I ain't afraid of no ghosts (or Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc)

As I read a few old wine-related articles on the Internet this past week, two things struck me. First is the continual discussion about ethics and disclosure by wine writers. I reread Dr. Vino's post examining how much Robert Parker, Jr. supposedly spends on wine each year for review in his Wine Advocate. The common theme in the comments thread and many other blog posts since was that most people don't care if writers receive free samples or even trips. The thing that readers want is transparency and disclosure of a publication's policies (and I include blogs as publications). If you accept wine, money or other "services" to publish, don't pretend that you don't. If a reviewer is honest about his or her relationship with the wines and wineries he or she reviews, consumers will be able to judge the content on its merits and not suspect a hidden nefarious agenda.

However, the other side of coin reveals that some people believe that bloggers are shills that only give positive reviews to keep receiving free samples. The argument is that you never hear critics bashing wines when they drink with the winemakers, or when we lowly bloggers receive samples. Some might even give good reviews to keep the samples coming and are afraid to admit they didn't like a wine. Well, I have no problem with doing so. A few weeks ago, I received a sample of Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc from the Baddish Group in New York. I don't want to suggest that others won't like the wine, but I did not. In fact, a very similar sauvignon blanc was deemed best white at the NextGeneration Wine Competition. I did not like that New Zealand sauvignon blanc either. Actually, google the wine and you will find more than a handful of other bloggers that also posted (almost unanimously positive) reviews about the same samples. Both my wife and I barely could finish our glasses and we gave the bottle to my mother-in-law who did not find it as offensive. I'm sorry that I did not like the wine, but if a winery or public relations company wants my opinion, I'm going to give it.

2010 Nine Walks Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

I love screw caps and this wine does not disappoint in the ease of opening. It pours a normal bright yellow color. Only when I put my nose in the glass do I begin to wonder if I will like the wine. The usual grass and lime aromas are quickly overpowered by lots of green pepper. Not bad in and of itself, but when all I can taste is acidic and unripe green bell pepper and bitter asparagus. I know that New Zealand sauvignon blancs are known for those traits, but I prefer more mineral and grapefruit flavors as opposed to unripe vegetables. I actually left my glass to sit for an hour with the hope that the greenness would blow off. Nope, still undrinkable. We put the remaining 3/4 of a bottle in the fridge knowing that my mother-in-law was coming over the next night. Now, she's not a wine drinker, but does enjoy a glass of vino here and there. I let her try a sip before pawning it off on her and her response was that she might be able to cook with it. I do not recommend this wine and in fact, this was probably one of the worst wines I've tasted in the past few months. But, like I said, others might like this grassy and green style (see NextGen Competition) so take my advice with a grain of salt. 12.7% alc Sample $11. Below Average

Ben's Bubbly: Clusserath Weiler Riesling Trocken Sekt

Last week, Ben started to find his voice. He would babble and grunt and squeal while he played with his toys. He is also starting to understand he can move to get toys. While he has only put a roll or two together to get a toy, he is already spinning around on his stomach to reach objects at his side or just out of reach. He is doing so much now, I don't want to miss him learning any new tricks. Nevertheless, over the weekend I went to Boston and Cape Cod for a bachelor party. While it was incredibly fun to hang out with a group of friends that I have only seen once in the past five years, I missed my little guy. It is so satisfying now when Ben gets excited when he sees me after school or a long weekend away. It will make this weekend away for the Colorado Mountain Winefest a bit easier. Who knows, maybe next year he'll be able to make the journey with me!

Clusserath Weiler Riesling Trocken Sekt, Mosel, Germany

This week's sparkler is something a bit different. This sparkling riesling was produced by the traditional winzersekt method (méthode champenoise). It is bright yellow, almost like Mt. Dew, but without the neon glow. It has a very floral nose with notes of pears and apples. The palate is quite different than most bubbly. I tasted Meyer lemons, nectarine and golden delicious apples in this viscous but not syrupy sparkler. It has a long, slightly nutty finish. Very interesting sparkling winzersekt riesling worth a try. 12% abv Purchased $13. Very Good

Battle of the Grapes (Cabernet and Tempranillo Days)

Last Thursday was proclaimed Cabernet Day by Rick Bakas and Tempranillo Day by the Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society (TAPAS). The goal of the concurrent events was to encourage people to open a bottle, enjoy the fun, and share their experiences online with their respective hashtags. While I understand the objectives, I fell that both events are contrived and fail to achieve any real benefits, especially Cabernet Day.

First, cabernet does not need the recognition, it is the king of wines. However, tempranillo is an underappreciated grape in the U.S. that might just benefit from this type of exposure. But how much exposure was really gained from a handful of wine aficionados talking to each other? Rick Bakas claimed that 4,200 unique Twitter users combined to tweet 17,000 times and create 60 million impressions for Cabernet Day. Sounds impressive, but how many of those impressions were limited to just those 4,200 individuals? A group of people can stand around and pat each other on the back hundreds of times and say they received millions felicitations.While a few non-industry people might have participated, on one of the biggest online wine forums, Wineberskers.com, few enophiles had even heard of the virtual event. And, I saw no mention of Tempranillo Day on the forum.

Although, these virtual tweetups may have salience for specific regions or minor cultivars, cabernet does not qualify on either account. I was going to boycott the competing days all together, but had to support the Colorado Wine industry by retweeting a few of the local bloggers' and wineries' Cabernet Day tweets and I even popped the cork on a Colorado tempranillo. I tend to root for the underdog and I figured that a Colorado tempranillo fit the bill.

2008 Woody Creek Cellars Tempranillo

This naturally produced (I'm not jumping into that shark tank) wine is dark purplish red in color. Kirsch is prominent on the nose with hints of tobacco. It tastes jammy with gobs of cherries and blackberries but is a bit grapey, but hey isn't wine fermented grapes? This easily compares to a modern-style Rioja at about the crianza quality level. It is very smooth with very fine tannins and a spicy cigar finish. 13.8% abv Sample $30. Good/Very Good

Terroirist.com does Colorado Wine

A few months ago, Terroirist.com founder David White (@TerroirsitBlog) tweeted that he was planning a trip to Denver. I responded to his tweet and suggested that we pull a few corks. David wanted try some Colorado wine after seeing Gary Vaynerchuk's raving review of Guy Drew Vineyards' 2007 Metate on his short-lived Daily Grape. Well, after a few tweets back and forth, we met this weekend and tasted through a lineup of Bordeaux blends and varietal wines from Colorado, California and Bordeaux along with Terroirist.com contributor Ainsley Adams and some members of my local tasting group. We started with a Colorado riesling, non-blind, and then blind tasted through 5 Colorado, 3 California and 1 Bordeaux wines (the other guests brought the non-CO bottles). One of my local wine tasting buddies was kind enough to also bring a half bottle of a well-aged Sauternes to finish the festivities. 

Starter: 2009 Reeder Mesa Vineyards Riesling. Good floral aromas with some apricot and mineral flavors and hints of gasoline. There is a bit of noticeable sulfur and it could use a bit more acidity. It is ok, but I've definitely had better CO riesling (including previous RM vintages). Good

Wine 1: This garnet colored wine has flavors of dark cherries and raspberries, tea leaves, leather and a bit of dark caramel. It has well-structured tannins and an slightly earthy and peppery finish. This was my #2 of the tasting. Very Good

Wine 2: Deep purple, this wine is clearly younger than the previous. Lots of red and blue fruits, especially raspberry and grapes and dark chocolate fill the palate.. The finish was nice with an added smokiness. Fairly monolithic, but overall a very good wine. Very Good

Wine 3: Definitely more old-world in style than the previous two. It is meaty, funky with notes of black olive. The aromas are big and complex. It has firm tannins with spicy tobacco and leather flavors. Very Good

Wine 4: This wine is exceptionally young. It is bright purple and smells and tastes like a barrel sample. Green pepper, raspberry and white chocolate suggest that is cabernet franc heavy. It needs a few years to come together; I don't think it is ready to drink yet. Good

Wine 5: This wine has complex aromas and flavors. Cedar, cigar, brown sugar, plums, blueberries, and black currants are all there along with notes of lavender and sage. I love the intensity and combination of fruit and secondary flavors. Combined with the long and smooth finish, this was easily my wine of the night! Excellent

Wine 6: Dark red fruit, cedar, tobacco and vanilla combine to create a lovely complex nose. The mouth is full of big fruit almost bordering on blackberry liqueur over vanilla ice cream. It needs time to meld and will clearly keep getting better. Very Good

Wine 7: The nose is less intense than the previous wines. Another old-world style wine, but not screaming Bordeaux like Wine 3, graphite, red plums, slight black tea and pencil shavings are evident in what is a little thin palate with a short finish. A subtle wine that needs to be drunk with food and not in a lineup of 8 other wines. Good/Very Good

Wine 8: The oak is noticeable on the nose and I immediately think Napa. Concentrated red and black fruit, and typical currant but it is acidic and lacks soul. Not doing it for me. Good

Wine 9: This was the only wine of the afternoon to exhibit a bit too much alcohol on the nose and palate to me. Sweet red fruit is prominent on the nose. The palate is not what I expected, but pencil shavings, cranberries, figs and raspberries make up for the kind of watery texture. Good/Very Good

We finished with a 1985 Chateau Gilette Sauternes. I took no notes on this, but clearly remember honeyed apricot and more acidity than I would expect in a 26-yr old Sauternes.Very Good

Ben's Bubbly: Domaine Chandon étoile Rosé

Everyone who has kids always tells new parents to savor the moments with your children because they grow up so fast. It truly is amazing how fast they grow up. At not even five months old, he is rolling over, sitting up and now is getting his first teeth! He has been drooling like a Saint Bernard puppy the past few weeks and putting everything he can reach into his mouth. Lo and behold, he has one tooth popped through and another on its way. Before I know it, his beautiful toothless smiles will no longer exist. :( Nevertheless, just like fine wine, he keeps getting better with age.

Breaking our streak of nonvintage Champagne, we popped the top off of a California bubbly with French lineage. However, the top of this bottle was closed with a crown cap (like on a beer bottle) and not a cork. I've seen this enclosure on cheaper Prosecco, but not on higher end sparklers. The wine inside was still good, so I did not care what was used to seal the bottle.

Domaine Chandon étoile Rosé

While I assume that the wine juice in this wine is from multiple vintages, the bottle states that the wine was bottled in 2001 and then was aged five years before dégorgement. The fruit was sourced from Mendocino (61%), Napa (21%) and Sonoma (19%) counties. The wine is orange/copper in color, almost the same color as a brand new penny. Exceptionally fine bubbles ferociously fill the glass as fruity aromas waft from the glass. Scents of guava, mango, papaya and mixed berries make you feel like you're relaxing on a tropical beach. The same topical fruits along with strawberry, kiwi, rosehips and hibiscus make this wine taste like an awesome fruit salad. Unfortunately, the finish is rather short and a bit flat. A touch more acidity would make this an excellent wine. 12% abv Purchased $34. Very Good

Ben's Bubbly: Jean Vesselle Brut

Ben is starting to get mobile. He began sitting up a few weeks ago and this past week he has been rocking while he sits. He also is scooting and spinning around while he is on his stomach. He isn't quick, but his 3' x 3' floor blanket is now just a recommended play area. He often rolls or scoots off of it in pursuit of a toy (usually a red plastic cup or plastic water bottle that he adores) or a cat. In fact, while he was sitting a few days ago, he reached out and grabbed a cat that got too close. He kept his grip as the cat walked away, he was pulled over and dragged a few inches until the cat lay down in defeat. Maybe it was just my sleep-deprived brain, but I thought this was one of the funniest things I had seen in a long time.

NV Jean Vesselle Brut Reserve, Champagne

This week is the second week in a row we've toasted the little man with a Champagne. While we've had plenty of sparklers from around the world, there is nothing quite like the "real" thing. While champagne is the term most people use to refer to all sparkling wine, true Champagne only comes from the Champagne region in northern France. The chalk sub-soils and marginal climate make for unique conditions that produce special wines. While it is common knowledge in wine circles that Champagne is made from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, three other grape varieties, pinot blanc, arbanne, and petit meslier are allowed but account for less than one percent of grape production. Some day I will get to try the Moutard Cuvée aux 6 Cepages, but this week's wine is a blend of only 20% chardonnay and 80% pinot noir. This multi-vintage is a golden wheat color. The nose is pleasant with apple blossom dominating. Smooth and crisp, tasty flavors of green apples and strawberries are most prominent on the palate. I tend to prefer blanc de blancs or chardonnay dominant blends, but this wine showed a softness and delicacy that I enjoy while still providing the body and fruitiness of a pinot-heavy wine. If you see a bottle of this, give it a try! 12% abv Purchased $44. Very Good

An afternoon in Healdburg (and visits to Skewis, Davis Family Vineyards and Roadhouse Winery)

Skewis pinot noir

During my recent trip to California, I stopped in Healdsburg to wander the streets. On my way into town, I saw Holdredge Winery, and decided to stop because of a few recommendations on Winberserkers.com but they were closed. Just next door was Skewis. Despite the broken air conditioner, boy am I glad I made it in there. Hank and Maggie Skewis have been making vineyard-designated pinot noir since 1994. They recently opened a new tasting room in Healdsburg and I was lucky enough to taste through some of the current releases with Hank. All of the pinots were quite tasty. I tried the 2008 North Coast Cuvee, the 2007 Montgomery Vineyard from the Russian River Valley, the 2008 Salzgeber-Chan Vineyard from the Russian River Valley, the 2008 Peters Vineyard from the Sonoma Coast and a rosé from an unknown vintage as I did not write it down! All the wines are under 200 case production and very light and Burgundian in style. People accustomed to drinking Napa cabernets might even think this lineup borders on being a bunch of rosés! I quite enjoyed the Salzgeber-Chan for combination of meaty spices and bright red fruit with a finish that seemed like it wouldn't ever stop. The Peters Vineyard was equally impressive with its tart cherry pie flavors with a sprinkle of cinnamon, cloves and sweet tobacco and equally long finish. Not on the list, but definitely one of my favorites from Skewis was the rosé. A mix of juice taken from all of the barrels (known as saignée), this is not your mother's rosé. Just slightly lighter in color than the reds, this wine is full of dark cherry, strawberry and cranberry flavors. This is a big rosé with and unbelievably long and spicy finish. Next time you're in Healdsburg, definitely seek out the Skewis tasting room; I'm sure the air conditioning will be working by then!