Release Party Round Up

On October 5th, I threw myself a party in honor of the release of my new ebook, Where I Want to Be: A Wine Country Novel. This is the first of four novels in the Wine Country Series and it contains many real wine and winery references. If you have been reading Sip, Swirl, Savor for any length of time, you know I only promote wines that I am passionate about. The same goes for the wines I mention in the novel—they are my favorite wines and places to visit. Naturally, I sourced the same wines for the party!

You can’t call it a celebration without bubbles, so we popped the cork on a bottle of J Cuvée 20 Brut NV ($28/bottle) right off the bat.  As always, this J sparkler was a crowd pleaser. A blend of 50% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir and 1% Pinot Meunier, this Russian River Valley bubbly is elegant and sumptuous. It offers zesty citrus notes and yeasty aromas with flavors of pear, toast, and almonds. It was spectacular to sip on it’s own but it was also quite lovely with a variety of cheeses, olives, and Marcona almonds.

The Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs NV ($22/bottle) is what we toasted the success of my ebook with. (It’s a delicious wine, let’s hope it’s a lucky one too!) This pale-pink bubbly is 82% Pinot Noir and 8% Chardonnay, all of which is hand-harvested from the 340-acre estate in Carneros (Sonoma). With lots of bright strawberry and bright acidity, this too is a wine that is great with ripe cheeses or duck liver mousse, ahi tuna, or smoked salmon.

The 2012 Stepping Stone Napa Valley Pinot Gris ($20/bottle) is a brand-new release from Cornerstone Cellars. This fresh and lively white wine with its colorful label was the perfect accompaniment to the joyous energy of the celebration. With crisp fruit flavors and great acidity, this is a terrific warm weather wine and great with appetizers of all kinds!

Side note: Interestingly enough, the three wineries above just recently debuted beautiful new websites! After launching my new Author Cortney website, I can appreciate how much effort goes into this process. I love the new look at Jwine.com, GloriaFerrer.com, and Cornerstonecellars.com!

Another white wine that attendees sipped while I read one of my favorite excerpts from the ebook was the 2012 Honig Sauvignon Blanc ($17/bottle). It’s a white-gold color in the glass with subtle aromas of mango, lime and lemongrass. On the palate, it has zippy acidity with bright tropical fruit flavors. This wine is very refreshing and such a great value. Ten percent is aged in neutral oak barrels and it is blended with 2% Semillon and 1% Muscat. Yum!

After the party, a small group of us went to the Tiburon Tavern for dinner where we enjoyed the 2011 Sojourn Cellars Wohler Vineyard Pinot Noir ($48/bottle). This is one of my favorite Sojourn wines. About 500 cases were produced from this small Russian River Valley vineyard. It has that classic cherry cola flavor along with a super-smooth mouthfeel and moderate weight. It paired perfectly with the lamb sliders!

If you like reading this wine blog, check out my new ebook, which is available exclusively on Amazon. Where I Want to Be started as a blog post, and then got longer and longer until I started referring to it (and self-published it) as a novel. Although it’s women’s fiction, quite a few men have already read it (and enjoyed it!). I hope you’ll enjoy it too. Cheers!

Refreshing Summertime Sippers

Summertime is my favorite time of year. As the temperature rises, I am more inclined to reach for something chilled and refreshing. Here are a few options to help keep you cool…

2011 Chateau Lestrille Blanc, Entre-deux-Mers (under $15/bottle, bordeaux.com): I tasted this refreshing white at the Wine Riot event in San Francisco earlier this month. Fermented and aged in stainless steel for three months, this crisp wine is mostly Sauvignon Blanc blended with a little Muscadelle. It has aromas of white flowers and citrus with peach and stone fruit flavors. With vibrant acid, this wine is best sipped alongside fresh oysters, summery salads, or moules frites.

2011 J Winery Pinot Gris ($15/bottle, jwine.com): As always, this tasty bottling is crisp and clean and perfect for just about any occasion. This easy sipper offers aromas of Mandarin orange, stone fruit and melon. Vivacious acidity balances the melon, citrus and minerals on the palate. It has a screw-top closure and lots of food pairing potential, especially with spicy foods. 

2011 Domaine Perraud Mâcon-Villages Vielle Vignes ($18/bottle, fpwm.com): Who loves White Burgundy with a small price tag? I do! I do! This Chardonnay is unadorned with oak and pleasantly fruit-forward. Lively acidity and green apple flavors make it a great match for a sunny afternoon by the pool, a goat cheese salad, chicken dishes, or sauteed shrimp.

2010 Cornerstone Cellars Sauvignon Blanc ($25/bottle, cornerstonecellars.com): This wine is aged sur lie in French oak for six months following fermentation in stainless steel. Pale straw color in the glass with the tiniest tinge of green, it has alluring aromas of lemon peel and guava with a very subtle note of fresh herbs. The palate is equally as mesmerizing with mouthwatering acid, bright minerals, and snappy citrus flavors. This is an inspired Sauvignon Blanc that pairs with everything from a triple-cream cheese (as shown in the pic) to fresh crab or even lobster risotto. 

2011 Smith-Madrone Riesling ($27/bottle, smithmadrone.com): If something light and fruity is what you’re seeking, this Riesling from the Spring Mountain district is it. With a lower alcohol content (12.6%) and brilliant acidity, the stone fruit flavors explode on the palate. With less than 1% residual sugar, it is technically a dry wine and delicious at lunchtime. 

Splurge 2004 Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Blanc de Blancs ($50/bottle, mainstreetwinebar.net): This vintage Champagne is utterly dreamy! It has a perfume of roasted hazelnuts and freshly baked bread. The palate is nutty and yeasty with racy green apple flavors and a kiss of caramel. Not particularly fruity, this sparkler is best served all on its own! 

As always, thank you for reading Sip, Swirl, Savor. Please follow me on Facebook and Twitter for wine events and more fabulous wine-related content. 

Cheers,

Cortney

Praise for Pinot Days 2013

Promise not to judge me? This wine girl did not like Pinot Noir when she started working in the wine industry. Yeah, I know; it’s hard for me to believe, too.

During a visit to the Hope & Grace tasting room in Yountville in late 2009, it was the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir that broadened my horizons. Since then, I don’t think I’ve ever met a Pinot from the Russian River Valley (#RRV) that I didn’t like.

So it was no surprise that, this past Saturday, I fell head over heels for the 2010 Bluxome Street Winery #RRV Pinot Noir (which I brought to Salito’s in Sausalito to share with some friends). Purchased from www.fpwm.com for $32/bottle, this silky-smooth wine is dark ruby and opaque in the glass. Sourced from five different vineyards, it delivers classic #RRV cherry cola flavors. The palate is opulent and complex with nuances of vanilla and spice; it finishes with lingering notes of red fruit. That was Saturday night. Yum!

Then on Sunday. . .

Although I was pouring for SojournCellars at the Pinot Days event at Fort Mason in San Francisco, I was able to sneak away and do a bit of tasting. The folks from Bluxome Street were there with the 2011#RRV Pinot as well as single-vineyard Pinots from Yorkville Highlands and Mendocino. I was partial to the #RRV, but all three are super tasty and available direct from the winery (which is located in SF!).

With limited time to taste, I visited a few of my longtime favorites. The selections from J Winery & Vineyards included the 2011 #RRV Estate Grown Pinot Noir (which is great every year) and the 2010 Robert Thomas Vineyard #RRV Pinot Noir (which was new to my taste buds). With deep aromas of cherry and spice, this limited-production wine is dark and delicious with lingering notes of baking cocoa, dark fruit, and dusty earth. But I feel like that brief description barely scratches the surface of what this wine is capable of. It’s one to spend an evening with!

Like Sojourn, Dutton-Goldfield makes many vineyard designate Pinot Noirs; vintage after vintage, they continue to wow me. The 2011 selections from Dutton-Goldfield are fantastic, particularly the new Azaya Vineyard bottling (Marin County). Lean and fruity, this wine would be perfect for lighter summer fare.

I was also impressed with the offerings from Ten Acre Winery (more on that later) and La Fenetre, which included many delightful Pinots from Santa Barbara County. (Click here for tasting notes for the A Côté Pinot Noir from one of my previous blog posts).

If you like Pinot Noir and you’ve never been to Pinot Days, make sure to get on their mailing list and check out the event in SF, SoCal, NYC, or Chicago. Even if you don’t drink Pinot—go. It will show you what you’ve been missing!

OMJ! The J Signature Tasting

I can’t believe it’s already been two months since my visit to the tasting room at J Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg. With a chic, modern feel to it, the J Visitor Center is a great place to enjoy a tasty selection of wines, including red and white, both still and sparkling.

Although J produces some wines that are readily available in the marketplace (like the California Pinot Gris), the J “Signature” Tasting flight features wines that are sold exclusively at the winery.

The 2011 J Pinot Gris, Russian River Valley ($20/bottle) was a delicious wine to start with. Clean and crisp with flavors of melon, citrus, and spice, this is an ideal wine to sip on its own or with light apps.

I loved the 2011 J Chardonnay from Jewell Ranch, Russian River Valley ($45/bottle). Produced in the Burgundian style, this medium-bodied Chardonnay spends only 3 months in oak and has very subtle notes of vanilla and butterscotch. Sweet pear and mineral notes round out the palate nicely. This is a very elegant and balanced wine that would be amazing with shellfish, simple pasta dishes, and goat cheese.

The 2010 J Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($37/bottle) is equally as delicious as the Chardonnay. It offers bright cherry aromas and flavors of red fruit, vanilla, and white pepper. With a juicy and lush mouthfeel, it finishes smooth with a bit of spice. This would be an excellent complement to mushroom risotto, an aged cheddar, pork or duck.

And then—surprise!—we tasted a few sparkling wines. It seemed a little untraditional to try sparkling wines after the still wines, but it provided a refreshing change of pace. The J Cuvée 20, Russian River Valley NV ($28/bottle) was just as tasty as I remembered it with bright acidity, subtle lemon notes and a clean finish.

The 2005 J Vintage Brut, Russian River Valley is a beautiful sparkler ($45/bottle). I took a bottle of this to Thanksgiving dinner last week. A pale golden hue in the glass, this brut offers nuances of green apple, lemon, and Asian pear. The mid-palate offers richer flavors of hazelnut and brioche; the wine ends with refreshing citrus note. While a delightful aperitif on its own, this sparkling wine would go well with sushi or appetizers like an arugula salad with pears and goat cheese crumbles.

J Winery is one that I will definitely visit again. Next time, I’m making a reservation for the 3-course wine and food pairing in the Bubble Room!

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!

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.]

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.