Ultimate California Wine Blog

It isn’t often I get to document the opening of a new winery. I have been watching the construction of Paraduxx for almost a year with so many questions raging through my brain. Mostly, what would possess a well-known winery such as Duckhorn, to put an astonishing amount of money into a facility for a second label — a second label, no less, that is a BLEND???

It is odd, yes, but all will be revealed… The grand opening was a masterful affair of grace, good wine, and perfection in catering. Valet parking attendants took the car upon arrival and a small crowd was already gathered around a reception table in front of the newly-constructed guest building. Brightly yellow-colored with darker apricot trim, the smell of freshly-applied paint lingered in the air.

The tasting room, with its vaulted, wood-beamed ceiling, and oversized windows, has been filled with comfortable Barcelona chairs sitting scattered around an inviting, expansive view.  From there, we see the decagon fermentation cellar, a large, elegantly-designed building that Dan Duckhorn has been dreaming about for years.  He bought these 40 acres back in 1996 and plans were made then to eventually build a winery on this property when — and only when — the Paraduxx blend was accepted as a wine in its own standing and not just as an offshoot second label from the Duckhorn name.

Glancing through the window, there is not only the decagon building, but on the day of my visit, the catered celebration; hors d’oeuvre stations, cocktail tables, and multiple pouring tables where earlier vintages of Paraduxx were being offered.

The ten-sided building is magical, with the brand new, large stainless steel fermentation tanks surrounding the Porsche of grape presses. This is a basket press that uses higher pressure, getting better extraction out of the grapes.

How do I know all this? For the opening, Bill Nancarrow, the winemaker, gave a guided tour, gleeful and gloating like a kid on Christmas morning with a brand new fire truck. The winery grand opening party was not exactly Christmas morning, however. September 1st was the official day they were open for business, with their first load of grapes arriving for crushing on the 2nd. Bill has been the winemaker for three years and also explained that the 40 acres only provides about 50% of the grapes needed for the Paraduxx wine. The remainder is purchased, which is a standard practice in the industry.

So now there is a nifty new winery to visit on the glorious Silverado Trail. A stunning facility, gorgeous wine, and beautiful surroundings.

1998 Paraduxx – Exact blend unavailable. Sweet and exotic in its age, this wine was being poured from magnums that were not available for sale. Spicy and erotic, the balance showed deep tobacco and cherry tones with an earthy complex mid-palate. Intense and well-aged, tones of vanilla and dark black fruit showing sweet on the end.

2000 Paraduxx – Earthy, dark rustic cherry tones. Aging smoothly with intense depth, a touch of dusty floral qualities in the mid-palate is enticing and exotic with a light, sweet vanilla finish. $

2001 Paraduxx – Developed dark spice and black fruit bouquet. Heady and rich upon entry with black cherry, black plum, and blueberry. Cedar wafts in for a mere moment and is finished with layers of coconut, vanilla, and toasty oak.

2002 Paraduxx – Fruit forward aromas of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and black currant. Jammy entry that is peppery is spicy with black pepper and hot brown spices. A whisper of vanilla behind the black plum and blackberry finish.

2003 Paraduxx – 63% Zinfandel, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. This was a preview tasting of a wine to be released in January, 2006. Aromas of dark blueberry, spicy cocoa,  chocolate, and vanilla cream. The entry is still young and fruity, dominating in blueberry flavors but with a rich inlay of vanilla liqueur and a hint of lavender. Not yet priced.

Paraduxx ~ 1000 Lodi Lane ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 707-963-7108
$10.00 tasting includes current release and two library wines.

One of the difficulties of finding and tasting the wines of very small producers is that a large percentage of them don’t have tasting rooms or visitor facilities. They rely on custom crush wineries to help them make their wine and I have to carefully monitor local pouring events to see if they are offering tastes… This was how I stumbled on yet another elusive producer from the Napa valley, Spencer Roloson Winery, at the latest Copia tasting…

I was first drawn to the Mondrian-style design on the bottles, but then by the actual varietals. No standard Chard or Cab here! Nope – unusual and intriguing grapes are the norm. It is a small operation; Sam Spencer is the winemaker and has a varied background having started in the wine industry in New Zealand. Sam is the technician in the project, crafting the wine from grapes grown in what can only be considered extremist vineyards (a Clear Lake Tempranillo?). Wendy Roloson is his partner and it is she who is responsible for the design of the bottles and the marketing of the brand. Swan Day is the third leg in the tripod and it was she whom I met and was able to learn about this impressive wine. There were three available for me to taste, but five wines are in their book and I will look forward to acquiring and tasting the rest!

2004 Viognier, Noble Vineyard, Knights Valley – Fabulously rich nose of yellow and white stone fruit; peach, apricot, and yellow plum with layers of exotic, spicy flowers. Expressive, complex flavors that mirror the bouquet with a clean, bright acidity that heightens with a slightly mineral finish. $30.00

2003 Tempranillo, Madder Lake Vineyard, Clear Lake – What can I say? I adore Tempranillo and there are so few California wineries producing one that I am hard-pressed to not be thrilled… I find many Spanish Tempranillos medium-bodied so discovering a California version that is hefty and full-bodied is doubly more exciting. Dark and plummy, the hefty nose shows also displays vanilla, chocolate, and dark exotic earthy tones. Smooth and velvety in the mouth, black fruits dominate and show a hint of tobacco and rustic earth. $30.00

2003 Syrah, La Herrandura Vineyard, Napa Valley – These vineyards are located in Conn Valley which is just over the hill from the Meadowood resort. Inky black in color, with spicy exotic liqueur aromas of blackberry, blueberry, and clove. It is illusive and powerful showing concentrated flavors of black fruit with whispers of mineral and a defined herbal finish. $38.00

Spencer Roloson Winery ~ 1207 Randolph Street ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94559 ~ 707-257-5880
No public tasting facility.

When you go to Benziger, be prepared for a long visit as there is lots to do here. For starters, this is a winery that is far off the main drag from other Sonoma wineries so getting there is a journey. It is located up a small, windy mountain road surrounded by secluded mountain residences. Dozens of buildings greet the visitor after passing through the white picket fence in a theme park-like atmosphere of gingerbread houses, passenger trams,and directional signs.

It is hard to not be charmed with an outhouse and as a winery, Offering charm, instruction, and great fun, I arrived too late in the date, but apparently the multi-passenger trams run several times a day and offer a 45-minute vineyard, garden, and wildlife sanctuary tour. Self-guided walking tours exist in adjacent gardens to show off what makes Benziger really special: Certified Organic and Biodynamic wines.

These are big buzzwords in the industry these days and I’m not going to provide an entire dissertation, but will give you a link: here. Suffice to say I have a growing appreciation for wineries promoting organic growing practices producing biodynamic wine. There are many doing it on a small scale, but here is an opportunity to see it on a large scale and taste multiple examples. Benziger is large, producing 176,000 cases of wine (not ALL biodynamic) and several dozen varietals including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, multiple blends, and a sweet wine. I was selective in my tasting:

2000 Reserve Pinot Noir – 65% of the grapes come from the Bien Nacido Vineyards in the Santa Maria area of Santa Barbara and 35% from the Bodega area; Sterling Little Vineyards.. Huge, spicy nose with core of raspberry and cherry. Even and balanced, the smooth mouthfeel is defined and balanced. Predominately berry in its presentation. $37.00

2002 Bien Nacido Syrah – Medium-bodied, a dichotomy of aromas of boysenberry and a touch of hospital do not prepare for the intensely smooth, integrated mouth entry. Integrated and complex with a touch of sage on the finish. $37.00

2002 Petite Sirah, McNab Ranch, Mendocino – Spicy, dark blueberry liqueur in the small-production wine (380 cases). Surprisingly easy to drink, where many this young are bombs, this medium-bodied wine starts a little sweet, intensifies in the mid-palate, and finishes with a happy little bite of spice. $35.00

2003 Estate Sonoma Mountain Red – 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc. Dark cherry, cocoa, and tobacco aromas. Warm, soft entry shows deep, integrated terroir-driven notes with defined earthy components. $49.00

2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County – This wine has been blended from grapes that come from four different vineyards throughout Sonoma. Immediate bouquet of cedar and eucalyptus complements with dark fruit flavors. Smooth and velvety, easy tannins are supple and expressive. $42.00

2002 Tribute – Their flagship wine dedicated to Helen and Bruno Benziger, this wine is darkly intense with black cherry and tobacco. Smooth erotic with earthy qualities. The feelings in the mouth are redolent with smooth tannins and hints of smoke. The finish is long and supple. $75.00

Benziger ~ 1883 London Ranch Road ~ Sonoma ~ Ca ~ 95442 ~ 707-935-3000
Three different tasting menus available, five tastes each;
$5.00 for their large production family wines
$10.00 for reserve and single vineyard wines
$10.00 for biodynamic and premiere wines

Emilio’s Terrace is a very small vineyard located in Oakville between Harlan and Staglin. Pretty nice neighborhood, huh? I had the opportunity to taste the wine at the latest Copia had another one of its lovely in-house tastings which frequently gives me access to wineries with no public facilities or tasting rooms. That is the case with Emilio’s Terrace, which is owned by Phil Schlein. The wine is made by Joe Cafaro and only 400 to 700 cases are ever made each year. The certified organic vineyard are 650 feet up above Robert Mondavi’s To-Kolan vineyard. While they grow both Cabernet and Merlot, A large portion of their Merlot is reserved and blended with some purchased grapes for a second label, by-the-glass restaurant wine. The good stuff is kept for the Emilio’s Terrace.

2002 Emilio’s Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Merlot. Dark purple in color, this intensely complex wine shows black fruit aromas of currant and black cherry. Hints of vanilla waft near the back of the nose. The mouth entry is rich and defined, showing layers of supple spice, brambleberry, and hefty tannins. Absolutely spendid. $50.00

Emilio’s Terrace ~ P.O. Box 88 ~ Oakville ~ CA ~ 94562 ~ 707-257-6761
No tastings available.

Simon Levi Cellars is located on the main road that stretches between Santa Rosa and Sonoma in a community known as Kenwood. It is a small, two-lane road peppered with small tasting rooms, tiny restaurants, and an occasional shop or two. One of the main draws for me, after driving past a number of times, was a sign that said Champagne.   Now I know darn well that Champagne is made in France and that California makes sparkling wine, but vernacular aside, wine with bubbles is a really great thing, whether it is sparkling from California, Prosecco from Italy, Champagne from France, or Cava from Spain. I also tend to forget that there are more and more wineries producing sparkling wine, getting into my own rut of drinking from my personal Big 5 (Chandon, Mumm, Taittinger, J, and Schramsburg).

The building is very reminiscent of an old-style school house; probably because it was red and shingled and quaint. A few picnic tables on the surrounding wooden deck invite guests to relax and stay a while. While there, taste from four different labels. The three made under the Simon Levi auspices is SLC (Simon Levi Cellars), Cuttings Wharf, and Pour la Vie. (The fourth label will be its own blog entry.)

The Pour la Vie label is the name given to the sparkling wines and is made in three flavors; a Grand Cuvee, Almondine, and Framboise. I wanted to get a good cross reference to all the offerings and did not bother tasting the almond or raspberry sparkling, although others in the tasting room seemed to enjoyed it. The tasting room has some lovely things as well — take a look at the suspended model train that runs above the pouring station! Open and spacious with some wonderful discoveries to be had.

2003 Cuttings Wharf Chardonnay – From Carneros fruit. Creamy tropical, kiwi nose with a bright, crisp entry. Not overly buttery or oaky, this fruity, balanced wine is easy to drink. $25.00

2002 Cuttings Wharf Pinot Noir – Light red color belies with intense, fruit-forward, fresh aromas of cherry and strawberry. Substantially more body and structure in the mouth with a defined, sculpted mineral mid-palate. $25.00

2003 Simon Levi Dry Creek Syrah – Dark, plummy colored wine. Smoke and candy dominate the nose. A tad hot on the mouth entry, flavors of spice and earthy mint tease until the slightly dry finish. $28.00

NV Pour la Via Grand Cuvee – 100% Chardonnay. Nutty, creamy, and slightly sweet on entry (probably because I was tasting it after the reds). Hints of light kiwi. $18.00

Simon Levi Cellars ~ 9380 Sonoma Highway ~ Kenwood ~ CA ~ 95452 ~ 707-833-5070
No charge to taste.