Becker on Beckmen

It's so easy to remember a name that is so similar to mine.  And when that name is also attached to a vineyard, it's easy to remember the wine, too.  And if the with is particularly good, then it's even easier to remember it.  So, I'm writing a few words about Beckmen Vineyards.

I visited the winery yesterday after leaving my daughters off in Goleta and Solvang, respectively.  I pretty much drove by Braille knowing I would eventually find it and my instincts were on target, perhaps from a map I looked at a while back? 

No matter.  I found the winery and it's in a beautiful location.  There's a few turns to make but the rolling hills, rose-lined roads, and fantastic landscaping next to the winery make the drive a very pleasant one.  It's a very mellow location, great place to kick back, taste some really good wine, and engage in great conversations. 

The tasting room is small but roomy with a nice balcony overlooking a wide and beautiful green valley.... well, it's May, so the valley is green.

Beckmen offers three tasting options.  I don't remember all of the wines in each tasting, but I chose the premium option which gave me a chance to taste the Marsanne, the Purisima Mountain Vineyard Grenache, and three of the premium Syrah's offered at Beckmen.

To simplify my opinion, all of the wines are very good.  The Marsanne surprised me with almost a smoke and melon flavor that finished delicately.  The Grenache, blended with a small amount of Syrah, is fantastically balanced and framed in the soft peppery tannins of the Syrah.  Each of the Syrah's I tasted were unique and stood up on their own.  It wasn't much of a progression as it was a triple display of three distinctly different styles of Syrah, all delicious, all age-worthy.

Beckmen vineyards is not located amidst other wineries and could be overlooked if one isn't specifically looking for it.  I found it based on a friend's recommendation coupled with a few bottles that I tasted a few years ago - at another friend's house.  It would have been fun to taste all of the wines.

The only recommendation I would have is, instead of having 3 different tasting groups, let the customer pay a single tasting fee then select 5 or 6 of the wines.  For example, it would be fun to maybe taste all of the Syrahs, or just focus on the Grenache wines - both of which are really delicious.

There's lots of Beckmen wines to go around and, unlike some wineries that make one or two really good wines amidst otherwise average offerings, I truly enjoyed all of the wines I tasted. 

I highly recommend a visit.

Cheers!

Fantastic Wine in Santa Barbara

I'm an optimistic skeptic. I’m also a creature of habit. When I find something I like, I latch onto it and sometimes, prematurely I admit, discount things that I’ve not tried yet. Like going to Temecula and assuming that the wines will be as unsatisfying as a previous experience only to find that there are some great wines being produced in that area or assuming that the tasting rooms north of Santa Barbara in the Los Olivos and Santa Ynez areas must be showcasing better wines than would be found in a tasting room located in downtown Santa Barbara.  Or downtown anywhere, for that matter.  What is visiting a winery if you're not winding your way up a hill to a fantastic building with a spacious and elaborate tasting room?

Yeah, I have my moments of being ridiculous.

Enter my trip to Santa Barbara last Saturday. I wanted to try new wine and pulled up a map of tasting rooms in the city. I then looked up each winery on Wine Spectator and decided to start with the winery that had the highest ratings. I was the only reference point I had at the moment and seemed like a fine place to start, however arbitrary.  I’m going to use this approach again.

I drove on Milpas Street and turned on Montecito. About a block ahead on the right, I found Jaffurs Winery.

If the roll-up warehouse door had been closed and had I not seen a pretty small sign on the wall, I might have assumed this to be some generic business operating in a fairly non-descript stucco building. But my quest was wine. And Wine Spectator says these are really good wines.

They are really good wines. I think they are great wines. I think Jaffurs has a new fan.

My tasting started with the 2008 Grenache Blanc. This was only the second time I’d tried such a wine, the first being the night before at Vinatero’s in Whittier. One sip and I wanted to taste more. I was hooked. I figured that, if Jaffurs could do a Grenache Blanc that was so soft and silky, with a finish lingering several seconds on my tongue, what did the rest of these wines taste like!

Well, the 2008 Viognier was a lovely white with a beautiful balance of bright acidity and peach. That’s what I got from it anyway. Then I moved on to the reds.

The 2007 Grenache is fabulous, one of the more highly structured and complex that I’ve tasted anywhere. This wine is so delicately balanced while being a full bodied wine that I started to get hungry… but tasted more wine instead. The talented and friendly folks at Jaffurs poured a taste of the 2007 Mourvedre and I was quickly looking around for a BBQ putting the fire to beef ribs. A touch of Syrah added a slight but mouth-watering touch of black pepper on the finish. Yum.

Next I tasted a couple of the Syrahs, starting with the 2008 Santa Barbara County Syrah and moving on to the 2007 Larner Vineyard Syrah. Folks, these are great wines. I struck up conversations just to make the tastings last as long as I could. These wines are powerful but not overpowering. They are so elegantly balanced that I could keep drinking them until I became elegantly wasted. I mean that in the most affectionate terms.

Finally, I my tasting finished with the 2008 Petite Sirah, a single-vineyard wine (as is the Larner Vineyard Syrah). I find it cliché and almost piteous almost to say that this was the best Petite Sirah I’ve ever had…. Truly. It was the best Petite Sirah I’ve ever had. The deep and bold fruit flat out morphed into a fantastically rich and tannic finish while dark spice flavors nestled their way deep into my taste buds and wouldn’t let go. This culminated one of the most enjoyable tasting experiences I’ve had.

But it isn’t just the wine that made the experience enjoyable. The good folks at Jaffurs are very willing to talk about their operations and exhibit a passion derived from being directly involved in every phase of their little company, albeit one that makes big and beautiful wines. I found them to be gracious and very hospitable when answering questions and sharing the passion and enjoyment of their craft.

I left with a smile on my face and a lingering sense that Jaffurs is a winery poised for greatness. I drove out of the small parking lot, not down a winding road through green hills and vineyard-laden landscapes, but merely turned left on Montecito and then a right on Milpas on my way back to the 101 freeway. It was almost surreal. For a little over an hour, I was transported by my encounter with fine folks who make great wine and love what they do almost as much as they love seeing others enjoy their wines.

I’m going back.

Cheers!

The Terrific Tastes of Temecula

Yesterday, on a cloudy Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, my wife and I decided to go wine-tasting in Temecula, located about 100 or so miles east of where we live. I don't have the exact number but I believe there are between 30 and 50 wineries there. It's the closest collection of wineries to Los Angeles next to Santa Barbara and up the coast of California.

We visited Temecula a few years ago and tasted some wine... and didn't like it. I don't remember what vineyards we visited but I concluded that, unless they figure out better farming techniques or hire better winemakers, they're not going to be selling much more than something slightly more flavorful than 2-buck chuck.

Maybe we visited the wrong wineries back then.

Yesterday, after a stop for lunch at Miguel's JR in Corona, we visited three wineries: Leonesse, La Cereza, and Mount Palomar.

La Cereza did not impress us, although we may have offended them when we asked to taste only one wine instead of the whole lineup.  I suggested they recommend the wine and they served a Cabernet in a plastic cup that was priced around $24 but tasted like something we'd find for about $5 at the grocery store. It was wimpy and absent of just about any character. It wasn't 'bad' tasting, just not very good.  A side note to La Cereza - even if someone asks for a freebie, give it to them in a nice glass.  You never know what they're going to do with that experience.

Not the same for Leonesse and Mount Palomar.

We first stopped at Leonesse and paid $12 for 6 tastings, which we shared. We started with the 2008 Viognier and 2007 Vineyard Selection Chardonnay for starters. Both are yummy wines with the Vionier having surprising body and boldness. The Chardonnay is oaky and filled with pineapple and melon nuances.

So far, so good.

We moved on to the reds. So much for my Temecula history! Leonesse definitely knows what they are doing. We chose to taste the 2006 Meritage, a Merlot-based wine that manages to be bold and delicate at the same time with a wonderful cherry finish wrapped in soft tannins. It reminded me of some of the finer blends coming out of the Paso Robles area. The 2007 Zinfandel was probably our least favorite but more on that later. The 2006 Syrah was pleasingly complex with a nice balance of dark fruit and, one my favorite characteristics found in a good syrah - black and white pepper. Although the tasting notes only identify the black pepper, I personally tasted white as well. The 2007 Syrah was a younger version of the 2006 but with similarly pleasant flavors.

At this point, the kind folks behind the tasting bar broke out their 2007 Vineyard Selection Syrah and the 2007 Vineyard Selection Zinfandel. Both are single vineyard wines. The Syrah was an elegant and bold wine laced with black cherry, chocolate, blackberry, and a fantastically soft finish. It's also got a bit more alcohol than the cellar selection Syrah tasted earlier. This wine should age nicely but can drink nicely now - I recommend decanting.

The 2007 Vineyard Selection Zinfandel was more to our liking than the cellar selection mentioned earlier. We both agreed that the cellar selection was a decent Zinfandel but it didn't blow our minds like the Vineyard Selection did. This wine just jumps from the glass with cherry, cola, coffee, clove and nutmeg nuances... all the fruit and spiciness I've come to love in a yummy Zinfandel.

Before I move on, one more note - the folks at Leonesse are clearly exited about their wines and passionate about their customers enjoying the experience. It's a fun place to visit and it's in a beautiful location. If we didn't have places to go and things to do, we could have stayed all afternoon.

But we did move on... detouring at La Cereza before landing at Mount Palomar - a rustic winery that looks as if it's all set for a party with live music and free flowing vino for all!

Our tastings began with their 2006 Sangiovese - a medium bodied wine that was loaded with cherry flavors and a nice finish. We followed this with the 2005 Trovato, a Tuscan style wine that was quite complex and yummy. The Trovato left me wanting for a place of spaghetti with Italian sausage and a robust tomato sauce. Are you hungry yet?

The 2006 Meritage was 50% Merlot and very pleasant to drink. At this point, it was my wife's favorite at Mount Palomar. But, of course, we moved on and tasted the 2005 Syrah - the only one on the list that left me wanting for a bit more robust flavors; although my taste buds could have been conditioned by this time. Anyway, the stars of the Mount Palomar tastings were the 2004 Cloudbreak, a Meritage style blend that was big, tannic, and cried out for a grilled T-Bone or Rib Eye steak, and the 2005 "Best of Vintage" Charbono. The Charbono, we were told, is a grape from Argentina although there is some speculation as to its origin. I'd never tasted a Charbono before and this was lovely. We both agreed that it's a wine that can be enjoyed with or without food - it's got enough backbone to hold up under some pretty bold dishes but is smooth and complex enough to enjoy by itself.

Alas, it was time to go home. We talked at some length about our experience and decided to come back. We will definitely return to Mount Palomar and Leonesse and allow for more time to visit other wineries in Temecula as well.

I imagine at one youthful time, Napa Valley and Paso Robles were poised for experimentation and probably some trial and error along the way before blossoming into wine regions with their own identities. Temecula will get there. If Leonesse and Mount Palomar are any indication, they are well on their way.

Denner

Paso Robles would be nothing but a roadside truck stop if not for the wineries and vineyards there. And it would be just a bit more than nothing if the wine wasn't any good. Fortunately, neither is the case.

I know there are people who pride themselves on finding those subtle little wines whose flavors and nuances are buried beneath the surface and are more difficult to detect than Waldo but I'm not one of 'em.

I like flavor. I like complexity. And I'm of the opinion that if I have to spend minutes trying to figure out the little essences that make a wine special, then it probably isn't very special and I'm diluting myself into believing that the price I paid for it was justified.

This is why I like Denner. They make great wines. They make flavorful wines. They make complex wines. They make several wines that age nicely. They make wines that I keep coming back to.

They make wines that taste like wine. These wines have fruit flavors without being overly ripe and obvious but generously enough so that I don't have to hunt and peck to taste them. These wines also finish nicely.

And the go great with food.

I'm not going to go into many details but the Ditch Digger, Dirt Worshipper, and Syrah are fantastic. And, although I tend to focus on reds more often than not, their Theresa and Viognier are wonderful.

For the person used to dropping $10-15 per bottle on wine, Denner might seem a bit pricey, generally falling between $30-45. But I've paid $70-80 on wine that isn't even in the same league as the Denner wines.

Of course, we're not talking about everyday drinking wines (although to drink them everyday would be a distinct pleasure). We're talking about wines for special occasions, friends coming over for dinner, Valentine's day, birthdays, graduations, etc. (College graduations that is)

Denner. It's one of the reasons that Paso Robles is much more than a truck stop. It's one of the reasons that I keep going back to Paso Robles.

Cheers!

More on Fess Parker...

It's easy to disrespect any Hollywood personality who decides to make wine... dismiss their efforts as over the top or too commercial.

This is the reputation I've heard attributed to the Fess Parker wines. Big name - bad wine.

Perhaps this was once the case. I don't know. I hadn't tasted the Fess Parker wines until last year. I saw them around now and then but hadn't tasted them.

Now I have. And they're good. Some of them are really good. And a couple of them are flat out great.

During a recent visit to Fess Parker, we tasted several of their wines. A nominal $10 fee was charged and we kept the glass. A nice glass. Reidel.

The 2007 Chardonnay "Ashley" was nice.... the tasting notes matched our taste buds on this one.... and the 2008 Viognier "Santa Barbara County" was equally as good - a bit sweet, perhaps, but tangy enough for balance.

Then we tasted the Pinot. The 2006 Rio Vista was gentle but not wimpy. The 2006 Bien Nacido was fantastic... reminded me of some of the more stellar Pinot Noir we've had recently from places like Sea Smoke and Foxen.

The 2006 Syrah "American Tradition Reserve" had some of the bold and jammy quality I've come to expect from Central California Syrah - as I do with many Australian Syrah.... fortunately, this was balanced with a nice tight peppery finish and soft tannins. I can say the same for the Rodney's Vineyard Syrah, although it was a bit bolder with fruit characteristics that were a bit more ripe than the ATR... and delicious in its own right.

To top everything off, we tasted the Big Easy Syrah. Game Over!

The Big Easy was every bit the big ass Syrah from California. Big to the taste and Easy to drink. A great wine.

And a great place to spend a cool and sunny Saturday afternoon.

Cheers!

Que Syrah Shiraz....

... whatever will be will be... etc etc...

This is the feeling I get when drinking wine... good wine... tasty wine... wine that says 'drink more'... no, not to get drunk.

It just tastes so good! Note that I left out the f-word for those of you who like the movie Sideways. I still don't think Miles knew much about wine.... hence his ongoing dislike of Merlot and Cab Franc.

Anyway.

Last week, while visiting an old friend (and former boss - how many of you can say that!) we found, in his son's cellar, a 2006 Mollydooker Shiraz...

Temptation and a love for wine as it is, we opened it. And drank it. And wanted more. It's good... really good. The 2007 is good too. The 2008... haven't tried it. Want to.

Monday this week, I opened a 2006 Columbia Crest Shiraz. It was $7.99 at Bevmo. Good incentive. Columbia Crest wines are very reliable.

The CC Shiraz is tasty... a bit of pepper on the finish.. almost a white pepper, I think... and a caramel mouth feel...

Then, tonight, we open a bottle of 2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah. I've written about this before. It's good. Really good.

It reminds me of some of the best in Australian Shiraz that I've had... deep dark fruit... black licorice... cocoa... and a black peppery finish laced with soft tannins.

Never mind.

It's freaking good. Like the Mollydooker. Like Henry's Drive. Like Andrew Murray. Like Denner.

So, whether you speak Syrah or Shiraz... doesn't matter. Give these wines a test drive and you'll find yourself casting away the day and relishing in the sensations that only a yummy wine like these can deliver.

Cheers!

2005 Rosenblum Sonoma County Hillside Vineyard Syrah

I love finding new wines... new for me, I mean. Of course, I have varietals that I love more often than others.... Syrah being one of my favorites.

Last night I opened a bottle of the 2005 Rosenblum Sonoma County Hillside Vineyard Syrah and enjoyed two glasses with a Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger.... no ketchup or mustard... just lettuce, a thin slice of tomato... that's it.

And, damn, if this wine didn't just hold up but the flavor just kept coming and coming... hints of dried cherries, blackberry pie, mocha, and the unmistakable finish laced with soft tannins and white pepper.

This is a wine that just keeps on giving.

Enjoy.... Cost Plus World Market currently has a great deal on this wine. One of the best deals around on any wine in this price range!

Cheers!

Zaca Mesa Syrah

Last night, we had a couple of friends over for an impromptu dinner - grilled burgers seasoned in sea salt, whole wheat buns, avocado, grilled white onions, lettuce, tomato, and the rest of the usual burger suspects... oh, and some BBQ chips to round things out.

Since we had already finished our Racer 5 and Arrogant Bastard, we decided to open a bottle of 2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah. Damn, I love this wine. It's the 3rd or 4th bottle I've tasted in the last 6 months and, today, I'm off to pick up some more - because it's delicious and that was my last bottle.

This wine is so smooth... so velvety, with soft white pepper on the finish, but not after being hit with wonderful blackberry, licorice, and mocha notes... very nice wine... love it.

And, it went well with the burgers!!!! Pickles and all. We held our glasses up to the sky, looked through the bottom of the glasses and, except for the edges, the wine was almost completely opaque. See the wine notes from Zaca Mesa: http://www.zacamesa.com/pdf/wineNotes_syrah2005.pdf.

I'm ready to see what this thing will do with a Cajun Rib Eye steak at Morton's Steakhouse.... salivating already.

Cheers!

California Road Trip

I've been saying that being an unemployed musician who loves wine has been the best thing to happen to me in a long time! While taking my job for granted - assuming it would always be there - I began to develop some fear about not working... or at least not working at the job I'd become so used to. Interestingly enough, so many great things have happened since then, I wouldn't go back. Time is more valuable than money.



With that, on Sunday Morning (June 21), I left with my daughter to drive her back to Berkeley... she actually has a job... and help her into her new apartment. Our time together is precious and, not possible on the level it has been had I been in the precarious position of asking someone (i.e. a 'boss') for 'permission' to leave for such an important endeavor. Again - time over money.

After moving into the apartment (thanks for your help, Jacob) - we digressed toward Moss Beach to hang out at the Seal Cove Inn with family. This is a beautiful bed and breakfast that I highly recommend to anyone who has an affinity for the coast of California.

That evening, we promptly opened a bottle of 2006 Denner Ditch Digger while my brother-in-law, Ray, grilled some redskin potatos and tri-tip marinated in some Basque Norte sauce. The Ditch Digger - a GSM from Paso Robles, was so delicious and refreshing. It's a very flavorful wine that is like a vocalist with a 3octave range.... nice acidity, great structure, and a fantastic finish. But, that was just the warm-up!

During our meal, we opened the 2006 Fetish Watcher Barossa Shiraz. I love this wine. It's just delicious - and, being a big fan of black licorice, well - talk about a terrific pairing with the tri-tip!

Of course, we ran out of wine just as dinner was finished. There's only one solution when that happens - get more wine! So, we drove across the street (PCH to be exact) and picked up a bottle of 2006 Rosenblum Heritage Clones Petite Sirah. Because our wine consumption progressed from gentle to bold, we thought we'd just crash and burn like Led Zeppelin and down the Rosenblum - think Kashmir on 10!!!! This wine rocks.... a lot of bang for the buck.

After watching Bottle Shock (see it!) while enjoying our Rosenblum, the evening ended with a very nice crash on the sofa.

Monday began early with driving my daughter back to Berkeley so that she could go to work, and running some errands for her before her noon lunch break. We spent lunch at Crepes a GoGo on University Avenue in Berkeley. This place does a great job on their Crepes... and the variety pretty much can cover all three meals - Breakfast, Lunch, and - if you like - Dinner!

After lunch, I took her back to work and got on the freeway... North to the 101 toward Healdsburg. I had no plan in mind except to check out this little town. No exit strategy... just running on gasoline, ambition, and curiosity.

I arrived in Healdsburg around 3:00 p.m., parking on the street in the downtown area near the very charming and quaint tree-lined park in the center of the city. My goal was to first visit Murphy Goode.... very easy to find. In fact, finding places to eat or taste wine in downtown Healdsburg is so easy, for someone like me, it's tempting to never leave. I was 5 minutes into my visit and ready to call my wife and tell her to rent a u-haul, empty out the house, and come up. The people in this town are not only friendly, they are warm and hospitable to the point where I felt immediately like I was among old friends.

At Murphy Goode, Kim welcomed me with that Healdsburg warmth and, of course I immediately agreed to the $5 tasting fee. Never tasting their wines before, I was pleasantly surprised and the variety of tastes I encountered. Buying a couple of cases would have been easy but it was warm outside and I would be doing much driving for a couple of days. Not wanting to cook an investment in wine, I opted for a single bottle of the 2004 Adams Knoll Cabernet. This is such a soft and balanced cab, I'm looking forward to some fillet Mignon or grilled salmon to pair with it.


During our conversation, Kim and I arrived at a mutual taste for Syrah. At this point, she immediately recommended that I walk to the opposite corner of the 'square' and visit Topel.

I was greeted by Ryan - not only a genuinely friendly chap but, I found out, a fellow musician. Check out his stuff here: http://www.myspace.com/livingamongtrialsmusic. Anyway, Ryan explained that Topel was known for its' Cabernet, but we opened the tasting experience with their 2007 Serendipity Monterey Pinot Noir. This wine tastes in two waves... the first filled with soft fruit, then 2nd wave with the spicy characteristics that give it enough structure to be diversely food friendly.

I enjoyed all of the wines that I tasted at Topel... and, yes, the Syrah was very good! Kim and I do share the same tastes in Syrah. Alas, however, I bought the Pinot. I was unique enough to stay with me throughout the other wines.... but I'll definitely be back to buy some of the others when the weather is cooler.

I left Topel and walked across the street to.... Rosenblum! I immediately called Ray at the Seal Cove Inn and told him where I was - at which we both had a good laugh because of our encounter with the Petite Sirah the previous evening. Anyway, I was once again warmly and heartily greeted, this time by Sean who invited me to taste the Rosenblum reserve wines.

I'm a fan. I love Zinfandel and Syrah and Rosenblum is not short on either, although Zin is their specialty. They even had 4 displays of spices and aromas matched with 4 of the wines that I tasted - this was a great idea! It enabled me to more definitively identify some of the characteristics of their wine and appreciate their subtlety even more. What I was most impressed with was Rosenblum's ability to create wines that are typically fruit bombs, but do so in a subtle and complex way. These are wonderful wines and for one winery to produce such a large number of great tasting varietals - not to mention the numerous Zinfandels - all of which stand on their own unique character is profoundly impressive!

I left Rosenblum with more wine and decided it would be good to eat before driving to a cousins' house in Santa Rosa. Ryan recommended the Bear Republic Brewing Company for it's great selection of micro brews and their fantastic burgers.

I agree. They have great micro brews and fantastic burgers. I had Racer X and a bacon cheeseburger with garlic fries. How's that for ending an excursion?


The next day began with a road trip south... across the golden gate bridge, through San Francisco (what a beautiful city), and back to Berkeley to once again enjoy lunch with my daughter before heading back home.


I left Berkeley around 1:30 and, after gassing up in Gilroy, I headed down the 101 merrily... excited about my road trip. Just south of Gonzalez, I saw the Blackstone Winery and decided to stop in. I tasted 4 wines - 2 Pinot Noir's, 1 Zinfandel, and 1 Syrah. C'mon Blackstone - you can do better than this. Don't blend your Pinot with Syrah or anything else.... your Zin is okay and the Syrah is typical middle of the road Syrah with some nice peppery spice to round it out but, you're the only game within miles of Gonzalez.... take your time. You could be a great place to stop - but folks are not going to come back to taste if the competition north and south of you continue to make far better wines.


I left Blackstone and drove south... south... south, stopping in Buellton to consider perhaps staying for the night... it was now almost 7:00 and I was a bit tired. I also had my Sea Smoke order to pick up in Lompoc.... but I was ready to go home and didn't feel like staying alone in a hotel room... even for $59 via hotwire.

I got home at around 10:30 p.m. and my wife asked "More Wine????" I said yup... and loaded up the vinotemps with my new familial additions. I grabbed a beer, sat down and watched some mindless TV, and went to sleep.

Cheers!

Denner Syrah.... Ruth's Chris Anaheim...

What a combination... last night, one of our daughters flew in from Berkeley to be with her sisters for the youngest 8th grade graduation.... upon leaving the airport, we stopped at Ruth's Chris in Anaheim....

And I just 'happened' to have a bottle of 2006 Denner Syrah with me.... go figure!!!

First off, high compliments to the folks at Ruth's Chris.... we arrived at 8:30 p.m. and didn't leave until almost 10:30.... and, amidst what was obviously a very busy evening at the restaurant, the level of service and hospitality bestowed on us was top notch all the way. Not to mention the wonderful food.... shoestring potatoes, grilled ahi tuna, new york steak, stuffed mushrooms... and on and on... the flavors were incredible....

... and the 2006 Denner Syrah went perfectly with the meal. It's such a big jammy wine that, at first, one might wonder if there's anything but an over the top fruit bomb... but the finesse is exemplary... the finish just keeps on giving... delicious!

Kudos to both Ruth's Chris and Denner Vineyards for contributing to a wonderful evening out for our family.

Cheers!

Mark West Pinot....

I love cheap Pinot... not cheap tasting... cheap price tag. So many Pinot's are simply overpriced. Although Pinot can sometimes become my favorite wine... i.e. the 2003 Fort Ross Symposium - mentioned in an earlier blog or 2.... but many are simply disappointing... not because they are bad wines... no! Many are really good.... but not worth even $50.

For example.... on New Years Eve, we opened a bottle of 2005 Archery Summit Red Hill - $80. It was good... very nice wine. Worth $80? Hell no. If I had paid about $25, I'd have been happy - good bang for the buck at that price level. By contrast, about 10 days ago, we opened a bottle of 2005 Torii Mor.... about $44.... much more depth and balance than the Red Hill... at about half the price.

This is where the cheap Pinot comes in.... I love Pinot from Carmel Road, Mark West, some of the Castle Rock, etc. Do they blow my mind? No. But I love the way they taste - simple, slightly elegant, and food friendly with many dishes... most have just enough acidity to provide balance at dinnertime - and enough fruit on the nose to round things out.

Yeah, I know some of these have just a bit of Syrah and I mention this in one of my earlier blogs - that Syrah should be listed on the label much the same way that Shiraz/Viognier is labeled. That said, I just assume that the cheap pinot may have a bit of syrah, give up my need for self-congratulating wine snobbery, and just pour the darn thing into a glass and enjoy it.

Cheers!

Is that really Pinot?

I've tasted it... and had no idea what it was. At first, I thought it was just a really bold ten dollar pinot noir. It wasn't unpleasant... heck, wine has to be really bad to actually be unpleasant... like that two-buck stuff.... oh well.

I love pinot. It's probably my favorite wine - but it costs so darn much. So, I'm always glad to find that one of the wine mags has rated an under $15 bottle in the high 80's.... gives me hope. So, I usually go and buy one... or two... and usually enjoy them as well!

These "low end" pinots aren't the most complex of wines... not a whole bunch of finesse or elegance... but they're tasty. And some are a bit bolder than their more expensive counterparts... recently, I found out where those dark berry and sometimes peppery nuances were coming from..... Syrah.

Yeah, like Viognier is added in 5% lots to some Australian Shiraz (and recently the Denner Dirt Worshiper), I learned that some pinot has been 'enhanced' by the addition of 3-5% Syrah. Does it taste bad? No... but Syrah is such a bold grape, it somewhat distorts the more delicate flavors of pinot.

I was disappointed to learn this.... mostly because, when I buy pinot, I've been naiively believing that it was 100%. Darn.

Now here's the solution... like those Aussie blends, why not sell these Pinots as "95% Pinot Noir, 5% Syrah". Nothing like truth in advertising, huh?

Where does this wind up? I have no idea. It just added a bit of cynicism to my enjoyment of relatively cheap Pinot.... but, then again, I'm a bit of a purist. If you say it's pinot, then it's pinot. If you blend it.... well, as much as I enjoy guessing games, this isn't one of 'em.

Denner Vineyards in Paso Robles

Okay. Nobody pays me to say this, but I love Denner wines. I just opened a bottle of their 2007 Viognier and it was spectacular.... tasted like - well, fruit... peaches, maybe some nectarine, nice acidity... didn't even have it with food... but that's not all... the Denner Syrah from 06 is really wonderful - balanced - white peppery and blackberrish... (how's that for a word)... of course, I also recommend their Ditch Digger and Dirt Worshiper... great with steak... damn, I love a good steak... oh, and their Zinfandel. I've had the 05, and 06, and I can hardly wait to taste the 07. Paso Robles is the perfect breeding ground for Zin and Denner does a fine job of producing a silky smooth, somewhat spicey - cinnamon, clove, and nutmet anyone?

Just buy it.