Picking the Bones of Previous Vintages

Presented in the order in which they were tasted —

1982 Grand Cru Vineyards, Collector’s Reserve, Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:

Perfectly fine, smooth, with plenty of simple cherry fruit. It lasted, but it didn’t seem to gain anything with age, and from here it will be all down hill.

1982 Quail Ridge, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:

This wine, made by Leon Santero, was really very good, having gained some interesting mushroom and coffee notes with age, while retaining a core of rich blackberry fruit. It did, however, fade in the bottle with an hour of air time.

1987 Chateau Souverain, Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:

I remember the ’87 vintage being quite good when released, but it’s now, sadly, over-the-hill, showing a sour edge of volatile acidity.

1993 Saratoga Vineyards, Santa Clara County Merlot:

Wow! This Merlot from the Santa Cruz Mountains is a perfect example of why we age wine. Though from a ho-hum vintage, this Merlot was balanced, layered, and complex, with a core of cassis, surrounded by earth, subtle oak notes, and a layer of truffles. It still has firm structure, but the tannins are mellow. Great now, with plenty of life left.

1994 Hanna, Alexander Valley Merlot:

From a good vintage, this was decent, though a bit tart and not particularly complex when it was opened. It went off fairly rapidly once the bottle was open.

1995 Boeger, El Dorado, Estate Zinfandel:

Boeger always makes sound wines that taste good from the get go, and they also age well. This ’95 Zin is no exception. It has good depth of raspberry-blueberry fruit with a spicy background that lingers on the palate. The tannin is soft, the structure classic, and the alcohol modest. Fine now, it will hold for many more years.

New Releases from Alto-Adige, March 2010

March, 2010:
More than a dozen wineries from Alto-Adige came to San Francisco in March to show off their new releases (see Susanna Gaertner’s article on www.epicurean-traveler.com for more details). I have just two general observations:
1. Despite the homogenization of wine styles and obliteration of a sense of terroir due the globalization of wine culture, there are a few places that continue to produce wines that truly and emphatically define their place of origin. Alto-Adige is one, and I should also give a nod here to the wines of Alsace and Germany. They all have something in common. Most of these wines are white. They rarely see oak, and if they do it is on a minimal level. They are also grown in areas where it is difficult to get the grapes overripe. Neither winemaking nor viticultural manipulation are allowed to interfere, and the resulting wines are pure expressions of terroir.
2. Despite the phenomenal quality of Alto-Adige wines, they are unfortunately rather expensive in the U.S. So if you really want to enjoy the wines of Alto-Adige, I recommend a visit to what may be the most beautiful wine country in all of the world (see my article on wine touring in Alto-Adige on www.epicurean-traveler.com).

Susanna is more eloquent than I in her notes on the tasting. Nonetheless, here are my impressions of some of the standouts from the recent tasting in San Francisco:

CANTINA SAN MICHELE APPIANO
St. Valentin
2008 Sauvignon:
Year after year my favorite Sauvignon Blanc, this vintage is a bit rounder and fuller than previous offerings, but with the same aromatic gooseberry and lime, dried herbs, and crisp acidity. $45
94 points.

St. Valentin
2007 Gewürztraminer:
A dry Gewürz with notes of litchi and yellow roses, crisp acidity and lovely balance. $45
92 points

2008 Pinot Grigio:
Crisp apples, a hint of rose petal, lovely balance — crisp yet silky, with a long finish. $18
90 points.

2007 Pinot Nero:
Lean and dry and yet fruity (cherry-cranberry), with complex mineral/earth undertones, great vibrancy and length. $20
93 points

2005 Lagrein:
Explosive nose of blackberry-cherry with underlying earth and minerality. It follows through to the palate with soft tannins, good structure and long finish. $20.
92 points.

TIEFENBRUNNER
2008 Chardonnay:
An elegant Chardonnay with no oak or malolactic character, just ripe apples and a hint of citrus. $15
88 points

2008 Kirchleiten, Sauvignon:
Crisp and intensely fruity with apple and tangerine flavors, dry and vibrant on the mid-palate, with fruit and mineral overtones through the long finish. $30
91 points

ABBAZIA DI NOVACELLA
2005 Praepositus Riserva Pinot Nero:
A hint of forest floor-mushroom under cherry aromas, lots of minerality, with a lovely aromatic finish of great length. Very elegant, if understated, but also a bit pricey. $60
91 points

TERLAN
2006 Vorberg Pinot Bianco:
Yellow apples and citrus with leesy-yeasty undertones, crisp, lean, dry and minerally. Very fine balance. $28
88 points

COLTERENZIO
2008 Lafoa Sauvignon:
Emphatic varietal character with crisp grapefruit, dried thyme and cat piss, vibrant on the mid-palate, intense through the finish. 15% barrel fermentation gives it a round feel. Nice but very expensive. $62
93 points

2007 Formigar Chardonnay:
This barrel fermented Chardonnay displays aromatic apple with a vanilla edge, very good balance and powerful finish. If you’re going to use oak, this is the way to do it. $58
89 points

2007 Cornell, Sigis Mundus Lagrein:
Dense blackberry-cherry, good acidity, noticeable but moderate tannin, elegant, understated, with good minerality through the long, long finish. Pricey. $64
90 points.

ALOIS LAGEDER
2008 Pinot Bianco Haberle:
Aromatic nose of golden apples with a floral edge, crisp acidity, silky texture, nicely balanced, with a light mineral character through the finish. Very elegant. $20
89 points

CANTINA BOLZANO
2008 Lagrein Perl:
Beautifully balanced, offering up complex aromas of sweet ripe Boysenberrys and blueberries that follow through to the palate with good acidity, soft tannins and minerality through the long finish. $24
92 points

H. LUN WINERY
2006 Bianco Sandbichler Cuvée:
A blend of 60% Pinot Bianco, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Riesling. Very complex and layered, serving up bright notes of tangerine, peach and apple. Beautfiully balanced, long and intense. $24
92 points

TRAMIN WINERY
2009 Chardonnay:
A straightforward non-oaked Chardonnay with vibrant apple character and fine balance. A real bargain at $14.
88 points

2009 Pinot Grigio:
Ripe apples with a hint of flowers, dry, balanced and exceedingly long. $15.
90 points

2008 Pinot Grigio Unterebner:
Medium-full bodied for a Pinot Grigio, with complex minerality and apple-citrus flavors. Excellent length, though a bit warm. $31.
90 points

Main Street Winery

There seems to be no shortage of good wine at the $10 price point (see my blog on Tempra Tantrum wines from Spain), but most of it is forgettable. With the introduction of the Main Street Winery label, sourced from premium growing areas around the state, the Trinchero family (Sutter Home, etc.) has set out to produce wines at $10 that offer a bit more than the usual over-ripe, low acid fruit bombs that are standard fare today. Here is the current lineup:

2008 Monterey County Sauvignon Blanc:
This is one terrific SB, full bodied yet tart, with citrus and gooseberry flavors, a bit of classic “cat piss” (if you have to ask, ignore the descriptor), subtle dried herbs and a long lemony finish with a mineral edge. Fine aromatics and balance. 92 points.

2008, Santa Barbara County (82%) / Monterey County (18%) Chardonnay:
Buttery, with appley fruit and a hint of caramel, velvety texture, full bodied, yet with pleasant acidity and a hint of mineral character. I’m astonished at the price of this wine, which delivers so much more than you’d expect at the price. Best served slightly chilled. 89 points.

2006, 54% Lake County, 24% Monterey County, 22% Santa Barbara County, Cabernet Sauvignon:
The dominant flavor of this light to medium-bodied Cab is black cherry, the oak is subtle, the tannins moderate, and there is a mineral edge to the finish. Pleasant enough, though the least varietally distinct of the Main Street line; it might be mistaken for a Merlot. 83 points

2006, 80% Monterey County, 8% Santa Barbara County, 7% Napa County, 5% Lake County, Merlot:
A lovely Merlot with aromatic black cherry fruit, faint notes of black pepper and vanilla, soft tannins, and classic structure. Dry, with some delicacy, this is a fine antidote to the port-like fruit bombs currently passed off as Merlot. 87 points.

2008, 97% Napa Valley, 3% Monterey County, Pinot Noir:
Dry, with forward scents of sandalwood and cherry. Lean and dry on the palate, with slight astringency and strawberry-cherry flavors. 84 points.

More Notes from the Cellar

I've been on a Merlot kick for a month, as I work my way through some of my older wines that need drinking. I started with the cheap wines, with the prejudice that inexpensive wines are made to be drunk the minute they're bought, their tannins are generally mild and they don't age well. As I've been discovering over the past year, some of these cheapies can age very well. This past week I had a surprisingly good 1993 M.G. Vallejo that probably retailed for around $7 at the time, and an opulent 1993 Glen Ellen with a California appellation that retailed for $5.00 at the time. The latter, lush and velvety, with cherry-berry flavor and fine balance, was one of the best Merlots I've ever tasted, regardless of price. Incidentally, the alcohol was just over 12%. One wonders if the big bruisers of today will stand the test of time, or become hot and unbalanced as the fruit dries up.

Tempra Tantrum

Rocio Osborne visited San Francisco recently to roll out her new line of screw-top wines, called Tempra Tantrum, from Malpica in the Tierra de Castilla region of Spain, an hour southwest of Madrid. The name evokes the kind of market-driven wine, like Yellow Tail, that is fresh, fruity, unpretentious, uncomplicated and affordable. As Rocio was telling me, her friends (all in their late 20’s, early 30’s) are mostly beer drinkers, and these wines are designed to appeal to this crowd in a way that an aged Rioja might not. Even for those of us who may appreciate an aged Rioja on a special occasion, at $10 a bottle the Tempra Tantrum wines serve admirably as everyday wines to enjoy with dinner. I should mention that all of these wines are well balanced table wines under 14% alcohol, so you can actually enjoy a few glasses from aperitif to postprandial quaff.

The "Tempra" of Tempra Tantrum refers to Tempranillo, as each of the four wines is a 60/40 blend of Tempranillo and either Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz or Grenache. Though Tempranillo constitutes 60% of the blends, it serves as a neutral background upon which the supporting grapes leave their mark. There is no oak aging to complicate matters; the flavors of the different grape varieties shine through. Cabernet, with its strong cassis character, provides the flavor profile for the Tempranillo/Cabernet; the Tempranillo/Merlot displays lush cherry-berry fruit; the Tempranillo/Shiraz is dry and slightly peppery; and the Tempranillo/Grenache serves up the plum-like flavor of Grenache in the forefront, coupled with cherry-cranberry background notes from the Tempranillo.

I enjoyed them all. It’s a welcome change to find new wines that are balanced and affordable, and it will be interesting to see if Spain can mount a serious challenge to Australia and Chile.

Dipping into the Cellar

By Scott W Clemens

In the early part of my career as a wine writer, when I was reviewing wine for both Vintage magazine and Wine & Spirits Buying Guide, I tasted around 450 wines a month at the office, and I received a few samples at home from producers wishing to be reviewed. Sometimes I’d already reviewed the wine at the office, so the sample went into my cellar. I still review wine, but as our readership is small, so are the number of samples that arrive at my door. So I’ve been dipping into the cellar over the past three years, re-sampling some of the now well-aged reds from the 1981 through the 1997 vintages. It may seem strange now, but in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s the common consensus was that California wines couldn’t age because they were grown in a warm area and were thus too ripe.

The 1981 vintage in California was maligned at the time as a difficult and very hot vintage. The pundits, including dozens of winemakers, all predicted the wines would not age well. They were wrong. I finished the last of my 1981s last year, most of them Cabernets, but also some Merlots and Zinfandels, and they had all aged supremely well. Not one, of the 20 or so wines I tasted, was over the hill at 27 years of age! An Eberle Cab from that year was one of the best California Cabernets I’ve ever had (out of many thousands). And incidentally, all of them were under 14% alcohol.

In rummaging through the cellar I also found inexpensive wines from 1989 and 1991 that I had simply forgot about. Two, in particular, I remember: a 1989 Round Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, and a 1991 Forest Glen Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which are marketed as wines for current drinking, not designed to age. I opened them with the expectation that they would either be on the decline, or undrinkable. They were wonderful. They had not developed great complexity, but they were remarkably fresh.

This past month I had the opportunity to open two really marvelous bottles. The first was a Bayview Cellars, 1991, Napa Valley, Tradition, Cabernet Sauvignon, made by former Inglenook winemaker, John Richburg. It was complex, nuanced, and perfectly balanced (and just 13% alcohol), and it reeked of Rutherford Dust. In these days of over ripe wines, few Rutherford wines actually display their origin. This one was perfect, with cassis and black cherry flavors, light dusty tannins, and a subtle minerality. The second was a Buttonwood 1996, Santa Ynez Valley, Tres (a blend of 55% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Cabernet Franc), weighing in at 13.7% alcohol. It was complex and oh so interesting, with layers of flavors that only come from long aging: threads of soy-Worcester, cloves and caramel run through cherry pie fruit. The tannin has all but disappeared, giving just a hint of astringency in the long, long lingering finish. This is exactly what aging is all about, why we age wine, and what we hope to gain from the exercise. Pretty close to perfect.

Lodi Wine on the Water

TREASURE ISLAND WINE FEST

“Lodi Wine on the Water”

by Scott W Clemens

Lodi vintners staged the first Treasure Island Wine Fest in San Francisco on a blustery day in October. For the past 20 years the wineries of Lodi, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, have produced a sea of affordably priced wines of very good quality. The area has been particularly renowned for its old vine Zinfandel and such Rhone varieties as Mourvedre and Viognier. But at this tasting I discovered a new facet to Lodi’s personality; a few wineries are also producing excellent wines from Spanish and Italian varietals.

Of the more than 40 wineries pouring, four were standouts. I present them here in alphabetical order:

BOKISCH VINEYARDS

Bokisch specializes in Spanish varieties.

2008 Bokisch , St. Clement Hills-Lodi, Terra Alta Vineyard, Albariño:

Lean and minerally with a bit more fruit (neutral and edging toward green apple) than Spanish versions, with an extraordinarily long mineral and spice finish. Excellent balance and very refreshing. 88 points. $16

2007 Bokisch, Lodi Garnacha Rosado:

An excellent dry rosé with plum, clove and black pepper notes and great length. 94 points $18.

2006 Bokisch, Lodi Graciano:

Plum and cranberry with crisp acidity. 87 points. $26

2006 Bokisch, Lodi Tempranillo:

Dry cranberry-cherry flavors with light tannin, a touch of earth, and lovely s tructure. 90 points. $21

CHRISTINE ANDREW

Christine Andrew, a separate label from Ironstone Vineyards, produces an array of French varietals, as well as Tempranillo and Zinfandel, but at the tasting they were pouring:

2007 Christine Andrew, Lodi Viognier:

Complex and subtle with layers of white peach, rose petals, spice and minerals. All stainless steel fermented and a reasonable 13.5% alcohol (on the low end for Viognier). 90 points. $13

2007 Christine Andrew, Lodi Malbec:

Lush, briary, with spicy loganberry fruit, light tannin, light to medium body, with a very long, fruit and mineral finish. Excellent value. 94 points. $15

2006 Christine Andrew, Lodi Old Vine Zin:

Unlike so many Zinfandels these days, this one is not overblown and not high in alcohol, yet it shows intense raspberry fruit, with a mineral and light spice background, soft tannin, firm acidity and excellent balance. 93 points. $15

LUCAS WINERY

A winery making small lots of fabulous wines that are kept in the bottle a few years before they’re released. This is masterful winemaking, as you’d expect from owners Heather Plye-Lucas, former winemaker for Robert Mondavi’s reserve and Italian joint venture wines, and David Lucas, who was responsible for Mondavi’s California vineyards.

2006 Lucas, Lodi Chardonnay:

Just released, the 2006 displays bright grapefruit and pippin apple aromas and flavors, with crispy acidity, silky texture and a long finish. It’s amazingly aromatic. 94 points. $30

2005 Lucas, Lodi, ZinStar vineyard, Zin:

After spending a year in French oak and four years in the bottle, the 2004 offers intense raspberry and allspice aromas and flavors. Light, lively and ridiculously intense. 94 points. $35

UVAGGIO

All Italian varietals.

2008 Uvaggio, Lodi Vermentino:

Uvaggio is the largest California producer of Vermentino, a white variety grown on Sardinia and in parts of Tuscany. This version shows subtle floral notes and melon rind aromas and flavors. Only 100 cases produced. 88 points. $14

2008 Uvaggio, Lodi Moscato:

A lovely and refreshing wine with intense honeysuckle and hawthorn blossom character, crisp acidity yet silky texture. 93 points. $14

2005 Uvaggio, Lodi Barbera:

Lodi is the perfect place for Barbera. This one has a lovely restrained nose, and great varietal definition with its plum and chocolate notes and crisp acidity. A very correct Italian-style Barbera. 90 points. $18