable variety. If you blind-tasted an unoaked Chardonnay and a Chardonnay that was aged in oak barrels (or aged in large stainless steel tanks with oak chips added), you probably would not guess that the two wines were made from the same grape.

Aging wine in oak barrels adds specific flavoring, such as baking spices, caramel, or woody notes. The newer the barrels, the more flavor they impart on the wine. Sometimes, it’s too much and the natural fruity flavors of the wine are overpowered by the oak (it’s called Rombauer Chardonnay).

J Vineyards does an exceptional job of using just the right amount of oak for their cool-climate Russian River Valley Chardonnay. It is aged for six months in French oak barrels (35% of which were brand-new), which is just long enough for the wine to absorb some of the vanilla and baking spice notes but retain its unique freshness and fruit flavors.

The 2009 J Russian River Valley Chardonnay is elegant and expressive. Aromas of orange blossom, green apple and toast greet the nose. The palate offers flavors of Meyer lemon, vanilla, and nutmeg. This wine has bright acidity and a brilliant finish that leaves the taste of lemon lingering on the tongue until the next sip.

I paired this delicious Chardonnay with a summertime salad of little gems lettuces, cherry tomatoes, sweet white corn, feta, avocado and marcona almonds with a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing. The wine was light enough to pair with this simple, healthy meal. I will definitely enjoy this pairing again, but it would also pair well with seafood risotto, butternut squash and farro salad, pesto pasta, or roast chicken and potatoes.

I received this bottle courtesy of J Vineyards for review purposes. Order yours from their website for $28/bottle.

Check out this 'Stash'

Every time I browse the wine selection available online at Stash Wines, my mouth waters. Many of the wines available for purchase through the website are some of my favorites, including the Bridesmaid wines, Lioco Chardonnay, and Pinot Noirs from the likes of Walter Hansel and Eric Kent Cellars. 

Stash owner Scot Wagner and I seem to agree on what makes a great wine—and that price isn’t necessarily the determining factor.

Offering a variety of wines at different price points, Stash has a wine to meet every budget.

Take for example the Luli Pinot Noir. I had never heard of it until I received the Stash e-newsletter last week. The $22 price tag along with Scot’s tasting notes (“velvety mouthfeel, rich aromas and marathon-like finish”) certainly got my attention. But just as you shouldn’t believe everything you see on TV, I like to do my own research. 

In my experience, the words ‘cheap’ and ‘Pinot Noir’ are mutually exclusive. It’s kind of like sushi—you get what you pay for. (Doesn’t ‘cheap sushi’ sound suspicious?) That being said, I was willing to give the 2011 Luli Pinot Noir a try.

It seems weird to see '2011' on the label of a red wine. I have yet to review a 2010 red wine, so it’s hard to imagine a 2011 red wine that’s ready to drink. I could have buried the bottle in the back of my wine fridge and held onto it for a while, but curiosity got the better of me.

At first taste, the wine seemed particularly tight and minerally. I poured a little more in my glass and swirled it. And then I swirled it a little more.

After giving it about 15 minutes to open up, this Pinot offers an elegant perfume of bright red fruit (currant, cranberry, and pomegranate) as well as purple flowers. As the wine warms up, the red fruits flavors become more effusive and the acidity mellows out. It is a dark, almost purple, hue in the glass--particularly dark for a Pinot Noir, but not opaque--and tastes of crème de cassis. It finishes big with baking spice and white pepper.

Sourced from the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Luli Pinot Noir is definitely delicious now, but it will hold well for a couple years. Luli Wines is a joint project for Sarah Floyd, Master Sommelier, and the Pisoni Family. Please order this wine from Stash.

As Scot says, “Be well. Drink well. Drink often!”

Slightly Sparkling Vinho Verde

As always, I volunteered to bring a bottle of wine for the post-match party at my tennis club last night. Originally I planned to bring a bottle of Copain Pinot Noir because it was gray and misty when I woke up yesterday. But the sun finally came out and as it warmed up, I decided to bring a bottle of white wine.

When I arrived at the club a few minutes before my tennis match, I nestled a bottle of 2011 Broadbent Vinho Verde from Portugal into the ice bucket. I hoped that I would both win my match and that there would still be some wine left for me at that time.

Purchased from the Paradise Market in Corte Madera for $10.99, this Vinho Verde was the perfect pick-me-up, especially after running all over the court for 90 minutes.

This crisp, slightly effervescent wine is very refreshing (the bottle was empty very quickly). Very pale straw color in the glass, it has mild aromas of white flowers. Zesty and bright, the palate offers flavors of fresh peach and citrus. The finish is clean with a hint of spice. 

Vinho Verde is Portugal's largest wine region. Although it's not categorized as a sparkling wine, the trademark fizz of Vinho Verde comes from the release of carbon monoxide during the malolactic fermentation process.

A very food-friendly wine, it pairs well with spicy foods, Asian cuisine, summertime salads, shellfish and seafood. Cheers!


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When to bring your own wine

More and more restaurants are posting both their menu and their wine list on their website, which makes it easy to decide whether or not to bring a bottle of wine and if so, what to bring that will pair nicely with the food they serve.

On Saturday, instead of celebrating Bastille Day in French fashion, my boyfriend and I decided to go out California-style. We made a reservation at Salt & Pepper restaurant in downtown Tiburon, a restaurant featuring California cuisine.

When I looked up Salt & Pepper online that afternoon and realized that they didn't have a website, I knew I should bring a bottle of wine to dinner.

At the restaurant, we were seated at a table in front of the small bar where the wines were displayed upright. It was warm inside the restaurant, so my first thought was, they should be storing the wines--on their side---in a temperature-controlled environment.

My next thought was, thankfully we brought our own bottle. Their wine selection consisted of the kind that you'll find stacked on the first or second shelf at Safeway. I love finding great wines for $10 a bottle, but I refuse to pay three times that at a restaurant for something that won't be that good. 

So for $15 corkage fee, it was worth bringing a bottle of the 2009 Dutton-Goldfield Devil's Gulch Pinot Noir ($48/bottle). With rich blackberry fruit flavors, nice spice, and good concentration, the wine was amazing!

I wish I could say the same about the restaurant.

Although the small space had charm, the dining room was so close to the kitchen that it filled up with smoke about half-way through our meal despite the overhead fans. It didn't get so bad that we had to evacuate, but my eyes stung and it smelled like smoke. When I went to the bathroom, the sloping floor made me feel like I was on a boat out at sea.

For a restaurant called Salt & Pepper, we joked that they didn't use enough seasoning. The menu sounded great, but the food was bland. The crab cakes were teeny tiny and Doug's pork chop was undercooked.  It was also weird that we were the youngest customers by about forty years (I am not exaggerating).

For consistently yummy food in Tiburon, check out the Boathouse (which ironically, is directly across the street from Salt & Pepper). Doug and I have only been to the Boathouse once for lunch (the chicken pot pie was the best I've ever had), but we go for brunch at least twice a month for the eggs benedict. We will definitely go there for dinner before we go back to Salt & Pepper.

And when in doubt, bring a bottle of wine to dinner. You can always decide not to open it if you see something more interesting on the wine list. Life is too short to drink bad wine with a 300% upcharge.

P.S. If you do bring your own bottle, don't make a stink about the corkage fee.  

Superb Santa Barbara Sauvignon Blanc

In the past month, I have been enjoying mostly white wines. And it has dawned on me that I like Sauvignon Blanc produced like Chardonnay (in neutral oak) and I like Chardonnay produced like Sauvignon Blanc (unoaked). I'm also loving everything coming from Santa Barbara.

So it came as no surprise to read that 40% of the 2011 Nadia Sauvignon Blanc is aged 9 months in neutral French oak barrels.

This Sauvignon Blanc, sourced from the Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard in Santa Barbara County, is absolutely delicious and utterly refreshing!

A pale straw color in the glass, it has very delicate aromas of white flowers and white peach. The wine tastes very crisp, with bright acidity and fresh flavors or grapefruit and guava.The long-lasting finish imparts zesty lime and minerals.

This is the kind of wine to serve on a hot day (or after a long, hot day). It comes with a screw-top closure so it's perfect for picnics and BBQ's. I paired it with a summertime risotto of sautéed shrimp, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and parmesan cheese. It would also be delicious with oysters. (Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is!)

The Nadia wines are a secondary label of Laetitia Winery based in the Arroyo Grande Valley (just south of San Luis Obispo). The 2011 Sauvignon Blanc is only $18/bottle; which I think is a great value for a wine of this superb quality.

I received wine samples from the winery for review purposes. Please visit their website and order yours to help keep you cool on the hot summer days to come!

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Benissimo: the best Italian food in Marin?!

Who knew that the little Italian restaurant on Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera could be so good? I've driven and walked by Benissimo hundreds of times—it’s been there since 1987—but it only occurred to me to check it out for the first time this past Saturday.

 

It was nearing 8 pm by the time we approached the restaurant. It was so nice to be seated right away on a Saturday night—especially without a reservation. The host (probably one of the owners) was kind enough to offer us a bigger table near the back or a small table up front. I wanted the table near the front by the window.

The restaurant was bigger and more spacious than it looks from the street. About half the tables were occupied, so it wasn't very noisy (which was a relief).

We brought a bottle of 2006 Pine Ridge Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy with dinner and put it on the table as we sat down. A server arrived a few short moments later with wine glasses—and not with attitude because we brought our own wine. He proceeded to open the bottle while he told us the specials.

The specials sounded amazing, but so did so many dishes on the menu (the four different kinds of risotto, the short ribs, the lamb, the pastas).

After tasting the Cab, I knew I had to order red meat. The wine was lush and jammy and full-bodied with silky tannins. It had sweet blackberry, black cherry, earth, and vanilla flavors and a long, rich finish.

The wine paired perfectly with the short ribs, polenta and sautéed veggies.

My boyfriend ordered the seafood risotto and it, too, was absolutely delicious.

The service was great without being intrusive—the server actually checked in a few minutes after we received our entrees (sadly, this has not been the norm recently) and cleared our plates shortly after we had finished. We were too full to consider dessert, but I bet they have a tasty tiramisu.

My only complaint was the portions are quite large; I overate because it was so good. But overall, it was a terrific experience and quite possibly the best Italian food in Marin!

P.S. Corkage was only $15 but it's waived on Tuesday nights. Cheers!

Oregon Pinot at its finest

Domaine Serene has been one of my favorite Oregon Pinot Noir producers for some time now. I became reacquainted with their delicious wines at Pinot Days last month.


The 2009 Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvée Pinot Noir ($45/bottle) is a beautiful example of elegance and earthiness. Ruby-hued and transparent, this wine smells of cherry blossom and dried herbs. It greets your taste buds with flavors of black cherry and red currant. The mid-palate displays leather and earthy notes. The bright acidity is followed by a dry, long-lasting finish of red fruit.

This wine is a delight. It shows refinement and restraint, and the potential to cellar for many years. Delicious to drink on it own but would pair nicely with pork chops or any dish with mushrooms. 

The winery and sustainably farmed vineyards are located in Yamhill County in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. In addition to Pinot Noir, they produce small quantities of Chardonnay and Syrah. Their wines regularly receive 90-95 point scores from wine publications. I have yet to visit their tasting room, but I've heard many good things about the experience.

As I said above, I have been a fan of Domaine Serene wines for a while now. They are not a new establishment; in fact, the winery is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year.

The first time I had the opportunity to taste one of their wines was about six years ago; at the time, I worked at Wine Spectator Magazine and Harvey Steiman had just finished a tasting of more than 60 Oregon Pinot samples (meaning there were 60 almost-full bottles of Pinot Noir up for grabs). I was drawn to the elegant label of the Domaine Serene. It was--and still is--quite the memorable wine.

I received this bottle of the Yamhill Cuvée for review purposes. You can order it from their website and it's also available at K&L Wine Merchants. Cheers!

A Great Impression from Expression wines

Yesterday, my boyfriend Doug and I (at left) hosted a July 4th party. The food was great and there were many tasty wines to choose from. But instead of writing about one of those wines, I want to highlight two bottles I enjoyed this past week.

On Tuesday evening, we went for dinner at Pizzeria Picco in Larkspur, Ca. Doug and I were happy to enjoy a glass of 2009 Expression 38° Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Gap's Crown Vineyard ($48/bottle) while we waited for a table.

This Pinot is exceptionally dark and concentrated in the glass. Sweet, dark fruit aromas lead to a medium-plus body. Layers of black cherry, ripe blackberry, espresso bean, and vanilla are supported by dusty tannins and good acidity. This is a structured and luscious wine that finishes dry with cocoa and herbs; it was easy to sip on its own and it tasted great with the mushroom pizza we ordered. It would also pair nicely with a burger, sausage, or BBQ ribs!

The '38°' in the name represents the latitude of the vineyard from where the grapes were grown. Focusing on Burgundian varietals sourced from Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley (39°), Willamette Valley (44°), and Santa Rita Hills (34°), Expression makes terrific wines that express the unique terroir of these different regions. I discovered this producer at Pinot Days and they sure made a great impression on me!

Expression makes a yummy Chardonnay, too. Last Friday, I popped the cork on a bottle of 2009 Expression 38° Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Goldrock Ridge Vineyard ($25/bottle). Too tired to cook anything for dinner, I unwrapped some Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk cheese, sliced a few fresh figs, and grabbed a handful of crackers

With aromas of orange blossom, vanilla, and creme brûlée, this full-bodied Chardonnay matched the weight and richness of the gooey, triple-cream cheese. Flavors of sweet oak and honey rounded out the palate and baking spice was abundant on the finish.

(If you prefer a lighter, leaner style of Chardonnay, please check out the wine I reviewed this past Tuesday.)


These two bottles were received courtesy of Expression Wine for review purposes. Order yours directly from the website.

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My kind of Chardonnay

It's the day before July 4th and I realize it would be appropriate to suggest red wines to pair with BBQ fare. But when it's hot and sunny, I'd rather drink something cool and refreshing (and that's what I plan to do!).

Last night, I had the opportunity to enjoy the 2011 Foxen "Steel Cut" Chardonnay from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley (Santa Barbara County). I would definitely recommend this easy-drinking white wine for a party (on Independence Day or any other time of year).

"This is Chardonnay?" my boyfriend asked me dubiously after taking a sip.

"It's my kind of Chardonnay," I answered.

If I had blind-tasted this delicious wine, I might have guessed it were a Sauvignon Blanc or some kind of white blend. Fermented entirely in stainless steel, this wine is fresh and lively and fruit-forward.

Subtle aromas of white flowers and lime peel give way to a vibrant palette of guava, gooseberry, and citrus flavors. Acidity is bright and refreshing. The long finish imparts mineral, seashell and lime--and persists until you take another sip.

I also noticed as this wine warmed up, I could taste pineapple and grapefruit. This was a unique and effusive light-bodied Chardonnay that was absolutely delicious on it's own, but it also paired nicely with the sautéed shrimp and summer squash I prepared for dinner.

There were only 250 cases of this particular Chardonnay produced ($32/bottle). This sample was received courtesy of Foxen Winery for review purposes but you can order yours through their website.

Foxen also makes Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Rhone-style reds, and Bordeaux-style reds, but the winery is known for producing outstanding Pinot Noir. I suggest you try any (or all) of their wines and visit the winery the next time you're in Santa Barbara!