Ultimate California Wine Blog

Well, the time has come… I am veering off the path of the single-minded winery tastings at last. It was finally brought to light by a very dear friend that I participate in so many extraordinary wine-tasting events that are not getting documented. There is also so much I am missing out by limiting my format to only reviewing wineries which I hope to rectify. Today, I start a new topic of Mass Tastings – something I do at least on a monthly basis at some place or another. I also coordinate and attend some astonishing Food & Wine pairings at various restaurants which will become its own category (a Pinot dinner at Manresa is coming up next month!). Most notably, I am looking forward to participating in Wine Blogging Wednesday which was started by Lenndevours. But first I will backtrack a bit to last Saturday’s Rhone Rangers tasting held at Fort Mason in San Francisco:

Outpost
03 Grenache – Lively and bright. Still young.
03 ‘Other’ Petite Sirah – Deep and dark and plummy.

Peay
03 Syrah – Massive black raspberry nose. Smooth entry. Exciting mid-palate with spicy finish.
02 Syrah – Dark and elegant. Spicy fruit with balanced acidic mid-palate.

Ridge
03 California Bugchignani Carignane – Immediate aromas of mineral and vegetable tones. Sharp entry with a dry finish.
01 Syrah/Grenache Blend – Exciting and bright fruit. A tad young but it moves briskly in the mouth with a dry end.
01 California Lytton Syrah – Even and smooth. Very enticing.
02 Lytton Petite Sirah – Tight and chewy
02 Lytton Syrah – Tantalizing aromas which evens outs to full, ripe berry.

Rosenblum
02 San Francisco Bay Cote du Bone – Bright and easy to drink.
02 Syrah – Wow factor in the nose. Jammy, chewy aromas which parallel the mouth entry.
03 Petite Sirah – I love a wine you can’t see light through… Inky purple with black raspberry and black plum nose. Sweet entry which explodes with fruit and spice. Killer wine for $19!

Copaine
03 Grenache – Candy shop aromas. Smooth entry which expands and fills with more tannins on the finish.
03 Syrah, Alexander Valley – From the Broken Leg vineyards. Elegant with dark, dark fruit aromas. Intensely smooth, even entry. Killer for $25
03 Syrah, Gary’s Vineyard – Amazing, deep, complex bouquet. Stunning layers on the entry with coffee tones along with the amazing fruits. $30

Beckmen
03 Cuvee le Bec – Candied red-hots in the nose. Spicy entry with full mouthfeel.
02 Syrah – Classic dark berry. Even entry with balanced fruit and layered, acidic finish.
03 Grenache – Candy shop, floral aromas. Full, even entry which explodes with stunning balance.
03 Syrah Clone #1 – Inky dark color, Thick, dark opulent aromas with dark, dark full mouthfeel.

Andrew Murray
Esperance – A blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah. Port-like candy aromas. Truly bizarre sensation of Sweet & Sour in a single sip. Intensely l-o-n-g finish of both Sweet AND Sour!
03 Syrah – Bright and evenly tannic. Enticing plum and cherry.
03 Estate Syrah – Elegant and even Oriental spices combine with the plum and berries to produce a long, dry spicy finish.
02 Hillside Syrah – Port-like aromas that fade to eucalyptus and mint. Seems to enter the mouth like a port as well…

Tablas Creek
04 Roussane (from the Barrel) – Kiwi and bright fruits (one of three whites I tried because it was poured before I could tell them not to — I liked it better than I thought I would!)
02 Cotes de Tablas – Candy shop aromas and sweet-ish on entry. Dry, tannic mid-palate.
02 Esprit de Beaucastel – Intensely ripe strawberry but overtly mineral mid-palate.

Rockblock
01 Del Rio Syrah – Like a hunk of smoky, BBQ meat. Aromas and tastes of cherry and cedar. Earth and chocolate. Long and distinctive.
02 Seven Mills Syrah – Unlike the previous, overtly jammy, fruity offerings, this is one of the first wines to smell like, well…. WINE! No jam but earthiness that is rich and bright. Not brett, though! Engaging but still a bit tight.

Edmund St. John
NV(?) Shell & Bone – So called from the limestone. Another white I was talked into but jeez, was I ever glad! Kiwi and peach aromas that were intensely exciting. Mid-palate of honey’d peach. Complete wow factor. $25
04 Roussanne – Slightly grassy aromas. Creamy finish.
01 Syrah – Dry and vegetal. — Honestly, I somewhat slammed for that note when it got posted on a wine site. I’m chalking it up to a tired palate and look forward to tasting ESJ wines again shortly as the rest were phenomenal.
01 Los Robles Vejos – Elegant fruit, well-balanced with both dark berries and earth that ended in a bit of a jammy tease.

Ehrardt
03 Petite Sirah – Amazind cedar bouquet. Smoth and bold entry. $26

Fife
00 Carignane – Candied cinnamon gives way to strawberry.
?? L’Atitude – Dry, mineral, and thin.
01 Syrah – Jammy nose. Nice swallow (the only trickle that went down my throat by accident…)
00 Syrah – Spicy cedar which slightly paled in the mouth.
00 Petit Syrah – Great, dark, fruity nose with a slightly dry mid-palate.
00 Max – Huge, plummy and big.

I was a tad embarrassed when I met Katerena Arger and I hadn’t heard of her family’s winery. I thought I at least knew of all the wineries based in the Napa Valley, but I hadn’t heard of Arger-Martucci. Just a block or so behind Dean & Deluca lies the small cluster of buildings which used to be the home of Villa Helena winery. Purchased in 2000 by the families Arger and Martucci, a new winery was born.

Dr. Kosta M. Arger (a cardiologist by training) began learning winemaking in the 1970s under Joseph Heitz. But never formally trained, he is the winemaker for this two-family dream. And a family-endeavor it certainly is. Kosta’s daughter, Katarena, acts as the general manager for the tasting room, runs the hospitality events, and attends the public functions, representing the wines. Katarena’s mother, Julie, also imports olives oils and Balsamic vinegars. The Martucci side, Rich Martucci handles the financial paperwork side with son Richard, Jr. managing the winery and Rich Sr’s wife, Carole, helping out behind scenes. All the grapes are grown on four different estate-owned vineyards.

Completely unassuming, the tasting room is nothing more than a family kitchen, where Katarena will pour the selection, but only Thursday through Monday. She might pull out some cheese samples from an adjacent refrigerator and sit down and join you in a glass, easily exuberant about the great wines being made by a family of friends. As the warm summer months draw near and more learn about the excellent offerings, Katerena will start hosting the tastings immediately outside the kitchen; next to the swimming pool.

2002 Arger-Martucci Vineyards Chardonnay – Golden straw color. Buttery kiwi tones tease the nose and a bright, tangy mouth entry fills out and blossoms with creamy honeyed pear finish. $22.00

2004 Arger-Martucci Vineyards Viognier – A barrel-taste of the as-yet-to-be-bottled wine. Delightful honeysuckle aromas with a subtle and elegant creamy mouth feel. Price unavailable.

2001 Arger-Martucci Vineyards Pinot Noir – Bright cherry bouquet with hints of dark earthiness. The cherry continues into the flavor which is soft and balanced. $30.00

2003 Arger-Martucci Vineyards Syrah – Beautiful, dark inky in color. Tantalizes with intensely perfumey aromas that back away to produce a hoisin-like sweetness. Opulent and balanced with concentrated rich black cherry and wild berry flavors that produces a hint of sweetness on the back-palate. Smooth and stunning. $25.00

2001 Arger-Martucci Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon – From vineyards on Atlas Peak at 1,500 elevation, the slightest hint of green bell pepper on the nose immediately subsides to produce dark, husky tones of tobacco and black cherry which expands to produce smooth tannins. Long, layered, and balanced. $50.00

2002 Odyssey – A blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Merlot, at a surprising 13.9% alcohol. Candy-shop aromas tease with layers of clove and cinnamon. The mouth entry produces brambleberry, blue- and blackberry tones. Even and smooth the finish is long and silky. Forgot to get the price on this one.

2004 Arger-Martucci Vineyards Dulcinea – A true, natural botrytis-produced wine, but only when the conditions are perfect. As the story goes, “in November of 2002, Jeff Sowells, owner of Topaz Winery, offered a small amount of botrytised Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon to Arger-Martucci and with his help, produced this blend of 2/3 SauvBlanc to 1/3 botrytised Semillon.” Amazing how a little mold on some grapes can produce such intensely flavors. In this offering, honey-laden apricots and peaches which is long and smooth and perfectly elegant. $45.00/375ml.

Arger-Martucci ~ 1456 Inglewood Avenue ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 04574 ~ 707-963-4334

Domaine Chandon is one of the many sparkling wine producers in the Napa Valley. It has a name that demands respect with a worldwide lineage of wine producers almost unparalleled; as a subsidiary of French-based Mõet Hennessy, along with their California winery, they have wine-making estates in Argentina, Australia, Spain and Brazil. Besides the attraction of a quality sparkling product, the Chandon estate is quite plain and simply down-right stunning. I tend to go first thing on Sunday mornings for brunch as the tasting bar offers a small menu including cheeses, pâté, or a simple bowl of olives.

The building complex is of natural wood in sweeping and sloping forms which complement the overgrown, woodland-like landscaping in which it resides. Before ever entering the building, one is met with artwork. Local artist Richard Botto began constructing natural pieces out of river rocks and later began to incorporate forged metal into his pieces. Botto’s works are found all over the grounds, from an installation piece of a field of Mushrooms found right as you are approaching the entrance, to pieces appearing to be in a far off field, which can be seen through the large windows of the tasting room.

Upon entering the building, you will immediately find yourself in the ’boutique,’ essentially the sales area. The staff are gracious in guiding you through the education center, towards an upper floor where both the restaurant and tasting salon are located. It is quite refreshing to not be immediately inundated with a mass of people at a tasting bar into which you have to fight to find a spot. Another added benefit is that very fact that the retail sales are done away from the tasting room so there is never the feeling of hard sales by the person pouring and explaining their wine.

The entire layout is spacious and luxurious. Along with some small tables and chairs near the tasting bar, more seating is available outside in a veranda area where guests are welcome to stay and relax. A well-known restaurant is encased within the tasting salon headed by respected chef Ron Wood. Of the wine itself, while single or multiple tastings are available, single glasses and whole bottles are also available. It is all about making the guest comfortable and if sipping some sparkling on a sunny afternoon is your sartori, Chandon is the place…

Chandon Brut Classic – Roughly 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay (a touch of Pinot Meuniere, but not exactly how much). Two years on yeast. Bright pineapple nose which is ever so slightly yeasty. Classic apple and pear notes. $17.00

Chandon Reserve Brut – Same 70/30 ratio as the Classic, but this wine sees four years on yeast. Surprisingly malo aromas of the Chardonnay. Creamy entry with a toasty finish. $24.00

Chandon Blanc de Noirs – 92% Pinot Noir with 8% Pinot Meuniere. Subtle bouquet of berries; strawberry and cherry with a crisp finish. $17.00

étoile Brut – A bit of the reverse from the first sparklings, with 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, this wine stays on the yeast a full five years. Elegant and ever so slightly yeasty, hints of honeysuckle in the middle. $35.00

étoile Rosé – 8% still Pinot Noir is added for the color. Bright salmon color with refined berry tones. Creamy entry with crisp, fruity finish. $40.00

Chandon Riche – Ripe, supple honey aromas and mouth entry which included apricot and peach. Ever so slightly sweet – not exactly a demi-sac but an extra-dry that enticed quite nicely. $17.00

2002 Domaine Chandon Chardonnay, Carneros – 30% malo which produced a hint of oak. The wine was refreshing and oddly figgy in a creamy sort of way. Pleasant. $19.00

2001 Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir, Carneros – Pale ruby in color with heightened strawberry aromas. A hint of earthiness on the entry that finished with a light spice. $29.00

2002 Domaine Chandon Piont Meunier, Carneros – Odd to see a 100% Pinot Meunier, Chandon claims to have introduced the grape to this country. Very bright, almost fluorescent red. Clean, raspberry nose with bright tannins on the acidic mid-palate. Peppery finish. $29.00

Domaine Chandon ~ One Californian Drive ~ Yountville ~ CA ~ 95499 ~ 707-944-2280

I have had a long-standing appreciation for Markham, but only partly because of their wines. They are another in the small family of wineries that heavily support the arts. In their case, the visitor’s center, which is opulently filled with home decorations, jewelry, fixtures, and one-of-a-kind kitchenware, also doubles as an art gallery.

There is a small-ish gallery space downstairs, by the tasting bar, but a more expansive gallery space throughout the hallways of their corporate offices upstairs. Guests are invited to take their glasses as they wander around and view the exhibits which change every four months (reasons to go back often). Along with the revolving exhibits, there are a number of permanent sculptures throughout the grounds.

Along with the art which thrills me, Markham also produces pretty decent juice. Mostly known for their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignons, of late I have been limiting my tastes to the lesser-known varietals. Markham offers three levels of tasting when you visit; Premium Wines for $5.00 (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, and and Cabernet Sauvignon), Hard to Fine Wines for $8.00 (Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Sirah), and a Library Reserve Tasting for $15.00 (a revolving library of two different vintage Merlot [one a Reserve] and two vintage Cabernet Sauvignon [one a Reserve]). My suggestion? Bring two friends, get all three tastings, get to taste all the winery has to offer! But if you do, don’t forget to spit a little…

2003 Sauvignon Blanc – Clear and light in color, grassy apple and kiwi aromas adequately anticipate the bright and engaging crispness. Balanced, acidity on the mineral finish. $14.00

2003 Chardonnay – Creamy, vanilla nose but approached the mouth a bit too bright and crisp which I believe is nothing other than having been stuck in the ice too long. Too cold and it masked all the flavors, but I couldn’t stick around long enough to let it warm up. $18.25

2002 Pinot Noir – Bright ruby red, almost fluorescent color. Effusive with bright, ripe raspberry, hinting towards cinnamon. Balanced entry that was even and round, with a slightly tight finish. $24.00

2003 Pinot Noir – Red, garnet color that produced a tad more earthy, raspberry aroma, layered with clove and anise. Dark aromas masked the acidic mid-palate and tight, dry finish. $24.00

2000 Petite Sirah – Incredibly spicy licorice and anise bouquet that absolutely exploded with aromas. Dark, spicy fruit on the tantalizing entry that was slightly dry in the middle. Even, expected mineral finish that kept going. $28.75

Markham Vineyards ~ 2812 St. Helena Highway North ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 707-963-5292

The idea of a "hidden treasure" in the Napa Valley is hard to justify, especially those on either the main drag of the 29 or on the Silverado Trail. There are too many vanity wineries with well-trained sales staff, stunningly decorated tasting rooms, and retail displays designed to part tasters with their cash. I have no compunction whatsoever in stating that Van Der Heyden STILL qualifies as a hidden treasure, for while it does lie on the Silverado Trail, the buildings and presentation of and by Andre Van Der Heyden is quite a treat.

A small cluster of buildings lies hidden from view behind the vineyards and sign on the street’s edge. The cluster is exactly that — signs direct guests underneath a temporary canopy to the tasting room which is little more than a trailer, barely able to hold more than eight or ten people. No frills and no glitz, on any given day all you will find is the diminutive personage of the larger-than-life Andre Van Der Heyden.

Andre came to California from Holland in 1963. After taking a home winemaking class in 1973, in 1977 he found a small piece of vineyard property just south of the Stags Leap District (before it was known as the Oak Knoll appellation) and opened his own winery. Still family owned and operated almost thirty years later, the character of its owner is more than worth a visit (but be prepared to listen closely — after telling his story so many times, he tends to speak very, very quickly!)

2001 Van Der Heyden Napa Valley Estate Chardonnay – 100% malo with 100 French oak for ten months. Sweet, mango aromas which enter the mouth with dark and buttery tones which gives way a tangy mid-palate and finishes with bright, mineral tones. $22.00

2001 Van Der Heyden Merlot – Deep, dark, and elegant Moroccan spices on the nose which anticipates the dark Cabernet Sauvignon-like entry into the mouth. Stunning with a long, heightened finish. $35.00

2000 Van Der Heyden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – Aged 43 months in French oak! Intensely rich, dark nose of blackberry and chocolate-covered cherry aromas. Soft entry into the mouth with an extended, toasty vanilla finish. $50.00

2001 Van Der Heyden Estate Late Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon – "The only winery in the world producing a Late Harvest Cab! Harvested in 2001, to be bottled in 2005, 34 months in French oak." I was very fortunate to stumble into Van Der Heyden just as this amazing wine was bottled. There is a misnomer that all late-harvest wines are overtly sweet and while this wine has 5% residual sugar, I did not anticipate the dark, layered complexity of this wine. There was the meatiness of a Cabernet and the hint of sweetness from the late-harvest qualities gave the wine a characteristic of BBQ meat. I drove away simply thinking, "it was grilled BBQ in a glass." Truly astonishing. $50.00/375ml

NV White Table Wine – Only the fourth time having been made, this wine is a blend of Late Harvest Semillon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of green apple and citrus almost contradict the rich, creamy entry. While slightly syrupy in consistency, it is not sickly sweet with a crisp, dry finish. $18.00

Van Der Heyden Vineyards ~ 4057 Silverado Trail ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94558 ~ 800-948-WINE