Category: Chardonnay

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Alquimista Cellars

La Follette Cellars

Some winemakers and winery proprietors are born into the business. Some buy into the business. And some evolve into it. Greg LaFollette of Alquimista evolved quite successfully. He has been called a “vine whisperer,” a “cellar magician,” and a “tireless coaxer and protector of handcrafted wines.” He is one of Sonoma’s most revered winemakers, and was honored as Winemaker of the Year in 2010. He has also been tagged “Prince of Pinot” by the website of the same name.

first, a career in science

La Follette’s early years were spent as a musician. At 17, he became the bagpiper for the Queen Mary berthed in Long Beach, California. (And he plays the bagpipes to this day.)  “I wanted to be a winemaker since my teens,” admitted La Follette. “But who in Los Angeles becomes a winemaker?” Eventually he decided that neither music nor wine offered a viable way forward, and after earning degrees in Plant Biology and Chemistry, La Follette started his professional career in 1984 at the University of California, San Francisco, as an Infectious Disease  researcher specializing in HIV suppression. While there, he co-authored over a dozen papers in the field. But, he was also still feeling the pull of his early interest in the wine industry.

While taking his masters degree in Food Science and Technology at U.C.Davis, he became fascinated with “mouth feel” and started dissecting wines to determine their components of taste and texture (especially of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay).  His particular interest in the Burgundian techniques of sur lie aging and bâtonnage coincided with an interest in new production techniques in California.

And then, a career in wine

Leaving academia behind, in 1991 he joined Treasury Wine Estates and held various positions at Beaulieu Vineyard, beginning with late-shift Harvest Winemaker and ending with Research Viticulturist/Enologist. He worked closely with winemaker Joel Aiken and the legendary wine master Andre Tchelistcheff, who exhorted La Follette to “live the wine,” which is to say to become totally immersed in both the science and art of winemaking.  He began to  increase his knowledge of Bordeaux varietals and production techniques. He also started traveling throughout the U.S. and Australia to further broaden his skill set.

In 1994 he began toiling for the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates empire. Owner Jess Jackson enticed him to assist in lifting La Crema out of bankruptcy (that worked out well, for sure!) and starting the Hartford Court label. La Follette helped Hartford Court to win “Winery of the Year” and “Best Pinots of the Year” from Wine and Spirits magazine. His travels continued as he assisted in  establishing new wineries and vineyards in South America and the U.S. Drawing on his training as a researcher, he wrote numerous technical papers during this time, including “Designing Wineries for Maximum Quality Output with Minimum Cost Input,” which is still used by Napa Valley College in their winemaking syllabus.

In 1996, La Follette moved on to the Flowers Vineyard & Winery. His work there resulted in the establishment of a cult Pinot Noir (“massive” as he has characterized it; quite an unusual descriptor for Pinot Noir) and elevation of a previously little-known area that later became known as the Ft. Ross/Seaview AVA. The winery he built at Flowers during his tenure is still considered one of the best gravity-flow, gas-assist green wineries in the world. He reestablished 73 acres of Flowers’ vineyard using the best clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay he could find, while simultaneously reducing farming costs by over $4,000 per acre and increasing quality. He had just recently written an influential paper on that very subject, after all.

By 2001 he was partner and co-owner of Greg & Greg Inc., a custom crush facility which became an incubator for small, high-end brands such as McPhail, Londer, Holdredge, and Radio Coteau. That same year he launched the first winery of his own, Tandem Wine Co. These projects overlapped with his stint at Chile’s Viña Casa Marin as Consulting Winemaker, advising on viticulture, winemaking, and facility design. By 2004 he was also consulting with Boisset Collection, pulling yet another label, DeLoach, out of bankruptcy. And, he established La Follette Winegrowing Inc., his on-going wine consultancy that helps establish, resuscitate, or enhance new or struggling wineries.

Alquimista Cellars, perhaps the final stop on his wine journey

Today finds him as winemaker at Alquimista Cellars, in partnership with co-winemaker Patrick Dillon. Alquimista is Spanish for alchemist, a name selected for its history of fusing science, art, spirituality, mythology, the elements, and enlightenment. La Follette said, “Our passion in wine is to capture both magic and your imagination. Imagine winemaking built on science, spirituality, boundary-breaking artistry, and risk. Imagine experiencing wines that inform a new generation of discovery, while, at the same time, venerate old world tradition.”

Dillon also evolved into the world of wine, after wearing many hats: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, writer, author, editor [Forbes], web content director, strategic consultant, vice president of a software firm, executive producer at a web-based data visualization design firm, and co-author of the Open Range cookbook.

In 2000 Dillon and his wife Anne bought a small farm in Sonoma County, where they met Eric Sussman, who had just launched his Radio Coteau label. Leveraging Dillon’s growing interest in winemaking, Sussman recruited him for helping with a variety of chores in the cellar. “He kept telling me how romantic winemaking was,” Dillon recalls. “And I kept reminding him of what a great sense of humor he had.” But the hard work and mentoring paid off, leaving Dillon with an understanding of the need of maintaining great grower relations and enforcing unwavering fastidiousness in both the vineyard and winery. He gained further experience with Marimar Estate in Sonoma County, and later ADAMVS, the high-end Cabernet Sauvignon producer on Napa County’s Howell Mountain. “I saw in Patrick a world of experience that really rubbed off in working with growers even during the toughest harvests and in our winemaking,” reminisced La Follette.

Always the iconoclast, La Follette believes that “balance” is more important than low yields in producing  higher-quality wines. “A broad generalization” he said, referring to the low yield maxim. “It is more likely that high-end wines from vines that are cropped too low are actually worse than if the vine has a balanced crop. This leads to runaway alcohols. If the vine isn’t balanced, it will pay no attention to ripening its grape tannins. Then you must pick the grapes at higher sugar percentages to produce flavor-ripeness and that leads to higher alcohols, lower acidity, and jammy flavors. Balanced vines mean balanced wines, it’s as simple as all that.”

Alquimista’s focus is on vineyard-designated cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnays. La Follette strives for minimal filtering and fining (so usually some cloudiness is to be expected), but all of the wines I was able to sample, at least, were crystal clear. To achieve that, the red wines are settled carefully and turbidity (cloudiness) is monitored before bottling. The white wines are cold-stabilized at 28° F for two weeks, and then racked cleanly off of the settling lees.

All of the wines are made from native yeasts carried from the vineyards on the grapes themselves. Sometimes this can lead to unpredictable results, but La Follette and Dillon fully embrace that possibility. The grapes are sourced from vineyards located in Lodi, the Russian River Valley, and Mendocino.

That little “4” or “A” like symbol on Alquimsta’s labels is the alchemy symbol for maceration, the time grape juice spends in contact with the skins and seeds.

The vineyards

Haiku VineyardThe 141-acre Haiku Vineyard lies at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains in the Sanel Valley of Mendocino County.  Centuries of floods have left a cobbled and stony soil, in which every block has been organically farmed since  being  planted more than 25 years ago. The Fetzer family has worked it since 2005, using canopy and water management, organic compost, and natural habitats that encourage raptors for rodent control and songbirds for insect control. Cover crops that attract beneficial insects are utilized instead of pesticides, and to  prevent erosion, retain moisture, and add organic matter to the soil. Weeds are mowed rather than killed by herbicides.

Chuck and Gail Jones  purchased a half-acre adjacent to what would become their nearly eight-acre Hawk’s Roost Ranch in west Sonoma County in 1968. “The place had an absentee owner. There were some unkempt zinfandel vines on that land but it appeared to be propagating more weeds and poison oak than wine vines,” Chuck recalled. Eventually building and living on their half acre, Gail grew weary of the eyesore next door. “I’m tired of looking at weeds. Let’s buy the place,” she declared in 1992.

Hawks Roost Ranch

After stripping out the existing vegetation, the first plantings were pumpkins and cut flowers.. “Neither of us knew anything about farming grapes, much less what rootstock was and what it should be for our particular growing area,” Chuck said.  Jim Pratt, one of the area’s most respected vineyard managers, analyzed the soil, finding it consisted of alluvial clay-loam with hardpan about 18 inches beneath the surface. Pratt suggested a hearty rootstock and an equally virulent clone, known for its strength and boldness.  By 1998, more than 5,000 vines had been installed.

The five-acre Jessie’s Grove vineyard near Lodi has endured for 128 years. Originally planted by pioneer Joseph Spenke, and named for his daughter Jessie, the property is now farmed by Greg Burns, Spenker’s great great grandson. The gnarly vines are 86 percent head-trained Zinfandel, with the remainder a motley crew of Black Prince, Flame Tokay, Mission, and  Carignane vines. Says La Follette, “Each contributes a distinct element for the alchemy we strive for. This is our first project [in Lodi] and we are honored to work with arguably the most cherished vineyard of a region already renown for its ancient vines.”

Lorenzo VineyardOwned and farmed by John and Phyllis Bazzano and named for John’s Italian grandfather, the 10-acre Lorenzo Vineyard might have become a golf fairway instead. “My father and some of his friends got wind that the Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club was considering expanding. So, being pretty shrewd, they purchased land that would be in the way of the expansion, hoping for a nice sale,” recalls John. “Well, the expansion never came our way. We ended up with a bunch of oak trees and an old orchard.”

After some false starts in farming the property, the Bazzanos realized their ground possessed just the right amount of Russian River loamy clay to foster wine grapes.  They planted Chardonnay vines in 1974 and 1975; these are now some of the oldest in the appellation. La Follette has worked with the Bazzanos for more than 10 years.

Manchester RidgeManchester Ridge lies about one hour west of Boonville  on the Mendocino coast, 2000 feet above Point Arena and the Pacific.   The vineyard’s 30 acres of weathered soil are routinely subjected to wind, rain, and temperature swings. Since the late 1990s La Follette has partnered with vineyard manager Martin Mochizuki to coax the vines into producing the best grapes they can.

Mes FillesIn 1998, La Follette began working with the owners of the Mes Filles Vineyard  located in the Russian River Valley.  He supervises viticulture to his own specifications on the 10-acre site, which is perched above the fog line atop a hill southwest of Sebastopol. The area is made up of Goldridge soil, a fine sandy loam left from an inland sea that drained into the Pacific more than two million years ago. This soil is known for excellent drainage and good fertility. The sloping vineyard sees long hours of sunlight, and cool coastal evening temperatures are created by marine air moving through the Petaluma Gap.

The Oppenlander Vineyard occupies land cleared 160 years ago by Danish immigrant Charles Oppenlander near the hamlet of Comptche in northern Mendocino County. Bill and Norman Shandel, Oppenlander’s great grandsons, farm the land now along with their wives, Kitty and Wanda. The 20-acre vineyard, first planted more than 100 years ago, and replanted in 1998, is hosted in heavy, clay loam, surrounded by redwoods. Just eight miles from the coast, the property holds cool marine air that fosters long hang time and slow ripening.

a selection of the wines

Before I get to the wines, a note about the cork: for many of their wines, Alquimista is  using a new closure product. Called “UNiQ”, from Ganau,  It  is made from finely ground natural cork that has been put through a high-intensity steam-cleaning process at 180° C.  Although in my experience the overall risk is overstated, this eliminates any trace of TCA (the chemical compound that causes wine to be characterized as “corked”), and guards  against undesired aromas and flavors.  Because of the possibility of cork taint, as well as the increasing cost and scarcity of all-natural cork, we can expect to see more and more producers migrating to these types of products, as well as the useful screw-caps and far less desirable artificial plastic plugs.

Alquimista Chardonnay Manchester Ridge 2016

Because of the challenges Pinot Noir presents to even talented winemakers, La Follette likes to call his Chardonnays his “anti-crazy” wines.

This wine reflects Alquimista’s singleness of vision, and won’t be for everyone.  It is a bright, clear lemon yellow, with aromas of melon and honeysuckle. There is grapefruit and a distinct  grapefruit pith (albedo) bitterness on the tongue, underlain with lemon curd and a hint of white peaches, all supported by crisp acidity.  The ABV is 14.9%, and 100 cases were made.

The bottle art is by Sonoma artist Sandra Rubin.

Alquimista Confluence Pinot Noir 2016

This wine is sourced from three estates, Mes Filles Vineyard, Hawk’s Roost Ranch, and Lorenzo Vineyard, all in the Russian River Valley AVA. The juices from these vineyards were separately aged in French oak for 18 months before being blended.  This Pinot is a medium purple in the glass.  It has a big nose of ripe cherry and spices.  The palate features tart cherries and dark fruits, mainly blueberries.  There is a snappy acidity that may be too intense for younger or more sensitive drinkers.  It all wraps up with a long finish.  The ABV is 14.2%, and a mere 67cases were produced.

The bottle art is  by San Francisco Bay area artist Mandy Bankson.

Alquimista Convergence Pinot Noir 2016

The 2016 is the initial offering of “Convergence,” a blend of three different vineyards in Mendocino County: Manchester Ridge is the anchor, with support form the Oppenlander Vineyard and the Haiku Vineyard.  The Manchester Ridge juice fermented on Chardonnay lees in its two barrels of new oak. The 18 remaining vineyard-designate barrels were once- and twice-used French oak, and the juices were separately aged for 19 months before being converged.  Like the Confluence, this Pinot is a crystal-clear, medium purple in the glass, with a similar nose of ripe cherry and spices.  The soft palate features zippy tart cherries, cranberry, and cinnamon, with a hint of cocoa.  It too all wraps up with a long finish.  The ABV is 14.2%, and 168 cases were produced.

The bottle art is  by San Francisco Bay area artist Mandy Bankson.

Alquimista Hawk’s Roost Ranch Pinot Noir 2016

100% sourced from the Hawk’s Roost Ranch, this Pinot is a clear, red garnet.  You are greeted by aromas of sweet dark berries, plum, and strawberries.   Remarkably, there is also just the slightest hint of smokey bacon.  These are followed by flavors of sweet cherries, cranberry, and fruit compotes.  The mouthfeel is round and soft, and the pliable tannins and acid are in perfect balance.  Definitely not your average California Pinot Noir.  The ABV is 14.1%, and 125 cases were produced.

The bottle art is  by Santa Rosa artist Mary Blake.

Alquimista Manchester Ridge Pinot Noir 2016

This wine was barrel aged on the lees for 16 months in only 15% new oak plus 85% once-used wood.  It is is the palest of these four Pinot Noirs, but with no reduction in flavor.  It starts with aromas of violets and blueberries, which also flow onto the palate with additional flavors of dried fruit, bitter orange, and a bit of cocoa.  It ends with a medium-long finish.  The ABV is 14.6%, and 150 cases were produced.

The bottle art is  by Point Reyes Station artist Toni Littlejohn.

Alquimista Jessie’s Grove Ancient Vine Zinfandel 2016

This selection is primarily Zinfandel, but is blended with the Carignan, Flame Tokay, Black Prince, and Mission grapes that Jessie’s Grove offers.  The black cherry color continues on as aroma to the nose. Then comes the flavors of plum and tart cherry, with just a bit of Zinfandel’s characteristic black pepper spiciness.  It has a long finish.  The ABV is 15.1%, and 65 cases were produced.

The bottle art is  by Sebastopol artist Carol Rae Watanabe.

You can find these and other selections at Alquimista Cellars’ website: https://alquimistacellars.com.

Visitors are welcomed to Alquimista, but strictly by appointment only, Covid or not.  Contact Alquimista through the website for more information.

NOTE:  There is a La Follette Winery in Healdsburg, which grew out of Tandem Wine Co. (it’s complicated), and although Greg La Follette was a part of its establishment as the founding winemaker, he departed soon after over “creative differences,” and no longer has any involvement.

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Flanagan Wines

Flanagan Wines

 

Eric Flanagan did not come of age with a background in the wine business, or even farming. After graduating from college in 1985, he embarked on a banking career, which he pursued until 2013. His job during those years took him on journeys around the world. He had always had an interest in wine, and over the course of these trips Flanagan became fascinated by how grapes of the same variety expressed themselves in different places.

the siren call of wine

Seeing no need to wait for retirement to start a second career, at the age of 36 in 1999 he decided to act on his deep interest in the world of wine. He purchased 40 acres of open land on the side of Bennett Mountain in Sonoma, California, (in what would later become the Bennett Valley AVA). The site sits at 1200 feet on the south and southwest slopes of Bennett Ridge at the confluence of San Pablo Bay and Petaluma Gap. The soil is rocky, volcanic cobbles with excellent drainage. Having a warm micro-climate in a cool region means that bud break here is early, but harvest is late. The extra hang time for the grapes, along with the low yields and the hillside site, can deliver intense, complex fruit. Flanagan and his then very-young first daughter, Riley (who has gone on to become a vintner herself), planted his first vines there in 2001.

Flanagan

The original winery and Bennett vineyard.

Flanagan’s first wine was one barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon made in 2004 with winemaker Philippe Melka. In just the following year he grew production to 150 cases.

Cabell Coursey                                     Isabelle Mort

From 2014 to 2016,  Cabell Coursey was the winemaker at Flanagan. The energetic and peripatetic Coursey also makes the wine for Tony Lombardi, as well as his own label, Coursey Graves. Although he continues as consulting winemaker for Flanagan, the day-to-day winemaking operations are overseen by Isabelle Mort, who also makes the wines for Riley Flanagan’s label, Riley’s Rows.  (And while Eric Flanagan sources all of his grapes from Sonoma County, his daughter draws some of her fruit from ranches in Lake County and Mendocino.)

In 2015, Flanagan obtained a 27-acre Pinot Noir vineyard named Gap’s View in the Petaluma Gap area of the Sonoma Coast AVA. Cool afternoon winds from the Petaluma Gap keep the fruit “clean” and allow it to ripen slowly. The site is the source of some of Flanagan’s Pinot Noir grapes, a small amount of which are made into a vineyard-designated wine.

That same year, he purchased the iconic Sonoma Coast Platt Ranch. With over 300 acres of redwood and fir, it is home to one of the largest coastal redwood groves in the state. The vineyard itself is just 2.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean, and has 31 acres planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The soil is Goldridge fine sandy loam, and sits high above the regular morning fog. From the top of the property, you can see the tiny town of Bodega and the Pacific Ocean.

Platt Ranch

Platt Ranch vineyard, which Flanagan believes “may be the greatest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay site in California.”

Flanagan winery 2.0

With access to so much high-quality fruit, Flanagan quickly outgrew the original production facility. In 2016 he purchased a shuttered winery located just outside of Healdsburg. The operation is one of the oldest in Sonoma County, having been originally bonded in 1885. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have found this special winery site and estate vineyards,” said Flanagan. “We realized [in 2014] that the winery I built in Bennett Valley wouldn’t meet our future needs. Acquiring an operating winery with a 25,000 case permit, ten acres of vineyard, and a public tasting room feels like a miracle.”

Flanagan

The current Flanagan winery.

FlanaganThe Flanagan production building. The three blue rivulets are the winery’s logo, symbolizing the Flanagans’ three children, all daughters.

The estate totals twenty acres, ten of which are planted to vines. Shortly after the purchase, Flanagan and then-winemaker Coursey replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon with modern spacing to make the most of the hillside site. Coursey said at the time, “I’m excited to replant the winery’s estate vineyards, and look forward to redesigning the winery and creating a world-class facility. The new winery will enhance our ability to craft wines with integrity from some of the most exceptional vineyard sites in Sonoma County.”

Flanagan

The view from the tasting room patio.  The rainbow does not appear every day.

In 2016, Flanagan bought the historic Brandt Ranch, which is located within the Kelsey Bench appellation in Lake County, north of Napa Valley. The 120-acre vineyard has 108 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.

“Having a top Kelsey Bench Cabernet source was a thoughtful addition to the highly-acclaimed Pinot Noir vineyards at Platt Ranch and Gap’s View,” reminisced Flanagan. “Brandt Ranch is a site with great soils, aspect, and climate … my commitment is to help every vineyard we own to realize its potential.”

Other vineyards

In addition to the Bennett Valley, Platt, and Brandt Ranch already mentioned, Flanagan also sources fruit from these two properties (and a few others I won’t get in to).

Bacigalupi Vineyard is a few miles south of the Flanagan winery. The Bacigalupi family owns about 120 acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir here. This vineyard was the source of the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that beat the French competition at the famous “Judgement of Paris” tasting in 1976.

Ritchie Vineyard, a famous Chardonnay site in Sonoma County, was planted in the early ’70s with a Wente clone of Chardonnay. Owner Kent Ritchie was told shortly afterward he would have to eventually replant the vineyard because the vines were not phylloxera resistant, but some forty years later the Ritchie Vineyard is still producing world-class fruit.

Sustainability

Flanagan has an annual production of 4,300 cases, all made sustainably. As of this writing, they are in the process of having their vineyards certified sustainable by CSWA (California Sustainable Winegrowers Alliance).

Beyond the formal certification, sustainability for Flanagan means, “that we farm with a long-term mindset. We do everything we can to ensure that this land will be as healthy, or healthier than, it was when we found it. We are committed to balanced, healthy vineyards, and to producing wines that reflect the integrity and distinctiveness of their site. Our mission is to make great wines from the best vineyards in Sonoma County.”

Flanagan clan

The Flanagan clan.

Flanagan Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2017

The wine was 100% barrel fermented with a blend of fruit sourced primarily from the Bacigalupi and Ritchie vineyards, and then aged for 11 months in French oak barrels, of which 45% were new. A bright gold in the glass, it features a nose of citrus and papaya aromas, with a hint of butterscotch. The lush mouthfeel is accompanied by flavors of tart grapefruit, pineapple, pear, and a suggestion of minerality.  It has bright acidity to balance the richness, and a long finish. ABV is 14.5%.  359 cases produced.  This is one of Flanagan’s four Chardonnays.

Flanagan Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2016

This Pinot Noir saw 11 months of ageing in  French oak, 46% new. Fermentation was done in open top fermenters for 10 days.  It exhibits a brilliant clear dark red color, and a nose dominated by dark plum accompanied by red cherry, floral notes, and spice. There are flavors of tart cherry and mixed red fruits on the palate.  The tannins are nicely integrated.  It ends in a medium finish, with a lingering suggestion of black tea. This vintage was sourced from the  Gap’s View and Platt vineyards, as well as two others. ABV is 14.3%, and 700 cases were made.  This is one of the five Pinot Noir’s Flanagan produces.

Flanagan The Beauty of Three Proprietary Red 2015

This is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, and 5% Merlot, drawn from the same barrels as their Flagship blend, but with a different composition.

It presents with a rich, dark purple color.  There are plenty of blackberry and dark stone fruit aromas, and these continue on as the primary flavors with the addition of some cassis.  It has an unctious mouthfeel, very smooth tannins, and a nice long finish. ABV is 14.8% and 640 cases were released.

www.flanaganwines.com

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Coursey Graves Winery

Coursey Graves

 

Cabell Coursey

Cabell Coursey is a busy guy these days. In addition to being the winemaker at Lombardi Winery, he is also winemaker and co-owner at Coursey Graves Winery in Santa Rosa, California. He began his career in wine in Burgundy, where he worked his first harvest during an undergraduate semester abroad. After graduation, he returned to the States and pursued the menial but necessary chores of picking grapes, scrubbing tanks and barrels, and learning traditional winegrowing methods. He went on to toil in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and later traveled to Christchurch, New Zealand, where he earned graduate degrees in Enology and Viticulture from Lincoln University. It was there he developed the passion for cool climate wines that guides his style today. Before starting Coursey Graves in 2015 with partner John Graves, Coursey made wine for Alder Springs Vineyard, DuMol, Flanagan, and Kosta Browne.

He is committed to constantly improving the wines he makes from vintage to vintage by understanding his vineyards and maximizing their quality.  He also feels obligated to mentor young winegrowers by teaching parameters they can use to customize and improve grape farming for better produce.

Coursey stated,  “I am interested in making wines that show the place where they are grown, taste great young, but also age [well]. With most wines, aging means maintaining. I strive to make wines that evolve, not just maintain.
Except for a little bit of Chardonnay, I grow all the grapes I make to wine. It’s important, because my team learns about the vineyard and can change how we grow the grapes to make better wines.”

John GravesJohn Graves began his career in computer technology, and after a decade spent working for others, he left to strike out on his own. Thirty years later he sold a successful B-to-B software business. He and his wife Denise used a portion of the proceeds to establish the Graves Foundation, whose mission is to provide disadvantaged youth in greater Minneapolis with access to the resources, opportunities, and caring relationships that will propel them to a successful life. Specifically, the foundation focuses on K-12 education reform and providing foster kids with support during the transition to adulthood.

Grave’s interest in wine began as a hobby, influenced by a good friend and by Robert Parker’s reviews in the Wine Advocate. At length his interest expanded until the desire to learn became a desire to own a winery. Serendipitously, about the same time his winemaker friend Cabell Coursey began talking about starting a new venture of wines in a style they both loved to drink and share. Graves acquired the existing Bennett Valley Winery, and the first vintage of Coursey Graves was bottled in 2017.

Bennett Valley AVA

In 1862, Santa Rosa winemaker Isaac DeTurk planted a vineyard on land he purchased from valley namesake James Bennett. DeTurk called his winery, the valley’s first, Belle Mount. However, the combination of phylloxera and Prohibition cleared the valley of vineyards. It wasn’t until the late 1970s that vineyards returned to Bennett Valley in a meaningful way at the pioneering Matanzas Creek Winery.

The Bennett Valley AVA is located south of Santa Rosa, on high ground between the Sonoma Valley and Cotati Valley. The AVA begins where the city’s suburban neighborhood known as Bennett Valley abruptly gives way to rolling oak woodland and horse pastures bordered by ancient stone walls.

This tiny appellation is one of the coolest AVAs in Sonoma County. This is because of  the Petaluma Gap, where a break in the higher coastal hills lets in cool winds and fog from the Pacific Ocean. Bennett Valley sits directly in the path of the initial incursion.   The fact that there is fog in all of the photos in this post is testament to that!

Although there are plenty of renowned wineries and vineyards throughout Sonoma, of course, the lesser-known vineyards of Bennett Valley quietly yield some of the area’s most highly concentrated fruit. This is because the well-drained volcanic soils of the area ensure that the vines grow deep root systems in search of hydration. Ultimately this leads to concentrated, complex wines, as the water-stressed vines will focus their attention on grapes, rather than luxurious foliage. The rocky soils coupled with the cool weather mimic the austere conditions of Bordeaux.

There are now 650 vineyard acres and four wineries in Bennett Valley, which was awarded AVA status in 2003.

The Coursey Graves Vineyards

Coursey Graves is located on vineyard sites 800 to 1500 feet above sea level on Bennett Mountain overlooking Sonoma, on the western edge of the ancient, volcanic Mayacamas Range that separates Napa and Sonoma. The winery, estate vineyards, and caves are built into the slope overlooking the Bennett Valley below. Eighteen acres are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Syrah.

 

In addition to the estate vineyard, Coursey Graves relies on two others as well. Nestled on the sloped edge of an ancient volcano, Coombsville Vineyard is home to sixteen acres of Bordeaux varieties growing between the red and black igneous basalt and the white, ashy volcanic tuff. At two thousand feet above sea level, Cabernet from Howell Mountain Vineyard benefits from much cooler daytime temperatures and slower ripening.

The wines

I have now had the opportunity to try eight of Cabell Coursey’s wines.  They all have a smooth and silky mouthfeel.  Thinking this had to reflect the intervention of the winemaker, I asked him about how he achieves that, and he had this to say,  “First is vineyard work.  I get up-front and mid-palate concentration through diligent effort in the vineyard, by managing fruit load to the amount of vine canopy, and careful applications of irrigation. I have some control over berry size, and therefore juice to skin ratio, by controlling how much water-stress the vines have at various times during the growing season. Extra stress at flowering and fruit set limits berry size, while more water increases berry size. I don’t have a standard plan each vintage, but rather change according to conditions.

“Second is tannin management during the winemaking process. Certain tannins (phenols) extract from grapes at different ranges in temperature. Also, they bind at different temperatures. I manage the temperatures during fermentation very closely and change to either extract, not extract, or bind, depending on taste and mouthfeel. I do use lab numbers to double check what I taste. However, it’s mostly by taste. After working with these vineyards and my cellar for a few years, I’ve started to learn where the wines’ tannins need to be at the end of fermentation to age properly upon the wines’ release and subsequent aging.”

Coursey Graves Chardonnay 2018

The fruit for this wine was sourced from the Durell and Heintz vineyards on the Sonoma coast. It was fermented in oak and stainless-steel barrels. It is light bright lemon yellow in the glass, which is appropriate as it opens with the smell of lemons, paired with a hint of melon and crushed stone. Those flavors continue on the palate, abetted by a zippy acidity and a suggestion of oak.  It wraps up in a brisk finish.  Only 91 cases were made.

Coursey Graves West Slope Syrah 2016

This 100% Syrah  hails from Coursey Graves’ estate vineyard in Bennett Valley. It is an opaque but brilliant purple color. It features aromas of dark red fruits. The rather lean palate offers flavors of blackberry and olive, with a bit of pepper at the end.  It’s all complemented by good  tannins and a moderately long finish. Production was limited to 268 cases.

Coursey Graves Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (although in some years Coursey adds and just a bit of Merlot). The grapes were  mostly harvested from vineyards in Howell Mountain and Coombsville in Napa, as well as some from Bennett Valley in Sonoma.  The aromatics are of rich, complex dark fruit. On the palate the wine offers tart cherry, black cherry, red licorice, and cocoa. The  oak tannins are well-integrated and bracing.  According to the winery, it will be at its peak performance around 2023 to 2024, by which time those tannins will inevitably round out, if you prefer them softer. .192 cases were produced. 

Coursey Graves Bennett Mountain Estate Red Blend 2016

This elegant wine was my favorite of the quartet. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, all from the estate vineyard in Bennett Valley.  This deep-red selection displays aromas of crushed rock and currant, with a hint of strawberry.  These are followed by flavors of dark plum, blueberries, crème de cassis, and a touch of vanilla, supported by fine tannins.  It offers an excellent example of Coursey’s super smooth, lush mouthfeel.  There is just a bit of dried herbs on the long finish.  234 cases were made.
Coursey Graves’ tasting room is located in downtown Healdsburg, just off the historic Healdsburg Plaza.

https://www.courseygraves.com/

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Lombardi Winery

Lombardi Wines

Tony Lombardi was born into a family of small business owners, and grew up in Sonoma County. He graduated from Saint Mary’s College with a degree in Business Management. His first job in the wine business came in 1998 when he joined the hospitality team at Clos Du Bois Winery, located in Geyserville, California.

From 2001 to 2013, Lombardi held senior leadership positions in marketing, public relations, and sales for such companies as Allied Domecq Wines, Beam Wine Estates, J Vineyards & Winery, Ascentia Wine Estates, and Kosta Browne Winery.

In partnership with his wife Christine, Lombardi founded Lombardi Wines in 2013 with a barrel of Chardonnay and a barrel of Pinot Noir.  He describes himself as a storyteller/connector at heart, and loves to tell the unique and interesting personal stories of Sonoma and Napa wineries and winemakers, and connect them and their wines to people across the country.  As part of that effort, he was encouraged to take the leap of faith in creating his own label from his former employers Dan Kosta and Michael Browne. They told him, “We did it, so should you!”

Lombardi hired Cabell Coursey in 2015 to be his winemaker and viticulturist/grower relations manager after he had held those jobs for three years at Kosta Browne.  Coursey also toils at his own winery, Coursey Graves. Prior to those efforts, he was the winemaker with Andy Smith at Dumol.  Well traveled, he has made wines all over the world, including Burgundy, New Zealand, Oregon, and California.

Coursey and Lombardi make small lots of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from vineyards in the Sonoma Coast AVA.  However, the winery owns no acreage or vineyards itself.  Rather, the Pinot Noir fruit is sourced from growers in the greater Petaluma area, where the Lombardi family has been since 1947, and Lombardi himself has cultivated many close relationships. He says, “I’m most proud of the interconnections I have with grower families that provide access to incredible fruit and that I can make a style of wine that I love to drink. The greatest satisfaction is seeing that enjoyment from people who try the wines I love to make. I founded my winery to honor my Italian roots and immigration story.  Wine has always been a part of my family’s history, starting from my great-grandfather Nazzareno Lombardi and his childhood friend Cesare Mondavi and their story of coming to America together in 1914. Sunday night dinners with extended family where the lively and spirited conversation around the dinner table was religion, politics, but always family first.”

The winery is not open to the public and does not have a tasting room. The wines are sold through an allocated mailing list.  This limited production is by design, as Lombardi wants the winery to grow “organically.”  Newly active members are first offered the Appellation Series and a small allocation of limited production single vineyard designates. Consistent ordering gains members access to a wider selection of wines.

In addition to being a wine entrepreneur, in 2015 Lombardi started Lombardi Marketing, a boutique consulting company offering marketing, public relations, and wholesale services for the benefit of small to mid-size wine companies in need of this expertise.

Lombardi also actively participates in charity wine auctions across the country. He believes that connecting through wine helps raise much-needed awareness and funds for worthwhile causes.

Tony Lombardi

Tony Lombardi

Lombardi Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2018

The fruit was sourced from the Sangiacomo family of growers (and winemakers) in Petaluma.  Fermented in 100% French oak barrels, of which only 10% were new, this Chardonnay was aged for 14 months in custom barrels sourced from the Freres, Bousseau, Chassin, Mercurey, and Atelier cooperages of France.   It is a very pale yellow, with aromas of melon and honeysuckle, and just a hint of vanilla.   The dominant flavors are lemon and tangerine, backed up by peach.  Not surprisingly, with so little new oak during fermentation, there is just a whisper of wood.  The wine finishes with an ideal level of refreshing acidity.  The ABV is 13.5%.  Like all Lombardi selections, this is a limited-production wine, with 240 cases made.

Lombardi Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2018

This wine was fermented in 100% French oak barrels (25% new).  It then saw 14 months of aging in custom barrels sourced from the Boutes and Atelier cooperages of France.   It shows a very transparent ruby in the glass.  The nose features aromas of rich black cherry, currants, and a hint of marshmallow.  On the palate there is a silky mouthfeel, with flavors of tart cherry, blackberry, and a bit of cocoa.  The focused acidity is complemented by delicate tannins.  It all wraps up with a medium-long finish.  The ABV is 14.2%.   300 cases made.

Lombardi Pinot Noir Hill Justice Vineyard 2018

The Hill Justice vineyard is nearly 1,100 feet up the side of Sonoma Mountain, and was personally planted by winemaker Cabel Coursey and his team.  This wine was fermented in 100% French oak barrels (50% new).  It then saw 14 months of aging in barrels sourced from Boutes and Atelier.   It is a very crystal-clear deep purple.  The wine starts with aromas of dark stone fruit, blackberry, and chocolate.  In the mouth, it is super smooth, with flavors echoing the scents, plus some cola.  The delicate acidity is supported by fine tannins.  Things come to an end with a juicy finish.  The ABV is 14.%.   100 cases made.

Lombardi Pinot Noir Guisti Ranch 2018

The fruit for this wine was grown by the Giusti family, who came to Sonoma  from San Pelligrino, Italy in the 1870s.   They began by farming olives and grapes, then moved over the years to prunes, cherries, and apples, and have now returned to grapes and olives.  The first Pinot Noir planting was in 2000.

Giusti Ranch

Giusti Ranch and Vineyard  Photo: Kurt Giusti

Under the Giusti Ranch Vineyard designate, in addition to supplying Lombardi, the family also sells  grapes to Kosta Browne Winery, in another example of Tony Lombardi’s tightly-knit network.

This wine was fermented in 100% French oak barrels (50% new).  It then saw 14 months of aging in barrels sourced from Taransaud, Chassin, and Boutes.   Like the Hill Justice, it is a very crystal-clear deep purple.  It also has similar aromas of dark stone fruit, blackberry, and a bit of baked cherry pie.  It is super smooth as well, with flavors echoing the scents.  The acidity and tannins are well balanced, and the wine delivers a long finish.  The ABV is 14.8%.   100 cases made.

Although Oregon and Washington state are justifiably famous for their Pinot Noirs, Lombardi’s selections prove that with high-quality fruit and a skilled winemaker, Sonoma can do equally well.  Indeed, these are some of the best Pinot Noirs I’ve ever had.  Highly recommended.

https://www.lombardiwines.com/

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Sanford Winery

Sanford WinerySanford Winery, the first such operation in Santa Barbara wine country, was established when the Sanford & Benedict vineyard was planted in 1971. Botanist Michael Benedict and his friend Richard Sanford were committed to finding a cool-climate location with just enough heat accumulation to ripen, but not over ripen, wine grapes. A place where they could plant and grow grapes and craft wines, where they hoped the quality might equal the best of Europe.

Benedict began researching and touring the cool coastal regions of California in search of a site that would suit this mission. His pursuit took him to a unique part of the Santa Ynez Valley, to the property that would ultimately become the Sanford & Benedict vineyard. The area owes its magic to an unusual east-west mountain valley that runs from the vineyards to the Pacific Ocean. This passage allows a meteorological ebb-and-flow of air temperature between the mountains and the sea that is ideal for cool-climate varietals.( It was also this vineyard that supplied the cuttings for many of the surrounding vineyards that sprang up in the wake of its success.)

The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard was named one of the five most important and iconic vineyards in California by Wine Enthusiast. It is known for both its historical significance and the continued quality of the fruit it produces. Sanford farms 51 acres of vines from the original planting, the oldest in the region. These vines were planted on their own root stock (vitis vinifera), and these “own rooted” vines have flourished for more than 45 years. The vineyard features calcium-rich clay loam soils with fractured shale and chert (a hard, dark, opaque rock composed of silica (chalcedony) with an amorphous or microscopically fine-grained texture), a result of the sloughing off of the top half of this mountain over one million years ago. Primarily planted to Pinot Noir, the Sanford & Benedict vineyard features more than 20 individual blocks and 11 different clones.

Sanford & Benedict Vineyard

Sanford & Benedict Vineyard

The La Rinconada Vineyard was planted in 1997, and is adjacent to Sanford & Benedict. It is home to 20 vineyard blocks and 12 clones. The same soil and climate conditions make both areas ideal sources for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The individual blocks of these two estate vineyards are farmed and harvested to make the most of their subtle variations in soils and microclimates.

La Rinconada Vineyard

La Rinconada Vineyard

The property in total is comprised of nearly 1,200 acres, with approximately 262 acres planted to vine. Much of the property remains undeveloped natural land, including a 127-acre conservation easement pledged to the Santa Barbara Land Trust. It is this balance of farmed versus unfarmed land on the ranches which helps in creating and maintaining a balanced ecosystem and an ideal growing environment.

Irrigation systems are fully modernized and variable across the estate to dramatically decrease water usage and increase water conservation. Cover crops and composting are utilized to support and promote microbiotic soil health, which in turn promotes the sustainability of the vineyards and the overall health of the vines. Mechanical tilling and cutting of weeds dramatically reduces the use of herbicides in the vineyard. Owl and raptor boxes have been installed and maintained around the periphery of the vineyards to create nesting sanctuaries for indigenous predatory birds that control vineyard pests in a natural and eco-friendly way.

These two estate vineyards are now part of the Santa Rita Hills AVA, which was designated in 2001.

The winery itself is located at Rancho La Rinconada. It was completed in 2001 and was inspired by traditional California mission architecture. The walls are constructed of adobe blocks handmade on site. The insulating quality of this material makes it ideal for a winery. With adobe walls thirty inches thick, there is no need for either heating or air conditioning. The cellar interior is 55º to 65º year-round, with no energy use.

 

Sanford Winery

The Sanford Winery

Sanford Celler

The Sanford Cellar

The lumber for the winery was acquired by recycling timbers from a turn of the 19th century sawmill building originally located in Washington State. After this building was purchased and disassembled, its 500,000 board feet of first-growth Douglas Fir was transported to Sanford. Along with the wood came the sawmill itself, which was utilized on-site to re-mill the timbers to meet construction needs.

The winery uses a unique and gentle system to move wine through the facility: a gravity racking system. Four 3600-gallon wine tanks are positioned on hydraulic lifts. The winery crew can move a 14-ton tank of wine below ground or 20 feet in the air. The crew then uses gravity to move wine from tank to barrel (or bottling) without disruptive pumping and agitation of the wine.

 

Winemaker and General Manager Trey Fletcher leads a veteran winemaking team at Sanford. He spent eight years at Bien Nacido Vineyards in Santa Maria, as Winemaker and General Manager, and has also held winemaking roles with Littorai Wines in Sebastopol. Next is Laura Roach, Assistant Winemaker, who joined Sanford in 2012. Her career began at Schramsberg Vineyards in 2008 as a Laboratory Intern. Two years later, she gained her Bachelors of Science in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis, and was awarded the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Scholarship to work abroad in Burgundy, France, in 2010. Through this exposure, she gained an appreciation for terroir and honed her skills for producing quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Cellar Master Auggie Rodriguez has been a part of Sanford Winery from the very beginning. (Rodriguez’s father was one of Sanford Winery’s first employees hired to help plant the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. He worked on the estate for the next 20 years, retiring in 1991.) Rodriguez started working for Sanford in 1986 at the age of 16. While still in high school, he worked summers and weekends at the winery. Auggie attended the Culinary & Hotel School at Santa Barbara City College while continuing to be part of the production team and managing the cellar for Sanford. Erik Mallea, Vineyard Manager, comes from a northwestern Minnesota farming family. He majored in Biology and Geology at Oberlin College before heading west to start working in vineyards and wineries. Mallea worked for producers in Oregon, New Zealand, and California’s Central Valley before coming to Santa Barbara County. He started working with the Sanford estate vineyards in 2009 while completing his M.S. in Viticulture and Enology.

Alex Rodriguez

Cellarmaster-to-be Auggie Rodriguez (right) and family at Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in 1972

Today, the estate is owned, farmed, and overseen by the Terlato family wine empire. The Terlato family has been involved in the US wine industry for over 70 years with, the motto “Quality Endures.”

Sanford Winery Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Nior 2017

The 2017 Sanford Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is a blend of fruit from the two estate vineyards: Sanford and Benedict (88%) and La Rinconada (12%). The vines were stressed in the midst of the sixth year of a severe drought. Fruit was selected from eight blocks of different soil types. The wine was then fermented in French oak barrels (25% new) for 15 months.

The wine is a deep, but transparent, violet red in the glass, with a nose of black cherry and cola. The dominant tart cherry notes and dusty berry flavors continue on to the palate; they are complemented by plenty of acid and supple tannins. It wraps up with a medium-long finish.

Serve this wine with Sauteed Duck Breast with Pinot Noir Sauce (just don’t squander this Pinot Noir on the sauce), or Salmon en Papillote.

Sanford Winery Sta. Rita Hills Rosé of Pinot Nior 2018

This Rosé is a lovely pale salmon pink. Perhaps predictably, it is a more subtle version of the Pinot Noir above, plus aromas of cranberry and rose petal. The tart cherry flavor is backed up by strawberry. Shows very crisp acidity and good minerality. Fermented in stainless steel, followed by aging in a combination of neutral barrels and stainless steel tanks before bottling.

Drink this with Cider-Marinated Bluefish with Spicy Sliced Tomatoes, Grilled Tuna with Fresh Peach and Onion Relish, or Oak Planked Salmon Charmoula.

Sanford Winery Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2017

The color is pale gold, with a subtle nose of lemon and crème brûlée.

This makes the intensity of this racy wine on the palate all the more surprising; plenty of bright lemon and grapefruit notes supported by “just enough” oak, a bit of floral character, and that zippy acidity.

I suggest you pair this Chard with Chicken Breast with Artichokes and Mustard Sauce, Smoked Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches, or Seared Scallops with Fruit Salsa.

https://www.sanfordwinery.com/

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Catena Wines

Catena WinesTwo to Tango

In 1902, Italian immigrant Nicola Catena planted his first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina.
Domingo, Nicola’s eldest son, took the family winery to the next level, building the Catena business to become one of the largest vineyard holders in Mendoza. Like his father, Domingo Catena fiercely believed that Argentine Malbec could make a wine as worthy as any first-growth Bordeaux.

In the 1960s, however, the Argentine economy imploded and inflation rates soared. Catena struggled to hang on. One dire year, Domingo realized it would cost him more to harvest than to leave the fruit on the vines.

Argentina’s years of turmoil continued even as Domingo’s 22-year-old son Nicolás (a PhD graduate in economics) took the reins of the family winery. In the early 1980s, Nicolás left Argentina for a short sabbatical to become a visiting scholar of economics at the University of California Berkeley.
California—and especially the vineyards of Napa Valley—proved to be a serendipitous inspiration to Nicolás, who spent weekends visiting the wineries.

Upon his return, Nicolás set out to discover the best places to plant vineyards in Mendoza. He felt that the only way he could make a leap in quality would be by pushing the limits of vine cultivation, although his own vineyard manager told him that Malbec would never ripen in the high-altitude elevations and poor soil available to him.

But Nicolás was stubborn and undeterred, putting in five years of work before he was satisfied enough in 1994 to make a  Malbec with the Catena name. It would take a decade more for Malbec to become a well-known wine varietal around the world.

Catena Chardonnay 2014

Starting with the 2014 vintage, this wine is sourced exclusively from the Valle de Uco. The fruit is sourced from six vineyards in different zones of the valley. Each block is vinified differently and aged separately before final blending.
This Chardonnay opens with aromas of mango and papaya. There is plenty of tangy acidity on the palate, and the flavors are dominated by lemon and lime, supported by oak and some subtle vanilla. It finishes with a hint of bitter orange.

Match this Chard with scrod braised in tomatillos, squid picante-style, or quail with barley.

Catena Malbec 2014

Catena Malbec is sourced from the family´s high-altitude vineyards in Maipú, Lujan de Cuyo, Tupungato, and San Carlos. It has the color of plum skin with a nose to match. The flavor profile is lean, dominated by blueberry, baking spices, minerals, and just a bit of mocha. It’s a smooth, easily-approachable wine with with medium body, good acidity for food pairings, and a medium finish.

This wine would go nicely with braised rabbit in chocolate sauce, roast beef in a black pepper crust, or roast leg of lamb with pistachios.

www.catenawines.com/catena-wines.php

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Imagery Estate Winery

Imagery Estate WineryEvocative Imagery

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 1986, winemaker Joe Benziger first partnered with artist Bob Nugent to launch the Imagery Series of wines. This pairing of wine and art continues to this day, and permeates every aspect of Imagery Winery, including unique artwork replicated on every label. (Except for the wines shown here.  More on that below.)  The dedicated on-site art gallery features label artwork commissioned from some of the world’s most notable contemporary artists, and includes over 500 works by over 300 artists. Currently, around 60 pieces are on view in the gallery.

At any given time, as many as 35 artists are working on pieces that will appear on future Imagery wine labels. The artists are not limited by size, medium, or content – the only exception is that the work must include a likeness of the Parthenon replica on the Benziger Estate, which serves as the winery’s signature image.

Joe Benziger has dedicated his career to crafting rare wines from uncommon varietals such as Malbec, Tempranillo, and Lagrein. These limited-production wines are available to wine club members only.

However, that doesn’t mean Imagery is inaccessable. Following in her father Joe’s footsteps, middle-daughter Jamie Benziger is the winemaker in charge of Imagery’s relatively new and more popularly-priced collection of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. The label is characterized with a “drip” motif, suggestive of both wine and paint.

Imagery Chardonnay 2016

This offering presents initial subtle aromas of ripe apple, pear, and lime. It is pale-straw colored in the glass. It greets the palate with flavors of further apple and lemon, plus a touch of steeliness from the cold fermentation and minimal oak. The wine is enlivened with the addition of 5% Chenin Blanc, and the finish is bright and fresh.

This wine would work well with Vietnamese turkey and glass noodle salad, sea bass with golden mash, or kedgeree risotto.

Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

This Cab starts out with a nose of dark fruit, vanilla, and toasted oak. Then come the flavors of blackberries, plum, and cherries. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petite Syrah, the latter lending unusual spice and pepper notes. The wine is fruit forward and velvety soft, with moderate tannins and medium acidity. The winery is targeting this wine at the hotel trade, so it might take a bit of effort to locate.

Serve this easy-going red with pancetta-wrapped sausages, finger-lickin’ ribs, or saffron roast lamb with sticky garlic potatoes.

www.imagerywinery.com/

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Domaine Chanson

Domaine ChansonA Bastion in Beaune

Beaune, France, may be the wine capital of the Côte D’Or, if not all of Burgundy. It is home to important vineyards, as well as influential wine merchants, or négociants.

One of the oldest of these is Domaine Chanson, founded in 1750. Chanson’s holdings comprise some of Burgundy’s most coveted vineyards (over 94 acres, 17 in white, the rest in red), including 10 Premier Crus and one Grand Cru.

In 1777, Chanson bought the cellars they still occupy today. To store the 100,000 bottles then in inventory, in 1794 they acquired the large round Bastion de l’Oratoire. The bastion is a massive 15th-century fortress and an internationally celebrated icon of Burgundy.

Chanson still vinifies and cellars its wines in the bastion as it has for over 200 years. The 30-foot-thick walls of this ancient fortress make it ideal for winemaking. While the ground floor (the coolest) serves as a vinothèque or “vintage wine library,” vinification and cask-aging take place on the second and third floors.

The bastion holds Chanson’s approximately 3,000 barrels of wine. The proportions of new oak are roughly 25% for whites and 30 to 35% for the reds.

“The temperature of the bastion never varies,” explains Chanson general manager Gilles de Courcel. “It is ideal for cold maceration of the bunches. In the springtime, we might open one of the cellar doors to allow the warm air in. We never accelerate malolactic fermentation. We allow it to occur spontaneously and naturally. We use only the best cuvées and we never hurry the process. This is how we maintain the freshness, purity, and fragrance of the wines.”

Domaine Chanson Clos des Mouches Chardonnay 2010

This Chardonnay is classified as a Premier Cru, Burgundy’s second highest ranking. The grapes came from a vineyard on a mere 4.9 acres of difficult soil mixed with limestone, clay, and silica.

Although this pale gold wine spent 14 months in French oak, both on the nose and palate the wood is delicate and restrained. Aromas and tastes of citrus fruit predominate, with a hint of spice on the long finish. This is a white that needs to breathe for at least 30 minutes.

The generous acidity makes this an excellent food wine. Fish Fillets Poached in White Wine and a Julienne of Vegetables, Fresh Shucked Oysters, or Chicken Fricassee would all pair well.

Domaine Chanson Clos Des Fèves Pinot Noir 2010

Clos loosely translates as “enclosed vineyard.” Clos des Fèves is a rare ‘monopole’ Premier Cru vineyard, where the entire vineyard is owned by a single grower. This 9.4-acre site is one of the highest in Beaune, with an unforgiving soil of clay and limestone.

This Pinot Noir is a transparent ruby in the glass, with aromas of blackberry and plum. After an hour of exposure to air, the wine comes alive with the flavors of the fruit (although as the French prefer, not fruit-forward) and the elegant tannins. The finish is quite long for a Pinot Noir.

This wine calls for classic dishes such as Steak au Poivre, Boeuf Bourguignon, Cassoulet, or Rôti de Porc Grand’ Mère.

www.domaine-chanson.com/en

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Holman Ranch Wines

Holman Ranch WinesMeanwhile, Back at
the Ranch

Much more than just a winery, Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley, California, has a long and rich history. When what is now California was a colony of Spain, the ranch was part of the lands bestowed to the Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo.

The Spanish colonies in North America were transferred to Mexico when that nation won its independence in 1821. Between 1834 and 1836, the Mexican government secularized the mission lands, ostensibly to return the land to the Indians. Nonetheless, one of the first ranchers in Carmel Valley, Don Jose Manuel Boronda, was granted the Los Laureles Rancho. This enormous 6,625 acre parcel of land occupied a huge area of Carmel Valley, including the land where Holman Ranch now sits.

After Boronda’s death, the land passed through many hands, until the Pacific Improvements Company acquired it in 1882. Pacific Improvements eventually sold a section of this land to the man who began the modern story of Holman Ranch, San Francisco businessman Gordon Armsby.

In 1928, Armsby purchased 600 acres in the Los Laureles area of the Valley, including what would eventually be Holman Ranch. Armsby built a classic Spanish-style hacienda on the property. The ranch and its newly-constructed hacienda became Armsby’s secluded vacation estate. Quickly seeing an income opportunity as well, he decided to rent it out to other people looking for a similar escape. The hacienda at the ranch became an exclusive hideaway for many celebrities from Hollywood’s Golden Age, including Charlie Chaplin and Theda Bara.

 

In the 1940s, financial troubles hit Armsby, forcing him to sell the property. The buyer was Clarence Holman, the eldest son of the Holman family of Pacific Grove, and scion of Northern California’s Holman department store empire which thrived from 1891 to 1984. Holman transformed the property into a guest ranch, and it featured the only rodeo arena in town. He built guest bungalows, stables, and the first in-ground pool in Carmel Valley, which is now a historical landmark.

The then newly-christened Holman Ranch quickly became the center of social life in Carmel Valley. In the tradition of their predecessors, the Holman family hosted some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Clark Gable, Vincent Price, Joan Crawford, and Marlon Brando to name a few.

When Clarence Holman died in 1962, his wife Vivian carried on the legacy of Holman Ranch. She dedicated herself to ensuring that the ranch would never become subdivided, and that it would continue to be the center of local social and community activities.

Rodeos, horse shows, trail rides, barbecues, and fiestas filled the calendar. The Fiesta de los Amigos (the ranch’s birthday celebration), was an annual highlight, often attracting more than 2,000 guests. Vivian Holman presided over the ranch until her death in 1981.

In 1989, Dorothy McEwen stepped in with a commitment to preserve the ranch’s historic past as a private estate and event facility. Back in 1976, she had co-founded Digital Research, Inc., with her husband, Gary Kildall, the developer of  CP/M, the first commercial operating system for personal computers.

Over the course of 16 years, she rebuilt what had become the run-down Holman Ranch, transforming it into a site for weddings, corporate parties, photo shoot,s and charity events. She also built a state-of-the-art equestrian center with facilities for training, riding, and boarding. She planted Holman Ranch’s first acre of grape vines, although her dream of a winery was never realized.

A year after McEwen’s death in 2005, Thomas and Jarman Lowder purchased Holman Ranch, and the winery finally became a reality. The ranch has proven to be quite hospitable for winemaking. The local hills hold back the marine moisture layer and breezes, which is beneficial for producing quality fruit. Sedimentary soils throughout the vineyards provide good soil drainage.

Holman Ranch Carmel Valley Chardonnay 2011

This Chard shows pale gold in the glass. The nose is mostly citrus, with hints of honey and acetone.

The citrus really comes through on the palate, with plenty of lemony tartness. Although this wine spent some time in barrel, you’d hardly know it. If you are averse to heavy, buttery Chardonnays, then this is the wine for you. That hint of honey is repeated on the long (for a white) finish. And, don’t over chill. Remove it from the refrigerator after just a half-hour or so.

The citrus and acid here would nicely complement Cold Poached Scallops, Sesame Chicken, or Pheasant with Leek and Pecan Stuffing.

Holman Ranch Heather’s Hill Pinot Noir 2011

Heather’s Hill pours a bright, clear ruby into the glass. The nose suggests dusty boysenberry. There is a light to medium body, typical of Pinot Noir. The taste is all about dark stone fruit (and a little cola), supported by moderate tannins and good acidity. There is some zing to the finish, with hints of tobacco as well. Be sure to air out this wine for an hour, or even two.

Enjoy this wine with Pasta Primavera, Raspberry Chicken, or Pork Chops with Black Currant Preserves.

In addition to wines, Holman Ranch also produces olive oil from their 100 tree olive grove. These fully mature trees were originally planted at a Carmel Valley orchard in 1994, and in 2007 were transplanted to Holman Ranch.

The trees are planted in shale, striving for the highest quality production and harvesting results. The fruit is harvested by hand in December. Although the olive grove is not certified organic, organic farming is practiced.

www.holmanranch.com/

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Stoller Vineyards

Stoller VineyardsOn the Trail to Oregon

Dayton, Oregon, in the Dundee Hills AVA and 25 miles southwest of Portland, is home to Stoller Vineyards. Oregon started to become generally known for their wines, particularly Pinot Noir, only about 30 years ago. Stoller is even newer, bringing in their first wine in 2001.

In 1993, Bill Stoller purchased from a cousin the turkey farm where he had been raised as a boy. He knew that the rocky terrain, low-yield soils, and steep hillsides of the property that made general agriculture a difficult and frustrating endeavor would be perfectly suited to grape vines.

He started with 10 acres each of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which have now expanded to over 225 acres under cultivation. (Stoller was not a winemaking novice, however. He was already a partner in Chehalem Winery in nearby Newberg, Oregon.)

In addition to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the vineyards are home to Pinot Gris, Riesling, Tempranillo, Syrah, and Pinot Blanc.

Stoller is committed to sustainable farming practices, employing such innovations as a water reservoir that collects runoff from the winter rains, a solar-powered weather station, and a spring-fed irrigation system that minimizes drip. Stoller is currently working with Oregon State University to study the effects of different cover crop regimes on soil health, vine vigor, and wine quality.

Stoller Vineyards Estate Chardonnay 2008

This all-Chardonnay wine offers an excellent balance of bright fruit and acidity. It was barrel fermented and aged in French oak, but since only 30% was new, the wood is present but not dominant. The finishing 100% malolactic fermentation imparted softness and smoothness.

On the nose, aromas of almonds, lemon zest, and brioche are evident. The dry, silky palate features citrus (especially lemon), minerals, and spice.

Serve this Chardonnay with Grilled Lemon Chicken, Crispy Salmon with Spiced Lentils, or Swordfish with Mango and Avocado Salsa.

Stoller Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir 2007

This Stoller Pinot Noir was sourced from their oldest vineyard plantings, at the end of a cool growing season. The wine spent 10 months aging in 60% new / 40% neutral oak.

The wine presents aromas of oak, spice, and vanilla. The taste is well-balanced, with good acidity, medium tannins, and flavors of tart plum, wild strawberry, and raspberry.

This Pinot Noir will go well with Baked Tuna with Tomatoes, Capers and Black Olives, Coq au Vin with Autumn Vegetables (try making the chicken with white wine, though), and Lamb Chops with Prune Chutney.

www.stollerfamilyestate.com/

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WALT Wines

WALT WinesWALT Wines, owned by Kathryn Hall and Craig Hall, is dedicated to the production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Pacific Coast, spanning nearly 1000 miles and including Sta. Rita Hills, Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, Napa Valley, and the Willamette Valley. They strive to source top fruit from the most distinctive vineyards; practice precise, non-interventionist winemaking; and focus on limited production. The goal is to allow the wines to naturally and honestly express the character of the sites where the wines are grown.

WALT Wines are named after Kathryn Hall’s parents, Bob and Dolores Walt. They were dedicated wine-grape growers who produced six different varietals that were sold to several well-known wineries. For the Walts, growing grapes was the satisfaction of a hard day’s work and the feeling of peace walking through the vineyard before sunset. Kathryn Hall managed the vineyard operations herself from 1982 until 1992.

In 2010 WALT expanded from grape farming to wine production. Today, the winemaking team is led by Vice President, Winemaking Steve Leveque (who also crafts the HALL Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines), and Winemaker Megan Gunderson Paredes. who work in a state-of-the-art winemaking facility aided by a passionate winery staff, and strong vineyard partners.

WALT’s methodology includes: night harvesting; hand sorting every berry; whole cluster pressing of Chardonnay; native yeast fermentation; barrel aging on lees to create more texture, richness, and complexity; and weekly batonnage and topping during the decidedly long malolactic fermentation. The wines are neither fined nor filtered. This can result in a bit of haze, but it is in keeping with the idea that the wine was made with the least intervention and with the highest-quality intentions. By sourcing fruit from quality growers and by utilizing the state-of-the-art winemaking facilities at HALL Wines, they strive to make the best wine possible, while keeping extremely limited production levels.

WALT’s estate vineyard, Bob’s Ranch, was purchased by the Halls in 2014 and is located in the heart of the Petaluma Wind Gap on highway 116 just south of Sebastapol.

WALT Bob’s Ranch Chardonnay 2017

This is primarily Wente clone, which produces mostly small berries, limiting production. There are thirty different blocks at Bobs’ Ranch, with roughly a third planted to Chardonnay.

This wine opens with bright aromas of lemon, apricot, and mango. The palate features an unctious mouthfeel, with flavors of tart citrus and a hint of butter. A near-perfect balance of acidity and creaminess. Super OTW.

Match this wine with grilled Chilean sea bass with citrus-Anaheim salsa; baked monkfish fillets with fines herbes bread crust; or scallops St. Jacques.

WALT Bob’s Ranch Pinot Noir 2017

Cherry cola and black tea express on the nose. Cherry flavors predominate, abetted by dark fruits mingled with raspberry and cinnamon. This is supported by excellent mouthfeel, vibrant minerality, medium acidity, and just a hint of tannins.

Consider serving with balsamic-glazed salmon; chicken with cherry-wine sauce; or Cornish game hens with raspberry gravy.

https://www.waltwines.com/

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Concannon Vineyard

Concannon VineyardIrish Eyes Are Smiling

The Concannon story began in 1865 when James, then an 18-year-old boy, courageously set sail from the rocky coast of Ireland’s Aran Islands to seek opportunity in America.

Even at such an early age, Concannon recognized that the terroir of the Livermore Valley in California’s central coast region was strikingly similar to the premier vineyards of Bordeaux. So, in 1883 he established Concannon Vineyard with a selection of high-quality vines which he imported directly from Bordeaux, including from renowned Château Margaux and Château d’Yquem.

Concannon worked closely with early California viticulture leaders Charles and Clarence Wetmore to determine if California could be a successful winegrowing region. Their efforts paid off at the 1889 International Paris Exposition when the Livermore Valley became the first American Wine Region to win international gold medal awards, including the Grand Prix.

Captain Joe Concannon (son of James) kept Concannon Vineyard continuously operating throughout the scourge of Prohibition by making and selling sacramental wine. This prevented the destruction of the winery’s 1893 Château Margaux Cabernet Sauvignon root stock and other historic Bordeaux vines.

In the early 1930s, Captain Joe became one of the first in the world to bottle Cabernet Sauvignon as a single varietal wine. During the 1950s, he hired one of the first formally-trained female winemakers, Katherine Vajda, to serve as Concannon’s lead winemaker.

In 1965, grandson Jim collaborated with UC Davis in selecting cuttings from one of Concannon’s Margaux ancient vines. These dynamic, high-quality cuttings became known as Concannon Cabernet Clones 7, 8, and 11. Today, an estimated 80% of California’s Cabernet Sauvignon is planted with Concannon Clones.

In 2008, John Concannon took over the leadership from his father as fourth-generation vintner. In 2009, Concannon Vineyard was one of the first wineries in California to become Certified Sustainable. During this time the estate winery also completed a 10-year revitalization project.

Concannon Chardonnay 2016

The nose of this wine features aromas of honeysuckle and grapefruit. It’s pale yellow color doesn’t prepare you for the unctuous, creamy mouthfeel. The grapefruit repeats on the palate, as well as lemon custard.
Serve this voluptuous and slightly sweet Chardonnay with lemon halibut almondine, salmon à la king, or raisin-turkey surprise.

Concannon Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

An excellent value, this Cabernet is rich garnet in the glass. It greets you with hints of leather and floral notes. Then come flavors of big dark fruit, red plum, and vanilla, supported by balanced acidity and bracing tannins. It ends with a nice long finish.

Try this Cab with Parisian ragout, broiled lamb chops, or veal parmigiano.

www.concannonvineyard.com/

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Gnarly Head

Gnarly HeadThat’s Like, Gnarly, Dude

Hey, man, check out this gnarly wine. Gnarly Head wine, actually.

Starting from San Francisco, go about 100 miles east and a bit north and you’ll reach Lodi, California, home of Gnarly Head Winery.

And, where does that unusual name come from?

In 2005, the founders of Gnarly Head went in search of a vineyard suitable for making the Zinfandel they dreamed of. They found it in Lodi, when they came upon some of the oldest vines in California. Old vines are also known as heritage vines, old world vines, and most importantly gnarly vines. The 30- to 80-year-old vines have twisted, old trunks and branches sprouting in all directions—truly gnarly heads. The free- standing mop-topped ‘head trained’ vines found in these old vineyards were the nursery for Gnarly Head Old Zinfandel. Grapes from these old vines are small and few, but offer the big flavor the winemakers were looking for.

Since 2005, the winery has expanded to include a total of nine selections in the house style, including the original Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, a red blend and a white blend.

Gnarly Head Chardonnay 2012

If you are not a big fan of Chardonnay, especially in the oaky style, this could be the one for you. Gnarly Chard is almost colorless in the glass, it is so pale. The nose features suggestions of melon and pineapple.

These flavors continue on the palate, which also adds pear, plenty of citrus, and a touch of vanilla on the finish. It’s much like a Pinot Grigio, although Gnarly Head makes one of those, as well. The 2012 Gnarly Head Chardonnay is crafted using grapes from specially selected vineyards in Lodi and Monterey.

Spring may seem impossibly far away now, but it will be here before we know it. When it does arrive, have this wine ready to pair with Tuna au Poivre, Sea Bass with Olives and Roast Tomatoes, or Poached Chicken with Avgolemono Sauce.

Gnarly Head Malbec 2012

Although based in California, Gnarly Head isn’t afraid to travel the world in search of wines that match their product philosophy, in this case down Argentina way. Famous as the epicenter of Malbec, Mendoza abuts the eastern foothills of the Andes, 220 winding miles from Santiago, Chile.

The vineyards of Mendoza are some of the highest in the world. The difficult sandy soils there stress the vines, leading to concentrated juice.

This 2012 was Gnarly Head’s inaugural Malbec offering. The deep-purple color in the glass follows on with aromas of dark berry fruits. The fruit character was preserved by aging the wine for six months in split lots, some in oak and some in stainless steel to restrain the tannins (but not too much). Finishes with plenty of blueberry and blackberry.

Enjoy this value wine with Aegean Lamb Casserole with Pasta, Beef Tangine with Prunes, or Herb Braised Rabbit.

https://www.gnarlyhead.com/global

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Byron Wines

Byron WinesThe Poetry of Byron

Fill the goblet again! for I never before
Felt the glow which now gladdens my heart to its core;
Let us drink!—who would not?—since, through life’s varied round,
In the goblet alone no deception is found.
—Lord Byron (1788-1824), English poet

Designated in 1981, the Santa Maria Valley AVA is located in the northernmost part of Santa Barbara County, just east of Santa Maria city. The east–west orientation of the wide, open valley means cool winds and fog flow in freely from the Pacific Ocean, settling most noticeably in lower-lying areas. This cool maritime influence lengthens the growing season (among the longest in the world), and contributes to the eventual sugar/acid balance in Santa Maria Valley’s wines.

The first Santa Barbara County vineyard established in the 20th century was planted in 1964 by Uriel Nielson; it has been Byron Winery’s estate vineyard for over 30 years. 18 miles inland from the Pacific, this historic benchland vineyard serves as a model for Santa Barbara’s viticultural experimentation and sustainable farming methods (It is California Sustainable Winegrowing Certified).

Nielson was largely replanted in 1991, and it has since been enhanced with considerable investment. A new 4,000-barrel-capacity winery has been built, and in 2014, Byron returned to its focus on single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, presenting this unusual opportunity to review two very different wines from the same vineyard.

Nielson Vineyard Chardonnay 2014

This light-golden-hued wine hails from the original “Wente” clone, which at Byron was planted in 1964 and again in 1999. The harvest was fermented in barrel with full malolactic fermentation, and then aged in the same barrels (French oak, 54% new) for 15 months. The resulting wine features aromas of butter and mango. The palate is full-bodied and has a rich mouthfeel, with hints of apricot, lemon, grapefruit, and minerals.

Try this Chardonnay with roasted halibut with romesco and pine nut butter; Dungeness crab salad with mango vinaigrette; or seared sea scallops with coconut risotto.

Nielson Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014

Three Pinot clones were used for this wine. They came from the east end of the property, which is very sandy with outcroppings of shale and limestone. The fruit was aged in 35% new French oak.

This expression of the ever-obstinate pinot noir is rich ruby-hued in the glass, with mouth-watering aromas of dark fruits, brown spice, smoke, and dried thyme Those scents carry on to the the flavor, especially wild blackberry. The whole shebang is supported by good acidity and astringent tannins.

Serve this wine with seared Muscovy duck breast with saffron risotto; sausage-stuffed calamari; or smoked pork tenderloin with vanilla jus.

https://www.byronwines.com/

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Jack’s House Wines

Jack’s House WinesThis Is the House
That Jack Built

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.

Jack and Barbara Nicklaus founded the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation in 2004, which provides valuable programs and services to more than 4,000 hospitalized children and their families, free of charge, through Child Life programs, the Pediatric Oncology Support Team, and the Safe Kids program.

Collaborating with pediatric hospitals across the country, the Foundation has grown to support innovative programs focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of a host of childhood illnesses.

Expanding on that mission, the Nicklaus’s have partnered with the Terlato family, producer of Jack Nicklaus Wines, to create the Jack’s House Foundation. In addition to lending support to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, the Jack’s House Foundation also helps fund Judi’s House, a Denver-area organization devoted solely to supporting grieving children and their families, and the Sepsis Alliance, helping to save lives by raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency.

“When Barbara and I started the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, we wanted to help provide world-class medical care to those who need it,” Jack Nicklaus said. “This newest partnership with Terlato Wines helps us expand that vision, reaching even more people, with great wines for a great cause.” Ten percent of the net sales from every bottle purchased is donated to the Jack’s House Foundation.

Both of this month’s wines are made by the somewhat mysterious 2Sons Winery of Sonoma, which is owned and managed by the Terlato Family wine empire. The vineyards and winery were founded in 1981. Three friends, John Grace, Mark Rafanelli, and Philip Staley (so why isn’t the winery named 3Sons? See? Mystery.), joined forces and purchased the site that was formerly the Alderbrook Estate. In 2000 the Terlatos were asked to develop a long-range plan to produce world-class wines and market 2Sons throughout the U. S. The Terlatos later purchased a majority share, and invested in both vineyard sources and winery to provide the winemaking team with the best grapes and equipment available. This has helped position the winery to produce single vineyard and estate wines with an on-going focus on Zinfandel.

Jack’s House Chardonnay 2014

This is a golden-hued, easy-drinking summer sipper. Made of 100% chardonnay, the wine was aged sur lie, which is to say, ‘on the lees,’ a common practice for chardonnay. Lees is the coarse sediment (mainly dead yeast cells and small grape particles) that accumulate during fermentation and aging, which in this case was entirely in stainless steel.

The wine has a delicate nose, is very dry, and features suggestions of green apple, peach, and lime pith on the tongue. The finish is quite short.

This would pair nicely with Salmon Pâté, Rolled Sole Fillets in Vermouth Sauce, or Spaghetti with Mussels, Sicilian Style.

Jack’s House Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

This ruby-colored wine is more transparent than most Cabernet Sauvignons. The nose reveals typical aromas of dark stone fruits, while the flavors are tart cherry, plum, cocoa, and a hint of coffee. The tannins and acid are there, but well-integrated and balanced. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 21 months in 50% new French oak barrels.

Enjoy this vino with Chicken Gumbo, Beef Rolls Stuffed with Pork and Dill Pickles, or Lamb Chops with Four Garlic Sauces.

http://www.jackshousefoundation.org/our-wines

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