An Affordable Bordeaux That's Only Getting Better: Château de Camensac

I love French wine. Why? Because the wines from there really do taste like the land in which they grow and that's not the case with all wine. I can never mistake what I call "the Bordeaux stink," the funky, earthy character of every red Bordeaux I've ever had. A friend of mine always teases me that I like my wines dirty...ok, I'm guilty.

I've covered Bordeaux in my Bordeaux Primer, so I'm not going to go into lots of detail on the region, but I will say that whenever I talk Bordeaux in my classes people seem to think that it's a place that exclusively churns out really expensive wines.

Nope. I've had lots of good Bordeaux for $15. Bordeaux creates a virtual sea of wine. The area is about 290,000 acres. It creates 38% of all still wine (not bubbly or dessert) made. Four out of 10 people who live in the area are employed in wine. Most of that wine is not part of the 1855 classification (see the primer for what the heck this is)...

But then again, some of it is. And I got a chance to pop open a fifth growth the other night and was in heaven. Lest you think all this stuff is ridiculously expensive, the bottle, from one of the best vintages in recent Bordeaux history, was $25. It's from one of the "lesser" Châteaux in the classification, one that people frown on and think shouldn't be in the classification. I'm not going to make a judgment either way, but I will tell you that the 2005 from Château de Camensac was amazing and I'd drink it all day long!

Part of the reason people are jerky about Camensac is that it's not located in the communes where most of the top wines are located: Pauilliac, St-Julien, Margaux, and St-Estephe (on the left side of the map). It's in an area called the Haut-Médoc, specifically in St. Laurent-Médoc. Close to the best areas, but not quite there.

Still, this place is amazing for wine. It's got perfect stony soils with great drainage (a must for grapes) and the Château grows Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot only (most places also grow Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec for the blend too).

The Château has been around since the early 1800s and was outrageously high quality through the 1800s, but it languished for the first part of the 1900s and in 1964 it was taken over by the Forner brothers, who owned Marques de Caceres in Rioja. Despite owners that knew what they were doing, Camensac still didn't really get the love it needed to get acclaim.

But all isn't lost. In 2005 the owners of the very awesome second growth, Gruaud Larose, bought the property and there are high hopes this may mean that things are about to take a turn for the delicious at Camensac. If the 2005 vintage is any indication of where they are going with this new acquisition, we're all in good shape (although I'll say that 2005 is considered one of the top vintages in the last 30 years, and it would be hard to mess up in that year, there's no denying that the Château is in good hands). I'll give a full review, but let me give you a hint: It's definitely a "DRINK"!

The Wine: Château de Camensac
The Grape: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot
Where it's from: The Left Bank (south side) of Bordeaux
Alcohol: 13%
Vintage: 2005
Price: $25.99

Color: With a majority of the dark Cabernet Sauvignon and a year with good ripeness on the grapes, this was a darker color than most Bordeaux I drink. It was a brownish maroon -- like prune juice. Totally opaque with a watery edge when I tilted the glass. It looked like it was going to pack a punch of flavor.

Smell: Oh, yeah. The Bordeaux stink was kicking. There was a real note of gravel and soil -- this was a deliciously dirty wine, with a real feeling that it was from the land. Under a dark cherry and ripe plum fruit note, there was also a sweet spice flavor like a combo of cinnamon with some cocoa powder. Cabernet can smell like herbs or vegetables, and this had a real pronounced minty smell that was super fresh.

Taste: Reminded me of sipping an espresso or coffee, and since I love both these beverages, this was a great wine for me. There was a distinct bitter note and with the prominent but not overbearing mouth-drying tannins and some refreshing acid, it could have been a Starbucks blend. It had that earthy, gravelly flavor but with red and black cherry, dried plum, vanilla, and cinnamon flavors. This was a rich, flavorful wine with lots going on.

Pairing: I am not a red meat eater, however M.C. Ice has told me that I have an uncanny ability to pair wine with it and this time was par for the course. He had a filet with this wine and was in seventh heaven. The tannins of the wine and the protein in the meat combine to make the meat a velvety, soft, and fruity treat that had M.C. Ice giddy and still talking about the next day. For you non red meat eaters, you can simulate this sensation with a portabella mushroom -- you just need something kind of meaty in texture and you're good to go.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. This is an affordable way to enjoy a quality Bordeaux. 2005 was an exceptional year for Bordeaux, and it was also the year that new ownership took over at Camensac. I think this is a good indication of where this Château is heading and I love what I see. I can't wait to try it again -- an excellent wine.
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Wines from the Outstanding Oakville Area in Napa: Swanson Vineyards' Best and Brightest

Wine regions are a little like Russian nesting dolls. I think that's why the topic is so freaking complicated.

The big doll is like the country (U.S., France). The next one is the state/region (California, Loire Valley). Then you get to a specific county or area (Napa, Sancerre), then a town within it (Oakville, Bué) and then a vineyard. Like the dolls, as the areas get smaller the details become more and more intricate and impressive.

If you read the blog regularly, you know that I'm much more of an advocate of knowing a place rather than knowing a producer. It's far more valuable to be able to identify the characteristics of a place than it is of a specific brand, since you may not always be able to find a wine from a specific winery, but you should be able to find something you like you if you know the place it's from.

More practically, frequently I talk in broad terms about place for a simple reason: wines from specific towns or vineyards tend to cost a lot of money and I don't like to pony up for it (I'm just a normal person after all). So likely, I'll have a wine from Napa rather than one from one of the prestigious sub-appellations (smaller areas, also called American Viticultural Areas or AVAs) unless I'm in wine country tasting, it's a special occasion, I'm at an industry tasting, or I'm lucky enough to have a winery send me a bottle for review.

I'm fortunate in that I lived in California and took advantage of my time there, really getting to know the sub-AVAs of Napa and Sonoma in particular. And one of the AVAs I've had the fortunate experience of visiting lots of times is Oakville in Napa -- arguably the best and most prestigious winegrowing area in all of California.

Oakville is home of the "cult Cabs" -- super expensive, small production, exclusive Cabernet Sauvignon that wine snobs love to tell you they've tried. Getting on the mailing list (they aren't sold any other way) for Screaming Eagle, Harlan, and Dalla Valle is the wine world's version of winning the PowerBall Jackpot. All these wineries are in Oakville.

If that's not enough evidence this place is pretty special, know that here lies historic vineyards like To Kalon, which means "most beautiful" in Greek, established in 1868 (it's owned by Beckstoffer and Mondavi, but they sell fruit to lots of producers) and Martha's Vineyard (heh heh. Nice allusion to the MA island. Heitz's wine from here is outstanding). They make amazing wine.

For all this prestige, it's a super small area -- to continue the analogy, it's about the size of the smallest nesting doll, relative to Napa at large. It's just 2 miles wide between the Vaca Mountains in the east and the Mayacamas mountains on the western border with Sonoma.

The geology of Napa is very cool -- lots of plate movement (hence earthquakes) so the valley floor and the foothills, where the vineyards are, have a range of soils, altitudes, and sun exposures that make each wine really unique depending on the part of the area in which it's grown. Oakville is a warmer area of Napa but isn't blistering -- it has cool, foggy mornings that preserve acidity and warm afternoons that ripen the grapes. It's grape growing nirvana.

What does this mean? If you get a wine from Oakville -- especially a Cabernet or Merlot -- it's probably going to be great.

As a total non sequitur, I love Oakville for it's wines, but also for it's fabulous gourmet grocery store -- the Oakville Grocery. You have to go there if you go to Napa. The sandwiches and coffee (after a long day of tasting) are amazing and it's a throw back to a 1920s grocery store.

But back to the wine...

Recently Swanson Vineyards sent me 3 bottles to sample and I was excited. Yes, it's the same family as the TV dinner fame, but since 1985 this Winery has been making some pretty exceptional wines. The offshoot of the packaged food family has made major investment in wine and it's paid off. They hired a string of highly capable winemakers -- most recently Chris Phelps, who has studied under the best winemakers in Bordeaux, including Christian Moueix at Petrus, and at the hoity Dominus and Caymus Wineries in Napa -- and the result is great Merlot and Cabernet. Here's the rundown:

The Wine: Swanson Merlot
Where It's From: Oakville, Napa, California
The Grape: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.8% (on the high side)
Vintage: 2007
Price: $38

Color: Very dark for a Merlot, this baby did not look like the "medium" wine I always associate with the grape -- probably owing to the 20% of the pretty dark Cabernet Sauvignon. It was the color of blackberry or prune juice. I assumed big flavor from the looks of this.

Smell: I love when California Merlot is more than just a pleasant sipping wine and this fit the bill! It wasn't overpowering, but it had a real woodsy component that I liked. It reminded me of Christmas -- baked red apples, cinnamon stick, allspice, and a little tree bark were strong supporting roles behind the lead scent of blackberries and boysenberries. The smell was a little tangy -- there was an orange peel note that I think made it so. Pretty interesting.

Taste: Much more standard than it smelled. It was a very good wine, but extremely medium all around -- in tannin, in acid, in flavor. There was a pleasant black cherry taste and the cinnamon stick I smelled was certainly in the flavor, but it was simpler than I expected. It didn't hang around to savor -- the flavor disappeared quickly on the finish.

Pairing: Roast veggies or meats with shallots, thyme, or tarragon flavors. This is a nice but medium textured and flavored wine that could be given more umph with the help of sauteed herbs with roasted potatoes, vegetables, or meats like lamb, duck, or chicken.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. This wine is good, but it's milder than I would expect from the look and smell of it. It's a very well-made wine but less powerful than I had hoped. I think this is probably because 2007 was a vintage marked by cool weather and a less ripe crop. I'd like to try this in another year, but I still think this is a solid wine and I'd drink it any day of the week.


The Wine: Swanson "Alexis" Cabernet Sauvignon
Where It's From: Oakville, Napa, California
The Grape: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot
Alcohol: 14.8%
Vintage: 2007
Price: $75

Color: A crimson, similar to the Merlot in color, the wine was not as dark as I'd expect from an Oakville Cabernet -- which can often be almost purple in color from being so ripe. I looked at this as a good sign that the wine may have some balance and may not be over-the-top, as many Napa Cabs are. What does "over-the-top" mean? The wine is so full of fruit flavor, alcohol, and tannin that your mouth becomes overwhelmed and can't even distinguish flavors or think about the wine -- it's too much for me to process.

Smell: This is everything I'd expect a Napa Cab to smell like. Black cherry was overlain with tobacco, leather, and coffee smells from oak aging. There was a delicious floral/perfume note that went well with the mocha thing going on. The only drawback -- it was a cilia singer: I coughed from the "hot" alcohol smell that wafted up my snout on the sniff (which is strange because the Merlot had the same alcohol level and it didn't do that to me).

Taste: Wow. This was amazing. Licorice and nutmeg with a big hit of espresso flavor reminded me of drinking a great cup of coffee. The wine tasted like black raspberries, black cherry, with some fresh orange peel. It was cola like too -- almost similar to a Dr. Pepper. The texture was perfect. The tannin wasn't too harsh and the alcohol was completely in check and not burning my esophagus as it went down. The wine had great balance between the alcohol, tannin, acid, and fruit flavors -- it was powerful, but not overwhelming.

Pairing: No question about it -- steak, portabella mushrooms, beef stews, and any other heavy, hearty dishes with mushroom, au jus, or brown butter sauces with flavorful savory herbs. This is a great wine for food because of its balance -- it won't overwhelm what you're eating.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink. It's expensive but worth it. This is a great wine. I give Swanson tons of credit for restraining their style and making it food friendly, while still being fruity and very typical of Oakville. A very impressive, delicious, balanced wine -- I love it!


The Wine: Swanson Pinot Grigio
Where It's From: Napa Valley, California
The Grape:100% Pinot Grigio
Alcohol: 13.6%
Vintage: 2009
Price: $21

Color: A super pale straw, this wine looks like it's never seen the inside of an oak barrel...because it hasn't. On the downside, I love a Pinot Gris that has lots of fruit flavor -- Pinot Gris (same grape) from Alsace, France, for instance is rich in color from ripeness -- so I was wary of something so light.

Smell: Super pretty. There were some unique things going on here. First there was a spicy pear smell -- like a pear soaked in Chai tea. Then there was something akin to suntan lotion -- a creamy coconut milk smell. There were lovely floral scents too -- like jasmine and tropical flowers. The wine reminded me of a tropical tree flower called a frangipani. I lived in St. John for a while (story for another time) and had a tree outside my house that smelled delicious when it was in bloom. The wine reminded me of that tree.

Taste: A lot lighter than what I'd hoped, the wine had some nice honey, pear, and red apple flavors. On the downside, it was slightly bitter, like the skin of an almond. There wasn't a whole lot going on in the glass. The acid was nice but very average. It was a simple, easy to drink wine but not much there to analyze.

Pairing: Best as a pre-food sipper or with a baguette and a hard cheese like Parmesan. You could do a light fish with it, but you'd have to be careful that the seasoning wasn't too bold or it would wipe out the wine.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Meh. I reviewed this last because it was my least favorite of the three wines I had. It's just an ok wine. For $21 I'd rather buy a Pinot Gris from Alsace, France, which is layered with flavor and absolutely fabulous. This wine is good, but it's too light for my liking and not something I'd go out of my way for...unlike the Cab or the Merlot, which I thought were great.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think by dropping a comment below! Readmore »»

Frank Family and Tres Sabores: Two Highs at the High...

I'm pretty lucky. Not in the Irish sense, but practically speaking. As a blogger and wine educator, I get to go to a lot of amazing wine events and try a ton of wines so I can share my opinions with you (although, as you probably know by now, that's not always a good thing for the wineries!). With that said, I hate sounding like a total ingrate and ass when I am critical of events I attend...but I gotta tell the truth.

So when I say that the biggest wine event that my current city, Atlanta, has -- the High Museum Wine Auction, which took place last week -- was a big snoozer for me, I hope you don't think I'm a jerk.

The annual auction is for an amazing organization and our best fine arts institution, so it's no knock on the cause. It's one of the highest grossing wine auctions in the US and each year they assemble a big assortment of very expensive, high-end wines for people to try and buy. But after three years of attending, I've noticed that the selection is the same year after year and fewer than 10% of the wine there is from outside of the US. For an adventuresome wine lover, hell, just even for someone who isn't particularly fond of high alcohol, very fruity, oaky, lower acid wines, this spells trouble. It's not a terribly interesting proposition to taste dozens of wines so similar and flavorful, and it's one that can make your mouth really tired after a while from tannin and too much fruit flavor building up on your cheeks.

At all wine events, you've got to have a strategy to tackle them. I always try first to survey the landscape and then figure out what I want to try. You can't taste it all (although I think some of the people there were attempting to do so, with bad results), and I'm all about discovering something new so I picked wineries that are well reputed but whose wines I haven't tried. I stayed away from those that I knew and have pretty good access to (either because they make wines under $20, which I can afford and get or because I see them on the shelf and know they're there if I want to spend more).

So this time I went to about 8 tables and am only going to tell you, in depth, about two of them. The rest were just blah to me. Not to be too bitchy, but I'll call a few out...for example, Ovid -- which showcased two wines (at $95 and $175 respectively) was just over the top. You couldn't possibly drink them with food -- they were food! Hawkes Winery, out of Sonoma, had a good Chardonnay, but their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon didn't have the interesting, multi-faceted flavors I want from those wines.

Although loved and lauded by so many, I thought Cliff Lede's wines were just meh. Although it smelled good, the Sauvignon Blanc's alcohol was so high that, for me, it burned my mouth and made the grapefruit and grass flavors taste like they'd be wrapped in sandpaper. Give me New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc any day over this one! Their $60 Stag's Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon had so much sweet oak and overwhelming blackcurrant, black plum, and blackberry fruit that it was a little much to take. That with the mouth-drying tannins had me scrambling for a few glasses of water and crackers so I could taste wines afterward. The Cab wasn't bad, but it was a little over the top.

So when I finally happened across Frank Family Vineyards, which I'd heard so much about but had never tried, and the wines of Tres Sabores, which I've seen so many times but had, (I'm now embarrassed to say) passed over, I was relieved and excited to have some good things to tell you about. I tried 7 wines, so below are shorter reviews but if you have questions on them post on the comments and I can elaborate.

First up for review, Frank Family Vineyards. Housed in the third oldest winery in Napa, way up north in Calistoga (which is where the fabled Chateau Montelena, another very old winery and a favorite of mine, is located), Frank Family makes sparkling and regular wine. I have to insert my snarky comment about how this Winery, like most in Napa, has the rich-former-executive-loves-wine-and-buys-winery pedigree, since Rich Frank is a former big-time Disney exec who earned bank in the corporate world before turning his big fortune in for a small one in wine (always the case for those of you considering buying a winery). But I'll hand it to the guy -- he's got the right talent on the job. Each wine was pretty spectacular and I'll be visiting them the next time I'm in Napa, for sure. Here's the lineup:

2008 Frank Family Chardonnay, $32.50
Color: From the looks of this wine, I was already liking it. Rather than a rich golden yellow that's typical of Napa Chardonnay because it's so ripe it has no acidity and has so much oak you're picking splinters out of your gums, this was the color of a bale of hay -- a medium straw color.

Smell: It smelled delicious -- like jasmine and gardenia flowers and the like a ripe bosc pear (the brown ones -- my favorite) and a golden delicious apple (sweet and a little tart at the same time). I didn't smell much oak -- maybe a little vanilla, even though the wine was aged in 100% new oak barrels, which should make the it ultra-vanillay and like licking a tree.

Taste: The taste was in line with a Chardonnay from the cooler southern area of Napa: Carneros, which is where the grapes for this originate. Pineapple and pear flavors with some sweet vanilla oak weren't overwhelming, because they were offset by the taste of savory herbs sauteed in butter and then a big hit of mouthwatering acid.

Drink or down the sink? Drink. I really loved this wine. Totally balanced, even for someone like me, who doesn't really like oak on her Chardonnay! I could have this with a cheese plate and be a happy girl.


2009 Frank Family Reserve Pinot Noir, $57.50
Color: I wasn't too encouraged by the very dark color of this Pinot. As I've mentioned in my posts on Burgundy, I'm a pretty firm believer that Pinot shouldn't be dark plum colored. It's a thin skinned grape and in its natural state generally light on color, so the hue kind of made me think it was going to be a heavy style of Pinot that I'm not crazy about.

Smell: Smelled like a typical Pinot Noir from the Carneros region -- plum, dried cherry, with a little earthy/minerally note.

Taste: Sour cherry with a touch of exotic spice (like chai tea) from the oak. The wine had pretty high acid and alcohol but it was just squeaky clean -- no earth, very crisp cherry flavors.

Drink or down the sink? Drink. This was good, but not great. Definitely the weakest of all the wines I tasted in their line, which is funny because it was also the most expensive (see price doesn't always dictate quality!)


2008 Frank Family Zinfandel, $36.75
This wine is 16% Petit Sirah and 84% Zinfandel (remember that the law in the US only requires that 75% of the grape be in the bottle for it to be labeled as such). I think the heavy, bold Petit Sirah added a real kick to the Zinfandel.
Color: This was super dark -- maroon and purple-y. Lots of color hopefully would mean lots of flavor, which is a plus in a Zin.

Smell: The backbone of black raspberries and ripe purple plums was overlaid with serious Indian spices -- like sandalwood and cardamom (Chai tea again). It was also kind of floral, like dried roses. It was unusual for a Zin, which is usually peppery, fruity, and less exotic.

Taste: Some prune flavor and then bold, mouth-drying tannins -- it was more textural than ripe and juicy than I would normally expect, which is definitely from the very tannic Petit Sirah addition. It also had a hot burn from the 14.9% alcohol (pretty high).

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. This was a stunner. It was so ballsy and brazen -- just what I want out of a blend of two American grapes! There's nothing like an unabashed, full-flavored red every now and then and this fits that bill.


2006 Frank Family Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $45
Color: This was DARK. Blood red and so heavy in color that the legs on the sides of the glass were stained red. I expected lots of flavor.

Smell: The wine wasn't too fruity but more like dried flowers, cinnamon, and sauteed thyme and other cooking herbs. Totally interesting for a Cab.

Taste: Super tannic with a short finish and very stingy on the fruit -- like it was there but was a lot of flavor hiding behind the tannin...

Drink or Down the Sink? Need another category, which is HOLD. This wine is not ready to drink quite yet. It needs to chill out in a major way for a few years. When big, tannic wines like Cabernet are served too young they just don't live up to their potential. This wine will be amazing in another 2 years or so. All the elements are there to make it so, but right now -- not ready.

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With my support of organic farming and admiration of female winemakers, I'm a little embarrassed that I haven't had the wines of Tres Sabores before. I've passed the sign for their winery when in Napa and never knew about the gems I'd find in the turnoff. I was fortunate enough to have an acquaintance point me in the direction of Julie Johnson, owner and winemaker, who was right next to Cliff Lede. Julie's unbelievably warm, open character...which, in my skeptical New Yorker way, I at first thought may be a screen for the fact that her wines weren't great...was an instant plus but more importantly, her wines really kicked ass.

This graduate of Columbia School of Nursing found a second career in wine and her caretaking skills translated to the vine and the land. These wines were surprising, innovative, and all around delicious. They're in pretty wide distribution, so you can actually get them, and the ones I tried were all less than $35, well worth the money! Here are quickie reviews of the three I sampled:

2009 Tres Sabores Sauvignon Blanc, $22
Color: Julie told me that the wine was fermented 2/3 in stainless steel and 1/3 in 4 year old, nearly flavorless barrels. With no oak and growing in a cooler climate, the wine was so pale it was almost colorless.

Smell: This was nice and subtle. It had some grapefruit and gardenia, but was so light and airy. A very different style of Sauvignon Blanc and atypical of Napa, which I was happy about. I'm not at all an advocate of putting Sauvignon Blanc in an oak barrel, which is common here and was happy to see someone letting the grape express itself.

Taste: Just like it smelled except with great acidity. I could have mistaken this for a very light style New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes grow on a cool, Northeast facing slope, which spares them from too much sun and preserves acidity -- just what Sauv Blanc calls for.

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. I'm not generally a Napa Sauvignon Blanc fan, but I loved the delicacy of this wine. Perfect for spring and simply delicious!


2008 Tres Sabores, Rutherford Estate Zinfandel, $35
In a place known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford (people usually talk about how the wines have a dusty, earthy flavor that's unique), I'm impressed that they'd give up the land to Zin, which they can less money for. But it's a good call in this case -- Zin apparently likes the unique soil of this area as much as Cabernet!

Color: Like a bowl of dried roses! It was a dark rose color -- so pretty and appetizing!

Smell: A subtle plum and cinnamon note with a hit of violets and dark-colored flowers. I loved that it wasn't overpowering, and that I couldn't smell alcohol (which feels like my nasal cilia are burning), which I often find with Zinfandel.

Taste: Fruit, black pepper, and cinnamon spice were wrapped in a creamy vanilla texture. The black cherry and plum were rich and jammy. Again, I loved that the alcohol was in check -- it didn't burn the sides of my mouth. There was great mouth-drying tannins and mouthwatering acid but nothing stuck out. It hung around in my mouth for a long time and that was just fine by me! The wine was very harmonious and just great for sipping.

Drink or Down the Sink? I love Zinfandel, but I've been a little disappointed lately with many that I've tried. I expect a bold style wine made out of this grape, which is so authentically California. This is one of the best Zins I've had in a year or more. Definitely my favorite of Tres Sabores, and a new fave in the world of Zins. Go Julie!


2008 ¿Porqué No? Red Blend, Napa Valley $25
Literally, ¿Porqué no? means 'why not?' in Spanish, but Julie explained that it also translates to an amorphous concept that challenges you to use your imagination. And that's what she did! This wine is like a good chef throwing something together. It's mainly Zinfandel (50%+) with Cabernet Sauvignon (about 30%), Petit Sirah, and Petit Verdot thrown in. The fruit is from Napa, Sonoma, and Lake Counties and it's a very interesting, if totally unorthodox, mix (Zin and Petit Sirah are common partners and Cab and Petit Verdot go together, but the double date isn't something you usually see).

Color: With the grapes blended in above, all thick skinned and robust, you better believe that this wine was super dark. I expected big, bold flavor -- dark color usually means big taste.

Smell: It wasn't too different from the Zinfandel -- plums, black cherry, and cinnamon spice were the leaders. There was a hint of some sort of thyme or tarragon too -- very cool

Taste: Immediately I thought of Christmas! It tasted piney or like one of those Christmas shops that smells like cinnamon sticks and balsam. This was rich, flavorful with fruit and nutmeg/cinnamon notes and super balanced. There was just a little bit of mouth-drying tannin, but it was easy drinking.

Drink or Down the Sink? Drink. Although given the choice between this and the Zin, I'd pick the Zin, I really liked this wine. It's interesting, creative, and pretty cool. There's a balance between the bold fruit and the pine forest flavors that was very cool. A great wine and one to try for sure.
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So that's a wrap on this year's auction. I'll go next year (if they let me after this post!) but unless they expand the floor to a more international set of wines, I expect the results will be similar -- a 25% success rate for stuff I can tell you about. But hey, it's better than nothing! If you've tried these wines, let me know what you think! Readmore »»

Wine For Normal People Radio: Episode 10 What is Terroir? Part 2: Aspects of terroir and why they matter

Ok, so we're a little slow getting this one out (thanks a million to Rick for fitting in time to edit despite being super busy AND having a newborn!), but this week we elaborate more on terroir (teh-RWAH), but we get our hands a little dirty (pun intended) by talking about the importance of location, climate, weather, soil, and other cool stuff that goes into this untranslatable French concept. We also talk about the same Grape of the Week as last week -- Cabernet Sauvignon -- but this time we discuss how it tastes when it's from Bordeaux, to contrast it with Napa's version.


Here it is:

Episode 10 What is Terroir? Part 2: Aspects of terroir and why they matter

Is the topic nerdy? Yeah, but it's so fundamental to getting French wine that we wanted to do a two-parter on it.

I'm devoting this week to Burgundy -- where terroir is arguably more important than anywhere else in the world, so take a listen and then take a read tomorrow...and later in the week, since I'm doing a two-parter in writing too!

Thanks a million for listening and, as always, please leave comments below and I'll answer them as quickly as possible!

Oh, and I know this is completely gratuitous and I hope it doesn't offend anyone, but if you download the 'cast on iTunes and like it, if you could just click on the stars to rate us, we'd so appreciate it. It helps us stay on the radar of people looking for a different kind of wine show -- and since we want to reach as many people as we can, you can aid us in the mission!! Thanks in advance!!!

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Ep 009 What is Terroir? Part 1: It’s not just a fancy French wine term

Terroir (teh-RWAH) - It's a HUGE topic in the wine world, and not without controversy. You may have heard of this word, or may have no freaking idea what we're talking about...either way, this is a low down of what it's all about. If you're going to appreciate wine, especially French wine, you've got to know about this term and concept.

Here's the link: PODCAST or search Wine For Normal People in iTunes (and if you can rate us there we'd love it!!).

As usual, we review great emails, blog comments, and posts on the Facebook page and then we jump right into the main topic -- terroir. Here are the notes...

Main Topic - The big question...what is terroir? - A loaded question

• How to pronounce it correctly
• What does it mean (translation)?
• Its effect on wine (can you actually taste terroir?!)
• The big controversy - Is terroir a bunch of hooey?
• The origins of terroir (a bit of history)

Grape of the Week - Cabernet Sauvignon (and its differences in terroir)

• We discussed how this love child came into being and Rick asked for more info on it's parentage. I'm happy to say I got it right -- Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc had a love child spontaneously. In 1996 a UC Davis researcher found that these two grapes, native to Bordeaux, mated to create the King of the Reds!
  
• Here's a link to some more information from Kobrand, a major importer that has a good site with lots of info on grapes and wines!
  

It's a little nerdy, but we hope you like it! Please post your questions and comments!!!

AND we're not done...next week: Terroir Part 2: Its different aspects and why terroir matters. Thanks for staying tuned!
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Last Minute Wine Gifts For Valentine's Day...

Ok, it's Valentine's Day.

And like everyone else in America (except for you REALLY slick people), you're scrambling to put something together for your spouse/love/like/crush.

I'm not big into the "Hallmark" holidays, as I like to call them, but I do like Valentine's Day because it's a great opportunity to take some time out of your crazy schedule to show someone that you care.

If there's a wine-lover in your life, I'm going to offer you three suggestions for wines to either give as a gift or have with dinner (which really, in my opinion, should be enough of a gift, but then again I'm low maintenance in the gift arena, much to M.C. Ice's delight).

The bonus of giving wine: it's an awesome last minute gift. If you've got a good wine shop around, you should be able to find any of these great wines easily and in a variety of prices (as an FYI -- the labels listed below are for illustration purposes only, so you can see what to look for. With the exception of the Darioush, I haven't reviewed any of these wines).

A great white option: Viognier (Vee-ohn-YAY)

I'm kind of embarrassed that I haven't reviewed one of these on the blog because they are so luscious and delicious, but c'est la vie (the grape is native to the Northern Rhone, so I feel the gratuitous use of this cheesy phrase is warranted). This is a good way to ingratiate yourself to a white wine lover.

Why this wine? Although I love wines that are like a bowl of acid and minerals, I think that may send the wrong message on Valentine's Day. An austere wine may make the recipient feel like you're calling him/her an icy, cold, and acetic person. Everyone reads into stuff, so spare yourself.

For Valentine's Day something floral, fruity, and sensual are much more appropriate. Viogner fits the bill -- it tends to be full-bodied, rich with peach, apricot and honeysuckle flavor, and like liquid silk in your mouth. It's a fragrant, happy, forthcoming wine in flavor and texture and your sweetie will definitely appreciate the idea that a wine with this exuberant a profile reminds you of them.

If you're going out to dinner or cooking dinner, there is no better match for any cheese (except bleu) than Viognier. It also pairs well with salads, appetizer courses, and pasta with cream sauces. It's so aromatic and delicious, that it's a great wine for pre-dinner imbibing too!
Price Ranges: Options range from a California or Australian version for around $10 to the really expensive stuff for $90 from Condrieu, at the far north of the Northern Rhone Valley in France.


BTW--My advice for this wine and the suggestions that follow would be to pick a price point commensurate with your pocketbook, AND with the seriousness of the relationship...don't go overboard for a new love, friends. But this is not a romance column, so let's get to pick #2... ______________________________________________________________
Options within an Option: Valpolicella

Italian is such a romantic language, that I think just giving something from this country of the language of passion and love will score you major points. Valpolicella (val-pole-ahh-CHELL-ah) or, if you want to spend the coin, Amarone (am-a-RHONE-eh) are two great picks.

Why this wine? There are so many styles and flavors depending on the type you get, that this seemingly simple wine can have layers of intrigue...a very romantic concept, no? Made of a blend of Corvina, Molinara, and Rondinella grapes native to the Veneto (near Venice) region, these are multi-faceted wines, to say the least. Here are your options:

Valpolicella Classico: If you want to keep things light, here's the way to go. This is a pretty simple wine but full of red berry and floral aromas. It tastes very fruity with just a hint of acidity for balance -- it's not such a serious wine, but it's a pretty fun one.
Food: If you don't like white wines this can be a good substitute -- it's great for vegetarian dishes, especially those with an Italian influence.
Price: Generally below $18

Valpolicella Classico Superiore: A much more serious wine than the Classico, this one may have done some time in oak barrels or been through the Ripasso method, where the wine is passed over skins and seeds from dried grapes to give it some extra tannins and mature flavors. If it's been in oak it has mouth-drying tannins and a healthy dose of vanilla and wood flavors added to the fruitiness of the grapes. If it's done Ripasso style, expect raisined flavors, a slight bitterness from the skins and seeds, and a fuller, more complex variety of things going on in the glass.
Food: This wine is a big step up from the one above (consider your messaging, and don't give it to the person you're breaking up with tomorrow!). Mushrooms, hearty meats, and stews would be a good match.
Price: From about $14 - $95 depending on quality level.

Amarone: You better be in love to give this version. This wine is made from grapes that have been set aside in attic rafters until late in the fall to dry and concentrate their sugars and soften their acids. It's then fermented dry (no sugar is left in the wine) and the result is a very intense aroma and flavor. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, earth, and raisin are common flavors. The word Amarone, comes from "amaro" or bitter, so expect a tinge of that in the wine too...just like love, it's a little bittersweet (although it's not sweet, just fruity but go with me on the cliche please). It's high in alcohol too -- usually upwards of 14% so drink lots of water and grab a taxi if you're having this out!
Food: I always like to pair wines from a region with cuisine from that region, so think Northern Italian fare -- pork and salami are popular in the area, so think along the "salty meat" lines for pairing.
Price: These wines START at around $60, hence the comment at the beginning of the description...
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A "my heart beats for you red": Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Why this wine? Well it's the King of red wine and it's the wine with the most prominent and revealing flavors. This wine doesn't hold much back, so if you're trying to make a proclamation of love, here's a great bet. Napa Cab works best because it's fruity, it's not very difficult to understand or appreciate, and it's got smells and flavors that are bold, powerful, and delicious. Blackberry, black currant, black cherry, tobacco, oak, vanilla, chocolate, and healthy tannins and acids make this choice a "heart-on-the-line" declaration of strong feeling.

If you're going out to dinner or cooking dinner, the food better be show-y or bold. Braised meats, game (venison, buffalo, etc), prime rib, earthy vegetable dishes (with mushrooms, eggplant), duck, and lamb can handle this big-ass wine. Lighter foods, anything with a sweet sauce, or "green flavored" things (asparagus, artichoke, herbal seasoning) will make the wine go over like a ton of bricks so caveat emptor.

Price: All over the map...from $15 to $500! For good, solid choices expect to spend $35. I have a ton of producers listed on the blog from both Napa and Sonoma (if you want to save a little money, go for something from the Alexander Valley in Sonoma).

Whatever you do today or tonight, enjoy it and even if you don't have a hot date, make sure you spend some time with the ones you love...and that includes yourself! Readmore »»

Fritz Winery: A Subterranean Wine Delight!

A few weeks ago I had occasion to visit Fritz Winery in the far northern Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County. I'd been to this amazing cave built into the side of a hill in Cloverdale a few years back and really enjoyed my experience there, so I was worried when MC Ice and I drove up.

After a bad experience at Bella, which has suffered a precipitous decline in quality AND after learning that the owner of Lynmar, which was a (controversial) non-fave of mine, is the brother of Clayton Fritz who runs this place, I was a little concerned. But upon rolling up to the cave (which we learned goes down 3 stories and is 200 feet deep, hence provides a natural gravity flow and natural air conditioning for the wine -- very cool), and trying a few of the wines, I realized that nothing had changed...quality remains at this little gem.

Fritz was built with the idea of creating a sustainable winery that didn't need expensive cooling systems and could use gravity to feed the grapes straight from the vineyard to the tank with little human intervention and no energy usage (after sorting and destemming they are pushed over into a subterranean tank, which is much gentler on the grapes). It was built in the late 1970s by Jay Fritz -- he was definitely part of the first wave of 20th century environmentalists and its great that the Winery stayed in the family and is still churning out great wine (although I do wish they would convert their vineyards to organic farming to take the environmental thing to its fullest extent).

For a standalone property, the Winery is kind of big in size, making 10,000 to 12,000 cases of wine (120,000 to 144,000 bottles) per year, depending on harvest. They make a ton of varieties but they are best known for Chardonnay and Zinfandel. Although good, I think there's a sleeper in their bunch, but I'll save that for the end of the post.

Here's the review of the 5 wines tried.

Wine #1: Fritz Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Price: $18

Color: Almost platinum in color, this was one of the palest California Sauvignon Blancs I'd seen. I expected either something watery or something with super high acid. Either way, lack of color was telling me the grapes were grown in a cooler climate where the vines were most likely kept in check -- which means no stem-like bitterness, which occurs with Sauv Blanc when not pruned and grown in cooler places.

Smell: The wine smelled like a classic California Sauvignon Blanc. What the hell does that mean? Cali tends to produce Sauv Blanc with some grapefruit and cat pee (seriously) aromas, but also a melon-y, abundantly floral (like gardenia or white jasmine or hyacinth), fig-like character that I find is really unique to this state.

Taste: This was a real surprise. The wine tasted unmistakably like a fresh, ripe mango -- something I've never tasted in a Sauvignon Blanc. It had secondary flavors like grapefruit and lemon and a really great floral note, but the overriding essence -- mango all the way. Great acid made the wine very fresh and bright too. Super unique.

Drink or down the sink? Drink! I usually don't love this style of Sauvignon Blanc: I like the kind that rips the enamel off my teeth and is all grapefruit and lemons (New Zealand or French SB does the trick usually). But this was so different without being oaky that it was great. Whether it be the cooler site or the 20% of the wine that is fermented and aged in old oak barrels to mellow out the flavor, I don't know, but I dug it. I like to taste something completely different in wine from time to time and this fits the bill!

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Wine #2: Russian River Valley Reserve Chardonnay
Where It's From: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage: 2008
Price: $45

Color: This wine was a golden yellow. Dark -- which can mean a few things: oak aging, an older wine, ripe fruit, or sugar in a wine. Here, given that it was Chardonnay, I assumed it was oak all the way.

Smell: And the smell confirmed that! Although tart apple from the grape shone through, the predominant aromas were all from oak -- burnt toast, bread, vanilla, and most prominently, a buttered English muffin (Thomas's, of course). It tasted like something to eat, not drink.

Taste: This was a traditional Russian River Valley style -- a green apple and lemon backbone was layered to the hilt with lots of flavors from oak. Caramel, croissant, and burnt toast were all over this wine. There was a very creamy, buttery mouthfeel from a secondary (malolactic) fermentation too. Classic style.

Drink or down the sink? This is one of Fritz's flagship wines, but I think it's imbalanced. The oak and malolactic fermentation overpowered the fruit and left me a little cold. There was just too much winemaker influence and not enough natural fruit flavor for me. It was overdone and this place makes so many better wines that this, I'm giving it a thumbs down.

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Wine #3: Dry Creek Valley Estate Zinfandel
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Zinfandel
Vintage: 2008
Price: $25

Color: I was excited by the color of this Zin. It was like the skin of a ripe black plum or plum juice (or before it was re-branded -- hilarious, BTW -- prune juice). It had a watery edge, which is typical of Zin and thick, heavy legs, indicating lots and lots of alcohol (14.5% is pretty standard for Zin -- and pretty high by most standards!).

Smell: A little lighter than what I'd expected, but still lush and full of berry goodness. Raspberry, ripe strawberry, and a little dark cherry filled my nose. It was like a briar patch! Then there was a bit of leather, clove and a touch of vanilla. It was a more refined Zin nose, but still really good and pungent.

Taste: Again, kind of lighter than most Dry Creek Zins, but still the sour cherry and baked berry pie (cinnamon and strawberry) were really delicious. There was a character that I usually find in Syrah in this wine -- a meaty, bacon-like flavor that was edgy and satisfying. That leather and dark potting soil essence lingered in the background too.

Drink or down the sink? Sumptuous and subtle -- DRINK. I usually don't love more subtle Zins (it's probably one of the only wines where I want a fruit bomb) but this was so well done. A great blend of fruit, meatiness, and earth make this wine a real winner. Love it.

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Wine #4: Estate Malbec
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Malbec
Vintage: 2008
Price: $35

Making Malbec in Sonoma is a ballsy move. I applaud Fritz for trying it. The conditions aren't Mendoza, Argentina-like for the grape, or even like Southwestern France, so it's a risk. I like that they experimented by making 140 cases of this.

Color: Malbec is traditionally a highly pigmented grape. They call it "black wine" in Cahors, France, where it is bottled as "Côt." This one held its color through to the watery, plummy edge. At least in color, this seemed like a good showing for Malbec.

Smell: Malbec to me is a bowl of dark berries and soft vanilla and oak smells. This was a little different. The parcel of land on which the wine is grown is on the estate right on the line between the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys. Either this vintage, or the site seems a little hot for Malbec given the nose of overripe, scorched fruit, prune, and boysenberry compote. There was a bit of leather and vanilla on the nose, but I would have liked more.

Taste: This was a little more like cranberry juice than boysenberry! Slightly bitter with a bit of band-aid taste (that's often from brettanomyces, a yeast that naturally occurs on grape skins and can add an awesome complexity to the wine in low levels but can be a little overwhelming in higher levels), this wasn't what I expected from the nose or wasn't what I generally like in a Malbec.

Drink or down the sink? I know I was harsh on this wine, but really I would like to taste it again in a few years because the palate didn't align with the nose and I think it may just be that the wine needs a little more time to integrate and relax. Right now, I wouldn't drink it, but I'd love to try it again in 2 years and see where it's gone. Although the nose was a little over-ripe, the components of fruit and vanilla were there, and the fact that they didn't show on the palate says to me this story's not over yet!

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Wine #5: Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Where It's From: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
The Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Price: $35.00

Color: A crimson color. A dark ruby with purple tinges. I expected lots and lots of flavor -- it stained the glass and had cankles, the legs were so thick.

Smell: What a fresh smell! This smelled like a berry briar. It smelled like boysenberry and blackberry picked right off the bush. These lovely bright, natural tones were highlighted by dark earth, leather, and cola notes.

Taste: Dark berries and blueberry were so lush and ripe on this wine. It tasted like dark violets and roses. The wine had cinnamon and mocha notes and then complex flavors. Soy, balsamic vinegar (not in a bad way), and a little hint of gasoline were present but against the backdrop of lush berry and mocha notes. The texture was satiny and buttery in feel, even though there was a touch of astringency from the tannins.

Drink or down the sink? Drink this. What a value and what a wine! I was impressed by its layers and complexity. I love Fritz for many reasons, but it's rich reds (which it's not known for) are the jewels in its crown in my opinion. A great Cab...especially for $35!!

One final note before I sign off, which is that I was slightly disappointed that they weren't pouring what I think is their "sleeper" -- a wine that blows all of these away and is Fritz's best in my opinion: the Syrah. I know it's not a very popular variety right now, but I love it and I love Fritz's version. We bought 3 bottles to bring home and I'll revisit the wine again when we crack them open. In the meantime, check out the (very old) post I wrote on the wine last year!

Cheers and thanks for reading!
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