Dallas Wine Chick

Cabernet, Women and Shoes: The Trifecta

I had the chance to catch up with my girlfriends last week over dinner. We’ve known each other long enough that usually no stone goes unturned when we get together. I was in need for blog content and needed a different angle for a #Cabernet Twitter tasting coming up on Sept 2.  As a sidenote, Mark your calendars, grab a bottle, get online and join in the fun.

Rather than review another wine, I asked the group an important question – if you were stuck on a desert island with only one brand of Cabernet Sauvignon that you’d have to drink until rescue, what would it be? The initial feedback was that it is August in Texas with 100 plus degree days and white would be better suited to this scenario.  The conversation did finally divert into a discussion about our favorite cabs and why. Understanding that this is a subjective topic, there were a few brands that came up from the group including Pahlmeyer, William Hill Reserve, Lail Blueprint, Hourglass, Tapestry and Joseph Phelps.  Interesting that none of the usual “brand” suspects were mentioned although there was a heated debate on whether Silver Oak was worth the money with no final consensus.

The conversation quickly diverted to over-rated cabs and how many bottles of three figure cabernets were purchased at a winery that seemed magical at the time, but disappointed at home. Maybe we got caught up in the moment? Maybe it was stop number four of a full day of tasting?  But, the reality was that some of those same bottles opened at home with high hopes and a lighter wallet, didn’t live up to the memory.

The subject then shifted to the key to buying higher end cabernet – consistency in the brands that you trust. Knowing that your first (and last) bottle can change based on age, but will remain consistently good. Good cab is a great deal like good shoes. Everyone needs a favorite pair (or eight), but a nice pair of designer shoes better lasts the test of time. And even more importantly, can you ever have enough cabernets or enough designer shoes? And the consensus is no for either choice.

Can’t Drive 55!

This was the photo that I got from my lead footed husband as he made the solo drive from the Portland Airport to join me on a tour through Prosser, Red Mountain and Yakima.  I was lucky enough to have one of the top experts, Margot, and her husband, Dave,  show us Washington “wine o’clock” style.

You see, John didn’t join me until after #wbc10 was over. He’s a bourbon boy from the South and while he has a strong appreciation of wine and a collection that reinforces that point, seven days of wine tasting would render him to a state where he would want to poke his eyes out with a fork.  For the sake of our marriage and my enjoyment of the experience, he arrived late on Sunday. 

Unfortunately he missed out on some wonderful experiences.  Our first stop was family-owned L’Ecole. The name, L’Ecole Nº 41 is French for “the school”.  The winery is located in district 41 in historic Frenchtown, a small community outside of Walla Walla that was named for the many French Canadians that settled there in the early 1800s. 

We arrived at the converted schoolhouse that serves as the tasting room and were greeted by Jamie, a fun new friend who hosted us for a fantastic vertical tasting of library wines.  We began with a refreshing glass of the 08 Estate Luminesce ($19) that I loved, but alas, it was completely sold out.  We then tasted the 99, 03 and 07 Apogee from Pepper Bridge Vineyard and the 03 and 07 Estate Perigee from Seven Hills Vineyard.  I personally loved the Apogee – especially the earlier vintages that tasted of earthiness, black cherry, cassis and notes of chocolate.  The evolution in the glass was noteworthy and I left with a case of my own to taste test in the future.

Our next stop was to Va Piano Vineyards to meet Winemaker Justin Wylie.  Its motto: “Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano.” The translation is “He who goes slowly, goes safely and goes far” – an old Italian saying and the winery’s approach to living. This recommendation came from Greg Kassanoff, who owns Pioneer Wine here in Dallas.  We started with two Brunos Blend I and VI wines, one Sauvignon Blanc and one red blend as well as the Semillon.  Father Bruno Segatta, who Justin met during his time at Gonzaga University, is an artist and selfless priest.  Father Segatta inspired Justin to give back to the community. When the Bruno blends are sold out, Va Piano donates a portion of the proceeds to a charity of Father Bruno’s choice.  We tried two Syrah’s – the 07 Syrah and 08 Estate Syrah, which were inky black, spicy and fabulous.  But it was the 07 Cabernet that made me a card carrying member of Va Piano’s wine club.  At $38 a bottle, it rivaled some of Napa’s heavy hitters currently in my cellar.  Let’s just say that I cancelled my Far Niente membership because I liked it that much (the rule in my house is that if I add a wine club, I must cancel a wine club – actually my husband made up this rule after one particular Visa bill).

The next day, we made a brief stop at Airfield Wines where my favorite wine was the Aviator ( $30). It was a big Bordeaux style blend and since my cousin is in process of finalizing his clearance to be a fighter pilot, I loved the history of the winery.

The next day we headed to visit Alexandria Nicole Cellars.  Because Margot and Dave were wine club members, we were given VIP treatment and access to the back room, where we tried more than 16 wines on their tasting list – we even showed restraint as they have 21 varietals.  My favorites included the 07 Jet Black Syrah, 09 Rousanne, 08 Quarry Butte (ah Quarry Butte…), 07 Cabernet and 08 Crawford Viognier.  We also had the chance to sample some older vintages – the 03 and 05 cabernets and merlots from Alexandria Nicole’s enomatics system.  Again, the evolution in the glass and the changes over a two-year period were notable.

Then it was time for lunch.  I was excited to finally meet Scott who has been a long-time friend on Twitter, but I wasn’t prepared for the red carpet that was rolled out by my new Washington friends.  We went to eat at Tuscany and were met by Coop, Sara and Kevin.  Coop brought a bottle of his not yet released 08 Pinot Gris and it paired perfectly with the delicious food.

Mark your calendars for the debut of Cooper Wine Company’s Red Mountain grand opening on Sept. 11.  If his Bordeaux-style reds rival the Pinot Gris, you won’t be sorry. 

We left Tuscany and I had the chance to experience Fidelitas Wines in Red Mountain.  We originally planned to visit several wineries on Red Mountain, but were drawn in by Charlie Hoppes’ big red wines at Fidelitas Wines along with the hospitality of Marilyn and Cindy.  Let’s just say that another case of wine now has a home in Dallas that includes the 07 Red Mountain Cabernet Franc ($40), the 07 Jaguar red ($20), 2007 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet  ($60) and 07 Red Mountain Red ($50).   

P.S. Here is a photo of the not debuted yet packaging…

Our last and final stop was Sean Gilbert at Gilbert Cellars in Yakima where we tasted an array of reds, whites and a Rose’ of Mourvedre paired with cheeses, olives and Marcona almonds.  While I enjoyed every one of his wines, it was the 07 Cabernet Sauvignon ($28) and 07 Cabernet Franc ($32) that will be joining us in Dallas once the Texas heat has diminished.

Sean also talked us out of our dinner selection and sent us to an unmarked sports bar with a hunter complete with a scoped rifle as the signage.  Thankfully we trusted him and enjoyed a great dinner with a bottle of Gilbert Cellars’ Malbec.  We ended the evening hanging out with Margot and Dave in their room where we told stories and toasted a wonderful trip with a few special favorite wines.

Marietta Cellars: A Conversation with the Prodigal Son

It all started with the need to catch up with my dear friend, Julie, who I had not seen in ages and who had some big life decisions to make.  We sat outside Veritas on a glorious Spring day in Dallas.  We actually only get about twenty days a year like this before the temperature makes the jump from low 70’s to high 80’s and above, so we were savoring the sunshine and the tasty wine in front of us. 

Brooks, the owner of Veritas, came out to greet us and told us that we needed to leave the sunshine in order to attend a tasting of his latest find – Marietta Cellars.  Of course I can’t pass up the chance to taste a new winery and meet the winery family.  Also…it was free.  We started talking to Sam Bilbro, one of the brothers involved in the business whose business card reads “Prodigal Son.”  Sam had a clear passion for the wine business and his family’s wines.  He’s considered prodigal because he just returned to the vineyard after working for several other wineries.  After answering about 101 questions from me about Napa, his wines and what it is like to work in a family business, he began to pour.

We tasted five wines that day and I had a very definite favorite.   Our first wine was Marietta Old Vine Lot 51 NV (retails around $13).  Let me just name this an official pizza wine.  It was very fruit forward and bursting with spice and jam.

The next wine was the 06 Marietta Petite Syrah, which retails for $19.99.  Big blueberry fruit with spice, it was a full-bodied wine.  We then moved on to the 07 Marietta Zinfandel, which retails for $19.99.  It was a well balanced zin with hints of earthiness and a big berry taste.  The 06 Marietta Cabernet Sauvignon followed.  This  is an everyday drinking wine with lots of blackberry flavor,  priced at $19.99.

My favorite was the more expensive Marietta Angeli Cuvee.  Worth every penny of its $29.99 price tag (it drank like a more expensive wine), the Old Vines brought out the complexity of this wine.  I love the blend of berries, the spice and the balance.  It’s what a big red wine should be and one that will soon be joining my collection.

This week, Sam reached out to me to offer any assistance or answer any questions – even about other wineries.  Even though this little blog is less than two months old, I have been amazed at the responsiveness and willingness to help offered by the winemakers and families involved in the wine business.   Having worked in another industry for about 20 years, it is a nice discovery and I believe a testament to why wine consumption has continued to grow in the US.

There’s No Business Like Snow Business

Last week, I had it all planned out.  I was going to go to a Women for Wine Sense event in Dallas featuring notable women in the wine industry including award-winning proprietor, Lindsay Woodward.  Then I was lucky enough to be on the short list for a small post event dinner with Lindsay and her explosive Retour Pinot Noir. 

Then snow threatened to get in the way.  I was called to Michigan for work.  I crossed my fingers and flew into the eye of the storm – literally – successfully connecting flights in Chicago and then on to Michigan.  I was relieved to get home, but I was too late to make the original event.  I joined a small group of women for dinner at Salum, a local favorite and I am so happy that I did since Lindsay’s wines exceeded my expectations with the 07 vintage (I was lucky enough to try her first vintage with a friend last year).

For those of you who have not had the opportunity to try her Retour Pinot Noir, it is coming to a wine list near you soon.  Retour, which is only in its second vintage and is the French term for returning home, was rated a 92 and named by the Wine Spectator as “one of the most important new labels in Oregon.”  Bottom line – the Pinot is delightful – big fruit, spice and a long finish.  But what was more delightful was Lindsay.  She’s smart, she’s funny, she’s sassy and she loves what she does.  She took a gamble and left a successful communications job.  She turned her love of wine, knowledge of the industry and her passion into a successful venture while she was in her early 30’s.  She’s agreed to do a Q&A with me for a future posting, so look for that soon.

On another note — I returned from Michigan on Wednesday evening with the thought of writing my article about my dinner at Salum and posting  it no later than Saturday.  Then the mother of all storms hit Dallas.  We woke up on Thursday to a dusting of snow.  It was pretty – nothing that would keep me from going to work.  But, it continued to snow. And snow.  And snow.  Ten and a half inches later, our power went out and wasn’t restored until very late on Saturday.  Because we have a young daughter, we finally threw in the towel, grabbed two bottles of red wine (2005 Del Dotto Cab Frank and 06 Sojourn Cabernet Sauvignon) and went to a hotel on Friday night.  I do have to admit that I was worried about my wine collection and thankful that the power outage happened during the winter months. (No power in August for a few days in Dallas is not good for wine).

So, this Dallas girl now completely empathizes with what has been going on in DC, New York, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati and Detroit.  What I did gain from this experience is an appreciation for what I have and the knowledge to pack my wine bottles, wine opener, Riedel glasses and head to a hotel much faster should Dallas become a winter wonderland and I lose my electricity once more.