Ultimate California Wine Blog

One of the special surprises that came about from the Rhone Rangers event was meeting Shane of Shane Wine Cellars. I had been out of the loop on up-and-coming producers and Shane was an entirely new name for me. Gregarious and Falstaffian in demeanor, Shane Finley told me that he moved to California from New York in 2001 after obtaining a graduate degree in English! Working at Copain provided Shane with an early inclination towards the production of fabulous Rhone varietals.

Now an associate winemaker at Kosta Browne, he is producing exceptional Pinot Noir. Shane Wines is his own side project and gives him the opportunity to produce just 700 cases of Syrah. Currently,  he is selling about half of his production to a mailing list and the remainder at finer restaurants around California.  This is a producer I am looking forward to following as the wines shows tremendous promise, as greatness is already being tasted.

2009 Rosé, Ma Fille, Sonoma County, $15 – Smooth and easy drinking, this rosé of Syrah shows bright engaging flavors of clean refreshing red summer fruit with herbal hints that showed tight integration. There is not too much acidity and I appreciated the long finish, reminiscent of juicy watermelon and strawberries.

2008 Syrah, The Unknown, North Coast, $38 – A dark, inky wine, the grapes came from “unknown vineyard.” The entry was smooth and depicted the classic blackberry, black plum, blossoming with textures of dark chocolate. The finish was tight — this is a wine I would like to taste in a few years as I could sense potential expansion of the palate.

2008 Syrah, The Judge, Mendocino Coast, $38 – Rich and complex, dark and jammy fruit entered the mouth with a distinctive mid-palate of rose petals and elegant dried sage. The finish lingered with balanced tobacco and black plum.

Shane Wine Cellars
P.O. Box 533
Novato, CA 94948
415.342.7926

It was not easy getting a photograph of Robert Pellegrini at the Word-Up tasting. He had been receiving accolades and congratulations from all sorts of people, but there was just enough time for me to grab this quick picture with his prized offering, the 2006 Milestone. I did not have an opportunity to speak with any Pellegrini representatives, so the only information I have is what I can read on their website.

But I can tell you about the wines for which I made tasting notes…

2007 Pinot – Classic cherry. And, I’m afraid to say, rather flat an uninspired. A rather insipid entry and biting finish.

2007 Zinfandel – Dark and chewy, a bit more structured than the Pinot with chocolate and deep blackberry fruit.

2006 Cloverdale Cabernet Sauvignon – Still very young and tannic upon entry

2006 Milestone – It was this wine that showed me why Robert Pellegrini was getting all the attention at this tasting. 55% Merlot, 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, and small amounts of Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. This was a well-blended, smooth offering showing defined plum and black fruit components. I detected a noticeable herbaceousness in the core, with a long, luscious finish hinting at cinnamon.

Pellegrini Family Vineyards ~ 4055 West Olivet Road ~ Santa Rosa ~ 95401 ~ 800.891.0244

Downtown Healdsburg is a lovely place to visit; full of quaint shops, delightful art galleries, enticing restaurants, and a handful of tasting rooms. However, if you limit your jaunting to only the square, you will undoubtedly miss one of the best selections of wines — not only in the neighborhood — but in California. Selby Winery has their tasting room a few blocks off the main shopping drag and is definitely worth looking for; almost hidden by overgrown trees just a few doors down from the fire station.

I was there on a week day and the tasting room was bustling! Full to the brim, Amanda was aptly handling the large crowd. I was patient and waited for it to quiet down. I was fortunate to taste through the entire line-up of Selby wines for a related article I’ve been working on, as well as having the opportunity of meeting Susie Selby in person.

She is diminutive in stature and has a personal warmth that immediately exudes charm and grace. She initially came to Northern California to help her father out in a small custom-crush winery (those are the kind where serious amateurs make wine for fun). Susie got so enamored with her father’s obsession, that it encouraged her to get a job in a local tasting room. When the bug really hit her, she began serious studies while working as a cellar rat, eventually becoming an assistant winemaker. Now with her her own label, she is entirely self-taught, learning the entire wine industry from the ground up, literally.

Since her first vintage in 1993, she has built a reputation that includes having her wine served at the White House on multiple occasions. Robert Redford is so impressed with her winemaking style that she has been contracted to produce the Chardonnay for Redford’s Sundance resort. She has a tasting room (decorated with fabulous art by Clay Vajgrt), and a thriving winery producing 15,000 cases. What impressed me more than anything is the overall quality and integrity of the wine and the fact that Susie is not afraid to take chances as is depicted in experiments along the likes of a Malbec and a Syrah rosé, wines that are just plain fun to drink.

2004 Sauvignon Blanc – Crisp, clear kiwi and pineapple tones without being harsh or strident. $13.00

2004 Rosé of Syrah – The color of a sparkling, almandine garnet. An enchanting rosé because of its varietal integrity, Laura makes this wine solely because she likes to drink it (god bless her!). Explosive cranberry and pomegranate flavors behind a fresh, clean berry aromas with hints of white flowers. Nothing cloying or sweet, this wine is clean, fresh, and crisp. $13.00

2004 Chardonnay, Russian River – Intense nose of kiwi and white melon with a whisper of white peach. Crisp entry and some cream on the mid-palate that is opulent and engaging. Going away from the more butter-rich Clone 4, this is a wine made from the muscat chard of Dijon and Spring Mountain. $28.00

2004 Pinot Noir, Russian River – Heady perfumey aromas of cinnamon, clove, and cherry. The mouth fills with spicy, cinnamon-covered red hots that is teasing and playful. The spicy fruit flavors are well-defined and invigorating. $32.00

2002 Malbec, Alexander Valley – I am such a huge Malbec fan and this does not fail to impress. Chewy tobacco with layers of soy and miso in the nose. The flavors are redolent with dark fruit, tiered with a rich mineral core. $28.00

2002 Merlot, Sonoma County – With 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. Redolent nose of black cherry and licorice with a whisper of dried herbs in the back of the nostrils. Black fruit and black pepper enter the mouth, teasing with a touch of plum liqueur. Big, chewy entry is smooth in the center with a perfectly balanced finish. $24.00

2002 Syrah, Sonoma County – 4% Viognier provides a hint of sweetness in this rich, sweet boysenberry wine. Jammy entry with a core of licorice and spice, medium-bodied and easy to drink. $24.00

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County – 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Medium-bodied, terroir-driven aromas show herbs and cherries. Rich, sweet entry is smooth and toasty. Not overly complex or chewy, but great body and flavors. $24.00

2002 Zinfandel, Sonoma County – From 65 year old vines. Rich vanilla tones in a smooth, dark entry that displays sultry plum and spice notes. Jammy, spicy, toasty, and a hint of earth. $24.00

2002 Dry Creek Syrah, Vesenaz Vineyard – Only 150 cases made. Terroir-driven aromas with a heady liqueur of blackberry. Inky black red with an even, spicy core and supple, velvety finish. $32.00

2002 Sonoma County Zinfandel, Bobcat Vineyard – Leaving the grapes on the vines a little longer than usual, this is only the fourth vintage of this wine which has a tiny amount of residual sugar. Dark and spicy, the smooth and velvety mouthfeel is ever so slightly sweet, but not enough to coat the teeth. Smooth and intense, the flavors are defined and intense; quintessential zinfandel and after most of the tasting, a culmination in the example of the style that is Susie’s wine. $32.00

2000 Sweet Cindy – This wine is an homage to Susie’s dearly departed sister-in-law, Cindy. It is a blend of late-harvest Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc with grapes that are fully botrysized. Intense, dark gold orange color, there are hints of earthy, rustic honey with a core of pear. While the wine is sweet, there is a heightened acidity that provides perfect balance and clean flavor.  A bargain at $12.00

Selby Winery ~ 215 Center Street ~ Healdsburg ~ CA ~ 95448 ~ 707-431-1288
$5.00 for four tastes, although many additional bottles are often open and offered.

Barbara Drady, who owns Affairs of the Vine and the famous Wine Boot Camp, asked me to help her out this week run a corporate training, team-building seminar which is impressive on its own right. Ms. Drady sets these events up at various wineries but this particular training seminar was being held a winery I had yet to blog, Paradise Ridge Vineyards and Winery — and what better excuse for me than to go early and check it out!

Getting to Paradise Ridge is a fascinating trip in that one drives around the recently-developed foothills of Santa Rosa, through industrial parks and track homes, by a large hospital and several hotels. Then there is a large, bent-metal sign with a road that suddenly manifests cows as voyeurs on your journey. Meandering and rugged, the landscape is suddenly rural, boasting large trees and native chaparral. Shockingly, set amongst the drying grass and native evergreens, sits a very bizarre sculpture — a large bottle shaped out of copper or bronze from which prodtrudes a branch of tubes, culminating in bright blue hands… How very odd, one thinks. For me, how very exciting! I love stumbling on art, especially in unexpected places. As you continue to drive towards the winery, the collection grows as a large field on your left displays two 8-foot high pieces. Then another on your right – and another!

Have I discovered a secret garden of visual delights? Apparently so, but it is hardly a secret. Paradise Ridge’s owners, Dr. Walter Byck and his wife Marijke Byck-Hoenselarrs have established this Sculpture Grove as an extension of the winery experience. From Gretchen Giles’ article in Metroactive, “Involving some 12 Sonoma County arts organizations and 17 separate events… “Spectrum” – “Sculpture Sonoma” was conceived to be by artists, for artists. Byck and his wife asked more than 120 local sculptors to name those North Bay artists who most influenced them and whose work they most admired. From that list came the slate of professionals gathered in the “Spectrum” show. “Rather than let a curator decide, I let the artists decide,” Byck says.” Now here a reason to go back yearly! These are are not permanent sculptures, but a yearly installation.

Continuing through the expansive art collection, the road  culminates atop a hill where the winery tasting room sits alongside a few more additional permanent sculpture installations. However, an even better surprise awaited me. I had all this great art, I thought, how could it get better?

History! That’s how… Paradise Ridge sits on the site that was once the historic Fountain Grove winery, noted for having been established and run by Kanaye Nagasawa, the distinguished Japanese winemaker in 1875. The champagne cellar of the current building houses archival pictures and a few artifacts and is a must-visit location for anyone fascinated with pre-Prohibition California wineries.

The Paradise Ridge tasting room is located on the upper floor of the two-story building. Practical, it is a room that is often utilized by wedding parties (and where our corporate event took place) so the tasting room easily expands into a banquet area. It has a fabulous view of the surrounding Santa Rosa valley and offers yet another surprise — a sparkling wine!

1999 Blanc de Blanc – Only available at the winery, a slightly toasted, yeasty nose shocks with a clean, bright mouth entry of pineapple and lychee fruit. Slightly creamy finish delights. $25.95

2004 Sauvignon Blanc, Grandview Vineyard – Their first segue into the screw-top model of closures. Fruit forward with pineapple, pink citrus, and honey blossom, the dry, crisp entry is surprisingly round. The aromas hinted towards a strident harsh wine but the mouth feel is lush, round, and easy to drink. $21.95

2002 Syrah, Ladi’s Ranch – Massive wild berries sits at the core with a whisper of spice in the nose. Medium-bodied, smooth and supple tannins continue the berry flavors with tiers of mineral and sage. $25.95

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rockpile Vineyard – Young wine showing green olive and tobacco. $33.00

2002 Zinfandel, Hoenselaars Vineyard –  Dense, dark aromas of sweet black licorice and black plum. Juicy and smooth with a well-integrated structure that will easily age. $25.95

2002 Inspirations – A fabulously expressive wine of 50% Petite Verdot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. Jammy and Petite Sirah-like in its dark blueberry core, but with considerably more richness. Smooth and velvety, this is a fascinating blend that is exceptionally easy to drink and appreciate. $40.00

Paradise Ridge ~ 4545 Thomas Lake Harris Drive ~ Santa Rosa ~ CA ~ 95403 ~ 707-528-9463
No charge for tasting.

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