The Line-up

We had a fun Barolo tasting with a range of different styles. In the end, the two favorites were on opposite sides of the so-called “War” of styles, it was unanimous that all the Barolos were excellent. 

The controversy between “traditional” and “modern” styles of Barolo raged on during the 1970’s and 80’s. Traditional Barolos underwent long maceration times (15-30 days) and were aged in large neutral oak barrels, resulting in very tannic wines that needed many years of aging prior to drinking. The modern style shortened the maceration time (7-10 days) and used small new French oak barrels, making the wine more suitable to drink sooner. The battle raged on, with the traditionalists saying that the oak masks the fruit, taking away some of the unique characteristics of Barolo. The modernists claimed that the public (especially the US) wanted wines to drink right away, and that this was the way to do it.

At the same time, “Other factors” were helping to improve the Barolo. Temperature control overcame issues with the late ripening of the nebbiolo grape and the corresponding cold weather that could interfere with fermentation. Strict hygiene controls virtually eliminated bad Barolos from dirty tanks and other less than hygienic practices. Canopy management to improve the quality of the yield became common, and even global warming is helping (in the coldest years in the past, some of the grapes never quite fully ripened). Based on the (admittedly small) sample in this Barolo tasting, these “Other Factors” may be key to the overall high quality of Barolos in the market today.

Another is the “compromise” that ensued in recent decades, where features of both approaches are combined. For instance, the Renato Ratti (one of the original modernists) was aged in both large Slavonian and small French oak barrels (instead of just French oak). Similarly, Mascarello (a traditionalist) was also aged in both large Slavonian and small French oak barrels (instead of just Slavonian oak). The Ceretto used only French oak, and the oak was clearly evident. The Aldo Conterno was made in the traditional style. It was in the barolo most in need of decanting, but still approachable (wonderful, in fact).

This was a tasting of a Premium Wine Club, where we shared these wines (along with a Gavi to start and a dessert wine to finish). The wines were tasted alone and then with food (see list of food below), and this served as our dinner as well. The members ranged from beginners (to Barolos) to those who had visited Piemonte, including some of the wineries of the wines tasted.

The line-up provided examples of the different styles of Barolo, with some of the particular wines based on availability. Somewhat to our surprise, all of the Barolos were excellent, while each one was distinctly different from the others. One person commented that he/she would be happy with any one of these wines with dinner. In the end though, the two that were the overwhelming favorites were the Renato Ratti and the Aldo Conterno, one modern and the other traditional. On that night, there wasn’t any war. Our Barolo enjoyment did not correlate with the style in which it was made. This is such a small sample, though, that I’m thinking we ought to have several more tastings, with many other Barolo winemakers and vintages.

Barolos

Renato Ratti’ Marcenasco Barolo 2005 (7 days, Slav & Fr. Oak)

Ceretto Bricco Roche Barolo 2003 (8-10 days Fr. Oak)

Mascarello Santo Stefano di Perno Barolo 2001 (15-20 days, Slav Oak)

Poderi Luigi Einaudi Barolo Costa Grimaldi 2001 (8-10 days Slav & Fr. Oak)

Aldo Conterno Montforte Bussia Barolo 2001 (20-30 days, Slav oak)

Food

Platter of Truffle cheeses, charcuterie, etc.

Osso Buco

Porcini Risotto

Simple salad, Bread

We also had apple cake with Felsina Vin Santo….yum!

                                         FYI, Commentary on the Barolos is included below from various internet sites.

Renato Ratti “Marcenasco” Barolo 2005

96 points and #7 on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2009: “This fabulous Nebbiolo displays aromas of very ripe strawberry and cappuccino. Full-bodied, with supervelvety tannins and incredible concentration. All the tannins are coated with gorgeous fruit. Best after 2013.” (08/09) 93 points Wine Enthusiast: “Marcenasco really comes through this vintage in terms of power, elegance and harmony. There are spice and herbal notes mixed in with almond, vanilla and allspice. You’ll love the sensation of wholeness and harmony here. Drink this opulent wine with filet mignon with wild mushroom cream sauce.” (04/09) 91 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “The 2005 Barolo Marcenasco opens with perfumed aromatics that lead to a plump, juicy core of red fruit. The wine possesses notable inner perfume and terrific overall balance in a fresh, accessible style. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022. The 2005s are especially beautiful for their soft, textured fruit and well-integrated French oak, something that hasn’t always been the case in recent vintages.” (10/09).

Ceretto Bricco Rocche Brunate 2003

This is a silky-smooth Barolo, delicately scented with roses and violets, and showing great aromatic complexity. It can be enjoyed only a few months after bottling, but will continue to improve and develop in elegance for 15-20 years.

Wine Spectator (96)

This is very raisiny, almost meaty, with an ultrarich nose. Full-bodied, showing sultana and dried flowers on the palate, with chewy tannins. Very long and powerful on the finish. Almost Port-like. Hints of vanilla and sultana. Best after 2012.

Mascarello Barolo Santo Stefano De Perno 2001
“The estate of Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio has a long and illustrious history in Piemonte, and is unequivocally one of the greatest Barolo producers. This traditionally-styled winery is now run by Mauro Mascarello. Mauro Mascarello is often described as “an enlightened traditionalist” when it comes to his winemaking approach. Throughout the tenure of Maurizio and Mauro Mascarello, the fame of the Monprivato vineyard continued to climb, and today it is universally recognized as one of the greatest vineyards in all of Barolo (it would be a grand cru on par with a Chambertin or a Richebourg if this were Burgundy). The domaine of Giuseppe Mascarello is simply one of the greatest wine producers in the world.”

“What a pleasure it is to taste the 2001 Barolo Santo Stefano di Perno, easily the best in recent years. It displays a highly aromatic nose, with notes of roses, raspberries, minerals and menthol, with a feminine, yet structured personality and less of the green note this wine can show, which in the past I have found to be distracting. This bottling can be a bit hard when first opened, but a little air will help to smooth the edges. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021.”
Wine Advocate: 93

Einaudi Barolo “Costa Grimaldi”  2001

92 points Wine Spectator: “Seriously good intensity of plum and floral aromas and flavors follow through to a full-bodied palate, with an outstanding intensity of fruit and a long, silky finish. Very fine indeed. Best after 2008. 450 cases made.” (10/05) 91 points Stephen Tanzer: “(half of this wine was aged in barriques, the other half in 25-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks) Lively aromas of red fruits, dried rose, menthol and minerals. Sweeter and more pliant than the normale, with ripe, almost Burgundian red fruit and mineral flavors. Finishes with finer tannins than the regular bottling and lovely persistence. This estate uses vertical fermentation tanks (not rotofermenters) in which the top of the tank can be drained to break up the cap, or the juice can be sprinkled over the cap to keep it wet. Total maceration time is typically 12 to 13 days, including a 2-day pre-fermentation cold soak.” (Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar, Nov/Dev 04) 90 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “The 2001 Barolo Costa Grimaldi opens with a nose of flowers, spices, minerals and menthol. It is a wine of terrific length and purity, offering notes of cherries in liqueur, ripe red fruit and menthol, finishing with excellent freshness. It is aged 12 months in casks followed by 6 months in used barriques. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016.” (10/06)

Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 2001

From Bussia Soprana in Monforte d’Alba, this wine blends across three vineyards. Three years in Slavonian oak are followed by twelve months in bottle before release. Ruby with garnet undertones, Bussia Soprana shows classic floral aromas that intertwine with tobacco, earth, and licorice, leading into a full-bodied palate of red berries, dried flowers, and sweet spice. Velvety tannins, palate-piquing acidity and a pleasurable mouth-feel all work to make this Barolo one that could only come from Aldo Conterno.

• Country: Italy
• Region: Piemonte
• Subregion/Appellation: Barolo

Aldo Conterno is known as the “King of Barolo” in Italy. His Poderi Aldo Conterno is situated in Monforte d’Alba on the prized Bussia Soprano vineyard in the heart of the Barolo region, where the Conterno family has been producing and aging the great Piemontese wines for more than five generations. Aldo left his legendary brother at his father’s cellar (the Giacomo Conterno estate) in 1969 to pursue his own winemaking interests and reputation to create the wines of Poderi Aldo Conterno in the “Favot” cellar. While Giovanni produces the more traditional style of the two Conterno brothers, Aldo’s wines are not considered modern. Aldo Conterno’s policy of producing only the highest quality wines while mixing tradition with innovation helps him make sterling Barolos that connoisseurs and critics alike love unabashedly.

From Bussia Soprana in Monforte d’Alba, this wine blends across three vineyards. Three years in Slavonian oak are followed by twelve months in bottle before release. Ruby with garnet undertones, Bussia Soprana shows classic floral aromas that intertwine with tobacco, earth, and licorice, leading into a full-bodied palate of red berries, dried flowers, and sweet spice. Velvety tannins, palate-piquing acidity and a pleasurable mouth-feel all work to make this Barolo one that could only come from Aldo Conterno.  Winemaker’s notes:  Scents of peach, apricot, ripe pineapple (tropical fruit). The palate demonstrates considerable weight, velvety smoothness, and elegant fruit nicely married to the oak. The finish is satisfyingly lengthy.

Bandol, France

We recently had a fantastic wine tasting and food pairing event that featured Chateau de Pibarnon wines. There were ten of us, going through two sets of four wines. Lori and I had visited Pibarnon and love their wines…and we had a seminar on their wines paired with food…see below for more on the visit and and Pibarnon

At the Seminar

• Mourvedre at its best
•  8 wines

o   3 Rose vertical tasting + 1 Restanques (entry level red)

o   4 Red vertical tasting

• 5 of the wines brought into MA for Pairings Wine and Food
• Foods included: Gorgonzola, Anchoiade, Lamb Stew with Herbes de Provence and Ratatouille

Mourvedre: a powerful, dark, intense, leathery, spicy, earthy, black fruit wine that gets better and better with age.

The Bandol region of Provence is known for producing the best Mourvedre anywhere, which is used in both wonderful Rose’s and powerful, complex and age-worthy Red wines. Lori and Ray’s visit to Bandol was wonderful, with visits to several wineries, including Domain Tempier, made famous by Kermit Lynch in his book Merchants of the Wine Trade. Nevertheless, the family is no longer involved at Domain Tempier, and the visit was disappointing. At the other extreme, Chateau de Pibarnon is wonderful, a level above the others we visited. Notes from the trip are included below. These wines are age-worthy, changing over time, and the vertical tasting we had during our visit was awesome!  This event is a double vertical of roses and rouges, paired with foods characteristic of Provence.

Notes from Feb 28, 2011 visit to Chateau Pibarnon

 “On to Bandol”

We love classic dry roses, which Provence, and Bandol in particular, is known for. Even better arguably the best Mourvedre (also known as Monastrell in Spain) in the world comes from this area. Mourvedre is a powerful, dark, intense, spicy, earthy, black fruit wine that gets better and better with age. We missed Bando on our last trip to Southern France, so made it a point to start here this time before heading north to the Rhone Valley…and are glad we did.

Chateau Pibarnon was awesome, a welcome change from what felt like a very long day. We’d had only a couple hours sleep, the connecting flight from Paris to Marseille left early without us, the GPS got us lost trying to get through Marseille, then one road to Pibarnon was closed, and then a big truck blocked the way on the only alternate route to the Chateau. Then everything changed:

The route up to Chateau Pibarnon is long and twisting along narrow roads, with occasional views east and west, and the views from Pibarnon are impressive (see pictures). However, the most impressive was the visit with Marie Laroze, the winemaker, and the wines themselves. Marie took us through a line-up of their Rose, two levels of red, a vertical of their top level reds from five different years, then barrel tastings of all of these, a barrel tasting of their white, and a special brandy….whew…and I feel inadequate in describing the visit, but I’m going to try….

Both Marie and the wines are fascinating. She was born in Australia, trained in Burgundy and spent some time making wine in Hungary before taking over at Pibarnon. She brings the sense of “terroir changing the wine”, even for small plots next to one-another (that Burgundy is famous for). Pibarnon has 200 small plots of land, each handled individually, and most at high altitudes. A few years ago Marie experimented with including entire clumps of grapes to the winemaking process, without pressing them…she feels the entire grape, from the outside to the inside contributes in different ways to the wine, adding complexity. After experimenting with this in one barrel, the owner was so pleased with the results that this is now done with all the reds.

This was the line-up:

The 2009 rose is beautiful and long, more powerful than most rose’s, with the 2010 to be even more powerful (which is in our line-up). In addition to anchoiade (a garlic and anchovie dish which we’ve paired with rose’s), Marie suggested Roquefort or gorgonzola as a pairing, for their rose…which we will have at the event.

Their Les Restangues de Pibarnon is their “second label”, with Mourvedre 60% and Grenache 40%, made to be a little more fruit forward and more ready to drink without aging (because of the Grenache). The 2006 was drinking well (and is in our line-up), but could easily age another 15 years. It was earthy, with black licorice and nice fruit.

Their “first label” red is mostly Mourvedre, 90-95% depending on the year, with the rest Grenache. The first one, the 2006 (which you will taste), was luscious, with good spice, a beautiful texture, complex and drinking beautifully. Marie was pleased, even relieved, because just a couple weeks previously, the wine was closed up and hard to drink, but now had re-opened. Marie is like a mother to her kids…sometimes not knowing what they’re going to do next, but she sticks with them and they turn out well in the end.

Going through the various vintages was so much fun…each wine different and excellent in its own way…it became hard to find the vocabulary to adequately describe each wine…. It was more about the differences and how the different years might pair with different foods. The 2005 (in our line-up) was inky and powerful, earthy balance and long, which Marie would have with a stew (boar?). The 2004 (in our line-up) is more elegant and layered, with hints of black olive, which Marie would have with roast lamb.

We tried a 2007 which had been opened for a couple days, and it was young…and then a newly opened bottle was even more austere…would have to decant it to drink now…but better to cellar.

Marie then took us into the caves for a barrel tasting of several of the wines we’d had, as well different 100% Mourvedre’s from the barrel, including one from the plot with the highest elevation, and Marie’s favorite…wow!

The final barrel tasting was of their white blend of traditional indigenous varietals (e.g.  Clairette and Ugni Blanc), which had luscious fruit while with good body. Surprisingly, it worked well after the big powerful red wines. This wine is sold and drunk young, and usually not sold in the US.

After barrel tasting Marie asked if we had time to try the 2001 red (also in our line-up). Well duhhhh…what can I say…mint, eucalyptus, orange peel, spice, tobacco….as Marie said…it makes her think of cold soil in a sunny place.

Because Mourvedre improves with age, Pibarnon keeps inventory of their wines from several vintages so they always can offer wine that’s good to drink now….They still have 10,000 bottles of 2001. We noted this (and obtained this wine for the vertical of Pibarnon Mourvedres for this event).

Finally, she offered a taste of their special brandy…the 1991 just being released….she poured a sample in 3 glasses, each with a different shape…a wine glass, an hour glass shape and a funnel shape…the nose is caustic from the wine glass, but nice from the other two…leading to much different sipping experiences…fun.

More Information and Reviews on Chateau de Pibarnon:

Since purchasing the estate in 1975, Comte Henri de Saint-Victor and family have been producing some of the most seductively aromatic and nobly structured wines in all of Southern France. Perched atop La Colline du Télégraphe in the northernmost part of the appellation, the château commands sweeping vistas of the amphitheater of vines known as the Théatre d’Epidaure, and beyond, the Mediterranean.

From the Wine Advocate: “Read as much as you like about the microclimate of a wine region; it is only when you feel it that you truly comprehend. The panoramic view of the entire Bandol amphitheater with its dramatic limestone outcrops is complemented by a cloudless sky, yet proprietor Eric de Saint-Victor informs me that beyond the protective Sainte-Baume mountains, it has been raining all week. No wonder Bandol enjoys 300 days of sunshine each year, no wonder it exists as a separate AOC from Provence, and no wonder its wines are hailed as the apogee of Mourvèdre.”

The restanques, or terraces were carved into the hill by the Saint-Victor clan in an effort to minimize erosion and maximize water absorption, which is of the utmost importance in a hot, dry terroir such as this one. It is important to note that the soil at Château de Pibarnon is unique, differing even from that of its neighbors further down the slope. As a result of a geological anomaly purported to have taken place at the end of the Mesozoic Era, Pibarnon’s soils contain large quantities of blue marl and limestone, as well as fossil material which is 150 million years older than that found in other parts of the appellation. The dearth of nutrition provided by these stony, fossil-studded soils ensures that the vines achieve maximum vigor through their daily struggle to survive.

Traditional gobelet training is practiced as well as green harvesting, which keeps yields down to an average of 35hl/ha. After 30%-50% de-stemming, vinification takes place in stainless steel vats. The wine is then transferred to large oak casks for élevage. While Pibarnon’s flagship cuvée is a classic vin de garde which can take as many as ten years to show its cards, ‘Les Restanques’, made with 70% Mourvèdre and 30% Grenache, is styled more for early drinking and approachability.

Château de Pibarnon 2005 The Mourvèdre is a very fragrant grape, producing wines of great depth, a rich colour and enormous complexity. It ripens late and performs best in the warm Mediterranean climate of Bandol. At Pibarnon, to ensure perfect maturity, the grapes are often picked 10 days later than is customary in Bandol. The upshot is a wine that compares favorably with great names from the more prestigious vineyards in France. When young, Pibarnon Rouge displays a massive floral bouquet with black cherries and spices. The firm acidity of the Mourvèdre gives good definition and a solid foundation for long term development. With time the wine mellows, exhibiting a harmonious elegance and wonderful heady flavours of truffles, wet leaves and cinnamon.

Wine Spectator

This intense and focused French red shows concentrated mineral, plum and dark cherry flavors that are flanked by tobacco box notes. Lithe yet powerful, with a long, elegant and finely chiseled finish of slate and white pepper. Drink now through 2015.

Score: 95. —Kim Marcus, May 31, 2009.

Manicor has been making wine for over 400 hundred years in Alto Adige, in the north of Italy. That area is famous for stunning white wines, and the Manicor line-up of 4 whites is superior. The two red wines are just as good, a surprise for wines from Alto Adige, not known for their reds. We were so impressed that we are had a tasting at Pairings Wine and Food, where everyone had a chance to taste the six wines listed below (paired with food).

Riserve della Contessa; Pinot Bianco 60%, Chard 30%, Sauv Blanc 10%

Moscato Giallo

Sauvignon Blanc

Pinot Bianco

Lagrein 35%, Merlot 40%, Cab 25%

Pinot Nero

Pair acidic foods with acidic wines. If the food has little or no acid, the wine will taste even more acidic, trending toward a vinegary or sour taste. As an example, goat cheese (an acidic cheese) pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc (an acidic wine).

Pair foods and wines with the same “power” (e.g. light wines with light foods). Pairing foods with contrasting “power” (e.g. a light wine with a heavy food), makes the tastes out of balance, and one will tend to dominate the other. An example at a recent Pairing, simple ham and cheese squares paired well with Pinot Noir. Both have “medium” power, and are  in balance. Tip 1: Pinot Noir is one of the most versatile red wines for food pairing.

Pair the wine with the most assertive taste(s) in the food. For instance, the protein may be dominated by a sauce. For example, a mushroom sauce will dominate roasted chicken, so that a Pinot Noir (for the mushrooms) may be a better pairing than a chardonnay (for the chicken). A recent example at one of our Pairings, curry was the most assertive taste in a Curry-Cashew Popcorn, and paired well with Chardonnay because the Curry isn’t spicy hot.

Pair meaty, rich and heavy foods with tannic wines (i.e., wines that engender some “pucker” in the back of the mouth). If the food is light, on the other hand, the wine will taste even more tannic, possibly becoming unpalatably bitter. Crispy Sausage at a recent Pairing went well with the big red tannic wines being tasted (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Syrah). Tip 2: The strength of tannins in a wine can be reduced by decanting it (i.e. pouring from the bottle into another container). Tip 3: Adding salt to a dish will help tame tannins.

Pair sweet foods with sweet wines. Sweetness in a dish can make the wine taste sour or more tannic. This principle isn’t just for desserts. For instance, honey glazed ham may pair better with a wine that’s slightly sweet (e.g. a Riesling or Gewurtztraminer). Tip 4: For dessert, the wine generally should be at least as sweet as the dessert.

As for all general principles, exceptions abound and, in any case, individual tastes will trump principles. Experience is the best way to discover what types of pairings work for you. Come any of our Pairings to get more experience.

Chef Kovel kindly stopped at our table and told us a little about what he’s doing. Some of the dishes are similar to ones at Aujourd’hui but with new and fresh twists, and at much lower cost. The wine list is interesting and varied, again with reasonable cost and good value. The ambience is friendly and low-key. We didn’t ask the idea behind the name, but I imagine that Chef Kovel is the catalyst that transforms fresh foods into delicious plates….back to the food:

We started with the Farmer’s Market Vegetable Salad, Peppercress, Crispy Onion, and the Corn Ravioli, Scallion, Basil, Chanterelles. The vegetable salad was presented beautifully (as were all the plates), with a collage of vegetables with a perfect light vinegar-based dressing and a sprinkle of crispy mini onion rings on top…a rose’ cremant paired well with this dish. The corn ravioli “tasted more like corn than corn itself” one of us commented…absolutely delicious.
The Tournedos of Beef (with Rainbow Chard, Tellegio Ravioli and Bordelaise Sauce) was perfectly cooked, delicious, and a wonderful combination with the chard, ravioli and bordelaise sauce. The Honey Glazed Duck Breast, with baby turnip, bok choy and water chestnuts was a revelation as well. It’s hard to describe these dishes…listing the ingredients and using flowery language doesn’t do it justice. For our palates, Chef Kovel just has the “touch”.
We enjoyed talking with Beverage Manager Jason Kilgore about a bottle of wine to go with dinner. After going through the usual suspects, he suggested a 2003 Grenache blend from Beaumes de Venise (an area Lori and I visited early this year) that was an excellent wine and food pairing. The age smoothed the tannins, restrained the fruit, and let delicious herbal and garrique notes through, with good acid; it paired well with the other three plates. We may just have to get this wine into Pairings.

At Catalyst, they use “exceptional products centered on locally grown organic produce and wild and farm raised food from sustainable practice”, similar to many restaurants. What’s so different about Catalyst is what Chef Kovel does with the products.

Blind Tasting Set-up

To eliminate sequence effects, the wines were arranged in four different orders (e.g, 1,2,3,4, then 2,3,4,1, etc), with two people tasting the four wines in each different order. Each participant tasted them in order, and then re-tasted in any order until deciding on the rating, best (1^st) to least good (4^th). The results are in the table. Clearly, overall the lowest price wine was rated lowest and the highest price wine rated highest. The two in-between wines received votes ranging from best to worst, with the higher priced one of the two faring better overall. For most of the participant, most of the re-tasting was done to distinguish between 1^st and 2^nd place, and, separately, between 3^rd and 4^th place.

In several instances, participants changed their minds during the re-tasting. Interestingly, the two participants who tasted the $49.99 wine first, ended up choosing that wine “best”…perhaps giving some credence to the theory that the wine tasted first has an advantage. In this case, the large discrepancy among the wines generally overcame any advantages of a wine’s being tasted first (except for the $49.00 wine). This result also is contrary to some blind tastings that showed no correlation with price. This may be due to the use of a more random population for those tests, as opposed to this tasting in which the participants are experienced and interested in drinking.

The results also confirm what we all know, but sometimes forget, namely that we’re all different and there’s no right or wrong. For example, one person enjoyed the same $31.99 wine that another person enjoyed least, and two people enjoyed the $49.99 wine that another person enjoyed least. There’s no substitute for trying the wine yourself.

Back in Santa Cruz, we went for a long walk along the beach on West Cliff drive, watching surfers and other ocean beings. Eventually we headed inland to the Bonny Doon Tasting Room, where we had a fun, entertaining and  wine-delicious tasting with Addison Morphy. Many of you know that Bonny Doon is the baby of the eccentric Randall Graham(check out videos of him on U-tube), who popularized screw caps on bottles (no corks are used at Bonny Doon) and grew his winery to 500,000 cases per year with “innovative” marketing. More recently, Randall had a

Kristin Lori & Ray in a barrel

change of philosophy, and now wants to make the best wines possible for himself. He sold off the big wine brands and downsized to 30,000 cases. This is what prompted us to want to learn more about what’s going on and try Bonny Doon wines. Randall is still an interesting and eccentric person after our own hearts…with no hesitation making (bad) puns (e.g., his world is the Dooniverse). Also, Addison described the latest and most outrageous project, growing a new San Juan Batista vineyard from seed. This is unheard of…vineyards are grown from cuttings on rootstock. As Addison said, this will be “either the greatest triumph or the most ridiculous failure”…interesting in any case.

The wines and wine bottles are interesting, most of the wines are biodynamic, and all of them at least “sustainable”. Their Nebbiolo is one of the two non-italian Nebbiolo’s that we’ve had that have some of the character we love in Italian Nebbiolos. Their famous “Le Cigare Volant” is a lovely wine, and a take-off on a Chateauneuf du Pape wine regulation that doesn’t allow alien spaceships to land in the vineyards. The “Cunning” and “Contra” wines are stand-outs as

Seriously

well. The dessert wines were a hit as well…with their Vin de Paille (Paille – wheat in French) both delicious and inexpensive. We will be looking to bring in some of these wines to Pairings. Cellar Door is a restaurant at the tasting room…Wed night is community dinner night, which we signed up for (see below).

As a side note, I’ve wondered from time to time how much alcohol evaporates when one “swirls”. I know that the “vapor pressure” of alcohol in a liquid is such that evaporation occurs, but don’t know how significant it is. Somehow this came up in our discussion and Addison did a little demo I’d never seen. He poured a wine, swirled vigorously and then blew into the glass…the air shimmered briefly, from alcohol re-condensing on the water vapor from the breath. I plan scientifically measure how much the alcohol changes…stay tuned.

We had a nice lunch at Kelly’s French Bakery (Kelly?…French?), and stopped in at the Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard/ Quinta Cruz tasting room, where Angela gave us a nice tasting. They’ve been around since 1975, have nice restrained wines, with both standard varietals under the Santa Cruz name and Portuguese varietals under the Quinta Cruz name. The 100% Graciano is rare, and a real treat. Their “port” is made with the same varietals as in Portugal and, even better, they use a brandy made from the same varietals to fortify it instead of the tasteless grape alcohol in “real” ports. The result is a delicious port with less of the alcoholic taste in the back palate that accompanies many young ports. Kristin got a bottle of the Tinta Roriz (better known as Tempranillo in Spain). There are several other tasting rooms in the same area as Bonny Doon and Santa Cruz/Qunta Cruz, but we decided to continue our nice walk back to the Inn where we relaxed on the front porch, looking out at the ocean.

Community Dinner at the Cellar Door at Bonny Doon. This is a prix fix dinner of 3 courses (including wine for the first course), with everyone sitting at a long table and the food served on platters family style. Luckily, we sat near some fun and interesting people and had a great time. Local greens, Asiago, mustard and herb salad was refreshing with the Vinho Grinho. A complementary course had strawberries, basil and a strange smoky goat cheese; not particularly to our liking. The Seared Skirt Steak with Quinoa, heirloom tomatoes, Burratta and basil was delicious and paired well with the recommended Cunning 2008 (Carignan and Mourvedre). Dessert was a delicious stonefruit tatin (peaches) with mascarpone ice cream and the amazing 2007 Angel Paille we’d tasted earlier in the day…a fitting end to the final meal of this research trip. Up early the next day to drive to the San Francisco Airport.

Testarossa Winery was our first stop, in Los Gatos. The tasting room is in stone cellars of an historic Novitiate winery, and is almost as dark as a cave. The winemaker is the son of the owners of the Inn at the Pinnacles, where we stayed the last time we visited the area. They make about 15,000 cases, selling it all locally; a business plan that seems to work well for smallish wineries. In this case, all the wines are sold at retail prices, rather than having wholesale prices for distribution. The wines were nice, but not heavenly, and are overpriced in our opinion…but it’s working for them.

Deveilishly Good?

Fleming Jenkins was next…as in Peggy Fleming the gold metal ice skater and her dermatologist husband. She was the most elegant skater we’ve seen so far…before the need for quads to do well. The wines are very nice, but the winery is closing later this year. He wants to retire, and has made arrangements for most of the vineyards/grapes.

The David Bruce visit was one of the more interesting on this trip….long winding roads to the winery. As we reached the door of the tasting room a sign said closed, even though the hours listed said it should be open. As we were walking away, moaning about all the driving we’d done to get there, the door opened…”Hey guys, would you like to taste some wines?”. Upon entering, we met another couple who’d had the same experience a few minutes before us. Luckily, the winemaker had seen the couple and went to get Matt to open the room. The other couple turned out to be from the Boston area (Westborough). We got to know them (wine experiences can be a great bond) and hope to see them at Pairings. A few minutes later two guys showed up and we all had a nice tasting together. Lori and I had visited David Bruce several years ago and liked them…I’m happy to report that they’re even better than I remembered.

As we were trying the fifth wine, a Sangiovese, the door opened and David Bruce himself appeared. We had an extended discussion of wine and what he’s done over the years. He was a doctor, but got interested in wine, which is a “powerful magnet”. He invented a machine based on the scientific understanding of wine he gained over the years.  He said that people who see the machine describe it as “impossible”. Based on his answers to our questions, the winemaking seems to be some combination of using whole berries for carbonic maceration, followed by complete maceration, etc…much more involved than that of course. Whatever it is, it works. He had Matt opened one of their “crown jewels”, an estate Pinot Noir from 2003, which has a restrained lusciousness (if that makes sense). David point out that one can get six packs of different “jewels,” that provide a vertical tasting…we will look for these to bring into the store.  He “broke my rule” and had a second taste for himself, so we all did as well. This was a lot of fun, very convivial and enlightening. David is quite a character and has lots of stories for just about everything, as Matt said, and we learned first-hand.

Byington Vineyard is nearby, and we remembered liking it, and still do. The two guys we met at David Bruce showed up, and we had more fun tasting and kidding around. These wines are very nice, at a lower price point than David Bruce. However, for some reason they’ve lost their distribution and aren’t making wine this year…selling off the juice/grapes. Ashley was a fun host. We are curious and will try to find out what’s going on with them.

On to the West Cliff Inn in Santa Cruz, a member of the Four Sisters Inns…we’ve stayed at others (e.g. Napa) and they’re elegant and nice without being expensive and the breakfasts are always wonderful – this time, mushroom quiche with zucchini, fresh fruit, fluffy pancakes, ambrosia, raisin cake, and more on this visit. We highly recommend these inns if you travel to California.

Dinner at Soif (means “thirsty” in French) was a hoot! It’s a wine bar and restaurant, with a very eclectic wine list…we were happy to have non-California wines, as many restaurants we’ve visited on this trip had almost solely California wines. Our server had recently moved to Santa Cruz from NYC, where he’d worked in several well-known restaurants. He was an actor as well “which is useful as a server” and, which he said, “means being a served in NYC”. It was tapas night, and we combined them with items from the regular menu. Each item has a recommended wine, which we went with in each case. Examples include Curried chickpea mushroom and goat cheese strudel with Vinoterra Kisi (an orange wine from Georgia (Russia)) and Sea Bass with fried artichoke risotto and cherry tomato vinaigrette with Tami Grillo….we recommend Soif and would go back. The potato gnocchi with summer squash, spinach, early girl tomato sauce & parmesan melted in our mouths, and the tomato sauce was light and fresh tasting.  The beet goat cheese tapas was artistically arranged with a round layer of red beet, local goat cheese, then yellow beet, one for each of us on the plate. Lori was happy to have churros for dessert as she had been wanting, but resisting, donuts the whole trip (we saw lots of donut shops along the way)…and they paired well with an Oloroso sherry.  A mile or so walk back to the Inn helped us to burn off a few calories but perhaps not quite enough – c’est la vie!

The many excellent wines we’ve be tasting, today included, is an indication of how much great wine there is out there…you just have to find it. When you do, it very likely will be better and lower in price than most of the more famous wines. The key is to find it, as there also is a lot of mediocre (and worse) wines.

Coming from the South there’s the fast way, staying on the 101 and looping, or the slow but shorter way through Carmel Valley. We did the later, a winding and hilly route that often feels like the wilderness. Along the way we “discovered” Sycamore Cellars, not on any lists I’ve seen. It’s pretty new as a winery, having been farmers selling all their grapes to big wineries, like Kendall Jackson and now Hahn….so the Chardonnay from Hahn at Pairings has grapes from Sycamore in it. Sycamore is starting small and trying to work toward larger production and sales, just like other family owned “bootstrap” type of wineries. We love the weathervane on the tasting room. On the way out, the 91 year old grandfather of Matt (the pourer) offered us fresh picked corn on the cob and Matt commented that he tells him to take it easy, but he doesn’t listen – good for him!

Bernarduswas a surprise in a good way. The wines started out good (with good value) and just kept getting better. We tried more than a dozen wines, from crisp Sauvignon Blancs, rich Chardonnays, Smooth and

Philip on the right

luscious Pinot Noirs to the wine that got them started, Marinus, a big red blend that’s a little different every year, to a famous Swan Block Merlot. The winemaker has a background in Burgundy, which explains the restraint in the wines, which combines with delicious California fruit. Phillip poured and explained the wines, bringing out maps to show us the different appellations and how the geography plays into the different wines and varietals. He can really multi-task, and was having fun along the way. Phillip also gave us good recommendations for other wineries to visit and restaurants (see below). In talking about pairings, he mentioned “Forbidden Rice”, with cranberry flavors that goes great with Pinot Noir…you will see this at a Saturday Pairing one of these weeks. We’ll be checking on which Bernardus wines are available in Mass.

Art at Parsonage

Parsonage is a short walk from Bernardus, with some interesting wines, but the thing we liked best was the art. The tasting room is also an art gallery.

Boekenoogen Winesalso is a short walk from Bernardus, and is the other “find of the day”. These wines are well-made…we liked everything in the line-up. We had the good fortune to be in the tasting room with John

John Boekenoogen and Ray

Boekenoogen, the owner who served us the wines and told us the story of Boekenoogen as well as other information about the area and wineries. The fact that they sell out all their wines every year out of the tasting room and to wine club members shows just how good these wines are. This means we can’t get the wines at Pairings, but more power to them. We love to see successes like this. Like many other wineries we visited, they started out selling grapes (1995), then started making small quantities (first label in ’06), which led to the tasting room and success. John told us “the best time to plant grapes is 10 years ago…the second best time is tomorrow”.

Sculpture at Heller

The best thing about the Heller Estate Organic Vineyards was the outdoor sculptures, especially the one in the picture. The wines were OK, but not up to the Bernardus and Boekenoogen or several other wineries in the area.

Philip from Bernardus recommended Mundaka for dinner, which was a hoot. Our waitperson Celeste really got into the pairings of the tapas with wines, and we had a ball….Padron peppers with Cava, Xarello with sardine escabeche, salsa verde and pickled onion rings, two reds (one the Tarima Monastrell at Pairings and the other a Garnacha) with Canelons (truly exceptional chanterelles, toasted hazelnuts and house made ricotta, with pasta like canalonis), along with Bocadillo (slow braised pork slider with balsamic BBQ sauce, chips and pickles), Flores (squash blossom fritters with lemon-verbena caramel) paired with Oloroso sherry and then, because they were out of squash blossoms when we tried to get another order, we had financiers with berries and honey lavender ice cream with more Oloroso Sherry, a truly decadent evening that was a fun and fine meal.

The next day we decided to take a break and go to the Aquarium in Monterey, reputed to be the best in the USA…and we don’t have any argument with that. The museum is amazing…we’d been told that by several people, even before the trip, and loved it. The sea horses and sea dragons are astounding, with little hairs on their backs controlling the motion. One sea dragon looks like a plant, and all of them go through a mating dance that’s sensual and beautiful, and the males give birth! We watched the feeding of the ocean tank, with our own docent describing everything….all kinds of amazing shapes and colors from the sea.

We got our daily exercise walking on a bike/pedestrian path along the water from Monterey to Pacific Grove? and got lunch on a pier….grilled sardines, octopus salad, and roasted pepper bruschetta for $7, refreshing and just what we wanted. Then we drove back out to Carmel Valley road again to go to some wineries we missed yesterday.

Talbotthas excellent chardonnays and several pinot noirs from different

Talbott

vineyards. Talbott started with ties and clothes, with travel to France and Italy to get cloth, where they got interested in wine making. Gabby gave us a nice presentation with discussion of the wines. Quality wine is key…for instance, the pickers are paid by the hour instead of the volume, so that they do it the way the winemaker wants, culling out bad grapes, etc. It’s going to be hard to pick out the wines from this area to bring into Pairings…it will be a matter of value to price ratio and spots available in the store.

Joullian is another in the Valley that we visited…another surprise…as not only are the wines are good, but they’re distributed in Mass…so another possibility.

We drove back into Carmel to walk around, check out a couple more winery tasting rooms and have dinner.

Galante Vineyards has a series of several varieties of nice wines. Their “kick ass” cab would be a Pairing of the Month, but alas, they’re not available in Mass. While there we heard about a pesto with spinach, which sounds like a good addition….we will have to try to make it. Their BlackJack Cab and Olive Hill Petit Syrah are killers. We commiserated with Conner about the difficulty about shipping (them) and obtaining wine (us).

The Cheese Shop – this is the most famous cheese shop in the area…we stopped in…they’re continuously offering tastings of cheese (a lot like Lori)…they had some interesting presentation techniques, and some bee hive/honey that Lori bought to use back at the store in cheese platters…another possible food addition to the store.

Next door is Wrath, a small boutique winery (less than 500 cases total). Amy presented a series of wines that are truly exceptional. The name “Wrath” comes from a line in the Led Zeppelin song “Going to California”, which you’ll just have to look up. In the middle of the tasting we found out that Wrath is the new name for San Saba, which we’d visited several years ago in the Santa Lucia Highlands, not far from here…but this is a new tasting room in Carmel…very nice.

Christopher’s had been recommended for dinner…and was OK…perhaps a little past its prime. The Cabernet Franc from Boete and the roasted butternut squash ravioli in burnt butter with Sage and roasted walnuts were the highlights…along with an ice cream cone after dinner (for Ray). We strolled down to the beach to watch the sunset, along with many others. It was beautiful…and we got to put our feet in the Pacific for the first time in many years…and had a nice walk along the beach and back to the hotel.

Turleyis a good example of a winery that makes balanced wines where the

Turley Tasting Room

high alcohol doesn’t burn your tongue. They are a big name in Zinfandels and we’d never had their wines. We thought that at least for the experience we ought to go there…and are glad we did. This visit was another good example of why visiting a place is so much better than just trying their wines. First of all, the line-up of 5 zinfandels (of more than 20 they make) was excellent, each one different and somehow better than the last. Their Zins are from all over California, over seven different appellations, and including areas in Napa as well as Paso. Their “Juvenile” Zin is from vines about 25 years old (which some wineries call old), and their “old vines” are up to 120 years old (giving more complex and deep flavors). Their flagship Paso Zin is lush and complex, and is from a vineyard originally owned by the Nerelli family (see Zin Alley below). The rosemary crackers that were out are an excellent pairing with Ain (you will get to try this at Pairings because we have the same crackers…La Panzanella).

The high quality and care is evident in everything we saw, heard, and tasted. They do organic farming and Jeannie, who hosted us, pointed out that very few wines are truly 100% organic, as sulfites are usually added as a preservative. We love their logo, in which the sun and the moon are the husband and wife, the four stars are the children, and the outside the earth, wind, rain and fire.

Zin Alley is a winery we “discovered” in our last visit, and just had to go back. Everyone who visits has to be a hippie. Frank Nerelli is the proprietor (and entire winery)…whose family used to own the winery that Turley now owns. Frank is a character…he does things his way and wants to remain unknown. He’s not on any of the winery maps, and he was mad that Wine Spectator had somehow gotten ahold of his wine and rated it. He sells out of wine every year, and doesn’t want notoriety. His Zins are powerful, intense, well-balanced, and unique, every year is different. His dessert wines are fabulous. We bought his Nerelli After Hours, the only noble rot wine we’ve come across out here….a blend of Pinot Blanc 80% and Gewurztraminer, a delicious concoction of white peach, honey and guava.

Venteaux

Venteux is another winery we visited last time…when their tasting room wasn’t fully ready. They’re a young winery, but do a fabulous job. They dry farm, which makes the roots go deeper to survive and produces less (but more complex) fruit. They make a wide range of wines, including a Carignan that they opened for us…the only one we’ve seen in this area….unique. They are small at 2,000 cases, and not available in Mass…but do visit them if you’re in the area.

Red Soles was recommended to us and, liking their name, visited and tasted their wines. The owners are farmers who sell grapes, but decided to keep a small portion of the grapes and start making wine. They started out crushing grapes by foot, and kept prints from the first time, leading to their name Red Soles….so all their wines have a foot associated name…Loose Laces, Kick-off, Ruby slippers, bootlegger, etc. The wines are very nice but, once again, not in Mass. They use cut-corks as holders, and idea we hadn’t seen, and will make some ourselves.

Edward Sellers Vineyards & Wines is another favorite winery from our last trip. We’ve recommended them to distributors before, but nothing’s happened. The wines are generally lovely and restrained (not the norm for this area).

We stopped in at Terry Hoag, but didn’t stay, as they are the only winery we’ve visited since being in the business (out of several hundred) that wanted us to pay to taste. Perhaps a few high wine scores from Spectator have gone to their head.

We got back early to get exercise and Lori went for a long run from the bike shop and Ray biked…Lori doesn’t love biking and Ray’s body doesn’t like jogging anymore, although his mind would love to again. See picture of a golden field (one of many in the area) from the bike ride.

For the second time in two days we had a fantastic meal at Thomas Hill Organics, which we discovered is a favorite of many of the locals we talked to. The menu is “based exclusively on local and organic produce”, and changes daily. Braised pork shoulder tacos, Roasted Eggplant, fennel and nectarine salad (see picture…an unusual and delicious combination that went well with a big fruity rose that did not go as well with the previous course….fun how the pairing can change everything), thin crust Dungeness crab pizza with curried crème fraiche, fire roasted corn salsa and pea sprouts, hazelnut semolina cake with orange water and honey yogurt sauce and a delicious berry cobbler. Our server Robin was a big plus, talking about wines and food pairings and bringing us two extra “blind” tastes. We wish this restaurant were in Winchester!

On to Carmel/Monterey tomorrow.