Where the hell has Taster A been?

A little bit about what is happening in my life. Folks that follow Taster B on Twitter probably know by now that she went to the Wine Bloggers Conference without me. There have been rumors that I have branched out on my own splitting off SMU and ditching Taster B for the more profitable Outdoor/Wildlife photography blogging scene.

Well if the truth be known, the semiconductor equipment industry is in a cyclical downturn, spurred on by the housing-credit card-bank bail-out macro-economic situation. I’ve been forced to take vacations during scheduled shutdowns and didn’t have the extra time to take in October.

What most do not realize is that the teenage market has been saturated with Play Stations and cell phones, thus the chip market has become glutted, prices have dropped and the chip manufacturers are not buying capital equipment. Yes, my job exists to enable teenaged girls to text each other.

With that said, I owe all an apology. One year, three days, four hours and 26 minutes ago, I promised you that I would review the Imagery Sunny Slope Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Sorry to keep you all waiting so long. (If you can wait for the Squirrel Nut Zippers Hell to finish, I think Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a la Turk is on queue. That should be more appropriate music to accompany the evaluation this wine.)

Rather than repeat myself (this makes Taster B nervous, thinking that I’m loosing it), you can read about Imagery in our earlier post.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Imagery Estate Winery
Sonoma County
Vintage: 2003
AVA: Sonoma Valley
Alcohol: 14.5

Color: Purple
Intensity: Dark
Aromas: Roses and violets, cherry and cassis. Hints of coffee, stone, vanilla, hay, mild oak.
Flavors: Cassis, dried cherry, raisin, licorice, coffee, tobacco
Body: Full
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: Off dry
Tannins: Leather
Finish: Long

Summary: This wine is not overly complex, but what is there I really like. The wine just smells like a garden on a hot summer day conjuring images of bees flying around. This has developed a cassis cordial quality. The cherry is there, but think of dark, dried cherries. I like the Imagery concept and enjoy their wines.

I’m just happy to sit here and drink this wine without food. However, I would pair this with dark chocolate, roast beef Wellington, game dishes such as venison or wild boar.

Post Script: No really, where the hell has Taster A been?
I heard that folks were asking about me in Sonoma and I am touched. In the last few weeks, I have been working on photo projects, one culminated in a posting of 17th and 18th century head stonesfor Halloween. It was tastefully done and folks have responded very well to it. Stop by, if you have a chance.

Gundlach Bundschu 2005 Zinfandel

What is it about Zinfandel that brings out the punster in us? Is it because it’s so zinfully delicious? I don’t know but for this one time, dear reader, I decided not to punish you with my punnish ways, (haha! Oh. Sorry...) and to let the wine have the spotlight (at least in the post title).

Gundlach Bundschu (pronounced: gun-lock bun-shoe) is a very cool Sonoma vineyard currently run by 6th generation vitner, Jeff Bundschu, who has a cool blog called Blogschu (clearly Jeff is a fan of the pun). Gundlach Bundschu (AKA: Gun Bun) celebrated their sesquicentennial earlier this year--that's 150 years of family winemaking folks!

We visited the tasting room in Sonoma last October and brought this bottle back home with us. We saved it for a whole seven months but, finally, the BBQ called and the Zin answered...

Gundlach Bundschu 2005 Zinfandel
Rhinefarm Vineyard
Alcohol: 15.7%
Price: ~35$

Aromas: Blackberry, plum, raspberry, mint
Flavors: Plum, raspberry, allspice, pepper, tar, chocolate

Summary: Well-balanced medium-bodied wine that is ‘rich not heavy.’ A delectable long finish makes this wine great on its own or paired with barbequed chicken. While it’s not a cheap bottle, it’s a good value as Sonoma Valley single vineyard Zins go. I don’t know if you can get it anywhere else but direct from GB but, if you like a classic Zin, seek it out.

Weekend Wino-ers: Merlot-quacious!

Okay. Everybody whose wine-buying habits weren't affected by the opinions of Paul Giamatti's character in Sideways, hats off to you. The rest of us: Let’s not beat ourselves up about it. Maybe we were naïve; maybe the times made it seem right; who knows. The point is, we can change our minds. After all, it wasn’t Merlot that changed, it was us...


Taster A and I decided it was time to remind ourselves what Merlot was all about with a horizontal tasting of three Merlots from Sonoma County. We opened three very nice single-vineyard bottles, and compared them side-by-side. All had typically soft tannins, plumy nose, and subdued character. Of course, we did wind up with our favorites.

Toad Hollow
2005 Merlot Reserve
Russian River Valley
Richard McDowell Vineyard
Price: $19.99
This was the most oaky of the three but, not offensively so. Slight herbal notes of basil on the nose and bright berry fruit on the palate. The oak fell to the background once introduced to food.

Benziger
2004 Merlot
Sonoma Valley
Rose Ranch
Price: $37
Taster A found the nose disappointing but the flavor redeeming. I had sort of the opposite reaction: Found the nose pretty interesting with plum, floral, earth, and chocolate notes but, found the wine to be vapid on the palate. No acid to speak of. The palate improved with food.

Bartholomew Park
2004 Merlot (blend: 15% Cab)
Sonoma Valley
Desnudos Vineyard
Price: $32
Most interesting of the three: Refined leather and lots of floral notes on the nose; stewed plums, boysenberry, elderberry, etc. on the palate. The scent in the bottom of the glass had Taster A reminiscing of pine boards being ripped by a buzz saw.

We had a fantastic food pairing for Merlot Night: Stuffed Portobello mushrooms with scalloped potatoes and baby spinach topped with a warm bacon-Bordeaux dressing. We talked about the wine throughout dinner. Merlot definitely has some stiff competition for attention among other varietals yet it has a special character all its own: Sort of a quiet beckoning. Can you hear it calling?

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms:
2 Portobello mushrooms
3 T Olive oil
1/3 C breadcrumbs
2-3 cloves of garlic
3 T red wine
2 oz smoked Gouda
2 oz mozarella
2 t. Oregano
Sea salt to taste

Wash Portobellos and remove outer skin if desired. Pat dry. Turn on broiler and rub outside of cap with olive oil. Place on pan under broiler for about 5 minutes gill side up.
Remove pan from oven. Cut stems from caps and set aside.

Dice mushroom stems and garlic. Heat a pan on the stove and add 1 T olive oil. Add breadcrumbs, a teaspoon of oregano, and a pinch of salt. Allow breadcrumbs to brown then remove to bowl. Add another T of olive oil to pan on low-heat, add garlic, pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon more oregano. Allow garlic to sauté for a few moments, then add diced mushrooms and toss. Pour about 3 T red wine over the mixture, cover and let cook until tender (about 4 min). When wine has reduced remove to bowl. Add about half the breadcrumbs and mix. Place one half of mixture onto each Portobello cap. Top with half Gouda / half mozzarella and remaining breadcrumbs. (Smoked Gouda is a good accompaniment Merlot but, can be too strong. Cutting it with a mild cheese like mozzarella will help keep the flavors from overwhelming the wine)
Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until top is melted.

"Old Reliable" and a Sonoma Valley Syrah

We visited Bartholomew Park Winery last October and tasted some mighty good wine. The wine we present tonight is from Sonoma Valley where Bartholomew Park’s Estate Vineyard is located at the base of the Mayacamas Mountain range, tucked up by the Arroyo Seco. Warm temperatures, constant breezes and excellent drainage make this vineyard ideal Syrah producing land.

The vineyard is on a west facing slope and was planted with clones 877, 470 and Alban Hermitage vines in 2002 on a vertical trellis system. The Syrah is planted in the coolest part of the vineyard, slowing down the ripening of the fruit.

The grapes are hand harvested and fermented with a prepared yeast in stainless steel tanks with gentle pump-overs. The wine is aged in French oak barrels, 30% new for 14 months. The production was 1155 cases. BartPark wines are only available through the winery.

Pictured here is my trusty heavy helix corkscrew. This corkscrew and I go back to my graduate student days when I found it at a yard sale for $0.50. This is one of the best buys of my life and has been with me on moves to six states. This little beauty has never failed to extract a cork for me.



Syrah, Estate Vineyard
Bartholomew Park Winery
Sonoma County
Vintage: 2005
AVA: Sonoma Valley
Alcohol: 14.0%
pH: 3.67
Acidity: 0.60 g/100mL
Price: ~$38.00

Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Moderate
Aromas: Blackberry, cherry, jam, raisin, currant, oak, smoky, earth, struck flint, toast
Flavors: Blackberry, cherry, prune, black current, mint, anis, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, smoked meat, oak, smoky, tobacco
Body: Full
Acidity: Moderate
Sweetness: Dry
Tannins: Suede
Finish: Long

Summary: Interesting intense black fruit and suede tannin structure. Very beautiful red color just invites you to admire the color of this wine. The wine kept me coming back to see what would be revealed next. For me, that is what makes a fun wine.

We are having this tonight with oven barbequed baby back ribs. Sometimes when a wine is so good, it is hard to put it down after the meal. Taster B and I decided to experiment with chocolate. Oh, it was so good with chocolate. Tomorrow, we will have Minestrone soup and polish off the bottle. Yeah, it’s that good.

Bartholomew Park Winery

Our last day in Sonoma started with a visit to Bartholomew Park Winery. We were graciously greeted to the well appointed tasting bar. Our tasting experience was quite pleasant and we had a very knowledgeable server. The prices are reasonable for the quality of the wines. Off to the side of the tasting room is a nice museum with the winery's history.

This winery is the only one we found so far that will ship to our “ship here at your own risk” state. Many wineries will not go through the trouble because it takes an agreement with a distributor in our state.

For a modest tasting fee of $5.00, we were enjoyed the following flight:
2006 Sauvignon Blanc (San Lucas Vineyard) $20.00
2004 Merlot (Desnudos Vineyard) $32.00
2004 Estate Syrah $38.00
2005 Zinfandel (Sonoma Valley) $38.00
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (Kasper Vineyard) $38.00
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma Valley). $38.00

These wine are hand made, micro-lot, single vineyard wines, which is what we were targeting on this trip. One thing I noticed while we were there was the local customers popping in and out. That give me a good feeling, like going to our favorite Greek restaurant and we are the only ones speaking English. Hey if the locals are buying wine there, something must be going right. I think it is the staff, the wines and the pricing. In addition, they have tasting notes that include pH, acidity, vineyard details, and all kinds of wine geek information.

The flight above gave us a chance to taste not only vintages, but vineyards. If you want to taste the difference a year and a vineyard can make, put this winery on your short list.

Kasper Vineyard faces directly southwest towards the San Francisco Bay. Located on a west facing slope, 700 feet above the valley flour in the Mayacamas Mountains. This bathes the vineyard in morning fog and is somewhat cooler. The soil is alluvial, deriving its complex composition from the sloping mountain above. These conditions make for a slower ripening grape which adds character and complexity.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Bartholomew Park Winery

AVA: Sonoma Valley
Kasper Vineyard
Alcohol 13.8%
pH: 3.57
Acidity: 0.58g/100ml
Price: $38.00

Color: Ruby red
Intensity: Deep
Aromas and Flavors: Toasty, rose, spice, licorice, cherry, black plum skins, blueberry, allspice, mineral, green pepper, sage
Body: Full
Finish: Long

Summary: Very good value Cabernet, gently aged 15 months in French Tonnellerie Radoux barrels. The aromas and flavors came off in nice layers and just like a good book, it kept me captivated, waiting to see what would happen next.

Yup, we spent some of our coveted luggage space to bring back some of this winery's offerings.

Valley of the Moon

Ah, another perfect day in Sonoma. Benziger was such a treat. I was a little worried driving up that it was going to be a winery theme-park for adults. My fears were unfounded, although we did pass up the vineyard tram tour. Benziger Family Winery has a gorgeous spot right adjacent to the Jack London State Park. It's very hilly and scenic.

The tasting was very enjoyable. Our pourer gave us time to sniff and sip the selections without making us feel uncomfortable. He commented more than once that he was happy to see us taking notes. The place was really hopping which gave it a great energy yet, we enjoyed the calm of our cloistral reserve tasting alcove.

One of the best things about Benziger really, is the fact that besides the usual palate-cleansing wafers, they offer dark chocolate samples to enjoy with some of their chocolate-friendly wines. I could have stayed all day.

Comparing Zins at Ravenswood Winery, Sonoma CA

Our first day in Sonoma was a blast! This is our first trip to the Sonoma Valley and compared to Napa, it seems really laid back, with a little more "old West" charm. Walking around the historic square is fun but, we are here on a mission! We decided to take on Ravenswood because it is close to downtown (easy to find), and because Matt Kramer gives Ravenswood a good review in New California Wine. To be honest, I have seen Ravenswood in our local liquor stores for years and never picked up a bottle because I assumed it was another mass-produced wine marketed as a boutique wine that may or may not be any good.

The property is lovely, and the tasting room had a really good atmosphere. We liked the fact that we could just stand there and enjoy the wines without a staff person hovering over us (I get a little self-conscious about going through my tasting ritual while a "professional" is watching).

All the wines in the "Vineyard Designate" tasting flight were good. I tried the 2002 Estate Merlot which was nice and would pair well with a risotto with prosciutto dish. One really cool thing was having the opportunity to taste three Zinfandels from three different vineyards. We tried the '05 Dickerson, the '05 Belloni, and the '05 Big River. Big River was my fav. I loved it because I could pick out a lot of different aromas (sometimes you wonder if you know what you're doing when you keep getting cherry, plum, and smoked meat...) It had a certain Moroccan flair; with hints of cumin, cardamom, and black pepper (Ravenswood refers to it unapologetically as the "Fruit Bomb"). The wine had the usual jammy, cherry, raisin, etc, as well as, strawberry. Yum yum. See Taster A's posting for full tasting notes.
The other surprise was the 2004 Pickberry (73% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon) which had some very distinctive aromas/flavors as well. I wrote one note, which was the unusual flavor of a malted on the palate. Nice stuff.

Oh, I never put in my two cents about Boony Doon Winery which Taster A posted an entry on last week: The surprise of the day there was the 2005 Piemontese Blend. Please try this if you ever have the opportunity. It is unlike any wine I've ever tasted (in a good way). The bottle has a very imaginative label design: If you pour a glass, close your eyes, take a sniff, and then look at the label, I think you will be amazed by how well the design represents the wine. I would call it "Transcendental Victorianism."

No Wimpy Wines

Arriving in Sonoma

Upon our arrival in Sonoma, California, we were anxious to get started on our tasting journey. A quick stop in the center of town is where you will find a square with lots of shops, eateries and tasting rooms. We needed to get our bearings, so a walk around the square was in order. We need maps!

Pick up a free copy of Wine Country This Week, from the Information Center. You'll get an idea of what is going on in the California wine scene and get some great ideas on where to go and what to do. You can pick up a copy of the Sonoma wine guide, it does have a map, but if you try to use it, your navigator will be arguing with your driver. Plus, if the winery did not purchase advertising, it may not have a dot on the map. (This may be my perception.)

So what should you do? Go to Sonoma Wine Hardware (map) on Broadway. Inside you will find a glossy map of Sonoma and Napa. On the back it has just about every winery listed and their tasting hours with addresses. The inn that we stayed at had a map published by Sonoma County. Between these two maps, you will be able to get around the Sonoma and Napa wine regions.



Our First Tasting, Ravenswood Winery
As I mentioned, we were anxious to get in our first tasting. But it was getting on towards 4:00 by the time we arrived. Since we had our "free map" from the info center, we didn't pick up a copy of the map from Sonoma Wine Hardware. It was then that we were hopelessly looking for our first target. We did find an easy target, Ravenswood Winery (map).

We chose Ravenswood because we know that we can purchase their wines in our region. They have two flights, the regular production wines and the "Vineyard Designate Wines". The latter will cost you $15.00 however it will give you an opportunity to try some wines that you may not be able to access in your locations. Many are sold exclusively through their wine club or at the winery. (We got to keep the glasses.)

Ravenswood Winery's slogan is "No Wimpy Wines". Their wines are big, bold and distinctive. We also were able to compare the wines from the Alexander Vally, Russian River, Sonoma Valley and Pickberry Vineyard. This is really fun because terrior does matter in quality wines.

The Tasting Room is well appointed with good acoustics. I prefer tasting rooms that you can have a pleasant conversation with the server or with my friends. If I cannot hear myself think, I have a hard time figuring out what is happening with the wine.

The staff was wonderful. They answered questions, told us about the vineyards, about the history, and generally were having a great time. They let us take notes, take time to appreciate their product and were very helpful. They enjoyed teaching us about their products. It was a fun atmosphere where we could be students learning to taste. And they appreciate working with people that are truly willing to learn.

Here are my tasting notes from just one wine from the flight.

Big River Zinfandel
Ravenswood
Zinfandel 100%
Growing Area: Alexander Valley

Vintage: 2005
Price: $32.00 Retail $25.60 Club
Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Dark
Aromas and Flavors: Jammy spicy cedar, raisin black pepper, choke cherry, elderberry, dandelion, strawberry, mint
Body: Full
Finish: Moderate
Tannin: Suede to leather

Summary: Just what you would expect from a well crafted Zinfandel. The wine evolved in the glass, on the palate and offered new perception surprises, one after another. I spent a good 10 minutes with my one ounce pour. Walked around the shop, talked with our server and just let the wine evolve. The Alexander Valley is a premier growing region for bright, complex Zinfandel grapes. Yeah, we brought a bottle home with us.

Tasting Room Tips

Taking notes is a good thing. The tasting room folks know you will be visiting other rooms and really appreciate it when you make an effort to remember their wines. Our Ravenswood server recounted to us a visitor he recently had return from a year ago. The visitor asked, "Can you help us remember what wine we bought from you last year?" The server asked helpfully, "What can you tell me about what you bought?" "Oh", replied the visitor, "It was a red wine." "Well, that is about 80% of what we sell. What else can you tell me, was it a Cab, a Zin?" "Oh, I don't know, it had a white label with three black birds in a circle." Great, they just narrowed it down from 80% to 79% of the wines ever sold by Ravenswood!

Ravenswood was a wonderful tasting experience. A fun tasting room with some nice wine accessories and a great staff. Ravenswood has some great big wines. We are grateful that we can get them locally in our area.