Well, I’m a little out of my element here. We of the WC tasting crew braved the second annual Winter KraftBrew Beer Fest in San Jose this past weekend. Though we pride ourselves on being locavores, beer as they say, “is a whole different animal.” Frankly, I felt out of my depth.

welcome to the Winter KraftBrew Beer Fest 2012

Held at the San Jose Women’s Club, the location couldn’t have been more perfect. It’s on the same street with what looked like at least a dozen fraternities connected to San Jose State U. I was having flashbacks to my college days. As you can probably imagine, this “free” event was mobbed. We stood in line for admission for more than half an hour, followed by lines to buy tickets which you exchange for beer samples, lines for beer and lines for the limited food selection. I like people watching, so this didn’t really bother me all that much. Plus, a couple weeks ago I decided to grow a beard, so there was huge opportunity to look at various facial hair styles while waiting. Beer drinkers do seem to like whiskers.

We were part of a group of around six or eight—the numbers kept changing as people came and left. So between us we probably tried at least three dozen ales, porters and stouts. I didn’t keep close track of the tastes or the names. My first, was it the Brasserie de Saint-Sylvestre Gavrouche Biere de Garde, or did Hegui try that one? Whichever it was had the nickname “Terrible” which sounded right to me. At any rate, the young guy pouring, who happened to be sporting a crazy long blond Three Musketeers-style mustache, said it was sort of like a beer version of pinot noir. That sounded promising. And it was good: kind of grapey.

After a while they started to blend together: that’s really bitter, very chocolaty, smells like stale coffee, has no taste at all, sort of fizzy like fermented tomatoes, etc. You get the idea. I’m just not a beer person. I did like this Santa Cruz IPA though I didn’t write down the name, so will probably have trouble finding it again.

It was a gorgeous night with clear skies. The moon was this huge crescent shape and Venus was very bright. People were really schmoozing and flirting with one another. This was a kid-friendly event, which is sort of weird when you think about it, but we saw several. I was aghast to observe a very pregnant woman with one of the children. I think that she must have been the designated driver for the flushed bearded guy that was hanging around them, glass in hand. Just a guess.

They ran out of French fries, if you can believe it. Who goes to a beer fest without French fries? We ended up having pizza afterward, but with a local zinfandel instead of more of the brewed stuff. I know: I’m incorrigible.

Our Friends Wit and Amie sent us this link with pics from the site Metroactive. We show up in the in their page

We were originally turned onto Robert Young by our good friend, Ben. We went for a wine country excursion there about six or seven years ago. He recommended them as it was our first trip ever to Healdsburg and Anderson Valley and we didn’t know what to expect. Robert Young really made an impression. Sadly, we hadn’t the chance to return until the past couple months when our great friends, Karen and Veronica, visited from Reno. We had three days of Sonoma wine country, so we mixed it up with the Russian River Valley, Healdsburg area and Anderson Valley. Naturally I suggested Robert Young.

welcome to Robert Young Estate Winery

The first thing that I always notice on the curvy ride to this fine winery is its sheer beauty. I know that I’m frequently telling our readers about the loveliness of wine country, but here it isn’t hyperbole. The views of the valley, the hillside and the charming Young home are post-card perfect. Our pictures don’t do the place justice at all.

Alexander Valley view

the Young home with some gardens

The Youngs still own the winery and surrounding property. It has been in the family for five generations and has seen a number of changes: they used to produce cattle, grow wheat and even prunes before Robert Young was persuaded to plant grapes in the early sixties. It is the classic California story.
Best known for cabernet sauvignon and Bordeaux style blends, they also have a number of enchanting chardonnays—can you believe I’m even writing that?!?

The tasting room is tiny and pleasantly intimate. Since we were in a group of four, we shared the regular and the small lot tastings between us. Pat Warren, the current winemaker, Kevin Warren’s wife, was our tasting room guide. She’s a real fan and her enthusiasm was contagious.

some grapes on the vine at Robert Young

I’ll list the chards first followed by the reds:

2008 Alexander Valley Chardonnay: A transparent golden yellow with a lovely creamy texture that bordered on buttery but wasn’t quite there. Lots of yellow fruit.

2009 Alexander Valley Chardonnay: A pale transparent yellow with really nice tropical fruit and green apple notes.

2009 Area 27 Chardonnay: A pale transparent yellow with a green grape nose, this was crisp, fresh and full of delightful fruit.

2009 Barrel Select Chardonnay: More richly colored than the Area 27 with ultraripe apricot and peach, and some vanilla, this was rich and creamy with a long finish.

Robert Young merlot

Robert Young winery interior

2008 Alexander Valley Merlot: Deep red with a subtle nose, it had medium body, refined tannins.

2008 Alexander Valley Petit Verdot: This 100% Petit Verdot was a purple to black with a caramel nose, chewy tannins and a long finish. This had all the stuffing!

2008 Big Block Cabernet Franc: A dark red to purple with an exciting smoky aromatic nose full of red berries, plum with rich tannins and a good finish.

2006 Scion Cabernet Sauvignon: This is a blend of 80% cab, 10% merlot, 7% cab franc and the rest, petit verdot. Purple black in color with a V8-juice nose we detected rich fruit, mineral with a long finish. This is good drinks.

Robert Young Scion

2007 Scion Cabernet Sauvignon: Red to purple with lots of ripe red fruit, chewy tannins, this was delish.

2008 Bob’s Burn Pile Cabernet Sauvignon: 100% cab, this was a dark red to purple with eucalyptus, V8, vanilla, clove on the nose with great fruit, smooth rich supple tannins and a long finish. Mmmm.

So that’s it for our wine country excursions in 2011. It’s been a great year for us, and we hope for you, too. Can’t wait to see where we’ll visit in 2012. Happy New Year!!!

winery humor

It seems quite appropriate to be writing about Carlisle the day after an eight-hour Twilight marathon with my BFF, Jasmine. We met at a local movie theatre to see Breaking Dawn Part 1 (for her, the second time; for me, the fourth) then walked to my place where we happily sat through Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse on DVD. I served some wine and between flicks made penne in vodka sauce and roasted cauliflower. What a great time!

welcome to Carlisle Winery and Vineyards

Of course, not everyone is as Twilight-obsessed as I am, so if you don’t get the Carlisle reference, let me fill you in: that’s the name of Edward Cullen’s adoptive vampire father in the Twilight series. (And if you’re über-obsessed like I, then perhaps you’re already familiar with Bella Winery in Dry Creek Valley, Twilight Cellars in Paso Robles and I’ve recently learned that there’s a Jasper Hill winery somewhere in Australia. Wouldn’t it be super-fun to have a Twilight themed wine tasting party where all the labels come from names of characters in the series?)

Of course, the winery, Carlisle, has nothing whatsoever to do with the series on vampires, werewolves and the teen girl that loves them. The web site says that the name comes from owner/winemaker, Mike Officer’s wife’s name, Kendall Carlisle. Nevertheless, excellent choice!

Carlisle is popular. This is one of those small-ish production boutique wineries with a long waiting list. I think that I signed up a couple of years ago and would periodically get these charming e-mails thanking me so much for waiting on the list, but that I’d have to please continue to wait. Very frustrating, and no, I don’t like it. But then a miracle, I was contacted a couple months back and asked to buy some of the wine. If I did, then my name was to be moved from the wait list to the active list. Yippie!!!

So of course I bought the wine ASAP.

I think that these stainless steel vats are really awesome

the barrel racks are like abstract art

Carlisle produces zinfandels and Rhône style wines: syrah, Grenache, mourvèdre, and petite sirah. It sounds like they pretty much sell out to the list members, though I’ve seen bottles in shops occasionally. I often hear high praise for Carlisle wines in the pages of Wine Spectator and this year, maybe it was the edition on zinfandels, one of their bottles was on the cover.

After I ordered some wine, I received another charming note that invited us to visit the winery for their pick-up weekend. I love those, so immediately agreed. Looking back on it now, I had this complicated fantasy about what the Carlisle facility might be like: sort of a combination Williams Selyem meets the smooth modernism of the Cullens’ home as depicted in the movies. Well, it wasn’t quite like that. If anything, you might characterize the place as the opposite. This was coolly industrial and functional, though not without charm. The Copain Custom Crush facility is the same as where Eric Kent wines are made. Small world.

Hegui wasn’t thirsty the day of our visit, so I tasted alone. We couldn’t help but notice that many of the other clients visiting seemed to know one-another. It was quite intimate really. A catering company served slices of gourmet pizza as we wandered around a bit and I sampled.

admiring the intimate setting and company at Carlisle

2002 Dry Creek Zinfandel: A black purple color with a mossy nose, it was full bodied and smooth, sort of like a good cabernet, with rich fruit and depth that still retained some pepper at the end. I liked it a lot.

2009 Russian River Valley Zinfandel: The gentleman pouring the wine said it was from the “home ranch” though I didn’t think to ask what he meant. A ruby red with lots of red fruit and pepper on the long finish it had a wonderful texture. This seemed fresher than the 2002.

2010 Sonoma Valley Bedrock Vineyard Zinfandel from barrel: I really enjoyed tasting this and the next barrel samples, in part because they were both delicious, but also because they were presented in Erlenmeyer flasks. The science-geek in me was tickled.

A ruby red with a faint nose that led to lots of fruit and pepper throughout, this had supple tannins and seems somewhat fizzy.

2010 Russian River Valley Paba’s Block Syrah from barrel: Looking at my sloppy handwriting now, I feel sure that I’ve mis-spelled the name of this excellent syrah. If you know the correct one, please contact me!

A ruby purple color, I detected lots of eucalyptus on the nose that led to red fruit, licorice with a long finish. I wrote “very exciting” in my notes.

Carlisle is amazing. Look for it, or better yet, get on the list.

Stephen & Walker Trust Winery Limited is a totally different kind of wine country excursion. Located on the Plaza in downtown Healdsburg, this is more like visiting a bar/shop than “wine country” per se. In that sense, it is less romantic and visually stunning than the typical weirdcombos tasting adventure. Nevertheless, this is a place worth checking out for the delicious wine and lively, cheery atmosphere.

welcome to Stephen & Walker Trust Winery Limited

Founded in 2004 by partners, Nancy Walker, Tony Stephen and Irv Bush, these folks make wines grown from grapes cultivated in vineyards across northern California. The Trust Wine site indicates they work with growers in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Monterey Counties. Nancy Walker is winemaker; Tony Stephen sounds like he works with grape growers and manages marketing. Oddly Irv Bush’s role in the company isn’t indicated. I e-mailed Nancy and Tony about that for clarification but have yet to hear more.

I like the name of the winery and how they’ve gotten the lettering to look: sort of like an old fashioned bank bond or something. Very cool. I don’t quite understand what the name’s supposed to mean exactly, though whatever it is, to me, it suggests confidence in their products. In the section of their web site on the Healdsburg tasting room, they suggest that you go and “taste our cult wines.” That sounds a bit funny bordering on pretentious, though they are pretty good, so perhaps the trio are planning for the future.

One last note before describing the numerous wines that we tried: I’ve a feeling that we’d be soul-mates with Nancy, Tony, et al. after reading their recipes for Grilled Bruschetta with Rosemary-White Bean Puree & Heirloom Tomatoes and Tapenade. Those with red wine are right up the weirdcombos alley.

some to the tasting crew chlling at Stephen & Walker Trust Winery Limited

some Stephen & Walker Trust Winery Limited zinfandels

2008 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast: A reddish purple with a nose of cherry and other red fruit as well as tobacco. Hegui thought it was “a good smell.” It followed through on red fruit and some pepper. I thought it just okay though the other three all admired it.

2009 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast: As above, a reddish purple with some green pepper, smoke, and hints of lemon verbena led to red fruit and a peppery finish.

2008 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley: Purple black in color with lots of earthy mineral notes with red fruit, mineral and a peppery finish on a medium frame.

2009 Zinfandel, Russian River Valley: Purple black with a barnyard-like nose with some banana, this had a lovely creamy texture full of fruit and mineral flavors.

2010 Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley: Purple to black with pomegranate, lettuce and leather notes with chewy tannins, red fruit and some peppery heat.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley: A deep purple with blue fruit and forest floor, this was smooth with supple tannins and a long finish. We all enjoyed this one.

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley: Purple black with a greener smell and a more luscious and creamy texture. Here the tannins bit harder.

2004 Portentous California: This wine with the fun name is a California version of Port. Purple in color with a nose of ultra ripe stone fruit and spice box, this tasted of jammy fruit, vanilla and chocolate. Yum.

2009 Patrona, Muscat Canelli, Alexander Valley: A transparent wine with a nose of sweet ripe peach, it was sweet, rich with yellow stone fruit and a hint of mineral. We thought of it as “summer cool-aid” for adults.

2010 Chardonnay, Botrytis, Mendocino Ridge: A pale golden yellow with sweet over ripe fruit.

welcome to Hanna Winery and Vineyards

Founded by Dr. Elias S. Hanna, a cardiologist, in the 1970’s, Hanna is truly a magnificent wine country experience. Located in Alexander Valley quite near the charming town of Healdsburg, this place has everything: stunning views, great wine, marvelous hospitality and that wow-factor which all combine for an amazing experience.

see the gentle vine-covered slopes at Hanna Winery and Vineyards

more steeply terraced vineyard at Hanna

is this a Sound-of-Music moment or what?

We on the weirdcombos tasting crew have been fans for ages. We first tasted at Hanna about a half-decade ago on a Healdsburg visit ending with a fabo meal at Cyrus. We were thrilled to be back recently. And if anything, Hanna has gotten even better in the interim, if that’s even possible.

The first thing that anyone ever notices at Hanna is the breathtaking hills and views of the valley. They are truly picture perfect. We visited on a gorgeously sunny day that wasn’t too hot—always a perfect mix. Inside, the tasting room is spacious with lovely high ceilings. There’s a bit of that wineries-like-shopping-malls thing going on here but I sort of liked it. The delightful Carol assisted us with our tasting. Since we were a group of four, we tried both Flagship and Reserve wines while sharing. As per our usual, we skipped the whites, which now I regret after reading that the current Hanna President, Christine Hanna, has spent a large part of her career developing and promoting their sauvignon blanc. Oh well, maybe Santa Claus will think of me and forward a bottle or two.

Hanna tasting room

gorgeous view from the picnic area

cheery flowers

perhaps if those agave do well, then Hanna can branch out into tequila

Hanna tasting room interior

2009 Pinot Noir: rusty red in color with lots of cherry on the nose, leading to more luscious sour cherry fruit, black tea with medium body. Good.

Two Ranch Red: I’m not certain but believe this blend that Carol characterized as having everything but “the kitchen sink” might be non-vintage. It does have a wild mix of grapes, apparently the leftovers from the Reserve wines. Per their site, it includes: zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, syrah, petit sirah, pinot noir and malbec. That’s nuts! We all enjoyed the wine.

A brownish red color with a beautiful toasty nose of red fruit and toffee, led to a powerful tasting red fruit rich wine with a pleasant peppery and mineral finish. Yum.

2007 Bismark Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon: An opaque purple to black, we all loved this wine. Tobacco notes led to lovely blackberry, refined tannins and a silken texture.

2007 Hanna Bismark Mountain Titan

2007 Petit Sirah: This one wasn’t on our tasting menu, but since it was open already, Carol gracefully offered it us. Opaque red to purple with lovely sour metallic and minerally nose, we detected rich red fruit, vanilla, smoke and a hint of pepper with supple tannins.

2006 Bismark Mountain Syrah: Opaque purple with a hint of green pepper, red and blue stone fruit, leather, shoe polish and mineral with supple tannins and a good finish.

2006 Bismark Mountain Cabernet Franc: A deep rusty red, full of red cherry and other jammy berries and pepper, this tasted almost fizzy.

2007 Bismark Mountain Titan: This is a blend of malbec 29%, petit verdot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. I loved it. Carol called it “our Bordeaux.”

An opaque black, it had a beautiful smell with hints of menthol. This wine was very rich with wonderful tannins, lots of blue fruit and a bit of a chalky drying finish which suggested that it could benefit from more time in cellar.

2007 Bismark Mountain Zinfandel: Rusty red with the aroma of red berries, this was full of red fruit, vanilla with that lovely and long peppery finish that one expects in a zin.

Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc: So I was mistaken above, we did try some Hanna sauvignon blanc, the sweet version. A cloudy pale orange color with a nose of over-ripe peaches, nectarines and jammy guava paste, it was only mildly sweet, full of yellow stone fruits and a hint of fig paste with a good finish.

So that’s it. If you have only one place to visit in Alexander Valley, then Hanna should be at the top of your list.

these vineyards almost look like the makings of an abstract painting

DeLoach was our first stop on our Sonoma County wine tasting weekend in late October. I’ve been holding off publishing the story for Thanksgiving week in particular for various reasons—mostly we’ve been distracted by all the wine-tasting private events that we’ve had the pleasure to enjoy lately. But this week seems particularly apt as the winery prides itself on fine pinot noir production, a very food-friendly red that is perfect for the traditional T-day meal.

welcome to DeLoach Vineyards

What are you having for Thanksgiving this year?

We’re cooking with our dear friend and fellow pescatarian, John. We’ve agreed to have herb stuffed roasted whole fish with potatoes and clams, some TBD French green bean dish, Tartine bread with two dips: edamame miso party dip and artichoke dip, mixed olives, leafy salad in vinaigrette, classic pecan pie and Barbara’s cranberry upside down cake. Along with a selection of wines, of course, pinot included. If the fish cannot be caught, then we’re going with Tofurkey as a standby. So all of you reading this, pray with me for good fishing without complications!

DeLoach Vineyards

DeLoach is converting all their viticulture to organic and biodynamic practices

But back to DeLoach. The winery was founded in 1973 when Cecil DeLoach planted his first vineyard. It was purchased by a French family from Burgundy, the Boissets, in 2003. Right now they’re in the process of converting all of their production to organic, biodynamic and sustainable practices according to their web site. That site is really informative and kind of fun. I love it that the sub title for the place is “The Russian River Original.” It sounds like a classic. Though I wonder exactly what they mean with the expression?

The tasting room and surrounding property is quite lovely. The gardens are also organic and biodynamic. They’ve a wonderful map of it on their site, which shows where they’ve planted various things. It sounds like the garden is both ornamental and used for food production. That’s really cool.

DeLoach tasting room

We went on a sunny relatively warm day. There’s an incredible sculpture out front of a female figure holding her arms up to the sky with a smaller perhaps child or baby in one of them. It is very striking. I sort of felt warmly greeted in her elegant embrace. It was a fine way to begin.

They’ve a conventional and quite pleasant tasting room with an attentive staff. “Debbie” poured our tastes. She was a riot and we felt very comfortable. She even let me stand behind the bar for a picture. Amazing! My friends Karen and Veronica enjoyed the experience so well that they joined the winery on the spot.

me standing behind the DeLoach tasting room bar

2008 Pennacchio Vineyard Pinot Noir: A transparent red with aromas of raspberry and tobacco, this was medium bodied with a long finish. We detected lots of interesting earthy notes that were almost bitter.

2008 Thornton Vineyard Pinot Noir: A transparent ruby red with a delightfully musky smoky aroma, this was richer and even creamier than the first with a good finish. I liked it a lot.

2007 Masút Vineyard Pinot Noir: Apparently “masút” is a local Indian term meaning “good earth.” This had wonderful aromas of raspberry, eucalyptus, and pine with caramel and sour cherry flavors predominating, ending smoothly with some white pepper notes.

2008 Maboroshi Vineyard Pinot Noir: “Maboroshi” means “whimsical dream.” A transparent deep red with a nose of smoke, bergamot, orange peel, candied ginger and licorice, this was smooth with ample red fruit and earthy notes.

2008 Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir: Another dark transparent red, this had a smoky mushroomy nose. It is a huge wine! Full bodied all the way with lots of red fruit, mineral and creamy smoothness leading to a complex delightful finish. The wine seemed to open up for miles.

2008 Forgotten Vines Zinfandel: If I wrote this right, the grapes for this zin are all sourced from pre-Prohibition vines. That’s old. A purple red, it was jammy, spicy with a long finish. Good.

NV tawny port: My friends are really into port and they loved this one. It had a lot of fruit and spice though not really my thing.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And if you do happen by DeLoach, tell them that you heard about it on weirdcombinations.

beautiful vineyards for as far as the eye can see at Littorai

I don’t know how I initially heard of Littorai, and it’s bugging me. Perhaps I read of them at some point? Certainly, since joining their members list, I’ve been seeing the name everywhere: kind of like when you buy a new car and suddenly you notice that same model all over the road. James Laube from Wine Spectator recently listed Littorai in his “top 20 favorite Sonoma pinot noir producers.” But I’ve started seeing their wines on restaurant menus, at K and L Wine Merchants, and hearing about them in conversations with other, wine-loving friends.

Hegui and I had a marvelous introduction to Littorai last September at a fun dinner at the 5th Floor Restaurant here in San Francisco. Winemaker Ted Lemon was on hand to introduce the numerous delightful pinots and chardonnays, as well as walk us through the various nuances of these gems. So what better way to follow up on a good thing then to attend the Littorai Client Appreciation wine tasting event at their facility in Sebastopol?

The day we went was dreary, rainy and cold. In fact, it started coming down in buckets while we were there, making the drive back into town along all those twisty country roads that much more exciting. I like living dangerously Seriously though, Littorai is in what appears for all the world to be a residential neighborhood. That wasn’t quite how I’d envisioned it. But none of us were disappointed when we finally arrived at the indicated address to find an imposing dark gate blocking the drive. There was a tiny sign on the electronic keypad that indicated the secret access code. We entered the numbers and were delighted and a bit awed when the huge thing silently swung open. I felt like Scooby Doo with Fred, Shaggy and all the rest riding in the Mystery Machine, about to enter something wild and spooky!

at Littorai with friends

a close up

We glided down the long drive in our red Camry (not a van) past the houses, and suddenly we were greeted by a stunning vista of rain soaked vineyards sprawling across rolling hills. The golden color of the vines almost gave the illusion of a sunny day. Almost.

We had just come from the Williams Selyem fall pick-up event. That was large with an almost carnival atmosphere. Littorai, by contrast, seemed positively intimate by comparison. We had the pleasure of speaking with Ted Lemon while there. I really like the guy. He’s got this understated charm and subtle sense of humor that I especially enjoy. We talked a lot about the Fifth Floor Restaurant, naturally enough, since we’d both been there the same evening. I think that I’ve got to stop complaining about that perspiring cheese as I’m starting to bore myself!

It was fun to chat some more with Sheri Wood, who we also met at the San Francisco dinner. She mentioned that she’d read my story about it, which normally makes me a bit anxious—nobody wants uninvited criticism after all, but she was completely kind and warm—thank goodness! In fact, she encouraged us to return on a sunny day for a tour of the vineyards. I look forward to that.

high-tech wine making stuff at Littorai

The event was catered with lots of appealing amuses bouches, but it was the wine that really got our attention, as usual. First off there were so many to try! Just among the pinots, there were nine. Plus there were several chardonnays, and two dessert wines. Since Americans don’t spit, we had to really focus here. If you guessed that Hegui and I went right for the reds, you’re right. Whit and our other friends tried the delicious chardonnays, but I simply didn’t have room.

It was frightfully cold so we all struggled a bit with the aromas of these lovely wines. Here’s what we thought:

2010 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: It was beautiful transparent purple red (all of the wines had a similar color so I’ll stop noting here unless there is a difference) with a nose of dried rose petals and hibiscus that led to ripe raspberries, pepper with a long finish.

2010 Les Larmes Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: I was told that they consider this to be an Anderson Valley “appellation blend.” It had a spicy nose with some sour berry highlights. Concentrated and powerful, with rich raspberries and mineral notes, this was good. Whit bought some on the spot.

2009 Savoy Vineyard, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: We detected saw dust, cola and leather which led to supple raspberry, red stone fruit, and earthy notes.

2009 The Pivot Vineyard, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: The person pouring this delightful taste for me referred to it as the “estate” wine and said the vines “are right outside.” That’s cool. This had an intense barnyard aroma with less fruit on the nose. It was earthy with red berries and an almost buttery texture with a long finish. I liked it a lot and bought a couple.

colorful gourds brighten up Littorai in the autumn rain

2009 Mays Canyon, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: Darker than the others, this was more powerful, too, with full body, lots of earth notes and good fruit.

2009 Hirsh Vineyard, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: A bit more acidic than the others, somewhat like how we found it at the Fifth Floor, it was fruit forward, and really enjoyable. I got some to stash in my cellar for a while.

2009 Cerise Vineyard, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: We had a long chat about the origin of this wine. Apparently the grapes are grown in Mendocino County near the town of Boonville. One of our group was from the area so was completely taken with the story. A deep purple red with that barnyard aroma that is so intoxicating, lots of mineral notes, red fruit and sour cherry.

2009 The Haven Vineyard, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: This was delicious, just like at the restaurant: full bodied, rich red fruit and earth, it has everything.

2002 One Acre, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir: This was an amazing wine! You could detect some of the secondary flavors, which took it to a whole new level. A brownish red on the nose we detected cola, raspberry, garrigue. It was complex and still had lots of fruit. I wrote on my notes “stunning!” “wow!” and “almost indescribable!”

Okay, I admit it: I’m a Williams Selyem fan.

some gorgeous grapevines in fall colors at Williams Selyem

I first heard of them from a dear friend, Kathleen. She’s a real estate agent to the stars, collects tons of fabulous local art and best of all, buys entire wine cellars off Craig’s List for fun. We love her! I’ll never forget that stunning champagne party that she threw a few years back. Apparently the seller only had sparklers—hundreds of them. She invited about 50 people to her flat for a champagne only cocktail party. Wow. Until then, I’d never really appreciated the stuff.

I could probably write the same about pinot noir. It’s so easy to get cheap, bad quality pinot, I’d begun to think that that was all there was in the world. But Kathleen opened my eyes one evening. We were attending a private party that she hosted at a local restaurant. She had decorated the place with select pieces of her already mentioned fabo art collection and among other treasures, poured a bottle of Williams Selyem pinot noir.

I can’t remember the year or vineyard—it was a single vineyard pinot, I’m sure of that at least. What I do recall was that the wine was breathtaking! I’d never considered such a thing possible. The tastes swirled in my mouth in a kind of vinous ecstasy. That was the beginning for me. Since, I’ve been writing about Williams Selyem a bit obsessively on our blog. Look here, here, here, here, here, here and here to see what I mean. These folks really are good!

it really feels like fall with the drizzle, chill and reds and yellows on the vines

Williams Selyem is one of those lucky few wineries that have a wait list to join. I signed up immediately and waited about 18 months or a bit more before I got on the purchasing member list. But it was worth it. Every spring and fall they offer the latest vintage for sale to members of the list. Then you have a month to frantically buy, before someone else on the list does. I always order the full allotment of reds the first day. VISA be damned!

Then, as part of the fun, you go pick up the wine at their new winery facility in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. And that’s what Hegui and I with a few dear friends, both old and new, did the other week.

The weather was uncooperative—rainy and cold. Too bad, really, as the vineyards were all so beautiful, decked out in autumn yellows. With a clear sky and bright sun, our pictures would have been out-of-this world. Oh well.

Usually on one of these pick-up weekend visits you can try some of the current releases, occasionally a barrel sample from the following year’s vintage and once in a while buy a bit more wine right there on sight, including library wines. That’s especially inviting for guests who may not yet be members. We arrived too late for all the magnums, which I found tremendously disappointing. I’d love to have one or two of those in my cellar. You Williams Selyem guys should offer large formats more regularly to your faithful customers (like me!)

Anyway we were thrilled to taste some of the new wines and excited to introduce our friends to that Williams Selyem magic.

sipping the 2009 Williams Selyem Drake Estate chardonnay with friends

2009 Drake Estate Vineyard Chardonnay: A pale greenish yellow with a pleasantly grassy and vanilla nose, led to tart apple and green grapes with a somewhat creamy texture and long oaky finish.

2009 Bucher Vineyard Pinot Noir: This was poured by John Bucher himself, which I thought really cool. To me, it was showing best of all the 2009 pinots that day. A raspberry red color with a jammy aroma of strawberries, loam, mulch and musk; led to cranberry, sour cherry, an ashy mineral quality with medium body and a lingering finish.

2009 Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir: A purple red color with a nose of dark currant, paraffin and barnyard, this was bolder and smoother, with caramel, red fruits, and a fuller minerally body.

2009 Eastside Road Neighbors: This is a blended pinot made from grapes from several vineyards along Eastside Road. Purple red with a nose of Morello cherry, cherry jam and molasses, this was more full bodied yet, with rich fruit, mineral, bitter chocolate and hickory notes with a long finish.

2009 Papera Vineyard Zinfandel: A dark purple with ultra ripe plum, cracked pepper, and chicken feathers leading the way to olallieberry pie, with really rich bright fruit and mineral notes. This was full bodied, jammy and excellent now.

it seems so serene here

2007 Sonoma County Pinot Noir: A pale transparent red with a nose of horseshit, gum Arabic, straw with medium body, pleasant red fruit and mineral notes leading to a peppery finish. We all enjoyed this and I bought a couple bottles right there.

2007 Weir Vineyard Pinot Noir: A pale transparent red with an earthy, even leathery nose, this was much fuller than the Sonoma County, with a smoother texture, raspberry fruit, mineral and medium to full body with good heft. I got a couple of these for good measure too.

So that’s it for now. Look for the spring 2012 update sometime soon!

Castello di Amorosa is one of those Napa Valley wine country excursion places that’s so attractive to tourists that it doesn’t even matter whether or not you enjoy wine. We went with my folks on their recent visit to San Francisco from Virginia. My dad likes wine tasting but mom’s not too into it. That’s perfect here, since the place is completely enchanting either way. This is an honest-to-goodness CASTLE. So strange to be writing that word in the context of American winemaking. Just look at our pictures. Incredible. What’s not to love?

Castello di Amorosa watchtowers across the moat

Castello di Amorosa

the grand castle entrance

view of the moat and Napa Valley from the Castello di Amorosa entrance

Designed in the style of 13th to 14th century Tuscan castles, no expense was spared. Henriette, our marvelous tour guide for the Castle of Love experience, says that an estimated $30 million was spent to build the property. Aside from the ultra modern winemaking equipment and caves, there’s a moat with drawbridge, watchtowers, a grand room, a consecrated chapel, some rustic buildings housing sheep and chickens, and even a torture chamber. I suppose if Napa Valley were ever invaded by a marauding hoard of beer-drinkers, this would be the place to hide, though I wonder about all that brick and stonework in case of a severe earthquake?

a small chapel in front of Castello di Amorosa

a donjon in the distance

grapvines along the entryway at Castello di Amorosa

the vines in fall colors at Castello di Amorosa

close up of fall grapevines

Well anyway, European artisans were hired to design and build the arched ceilings, and paint the glowing frescos. Even the bricks are antiques shipped over from the Old World. We were there the day after their annual Halloween party, so the place was decked out in ghosts, severed limbs, etc. which really added to the medieval vibe.

Hegui and I’d been once before. They had just opened to the public then, so the vines surrounding the castle and the various gardens weren’t especially established. Neither were the wines, which at the time we found thin and rather uninteresting. Well, things have changed. Apparently there’s a new winemaker now and the vines themselves have matured a bit. The quality of the wine was outstanding. Our guide remarked cutely that a “Mr. Robert Parker” keeps giving them high scores. Certainly we can see why.

the Great Room at Castello di Amorosa

portion of mural in the Great Room

interior courtyard

modern stainless steel tanks at Castello di Amorosa

this looks like it should be part of the torture chamber, though in fact these devices are for the winemaking

2009 Pinot Nero, Santa Lucia Highlands: This wine had a subtitle on the label, “pinot noir” just in case you didn’t recognize the name, I suppose. A cherry red color with lots of strawberries and hints of pepper, it was medium to full bodied. Pleasant.

2008 Sangiovese, Napa: Plum red with flecks of rust colors, this was earthy, rich with cherry fruit, medium body with soft tannins. Frankly this is one of the first California sangioveses that I’ve ever drunk that tasted anything remotely like Chianti Classico. Delish. I bought a bottle for later.

Castello di Amorosa merlot, Zingaro and sangiovese

a wine cellar at Castello di Amorosa

2008 Castello di Amorosa Merlot

large underground wine cellar at Castello di Amorosa

2009 Zingaro, Russian River Valley: “Zingaro” means “Gipsy.” This cool-climate zinfandel primitivo blend was quite a surprise if you’re accustomed to those ultra extracted, peppery fruit bomb zins that California has made famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective.) We liked it a lot though since it defies preconceptions, it might not be for everyone. Purple in color with a caramel, almost briny nose, it had ample red and blue stone fruit highlights with some chalky tannins and pepper with a delicate and quite enjoyable structure.

2008 Merlot, Napa: We always joke in wine tasting rooms about merlot. That movie, Sideways, really did something to it in California: improved them. This one was really pleasant. Opaque purple, Hegui found nail polish and petrol notes on the nose, which doesn’t sound that appetizing, but is. This was a luscious full-bodied red with red stone fruit and a lovely finish.

2007 Il Brigante, “The Thief:” This cabernet, sangiovese, merlot blend is one of Castello di Amorosa’s “super-Tuscans.” This had a powerful cab aroma of forest floor with smooth red fruit, some mineral notes and a long finish.

2006 La Castellana “The Lady of the Castle:” Another “super-Tuscan” this one had 74% cabernet sauvignon. Reddish purple with a nose of tomato and paraffin, this was much fuller, structured and smoother than the admittedly yummy Il Brigante. Full of red fruit and some pepper, we loved it.

2006 Il Barone: This reserve cabernet sauvignon reserve is the top wine of Castello di Amorosa. We loved it. 100% cab, it had a purple red color, with a leathery fruity nose. It was rich and full bodied with lots of red fruit, supple tannins and a long, long finish. This was young and really needs more cellar time, but already it was quite good.

lucky sheep at Castello di Amorosa

welcome to Dutton-Goldfield

Well, truth be told, I didn’t know a thing about Dutton-Goldfield before we went for a wine-tasting visit the other day. I simply wanted to go because I liked the name of the place. Is that so wrong?

Located in the Russian River Valley in Sebastopol, they’ve a smart tasting room in front of their winery. Dan Goldfield is wine maker. Steve Dutton, the first part of Dutton-Goldfield, is one of the two sons of the late Warren Dutton, who with wife Gail purchased numerous plots throughout the region and developed them into vineyards. Both Dutton heirs, Steve and Joe, have their own wineries. It is a bit hard to pull it all together but it sounds like all the grapes for Dutton-Goldfield are sourced from Dutton Ranch. So blah, blah, blah…

pondering the wine list at Dutton-Goldfield

winebarrels in the sun

Dutton-Goldfield Freestone Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir

The enduring question, of course, is how’s the wine?

Well, I thought it very good.

We were alone at Dutton-Goldfield about 30 minutes before closing on a Friday evening. I liked that a lot, since we got the undivided attention of the helpful staff. D-G produces a wide selection of wines, though Veronica and I were especially interested in the single vineyard designate pinot noirs. So we tried only reds.

2009 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: This was an opaque red to purple with aromas of stone fruits, leading to the classic RRV sour cherry with cranberry notes at the end. Full bodied, we detected some pepper. This was a nice wine.

2009 Freestone Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley: This, too, was an opaque purple red color with a lovely nose of herbs, particularly thyme, cinnamon and clove. More lush than the first, it was full bodied with some pepper notes on the long finish. Really good.

2009 Fox Den Vineyard Pinot Noir, Green Valley of RRV: This was a red purple color and more fruit forward with good depth, a long finish filled with jammy plum and caramel notes.

2008 Cherry Ridge Vineyard Syrah, Green Valley of RRV: An opaque purple black, this cool-climate syrah exhibited rich fruit, some sour cherry and sandalwood notes with a medium to full body.

2009 Stoetz Ridge Vineyard Zinfandel, Russian River Valley: This cool-climate zin was a cloudy red to purple with a fruity aroma with hints of rising bread. Grenache like in taste, it was supple with medium body, and red fruit. This was not the powerful over-the-top zinfandel one typically finds.