Classic California Sparkling from Calistoga

As much as I love Champagne, California bubbly is oftentimes a better value and just as tasty, especially when it comes from Schramsberg Vineyards. If you’ve never toured the Schramsberg caves in the northern Napa Valley (Calistoga), I highly recommend it!

 

The 2010 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs ($37/bottle) is a fresh and delightful sparkler with pronounced notes of juicy white peach on the palate. It has celebration written all over it, with a price tag that in my mind that reads “any weekday occasion will do”. That being said, I felt the need to celebrate this glorious, summer-like weather and my expectant departure from my day job (soon I’ll have more time to write, yay!).

Made in the méthode Champenoise, this bubbly is made of 100% Chardonnay grapes. It exudes a slightly yeasty character and sexy, subtle nuances of almond skin, toast, and something tropical that I can’t quite put my finger on. It finishes with an air of complexity, a whisper of green apple, and a kiss of fresh-baked bread. This sparkler has a delicate effervescence that makes it an excellent aperitif and also a terrific pairing with a light meal. Schramsberg makes some of the best bubbles in the Napa Valley. But don’t take my word for it! Get yours here and let me know what you think. Cheers!  

The new tasty Pinot Noir from Tendril Cellars

I had the pleasure of meeting Tony Rynders, Owner/Winemaker of Tendril Cellars, at the Wine Bloggers Conference last year in Portland. Both his 2009 White Label Pinot Noir and 2010 Tight Rope Pinot Noir were among the most memorable wines I tasted the evening of August 16, 2012 (and there were many, many wines that first night of the conference). It was quite the introduction. In case you missed that post, click here.

When Craig Camp of Cornerstone Cellars told me that Tony also makes the Cornerstone Oregon wines (of which I am a big fan), I knew that I could add Tony's private label to my ever-growing list of favorite wineries. I should also mention that before Tony started Tendril, he was the head winemaker at Domaine Serene (what do you know, I adore Domaine Serene wines too). I certainly noticed a pattern here.

I didn’t need to taste the new release from Tendril Cellars to know that I would like it. But what kind of blogger would I be if I didn’t do my homework?

The 2010 Tendril White Label Pinot Noir ($48/bottle) is smooth and supple on the entry. It’s pretty garnet hue suggests a wine of a lighter body as it is just barely transparent in the glass. It is perfumed with ripe red cherry, plum and vanilla notes. The cherry flavors carry through on the palate, accompanied by raspberry and cranberry, with a sprinkling of white pepper and baking spice. It has that dusty quality I associate with Oregon Pinot and a subtle elegance. I think it’s interesting that the fruit was sourced from six appellations within the Willamette Valley; its unique composition is 79% Yamhill-Carlton, 6% McMinnville, 6% Chehalem Mountains, 4% Eola Hills, 3% Ribbon Ridge and 8% Dundee Hills. Only 404 cases produced!

This deliciously dreamy wine that was an exquisite match with a selection of both soft and hard cheeses. But cheese was only the appetizer. Dinner that night was homemade hamburgers on a pretzel bun with bacon and avocado. This Pinot was a fantastic wine for the red meat as well as the smoky bacon flavors. For a more high-brow pairing, I would suggest lamb ragout with pasta, roast chicken with sautéed mushrooms, or a white pizza with sausage and caramelized onions.

The Tendril Pinot Noirs can be ordered directly from the website, which I suggest you do before they sell out. Cheers!

A sensible Sangiovese from the Napa Valley

Italian grape varieties are fairly uncommon in the Napa Valley. That being said, the few Napa Sangioveses I've had in the past have tasted less like their Italian counterpart and more like a Napa Cabernet. Which made me wonder why a Napa winery would even bother making anything besides Cab. And yet, Castello di Amorosa has committed itself to producing Italian-style wines from Napa-grown grapes. 

Charmed by the architecture and the chickens roaming the landscape, I felt transported to Tuscany when I visited the Castle in Calistoga for a brief tasting in 2010. Since then, the winery has hired a new consulting winemaker and the vineyards have matured in ways that do the Tuscan varieties justice.

I recently opened a bottle of the 2009 Castello di Amorosa Napa Valley Sangiovese ($30/bottle). Upon my initial quaff, the wine was tight and restrained. I poured a little more through a WineSoiree and swirled it around in the glass while my eggplant parmesan warmed up in the oven. It wasn't long before this wine started singing a beautiful tune.

The perfume of rose petal, dried herbs and red cherry hits a very similar note to that of Chianti Classico. On the palate, notes of cranberry and currant shine alongside excellent acidity and dusty tannins. Despite it's Calistoga birthright, this wine definitely has an Old World sensibility.

The wine’s high acid was the perfect match for the tomato sauce with my eggplant parmesan. It was a delightful pairing that continued to get better as the wine continued to flourish. By the end of my meal (and my second glass of wine), sweet aromas of black cherry and ripe plum dominated the nose of this medium-bodied Sangio. Rhubarb and cocoa became more pronounced on the palate, and the finish lingered with juicy cherry and spicy vanilla.

This bottle was received for sample purposes. Please visit the winery’s website for ordering information and to plan your next Tuscan-inspired tour!

Notes from the Mount Veeder Spring Tasting

Set at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio, with a beautiful backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge on a crystal-clear afternoon, the Mount Veeder AVA Spring Tasting was a very civilized event. I appreciated the small, intimate nature of the venue (compared to the overwhelming vastness of Fort Mason). It wasn’t crowded and most of the winery representatives were the owners and winemakers (which is not usually the case at some of the bigger tastings).

 

Mount Veeder Summit

 Most of the producers at this event were teeny-tiny, some only produce a few hundred cases, many of which were new to my taste buds.  I was impressed by almost everything I tried. What can I say…I’ve always been a fan of mountain fruit.

I started in one corner of the room with Chateau Potelle. I really enjoyed the 2009 Illegitimate ($37) from the Explorer collection. A crazy blend of 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 17% Zinfandel, and 11% Syrah, this wine is aromatic and full-bodied with bright fruit flavors and terrific food pairing potential. I can’t wait to check out their new tasting room in St. Helena!

I really enjoyed the two selections from Hess Collection. The 2009 19 Block Cuvee ($38) is a blend of mostly Cabernet (63%) and Malbec (20%) with a little Merlot, Syrah, and Petit Verdot. It is plush and powerful with velvety tannins and delicious dark berry notes. Although I can see how the 2009 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon ($55)—82% Cab, 14% Malbec, 2% Merlot, 2% PV—could be cellared for many years to come, it’s already very approachable with all the ripe red fruit and concentration I expect from a mountain-grown wine. Both of these wines will only get better with time.

I was also charmed by the 2009 Y Rousseau Cabernet Sauvignon “Le Roi Soleil” ($65). This is a small producer that has recently doubled its production. Yannick Rousseau, founder and winemaker, also makes Russian River Valley Tannat, Mount Veeder Chardonnay, Sonoma Cab, and Colombard. The new tasting room will open in Napa soon. Check out their website for more info.

If you’re a Cab Franc fan like me, you’ll love the 2009 Yates Cheval ($48)! Delicious and dark and 100% Cab Franc, this beauty offers black cherry, plum, and spice. The Yates Family Vineyard is a family affair—Michael and Lynn Yates own the vineyards and the winery is staffed by their daughters Whitney (assistant winemaker) and Mary (CFO) and son-in-law Todd (sales and marketing). They also produce Merlot, Cab, and the super tasty Cab/Merlot/Cab Franc blend, the 2009 Alden Perry Reserve ($65).

Lampyridae Vineyards is another itty-bitty producer on the mountain with a well-known winemaker, Aaron Pott. The 2010 Communication Block Cabernet Sauvignon is very tasty. It’s a wine project that supports a local charity which promotes academic achievement for children who have severe communication needs. Awwww!

Wow, normally I don’t have this many wines to rave about from a single tasting, but I also have to mention the Foyt and Meadowcroft Cabernets. These delicious wines are showcased at Corner Stone in Sonoma.

 

Last but not least, the three wines (Malbec, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon) from Mt. Brave Winery are all gorgeous. The Malbec ($75) was particularly appealing; this dark-purple beauty is concentrated with raspberry and cassis flavors with a full and luxurious palate.

A special thank you to the Mount Veeder Council for putting this awesome tasting together. More info about Mount Veeder AVA wines can be found on their website. Cheers! 

Looking for a tasty white wine? Reach for Cline!

If you’ve ever driven up to Napa via I-121 by way of I-37, you’ve passed Cline Cellars on the left in Sonoma. There’s a sign just north of the winery entrance on which a clever rhyming phrase is always posted. A lot rhymes with Cline (other than wine, which is very convenient).

Cline is probably most known for Zinfandel, but they offer many different wines. With the arrival of Spring, the winery has just released some distinct and delicious white wines. The following two boast the Green String stamp on the label, which is Cline’s commitment to natural and sustainable farming.

The 2012 Sonoma Coast Cool Climate Pinot Gris (on sale for only $11.05/bottle) has a richness of fruit and beautiful opulence that you might think it’s seen some oak. But it was produced exclusively in stainless steel, preserving its naturally vivacious acidity and elegance. Green apple and grapefruit aromas greet the nose while Asian pear and citrus linger on the palate long after the initial taste. It’s divine on its own, but this wine is a perfect pairing for springtime vegetables and seafood. At this price, it’s definitely worth having on hand!

The 2011 Sonoma Coast Marsanne Roussanne ($22/bottle) is like a tropical vacation for the taste buds. It is a sunny straw color in the glass with aromas of honey blossom and tropical fruit. The palate is dominated by juicy pineapple with lingering mineral notes. This is a blend of 76% Marsanne and 24% Roussanne, two varieties that you don’t see much in California. (There are less than 250 combined acres of these grapes planted in the Golden State.) With exciting acidity and a delicate weight in the mouth, it would be amazing on an warm day with a Nicoise salad with seared ahi tuna or fish tacos.

The 2012 North Coast Viognier is slighter deeper in color and flavor but has equally appealing acidity. It smells of peach and nectarine. The palate offers ripe stone fruit character, minerals, and a touch of beeswax. It is medium-bodied and has an attractive fullness that finishes with lemon peel and lime zest. This pure Viognier is complex and incredibly easy to drink. It would be an awesome match for triple-cream cheeses, English pea risotto, or roast chicken. This wine should be available soon!

These wines were received for sample purposes. Please visit the Cline website for more info about ordering and tasting room hours. Cheers!

Bordeaux Matchmaking

The following statement was said to me the other night: “You, young lady, have a California palate.”

No, really?

You, loyal reader, know just how much I embrace my California wines, so I would never dream of denying such an astute observation, but I was encouraged to tell this person that I have been enjoying quite a few French wines recently, including the Cornin Mâcon-Chaintré.

I don’t think of it as cheating on my locally fermented options; it’s more like playing the field.

However, “playing the field” is an analogy that can’t really be applied to the wine tasting event I attended last week. Unlike the Rhone Rangers event, where I randomly approached various wineries of my choosing and was free to taste as many wines as I wanted to, at the Bordeaux Matchmaking event at the Clift Hotel on March 27^th, I was provided with a table assignment and drink tickets upon check-in.

Before the event, I filled out a short questionnaire with simple questions about my wine preferences and based on my answers, I was matched up with the four wines poured at Table 7.

My friend Laura and I located our table and were presented with a glass of 2011 Château Reynier, Entre-Deux-Mers, a blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon. It was crisp and refreshing with tropical fruit notes and lively acidity.

Although we were off to a great start, we were dying to know what was being poured at the other tables. Why is it we always want what we can’t have?

As we worked our way around the Velvet Room to the beats of DJ Antiks, it was too dark to see what other wines were available. We got away with tasting the 2009 Château Beaumont Haut-Médoc at Table 6 (shh, don’t tell); it was quite tasty.

We returned to our assigned table where we socialized and conspired to switch tables. We met a guy whose nametag read “Sexy” and he was suave enough to convince the staff at Table 4 to let us taste the 2009 Château Guibeau Saint-Emilion—which was my favorite wine of the night. Rich blackberry and cassis with dry cocoa notes and sweet oak…it was soft but powerful, and one small taste was not enough of this delicious wine.

The last wine we tasted was the 2006 Château De Cruzeau, Pessac-Léognan. This blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc was starting to show some age; the palate was dominated with masculine notes of cedar and tobacco. It wasn’t the fruit-forward style of wine I’m used to drinking, but it was worth trying, and with the right meal—like mushroom risotto or duck breast—it would be incredible.

At that point, I was out of drink tickets. I only tried four wines that night; but three of them I would happily drink again (these are pretty good odds). There are more terrific (and affordable) Bordeaux suggestions at Bordeaux.com, the major sponsor of the event. This was a really fun event, even if it had a different format from what I’m used to. Because going to a wine tasting is all about trying new things, right?