Ultimate California Wine Blog

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.

When it comes to historical pedigree, there is a little bit of hair-splitting as to who is the oldest winery in America. It is often touted that Agoston Haraszthy is father of modern viticulture and in 1857 purchased a hunk of property in Sonoma to start Buena Vista Winery. Jacob Gundlach also bought some property in 1857 to open Gundlach Bundschu but apparently it was technically a few months after Agostin started his winery.

To make all this that much more confusing, the original property that Agoston purchased is now home to Bartholomew Park Winery (still the site of Agoston’s home) and the current Buena Vista site was a secondary wine-making facility that was constructed in the 1870s. The modern grounds are stunning and well worth the visit. Guided tours and picnic grounds are available, allowing visitors to sit amidst stately old trees.

The tasting room is a stately affair; two stories with the second floor full of historical displays showing some fabulous pictures of Haraszthy’s family, some stunning scenes of the early Chinese workforce. The room is beautifully bedecked in dark wood, hearkening to the stately gradeur of its legacy. The pouring staff are friendly and extremely helpful. While I had a bit of wait before being noticed, the nice man who assisted me insisted on delaying his break to make sure seamless service was proffered.

2004 Pinot Gris – Light and fruity, a sweet nose of honey suckle and white flowers. Clean entry with more sweetness than I usual care for. Crisp acidity comes after the sugar in the medium-bodied wine. $19.00

2003 Carneros Reserve Pinot Noir – Some initial green aromas; leaves or underripe fruit. Light body, red fruit and green olive display in the sharp entry. Young. $25.00

2003 Estate Carneros Pinot Noir, Clone 4 Pommard – Rich, terroir-driven wine. Supple nose shows a whisper of green olive with a core of red cherry. Soft mouth entry showing red fruit and floral qualities. $38.00

2002 Tres – 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petite Verdot, 2% Syrah. Aromas of green tobacco and herbs. Medium-bodied red fruit is fuller than the nose implies. Textured, but young. $29.00

2003 Syrah – Rich, smoky nose showing youth. Blackberry liqueur flavors in the initial taste. Thin on the intial entry which expands to a chewier middle, showing richer brambleberry on the finish. Medium bodied and even texture. $38.00

Buena Vista ~ 18000 Old Winery Road ~ Sonoma ~ CA ~ 95476 ~ 800-926-1266

Diamond Oaks is a relative new-comer to the Napa Valley wine scene. Located on the edge of a mountain up the Oakville Grade, the building facilities was once better known as Vichon (a Mondavi project) – and, for a short while, La Famiglia (another Mondavi project).

Indian-born Dinesh Maniar is the current proprietor. Having already acquired numerous Napa and Sonoma vineyards, the acquisition of this property from the Mondavis was a jewel in his wine-bedecked crown. By all accounts from those who work with him, Maniar is an introspective, unassuming gentleman who has made some very impressive improvements to the property.

The tasting room, when it was La Famiglia, was known for the hand-painted wall-sized mural. That was the only aspect of the original hospitality area that Maniar retained. The building was slightly retrofitted to accommodate much-needed windows for light, new marble floors, and elegant lighting fixtures (selected by Dinesh himself).

Of special note is the picturesque picture area. Undoubtedly one of the most stunning views of the valley, for a mere $30.00, the winery will reserve a table, provide a bottle of wine and glasses, and place a checkered tablecloth to await your culinary delight. Corkpulls are strategically dangled from the trees, just in case you forget…

2001 Chalk Hill Chardonnay – Maniar owns 95 acres of Chalk Hill vineyards. This 100% malo chard is fruit forward, with intense lemon and tropical fruit aromas. Initial flavors are fruit forward with lemon and a hint of cream. The finish shows nuts, oak, and a touch of butter. $29.00

2001 Reserve Carneros Chardonnay – Another 100% malo, but this one has seen 100% French oak. Rich, full, layered offering with a tropical bouquet surrounding a core of butterscotch. Flavors dance between lemon meringue and clean pear. $39.00

2003 Carneros Pinot Noir – Simple aromas of cherry, licorice, and earth in the nose. Bigger fruit flavors explodes in the mouth, counter to the thinner bouquet. Tight and young, earth and licorice dominate. $19.00

2002 Silver Carneros Merlot – Deep tones of green olive, rich earth, and some cherry. Richer fruit flavors of solid dark fruit, a mid-palate of toast, finishes with a tease of eucalyptus. $17.00

2002 Hira Ranch Merlot, Carneros – 70% French oak, 20% of that is new – the other 30% is American oak. Dark chocolate and tobacco qualities in the nose. Initially soft and supple upon entry, dark berry and earthy qualities become rich and complex on the finish. $29.00

2003 Cabernet, Alexander Valley – (Wine Club only). A pre-release tasting is still a bit green with tons of rustic herbs and cherry. Gobs of chocolate mint on the nice, lingering finish. No price.

Diamond Oaks ~ 1595 Oakville Grade ~ Oakville ~ CA ~ 94562 ~ 707-948-3000

Château St. Jean ranks among the highest for quality Chardonnay. Just ask anyone who likes Chardonnay… Okay, I’m not a huge Chardonnay fan but I found many things to like at Château St. Jean. Perhaps it was the atmosphere or the congeniality. Perhaps it was because there is a sense of history or because I was weak and actually bought something from the gift shop. Whatever it was, I have a fine memory of my time at Château St. Jean.

Wine aside, the estate property is absolutely stunning. There are gardens that you have to walk through to get to the visitor’s center which offer many exceptional vantage points for photography or for simply relaxing by one of the several ponds. The “Château” itself was built by the Goff family in the 1920s and has been lovingly restored and is where some of the offices exist as well as the Reserve Room tasting area.

Apparently if you are part of the Reserve Club, you can have access to a private terraced seating area for individual, table-side service. This picture was taken through a window of the Château, as though I was a Peeping Tom, peering at two lucky recipients of a private tasting. I’ll be they also got to taste the wines I would have preferred to taste; Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Malbec, Viogner, and other Reserves…

The actual public tasting room is tremendously large and amply filled with a variety of products, much of the usual from clothing to wine-related gadgets. But I have to admit a confession. In my hundred-and-fifty-odd winery visits, this was the first time I actually bought something in a gift shop. In a corner, away from most of the expensive bounty, was a line of tin-and-enamelware kitchen gadgets. I purchased what looked like a pots de crème set, complete with rack (I say it looked like a pots de crème set, except that it wasn’t porcelain). It was $10.50 for the set and while not politically correct for real pots de crème, it will suit me just fine. Oh yeah, and I enjoyed the wine too.

2002 Robert Young Vineyard Chardonnay – Classic lemon and buttery aromas. Oily mouthfeel upon entry showing dark papaya and mango. Rich, with a hint of lemon peel on the finish. $35.00

2003 Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir – Dusty, exotic aromas of incense – akin to sandalwood with a core of red fruit. Red fruit dominates the mouth entry and brightens with acidity on the mid-palate. Smoky finish. $19.00

2002 California Merlot – Black plum and brambleberry display in the initial whiff but subside to demonstrate eucalyptus on the end. Chewy, tight mouth entry that is full bodied and thick. Tad harsh on finish.  $15.00

Château St. Jean ~ 8555 Sonoma Highway (Highway 12) ~ Kenwood ~ 95452 ~ 707-833-4134

I had been waiting to blog Gloria Ferrer. I was waiting because every year the sparkling wine producer holds a large Catalan Festival around the third weekend of July every year. So this is not just a blog of a Spanish-heritage winery, but also of a pretty spectacular event that sells out early every year.

Upon arrival, two large figures loomed above the crowd. There were people inside them that could lift them up and walk around with them, despite the heat of the day. Very, very impressive. A demonstration tent was set-up outside the building where music performances and cooking demos occurred throughout the festival. I saw Flamenco dancers, heard lovely Spanish guitar, and

But it is upstairs, in the main room of the winery where most of the action takes place – the food! A number of fabulous vendors participate in the event; restaurants, bakeries, and stores. Upon your arrival and check-in, each guest is given a handful of color-coded tickets, red for food and yellow for drinks. The various food purveyors have pre-established how much ‘their’ dish is worth (usually two red tickets, although some dishes cost only one ticket to consume).

The food sampled was of exceptional quality, as the restaurants serving and promoting themselves included B-44, Wild Thyme, Destino, and Avance (to name only a few). Some of the food we sampled included cod cakes, roast pork loin with dried figs, classically-prepared sardines, Spanish cheeses, a fascinating and savory version of cassoulet, stuffed peppers, and bacalao.

Of course, one can’t forget Paella, which along with the sparkling and still wine served, was a fabulous offering. The rice had the perfect level of spice from the saffron and delicacy of smoke from the paprika. The seafood was fresh and chicken tender. Those ‘tending bar’ certainly had their hands full as the hundred-plus degree heat certainly warranted the flowing of well-chilled bubbly. However, I was pleased that numerous still red wines were also being served as their Syrah was an especially nice accompaniment to the paella. Overall, a delightful experience:

NV Sonoma Brut – A hint of pear and a touch of toast makes this bubbly clean and easy to drink with both tacos and quail. $20.00

NV Blanc de Blancs – 100% Chardonnay. Slightly yeasty nose which shows a whisper of clean, white fruit. A hint of floral provides a crisp, even mouthfeel. $24.00

NV Blanc de Noir – 92% Pinot Noir, 8% Chardonnay. My personal favorite, a bit more complex with a tease of strawberry and brambleberry. Ever so slightly peachy in color, a creamy entry that blossoms with integrated spice. $18.00

2002 Pinot Noir – Liqueur-like berry in the nose and dark, ebullient berry in the initial taste. Sweeter than anticipated, silky and smooth. $26.00

2002 Syrah – Inky dark red, rich and complex in nose. Very full-bodied mouth feel showing dark blackberry and black plum with a hint of herb and exotic spice. Price unknown.

Gloria Ferrer ~ 23555 Carneros Highway (121) ~ Sonoma ~ CA ~ 707-996-7256