Mise en Place

Category: wine (Page 3 of 8)

Rolando Herrera launched Mi Sueño with 200 cases of Chardonnay.

An Impressive Syrah From An Inspirational Winery

October 21, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Rolando Herrera’s story has been told many times, and it is certainly a tale worth knowing. What follows is a summary, a relaying of the highlights of a life, because this piece is about the 2016 Mi Sueño Syrah (Napa Valley). First, the man behind the wine.

The story can begin when the Herrera family moves to Napa, in 1975, relocating from Michoacán, Mexico. Rolando’s father takes a job in a vine nursery, and the 8-year-old Rolando enters school. In 1980, the elder Herrera, ready to retire, returns to Mexico, taking his family with him.

In 1983, Rolando and his brother move back to St. Helena. Rolando said that he missed the American way of life and the beauty of the Napa Valley. He enrolls in high school and work nights and weekends as a dishwasher at Auberge du Soleil.

In 1985, Herrera starts working as a cellar rat at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, where he learns the craft of making wine from Warren Winiarski. Three years later, he is named cellar master at Stag’s Leap.

Lorena Herrera is the co-founder and co-owner of Mi Sueño.

Chateau Potelle is Herrera’s next stop. In 1995, he joins the winery as assistant winemaker. In 1997, he marries Lorena Robledo, and that same year the couple launches Mi Sueño Winery with 200 cases of Chardonnay made from fruit purchased from Lorena’s father. It was an instant success.

This summary does not do justice to the Herrera tale, which is nothing short of an archetypal American success story. Rolando went on to work at Vine Cliff Winery (beginning in 1998) and at Paul Hobbs Winery (beginning in 2001), and in 2003 he and Lorena founded Herrera Vineyard Management.

Before we get to the 2016 Syrah, a few more notes about Mi Sueño:

  • The 1999 Mi Sueño Los Carneros Chardonnay was served at the Bush White House at a state dinner honoring the president of Mexico, Vicente Fox.
  • The 2006 Mi Sueño Russian River Valley Pinot Noir was poured at the Bush White House during the 2008 Cinco de Mayo celebration.
  • President Barack Obama’s first state dinner, honoring Mexico’s president at the time, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, featured the 2006 Herrera Rebecca Cabernet Sauvignon. (In 2004, the couple founded the Herrera portfolio, starring single-varietal and single-vineyard bottlings named after their children.)
Rolando Herrera knows how to prune vines.

In 2004, Rolando began devoting all of his time to Mi Sueño, and in 2016 he and Lorena purchased a property on Mount Veeder, where they plan to construct a winery and a tasting room.

The 2016 Mi Sueño Napa Valley Syrah

To the Syrah: 2016 was a great growing season in Napa Valley, marked by moderate temperatures in July and August and an increase in heat closer to harvest. The fruit was in great condition when it was picked, in mid-October.

This 2016 Syrah (Coombsville AVA) was aged for 20 months (50 percent new French oak); it is 100 percent Syrah, and the fruit came from the Cortese Vineyard. Alcohol is at 14.5 percent, and 290 cases were produced.

If you like Syrah, you will want to buy a bottle of this wine; if you are not overly familiar with Syrah, this bottle a good one to add to a Syrah tasting panel. You will certainly note the peppery characteristic here, white pepper to be exact. Vanilla and black fruit are also evident.

I opened this bottle immediately upon taking it from a 55-Fahrenheit environment, and sampled it shortly thereafter. Dark purple color in the glass, and the tannins are soft, even supple. (I left the bottle uncorked for the rest of the day, until dinner, and the tannins grew a touch softer.) With the elapsed time since the cork was pulled, subtle notes of bay leaf and cola emerged.

A rack of lamb goes well with the Mi Sueño Syrah.

Pairing this wine is going to be fun. I plan to have at least one bottle at the table come Thanksgiving, because I think it will marry perfectly with the smoked turkey we’re ordering. Lamb is another way to go with this Syrah, which is what I did on the tasting day, a rack crusted with panko and Parmigiano-Reggiano. You can order this Syrah directly from the winery, or inquire at your favorite merchant.

Want more wine? Read on:

Joshua Maloney on Riesling and Manfred Krankl
Brothers in Wine
Two Bottles From Priest Ranch
A Derby Day Cocktail
Nate Klostermann is Making Some Great Sparkling Wines in Oregon
Matt Dees and the Electric Acidity of Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay
Baudelaire, Pinot Noir, and Rosé: Kathleen Inman’s Passions
Colombia, France, and California: This Winemaker is a Complex Woman
Michael Kennedy Talks Sailing and Zinfandel
Spain Opened the World of Wine for Spottswoode’s Aron Weinkauf
Alta Colina’s Molly Lonborg Wants a Bottle of Château Rayas
Mumm Napa’s Tami Lotz Talks Wine and Oysters
James MacPhail on Pinot Noir, White Burgundy, and Russell Crowe
A Very Proper Sparkling Wine
Talking With David Ramey
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs

Tenuta Capofaro, on the island of Salina, is the source of some worthy Malvasia.

From Volcanic Soils, Malvasia di Lipari Grapes Bottled Well

October 6, 2020 / / 0 Comments

A heatwave was upon us in downtown Los Angeles late last week.

Our apartment’s living room boasts a wall of windows — glass from floor to ceiling — and while the view is a fine thing to possess, the south-facing orientation becomes a heat trap, a condition heightened when the temperature hovers around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, as it did for two days last week.

A wine I sampled recently is ideal for the current heatwave (I would drink it on a cooler day as well, because the quality/price ratio here is solid). It’s the 2019 “Didyme” Salina IGT from Tenuta Capofaro. It has a suggested retail price of $26.

How much do you know about Malvasia di Lipari the grape? Well, according to Ian D’Agata’s Native Wine Grapes of Italy, it’s been produced since at least the first century B.C.E.; the esteemed botanist Francesco Cupani (1657-1710) mentions it in 1696, using the word malvagia. Sicily is its domain, and Carlo Hauner Sr., a painter and designer, is credited with popularizing it for modern palates. Hauner, from Milan, maintained a second home on the Lipari islands — situated off the northern coast of Sicily — and began producing wine there. (The wine made from the grape is known as malvasia delle Lipari).

“Malvasia di Lipari is immediately recognizable due to its very scrawny, elongated, cylindrical (rarely cylindrical-conical) grape bunch and small, round berries with thin skins,” writes D’Agata.

Malvasia di Lipari

This is a grape, D’Agata continues, that buds early, is susceptible to spring frosts, and is sensitive to oidium. It is an irregular producer, and it is low-yielding. It loves volcanic soil, but is not that vigorous.

At one point, this grape was in danger of becoming extinct, but Hauner Sr. and his compatriots have done more than enough to save it, and while it is not a household name in most wine-drinking parts of the world, it is available for purchase at a good numbers of retailers in the United States (inquire at your favorite wineseller).

Drink this wine with sautéed shrimp or a grilled fish.

To the bottle at hand we go. Tenuta Capofaro is owned by Tasca d’Almerita, and is located on Salina — the same island on which Hauner established his estate. Salina IGT is the appellation. Drink this slightly chilled — it was kept at 55 degrees Fahrenheit in the Eurocave, and I put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before uncorking.

The Didyme is slightly aromatic — apricot is evident — and I appreciate the way it expresses its volcanic terroir. Crisp, bright, marvelous acidity, and pleasant citrus blossoms are notes that come to mind. You will detect herbal activity as well … acacia perhaps foremost. The grapes used here grow at 20 meters above sea level, and the wine is aged for four months in stainless steel. Alcohol is at 13.5 percent, and residual sugar comes in at 2 grams per liter.

If you are curious about food-pairing suggestions, I know that sautéed shrimp (olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes) go well with this wine, as would grilled fish or scallops. Drink now.

I am sampling other wines in the Tasca d’Almerita portfolio now — all of which are imported to the U.S. by Dalla Terra Winery Direct — and will be writing about them soon.

Want more wine? Read on.

Brothers in Wine
Two Bottles From Priest Ranch
A Derby Day Cocktail
Nate Klostermann is Making Some Great Sparkling Wines in Oregon
Matt Dees and the Electric Acidity of Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay
Baudelaire, Pinot Noir, and Rosé: Kathleen Inman’s Passions
Colombia, France, and California: This Winemaker is a Complex Woman
Michael Kennedy Talks Sailing and Zinfandel
Spain Opened the World of Wine for Spottswoode’s Aron Weinkauf
Alta Colina’s Molly Lonborg Wants a Bottle of Château Rayas
Mumm Napa’s Tami Lotz Talks Wine and Oysters
James MacPhail on Pinot Noir, White Burgundy, and Russell Crowe
A Very Proper Sparkling Wine
Talking With David Ramey
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs

The Somerston Estate, 1,682 acres of abundance and beauty. (Courtesy Somerston Estate)

Two Bottles From Priest Ranch That You’ll Drink Happily

September 23, 2020 / / 0 Comments

James Joshua Priest was his name, and he was a gold prospector. In 1869, he established Priest Ranch, in Napa Valley, 660 acres in an area then known as Soda Valley. (Priest, who died in 1896, at 70 years of age, had nine sons, and for a while marketed a spring water that came from his land, located on the eastern side of the Vaca Mountain Range.)

In 2004, businessman Allan Chapman bought the Priest estate, and David Ramey and Biale were among the first purchasers of grapes under his ownership. In 2006, Chapman added to his holdings with the addition of Lynch Vineyard (also known as Elder Valley), and the combined Priest-Lynch properties — 1,682 acres — were rechristened Somerston Estate.

Add this venue to your 2021 tasting schedule. (Courtesy Somertson Estate)

Winemaker Craig Becker had entered the picture in 2005 by buying grapes from Chapman. Becker is now the general manager and director of winemaking at Somerston Estate, having co-founded the Somerston Wine Company with Chapman.

Craig Becker, head winemaker at Somerston Estate, has at his disposal “fruit so distinctive that it requires only minimal processing.” (Courtesy Somerston Estate)

Which brings me to the two bottles of the headline: Becker and Chapman honored the legacy of Mr. Priest by founding the Priest Ranch Winery in 2006, and the 2018 Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon ($50) and Sauvignon Blanc ($22) are those two bottles. I tasted them recently, and have added Becker’s portfolio to my “buy” list.

The Sauvignon Blanc is a wine I could happily drink every day. Crisp is a word often overused to describe a wine, but here it is more than apt. I chilled the bottle for 25 minutes or so, then poured. My initial taste was lively, refreshening. Becker produced some great value here. Light, pale yellow in the glass, bracing acidity.

This is a wine that deserves more recognition.

Some details: Stainless steel fermentation (100 percent) with native yeast at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, 1,480 cases produced, harvested on August 30 and September 4 and 10, released in June of this year. Drink this now, with sautéed or poached shrimp (I paired it with the latter).

The Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon would be a fine choice to serve at a dinner featuring lamb as its main course (with a sparkling and the Sauvignon Blanc preceding it). I sampled this 2018 immediately following the Sauvignon Blanc, and the two provide an informative taste of Becker’s style: He respects each terroir at his disposal, and is unafraid to let them shine. He has confidence in his fruit, and in his ability as a winemaker.

The 2018 Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is priced well at $50.

This is a big wine, and while it is drinking well now, I look forward to revisiting it in a decade’s time. Deep, dark red in the glass, oak, licorice, and soil on the nose, cassis, evanescent lavender, mushroom, and dark cherry in the mouth. It comes in at 14.9 percent alcohol, and 5,880 cases were produced. It is 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and was released on May 1, 2020.

(Note: On September 23, Becker issued the following statement concerning the 2020 vintage:

“Today we made the difficult decision to not harvest any fruit from our 1682-acre estate for the 2020 vintage. In mid-August, the Hennessy fire engulfed our property, burning nearly 1,400 acres of native grasslands and woods. We take pride in the grapes we grow, sell, and vinify and make no compromises. We stand unwavering in our long-term commitment to this property, our winery partners, customers, and distributors. Quality in our world of fine wine is paramount, and due to smoke damage caused by Northern California’s Hennessey Fire, we won’t be making any wine this year.On a positive note, while the scrub pine, madrona, manzanita, bay trees, and other shrubs did burn, about 98% of the oak trees on our property did not. We expect that the estate will regain its beauty with thriving oak woodlands and grasslands in a few years. We look forward to the 2021 growing season next year, producing high-quality grapes for our wines and those of our partners.”)

Want more wine? Read on:

A Derby Day Cocktail
Nate Klostermann is Making Some Great Sparkling Wines in Oregon
Matt Dees and the Electric Acidity of Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay
Baudelaire, Pinot Noir, and Rosé: Kathleen Inman’s Passions
Colombia, France, and California: This Winemaker is a Complex Woman
Michael Kennedy Talks Sailing and Zinfandel
Spain Opened the World of Wine for Spottswoode’s Aron Weinkauf
Alta Colina’s Molly Lonborg Wants a Bottle of Château Rayas
Mumm Napa’s Tami Lotz Talks Wine and Oysters
James MacPhail on Pinot Noir, White Burgundy, and Russell Crowe
A Very Proper Sparkling Wine
Talking With David Ramey
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs

The cordon rouge sash has been around since 1876.

One Thing I’ll Be Drinking on Derby Day This Year

September 3, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I have always admired horses, and if I owned land enough would love to share my life with a few of them. One of my uncles raised cattle — Black Angus — and also always had a horse two around. They were my introduction to the equine world.

Since then, I have ridden on occasion, and I’ve attended horse shows and equestrian exhibitions. And I’ve been an avid fan of the Kentucky Derby.

I don’t know which year marked my first Derby viewing, but it’s must-see television for me. In 2013, I was in Louisville for the running, and neither inclement weather nor a haunted bed and breakfast dimmed my experience.

A day at the Derby, 2013 edition

This year, I will not be in Louisville for the Derby. I’ll be in Los Angeles, but the horses will be running and the television will be on and I’ll make a cocktail to celebrate the occasion. The foundation of that cocktail is already chilling in the refrigerator …

It’s a bottle of G.H. Mumm Grand Cordon, and with it I’ll concoct a (modified) Ken-Tiki Derby Julep (more on that soon). This Brut Champagne is 45 percent Pinot Noir, 30 percent Chardonnay, and 25 percent Pinot Meunier (residual sugar is 8 g/l). It is cellared for 30 months.

Lots of tradition in this bottle.

During the past several months I have tasted a number of Mumm Napa sparkling wines, including a Brut Prestige, a Brut Rosé, the 2013 DVX Rosé, and the 2011 DVX, and I’ve featured Tami Lotz, the Mumm Napa winemaker, in Wine Talk. I’ve also popped open a few G.H. Mumm bottles in that time, and not one of them was less than highly pleasing.

Here’s how I’ll make my Kentucky Derby cocktail:

Ingredients:

2 ounces G.H. Mumm Grand Cordon Champagne
1.5 ounces Aberfeldy 12 (the original Ken-Tiki uses Jameson Black Barrel)
.5 ounces lime juice
.25 ounces pineapple syrup
5 mint leaves

In a highball glass, combine mint, pineapple syrup, and lime juice. Muddle the mix, then add the Aberfeldy. Next comes crushed ice and a stir to combine. Pour Champagne over the top and add 3 dashes of Angostura bitters.

Storm the Court is my pick to win the 2020 Kentucky Derby. (Photo: Emily Shields)

My Derby tip, you ask? Well, if I was betting, I’d pick Storm the Court to win, followed by, in this order, Authentic and Ny Traffic.

Want more wine? Read on:

Nate Klostermann is Making Some Great Sparkling Wines in Oregon
Matt Dees and the Electric Acidity of Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay
Baudelaire, Pinot Noir, and Rosé: Kathleen Inman’s Passions
Colombia, France, and California: This Winemaker is a Complex Woman
Michael Kennedy Talks Sailing and Zinfandel
Spain Opened the World of Wine for Spottswoode’s Aron Weinkauf
Alta Colina’s Molly Lonborg Wants a Bottle of Château Rayas
Mumm Napa’s Tami Lotz Talks Wine and Oysters
James MacPhail on Pinot Noir, White Burgundy, and Russell Crowe
A Very Proper Sparkling Wine
Talking With David Ramey
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs


Looking for something to toast a friend on the occasion of his birthday? This sparking Rosé from Trentino is a good choice.

We Toasted Colby With Monfort Rosé, a Worthy Trentodoc Choice

July 28, 2020 / / 0 Comments

We had arranged a Virtual Happy Hour/Birthday Party last week with friends — his birthday fell on a weekday this year, so we opted to gather on the Saturday following his big day — and I decided to toast him with a sparkling wine.

Which wine, however, was the question. It’s a commandment around the BrockShah household that at least two bottles of sparkling — Champagne, Sekt, Lambrusco, Cava, or another variety of bubbly wine —be chilled and ready to serve at all times.

On that auspicious Saturday, I had the following bottles from which to choose: a Riesling Sekt from Loosen Bros., a 2011 DVX from Mumm, a Lambrusco from Cleto Chiarli, a non-vintage Billecart-Salmon Rosé, and a Monfort Rosé from Cantine Monfort. I chose the latter bottle, and we celebrated our friend’s birthday in Italian style.

Trentino, in the countrys’ far north, is the home of Monfort, and Trento DOC is an appellation about which you should know more (if you don’t already). The sparkling wines made there are of great value, and the producers are fine practitioners of the metodo classico.

The Monfort Trentodoc sparkling we drank possessed a beautiful pale-salmon hue in the stem. Perlage was distinct, fine, lively, and vigorous. We drank it with Goldfish, and loved the pairing. You will note appealing aromas of wild strawberry and citrus; hints of toast and nuttiness are the flavor profiles.

This Rosé is 50 percent Chardonnay and 50 percent Noir, and alcohol comes in at 12.5 percent. Residual sugar, you ask? That would be 8 grams per liter, decidedly dry. Look for this wine at the $30 price point.

Want more wine? Read on:

Colombia, France, and California: This Winemaker is a Complex Woman
Michael Kennedy Talks Sailing and Zinfandel
Spain Opened the World of Wine for Spottswoode’s Aron Weinkauf
Alta Colina’s Molly Lonborg Wants a Bottle of Château Rayas
Mumm Napa’s Tami Lotz Talks Wine and Oysters
James MacPhail on Pinot Noir, White Burgundy, and Russell Crowe
A Very Proper Sparkling Wine
Talking With David Ramey
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs

Another harvest nears ...

Wines For Summer and Beyond

July 22, 2020 / / 0 Comments

How’s your summer going? Is it summer? Judging by most of the conversations I’m having, it’s a summer like no other … I do not count among my friends or acquaintances anyone who remembers the global pandemic of 1918-1919.

As usual, I’ve been tasting a lot of wines, for review purposes and otherwise, and every time I sit down to write about them, I hear a voice in my head saying something along these lines: “Wine? You are writing about wine? The world is falling apart, the alleged leader of the U.S. performing on par with the leaders of Russia, India, and Brazil, a pandemic is killing hundreds of thousands of your fellow citizens, and you are extolling the wonders of Riesling?”

I listen to the voice, and I know it has a great point. “I am writing about wine, I respond to the voice, but I am also working on a piece that will attempt to lay out my emotions and thoughts about the chaos and dysfunction we are all experiencing.” The voice grows quiet, for a moment …

Yesterday, I published Wine Talk, this one featuring Bibiana González Rave, and today I’m going to sample one of her wines, a Syrah. She makes a Sauvignon Blanc that I wish everyone could taste. Get to know her, and buy some of her wines.

My Summer Wine Guide was published last week, at PaperCitymag.com. It is a selection of bottles I love, wines from, among other places, Italy and Oregon and California and Germany. Give it a read here.

As always, drink well, with those you love.

Want more wine? Read on:

Michael Kennedy Talks Sailing and Zinfandel
Spain Opened the World of Wine for Spottswoode’s Aron Weinkauf
Alta Colina’s Molly Lonborg Wants a Bottle of Château Rayas
Mumm Napa’s Tami Lotz Talks Wine and Oysters
James MacPhail on Pinot Noir, White Burgundy, and Russell Crowe
A Very Proper Sparkling Wine
Talking With David Ramey
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs

Gundlach Bundschu’s Merlot Was Made for Lamb Meatballs

May 19, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Virtual tastings: How many have you participated in during the past week? I’ve enjoyed several, including one a few days ago that featured a Chardonnay, a Syrah, and a Cabernet Sauvignon, all from California, from different producers, and all representing great value (look for a review soon).

COVID-19 has made this type of tasting a regular thing, and I am looking forward to taking part in more of them later this week, and well (who knows for how long?) into the future. Let me know how yours are going.

Today, I want to tell you about a 2016 Merlot, from Gundlach Bundschu, an estate that traces its founding to 1858, when a Bavarian, Jacob Gundlach, purchased 400 acres in Sonoma, an expanse he named Rhinefarm. He then returned to Germany, married Eva, and the couple traveled in their homeland and France on their honeymoon, during which Jacob bought the rootstock he planted on the farm. The following year, 1859, Jacob and his three partners established 60,000 vines on the property.

The 2016 Gundlach Bundschu Merlot is well worth its $35 price.

The sixth generation of the family is now in charge at Rhinefarm, led by Jeff Bundschu, who became president of the family-owned venture in 2001, when he was 33.

To the 2016 Merlot. It marked the 40th anniversary of the wine for Gundlach Bundschu (the first vintage was 1976), and here’s the rundown on the varietal composition: 82 percent Merlot, 9 percent Petit Verdot, and 9 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged for 17 months in 100 percent French oak (Nadalié), 40 percent new. Alcohol is 14.6 percent.

I opened this bottle one evening last week, and sampled it immediately. I was met with aromas of dark cherries, tobacco, earth, and mushroom, an entirely pleasant experience. The spice notes rang out in the mouth, along with mushroom, vanilla (slight), ripe cherry, and leather. Tannins here are rounded, relaxed. My next taste came 20 minutes later, and the time benefitted the wine’s balance.

Pairings? I had laid out a block of Gorgonzola earlier in the day, and it was perfect for this bottle. The main course that evening was lamb meatballs, and I cannot think of anything I’d enjoy more with this Merlot, which can be had for around $35 — it’s sold out at the winery, but is available at many merchants.

Want more wine? Read on:

James MacPhail Has His Way With Pinot
A Very Proper Sparkling Wine
Talking With David Ramey
A Merlot That Your Snob Friend Will Love
French Couple Make a Sauvignon Blanc in California
A Perfect Afternoon Chardonnay
Terry Theise Talks Reisling
A New Wine Wonderland
Paris Wine Goddess Tells All
Rice Village Wine Bar Has a Cleveland Touch
A Texas White Blend for Your Table
A Pinot Noir Full of Flavor
This Pinot Gris From Oregon Pairs Well With Cheese
Willamette, Dammit!
A Value Rioja
Drink Pink!
Underbelly Veteran Goes for Grenache
A Man of Letters and Wine
Ms. Champagne Wants a Nebuchadnezzar
The Wine Artist Goes for Chardonnay
This American Loves Spain and Its Wines
Houston’s Wine Whisperer Has a Soft Touch
Blackberry Farm’s Somm Pours in Splendor
Mr. Pinot Noir: Donald Patz of Patz & Hall
A Cork Dork Wants to Spend More Time in Tuscany
Sommelier Turned Restaurateur Daringly Goes Greek
Texas Master Sommelier Debunks Wine Geeks
A Bottle From Gigondas Changed This Houston Man’s Life
Oil Man Falls in Love, and the Rest is Good-Taste History
Ryan Cooper of Camerata is a Riesling Man
Mixing It Up With Jeremy Parzen, an Ambassador of Italy
Sommelier at One of Houston’s Top Wine Bars Loves Underdogs

Wines from Alto Adige belong on every table. (Courtesy Alois Lageder)

Two Bottles From a Fine Alto Adige Producer

April 25, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Wines from northern Italy are among my favorites, particularly those from Alto Adige. Kerner, Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Sylvaner, Lagrein … those names make me happy. The region is home to some great producers, and the wines they make will always have a home in my collection.

This week was a great one, in part because I opened two bottles from Alto Adige, a 2019 Pinot Bianco ($15 SRP) and a 2019 Pinot Grigio ($16 SRP), both from Alois Lageder’s Terra Alpina line, and both Dolomiti IGT.

The wines produced by Lageder never fail to impress me; they are made well, and they represent great value. (Alois Lageder was founded in 1823, and is led today by the sixth generation of the family.) While we are not at the moment hosting dinner parties, a Lageder bottle or three will certainly be in the mix at our initial pre-Covid gathering.

A Pinot Bianco from Alois Lageder, 2019 vintage …
… and the 2019 Terra Alpina Pinot Grigio from Lageder.

Lageder works with growers in the Dolomiti to produce wines in its Terra Alpina line, and is encouraging all of them to transition to organic farming . The producer’s estate vineyards are all certified organic and biodynamic.

Back in 2018, in Houston, I spent some time with Alois Clemens Lageder, Alois Lageder’s son. We talked Fußball and Rudolf Steiner, and, of course, wine, three things we both care about. His pride in his family’s history and dedication to the land they own was evident.

I tasted the two Terra Alpina wines on an early evening, slightly chilled. (Here is where I remind you to drink your white wines warmer than you probably do now, and your red wines a bit cooler than you likely do now. Disregard this if you have already heeded my request.)

The winemakers behind both of these wines are Jo Pfisterer, Georg Meissner, and Paola Tenaglia.

Alois Clemens Lageder and his father, Alois Lageder. (Courtesy Alois Lageder)

The Pinot Bianco is produced from grapes grown in soil containing primarily limestone, with some volcanic (porphyry) content, and the vines are at 300-500 meters. The Pinot Grigio’s soil makeup is the same, and the vines grow at 200-300 meters in elevation. Both spend up to four months on the lees, and are aged in stainless tanks.

We began with the Pinot Grigio; in the glass, it possesses a straw-yellow tone, inviting. Citrus and faint cinnamon aromas are evident, and it sparkles on the tongue. Poached shrimp would be ideal with this wine.

The Pinot Bianco, just as lively as the Pinot Grigio, with which it shares its color profile, offers apple and peach aromas — those notes make one think the wine might perhaps be “sweeter” than it is. It does drink heavier than the Pinot Grigio, has a slightly heftier body. My grocery delivery was full of asparagus, so we paired the Pinot Grigio with some stalks roasted with olive oil and garlic.

Alois Clemens Lageder says that Herman Hesse is his favorite author; Hesse is one of the first writers I gravitated to upon moving to Germany, and I’ll close this with a quote from him; feel free to replace “tree” with “vine”:

A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt and the risk that the eternal mother took with me is unique, unique the form and veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail.

The Benzinger family's land tells a tale of family, hard work, and passion. (Courtesy Benzinger Family Winery)

During Lockdown, Virtual Tastings Become The Norm

April 22, 2020 / / 0 Comments

If you are like most people I know, Zoom (or another online-meeting platform) has more than likely become a fixture around your home. This past Sunday, we used it to host my virtual birthday party, and a few days before that I participated in a virtual tasting put on by Benzinger Family Winery.

Chris Benzinger, the winery’s vice president of trade relations, hosted the tasting, and the tales he told of his family’s love affair with the land on Sonoma Mountain in Glen Ellen that they purchased in 1980 made me want to leave my lockdown in Los Angeles and head north for a visit.

Chris Benzinger

The occasion for the tasting was the 20th anniversary of Benzinger’s certification as a biodynamic farm by the Demeter Association, something of which Chris, who joined the family business in 1993, is clearly proud.

We began with the 2017 Reserve Chardonnay ($30), and followed that with the 2016 de Coelo Quintus Pinot Noir ($69), the 2016 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($20), and the 2016 Sunny Slope “Signaterra” Cabernet Sauvignon ($59). Each of these wines is drinking well now; I especially enjoyed the Sonoma County Cab and the de Coelo Quintus, and I want to taste the 2016 Sunny Slope Cab five years from now. (If you join a Benzinger wine club, discounts are offered on these bottles.)

The Benzinger family left New York in 1973 and headed out to California to make wine.

These wine are, of course, available from the winery, or you can check with your favorite merchant.

Next up, tastings of a Pinot Bianco and a Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige. Until then, drink well, with those you love, and stay safe.

Rioja, wonderful Rioja ...

A Crianza For Every Day, Plus a Special Evening in Los Angeles

March 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Rioja means a lot to me. I’ve spent time in the beautiful region on several occasions, with Angela and friends, and we always dined and drank well.

This wine is a must-buy.

Tempranillo is the key word there, and here, because the wine I want to tell you about today is 100 percent Tempranillo, a Crianza from Viña Pomal.

As you’ll read, I paired it with lamb chops, and everything about the combination was just right. You can find this bottle for around $16, and I’d buy it by the case if I were you.

It’s going to be amazing …

For anyone in Los Angeles on March 10, I have a recommendation for you, and it can be conveyed in three words: Heitz, Mayacamas, and Corison. You’ll need a reservation at the NoMad Hotel, an appetite, and the capacity to deal with wines from three spectacular producers.

EVENING MENU

CANAPES
Cauliflower Hummus Tartlet
Chicken Burger with Truffle Mayo, Frisee & Pickled Shallots
Hanger Steak Skewer with Salsa Verde

Paired with
Billecart-Salmon, Selection NoMad, Extra Brut, Mareuil-Sur-Ay


FIRST COURSE
Kanpachi Ceviche
Radish, Onion, and Lettuces

Paired with
2018 Heitz, Chardonnay, Quartz Creek Vineyard
2018 Corazon, Gewurztraminer, Anderson Valley
2002 Mayacamas, Chardonnay, Mt Veeder


SECOND COURSE
Cavatelli
Winter Mushrooms, Swiss Chard & Parmesan

Paired with
2014 Heitz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Trailside Vineyard
2015 Corison, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2015 Mayacamas, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder


THIRD COURSE
NoMad Roasted Chicken Breast 
Black Truffle-Parmesan Stuffing with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Chicken Jus

Paired with
2000 Heitz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Trailside Vineyard
2005 Corison, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2005 Mayacamas, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder

Drink well, with those you love.

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