Favorite Finds From Family Winemakers

"OK, I’m on 19th Street, how do I get there from here?"

"Stay on the phone and I’ll talk you in" I said.  Bobby Moy – the Manager of Tastes of the Valleys wine bar - had driven from Solvang to San Francisco for Monday’s Family Winemakers tasting.  I stayed on the phone to talk him in, using Google Maps to help find him after a wrong dumped him into the Presidio.  Sometimes technology IS our friend.

Despite a couple of petty setbacks, we arrived shortly after the 1:00 opening, and stayed until the 6:00 closing – just five hours to visit 400 wineries pouring over 1,600 wines.  Right.  That equates to 320 wines an hour.  Or 5.3 wines every minute.  Or (as those good with math have already calculated) one wine every 11.25 seconds.  If you split up the duties, you can double that to one wine every 22.5 seconds, but that includes time to write your notes.  Bloody impossible.  And wholly undesirable – enjoying and discovering new wines should never be a race.

We probably tasted between 150-175 of the available wines between the two of us – a rather shallow scratch on the surface.  So many great wines were omitted from our list.  Still, here are some of our favorites from that day.

Beckmen Vineyards, Cuve le Bec Rouge – I’ve long been a fan of this winery, but this year’s offerings struck me as over the top.  Still nice, but the wines seemed to be sprinkled with a liberal dose of ever-so-much-more-so…  That is, except for this wine, which was a particular favorite of mine.  I usually prefer blends of the Rhone grapes, and this proved no exception – better able to stand up to the oak treatment, I think – and while perfectly drinkable now it will reward those with patience and a cool storage spot under their bed.  Sorry, I didn’t get the Suggested Retail Price.

Benessere, Costa del Sol ($14.50) - This was one of the best wine values I tasted on Monday.  A rewarding blend of four red grape varieties, this is declassified fruit from Benessere’s high-end wines, so the blend varies from year to year.  But the value remains impressive, particularly for a wine bearing that coveted "Napa Valley" label.  Only available at the tasting room and select wine merchants.

Cass Winery, ’04 Syrah ($36) – I had selected the Cass Cabernet ($38) for one of our June club shipments, and now had a chance to taste their full portfolio.  This big and ripe Syrah offered cherry fruit that offset its 14.8% alcohol, though it was still a bit hotter than I like – not surprising, given its origins in Paso Robles’ East Side.  Despite this very nice wine, I think the real story here is the fact that I knew owner Steve Cass a decade ago when we worked at Charles Schwab, back when wine was still just our mistress.  It took us a few minutes to recognize each other but it was nice to see others leaving the comfort of corporate America to pursue their wine-filled dreams.  A common story at Family Winemakers.

DuNah Vineyard & Winery, ’05 Estate Pinot ($45) – the complexity of this wine was amazing, making it one of the most memorable of the day.  I’d like to try it again in a more isolated environment, as I want to see if it is best on its own or with food.  Even at this price, I’d recommend picking up a few bottles – drink some now, then drink the rest over the coming years.

Eberle Winery, Muscat ($14) – with 4% residual sugar, this wine is sweet without venturing into "cloying" territory.  A nice summer quaffer also suitable for spicy foods and with simple fruit-based desserts that aren’t too sweet.  Watch for this wine at Tastes of the Valleys wine bar before the heat is over.

Fort Ross (Sonoma Coast) – ’04 Chardonnay, ’04 Pinot ($39, 917 cases produced) and the ’03 Reserve Pinot ($49, 150 cases produced)  I preferred the lighter oak treatment on the regular pinot, but Bobby liked both equally well.  The Chardonnay is in the modern style – higher acidity, lighter use of oak, more Chablis than Merseault.

Mary Elke, ’05 Chardonnay ($18, 500 cases produced), ’05 Pinot ($24?) – Mary’s famous vineyard supplies grapes to the likes of Jim Clendennan at Au Bon Climat, but she also produces wine under two labels of her own – Elke is her premium label, and "Mary Elke" is her second label.  These two wines in the Mary Elke series provided truly great value for the price, and so are worthy of mentioning here.  I have my eye on the Chardonnay for a future shipment to our "Jack’s Selections" subscribers.

Michaud Vineyard, Syrah, Pinot and Chardonnay (all $38) – As you can see, we liked these wines from this Central Coast producer!  This was not our first tasting of these wines, but an opportunity to test our original perceptions.  Watch for them at the wine bar and perhaps in future club shipments as well.

Pisoni Vineyards & Winery, ’05 Pinot Noir, Pisoni Vineyard – Gary Pisoni has done it again.  This bear of a man (wee photo) produces the most interesting and complex wines, and brings a contagious enthusiasm to the task that is impossible not to catch.  Most of his fruit is sold to premier producers of Pinot and Chardonnay, but he keeps a small percentage for his own wine.  Sorry, we did not get the suggested retail price.

Roessler Cellars, "Peregrine" Pinot Noir ($38) - this is a great value in pinot from two of Richard Sanford’s vineyards.  Well, sort of anyway – he USED to be an owner of Sanford and Benedict, which contributed some grapes to this wine along with Richard’s current vineyard property in Santa Rita Hills.  We have our eye on this wine for future club shipments, if it proves as enjoyable during our next tasting.  In addition to this wine, I always enjoy the Roessler wines from Anderson Valley, a pinot AVA for which I have a particular affinity.

Siduri Wines, Pinot Noir, Amber Ridge, Russian River Valley – With our focus on "Sideways Country" – California’s Central Coast – we taste few pinots from outside our area.  But when you stop at the Siduri table you know you’re in for a treat, no matter where the grapes originate.  Like Roessler Cellars, Siduri produces many different pinot noirs using grapes from the best vineyards.  This Russian River wine was a favorite of Bobby’s.

Robert Stemmler, ’04 Pinot Noir Nugent Vineyard – I first discovered Stemmler in 1988 during my "Epiphany" wine vacation.  Since then they’ve gone through several iterations, but are continuing to produce great pinot.  This particular wine was also one of Bobby’s favorites.

William James Cellars, Pinot Noir, Garey Ranch Vineyard ($38) – Sadly, this Santa Maria winery is sold out of most of their 2005 pinot, but this one is worth trying.  I recall cherry and pomegranate dominating the fruit, and a bitter herb finish that suggests opting it as a food wine over a cocktail wine.

One Final Note – a special thanks to the Family Winemakers and their sponsors:
Wisconsin Cheese, North Bay Gallery "Wine Inspired Art", Cork Supply USA, Bank of the West, Bank of America, Private Spring Water custom label bottled water, Solarcraft, Union Bank of California, Bremer Wafers, Jeremiah’s Pick Coffee, Wine Enthusiast,Wines & Vines, Wine Business Monthly, the Cuvee Companies, Chroma Graphics, World Cooperage, Food Arts and Market Watch.

Cheers!

Dave the Wine Merchant  Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

www.SidewaysWineClub.com and www.TastesOfTheValleys.com

VOTE DAILY!

. Help me continue this free blog by taking 5 seconds to vote here!