Alexandre Burgaud is a name with which you might not be familiar, but if you like wine, you need to get to know it.
Burgaud is a young producer whose five-hectare estate lies in Lantignié, a tiny place (population of 886 humans in 2015) about 5 kilometers from Beaujeu and 10 kilometers from Chiroubles, in the Rhône department.
Alexandre Burgaud is making some very good wines in Beaujolais. (Photo courtesy Les Grappes)
Gamay is what we have here, and Burgaud does it well. I tasted his 2018 Beaujolais-Lantignié (SRP $23) and his 2018 Brouilly (SRP $21), and I want more. These bottles are perfect for your case-purchase plans, and once the COVID-19 pandemic allows dinner parties, the Brouilly will be paired with lamb shanks and mushrooms on a Brockhaus menu. I like the structure of this wine; tannins here are in harmony with the marvelous red berry fruit.
As for the Beaujolais-Lantignié, it is something I am going to add to my regular lineup. The ripe cherry and dark berry aromas rise from the glass in an enticing manner, and the black peppery/herbaceous flavors induce taste after taste. I paired this wine with a saucisson sec and some Comté, and it was wonderful.
Alexandre’s cousin, Jean-Marc Burgaud, is a talented Morgon producer, and he has shared a lot of his winemaking knowledge and techniques with Alexandre. That includes the practice of never destemming, and the use of concrete for aging.
A wine of which I’d never tire. (Courtesy Alexandre Burgaud)
The vines planted on Alexandre Burgaud’s five-hectare estate — which was established in 2013 — average 60 years in age and produce the Beaujolais-Lantignié and Beaujolais-Villages; the soils here are rocky, predominantly blue slate, similar to those found in the Côte du Py. The Brouilly’s source is a few hectares of rented vines (average age of 70-plus years) that Burgaud hopes to purchase.
Burgaud’s wines present great value, and the quality in the glass is remarkable. I’m impressed with his approach to winemaking, and look forward to enjoying more of what he makes.
Ilove to talk about wine with people who share my passion for it. We open bottles, we trade stories about travel and soil types, terroir and residual sugar, and we talk of taste and food and restaurants. We recommend wines to one another, we drink, and we learn a lot.
In Wine Talk, I introduce you to friends, acquaintances, and people I meet as I make my way around the world, individuals who love wine as much as I do, who live to taste, who farm and make wine. You’ll appreciate their insight, and I hope you’ll learn something from them as well.
Joe Nielsen has a wine story that I love. It’s the tale of how his journey as a winemaker began. The teenager was living in Lansing, Michigan, and in 2003 enrolled at Michigan State University, planning to become a doctor and enter the medical field.
At Michigan State, Nielsen was introduced to an exploratory winemaking program the university was conducting, but his age prevented him from taking classes in it. He was too young. He was not going to let that inconvenient fact stop him, however, so he took up the study of viticulture on his own, and received permission from his parents to plant some vines in the family’s 20-acre backyard. A career was budding …
He was eventually admitted into the program at Michigan State, and graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture. Next came a winemaking position at Black Star Farms, located in northern Michigan. In 2008, Nielsen moved to California for a yearlong internship at Merryvale Vineyards. Then, in 2009, at 23, Nielsen was named cellar master at Donelan Family Wines. In 2013, he was promoted to the head winemaker position at Donelan — and also finished the Executive Wine MBA program at Sonoma State University during that time.
Which brings us to the present, and Ram’s Gate Winery. Nielsen has been the director of winemaking at the Sonoma estate since 2018, and from what I’ve tasted recently — Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, reviews to come — he’s found a great home (and one that he is pushing to become 100 percent organic in the next five years).
The Berler Vineyard, source of some outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ram’s Gate is owned by Michael John, Jeff O’Neill, Paul Violich, and Peter Mullin, and their 28-acre estate is the ideal laboratory for the winemaker’s craft.
Here is Nielsen in Wine Talk.
James Brock: How has COVID-19 changed your work and life?
Joe Nielsen: I think COVID-19 has shown me how connected we are as a civilization and how globally we are all connected. Personally, I have traveled much less and enjoyed fewer great meals at restaurants, but overall I know personally I am very lucky. Professionally our job continues as grape-growers and winemakers, it is an agrarian process that does not stop for anything.
In addition, in the last year our team at Ram’s Gate has really grown our digital presence in order to connect with our consumers. I am finding myself participating in a lot of content creation for our winery, from long-form videos, to Tik Toks and Reels. I hope that through these social-media initiatives we have been able to educate and connect with people during this year.
JB: Tell us about three wines you think are drinking well at the moment. What makes them worthwhile? How about a food pairing for each one?
JN:2018 Ram’s Gate Estate Chardonnay ($75): I really love the way this wine is tasting. It was my first vintage at Ram’s Gate Winery, and it was my first chance discovering the estate terroir. What make’s this wine special is that in my opinion it is a study in the art of nuance and balance. We elected to do to minimal malolactic fermentation, and it is neither the heaviest or most alcoholic of our line-up, yet it is subtle, engaging, and elegant. Time in bottle has been terrific for this wine and we are currently serving it at our Tasting Hall, as well as selling it on our website. The wine is paired with Dungeness Crab Spaghettini and it is simply a dynamite pairing.
An estate Chardonnay
2017 Ram’s Gate Berler Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($115): This wine is the second vintage of what originally started out as a passion project between my wife and I. Prior to my start at Ram’s Gate, I began making this Cabernet from Berler Vineyard in Fountain Grove District. The vineyard is nestled up into the Mayacamas Mountains on the back side of Spring Mountain in Sonoma County about 1600 feet above sea level. The location continues to blow me away; it’s a Shangri-La oasis tucked away that is fairly exposed to the cool ocean breezes coming up through Santa Rosa.
The 2017 Berler captures my desire to craft wines that are timeless; this wine reminds me of the elegance and refined pleasure of old California Cabernet Sauvignons from the 1970s and 1980s. I recently tasted this wine, and I am thrilled with the quality and that many of the primary notes are so vivid still. I can’t wait to see how this wine develops with several more years in bottle. It can be purchased on our website. I would pair it with braised beef short ribs and honey-glazed carrots.
2011 Felsina Rancia Chianti Classico Riserva ($50): I love the wines of Italy and they make up a very large percentage of my cellar that I did not personally make. The wines of Chianti are rustic and delicious to me, with plenty of verve and focus on the palate. I tend to gravitate to wine regions where the cellaring time of the wines can range several decades; as a collector I like the notion that whether I open it tomorrow or in 10 years I’m going to find joy in that bottle. And it’s something I also strive to produce professionally. Felsina is a great producer, and ever since visiting, in 2012, I have been a loyal follower. I recently opened a bottle with friends and paired it with their homemade brick-oven pizza, a total must. This wine can be purchased on the K&L website.
JB: If cost was no consideration, tell us the one bottle you would add to your personal collection, and why.
JN: If cost were no consideration, I would want an unlimited supply of Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc. This is one of the most intensely texture wines I have ever had and I can’t imagine ever getting tired of drinking it.
JB: What is your favorite grape, and why?
JN: Hard to have a favorite when I enjoy making so many different varieties. Ultimately, the grape I am often the most passionate about is Syrah. It is such a complex wine that can be made in so many different styles. Not to mention, I think it is so transparent with terroir. We are looking forward to releasing our 2018 Hyde Vineyard Syrah and the 2018 Durell Vineyard Syrah in the next month.
JB: How about one bottle that our readers should buy now to cellar for 10 years, to celebrate a birth, anniversary, or other red-letter day?
JN: From a cellar-worthy standpoint, I believe our Estate Pinot Noir is going to be one of those wines that continues to reward patience. It is an ethereal wine that continues to evolve long after it leaves the barrel. I have multiple different formats of the 2018 for this very case; it is the birth year of my son and I feel comfortable that we will be enjoying that on his 21stbirthday.
Joe Nielsen, who was raised and educated in Michigan, has found his home in California. (Photo by Dawn Heumann)
JB: Where is your go-to place when you want to have a glass or bottle (outside of your home and workplace)?
JN: Quite literally, outside of my home on my patio is a great place to have a glass of wine. Honestly though, my favorite place to enjoy wine is with friends, wherever that may be.
The tasting hall at Ram’s Gate Winery (Photo by Dawn Heumann)
JB: If there was one thing you wish everyone would keep in mind when buying and drinking wine, what is it?
JN: Wine continues to evolve, and not all wine will last forever. I’m guilty of this, too, but sometimes people hold onto wine well beyond its peak and miss out on all the fun. I love making wine that can age, but part of the joy is checking in, popping a bottle, and seeing where it is at. Cellaring is not an exact science, and it ultimately depends on a ton of factors. I drink wine that is often too young (side-effect of the job), and I also enjoy really old wines, but it is OK to drink them somewhere in between!
JB: What is your “wine eureka moment,” the incident/taste/encounter that put you and wine on an intimate plane forever?
JN: I have told this story so many times that it has become my “big fish” story, but simply put, my friend told me in college that I should not pursue medicine; rather, he insisted, I was destined for something interesting like being a winemaker. Being from Michigan, and seeing that winemaking was not a common profession in the area, it was such a strange comment that I had to “Google” it.
From that moment, I was introduced to an exploratory winemaking program. However, because I was underage, I was not permitted to apply. After some research, and with my parents’ blessing, I planted an experimental vineyard in their 20-acre backyard. While at school, I continued to lobby for entrance to the university’s winemaking program. Eventually, the faculty granted my request. For whatever reason, my first “Google” search was enough of a catalyst that, roughly 18 years later, here I am.
JB: What has been the strangest moment/incident involving wine that you have experienced in your career?
JN: That is a tough one … I can’t think of anything too strange. I suppose what is kind of strange is the ability to travel the world and taste wine with people who don’t speak the same language that I do. Despite that, we are able to have a meaningful exchange entirely based on gestures and sound effects — apparently there is a universal way to describe wine without the use of actual words.
(Bartolome Esteban Murillo, ‘The Marriage Feast at Cana’, 1672)
JB: Your favorite wine reference in a work of literature?
JN: Still impressed with the whole water into wine reference!
Ibsen, B.F. Skinner, and Mr. Rogers. It’s a glorious day, March 20, because those three men were born on this date — in 1828, 1904, and 1928, respectively. It would perhaps be more glorious if the trio was still alive, of course, working and creating and breathing, inspiring, but that’s a matter for another time.
When I saw it was Ibsen’s birthday, my mind went immediately to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, one of my favorite cultural organizations. It was there, in 2006, that I saw a performance of Hedda Gabler, with Cate Blanchett in the title role. It was moving, and powerful. It was, as Ben Brantley wrote, a hurricane of a performance.
Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving in ‘Hedda Gabler‘ (Ari Mintz/Newsweek)
I miss the stages and screens at BAM. In fact, not being able to sit in an audience at a theatre watching a live performance is one of the things I’ve most missed this past year …
Skinner. When did I first hear his name? Box and rat are the words that come next to my mind. And the joy of learning, in which Skinner, along with Abraham Lincoln and Napoleon and Shakespeare and George Washington and Helen Keller (among others), played a major role during my early school years. I was fascinated with the pigeons and the rats and recall thinking that they were not so different from humans, from my classmates and teachers and me.
Skinner was a “failed” writer, and had gone to New York City after graduating from Hamilton College to write fiction.
The major difference between rats and people is that rats learn from experience.
Mr. Rogers is the third birthday boy I celebrate today. He was — and still is if we allow him to be — a helper. How many children looked to him for help and guidance? Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is timeless, though its final episode aired on PBS in 2000. What began there in 1968 was a good and fine thing.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”
Fred Rogers and François Clemmons on the set of ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood’ … life lessons taught well. (By John Beale/Courtesy Focus Features
That quote has stuck with me since I first heard it. My thoughts about it have changed over the years, but I’ve kept it in my head for a while now. I believe that Mr. Rogers taught the young me who’d grow into an older me how to speak to children. I thank him for that.
I like surprises, especially ones involving wine or food.
A few weeks ago two cans of wine were sent to me, Rosé spritzer to be more specific. It’s not that the cans had me circumspect; I have enjoyed lots of wines packed in metal, and will do so in the future.
No, what was bothering me was that it was Rosé lemonade. I knew it would be too tart, too sweet. Even though my palate is wide open, tart is not my friend. I put the cans in the refrigerator to chill, having decided to open one the following afternoon.
The next day dawned, I made a few soft-boiled eggs, served them over some naan, and got on a Zoom virtual tasting. On my desk was a postcard from the couple who had shipped the Rosé lemonade to me, and I made a mental note to sample it around 3:00 that afternoon.
When the time came, I retrieved a stem from the shelf and pulled a can of Roseade — that is its official name — from the refrigerator. I poured it in the glass, and admired its color. (Click here for all the details.)
Life is full of surprises …
It looked good, a salmony pinkish hue that made me want to drink it.
I did, and I liked it. Not tart at all. And the sweetness? Well, forget about that, because the product is balanced, in a wonderful way. I would drink this, happily, poolside, or at a picnic in the park, or on a sunny afternoon in the apartment, reading.
Here’s the background: Lee Smallman’s family, in Moorooduc, Victoria, Australia, had too much Rosé on its hands, and needed to sell it. Smallman began experimenting with coolers, and lemonade stuck. Carbonation was added to the mix, and Roseade was born.
Karl Ziegler and Victoria Ash are the American arm of Roseade; Smallman began following Ziegler on Instagram, and the trio have teamed up to bring the product to America.
Warmer weather is here, in most places in the Unites States, and I recommend that you consider adding these cans to your drinking lineup.
I love to talk about wine with people who share my passion for it. We open bottles, we trade stories about travel and soil types, terroir and residual sugar, and we talk of taste and food and restaurants. We recommend wines to one another, we drink, and we learn a lot.
In Wine Talk, I introduce you to friends, acquaintances, and people I meet as I make my way around the world, individuals who love wine as much as I do, who live to taste, who farm and make wine. You’ll appreciate their insight, and I hope you’ll learn something from them as well.
A few days ago, I tasted two wines that impressed me: a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir, both from Pfendler Vineyards. They mark the first releases for Erica Stancliff as Pfendler’s head winemaker, and if you like your Chardonnay with defines notes of spice, try this one. I tasted it again last night, and it held up — this time the apple and citrus notes were more pronounced. (Regarding the Pinot Noir, buy a few, because you’ll want to cellar some of these for, let’s say, five years or so — at least. It’s drinking well now, but — as Stancliff concurs — this one promises to enjoy the aging process. Total production was 200 cases, so best not tarry.)
I’ll have full reviews of these wines soon, but this Wine Talk serves to introduce you to Stancliff, whose background and pedigree are intriguing. She was raised in a family whose existence revolved around food (I can identify with and approve of that); her mother is Rickey Trombetta, of Trombetta Family Wines, and one look at the family’s website will make you hungry — and thirsty.
Erica has been the Trombetta Family winemaker since 2014, and she’s also served as the president of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance since 2019. Her journey in the wine world can be said to have begun when she was 10; Paul Hobbs, who would become her mentor, was dining with the Trombetta family one evening and was impressed by Stancliff’s palate. He encouraged her to learn more about wine, and introduced her to vineyards in Sonoma and Napa.
She graduated in 2010 from Cal State Fresno with a degree in enology, and flew to an internship in Mendoza, at Viña Cobos (a Hobbs property), then worked the 2011 harvest at Rudd Estate. Enartis Vinquiry was next — she was there for two and a half years — and then moved to CrossBarn and Trombetta. In 2019, she added Pfendler to her CV.
I look forward to tasting what Stancliff does going forward at Pfendler, and a visit to Trombetta Family Wines is now on my post-COVID agenda.
Here is Stancliff, in her own words.
James Brock: How has COVID-19 changed your work and life?
Erica Stancliff: COVID has changed my everyday life in many ways. From wearing a mask everywhere I go (even in the middle of harvest doing punchdowns or walking to vineyards) to having my own personal hand sanitizer with me at all times. Interacting with people is a new adventure every time because you want to be respectful of everyone’s level of caution, and yet, some people aren’t cautious at all.
JB: Tell us about three wines you think are drinking well at the moment. What makes them worthwhile? How about a food pairing for each one?
ES: I’m a sucker for a killer Carignan, so I’m drinking the Delve 2018 Carignan, which I didn’t make, but good friends did. This is my feel-good wine that I usually have with chicken and mushrooms or a big salad. You can purchase it from the winery website for $27.
Stancliff likes this Carignan with chicken and mushrooms.
The 2019 Pfendler Chardonnay is so approachable early on — I like to pair that with seafood (tuna tartar or baked salmon) or lemon risotto. The wine is available from Pfendler’s website for $45.
The third wine that is drinking well at the moment is the 2015 Trombetta Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir Petaluma Gap. 2015 was a low-yield vintage in Sonoma County, which made the wines much more concentrated than normal, so after six years I think this wine is just starting to hit its stride. It pairs well with grilled salmon or pork. You can purchase it from the winery for $65.
A family jewel …
JB: If cost was no consideration, tell us the one bottle you would add to your personal collection, and why.
ES: This is a hard one! If cost was no consideration, give me a Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru 1988, France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits Pinot Noir — I love the producer and it’s my birth year.
JB: What is your favorite grape, and why?
ES: I will say as a winemaker my favorite variety to make is Chardonnay, and here is why: Chardonnay can be a blank canvas for a winemaker to impart their style on. The nuances of the grape and subtleties are what make it a challenge. Too much oak, too much acid … anything can throw the end wine out of balance or create a perception of heavy-handedness.
“That’s the purpose of what winemakers do: We want you to enjoy our wines!”
JB: How about one bottle that our readers should buy now to cellar for 10 years, to celebrate a birth, anniversary, or other red-letter day?
ES: The 2019 Pfendler Petaluma Gap Pinot is going to be just hitting its stride in 10 years, and I would highly recommend keeping one bottle aside for a special occasion.
JB: Where is your go-to place when you want to have a glass or bottle (outside of your home and workplace)?
ES:The Barlow, in Sebastopol, has a great wine bar called Region; it has a ton of local Sonoma County producers and you can buy a taste or full bottle to enjoy on their patio.
JB: If there was one thing you wish everyone would keep in mind when buying and drinking wine, what is it?
ES: The beautiful thing about wine is that there is one for every taste and palate. It doesn’t matter about price or producer, as long as you enjoy it. That’s the purpose of what winemakers do: We want you to enjoy our wines!
JB: What is your “wine eureka moment,” the incident/taste/encounter that put you and wine on an intimate plane forever?
ES: My mentor is Paul Hobbs, whom I have known since my childhood. My biggest lightbulb moment was when we were walking a vineyard together when I was in high school right before harvest in Sebastopol. Watching his attention, care, and passion in the vineyard and asking him questions about harvest made the lightbulb go off for me when I learned about how much passion went into making something with your hands.
Paul Hobbs, mentor extraordinaire (Courtesy PaulHobbs.com)
JB: What has been the strangest moment/incident involving wine that you have experienced in your career?
ES: I have a few, but let’s go with this one: Harvest 2011, someone dropped their cell phone in a tank of fermenting Malbec. 20 days later, when we emptied it, the phone still worked. It was the weirdest thing …
JB: Your favorite wine reference in a work of literature?
ES: “In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” — Benjamin Franklin
Today is National Meatball Day, a feast day of which I was ignorant until this morning, when a friend posted a photo of meatballs and spaghetti on her Facebook page and mentioned D’Amico’s Italian Market Café, a restaurant in Houston that has served more than its share of polpette over the years.
I love to eat meatballs, and I like to make them, and have done so many times, using everything from veal to pork to shrimp to beef to ground bacon (and myriad combinations thereof). They are (most of the time) easy to prepare, and they are comforting, and they make one feel good.
My usual go-to method is one I based on Michael White‘s recipe, for Sicilian lamb meatballs. It includes pine nuts and raisins and eggs, and it is delicious. I’ve made it many times, and I’ll continue to serve this meatball dish.
Meatballs in olive oil
Last night, however, the meatballs I made — was I perhaps subconsciously aware of the impending holiday?— were composed mainly of vegetable protein from Impossible Foods, to which I added some salami and, because they were an impulse purchase, something I spied near the grocer checkout, Takis Rolled Tortilla Chips (the chili pepper and lime version). I bought a small bag, ate some — most of them — and added the rest, which I crushed coarsely — to the meatball mixture, which also included Panko, an egg, some dried herbs, salt and black pepper, and a chopped onion.
The Takis did not add anything to the meatballs, and the amount of them I used was basically minuscule. However, the rest of the ingredients combined to create a great dish.
I browned the meatballs in some olive oil, then finished them in a tomato sauce I cooked up. We served them over sautéed spinach, and they were good.
A simple meal, but one that provides profound pleasure.
We have begun, with the utmost care and attention, and modestly, dining out again, outside, at restaurants respecting the health and lives of their employees and customers.
There have been setbacks; one day we were driving in Orange County and made a reservation via an app at a restaurant, to dine on its patio. We arrived at the place, hungry, and were dismayed to discover a cramped and crowded outdoor dining area, covered, tables about two feet apart. We left.
Most recently, we made a reservation at Rossoblu, a restaurant near our apartment downtown. I had been there pre-pandemic, having been invited to a wine dinner, and the food impressed me.
I’m working on a piece now that I hope will guide people (especially visitors to the city) to Los Angeles restaurants once things open up more widely — and the evening at Rossoblu was part of my research. It was pleasurable work. Steve Samson, the chef, has put a beautiful restaurant together, and I am happy that he and his team have been able to stay in business. We dined on Rossoblu’s spacious — it is large — and intelligently designed patio, tables in many cases more than six feet apart.
The dish of which I was fondest on the evening was a special, a terrine of osso buco with celery salad. It had been prepared and composed well, and it was rich and reminded me of a plate of terrine I had at a restaurant in Paris a decade or so ago. The fatty portion of the dish melted in my mouth, and the acidity made me smile.
Angela does not love osso buco, so I was forced to take the second piece home. The next morning it was my breakfast, spread on toasted bread (with butter).
We had more than that osso buco at Rossoblu, and it was all good, especially the Bolognese. I will save my words on those for the article I mentioned, after another visit to the restaurant. But if you are dining out now, go to Rossoblu, and hope the terrine is on the menu.
I love to talk about wine with people who share my passion for it. We open bottles, we trade stories about travel and soil types, terroir and residual sugar, and we talk of taste and food and restaurants. We recommend wines to one another, we drink, and we learn a lot.
In Wine Talk, I introduce you to friends, acquaintances, and people I meet as I make my way around the world, individuals who love wine as much as I do, who live to taste, who farm and make wine. You’ll appreciate their insight, and I hope you’ll learn something from them as well.
Perhaps you’ve seen Somm, the 2012 film that chronicled the attempts of four men to pass the Master Sommelier exam. It’s an entertaining — and at times overly indulgent — look at the process, and has spawned sequels and Somm TV, a streaming service.
Ian Cauble was in the film, and he passed the test. Today, he is one of only 269 individuals in the world to hold the title, conferred by the Court of Master Sommeliers. (The organization and its nonprofit educational arm, GuildSomm, have been beset by (ongoing) controversy as of late; you can read a bit about that here.)
“I was deeply sickened to hear of the reports of sexual harassment and abuse. There is no room for that behavior in this, or any, industry,” Cauble said about the issue. “I stand with those who are ready to make long-overdue changes and create a more equitable organization. We must hold ourselves to the standards of excellence, integrity, and humility that we wish to exemplify.”
The world of wine on your doorstep
In 2014, Cauble founded SommSelect, to, he said, “bring the sommelier experience home.” He is the Chief Wine Officer of the company, an online venture that includes a daily offer, a wine shop, and monthly clubs. David Lynch, whose work at Babbo — at one time my favorite restaurant in New York — joined Cauble at SommSelect in 2017 as editorial director.
Today’s selection at the venture is the 2019 Château du Carrubier, “Cuvée Ingénue” Rosé, and I especially like the Germany selections in the shop, such as “Bacharacher Hahn” from Toni Jost (2017) and the 2014 “Hocheimer Hölle” from Domdechant Werner.
I spoke with Cauble a week or so ago, via Zoom, and learned that SommSelect was profitable. We discussed the complexities of shipping wine, and we talked about Riesling and Germany and Austria.
I look forward to tasting with Cauble in person, but until then, here he is in Wine Talk.
James Brock: How has COVID-19 changed your work and life?
Ian Cauble: COVID-19 has obviously changed almost every aspect of daily life for people all over the world. In the face of a pandemic, and so much loss of life and suffering, the first and foremost reaction is just one of sadness for those who have lost loved ones, and tremendous gratitude to healthcare workers and frontline workers who have done so much to keep us safe and keep “normal” life going as much as possible.
As a business owner, of course our number-one priority has been to keep our staff safe and healthy. Some of us have been able to pivot our jobs at SommSelect to working from home, but we have an incredible operations team who have been working in our warehouse under new safety guidelines during COVID and making sure that we’re able to fulfill our orders for customers during the pandemic.
Since we have always been a completely online, DTC business, our model and infrastructure was already very COVID-friendly, and it has been interesting to see people who probably never thought they’d want to buy wine online realize that it’s actually pretty awesome to have wine that’s been hand-selected for you just show up at your door.
As the Chief Wine Officer of our company, one of my main responsibilities is sourcing wines from new producers and regions, so that usually involves a lot of travel in a given year. Cearly all of that came to a screeching halt last March. Of course, I’m itching to get out on the wine route again once it’s safe to do so, but thankfully our suppliers are sending us wines to taste with our team here in Sonoma, so the business hasn’t skipped a beat. I’m just extremely grateful to all of the people who have helped make that possible over the last year.
JB: Tell us about three wines you think are drinking well at the moment. What makes them worthwhile? How about a food pairing for each one?
IC: The first wine I would mention is a Nebbiolo from Piedmont called Conti Boca DOC 2012 ($70). I bought a case from one of our (SommSelect) Daily Offers two years ago and the wine is now firing on all cylinders. I open it with special guests that come over for dinner, usually paired with a slow-braised beef cheek pappardelle with fresh parmesan.
This is an incredible wine made in miniscule quantities just northeast of Barolo within “Alto-Piemonte” (high Piedmont), where it is slightly cooler, with the vineyards sitting in the foothills of the Italian Alps. Until recently the family farmed only about five acres of vines, and the wine is reminiscent of a top-class Barolo/Barbaresco meets fine red Burgundy. The higher elevation leaves more floral notes in the wine and the alcohol is a bit lighter, leaving more tension and minerality. When this wine is paired with the correct dish, served in a big Burgundy stem at just above cellar temp, it can be magical. The production is so small SommSelect gets about 300 bottles a year only, and it is sold as a daily offer.
The next wine I love right now is Walter Scott “La Combe Verte” 2019 Chardonnay ($36), from Willamette Valley. Walter Scott is an up-and-coming superstar in the Oregon wine scene who makes wines very similar to Burgundy’s famous village of Puligny-Montrachet, where many of the greatest white wines on earth are made every year.
The latitude, soils, and climate of the Willamette Valley are all very similar to Burgundy, and that allows producers to make incredible expressions of Chardonnay that can fool many great tasters into thinking the wine is in fact from a famous site in France costing much more. The “Combe Verte” is the entry-level wine from their offerings, which gives the viewer a sneak-peek into how good their top wines are, as their “entry-level” wine is better than other producers’ best offerings. This wine was included in our Explore 4 wine club as one of the four selections this month, where we focused on Oregon. It is a chameleon with food: I have enjoyed it with yellowtail nigiri sushi, and it can pair beautifully with a simple roasted chicken and potatoes. One tip: Make sure to decant their wines for 30 to 60 minutes, as they often need oxygen to open up properly. Also, do not serve this wine too cold — about cellar temp (55F) or so is perfect.
My third selection would have to be Knoll “Schütt” Riesling 2017 ($68), from Austria’s Wachau region just outside of Vienna. The Wachau is one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world and is an UNESCO World Heritage site. These terraced vineyards are a sight to behold, and they produce some of the most spectacular dry white wines in the world. Weingut Knoll is one of the top producers in the region, and I feel honored each time I get to visit and taste the wines. They pair impeccably well with Cantonese cuisine, and I really enjoy pairing his Rieslings with fresh steamed fish with jasmine rice along with bok choy sautéed with ginger and a touch of sesame oil. The simplicity of the dish allows the deep complexities of the Riesling to shine. Alternatively, bring a bottle of Knoll Riesling to a dim-sum restaurant and prepare to be addicted to the experience. You will never forget it.
JB: If cost was no consideration, tell us the one bottle you would add to your personal collection, and why.
IC: I would add Domaine de la Romanée-Conti – Romaneé-Conti 1990. It is one of my favorite vintages in Burgundy, from my favorite producer, and is approaching its peak of drinking now. There are other wines that might be older and rarer, but the odds of drinking perfection are extremely high.
JB: What is your favorite grape, and why?
IC: My favorite grape is Pinot Noir. This is a tough one, but Pinot Noir has the ability to express so many different personalities all over the world. My favorite region of course is Burgundy, but other areas around the world are starting to make stunning expressions of Pinot Noir. Other than DRC noted above, the wines produced by Domaine Leroy are extraordinary, and her Musigny Grand Cru is truly magical. I rarely get to taste it.
JB: How about one bottle that our readers should buy now to cellar for 10 years, to celebrate a birth, anniversary, or other red-letter day?
IC: I would recommend Krug Champagne, Grand Cuvée in magnum or 3 liter. Before I started SommSelect, I worked as the United States ambassador for Krug, and that was an experience I will never forget. To see how these wines evolve over time is truly special, and one of the very best wines I ever tasted was an older bottle of Grande Cuvée out of a 3L right after I passed my Master Sommelier exam. In terms of price to quality, there are a few wines in the world that can compete, and the pleasure factor is an 11 on a 10 scale.
JB: Where is your go-to place when you want to have a glass or bottle (outside of your home and workplace)?
IC: I usually end up at Cadet in downtown Napa. Everyone that works there is extremely knowledgeable and kind, and the prices on the wine list are not much more than normal retail. It makes it easy to go in there and drink a couple of special bottles without breaking the bank. Their selections are top-notch.
JB: If there was one thing you wish everyone would keep in mind when buying and drinking wine, what is it?
IC: I think most people drink white wine way too cold and red wine way too warm. I also think people should be investing in nice glassware because, just like a speaker is to music, your wine will be only as good as your glass you are drinking out of it in terms of aromatic complexity, etc. Zalto makes some great glassware to consider; their Burgundy stem takes drinking Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to another level entirely.
So many corks to pull … (Photo by Emma K. Norris)
JB: What is your “wine eureka moment,” the incident/taste/encounter that put you and wine on an intimate plane forever?
IC: When I returned from traveling overseas for a year and a half after college, I came home broke. I borrowed money from my dad to buy a suit and ended up getting a job at the Wine Merchant of Beverly Hills off Rodeo Drive. A few weeks after I started my boss asked me to go open up a bottle of Domaine G. Roumier Musigny Grand Cru 1990 for him and a special client nand pour it into these special Riedel stems. I polished the glasses and opened up the wine and poured myself a taste, and my life was forever changed.
I had no idea a wine could be so perfumed and thought-provoking! It smelled like strawberries and cream in a cold forest … underbrush, roses, mushrooms, and black truffles. I was literally getting emotional from smelling it. From that moment on, I put all of my focus into learning as much as I could about wine because I wanted to drink wines like that forever and understand what made them so good.
JB: What has been the strangest moment/incident involving wine that you have experienced in your career?
IC: Probably the time when the table I was serving asked the proper way to open a bottle of Champagne. At that time I opened up dozens of bottles a day, but had no idea that this particular bottle had just been delivered a few hours before and had been shaken up all day on the delivery truck. I showed them how to leave the cage on and remove the cork and cage together at the same time for safety while holding the bottle at a slight angle. I then slowly removed the cork from the bottle as usual, and the moment the cork released the wine sprayed all over me and the roof like an explosion, giving a nice gift of Rosé Champagne spray to the ladies in front of me. Ironically, the next week I flew to Athens to compete for the Best Young Sommelier in the world and won gold for the U.S. I always laugh about that story.
JB: Your favorite wine reference in a work of literature?
IC: The Jerk (1979). Steve Martin, when asked if he’d like another bottle of Château Latour: “Yes, but no more 1966. Let’s splurge! Bring us some fresh wine, the freshest you’ve got. This year’s! No more of this old stuff. He doesn’t realize he’s dealing with sophisticated people here.”
What’s in your glass today? Here in downtown Los Angeles, it’s Rosé. Specifically, the 2020 Raeburn Russian River Valley Rosé, which I received recently from the winery’s marketing and PR team. It’s fresh, lively, and as crisp as a perfect Granny Smith apple.
It’s also 74 percent Pinot Noir, 22 percent Zinfandel, and 4 percent Grenache, all sourced from the RRV, and it has a suggested retail price of $19.99.
The Raeburn is a beautiful pale pink in color — soak a few strawberries in water for a day, then remove them from the liquid. The resulting hue is close to what you get with this Rosé. Aromas of strawberry and rose petal, the latter delicate. You’ll appreciate the ripe berry and melon flavors, and if you prefer your Rosé a touch dry, this one should appeal. Its acidity is more than ample.
Fruit was harvested in late August, and the juice rested on its lees before fermentation in stainless steel. Production was 9,000 cases, and the alcohol is listed as 13.5 percent.
If you want to pair this wine with food, a chicken salad (mayonnaise, chipotle pepper, grapes, and shallots) was excellent with it, and mild saucisson would also be a great fit.
Excellent choice …
Speaking of Raeburn, back in November of 2020 I had the good fortune of being gifted a container of fresh Sonoma Dungeness crab and a bottle of Raeburn Chardonnay (2019 Russian River Valley), the idea being to prepare the crab and pair it with the wine. We did, and I think you would love doing the same.
I made crab cakes, and Angela plated them. It was our Diwali celebration.
The following day, I used the remainder of the crab meat (and some Italian sausage) for a pasta dish … and the Chardonnay drank well with both meals. It, too, has a suggested price of $19.99, and it’s well worth that amount of cash. You get a wine that drinks as if it should have cost you more, a not-very-buttery/creamy (in a great way) wine whose body and finish are impressive.
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