Hawk Wakawaka Wine Reviews

Life with Food

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Oct 1, 2013

Life with Food

my first day of school with Jr., age 2

For over a year I barely ate. My daughter’s father and I split when she was a year and a half. It was a difficult departure that included leaving our belongings, and taking no financial support from him. When the divorce was finalized he quit his high paying job making the court imposed child support irrelevant. I lived with my parents for eighteen months, then left Alaska and returned to school. In three years my degree was complete–a double major of Philosophy and Literature, with an honors degree and thesis.

Jr was two when I started classes. Having managed to afford the move, to win funding for college, to start with my daughter beside me, I was happy. I couldn’t afford to study full time, raise my daughter and also work so I applied for scholarships and grants continuously. Both my college and her preschool, as a result, were funded. The income for everything else would ebb and flow depending on the time of year but she got two meals through her preschool. I ate on my own in the day, with her at nights and on weekends.

Towards the end of my second year my funding was cut thanks to a reduction in state spending. We were living in Arizona. I knew we’d leave for Alaska and commercial fishing at the end of May, but it was March. At the start of each semester I’d purchase food staples that could last just in case. We started eating them. I’d give Rachel the canned goods with grains or pasta, while I ate just the rice or noodles.

It was something I didn’t talk about but for those three years my toddler and I lived below the poverty line in a house with a breeze through the living room (there were gaps in the wall). Towards the end of that second month of rice and noodles my best friend who lived in Seattle somehow realized I had no money. That same week a letter arrived with a $50 gift card for the grocery store. The simplicity of the gift was overwhelming, and still today, more than ten years later, makes my hands shake to think about.

At four, Rachel had never complained about her food, even with a bowl of only black olives and spaghetti noodles in front of her. So I’d assumed she hadn’t noticed. When we went to the grocery store together with the gift card I realized she had. She spent the twenty minutes in the grocery cart as I pushed naming all the things we could buy. For her it was mostly the fruit.

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The United States government has shut down. I am uninterested in the federal politics behind it.

Many Head Start programs are almost immediately losing funding. WIC pregnancy and nutrition support for mothers and children will not be processed. Veteran benefits will not be processed. In some states, state processes will be able to temporarily over-step the federal aspects of a short term shut down.

Please consider sending grocery store gift cards to any families you know that may be affected. Please consider giving cash scholarships to any school food programs in your area. Please consider increasing your food bank donations. Real people need your simple gift.

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To read more on the shut down:

A list of what is affected: http://wtvr.com/2013/09/30/government-shutdown-whats-closed-whats-open/

BBC coverage of the government shut down: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24343698

Coverage on how the shut down will affect everyday US Americans: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2437658/How-government-shutdown-affect-ordinary-Americans.html

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To locate a food bank near you: http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx

To donate to a local school, call one near you, or the area school district, to ask how.

Touring Near Montalcino: the Abbey of Sant’Antimo, the town of Montalcino

Italy

Hawk Wakawaka

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Sep 30, 2013

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Touring In and Near Montalcino

As some of you know, I have just returned from a week in Italy. I’m still in the process of doing research and tastings, and reviewing my notes for articles, and posts. In the meantime, I thought I’d share some photos from an afternoon touring around and near the town of Montalcino.

Visiting the Abbey of Sant’Antimo

About 10 km/6.2 mi from the town of Montalcino, stands the hamlet of Castelnuovo dell’Abate. The medieval town hosts only 236 residents at 385 m/1263 ft above sea level. In the heart of the Brunello di Montalcino appellation, Castelnuovo depends primarily on agriculture and some tourism, thanks to its proximity too to the Abbey.

Established as an abbey in the 900s, the current building of Sant’Antimo was built in the 1100s and still hosts an active Benedictine order of monks that continue the practice of Gregorian prayers (in song or chant) multiple times per day.

Inside the chapel, a cross, constructed in the late 12th century stands behind the altar. The church stands as one of the few examples from its time period still intact. Its architecture is therefore unique, hosting primarily Romanesque style with allusions to the pilgrimage churches of France.

holy pictures behind the altar

looking towards the abbey itself, where the monks reside

The vineyards in the distance outside Sant’Antimo also showcase the unique countrysides of Tuscany. Brunello di Montalcino is produced in a region where olive trees readily grow. Vineyards are sometimes interplanted with alternating rows of Sangiovese and olive trees.

the view from the chapel

Lunch in Montalcino

At 567 m/1853 ft in elevation, the town of Montalcino hosts a little more than 5200 residents. The heart of the town spins around small alleys and roadways that wrap the hillside with small shops, enotecas, and sidewalk cafes.

looking up at the bell tower that announces the hour in the center of town

As part of the province of Siena and historically taken as one of the city of Siena’s outposts, the town of Montalcino celebrates similar iconography in the image of the she-wolf carrying for its human young. The image originates in Rome as the story of Romulus and Remus. The founder of Siena, Senius, is the son of Remus and so the region adopts Rome’s she-wolf iconography as part of its own founding strength.

In the center of town sits the Consorzio of Brunello di Montalcino.

looking up winding streets of Montalcino

looking up a small residential alley of Montalcino (the town does get snow)

the view from near the top of Montalcino

***

Thank you to Alessandro Bindocci, and Megan Murphy.

Australian dry Riesling: a tasting of 24 wines

Hawk Wakawaka

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Sep 23, 2013

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Tasting Australian dry Riesling

click on image to enlarge

Last week three of us got together and tasted through 24 wines focused on the theme of dry Australian Riesling. The goal of the tasting was to gather wines from all over the country, focusing centrally on dry examples. Bottles were selected based primarily on professional recommendation from wine educators specializing in the United States on Australian wine, and were provided by importers. Some wines were also selected based on prior tasting experience.

The quality through the tasting as a whole was impressive, with a high proportion of good wines. It was truly a pleasure. The top, stand out wines, Pikes 2011 “The Merle” and Pewsley Vale 2007 Museum Reserve, were excellent. Other stand out wines in the tasting are marked with an * asterisk. All wines are dry unless mentioned otherwise in the tasting notes below.

In designing these tastings, I prefer to have a particular theme that serves as the center line, while also including a few appropriate outliers as a way of bringing breadth to the tasting and offering perspective. In this case, we chose to include a few examples with a touch of sweetness, and one Riesling from New Zealand.

Wines were put in flights by region, and then arranged by alcohol level. The wines were initially tasted in succession over the course of several hours, then revisited in various arrangements over the two days following. Below are notes on Australian Riesling in general, and then on the particular wines by region.

Australian Riesling

Australian Riesling carries a unique style with a central focus of clean fruit flavors.

While German Riesling is commonly known for celebrating a petrol note, the characteristic is not necessary to the grape and arises primarily out of experience in the vineyard, such as high sun exposure of the grapes themselves, or water stress of the vines. Some skin contact en route to the winery also encourages the phenomenon. Historically the distance between vineyard and winery led to 12-48 hours from harvest to winery. Older pressing techniques served more to break up the fruit, rather than squeeze its juice out, leading to a more pulpy process than newer technologies. Historical necessity in some regions, then, encouraged a particular style to be recognized as the norm.

Australia’s Riesling culture, though, finding its roots in the 1800s, remains significantly younger than its old world counterpart. With the distance between them, Australia’s winemaking and viticulture were able to develop without direct influence of style. One of the effects includes a distinctive approach to harnessing the riches of the grape. Riesling culture in Australia, then, purposefully avoids inclusion of petrol notes, instead seeking a pure fruit expression. Less commonly, however, there are also individual producers that instead wish to utilize old world influence and instill petrol development in his or her wine.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Western Australia celebrates the advantages of a genuinely cool climate, and marine proximity for generating high acid whites. One of the effects on the fruit is longer hang time for a slow and steady development of flavor. The region is recognized for offering a touch more spice, with a focus on citrus fruit, floral notes, and a lot of mineral expression.

* Rocky Gully, Frankland River, Western Australia, 2012, 11%

Offering lots of evolution in the glass, the Rocky Gully gives an ultra clean, acidity focused wine. The aromatics here are light with delicate lemon-lime and touches of toast. Through the palate the citrus acidity carries forward into an ultra long finish. This is a wine all about acidity and linear focus.

Frankland Estate, Netley Road Vineyard, 2012, 11%

Giving aromatics of white peach and peach blossom curled through with white grapefruit, Frankland Estates Netley Road Vineyard rises over flavors of stone fruit and citrus then does a flip mid-palate into soft birch bark with a short finish. This is a clean focus wine with nice juiciness.

Frankland Estate, Isolation Ridge Vineyard, 2012, 11.4%

Frankland Estate‘s Isolation Ridge Vineyard generates a more floral focused wine with textural aromatics of narcissus flower and white peach. The juicy palate is delicate carrying birch bark through the mid-palate, then opening into white peach and cracked pepper for a short finish.

Leeuwin Estate, Art Series Riesling, Margaret River, 2012, 12%

With distinctive, sweaty fruit and flower aromatics the Leeuwin Estate showcases perfume. The plush floral aromatics roll into a perfumed palate of lemon and lime blossoms. This is a textural wine with good focus, while less crisp than the other Western Australian examples. The acidity here is juicy, continuing into a long finish perfumed all the way through.

* Plantagenet, Mount Barker, 2010, 12.5%

Plantagenet gives a creamier palate of lime and peach blossom by the ocean, giving textural aspects of fleshy fruit with saline crunch. There are layers of complexity here giving hints of dried fruit, on a moderately acidic presentation, with a nice balance of texture and zip.

TASMANIA

Tasmania also carries a genuinely cool climate with maritime influence, generating intensely juicy whites with closely focused flavors and lots of linearity. With so much structure, the wines evolve significantly with time and love to age in the bottle.

* Uberblanc, Glaetzer-Dixon Family Winemakers, Tasmania, 2012, 11.3%

Intensely juicy, with an ultra long finish, the Uberblanc emphasizes the gifts of Tasmania’s cool climate. The complexity of the nose includes toast with lots of perfume, including rose potpourri. The palate carries floral touches forward through long acidic lines of citrus blossom and touches of toast. Uberblanc has pulled off complexity with an ultra long mouth watering focused finish.

VICTORIA

Plantings of Riesling in Victoria are disperse. However, the state also features what may be the oldest vines in the country planted at the end of the 1800s, start of the 1900s at the Garden Gully Vineyard in the Grampions district of Great Western.

* Jamsheed, Garden Gully Vineyard, Great Western, 2012, 12.7%

A distinctive wine in the overall line up, the Jamsheed Riesling carries multiple stages of interest. Opening with a touch of sweetness, the flavors are rich and creamy, rolling into a cascade of juicy acidity and saline that wash and stimulate the palate, then carry forward into a moderate long finish of snap clean flavors. This wine is distinctly textural.

CLARE VALLEY

Clare Valley hosts a high concentration of quality Rieslings, known as one of the smallest overall production zones of the country, but one of the highest production areas of quality wine. The area is known to generate intensely flavored wines with great longevity. The region is also quite varied, however, and as a result creates varied presentations as well. The wines of Polish Hill, for example, are recognized as more austere and subtle in their presentation, while those of Watervale offer great concentration and tension.

Some Young Punks, Monsters, Monsters Attack!, 2013, 10.5%

Meant as a good value wine with interest and a focus on fun, Some Young Punks give an off dry presentation of Riesling with light alcohol, good acidity, and a nicely achieved balance with sweetness. The flavors come in as lime juice, lime zest and touches of cracked pepper that waters the palate.

* Pikes, Clare Valley, “Traditionale,” 2012, 12%

Giving a crisp, clean fruit focus, Pikes Traditionale stands as their gateway to Riesling wine. White peach, is followed by white grapefruit with faint almond flower and touches of cracked pepper. This is a well made wine, with good value. It’s a Riesling that’s all about the fruit, and its smooth, easy long finish.

* Jim Barry, The Lodge Hill, 2012, 12.8%

Giving the most earth focused, though also one of the most delicate wines of the tasting, Jim Barry‘s The Lodge Hill showcased slate with touches of saline showing both in clean aromatics and palate. There are delicate hints of lychee in the pretty while light aromatics, and the well made, fine boned palate.

* Petaluma, Hanlin Hill Vineyard, 2012, 13%

With clean aromatics, the Petaluma turns into rich flavor with a broader palate. There is a lot of complexity here with good breadth of flavor including saline with faint hints of cracked pepper, guava, and a citrus mélange tumbling through a long, full mouthwatering finish.

** Pikes, “The Merle,” Clare Valley, 2011, 12%

With a textural nose and palate, Pikes “The Merle” focuses on fruit from the Polish Hill section of the region, offering greater tension and complexity, plus tons of juiciness. The wine gives green almond fruit with peach pit from the aromatics through the nervy mid-palate, full of action and length. I am a fan of this wine–a prize fighter with no need to show off.

Kilakanoon, Mort’s Block, 2011, 12.5%

The Kilakanoon Mort’s Block offers a clean, well made wine that, while a bit non-descript, offers nice fruit, and just a hint of toast. What the wine lacks in sophistication it makes up for in reliability and value. This is worth drinking.

Kilakanoon, Mort’s Reserve, 2012, 12.5%

Kilakanoon‘s Mort’s Reserve keeps it’s clean focus with a subtle expression. White flowers hint at narcissus and almond blossom carried through with lime and white grapefruit. The wine is clean, well made, and focused on delicacy.

EDEN VALLEY

Also known for its high concentration of quality Rieslings, Eden Valley competes with Clare Valley for its aging potential. By contrast, however, the region tends to generate lighter bodied wines with more subtle aromatics that focus on floral notes and orchard fruit.

Henschke, Julius, 2012, 11.5%

Subtle aromatics with still distinct elements throughout, the Henschke Julius keeps its focus on blossom notes bringing in moments of peach pit, peach blossom, and white peach with Meyer lemon, lime blossom, and a mineral crunch. The flower notes verge on bath soap but the wine focuses in on a pretty and light expression overall of well integrated scents and flavors.

Mesh, 2012, 12%

A cascade of juiciness pushes through light and subtle flavors in the Mesh. Citrus melange, complete with citrus blossom, dance with hints of bread and touches of talc. The wine is well balanced, and subtle, while also a bit generic. This is worth drinking.

St Hallett, 2011, 11.5%

With a touch of floral bath soap aromatics, St Hallett pushes into lemon with saline accents, leading into an explosively flavorful, juicy mid-palate and short finish. The wine also carries hints of lily, and charcoal to accent the central rush of salty citrus.

Dandelion Vineyards, 2012, 12.5%

The Dandelion Vineyards needs time to settle down as it opens a little disjointed while fresh. There are intriguing characteristics of delicate blossom aromatics, and fresh greenery leading into narcissus and grapefruit blossom on the palate. Compared to other wines in the tasting, this one presents as a bit clumsy while not badly made. This is a wine more like a country girl, less elegant, more at home in the fields and barn.

Penfolds, Bin 51, 2012, 12.5%

Unfortunately, Penfolds offered the only unpleasant wines in the tasting. Though many consider Penfolds an easy go to for Australian Riesling, Bin 51 drank with a more commercial quality than any of the other wines. The toast and citrus combination here performed as a singular note with medium high acid and a short finish. With such a singular expression, it’s one of the few wines tasted that stood out for lacking depth.

* Pewsey Vale, 2013, 12.5%

The Pewsey Vale shows a beautifully made classic Eden Valley wine. With a super floral (touch of bath soap) aromatic, the palate spins around a long and lifting ultra clean expression showing saline accents, and hints of potpourri on a creamy mid-palate moving into toast and nut on the finish.

** Pewsey Vale, Museum Reserve, The Contours Riesling, 2007, 12.5%

Aged in bottle 5 years before release, Pewsey Vale‘s 2007 Museum Reserve is a memorably beautiful wine. The subtlety and floral expressions here read as a sort of alluring inanimate intimacy. Hazelnut skin with toasted almond and touches of toast carry over into a palate of toasted lemon, touches of potpourri, and a long saline finish. This is a beautifully balanced wine with the most memorable nose of the tasting.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

While both Eden Valley and Clare Valley fall within South Australia, they are considered distinctive zones in terms of style. The grape is planted elsewhere in the state as well at smaller concentration, as other grapes remain a larger focus.

Penfolds, Thomas Hyland, 2011, 11.5%

Unfortunately, Penfolds showed poorly in this tasting with its contrast to other wines highlighting the more commercial aspects of its flavor production. The Thomas Hyland drinks as though its meant to offer greater complexity than its Bin 51 counterpart, but the effect is of a wine trying to be something its not, generating a sort of faux petrol accent over toast, red apple, and muted fruit and flower.

Yalumba, Y Series, Barossa, 2012, 12.5%

Bringing fresh and dried floral notes with accents of spiced wood and bay leaf, the Yalumba Y Series also offers hints of apple, white peach, and peach blossom. This is a nicely made, and well balanced wine with a long clean, easy finish.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Riesling differs from its Southern Hemisphere cousins by featuring the petrol notes absent in Australia. The common style incorporates floral notes with a mix of spiced citrus, stone fruit, and petrol accents. While dry Riesling is common throughout Australia, most examples in New Zealand incorporate the acid-sweetness balance of an off dry approach.

Greywacke, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2011, 12%

A refreshing contrast to the previous wines, the Greywacke carries distinctive aromatics of light smoke, apple blossom, and juicy peach with a touch of candied sour apple and chalk. The palate performs in an off dry (slightly sweet) style that balances juicy acidity with touches of white pepper and a medium-long finish.

#GrenacheDay 2013: keeping it simple with three varieties

Hawk Wakawaka

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Sep 20, 2013

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Celebrating #GrenacheDay

Friday, September 20 marks International Grenache Day for 2013. Last year, to celebrate I focused specifically on wines from the California Central Coast and Sonoma. This year, I decided to keep it simple and taste through examples from California more broadly focusing in more on Grenache Blanc, with just one Grenache Gris, and one Grenache Noir. Following are notes from tasting.

TASTING GRENACHE BLANC

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Acquiesce 2012 Grenache Blanc, Mokelumne Hills, 13.5%

Made from young vines, the Acquiesce Grenache Blanc is worth watching. In its second vintage, the wine is already showing interest with still young fruit. The 2012 offers a crisp body flavored by light stone fruit and crisp Asian pear alongside light grapefruit accents and touches of star fruit moving into a long white floral finish.

Bokisch Vineyards 2012 Garnacha Blanca, Vista Luna Vineyard, 13.5%

Blended with just a touch of Albarino, the Bokisch Garnacha Blanca gives the rocky tension the Vista Luna Vineyard reliably generates. Aged on its lees, the wine brings together a light creaminess with tons of juicy character moving into a long finish. Flavors of clementine, hints of wax, with refreshing dill accents move into a long mineral finish. This wine is all about value.

Cochon 2011 Grenache Blanc, Clements Hills, 13.8%

A nicely textural plushness with good acidity carries the subtle, clean flavors of the Cochon Grenache Blanc. The wine offers anise, with powdered lily, and fresh greenery through a long, lifting finish. The Grenache Blanc core is paired here with 5% Marsanne, and 5% Roussanne, keeping the focus on floral notes rather than fruit. I enjoy the clean flavor presentation, the focus on subtlety, and the textural interest.

Two Shepherds 2012 Grenache Blanc, Saarloos Vineyard, Santa Ynez, 13.4%

The Two Shepherds 2012 Grenache Blanc nose opens with light almond paste, quince and touches of citrus, that continue through the palate into a long juicy finish. As it warms, the wine shifts into riper pear and almond, bringing richer, still juicy flavors. With a creamy mouthfeel on a still taut mineral-zing line, the 2012 carries more fruit expression than its more austere, mineral focus 2011 counterpart, an appropriate indication of vintage expression.

TASTING GRENACHE GRIS

[Please pretend there is a brilliant illustration of Grenache Gris Varietal Characteristics here as I did not have time to design one though I love it so.]

click on imaginary image to enlarge

Idlewild 2012 Grenache Gris, Gibson Ranch, 12.6%

A beautiful light rosé, the Idlewild Grenache Gris offers fresh floral aromatics with touches of jalapeno and light beeswax accents. Through the palate the character deepens into herbal, light campari-like hints, with brushes of apricot and blood orange. There is a nice textural interest here as well. This would also be a lovely, refreshing Thanksgiving wine.

TASTING GRENACHE NOIR

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Skinner 2010 Grenache, El Dorado, 14.8%

Giving a well-integrated presentation of red fruit, red flower and dark spice with touches of lavender, the Skinner Grenache shows a concentrated core rolling through with juicy length over smooth tannin into a medium-long finish. The bottle first opens with lightly reductive notes that just want a little time to roll into the wine’s lovely fruit expression.

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Tasting California Syrah: a line up of 24 wines from across the state

Hawk Wakawaka

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Sep 19, 2013

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The California Syrah Tasting

click on image to enlarge

Last week two of us got together and tasted through recent vintage small production Syrah from all over the state of California. The wines were selected based primarily on tastings done in the last year, and also a few through recommendations.

The purpose of the tasting was to gather leaner style, quality examples of Syrah from throughout the state but all primarily from smaller production producers.

The wines were not tasted blind as part of the purpose was to gain insight from vintages and regional information. The wines were tasted initially in order organized first by vintage, and then by alcohol level. They were then re-tasted in varying arrangements over the course of the two days following.

While many of these wines showed quite well, the stand out of the tasting for me was the Wind Gap 2009 Sonoma Coast. Others that showed especially well are marked below with an * asterisk.

Following are notes on the wines arranged by region.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

One of the unique features of Santa Barbara County is the incredibly varied climate terrain of the region allowing for differing growing capacities within close proximity. From genuine cool climate along the coast to higher temperatures with large diurnal shift a bit inland, the region offers to a grape like Syrah a full range of potential styles.

SANTA YNEZ

The Santa Ynez appellation stretches all the way from the cool climate starkness of the Sta Rita Hills, through the proposed limestone banded Ballard Canyon, and into the warmer heights of the Happy Canyon AVA. As a result, Santa Ynez AVA showcases the fullest arch of growing conditions for the county.

Focus in Sta Rita Hills has tended towards Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, however some producers are also growing Syrah for a cool climate expression of the fruit. Unfortunately, no wines from this area were represented. However, Zotovich, and Samsara are two examples from the area worth checking out.

BALLARD CANYON

Ballard Canyon is not yet recognized as a distinct sub appellation of Santa Ynez but it offers characteristics that merit the designation. While Santa Ynez Valley carries the East-West valley orientation unique to the larger region, Ballard Canyon rests in a mountain formation that buds North from the mainline of the valley, producing distinct climate conditions from the rest of the valley–not quite as windy as Sta Rita Hills, not quite as hot as Happy Canyon. Ballard canyon is also a mix of intensely sandy sites and limestone bands not common to the rest of the area.

* Casa Dumetz, Tierra Alta Vineyard, 2011, 14.5%

The lighter style of Casa Dumetz’s 2011 Tierra Alta Syrah offers feral edges to a pretty floral focus. The wine is juicy and quaffable with just enough drying grip to accentuate its flavors. The core carries dark stone fruit, with purple exotic flowers and spice all touched by earthy accents and a hint of toast. This is a very juicy, wild while pretty example of Ballard Canyon Syrah.

* Goodland Wines, Ballard Canyon Red, 2011, 14.7%

The Goodland Wine’s Ballard Canyon Red comes in with big shoulders on a deft frame. This is a whole lot of wine without being heavy. It opens into intoxicating dark fruit refreshed by citrus zest accents and touches of cardamom, carrying leather and hints of diesel all on a body of smooth tannin with long line juiciness. The 2011 Ballard Canyon Red is primarily Syrah with just a touch of Grenache.

LOS ALAMOS

Not yet recognized as a certified AVA, Los Alamos stands circled by mountains North of the Santa Ynez Valley, and South of its sister Santa Maria Valley — the three broadly distinct zones of Santa Barbara County. Locals are working on achieving appellation approval for Los Alamos. The area is another of the cool zones of the county as the winds from Lompoc lower temperatures. It also hosts the most planted vineyard acreage of the county, many of them under smaller ownership, with bigger companies coming in more recently.

Martian Ranch Red Shift Syrah, 2011, 13.5%

Martian Ranch Red Shift brings together Syrah with just under 5% Viognier for a lifted opening to the wine. With very little SO2 addition, this wine also shows the slightly pert elements that can come from such an approach. The combination gives a bright red top note integrated into a light touch presentation of red fruit, with accents of cocoa powder and cracked pepper, and hints of greenery through a long juicy finish. This is a distinctive, fresh focus wine, with quirky edges of interest.

Fess Parker, Rodney’s Vineyard 2010, 14.9%

The Fess Parker Rodney’s Vineyard draws on all estate fruit. It comes in as the richest style of the tasting, showing perfumed aromatics with potpourri, baking spice, and a touch of smoke ash on a full polished frame. This is a well executed example of a ripe style wine, reaching towards an expression like Zinfandel.

Big Table Farm, White Hawk Vineyard, 2010, 15.1%

While housed in Willamette Valley, Big Table Farm sources their Syrah from the historic White Hawk Vineyard of Los Alamos. The 2010 carries a rich presentation of flavors giving blackberry with chocolate liquor poured on top rolling into cinnamon, touches of cocoa and some tobacco. Bramble comes through on the long finish. The tannin is velvety, picking up through the finish. This is a rich wine that relaxes as it opens.

SANTA MARIA

At the Northern part of Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria generates a unique flavor profile, tending to generate more fruit presentation than its siblings to the south. One of the older planted areas of Santa Barbara, Santa Maria also offers pockets of older and even own rooted vines.

Ojai Vineyard, Solomon Hills Vineyard, 2008, 14.6%

Ojai Vineyard‘s Solomon Hills Syrah offers a restrained expression of a ripe style, giving lots of flavor with a central focus. The juicy red fruit here couples with olive, savory herb, and Italian sausage showing smooth tannin, and a touch of heat on the palate, through a long finish.

FOOTHILLS

The Foothills wine country of California reaches from El Dorado County into Amador and Calaveras carrying mountain fruit and high country spice notes and lots of rocky minerality. The region has proven especially good for growing Rhone grapes, with wineries beginning to house themselves there in the region more recently.

EL DORADO

Northern most of the three counties mentioned above, El Dorado county has a high concentration of Rhone variety vineyards featuring both red and white grapes. The area hosts the large diurnal shift that ripens fruit while holding acidity.

* La Clarine Farm, Sumu Kaw Vineyard, 2011, 12.4%

The lightest style wine of the tasting, La Clarine Farm‘s Sumu Kaw Vineyard brings a refreshing, lifted approach to the grape giving one of the more distinct wines in the line up. The wine showcases a carbonic lift with refreshing accents of dill, touches of jalapeno, hints of mandarin and mixed olive, dancing with red fruit. The wine is strange, intriguing, and refreshing with wild edges and a long finish.

Skinner, El Dorado, 2009, 14.8%

The not yet released 2009 Skinner El Dorado is a well made, well balanced wine that wants time, and air to open. Though initially closed, by day 2 the wine had opened into an expression of subdued fruit flavored by pine forest, black tea, and spice with a long finish showing a healthy tannin, acid balance, and lift. Both of the Skinner Syrahs noted here are wines made for people that appreciate deft work with oak integration. I hope to taste this wine again with more age.

Skinner, Stoney Creek Vineyard, El Dorado, 2009, 14.9%

The Stoney Creek Vineyard gives a slightly more earthy focus to the Skinner profile. Not yet released, this wine will continue to evolve with age, and wants air to open and integrate. The wine offers subdued red cherry and red fruit with pine, and tobacco, giving hints of juniper and spice accents. The wine is well balanced, and well made with polished tannin, and balancing acidity. Again, this style is made for people that appreciate fine work with oak integration. I hope to taste this wine with more age.

LODI

A cooler zone of the central valley, Lodi offers the rich sun exposure of its valley location with cooling influence from the Delta breezes. The sandy-silty soils that dominate the Mokelumne River sub-AVA, combined with the temperature range of the area consistently generate present while softened tannin in its reds. The attention in Lodi tends away from Syrah with only a few producers bringing specific attention to the variety. Fields Family, noted below, and Kidder Family Wines are two examples of Syrah from Lodi to keep an eye on.

Fields Family Wine, Estate, 2011, 14.2%

The Fields Family 2011 Syrah carries sun kissed red fruit with red floral accents that open into saffron, light smoke notes, and distinctive spice hinting towards bbq. There is a hint of sweetness to this fruit, but not too much. This is a restrained expression of ripe flavored fruit that has smooth tannin and a long finish, with well integrated acid and alcohol.

NAPA VALLEY

Napa Valley has only a recent history with Syrah, as the valley’s history has been rooted in Petite Sirah, and more recently Cabernet. However, the valley offers a unique range of growing conditions for the fruit from hillside to valley floor locations. The wines focused on for this tasting come from the cooler zones in the Southern portions of the valley.

SOUTHWESTERN NAPA VALLEY

* Jolie-Laide, Phoenix Ranch, 2011, 13.8%

Jolie-Laide comes in with a strong focused palate on good structure and a nicely executed wine. The wine offers delicate aromatics with red-violet fruit focus and a grilled Italian sausage core accented by hints of smoke. There are nicely smooth tannins throughout with a pleasing juicy balance. The flavors here have traction on the palate coupled with good movement.

MT VEEDER

The cool climate mountain appellation of Mt Veeder is influenced by the cooling temperatures and breezes coming up from Carneros, and the rustic qualities of the sub-appellation’s soil and elevation.

Lagier-Meredith, Mt Veeder, 2009, 14.3%

The mountain fruit of Lagier-Meredith give the leanest profile of the Syrahs tasted, with a pretty nose showing refreshing canteloupe elements, coming in with dark fruit, pine forest, olive tapenade, and cracked mixed pepper on the palate. There is nice tannin presence here moving into a short finish. This is a polite, and pretty Syrah with strength and quick focus.

COOMBSVILLE

At the Southern end of Napa Valley, Coombsville benefits from the cool winds blowing from the ocean across San Francisco and San Pablo Bays before hitting the mountains at the Eastern side of the sub-region. Thanks to the lower temperatures, the area supports slower ripening periods for an expression unique to the Valley.

Enfield Wine Co., Haynes Vineyard, 2010, 13.7%

A pleasing focus for Napa Valley Syrah, Enfield Wine Co generates a savory expression of the variety coming in with olive, and bramble through a body of rhubarb, hints of blackberry, and a surprising spice melange. The wine is full of mid palate aromatics showing off dried rose and violet, and a touch of bark on the finish. This is a juicy wine with a long finish.

* Enfield Wine Co., Haynes Vineyard, 2011, 12.6%

The 2011 vintage of Enfield Wine Co bring a sharper focus to this already well made wine showing off pencil point tannins coupled with nicely balanced juiciness. This is a wine that excites me with its savory components that spin through with floral and red fruit opening into blueberry, and hints of cocoa powder. The lean opening, uncurl into mid palate aromatics, and move into a long lightly metallic finish.

SONOMA COUNTY

One of the largest countries of California, and the largest of the San Francisco Bay region, Sonoma County offers massive variation. With the market focus on Pinot Noir, the truth is many of the sites that might grow Syrah quite well instead grow its cool climate companion from Burgundy. Still, there is a range of quality Syrah from the area, and Rhone grapes do quite well through many of its districts.

RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

Two Shepherds, Saralee’s Vineyard, 2011, 13.5%

Saralee’s Vineyard is known for its cool temperatures and fog influence generating structurally focused reds and juicy whites. In the overall line-up, the Two Shepherds’ Syrah most clearly shows the challenges for ripeness generated by the cooler vintage of 2011 with the aromas and flavors of the wine showing as less developed, or under-ripe overall. The aromatics are a touch volatile with hidden fruit expression, while the palate opens to blueberry and blueberry leaf with touches of brown sugar all in a delicate, acidity focused presentation.

SONOMA COAST

One of the largest appellations within Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast has come with controversy over its size. More recently, however, the challenge has been met with the generation of sub-appellations more expressive of the genuine sub regionality of the AVA. Examples include “West of the West” AVAS such as Fort Ross-Seaview and a proposed West Sonoma Coast AVA.

Bodega Rancho, Que Syrah Vineyard, 2009, 12.4%

Located at the far Western edge of Sonoma Coast, the Que Syrah Vineyard offers a genuinely cool climate focus for Bodega Rancho opening with a tidal wave of super juicy fresh blackberry and blackberry pie including faint accents of baking spice, alongside touches of olive brine and bramble through a medium-long finish.

** Wind Gap, Sonoma Coast, 2009, 12.6%

The “hey baby” of the line-up, it was difficult to take notes on the Wind Gap 2009 Sonoma Coast. I wanted to just sit and drink it. It’s drinkability surpasses its flavor profile. The wine comes in with savory juicy olive notes accented by bark and forest spice, moving with blackberry bramble, cherry skin, and fresh oregano. The wine has beautiful flow into super clean violets on an ultra long finish. Wind Gap wins.

Anthill Farms, Peters Vineyard, 2009, 13.5%

Anthill Farms Peters Vineyard hints at carbonic elements with opening accents of red lipstick, lifting into olive tapenade on the nose, followed by a smooth palate presentation of blackberry and bramble, wild berry flower perfume, and spice. This wine carries a nicely focused palate followed by a short finish.

Baker Lane, Estate Vineyard, 2009, 13.6%

The 2009 Baker Lane showed poorly in the line-up, with the wine presenting as chunky, falling apart in the mouth after opening. There were characteristics of tomato leaf, and delicate floral notes, with cherry pie spice and apparent tannin. Having had this wine previously, I am willing to assume bottle variation is the culprit here.

* Anthill Farms, Campbell Ranch, 13.9%

Anthill Farms Campbell Ranch showcases fruit from the new Fort Ross-Seaview AVA giving violet and bramble focused aromas and flavors, accented by the same lipstick note of their Peters Vineyard, and touches of olive tapenade with spice. This is a well balanced, savory while pretty wine showing pretty top notes, a good tannin-juicy balance, and a long savory finish. Nice value here.

* Failla, Estate Vineyard, 2009, 13.9%

Also housed with the new Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, the Failla Estate Syrah showcases the strength of the Western Sonoma Coast character. The wine comes in with a lot of confidence without the puff ripeness of arrogance. A nicely subtle, well-balanced nose shows a touch of olive, mountain flowers, and forest floor, rolling into a big rocky palate with savory fruit, a touch of cigar, and a long spice finish. This is a wine that wants to age showing well executed structure of currently tight tannin.

* Arnot Roberts, Clary Ranch, 2010, 12.2%

Arnot Roberts draws on the restrained elements of a cool site in Clary Ranch and produces an alluring, slightly strange Syrah that wants a lot of air to integrate. This wine shows off the ingredients of Thanksgiving in the American Southwest — aromas of bramble and honey glaze ham with clove potpourri, moving into a palate of under ripe peppercorn, hatch chili, with ground black beans and a touch of sweet corn. Give this wine some time and it’ll pull you in.

Arnot Roberts, Griffin’s Lair Vineyard, 2010, 12.5%

Griffin’s Lair proves a distinctly different site for Arnot Roberts Syrah. The nose offers aromas of clay and wet soil, with red cherry blossom and pine bark, moving into wet cherry tobacco and smoke on the palate through a long finish and present tannin. This is a lean focused wine carrying earthy flavors.

Bedrock Wine Co., Griffin’s Lair Vineyard, 2011, 14%

Bringing in 11% Viognier and using 60% whole cluster, Bedrock creates a savory expression of the Griffin’s Lair VIneyard. The wine offers floral aromatics of cherry tobacco, alongside the savory-sweet spice of Italian sausage. They move strong into the mouth, and relax through the mid palate into a juicy finish with plenty of tannin.

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Other regions not represented and worth checking out include Mendocino and Santa Cruz Mountains. From Santa Cruz Mountain, Martin Ranch Santa Cruz Mountains Syrah is a stand out.

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The following wines were given as samples: Ojai Vineyard, Anthill Farms, Skinner, Fess Parker, Big Table Farm, La Clarine Farm, Jolie-Laide, Two Shepherds, Bedrock Wine Co., Fields Family, Goodland Wine.

Hand Harvesting 90 vines of St Laurent in California: Forlorn Hope’s Rare Creature

California

Hawk Wakawaka

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Sep 17, 2013

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Harvesting the Ricci VIneyard St Laurent, Carneros

Matthew Rorick of Forlorn Hope Wines champions unusual grape varieties, from uncommon appellations made in small lots, each described by him appropriately as “another rare creature.” One such example, his Ost-Intrigen, arises from 90 vines of St Laurent planted in the Ricci Vineyard of Carneros. With so few vines, Rorick harvests the fruit himself, rather than hiring a picking crew.

As some of you know, I have been following Rorick’s work with the St Laurent, visiting the harvest last year, barrel tasting it pre-bottling, and speaking about the wine on a panel when Rorick was unable to do so due to the 2013 harvest starting surprisingly early.

Starting his work with the Ricci Vineyard St Laurent in 2006, Rorick was able to encourage Dale Ricci to expand the planting of the fruit two years ago to several hundred more vines. 2013 is the first year the newer vines will be ready to harvest effectively tripling his Ost-Intrigen production. Though they grow directly beside the original 90 vines, the younger plants are progressing through ripening more slowly than the originals.

Monday of this week Rorick and his team, Alex Athens and Julia van der Vink, picked the original 90 vines. Following are photos from the harvest, and the prep work done afterwards at the winery.

The Ricci Vineyard welcomes daily morning fog from the cooling influence of San Pablo Bay. The moist environment challenges growers with potential mold issues, with botrytis setting in early some years. At the same time, the cooler conditions serve the Austrian red grape, St Laurent, by discouraging too-fast ripening and heat damage.

The original 90 vines grow side by side in two rows.
from left: Matthew Rorick steps in to harvest one row while Alex Athens and Julia van der Vink begin harvest on the other.

The St Laurent is among Forlorn Hope’s last fruit to pick this year. The younger vines are still approaching their harvest point, and will be brought in later. Rorick is also awaiting harvest of his Alvarelho, the fruit for his popular Suspiro del Moro, out of Lodi.

The site offered incredibly healthy fruit this year, with great size consistency. In previous years the vines have suffered loss of fruit both from poor early fruit set, and extensive shot berry, with the smaller berries simply falling off at harvest. The 2013 harvest offered beautifully consistent fruit size.

long morning shadows fall over Alex Athens and Julia van der Vink as they harvest

looking into the healthy 2013 Ricci Vineyard St Laurent clusters

Matthew Rorick picking his St Laurent (i love this photo)

Preparing the St Laurent for Fermentation, Tenbrink Winery, Suisun Valley

Back at Rorick’s Tenbrink Winery (which he shares with the Tenbrink family and Abe Schoener of The Scholium Project) Monday’s St Laurent pick weighed in at 969 pounds (not including the macrobin).

Rorick’s preferred approach for the St Laurent fermentation begins when the fruit is scooped whole cluster into a neutral oak puncheon for fermentation. The puncheon allows all of the fruit from the 90 vines to ferment in one environment, with some textural influence, but no flavor influence from the wood.

Small amounts of dry ice were layered into the fruit to help slow the initial fermentation stages and increase the carbon dioxide (CO2) environment around the grapes. By increasing the CO2, Oxygen levels are reduced thereby also slowing the chances of any aerobic bacteria activity during cold soak or fermentation.

For Rorick’s approach, while the fruit is fed into the puncheon it is also foot tred lightly to break up some of the berries and allow juice to come in contact with the rest of the bunch. The method also keeps some berries intact, allowing fermentation to occur within the berry itself. Cooling the early temperatures of the fruit also extends soak time for the juice with its skins and stems, supporting more flavor and structure in the final wine without relying on over extraction.

2013 shows a lot more juice from the larger berry size, with still pretty red cherry and spice notes. Rorick brought the fruit in this year around 22 brix.

After preparing the fruit it was covered to maintain the CO2 environment. Rorick also names each individual ferment to make it easier to communicate with his team about which ferments need to be tested and how each is doing (and cause it’s fun. duh.). After spending the day with Matthew, Alex, and Julia, I walked into the winery to discover they named their original vine St Laurent ferment after me. hee! (Dear Lord, I hope I behave.)

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To see last year’s St Laurent harvest photos:

http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2012/09/17/harvesting-california-st-laurent-matthew-rorick-and-forlorn-hope-wine/

To see the barrel tasting preview post on the Ost-Intrigen:

http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2013/06/18/forlorn-hope-2012-st-laurent-a-preview/

To see a goofy photo series of running around Alaska with Forlorn Hope and Dirty & Rowdy:

http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2013/08/14/how-to-live-alaska-with-forlorn-hope-dirty-rowdy/

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Thank you to Matthew Rorick.

Thank you to Julia van der Vink, and Alex Athens.

Hand Harvesting a 1904 Vineyard: Lizzie James Zinfandel, Lodi

California

Hawk Wakawaka

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Sep 16, 2013

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The Lizzie James Vineyard in Mokelumne River, Lodi

In 1904, what was then known as the grape Black Prince (now more commonly called Cinsault) was planted on an uneven site full of fine sand in the Mokelumne River area of Lodi. Eventually the vines were grafted over to Zinfandel. The vineyard named Lizzie James.

This weekend we were able to visit the Lizzie James harvest as the sun came up. Here are pictures of the pick, and more on the history of the vineyard, and its fruit.

The George Mettler family was able to preserve Lizzie James vineyard through purchase, after discovering it was set to be pulled to make way for a new neighborhood development. It is now made into a vineyard designate Zinfandel for their Harney Lane Winery. Kyle and Jorja Lerner manage the vineyards and winery, named for the area Jorja’s family has lived for five generations.

Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA is known for generating distinct style differences between fruit grown on the West versus the Eastern sides of the appellation. The Lizzie James Vineyard sits on the Eastern side, and offers classic Eastside character with clean red fruit focus and just a touch of dusty spice with faint Eucalyptus accents.

Head trained vines of this sort, also offer fruit at various levels of doppled sun exposure and height. The result is variation in fruit character and flavor intensity, but also a lot of up-down hand harvesting at differing heights, which means more work for the vineyard crew.

Over the decades individual vines in the site have been replaced, though the vineyard still predominately features the original age vines. As a result, vine age differences give further complexity to the vineyard.

As older vines are thoroughly adapted to the unique growing conditions of their site, they offer important access to the true potential of a region’s wine quality. Preserving older vines helps to showcase the heritage and character of Mokelumne River fruit, and give insight into the terroir of California in a way younger vines are not yet able.

As part of the Mettler family, Jorja Lerner celebrates 5 generations of grape growers in Lodi. They farm 250 acres of head trained Zinfandel in addition to their extensive plantings of other grape types. In starting the Harney Lane winery, Jorja and Kyle Lerner are part of the movement of Lodi natives shifting from only farming grapes to also making wine. When the couple approached Jorja’s mother with the winery idea she agreed under two conditions — all of the wine had to be from only Estate grown fruit, and they had to plant Albarino. She’d discovered the grape while traveling and fell in love with its wine. As promised, Harney Lane offers a juicy, textural focus Albarino aged on lees for layers of creamy flavor on a clean zing backbone.

Kyle Lerner, also from the Lodi region, originates from a family in law enforcement, and began farming with the Mettler family in order to help his father in law as he recovered from surgery. Today, Kyle manages all of the family’s extensive vineyard farming.

For the Lizzy James fruit, winemaker Chad Joseph and Kyle Lerner work together to keep the focus on the vineyard. They ferment 2/3 of the harvest wild in small open bins, with (due to winery logistics) the rest inoculated in tank. Joseph explains he likes the variation and interest offered through the wild ferments, while appreciating the reliable core given by the tank ferment. The wine is then aged in older French oak barrels.

We were able to taste the current release, 2010, and barrel sample the 2012. Later, we also checked back in on the 2013 fruit. Lerner and Joseph see the 2013 Lizzie James harvest as similar in size to the 2012 but with better quality fruit.

The Harney Lane 2010 bottling of Lizzie James Zinfandel gives lifted red flower and juicy red fruit touched with eucalyptus accents, cocoa hints, and rose cream all on a body of smooth tannin, velvety texture, and a long finish.

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Thank you to Kyle Lerner and Chad Joseph. Thank you to Randy Caparoso.

Walking the Soils of the Languedoc

Hawk Wakawaka

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Sep 4, 2013

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Looking for Colors of the Languedoc

a soil map of the Herault region of Languedoc, each color represents a different soil type–it’s intensely varied. this map represents only one small Department of the Languedoc, Herault, less than 6000 sq kilometers/2300 sq miles. The Languedoc as a whole remains so varied and reaches more than 42,000 sq kilometers/16,400 sq miles. Imagine.

Today after more study of the soils of the Languedoc, and touring some of the vineyards of Herault, near the town of Montagnac, we drove North into the limestone buttresses of the Midi-Pyrenees to taste Roquefort cheese — only the one area can produce AOC certified Roquefort, and so only 7 businesses in the world make AOC Roquefort — and visit the World’s Tallest Bridge, the Millau Viaduct. We then returned south for tasting Olive Oil, and to meet with Jean Claude Mas, a vigneron that’s slowly changing old bulk wine viticulture into better quality viticulture by focusing on organic farming and encouraging the life of the soil. Tomorrow we fly from Montpellier. I’ll be sorry to leave the Languedoc. It’s a place I’d like to spend more time. So much to share — how Roquefort is made, how oysters are farmed, what makes this region special, where to visit on tour, interviews with vigneron. When I get back to the states I have some follow up interviews with winemakers and importers, and am tasting more wines from the region. Write ups to come.

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With minimal time off tour this week I’m posting only as I’m able and briefly. See you more next week!

Touring and Learning the Oyster Farm

Hawk Wakawaka

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Sep 3, 2013

3

Visiting an Oyster Farm on the Etang de Thau

our group on a flat skiff driving out on the Etang (pond) de Thau, Mediterranean

Today we visited the Domaine Paul Mas Estate, tasted through multiple wine labels, and ate at the Domaine’s Cote Mas Restaurant. After, we visited the historic center of Pezenas, a town I’d like to return to and just stay in for a week to walk the cobbled streets, wander into the museums and galleries, shop the local artisan craftsmen (master woodworkers, master iron workers, master book binders – it’s pretty incredible. The town supports the development of rare, and antique skills such as these.), and move slowly. In the evening, we visited by boat an oyster farm on the Etang de Thau (an inlet off the Mediterranean) before then eating some of the oysters. A lovely, even if exhausting tour of the Languedoc offerings. Beautiful!

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With minimal time off tour this week I’m posting only as I’m able and briefly. See you more next week!

Greetings from the Languedoc

Hawk Wakawaka

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Sep 2, 2013

1

From a boat on the Canal du Midi, Carcassonne, Languedoc

our little group on a boat on the Canal du Midi, Carcassonne, Languedoc

Today I fell in love with a bottling machine, toured the largest still-intact Medieval fortified city in the world, ate Carcassonne Cassoulet on a boat, and drank some of the best $19 Methode Traditionelle that I’ll be buying as my everyday bubbles from now on because whoa-value-plus-yummy (did you know that Dom Perignon made his sparkling wine in St Hilaire, Languedoc and THEN moved North to Champagne and started making it there?).

I also put myself smack dab in the middle of an area where I have only occasional online access, and not the time to post, so I’ll likely not be back here till next week. In the meantime, I am posting some occasional photos on Twitter and Facebook. Cheers!

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