Wine.Woot : One Week, One Wine (SM)

What Is To Be Doon?

(pant…pant…) “At last, I’ve scaled the mountain…are you…are you really…him?”

“Yes. It is I, Randall Grahm. Step forward, o seeker of knowledge.”

“Wow! I can’t believe it! I’m really talking to you! The founder of the great Bonny Doon vineyards! One of the pioneers of California-grown Rhône varietals! And a lifelong champion of lesser-known grapes against the oppressive orthodoxy of the status quo!”

“True, true. Why have you come here?”

“To pick your brain about, like, wine and stuff! I mean, you’re in the Who’s Who of Cooking in America for ‘lifetime achievement and leadership in the improvement and development of American cuisine’! You’ve won awards from the James Beard Foundation and Bon Appétit Magazine! There’s even an asteroid, Rhoneranger, named in your honor! Your irreverent, inspired wine writing has appeared in countless wine journals – and back issues of your Bonny Doon newsletter are coveted collector’s items!”

“I am aware of my CV, thank you.”

“Please, master, share your wisdom with me! Teach me the lessons you learned in your decades-long pursuit of the great American Pinot Noir! Instruct me in the ways of biodynamic winegrowing and winemaking, which you’ve employed since 2002! Most of all, teach me how to make awesome puns like Cardinal Zin.”

“I shall. I shall. If you are willing to pay the price.”

“Yes! Anything! What is it? Should I wax your car, or paint your garage, or catch a fly with a corkscrew? What price should I pay?”

”$19.99 plus $5 shipping.”

“Uh, what?”

“For just $19.99 plus $5 shipping, you can have your own copy of Been Doon So Long, the first-ever vinthology of my teachings! It’s like having a really funny, really wise wine guru on your bookshelf – although this way is considerably more comfortable for the guru.”

“But, but, won’t you teach me personally?”

“Hey, I’d love to, but I have wine to make and a business to run and more stuff to write. I can’t become the personal mentor to everybody who manages to climb up here.”

“What are you talking about? You don’t look that busy to me, sitting up here in this cave.”

“This voice is a recording, and the man you see before you is a remarkably lifelike mannequin.”

“Oh. Oh, OK. Kind of a letdown. But I’m sure the book is good.”

“Yes, if I do say so myself. It’ll be worth every penny. But before you go further on your journey, you should know one thing.”

“Yes? Yes? What is it, wise one?”

“I don’t take personal checks.”

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Primo Carneros

Don’t just read Kent Rasmussen’s wisdom about Carneros and Pinot Noir. Drink it.

If you’ve seen his recent Wine.Woot guest blog post, you’ve learned a thing or two about Pinot Noir and Carneros from Kent Rasmussen, a guy who knows. You’ve learned how California produced lousy Pinot until the early pioneers realized it needed cool weather. You know that a windswept, forgotten corner of Napa called Carneros gave birth to the first high-quality California Pinot Noir back in the ‘60s. And you know that despite the rise of other cool wine-growing regions, it still produces the best and most distinctive Pinot Noir on the West Coast.

But knowing something and knowing it are two different things. It’s fine to read about the unique character of Carneros Pinot, especially when the commentator is as knowledgeable and articulate as Kent. But the truth is in the tasting.

And according to the winemaker, the 2006 Kent Rasmussen Pinot Noir is one of the best vintages in years. A growing season with warm days, cool nights, no rain, and no heat spikes produced ideal Pinot grapes. And since he’s been working with these vines for so many years now, Kent Rasmussen knows just how to coddle and caress them during the fermentation process. The result is a rich, rounded Pinot Noir, with its black cherry, mushroom, licorice, raspberry, and vanilla character enhanced by the addition of some Hungarian oak barrels to the usual French oak.

As we were saying earlier, though, there’s only so much that mere words can convey. We’ll stop wagging our tongues so you can start wrapping yours around the distinctively Carneros quality of this 2006 Kent Rasmussen Pinot Noir.

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Scout’s Honor

Tough gig, being a wine scout, lemme tell you. Everybody thinks it’d be a nonstop adventure. They think every day is like stumbling across Mickey Mantle playing on an alkali field, or Lana Turner working the soda fountain at a drugstore. Truth is, it’s a grind. You strike out way more often than you get on base. And you almost never hit a home run. You hear about some sensational Merlot up in the mountains, you spend days or weeks tracking it down, and the stuff tastes like Windex. You spit it out, shrug it off, and hit the road again. Nature of the game.

So my hopes weren’t high when I read a line in some small-town paper about this winery up in the Sierra Foothills. This Ursa outfit had won best Petite Sirah at the California State Fair two years in a row. But I’d tasted enough award-winning swill to know that all the medals in the world can’t make a lousy wine taste good. If they were so great, why were they just making 200, 300, 400 cases of each vintage? Why didn’t they grow any other varietals? Still, I had a job to do. I wheeled on over to El Dorado County, expecting to be gone again before my last sip stopped swirling on my tongue.

Let’s just say this old bird-dog learned a few new tricks that day. Each bottle seemed better than the last. The Ursa Vineyards 2006 Petite Sirah Sierra Foothills had that elegant, perfumy mountain-fruit aroma, with a robustly oaky palate. Their 2006 Petite Sirah Vineyard Blend combined equal parts Sierra Foothills, Alta Mesa, and Paso Robles fruit for a mixture spice and black fruit like nothing I’d ever scouted before. And the big, juicy Ursa Vineyards 2006 Petite Sirah Paso Robles reminded me why I got into this game in the first place. A blueberry nose spiced with subtle cinnamon and black pepper lead into a lingering dark berry palate with well-balanced tannins. With the first drink, I reached inside my jacket for a contract. I had to sign these kids up.

Now Ursa’s moving up in the world, taking their star turn on Wine.Woot. I’m still out here pounding sand, rustling the bushes, searching for the next big wine thing. But when I get down, when I feel like I’m wasting my time or wasting my life, I just remember the way it felt to sip that Petite Sirah. No matter what happens from now on, I’ll always be the guy who discovered Ursa Vineyards.

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Know Your Anne Amie

Uh-oh. This looks serious: a varietal with an umlaut in the name.

Nah, don’t be frightened by the harsh Germanic sound. This white grape they call Müller-Thurgau is a real sweetheart. They already know that in Germany, where Müller-Thurgau is the second-most widely planted grape. It can thrive in a wide variety of weather and terroir, it produces a mild and fruity wine, and is just as good young as it is aged – all qualities that make it an economical choice for large-scale wine producers.

Not that that matters to Anne Amie. They keep yields low on their estate vineyard in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Owner Dr. Robert Pamplin, winemaker Thomas Houseman, and winegrower Jason Tosch are in it for the quality, not the quantity. Turns out that even though Müller-Thurgau is perfectly suited to mass production, it’s even better in, uh, non-mass production.

These four bottles of 2007 Anne Amie Cuvée A Müller-Thurgau testify to that. Announcing itself with floral-fruity whiffs of white peach, fresh pineapple, lemon zest, and jasmine, it proceeds to honeydew, pear peel, and honeysuckle on the palate. A splash of minerality clears the way for the next sip. It’s fast friends with any mildly spicy cuisine, from Thai to Creole to Mexican.

Despite the name, we haven’t tried it with knackwürste and sauerkraut. But it’s pretty versatile, so if you’re feeling like washing down your Teutonic feast with a little 2007 Anne Amie Cuvée A Müller-Thurgau, we won’t stop you. For one thing, we’re still kind of scared of that umlaut.

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It’s All About Family

There’s something about drinking a wine from a small family winery.

To know that each sip comes from a love and a passion that was handed down to the next generation. To know that each bottle is a tribute to the progenitor’s dream, and that if the kids screw it up, they might just have to deal with the founder’s angry vengeful spirit some dark and stormy night.

Today’s two pack of Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderful example of the way a labor of love can become a form of respect. This wine has been overseen by Brandi Jocelyn Pack, daughter of Lonen Curtis, the founder of Jocelyn Lonen Winery. After his passing in 2004, Brandi continued in his memory, working hard to create this 2005 Reserve that even received 89 points from Robert Parker.

Parker puts it best: “Aromas of creme de cassis, blackberries, tobacco leaves, and pain grille emerge from the medium-bodied, elegant, nicely restrained but beautifully flavored, well- balanced.” And who are we to argue with The Wine Advocate? They’d slap us down and pour out a bottle over our faces if we even tried. And not even a bottle of Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. They’d use some lesser wine that we couldn’t even enjoy, just to teach us a lesson.

With grapes that come from vineyards like Stagecoach, Krupp, Bennett Ranch and Temple, we expect you’ll find these two bottles of 2005 Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon make for a wonderful continuation of Lonen Curtis’ dream.

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Haywood J’estateme

When we first read “The story of Sonoma Valley winegrower Peter Haywood reads like a modern wine industry tale – except in reverse”, we were very excited.

And who wouldn’t be? A man that knows how to make grapes from wine? What kind of sorcerer be he? We were thrilled to be able to work with a man who clearly had control over time itself. And then it turned out we completely misunderstood what “reverse” meant in this context.

In this context, “reverse” means that Peter Haywood rebuilt his small little wine company from a much larger corporate brand, all to be sure that Haywood Winery offered the sort of wines he’d be proud to associate with his name. And as such, we’re pleased to have his name associated with ours, even though he can’t make grapes appear from nowhere. Man. That would have been so cool, too.

Oh, but the wine. This three pack of 2006 Haywood Estate Los Chamizal Zinfandels isn’t quite as exciting as control over the fourth dimension, but then what is? This Zinfandel mongrel mixes flavors from nine different locations with seven bud-wood selections to great effect. Blackberry, coca, spice, green olive with wild berries and pepper: when they combine, you’ll be drinking a softer, more subtle wine that showcases the milder tannins.

We can’t say we were please to find out that Peter Haywood was just a mortal man without any magical powers at all, but we certainly were pleased with his wines. so we forgive you, Peter, for not being able to violate the laws of physics. And we think that, when anyone fills a glass from this three pack of Los Chamizal Zinfandels, they’ll be rather pleased that your delicious wine isn’t going to magically turn back into the original grapes.

Just please, Peter Haywood, please promise us… if you ever figure out how to control time itself… call us, okay?

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We Are So Jealous Of Him, Seriously

What were you doing at twenty five?

Starting to make that job into a career? Beginning to wonder if you’d get married at thirty? Maybe thinking about putting that tiny bit of stashed away retirement money into a really nice car? If you were Andrew Murray, the answer to the question “What were you doing at twenty five?” would be “being praised as one of the top winemakers in America.”

With his Santa Barbara vineyards, Andrew Murray has been able to use his talent for making delicious wines on a regular basis. In fact, he’s only gotten better in the past decade (and remember, he was pretty darn good back in 1999). The Los Angeles Times, Bon Appetit, Appellation Magazine, The Chronicle, Food & Wine Magazine, for the past ten years, they’ve all been calling Andrew Murray “one to watch” and ranking his wines among their favorites. You can bet your obscure Rhone varietals, we’re pleased as spiked punch to be offering this incredibly special three pack.

In fact, the wines Andrew’s offered us are from those very lesser-known Rhone varietals we invited you to bet! They’re rarely used, and having them means the fruit can grow in the rocky, well-drained soils and cool microclimates of the Andrew Murray Vineyards. There’s a richness, a maturity, that these varietals offer. And from someone still comfortably under forty, it’s unspeakably impressive.

The 2005 Roasted Slope Syrah comes from small-berried hand-harvested grapes, picked in the cool foggy mornings of October. That we can be so precise is a credit to the vineyard. That same eye for detail is also why they prefer the French co-fermentation method, letting the Viognier and Syrah vines grow and ferment together, rather than just mixing them after the fact. Of course, the difference is subtle, but what isn’t in the world of wine? The 2005 Roasted Slope Syrah offers a nose of black cherries, violets, and a touch of toasty oak. The long, lingering finish promises a bottle that will age gracefully for the next five to seven years. That’s right, he says five to seven years, right from the Winemaker’s Notes. We told you, this guy knows all about his wine.

The second bottle is from the 2006 Great Oaks Vineyard. This wine is inky black, with gobs of black cherry, blueberry and smoky spice. It comes from the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, and the fruit has done so well, its reputation is beginning to spread, so keep your eyes peeled. Before long, Great Oaks (owned by Michael and Nancy Lippman of Lippman Entertainment) is going to be written on many great bottles. Andrew’s been crafting with them for some time, and this debut release is the first he’s bottled for himself. Though drinkable now, we’re told the wine will be at its best in two to five years. By then, Great Oaks will have likely exploded nicely on to the wine scene. Won’t it be impressive to pull out a nicely kept bottle you got before anyone else even knew they existed?

Then there’s the bottle from the 2007 McGinley Vineyard (formerly known as the Westerly Vineyard). This fruit comes from a hotter climate, in the eastern Santa Ynez. This wine is a Syrah that comes blended from the very best barrels produced at McGinley. It is a riper-style, boasting aromas and flavors of black cherry, charred and toasty oak, and subtle hints of earth aromas, black olive and white pepper. It’s big and round on the mid-palate and will be best in one to three years.

Andrew Murray has proven himself and earned his praise over and over again. We know you’ll be just as excited as we are to have this specially assembled three pack here today. And remember, these wines might be delicious now, but they’ve been designed to age. So you might want to order an extra set for the future. You’ll be thanking yourself in 2012.

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Delicious Delicious Delicious

Pretty is nice. We like pretty. Everybody likes pretty. But pretty isn’t the most important thing when you’re talking about chocolate.

A deluxe assortment of chocolatiers have approached us about offering their creations through Wine.Woot. During the grueling evaluation process, we were dazzled by one whimsical, imaginative presentation after another. Chocolate drizzled in saffron. Truffles garnished with real flower petals. Candies wrapped in fancy gold linen. Impressive? Yes. Pretty? Certainly.

Then we opened the simplest packaging of all. And our tastebuds reminded us that pretty isn’t everything.

Those unassuming cardboard boxes held the finest chocolate we’d tasted yet. Two solid pounds of rich, creamy, 100% pure chocolate from the Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company, the chocolate so nice they named it thrice. Maybe it was the chocolate euphoria talking, but we almost came to blows over which one was better. The Milk Chocolate’s velvety, mouth-filling seduction, so perfect with Riesling or Ice Wine? Or the Dark Chocolate’s more complex, grown-up flavor, an ideal partner to Merlot and Pinot Noir? Fortunately, two pounds is a lot of chocolate. And the Breakup Bar’s triangular piece made it easy to give everybody a taste of both bars. Eventually, we all agreed they were both incredible.

And never once did anybody say “This would be better drizzled with saffron.”

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Definitely Almost Time For Wapner, Yeah

People with an eye for detail often get teased. But what is the world but a series of details?

“Why do all the dollar bills have to be facing the same way?” the rabble ask. “Why are all the forks lined up alphabetically by handle design?” Maybe it does seem a little crazy to some, but it’s well known that if the p‘s and the q‘s are properly minded, the rest will take care of itself.

Of course, in winemaking, it’s the same way. This is why today’s two pack of Ty Caton TyTanium reds have been developed with slow, steady guidance. Everything has been put in the right place, aligned correctly, from the expertly considered sun exposures to the different soil types and various altitudes. This meticulous farming process means that the fruit coming from the Caton Vineyards (located in the foothills of the Sonoma Valley) is ideal for showcasing the flavors that this wine will be remembered for.

The 2006 TyTanium is an elegant wine, showcasing aromas of rich vanilla and dark fruit. The velvet texture is rich in deeply concentrated blackberry, plum and currant, as well as a finish of fine tannins with hints of leather. It’s a wonderful wine that’s won the Gold Medal at both the 2009 Sonoma County Harvest Fair and the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and then the Double Gold at the 2009 Sonoma Valley Wine Competition as well. We expect that when you finish the first bottle, you’ll be happy there’s another one waiting.

So let the Ty Caton TyTanium Two Pack remind you that, sometimes, attention to detail isn’t always pedantic. Sometimes it’s just about getting things exactly right.

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Merle-Os

We Think We’ll Just Stay Here And Drink Them

You probably don’t know this. A lot of people probably don’t. We do, but then again, we’re kind of experts in this area, so you don’t have to feel insecure about it. Anyway, it turns out that Merlot, the wine, is not named after Merle Haggard.

We can see why you’d think that. We used to think it too, a long time ago, this morning, before we looked it up on Wikipedia. But, like we said, we’re experts, so we’re expected to do that kind of research when necessary. So don’t be embarrassed. We were surprised too, when we first found out.

But no, while the territory that now makes up the Sonoma Mountain Feingold Ranch may one day have actually been “outlaw country,” their organically-grown Merlot grapes don’t actually have anything to do with the Hag.

It shouldn’t matter, since these ‘05 and ‘06 Benziger Merlots, made from Feingold grapes, have other virtues to recommend them. They’re delicious, for one thing—medium bodied with layers of currant, and tea, and smoky oak. (It really says that in the tasting notes, “smoky oak.” Which proves there’s no relationship to Merle Haggard, because if there was, it would say “Oaky, somewhat smokey.”)

Plus, they’re priced just barely above actual stealing. Reason being, Benziger has decided to retire this particular single-vineyard Merlot. So this really is—to quote the title of a great 1982 album—“A Taste of Yesterday’s Wine.”

These vintages, they’ve got depth, they’ve got chalky, well integrated tannins, they’ve got good structure and a low price tag. That’s almost everything a person might want in a Merlot, with the possible exception of some connection to Merle Haggard. And yeah, it would be cool if these wines were somehow related to a Country Music Hall-of-Famer, but they aren’t. So you should just get over that. Even if it is kind of disappointing.

In other news, did you know that alkaline batteries are not named after Detroit Tigers outfielder Al Kaline? It’s true!

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