Neyers Sage Canyon Red Rhône Blend Wine 2020

Neyers Sage Canyon Red Rhône Blend Wine 2020 

With grilled beefsteak sandwiches with avocado, roasted potatoes and caprese balsamic salad we opened this Rhône style California red blend. We just picked up several bottles and were eager to try it. 

In 1970, Bruce Neyer’s deployment in the Army brought him and his wife Barbara to San Francisco during which time they developed a keen interest in wine. Upon discharge from the Army in 1972 Bruce landed a job at Mayacamas Winery in the Napa Valley where he spent two years as assistant winemaker to Bob Travers. While there he studied enology at the University of California, Davis. 

In 1974, Bruce and Barbara moved to the Nahe region in Germany where Bruce worked as an apprentice winemaker, returning to the US in March 1975. At that time, he was hired by Joseph Phelps in his new winery that bears his name, where he worked for 17 years, leaving as GM in 1992.

During that time, In 1982, Barbara and Bruce started Neyers Vineyards and in 1984 bought a 35-acre parcel in Conn Valley and began to develop it for vineyards with the idea of starting their own winery. 

In the fall of 1999, they purchased a 30-acre parcel in the Sage Canyon area of Napa Valley, a few miles east of Rutherford on Highway 128, near Lake Hennessey. There they built a winery with ‘state of the art’ wine production facilities. 

In 2004, they hired Tadeo Borchardt as winemaker. Tadeo’s winemaking experience was learned in the vineyard and the winery through on-the-job training.

Working for Restaurateur Roger Roessler, who was building a wine label in Santa Rosa with Copain winemaker Wells Guthrie, Borchardt was sent to the Russian River Valley to help with the harvest. What was intended to be seasonal work turned into a full-time position as Guthrie’s assistant. Borchardt later traveled to New Zealand to experience harvest in the southern hemisphere at Craggy Range, before returning to California to join Neyers Vineyards in 2004.

After leaving Phelps, Bruce became national sales manager for Berkeley-based importer Kermit Lynch until his retirement in 2017, where he grew the business many times over during his years there. Working closely with 100+ French wine producers, he was exposed to and learned winemaking, farming practices and production techniques.

During this time, they continued to develop their own estate Cabernet and Merlot growing production to 15,000 cases annually.

During his time with Kermit Lynch, Bruce became particularly interested in the wines from the southern Rhône. On the urging of Daniel Brunier of Châteauneuf du Pape producer Domaine Vieux Telegraphe, who he calls ‘one of my favorite producers from the area,’ he sought out to develop this blend similar in style to the great wines of that region. 

Reader’s of these pages know we’re big fans of Daniel Bruner and his wines and feature our visits to Domaine Vieux Telegraphe here. 

Neyers and Borchardt spent the next several years seeking out sources of the red varieties traditionally grown in the south of France and honing the techniques used to craft such wines. They also traveled together through the wine regions of France, where they met multi-generational winemakers who grew up among the vineyards, learning by doing. The instinctual approach of Old World winemakers in Burgundy and the Rhône Valley left an indelible impression on Borchardt. The wines he crafts for Neyers are heavily influenced by the philosophical approach of French winemakers.

Neyers Sage Canyon California Red Wine 2020

In the southern Rhône style, this is a blend of Rhône varietals Carignan, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah.

The 2020 is mainly old vine Carignan Evangelho & Jessie’s Grove vinyards with smaller amounts of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and a dash of Syrah for completeness. The added fruit is sourced from vineyards in Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, Lodi, and the Sierra Foothills to the unique blend. This broadened the wine’s complexity and added ‘further elements of rusticity and elegance’.

The grapes for this wine are all hand-harvested, meticulously sorted during a visual inspection, then crushed by foot rather than by machine, using traditional French ‘pigeage’. 

The wine spent 18 months aging in neutral French oak barrels.

Winemaker notes - Look for a broad aroma of wild fruits and exotic spices accompanied by attractive flavors of berries and ginger. 

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, this had bright vibrant expressive juicy ripe black and red berry fruits accented by notes of spice and cedar with a tangy acidic finish. 

This was good with the steak but would be better suited with pizza, tangy bbq or pasta. 

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4438724

https://www.neyersvineyards.com/

Domaine de Beaurenard "Cuvée Boisrenard" Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2004

Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) "Cuvée Boisrenard" Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard 2004

For a quiet Christmas eve at home together, Linda prepared BBQ ribs and I pulled from the cellar this Châteauneuf-du-Pape as an accompaniment.

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate vineyards have been in the same family for 7 generations. Domaine de Beaurenard dates back to 1695 when was it was known by the name “Bois Renard.” 

Domaine de Beaurenard began making wine under the current branding in 1929 and remains a family run estate managed by Frederic Coulon and Daniel Coulon with sons Antonin and Victor Coulon becoming increasingly involved in managing the property. They were featured on the cover of and in a coverage article in Wine Spectator Magazine in November 2018. 

Domaine de Beaurenard has 32 hectares (2.2 acres = 1 hectare) of vines in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, 28 hectares in red wine grapes and 4 hectares for making white Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine. 

The vines are located in 25 separate parcels with much of their Grenache planted in the Cabrieres lieu-dit. Domaine de Beaurenard also owns 15 hectares of vineyards in the Cotes du Rhone Villages, and 62 hectares of vines in the Rasteau AOC.  

The vines are dispersed across the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation with plantings in the Beau Renard, le Bois de la Ville, Cansaud, la Cerise, Colombis, la Crau, la Gardine, la Nerthe, la Pied Long and le Pradel lieux-dits.

The estate tasting room sits on the southern outskirts of the village of  Châteauneuf-du-Pape on the main route leading into town.

Domaine de Beaurenard grows all 13 Rhone grape varieties allowed by the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation (AOC) regulations for use in their red wines, the primary grapes used in the blend being Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault and tiny amounts of varietals Counoise, Muscardin, Terret and Vaccarese. 

Some of the old vines of Grenache date back over 100 years.

Domaine de Beaurenard produces 4 red Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines, and 2 white Chateauneuf du Pape wines as well as wines from the Cotes du Rhone and Rasteau appellations. 

The primary label, Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf-du-Pape is produced from a blend of 70% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah with 4% Cinsault, the rest of the blend is from assorted grape varieties sourced from vines that average close to 50 years of age.

This is the premium flagship label, Domaine de Beaurenard Cuvee Boisrenard. It is produced from a blend of 60% old vine Grenache and the other appellation approved grape varieties. The vines range in age from 60 to more than 100 years of age.

I write extensively about the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation and its history and regulations in our blogpost from our visit to the area and the nearby estates. 

On average, close to 1,500 cases are produced of this label each year. 

Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) "Cuvée Boisrenard" Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard 2004 

I still recall I first discovered and tasted this wine during my first visit to Châteauneuf-du-Pape back in 1998. This wine was first produced with the 1990 vintage release. We also still hold several bottles of that inaugural 1990 vintage, birthyear of son Alec that we're holding for a suitable family occasion.

This 2004 release got 94 points from Wine Spectator, 91-93 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, 90 points from  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 89 points from Wine Enthusiast. The recent 2016 vintage release got 96 points from Wine Spectator. 

Winemaker notes for this release: "Parcels of old vines 60-100 years in age, planted in soils of great character and complexity, provide the grapes for this wine. They are picked when fully mature and meticulously sorted by hand to further enhance concentration. These old parcels, in which different varieties are planted together, embody the symphony of 13 varieties, though Grenache predominates."

This is likely drinking at the apex of its profile and will not likely improve further with aging. This was dark garnet and inky purple colored, medium full bodied, nicely balanced black cherry, currant and blackberry fruits with notes of tobacco, toast, spice oak, black tea and hints of cassis and pepper on a smooth lingering moderate tannin finish.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=176522

http://www.beaurenard.fr/indexgb.htm

 

Thanksgiving Feast Features Rhone Wine Flight

Thanksgiving Feast Features Rhone Varietal Blend Wine Flight

Twenty members of immediate family and dear friends gathered for our Thanksgiving feast. . For the occasion we selected a flight of Rhone varietal wines from our cellar and from son Ryan's.

We started with a aged vintage birth year selection celebrating son Alec and partner Viv joining us from NYC, a classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Following the protocol of wine tasting, we moved from lighter wines to larger more complex wines. We progressed to more recent vintage Rhone Blend selections from our recent trip to Washington State Walla Walla and Red Mountain AVA, and then moved to a Rhone varietal Blend from Paso Robles.


Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard 1990

We discovered and acquired this label during our trip to Châteauneuf-du-Pape back in 1998.

Nearing thirty years of age, this is nearing the end of its drinking window but still suitable for such an occasion. This is beginning to lose clarity and taking on an slight opaque tone and the garnet color taking on a sight brownish hue. We still hold three bottles from this case acquired decades ago representing son Alec's birth year, holding them for family occasions.

Consistent with earlier tasting notes, this was medium to full bodied with slight earthiness and leather fronting layers of herbs, black and green pepper that accompany the slightly subdued black cherry and black berry fruits with a hint of spice, moderate lingering tannins.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=30341


https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2017/12/chateau-boisrenard-and-bbq-beef-brisket.html

Progressing in weight and complexity, this GSM Blend (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre) in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape style is from Washington State Red Mountain AVA. We visited the producer Force Majeure during our recent Walla Walla Wine Experience 2018.

Force Majeure Collaboration Series VI Ciel du Cheval Vineyard 2011

We acquired a collection of Force Majeure wines including this vintage after meeting and hosting Force Majeure winemaker Todd Alexander and marketing, distribution and branding exec Carrie Alexander during their Chicago visit last year.  


Bright vibrant, garnet/purple in color full bodied, concentrated complex Blackberry fruits predominate with tangy red berries, tones of pepper and tar, earth and meat, hints of expresso, anise and smoke accented by nicely integrated smooth lingering dusty tannins. Another CT'er rightly noted this 'benefitted with time and warmer than cellar temps'.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/notes.asp?iWine=1788937

The Collaboration Series has ended as Todd has taken over general management and winemaking duties and his handiwork is now coming on line; this historic label was made by James Mantone of Syncline Winery. This is a blend 47% Mourvedre, 42% Syrah and 11% Grenache.

We just received our current release of Force Majeure 'GSM' blend, Parata, that we tasted and acquired during our recent Force Majeure Vineyards and new winery facility site visit and tasting, and were eager to open it and compare but didn't get that far in our consumption. We will look forward to a comparison tasting in the future as we hold several bottles of each.

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/

We continued in our flight to a bigger, heavier, more concentrated Rhone varietal blend from Paso Robles L'Aventura that Ryan brought from his cellar.

L'Aventure Côte-à-Côte Estate Paso Robles 2011

Ryan brought this Rhone Red bruiser vintage 2011 providing a mini-horizontal tasting aside the Force Majeure.

Another GSM blend, very similar in style and taste but bigger and more concentrated with a whopping 15.8% alcohol content. Amazingly approachable considering the high alcohol content.

This is the handiwork of legendary winemaker Stephan Asseo who has been making wine since 1982. After graduating from L'Ecole Oenologique de Macon, in Burgundy, France, he started his wine career when he established Domaine de Courteillac in Bordeaux, then later purchased Chateau Fleur Cardinal and Chateau Robin in the Cotes de Castillion, Bordeaux. Over the next 15 years he honed his winemaking skills there.

In 1996 he embarked on a year long global search of the world's great wine regions for a great terroir when he "fell in love" with the unique terroir of Paso Robles in Central California in the rolling hills  of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range. There, Stephan began his adventure, "L'Aventure".
 
Bright garnet colored, full bodied, rich, concentrated, firmly structured, complex but nicely balanced and integrated forward fruits of ripe blackberry and red berry fruits accented by menthol, bacon fat, tones of black olive, anise and herbs with firm but well behaved silky tannins on the long finish.

RM 93 points.

This is a blend of 40% Syrah, 38% Mourvedre and 22% Grenache, similar to above but more Syrah and less Grenache.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1578540

http://www.aventurewine.com/

Later after dinner, watching a movie, we opened this big Syrah Blend from Washington State that we discovered and acquired during our Seattle Culinary and Woodinville (Washington) Wine Tour 2018. 

Long Shadows Wineries Sequel Syrah 2015

As chronicled in my recent blogpost on the Long Shadows Vintner's Collection, this is part of the portfolio of premium wines produced by legendary winemakers from around the world who are masters for their artwork with specific varietal wines.  

This Sequel Syrah is crafted by legendary Syrah winemaker John Duval, known for the leading Syrah label from Australia, Penfold's Grange. We hold a OWC (original wood case) of the 1990 Penfold's Grange, commemorating Alec's birth year. That label was Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year for the year 1993. 

Dark inky purple colored, rich, thick concentrated ripe black berry and black raspberry fruits, black pepper, smoked meat, notes of vanilla and caramel. 

RM 93 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2777751

https://www.longshadows.com/

This could likely improve with some further aging as it could benefit from some time to settle and should improve with a couple more years to achieve more balance and harmony as it reaches the apex of its drinking window, which clearly will be another decade or more. With our deep cellar, we'd normally hold a bottle like this for a while before consuming but we tried it now since it is available still at Binny's, our local wine super store so we can go get some more to replace this bottle and stock up some more, (even though we're in the highest level of the Long Shadows wine club and will be receiving some in our shipment allocation; but that will be the next 2016 vintage and we'll want to hold the '15, as it is birthyear of two grandkids, Reid and Jessie.). 

Finally, late in the evening we opened this TBA dessert wine. Viv just returned from an extended trip across Europe that include visits to Budapest and Prague in the Danube River Valley. There they visited several wineries. So, I pulled this Kracher dessert wine from the Burgenland wine region in Eastern Austria which I visited back in the early 2000's.

Alois Kracher Chardonnay TrockenBeeren Auslese (TBA) #7 Nouvelle Vague 2001



We hold more than a dozen labels of Kracher wines from this era. Its fun to watch quality dessert wines mature and change color over time, from straw color, to butter, then weak tea, and progressing darker and darker over time. Note this color of tea at seventeen years of age.

At their most desirable (to my taste preference) these wines are rich, thick, unctuous, and voluptuous with apricot marmalade, mango, toffee/brown sugar, and caramel notes. This may have been there at some point and perhaps passed that stage of its aging profile. If so, then it is time to drink although it will no doubt continue to age gracefully for several more years. But the rich, sweet apricot fruits nectar was gone and has turned more to a smokey charcoal layer over the fruits which were more subdued. Delightful never-the-less.

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=19086

Rotie Cellars Walla Walla Rhone Style Blend Wines

Rotie Cellars Walla Walla Rhone Style Blend Wines

One of the highlights of our Walla Walla Washington Wine Experience 2018 was a visit to Rotie Cellars and discovering their Rhône Style red blend wines. Their mission is to craft traditional Rhône Blends with Washington State fruit. In the words of Sean Boyd owner, winemaker, "this means lower alcohol, less ripe, less oak, balanced, finesse driven, mouth coating wines".

We were hosted at their Walla Walla tasting room in the city centre by Madde Richards (right), head of hospitality and sales who keeps busy overseeing the myriad of details in creating a brand, building distribution and running the marketing operations. Note the Rocks District 'soil' in the picture behind us, and below.

Maddie hails from Dallas and spent time in Chicago before returning West where she enjoys horseback riding and camping with her husband, daughter and their pair of large dogs.

Like many of the Washington State producers, due to the remoteness of the Central Washington and Walla Walla regions, Rotie have a tasting room in Seattle. They also have a tasting room in downtown Walla Walla which is coming of its own as a major wine producing area and is becoming a tourist destination accordingly.

In the Walla Walla AVA, in the southeastern corner of the state, the number of wine producers has grown to over 150 and the total vineyard acreage has grown from 800 acres in 1999, to 1,300 in 2011 and nearly 3,000 in 2017. 

We knew going in that Washington State was producing some world class wines sourced from local fruit in both Rhône and Bordeaux varietals and styles. Rotie epitomizes classic Rhône wines in the styles of both the northern and southern Rhône wine regions. 

The Rhône is one of the major rivers of Europe flowing from the Swiss Alps to Geneva, then forming the border between Switzerland and France, running west to Lyon in the center of France, then flowing south through Avignon in the Southern Rhone wine region, emptying into the Mediterranean west of Marseille. 

The northern Rhône river valley experiences a mid-European climate with harsh winters but warm summers. The southern Rhône region has a more Mediterranean climate with milder winters and hot summers. A geologic feature of the region is the large pebble gravelly soil which absorb the heat of the sun during the day and serves to keep the vines warm at night.

Rocky soil at Chateau Beaucastel in Chateauneuf du Pape

Before this trip, I did not realize or appreciate how similar the area is to the classic wine appellations of the Rhône. The terroir soil composition in the Rocks District of Milton Freewater, the newest appellation in Washington State that straddles both sides of the Washington Oregon border, is amazingly like that in the Southern Rhône appellation of Chateauneuf du Pape (right).

The name Rotie conjures images of the Northern Rhone wine district Côte-Rôtie where the vineyards are comprised of the steep slopes facing the river with rocky soils that form stone walls.

Rotie sources grapes from the well known prime appellations' sites with distinctive terroir across the state. Starting with the 2015 vintage, their Northern Blend is 100% Rocks District fruit from their 18 acre Estate vineyards - with 7.5 acres coming on line in Grenache, another 7.5 in Syrah, and a half acre in Viognier. The Rocks District of Milton Freewater is the country’s newest AVA. Wine Spectator calls the AVA “perhaps America’s most distinctive example of terroir." 

Rotie are building a winery with a tasting room at the Rock's District estate location. The unique riverbed of cobblestones and pebbles is as much as two hundred feet deep, formed 12,000 to 15,000 years ago from massive floods that swept through the region caused by ruptures in the ice dam that held Montana's glacial Lake Missoula. The Rocks District is a 12-square mile alluvial fan of 3,770 acres. 

Rotie Cellars is the vision, handiwork and artcraft of owner winemaker Sean Boyd. He started his career in oil and gas exploration utilizing his degree in geology. He pursued his passion for wine working from the bottom up learning the craft and business first at Waters Winery in 2004, and eventually stepping out on his own in 2007.

Sean's academic studies and early work in geology prepared him well to produce authentic wines using natural techniques and methods to reflect the terroir or sense of place that results from the vineyard sites where the grapes are grown. He believes great wine happens mostly in the vineyard, and that his main job is to stay out of nature’s way. The result is Rotie wines that reflect the style that Sean loves to drink — French-style Rhône blends. 

The wines:

The Spring and Summer Releases ....

Rotie Cellars Rose' 2016

This is 100% Mourvedre from the Painted Hills Wine District

Rotie Cellars Southern Rhone White 2017 

This is a blend of 65% Viognier, 18% Rousanne and 17% Marsanne. 800 cases are produced. 

This is straw colored and light medium bodied, it opens with pineapple accented by citrus fruits turning to hints of apricot and honeysuckle and finishing with notes of peach with a nice bright crisp acid finish. This has received 93 points by Wine Advocate. 

Rotie Cellars Southern Rhone Blend 2016

This is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah. Fruit for this is sourced from Alder Ridge. 

Garnet colored with medium body, it resembles the highlights of a Southern Rhone from Gigondas or Vacqueyras (lesser appellations to the better known Chateauneuf-du-Pape - known for Grenache based wines) with accents of white pepper on the black currant, black berry and raspberry fruits.

The 2015 of the label was awarded 94 points by Wine Advocate.

Rotie Cellars Northern Rhone Blend 2016

This is a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier.

Sourced from 100% Estate fruit from Rotie's Rocks District estate vineyard. This is a big full bodied fruit forward wine with structure by nicely polished aromatic dark fruits accented by notes of olive tapenade and bacon fat  

This 2015 label was awarded 95 points by Wine Advocate. 

The Fall release wines ...

Rotie Cellars 'Little G' Grenache 2016

This is a Grenache sourced from the Mary Hill Winery Rock Quarry land in the Columbia Gorge in western Oregon. 

This is smooth and polished - a Grenache wine discovery for folks not familiar with the varietal. Garnet colored medium bodied with bright vibrant raspberry and currant fruits accented by tobacco leaf and black tea notes.

Rotie Cellars  Hommage Red Blend 2015

 

Like the Southern Rhone Blend, this is a blend of select fruit - 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah.

This is dark inky blackish garnet colored, full bodied,  structured but nicely balanced black berry accented by blue fruits with tones of anise and dark mocha chocolate. 

Rotie Cellars DRE 2016

This is 100% Mourvedre. I've never experienced or appreciated what Mourvedre is capable of or how it contributes to the blend in the CDP (Chateauneuf du Papes). This is remarkable and a case study in this varietal. What a discovery! Is this to CDP what Petit Verdot is to Bordeaux?

Dark, full bodied, structured and muscular with black berry and boysenbarry fruits on layers of tobacco, spice box and white pepper on a long lingering tongue coating finish. 

Several of these wines are allocated and available or preferenced to Club Members. In Chicago, we've sourced these wines from Vin Chicago. With limited production and increasing notoriety for Washington State, Walla Walla, and the Rocks District - get on the bandwagon and the Club to source these wines while they are available. And acquire and store these for future enjoyment, and before the prices escalate as they become more well known and more in demand.

NOTE that Rotie are offering LIFETIME price protection on allocated Club wines at the price in effect when joining, and $25 flat rate shipping in the 48 States, as well as complimentary tastings. 

We look forward to further explorations in Rotie wines. Watch for them, and pick them up while you can.


https://www.rotiecellars.com/

Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Granières de la Nerthe 2013

Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Granières de la Nerthe 2013

This Les Granières de La Nerthe is the “second” wine of Château La Nerthe, made from younger vines from the Estate. This is a Rhone style blend in the following proportions:  45% Grenache, 24% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre, 8% Cinsault, and the balance of 5% from “others”. While these are the typical primary varietals of a CDP, it should be noted that the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation rules allow for up to thirteen specified varietals to be included in the blend. Their second label is aged for a shorter period of just 6 months in a combination of cement vats and larger oak foudre that results in a more fruit forward style of Châteauneuf.

I note that I visited the historic Château La Nerthe (right) during my Châteauneuf-du-Pape tour back in 1998, so I follow and collect this producer's wine. Château La Nerthe have been producing wines at the Estate since 1560. The label seemed to disappear from our market for a couple years so I was happy to see it reappear on the shelves at Binny's, our local wine merchant. 

That said, their premier label Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Cadettes is now at a new price point at $125 per bottle, significantly higher than what I would consider to be comparable benchmark wines such as Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape or Chateau Vieux Telegraph. I should note it was reduced to a sale price to be more comparable to those other labels. I purchased some at the lower price. At less than half the price however, Les Granières de La Nerthe does offer CDP at a more affordable QPR (quality price ratio). These are two other Estates that I visited during this trip that I also collect for our cellar. Interestingly, the 2015 Beaucastel contains all thirteen of the CDP grape varietals.

While I was delighted to discover this second label of La Nerthe in our market, I admit I was a bit disappointed by it, perhaps due to my lofty expectations, or hopes. I was excited to try this so I bought some and made a point to pick up some BBQ brisket on the way home to try the combination. Perhaps, or apparently, my expectations were unrealistic, comparing it to the flagship first label.

Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Granières de la Nerthe 2013

This was garnet colored with a slight brownish hue, not due to deterioration, somewhat opaque, medium bodied, lighter than I expected. The flavor profile is what Wine Spectator aptly referred to as "racy red currant and raspberry coulis flavors, enhanced by twinges of blood orange, tea and singed sandalwood". 

WS gave it 90 points. I give it 88 points due the lighter body, more subdued fruits, and narrow flavor profile. I believe this might also be due to the higher percentage of Grenache in the blend over the more fruit forward Syrah which we tend to favor. I'll try it again tonight after opening and settling and see if there is affect.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2494536

http://www.chateaulanerthe.fr/

Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas La Louisiane

Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas La Louisiane Red Rhone Blend 2006

I opened this Rhone Blend to taste with spaghetti and Italian Sausage left over from our recent dinner at Angeli's Italian, our favorite neighborhood trattoria,  while watching the nauseating 2016 national election coverage on election night TV. Regardless of the outcome, the whole situation is pretty depressing.

As a holder of a highest level national security clearance, it is frightening, bewildering and in fact, inconceivable, that one of the candidates, with her track record and overt behavior, is yet viable and is not considered unsuitable for office, let alone under indictment. Politics aside, this subdued, dark wine seems appropriate for the somber occasion.

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium - full bodied, floral aroma, somewhat subdued black fruits are overtaken by earth and creosote with a tangy spicy black fruit on the lingering finish.

This wine opened with an awkward flabby disjointed flavor but eventually settled down to a level of stability.

RM 86 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=476540

Thanksgiving feast features diverse Pinot vs Rhone Wine Approach

Thanksgiving feast features diverse Pinot vs Rhone Approach to Wine Pairing

Thanksgiving dinner was held at son Ryan's and Michelle's for a gala family gathering of seventeen. Ryan and I both sourced some special wines for the event, taking two divergent approaches to accompany the dinner feast. Ryan served two Rhone wines while I brought two California Pinot Noirs. Both were ideal accompaniments to the delicious festive turkey, yams, mashed potatoes, dressing and gravy.

From the Northern Rhone, Ryan served Guigal Saint Joseph, and from the Southern Rhone, he served a Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape. From California I brought a Calera Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir and a Ninety Plus Cellars Sonoma Pinot Noir.

Rhone Valley Syrah

I admit we've missed out on Northern Rhone Syrahs which is tragic given our fondness for Syrah/Shiraz, and considering how much we collect and drink this varietal. We do hold a collection of (Southern Rhone) Chateauneuf-du-Papes which include Syrah in the blend, but our focus has been primarily on Australian Syrah/Shiraz with an occasional Californian and once in a while, one from Washington State.

Son Ryan has discovered Northern Rhone labels and has been preaching their virtues and brought them to our attention. These are the original old world Syrahs, after all, and deserve attention of fans of the varietal.

Readers of this blog might recall our visit to the legendary Napa Valley Syrah producer Lagier-Meredith, where Carol Meredith is a plant geneticist. I asked her about the relationship between the Shiraz and Syrah varietals from the Rhone Valley, California and Australia. She indicated that at the end of the day, they're all related and essentially from the same lineage. So differences in labels from the various regions should be attributed generally to terrior, the distinct sense of 'place' from where the grapes are sourced - soil, climate, exposure, etc.

Tonight's Rhone experience showed two remarkable Syrahs or Syrah inclusive blends.

Guigal Saint Joseph Rhone 2009

Of course, knowledgeable wine folks know that old world producers (Italy, France, Germany) name or label their wines after the appellation or place where the grapes in the wine are sourced - Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Burgundy, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, and leave it to the consumer to know what grapes are associated with that growing area. New world producers, on the other hand, name or label their wines after the grape or varietal in the bottle - Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah, etc., as well as the locale from where the grapes are sourced. One might argue that this may be due to the fact that New World wine consumers are less knowledgeable, but it could also be argued that there is less correlation between regions and the varietals grown there - such as Sonoma Cabernet (a Bordeaux varietal) as well as Pinot Noir (a Burgundy varietal).

Guigal Saint Joseph Rhone 2009

While not as complex in the blend as a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which features Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, (hence the moniker 'GSM' given to some of this blend when from other regions), perhaps Cinsault, and may include several other varietals, this single varietal Syrah based wine still showed notable depth and complexity. This Northern Rhone label provides high QPR (quality to price ratio), especially compared to the CDP's and some of the named label Northern Rhones.

This was dark garnet and purple colored, medium full bodied, aromas and flavors of full, forward ripe black berry and black cherry fruits accented by a layer of cracked pepper, herbs, and tones of smoked meat, hints of creosote and smoke, with medium acidity, gripping but approachable tannins. 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1262699


Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 2009

A visit to this legendary producer was one of the highlights of our trip to Chateauneuf-du-Pape a few years ago.

This was one of the most expressive, vibrant yet balanced and polished Vieux-Telegraphs, or CDP's for that matter, that I recall having in a long time.

Bright garnet colored, medium-full bodied, lively, rich, concentrated, forward red berry fruits predominate, accented by some dark berry flavors with a pleasant flavorful punctuation of tones of white pepper and hints of clove on a long elegant complex but smooth polished finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1023306


Fitting the occasion of son Ryan hosting the holiday, I brought a Ryan Vineyard Calera Mt Harlan Pinot Noir along with a Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 125 Monterey County Pinot Noir for a comparison tasting.

Calera are one of the original Pinot Noir varietal producers in California dating back to the '70's. Their founding and ascent are featured in the entertaining and educational classic wine book "The Heart Break Grape", about the challenges of finding and developing a suitable site for the finicky Pinot Nor grape in the untested California wine regions. Calera, known for vineyard designated Pinots released the Ryan Vineyard label in the last decade with the 2004 vintage release.


Pinot Noir makes up a fraction of our cellar collection as I am not a big fan or collector of Pinot Noir, but we do keep a couple labels for suitable drinking to fit the cuisine and occasion. Hence, I tend to be less discriminating and palate trained in Pinot than I am the Bordeaux varietals, which I favor. Knowing Ryan was opening Rhone wines, I selected and brought Pinot Noir, also suited to traditional Thanksgiving fare cuisine.

Perhaps it is my lack of Pinot discernment that I found a $46 to be almost comparable to one costing less than half the price, however, as I've written often, Ninety-Plus Cellars and the negociant practice often feature quality releases at a fraction of their comparable value due to their sourcing of overstock or excessive inventory from acclaimed producers. Such producers' branding is maintained by their anonymity as they are indicated by their "Lot' designation.

Hence this comparison tasting between these two Pinots.

Calera Ryan Vineyard Mt Harlan Pinot Noir 2011

Translucent ruby red colored, medium light bodied, scent of dusty rose, cherry and raspberry fruit flavors with a hint of cola and spice turning to tones of mushroom and smoke with fine grained delicate tannins on the moderate lingering finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1774888

 

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 125 Monterey County Pinot Noir 2013

Similar characteristics to the Calera, albeit slightly less complex and less polished. While the Monterey County source for the fruit is unknown, it could come from the area close to or similiar to the Hollister Mt Harlan site of Calera. This provides good QPR (quality price ratio) with similarity to the Calera at a fraction of the price.

Garnet colored, medium light bodied, aromas and flavors of red raspberries and black cherry give way to tones of tangy clove spice and hint of cinnamon on the clinging tannin finish. 

RM 87 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2163001

Baked Brie Tranche Slice of Pape Blanc Columbia Valley White Blend 2010

Baked Brie highlights Tranche Cellars 'Slice of Pape Blanc' Columbia Valley White Blend 2010

One of the highlights of our recent gala French cuisine wine dinner at Hemingway's Bistro in Oak Park was their decadent baked brie cheese with honey and toasted almonds. So, for a casual midweek tasting of an interesting white wine, Linda crafted her own rendition of this preparation - Baked Brie in crescent wrap with mixed berries, honey and toasted almonds (shown below).

 

The delicious crescent rolls with baked brie, mixed berries with honey and toasted almonds were ideally suited to a moderately complex Rhone style white blend.  

To accompany this decadent treat, we tasted this interesting, odd named proprietary white blend from the producer Corliss, otherwise known for Cabernet Sauvignon.  Wine Advocate says "Tranche Cellars consistently delivers serious, impeccably made wines that over-deliver". 

This label, "Slice of Pape Blanc" is a blend that would characteristically be found in Chateauneuf du Pape Blancs, white blends from the southern Rhone River Valley known mostly for big reds. 

This is a blend of 59% Roussanne and 41% Viognier aged in 100% neutral French oak. 

The complexity and depth of the wine was a perfect compliment to the symphony of flavors of the brie, crescent, berry, honey and almonds.  


Tranche Cellars 'Slice of Pape Blanc' Columbia Valley White Blend 2010

Straw colored medium bodied with a silky texture, this opened to rich, crisp, bright vibrant tones of lemon citrus with accents of peaches, hints of apricot, floral and just the right amount of acidity.

RM 91 points. Wine Advocate gave it 92

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1611401

http://tranchecellars.com/

Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas Southern Rhone River Valley Blend - 1999 - Syrah from the New World and Old

Domaine du Pesquier Southern Rhone River Valley Gigondas 1999 - Syrah - new world and old

We discovered Gigondas ((jhee-gon-dahs) during our visit to the Southern Rhone River Valley region in 1998. Gigondas produces red wine grapes, the most predominant being Grenache and best known being Syrah along with the lesser known Rhone varietals Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Carignane. Grenache is the main grape, making up to (but not to exceed) 80% of the wine, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault make up the remainder, although some other Cote-du-Rhone varietals may be found in small amounts. A small amount of dry spicy Rosé is produced but not seen much in the export market.

Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas regularly receives high marks from Wine Spectator and other reviewers. The 1999 received the highly acclaimed 'Spectator Selection' (SS) from Wine Spectator upon release and review. At a release price of $20 this represented high QPR - (Quality to Price ratio) and great value for such a rating and distinction. 

As Wine Spectator gave this a 'SS' and a Rating of 94 I'll refer to their review. "Rich and ripe, a lovely and seductive Rhône red. Packed with wild herb, plum and blackberry complexity, it caresses the palate with its rich fruit and silky tannins. Full-bodied, with mineral, slight smoke, leather and game character on the finish." 

Ten years later, here is my review of this wine now. "Starting to show its age - a slight brownish grey tinge on the dark garnet color - leather, game, smoke,  and layers of herb and anise and a hint of earthy cedar taking over from the berry, black cherry and spice. - RM 88 points.  

Earlier Reviews - " RM Review - A bit awkward - bright berry, black cherry, subtle leather, pepper and herb."

"Intense chewy peppery blackberry and layer of anise." 

Gigondas is the appellation above and adjacent to the more famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the southern Rhone River valley wine region in southeast France. Gigondas is situated under the rugged, rocky range of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The vineyards of Gigondas are planted on hillsides at the foot of Mont Ventoux, directly north-east of the town of Orange. Venture up to the top of the mountain to the very picturesque village of Segurat overlooking the valley below. The region, once a Cotes-du-Rhone village, gained its own appellation in 1971.

Picturesque Le Ville Segurat overlooking the Gigondas
and Vacqueyras Appellations of the Southern Rhone

We toured Gigondas during our visit to the region in 1998. Gigondas produces red wine grapes, the most popular and best known being Syrah along with the lesser known Rhone varietals Mourvedre, Grenache, and Carignane. Grenache is the main grape, making up to (but not to exceed) 80% of the wine, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault make up the remainder, although some other Cote-du-Rhone varietals may be found in small amounts. A small amount of dry spicy Rosé is produced but not seen much in the export market.

Our hotel - Chateau Fine Roches Hotel and Winery
in Chateauneuf-du-Pape - a magnificent rustic
Chateau and starting off point.

Poor man's Chateauneuf-du-Pape? Gigondas wines tend to offer great values compared to the pricier higher profile Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CDP) wines which are more complex and sophisticated in that they are comprised of a blend of up to twelve different varietals authorized in that appellation.

Gigondas tend to be less polished, less complex and less ageworthy than CDP's as they tend to be big, bold and robust, fruit filled, forward spicy, leathery rustic edgy flavored wines that are not for the feint of heart. Gigondas' top quality reds sometimes rival its southwest neighbor, Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Top Gigondas wines will age for up to 10 or 15 years, although they are able to be enjoyed young if you like robust wines. They will benefit from at least three years of cellaring. Many Gigondas are predominantly Grenache which is not recommended for extended aging. Some other popular Gigondas producers commonly found in the US are Chateau Saint Cosme, Guigal, Perrin et Fils, Raspail Ay, Montirius and Domaine des Espiers.

Visiting Domaine De Longue Toque
in Gigondas

Perhaps the best known and most popular varietal from the Southern Rhone Valley wines is Syrah which has become immensely popular in Australia where they produce big, bright, bold full flavored  fruit forward wines. Note Syrah is also known down under as Shiraz. We also now find Syrah being produced in limited quantities in California, mostly in Paso Robles area and some in appellations in northern California, including Napa Valley.

Lagier-Meredith Napa Valley
Mt Veeder Syrah is produced in
the Rhone Style

Stephen Lagier and Carole Meredith produce their Lagier-Meredith label Syrah based Rhone style wines from their mountain top estate high above Yountville on Mt Veeder in Napa Valley. As we are such huge fans of Syrah and Shiraz, I always wondered about the differences in the various Syrah/Shiraz varietals from the old world (France) and the new world (Australia and the US). I found the answer during our visit to Lagier-Meredith Vineyards in Napa Valley during our Mt Veeder tour this spring.

Stephen Lagier and
Carole Meredith

Carole Meredith was a professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis where she conducted research in grape genetics. Her research group used DNA typing methods to discover the origins of some of the greatest old wine varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and Syrah. Carol Meredith is a geneticist and has studied and specializes in the Syrah varietal. She attests the Syrahs from Australia and Napa are the same as their ancestors from the old world Rhone River valley where they have been grown since the 16th Century. Lagier-Meredith produce Syrah varietal wines that are true to their heritage as they strive to produce wines in the traditional Rhone style.

Domaine du Pesquier is operated by  3^th and 4^th generation at the domain owners Guy and his son Mathieu Boutière who has an education (BTS) from wine schools. The bottling at the domain started in 1969 and includes today 2/3 of the production. The domain covers 23 ha. of vineyards. 16 ha is Gigondas, the rest is Vacqueyras (1 ha.), Cotes du Rhone (1,2 ha) and Vin du Pays de Vaucluse (5 ha.). They produce wines in Gigondas, Vacqueryas, Cotes due Rhone and VDP.

Domaine du Pesquier Wines:

Gigondas - 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre.
Aged in foudres for 12-18 months.

Vacqueyras - 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah. 80% is aged in foudres for 12-18 months.

Cotes du Rhone - 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 10% Carignan/Cinsault.

VDP - 45% Syrah, 45% Merlot and 10% Grenache.

 

If you travel to Gigondas and wish to visit
Domaine du Pesquier:

Address: Le Pesquier 84190 Gigondas
Tel. 490 65 86 16
Direct sale: Monday - Saturday 9.00-12.00 and 14.00-19.00
Email: domainedupesquier@free.fr