WineWise: BE's Discoveries

Cellar browsing turns up some very interesting finds**--really good stuff, as well as wines I really should have pulled out and opened long before--like white Burgundies from 1985 and '86 that I was "saving" for the right occasion. What happened? Usually other choices intervened and I let them get away from me--drat! Not, however, '85 reds--a whole 'nother story!
This section also includes other "discoveries," including restaurant wines, dinners with friends, wine list values and such.....also wines from North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic (scroll down).

Questions or comments? BE's email: b_e@bewinewise.com

SCROLL DOWN FOR NC & VA WINE DISCOVERIES!!!

Eberle reds. On a recent visit to Paso Robles, CA, where I judged in the Central Coast Wine Competition, I had dinner one evening with Gary and Marcie Eberle. Gary is one of the pioneers of the Paso Robles region; he planted vineyards here over 30 years ago. That evening Gary brought out some older Eberle reds, curious to see how they were holding up. They amazed us; particularly the 1980 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1979 Syrah. We tasted the wines off and on over the course of the evening, finding it remarkable how they got better and better, at thirty years old and 31 years old. It was the Eberle Syrah that surprised us most. I thought it would fade, but after two hours it bloomed, becoming round and smooth, tannins nicely tamed, oozing lush raspberry flavors. Oh, what time in the bottle can do!

Results of recent cellar sleuthing....for B.E.'s comments on aging, see Cellar Notes

           Jordan Vineyards 1979, Alexander Valley. I live for wines like this! Thirty-one years old and still
           possessed of rich color; complex aromas of black fruits--currants, plums, berries mingled with a
           slight smokiness. Great balance and acidity, a beautifully evolved Cabernet, with smooth but still
           vivid texture and layers of lovely flavors. Kudos to winemaker Rob Davis (and his consultant at the
           time, Andre Tchelistcheff). This is the kind of wine that makes an evening utterly memorable. [7/2010]
Silverado 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stag's Leap District, Napa Valley. Decanted this for my Duke wine class (2/2010), and it showed beautifully. Still deeply colored, with mellowed tannins and black fruits flushing nicely with air. Not as classicly impressive or complex as some Napa Cabs, but surprisingly fine and vivid at almost 19 years of age. Still some life ahead of it, but I think we caught it at a very good moment--and longed for a good roast of beef or lamb to accompany it.

Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 1991, Napa Valley. Pulled this up to have for dinner with friends--just at the right time. Decanted it, a good inch of sediment. Took 20 minutes or so to open up, then big ripe berry aromas billowed up enticingly. Nice and full but quite smooth on the palate. Great with tenderloin. The flavors bloomed and lasted for over an hour, then the fruit began to fade and tannins took over....what was left, that is, just a scoche.

Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon 1997, Monte Rosso Vineyard.
The legendary Monte Rosso vineyard atop the Mayacamas range is named for its
red iron-rich earth. The property has yielded many fine Zinfandels and Cabernets
through the years, and this 1997 is no exception. Big and muscular still at 12 years of
age, it is drinking well but has easily 5 to 8 years left to improve further. Flavors now
of dark ripe black cherry, spicy oak and a hint of earthiness that is very appealing.
Good length and structure.

Mayacamas 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Outstanding! This superbly balanced Cabernet is drinking beautifully right now, showing great depth of color, wonderful black currant flavors, and softened tannins that have mellowed into a plush velvet texture. On its way perhaps to achieve the remarkable complexity of the 1984 (**see Mayacamas 1984 below), but it is awfully good now. A re-release from the winery, there may be some left, $75 a bottle. Check it out at:
www.mayacamas.com

Oakencroft 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon, Monticello appellation, Virginia. Well, who would have thought? Yes, Virginia, Virginia wines do age....and nicely, too. I remember this Cabernet when it came out--impressive structure but tannic and angular. On a recent evening with lamb pilaf I opened it and was delighted. The tannins have mellowed, the fruit is very forward--briary black currants and the right touch of spicy oak--quite lively, if a little short on the finish. But really tasty and enjoyable--nice time to catch it.

Merry Edwards 2000 Pinot Noir, Olivet Lane, Russian River. We had this in my winter wine class at Duke. Always one of Merry Edwards richest Pinots, the 2000 Olivet Lane has mellowed into a smooth and silky, deliciously complex wine, still quite lively and lovely for drinking now. We longed for braised quail or roast duckling to complement it. Watch for Merry's 2007 Pinots--great vintage in the Russian River Valley!!!

Merryvale Profile 1987, Napa Valley. Opened in a recent wine class focussing on Bordeaux and Meritage style blends. An excellent blend of mostly cabernet sauvignon, very well-balanced, deeply structured, with complex aromas that have evolved into a very appealing bouquet. A great example of how aging can bring a wine into most alluring harmony.
Current vintages of Merryvale Profile, such as 2003, are priced from $90 to 110 a bottle.

Rosemount Balmoral Syrah 1995, Australia. Really gorgeous now, but still youthful, with more years ahead to develop further. Quite evolved, with softened tannins and complex aromas of wood, earthniness, roasted meat and rather high floral notes of violet. Perfect for roast beef or lamb. Glad I put away another bottle!

Beaune 1995 Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus, Grèves Côte de Beaune, Bouchard Père et Fils. Outstanding! A beautifully evolved Beaune, with flavors of cherry, cinnamon and smoke. L'Enfant Jésus is one of the prized vineyards of the Côte d'Or, noted for its velvety texture. Lovely with braised quail.
As was Robert Sinskey 1991 Pinot Noir Carneros. Still loaded with fruit but round and mellow, smooth and rich. Quite a knockout! And extremely well-balanced, only 12.5% alcohol (well, maybe 13)--Give us more like this!!

Matanzas Creek Merlot 1987, Sonoma County. Oh, boy, this was good. Not many Merlots hang in there for 17 years...and it could go a few more, I think. Rich with blackberry, black plum flavors and cedary notes, all nicely integrated. It needed a good 35 minutes of airing to show its silkiness--and proved excellent with lamb pilaf.

Gundlach-Bundschu 1988 Cabernet Franc, Rhinefarm Vyd.,Sonoma. G-B, one of California's oldest wineries (dates to 1880s) makes some very solid reds, often excellent value. I wasn't sure this 15-year-old would still be good; in fact, it was excellent, still vibrant with cab franc's black cherry fruit and a delight with grilled sirloin. Other G-B wines to look for: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir--structured to age but usually nicely balanced for early drinking.

Mayacamas 1984 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. An amazing testament to the aging process!! The '84 vintage was spotty, but mountain vineyards sometimes exceed ripeness and quality in a lesser vintage. Mayacamas, atop Mt Veeder, produces consistently fine Cabernets--but if you want glorious drinking you have to wait . Give them time and they'll turn into a beauty like this 1984, with a bouquet of ripe berries and layers of dark fruit and oak, wonderful clean, bright plummy fruit, still vibrant and enticing. Superbly balanced, this wine was an exciting catch à point--perfect maturity. What a joy to drink, with its elegance, long appealing aftertaste--and here's the kicker: 12.8 to no more than 13% alcohol, proof the grapes don't have to be 25+ Brix at harvest to produce a classic. My thanks, and a toast, to owner/winemaker Bob Travers!!

North Carolina Wines

News:
NC Wines are winning Golds and Silvers in National Wine Competitions!!
Congrats to these recent award winners:
Raffaldini Bello Misto (sangiovese blend), Vermentino and Pinot Grigio, Shelton Vineyards for its 2007 Malbec and 2007 Cabernet Franc, Cypress Bend for its Autumn muscadine.

Don't Miss These NC Reds from a great vintage....
           The stellar 2007 reds are well-worth seeking out to get a taste of Carolina's potential for fine red wine when conditions are right. Specially recommended for excellent fruit concentration, balance and delightfu flavor are these 2007s:
     Cabernet Franc: Shelton Estate, Grove
     Cabernet Sauvignon: Childress 2007 Reserve, Flint Hill, Grove, Laurel Gray Estate, RayLen Category 5
     Malbec: Shelton Vineyards 2007
     Raffaldini 2007 Montepulciano--dark, rich and very impressive--NC growers should plant more of this variety!!!
     Merlot:   Iron Gate, South Creek, Benjamin, Childress Reserve
     Meritage:   RayLen Category 5, Shadow Springs, Childress

NC's third official appellation--Haw River Valley--was officially designated April 2009. Includes such wineries as Grove, Benjamin and The Winery at Irongate Farm. The AVA encompasses all of Alamance County and parts of adjacent counties. The region grows numerous varieties, and seems particularly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Chardonnay and Italian varieties such as Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. Tempranillo also shows promise. Check details at
Haw River Valley

NC's second official appellation--Swan Creek with such wineries as Raffaldini, Laurel Gray & Buck Shoals
       go to: www.appellationamerica.com

If you haven't tasted North Carolina wines recently, the changes will surprise you. Red wines have jumped in quality since the 2005 vintage. Young vines now have a little age on them. Winemakers have had the luxury of letting the grapes hang a little longer on the vine without the threat of devastating hurricane rains; the drought in 2007 produced some excellent reds (see list above).

The extra ripeness offsets the naturally high acidity of most mid-Atlantic reds—acidity that, in proper balance with fruit, gives the wines structure, length and the potential to evolve with real flavor interest.

The state’s first official appellation, or AVA (American Viticultural Area) is the Yadkin Valley, a north/south strip of rolling hills in the center of the state. Here is the greatest concentration of North Carolina wineries. Swan Creek appellation is tucked into the Yadkin's southwest corner. The newest appellation is Haw River Valley in the central Piedmont between Greensboro and Mebane. The total number of wineries statewide is now over 85. In 2000 there were 15.

I taste mid-Atlantic wines often. Here are some of the wines I have especially liked:

Childress Cabernet Franc 2006. Juicy red currant fruit, an excellent example of
     cab franc character; very nicely balanced and drinking well now. Great for roast
      loin or chops. Won Best of Class for reds in the 2009 NC wine competition.
Childress Reserve Merlot 2007. The drought year was super for red varieties
      in North Carolina--the Reserve Merlot is a great example of it: solid plummy
      flavors, good density, excellent balance, long in finish. Hey! if North Carolina
      can make reds this tasty, watch out!!!

Grove 2007 Cabernet Franc, Haw River Valley. Formerly planted to tobacco and soybeans, only a few such stands remain, but there are some 60 acres of wine grapes---and plenty of flat fertile land in which to expand. Grove's '07 Cab Franc has the appealing red currant fruit that is the hallmark of Cab Franc.
Grove 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Haw River Valley.     Cabernet Sauvignon needs longer to ripen than other red varieties, and it appears that the Haw River Valley has the heat a little longer than some areas of NC. The '07 Cabernet is quite good and shows the potential for this new appellation.
Grove 2007 Nebbiolo, Haw River Valley. A surprise to find this variety growing here -- and producing such an appealing fruity red. Very quaffable.

Raffaldini. The new tasting room, Villa Raffaldini, which looks for all the world like a Tuscan villa (including landscaping), is a must on your next visit to the Yadkin Valley. If possible, try the Vermentino (terrific) and Montepulciano, one of the best reds I've had from North Carolina vineyards. Both very limited. Also try the Pinot Grigio and excellent red blend, Bello Misto.

And our neighbors...
Veritas Vineyards 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Monticello, $19, just won Best White in the 2010 National Women's Wine Competition.
Kluge New World Red 2004, a cabernet-based Bordeaux blend made under the consulting expertise of Bordeaux's roving winemaster, Michel Rolland, recently won a Gold medal at the Hilton Head Island Wine Competition. Kluge's Simply Red 2005 won a Silver.
White Hall Vineyards Petit Verdot 2005, Monticello. Although I think the best use of Petit Verdot is in blending (with cabernet, cab franc, merlo--as in Bordeaux), our mid-Atlantic regions of Virginia and NC do the best job with it as a varietal. The '05 White Hall is dark and plummy, tartly berryish (but not too!) and quite tasty; a little short on finish--which adding more cabernet sauvignon to the blend would fix.
Keswick Vineyards near Charlottesville, VA won several medals in the 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, notably the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon--which also won the 2009 Governor's Cup in Virginia. The 2007 Cabernet Franc recently garnered a Gold Medal at the 2010 International Eastern Wine Competition

If you find yourself in Atlanta -- or the mountains of North Georgia--check out the brisk, steely and quite attractive Petit Manseng from Tiger Mountain Vineyards. This old-world white grape seems to take well to the red soils of Georgia, producing a steely dry white wine that works great for shellfish dishes. The grape could perhaps do well in other mid-Atlantic regions such as Virginia and North Carolina.