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“Pinot Days” Recap- New Zealand vs. California

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I had the chance to check out the latest and greatest Pinots coming out of California at this year’s Pinot Days in San Francisco. Yet one booth turned the whole tasting on it’s head. I’m referring to the New Zealand Pinot booth. Unconsciously I began comparing and contrasting the two worlds. Here is what I was able to deduce
In California, it’s all about the Clone Wars
This fruit truly never falls far from UC Davis when it comes to California. It seems that every story of Pinot can be rooted back (yes, puns intended here) to the University. And a good portion of vineyards were all too happy to announce that they are using the latest and greatest rootstock.
It was then that I recalled a surprisingly profound quote by Jeff Goldblum from the movie Jurassic Park to which he said, “They were so focused on whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should”. Such is the case with a few of the vintners. I did like the wine, but the sales pitch, at one point, came down to a map showcasing where the various clones were being grown.
Now there comes a time when, say with PapaPietro Perry, that their single clone 777 Pinot Noir simply shines (and for the record they didn’t blare that clone name over the loudspeaker) and is stunningly gorgeous. But there were others where it was not only a blend of clones but a muting of tastes.
In New Zealand, it’s all about the grape
At the New Zealand booth, they were focusing more on growing conditions, regions, the environment. Yes, they did include a map, but only to show the regions of the wine, so a taster could locate Martinborough on the map. The wines were even arranged from North to South. It was a striking difference between the sales pitches of California vineyards and the New Zealand ones.
Which one was better? They both are. Because science can and does help a wine out. Yet there is something to be said about picking a good plot of land, growing the grapes organically and a simple bottle and barrel process. Pinot Noir is a funky grape and while you can spend an eternity rangling it, letting it be on it’s own is sometimes the best formula. And it never hurts to have one of the most goregous vineyards in one of the world’s best Pinot-growing regions to help sell your wine (Rippon Vineyards).
Recommend Pinots from Pinot Days in SF:

I had the chance to check out the latest and greatest Pinots coming out of California at this year’s Pinot Days in San Francisco. Yet one booth turned the whole tasting on it’s head. I’m referring to the New Zealand Pinot booth. Unconsciously I began comparing and contrasting the two worlds. Here is what I was able to deduce.

In California, it’s all about the Clone Wars

This fruit truly never falls far from UC Davis when it comes to California. It seems that every story of Pinot can be rooted back (yes, puns intended here) to the University. And a good portion of vineyards were all too happy to announce that they are using the latest and greatest rootstock.

It was then that I recalled a surprisingly profound quote by Jeff Goldblum from the movie Jurassic Park to which he said, “They were so focused on whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should”. Such is the case with a few of the vintners. I did like the wine, but the sales pitch, at one point, came down to a map showcasing where the various clones were being grown.

Now there comes a time when, say with PapaPietro Perry, that their single clone 777 Pinot Noir simply shines (and for the record they didn’t blare that clone name over the loudspeaker) and is stunningly gorgeous. But there were others where it was not only a blend of clones but a muting of tastes.

In New Zealand, it’s all about the grape

At the New Zealand booth, they were focusing more on growing conditions, regions, the environment. Yes, they did include a map, but only to show the regions of the wine, so a taster could locate Martinborough on the map. The wines were even arranged from North to South. It was a striking difference between the sales pitches of California vineyards and the New Zealand ones.

Which one was better? They both are. Because science can and does help a wine out. Yet there is something to be said about picking a good plot of land, growing the grapes organically and a simple bottle and barrel process. Pinot Noir is a funky grape and while you can spend an eternity rangling it, letting it be on it’s own is sometimes the best formula. And it never hurts to have one of the most goregous vineyards in one of the world’s best Pinot-growing regions to help sell your wine (Rippon Vineyards).

Recommend Pinots from Pinot Days in SF:

PapaPietro Perry 777 Pinot Noir, Russian River ($70)

Skewis 2006 Peters Vineyard, Sonoma Coast ($48)

Winemaker Notes 2006 Laetitia Pinot Noir Reserve ($40)

Mt. Difficulty Roaring Meg (NZ) ($17)

Fort Ross Symposium ($32)

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Great wines under $20 – 2006 Incognito Rouge

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2006 Incognito Rouge2006 Incognito Rouge
by Haydn Adams | Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog

Appellation: Lodi, California
ALC: Unknown
You can buy this wine at: lodivineyards.com/incognito.htm
Retail price: $19.95
Haydn gives it: 90pts

This has to be one of the cooler labels for a wine. There is something anti-establishment about this. No gold foil. No embossing. Yet it is enticing and a bit mysterious.

This wine proved to be a bit of a mystery. My good friend, and wine expert, Beth and I, spent a good deal of time on this bottle. The reason being was that it had no indication of the exact blend of the wine. Beth and I deliberated for a while with this bottle. The only thing we knew was that the wine was sourced from Lodi. As you can see from the label, nothing else is really known. We assume that it was some sort of blend, and thus the wager began to figure out what was in the bottle.

(If you don’t want to know the makeup and blend, I’d advise you to stop reading here)

With our friend, Berley looking at us like we were a bit obsessed (ok, so I think we are), we really got in to the wine and started picking it apart. Lodi only grows certain wines so we could narrow it down a bit when it came to specific grapes. It turns around that we were both right, as this wine is “a tango of” Mourvedre, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cinsault, Carignane, Tannat, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Grenache. I don’t know if that is in the order of percentages or not.

What you can pick out of this wine is a bit of pepper and smoke, making it indicative of the Rhone varietal, thus the blending grapes (Grenache, Syrah Mourvédre) were there. Yet with the smoky characteristics there were also fruits that emerged. It was as if someone smoke-dried the fruits, so they gained a different taste than from your local farmers market.

The real winner is in the price—$19.95 retail. It was a well-structured wine that probably could have been priced much higher, yet came in at an affordable price. Try this wine if you’re new to the Rhone world, as it’s made to suit normal, everyday palates yet add a bit of complexity for a twist.

Decant and enjoy!

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Review of the Haythornthwaite 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (Sarah)

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haythornthwaite_sauvignon_blancHaythornthwaite 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Sarah
by Haydn S. Ad ams | Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog

Haydn gives it :Haythornthwaite 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Sarah

Appellation: Martinborough, New Zealand
ALC: 12.5%
You can buy this wine at: haythornthwaite.co.nz/
Retail price: N/A
Haydn gives it : 92pts

I can still remember that afternoon I stepped into the tasting room of Hythronthwaite, a quiet little winery in the town of Martinsborough (no, you read correctly, that’s not Marlborough). We picked the winery because it was one of the few that was open past 5 o’clock in the afternoon. For more information on Martinborough, see “Martinborough, the other “borough” of New Zealand.

The winery was lightly populated with me, my Dad, and two staff members. We went through the few wines that were still opened. And while the region is know for their excellent Pinot Noirs, it was the Sauvignon Blanc, “Sarah” that won me over.

What I liked the best about this wine, aside from the exquisite taste, was that the winery felt more like a home than a winery. To further drive home the, well, homey feel of the winery, each bottle is given it’s own “name”. The Sauvignon Blanc was given the name, Sarah, after the winemaker’s sister, who drank Sauvignon Blanc while living in Seattle to remind her of New Zealand.

One whiff and taste of this wine will instantly clue you into the fact that you are drinking wine made by the kiwis. The traditional lemon/lime and grass components were evident from the first sip. Yet it wasn’t as acidic as some of the other wines I’ve tried from the islands. While some will have a sharp bite, this wine is smooth and doesn’t pack too much of a power punch.

I was drinking this by itself and it held up nicely. As noted in other posts, you can easily pair a Sauvignon Blanc with mostly any fish, with the exception of Salmon. For the salmon, go with a Grenache or a Chenin Blanc.

Here’s the bad news, Americans. As far as I can tell you can only get this wine at the winery or in the surrounding towns. I had to carry this wine back in my suitcase in order to get this gem back into the states.

That being said, this wine speaks volumes in terms of the quality of wines coming out of this small wine region in New Zealand.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Martinborough, the other “borough” of New Zealand

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NZ-MartinboroughYou mean to tell me there is another wine producing region of New Zealand that ends in “borough” and is not Marlborough? Holy toledo Batman. How can this be?

I really have been trying to add some Batman reference into this blog for a while. Apparently I succeeded. Ok, now on to Martinborough. Martinborough is located about an hour north-east of Wellington, and some 150 miles from Marlborough (though you’ll have to travel by ferry to get to either as they are literally on opposite islands). It is not the most well-known regions in New Zealand, but some of the stronger wines, such as Ata Rangi, come out of this little area.

The region got it’s start in 1978 when three different grapes: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Gewurztraminer were planted. Soon after the year, they discovered that the soil and terrior had similar characteristics to some of the premier wine regions in France. And thus a few wineries began to spring from the ground and the wine rush was on. Just like with the 49ers of California, these wine makers were as green as they made them. Yet, learning from mistakes, their quality grew and grew into what it is today.

Today, over 40 wineries dot the landscape of Martinborough. The town itself is quite charming with the townspeople quite the same. I’ve only had the chance to spend a day in Martinborough, but it was a day I won’t soon forget. It was very enjoyable to literally be able to walk from our bed and breakfast right over to some of the wineries. The buildings on the grounds of the vineyards could have easily been mistaken for residences, had it not been for the “hours of operation” signs.

It was also enjoyable in the fact that it was quiet with no hint or sound of any tour bus. Just a few cars dotting the various streets and passerby’s on foot. If you are heading to New Zealand, I would recommending stopping for at least a day in Martinborough. The slower speed will rejuvenate you and the exceptional wine will make you keep coming back.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Fort Ross 2007 Rosé of Pinot

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fort-ross-2007-roseFort Ross 2007 Rosé of Pinot
by Haydn S. Adams | Beyond Napa Valley
June 16th, 2009

Appellation: Sonoma Coast, California
ALC: 14.2%
You can buy this wine at: fortrossvineyard.com
Retail price: $16
Haydn gives it: 89pts

I discovered this wine from a personal invitation from co-owner, Linda Schwartz. I was told by a friend that I had to try their Pinotage. I had had it in the past, and apparently said that I gave it less than a favorable oral review, so I was out to try it again and see what I thought of it. It was in the e-mail correspondance that I found out that she was pouring her wines down the street from me, and I ought to stop in and give it a swirl. I happily agreed to meet her and try a bottle or two.
I will get to the Pinotage in a later review, I promise, but that night one wine really stood out—the Rosé. I knew it was the shining star that night because when I surveyed what I wanted to try again, rosé was the first thing uttered out of my mouth.
On the nose, you’ll get the default strawberry components, but dig a bit deeper and you’re bound to get a bit of watermelon as well. Smelling this wine, images of fresh watermelons being picked right off of the vine came into vision. Just fresh, fresh watermelon.
The wine, made in a dryer style, is very silky to drink and lingers for a while after. I’d serve this wine knowing it is going to take a bit to finish. Call up a good friend you haven’t seen for a while, break out some cheese from Whole Foods and kick back on the balcony. Remember to put it on ice as this wine is served cold.

Overall, the wine is delightful with a great balance of fruit coming out on the palate as well as crispness in a bit of acidity. I wouldn’t cellar this one for more than the summer as it is ready to drink now, and summer is just round the corner.

I discovered this wine from a personal invitation from co-owner, Linda Schwartz. I was told by a friend that I had to try their Pinotage. I had had it in the past, and apparently said that I gave it less than a favorable oral review, so I was out to try it again and see what I thought of it. It was in the e-mail correspondance that I found out that she was pouring her wines down the street from me, and I ought to stop in and give it a swirl. I happily agreed to meet her and try a bottle or two.

I discovered this wine from a personal invitation from co-owner, Linda Schwartz. I was told by a friend that I had to try their Pinotage. I had had it in the past, and apparently said that I gave it less than a favorable oral review, so I was out to try it again and see what I thought of it. It was in the e-mail correspondance that I found out that she was pouring her wines down the street from me, and I ought to stop in and give it a swirl. I happily agreed to meet her and try a bottle or two.

I will get to the Pinotage in a later review, I promise, but that night one wine really stood out—the Rosé. I knew it was the shining star that night because when I surveyed what I wanted to try again, rosé was the first thing uttered out of my mouth.

On the nose, you’ll get the default strawberry components, but dig a bit deeper and you’re bound to get a bit of watermelon as well. Smelling this wine, images of fresh watermelons being picked right off of the vine came into vision. Just fresh, fresh watermelon.

The wine, made in a dryer style, is very silky to drink and lingers for a while after. I’d serve this wine knowing it is going to take a bit to finish. Call up a good friend you haven’t seen for a while, break out some cheese from Whole Foods and kick back on the balcony. Remember to put it on ice as this wine is served cold.

Overall, the wine is delightful with a great balance of fruit coming out on the palate as well as crispness in a bit of acidity. I wouldn’t cellar this one for more than the summer as it is ready to drink now, and summer is just round the corner.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

2006 Ventana Rubystone – Red Blend

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2006-rubystone2006 Ventana Rubystone
Blend: 62% Grenache / 38% Syrah

Appellation: Arroyo Seco (Monterey), California
ALC: 14.9%
You can buy this wine: at ventanawines.com
Retail price: $18
Haydn gives this wine: 91pts

There is something mystious about red blends. There is no way to assume anything. Yes, sure I know relatively how the wine is going to taste, but in no way am I going to bank on anything until that wine hits my lips.

I had the pleasure of attending the LA winefest this past weekend. Numerous wineries were pouring, including Quivira, one of the wineries in my book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley (shameless self-promotion, I know). The wines seemed to range from the California / Oregon border to as far south as Malibu. And with over 40 or so wineries representing nearly double that amount of wines, I literally just picked random booths to try.

One of my first booths to sample was Ventana, hailing from Monterey. Out of the 4 wines being poured, it was their red blend that stole the show.

Grenache on it’s own is very light, and you have do quite a bit to punch it up a bit (that’s wine lingo for, to bring out the characteristics in the wine). Thankfully, the 38% Syrah highened the spice and earth in this wine with a bit of cherry. Indicative to the Rhoné world , I was surprised and delighted that, while missing the Mourvédre, it still held up very well. I kept going back and smelling this wine as the aromas were distinced and delightful, even for a earthy wine. There were a bit of tannins, but give it two years and they’ll be a distant memory.

As I mentioned before, the wine was particularly earthy, with a bit of fruit to round it out. The finish went on for a bit. This wine could go very well with some medium-game meat, nothing too heavy. The wine is not big enough to mount a charge against a t-bone or a filet mignon.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Quivira 2007 Grenache

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Quivira 2007 Grenache
by Haydn Adams | Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog
June 6th, 2009

Retail price: $26
Appellation: Dry Creek, California
ALC: 14.9%
You can buy this wine: at Quivirawine.com
Haydn gives this wine: 88pts

Grenache is a funky grape. It is one of the lightest of red wines and while is one of the most widely planted, it rarely bottled as a single variety. Grenache in itself is a soft wine. So growing and producing a bottle of 100% Grenache is often overlooked for a Rhoné blend. Quivira does both. And while the Rhoné blend is good, the single varietal Grenache shines.

The color on this clearly states that it is young. Vibrant red tones with a touch of brick can be seen in the wine. The rim is abundantly clear and is fairly deep in color. You can see your hand through the wine, but not by much.

The nose is fruit-forward with hints of a touch of strawberry and cherries. It is no wonder why winemaker Steven Canter calls the Grenache, “Pinot Noir’s Mediterranean cousin.” There is also an underlying touch of some sort of spice to this wine.

The mid-palate is similar with the fruit coming out in full force, yet mixed in a bit with an asian spice. It also feels like the fruit have just been picked, where you can smell a bit of earth on the fruit, straight from the ground (or in the case with the cherries), the tree.

Kudos to the winemaker for putting this wine in mostly neutral oak, as the tannins would attack too much of this wine and overpower it. I gave this wine an 88 because at first the wine comes out a bit hot. At 14.9%, the high alcohol will make you think twice before pouring that second full glass. I’m all in favor of getting a bit of a buzz when drinking, I just don’t want to get it on my 4th sip.

However, don’t let the high alcohol deter you. This Grenache is a shining example of what a good 100% varietal should taste like. No overbearing tannins, no sharp hits to the palate. Just easy-drinking wine.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Lodi ZinFest – Part 3 – Saturday

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carolynLodi ZinFest – Part 3 – Saturday
by Haydn Adams | Beyond Napa Wine Blog

Following great wine at the winemakers’ dinner and a few extra drinks at the bar the night before, I was all set to go wine tasting on Saturday. Today was the main day of the Zinfest where everyone who even remotely grew wine in Lodi brought out there wares for the general public. Top it off with 98 degrees, and you’ve got one fun day.

A big kudos as well to vinvillage.com, for providing the ticket to the event, in addition to the VIP booth. (I guess this is the advertisement of the review)

Having not looked at a map (I didn’t even see one the entire time I was there) we set out on a random journey through the many ubiquitous white tents in search of some fabulous Zinfandel. One of the first wineries we came across was the M2 wines, to which we figured would be a great wine to wet our palates. In general, it is always a good idea to use the first wine as a control, to more wet your whistle than to actually judge it. The next time you’re out wine tasting, notice how the first sip of wine tastes, versus the second.

My suspicions were correct that their “artist series” Zinfandel was good, 88pts good, however their normal good ‘ole fashion Zinfandel was even betting, scoring (in my book) 90pts.

group-of-people-at-lodi-zinfestThe joys of going to a wine festival like Lodi’s is your bound to find quite a few that you’re just not going to like. And I did run across them on occasion, however, for the most part, the wines were pretty good. I can’t say that I walked (or would it be stumbled) into this Zinfest with no pre-conceived notions that Lodi is not a “true” wine growing region, however I did have some cloud of doubt. To my delight I can say that Lodi is a formable growing region.

Overall the wines did lack the complexity that I observed in some of the other Zin countries, such as Paso Robles and Dry Creek, yet nearly everything that I approached was, well, approachable and I would hesitate to recommend most wines that I tried. I look forward to trying the wines of Lodi again next year.The real kicker in the winefest was that there were quite a few non-Zin wines that were beautiful. I’ve attempted to note a few below, with my scores and all. Please bear in mind that I was not jotting down notes, and was using my camera to record the actual bottle.

The Top 3 Wines / Wineries from the Lodi Zinfest

1. Bokisch Vineyards – All great wines. Yet no Zin. Their abariño, Granache and Tempranillo were devine. However Spain (all three of the varietals are native Spaniards) does have a similar, albeit slightly cooler temps to Lodi, so it does make sense that you’d see a few of these varietals in Lodi. The surprising twist was that they were all excellent wines, especially the abariño. Yet, on a cool day, the white wines do have a bit of a draw.

2. Berghold Vineyards. Once again, the presense of a Zin was noticeably missing, but not the other wines surly made up for it. Up first was the Cab Franc / Syrah blend. I can still remember the deep berries mixed with a bit of spice. Also, the VIogner seemed to quell the thirst on a hot day and with a bit less acidity then a few other of the whites of that day. A little lemon could be picked up in this wine.
2006_Old_Ghost1. Klinker Brick 2006 Old Ghost Old Vine Zinfandel - The clear winner for the day (the M2 doesn’t count). Wow! I could tell this old vine packed a lot of punch, with the grapes being sourced from 90, yes, 90 year old vines (from Lodi no less)!. Yet the wine maker did an amazing job of quelling the potential berry blast that could have erupted here. The berries that came through were subdued, but there, and they added to the beauty of this wine. Obviously the winemaker put a lot of care and attention to this wine. As well, I give this wine bottle the “Most Beautiful Bottle” design award (click on the image for a larger view). I light etched ghost of a tree is gorgeous.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.

Hug 2007 Mourvédre Santa Barbara Highlands

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hugHug 2007 Mourvedre
by Haydn Adams | Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog

Appalachian: Santa Barbara
Alc: 14.1%
Haydn gives it: 84pts

Mourvédre’s had their day in the sun, but today they are relatively unknown. Chances are probably great that you’ve had a Mourvédre before, but the name wasn’t on the bottle. More times than not this varietal shows up with it’s two other compradres in the rhone blend, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre. The Mourvédre is a beefy grape, with some strong characteristic. So I was jazzed when I discovered Hug Cellars producing a single varietal Mourvédre coming out of Paso Robles.

The age of this wine is very clear from the very first pour. On the appearance scale, we’re talking light ruby to indigo/violet. This dear young one just got into the bottle. The reddish tones were there but the violet/purple tones made it known it was a very young wine. I’m curious to know how long ago this wine was bottled.

The nose showcased wonderful tones of deep fruit, blackberries and plum. There was also a little bit of spice on the nose, which came out quite pronounced on the inital whiff.

While the nose was delightful, the palate didn’t fair so well. All of the aromas came through on the mid-palate but they bounced around on the tongue like someone shook up the wine like they way Champagne is shaken up before uncorked during a celebration. The wine felt like it was still in bottle shock. Two theories for this. 1) The wine was just bottled maybe a month or two ago or 2) California Overnight, the shipping company, pulled a Jimmy Carrey in Ace Venture Pet Detective and played soccer with the packaging. Ok, so maybe I’m going a bit too far, but it could have come from too much movement in shipping.

The silverlining? After two days of it sitting completely still, the wine did soften. The tastes were still bouncing around, but with less movement. I could detect more of a pronounced plum tone with a mixture of some sort of spice.

Overall, I could see this wine shining in a few months. Very low tannins for an ’07, it has a lot of potential. I gave it 84 pts due to it having possible bottle shock, and I’m looking forward to trying it again in the late summer when it has time to nap in the cellar.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

2002 Archipel (Bordeaux Blend)

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archipel2002 Archipel
Price: $40
Region: Sonoma and Napa Valleys 
Haydn gives it: 92 pts 
You can purchase this wine: At archipelwines.com. Unfortunately the ’02 is sold out, but the ’03 is available (stay tuned for that review soon). 

A Bordeaux blend is generally comprised of three main grapes—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc (generally in that order as well). The three grapes together make up a generally smoky and earthy style of wine. Unless you’re going for more of a new world fruit-forward style of a Bordeaux. Case in point—the Archipel. 

The Archipel is a single label Bordeaux blend. It’s a very quiet wine, due to the fact that 1) only a handful of restaurants and wine merchants carry it, and 2) they wine is poured at Vérité’s tasting room in Chalk Hill so unless you knew where to look, this wine wouldn’t even remotely appear on your radar. However, while it is hard to find, this wine is truly a “hidden gem”.

The 2002 Archipel composition is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 18% Cabernet Franc. The colors is extremely deep (thanks in part to the Cab Franc) and a deep purple, almost violet color can be seen. Just judging the color of the wine, you know you’re going to be in for something fairly intense. 

The nose had a bit of nutmeg and vanilla in combination with black cherries and a little inkling of strawberries. The black cherries carried a small bit of a smoky flavor, as if you they were just put into a smoker (something we all do on a regular basis, right?).

The wine showed no tannins whatsoever. The silky texture gave way to an ample amount of black cherries again with a kick of spice. I was very impressed how the merlot showed in this wine. A friend of wine I was tasting this wine (ok, more like drinking than tasting in this case) noted the abundance of Merlot in the wine. For only about a third of the wine comprised of Merlot, it sure did want the spotlight. The nutmeg migrated to a little cocoa on the tongue but it was half muted due to the spiciness.

The complexity of this wine was enormous. With every sip (and this was even after opening it for at least an hour), new flavors appeared and the spiciness became more apparent. The length was equally enormous, lingering for many minutes at the end with a little more cocoa and smoked cherries.

This wine confirmed my hypothesis that with a good wine, you’ll drink it slowly, whether you are conscious or unconscious about it. It’s in part due to that powerful finish. There is no real need to take another sip right away, you inherently want to wait a few minutes before taking another sip. 

A beautiful Bordeaux Blend.