Tasting the wines of California

Anyone can take grapes and ferment them into something resembling wine, but it takes a true artisan to make some that is truly great. The only way to really experience what California wine is all about is to experience the wineries themselves.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Crystal Valley Cellars - Lodi



Crystal Valley Cellars is a winery in the cosentino family dedicated to producing wines outside of Napa. Their wines are excellent. The 2005 CigarZin is excellent, reminding me of all the good notes from the 2002 vintage (the 2004 was disappointing). The 2002 Lodi Cab gives the Cosentino Napa cab a run for its money at a fraction of the price. The 2003 is good as well, but needs some age.

CVC has a lot going for it, and should be the last stop you make anytime you visit Lodi, just be sure you have money left over to spend, because you will want to take some of their wonderful wines home with you.

We did.

Joel

Van Ruiten - Lodi



The location of this winery is on a rather major street, which gives it more of a commercial center feel rather than a hidden winery nestled among the grapes.

Location aside, the property is simple. A tasting room and a parking lot. The wines were simple as well, with nothing really standing out as being worth a purchase. Ultimately we did purchase a late harvest Viognier, as it would be a great dessert wine to serve some cold winter night. Beyond that, the rest were unfortunately very forgettable.

Nice people, but the wines were nothing to write home about.

Joel

Woodbridge - Lodi



Woodbridge is a very old winery that became the consumer line of Robert Mondavi a number of years back. It seems like Mondavi has branched out into "coastal" and other vineyards, but for a while if you wanted Mondavi at a grocery store, this was your wine.

The people were very nice, but the wines are really not very good. They show the characteristics of being mass produced wines, made with little care for the final result. We tasted a number of the "select" wines, available only in the tasting room. None of them were worth a second taste.

All was not lost, however. In the early 80's Robert Mondavi had a batch of port made each year as part of his own private collection. This woodbridge port was served to the Mondavi family and guests. It was made from 1982 to 1986 as far as I know, and after a while the supply was completely forgotten. A couple of years ago these "lost" ports were discovered, and now they are for sale. We tasted the 1984 and the 1983, and the '83 had a little better body. It is a rare treat to buy a bottle of wine this old, and it has held up over time. Complex and intriguing, this wine is worth buying. Go now, because it won't be around forever.

Their PortoCinco is also quite good, and not to be found anywhere but at the Woodbridge winery.

Worth a stop, but don't expect much from the non-ports.

Joel

Jewel Wines - Lodi



The first time we visited Jewel was a magical experience. They gave us a huge flight of wines to taste and a plate of items like salami, romano cheese and chocolate to pair with their wines. Each of the wines benefitted from the food, and we joined the wine club on the spot.

This time was different. They had a menu with a price to taste a certain number of wines, and no plate of goodies. Although they didn't charge us, the wines didn't hold up nearly as well this time. They were sold out of the Cab and the Petite Sirah, and of the remainder only two stood out: A reserve wine called "Clareta" that was quite good, but over $20, and the old vine Zin that was $35.

The old vine zin was particularly complex, and was made from true "old vines" being over 100 years old. It seems that you can't buy a zin these days that doesn't claim old vine. I have heard of one vineyard claiming "old vine" for 11 year old vines!

This zin was excellent, but I couldn't spend the asking price. Ditto the Clareta. Thus, we left without buying anything. Still, The rest of their wines are $10 or less, and Jewel is a worthwhile stop on any Lodi wine tour.

Joel

Bent Creek - Livermore Valley

I don't have a picture or logo for Bent Creek, but the place is very nice. Again, as it typical for Livermore, it's about the wine, not the overall experience. There were lots of nice wines here, but two stood out like a lighthouse in a fog of wine: Petite Sirah and Port.

I don't like most people's ports. It is hard to do right, and often expensive. Bent Creek isn't cheap, but they do it right. The port has just the right amount of sweetness, and a body and flavor that is to die for. Despite it's $23 price tag, we bought two of them. Now you see why I get so upset when Temecula wineries want $30+ for inferior ports. This stuff is hard to beat at any price.

As good as the port is, the Petite Sirah is better. My aunt said "I'd like to buy a bottle of this right now and sit here and drink it." She is exactly right. As good as the Petite Sirah is from Thomas Coyne, this is better. I haven't had a better Petite Sirah anywhere. We bought two bottles at $29 each.

The rest of their wines were good, but these two clearly stand out as exceptional wines. Highly recommended.

Joel

Steven Kent - Livermore Valley



Steven Kent's motto is "Wines for those who know" and to be honest, I really don't want to tell you about this winery. You can spend a _lot_ of money in wine, and be hard pressed to find a bottle better than the ones Steven Kent is putting together. Really.

Each and every wine has a level of craftsmanship that is simply out of this world. Steven Kent is one of the most expensive wines we buy, and it is worth every penny.

We tried a number of wines, each of them divine. The Syrah is, quite simply, the best syrah I've ever had. I bought two bottles at $36 each. The Barbera, not a grape I usually am in love with, is simply fantastic. I bought a Barbera as well, for $30. The Chardonnay, a grape I usually detest, is delicate with just the right amount of sweetness, and a body that doesn't fall flat like so many Chardonnays do. This is the only Chard I've bought in the last five years. And then the Cab. Well, the Cab is one of those things that is worth making the trip to Livermore for. They were pouring two of them, and the superior one was the 2003 Home Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon. At $55 a bottle it's a steal. You read that right.

They also had large blocks of high end cheese to pair with each of the wines, and the pairings were perfect. If I'm gushing, it's because it was a great experience, as usual.

I love coming to Steven Kent, because the wines are simply astounding. I hate coming to Steven Kent because it always does great amounts of damage to my bank account. These wines are fantastic now, and will age for years, getting even better.

Now, please forget I told you any of this. Do not visit this winery and buy their wines and drive up the prices by increasing demand. Forget I said a word. Thank you.

Joel

Thomas Coyne - Livermore Valley



Just down the road from Fenestra is another gem, Thomas Coyne. I have purchased Petite Sirah from them in the past, and I really, really like that wine. Today they were pouring their bordeaux varietals, and we enjoyed them quite a bit.

The facility is simple, with one picnic table and little else. Again, it's all about the tasting room. They really are not geared up for crowds, in contrast to Fenestra. There was only one gal pouring, and she was clearly overwhelmed.

We tried three Merlots, and the best of the bunch was the El Dorado Merlot, only $12.50. We also really liked the 2002 Confluence, which is a blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon, Petite Verdot and Merlot. Very nice, and a bargain at $20.

The Cab and Petit Verdot are also worth picking up. Unfortunately for Thomas Coyne, we were a bit in shock after our spending spree at Fenestra, and we walked out without purchasing anything today. Besides, we knew we were going to drop some coin at Steven Kent, which is my next post...

Joel

Fenestra - Livermore Valley



I've been waiting to get to this one for quite some time. This is one of my very favorite wineries. Great wine, fantastic selection, reasonable prices. What more can you ask for?

Fenestra has a very pretty facility, but it's really all about the wine. There are a few picnic tables and a small restroom. The rest is all about tasting, and it shows. First up was True Red, Lot 19. This is an award winning red table wine that lists for $10 per bottle. Decent stuff, although I've never been a big fan. They have a limit of six bottles, so obviously it sells well.

Fenestra has a great selection of "non-traditional" wines. In addition to three Merlots, two Cabs, Pinot Noir, a Syrah and a Zinfandel, they were pouring a tempranillo, a Mouvedre, Touriga, and selling a Malbec (selling out as we discovered, before we could buy any). They also have two fantastic ports. We really liked the Classic port, made from the four traditional varietals, and we bought another four bottles.

The Touriga is an excellent wine, although it's a little sweeter. I think of Touriga as a summer wine, one to be drunk on a summer night looking out over a sunset.

The best of the Merlots was the Santa Lucia variety, which was also the cheapest. I am a big fan of the Smith & Hook cabernets, but unfortunately those are going away. Apparently those grapes have been replaced by Pinot Noir. Another sacrifice at the altar of Sideways I guess. Why couldn't that movie have picked Petite Sirah or something else really interesting instead of PInot?

Do I like Fenestra? Well, I spent over $175, and for those of you who read this blog you know that I generally walk out the door for less than $50. Highly, _highly_ recommended.

Joel