Category Archives: Cabernet Sauvignon

Two for the price of none!

Remind me to go see Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Your West Coast Oenophile knows that a day will soon come when he can look back and regard all his efforts to create a truly different kind of wine bar as worthwhile, but for the time being, the demands of establishing Sostevinobile feels like the Red Queen Effect—running as hard as I can to stay in the same place.

My February included a whirlwind of wine tastings, starting with a couple of wine organizations I had not previously encountered. First up, the curiously franglais-labeled Wine Entre Femme host an international tasting of sorts at the Metropolitan Club, a bastion of female power and exclusivity on Nob Hill. This partnership of women vintners and winery owners included wineries from Switzerland, Turkey, South Africa, and Japan but focused principally on France and Napa Valley. While I did swill a few of these imports along the way, I concentrated, of course, on the selection of wines that met with Sostevinobile’s local criteria.

I started off with a familiar face, Jane Wolf of Wolf Family Vineyards, a San Francisco neighbor whose estate wines from St. Helena were a serendipitous discovery at Cheers! St Helena last fall. As before, the 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena deeply impressed me, while the introduction to her 2008 Estate Sauvignon Blanc St. Helena only served to served to solidify my initial impression. One needn’t be a schooled classicist to appreciate the 2006 Phaedrus St. Helena—Φαιδρός is ancient Greek for Wolf; this profound Cabernet Sauvignon, rounded out with Malbec and Petit Verdot, seemed tantamount to dizzying in its delights.

Karen Culler, Wolf’s winemaker, was on hand to pour her own Culler label. Her deft touch with Cabernet manifested itself twice again, in her exceptional 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain and in her proprietary 2006 La Pallette, 95% Cabernet Sauvignon–5% Petit Verdot from Alexander Ranch.

Another esteemed winemaker doing double-duty at this tasting was Heidi Peterson Barrett, first with the aptly-named Fantesca Estate & Winery of Susan and Duane Hoff. Both their 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain and the 2007 Chardonnay Russian River distinctively impressed. Heidi’s own venture, La Sirena, amply represented itself with a quartet of their wines. I have always been a fan of her blue-bottled Muscat Canelli and the 2008 Moscato Azul did not disappoint. Another strikingly distinctive wine was her 2007 Pirate TreasuRed, an homage to the “Treasures of the Seven Seas,” a near-impossible Sean Thrackrey-esque blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, and Petite Sirah.

Even now, I’m not sure I understand the cross-pollination and joint ventures among Pavi, Fisticuffs, Erna Schein, Hourglass, and Drinkward Peschon. Rather than trying to decipher who is married to whom and yet joint-venturing with so & so, while collaborating with whomever, let me highlight each winery and their produce individually. Having long abandoned the rigidity of my Catholic upbringing, I remain fairly distant these days from any sort of canonical expertise, though I still retain enough recollection to know there never was an Angel of the Meat, the whimsical figure who graces the Thomas Hart Benton-style label for Erna Schein’s 2007 Sainte Fumée, a superb Rhône-style red whose apostasy incorporates 10% Petit Verdot along with its blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Petite Sirah. Drinkward Peschon’s 2007 Entre Deux Mères, on the other hand, reflects a traditional Cabernet Sauvignon grown just below the Médoc region of Burgundy.

Fisticuffs seeks a more modest approach to its vinification; nevertheless, its modestly-priced 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley resonates with the same flair winemaker Rob Lawson instills in such prominent wines as Colgin and Bryant Family. Hourglass has long made an esteemed 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; here Carolyn Duryea debuted her Hourglass Blueline bottlings of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, as well as a Blueline Cabernet Sauvignon. Though least expensive of the three, the 2007 Blueline Merlot stood out amid its cousins. Meanwhile, the organically-farmed vineyards at Pavi yielded a quite drinkable 2008 Pinot Grigio and an alluringly Sémillon-based 2003 Vino Santo—but why didn’t they bring their 2005 Dolcetto?

The presence of larger, familiar wineries like Merryvale, Trinchero Napa Valley, and Chappellet gave Wine Entre Femme a certain degree of pedigree. Several of Wine Entre Femme’s participants hailed from much-heralded wineries and offered wines whose considerable acclaim preceded them. What can I say about such wines as Naoko Dalla Valle’s 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Joseph Phelps’ 2006 Insignia, Philippe Melka’s 2006 Metisse Proprietary Red or the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley from Spottswoode other than to add that each more than lived up to its reputation? On the other hand, several of the wineries present may not enjoy as great familiarity among the general population but have garnered considerable acclaim in wine circles and previously in this blog, like Cathy Corison’s rich 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard and Lail Vineyards’ 2006 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon. Similarly, William Cole’s 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Claire, Luc & Geneviève Janssens’ limited release 2005 Portfolio, a Bordelaise blend, and Crocker & Starr’s equally-striking 2007 Cabernet Franc and 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Stone Place maintained my favorable impressions from previous events.

I’ve known David and Monica Stevens, who organized this gathering, for a number of years from David’s previous venture, Acme Fine Wines, but had not previously tried their Shelter Wine Company; the 2006 Headwater Cabernet Sauvignon was excellent, the 2005 Butcher Cabernet Sauvignon exceptional. Equally enjoyable was my introduction to Phifer Pavitt Wine, with their whimsical 2006 Datenight Cabernet Sauvignon. Arns Winery had previously crossed my radar, but this tasting provided my first opportunity to sample their 2006 Syrah Melanson Vineyards and the organically-farmed 2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. I was also surprised I hadn’t previously encountered Titus Vineyards, a Napa winery focused both on Bordeaux varietals and on Zinfandcl, exemplified by their 2007 Estate Zinfandel Napa Valley and a lush 2007 Estate Cabernet Franc.

I closed this tasting on a light note, with the very approachable 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from Amici Cellars and a five-varietal blush wine, the 2008 Lorenza Rosé. By then, I was ready for the ground-floor swimming pool, but, alas, the Metropolitan Club had reverted its extended policies some 15 years ago, and no longer accommodated Ivy League men!

No such distinction marked the inaugural tasting of the Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Artisans at Fort Mason a few days later. Followers of this blog may suspect that I had saturated myself with Pinot Noir throughout 2009, but this event offered a different focus than the plethora of other Pinot tastings I had attended. Granted, 26 of the 27 wineries on hand poured at least one Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot, and several of these had pour these wines at other, broader-oriented tastings, but this gathering was, to the best of my knowledge, the first exclusive tasting of wines focused exclusively on the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA to be held in San Francisco.

With all his various permutations, Ed Kurtzman has become a familiar face at numerous tastings. Here, his August West label excelled with the first of the many 2008 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands I sampled throughout the afternoon. Close behind was his 2008 Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard, another stalwart of the region. Belle Glos brought but a single wine but made it count: a more than amiable 2008 Pinot Noir Las Alturas Vineyard. Similarly, Tondrē elected to show only its 2007 Pinot Noir Tondrē Grapefield and Sequana brought its 2007 Pinot Noir Sarmento Vineyard while Pey’s SLH label, Pey-Lucia showcased its 2007 Pinot Noir Frisquet.

Hope & Grace staked their singular claim with the 2007 Pinot Noir Hahn Estate. Hahn Family Wines was itself well-represented at the tasting with a quartet of their estate wines. Of the four, the 2007 Estate Syrah warranted particular note. A second label, Lucienne Vineyards, proved more distinctive, with the 2007 Pinot Noir Lone Oak Vineyard and a superb 2007 Pinot Noir Doctor’s Vineyard. Nearby, Crū, a label from Mariposa Wine, struck a most consonant chord with their twin 2008 Chardonnay Vigna Monte Nero Vineyard and the 2008 Pinot Noir Vigna Monte Nero Vineyard.

The lone Pinot-less winery at the tasting, Mer Soleil, staked its claim with a pair of contrasting Chards, the 2007 Chardonnay Silver “Unoaked” and the contrasting (and more striking) 2007 Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands. In contrast, three of the wineries offered a Pinot-only format, starting with Roar Wines ably displaying their 2008 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands alongside their striking 2008 Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard. Santa Cruz Pinot specialists Martin Alfaro brought three of their seven current bottlings, highlighted by the 2007 Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard and the 2008 Pinot Moir Vigna Monte Nero Vineyard. Meanwhile, La Rochelle proffered four selections, punctuated by the superb 2007 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Martini Clone and the 2007 Pinot Noir Paraiso Vineyard.

In true Burgundian style, numerous presenters featured both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, including the event’s organizer, Morgan. Their Monterey County Organic Certified property was the source for both the 2007 Chardonnay Double L Vineyard and the 2007 Pinot Noir Double L Vineyard. McIntyre showed the clear preferability of its 2007 Estate Pinot Noir to the previous vintage it also brought, while their 2008 Estate Chardonnay proved amiable. Owned by one of the “Garys” (the other being Gary Franscioni), Pisoni Vineyards naturally sparkled with their 2007 Lucia Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard and offered a refreshing 2009 Lucy Pinot Rosé, but lagged with their 2007 Lucia Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands
.

In my early days, my carroty hair garnered me a couple of Testarossa ribbings along the way, but while most of my reddish follicles have forsaken me, the 2008 Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard only commends the Los Gatos winery bearing this moniker. Quite enjoyable, as well, was their 2008 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard and its sibling 2008 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard. Neckties, too, were a symbol of taunting from my youth, so it is understandable why I shy from the tartan cravats of Carmel Valley’s Talbott (do love their sweaters, though). Their vinification efforts are equally lush, as evidenced by the 2007 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, the 007 Logan Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands, and the 2008 Logan Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands.

Probably the next most popular varietal this afternoon was Syrah. In addition to their 2007 Chardonnay Lucia Highland Vineyard and their noteworthy 2007 Pinot Noir Private Reserve, Manzoni highlighted the tasting with their 2007 Estate Syrah. Paraiso, whose grapes grace La Rochelle’s exquisite vintage, ably displayed their own versatility with Pinot, culminating in their 2007 Pinot Noir West, but shone most notably with their 2005 Syrah Wedding Hill. At times, the dual personæ of Siduri/Novy may seem a bit schizophrenic, but there winemaking is always lucid; Novy, however, held the upper hand on this afternoon, with a standout 2008 Novy Chardonnay Rosella’s Vineyard and the 2007 Novy Syrah Rosella’s Vineyard.

The 2005 Les Violettes from Pelerin comprised a Syrah atypically blended with Viognier, a grape also employed in rounding out their 2008 Les Tournesols, a Roussanne. Ray Franscioni’s Puma Road chose to veer from the orthodoxy of the event with a 2007 Pinot Gris Black Mountain Vineyard, the same property that grew its 2007 Pinot Noir Black Mountain Vineyard, as well as its 2006 Chardonnay Black Mountain Vineyard. Tudor Wines sourced its Pinots from several plots, including the 2007 Pinot Noir Sarmento Vineyard, while adding a 2007 Rador Riesling Santa Lucia Highlands on the white side. Pessagno also featured a 2008 Riesling La Estancia Vineyard but flourished with their 2007 Chardonnay Intrinity and the remarkable 2007 Pinot Noir Four Boys’ Vineyard.

The afternoon introduced me to two extraordinary wineries to which Sostevinobile had not been previously exposed. Fortunately, I needn’t inflict my mangled attempts at Dutch in telling my readers how splendid I found the wines of Boekenoogen to be. The 2007 Estate Pinot Noir provided one of the afternoon’s most memorable samplings, while the stark contrast between their 2008 Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands “Stainless Steel” and the 2008 Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands “Oak Fermented” favored the latter, if but slightly. Meanwhile, I absolutely reveled in the grapes of Wrath, with its twin delights: the 2008 Chardonnay McIntyre Vineyard and the 2008 Pinot Noir McIntyre Vineyard. The great revelation, however, was its near-perfect 2007 Syrah Doctor’s Vineyard, a wine I had to sample at least three times throughout the afternoon.

I realize, as I complete this entry, that I am still summarizing my discoveries of February as the close of March draws nigh. I can only hope the wineries and my readership understand the numerous demands of creating Sostevinobile, and will know that I am toiling ceaselessly to bring this dream to fruition.

Does Vin12 + 3 = Vin15? Or Vinify? (see ‡ below)

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Here’s an interesting concept to ponder: among the best-known tech moguls we have here on the West Coast, with whom would you most want to share (or not) a bottle of wine? Of course, they will be picking up the tab…

I imagine Bill Gates would have an ultra hi-tech wine cellar with every bottle controlled by individual sensors monitoring its temperature, rate of loss diffusion, cork moisture, etc., and automatically making the necessary adjustments to maintain the wine’s optimal maturation and integrity. Here vin ordinaire might mean a 1994 Château Le Pin or a 1985 Domaine De La Romanée-Conti La Tâche, but no matter how extraordinary the repute or price of the wine, one senses that Gates simply wouldn’t know how to relish the moment—kind of like Richard Simmons in an all-women’s sauna. His successor, Steve Ballmer , probably would appreciate the wine, even savor it, but, with his gargantuan appetite, mostly like would have a decanter and goblet of hand-blown Venetian crystal, with a bowl large enough to accommodate an entire magnum of 2005 Chateau Pétrus Pomerol, all for himself.

Larry Ellison comes across as a guy who probably not only knows the world’s most esoteric wines but how to get them. Once his mind is set on a particular bottling, he would invite you to join him on his jet, fly to the source, and share the bottle on site—and probably buying the winery while he’s there. Paul Allen, on the other hand, has probably already purchased a 10,000 acre site in Eastern Washington where a team of enologists and botanical experts are experimenting with genetic engineering to create the hybrid varietal that will revolutionize the wine industry in the 21st century.

It isn’t political differences that would make Your West Coast Oenophile reluctant to join California’s current duo of tech execs turned political aspirant for preprandial libations. One senses that Meg Whitman could make even the leanest Chardonnay taste flabby, while Carli Fiorina would probably proclaim unwavering fealty to the California wine industry, then pour a 2004 Bouchard Le Montrachet.

The Google twins, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, leave me with the same sense of incredulity as does The Punahou Kid . The rhetoric is seductive (“do no evil”) but delivery of the same seems a hollow promise; moreover, they similarly lack sufficient seasoning to inspire any credence in their command of matters outside of their primary niche. But none of the tech titans I’ve lampooned here musters the same feeling of unsavoriness as does Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, who strikes me as the kind of guy who would fill a 750 ml bottle with cheap Chianti and glue on a 2003 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto label (even though he could easily afford to pour a case of the same).

My disdain for Facebook has been well-documented, and although I do maintain a page for Sostevinobile there, it stems from a sense of necessity, not a belief in the supreme importance of its social networking. But, just as I reluctantly admit that Gallo occasionally does make a good wine or two in Sonoma, I concede that Facebook intermittently offers benefits. Case in point, I might never have learned of Vin12 had I not noticed one of my Facebook compadres attending their latest wine soirée.

I started off last Thursday evening by attending the (re)launch of San Francisco’s chapter of the Clean Economy Network in the lofty reception loft of Orrick Herrington, a prominent local law firm. Given that this gathering was intended as an informal introduction to the nationwide network CEN is building in major urban centers like here, LA and San Diego, there seemed little to accomplish here, save a chance to catch up with prominent sustainable writers like Gil Friend and Dallas Kachan, study the sustainable design or Orrick’s architectural showcase, and partake in some fairly decent hors d’œuvres and a sip of Más—which is becoming to Green gatherings (mucho desmasiado!) what Two Buck Chuck is to art openings—before exchanging parting embraces with Danna West and heading around the corner to The Solarium at 55 Second Street.

Though new to me, Vin12 has been staging monthly wine events for more than a year. There’s definitely a quality to these tastings—the lineup of participating wineries struck me as more than respectable, and promoter Elie Ernest’s ability to convince numerous winemakers to attend such a moderately-scaled event certainly seemed impressive. I found few, if any, true discoveries among the wines being poured this evening (apart from there being scant few Zins in an event billed as Zinfandel Spring Event), but then, my familiarity with local wines is hardly typical of most of the people in attendance.

And that, in itself, was perhaps the major revelation of the evening. These events aren’t necessarily about wine so much as they are about bringing people together over wine—a critical component to Sostevinobile’s future success I tend to underplay in my zeal to assemble the best wine program in San Francisco.

Climbing the stairs to the event room, I first found myself at the table for Bohème, an Occidental winery. Here the 2007 Stuller Vineyard Pinot Noir impressed, alongside the approachable 2007 Que Syrah Vineyard Syrah. Meanwhile, its table mate, Sonoma’s Barber Cellars may not have brought their shears, but their 2008 Kitten with a Whip, a rosé of Syrah, most certainly dispelled any notion of blush wine as being dainty.

It had been a while since I’d sampled Bourassa Vineyards’ wines, so after reacquainting myself with Sostevinobile’s Facebook fan Efrain Barragan, I partook of their 2008 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley and the outstanding 2005 Harmony³, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc Meritage. Several months had also passed since my last visit to Adastra on the Napa side of Carneros, so it was quite enjoyable to catch up with Chris Thorpe and make my way through the organic offerings he had on hand: the 2008 Chardonnay, the always wonderful 2006 Proximus Pinot Noir, both his 2007 Merlot and his 2006 Merlot, whose enormous potential was just beginning to reveal itself, and, of course, his idiosyncratic 2007 Ed’s Red, a blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot Adastra describes as “a hefty wine, best paired with mammoth.”

	I shouldn’t have stopped by the table for Flora Springs. Not that their 2007 Merlot and the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Soliloquy Vineyard weren’t both standout wines. It’s just that Flora Springs wines need to be experienced in their new St. Helena tasting room, a modernistic edifice reminiscent of a Pat Kuleto restaurant design. Further up St. Helena Highway, the Charles Krug winery offers an almost incongruously tranquil setting for such a conspicuous facility, but excels with its portfolio of orthodox varietals: the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley, a buttery 2008 Chardonnay Carneros, the 2006 Zinfandel St. Helena, and the utterly compelling 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville. Due Vigne shares a tasting facility in Napa with an ever-changing roster of wineries at Silenus, but this evening showed great consistency with their excellent 2006 Dolcetto, a promising 2007 Nebbiolo, a 2007 Viognier and the quite affordable 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley.

I shouldn’t have stopped by the table for Flora Springs. Not that their 2007 Merlot and the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Soliloquy Vineyard weren’t both standout wines. It’s just that Flora Springs wines need to be experienced in their new St. Helena tasting room, a modernistic edifice reminiscent of a Pat Kuleto restaurant design. Further up St. Helena Highway, the Charles Krug winery offers an almost incongruously tranquil setting for such a conspicuous facility, but excels with its portfolio of orthodox varietals: the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley, a buttery 2008 Chardonnay Carneros, the 2006 Zinfandel St. Helena, and the utterly compelling 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville. Due Vigne shares a tasting facility in Napa with an ever-changing roster of wineries at Silenus, but this evening showed great consistency with their excellent 2006 Dolcetto, a promising 2007 Nebbiolo, a 2007 Viognier and the quite affordable 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley.

The Terraces is one of those wineries I’ve long had on Sostevinobile’s radar yet somehow had failed to sample, so it was a pleasure to meet Nat Page and quaff (yes, this was a quaffing night) their 2007 Napa Valley Zinfandel. On the other hand, as readers of my last entry know, I had recently reveled in Cornerstone’s rosé blended from Grenache and Syrah, so I was immensely please that their 2007 Stepping Stone Red Hills-Lake County Grenache was every bit its equal.

Normally, I like Vinum, but I was underwhelmed by their 2008 Chenin/Vio, a perfunctory blend of Viognier and Chenin Blanc. On the other hand, I have long championed Astrale e Terra, and their 2008 Sauvignon Blanc did not disappoint. Ditto for the 2008 Zinfandel Reserve Sonoma County from Rock Wall, whose wines had not crossed my lips in at least four days preceding this gathering!

this evening was billed as a Zin experience, so it seemed fitting to close out with a pair of wineries whose organic fare has received numerous citations here. Wild Hog’s 2006 Porter Bass Zinfandel may sound like a cross between wine and ale, but it proved a pure expression of this varietal; its 2006 Nova Zinfandel Lake County was flat-out excellent. Beyond organic, Demeter-certified
Quivira once again showed its deft touch in producing compelling wines without the taint of added sulfur with its 2007 Zinfandel from Dry Creek.

Many people know that between the time I began developing Sostevinobile and my early endeavors in putting together winery deals, I sloughed my way through the advertising industry, as well as a number of hi-tech ventures for which I provided advertising and marketing services. These realms contrast so starkly with the wine world and have played no small part in my impetus to open the warmth and civility so inextricable from wine to as many people as possible. With that in mind, I can only applaud the ambassadorship of Vin12. Who knows? In the months to follow, perhaps their growing following will find a most welcome home within our midst.

‡Three days after the Vin12 event, I finally made my way back to Vinify for this winery collective’s Open House that I had mistakenly tried to attend in April. This custom crush facility in a Santa Rosa industrial park houses production for 20 or so labels, some quite familiar, others obscure, and still others on the verge of breaking out. Having been first apprised of Vinify by fellow Lakeville refugee Steve Singer, I first paid a courtesy call to his table for Baker Lane. From a pair of small vineyard in Sonoma, Steve handcrafts small lots of Syrah and Pinot Noir—I especially liked the 2007 Estate Syrah and the 2008 Ramondo Pinot Noir he poured this afternoon.

Not surprisingly, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay would dominate this afternoon’s samplings. Exemplifying this backbone of Russian River winemaking, Pfendler Vineyards offered
both their 2007 Pinot Noir and its newly-released successor, while making their strongest statement with the 2008 Chardonnay. Meanwhile, Bjørnstad Cellars inundated attendees with 5 different Chards led by the 2007 Porter Bass Chardonnay and a trio of Pinots, including the equally striking 2007 Hellenthal Pinot Noir and the 2007 van der Kamp Pinot Noir. Of the two pink Pinots they also poured, I found the 2009 Rosé preferable and drier.

Greg Bjørnstad provides winemaking services to Barbed Oak Vineyard, which debuted their 2008 Chardonnay Bennett Valley at this event. Another single wine effort, Westerhold Family Vineyards, showcased an extraordinary 2007 Estate Syrah Bennett Valley. In turn, their winemaker, Russell Bevan manifested his œnological versatility not only with a pair of his own Bevan Cellars Syrahs, the 2006 Syrah Bennett Valley Porter’s Cuvée and the outstanding 2007 Syrah Dry Stack Bob’s Cuvée, but ranging from the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch Maria’s Cuvée and 2008 Merlot Showket Vineyard Alexis’s Cuvée to his new Cuvée-less Meritage, the 2008 Ontogeny Oakville.

Because their table sign was partially obscured, I initially mistook Blagden Wine for Olson Ogden, which obfuscated a portion of my tasting notes. But I did like her 2006 Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon and its companion 2008 Rosé of Cab Monte Rosso, along with her various bottlings from Sangiacomo Vineyards. Olson Ogden, in turn, comported itself with the typical aplomb I have come to expect from this winery, particularly with the 2008 Margaret’s Mandate Stagecoach Vineyard Marsanne, the velvety 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, and their 2007 Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah.

A quintet of San Francisco œnophiles banded together to form Cinque Insieme, which showcased their stellar 2006 Whitehawk Vineyard Syrah alongside the debut of their 2006 Wildcat Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir. Winemaking Partner Justin Lattanzio, who, with his joyfully enceinte spouse Hillary manage Vinify, also poured from his own Lattanzio Wines, again pairing the 2007 Fedrick Ranch Syrah with their 2008 W. E. Bottoms Pinot Noir.

Up until this day, I hadn’t enjoyed the opportunity to taste any of the wines Frostwatch Vineyard produces. Attorney-turned-winemaker Brett Raven ably comported himself with his 2007 Bennett Valley Merlot. the seductive 2007 Bennett Valley Chardonnay, and the proprietary 2009 Kismet, a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Another revelation was Audelssa Winery, an exceptional effort out of Glen Ellen, roundly impressing with their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve, a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley and their deft Meritage, the 2007 Summit, well-balanced Bordeaux blend dominate by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with significant portions of Cabernet Franc and Malbec, along with a splash of Petit Verdot.

It had been quite a while since I’d sampled the esteemed wines of Sojourn Cellars, so it was like a new indulgence to work my way through their justly-revered line of Pinots. While I clearly favored the 2008 Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard, sojourn’s new 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Mountain Terraces displayed quite the deft touch with this varietal, as well. In contrast, Desmond Wines staked their claim with two vintages of a single Pinot. This tiny venture offered a noteworthy 2007 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley and a younger, contrasting, yet equally appealing 2008 Pinot Noir Russian RiverValley.

I wasn’t quite as taken with the Pinot from Gracianna, but found myself quite impressed with both the 2008 Zinfandel Bacigalupi Vineyard and the 2009 Chardonnay Suzanne’s Blend. And I confess I was poised not to give much credence to Claypool Cellars , but despite the alliterative silliness of their labels, both the 2008 Purple Pachyderm Pinot Noir and the 2008 Pink Platypus Pinot Rosé proved serious wines.

Sostevinobile is my original portmanteau from sostenibile + vino + nobile, the Italian words for sustainable, noble, and wine; I have previously speculated in this column about the coinage of the names of a couple of wineries, but my guesses have been far from the truth. Calluna continued with its intense focus on Bordeaux varietals and blends, previewing their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon The Colonel’s Vineyard and the Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot dominated 2008 Calluna Estate (both barrel samples). Their released vintages included their 2008 Merlot Aux Raynauds and the artful 2008 Calluna Vineyards Cuvée, which blends 44% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot and Malbec. Much to my chagrin, their compatriots in apocryphal etymology, Jemrose, folded up their table before I could sample their wines, including the 2008 Cardiac Hill Syrah and the 2006 Two Sisters Merlot. But proprietor Jim Mack knows that I waxed eloquently last year about the previous release of their 2008 Egret Pond Viognier and positively gushed over their 2007 Gloria’s Gem, a proprietary blend of the above-mentioned Syrah and Merlot, just last month.

I was ready to symbolically fold my table, but first swung over to visit with and speak a little Italian with John Suacci of Suacci Carciere. Because I will be sampling his array of Pinot Noirs in a few weeks at Pinot Days, I focused instead on his 2007 Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay and the 2008 Bismark Vineyard Zinfandel, an unsinkable wine to be sure. with a couple of hours to kill before I was due in Marin, I tried to visit with Carol Shelton (closed for a private memorial!) and then head down the road to make my first visit to fellow paesan Giuseppe Battaglini since I started Sostevinobile.

I’ve long championed Battaglini’s natural wines since discovering their Petite Sirah at Family Winemakers about a decade ago; I have to admit I have a particular fondness for Joe and his ramshackle operations on Santa Rosa’s Piner Road, as it seems so reminiscent of my paternal grandfather and the barnyard operations and trellised grapes he planted after emigrating from Sturno, a commune in the province of Avellino (Regione Campania). When I started out in the California wine industry in the 1980s, there were still quite a number of old-school vignaioli like Elmo Martini, whose Martini & Prati at the northern edge of Santa Rosa has now morphed into a revived Martin Ray, and Ralph Montali of the now-defunct Audubon Cellars.

As one of the last remnants of this same rustic spirit, Joe produces a splendid array of unmanipulated, unpretentious Chardonnays, Zinfandels, and Petite Sirahs. As we sat back in his barn, he poured me seven different Zins from his 1999 through 2007 vintages, as well as his memorable 2005 Petite Sirah Proprietor’s Reserve. His Zinfandel line includes both a Select and Proprietor’s Reserve, in addition to his main bottling, yet, as is often the case with natural winemaking, the flavors of his youngest 2007 Zinfandel Proprietor’s Reserve left the strongest impression this afternoon.

I found some strong coffee at a nearby supermarket before attempting the trek down 101 and attracting the wiles of the CHP. Before I joined my date at E & O Trading Company in Larkspur Landing, I slipped into the local Bed, Bath & Beyond and picked out a large, stainless steel meat tenderizer. Whether this purchased had reunion that evening with the delightfully contentious Terry Graham, I cannot say. I’ll simply leave the math to my readers…

So there I was downtown, hailing a Cab on a Monday afternoon…

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Actually, it was somewhere in the order of 76 Cabs, give or take. After a while, Your West Coast Oenophile kinda lost count, but then, these are the hazards of duty I encounter when attending single-varietal showcases for Sostevinobile. Still, given the choice of spending my day in front of a monitor or sipping from the best at the California Cabernet Society, it was really no contest.

As was last year’s event, the 20th Annual Spring Barrel Tasting was held at San Francisco’s Bently Reserve. Once again, the overall quality of the wine made making critical distinctions somewhat of a challenge; indeed, if there was an indisputable champion among the presentation tables, it may well have been the extraordinary Wagyu from Morgan Ranch, braised to near perfection. Lipitor be damned! This station commanded more repeat visits than anyone else this afternoon!

But, of course, the purpose of this event was not to assuage the carnivore in me but to showcase the wine that put California on the viticultural map. The first table I came upon, Grassi Wines, set the tone for the afternoon with a released 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and a barrel sample of their upcoming 2009 vintage. The tantalizing Cassandra Grassi managed, however, to tantalize me with the allure of Grassi’s soon-to-be-released 2009 Ribolla Gialla, which I plan to sample on my next Napa swing. Another Napa denizen, Baldacci Vineyards poured a selection of the several Cabernets they produce, both the 2006 IV Sons Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District and their much-honored 2006 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District. And it was great to have another chance to sample the 2006 Concept from Cain, the purest Cabernet Sauvignon among their family of Bordelaise blends.

Maybe the truest differential of the afternoon came from the names, particularly for the Meritages or for those Cabernets the winemakers chose to give proprietary labels. A stellar example heralded from Santa Ynez’ Star Lane Vineyard, the 2005 Astral, their premium Cabernet. From Calistoga, Carter Cellars caused quite a stir, not merely for the surprisingly excellent quality of their wines (though listing a pedigree that includes Nils Venge, Jeff Fontanella and Beckstoffer To Kalon ought to have been a harbinger), but also for their 2007 Coliseum Block, a luxuriant Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2008 Envy Cabernet Sauvignon. Terlato Family’s Chimney Rock paired its 2006 Tomahawk with a barrel sample of their 2009 Ganymede Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, both of Stags Leap. Cliff Lede’sStags Leap entrant, the aptly named 2006 Poetry, a Cab softened with 2% each of Merlot and Petit Verdot. Sonoma’s Simi blended Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec with the predominant Cabernet Sauvignon to make its single vineyard 2006 Landslide, while its 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley boasted a more streamlined blend.

Some wineries can’t help but make great Cabernet, the only nuance coming from the vintage. To no surprise, I savored my sip of the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill from Diamond Creek as I exchanged pleasantries with Boots Brounstein. Similarly, my chat with Richard Arrowood allowed me to indulge both in the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from his Amapola Creek, as well as his newly-released 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley from his eponymous Arrowood Vineyards. Peju Provence was superb, as one might have expected, with their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, a blend that features both 7% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, while the delightfully eccentric polyglot, Jan Shrem, regaled me in Italian as he poured his Clos Pégase 2006 Cabernet Hommage Artist Series Reserve.

Readers know that I scrupulously try to avoid sweeping generalizations in these entries, and certainly the selections we will make for Sostevinobile’s wine program will be assessed on the quality of each wine, not any established bias. Still, if I found any consensus on this particular afternoon, it was that those wineries that featured their 2007 vintage seemed to offer a more compelling display of their viticultural prowess than I perceived overall in the wines from 2006. Case in point—the newly released 2007 Entre Nous from Ashe Family Vineyards, a strikingly rich bottling of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon limited to a mere four barrels. The estate bottling of the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District from Barnett Vineyards, balanced with small aliquots of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, similarly distinguished itself. Temecula’s Briar Rose contrasted several vintages of its Cab, with the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Linkogle Estate Collection clearly showing its potential for longevity.

Few California wineries grow Carménère, let alone blend it with its fellow Bordeaux varietals, but Alexander Valley’s Chalk Hill has embraced it for years. I failed to notate the percentages blend in their 2007 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon but, again, found it preferable to the 2006 vintage, a blend that eked in at 76% Cabernet, along with its other components. The 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the Buoncristiani brothers displayed an amazing texture, while Lorena and Rolando Herrera from Mi Sueño crafted an elegant 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon of their own. Just north of St. Helena, tiny Tudal Winery, a single varietal operation, showcased a pair of its wines, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and the 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon—with a total of 600 cases a year, both flourished under Tudal’s handcrafted methodology.

As is my wont at these tastings, I strive first to connect with those wineries I have yet to incorporate into Sostevinobile’s database. Alexander Valley’s Blue Rock Vineyards introduced themselves with their flagship 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Laurie Claudon of Clark-Claudon Vineyards offer her sustainably produced 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, a noteworthy 1,000-case effort. A member of the Silenus cooperative, Mario Bazán Cellars produces the classic Bordeaux pairing of Sauvignon Blanc and their unblended 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. I, of course, am well-familiar with Agustin Huneeus’ Quintessa, but had not previously encountered his Faust wines, a separate venture dedicated solely to Cabernet Sauvignon; winemaker Charles Thomas generously rounded out the striking 2006 Faust with 19% Merlot, plus 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. Contrast this blend with the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Calistoga’s Jericho Canyon, a straightforward Cab with a mere 3% Merlot added.

Naming a winery The Grade seemed quirky, if not ambiguous, until owner Tom Thornton cited the allusion from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Silverado Squatters; tasting their 2006 The Grade Cabernet Sauvignon left no confusion about their craft, while a surreptitious sip of their 2009 Sea-Fog Sauvignon Blanc was a nice counterpoint to the plethora of red wine I continued to evaluate. Also in the category of hard-to-fathom names, the Most Wanted Wine Company turned out to be a Wild West-themed venture from Oakdale, a town I have since discovered lies somewhere en route from Manteca to Jamestown; fortunately, their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon proved far less grating than their music-laden Web site. Perhaps the last word in Cabernet, ZD Wines, derives its name from the acronym for aerospace quality control—Zero Defects—an attribute that could just as easily applied to their organically-grown 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley.

I had passed by Volker Eisele Family Estate during my recent, inadvertent tour of Chiles Valley but hadn’t had the time to stop in. Their compelling 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is also farmed organically, but I wish they had also brought their unique 2006 Terzetto, a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, co-fermented. Actually, I was surprised that no one (at least, among the wineries I sampled) had poured a Cabernet Franc at this tasting—after all, it does fall within Cab Society parameters. Nor did I stumble upon any Bordeaux/Rhône blends, as I often find in Lodi and in Paso Robles. Varozza Vineyards, however did pour both their estate grown 2005 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon and their 2005 St. Helena Petite Sirah, a welcome diversion from the monolithic pourings of the event.

Inarguably, Cabernet is the cornerstone of Napa Valley, so is Cornerstone Cellars the cornerstone of cornerstones? Rather than ponder such a conundrum, I sipped their immodest 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with unabashed delight. I equally enjoyed the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Hendry Vineyard from Hendry Ranch, and look forward to sampling their Albariño and Primitivo at a future date. The steep terrain of Hidden Ridge helps shape the terroir of its Cabernet-exclusive production, making its 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon 55% Slope a most distinctive wine.

A trio of wineries from Napa comported themselves quite ably as I again established my first contact with their ventures. Silverado Vineyards, with limited production of Sangiovese and other Italian varietals, held forth with their 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Nearby, in Rutherford, Sullivan Vineyards similarly showcased their 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. And Titus from St. Helena impressed me with their 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

In my efforts to embrace as many wineries as I can for Sostevinobile, I sometimes overlook long-established labels, thinking I already know their craft quite well. This afternoon’s lesson in not taking wineries for grant first came from Spring Mountain’s Keenan Winery. I found their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District quite compelling and their special Tribute, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, 30th Anniversary even more so. Similarly, Merryvale struck me with a trio of their Cabernets, first the affordably-priced 2007 Starmont Cabernet, then their signature 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, and finally with their extraordinary 2006 Profile, a limited-release Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 2% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc.

Admittedly, I found myself Cabbed out at this point, vowing not to sip another of these wines at least until Tuesday. And certainly I knew I would return, same address, same staging in a few months to come, to work my way through the bounty of Howell Mountain’s Cabernets and, of course, another infusion of Wagyu beef!

One I missed. The other I made.

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There can be a considerable downside to the simplicity of Copy & Paste. Your West Coast Oenophile is starting to realize that the pressures of trying to handle all the needs of Sostevinobile can sometimes cause me to overlook small but important details when I transfer information to my iCal datebook. Like the word preceding the calendar date—the month.

Perhaps I should blame my oversight on my attendance at Rock Wall’s Spring Fling Open House. The weather was perfect Saturday (something Rock Wall always seems to conjure for their major events); the salsicce spicy and enticing; the bevy of Tibetan nursing students who arrived at the tail end of the event alluringly beautiful; the usual suspects—wineries who regularly participate in these quarterly gatherings—there in force. Carica Wines, Ehrenberg , R&B Cellars all poured essentially the same lineup I had tasted at my most recent visit and reviewed here.

Of the new wines I tasted, John Robert Eppler’s JRE label showed notable progress with their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford. Matt Smith, with whom I had recently participated on one of the Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine Tasting Panels, poured several releases from his Blacksmith label, including his 2008 Torrontés, a nostalgic 2008 Chenin Blanc and his Syrah, Grenache/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, the 2006 Hephaestus. Good always to see Sasha Verhage with his redesigned labels for his Eno Wines; inside the bottle, the 2007 Mr. Fix-It (Syrah) and 2007 The Change Agent (Grenache) lingered longest on the memory.

Rock Wall also debuted several wines, including the 2008 Cabernet Franc Holbrook Mitchell, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Holbrook Mitchell, a Sonoma County 2008 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, and the 2008 Zinfandel Reserve. The true revelation of the afternoon, however, was the much-anticipated 2008 Montepulciano Contra Costa County. A distinct varietal, not to be confused with the Sangiovese-based Italian wine of the same name, I have enjoyed this wine only twice before from other California wineries. This 88-case bottling sold out in less than a week (I did my part by returning to the tasting table several times) and truly stand as a harbinger of the risorgimento of Italian varietals on the West Coast (more on this phenomenon later).

Following the Spring Fling, I rushed back to San Francisco to order online passes to the Vinify Winery Collective Tasting in Santa Rosa. With my e-confirmation safely logged into my iPhone, I mapped out an itinerary, arranged appointments in Glen Ellen and Kenwood, then headed out from San Francisco before my usual wake-up time on Sundays.When my companion and I arrived at the industrial complex on Coffey Lane where Vinify houses its custom crush operations, the parking lot seemed eerily empty. Sure enough, Vinify’s front door was locked and neither Hillary Lattanzio nor her husband Matt were answering their phones. The sun was sweltering, Dongzhe was impatient, and I was flummoxed.

I had noticed, as we entered, that Carol Shelton operated her tasting room from another one of the complex’s warehouses. Determined that our trip not become a total wash, I pulled up to her window, hoping to fulfill a long-standing promise to visit her operations. Unfortunately, Carol was off pouring at a tasting in Southern California, but her Hospitality Manager Joanne Emery was more than happy to accommodate us. A check of my Webmail account from Joanne’s computer affirmed that our party was in fact scheduled for the last Sunday in May, so we mollified our frustration with a rather comprehensive survey of Carol’s current releases, starting with her 2008 Rendezvous Rosé, a blush expression of 100% Carignane.

I skipped past a couple of her Zinfandels I had sampled recently, settling first for the 2005 Wild Thing Zin, a much-awarded bottling smoothed by 10% Carignane. The 2006 Rocky Reserve Zin, a bold, signature Rockpile showcased Carol’s considerable repute for this varietal, as did her perennial favorite, the 2005 Karma Zin. Rockpile’s special allure figured prominently in the 2007 Petite Sirah Rockpile Reserve, while the 2005 Exhale Syrah Reserve derived from a rare second bottling of a wine that had been left in cask for over four years.

My readers, fans of Sostevinobile, and our future clientele all know how I am constantly seeking out different and obscure varietals to add to our inventory. The lineup at Carol’s tasting room yielded just such a discovery with her 2008 Sweet Caroline, a late harvest wine crafted from Trousseau Gris. We closed our visit with a taste of Dark Chocolate and the 2008 Black Magic, a late harvest Zinfandel, a fitting cap to our impromptu stop.

I have been building the wine program for Sostevinobile for nearly two years, building on an extensive involvement in the California wine industry since 1982. During this development, I have reached out to and sampled wines from 2,000 or so labels along the West Coast; as such, it seems a natural extension of my research to provided consulting services to other ventures on their wine program, particularly in helping them gain more of a focus on the bounty of wines we have available at our own doorstep. In search of assisting a small group of Italian restaurants incorporate a selection of Italian varietals grown here for their wine list, we headed across Sonoma County to the Kenwood tasting room Michael Muscardini had opened.

Michael couldn’t meet us, owing to a charitable obligation, but we were ably guided through the selections by Tasting Room Manager George Delano. We started off with the 2009Rosato di Sangiovese, a bone-dry expression of the grape I look forward to comparing with other Rosé wines at the Pink Out SF tasting next week. Next up were the 2008 Barbera Pauli Ranch from Ukiah and the 2008 Sangiovese Monte Rosso Vineyards, one of several Sangiovesi Muscardini produces. We could not resist contrasting the 2007 Syrah Gracie Creek with the 2007 Syrah Unti Vineyard before moving onto the 2007 Tesoro, a proprietary Super Tuscan with 58% Sangiovese from both Merlo and Favero Vineyards, plus 21% of Unti’s Syrah.

The 21% remaining to this bottling was Cabernet Sauvignon from Ty Caton, which now shares Muscardini’s tasting room. No Italian varietals here, but memories of working our way through a mixed case of these wines with The Ginkgo Girl last year spurred us to try several of his current offerings. Setting our palate fresh was his crisp 2009 Riesling from the Central Coast, followed by his very approachable 2009 Syrah Rosé. With a wide choice of vineyard designate reds to chose, we opted for the 2008 Petite Sirah Caton Vineyard, the 2008 Upper Bench Merlot, and the 2008 The Ridge George’s Malbec.

Of course, we could not leave without a taste of Caton’s crown jewel, the 2008 Tytanium, a well-balanced blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petite Sirah, 24% Syrah, and 9% Malbec. I had first tried the 2007 vintage of this wine last year at the Open House for Eighth Street Wineries in Sonoma, an industrial warehouse complex that houses the production facilities for Ty Caton and a handful of other boutique wineries like Three Stick, Kamen and Enkidu. I had recently sampled Enkidu’s superb inaugural Sangiovese, the 2008 Rosso Fazekas, at QuestPoint Solar Solutions’ Appreciation and Rejuvenation soirée at Green Zebra, and was happily surprised to discover their new tasting room adjacent to Muscardini. Alas, however, this wine was not on their tasting list, so we departed for a meal in Sonoma Square before returning to San Francisco.

My premature trek to the Vinify tasting made me all the more resolute to enjoy the Taste of Mendocino in the Presidio the following Tuesday. If only the weather had decided to act as cooperative as it had in Alameda the preceding weekend! Within moments of leaving the Cow Hollow Fedex/Kinko’s, where I had dropped off the sunglasses Dongzhe had left under my car seat, I found myself caught in a downpour as I pedaled furiously over to the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio. I arrived thoroughly drenched, then spent the next 20 minutes seeking out a restroom with hot air hand blower to try drying my shirt!

When I finally did get myself to a point of appearing presentable, I beelined for the tasting room and caught up with Fred Buonanno, who was pouring his Philo Ridge. Though his name, like mine, begs for Italian varietals, Fred vinifies a more mainstream Mendocino varietal selection, with an elegant 2008 Pinot Gris Klindt Vineyard, the AVA signature 2006 CORO Mendocino, and his 2006 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley. Of course, the A-Z (Z-A?) in Mendocino wines decidely must be Fred Zmarzly’s Albertina Wine Cellars; an intimate, small production, single varietal operation, Albertina made an emphatic statement with their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, a 330 case bottling.

Content merely to span the Bs, Brutocao Cellars and Bliss Family Vineyards herald from a single proprietorship, the former being the primary label. The more affordable Bliss brand offered a straightforward lineup, with an approachable 2008 Pinot Noir an easy favorite. Brutocao’s 2007 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley fell squarely in line with the overall excellence of this vintage throughout the West
Coast,while its 2006 Quadriga, a blend of 40% Sangiovese, 38% Primitivo, 18% Barbera, and 4% Dolcetto, provided a tantalizing glimpse of their Italian heritage wines that were not on this afternoon’s roster.

I don’t know of many wineries with the versatility to make an array of Sauvignon Blancs, but Chance Creek Vineyards certainly proved themselves quite adept in this niche. Of the three interpretation they poured, I greatly favored the 2006 95470 Sauvignon Blanc, while being slightly partial to the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc vs. the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc reserve. And, of course. I took quite a shining to their 2006 Sangiovese. The pinnacle of Italian varietals this afternoon, however, most certainty had to have been Chiarito Vineyard. Advance intimations of John Chiarito’s bottlings of several varietals unique to this region had lead a number of e-mail exchanges before the Mendocino event, and I was rewarded with tastings of his 2003 Negroamaro and his striking 2003 Nero d’Avola. To John’s credit, his 2007 Petite Sirah was no slouch, either.

I am always appreciative of a clever wine name, especially when the wine itself warrants attention, like the 2006 Sedulous from Rivino. I suppose the 18 months I have dedicated (so far) to building Sostevinobile’s wine program might qualify me for this moniker, as well, but Jason McConnell’s deft blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with just a splash of Viognier, deserves the spotlight at this moment, alongside his superb 2007 Sangiovese. Meanwhile, the quaint family operations of Mariah Vineyards seemed to have posted a typo in the tasting guide, lisiting both a 2006 Syrah and a 2006 Syriah, but, indeed, the latter is a proprietary portmanteau (Syrah Mariah) and distinct bottling of but 51 cases, crafted by hand.

Kimmel Vineyards has nothing to do with late night comedy, just the production of a superb 2007 Merlot and an admirable 2007 Chardonnay. One might also suspect Naughty Boy Vineyards as well of having ties to Jimmy K., but is instead the domain of Jim & Emjay Scott and crafts a fine 2007 Dolcetto.

Diametrically opposite but without apparent sanctimony, Mendielle Vertu could easily have derived an esoteric name from owner Bently Luneau or winemaker Kian Tavakoli, but instead chose to honor Mendi, their ranch dog. Though focused on Merlot, with strongest showing from both their 2007 Proprietary Red Merlot and the 2007 Reserve Merlot, they flourished with their new 2008 Chenin Blanc. With as intense focus on Pinot Noir, Phillips Hill held forth with a trio of this varietal, the most definitive being their 2008 Ring of Fire Anderson Valley.

Claudia Springs also excelled with their 2005 Pinot Noir Klindt Vineyard, while also producing a 2009 Viognier Lolonis Vineyard and a 2009 Pinot Gris Klindt Vineyard. Coincidence? Foursight Wines brought along four Pinots, dominated by their 2007 Clone 05 Pinot Noir Charles Vineyard, and a companion 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Charles Vineyard.

Coming from opposite ends of the spectrum, two wineries showcased a single Chardonnay. Independent winery Demuth Kemos produced but a scant 96 cases of their 2008 Chardonnay Anderson Valley, while Constellation’s Mendocino Vineyards bottled 10,000 cases of its foray into organic viticulture, the 2009 Chardonnay. Other boutique proprietors included: Nelson Family Vineyards, notable for both their 2008 Pinot Grigio and 2008 Riesling; Cesar Toxqui, with a sturdy 2006 Zinfandel and a non-vintage Heirloom II, a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot; and Drew Wines, with under 1,300 cases of their three Pinot Noirs, plus a memorable 2007 Syrah Perli Vineyard.

Dreyer Wine displayed its dual personality, with its Il Cuore line and one name for the thoroughbred who ran with such heart, Seabiscuit Ranch. I warmed to Seabiscuit’s 2006 Superfecta Red, a traditional Meritage, but had my greatest fondness for Il Cuore’s new release, the 2006 Barbera, along with their 2007 Rosso Classico, a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Carignane. Meritage components starred at Le Vin Winery, which broke out their older 2002 Merlot and 2004 Cabernet Franc for this afternoon’s gathering.

Maple Creek Winery sees itself as a fusion of wine and art, so it should come as no surprise that they poured a 2008 Artezin Symphony, a grape that itself is a hybrid of Muscat and Grenache Gris. Their notable pour, however, was the 2005 Cowboy Red, a blend of Merlot, Zinfandel and Carignane.Its Mendocino compatrio
t, Trinafour Cellars, bottled straight 2009 Muscat Canelli and 2007 Carignane, along with their 2006 Petite Sirah.

Like Fred Zmarzly, Rosati Family is a Cab-only operation, bottling 1,000 cases each year; of the 3-year vertical they poured, the youngest, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, stood out as the most complex. One of the oldest names in Mendocino winemaking, Weibel Family Winery, demonstrated its small lot varietals, a 200-case 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and a very approachable 2006 Zinfandel, bottled in the same quantity.

Of course, Weibel’s array of champagnes and flavored sparkling wines make it quite the substantial operation. I eschewed their NV Sparkelle for two of the leading méthode champenoise producers on hand, Scharffenberger, which poured its NV Brut Rosé, and the always-marvelous Roederer Estate, which indulged me in its 2002 L’Ermitage.

Following the sale of their family label to Brown-Forman, several of the 11 Fetzer offspring have started their own labels. Present today were both Saracina Vineyards, delighting with its 2006 Atrea Old Soul Red (Zinfandel, Syrah, Malbec, Petite Sirah) as well as its 2007 Petite Sirah, and Jeriko Estate, with its 2006 Pinot Noir and 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. Like their original venture, the Fetzer spinoffs all maintain a great fealty to organic and biodynamic farming, a hallmark of numerous Mendocino wineries, including Patianna, which shone with its organic 2008 Chardonnay, and organic pioneers Frey Vineyards, whose Katrina Frey regaled me with the 2007 Sangiovese, as had her daughter Eliza with the previous vintage just as I was formally embarking on Sostevinobile’s wine program.

As always, I never seem to find the time to taste every winery with whom I set out to connect and often miss out on ones with whom I would love to reconnect. I did manage to squeeze in a taste of Esterlina’s excellent 2007 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley, along with their contrasting 2008 Riesling and 2008 Dry Riesling Cole Ranch. Edmeades offered a quartet of Zins, headlined by the 2007 Ciapusci Zinfandel. In turn, Elke Vineyard made its strongest impression with their pair of 2007 Pinot Noir Donnelly Creek and 2008 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley. I took in a quick tasting 2008 Pinot Gris and 2006 Riesling from McFadden Farm, along with their 2008 Sparkling, but somehow entirely missed both Meyer Family Cellars and Milano Family Winery (I will be sure to make amends at another date).

Had there been time to spare, I would have gladly caught up with old familiars like Lolonis, Navarro, Parducci, Bonterra, Barra, and Jaxon Keys, but, unfortunately, my unforeseen drenching en route to the event whittled away a significant portion of the time I had allotted. Fitting, therefore, that my finally tasting was the 2009 Chenin Blanc of Husch Vineyards. while my dampened attire did not lead to anything quite as dire as pneumonia, I did come down with a nasty bout of congestion and most unwelcome case of laryngitis, which kept me “hushed” for the next several days.

A tale of two cities

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It has been over 500 days since I last donned a necktie. Or cravat. Or noose, if you will. It has also been more than 500 days since I last set foot in San Jose. Anyone who knows Your West Coast Oenophile is well aware of my aversion towards Silicon Valley. Or 408-ville. Or Legoland, if you will. Which makes the following admission all the more remarkable:

Ten days ago, I attended two wine tastings on behalf of Sostevinobile, one in Menlo Park, the other in San Francisco; the former event was unquestionably superior.

The Quadrus Conference Center at 2400 Sand Hill Road is pretty much ground zero for the VC community, and as I remain heavily into fundraising mode for our wine bars, I had almost hoped more to bump into a venture capitalist or two (after all, this is where “spare change” is a 7-digit figure) than to discover an astounding Roussanne or Syrah/Zinfandel/Cabernet Sauvignon blend. But the portable PDF of our Keynote presentation, which I had logged into my iPhone in case I needed to make an on-the-spot pitch, received as much use as the list of wineries I had culled from the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance’s pre-published roster for its Grand Tasting Tour: Mid-Peninsula.

N’importe! This still turned out to be a representative sampling of what is arguably the most interesting AVA in California, comprising well over 240 wineries and more acreage than any other appellation. The afternoon began with a seminar from three of the more prominent wineries in the region: Clayhouse, J. Lohr, and Ancient Peaks. Each of the three wineries brought a representative selection of wines in the $16 range, as well as one of their higher-end offerings.

Though the allure of Paso Robles is that allows itself to be unfettered by orthodox varietal categorizations (i.e., Burgundian, Bordelaise, Rhône), each of the three winemakers presented selections that were consistent within their own strictures. Steve Lohr poured two blends in the Bordeaux tradition, the first in the style of Pomerol, the more luxuriant based on Médoc, though each contained a sufficient amount of its primary varietal to be labeled 2007 J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot and 2006 J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon. David Frick first poured his 2008 Clayhouse Malbec, ever-so-subtly softened with 2% Merlot, then switched to a Rhône blend, the 2007 Clayhouse Estate Petite Sirah, this time tempered with 1.5% Syrah. Meanwhile, Mike Sinoir showed true Paso Robles temperament by first blending his 2007 Ancient Peaks Cabernet Sauvignon Margarita Vineyard with Malbec, Petit Verdot and Zinfandel, then showcased his 2007 Ancient Peaks Oyster Ridge Margarita Vineyard, a totally unconventional blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Petite Sirah, rounded out equally with Merlot and Petit Verdot.

Following what turned out to be a lively exchange, I joined up with the main tasting, armed with a plan of attack that bore little correlation to what I found awaiting us. Because I had failed to try Anglim at each of the previous two Rhône Rangers, I first gravitated toward their table to sample their mix. while I found their 2006 Cameo (Marsanne/Roussanne/Viognier) and the 2006 Cerise (Grenache/Mourvèdre/Syrah/Viognier) blends quite approachable, I favored their single varietal 2007 Roussanne, the 2006 Grenache and the 2007 Mourvèdre Hastings Ranch Vineyard far more to my liking. In such company, their 2007 St. Peter of Alcantara, a Zinfandel, seemed a bit anomalous but quaintly nostalgic, the name being the same as the Catholic parish I attended, unmolested, in my youth. Nearby, Alta Colina’s 2008 Claudia Cuvée blended Grenache Blanc with Roussanne and Marsanne, while their 2007 GSM clearly excelled.

To my mind, nothing typifies Paso Robles more than its unusual blends—after all, such experimentation put Piero Antinori on the viticultural map. The 2006 Companion from Caliza, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Tannat, could not exemplify this willingness to experiment better, but, again, I most cottoned to their 2007 Syrah. Paso’s true pioneer in this array, though, has to be L’Aventure, a winery that needs no introduction here. Even though I had liberally sampled their wines at Rhône Rangers but a few weeks before, my friend Jennifer Hong, who distributes their wine in the Bay Area, insisted that today’s tasting would be featuring some newly released vintages. Here the superb 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon was complemented by the even more imposing 2007 Estate Cuvée, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot.

Kenneth Volk had introduced me to Negrétte last year, but was pouring samples only of their Paso Robles wines this afternoon. Still, I delighted in the 2008 Viognier Live Oak Vineyard, the 2005 Cabernet Franc, and especially the 2005 Tempranillo. And though I had sampled their wines at Rhône tasting, the sardonic wit of their emissary, Katie Kanphantha, drew me back to Derby Wine Estates’ table where I retried their delightful though inexplicable 2006 Fifteen10 Red and regaled in their 2006 Implico, a Bordeaux Meritage.

At this point, the tasting took a turn for the definite better, as the ever-alluring BeiBei Song joined me for a guided introduction. We scurried out onto the deck to join Tommy Oldré, bedecked in a loud, fuchsia necktie (or cravat) (or noose), at his Tablas Creek table. As always, the 2008 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc, their famed blend of Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Picpoul Blanc, proved an immediate favorite, while both the 2007 Grenache and the 2007 Mourvèdre charmed BeiBei in a way I thought only I could! We proceeded to Mike Giubbini’s Rotta Winery, a somewhat understated venture mostly producing traditional varietals like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel (I found the 2005 Rotta Giubbini Estate Zinfandel quite compelling). And while the 2005 Trinity, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot made for a more than competent Meritage, the real discovery here was the non-vintage Black Manukka, an oak-aged, rare dessert wine that begs comparison with a fine cream sherry. Dessert wine also stole the show at Robert Hall Winery. I found their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon quite appealing, but their 2009 Orange Muscat tasted like a liquid Grand Slam.

In the past, I may have been critical in this forum of wines from Niner’s Bootjack Ranch. I now realize that the particular vintages I have been served as a certain wine establishment may well have been past their prime, for the current releases I sampled here more than favorably impressed me. I found much merit in the 2006 Sangiovese but truly relished the 2005 Fogcatcher, a skillful mélange of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Cabernet Franc and Merlot. I hadn’t had previous experience with Silver Horse Winery, but found their Bordeaux bled, the Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec/Petit Verdot combo of the 2007 SAGE enticing. More compelling, however, was their 2007 TOMORI, marrying Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with Syrah, while their straightforward 2009 Albariño offered a nice contrast to most of the afternoon’s offerings.

A wide range of Spanish varietals have taken root at numerous Paso Robles wineries, like Stanger, vinifying a more than competent rendition with their 2006 Tempranillo Stanger Vineyards; their forte, however, might have been the 2007 Viognier Paso Robles, a clean expression of this finicky varietal. Meanwhile, restricting themselves to what they do best, Terry Hoage presented three takes on Grenache: the 2007 The Pick, a Grenache-dominant GMS blend, the 2007 The 46, a Grenache/Syrah combo, and the 100% 2007 Skins Grenache.

Kukla, Fran & Ollie

When I toured Paso Robles last year, I found myself rather intrigued by a gated Westside estate that was under development. Was this oddly-named winery a latent tribute to a Black & White puppet show that lurked deep in the recesses of my memory? kukkula, it turns out, is the Finnish word for “high place” (kukla is the transliteration of κούκλα or кукла, the respective terms in Greek and in Russian for doll), a most apt description of Kevin Jussila’s aerie. Finnish varietals are an unknown species to me, but Kevin compensates by giving his intriguing wines names like the 2008 vaalea, meaning “fair” or “white” to his Viognier/Roussanne blend or 2006 sisu, the term for “patience” or “perseverance”to his GMS blend. His superb mélange of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Zinfandel bears the label of 2006 Lothario, a moniker I often fancy for myself, while his Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah goes by the inornate 2006 in the red.

During the height of the dot.com explosion, a popular Italian restaurant in Mill Valley decided to open a branch in Palo Alto; rather than clone the name, they decided to hold a contest to see who could come up with the most clever appellation (the prize being a free meal every week for life, if I recall correctly). I submitted Il Pastaio Ottimo, meaning “the best pasta maker” but also deftly abbreviated as I.P.O. kukkula also produces a wine with the same acronym, a mostly Cabernet Sauvignon blend paying tribute to Kevin’s real job as a financial advisor. I tried to persuade him to drop off a bottle of his 2005 i.p.o., along with his business card, on the doorstep of every VC firm in the complex, but he demurred. Maybe I should have purchased a couple cases and left a bottle with Sostevinobile’s card instead!

As much as I enjoyed kukkula’s wines, my great discovery of the afternoon had to have been Roger Nicolas’ RN Estate. I could lavish superlatives on these wines all day (in between repeated sips, of course)! Two of these wines, the 2007 Young Vine Zinfandel and the 2006 Enfant Prodigué, a Mourvèdre/Syrah/Zinfandel blend, I conservatively scored as excellent. The other two Roger poured, the 2007 Cuvée des Artistes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel) and the 2007 Cuvée des Trois Cépages (a more traditional Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) well warrant the resurrection of my highly-coveted.

I did skip a handful of attending wineries to which I have given extensive coverage in previous entries here, but concluded this tasting with Maloy O’Neill, another winery that had escaped previous notice. Quite the versatile viticultural venture, they impressed me with their 2005 Zinfandel, the 2005 Private Reserve Syrah, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Windy Hill, and the 2005 Malbec. However, I was most struck by their 2005 Lagrein, a wine that contrasted strikingly with the Lagrein from Sonoma’s Jacuzzi that I have previously assayed here.

As the trade portion of this tasting drew to a close, I sadly could not convince BeiBei to accompany me to the evening’s tasting in San Francisco. In retrospect, I probably ought to have fortified myself with a little sisu (the concept, not the wine) and loitered with the winery crews until the public arrived; instead, I basked in a few minutes of rare sunshine, then headed up Interstate 280 for Wine Enthusiast’s Toast of the Town 2010.

On surface impression, the wine tasting in San Francisco should have had everything going for it: a splendiferous setting inside the War Memorial Opera House, access to innumerable top-flight restaurants and caterers, a well-heeled crowd easily able to swing the $89 ticket price (if not the $169 tab for the VIP tasting), plus a prestigious wine publication as sponsor for the event.

And therein lies the rub. With this kind of clout behind the event, attendees had every right to expect a roster of wines of which only the true cognoscenti might be aware. Instead, table upon table proved to be subsidiaries of the leviathan wine corporations of this world: Gallo, Constellation, Château Ste. Michelle, Jackson Family Wines, Folio, Hess Collection, Trinchero, Coppola, Kobrand, Diageo, Banfi, Moët Hennessey, Delicato, Artesa, Crimson Wine Group, Foley Family Wines, Don & Sons (aka Sebastiani). To put things more succinctly, the greatest hits of Safeway’s wine aisle—minus Brown-Forman.

This isn’t to say that, even within these conglomerates, there aren’t quite a number of excellent labels and individual wines. I even sampled from BV, Cardinale, Archery Summit, and Robert Mondavi, to name but a few. But a neophyte could have put together this list as easily as Wine Enthusiast did—just without their imprimatur. And that hardly warrants an $89 premium.

On the plus side, Farallon generously shelled out tray upon tray of Champagne Poached Oysters, Cindy Pawlcyn’s Go Fish Restaurant whipped up a superb Shrimp & Lobster Salad, an Oakland establishment called Home of Chicken and Waffles covered everyone’s comfort food needs with Fried Chicken and Macaroni & Cheese, while Bistro Boudin from Fisherman’s Wharf incongruously assembled superb medallions of Alder Smoked Duck atop shot glasses filled what they described as Beet Gazpacho. Other food purveyors had offerings just as delectable, I am sure, but were already depleted by the time I arrived.

And in all fairness, there were more than a handful of independent wineries scattered throughout the four floors of this event. Jordan showed its usual flair with both its 2008 Chardonnay Russian River Valley and 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley. One of Crushpad’s last, lingering autonomous labels, PerryMoore, impressed with their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard and their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard. From Monterey, Josh Pierce of Pierce Ranch impressed me with his 2008 Albariño San Antonio Valley, while international wine mini-mogul Jean-Charles Boisset poured a selection of his family’s California and French labels, including DeLoach’s 2007 O.F.C. Reserve Pinot Noir, Lyeth’s wondrous 2006 Meritage, and newly-acquired Raymond’s 2007 Reserve Chardonnay.

Before I bring this review to a close, I wanted also to mention the presence of three promotional associations of independent wineries who poured a representation of their members’ wines. Unfortunately, each had far too many offerings for me to serve them justice during the limited time span of this event, and I can only urge them to hold a collective tasting like the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance sometime in the near future. Of course, I fully expect once again to attend the Grand Tasting for PS I Love You at Concannon, America’s birthplace of Petite Sirah, in the summer. And I hope Jim Ryan will use this event as a model for the members of his Livermore Valley Wine Country to establish a tasting of their own. Lastly, being sandwiched in-between Santa Cruz, Santa Lucia Highlands, and Paso Robles, Monterey Wine Country has plenty of examples to follow if it decides to a trade tasting of the diverse wines within their AVA.

Two tastings in one day—a lot to absorb, a lot to record, and (perhaps) too much to imbibe. My trek from San Francisco to Menlo Park and back covered nearly eighty miles and a wealth of contrast between the two cities and the events they had hosted. Perhaps Charles Dickens said it best: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”

Nyah! That’s way too much to swallow!

Back with a vengeance! The return of the Liberal Freeloader!

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Ah March! With all the events I had to cover for Sostevinobile—not to mention the inexorable task of sourcing our financing—it came as great relief to close the month with one of my favorite annual gatherings, the Rhône Rangers Grand Tasting. I can’t remember when I first attended this early spring festival, but it has always served not only as a harbinger of spring but of incredible wines on the cusp of reaching the market..

Your West Coast Oenophile actually held true to his strict two-pronged agenda for this tasting. First was to visit with the first-time participants at Rhône Rangers; once completed, I would next tackle those wineries who were part of my database, but I had yet to sample. First up, I gravitated over to Black Sheep Winery, who shared its table with Milliaire, another Murphys winery with the same ownership. Notable selections were the 2008 Cinsault Dusty Lane and the 2005 Syrah Milliaire, Sierra Foothills.

From Paso Robles, Caliza, my next stop, a winery given to diverse nomenclature for its Rhône blends. Its mélange of Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc, the 2008 Kissin Cousins, was quite refreshing; its GMS blend, the 2006 Azimuth, emphasized Syrah, while the 2007 Azimuth was Grenache-dominant. I followed my list to the anomaly of Coiled Wines, a venture that produces its wine in Napa from grapes it farms in Idaho! To be honest, I’m not sure how that benefitted its 2008 Syrah Snake River Valley..

Folin came down from Oregon to pour its array of varietals, with a 2007 Estate Viognier, a young 2008 Estate Petite Sirah, and a noteworthy 2006 Syrah. Further down the coast, Paso Robles’s Katin displayed a range of wines, with an exceptional 2008 Viognier Paso Robles and a trio of Syrahs, ranging from the 2007 Syrah Glenrose Vineyard and the outstanding 2007 Syrah Michaud Vineyard to their Oregonian 2007 Syrah Del Rio Vineyard. Martinelli Winery from Windsor also produced a Syrah Trifecta, showing with the 2005 Syrah Terra Felice, placing with the 2006 Hop Camp Gravel Lens Vineyard, and winning with the exceptional 2006 Syrah Zio Tony Ranch.

Though I tend to favor Roussanne, I am always impressed by a great Marsanne and certainly Michaud Vineyards did just that with their 2007 Estate Syrah Chalone AVA. They also managed to put themselves on Sostevinobile’s radar with their 2004 Estate Syrah Chalone AVA, the clear favorite among their four verticals of this bottling. From there, I progressed to Shane, one of Kosta Browne associate winemaker Shane Finley’s acclaimed sidelines; of the multiple Syrahs he poured, I cottoned most to the 2008 Jemrose and the 2008 Judge, while noting also the easy pleasure of his rosé, the 2009 Ma Fille. From Fair Play, Skinner Vineyards claims a legacy that dates back to 1861—fortunately I did not have to wait until their 150th anniversary to discover their exception Roussanne/Marsanne/Viognier blend, the 2008 Seven Generations nor their elegant 2007 Syrah Stoney Creek Vineyard.

I also confess that I had never heard of Oregon’s Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua, which sounds appropriate for a West Coast campus of Cornell, but provides a fitting backdrop for Spangler Vineyards and their Rhône-style plantings, the source of both their 2006 Syrah and 2006 Syrah Reserve. And, from the southern extreme of this tasting, Venteux Vineyards from the self-described “windy Templeton Gap” made an impressive Rhône Rangers debut both with their 2007 Grenache Paso Robles and 2007 Syrah Tache le Verre, as well as an amiable Châteauneuf du Pape-style 2007 Farmhouse Cuvée.

So next I moved on to cover those wineries I should have covered at previous Rhône Ranger tastings or other events. In my contrarian mood, I started from the nether realm of the alphabet with Zaca Mesa, a Paso Robles winery I was surprised I hadn’t previously chronicled. Nonetheless, I found much to admire in their 2009 Estate Viognier, 2008 Estate Grenache Blanc, the 2006 Estate Syrah and an estate GMS blend from the Santa Ynez Valley, the 2006Z Three. Up in Sonoma, Valley of the Moon Winery produced a likable 2007 Petite Sirah, while perennial favorite Unti contrasted its Rhône-style 2007 Grenache Dry Creek Valley with a 2007 Syrah Benchland that seemed almost Italianate.

I’d been introduced to Mats Hagstrom of Travieso and his 2007 Amaranta Kirks’ Fairview Ranch (Syrah) at a recent convocation of the Stanford Wine Club; new this afternoon was his 2007 El Chupacabras, a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Viognier. On the other hand, I can’t recall the first time I met Tony and Jo Ann Truchard, but it was a delight, as per usual, to delve into their 2008 Roussanne. Another familiar, Andrew Quady, was not in attendance, but his new Oregon arm, Quady North, proved a worthy extension of his famed California operations, especially with the 2007 Viognier Steelhead Run and a striking 2006 Syrah Flagship.

Also comporting themselves with considerable aplomb, Pomar Junction showcased why Paso Robles has come to exemplify Rhône varietal viticulture in the New World with a 2008 Viognier, their dry 2008 Rosé of Syrah and the understated elegance of their 2007 Syrah. Reinforcing this claim to prominence. Paso’s own Lone Madrone poured a number of varietals and blends, highlighted by the 2007 Points West Red, a combination of Syrah & Mourvèdre. And, of course, L’Aventure crystallized this reputation, flourishing with their 2007 Rhône blend, the 2007 Côte à Côte.

Loosely translated from the Greek, Kaleidos means “beautiful form; its flavors, too, evoke a sense of beauty and delight, particularly its 2005 Syrah and its sumptuous 2006 Grenache. Jemrose is a portmanteau of uncertain derivation but offers no ambiguity with its distinctive 2007 Gloria’s Gem, a proprietary mélange of Syrah and Merlot.

Coincidentally, as I set about to keyboard in my notes on Holly’s Hill, I received an e-mail from their winemaker querying whether Sostevinobile would like to purchase some cases of their Mourvèdre, and while I cannot commit to any wine acquisitions until our program is in full force, I am happy to state that I did, indeed, find the 2008 Classique quite delicious! So, too, was the 2006 Estate Syrah from Solvang’s Harrison Clarke (no relation to Myron Harrison Clarke, a name some of my readers may recall with detached bemusement).

I neglected to ask Derby Wine Estates from where the name was derived, but their 2007 Fifteen 10 White (a blend of Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier) and their 2006 Fifteen 10 Red (38% Syrah, 28% Grenache, 28% Counoise, 6% Mourvèdre) needed no explanation. In typical fashion, Concannon Vineyard flourished with their 2004 Reserve Captain Joe’s Petite Sirah but demonstrated their versatility remains unhampered since its acquisition by The Wine Group with their 2005 Grenache and 2006 Syrah.

I wrapped up the afternoon with a trio of wineries. Boulder Creek’s Big Basin furnished an impressive lineup of Syrahs, most notably the 2007 Syrah Mandala, Santa Cruz Mountains. Paso’s Clautiere Vineyards made its strongest impression with both the 2004 Estate Syrah and the 2005 Estate Mourvèdre while Clayhouse’s 2007 Show Pony Red Cedar Vineyard, an estate Petite Sirah, spoke loudest for this venture from the Middleton Family Wines.

Despite my best intentions, I failed to cover Los Olivos’ Curtis Winery, as well as Arroyo Robles and Arnot-Roberts, as I had penciled into my roster for the afternoon. If only there had been time to cover everyone I wanted to taste!

If Rhône Rangers had put my skills for advanced preparation and navigation to the test, two days of trying to cover the inaugural SF Vintners Market at Fort Mason showed how little they had been honed. I cannot commend Bridget Raymond of Courtesan Wines and Cornelius Geary of Radcru enough for how impressive tasting-cum-retail market at Fort Mason on April 10 & 11 turned out. Wineries from California, Oregon and a smattering of other countries filled the Herbst Pavilion at Fort Mason and showcased an impressive array of wines, ranging from hobbyist vintages to near-cult status.

Admittedly, a guide a bit more comprehensive than a four-column list printed out on a single 8″ x 11″ sheet might have made negotiating the roster of some 150+ wineries a bit easier and allowed me to cover the numerous labels I was not yet formally acquainted. In truth, however, the greater challenge to making my quota stemmed from that I was attending the Market not so much to sample new wines but to escort potential investors for Sostevinobile through the intricacies of the wine world, its products and its consumers.

As such, my notes on individual wines are scant, but I would like to commend the following wineries for the fine variety of wines I did sample and share with Sostevinobile’s suitors: Bialla Vineyards, Amapola Creek, Tom Scott Vineyard, Reynolds Family Winery, Kapcsándy, Sciandri, Dominari, Palladian, Captûre, Rosa d’Oro, Provenance, Perry Creek, Modus Operandi, Ochoa, Olivia Brion, Pavo, PB Hein, Sylk, Signorello, Spotted Owl, Lancaster, MadoroM, Ramazzotti, Respite, De Novo, TR Elliot, Terisa, Waits-Mast, Urban Legend, Two Mile Wines, Tristant, Coup de Foudre, and the collective wineries of Terroirs Artisan Wines. For now I can only acknowledge their contribution to our efforts and incorporate them into our roster, but more extensive reviews of their offerings will surely come.

By contrast, my 2010 excursion to the Trade Tasting for the Santa Cruz Mountains Winery Association in Campbell was a succinct, manageable affair. Nearly all of these wineries had participated several weeks before in a Santa Cruz tasting at Farallon, which left few new wines for me to sample. Plus, I had attended numerous Santa Cruz tastings in 2009, including an absolutely splendid staging of this same event at Trevese in Los Gatos, one of only four restaurants in Silicon Valley ever to have garnered a Michelin star.

And therein lies the rub. Much to almost everyone’s surprise, Trevese abruptly shut its doors not long after last year’s event, forcing the SCMWA to find a new locale to host their event. And certainly the Professional Culinary Institute is a fine space, albeit a bit cramped, in a building it shares with a branch of Gold’s Gym in Campbell. But whereas Trevese had pulled out all its stops, regaling attendees with trays upon trays of extraordinary cicchetti and other appetizers, this tasting furnished little beyond the customary fruit platter and cheese spread. Which would have been fine except that in between the two rooms housing the tasting was their professional kitchen, a state-of-the-art facility with expansive picture windows, which allowed attendees to peer in at the gourmet preparations these up & coming culinary stars were executing every time we passed from one room to the other! A veritable torture for even a moderate gastronome, and not even the exquisite kind!

Basta! I know I’m supposed to be discussing the wines, like my introduction to the 2005 La Rusticana d’Orsa, a single production blend focused on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the winery bearing the same name. Another winery I had not previously encountered, Beauregard Vineyards, made a great initial impression with their 2006 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains. A final winery so new to this event, they failed to be included in the program guide, Dancing Creek, hinted auspiciously at their potential with their just-released 2008 Pinot Noir Regan Vineyard and a 2008 Reserve Merlot.

No newcomer to this tasting or to Sostevinobile, Kathryn Kennedy did share a new perspective on their efforts with an inaugural release of their organic 2009 Sauvignon Blanc (I continue to be impressed how this varietal particularly seems to flourish in it organic expression). While at their table, I also happily partook in their 2007 Syrah Reserve Maridon Vineyard and in both the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate and the outstanding 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, the single varietal bottlings that help put this winery on the map. Silver Mountain struck a consonant chord with their 2006 Syrah Wiedeman Vineyard, while Michael Martella once again demonstrated his virtuosity with his 2006 Fiddletown Grenache Oleata Vineyard.

One winery that has consistently impressed me is Odonata, and their 2008 Grenache Alta Mesa did much to perpetuate my endorsement. I seem to receive e-mails every week from Pleasant Valley Vineyards, which may account for my overlooking their table a time or two in the past; today, I leisurely partook of their entire inventory, noting their exceptional 2008 Erika Anna Viognier, Hansen Vineyards, the 2008 Dylan David Pinot Noir, Lester Family Vineyards, Thelma Henrietta Block, and the 2007 Abby Madison Cabernet Sauvignon, Martin Ranch (I suppose, as Craig and Cathy Handley add more grandchildren, their roster of eponymous labels will increase accordingly). Finally, I stopped by to visit briefly with Frank Ashton, who had last year introduced me to my first Torrontés from California that Downhill Winery produced. This time, his 2009 Torrontés showed considerable evolution, while his 2007 Susannah’s Barbera proved an evenly-structured wine (as did his preview of his forthcoming 2008 Alessia Barbera from Amador County).

I hurried back to San Francisco to attend a reading by William T. Vollmann at the Mechanics Institute Library, to which I have subscribed for a decade or so. I can’t remember what wine they were serving, although I did partake in more than my share, along with the bowls of Japanese rice crackers. More evidence of my liberal freeloading? I’ll let my readers decide for themselves.

What has Your West Coast Oenophile done for you lately? (part III)

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So much has been happening since my last installment of this blog. Try as I might to catch up with the myriad tastings of this past winter, just as soon as I sit down before my monitor, it seems a new obstacle is thrown my way. But the dreary annual ritual of preparing my taxes has been postpones, and I am truly hoping to wrap up my explorations and finally bring my readership up to date with all of Sostevinobile’s doings.

Following the debacle of my truncated appearance at the Swirl tasting, I was determined to make sure I calendared the San Francisco installment of In Vino Unitas correctly and arrived with sufficient time to cover the entire tasting at One Market. Actually, the Dungeness crab tacos I had sampled at One Market a few nights before were so delectable delectable, I probably would have attended this event even if they were pouring Crane Lake and Corbett Canyon. But this cooperative marketing arm represents nearly two dozen highly prestigious wineries that distribute directly to retail and ventures like Sostevinobile, something that will prove clearly advantageous to our wine program (not that we will not also work with distributors like Swirl). Now, apparently Your West Coast Oenophile has become a bit of a known quantity at the various San Francisco trade tasting for his penchant for appearing in shorts and a polo shirt. Note, however, that this isn’t so much a fashion statement as it is a practicality; my dedication to sustainability (and admitted parsimony when it comes to parking fees) dictates that I arrive at these events, whenever possible, on my faithful Trek 14-speed. Shorts permit me both to pedal far faster and to avoid staining my Levis with chain grease. Flash your detached bemusement if you must—cutting a *bella figura* will always take a back seat to philosophical adherence!	Does this really make for an enticing wine bar?

Following the debacle of my truncated appearance at the Swirl tasting, I was determined to make sure I calendared the San Francisco installment of In Vino Unitas correctly and arrived with sufficient time to cover the entire tasting at One Market.

Actually, the Dungeness crab tacos I had sampled at One Market a few nights before were so delectable delectable, I probably would have attended this event even if they were pouring Crane Lake and Corbett Canyon. But this cooperative marketing arm represents nearly two dozen highly prestigious wineries that distribute directly to retail and ventures like Sostevinobile, something that will prove clearly advantageous to our wine program (not that we will not also work with distributors like Swirl).

Now, apparently Your West Coast Oenophile has become a bit of a known quantity at the various San Francisco trade tasting for his penchant for appearing in shorts and a polo shirt. Note, however, that this isn’t so much a fashion statement as it is a practicality; my dedication to sustainability (and admitted parsimony when it comes to parking fees) dictates that I arrive at these events, whenever possible, on my faithful Trek 14-speed. Shorts permit me both to pedal far faster and to avoid staining my Levis with chain grease. Flash your detached bemusement if you must—cutting a bella figura will always take a back seat to philosophical adherence!

Does this really make for an enticing wine bar?

Alpha Omega might very well be the first or last word in winemaking, depending on one’s perspective. On the epic bike journey through Napa Valley that I led the Ginkgo Girl in the early part of our relationship, we made our final stop at their just-opened facility. Today it would commence my explorations, as I had not had the opportunity to revisit with them since. I found myself re-impressed by a number of their offerings, including the 2007 Chardonnay Napa Valley, their newly-released 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon that presaged the excellence of this much-anticipated vintage, and the 2006 Alpha Omega Proprietary Red, a Meritage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petite Verdot.

Over the past 18 months, I have had the pleasure of acquainting myself with many of the
wineries at In Vino Unitas; as such, this event more enabled me to solidify the relationship between Sostevinobile and these producers than to familiarize myself with their wines (although I did sample liberally and without disappointment). Naturally, it was a pleasure to see Phil Schlein of Diamond Creek and to navigate through the trio of his designate Cabernet Sauvignons: the 2006 Red Rock Vineyard, the 2006 Gravelly Meadow Vineyard, and the 2006 Volcanic Hill Vineyard without having to man the steering wheel of their gas-powered golf cart.

Similarly, Merry Edwards held forth with considerable aplomb, underscored by a triple play of her acclaimed Pinots: the 2007 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast as well as the 2007 Pinot Noir Klopp Ranch and the 2007 Pinot Noir Meredith Estate, both from the Russian River Valley. The Nickel & Nickel/Far Niente dichotomy presented a representative array of their wines, notably Nickel & Nickel’s 2007 Zinfandel Bonfire Vineyard and the ever-popular 2007 Estate Bottled Chardonnay from Far Niente, while sweetening the proposition with their exquisite Sémillon/Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest selection the 2005 Dolce.

Astrale e Terra poured at a number of tastings I’ve attended in 2009, so my sampling of the 2004 Arcturus served to underscore my fondness for their Scott Harvey-crafted wines. I’d also recently had opportunities to visit both Napa facilities of sister operations Twomey Cellars and Silver Oak, with personal previews of their respective 2005 Napa Valley Merlot and the 2005 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

I could have bypassed their tables and still have known I relished Heitz Wine Cellars’ signature 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard or the 2006 Chardonnay Carneros Selection from Grgich Hills. Thankfully, my stop at their tables also introduced me to Grgich’s 2006 Miljenko’s Old Vine Zinfandel and the fruit of Heitz’ progressive conversion to organic farming, the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Trailside Vineyard.

Likewise, my familiarity with their offerings did not prevent my visiting Duckhorn (along with its Goldeneye and Paraduxx labels) for a tasting of their 2008 Decoy Merlot, La Sirena yet again for the 2008 Moscato Azul and the 2007 Pirate Treasured, Testarossa for its array of Pinots—especially the 2008 Pinot Noir Gary’s Vineyard, and Mayacamas for its 2001 Merlot.

My biggest mistake of the afternoon would have been skipping over Gargiulo Vineyards simply because I had been invited for a private visit a few years back. Though my primary purpose in stopping by was to rib Jeff Gargiulo over having “deported” his daughter April to Hotchkiss during her formative years—much as my father had sent me when it was still an all-male boarding school, I serendipitously discovered how complex these wines had become over the past four years! The 2009 Rosato di Sangiovese was exquisite; the 2006 Aprile, a Napa Sangiovese, an absolute standout. Other Italian varietals that highlighted the afternoon were the 2007 Dolcetto di Nonno from Buoncristiani and the 2005 Charbono from Étude.

My rush through First Taste Yountville had not allowed me to linger appreciably over Gemstone’s lineup of intriguing wines, so today I partook amply of both the 2007 Facets Estate Chardonnay and the Cabernet-predominant 2006 Gemstone Proprietary Red. This afternoon also introduced me to Ehlers Estate, Ehlers Estate, a unique non-profit winery, with their 2006 Estate Merlot and the 2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1886 and the leonine Meyer Family Cellars, pouring its&nbs
p;2005 Mendocino County Syrah and the 2004 Bonny’s Cabernet Sauvignon.

Two other additions to the Sostevinobile roster came from Larkmead Vineyard, impressing with both the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2007 Firebelle, a Merlot-based blend, and the multi-label venture from Krupp Brothers, featuring their 2007 Black Bart Syrah Stagecoach Vineyard and the 2006 Krupp Brothers The Doctor, an intriguing blend of Tempranillo, and Merlot, with smaller portions of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon tossed in for good measure.

The most intriguing discovery of the afternoon, however, was the little-heralded Vellum Wine Project, a joint project of Karl Lehmann and Jeffrey Mathy, with their first release, the 2007 Vellum Cabernet Sauvignon. Blended with 10% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, this extraordinary debut seemed a consensus favorite among attendees.

Nearly two weeks would pass before I took in a new wine discovery, the launch of Michael Benziger’ and Ben Flajnik’s Evolve Wines at The Winery Collective. Right after sampling their 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, deftly rounded out with Muscat Canelli, I packed up my problem-free 2002 Corolla S for a much-delayed ski trip to Lake Tahoe. On my way up, I detoured for a truncated visit to the Shenandoah Valley Wineries, exploring many of the local Italian varietal specialists like Villa Toscano, Wilderotter, Bella Piazza, Terra d’Oro, Vino Noceto, and Bray. I had hoped to finish up here and swing through Placerville for a quick tour of Lava Cap, Boeger and Madroña, but, alas, I had to have picked the first day of Daylight Savings Time for my sojourn and the consequent loss of an hour meant I did not cross El Dorado-Amador county line until after all had closed for the evening.

	Of course, I knew I would be visiting with these producers and several of their other colleagues at the first El Dorado Winery Association tasting in San Francisco that coming Saturday, so I happy proceeded to King’s Beach and the slopes of Alpine Meadows for the next three days. On my return, I surveyed the new Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe, a resort where a former potential investor had tried to cajole me into launching Sostevinobile as an Audubon-themed wine bar! (see above) before leaving the snow country and winding my way to the Bay Area.

Of course, I knew I would be visiting with these producers and several of their other colleagues at the first El Dorado Winery Association tasting in San Francisco that coming Saturday, so I happy proceeded to King’s Beach and the slopes of Alpine Meadows for the next three days. On my return, I surveyed the new Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe, a resort where a former potential investor had tried to cajole me into launching Sostevinobile as an Audubon-themed wine bar! (see above) before leaving the snow country and winding my way to the Bay Area.

I had wanted to visit with Roger Boulton and tour the state-of-the-art sustainable winery at UC Davis is currently developing, but arrangements could not be made in time and I had to settle for a quick drive-by. Then things got interesting.

I had never made the trek from Davis to St. Helena before, but, given the deep connection, I assumed it would be a straight-forward drive. And,
besides, I always had the GPS on my iPhone to navigate me. But once I passed through Willits on Rte. 128, both data and phone service became non-existent. For the next 45 minutes, I wound my way through interminable hairpin turns, relying on faith that the exacting precision of the route signs would guide me past Lake Berryessa with more than sufficient time to make my 2:30 meeting.

If only! By the time I reach the juncture of Hwy. 128 and Hwy. 121, I was hopelessly late, unable to phone for directions, and quite unsure whether I should veer towards Napa or toward Rutherford, as the signposts indicated. Sticking my head inside the forlorn little bait shop & convenience market that occupied this juncture, I naïvely sought to ask the T-shirted, crewcut store clerk for directions. “Which is the fastest way to St. Helena?”

Without looking up, he replied. “Never heard of it!”

Incredulous, I pressed my point. “Do I follow the road to the left or to the right?”

“I have no idea,” he responded with unbridled surliness.“Wanna buy a bottle of water?”

“No,” I insisted. “I’m just asking a simple question!”

“Sorry. I don’t serve liberal freeloaders!”

Later on, I figured I made every correct turn until I reached Lake Hennessy and missed the sign for Silverado Trail. Thirty minutes later, my cell phone came back into range as I descended upon the town of Angwin, on the backside of Howell Mountain, twenty-five miles off course. Suffice it to say my familiarity with several the lesser-known enclaves of Napa County has increased substantially from the detour.

Finding my way to Postrio the next Saturday seemed tantamount a linear excursion from my front door to theirs. Though no longer operating as an everyday restaurant, the lower levels of the Prescott Hotel catered the El Dorado Winery Association’s tasting with hors d’œuvres still on par with Wolfgang Puck’s cuisine. Twenty-four wineries made the 2½ drive from the Sierra Foothills to San Francisco to pour a wide range of wines, in terms both of varietal selections and in consistency. Old friends in the crowd included Lava Cap, who has migrated over the past few years away from its Rhône focus to more standard varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Still, I find their strength outside of the mainstream, as their 2007 Reserve Barbera attests.

Also flourishing with Barbera was Latcham Vineyards, with a 2007 Special Reserve Barbera that approached levels of the extraordinary. I also took a shining to their 2007 Special Reserve Zinfandel, while sister winery Granite Springs, long admired for their Black Muscat, made their statement with the 2006 Petite Sirah. One of El Dorado’s better-known wineries, Boeger, also impressed with their 2008 Barbera and a truly balanced 2006 Meritage Reserve, blending 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 25% Petite Verdot and 12% Merlot.

I took immense delight in the 2006 Barbera from Gold Hill Vineyards, but reveled in the delicious pun of its proprietary Meritage, the 2006 Meriticious. David Girard, also a familiar presence, displayed his virtuosity with a number of Rhône-style wines, including the 2007 Grenache, the 2006 Syrah and the 2005 Coeur Rouge, a GMS blend with a touch of Counoise. An even more exotic blend came from Colibri Ridge, whose 2006 El Dorado Rufous Red melded a traditional Bordeaux Meritage with Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz, Souzão, and Tinta Amarela
(I was also rather fond of their 2007 El Dorado Viognier).

As I had observed on my trip to the Sierra Foothills, Italian varietals constitute a significant focus in this region. Along with its amiable 2005 Syrah, Fenton Herriott poured a noteworthy 2007 Barbera. Similarly, Single Leaf Vineyards coupled its 2004 Reserve Zinfandel with its 2006 Barbera. And, at the risk of sounding redundant, Miraflores also staked its claim with a 2007 Zinfandel and, again, a 2007 Barbera. And to show I am not entirely monolithic, I also noted that Narrow Gate brought a 2008 Chardonnay El Dorado and a 2007 Primitivo.

Besides, readers know I am just as fond of numerous other varietals, like the 2007 Mourvèdre Reserve El Dorado Crystal Basin Cellars poured besides its very palatable 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve El Dorado. And my appreciation ran deep for the 2008 Cabernet Franc that stood out among the wines Auriga Cellars poured. Both Sierra Oaks Estates and Sierra Vista Vineyards brought a 2005 Syrah to which I cottoned, while Holly’s Hill Vineyards’ 2008 Grenache Noir also provided the backbone of its 2007 Patriarche, a GMS + Counoise blend like the Coeur Rouge.

Zinfandel, of course, is a predominant player in this region. Wineries that did feature this varietal included Cedarville, with its 2007 Zinfandel and Fitzpatrick Winery, which produced its 2006 Zinfandel at its CCOF-certified in Fair Play. Madroña Vineyards poured its 2007 Estate Zinfandel and accompanied it with its 2006 Reserve Malbec.

Perry Creek designated its basic Zinfandel the 2006 Zinman. Its reserve releases bore the whimsical label 2007 Altitude:2401 Dark Forest Syrah and 2006 Altitude:2401 Petite Sirah. Not to be eclipsed, Mount Aukum ensconced its SuperTuscan blend as the 2006 Vertigo but its 2007 Petite Sirah Fair Play was left unadorned. Its coup de grâce for the afternoon was the delightful Port-style 2007 Ace of Hearts, blended from Tempranillo, Tinta Cão, Souzão, and Touriga.

After this event, I took off the weekend to brace myself for a pair of tastings on Monday. The latter, a select pouring of Dutton-Goldfield wines, was basically a pretext to spend a delightful evening with BeiBei Song, who had charmed me when her Essinova crew had filmed the 2010 Cleantech Open Launch. The wines, as anticipated, were uniformly wonderful, particularly the 2008 Thomas Road Pinot Noir, 2007 Kyndall’s Reserve Chardonnay, and the 2008 Kylie’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc; my companion proved every bit as charming as she is beautiful.

Knowing I had to precede our date with Henry Wine Group ’s 2010 Taste the World, I allocated what I thought was enough time to cover this event, then return home to shower and change. But my local trade rep had misinformed me about the times for the event (not to mention failing to clue me in on its vast scope), so once again I found myself in a slight frenzy trying to cover as much as I could in the truncated space of time I had left. Bypassing the numerous tables of imports, I stated out with Paso Robles’ Ancient Peaks and their array of Estate bottlings from their Margarita Vineyard. Both the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2007 Syrah were quite delectable; both these grapes are blended with Petite Sirah and Zinfandel in the proprietary 2006 Oyster Ridge, a true showcase for the winery.

Many Oregon wineries excel at any varietal in the Pinot “clan” (i.e., Pinot Chardonnay), and Anne Amie roved no exception with its 2008 Pinot Gris and 2006 Winemaker’s Select Pinot Noir, but it was the 2008 Cuvée A Müller-Thurgau that really won me over. I suppose it’s surprising that more wineries haven’t designed a pentangular wine label for their Meritage, so the geometry of Cain Vineyards label for its 2005 Cain Five s
tands out as much as the wine it adorns. Its four-varietal (sans Malbec) NV6 Cain Cuvée showed true dexterity with blending, while the 2005 The Benchland held its own as a straightforward Cabernet.

It was hard, of course, to bypass wineries like Calera, Benton Lane, and Adelsheim, but I moved onto Ceàgo, an organic/biodynamic spinoff from the Fetzer family. I found their 2006 Syrah and especially their 2008 Muscat Canelli quite enticing. Too enticing, of course, was the next table, Clear Creek Distillery, Oregon’s premier grappaioli. Licensing restrictions will not allow me to serve any of these exceptional distillates at Sostevinobile, but I had to have at least one taste of the Clear Creek Grappa Pinot Noir.

Leaning over, I consoled myself with the white wine virtuosity of Claiborne & Churchill, exemplified by their 2007 Dry Riesling and the 2007 Dry Gewürztraminer. Steven MacRostie headlined at the table his marketing agency Crawford Malone had set up and, as one might expect, showcased his 2007 Chardonnay Carneros. Crawford Malone also introduced me to Eden Stuart’s 2005 Zinfandel Korte Ranch and their organically-grown 2006 SO Zin.Their newest client, Round Pond, is a winery I have long sought to try; the 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon most certainly did not disappoint.

I managed to scarf a final sip of Demetria Estates’ biodynamic 2007 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills (the similarity of their name to the Demeter certification standard is no coincidence). Likewise, I rushed through the last samples from Long Shadows, another wine marketer from Seattle, with Columbia Valley offerings from former Penfolds winemaker John Duval: the 2006 Sequel Syrah and a Agustin Huneeus/Philippe Melka joint venture: a Bordeaux + Syrah blend called 2006 Pirouette.

And on that note, I complete my thirteen or so explorations that led up to Rhône Rangers, a review I will undertake once I have a glass of single malt scotch. Neat.

What has Your West Coast Oenophile done for you lately? (part II)

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Sometime after this year’s Super Bowl, someone named Danica Patrick “the World’s Worst Celebrity Endorser.” Given that she rather ubiquitously promotes Go Daddy.com, I presume much of this attribution stems from her product. I had meant to post one lengthy entry entitled What has Your West Coast Oenophile done for you lately?, but in “improving” its blogging application, which I use to post this blog and Sostevinobile’s other Web presences, the programming geniuses at Go Daddy’s Scottsdale headquarters reduced the capacity of the Tags field from unlimited to 500 characters, forcing me to truncate my entries. I’m starting to regard Arizona as the Bangalore of the Southwest.

I could extend the simile by comparing the burgeoning wine industries in both Arizona and India, but, fortunately, neither will find into the select program of sustainably grown West Coast vintages at Sostevinobile. And, in my perpetual quest to make this program incomparable, my next foray following WORDUP was an intimate gathering of Ivy Plus wine aficionados under the auspices of the Stanford Wine Club. These bi-monthly klatches have begun to take on an almost familial flavor, with many of the attendees regular participants. On this particular evening, a trio of Stanford-affiliated winemakers—Mats Hagstrom of Travieso, Chris Loxton of Glen Ellen’s Loxton Cellars, and Michael Muscardini of Sonoma’s Muscardini Cellars—all showcased their array of Syrahs from Sonoma and from the Central Coast. As per usual, these vintages were juxtaposed against a pair of representative imports—here a pair of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and, as is frequently the case, clearly outshone their European counterparts, according to my palate.

The international contrast was even more pronounced later in the week, as I attended Crushpad’s farewell outside event in San Francisco, Bottlenote’s Around the World in 80 Sips. Despite its billing, however, this event seemed predominantly focused on wines from California, with distributors for imported wines manning tables that featured a potpourri of their selections. Not that I’m complaining—the more wineries I can discover that fit Sostevinobile’s criteria makes it a win-win proposition all around.

My friend Alyssa Rapp assembled a wide span of participants for this event, ranging from large-production labels controlled by the large conglomerates to little-known high-end wines that I had yet to encounter. Wineries like Cellar No. 8, Clos du Bois, Francis Ford Coppola, Frei Brothers, Rodney Strong and William Hill were probably familiar to most attendees. Others like Cannonball and Foggy Bridge seem almost ubiquitous presences at San Francisco wine tastings. From my previous incarnation in the wine business, Spring Mountain and Trione (which had spun off from its Geyser Peak holdings over a decade ago) were comforting presences to revisit. Likewise, Ackerman Family, Château Montelena, Fisher, Corison, and Skipstone have all graced this blog with their intricate wines on one or more occasions.

I am surprised whenever Bottlenotes’ The Daily Sip newsletter uncovers a California winery I have yet to discover, and so it was a pleasant revelation to be introduced to a number of wineries at this event. Chamisal Vineyards from Edna Valley featured a delectable 2007 Pinot Noir. As Jimmy Durante so often said, “Everybody wants to get into the act,” and so, too, Bottlenotes itself debuted their own vintage, the 2008 Notoriety Pinot Noir Doctors Vineyard. Vineyard 29, which customized the bottling for Bottlenotes and shares a winemaker (Philippe Melka) with Skipstone, scored with their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena. I liked the 2008 PAX Roussanne/Viognier from Donelan Family, while the organic vineyard of Garden Creek, with its quaint “One Red. One White. One Family. One Vineyard” motto impressed with its five-varietal 2004 Bordeaux Blend. Hawkes Wine, which fortunately has no affiliation with my major nemesis from graduate school, offered an amiable pair of 2007 Chardonnay and their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, while both Healdsburg’s Stonestreet and Geyserville’s Munselle Vineyards matched a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon with a 2007 Chardonnay.

Kelley & Young is an offshoot of the acclaimed Robert Young Estate Winery—a case of Father Knows Best totally unrelated to the TV series; nonetheless, this startup production showed glimpses of its pedigree with their 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and 2008 Merlot. Stryker Sonoma is an equally lean organization that balanced its offerings with a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and a more modest 2006 Zinfandel.

Our two northern neighbors each made a token appearance at this tasting. Washington’s DiStefano Winery held its own with a 2004 Cabernet Franc, while Archery Summit, the Oregon sister to Napa’s Pine Ridge, clearly lived up to its billing with their 2007 Pinot Noir. A label that enjoys incredible fanfare and a cult-like following, Scholium Project, fired on all cylinders with three of its renowned bottlings, the 2008 Naucratis Lost Slough (Verdelho), the 2007 Choêphoroi Los Olivos (Chardonnay), and the 2006 Tenbrink Babylon (Petite Sirah). In addition to the opportunity of finally meeting Scholium’s guru, Abe Schoener, this tasting afforded me the chance to sample the 2007 Chardonnay he made for Tenbrink Family Vineyards’ own label.

I did taste a number of the other wines, partly in deference to Lisa Perkins of New World Wine Imports, Inc., who, besides supplying the Northwest wines, had furnished me with a ticket to the event. OK, but I’m not about to revamp Sostevinobile’s focus.

The following Monday, I paid one of my occasional visits to California Wine Merchant, where Robert Pepi showcased his Eponymous label’s 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley and its Bordeaux-style kin, the 2005 Red Wine MacAllister Vineyard, alongside his wizardry for Soñador, an Argentine label producing Malbec and Torrontés.

On very rare occasions, I actually get it wrong. I had originally intended to attend In Vino Unitas in Carneros the following day, but received an invite to the Swirl tasting at Jardinière for the same afternoon. I then changed my RSVP to attend In Vino Unitas on Wednesday at One Market in San Francisco and overwrote my calendar entry for Tuesday. Unfortunately, I neglected to switch the times as well, and so had slated the Swirl tasting for 1-4pm, the hours for In Vino Unitas, instead of the correct times of 11-3. My fashionably late arrival left me with less than half an hour to race through the tables, instead of the nearly two hours I had anticipated!

The good news, however, is that Sostevinobile had previously connected with many, if not most, of the wineries present; I was able to make the acquaintance of all the others I had not met previously, except for Maldonado (an omission I will surely rectify on my next swing through St. Helena). Certainly, I would hope Crocker & Starr, Elizabeth Spencer, Hollywood & Vine, Kapcsándy, Kobalt, LaTour, Favia, Lindstrom,and Revana feel no slight in my having bypassed their tables on this visit—my appreciation of their wines has been cited in this column on numerous occasions. Meanwhile, I did manage to taste an impressive 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley from Alondra, the sister label of Skylark. Somewhat of a misnomer, Anomaly also impressed with its 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, along with a 2003 vintage of the same from it library.

Admittedly, if I had known my time was so constrained, I might not have lingered quite so long sampling the various vintages from Fritz Hatton’s Arietta Wines. Still, this music-themed label offered a number of mellifluous Bordelaise blends, including the 2008 On the White Keys, a combination of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, the Merlot-dominant 2007 Quartet, a more traditional 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, a less orthodox Merlot/Syrah blend entitled 2007 Variation One, and his premium 2007 H Block Hudson Vineyard, a cross between Cabernet Franc and Merlot. At the next stop, Gary Brookman and Jack Edwards delineated their Rhône and Bordeaux varietals, pouring their 2006 Brookman Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the 2008 La Diligence Marsanne Stagecoach Vineyard and the 2007 La Diligence Syrah Stagecoach Vineyard.

Regrettably, she may no longer be Celia Welch Masyczek (fellow members of La Società delle Cognome Italiane Pentasillabe and certain other readers know how much I revere intricate surnames), but her superb 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon for Corra Wines was no maiden effort! Another inveterate Napa winemaker, Karen Culler, offered equally tantalizing 2006 La Palette Cabernet Sauvignon and the 23% Syrah-infused 2007 Casaeda Cabernet Sauvignon from her eponymous label. I had sampled several of Rob Lawson’s sundry permutations at Wine Entre Femme back in February, but not his 2007 Blueline Vineyard Merlot from Hourglass. And though I had sampled numerous wines from Vineyard 29 only a few days before, their 2007 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon was a new discovery.

Another revelation during my truncated visit was Julianna Corley’s ever-so-aptly named Jules Mélange; her eclectic blends included the 2008 Vin Blanc, a combo of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Muscat, and the 2007 Vin Rouge, another Cabernet Franc-Merlot marriage, rounded out with 19% Syrah. By now, the event had ended, but fortunately some vendors do manage to be a bit remiss in clearly their table. Tricycle Wine Company, which bottles under the Molnar, Kazmer & Blaise, and Obsidian Ridge labels, dawdled long enough for me to taste their 2007 Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Red Hills, to contrast 2007 Molnar Chardonnay Poseidon’s Vineyard with the 2007 Kazmer & Blaise Chardonnay Boonfly Hill, and to luxuriate equally in the 2007 Molnar Pinot Noir Poseidon’s Vineyard and the 2007 Kazmer & Blaise Pinot Noir Primo’s Hill.

I suppose I, too, could linger here and jam this entry with my next investigative foray, but the new constraints of Go Daddy’s ineptitude and a redesigned interface to which I am just now adapting dictate that I draw this chapter to an abrupt close and resume momentarily…

What has Your West Coast Oenophile done for you lately?

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I shouldn’t feel derelict. I have striven to record each event he has attended on behalf of Sostevinobile with utmost fidelity. But I have a backlog of thirteen different wine forays to record since my last entry here, not to mention my participation in orchestrating three significant wine tastings, a handful of sustainable workshops and forums, and the arduous grind of assembling the financial backing for this venture. With Rhône Rangers Grand Tasting rapidly approaching, I must reluctantly admit I cannot give all these past gathering the thorough review readers know I strive to record in each blog entry. Rest assured, however, that each of the more than 100 wineries I have visited with during this period will be faithfully entered into Sostevinobile’s ever-expanding database and accorded full consideration when we launch our wine program. So, for now, let me give you a succinct overview of what Your West Coast Oenophile has done for you lately:

Just before Valentine’s Day, the up & coming rockstars at Rock Wall in Alameda put on a decadent pairing of wine and confections aptly billed as Chocolate Kisses & Bubble Dreams. The first wine event to be held in their brand-new Bubble Dome, a airy, geodesic edifice adjacent to the winery’s converted airplane hangar at the decommissioned Naval Air Base, the afternoon gathering appropriately debuted Rock Wall’s two new sparkling wines, the 2009 Sparkling Grenache and the Grenache-blended 2009 Mixto. After the party, several of the wineries that contract Rock Wall’s facilities, including Carica, with its delectable 2006 Kick Ranch Syrah, and Ehrenberg Cellars, which featured its 2008 Petite Sirah alongside its just-release Zinfandel futures.

Valentine’s Day 2010 proved a decidedly muted affair, as I still grapple with the vacuity of home life post-Ginkgo Girl. As such, a trip to the wine country during the middle of the week proved a much-needed tonic. This sojourn included a visit to Silenus Vintners, a collective of Napa artisan winemakers not unlike Rock Wall that includes B Cellars, Due Vigne di Famiglia, Gridley, Ideology, Ilsley, Matthiasson, Poem Cellars, Ramian, and Venge. Tasting Room Manager Scott Turnnidge guided me through their rotating selection of wines from their nine producers, some familiar, others revelatory. Naturally, I couldn’t resist trying the 2006 Due Vigne Dolcetto after first sampling the 2008 Due Vigne Viognier, but found myself most allured by the 2006 Ramian Estate Debauchery.

From Napa, I head north and across Silverado Trail to Hall Wines’ Rutherford estate, one of the more picturesque hilltop wineries in the Valley. Again, ably guided by Laura Aguilar, the special Artisan Tour took our small group through the organic estate vineyards, the vast holdings and the custom-designed wine caves before treating us to a select tasting of Hall’s choicest crimson-labeled Cabernets, including the 2006 Exzellenz Sacrashe Vineyard and the eponymous 2006 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon. Next up, I scurried to Benessere for a belated sampling of their 2006 Sorridente, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Aglianico, and their 2006 Sangiovese (it would have been a violation, of course, to sample their Grappa of Trebbiano on site, so I took a bottle home for later evaluation).

Ostensibly, my trip this afternoon was for the invite to Orin Swift’s release party, somewhat ironic in that their recent sale of the Prisoner and Saldo to Huneeus meant the swan song for these labels. But the curious confines of St. Helena’s Odd Fellows Hall could not deter my fondness for David Phinney’s Burgundian Meritage, the 2006 Papillon or his phenomenal 2007 Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon.

Having recently left Benessere for his own ventures, winemaker Chris Dearden had invited me to meet him at Yountville’s V Marketplace 1870 but neglected to inform me that he was pouring his Cha
nticleer as part of First Taste Yountville. Arriving with barely 15 minutes left to the event, rather than simply enjoy a leisurely his 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2008 Chanticleer Sangiovese, I raced to acquaint myself with those participants still lingering as wineries like Casa Piena and Dominus folded their tables. I did manage to squeeze in some quick samples from Bell Wine Cellars, Corley Family, Gamble, Gemstone, Grgich Hills, Ghost Block, and Piña before we were shooed from the exhibit hall and wove my way back to downtown Napa for a final invite to BarBersQ’s showcasing of new wines from Mia Klein’s Serene and Elizabeth Spencer.

My own debut in organizing a formal wine tasting took place the following Saturday at the New Year’s Gala for the National Association of Asian American Professionals, San Francisco chapter (NAAAP-SF), a modest debut featuring wines from McNab Ridge and Wild Hog—a modest effort, to be sure, but certainly a cut (or six) above Crane Lake. The next day, Carica’s Dick Keenan kindly supplied me with passes to WORDUP, the benefit tasting featuring the Winemakers of the Outer Richmond, Upper Panhandle, and the Presidio.This eclectic assembly included three of Ed Sandler’s ventures: The Industrial, Sandler Wine, and, as always, August West; the dual personæ of Qupé (Rhône varietals) and Verdad (Spanish varietals) from Bob Lindquist; fellow wine bar entrepreneur Bryan Kane’s VIE and Sol Rouge; CADE and PlumpJack from Gavin Newsom’s hospitality empire; the rather peripatetic Foggy Bridge; local stalwart AP Vin; are chance to visit with Carica and sample their just-released GMS blend, the 2007 Temptation; Harrington, who had generously contributed a couple of cases of their Pinot Noir to my Play Café’s fundraiser four years ago; familiar winery veterans Freeman, Calera and Pelligrini; quasi-familiar ventures Ici/La-Bas and Skylark; hitherto unfamiliar nomenclature Mojon’s Bench and Captûre; Italian varietal specialist Uvaggio, with its newly-truncated nomenclature; Syrah specialists Renard, with their superb Viognier farmed at Dick Keenan’s Kick Ranch vineyard; and lastly, the highly-prized handmade Brown Label Vermouth of the semi-cryptic Sutton Cellars.

Mine’s bigger

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I’m not quite sure what compelled me to attend the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento last month. Perhaps Your West Coast Oenophile was feeling a bit cooped up in San Francisco. Maybe I felt a leisurely drive past miles of rolling hills might feel therapeutic (few sights can rival the verdant Northern California countryside following a spate of winter rains). Part of me thought I might find fresh sources of funds for Sostevinobile, but, in truth, my primary incentive was a free exhibits pass I received from Kantharos, the Process Water Systems recently installed at Kendal Jackson’s Cardinale winery designed to reduce, if not eliminate, the need for wastewater ponds by filtrating and recycling water runoff.

My route to the Sacramento Convention center took me past the State Capitol but, alas, Arnold was nowhere to be seen (I half-hoped I might espy him taking a break in his cigar tent). I thought that Arnold’s famed Hummer might be the biggest vehicle in this town, but it turned out to be downright puny compared to some of the behemoths I encountered inside the Exhibition Hall. This array of backhoes, tillers and harvesters could make mincemeat out of the Guvernator’s ride, and given the way he has handled California’s economy over the past two years, as well as oversight of the whole state, I’m pretty sure there were more than a few attendees at the Symposium who would have volunteered for the task—provided Schwarzenegger were guaranteed to be inside!

It turns out the Symposium had little to do with showcasing wine, although a few of the exhibitors did offer tastings (Tablas Creek!)—not quite Plato meant by Συμπόσιον. True, there had been a wine reception following the informational forums on the previous day, but my excursion to Sacramento proved little more than a respite from desk duties. Besides, I had won a free ticket to the Good Eats & Zinfandel Pairing that evening and would have plenty to imbibe when I arrived back in San Francisco.

This soirée offered a (somewhat) less harried preview to Saturday’s Grand Zinfandel Tasting at ZAP. The most ginormous of all of San Francisco’s Grand Tastings every year, ZAP #19 was much like ZAP #18 was much like ZAP #17 etc., ever since they reached the point of filling two entire exhibit halls at Fort Mason. Although this year’s event may have been a tad less crowded and with slightly fewer participating wineries. And, like Family Winemakers this previous summer, the absence of an Aidells Sausage table was acutely felt (6+ hours of wine tasting demands protein)!

Having covered last year’s event in this blog, a flowery description of the setting seems superfluous. This year, I devised a two-pronged attack to make my way through the event—sample all the new members, then try to reach every table I had missed in 2009. An ambitious approach, to be sure, but one at which I succeeded quite admirably. As such, let me now enumerate my discoveries:

I began the afternoon in the Festival Pavilion—wineries H-Z, which brought me first to Paso Robles’ HammerSky. Both their offerings impressed me, but I strongly favored the 2007 Open Invitation Zin Blend, Paso Robles, an estate wine rounded out with 10% Merlot. Of course, I could not resist visiting with their tablemates, the incredible Harney Lane, a winery that never fails to impress me. As I expected, I immensely enjoyed both their mainstream 2007 Zinfandel Lodi and the designate2007 Old Vine Zinfandel Lizzy James Vineyard.

Somehow, I had missed J. Rickards Winery at last year’s tasting, so I was glad I could atone and savor their 2006 Zinfandel Ancestors Selection Block, a wine they describe as grown “from our block of vines replicating the century-old zin-yards of Alexander Valley” (given the plethora of “Old Vine” Zins I would encounter throughout the day, I welcomed the implied contrast of this designation). Next table over, J. Keverson Winery stood totally new to ZAP and to me but impressed in their debut with 2006 Zinfandel Hales from Dry Creek Valley and the 2007 Zinfandel Buck Hill, a Sonoma appellation.

Apart from being the first Vice-President to accede to the Presidency upon the death of his predecessor, John Tyler also holds the record for most (15!) children by a White House occupant. Sonoma’s Bacigalupi family, owners of John Tyler Wines, may not be quite so prodigious, but I still found myself enjoying a three year vertical of their wine, the 2003 Zinfandel Bacigalupi Vineyards standing out among its successive vintages. Next up, Napa’s JR Winery showcased a trio of Zins, of which I found the 2006 Zinfandel Los Chamizal and the 2007 Zinfandel Rocky Terrace the most compelling.

In Miwok mythology, the animal-spirit of the Hummingbird that predated human culture was known as Koo Loo Loo. Yountville’s Koo Loo Loo Vineyards may not be supernatural, but their organic vineyards yield a compelling wine, as evidenced by both their 2007 Organic Old Vine Zinfandel and its successor, the 2008 Organic Old Vine Zinfandel. Northwest of this winery, Mariah Vineyards of Point Arena marked its first ZAP with their 2006 Estate Zinfandel Mendocino while Ukiah’s McNab Ridge offered a 2007 Zinfandel Mendocino and a fortified vintage, the 2005 Puerto Zinfandel Port Mendocino.

Mendocino is also home to Neese Vineyards and their Giùseppe Wines, paying homage to their grandfather with the 2002 Nonno Giùseppe and the 2003 vintage of this Redwood Valley Zinfandel. Back in St. Helena, Nichelini, the winery that had introduced me to Sauvignon Vert last year, made quite the bold statement with their 2007 Zinfandel Chiles Valley. Ottimino, a quaint diminutive loosely translated as “Little 8,” is a Zinfandel-only winery in Occidental, Sonoma’s rustic Italian enclave. This exclusivity serves them well, as evidenced by their 2006 Estate Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, the 2006 Zinfandel Von Weidlich Vineyard and the 2007 Zinfinity (aka Little ∞).

Before they started selling off some brands last year, ∞ might also have stood for Constellation’s targeted wine output; they have since slipped back into a comfortable 3rd place among the largest wine producers. A brand they did keep, Paso Creek, is based in St. Helena but produced a 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles. On the other hand, Proulx, the premium label from Blackburn Wine Company, is a small lot operations based in Paso Robles and offered two vineyard-designate wines from this AVA, the 2007 Zinfandel Reserve Paso Robles and the 2007 Zinfandel Jack Barrett.

The three R’s of Zinfandel have long been considered to be Ridge, Ravenswood, and Rosenblum, which has been subsumed by Diageo. Its worthy successor, Rock Wall, brought along a trio of Kent Rosenblum-inspired Zins: the 2007 Reserve Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard, the 2007 Zinfandel Sonoma County, and the 2008 Zinfandel Jesse’s Vineyard. Other prominent R’s include Rafanelli, Robert Rue, Rombauer and, of course, the Sierra Foothills’ Renwood Winery, with their patriarchal tribute, the 2007 Grandpère and its companion 2006 Grandmère and 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel. Renwood, however, should not be confused with another veteran winery, Haywood Estates of Sonoma Valley, whose versatility shone brightest in its 2006 Zinfandel Los Chamizal Vineyards and its 2007 Zinfandel Rocky Terrace.

Sextant Wines showcased a trio of their Paso Robles Zins, but their real standout was the unlisted 2007 Night Watch, a blend of Petite Sirah, Grenache, Syrah and Zinfandel. Another unusual twist came from Starlite Winery, founded by former Stars maître d’ Arman Pahlavan and directed by Merry Edwards, a winemaker widely acclaimed for her Pinot Noir. Her versatility with this varietal was readily apparent, nonetheless, with the 2006 Zinfandel Alexander Valley and its worthy successor, the 2007 Zinfandel Alexander Valley. And yet another surprise came from ZAP newcomer Sierra Starr Vineyards, which countered its three Zins with a rather novel wine, the 2009 Zinjolais, a young, fruit-forward expression crafted like a Beaujolais Noveau!

I have to admit, there’s something instantly likable about a winery that calls its port-style bottling Portentous, and the Stephen & Walker Winery lived up to my preconceptions with a vertical of their Sonoma Zins, the 2005 Zinfandel Dry Creek garnering the most favor. I should also have cottoned to the 2007 Controlled Chaos from Thacher Winery, but my preference was for their 2006 Je T’Aime from Paso Robles. Meanwhile, the Valdez Family Winery in Geyserville topped all punsters with their 2007 Bottlicelli, a Rock Pile Zinfandel.

I was a bit surprised that I hadn’t previously partaken of Tofanelli’s wines, so I indulged in both their fine pourings, slightly favoring the 2007 Estate Zinfandel Napa Valley over its predecessor. As Virgil’s Vineyard was a newcomer to the tasting, I had no similar regrets in not having tasted his wines before but regaled in the mischievous delights of his 2008 Smuggler’s Son, a liquid paean to his grandfather’s Prohibition activities.

Some feel that the term
“Old Vine Zinfandel” is somewhat cliché, a marketing ploy at best. XYZin gives this moniker clarity with the precision of their Vine Age Series, offering a 2007 Vine Age Series, 100 Year Old Vines, Dry Creek Valley, the 2007 Vine Age Series, 50 Year Old Vines, Russian River Valley, and a fin de siècle 2007 Vine Age Series, 10 Year Old Vines. Winemaker also likes to bill XYZin as the last word in Zinfandel, but she is wrong! Napa’s Z-52 is a Zinfandel-only project from Philip Zorn and Brent Shortridge, with three vineyards in the Shenandoah Valley, another in Lodi, and my favorite of their single vineyard offerings, the 2007 Zinfandel Brsada Vineyard from Sonoma Valley. And holding up the end of the list, Templeton’s ZinAlley poured both an admirable 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles and an alluring 2007 Zinfandel Port.

Having reached the end of my list, I now needed to address the beginning and head to the Herbst Pavilion. I did, however, first stop off and visit with my former squash opponent, Jack Jelenko, whose many wine forays have now led him to Villa Toscano in the Shenandoah Valley. Though specializing in an eclectic mix of Italian-, Spanish and Rhône-style wines, this winery cum bistro nonetheless handles Zinfandel quite ably, the 2007 Fox Creek Old Vine Zinfandel narrowly eclipsing their other two tastings. Over on the A-G side, I stumbled upon another noteworthy Shenandoah selection, the 2007 Zinfandel Potter Valley from Ione’s Clos du Lac, who also impressed me with their 2007 Reserve Blend Zinfandel.

Were it not for Italy’s perennial representative at ZAP, Accademia dei Raccemi, Barnard Griffin of Richland, WA would have garnered top honors for most remote entrant. Nonetheless, its 2006 Zinfandel Columbia Gorge fit right in with its California kindred. A stellar representative of that same vintage came from newcomer Arrowhead Mountain, whose 2006 Zinfandel Sonoma Valley hailed much closer to home.

I am not one of those wine bloggers who believes he can impart to his readers the particulars of how a certain wine tastes—every person’s palate is his or her own, and, frankly, the whole idea of this journal is simply to expose my readers to an array of wines I have enjoyed and let them discover what they find in it. Among those fellow scribes who do offer their rendition of a wine’s component flavors, flint or flint-like may be a frequently-cited epithet, but I have yet to hear a wine described as Flintstone. However, I was pleased to discover Sonoma’s Bedrock Wine Company, a promising young venture with young promising wines: the 2009 Zinfandel Stellwagen Vineyard and the 2009 Zinfandel Dolinsek Ranch. Coffee is a term more frequently associated with wines like Petite Sirah or Petit Verdot, but Peet’s Coffee baron Jerry Baldwin has focused his wine aspirations on Zin, with a commendable debut of his 2008 Rattlesnake Ridge Zinfandel from his Gerald Baldwin Wines.

I won’t try to make correlations between Beaver Creek’s name and the flavors of its wines. Their organic and biodynamic wines speak for themselves, as their 2007 Zinfandel Lake County attests. Close to the Lake County border, Howell Mountain’s Bella Vetta in Angwin sources its Zinfandel from estate vineyards in Dry Creek—certainly, their 2006 Jack’s Cabin Rockpile Zinfandel stood up admirably to its pedigree. On the other hand, I wonder how Celia Dineen Brown and her family managed to stay standing with the crowds that flocked to their table! Brown Estate superseded their popularity from last year’s ZAP with a striking 2008 Zinfandel Napa Valley, their dessert-style 2006 Arrested Zinfandel and a spectacular blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zin
fandel, the 2007 Chaos Theory. Another winemaking family, the Hopes of Paso Robles, debuted their fourth line, Candor Wines, with a non-vintage Zinfandel Central Coast.

Usually sparkling and distilled wines come first to mind when I think of Philo, but Claudia Springs dispelled this perception with a quintet of vineyard-designate Mendocino Zins, including their 2007 John Ricetti Vineyard Zinfandel, the 2006 Valenti Ranch Zinfandel and their superb 2006 Rhodes Vineyard Zinfandel. Further south, I associate Alexander Valley more with Cabernet Sauvignon, but relished my chance to try Gia Passalacqua’s Dancing Lady and their vertical selection of Old Vine Zinfandel Della Costa Family Vineyard, with preference toward the 2007 vintage.

This year, ZAP decided to alphabetized the numerically-named wineries as if spelled, thus 585 Wine Partners and 5 Mile Bridge Wines were found among the Fs. The former, the victim of a ruthless coup d’etat the very next day, offered two organically-grown Zins, the 2007 Steelhead Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley (a joint venture with Quivira) and the 2008 Green Truck, along with their noteworthy 2008 Powder Keg Zinfandel. 5 Mile Bridge hails from Paso Robles and like 585, offers reasonably-priced wines that belie their quality, the 2006 Zinfandel Margarita Vineyard and the 2007 Stinger, a considerable bargain at $10.

I always make sure to visit with fellow Big Green wine producers, like Peay or Limerick Lane, so upon learning of Jay Fritz’ Dartmouth heritage, I circled over to the Fritz Winery table to taste their 2007 Estate Zinfandel Dr Creek Valley and a deliberately understated 2007 Late Harvest Zinfandel. I wound down ZAP with Gamba Vineyards from Fulton, a final Zin-only producer, whose 2007 Estate Old Vine Zinfandel and 2007 Zinfandel Moratto Vineyard made a superb coda to my 5 hour marathon.

Fortunately for me, no other Grand Tasting approaches the size of ZAP, so I hope to make up for lost time with more abbreviated summaries of the five or six events I attended in February. Something much bigger—the realization of Sostevinobile—demands that I do…