Report from Pasadena Pinot Fest 2012

Pasadena Pinot Fest 2012 was an interesting event. The space was crowded with beautiful wines, and with way too many persons for the size of the room, and in an unexpected twist I left with a list of winners that diverged far from the pinot-centric focus. I found many of the California pinots to be simply too big, and too ripe. Some may say that is an unfair criticism, but it is balanced with a true love for the pinots that showed balance. I know that it can be argued that California pinot has a right to show itelf differently than pinot from Oregon or Burgundy. It has a right to be powerful, and that is not a flaw. But heat, excessive extraction, and an inability to play nice with food is generally unappealing to me. At least when it comes to Pinot Noir, the wonderful grape whose beauty is best expressed in medium bodied, velvetty tannins, and a balance of earth and fruit flavors. So while you might expect a report from Pasadena Pinot Fest to include a long list of recommended Pinots, you will find here a rather eclectic mix of beautiful wines for your purchasing and sipping pleasure (and yes, there are some Pinots).

Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay 2007 - Arcadian makes some pretty fruit forward wines, but with beautiful oak integration, bright acidity, and very fresh citrus and melon flavors this Chardonnay more than handles itself. It was delicious, it had richness, and yet it maintained a wonderful sense of balance. I often feel as conflicted about California Chardonnay as I do about California Pinot Noir - they are too big for their britches too often, but then you find those that are distinctly Californian and obviously world class. This is smackdab in that category.

Coeur de Terre 2010 Pinot Gris - Not your typical Oregon Pinot Gris, this wine reminded me more of Sauvignon Blanc with its grassy herbal notes and rocky minerality. Very fresh, very different, and a much more pleasant style of Pinot Gris for me, I can clearly recommend this for those who like dry, refreshing, crisp white wines that will show really well on the table. This lone Oregon producer at the Festival also showed how wonderful Willamette Valley Pinot Noir can be with their mushroomy, earthy, cherry-fruited 2009 Estate Pinot Noir. (If typicity is important to you, the PG might frustrate you. Also, relax!)

Palmina Arneis Santa Ynez Valley 2010 - A regular favorite of mine for its rich pear flavors balanced by fresh citrus acidity. I'm not sure why Palmina was pouring at this event, they do not make a Pinot, although it was probably in a nod to Steve Clifton whose other labels make some very well respected Pinots. Either way, this is a wonderfully different Cal-Ital bottle, and one that I thoroughly enjoy every time I drink it. (Bonus points for looking up and reading about Arneis prior to drinking this.)

Sojourn Cellars 2010 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir - Along with his spectacular Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III Cabernet, Sojourn's Erich Bradley was pouring some delicious juice. Unknown to me prior to this festival, this label was my most exciting find. The Sonoma Coast Pinot has a wonderful lushness to it that is so perfectly kept in check by its acidity as to make a glass of Pinot that shines on its own but would also be spectacular with food. These are the styles of California wine that make us stand out, and should therefore be supported!

Clos Pepe Pinot Noir Vertical - Clos Pepe was pouring several years of their Estate Pinot Noir, in an opportunity to really experience the vintage variation. While all were recommended, the 2008 was particularly delicious. The older wines (specifically 2000, and 2002) both had some life left in them, and were well settled into themselves. The acidity may have been more pronounced, the fruit a bit more in the background, but clearly Clos Pepe produces wines that can hold on, and each bottle of wine had its own appeal.

Harmonique Elegance 2006 - Another producer I was not familiar with, Harmonique produces several Pinots out of their Alexander Valley homebase. All of their wines were restrained, and showed off that medium bodied silkiness that I love in a Pinot. The Elegance did this with a real sense of dark cherry fruit, and I can see it being a winner for those who love balanced California Pinot.

There you have it, a few Pinots, a few white wines, and even a Napa Cabernet sneaking into the list of great wines encountered at this year's Pasadena Pinot Fest. I hope it serves as a guide to getting into California Pinot Noir, as well as a glimpse into why you should look to attend this festival next year. Cheers!

PSMIOFF 2.01 - Grenache (Part 2)

A continuation of the report on our Grenache tasting - only this time chock full of some beautiful Grenache Noir for your purchasing and sipping pleasure. No need for a background on what the hell PSMIOFF is (just click back one article) let's dive right into it. Grenache is on the rise - not to say that it hasn't always been a respected grape in Southern France and Northern Spain, it has. But many have had their reservations about the somewhat difficult little bastard. It tends to ripen late, and when it ripens it can ripen quickly causing overly juicy, overly alcoholic, and potentially flabby wines. Much of France has considered it better as a blending grape, an important part of Southern Rhones blends, but equally important to be given a bit more structure and depth with shots of Mourvedre or Syrah. But modern winemaking techniques and careful attention in the vineyard have allowed this varietal to emerge on its own, or at least as a largely primary grape in blends. Witness the boom of single varietal Grenache in California Rhone Ranger bottles, the AOC status of Gigondas, and the hundreds of bottles of Spanish Garnacha.

We discovered that no matter where these wines were coming from they had noses of berry (ranging from strawberry to blackberry), and often a great subtle spiciness. At times there was beautiful earthy elements, or slight and pleasant oak influence. On the other hand we did encounter wines that were too juicy, too jammy, or just downright hot (evident alcohol). Overall however the group was surprised with how delicious, generally affordable, and consistent these Grenaches showed. None of the 11 wines we tasted were bad, and the first 6 are recommended. Here in my order of preference:

1) The Cristia 2010 Gigondas Vieilles Vignes is full of rich red berry, with waves of rose in the nose (its the kind of nose that keeps you going back - and might I add gets you made fun of as a snob since you continuously smell your wine). The palate has nice, easy red fruit with hints of chocolate, Asian spices, and some beautiful earthiness. 75% grenache, supported by Mourvedre, this was my wine of the night both for its amazing value, and refined sensibility.

2) Also on the red fruit aspect, but with a cool splash of tomato leaf, the Barrel 27 Rock & Hard Place 2008 Grenache hails out of Paso Robles. It captures that Paso Robles size, but does it well with interesting ripe strawberry fruit, red licorice, and beautiful spice. Just when you think it pushes towards over the top, it pulls back with a burst of bright acid, and some savory aspects that make it delicious. This wine is absolutely delicious (and only $18)!

3) Back to France, and with a wine that is a bit bigger and more modern than most Cotes du Rhone, the Cercius Cotes du Rhone 2010 is brimming with bright, smooth, and ripe red raspberries, a bit of smokey oak, and a long earthy finish. Again, well south of $20, and again a delicious primarily Grenache wine.

4) An older vintage, and very different (God bless vintage variation) the 2007 Barrel 27 Rock & Hard Place Grenache is riper, with more vanilla oak, but also some beautiful minty herbs. The finish is more strawberry fruit than earth, and this wine is a touch hotter, but again has a nice balancing acidity and a tasty factor that is undeniable.

5) Wow, like a ping pong ball between France and California, next up is the Chateau Pesquie Terrasses Ventoux. This is the fist wine that has a mellow lightness to it, is more earth and spice, with a hint of raspberry fruit. Also rather earthy in its finish this is a great value, and a real wine for the table.

6) Finally to Spain, with a very inexpensive wine that surprised me in its drinkability and pure pleasure. Simply red berries and earth the Bitch 2009 Aragon Grenache is not going to blow your mind. But it is going to make you feel like it was $6 well spent, and is a great introduction to Spanish Garnacha.

7) Jean-Marie Arnoux Vacqueyras 2009 brought a bit of the funk with a mushroom mixed with potpourri nose, and a floral and red fruit palate. This wine dies a rather quick death in the finish, and just didn't bring a whole lot of excitment to the table.

8) The Cass 2009 Grenache was a bit of a disappointment. It was good, it represented the light bodied, almost Pinot like style that Grenache does well, but it was a bit boring. Strawberries and bright acid across its lithe frame made for a pleasant drink, but not a particularly exciting glass of wine.

9) A bit of stank and heat slightly outshone the pretty blueberries that the Xiloca Aragon Grenache offered. These things could have been okay, but the structure just wasn't there to support it.

10) The Bodega de Edgar 2009 Grenache had some nice red fruit, spice, and cinnamon aspects, but it was clouded by its intense alcohol heat. This wine was just too much for the back of the throat. Once it was open for awhile it became tolerable, but was still not something I would choose to drink, except as a warmer on a very cold night. It just couldn't quite hold its alcohol.

11) A wine I have really enjoyed in the past, the 2009 Tres Picos Borsao Garnacha was a bit scattered yet. Maybe in time it will come together, but for now the sweet vanilla Coke aspect dominated and made the wine feel flabby and out of sorts. The Campo de Borja region makes some wonderful, generally big and modern, versions of Garnacha, and Tres Picos has historically been a real bargain, but the 2009 either doesn't do it, or doesn't do it yet.

The end game on this tasting was that Grenache has a place in all of our cellars. While yet to exist in the minds of the average consumer as a go-to varietal, it really should be. It doesn't have the hype of Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon, but that only serves to keep the prices reasonable. It gets lost in people's minds as it is not on the label of the French blends, and has a slightly different name in Spain, but that under the radar status is allowing great things to be done. It has enough subtlety in general to pair with lighter meats (pork, duck, even some robustly sauced pastas), and enough structure to take on tougher meals. In summation, Grenache can and should become a part of your rotation - get some while the getting's good.

PSMIOFF 2.01 - Grenache (Part 1)

Once a month the Pasadena Society for Millenials Interested in Observation on Fermented Fruit gathers to learn about wine by tasting and discussing. We are serious explorers with a very laid back approach. We started off the year strong with our tasting focused on grenache, be it blanc, rosé, or noir - be it grenache or garnacha we were in this to come to understand the grape and find out what bottles got us excited. There was a strong turnout, and enough excitment that a few people brought more than one bottle. Needless to say that made for a racous and long evening, and one that I will split into two posts. Rosé was unfortunately absent so we'll cover the Blancs tonight and the Reds in a coming post.

Grenache Blanc is gaining momentum in California. This is primarily true in Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, and some in Paso Robles - although not exclusively. Historically an important grape for the white wines of the Southern Rhone, Grenache Blanc is also prevelant in Northern Spain. It takes some time to get this grape ripe (not unlike it's cousin Grenache, from which it is assumed to be a mutation). This late ripening tendency can lead to a high alcohol, flabbiness, and a reputation to be a better blending grape than to stand on it's own. All of our examples (with one major exception) where single varietal Grenache Blancs from California. While this did not give us a chance to compare domestic versions to some more Old World examples, it did give us an opportunity to look for developing varietal characteristics of the American version. All of the wines were good, and we found that you are not going to pay through the nose for Grenache Blanc currently. This may be in part to its relative obscurity (although it is out there for those who look), but it is an added benefit to what we found to be a delicious grape. In order of my preference:

#1 - 2010 Two Shepherds Grenache Blanc Saraloos Vineyard is produced up in Sonoma County, but with grapes from Santa Ynez. It is a beautiful wine, with almonds, pears, and white flowers on the nose, and a floral citric palate with flecks of minerality and bright acidity. This wine also has a wonderful back story, a story of passionate vigneron William Allen (who you might know as Sonoma William from the blog Simple Hedonisms) who has grown his interest into wine into a full scale (although still appealingly tiny) winery. Those of us who have met William have been waiting for this vintage, as he is now bonded and selling his wine. This was my first chance to try this Rhone devotee's wines, and I am excited by what he has created. There will be more coverage of this emerging superstar in the coming weeks on The Vino File - that is to say Two Shepherds will get its own post. In the meantime, this Grenache Blanc is quickly selling out but still available here. This wine stood above the other Grenache Blancs for its balance, focus, and delicious fruit.

#2 - We were fortunate to have another producer and different vintage, but with fruit from the same vineyard in the 2009 Saarloos and Sons Grenache Blanc. This wine also had obvious almond in the nose, but with a stronger sense of sweet tangerine. The body was a bit fuller than the Two Shepherds, the ripeness leaning towards peach, and the acid a bit angular. However, it was still refreshing, and still really tasty.

#3 - This is technically not a Grenache Blanc, but is white and unique - the Cass Winery CA Brut Sparkling Grenache Noir is one-of-a-kind as far as I can tell. Grenache Noir is pressed and receives no skin contact, then produced in the Traditional Champenoise Method to produce a almondy and floral sprakling wine. It is crisp and tasty, slightly sweet and very pleasant. This is made in very small quantities, and done a bit as an expirement - but one that works. The wine is great, it is just rated a bit lower than the others due to its steep $55 price tag. Personally I would save that money for a spectacular Champagne. But if you are shopping through the Central Coast and want something completely different - this is well made.

#4 - Last (and least, but not by much) is the South Coast Winery 2010 Grenache Blanc. I have historically panned the wines of Temecula, and this wine was not perfect, but it may be one of the more pleasant wines I have had from this region. The slightly sweet honey-nut and peach flavors were tasty, and yet the wine was a bit flabby - lacking in acid. While I would not buy this wine again, there were plenty of us who found the wine drinkable and tasty.

It seems that Grenache Blanc consistently offered up nuttiness, florality, and citrus. When this was matched by nice acidity it produced a wonderfully different white wine - and one that was nicely able to offer an aperitif or food-friendly option. With the exception of the unique sparkling wine they were also all priced well under $30, indicating that this is a wonderful category for your California white wine exploration. Look next week for a lengthy list of Grenache Noirs. Until then, cheers!

The Conundrum of California Pinot Noir - and An Invitation to Pasadena Pinot Fest 2012

There is conflict in California Pinot Noir for me. On one hand it has been a resounding success, and that success is entirely due to the authentic hard work and dedication of many a vineyard manager, winery owner, or winemaker. The unique expression of this often difficult grape has found it's niche from Santa Barbara to Mendocino, and there are thousands of examples for which I would spend my money and time to enjoy. But on the other hand there are thousands of examples that are hyper ripe, fat, almost sweet, and terribly unappealing to my palate. I can go on streaks where I think I am ready to write off California Pinot, but then always find myself encountering a spectacular bottle that pulls me back. So what should California Pinot strive to be (obviously written from my own preference's perspective)?

California Pinot has a right, and a need, to be uniquely California in its expression. Sunshiney fruit is a joy when balanced with acidity, some balancing flavors (earth, forest, minerality), and an appropriately sexy mouthfeel, as Pinot should have. California Pinot does not need to be 'Burgundian' in style, but that does not excuse it from a sense of balance. California Pinot should find the happy medium in its body - maybe fuller than many examples from Oregon, but not nearing the sense of the Syrah grown right next to it. It should hint at the sunny days under which it ripened, but should never taste liked stewed or pruney fruit. And last of all it should not burn under sky high alcohol. I don't have a alcohol prejudice, but I do have an obvious heat prejudice.

Oh, and one more thing - the fruit and structure must outlast the oak influence. Rich is okay, a mouthfull of oak - not so okay.

So what does all that confusing speak mean? I have an example for you to find out, and an event during which you will more than come to understand. I recommend both highly, as in my Pinot conundrum I have come to realize that my conflicted feelings have developed quite a passion for exploring, and often loving, California Pinot Noir.

So you want one bottle that represents the balance? Check out La Follette 2009 Van der Kamp Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Mountain. Crafted by Greg La Follette (a scientist at heart, who is passionate about applying his careful approach to his trade), the 2009 VdK Pinot struck me as a fantastic representation of what California Pinot Noir should be. It is dark red, darker than you will generally see in Oregon or Burgundy, but maintains a translucence. There is some rich red fruit, cherry primarily, but it is balanced with a mineral bite, some dusty cocoa and a delicious meatiness. The structure of the tannins and the perfectly balanced acidity finish this wine off, and suggest it can take some age, and the mouthfeel is wonderfully satiny - as it should be. At $39.99 (suggesting you might find it in the low $30's) this wine is my recommendation of the month for understanding how beautiful California Pinot can be.

So you want to thoroughly explore California Pinot Noir? One of the greatest wine events to come to Los Angeles each year is the Pasadena Pinot Fest. The location is beautiful, and the winery representation offers the beginner or the geek a brilliant chance to truly experience the different expressions of this complicated grape. Tickets are $89, but this gives you 4 hours of access to over 200 Pinots, and it has historically had some very nice catering. In previous years the crowds have not been overwhelming, giving you a chance to talk to each winemaker or representative to truly understand what makes their region, and their expression of Pinot unique. I have found big score wines that I detest, big score wines that I love, and relatively unknown micro-producers that really get my heart racing at this event, and I can't recommend it enough. For further information, and to purchase tickets, check out the event site here.

In the end California Pinot is only a conundrum for me because it has such various expressions. The joy is in finding the ones that really hit the sweet spot. Here's to your exploration.

The La Follette was provided as a media sample.