Dallas Wine Chick

Sonoma In the City Does Dallas: Day Two

The Taste of Sonoma tour brought more than 100 Sonoma County wines ranging from Russian River Valley chardonnay and pinot noir to big Zin from Dry Creek Valley to rich cabernet sauvignon from Alexander Valley to the Mansion on Turtle Creek.

Yolanda Papapietro

While I did not try anywhere near 100 wines, I was able to find some standouts and see some old friends in the process.  What a surprise to see Yolanda Papapietro from Papapietro Perry pouring her wonderful pinots.  My friend, Jennifer, turned me on to these fabulous wines and I loved being able to try the 2010 line-up from the Leras Family Vineyards, Nunes Vineyards, Russian River Valley and the 777 Clones.  Other standouts included Bella, Sojourn, Davis Family, Flowers, Gary Farrell and White Oak Vineyards.

Me, Justin and Robert 

Then I was fortunate enough to run into Rodney Strong Associate Winemaker, Justin Seidenfeld, along with my friend, Robert Larsen, Rodney Strong marketing extraordinaire.  Justin took me through the line-up and talked about the history of Rodney Strong.  The winery was started over 50 years ago when Rod Strong, who originally had a career as a dancer in America, decided to pursue his wine making passion. Rodney Strong Winery was the thirteenth winery bonded in Sonoma County. The Klein family purchased the winery in 1989 and focused on making single vintage and reserve wines. After working at Iron Horse and Mondavi as a harvest enologist as well as with Constellation wines, Justin joined Rodney Strong in 2010. He told me that he wanted to take great wines and “brighten up” the wine making style.

We tried the following line up:

• 2012 Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc, Charlotte’s Home – white stone fruit, pineapple, citrus and herb make this a very balanced white.
• 2011 Rodney Strong Chardonnay, Chalk Hill – old world style with vanilla, citrus and hints of oak.
• 2010 Rodney Strong Cabernet, Alexander Valley – dense and rich with big berry, plum with a great intensity.
• 2010 Rodney Strong Symmetry contains all five Bordeaux varietals and the blend changes annually.  Big berry, spice, cassis make up this well balanced red that changes based on the vineyard’s strengths.
• 2008 Rodney Strong Cabernet, Rockaway – full of raspberry, blackberry, terrior, spice and notes of vanilla.

Justin talked about his ten hour Rodney Strong interview that started out with Tom Klein, the winery owner.  After making it through the gauntlet, he walked into a room that included well-known winemaker David Ramey, where he was asked to create the final blend of Symmetry.  He rolled up his sleeves, took off his tie and blended his way to a new job.

The next day began with a lunch with the Sonoma County Trio of Vintners, Winegrowers and Tourism at Hotel Zaza Art House & Social Gallery.  The event, meant to showcase the diversity of Sonoma, began with a speed tasting concept.  Here is what I learned from sitting down with the representatives which included Guy Davis from Davis Vineyards, Christopher Barefoot from Flowers, Corey Beck from Francis Coppola and Clay Maurtison, from Maurtison Winery, who I had dinner with earlier in the week.

-          Sonoma County is the size of Rhode Island, five times the size of Napa Valley and has more than 60 miles of coastal land off the Pacific Ocean.

-          There are more than 200 different soil types.

-          There are 1,800 wine growers in Sonoma and many of them are multi-generational.

-          Today only 6 percent of the land planted is being utilized.

-          There are 100 wineries and 150 growers in Sonoma County.

-          The first winery was built in Sonoma.

I loved Tim Zahner’s, CMO of Sonoma County Tourism, quote about Sonoma.  “In other places they call it the localivore movement, in Sonoma, we call it eating.  Sonoma happens to be a place for farmers who happen to make great wine.”  I also heard great quotes about Sonoma being “Ag-land, not Disneyland,” a not so subtle snap at another well-known region about 90 minutes away.

Guy Davis

It was also a pleasure to have a chance to catch up with Guy Davis, winemaker and owner of Davis Vineyard, who has always been delightful in my past encounters.  He talked about Sonoma being a region if farmed correctly, Mother Nature takes over.  He planted his wines 17 years ago and has been organic since day one.   The man knows how to work his micro-climates in his Pinots from Soul Patch, Horseshoe Bend and Starr Ridge Vineyards.

Christopher Barefoot

The lunch was a family style affair where winemakers and the media sat together.  The event showcased great food, diversity of wines and great conversation.

My whirlwind experience ended with an event hosted by Amy Gross, a great wine blogger who writes Vinesleuth, who was hosting an event in conjunction with the Blissdom conference with Rodney Strong.  The event brought together some amazing women and we were divided into teams where we blended our own Symmetry wine.  Picture a miniature science lab where we measured, blended, sipped and debated our final blend.  Justin and Robert, graciously hosted the event and Justin judged the six blends.  While we didn’t win, our team, aptly named Cork Dork, had a great time and the conversation and tempo of the tasting was hilarious.

The Sonoma in the City event reaffirmed the diversity of soil and climate.  It’s a region focused on legacy, family, terrior and character.  And I clearly have a lot to learn.

Elyse Winery: Sincerity and Sustainability

Even before I was lucky enough to get on the blogger sample list for Elyse Winery, I’ve been a long-time fan.  I like Elyse’s approach to sustainable wines, their no fuss approach at the winery and the people have always been knowledgeable, passionate and downright nice.  Rick Saunders was our host and we had a ball with him on the tour and trying the Elyse wine line up.

Rick and Molly

In 2012, Elyse celebrated its 25^th harvest from its very first crush of 4.5 tons of Zinfandel when Ray and Nancy Coursen made 286 cases of their first wine.   In 1997, the current winery and vineyard was purchased on Hoffman Lane.

Their focus hasn’t changed – great wines prepared with artisan grown ingredients that pair well with food. Today the production is 10,000 cases with international distribution.  The two brands – Elyse and Jacob Franklin are named after their daughter and son.

We tried the following line-up:

• Elyse Chardonnay 2010 – made in a classic Old World style with citrus, pear and vanilla.  A chardonnay for folks who don’t drink Chardonnay or who love old world style Chardonnays.
• Jacob Franklin Sauvignon Blanc 2011 – only six barrels are made of this wine and it isn’t distributed outside of the winery.  Classic grapefruit, citrus and minerality.
• Elyse Le Corbeau 2008 – a 90 percent Grenache and 10 percent Syrah blend.  It had floral notes of jasmine with raspberry and cassis.
• Elyse Syrah 2008 – notes of Asian spice, mushrooms and berry with a spiciness that would make it a great Fall day wine.
• Elyse Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel 2008 – here’s the terrior wine that originally launched the entire Elyse portfolio.  Love this wine.
• Elyse Black Sears Zinfandel 2008 – this was a big, big Zinfandel with nice berry fruit, but not a fruit bomb.  Lots of balance, pepper, spicy and juiciness.
• Jacob Franklin Mon Chou (my sweetheart) 2007 – a nice blend in a Bordeaux style with notes of green pepper, cassis, berry and tobacco.
• Elyse Morisoli Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 – soft fruits, notes of perfume, floral and hints of oak and vanilla.
• Jacob Franklin Chavez-Leeds Petite Syrah 2009 – blackberry, chocolate, mocha, spice and pepper.  This was one of my favorites.
•  Elyse 2006 Port Cabernet Sauvignon – this port combined Viognier brandy with great cabernet.  It was another favorite and a perfect cheese/fruit/dessert match.

It was a fabulous end to a behind the scenes trip of good wine, great food and great people.

Behind the Scenes at Mumm Napa

After waking up to a great breakfast in our beautiful room at the Harvest Inn (another first for us, but a great place to stay with its good food and wine receptions nightly), we set off for our trade tasting at Mumm Napa. We were warmly greeted by Charles, our host, who took us for an in-depth hour-long walking tour of the interworkings of Mumm Napa.

Mr. Wine Chick, aka, “I am in a boot, but I can do it without a wheelchair,” deserves a gold star for being a great sport during the tour. But then again, we got to try a lot of great bubbly.  We began the tour with a glass of the 08 Devaux Ranch sparkling, which was full of vanilla and fig with a yeasty yumminess and hints of almond.

First some background on Mumm Napa.  In 1979, the French champagne house of G.H. Mumm began looking for a place in the United States after the success of the French-American tasting.  Guy Devaux, an experienced winemaker, looked for four years for the perfect terrior ideal for the méthode champenoise process of winemaking.  Napa was the right place due to the grape growing friendliness of the climate and land.  Mumm winery was completed in 1986 and Guy stayed at the helm until his death in 1995.  Today, Champagne-born master winemaker Ludovic Dervin leads the wine making in the same handcrafted method.

During our tour, we stopped in several different locations – the first was a representation of the grapes and soil types present in Napa Valley – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris – all grapes used to make the sparkling wines.  We talked about irrigation, water stress management and harvest.  Mumm is a Napa Green Certified winery.

Mumms takes a dual approach to their wines.  First, is the vintage approach, which showed big depth and character – these were the most interesting to me.  The second, which has very wide distribution and features some good wines, is the multi-vintage approach where you’ll find the consistency of the wines tasting the same from year to year.

As we went through the tour, each stop underscored the care taken with each grape cluster – from the selection of only Napa Valley grapes to transportation to pressing to bottling to fermenting every bottle separately.   We had the chance to do our own blending session to create different versions Mumm’s sparklers.  What they couldn’t personally show us, we saw by short video, which gave a behind the scenes look from grape to bottle.

Our last stop before the patio, was the Fine Art Photography Galleries featuring Ansel Adams’ and Jeffrey Davis’ amazing photos.  Then we enjoyed a beautiful cheese spread complete with the full Mumm wine line-up.

We tried eight sparkling wines and I absolutely loved the 07 Blanc de Blanc, which tasted of crème brulee, bread, vanilla and almonds.  I also shipped home the 2000 DVX, a wine made to honor Guy Devaux, which tasted of apple, flowers, nuts and had a spicy character, as well as the Devaux Ranch served to us at the beginning of our tour.  Of interest, was the Santana Brut, a partnership between Carlos Santana and Mumm Napa that benefits the Milagro Foundation, Santana’s charity for children in Mexico.  This wine will be released in May.

Trust me – if you think about Mumm only for what you can find on a grocery store shelf – think again.  There are some wonderful sparkling wines to be found and the tour is definitely worth the trip.

Celebrity Wines: The Good, the Bad and the Funny

Christy Lemire at the Oscars

Check out my column today in Culture Map Dallas where I interviewed Associated Press Movie Critic Christy Lemire to find out what she thought the persona of the wines would be based on the celebrity.  Then Jasper Russo, who runs the fine wine program for Sigel’s, and I tried the wines.

An Evening at Jordan: An Experience for the Bucket List

When I started my blog a little over three years ago, I never expected that it could lead to an invitation from one of the best California wineries, Jordan Vineyard & Winery, to stay at their estate for an evening.  Due to a friendship with Lisa Mattson, Jordan’s head of marketing and engagement, we found that ourselves in the position of winning the wine bloggers lotto.

Approximately five days before we left, my husband tore his Achilles which meant he would be on crutches for the trip and many months to come.  It was touch and go until two days prior to our trip if he was going to be able to make it.  The stars aligned, the doctor gave him clearance, we were upgraded on the flight, and then American lost our luggage.  But more on that later.

We were met by Sean Brosnihan from guest services who showed us to our amazing suite that was stocked with fruit, water and a lovely bottle of Jordan Chardonnay.  Every detail was handled by Nitsa Knoll, director of hospitality.  Jordan, who absolutely has the art of customer experience down pat, also provided toiletries since they knew we had no luggage.

In 1972, Tom and Sally Jordan shared a love for French food and wine and always dreamed of owning a winery in France.  A glass of Bordeaux-style Beaulieu Vineyard’s Georges de Latour Cabernet during a meal in San Francisco changed their mind and they began to research locations in Sonoma and Napa.  In 1972, the day their son John was born, they bought the Alexander Valley property and began to plant more than 200 acres of vineyards with the vision of making a first growth quality Bordeaux-style wine.

The chateau, which was completed one week before Jordan’s first harvest in 1976, was built modeled on a French chateau with the goal of being a place for winemaking and hospitality.  The Jordan’s brought in the famed Andre Tchelistcheff, who directed the architecture of the winemaking process and brought in Rob Davis to help with the winemaking.  More than 40 years later, Davis remains Jordan’s winemaker.  In 2005, John Jordan stepped in as CEO of the winery and began an effort to make the winery more eco-friendly which included installing hillside solar panels to offset 75 percent of the winery’s electricity usage, irrigating their grapevines with recycled water reclaimed from the winery.

Sean Brosnihan on the Jordan Patio

I talked before about customer experience – and this begins with the people, the beauty of the property and the pairing of food and wine.  After a tour of the breathtaking property, we stopped at a patio to try the 2010 Jordan Chardonnay, which is now 100 percent allocated to restaurants and only sold at the winery.  The wine is made with 100 percent Russian River Valley grapes and was made in an Old World style.  It was full of stone fruit, tropical fruits, slate, apple and had great minerality and acidity.

It was served with curried cauliflower with Maharaja spice and a Zarnicholi with cauliflower puree and green onion with caviar.  Who would have thought cauliflower and caviar would have been the star pairing with this chardonnay?  I bought several bottles to take home.

We then proceeded to tour the inside of the winery – the barrel room, the formal dining room and finally the secret passage door, which led to a VIP tasting room.  There we were treated to a beautiful cheese plate designed to go with the 2003 and 2008 Jordan Cabernet wines.  The 2003 was a beautiful Bordeaux style cabernet that was silky and beautiful.  The 2008 cabernet, Jordan’s most current release, was big, vibrant and soft with lots of cherries and plums.  Just lovely, but very different from the 2003 as the blends change year to year.

We returned to our room to sample the bottle of 2010 Jordan Chardonnay.  The winery even provided a driver to our dinner at Scopa, where we were lucky enough to meet up with Graham, the Wine Czar, who recommended a lovely Salina Bianco wine from Italy that I had not tried yet and matched perfectly with the seafood we ordered.  Our same driver was kind enough to haul our luggage up the 24 stairs to our room, when our luggage finally arrived 12 hours after we had landed.

The next morning, I had the chance to jog around the property and see the vineyards, olive trees and the fruit and vegetable garden that Jordan’s culinary team uses to prepare unique dining experiences on the property, before we were served a lovely breakfast.

If our experience was any indication of what the Jordan’s envisioned for their guests, I can say that it was the quintessential marriage of food, wine, and hospitality making the experience of Jordan stand out in my mind for years to come.

Head East: Steven Kent Wines Ahead

I recently received an invite to attend a Twitter tasting featuring the wines of Steven Kent Winery.  I wasn’t familiar with the wines from Steven Kent, but I’ve been hearing buzz lately about Livermore Valley, so I immediately accepted.  A few weeks later, a half case of wines found their way to my door.

First, more about the Livermore Valley, one of California’s oldest wine regions dating back to the 1760s.  In terms of location, it’s less than an hour east of San Francisco.  Robert Livermore planted the first vines in 1840 and according to the Livermore Valley Wine Map and Visitors Guide, the wineries in Livermore were the first to bottle Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah.  And, the region has also gained recognition for Bordeaux style wines due to similar growing conditions.  There are more than 50 wineries including well-known names like Wente and Concannon and more than 4,000 acres of grapes planted.

The Steven Kent winery was started in 1996 with a single minded goal to make the best Cabernet that rivals its global competitors.  Steven Kent Mirassou, of the Mirassou family brand now owned by Gallo fame, also owns La Rochelle Winery, which focuses on Pinots and Chardonnays, and was with us for the tasting.

From what I could tell, there were about 100 wine bloggers that were online to taste the wine.   Many – especially those not from California – had limited experience with Livermore Valley wines.  And, I would venture to guess that most immediately figured out what we had been missing.

2011 “Lola” (Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Blend) Ghielmetti Vineyard $24 — orange blossom, honeysuckle, lime, floral, minerality and pear.  A perfect patio wine on a sunny Spring day.

2010 La Rochelle Chardonnay, Dutton-Morelli Lane Vineyard, Russian River Valley $65 – apple pie spice, pear, butterscotch, white flowers, peach, caramel candy and vanilla.  A very elegant Old World style chardonnay.

2009 La Rochelle Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands $38 – fruit forward, black cherry, raspberry, earthy, very silken with a hint of smoke.

2009 La Rochelle Pinot Noir, Donum Estate, Carneros $75 –  cherry cola, blackberry, oregano, dried cherries and notes of mushroom.  This was the earthiest wine in the bunch.  The Old World Pinot lovers raved and the New World Pinot lovers didn’t in our group.  I liked both the Pinots, but the style was very different.

2009 Steven Kent Petite Verdot, Ghielmetti Vineyard, Livermore Valley $50 –  cocoa, chile, leather, smoke, figs, plum and tobacco.  This was like a spicy fig newton in a glass, but smooth and balanced.  I enjoyed this thoroughly.

2009 Steven Kent Cabernet, Home Ranch Vineyard, Livermore Valley $65, cassis, plum, chocolate, spearmint and oak.  A wonderful representation of the promise of Cabernet.

Perhaps a trip East the next time I am in San Francisco is in due order.

A Night with John Robert Eppler

In October, I had the chance to meet John Robert Eppler, the proprietor of John Robert Eppler wines, at a Howell Mountain Wine tasting in Dallas.  I was impressed with the Howell Mountain Cabernet that I tried and when I found out John had Texas roots, I asked him to host a dinner at Lakewood Country Club.  Happily he accepted and in less than 60 days we had set a date and a time.  John assured me that he’d bring several wines that you could only get at the vineyard and he definitely didn’t disappoint.

His mission is to produce wines that are rich, intense, and expressive from the terrior where they grow.  John’s passion for the wine industry began when his son’s grandfather, originally from the Park Cities in Dallas, served him a ‘61 Grand Cru Burgundy that changed his life.  “I never tasted anything that good before – it was a representation of the promise of wine.”

Then in 1974, he worked with the wine cellar of Neiman Marcus at the flagship store in downtown Dallas where Stanley Marcus told him that his first lesson was to learn to never say no, so he didn’t.  He went on to become a wine steward and sommelier in the area.  He attended a wine tasting in Austin and met a small producer of Burgundy whose passion for winemaking put him on the path to become a winemaker.  He went back to school for a degree and moved to California in 1986.  He produced his own wine for another 15 years until he started John Robert Eppler Wines. 

He classifies himself as a farmer first and is the only employee of John Robert Eppler Wines.  He produces about 3,500 cases of small production Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Fume Blanc, Chardonnay and others varietals.

We started with the 2009 Fume Blanc Rutherford, which had notes of banana, melon and other tropical notes, served with Iberico ham, olive oil and rye toast as well as ahi tuna, pate choux and preserved lemon.

William Koval, the executive chef of Lakewood Country Club and one of Dallas’ most accomplished chefs, had put together a menu that worked perfectly with the wines.

Photo courtesy of William Koval

Our first course was the shrimp pernod, saffron bisque, carrot, fennel, lobster and chive served with the 2010 Chardonnay from Sonoma.  The lobster in this dish sang with the wine with notes of lemon, minerality, melon and Old World style. 

Photo courtesy of William Koval

Our second course was the seared venison loin, sweet potato, chestnut, bacon, truffle, chocolate and blackberry gastrique.  Great pairing with the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain, which was a nice dense red with blackberry, mocha, cherry and floral notes.   

Photo courtesy of William Koval

Our third course was the braised short rib, prime cap meat, marjoram potatoes, porcini, roasted onion and beef jus served with the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford.  Big notes of cassis, blackberry, cedar and blueberry.  Very well balanced and definitely on my favorite list.

We then moved into two of my other favorite reds – the 2009 Cabernet Franc, with only 2 barrels made, and the 2006 Rutherford Reserve Cabernet.  These are collector wines and I adored both of them.

Photo courtesy of William Koval

We ended our dinner with the 06 Zinfandel Alexander Valley Late Harvest wine paired with olive oil ice cream, chocolate, basil, cranberry, nutella and hazel nut stuesel.  This was John’s “make lemonade out of lemons” approach when fermentation stopped on his Zinfandel grapes.  It made me sad that it might be his first and last vintage.

First CultureMap Dallas Post – What Do A Cadillac Dealership and High End Wine Bar Have in Common?

My first CultureMap Dallas post about a Fort Worth Cadillac dealership … with a wine bar? Check it  out and click through so they ask me back to write.

Arista and Lakewood: A Food/Wine Experience

Mark graciously poses with our table

Earlier this year, I had a chance to sit down with Mark McWilliams, owner and winemaker at Arista Winery in Sonoma.  Since Mark and his family have Texas roots and a house in Richardson, I asked him if he’d be willing to host a dinner at Lakewood Country Club, and he immediately said yes.

I wrote earlier  that his family took the plunge in the early 90’s with the purchase of land in Sonoma and the relocation of the family from Texas.  They partnered with a vineyard management company and other experts to put together a team and for about ten years the family sold to their grapes to wineries –  some very established ones.

After college, and at the urging of his father to try out the family business during harvest, Mark had his wine epiphany moment when he was walking with the wine makers of La Crema and realized he understood what they were talking about.  From that moment on, he knew what he wanted to do with his life.  He joked that he’s continued that summer job for the last 12 years.  In 2002, they started making their own wine and soon received a cease and desist letter from Gallo’s McWilliams Winery.  The name was changed to Arista, the Greek word for excellence.

The first vintage was 500 cases of three Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs.  Today they make 5,000 cases including 14 pinot noirs, 2 zinfandels, 1 gewürztraminer and 3 chardonnays.  Ninety percent of the wines are sold direct from the winery. 

Back to the dinner – below are the wine and food pairings created by William Koval, the talented executive chef of Lakewood Country Club:

First Course:

Roasted Butternut Squash and Brown Sugar Soup with Warm Stone Crab, Ricotta, Mascarpone, Pasta paired with the 2010 El Diablo Vineyard Chardonnay.  A very well balanced, Burgundian style wine with citrus notes.  A match made in heaven.

Second Course:

Seared Fresh Shucked Sea Scallop, Cauliflower Puree, Chanterelles and Chicken Jus with Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, a non-vintage pinot with notes of black cherry, cranberry and raspberry.  Another great pairing.

Third Course:

Berkshire Pork Tenderloin with Bacon, Sage, Sweet Potato, Fresh Marshmallow, Brussels Sprouts and Cranberry Pinot Sauce (I had lamb due to my pork allergy) paired with the 2010 Mononi Vineyards.  This site, which was purchased from Merry Edwards, was the most elegant with soft fruit, five spice and a great balance. 

Fourth Course

A cheese course of Cottonwood River Cheddar, Montelarreina, Tournevent Chevre Noir and La Tur paired with a 2010 Smokey Ridge Vineyard Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley.  The wine had notes of blackberry, blueberry, pine and pepper.  Incredible and only 16 barrels exist of this wine.

When I talked to Mark in June about his wines, he said, “I want them to stop you and get your attention. I want to make wines that take people on a continuum of what they first drank and the evolution of their palate.”   The sensory experience of the food and wine this evening was another reinforcement that Arista is reaching this goal.

George Vanderbilt’s Estate Wine to Italian to Oregon Pinot: A New Thanksgiving Tasting Tradition?

I was preparing to visit my husband’s family over the holidays in Huntsville, Alabama, and it has become part of a family tradition to do a wine tasting.  I packed up 18 bottles, mostly of review wines, and we set upon our journey.  Our wines were varied – everything from Italian wines to Pinot Noirs from Oregon to sparklings from George Vanderbilt’s estate.  We also got to taste first and second labels from one provider.

Here was our line-up:

Biltmore Estate

Biltmore Estate Christmas at Biltmore 2012 (California) – this was a semi-sweet white blend of Gewürztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Chenin Blanc, Muscat Orange and Riesling.  It was paired with a tataki tuna, which matched perfectly with any Asian or spicy dish.  I tasted spice, lime, citrus, honey, candied ginger and pear. 

Biltmore Estate Blanc de Blancs Methode Champenoise – Brut NV (Russian River) – Yeasty, nutty and green apple.  A nice sparkling that continues to impress.  Both of these wines are part of the Biltmore Estate’s sparkling collection and are served at the historic estate of George Vanderbilt.

Cornerstone/Stepping Stone

Cornerstone Pinot Noir 2010 (Oregon) – fruit forward and black cherry.  A very traditional Pinot Noir from Oregon that matched perfectly with our Thanksgiving dinner.

Cornerstone Chardonnay 2010 (xx) – almond, citrus and well balanced.  A chardonnay for people who do not like chardonnay.

Stepping Stone Pinot Noir 2010 (Oregon) – earthy, cherry cola and smooth.  Also another great match with Thanksgiving food.

Stepping Stone Cabernet 2010 (Napa) – currant, cassis, spice, cedar and licorice.  Delicious and another group favorite.

Amici

Amici Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (Napa) – A very crisp, fruity wine with notes of citrus.  This was a group favorite of the whites.

Amici Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Napa) – Blackberry, coffee and cedar with balance.  A nice and well balanced wine.

Jenner

Jenner Chardonnay 2010 (confirm) – lemon curd, vanilla, almond and good balance.

Jenner Pinot Noir 2010 (Sonoma) – big fruit, big taste, cherry and cherry cola.  A good representation of a Sonoma Pinot.

Lange Twins

Lange Twins Caricature Red Blend 2010 (Lodi) – this was a very juicy wine with lots of red stone fruit and raspberries with spice.  It was a nice blend of cabernet and zinfandel.

Piccini

Piccini Chianti DOCG 2011 (Tuscany) – this was a juicy wine that was drinkable and very food friendly.

Piccini Chianti Classico DOCG 2009 (Tuscany) – notes of plum, flowers and berry.  It was velvety, smooth and had a great finish. 

Anna de Codorniu Brut NV – a nice little cava with notes of citrus, tropical and good balance.  

There were a few other wines that we did taste – one that had turned and one that wasn’t to my personal taste.  I have to point out the great wines of Cornerstone and Stepping Stone that continue to impress me with well done, small production wines.