While shopping around for a wine dinner centered on vintage wines from the 80s, we happened upon a phenomenon that apparently many wine geeks are already aware of: Emidio Pepe. As owners of a California wine store, the expected move for us would be to bring an age worthy California Cabernet (yes, they do exist) and we did just that for our first wine. As predictable as it may have been, the 1986 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet was indescribably delicious, in peak drinking condition, and the wine of the night all around. But that was too easy.
We summarily dismissed Bordeaux, Barolo, and Burgundy as just too typical for our second selection. We even resisted a 1980s López de Heredia white because it seems like every wine hipster out there gets off on singing the praises of Lopez de Heredia and there's no challenge in that.
Not ready to give in, we spied a range of 80s vintage wines from a producer unknown to us, Emidio Pepe.
What's the difference between a wine snob and a wine geek? There’s a great blog post at Citypages.com called "What kind of wine drinker are you?" that spells it out quite nicely. In a nutshell, a wine snob is someone who has an air of supremacy but may not have the wine wisdom to back it up. The wine snob generally favors big name wines with considerable price tags and high scores from critics; any wine with a rating below 90 points need not apply. Even when wine snobs are drinking less expensive wine, only big name brands will do.
A wine geek is commonly more objective, adventurous, and passionate about sharing knowledge ― and wine. Wine geeks never want to come across as snooty or condescending to their less wine-obsessed friends. They do hope to open their minds and their palates to new wines, new wine regions, and new ways of exploring and experiencing wine. This is something wine geeks do for fun.
One of the things we pride ourselves on at our wine shop is that we taste every wine before deciding whether or not it will grace our shelves. We make a conscious and active effort to discover wines that over
"I like all varietals. I just don't generally like the way they manipulate Chardonnay in California. Too much oak and secondary malolactic fermentation." Miles, Sideways
Oh, Miles, you are not alone. Let's face it, overdone, over-oaked, exceedingly rich Chardonnays -- and the people who love them -- will always exist. Overly Malo'd Chardonnays seem to be an even bigger evil today than heavy handed oak. But it's time we start debunking the myth that all California Chardonnays are cloyingly rich, buttery oak bombs. There are excellent California Chardonnays out there. Some even possess the magical trinity of oak, butter, and richness but display enough bright acidity to keep them in perfect harmony.
SONOMA COAST:
Eric Asimov got the myth-busting off to a good start with his recent article entitled, "The Evolution of Sonoma Coast Chardonnay." Asimov describes the wines that balance richness with lively acidity as having
Wildfires blazed in Mendocino County, California from June through August in 2008 and many of the fires were precarioulsy close to the vineyards there. We have detected an uncanny smokiness -- as in ash, not bacon -- in some of the 2008 wines we have tasted from that area. The fires also affected Lake County and Northern Napa and Sonoma counties but we have not, as of yet, had the same experience. Not to say these counties are immune to the smoke, just that we have not encountered any examples to date.
In fact, we hadn't thought all that much about it, but the question came up the other day when someone mentioned they identified a little ashy flavor in a '08 Pinot Noir they tasted from Anderson Valley. They wondered aloud whether this could be a result of the fires and smoke that plagued the vineyards that spring and summer.
It seems that some producers are waving off claims that wines from the area are demonstrating characteristics that seem to have come from the wildfires. How can that be so?
When we think of larger sized wine bottle formats, we tend to think either of cheap, poor quality jug wine or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, magnums or double magnums of pricey vintage Bordeaux. A regular sized wine bottle holds 750 milliliters of wine, and most standard wine bottles are in direct relation to that benchmark. For example, a 'half bottle' holds 375 milliliters and a magnum holds the equivalent of 2 regular bottles or 1.5 liters.
Some vintners are experimenting with the 1 liter format for wine, a size most readily associated with booze, precisely vodka. We love these 1 Liter wine bottles for
I have noticed a few articles recently about the so-called 'obscure' grape varietals being produced in California. The San Jose Mercury News ran a story called "On Wine: Vintners who champion obscure grape varieties" and a blog post by Steve Heimoff "Obscure varieties a hard sell" soon followed.
We are always interested in obscure (and I agree with Heimoff that we need to find an alternative word) grape varieties at the store because, well, when you are in NYC and devoting more than 95% of your shelf space to California wines it's nice to have something different to offer up to your customers every once in a while.
When these unique wines are priced right we really don't have much trouble selling them; in fact it seems that New Yorkers are craving something interesting and are willing to try just about anything (we're still talking about wine, right?!). We'd like to think
A recent conversation and tasting with Girard winemaker, Zach Long, brought to my attention that a long held belief that Petite Sirah is so named for its small berry size may be a myth. As we tasted Girard’s 2007 Petite Sirah, a deliciously big, fruity, inky, juicy wine from Napa, I was quite surprised to hear Zach say that in fact Petite Sirah berries are not wee things compared to, say, Syrah, or other popular red grapes. I quickly checked my own book (beware: shameless plug ahead), Wine At Your Fingertips, to make sure that I had not been lying to my tens of readers all this time. Phew, I left out discussion of Petite Sirah berry size altogether!
That didn’t mean, however, that I had not read in more than one place that “Its smaller berries with higher skin to pulp ratio leads to more intense flavors” in reference to Petite Sirah. I thought this was kind of the gist of it and, well, it does make sense. Petite Sirah is intensely flavored and has formidable tannin structure, which in part comes from the skins of the grapes. When I Googled “Petite Sirah berry size” the majority of results made reference to the small sized berries. However, when I Googled actual images of the grapes on the vine (see picture) the berries did not appear to be that small after all. The clusters are snug but that is all that I could decipher from the pictures. Ambling down this road has only succeeded in confusing me (and now you!) so let’s just get down to what we know…or what we think we know…
Petite Sirah was cultivated in the 1870s in the Rhone region of France where it is known as ‘Durif’ or ‘Petite Syrah’. The grape is the result of a cross between Syrah and a relatively minor Rhone variety, Peloursin. It is more successful in California than it ever was in France and is most commonly spelled ‘Petite Sirah’ there, an anglicized spelling of the original name. The grape generally produces bold, deeply colored wines with big, dark, inky fruit and plenty of tannin structure. It is often used as a blending grape most notably to add color. Wineries in the U.S. can now use either Petite Sirah or Durif on wine labels. I love Petite Sirah in the winter because it is warming, soul-satisfying, and unique. We have some great examples in the store at various prices including Vinum Cellars PETS ($15.99), The Terraces ($33.99), and Outpost The Other (54.99). You should give it a try no matter the berry size!
Everyone is looking for a great rose wine as summer approaches and vin gris wines offer a lovely example. Vin Gris refers to very pale rose wines. They are made from grapes, such as Pinot Noir and Grenache, that are lightly pressed and the juice, or pulp, is separated from the grape skins before too much color is transferred.
The 2008 Littorai Vin Gris of Pinot Noir is a special wine and the first Vin Gris the winery has produced since 1997. Littorai Wines was founded in 1993 by Heidi and Ted Lemon and the name refers to "coasts" in Latin. True to its name, the Littorai wines are made from the coastal areas of Sonoma and Mendocino and Ted Lemon is very focused on wines that reflect the place in which the grapes were grown.
The 2008 Vin Gris from Anderson Valley in Mendocino is super pale, pretty, dry and elegant, with strawberry, rhubarb, citrus, and mineral notes as well as a savory herbal quality. Very small amounts of this wine are made and the Littorai wines are very rarely found in retail stores. You're in luck, however, because California Wine Merchants has a few precious bottles in stock. $28.99 -- while supplies last! ;)
Amy Aiken, winemaker and owner of Meander Wines, was in town this past week and we did our best to keep track of her wanderings about town, capping it off with a special pouring appearance at California Wine Merchants Thursday evening.Amy is a vivacious and inspired Winemaker and she brought some lively fun to our Thursday night tasting to be sure!
Earlier in the week Amy’s NY distributor, The Barterhouse, hosted a lunch at Eleven Madison for “power women in wine” (yep, that’s me people!).Amy presented her new 2008 Meander Wines Conspire Sauvignon Blanc at the lunch, as well as all three vintages of her enchanting Meander Wines Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Sauvignon Blanc has yet to be bottled and the lunching ladies were all honored to be some of the first to taste it.It’s a very pretty and unique Sauvignon Blanc.Conspire has more body than most Sauvignon Blanc and an almost creamy texture from sitting on the lees (basically the deposits of residual yeast and other sediment that develops during the wine making process.)The grassy aromas are intense and flavors are tropical, including pineapple, kiwi, and coconut.The wine paired delightfully with the Cape Cod Bay Crab Cake with Celery, Treviso and Anchovies that was served alongside. Amy also recommends pairing the wine with mussels prepared with Asian-influenced flavors.
You’ll have to wait until June to pair it with anything, however, as that is when it arrives in NY -- and at California Wine Merchants!The wine will sell for a little less than $30.If you are interested in knowing when it inbounds, send us an e-mail at info@cawinemerchants.com and we will put you on the “interest list” as production is limited.
The lunch progressed to the 2003 vintage of Meander Cabernet Sauvignon, the very vintage Winemonkey and I tasted with Amy years ago when we discovered Meander Wines in Napa.The juicy, fruity wine was drinking exceptionally well, especially after a bite of Grilled Tenderloin with Oregon Morels – yes, that’s good stuff!The 2004 Cab was probably my favorite; it has an alluring personality and a beautifully silky texture along with the sweet fruit.All of the Meander Cabs start out with a great pop of fruit, which is Amy’s intent.The 2005, the most recent vintage and the wine we have in stock at the store, was equally fabulous but different, with layers of mocha and mineral underlining the fruit. 2005 was a great vintage for Napa Cab and this wine will only get better with air and a little age.
With our ridiculously decadent dessert of Chocolate Tart with Caramel and Maldon Sea Salt, we were treated to the 2005 Meander Cabernet Sauvignon Morisoli Vineyard.The other Cabs are made from fruit from the Morisoli vineyard in Rutherford and the Lewelling Vineyard in St. Helena, whereas thislimited wine is strictly from Rutherford fruit. There were only 40 cases produced and it’s pretty much all gone so I was super lucky to get a glass.The wine is very well structured, with great intensity of flavor and a velvety texture sometimes known as “Rutherford dust.”Overall, great food and wine and a satisfying experience!
You won’t find Meander wines at many retail stores and, in fact, before Winemonkey and I introduced Amy to The Barterhouse, you could not find the wines anywhere in New York.The Conspire label was created so that Amy can take advantage of any great fruit that might come her way.This year it was Sauvignon Blanc.Next year who knows…maybe Conspire Pinot Noir?We’ll just have to wait and see.
2007 Preston of Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley; $22.99 JUICY: Grassy, melon, herbal, crisp, lean Preston of Dry Creek is an organic family farm that subscribes to organic farming and minimalist winemaking, preferring purity of flavor and product while sustaining the environment. Sauvignon Blanc is their signature white.
2007 Wolf Family Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley; $34.99 JUICY: Fruity, tropical, honey, fresh Karen Culler, winemaker, has led the wine program on the estate since the first vintage in 1997. The Sauvignon Blanc comes from the long, narrow sloping vineyard that spans the Wolf Family property.
2007 Tablas Creek Vineyard Cotes de Tablas Blanc Paso Robles; $22.99 ELEGANT: Crisp, clean, peach, apricot, great texture Tablas Creek Vineyard was founded by the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and Robert Haas, longtime importer and founder of Vineyard Brands. They chose the hilly Las Tablas district of west Paso Robles for its similarities to Châteauneuf du Pape: limestone soils, a favorable climate, and rugged terrain.
2006 10 Knots Passage White Wine Paso Robles; $33.99 JUICY: Tropical, pineapple, orange, rich, nice finish There were only 98 cases made of this blend of 40% Viognier, 16% Roussanne, 16% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Chardonnay, and 12% Marsanne. The wine was aged in both French and Hungarian Oak.
2007 La Sirena Moscato Azul Napa Valley; $35.99 JUICY: Tropical, crisp, clean, great as aperitif or with fish The name "La Sirena" means "the Mermaid " in Spanish and Italian. Winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett chose it because she was looking for something fun and magical (like wine) and because she is a scuba diver as well as a winemaker. This is a dry style Muscat Canelli from Calistoga and only about 600 cases are produced.
2004 Schramsberg Brut Rose Cuvee de Pinot Noir Sparkling Wine; $36.99 Elegant: Clean, frothy, creamy, fresh cherry & strawberry The origins of Schramsberg Vineyards began in 1862, when immigrant Jacob Schram bought some acreage on a hillside in Napa Valley. Jack and Jamie Davies brought the property in 1965 with the ambition to produce world class sparkling wines. Their youngest son Hugh carries on the tradition today.
2007 Halter Ranch GSM Rosé Paso Robles; $16.99 JUICY: Strawberry, tangerine, fun & fruity, refreshing acidity Halter Ranch is a new winery with a rich history. Located on Adelaida Road, on the west side of Paso Robles, the property dates to the 1880s. The vines are planted on steep, south-facing slopes reaching 1800 feet in elevation; only 385 cases of this wine were produced in 2007.
2006 A.P. Vin Clos Pepe Pinot Noir Monterey; $54.99 ON SALE FOR $35.74! BOLD: Ripe berry fruit, lush style, excellent acid balance This incredible vineyard sits in the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills and is meticulously cared for. Part of the land is planted with harvested olive trees while the other twenty-four acres of this 28 acre vineyard are planted with some of the most prized Pinot Noir fruit in California.
2006 Monticelli Brothers Mario Sangiovese Atlas Peak; $25.99 ELEGANT: Black cherries, silky smooth, sweet spices, earth In the tradition of the owner's Tuscan heritage, they set out to make a Sangiovese that would have made their Nonno proud. The Mario Sangiovese is bright and fruity, like an Italian Chianti should be. As is with most Italian varietals, Sangiovese's delicate flavor makes it a wonderful accompaniment to food, especially pizzas and pastas.
2005 Ampelos Cellars Syrache Proprietary Red Santa Barbara County; $32.99 JUICY: Cherry, earth, silk, nice acidity Ampelos is a Greek word meaning "vine" and Ampelos Cellars cares for their vines by promoting biodynamic farming and environmentally responsible practices in the vineyard. This wine is 27% Grenache and 73% Syrah with only 538 cases produced.
2006 Cannonball Cabernet Sauvignon California Price: $15.99
Winemaker Dennis Hill makes a splash with this delicious California Cabernet. Most of the fruit comes from the Dry Creek Valley, with a small portion coming from Paso Robles. Cannonball Cabernet is 82% Dry Creek Cabernet with an additional 11% Syrah added to give the wine a jumpy mouth feel.
2007 Fleur de California Pinot Noir Carneros-Los Carneros Price: $18.99
With an enthusiasm for the red wines of Burgundy and confidence in California's potential for producing world-class wines, Francis & Kathy Mahoney established Fleur de California. The wines are made in a bright, approachable style. Ken Foster serves as winemaker.
2007 Familia Mayol "Lujan de Cuyo" Malbec Mendoza Price: $18.99
100% Malbec. At Familia Mayol they choose grapes from Luján de Cuyo, the oldest and most traditional wine growing area in Mendoza and the first DOC for Malbec. Steve Clifton of Brewer-Clifton in Santa Barbara, CA is the consulting winemaker.
2006 Vinum Cellars PETS Petit Sirah Clarksburg Price: $15.99
Vinum Cellars is a collaboration of winemakers Richard Bruno and Chris Condos, who first became friends while they were students at UC Davis. They share a fondness for the more obscure grape varieties. A portion of the profits from the sales of this wine is donated by the winery to the San Francisco SPCA.
2006 Wildhurst Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay Lake County Price: $15.99
A superior Chardonnay for the price with lots of melon fruit and an elegance that comes from the balance of weight and acidity.
2008 Angeline Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley
Price: $16.99
Angeline wines are made in the heart of the Russian River Valley and are part of the Martin Ray brand. Angeline was named American Value Brand of the Year in both 2006 and 2007 by Wine & Spirits magazine.
2006 J. Wilkes Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Blanc Santa Maria Valley Price: $17.59
Owner Jeff Wilkes worked for 18 years with Bien Nacido Vineyards, so he knows this vineyard inside and out. In 2001, he decided to venture out with the goal of making world class Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc under his own label.
2007 Mahoney Vermentino Las Brisas Vineyard Carneros Price: $16.99
Mahoney Vineyards is the culmination of 35 years of experience growing and producing wines in the Carneros region spanning the cool southern reaches of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. The wine is carefully crafted by Francis and Kathy Mahoney in small quantities from the very best of their 160 acres of estate vineyards.
2007 Tutu Pinot Grigio Napa Valley Price: $15.99
This is a venture by partners Rob Lawson (winemaker) and Jeff Smith (Hourglass Winery). Production is about 1500 cases. A Pinot Grigio with lots of flavor!
2006 Verdad Rose Grenache Arroyo Grande Valley Price: $15.99
Verdad's mission is to make small amounts of delicious wines using Spanish grape varietals. This wine is composed of 90% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre.
To follow up on a past post on Ovid Wines, we were able to taste the ‘Experiment’, the wine from Ovid that will change from vintage to vintage, just last week.The current 2005 Experiment is mostly Cabernet Franc with some Petite Verdot and it is a silky wine with some nice pepper notes and more red fruit that the Ovid.The wine is distributed by Douglas Polaner here in New York and it was available at their Portfolio Tasting. We are still unsure of the price point for the Experiment but we hope to offer our customers the namesake 2005 Ovid very soon.
Some other California wines that stood out at the Polaner tasting were:
2006 Realm Cellars Dr. Crane:This wine just keeps getting better.100% Cabernet from the Dr. Crane Vineyard. We just sold out of the 2005 and the 2006 is even better ─ if that’s possible. Mike Hirby is the winemaker and this one is worth the $100+ price tag. We still have the 2005 Realm Tempest and Realm Farella in stock, which are also supremely good wines!
2006 Maybach Materium:Again, we have sold out of the excellent 2005 vintage and (im)patiently await the 2006.Killer Cabernet and only 745 cases produced.With any luck we will carry it very soon! Another $100+ bottle.
We were impressed with Windgap Wines, the new project from Pax Mahle, formerly of Pax Wine Cellars. We particularly enjoyed the 2007 Pinot Gris from the Russian River Valley (crazy small production of 106 cases and about $40 per bottle) and the 2006 Syrah from Sonoma Coast (ridiculously small production of 89 cases and about $50 per bottle).
2006 Arietta H-Block is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The Cabernet Franc is solely from the 2.3 acre Hudson Vineyards H Block and this is some well-structured, awesome juice.The 2006 is a particular head-turner.Yes, this is also over $100 and, yes, we sometimes have expensive taste. Guilty as charged.
2007 Carlisle Montafi Ranch Zinfandel:This just may have been the wine of the tasting.Okay, it was!Soooo good with tons of depth and amazing Zin character. Under 300 cases, under $50 per bottle, and, TA-DA, sold out!!! Depressing. On a brighter note, we have the 2006 Russian River Zinfandel and the 2007 Dry Creek Zinfandel in stock and they are both well priced for the excellent wine that is in the bottle ($40 - $50.)
2006 Larkmead Firebelle:A beautiful blend of the Bordeaux varietals and gets better and better with air.The 2005, which we have in stock, is a beauty too which is why we brought it in to the shop.
2005 Davis Family Cabernet Sauvignon:We were not very familiar with the Davis family wines and this pretty, juicy Cabernet made a great first impression.A great pop of red fruit and nice layers of classic Cab flavor! About $60 per bottle.
2005 Crocker & Starr Cabernet:Pam Starr is indeed a star and this Cab proves it beyond a reasonable doubt.We have the 2004 Stone Place, a lush and tasty blend of the Bordeaux varietals for $100.
Lest you think we are partial to uber expensive Cabs, we were also impressed with Fleur de California Vin Gris and Pinot Noir, Mary Elke Pinot Noir, and Westerly Sauvignon Blanc.All reasonably priced and delicious.
