Anthony Beckman, winemaker at Balletto Vineyards is our guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Pete Foppiano is sitting in for Steve Jaxon this week. Barry Herbst from Bottle Barn is also in.

Balletto Vineyards will produce 19 different wines this year. There are 9 single vineyard Pinot Noirs, 5 different Chardonnays, Pinot Gris, Rosé, Syrah and Gewurtz. They have a new Pinot Noir vineyard, which they planted 3 years ago and is coming on line in 2018. It is located just south or River Road and he now has the very first few barrels. Dan asks which clone, Calera, Mt. Eden and Swan, which Dan says is an ideal combination. Anthony says, “The Calera is all about structure and tannin, the Swan is all about these really pretty aromatics and the Mt. Eden kind of fills in the middle.”

The clones that came to California, the California heritage clones, there’s a reason they’re called that because they work really well here. The Dijon clones from Burgundy ripen faster. He wants something that ripens more slowly, that stays green longer, that retains acidity longer. “We’re not Burgundy and the wine shouldn’t taste like Burgundy.”

He says that the early pioneers who chose the clones that are grown here did not have the benefit of all the science we have today but they just planted and tasted the results and Dan and Anthony agree, “they nailed it.”

They taste the 2018 Balletto Rosé that was just bottled in December. The Rosé is always one of the first that they pick and bottle. It’s a good indicator for the rest of the harvest. It’s spicy and has great aromatics. He can smell it from two feet away. It has weight without viscosity. In the next 18 months it will calm down but now it is “super fun.”

Dan Berger says that Rosé is getting more and more popular and the winemakers are discovering how easy it is to sell. The Balletto Rosé has been one of the successful Californian Rosés. Pinot Noir (along with Grenache) is ideal for making Rosé. And the wine goes well with all kinds of food.

They taste a sample bottle of 2018 Balletto Pinot Gris. It’s one of his favorite wines and he calls it “understated.” Grown in the 8-acre Mary’s Vineyard about 11 mines from the ocean, which came on line in 2014. Fermented in neutral oak barrels, complete fermentation in barrel. They will bottle it in about 5 weeks after it settles. It is still murky, very young. It is a statement of the vineyard with nothing added in the winemaking process.

Dan Berger says that Pinot Gris is a strange grape, since it can be great or uninteresting. Barry says in Alsace they take it very seriously. Dan likes the flavor profile of the Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige in northeastern Italy. Pinot Gris has two separate lives. At first it is fruity and lively. If it comes from a cold region it will age well and after 5 years they are completely different.

Anthony tells that they did a vertical tasting of Balletto Pinot Gris from 2009 to 2017. They could feel the vineyard come of age. “When you have a special spot for Pinot Gris you have a special wine.”

They agree that the large amounts of cheap Pinot Grigio from Italy. It is grown where it is too warm and the wine is not interesting. That makes it hard for Anthony to get people to pay attention to his Pinot Gris.

He also has a red, a Pinot Noir to taste, the 2015 18-barrel Pinot Noir. It’s a blend he started in 2013. He usually strictly observes his rule of vineyard-designated vintages but he also makes a small amount of blended wine to satisfy his interest.

Nicole Salengo, winemaker at Berryessa Gap Vineyards, is our guest today on California Wine Country. Robert Larsen, the winery’s PR director, is also in.

Robert Larsen worked at Rodney Strong Vineyards. Now he runs The Larsen Projekt, a PR agency specialized in the wine business, representing Berryessa Gap Vineyards and ZAP, the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers. He was introduced to the Berryessa Gap Vineyards Zinfandel at “ZIN EX,” the Zin Experience in San Francisco, which is an annual ZAP event. He also produces some wine, such as a Grenache Rosé, as part of the Larsen Projekt, his own label.

Nicole Salengo says she got into wine “...by a process of elimination, it was the first job I didn’t get bored with.” She just completed her 14th harvest. She studied Geology and thought she would go to graduate school but found that work boring and got a job in a wine shop. She discovered she liked it and took classes at UC Davis extention, then completed their Winemaking Certificate program part time while working at another winery.

Berryessa Gap Vineyards is owned by the Martinez family. They are a fourth-generation farming family originally from Spain. They grow a lot of crops, not just grapes. They started a rootstock company for vines and they also grow fruits and nuts. The hills in their area had never been planted with grapes. They get cool winds in the evening coming off of Lake Berryessa which is about 5 miles away, after the hot days.

Dan says the location combines the great attributes of both cold climate and warm climate growing. The nighttime temperatures are low enough to allow for good acidity while the hot days allow for good ripening. It’s a perfect synthesis but it takes the right winemaking team to do it. Dan says it’s tricky to grow out there, especially if you harvest early. Nicole says that it’s a great area for Iberian whites like Verdejo, a white originally from Spain. Their winery is responsible for getting that name recognized by the TTB. They also grow some Albariño.

Next they taste a 2018 Sauvignon Blanc in a “shiner” which is pre-bottling. They will be bottling it next month, for now the label is handwritten. They put the blend together earlier this week. Dan says this wine has wild floral components but also a background of some herbal and citrus notes. He says if you hold onto the wine for a few years, there is a peppery flavor that will be more prominent. She picks it ultra-early, around 21 Brix, New Zealand style. Nicole did spend a season in New Zealand in 2013, before being hired at Berryessa.

Then they taste a dry Rosé, also in a “shiner” bottle. Dan remembers that they tasted some Rosés from the south of France, that were in the $30 range, but they weren’t dry. This one is really dry. The blend is Grenache, Barbera for acidity and some Primitivo (aka Zinfandel).

Next they taste a 2016 Tempranillo. What Dan likes about it is typically not aggressive in tannins. It is hard to predict how it ages but this may bear a few years. This variety is not grown much in California. Nicole says that Tempranillo matches the Spanish heritage of the winery. It’s one of their larger production reds. This one was just released in November. They have an annual Paella competition, the one big event they do, the first Saturday in November. Robert Larsen tells about seeing the huge paella pans in use there.

Nicole has travelled to all the places of origin of the wines they make. The Rioja Alta region was her favorite. It has similar climate and soil to here. The common qualities of the Tempranillos made there are earthiness, spice, arid climate, well-drained soil.

Dan admires the balanced acidity of all these wines. They have a couple of different clones in their vineyard. One is dark fruit, thick skin, high tanin. The other is more rose petal,

Bill Nachbaur from Acorn Winery is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today.

Their first tasting is a 2014 Sangiovese, whose label suggests several Italian food pairings. Dan Berger explains that Sangiovese is a variety that very few Californians want to make, because we get so much sun that we can't avoid having a plump wine. Californians like that the acids will drop out of the wines, but "...this one is a beautiful example of splitting the difference between California ripeness and Chianti's acid-based" flavors. Dan suggests pairing it with wild boar stew or anything with strong flavors.  Bill says that the Russian River Valley climate is ideal for this. It's a cooler climate than other Sangiovese growing regions in the US so they can control the acidity to get it super ripe before picking it. Bill says it's the most widely planted grape in Italy.

Bill and his wife bought the vineyard in 1990 after working in law, and took viticulture classes at Santa Rosa JC under Rich Thomas. He was first focussed on growing grapes and his first wine was a 1994 Sangiovese. He makes a wine called "Alégria" (happiness in Spanish, close to the Italian Allegria). They have about 26 acres of grapes and they just finished their 29th harvest.

Then they taste a 2014 Zinfandel that Steve says is delicious. Bill credits the Russian River Valley cool climate and extra complexity from the "field blend." It is from the oldest part of the vineyard 78% Zinfandel, 10% Petit Syrah and 10% Alicante Bouchet, with the remaining 2% from a mix of other grapes.

All their wines are "field blends" which means they grow the grapes together then they pick them together and press and ferment them together. Dan says some Zinfandels get "over-ripe and plummy" but that he likes the black raspberry component in this wine, which works with the other peppery aromatics in the blend. Bill thinks the pepper flavor comes from the Petit Syrah.

Next they taste a Dolcetto, another Italian grape that is quite rare in California. It is grown in Piedmont (Piemonte) in north-west Italy.  Despite the name of the grape, it makes a dry wine. Dan says to decant it to give it lots of air. Bill says that most Dolcetto in Italy is not oaked or aged, as he does to it. He gives it 18 months in oak.

Bill Nachbaur tells about visiting Piedmont and asking winemakers there if they used oak and they replied, "well, our grandfathers didn't do it," so they don't. (That is a prevailing attitude in Italy about a lot of food and wine practices. -cd). 

Dan Berger tells that very little Dolcetto is grown in California because growers make so much from the familiar varieties that planting a less-well-known grape is too much of a risk. Dan says that Dolcetto has good acid and it works well in blends. It responds well to decanting, to highlight its dry character.

Then they taste Medley, which is a combination of 60 varieties that they grow. There is a chart that lists all the varieties. It is a vineyard blend of 20% Zinfandel, 18% Cinsaut, 18% Syrah, 18% Muscats, 10% Dolcetto, 2% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Sangiovese, and 10% other varieties. This is the 15th year of Medley, which they started making in 2000.

Dan Berger believes that it should not rest for more than 3 or 4 years because its great complex fruit flavors will still be evident. Dan says that Medley could not be made this way in many other regions. For example, in Alexander Valley, the wine would be different. Trying to mix these varieties in the Alexander Valley do not yield such subtle flavors as do the Russian River Valley's cold temperatures, fog and marine influence. They are about a mile from the river and will have fog all morning for many days in the Summer, so they might pick a month later than they would in nearby Dry Creek....

Tom Simoneau is on California Wine Country this week to present his 2018 Wines of the Year, with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. There are a lot of wines to describe and a few to taste, so we get started right away. After each wine, you will find links to the wineries' websites. Tom Simoneau's website is http://winecountrylive.com/.

Winery of the Year

Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery

This stunning property in the deep end of Dry Creek Valley has been producing world class wine for nearly forty years. Recently widowed Rhonda Carano continues on the vision she and Don Carano planned way back in 1981. The grounds at the winery are worth a visit alone. The wine making team headed by Sarah Quider and Rebecka Deike have made so many good wines you’ll have some fun trying to figure out which wine is your favorite. Congratulations to my Winery of the Year… Ferrari-Carano. Sarah Quider calls in to the station for a live chat with Tom, Steve and Dan (beginning at about 32:18 in the audio file). ferrari-carano.com

Best Whites

Sparkling Wine: Gosset Champagne, Non Vintage Grand Reserve Brut, $45

With just the right amount of bubbles, just the right amount of yeast, just the right amount of acid, this wine is just right. How long have they been making sparkling wine in Champagne? Only 350 years to get it right. Once you taste this Gosset Sparkler you’ll have a new best friend.  champagne-gosset.com

Chardonnay: Hyde de Villaine (HdV), 2015 Hyde Vineyard, Napa Valley, $70

HdV is a family venture between the Hyde family of Napa Valley and the de Villaine family of Burgundy, France. Aubert de Villaine, Co-Director of Domain de la Romanee-Conti, married Larry Hyde’s cousin Pamela, and a star… winery was born. This Chardonnay is lean in a rich sort of way. It’s the definition of balance, fruit, a magnificent mouth feel with a finish that leaves you with, how’d they do that? HdVwines.com

Sauvignon Blanc: Hanna Winery, 2017 Russian River Valley, $19

Long known for producing one of Sonoma County’s finest Sauvignon Blancs, winemaker Jeff Hinchliffe did not disappoint with his 2017. Crisp grapefruit, hints of herbs and mineral, nice and dry. From a classy Sonoma County family owned winery. hannawinery.com

Off Dry White: Imagery Estate Winery, 2017 Riesling, Upper Ridge Pine Mountain Cloverdale Peak, $26

From the winery long known for producing alternative wines with colorful art labels on their wine bottles, this Riesling is a real winner. Fruity and flavorful, the perfect aperitif. A stop by their tasting room in the Sonoma Valley is an education in itself. imagerywinery.com

Alternative White:   Sonoma-Loeb, 2016 Viognier, Cold Creek Vineyard, Carneros, $32

You may not have heard of Sonoma-Loeb before, but if Napa Valley’s Chappellet is familiar, they are the owners. This is a wine brand you need to check out. This Rhone white is as good a Viognier as I have ever tasted. With its floral aroma, crisp acidity, and rich mouth feel I guarantee you’ll thank me for turning you on to this wine. Sonoma-Loeb.com

Best Value White: Korbel Champagne Cellars, 2015 Natural, Russian River Valley Champagne, $16

How’s the old saying go… A chicken in every pot and a bottle of sparkling wine in every fridge. Not sure if that was said by Dom Perignon or Gary Heck, the owner of Korbel. But either way, Korbel makes it easy for all of us to celebrate with a glass of bubbles and not break the bank. The Natural is my favorite but the entire portfolio of sparklers is highly recommended. And yes, it says Champagne on the label. It was grandfathered in back in 2006. korbel.com

Rosé:   Bucher Vineyards, 2017 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $25

Rosés are on fire. It is the hottest category for wine sales over the last few years. This Bucher Vineyard Rosé of Pinot Noir is crisp with bright strawberry fruit,

Alan Baker, co-founder of Cartograph Wines, joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country today. They taste three wines a Cartograph 2013Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine, a single vineyard Pinot Noir and a blended Pinot Noir. Their first tasting is Cartograph’s first sparkling wine, a brut rosé, with almost all Chardonnay and 1.5% Pinot for the salmon color, and a small amount of sugar in the dosage. Steve finds it “adorable.” Dan Berger says it has terrific acidity as every good bubbly wine should have. He notes that the Pinot flavor actually comes through, even if in such a small amount. Alan Baker explains that they made the base wine of Chardonnay then separated half of the grapes to make this sparkling wine, and with the rest of the wine, they added no additions and no dosage and call it “brut zero.” Steve asks Dan to explain dosage, a French term for the sugar addition just before putting the cork into the bottles.

Alan Baker and Serena Lourie founded Cartograph. Alan worked for 17 years as a radio engineer in Minnesota. He tells about his taste of a 1998 Alsace Riesling that set him off researching wine. He was so interested in wine that he moved to Healdsburg and got some jobs in wineries. He started a wine blog and an audio podcast and he promised his employers that the podcast would promote their wineries. Then NPR picked up the podcast, so that helped him get great guests. It’s called The Cellar Rat. (The blog runs from April 2005 to May 2010, right up to when he released his first Cartograph wines. The blog is a record of his exporations, learning and achievement over those years and is still available at the website. Some audio episodes are also available on various platforms.) His first production was 100 cases of Pinot that he sold as futures to his podcast and blog audience. That is how he funded his first vintage. After his first wine was made, Alan got hired to work at Crushpad. He has also taken continuing education classes at UC Davis.

Dan Berger mentions the competition for fruit in Sonoma County, where everyone wants Pinot Noir. He had to plant some of his own vines to have a steady supply. That’s important for a consistent production. He makes Gewürztraminer and Riesling.

Next they taste a 2016 Pinot Noir, made from a single clone, the 777 clone, from their estate property. In Spring 2018 they released single clone wines. They also make an estate blend. Dan Berger thinks this wine is way too young, and it has depth and an intense mid-palette, which he thinks will benefit from about 10 years.

Cartograph sells almost all of their wine direct to consumer and through their wine club. Alan Baker is grateful for their strong local following and the many wine industry people who purchase their wines.

Dan Berger says that this is the first taste of the 2016s and it is impressive. Of course it can be decanted which makes up for less aging. Cabernet Sauvignon used to be on a 4½ year cycle, now it’s 2½ which is too young.

Alan explains the name Cartograph and the label, which represents a globe with five locations where he and his wife had their most important formative wine experiences.

Dan asks Alan about how he chose the varieties he works with, especially the cooler climate white wines.

This next Pinot Noir is another blended wine, which Dan says is quite complex and not as explosive as other similar wines at similar high prices. The lower alcohols do allow the fruit tendencies to jump out more. He also says that the spice component will be lost in 6-10 years and the flavors will be stronger.

Dan says that Alan captures natural varietal character as well as the vineyard character. Alan says that his job is to act as a shepherd rather than a heavy-handed winemaker intervening all over the process.

This is the first year they released wines from their estat...

Theresa Heredia from Gary Farrell Winery is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Barry Herbst from Bottle Barn is also in.

Gary Farrell had his own ideas, he wanted to pick his grapes earlier, rather than the trend at the time, which was to pick rather later. Theresa came to Gary Farrell wines and carried on Gary’s practices in the winery where he had all the right equipment. It’s not easy to grow grapes in a cold climate and make great wine, and Dan says that Gary Farrell agrees that Theresa is succeeding.

Theresa Heredia explains that Gary Farrell is one of the pioneers of the Russian River Valley. He started at Davis Bynum and worked at Rochioli. His first vintage was the 1982 Pinot Noir. He makes “site-expressive” wines.

Dan tells how Gary started as a cellar worker and later, wineries wanted his magic. Theresa tells how they do it, that they have the same idea in mind. Gary wants the vineyard to shine through in the bottle, rather than any other components like the oak, or ripeness, or alcohol. It’s what she was tryign to do at Joseph Phelps Freestone Vineyard previously. She’s getting wines that are generally under 14% alcohol and uses light oak, so as not to mask the flavors.

Theresa was a graduate student in Chemistry at UC Davis and she thought she would get a PhD and teach at the University level. But she discovered wine at UC Davis and “that was it.”

Dan Berger says you have to have great intuition and great vision to work in cold climates. The cooler years are more challenging, she says. Theresa's first vintage was 2002 for Joseph Phelps and 2012 for Gary Farrell. They taste a 2016 Russian River selection Chardonnay blend. The grapes come from many of the famous Russian River vineyards, she mentions Rochioli, Olivet Lane, a bit of Durell, Bacigalupi, Ritchie. They always want to pick the components for this blend first, then they set aside the single-vineyard selections. Dan says it could take 6-8 years in the cellar.

The next bottle is a 2015 Chardonnay from Durell Vineyards. Theresa says it takes about 3 weeks to create the blends, both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, they need time to pick out the components of the blend. Dan says that the secret of this wine is the acidity, which allows it to pick up many nuances. It could take a decade in the cellar. Theresa Heredia says that Durell is one of her favorite vineyards, with natural concentration and structure. Dan notes the citrus components in the flavors.

Next tasting up is a 2016 Pinot Noir blend from all the great Russian River Valley vineyards. Dan tells about an expensive French Burgundy, which sells for $5200 per bottle. They consider Chardonnay to be colorless red wine and Pinot Noir to be white wine with color. These Gary Farrell bottles cost around $35 but they are comparable to those French wines that cost many times more. Dan proclaims that Sonoma County specializes in premium wines at affordable prices.

Barry says he has tasted some fantastic Pinot Noirs from 20 years ago that come from a cellar that Bottle Barn has purchased. Then they taste the 2015 McDonald Mountain Pinot Noir. This is a new vineyard for them. It's located in Sebastopol Hills between the Petaluma wind gap and Green Valley. It's foggy and windy and the yields are low, so it gets great concentration. Dan smells some raspberries and wild strawberries, with a faint taste of cranberries in the aftertaste. Theresa says it works very well with lamb.

Dan points out that there are some iconic wines in the region but that they are only sold direct to consumer at the vineyard. Last they taste a 2014 Siduri, a lush Pinot Noir that will sell out in the next few days, at a low discount on the new Bottle Barn web store. Dan says it has the lightness and elegance of Sonoma County character and Theresa says it's an amazing wine for its...

This podcast episode is a repeat of the show from March 22, 2017, with Tim Bell, winemaker at Dry Creek Vineyard. (This week's live radio show has been pre-empted by a Golden State Warrior's basketball game on our home station KSRO.)

The first tasting is a Rosé from Bonny Doon Vineyards in Santa Cruz. Dry Creek Vineyards was celebrating their 45th anniversary (last year when the show was recorded). Today they will celebrate with tastings of their Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, a Zinfandel and a blended red.

First, Dan Berger opens a bottle of A Proper Pink, a rosé produced by Randall Graham, owner and “king for life” of Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz. It is a slightly sweet Rosé, made with 69% Tannat and 31% Cabernet Franc. Dan explains that to make Rosé you have to get the skins out of the juice pretty quickly.

Steve asked Tim Bell to describe how he got into the wine business. He grew up in Southern California and worked for the Liquor Barn chain and got interested in wine. He studied winemaking at UC Davis, graduated in 1994 and did an internship at Gloria Ferrer, then worked at a few different wineries including Freemark Abbey, for 10 years. Now he has been at Dry Creek for 6 years, since 2011

In 2017 Dry Creek Vineyard was celebrating the 45th anniversary of their first vintage and we will taste these Dry Creek Vineyard wines:

Chenin Blanc: Dan says this is the best Chenin Blanc he has ever tasted. Chenin Blanc to be popular in California but today only a few thousand acres of it remain, mostly for jug wine. It is dry, has beautiful melon fruit and subtle spices of green tea. Dan points out that chilling this wine covers the sugars and gives it a weightiness from the sugar which shows up as texture rather than as sweetness.

Sauvignon Blanc: Dry Creek Vineyard planted the first Sauvignon Blanc in Dry Creek Valley. The pioneers tried different vines to see what varieties were appropriate for each region. Dan tells that when David Stare planted Sauvignon Blanc in the 1970s, it reminded him of the Loire Valley. He and Robert Mondavi adopted the name Fumé Blanc for the wine. Tim Bell says that the Loire Valley was David’s inspiration. Some other grapes that go into its blend and Dan says the aromatics are fascinating, with hints of chamomille. Tim also tastes ripe limes. This variety has a tendency to show its distinctiveness based on the weather and soil where it is planted. For this reason, some regions give green herb flavors while others do not. Tim agrees, having made Sauvignon Blanc from different regions. It also has a tendency to show its distinctiveness based on the weather and soil where it is planted. Some regions have green herb flavors, others, do not. Tim agrees, as he has made Sauvignon Blanc from different regions.

When talking to somelliers in restaurants, Dan discovered that that patrons who ordered Sauvignon Blanc ended up spending more money on their checks because they would order two bottles.

Steve asks Dan to sum up the history of Dry Creek. When David Stare planted Sauvignon Blanc, he discovered it was an ideal place for it to grow. Pedroncelli was another pioneer, with Zinfandel. The Dry Creek area was important for home wine making during Prohibition. Since in certain states it was illegal to make wine even at home, they shipped “wine bricks” with “warnings” saying, “do not add 30 gallons of water and some sugar or else this will ferment.”

2014 Old Vine Zinfandel: This grape ripens unevenly and Tim says this contributes to its unique flavor. Dan finds flavors of black pepper and mocha, not woody, but cocoa-like and black cherry and raspberry. Steve finds that it is smooth, and doesn’t "slap him in the face" like some Zins. Dan says there is a handful of California Zins that deliver this kind of fruit in the $60 range, but this one sells for $38,

Dan Berger and Barry Herbst are in the studio today on California Wine Country, with guest host Pete Foppiano. Steve Jaxon has the day off.

The first wine they taste is a 2016 D&L Carinalli Vineyards Pinot Noir, from Russian River Valley.  Dan points out that it is quite young, so it is a good idea to decant it, or even swirl it in the glass. Dan Berger tastes various berry flavors, but he likes the pure Pinot Noir flavors, but it is not heavy. It would go with any food, it has a lot of weight to it, despite that it has delicate flavors. Dan calls it fruity and substantive. A wine this good could fetch $50 a bottle but it is $17 at Bottle  Barn. Barry explains that they are a small operation with low overhead so they can put that lower price on it. D&L Carinalli have won a lot of medals in wine competitions, but Dan laments that they don't do a lot of marketing. Barry notes that this is one of the wines available at the Bottle Barn website.

Next they taste the first wine that they used in the Bottle Barn flash sales online. It's a super-Tuscan blend from Westerly in Santa Barbara. They call it Fletcher's Red Blend, from Santa Ynez Valley. If you like bold Napa Cabernet, it's for you. Pete Foppiano thinks it tastes heavier. Dan Berger says that it is a lovely expression of Sangiovese, with some oak, but not too much. What Dan Berger likes about this is that it's a California wine, very unpretentious.

Dan Berger says that people should understand the impact of varietals on a blend. It is hard to know what you are going to get. Barry Herbst says that wineries are making more kinds of red blends and it may be confusing to consumers.

The next tasting is a Jed Steele Cabernet Franc. Dan says it's bold without being too big. It's aged in French Oak. It's from Lake County where Jed is located. It has some dried herb character with dramatic fruit up front. Again, it's a great value, at under $20. The oak was used very carefully and you almost don't notice it. Dan says it should age for 6 or 7 years. It would go well with salmon, with its tannins, says Dan. He also suggests serving it in a big round glass that you can swirl the wine in.

Pete grew up eating ravioli and asks Dan for a wine idea. Dan says if it has a lot of fat and protein, go for a heavy red. Otherwise, for lighter fare, go for a richer wine.

Finally they taste a Zinfandel from Tanti winery. Pete Foppiano says that he is most impressed with the wide variety and diversity of types of wine grown and the diversity between various wineries as to how they make their wines.

 

 

Alquimista Cellars' Greg La Follette is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today.

He has worked with many familiar brands, as winemaker and consultant, but more recently, he has started his own brand, Alquimista Cellars. His wines are all sold direct to the consumer. Dan Berger says that the brand has become “a great underground talking point” and that the wines sell out because Greg made them. First he identifies great vineyards, then applies techniques that are risky but he is a master at the precision he applies to his work, says Dan.

At Alquimista Cellars, Greg La Follette uses wild fermentation, and uses dairy tanks that are broad and shallow but that require a lot of hand work. He leaves his wine on the lees a long time, too. “We do a lot of hand work, very old school.”

Dan Berger says these wines are especially good for aging. He tells how some Burgundy wines that are 30 or more years old are still good because when they were made they had way more acidity than they needed and they were best left to age. Greg specializes in age-worthy Chardonnays, with the classic Burgundian style flavor. Dan says it could age a minimum of 10 years. Greg says that recently he was enjoying the 2002s from that same vineyard.

Dan says that it is a process that most winemakers would never risk, but Greg never has a problem because he knows how to handle it.

Steve reads about Greg from the Alquimista Cellars website. He has degrees in plant biology, chemistry and food science and research and experimentation have always been part of his winemaking. He also worked with André Tchelistcheff and he tells about being at the New York premiere of the documentary about him. Dan has found a great number of winemakers who live past the age of 88.  Greg wanted to be a winemaker since he was 17 years old when he would visit wine country with his parents. He had a degree in chemistry and worked in Aids research, then transferred from UC San Francisco to UC Davis and did a thesis on Burgundian winemaking techniques.

He describes a Pinot Meunier and how they make it at Alquimista Cellars. They take the tank to the Van der Kamp vineyard at the top of the hill and they place whole clusters right into the tank, they seal it  at the vineyard and take it back to the winery. Dan says that when the fermentation starts, you can feel it on the bottom of your feet. Greg says that each berry is its own fermentation vessel and you can tell when it's time to press because the berries pop like bubble wrap.

Barry Herbst calls into the show from Bottle Barn, where they are busy since today is the day before Thanksgiving Day. Dan says that 30-year-old Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has flavors of sage in it, so if you are going to rub your turkey with sage, you could serve that wine with it.

Next they taste a Pinot Noir, a 2016 Mes Filles Pinot Noir also from Alquimista Cellars. Dan says it needs at least 10 years in the cellar. Dan says most people won't want to age a wine for that long, so the way to access its fruit flavors is to decant it for 2 to 4 hours.

Tom Simoneau is back today with Brian Maloney, winemaker at De Loach Vineyards, in to talk with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He is also in charge of the Sonoma County wines of the Boisset collection and he also made a sweepstakes-winning wine for Buena Vista.

Brian’s great grandfather planted vineyards and founded a vineyard at the turn of the 20th century. He was born and raised in Sonoma County and his family has farmed for over 100 years. He attended UC Davis and right after worked for Greg La Follette at De Loach, and for Jean-Charles Boisset. He purchased the Buena Vista winery in Sonoma and they are bringing it back to life. They replanted some vineyards and these wines are the result.

Brian tells about Jean-Charles, who studied at USF and UCLA and is married to Gina Gallo. Dan Berger tells that the Boisset wine empire is one of the most revered in Europe, with great winemaking teams all over Burgundy. They already knew an awful lot about wine when he came to California. He speaks glowingly of California wine. Tom says he takes a lot of heat in France for that. Dan says he’s really quite a spokesman for California wine. Brian says he inspires you to make a better wine and it’s what they’re doing in the vineyards and in the wineries.

De Loach, founded by Cecil De Loach who was a fireman, made great wine and then sold the winery and started Hook & Ladder. They’ve been on this show too, last Aug. 15. It’s a cooler area of the Russian River Valley in his area that they call Olivette. Dan says the most consistent Zinfandels come from there, old vines still producing good tonnages and great wine. The Chardonnay vines are right in front of their tasting room.

They taste a 2016 De Loach Chardonnay. The fleur-de-lis (which is French for "lily") crest is embossed on the label. This Chardonnay is rich but with good acidity and tropical fruit like underripe pineapple and some really appealing citrusy notes. Tom says it has both warm and cool region flavors. Brian says it has richness and freshness.

Next they taste a Russian River Pinot Noir that it bottled to support the Russian River food bank. They have done this every year since 2009. It's a 2017 Pinot Noir that is so young that it's a shame to open it. Dan says you can taste the potential but you don't taste what it is going to be. Dan says it's a real winemaker's wine because you have to understand the vision of the winemaker. They bottled it right before harvest, only about 2 months ago.

Brian Maloney is the winemaker at Buena Vista too, and does a project called JCB for Jean-Charles. Next they taste a wine he calls OFS, which Tom says stands for Our Finest Selection. Dan says it is about 4 to 6 years away from optimum aging. Tom says Brian's wine is big and complex, that the fruit was picked correctly and not overdone in the winery. In a great vintage he will make 1000 cases. Tom says there are a lot of Pinots that cost more and are not as good as this.

The next wine is  from their Marin County project. There are only a couple hundred acres of grapes growing in Marin County, on only 3 vineyard sites that they work with. Dan says it is very cold out there and it's marginal territory for grape growing. Brian agrees that the yields there are not very high

Barry Herbst tells about the new Bottle Barn online store, which will have its own flash sales and allows for shipping to almost all the United States.

Next they taste the Maboroshi Pinot Noir, made from grapes from the Mabaroshi vineyard. (It's on the left of the bottles lineup picture, above.) It's a 2014 and he says it needs at least 10 years to mature. Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley and Sebastopol Hills are the source areas. Dan says this one will age longer than any of the others from today, up to 25 years. He has worked at this site with De Loach since 2004.