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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Tis the Season
The greater number of the wines we taste each year are sampled at our store, although we visit wine country as often as circumstances allow. The commercial tastings we attend are scattered throughout the year, often in seasonal clusters. Three important ones are on the horizon.
I am posting this blog on the morning of April 28th, after which Denise, Kristen, James and I will be off to an overnight in Napa Valley. The excuse for this mini-extravagance is the annual Oakville Growers tasting, a Taste of Oakville. It is a trade-only event, sponsored by both growers and wineries, and a Cabernet lover's fantasy.
It is essentially a tasting of upcoming releases, and although there are always one or two "no shows," the event assembles under one roof, nearly every great Oakville producer. Association member wineries include, among others: Dalla Valle, Far Niente, Hoopes, Heitz, Paradigm, Plump Jack, Rudd, Tierra Roja, Bond, Detert, Harlan, Joseph Phelps, Nickel & Nickel, Opus One, Robert Mondavi and Screaming Eagle. Since only Oakville Appellation wines are allowed, a producer like Mondavi can only bring their Oakville and Tokalon Vineyard bottlings. Bye the way, the later is Mondavi's most-treasured property.
Back to the Barrels
May 12th marks the Passport to Cabernet tasting, put on by the California Cabernet Society, which has over 90 members. It is held at Napa's Culinary Institute in St. Helena, and is for the trade. Passport is the first and best opportunity to evaluate the preceding harvest. It is Napa dominated, but also showcases a few bottlings from Sonoma Mountain, Alexander Valley, Santa Cruz and Paso Robles. Producers from lesser Cab appellations generally avoid this venue, wisely not choosing to exhibit their wares in the shadow of those from Oakville, Rutherford and the like.
I find this tasting to be an especially good one for evaluating the success of the sub-appellations inside Napa Valley, as there are usually fine producers represented from each. I see a lot of well-known faces as well, so it is always a pleasant day (unless their is a heat-wave, as the Culinary Institute is very poorly ventilated).
The mood of winemakers is easy to tap at this affair. It ranges from jubilation, when they are pouring a great and trouble-free year like 2002; to anxiety, in years like 2006 which are slow to reveal themselves; to despair, in tough-to-sell years like 2008. 2007 already has a major buzz, and like everyone else, I am anxious to see if it is truly as brilliant as rumored.
See you there!
One of my favorite tastings is held in San Francisco and is open to the public. This year's Pinot Days, opens with supporting events beginning June 24th, and culminates in a grand tasting on Sunday, June 29th. This is the biggest Pinot tasting of the year and the most well-run.
Previous Pinot Days have assembled an amazing number of our best, and least seen producers, and have provided the kick-off venue for some of the most exciting new ones. Last year, one could explore the wines from a brilliant new bottler like Benovia, then twenty feet away, sample five Chasseur vineyard-designates and chat with winemaker Bill Hunter (Bill and Chasseur are unfortunately not on this years pourers list).
The 2008 event will have more than 175 participants, most bringing multiple bottling (some wineries make more than ten Pinots). Those who can attend should contact Pinot Days at: http://www.pinotdays.com