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Happy Wines of Barra
What are happy wines you may ask? Can the wine be happy? Can the wine be unhappy? Can the wine actually express emotion?
The first two questions probably don’t have an answer. But can the wine express emotion? You bet. That’s the whole point of wine appreciation. The wine that gives you joy. The wine that brings back happy memories. The wine that gives you happiness. The wine that gives you pleasure. The wine that doesn’t leave you indifferent. Not every wine in your glass will do that for you – but some will. I think it will be fair to call them Happy Wines.
Happy wines are those that put a smile on your face. You open a bottle, put the liquid into the glass, swirl, sniff, sip – and smile, because the wine is actually that good. It doesn’t have to be the best wine you ever tasted. It doesn’t have to be expensive or inexpensive. As long as the wine puts a smile on your face and makes you happy, you can call it a Happy Wine.
My latest happy wine discovery was the latest release of red wines from Barra of Mendocino. I already wrote about the winery before – you can find the complete two-part story here (part 1 and part 2) with all the details about this 50-year-old, 350-acre organically farmed estate located in Northern California, in Mendocino. Everything I tasted so far from Barra was outstanding, and this latest release of the 3 reserve red wines made from organic grapes didn’t disappoint either.
2020 Barra Reserve Petite Sirah Mendocino County (14.5% ABV, $28, 18 months / 30% new French oak, balance in neutral barrels, organic grapes)
Dark Garnet, practically black
Beautiful nose of red and black fruit
Sweet cherries, perfect acidity, well-integrated luscious tannins, layered, delicious.
8+, outstanding, and a unique rendition of PS which doesn’t require waiting.
2020 Barra Reserve Zinfandel Mendocino County (14.5% ABV, $26, 16 months / 25% new French oak, balance in neutral barrels, organic grapes)
Bright Ruby
Dark fruit and herbs on the nose, a hint of fresh coffee, tobacco
Tobacco, cherries, luscious texture, round, pleasant, with long finish.
8, excellent
I just wrote about Barra Cabernet Sauvignon in the previous post where I tasted it alongside two superb Napa Valley Cabs – but I’m happy to talk about this wine twice in a row 🙂
2021 Barra Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino County (14.5% ABV, $28, 18 months / 30% new French oak, balance in neutral barrels, organic grapes)
Garnet
Eucalyptus, cherries, a hint of cassis
Eucalyptus, dark berries, cherries, cassis, well-integrated tannins, perfect balance, medium-long finish.
8, delicious
All three were happy wines – ready to drink from the moment the bottle was open, and thoroughly delicious, putting a smile on your face. I can also tell you that all three of these wines lasted for almost 7 days after being first opened, standing on the counter, with the air being pumped out – this is definitely a testament to the quality and to the longevity of these wines – while these wines will not set you back by anything comparable to any cult Californian wines, I guarantee you that they will age equally well or possibly even better.
Have you tried Barra of Mendocino wines? I would love to see the smile on your face once you do. Cheers!
Ode to Cab
Ode to Cab.
Or we can just call it a Love Letter to Cabernet Sauvignon.
As an oenophile, I always try to maintain my “grape neutrality”. I can never name my favorite type of wine, never mind favorite wine. If you will hard press me against the wall with this question, I might say that it is Rioja, but the reality is a lot more complex than that.
If you search through articles in this blog, you will find a full range of wine styles and grapes. There are many blogs out there that cover specific region(s) or specific types of wine – but when I started writing close to 15 years ago, I knew that I would not be able to do that. This blog is about wine appreciation – any wine. “Wine should give you pleasure” – and so this is what my writing is primarily after – sharing the joy, the pleasure of wine, no matter what is the pedigree. Wines made from little-known grapes – Bobal, Trepat, Kekfrankos, Romorantin by tiny producers can give you as much pleasure as first growth Bordeaux, cult California, or best super-Tuscans. The liquid in the glass matters, and the only opinion that matters is yours and only yours – you can not enjoy the critic’s 100 points in your mouth.
This is my approach – try any wine with an open mind, and always be ready to be pleasantly surprised – or even blown away for that matter. And yet there is something about Cabernet Sauvignon that makes my heart race, especially coming from the producer I know or have heard of. Listen, I’m doing my best to tell you the truth, even though the “thought spoken is a lie”. But the brain gets all excited when I’m opening a bottle of the familiar Cabernet Sauvignon because I already know how good it can be. Very different from the excitement of the possible taste of DRC, Petrus, or Quintarelly (I’m yet to taste either) – because with those I wouldn’t know what to expect. But I do know what to expect from the well-made Cabernet Sauvignon that is ready to drink.
Even with the wines I happily call the favorites, I can’t tell you what I’m expecting to taste. I can’t describe my expectations when tasting La Rioja Alta, Ken Wright Pinot Noir, or Loacker Corte Pavone Brunello di Montalcino. I expect that I will like those wines as I know the producers and had their wines many times before – but I can’t tell you my exact expectations of the aroma or the taste of the wine. With Cabernet Sauvignon, I have very precise expectations of the aroma and the taste for me to like the wine. If I do not find the cassis (black currant) on both nose and palate when the bottle says “Cabernet Sauvignon” on it, there is no way I will like the wine, no matter how good the wine is for anyone else. Eucalyptus, mint, and a good structure are also expected, but with this some variations are possible. But when the expectations are met… the Cabernet Sauvignon is nothing but a pure, hedonistic pleasure.
So yes, deep down, Cabernet Sauvignon might be the most favorite wine of all – I just hope I will remember it next time I’m asked about my favorite wine.
Now, truth be told, I had a good reason for all this rambling about the beauty of Cabernet Sauvignon. A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to conduct an accidental side-by-side tasting of the California Cabernet Sauvignon and the results were simply amazing.
With this tasting, we are taking a little trip. We will start in Northern California, where Barra of Mendocino is located. I wrote about their wines before, and now I have a few of the latest releases and I thought that Cabernet Sauvignon would be quite appropriate for the tasting.
Barra Cabernet Sauvignon was the leanest of 3, but still had a perfectly recognizable Cabernet Sauvignon profile:
2021 Barra Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino (14.5% ABV, $28, 18 months 30% new French oak, balance in neutral barrels)
Garnet
Eucalyptus, cherries, a hint of cassis
Eucalyptus, dark berries, cherries, cassis, well integrated tannins, perfect balance, medium-long finish.
8
Moving 80 miles southeast, we now arrive at the Flora Springs winery, located in the heart of the Napa Valley. Again, one of my favorite wineries in California, I wrote about their wines on multiple occasions.
The wine I had an opportunity to taste was a special holiday release. Flora Springs is big on the holiday celebration, so this bottle features etched gnomes, perfectly appropriate for the holidays. But it is what’s inside that counts, and this wine was nothing short of spectacular.
2019 Flora Springs Red Wine Blend Napa Valley (14.5% ABV, $95, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, 18 months in 70% French and 30% American oak barrels)
Dark garnet
Cassis, mint, black tea, cassis is playing in and out – you can smell this wine forever. Cassis is prevalent, wow.
Burst of cassis at first, then tannins come in, offering some bitter notes around the otherwise perfect Cabernet core. A very powerful, delicious wine that needs time to soften up. Either decant for a few hours, or lose it in the cellar for 10 years. The winery says you can enjoy it through 2036 – I’m sure you can easily add another 20 years on top of that.
8/8+
Going back about 8 miles northwest, we now arrive at the Smith-Madrone, the winery located in the Spring Mountain district of Napa Valley. Smith-Madrone is yet another one of my favorite wineries, and the one I feel a bit guilty about as a writer. I wrote about Smith-Madrone wines on many occasions in this blog – 5 years ago, Smith-Madrone were my wines of choice to celebrate Thanksgiving; in 2019, Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon was my wine of the year. And I’m still yearning to write a post fully designated to the winery…
Nevertheless, Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon to me is one of the most textbook-proper, pure Cabernet Sauvignon wines there is. Not everyone would share my opinion – my sister-in-law with whom I was tasting these 3 Cabs, was preferring Flora Springs Cab, just for the sheer, unashamed beauty. But to me, a more subtle but very confident representation of the Cabernet Sauvignon by Smith-Madrone was just a perfection:
2019 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District Napa Valley (14.3% ABV, $65, 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 18 months in 55% new French oak)
Brilliant dark ruby
A perfection. A textbook Cabernet Sauvignon cassis, pure, perfectly precise cassis. You can think of a bell pepper – I’m not sure it is there, but it comes to mind.
The palate is amazing – cassis, eucalyptus, perfect minerality, a touch of the pencil shavings, salivating acidity. This is an impeccably balanced wine built for aging. In 10 years, it will be insanely good. In 20 – … well, I don’t want to even think about waiting that long…
9-, pure and superb.
If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, either one of these 3 wines will make you happy – each one perfectly representing their terroir and the vision of the winemaker, and yet unquestionably perfectly representing maybe the most noble grape of all.
So now you know what my secret passion, secret true wine love is. What’s yours?
No Tricks, Only Treats
Halloween is almost here – are you excited? Did you start planning your Halloween party already? I’m here to help you take it to the next level.
How? Easy. You know that on these pages, wine is the answer, but what is the question?
Well, let’s just clear something up – if you are looking for the wine to pair with candy or deliver a candy-equal amount of sugar in every sip, I can’t help you. But if you believe that your Halloween plans call for a simply delicious sip all of your guests will enjoy, I have something for you.
But first, let’s talk about ghosts. What can be more Halloween-y than a ghost? Ghosts are scary, as they are nowhere and everywhere. Same as with people, ghosts can be mean, but they also can be friendly. And anything and everything can be a ghost. How about a winery? Can a winery be a ghost? If a winery is a ghost, does it mean it is haunted and you should be scared walking into it?
Okay, okay, there is nothing to be afraid of. At the end of the 19th century, there were close to 800 wineries in California. Prohibition, which started in 1920, assisted by the phylloxera epidemic had a dramatic impact on the striving wine business. In the 1933, when prohibition was repealed, only 40 wineries survived. Many of those that didn’t became ghostly encampments, giving birth to the term “ghost winery”.
Flora Springs Winery was founded in 1978 by Flora and Jerry Komes in Napa Valley. Winery’s property included such “ghost winery” – Charles Brockhoff Winery, originally constructed in 1885. That winery was abandoned by the family after prohibition. John Komes, son of Jerry and Flora, completely renovated the old winery which became his family home to this day.
The ghostly past plays an important role at Flora Springs, especially at the time of Halloween, the only time of the year when ghosts are allowed to roam freely. With or without ghosts Halloween has been the subject of special attention at Flora Springs for the past 14 years. Throughout all these years, Flora Springs Winery always released special bottles, produced just for Halloween. Every Halloween bottle has a special label, different every year, designed by different artists. It is not only the label, it is also the grapes – for example, this year’s Halloween wines are made from Cabernet Franc and Malbec, and Flora Springs doesn’t produce any other single grape Cab Franc or Malbec wines. So yes, you can entertain your guests in a unique style.
I was lucky enough to taste samples of both Halloween wines Flora Springs has to offer this year.
Before we talk about wines, I would like to quote the description of the 2021 vintage from the Flora Springs website:
“The 2021 vintage in Napa Valley will be remembered for a smooth, uneventful growing season and harvest that produced low yields of intensely-flavored, small-sized grape clusters. The season started off with very little rain and continued as a dry, sunny summer led to a relatively cool fall with weeks of lovely weather. 2021 represented the second drought year in a row, and while concerning in the long term, the dry weather resulted in a more natural crop load on the vines, requiring less pruning and dropping of fruit. The resulting grapes were packed full of flavor leading to powerful, concentrated wines. ”
Now, let’s talk about Cab Franc.
The label for 2021 All Hallows Eve Cabernet Franc was produced by Steve Ellis, an artist who created illustrations for Marvel, DC, and many other franchises. This label is a perfect embodiment of the Halloween spirit, and it perfectly extends the collection of unique Halloween labels Flora Springs amassed over the year – take a look here, it is really fun. Here are my tasting notes for the wine:
2021 Flora Springs All Hallows Eve Cabernet Franc Napa Valley (14.2% ABV, $75, 18 months in French oak barrels, 350 cases produced)
Dark purple with a bright purple hue on the rim. And then it’s black
Inviting nose of sweet cherry and blueberry pie
More of the fresh blueberry pie profile with good acidity in the aftertaste, velvety, seductive, layered, smooth, very smooth – I guess luscious is a better word.
This is how California producers like to see Cabernet Franc. I’m missing pyrazines, my beloved bell peppers.
It shows a little bit lighter on the second day than on the first. 3rd day didn’t change much compared to the 2nd day. And then the bottle was empty
Drinkability: 8-/8, overall very good
And then there was Malbec. Napa Valley Malbec is quite rare and unique, and this wine didn’t disappoint – I also love the artistic rendering of the ghost winery on the label – it is simple and incredibly attractive at the same time.
2021 Flora Springs Ghost Winery Malbec Napa Valley (14.2% ABV, $60, 18 months in 60% French and 40% American oak barrels, 350 cases produced)
Dark garnet, practically black, but when low in the glass offers a beautiful dark purple hue
Succulent black raspberries on the nose
Inky, sweet cherries and cherry pit, a touch of sweet basil, beautiful textural presence, dark, concentrated, perfectly balanced.
Drinkability: 8+
There you are, my friends. A perfect set of wines to celebrate Halloween in style. Both wines are available at the Flora Springs website, and if you buy 3 bottles, you will get a $15 shipping – check the website for the details. And even if you don’t care about Halloween, these are just tasty wines for any occasion – and they will last for the next 10-20 years (the official winery recommendation is 10 years, but I believe they will easily last much longer).
Don’t be afraid of no ghost, especially if this ghost brings wine. Cheers!
American Pleasures #9: Balverne Wines
Wine should give you pleasure – there is no point in drinking wine if it does not. Lately, I have had a number of samples of American wines that were delicious standouts – one after another, making me even wonder if someone cursed my palate. I enjoyed all those wines so much that I decided to designate a new series to them – the American Pleasures.
And we are back to talk about more delicious American wines (after a long and unintended break).
I love how wine not only entices your senses but lets you play a sleuth, a researcher, a scientist, a philosopher – a different role on a different day, or all of them at once – take your pick.
I can give it to you right now [spoilers alert]: I got a sample of three California wines, one better than another, one of them possibly even WOTY 2023 (told ya, spoilers) – and ended up doing the whole research (thanks, Google) trying to connect layers one by one. From the roles I mentioned above, I played mostly a sleuth trying to understand how far history was taking me and how all the little pieces fit together. Ah, never mind, let’s just get to it.
Source: Notre Vue Estates
In the center of this excitement are the wines produced by the Notre Vue Estate (Notre Vue stands for Our View in French) and called Balverne. Notre Vue is a 710 acres estate located in the heart of Sonoma County next to Healdsburg and acquired by Bob and Renee Stein in 1992. The history of the land where the estate is situated goes all the way back to 1841 when it was the part of Rancho Sotoyome land grant of 1841. The grapes had been growing on the estate starting from 1869, and commercially starting from 1907 – I’m assuming after the estate was acquired by Antonio Perelli-Minetti.
Let’s take a quick stop here – have you heard of Antonio Perelli-Minetti? I have to shamefully admit that I never have. We all know who Rober Mondavi and Andrew Tschelisteff are, but Antonio Perelli-Minetti? When Antonio Perelli-Minetti died in August of 1976 at the age of 95, his obituary in S.F. Chronicle was titled “Dean of winemakers is dead at 95″. Dean of winemakers – and with all my passion for wine, all the reading and learning, I never came across his name? Well, it may be just me… But then there is almost nothing written about him, for sure online… Okay, moving along…
The winemaking at the estate started in 1972 under the name of Balverne Cellars – supposedly, Balverne is a hybrid Anglo-French term meaning “a place of trees”, which is very appropriate for the estate. In the 1980s, two recent UC Davis graduates, Doug Nalle and John Kongsgaard (I’m sure both names need no introduction), made the estate famous with Balvernet Cellars wines being served at the White House dinners and at some of the finest restaurants in Los Angeles and New York. After Steins acquired the estate in 1992 they were mostly selling the estate grapes to some of the best wineries in California. The winemaking was reintroduced at the estate in 2005 under the name of Windsor Oaks Vineyards, and in 2013, the Balverne name was brought back.
Whew, done with the history. Let’s talk about the present.
At the heart of the Notre Vue estate lays 350 acres of “Forever Wild” Nature Preserve, covered by a variety of oak trees and inhabited by red-tailed hawks (Red-Tailed Hawk is a symbol of Balverne, depicted on every label), wild turkeys, owls, bluebirds, coyotes, bobcats, grey foxes, hares, rabbits and lots more. This Forever Wild nature oasis is a critical element of sustainable viticulture practiced throughout 250 acres of surrounding vineyards. These Sonoma’s Certified Sustainable vineyards are split into multiple blocks growing 18 grape varieties, and they span two of Sonoma County’s prominent AVAs – Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill.
I had an opportunity to try 3 of Balverne’s recent releases – Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. I would typically start tasting with the white wine – here, as I was tasting in the comfort of the house instead of the tasting room, I started with the red – Pinot Noir. The wine was excellent, tightly woven which is not always the case with California Pinot.
2021 Balverne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley AVA (14% ABV, $35, Pinot Noir clones 459 and 667 with a small percentage of 114 and 115, 9 months in 25% new French oak)
Dark garnet
Plums, violets, intense, inviting
Nicely restrained, dark cherries, tart, crisp, lean, well structured
8, excellent
Cabernet Sauvignon followed, being nothing short of excellent, and perfectly drinkable from the first pour.
2019 Balverne Cabernet Sauvignon Chalk Hill AVA (14.3% ABV, $48, 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 9% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 18 months in French oak)
Dark garnet
Eucalyptus, cassis
Everything weaves around the acidic core. Perfectly restrained, nice Bordeaux/old world style, harmonious, balanced, delicious.
8+, outstanding.
And then came Balverne Chardonnay.
I poured a glass without much thought. Sometimes, it is best to have no expectations – not low, not high, just none. This was the case, even after the first two very successful reds. White wine is difficult. With white wine, the winemaker has nowhere to hide. Even if it will be two out of three, this would be a successful encounter.
The very first whiff of the glass made me literally speechless. The following sip confirmed my excitement:
2021 Balverne Chardonnay Russian River Valley AVA (14.2% ABV, $35, clone 17, 5 months in 20% new French oak)
Light golden
Beautiful, varietally correct nose – vanilla, apple, lemon
The first sip blows your mind – vanilla, golden delicious apple, honey, lemon, minerality – impeccable balance and beauty only a Chardonnay is capable of expressing.
9, spectacular. This wine is just something. Something special.
As you might see in one of the pictures above, my sample set went beyond wine – The Notre Vue’s own California Extra Virgin Olive Oil was a part of the package. I decided to do [an unfair] comparison between Californian and Italian EVOO. Both olive oils were expectedly different, with the Italian one showing green, tight, and peppery, and the Californian one being much more fruity. The beauty – it is not a competition, depending on what dish you are using the olive oil for, each one would have its own advantages.
Now you have a complete experience report, including my uninvited research (but everyone is entitled to their own version of fun). What’s important is that I presented to you three excellent wines, both on their own and as a value. Once you taste this Chardonnay, believe me, you’ll understand…
And we are done here. But – I always have more American pleasures to share, so stay tuned…
Oh, Grenache
Last Friday, September 15th, we celebrated International Grenache Day. For those rare grape holidays I manage not to miss, I usually write a post on the actual day of celebration. This post didn’t make it on time (obviously), but I managed to open a beautiful bottle, so better late than never…
First, let’s talk about Grenache. Grenache, also known as Garnacha in Spain, is one of the major red wine grapes. Grenache is growing in all major winemaking regions – France, Spain, Italy (under the name of Cannonau), Australia, New Zealand, California, Washington, Israel, and many other places.
I’m sure that when people hear the name Grenache, the instant association is “red wine”. However, close relatives Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris are also popular grapes, capable of producing delicious white wines – as they do, for example, in Southern Rhône.
Grenache is versatile – it can star on its own, but it is also a great team player. In Spain, Grenache, or rather, Garnacha, is the grape behind some of the most coveted wines of Priorat (Clos Erasmus, anyone?). Campo de Borja in Aragon is another Garnacha’s sacred land – if you have ever experienced the beauty of Alto Moncayo wines, you know what I’m talking about (if you didn’t, it is never too late to rectify). And in some regions, such as Rioja, Garnacha successfully plays a supporting role.
In France, Grenache is the driving force behind the wines of Southern Rhône – Gigondas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and everything in between fully relies on Grenache – both solo and as a part of the blend. I’m sure you heard of GSM, which stands for Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre – this trio constitutes an absolute majority of Southern Rhône wines, but GSM blends from Australia and the US will give Rhône wines great run for the money.
In the US, Grenache powers many California Rhône Rangers wines – Alban, Saxum, Pax, as well as many of the Washington wines – again, both in solo versions, such as single-vineyard No Girls and Horsepower wines and cult blended renditions such as Sine Qua None.
When it comes to the grape holidays, I take pleasure in going through the labels of the wines I had in the past and building a little collage to represent my experiences with the celebrated grape. I realized that even though I wrote about Grenache Day in the past, I never made a collage – fixing this problem was a lot of fun:
Now, let’s talk about the Grenache that put a smile on my face that Friday – 2015 Carlisle Grenache Rossi Ranch Sonoma Valley (15.4% ABV).
Carlisle is best known for their Zinfandel and Syrah wines. But they also make other wines, such as Grenache, Mourvèdre, Alicante Bouschet, albeit in small quantities and not every year. Carlisle Grenache is a rare animal – I’m not even sure I ever got any other Grenache via the mailing list. It appears that the 2014 vintage was not even bottled, as the wine couldn’t be tamed. However, 2015 worked very well, and Carlisle was able to produce the whooping amount … wait for it … of 77 cases. I don’t even know by what luck I was able to get a bottle, but I’m very happy that I did.
100% Grenache, aged in neutral oak. The wine was stunning – first, the nose, loaded with red berries and herbs, fresh, complex, and vibrant – one of those wines you want to smell indefinitely. When I finally got to sip the wine, it didn’t disappoint – the core of the red fruit, a hint of tobacco and just a tiny splash of dark chocolate, sage, vibrant, full of energy and impeccably balanced. And we got to enjoy the wine over a magnificent sunset – two pleasures at once…
This is my Grenache Day story. What Grenache experiences would you like to share?
Weekend in Turley, With a Dash Of Carlisle and Hardy
Many moons ago, my friend Henry and I discovered Turley wines. We were at a restaurant in Manhattan with our wives, either before or after the Broadway show, and on the wine list, Turley Zinfandel (either Juvenile or Old Vines) was one of the reasonably priced wines, so that was the wine we ordered. I don’t remember if I heard about Turley before (maybe), but tasting that wine was a pivotal moment – we fell in love with Turley wines.
Turley Wine Cellars was founded in Napa Valley by emergency room physician, Larry Turley in 1993, and went on to become one of the most prominent Zinfandel producers in the US. Turley produces about 50 different wines from about 50 different vineyards, most of them organically farmed, from all around California. Many of those vineyards date back to the late 1800s. While Turley might be best known for its Zinfandel and Petitte Sirah, they also produce a number of white wines, a number of other reds, and even Cabernet Sauvignon, first produced in 2010, and eloquently called The Label (Larry Turley’s famous saying was that Cabernet drinkers drink “the label”, hence the name – I had my own share of troubles with this wine).
Turley wines are hard to get in the store, and if you really would like to enjoy them at will, you need to be on the Turley mailing list. Turley was one of the very first mailing lists I managed to get on more than 10 years ago, and I had been a happy customer ever since. My friend Henry finally got his first allocation about two years back.
A place on the mailing list still doesn’t guarantee you access to each and every wine Turley makes, and their list operates on a “first come, first serve” basis – I missed quite a few wines that were included in my offering, but disappeared much sooner than I could make up my mind.
Last Saturday, Henry was coming over for dinner, so I had to make it a Turley evening.
Turley makes only two white wines – Sauvignon Blanc and a blend called White Coat. The wine we opened was the 2019 Turley Estate Sauvignon Blanc Turley Estate Napa Valley (13.4% ABV). It is interesting that Sauvignon Blanc was one of the original wines produced back in 1993. Sauvignon Blanc plantings at Turles Estate were replaced with Zinfandel, but then Sauvignon Blanc was planted again on a small section of the dry-farmed, certified organic vineyard. The wine was fermented using natural yeast and it was bottled after 6 months in 100% French, used oak barrels. The wine was an absolute delight, showing beautiful whitestone fruit, perfectly present, perfectly elegant, with fruit and acidity singing in complete balance.
I had a little bit left in the bottle after that evening, and on Sunday I was able to please the most discerning palate in our household – my mother-in-law. She came over for Mother’s Day on Sunday and wanted to drink the white wine. When it comes to wine, she is completely unpredictable, and I always try to pour her wine without showing the bottle – she has lots of preconceived notions about wines and the regions, so I’m always trying to make sure she will just try the wine first, and then I can tell her where it is from. To my delight, she liked the wine, and even when I told her the wine was from California, she still liked it – a serious achievement in this household.
Our next wine was 2021 Turley Zinfandel Rosé California (12% ABV). This wine sometimes is called White Zinfandel, but only to poke fun at the uninitiated (and the bottle is adorned with the white label). This wine is impossible to score – you literally have to press “buy” as soon as your summer offering arrives. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged in used French barriques. It is lip-smacking, it speaks cranberries and strawberries, it is very Provençal in its presentation, but Californian in its soul.
And then there was Tecolote – 2018 Turley Tecolote Paso Robles Red Wine (15.7% ABV). This wine is rarer than rare, as you need to know it exists, to begin with. I got it once through some special holiday offer, but it is never included into the standard seasonal offerings. This wine is typically only available in the tasting room, but being a mailing list member has some advantages – I asked if I can get a few bottles, and they arrived just in time for us to enjoy. This wine is a Spanish-inspired blend of 60% of Grenache and 40% Carignane, coming from the specific block in Pesenti Vineyard, planted in the 1920s. Tecolote means “owl” in Spanish, and this is how the vineyard block is also called. The wine offered layers of lip-smacking black cherries, kitchen spices and sweet tobacco. A perfect balance of textual presence, fruit and acidity made this wine disappear in no time…
Next, let me step away from the wine for a bit – but not from the grapes. I rarely talk about cognac on these pages, but then I have an experience to share.
On an average day, I’m a scotch drinker. But of course, I would never refuse a sip of a good cognac. The keyword is “good” – nowadays, it is difficult to find a good-tasting cognac at a reasonable price in the US. However, my recent cognac tasting with my school friend led me to the discovery of Cognac Expert. Subsequently, I got a recommendation from Cognac Expert for the cognac I now enjoy immensely – without any need to break the bank – Hardy Legend 1863 Cognac. This cognac was produced by the Cognac House of Hardy, to commemorate the founding of the Hardy house back in – yes, you guessed it – 1863. This cognac is a blend of spirits made from the grapes coming from Borderies and Petite Champagne growing areas, aged from 2 to 12 years and finished in classic Limousine oak. From the first enticing smell to the long-lasting, coffee-loaded finish, this cognac offers the ultimate pleasure of balance of fruit, spices, and acidity. And at $40, this might be the best QPR cognac out there today.
Last but not least – 2015 Carlisle Mourvedre Bedrock Vineyard Sonoma Valley (14.9% ABV), which I opened on Sunday. Carlisle is another one of my favorite producers, specializing in Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah – and some other grapes. The fruit for this wine came from the 130+ years old vineyard, planted in 1888. The wine was aged in French oak, 20% new. It is interesting that stylistically, this wine was similar to Turley Tecolote – succulent tart cherries on the nose and the palate, a touch of eucalyptus, refreshing acidity, perfect balance. This was an excellent wine to finish the weekend right.
Here you are, my friends – my weekend wine story. If you can find any of the wines mentioned in this post you should definitely look for them. And if you like cognac, this Hardy 1863 Legend is hard to beat. And you know where to find it.
Nevermind. I should have never told you that.
Until the next time – cheers!
American Pleasures #8: Flora Springs, Napa Valley
Wine should give you pleasure – there is no point in drinking the wine if it does not. Lately, I have had a number of samples of American wines that were delicious standouts – one after another, making me even wonder if someone cursed my palate. I enjoyed all those wines so much that I decided to designate a new series to them – the American Pleasures.
This very blog was born out of a desire to share with the world the excitement that a glass of wine can bring. To share an appreciation of a well-crafted glass of fermented grape juice that can inspire great paintings, great poetry, and great conversations.
Sometimes, it is not very easy to find the right words to share that excitement. Yes, there is a great arsenal of wine technical terms to describe body, aroma, bouquet, finish – but those words do a very poor job of conveying emotions. Yes, they describe wine, possibly correctly but subjectively (you say it is a blackberry, and I say it is black cherry) and possibly sufficiently to give another wine geek or professional an idea of how the wine might taste. But when one whiff from the glass literally stops you in your tracks, whether the aroma contains raspberries, black currant, or the hair of the wet dog is really irrelevant. What is important is that wine blew your mind and delivered an ultimate pleasure, which you can’t resist but share with the world.
Everyone derives wine pleasure on their own. For me, smell (aroma) and taste (bouquet) are two distinctly different categories. I had wines that had a magnificent aroma, and an underwhelming bouquet. I had wines where the aroma was either absent or borderline terrible, and the bouquet was magnificent. Of course, many have both. Taking about deriving the wine pleasure, mine definitely starts with the nose, the aroma. I’ve had wines that I didn’t start drinking for a good few minutes, just inhaling the aroma exuding from the glass. I can’t tell you why and how this works with the aromatics of some of the wines being so captivating – simply sharing my perspective here.
This was a long introduction to the gist of this post – two wines of Flora Spring from Napa Valley in California that I had an opportunity to taste lately.
From the moment I heard the name Flora Springs for the first time, there was something subconsciously attractive in that name – I have no idea why and how. But ever since the first encounter, I always expect magic while tasting Flora Springs wines.
Flora Springs Winery was founded in 1978 by Flora and Jerry Komes in Napa Valley, rooted deeply in the rich history of the US wine industry’s ups and downs, going from 763 wineries in California to only 40 surviving Prohibition. Name Flora in combination with the natural springs running through the property helped to define the winery’s name – Flora Springs. From the moment the winery was founded, it was truly a family affair, all built and developed by Jerry and Flora, their kids, grandkids and their families – you can learn all of it on Flora Springs’ website – and it is well worth a few minutes of your time.
The line of wines Flora Springs produces is something you would expect from the winery in Napa Valley – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and a few others. Yet the two wines which prompted this post belong to the Flagship category – the white blend called Soliloquy and the red Bordeaux blend called Trilogy.
I tried Soliloquy for the first time 13 years ago – no, I don’t have such an amazing memory, I simply have my notes – in this very blog. The wine I tried back then was Sauvignon Blanc from Soliloquy Vineyard. Actually, Soliloquy Sauvignon Blanc is identified as a Sauvignon Blanc clone, certified by the UC Davis to be unique to Flora Springs, so I found that wine to add a unique grape to my collection (I actually added two, as that wine was a blend of Sauvignon Blanc Soliloquy and Sauvignon Musqué). My next encounter was about a year later when I was blown away by the 11 years old Soliloquy bottling.
It is worth noting that in the 1990s, the Soliloquy vines became nearly extinct due to the disease. The winery spent the next 8 years re-growing the Soliloquy vines first in the lab and then in the nursery before the plantings were restored in the vineyard.
2021 Flora Springs Soliloquy Napa Valley (14.2% ABV, SRP $60, 73% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% Chardonnay, 15% Malvasia, 7 months in French oak barrels), the wine which I had, is still made primarily from Soliloquy Sauvignon Blanc with the addition of Chardonnay and Malvasia. The wine offered beautiful bright aromatics, with the whitestone fruit and a distant hint of honey. The palate was full of energy, uplifting, showing more of the white stone fruit, Meyer lemon, crisp acidity, and overall perfect balance. A perfect example of the capabilities of the Napa Valley white.
Not to be overdone, my second wine was 2019 Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley (14.2% ABV, SRP $85, 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec, 18 months in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels). Trilogy wine was originally produced for the first time in 1984 (thus 2019 is the 35th vintage of the wine), with the name being a nod to the three main Bordeaux varieties comprising the blend.
This wine was truly a show-stopper. On the first whiff, the world slowed down. There was just me and the glass. Pure, delicious black currant, eucalyptus, currant leaves. Round, and around, and around. I few minutes later, I developed the courage to take a sip. To my delight, the palate delivered as much excitement as the nose. Polished, layered, seductive, Bordeaux-style textbook profile, black currants, well-integrated tannins, perfect structure, powerful but perfectly balanced. You really don’t expect the wine like that to be a pop’n’pour wine, and yet it was, in my glass. Absolutely delightful.
There you are, my friends. Another case of delicious American wines, delivering lots and lots of pleasure. These wines are not really everyday sippers but are well worth looking for to brighten up any special occasion.
I have more American pleasures to share, so stay tuned…
American Pleasures #7: Barra of Mendocino, Part 2
Wine should give you pleasure – there is no point in drinking the wine if it does not. Lately, I have had a number of samples of American wines, that were delicious standouts – one after another, making me even wonder if someone cursed my palate. I enjoyed all those wines so much that I decided to designate a new series to them – the American Pleasures.
When I tasted Barra of Mendocino wines for the first time, I lamented that I was surprised. Delightfully surprised would be an even better way to put it. My surprise was related to the fact that both Pinot Blanc and Petite Sirah were absolutely delicious pop-and-pour Californian wines. Of course, there are lots and lots of delicious wines made in California, but many of them need time to open up and develop – especially the traditional heavyweights such as Petitte Sirah. And the wines I tasted were delicious and ready to drink from the moment they got into the glass.
Charlie Barra, the founder of the Redwood Valley winery in Mendocino, was farming organically for a very long time. And now Barra of Mendocino bottles carry the official organic certification by CCOF. To celebrate this achievement, Barra released three of their Reserve wines with a brand new label, showing intertwined oak and grape leaves. It took the winery more than a year to come up with this new design, the end product of multiple discussions in the focus groups of the club members, employees, and distributors. The oak tree represents an old oak tree found on the original Redwood Valley Vineyards plot. The grape leaf can be considered a tribute to Charlie Barra’s 70 years of grape growing carrier (he is often regarded as a “godfather of grape growing” in Mendocino county). The result – a beautifully looking bottle of wine. As part of this new design, the winery also eliminated foil caps from these Reserve bottles.
Let me now get back to the surprise associated with Barra wines. I got their three newly released bottles to try – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, here lies the danger. This trio can be called THE California wines. Each category by itself – Califonia Chardonnay, California Pinot Noir, California Cabernet Sauvignon sets the bar really, really high. We have all tasted amazing wines in these three categories – that means that the frame of reference has very little room for error. You know my take here – if the bottle says “California Cabernet Sauvignon” on the label, it is better to be THE California Cabernet Sauvignon, the classic as is expected.
The new surprise? All three wines perfectly delivered. Each one was varietally correct and perfectly matched my expectations. Barra Chardonnay was Californian Chardonnay through and through. And so were Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. And they continued to be pop-and-pour wines. And – these are very reasonably priced wines, considering the pleasure they deliver.
Here are my notes:
2021 Barra Chardonnay Reserve Redwood Valley Mendocino (14% ABV, $24, 7 months on the lees, 30% new French Oak, balance in neutral oak, made with organic grapes)
Light golden
A touch of the gunflint, earthy undertones
Buttery profile with green apples, good acidity, round, delicious.
8, beautiful. Would be happy to drink on any occasion.
2021 Barra Pinot Noir Reserve Redwood Valley Mendocino (14.5% ABV, $26, 8 months 25% new French oak, balance in neutral barrels)
Dark ruby
Tart cherries, herbs, restrained
Sweet cherries and plums on the palate, a touch of vanilla, medium body, round, clean, easy to drink
8-, perfectly quaffable.
8 on the second day, it needs a bit of time to show its true beauty.
2020 Barra Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Redwood Valley Mendocino (14.5% ABV, $28, 18 months 30% new French oak, balance in neutral barrels)
Garnet
Cassis, earth, sweet basil
Dark berries, eucalyptus, minerality, clean acidity, beautifully layered texture. Shows almost sweet upon opening, but quickly loses baby fat to show tight, muscular texture.
8+, outstanding. I can make it my go-to Cabernet Sauvignon easily.
Here you are, my friends. Three delicious wines for you to add to the “find end drink” category – beautifully packaged and now certified organic.
What were your great wine discoveries as of late?
American Pleasures #7: Barra of Mendocino
Wine should give you pleasure – there is no point in drinking the wine if it does not. Lately, I have had a number of samples of American wines, that were delicious standouts – one after another, making me even wonder if someone cursed my palate. I enjoyed all those wines so much that I decided to designate a new series to them – the American Pleasures.
One of the great pleasures of drinking wine is a surprise factor. When you open a bottle you know nothing about – maybe you recognize the grape, and maybe you have an idea of the place, but you never heard of the producer, you never had this wine before – there lies the best mystery. This mystery is the best because you don’t need to work too hard to come upon it. Mystery makes life fun, especially when this mystery is as safe, simple, and innocent as opening a bottle of unknown wine, unlike wondering over a dark path in the forest, not knowing if you are in a way of a raccoon or a bear.
Of course, the surprise can work both ways – you might not be happy about your discovery, you might not be happy at all. But when you take a sniff, which is magnificent, then take a sip that fully matches your initial expectations, you can’t help but have an ear-to-ear smile on your face. And instantly pour yourself another glass. There, this is the surprise and the mystery I’m talking about – a simple pleasure available to you on any day you desire one.
Don’t take it for granted – it doesn’t happen all the time. Sometimes, you don’t want another glass, and simply move on. But when you are in luck, it is not just a pure hedonistic pleasure that is offered to you. It is also an opportunity to learn something new, to discover something which will serve you well for a long time.
At this point you already know that this conversation is not theoretical – we will be talking about my recent discovery. As the subject of this discovery is the wine made in California, I thought it perfectly falls into the American Pleasures series.
Bella Colina Vineyard. Source: BARRA of Mendocino
Please meet Barra of Mendocino.
The history of Barra of Mendocino started in 1954 when Charlie Barra purchased Redwood Valley Vineyards, which today boasts 256 acres of organically farmed vines. Original Redwood Valley Vineyards was planted with “standard” grapes suitable for making table wines. Over the course of a few years, Charlie recognized the potential of varietally-specific wines, and he started working with Karl Wente, Louis Martini, Robert Mondavi, and other pioneers of varietally-specific vine-growing and winemaking to move in that direction.
From the beginning, Charlie Barra was focused on organic farming – no pesticides or herbicides, no synthetic fertilizers – just the natural habitat, allowing Mother Nature do her best. While banal, here is an interesting tidbit – before World War II, agriculture was all organic. Now we have to pay dearly for simply returning to how it should be. Nevertheless… Redwood Valley Vineyards was one of the early officially certified organic properties in California, obtaining its certification in 1989. Mendocino County appellation, home to the BARRA of Mendocino vineyards, today has close to 25% of all vineyards certified organic.
Today, BARRA of Mendocino organically farms more than 350 acres of vineyards, growing Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petite Sirah grapes. It is also home to the 2.8 million gallons CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certified custom crush facility.
I had an opportunity to taste 2 wines from the Barra family – as you can tell, I was sufficiently impressed to add this post to the American Pleasures series.
First, Girasole Vineyards Pinot Blanc. All Girasole Vineyards (Girasole means sunflower in Italian, hence the label) wines are not only organic they are also vegan-friendly. Pinot Blanc is not a grape typically associated with California. Alsace, Germany – of course, maybe even Oregon – but Californian Pinot Blanc was a bit of a concern to me. Which dissipated instantly with the very first sip of the wine.
2021 Girasole Vineyards Pinot Blanc Mendocino County (13% ABV, $15, vegan)
Straw pale
Whitestone fruit, herbs, lemon, distant hint of the gunflint
Wild apricots, Whitestone fruit, plump, round, perfect mid-palate weight, good acidity, perfect balance, delicious.
8+, excellent. Hallmark of quality – very tasty at room temperature.
Petite Sirah can be safely called a signature grape of California. Okay, okay – it is not Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel, and it is not even a Pinot Noir. Nevertheless, Petite Sirah is very popular among those who know, and if you need confirmation, don’t look further than Turley, Carlisle, Retro, Stag’s Leap, Ridge, and many many others. At the same time, Californian Petitte Sirah is one of the most challenging wines for wine lovers, because more often than not Petite Sirah wines are massive, and require 10-15 years in the cellar to even start opening up. Thus you can imagine that I approached Barra Petite Sirah with a good dose of trepidation, even though it subsided somewhat after tasting the delicious Pinot Blanc.
2019 BARRA of Mendocino Petite Sirah Mendocino (14.8% ABV, $26, 89% Petite Sirah, 11% Zinfandel, 18 months in 25% new French oak, balance in neutral barrels)
Dark garnet
Dark fruit, fresh and succulent, blackberries, espresso
Polished, elegant, voluptuous. Beautiful supple dark fruit coupled with salivating acidity and roll-of-your-tongue texture. Layered and sophisticated.
9-, truly outstanding.
Two outstanding wines from California – certified organic, super-reasonably priced (both $15 and $26 are almost a steal and offer an insane QPR), and most importantly – absolutely delicious, pop’n’pour wines. A rare treat for sure.
Besides, these wines can be a jewel of your Thanksgiving wine program. Yes, you can thank me later. Until then – cheers!
Daily Glass: Monday Night Wine
Monday night. The first working day of the week is over. Or it might not be over, who knows. But it is Monday, and the week is just starting. Is there a wine more suitable for Monday than any other day of the week?
Friday night is easy. Friday always means fun and celebration. Friday is already playful, so unless you have serious dinner plans aligned, Friday night wine might be even a cocktail for all I can tell.
I guess Saturday is asking for a serious wine, no matter what. It’s the middle of the weekend which is always special. Thursday… well, I don’t know about Thursday, let’s get back to Monday.
So how do we select the wine for Monday night? Most likely, you are at home. Most likely, it is only you and your spouse drinking. Most likely, you are not in a hurry. Most likely, you can take your time and enjoy that glass for as long as you want. Considering all of these “most likely” circumstances, let’s settle on the thought-provoking wine. The wine which shows its beauty slowly, sniff by sniff, sip by sip.
Can you think of a wine that would match this description?
While you think about it, I will lead by example and offer to talk about my Monday wine.
2019 Turley Bechtold Vineyard Cinsault Lodi (12.4% ABV). Wine from one of my favorite producers – Turley. Wine from one of my favorite wine regions in California (and not only in California) – Lodi.
Lodi flies under the radar for a lot of wine lovers. Everybody knows Napa and Sonoma. Californian Pinot Noir aficionados probably know Santa Barbara County. Meanwhile, Lodi is where Robert Mondavi went to high school and where his father run the grape-packing business. Lodi is the single largest AVA in North America, and Lodi is where Napa winemakers go to get their grapes. Maybe most importantly, Lodi is home to a number of old, continuously producing vineyards. Of course, everyone likes to lay a claim to the “oldest vineyard” here and there – however, Bechtold vineyard in Lodi was planted in 1886, and oldest or not, 136 years of continuously producing fruit deserves the utmost respect.
Lodi might be best known for its old vines Zinfandels, but our Monday wine tonight is made out of Cinsault, a grape typically used in Rhône and Provence. Cinsault wines typically offer a fruity and floral profile with some pungent undertones.
2019 Turley Cinsault was made using whole cluster fermentation with natural yeast and aged for about 7 months in used French oak barrels. The result was the wine that delivered that thought-provoking Monday night experience we were talking about.
On the nose, the wine offered fresh berries and a hint of the forest floor. On the palate, there was a delicate interplay of raspberries, sour cherries, tartness, and acidity, all packaged together delicately but firmly, and finishing off with sour cherries and cherry pits, long-lasting and offering an opportunity to enjoy a quiet moment. (Drinkability: 8/8+)
That’s how my Monday night wine was (delicious!). How was yours?
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