Palmaz Winery Officially Open to the Public

Palmaz Vineyards winery has officially opened to the public. You have to call and make an appointment but it will be worth it. Family members will apparently personally conduct the tours and tastings. Vino Girl and Winemonkey had the pleasure of visiting a few times under the guidance of engaging daughter Florencia. The hospitality, the winery -- and of course the wines -- will not disappoint.

SUMMARY Started in 1997 by reknowned cardiologist (and inventor of the vascular stent) Julio Palmaz and his wife and entrepeneur Amalia, much of the day to day operations are left in the hands of their able-bodied daughter Florencia.

WINERY The Palmazes have constructed the most outrageous winery in the valley (and that is saying something.) A five story structure built into the existing mountain, the gravity fed winery is an engineering and visual masterpiece and a must stop for any true wine lover. In addition, all of the stone work around the winery has been hand cut by stone masons; an ongoing project now in its fifth year and also a sight to behold.

LOCATION The vineyards and winery are located in the up and coming Coombsville or proposed Tulocay AVA area along Mount George in the southern part of Napa Valley.

WINEMAKING Originally consulted on by famed winemaker Randy Dunn (2000-2001), the project then moved into the hands of renowned consultant Mia Klien (2002-2005) who has now primarily turned over the reins to winemakers Tina Mitchell and Florencia Palmaz (2005 on).

CONTACT INFORMATION Palmaz Vineyards 4029 Hagen Road Napa, CA 94558 707 226-5587 http://www.palmazvineyards.com

Wines Reviewed:

Vintage	Winery	Wine Name	Country	Region	Current Grade	Peak Grade	Price
2001	Palmaz Vineyards	Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	A	A	$100
2001	Palmaz Vineyards	Gaston Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	A	A	$100
2002	Palmaz Vineyards	Cedar Knoll Vineyard Co. Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	B+	B+	$25
2002	Palmaz Vineyards	Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	A	A+	$100
2002	Palmaz Vineyards	Gaston Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	B+	A	$120
2004	Palmaz Vineyards	Cedar Knoll Vineyard	US	California	B+	B+	$25
2005	Palmaz Vineyards	Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	NR	B+	$100

Happy Thanksgiving

Cheers from Drink The Good Stuff!

Brunello history at Biondi Santi

Unfortunately for us, Biondi Santi’s amazing history in the production of Brunello is much more impressive than their appointment taking skills. Apparently, the woman I spoke with to book our appointment and tasting was on maternity leave when we arrived in Italy. Wiped from the books and without an appointment, we waited and waited for our turn to taste these great wines.

The beautiful grounds of the Biondi Santi estate are not a bad place to relax and wait so we found ourselves in no terrible hurry. Finally, we were ushered into the cellar by a congenial tour guide that, regrettably, did not speak a lick of English. He pointed, we shrugged, and we all struggled to understand. Finally, we were met by an English-speaking woman who gave us a taste of the 2001 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino. It was good, but that is all we tasted. Happily, we were not charged a fee for our “tour and tasting.”

Anyway, the history goes something like this. Ferruccio Biondi-Santi, in the 1860s, planted a special breed of Sangiovese known as Brunello or Sangiovese Grosso. The clone was attractive because it had smaller berries that would presumably produce more concentrated flavors. In addition, the clone was more resistant to Phylloxera, an insect destructive to grapes vines at their roots. Ferruccio replanted his entire vineyard with the new clone and, viola, Brunello di Montalcino was born. He also decided to age the wines in oak and in bottle before releasing them which at the time was unheard of because Italians enjoyed light, young red wines.

The wines are still today made in an old-school style where ageing is required to fully enjoy them. The fruit is somewhat behind the other characteristics, and the acidity is distinctly decipherable. I like the style very much but it is not for everyone. I certainly can’t say it was the best tasting of the day, but we did visit a place where wine history was made. Not bad for a Thursday afternoon!

Wine Getaways for the Holiday Weary

Arrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggg! It's the holiday season already. How did that happen?

If you are feeling all "Bah, humbug!" about the holidays this year, maybe it's time to escape, take a little trip, and drink a little wine. Or perhaps you should wait until the holiday season is over and reward yourself for making through?

Either way, check out Travelhacker's list of the "Top 25 Ultimate Vacations for Wine Geeks." Take in the breathtaking scenery in South Africa while sipping a tropical Chenin Blanc. Visit "Zinfest" and drink yourself silly on spicy, high alcohol wines. Or jaunt on over to Hawaii -- of all places -- to create your own personal bottle of wine. Whatever your pleasure, it's on the list.

Cheers. Don't be a scrooge!

2004 Blackbird Vineyard Merlot

Oak Knoll is one of those newer AVAs — less than two years of history — that people feel fashionable talking about. Lofty comparisons have been made between Oak Knoll and Pomerol and we are just starting to see some Merlot’s out of the appellation that may be positioned to put Napa’s fourteenth AVA on the international wine map. It is no coincidence, then, that Blackbird Merlot is produced exclusively from grapes from the Oak Knoll district.

Blackbird Vineyards began as a source of fruit for some of Napa’s most renowned wines and winemakers, notably Mia Klein of Dalla Valle, who created a Blackbird designate for her own Selene label Merlot in 1999. In 2003, the vineyard was purchased by an entrepreneur named Michael Polenske and the inaugural vintage of the thusly named Blackbird Vineyards Merlot was introduced that same year.

A combination of the unmistakable quality of this new wine and the crack team assembled by Polenske to take charge of winemaking (winemaker Sarah Gott), and marketing and sales strategies (COO/CMO Paul Leary) makes the 2004 Blackbird Vineyards Merlot a real cult prospect.

Winemonkey and I tasted the 2004 Blackbird Merlot twice, once with Leary at the Napa Wine Co. in Oakville, California, and a second time three months later at the wines’ New York City unveiling at Soho House. This gave us good perspective on the wine as the first tasting was a just-bottled sample and the second a newly released wine. Although the first was a bit shy from bottle shock, we could sense the crushed berry fruit, lush layers and bright acidity in both bottles. The 2004 is a refined wine from start to finish — and the finish is endlessly persistent.

Blackbird Vineyards makes serious Merlot and with controlled quantities available to mailing list subscribers and a limited number of retailers selling the wine, it is surely on the fast track to cult status.

Wines Reviewed:

Vintage	Winery	Wine Name	Country	Region	Current Grade	Peak Grade	Price
2004	Blackbird Vineyards	Merlot	US	California	A	A	$80
2005	Blackbird Vineyards	Merlot	US	California	NR	A	N/A

Giving 'Flights' A Whole New Meaning at JFK

If you are a frequent flier in to or out of JFK airport, get ready for a much more refined experience. A wine bar, Vino Volo, has just opened in American Airlines Terminal 8.

Although Vino Girl has yet to visit Vino Volo, I hear that it is every bit the swank wine bar that you would find smack in the middle of Manhattan. The menu is replete with wines by the glass, wine flights (who could resist?) and the ever popular 'small plates'.

This is the fifth Vino Volo, an aspiring airport chain out of San Francisco, to open its doors. The first was in Dulles airport in Washington, D.C.

It’s always nice for the weary traveler to have a better option than the ubiquitous Au Bon Pain, Cinnabon or Mickey D’. And given the way airports are operating these days, your flight to San Francisco might just be your fourth or fifth 'flight' of the day!

Perhaps the frequently traveling Winemonkey will scout it our for us?

Poliziano in Montepulciano

I have been remiss in my Tuscany updates of late but without further adieu let’s take a visit to Poliziano winery in Montepulciano. We were scheduled for a tour, lunch and tasting at Poliziano and, surprise, surprise, we were on ‘Italian time’ and late for both. We called ahead to let them know we were on our way and they were more than happy to accommodate. In fact, the spunky female voice on the phone turned out to be our tour guide, Margherita, the official and uncontested “tour guide of the trip.”

Margherita had arranged for our lunch and tasting to precede the tour because — god forbid — we missed lunch. (Just another reason you gotta love the Italians!) The spread of cured meats, beautiful cheeses and a fresh and colorful salad was brought out and passed around as Margherita explained everything we were to stuff in our gullets. The procession of wines were, of course, perfectly matched to the specific meats and cheeses from the everyday Rosso and Vino Nobile to the single vineyard Vino Nobile Ausinone. We were no strangers to salty meats and cheese by this, our seventh day in Tuscany, but the Poliziano feast was somehow superior.

Margherita is studying to become a Master Sommelier and you could feel her passion for wine and knowledge as well as her eagerness to please. Her coworker had failed to show up for work so she was simultaneously working our table of laypersons and an adjacent table of importers from Czechoslovakia. The good news for us was that the Czechs failed to finish some of the “special” wine they were being served from the new vineyard in Maremma as well as their vin santo and prune tart. We were to be the happy recipients of their leftovers. "Shhhhhhh," Margherita whispered as she ushered the professionals out the door.

All the wines were outstanding. Perhaps they had an edge because we tasted them with food but no matter. I would recommend trying anything from this relatively young (1961) estate with a traditional style. The single vineyard wine came home with Vino Girl.

Poliziano Rosso Montepulciano ($12 - $15) Montepulciano, 80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot, 250,000 Production

Poliziano Vino Nobile Montepulciano ($25 - $30) Montepulciano, 85% Sangiovese, 15% Colorino, Canaiolo and Merlot, 150 – 180,000 Production

Poliziano Asinone Vino Nobile Montepulciano (NA in US but about $45 from Italy) Montepulciano, 100% Sangiovese Only in the best years, 20 – 40,000 production

Poliziano Le Stanze ($40 - $45) Montepulciano, 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20,000 production

Poliziano Mandrone di Lohsa ($35) Maremma, 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 10% Alicante 10, 15,000 production

A Quick Look at Paso Robles

Much has been said about the fast-growing Paso Robles wine region, located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles in California’s central coast. A number of key players have set up shop here and, although the AVA is better known for its “Rhone Rangers” and their Syrah based wines, Paso’s most widely planted grape is in fact Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sadly, much of the Cabernet-based wine comes in the form of industrial swill, but a number of smaller producers are making an effort to craft interesting wines at much lower price points than you can ever find out of Napa.

Halter Ranch brings a distinct juiciness and mouthwatering acidity to their wines while Eberle Winery maintains a great blueberry profile across all of their Cabs. And while Justin is a strong contender, we are not sure about all the hype surrounding L’Aventure.

Unfortunately, much of the wine we tasted from the region exhibited what we deemed “Paso Sourness” as well as a latent stalkiness. But most wines, at least in some way, were of a true California character with the dark, ripe fruit that comes from baking in the warm Paso Robles sun.

There is still much room for improvement on the Bordeaux varietals front, but as the west side of the AVA takes hold with more finicky and higher end producers of boutique wines, we are sure the whole AVA will benefit and make better wine along the way.

Wines Reviewed:

Vintage	Winery	Wine Name	Country	Region	Current Grade	Peak Grade	Price
2001	Hunt Cellars	'Bon Vivant' Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	B	B	$42
2000	Hunt Cellars	Cab-Ovation	US	California	B+	B+	$75
2001	Hunt Cellars	Cab-Ovation	US	California	B+	B+	$75
2000	Hunt Cellars	Rhapsody Meritage	US	California	B	B	$90
2002	Hunt Cellars	'Unforgettable' Merlot	US	California	B	B+	$50
2002	Eberle Winery	Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	B	B+	$18
2003	Eberle Winery	Estate Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	B	B	$30
2003	Halter Ranch Vineyard	Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	B+	B+	$25
2003	Halter Ranch Vineyard	Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve	US	California	B+	B+	$35
2003	Adelaida Cellars	Viking Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	B	B	$50
2003	B & E Vineyard	Reserve Merlot	US	California	C	C	$20
2003	B & E Vineyard	Red Table Wine	US	California	C	C	$22
2003	B & E Vineyard	Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	C	C	$25
2003	Justin Vineyards & Winery	Justification	US	California	B+	B+	$40
2004	Justin Vineyards & Winery	Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	B+	B+	$25
2003	Justin Vineyards & Winery	Isosceles	US	California	B+	A	$60
2003	J. Lohr Vineyards & Winery	Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	B	B	$14
2003	J. Lohr Vineyards & Winery	Los Osos Merlot	US	California	B	B	$14
2001	J. Lohr Vineyards & Winery	Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	B+	B+	$28
2000	J. Lohr Vineyards & Winery	Cuvee Series St. E	US	California	B+	A	$50
1999	Nichols Winery & Cellars	Merlot	US	California	C	C	$25
1999	Nichols Winery & Cellars	Cabernet Sauvignon	US	California	C	C	$30
1999	Nichols Winery & Cellars	Meritage	US	California	C	C	$30
2003	L'Aventure	Optimus	US	California	NR	NR	$45
2004	L'Aventure	Estate Cuvee	US	California	NR	B+	$75
2003	L'Aventure	Estate Cuvee	US	California	B+	B+	$75
2004	Eberle Winery	Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah	US	California	B+	B+	$28
2003	Treana Winery	Red	US	California	B	B	$50

Chateau Lagrange Vertical 1990-2004

[An oldie, but a goodie, more to come and more recent at that!]

With the 2004 Bordeaux still in barrel, We attended a combined vertical tasting of St. Julien third growth Chateau Lagrange and Margaux third growth Chateau D’Issan. The tasting was led by director and winemaker at Chateau Lagrange, Marcel Ducasse, and owner and winemaker at Chateau D’Issan, Emmanuel Cruse. Although we tasted the chateau’s wines side by side, we believe it is more useful to discuss the wines separately so that we can paint a better picture of the style of the chateaus overall. In this first installment, we will discuss the wines of Chateau Lagrange.

The ‘04 barrel sample of Lagrange was on the docket, followed by a line-up of the Grand Vin dating back to 1990 — with a 2001 Les Fiefs, the domain’s second wine, thrown in. As the wines were being poured, Ducasse amused the crowd by announcing that Michel Rolland was not consulting on his wines, making it clear that this is now one of the ways to distinguish your wine in Bordeaux versus the other way around.

Ducasse was hired by Chateau Lagrange owner, the Japanese conglomerate, Suntory, shortly after they took over the domain in 1983. Most of the credit for restoring the chateau and vastly improving the quality of the wine goes to Ducasse, with the help of the seemingly bottomless pockets of Suntory. Having never tasted any vintages of Lagrange prior to 1983, it would be difficult to compare. However, given the nearly universal disapproval of the wines prior to Ducasse it is probably safe to say that the wines are much better and more consistent since his arrival.

What we were looking for in the wines first and foremost was balance, which is what is said to drive Ducasse. Indeed the balance stood out in these wines, as did a velvety texture and clean fruit. In fact, clean fruit made it into nearly every note we took on the wines, including the 2001 Les Fiefs de Lagrange. The wines hint at that relatively fruity and wonderfully fragrant St. Julien style. We found that the younger wines derived a good deal of their personality from the barrel, with toast, chocolate and coffee in the foreground and dark fruit slightly behind. The wines are rich and round, with a power that remains judicious rather than overblown. Depending on the style of wine you prefer, you can drink Lagrange young (think toasty, velvety chocolate and berry) or wait a few years (turning to silky and earthy, with more spice and mint.)

Ducasse added Petit Verdot to the blend starting in 1990. He has been using it ever since and has been known to add upwards of 15% in some vintages as long as the balance is kept in check. As 1990 was the oldest vintage presented in this particular tasting, we can’t say whether or not the grape made a dramatic difference in the blend. We can say, however, that we detected the spice and pepper typically associated with Petit Verdot in these wines.

Overall, the tasting cemented Chateau Lagrange’s place as a worthy third growth in our minds — one that is consistent and merits watching year in and year out. If balance is the true sign of a wine’s quality (and we tend to think that it is) then Chateau Lagrange should not be overlooked by fans of rich, well structured Bordeaux, especially at its price point.

Wines Reviewed:

Vintage	Winery	Wine Name	Region	Current Grade	Peak Grade	Price
2004	Chateau Lagrange	Grand Vin	Bordeaux	NR	A	$30
2003	Chateau Lagrange	Grand Vin	Bordeaux	B+	A	$35
2000	Chateau Lagrange	Grand Vin	Bordeaux	A	A	$60
1996	Chateau Lagrange	Grand Vin	Bordeaux	A	A	$60
1990	Chateau Lagrange	Grand Vin	Bordeaux	A	A	$125
2001	Chateau Lagrange	Les Fiefs de Lagrange	Bordeaux	B+	B+	$26