The Sarah Jane English Newsletter:  45th Edition
December 27, 2001

Handley cellars, Winery of the Month: Some winemakers keep improving with experience.  Milla Handley began by making beautifully balanced wines and has continued doing so--including her crisp, delicious sparkling wines, perfect for your holiday celebrations. While at U.C. Davis majoring in art, Milla was drawn toward wine making and received her degree in fermentation science in 1975.  After three years in charge of quality control at Chateau St. Jean and three years as assistant winemaker at Edmeades Winery,  Milla and husband Rex McClellan founded Handley Cellars in the basement of their home.  Milla makes complex, balanced wines, using her winemaking artistry to enhance the fruit character of the grapes.  She says her wines have a characteristic harmony and allure which above all makes them a pleasure to drink.  On my last visit to Handley Cellars in Mendocino County, Milla, Rex and I tasted through all the Handley Cellars wines: Chardonnay, Dry Creek Valley; Chardonnay, Anderson Valley; Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley; Gewurztraminer, Anderson Valley; Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley; Pinot Gris, Anderson Valley; Pinot Mystere Meunier, Anderson Valley, and the sparkling wines--Handley Brut, Handley Blanc de Blancs and  Handley Brut Rose.   It's unusual for winemakers to excel in making still and sparkling wines with equal skill, but Milla does.  All the wines were delicious.

TOP PICKS FOR THE MONTH
(prices vary store to store)

SYRAH

Sparkling Wines

                                                                                    

NEWS

KORBEL has a holiday entertaining brochure with tips for a happy celebration.  1) Make a plan for food and wine to be served in proper proportion to the number of guests and keep Korbel on hand and chilled 2) Point cork away from people when opening and control it 3) Don't let guests overindulge 4) Suggest a designated driver 5) Serve food as well as nonalcoholic drinks 6) Stop serving alcohol one hour before party concludes www.korbel.com

BEAULIEU Vineyard honored Andre Tchelistcheff (1901-1994) on the 100th anniversary of his birth by commissioning a statue to honor his life and his legacy.   Tchelistcheff came to the U.S. from France to work at Beaulieu in 1938.  There will also be a special release of vintage 2000 Pinot Noir called Maestro, the name given to Tchelistcheff by a former winery owner in appreciation for his talent and genius.

CHATEAU MONTELENA celebrated its 30th harvest this year.   Contact the winery for its colorful, pictorial history brochure,  VINTAGES 1971 TO 2001 www.montelena.com

MARIMAR TORRES ESTATE has a new brochure on the estate about her Catalan-style winery in the Russian River, www.MarimarEstate.com

HARVEST REPORT on 2001:  Beringer Founders'  Estate (BFE)  Winemaker Ron Schrieve reported "I consistently heard how weird 2001 was, but if it takes a year like 2001 to get the fruit that we have, I want every year to be weird!  Bud-break, set and bloom were early but successful in most locations.   Unsettled weather late in the spring caused varietals to set in non-traditional order and picking was ultimately topsy-turvy.  The growing season across the state was long and moderate with a glorious golden Indian summer at the  end of September.   Generally, there were long loose clusters (low mold  risk)  with small berries (skin-to-juice ratio higher)  and high flavor intensity.  One key element to BFE is diversity of vineyards along the coast--Lake County, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Mendocino County.  I select the best from each region."

WINE INSTITUTE reports that that in the world rankings of wine, "the U.S. continues to be a major consumer and producer, although it is 34th in per capita consumption by country.  California accounts for more than 90 percent of U.S. wine production and vineyard acreage.

DeLILLE CELLARS received "tremendous" year-end reviews and press coverage according to a release from DeLille.  For more information, www.delillecellars.com

SOUTHCORP Ltd. merged with ROSEMOUNT Estates in February 2001 to form the largest premium wine company in the world.  The consolidation is headquartered under one roof in the heart of Napa Valley.

THE HESS COLLECTION announced a change of staff, new management and new name.  A new chairman ahs been appointed to the Board of Directors of Hess Holding Inc. which specializes in the production and distribution of mineral water and wine: in early January 2002, Dr. Max Lienhard will take over from the company founder, Donald M. Hess, who will devote his energies in the future to winegrwoing in Argentina and to collecting art.  At the same time, the Hess Holding Inc. will be changed to Hess Group Ltd.


NEW RELEASES
(quotes are winemakers' comments)

George RADANOVICH, a U.S. Congressman and winemaker, says, "We take what is given from the soil and climate and create wines of a unique character that the Sierra Foothills will become famous for in future generations.  Our wines are delightful to the palate,  blended from the best regional  grapes and made in traditional techniques. "

BERINGER 1999 Private Reserve Chardonnay, Napa $35: "smoky, nutty, toasty character, creamy, rich mouthful, citrus and butter aromas and flavors, pineapple, apple and pear, long juicy lemon-lime finish"

GALLO FAMILY's GALLO OF SONOMA wines:

LUNA Vineyards is a benchmark Napa Valley winery devoted to creating accessible, world-renowned, Italian inspired wines.  It was founded in 1995 by Mike Moon and George Vare who teamed up with Winemaster John Kongsgaard, who became vine president and partner in 1996.  Kelly Wheat became assistant winemaker in 1998 after six years at Carmenet Winery.  He  was promoted to winemaker if the spring of 2000 and oversees all aspects of Luna's production.  "As Luna winemakers," says John, "we've great pride in our proprietary wine, the Luna 1999 Canto, which means song.  It harmonizes the perfume of Sangiovese, the depth of Merlot, and the power of Cabernet to create a singular 'Lunar' song.  The soft-spoken  varietal of Sangiovese is the primary component of the blend.   We gave the wine an even more heroic voice by cofermenting the Sangiovese with the Bordeaux varietals of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, thus creating what we affectionately call a Super Napa."

Barden Stevenot says Tempranillo is a robust red from Spain and the primary grape in Riojo.  "It's a worthy peer to the best of the Cabernet Sauvignon based wines and often described as rich fruity, full and deep," he says.   "In April of this year we released one of the very few Tempranillos produced in the U.S. and we've experienced a tremendous response at trade and consumer shows.   It's been predicted that Tempranillo will be the next hot-button wine in California."

VALLEY OF THE MOON 1998 Cuvee de la Luna $25: "Showing finely honed blending techniques of a Meritage-style wine, this 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc was fermented in stainless steel with 24 months barrel aging in French and American oak.  It has black currants, pipe tobac, black cherries and a tinge of oak, well-structured and balanced."

Enjoy both these wines with WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Melt butter in saucepan.  Add onions, celery, potatoes and leeks.   Cover and cook for a few minutes--don't brown.  Add bay leaves, parsley stems, thyme and garlic cloves.  Stir and cover.   Cook at low heat to sweat out flavors but not the color for 15 minutes.  Uncover, turn up heat and let some of liquid evaporate.  Add tock to pan, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.     While soup simmers, clean mushrooms and cut to similar sizes.  Season with salt and pepper, and saute in 3 Tbs. butter at high heat until just tender.  Add soup base cooks 30 minutes, add mushrooms.  In a separate pan, reduce the cream by half and then add to soup and season with salt and pepper.  Blend the soup in a blender and strain.  Stir in last of the butter.  Enjoy with both wines!   Chef Martin Courtman

ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY produces independently or with others and imports many wines--some of them follow.

BARON HERZOG wines are the result of an alliance between Royal Wine Corporation and California winemaker Peter Stern.  The jewel in Royal's crown are the Herzog Reserve wines--receiving praise alongside California's prestigious wines--kosher and otherwise.

TEAL LAKE wines are produced at Norman's Winery in Australia.  They has met with success since their introduction to the American market two years ago.   The winery's Cabernet-Merlot and Shiraz are unusually good, reflecting the fruit forward style that makes Australia's wines receive acclaim.

STERLING Winemaker Rob Hunter received a compliment he relished.   "I've been meeting consumers around the country and heard the best compliment.   A man came up to me and said, 'I've never met a bottle of Sterling I didn't love.'   That was the best compliment I've had in a long time!  It also sums up my philosophy behind STERLING's winemaking--consistency: Dependability is what STERLING had come to represent  for that man.   While making the flagship 1999 STERLING Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $24,  I wanted a wine that perfectly represented the region and the varietal--bright ruby, ripe berry flavors, aromatic notes of cedar and leather, complexity and elegance.  I hope when you taste it you'll let me know what you think." www.sterlingvineyards.com

BERINGER Winemaker Laurie Hook described Knights Valley as an "oasis of rolling hills and vistas where you'd expect to see shepherds with their flocks, and on the valley floor, between rows and along dried up creek beds, cobbly rocks from rivers of long ago pile up and provide the porosity so essential to soils that grow the best grapes.  Knights Valley wines have a familial quality that identifies their place of origin." Enjoy the Knights Valley  wines she crafted with Ed Sbragia.

MAISON LOUIS JADOT released the 2000 vintage single vineyard crus of Beaujolais and Maconnais.   In choosing each site, Maison Louis Jadot looked to history, tradition and nature.  The single vineyard wines are from six vineyard sites and four crus in Beaujolais.  Founded in 1859, Maison Louis Jadot is a highly regarded proprietaires in Burgundy, with ownership of more than 175 acres of vineyards in the Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune.  Louis Jadot has forged an impeccable reputation for making wines that achieve the purest expression of terroir.

St. Supéry Winery 1999 Napa Valley Merlot $20: "What's different about this Merlot? -- highly structured fruit with a tapestry of Merlot flavors, a vibrant Merlot with tremendous color, fruit and structure, that will be well received by people who enjoy expressive and balanced Merlot wines."
   
PAN ROASTED QUAIL Stuffed with  Morel Mushrooms, Leeks, Pancetta and a Merlot-Thyme Sauce--St. Supéry Chef Ron Barber created this recipe to complement the new Merlot.   Serves 6
STUFFING
1/2 pound morel mushrooms, cut into 1/4" dice
1-1/2 cup leeks, white part only, cut into 1/4" dice
1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 1/4" dice
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or other bread crumbs
1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste
6 semi boneless quail
1 small carrot, small dice
1 small onion, small dice
1 small celery stalk, small dice
MERLOT & THYME REDUCTION SAUCE
1 cup St. Supery 1999 Merlot
1/2 cup veal stock (or chicken stock)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the pancetta in a large sauté pan and cook until browned. Remove pancetta and place on paper towels to drain.  Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the pancetta fat and add the leeks. Cook over medium heat until the leeks are soft. About 7 minutes. Add the morels, garlic, chicken stock and season with salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are soft. Toss in the chopped parsley and breadcrumbs, stir. Allow mixture to cool before proceeding.
Fill each quail with the stuffing and then make a small incision in one thigh of each bird. Place the opposite leg through the incision to help keep the stuffing from coming out. Season with salt & pepper. Heat a large, ovenproof sauté pan and add 2 tablespoons canola oil. When oil is very hot, carefully add the quails, breast side down. Allow to brown (approximately 3 minutes) before turning the quail over. Scatter the onion, carrot, and celery around the quail then place the pan into the oven. Roast for 8 minutes.   Juices should still be pink. Remove quail from pan and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep them warm while making the sauce.
For the reduction sauce, drain off excess fat from the roasting pan and place pan over high heat. Add the Merlot and reduce by half. Add the veal stock and thyme and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings, swirl in butter and strain into a small saucepan. Place quail on warm plates and spoon the reduction sauce over them.

KENDALL-JACKSON designed its COLLAGE™ series for overseas markets,  but it has become a grand success at home.   Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot has been added to the line-up--Cabernet-Shiraz and Zinfandel-Shiraz.  Inspired by Australia, the 2000 COLLAGE Cabernet-Merlot blend hopes marrying these two varietals with give the best traits from each grape.  The wines sells for about $9 each.  Also available are the ever-popular KENDALL-JACKSON 2000 Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay $12 and KENDALL-JACKSON 2000 Vintner's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc $10. 

CONN CREEK released its Bordeaux varietals: 1998 Anthology (2,500), 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon (2,200), 1999 Merlot  (only the second vintage of Merlot since 1993 and only 900 cases) and introducing the Cabernet Franc (850 cases) from 1999.  These wines are cast in a bold style that reflects the rich character of classic Napa Valley vineyards.  These are limited productions and worth the search.

FRANCISCAN, in addition to producing its own wines,  directs, manages and imports other wines, including ESTANCIA  and SIMI.  The wines from these properties have achieved acclaim over the years and continue to be admired.

LINDEMANS 2001 Bin 65 Chardonnay, Australia $9: "ripe melon, fig, grapefruit, notes of sweet, nutty oak, medium bodied, soft creamy mid-palate, crisp finish"

HOGUE CELLARS notes that there was a record harvest for quality and tonnage in 2001.  Washington state crushed 97, 600 tons of wine grapes this year, a nine percent increase over 2000.

ST. CLEMENT Winemaker Aaron Potts says "The thing that pleases me about St. Clement is the historical continuity of wine quality and place."

 



© 2000 Sarah Jane English
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