Friday, October 26, 2018

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/

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting

Force Majeure Vineyards Site Visit and Tasting

One of the inspirations for and objectives of our Walla Walla Wine Experience 2018 was to visit Force Majeure vineyards. We first met Force Majeure winemaker Todd Alexander and marketing, distribution and branding exec Carrie Alexander during the Chicago stop of their promotion tour in 2016 when we hosted them at Italian Village in Chicago. Since then we've acquired a respectable collection of Force Majeure wines, hence, they were one of our shortlist priority visits when we planned our Washington State, Columbia Valley wine trip.

Force Majeure Carrie Alexander and Linda
Following our Woodinville (Washington) tasting experience where we tasted several fabulous  Red Mountain AVA wines, we were targeting there for our first Washington State wine appellation visit. Carrie convinced us to visit Walla Walla and we followed her guidance and were amply rewarded as it was a spectacular wine travel experience. Our Walla Walla AVA visit provided the opportunity to visit a vibrant wine region, meet some legendary winemakers on the Washington wine scene, and still experience the best of Red Mountain appellation wines as well!

Force Majeure have vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA where they grow Rhone varietals on the upper slopes and Bordeaux varietals on the lower blocks of the site. According to Carrie, the varietal blocks are based on the selection and matching of the grape varieties to the appropriate soil composition in the eight different soil types on the site.

The Red Mountain site was the very first vineyard on the steep, rocky upper slopes of Red Mountain. Developing the Red Mountain estate vineyards involved carefully matching varietal and clonal selections and vineyard trellising and irrigation to the eight distinct soil types in the vineyard.

The site was formed by the ancient Missoula floods, winds and volcanic activity resulting in many small “micro-blocks,” each uniquely suited to specific grape varietals. The rocky upper-slope with shallow soil is well suited to the cultivation of Rhone varietals such as Syrah and Grenache, while the lower blocks of the vineyard are comprised of deep, well-drained Warden soils, where Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc excel.

Force Majeure recently acquired a small vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. The site is within the boundaries of the The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA, just across the Oregon side of state line border. The portion of the vineyard outside The Rocks District is within the borders of the Walla Walla Valley AVA.
The Rocks District is named for the rocky deposits left by the Walla Walla River where the river exits the foothills of the Blue Mountains and enters the Walla Walla Valley. It resembles the gravelly soil of the Southern Rhone River Valley in Chateauneuf du Pape. The Rocks District of Milton Freewater is the country’s newest AVA. Wine Spectator calls this AVA “perhaps America’s most distinctive example of terroir."

The unique riverbed of cobblestones and pebbles is as much as two hundred feet deep, formed 12,000 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.

Force Majeure are building a new winery and tasting room facility in an old historic renovated rural schoolhouse and an adjacent wine-making production facility on the Estate site. They are scheduled to be open and operational next year.

Force Majeure also source grapes from select blocks of a thirteen acre vineyard of SJR Vineyards (left) just down the road which are owned by Delmas Vineyards and managed by Brooke Delmas Robertson.

The SJR Vineyard is located on the corner of Lower Dry Creek and County Road in Milton-Freewater, at the SW corner of ‘The Rocks District’. The site is planted in Rhone varietals Syrah and Grenache.

After touring the vineyards and winery site we dined at Brasserie Four French Bistro in downtown Walla Walla where we tasted a flight of Force Majeure wines.

Force Majeure Estate Red Mountain Syrah 2015

This is 100% Syrah sourced from the steep rocky sections of the top of the Red Mountain hillside vineyard.

Dark garnet colored, full-bodied, rich concentrated black berry fruits, hints of blue fruits, accented with layers of smokiness, minerality and tones of anise, black tea, black olive tapenade and hints of smokey meats, with bright lively acidity and cloying but approachable tannins on the tangy lingering finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2659540


Force Majeure Parvata Red Blend 2016

Parvata is a blend of 69% Mourvèdre, 21% Syrah and 10% Grenache, 100% sourced from the Force Majeure Red Mountain Estate vineyard.

Parvata means “mountain” in sanskrit, and hence is the name for Force Majeure's southern Rhône style blend, grown in the sandy, loamy soils of the lower section of the Red Mountain vineyard.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, this is black fruits accented by white pepper and tones of dried herbs with bright lively acidity.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2968905


Force Majeure Estate Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex but smooth and polished with bright lively forward blackberry fruits accented by notes of anise, hints of dark mocha, spice and subtle tones of pain grille' and soft spicy oak with silky smooth tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 93 points. 

This is a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot,1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3006827



Later we dined at the brand new just opened Walla Walla Steak Company Depot Restaurant where we enjoyed Force Majeure Épinette Red Mountain Bordeaux Blend.



Force Majeure Épinette Red Mountain Red Blend 2014

Épinette is Force Majeure's Right-bank Bordeaux-inspired blend, and was named after an avenue in Libourne that leads to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the home of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Épinette is also the name of a musical instrument akin to a piano, as well as a word for pine tree, which is a fitting nod to the locale's in Washington state.

Épinette is a Bordeaux blend in the 'Right Bank' style meaning it is primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

The blend for this 2014 vintage was 58%  Merlot,  22%  Cabernet Franc 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remaining 5% Petit Verdot.

The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in the lower areas of the Red Mountain vineyard with its  deep, well-drained soils. The wine was aged for approximately 22 months in mostly new French oak.

The Force Majeure Épinette was the perfect complement to our aged prime steak dinner, perfectly prepared 'Pittsburgh' style, served with mashed potatoes.



Silky tannin' 'Legs' of Force Majeure Epinette
Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, bright vibrant forward black berry, ripe black raspberry and black current fruits with notes of cigar box, mocha chocolate, hints of leather, anise, graphite and spicy oak with gripping but approachable silky tannins on the lingering finish.

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2762573

https://forcemajeurevineyards.com/

http://wwsteakco.com/

http://brasseriefour.com/ 

The Force Majeure Rhone wines were perfect complements to the Provencale bistro foods of Brasserie Four.
Brasserie Four Authentic French Bistro in Walla Walla

The Rillettes porc et de Canard, 'Pork shoulder & duck breast preserved in lard with Juniper berry & sage', was authentic and very interesting, crying for and ideal for with a sophisticated wine accompaniment such as the Parvatta GSM.

I had the very unique lunch entree selection, 'Vermont duck breast burger, Hudson Valley foie gras on a Kaiser roll, served with fries'. This was exotic and obscenely rich, an interesting culinary experience, not for the feint of heart. The Foie Gras accompaniment was fabulous and ideally suited for the big Syrah and the more complex and polished Cabernet.








Monday, October 15, 2018

Pour Boys Serve Volpolicella Lugana MasterClass and Industry Tasting

Pour Boys Serve Volpolicella Lugana MasterClass and Industry Tasting

For the Valpolicella and Lugana Wines Trade & Media Tasting Event in Chicago, the 'Pour Boys' were called in to service to assist in setup and serving. This was extra special as the Consorzios of Valpolicella and Lugana also conducted a Masterclass seminar and tasting in addition to the exclusive trade tasting of these regions’ most exceptional recent vintages. 

The event was orchestrated and hosted by Balzac Communications from Napa, CA, who arrange and manage many industry events. It was held in the magnificent Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Hall, Rotunda, and Annex in the Chicago Cultural Center overlooking Michigan Avenue across from adjacent Grant Park. 

This was a smaller event than the gala Bordeaux events we've served in the past, most notably, the annual UGCB annual release tour (2018). (UGCB 2017), and the Grands Cru Classe St Emilion Producer's Chicago tasting event (2015). Those events featured 130+ and 28 producers respectively. 


While the Volpolicella Lugana tasting only featured 15 producers and a major distributor, it offered a Sommelier Master Class seminar that was oversubscribed to a full house with a waiting list and was very well received and highly regarded. Almost 300 members of the trade and press were pre-registered for the event.

Valpolicella is the viticultural area or appellation in the province of Verona, Italy, east of Lake Garda. It ranks just after Chianti in total Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) wine production. It is known for red wines typically produced from three grape varieties: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Molinara.

The Valpolicella region is colloquially called the "pearl of Verona". It is a popular rural vacation destination with its classic villas surrounded by estates with historic vineyards and wineries.

Valpolicella is best known for its premium wine, Amarone, a strong wine made from dried grapes.

Another most notable wine from the region is Valpolicella Ripasso, a form of Valpolicella Superiore made with partially dried grape skins that have been left over from the Amarone.

The Lugana region is the area to the east around Lake  Garda  and  its  surrounding  area. The “Lugana” Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC) was established in 1967. Lugana DOC  wines are white wines made from the Trebbiana and Turbiana grapes. The Lugana was the first DOC in Lombardy and is one of the oldest in Italy.

The Lugana tasting was hosted by the Consorzio Tutela Lugana. The Consortium is the Lugana trade association that was established for the Safeguarding of Lugana  to supervise, protect and promote the qualities of the denomination and its wine.

The area is also known for Franciacorta, a sparkling wine from the Province of Brescia (Lombardy) with DOCG status produced from grapes grown within the boundaries of the territory of Franciacorta, on the hills located between the southern shore of Lake Iseo and the city of Brescia.

Wine producers represented serving/tasting wines:
  • CA Mailol
  • Cantina Bulgarini
  • Cantine Riondo
  • Domenico Fraccaroli
  • Le Morette
  • Malavasi Daniele
  • Monte Cicogna
  • Pilandro
  • Sartori Di Verona
  • Sgreva
  • Villa San Carlo
  • Zeni 1870


Volpolicella Wine Tasting:
  • Ilatium
  • Novaia
  • Rino Sartori
  • Sanit
  • Vigneti Di Ettore
 Lugana Wine Tasting:
  • Avanzi
  • Borgo La Caccia
  • Ca' Lojera
  • Cadore Patrizia
  • Cantina Di Castelnuovo
  • Cascina Maddelena
  • Casello Bondini
  • Loda Umberto
  • Marangona
  • Montolonale
  • Oselara 
  • Ottella
  • Pasini San Giovanni
  • Perla Del Garda
  • Pratello
  • Rizzi
  • Selva Capuzza
  • Silenzi Di Terra
  • Tenuta Roveglia
  • Turina

www.consorziolugana.it

https://www.consorziolugana.it/lugana-home

Pour Boys - Ernie, Lyle, Rick

Sunday, October 7, 2018

Pour Boys Wine Group Fall 2018 Dinner

Pour Boys Wine Group Fall 2018 Dinner

For the Fall 2018 gala wine dinner of the Pour Boys wine group we hosted and served beef
tenderloin and grilled salmon with scalloped potatoes and roasted vegetables - carrots, brussel sprouts and haricot verts. Before dinner featured the usual broad selection of fresh fruits, artisan cheeses and hor d'ovres. John brought his usual selection of fine rare cheeses including a 21 year old aged cheddar and smoked gouda. Lyle and Terry brought a gorgonzola infused with pickled mushrooms. Eric and Cathy brought shrimp with St Elmo's Steakhouse Tangy Sauce infused with horseradish.

Dr Dan and Linda brought and grilled some lamb and beef sausages along with a Brunello Montalcino and the Chateauneuf. Lyle and Terry brought the Barbaresco and Lyle's classic contribution, a port, tonight Fonseca Vintage 2003.

The wine flight this evening was exceptional as usual, more diverse and tending towards lighter style wines than many of our sessions where big and bold brutes are often the course or theme.

Dearest friends Eric and Cathy brought the Yates Family and Godspeed Mt Veeder Cabs that we discovered together during our Napa Wine Experience Mt Veeder Experience 2011. Two special guest couples attended, Tom and Melissa, and Jorge and Leslie and all contributed some very special wines, the Dominus and Clos des Saint-Denis, and Marcassin and Kongsgaard respectively. John brought his usual imaginative and carefully selected labels - Clos Les Champs, Finger Lakes Riesling and the Ridge Monte Bello. Ernie brought a wonderful vegetable cheese dip and two extraordinary wines - Ornellaia and the Chassagne Montrachet.

For dessert Linda prepared her chocolate mousse with homemade profiteroles, homemade rum cake cupcakes and a selection of artisan chocolates.

The wines:



The white flight:

Clos Lanscomb Champagne 2006
Petit Fleur Williamsburg Winery Virginia Moscato Ottonel and Vidal Blanc 2017
Boundary Breaks Vineyards Finger Lakes Extra Dry Riesling 2016
Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet Les Champgains 1er Grand Cru  2012
Kongsgaard Napa Valley Chardonnay 2012




The Burgundy, Pinot flight, Tom's Joseph Drouhin Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2011 that they acquired at the winery during their trip to Burgundy, and Jorge's Marcassin, Three Sister's Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot 2009.



Italian, French flight:

Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello de Montalcino 1996 
Sori Paittin Barbaresco 2011
Ornellaia 2009
les Secret des Sabon Chateauneuf du Pape 2006


The  Bordeaux varietal flight: 

Yates Family Vineyards Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Godspeed Vineyards Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Ridge Vineyards California Monte Bello 1995
Dominus Napa Valley Red Blend 2000

 

The dessert flight:

Clos du Bourg Vouvray 1989
Doisy-Vedrines Sauterne 2005
Fonseca Vintage Port 2003

Friday, October 5, 2018

Ben Schild Reserve Barossa Valley Shiraz

Ben Schild Reserve Barossa Valley Shiraz

Schild Estate Ben Schild Reserve Barossa Valley Shiraz (Syrah) 2008

Winding down from a grueling week traveling cross country to three cities, we settled in on Friday evening for spaghetti dinner and this hearty big bold wine, Ben Schild Reserve Barossa Valley Shiraz.

There was a reason I picked up a case of this wine upon release and its profile and suitability for this type of drinking was it. While we enjoy big bold concentrated forward fruit, many such Syrahs (aka Shiraz) also have tones of metallic graphite or camphor. While I find this is not my preference, the body weight and big fruit matched with meat, cheese or chocolate is one of my favorite wine tasting experiences.

Consistent with earlier tasting notes. The colour of the Reserve was deep dark Ruby Red and inky purple. Huge aromas of black and blue fruits and violets give way to bright vibrant concentrated tongue coating flavors bursting with blueberry, black raspberry, ripe plum and chocolate, with tones of cedar, camphor, black pepper, spice, a bit of graphite, turning to nicely integrated oak on a long lingering tannin finish.

I would rate this higher were it not for that somewhat obtuse layer of non-fruit graphite, cedar and camphor.
RM 91 points.

As I have written earlier in this bog, when writing about this wine, I feel compelled to digress to talk about the producer and some of his past marketing practices.

This wine is dedicated to the producer patriarch Ben Schild who has been farming the Schild Estate Three Springs property in Rowland Flat Barossa since 1952. Today the property is farmed by second and third generation Schilds. Fruit for this wine is sourced from a single vineyard in the Hills overlooking Lyndoch where the elevated location and cooling winds helped temper the effects of a warm year resulting in earlier ripening thereby avoiding a late season heat wave that afflicted other growers in the Southern Barossa.

The remarkable interesting side note about Schild; this is not the same wine but it is the same producer and vintage as the Schild Barossa Shiraz that after receiving high reviews, 94 points, and placing in Wine Spectator’s Top 10 Wines of the Year in 2010, naturally subsequently quickly sold out. Schild then proceeded to purchase, blend and bottle additional wine from other producers, but still market such under the 'same' label. Extraordinary, unethical, deceptive, conniving, creative, but legal, none-the-less.

(Imagine buying a new Ford but finding out Ford ran low on engines and purchased and provided alternative replacement engines from some other supplier. (See Bait and Switch?; Schild Estate: Questionable Bottling Practices in 2008 Shiraz; What Makes a Wine a Wine?).

Only after being challenged by reporters did the winery affix an extra label to the secondary bottlings identifying them as a second blend.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1386115

http://schildestate.com.au/ben-schild-reserve-shiraz

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Walt Sonoma Coast Grgich Blue Beret Chardonnays

Walt Sonoma Coast, Grgich Blue Beret Chardonnays BYOB for Longboard's Lobster Fest

Passing through Orange County on my west coast roadshow, I stayed with Sister Jan and Bro-in-law Bill in Huntington Beach. We went downtown where they were holding their Tuesday evening festival.

We dined at the legendary Longboard bar where they are featuring Lobster Feast '18 for the fall. We picked up some Chardonnay up the street to take BYOB, Walt Sonoma Coast, and Grgich Blue Beret Napa, 2016's.




The Walt wine brand is from Hall Wines in Napa, named for Kathryn Hall's maiden name and her parents, Bob and Dolores Walt who were dedicated winegrowers. The Walt family produced six different varietals that they sold to several notable wineries.

We tasted a Walt Pinot Noir at the recent Kathryn Hall regional release tour in Chicago. That was a vineyard designated select label from Bob's Ranch vineyard on the Sonoma Coast. While this Chardonnay is designated Sonoma Coast, the rear label cites Bob's Ranch Vineyard as one of the sources for this bottling, a blend from numerous sources from the area.

Hall Vineyards Walt Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2016

The winemaker notes: "Our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay sources from cool climate vineyards located near the influence of coastal breezes within the Sonoma wind gap. Notes of lush tropical fruit and vanilla lead to a palate of stone fruit and citrus, bolstered by lively acidity and underscored by toasty oak."

This was bright lively and full bodied, ideal for pleasurable sipping, and perfect for the lobster fest dinner accompaniment.

RM 90 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2852784

https://www.waltwines.com/ 

Our second wine for the dinner, this was lighter and less complex than the Walt. It might have been fine for the dinner but after drinking the Walt, it was diminished by comparison.

Grgich Hills Estate "Blue Beret" Napa Valley Chardonnay 2016

Miljenko “Mike” Grgich is a legend in the wine world and Napa Valley. He gained international recognition at the celebrated 'Paris Tasting of 1976' known as the Judgement of Paris, the historic blind tasting by a panel of eminent French judges did a comparison tasted of notable French wines opposite selections from upstart California Napa Valley. When their scores were tallied, the French judges were shocked to learn they had chosen the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, crafted by Mike Grgich,  as the finest white wine in the world. The results stunned the international wine establishment and immediately earned Mike a reputation as one of the greatest winemakers in the world. The story chronicled in the book 'Judgement of Paris' and is told in a fantastic pop culture movie 'Bottle Shock'.

Thirty two years later, in 2008, 93 year Mike Grgich was was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame in honor of his many contributions to the wine industry. He hallmark is a sporting blue beret. Hence, this whimsical 'Blue Beret' label designated Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay.

Curiously, I find no reference to this label on the Grgich wines website, nor even on Cellartracker with its five million labels, only several postings from restaurant winelists. Perhaps its too early in its release cycle but wouldn't you think the producer would at least feature it? Its invisible in web postings to date. All I can think is that they consider this their 'generic' Napa Estate Chardonnay, but the Blue Beret is prominently featured on the label in a branding effort, that is clearly falling short in promotion and execution.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2717448

https://www.grgich.com/

Afterwards, we picked up some artisan chocolates and took home to enjoy with an after dinner big red wine.






Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Williamsburg Winery Wessex Hundred Vineyard Wiliamsburg, VA

Williamsburg Winery, Wessex Hundred Vineyards in Williamsburg, VA

Returning from OBX, the Outer Banks, the North Carolina Atlantic barrier islands, we passed through Williamsburg,Virginia and visited Williamsburg Winery, one of the largest wine producers in the State. 

Williamsburg have about 40 acres of vineyards, designated the Wessex Hundred Vineyards, on the 300 acre Estate just outside Williamsburg. 

They also source grapes from numerous vineyards around the state of Virginia, and source some juice from the Central Valley in California. 


Williamsburg produces about two dozen labels, a complete line-up from light whites to full bodied Chardonnay, to a flight of full bodied reds and several dessert and 'specialty' wines. 

On the Estate they grow Bordeaux varietals, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec as well as a selection of white grape varietals; Viognier, Traminette, Alborino, Vidal Blanc and Chardonnay

They are replanting older vines and increasing their vineyard plantings on the expansive property. The Williamsburg Estate vineyards layout and compositions are shown in the image graphic.

Williamsburg has an Estate Winery with tasting room, a Connoisseurs Club VIP center for Wine Club members, and an area for special events.

Also, on the property is the Gabriel Archer Tavern and Restaurant, named for Captain Gabriel Archer who commanded the
Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed ships that landed on the shores of Virginia in In 1607. After exploring several sites along the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, the colonists, fearing pirates and Spanish competition, decided to explore further inland and settled on the site where The Williamsburg Winery now stands.


There is also Cafe Provencal, (left) a fine dining bistro restaurant founded by Wessex Hundred Founder Patrick Duffeler, which brings the style and culture he experienced from extensive travels in the South of France, to showcase the output of Virginia farms, and those in surrounding states, and the fruits of the vines to create a true farm-to-farm dining experience.

The Williamsburg hospitality center has a tasting room that offers two tasting flights, a standard selection of five different wines, and a 'Reserve' flight offering one's choice of seven different wines.

We chose the 'Reserve' flight and selected the five 'big reds' along with one white, their Estate Grown Chardonnay, and one dessert wine, a White Muscato and Vidal Blanc blend.

All in all, the whole experience including the wines exceeded my expectations. This is a serious operation that sets high standards for fine wine and earnestly strives to produce a range from good value, high value QPR entry level every day wines, up to premium priced fine wines.

At the high end, they lack the fruit driven richness and fullness of California or Washington State or French wines, and frankly make the Washington Columbia Valley wines from our recent trip, our Seattle Culinary and Washington Wine Tour,  out there look really good, with great value. Never-the-less, this probably represents the best of Virginia wines, certainly from our limited exposure, and offers a wide range of options from the casual sipper to collector selections.

The servers in the tasting room were knowledgeable and could speak to each wine and its sources, compositions and style.

Our wine tasting flight:

Williamsburg Winery John Arundell American Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Estate wines are those where at least 75% of the grapes in the bottle are grown on the property of the producer. They carry on the label the appellation or AVA, the American Viticultural Area in which the vineyards lie. Wines that are not appellation specific will carry the name of the larger designation region in which the grapes are grown. Wines that are a blend of grapes from a broader region will carry a broader designation accordingly. This is the first wine I have recall ever seeing that designates American as the designation of the source of the grapes. 

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Lodi AVA in the Central Valley of California about seventy miles east of Napa Valley. 

This is a simple easy drinking every day wine, garnet colored but light-medium bodied with black raspberry fruits accented by bright acidity, notes of mocha, earthy floral and hints of vanilla. Its not sophisticated or complex but then it is under $15 thereby a reasonable value QPR wine at this sub-$15 price point. 

RM 87 points.
Williamsburg Winery Barrel Aged Virginia Claret 2016

This is a blend of Bordeaux varietals: 37% Petit Verdot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 31% Cabernet Franc. 

Following the discussion above about specificity of the geography from which the grapes are sourced, this label is designated 'Virginia' Claret. It is a blend of Bordeaux varietals sourced from different sites across the State of Virginia. 

The notation on the promotions for the wine cite it is "Made from a combination of grapes sourced from Wessex Hundred and from our partner growers from around the commonwealth." We're told the Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in northern and central Virginia while  the other varietals, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc are sourced on the Estate.

This is a lighter more opaque ruby colored wine with raspberry, and cherry fruits with notes of black olives, soy, tea and hints of vanilla and  oak with moderate soft tannins on the lingering finish.


Williamsburg Winery, Wessex Hundred Petit Verdot 2016

This is another Bordeaux varietal: 100% Petit Verdot, a vineyard designated label, Estate grown fruit from the property. 

Bordeaux producers use Petit Verdot to add structure and color to their wines and this certainly exhibits those qualities of the varietal. 

This is dark inky blackish purple garnet colored, full bodied, firm structured with bright expressive black berry and black raspberry tones accented by dark coffee, earth and hints of cocoa, cola, leather and fig with whisper of charcoal turning to pronounced cloying but approachable smooth tannins and tones of oak on the lingering finish. 

This could well be WW's best wine, or their best quality value wine. In any event, it is likely the best expression of the terrior or fruits produced on the estate. This was Linda's favorite of the flight of wines. 

Reserve Wine Flight 

Gabriel Archer Reserve Red Blend 2015 
 
This wine is named for the historic Founder of the property, and is only produced in the finest vintages. The Reserve wines represents the signature style of the Williamsburg winemaker. The Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the Crozet vineyards in the center of the state while the rest of the fruit is Estate grown on the property.

This is a blend of traditional Bordeaux varietals: 36% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot and 7% Malbec.

Dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, black berryand black cherry fruits are accented by notes of cassis, mushroom and hint of eucalyptus with earthy leather and herbs turning to hints of oak. 

RM 88 points;  90 points - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (August 2017)

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2762087

Adagio Red Wine Blend 2015

This is the flagship wine of Williamsburg Winery, a blend of Petit Verdot (58%), Merlot (15%), Tannat (15%), and Cabernet Franc (12%). It is packaged in a large heavy oversize bottle with a very large bung, with painted labeling on the front, with a traditional paper label affixed to the rear. It is priced at a premium price-point of $75 per bottle.

This was dark garnet colored, medium full bodied, complex black berry fruits with notes of vegetable, wood and charcoal, tones of dark chocolate mocha and hints of menthol camphor and floral turning to cloying tannins on the lingering finish. 

RM 90 points. 90 + points - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (August 2017).

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2805081
 

Williamsburg Winery Petite Fleur Muscato 2017
  
This is a blend of two white varietals: 56% Muscat Ottonel and 44% Vidal Blanc. The Muscat Ottonel is sourced from partner producer growers in Charlottesville, VA; the Vidal Blanc is sourced from the Wessex Hundred Vineyard on the Estate in Williamsburg, VA. This is another wine designated as a 'Virginia' wine.

This was an interesting, pleasant drinking wine, nicely balanced, straw colored, medium light bodied, white peach flavors with notes of apricot and pear accented by tropical fruits, with notes of vanilla on a nice acidic viscous finish. 

RM 89 points. 90 Point Rating – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3102359

https://www.williamsburgwinery.com/