OenoSpeak - A sommeliers journal

Clos Vougeot ~ Burgundy, France

2012-02-19T13:04:00.004-07:00

Clos Vougeot

Burgundy, France

2011-12-18T09:50:00.001-07:00

Today's OenoQuizz ~ What is the latest #AVA in WA State?

Burgundy Harvest Party

2011-10-08T10:11:00.003-06:00

Ah, the exuberance of the French! Celebrating after a day of harvest in Burgundy. Circa 1950.

Today's OenoQuizz

2011-05-27T23:48:00.003-06:00

Where is the DOC 'Sforzato Della Valtellina' and what grape varietal is predominant here ?

Alex Gambal becomes first foreigner to own Montrachet Grand Cru

2011-03-11T17:01:00.003-07:00

Wine Image of the Day

2010-11-20T11:56:00.003-07:00

Tempranillo waiting to be harvested. Camprovin, Spain in the Rioja Alta.

Goodies of Gascony

2010-11-19T16:40:00.006-07:00

One of the great things about New York City is accessibility to nearly any kind of food and drink imaginable, and I take advantage of it. The Brandy Library is one such place, truly laid out as a library and it IS the Alexandria of brown spirits. If you are a student of aged Rhums, Cognac, Armagnac, Whiskey, Single Malt Scotch and a few other specialties, you owe it to yourself to visit this mecca of distilatto divination. I certainly have never seen a deeper selection of brandies than here. I recently made my way to the top of the mountain, saddled up to the bar, and prepared for a mind blowing tasting of what they have to offer. One must be careful with brandies and whiskies, it’s not like wine, you can only salubriously partake of so much alcohol in one sitting. I LOVE Armagnac so I decided on the flight of Armagnacs they were offering that night. The service was very gracious and informative. I LOVE this place and expect to return many times for education and enjoyment.

Armagnacs tasted:

Chateau de Laubade VSOP

Elegant, feminine, light vanilla, sweet, candied with floral palate and brown baking spices in the finish.

Chateau du Busca H d’A

More weight, burnt sugar, dry smoky, earthy, pink peppercorn.

Marie Duffau Hors d’Age

Figgy, nutty character. Pronounced caramel and lengthy candied finish. Nice balance.

Brandy Library XO

Woody nose. Spicy, pruny with definite bittersweet chocolate palate and rancio finish.

Olivier de Montal XO

More weight. Balanced but woody. Bitter Orange.

Domaine Boingneres Bas Armagnac 1983

Wow! Powerful but elegant! Baking spices, cardamom, orange chiffon, lengthy sweet finish. Delightful.

I had been staring all night across the bar at a Spanish brandy that had caught my eye so I HAD to end this night with a tasting of:

Miguel Torres Jaimel Reserva de Familia

What I love about Spanish brandies is the sweet, caramely characters that make them a great finishing spirit. No disappointment here. Rich, vanillin, mouth filling with a hint of Rancio. Exended finish.

Pour me in to a cab …

www.brandylibrary.com

Today's OenoQuizz

2010-11-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

What is the predominant grape varietal of the Southern Rhone?

Today's Vintage Burgundy Image

2010-11-10T23:03:00.003-07:00

Love this harvest image from Burgundy, circa 1950

Today's Rant - The State of Wine Service

2010-11-10T09:34:00.005-07:00

Being in the restaurant industry I am constantly amazed at how wine service is lacking in even some of the highest restaurants in the land. More and more properties are realizing the value (and increased profitability) a good sommelier brings to the table (literally). However, are somms really doing the job they should to train their staffs in both knowledge and service? Cruising through some of the better restaurants in NYC I constantly see the basics of service being poorly executed and the knowledge of staff behind good lists lacking. True that some service staff view a restaurant job as a temporary stop while they are waiting for an acting role or just a job to make money while in college etc. which is a frustration for those of us who have made it a career. Just as a waiter should know the evenings food special, they should at the very least be familiar with wine by the glass offerings and have dead cold the mechanics of service. It's hard to make a wine expert of an itinerant waiter or bartender overnight but when I see dirty glassware being used, or no knowledge of a 10 wine by the glass program from a waiter or bartender it really is a lack of training by the sommelier or management. Wine is such a big profit center in a restaurant the lack of understanding of this concept is compromising the profitability of the house. It is my hope operators will realize that an informed wine staff that can execute good service will be embraced by more properties. Cheers!

Wine Image of the Day

2010-07-10T10:27:00.005-06:00

Madeiran Vineyard near Ponta do Sol

Today's OenoQuizz:

2010-03-24T10:34:00.002-06:00

Where would you find the grape varietal - Maria Gomes?

Long Trail Brewing Company - Vermont

2010-02-08T23:04:00.008-07:00

Today I took a quick trip up to Bridgewater Corners, Vermont to visit Long Trail Brewery and develop a 'secret' blend for The Hermitage' tap tower. I've always liked the beers here, It's a great Vermont success story. Currently they produce 8000 bbls a year (1 million cases). They have however recently acquired Otter Creek brewery in Middlebury which also includes the Wolaver's brand. This means they are in the tenuous position of growing their business to almost double their current capacity, and feeling the pressure of maintaining their long-standing quality. Time will tell ...

After meeting with their Brewmaster we settled in and tasted through their current lineup and settled for a cool blend of IPA and 'Double Bag' which we all agreed was very tasty. We are going to call it Hermitage 'Wicked Good Ale' ... come in to The Hermitage and try one !

Weingut Anton Bauer

2010-02-05T10:37:00.005-07:00

Weingut Anton Bauer

I’ve been tasting wines from Austria for several years now, but after returning from my recent trip there I realize just how good the winemaking is. Sometimes you think you know a fair amount about a wine area and then you go there and find producers who inspire you with quality and passion. Anton Bauer is one such producer. Located in the Wagram appellation he is one of the winemakers sure to succeed in the international market. Why? His approach. He is a fourth generation winemaker who is open to producing wines from international varietals in addition to the traditional, indigenous varieties of the region. He doesn’t eschew tradition and embraces new technology and techniques.

I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon/evening with him at the winery and then enjoying his wines in a food context at the fabulous Morwald restaurant. He is a small producer making 2000 cases a year in his facility in Feuersbrunn (fountain of fire). I was amazed at the number of different varietals that small production represents. Grüner Veltliner certainly takes center stage here, from a lighter café style to an extracted version that doesn’t go over the top but reminds you of how noble a good Grüner can be. In addition to exploring the Austrian classics like Blauer Zweigelt and Gruner Veltliner he also produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and even a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon with a decidedly Austrian flair. I predict good things for Anton as he produces great examples of Austrian varietals and experiments with international varietals that will appeal to international consumers as ‘introductory’ bottlings to his portfolio.

In the tasting at the winery the following wines were tasted:

**Grüner Veltliner 2007 Gmörk

** Grüner Veltliner Rosenburg 2009

**Grüner Veltliner Rosenburg ‘Reserve’ 2009 - Anton thinks that Grunuer is the most important varietal of this region as the deep Loess soils are particularly well suited to this varietal. His range within this grape is astounding, from the lighter, feminine expressions to the more extracted reserves. Never do they become ‘over the top’ but are pure, expressive and delightful.

**Riesling Berg 2008 - This wine was my personal favorite of the group. I love Austrian riesling, they are generally lighter than their German counterparts, with delicate fruit and crisp acidity. This wine was absolutely what I expect from Austrian Riesling, feminine and expressive of the terroir and so friendly with a variety of foods.

*Rose 2009 (1/3 Zweigelt, 1/3 Syrah, 1/3 Merlot)

Light watermelon and strawberry aromas. Crisp and delicate on the palate. Great summer wine.

* Zweigelt 2007

Delicate red fruits on the nose. Peppery, creamy mid-palate. Good length. Classic if not a bit on the lighter side.

***Pinot Noir Wagram 2006

This is an example of Anton’s experimentation with classic varietals, and it doesn’t disappoint. Mushroom, forest floor aromas. Medium- body with balanced, fine tannins and good length. Bravo!

**Wagram Cuvee 13 2007 (Zweigelt, Cabernet Sauvignon, Blaufrankisch, Merlot)

This wine is an example of Anton’s blending skills. Red fruits on the nose. Spicy and balanced. Great length. This wine was seamless.

Anton Bauer demonstrating winter pruning techniques

That evening we dined at Mörwald Restaurant in Feuersbrunn. Chef Toni Morwald has a great reputation in Austria so I was excited to see what he could do and I wasn’t disappointed.

Here is the menu:

Feuersbrunner Veltliner Cream Soup with crispy slices of nutbread

Rolled Roast of Waldviertler Veal with rice and peas

Kaiserschmarrn (roasted apricots and nougat ice cream)

The wines were:

*Anton Bauer 2008 Pinot Grigio

First I must say that any producer outside Italy calling a wine a Pinot Grigio does a disservice to consumers. It confuses them and is an obvious marketing consideration by the maker. This Pinot Gris was simple, fresh and a great aperitif.

**Anton Bauer Grüner Veltliner Grand Reserve 2006

***Anton Bauer Grüner Veltliner Grand Reserve 2007

**Anton Bauer Grüner Veltliner Grand Reserve 2008

This flight of Grüners was a delight. This is where Anton shines. This indegionous varitetal is ONE of Austria’s great contributions to the wine world and these offerings prove it. The 2007 showed better than the ’06 or ’08 but all were top class. The pairing of the night was the Feuersbrunner Veltliner Cream Soup and this wine, absolutely ethereal!! We all wanted more of both.

***Anton Bauer Pinot Noir Reserve 2007

Just when I thought his lower tier Pinot was such a great example of this grape this one comes along and blew me away! Elegant, structured, firm ripeness and tannins perfectly in check. Classic!

**Anton Bauer Wagram Reserve 2007 (Blaufrankisch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zweigelt, syrah, Merlot)

This offering is quite a mélange of varietals but Anton pulls it off, a tribute to his blending skills. Full bodied, black fruits on the palate. Certainly international in style but appealing. This wine would be a good introduction to his portfolio for first timers.

***Anton Bauer Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

This wine was a surprise on a couple of levels. I didn’t know Cabernet was produced in Austria, and the quality was superb! Sweet black cassis on the nose, great core of black fruits. Lingering finish. This was certainly a cool climate version of this varietal but expressive and pure, really good!

***Anton Bauer Grüner Veltliner Icewine 2008

Grüner lends itself well to desert wines. They are generally lighter than their riesling brethren. This was floral, honeysuckle and stone fruits on the nose. Honeyied palate delightful clean finish. It was delicious with the nougat ice cream, the roasted apricots made this wine sing, a great ending to the meal!

If all this great wine and food weren’t enough we finished the evening off with Cuban cigars and some great Austrian eau de vies which were fantastic (more on those later).

Weingut Anton Bauer ~ www.antonbauer.at

Morwald Restaurant ~ Mörwald Restaurant

One week on the Austrian Wine Trail

2010-01-27T14:23:00.007-07:00

After one week in this wonderful country I am nothing but excited about what I have found! I have long been a fan of the wines from Austria. From a Sommelier’s perspective this country is my new darling. The wines are fresh, precise and a food lover’s dream; they pair with many foods exquisitely. They have been on the radar of the best sommelier’s and consumers now for awhile but I believe the quality, the story and the terroir will propel them into the mainstream of consumers before too much longer.

This week I have visited the following regions:
Burgenland
Wachau
Carnuntum
Kamptal
Wagram
Additionally, I tasted from Styria

The producers I visited and tasted (with the makers) were:
Leo Hillinger
Anton Bauer
Martin Mittelbach
Franz Netzl
Paul Direder
Carl Steinenger
Gustav Strauss

The quality and profusion of producers in this country is STUNNING! It may be the (for now) best kept secret in the wine world for quality/price ratio of any wine producing country. Once consumers in America and elsewhere realize the long wine making tradition that Austria represents and the infusion of modern technology and energy from a new generation of winemakers they will flock to these delicious values.

Auf Weider Sehn (for now) to Austria, what a revelation … what a country!

I will have more specific tasting notes when I return to the US and debrief. Great restaurants here too that absolutely blew me away. (maybe I should lose my passport and stay!)

Vienna-January 27, 2010

Oh Yah! to O Ya

2010-01-24T01:10:00.003-07:00

Sometimes a restaurant gets so hyped that you just have to go to see what’s going on? I am a huge sushi fan and so when I was passing through Boston this week I had to make a visit to O Ya, considered by many critics to be the best sushi restaurant in the US. That’s a pretty big statement when you consider Nobu (NY) and Morimoto (Philadelphia) and Koi (West Hollywood) are just about as high a level sushi available anywhere. So it was with great anticipation that I made the trek to East Street and slipped inside. Tim Cushman has really carved a niche for himself here in the crowded Boston food scene. My first impression was one of understatement. The room is what I would call Japanese industrial. It is a converted factory space with brick walls, exposed ducting and decidedly Japanese accents. We sat at what the owners call ‘The Chef’s table’ which is actually the sushi bar where we could watch the guys with the knives at work. This is not a large restaurant there were 15 seats at ‘The Chef’s table and probably another 15 on the floor. The music was cool, definitely aimed at the boomers, when’s the last time you had sushi with ‘The Stones’ playing in the background? We settled in and decided on the Chef’s menu, 16 courses of Nigiri style sushi. I always go for this type of offering in this caliber of restaurant, I want to see the best the chef is capable of. The sake list here was not huge but adequate and the chef/owner’s wife, Nancy Cushman, knew her offerings well and was a very helpful guide through the different categories of sakes here.

Here is the full menu of what we had:

Warm braised shitake mushroom with Anise Hyssop, truffle honey sauce

Wild Bluefin Maguro Tuna with soy braised garlic, micro greens

Fried Kumamoto Oyster with yuzu kosho aioli, squid ink bubbles

Salmon tataki with torched tomato, smoked salt and onion aioli

Hamachi with spicy banana pepper mousse

Foie Gras with balsamic chocolate kabayaki, raisin cocoa pulp, sip of aged sake

Kyoto style Enoki Mushroooms with garlic, soy

Warm Eel (unagi) with Thai Basil, kabayaki, fresh Kyoto sansho

Homemade La Ratte Potato Chip with summer truffle

Wild Santa Barbara Spot Prawn with garlic butter, white soy, preserved Yuzu

Kumamoto Oyster with watermelon pearls, cucumber mignonette

Scottish Salmon with Spicy Sesame Ponzu, yuzu kosho, scallion oil

Wild Bluefin Tuna Tataki with smoky pickled onion, truffle oil

Hamachi with viet mignonette, Thai Basil, Shallot

Shima Aji & Santa Barbara Sea Urchin with Ceviche vinaigrette, cilantro

Grilled Sashimi of Chanterelle & Shitake Mushroom with Rosemary garlic Oil, sesame froth, homemade soy

We had three different sakes: A Jumai Gingo – Meibo ‘Midnight Moon’, A Jumai – Schichi Hon Yari, and a Nigori – ‘Diamond Dust’. These were of themselves amazing treats and worked so well with the food stylistically that it catapulted an otherwise incredible gastronomic experience into the transcendental.

I don’t know where to start when thinking about what the highlights of this menu were for me. The flavor, texture and temperature combinations in these dishes were exquisite. The creativity and inventiveness of some of these dishes were subtle, pure and expressive. I really enjoyed the Kumamoto oysters with the squid ink bubbles, modern presentation, great flavors. We both got a good chuckle out of the La Ratte potato chip with truffle, definitely the most expensive potato chip I’ve ever had! The pricing here is a la carte with the cost ranging from $8-$22 dollars for two pieces. This made for a breathtaking bill.

Overall the food here was the most creative of it’s style that I’ve encountered. The room to me was lacking however. A truly great restaurant, especially one that some critics are calling the best in the US of any kind, comes with a better room. It was too downscaled and industrial to me. Go there for the food though, you will float out on the vapors of some of the best sushi on the planet.

O Ya Restaurant
www.oyarestaurantboston.com

9 East Street
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 654-9900

Peter Haven's Retaurant - Bratlleboro, Vermont

2009-12-23T21:20:00.003-07:00

Good week for dining out. Street & Co., Hugo's and Peter Haven's in the same week.

I've been hearing about Peter Haven's in the year I've been in southern Vermont, and tonight I slipped in to a very crowded restaurant and sat in the bar to enjoy the show.

The room: Cozy 50 seat room with great colors and great art. I talked to one of the owners (Tom) before I left and he admitted they were reproductions (duh) Botero, Miro etc. but they were tasteful and engaging.

The food: I had a venison pate and tenderloin. The pate was overbound with too much gelatin which made it flavorless and uninteresting, sorry, didn't work for me.

The tenderloin was a good medium rare and all I could of hoped for on a cold winter night, with a glass of robust red wine it was great comfort food.

The wine list: Some of the WBTG offerings here were very pedantic - Yellow Tail Shiraz? Bogle Merlot? The clientele here was obviously loyal and educated, give them some more choices. These wines were also displayed as Magnums in the room, Really? A magnum of Yellow Tail Shiraz on display is good for your image? I could have been at Hannaford's. The bottle list leaned very heavily into the new world which Tom admitted, just his taste.

Overall I enjoyed my experience here. I think the owners need to work their appreciative crowd a little harder, however. Don't be afraid to offer some more expensive, exotic wines, yes, it's southern Vermont but I think you would be surprised what you might sell at the $15-$20 / glass range.

I think this is a restaurant that has relied on it's 'formula' since it's opening in 1989 but needs to adapt to it's clientele. It could become a real beacon in the food scene in southern Vermont.

Hugo's - Portland, Maine

2009-12-18T23:48:00.005-07:00

I finally made it to Hugo's ! I have long been aware of it, having lived in Maine for the last 15 years. I've watched Rob Evans rise meteorically in fame the last few years until he won the James Beard award this year (2009) for Best Chef Northeast.

So it was with great anticipation that I sought out this place in the 'Old Port' district in Portland to see what he offered.

We were greeted warmly and sat in a room that was dark blue and sparsely furnished or appointed. I believe good food is theater and too much outside distraction takes away from the food. At a high level the food is what should command the attention. The room accomplished this, it was attractive but not demanding.

Our waiter was certainly very in touch with the menus, ingredients and preparations. I did find him a little robotic, and sensed that he had recited these same descriptions verbatim many times before but considering the complexity of the menus he sold them well. We went for the 'Chef's Blind Tasting' menu which included wine and beer pairings. I wanted the best he could offer, thats why I was there.

Here is the menu from that night:

Amuse
Pemaquid Oyster
St. Hilare Brut N/V, Blanquette de Limoux, France

1st
Citrus Cured Scottish Salmon & Fried Tartare
fennel & beet salad ~ horseradish ~ smoked roe
No wine

2nd
Maine Shrimp Flan
proscuitto dashi ~ scallion ~ shrimp toast
Rijckaert Chardonnay 2006 ~ Arbois, France

3rd
Casco Bay Cod Cheeks & Tempura Fried Tounge
cauliflower ~ capers ~ brown butter
Colterenzio Pinot Bianco 2007 ~ Alto Adige, Italy

4th
Roasted Duck Breast, Duck Leg Pancetta & Cured Foie Gras
farro ~ candied spaghetti squash ~ warm spice gastrique
Clos Mimi Syrah 'Petite Rousse' 2006 ~ Paso Robles, California

5th
Shelburne Farms 2 year Cheddar ~ VT
poached raisins ~ verjus gelee ~ caraway lavash
Unibroue La Fin du Monde ~ Quebec, Canada

6th
Lime Semi Freddo
vanilla infused buttermilk ~ rum roasted pineapple ~ anise hyssop
St. Supery Moscato 2007 ~ California

The highlights of this menu for me were:

The amuse, I love oysters, this one was impeccably fresh, the St. Hilaire is always good if not a little simple. The opening course sets the stage and this was a simple course that relied on the ingredients to carry it ... worked.

2nd course - Maine Shrimp Flan
Fabulous textures, creamy flan, crispy toast, a dollop of umami from the dashi, really great textures/flavors. The Rijckaert Chardonnay was a precise expression of Chardonnay that had purity and impact with this dish.

5th course
Cheese and beer. Who knew? I enjoyed the change of pace here. The sharp cheddar and the malty sweetness of the beer(and the fizz) all worked together in a nice symbiosis that was really satisfying. Almost like and end of meal intermezzo.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience here. I liked Rob's sense of flavor. timing and deconstruction. A couple of things were surprising here though.

The lack of patrons. For a current James Beard Award winner for Best Chef in the Northeast, the restaurant had 8 people in it the entire 2.5 hours we were there. We had gone to the popular Fore Street for a drink previous to dinner and it was on a waiting list, two blocks away.

Price. I have no problem paying like there is no tomorrow for a great meal. It is my entertainment, passion and muse. I felt like the pricing here was high (maybe it explains the sparse customer count that night). This is not Per Se or Arpege, although my credit card felt like it was.

Is Rob Evans the best chef in the Northeast? MAYBE the best NEW chef in the Northeast. In Maine alone there are the likes of Sam Hayward, Melissa Kelly and the sleeping giant, Tom Gutow who could be the Alice Waters of New England. This doesn't account for the many great newcomers and veterans in the Boston food scene.

Hats off to Hugo's and Rob Evans.

Welcome to the radar!

Today's Vintage Burgundy Image ...

2009-12-03T06:53:00.002-07:00

Boys will be boys !

Wine Image of the Day

2009-11-23T06:05:00.003-07:00

The Rioja Alavesa near La Guardia. Note the calcerous soils that are typical of this subzone of Rioja.

Today's OenoQuizz:

2009-11-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

In what Italian region is the IGT of Colli Aprutini ?

Delecriox Collectors Night

2009-11-20T06:32:00.002-07:00

On November 14th at The Hermitage we were honored to host Michele Delecroix for an evening of Art, Food and wine!

It was well attended and everyone received a new lithograph piece of The Hermitage signed by the artist. On display was his new original oil of 'The Hermitage in Fall' which was lovely!

The tasting menu was superb ! To me the highlights were the Ahi Tuna with Vincent Girardin's Emotion de Terroir 2007 and the warm oil poached salmon with the Matrot Mersault 'les Chevaliers' 2006.

Here is the full menu:

Amuse Bouche

Puree of Cauliflower Soup
With Local Chanterelles & Grilled Foie Gras
Domaine Weinbach Riesling GC Schlossberg 2007

Tartar of Ahi Tuna
With A Soy Ginger Sauce & Lightly Marinated Cucumber
Vincent Girardin Emotion de Terroir Pinot Noir 2006

Warm Oil Poached Farm Raised Salmon
With Pickled Shallots & Finnan Haddie Foam
Thierry Matrot Meursault Les Chevaliers 2006

Crispy La Belle Farms Duck Breast
With Cider Puree, Braised Cabbage & Nueske Bacon
Perrin & Fils Gigondas La Gille 2006

Parfait of Crumbled Shortcake
With Maple Sabayon
Warre’s Otima 10 year old Tawny Porto

Josh Tomson, Executive Chef
Victor Van Keuren - Sommelier

'Winter in New England"

' La Recolte des Pommes Dans le Vermont'

Today's OenoQuizz

2009-09-07T18:29:00.000-06:00

Today's OenoQuizz ~ Can anyone name a DOC in Argentina outside Mendoza ?

Wine Image of the Day

2009-08-27T22:34:00.005-06:00

The Robert Mondavi Winery certainly has one of the most colorful histories of any California winery. I grew up in Sacramento and had my first exposure to the wine industry from jaunts to Napa tasting and exploring this illustrious area. Some of my fondest memories of these early exposures to the mechanics of a winery were at Mondavi. I still remember this winery as my first exposure to 'how a winery works', it really helped me to understand the magic of how wine is made. The tours here launched my passion and for that I am very grateful.

Kalin Cellars Current Releases

2009-08-26T06:19:00.010-06:00

I have long contended that one of the biggest influences in California wine making is the bank. What I mean by this is that land prices, start up and operational costs have left much of the California wine industry in a position of heavy debt service. This puts pressure on these wineries to release wines as soon as possible to realize cash flow to satisfy their loans. Often at the cost of quality. Wines are released before they are really ready to be drunk and it is left to the consumer to decide when they are at their optimal drinking age.

Not so at Kalin Cellars. A distributor brought me two wines from this producer recently that amazed me for two reasons 1) Their age, they were both current releases and from 1997!! (the current release vintage for their reserve cab is 1992!) 2) Their quality. They were truly some of the best examples of their respective varietals that I have had from California.

Kalin Cellars is located in Marin County, California. They are small producer vinting 7000 cases per year. They do not own vineyards but source fruit from the areas that they feel produce the best examples of that particular varietal. They use traditional European production methods and it is evident in the final product. Kalin Cellars claims to be one of the few wineries to produce wines incorporating the understanding of the fifth taste of Umami into their wines. I wouldn't disagree. There is a sanguine textural component in their wines that is rare in the new world. I highly recommend these wines to anyone that wants to explore the highest levels of varietal expression in California.

Tasting Notes:

producer: Kalin Cellars
wine: Potter Valley Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
grape(s): 100% Sauvignon Blanc
AVA: Potter Valley, California
Vintage: 1997

nose: sweet white flowers, ripe quince and sweet meyer lemon, minerality. Evolved aromas.
palate: rich, viscous. Ripe figs and tropical fruits but with great balance and incredible finish.
This wine blew my mind. Firstly because of it's age. When is the last time you had a 12 year old Sauvignon Blanc from California? There is a strong association here with something akin to Margaux's Pavillon Blanc. It needed a few minutes to 'blow off' right out of the bottle but wow was this eye-opening!

producer: Kalin Cellars
wine: Cuvee DD Sonoma Pinot Noir
grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir
AVA: Alexander Valley, California
Vintage: 1997

nose: forest floor, brown baking spices, black cherry, delicate red flowers
palate: lean and earthy at first, then a lengthy core of black fruit that leads to an incredible, lengthy finish. Just the right amount of oak here.
I really hesitate to use the term 'Burgundian' to describe any Pinot Noir produced in the New World, I will go out on a limb and use it here however. If I blind tasted this wine I would place it squarely in Burgundy. The meaty, Umami charachter is definitely present here. This wine was so satisfying, especially after trying so many of the 'bubble gum' Pinot's from California. If you are a Pinot Noir fan seek this wine out!

www.kalincellars.com