Dry Creek Vineyard – 2006 Beeson Ranch Zinfandel
June 25, 2009
The Facts:
Dry Creek Vineyard truly grabs the Zinfandel grape by the horns and commits to it. Their selections range from cuvee style offerings to single vineyard designates. The 2006 Beeson Ranch Zinfandel is one of those designate wines. Many of the truly old Zinfandel vines in California were planted by Italian immigrants. An example of that is Beeson Ranch, were 100% of the fruit (all Zinfandel) for this wine was sourced. These vines were planted in 1882. This 2006 Zin was aged for 18 months in French and Hungarian oak; 70 of the barrels were new. 479 cases of this vintage were produced and the suggested retail price is $34.
Gabe’s Take:
When it comes to Zinfandel the term Old Vine is thrown around a lot. In some cases, at some wineries, it’s not much more than a marketing term. You see the term and then find out the vines the juice came from weren’t very old. Dry Creek Vineyard doesn’t do that, they take their Zins seriously. And while the Beeson Ranch isn’t marketed as such, it surely could be. These folks are incredibly dependable producers and when I approach one of their wines my expectations are high.
Violets, cracked black pepper and vanilla dominate the nose of this classic Zinfandel. The palate is persistent, featuring berry fruit, cassis, and spice all wrapped in a delicious layer of dark chocolate notes. The lengthy finish is loaded with continued black pepper, earth, and bramble. This Zinfandel is intense and layered with good structure and sufficient acidity keeping things in check.
While there are many styles of Zinfandel that I enjoy quite a bit, depending on what I’m in the mood for at any given time, this one hits my sweet spot. The Beeson Ranch Zinfandel from Dry Creek Vineyard is a textbook example of Zinfandel produced from old vines. It’s intense, full flavored and keeps coming at you; yet it’s elegant rather than over the top. This wine is delicious now and I expect it will improve for 3-4 years and drink well for several after that. The trouble is that this Zinfandel is way too tempting not to drink now.
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Michel-Schlumberger – 2008 Pinot Blanc
June 24, 2009
The Facts:
While Michel-Schlumberger was founded in 1979, it underwent some changes in 1993 that helped usher in its current incarnation. Winemaker Mike Brunson joined them as an assistant at that time and has been onboard since and helped guide their modernization, vineyard replanting and overall transformation. The 2008 Pinot Blanc is composed of Estate Dry Creek Valley Fruit. This wine spent no time in oak. 700 cases of this vintage were produced and the suggested retail price is $21.
Gabe’s Take:
Pinot Blanc is one of those varietals that I only seem to cross paths with every now and then. Alsace, Alto Adige and Oregon’s Willamette Valley are all regions from which I’ve had memorable examples. So truthfully I haven’t really thought of Dry Creek and Pinot Blanc together before now. On several previous occasions I’d had some excellent wines from Michel-Schlumberger, so the opportunity to try their Pinot Blanc was hard to resist.
Meyer lemon, along with touches of vanilla and gentle hints of honey make up the engaging nose of this Pinot Blanc. Citrus and peach notes are prominent through the palate. The finish is zippy and zesty with a touch of white pepper. This wine has excellent acidity and will pair well with a wide array of foods. I had it alongside a cheese and fruit plate and found it worked very well with a broad selection of cheeses. It also drinks incredibly nicely on its own.
What impresses me most about this Pinot Blanc is how amazingly clean, alive and refreshing it is. This is a fun wine for warm weather, yet still a serious and well made one.
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Flying High Over Dry Creek Valley
June 22, 2009
There are few times in my life when I have been absolutely blown away, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley managed to do just that. While Gabe and I were attending Passport weekend we received a phone call asking us if we would like to take a helicopter tour of the valley. Gabe (somewhat nervously) said yes. Neither of us had ever been on a helicopter, so truthfully I was a little nervous also, but this is an experience that has been on my “bucket list”. Could there be a better place to do this? Dry Creek is so scenic from the ground; I couldn’t wait to see it from the air.
We met at Passalacqua Winery where we learned the full scope of this tour. We were greeted by Jason Passalacqua who informed us of who we would be flying with: Greg Chambers, President of the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley and Winemaker/Proprietor of Kachina Vineyards, Clay Mauritson – Owner/Winemaker of Mauritson Wines, and Cheryl Beeson – the new marketing contact for the Winegrowers of Dry Creek. Jason also invited us to go through his special VIP tasting and food pairing event after the helicopter tour.
Once we all had arrived we walked down to the helicopter, I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t have to duck and run into the helicopter (the blades were not yet in motion), but maybe some things are better left to the movies. If you want to call keeping my head on my neck a disappointment this would be the only disappointment of the outing. I was initially curious that Clay was attending this trip, but we soon learned why. Clays’ family has been growing grapes in the valley since 1868. He is a walking encyclopedia on the region and was able to give a phenomenal guided tour. What an amazing experience. He showed us how this 2 mile wide 16 mile long valley is so diverse for growing grapes and how this diversity adds so much to the wine. From the sky you can see how the various soils are somewhat like a patchwork quilt. I couldn’t believe how obvious these variations are from the sky, this is proof of how vastly different the soils can be. If that isn’t enough, the valley is surrounded by hills on either side that provide various elevations. All of these variations can provide great conditions for grape growing, and adds to the artistry behind making great wine. Imagine if you were a painter and only could paint in black and white. You might be a great painter, but if you had all of the colors to choose from you might create a masterpiece. This expanded palette of growing conditions leads to what I think is a world class appellation. As a comparison we flew over Alexander Valley and all the soils looked the same and everything was flat. Don’t get me wrong, Alexander Valley makes some great wine, but this was a rather interesting comparison. I have read these facts on the valley for years, but there is nothing like actually seeing it. Even the pictures that I took don’t adequately show the detail you see in person. I do not know if the helicopter and pilot were from Wine Country Helicopters but they have a tour called Rant or Rave at Rockpile where you land on a knoll top and have lunch with Clay as he gives you the background on Dry Creek. It isn’t cheap, but I can tell you that this tour would be well worth the money spent, between the experience of the flight and the personal face time with this dynamic winemaker…oh and of course his terrific wine, how can you go wrong?
As the tour came to an end, we found ourselves richer in our understanding of Dry Creek and we had the 1sthand knowledge of why we have found this valley to be such a great place with some of the best wines coming out of California. So a very sincere thank you to the Winegrowers of Dry Creek, Passalacqua Winery, and Clay Mauritson for the experience as well as the time spent with us. The support you have shown us in our endeavors has allowed us to achieve a lot in a short time, we are truly appreciative.
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Kachina Vineyards – Sonoma County Port
June 19, 2009
The Facts:
Kachina Vineyards currently makes approximately 500 cases of wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are their other offerings. The Kachina port was bottled in 2008. This offering is comprised of Syrah (70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (30%). The Syrah is from Dry Creek Valley and the Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced in both Dry Creek and neighboring Alexander Valley. A mere 40 cases of this port were bottled. The suggested retail price for this wine is $29.
Gabe’s Take:
As a regular Port drinker I’m always excited to try an offering from a favorite region like Dry Creek Valley. This 2008 bottling from Kachina has strong, intoxicating aromas of ripe, fleshy, dark fruit. The palate is rich and smooth; loaded with kirsch liqueur characteristics. There is a core of pure and unadulterated fruit that cuts through the middle of this wine and lights up your senses as you drink it. Black pepper, chocolate and continued cherry make up a persistent finish. I had this Port with dark chocolate and found that to be an excellent match.
What stands out most to me about this Port is its impeccable balance. This wine is sweet without being cloying. It has finesse and elegance, two things that are often lacking in New World Ports. I find that the Kachina Vineyards Port is true to both California and the intent of Old World Ports. By using Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon this wine highlights two grapes that perform very well not only in California but specifically in Dry Creek Valley. Greg and Nancy have crafted a sophisticated Port that is proportionate in residual sugar, alcohol and structure. In doing so they have set the bar high not only for their own future Port releases but also for other Dry Creek Wineries making port themselves.
Dave’s Take:
It is very hard to type with your hands tightly clenching onto your wine glass. There is something about Kachina wines that makes me want to run into the closest closet, sit on the floor cross legged, and keep this wine all to myself. Perhaps it’s the fact that they are impeccable, perhaps it is the awesome bottle (always wax dipped as described in our previous article), either way, it’s a bottle that puts a smile on my face. Unfortunately, with wines of this caliber, I will not get to keep my secret long. The nose is knee deep in dark fruit. The palate is wooed by cherry, cassis, and baked fermenting apple. Black pepper, cinnamon, and chocolate notes round out the lengthy finish.
There is an irony in writing about great wine. Your senses are filled, yet they are not at all distracted. Enjoying the moment almost takes precedence over looking for elements of cigar box and black tea. This “lack of distraction” is a huge compliment. This is what I want to serve when I am entertaining family and friends – a wine that is noticed initially because it’s great, but then melts into the background enhancing my experience with both company and food – not “taking over” the event. This Port is a gem. From the packaging to the contents it has the seductive nature of a good romance novel and all of the guilty pleasure.
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Lake Sonoma Winery – 2006 Zinfandel
June 16, 2009
The Facts:
Lake Sonoma Winery was founded in 1977. They source fruit from several regions and even make some non Dry Creek wines. However Dry Creek is at the core of their operation. Some of their non Dry Creek designate releases contain percentages of fruit from DCV. The 2007 Lake Sonoma Winery Zinfandel is 87% Dry Creek fruit. 12% of the fruit was sourced in other parts of Sonoma. In addition to Zinfandel (94%), Petite Sirah (6%) is part of the blend as well. This offering was aged in a combination of French and American oak for 18 months. 4,000 cases of this wine were produced and the suggested retail price is $22.
Gabe’s Take:
Blueberry, black raspberry and gentle touches of vanilla are part of this Zins solid and pleasing nose. A solid core of berry fruit which is rich and vibrant but never over the top makes up the palate which also has bits of cassis and light baker’s chocolate characteristics. Dried fruit notes emerge in the finish along with black pepper and some toasty oak. This wine has firm but yielding tannins and good acidity. This offering will be a good match for roasted meats and other hearty fare.
After drinking a bit of this wine I was surprised to find that it has 15% alcohol. Despite that number being a touch high this wine is very well balanced and doesn’t drink hot at all. At its retail price this Zinfandel is a good value, shop around you’ll find it’s available for $3-$4 less, making it an even better buy.
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Dashe Cellars – 2008 Vin Gris Rosé
June 15, 2009
The Facts:
Dashe Cellars produces right around 8.500 cases of wine per year. They may increase that a little but have no plans to surpass the 10,000 case mark. Zinfandel and particularly vineyard designate Zinfandel is at the core of their business. However they make other varietals and styles of wine. The 2008 Dashe Cellars Vin Gris is a Rosé. This offering is a blend of Grenache (40%), Petite Sirah (40%) and Zinfandel (30%). Using the method most commonly used for making Rosé in France they bled off the tanks. This allowed them to limit skin contact, yet pick up the desired amount of color. This offering was fermented dry and stored in stainless steel until bottling. A mere 102 cases of this Rosé were produced and the suggested retail price is $14.
Gabe’s Take:
The color of this wine is the first thing that struck me. It’s a bit darker in hue than the average Rosé out there, but a lovely color nonetheless. Then again Petite Sirah is notoriously dark so that’s not surprising. The nose of the Dashe Cellars Vin Gris reminds me of a bowl of fresh, red summer fruit sitting on my counter. What follows is an opulent, mouth-filling palate. It’s layered with oodles of rich fruit flavors that keep coming and coming like some sort of Energizer Bunny of wine flavor. These are accompanied by excellent spice elements such as black pepper. Mineral notes, touches of sweet berry fruit and some savory reference points make up a finish that leaves a lasting impression.
What I like most about this Rosé is that the blend of varietals strikes a nice balance of flavors. The Grenache is up front with some nice spice notes, the Zinfandel adds lots of sweet red fruit flavors and the Petite Sirah chips in with structure and bite. French Rosé typically has Grenache in the blend, and of course Zin and Petite Sirah are part of the fabric of Dry Creek Valley. So in a sense the blend of this Rosé bridges two worlds of wine. It does so deliciously by the way.
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Wine Gifts For Father’s Day
June 14, 2009
Dads Love Cabernet Sauvignon
Oh my god! One week until Father’s Day…What should I do? For Mother’s Day Mom got her trip around the world, some diamonds and pearls, ohh and let’s not forget brunch. Here is the proper equation for determining your budget to be spent on Dad. Take the total dollar amount spent on Mom. Figure out the square root of that number. Cut that number in half. Is it over $100? Then cut it in half again and again until the grand total is under $100. Will you buy a gift you can share? If not then cut this figure in half until you are below $50 and now you are zeroing in. It’s a mystery to me why fathers are not treated quite the same, but as they are not, it is imperative that these dollars are spent wisely.
The first gift idea is of course as bottle of wine from Dry Creek, pick your Dad’s favorite varietal (besides jug) and read through our reviews to find one to make him smile. The great thing about Dry Creek is that whether you choose a truly special bottle at a premium or you buy a bottle in the $10-$20 range there are a lot of great values when you compare QPR against Napa.
Of course most people like to include something else with that bottle of wine so that there is a “permanent” reminder that another year has passed. “yes, Dad…I love you…Happy Father’s Day for the 100th time already…ugh” Here are a few highly recommended wine accessories to fit any budget. I have laid them out from most expensive to dirt cheap. It will take a “special” person to finish reading this article, please take 
the “Tightwad Challenge”.
For you trust fund babies out there I highly recommend a wine cooler/refrigerator/cellar. These range in every size and shape you can imagine as well as from under $100 to several thousand. The major cost differences are due in part to capacity, separate cooling zones for white and red wines, and slide out or fixed shelves. The most important thing for wine is to maintain a constant temperature so do not worry if you choose a model with a single cooling zone, we all have budgets. You can find some great deals on these from Costco or Home Depot. For more elaborate systems the Wine Enthusiast catalog is a good place to start.
In the $30-$200 price range there are an abundance of lever style wine openers. The original and my highest
recommendation goes to the Screwpull brand. They are pricey, $80- $150 on Amazon, but I can tell you from experience that they are made well and many other models in the $30-$50 range are not. They work very simply, you hold the device over the top of the bottle, pull the lever down and lift it up again. This is truly a no hassle type of wine opener. They also make a smaller corkscrew that they refer to as their table model. At $15 this is just as foolproof with regards to opening the wine, it slips over the cork and you twist the handle in one direction until the cork is out. It does feel a little flimsy, but I have owned one of these for years with no problems to report.
If you are a regular reader of our blog then you have read the series of articles I have written about wine aerators, the Vinturi, the Respirer, and the Soirée. These devices are a must have for every home….really. Simple to use, not terribly expensive ($25-$40), and they do as promised. Please read the reviews to see which sounds best to you. They are all terrific and really do make the wine taste better.
I will have an upcoming review or reviews on various wine preserver systems. The simplest of these are 2 different vacuum style systems. The Vacu Vin and the Vacuum Wine Saver. The approach for both of these is essentially the same. You put a brand/model specific stopper in place of the cork, you put the vacuum pump over the top and draw out the remaining air. This keeps the wine fresh for a few days as opposed to just putting the cork back in and praying that it is still good the next day. At roughly $10 how can you go wrong? Both of these can be ordered from True Fabrications. Vacu Vin may be a little more well known, but the Vacuum Wine Saver is actually made by True Fabrications. It looks nicer, comes with 2 stoppers instead of one and sells for $1 less. They both seem to work well. Come back for a full review later.
Now for you Tightwads…is your Dad worth $2.99? I assume he is and if he is not just keep your mouth 
closed and walk away. I have a device that is so simple yet brings me so much pleasure I can’t do without it. For $2.99 you can buy two chrome finished drip rings from True Fabrications. You slip this over the top of the bottle and when the wine drips it is stopped by velvet lining on the interior of the drip ring. So simple….so cheap….and I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In fact, since it comes in a 2 pack open it up and give only one to your Dad if all you’ve got are 6 quarters to spare.
So there you have it – $299,000 for the Taj Mahal of wine cellars or $2.99 for the Dad of all Dads. There is something wine related for them all. So wish them a Happy Father’s Day…as for me, I’ll wait to see what color tie I get this year.
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Peterson Winery – 2005 Bradford Mountain Zinfandel
June 13, 2009
The Facts:
Fred and Jamie Peterson have earned an excellent reputation in Dry Creek Valley and beyond for making genuine wines loaded with soul and true to the varietal in question. Fred grows the fruit and his son Jamie makes the wines. The 2005 Peterson Zinfandel is sourced from a vineyard on Bradford Mountain. While there may be a slight amount of Carignane in this vineyard, it’s essentially 100% Zinfandel. This offering was barrel aged for 21 months in a combination of new French oak (20%), new Hungarian oak (20%) and 3-5 year old French oak (the rest). 410 cases of this wine were produced in standard 750 ml bottles as well as an additional 15 cases of Magnums. The suggested retail price of the 750 ml bottles is $30.
Gabe’s Take:
Right off the bat it’s clear that this wine needs some air. It’s tight out of the bottle and 90 minutes or so in a decanter does wonders to help this Zinfandel shine and show its stripes. Once it’s had the chance to breathe this wine is on the attack. Blackberry, cinnamon and light mocha aromas waft forcefully from the glass forcing you to take notice. Taking the first sip it’s immediately apparent that this wine is loaded with intense, layered fruit throughout. Deep, dark berry fruit is joined by intermingling white and black pepper spice. This offering stays persistent and bold in its attack; yet it never comes close to going over the top. Black tea, continued pepper, cedar reference points and light touches of earth make up a lingering finish that’s notable in length. This is a fantastically balanced wine with solid fruit, good acidity and modest alcohol for a Zinfandel.
What is most impressive to me about this wine is how well proportioned it is. Everything about this wine is in check. This offering from Peterson is refined and elegant. It does a tremendous job showing off what can be accomplished when intense mountain fruit is allowed to shine and speak glowingly of its place of origin. Drink this wine now or lay it down for the next eight or so years. In either case, when you pop the cork you’ll be drinking an unadulterated and excellent example of Dry Creek Valley Mountain Zinfandel.
Dave’s Take:
90 minutes in a decanter is a good idea, but 7 hours is even better. I felt that this wine continued to get better over this amount of time. I told Gabe before he tried it… I thought he listened. Instead he drank himself into a stupor for he had no patience. Tsk Tsk Gabe – Mr. 90 minute decant and rant guy. At least I agree with your overall assessment – this wine will age beautifully at least 8 years.
Blackberry and spice notes on the nose drew me in, the abundant, rich berry fruit on the palate had me dancing in my chair, but the earthy peppery oaky finish sealed the deal for me. More balanced than a than a Fox News reporter (ok maybe that’s a bad example), this wine is simply decadent and delicious, but time is required to get to this nirvana in a bottle.
Some women are easy, too easy and too forgettable. This woman is more refined. She requires a little more time to peal off her layers. If you have the patience she will reward you. Take the first woman bowling, take this one to Mom’s house for dinner.
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Dashe Cellars – 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel
June 12, 2009
The Facts:
The 2007 Dashe Cellars Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is produced using fruit sourced at a number of small family owned vineyards in Dry Creek. In addition to Zinfandel (95%), some Petite Sirah (5%) is blended in. This Zinfandel underwent 10 months of aging in oak; 30% was French and 70% American with 15% new overall. 900 gallons of the juice were aged in large French oak casks. 5,967 cases of standard 750 ml bottles were produced along with an additional 297 cases of splits. Suggested retail price for this wine is $24 and $13 respectively.
Gabe’s Take:
Having recently tasted some of the Dashe Cellars single vineyard Zinfandels I was curious to see how this wine, sourced from a handful of vineyards would compare. Single Vineyard wines are often fascinating because they can be such a true barometer of what happened in a specific piece of property in an individual year. Sourcing from different vineyards allows a winemaker to reach into his virtual spice rack and adjust the seasonings so to speak a bit more.
The nose of this 2007 Zinfandel is big, jam laden and demonstrative. This wine leaps out of the glass and draws you towards it with its immense aromas. When I took the first sip I thought of fresh, summer berry pie. Wave after wave of dark fruit such as blackberry, blueberry and black raspberry emerge through the palate joined by chocolate and spice notes including cloves, nutmeg and pepper. Black tea, chocolate truffles, earth, star anise and continued clove notes come out in an above average finish.
Seductive is the word that came to mind over and over when I tasted this wine. It’s dark, delicious and kept enticing me back to my glass for additional tastes. This Zinfandel has good structure and will provide plenty of drinking pleasure over the next 5 years or so. While the suggested retail is $24, you can find it for closer to $20 (possibly less) if you shop around. This wine represents a particularly good value.
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Quivira – 2008 Grenache Rosé
June 10, 2009
The Facts:
The 2008 Grenache Rosé from Quivira is made of all Dry Creek Valley fruit. This wine is a blend of Grenache (88%) and Mourvèdre (12%). Fermentation was accomplished in stainless steel. 378 cases of this release were produced and the suggested retail price is $15.
Gabe’s Take:
For me, well made, dry Rosé is one of the absolute joys of warm weather. Of course I pop a bottle of Rosé open from time to time in the cooler months, but it’s not quite the same. Certain things go together; Rosé and summer is an indescribably perfect match.
A couple of months ago I had the Quivira Grenache Rosé at the tasting room and recalled really liking it, so the chance to revisit it was quite welcome. This 2008 Rosé from Quivira has a gorgeous Salmon colored hue. The nose is loaded with fresh grapefruit notes. Throughout the palate strawberry and Bing cherry play key roles; they’re supported by touches of nutmeg and white pepper. This forms a very lush middle that really explodes with invigorating flavors in your mouth. The finish on this Rosé is above average in length with a touch of tartness and continued echoes of citrus and berry. This wine is excellent on its own and would also be a good match for many goods; Arroz con Pollo is what I was craving as I sipped this offering.
What stands out most to me about this Rosé is how incredibly refreshing it is. It continually beckons you back to the glass sip after sip. It’s such an inviting and delicious warm season wine that the only surprise is the bottle doesn’t hold up a sign announcing “summer is here!” My advice is to get a bottle of this wine, call out sick to work and hang out on your porch or deck sipping it slowly and enjoying the sunshine.
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