PINOT-SYRAH CONFUSION
Last night the above bottle appeared in our weekly tasting where we try to identify blinded wines. This 2003 Penner-Ash syrah was still surprisingly young. It had a distinct domestic syrah nose, but its flavor profile was more typical of Central Coast pinot noir, of the kind that is now ubiquitous in the Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande and Santa Lucia Highlands. It had smoky, dark berry fruit flavors upfront, noticeable but subtle sweetness in mid-palate, and a spicy finish with hints of oak. Our group tilted between syrah and pinot in their guesses. We were all certain however that if was American. When we unveiled[...]
IT IS CHINON WEATHER
As the days shorten and nigths get long, the mornings foggy, with cold humidity penetrating deep into our joints, winter doldrums begin to set in. Here in Northern California we are blessed with no snow, no blizzards, no hurricanes. Instead it rains, and it has rained a lot this year. This is the time when all my patients flock into my office with worsening back pains and we all look forward to sunshine which will hopefully arrive in late February. As the excitement of the holidays wane, the remaining bleakness of winter invariably turns my thoughts to Chinon, a suitable salve for the[...]
A NON-TRADITIONAL TRADITION
Years ago when I began wine blogging for our local newspaper, my editor asked me to write a piece devoted to advice on what wine to have for Thanksgiving. So, I did. It took a small amount of research, a few calls to local wine merchants, and the general themes turned out fairly straightforward. Since then I have noticed countless similar articles in various publications on the eve of every Thanksgiving. They typically all say the same thing over and over, year after year. So this year I present a more diversified approach to the subject, and keep the tradition,[...]
RIPASSO; FROM TECHNIQUE TO LABEL
My recent travels took me to Northern Italy. As I toured the scenic, colorful towns of the Cinqueterre, historic Mantua and Verona, and the two northern lakes, Garda and Como, I found myself firmly planted in the Veneto wine region. Here the main red is Valpolicella and its recent resurrection to a fine wine status, at least in our eyes here in the U.S. is nothing short of remarkable. My Valpolicella of choice was Ripasso, mainly because at around 17-22 Euros in most restaurants, it delivered good quality at a reasonable price (again, by San Francisco standards). Valpolicella was once[...]
FLIP-FLOP WITH FOOD
Grilled Saratoga lamb chops for dinner, my favorite. Instead of the usual Southern Rhone reds I drink with these, I decided to open the wine you see on the left, 2003 Reserve de la Comtesse, a lower level product from the folks who make the much loved and very expensive Pichon Lalande. While I love the latter, I have never warmed up to their lesser offering in past tastings. Thus already prejudiced, I took a sip before dinner, and I thought "oh, crap." It tasted too lean and acidic. I wanted a fuller wine.So I opened the bottle to the right,[...]
A CALIFORNIA CAB WITH AGING POTENTIAL
The great ascent of Northern California wine, which began in the 1970's after decades of post-Prohibition stagnation, occurred emulating France. Domestic Chardonnay, currently ubiquitous and mundane was inspired by white Burgundy, and Cabarnet Sauvignon by Bordeaux. Nowadays these varietals come in divergent styles and prices. How well do they hold up against their French counterparts? In general they don't. One can say that California has come of age and demonstrates its own expression, its own terroir and style. Critics complain that many California wines are "commercial" copycats of each other, sloppily made and overpriced. Leaving style aside, when it comes to[...]