Kathryn Walt Hall has a most impressive curriculum vitae. To touch on just a few of the high points, she is the proprietor of HALL Wines and WALT Wines [family businesses she has been involved with for over thirty years], was assistant city attorney in Berkeley, California, worked as an attorney and businesswoman in Dallas, Texas, and has served on numerous non-profit and institutional boards, with an emphasis on issues related to social care and mental health. From 1997 to July 2001, Ms. Hall served as the United States Ambassador to Austria. In the midst of this, together with her husband Craig she has raised four children.
Imagery Sauvignon Blanc 2019 and Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
In 1973, newlyweds Mike and Mary Benziger drove west and permanently settled in Northern California. Seven years later, Mike and and his brother Bruno Benziger purchased the historic Wegener Ranch on Sonoma Mountain in Glen Ellen, California. Hearing the Sirens’ call of the Golden State, over the next six years the four remaining siblings — Bob, Joe, Jerry, and Patsy, with their spouses — made their way to California.
In my over forty years of drinking wine, I’ve had excellent bottles, bottles I’ve poured down the drain after drinking half a glass, and, mostly, everything in between. But over all of those years and thousands of wines, two have eluded me, my so-called “unicorn” wines.
I first learned of the Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in the mid-’70s when a normally generous acquaintance was showing off an unopened bottle, with obviously no intention of sharing. Martha’s Vineyard was selling for about $30 at release then, far more than I could afford, so I wasn’t going to be enjoying it any time soon. But the desire was established.
On a winery tour through Napa valley in the mid-1990s, I stopped at Heitz’s “tasting room,” on that visit literally a windowless construction trailer parked by the side of the road. I was about halfway through the tasting when I heard a car grind to a halt outside on the gravel. The door burst open, and the driver demanded, “I want to try the Martha’s Vineyard!” The bartender calmly responded, “We don’t pour the Martha’s Vineyard here.” (A fact I, sadly, already knew.) The door slammed shut, and he was off. Denied.
Martha’s Vineyard is now selling for $250 on release, and, really, I still can’t afford it. But during these uncertain times, I thought, “What the hell. I may never get a chance to drink this wine I’ve been lusting after for so long.” So here it is.
Born in Princeton, Illinois, Joe Heitz served in the Army Air Force during World War II, and moonlighted during off hours at a winery near Fresno. After the war ended, Heitz began taking classes at UC Davis, achieving a bachelor’s and then a master’s degree in viticulture and enology in 1951. in the first graduating class of just seven people. Heitz found employment at two wine industry extremes, first at Gallo, and then with the famous André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyard as an assistant winemaker, where he worked for nearly ten years.
Joe Heitz. Photo: St. Helena Historical Society
Heitz Cellar was established in 1961, when, after serving his “apprenticeship,” in 1961 Heitz and his wife Alice bought a small 8.5 acre (3.4 ha) vineyard from Leon Brendel in St. Helena, California, named “The One & Only,” for $5,000, and went into business for himself. At the time, there were only about two dozen Napa Valley wineries, the lowest number since Prohibition. (Today there are over 1,700 registered wineries in Napa, but “only” about 500 have tasting rooms.) This pioneering winery even preceeded Robert Mondavi‘s 1966 start in nearby Oakville.
Photo: Jeremy Baines
In 1963, Heitz bought several barrels of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Hanzell Vineyards in Sonoma, the last vintages of James D. Zellerbach’s pursuit of Burgundian excellence and auctioned off by his widow. Heitz blended and sold the wines to lucrative acclaim.
One of his stated strategies for ongoing success was to pay growers, “what their grapes were worth,” in turn increasing the standard of the product he was receiving. In 1964, Heitz acquired an 1898 stone winery with its 160 acre (65 ha) ranch property, which became the Heitz winery and home.
Photo: Darcy K.
Since 1965, Heitz has held an exclusive agreement with Tom and Martha May, owners of the 34 acre (14 ha) Martha’s Vineyard in the Oakville AVA. He immediately recognized the quality of the grapes, and the very next year Heitz vinified the fruit separately from his other production, and designated the vineyard on the label. (Rather subtly, though. Many of Heitz’s red-wine labels, unchanged for decades, look almost identical. “Martha’s Vineyard” only appears in a small oval in the lower left corner.)
Martha’s Vineyard
“Standing in Martha’s Vineyard, you quickly realize why this site consistently produces a remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard receives gentle morning and early afternoon sunlight and is sheltered from the heat of the late afternoon sun by the mountains. This allows for longer hang time and Martha’s Vineyard is, historically, one of the last vineyards we pick. This ability to leave the fruit on the vine longer than other sites allows for concentration of flavor and softening of tannin to produce a wine so pure in its expression of place. The consistency in showcasing Martha’s Vineyard’s unique mint, bay leaf, dark berry and chocolate notes year after year is a reminder of why this vineyard has commanded a faithful following since the 1966 vintage.” –Brittany Sherwood, Winemaker
Heitz is considered the first to champion the single vineyard designation in the U.S. The 1968 vintage received attention for its quality, widely considered the greatest wine made in America up to that time. It was fermented in 1,000-US-gallon (38 hL) American oak vats, and then transferred to Limousin oak barrels where it aged for an additional two years. Frank J. Prial, the wine columnist for The New York Times from 1972 until 2004, contended the wine remained “the benchmark by which California Cabernets were judged” for more than two decades. (The 1970 vintage placed seventh at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris.)
Following a review by Robert Parker where he wrote that Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon “lacked aroma,” Heitz sent Parker a box of linen handkerchiefs, insinuating to the critic that he ought to clear his nose.
Joe Heitz suffered a stroke in 1996 which left him frail though lucid. He died on December 16, 2000, aged 81. He was described by Warren Winiarski, founder and former proprietor of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, as the first of the Napa Valley artisans and the first to grasp the single vineyard concept.
David Heitz succeeded his father as winemaker in the late 1970s, having worked at the estate for many years. In 1984, the estate purchased the Trailside Vineyard in Rutherford, having previously purchased fruit from the site, and introduced a single vineyard bottling in 1989.
In the early ’90s, phylloxera afflicted Martha’s Vineyard, and no vintages were made in the mid-1990s.
Heitz Cellar annually produces approximately 40,000 cases (3,600 hL) of wine. The estate’s vines are grown certified CCOF organic, with a move towards Biodynamic farming planned eventually. In addition to several vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings that are often aged in oak for three and half years, Heitz also produces varietal-labeled Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, and Grignolino. (This is a rare variety in California, but was the dominant planting of the original estate vineyard. Heitz is still considered the premier producer.)
In April, 2018, Heitz Cellar was sold to Gaylon Lawrence Jr., whose Arkansas-based family owns one of the country’s largest agricultural businesses.
This wine spent three years in 100% new French oak, one in neutral oak, and an additional year in bottle. It is medium ruby to purple in the glass. While I disagree that it “lacks aroma,” the nose is subtle, and predominantly of cherries. It is incredibly smooth on the palate, with flavors of classic black currant, cocoa, tart cherry, and a hint of dust. The tannins and acid are in perfect balance, and it all ends in a medium-long finish. One thing I didn’t get: Heitz Martha’s Vineyard is famous for a minty overlay, especially when it’s this young. While I wouldn’t find that a problem, I just wasn’t tasting it. Regardless, Joe Heitz went to great pains to consistently deny that the minty notes had anything to do with the eucalyptus tress planted on the edge of the vineyard.
So, was the forty-five year wait worth it? Well … yes … but. This is an excellent wine, worthy of its iconic status. But for me, it was simply too elegant, especially for the price. At this stratosphere, I’m looking for something more boisterous, like a Louis Martini Monte Rosso, a Palmaz, or a Kathryn Hall.
And the other wine of my fantasy? That would be Penfold’s Grange, the legendary Australian Shiraz. That one is selling for about $850 on release these days, so it may elude me forever.
Justin Baldwin founded his eponymous winery in Paso Robles, California, in 1981 on 160 acres. His vision was to make world-class Bordeaux-style blends. Befitting such ambition, The winery is invested in the French idea of terroir, that a wine must reflect its place, especially soil and climate.
In 1894, Gaspare Indelicato was born in the small village of Campobello di Mazara in the province of Trapani, Sicily. In 1911, at the tender age of 16, he emigrated to the United States through Ellis Island, New York.
Eventually, Gaspare and his wife Caterina settled in the agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley, east of San Francisco. In 1924, Gaspare and his brother-in-law Sebastiano made a bold decision to purchase an old dairy farm, planted grapes, and shipped them by train to home winemakers in the Chicago area during Prohibittion.
When “The Noble Experiment” was repealed in 1933, selling grapes to home winemakers was no longer profitable. Sebastiano and Gaspare decided the only way to salvage their grape crop was to make wine. In May of 1935, they opened their winery in a converted hay barn and called it Sam-Jasper Winery after the Americanized versions of their first names. Production began with 3,451 gallons (about 100 cases) of red wine which was sold to local farmers and friends.
As the business grew, Gaspare’s three sons, Frank, Anthony, and Vincent, joined the family winery in the 1950s. At that time, Frank was cellarmaster, Tony was winemaker, and Vince was the entire sales department.
Today, Delicato Family Wines is still family-owned by the heirs of Gaspare and Caterina’s three sons. The third and fourth generations of the Indelicato family are actively involved in the wine business and continue the tradition of producing and importing fine wines.
The Indelicato family is devoted to its California winemaking heritage of family farming, environmentally sensitive winegrowing practices, and economically sustainable principles.
“‘Family farmed’ encompasses the firmly-held belief that we are responsible for tending the earth and protecting its inhabitants,” explains Jay Indelicato. “This responsibility not only includes using environmentally sensitive farming practices, but also maintaining the highest ethical standards in our business dealings. My family has relationships with growers, banks, employees, and consumers that span decades. By thinking of ourselves as a “family farmed” company, it is a reminder that we have a responsibility to preserve and sustain the things that matter most.”
Here’s the legend of Three Finger Jack. Make of it what you will: He was a notorious desperado who roamed the Sierras and the land east of Sacramento in the closing days of the Old West. Nobody knows where he came from, how he lost two fingers, or where he died. But his legend still lives on today in Lodi, California.
Lodi sits at the foothills of California Gold Country, 75 miles east of San Francisco. Pioneers knew that Lodi made superb wine country; so they planted vines there more than a century ago. Its hot days are cooled by breezes from a vast river delta, and it’s home to soils that force vines to dig deep into the ground. Most of the Lodi region has deep, loamy soil. However, up on the east side, the soil is more rocky, with cobblestones and soil low in nutrients.
Three Finger Jack is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petite Sirah, 8% Malbec, 6% Merlot, and 1% other red varieties. Part of the wine is aged in American and French oak with the rest in stainless steel.
Pouring from a unique squat bottle, TFJ is a transparent dark red in the glass. It features a robust 15% ABV, with aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, and vanilla.. These and tastes of leather and cocoa follow, supported by good tannins and mild acidity. It ends in a relatively short finish.
Pair this substantial wine with Lemon-Pepper Barbeque Ribs, Lamb Kabobs with Mustard Marinade, or Double Peanut-Crusted Pork Chops.
Let’s clear up some confusion right away. This post is about the Benziger Family Winery of Sonoma, not the Beringer winery of Napa. But people often make this mistake, as Chris Benziger can attest to.
Wisconsin native Thomas J. (Tim) Lawrie had a 26-year career in the U.S. Army, including two tours in Vietnam as a combat officer, and was awarded the Purple Heart. He served as an Army Infantry Airborne soldier before finally retiring with the rank of Colonel. After which, he was almost universally referred to as, “The Colonel,” a somewhat surprising affectation for a Northerner, I think. As with most military personnel, he had assignments throughout the country, including California, where he acquired an interest in wine and wine production. Continue reading “Simon Creek Winery”
Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 and Chardonnay 2016
In 1973, newlyweds Mike and Mary Benziger drove west and permanently settled in Northern California. Seven years later, Mike and and his brother Bruno Benziger purchased the historic Wegener Ranch on Sonoma Mountain in Glen Ellen, California. Hearing the Sirens’ call of the Golden State, over the next six years the four remaining siblings — Bob, Joe, Jerry, and Patsy, with their spouses — made their way to California.
The 1000-acre Maxville Winery’s Napa Valley estate is located in the Chiles Valley AVA, in the Vaca Mountains, running parallel to and northeast of the Silverado Trail. The property was first planted to grape vines in 1974; today Maxville has over 100 acres of vineyard located at elevations between 900 and 1,200 feet. The volcanic soils provide a prime growing condition for wines, and Maxville practices sustainable dry farming methods in order to preserve the integrity of the property.
In November 2011, then-recently retired NBA star Yao Ming established his new Napa Valley winery, Yao Family Wines. But the story really begins in 2004, when Yao Ming was still in the early stages of his basketball career. Yao’s Houston Rockets teammate Dikembe Mutombo introduced him to the institution of the Texas steakhouse. Over many steak dinners, Dikembe tutored Yao on the magic of a great steak and wine pairing, and Yao became an aspiring wine aficionado.
The Concannon Vineyard story began in 1865 when James Concannon, then an 18-year-old boy, courageously set sail from the rocky coast of Ireland’s Aran Islands to seek opportunity in America.
These selections are sourced from a family-owned winery in Mattawa, Washington, nestled in a bend of the Columbia river and 152 miles southwest of Seattle. The family had been farming in the area since the mid-1950s, and believed that the region’s moderate temperatures, low rainfall, and sandy soils would be ideal for wine grapes, and planted their first grapevines in the area in 1997.
If you are looking for affordable, approachable, easy-drinking wines, I suggest you seek out those from Paso Robles. This large but lesser-known appellation was established in 1983 (a mere toddler in wine years), and is located around the town of Paso Robles in the northern part of California’s San Luis Obispo County. Most of the growing area is classified as Region III, equivalent to France’s Rhône region. At last count, there were over 18,000 acres under vine.
Jack Nicklaus needs no introduction, of course. The Golden Bear is the winner of 18 major golf championships, a golf course designer, a tournament manager, a golf equipment manufacturer, a product endorser, an author, and a philanthropist.
In 1894, Gaspare Indelicato was born in the small village of Campobello di Mazara in the province of Trapani, Sicily. In 1911, at the tender age of 16, he emigrated by himself to the United States through Ellis Island, New York, as many European immigrants of the time did.
