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!

When in Rome...order Italian wine

I have a confession to make. I know very, very little about Italian wine.

As much as I would like to learn more--and drink more--Italian varietals, quality examples are hard to come by. There are many Italian restaurants in the Bay Area, but Californian wines seem to dominate wine lists everywhere. There's very little risk in ordering a bottle of wine that I've already had and liked, but I also realize I won't discover new wines by playing it safe.

Last night, I went to dinner at Sociale, a hidden gem of a restaurant in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. Sociale is a study in northern Italian fare--and a great place to expand one's knowledge of Italian wines. (www.sfsociale.com)

The wine list was expansive without being overwhelming. But it didn't speak my language. Although I spotted a few wines from Sonoma and Napa, I ignored them. As my eyes scanned the list, I recognized a few varietals (I've had a few mediocre Sangioveses in my life and I've read in the Wine Spectator that Brunello di Montalcinos are amazing but quite pricey), but I had no idea what to order.

Our server addressed our table within minutes of our arrival and told us about the specials. At our request, the sommelier appeared a moment later. I told him that we would prefer something red, fruit-forward, and in the $50-$60 price range. Without being pretentious or condescending, he recommended two wines that he promised were both fruit-forward and would pair well with most of the menu.

He suggested a Montepulciano ($60/bottle) that was complex but not too heavy and a Sangiovese (only $36/bottle) that was very fruity.

We opted for the 2008 Le Berne Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and although it was a little cold when first poured, it opened up nicely. It had luscious red cherry and currant flavors, good acidity, and a medium-plus body.

For our first course, we shared an order of the fried olives--absolutely delicious!--and the mushroom pot pie. The server also brought us a beet salad--on the house--which was light and tasty, too. I probably wouldn't order the pot pie again, if only because there were many other tempting options (like the duck meatballs).

And we enjoyed our wine so much that it was gone before our entrees arrived!

Sociale is a small, cozy space, so it didn't take me long to flag down the sommelier to order a second bottle. We decided to try his other recommendation; he poured the wine as our main course arrived.

The Sangiovese was very easy to drink; with bright red fruit and more acidity than the first wine. It complimented my arctic char surprisingly well. My dining companions ordered the quail and the spinach linguine with prawns; they didn't have any complaints either.

As our empty plates were cleared, we were surprised it was already 9 pm. Every table in the place was occupied; despite the low ceilings, we could still hear each other just fine and the service never suffered. The food was delicious, the sommelier was very helpful, and the waitstaff was there when needed.

Taking a risk on a couple bottles of Italian wine was a very good and pleasurable venture indeed!

Our journey to White Cottage in search of Sangiovese

About this time every year, White Cottage Ranch Winery releases their Howell Mountain Sangiovese. When I called this winery last summer to schedule a tour, I was amazed to hear that the Sangiovese had already sold out. Supposedly it sells out within days! In addition to the Sangiovese's popularity and thus brief availability, I've heard through the grapevine that White Cottage is a truly unique winery.

Was it worth the drive up to Angwin? Absolutely!

Mike, the Assistant Winemaker, came out to greet us. With a thick Boston accent and a friendly humor, he guided us to the well-polished table set with glasses and a tray of bread and olive oil. With a fireplace to our backs and big windows with views of the vineyards, I couldn't but feel right at home; this small parlor we were in exuded a warm coziness that many big wineries lack. Mike sat down with us and proceeded to open a crisp Chardonnay.

As we swirled the Chard, we admitted that we were particularly drawn to the Sangiovese. Mike assured us not to worry, that we'd get there in time (it's a good thing we cancelled our next appointment, we didn't leave until about 2 hours later!).

Before we tried the Sangiovese, we tasted the 2007 Contra Costa County Syrah (robust with gobs of vanilla and blackberry), 2006 Merlot (approachable and easy to drink), 2005 Cab Franc (wow, what a nose!), and two Cabs: 2006 "Risa" Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2005 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

Just as Mike was pulling the cork on the Howell Mountain Cab, we were joined by 4 walk-ins. They turned out to be Wine Club members, so they pulled up a chair and Mike grabbed extra glasses. The newcomers said they had been members for years, and they seemed particularly delighted to have arrived just in time for the Howell Mountain Cab. Undoubtedly, it was delicious--big and rich, with balanced fruit and earth, silky tannins and a long finish.

While keeping the atmosphere informal and light-hearted, the assistant winemaker shared lots of industry-related stories and vineyard-specific information about the wines as he poured them.

Finally, Mike brought out that bottle of the Sangiovese. Great acidity was balanced by a tight, mineral core while bright cherry fruit flavors and dusty tannins rounded out the palate. At $45 a bottle, it's not quite an everyday pizza wine, but it was very tasty. I highly recommend it (the Howell Mountain Cab was my second favorite).

One thing that all of these wines had in common was their accessibility; within seconds of being opened, these wines were in full form with attractive aromatics and overt flavors. When I'm not worried about keeping a wine for more than one day, I appreciate this kind of immediate gratification. I enjoyed all of the wines, even the Bordeaux-blend of jug wine that Mike opened last. I can't think of another Napa winery that produces wine in a jug. Indeed, a trip to White Cottage Ranch Winery is a very unique experience!