Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling

Charles Smith is a Walla Walla, Washington State-based winemaker generating a lot of excitement among wine Geeks. His labels, "Charles Smith" and "K Vintners" sell a variety of wines, with the more expensive K Vintners specializing in field blends and Syrah. Robert Parker Jr. rated him an "Excellent" producer from the state in his 7th wine buyer's guide, and scored his wines between 87-93. Jay Miller (of the Wine Advocate) called him a "Brilliant winemaker," and added this: "While it’s way too soon to put K Vintners on the same level as a Domaine Leroy or Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, the experience you get tasting in the cellar is much the same as in those legendary wineries, brilliantly made wines reflecting the terroir but also a winemaking signature that makes it totally clear which winery made the wine."

That's quite some laurels for a guy who opened his winery in 2001.

I first saw Charles Smith on Wine Library TV, (episode here - check out his crazy hair) and since then have been reading up on Mr. Smith and have seen nothing but praise for his efforts.

While I haven't yet ponied up $40+ for a K Vintners bottle, I did snag another highly regarded wine from his cheaper line, the 2007 Charles Smith Wines “Kung Fu Girl Riesling” – Columbia Valley ($12). I got the last bottle of this wine at K&L Wines in San Francisco a few weeks ago, and served it for a New Year's Eve party at my place. Everyone seemed to really like it. I thought it was a touch too sweet, but overall a good wine.
On the nose, I found Asian pear and white peaches. In the mouth I gor some minerality on the attack, followed by juicy granny smith apples with a cidery sweet finish. The acidity seemed better balanced as it warmed up. Touch of cinnamon.

Winemaker's description: "Single vineyard, fragmented basalt, and caliche...classic Riesling, sublime minerality. WHY? BECAUSE, RIESLING AND GIRLS KICK ASS!"

Dutton Estate WInery

One of the wineries I was most excited to visit during my trip to Healdsburg a few weeks ago was Dutton Estate. The winery's 2005 Cherry Ridge Vineyard Syrah ($34) got a nice write up (and 95 points) in the Dec 31-Jan 15 edition of Wine Spectator. Under the heading Rich & Ripe, it said "this rich, layered red is dense with blackberry, wild berry, anise, fresh earth and cedar notes," and "there's not a lot of it, but try to get your hands (on one)."

I tried, alas, but failed, as they were sold out by Dec. 30th when I showed up. They had the 2004, but it didn't blow me away, so I passed. Here are my tasting notes:

2007 Cohen Sauvignon Blanc ($20): slight earth on the nose, green apple, kiwi, great acidity in the mouth.

2007 Rose of Pinot Noir ($18): nice tart wine, some baked fruit notes.

2003 Dutton Ranch Syrah ($22.50): light, restrained fruit flavors, bits of pepper peeking through.

2004 Cherry Ridhe Syrah ($34): Smelled a little extracted on the nose, with rubber and tar. In the mouth the wine was nicely balanced with red berries and cherry flavors.

2006 Russian River Valley Zinfandel: plums on the nose, cranberries, cardamon and blackberries in the mouth.

2006 My Father's Vineyard Syrah ($34): Herbal nose, rosemary and cedar. In the mouth very cool and herbal as well. This wine stood out among the bottles I tasted, and I ended up buying one. Later I saw that it was given 90 points in WS.

Tercos 2006 Malbec

Tercos, which means "stubborn" in Spanish, is a new Argentinian winery and this is its first release. Retails for $12, butI exchanged a bottle for it with a family member during Thanksgiving.

I've never been a big fan of Malbec in the past (at least the cheap ones I bought for around $10 in the store) because they seemed too harsh and too alcoholic -- if memory serves, they tasted like a badly made mixed drink with too much vodka. My tastes have changed a lot since then, and I am more appreciative now of wines with some tannic backbone, and Malbec certainly has rustic, or robust, tannins to go along with its spicy character and big fruit flavors. They're a great winter wine when well done.

I've been reading a lot lately in wine magazines and from critics and bloggers about the incredible value wines being produced in Argentina for less than $20, so I was looking forward to trying this one.

It clocked in at 13.9% alcohol, and had violets and sweet tar on the nose. In the mouth I got fleshy red and black fruit, particularly raspberries and blackberries. The wine has a peppery bite and hints of milk chocolate. Overall a really great wine for the money.

More Healdsburg Tasting Notes

Although visiting Ridge Vineyards was probably my favorite experience during my holiday trip to Healdsburg, I did go to several others that were "interesting" experiences, both good and both.

On the bad side was Foppiano Vineyards. I arrived there early on a drizzly Sunday shortly after tasting at Limerick Lane Cellars. I was probably the first person there, and was looking forward to trying some of their offerings from this historic winery. They were pouring some old Petite Sirahs and had some deals (buy one get one).

The first wine I have notes on was the Lot 96 NV ($25 at the tasting room, but looks like $12 online, though it may be a different bottle, see link here). It's a field blend dominated by Sangiovese, with Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Carignane, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc thrown in. Stinky nose with red fruit notes. Nice tannic structure in the mouth.

Also have notes on the 2001 Paso Robles Petite Sirah ($59.95). Again, stinky nose of blue cheese, with an earthy barnyard funk taste, and a long finish of black peppercorn and coffee. Certainly interesting.

The bad part about my experience here had to do with the guy pouring the wines. He seemed friendly enough when I showed up, but made a comment when I spat into the dump bucket on the bar. "Aw geez, you really going to make me clean that?" he said. I laughed because I thought he was being sarcastic, and tried a few more wines, spitting every time. After the third wine he made another comment, saying "You know, that's a health code violation." Then I realized he was serious. I asked if I could have a plastic cup to spit in and he gave me one, but all the joy from tasting was gone. I just felt really embarrassed about spitting, but I was driving that day and I also wanted to take good tasting notes, both of which become impossible for me if I drink every pour.

By the time I finished off the wines on the pour list, he was offering all sorts of deals on library wines, like two-for-one on a $60 Petite Sirah from 1991, but it didn't excite me enough to spend $60 for two bottles, so I left there in a hurry. At every other winery I went to that day, I asked if it was ok if I could use the dump bucket for spitting, and they all looked at me like I was crazy. "Of course you can, why wouldn't you?" I told them about my little incident at Foppiano and they were surprised. I've never had anyone else act as strange about spitting, and was really shocked that someone in Russian River Valley, of all places, would take offense. You'd think they would have seen that before. I guess not.

On the plus side, I had a nice experience at Porter Creek Vineyards. I felt a little awkward because I was there by myself surrounded by several different groups having fun, while I was scribbling notes and spitting. The guy pouring wine nervously asked if I was in the business, and I said I'm a journalist that writes about wine, but that I was just out for a personal trip (I wasn't planning on writing an article for the company I work for on the winery, at least not from that visit, but blogging I feel is different).

The tasting room is a tiny wooden shed built decades ago (I think he said 1920s, but I'd don't recall). The top of the bar was a glossy piece of stripped wood, and we were told it was made from a old bowling alley lane, which was a nice touch. Only one light bulb lit the room, a new, welcomed addition, the man behind the bar said.

I was excited to try the 2006 Carignane "Old Vines," from Alexander Valley ($24), as the grape known for its quantity, not quality, in France, has become a darling of some winemakers in the U.S. looking for a tasty, affordable varietal. I found a good mix of funk and fruit in the mouth.

Next I found the 2006 Syrah "Timbervine Ranch", from Russian River Valley ($36) to have a herbal finish.

Lastly, the 2006 Zinfandel "Old Vines" Sonoma Coast ($34) had an earthy, vanilla spice nose, and was balanced in the mouth, until the end when spices send you off with a nice kick.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Porter Creek, and the tasting room employee was able to weave wine geek info about the bottles to me with general info for the four younger British lads just out for a few glasses of wine.

Limerick Lane Cellars

Stopped by Limerick Lane Cellars in Healdsburg last weekend. I was the first visitor of the day, so the woman at the bar waved the tasting fee (normally $6, I think). The winery is known for its zinandels.

Tasting notes:

2006 Orsi Vineyard Pinot Noir ($38)
Nose of light strawberries , which follows in the mouth. Peppery finish. "Burgundian" said the tasting room staffer. She had it about right. Very pleasant wine.

2005 Collins Vineyard Zinfandel ($30)
Crimson appearance. Funky burnt rubber nose. Juicy red berry fruit in the mouth, smooth. Clean, minty finish. Eucalyptus.

2006 Collins Vineyard Syrah ($30)
Earthy, ripe blackberries on the nose. Lighter in the glass with plums and a round mouthfeel.

Razor's Edge 2006 Shiraz-Grenache

In the final hour of 2008 comes to a close, I'm finding myself finishing off a bottle of the Razor's Edge 2006 McLauren Vale Shiraz-Grenache left over from a party we had at our apartment earlier today. It was something I picked up at K&L Wines in San Francisco for $10.99.

I grabbed this because I really enjoyed the label's 2004 McLaren Vale Shiraz (review here).

When I first pulled the cork on this several hours ago, I wasn't that impressed. But now it's opened up, and I'm getting some nice blackberries, blueberries and grippy tannins in the mouth. Strong black liquorish on the nose. Again, good wine for the price.

Wine Spectator gave this wine 91 points and named it a best buy, saying it was: "Polished, round and expressive. A gorgeous mouthful of ripe blackberry, plum, cherry and exotic spices, with hints of leather and brown sugar. The finish rolls on against superfine tannins. Drink now through 2016."

Happy New Year, everyone!

Ridge Vineyards

During my recent trip to Healdsburg, I stopped by Ridge Vineyards, one of the premier wineries in the U.S. Ridge is most known for its Monte Bello Bordeaux blend, which retails for about $150 and regularly receives laurels for its beautifully complex taste and ability to age decades in the bottle. The 1971 Monte Bello took fifth place in the seminal "Judgment of Paris" in 1976 that put California on the map as a quality producer of wine. It's also the bottle I'm thinking about buying for my daughter now to save for her 30th birthday.

Ridge makes numerous other wines, including estate-and region-specific zinfandels, syrahs, cabernet sauvignons, petite sirahs, and a chardonnay.

The tasting room itself was gorgeous, and very sustainable, constructed with bales of straw sandwiched between wooden walls. We arrived on a chilly, dreary Saturday morning around 11am, and only one other couple was there. The staff was super friendly and we chatted for about an hour while tasting wines. There's a complimentary tasting, a $5 fee for four additional wines, and you can taste the current Monte Bello bottling for $15.

Here are my tasting notes - I visited two other wineries before arriving at Ridge, and also had a glass of the Monte Bello before tasting the rest (I spit everything else though), so my palate was somewhat fatigued

The complimentary tasting was of their 2006 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard ($28). Earthy, stinky nose, with pomegranate and ripe red berries in the mouth.

For the $5 fee I tried:

2006 Zinfandel Carmichael ($28) - baked apple pie on the nose, cranberries in the mouth.

2006 Geyserville ($35). Blend of 70% zin, 18% carignane, 10% petite sirah and 2% mataro. Ripe plums, weighty fruit flavors and peppercorn.

2006 Lytton Springs ($35). Blend of 80% zin, 16% petite sirah and 4% carignane. On the nose, cedar, vanilla. nice, complete fruit in the mouth.

2002 Syrah ($36). Herbal, almost "green" nose, with green bell peppers and floral mouth.

As for the Monte Bello, $15 gets you a decent-size pour, about half a glass full. On the nose I found red currants, eucalyptus and a citrusy note. In the mouth this wine displays huge tannins, supported by an expression of pure fruit flavors and an herbal note of dill. The finish had sweet delicious berries. Overall the wine is integrated well, and while it would to taste better with some age, it drinks well now.

International Wine Cellar's Stephen Tanzer, a tough and noted critic, gave it 95 points, describing it as "Deep ruby. Explosively perfumed nose offers a profound bouquet of ripe cherry, blackcurrant, yellow rose, Asian spices and vanilla bean; you could use this for incense. Deep and sweet but remarkably precise, offering powerful dark berry and kirsch flavors supported by substantial, velvety tannins. The fruit plows through the finish with superb energy, depth and clarity, fully absorbing the tannins. A big but wonderfully balanced example of Monte Bello, and sure to reward extended cellaring."

It's hard for me to personally say the bottle is worth $150, as I haven't had many other wines in that price range to compare it to, and it wasn't something so amazing that knocked me completely off my feet. It certainly was an enjoyable, beautiful wine, though I'd like to taste it again sometime to see if I really do want to buy and save one for my daughter (I have time as the 2007 vintage won't be released until spring 2010).

Cyrus

I probably had the most expensive meal of my life this weekend at Cyrus in Healdsburg. I can't recall another restaurant that I've been to where there's a truffles cart, from which you can get 2 ounce shavings of the tuber on any course for $15. I wanted to get the eight course chef's tasting menu for $130, but Rhonda wasn't interested, and they'll only serve it for the whole table. So instead I opted for five courses of my own choosing. As for wine, I picked the 2006 Gramercy Cellars 'Lagniappe' Syrah from Walla Walla. I was in the mood for a smokey, Northern Rhone style Syrah and thought this might be a good option based on a review that I had read beforehand. It wasn't what I was looking for, but the wine was excellent. Nice, pure fruit in the mouth that tasted complete without any flaws. An easy sipper, I finished the bottle without problem during our two-hour plus dinner. Here's what Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Jay Miller review) had to say about the bottle:


"The 2006 Syrah Columbia Valley is dark ruby-colored. The nose features spice notes (pepper, sage, and cinnamon), mineral, cedar, leather, plum, and blueberry. Like the Tempranillo, it appears to obtain its structure from acidity. On the palate it is slightly lean with an elegant personality (like a slender fashion model) leading to a moderately long, savory finish. It should be at its best from 2012 to 2020."

The bottle cost $60 at the restaurant, which is a really fair markup from the $38 retail price.

As for the food, my courses included a Chanterelle Consommé with Roasted Chestnuts, Celery Root and Madeira, Seared Foie Gras with Braised Duck Cannelloni and Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Truffled Red Wine Risotto with Parmesan Broth, Lamb Loin with Badda Beans and Cippolini Onion, Vin Santo Sauce, and a selection of cheeses.

The food was excellent, beautifully prepared and presented. It was also a course too much for me - I walked out of there pained from expanding my stomach too much. The restaurant itself is considered one of the best in the country, having received two Michelin stars, and it's certainly the kind of place where the staff goes overboard to impress every dinner. It's hard not to be with a 53-page wine list, the aforementioned truffles, several amuse bouche sent out by the kitchen, and the caviar and champagne cart. I also think it's the kind of place that would be enjoyable with a large party that could share bottles of wine and the chef's tasting course together. Or, if you really want to splurge, the $185 "Grand Tasting of fine and rare wines."

Healdsburg Bound

We're escaping to Healdsburg for the weekend sans child while my mom is here (free babysitter!) and I'm looking forward to trying some amazing wines and incredible dining. We're staying at the Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza, a Four Sisters property.

For dinner, I booked us a table at Madrona Manor, a restaurant recently given 3.5 stars in a review by the Chronicle's Michael Bauer. Key takeaways:

"...my recent visit shows that (Chef Jess) Mallgren has grown immensely and now produces some of the most innovative food in the Bay Area."

"It's an unlikely setting for a chef who makes powder out of olive oil for one of his complimentary appetizers, whips up foam of Parmesan cheese for soup, cooks an egg sous vide to float in his silken onion veloute, and pours liquid nitrogen into custard to make ice cream tableside," and "Madrona Manor is a bargain splurge."

We also secured an early spot at Cyrus, a two-Michelin star rated restaurant. "The food is spectacular, but what makes Cyrus remarkable is the entire experience: The frozen lemon-and-verjus lollipop that Clemmons sends out for an intermezzo; Alexander's description of an heirloom sake made from a rice considered extinct for 2,000 years; Peyton's waxing on about the Carles Roquefort, a ewe's-milk cheese that is "the last of the homemade Roqueforts" (its producer cultures his own penicillin spores)," according to Food & Wine magazine in a April 2006 review.

I'm sure we'll be lunching around the plaza as well, at Healdsburg Bar & Grill and Bear Republic Brewery, so I can clear my palate with some tasty beer between all the winery trips I'm planning.

In particular, I want to see Dutton Goldfield Winery, whose 2005 Cherry Ridge Vineyard Syrah ($35.00) was rated one of the most exciting wines of 2008 -- and for $35, quite a deal if true.

I might explore other wineries on the Green Valley Appellation Wine Trail, inlcuding Lynmar and its beautiful new tasting room.

And for coffee, there's local artisan roaster Flying Goat.

Besides that, I'm looking for any suggestions. Any can't miss wineries or coffee shops in Healdsburg area I should check out?

Christmas Goodies

Got some really nice coffee and wine gifts this year for Christmas. On the coffee side, I found a 4-cup Bodum Chambord (French Press) under the tree to replace my 10-year old single cup maker; as for wine gifts, I got this really cool notebook called De Long's Wine Tasting Diary that has a full pull-out color chart of wine tasting terms;

Robert Parker's 7th edition Wine Buyer's Guide;

and a World Atlas of Wine by industry giants Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson.


I also walked away from a Christmas party with two bottles of Merlot - the 2005 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot from Washington State, and a Cameron Hughes Lot 94 Oak Knoll Merlot.