#WineWednesday Review: Gary Farrell Russian River Selection

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Winemaker Gary Farrell founded his eponymous brand in 1982 after working Russian River Valley vintners such as Davis Bynum, Joe Rochioli, Tom Dehlinger and Robert Stemmler.   He along with the aforementioned gentlemen pioneered world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay produced from newly recognized (1983) Russian River Valley AVA.

With Farrell’s experience, talent and drive, the winery was very successful crafting terroir-focused Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Farrell sold the brand in 2004.

Today, Gary Farrell Winery continues to source fruit from many of the same growers they’ve worked with for 30 years.  And they continue to focus on crafting wines that capture the unique character of the vineyard.

Theresa Heredia joined the Gary Farrell Winery team as winemaker in May of 2012. Prior to then, she spent many years as winemaker at Freestone Vineyards (where they made some damn fine Pinot and Chard from Sonoma fruit!) in Sonoma County.

In addition to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Gary Farrell currently produces Zinfandel, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc.

The Wines

The wines of the Russian River Selections are sourced from vineyard throughout the Russian River Valley, which is renowned for being a great appellation for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Our Russian River Selection bottlings are quintessential Russian River Valley wines blended from grapes from the winery’s top vineyard sources. They are beautiful expressions of their varietal type and of the appellation’s

unique terroir.

 

The Pinot Noir is sourced from the Toboni, Hallberg, Archer, McIntyre, Stilling, Floodgate, and Rochioli vineyards.  The wine is aged in French oak (40% new) for 8 months.

The Chardonnay is sourced from the Westside Farms, Rochioli-Allen, Starr Creek, and Floodgate Vineyards.  It is aged in French oak (40% new) for 7 months.

Wine Wednesday Review; Gary Farrell RRV Selection

My tasting notes and ratings follow:

2010 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Russian River Selection

Ruby color with cherry, cola and brown sugar aromas. On the palate, it’s light-medium bodied with vibrant acidity, an silky mouthfeel,and ripe cherry, and spiced oak flavors. Medium+ finish. (B+) 14% alcohol| 6,842 cases produced.  SRP – $42

>>Find this wine<<

2010 Gary Farrell Chardonnay Russian River Selection

Light straw color with aromatic lemon zest, apple, and a hint of white flower aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied with good acidity, pear, apple, citrus, and mineral flavors with a kiss of butterscotch on the back palate. Medium-finish. (B+) 14.2% alcohol| 2,752 cases produced.  SRP – $35

>>Find this wine<<

Media sample(s) – Many thanks to Folsom & Associates for providing the wine.

Ratings Key:
(A+) – 98-100/Extraordinary
(A) – 94-97/Outstanding
(A-) – 90-93/Excellent
(B+) – 86-89/Very good
(B) – 80-85/Good
(C) – 70-79/Bleh
(D) – 50-69/#Fail

Follow me on Twitter @martindredmond for all things wine, and since I’m a wino, with latent foodie tendencies, you’ll also find food and wine pairings, and food related stuff!  Become a fan and join ENOFYLZ Wine Blog on Facebook. Cheers! This article is original to ENOFYLZ Wine Blog.com. Copyright 2013 ENOFYLZ Wine Blog. All rights reserved.

 

How I Lost My Chablis Virginity!

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Late last year (I’m invoking the tried and true cliché; ‘better late than never”;-) I had the pleasure of attending a lunch hosted by the Pure Chablis, at one of San Francisco’s best restaurants, Boulevard.  The Pure Chablis folks were touring the U.S. evangelizing the virtues of Chablis (pronounced Sha-blee).

Pure Chablis Lunch at Boulevard - San Francisco

Pure Chablis Lunch at Boulevard – San Francisco

My own experience with Chablis?

None!

Of course, being a wine enthusiast, I knew of Chablis, but can one really know a wine without experiencing it?  I think not!

The two things I did know about Chablis were…

First, as Rosemary George,MW, author of “The Wines of Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois” puts it…

Chablis is Chardonnay, but not every Chardonnay is Chablis“

And secondly, I knew that this stuff, or  wines labeled as “White Burgundy” found on your local grocery stores shelves is not Chablis…Hell it may not even be Chardonnay!

Carlo Rossi Chablis

Carlo Rossi Chablis…notice it’s “100% grape” wine? Red flags anyone?

Therein lies part of challenge for the Chablisians – the majority of American consumers either don’t know that Chablis is made from the Chardonnay grape (American’s most popular grape variety), and/or they associate it with cheap generic jug wines such as Carlo Rossi and Franzia.  It’s a shame that certain winemakers are allowed to genericize wines of place like Champagne and Chablis.

Since that wasn’t the situation for me, I asked myself why I’d never tried Chablis.  My “self” concluded there were a couple of reasons I’d never tried Chablis…

  1. I’m not a huge fan of Chardonnay. In fact, I’m border line ABC (‘Anything But Chardonnay”) type of guy . I tend to go with the three “Rs” – Rhône, Rosé or Riesling when i want a chilled wine. And that’s because I don’t care for the ubiquitous buttery, rich style – mostly because I don’t think its food friendly.
  2. Being from Burgundy, I thought it was too expensive.

As far as the first reason goes, I made the mistake many others have made – allowing the prevalent New World style of Chardonnay define Chardonnay for me.  As far, as the second reason goes, I was just flat-out wrong.  The wines are reasonably priced. In fact many offer great quality-price ratio (“QPR)”)

Here’s the 411 on Chablis…

  • Wine has been made in Chablis for centuries.  The founding of the village of Chablis dates back to Roman times, as do Chablis’ wines.
  • t’s the northernmost subregion of Burgundy.  
  • Chardonnay is the only grape variety permitted in Chablis
  • Granted AOC (appellation) status in 1938
  • What gives the region its unique “terroir” is a combination of its climate (harsh, cold and wet), and its clay soil referred to as Kimmeridge clay, that is composed of limestone, clay and fossilized oyster shells.
A unique territory and terroir - Image courtesy of Pure Chablis

A unique territory and terroir – Image courtesy of Pure Chablis

  • Chablis has four appellations (in ascending order of quality, power and depth)
    1. Petit Chablis - Represents an entry-level Chablis.  Intended to be consumed young. Vineyards are located on flat ground.
    2. Chablis - The grapes for this level are grown on north and east-facing hills.  These wines tend to show a bit more minerality, due to the high limestone content in the soil of the region.
    3. Chablis Premier Cru - The grapes for this level are grown on south and west-facing hills.  As the name suggests, this level of quality takes it up a notch and produces wine with better aging potential.
    4. Chablis Grand Cru - This is the upper echelon of Chablis, with only about 230 acres situated on one hill, on the north bank of the Serein River.  There are only seven vineyards from which to source the Grand Cru Chablis grapes. This level has the greatest potential for aging.

The tasting was led by the charming and voluble Jean-Francois Bordet, winemaker at Domaine Séguinot-Bordet, and President of the  Chablis Wine Board.  We tasted through 5 wines. The wines were superbly paired with food by prepared by Boulevard’s chef, Nancy Oaks. 

Chablis Lunch Upshot

My tasting notes follow:

  • 2010 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis Vieilles Vignes
    Light yellow-green color with creamy apple, pear and mineral aromas. On the palate, the wine is between light and medium bodied, and fresh and wonderfully balanced with apple, pear and a bit of citrus flavors and lengthy finish. Average age of vines = 65 years (91 pts.)  SRP: $20 (Very good value!)
  • 2010 La Chablisienne Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet
    Pale yellow straw color with lovely citrus cream, apple and a bit of spice aromas. On the palate, its medium-bodied, fresh and well-balanced with apple, gun flint, and a kiss of tropical fruit flavors and a lingering finish. Average age of vines = 25 years. Aged 12 months on fine lees in tanks and small barrels (92 pts.)  SRP: $21-$22 (Amazing value!)
  • 2009 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Vignoble de Vaulorent 
    Medium straw yellow color with oyster shell, lemon and apple aromas. On the palate, it medium-bodied, and ample, yet nicely balanced by vibrant acidity. It shows tart apple, lemon flavors, and an engaging minerality. Lengthy finish. Grape hand harvested. Aged 10-13 months in French oak for approximately 50% of harvest, remainder in small S/S vats (91 pts.) SRP: $65
  • 2008 Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 
    Straw yellow color with aromatic white flower, pear, and citrus aromas. On the palate, it medium-full bodied, and ample with fresh minerality and pear, saline and mineral flavors. Medium long finish. Average age of vines = 53 years. Harvested by hand. 50 of aging in stainless steel vats; 50% in barrels (90% in 1,2, and 3 y.o. barrels, 10% in new and 1 y.o. barrels) for 8 months (92 pts.) SRP: $65-$70
  • 2008 Joseph Drouhin / Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos
    Pale straw yellow color with intriguing apple, white flower, and a hint of spice aromas. On the palate, it’s medium bodied, and elegant with a wonderful creamy mouth feel and green apple, pear, citrus and mineral flavors. Long finish. Average age of vines = 37 years. Hand harvested. Aged in French oak barrels weathered for 3 years (0% new wood) for 12 months (93 pts.) SRP: $70-$75

In addition to the aforementioned five wines, I recently tried another Chablis, that I think is worth seeking out, especially if you’re looking to try a great example of Chablis for under $20!

  • 2011 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet Chablis 
    Pale straw yellow color with apple, stone-fruit, and mineral aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, fresh and well-balanced with apple, nectarine, and flinty flavors. Medium+ finish. (89 pts.) SRP: $18 – Very good value! (Sample purchased for review)

It was a fabulous lunch (and as it turned out, I was the only person who’d never had Chablis!).  The food, the wines, and the pairing were all outstanding.  And I learned much about what make Chablis special.

My takeaways were:

  • Chablis are dry wines renowned for their great aromas, flavors acidity, and minerality (and not just minerality in flavor, also minerality in texture)
  • Chablis’ are great wines by any standard with a singular outstanding quality, and a compelling story behind them.
  • Chablis is a versatile wine that pairs well with a wide range of foods, from humble to the sublime
  • Thanks to Chablis, I’m not an “ABC” guy after all!

I’ll be drinking more Chablis, and if you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend you give it a try!

Other posts you might enjoy:

Chablis – Ignore This Region at Your Palate’s Peril (Simple Hedonisms)

 

 

Wine of the Week and Great QPR: 2010 Teso La Monja Romanico

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Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out.  For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2010 Teso La Monja “Romanico”

Winery

Bodega Teso La Monja was founded in 2009 by the Eguren family, who sold their very successful Numanthia-Termes winery to luxury-goods giant Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) in 2008.  The Eguren family, which hails from Rioja where it own three other wineries, were instrumental in putting Spain’s Toro region on the world wine map with its high-end cuvées Termanthia and Numanthia.   The winery is located in the  Denominación de Origen (DO)Toro, not too far from its more well-known neighbor, DO Ribero del Duero.

According to Spanishwine.com…

DO Toro – near Ribera del Duero, similar landscape, similar grapes, but Toro claims its own clone of Tempranillo, the Tinta de Toro variety.  Toro reds are chewy, inky reds, massive with oak, or unoaked, with a signature spicy Toro note. Home of very old vines, some of the oldest in Spain.

The key to Toro’s quality is its altitude, at 2,000 to 2,500ft above sea level the region’s growers can depend on cool nights to “set” color and flavor in the grapes ripened in the torrid summers.

Wine

This is the entry-level wine from Teso La Monja.  The wine is made from 100% Tinta de Toro (the local clone Tempranillo) aged in 100% new French oak for six months. The fruit for this wine come from vineyard between 15-20 years old.

It’s definitely a “New-World” style – less rustic, and a more fruit-forward higher alcohol style.

Wine of the Week and Great QPR 2010 Teso La Monja "Romanico"

2010 Teso La Monja “Romanico”

My tasting notes follow:

Nearly opaque purple color with black and red fruit, dried tobacco, and anise aromas. On the palate, it’s full-bodied focused, and vibrant with blackberry, cassis, bittersweet chocolate and spice flavors. Medium-Long finish. Great QPR at $15!

Rating: A-

Pair with: Tapas (olives, jambon, chorizo, sardines, marinated mushrooms, Spanish cheeses), Paella Mixta, Mexican fare (tacos, nachos, and chile relleno), and grilled meats.

The Wine Geek Stuff:

  • Alcohol: 14.5%
  • Closure: Cork
  • AVA:> Spain> Castilla y León> Toro
  • Grape Varieties: 100% Tinto de Toro
  • Cooperage: Six months in new French Oak
  • Retail: $15
  • Cases produced: Unknown
  • Drink: Now – 2016
  • >>Find this wine<<

Wine purchased for review

Ratings Key:
(A+) – 98-100/Extraordinary
(A) – 94-97/Outstanding
(A-) – 90-93/Excellent
(B+) – 86-89/Very good
(B) – 80-85/Good
(C) – 70-79/Bleh
(D) – 50-69/#Fail

Follow me on Twitter @martindredmond for all things wine, and since I’m a wino, with latent foodie tendencies, you’ll also find food and wine pairings, and food related stuff!  Become a fan and join ENOFYLZ Wine Blog on Facebook. Cheers! This article is original to ENOFYLZ Wine Blog.com. Copyright 2013 ENOFYLZ Wine Blog. All rights reserved.

 

Wines To Pair With #SundaySupper Movie-Inspired Recipes

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When I saw this week’s #SundaySupper theme, it didn’t take me long to decide which movie I would pick.  Sideways!  The best wine-theme movie I’ve ever seen.  There are three things I’ll always remember about the movie…

scene from Sideways

First, the line most people remember from the movie is…

No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any f**king Merlot!

Who knew that such a line could single-handedly, if unintentionally send Merlot sales into a downward spiral, and elevate Pinot Noir to dizzying heights?

Second, was the scene that I enjoyed the most and resonated with me, even before I got into wine big-time.  It was delivered by Virginia Madsen her Oscar-nominated role as Maya (caution – there is profanity at the end of the clip)

It was a beautiful, evocative scene that was that I’ll always remember.

And last but not least was the most infamous food and wine pairing of all time, when a depressed Miles, played by Paul Giamatti pairs a 1961 Cheval Blanc – one of the great wines of the 20th century – with a burger and fries (and drinks the wine from a Styrofoam cup) At the time I had little idea what ’61 Cheval Blanc (a red Bordeaux blend) was, and knew even less about food and wine pairing. Nonetheless I knew the pairing was kin to blasphemy.

Like any great movie, Sideways speaks to our human frailties, and our need to enter into life and relationships in such was that we experience fullness in our lives.  It wasn’t about so much about wine, love, or buddies on a road trip. It was about the memories created.

It’s the same with #SundaySupper, food bringing families together around the dining table and the memories that go along with it.

Check out the blockbuster recipes the #SundaySupper crew is premiering this week, and my wine pairing recommendations. Oh, and I’ve made sure to include Merlot among this week’s recommended wines ;-)

Pair these dishes with Prosecco. One of my favorites is the Terre di San Venanzio Fortunato Prosecco Brut. It show aromas of green apples, stone fruits, and white flowers. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, dry with a creamy mousse and apple, white peach flavors with a mineral undertone.

Pair this dish with Moscato d’ Asti. I like the 2012 Vietti Cascinetta Moscato d’Asti.  It has a lovely rose, and peach character with a soft effervescence.

Pair this dish with Sauvignon Blanc.  Look for the 2011 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  It’s an outstanding value, and delivers grapefruit, tropical fruit, and lemongrass aromas followed by grapefruit, tropical fruit and hint of herb and mineral flavors.

Pair these dishes with Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio depending on geography and interpretation.  It’s a grape that’s made in a variety  of styles.  Look for the 2010 Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbes from Alsace, France. It’s a dry-style with a rich honeyed tropical fruit and baked apple character. 

Pair these dishes with Viognier.  It’s an aromatic white grape most often associated with the Rhône Valley in France.  It’s underrated in its ability to be a good match for a variety of foods.  Look for the 2011 Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier from  Australia. It has a floral, citrus, apricot, and spice character. 

Pair these dishes with Beaujolais, a wine from the eponymous region made from the Gamay grape.  While I’m not a big fan of the Beaujolais Nouveau release annually in November, I am a fan of Cru Beaujolais.  They tend to be light-bodied, food friendly red wines with soft tannins.  Look for the  2010 Potel-Aviron Côte de Brouilly “Vieilles Vignes” Cru Beaujolais.  It has a black raspberry, floral, and asian spice character.  Can’t find a Beaujolais?  Then go with your favorite Pinot Noir – a similar style of wine. 

Pair these dishes with Chianti, the classic Italian red wine. Look for the 2011 Coltibuono Cetamura Chianti.  It’s a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo with a beautiful black cherry, spice, and licorice character with a kiss of rusticity.

Pair these dishes with Merlot.  Look for the 2010 Wild Horse Central Coast Merlot.  It has a fruit forward plum, sour cherry, baking spice character with good acidity. 

Pair this dish with (Miles would be devastated!) Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue Label) beer.  It’s big beer, (9% alcohol) with a bit of a vinous character.  It show big, deep dark flavors with a kiss of sweetness  often found in Belgian beers.  If beer isn’t your thing, pair with the Merlot recommended above. (Looks like Miles will be devastated either way;-)

Pair these dishes with a Rioja, the 2007 Bodegas Vina Eguia Reserva. It shows spice, leather and bright red fruit aromas followed by raspberry, sweet tobacco and vanilla spice on the palate.  I recommend letting the wine “breathe” for an hour or so and you’ll be amply rewarded.

Pair these desserts with the  2012 Vietti Cascinetta Moscato d’Asti noted above.

Pair these desserts with Banyuls, a lighter style fortified wine made in France.  It’s a Port-style wine made from Grenache, and is a great match for chocolate.  Look for the 2009 Les Clos de Paulilles Banyuls Rimage.  It has rich, dense blackberry, plum, caramel, and vanilla aromas and flavors. 

Pair this dessert with an Oloroso Sherry, a denser richer style of Sherry.  Look for the Lustau East Indian Solera. It’s a provocative sweet creamy Sherry with a toffee, fig, caramel, raisin, and baking spice  (cinnamon and clove) character. 

Bottle Shock (beverages)

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday, April 14th to talk all about movies that have inspired us to head into the kitchen – and the food that comes from that inspiration (7pm EST)!  We’ll tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world.   Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag, and include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and food photos.

Tasted – A Winning Trio From Smith Madrone Vineyards

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Smith Madrone Vineyards, a family run, estate-bottled winery located in St. Helena, California was founded in 1971 by brothers Stuart and Charles Smith who are the Managing Partner/Vineyard Manager, and Winemaker respectively.  The name of the winery is a tribute to the Smith brothers and the predominant tree on the ranch. The Madrone is an evergreen with a red-brown trunk and branches.

When the Smith brothers purchased the  200 acre ranch in 1971, it included a vineyard that had been planted over a century before.  But the forest had reclaimed much of the land. The brothers had to call in loggers to clear patches of land that would become vineyards.  There remain numerous historical sights on the ranch, as well as the huge array of natural beauty and wildlife.

SmithBros

Stu and Charles Smith – Image courtesy of Smith Madrone

All their wines are produced exclusively from their 34 acres of hillside vineyards planted by the Smith brothers.  The vineyard is planted to 6.25 acres of Riesling, 10.25 acres of Chardonnay and 13 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Merlot, and Cabernet Franc available for blending.

The vineyard sits high atop Spring Mountain, west of St. Helena in the northern Napa Valley. The vineyards sit at elevations between 1,300 and 2,000 feet, on steep slopes which range up to 35%.

Smith Madrone Vineyards at Twilight

Smith Madrone Vineyards at Twilight. Image courtesy of Smith Madrone Vineyards and Winery

Smith Madrone offer four wines, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a special Cook’s Flat Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are available for purchase at the winery or on their website.  They produce about 4,000 cases/yr. The winery is open for tasting by appointment Monday-Saturday, 10 – 4:30.

Smith Madrone Trio

I recently had the opportunity to taste a trio of their latest releases, which included the 2011 Riesling, 2010 Chardonnay, and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.

My tasting notes follow:

  • 2011 Smith Madrone Riesling Estate Bottled - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
    Pale golden yellow color with peach apricot, mineral and a hint of lychee aromas. On the palate, it’s between light and medium-bodied, and dry with fresh peach, mineral, and a hint of citrus rind flavors. Medium-long finish; 12.6% alcohol. Retail – $27; 521 cases produced (90 pts.)
  • 2010 Smith Madrone Chardonnay Estate Bottled - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
    Pale golden yellow color with citrus, peach, spiced oak and a kiss of butterscotch aromas. On the palate it’s medium-bodied, and balanced with vibrant acidity, and peach, lemon, guava, mineral and vanilla flavors. Medium-long finish. 100% Chardonnay, barrel-fermented in 100% new French oak. Retail – $30; 703 cases produced. (90 pts.)
  • 2007 Smith Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
    Opaque violet color with lovely cassis, dried herb, roast coffee and eucalyptus aromas. On the palate it’s light-bodied, focused and balanced with youthful tannins and cassis, blackberry, and roast coffee flavors. Medium-long finish. 14.2% alcohol. 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Aged 22 months in new American oak. Unfiltered and unfined. Retail – $45; 1,434 cases produced (91 pts.)

I really enjoyed these wines.  The Riesling is the best American Riesling I’ve had.  The Chardonnay was delightfully different, and i was surprised it was aged in new oak because the oak manifests itself so judiciously.  The Cab is an elegant delightful now, but will improve with some additional aging.

Before trying these wines, I wasn’t familiar with Smith Madrone.  I’ve tended to stay on the beaten path when visiting Napa.  My bad!  I’m looking forward to getting off of the beaten path, and if you are too, I highly recommend a visit to Smith Madrone. 

Wine provided as a sample for review.  Many thanks to Smith Madrone Vineyards and Winery and Julie Ann Kodmur

Follow me on Twitter @martindredmond for all things wine, and since I’m a wino, with latent foodie tendencies, you’ll also find food and wine pairings, and food related stuff!  Become a fan and join ENOFYLZ Wine Blog on Facebook. Cheers! This article is original to ENOFYLZ Wine Blog.com. Copyright 2013 ENOFYLZ Wine Blog. All rights reserved.

Superb Rioja Tasting…And Talking To God!

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Last month I attend one of the best tastings I’ve ever been to. And certainly the tasting with the highest “return on investment”..ever!  The tasting was held at K&L Wine Merchants in Redwood City.  It was billed as a Special Rioja Tasting featuring a Cune & Contino Library Tasting with Winemaker Jesús Madrazo.

The following point can not be overstated…

There were 7 bottles of wines with a total value of $1,545 being poured.  The cost to taste was $5 (somebody pinch me!)

Here’s what the K&L flyer stated…

Jesús Madrazo, winemaker of Contino, will be here to pour the 1974 Contino, the first ever vintage for this legendary Rioja estate!.  As his family has also been involved in the ownership and direction of Cune, we will also be featuring some older Cune wines as well as a few more recent examples.  Jesus is one of the best winemakers in Spain, has a great palate, and should be an excellent guide to not only walk you through these older vintages of two of Rioja’s most storied wineries, but all things Rioja as well.

 

Rioja

Rioja is Spain’s preeminent wine region.  It is subdivided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa. Many wines have traditionally blended fruit from all three regions. Though Rioja Alta, the coolest of the three regions, is generally regarded as producing the best and most age-worthy fruit.

Tempranillo is the great indigenous black grape of Spain. Traditionally, red Rioja wines are a blend of (mostly) Tempranillo, Garnacha (Grenache), Mazuelo (Carignan), and/or Graciano.

In general Rioja’s traditional red wines are aged longer before they are released than any other wines in the world. That’s because the aforementioned traditional blend  of grapes can age at an incredibly slow pace.

Here’s a crazy example. The renowned estate of Marqués de Murrieta released their 1942 Gran Reserva in 1983!

These days the philosophy about the benefits of long aging are changing in Rioja.  Some bodegas have veered away from tradition and are now aging their wine for a shorter periods.  Wine drinkers today, have  a choice between traditional Old World style well-aged earthy wines, and more New World fruit driven wines.  Of course there are wines throughout the spectrum. 

Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España

Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (“CVNE.”), or Cune [pronounced COO-neh] as it is known among Rioja lovers, is one of the most historic and renowned bodegas in Spain.  It was founded 1879 by the two brothers, Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa.  With their combination of traditional roots and innovative vision, they have been one of Rioja’s most reliable sources for high quality wine.

CVNE is composed of three separate bodegas: Cune, Viña Real, and Contino. The company is still run by descendants of the founders. The CVNE and Viña Real bodegas are run today Victor Urratia Ybarra, a member of the Real de Asua family, who is CEO of CVNE, and President of Contino

Spaniards talking about making wine use the verb elaborar, to elaborate, not fabricar, to produce or manufacture.  To elaborate something, Spain’s winemakers say, implies consciousness, time, and the labor of creation and nurturance.

Cune is the winery where the company began in 1879. Today it still sits on its original site, in the wine district, Barrio de la Estación, in Haro.  Their flagship wine is the Imperial Gran Reserva.  It is housed in one of its historic cellars was built by Gustave Eiffel.  Grapes for their wines are sourced from Rioja Alta, and Rioja Alavesa.

Contino makes single-estate Riojas from their 62 hectares of vineyards located in  Rioja Alavesa.   It is owned 50/50 by CVNE and the Perez Villota family.

The estate, situated on the northern bank of the river Ebro, includes a farmhouse that dates back 200 years along side their state-of-the-art wine-making facility.You’ll also find some of the oldest vines of Graciano, an indigenous Spanish grape variety, in Rioja.  Graciano is used in the estate wines, and Contino also produces a 100% bottling of Graciano.

wine maker jesus de madrazo mateo

Contino Winemaker Jesus de Madrazo Mateo with L-R; 2005 Cune Imperial Reserva, 2005 Contino Reserva’ 1995 Cune Imperial Gran Reserva, 1988 Cune”Vina Real” Gran Reserva, 1988 Cune “Imperial” Gran Reserva, 1976 Cune “Imperial” Gran Reserva, and 1974 Contino Reserva

Jesús de Madrazo Mateo is a fifth-generation member of the Real de Asua family. They founded and still own a controlling share of CVNE.  His father, Jose Madrazo Real de Asua, who was on the CVNE board of directors and GM of Viña Real brand, conceived the idea of creating the first single estate Bodega in Rioja, and founded Contino

Jesús studied viticulture at Madrid’s prestigious University of Agriculture, and is an Agricultural Superior Engineer. He started training at CVNE in 1988, and took his first paid position in 1995 in the CVNE technical department as an assistant winemaker.  He’s been the head winemaker for Contino since 1999.

The Wines Tasted

All the wines came from vintages rated as “good” by the  Rioja’s regulatory body, the Consejo Regulador de Rioja, except for the wines from the 1995, and 2005 which were rated as “excellent”

Four off the seven wines tasted were from the highest quality classification, “Gran Reserva“, while others were classified as “Reserva”. See below for the minimum (many producers exceed the minimum) aging requirements:

  • Reserva - Reds are aged 3 years with 1 year in oak.
  • Gran Reserva - Reserved for wines from phenomenal vintages. Aged a minimum of 5 years before release with 18 months of oak aging. Most producers will do 20-30 months in barrel.

The quality of the lineup, which spanned 30+ years was remarkable.  All the wines showed substantially complex aromas and flavors, with plenty of acidity and structure to enable them to continue to age gracefully for many more years, if not decades. All the wines were fabulous!

My very favorite wines of the tasting were 1974 Contino Reserva, and the 1976 Cune Imperial Gran Reserva.  They were both beautifully mature wines that possess an almost ethereal elegance.

My complete tasting notes follow:

1976 Cune Imperial Gran Reserva

1976 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva 
Brickish red with a dark orange hue and a pale meniscus. It’s aromatic, and complex with savory, dried red fruit, roast meat, tobacco a hint of floral aromas. On the palate, it’s exceedingly silky, elegant, and well-balanced with dried cherry, tobacco,and a bit of dill flavors. Long finish. (95 pts.) - $299.99

1974 Contino Reserva Rioja

  • 1974 Bodegas y Viñedos del Contino Rioja Contino Reserva 
    Garnet color with a brick hue and thin meniscus. Shows complex aromas of dried cherry, orange peel, camphor aromas. On the palate, it’s exceedingly smooth, elegant, and Burgundian with dried cherry, spice flavors with a savory undertone. Long finish.(94 pts.) – $649.99

Tasting mature wines such as these is such a rare treat. And, for me, tasting beautifully mature wines is  the apogee of the wine experience.

If you’re looking for mature wines without three “B” (Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Barolo) sticker shock check out Rioja, where mature wine can be found without paying exorbitant prices.

One of the joys of being a wine lover aside from, of course, the wines is sharing in the experience with others.  Jesús Madrazo struck me as being remarkably humble, sincere and engaging.  When I mentioned that my wife and I plan to travel to Spain in June, he offered up his contact info, and immediately extended an invitation to visit his winery.  He also offered a some great suggestions on where to eat in San Sebastian.  Meeting him was another part of what turned out to be an experience that exceeded my wildest expectations.

The Spanish have a saying when they are tasting extraordinary wine…”Beber este vino es como hablar con Dios” – Tasting this wine is like talking to God...Indeed it was!

Salud!

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Wine of the Week: 2008 L’Aventure Côte à Côte

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Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out.  For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2008 L’Aventure Côte à Côte.

L'Aventure Winery

L’Aventure Winery (image courtesy of L’Aventure Winery)

Winery

L’Aventure Winery is located in Paso Robles, CA.  Stephan Asseo is the owner and winemaker. He has been making wine for over 30 years, having graduated from oenology college(L’Ecole Oenologique de Macon) in Burgundy, France in 1982.

Thereafter, over the years, his family purchased a few wineries in France. With an inimitable style, and a reputation as a maverick vigneron Stephan elevated those properties to a level of quality that brought him continuous accolades from the European press, travel guides and the Wine Spectator.

Stephan immediately “fell in love” with the unique terroir of west side Paso Robles. The rolling topography of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, the deep calcareous soils, and the maritime influence of the renowned Templeton Gap all combine to produce a world-class wine country, with the potential to craft some of the world’s greatest blends. It is here, in Paso Robles, that Stephan began his adventure, “L’Aventure”.

However, he found the AOC regulations in France stifling.  He wanted to expand his expertise, and pursue his ideal as a winemaker. One of his ideas was to create Cabernet/Syrah blend.  So, in 1996, he began a quest for a great terroir outside of France

He spent a year searching the world over  including Australia, South Africa, South America,and the U.S (Napa/Sonoma and Santa Barbara counties). He found what he was looking for on the west side of Paso Robles.

He founded L’Aventure in 1998, and purchased 127 acres of land, which is mostly planted to Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot.

laventure_interactive_map_web

L’Aventure Vineyard Map (image courtesy of L’Aventure)

Oh, and that Cab/Syrah blend that he wanted to make?  It’s called Optimus, and it’s L’Aventure’s flagship wine.

Wine

This is L’Aventure’s classic Chateauneuf du Pape style blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. It’s a big wine that,for me, deftly manages to not veer off into being jammy. It’s a beautiful blend that is a natural expression of grapes, place and vintage.  I think it’s a nice blend of Old World and New World stylistically.

l aventure cote a cote

My tasting note follows:

Opaque violet color and a bit warm on the nose initially, but blew off in short order. Shows blackberry, spiced plum, charcoal, pepper, and anise aromas. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, fresh, lush, and layered with well-integrated tannins and blackberry, spice, red currants, vanilla, and kiss of bittersweet chocolate flavors. Wine changed over the course of an hour; started with blackberry flavor, then showed blueberry notes. Long finish. 

Rating: A- (93pts)

Pair with: I enjoyed this with a grilled boneless rib-eye steak.  In a word – fantastic. Try it with Leg of Lamb Shawarma, Braised Short Ribs, Boeuf Provencal or Pasta with Meat Sauce.

The Wine Geek Stuff:

  • Alcohol: 15.9%
  • Closure: Cork
  • AVA:> California> Central Coast> Paso Robles
  • Grape Varieties: 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre
  • Cooperage: Unknown
  • Retail: $82
  • Cases produced: Unknown
  • Drink: Now – 2022
  • >>Find this wine<<

Wine purchased for review

Ratings Key:
(A+) – 98-100/Extraordinary
(A) – 94-97/Outstanding
(A-) – 90-93/Excellent
(B+) – 86-89/Very good
(B) – 80-85/Good
(C) – 70-79/Bleh
(D) – 50-69/#Fail

Follow me on Twitter @martindredmond for all things wine, and since I’m a wino, with latent foodie tendencies, you’ll also find food and wine pairings, and food related stuff!  Become a fan and join ENOFYLZ Wine Blog on Facebook. Cheers! This article is original to ENOFYLZ Wine Blog.com. Copyright 2013 ENOFYLZ Wine Blog. All rights reserved.

2013 Rhone Rangers Grand Tasting- The Best of Rhone Rosés

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I attended, as media guest, the 16th annual “Celebration of American Rhone Wines” in San Francisco, at Fort Mason Center last weekend.  Rhone Rangers is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Rhone varietal wines produced in the U.S.

The two-day event featured a Winemaker Dinner on Friday catered by The Girl and The Fig. The dinner also featured the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Randall Grahm, the “Original Rhone Deranger”,and founder of Bonny Doon Vineyard.  On Saturday was the Grand Tasting and Seminars.  The Grand Tasting was a  great opportunity to taste about 500 of the best American Rhone wines from close to 100 Rhone Rangers member wineries (For a list of participating wineries-click here).

RR Fort Mason Shot

If there ever was a time the vinous cliché “So many wines, so little time” is true, it’s at a huge event like this. After my experience at last years Rhone Rangers SF Tasting, I wanted to narrow my focus a bit.  I decided to limit my tasting to Rosé!

I adore Rosé, and those made from Rhone grape varieties are my favorite! Besides it would give me a chance to get an early start on the first Rosé from the fabulous 2012 vintage.  When I looked at the mostly excellent event program, there were 30 wineries listed under “Rosé”.

Well the early start turned out to be a mixed bag. That’s because a few wineries who’d intended to have their Rosé ready, decided they weren’t ready for primetime.  Likewise,  a couple of my perennial favorite Rosé producers Bonny Doon, and Quivira, Rosé was not yet bottled ( one producer shared with me that they’d bottled their wine two days before the event, and another pour his Rosé from a sample bottle). I think the unofficial start of Rosé season is April.  Nonetheless I tasted some great wines and if the quality of the wines I tasted is any indication, 2012 should be a great season for Rosé!

On to the wines I sniffed, sipped and  (mostly) spit!

2012-04-24-RoseWines

The many shades of Rosé…Photo Credit: goo.gl/iKJXT

My recommendations and complete tasting notes follow (in alphabetic order within each category):

Highly Recommend (90+ pts)

Rhone Rangers Grand Tasting: Best of the Rhone Rosés

Sebastian Donoso; Winemaker for Campovida

  • 2012 Campovida Grenache Trails End - California, North Coast, Mendocino County - Coral color with lifted red fruit, citrus, spice and rose petal aromas. On the palate, it’s light-bodied, dry and fresh with cherry, raspberry, melon, citrus and spice flavors. Long finish (91 pts.) – $34
  • 2012 Curtis Heritage Rosé - California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County - Light pink color with pretty cherry, sweet citrus, and hint of floral aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied and dry with medium acidity. It shows slightly tart raspberry, citrus, mineral and spice flavors. Medium plus finish. Blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault (90 pts.) – $23
  • 2012 Lagier Meredith Syrah Rosé - California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
    Medium pink color with intriguing, aromatic red berry, violet, and spice aromas. On the palate, it between dry and off-dry, and medium-bodied with great acidity. It shows black cherry, black raspberry, and cantaloupe flavors. Long finish. Blend of Syrah, Zinfandel and Mondeuse. (92 pts.) – $20
  • 2012 L’Aventure Estate Rosé - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
    Salmon color with aromatic raspberry, citrus, melon, and mineral aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, dry, and fresh with a great mouth feel. It shows raspberry, tangerine, melon flavors underscored with an appealing mineral undertone. Long finish. (92 pts.) – $25
margerum rose

Doug Margerum of Margerum Wine Company

  • 2012 Margerum Grenache Riviera - California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County - Salmon pink color with appealing aromatic red berry, melon, and stone fruit aromas. On the palate, it’s light-bodied, fresh, and elegant with raspberry, strawberry, melon and spice flavors. Long finish. (91 pts.) – $18
  • 2012 Tablas Creek Dianthus - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
    Cranberry red color with tight red fruit, and dried rose aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, and dry with wonderful acidity, and cherry, red plum, and spiced watermelon, and mineral flavors. Medium-long finish. Blend of 60% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache, 15% Counoise (90 pts.) – $27
  • 2012 Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles - Pink color with enticing strawberry, stone-fruit,and spice aromas. On the palate, it medium-bodied, fresh and smooth with a great mouthfeel. It’s dry on entry, but closer to off-dry on the back palate with strawberry, watermelon, spice and mineral flavors. Medium + finish. Blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 5% Counoise (90 pts.) – $20

Recommended (86-89pts)

  • 2012 Acquiesce Grenache Rosé - California, Central Valley, Lodi
    Light red color with ripe cherry, floral and mineral aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, and off-dry with medium acidity. It shows ripe cherry, strawberry, and spice flavors. Medium-long finish. (88 pts.) - $18
  • 2012 Anaba Sonoma Valley - California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley - Medium pink color with dark red fruit, spice and a hint of floral aromas. On the palate, it’s light-medium-bodied with Medium plus acidity. It shows tart cherry, red currant and spice flavors. Medium finish. Blend of 56% Grenache and 44% Syrah (87 pts.) - $22
  • 2011 Bella Grace - California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County
    Pink color with aromatic cherry, strawberry and a bit of floral aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, off-dry and smooth with medium-acidity. It shows cherry, strawberry, spice and vanilla flavors. Medium-long finish. 60% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre (89 pts.) - $22
  • 2012 Broken Earth Diablo Rosado - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
    Medium pink color with aromatic cherry, raspberry, and floral aromas. On the palate, it’s between between dry and off-dry for me with medium acidity, and delightfully intense strawberry, cherry, and spice flavors. Medium finish. Blend of 80% Syrah and 20% that was co-fermented (89 pts.) - $18
  • 2011 Cline Cellars Mourvedre Rosé - California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County - Deep pink color with cherry, and strawberry aromas. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, and dry with medium(-) acidity. It shows easy cherry, and strawberry flavors. Short medium finish. Nice value (86 pts.) - $12
  • 2012 David Girard Vineyards El Dorado - California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado - Light pink color with spiced cherry and raspberry aromas. On the palate it’s light-bodied with medium(-) acidity. It shows strawberry, raspberry, mineral and a kiss of citrus flavors. Medium finish (86 pts.) – $22
  • 2012 Hagafen Rosé of Syrah Don Ernesto - California, Napa Valley
    Strawberry red color with earthy dark red fruits, and a hint of stone fruit aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, and dry with medium(-) acidity. It shows dark cherry and red current flavors. Medium finish (87 pts.) – $18
  • 2012 Halter Ranch Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedere Halter Ranch Vineyard – West Side - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles - Deep pink color with melon, red fruit and spice aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied and dry with wonderful acidity. It shows cherry, melon, mineral and spice flavors. Medium-long finish. Blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Picpoul (89 pts.) – $18
  • 2012 Holly’s Hill Grenache Rosé - California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado County - Pink color with cherry, and spice aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, and dry with medium acidity. It shows cherry, pomegranate, and spice flavors. Medium finish. (87 pts.) – $18
  • 2012 Meyer Family Syrah - California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands
    Pinkish red color with faint cherry, and raspberry fruit aromas. On the palate, it’s dry, medium-bodied with medium(-) acidity. It shows raspberry, tart cherry, and orange rind flavors. Medium+ finish (86 pts.) – $18
  • 2010 Paradise View Rosé Soleil - California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast - Pink color with strawberry, cherry, and melon aromas. On the palate, it’s between light and medium-bodied, dry, and fresh with cherry, cantalouple, and watermelon flavors. Medium finish. (88 pts.) – $24
  • 2012 Peterson Vin Gris Donna Bella Bradford Mountain Vineyard - California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley - Vibrant light red color with raspberry, cherry, and a kiss of melon aromas . On the palate, it’s between light and medium-bodied with raspberry, cherry, melon and spice flavors. Blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignane (88 pts.) – $16
  • 2012 Peterson Rosé Bradford Mountain Vineyard - California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley - Salmon pink color with wild strawberry, cherry and a hint of citrus aromas. On the palate it’s light-medium bodied with strawberry, cherry, mineral flavors. Medium finish. Blend of Grenache, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. (88 pts.) – $21
  • 2012 Qupé Grenache Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Edna Valley - Light salmon pink color with strawberry, watermelon, mineral and a hint of stone fruit aromas. On the palate, it’s dry, fresh and medium-bodied with tart strawberry, cherry, watermelon and spice flavors. Medium+ finish. (88 pts.) – $22
  • 2012 Tercero Mourvedre Rosé - California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County - Slightly cloudy darkish pink color with slightly earthy, dark fruit, and spice aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, fresh and dry with an ample mouth feel. It shows vibrant black cherry, plum and spice flavors (unlabeled sample from bottle) Looking forward to the finished version! (89 pts.) - $18
  • 2012 Unti Vineyards Rosé - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
    Pretty salmon pink color with raspberry, citrus peel and spice aromas. On the palate, it’s between light and medium-bodied, dry,fresh, and slightly tart with raspberry, watermelon, spice, and a kiss of citrus flavors. Long finish (89 pts.) – $22
  • 2010 Venteux Vineyards Mourvedre - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles - Light crimson color with earthy dark red fruit and anise aromas. On the palate, it between light and medium-bodied, dry with good acidity, and ripe strawberry, dark cherry, and spice flavors. Medium + finish. (88 pts.) – $28
  • 2012 Viña Robles Roseum Huerhuero - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles - Coral color with cherry, pomegranate, and a touch of brown sugar aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-full bodied with medium plus acidity, and a smooth mouth feel. It shows cherry, pomegrante and a kiss of spice aromas. Medium long finish. 100% Syrah (89 pts.) – $13
  • 2012 Zaca Mesa Z Gris - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
    Light pink color with raspberry, tangerine, watermelon, and mineral aromas. On the palate, it’s between light and medium-bodied, dry and fresh with raspberry, melon, tangerine, and a bit of mineral flavors. Medium finish. (87 pts.) – $16

Other

  • 2012 Clos Saron Tickled Pink - California, Sierra Foothills
    Salmon pink color with faint red fruit aromas. On the palate, it’s light-bodied, and dry and tart with medium (-) acidity. It shows tart cherry. Short finish. Blend of 50% Syrah/50% Tempranillo (85 pts.) - $25
  • 2012 Pomar Junction Vineyard Syrah Rosé - California, Central Coast, Paso Robles - Pink color with cherry and mineral aromas. On the palate it’s medium-bodied with medium acidity cherry, pomegrante, and spice flavors. Medium finish (85 pts.) – $18

Taster’s Choice

After tasting through the 28 Rosés from the wineries listed event program guide, it was time for “Taster’s Choice”…Yup..it’s just what it should like.  I’m off “the clock”, and on to whatever I strikes my fancy.  After all this is gathering of the best Rhone wines America has to offer, and I wasn’t about to leave without tasting some white and red wines too!  I didn’t have as much time as I’d like, but the following wines stood out for me…

  • 2011 Two Shepherds Grenache Blanc Saarloos Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley - Pale golden color with aromatic stone-fruit, mineral, and spiced honey aromas. On the palate, it’s approaching medium-bodied, crisp and dry with white peach, pear, mineral and a bit of citrus flavors. Medium-long finish. (91 pts.) – $24
Rhone Rangers Grand Tasting: Best of the Rhone Rosés

2009 Tercero Watch Hill Grenache

  • 2010 Lagier Meredith Syrah - California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
    Deep garnet color with lifted mixed black and blue fruits, pepper, and dried herb aromas. On the palate, it’s ample, fresh, well-balanced and elegant with blackberry, blueberry, and spice flavors. Long finish.(92 pts.) – $48
  • 2010 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles - Carmine color with black raspberry, plum, smoked meat, and pepper aromas. On the palate, it’s ample with an intense supple mouthfeel. It shows black raspberry, plum, and a kiss of bittersweet chocolate flavors. Long finish. Blend of 45% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 21% Syrah, 4% Counoise (92 pts.) – $55
  • 2009 Tercero Grenache Watch Hill Vineyard - California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County - Garnet color with beautifully aromatic mixed berry, and spice aromas. On the palate, it’s medium/full-bodied, fresh, focused with fruity, but not jammy, cherry, raspberry, strawberry, and spice flavors. Long finish. (91 pts.)

You can’t come to an event like this and not have some food (albeit in my case, after, a few hours of wine tasting).  I had a little snacky-snack from The Girl and The Fig which was downright delicious, and left me envious of those who had a chance to partake of the dinner they served on Friday.

Note to self: Must go to The Girl and The Fig next time I’m in Sonoma!

The pièce de résistance on my Rhone Rangers experience was a couple of scoops of ice cream served up Three Twins Ice Cream.  One was Dad’s Cardamom, the other was Sea Salted Caramel…Daaaaaum it was all that! 

My takeaways from the event?

  • The state of the American Rhone Rosé is strong – more great choices than ever!
  • The prices seem to be creeping up on Rosé.  Though I prefer not to spend more than $20 for a Rose, I have from time to time for something I felt was special. But Rosé mostly falls into the “weeknight” category for me all year round. The median price for the Rosé I tasted was a tad over $20.
  • It was great to be able to purchase wines on the spot from some producers. In fact I ended up buying a couple of bottles of the Margerum Rosé.
  • The event seemed less crowded than last year, a good thing in my book, but if attendance was down, that’s a shame…

All in all, what a great event!  It’s circled in red on my calendar for next year!

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Wine of the Week; 2008 Castello di Amorosa La Castellana

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Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out.  For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2008 Castello di Amorosa La Castellana.

Winery

Castello di Amorosa is Napa Valley’s own slice of Tuscany.  It’s a winery with its own authentic Tuscan castle (Approximately 121,000 sq. ft., including 107 rooms on 8 levels above and below ground), and one of Napa’s premier “destination” wineries.  While I’m not a huge fan of destination wineries because the wines often take a back seat to whatever the attraction is (they don’t call Napa Valley “adult Disneyland for nothing;-), Castello di Amorosa is an exception.  In addition to a great experience touring an authentic Tuscan castle (complete with a torture chamber), you’ll find moat loads of  ”better” and “best” wines rather than simply ” good” wine.

Castello di Amorosa (Image courtesy of Wikipedia)
Castello di Amorosa (Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

The story is how the castle came to be is fascinating (click here for history of the project). When Dario Sattui who also owns and operates the V. Sattui Winery, conceived the idea his thought was…

 I would specialize in making small lots of primarily Italian-style wines, showcase them in an authentic, medieval castle setting and sell them directly to the public, not in stores or restaurants.

Castello di Amorosa offers a wide array of wines.  In addition to the wines one would expect to find at a Napa Valley winery, (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel) they also offer three Gewüztraminers (dry, slightly sweet, and late harvest), various Red, Rosé, and White Italian varietals, Muscato Canelli port, and a slightly sweet, sparkling Rosé!

Castello di Amorosa produces about 8,000 cases a year.  The wines are only available at the winery, through its wine club, or online (www.castellodiamorosa.com).

Wine

This wine is what is referred to as a super-Tuscan. There are generally two kinds of super-Tuscans, those that are dominated by Sangiovese, or those dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine falls into the latter category.

The term “Super Tuscan” describes any Tuscan red wine that does not adhere to traditional blending laws for the region

The name for this wine “La Castellana” refers to the wife of the Lord and master of the castle. The fruit for this wine was sourced from their estate vineyard,and Passaro

Wine of the Week Castello di Amorosa La Castellana

My tasting notes follow:

Opaque dark garnet color with aromatic dark red fruits, toasted oak,and spiced tobacco aromas. On the palate, it’s voluptuous and smooth with well-integrated soft dusty tannins, good balance, and blackberry, plum, bittersweet chocolate, and spiced vanilla flavors. Long finish.

Rating: A- (91pts)

Pair with: Hearty fare such as grilled steak, sausages, Venison Stuffed Mushroom Caps, Shepherd’s Pie,  Braised Lamb Shanks, Veal Parmesan  or Rigatoni rigatoni with a wild boar ragú.

The Wine Geek Stuff:

  • Alcohol: 14.6%
  • Closure: Cork
  • AVA:> California> Napa Valley> Diamond Mountain
  • Grape Varieties: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 14% Sangiovese
  • Cooperage: 20 months in French Oak
  • Retail: $88
  • Cases produced: 1,634
  • Drink: Now – 2020
  • >>Find this wine<<

Wine provided as a sample for review.  Many thanks to Castello di Amorosa

Ratings Key:
(A+) – 98-100/Extraordinary
(A) – 94-97/Outstanding
(A-) – 90-93/Excellent
(B+) – 86-89/Very good
(B) – 80-85/Good
(C) – 70-79/Bleh
(D) – 50-69/#Fail

Follow me on Twitter @martindredmond for all things wine, and since I’m a wino, with latent foodie tendencies, you’ll also find food and wine pairings, and food related stuff!  Become a fan and join ENOFYLZ Wine Blog on Facebook. Cheers! This article is original to ENOFYLZ Wine Blog.com. Copyright 2013 ENOFYLZ Wine Blog. All rights reserved.

Best Wines to Pair with Paella?

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Every cuisine has at least one – a one-pot meal, a dish of humble origins that is the quintessential definition of that place and people. There’s Gumbo, Cassoulet, Risotto, Irish Stew and Pad Thai to name a few. And the Spanish? Well, they have paella.  March 27th is National Paella Day.

Paella originated Valencia region of Spain. According to The Paella Company…

Paella was originally farmers’ and farm labourers’ food, cooked by the workers over a wood fire for the lunchtime meal.  It was made with rice, plus whatever was to hand around the rice fields and countryside: tomatoes, onions and snails, with a few beans added for flavour and texture. Rabbit or duck might also have been added, and for special occasions, chicken plus a touch of saffron for an extra special colour and flavour. Paella was also traditionally eaten straight from the pan in which it was cooked with each person using his own wooden spoon.

There are three main types of paella; Valencian consists of rice, green vegetables, meat (rabbit, chicken, duck, pork), land snails, beans and seasoning; Seafood replaces meat and snails with seafood  such as prawns, mussels, and clams and omits beans and green vegetables, and Mixed, a combination of meat, seafood, vegetables.

Paella Valenciana (image courtesy of daytondailynews.com

Paella Valenciana (image courtesy of daytondailynews.com

In addition to the three main types of Paella, two other popular variations are Vegetarian, which typically contain vegetables like artichokes, lima beans, red and green peppers,and Paella Negra, which is typically seafood, cooked with squid ink, so it looks black.

Paella Negra (image courtesy of piospaella.com)

My personal favorite – Paella Negra (image courtesy of piospaella.com)

When pairing paella with wine, I recommend keeping a few food and wine pairing guidelines in mind:

  • What grow together, goes together – I prefer to pair with wines from Spain, Portugal, or wine from the neighboring Languedoc-Roussillon region in  Southern France.  Outside of Spain or France, consider Sangiovese or Pinot Noir for red wine.
  • Pair humble with humble, great with great – Paella has humble origins, I generally pair with inexpensive wines unless it’s a special occasion.
  • Sparkling wines go with almost anything – Pair Valencian, Mixed, and Negra paella with  rosé Cava and Seafood and Vegetarian with Brut Cava

Here are my wine paring recommendations by type:

 Valencian, and Mixed 

Pair with a chilled dry rosé. or an inexpensive red Rioja, other Tempranillo or Grenache. Here are a few I like (click on the link for where to buy):

Rosé

Reds

Tip: Avoid high alcohol ‘fruit-bombs’ or overly alcoholic, tannic reds.

Seafood 

Pair with Albarino, white Rhone blend, Brut Cava, or Rueda.  Here are a few to look for (click on the link for where to buy):

Vegetarian 

If vegetables include asparugus and/or artichokes, pair with New World Sauvignon Blanc, otherwise, chilled dry rosé, white Rhone blend, Pinot Gris, or Brut Cava will be nice matches.

Need a recipe? Check out his great recipe for Mixed Paella from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen.

I  hope you’ll join me in celebrating one of world’s most well-known and beloved dishes.  Have your favorite paella and a glass of wine today!

Viva Espana y Buen apetito!