Don's Gillette's Weekly Wine Blog
Weekly musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Check back here each week for Don's latest thoughts on various wine-related topics. Read Don's full bio...
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A Steady Hand at the Rudder
I just tasted through ten recent Qupe winery releases and was struck by what a good group they were. Each was elegantly food-balanced and delicious. Although none was dramatic, all were well focused and several were beautifully expressive.
Bob Lindquist launched Santa Barbara's Qupe winery in 1982, its name a translation of the Chumash Indian word for the California Poppy. Since then, Qupe's vineyard and grape portfolio has broadened to reflect the availability of new grape clones and vineyard sources, but all else has remained much the same. For 26 years, the hand on the rudder has been a steady one.
Qupe was a pioneer of sorts, begun by a man with a passion for Rhone Valley wines, at a time when the raw material needed to emulate them was nearly non-existant in the New World. I met Bob in 1979, when he phoned me to ask for my participation, in the guise of a local Rhone wine authority, in an upcoming Rhone-reds tasting being held by the Ventura-Oxnard chapter of Vino: of which he was the president.
My co-authority was to be Bob's friend, Jim Clendennan, later to launch Au Bon Climat. At the time, each was working at a Santa Barbara County winery, although Jim had recently returned from helping with a Rhone Valley harvest. Jim had lots of information on regional wine-making practices to relate, while I was to supply the merchants perspective.
Both Bob and Jim were night-time and weekend customers of the Santa Barbara City wine store I was managing. The city of Santa Barbara lies 50 miles south of the wine growing area and I was typically working week days, so our paths had yet to cross. Our paths have crossed with more frequency since then, and always with pleasure.
Good and Plenty
The new Qupe wines are all attractive, but I have my favorites. I was impressed by the food-worthiness of the 2007 Bien Nacido Cuvee, a Viognier-Chardonnay mix that cried-out for grilled veggies or pineapple curry. The unblended 2007 Viognier set a course between the grapes mineral side and its more floral-fruity expression. It leaned toward the mineral, but at no real loss of fruit definition. The 2006 Bien Nacido "Block Eleven" Chardonnay, always a popular wine and good seller, was their best in memory. It delivered elegantly defined lemon custard, baked apple and biscuit flavors.
The 2007 Marsanne and the 2006 Los Oilvos Cuvee both seemed ill defined and hard to understand when the cork was first pulled, but each grew progressively more delicious with airing. The Marsanne, which was almost neutral in character when opened, developed a cornucopia of flavors which included kiwi, melon, Key lime and orange marmalade. The Los Olivos Cuvee, a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache, opened with heavy Mourvedre-dominated flavors of dark earth, tree bark and black pepper, but then shifted dramatically. With airing, the wine became bright and focused, with a supple texture and racy flavors of red raspberry, red cherry, red plum and pink peppercorn.
I revisited the Los Olivos Cuvee three times. I couldn't stop thinking how good it might have been with my dinner of the previous night. I had served herb and bread crumb encrusted pork chops along-side Spanish rice. It was tasty with a pale ale, but would have been terrific with the Qupe. I will have to make it again soon!