A tasting with Randall Grahm (2/5/10)

"These days you have one shot to tell your story, make sure it is a good one."

Randall Grahm swung into UC Davis Friday on his Been Doon So Long book tour and held a private tasting with V&E students and one random guy lucky enough to sneak in. A few of his musings are listed below followed by notes from the tasting.

"Welcome to my nightmare" was how Randall Gram opened the show. Grahm was especially candid and spoke for a majority of his time about the hypocrisy of preaching the values of terroir and biodynamics while running a 450,000 cs/year winery, dealing with 70+ different growers who had no interest in organic or biodynamic farming and ultimately how great it was to shrink Bonny Doon to about 35,000 cs/year. I found it refreshing to hear Grahm reflect openly about his personal and business related shortcomings.

Specifically talking about embracing biodynamics and natural winemaking, "biodynamics is about reforming yourself, not the vineyard". When asked about being an industry trendsetter, "David Bruce did most of the things I was doing 10 years before me."

On the Parkerization of wine:

"Homogeneity in the wine business is self-correcting and terroir is the answer" followed by "you know, people who think of oak as a primary flavor in wine are the ones who view ketchup as a vegetable"

And my favorite quote from the night, beautiful in its simplicity,

"An original wine brings infinite joy and richness to the world"

2008 Ca Del Solo Albarino

Overview: Soledad. 75% Albarino with 21% Loureiro and 4% Treixadura . Biodynamic, no acid adjustments, no added enzymes or yeasts but a small pH adjustment. 12.8% alcohol.

Notes: Grapefruit richness and tangerine cream with hints of bay leaf. “Whatever minerality is, this wine has it” – R.G.

2007 Cigare Blanc

Overview: 2/3 Roussane, 1/3 Grenache Blanc. Arroyo Seco AVA, Beeswax vineyard. 14.5% alcohol. Vines are irrigated in the center of the row in diamond patterns to promote root growth.

Notes: Bright beeswax citrus, rich and lightly minty, creamy, quince, pear skin.Needed food, a delicious wine.

2008 Vin Gris de Cigare

Overview: Blend of 58% Grenache, 18%cinsault, 7% Mourvdre, 4% syrah, 3% Grenache blanc. Alcohol 13.6%

Notes: Strawberry perfume, rhubarb, hint of terragon, slightly creamy.

2006 Syrah Le Pousseur

Overview: 96% Syrah, 4% Grenache, Alcohol 13%, Central Coast AVA

Notes: Beautifully fragrant and pointed on the nose. Gamey with thick tannins that relax nicely on the palate, High acid, tart cherries and blueberries, long finish. Reminiscent of Pic Saint Loup.

2005 Le Cigare Volant Rouge

Overview: 50% Grenache, 24% Mourvedre, 22% Syrah, 3% Carignane, 1% Cinsault. Lees from the previous vintage are conserved and stirred in with this year’s to add to the silkiness on the palate, no racking. Alcohol 13.5%

Notes: Closed on the nose, silky tannins, thick and rich dark fruits, velvety. Could have used a good decanting.

2008 Vinferno

Overview: 50% Grenache blanc, 50% Roussane. Grapes dried in the vineyard for two weeks. Brix pushed from 24 to about 36.

Notes: Honeycomb and guava fruits. Thick and unctuous. Great length and wonderful acidity. Palate coating deliciousness.

A Tasting of 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (2/4/10)

Meeting of 95/95 in Yountville. Wines were tasted blind with corks pulled 9 hours prior to pouring. I felt guilty as these wines were way too young and some slightly awkward. Overall quality was high.

Domaine Grand Veneur 'Les Origines'

Overview: 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Mouvedre. 18 months in new oak casks.

Notes: Bright cherry/blueberry and chalk dust nose, silky tight tannins that grow on the palate, nice length with herbal/menthol notes, graphite. Nice acid. Distinctive. One of my favorites of the tasting.


Pierre Usseglio 'Cuvee De Mon Aieul'

Overview: A blend of 3 specific terroirs (Serres, Bedine, La Crau). 100% Grenache.

Notes: Closed on the nose with just a hint of barnyard and fat, not much fruit. Nose evolved into a sweet cinnamon flavor. On the palate, round and rich. Evolved quite nicely after a couple hours in the glass into thick rich fruits and relaxed tannins. One of my least favorites straight out of the bottle, but definitely grew on me as the wine opened up. Quite nice.


La Cote De L'Ange 'Vielles Vignes'

Overview: 100% Grenache, 80yr old vines average.

Notes: Smokey and thick, slightly angular, round red fruits (prunes). After a while in the glass lavender perfume notes become apparent, tight tannins, just a hint of VA.


Clos Saint-Jean 'Vielles Vignes'

Overview: Situated in La Crau, 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 4% Mourvedre, 3% Cinsault, 2% Vaccarese and 1% Muscardin. Grenache tank aged but the other red varieties are aged in new or one-year-old barrels for about 12 months.

Notes: Nice nose with fruits rising to the top, plush, fine tannins, rich and velvety red fruits. Classic CdP. After a while in glass VA became quite noticeable.


Roger Sabon 'Prestige'

Overview: Produced from vines that average 90 years in age. Blend of 60% grenache, 15% syrah, 10% mouvdre. 65% aged in foudres, rest in new oak.

Notes: Earth and bacon fat on the nose, layered red fruits on the palate. Quite fruity with stony undertones. Slightly unbalanced out of the bottle. Evolved into dark thick plush fruit and integrated tannins that really coated the palate, very enjoyable.


La Vieux Donjon

Overview: 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault. Aged for 6 months in cement tank and then about 12 months in foudres.

Notes: Meaty nose, richly fruited and super ripe on the palate. Soft with good acid. After a while menthol notes became apparent, fruits became muddled.


Bonus!

Quetsche D'Alsace Eaux de vie

Overview: Ancient bottle of plum brandy, faded/torn label, quarter fill, dry cork, 90 proof

Notes: Looked like lemon juice in the glass, hazy with a yellow tinge. Nose of citrus and liniment. Slightly aggressive on the palate with lemon and grapefruit notes. Interesting, though not quite to my palate, probably much better after a large meal.

Cobb Tasting at Jardiniere (01/31/10)

Wonderful tasting at Jardiniere with Ross and David Cobb. Would have liked to taste the other 2007 SKUs that were released previously.

2007 'Jack Hill'

Overview: 2 acres overlooking Freestone Valley near Occidental. Soils are sandy loam, clones are a mix of Dijon 667, 115, 828, west facing slope.

Notes: Beautiful black cherry and white pepper, great acid, purity, supple tannins with hints of licorice. Coming back after tasting the other wines Jack Hill showed a little darker and earthier with a little more cola, perhaps a hint of heat on the palate. Alcohol 13.8, 240 cs.

2007 'Emmaline'

Overview: Emmaline vineyard is near Sebastopol with heavy ocean influences. Two Dijon varieties planted in Goldridge loam. Yield approx 2 tons/acre.

Notes: Meatier (tuna tartare), slightly darker than Jack Hill. Rounder fruits, not as expressive. Damp earth, plums, peppery cherry cola and rose petals. Started out closed, but evolved nicely in the glass, noticeable oak notes. Alcohol 13.0, 310 cs.


2007 Coastlands Vineyard 'Diane'

Overview: Originally planted in 1989 with 20 relatively unknown clones and doubled in 1996 with a single variety. 1.5 acres

Notes: Quite reserved on the nose with notes of cedar and black cherry. Slightly smokey and meaty (pork fat). Light fruits, ripping acidity, lean tight tannins, licorice and citrus (blood orange), rose perfume, creamy finish. Impossible beautiful and supple. The pinnacle of American Pinot production. Alcohol 13.4, 90cs.