Selections of the most interesting Online Fine Wine Auctions.
Posted in Wine News on Oct 28th, 2008
Fine Wine Online Auctions
Online wine auction community, including rare wine collections of vintage wines for sale. Online Catalogue: Fine & Rare Wine 1 Oct 2008, New Bond Street Online Catalogue. Online australian wine auctions of rare wine fine wine and premium wine. If you cannot attend the Fine Wine Auction but would still like to [...]
Posted in Wine News on Jul 9th, 2008
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Hans Fahden Winery.
Wine Spies Once-in-a-lifetime Alert!: Today we are pleased to the first wine seller to bring you another exclusive from Hans Fahden. This wine is not only very special, it is also precious. Once this wine is gone, the winery will not release another
Superior Wine Alert!: This is another exceptional Hans Fahden wine and we are astounded that it sells for so little
SAVINGS ALERT!: Operatives who buy six or more bottles today will be rewarded with Free Ground Shipping, but only if they enter the secret savings code: MERLOTSPY
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Respond immediately to reports that Wine Spies Operative favorite, Hans Fahden, has released a one-time Merlot. If the wine is great, secure as much as possible – before they run out – forever!
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Hans Fahden Winery
Wine Subject: 2004 Mountain Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker: Israel Montanez
Backgrounder: The 2003 Hans Fahden Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the most popular Cabs we featured in 2007. In 2008, we offered their incredible 2004. Again, a smash success and a fast sell-out. When we learned that they were producing a limited release Merlot, we sped to the winery to taste the wine. When we fell in love, we secured an exclusive on the wine and are offering you what could be you only chance to try the wine. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes below, followed by his original Mission Report, in which Red first becomes acquainted with this wonderful winery.
Look – Deep ruby red in color with a heart of dark plum. Swirl the glass and thick legs appear slowly before they march slowly down the glass
Smell – A wonderful blast of concentrated aromas of earthen cherry, ripe blackberry, soft pine tar and mild fresh mixed salad herbs
Feel – Initially velvet soft and then the wine shows lush medium tannins as it coats and then drys the tongue and the roof of the mouth
Taste – Big and rich flavors of dark stonefruit, dark cherry, dark smoky blueberry, blackberry and plum, with a slight herbaceous or vegital quality that gives the wine a hearty flavor that follows its initial fruity brightness
Finish – Super long-lasting, with smokey fruit then more vegital all over mouth flavors that taper off slowly as the wine coats and the drys your mouth
Conclusion – Once again, Hans Fahden winery has us scratching our heads at the high-quality/low-price of their wines. We declared their Cabernet Sauvignon to be an underpriced mastepiece and we say the same of this fantastic, youthful Merlot. The only ‘bad’ thing we could say about this wine is that once it is gone, it’s gone. Okay, to be fair, all wines are like this, but when we asked the winery if there would be a future vintage, they (sniff) said ‘nope’! So, dear Operative, stock up, buy us out, grab an ample allocation for this is likey your only chance to try this great wine – from a great winery!
Mission Report:
What follows is our original mission report, in which Agent Red first discovers Hans Fahden’s exquisite wine:
: : San Francisco, California : : Fort Mason : : Family Winemakers of California Tasting event : :
With more than 400 wineries and only two days to taste, I needed to employ my best strategic planning skills. There was simply no way I would be able to taste everything available to me.
Central Command had compiled a list of High Priority Target wineries, and I was tasting wines of all varietals and in all price ranges. Most of them good to great, and only a few real stinkers.
During the latter half of my second day, I initiated the final phase of my tasting which had me tasting only the highest end wines available. This was a phase I was looking forward to and after giving my palate a much needed rest, I reentered the pavilion like a man on a mission. Oh, yeah, I really was on a mission!
After tasting 2 or 3 really superb wines (you’ll enjoy learning of these in a future report), I spotted on of my newest assets, Codename ”Shank”, chatting at one of the winery tasting tables.
Shank, so named for his passion for golf, is a wine industry insider. He works for a leading wine industry technology provider and hails from a winemaking family.
I walked over to the table and Shank introduced me to Karen Fahden of Hans Fahden Vineyards. Karen immediately poured me a glass and I took it for a swirl. I was instantly wowed and I explained that I had been seeking out $50+ wines. I thought that this one would fit right in and I asked Karen if the was $50 – or more. I was shocked by her answer. Karen explained that she gets that reaction a lot.
Right there at the table, I negotiated a nice quantity of bottles for our Agents. Any wine that drinks like a $50 bottle but costs less than half that deserves our best attention.
Winery Backgrounder:
The Fahden vineyards and winery consists of 100 acres. It is located at 1200 feet, in a range of the Mayacamus Mountains, on a ridge above Calistoga, California. The property features panoramic views of Mt. St. Helena.
Hans and Marie Fahden, natives of Hamburg, Germany, purchased the property in 1912. They farmed the land growing grapes until the Prohibition was enacted in 1920. After destroying the vines that they had worked so hard to plant and tender, the family planted prunes.
Sixty years and two generations later, Antone and Lyall Fahden decided they liked Cabernet Sauvignon better than prunes and a new journey began to restore the land and make it productive. From 1982 to 1984, the family went to work, planting three vineyard areas. Separated by volcanic outcroppings and forests of Douglas Fir, these vineyards are now interspersed by picturesque ponds and a beautiful wine cave, which was tunneled into a formation of four million year old volcanic ash.
The Hans Fahden Winery became bonded in 1986. The first bottle of wine, which was produced from the 1987 vintage, was sold in 1992. The Hans Fahden Winery became licensed to conduct public tastings in 1996. Today, the Winery produces incredible award-winning wines that please the pallet and the pocketbook.
The location of the Dry Creek Valley can be seen in this satellite photo
Posted in Wine News on Jul 9th, 2008
By W. Blake Gray
“Spring Snow” is a pretty good nickname for a sake because it sounds not just delicate and natural, but outright freaky when you think about it. Snowing in springtime? You don’t see that often.
Same for its sake namesake — although in this case, blame not Mother Nature, but the US government.
Akitabare “Shunsetsu” (”spring snow”) Nama Honjozo is highly unusual because it combines a class of sake we often see in the U.S. — nama — with one that we don’t, honjozo.
Honjozo sakes are basically the same quality as junmai sakes, because at least 30 percent of the outer part of the rice is polished away. They’re very popular in Japan. But because of US tax law on imported sake, they’re uncommon here.
“Junmai” means “pure rice”: nothing but rice, water and koji mold goes into a junmai sake.
For honjozos, brewer’s alcohol may be added during the process. Usually this is done to create a lighter, less intense, more subdued style. Think about the difference between Italian Pinot Grigio and Alsatian Pinot Gris. The honjozo is more like the Pinot Grigio — crisp, light-bodied, meant for food, at the sacrifice of some aromatic and flavor intensity. Yet there are plenty of mild dishes in Japanese cuisine that a richly flavored sake (or a full-bodied, super-aromatic Pinot Gris) would overpower.
Honjozo sakes are big in Japan partly because of their food friendliness, and partly because their easy quaffability makes it easy to drink quickly enough to get shitfaced. Japanese don’t drink halfway.
However, while honjozo sakes are generally the same price or cheaper than junmais in Japan, in the US they are significantly more expensive. The US government taxes them at a higher rate because alcohol is added, so they drop into the same category as fortified wines like Port.
That, and the fact that junmai has the better connotation in the US of being “pure,” has kept honjozo sakes from making any headway in this market.
This honjozo is an oddity because it’s also “nama,” which means unpasteurized. It doesn’t taste like any other sake I’ve had on these shores. More on that in a moment.
The brewery, based in Akita prefecture in chilly northern Honshu on the Japan Sea side, claims to be bound by tradition. The company’s junmai label proclaims “koshiki junzukuri” — the old way. And the brewery claims to have been using some of the same tools for the past century (In case you’re wondering, the US Air Force didn’t bother flying that far north.)
And yet, Akitabare’s sake lineup is pretty innovative. The daiginjo is bottle-aged for two years, which is almost heresy in an industry focused on freshness. And then there’s this sake, which — because it’s nama — is most definitely “drink now.”
Before that spring snow melts.
Tasting Notes:
The aroma is complex, with notes of cream, mustard powder, orange rind, oyster shell, melon and shrimp. But it doesn’t prepare you for what you’re about to taste. Neither does the mouthfeel, which is a big plus: it’s tight and creamy at the same time, with a taut center and a long taut finish.
What I taste from this is melon, and plenty of it — the characteristic of a nama, but definitely not a characteristic of most honjozos. I also taste notes of cream and oyster shell. It’s a little pungent and never fattens up. That’s a good thing — it’s very food-friendly.
Food Pairing:
I had it with Chinese delivery food — sliced fish sauteed with bok choy, spinach with garlic and vegetable chow mein — and it was excellent.
Overall Score: around 9
How Much?: $20
This wine is available for purchase on the Internet.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 8th, 2008
Many years ago, a Navy friend brought us a bottle of German wine as a hostess gift. Brian was elated because he’d found this wine in the U.S. I was surprised to discover that the gift was German red wine from a region I’d never heard of, the Ahr. No surprise, Brian told us – the Ahr is a very small wine region that produces mostly red wines, so it’s very hard to find Ahr wines outside of Germany.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 8th, 2008
Vinfolio is pleased to announce the public beta launch of VinCellar 3 today (see press release and blog post over at Fermentation). One of the most interesting capabilities we’ve designed is a decisonmaking tool that is found under the Cellar Analysis tab. The best way to use these capabilities is to think of a question about your cellar and then to use the tools to answer it.
1. Graphs
This is a graphical dashboard tab displaying up to four interactive graphs simultaneously from a list of categories (currently: cost, country, gain/loss, pre-arrival, score, and varietal; note a “drinkability” category will be released shortly). Click the thumbnail image below to display a screenshot.
You may also drill into any level of detail from this graphical view by clicking either a section of a graph or the Details link for all sections at once (click thumbnail image below for the resulting screenshot).
2. Segmentation
Analyze your cellar by selecting a combination of up to three categories from cascading dropdown lists. Each category selected sequentially further splits out your cellar into more detail. Once you have completed an analysis, you can save it to a My Analyses list for future reuse.
3. Narrowing data set used in graphing/segmenting
In either the Graphs or Segmentation subtab, the following filter criteria can be repetitively applied to narrow the scope of displayed wine and then saved to a My Filters list for later reuse.
Your feedback is welcome
Please feel free to submit any questions or suggestions for improvement in our Vinfolio Forums. User feedback is critical for us in developing the best possible solution for your needs. As a web-based application, we are able to make minor changes any time and go through regular software development cycles every 30 days for larger changes or new features.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 8th, 2008
I’m sorry about that headline. I couldn’t help myself. Everyone else is doing it.
When I first started writing about wine several years ago, I thought one of the things I might do is help my readers keep up with the health news surrounding wine, so I started posting little tidbits every time I saw a news item about the health benefits of wine. After about three weeks it was clear that unless I was planning on writing the wine health blog, there was just no way I could possibly cover it all.
I’ve speculated before about why the health benefits of wine seems to be such a popular topic with researchers and the only reason I could come up with was that the researchers just need the merest shred of an excuse to spend their grant monies on booze.
But don’t take that as demeaning the quality of or the need for such research. I’m just a bit bemused as to how much of it seems to be pouring out of the halls of academia around the world, proclaiming that yes, red wine will cure just about anything.
The latest bit of research purportedly shows that drinking red wine while eating cooked meat is better for you than eating the same meat while sipping a Diet Coke, for instance.
Of course, we’ve known since ancient times that drinking wine with food was good for you — in the old days it was the water that got you sick (and occasionally the food too) so consuming massive quantities of wine was not only fun, but good for staving off dysentery and other nasties. Red wine with your tomatoes, anyone?
This most recent research focuses on wine’s antioxidant properties, which seem to reduce the toxins that are a byproduct of our guts trying to break down the fats in the meat. Eating steak apparently shortens your life, but drinking red wine while you do it makes everything OK! (in addition to curing Leprosy, of course).
Like all such studies, we must take these results with a grain of salt, but they certainly are encouraging, nonetheless. Not like you needed an excuse to pop the cork on a nice bottle with your steak dinner….
Thanks to Jack at Fork & Bottle for sending me the link.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 8th, 2008
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Trechini Cellars.
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Sleuth out an exceptional Sonoma County Merlot for our thirsty Operatives
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Trechini Cellars
Wine Subject: 2006 Merlot
Winemaker: Dan Barwick
Backgrounder: Any true fan or red wine knows that, worldwide, Merlot is a serious and well-respected wine varietal. It is the most widely grown grape in the Bordeaux region of France and, in America, Merlot soared to popularity in the 1990s. And for good reason; Merlot, when done correctly, can be incredible. Such is the case with today’s serious offering from Trecini Cellars. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report immediately following to learn more about this wine – and why Merlot still rocks!
Look – Inky garnet to ruby with a dark heart of deep garnet, this wine has a bouncy surface with concentrated color out to its edges. When swirled the wine shows thick and thin legs that run down the glass at different speeds
Smell – Really lavish aromas! Lush and deeply layered with earthy rich smells of plum, dark cherry, cedar, dusky blackberry, mild dried herbs and soft-smoked meats
Feel – Cool and light up front, deliciously slick (not oily) with an initial wetness that is fast replaced by medium tannins and an all-over-mouth coating effect that I love
Taste – A delicious unveiling of great flavors, with dark ripe stonefruit, dark cherry, dark mixed berries, mild cigar box and fresh & mild mixed salad herbs
Finish – Cool and fresh, then slightly drying and airy with big flavors that taper off very gradually
Conclusion – It is no wonder that Trecini keeps winning so many gold medals; This wine is superb, conveying a real sense of place, of passion and of personality. This is a wine that connects you to the winemaker, the vineyards and the fruit. Its also no wonder that we Wine Spies keep returning to Trecini Cellars; We are diehard fans and they make wines that impress us over and over again. If you love Merlot, you will LOVE this one. If you don’t care for Merlot, you MUST try this one, for it will please you with its delicious flavors, great aromas, bright acidity and great feel.
Mission Report:
It was a cold and rainy day in Sonoma County. Just the sort of day I have come to expect in mid-January in this mostly-beautiful and usually delightful California wine growing region… but with a difference; The rain was relentless and the downpour particularly strong.
I had set a secret rendezvous with winery owner, Cathy Vicini, but was beginning to wonder whether I would make it to her or not. Roads were feet-deep with water in places, traffic seemed unmoving and I felt as though I would have done better in a rowboat than my Spy car.
The last time we featured a Trecini wine, I was not the agent on the case. Therefor, I had not had the pleasure to meet with anyone from the winery until today. Although, with this weather, I was beginning to wonder if I would even have the chance.
The spot where we had set for out meeting was nearby the winery’s HQ, but somewhat more interesting; we planned to meet in the center of a private sculpture garden where a few dozen sculptures were spread out over nearly a 1/2 mile stretch. I looked forward to seeing them, if I could just make it there.
By some great miracle, or perhaps just good luck, the weather cleared, the sun shone through the parting clouds and traffic began to move again. I made it with a few minutes to spare and thanked the wine gods as I climbed the hills toward the sculpture garden.
The sculptures here ranged in size from tiny to massive and were either stunning in their beauty – or downright bizarre. If you guessed that my tastes leaned toward the more bizarre ones, you may be right. My favorite was a 15-foot long creation that looked to be made of gnarled wood and welded metal that looked like a robotic, steam-propelled, flying baby whale, called “SirBent”, by Bryan Tendrick.
After a period of standing in awe before this creation, Cathy rolled up in her SUV, a quizzical look on her face. We exchanged prearranged authentication phrases and we both smiled warmly. Cathy had a case of wine for our careful assessment and, in true prohibition-era style, I transfered it from the back of her truck, to the trunk of my car.
Because Cathy had another meeting to make, we spoke for just a few minutes, then thanked each other, and were on our way again quickly.
That’s when the rain started up again. I made for our Sonoma safehouse and arrived there before the worst of the weather hit. Just.
Once safely inside, I built a fire in the fireplace, decanted a bottle of Trecini wine and made myself a modest meal of comfort food. On sipping the wine I was struck by its character and the feeling that the wine imbued. Where some wines are obvious party wines and still others are great elegant dining wines, I realized that this wine – with its rich but still soft feel, flavors and aromas – was the perfect comfort wine.
The rest of my evening was spent listening to the rain and reflecting on how some wines impart a visceral feeling, a sense of place, and a sense of the winemaker, when you drink them. Maybe it was being safe from the rain, maybe it was the great wine, but this Trecini wine delivered all of these, and a tangible impression that all is right with the World.
The location of our secret meeting, the sculpture gardens, and surrounding vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.wonderful mouthfeel.
Mission Report:
The location of the Vicini Vinyard can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 7th, 2008
My father was partial to scotch, rather than the restrained subtleties of cabernet sauvignon or grenache. But I am not my father. In the Sierra Foothills, specifically the Shenandoah Valley near Plymouth, CA, generations of farmers have planted grapes for wine since the gold rush times.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 7th, 2008
Muscat Beaumes de Venise is a light and sweet nectar of the Gods, with an aroma of rose petals and tropical fruit and a taste of candied oranges dripping with honey. It makes me glad for summer, because it is the perfect summer dessert wine.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 7th, 2008
Is California the only American region producing great wine? In this episode of IntoWineTV, host Lisa Kolenda and wine experts Bartholomew Broadbent and Pamela Busch convene at San Fr
Posted in Wine News on Jul 7th, 2008
According to the Luxury Institute’s research (as referenced in a recent Newsweek story called Luxury Goes Undercover), “nearly all wealthy Americans (98%) use the Web to purchase [high-end] goods and services, and more than half do it frequently.” The wealthy are “increasingly interested in immediacy and convenience,” not to mention privacy and selection.
Wine as a luxury item
Fine wine prices have risen to the level where wine is now a luxury item (see my 2007 post, Wine as a luxury item). Yet, only 18% of weekly wine drinkers bought wine online in 2007 according to the Wine Market Council (and almost two-thirds of that was from wineries, not retailers).
Pent-up demand for online wine buying
I believe the 18% figure is artificially suppressed, primarily because of the reduced convenience that complicated direct shipping laws create. The good news is that wine retailers are now organized via the Specialty Wine Retailers Association. The SWRA is fighting on consumers’ behalf to create a more streamlined regulatory environment that updates shipping laws to conform to the reality of 21st century web-based commerce.
Bottom line: If you’re interested in tapping into the benefits of buying wine online, support the SWRA and voice your opinions (in a comment to this post) about how online wine buying could be made more convenient for you.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 7th, 2008
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Salvestrin Vineyard and Winery.
SAVINGS ALERT! Smart spies stock up on great wines. When they buy 6 or more bottles of today’s SuperCaliTuscan, they will be rewarded with Free Ground Shipping, but only if they enter secret savings code NAPASPY at checkout.
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Uncover a Super Tuscan-style wine, born in California. If the wine is superb, procure an ample supply for our Operatives to enjoy
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Salvestrin Vineyard and Winery
Wine Subject: 2005 Retaggio Red Wine
Winemakers: Kent Barthman and Rich Salvestrin
Backgrounder:
In just the last decade, Super Tuscans became the latest rage in Italian wine in the United States, however, their story goes back to the late 1940s when the famed Sassicaia wine was reportedly made by Incisa della Rochetta using Cabernet Sauvignon vines from Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, or so the legend goes. Now California Super Tuscan-inspired blends are presenting as great wines of remarkable quality, providing a unique expression of this Italian heritage blend.
Look – Dark purple with a dark inky heart of deep garnet, with tightly-packed, slow thick legs that start slow and then streak down the glass, providing insight into the wines mouthfeel
Smell – Intense wild blackberries, blackberry and raspberry with currant, blueberry, licorice and spices. This wine also presnts secondary aromas of black pepper and earth
Feel – Round and soft at very first, then bright and bold, dry and warm on the tongue, this full-bodied wine has medium tannins and a mouth-coating and chewy quality. As this wine opens up it becomes more velvety
Taste – Extremely well balanced fruit, with notable dusky blackberry, currant, blueberry and soft spice, with touches of oak, black pepper and an earthy quality. Present here is that classic subtle orange zest spiciness that you only find in exceptional Italian wines
Finish – This wine finishes beautifully long and dry with big fruit and a slight herbaceous quality
Conclusion – This is a big, juicy, delicious and fun wine to drink! A really interesting wine as well, with a definite between California-fresh and Super Tuscan heritage. For those Cali wine fans familiar with Super Tuscan wines from Italy, this wine delivers a great synergy of the two. Bright and aromatic with balanced acidity and a great mouthfeel, this wine is a great solo sipper or perfect with most food combinations. Auguri! to Salvestrin for building this wonderful wonderful wine! If you are a fan of Super Tuscans, you won’t be disappointed!
Three generations of Salvestrins have made wine in America. Today, Rich Salvestrin makes wine on the family’s estate, a practice which began with Rich’s grandfather, John, and was continued by his son, Ed. By American standards, three generations is about as old as a winemaking family can be.
When Central Command issued a Priority Alert for a great California Super Tuscan, our Assets flooded us with intel on various wineries. On feeding all of the data into the W.I.N.E. (Wine Internet Nexus Engine) system, I was presented with three recommendations. At the top of the list was Silvestrin.
Immediately I set out to the winery. Nestled between a residential neighborhood and Crane Park near downtown St. Helena, the 26-acre property is expansive and lush with grape-laden vines. There, on a beautiful late-June day I had the great pleasure to meet with Shannon Salvestrin, Rich’s wife and partner in day to day operation of the winery.
With myself posing as a wine writer (the perfect cover, as I really do write for Imbibe Magazine and Color and Aroma Magazine), we tasted through the range of their wines. We lingered especially long on the Retaggio, today’s wine.
Retaggio is Italian for Legacy, a fitting name for this Tuscan Style wine, from this particular winemaking family, for this wine is the wine embodiment (em_bottlement_?) of the family’s fine heritage and wine-crafting experience.
Made from grapes of Napa Valley Sangiovese and Estate grown Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the Salvestrins have captured the essence of fine Italian Super Tuscan, but in a rich, sleek and somehow more modern California style that does not sacrifice its old-world roots.
At the end of the tasting, I quietly reveled my true intent, asking Shannon for several cases of the wine for our worthy Operatives to enjoy. She readily agreed, allowing us to procure a small cache – but with the suggestion that we counsel our Operatives to ”… stock up and also keep a few bottles in the cellar to enjoy later.” This Wine Spy has taken her advice to heart. I only hope that I can be patient, for this wine is ready to drink right now!.
The location of the Salvestrin Estate vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 7th, 2008
From this valley comes the wine we are pouring
We really dig the bright fruit and sweet nose
You can taste the Sonoma County sunshine
That makes these exquisite grapes grow
Come and sit by my side, if you’re thirsty
Do not hesitate to drink a little more
Just remember the Russian River Valley
With these Chauteau Souverain Pinot Noirs
We’ve been waiting a long time, my darling
For a Pinot Noir this earthy and rich
Now here’s a glass full of ruby-red contentment
With mild tannins and a lingering finish
Come and sit by my side, if you’re thirsty
One bottle of ‘05 and two of ‘04
Just remember the Russian River Valley
With these Chauteau Souverain Pinot Noirs
Well the ‘04 is ripe and dark and complex
With fruit-driven flavors of berry
But the ‘05 is a just little bit jammier
With spices, plum, and black cherry
Come and sit by my side, if you’re thirsty
Drink all you want – they’ll make some more
Just remember the Russian River Valley
With these Chauteau Souverain Pinot Noirs
2005 Sonoma County Pinot Noir
Appellation: Sonoma County
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Harvest: August 31, 2005
Brix: 24.7
Total Acids: 0.63g/100ml
pH: 3.48
Alcohol: 14.5%
Cooperage: Aged 14 months in French oak barrels (80% new)
Release: April 2007
Production: 311 cases
2004 Pinot Noir
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Blend: 96% Pinot Noir, 4% Syrah
Harvest: August 12 to October 10, 2004
Total Acids: 0.61g/100ml
pH: 3.61
Alcohol: 14.7%
Cooperage: Aged 14 months in 97% French oak barrels and 3% Hungarian barrels (54% new oak)
Release: July 1, 2006
Production: 615 cases
Rules and restrictions:
Thanks to stick-in-the-mud buzzkilling state legislators, wine may only be delivered to the following states:
If your state’s not on the list, you’re out of luck… for now. Keep up with the ever-changing laws over at ShipCompliantBlog.com, and/or sound the alarms with your state assembly person through FreeTheGrapes.org. Meanwhile, all Federal, state and local laws are complied with in providing this wine.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 6th, 2008
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Domaine Patrick Baudouin.
We scour the globe to bring you an exceptional International wine selection – from the finest wineries in the world
Clever Operatives will receive FREE Ground Shipping on 6 bottles or more – when they enter this coupon code at checkout: FRENCHSPY (discount will be shown before you complete your order)
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Our Operatives love great Cabernet Franc. Return to France for the perfect Cabernet Franc and secure an ample quantity for our new International Sunday Selection program
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Anjou Villages – Domaine Patrick Boudouin
Wine Subject: 2003 Cabernet Franc
Winemaker: Patrick Boudouin
Cabernet Franc is one of Agent Red’s favorite red varietals. Perhaps this is because its flavors are often rich, layered, complex and elegant. Or, perhaps he loves Cabernet Franc so much because it pairs so exceptionally with many different foods.
One of the most notable things about Cabernet Franc is the fact that finding excellent examples can be very difficult. On a recent extended mission, Agent Red tasted a broad selection of a Cabernet Franc wines. He returned with 5 exceptional Cabernet Francs and subjected them to an extended evaluation. Here he presents his favorite.
We are also very pleased to welcome back Agent K, one of our guest Sommelier reviewers. From time to time, Agent K contributes to our reviews by her lending us her sophisticated palate and love of wine. We extend our special thanks to Agent K, whose comments can be seen below.
Look – Deep, dark garnet, bordering on purple with thick, medium fast legs that glisten down the glass
Smell – Complex and earthy. Stemmy with mild barnyard, clean compost, mulch and stone
Feel – Initially wet, then dry with medium weight and grippy all-over-mouth tannins
Taste – Deeply layered, mouth coating flavors of dark fruit, moss, truffle, leather and cranberry
Finish – Smooth, with the majority of flavors that fall off quickly, leaving behind a pleasing horsey raspberry and pleasant dryness
Conclusion – One must try an authentic French Cabernet Franc if one is to understand the range, depth and complexity that is possible with this outstanding varietal. This particular Cabernet Franc exudes complexity, character and old-world charm. Not as fruity as its wonderful American counterparts, don’t let some of the descriptions above fool you. This wine is very good, and it has American-palate-pleasing fruit, which carries it along nicely.
Agent K, Sommelier, says:
”Undergrowth and barnyard drive this wine with hints of raspberry and leather. The palate is supple and mouth-coating, balanced and smooth with cranberry and gooseberry, vanilla and mushrooms.”
Frances Loire Valley is the region most famous for turning out great Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Franc is particularly suited to the middle region of the Loire Valley where Patrick’s wines come from.
Patrick Bodouin is quite a colorful character and I suspect that the devil that graces his Anjou Villages label is his alter-ego. He grew up in the Layon region of the Loire Valley but left to find his fortune in Paris where he toiled as a laborer and then as a librarian. He eventually gave up that noble profession to return to the Loire and the vineyards of his grandparents. As a winemaker (and as Parker points out), Patrick is passionate about “natural” winemaking. This term for him refers to exhorting the vines to give their best in the vineyard so that intervention in the winery is minimal and the resulting wines “natural.”
This wine is a wonderful example; a Cabernet Franc that some have called the perfect, authentic and quintessential real French Cab Franc. I agree that, if you love Cab Franc, this is certainly one to try. As the only imported Cabernet Franc to make it into my Top 5, it gets my heartiest recommendation.
The location of the Loire Valley where this exceptional wine was born can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 5th, 2008
Great new post over at Steve Heimoff’s blog. In it Steve addresses what appears to be a lack of consumer interest in California Syrah. Money quote is below: There are signs the industry is concerned about a Syrah slump and is gearing up to do something about it. In May, Gallo sponsored a Syrah Symposium [...]
Posted in Wine News on Jul 4th, 2008
The dog days of summer are once again upon us. Whether your remedy to beat the heat is a cool pool, a shade tree, or a blasting air conditioner, it always helps to have a relaxing beverage to help ease the pain. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend refreshing white wines for those hot summer nights:
“On a hot summer evening, I look for a chilled white wine. I also find that if the wine has a bit of sweetness, it offsets the heat a bit. My go-to wines on these evenings tend to be Rieslings. Rieslings are one of the most versatile wines for matching with food. They are especially great with light summer fare such as a salad or fish or fruit. They also make easy sipping on their own. For these casual spontaneous occasions, my favorites are the basic German offerings.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 4th, 2008
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WINERIES GO ORGANIC, SUSTAINABLE AND BIODYNAMIC
From large to small, northern California wineries are starting to color their operations green, whether by organically growing their grapes, practicing sustainable activities or creating biodynamic environments.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 4th, 2008
ATTENTION: Are you looking for the Fritz Underground Winery Ruxton Chardonnay? If so, we are sold out. However, we are currently in Top Secret negotiation with the winery to secure an additional allotment of this very popular wine. Please check back throughout the day!
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day and offer it to you at at great price – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Le Benducce de Tornesi.
RARE WINE ALERT: This is an exceptionally rare and small quantity wine that is absolutely one of the best Brunello di Montalcinos that you will ever taste. If you are a fan of big Tuscan classics, get yourself some of this!
Operative: Agent Blush
Objective: Seek out an excellent small production Brunello di Montalcino for our U.S. based operatives.
Mission Status: Accomplished
Current Winery: Le Benducce de Tornesi
Wine Subject: 2001 Brunello di Montalcino
Winemaker: Maurizio Tornesi and Paolo Vagaggini
Backgrounder:
Brunello di Montalcinos occupy a special place in the hearts of all Wine Spies. Coming from a very distinct and designated (DOCG – officially designated in 1967 as one of Italy’s first DOC classified wines) region in Tuscany about 70 miles south of Florence, Brunellos typically are the best wines produced from the Sangiovese grape. By regulation, Brunellos must be produced by using a 100% Brunello clone of the Sangiovese grape, hence the mystic and lore of this exceptional wine. Typically, Brunellos are among the most expensive Italian wines, which is why today’s wine is such an exceptional offering.
Look – Ruby-red and purple with orange and pink hues along the edges with thin legs.
Smell – Bold and intense with flavors of raspberry, toasted oak, earthy and a hint of leather.
Feel – Smooth, velvety and wet all over the tongue, then the medium tannins kick in to balance the mouth feel.
Taste – Excellent flavors characteristic of Brunellos and Sangiovese with raspberries, blackberries, black cherries and toasted oak.
Finish – This wine finishes long and smooth, inviting a second sip and then yet another.
Conclusion – The Tornesi Brunello di Montalcino is a lovely wine that is smooth to drink, bold and well rounded in flavor, complex and true to its varietal characteristics. This wine deserves the ratings it has received and perhaps should be scored even higher. The winery recommends opening for at least 2 hours or decanting prior to serving.
The Montalcino region can be viewed in this satellite photo.
Owner: Maurizio Tornesi
1st Bottling: 1993
Extension: 7 ha
Vines: 4.5 ha
N° vines/ha: ca. 4,500
Production/ha in hl: 60-70 hl
Annual production in bt.: 9-10.000 bott./0,75 lt.
Different crus: Loghino, Piano, Lecciarello
Grapes: 100 % Sangiovese Grosso
Soil: mainly Galestro
Note: The Le Benducce de Tornesi label is a second label from for the same wine labeled by Tornesi for exclusive sale in the United States.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 4th, 2008
ATTENTION: Are you looking for the Fritz Underground Winery Ruxton Chardonnay? If so, we are sold out. However, we are currently in Top Secret negotiation with the winery to secure an additional allotment of this very popular wine. Please check back throughout the day!
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes even better than that, as is the case with today’s wine from Castelo di Verduno.
Operative: Agent White
Objective: Get on the trail of Agent Baco Noir, and find some great wines along the way.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Castelo di Verduno
Wine Subject: 2001 Barolo Massara DOCG
Backgrounder:
Barolo, from the Langhe region of the Piedmonte of north-west Italy is considered among Italy’s greatest wines. Barolo is made from the bold and tangy Nebbiolo varietal. Unfortunately, most people don’t give these wines enough time to mature and as such people find the younger versions a little hot and poorly integrated. But when cellared correctly, Barolo is the most expressive wine made from the Nebbiolo grape with heavenly layer upon layer of tangy fruit, spice, floral scents and more.
The Barolo DOCG is located around the city of Langhe with the best Barolos coming from single named vineyards (like this one – Massara). These wines are meant to age for upwards of 25 years and shouldn’t even be drunk at an age of less than 7 to 8 years. This particular Barolo is just starting to reach its maturity. Expect a bold powerful wine at while young growing in finesse and elegance as they age.
Look – Clear dark ruby red and garnet hues, brick-orange edges with slow thick legs and a slightly viscous appearance.
Smell – Bold and tangy, 100% Nebbiolo in character, with tangy fruit including raspberries and blackberries, spicy pepper, toasted cedar with hints of licorice, tobacco and leather.
Feel – Initially smooth the bold dry and firm tannins kick in, this full-bodied wine is deep, tart and tangy in the mouth. Decante this wine and the tannins mellow, but the bold and tangy flavors continue to live strong.
Taste – Complex layers of tart raspberries and tangy sour cherry, spicy white pepper, with hints of tobacco, licorice and leather that emerge only after the bold fruit dissipates. Again, after some time, this wine mellows.
Finish – Long and clean with a crisp acidity that lingers with fruit, toasted cedar and hints of tobacco.
Conclusion – If you love big, bold and tangy Italian wines, then this one belongs in your collection. Attack this wine right after your open it and it hits you in the mouth like Mafia thug, but if you give it some time, it will sweet talk you like only an Italian lover can. At seven years old, this wine is just starting to show its potential, if you have the patience to cellar this wine, put a bottle or two away, of course, I can’t wait to pop-open my next bottle!
Agent Baco Noir had long since gone A.W.O.L. Various reports had been coming it that she had been spotted in the The Hills of Langhe, but most of these reports proved to be unsubstantiated. It was extremely discouraging to our Ops Center s many of the greatest Italian wines we’ve run were initially sleuthed by Baco.
Being relatively familiar with the area, I decided to make a trip out. Through back channels, I put the word out that I’d be in the area and I wanted to arrange a meeting with Baco. Hoping that a mutual friend might pass the word on.
A long day of flying into Milan, then a train to Torino and car to Alba. Upon my arrival into Alba I stopped into the _Retrogusto Wine Cafe’ Di Canaparo Andrea_ where Giuseppe, one of my local contacts handed me a large manila envelope and quickly scuttled away. Once I had some privacy, I opened the envelope only to find a selection of grainy black-and-white photographs of Baco enjoying wine at various cafes and wineries throughout the area.
At least we had some leads. The first lead took me to Castello di Verduno. One of the photos showed Baco in her signature high-heels and dark glasses talking to the winemaker. I visited the winery, they had little information on Baco’s whereabouts, but did confirm that she had stopped by. Even going as far as to say, that I’d probably also stop by and ask for information and that I should try the Tre Bicchieri 2001 Barolo Massara DOCG.
The wine was great, this wine was just starting to hit its stride, and while I’m not always fond of Agent Baco Noir’s antics, she’s got a knack for finding great wines.
The location of the Castelo di Verduno can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 3rd, 2008
Designing high-end wine cellars is essentially a specialty art form conducted on a commission basis for wealthy individuals. With the growing interest in wine collecting globally, it shouldn’t be surprising that a globetrotting cellar designer has emerged to meet the needs of those who can afford the best.
Cellarworks specializes in “architecturally distinguished” wine cellars
Lee Zinser, started his firm, Cellarworks, in 1994. His clients include a range of celebrities from the movie, TV, sports, and music industries (as well as some 5-star hotel groups) - sorry, I can’t share any names because Lee’s strict confidentiality policies don’t permit him to tell me. Lee and I met in New York recently to discuss his business:
Vinfolio partnership
Vinfolio has developed a partnership with Cellarworks in which we will introduce our interested clients to them and Cellarworks will offer various services (inventorying, VinCellar, buying and selling wine) to its clients enabled by Vinfolio. Read a copy of the press release.
Example designs
Here are a few more of Cellarworks’ designs to heighten your interest:
Posted in Wine News on Jul 3rd, 2008
The trunk contains a cooler. The cooler contains ten bottles of wine: three whites, two rosés, and five reds. In four hours I will be miles from nowhere. No cell phone coverage, no Internet access — just the wife, the baby daughter, four days’ supply of vino and a corkscrew.
My oldest friend in the world is getting married outside of Yosemite this weekend and I’m a Bridesman, or whatever you might want to call it. I have three jobs over the next few days: get stuff done for the wedding, stand up there at the altar without looking like a slob, and try to get people drunk.
I suppose it says something about my life these days that this is the first time (of perhaps two dozen) that I will be entering Yosemite National Park without a full rack of climbing gear, several ropes, a tent, and a five day supply of Clif bars. Instead I’ve got 90 diapers, two packs of wipes, a stroller, a bassinet, a car seat, twelve onesies, a breast pump, and three kinds of sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
Oh yeah. And a cooler full of wine and a corkscrew.
So you won’t see much blogging going on ’round here over the Independence Day Weekend. I guess I’m celebrating by reasserting my independence from this laptop.
I hope you enjoy your weekend if you are in the United States, and for those of you from elsewhere in the world, see if you have some independence of your own to celebrate. Just make sure you do it with a nice bottle of wine.
Cheers,
Alder
Posted in Wine News on Jul 3rd, 2008
El Brujo - Fri. June 20, 2008
It’s official, this has been the driest spring in N. California recorded history. It’s also been one of the coolest, so the vines aren’t showing any signs of moisture stress yet. Shoot growth is well below normal for this time of year in all the vineyards I’ve looked at in Sonoma Valley and bloom is later than usual. It’s been a lot windier than normal, too. Farmers always talk about the weather anyway, but it sure has been a strange year so far. I don’t have any idea of what’s in store for the rest of the growing season because I don’t have my own personal weather forecaster anymore.
Enrico “Joe” Gallo sold us our vineyard in 1986. His father-in-law, Ben Biehler, had planted it, starting in 1892, and Joe started working with Ben when he married Ben’s daughter in 1933. Joe lived in wine country all his life, and right across the street from our winery from 1935 until his passing ten years ago. I have never met an American who was more in tune with the earth than Joe. He knew which doe had given birth to twins the previous year, when and where certain mushrooms would appear, etc. He paid attention to bird, animal and plant behavior and used that, along with other signs, to predict both short and long term weather with startling precision. Several of the old-time growers in the area asked him regularly for predictions. His predictions made the NWS look like they were using a ouija board.
Over the years Joe taught me where the worst frost spots were, ripening sequences, soil variations and how to identify all the grape varieties. He offered wisdom, opinion, a lot of history and lore, and his two cents worth on politics, sports, sex and religion. He was individualistic and open-minded and had strong moral values that combined very socialistic left wing ideas with a bit of far-right libertarianism. He doused wells, including ours (seemingly unlimited), scared away government employees, and, best of all, predicted the weather so well that my vineyard guys took to calling him El Brujo.
Joe used to come over and tell me it was going to rain on such and such a date, and I only half way paid attention, thinking it was just the ramblings of my retired, somewhat bored neighbor. After a couple of years I started paying more attention because it seemed like he was often right. Once I started writing down his predictions I realized he had abnormal abilities and was pretty much always right. Time after time he predicted rain weeks in advance, to the day, or, at worst, one day off. Droughts, floods, date of last frost – he didn’t predict, he knew. I’ll never forget Oct.3rd the year before he died. He drove over on a very warm, cloudless afternoon (he wasn’t walking much at that point) to apologize for the mistaken prediction he had made in late August that we would have our first real rain of the season on Oct. 3rd. A storm had passed well north of Sonoma and was headed over the Sierra Nevada on its way east. The NWS was predicting clear and warm for the next week plus. Oct. 4th we awoke to heavy rain; in a rare occurrence the storm had come back from the east. I once asked Joe, very diplomatically, if he would consider sharing his methods with me, passing them on to another generation. He had already told me of 3 day and 7 day cycles, moon phases, watching the migratory birds and the oak trees, but I asked him if he might describe how he integrated all those factors. He came back the next day and said he had started to write stuff down but got to the point where he realized “ultimately it comes from here” (touching his heart). I still miss you, Rico.
Take My Wine, Please - Tues. July 1, 2008
Thanks to Penkauskasd for the following questions: “I’m particularly interested in your distribution channels and the regulations you struggle under. Who can you sell to? (distributors, restaurants, direct to consumers, w00t, retail stores, etc,) Why would you sell in that channel? What are the regulations? Why do the regulations differ? Who benefits from restricting your channels?”
In California, our state winemaking license allows us to sell retail (from a maximum of two locations), direct to restaurants and retailers and to distributors. When prohibition was repealed by constitutional amendment in 1933, the states were directed to write their own liquor laws, including drinking age limitations and how, when, where, and by whom alcohol could be sold. Naturally, in every state, distributors “influenced” their legislators to write laws that gave them as much of a monopoly as possible under the law. Illinois is the first state to reverse this policy at all, with a “self distribution” law that went into effect June 1, 2008, allowing small out-of-state wineries to sell direct to restaurants and retailers. Until the Supreme Court decision a couple of years ago, we could sell direct to consumers in only 11 “reciprocal” states, most without restriction. Many of the states have had to rewrite their laws in light of the court decision, and this has opened up a number of states for retail sales and shipping. Ironically, some of the former reciprocal states have become more restrictive and controlled.
Direct to consumer is generally the most profitable venue for us, but shipping is much costlier and less efficient for small amounts than larger shipments to distributors. Also, distributors actively market our wine in their states, resulting in much higher sales volume, albeit at a lower per case return. Cult wineries like Williams-Selyem or Screaming Eagle can sell almost all their wine at retail, but most of us need to sell to restaurants and retailers, and to use distributors to do so.
The federal government’s greatest interest in the alcohol industry is revenue collection (the ATT collects more money per dollar of its budget than any other govt. agency, including the IRS), and that is an important concern for many states as well. We have a lot of reporting and tax paying to do for most states where we distribute or sell direct.
Finally regarding who benefits from restricting our channels? The national wholesalers’ organization spends a huge amount of money lobbying against any law changes that would lessen their control of wine sales. It does put a lot of small wineries in a bind because there aren’t enough distributors for all the brands now in existence, and alternative channels still don’t exist in many states.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 3rd, 2008
The Vineyard Fence
“One of the things I really enjoy about Michael’s approach to Vineyard photography has to do with his willingness to avoid the traditional ways of looking at a vineyard in favor of the unexpected. Sometimes the vineyard almost becomes a minor detail in the overall landscape, but we are nonetheless drawn to it, however subtle.” — Alder Yarrow
INSTRUCTIONS:
Download this image by right-clicking (Mac users, click and hold) on the image and selecting “save link as” or “save target as” and then select the desired location on your computer to save the image. Mac users can also just click the image and drag it to your desktop.
To set the image as your desktop wallpaper, Mac users should follow these instructions, while PC users should follow these.
PRINTS:
If you are interested in owning an archive quality print of this image, or any of the other vineyard images featured here on Vinography, you can purchase one on the Michael Regnier Photography web site for $85.
ABOUT VINOGRAPHY IMAGES:
Vinography regularly features images by photographer Michael Regnier for readers’ personal use as desktop backgrounds or screen savers. We hope you enjoy them. Please respect the copyright on these images.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 3rd, 2008
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Fritz Winery.
We declare this bright, delicious and fresh Estate Chardonnay to be the perfect summertime refreshment!
Clever Operatives will receive FREE Ground Shipping on 6 bottles or more – when they enter this coupon code at checkout: SPYSONOMA (discount will be shown before you complete your order)
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Return to Operative favorite, Fritz Winery – this time to retrieve their fantastic 2006 Ruxton Chardonnay
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Fritz Winery
Wine Subject: 2006 Fritz Ruxton Chardonnay – Russian River Valley
Winemaker: Christina Pällmann
Backgrounder: When The Wine Spies first infiltrated Fritz Winery, we were blown away by the quality of their wines. The Fritz Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon that we showed here recently were among the most popular wines we have featured here. Today, Agent White gets a chance to visit Fritz – and he returns, victorious, with a limited quantity of their wonderfully refreshing Ruxton Chardonnay! Read his tasting notes and mission report below for the full scoop on this great wine.
Look – Golden straw yellow – like a Champagne without bubbles, with perfect clarity, glittering edges, a fast and bouncy surface that, when swirled, leaves behind skinny legs that streak down the glass
Smell – Sweet an inviting, with instant tropical notes that are followed by more subtle apricot, butterscotch, acacia flowers, peach and pineapple
Feel – Round and light at first, then slightly creamy with a hint of acidity. The wine is fast across the tongue, then soft tannins grip the edges of the tongue and the roof of the mouth
Taste – Delicious and juicy, with tropical, peach and apricot flavors that echo the nose, but also present here are wonderful hints of soft coconut and banana, with the softest lemon curd
Finish – Begins sweet and light and fruity, then is followed by a mineral softness as flavors tail off slowly while a supple dryness gradually takes over
Conclusion – Our previously stated opinion that ”There is a special something about Fritz wines”, is reinforced by today’s terrific offering. The perfect summertime sipper, this wine is one to be enjoyed as easily on its own as with more interesting and even challenging pairings. We enjoyed ours with a gourmet bevvy of fine cheeses, crackers and crispbreads. Delicious through and through. Of note: We stuck a sealed bottle in our cave overnight and tasted it again in the morning. The flavors, while more pronounced, became more balanced and exciting as well. We recommend decanting this wine for best enjoyment.
Mission Report:
Longer-term Operatives know that we have placed Fritz Underground Winery under surveillance in the past. You also know that once we recruit a winery into the Wine Spies Nexus, well, that winery is happily in for life.
When our mole at the winery fed us some intel on their new 2006 Ruxton Chardonnay, I immediately flew (in our Spy Plane, of course) to the winery to secure samples.
My counterpart, Agent Red, was the first Wine Spies agent to review wines from Fritz, but since this was a special white wine, I got my chance. Thank goodness, too, for today’s wine turned out to be great.
Once I had my samples in hand, I conducted a detailed analysis. The wine not only passed with flying colors, it refreshed and left me feeling happy to have tasted a Chardonnay, a varietal that is sometimes difficult for me to enjoy.
Chardonnay, especially those from California, can tend to be overly bland and buttery, like a slice of Wonderbread slathered with soft butter. Usually, yuck!, but this wine is wonderfully fresh, flavorful and even refined.
This wine is rife with juicy flavors and aromas that seems perfectly natural. If you enjoy fresh, bright and very tasty white wines – even if Chardonnay is not your favorite – this wine is likely to please you. It pleased even me.
The location of the Fritz Winry Estate Vineyards, where today’s Cabernet Sauvignon was born and crafted, can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 2nd, 2008
While everyone wants their cellar to look fantastic (see Wine cellars: Beauty over function), there are numerous functional elements which need to be considered in any design. Loren Root, who is a Personal Cellar Manager at Vinfolio, offers some practical advice:
Double-deep bottle racking maximizes space and provides better bottle stability (loose bottles in bins can be precarious).Note that Vinfolio is not in the business of designing cellars (other than providing input in an advisory capacity as a Personal Cellar Manager to a client). But if you’re in the market for a cellar designer, here are some suggestions from our “Other resources” page on our site.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 2nd, 2008
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Bradford Mountain Winery.
SUPERIOR WINE ALERT!: We are proud to present the best Zinfandel we have tasted this year! Need we say more?
ORGANIC WINE ALERT!: Today’s wine is made from 100% organic grapes. Note: We will always issue a special alert when we show organic wines
SAVINGS ALERT!: Enter coupon code SPYZIN at checkout and we’ll give you Free Ground Shipping on orders of 6 bottles or more
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Rove the hills and valleys of the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, recover an outstanding Zinfandel for our Operatives
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Bradford Mountain Winery
Wine Subject: Grist Vineyard 2005 Zinfandel
Winemakers: Troy McEnery (winemaker) and Webster Marquez (associate winemaker)
Backgrounder: Zinfandel wines can be big, noisy, pepper-filled beasts of a wine. Today we have sleuthed for you one of our all time favorite Zinfandels, Bradford Mountain’s incredible Grist Vineyard Zinfandel, a wine of remarkably fresh flavors and aromas that, together with a great mouth feel and balanced character, delivering a wine drinking experience that is not to be missed. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report below to learn more about this wine. Be sure to place your order before we run out, however, we expect this wine to move fast
Look – Deep dark, almost blood red, but but perfectly clear with deeply concentrated color right out to the edges of the wine and chubby, slow-moving legs that run down the glass at varying speeds
Smell – Gorgeous is the best single-word description we can assign to the beautiful aromatics of this wine! With smells of fresh mixed wild berries, chocolate tart with plum and mint, sweet pipe tobacco, with a fresh green smell that we can’t quite identify. Its not a vegital smell, nor is it an herbaceous aroma. Rather, it just smells like green, and we love it. Inhale deeply and you’ll see what we mean!
Feel – Instantly rich and round in your mouth, with a bright and full-bodied feel. The wine coats your mouth, but does not feel slick, oily or cloying. What you find here is a tenderness and a brightness that is balanced against supple tannins, rich and lean, bold and lavish, yet fun and refined.
Taste – Rich and brightly concentrated with intense sweet flavors of freshest mixed berries, sweet herbs, softest tar, soft exotic spices and a hint of dark chocolate and a hint of mint
Finish – Sweet and extremely long with a slight dryness that invigorates your senses and invites you to keep on sipping!
Conclusion – This is an incredible Zinfandel with unique fresh and bright flavors of fruit, with a bright rush of perfect aromas that encourage you to inhale deeply -again and again – before you even taste the wine. When you tire of teasing yourself with inhalations, the feel and flavors of this wine sing out as deeply original and incredibly delicious. This wine gets my heartiest personal recommendation to any Zinfandel fan or any interested in learning just how awesome a Zin can be.
*:: FLASH TRAFFIC :: PRIORITY ALPHA ! :: EYES ONLY ::
SUPERIOR WINE ALERT ISSUED: Midnight, July 2nd, 2008
WINE SPIES AGENT: Agent Red
INTEL SOURCE: Field Asset, Codename: ‘Crljenak’
AGENT RED REPORTING:
Crljenak, a developing field asset, alerted me to Bradford Mountain Winery and their 2004 Grist Vineyard’s Zinfandel just one week ago. It was Crljenak’s first field report that got my attention:
“Sir, Crljenak reporting! I have located the perfect Zinfandel. You must secure a quantity of the wine before word of its greatness spreads – and the winery runs out! You won’t be disappointed.”
Details about the wine followed.
While I am used to somewhat fanatical recommendations from our various assets, this one struck as as one to assign a high priority to. You see, “Crljenak” is a top-level industry insider. While I cannot reveal his or her true identity, I can tell you that a review from this person can make a wine – or destroy it.
I secured samples of the wine and was, indeed, blown away. Today’s wine delivers the goods, with a perfectly balanced mix of delicious flavors, tender feel, deeps aromas and marvelous finish.
Both winemakers associated with this wine are stars in the industry, Troy McEnery having crafted remarkable wines for Hambrecht Vineyards, C. Donatiello Winery and others – and Webster “Web” Marquez is making waves with his own projects. Both, however are dedicated to extracting the fullest expression of the Grist Vineyard when making Bradford Mountain’s Zinfandel.
After conducting my initial review of the wine, I quickly sought out winemaker Troy McEnery. During a brief phone call, Troy imparted a great deal of information about the wine and the vineyards. What follows are portions of his comments, extracted and transcribed for this report:
“The Grist Vineyard is recognized as a premium Zinfandel vineyard. The grapes grown there are highly sought after and wineries like Gary Farrell Winery, Turley Wine Cellars and others purchase Grist grapes for their premium wines.”
“The vineyards are head-trained, trellis vines that are 35 to 45 years old. The 1000’ elevation, the iron-rich volcanic soil and the West Dry Creek Valley exposure all contribute to growing outstanding Zinfandel grapes.”
“This wine has a really juicy wild-berry ripeness with excellent acidity.”
“I don’t understand what some Zinfandels are even for? Zinfandel can be seen as the ‘Mike Tyson’ of wine varietals, but this is This is no ‘clown’ of a Zinfandel. This is a fun wine, sure, but its also a sincere wine that stands on its own, or can pair without food – without overpowering you.”
After tasting the wine, loving it and then collecting all of the intel that I could on the wine, I infiltrated the winery and secured today’s limited allocation for our Operatives to enjoy. Be SURE to try this great wine, before we run out.
The location of the gorgeous Grist Vineyard can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 2nd, 2008
By W. Blake Gray
How much does the type of rice matter in sake? “Not much,” most experts say. But I disagree, and one of my favorite breweries, Dewazakura from Yamagata prefecture, has made it possible to taste for yourself.
Wine lovers may take it as a given that rice “varietals” matter. We all believe we can tell a Pinot Noir from a Cabernet Sauvignon without difficulty. So why wouldn’t we be able to taste the difference between Yamada Nishiki and Gohyakumangoku?
With sake, though, the brewing process has always been considered more important than the type of rice. The best example is the most expensive category. Daiginjos — for which at least 50 percent of the outer portion of the rice has been polished away — generally taste like other daiginjos, no matter where they’re from or what rice is used.
Polish a little less, though, and you start noticing regional variation. At the non-ginjo junmai level — for which at least 30 percent of the rice has been polished away — sakes start to exhibit regional characteristics. Niigata sakes tend to taste crisp and clean, for example, while Hiroshima sakes are soft and on the sweet side.
However, sake experts generally attribute regional differences to water. This makes sense. Few breweries own their own rice paddies, and many buy rice from distant prefectures. Water, however, is always local, and is the largest component of sake. (Incidentally, I have had Japanese brewing experts tell me the best sake water in the United States is in Arkansas, in case anybody there wants to start a brewery.)
Yet even while denying that rice matters much, breweries implicitly show that it matters a great deal. Yamada nishiki rice, originally from the Kobe area, is generally considered the best for sake. It has been planted in many other areas of Japan and is also purchased by breweries in many prefectures.
Personally I think everything matters in making premium sake, just as it does with wine. I can’t claim to be enough of an expert to detect the difference made by different strains of yeast, but winemakers and sake brewers can, and I believe them. So why do so many sake experts spend so much time claiming rice is immaterial?
At this point I should acknowledge that the owner of this blog, proud new poppa Alder Yarrow, is in the rice-doesn’t-matter camp. I told him I think I have an affinity for sakes made from gohyakumangoku rice, and he told me I couldn’t possibly know that for sure. So I have hijacked his blog for 24 hours to deliver this dissenting opinion. Alder, I think your daughter needs you …
Anyway, back to Dewazakura. These guys are technological innovators who also happen to make some great sake. Their “Dewasansan” brew, named after the strain of rice specifically developed for their prefectural climate conditions, is one of my go-to choices in restaurants around town because it’s both delicious and widely available.
However, the Dewasansan brew is not a pure test of the taste qualities of the rice itself. One important factor is that Dewasansan uses a different yeast than the company’s other main premium brew, nicknamed “Oka.” Its alcohol percentage is a little higher than Oka’s, and it’s not quite as dry.
Enter the beverage geek’s sake: Dewazakura Oka Yamadanishiki. This small-production version of the Oka sake has the same yeast and fermentation regimen as the everyday Oka; the only major difference is the rice.
I opened them side-by-side to see if I could taste the difference. They have similarities, the result of a master brewer’s attempt to create a consistent style from year to year. Both are creamy with notes of peach.
But to me they are more different than alike. The Yamadanishiki version is stronger on the nose, with more pronounced peach notes and a funky clay-earth like note that I like. The regular version, made from Miyamanishiki rice, smells more straightforwardly creamy, with a chalky note.
On the palate, it’s the same: the Yamadanishiki version is fruitier, fuller and has a longer finish. But that’s not to say some people won’t prefer the regular version, which has a smoother mouthfeel and an appealing white chocolate note.
The great thing about Dewazakura’s two versions of “Oka” is that you don’t have to listen to some wine writer talk about how he tasted tank samples and he really grasped the difference the rice strain makes. These are commercial products available for sale, and neither is particularly expensive. You can just go out and buy a bottle of each and prove to yourself that the strain of rice matters.
Dewazakura “Oka,” Yamagata Prefecture. $25 Where to buy?
Dewazakura “Oka Yamadanishiki,” Yamagata Prefecture. $25 Where to buy?
I now return you to this blog’s regular programming.
After drinking sake made from it, W. Blake Gray enjoys trying to say “gohyakumangoku” 10 times fast. He lives in San Francisco.
Posted in Wine News on Jul 1st, 2008
I made a pretty impassioned plea a couple posts back arguing that educating consumers is the key to driving demand for wine. Sounds pie in the sky wonderful, I know. Let’s educate the world! Change, for the future!
Of course the devil is in the details. First off people have to be open to being educated. [...]
Posted in Wine News on Jul 1st, 2008
If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Ceja Vineyards.
We spies love this wine SO much that we begged Ceja to allow us to bring you a final secret allocation. They readily agreed. This is the perfect summertime red. Don’t let the low price fool you, this is a killer wine!
Smart Spies stock up on great wines. We’ll help you by offering you Free Ground Shipping when you buy 12 or more bottles today. Just enter coupon code: SPYROJO at checkout.
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Locate an incredible Red table wine in time for the holidays and secure a good quantity for our Operatives
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Ceja Wine
Wine Subject: 2005 Vino de Casa (Red blend)
Winemakers: Armando Ceja
Backgrounder:
When The Wine Spies learned of an incredible red blend that was made from an original blending of half Pinot Noir and half Syrah, Agent Red was immediately dispatched to investigate. What he found was an very unique wine of amazing balance, flavor and character. Read his mission report below for the full details on this incredible wine.
Look – Perfectly clear ruby red with sparkling pink at the edges with long, tightly-spaced legs
Smell – Beautifully aromatic red fruit, cherry, plum with a Pinot Noir-ish gunpowder note and a pleasant hint of earthy undergrowth
Feel – Wet, cool and smooth in the mouth balanced by big tannins
Taste – UNIQUE TASTE ALERT! This wine presents juicy yet classic flavors of Pinot Noir and Syrah – in almost equal proportion. With layered flavors that compliment each other rather than compete, this wine is an exciting wine to drink. Cherry, candy apple and plum with subtle cocoa and toasted vanilla round out this balanced and flavorful delight
Finish – Long, dry and chalky – a more classic Syrah finish with lingering flavors and a slight pucker that begs you to enjoy your next sip
Conclusion – When I bluster about a wine, know this: I MEAN IT. This is a fantastic wine, regardless of the price. This wine is a deal at the regular retail price of $20 and an outright STEAL at The Wine Spies price of $16. If you are looking for a stock-up-for-the-holidays ‘budget’ wine, swing that mouse pointer to the ORDER THIS WINE NOW button, well, NOW. Sign me up for at least a case.
”Earthy notes of wet undergrowth, strawberry and grape with hints of rose petals. The palate brings red cherry, chalk and pepper.”
Mission Report:
between missions I was enjoying some downtime at my favorite Napa wine lounge, when an urgent dispatch came through on my Wine Spy handheld. Central Command had received a flurry urgent inquiries for a GREAT red wine – for less than $20.
“Leave your misconceptions behind”, was the clear directive. “Find us a wine that drinks well above its price, and find it TODAY!”
I had just one problem: I was hungry!
I asked the owner of the lounge where I could pick up great Mexican food. Before he could answer, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Turning as I reached instinctively for my corkscrew I saw young man with a flashing smile.
“Like Tacos?” he asked.
“Uhh. Yeah. Love ‘em,” I replied.
“And great wine, too?”
“Who doesn’t?” I said.
“Follow me,” he said.
After a short car ride later we turned into the driveway for Ceja Vineyards, a winery that I had heard only great things about.
Stepping out of the car, the aromas hit me. Spices, beans, grilled meat and… red wine.
The young man, who introduced himself as Ariel Ceja, led me into a small outbuilding adjacent to the tasting room. Inside was smiling woman who hugged me as I entered. Ariel introduced me to his grandmother and invited me to sit down. Inside this room, the aromas were intoxicating.
Ariel handed me a glass of red wine, explaining that this was their family’s house wine. A deep sniff, a swirl and a taste was all it took for me to fall in love with their wine. The tacos were incredible as well and we laughed and shared stories until suddenly, remembering my mission, I became sullen.
“What’s the matter?” they asked.
“I forgot,” I replied “I was supposed to find a great red wine.”
“You did!” they said.
“For $20 or less! Do you have any less expensive wines? This one is too good.”
They laughed and laughed. When they stopped laughing, Grandma pulled me close and whispered, to me:
“Our Vino de Casa is a $20 wine!”
More laughter….
Postscript: After filing my report with Central Command, I spent the balance of the day with the Ceja family, eating, drinking, roaming their vineyards. It was hard to leave at the end of the day, but at least I left with a feeling that this day had been among my luckiest – and most rewarding – as a Wine Spy. I got to spend time with great people and enjoy their hospitality. I also learned a valuable lesson that great wines can be found for less than $20!.
The location of the Ceja vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.
Posted in Wine News on Jun 30th, 2008
We all understand the power of brands. There was likely a time for most Americans alive to day when we used “Reynolds Wrap” when we meant aluminum foil. Some of us still say Kleenex instead of tissue and Xerox instead of photocopy. When one company pioneers a product that becomes so ubiquitous and common, it’s likely that the name will stick, even when we’re no longer using the original product.
There was a time in Japan’s history when sake was more easily referred to as Oyamazake, for exa