Dallas Wine Chick

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.

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.

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.

Hourglass Wine: Right Place, Right Time, Right Property

It’s always a good segue when talking with a winery owner when you can show a carefully stored Magnum of their first vintage of wine.  I usually don’t have that opportunity, but when I was asked to be a guest at the Hourglass dinner at Private Social, I knew I had a great opening line.

Jeff Smith, the owner of Hourglass and coincidentally one of the key marketers who developed the Skyy vodka brand and cobalt blue bottle, was in town to host a dinner for Hourglass customers.  Jeff told us how Hourglass is a dream for him, but it surely didn’t start out that way.  In 1964, his dad decided to move to Napa after a long and established career in radio and TV.  In the mid 1970’s, he started the Wine Country Inn because he thought Napa eventually would be a destination point.  In the first year, the inn achieved 98 percent occupancy.

The next step was to establish a vineyard on neighboring property.  His father liked Zinfandel so that’s what he grew.  He sourced the fruit and had no big aspirations.  His father passed away in the 90′s and Jeff’s mom called him back to discuss selling the vineyard.  Jeff had other aspirations and saw the paradigm shift occurring with cult cabernets like Harlan Estate, Colgin and Screaming Eagle.  He told his mom he wanted to lead the vineyard and she told him, “Jeff, you know nothing about farming.”  He realized she was right, so he made the call to his childhood friend, who was a Masters student in the enology program at the University of California Davis, who talked the department chairman, Dr. Mark Kliewer, into doing a site evaluation.

The result was surprise to everyone – the site had the potential to be a producer of some of the best Cabernet in the valley due to its unique soil – a blend of sand and clay formed from volcanic rock, which forms the shape of an hourglass, hence the name.  He brought in a dream team of consultants including Winemaker Bob Foley who worked his magic to make some of the best cabernet in the Valley.  Fast forward several years and many great reviews and the winery recently purchased Blueline Vineyard, a 50-acre property on the Silverado Trail.   About 50 percent of production is directly off of the mailing list (disclosure: I am a member) and 50 percent of the production is retail/restaurants.  Jeff believes it is important to visit his markets to meet his customers and showcase the brand.

Insider tip:  Jeff’s had a long-time flirtation with Pinot Noir.  I saw a passion there that I think might become a reality at some point.

Now onto the wines and dinner.  We started with a wild mushroom soup with savory goat cheese custard paired with the 09 Hourglass Blueline Vineyard Merlot.  I tasted notes of blueberry cobbler – it was juicy, smooth and well balanced.

We tried two vintages of the Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon.  The first one was the 09 paired with roasted bone marrow with house pickles, marmalade and crostini.  The second was the 07 paired with peking style duck breast with duck confit, enoki mushrooms, glass noodles and bok choy.  I loved the 07, but would like to see the evolution of both in another ten years or so.

The dinner ended with Jeff’s warm hospitality and a dessert of warm chocolate budino with olive oil gelato and NV Kopke Porto 10 Year Old Tawny.  It was a great dinner with fantastic wine along with a funny, engaging and charming winery owner who made me want to cherish the Magnum that I have at home for another ten plus years.

Napa Heavyweights: Let’s Get Ready to Rumble

The invitation from the Gaylord Texan was intriguing.  A blind tasting of Napa heavyweight wines led by Rene Schlatter, president and owner, and Sean Foster, VP of wine production and head winemaker, of Merryvale Vineyards and Starmont Winery.  As a former Golden Gloves boxer (yes, don’t ask), I felt the competitive spirit coursing through my veins. 

When I arrived at the hotel, things seemed amiss.  In fact, the electricity was out giving new meaning to “blind tasting”.  But under the watchful eye of Vice President of Food & Beverage Saddiq Mir and Executive Chef Joanne Bondy, the show must go on and the 40 plus people who showed up were ready to try some of the biggest names in Napa.

Sean, me, Rene

Before the tasting began, I had a chance to talk with Rene and Sean and they told me about the different characteristics and blends of the 06 to 08 Merryvale Profile.  They were right – the wines were very different. 

The first flight featured five wines from the 08 vintage of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from Cakebread, Caymus, Duckhorn, Joseph Phelps and Merryvale.  I was surprised how different my rating and the group rating for favorite wines differed.  Let me say that there is no way, in my opinion, that the Merryvale Cabernet should have been rated in fifth place.  I’m sure that Sean and Rene were less than thrilled.

So, the group favorites were as follows:

•        Caymus
•        Cakebread
•        Joseph Phelps
•        Duckhorn
•        Merryvale Cabernet

My favorites were as follows:

•        Merryvale Cabernet
•        Caymus
•        Joseph Phelps
•        Duckhorn
•        Cakebread

We then moved on to the second group of 08 Napa first growth proprietary reds including Merryvale Profile, Opus One,  Joseph Phelps Insignia, Caymus Special Selection, Dominus and Quintessa.  Again, my opinion differed.

The group favorites were as follows:

•        Opus One
•        Caymus Special Selection
•        Joseph Phelps Insignia
•        Dominus
•        Merryvale Profile
•        Quintessa

My favorites included:

•        Quintessa
•        Merryvale Profile
•        Opus One
•        Joseph Phelps Insignia
•        Dominus
•        Caymus Special Selection

I was surprised at some of my own ratings as I’ve always been a big fan of Caymus, Dominus and Insignia.  But this certainly shows how blind tastings definitely even the playing field and I commend Rene and Sean for taking a big risk.  And, for the record, Merryvale came in first and second in my personal preference.

Chateau St Jean Wine Dinner and the Future Direction of Bailey’s Prime

I was excited to meet one of the stalwarts of women and wine, Margo Van Staaveren the winemaker from Chateau St. Jean, at a wine dinner at Bailey’s Prime.  Sadly, the stars did not align and Margo was unable to make the dinner due to family commitments. 

Originally a chemist, Margo has been responsible for 32 harvests at the winery and she has a philosophy of making sure the wines truly express the uniqueness of the grapes from year to year.  Chateau St. Jean, which is based in Sonoma, has been making wines since 1973. 

We started the reception with the 09 Belle Terre Chardonnay, which had notes of lemon, oak, vanilla and a buttery flavor.

We then moved to the 10 Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc paired with an Ahi Tune Crudo with English peas, red radish, shaved pearl onion and meyer lemon vinaigrette.  The grapefruit, minerality and acidity was a perfect companion for the tuna.

Our next course was the 09 Chateau St. Jean Pinot Noir with its red fruit and Asian spice paired with a squab breast “sous vide” with smoked bacon braised little gem, lardon, cauliflower puree and natural jus.

We paired the 08 Chateau St Jean Cing Cepage, which was the first Sonoma winery to be awarded the “Wine of the Year” in 1996, with Lamb Bacon Wrapped Prime Beef Tenderloin with spiced octopus, carmelized spring onions, potatoes “Pont Neuf” and red wine braise.  This meritage of five Bordeaux grapes was a match made in heaven for the tenderloin.

Our dessert was a native peach “crisp” with caramel ice cream and sea salt paired with the 08 Gewurztraminer.  It had notes of honeysuckle and apricot and was an awesome finish with the dessert.

Carbery and Kucwaj

I also had a chance to sit down and talk with Bailey’s new General Manager, Ken Kucwaj, and executive chef, Ryan Carbery.  You may recall I was worried about the future of the restaurant and its stellar wine program built under the guidance of Jennifer Jaco, who is now the lead sommelier at Ruth Chris Steakhouse.  Over a bottle of 05 Rudd Cabernet, they both told me their vision about the food and the wine program.  I believe they will continue to make Bailey’s Prime a destination for great food and wine.  

California Wine Club Brings the Valley to You

I was recently asked to take part in Mom Spark Media’s blog review campaign for the California Wine Club.  I felt I was very qualified due to the creative budgeting I used to do with my husband when I went to wine country.  I thought that wine club sign ups “didn’t count towards my wine budget” until one fateful day when my Visa card was hit with eleven charges and my finance guy husband was not amused.

The California Wine Club has been around for over 20 years and specializes in hand-selected artisan wines from family-owned producers.  I was given a three-month Premium Club membership, which features wines from smaller producers and is valued at $150 ($50 per shipment).  I had a slight mix up with my first month, so month one and two arrived within one week.  Each shipment includes two boots of wine and a newsletter outlining the winery, food pairing suggestions and the club’s tasting notes, recipes and other reading material.

• 10 Tobin James “Radiance” Monterey County Chardonnay – We were with a group of friends and one eloquently pointed out that “the label matched the taste.”  It was a bright wine with lots of apple, pear, pineapple and citrus with just a touch of oak.  It was creamy and had a good balance.  Definitely was a crowd pleaser.  $18.00 retail, $10.99 club price.
• 08 Tobin James Titan Hills Vineyards “Fiasco” – This wine from Paso Robles tasted of licorice, Asian spices, spice and pepper.  It was juicy, but smooth and easily drinkable.  $11.99 club price, $20.99 retail.
• 2010 Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Riesling – this semi-sweet wine has lots of lychee, mango, lemon and other bright summer fruits.  It was off-dry, but still a vibrant wine with acidity.  $26.00 retail, $12.99 club price.
• 2010 Parker Station Pinot Noir tastes of black cherries, vanilla, cranberry and terrior.  This is a very food friendly and approachable wine.

Interesting factoid:  Fess Parker Winery was established in 1989 by the late actor Fess Parker, who was known for his roles as Walt Disney’s Davey Crockett and Daniel Boone in the 1950′s and 60′s, and the winery remains a family business.

If you like trying “off the beaten path wines” that you probably can’t easily track down in Texas, this could be a great fit for you.  The $50 per month price tag includes shipping and is a fair price for the club, especially if you like the wines and plan to reorder them.  The accompanying information not only told you more about the wines and winery, but gave you recipes to pair to fully complement your tasting experience.

If you want to give it a try, the California Wine Club is offering Dallas Wine Chick readers four bottles for the price of 2 when you sign up. Use the code vine12 at checkout.

Click Here to visit the California Wine Club’s website.  Click here to check out @cawineclub and @boringwineguy on Twitter.

Disclosure: This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media.

Newton: Natural Wine Meets Eco-Chic

Recently I sat down with Chris Millard, Newton Vineyard winemaker, along with Bruce and Stephanie Tharp of MATERIOUS to talk wine, art and the environment.  Newton is a pretty cutting-edge vineyard that is serious about sustainability, organic farming, a commitment to nature and green design.  They were there to talk about the winery’s fourth annual Eco-Chic collaboration, a project dedicated to blending the art of natural winemaking with eco-conscious design.  The collaboration is a way for Newton to reach consumers beyond the bottle.

Each year, the winery seeks out the best creative designers and artists around the world and challenges them to capture the essence of Newton – from the beauty of its vineyards with an East/West influence to the artistry of the blending of the wine.  The Tharp’s, who are renowned artists with international exhibitions, were chosen for this year’s collaboration.

They traveled to the vineyards to experience Newton, meet Chris and determine their vision for the piece.  The Vineyard Block “Puzzle,” which is also named after Newton’s icon wine made from the winery’s 112 vineyard blocks, is in the shape of a golden rectangle, a traditional Western concept of harmony and proportion.  Intersecting lines reflect the division of Newton’s properties into vineyard blocks.  A corkscrew stored in the leg of the tray showcases a “hidden cave,” evoking the Chardonnay cellar built into Spring Mountain to conserve energy.  The tray’s removable puzzle pieces can be used for cheese trays, coasters, etc.  Only 112 trays will be made from Forest Stewardship Council certified wood and each one costs $499.

I asked Chris the similarities between wine and art because that appears to be a common theme based on several recent events in Dallas.  Chris talked about the similarities of craftsmen, winemakers and artists who design products blending art, science and technology.  The means are different, but the end goal is the same.  He also said that each year when he meets with these designers, it would be really easy to switch seats.  The subject would be different, but the conversation would remain the same.

Constellation Wine Portfolio Takes On Chateau Margaux: A Dallas Blind Tasting

Mark de Vere, noted Master of Wine from Constellation Wines, recently hosted a blind tasting seminar of global first growths.  Basically he took the Constellation portfolio and matched it against some of the top wines from around the globe.  De Vere kicked off the discussion about how New World wines, like Mondavi that I had tasted earlier that afternoon, were producing world-class wines that could go against the great wines of the world.  I love these blind tastings because it gives me a huge wake-up call about how much more I need to learn about wine.  Today was no exception.

Our first flight was based on the Chardonnay grape.  The first wine, which was later revealed to be a Kissler 09 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay ($120) was very creamy with a toastiness, lemon, minerality and richness.  I liked it, but not as much when the price tag was revealed.  We moved to my personal favorite, an Old World French Burgundy from Louis La Tour Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru ($120) with more structure, minerality and vibrant fruit.  The last wine was the Francisco Cuvee Sauvage Chardonnay from Sonoma, which was the value/price winner at $40.  It was a typical California chardonnay.  For me, the Old World took home this one except on price.

The next flight was Pinot Noir and we tried several wines very different in style.  Our first was the 08 Domaine Jean Grivot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru ($150).  Lots of vegetal notes, herbal, roasted beet, earthy and aromatic.  It was an interesting wine, but one that needed food to sing.  Our next wine was the 08 Wild Horse Cheval Sauvage Pinot Noir ($60).  It was full of bright fruit and jamminess with almost a lushness to it.  The final wine was the 09 Kosta Brown Gaps Crown from Sonoma ($200).  It had lots of soft fruit and almost a cherry cola taste but it was lush and soft.  I loved this wine.  Score one for the new team, but this one came at a price!

Then the big boys came out.  The first wine was a 07 Chateau Margaux (priced between $600-$1,000).  Lots of earthiness,  barnyard, cedar, structure and elegance.  I could just smell this wine for days.  It was a wonderful expression of what an Old World wine could be and got my vote.  We moved into a 08 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ($135) that I had tried with much success earlier that day.  Our last wine was a 08 Paul Hobbs Beckstoffer Cabernet Sauvignon ($255) which came out of the same To Kalon winery.  It was a rich, full wine.  All great expressions, but how can Chateau Margaux lose?

We then moved into dessert wines.  We had the Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes ($85) that was honeyed, smooth with notes of mushroom and a great balance.  The second was the Dolce Napa 07 with its apricot and big fruit.  The final tasting was the citrus, intense, orange blossom and passion fruits contained in the Inniskillin Vidal Gold.  I actually liked all of these, but the Inniskillin was special.

We then got to taste some special portfolio wines from Clos du Bois and Mondavi specifically.  The 01 Clos du Bois Briarcrest was elegant with lots of berry and tasted fantastic.  This was a big black fruit, cabernet style.  I went through a vertical of Mondavi cabs – 1978, 1995 and 1998. These wines aged well – no two were alike, but they were all fabulous.

It was another fun tasting.  Thanks to Mark de Vere, Republic Beverage Company and Constellation Wines.

Flowers Vineyards: A Talk with Jason Jardine

I sat down with Jason Jardine, president of Flowers Vineyards last month at Pogo’s and had an opportunity to taste some of the Flower’s wine portfolio.  I’ve been a fan of the Flowers Pinot Noirs in the past and served them at my daughter’s Baptism several years ago. Jason told me about growing up in Central Valley and how his passion for wine began.  He lived in the tank house behind his grandmother’s house with vineyards everywhere, but not on his family’s property.  At 12 years old, he needed to go to work and did so in a neighbor’s vineyard.  That path eventually took him to Oregon into vineyard management.  He sold that business at 21 and went to Mondavi to learn the art of winemaking.  He later returned to Oregon where he planted and managed Domaine Serene – one of my favorite Oregon wines.

Jason has a belief in sustainable farming, organics and biodynamic wines.  In 2010, he started working for Flowers, which coincidentally is the year the label changed, and is proud to say that all of the wines there are now biodynamically farmed.    You’ll find Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier,  Syrah and Chardonnay planted. 

• The 09 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay was clean, mineral, full of citrus and lemon curd.  It’s the type of Old World style that I like without being a butter bomb.  Six vineyards send grapes to make this wine.
• The next wine was the 08 Camp Meeting Ridge, which was the first Flowers vineyard planted.  The land features six types of soil mostly comprised of rock.  This was a wine that showed the essence of its terrior – earthiness, berry and a complexity that surprised me.
• 10 Pinot Sonoma Coast, which was just released the end of March, was full of bright fruit like cranberry and pomegranate.  It had soft tannins and was drinkable today, but will definitely evolve over the years.
• The 08 Sea View Ridge had a funkiness to it and that’s not a bad thing.  The vineyard is located higher than the others on volcanic rock.  I tasted cherry, cardamom and a definite spiciness.
• I find that I really enjoy blends and the 08 Perennial is no exception.  This had all of Flowers offerings blended together.  It drank like a pinot, but had a depth to it.  I tasted spice, berry, tea leaves, tobacco and almost a gaminess, which again was a good thing)