{"id":56,"date":"2010-09-29T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2010-09-29T08:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/?p=56"},"modified":"2010-09-29T08:45:00","modified_gmt":"2010-09-29T08:45:00","slug":"try-to-dismember-a-guy-in-september","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/?p=56","title":{"rendered":"Try to dismember a guy in September"},"content":{"rendered":"

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T.S. Eliot<\/a> was wrong\u2014how could anyone who is as morosely fatalistic before the age of 35, as the pre-redacted version of The Wasteland<\/i> clearly illustrates, not be? Granted, September may not truly be the cruelest month\u2014Your West Coast Oenophile <\/b>is a proud September baby\u2014but, in its role as California Wine Month<\/a>, it has certainly proved the most overwhelming for Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font>.<\/b><\/b><\/b><\/b><\/font>
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Nine major events to attend and cover, in the space of little over three weeks, with several others I was forced to bypass because of time overlaps\u2014suffice it to say I felt tugged in about a hundred different directions. This coming on the heels of Family Winemakers, with the 76 wineries I tasted there. I\u2019m beginning to feel like a walking field blend! I\u2019ve already written extensively on the Taste of Sonoma<\/a>, and am obliged to thorough coverage of The Ultimate Sierra Foothills Wine Tasting Experience<\/a>, the 11th Annual Mt. Veeder Appellation Tasting<\/a>, and the Coombsville Premi\u00e8re Tasting<\/a>. Now, however, let me try to synopsize the other five events and some private explorations:<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Rock Wall Does Rockpile<\/font><\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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The day after my Disco Milestone Birthday, my friend Randy Caparoso sponsored a side-by-side tasting of the various winemakers and growers from the Rockpile AVA<\/a>. This viticultural area is highly unusual, in that it owes its prominence to the recent man-made phenomenon of Lake Sonoma<\/a>, which formed following the damming of Dry Creek in 1983. Unintentionally, this artificial reservoir provided a new climate modulator for the soil-poor ridge tops that were not submerged after the dam\u2019s completion, making possible the highly-stressed Zinfandel vines for which this rugged region is famed.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Others had farmed here before or made wine from Rockpile Vineyards, but the AVA truly came into its own when Wine Spectator named the 2003 Rosenblum <\/b><\/font><\/font>Rockpile Road <\/font><\/b>Zinfandel<\/b> its #3 wine for 2005. Fittingly, Randy\u2019s Rockpile seminar took place at Alameda\u2019s Rock Wall<\/a>, Kent Rosenblum\u2019s current wine venture that Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font> has cited on numerous occasions. Along with the \u201chome team,\u201d seven other wineries poured for this trade-only event, making the afternoon <\/font><\/font><\/font>quite leisurely<\/font><\/font>, with unfettered access to all the winemakers on hand. <\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Rock Wall poured familiar selections of its wines, including the 2008 Chardonnay Russian River<\/b> and a barrel sample of its 2009 Rockpile Zinfandel<\/b>, chivalrously allowing its guest wineries to take the spotlight. Along with its 2007 Se\u00f1al<\/b>, a Zinfandel smoothed with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Sirah it had poured at Family Winemakers<\/a>, Branham Estate<\/a> showcased both a 2007 Rockpile Petite Sirah<\/b> and 2005 Rockpile Zinfandel<\/b>.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Stryker Sonoma<\/a> is a Geyserville operation making a number of wines from Rockpile Vineyards. Exceptional wines, as their black ink 2006 Petit Verdot Rockpile Vineyard <\/b>and new 2007 Cabernet Franc Rockpile Vineyard<\/b> attested, along with an amiable 2005 Zinfandel<\/b>. My friends from Seghesio<\/a> poured an interesting bi-annual vertical of their Rockpile Zins, starting with their exceptional 2005 Rockpile Zinfandel<\/b>. While the 2007 Rockpile Zinfandel<\/b> tasted a tad less complex, the barrel sample of the 2009 vintage portended great promise<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Rockpile suits a range of bold, red varietals, including the family of Bordeaux grapes. Paradise Ridge<\/a> fully exploits this terrain with its 2007 Rockpile<\/b><\/font> Merlot<\/b>. Like Seghesio, it offered a vertical of its Rockpile Cabs, starting with the 2005 Elevation Cabernet Sauvignon Rockpile<\/b>. Again, this wine did not seem as striking in 2006, but the 2007 Eleva
\ntion Cabernet Sauvignon Rockpile<\/b> was extraordinary<\/font><\/font>.
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Rosenblum\u2019s former winemaker, Jeff Cohn, proved ever the contrarian by pouring four Syrahs with nary a Zin\u2014quite the Rockpile anomaly\u2014from his own JC Cellars<\/a>. Jeff actually sources Syrah from two different vineyards and pour two different vintages from each. I found the 2008 Buffalo Hill Syrah<\/b> incrementally preferable its 2007 version, while the equally excellent 2007 Haley Syrah<\/b> and the 2008 Haley Syrah<\/b> contrasted only in style, the latter displaying  far more minerality than its predecessor.
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As good as these Syrahs were, they were overshadowed by the absolutely astounding 2007 Madrone Spring Syrah<\/b> that Mauritson Wines<\/a> poured<\/font><\/font>. Mauritson forebear S. P. Hallengren essentially founded Rockpile, first planting vines there in 1884. With seven separate vineyards in the AVA, the breadth of wines they bottle under their affiliated Rockpile label is remarkable, ranging from the 2008 Rockpile Ridge Zinfandel<\/b> and the terminally-named 2008 Cemetery Zinfandel<\/b> to the 2007 Madrone Spring Petite Sirah<\/b> and the 2007 Buck Pasture Malbec<\/b>. I also sampled their 2007 Buck Pasture Red<\/b>, a Meritage with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot, 10% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Franc, and can only wish they had poured their alluring 2007 Independence Red<\/b>, an exotic blend of 23% Tinta C\u00e3o, 23% Touriga Nacional, 23% Souz\u00e3o, 23% Tinta Madeira, and 8% Tannat.
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As I alluded in my last entry, I had kind of taken Mauritson for granted after my initial exposure to their wines a while back and not really explored them in depth. This afternoon, however, they absolutely opened up my eyes (as they did for many of the other attendees)<\/i> to how extraordinary so many of their wine are during the <\/font><\/font>centerpiece of the afternoon: the Rockpile tasting seminar<\/font><\/font>. Not that I mean to detract anything from Seghesio or Paradise Ridge or Carol Shelton<\/a>, who also poured comparative selections of their Rockpile Zinfandels from the 2000s, all of whom had several highly impressive bottlings throughout this past decade.
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Shelton and Mauritson each poured one of their 2001 and 2002 bottlings, starting with Carol\u2019s 2001 Zinfandel Rocky Reserve <\/b>and Mauritson\u2019s 2001 Rockpile Ridge Zinfandel<\/b>\u2014a bit peaked, in both incidences. the 2002 Rocky Ridge, however, proved a wine whose flavors exploded on the tongue, a truly amazing wine. We leaped ahead to 2005 with Seghesio\u2019s 2005 Rockpile Zinfandel <\/b>and the 2005 <\/b><\/font>The Convict <\/b><\/font>Zinfandel Rocky Ridge Vineyard<\/b><\/font> from Paradise Ridge joining the mix. Both of these wines struck me as amiable, as did the 2007 Shelton, but the 2005 Rocky Ridge Zinfandel<\/b> Mauritson poured warranted one of my very rare \"\"<\/font>! <\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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2007 is widely considered a benchmark year for Rockpile Zins, and both Seghesio and Carol Shelton more than lived up to expectation. I felt a bit indifferent about Paradise Ridge\u2019s selection from this vintage and, ironically, Mauritson\u2019s bottling, while superb, seemed a bit diminished compared to the 2005. The last comparison, the barrel samples from 2009, came around full circle. Paradise Ridge showed strong, Seghesio and Shelton hinted at extraordinary things to open up with a few years\u2019 aging, and, again, the Mauritson garnered a (pre-bottling!) \"\"<\/font><\/i>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Another of my coveted red & black accolades belongs to a wine Carol Shelton poured at the main tasting, the 2003 Zinfandel Rocky Reserve<\/b>. The 2000 vintage of the same showed remarkably for a 10-year-old Zin, while both the 2004 and 2006 remained impressive. I also found the much to like in her 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockpile Reserve<\/b> and in the dense richness of her 2006 <\/b>Petite Sirah Rockpile Reserve<\/b><\/font>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Some of the attendees at this intimate gathering wondered why know one had tried growing a white varietal in Rockpile, though the consensus seemed that rugged character of the soil might not suit itself to the majority of these grapes. In jest, I suggested they could always make a White Zinfandel. My hasty retreat to the door and my next appointment at the Green Chamber of Commerce<\/a> came not a moment too soon!<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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No acronyms, please! SLH\u2014the Santa Lucia Highlands.<\/font><\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

Given my proclivity with ABM<\/font><\/font> software<\/font><\/font> (anything but Microsoft)<\/i>, along with my numerous stints writing for and marketing hi-tech and Internet enterprises, many people think of me as a techie. Hardly, even though I did submit a GUI icon for COBOL for patent and often find myself an easy mark for free Macintosh tech support among my close circles. On the other hand, my disdain for the prefab milieu of Silicon Valley (aka LegoLand)<\/i> has been well documented in these entries, and, despite my overt allegiance, I will readily identify Cupertino as the home of Ridge<\/a> over Apple<\/a>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Technological advances can offer wonderful advantages. Back in the days of typewriters and IBM Selectrics, I could never compose at the keyboard and always had to transcribe my manuscripts from hand-written pages; with the advent of personal computers and Quark Xpress<\/a> (whose word processing functions are infinitely more elegant than MS-Word)<\/i>, I script seamlessly on the screen and edit as I type. It\u2019s only when operating a technology becomes an end in itself, rather facilitating a purpose or achievement (i.e., Facebook)<\/i> that I find myself contending with its value. Or simply when it doesn\u2019t do what it\u2019s supposed to do.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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GPS stands for Global Positioning Satellite; like millions of other people, I have come to rely on this technology <\/font><\/font>to pinpoint any place on the globe with utmost precision. Sometimes, however, I think it must stand for General Proximity (Sort of)<\/i>. The <\/font><\/font><\/font>Wine Artisans of the <\/font>Santa Lucia Highlands<\/font><\/a> <\/font>held<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font> their Summer Trade Tasting at Cin-Cin Wine Bar<\/a> the following Monday. Even with plugging in their precise street address, differing mapping services put their location at point more than nine miles away from downtown Los Gatos, near the Palm Haven area of San Jose! <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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A number of attendees and even some of the <\/font><\/font>winery representatives failed to note this discrepancy, only to find themselves hopeless crisscrossing the Valley and arriving more than an hour late; I had enough of a sense of the general boundaries of Los Gatos to double-check and point my iPhone toward the correct listing. But even this setting could not properly identify the little side alleys and walkways that subdivided this little shopping district, causing me to squander a good 20 minutes or so crisscrossing a four block area in search of a storefront. By the time I located the bar, I was ready to drink<\/strike>, or should I say, sip.
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No matter, once I had signed in and collected my glass, my frustration bubbled away. Most of the wineries on hand today had poured either at the Santa Lucia Highlands tasting in San Francisco back in March or at this summer\u2019s 18th Annual Winemakers Celebration<\/a> in Monterey (or both)<\/i>, so I naturally gravitated to newcomer Caraccioli Cellars<\/a>, a tantalizing startup working out of Gonzales. Atypically, my first tasting of the afternoon was their superbly dry 2006 Brut<\/b>, a m\u00e9thode champenoise<\/i> rendering of their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay lots. Their second cuv\u00e9e, a sparkling 2006 Brut Ros\u00e9<\/b>, faintly painted a pink pour in the subdued interior lighting and hinted at a touch more sweetness than a Brut typically imparts. I was struck by the acidity of their food-friendly 2007 Chardonnay<\/b>, while the 2007 Pinot Noir <\/b>had already attained a distinct softness to it.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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This event launched the first-ever bottling for tiny KORi Wines<\/a>, with a their 2007 Pinot Noir KW Ranch<\/b>, an auspicious debut for this Gonzales boutique<\/font> head up by the effervescent Kori Violini, who wisely eschewed any musical depictions on her label. Other wineries that chose to represent themselves with but a single Pinot were Charles Hendricks\u2019 Hope & Grace<\/a>, a Yountville-based operation pouring their Santa Lucia Highlands bottling, the 2008 Pinot Noir Doctors\u2019 Vineyard<\/b>, Scenic Routes<\/a> of Marin\u2019s Pey-Lucia Vineyards, with a 2008 Pinot Noir Frisquet, and Healdsburg\u2019s Sequana<\/a>, with their 2008 Pinot Noir Sarmento Vineyard<\/b>, their Santa Lucia Highlands single-vineyard Pinot.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Tondr\u0113 Wines<\/a> was scheduled to pour their 2007 Pinot Noir Tondr\u0113<\/font> Grapefield<\/b>, but failed, once again, to appear<\/font><\/font>. The 2007 Pinot Noir Tondr\u0113<\/font> Grapefield<\/b> from Bernardus<\/a>, however, proved an exceptional wine, almost the equal of their 2007 Pinot Noir Rosella\u2019s Vineyard<\/font><\/b>. Meanwhile, their 2007 Chardonnay Rosella\u2019s Vineyard<\/b> distinguished itself in comparison to the 2007 Chardonnay Paraiso Vineyard<\/b>. The ubiquitous Ed Kurtzman\u2019s August West<\/a> produced a trio of impressive wines from this same grapefield, the 2008 Chardonnay Rosella\u2019s Vineyard<\/b>, 2008 Syrah Rosella\u2019s Vineyard<\/b><\/font><\/b>, and their 2008 Pinot Noir Rosella\u2019s Vineyard<\/b><\/font><\/b>, as well as a distinctive 2008 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands<\/b>. <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>
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The Santa Lucia Highlands AVA has taken on quite the Burgundian aura since its inception, and, befittingly, nearly half the remaining wineries this afternoon showcased only their Chardonnay and Pinot (I realize each may also produce other varietals from outside the growing area<\/i>). Having highlighted these efforts earlier this year, let me simply cite the standouts: the 2008 Pinot Noir Garys\u2019 Vineyard<\/b> from Martin Alfaro<\/a>; Talbott<\/a>\u2019s extraordinary 2007 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard<\/b>, as well as their 2008 Pinot Noir Kali Hart<\/b>; Morgan<\/a>\u2019s 2008 Pinot Noir Double L Vineyard<\/b>; the double charms the 2008 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard<\/b> and the 2008 Pinot Noir Garys\u2019 Vineyard<\/b> from Testarossa<\/a>; Mariposa Wine<\/a>\u2019s <\/font><\/font><\/font>Cr\u016b label, with its 2008 Pinot Noir S.L.H<\/b>; the delightful 2007 Pinot Noir Four Boys\u2019s Vineyard<\/b> that Pessagno<\/a> poured alongside its 2008 Chardonnay Lucia Highlands Vineyard<\/b>; and a striking contrast between the 2008 Mer Soleil Chardonnay<\/b> and its twin 2008 Mer Soleil Chardonnay Silver<\/b>, the same wine aged in cement tanks, that Belle Glos<\/a> showcased.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Pockets of contrast did appear this afternoon. Tudor Wines<\/a> made a strong showing with its 2006 Pinot Noir Sarmento Vineyard<\/b>, distinguished itself with a pair of contrasting Rieslings, the 2007 Radog Riesling Santa Lucia Highlands<\/b><\/font>.<\/b> and the drier, more approachable 2007 Radog Riesling Evie\u2019s Blend<\/b>. beyond its familiar lineup, Hahn Family Wines<\/a> poured a rather likable 2008 Hahn Pinot Gris,<\/b> while Ray Franscioni\u2019s Puma Road<\/a> showcased its 2007 Pinot Gris Black Mountain Vineyard<\/b>, the same source of its 2007 Chardonnay<\/b>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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A ros\u00e9 by any other name is still a ros\u00e9; nonetheless, the 2008 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir<\/b> McIntyre<\/a> poured was a welcome refresher on this warm afternoon. My friends from Pelerin<\/a> impressed with their 2009 Les Tournesols Paraiso Vineyard<\/b>, a Roussanne\/Viognier blend, to complement their 2007 Les Violettes Paraiso Vineyard<\/b>, a Syrah.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Paraiso<\/a> produced its own label, under which they bottled their 2008 Estate Pinot Noir<\/b> and a truly delectable 2007 Pinot Noir West Terrace<\/b>; their own 2005 Syrah Wedding Hill<\/b> showed their impressive versatility, as well. Similarly, I found the 2007 Estate Syrah<\/b> Manzoni<\/a> produced equal to, if not superior, to their efforts with Chardonnay and Pinot.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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I have made no pretense about my fondness for Wrath<\/a>, and this afternoon only amplified my appreciation with the exceptional 2007 Syrah Doctors\u2019 Vineyard<\/b> (if only they had not run out of the 2007 Syrah 877\/Noir<\/b> before I approached their table)! <\/i>Similarly, I have been effusive in my praise for Carmel Valley\u2019s Boekenoogen<\/a>, and was delighted to sample the 2008 Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands<\/b> left behind at their station when they packed up early and left.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Obviously, I would have also like to try Boekenoogen\u2019s 2008 Estate Chardonnay <\/b>and the 2007 Estate Pinot Noir<\/b>, as well, had they finished the event. From a professional standpoint, I find it highly disconcerting when wineries depart prematurely (this occurs with predictable regularity at almost every tasting)
\n<\/i>\u2014it seems little to ask if someone makes a three hour commitment for them to avail themselves for the full three hours and enable as many attendees as possible to sample and evaluate their wines. It\u2019s quite an overwhelming feat to try covering everyone who pours at these tastings\u2014and remember, folks like me are there principally to support and promote<\/i> you.<\/p>\n
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Adventures in West Coast Wines<\/font><\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

Eight things I know about Daly City:
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1) Its formal name, The City of Daly City, seems woefully redundant<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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2) The revolution that overthrew the Marcos regime<\/a> in the Philippines was largely financed in Daly City<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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3) Malvina Reynolds\u2019 song Little Boxes was written about Daly City<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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4) Malvina Reynolds\u2019 song Little Boxes will probably be the only song ever  written about Daly City<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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5) John Charles Wester, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salt Lake City, came from Daly City. So what?<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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6) Daly City calls itself \u201cThe Gateway to the Peninsula.\u201d So what?<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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7) No one describes San Francisco as being \u201cjust outside Daly City\u201d<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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8) Steven Matthew David\u2019s Matthew\u2019s<\/a> Top of the Hill Daly City no longer sits atop the hill in Daly City<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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To put matters a different way, trekking across San Francisco\u2019s southwest boundary hasn\u2019t been a high priority of late, other than detouring to shop at 99 Ranch<\/a> on the way home from Santa Cruz or Monterey, so I was immensely pleased to accept Robert Morrison\u2019s invitation to attend his Adventures in Wine<\/a> Trade Tasting at Fort Mason. While this Daly City distributor and wine storage facility focuses heavily on imports from France, as well as Southern Hemisphere and other European producers, they carry a strong inventory of wines from California, Washington and Oregon, as well.
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Although I had committed to attend the Wine Institute<\/a>\u2019s Unexpected Grapes from Unexpected Places<\/b> (unless, like Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font>, you\u2019ve been combing the state for unusual wines for the past two years)<\/i>, I managed to sandwich in a couple of hours to meet and sample from the 23 West Coast vintners represented at this trade-only event. It turned out to be well worth the digression.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n
It\u2019s pronounced \u201cOregon.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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As with the Santa Lucia Highlands wineries, Oregon\u2019s houses predominantly focused on Pinot Noir\u2014at least, in what they were pouring on this afternoon. A paragon of phenomenon, the Willamette Valley\u2019s Amalie Robert<\/a>\u2014a name that sounds utterly Burgundian<\/i>\u2014proudly poured four interpretations of its forte: the 2006 Pinot Noir Dijon Clones<\/b>, an impressive 2006 Pinot Noir Amalie\u2019s Cuv\u00e9e<\/b>, and their standout, the 2006 Estate Pinot Noir<\/b>, along with the augur of their soon-to-be released vintage, the 2007 Vintage Debut Pinot Noir<\/b>. From Dundee Hills, Dusky Goose<\/a>, which ought not be confused with Zazu<\/a>\u2019s Duskie Estes of Iron Chef<\/a> fame, impressed with both their 2007 Pinot Noir Rambouillet Vineyard<\/b> and the 2007 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills<\/b>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n
Sol\u00e9na Estate<\/a> made its opening statement with Oregon\u2019s other signature Pinot, pouring an easily approached 2009 Pinot Gris<\/b>. Interestingly, they also featured three diffrent Pinot from sequential vintages. While the 2008 Pinot Noir Grand Cuv\u00e9e<\/b> still demanded time to develop, the 2007 Pinot Noir Hyland Vineyard<\/b> was eminently drinkable; in turn, the exquisite 2006 Pinot Noir Domaine Danielle Laurent<\/b>, fittingly named for owners Laurent & Danielle Montalieu, was just reaching its peak.
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<\/b>I confess to feeling tepid about the 2008 Estate Pinot Noir<\/b> Patricia Green Cellars<\/a> poured but very much cottoned to their 2009 Sauvignon Blanc<\/b>. Oregon\u2019s final representative of the afternoon, Et Fille<\/a> daughter Jessica Mozeico complemented her three Pinots: the 2008 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard<\/b>, the 2008 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley<\/b>, and her superb 2008 Pinot Noir Kalita Vineyard<\/b> with and exceptionally dry 2008 Viognier<\/b>.
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Les grands vins de la Californie.<\/font><\/b><\/i><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Adventures in Wine\u2019s California selections included a number of familiar faces, like Mendocino\u2019s organic specialists Yorkville Cellars<\/a>. Though their claim to be the only producers of varietal Carm\u00e9n\u00e8re in the state would be refuted later in the month, they did make a strong showing with their latest production of the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc<\/b>, their 2007 Merlot<\/b>, and the 2007 Hi-Rollr Red<\/b>, their second bottling of this Zinfandel-based proprietary blend that features Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch of Petit Verdot.
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Another longtime familiar venture that has managed to maintain the quality of its wine despite considerable internal upheaval over the past decade is Healdsburg\u2019s Pezzi-King<\/a>. The current release, the 2007 Old Vines Zinfandel<\/b>, still displays the same flare that originally garnered so much press for this venture, while their 2009 Chardonnay<\/b> seemed eminently drinkable. Their 2008 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon <\/b>tasted far too early, but I had no qualms about the 2007 Dry Creek Valley <\/b><\/font>Zinfandel<\/b> or their fine 2008 Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc<\/b>.
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Even though I have long received the <\/font><\/font>newsletter<\/font><\/font> from Bruce Patch<\/font><\/font>\u2019s <\/font><\/font>Wine Guerrilla<\/a> and sampled their wine on a number of occasions, I habitually think of them as a marketing tool, \u00e0 la<\/b><\/i> Wine Spies<\/a> or Bottlenotes<\/a>. No such mistake was possible this day, as worked my way through five titillating Zins, the standouts being the 2008 Zinfandel Adel\u2019s Vineyard<\/b>, the 2008 Zinfandel Russian River Valley<\/b>, and, as might be expected, the utterly sensual 2008 Zinfandel Coffaro Vineyard<\/b>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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No surprise in finding Carole Meredith pouring her Lagier Meredith<\/a>; contrary to Robert Parker\u2019s ratings, I preferred her 2006 Syrah<\/b> to the 2007 Syrah<\/b> he rated 94+ pts. I was surprised to find my old squash opponent Jack Jelenko, late of Villa Toscano<\/a>, pouring for Jeff Runquist Wines<\/a>. Jack poured their newest release, the 2008 1448 R<\/b>, alongside its constituent components: the 2008 Zinfandel Z<\/b>, the 2008 Syrah R<\/b>, a tantalizing 2008 Barbera R<\/b>, and a superb 2008 Petite Sirah R<\/b>. 1448 stands for the winery\u2019s elevation; I have no idea what these initials mean.
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Not that Washington. This one!<\/font><\/b><\/i><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Before tackling the vast selection of Washington wineries on hand, I stumbled across Relativity<\/a>, a California n\u00e9gociant label whose slogan \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be a genius to drink good wine\u201d speaks volumes. While their websites boasts of a Napa Cabernet and research has uncovered a proprietary blend they call the 2007 Quantum Reserve<\/b>, Adventures in Wine apparently only handles their 2007 Merlot Oak Knoll<\/b>. Several of the Washington operations represented themselves with but a single wine, to decidedly mixed results. Another n\u00e9gociant, Randy Leitman<\/a>, poured his 2007 Randall Harris Merlot<\/b>, a wine that fell short of expectations. On the other hand, Robert Karl Cellars<\/a> comported themselves quite capably with their 2007 Claret<\/b>, as did Syncline<\/a>, with their proprietary 2007 Subduction Red<\/b>, a Rh\u00f4ne-style blend with Syrah, Grenache, Mourv\u00e8dre, Cinsault, Counoise, and Carignane.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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With its aristocratic-sounding name and derivative French label, the 2008 Syrah Cuve\u00e9 Marcel Dupont <\/b>from Descendants Li\u00e9geois<\/a> <\/font> ought<\/i> to have been an impressive wine, but disappointed. Its parent company, Hedges Family Estate<\/a>, also proved rather unremarkable with their 2007 Red Mountain<\/b> (Cabernet Sauvignon\/Merlot)<\/i> and their mass-produced blend, the 2008 CMS Red<\/b>, although I did enjoy their 2009 CMS White<\/b>, a Sauvignon Blanc. Another Hedges label with French <\/font><\/font>pretensions, the House of Independent Producers<\/a>, proved rather bourgeois with their 2008 Merlot La Bourgeoisie<\/b> but did score quite nicely with the 2009 Chardonnay Dionysus<\/b>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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In recent years, Washington has garnered considerable acclaim for its Cabernets and Bordeaux blends. This reputation proved itself with the two selections Cadence<\/a> poured: the 2007 Ciel du Cheval<\/b>, a Cabernet Sauvignon- & Cabernet Franc-dominated blend, with Merlot and Petit Verdot, and the 2008 Coda<\/b>, a Pom\u00e9rol-style blend of these four varietals from the same vineyard. Walla Walla\u2019s Abeja<\/a> ratcheted things up a notch with their spectacular 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon<\/b> and a 2008 Merlot<\/b> that was almost its equal. Their regular 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/b> wasn\u2019t quite in this league, but the 2009 Chardonnay<\/b> proved every bit as extraordinary.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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If only Washington\u2019s premier Cabernet producer had brought a couple of their much-heralded bottlings! Leonetti Cellars<\/a> did, however, mitigate most of my disappointment with their profound 2008 Merlot<\/b> and an unexpected surprise, the seductive 2007 Sangiovese<\/b>. Another of Washington\u2019s most acclaimed houses, DeLille Cellars<\/a>, proved their mettle with the 2006 Doyenne Syrah<\/b> and a decidedly unsweet 2008 Chaleur Estate Blanc<\/b>, a 2:1 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and S\u00e9millon.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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I would have appreciated Woodinville\u2019s Efeste<\/a> merely for the playful names with which it labels its wines, like its natural wine approach to Sauvignon Blanc, the 2008 Feral<\/b> or the literal impression of it 2007 Jolie Bouche Syrah<\/b>. Equally compelling was its 2009 Evergreen Riesling<\/b>, a splendid medium-dry wine. A bit more pedantic in their labeling but still impressive were the six wines L\u2019\u00c9cole No. 41<\/a> poured. The 2008 Recess Red<\/b> nicely blended Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, while the 2007 Perigee<\/b> offered a more orthodox m\u00e9lange of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. As enjoyable were the 2007 Merlot Columbia Valley<\/b> and the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla<\/b>, but my decided preference was for both the 2007 Cabernet Columbia Valley<\/b> and the exquisite 2008 S\u00e9millon Columbia Valley<\/b>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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I might have stayed longer to sample a number of the French, Italian and Spanish wines being poured\u2014comparative tastings like this helps Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font> put its own palate in perspective,\u2014but my other obligations demanded that I pedal halfway across town and join the crowd inside the tent at Hotel Vitale<\/a>. I thanked my host for his hospitality and for sparing me from an arduous commute to his warehouse, but my day was far from over.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Wines of the Mojave Desert<\/font><\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Maybe I shouldn\u2019t be so facetious. Perhaps one day we will transcend the known bounds of viticulture and establish a Mojave AVA, encompassing a vast swath of tilled acreage that stretches from Palmdale to the California\/Nevada border, dotted with colorful names like Ch\u00e2teau Barstow and Devil\u2019s Playground & Cellars, producing Xeric Red from the most water-stressed Zinfandel vines ever to be planted. After all, Michael Mondavi did envision growing grapes and building wineries on Mars in Mondovino<\/a>. Indeed, this breakthrough could be his vindication.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Meanwhile, pretty much every other part of California is encompassed by an AVA. To demonstrate the incredible panoply of \u0153nology throughout the State, the Wine Institute<\/a> orchestrated Unexpected Grapes from Unexpected Places<\/a>, an expo of wine from 15 of California\u2019s major wine growing regions. More than 100 different wines were featured in an open-air tent erected in front of Americano<\/a>, the wildly popular bar and restaurant that anchors Hotel Vitale along San Francisco\u2019s Embarcadero. <\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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For Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font>, the event offered a chance not so much to sample hitherto unknown wines<\/font><\/font> as it was to solidify relations with the all-important regional trade associations and cooperatives. Plus, as a bonus, pre-registered trade participants were treated to an intimate presentation of Evan Goldstein\u2019s acclaimed Daring Pairings<\/a><\/b><\/i> seminar, an insightful demo of how wine focuses and amplifies the flavors of meticulously-matched food preparations.
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First things first, however. Though it was hardly possible to sample every wine being poured, let me offer my findings, region by region, with no particular order of priority.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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<\/font>Lake County<\/a> <\/i><\/b><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Wines labeled North Coast can contain grapes from any of the four counties comprise this mega-region. Often lost in the shuffle behind Mendocino, Sonoma, and Napa, Lake County has steadily expanded as a premium winegrowing locale over the past decade. The table this afternoon featured but two of the more prominent local producers. I opted for the full complement of wines from Italian varietal specialist Rosa d\u2019Oro<\/a> while renewing my acquaintance with Pietro Buttitta. Little doubt I would enjoy his 2006 Aglianico<\/b> and a very robust 2007 Dolcetto<\/b>, while the NV Nebbiolo<\/b> proved a pleasant surprise. The true revelation, however, was the 2007 Primitivo<\/b>, which I even commended to new Wine Institute President Tom Klein\u2014an amazing demonstration of how this varietal distinguishes itself from Zinfandel. Having enjoyed their wines on numerous other occasions, I bypassed the offerings from Lake County\u2019s other representative, Six Sigma<\/a>, a winery I will richly embrace if they ever change their name! (Note to owner Kaj Ahlmann: people enter the wine business in order to flee<\/b> corporate culture, not embrace it.)<\/i><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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San Luis Obispo<\/a> <\/i><\/b> <\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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The Diablo Canyon<\/a> nuclear power plant isn\u2019t the only thing fired up in this dynamic wine region<\/font><\/font>. Their table provided me my first exposure to Salisbury Vineyards<\/a>, who, in turn, introduced me to their 2007 Syrah Noir<\/b>, a varietal that had previously eluded me. Niven Family brought their entire line of labels, but I focused only on their new Zocker<\/a>, with its compelling 2009 Gr\u00fcner Veltliner<\/b>. I also managed a taste of Claiborne & Churchill<\/a>\u2019s aptly-named 2007 Dry Gew\u00fcrztraminer<\/b>, a frequent favorite.
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Paso Robles<\/a> <\/font><\/i><\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Home to more than 240 wineries, the Paso Robles AVA is California\u2019s largest, and, in many ways, most intriguing. Not bound by arcane traditions, wineries here fully exploit its status as the new frontier for winemaking in the 21st Century. I dabbled in a few of the many familiar labels here this afternoon, starting with an earthy 2007 Tempranillo<\/b> from San Miguel\u2019s Silver Horse<\/a>. Ortman Family<\/a> vastly impressed me with their 2007 Petite Sirah<\/b>, while Justin<\/a> seems to impress everyone these days with its proprietary Cabernet Sauvignon, the much-lauded 2007 Isosceles<\/b>. I didn\u2019t tasted the 2009 Barfandel<\/b>, a blend of Zinfandel and Barbera from Lone Madrone<\/a>, though I have but two words to describe the name: Olive Garden<\/a>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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<\/font><\/b><\/i>Amador<\/font><\/b><\/i><\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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The French equivalent for the Portuguese amador<\/i><\/b> is amateur<\/i><\/b>, but as far as winemaking goes, it\u2019s entirely a misnomer.<\/font><\/font> One of three regions that comprise the overall Sierra Foothills designation, Amador has proven fertile ground for Italian, Iberian, and Rh\u00f4ne varietals. Having made plans to attend the more comprehensive regional tasting the following Sunday, I limited myself here to Karly\u2019s 2009 Rolle,<\/b> a refined Vermetino, and
\nthe 2008 Normale Sangiovese<\/b> from Vino Noceto.
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<\/font><\/b><\/i>Monterey<\/font><\/b><\/i> <\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Monterey may be the seat of the Central Coast region, but it offers far more than the ubiquitous Coastal Cellars that have diluted the brand of so many premium wineries. Ironically, I bypassed such stalwarts as the 2007 Grenache<\/b> from Marilyn Remark<\/a> or the 2006 Claret Reserve<\/b> Scheid<\/a> was pouring; perhaps, I was simply in a white mood. In any case, I was happy to taste a staple of the AVA: the 2009 Bay Mist Monterey White Riesling<\/b> from J. Lohr<\/a> and the 2008 Loredona Riesling<\/b> from Delicato<\/a>.
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Santa Cruz Mountains<\/a> <\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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In between the majesty of the Pacific Ocean and <\/font><\/font>the monotony of Silicon Valley stands the alpine buffer of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Encompassing a cross-section of three counties, it lays claim to some of the most innovative wineries in California, like Ridge<\/a>, David Bruce<\/a> and Bonny Doon<\/a>. Today\u2019s table presented several of the lesser-known from this appellation, all of whom I have covered extensively over the past two years. I confess that my sip of the NV Brut<\/b> from Equinox<\/a> only made me long for their superb sparkling endeavor, the 1997 Blanc de Blanc Cuv\u00e9e de Chardonnay<\/b>. And while I tend to concentrate on their Iberian-focused Quinta Cruz label, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard<\/a> captured my attention with their 2006 Durif McDowell Valley <\/b>(aka Petite Sirah).<\/i>
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<\/font>Santa Barbara<\/font><\/a><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Miles Raymond<\/a>, take heed! Santa Barbara means far more than Pinot Noir\u2014and by that, I do not mean Ronald Reagan\u2019s Santa Barbara Ranch<\/a>, Michael Jackson\u2019s pederastic playground<\/a>, or even the unsightly offshore oil rigs<\/a> near La Conchita. Of course, there was a delicious irony this afternoon that Miles\u2019 iconic Hitching Post<\/a> chose to serve their 2007 Merlot<\/b>, but the true diversity of this AVA presented itself in a trio of wineries on hand. I have long wanted to sample the wines of Rancho Sisquoc<\/a>, and was richly rewarded with my first taste of their 2009 Sylvaner Flood Family Vineyards<\/b>, a wine that easily lived up to its advance billing. Similarly, my long-awaited introduction to Mosby<\/a> rewarded me with their superb 2006 Sagrantino<\/b>. It had been several years since I first met Crystal Clifton at A16<\/a>, so I had no compunction about sampling the full array of Italian varietals her Palmina<\/a> had transported here. As with the handful of other wineries producing this Trentinese varietal, her 2008 Lagrein<\/b> defied stereotyping, but the 2009 Dolcetto <\/b>was near stratospheric. I greatly enjoyed both the 2008 Barbera<\/b> and the 2006 Nebbiolo<\/b>, but found myself most intrigued by her pair of white wines, the 2009 Arneis<\/b> and the sumptuous 2009 Tocai Friulano<\/b>. All in all, this region packs more of a wallop than an irate Sandra Oh<\/a>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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<\/font><\/i><\/b>Calaveras<\/font><\/i><\/b> <\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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The second part of the Sierra Foothills triumvirate, Calaveras also displays a wide range of varietals, with particular strength in the Spanish & Portuguese grapes, as well as with Zinfandel. With plans to attend their upcoming tastings, I merely made a courtesy stop to try the surprisingly good 2007 Garsa Tempranillo<\/b> from Solomon Wine Company<\/a> and a refreshing 2009 Muscat Blanc<\/b> from Newsome-Harlow<\/a>.
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Lodi<\/a><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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They used to be known merely for their Tokay. And a 1969 song<\/a> by El Cerrito\u2019s Creedence Clearwater Revival. <\/font><\/font>Much like Paso Robles, this former backwater of the wine industry has evolved over the past two decades into a significant AVA, with a number of innovative wineries and a genuine commitment to sustainable practices. As the appellation continues to evolve and establish its identity, a wide array of varietals are moving to the forefront. Once again, I managed to sample just a small selection from the array of wines being poured here, knowing I would be attending a more focused tasting in a couple of weeks. Still, I was pleased to revisit with Harney Lane<\/a> and indulge in their 2009 Albari\u00f1o<\/b> before moving on to indulge in the 2008 Great Friends Barbera <\/b>Grands Amis<\/a> poured, along with the rare opportunity to taste the 2006 Teroldego Reserve <\/b>from Peltier Station<\/a>.
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Livermore Valley<\/a><\/font><\/i><\/b><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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San Luis Obispo may have its own nuclear reactor; Livermore has its prestigious atomic research lab (I\u2019m told \u201cengineered in Livermore commands\u201d a considerable premium<\/i><\/font><\/font> on the nuclear black market<\/i><\/font><\/font>)<\/i>. With a winegrowing tradition that dates to the 1760s, this AVA lays claim to the first labeling of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah as varietal bottling in California. Though dominated by large-scale, historic wineries like Wente<\/a> and Concannon<\/a>, it has given rise to numerous boutique producers over the past two decades, like Picazo Vineyards<\/a>, with their handcrafted 2006 Estate Merlot<\/b> and the cerebral Occasio<\/a>, which poured its 2008 Pinot Gris Del Arroyo Vineyard<\/b>.
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<\/font><\/b><\/i>Madera<\/font><\/b><\/i><\/a><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Juxtaposed between Fresno County and the Merced-Mariposa axis, Madera quite literally occupies the center of California. The county is best known for Mammoth Mountain<\/a> and Yosemite<\/a>, bears the ignominy of the Chowchilla kidnappings<\/a>, and is home to a pocket of rugged, hi-tech developers in Coarsegold. While its reputation for wine has squarely rested on its dessert-style wines, like the NV Old Vine Tinta Port<\/b> from Ficklin<\/a> or Quady<\/a>\u2019s ever-amazing 2009 Electra<\/b>, an intense Orange Muscat, the region is starting to blossom in a fashion <\/font><\/font>similar<\/font><\/font> to the Sierra Foothills, as the amiable NV Reserve Dolcetto<\/b> from Birdstone Winery<\/a> exemplifies.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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El Dorado<\/a> <\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Completing the Sierra Foothills triangle, El Dorado has long held a particular affinity for Zinfandel, as well as for Rh\u00f4ne varietals. In recent years, however, a number of these wineries have shifted toward more standard grapes, as the 2009 Reserve Chardonnay<\/b> that longtime Rh\u00f4ne Ranger<\/a> Lava Cap<\/a> poured here. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed 2007 Patriarche<\/b> from Holly\u2019s Hill<\/a>, a deft blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourv\u00e8dre, and Counoise, and resolved to explore more of this AVA\u2019s wines the following Sunday. <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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<\/font><\/i><\/b>Mendocino<\/font><\/i><\/b><\/a><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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It\u2019s tempting, of course, to compare Mendocino with the Sierra Foothills and describe their appellation as \u201celevated,\u201d in a manner of speaking. A prime location for Pinot Noir and Gew\u00fcrztraminer, the county also lays claim to California\u2019s finest production of sparkling wines, alambic brandies, grappa, and other grape distillates. Mendocino boasts of being \u201cAmerica\u2019s Greenest Wine Region,\u201d a claim that is bolstered by the presence of Parducci<\/a>, Navarro<\/a>, Fetzer<\/a> and its many offshoots, and innumerable other practitioners. This afternoon, however, I was drawn to a pair of Syrahs, the 2006 Broken Leg Syrah<\/b> from Drew Family<\/a> and an incredible 2006 Syrah Yorkville Highlands<\/b> that Meyer Family<\/a> produced.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Napa<\/a> <\/font><\/i><\/b>and<\/font><\/i> <\/font><\/i><\/b>Sonoma<\/font><\/i><\/b><\/a><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Both these regions need no introduction. Though strongly represented on this afternoon, each has already received extensive coverage in this blog. While noting the strong presence of <\/font><\/font>wineries from both counties, I bypassed their stations in favor of the food pairing seminar.
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The Food & Wine Tasting<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Evan Goldstein, the youngest American ever to complete the<\/font><\/font> Master Sommelier certification, conducted a special seminar based on his current book, Daring Pairings<\/b><\/i><\/a>, a copy of which was generously given each of the attendees. After an introductory glass of Handley Cellars<\/a>\u2019 2006 Brut Ros\u00e9 Anderson Valley<\/b>, we paired a pair of wines each to three exceptional entr\u00e9es prepared by the kitchen at American. The first round matched a Halibut Crudo with a traditional complement, the 2009 Fum\u00e9 Blanc <\/b>from Sonoma\u2019s Ch\u00e2teau St. Jean<\/a> and a less orthodox Roussanne\/Grenache Blanc blend, the 2009 Camp 4 Vineyard Blanc<\/b> from Santa Barbara\u2019s Tensley<\/a>. I found myself favoring the more traditional match-up.
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We followed with the Liberty Duck Involtini, a thin, carpaccio-style slice of cured meat wrapped around a fig filling. While the 2009 Estate Pinot Noir<\/b> from Rodney Strong<\/a> paired admirably with this hors d\u2019\u0153uvre, I felt it illuminated the 2008 Grenache <\/b>from Paso Robles\u2019 Denner Vineyards<\/a>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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The final course<\/font><\/font>, a Short Rib Bruschetta with Tomato Conserva, seemed a bit perfunctory in its two pairings. Of course, I had had many occasions to sample the 2006 Reserve Petite Sirah<\/b> from Concannon, but the revelatory aspect of the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/b> from Robert Mondavi<\/a> was that Constellation had managed to maintain its excellence.
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Having attended a truncated version of this seminar at The Mechanics Institute<\/a> earlier this summer, I confess I had approached the event with guarded skepticism. This previous presentation had featured only imported wines (plus New Mexico\u2019s Gruet<\/a>)<\/i>, which led me to suspect that Goldstein might be one of those sommeliers that take pains to eschew California wines, unless, like this afternoon, compelled to serve them. \u201cHardly,\u201d Evan assured me. \u201cThe last time, I had simply grabbed whatever I had lying around.\u201d<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n
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<\/font>Vive la France?<\/font><\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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The last event I must cover for this seemingly interminable installation was the Pre-Auction Tasting<\/b> Wine Gavel<\/a> conducted The San Francisco Wine Center<\/a>. Another Judgment of Paris<\/a> this may not have been, but here was a chance to stack my California predilection against some of the more acclaimed wines France has produced. I swear I tried to be objective.
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Starting with the whites, I worked my way through comparative sips of the 1997 Verget Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseign\u00e8res 1er Cru <\/b>and the newer 2001 Boyer-Martenot Puligny-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru<\/b>. the former, frankly bordered on being undrinkable; the latter, while faring better, hardly seemed a wine I would make efforts to seek out. In contrast, the 2004 La Carri\u00e8<\/b><\/font>re <\/b>from Calistoga\u2019s Peter Michael Winery<\/a> proved an extraordinary wine from this exceptional producer of vineyard designate Chardonnays (and easily worth its $90 price tag)<\/i>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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My familiarity with much of French wine is admittedly limited; I had never heard of the 1964 Leroy Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru<\/b> prior to this event and, again, found myself duly unimpressed. Nor am I versed in what years constituted great vintages. I approached both the 1967 Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint-\u00c9milion 1er Cru<\/b> and the 1970 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild Pauillac<\/b> with near-giddy expectation, only to be underwhelmed. Were these notably poor vintages? Had the bottles been stored inappropriately? How was I to tell?<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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My reaction to the 1969 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/b> from Charles Krug<\/a> was admittedly tepid, but I was pleased to try what may well have been my first taste of a pre-1970s California wine outside of the Gallo-Paul Masson-Almaden jug oligarchy. Nor did the 1980 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/b> from Chappellet seem to have stood the test of time. Purely by accident, however, our hosts had included two bot
\ntles of 1970 Cabernet Sauvignon <\/b>from Robert Mondavi. I noticed one had been stamped Unfined<\/i>, the other Unfiltered<\/i>, in what later was described to me as simply casual experimentation during that era. The two wines contrasted starkly, and while the Unfined<\/i> vintage certainly offered considerable merit, the Unfiltered<\/i> shone through as an exceptional wine.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Far and away, the best wine of the evening proved to be the 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/b> from Caymus<\/a>. Second only to 1997 as one of the spectacular vintages from the last decade, this wine stood at the peak of perfection and begged to be tasted two, three, four times (with a nary a drop to be spit!)<\/i>. As I prepared to leave, our hosts brought out a bottle of 2004 Gaja Ca\u2019Marcanda Promis<\/b>, a Sangiovese blended with Merlot and Syrah. If Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font> poured imports, this wine could easily find its way to our roster, but for now I have to settle for the guilty pleasure of a Gaja Castello Di Barbaresco NV Grappa<\/b> the next time I dine out.
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T.S. Eliot was wrong\u2014how could anyone who is as morosely fatalistic before the age of 35, as the pre-redacted version of The Wasteland clearly illustrates, not be? Granted, September may not truly be the cruelest month\u2014Your West Coast Oenophile is a proud September baby\u2014but, in its role as California Wine Month, it has certainly proved […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[127,44,106,40,114,130,6,4,34,16,45,81,47,61,7,11,115,72,17,18,12,119,63,112,2,10,38,14,88,35,41,9,118,36,19,129,3,128,24,67,89,33,5,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aglianico","category-albarino","category-arneis","category-barbera","category-brut","category-brut-rose","category-cabernet-franc","category-cabernet-sauvignon","category-carignane","category-chardonnay","category-cinsault","category-counoise","category-dolcetto","category-gewurztraminer","category-grenache","category-grenache-blanc","category-gruner-veltliner","category-lagrein","category-malbec","category-merlot","category-mourvedre","category-muscat-blanc","category-nebbiolo","category-orange-muscat","category-petit-verdot","category-petite-sirah","category-pinot-gris","category-pinot-noir","category-port","category-primitivo","category-riesling","category-roussanne","category-sagrantino","category-sangiovese","category-sauvignon-blanc","category-sylvaner","category-syrah","category-syrah-noir","category-tempranillo","category-teroldego","category-tocai-friulano","category-vermentino","category-viognier","category-zinfandel"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}