Dallas Wine Chick

Bernard Portet: Conversation with A Wine Country Legend

In another pinch myself moment on the trip, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Bernard Portet, considered to be one of the forefathers of the Napa Valley wine industry , at Don Giovanni.  For almost 40 years, Bernard was the co-founder and wine maker for Clos du Val Winery who helped pioneer and revitalize the American wine industry during the 70s with others like Robert Mondavi, Louis Martini and Joe Phelps.

He came to California in 1968 after studying Agronomy, Viticulture and Enology at Schools of Agronomy of Toulouse and Montpellierto.  After a stint in the army, he was hired by John Goelet, an American descendant of the Guestier wine merchant family of Bordeaux, to search the world including Australia, South Africa, North America and North Africa to find the best region outside of France to plant a vineyard.  Because he knew terrior, the microclimate and soil or sense of place, was so important he found what he was looking for in Napa’s Stags Leap District.  He produced the first vintage in 1972.  During his 40 years at Clos de Val, he knocked on doors to sell wine, planted another vineyard in Carneros and mastered the wine industry.  But he never changed his style and remained true to his elegant approach to a sense of place and balance.

Bernard started by talking about the team spirit back he experience when he first arrived in Napa Valley as the winemakers were willing to share everything that they were doing, since they were working toward a greater good to get California wines on the map.  Fast forward 40 years and he said that spirit of cooperation is still strong.  What has changed is the independence of some of the winemakers as they are now owned by large conglomerates and don’t have the freedom to share as they have in the past.

His retirement from Clos de Val had lasted for about six months when he was approached by a former colleague, Don Chase, at a Napa Valley coffee shop.  That cup of coffee led to the formation of Polaris Wines, who recently launched Heritance Wines.  The name Heritance, which focuses on Napa Valley Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc (signature wines of France) is a combination of “heritage” and “inheritance.”  Since Bernard comes from nine generations of winemaking beginning in the 1600s, his heritage is evident.  He talked about being born in the same bedroom as his father and grandfather in Cognac, France.  “Inheritance” refers to his father, who was the regisseur of Chateau Lafite, one of the most highly regarded estates in the world, who taught him the wine business.

With the understanding that he would only make the wine and not handle the operations, he went about the business of putting his winemaking style, which he describes as “balance, elegance and complexity,” to good use.  This time he sources the best grapes throughout Napa Valley.

We tried the following line-up of the Heritance wines (and in the spirit of full disclosure, I’d buy any one of them):

-          2010 Heritance Sauvignon Blanc, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, this had lots of tropical fruit and was very refreshing.

-          2011 Heritance Sauvignon Blanc, also a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Rousanne.  Bernard described the texture almost as a drop of olive oil and he was right.  It was full of tropical fruit, guava and was very rich and complex.

-          2011 Pinot Noir, the wine was made in a Burgundian style with creamy notes of cherry, spice and great balance.  This is the first vintage of this wine.

-          2008 Heritance Cabernet, delivered with notes of balsamic, oak, black fruit, tobacco and floral notes.

Our last wine was an Argentine Malbec named Nandu.  On one of his trips, Bernard found some great vineyards in southern Mendoza and decided to make a wine there.  We tried the 2010 Malbec that was soft and full of blackberry, herbs, blueberry and cranberry.  I would bet this Malbec would convert non-Malbec drinkers.

Bernard described Heritance as a “virtual winery without walls.”  His goal is to make complex and complete wines that go well with food.  I, for one, am very glad that he didn’t retire. There is a great deal of “heritance” that is still yet to come.

Home for the Holidays: Food, Wine, Family & Memories

Food, wine and fellowship have always been a mainstay of our holiday celebrations.  With the recent passing of my great aunt Stella, who died right before Christmas, it was a poignant reminder to appreciate those that we love.

Stella Urusky, on the bottom row on the lefthand side in the black.  Don’t be a hater about the hair or dress.  It was 1994.

Stella actually inspired the entire premise of Dallas Wine Chick.  Stella’s favorite wine was pink, fizzy, made up of chemicals and usually under $5.  I got on a self absorbed mission to “teach her” about “good wine.”  So, for a year I opened the best white wines that I had in my collection – white burgundies, chardonnays, sauvignon blancs, pinot blancs, alsaces and albarinos with the conviction that I could change her mind.  A big life lesson for me is that I couldn’t.  She hated them all and just wanted what she wanted.  So, the concept that wine snobbery shouldn’t be forced on anyone and people should drink what they like was solidified in my mind.

She also taught me about compassion, the value of family, taking care of unwanted animals and speaking my mind.

So we gathered at my parent’s house as the snow fell and ate more food than we should, had more wine than we should and told the same family stories that I’ve grown up hearing.  It was especially poignant that my cousin, Patrick, a F/A-18 Super Hornet pilot, was finally back home after his year-long tour on the USS Enterprise.

The USS Enterprise was on its final voyage after 50 years of service and it is the longest serving aircraft carrier in the US fleet.  It was the world’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, Top Gun was filmed on this ship, it acted as a spotter ship for John Glenn’s historic orbit of Earth, played an important role in the Cuban missile crisis and in Somali pirate engagement.  As the oldest ship in the Navy, the motto is: “There is pain and there is Enterprise pain”…

We also got to hang out with my other cousin, Jeff, and his fiancé AJ, who we are eagerly ready to welcome to the family when they marry in California in the future.

With all of that as our backdrop, we tried several wines from Yarden in the Golan Heights; Elyse Winery in Napa and a Terrazas from Argentina.

We started with the wines from Yarden Wines of Israel.  You may remember that I was impressed last November when I had the opportunity to experience my first wines from the region.  I can speak for the rest of my family in saying that these wines exceeded everyone’s expectations.

The Golan Heights Winery was founded in 1983 and is based in Katzrin.  The winery is known for its use of technology and the advances it has made for wines produced in this region.  The region has extreme temperatures and elevation changes combined with volcanic soils.

Yarden Mount Herman White 2011

This was the favorite white of the group.  Big notes of citrus, peach, floral and minerality made this a great match with the food.

Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Lots of cherry, blackberry and stone fruit with notes of earthiness, tobacco and oak made this a very memorable wine and one that I will seek out in the future.

Yarden T2

This dessert wine which was made of two Portuguese grapes and fortified with brandy was a very nice dessert wine, but the $50 price tag made it a bit bittersweet.

We then switched over to Elyse.  I’ve long been a fan of Elyse Winery wines and these did not disappoint.

Elyse 2010 Petite Sirah

Lots of dark berry fruit, floral and spice.  I loved the finish with its notes of chocolate, mocha and oaky flavor.  This was a rich and yummy wine.

Elyse 2007 Morisoli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Also inky black with lots of stone fruit and blackberry flavors with nice spice and cedar.   This was a very well balanced and elegant wine.

Elyse 2008 Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel

This is the vineyard where it all began and the wine that launched Elyse into 25 years of success.  Lots of juicy fruit, earthiness and spiciness make this Zinfandel memorable.

We also tried a Terrazas 2011 Reserva Torrontes, which tasted of green apple, flowers and orange blossom.  A nice, dependable, food-friendly wine that matched holiday food very well.

I hope your holiday season was filled with memories of family and friends that will last long beyond the chaos and will create smiles for years to come.

Wines of Argentina: Diversity, Complexity and Yes, You Can Age Malbec

The folks from the Wines of Argentina came through town last week and hosted a panel and tasting featuring the country’s next generation of great winemakers.  Fernando Buscema of Catena Zapata; Federico Lleonart, the global wine ambassador for Argentina; Melissa Monasaw, the wine and education director for Pioneer Wine Company and James Tidwell from the Four Seasons Resort along with Nora Z. Favelukes, US Representative for Wines of Argentina, talked about the history of Malbec and other unique varietals to Argentina.

The United States is the leading country for Argentinian wine exports and the Wines of Argentina organization represents 200 wineries.

Malbec was a grape of French origin that was once a predominant grape in Bordeaux and Cahors.  In 1853, the Quinta Normal de Agricultura was founded in Mendoza.  Michel Aime Ponget, a French agromist was hired to manage the school.  He brought the grape vines and seeds that made Malbec predominant in Argentina.

Malbec is known for its inky color; notes of berries, clove, mocha, vanilla and flowers; and for being soft, but dense with a good acidity.  It surprised me that Malbec can age gracefully because of its altitude, own roots, high phenol concentration and low pH.  We tried 8 wines; with the last two deemed “hidden gems” from Melissa and James that the trade group may not have sampled prior.

The line-up was as follows (well, I think it was, but the order kept changing, so I may have missed a beat or two):

• Monteviejo Lindaflor Malbec 08, very tannic with black fruit.
• Catena Alta Malbec 03, elegant wine and I was surprised that the fruits were still active and the wine maintained its character.
• Catena Zapata Malbec Adrianna 08, very fruit forward with big notes of plum. This was a very drinkable wine you could open today.
• Graffigna Centario Torrontes 12, apricot, white peach, orange blossom and stone fruit.  This isn’t available yet in Dallas, but when it is, I recommend finding it.
• Zuccardi Serie A Bonarda 10, this was very interesting and smooth.  I tasted raspberry and strawberry notes and it begged for Italian food.  Bonarda is the second most planted variety and a grape unique to Argentina.
• Graffigna Gran Reserva Cab 08, a very nice smooth wine with herbal notes and black fruit.  This was one of my favorites.
• Fin del Mundo Special Blend 08, this was a pretty wine with notes of eucalyptus, dark fruit and spice.  This was a pretty wine made up of cabernet franc and petit verdot.

James’ hidden gem was the Mendel Semillon 11, which is on the Four Seasons Resort wine list.  Melissa’s choice was the Reginato Sparkling Rose of Malbec NV, which had notes of rhubarb, strawberry and nice acidity with the bubbles.  This was my favorite of the two.

Jorge Liley, Catena  Zapata Wines

The first three wines were under $15 and the next three wines are around $50.  After the event, there was a tasting of 135 wines from 25 wineries representing what Argentina has to offer.  Based on what I tried, I think I’m going to pick up a few bottles of Malbec and let the aging begin.

Winebow Wines of Summer: Fun to Be Had Off the Beaten Path

When I received a package from Winebow with Summer whites that were off the beaten path, I was totally stoked. I gathered a group of my closest wine buddy girlfriends, we assembled a spread to match and we were off to the races. The pack included Pinot Grigio and Riesling as well as Vermentino and Torrontés from several regions. We tried the following wines:

• Tilia Torrontés, Argentina 2011 – $10: We tasted herbs and honeysuckle with a floral nose.
• Clean Slate Riesling, Mosel 2011 – $10: This one had some residual sweetness but notes of lime and peach with minerality.
• Root:1 Sauvignon Blanc 2011 – $12: This was the group favorite with tropical fruit, grapefruit, grassiness and mineral notes.
• Vitiano Bianco (Vermentino & Verdicchio) Umbria 2011 – $12: Tropical, fruity and very light in body from Umbria, a region I had not experienced yet in Italy.
• KRIS Pinot Grigio, delle Venezia 2011 – $14: This was a very fruity pinot grigio that stayed true to the variety.
• Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino, Sardinia 2011 -$16: Very crisp with tropical fruit. This wine had a bit of effervescence at the finish.

This was a fun reminder that there are bargains and new regions to try once you step out of your usual wine comfort zone.

Moet Hennessy Portfolio: Taking Dallas By Storm

I recently attended a trade event at the Mansion on Turtle Creek hosted by Sigel’s featuring the Moet Hennessy portfolio available in Texas.  When I received the invitation, a few things caught my eye.  First, Manuel Louzado from Numanthia was on the list and I love, love, love his wines.  Second, Cloudy Bay winemaker, Sarah Burton, who recently hosted ##nzwineday, was also in attendance so I wanted to talk to her about that event and her experience.

It was a star-studded winemakers line-up featuring Cape Mentelle, Chateau de Sancerre, Chandon, Numanthia, Lapostolle, Newton, Cheval des Andes, Cloudy Bay and Terrazas de los Andes.  Most of the vineyards had their wine makers in attendance.  I was in heaven.

I tried a number of wines that day, but I thought I’d give you some of the highlights that I really enjoyed.  You can find all of these at Sigel’s if you want to “taste along.”

Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 07 – If you read my recent column about my New Zealand wine experience, you’ll note that I was very impressed with the Pinot Noirs.  This one continued that trend for me.  It was spicy with cherry notes and an earthiness that made me want more. 

Cape Mentelle – I really enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend from this Australian winery, but the 04 Cabernet stood out to me.  It showed very well with notes of blackberry, tobacco and a nice balance.

Chandon – What can I say?  I’m a sparkling girl and the Etoile Brut was elegant with notes of hazelnut, apple and citrus.  I had a great conversation with winemaker, Tom Tiburzi, and he told me about how this blend changes yearly based on what he feels will work the best from the grapes as opposed to his other more value-oriented sparkling that must stay true to what consumers expect.  I also tried the Extra Dry Muscat Cannali, which is definitely the perfect off dry sparkling wine with Asian food.

Chateau de Sancerre had two wonderful whites.  I first became a fan of this after Scott Barber from the Commissary served it at an event.  I tried the Chateau de Sancerre white, which had floral and citrus, but with the minerality that I like in a Sancerre wine.  Then I tried the Chateau de Sancerre Cuvee du Connetable.  Wow – complex, while intense, creamy, almost buttery with mineral notes and vanilla.  Bravo!

Lapostolle – I have a soft place in my heart for them because they have a very drinkable and affordable Sauvignon Blanc that becomes my wine of choice when we go to Punta Mita.  However, I had never ventured out of their value wine category.  I really enjoyed three of their wines.  The first was the Borobo, a blend of five different French varietals, originally put together due to a bet between two winemakers to see if a blend could be made from two vineyards.  The winemaker upped the ante and blended three.  Trust me – he could and it’s good.  The second one is Canto de Apalta, a fabulous Bordeaux blend that will debut in May and retail for $19.  This has been described as the “baby Apalta,” one of the top cuvees and rated #1 by The Wine Spectator in 2008.  You should discover this when it launches and quickly.  It is a fabulous deal.  The final wine was the los Apalta, the flagship wine I described before.  Lots of blackberry, cherry, spiciness and a velvet finish.    

Newton Vineyards – Winemaker Chris Millard was representing this popular Spring Mountain winery.  If you are a chardonnay fan, you should try the 09 unfiltered chardonnay deemed as a “non-Chardonnay drinkers” Chardonnay.  Lots of almond and a very nice wine either with food or without.  Then we jumped to the 08 Puzzle, a red blend that changes yearly-  hence the name.  This was a wine with finesse, elegance, silkiness, cherry, licorice, vanilla, chocolate and mocha. 

Terrazas de los Andes – I had the chance during a wine event in 2011 to try the value and mid-range wines, so I immediately asked for the Afincado Malbec.  I tasted vanilla, blackberries, oak and some floral notes.

Cheval des Andes – Would love to have tasted the fruits from the partnership of Terrazas de los Andes and well-known Chateau Cheval Blanc in Bordeaux, but alas, they had no more wine. Next.

Finally, Numanthia and Manuel Louzada.  I had the chance to talk to Manuel about a wine group that I belong to and the second and third-growth tastings that we did of iconic wines.  His wines were fabulous in every tier.  I loved his descriptions of the three wines.  He talked about the Numanthia Termes as being geared to capture the vibrancy and the loveliness of the fruit with “newbie” vines between 30-50 years old.  The 08 Numanthia, featuring vines between 60-100 years old, is built to deliver massive power and elegance.  Louzada compared this to the body of an athlete with “beautiful lines outside, massive character inside.”  It’s an elegant wine and wonderful.  But then we moved to the 07 Termanthia.  He described it as one of the few vineyards where “all the stars aligned.” I admit it – I had to stop him to “take a moment” to savor this wine.  It’s velvet, it’s silky, and it is dark.  I smelled truffles, mocha, chocolate, black fruit and this was just of a bottle not decanted for long.  Also, I was fascinated with the story of the vines being compared to the city of Numanthia that survived a 20-year siege only to come under attack again.  The city decided it would not be taken and essentially they burned it with everyone inside.  It’s called the Numanthia resistance.   These vines have survived their own resistance – through pholoxia, through extreme temperatures and through hard growing conditions.  Viva de Numanthia and long live these grapes!

Tapena’s Most Creative Piropo Winner

Now it’s time to announce the winner of the poetry into action contest with Tapena.  You were all creative and had some fun ways to personify your love affair with the grape. 

I’m happy to announce that Jacqueline Medina is the winner of the most creative Piropo.  She wins a four-pack of wines, a Spanish-themed cookbook and some other fun material for her “love is like wine, it tastes much better as it gets older.”  As someone who has been married for nearly 18 years, I raise my glass and respectfully agree.  Jacqueline, contact me  and I’ll get your prize to you.

Tapena’s Most Creative Piropo Winner

Now it’s time to announce the winner of the poetry into action contest with Tapena.  You were all creative and had some fun ways to personify your love affair with the grape. 

I’m happy to announce that Jacqueline Medina is the winner of the most creative Piropo.  She wins a four-pack of wines, a Spanish-themed cookbook and some other fun material for her “love is like wine, it tastes much better as it gets older.”  As someone who has been married for nearly 18 years, I raise my glass and respectfully agree.  Jacqueline, contact me  and I’ll get your prize to you.

Brown Bagging: A Blind Tasting Experience

Before the holidays, a group of Dallas-based wine folks gathered together for our first brown bag tasting event.  We tried ten wines in an informal format at Campania Pizza in Uptown, who was generous enough to waive the corkage fee. 

The parameters were wide open – a red wine in the neighborhood of $20-25 a bottle.  I was really intrigued to see what the group would bring as it was a varied group of wine lovers – some formally trained and some self taught – all interested in continuing their journey with wine. 

Here was the line-up and my reactions:

• Cooper L’inizio – 2008 (Washington).  After hosting Neal Cooper on his first Dallas visit last year and being impressed with Washington State wine at the Wine Bloggers Conference 2010, I thought I’d bring something that the rest of the tasters couldn’t get in Texas.  Note that I did break the rules a bit and bring a bottle that is now estimated to sell around $40 in very limited quantities.  Definitely in my top three wines.
• Inwood Estates 2008 Cornelius (Texas) I admit it – I continue to struggle with the price point and payoff of this wine.  @jftxwine brought it as the zinger of the night and I tasted concrete and something sweet that didn’t work for me especially at $40.
• Petalos Bierzo 09 (Spain).  I tasted blueberry, spice and a hint of floral, which may have been lavender.
• La Vierge,” Cahors 07 (France), smoky, dark cherry, flinty, meaty and earthy.  This wine is referred to as the “French Malbec”
• Mollydooker The Boxer (Australia) – After having the ability to spend some time with Sparky and Mum late last year, talking about these guys is like talking about family.  I tasted big berry, licorice, oak and cedar.
• Bodini Malbec – 2010 (Argentina).  Berry, meaty, licorice abound in this juicy Malbec.
• Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon 09 (California).  Cherry, cassis, coffee and some spice.
• Haven’s Meritage 09 Rutherford (California).  Blueberries, vanilla, spice and a big juicy red.  Definitely in my top three wines.
• Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Blanc 09 (France).  Raspberry, cardamom, smoky with a little pepper.  On my top three list.
• Pagos del Moncejo Garnacha 08 (Spain).  Cedar, spice, vanilla and cherry.

We had a great time, ate some really good pizza and enjoyed diverse wines from around the world.  Our next brown bag tasting is in early February and we’ll taste Pinot Noirs.  I just happen to have another surprise in store.

The Blind Wine Chick Has Line of Sight to A Great Chardonnay

When I got an email entitled The “Blind Wine Chick,” I was intrigued.  I assumed that it had something to do with testing my own palate in a blind tasting.  I quickly came to realize that the email was about Alexandra Elman, an American oenophile and successful wine entrepreneur, who lost her sight due to complications from diabetes at the age of 27.

Courtesy of Doug Holt Photography

Elman was born to an oenophile father and a Brazilian chef mother.  She spent her youth in Brazil, France and New York exposed to food and wine.  These experiences honed her passion for wine and she worked for Perrier-Jouet Champagne in France and later Sherry Lehman.  Working for these firms exposed her to some of the lesser-known wines in the world, which seemed more honest to her than many of the larger labels.

Elman’s blindness never slowed her down.  She continues to search the world for the best wines to bring to the U.S.; however, now she has her seeing-eye dog, Hanley, as her companion.  In 2009, she created her own label, Alex Elman Wines, which was released in November 2010.  The focus – sustainability and representation of the wine’s terrior. 

Our group tried four varietals from Argentina—a Chardonnay, a Torrontés, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Malbec.  The two group favorites were the Chardonnay – yes, stop the presses!  It was a crisp white with notes of green apple, toast and vanilla.  In other words, a Chardonnay that appeals to those who do not usually like Chardonnay.  The other was the Cabernet Sauvignon with its big berry, licorice and notes of cedar.  All bottles retail for under $15.

Taste, Value & Sustainability: Santa Julia Wines Deliver

Julia Zuccardi from Santa Julia

Last month I attended a lunch at Komali to introduce Santa Julia wines from Argentina to the Dallas market.  Julia Zuccardi, the namesake of Santa Julia and a third-generation family member of one of Argentina’s family-owned wineries, was our gracious host.  In her words, and said with a smile, “my father named the winery after me because he thinks I am a saint.”

Ana Rodriguez Armisen of Santa Julia’s Casa del Visitante jointly planned the menu with Abraham Salum of Komali and it was focused on Argentinean cuisine.  I felt like I needed expando pants by the time I finished the three appetizers followed by a four course menu paired with seven wines.  I had taken the afternoon off as we had what is known as a very leisurely European lunch and a few of us were checking our watches after two and a half hours due to other commitments as much as we would have loved to stay.

Santa Julia wines are all about sustainability and focused on four pillars — people, vineyard, energy conservation/reclamation and environment.  The wines are bottled in lighter weight glass to lower carbon emissions and organic wines comprise of 30 percent of the vineyard.  The Mendoza-based vineyards grow estate-planted grapes and the wines retail for under $13.

We started with passed hors d-oeuvres — sopes de tinga de pollo con queso fresco, slices of grilled beef over home-made countryside bread and chimichurrie sauce, which was later demonstrated by Armisen; and grapes and raisin bread with goat ricotta cheese dressing of frantoio olive oil from the estate, black olives and fresh arugula.  The wines included the Santa Julia 10 Organico Cabernet Sauvignon with lots of cherry and spice; the 09 Organico Malbec with mocha, chocolate, deep berry and vanilla; as well as the Santa Julia Brut Rose NV with red fruits, floral essence and a creamy texture.  I was really impressed with the sparkling especially at a price point of $10.

Already full, we moved to our first course — a fresh green salad with mustard shoots, carob’s bread croutons, grapefruit and cured trout with a grapefruit juice and manzanilla olive oil dressing paired with 10 Santa Julia Torrontes.  What a fabulous pairing – the grapefruit, peach and minerality worked exceptionally well with the salad. This is a great wine for $10.

Our second course paired with a roasted snapper filet, pumpkin seed pipian and nopal salad was matched with the 10 Santa Julia Organica Chardonnay.  The pairing worked, but this was my least favorite wine tried, but still a solid chardonnay option for $11.

The third course was grilled lamb with crispy smashed potatoes with frantoio olive oil, Malbec reduction and warming salsa criolla paired with two 09 reserve wines. The first is the Santa Julia Reserva Malbec with fig, chocolate, terrior and mocha.  This was a more balanced and deep wine than the first Malbec tried.  The second wine was the Santa Julia Reserva Cabernet with black cherry, currant, leather and blackberry.

The grand finale, and it was fabulous, was a capirotada-Mexican bread pudding with piloncillo syrup, Mexican raisins, fresh mango and queso Cotija matched with an 09 Santa Julia Tardio, la ate harvest Torrontes.  The bread pudding was almost cobbler like and one of the best desserts I’ve had in a long time.  Matched with the Tardio, the dried orange peel, apricot, honeysuckle and almond present in the wine was one of the most sublime combinations I’ve ever tried.