Columbia Crest: nice wines, nice prices

A couple weeks ago, I received wine from Columbia Crest for a Twitter Tasting organized by Thirsty Girl. I received three bottles of the Horse Heaven Hills label for sampling purposes, including the 2010 Chardonnay, the 2010 Les Cheveux Red Blend, and the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2010 Columbia Crest H3 Chardonnay is a very attractive wine. Offering a perfume of gardenia, citrus zest, Granny Smith apple, baking spice, and sweet vanilla extract, it is a pale golden hue in the glass. Oak spice is apparent on the entry, but the prevailing flavor is fresh pineapple, which is complemented by bright acidity and minerals. This wine finishes round and full, with lingering notes of sweet cream and nutmeg. Fermented in a combination of both new and used French and American oak barrels (65%) as well as stainless steel (25%), this wine does an excellent job of walking the tightrope between cougar juice and White Burgundy styles. I noticed that a few people participating in the Twitter chat said it was too oaky, but I found it was balanced and the oak qualities were quite nuanced. It had a lovely creamy mouthfeel, without the butteriness (blah!) that can accompany the malolactic fermentation process.  I enjoyed this wine with a fresh chicken pot pie. It was, on all accounts, a perfect pairing. It would also be great with rich seafood dishes, creamy pastas, and risotto. For $15/bottle, this wine has a very attractive price, too!

I shared the 2010 Columbia Crest H3 Les Cheveux with friends at a dinner party last weekend and it was enjoyed by all. I arrived to the party a little late, but it didn’t matter because this wine was very easy to drink without food. The nose had American oak written all over it; the caramel, burnt cedar, and coconut notes gave it away—although these qualities were apparent to me, they were subtle and overall very pleasant. There were also scents of dark fruits, which were more pronounced on the palate. This wine, although not very concentrated in the glass, was rich and full-flavored with notes of raspberry, black cherry, pomegranate, cola, tar, and vanilla. It had a long savory finish. Because it was such a light hue and had superfine tannins, I wasn’t surprised to see that it was mostly Merlot (80%) with 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Syrah; this wine, Les Cheveux, is named for the wild horses that used to roam the area. 

Columbia Crest produces four different tiers of wine. The Horse Heaven Hills Collection is just below the Reserve tier in terms of quality and affordability. Horse Heaven Hills is the appellation in which the original winery is located.

I haven’t gotten around to opening the 2010 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon, but rest assured, I will keep you posted when I do. From the posts I saw during the Twitter Tasting (#TGTaste), this Cab needs to be decanted. Perhaps a few months in the bottle will loosen it up a little...

Happy Wine Wednesday and I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

Smith-Madrone on Spring Mountain

Spring Mountain is one of my preferred sub-appellations of the Napa Valley (along with Howell Mountain and Stag’s Leap District) and there are many wineries worth visiting up there. If you only have time to visit two, I highly recommend Terra Valentine (a long-time love of mine) and Smith-Madrone (a new favorite), which provide two totally different experiences.

I recently had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Smith-Madrone founders and brothers, Stu and Charlie Smith.

The tour starts in the vineyard with Stu. Perched 1900 feet above the valley, the sweeping views from Smith-Madrone are amazing. The rows of Riesling, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon zigzag over the landscape. As Stu explains, they have been laid out to maximize sun exposure for early ripening. He discusses the challenges that come along with growing grapes on a steep hillside and the difficulties they had clearing the space almost 40 years ago. They now have a total of 38 acres planted to vines; the rest of their property is still covered in forest, densely populated with Douglas Fir, Manzanita, and oak trees.

Stu points out the large single madrone tree in the middle of the young Riesling vineyard and explains that this tree was the inspiration behind the name of the winery. He and Charlie wanted to put their name on the label, but they also wanted something more original than “Smith Winery” and “Smith Brothers” was already synonymous with cough drops. So they settled on Smith-Madrone (admittedly, it has a better ring to it than Smith-Douglas Fir or Smith-Manzanita).

From the top of Spring Mountain, the valley below looks so peaceful and quiet below, which is not really the case at least this time of year. Most wineries are currently in the throes of harvest right now, with traffic congesting sections of Highway 29, but the Smith brothers are calm and relaxed—they have already picked the last of their estate-grown grapes and they don’t source additional fruit from any other vineyards.  

Stu leads us back down to the winery and inside the barrel room, where we are handed wine glasses and introduced to his older brother Charlie. An old oak barrel turned upright serves as a table as we taste through the estate-bottled current releases.

Clinking glasses with Charlie!

The 2009 Chardonnay ($30/bottle) is a refreshing delight (it was about 95 degrees the day of our visit). It is crisp and clean despite going through 100% malolactic fermentation. No buttery or popcorn flavors in this glass! A pale straw hue, this wine has mouthwatering acidity with zesty citrus and tropical fruit aromas. The entry is alive with flavors of Meyer lemon, pear, and minerals while the mid-palate offers richer notes of crème brûlée, sweet cream, and stone fruit. This Chardonnay, although particularly light in body, would pair nicely with many types of foods.

The 2006 ($45/bottle) Cabernet Sauvignon is a dark, brooding beauty. Blended with 9% Merlot and 6% Cab Franc, it is still very youthful with tight tannins and the promise of more to come. Smelling this wine is like sticking your nose into a bag of dark chocolate-covered cherries! Yum. On the palate, flavors of bright red currant, cherry cola, and black plum are complemented by savory notes of tar and exotic spice. The finish is ripe and brimming with impressions of blueberry and juicy black fruit.

With lower alcohol, the Smith’s design their wines for longevity. The 2006 Cab has only 13.9% abv, which is relatively low compared to most Napa Cabs. That being said, I found the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (to be released soon!) very approachable. With blue and black fruit aromas and a velvety mouthfeel, I would probably drink the 2007 sooner than I would the 2006. I was surprised to hear that Charlie had recently tasted their 1984 Cab and it was holding up very well.

There wasn't an extra bottle of that vintage around for us to sample, but we did try one more wine. The 2011 Riesling ($27/bottle) at 12.6% abv, is a terrific wine to enjoy at lunchtime or as an aperitif. The perfume is effusive and reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum with kumquat, mandarin and grapefruit. Light and delicately flavored, this wine would be the perfect pairing for Asian cuisine, salads, and on its own!

For what started as a hobby, the Los Angeles-born Smith brothers have achieved great success in crafting unique small-production wines from their Spring Mountain estate vineyards. You won’t find an art-filled tasting room or chef-endorsed food pairings at Smith-Madrone; the experience is rustic and replete with old-Napa charm—and that’s what makes it so wonderful.

Like most of the wineries on Spring Mountain, make an appointment first. And enjoy the drive!

2011 J Pinot Gris (what to order by the glass)

I went out to dinner twice last week, and at both restaurants [Straits in San Francisco and Jason’s in Greenbrae], I enjoyed the 2011 J Vineyards “California” Pinot Gris by the glass. I’ve also noticed it on the wine list at Balboa Café and on the store shelves at Whole Foods.

This wine is super versatile and delicious. Unlike some white wines that can be overly tangy with tart citrus notes and harsh acidity, this Pinot Gris ($15/bottle) balances lemon/lime flavors with tropical fruits, minerals, and honey. It has a nice fruity finish that lasts until your next sip. And when it’s a balmy 74-degrees out like it was in San Francisco last week, that next sip can’t come soon enough!

The tasting notes on the J website refer to the Pinot Gris as “the perfect sipper when entertaining with friends.” I couldn’t agree more…

When I ordered it at Jason’s Restaurant, I was with a friend and it was the ideal choice on the wine-by-the-glass menu. We ordered a variety of different appetizers, including the tempura-fried green beans with spicy-sweet dipping sauces, shrimp cocktail, and sautéed scallops with asparagus and mixed greens. The food was super tasty and the wine paired beautifully with each of the unique flavors.

Blind dates, entertaining with friends, ethnic cuisines, spicy foods—the J Pinot Gris pairs well with all!

Stepping Stone Pinot Noir pairs well with a movie

During the few years that I lived in the Napa Valley, I always considered taking wine when I went to the movies. My friends said they always did it, and, to be honest, I would expect the theaters in wine country to serve wine in the first place. After this weekend, I can say that I have successfully smuggled wine into a movie theater (just don’t tell the folks at the Century Larkspur Landing).

But seriously, when they’re warning you to turn off your cell phone and keep quiet during the film, they don’t say anything about refraining from drinking your own wine. Besides, we weren’t the only wine drinkers in the theater! I noticed a guy sitting near us holding a wine glass. Alas, this post could also be titled, “When to take your own wine, part two”. (Part one referred to when to take your own wine to dinner, but since movie theaters don’t serve wine…)

It’s almost Halloween and the movie pickings are slim (unless you like scary movies). A friend and I decided to go see “Seven Psychopaths”, which I agreed to because it was supposedly a comedy and it had a great cast (including Christopher Walken, Colin Firth, and Abbie Cornish). Everything is better with a great bottle of wine; in my bag, I stashed the 2010 Stepping Stone by Cornerstone Pinot Noir ($35/bottle).

*Although a wine with a screw-cap is ideal to take to the movies, this wine has a cork closure. I keep a wine key in my glove compartment for times like these. If you try this [at the theater], please use caution when cutting the foil in the dark!

I forgot the GoVino cups, but even out of a paper cup, the Stepping Stone Pinot Noir is a delight. It has a pretty perfume of raspberry, wild cherry, dusty rose, and the telling aroma of fresh earth that I associate with most Oregon Pinots. On the palate, the cherry notes are complemented by vanilla, spice, red currant and soft tannins. Bright acidity and a long finish of juicy red berries makes this a great wine for sipping solo or pairing with all kinds of foods (it would be great with pork, ahi tuna, or anything with mushrooms).

“Seven Psychopaths”, which consisted of some funny parts and a few very gory scenes, might not be a must-see in my book, but I definitely recommend you try this wine.

Made with grapes sourced from 6 of the appellations within the Willamette Valley of Oregon under the tutelage of Tony Rynders, this Pinot Noir was matured in French oak (35% new) for 13 months. Unlike its more complex, age-worthy companion [the 2010 Cornerstone Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($50/bottle)] the Stepping Stone Pinot is designed to be enjoyed in all its youthful glory.

I love the label art, too! It seems appropriate for such a pretty, whimsical, and lively wine to be labeled with a painting called, “Color of Life”, by Oregon artist Janet Ekholm.

This wine was received as a sample courtesy of Cornerstone Cellars. Need a wine tasting recommendation? Read my post about the Cornerstone Tasting Room and go visit them in Yountville. Cheers!

Domaine Serene lives up to high expectations...

I think a birthday--especially one that ends in a zero--is a great reason to open wines that you are holding onto for a special occasion. This past weekend, I celebrated my 30th birthday with friends and here are the wines we celebrated with:

• 2003 J Vintage Brut, Late Disgorged, Russian River Valley ($90/bottle)
• 2008 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir ($65/bottle)
• 2007 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabernet Franc($65/bottle)
• 2006 Merryvale Profile ($175/bottle)

 

It would be a shame to not open bubbles on one's birthday, and the 2003 J Vintage Brut from the Russian River Valley was an incredible wine to start the evening with. This sparkler, a blend of 49% Pinot Noir, 49% Chardonnay, and 2% Pinot Meunier, was dry and crisp with lively acidity. Toasted almond, pear, baked bread flavors with a citrus finish--very tasty! Although we enjoyed this bottle at my house prior to going to dinner, it would have been an inspired match to the seared ahi crudo and raw oysters that we ordered as our first course.

Of the red wines that we opened to pair with dinner at Picco Restaurant, the 2008 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley was everyone’s favorite! When I blogged about the Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvée a few months back, I was very impressed with the wine and didn't think it could get any better than that. But the Evenstad Reserve, rated 94 points in Wine Enthusiast and 93 points in Wine Spectator, was a spectacular wine that is deserving of very high marks. It opened up beautifully with an elegant perfume and silky texture. In the glass, it was concentrated and powerful without sacrificing finesse. The palate offered effusive black cherry, ripe raspberry, sweet plum, and hints of licorice, herbs, and spice.  This wine was amazing on it’s own, but it paired perfectly with the Sonoma duck breast and leg confit.

The 2007 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cab Franc was good, but I think it should have been decanted. It was still youthful with chewy tannins and a core of black fruit. It was a terrific complement to the Kobe Beef-style sliders with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions and blue cheese.

I was particularly excited about the Merryvale Profile. I conferred with a friend who works at the Merryvale Tasting Room in St. Helena and he said the 2006 vintage was drinking nicely. But as I found with a lot of the older vintages I tasted last month, the once-powerful 2006 Profile had mellowed considerably. It was almost too drinkable, if that makes sense. The tannins were soft and the fruit flavors were nuanced. I got more spice on the palate than anything else. I was expecting an extremely complex wine, but the cellaring seemed to have drawn out its complexities; for a 94-point wine according to Wine Enthusiast, [sadly] it didn’t wow me. 

By midnight, there wasn’t a single drop of wine left in any of the 14 wine glasses on our table. I had such a wonderful time and I'd say that the wines were enjoyed by all!

[This wines from J Winery and Domaine Serene were received as a sample from the winery; please click on the individual wines for links to the website for purchasing info.]

To age or not to age?

Obviously the title of this post refers to ageing wine.

Over the past month, I have gone through about half of my wine collection. Mainly because a lot of what I opened was past its prime. There were nights when I would open three bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley just to find one that was drinkable. It was very disappointing to learn that so many of these wines—which I was told would improve with age when I purchased them—did not live up to my expectations.

But it wasn’t all disappointing. The 2006 Crocker &Starr St. Helena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (purchased in 2009; $90/bottle) was incredible and well-worth the wait! A sexy stunner with loads of blackberry, black currant, mocha, and black licorice. The palate was silky smooth with well-integrated tannins. I recently tasted the 2008 vintage of this wine, which I probably will enjoy a year from now—if I can wait that long!

The 2007 Lava Vine Pritchard Hill [St. Helena] Cabernet Sauvignon ($110/bottle) was good. But when I purchased this wine in 2010, I recall it being full-bodied with firm tannins and gobs of dark fruit. After two years in the cellar, the tannins had broken down considerably and it negatively impacted the mouthfeel of the wine. It had a medium weight with a short finish and predominant spice notes. It was drinkable, but I prefer how this wine tasted two years ago.

Other wines that I wish I had opened sooner include the 2005 Volker Eisele Vineyards “Terzetto” and the 2004 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon. I recall these wines as fruit-forward and balanced upon release, but when opened recently, they expressed non-fruit savory flavors of black olive, dried herbs, and earth.

I opened three bottles of the 2006 Ghost Block last month and each bottle was particularly underwhelming. But the current vintage is delicious and lush, which tells me it’s just not a good candidate for cellaring. I sold this wine at Napa Wine Company in 2009 and we assured our customers that the Ghost Block would improve with 3-5 years of age. I thought this sales pitch about ageing potential referred to the release date (which, for the 2006 vintage was May 2009); I realize now that it would have been more accurate to tell people to enjoy this wine within 2 years of the release date or 3-5 years from the vintage date. How confusing!

It would be unfair to say that it’s not worth it to age expensive wines [because I’ve had some great experiences with older wines, like the 1998 Honig Cab, the 2001 ZD Cab], but I have a new stance on the practice. If you like a wine when you taste it, don’t worry about whether it could improve with ageing. If you like it as is, drink it within 1-2 years! (That’s my plan.)

I think our culture places too much value on the “if” and “when” aspect of cellaring wine, and overlooks the fact that if we really like the wine upon release, then it makes sense that perhaps we won’t enjoy the wine anymore three years later. In fact, we could very well not like the wine after three years. And thus, the downside of ageing—pouring those once-beautiful $65+ wines down the drain.

If you are sitting on bottles of 2004, 2005, 2006, or 2007 Napa Cab, I would suggest opening them soon. And let me know what you think. Do you agree that these Napa Valley vintages are now ready to drink?

Main Street Wine Bar...coming soon!

Over a month ago, I was hired as a freelance marketing consultant and social media manager at a little wine shop in Tiburon [Marin County, Ca]. They also needed someone to work in the shop two days a week, so you can find me there, mulling over the many Italian wines and posting images of their labels to Facebook, on Sundays and Mondays.

The previous owner had traveled all over Italy and trained as a sommelier at A16 in San Francisco; she called the shop, Prima Palate, and sold only Italian wines.

When Nancy Larson purchased the shop earlier this year (including all of the wine inventory), she decided to diversify and re-brand. The name of the shop is changing to Main Street Wine Bar and Bottle Shop; the new signs should be up next week! We're still hammering out the design of the new website, but in the mean time, please follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Other improvements include adding more seating, outdoor heat lamps, an espresso machine, and new wines. The selection is still predominantly Italian, but we’re making room for more California and French producers. And in the mean time, it has provided me with the opportunity to taste many new wines.

The Magnificat Pinot Nero ($18/bottle) is a terrific Spumante Brut from the Lombardia region. It’s light and lean with a whisper of pear and orange creamsicle on the palate as well as faint yeasty notes. Finishes clean with lingering flavors of tropical fruit.

I am also a big fan of the Ca’Vittoria Brut Rosé ($17/bottle). It’s made with Prosecco grapes and a small amount of Raboso, a native red Veneto varietal that contributes both color and aroma. Bone-dry but very full in the mouth, this sparkler shows good, lively acidity and a broad sweep of strawberry and citrus fruit.

We carry the 2011 Enkidu Chardonnay, Tin Cross Vineyard, which I blogged about after attending the Family Winemakers of Californiaevent. It’s $30/bottle with good acidity, pleasant fruit components, and no malolactic fermentation [my style of Chardonnay!]. As is the 2011 Foxen Chardonnay, Bien Nacido Vineyard from Santa Barbara ($34/bottle). As the owner/winemaker of Foxen told me, this wine is “Burgundian in style with California sunshine blended in.” Delicious!

The 2010 Winzerkeller Andau Blaufrankisch is an Austrian red that is quite tasty ($17/bottle). This elegant, juicy wine offers impressions of lavender, tobacco, pepper, plum, red cherry, cedar, toffee, and cassis. It’s similar to Sonoma Pinot Noir in weight.

I’ve also enjoyed a few of the Italian reds. The 2011 Alois Lageder Kalterersee Shiava from Alto Adige ($23/bottle) has the weight of a Chardonnay and similar food-pairing flexibility (pastas, risotto, chicken). It’s matured in large Slovenion oak casks but not for more than a few months. Transparent in the glass, it is light-bodied and fresh. Aromas of red currant, cherry, and violets are complemented by attractive nuances of red fruit and a slightly spicy finish.

The 2009 Pietradolce Archineri from Etna Rosso (Sicily; $26/bottle) is available by the glass right now. It’s complex but balanced; the perfume of this wine smells like sweet blackberry, plum, tar and spice. The palate delivers a wonderful harmony of bright raspberry and Bing cherry flavors, dried herbs, violet, and acidity.

I am also excited about the wines we carry from Fisher Vineyards (Napa) and the wines delivered this week—including Saintsbury Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and the Chappellet 2010 Cervantes Mountain Cuvee (red blend). 

The shop is open every day with special Happy Hour pricing on Fridays and Saturdays from 4-7 pm and on Sunday from 3-5 pm. Come say hello and stay for a glass of vino!