Mills Reef Reserve 2007 Merlot-Malbec

*Bottle #74: Mills Reef Gimblett Gravels-Hawkes Bay Reserve 2007 Merlot-Malbec
*Price Tag: $17
*Running Tab: $1,050

Ever heard of Hawke’s Bay? Yeah, neither had I. Little did I know that Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s oldest wine region (roots back to 1851) and is home to over 80% of the country’s Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah vines. Considered the “center of gravity” for New Zealand wine other than Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s Bordeaux as Marlborough is its Burgundy.

The country itself is mostly on the map for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, both notably from Marlborough, which a wine snob once told me is one of the five places on earth where Pinot Noir can grow “correctly” – he also included Oregon, California, Burgundy and South Africa.

More specifically than Hawke’s Bay is its subregion, Gimblett Gravels, which is highly ranked courtesy of its free-draining soil and higher temperature than the rest of Hawke’s Bay. Reason for the subregion’s name? The Gimblett Gravels soil of the vineyards. Tada!

Bottleology – A Pennsylvania Winery: Naylor

A lone Seattle to Baltimore red-eye flight was a surprisingly pleasant trip coast-to-coast, and one aided by late night rest.  A 9 a.m. rental car was my chariot (a Toyota Matrix), and the weather, a constant drizzle capped in thunder.  To my side was my alibi and lovely lady Danielle. I soon, and happily so, became her chauffeur, her chaperon and tour guide as we began our adventure into the southern Pennsylvania landscape. Our final destination was my northern Lancaster County home, but first our scheduled pit stop at Naylor Winery, to cure some curiosity and talk with their resident WINO, Ted Potter.

Edward “Ted” Potter is a winemaker. Ted, [his friends call him] is a graduate of the CIA (Culinary Institute of America), and served in the U.S. Navy during Vietnam. He also taught at the Western Montgomery County Area Vocational and Technical School in Limerick, PA.  While teaching there he was the Resident Resource Person for Temple University for ten years and credits his wine making career to his unique background and eternal love of food. His path began with a winemaking kit back in the mid-70s making cooking-wine from a grape called Marechal Foch. In 1985 he became the winemaker and partner of Naylor Winery in Stewartstown, PA.

I am certain that Ted Potter is doing much of the legwork for your United States wine-consuming population, making a staggering 37 different wines, on 80 acres, producing 8,300 cases. Ted uses many French-American (his favorite Chambourcin) and Classic European Vinifera grapes to due so.   Through this process, admittedly tedious, he’s trying to find the grapes most appropriate for the land in which he works. Ted comments, “Winemaking is about taking what the good lord gives you and turning it into what it was intended to be.” Ted also makes six different fruit wines (Apple, Cherry, Peach, Raspberry, Plum and Strawberry).

Grape Killers Attack Woodinville

“I’m just here to hang out with my best friends,” said a truly unfeigned and heartfelt Tim Stevens of Stevens Winery. Stevens, and his besties, literally walked down the street to Willows Lodge to throw the second celebrated bash for the Grape Killers, the avant garde and humble bunch of “Woodinville’s coolest young wineries.”

Still confused at their purpose other than buddies drinking each others’ wines and shooting the shit?

Don’t worry, it only took me four trial runs to get a serious response out of Mark McNeilly from Mark Ryan Winery. “The Grape Killers is a loosely formed marketing group with very different wines but similar paradigms and philosophies,” he said as the corner of his mouth turned up in sheer mockery of me. “This group of killers will make you weep.”

McNeilly, who was excited about this second event because the first one was compared to a “ho-down” with the amount of people at the Waterfront Grill in Seattle, prepared his section as a themed tasting to spice it up. “Tonight, it’s ‘big bottles, little bottles.’ Splits and magnums.”

Bottleology – Darby Winery with Darby English

Darby English, a Seattle native and former professional golfer, has just left the pharmaceutical and medical field to pursue another passion: wine.  Darby stands behind his creation with pride and equal promise, which makes it only fitting that he chose to name his business Darby Winery—launched commercially in 2005.

Before it all started, Darby’s wine knowledge spanned not much further than the dinner table. While attending college in Oregon, he found enjoyment in the local Pinot Noir’s. His most memorable wine along the way was from California, Chateau Montelena 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon—now a sentimental representation in his 300 bottle collection (Bordeaux and Rhone heavy).  These wines and his stately travels were the foundation to Darby English, the winemaker.  He credits UC Davis courses for adding to his technical background and his love for competition, both of which have added to his quality level of winemaking. He notes, “If I find a technique that ultimately makes for a better product, I have to do it, even if it’s more labor intensive.”

A’tasting and a’tweeting

Monday, I attended the second event for “Taste and Tweet,” a mongrel creation of a few social media strategists trying to break into the world of wine.

That being said, the group of “tasters” who were “tweeting” at said event were heavily “tweeters.” They loved the idea of the group and were no doubt enthusiastic about wine. However, I felt really strange being expected to clack away on my Crackberry while LEGENDARY Seattle wine authority April Pogue was explaining her selections and necessary pairings.

Nonetheless, it was a fun little gathering with a few familiar faces and a few I may never see again outside the digital realm.

Hosted, this time, at the Grand Cru Wine Bar in Bellevue – the newest home for Pogue to manage – the wine from their retail shop was showcased along side of their constantly revamping menu. With a knowledgeable co-owner, a “consultant” who I gathered was more for the food side and a well-known and expertly-versed sommelier/buyer, Grand Cru seems to be on a fast track to success.

Unfortunately, their location isn’t really on the fast track in Bellevue so success is most likely going to be brought in from romancing future customers with such featured events, deals and parties to get Grand Cru on the physical map.

And thus, tasting and tweeting to spark some interest amongst our avid Twitter follow-basis and wine influence. Bam! I have 291! Who wants to be my final 9 on my path to 300?!!

The first (and possibly favorite) course was the flavorful Thai crab cake, with Dungeness, sweet Thai chili and an orange slaw. Pair that with a naturally aromatic yet tender-palated Lachini Vineyards Willamette Valley 2007 Pinot Gris and wine and food were doing what they were meant to do together. Pair…

Round Table: Walla Walla, Pt. 2

Among all the wines we brought back from Walla Walla, there were just a few Merlots, but boy were they worth talking about. Keep checking back, because in Part 3 of this Round Table, we’ll take a look at Cabernet Sauvignon, and in Part 4, we’ll look at the many Syrah’s Walla Walla wineries are turning out.

The Merlots

Pepper Bridge Winery
2006 Merlot
92% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc
Walla Walla Valley
$50

From the nose to the palate, the Pepper Bridge Merlot is like the freckle-faced adolescent girl who suddenly stuns the schoolyard boys at her own debutante ball. On the nose, the Merlot brings red rope licorice, sandy mineral notes and a heat worthy of a day on the beach building sandcastles. On the palate, though, it proves to be silky, sexy and confident—trading flip-flops and a pail for high heels and a rhinestone encrusted clutch. With dark fruits and spice, and a mysterious intensity, this PYT (pretty young thing) is sure to be turning heads for a long time to come.

James Leigh Cellars
Spofford Station 2004 Merlot
Walla Walla Valley
$40

On the nose, the Spofford Station Merlot by JLC Cellars recalls a well-worn overstuffed chair in a mahogany lined library. That funk that comes from a lived-in room, worn carpets, dust on picture frames and stories imbedded in the walls. On the palate, it offers a rich juiciness up front, followed by stemmy notes like bitters in cocktails. Pull a book off the shelf, put on your smoking jacket, settle in to that faithful chair, and imbibe.

Beethoven + Wine Festival in Review

Wednesday night, I attended the opening night of the Beethoven + Wine Festival at Beneroya Hall–a pre-season event celebrating, well, Beethoven and wine. It was truly an evening to remember.

My date Christina and I arrived at Beneroya Hall dressed to the nines, amid crowds of snappily attired social vamps taking in Seattle culture and Washington wine, framed by the sweeping view through a massive bank of windows. Classically dapper ushers in green sportcoats took our tickets and directed us to where we needed to go: the wine tasting in the upper lobby.

We made our way up the stairs to arrive at a string of tables around the perimeter, manned by winemakers with arsenals of bottles, pouring shots of vino into the empty glasses of sophisticated winos. Imagine our excitement. We made a dash to pay for our tastes and get our wine glasses, wondering where to start. Well, we started at the beginning, of course.

After securing our punchcards (four pours for just five bucks), we came upon Doug Peterson and his wife of Edmonds Winery, who poured us his Bordeaux blend  (2007 Bently), and a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (2008 Rhapsody). Very tasty wines indeed, and it was great to stand and chat with the winemaker himself, who is one of the nicest guys you’ll meet. (By the way, they just moved their tasting room into Sparkman’s old space in the warehouse district of Woodinville, so go stop by.) Barrage, Challenger Ridge, Patterson Cellars, and Walter Dacon Winery were also there, and in anticipation of a great musical event, I can’t think of a better way to spend the time than to sip wines with local artisan winemakers.

The “Beethoven” part of the Beethoven and Wine Festival was nothing short of brilliant. It opened with Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, and featured Sara Davis Buechner at the grand piano. Not only was the piece beautifully composed by Ludwig himself, but Buechner’s expert manhandling of the piano combined with her flare and showmanship made the concerto both sonorous and entertaining. Her hands moved faster than a ping pong ball in an international championship match, her bare feet worked the peddles with grace, and the rope-a-dope duck and weave of her head and torso let you know how the music moved her, and moved you along with her.

The second piece of the night was Symphony No. 7 in A Major. After removing the grand piano from the stage, the Seattle Symphony settled into their own groove without Sara Buechner, and wooed you with their own combined genius. Particularly during the Allegretto, I was mesmerized. The lighthearted melody was supported by a resonating bass and cello section, which added mystery behind frivolity. Music Director Gerard Schwarz conducted the orchestra, and his fluidity was like a interpretive dance.

Tonight is the last night of Beethoven and Wine. There are still tickets available for as low as nine American dollars. On the schedule tonight will be Coriolan Overture, Op. 62 and Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 conducted again by Gerard Schwarz. Wines will be poured by Hestia Cellars, Covington Cellars, DiStefano Winery, Hollywood Hill Vineyards, and Matthews Estate. You can get your tickets here.

After wine and music, we walked over to Purple Cafe, just a couple of blocks away for some more vino, where we had, among other things, some local juice from OS Winery. It was a great way to cap off an evening with Beethoven and Washington wine.

M. Chapoutier Belleruche 2007 Rosé

*Bottle #73: M. Chapoutier “Belleruche” 2007 Côtes du Rhône Rosé
*Price Tag: $12
*Running Tab: $1,033

I’d like to take you back. Way back. Back into time.

No, not to the 90s beats of “Don’t Leave Me” by Blackstreet, but to the old school records of French wine and to the idea of it still being summer/okay to drink rosé.

The Chapoutier family name was planting its roots into the soils of the Rhone Valley in early 19th century France. After decades of making wine, in 1879, winemaker Polydor Chapoutier began buying up vines of his own and acquired the title of viticulturist as well as producer.

From Polydor’s establishment, Chapoutier has been passed down through the ages from father to son, where the hefty production wine business now lies in Marc and Michel Chapoutier’s hands, Marc more in the books and Michel more in the grapes.

Michel is said to have taken a different route than his forefathers in both the vineyard and the cellar. The man has been described by his own people and colleagues as passionate and energetic, very active in his lifestyle and loves. Rightly so, Michel Chapoutier has taken his “biodynamic” (which broken down means “life in action”) approach literally through his wine and personal being.

Bottleolgy – Nota Bene w/ Tim Narby

Nota bene is a Latin and Italian phrase meaning “note well”^{[nb 1]}. It is in the singular imperative mood, instructing one individual to note well the matter at hand. (The pluralis form is notate bene.) In present-day English, it is used to draw the attention of the reader to a certain (side) aspect or detail of the subject on hand, translating it as “pay attention” or “take notice”. It is often written in the abbreviated form: N.B. “Nota Bene” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nota_bene

The East Coast of the United States is origin to some significant contributors of the wine world in which we live. Take Robert Parker for example, the famous wine critic who was born in Baltimore, Maryland.  Well Bob’s not alone, also from that region is Tim Narby, a winemaker originally from Erie, Pennsylvania.  Tim now lives in OUR Washington State and it’s no coincidence that these two men’s collective greatness stems from a similar setting.

Tim, the owner and winemaker of :Nota Bene, a Seattle based winery, is representing like only an East Coaster can. To date Tim has made 11 wines that have scored 90+ points (Wine Enthusiast), since he began winemaking in 1985.  It was on his wedding day that he received a winemaking kit and some blackberry concentrate—two years later he was sourcing wine grapes from Champoux Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills AVA) and Ciel Du Cheval (Red Mountain AVA).  Tim works for Boeing and is credited for the introduction of this fruit to the members of The Boeing Wine Club back in 1992, a winemaking group of which he is a member.

A Bottle for the Road: Col Solare a la Red Mountain, Part Duex

Don’t judge me because I can’t videotape. I tried to document this epic Eastern Washington exploit and fell just a little short of being invited to Cannes… I dated a videographer and learned nothing. I’m dating a wino and have become a bigger lush. I feel like I came full circle, no?

Taking what I have learned as a lush, Part Deux of my Col Solare tour was extremely beneficial for my wine problem and I continued to educated on makes the purple stuff in my glass taste so damn good. The attempted videography for this event, on the other hand, is awful and I’m going to have toss the idea of using it. I apologize for getting your hopes up, Mom.

Leaving off after our vineyard tour of Klipsun with Trish and Col Solare Estate with Marcus, we headed into the basement dining room of the winery that sat adjacent to the barrel room. Mediocre backdrop, I suppose…

Four glasses of wine, a salad, a pork shank and a cup of chocolate-raspberry creme brulee later, I was full and I was quite possibly drunk. Sitting next to better known writers Julien Perry and Chris Nishiwaki, I was trying to play “cool, experienced writer” while literally chugging samples from a barrel of Merlot from Klipsun Vineyard’s 2007 vintage and from a barrel of an undecided blend for the 2007 Col Solare Red Wine.

Let me tell you, these people can drink. I felt at home.

My favorite of the “sample” portions we were poured was the 2006 Col Solare Red Wine, at 72% Cab, 19% Merlot, 4% Cab Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Syrah – a very familiar Left Bank Bordeaux combo for Washington blends.

Sourcing only 27% of the fruit from Red Mountain, Marcus stated, within the next few years, Col Solare intends to be wholly Red Mountain fruit and ultimately, 100% estate. With a three year old vineyard, becoming all Red Mountain fruit seems a bit more of a feasible leap, as only 85% of the juice in the blend must come from the Red Mountain AVA to legally print the appellation on the label.

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