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! 

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!