Napa Valley & Sonoma 2012

Napa Valley

&
Sebastopol (Sonoma)

May 23-28, 2012

     During our recent trip to Napa Valley (and one day in Sonoma), we met with some of the best producers of fine wine in Sonoma and the Napa Valley. We met with some old favorites and discovered some new favorites that we can’t wait to tell you all about. Whether new or old, these are relationships we plan to maintain and cultivate. These are fantastic producers, winemakers and proprietors that exhibit the passion and zeal I seek out to create a truly phenomenal wine. We had to cut a few appointments and were late to a few more because our appointment times ran longer than expected. 2 hours of wine and conversation is a good sign of a great gathering of like minded wine folk!

     The vintages we tasted ranged from 2007 to 2009 for the Cabernet and Bordeaux varietals and mostly 2010 for the Burgundy and Rhone varietals. The most common vintage for the Cabernet wines was 2009. I was surprised at how nicely the 2009 Cabernet based wines were showing. I really do like Cabernet wines from 2009 more than 2008. The wines taste fresher with more acidity, and the tannin structures are riper and friendlier. The finishes in the best wines were long, clean and persistent. There were a few busts, but not many as we chose our tasting appointments wisely. Lastly I will mention we tasted a lot of 2011 Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion white wines. The style of this wine has really changed over the last 10 years as the oak has been drastically reduced, or entirely removed from the raising process, to allow the fruit to shine through and the acidity to freshen and energize the finish.

     The bad news is that prices are up as was reported a few weeks ago in a few of the trade reports, but overall the quality is there in many, if not all, of the places we visited with.

 

     I have to confess I had been falling out of love with the wines of California, mainly collecting Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone and Barolo wines the last few years. My collection was 75% California only 3 years ago but today only represents 33%. This trip was exactly what I needed to do to open my eyes wider and beyond some of the stale and passé wines from California that I was hanging on to or abandoned for the Francophile that I had become. It was also nice to refresh myself with a few of my old favorites that have kept up with the change in palates that is going on out there. A few of our new favorites have been at this style for decades and are now finally getting their due. Spottswoode and Philip Togni craft more traditionally styled Cabernet Sauvignon wine that has not changed much over the years. Paul Hobbs, Crocker & Star, Morlet, Melka Wines, Cimarossa, Littorai, L’Angevin and the new upstart “The Vineyardist” have kept up with the times and made fresh wines in 2009 (Cabernets) and 2010 (Pinot Noir) with great depth and structure, with a freshness not seen for most of the past decade. 

     Keep your eyes peeled, I will try to write as many of these spotlight stories as fast as I can, but unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) this is not my day job!

Follow this link to ALL of the pictures from our trip:  http://pix.kg/p/2956293901103%3A197694262/scl


A bientot!
-Tom

 FYI - If you would like a copy of our itinerary to use for your own purposes if you are planning a trip to Napa just let me know as I will email you the excel spreadsheet that is loaded with hyper-links that direct you to the website of the winery or restaurant.

Wine Spectator's
Critic's Choice Grand Tasting 2011

"30th Anniversary"

Marriott Marquis, Times Square, New York

October 21, 2011

When the New York Wine Experience arrives each fall season, I try to go to the Grand Tasting event as it brings together some of the best names in wine from all over the world.  The price of the ticket is steep, but for the high quality of wine you have access to taste the experience is bar none for a consumer.  Trade shows happen all the time for the pros where they can taste many wines, but nothing like this at one event.

Under one roof one can taste all of the Bordeaux First Growths, the major Super Tuscans, the best Sauternes, many a cult level Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, many of the top Rioja from Spain, Barolo and Barbaresco from Italy, Chianti from Tuscany, some of the best Pinot Noir from all over the world, Riesling from Germany, as well as many, many other stellar wines from Argentina, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.  In the 2.5 hours one person cannot get to all of the wines so a "careful study the day prior to map out a strategy is necessary.  A little discipline is needed to not 'go back to the well" too many times - I was guilty of this at Chateau Latour's 2003 second wine Les Forts de Latour this time around and Paul Hobbs' 2004 Dr. Crane Cabernet.  You may even want to practice spitting a few days before, maybe at home in a big sink or in the shower.  If you don't spit you won’t make it past 20 wines and still be able to know what you are tasting.  If the person pouring the wine is generous don't feel like you have to drink it all, have a good taste or 2 and dump it in the spit bucket - it is there for just that purpose.  All professionals spit at trade tastings, in fact when you visit many places in France the Domaine or Chateau expect you to spit the sample you are poured. 

            

I made it through quite a few wines with a break or two to catch my palate and my breath.  The tables are spread out over 2 floors in the Marriott Marquis ballroom in the middle of Time Square in New York.  I was able to crack 60+ wines, much lower than what I have done in the past but I wanted to talk to some of the people this time around, mostly my favorites like Jen and Paul at Paul Hobbs, the team at Latour, Vieux Chateau Certan and and new discoveries like Evening land Vineyards and Masi.  If I could attend the two nights and the all of the weekend events it would be a dream, but two nights of the grand tasting would be quite exceptional as well.  In all honesty I think the tasting should be longer, which would allow people to get the chance to talk to the person pouring the wine more and of course taste through more wines.  Usually the person pouring is the owner of the Chateau or winery you are actually drinking.  Sometimes it’s not but either way they know the wines well and can talk to you about how your favorite producer is or more about a new discovery.

My top ten wines from the Grand Tasting are as follows:

1)   Masseto 2001 (from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia)
      Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

2)   Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2006
       Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 

3)   Paul Hobbs 2008 Dr. Crane Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon
       St. Helena, Napa Valley 

4)   Chateau Latour, 2003 Les Forts De Latour
       Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

5)   Chateau Climens 2007 Sauternes
       Barsac, Bordeaux, France

6)   Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 2008
       St. Julien, Bordeaux, France

7)   Chateau Montrose 2004
       St. Estephe, Bordeaux, France

8)   Chateau Cheval Blanc 2005
       St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France

9)   Ornellaia 2001, (from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia)
       Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

10) Evening Land Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay
       Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon

           Here is a view into why these wines were my top ten and how they made an impression on me to think so.  Its deep in Bordeaux, but that was what I had aimed to taste.  I am sure Vega Sicilia, Gaja, Saxum, and Salon could have made the list but there was only so much time.  I have had those wines at previous tastings or at home recently so I saw it fit to try more wines that I have not had recently.

            The 2001 Masseto was an eye opener.  I knew this was a top wine when I approached the table to taste the wine, but had no clue as to the fact is was 100% Merlot, rated 100 points, and retails for north of $1,000.  I found out these details the next morning.  A fellow taster mentioned $400-600 and I was blown away then!  Does this make it great, no, certainly not, but it was a fantastic wine showing depth, purity and length in perfect proportion and detail.  I do not have enough experience with Super Tuscan wines to rate it properly but I would say it easily is 96+.  My friends this is no ordinary Super Tuscan.  My first impression from the aromas was that it was more like a mature Bordeaux than a wine from Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast.  

           The 2006 Chateau Mouton Rothschild defines Pauillac.  A deep sense of terroir shines through in layers as this wine mesmerizes the senses.  A heady, and typical Mouton aroma leads the taster into a deep palate of black currants, licorice, and cassis that floats the taster back to the nose and then back to another sip.  In time this will be a superb example of Mouton.  One may not have tasted but more sensed the greatness of this wine on this night.  It was my favorite of the Bordeaux on the night, just eclipsing the Les Forts De Latour.  The Mouton is still a baby, it is young, tight and aggressive and needs many, many more years to show its proper potential.   2006 was not so bad a vintage, the problem is that it came right after the exceptional 2005 vintage.  I tended to buy in 2006, but in limited quantities on futures.  I tend to look back now and buy 2006 in bottle and am pretty pleased with what I have had so far.

           The Paul Hobbs 2008 Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon was a luxuriously deep and complex wine.  I had to go through it 3 times, but it really needs more time to open up properly.  Waves of black and red fruits, dark chocolate, and licorice wafted from the wine and converged on the palate.  Sweet and ripe tannins framed the finish that sailed on forever echoing the currants and cassis.  A deep garnet color with vibrant red edges from the wine’s youth tells me this baby is ready for the long haul.  I have had a few 2001 of late, the Hyde Cabernet in particular and the wine was in perfect shape.  Paul has a magic touch with many grapes, but Cabernet is where he has the Midas touch.   

          I have to say I was a little disappointed that Chateau Latour was not being poured.  Only their second wine was being poured instead.  However, I am happy to write that the 2003 Les Forts De Latour was drinking superbly this evening.  Overall I do not love the 2003 vintage in Bordeaux.  It was hot, the vines were over stressed and many Chateau did not have the proper terroir or experience to know how to get through such a hot year.  The Les Forts De Latour is ripe but well balanced as the ripe tannins are big and pair well with the ripe fruit and good levels of acidity. All three of those lead to a long finish of fruit, tannin and freshness.  This was the second best Bordeaux of the night for me in that it was complete, and fully expressive.  Even at this young an age, it was utterly delicious, sumptuous even.  It had length, a wonderfully captivating aroma and a beautiful robe of deep red and garnet flecked colors.  It was as if Frederic Engerer knew that this would be a good choice for this occasion.  Whatever the logic, it was a pretty good one, albeit Chateau Latour would have been nicer.

          The 2007 Chateau Climens was the best sticky on the night, even better than the venerable 2008 Chateau d'Yquem which leaned more to the exotic side as my second favorite Sauternes wine of the night.  Pure aromatics of citrus, petrol, minerality, honey and stone fruit rose from the glass and coated the palate in a rich, yet lively feel, racy even for the Climens.    

           I have yet to receive my shipment of 2008 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou futures, but this top wine of the night brought me great satisfaction in the depth and complexity found in this wine.  A nose of currants, spicy plum, cedar, and toasted coffee bean lead through to the palate which was full bodied, yet silky with plenty of fruit and depth through the palate expression.  Terroir rings with minerality that leads to a long finish of fruit, fine but sturdy tannins and a wealth if fresh acidity.  

           The 2004 Chateau Montrose blew me away.  I am rarely impressed by any 2004 Bordeaux, but this wine was in great form this evening.  Showing true to form with roasted and toasty notes of coffee, currants, blackberry, an earthy fall leaves note, as well as some saddle leather aromas.  The palate was round, delivering from the attack on down to the finish which delivered a stoic and tannic finish typical of young St. Estephe wines.   The beauty here was the fruit and other notes that accompanied that structure.  This wine should age nicely over the next 20 years.  At about $60 it will probably also be the last time you see a Montrose for anything close to that price as the new vintages are running close to $200 or more.

           2005 Chateau Cheval Blanc is a legend in the making.  The 2005 Cheval is way too young to drink and enjoy at its finest, but is quite a generous offering from the Lurton clan that runs thus legendary property.  This was a nice peak at how a young wine of such pedigree is in its youth, way before I would ever open to see just how it tastes at this stage.  Super tight in nose and flavor the 2005 Cheval had firm but ripe tannins, silky, even lush fruit peaks through that wall of youthful structure.  This will be an amazing wine in 10 years, but even better in probably 20-25.  

           2001 Ornellaia was rich, yet refined, structured yet seductively inviting.  The wine was at once ripe, deep, and dark and at the same time structured, noble and classy in that it could strut well in its youth but also show the structure and concentration to know this will age gracefully.  A super Tuscan of the higher order, this is the cousin to the Masseto that was my number one wine of the night.  Lisa and I had a bottle of this in Florence on our first night with a traditional bistecca alla Fiorentina, I believe it was a 1997 and was exquisite.  

           Evening Land Vineyards was pouring 2 wines, a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay.  ELV is a unique producer of Burgundy wines from a few places in the world:  Burgundy, Oregon and California.  Mark Tarlov is the owner and was pouring his wines that night.  We talked about the difference they are trying to make in the style of wine they are crafting in California and Oregon.  Mark and his winemaking team have chosen cooler sites such as the Sonoma Coast and the Willamette Valley to showcase the subtlety  that Pinot Noir and Chardonnay can have outside of Burgundy and at the same time maintain acidity and balance.  Both wines were new world in flavor, but had exceptional freshness on the finish because of the acidity maintained in the wines.  Red fruits instead of black came from the pinot and citrus, pear, and a slate like minerality rose from the Chardonnay.  I had actually walked down about four table and the acidity in the Chardonnay came into full force.  I had to walk back and tell Mark exactly that and that his wines were superb.

           Many, many other wines were exceptional.  In fact they call it the Critic’s Choice as each wine was rated at least 90 points out of the 100 point scale that Wine Spectator uses to rate the wines they taste.  If you ever wanted to try some of the best wines in the world in one place this is it.

Cheers! 

Tom

2006 Vina Cobos Malbec, Bramare $35-40

Lujan de Cuyo

Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo

Yet another reason why I love Vina Cobos' Malbec wines! In fact, I feel the same way about most of their other wines too. We had the 2007 Felino Chardonnay ($13-18) the other night and it was outstanding with this healthy spin on fried chicken (recipe).

"Bramare" is Italian for "to yearn for" and let me tell you, I yearn for this wine when I get a hankering for some Malbec! I usually pick up a few of the Malbec and the Cabernet Sauvignon as they are great values compared to any region in the world.

On to the notes...

Color: Dark and saturated deep purple to red edges, vibrant

Nose & Palate: Heady aromas of blackberry and raspberry, currants too. The palate that adds blueberries, crushed juicy raspberries, some licorice and blackberry. A touch of bitter sweet cacao chocolate, earth and minerality add depth and further complexity. A long, silky smooth finish!

BACK the truck up and load up!

Cheers!

Tasting Wines with Paul Hobbs

For years I have written and talked to you all about the incredible wines made by Paul Hobbs. Last night I had the chance to meet him and taste wines with him at an event hosted by theMorrell wine shop in Manhattan. We tasted 8 wines that consisted of 4 grape varietals from 3 separate regions and 2 countries. So, that would be Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Russian River Valley, Mendoza - Argentina, and the Napa Valley. I took some thorough notes, but was also doing a lot of listening, more than usual, and of course plenty of tasting. When you have a man such as Paul in your presence, you are hearing the story of a successful person who was able to channel his passion at a young age and successfully carry it through as his life's passion and work - you can’t help but to listen. His stories varied from his youth and his initial inspiration (Dad's, get some Chateau D'Yquem), funny stories from the road and how his wine philosophy developed and resulted in the wines that he makes today.

So, here is the list of delicious wines and a few notes I was able to jot down.

Paul Hobbs Chardonnay 2007, Russian River Valley
- Great Chardonnay, wonderful nose of orange blossom that was creamy and a little toasty. The palate was lemon, minerality, and some judicious oak - just enough that it integrated well with the fruit and acidity.

Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir 2007, Russian River Valley
- This was tasting great too, the 2007 vintage is supposed to be exceptional so keep an eye out for your favorite producers in 2007 for Cabernet as well as Pinot. Lots of cherries and strawberries in the nose. The palate was the same plus some earthy notes. Silky tannins and fresh acidity finished off this great Pinot Noir.

Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Lindsay Estate 2006, Russian River Valley
- This wine was not tasting that well, or at least the bottle that I had it from was not. It was not flawed, but likely suffering from bottle shock or shyness because of its youth. I have had past vintages of this wine and it is exceptional.

Vina Cobos Malbec Bramare Lujan de Cuyo 2006, Mendoza
- Exceptional Malbec! Dark black center and red edges. Typical for PH Malbec, but you notice it so much more after the Pinot as you immediately see the color amp up a few notches. Rich aromas jump from the glass of black cherry, cola and spiciness from the oak, some secondary aromas came around after some time in the glass...an earthy richness. The palate was superb. Rich and full bodied black cherry, blackberry, some earthy minerality framing the rich fruit with the ripe tannins. the Bramare Lujan de Cuyo is on a very short list of Malbec I will be purchasing this year. I had a few bottles of the 2005 and those were exceptional as well.

Vina Cobos Cabernet Sauvignon Bramare Lujan de Cuyo 2006, Mendoza
- A great wine, but maybe a tad less complex than the Malbec. We talked about the differences of Cabernet from Napa and Argentina and Paul did say overall they are not getting consistent complexity that you get from a Cabernet made in the Napa Valley. I don’t think Paul meant the same exact flavors and aroma notes as Napa, but more to the fact that there are just not as many typical and specific aromas and flavors due to the fact it is from Mendoza. The “terroir” may not be shining through as specifically as Cabernet may in other regions like Napa. The good thing is that the wines are tasty and well made, but they may not be expressing their true terroir at this time. Its not surprising that this may take some time to come around as Malbec is the primary focus in Argentina. But, Cabernet is on the whole doing pretty well in the shadow of the Malbec grape.

Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Napa Valley
- Immediately you smell the pencil shavings Paul mentioned as a signature note from Oakville (not sure which vineyard, but would assume Tokalon as this wine is made up of most of the single vineyard wines he makes - later research confirmed Tokalon is in this blend, along with Hyde and Stagecoach Vineyard grapes). Great typicity as you get black fruits, a tiny hint of green pepper, the pencil shavings (yes, that is a good thing and for a wine geek something you remember to help you pick out in blind tastings), and some spicy oak. The palate is black fruits as well, a bit of that green pepper in a good Cabernet Franc kind of way. Tannin and acidity are in line for the vintage. I always get a few of the "Napa" bottlings each year and will get a few of these as well later this year.


Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard 2005, Napa Valley - Exceptional. Immediately you notice the structure and complexity. Wines from the Stagecoach Vineyard are typically what I call bony wines. By that I mean they have big tannins, lots of depth and a solid structural core. Very dark in color, the nose was brooding black fruits like currants and blackberry, lots of hazelnut aromas too (thank you to the tasting note attached that revealed that hazelnut note I could not figure out). The palate was rich and complex showing primary blackberry and currants mixed in with the hazelnut from the oak treatment. Secondary flavors of spice and earthy herbal notes like sage were finished off by solid, ripe tannins and acidity.


Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard 2001, Napa Valley - I have had this wine quite a few times as I bought a case when this came out. If I were to use one word "supple" would be the word to describe this in comparison to the 2005 we just tasted. The 2001 wine seems to be doing well and has many more years ahead of itself. Still very dark, the center was black with dark ruby red edges. The nose was more subtle, but just as complex as the 2005. Similar fruit aromas, but they were a tad softer with additional chocolate and herbal aromas. The palate revealed supple black currants and mocha covered bing cherry. I recalled supple tannins and intact acidity on the finish.

So, overall, this was an incredible experience to meet who I think is a modern day hero for me. Yes, the wines were great but I think we all knew they would be. Dan Marino and Don Mattingly were my childhood heroes, Paul is my adult hero, and not just a wine hero. His success and passion are things that I think we all search for in life and can look to as an inspiration.

epiph·a·ny
Pronunciation: \i-‘pi-fə-nē\
3 a (1): a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2): an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3): an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure b: a revealing scene or moment

Webster’s dictionary defines the word Epiphany in 3 ways. I deem the third definition to be what happened twice to me in my life in regards to why I am so passionate about wine. My first wine epiphany was my first taste of a Stag's Leap 1998 Fay Cabernet Sauvignon. It struck me as something so new and unbelievable that there were so many nuances in the aroma and flavor of a wine. Up until about a year before that event I had little real experience tasting wines beyond the garden variety KJ's (Kendall Jackson) and Mondavi's. I had once had an exceptional white burgundy but did not know it till years later (Puligny Montrachet, unknown producer). I remember it being good, but it was just wine to me at that time that did not taste bad...it tasted like wine. That was my benchmark, something that did not taste bad!

So as the story goes, I moved to San Francisco for a 2 year stint with a past employer. I decided that Napa was so close I'd be crazy to not go somewhat frequently and acquaint myself with the "good life" that Napa represented and at the same time get to know my wines better. I tried many of the mainline wineries, after all I was kind of new at this and what did I know. Mondavi, Cakebread, Sterling, to name a few had the same single characteristic that the white burgundy had - they tasted like wine. But I felt like I was missing something. I kept asking myself "what is all the hype about" and "why do people read tasting notes and take them so fastidiously"? I just didn't get it. So, after telling my father about my wine adventures, he told me about an article from the New York Times and told me about this winery called Stag's leap Wine Cellars. He said it was supposed to be a good winery with this story about beating the French in a wine tasting, blah, blah, blah. I did not hear much after that and in fact I barely remember the conversation to this day beyond the words Stag's Leap and good. So, one day with some friends we decided to drop by Stag's Leap Wine Cellars to try out some wines. We had the Napa wines first. Again, the wines were good, but nothing else. Then, we saw the "Estate" tasting section where they were pouring a flight of the Estate wines which were quite pricey. I think a tasting of these 4 wines was $20 at the time (spring 2001). Needless to say I had my doubts and was convinced it was a marketing scheme and "Reserve" or "Estate" was just something that justified and deemed the wine worthy of a higher price. What happened was like a giant light bulb going off in my head and it started with their Arcadia Chardonnay! Aromas of apples and pears jumped from the glass. It tasted of granny smith apples and lemons, and had this nice rich taste and finish to it. To this day the Arcadia Chardonnay was and is a favorite Chardonnay of mine. Next up was the first pricey red, a wine called "Fay". I needed a real sensory experience, the Arcadia was a great start! The Fay delivered and thensome! Aromas of rich red fruits and sage, yes I still remember to this day sage stuck out in that wine. The tannins were silky and smooth, supposedly very typical and what the Stag's Leap region is know for because of the high amount of volcanic geological materials in the soils. What a day! I will always remember that day as an awakening for me. This was just in time to sample lots of the 1999 wines which I am just starting to drink now!

My second wine epiphany just so happened to be back here on the east coast. I was in-between apartments after my move back from San Francisco at the time and living with my parents for a few months. It's not as big and exciting as the SLWC event, but much more powerful in a subtle way. I also got to drink the whole bottle!

Most of my friends were out of town, my parents were out of town, and I was not headed to a ski house I had joined that year so I had nothing to do on a Saturday night all by myself. So, since I enjoy cooking, I decided I would make myself a nice dinner at home and open a nice bottle of wine to have with it. I was in the mood for a steak, maybe a rib eye or filet mignon. After the gym I headed to the grocery store to pick up my bounty. When I got home I pulled a Paul Hobbs 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon from the small, but growing collection I was accumulating. A friend of mine from back on the west coast had told me to check out the Hobbs wines so I figured that night would be a good night to check it out. I decided to open it immediately to judge for myself if it needed to be decanted or was ready to go. I had time to decant because as I mentioned I was at the gym previously and did require a shower. I also had the prep and cooking time too if necessary to allow the wine a head start. Well, suffice to say a head start was not exactly necessary.

Immediately I knew I had something special in that bottle. The wine's perfume jumped from the bottle and the glass. The sheer dark color of the wine seemed to be glowing it was so vibrant! The first taste was unforgettable! Cherries, mocha, black currants...the amazing complexity that allowed for so many layers of flavors and aromas was moving. I hurried up to shower and get back to this wine. I still recall being able to taste the wine's finish on my palate in the shower a few minutes later. I was blown away! I still have the remnants of that bottle of wine back home in my parents' garage, along with a few other fallen soldiers (empty bottles) I like to keep after consuming.

Paul, beyond your wines being so exceptional, I thank you for being such a special part of my wine experiences. You are an inspiration to all. You followed your dreams and never sacrificed your beliefs by adhering to your philosophy and principles on making wine and living life.

Cheers!
Tom

Vina Cobos 2005 Bramare "Lujan de Cuyo" Malbec, Argentina - $30-40
Vina Cobos is a winery in the heart of the famed Mendoza in western Argentina near the Chilean border and nestled in the foothills of the Andes mountain range. Vina Cobos is lead by 3 different enologists; Andrea Marchiori, Luis Barraud, and the most famous and a personal favorite of mine, Californian Paul Hobbs.

The Vina Cobos winery makes quite a few wines, though they are mostly known for their Malbec, the king grape of Argentina, and to a lesser degree Cabernet Sauvignon. This Malbec wine is from the Vina Cobos lower middle tier, the Bramare Lujan du Cuyo set of wines. It cost me about $32 and this is the second time I have had this wine. The first time we had this Malbec it was good but not nearly as great as this time around. Lisa also agreed this time around was by far superior to the last time we had the wine – maybe it was bottle shock?

Either way, here we go on the 2005:

Color: Dark Purple with dark edges. Nose: Spice, some toasty mocha oak, rich black fruits

Palate: Rich and meaty flavors mingle together. Classic oak, black earthy soil, blackberry and blueberry mesh well with supple tannins and great acidity. Lots of deep flavors going on here.

Finish: Well measured acid and tannins give structure and freshen the palate without getting in the way!

The wine had a great balance of aromatics, flavors, tannin and acidity at this time.

This is the best Malbec I have ever had for the money (including special Achaval and Catena wines)! Yes, I am sure there are better but at least I do not taste massive amounts of iron and iodine, way too prevalent in many under $20 wines from Argentina. This gives me reason to explore further.

Cheers!

Paul Hobbs and his Single Vineyard Wines

For my latest blog posting I have chosen Paul Hobbs as my subject matter. Paul Hobbs has been making wine for over 25 years in California and Argentina. He is praised by critics, professionals, and wine geeks for his incredible single vineyard wines of remarkably consistent quality. Paul Hobbs wines make up one of the larger percentages of bottles in my collection and his Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is one of my favorite all around cabernet sauvignons.

Roots

Originally a New Yorker born and raised near Buffalo, it was no surprise to learn Paul comes from a large fruit farming family of 11 children. His first wine experience was what some would consider a remarkable first. When Paul was a small child his father gave each child a small cup of a well know Bordeaux desert wine called Sauternes, in fact it was a 1962 Chateau d'Yquem to be precise. At that moment he new exactly what he wanted to do when he grew up. According to his brother Matt, who I met recently at a wine dinner, Paul convinced his dad when he was 16 to rip out a few fruit trees and plant grape vines.

Paul received a viticulture degree as an undergraduate at Notre Dame and obtained a masters in enology from UC Davis - one of the perennial viticultural schools in the world. Paul got off to one of the best first steps a winemaker could have. Few people may know this but he is an alumnus of the Opus One team that made all of those fabulous wines back in the early 80's when that wine was the premiere wine made in this country. Paul was personally selected from UC Davis by Robert Mondavi to join a team built to create Mr. Mondavi's newest vision of American wine. In no time Paul was named head enologist at Opus One. To this day that wine still carries the prestige as one of America's finest cuvees. Though of late, Opus One has seen better days from critics. From there he moved on to Simi over in Sonoma's Alexander Valley in 1985 where he was the head winemaker. In 1989 Nicolas Catena hired him to create a world class chardonnay in Mendoza, Argentina. At the same time back in California Paul consulted for wineries such as Peter Michael, Lewis, Kunde and Fisher. In 1991 he decided to create his own label and recently in 2004 completed construction of a state of the art winery in the Russian River Valley town of Sebastopol. Up until 2004 Paul made his wines at Fisher and Kunde Vineyards in Sonoma County as he lacked a winery of his own.

The Craft, Terroir, and wines with "a First and Last Name"

Paul is a disciple of the traditional French methods and philosophies of winemaking: non-interventionist and bio-dynamic. Winemaking starts in the vineyard with meticulous care applied to the vines and the fruit. Vines are pruned, crops are thinned and come harvest the resulting fruit is ready for crush given physiological ripeness. Great wines are made in the vineyard. You can't make great wine from inferior grapes. A skilled winemaker can only mask the faults of inferior fruit and the resulting wine will be out of balance. A balanced wine seamlessly weaves the acidity, alcohol, fruit, and tannin (reds) components. In a poor vintage if a winemaker knows what they are doing and make the right decisions in the vineyard you can still get impressive results with outstanding fruit.

An excerpt from his web site explains his philosophy towards single vineyard wines, "Taking grapes from a particular site and allowing them to show me different possibilities in the varietal makes for a wine in which the subtleties of the individual vineyard come through — a wine, you might say, with both a first and last name." A single vineyard wine is made from the fruit of one designated vineyard that shares all or most of the components of that vineyard's terroir (pronounced ter-whar). Terroir being the French term for the impact of soil, angle of planting, air, wind, water, elevation and sun on a vineyard and its fruit. For example the Hyde Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from grapes sourced from the Hyde vineyard located in Los Carneros, a cooler wine region at the southern tip of the Napa Valley (see this month's Wine Spectator for a great article on Larry Hyde). Carneros is known more for pinot noir and chardonnay production because of its cool temperatures and the cool, clay loam soils. The resulting cabernet will have different levels of acidity, alcohol, tannin and resulting flavor nuances when compared to a To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon sourced in Oakville, a much warmer part of the Napa Valley. The To Kalon Vineyard lies in the sweet spot of Napa Valley: Oakville. Oakville is centrally located in the Napa Valley. The To Kalon vineyard lies west of highway 29 and east of the Mayacamas mountain range on the valley floor. Since it is at the floor of the valley the appellation is flat and its soils are dry and alluvial, a result of the volcanic activity of Mt. St. Helena from prehistoric times. This harsh soil is perfect for growing cabernet sauvignon. When it is farmed correctly it, amongst many other facets of growing wine grapes, stresses the vines to help produce impeccably concentrated fruit. Cabernets from Oakville are typically endowed with higher tannin and flavor complexity when compared to Carneros where a cabernet typically has softer tannin, lush fruit and crisp acidity from the loamy clay soil, cooler temperatures, and the almost constant winds blowing across Los Carneros. However Oakville cabernet is not without its own unique acidity. Oakville, like most other wines from warm growing regions, obtains its acidity from the cool nights where temperatures dip 20-25 degrees from days' high. This cools the fruit and slows the ripening process, while at the same time locking in flavor and nuance you find in a wine's bouquet.

The Wines

The Paul Hobbs Winery portfolio consists of well endowed and fabulously crafted wines of elegance and structure. Worthy of instant gratification but well rewarded with patience from cellar aging. Cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, and chardonnay - the trifecta of California wine making of late - make up the bulk of the portfolio. Robert Parker is a huge fan of Paul's' wines and his ability to source great fruit. Each year he reviews in barrel and bottle the wines for his Wine Advocate buying guide. James Laube of the Wine Spectator regularly reviews the wines and they typically land north of 90 points from both Jim and Bob.The cabernet sauvignon portion of the portfolio encompasses distinctly different single vineyards and one that ties them all together. There is the Hyde and To Kalon mentioned above as well as the Stagecoach Vineyard from Atlas Peak in the Vaca Mountain range that borders the eastern edge of the valley. The newest addition to the lineup is the 2003 Dr. Crane Vineyard located up valley in St. Helena. Lastly, the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (my favorite and his most widely available at approximately 2,500 cases) blends all or some of the single vineyards (depending on the vintage) into one single expression of what Napa valley Cabernet Sauvignon is all about - power, elegance, and ripeness. The unequivocal iron fist in the velvet glove!

Pinot noir is quite the grape "du jour" of late. 10 years ago I heard that you could not give away California Pinot Noir. Since the Sideways effect took hold in 2004 the wine has had a surge of popularity unlike anything seen since the merlot madness of the late 80's and early 90's. These Pinots are all crafted from single vineyards and have been around far longer than the "Sideways" effect has taken hold. The Russian River Vineyard Pinot Noir is made up of a majority of Paul Hobbs' only estate vineyard - the Lindsay Estate Pinot Noir Vineyard (see picture) with some minor additions from other local Russian River vineyards. The Hyde Vineyard Pinot Noir (my favorite) is a bigger, fuller style than the RR wine as the vines produce more mature fruit. Crisp, yet balanced acidity mingles with beautiful cherry and plum flavors on the palate. A dollop of vanilla rounds out the flavors and the leads to an always reliable, smooth finish. As if the Hyde Pinot could not get any better there is the "Cuvee Augustina" Hyde Vineyard Pinot Noir. The Cuvee Augustina is named for Paul's daughter and is a selection of the best barrels of the Hyde Vineyard Pinot Noir. The wine has a similar flavor palette but with greater structure from the extended barrel aging (16 months compared to 11 for the RR and the regular Hyde pinots) and a silkier, sexier finish. The latest Pinot Noir addition to the Paul Hobbs portfolio is from the Linsday Estate Vineyard located at the winery in the Russian River Valley.

All of the Chardonnay goes through 100% malolactic fermentation, a style that of late has been attacked of late as being "too California" as the ripe fruit from California in this French method tends to create wines with what seems excessive flavors of butter or vanilla flavor from the toasted oak barrels. The argument is that this style hides most of the other flavor components of a wine - mainly the fruit. These wines have the creamy flavors associated with barrel aging "sur lees" and malolactic fermentation, but are not overtly cloying so they take away from the fruit and acidity. These are enjoyable wines with impeccable balance. However if you like a Chablis style chardonnay you may want to rethink purchasing one of these wines as they are not inexpensive. The entry point wine is the Russian River Chardonnay, Paul's second most widely availably wine at 2,000+ cases. Walker Station Ranch, being the smallest in production with fewer than 100 cases in 2003, is my favorite of the group. It displays one of my favorite flavor profiles of a chardonnay - green apple. The Richard Dinner Vineyard chardonnay is located on Sonoma Mountain and is whole cluster pressed. The best barrels from Richard Dinner, like the Hyde Vineyard Pinot Noir, receive the "Cuvee Augustina" status.

In Memoriam

Paul recently stopped production of one of the best examples of Merlot to come from California - the Michael Black Vineyard Merlot. Started in 1996, the last vintage was the 2003. In a sea of average to plonk-ish merlot coming out of California, this will be a dearly missed wine. A wonderful replacement to the merlot is the release of a Syrah available recently in 2007 and sourced from Sonoma County - the 2005 Kick Ranch, Sonoma County.

Conclusion

From the start Paul has displayed an unyielding dedication to creating the best, most natural wines possible. Since that first taste of d'Yquem to what will be a hopefully be a profoundly "Rhone at heart" Syrah, Paul's wines have been a result of dedication to the learning, creation and innovation of wine methods and philosophies. I can't wait to see what's next as the fall allocation is just a few weeks away!

Cheers!

Related web sites:

http://www.paulhobbs.com/

http://www.napavintners.com/