posted on 26 June 2009 by tony
Alright. I’m pretty late writing about this, but in my defense, I’m a very busy man. Here goes.
About two weeks ago, I was on vacation in California. While I spent most of my trip in San Francisco, I did managed to get down to Santa Cruz for about a day and half. My partner in crime and I took this opportunity to visit the Bonny Doon production facility for a VIP tasting and a few brief lessons on biodynamic wine production. During the two or so hours of the visit, we were assisted by three highly knowledgeable tasters: Genevieve, with 2 years behind the bar, Leela, who packed 5 years of experience and Cameron, who also kept it real with 2 years. Armed with nearly ten years of tasting knowledge, we dove into the Bonny Doon portfolio. These are the wines we tasted:
2004 Le Cigare Volant
2007 Le Cigare Volant (which had been bottled only the day before)
2007 Le Cigare Blanc
2008 Vin Gris De Cigare
2008 Ca’Del Solo Albarino
Ca’Del Solo Sangiovese (unknown vintage)
2008 Ca’Del Solo Muscat
2006 Ca’Del Solo Dolcetto
2005 Ca’Del Solo Nebbiolo
Then they broke out the interesting bottlings they do only for their Wine Club members.
2005 Bien Nacido Syrah
2005 Syrah Le Posseur
2006 Syrah Cuvee Splendide
2007 Ca’Del Solo Orange Muscat (my favorite)
2007 Angel Paille
The Vinferno (unknown vintage)
I also got to taste a brandy Bonny Doon used to make but no longer produces. Delicious.
I’m not going to lie here guys, I didn’t take any tasting notes. I was just soaking up the vino and the stories that the tasters were telling. For me though, this wasn’t really all about the wine, but the experience as well. The tasting room at Bonny Doon is gorgeous, the staff is friendly and the wine is great. I would say if ever you’re in Santa Cruz, head down there and check it out. I know that I will be there again next time I’m in town.
-Out.
Tags: Bonny Doon, California, Red Wine, white wine
Category: The Wine Blog | Comments (0)
posted on 5 June 2009 by jeff
Gundlach Bundschu (G-B) is old. Don’t get me wrong: it isn’t old like, say, Haut-Brion, but it’s about as old as it gets on this side of the pond. Purchased in the 1850’s, the family’s Rhinefarm property has been churning out pretty solid fruit ever since. Known for it’s Bordeaux varietals, G-B nevertheless offers a surprisingly diverse array of other varietals, including the ever-present pinot noir.
Located at the foot of Arrowhead mountain, the Rhinefarm vineyard offers cool temperatures and an abundance of loamy, clay soil: a solid foundation for pinot noir. In the glass the wine has an earthy, garnet hue. Warm, ripe, red fruit aromas are balanced by a leafy earthiness. The relatively cool temperatures of the Rhinefarm, however, allow for a much more evenly balanced profile than the weighty juiciness of the nose suggests. A slightly sour palate of bright raspberry is offset against a delicately-expressed woodiness. Solidly structured and possessed of a driving acidity, this is the rare California pinot that doesn’t fall flat on it’s face when paired with a meal.
At $35, this wine doesn’t come super-cheap. That being said, it actually offers a pretty fair value when viewed against the plethora of over-priced, post-Sideways pinots. Moreover, the guys from G-B have always been pretty cool. The Sonoma Valley stalwarts once hijacked Richard Branson’s bus while he was touring Napa wineries. That bit of awesomeness is worth the price of admission all on its own.
J.
Tags: California, Gundlach Bundschu, pinot noir, rhinefarm, richard branson, sonoma valley
Category: Wine Reviews | Comments (0)
posted on 19 May 2009 by jeff
American Syrah is not an easy wine-category to sell these days. Many Americans are confused about what exactly Syrah is. They’ve heard it’s the same grape as is used in Aussie Shiraz, but it doesn’t taste like the 90-some-odd point blueberry milkshakes they’ve had foisted upon them by some jamoke from Kappy’s. Furthermore, Californian Syrah runs the gamut from powerful and aromatic Rhone-style wines, to emulations of the melted-jam wines so favored by suburban, banker types.
California’s inability to precisely define it’s feelings regarding Syrah is no reason, however, to abandon the varietal. There are plenty of great Syrah’s to be had for just about any price. At around $15, the Shannon Ridge Winery’s take on the southern french grape is an absolute steal.
Grown in Lake County, the Shannon Ridge vines benefit from steeply sloped vineyards and steady, cooling, winds off of Clear Lake. The wine pours an intense garnet-red, a bit reminiscent of bottlings from the Northern Rhone. This is echoed by a hint of bacon fat in the nose, but aromas of chocolate and black fruit definitely suggest the wine’s California roots. The wine has a densely-thatched palate of blackberry and cocoa coupled with a warm undertone of caramelized sugar. Straightforward tannins and a bright, fresh-faced acidity make this a killer red for the summer time. I recommend acquiring some Redbones and finding a spot to watch the sun go down.
J.
Tags: blueberry milkshakes, California, jamoke, kappy's, lake county, shannon ridge, shiraz, syrah
Category: Wine Reviews | Comments (0)
posted on 24 April 2009 by jeff
Merlot is a misunderstood grape. Dan correctly attributed much of this to the influence of the hell-spawned Hollywood film, Sideways; a film which is also rumored to have tipped the mob off to the whereabouts of Lowell Mather, (make note: Wings jokes=rock bottom). As devastating as the film was for Merlot, I think it’s important to note that California was doing a bang-up job of strangling the grape long before Hollywood shanked it in the back.
All that said, smart consumers can find killer California Merlot if they choose the right growing area. Cooler temperatures, clay-based soils, and higher altitudes breed ripe, strongly structured Merlot. Lake County, north of Napa, offers all of these.
The 2004 reserve bottling of Merlot from Wildhurst Vineyards, located on the north side of Clear Lake, is a prime example of Lake County’s Merlot pedigree. The wine is hued a reddish-purple and has a surprisingly dark, and earthy aroma. Though the fruit is ripe, this is definitely a wine whose big, broad tannins suggest Merlot’s over-looked capacity for depth and structure. About forty-five minutes after opening, a delightful undertone of chewy cedar begins to surface. And though it’s a bit light in the finish, the slightly loamy, bitter-chocolate end notes are not only pleasant, but a refreshing alternative to the ever present viscosity that has so degraded Merlot’s reputation.
At $15 this wine is not life-changing. It is, however, more than worth it’s price tag. Moreover, this is not a “Merlot” drinker’s Merlot, it’s a wine drinker’s Merlot. For all it brings plenty of enjoyable fruit to the table, this wine’s focus and balance are what keep it compelling.
J.
Tags: bordeaux, California, dan, lake county, lowell mather, merlot, Napa, paul giamatti, sideways, wall st. journal, wildhurst, wretched
Category: Wine Reviews | Comments (1)
posted on 7 March 2009 by jeff
It disturbs me that my first wine review on the new site is of a California chardonnay, but it’s what I’ve got in my mouth, so I am compelled to make note of it.
I’m drinking the 2007 Samantha Starr chardonnay, from the Monterey AOC. Samantha Starr is associated with the Monterey super-house, Talbott. Much like Talbott, the Sam Starr label deals largely in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. At $16.99 it’s not necessarily budget chardonnay, but the comparative value is great. Moreover, the chard is the house pour at the Taj, and so for a relatively modest investment, one can take a little bit of hotel luxury home with them.
In the glass the wine is a beautifully clear, pale gold. The nose suggests ripe, creamy pear and, with a bit of time in the glass, a pleasant, vanilla-scented toastiness.
Though it offers a largely citric first pitch, the coolness of Monterey definitely exerts itself later in the count with notes of soft pear and a hint of green bananas. The finish is clean, if a bit sharp, which suggests that some of this fruit is sourced in, or around Talbott’s super-dry, Sleepy Hollow vineyard.
I like this wine. It tastes like chardonnay. For the money it offers an alternative to the ubiquitously oppressive weight of pineapple and vanilla ridden swill chardonnay, (I’m talking to you Kendall-Jackson, and you La Crema and. . . oh forget it, you all suck). The dry, bay-cooled climate of Monterey offers an interesting venue for chard, and this bottle has suggested as much while resisting the urge to manhandle the natural disposition of the grape.
J.
Tags: America, American White, American wine, California, California White, chardonnay, Samantha Starr, white wine
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