Notes From The Cellar » syrah

☆ 2009 Donkey & Goat Four Thirteen

Steve — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:00:55 +0000

Wineries? In Berkeley?!

Let’s not get carried away.

Obviously, the wine I’m telling you about today is not from grapes grown in Berkeley, California. While I have not scoured the streets, alleyways, and head shops of the home not only of the great University of California Golden Bears football team, but also of aging hippies, I do know I have never found a vineyard in Berkeley.

And I know for sure, that wine grapes are not what’s growing in People’s Park.

That having been said, there are wineries in Berkeley. Oakland and San Francisco, as well. Small-batch, family-owned boutique wineries in Northern California have begun setting up shop in the Bay Area’s urban centers, and not just the fertile valleys of Napa and Sonoma counties.

Because they do not grow their own grapes (at least not on the estate!) but instead buy them from grapegrowers all over the state, what chance these winemakers have to set themselves apart is often in the blending.

Which is why I was so excited to taste this, a Chateauneuf-du-Pape-style red blend from one of Berkeley’s best-named wineries, A Donkey & Goat Winery.

Seriously. Nailed the name.

So, what do we have here in Donkey & Goat’s 2009 Four Thirteen blend? 46% syrah, 33% grenache, 18% mourvedre, and 3% counoise, all from El Dorado County in the Sierra Foothills. Details and digits aside, we also have a very tasty wine.

The first thing you want to do after you pour yourself a glass of the Four Thirteen is take look. The wine is stunning. Blood red at the core— really vibrant— with ruby edges that are only slightly lighter.

On the nose, the heat shows off just a bit— never a good thing, but here, not enough to kill off the nose’s strong points. Blackberry, black pepper, leather, and notes of dark caramel. Rich, strong, weighty, meaty, and hefty. This wine is like Gerard Depardieu: it’s got a nose with gravitas.

The wine is medium bodied, and the finish is passable but could be longer. The nose is so awesomely bombastic that the palate could be a bit of letdown, were it not so damn tasty. Black fruits, earth and leather, and a hint of cassis round out this wine’s palate. I do wish it packed the punch hinted at by the nose, but I’m not going to complain.

Wine this good just doesn’t come around all that often. And in my experience, it never comes from Berkeley.

Bravo, Donkey & Goat. Bravo.

Price Point: $30

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☆ 2007 Hess Collection Mount Veeder 19 Block Cuvée

Steve — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:00:03 +0000

Big-Time High-Elevation Cab Blend

I’m a huge fan of this wine, for more than a few reasons.

It’s a mostly-Bordeaux-style blend (called “meritage” (rhymes with “heritage”) here in California), but there’s this dollop of Syrah thrown in for good measure.

In general, I’ve found myself becoming a big fan of wine that, while officially from the Napa Valley, is not from the valley floor. One of my favorite Napa reds is Regusci’s “Angelo’s Vineyard” Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon from the eastern edge of the Stag’s Leap AVA. I have adored just about everything I’ve ever tried from Howell Mountain. I’m even going to put that on my birthday list this year: if you want to get me wine, just get me something—anything—from Howell Mountain.

Mount Veeder, an appelation that hugs the Napa/Sonoma county line along the western edge of Napa Valley, is one I haven’t been as familiar with. Most of my Napa Valley experience has been along the iconic St. Helena Highway (a.k.a. Highway 29) or the Silverado Trail, to the east. But that’s simply going to have to change. I want more.

To this wine in particular, then. The 2007 Hess Collection Mount Veeder 19 Block Cuvée (whew!) is a gorgeous wine in the glass: a burgundy red core with just barely-lighter ruby edges. The nose shows off subtle, but apparent, fruit notes. Mostly blackberry and raspberry, but some plum as well. The nose more obviously shows off some earthier tones, tobacco, cedar, and cigar box. Very rich.

The wine is medium bodied, a bit lighter than I’d expected, but it shows off right away, with lush, supple tannins and a long, lingering finish. The palate is a bit fruitier than the nose, and some of the notes lighten slightly to cherry and strawberry, but everything is nuanced and in balance. There is structure here, structure like a nun running detention. Not to be trifled with.

This is really great wine. This is really, really easy to recommend wine. I’m a recent convert, but I’m going to be doing some more exploring of Mount Veeder, I can promise you that much.

Price Point: $36

☆ 2009 The Prisoner

Steve — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:00:55 +0000

A Slight Decline, But Still Sublime

I am a big fan of The Prisoner. This is not news to anyone who previously read my rhapsodic review of the 2008 vintage. If you haven’t, feel free to, either now, or when you’re finished here.

I’m also a big fan of this wine, although it does show some dissimilarities with its immediate predecessor.

For one thing, while Orin Swift Cellars is still the name on the bottle, a new crew owns The Prisoner. The 2009 is the first vintage bottled by The Prisoner’s new owners, Huneeus Vintners, who also own (among others) Quintessa and Faust in Napa Valley, Flowers on the Sonoma Coast, and Veramonte in Chile.

I’m not so sure the change in ownership has benefitted the wine. In fact, before finding any of this out, I had already decided I preferred the 2008. Still, this remains one of the single finest value buys in Napa Valley wine in my opinion. At $35 per bottle, you can easily do much, much worse.

In fact, don’t let my hand-wringing over the inside baseball of ownership dissuade you: this is some really, really good wine.

The 2009 Prisoner has a dark burgundy core in the glass, that lightens a bit to red at its edges. On the nose you’ll find ripe cherries, a touch of strawberry and raspberry. The nose is almost entirely fruit, and not quite as complex as the previous vintage. The wine is medium bodied, and the palate gives more of the complex aromas and flavors that are missing a bit from the nose: incredibly bright, jammy raspberry and cherry notes mingle with subtle dark chocolate and just a touch of smoke.

Soft, supple tannins round out the mouthfeel. Incredibly tasty.

Hopefully, Huneeus won’t fix what ain’t broke, and hopefully fans will be able to enjoy The Prisoner for years to come.

☆ 2008 J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

Steve — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:00:21 +0000

Surprising, Young Paso Cab Blend

Last autumn, I participated, if only briefly, in the judging process for the Cabernet Shootout. I discovered that day a few truths: first, tasting and judging a whole slew of wines in one afternoon really isn’t for me. Second, I really quite enjoy Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon.

First off, who is J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines? A big, big, big winery. The 16th largest in California, with an annual production of over 1,000,000 cases. That’s over 2.3 million gallons of juice every year.

So, this is no boutique shop. No newcomer, scratching for attention. Probably not the kind of winery that sends samples to wine bloggers, for instance. This bottle, I tasted because a friend brought it over to the house, and wanted to know my opinion.

My opinion, frankly, surprised me. This ain’t so bad!

First things first, the 2008 J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is not just cabernet sauvignon. It’s a blend of many red grapes: 78% cab sauv, 9% petite sirah, 4% syrah, 3% merlot, 3% petit verdot, 2% cabernet franc, and 1% (and this is my favorite part) “other reds.”

Ha! “Other reds,” seriously? That’s creepy.

But what of the wine? It’s got a dark, almost black core in the glass, and lightens to ruby red edges. On the nose are very cabernet-esque aromas of blackberry, raspberry, and cedar.

The wine is medium-bodied, with something of a short finish. It’s fruit-forward, with more blackberry and raspberry on the palate, but also some nice, though tight, tannin structure that makes me think it will age, if only 2-5 years or so.

It’s really quite enjoyable, and shows an age-worthiness and structure that seems out of place of its production level and its sub-$10 price point. Which makes it the first-ever recipient of my Supermarket Surprise badge.

☆ 2009 Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz

Steve — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:00:05 +0000

Big Aussie Kicks Ass, Takes Names

Let me get something out in the open real quick: this wine is 16% alcohol. Now, most of you who have read my blog for a while—I suppose I should say, those who stuck around during my long, and unexcused absence—know I don’t tend to care for high-alcohol wine. Normally, I do not.

This is a special case. Or my tastes are changing. Or something else. Regardless, I love this wine.

I was introduced to this wine during the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. During a “speed-tasting” event, this was one of the red wines offered to us to try. It was, off the bat, big, bad, (like the way Michael Jackson used the word “bad”) and bold.

This is Mollydooker’s crown jewel shiraz. I’m a big, big fan of their Blue Eyed Boy and Boxer shirazes, and will hopefully be writing up at least one of them soon. The Velvet Glove is a pricey number, however—between $150-$200, which hurts to even think about.

Like a lot of good shiraz/syrah that I’ve had, the coloring on the Velvet Glove is a lot more purple than it is red or black. The edges pink out a bit, but your glass will be purple to the core. The nose is pretty bad ass. Lots of dark red fruit, some earth and some cigar box. The most interesting thing to me was that my nostrils didn’t burn.

Remember, 16% alcohol. This thing should be torching nosehairs. But it doesn’t.

The wine is very full bodied, with a long, loooooong finish. The alcohol again doesn’t go crazy on you, though it is more apparent on the palate than on the nose. Still, very good balance here. Big plum and black cherry notes. Lots of fruit, but still enough to keep a no-fruit-bombs guy like me interested.

The wine may be priced out of most people’s reach—including my own—and the populist-slash-class warfare combatant in me wants to dock this wine just for having the audacity to reach up close to $200 per bottle. But i can’t.

It’s just too tasty. I can’t stay mad at you for long, Velvet Glove.

Verdict: 95/100

☆ 2009 Mollydooker Blue-Eyed Boy Shiraz

Steve — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 20:13:03 +0000

Crikey! Good Wine, Mate!

My inexcusably embarrassing attempt to sound Aussie notwithstanding, I had some very good wine over the weekend, and felt compelled to share the news.

See, I haven’t been drinking much wine lately.

I’ll take your sudden, sharp inhalation of breath as a sign of shock. If you’re choking, call 9-1-1. If truly all you’re dealing with is the minor trauma that comes from learning that your favorite¹ wine writer hasn’t been partaking of the juice a whole lot lately, then read on.

My mother-in-law had a birthday. I thought it might be a good idea to bring some wine, and frankly, the cellar is getting a bit full. Because I am completely clear about my status as a crapshoot, I have no qualms sharing wine that I’ve been sent by the winery, or a P.R. firm, or whoever else randomly sends me bottles on occasion.

But I do try to pay attention. And I’m glad I did.

Bottles of Mollydooker wine include the direction to do “the Mollydooker Shake” before drinking their wine. What is that, you ask? It’s this, actually:

Sounds patently ridiculous. But then, I’ve been known to do patently ridiculous things. At times in my life, with regularity. So screw it, I thought, I’ll give their silly little process a chance.

Since the Mollydooker Shake includes pouring out a touch of the wine that you can’t get back into the bottle, I took the opportunity to taste that first. It was nice, but nothing special. A run-of-the-mill syrah, with a hint of red fruit, but also some sharp, jagged edges that kept me from loving it.

Then I shook, or Shaked, perhaps,² and followed the instructions in the video to the letter.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Quite the difference. Supple, silky, rich and creamy, simply bursting with dark red fruit notes. Raspberry and dark cherry flavors mingle with chocolate and espresso in this ridonkulous way. The wine may have been a bit one-note, but that one note had it pleasing everyone present.

I think I might need to drink some more wine. And soon.

Verdict: B+

(Sent to me by Mollydooker blah blah blah I’m in it for the samples and obviously cannot be trusted blah blah blah Parker doesn’t buy his goddamn wine, either blah blah blah FCC)

Footnotes

Ed note: HA!
Damn proper nouns…

☆ 2001 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Volant

Steve — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:00:04 +0000

Bonny Doon Flagship Holds Up Over Time

It should come as no surprise, dear reader, that I like Bonny Doon Vineyard. In an interview this summer I namedropped BDV’s head honcho, Randall Grahm, as someone I really admire in California winemaking.

Le Cigare Volant is the flagship wine from Bonny Doon. A Châteauneuf-du-Pape-style blend of grenache, syrah, mourvèdre, viognier, cinsault, and carignane, this is the southern Rhône-inspired wine that gave the Rhône Ranger his famous nom de nick.

A few months back, I had the pleasure of meeting Randall at BDV’s Santa Cruz tasting room, and he poured vintage after vintage of this mainstay. I think the 2001 might have been my favorite of all the Volants I tried.

The 2001 Le Cigare Volant from Bonny Doon is the first recipient of my heretofore-un-awarded Tall, Dark, and Handsome badge. A dark, ruby red at its core, the wine lightens and gets a bit tawny to the edges, but it’s still a bold, dark presence in the glass.

Notes of leather mix with a smoky raspberry aroma on the nose, mingling with plum and other dark fruit. The wine is medium-bodied and exceptionally balanced. Full of lush, fleshy fruit, the wine has a smokiness that is unmistakable and, for those who will enjoy it, intoxicating. And not just intoxicating because it’s alcoholic, smart guy.

This wine has held up beautifully over the last nine years, and feels no where near its peak. It could drink well for another decade, certainly, but it’s incredibly delicious now, and highly recommended. And at about $20-$30 a bottle, it’s a complete steal.

Verdict: 92/100

☆ 2008 The Prisoner

Steve — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:00:05 +0000

Gladly Taken Prisoner

Orin Swift Cellars is new.

I don’t mean “new” like they were just formed yesterday, or this is their first vintage, or even that you probably haven’t heard of them. They weren’t, the first release of The Prisoner was the 2003 vintage, and it’s entirely likely that you have.

What I mean is that they’re nouveau. They’re young, and vibrant, and current, and modern. Exciting and interesting, doing things and saying things.

Winery honcho/winemaker/jefe Dave Phinney likes him some zinfandel. The first wine he released under the Orin Swift Cellars name was the 2003 Prisoner, a zinfandel-based blend of some incredible Napa juice. The latest vintage is no different.

The 2008 Prisoner is 46% zinfandel, 26% cabernet sauvignon, 15% syrah, 10% petite sirah, 2% charbono, and 1% grenache. The main players, in my opinion, are the first three, and before you read on you should probably try to think, for a second, what a zinfandel/cab sauv/syrah blend might be like.

Ready?

If your first thought was “big,” you get a gold friggin’ star.

Luckily for me, and everyone else who’s had the fortune of drinking the 2008 Prisoner, “big” is not the only appropriate descriptor here. Fruit-forward, balanced, acidic, earthy all work as well. So, the notes, then?

The wine is dark as night in the core of the glass, and lightens to a bright ruby red at the edges. The nose is lush with sweet cherries and darker, richer blackberries, plus a hint of tobacco or cigar box aromas. It smells rich. It smells like it’s not about to fuck around.

The Prisoner is a full-bodied wine that really coats your mouth. Here is an actual note I wrote in my notebook:

Tannin structure out the ass

This, I assure you, should be translated as “lots of structure.” The tannins aren’t rough or overpowering, though. Raspberry and cherry do a little dance, make a little love, and get down with a nicely-balanced earthiness and acidity that just makes itself known on the mid-palate. The lingering finish of cherries keeps you coming back for more.

I say god damn, this is some tasty wine.

The Prisoner has gained a cult following, and it is deserved. This latest vintage is a great example of California red blends done well, and for around $30 a bottle it won’t take your pocketbook captive.

Verdict: 95/100

2008 The Prisoner

☆ 2007 Salinia “Heintz Ranch” Syrah

Steve — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:00:41 +0000

You’re Gonna Love This Syrah; Or, You Really Won’t

I struggled with the title of this one a bit. The fact of the matter is that this syrah, from winemaking couple Kevin and Jennifer Kelley of the NPA, is something I liked quite a bit, but I could see how many would not.

Ain’t that the fun part about wine?

Salinia is the Kelley’s micro-winery with a bit more of a traditional place in the wine world than the Natural Process Alliance. For one, Salinia wine comes in glass bottles. The purpose and driving force behind Salinia seems to be pretty different. While NPA wines are all about process (and the extraction of the winemaker from it in many ways), Salinia wines are all about terroir. The specific vineyard sites, and the general location in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley near the town of Occidental, CA, are chosen for what they bring specifically to the wines.

The thing is, that can’t be all there is to it. Terroir is important, obviously, but other wineries source grapes from Heintz Ranch, and I can’t believe they taste quite like this.

In the glass, the ’07 Syrah offering from Salinia is ruby at its core, but lightens to almost-clear, muted pink at the edges. The nose on this wine is stinky (in that way I oh-so-love) with pickle brine, manzanilla olive, and pimento pepper.

On the palate is more of the same. There is good tannin structure here, and as the wine has just been released, it’s entirely possible that with a few years’ time, it will taste nothing like this, but for now: olives. Manzanilla, kalamata, and olive brine. This is like the wine world’s version of a dirty martini.

It’s different, it’s interesting. It’s stinky in a fun, drinkable way. It really tastes very natural, very un-screwed-around-with, which is a complement in and of itself.

Verdict: B+

(photo: Flickr user clkohan / CC BY-NC-ND)

☆ 2007 TRÉ Cellars California Syrah

Steve — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:29:32 +0000

I Just Don’t Know Why Anyone Would Drink This

I get supermarket wine, I really do.

Not everyone lives near a wine shop. Not everyone wants to bother with an additional trip to a wine shop to buy their wine. Many people just drink wine, and all they want to do is drink something familiar and inoffensive that won’t break the bank.

I was sent several bottles of an admittedly supermarket-grade wine (it was right there in their literature) to review here on Notes. One was a chardonnay that really pleasantly surprised me, and one was a cabernet sauvignon I couldn’t find much to say good things about.

There are two more bottles. This is one of them. It is far, far more the latter than the former.

The 2007 TRÉ Cellars California Syrah is the TRÉ in the pink label. Its grapes come from some of the most prestigious growing regions across California. The TRÉ Cellars motto is “Three generations of winemakers. Three brothers continuing the family legacy. Three unique characters, sharing a common vision, To create the perfect wine to be enjoyed as ‘One of Life’s Simple Pleasures.’”

None of this tells you anything about what’s in the bottle, of course.

In the glass, the syrah is a dark maroon red at its core, with lightening, pinker-but-still-red edges. The nose offers some interesting aromas, including strawberry, stewed cherry, and red apple skin. Not something I’m writing home about, but the nose certainly had me in the mood for a fruit-forward, young-drinking, quality wine.

Oops.

The wine is medium-to-full bodied, with harsh, unforgiving tannins and a hint of raspberry. But that’s not the main flavor note. It’s not what I walked away from still tasting, still thinking about in this wine. No no, the fruit is there—I just question whether anyone will know when they taste the note that dominated the bouquet on the palate. What aroma-slash-flavor is this, you ask?

Pen ink.

Yeah. Pen ink. A little metallic, a bit oddly minty, the 2007 TRÉ Cellars California Syrah tastes like pen ink. I guess I can’t judge people if they like this—but I certainly wouldn’t be able to understand them.

Verdict: sub-70/100

(full disclosure: I was sent this bottle as a press sample from Folsom & Associates)

2007 TRE Cellars California Syrah