Showing posts with label Syrah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Syrah. Show all posts
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Hey, Maury! VdN, flor and more
We like to believe that winemakers are a naturally curious, inquisitive bunch. To that end, we have an experiment going that delights and amazes us. We are working on an admittedly bizarre dessert wine, inspired by the wines of Maury, in Southwest France. These wines are made from Grenache (mostly), but the fermentation is stopped by the addition of brandy (as is the case with Port) to leave some unfermented sugar in the wine. Then they are left outside in small glass containers, experiencing wild swings in temperature, and a great deal of ultraviolet exposure, along with some oxygen.
We decided to try this a bit late, when all of our Grenache had long since finished fermentation. So we combined fermented Grenache, unfermented Syrah juice, and grape alcohol to achieve about 20% alcohol (as in Maury). Two minuscule gallon jugs now sit exposed to the elements, as they will for at least a couple of years.
The odd thing is that one of the jugs has developed a flor, or yeast film (most commonly seen in Sherry). How are these yeasts able to survive such high alcohol, not to mention near-freezing temperatures? We'd like to know. Perhaps we'll manage to take a sample for analysis, to see what's in there.
Sadly, this is not a commercial-scale project, though of course we'll be "analyzing" the wine when it is finished. Inform of us of your analytical bona fides if you would like to help, when the time comes.
Pictures will follow.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
We have a Winner!
In a recent post, we asked for help naming the 2009 PWR blend of Syrah (40%), Zinfandel (40%) and Petite Sirah (20%), that we will bottle in July.
We got a lot of great suggestions, and we thank everyone who shared with us. After careful consideration, we have decided to go with the name Bea's Knees, in honor of our daughter, who it just so happens turns one on Saturday.
Mike Trotta, who makes the delicious wines at Elyse Winery, made the winning suggestion. Lucky for him, we can legally give him a bottle of the wine he named. Lucky for us, too, because if we had to go with the "legal alternative" we promised to any winner from a state closed to wine shipping, we would have been stumped. What's the equivalent of a bottle of delicious, lovingly made wine?
Again, the wine will be bottled in July, along with our 2009 Syrah from Massa Ranch in Napa Valley's Yountville AVA. We'll make the wines available to you shortly thereafter. We cannot wait to share what we have made.
We got a lot of great suggestions, and we thank everyone who shared with us. After careful consideration, we have decided to go with the name Bea's Knees, in honor of our daughter, who it just so happens turns one on Saturday.
Mike Trotta, who makes the delicious wines at Elyse Winery, made the winning suggestion. Lucky for him, we can legally give him a bottle of the wine he named. Lucky for us, too, because if we had to go with the "legal alternative" we promised to any winner from a state closed to wine shipping, we would have been stumped. What's the equivalent of a bottle of delicious, lovingly made wine?
Again, the wine will be bottled in July, along with our 2009 Syrah from Massa Ranch in Napa Valley's Yountville AVA. We'll make the wines available to you shortly thereafter. We cannot wait to share what we have made.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Northern California 2009 Vintage and Harvest
The 2009 harvest is near enough to completion that we can give a preliminary report on the quality of the wines that will hit the shelves over the next few years.
The key factor for 2009 is the big rainstorm that hit California around October 13. Until then, the growing season had been nearly perfect, and much like 2002, with no sustained spells of unseasonable weather from April through September. As in 2008, we had a few days over 100F in mid-May. This year, that interfered with the set in many varieties, principally Cabernet Sauvignon, reducing yield, but otherwise had no impact. More on yield later.
Grapes brought in before the storm--and that is close to all of them--benefited from all that great weather and will provide winemakers with the quality they need to make great wines. The storm has passed now and the ground is beginning to dry out. Mountaintop vineyards that remain unpicked may be done for this year, as they got hammered by the rain. But most vineyards are likely to recover, and mildew pressure is low despite the humidity.
Chances are good, therefore, that wines made from the later-ripening Cabernet-family of grapes will be fine despite the storm, but we will have to wait to know for sure. In the meantime, you can look forward to delicious 2009 whites and non-Cabernet reds such as Pinot noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, and so many others.
Washington State
We are big fans of the wines from eastern Washington, so we were sad to learn that the area was hit by a hard frost on October 10. As with our storm, winemakers claim (and hope!) that the grapes still on the vine will not be affected, but we find it hard to believe. It is mostly Cabernet that is still out there. Yet another reason to try Washington Syrah!
Smoke Taint
Hundreds of wildfires raged across California in summer 2008. Where fires burned near vineyards, the fruit often took up compounds that led to unpleasant flavors in the wines. These flavors, referred to generally as "smoke taint," range from a pleasant smokiness that might have come from a toasted barrel to the not unpleasant but overpowering smell of a campfire, to the downright nasty smell of a stale ashtray. Not every wine was affected, and even wines made from different parcels of an affected vineyard could have very different levels of taint. Still, we advise readers to buy 2008 Pinot noir from Sonoma and Mendocino counties only after tasting the wines for themselves.
Australian experience with wildfires and smoke taint indicates that vines may store the compounds for release into the grapes in the following season. That is, grapes could have smoke taint even though there were no fires nearby this year. Fortunately that did not happen. The Pinots from areas affected last year are free of smoke taint this year.
Yield and the Economy
We mentioned above that hot weather in May reduced yield in Cabernet Sauvignon. This seemed terrible at first, given that the 2008 Cabernet crop was also light (in 2008 due to late frosts). However, it may have been for the best. The economic meltdown has put many wineries out of business and made it difficult for other wineries to access cash. In what looks to be a great year for quality, many grapes are going unpicked for want of buyers. Napa Cabernet, which has averaged more than $4,500/ton for the last several years, is now offered for barely $1,000 with no takers. Very sad for the growers, and for consumers, who will face consecutive years of little Cabernet, albeit of high quality.
The key factor for 2009 is the big rainstorm that hit California around October 13. Until then, the growing season had been nearly perfect, and much like 2002, with no sustained spells of unseasonable weather from April through September. As in 2008, we had a few days over 100F in mid-May. This year, that interfered with the set in many varieties, principally Cabernet Sauvignon, reducing yield, but otherwise had no impact. More on yield later.
Grapes brought in before the storm--and that is close to all of them--benefited from all that great weather and will provide winemakers with the quality they need to make great wines. The storm has passed now and the ground is beginning to dry out. Mountaintop vineyards that remain unpicked may be done for this year, as they got hammered by the rain. But most vineyards are likely to recover, and mildew pressure is low despite the humidity.
Chances are good, therefore, that wines made from the later-ripening Cabernet-family of grapes will be fine despite the storm, but we will have to wait to know for sure. In the meantime, you can look forward to delicious 2009 whites and non-Cabernet reds such as Pinot noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, and so many others.
Washington State
We are big fans of the wines from eastern Washington, so we were sad to learn that the area was hit by a hard frost on October 10. As with our storm, winemakers claim (and hope!) that the grapes still on the vine will not be affected, but we find it hard to believe. It is mostly Cabernet that is still out there. Yet another reason to try Washington Syrah!
Smoke Taint
Hundreds of wildfires raged across California in summer 2008. Where fires burned near vineyards, the fruit often took up compounds that led to unpleasant flavors in the wines. These flavors, referred to generally as "smoke taint," range from a pleasant smokiness that might have come from a toasted barrel to the not unpleasant but overpowering smell of a campfire, to the downright nasty smell of a stale ashtray. Not every wine was affected, and even wines made from different parcels of an affected vineyard could have very different levels of taint. Still, we advise readers to buy 2008 Pinot noir from Sonoma and Mendocino counties only after tasting the wines for themselves.
Image from www.nerve.com No attribution information provided. Please contact us to add, change or remove this image and information.
Australian experience with wildfires and smoke taint indicates that vines may store the compounds for release into the grapes in the following season. That is, grapes could have smoke taint even though there were no fires nearby this year. Fortunately that did not happen. The Pinots from areas affected last year are free of smoke taint this year.
Yield and the Economy
We mentioned above that hot weather in May reduced yield in Cabernet Sauvignon. This seemed terrible at first, given that the 2008 Cabernet crop was also light (in 2008 due to late frosts). However, it may have been for the best. The economic meltdown has put many wineries out of business and made it difficult for other wineries to access cash. In what looks to be a great year for quality, many grapes are going unpicked for want of buyers. Napa Cabernet, which has averaged more than $4,500/ton for the last several years, is now offered for barely $1,000 with no takers. Very sad for the growers, and for consumers, who will face consecutive years of little Cabernet, albeit of high quality.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Food & Wine's cheap wine picks
Food & Wine magazine just published its list of best American wines under $20. We have not tried all of them--have you? We would love to hear your thoughts.
We are very pleased to see that Siduri and Copain made the list, for Pinot Noir and Syrah, respectively. Both producers do a terrific job, with solid quality throughout their production. Both offer value at all price points, but most of the wines are not inexpensive. They are to be applauded for ensuring the same high quality goes into their more affordable wines.
Kudos to Food & Wine for making such interesting selections. We look forward to trying the other producers on the list.
We are very pleased to see that Siduri and Copain made the list, for Pinot Noir and Syrah, respectively. Both producers do a terrific job, with solid quality throughout their production. Both offer value at all price points, but most of the wines are not inexpensive. They are to be applauded for ensuring the same high quality goes into their more affordable wines.
Kudos to Food & Wine for making such interesting selections. We look forward to trying the other producers on the list.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Wine, Freedom and Justice Part 2—New Clairvaux Vineyard
As the situation in Iran begins to look less hopeful, we continue our musings on wine making as a tool for world betterment (see below for the first entry on the subject).
We imagine that the New Clairvaux Vineyard, owned by a Cistercian Abbey, is non-profit. The "Our Vision" page of the website states that their goal is to "create a memorable wine experience" and to "produce extraordinary wine." Laudable, and please see the Monastery's Abbot's comments, below, for a description of their mission and the many projects the income from the wine supports.
The winery is in Vina, California, not far from Chico. Reds range from $13-$36, and whites from $15-16. Aimee Sunseri, a former classmate of ours from the UC-Davis Viticulture & Enology program, is the winemaker.
The lineup of wines is quite interesting, and their prices attractive. Whites include Albariño, Vigonier and Trebbiano, and the reds are Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, Syrah, and a blend that includes some Cabernet from Napa Valley. The principal vineyard is located on the site of Leland Stanford’s ambitious but failed effort, which was the largest vineyard in the world in 1890.
We have not tried the wines but look forward to doing so. We welcome your thoughts on winemaking and world changing.
We imagine that the New Clairvaux Vineyard, owned by a Cistercian Abbey, is non-profit. The "Our Vision" page of the website states that their goal is to "create a memorable wine experience" and to "produce extraordinary wine." Laudable, and please see the Monastery's Abbot's comments, below, for a description of their mission and the many projects the income from the wine supports.
The winery is in Vina, California, not far from Chico. Reds range from $13-$36, and whites from $15-16. Aimee Sunseri, a former classmate of ours from the UC-Davis Viticulture & Enology program, is the winemaker.
The lineup of wines is quite interesting, and their prices attractive. Whites include Albariño, Vigonier and Trebbiano, and the reds are Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, Syrah, and a blend that includes some Cabernet from Napa Valley. The principal vineyard is located on the site of Leland Stanford’s ambitious but failed effort, which was the largest vineyard in the world in 1890.
We have not tried the wines but look forward to doing so. We welcome your thoughts on winemaking and world changing.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Cline Syrah, and more to come
We recently enjoyed dinner with two faithful readers of the blog, who shared with us one of the wines they bought at the Safeway sale (see below), a Cline Syrah (~$10). The short answer? We were amazed.We have enjoyed many Cline wines in the past but we never seem to buy them. This may change. Cline is perhaps best known for its Zinfandels and Mourvedres, many of which come from vineyards in sandy eastern Contra Costa County. Before you scoff, you should know that this is also where cult (or nearly so) producer Turley sources many of its grapes. The evil scourge phylloxera does not do well in sandy soil, allowing Contra Costa County vineyards to grow to extreme ages.
This Syrah is labeled California, which means the grapes could really come from anywhere in the state. Most likely the wine is a blend, with grapes from many regions.
But what about the wine? Well, Syrah can be many things, which is perhaps why it is having a hard time establishing itself in the marketplace. One of our favorite expressions of Syrah is Cote-Rotie, in the northern Rhone in France. There the wine is perfumed and sometimes just smelly, but in an interestingly meaty, smoky way. On the palate it is remarkably light. Most new world Syrah, whether from Australia (Shiraz), California, or elsewhere, lacks the smokiness and is heavy to the point of syrup. And the Cline? Very nicely balanced--far from syrupy--and intriguingly smoky.
We liked the wine so much that we are planning a trip to the winery to see what else they have to offer. You will see a full report here.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Shane Wine Cellars and a Spell preview
Shane Finley convened a great group of people Saturday at Sebastopol's West County Grill. We had not been to the Grill before, but the food was terrific, and wonderfully paired with Shane's wines. In addition to pouring the current line-up of three Syrahs and his Shane Rose (of Syrah), Shane brought 6 Rhone whites from 2001, most of which were given to him when he worked in the Northern Rhone in 2002-2003.
We started by passing around some bottles of the Shane 2007 Ma Fille Rose (of Syrah, sold out but under $20 on release) while we waited for everyone to arrive and got to know each other. We then turned to the Rhones. Our first flight consisted of two Yves Cuilleron St-Joseph Blancs, one, "Le Lombard," 100% Marsanne, and the other, "Lyseras," a 50/50 Rousanne/Marsanne blend. The third wine of the flight was a Pierre Gaillard 100% Rousanne, also from St-Joseph. The wines were beautiful. For me the pure Rousanne had the most interesting nose, but the 50/50 blend was best on the palate due to its higher acidity.
As we wound down the first flight, the first course arrived: fried squid paired with salt cod croquettes, with a great aioli. We nibbled on that as we finished the first flight, and kept nibbling through the second flight. That flight consisted of two more St-J's and a Crozes-Hermitage, all still 2001 and all Rousanne/Marsanne blends. The Crozes was Domaine Tardy. One St-J was Guigal "Lieu-Dit," and the other was Louis Cheze "Cuvee Ro-Ree." It was remarkable how different these wines were from one another, and how different the set was from the first. All were pleasant, but I found the Guigal a little harsh. The Cheze was rather oxidized but still quite tasty, while the Domaine Tardy was just amazing with the food, again because of higher acid. Ah, memory.
Plates and glasses were cleared and replaced, and Shane personally poured each of his three 2006 Syrahs: Jemrose, The Unknown and Valenti (Jemrose and Valenti sold out; all under $40 on release). We had the tough choice of pairing these with a roast leg of lamb or a Liberty duck breast. Owing to our plural existence, we were able to enjoy both choices.
We were particularly excited to try these wines because we have not tasted them since before they were bottled, and we wondered when we should open our own bottles. The verdict: not for a while. All three wines were extremely delicious now, but they are so tightly wound, dense and layered, that they promise even more down the road.
It was great going back and forth among the wines, back and forth among the lamb and duck, and then back to the wines. It makes no sense to talk of preference at this point, as all the wines are wonderful, different and still very much evolving. While all three were ripe and powerful, the varietal character was true. The Valenti was a bit of a surprise because it was at least as dark and intense as the other two, and Valenti is an Anderson Valley site. The clonal composition of the three wines is different. The Valenti is Shiraz 1, and, perhaps because that's why we detected some flavors associated more with Australia than Anderson Valley. Still, this is very much Syrah rather than Shiraz. The Valenti is also the closest to ready to drink, although we would recommend a vigorous decant to anyone opening one now.
This time when plates were cleared we got to keep our glasses. Out came some Humboldt Fog smothered in chestnut honey, and Shane brought out a treat: a not-yet-released Jemrose Vyd Viognier "Egret Pond" that he Michael are making under the Jemrose label. Dead-on, classic, textbook Viognier (no price available). Delicious and perfect with the cheese.
A plum tart completed the meal, and after wrapping up at the Grill we headed over to the new Shane digs just north of Sebastopol. There we got to taste through the 4 2007 Shane Syrahs and the 2 2007 Spell Pinots, all about a month away from bottling. Spell is Shane's new Pinot project (no pricing as yet). We first tasted the Barton Vineyard (Russian River Valley), which is a blend of Pommard and 115 clones. A 25% whole cluster fermentation, 1 new barrel out of only 2 total. The second Spell Pinot was from the Weir Vineyard in the Yorkville Highlands. Clones DRC, 2a, and Rochioli. 20% whole cluster and 2 new barrels out of 5 total.
The Spells were delicious. Although they are made a bit differently from the Kosta-Browne wines, they were similar to me in their combination of ripeness, power and restraint. These wines are layered, complex, and tasty, but are not overextracted or blowsy.
The 2007 Shane wines for their part are at least the equal of the 2006s. They will similarly need a great deal of time. The new wine in the lineup is the Villain Syrah, blended from Alder Springs and Broken Leg Vineyards, with a touch of Valenti press wine thrown in for good measure. The clones are 383, 470, 170, 99, Shiraz 1 and a splash of 877. The Villain fit very well into the lineup.
Shane's up to great stuff with his Syrahs and Pinots, not to mention the Rose. We wish him the best for the 2008 harvest, and look forward to the release of the 2007s.
We started by passing around some bottles of the Shane 2007 Ma Fille Rose (of Syrah, sold out but under $20 on release) while we waited for everyone to arrive and got to know each other. We then turned to the Rhones. Our first flight consisted of two Yves Cuilleron St-Joseph Blancs, one, "Le Lombard," 100% Marsanne, and the other, "Lyseras," a 50/50 Rousanne/Marsanne blend. The third wine of the flight was a Pierre Gaillard 100% Rousanne, also from St-Joseph. The wines were beautiful. For me the pure Rousanne had the most interesting nose, but the 50/50 blend was best on the palate due to its higher acidity.
As we wound down the first flight, the first course arrived: fried squid paired with salt cod croquettes, with a great aioli. We nibbled on that as we finished the first flight, and kept nibbling through the second flight. That flight consisted of two more St-J's and a Crozes-Hermitage, all still 2001 and all Rousanne/Marsanne blends. The Crozes was Domaine Tardy. One St-J was Guigal "Lieu-Dit," and the other was Louis Cheze "Cuvee Ro-Ree." It was remarkable how different these wines were from one another, and how different the set was from the first. All were pleasant, but I found the Guigal a little harsh. The Cheze was rather oxidized but still quite tasty, while the Domaine Tardy was just amazing with the food, again because of higher acid. Ah, memory.
Plates and glasses were cleared and replaced, and Shane personally poured each of his three 2006 Syrahs: Jemrose, The Unknown and Valenti (Jemrose and Valenti sold out; all under $40 on release). We had the tough choice of pairing these with a roast leg of lamb or a Liberty duck breast. Owing to our plural existence, we were able to enjoy both choices.
We were particularly excited to try these wines because we have not tasted them since before they were bottled, and we wondered when we should open our own bottles. The verdict: not for a while. All three wines were extremely delicious now, but they are so tightly wound, dense and layered, that they promise even more down the road.
It was great going back and forth among the wines, back and forth among the lamb and duck, and then back to the wines. It makes no sense to talk of preference at this point, as all the wines are wonderful, different and still very much evolving. While all three were ripe and powerful, the varietal character was true. The Valenti was a bit of a surprise because it was at least as dark and intense as the other two, and Valenti is an Anderson Valley site. The clonal composition of the three wines is different. The Valenti is Shiraz 1, and, perhaps because that's why we detected some flavors associated more with Australia than Anderson Valley. Still, this is very much Syrah rather than Shiraz. The Valenti is also the closest to ready to drink, although we would recommend a vigorous decant to anyone opening one now.
This time when plates were cleared we got to keep our glasses. Out came some Humboldt Fog smothered in chestnut honey, and Shane brought out a treat: a not-yet-released Jemrose Vyd Viognier "Egret Pond" that he Michael are making under the Jemrose label. Dead-on, classic, textbook Viognier (no price available). Delicious and perfect with the cheese.
A plum tart completed the meal, and after wrapping up at the Grill we headed over to the new Shane digs just north of Sebastopol. There we got to taste through the 4 2007 Shane Syrahs and the 2 2007 Spell Pinots, all about a month away from bottling. Spell is Shane's new Pinot project (no pricing as yet). We first tasted the Barton Vineyard (Russian River Valley), which is a blend of Pommard and 115 clones. A 25% whole cluster fermentation, 1 new barrel out of only 2 total. The second Spell Pinot was from the Weir Vineyard in the Yorkville Highlands. Clones DRC, 2a, and Rochioli. 20% whole cluster and 2 new barrels out of 5 total.
The Spells were delicious. Although they are made a bit differently from the Kosta-Browne wines, they were similar to me in their combination of ripeness, power and restraint. These wines are layered, complex, and tasty, but are not overextracted or blowsy.
The 2007 Shane wines for their part are at least the equal of the 2006s. They will similarly need a great deal of time. The new wine in the lineup is the Villain Syrah, blended from Alder Springs and Broken Leg Vineyards, with a touch of Valenti press wine thrown in for good measure. The clones are 383, 470, 170, 99, Shiraz 1 and a splash of 877. The Villain fit very well into the lineup.
Shane's up to great stuff with his Syrahs and Pinots, not to mention the Rose. We wish him the best for the 2008 harvest, and look forward to the release of the 2007s.
Note: What a way to start the blog. These wines are delicious, and more expensive than most we'll be recommending. Nevertheless, we believe they represent great value. There's no pricing info yet on the Spells, but recall that Kosta-Browne is not outrageously priced if you can buy it at suggested retail (good luck!).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
