Archive for the ‘Wine Reviews’ Category

By Nikki Lincoln

As some of you may know, this week started off with a big event in San Francisco known as Bay to Breakers. I enthusiastically participated and after all was said and done, I was looking forward to taking a little break from drinking so no wine was cracked open for a couple of days. However, that didn’t last long and by Tuesday I was back on the wine grind.

RN74

Tuesday I’d finally felt recovered from Bay to Breakers and decided to go to Happy Hour with a couple of work friends. My only requirement was that the place have wine so I was happy when RN74 was thrown out as an option.

My coworker and I were in a particularly silly mood and after spending the whole walk laughing and joking around, I decided it would be nice to cool down with a crisp white. Ideally, when I want something cool and refreshing, Sauvignon Blanc is my go to so I was happy to see one on the menu, and extra excited that it was from the Loire Valley after having read about it earlier in the day. The wine was very light and refreshing with mild flavor and acid.

For my second glass, I decided to go for a Grenache from Southern Rhone. My friends all decided to follow suit and it was fun to see that they all trusted my judgement. This wine was big and fun with an earthiness to it. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to get a second glass. If drinking this wine at home though, I think it would do a little better having some time to breath in a decanter or passed through an aerator.

After the three glasses of wine, we were all in fine spirits and despite one friend having tickets to the Giants game (now close to being over), we decided to try one more wine. I thought it would be fun to try something I wasn’t familiar with at all and went with the Louis Antoine Pais from Chile. The bartender then proceeded to explain the wine to me and warn that I shouldn’t be shocked by the hint of bubbles since this wine was a little “gassy.” Needless to say, my coworker erupted in a fit of giggles over this. I really enjoyed the wine and I love a bit of effervescence in a wine, especially when it unexpectedly comes from a red. Next time I come back to RN74, this is going to be the first wine I order so I can get a better idea of the taste.

All in all, it was a very fun happy hour both in company and location. I  love when a bar has a great selection of wine by the glass since it let’s me try more wines that I might not normally have access to. It’s also fun to share my interest with my friends, as well as a bunch of laughs. I did feel bad about my friend missing the Giants game though so I promised next time we’ll go somewhere that he can at least watch it.

SAUVIGNON BLANC, JEAN-CLAUDE ROUX QUINCY, LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE 2011 $12/glass

GRENACHE, PIAUGIER GIGONDAS, SOUTHERN RHONE, FRANCE 2010 $16/glass

PAIS, LOUIS ANTOINE LUYT QUENEHUAO, MAULE VALLEY, CHILE 2011 $12/glass

Macallan Finest Cut Event

A couple of months ago some friends and I went to a Macallan tasting event. I’m sure you’ve heard of these – they put you in a big pretty room, give you a free cocktail and then some samples while an MC shows you a video and explains why the scotch is superior to others. Basically, they’re a really fun time to try a new spirit with your pals. So a couple of weeks ago when I got an email about another Macallan tasting event, I was caught off guard. Hadn’t I JUST gone to one of these? However, upon opening it, I was pleased to find out that this was a smaller scale event at a local whiskey restaurant, Nihon. I enthusiastically signed up and invited a friend who went with me to the big event.

This event baffled me in the best way possible. Having been to plenty of events where the idea is to sell you on something, it was oddly refreshing to show up in a room, be handed two tasting coupons, and be told to sit anywhere and enjoy the free (very fancy) sushi. The only announcement that was made was to let everyone know that it was actually a charity event for the World Children’s Initiative and that they were making a donation on behalf of all of the attendees. Well played, Macallan, well played. In addition to having great scotch (and an ice ball machine), you also have a place in my heart for just being really, really good people.

2010 Coppola Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon

After the Macallan event, we decided to go back to my apartment for some wine and GeoGuessr (the most addicting game on the Internet, I’m sorry). I was feeling a big red so I decided to open up the 2010 Coppola Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon. This actually ended up being surprisingly light for a Cab. I picked out some blackberry tones and felt that it was the kind of red that would be very enjoyable to drink in the summer. That particular note in red wine is nice in that blackberries aren’t known for having an overwhelming flavor and likewise, this was a gentler red. I could imagine being able to enjoy it even on a warm day.

Price: $18

2011 Mirassou Cabernet Sauvignon

We decided to end the night with one more wine. This time I decided to open a wine I had received as a sample. The 2011 Mirassou Cabernet Sauvignon was much more robust than the previous Cab. The flavor was fruity and had more black currant tones than blackberry. The slight jamminess of the wine was a noticeable contrast compared to the Coppola Cabernet.

Price: $12

2011 Coppola Director’s Cut Chardonnay

The next day brought us to Chardonnay Day and the arrival of Momma Lincoln. Lucky for me, this was a fortuitous coincidence as my mother loves Chardonnay. I decided to pop a bottle of 2011 Coppola Director’s Cut Chardonnay in fridge as I waited for her much delayed flight to arrive. She was very happy to arrive at my apartment and be immediately treated to a glass of her favorite kind of wine.

The wine was very light with an almost floral nose that I presume to be the presence of the cloves that the tasting notes suggest. I hadn’t had a Chardonnay in a while and had forgotten how different the acidity is than a Sauvignon Blanc or the other whites I’d had recently. It was interesting to think about those differences more and figuring out my preferences. More importantly though – Mom liked it.

Price: $21

2011 Pueblo Del Sol Sauvignon Blanc

For the rest of Mom’s visit, I wasn’t actively keeping track of the drinks we had because I just wanted to enjoy spending time with her. However, Saturday night, after spending the day rearranging my apartment and setting up some much needed wine racks, she picked out a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc she wanted to try. As it was a sample that I was given, I told her I should probably take notes on it… and I’m so glad I did.

This wine was exactly what I look for in a Sauvignon Blanc. It was very dry and acidic with a crisp apple flavor. I really enjoyed this wine and I am definitely going to find where I can buy a few bottles because this would be perfect for a picnic on one of those rare warm SF days or with some oysters.

Price: ~$11

Last week was a pretty busy drinking week for me so now that Momma Lincoln has left, I’ve decided to take a few days off from the vino. My big drinking this week will be at a couple more specific tastings so no wines of the week next week, but I’ll try to post something regardless.

Since I promised a post a week, I thought sharing what I’m drinking each week would be a good way to show you what I enjoy in between the bigger posts I’m working on. I’ll try to go into a bit more detail on any wines I particularly enjoyed but also just brush over my week in general.

Dark Horse Red Blend

I started off the week by testing out a sample that I had received.  I could see this wine being a good choice for anyone who wants a flavorful red wine that also feels like a good everyday drinking wine. While I like to spoil myself with my wine selections sometimes, I also don’t always want to open the most expensive bottles so it’s nice to keep some more affordable choices on hand. The wine had a deep berry flavor without being overpowering. However, I would only recommend it to someone who is a fan of big reds.

Part of the reason I also chose this wine was because I thought the name was fun. I spent a good part of the week having Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog stuck in my head and found the name Dark Horse to be very tempting. One of the minor characters in the musical is named Bad Horse and so drinking a wine with a similar name seemed like a fun choice. In fact, after writing about this wine and finding the above links, I have the songs stuck in my head again and will probably spend the rest of the day listening to the musical on repeat.

Cost: Unknown but other Dark Horse wines have gone for $8-10

2010 Imagery Sangiovese

I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for Imagery wine. A good friend works there so I make frequent trips to the winery and am always shown a great time. So when I had a couple of friends over to watch the How I Met Your Mother season finale and they requested a light red – I knew opening the Imagery 2010 Sangiovese would be a good choice. True to form, the wine was light but flavorful. I think it could have used a little more time in the bottle, which, admittedly, I had been told. Next year I will remember to hold onto it a little bit longer.

While we are on Imagery, there is something else that I love about their wine (which all of my friends have heard me gush about too many times). As someone who dabbles in art, I have a huge appreciation for the Imagery labels. Imagery allows artists to submit artwork for consideration for their label. The only rule is that the Parthenon has to appear somewhere in the piece.  This allows for the unique combination of each wine having a uniquely beautiful and artistic label, but with the fun touch of trying to find the hidden Parthenon. Every time I open a bottle, I spend a few minutes appreciating the artwork and looking for the Parthenon. It’s a fun touch.

Cost: $39

2009 Enkidu Humbaba

By the time Friday rolled around, I was looking forward to a more low key evening. I had heard it was Sauvignon Blanc day so I made sure to stick one in the fridge before going shopping with a friend for a couple of hours. However, when I got home to try it, I didn’t love it. I decided after a long week, I deserved to open something I knew I would like… and the Humbaba had been staring at me from the wine rack for long enough.

The Enkidu Humbaba had been purchased a few months earlier at the 8th Street Winery tasting event. It was the first place we stopped and the first wine I tried. Although my group scolded me for tasting out of order, I had a feeling about this wine and I was right. After trying the other Enkidu wines, I was still smitten with the Humbaba and knew I had to have a bottle. While I would have normally loved to hold onto it for a special occasion, I also realized that sometimes just letting yourself enjoy something you love is occasion enough.

The wine itself is a very light Syrah (Syrah (55%), Petite Sirah (42%), and Marsanne/Roussanne/Grenache Blanc (3%)) blend. I wanted something that would provide a good contrast to the Sauvignon Blanc from earlier without being too bold. The Humbaba ended up being a perfect compromise. The wine is very gentle on the tip of the tongue with the flavors changing throughout the mouth making it a very complex wine to taste. I had half of the bottle leftover on Saturday and it held up very nicely the second day as well. I definitely want to track down a couple more bottles to see how the flavor develops over time.

Cost: $28

Everything Else

I’m still getting used to what this new role means for me in terms of everyday drinking and so I’ve still yet to figure out a polite way to store my tasting notes when out to dinner or out with friends. I’m a little sad that I didn’t do that last week when I was out to dinner as I had the privilege to try my very first Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I did stop and think enough about getting a picture for posterity but didn’t capture any more details than that.

I’m looking forward to sharing this week’s wine adventures with you! My mom will be in town and I always love sharing new wines with her. My mom is a classic Chardonnay drinker and a fan of wines of the $2 variety so I really enjoy showing her new things. My favorite line from her last visit: “I love drinking your wine because I don’t get hangovers.”  Are there any suggestions for my mother-daughter weekend?

It’s fitting with today commencing the Weekend Celebration of American Rhones, in San Francisco, to celebrate this amazing, unique release of Cigare Blanc, the flagship Rhone white  blend from Bonny Doon Vineyards.

It’s creator, Randall Grahm, tonight at a very special ceremony will be awarded the first ever Rhone Rangers lifetime achievement award. As I wrote in For The Love of Rhône: Randall Grahm Lifetime Achievement Award; A Rhône Weekend in SF  the American Rhone winemakers and consumers owe Randall this, and much more.

The Re-Emergence of The Original Rhone Ranger, Pioneer’s Vision

In his spot-on keynote speech at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland, (video or transcript )  Randall gently chided the wine industry, for being a victim of its own success, almost ‘selling out’ and lamenting the world of unique wines, that had some risk to making them.

‘Modern winemakers live in an era of tragic self-consciousness about the economic consequences of their winemaking decisions, utterly aware of the peril of somehow falling outside of the stylistic parameters of accepted wine styles.’

On a macro level this is sadly true. Wines, especially whites, are made risk free, manipulated, and churned out by the container load for mass market.  “Flash Detente’ – seriously? I’ll go return to my beer brewing roots before I ever cross this line. Every article I read on it gives me hives – where does this end?

But there is a burgeoning new movement, a tiny but growing population of bold winemakers who return to the risk taking Randall laments, making wines of unique varieties, vinification, climates and more. (Teaser, also watch for notice for a special tasting of a gang of 13 of these upstarts in Healdsburg in May.)

These vintners of passion often selling their crafts for a modest price, keeping the approachable.  Sommeliers are loving this re-birth. Some old school journalists have no clue what to do with it – why not keep just writing about Cabernet & Zinfandel. Other visionaries like Jon Bonné of the Chronicle embrace  and support the change, and even has a book coming out. (You can pre-order now, I did.)

Leading By Example and Creativity – Winemaking With Risk (Equals Reward.)

Randall leads the path again (one that I follow, inspired, with my own  Rhone project.) His special 2010 Cigare Blanc Reserve and 2008 Cigare Volante are aged ‘en bonbonne’ - glass carboys, protected from light and air, and stirred….magnetically.  As only Randall could do.

Why? Randall was inspired by wines of Dan Wheeler tasted from carboy, and astonished by how fresh the wines were, 20 years later, followed by a similar experience with Emidio Pepe.

At the Wine Bloggers Conference, Randall held a special semi private tasting of some of his wines, including the 2010 Cigare Blanc reserve & 2008 Cigare Volant Reserve ‘en bonbonne’. The gift was lost on some, but it was a special experience to taste these the normal and en bonbonne’ side by side. There was a clear, textural and flavor difference.

It inspired me to taste them both again later several times, where I could focus without Rex Pickett of Sideways making drinking from dump bucket jokes to impress a nearby female. Not a problem as I am a DOON Club member, and regularly order, and have, including a re-order of this wine.

Review: Bonny Doon Vineyard 2010 Cigare Blanc Reserve en bonbonne

A certified biodynamic blend of 56% Grenache Blanc and 44% Rousanne. (You had me at Grenache Blanc.) As Randall’s own tasting notes concur, it continues to improve in bottle, and was changed, even more favorably from last fall. 

The 2010 vintage  was allowed to go through secondary malo-lactic (a personal preference for me, as I think many white wines, with sufficient acidity, should do to enhance mouth feel and complexity.)

• To The Eye: Slightly cloudy, but clearer than previous tastings.  Its turbidity makes me  love it even more. It’s about time the consumer world understood a tad of turbidity in whites might make it better. I will follow with less trepidation.

• On The Nose: wondrous nose of yellow pear, stone fruits, hints of white grapefruit and hazelnut.

• On The Palate: Amazing. Lush, but in a restrained way. Textural and ‘grown up’ but with a vibrant acid backbone that lingers beneath in balance.  The front palate starts off bright and fresh, the mid palate shows the wondrous texture, mouth feel  ripe pear, yellow peach, citrus.  The finish is of ripe Meyer lemon, lingering pleasant acidity.

I have yet to figure out how Bonny Doon makes these so wonderful in flavor and low in alcohol, as Roussanne and Grenache Blanc both require proper ripening, ever for my acid addicted palate. Bravo.

A wine that while wonderful solo, would be heavenly with rich seafood, creamy pasta, or roasted chicken.

• Recommendation: This is one to buy a case and drink 1-2 bottles a year. Buy online while you can.

94 points. Yes its pricier than every day wine. Life is short, live a little.

Related Articles

Drink 2013: Small Batch is the Second Coming of Local Wine SF Weekly

Pssst – Syrah Isn’t Dead: Tasting Notes: 2009 Bonny Doon ‘Les Pousseur’ Syrah

Winery of the Month: Highlights of Bonny Doon Vineyard’s ‘Day of the Doon’ at San Juan Bautista ‘Popelouchum’ Vineyard

Wine of the Week – Bonny Doon Vineyard Vin Gris De Cigare, Rosé

Winemakers Notes & Geeky Stuff

I have written in various places about the inspiration to age wine in demijohns/carboys/bonbonnes. Some of it has come from my fascination with oxidation/reduction chemistry, an aspect of wine art/science not well understood and its importance greatly unappreciated. Years ago, as a young pup I tasted wine from carboy with Dan Wheeler of Nicasio Cellars in his do-it-yourself-handdug cave in Soquel, and was astonished at how youthful were the wines, twenty plus years later, almost as if they had been placed in suspended animation. At about the same time, I also happened to taste the wines from Emidio Pepe in Abruzzo, who also aged his product in demijohns, likewise evincing extraordinary youthfulness and vitality.

We did some small encouraging experiments years ago, then more or less forgot about them until relatively recently, at which point we began the carboy ageing project with red Cigare. It wasn’t until ’09 that it dooned on me that perhaps there were even more interesting things to discover with the white. The ’10 Cigare Blanc Réserve, our second vintage of this wine, is absolutely amazing, an advance over the ’09. To refresh everyone’s memory, this wine is more or less the same blend as our standard issue Cigare Blanc, apart from the fact that we’ve allowed it to undergo malolactic fermentation, and at that point, we gave it a light SO2 addition, racked it to glass demijohn (bonbonne), where it reposed for a year and a half, getting anaerobically stirred more or less fortnightly.

The wine derives entirely from the Beeswax Vineyard, located at the mouth of the Arroyo Seco, and is farmed biodynamically and produced according to biodynamic specifications (very easy on the extraneous additions).

I’ve had the pleasure of tasting this wine over the last year, and what is most remarkable about it is that every time I taste it, it gets younger and younger! The wine was not filtered, and therefore is partly cloudy, though lately, it is curiously, getting brighter and brighter. The wine has a rich, unctuous texture, despite its modest (12ish%) alcohol, as well as possesses the most satisfying savoriness. In the nose, there is a wonderful suggestion of hazelnuts (hmm, white Burgundy, anyone?), as well as a beautiful fragrance of wintergreen and a wine-like pear. A great gastronomy wine, one that will perfectly suit rich, cream-based dishes.

Vital Statistics:

• Blend: 56% roussanne, 44% grenache blanc (Certified Biodynamic®)
• Vineyard: Beeswax (Certified Biodynamic®)
• Appellation: Arroyo Seco
• Serving Temp: 50-55ºF
• Alcohol by Volume: 12.4%
• TA: 6.2 g/L
• pH: 3.62
• Optimal drinkability: Drink now-2020
• Production: 497 cases

I am back! Finally catching up after  Eighteen days in Europe – Denmark, Portugal, and the balance in France – with glorious tastings in Chablis and the Northern Rhone, where Syrah is the red grape of choice (and AOC law.)

For those of you still snickering over Syrah, cracking pneumonia jokes etc – move on. Syrah’s Darwinist down phase is over -  Moscato or some other ‘varietal great white hope’ is next.

In truth, this ‘market correction’ was needed. Way too much bad syrah was being made, as well as planted in wrong places everywhere.

People and places that had no business being in Syrah are gone. Good riddance. The strong have survived. Incredible syrahs, especially from cool climate are in

high demand, and increasing in price, from small, talented, cult producers.

Pining For The Northern Rhone

I spent a week in the Northern Rhone, with 12 deep, technical tastings,  my glass graced with some of the Rockstars of the Northern Rhone: Gangloff, Faury, Allemand, to name a few.

My first week back, as a sanity check, I popped open a bottle from Randall Grahm, the US veteran Rhone Ranger. How would his modest priced Rhone  – Syrah offering fare?

(PS – Randall – they love you over there.)

Tasting Notes: 2009 Bonny Doon ‘Les Pousseur’ Syrah

At 13.5% alcohol, Mostly/all Neutral oak (thats my guess), solid acid/pH numbers, and most importantly, great flavor profile,  Bonny Doon delivers the CA syrah goods at an every day price point.

• To The Eye: inky deep purple, reminiscent of Cornas, no light shall pass!
• On The Nose: Smoked meat, black olive tapenade, modest black fruits.
• In The Mouth: Well balanced. Dark black fruit, bacon notes, savory notes, good texture and soft tannins.

This is a rock solid syrah. BDV “Doon’ Members get this at a meager $21. Thats Syrah you can enjoy on a weeknight and feel great about.

This wine is officially sold out and the tasting room is selling the new 2010, but there is some online to buy

and its in some retail channels still.  Grab some now! (I just re-ordered.)

Notes from Randall:

I don’t usually wholesale plagiarize a wine makers notes – but no one says it like Randall. How can you not love this man’s words?!

“La syrah,” the French say—syrah is deeply and elementally feminine—is perfumed elegance. Enchanting and capitvating rather than overpowering, it disarms by its strangeness. Like Borge’s Zahir, syrah makes an indelible impression. One will wander the world till the end of one’s days, its sublime, haunting fragrance gradually displacing all thoughts and memories, including the knowledge of one’s own name.

Oh those Europeans and European-styled wines! Initially very closed when you first meet them. Air (and time) lures them out of their protective cocoon.

Our ’09 Syrah “Le Pousseur” is named for an alchemist and trickster, but is withal an incredibly accessible wine, great by the glass but also a felicitous partner to all manner of roasted meats, poultry, game, wild mushrooms, and well aged cheeses.

Wine Geek Info:

• Varietal Blend: 100% syrah
• Appellation: Central Coast
• Vineyards: 56% Alamo Creek, 32% Bien Nacido, 12% Chequera
• Alcohol by Volume: 13.5%
• TA: 0.58 g/L
• pH: 3.73
• Serving Temp: 55-60ºF
• Cellaring: 5+ years from release (May 2012)
• Production: 1200 cases

It’s that time of year – sparking wine & champagne flows (more) freely.

My love affair with Champagne

(true Champagne, sparkling wine from the region) is growing, much to the detriment of my wallet.

This sparkler is now one of my favorite Champagnes, an exciting blend of texture & acidity, with the broad(er) flavor profile of a Rosé.

I confess sparkling Rosé is my favorite – as much as my palate is acid driven, Blanc de Blanc is sometimes a bit too  much for me, and I lean toward the red fruit of Rosé.

Tasting Notes: Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Brut Grand Rosé

To The Eye: The color immediately draws the eyes: a bright salmon orange. An incredible stream of tiny bubbles, make it gorgeous to behold.

On The Nose: expressive: blood orange, cream, seashells, strawberry.

In The Mouth:  The palate is a delight. The front palate is bright strawberry, citrus/orange, the mid palate has great minerality and texture, the finish is red fruits, red apple, and pleasant lingering mouthwatering acidity.

This sparkling wine is stunning in every way. Worth a splurge for the holidays for sure. Or hell, I could drink

this every Friday.

A blend of 80% Pinot Noir & 20% Chardonnay. Imported by Kermit Lynch.
Available in their Berkeley store. Not too pricey for a Grand Cru at $60

It’s time to wax poetic (again) about Bonny Doon Vineyard. It’s hard not to, when one comes across a wine this approachable in price and palate. natural viagra