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Cabernet Sauvignon

Howell Mountain Cabernet has a special place in my heart!

May 4th, 2013
by winebratsf.
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There is something so special about mountainside fruit in Napa Valley.  With both Mount Veeder and Howell Mountain boasting some famous vineyards & producers, and a very different flavor profile emerging from both of these unique areas, they are both small AVAs that hold a special place in my heart.

Napa Valley has been making Cabernet Sauvignon for over 100 years.  Napa can be, and generally is, synonymous with New World Cabernet.  But, for some people, the stereotypical big, fruity, over powering valley floor fruit can be too much.  Now of course, there are always expectations to this rule (Titus are you listening?), but in my personal and professional opinion, there is a lot to be gained by looking up.

Why?  In the case of Howell Mountain, the rolling hills and steep slopes have created several micro climates.  Each small clearing is above the fog.  When the white stuff rolls off of the ocean, and my house is socked in the pea soup, the weather on Howell Mountain is sunny, but cool.  Sitting on this inversion layer, the weather flip flops, and evenings are warmer than the days, which help to maintain the heat spikes that can be more extreme down the hill.

Located on the eastern side of the Napa valley, and north of Atlas Peak, Howell Moutain is roughly parallel but north of Chiles Valley and east of Srping Mountain, and St. Helena.

Rocky, dry soils on the mountain are well drained, and the cooler temperatures and later bud break lead to warm summer nights.  All of these factors help to create balance between acidity and sweetness, which means, complexity and richness in your glass.  Yum!

In the Cornerstone Cellars, the 2009 Howell Mountain Cabernet really shows these elements.  Farmed organically, the Ink Grade vineyard is on the east side of Howell Mountain at 1800 feet.  Producing smaller berries with an intensity of flavor, a touch of Oak Knoll Cab and Carneros Merlot are blended in.  I adore this wine, and found it deep, and earthy with beautiful blue black notes of blackberry and blueberry, with cracked black pepper and dutch cocoa.  The word that came to mind immediately was unctuous.

At $80 it’s a splurge, but well worth it for wine lovers and a special occasion.  

 This wine was provided by the winery for consideration, and while all opinions are my own, seriously, this is the good sh&*!

 

 

Rockaway baby on the hilltop, take 2~

Oct 19th, 2011
by winebratsf.
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Here we are, several years later, and the Rockaway blogger scandal of past years is – I hope – a distant memory.

2007 Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley*The fog has come in, fall is rearing it’s ugly head after a teaser week of Indian Summer, and I wanted a big red wine.

The 2007 Rodney Strong Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon is from the vineyard of the same name in Alexander Valley, somewhere between 225 and 700 feet in elevation.  This 100% Cab is a huge monster right out of the bottle, with bitter chocolate, espresso, chicory and blackberry notes followed by cedar & menthol.

When I run this through an aerator, it immediately softens up to show more of the blackberry, but the black licorice is also coming forward.  Underlying the leather and subtle black pepper there is a tinge of cherry fruit.

One hour, three aerators and some other wine later, it was luscious and rich with mellow tannins.  A touch of chewy leather remained but mostly what was left was dark blue and black fruit covered in dark chocolate.

I can see this wine being an excellent match with a big piece of steak, after some time in the decanter.  If you want to splurge and impress yoru friends by not buying Napa, TRY IT!

 

Thanks to Rodney Strong for sending me another tasty winter treat!

High on a hill

Jul 7th, 2010
by winebratsf.
1 comment

There’s a lonely goat herd, yodeleeellooooheeho!  Or in this case, there are some horses, some cows and a whole lot of scrub brush.  Up on top of Atlas Peak, VinRoc creates micro crafted small lot Cabernet Sauvignon.  Above the fog line, overlooking the Foss Valley, where open pastures and oak trees haven’t been overtaken by vineyards, the vineyards are actually east of Stag’s Leap, which is something you don’t realize when you are driving up the hill mandering past a way of life rarely seen in Napa these days.

The estate vineyard is located between 1500-2200 feet on volcanic rocky soils, with sunny days and cool nights.  Because of the inversion layer up here above the fog, it’s actually cooler in the summer with more average hours of sunlight than the valley floor.

We first started out on the viewing platform with the Enjolie Rose, a dry Provencal style wine made from Grenache and Barbera grapes.  It was dark salmon in color, created by fermented the juice on the skins for longer than most typical roses.  It had a sweet candy nose butwas bone dry with raspberries and strawberries, with a very low ABV.  This type of rose is perfect for summer sipping on those very hot days, and at $14 a MUST BUY for summer quaffing.

Next, we moved on to the proprietary red blend, RTW.  Now, this could be Round the World, Red Table wine, Really Terrific Wine, or Rocking Thea’s Wine – whichever you prefer, it was really lovely.  This blend of Cab and Merlot had cocoa, bright dark red berries and dusty plums, and is made by selecting the Cab that won’t be used in the Estate Cab, and blending it with purchased merlot fruit.  The spice on the finish was just what I needed as we sat in the chilly breeze on an unusually dreary day.  This is a special red wine, and at $40 is a treat you can afford more than once a year.  BUY

Once we were inside the cave behind the newly built Japanese Craftsman house and visitors center, we talked to Michael a bit about his wine making techniques.  By harvesting one ton at a time, out of the total 15 tons in the vineyard, they are able to tightly control the harvest vine by vine, creating the best wine possible.  Each ton yields free run juice, which is fermented separately from the single pressing that occurs afterwards.  Once this process is complete, the barrels are fermented separately, and then blended with the rest of the harvest, to create the superior Cab that we tasted.

The 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon had rich dark black ffruit, with figs, baking spice, and black pepper.  I tasted a ot of coffee notes as well as cigar box and cedar, followed by the rich fruit of blackberries and cherries.  It did have a hint of leather and tobacco, and evolved as we sat there talking for an hour.  With only 200-300 cases produced, every bottle is a work of art.

By providing a minimally invasive environment, these truely are handcrafted wines.  Given the abundance of $100 Napa Valley Cabernets, I am not typically a big fan of the over priced cult wine.  That said, this hand made, nuanced cab is a winner in my book.  Yes, it’s pricey, but buy a bottle and hold on to it for a while.  You won’t b e sorry.  SPLURGE

VinRoc provides visitors with a unique and welcoming hospitality experience, in the middle of literally nowhere.  You will forget you are in Napa, and think you are in the foothills of horse country in Kentucky, but with really good wine.  If you’d like to visit VinRoc for yourself, they are open by appointment only and can be reached at 707-265-0943.  Please tell Michael and Kiky I sent you!

We didn't go for the almonds but…

May 12th, 2010
by winebratsf.
4 comments

Jordan Winery is a hidden gem in Alexander Valley.  Up a winding driveway, through the woods, and yes – even over a creek, you meander up to the upper vineyard of the winery, where the French inspired chateau winery sits.  It was founded in 1972, coincidentally the same year both I and our host john jordan, were born – based on the dream of creating world class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in Sonoma.  I’d say that they have accomplished that dream quite nicely.

John Jordan, CEO

Tom Jordan began the winery in 1972, when he signed the deed the day John, his son, was born; the first blocks in the lower vineyard were purchased then, and in 1974 the property was expanded to incorporate the upper ranch of the vineyards.  Construction began on the winery in 1976, and the first Cabernet Sauvignon was released in 1980.  Fast forward 25 years, and John, the prodigal son returned to the home ranch where he grew up, to take over.  John Jordan, the current CEO, took over operations in 2005 after a successful career in law.  In fact, he STILL works in law, which is rather amazing considering what it takes to run a place like Jordan well.  When he took over, John strived to find the best of old world techniques and new world know how, including sustainable farming techniques and a unique focus on a welcoming hospitality center which includes a private library tasting room as well as Michelin star worthy dining experience.

On our arrival to the winery, we were greeted by John, Lisa Mattson (@jordanwinery) – my friend and Jordon’s Communications Director, as well as a great video blogger-, Brent Young – the viticulturist, and hors d’oeuvres by Chef Todd Knoll who was tucked away in the kitchen preparing our nosh.  The 2008 Russian River Chardonnay that was paired with the tidbids was not at all what I was expecting and absolutely delightful.  I found lively citrus, stone fruit and a creamy mineral finish, while being subtle and not at all over oaked or overly full of buttery malolactic fermentation.  The lemonade flavors gave way to baking spices, green apples, and Asian pears.  this wine is treated with only 55% new French Oak, while the rest is in 1-2 year old barres; a full 25% is stainless steel fermented, which allows the fruit to shine through.  The 75% of barrel fermented wine balances out the stainless steel and the 28% malolactic fermentation rounds out the wine while retaining the crisp refreshing chard that even this ABC curmudgeon would love.  This wine was literally just released (May 1st) and at $29 I would recommend it for summer sipping.

After our chardonnay, we stepped in tot he dining room which is in the end of one wing of the tank room.  And by tank room, I don’t mean large steel drums.  I mean beautiful, hand built oak tanks, which look as if they should sing to you.  In the dining room, our tables were set with beautifully hand calligraphered corks with our names, as well as a menu card (which clearly I could not see well as it’s blurry here).

We began lunch with 3 chardonnays – the 2005, 2007, and some more of the 2008 we tasted outside.  The 2005 Chardonnay had a bit of age on it, which I found to show a touch of petrol, with creamy lemon curd and richer earthy bold profile.  37% was fermented in new french oak, with extended sur lie contact to round out the palate.  Again, the malolactic fermentation was limited to 76%, which preserved the green apple and lime zest flavors.  For me, this was my least favorite of the three whites – but if you enjoy a creamier chardonnay do try it.  the 2007 Chardonnay showed more grapefruit than the 2008, and 48% was fermented in new French Oak.  This year had more ofa spiced pear favor to it, and I can imagine it going quite well with fish dishes and apple pie.  All in all, I really identify with Jordan’s style of chardonnay, and I am still learning to love new wines that are made in the Burgundian tradition, with less oak and subtle maloactic fermention which lets the fruit speak for itself.
Next, we moved on the to Cabs.  We were treated to a lineup that is jealousy inducing, with a 1999, 2005, and 2006 cabernet Sauvgnon.  The 1999 was soft and supple, and simple a luxuriously plush wine.  The velvety black and dark red fruit showed plums, blackberries, and juicy raspberries with a touch of chocolate cherry on top.  1999 was the first harvest from the newly acquired upper vineyard, and the wine has 23.2% merlot, which adds to the soft fruti flavors.    It was aged for a year in oak barrels, but also for an additional 6 months in American Oak tanks, which produce less contact with the wine and therefore more subtle oak flavors.  Yum!  I adored this wine, and found that it went with my duck quite well (everyone else had lamb).  The 2005 has 5% of Petite Verdot bleed in, and I could really taste even that small addition.  It was earthy and robust, and much more of a masculine wine than the 1999.  I found smokey tobacco leaf, coffee and cola, with black walnuts and figs followed by a touch of anise.  With a year in oak (64% French) , it was tasty but I think it would be better over time.  The 2006 is a baby, and really needs to lay down for a while.  It was just released, and has 4.5% Petite Verdot as well as 19.5% Merlot.  It is a young wine, full of cherries and cassis, but just isn’t ready yet.
After lunch we took a little hike in the vineyard and then had dessert on the terrace with a sip of the very rare Jordan Sauterne style late harvest Sauvignon Blanc.  But, I can’t tell you about that, or I’d have to kill you.  And, given the caliber of wines being poured, and the fact that I had a sutie at the guest house fit for a queen, I did my Thirsty Girl best to NOT spit the good s*!t, and enjoyed most of my sips.
Please take a moment to stop by, by appointment only, and taste for yourself.  If you can’t make it up to the winery, check out the terrific blog!
Special thanks to everyone at Jordan for such a great day, which yes FCC folks, was gratis, and to all my blogger buddies for making the trip out!

On top of the world, looking down on…

Mar 31st, 2010
by winebratsf.
1 comment

Silicon Valley?  Yes Virginia, there is wine in the South Bay, high above the muck of Cupertino, on Monte Bello ridge.  Long before the computer chip was invented, the Monte Bello winery was started on this ridge.  At 2600 feet, the winery is located at the apex of the hill, where the upper most vineyards are.  Winding our way past the gravel trucks and up the mountain, there were precarious hairpin turns and road closures, but nothing was goign to stop me from getting to the good stuff at the top of that hill.

On one particularly gorgeous day recently, I was invited to attend a private tasting at Ridge’s Monte Bello property.  Although I adore Ridge wines, I often find myself avoiding the mayhem on holiday and special event weekends as it can get to be quite crowded.  It’s a long drive up the mountain, but the reward at the top is a sweeping view of the Bay Area, including a hazy glimpse of San Francisco in the distance.  Upon arriving at the tasting room, we were greeted by our host Christopher Watkins, the tasting room manager.  Here, we started with a glass of the Santa Cruz Mountains chardonnay as we wandering the garden, waiting for the rest of our crew to arrive.

Once we were assembled, we started our journey with the 2008 Jimsomore Chardonnay.   Not being a huge chard drinker, I really didn’t have that many expectation of the starter, but  this vineyard is dry farmed and head trained, and the wine undergoes full malolactic fermentation with native years.  I found it quite floral, with note of honey tangerine and cream caramel.  It was rich and viscous, with a hint of lemon curd.  this limited release only has 200 cases, and the vineyard lies below the fog line with hot summer days and cool nights, making for some great chard.

Next up the 2008 Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnay.  this is a parcel selection, and is intended for longevity and complexity.  It is more vibrant than the Jimsomore, and has a bright acidity and is refreshingly ful of stone fruit and Meyer lemons, with some tropical influences.

Now we delve in to the zin, which is how I fell in love with Ridge.  First the 2008 East Bench Zinfandel, which is the youngest area designated benchland between Dry Creek and Alexander valleys.  The cuttings here are 120 years old, and this pre-release wine was spicy cherries with black pepper, soft berry jam, figs, beef jerky and a mellow soft medium bodied zin that is perfect with food.  We also tried the 2006 East Bench, which I found to have more fruit forward flavors of strawberry, cherry, smoke and tobacco.  This was a very cool year in Sonoma County, which made for a leaner wine.  It was a bright zin, and was the first vintage from the then 8 year old vines.  This was a terrific example of a complex zin that would pair well with food without being overpowering and jam packed with berries.

The 2008 Geyserville is a blend of 72% zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 6% Petite Sirah, and 2% Mataro (Mouvedre).  it had a sweeter edge of big blackberries with a smoky backbone that I attribute to the Mataro, with flavors of raspberries and figs blended in a brambly pie with a faint hint of cedear.  The 2007 vintage, which is the current release, is 58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah and 2% Mataro, which made for a chocolate blackberry pie with brandied blackberries and coffee, followed by molasses and bittersweet cocoa over stewed fruit.  Each one of these blends is hand selected from a field blend, parcel by parcel, and depending on the best of the crop for a given vintage, the blend can change significantly.  Wine after all is half science, half dream, and half magic.

Lytton Springs, which is next door to Geyserville, showed less fruit and more structure in the 2008 blend of 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, 5% Carignane.  It was quite spicy with raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries.  The 2007 was much jammier, with black fruit, dried figs, and earth.  I found it a touch hot, but that soon blew off.  The 2007 blend was 71% Zin, 22% Petite Sirah, and 7% Carignane.

After meandering through the zinfandel country, it was time to get to the big boys of cab, which started it all for Monte Bello.  First, the 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Cab, which is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Merlot.  It is not yet released, and was quite chewy and dense with scents of lavender and leather.  The 2006 is 56% Cabernet, 42% Merlot, and 2% Petite Verdot, and had coffee notes adn an herbaceousness that the 2007 did not.

Finally we worked through several of the Monte Bello Cabs.  Two of my favorites were the 2006, wtih 68% Cabernet Sauvigon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petite Verdot, and 2% Cab Franc.  I found chocolate coverted cherreis, bright fruit, and dusty cocoa and really enjoyed it.  The 2005 was also a favorite, with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot, and 2% Cab Franc.  It had a dusty earth cover, with blueberreis and blackberries, covered with instant coffee.  It was a very low yield in 2005, and this wine was muscular and lean.

As you can see, we did some serious damage to the Monte Bello libarry and I would like to thank Christopher for his hospitality and humor as we tasted some of these amazing wines!  Next up…who knows?

O Brother, where fort art thou?

Jan 8th, 2010
by winebratsf.
4 comments

So, you’ve seen my post on the little wine called Rockaway.  This wine is other half of Rodney Strong’s single vineyard high end Cabernet project, called Brothers Ridge.  This vineyard sits between 400-1030 feet, in the hills above Cloverdale, and while it shares many similarities with Rockaway it is a very different wine and I enjoyed it for different reasons.

I did not use the Eisch glass this time, but I did decant this wine for about an hour before some old friends came to dinner the night before Thanksgiving.  Given that it was a celebration meal, I thought it was the right time to open something special.

This wine is rich rich rich, full of chocolate and coffee, with a hint of leather.  Even before I had it in the decanter, it was smooth and rich and simply lovely.  I tasted dark cherries, ceder, blackberries and cassis.  It was a chewy wine and had hints of beef jerky.  I truly loved this wine, even more than the Rockaway.   Part of it’s allure was the kick of chili pepper at the finish which surprises and delights.

I especially enjoyed the oak treatment of this wine, as it was subtle and deliciously matured for 22 months in 42% new French Oak, which has a terrific blaance and doesn’t overdo anything.

I would definitely splurge on this wine for a special dinner, but as it’s allocation only you should get in while you still can, and decide if you want to buy it when they release the next round.

Happy drinking!

This wine was provided by Rodney Strong, and as much as I would sometimes like to – I didn’t harm my brother while drinking it.  I also didn’t share, which well, is his bad for not being around :-p

THE VINEYARD

Rockaway baby, in my wine glass

Nov 30th, 2009
by winebratsf.
10 comments

Who can forget, the Rockaway Scandel of 2008, where bloggers around the country were courted sent bottles of the Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon by Rodney Strong.  Now, I wasn’t part of the original Rockaway 10, or however many it was, but some of you might recall that the big bruhaha was becuase of a misunderstood condition that all bloggers must write something in return for the sample bottle of wine.  Again, I wasn’t participating at that time, but I do think that a huge mountain was made out of a molehill.  Yes kids, that’s my opinion, please don’t string me up for it.  Fast forward to 2009, when I have become one of the cool kids and was asked to play kickball at recess, in the form of my very own bottle of 2006 Rockaway Cabernet!  To be clear, no one asked me, cajoled me, or otherwise insisted that I write this piece.rockaway

This luxury cab comes from Alexander Valley in Northern Sonoma country, where there is an interesting mix of old school zins and high end cabs planted.  I was really excited to try this wine after all the conversation, and opened it up.  The 2006 Rodney Strong Rockaway cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% malbec, and 1% Petite Verdot, which spent 22 months in 47% new French oak barrels.  Rockaway is planeted primarily to Cab and Merlot, but includes all af the major Bordeaux varietals.  The vineyard is belanted between 250-750 feet, which provides a variety of microclimates.

to further my experience, I also decided to take advantage of an Eisch Breatheable glass that was sent to me as a press sample.  The Eisch Breatheable Glass claims that with it’s patented breathable technology that you will have the same effect leaving the wine in their glass for 2-4 minutes, as you would in a decanter for 1-2 hours.  Now, I was skeptical, but what the heck.  To control the experiment, I also used a Riedel Bordeaux glass, as well as a “standard” glass, aka a regular tasting room glass.

The first sip was in the Eisch, and I found dark cherries, leather, and notes of ceder on the nose.  on the Palate I tasted mocha, chocolate, coffee, molasses, smoke, and it was rich and elegant.  The first impression was that it was a bit young, but that’s not surprising given that it’s only a 2006.  The tannins were very mellow, and this was smooth.  It was elegantly bold with firm backbone, and the dried cherries from teh aroma made their way in to the palate with a finish of bittersweet chocolate.  There was a touch of soy sauce in there as well, with big blackberry pie flavors.  I really enjoyed this wine right out of the glass, with no decanting.

In the Riedel Bordeaux glass, I had a hard time getting the nose.  Again, this wine did not decant, and was only in the glass about 4 minutes before I tasted it.  At first, I got a slight whiff of alcohol, followed by bright red fruit.  I tasted bright red fruit, cranberries and pomegranate with a touch of bitterness on the finish that I wasnt’ expecting from teh previous taste.  I went back to taste out of the Riedel after about 30 minutes and I still tasted that bitterness.  This was not a good outcome, surprisingly.

In the standard glass, I smelled brandied cherries, sour plums, and something slightly off at the first whiff.  I tasted soy sauce and underdone meat, with a bitter note again.  After 30 minutes, the funk had gone away, but ti was still very astringent and not so enjoyable without food.  It tasted very much like the wine in the Riedel but after 30 mins – 1 hr i couldn’t tell the difference.

After a full hour, the Eisch sample was full bodied, focused, and full of dark fruit, coffee, leather, figs and burnt toast.  At this point the Ridel was starting to match the Eisch, and was opening up to all black fruit, figs, burnt toast, and smoke.  I didn’t like the wine in the standard glass at all, and I would avoid it if were served in that glass.  After one hour and fifteen minutes, there is no difference between the Eisch and the Reidel so for impatient drinkers it’s awesome

The moral of this story is two fold:

  1. Glassware matters!  I’ve always believed this, and force my friends and family to do mad scientist experiements to prove this point.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money on good stemware, but it does make a difference.
  2. The Rockaway is a beautiful wine, but it needs a good hour of decanting to enjoy properly.
  3. You would probably enjoy this wine more with food.
  4. The Eisch Breatheable Glass is an excelletn idea that works far better tahn I anticipated.  if you are a drinker that is in a hurry the $20 per stem price tag is well worth it.

Rockaway is an allocation only wine, but I would suggest that you get on the list if you are a Cabernet lover, as it is apt to sell out quickly.

The Rockaway Cabernet and the Eisch Breathable Glass were sent as Press Samples.  However, I did put the Eisch glasses on my holiday wish list so I could round out the set of 1 I currently have!  There are no rocks in the Rockaway, but it might Rock you Away.

On a mountain top

Nov 10th, 2009
by winebratsf.
1 comment

Haber Family Vineyards, which sits high atop Howell Mountain, near the village of Angwin, was founded in 2004 by Ron and Sue Marie Haber, a couple of summer refugees from the East Coast.

My blogging friend Melissa Dobson, of Melissa Dobson PR & Marketing, was kind enough to arrange a bloggers tasting day up on the mountain.  Sue Marie and Ron were gracious and welcoming, and the usual suspects (Randy, Michael, Marcy, and Ashley) made our way out of the Napa Valley for an unforgettable experience.

The estate on Howell Mountain is a lean 5.5 acres, which was painstakingly developed 1 acre at a time due to local zoning laws at the time.  My personal opinion is that slow and steady wins the race however, and this turned out to be worth the slow development.  The Howell Mountain AVA was the first sub-appellation in Napa Valley to be officially recognized, and is known for it’s Cabernets.  The rocky red volcanic soil sits above the valley fog, which creates long mellow growing days.  The estate vineyard is between 1550 and 1650 ft, which is smack dab in the middle of the Howell Mountain vertical AVA.

While the fruit grew, and the estate developed, the 2006 Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon was released earlier this year . This bottle was decanted the night before our visit, and it was simply stunning.  Those of you who know me well know that I don’t like the typical overblown overdone overextracted Napa Cab, and this wine was the elegant, silky antithesis of that.  I tasted chocolate, smoke and salami in the wine.  Or was that the nibbles I was chowing down?  Sue Marie put on an amazing spread for us.  The wine continued with pepper and subtle blackberry, with juicy plum notes.  As the wine opened up further in the glass, and as we ate lunch and drank more, the rich mocha flavors came out to play and evergreen notes teased me.  At one point I had an overwhelming aroma of Earl Grey tea, which was followed by fig, black cherry and root beer.  I really enjoyed this wine, and for $80 it is worth it.  I would certainly buy another bottle to hold for a special (or not so special) wine drinking occasion.

If you have an opportunity, try to catch Sue Marie and Ron while they are in town and make it a point to taste their beautiful wine.  The Howell Mountain Estate Cabernet will be released next year, and I look forward to going back and tasting that offering as well.

Happy drinking!

Under the Madrone tree…

Nov 6th, 2009
by winebratsf.
1 comment

Shana!

One scorching hot Saturday, I was invited to take a Napa mountain adventure, up past St. Helena, past Spring Mountain’s Falcon Crest set, to Smith-Madrone Winery high atop Spring Mountain road.  As I drove, and drove, and drove, and worried that my car was overheating (or just plain flipping out in protest) as I climbed the hill, Shana pulled up behind me to ask where the heck we were.

We arrived, after a couple of wrong turns and iPhone reception-less, at Smith-Madrone Winery, high atop Spring Mountain.  Smith-Madrone was founded in 1971 by Stuart Smith, the enologist, and is run by Stuart and Charles Smith, the winemaker.  All of the wine is made from estate fruit, which is planted between 1300 and 2000 feet.  The mountain soil is on steep hillsides, on the highest point in the Spring Mountain AVA, with different exposures for each varietal. this interesting geography and (hrmm what is the science of exposure called anyway?) creates some distinctly delicious wines and they treated us to a lovely tour and tasting on the property.

The property was 100% dry farmed until they had to replant, at which point they irrigated to make sure the new vines too hold.  Up here on Spring Mountain, it’s unusual to have chardonnay, so it was nice to find people doing it their own way.  Smith-Madrone is not organically farmed, but they strive to be as sustainable as possible while still being successful.  The land on this estate has been farmed for somewhere around 500 years, so clearly someone is doing it right.  Along with the chardonnay, Smith-Madrone was actually the first California winery to be awarded a European award for their Riesling.  This is pretty big stuff considering they were up against some of the German big boys.

After a dusty tour of the 200 acre estate vineyard, including the big Madrone tree, we came back down to the winery to taste.33

Stuart Smith

2007 Chardonnay – the first wine we had was full of scents of vanilla and sandlewood.  The flavors were quite citrusy, with lemon curd and meyer lemon.  For a French Oak aged Chard, this was still crisp and refreshing with vanilla bean and green apple flavors that I really enjoyed.  I also had a touch of Asian pear and ginger ale.  I was really surprised I liked this so much, since I prefer an unoaked chard, but I give this a STRONG BUY at $30 for it’s unique sense of place and wonderful flavors.

2008 Chardonnay – This new release had tons of vanilla and custard, followed by egg nog.  Not just the nutmeg, but the eggs and the nog!  I tasted ginger spiced pears, and while this was interesting I wasn’t thrilled.  $30

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon – Overwhelming aromas and flavors of olives, wood, and dried cherries, figs and chocolate.  Quite tannic and woody.  I didn’t like this one as much because it represents what I don’t enjoy in cab and was too funky for my taste.  $45

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon -Coffee, chocolate, tobacco.  This was soft and round with bright blackberry.  BUY this for a nice steak.

2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (pre-release) - I loved this wine.  Even though it was a baby, it had green pepper, black peppercorn, lots of baking spice and black cherry, and blackberry juice.  STRONG BUY at $45

A rare treat was a 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon.  We actually didn’t know it was a 79 until after it was poured, and I never would have guessed that it was as old as it was.  This wine still had all of its color and most of its fruit, and had aromas of orange rind, tasted of spice and earth with candied orange slices, with amazing balance and acidity.  Please go out and SPLURGE on this wine for a special occasion.  you will no be disappointed (if you can find it!)

Next up we tried the 2008 Riesling.  this is an off dry example with grapefruit and spice on the nose, and just a touch of sweetness that would be perfect with Thai or Indian foods.  For your homemade curry, BUY this for $27.

Stuart and Charles were welcoming characters in a mosaic of a wine quilt, and these two are why I love wine.  It’s the story, and how you get there that makes all the different.  Anyone can make 100,000 cases in a warehouse.  It take soul to make 1000 cases by hand on a mountain top.

These grapes were safe from bloggers on this day...but I will see you in 7 years!

Many thanks to Russ Beebe for arranging this, and Smith-Madrone Winery for the wine and tour!

A walk in the clouds…

Oct 12th, 2009
by winebratsf.
11 comments

A Walk In The Clouds, the somewhat cheesy although romantic movie set in Napa Valley in the 1940s had perhaps some of the most visually stunning scenery in a wine movie.  Yes, much of it was CGI generated, and yet the scenes are evocative of the early era in winemaking in California, and conjure up images of a time gone by.  Or has it?

All of this Hollywood history brings me to my new favorite winery discover,  Rubissow Vinyeards.  Rubissow was introduced to be at the Wine Bloggers Conference this year, when Leslie Bramwell-Smith, who is working with them, invited us to taste and tour the Mt. Veeder property.  With a little scheduling magic, we finally go to take the opportunity and I am so glad we did!

The house that sits on the property on Mt. Veeder was build in 1860 as a hunting lodge for the city folk, and they ran the property for game.  Mt. Veeder was the first grape producing region in these parts and some of the vines go back as far as that property.  The Rubissow family bought the property in 1983, but it had been a vegetable farm up until that time.  Converting a farm into a producing vineyard took some effort but it has paid off well.  Together with his partner Tony Sargent, Rubissow-Sargent was born, sourced entirely from the 45 acre Rubissow estate.  Peter Rubissow and his sister Ariel bought the property in 2004, and Rubissow Sargent became just plain (or not so plain) Rubissow.  winemaker Tim Milos is producing some really amazing wines up here, and these wines are one of the many examples of why I have come back around to Napa Valley.

Up the hill, our blogger crew started out with a little hike int he blistering heat.  I pooped out halfway up the mountain, but that was enough for me.  The expansive view of Carneros to the south west was impressive and I sat in the shade with Liza while the others melted up top.

There are two distinct terroirs up here, where the first is warmer and less windy, it is best suited for Cab and Merlot.  The second area is more similar to Carneros, where the fog rolls in and a hot wind blows, where Merlot develops a bracingly high acidity.  Winemaker Tim Milos really believes that place is important when tasting a wine.  If you can’t taste the place in the glass, what is the point?  Wines should be distinctive of their vines.  This is further refined by the two soil types, the top being volcanic and the lower elevations being marine sedimentary in nature.  Tim really allows the land to speak for itself in his wines, and it shows.

Peter Rubissow

The first time I visited Rubissow, it was August and it was about 102 on the porch.  We were all melting, but the wine was amazing.  This past weekend, I got to visit them again, when the fall colors were coming out and the morning fog hung low on the mountain top.  Sipping the rich reds in the cool fall weather has a mystical effect on me, and I enjoyed the wines more than ever.

Ariel Rubissow

As you can see here, Peter was very enthusiastic when he showed us around the first time!  This time, his sister Ariel was on hand to help us with the harvest, and we tromped through the block picking the grapes in a bit of an I Love Lucy scene.

Relaxing on the front porch of the house, we tasted the 2005 Estate Trompettes, which is a blend of 65% Cab Franc, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.  This had tons of spice, figs, black fruit, and cherries, with juicy earth flavors.  I found it had a medium body with since baking spice notes that lingered, and had a perfumy aroma.

In between these wines, Autumn Berry served us a feast for the senses that she called lunch.  With this we also tried the Rubissow-Sergant Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon which was inky dark and purpose, with leather, tobacco, cherry and orange zest.  There was plenty big dark berry fruit in it as well, and the oak was just kissing the glass.  It had a peppery spice which lingered on the finish and was a rich wine, with a long finish that kept me going back for more.  Our trusty friend Drew was of course on hand with his Wine Soiree, which helped us aerate the wine, which would do well decanting for a couple of hours.

The 2005 Mount Veeder Estate Merlot had a licorice and anise backbone to it.  This was my favorite wine on the first visit, and it was soft and plush with toasty notes and vanilla aromas.  It had a lot of herbal characteristics hiding under the rich fruit, which I normally doni’t like but it was so balanced, I loved this wine. Next came the 2005 Estate Merlot was silky with cherries, oak, plums and smoke, followed by black cherries in brandy.  At the end i tasted red raspberries and lingered over this wine.  Yum!

The Rubissow family, including Tim and Autumn, were incredibly welcoming and gracious.  I have to thank then for their hospitality and interest in hosting a blogger brat pack (like a pack of wild wolves!) for these events.  It is excititng to me to be able to hear the stories from the source, and to taste the wine with the atmosphere.  Wine, after all, imparts a sense of place, and when you’re IN that place, it’s only enhanced.

Happy Drinking!


Wine and Lunch were provided by Rubissow Wines.

All pictures by Thea Dwelle, all rights reserved – but if you ask nicely, I might share.