A New Day, A New Grape

The story: I have had this nagging feeling inside that I am ignoring Italy on this blog. I can rationalize it away saying that I have had too many bad Chiantis and am scared of the prices on some of what Italy has to offer, but it is probably more laziness and miseducation. Luckily this little beauty was forced upon me recently at a dinner with friends. Albana is a white grape, from the Albana di Romagna region (which was made a DOCG somewhat controversially in 1987). The controversy surrounded the general idea that while Albana made some nice and distinct wines, they were possibly of a lower quality than some of Italy's more well known DOCG's. DOCG is Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita, and just represents that the given area uses given varietals under strict guidelines.

The albana grape is made into a variety of styles from dry to sweet, and generally is prized when offering smooth texture, crisp acidity, and a distinct nuttiness. Like many wines of distinct origin the wine is known to pair nicely with the food and cheese of Emilia-Romagna (cured pork products anyone?)

The wine: The Tre Monti 2009 Vigna Rocca Albana Secco is a substantial 14% abv and a quite brilliant deep gold, with hues of orange. The nose is lovely, and expressive with waves of peaches, white flowers, and honey. The wine tastes of caramel, zesty lime spritz, and a dry vanilla. The texture of the wine is surprisingly different with both the taste and mouthfeel of a gravelly minerality, and a long almost prickly stoney finish. There is an essence (not overwhelming) of bitter pithy citrus throughout the mid-palette and into the finish that keeps the wine from crossing into sweet.

The score: This wine was elegant without being verbose, fruity without being a bomb, and generally delicious. It was also quite distinctive (justifying the DOCG? Maybe?). It was a wine that I enjoyed with dinner, and on a hot porch with friends. The albana seemed to gently reprimand my ignorance of Italian wine both in its quality, flavor profiles, and price. Available for ~$14 this wine is one to try. I can't overemphasize the beauty of the color, and the distinctness of the flavors. This wine receives a score of 3.5/5.

Impressions of Washington: Cabernet Sauvignon

Here it is, the last of the series. The summer has wound down, and my Washington focus (inspired wholly by the Wine Blogger's Conference) should probably go down with it. How fully appropriate that the finally entry is on the precariously elevated king of grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon. I say precarious because the importance of Bordeaux and cult-like Napa Cabs ebbs and tides over trending tastes, and economies. These waves may never knock the grape down to second, but certainly bring decades in which one's devotion to pinot noir is considered more refined than a cellar full of cabernet.

Washington can grow cabernet. Examples abound of their success, ubiquitous names like Cayuse, and Quilceda Creek, and the number 1 Wine Spectator wine of 2009 the Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (jumping from $35 to ~$115 due to press alone...) The cabernet sauvignons of Washington tend to have structure beyond belief, and the soils provided by the Missoula floods offer the grapes some amazing terroir driven complexities (think rocky minerality, leather, and tar). The acidity of the grapes, aided by long warm days to ripen the fruit without the exorbitant heat of some other cabernet areas, make these wines ageable and more food friendly than some California cabernets.

I will openly admit that I am not always a 'cab' guy. It is probably due to the outrageous price that cabernet can garner, to be honest. I find more value in equally exciting but less sought varietals, and my blog and cellar probably show it. However, the following examples of Washington cabernet were outstanding, and reminded me why the grape is king:

Pepper Bridge 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley - One of the larger family owned wineries in Walla Walla, Pepper Bridge is also one of the most respected. Focusing on their estate vineyards and primarily Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon this winery is a leader in 'green' farming and winemaking, and in showcasing the fruit of Walla Walla. An exquisite example of dark fruit, and minerals Pepper Bridge cabernet does the grape justice. Available from the winery for $55, (a great place to visit as well)

2006 Col Solare - A collaborative venture between Chateau Ste. Michelle and Italian winemaker Marchesi Antinori, this is the first vintage that was made in their winery on Red Mountain. This was one of the more lush version of cabernet that I tasted in Washington, with loads of berries and a bit of vanilla and chocolate. I was struck at how smooth this wine was, and how long the delicious finish lingered. This wine is available from the winery for $75.

Betz 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille - As I write this I am noticing a Red Mountain bent towards my choice of cabernets, and here is another. This wine combines amazing concentration with an elegance that is almost indescribable. Too young to be drinking now, if you like focused fruit that mingles with earth, and an intensely interesting minerality you will be blown away by this wine. I don't think you can buy it anymore, as it is a direct mailing list wine, but you can sign-up for the waiting list on future vintages here.

DeLille Cellars 2006 Grand Ciel Cabernet Sauvignon - A bit more cedar on this wine than the others, this cabernet also showed an intensity that was awe inspiring. This wine will impress for its berry fruit, and dusty earthiness. I really did love this wine, but have to say that for my money I would not fork over the $135 price tag. However, many cab lovers have come to accept such prices, and does the wine near perfection within the Washington cabernet profile? In my opinion, yes.

So here is where I leave you. I hope you have enjoyed my profiles of some outstanding Washington wine. I particularly hope that you have felt encouraged to keep your eye out for Washington wines available in your area. Many wines highlighted on my trip were small wineries, with limited availability and higher price tags. However, there are some stunning examples of value driven, widely available wines from Washington as well that you can surely find in your area. With their own set of strengths, making it a region unique to itself, Washington wine growers and makers should be proud of what they are doing, and consumers should be excited.

Signs of a Successful Tasting

The remnants of last night's Washington tasting:

Consensus favorites (as much as you can get a consensus from a group of perpetual overthinkers who just finished the pictures above):

Eroica 2008 Riesling - The collaboration between Dr. Loosen and Chateau Ste. Michelle, although the question fairly came up how CSM puts out a nice $8 riesling, and Dr. L puts out a nice $14 riesling, why must this one almost always be $20 plus (with acknowledgement that it is of high quality)

Seven Hills 2007 Columbia Valley Merlot - It was exciting to end up with a delicious example of WA merlot (as there are some lingering merlot skeptics) This one was juicy but had awesome coffee and toffee to help steal the show.

Amavi 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla - With some stiff competition from a less expensive Charles Smith cab and pretty damn fine Owen Roe Sharecropper's cab this estate bottling took the night (and on #cabernet day of all things)

Overall a great night, thanks to the Young Winos who came and enjoyed.

Food and Wine Are Made for Each Other

I'm not generally a fan of posts about pairings (especially when they focus on what wines to pair with some cultural phenomenon a la American Idol contestants). But lately I have had a series of great meals that were intensely enhanced by the wine selection. Since I often taste wines either at a designated tasting, or in a neutral environment for the blog I've been struck by how important the relationship between wine and food is. I'm mentioning below a few food and wine pairings that have made me happy recently, with the hope that you will suggest a few of your own. After all, the whole point of having great wine is to enhance a particular experience (or be an experience on it's own). Here are mine, please share yours in the comments:

- at Local: Mission Eatery in San Francisco I had chicken liver mousse, corn chowder with dungeness crab, and grilled squid with Lioco Indica (carignane, and petite sirah). The restraint in the Lioco made your mouth water for more of the fresh, local flavors of Local.

- at Radhika's Modern Indian Bistro in South Pasadena we ate Chicken Tikka Masala (spicy) with Trimbach Riesling from Alsace. Much to our delight the acid of the wine cut through the heat from the curry and made everyone at the table smile.

- at Urban Tavern in San Francisco, braised beef short ribs and Qupe Central Coast Syrah 2008. Awesome melting richness in the ribs met a earthy, but fruity balance in the syrah that made the whole experience delicious.

What food/wine combinations have you had recently that just made you happy to be enjoying the experience?

Who Doesn't Love a Monastrell from Jumilla?

The story: When you think of 'cult' wines you generally think of big Napa Valley cabernets that come out of the gate at over $100, and while delicious and often impeccably created they are often purchased out of prestige as much as quality. But there also tends to be a whole lesser known market of inexpensive bargain wines that gain a devoted following. I am often less than surprised to discover that one of these wines is from Spain. Spain is consistently turning out delicious wines that are widely available and cost well under $20.

While regions like Rioja and Xerez have strong traditions that dictate how wine is to be grown and made, many lesser know regions of Spain (Campo de Borja, Jumilla, and Yecla for example) have more freedom to experiment, and are producing bold wines that beautifully straddle the Old World and New World stylings. A visit to a wine shop with a nice Spanish section will result in some great finds, at a great price point.

The wine: One such wine is the Juan Gill Monastrell 2007, made by Bodegas Hijos de Juan Gil in Jumilla. Made from 100% monastrell (Iknow you know this, but this is just the Spanish word for mourvèdre) this is a nice ruby red wine, aged in all French oak for 12 months. The nose was a bit tight at first but opened into an addicting bouquet of red raspberries, mint, eucalyptus, hints of cedar, and Asian spices. The wine was medium bodied with plenty of berries, a touch of licorice, and quite a bit of spice through the middle. It rounded itself out beautifully with a bit of cherried minerality, framed by big tannins and nice acidity.

The score: This wine was very good, and at $12-$14 is a wine that teeters on a real bargain. It will drink well for a couple of more years, and deserves a score of 3.5/5.

Unti Vineyards: Natural Wines from Dry Creek

It's Natural Wine Week in San Francisco, and while natural wine may have a slightly blurry definition it should not stop you from seeking out some great natural wines for your drinking this week. I recently became aware of a small winery in Dry Creek Valley that does everything in their power to let Mother Nature do the work in their winemaking, staying away from commercial yeasts, acid enhancement, and fining. They certainly employ control over the fermentation process and keep an eye on extraction but do so with careful consideration in punch down and skin contact rather than through the addition of outside chemicals. They also use blending to correct wines deficiencies and are quite minimalistic in their application of oak.

So what does this produce? In my experience this produced very food friendly, and expressive wines. I thank that many sommeliers must agree because I am seeing their wines on more and more lists throughout the City.

On a recent trip to visit Unti I had the chance to taste through their lineup. Pouring in a fairly non-descript room off of Dry Creek Road, the tasting room is by appointment only (although same day appointments are usually availalble). The tasting room staff was very knowledgeable, laid back, and obviously excited about their company producing all estate wines in the most natural method that they can. A couple of highlights from the tasting include:

The 2009 Rose - 77% mourvedre and 23% grenache winemaker Sebastian Pochon is quite adamant about making this wine from grapes grown specifically for this wine. Many domestic roses are made by draining juice off of the grapes early when they are picked for their regular red wine which can mean the grapes were picked at too high of brix for a perfectly acidic, dry, complex rose. This is a VERY popular bottle of wine, and is nearly sold out after being released for only 2.5 months. Bone dry, and expressively floral and minerally this is a true Provencial style rose.

The 2008 Segromigno - 92% sangiovese with a influencing splash of 8% montepulciano I took one drink of this wine and thought it might be the perfect domestic Italian dinner wine. It has enough of a New World style that it comes across as fruity and playful, is not overwhelmingly complicated, and gets a nice deep kick from the montepulciano. This is a very approachable wine now, and I wouldn't say it is one to cellar, but it is a nice domestic sangiovese for the $24 price tag.

The 2007 Zinfandel seems to be getting a lot of attention lately (media, scores, etc.) It is Unti's most fruit forward of the lineup, and is possibly starting to sit back a bit now. This allows the wine to display its rather intense concentration, but also some great acidity from a splash of Barbera that was added for this very purpose. Tasted after a some stops in Dry Creek Valley for a callibration to the classics zinfandels of the area, this one joins right in and yet maintains the structured stamp of an Unti wine.

I have mentioned the 2005 Syrah Benchlands before, and it continued to be one of my favorites. In general Unti was a great place to be further exposed to those that are trying to make their wines naturally (not that other wine is thusly 'unnatural'). It displayed a sense of elegance, restraint, and true expression of the terroir throughout the lineup. I highly encourage you to seek a couple of these wines out, plan on drinking them with food, and understand what a light touch and thoughtful blending can do.

Tasting British Columbia

The story: I am an ethnocentric American who suffers from the entirely too common perception that British Columbia is basically Seattle with rounder vowels. I know very little about the culture, commerce, agriculture, and politics of our Northern neighbors, and have generally considered it a beautiful extension of the Pacific Northwest. This unfortunately has extended into my wine experience. Despite the pretty vocal contingent of BC wine tweet-ohs, I have remained oblivious.

No longer. As Alanis Morisette and The Barenaked Ladies made their way into my heart in the 90's, I will allow Okanagan Valley to capture my attention and possibly mirror said rock stars ironic appeal. In this case the lack of expectation on what B.C. wine can deliver is entirely due to my ignorance.

The Okanagan Valley is a dry high-dessert valley that stretches north from the Washington State border for over 150 miles. While very far north (duh) the Valley has a number of microclimates that support a large variety of wine styles, and a mind boggling number of varietals. Producing everything from Alsace styled riesling, to fruit forward syrah, quality wine is being made in large quantities in British Columbia.

The wine: The 2008 Cedar Creek Riesling, is a dry example of riesling. It pours a straw yellow and offers a simple but pleasant nose of citrus and a touch of petrol. The mouth is quite tart up front, reminiscent of lemon pith with a briny minerality. The palette spreads out as it washes through ending with hints of pineapple and guava but remaining impecabbly dry, crisp, and focused. The finish is a bit slately and mouthwateringly acidic.

The verdict: This is a nice introduction to a quality BC wine. Going in with the incorrect assumption that all BC wines were going to be cold-climate wines I expected to enjoy this riesling, and while I was wrong about the climate diversity in the Okanagan Valley I was correct about the qualities of the wine. The wine was correct, delicious, and if it lacked anything it was a sense of complexity. The wine paired very well with a spicy Chicken Tikka Masala, and can be scored a 3/5.

The wine retails for $18 CAN.

This wine was received as a media sample.