Top 10 wines of 2013

‘Twas the year of Pinot Noir…

While scrolling through my bottle shots in iPhoto and clicking through the past year’s posts, I realize I was on quite the Pinot Noir kick—all year long! I picked the following wines as “favorites” because they stood out in my mind and/or I enjoyed them more than once. Here they are, in no particular order:

Laurent Perrier Brut Champagne NV: I always like to begin with Champagne, and the LP never gets old to me! I enjoyed it on my birthday in October; every time I have gone to La Folie on Polk Street in SF in the past three months; and on countless occasions during the summer. There are even two half-bottles of it in my fridge as I write this. Bright and crisp, this Champagne is always a great price (under $40 retail, less than $20/glass in restaurants) and delicious every time!

2010 Dominique Cornin Pouilly-Fuisse: When I was working in the city, I accidentally grabbed a bottle of this instead of the $20/bottle Cornin Macon-Chaintre (which I think is a great value and blogged about in the spring). Alas, I was pleasantly surprised with this Pouilly-Fuisse ($35/bottle), as it was a notch up in complexity and fruit flavors from its more affordable sibling wine. Unadorned with oak, this Chardonnay also has terrific acidity without the mouth-puckering quality of biting into a lemon. If you know where to find in the Bay Area, please let me know!

2011 Domaine Perraud Mâcon-Village Vielles Vignes: Yes, another White Burgundy. I’ve become a huge fan, especially when said wine is only $18/bottle. Totally unoaked, this is a great wine for summertime and seafood, as mentioned in the July 18thblog post.

2009 Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: I listed the vintage only because it was a 2009 I blogged about back in September. But at the winery in Healdsburg last month, I had the opportunity to taste a few single-vineyard Pinot gems that you won’t find in stores. The 2011 Gary Farrell Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir ($55/bottle) has a perfume of rose petals and dark berries. On the palate, notes of ripe plum and red currants are bolstered by ample acid and silky tannins. And the views of Russian River Valley from the tasting room are spectacular!

2009 Kosta Browne Gaps Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir: I really liked the 2009 Kosta Browne Russian River Valley Pinot Noir as well, which I tried on July 4^th (but didn’t blog about) and then enjoyed again at a party in October. It was awesome tasting the RRV and the Gaps Crown Vineyard side-by-side. Mr. Browne does an excellent job of taming the tannins that Gaps Crown fruit is known for, while keeping the mouthfeel lush and satiny. It’s a full-bodied Pinot fit for a steak or similarly full-flavored meal.

2010 Alysian Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: I never mentioned this particular wine in a blog post, but it is delicious ($42/bottle). It has been on the wine-by-the-glass menu at Main Street Wine Bar in Tiburon for the past six months—for a reason: everybody loves it. It has that classic dark cherry cola flavor with just a hint of earthiness and a luscious mouthfeel.

2011 Sojourn Cellars Wohler Vineyard (Russian River Valley) Pinot Noir: Are you seeing a pattern here? I love Russian River Valley Pinots! This particular one even got a mention in my novel and was mentioned in the highlights of my “Release PartyRound-up” post.

2010 Anaba Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: I discovered this wine at my favorite restaurant, Picco in Larkspur, after driving by the winery hundreds of times. I finally stopped in at the tasting room, which is a quaint spot just off the 121/12 intersection in Carneros and blogged about it in July.

2010 Sequana Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir: This was a popular wine on many by-the-glass menus in the spring—and I was quite happy about that. I also love the darker, richer Sequana Pinot from Russian River Valley and compared the two in a postback in May.

2009 Cornerstone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: I have to include at least one Napa wine on this list! And this is it. This new release from one of my favorite wineries is a delicious Cab, which I included the tasting notes for in my last post.

A few other wines that I really enjoyed in the past year were the 2009 Castello di Amarosa Sangiovese, the 2010 Tendril Cellars Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2010 Rubissow Mt. Veeder Merlot and the 2012 Hess Collection Albarino. I would love to hear your favorite wines of the past year—please post your comments below or on my Facebook page. Cheers!

P.S. The hardback edition of Where I Want to Be: A Wine Country Novel is still available for purchase at authorcortney.com or consider the ebook as a gift for yourself or a fiction-loving friend (no shipping fee, all you need is the recipient's email address). The ebook is exclusively for Kindle and the Kindle app for iPad, iPhone, and iMac.

P.P.S. I look forward to sharing more of my reviews and wine-tasting experiences with you in 2014. Happy Holidays!

Book signing recap at Cornerstone Cellars

We had a great turnout for my first-ever book signing party at Cornerstone Cellars in Napa Valley this past weekend. In my novel, Where I Want to Be, the main characters visit the Cornerstone tasting room in Yountville. It was the perfect venue for my event!

In between chatting with my Wine Country friends and answering questions about my book (no, it’s not autobiographical!) to new fans, I took the chance to taste through the current line up of Cornerstone wines:

2011 Stepping Stone Napa Valley Riesling ($20/bottle): Yes, it’s a dry Riesling! This wine has a fresh and lively attitude with bright citrus notes and an alluring finish.

2011 Willamette Valley Chardonnay ($40/bottle): Lots of Meyer lemon on the palate with a kiss of vanilla and a long finish citrusy finish. This would be an amazing complement to fresh crab. Mmmmm….

2010 Stepping Stone Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($35/bottle): This delightful Pinot Noir is young and fruity with notes of ripe raspberry, cranberry, and juicy strawberry. Vanilla and spice are super-subtle on the finish. Very easy to drink!

2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($65/bottle): This brand-new release has “drink me” written all over it. The rich and complex palate offers delicious notes of dark red berries and dark chocolate supported by velvety tannins. (I went back for seconds of this one!)

2010 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($80/bottle): This wine has such a gorgeous perfume that becomes more pronounced with every swirl. Think blackberry jam, fresh sage, and black licorice. On the palate, a mélange of ripe dark fruits charms the taste buds with a finish that lingers seductively until your next sip. A little age on this wine will help smooth out the sturdy tannins. I tasted the 2009 vintage of this wine on Sunday night and it is divine. But it is also quite youthful; it was even better the second day. Don’t forget to decant!

If you're going to be in the Napa Valley this weekend, please visit the Hill Family Estate tasting salon on Saturday, 12/7 from 2-4 PM for my second book signing event!  Click here for more info.

Serve Brut Rosé at your next holiday soirée

It is nearing Thanksgiving and I would like to declare how grateful I am for pink bubbles. I can enjoy brut rosé all year long, but there is something about a bottle of bubbly that makes any occasion feel more festive.

With a whisper of sweetness, most brut rosé wines are quite pleasant on their own and pair well with soft lighter cheeses (think goat chèvre or burrata), seafood (particularly smoked salmon), and even turkey. Any of these pretty sparklers are sure to impress your dinner guests this Thursday and throughout the holiday season:

Le Grand Courtâge Grand Cuvée Brut Rosé NV is a French sparkler made of Chardonnay, Ugni Blanc and Gamay. Thanks to the addition of the Gamay, this wine has a lovely fruitiness to it with a delicate sweetness. Fresh and vibrant, it offers aromas of ripe strawberries and white flowers while the palate extends flavors of wild strawberry and white peach. It can be found locally for as low as $20 a bottle at Three Birds Wine Bar & Bottle Shop in Corte Madera and Vintage Wine & Spirits in Mill Valley. Great value!

J Brut Rosé Russian River Valley NV ($38/bottle) has long been one of my favorite California bubblies. It is 66% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, and 1% Pinot Meunier. It has a bright coral hue to it and a lovely perfume of strawberry and freshly baked bread. The palate is layered with notes of rose petal, strawberry and raspberry. As you can see, it disappears quickly!

On the higher end of the sparkling spectrum, the Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut Champagne NV ($85/bottle 750 mL; mainstreetwinebar.net) is made from 100% Pinot Noir. It is a glorious magenta hue with powerful notes of black currant, sweet cherry, and raspberry. Rivals Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé in complexity and richness (and price!).

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with friends, family, and amazing wines like these - and maybe a good book?! The hardback edition of Where I Want to Be is now available for purchase at authorcortney.com/novel. If you have another wine you like to pair with turkey dinner, please leave a comment here, on Facebook, or Twitter. Gobble gobble!

Cheers,Cortney

Oh, those beautiful Burgundian varieties...

What I love about Pinot Noir is its food-pairing potential. Either light and earthy or rich and fruit-forward, the Pinot Noirs grown in California can pair with just about everything (roasted salmon, mushroom risotto, pizza, roasted duck, seared ahi tuna, lasagna or past, cheeses and charcuterie...the list goes on and on).

Last week, I went to Vin Antico in San Rafael and ordered the rabbit entrée. The meal was delicious, but the Cabernet Sauvignon that the server suggested was just too tannic for such a delicate white-meat dish. So I asked for a glass of White Burgundy, which paired perfectly with the rabbit as well as the sautéed corn on the plate.

The 2010 Louis Latour Chardonnay Montagny Premier Cru from the La Grande Roche Vineyard ($20/bottle; wine.com) is a pretty golden hue in the glass. It offers bright green apple and lively acidity on the palate. Medium-bodied, it has a creamy texture and a mineral-driven finish. It was also divine with the sheep’s milk cheese we enjoyed for dessert.

After dessert, we ended up at the restaurant's bar for a glass of Pinot Noir.

The 2010 LaRue Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir greets the nose with aromas of rose petal, violets, and sweet red fruit. On the palate, this elegant and flavorful wine delivers juicy red raspberry flavors, a silky-smooth texture, and nice complexity. Only 310 cases were produced ($68/bottle; laruewines.com).

P.S. This wine would have been an awesome match for the rabbit dish!!

That being said, this wine (like many Pinot Noirs) was delicious paired with nothing other than good company. For so many reasons, I am becoming quite a fan of Burgundy varieties...

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!

What to drink now: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Champagne!

With the release of my debut novel, Where I Want to Be, coming up in the next few weeks, I haven’t had much time to blog (shame on me). I have been busy developing my marketing campaign for the Wine Country Series, reaching out to the wineries mentioned in the first ebook (yes, there will be more!), making a YouTube video in which I read an excerpt from the first chapter and proofreading the final proof of WIWTB. Despite all these non-drinking activities, I have still managed to enjoy some fantastic wines.

I love a crisp Chardonnay on a hot late-summer evening, which we have had a lot of in Marin County recently . The 2011 Castello di Amorosa Reserve Chardonnay, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara ($38/bottle; castellodiamorosa.com)* is a terrific summer sipper with a nose of white flowers, pear and crème brûlee spice. Upon the initial quaff, I almost deemed this wine too oaky for my likes, but as the wine warmed up in the glass and continued to evolve with a little aeration, I could fully appreciate its intricacy. On the palate, this wine offers flavors of Meyer lemon, candied ginger and minerals. With only 20% malolactic fermentation, this wine retains its natural vibrant acidity. The finish is refreshing and clean and enhanced with tropical fruit notes and a whisper of vanilla. This is a great wine to share with girlfriends (or perhaps a good book). Yum!

A slightly chilled Pinot Noir can be just as refreshing... 

If you didn’t catch my post about Pinot Days on July 1st, perhaps you haven’t heard me boast about the awesomeness of Russian River Valley. Last weekend I had a date—his name was Gary Farrell and he was absolutely delicious. From the 2009 vintage, this RRV Pinot Noir ($35/bottle; fpwm.com) has matured nicely and offers up a complex flavor profile of cherry cola, juicy plum and red raspberry. The mouthfeel was super-smooth and lush. The mid-palate kept me intrigued with notes of vanilla, earth and spice. It was a lovely wine; the kind I would definitely say yes to for a second date. ;-)

Last but certainly not least, the other stunner I have had the pleasure of spending time with is Jean Vesselle. From Bouzy, Champagne, the Oeil de Perdrix NV ($29/bottle 375 mL shown or $56/bottle 750 mL; mainstreetwinebar.net) is a 100% Pinot Noir brut rosé. It has a peachy color with aromas of wild strawberry, freshly baked bread, roses and a hint of smoke. It is robust and seductive in the mouth with complementary notes of roasted nuts, bright red fruit flavors and a long delightful finish.

As always, thank you for reading. Please provide comments and questions on my Facebook page and stay tuned for more wine reviews to be posted soon. Cheers!

*This bottle was received for review purposes from Castello di Amorosa. Please contact the winery to purchase.

Carneros Appellation Recommendations

Many people don’t realize how many fantastic tasting rooms there are halfway to Napa! Less than 30 miles from San Francisco, the Carneros appellation provides lots of places to whet your palate...

On a recent trip to celebrate a friend’s thirtieth birthday, our first stop was Gloria Ferrer. Sitting outside on the terrace is a wonderful experience on a clear, sunny day. Instead of ponying up to the counter, you can sit back and enjoy the views while the hospitality staff delivers your choice of a tasting flight or glasses table-side. I highly recommend the 2004 Royal Cuvée ($32/bottle). A blend of two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardonnay, this delightful sparkler offers citrus and stone fruit notes balanced by toast and rich yeasty aromatics. The 2007 Blanc de Blanc ($32/bottle) is also very pleasant with refreshing green apple flavors and crisp minerality!

Less than a mile down the road is the tasting room for Anaba Wines. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve driven by this tasting room a thousand times as I speed up the Carneros Highway (Route 12) to downtown Sonoma or Napa.

With no appointment necessary, I popped into the Anaba tasting room last week a few minutes after 5 PM (yes, they stay open until 5:30!). The tasting menu features many vineyard-designate Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs as well as Rhône varieties and blends. I was very impressed with the variety!

I highly recommend the 2010 Anaba Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($32/bottle). It is a deliciously drinkable wine with lots of lovely dark fruit and subtle complexity. A blend of fruit sourced from the famed Gap’s Crown Vineyard and Sun Chase Vineyard (both sites are part of the Petaluma Gap), this Pinot is aged in 35% new French oak barrels. With a whisper of oak and silky dust-like tannins, you can enjoy this wine on its own, with salame and cured meats, pizza, roast chicken or even fish like salmon and tuna. This wine can be ordered direct from the winery, enjoyed by-the-glass at Restaurant Picco, or purchased at Main Street Wine Bar.

Other tasting rooms worth checking out in Carneros include Domaine Carneros, Cline Cellars, and Nicholson Ranch. There’s also Schug, Etude, and Acacia (which I haven't visited yet but they are on my list). Cheers!

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!