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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December 18, 2006
Bubbling Over
Several years ago our co-worker Brian Sypher abandoned NVWE to return to his spawning grounds in New York. His skill and familiarity with California wines netted him employment at Skurnik Imports. Skurnik has NY's hottest list of California "imports" (a portfolio managed by Bryan) and represents many wonderful small European estates.
Brian keeps in touch. He and We frequently swap secrets, and test one another's awareness of new vintners. He thinks he is as sharp as we are and, for old times sake, we don't shatter the illusion. One of his claims is that bottlings on his list of small Champagne Houses -- the Terry Theise Estate Selections -- are the equal of some famous and vastly pricier French Tete de Cuvees.
We are a "California only" wine store, yet have always kept French bubbly for the hotel guests who populate our neighborhood. Terry Theise's west coast agents hold a Champagne tasting near us each fall. Despite our need to load up for the Holidays, and Bryan's repeated urging, and my well-known passion for bubbly, and Denise's conviction that Bryan is not a chump, we have consistently missed the tasting. This year we finally got there.
Well -- Bryan was right. (They say that if you gave a monkey a typewriter and enough time he would eventually write Ulysses!) Sixty-four bottlings were poured and the average quality was brilliant. What to do? We put all our money on our four favorites. One from Billiot, one from Fleury and two from Chartogne-Taillet.
Three of these are at a price that is in line with our best California Sparklers. One could have a very pleasant time contrasting a top domestic offering from Schramsberg, Domaine Carneros, Iron Horse or Roederer with one of these Frenchies, and still keep the budget below that for a bottle of Dom, Krug or Cristal... hmmmmm.
Posted by Don on December 18, 2006 3:53 PM |Permalink | TrackBacks (0)
January 29, 2007
Rising Standards
One of the happiest recent developments in the Napa Valley has been the recent re-emergence of Silver Oak winery as a quality standard. The 2001 and 2002 Alexander Valley bottlings were SOs best pair since 1994 and the latest Twomey Merlot, the 2003, is a rich, varietally expressive and altogether charming bottling. In this vintage, the Twomey is every bit as fine as its pricey competition, but unlike those uniformly tannic offerings, it is altogether gorgeous already.
This week we tried the Silver Oak 2002 Napa Cab, due out on February third, and it is explosively fruity, richly oaky, supple, plush and imbued with all the class and aging potential of their spectacular 1990, 1991 and 1992 versions.
There is clearly new energy and commitment invigorating the place, as other important things are also in the works. SO is not only building an entirely new winery facility and tasting area on their Oakville estate, but they have recently purchased the Roshambo winery facility on Westside Road in the Russian River Valley.
Up the road from neighbors like Rochioli and Williams-Selyem, this should become a high-profile second home for Twomey. It will also provide a place to headquarter the budding Pinot project Twomey has been quietly introducing through its Napa tasting room. Production is increasing and NVWE holds hope for some limited retail store availability this coming July.
2002 Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Vividly fruity, optimally ripe and graced with appealing herbal accents, the nose of this classic Napa Cabernet has deep black cherry, black currant, crushed rose, sweet vanilla and baking spice scents, along with hints of red raspberry and cedar. It is impressively structured and just as fruit-packed on the palate, where blackberry, plum and black currant flavors form a lovely veneer over layers of rich vanilla, toast, earth and baking spice. Certain to grow ever more delicious for at least another four years, it may prove to be the best Silver Oak Cabernet since their great 1990-1992 Napa bottlings.
Posted by Don on January 29, 2007 6:33 PM |Permalink | TrackBacks (0)
April 3, 2007
Valance - Halfway to Howell
Mund Road, in the little town of Deer Park, sits at 600 feet in elevation on the way up Napa's Howell Mountain. Being below the 1,200 foot mark, it does not qualify for the Howell Mountain appellation and wines made from its vineyards have always been labeled simply "Napa Valley". Until recently, I knew of only three vineyards on Mund Road, although each was of significant quality.
John Arns and partner/winemaker Sandi Belcher, have since 1992 produced a fine Cabernet from vines John's family planted in the 1960s. Prior to 1992, Arns sold most of his fruit to Randy Dunn. Grapes for Rick Forman's powerfully constructed Cabs are also grown on Mund Road. David Abreu, possibly Napa's most well known vineyard manager and owner of the cult-status Madrona vineyard, also has property here. Abreu's fairly new and already much admired property is called Thorevilos.
Last week I tasted a new Mund Road Cabernet. This one was different in style than the others, but similar in quality and appeal. Valance is a sleek, rich, red currant-red cherry dominated Cabernet, with class, structure and length. It's style and fruit character remind me of the 1968-1970 era Robert Mondavi Reserves. The 2002 Valance is already delicious, but it grew more nuanced and appealing over the several days I had it open. Its neighbors are all good agers, and four more years of cellaring should make the Valance an even more elegant and impressive wine.
Owners Michael and Valerie Raymor have produced their own private bottlings from the property for years. The low-yielding vines of this three acre vineyard produce four barrels annually and made only ninety cases in 2002, the second year of its commercial production. NVWE was able to procure less than ten cases of this new Cab and several of those will be set aside for the June edition of our High Rolllers Cab Club, so act soon if you want to try one.
Posted on April 3, 2007 8:10 AM |Permalink | TrackBacks (0)
June 25, 2007
Days of Heaven, Days of Pinot
Sunday, July 1st, I am busy, so don't call. I have a date with about 200 Pinot Noirs. Last year events conspired to keep me and the object of my desire apart, but this year I am determined.
Although our January weather lacks the magnetic appeal of that in Hawaii or the Bahamas, we still enjoy a steady influx of wine enthusiasts each year to attend Zap. Zap is the Worlds biggest Zinfandel symposium and this years gathering was its 16th. Zap fills two large halls and over 250 wineries participate.
Had a comparable Pinot Noir event been staged sixteen years ago, it would have been a pretty lonely affair and most of the participants would have been acquainted. "Pinot Days", although about to celebrate its 3rd birthday, is well on its way to rivaling Zap in scale and importance.
More than one hundred and fifty wineries will pour, often showing multiple bottlings. They will come from north and south, and many will meet for the first time. Despite Mark Twain's cautions about our July weather, knowledgeable "Pinot-loving" tourists will also pack the hall; stretching the very same space Zap occupied last January.
The rapid development of Pinot Days is attributable partially to the recent rise in the grapes' production and popularity, but mostly is due to the extremely high quality of the wines that have been presented during the first two events. Zap, in contrast, is typically a showcase for entry-level winemakers and many more who are personally dedicated to a distinctly "rustic" style. Those who have participated in Pinot Days thus far, have been a more seasoned crew, after a more sophisticated, if harder to achieve, goal.
Although old hands like Rochioli or Williams-Selyem were not in attendance, last years Pinot Days roster read like a "who's who" of great emerging Pinot Producers and was the coming-out party for some. My plan this year, is to quickly visit new entrants that I expect to be outstanding; followed by stops at the tables of all my favorite people; then to plod through the rest, with an ear out for rumors of anything new and spectacular.
I am especially curious about the upcoming products from Benovia, Ladd, Thorme and a few other new guys. I don't know if the 2006 Pinots from Halleck, Dutton-Goldfield or Russian Hill will be ready yet for pouring, but all were spectacular in barrel and I can't wait to try them again. My best stop might prove be at Chasseur, Freeman, Tantara, Halleck, or... who can tell?
I have to give the majority of praise for this event to its organizers at the Bay Area Wine Project, including Steve Rigisich. Steve, along with Mark Ketcham and winemaker Michael Browne (of Kosta-Browne) are involved together in producing Ketcham Pinot, a label to watch. Steve and company have done a particularly brilliant job of convincing outstanding producers -- whose Pinots would quickly sell out without this exposure -- to remain committed to the event.
At this point, if you can get out here to attend, tickets are still available. Just log-on to http://www.pinotdays.com, or call 415-408-3360. Any reader who has wondered what all the fuss is about concerning California Pinot Noir should check out this event, it will open up your eyes.