The Sarah Jane English Newsletter: 71st Edition
May 14, 2005

TOP PICKS OF THE MONTH (prices vary store to store) $Best Buy

·    KULETO 2002 Syrah, Napa Valley $40 (This wine was my favorite among 187 wines I tasted this month, most of which I liked.)

·    St. FRANCIS 2001 Zinfandel, Sonoma $22

·    J. LOHR 1999 Zinfandel Old Vines, Bramblewood Vineyard, Lodi $20

·    KENWOOD 2002 Reserve Zinfandel, Sonoma $20

·    LAKE SONOMA 2003 Fumé Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma $14

·    LINCOURT 2002 Syrah, Santa Barbara County $18

·    ROSENBLUM 2002 Syrah, Fess Parker Vineyards, Santa Barbara $22

·    CHALK HILL 2002 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma $29

·    LAFOND 2001 Syrah, Santa Rita Hills $18

·    DRY CREEK VINEYARDS 2001Reserve Fumé Blanc, Dry Creek Valley $18

·    KENDALL-JACKSON 2003 Chardonnay Vintner's Reserve $12

·    FOLEY 2002 Syrah, Rancho Santa Rosa, Santa Rita Hills $30

·    FORTANT de FRANCE 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, France $6

·    COUSINA MACUL 2003 Chardonnay, Chile $8

·    ROBERT MONDAVI  2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Private Selection California $9

·    HOGUE CELLARS 2003 Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley $8

·    CANYON ROAD 2003 Chardonnay, California $10

UPDATE ON PINOT NOIR: My spring wine symposium class tasting of Pinot Noirs was a surprise.  I teach my students to be very open to whatever occurs in the glass because the pinot noir grape is often unruly and difficult for winemakers.  Nonetheless, we tasted American Pinot Noirs and found unprecedented consistency--elegant wines with good acidity, dominated by earthy, nutmeg, mineral, and spicy aromas and flavors with no signs of brettanomyses or other flaws. The same held true for my tasting groups that also tasted Pinot Noir.  Here are some we tasted: (from California) ACACIA, Carneros; ALEXANDER VALLEY VINEYARDS; BEAULIEU, Reserve Carneros; BELLE GLOS; BERINGER FOUNDERS ESTATE; BERINGER, Stanley Ranch; CAMBRIA; CHALONE ESTATE; CHATEAU ST. JEAN; CLOS DU BOIS; CLOS DU VAL; DRY CREEK VINEYARDS; DUTTON-GOLDFIELD; FOLEY; EDNA VALLEY; GALLO OF SONOMA; GLORIA FERRER; GOLDENEYE; IRON HORSE ESTATE; IRON HORSE, Thomas Road; IRON HORSE, Corral; J WINE CO.; KENDALL-JACKSON; KENWOOD, Russian River Valley;  LAURIER; LOGAN, Sleepy Hollow; MacMURRY, Sonoma Coast: MONTICELLO CORLEY FAMILY; NAPA RIDGE; OROGENEY; RODNEY STRONG;  TRUCHARD; VALLEY OF THE MOON;  ZD, and KING ESTATE from Oregon.  If you haven't tried California or Oregon Pinot Noir in a while, do yourself a favor and enjoy them.  My friend Gladys Horiuchi at Wine Institute tells me that since the less than favorable 1999 and 2000 vintages, things have been very favorable for Pinot Noir.  Previously minimal average scores for this wine have improved remarkably since 2001 and the following vintages have been very good indeed.   Apparently matching the grape to its proper soil, micro-climates, and clones have cooperated to the benefit of Pinot Noirs.  Enjoy!

SPLURGE WINE OF THE MONTH: IRON HORSE 2001 Pinot Noir, Thomas Road, Green Valley-Sonoma County $60--This elegant, supple, lovely textured and delicious wine will spoil you forever.  Indulge yourself.  It suits many foods well.

WINERY OF THE MONTH RODNEY STRONG: RODNEY STRONG VINEYARDS was named "Winery of the Year" by the California Travel Industry Association (CAL TIA).  “The selection of Rodney Strong Vineyards as the California Travel Industry Association’s 2005 Winery of the Year was an easy choice.  What made Rodney Strong stand out in an impressive list of wineries that all make great wine was its commitment to making good decisions related to the environment and its interaction with the local tourism business community.  They always take the “green” approach to winemaking, and their efforts at being an important contributor to Northern California’s tourism industry are to be applauded.  Their Wine Center in Sonoma County serves tens of thousands of visitors annually, making their visit to California’s most important wine region, a truly memorable experience.  Also, Rodney Strong continues, year after year, to make some of California’s best premium wines.  Keep up the good work!” commented Bob Warren, with the California Travel Industry Association.  Rodney Strong Vineyards in Healdsburg, California, was established in 1959 and owns 12 estate vineyard sites in four illustrious Sonoma County appellations: Russian River Valley, Chalk Hill, Alexander Valley, and Sonoma Coast.  Rodney Strong Vineyards produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Symmetry, a red Meritage wine.  “All of our wines highlight the stylistic diversity and exceptional quality of Sonoma County, one of the world’s finest grape-growing regions,” explains Tom Klein, Proprietor.   “This award means a lot to us.  We are proud to be recognized for our contributions to the California Travel and Tourism Industry.” he stated.    Rodney Strong history goes back 100 years when Sonoma County settlers planted its heritage River West Zinfandel vineyard behind the future winery in 1904, and a couple of years later in 1906 when  owner Tom Klein's great-grandmother was tragically killed in the San Francisco earthquake.  Consequently, Sol Klein and his brothers were raised in an orphanage.  Later, they learned structure and loyalty serving the U.S. Navy during WWI and afterwards established a small business buying and selling beans, which began their agricultural legacy.  Founder Rodney Strong was born in Washington during the Prohibition with a love for dance.  By age 15 he was practicing five house daily, training for what would become a successful career with Marta  Graham and George Balanchine at the American School of Ballet--highlighted by four years dancing in Paris, including lead dancer at the Lido.  Rod returned to the U.S. in 1951 to dance on Broadway and to teach dancing.  Still, his memories of French wines remained.  That same year Tom Klein and winemaker Rick Sayre were born, both agricultural families.   Tom went to Sanford to study business and Rick found himself running the family prune and plum orchards in Windsor, CA, however, he eventually left to join the California Forest Service and became a cook.  His great palate led to wines.  Also, eventually, Rod Strong realized and said, "I knew I couldn't be an old dancer, but I could be an old winemaker."  So, retiring from dance with his dance partner and wife in 1959, he and Charlotte moved to Tiburon--next to the yacht club--where they purchased a boarding house and held wine tastings.  The consequence was Tiburon Vintners.  But Rod yearned to make wine and in 1962 purchased an old vineyard and winery building in Windsor named Monte Carlo Winery.  There, after taking classes and asking endless questions, he crafted his first wines--making mistakes and learning as he went about the tasks.  His conclusion that quality wine must have quality grapes, so he began growing his own.   By 1968 his skills enabled him to convince financiers to loan him the money to buy land for vineyards.  At the time, he was in dairy country with pears, prunes and plums growing around him.  Climate data from U. C. Davis and his visionary approach equipped him to select some of the best vineyards in Sonoma County today.  By 1970 Rod planted new varieties of grapes and broke ground for a new winery building, which today houses the tasting room and lower cellar.  1970 was Tom Klein's first year at Stanford and the same year Rick Sayre began making wine at Simi.  He worked with the best, including Andre  Tchelistcheff, who had been hired as consulting enologist and took Rick “under his wing.”  Rick learned not only skills, but a winemaker's main set that served him well in the future.   In 1979, when Rod Strong was looking for a full time  winemaker, he called Rick, who began at Rodney Strong Vineyards that December.  1979 was also the year Tom finished his Stanford MBA, and began working for Mckinsey & Company, an international management-consulting firm.   The McKinsey team was hired in the early eighties to take a look at a well-known winery in Sonoma County, study its business, and make suggestions for improvements.  Tom got to meet Rod and Rick, and evaluated the potential of the company.  He actually thought it had a lot of potential.  He also liked the wine.  Eventually, Tom convinced his family to purchase Rodney Strong Vineyards in 1989.   Tom felt that Rodney Strong Vineyards should be a leader in Sonoma County, and asked Rick if he had all the tools he needed to achieve that goal.  Rick said the existing vineyards could make better wines and that winery needed attention.  Over the next decade, the Klein family funded everything that was needed to accomplish their goal-- the purchase of fermentation tanks, four state-of-the-art Bucher presses, a steady infusion of new oak barrels, wood tanks, an on-site case goods warehouse, custom barrel servicing equipment, six rotary fermenters, a new crush pad and scale house, a conveyance system to perform whole-cluster pressing on white grapes, and a 100 thousand square foot temperature controlled barrel storage building.  But Tom wanted more.  Sales grew from 69,000 cases in 1989 to nearly half a million by the end of the decade, and many of the more popular wines were being sold on allocation only. But the Klein family, with Rod’s legacy of vineyard ownership, didn’t stop at the winery. By the early 2000s they had acquired an additional seven vineyards totaling 606 acres in the Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill, and Russian River Valley appellations.  renowned viticulturalist Doug McIlroy was hired in 2001 as Director of Grower and Vineyard Operations.  Now Tom, Rick and Doug combine their talents to make the best Sonoma County wines possible from the 100 years of history; the land through the grapes and into wine.  (Please see new releases below) www.rodneystrong.com

NEWS
ALASKA TRAVEL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (Alaska TIA) announces: 
1. The Birds Are Back: May Marks the Beginning of Birding Season in Alaska
2. Alaska Channel Introduces New Ways to Explore Alaska from Afar
3. Volunteer Vacations at the Alaska Raptor Center and the Alaska SeaLife Center
4. Gray Whales Return to Kenai Fjords National Park
1. Alaska, a birder¹s paradise, has two major festivals that mark the return of seasonal species and highlight birding opportunities for visitors:  Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival, May 5-8 ­ As many as five million shorebirds stop over at the Copper River Delta on their annual migration.  View over 30 species, including Western Sandpipers, Sanderlings, Dowitchers, Plovers, Dusky Canada geese, trumpeter swans, red-necked phalarope, northern pintails and shovelers, to name a few. The festival features activities, workshops and community events in Cordova, Alaska, adjacent to the Copper River Delta. www.cordovachamber.com   Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival, May 5-8 ­ Also part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, Kachemak Bay near Homer hosts its own major shorebird festival.  Participants can choose from over 50 different events from advanced ornithology workshops, field trips, boat tours and art events. Over 100 species of pelagic, coastal and woodland birds have been seen in one day during the festival. www.homeralaska.org/shorebird.htm
2. Alaska Channel Introduces New Ways to Explore Alaska: Alaska Airlines plays movies and TV programs on flights with a 23-minute documentary, "Journey to Alaska: Then & Now," with high-definition footage of Alaska, produced by Anchorage-based Alaska Channel to show the best of Alaska and the state¹s fascinating history. Information: Bob Kaufman, (907) 777-7755 or bkaufman@tdicapital.com.
3. Volunteer Vacations at the Alaska Raptor Center and the Alaska SeaLife Center
Each year, many visitors to Alaska return to give back their time and expertise to help protect Alaska¹s wild residents. At the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka, injured birds of prey are rehabilitated for release back into the wild. Volunteers annually contribute over 3,500 hours at the Center to guide tours, clean facilities, work with birds or sell tee shirts.  At the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, volunteers work in intensive volunteer positions different animal species represented at the Center.  Established with settlement funds from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Center protects, preserves and rehabilitates sea birds, sea lions, seals, fish of all varieties, any many other critters. Fore more information on the Alaska Raptor Center, visit www.alaskaraptor.org; to learn more about the Alaska SeaLife Center, visit www.alaskasealife.org.
4. Gray Whales Return to Kenai Fjords National Park
 Each year, 20,000 gray whales migrate up to 6,000 miles from their winter calving grounds near Baja, Mexico all the way to Alaska¹s Bering and Chukchi seas for the summer feeding season. This annual migration brings these giants right past Resurrection Bay, near Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park. This year, Kenai Fjords Tours is offering gray whale-viewing tours now through May 6 that will depart from Seward and allow an up-close view of the gray whales. The four-hour cruise on Kenai Fjords Tours vessels departs from Seward and provides the perfect opportunity to photograph gray whales from outdoor viewing decks or the heated comfort of inside passenger areas with oversized windows. For more information, visit Kenai Fjords Tours online at www.kenaifjords.com . Media information: Jessica Dobson, (907) 261-8612 or jdobson@nwstrat.com.

SYMINGTON FAMILY ESTATES DECLARES 2003 VINTAGE PORTS: Symington, an Oporto, Portugal based wine company renowned for its Vintage Ports, officially declares the 2003 vintage.  Its six Port houses--W. & J. Graham’s, Dow’s, Smith Woodhouse, Quinta do Vesuvio, Warre’s and Gould Campbell--will offer a very limited amount of 2003 Vintage Port, which will become available in the United States this summer.   Rupert Symington, Joint Managing Director comments, “We are fortunate that the 2003 harvest produced wines of the highest caliber.  It was an optimal viticultural year in the Douro Valley, with unusually heavy rains in the winter and a hot, arid summer.  The winter rainfall enhanced our underground water reserves, thus allowing for full and even ripening later in the year.”   The Douro Valley was not affected by the abnormally high temperatures throughout much of Europe in the summer of 2003.   “Hot, arid summers are the norm in the Douro, but thankfully, the heat was not excessive.  We had excellent weather during the harvest, which lasted from mid-September to early October.  Our grape yields were quite low, so our quantities are limited, but the wines are especially flavorful,” says Symington.    Once again, the robotic lagar, a treading technology pioneered by the Symingtons and first implemented during the 2000 vintage, proved highly successful.    In line with its commitment to innovation and quality, Symington Family Estates developed this technology to more closely control the Port winemaking process and therefore improve wine quality and consistency.   Symington notes, “In Port winemaking, the fermentation period is much shorter – only about 36 hours, so you have a very limited time during which to extract color and tannin.  The robotic lagar mimics the human foot, but allows for greater pressure and temperature control, as well as improved efficiency.  We are very pleased with the results and are now using them at four of our wineries.”   The robotic lagar is made of stainless steel and is surrounded by a body of water that may be cooled or warmed to maintain ideal fermentation temperatures.  Four temperature controlled silicon treading pads “walk” the length of the lagar and are sequentially pushed down into the must.  These pads apply the optimal amount of pressure for maximum color extraction, but do not crush the seeds, which add harsher wood tannins.   Contrary to foot treading in traditional stone lagares, which rely on an increasingly scarce labor force, the robotic lagares begin immediately upon the fruit’s arrival to the winery.  Computerized mechanization also means that the machine can run at any time, for as many hours as necessary, and be emptied much more quickly.    Vintage Port is a rare wine -- less than 2% of Port is awarded this distinction.  In Portugal, a vintage is declared only when the harvested grapes and resulting wines are exceptional.  On average, this occurs about three times per decade.  The last major declaration was in 2002 for the highly praised 2000 Vintage.   The Symington Family name has been associated with the finest Ports for over a century. Andrew J. Symington, the company’s founder, acquired Warre & Co. at the turn of the 20^th century and became a partner in Dow’s in 1912.  Today, with over 2,500 acres of vineyards, the Symington Family is the largest landholder in the Douro Valley.  Management of the company has been passed down through four generations making Symington Family Estates the oldest family-owned Port shipper company.

SCHUG Carneros Estate wins Top Award in prestigious French Wine Competition: SCHUG has won the award for top US Chardonnay in the 2005 “Chardonnay Du Monde” wine competition held in France.  This year’s competition presented 1,090 Chardonnay samples from 37 countries to a panel of international judges. The SCHUG results were as follows: Gold Medal: Schug Carneros Chardonnay 2003 and Silver Medal: Schug “Heritage Reserve” Chardonnay 2003.

RODNEY STRONG VINEYARDS ’ 15th Annual Summer Concert Series has announced the performer line-up.  Guests will hear top performers in contemporary music while picnicking at the winery’s intimate concert venue, The Green. In addition to the list of jazz & pop acts, the winery has added a Blues In The Vines concert this season featuring GRAMMY-Award winners Susan Tedeschi & The Blind Boys Of Alabama.  For information and advance tickets call 707-431-1533 or visiting www.rodneystrong.com. 

WINE INSTITUTE reports strong sales growth in 2004 for California wine as shipments reached new high.  www.wineinstitute.org.

NATIONAL PARKS OFFER Various Opportunities for Multiple Generations:  One of their most attractive aspects is offering something for everyone--spectacular geology, colorful characters, historic architecture and, numerous outdoor activities.   Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the concessions operator, can help families book rooms, plan activities or offer advice. 
    People-watching or reading in a corner of Yellowstone's Old Faithful Inn appeals to many people as the way to spend an afternoon.  So does learning about geysers  or how the 1988 fires improved close to 800,000 acres of forests to make Yellowstone the world's foremost location for watching wolves in the wild.   Xanterra manages concessions in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Petrified Forest and Everglades National Parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial.  As an integral part of the operations in each park, Xanterra over the past several years has increased its interpretive offers by educating visitors about environmental sustainability, history and culture with the diversity of visitors in mind.
    At the South Rim of Grand Canyon hikes range from a stroll of the historic Grand Canyon Village to the strenuous hike to the bottom and back of the Canyon.  The famous mule rides have age, weight and language restrictions, but the narrated bus tours accommodate everybody. 
    As the world's first national park, Yellowstone has always been a traditional multi-generational travel destination.  Everyone can watch the geysers and other thermal features, while the adventurous can hike the backcountry. 
    In Death Valley, guests can follow the trails made by explorers searching for a shortcut to gold in the 1840s.  Breathtaking scenery surrounds hikers as they travel to the Harmony Borax Works, Golden Canyon, Mosaic Canyon and sand dunes.  Designated a national monument in 1933 and later a national park in 1994, Death Valley features the lowest point in the Americas, 282 feet below sea level, to mountain peaks in excess of 11,000 feet. 
    Bryce Canyon, Zion and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park are often part of the same vacation.  Even though the three parks are within easy drives of each other, they have their own distinct personalities.  The North Rim displays the sheer immensity of the Grand Canyon.  Zion features world-famous hikes and Bryce its wind-blown rock formation.  
    The 183,224-acre Crater Lake National Park is the country's fifth national park, established in 1902.  Crater Lake (1,947 feet) is the deepest lake in the country, and surrounded by lava walls 500 to 2,000 feet high.  Travelers drive around it and hike to various viewpoints.
    Crater Lake's opposite is Florida's Everglades National Park, a treasure of biological diversity.  This "river of grass" (120 miles long, 50 miles wide) is less than a foot deep.  Visitors see it on boat tours, houseboat trips or in a canoe.
    All generations can relate to Mount Rushmore.  Displays include artist Gutzon Borglum's original models and actual tools and films explain the process of this must-see destination.  Mount Rushmore was named the No. 1 family destination in the U.S. by FamilyFun magazine.
    Northeastern Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park expanded from 93,000 to 218,533 acres when President Bush signed a bill in January 2005 to offer some of the world's largest, most colorful concentrations of petrified wood and the dramatic badlands of the Painted Desert--archeological sites and displays of 225-million-year-old fossils.  A 28-mile road offers a  variety of overlooks and hiking trails.

LITTLE PENGUIN receives "2004 Hot-Brand Award" from Impact:  Award recognizes the Little Penguin wine's unprecedented success in its first six months in market.  Impact Magazine annually selects top growth brands in the US market and awards them at the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association (WSWA) annual conference.  This year Southcorp's Little Penguin was a "HOT BRAND" recipient, which means it sold over 200,000 cases and experienced double-digit growth in six months.  Little Penguin is already the 6th largest Australian wine brand in the USA and its successful launch shows there's a place for non-traditional, affordable, premium wine brands with fun-loving style, exceptional quality.  Little Penguin's Chardonnay, Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon come in 750ml ($8) or 1.5L. 
Southcorp, largest Australian-owned wine producer among world's top five wine companies, markets fine Australian wines in the Americas under the following labels: Penfolds, Rosemount Estate, Lindemans, Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Seaview, Seppelt, Coldstream Hills, Devil's Lair, and the Little Penguin.  Southcorp also produces Talomas wines from California.

WHITEHALL LANE has been refurbishing this past year.  Thomas  Leonardini, Sr.  says, "We were at it again in a never-ending quest to improve overall wine quality.  We made improvements in the winery, increased our involvement in the vineyards and added another jewel of a property.  The winery improvements included simple things like gentler pumps for moving wine from barrel to barrel and a new device for topping barrels.  In the vineyards, we continue the process to coax the best from each grape cluster in every block of every vineyard.  And speaking of vineyards, the new Fawn Park Vineyard will undoubtedly rank with the very best in Napa Valley.  We introduced you to this vineyard in our Holiday 2004 newsletter.   The Fawn Park Vineyard produces world-class fruit.  Its storied past included being part of one winery's “Private Reserve” Cabernet program and has all of the benefits of a valley floor vineyard but with hillside slopes and ideal sun exposure.  The result is Cabernet Sauvignon with hillside flavors and structure but with the yields and ease of farming on the valley floor.  The ground slope within the property ranges up to a 6% grade, but is well laid out for implementing our viticultural programs.  There are 12 acres of cabernet planted in gravelly Aiken and Boomer-Forward-Felta soils with plans to add two acres of Petite Verdot in the upper portion of the land.  The barrel samples of the 2004 Cabernet from this vineyard are very good and we expect even better quality as we employ our farming regimen in the coming years.   Last year we introduced our new screw cap program.  The release of our 2001 Cabernet half-bottles, sealed with the stelvin screw closure, was very well received. Therefore, we have again bottled our half bottles of we have again bottled our half bottles of 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon 'with a twist' and have added our 2002 Merlot half-bottles and the 2004 Sauvignon Blanc to our 'with a twist' program. We hope you enjoy these 'easy access' wines.  www.whitehalllane.com

SPICEWOOD VINEYARDS has announced the Annual Grilling in the Vineyard Festival June 3-5.  It promotes Texas chefs' culinary skills and Spicewood Vineyards’ Texas Hill Country award-winning estate wines.    Chef Steve Howard of Navajo Grill and Buffalo River Cuisine, Fredericksburg, kicks-off the festival Friday June 3^rd at 7p.m. with a special Winemaker Dinner highlighting the grill from start to finish. On Saturday and Sunday June 4 and 5, activities include grilling demonstrations with local chefs Quincy Adams Erickson of Amuse Bouche Catering, Austin; Steve Howard of Navajo Grill and Buffalo River Cuisine, Fredericksburg; Ike Johnson of Grapevine Market, Austin; Mark Paul of Wink and Zoot, Austin; Beth Pav of Cooking By Design, Lakeway; Mark Schmidt of Café 909, Marble Falls; and Kevin Williamson of Ranch 616, Austin.  There will be food and wine pairings, winery tours with Spicewood Vineyards wine makers, hayrides through the vineyards, and of course, wine tastings.   For additional information visit www.spicewoodvineyards.com, or call (830) 693-5328 about Spicewood Vineyards 2^nd Annual Grilling in the Vineyard Festival. 

6^th ANNUAL TEXAS’ BEST WINE COMPETITION, the largest Texas-only competition and held by the Wine Society of Texas, reported winners.   Approximately 150 wines were entered from 31 Texas wineries; nine, award-winning, non-Texas wines were used as “ringers” to benchmark the competition.  The Top Ten Scoring Wines (shown in no order) are Spicewood Vineyards, Rosé of Merlot 2004; Texas Hills Vineyard, Orange Moscato, Newsom Vineyard 2003; Fall Creek Vineyards, Granite Reserve 2003; Becker Vineyards, Claret 2003; Llano Estacado, Chenin Blanc 2004; Delaney Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc 2002; La Bodega Winery, Private Reserve Merlot 2003; Llano Estacado, Cabernet Sauvignon Cellar Reserve, Newsom Vineyard 2002; Flat Creek Estate, Travis Peak Select, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2002; Flat Creek Estate, Muscato Blanco 2004.

TEXAS HILL COUNTRY WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 20th YEAR: Many faithful as well as newcomers enjoyed this annual Festival now operated by SAVEUR.  As one of the initial board members of Susan Auler's brainchild, I really noted the changes and growth.  That first year, as I wrote in the 4th edition of my book THE WINE OF TEXAS, six of us ladies regularly worked for months in a small room KUT.FM provided us to accomplish the first Festival of 1986.  We personally addressed 20,000 invitations and were thrilled when about 300 persons attended.  For twenty years, the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival has showcased wine and food artisans of the Austin-area Hill Country and elsewhere.   The 2005 event,  now operated by Saveur, included an event coordinator this year (Capital Sports & Entertainment) for the weekend events at Auditorium Shores.  Previously the Saturday Fair at the Salt Lick in Driftwood, it became a two-day event called "The Village at Auditorium Shores" and was bigger and more diverse while continuing to celebrate Texas cuisine and culinary artistry throughout the world.  "The Village" wine and food tastings event was the best attended,  numbering 3,500 Saturday and 3,000 Sunday from noon to 6:00pm.  The "Stars Across Texas Grand Tasting" in the evening at Hilton Austin had 1,100 guests.  From Thursday through Sunday there were 30 different  cooking demonstrations, brunches, luncheons, food classes and wine tastings in various locations that averaged between 25 to 100 guests.   The annual wine auction at the Four Seasons Hotel also keeps growing each year.  Chefs and wine producers gave their time, information and products tirelessly and generously and the weather cooperated for perfectly beautiful days and nights.  A special  tour introduced the media to Austin's Tex-Mex properties:  La Mexicana Bakery on South 1st Street served a host of tasty sweets; Guero's on South Congress, which turned a old feed store into a popular eatery, was full and making customers happy--including us; Matt's El Rancho on South Lamar was next and we continued to eat the delicious food like we'd been in a desert for a month while chatting with family members; next was La Paletria on South Congress, a frozen tropical treats emporium founded by Amy Salazar--the water-based coconut popsicle was fabulous;  on to El Azteca on East 7th Street where we enjoyed flautas and fajitas.  It was a delightful trip arranged by the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau.  I'll be going back to all of them.

KING ESTATE WINERY HIRES CULINARY DIRECTOR:  Stu Stein has brought his talent for wine and food pairing to the Oregon winery kitchen.  Stein, dedicated to sustainable agriculture, will complement the winery’s commitment to high quality wine and food pairings.  After contributing to the King Estate Winery Pinot Gris Cookbook and PBS “New American Cuisine” television series in 1995, Stein maintained a close relationship with the winery.  King Estate’s CEO, Ed King, III, believes that the shared philosophy of sustainable living formed a strong bond.   “Stu’s relationship with King Estate has been natural from the beginning,” King says.  “We are thrilled that he is helping take the winery’s culinary expertise to the next level.”  King sees Stein as an integral part of the new Visitor’s Center opening in the summer of 2005.  Designed with a commercial kitchen, the new Visitor’s Center will enable Stein to create new dishes exclusively to complement the portfolio of King Estate wines. The Estate organic gardens have been increased to supplement culinary needs.

THE OAK ROOM has opened in San Antonio, TX, serving USDA prime center cut steaks and pasta, poultry, and seafood.   GM Homer Olveda also  praises his staff for its professional service.   Menu highlights include Ahi Tuna rubbed with cracked pepper and grilled in wine reduction and Carpaccio, marinated tenderloin dressed with capers, onions, cream cheese and extra virgin olive oil appetizers.  Seafood dishes of Grilled Alaskan Salmon served with lobster and oyster mushroom essence, Broiled Shrimp, seasoned and topped with a lemon butter white wine sauce, and a Grilled Wahoo filet topped with a delicious mango cilantro. The Oak Room’s specialties include their USDA prime center-cut steaks seared and charbroiled to taste and paired with a selection of sauces that include Hollandaise, Béarnaise, Demiglaze, Brandy Mushroom, Port Wine Mushroom and a Cognac Peppercorn.  The Oak Room is located at Bitters and Embassy Row. Dinner  daily from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.  Reservations are suggested, call  210-499-4068.

DELOACH VINEYARDS CELEBRATES 30^TH ANNIVERSARY: Pioneering Russian River Valley winery will focus on small-production wines and responsible farming practices.  Winemakers Greg La Follette and Julia Crosby, viticulturist Ginny Lambrix, and a Boisset partnership with the  family will have the winery produce of terroir-driven wines from the Russian River Valley. DeLoach Vineyards has been making wine in the Russian River Valley since 1975, especially Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel.  Since November 2003 DeLoach has been a part of Boisset, La Famille des Grands Vins, the largest producer of Pinot Noir worldwide. DeLoach Vineyards is committed to producing high-quality, small production wines from the Russian River Valley in an environmentally supportive way. www.deloachvineyards.com for information

NEW ZEALAND HARVEST UPDATE: Darryl Woolley, Manager Viticulture and Winemaking Nobilo Wine Group says "The weather has been fantastic for the past fortnight or more and everything is ripening to optimal levels. We are on target for tonnage and quality from all areas and we'll have typically great "cool climate" wines from the 2005 harvest.  We are approximately halfway through the Marlborough harvest and at about 80% of the Hawkes Bay Merlot intake. The grapes have great colour and balance.  The same applies to the Pinot Noir crops in the Marlborough area. Classic cool climate conditions such as we have seen this year will yield fruit intensity, deep colors and ideal sugar acid balance. This week will see us taking in the bulk of the remaining grapes from those areas.  Sauvignon Blanc will be stunning (as it always should be) and the Pinot going on the harvest analysis and what I can see in the fermenting wines, will be rich, ripe and full of fruit characters.  The wines also have great acid balance. We won't be starting to blend the Sauvignon Blanc wines until mid-June so still along way to go before I can comment on specific blends. Suffice it to say we won't be short on quality blending materials to make the Nobilo Icon and other premium blends. And style wise, my feeling is that we will have similar wines to last year's blends."

SPICEWOOD VINEYARDS announced its two newest medal winners, Merlot of Rose 2004 won gold  and Sauvignon Blanc 2004 won silver, and Merlot of Rose also won Best Estate Wine from the Texas Best Wine Competition in Houston,  hosted annually by the Wine Society of Texas.  Spicewood Vineyards is 35 miles west of Austin off of Hwy 71 near the community of Spicewood, Texas.  Spicewood Vineyards is open for winery tours with the winemakers and tastings of 100% estate grown wines Wednesdays – Saturdays 10 am – 5 pm and on Sundays from 12 noon – 5 pm.  For a map and more information, please visit  www.spicewoodvineyards.com or call (830) 693-5328.  

MONTICELLO VINEYARDS reports that Wine & Spirits Magazine will publish its list of  America's Top Ten Merlot Producers in the June 2005 issue.  After judging 421 of America's finest Merlots, MONTICELLO VINEYARDS 2002 Estate Grown Merlot was among the top 10, reporting it:“Soft to the touch, this red fruited wine has the tenderness of merlot. It contrasts bright fruit with darker tones of fine, ripe tannins, lending an earthy detail to the quietly persistent flavor of red and black cherry. Fresh, with a lovely texture and harmonious balance, this would be delicious with grilled sirloin.” - Wine & Spirits, February and June 2005.  Kudos to Kevin Corley and his winegrowing team and to Chris Corley and his winemaking team!


 

NEW RELEASES (quotes are winemakers' comments)

STUHLMULLER Vineyards Proprietor Fritz Stuhlmuller tells me that they are grape growers first.  "Although we enjoyed a reputation as a top Alexander Valley grape grower over the past 25 years, it wasn't until 1996 that we began crafting small batches of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from special blocks of our fruit.   With these wines, we were inspired to create a small artisan winery named for my family.  We believe in a gentle, classic approach to winemaking, focusing on the cultivation of world-class fruit from our family-run estate vineyard.  Located in the southern end of the valley, where Sonoma County appellations of Chalk Hill, Russian River, Dry Creek and Alexander Valley meet, STUHLMULLER Vineyards is situated on the bank and rising benchlands of the Russian River.  Our 150 acres begin with Chardonnay plantings on the valley floor and rise up to hillside blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel."  

·      "STUHLMULLER 2001 Alexander Estate Cabernet Sauvignon$30: "During harvest we picked block by block, going through in multiple passes when necessary to ensure optimum maturity in the fruit.  Brown seeds, along with fully developed flavors in the berries were among our goals.  In the winery, the clusters were gently destemmed.  We cold-soaked the crushed berries for three days without yeast inoculation.  For fermentation we used a mix of open-top tanks with manual punching-down of the cap and closed-top tanks where must was pumped over.  Closed-top tanks help retain fruit intensity in the must while open-top tanks create better palate texture.   Fermentation lasted from 20 to 28 days on the skins.  The finished wine, composed almost entirely of free-run juice, was drained from the tank and racked to French oak barrels, where the wines underwent malolactic fermentation.  Our 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon was blended with a small amount of Petite Verdot and barrel aged in 50% new French oak for 23 months.  This wine has a measured spice-rack approach to winemaking with blending of five individual blocks to create a leggy, intensely dark wine with aromas and flavors of cedar, spice, black fruits, hint of earth, ripe integrated tannins with great fruit concentration. and a finish of blackberry, cassis and black cherry."

·    STUHLMULLER 2003 Alexander Valley Chardonnay $23: "Five blocks of Chardonnay are planted in the well-drained, benchland soils.  This vintage was especially late and the result was a small crop of concentrated, intensely flavorful Chardonnay.  This wine is golden with faint green and shows spiced pear, ginger and toasted almond on the nose.  Bright, lively acidity accentuates the vineyard's signature minerality and balances the wine's rich, full-bodied texture.  The integrated oak notes add a spicy characteristic--enjoy with chicken dishes, veal chops, cream soups and creamy pasta dishes.

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MONTICELLO Corley Family wines, says Steve Corley, have specific practices.  "Our Monticello winemaking philosophy and practices accentuate the 'sunshine to wine' idea, in which our family members direct all aspects of winegrowing and winemaking from the initial selection of the vineyard sites, planting, farming, harvesting, fermenting, and blending through to uncorking the wine for your enjoyment.  We're devoted to producing wines that are true to the grape variety, true to the high quality and the distinct terroir of the estate vineyards that we farm in the Napa Valley and are the finest expressions of Napa Valley wine.  Our recent releases express these qualities."

·    MONTICELLO Corley Family 2002 Pinot Noir, Napa $30

·    MONTICELLO Corley Family 2002 Chardonnay, Napa $29

·    MONTICELLO Corley Family 2002 Merlot, Napa $30

·    MONTICELLO Corley Family 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa $35

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PENFOLDS RELEASES THE 2002 BIN 389 AND BIN 407:  "2002 vintage ranked one of the best in last fifteen years
 Penfolds, Australia's most famous wine, announced the release of the 2002 vintage of its highly regarded Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz and Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon.  The 2002 vintage was outstanding in South  Australia as noted by many Australian commentators.  "The (2002 Penfolds Bin Range) wines have confirmed my views of the vintage which I have  always ranked among the very best South Australian vintages of the past 15  years." - West Australian, March 3, 2005.  The Penfolds Bin range comprises a number of prestigious wines, each a tribute to the carefully crafted winemaking techniques of the Penfolds house style.  The Bin 389 and Bin 407 are both enjoyable upon release, yet will continue to develop and evolve with extended cellaring.  They retail  for approximately US $25.  The 2002 vintage in South Australia produced smaller than average yields but fruit of exceptional quality.  The relatively cool spring and summer gave way to a warm, dry autumn, ripening the grapes and producing a crop with intense colors and elegant fruit flavors.  The resulting wines from 2002, particularly the reds, are intensely flavored with outstanding length and poise.  According to Penfolds Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago, "2002 was an excellent vintage in South Australia. Varietal definition and refined flavours are the defining hallmarks of this vintage."
 The 2002 Penfolds Shiraz fruit clearly demonstrated these particular hallmarks.  The grapes are ripe and intense with a real depth of flavor, retaining varietal character, yet showing no signs of over-ripeness or jamminess.  Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was also outstanding, showing a density and richness of flavor while retaining its distinct fruit character. This fruit is a notable expression of the cool nature of the 2002 vintage.  Both wines are sourced from older, low yielding vines.
PENFOLDS has been producing remarkable Australian wines for almost 150 years.  The introduction of Penfolds Grange Hermitage in 1951 forever changed the landscape of Australian fine wine, since then a series of standout wines - both red and white - have been released under the Penfolds masthead. 

·    PENFOLDS 2002 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, Australia $25 is often referred to as the Poor Man's Grange or Baby Grange, in part because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange.  The capable winemaker Peter Gago is as delightful as he is talented.  Bin 389 exemplifies Penfolds skill in balancing fruit and oak.  The wine matured for 112 months in 22% new, one-year-old and older American oak hogsheads.  Peter says the wine is "vibrant with lively aromas of mocha meshed with concentrated plum, licorice and cold meats.  Subtle smoky oak and background florals complete the aromatic offering  It is full flavored and persistent across the palate and displays great balance between fruit and oak, acid and tannin.  Blackberry and blackcurrant fruit flavors with chewy tannins convey chocolate, mocha flavors and cedary oak.  Will cellar well--ten years.  Pair with beef, duck game and lamb."

·    PENFOLDS 2002 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia $25 was launched in 1993 with the 1990 vintage.  It was developed in response to the increasingly availability of high-quality cabernet sauvignon fruit.  It offers varietal definition and attention to detail.  A textbook Cabernet, Bin  407 highlights the rewards of Penfolds' multi-region, multi-vineyard blending with a core of ripe fruit supported by French and American oak.  Winemaker Peter Gago says "Spring and summer temperatures were amongst the lowest on record, which reduced yield potential and slowed ripening to a crawl.  A warm, dry autumn and careful vineyard management let the grapes reach ideal ripeness.  The wine matured 12 months in 32% new, one-year-old and two year old French and American hogsheads.  Aromas are varietal, leafy and peppermint with blackcurrant, cassis and mulberry, nutmeg and cedar nuances, stylish and complete.  The palate is zesty and of great length with mouthwatering acidity and chunky tannins.  Flavors are fresh blackberries with perfectly integrated oak and hint of char.  A continuum of flavor and power across the palate--proudly 100% Cabernet.  This wine will repay medium to long term cellaring and is at least equal to any Bin 407 back to the 1996 vintage." 

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 GARGIULO VINEYARDS 2002 Merlot, Money Road Ranch, Oakville, Napa Valley $35: This single estate vineyard has some interesting recent history.  April Gargiulo tells me "Our small  family winery is committed to producing world-class, terroir-driven wine from our two Oakville estate properties, Money Road Ranch and 575 OVX.  Food and Wine Magazine recently named Gargiulo, 'one of the most notable new wineries on the planet.'  This wine has ripe black cherry, and chocolate aromas, firm tannin, good spice, medium body, and a moderately long finish.  This elegant wine is 90% Merlot 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and planted to 101-14 and 420a rootstocks grafted to clones 6, 181 and 314 that yields five tons per acre. It spent 18 months in French oak; 52% new and 1094 cases were produced.  Jeff Gargiulo has been in the business of farming his entire life. For Gargiulo, becoming a vintner is truly a synthesis of a lifetime of accumulated agricultural knowledge and a passion for wine. He and his wife, Valerie, purchased their first Oakville vineyard, Money Road Ranch, in 1992 and after two years of top to bottom re-engineering, re-planted it in 1994. An acclaimed merlot property in the valley for over twenty years, 35 of Money Road Ranch’s 40 acres were re-planted to merlot (3 different rootstocks and 3 different clones) and the remaining five were split between Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Pinot Grigio. The first commercial release off Money Road Ranch was 2000 Money Road Ranch Merlot.  In 2000 the Gargiulos purchased 9 additional acres in Oakville at 575 Oakville Crossroad. This vineyard, named 575 OVX (Oakville Crossroad) is situated on the eastern side of Oakville; sandwiched between Rudd and Screaming Eagle. In the spring of 2001 the Gargiulos re-planted 575 OVX to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. It is one of the only south facing sloped vineyards in Oakville. Fall 2004 marked the first harvest off of 575 OVX and in April 2005 the Gargiulos begin construction on a state-of-the-art winery.  Money Road Ranch and 575 OVX were re-planted utilizing the most recent advances in vineyard development including; soil drainage, vine spacing, trellising, and rootstock/clone selection criteria. Sustainable farming practices are employed, including no-till soil management, and deficit irrigation. Thanks to Valerie Gargiulo’s aunt and uncle, Bernard and Belle Rhodes, legendary viticulturalist Laurie Wood became part of the team. He manages both properties.   UC Davis-trained Winemaker Kristof Anderson is an Oakville veteran with many award-winning wines under his belt, and like the Gargiulos, believes in intense vineyard management and strives for a seamless integration of a wine’s constituent parts. "If the quality is not in the soil and fruit, it will not be in the bottle."

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SHAFER Vineyards has good news beyond its three delicious new wines.  Doug Shafer tells me that in December 2004, Shafer Vineyards became the first winery in California's  premier wine region to have converted to 100% solar power.  "We're greeting each morning with new enthusiasm and asking how many kilowatts will our solar power generate today?" he smiles.   "The $800,000. project is expected to pay for itself in energy cost savings in seven to eight years and for us solar is part of a long term approach to our overall commitment toward sustainability."

·    SHAFER 2003 Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay ($40) is a single vineyard non-malolactic wine.  On 70 acres near the northern tip of San Francisco Bay, SHAFER harvests fruit for this single vineyard wine.  The Carneros soil is home to countless gophers who love to feast on young vines roots.  To contain this problem.  Shafer has erected owl nesting boxes and hawk perches to encourage day and night rodent patrol.  "The Red Shouldered Hawks and other birds of prey do such an outstanding job, we named the vineyard in their honor," Doug Shafer says.  Winemaker Elias Fernandez says, "We could tell at the crush pad that something special had happened out in the vineyard.  The flavors are explosive and offer extraordinary length.  This is what Chardonnay is all about--tropical fruit, apricots, green apple and pineapple." 

·    SHAFER 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($54) is a wine that Shafer says creates the ultimate snapshot of a vintage.  "We select top-quality fruit from small, carefully-tended vineyards most of which lie along Napa Valley's southeastern corridor, from Stags Leap District south, along the base of the Vaca Mountain range.  This narrow band of terrain offers the right blend of hear ad coolness to create a balance of ripeness and acidity.  We find significant differences from site to site, which we blend to create a wine that offers the best the vintage has to offer."  Of the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Fernandez says, "This release offers solid layers of dark, juicy, Cabernet fruit, classic blackberry and cherry, plus herbs and black pepper spread over a sweet, jazzy core.  American oak adds spice, vanilla, char and coconut."

·    SHAFER 2002 Firebreak ($36) is Shafer's 11th release of Firebreak, a proprietary blend of Sangiovese (91%) and Cabernet Sauvignon.   "At their current age, our Sangiovese vines have hit a new level of maturity and thanks to a diligent and highly skilled vineyard team, we are harvesting some of the best fruit we've seen."  Fernandez concurs and says, I believe we're crafting a Sangiovese that blends the Tuscan tradition with Napa Valley fruit.  This wine is a great dinner companion, offering delicious facets of saltiness, cranberry, black pepper and spiciness."

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KULETO Estate Family Vineyards 2002 Syrah, Napa Valley ($40) contains the three clones of Syrah planted at 1400 feet on top of a ridge with thin, shaly soil.  Syrah can grow like a weed and set huge crops in some sites, but on this windy ridge, the vines are slow to grow, small in stature and produce low yields with little intervention.  Berries and clusters are small for the variety and therefore produce wines of great intensity.  Winemaker David Lattin put the destemmed grapes into small, open-top tanks and one larger closed top tank and cold soaked for five days.  "We added small amounts of commercial yeast.  After pressing, the wine was transferred by gravity to French oak puncheons (300L) to undergo malolactic fermentation and the first stage of aging.  At ten months, the lots were racked, blended and returned to French oak barrels for seven more months of aging.  The wine was finished without fining and only minimal filtration.  The 2002 Syrah is a saturated red-purple, with super-ripe berries, chocolate, candle wax aromas and explodes in the mouth with intense, juicy fruit, sweet, chewy tannins and enough acidity to keep it lively and long,"  Lattin says.   I agree with David Lattin's comments--plus!!  I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely wine and feel you will want at least a case. 

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TURNER ROAD has released two new bottles of the 2003 vintage.  Winemaker Matt Parish says the launch of the wines last fall has met tremendous success; hence the quick move to release the next vintage (2003).   Parish says, "The premium wines of Turner Road are rich and smooth with vibrant fruit flavors.  My style is select the desirable site in California for each grape variety.  At $11, TURNER ROAD Vineyards offers a lot, especially  specific appellations--Lodi Shiraz, Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon and Central Coast Chardonnay."

·    TURNER ROAD 2003 Lodi Shiraz $11: "Shiraz has found a terrific home in Lodi," Parish says, "where the warm days fully ripen the fruit and the cool nights help retain the vibrant flavors.  This wine exhibits dark berry fruit and plum aromas and flavors and an attractive structure of ripe, concentrated fruit supported by fine oak influences, giving excellent balance, approachability and a persistent finish.  Pair with grilled sirloin with shallot-black pepper butter, roasted lamb chops with rosemary or fresh vegetables roasted with garlic and herbs."

·    TURNER ROAD 2003 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon $11: "With its warm, dry growing season, Paso Robles produces some of California's most remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon.  Ours is bright with red berry and cherry fruit flavors, complexity and a mouthfeel enhanced by French and American oak.  Pair with grilled steaks and mushrooms, creamy fettuccine with smoked sausages or roast beef."

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RODNEY STRONG Vineyards sends greetings from beautiful Russian River Valley and all its other estate vineyards throughout Sonoma County--Chalk Hill, Alexander Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. 

·    SYMMETRY 2000 Alexander Valley ($55), as Winemaker Rick Sayre is fond of saying, is the  expression of balance, proportion and harmony.   "Symmetry celebrates the esteemed art of blending,  and the spirit of Symmetry is truly the essence of Sonoma County.  With nearly 40 years experience growing classic French grape varieties here, we select our best cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc from mountain and hillside vineyards in Alexander Valley, where well-drained, volcanic soils combine with warm, sunny days and cool nights to provide ideal growing conditions for Bordeaux varieties.  Each vineyard is hand harvested, fermented separately, and aged for two years in French and American oak barrels.  Every barrel is tasted and graded, and only the highest graded barrels are considered for the final blend.  Once this careful blending is complete, we bottle and age the wine for an additional two years prior to release.  The 2000 Symmetry has an opulent bouquet of blackberries, ripe dark plums and sweet spices. The wine opens generously on the palate with layers of blackberry, cassis and plum framed with accents of dark chocolate and spice.  The finish is persistent and supple.  This wine is at once rich, harmonious, powerful, and elegant; a wine intended to be enjoyable on release, yet destined for years of further evolution in the bottle.  Savor it!"

·    RODNEY STRONG Vineyards 2000 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County $40.  "Vintage 2000 marked the 30th year Rodney Strong Vineyards has been growing cabernet sauvignon in Sonoma County.  But is wasn’t until the 1987 vintage that owner Tom Klein asked Rick Sayre to put together a small blend of the very best cabernet that he had made from that year; consequently, the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was created.
Winery visitors often ask what “Reserve” means to us.  It’s simple.  Reserve means the winemaker’s careful blend of individual wines made from time tested, meticulously farmed sections of some of the very best vineyards in Sonoma County.  Each lot is vinified separately, aged in our finest barrels, and then selected by the winemaker, barrel by barrel, for the final assembly.  It literally is a matter of taste.  Full bodied, with intense flavors of blackberry, cassis, and black olive, this age-worthy cabernet is layered with the addition of cabernet franc, which adds considerable aromatic complexity, and a little merlot, which softens the abundant ripe tannins just enough to make this a big wine that you can enjoy now.  In addition, if you have access to a cool dark place, lay some bottles of this Reserve down for up to ten years, and your patience will be rewarded!

·    RODNEY STRONG Vineyards 2003 Chalk Hill Chardonnay $19.  "Our founder Rod Strong planted chardonnay in our original Chalk Hill Vineyard in 1965, and later spearheaded the establishment of the Chalk Hill Viticultural Area in 1983.  He recognized the region as distinct from the rest of Russian River Valley for its unique chalky white soils, which impart a subtle mineral character to wines grown there.  The 2003 vintage began with a long wet spring, which delayed bloom and reduced yields for early varieties like chardonnay.  A relatively cool summer delayed harvest initially, but a September heat wave allowed everything to catch up, and we finished picking all of this chardonnay by the end of September.
Barrel fermentation in new (40%) and seasoned French oak added toasty vanilla and spice complexities, and during 10 months of barrel ageing, we regularly stirred the “lees” in barrel, which gives a certain fullness and creamy texture on the palate.  Encouraging malolactic fermentation added additional character, and in the glass the wine is both creamy and crisp, with abundant fruit character, mineral, and toasty oak flavors. This
medium to full-bodied chardonnay possesses beautiful balance and texture while displaying bright citrus, tropical and green apple flavors and delightful natural acidity.  Enjoy over the next 1-3 years.

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EDMEADES 2003 Zinfandel, Mendocino $18: "EDMEADES is pure Mendocino, County.  The wines has the authentic taste of one of California's final viticultural frontiers--the Anderson Valley.  Our approach is traditional and natural: our methods are decidedly low tech.  We believe in native yeast fermentations in small, open top bins, hand punch downs, minimal manipulation, and no fining or filtration at bottling.  This wine has focused aromas of cherries, spice, roasted coffee and oak vanillin with hints of earth and forest floor.  Small amounts of pinot Noir and Grenache add a perfumed fruit  character.  Darker fruits dominate the palate--juicy, jammy, lively with a long berry finish."

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CANYON ROAD Winery has its new season releases.  All wines were made using small-lot fermentation--no bigger than a single, 20-ton truck load of grapes.   After fermentation finished, Winemaker Chris Munsell evaluated the lots through blind tasting, having no idea if a Sauvignon Blanc sample came from Monterey, Lake County or Sonoma County.  This step lets Chris achieve consistent quality and style. 

·    CANYON ROAD Winery 2003 Merlot, California $9: "supple and complex, this wine offers rich red cherry fruit, a hint of spicy oak and green olive.  The juicy, medium-bodied mid-palate has a creamy texture and lot of blueberry an cherry fruit.  The wine's hint of smokiness comes from barrel aging and the soft tannins and nice backbone of acidity make it a great match with  duck or pheasant."

·    CANYON ROAD Winery 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, California $8: "Aromas of ripe, tropical fruit, including lychee, lime, pineapple and orange.  Though no malolactic fermentation or oak aging was employed, a hint of creaminess lends complexity. Citrus and lime flavors and a natural refreshing acidity enhance a crisp finish. Pair with mango and jicama slaw, shrimp ceviche and fillet of sole."

·    CANYON ROAD Winery 2003 cabernet Sauvignon, California $9: "

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CLOS DU VAL has a classic line of wines that represents the graceful, timeless style the winery has produced since 1972.   The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are made from grapes grown on our 180-acre Carneros vineyards.  While 2003 produced a smaller crop, it was an exceptional vintage.  Our 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2002 Merlot showcase fruit blended from our Stags Leap District vineyards and top sites in Napa Valley.

·    CLOS DU VAL 2003 Chardonnay, Carneros $21: "Aromas and flavors of rich complex tropical fruit, as well as pear and hints of citrus, blend with nuances of vanilla and butterscotch in this fresh, clean wine.   Full bodied yet elegant, its creamy, intense, ripe tropical fruits finish crisply, long and polished."

·    CLOS DU VAL2003  Pinot Noir, Carneros $ 24: "Intense red and black fruit aromas and flavors with black cherry,  strawberry and earth  accents deliver rich, supple fruit characteristics that intensify mid palate.  Acidity and tannin are well integrated and balanced with soft, velvety finish." 

·    CLOS DU VAL 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District $28: "Nose exudes aromas of rich black currant fruit with a hint of toast, flavors of black fruits dominate the palate and lead to a full-bodied, powerful wine that is well- centered and leaves a long finish.  Enjoy this classic wine with a filet mignon."

·    CLOS DU VAL 2002  Merlot  Stags Leap District $25: "A dense, inky color with rich aromas of intense black currant. blackberry, hints of herbs, black olives and toast lead to a well-structured wine with an abundance of dark red and black fruit flavors, balanced with sweet toast, spice, and soft tannins, rich and complex with lingering finish, pair with roast chicken, pork or beef."

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CRICHTON HALL  CRICHTON HALL offers award-winning, European- style Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and our own Bordeaux blend
called Reflexion. CRICHTON HALL focuses on small productions of these hand crafted fine wines and styles them in the tradition of the Old World, family-run wineries. After two decades, our farming and wine-making techniques produce wines that remain true to their varietal characteristics, promising elegance in the glass to accompany both old and new world cuisine.   CRICHTON HALL, located in the southwestern bench lands of Napa Valley, was established in 1983 as a Chardonnay estate. Over the years, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Reflexion were added to CRICHTON HALL’s portfolio of wines. Likewise, there have been additions to the vineyards. We are now growing our own Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot grapes.
Our history of garnering some of the industry’s most prestigious accolades continues. Most recently, Wine & Spirits Magazine awarded 93 points to our 1999 Chardonnay and ranked it in the top eleven Chardonnays in the world for all of 2002. We invite you to enjoy our award-winning wines with your next meal!

·    CRICHTON HALL 2000 Chardonnay, Napa Valley $28: "This Chardonnay begins with fruit harvested from vineyards with exceptional terroir.  It continues with our winemaking techniques.  Twenty years ago, we pioneered traditional Burgundian methods to make California Chardonnay.  Instead of tank fermentation off the yeast lees, our Chardonnay is barrel fermented sur lies for 11 months, giving it a toasty, crème brûlée character.  Thirty percent malolactic fermentation lends a buttery feel, while our judicious use of new oak – 25 percent – restrains the wood’s influence on masking the fruit.   The results are an award-winning, consistently praised wine for its restrained oak softly integrated fruit character, fine texture, and a lengthy finish with refreshing acidity and enlivened fruit.  Gentle orange blossom and ginger on the nose are layered with exotic flavors of stone fruit, green mango, and spicy pear nectars. Richer elements of crème brûlée and hazelnut linger lusciously on the palate, refreshed by hints of lemon zest on the finish.

·    CRICHTON HALL 2000 Pinot Noir, Carneros, $32: "Perhaps more than any other variety, Pinot Noir is an expression of terroir and to express that purity, CRICHTON HALL has harvested its fruit from the same ten rows of vines since its first Pinot Noir was produced in 1991.  The signature mineral and gout de terre quality that is its hallmark results from two hillside sites in the acclaimed Truchard Vineyard in Carneros.  Traditionally, this wine has been blended equally with two clones of Pinot Noir: Pommard, which offers exotic spice, earth and mineral elements, and heirloom Martini for richness and body with its robust fruit character.   Three rows of the Swan clone contribute complexity and a sublime element to the traditional blend.  This Pinot Noir is bright, firm, ripe and juicy with plenty of exotic spice and earth elements.  A single vineyard wine aged 18 months in French Oak, it displays a lush brick red in the glass and an alluring aroma of oriental spice, wild strawberry and cherries.

·    CRICHTON HALL 2000 Merlot, Napa Valley $32: "The hallmark of our classic Bordeaux styled Merlot is its structure of fine tannins, rich aromatics and dark fruit flavors.  It has a deep jeweled garnet color and full body.  Fruit from the Truchard and Caldwell vineyards--cool regions with hillside conditions that stress the vines for smaller berries and intense flavors--gives this wine layered flavors of blackberry, loganberry, and ripe plums with earth elements of tobac and light smoky oak.  The finish lingers with supple tannins and soft floral nuances."

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HANDLEY Cellars Dry Creek Valley wines are truly lovely.  I've visited Winemaker Milla Handley's winery several times and especially enjoyed tasting through the array of her lovely creations with foods prepared to pair admirably with each wine.   Milla's family has owned the 20-acre vineyard in Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley since the late 1970s.  When she started her winery in Anderson Valley, she decided to use grapes from the family vineyard as well as Anderson Valley grapes.  From a production point of view this has proven to be a good decision.  Dry Creek fruit ripens three to four weeks earlier than Anderson Valley fruit, allowing the crush crew to focus on the Dry Creek wines before the Anderson Valley harvest begins.  Fruit from the two regions gives Milla a chance to show the effects of nature versus nurture.  She makes the wines from the two regions in a similar manner, but grapes grown in the deep soils and warmer temperatures of Dry Creek Valley produce wines with a rounder structure than those from Handley's estate.  The Dry Creek property produced wonderful grapes, but spacing and trellising were not designed for the deep soils.  The vigorous nature of the vineyard made leaf-pulling and hedging necessary to prevent disease and to allow balanced flavors to develop.  Due to phylloxera infestation, Handley pulled out the original vineyard and, from 1998 to 2001, she replanted with chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, and small amounts of viognier and syrah.  Her choice of trellising method, clones, rootstocks and vine density will all combine to encourage balanced vine growth, better grape flavors and less chemical use.

·    HANDLEY Cellars 2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley $15: "The crisp fruit flavors and aromas of this Sauvignon Blanc are a result of careful winemaking. Part of the blend was fermented and aged five months in French oak (10% new); the remaining portion was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks.  Barrel fermentation delivers a round texture to the wine, and tank fermentation emphasizes its fruit and mineral qualities.  Subtly complex, Handley's Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc offers rich aromas of melon and mango, accented with grapefruit, lime, and a hint of jasmine. Clean flavors of gooseberry and citrus on the palate make it a food-pairing champion."

·    HANDLEY Cellars 2003 Chardonnay, Dry Creek Valley $18: "With aromas of pears, pineapples and orange blossoms, this Chardonnay is silky on the palate with forward flavors of tangerines and cream.  Subtle oak and spice add depth and complexity.  This wine offers the luscious flavor and creamy texture of lemon cream. Delightful citrus length! The flavors in this Chardonnay complement classic white sauces, papaya salad as well as more exotic Thai-inspired dishes containing coconut milk and cilantro.

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GEYSER PEAK notes that, at a winery decisions made today may not be seen or tasted until years hence.  "Four years ago, Geyser Peak embarked on an ambitious program to return to our Alexander Valley roots, and to focus on the grape variety which excels best in this small valley's warm, temperate climate: cabernet sauvignon.  Simultaneously, the development of hillside cabernet vineyards in Alexander Valley over the last decade has evolved the flavor profile of cabernet-based wines from the region.  Once thought of as 'innately soft and fluid,' to quote a wine guide published in 2002, the introduction of hillside fruit has brought greater intensity and structure to may Alexander Valley Cabernets.  As these vineyards have matured and come into balance, the concentration and complexity they bring to wines has increased.  The backbone of the 2001 GEYSER PEAK RESERVE Cabernet Sauvignon comes from these newer, hillside sources.  With the release of this wine, in the year of our 125th anniversary as a winery, GEYSER PEAK returns to an Alexander Valley appellation on our Reserve Cabernet.  GEYSER PEAK continues to produce wines appropriate to other variety-designated regions.  The longer that California is in the wine business, the more places are identified for growers specific grapes.  As Public Relations Manager Mary Burnham tells me, "At Geyser Peak we believe passionately that blending is often integral to creating world-class wine.  We also believe that terroir provides a wine's essential foundation.   Occasionally we come across a parcel of land that produces grapes that, when vinified, speak so clearly and compellingly of the place from which they come, that we refuse to blend them at all.  These are our Block Collection wines."

·     GEYSER PEAK 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley $46:  Aged in 35% new American oak and 65% one-to-two-year-old American oak, this wine has all the delicious flavors I love.  I agree with the winemaker's assessment that it is big, bold and rich with ripe fruit aromas and flavors with intensity and style.  Blackberry and black cherry certainly fit the profile and there are notes of sweet spices, vanilla and cocoa. There's a focused juicy palate of structure and depth carrying the fruit to a finish with fine-grained tannins.  Wish I had another bottle--make that a case!

·    GEYSER PEAK 2003 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley $19: "Grapes from select blocks within four premier vineyards in Russian River Valley were vinified separately, then blended after aging to create a svelte, fruit-driven wine of intensity and style.  Lush pear, apple, butterscotch and lemon peel, a rich and round palate and all gives way to a crisp and balanced finish."

·    GEYSER PEAK 2002 Block Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, Kuimelis Vineyard, Alexander Valley $42 (cases 1200): "A portion of fruit for this wine was processed through our rotary fermenters. These innovative tanks enable us to achieve maximum desirable extraction with only four or five days of on-skin fermentation. The remainder of fermentation was completed in new American oak barrels. This progressive technique allows for early integration of oak-driven nuance into the wine and avoids extraction of harsh, overly drying tannins.  The vibrant, deeply crimson color of this wine speaks to its hillside origins, promising intensity and rich fruit.  From the first approach on the nose, the wine’s classic Alexander Valley aromas of black cherry and wild blackberry dominate, with accent notes of cedar and vanilla. Intense blackberry fruit and spice are the hallmarks of the palate. Deep, juicy fruit flavors and balanced acidity give way seamlessly on the finish to a deft supporting structure of fine-grained tannin, at which point dark fruit flavors reappear to balance the tannin and carry the wine to a memorable finish."

·    GEYSER PEAK 2003 Block Collection Chardonnay, Ricci Vineyard, Carneros $23 (580 cases) : "Located close to San Pablo Bay, the Ricci Vineyard's foggy mornings, cool breezes and shallow soils create ideal conditions for ripening superb Chardonnay.  Farmed by three generations of the Ricci family, this vineyard is planted with a mixture of new and old clones of Chardonnay. Grapes for this wine were sourced from a small parcel within the vineyard which overlooks San Pablo Bay, in which the combination of sun exposure, soil type and clonal selection yields particularly intense grapes. After harvest, grapes were whole-bunch pressed and cold settled, then transferred to small, water-bent barrels for fermentation.  The bright, luminous color of this wine, a medium-to-dark straw that seems almost iridescent, is the first indication of its vibrant fruit character. Intense aromas of green apple, supported by a note of mild butterscotch, jump out of the glass. On the palate, these notes give way to mango, fig and a bowlful of tropical fruit flavors, enlivened by a balanced, natural acidity.  After the duet of fruit and acid, the wine's creamy texture
and more delicate fruit characters become apparent, in which the complexity yielded from lees stirring shows itself. "

·    GEYSER PEAK 2004 Block Collection Viognier, Preston Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley $19 (470 cases): "Fruit was harvested in the cool hours of early morning, in order to preserve the grape's intense fruit flavors, and whole berry crushed. After cold settling, the juice was racked directly to two and three-year old French oak barrels. The wine was fermented in barrel and aged on its lees for five months; oak influence was minimized. The wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation.   On the nose, this wine flaunts an exotic array of honeysuckle, rose and Asian pear aromas. Hints of jasmine and a subtle bass note of barrel ferment add complexity. A finely balanced palate aims for a medium-bodied style that maintains enough natural acidity to balance the wine's weight and fruit. Fruit and floral characters continue to mingle on the harmonious, persistent finish. This wine, we feel, is at its best in its youth and is the perfect complement to lightly spiced cuisine from the Pacific Rim, or virtually any shellfish.

·    GEYSER PEAK 2004 Block Collection Sauvignon Blanc, River Road Ranch, Russian River Valley $21(860 cases): "At harvest, we pick and vinify each vineyard block separately.  Fruit was harvested in the cool hours of early morning, in order to preserve the grape's intense fruit flavors, and
whole berry crushed.  The majority of the wine was cool-fermented in stainless steel., and 17% was fermented in neutral oak.   Pure and vibrant aromas, notes of citrus, grapefruit and a hint of grassiness stay true to varietal, while the intense mid-palate shows more citrus--lime and grapefruit.  A mineral note adds complexity.  The wine has textured roundness and is balanced by lively acidity.  Pair with oysters, chevre and cerviche and other seafoods."

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·    FORESTVILLE 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, California $6: "Golden straw color with a fruity forward nose of fresh honeydew melon, lemon grass and grapefruit.  It's lightly grassy on the palate with a smooth, crisp finish."

·    FORESTVILLE 2003 Gewürztraminer, California $6: "This aromatic wine has a honeysuckle nose with pear and is silky on the palate with mineral notes and spice on the finish."

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 ROBERT CRAIG tells me that the 2001 Zinfandel has produced a full-bodied, classic Amador County Zinfandel which possesses all the weight and rustic character expected of a Sierra Foothills Zinfandel, within a balanced, refined presentation.  "Zinfandel grapes from a dry-farmed, head-pruned vineyard are small and flavor-packed with varietal character.  Picked in small lots and barrel aged, this exceptional fruit is given its full expression to create a definitive Amador County Zin," he says.  "The ROBERT CRAIG 2001 Zinfandel Amador County $24 has aromas like ripe cherry and spice with overtones of earth, plum, and cream.  The flavors are mouth filling black cherry and dusty spice, with orange peel and tangerine notes.  It's luscious and long-lived fruit, tobac and cream give a flavorful finish.  This bold wine is fresh and weighty, with a solid core of fruit and round, ripe tannins, approachable and easy to drink, yet complex with a rich palette of flavors."

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ROSENBLUM CELLARS' Zinfandel program has been recognized for consistently capturing the character of some of California's great independent vineyards for more than a quarter of a century.  Like a fingerprint, each ROSENBLUM Zinfandel is as individual as the regions and vineyards they represent.  Reflecting this diversity is a trio of newly released Zinfandels from ROSENBLUM.

·    ROSENBLUM CELLARS 2003 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, Rockpile Road Vineyard $30: "Farmed from one of Rosenblum's cornerstone vineyards, the Rockpile Zin is bursting with power, structure and deep minerality.  Using hillside fruit grown at 1200 feet, from a rare 110-year-old St. Peter Church clone, this wine is big enough to handle 80 percent new French oak barrels.  The result is a rich and complex wine filled with accents of red fruit, red soil, blackberry and well-rounded tannins.  This small hillside vineyard sits high above Lake Sonoma with a great view of upper Dry Creek valley.  The unique location and clone make it special.  The bouquet is rich, extracted with ripe black cherry and black currant, hints of vanilla and black pepper, creamy spices and dark chocolate.  Pair with hearty pasta, grilled salmon, slow-smoked pork ribs and duck a la orange."

·    ROSENBLUM CELLARS 2003 San Francisco Bay Zinfandel, Continente Vineyard $20: "This wine is long on warm, Mediterranean flavors of spice, smoke, roasted herbs and pepper.  The fruit for this wine is cultivated from dry-farmed vines that are about 50 to 100 years old.  This wine exhibits rich chocolate plum and cherry character with ripe black currants and hints of exotic spices.  It nicely complements hearty stews, grilled meats and southwestern cuisine."

·    ROSENBLUM CELLARS 2003 Paso Robles Zinfandel, Richard Sauret Vineyard $20: "The dry-farmed, sun-drenched vineyard's grapes explode with ripeness and concentrated zinfandel fruit and is blended with 10% petite sirah, which adds balance and color and spice, to produce a classic, jammy and layered California style Zin.  This is a rich, fruit-packed Zin with black currant, blackberry, ripe cherry and cracked pepper hints of vanilla and briary spice.  Pair with Asian smoked duck, grilled rack of lamb and hearty polenta."

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CHATEAU SOUVERAIN 2001 Winemaker's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $40: "If there is just one varietal that I would hang my hat on as the signature wine for Château Souverain," says Winemaker Ed Killian, "it would certainly be the Winemaker's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  The 2001 vintage was a memorable one with a late start to winter and a spring filled with frost.  The Alexander Valley (AV) experienced an early heat wave in June that turned to a moderately warm and pleasant summer, triggering an early harvest in mid-August and producing grapes of excellent quality--moderate yields and early maturity.  Each vineyard contributes different flavor profiles to the wine and I selected hillside fruit, eastern slopes of Alexander Valley as well as our estate fruit, and the remaining 22% came from Stuhlmuller vineyards--gravelly benchland in southern AV along Russian River.  Lots were vinified and  aged separately and the 2001 was aged in 100 percent new French (61%)  and American (39%)  oak for 28 months to allow the black cherry and black currant fruit flavors to integrate with tannins. The French oak enhanced the brown-spice components and espresso coffee aromas and flavors while the American oak imparted vanilla and chocolate.  The wine bottle aged another year.   It's muscular, structured and dense, ruby-purple with scents reminiscent of lead pencil, saddle leather, rich aromatics of black stone fruit and flavors of black plum, black cherry with complex bittersweet chocolate, spices and cedar.  Multifaceted layers of fruit and dry spice with hints of vanilla, rich, round tannins all lead to a lingering, smoky espresso during the long finish."

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TWOTONE Farms had its first releases a little over a year ago--2002 Chardonnay and 2001 Merlot, both well received.  TWOTONE wines are made from grapes grown in great vineyards scattered across Napa Valley.  The wines highlight fruit, freshness and balance.  TwoTone Farm is a painting by Santa Fe artist Patrick McFarlin--the label on the wine.  It evokes a mood of farm-style, down-to-earth straightforwardness and unpretentious fun and the tradition extends to the twist screw-cap closure.  Winemaker Danielle Cyrot has much anticipated the release of her first TWOTONE Cabernet Sauvignon--waiting 22 months while it was in barrel.  She says, "The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley $10 has blueberry, black cherry, clove, raspberry aromas and flavors with sweet vanilla and cola.  It's full-bodied, ripe and round tannins, and gives flavors of raspberry jam, red cherries, rhubarb and cherry pie. I like it with a juicy hamburger with blue cheese or babyback ribs."

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ST. CLEMENT 2003 Carneros-Napa Valley Chardonnay $16 is created from Winemaker James Kress' preferred sources for Chardonnay in the Carneros that include the Stanley Lane and Abbot vineyards.  "These are both stellar fruit sources.  Abbot William has grown Carneros grapes since 1960  and as he approaches 100 years of age, he still drinks a glass of Carneros wine daily.  This wine has complex aromas and flavors of citrus, orange blossom, pears, crème brûlée and a light touch of oak and smokiness that combines with the mineral characters from the Carneros region in this fruit forward wine.  A lingering silky finish hints of cinnamon, baked pears and honey and  the balanced acidity makes it a good companion for many cuisines."

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KOBRAND has a number of wines available for your pleasure.  My spring Symposium on Wine students enjoyed the extremely affordable FORTANT de FRANCE 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon--a young, fresh, enjoyable, fruity wine with two grams per liter residual sugar and only $6.  The screw-cap conserves the fruit flavors.   Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the most sought-after and best-loved red wine grape in the world--the yardstick of Bordeaux and the benchmark of California.  It was first identified in France (1736) as the "Vidure" for the stalk's hard wood ("dure"=hard; "vigne"=vine).  The small, thick- skinned berries give an extremely high ratio of solids to juice, resulting in wines of deep color, considerable extract and intense tannins.  Thin, gravelly soils and a cool climate, as in Bordeaux, yield lean, tough, austerely tannic Cabernet which is softened by blending with other grapes, such as Merlot, for fruit, roundness and accessibility.  In warmer climates and richer soils, Cabernet attains a higher degree of ripeness with softer, fatter tannins and lower acidity, making it possible to produce a pure varietal wine not conceivable in more northern vineyards.   Fortant produces such a wine from vines planted in chalky clay and limestone soils and alluvial terraces of the Pays d'Oc.  Vines are planted at a relatively high density of 4,000-4,500 per hectare (roughly 1,600 to 1,800 per acre) to yield wines of concentrated structure and aroma.  A portion of the fruit is harvested at a maturity representing potential alcohol of 12% to evoke the fresh fruitiness and bouquet of the wine; the balance is allowed to mature to a level of between 12.5% and 13.5% to provide ripeness, complexity, structural support and dimension.  Alcoholic fermentation is carried out at a temperature of 28  to 30 C (82  to 86 F) and followed by a post-fermentative maceration on the skins of 10 to 25 days at 27ºC (80ºC), which completes extraction and stabilization of the flavoring and coloring elements and also enhances the wine's fullness and structure.  A full malolactic fermentation completes the vinification process.  A portion of the wine spends six months in barriques of central French origin, in the proportion of 30% new oak, 30% oak of one year's use, and 40% oak of two years' use.  The finished wine is deep purple red in color, and the style is rich, velvety and well-structured with full, ripe cassis fruit and herbal nuances offset by vanilla and grilled notes both on the nose and in the mouth.  The elegant, persistent finish is again marked herbs, vanilla and impressions of torrefaction.  

·    FORTANT de FRANCE 2004Cabernet Sauvignon has: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from clay and limestone soils and alluvial terraces throughout the Pays d’Oc.   Traditional temperature controlled vinification of destalked grapes to an alcohol content of 12% with residual sugar of less than 2g/l; post-fermentative maceration of 1- to 25 days; malolactic fermentation complete; cold stabilized and filtered; partial oak maturation for 6 months; bottle aged for 3 months.  Deep violet-red with purple highlights; nose complex and aromatic, with pronounced herbal and leafy nuances; palate elegant and balanced, with ripe, complete harmoniousness and medium tannic density.  Best drunk within four years of vintage date with grilled and roast meats and hearty cheeses.

·    SEQUOIA GROVE 2002Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley $25: This classic Napa Valley Cabernet accentuates the character of the region's fine vineyards.  Full-bodied with good palate expression of black cherry, blueberry, currant and black plums.  Integrated with smooth tannins and luscious fruit, enjoy now or hold for a few years.

·    SEQUOIA GROVE  2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford Reserve, Napa Valley $45: "Produced primarily from vineyards in the Rutherford area, this pure Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a gesture of respect for the true character of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.  It expresses the quality fruit of this area's unique microclimates with as little as possible by winemaking techniques.  Following a morning harvest, grapes were crushed and destemmed. Stainless steel fermentation on the skins controlled at 85°F lasted eight to 30 days including maceration.  Pressed from the skins, the wine undergoes a full malolactic fermentation in a combination of steel and oak over approximately six weeks, is racked into small oak barrels (70% French and 30% American) to age for 12 to 18 months depending on the vintage. Prior to bottling, it is given a light fining.  This elegant, full-bodied wine has a fragrant, perfumed bouquet of black fruit and cassis offset by notes of smoke, cedar and vanilla which are confirmed on the palate in a structure of ripe, supple tannins and a full, velvety texture.  The wine's fruit intensity carries into a lasting finish which promises graceful maturation, yet shows early approachability.

·    ST. FRANCIS 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County $20: "Ripe, rich, chewy blackberry and black currant flavors lead onto this wine's lush, velvety palate followed by impressions of cedar, tobacco, spice and vanilla with supple, round tannins on the finish."

·    ST. FRANCIS 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Nun’s Canyon, Sonoma Valley $28: "St. Francis' first Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in 1986  resulted from a ten-year search for vineyards of the quality and character Joe Martin had in mind.  Until the 1998 vintage, this small-production wine came from contract vineyards and the Nun's Canyon estate vineyard.  But in 1998, St. Francis produced this vineyard-designated (high Mayacamas mountain property between Sonoma and Napa) Cabernet exclusively from its Nun's Canyon vineyard--150-acres fully planted to 101 acres of vines, half Cabernet Sauvignon--yielding well-structured wines with tannic backbone, two to three tons per acre.  The concentrated, hand-harvested grapes are winery crushed into temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks.  The must is inoculated with selected yeasts and ferments at 85° to 90°F for eight to 15 days, with juice pumped over the cap  three times daily.  Wine lots are racked into new and one year old oak barrels, French and American, to age 24 months.  Barrels are topped about once every three months.  The blend is assembled without fining or filtration, bottled and held for four to eight months before release.  This intense varietal character wine has a rich, classic fragrance of cassis, black berries and slight herbal notes with aromas of vanilla, smoke and cedar from oak cooperage.  The mouth-filling palate has concentrated fruit flavors and complex tannins--firm and ripe. The finish is long and intense, marked especially by the wine's tannic solidity, which promises extended longevity.

·    FOLEY 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, La Cuesta Vineyard, Santa Inez Valley $30: "Foley Estates acquired the 11.2-acre La Cuesta Vineyard in 1996. Known as one of Santa Ynez Valley's finest vineyards (consistently producing extraordinary cabernet sauvignon grapes since its initial 1978 harvest) it is planted entirely to low-yielding Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines thirty years or older.  Today its eight acres of cabernet vines  are dry-farmed to enhance flavor development and sugar concentration in the fruit.  These two factors of vineyard microclimate and management are critical to encourage the clusters to achieve maximum ripeness.  Hand harvested grapes, picked at approximately 24 degrees Brix, are destemmed and crushed at the winery into small open-top fermentors.  After inoculation with cultured yeasts, the cap is punched down three times daily to enhance extraction color and flavor. The wine is pressed from the skins when it achieves dryness and racked into sixty gallon French oak barrels coopered by Seguin Moreau from forests located in central France--25% new oak, 75% up to four harvest's use for 18 to 24 months before bottling without filtration. This deep garnet wine has attractive aromas and flavors of  plum and black cherries, subtle tobacco and rich chocolate notes, a strong core of blackberry and spice and chocolate notes are supported by firm, balanced tannins, ending on a lingering finish.  It won three silver medals at competitions: San Francisco International, Orange County Fair, and International Eastern Wine Competition. 

·    CRAGGY RANGE Winery 2004 Sauvignon Blanc, Te Muna Road Vineyard, Martinborough, New Zealand $20: "Bright Sauvignon fruit is rounded by the depth and firmness of Semillon in this elegant, classic white Bordeaux blend, with citrus and terroir aromas and flavors carrying through to the clean finish."

·    FOLEY 2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Barbara County $16: "This is a richly textured wine with tropical aromas of sweet pineapple, Crenshaw melon, and undertones of fig which on the palate are set in a finely textured, creamy structure of balanced acidity ending in a complex, yeasty finish."

·    MICHEL REDDE 2001Pouilly-Fume, La Moynerie, Loire $21: "A crisp and pure fruit Sauvignon Blanc with intense varietal overtones and herbal nuances, it finishes clean with nicely tart citrus, green apple and mineral flavors and brightly balanced acidity."

·    MICHEL REDDE 2003 Sancerre, Les Tuilieres $22: "A crisp, racy Sauvignon Blanc with pure fruit and herb varietal aromas, this wine shows clean, intense citrus, apple and mineral flavors finishing with a tangy, high-toned, cleanly balanced acidity."

·    FOLEY 2002 Syrah, Rancho Santa Rosa, Santa Rita Hills $30: "In 1998, William Foley bought Rancho Santa Rosa, a 460-acre ranch in the Santa Rita Hills--part of the original Spanish Land Grant and one of Santa Barbara’s most historic properties.  Lying on a south-facing hillside rising from 500 to 1000 feet above sea level, the estate is one of the most ambitious hillside viticultural endeavors in Santa Barbara County.  Directly exposed to the Pacific Ocean, the vineyard is one of the coolest areas of the Santa Ynez Valley, receiving ocean breezes and fog during much of the growing season.  Over the summer months persistent marine influences extend the growing season, heightening structure and flavor in the grapes.  Foley spent two years planting the 230 acres of vines.  Variety, clone and rootstalk were tailored to each block: 103 acres Chardonnay, 118 acres Pinot Noir and eight acres of Syrah.  The property came into full production with the 2003 harvest. The two Syrah blocks lie on a sheltered, southeastern facing hillside at the base of the estate’s western corridor, which allows the grapes to reach complete maturity, and the climate’s aridity allows harvest to be delayed well into November.  The fruit is hand-picked, brought to the winery, de-stemmed and moved to small fermenting bins for two-week’s maceration when the cap is hand punched down three times daily.  After fermentation the wine is pressed and transferred to 60-gallon French oak barrels (50% new).  Following 14 to 18 months in cask the wine is racked, settled and bottled in mid-January.   This Syrah is dark in color with aromas of blueberry, cassis and black cherry intertwined with notes of white pepper, sage and vanilla.  An immense, highly extracted wine, it is densely textured and full in body and structure.  Firm tannins soften in the long finish.

·    LINCOURT 2002 Syrah, Santa Barbara County $18: "Seductive spice and anise aromas with bright black fruit notes of plum and cherry are followed by nuances of spicy tobacco and toasted oak in this wine, which expresses classic varietal flavors set in a rich texture with well-balanced tannins and a broad finish."

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VALLEY OF THE MOON 2002 Sangiovese is an up and coming wine but also one that requires special care in the vineyard and at the winery to achieve its unique berry/spice character.  It is a long-revered traditional Mediterranean varietal which has proven to be well suited to Sonoma County.
The fruit for this Sangiovese comes from Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and our Estate Vineyard in the Sonoma Valley.  All three appellations are known for their warm summer days and cool evening breezes. As Sangiovese is one of the most delicate of red wines, the grapes are handled very carefully during picking and vinification. The fruit was picked in late September and early October.  After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels.  It has aromas and flavors of fresh blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, clove and spearmint, hints of mint and oak, fresh, medium bodied and marked by soft, integrated tannins with an elegant finish.  It's delicious with hearty pastas, fowl and dishes that include parmesan cheese, tomatoes and basil. Also pairs well with rosemary chicken and roasted meats."

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GRGICH HILLS has a new Zinfandel that comes exclusively from its hillside Calistoga vineyard and is blended with seven per cent Petite Sirah.  It gives the wine its rich, dark color and backbone while still retaining the peppery blackberry flavors that are Zinfandel's hallmark.  As always, this Zin was matured more than a year in bottle to integrate the rich fruit with the spice, structure, and tannins derived from the oak aging.  The result is a wine that's extremely smooth and supple upon release, but with enough balance and body to mature gracefully.

·    GRGICH HILLS 2002 Zinfandel, Napa Valley $28: "2002 was a grape-grower’s dream, and this Zinfandel shows why.  A long, mild growing season with unseasonably cool nights kept the grapes ripening slowly and evenly while retaining good acidity. The end of September brought warm weather that concentrated the colors and flavors, and also condensed the yield slightly. Overall, the balance of acid, sugar, and phenolics in the grapes was fantastic.   This Zin displays wonderful varietal aromas of jammy blackberry and raspberry complemented by black pepper and cloves. These flavors carry through to the palate, joined by spice and a hint of leather. The full-bodied fruit is balanced by ripe tannins and brisk acidity – the key to a food-friendly wine. The spice and black pepper make this Zinfandel a wonderful complement to almost anything on the grill, along with roast pork tenderloin or pasta puttanesca. Enjoy!

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LOUIS M. MARTINI, founder, was an Italian immigrant who built his Napa Valley winery at the end of Prohibition in 1933.  His son, Louis P. Martini, became winemaker in 1954.  Michael Martini, Louis M.’s grandson, became winemaker in 1977.  In 2002, the Gallo family of winemakers purchased the winery, which continues to operate under Martini family leadership.  They believe that special wines come from special places.   LOUIS M. MARTINI mountain and cool climate vineyards include Monte Rosso--high above Sonoma Valley; Sun Lake Vineyard--hillsides of Howell Mountain in Pope Valley; Ghost Pines Vineyard in Chiles Valley, and Del Rio Vineyard in Russian River Valley.   LOUIS M. MARTINI wines include Cabernet Sauvignons that reflect the accumulated wisdom of three generations that matched vines to the land and blended wines for balance; such as, LOUIS M. MARTINI 2002 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, the  2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and the LOUIS M. MARTINI 2001 Monte Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.  Site specific Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley, Monte Rosso, and Ghost Pines vineyards are limited release wines available in select restaurants and wine shops.   www.louismartini.com  Also in Gallo's portfolio are MIRASSOU and RANCHO ZABACO.

·    LOUIS M. MARTINI 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: "Aromas and flavors of ripe cherry, cassis and pipe tobac enriched by rich, full flavors of dark Bing cherries and plums and finishing with hint of tobac dried herbs and fruit."

·    LOUIS M. MARTINI 2002 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon: "Aromas and flavors of cherry, cassis, sage and vanilla, enhanced by elegant tannins and rich flavors of dark cherries and berries with a hint of coffee, dried herbs and fruit on the finish."

·    LOUIS M. MARTINI 2001 Monte Rosso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon: "This bold Cabernet shows how special the vineyard is.  Aromas and flavors of generous fruit with earthy undertones.  The palette has complex layers of dried cherries, tobac, leather and earth tomes with generous oak, firm and well-structured will age with grace."

·    MIRASSOU 2002 California Cabernet Sauvignon $11: "Ripe black cherry and black currant with hints of vanilla, spice and dark chocolate, black pepper, licorice and cocoa, full bodied and soft, drink young up to three years."

·    MIRASSOU 2002 California Merlot $11: "Luscious fruit flavors, black cherry and blackberry, vanilla and toasty oak, close and nutmeg, velvety mouthfeel and lingering pleasant smooth finish, drink young up to three years."

·    RANCHO ZABACO 2002 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel $18: "This is a one-two punch of intense Zin spice and rich black cherry and blackberry fruit.  There's  heaping black pepper and rich chewy tannins for foundation in the mouth with sweet oak from barrels adding layers, enjoy with seasoned and grilled beef and lamb and heartier pork dishes."

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TWIN FIN Wines has launched wines nationally by Pacific Wine Partners that catch the spirit of surfing and the California lifestyle.  "Our homework shows that we're a big hit with consumers of a certain lifestyle who look for a non-intimidating, fun wine brand that's reasonably priced," said Marketing Director Damon Musha.  Young adults 25 to 35 had a positive response to the Twin Fin concept and package.   The easy-going style of all Twin Fin wines are in screwcap bottles, making the beach or backyard barbecues that much easier for serving wine.   Winemakers Hugh Reimers and Sam Burton say that when they decided to create Twin Fin, they wanted it to be really different -- to capture the California lifestyle they've come to love.   The Twin Fin portfolio includes six easy-going, fresh and fruit-driven wines: Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir that offer tremendous quality for the price -- just right for everything from beach barbecues to dinner with the in-laws.  With grapes from select vineyards along California's Central Coast, the suggested retail price of the wines is $9.99.   www.twinfinwines.com.

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WILD HORSE Winery and Vineyards 2002 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon $20 had fruit crushed with partial whole berries and 80% French oak--new and neutral. Extensive blending trials prior to bottling led to the inclusion of Malbec and Cabernet Franc.  This wine is rich with chewy tannins, dark fruit flavors and a backbone of balanced acidity.   Complex aromas and flavors of blackberry, cedar and anise complemented with a rich, intense mouthfeel, a full body and balanced structure and will cellar for several years."

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MICHEL SCHLUMBERGER has two new releases from two vintages.  "By 2003, the closely-spaced plantings of Dijon clones growing on the hillsides of
our estate vineyards no longer deserve to be called new," Winemaker Fred Payne says.  "That is evident in the unusually rich mid-palate and classic flavors of this vintage, MICHEL SCHLUMBERGER 2003 Estate Chardonnay $26.  It suggests sweetness where there is no sugar.  Sure, it’s showing the subtle aromas of citrus, guava and mango in addition to those of dried flowers and minerals that have distinguished our previous Chardonnays.   However, it is the paradox of a delicate aroma in a big wine that identifies the grape as a noble variety.  Extract like this is an immediately appealing characteristic available only in the finest Chardonnays.  If you buy enough to age some for six to eight years, you will be rewarded with a toasty hazelnut aroma along with increased minerality and even more weight on the palate.  Tasting it now suggests pairing with a fresh halibut steak.  Or try chicken with pasta and lemon sauce or olive oil, or even vegetables grilled with a little smoked duck.  The imagination is the only limit. The wine is quite versatile.  

·    MICHEL SCHLUMBERGER 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley $32: "With our 2001 Cabernet we experience a truly exceptional vintage with unusual weight, expressing profound balance between an immediately appealing ripe, dark fruit and a supporting counterpoint suggesting red berries and aromatic spice. The ample mid-palate and structure support the wine and serve well at the table where it enhances the enjoyment of food by refreshing between nibbles. These flavors are classic with distinct cherry, blueberry and blackberry impressions rounded out by our aromatic and earthy terroir. Grapes from our state-of-the-art, densely planted vineyard of Bordeaux clones contribute to the depth of flavors presented in this vintage. The addition of this grape source will bring intriguing nuance to our consistently award winning Cabernet."

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BONELLO D'ITALIA:  Beringer Blass Wine Estates is pleased to announce the introduction of its newest brand, Bonello, a new Italian wine that blends the world's favorite varietals with the exciting flavors of Italy. Winemaker Justin Bubb says they present the new taste of Italia.  The wines are $9 each.

·    BONELLO D'ITALIA 2003 Pinot Grigio/ Chardonnay Delle Venezie, Italy:  Fruit for this wine was sourced from select hillside and valley vineyards throughout the provinces of Delle Venezie.  The light and well drained alluvial soils are ideal for cool weather grape varieties like Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.  Pinot grigio is planted at average altitudes of 885 ft (270 m), and the chardonnay vines are planted on hillsides at altitudes around 980 - 1050 ft (300-320 m) above sea level.   2003 growing season began with little rain followed by very warm temperatures through summer months.  These conditions allowed the grapes to achieve full ripeness and good flavor development.  Harvest occurred in late August, earlier than usual, yielding a sound crop of high quality fruit.  The fruit was crushed, pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks for 6-8 days at controlled temperatures of 75-79°F (16 - 18°C).  To retain the bright and fruity varietal characters, there was no oak ageing.  After four months of resting in the bottle, the wine was released.   The 2003 Pinot Grigio / Chardonnay is a brilliant, pale yellow with light green hues with floral aromas, tropical fruit and a hint of spice. The palate is refreshingly tart with flavors of green apple, grapefruit, and lemon coming from the Pinot Grigio.  The Chardonnay adds creaminess.

·    BONELLO D'ITALIA 2003 Merlot/ Nero d'Avola, Sicilia, Italy:  Fruit for this wine came from valley and hillside vineyards in the Agrigento winegrowing region of Sicily.  The island's intense summer heat and low rainfall-make it ideal for the cultivation of vines.  The native varietal Nero d'Avola has long been recognized as the best on the island, but more recently has been valued for the great richness, texture, and ageing potential it brings to a blend.  The 2003 growing season began with a good rainfall in the winter months, followed by a mild, warm spring that produced good budburst and flowering. The summer months had no rainfall and were extremely warm. The resulting harvest was a high quality yield of small clusters and berries with excellent flavor and concentration.   The fruit was crushed and fermented on the skins in stainless steel tanks for 8-10 days at controlled temperatures of 75-79°F (24 - 26°C). For full color and flavor extraction, pump-overs were performed four times per day, every 6 hours. Some parcels of the Merlot had the lees stirred for added texture. In order to emphasize the fruit characters of the individual varieties, very little oak aging was used. Five percent of the wine was aged in French oak barriques to impart a very subtle oak influence and softer tannins to the final blend. After four months of bottle ageing, the wine was released.  The 2003 Merlot/Nero d'Avola is a deep ruby red color. On the nose, there are fragrant aromas of blueberry, raspberry and dark fruit. The Merlot leads with soft, ripe cherry flavors, and a hint of tart acidity. Rum raisin flavors and herbaceous, leather, cigar-box characters follow from the Nero d'Avola. The medium-bodied wine has soft, well-integrated tannins, and finishes long.

·    BONELLO D'ITALIA 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon / Primitivo, Sicilia, Italy:   The valley and hillside fruit came the Salento peninsula in Puglia of southern Italy. The red soils of Salento, consisting of a calcareous base overlain by top soils rich in iron, create an ideal viticultural environment. The Adriatic and the Ionian seas that border the peninsula bring a welcome cooling influence at night, tempering the hot summer heat. Primitivo, a native Italian varietal is the same as Californian Zinfandel. It is still grown on low, individual, bush-like training systems that create robust, fruity and strongly spicy red wines.   The 2003 growing season began with a good rainfall in the winter months, followed by a mild, warm spring that produced good budburst and flowering. The summer months had no rainfall and were extremely warm. Harvest delivered a good yield of small clusters and berries with excellent flavor and color intensity.  The fruit was crushed and fermented on the skins in stainless steel tanks for 10-12 days at controlled temperatures of 75-79°F (24 - 26°C).  For full color and flavor extraction, pump-overs were performed four times per day, every 6 hours. To emphasize the fruit characters of the individual varieties, very little oak aging was used. Five percent of the total blend was aged in French oak barriques to impart a very subtle oak influence and softer tannins. After four months of bottle ageing, the wine was released.   The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon / Primitivo is an intense ruby red color with aromas of spice, blackcurrant and plum on the nose. The mouth-filling palate has a fresh acidity, sweet flavors of cherries and lingering notes of brown spice. Full-bodied with supple, round tannins, the wine finishes long.

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DRY CREEK VINEYARDS 2004 Dry Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg $10: This wine is delightful as a starter with appetizers or enjoyed alone.  "It has vibrant aromas and flavors of orange blossom, lemon zest, ripe pear and pineapple, green apple, citrus, balanced acidity."   Serve well-chilled at 50 degrees (it warms quickly after being poured).  Enjoy with oysters, chilled seafoods and summer salads, and Asian cuisine.

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CAMELOT as a brand was conceived as beginning in the vineyard.  The fruit is sourced form the best of California's winegrape growing regions, I am told.  Artisan craftsmanship from Winemaker Mark Theis showcases a true varietal flavor profile of lush, ripe fruit underscored by depth and complexity.  A master blender, Mark crafts wines that are approachable, crisp and balanced to deliver mouth-filling flavor and consistency.  CAMELOT is food friendly.

·    CAMELOT 2003 Chardonnay, California $8: "Ripe, mature aromas and flavors of toasty oak, golden apples, pineapple and a creamy malolactic texture.  There's a slight earthiness, but apple and tropical fruit predominate with coconut and oak nuances from barrel fermentation.  Forward citrus fruit flavors of lemon and grapefruit  with pears all merge into a broad, rich and lingering finish.  Pair with chicken dishes, game hen, pork roast and cream pasta sauces."

·    CAMELOT 2003 Pinot Noir, California $8: "Strawberry overlaid with slightly earthy cassis and smoky vanilla, flavors and aromas of cherry and dried herbs complemented by soft tannins and plush fruit with earth, mushroom and forest floor complexities."

·    CAMELOT 2002 Zinfandel, California $8: "Ruby, brick hue and medium density, aromas and flavors of cinnamon spice and licorice, hints of chocolate, rose petal, and raspberry.  Mouth-filling, layers of black cherry fruit with firm, well-integrated tannins.  Pair with pastas, hard cheeses and pizza."

·    CAMELOT 2002 Shiraz, California $8: "Dark and earthy with excellent density, ultra-ripe boysenberry with oak and dried herbs, chocolate and spice.  Hazelnuts and ripe, heady aromas of chocolate, sweet black cherry, raspberry, blackberry and bright, youthful, soft and rich chewy chocolate."

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MAYACAMAS VINEYARDS Owner-Winemaker Bob Travers has always had my respect for his beautifully crafted wines.  There's interesting history, and I'll get to that; however, in his most recent letter, the conclusion made me laugh out loud.  He says, "People occasionally ask us if we are going to start using screw caps for our wine bottles.  I usually restrain myself from saying, 'Over my dead body,' but the thought is there.  Screw caps long term efficacy for slow aging wines like ours is still very much open to question, and the charm of the cork pulling ritual seems very important to me.  I think of changing as being akin to the changing the age old lovers refrain from 'a loaf of bread, a glass of wine and thou' to ' carbs, booze and sex.'"     Mayacamas Vineyards is a wine estate in the Mayacamas Mountains which divide the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.  The old stone winery is on the edge of a dormant volcano crater, near the top of Mt. Veeder. Fifty two acres of vineyards are planted on mountain sides ranging from 1,800 to 2,400 feet above sea level.  Deer, eagles, coyotes and an occasional bear still inhabit this rugged terrain.  For centuries, the Mayacamas were inhabited by the Wappo Indians, stone age hunters and gatherers.  Their spear points and stone implements are still recovered from the vineyards.  "The first white settlers came to Mayacamas in the 1860’s.  They were sheepherders who built the barn we still use.   Over the years, various people have owned the property.  Then in 1941 Jack and Mary Taylor restored the winery, turned the old stone distillery into their home, and chose to name the restored estate Mayacamas Vineyards.  In 1968, the winery was purchased by us, its present owners, Robert and Elinor Travers.  Under our direction, aging facilities have been enlarged, neighboring land has been purchased, and vineyard clearing, planting and replanting are an ongoing process.  In addition to Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, small blocks of Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown."

·    MAYACAMAS VINEYARDS 2000 Merlot, Mt. Veeder District, Napa $35: " This Merlot has a rich cherry and cassis nose.  Tasting shows a light herbal complex in the flavor mix with an intensity rarely seen these, particularly in Merlot."

·    MAYACAMAS VINEYARDS 2002 Chardonnay, Mt. Veeder District, Napa $32: "This Chardonnay has a subtle floral and citrus nose with the richness of ripe fruit.  Tasting reveals deep flavors a slight oak component and a long, complex finish, with hints of almond and tropical flora, but still steely and firm."

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GOLDENEYE Winery began producing premium Pinot Noir in the Anderson Valley in 1997.  The grapes are sourced from five different Estate vineyards located throughout Anderson Valley with over 156 vine acres planted to 23 clones of Pinot Noir on 11 rootstocks.  With this selection of Estate vineyards and clonal diversity, there is a broad palette available when assembling the blends.  Each vintage GOLDENEYE declassifies a percentage of Pinot Noir in order to meet the high quality standards set for the Goldeneye brand.  Some of these declassified lots are bottled as Migration Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, a new brand that began in 2001 vintage to provide a good value wine.

·    GOLDENEYE 2002 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir $52: "The 2002 harvest began in September with two to three weeks of enduring heat.  When temperatures subsided, there was a sudden cooling influence from the Pacific Ocean in the first days of October.  These intense conditions created ripe wines that offer concentrated structure.  Culling the field at the winery was necessary, but the extra effort paid off.  The 2002 wines are balanced and appealing with remarkable color.  This well-balanced wine," continues Winemaker Zach Rasmuson, "was blended from more than 40 separately aged lots.  It has a lush entry, velvety mouthfeel, bright acidity, well-structured tannins, and a lingering finish.  The aromas and flavors are rich with plum, black cherry, smoked bacon, anise, earth and caramel, ripe strawberry and cherry with toasted oak, clove and vanilla."

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RAYMOND ESTATE line of wines have experienced an outstanding success in "wine-by-the-glass" programs at restaurants.  The current releases are the 2003 Chardonnay, 2002 Merlot and 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Raymond Vineyard & Cellar in St. Helena has been renowned for over two decades as one of the premier producers of fine Napa Valley wines.  With a family tree shaped like a grapevine, the Raymond roots are deeply embedded in Napa, dating back to the 1870s, when Jacob and Frederick Beringer arrived from Germany.  Four generations later, Jacob’s great-grandsons, Walter and Roy Raymond Jr., are continuing the family winemaking legacy at Raymond Vineyard & Cellar, along with Roy Jr.’s son Craig and Walter’s daughter Krisi.   At Raymond, the family believes the quality of the grape is the single most important element in making great wine.  Their winemaking process begins each year in the vineyard where Craig Raymond monitors the vine growth and fruit development closely, striving to produce the highest quality fruit possible. With over 500 acres of estate vineyard planted in three locations, each parcel is matched to the varietals which perform well in the region’s climate and soil type. Having a large selection of premium fruit sources assures Raymond consistent availability of superior grapes, year in and year out.  
Once off the vines, the premium grapes are placed into the hands of Walter and Krisi Raymond, Kathy George, and Kenn Vigoda -winemakers who have perfected the art of winemaking through years of experience and study.  The excellent blend of grapes, skilled winemakers, and optimum equipment has created an ideal situation at Raymond.   In 1993, a multi-million dollar upgrade of winemaking equipment and buildings was completed, positioning Raymond as one of
Napa Valley’s finest wineries.  Known for elegance, richness, and balance, Raymond wines have proven attractive to a broad range of wine consumers. The multi-tiered selection of varietal wines provides a style and price point to meet the distinct needs of retailers, restaurateurs, and consumers. These include Amberhill Vineyards, Raymond Estates, Raymond Napa Valley Reserves, and Raymond Generations.   The Raymond Winemakers focus carefully on each vintage, creating wines of great depth and complexity, yet drinkable upon release. They recognize some buyers are concerned with choosing wine for dinner while others are collecting wines to store in their cellars.  Raymond Vineyard & Cellar produce wines to serve both markets. Their blending, barrel and bottle aging are done with both the varietal and consumer in mind. The result is a superb, enjoyable wine, vintage after vintage.

·    RAYMOND ESTATE 2003 Chardonnay $13: "Classic cool climate flavors of green apples and tropical fruits are in this smooth wine.  Well balanced and intriguing with an initial impression of fruitiness followed by rich, toasted oak and complexity in the finish."

·    RAYMOND ESTATE 2002 Merlot, California $15: "Smooth and well balanced, this flavorful Merlot shows black fruits like blackberry, currant, black raspberry and dark cherry followed by mellow, spicy oak and toasted nuts in the finish.  Pair with grilled meats, baked pastas and roasted pork or beef."

·    RAYMOND ESTATE 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley $20: "This wine shows a bit of earthiness and herbal character, a smooth body and complex fruit, flavors of blackberry, cherry and plum blend with smoky, toasty oak in the finish.  Moderate tannins allow aging.  Pair with grilled meats, tomato based pastas, pizza, sautéed mushrooms and polenta dishes."

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RANSOM CENTER ACQUIRES NORMAN MAILER ARCHIVE: The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin has acquired the papers of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Norman Mailer for $2.5 million.  The archive contains materials associated with every one of Mailer’s literary projects, whether completed or not, from the mid-1930s to the present, as well as a substantial number of first editions and foreign editions of Mailer’s books, books used for research and some books given to Mailer by other authors.
    “From the Vietnam War to capital punishment, from first amendment rights to the role of the writer in the modern world,” said Thomas F. Staley, director of the Ransom Center, “Mailer engaged the important intellectual and social issues of his time.  This is one of the most comprehensive literary archives the Center has ever acquired.”
   The archive includes all manuscripts of Mailer’s more than 40 books, with the exception of one of the multiple drafts of “The Naked and the Dead” (1948).  For each of Mailer’s books, there is a complete range of materials, from hand-written manuscripts to typescripts, galleys and page proofs.  For some books, manuscripts are accompanied by research materials and correspondence.
   Ten thousand of Mailer’s letters, including his wartime letters to his family, personal and business correspondence, and the originals of letters sent to him from American writers, notables and three generations of readers are in the archive.  Correspondents include Allen Ginsberg, Lillian Hellman, Aldous Huxley, Truman Capote, Stella Adler, LeRoi Jones, John Lennon and Larry McMurtry, among many other important American literary figures.
    The archive also holds a number of Mailer’s unpublished short stories, journals, essays, notes, screenplays and the manuscript of his first, unpublished novel “No Percentage,” written in the early 1940s.     Additional materials range from awards to personal papers and photographs, from audio and video recordings of interviews and readings to works by others about Mailer. Mailer’s tax records and other business papers, including literary contracts, are also included. 
    When asked about his connection to Texas and why he placed his archive at the Harry Ransom Center, Mailer said: “A man who went to a famous prep school in the early ‘20s said afterward, ‘It was the worst experience of my life and the most valuable.’           
 “I can say the same about my time in the U.S. Army.  In 1944, I came out of Fort Bragg an artillery replacement and was sent to the 112th Regimental Combat Team, originally from San Antonio but now in the Philippines.  There I was converted into an infantry rifleman.  So I got to know a fair amount about Texas over the next year.  And Texans.  Most of them were dirt-poor and damn tough.  (For years afterward in New York, when trouble was brewing on the street, I would do my best to talk in a Texas accent.)
  “To this, I can add a splendid few days I spent in Austin as a lecturer back in the very early ‘60s, and I do remember the university as one of the most exciting and open campuses I ever visited.    
    “Those are ties, but, of course, one acquires many others over 82 years.  I'd say the major part of my decision (and pleasure) to have this archive go to the Ransom Center is that you have one of the best, if not, indeed, the greatest collection of literary archives to be found in America.  What the hell.  Since it's going to Texas, let's say one of the best in the world.”
     Mailer has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize twice, for “The Armies of the Night” (1968) and “The Executioner’s Song” (1979), an account of the life and death of Utah murderer Gary Gilmore.  Mailer has also received the National Book Award and a Polk Award, among other distinctions.      
      The Mailer collection is scheduled to arrive in Austin in July.  Ransom Center staff will perform a routine conservation inspection on its arrival and prepare an initial list of collection materials.  With a projected size of about 900 document boxes, organization, housing, and description of the papers in a detailed finding aid is expected to take several years.  Once the collection is assessed shortly after its arrival, the Ransom Center will provide a closer estimate of when the materials will be made available for students and researchers.
   “The acquisition of the Norman Mailer archive further solidifies the legacy of Harry Ransom and Tom Staley in establishing our Humanities Research Center as the premier resource for pursuing significant social and literary developments of the 20th century,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Sheldon Ekland-Olson. “Closing this agreement is a red-letter day.”
    The Mailer archive was acquired for $2.5 million, $1.25 million of which was funded by individual and foundation gifts raised by the Ransom Center for this specific acquisition.  The remaining $1.25 million comes from funds dedicated to strengthening the research capacity of the university.  Mailer will donate $250,000 to the Ransom Center for cataloguing, maintenance and support of the collection.
   “Having Mailer’s complete archive located in a single place means that scholars will be able to track and assess the full spectrum of changes and additions to his works-in-progress with confidence,” said J. Michael Lennon, professor of English at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and archivist of the Mailer collection. “The fact that all of his publishing contracts and business records, as well as a complete file of his personal and business correspondence is also present, means that solid contextual evidence is also available.”