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July 31, 2009
Tasting: Long Meadow Ranch steaks and 1997 Viader
Thursday night I had the pleasure (and challenge) of feeding myself and 3 teenage boys at home. Sasha is traveling. What better than some grass-fed rib-eyes from Long Meadow Ranch? LMR is a winery and farm in the Mayacamas Mountains of Napa. Although I have yet to have the pleasure of trying their wines, their produce stand at Rutherford Gardens is a regular stop on my way up the Valley. Selection varies by season. In the winter, one may only find an unattended ice chest full of delicious fresh eggs where you pay on the honor system but in season, a veritable cornucopia of fresh veggies and meats are available. We love their meats, especially the grass-fed rib-eye ($17.99 lb.). And if their produce and meats weren't good enough, Ted and Laddie Hall and their son Chris, owners of Long Meadow Ranch, are some of the nicest folks in Napa. Check out their website. I just did and it looks like a visit to their produce market is just the tip of the iceberg in experiencing all that LMR has to offer.
1796 So. St. Helena Highway (SR 29), just north of the intersection with SR 128
So what would a great cut of meat be without a great wine?
- 1997 Viader Proprietary Red - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/30/2009)
I've been breaking into my '97s to see if rumors of their demise are true. The 1997 Viader Red Wine is at a good place. Youthful appearance of medium ruby with virtually no bricking. Blackberry cobler flavors are followed by sweet cherry tomatoes and a backbone of cedar and mint. Sounds odd, I know, but it works. Tannins are still significant. At first I thought it didn't need a decant but found it better with about 1/2 hour of air and a big rare steak. Drink now until 2012. (91 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Posted by matchvineyards at July 31, 2009 12:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 30, 2009
Special Summer Offer expires tomorrow
Hi Friends.
First, my apologies to folks who are on our mailing list, AND read our blog, AND are our Facebook fans. You'll see this message at least 3 times. However, I wanted to -- as they say at auctions -- give fair
and final warning that the Match Vineyards Special Summer Offer is about to expire July 31. It contains some of the lowest prices ever on our wines.
2004 Butterdragon (reg $72), 2005 Butterdragon (reg $72), and 2005 Baconbrook (reg $75) are all priced at $65 per bottle with just $5 per bottle ground shipping (in autumn) anywhere in the continental USA.
But it gets better...
Buy any combination of 6-11 bottles and pay only $60 a piece and get free ground shipping.
Or buy any combination of 12 or more bottles and now pay just $55 a piece with free ground shipping.
Special pricing is also available on these wines in magnum format. Any number of magnums receive free ground shipping.
Repeat customers will still receive their earned discount off these already reduced prices. That means customers at the maximum discount level can pay as little as $44 a bottle.
Refer a new customer and earn a free bottle of the soon-to-be-released 2006 Baconbrook.
The Order Form can be found here.
Thanks for your continued support.
Be well,
Randy Sloan
Match Vineyards
t/f 707-968-9040
Posted by matchvineyards at July 30, 2009 07:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 29, 2009
Tasting: some summer whites
In addition to the 2008 Quivira Sauvignon Blanc Fig Tree here are some white wines I've tried recently to quench the summer heat.
- 2008 Araujo Estate Sauvignon Blanc Altagracia - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/24/2009)
This wine needs more body. It is tart and thin and possesses very little taste beyond a big burst of lemon. Served btg at "Go Fish" restaurant in St Helena.(79 pts.) - 2006 Bodegas Naia (Viña Sila) Rueda Naiades - Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda (7/16/2009)
Pretty golden color and aromas of a bowl filled with tropical fruit and a hint of jasmine. Flavor starts out with a very tart lemon zest but that mellows as the wine warms and opens up to more of a lemon flavored salt water taffy, banana candy, and a bit of petrol. Don't serve this wine too cold and perhaps even decant for best results. Well made, but personally, I didn't love it, especially with the tariff of $30 from a premium Napa Valley grocer. It would have been more acceptable sub $20. (83 pts.) - 2007 Osseus Wine Company Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (7/12/2009)
Lovely and vibrant. Zesty lemon grass, grapefruit, even unsweetened lemonade with a tart laser beam of citrus acidity. Blind, I would have thought I was drinking a wine from New Zealand rather than Santa Ynez. Awesome summer wine. I wasn't familiar with this label but will look for more. (87 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Posted by matchvineyards at July 29, 2009 10:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Tasting: a bunch trying to catch up with my publishing
- 1997 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages - USA, California, Sonoma County (7/22/2009)
A bit of bricking on the edges. Currant, pencil lead, anise in a light body wine. Tannins are still pronounced but the fruit is a tad thin. Drink up now. Significant downturn since 2004. (88 pts.) - 2003 Sloan - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/2/2009)
Some blueberry, tobacco, and sage, but that's about all the positives I can note about this wine. Not flawed. Out of balance, the fruit was awkward rather than being integrated. Heavy alcohol aroma and taste (in fact it burns the throat). Astringent. Overbearing raw, green oak. With time in the decanter, the EToH blew off a bit but the wine's rough edges just became sharp pointy corners that hurt. This reminded me of one of those wines that you get poured for you from the bar at a big party or event and you decide to switch to beer. Perhaps acceptable if in the sub-$10 category, but I'm quite surprised at the low quality here. Yes, 2003 was a difficult year in Napa but this wine is an example of the need for winemakers to adapt to a vintage rather than trying to force that big Napa style. I would have bulked this wine off and declassed the vintage. I'm a literal scorer so this below average wine would have received the same score no matter the price, but it probably would have escaped the scathing comments. (73 pts.) - 2005 Raymond Vineyard & Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley (6/28/2009)
Spicy with a dark berry medium long finish. Disconcerting alcohol aftertaste. Not wonderful, but not bad. It's one of those wines that it all depends on how much you paid for it and what your wine budget is. I got this one free in a gift bag. I'd say it's worth about $35 when compared with its peers. (83 pts.) - 2004 Adrian Fog Pinot Noir Oppenlander Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (7/20/2009)
My experience with Adrian Fog pinot is that it is built for the cellar. This one was no exception: the 2004 is starting to open up but still could use some time. Tart cherry, cola, black olives, forest floor, and a touch of celery seed in this medium bodied wine. Not big and fruity but rather subtle and complex. (90 pts.) - 2001 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/2/2009)
Roasted almonds, lemon meringue pie, green apples... nice acidity keeps it light and uplifting. Drink now. (92 pts.) - 2005 WesMar Pinot Noir Oehlman Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/1/2009)
Elegant and very delicate in both flavor and texture. Strawberry, citrus, crushed tea leaves, and a bit of black olive: as the wine opens in the glass each taste offers a slightly different nuance. Lovely. (90 pts.) - 2000 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (6/25/2009)
Rather reticent nose but lovely flavors of raspberries, chocolate, and espresso. Not a big wine, or built for longer aging, but drinking just fine right now. (89 pts.) - 2004 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley (6/16/2009)
Big, boisterous wine with blueberry fruit, woodsmoke, molasses, grilled meat, and sweet mouthfeel. Really heavy alcohol nose eventually blows off but I just have to ask "why?" to the 16.7% abv. Another taster said a "well-made fruit bomb, but not my style." I agree. (88 pts.) - 2006 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir Alberigi - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (6/10/2009)
Dark and brooding, earthy and dusty. Hot nose, tannic finish. Rum soaked cherries, charred wood, soy. Less acidic than Terra Neuma from same vintage but hold also for 2-3 years. - 2006 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir Terra Neuma - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (6/10/2009)
Tart Strawberry, rhubarb, sage... big mouthfeel and will ultimately, I predict, be a great wine, but currently overshadowed by puckering acidity. Hold for 2-3 years. - 2000 Château Lescalle - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur (6/9/2009)
A shy wine that doesn't show much even after an hour in the glass. A pleasant attack of slightly sour raspberry, pine box, and a bit of pencil lead but thin on the palate with a short finish. Drink now. (83 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Posted by matchvineyards at July 29, 2009 10:08 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 28, 2009
7/28/09 Quick farming update
I spoke with our vineyard manager, Jim Barbour, this AM. It's still too early to get an accurate crop estimate but it is currently looking "medium size." Butterdragon is running about 1 week behind where it was last year. Veraison has not really started.
Posted by matchvineyards at July 28, 2009 12:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 27, 2009
Tasting: Brix Restaurant Napa Valley
Brix Restaurant in Yountville has been around in various iterations for quite a while. Years ago, it was a good, but not great, place that we tried a few times, usually because Mustards or another better first choice was full. Consistency always seemed a challenge for them. Just when we had decided to write them off, they'd pull off a decent meal luring us back again. Then, it went through a modest name change (and an extensive staff/ownership? change) and went even further downhill. They're trying again. To quote their website, Brix "is an entirely new incarnation of the wine country classic, with a renewed focus on farm-to-table dining." Chef Anne Gingrass-Paik, formerly of Spago, Postrio, and Hawthorne Lane is now at the helm. Six of us headed down there on Saturday night to give it another try. The results were mixed.
The wine themed decor does a lot to mitigate the big open feeling of the dining room though I just couldn't get out of my mind a hotel's dining room all open and square with the ability (or curse) of looking out over every single table in the place. A nice touch are the booths fashioned out of what appear to be reproductions of old wooden wine fermentation tanks. The stemware and dishes are first rate but one wine glass on our table was not just dirty, but disgustingly dirty. We had to point it out, but it was quickly wisked away by the server.
The wine list is extensive and fairly priced on California selections including a nice variety of by-the-glass and half bottle options. Corkage, I believe, was $20.
Food:
Beausoleil oysters with classic mignonette ($2 ea) - excellent
White corn and porcini soup ($10) - excellent
Heirloom baked beans ($5.50) - I found them "unexciting," others were even less complimentary
Farmer's cheese polenta ($5.50) - mediocre and very bizarre consistency of warm breakfast cereal
Grilled zucchini - This side dish was so good, we ordered another one. However, the second time it was inedible, bitter and dry. What happened? The waiter removed it from our bill but unfortunately, the same bad mess was served with one of the entrees. You'd think someone in the back would have checked out a dish sent back before serving more from the same bad batch.
The entrees were all excellent:
Roasted corn & candied bacon pizza with arugula ($15)
Porcini rubbed new york steak with blue cheese and porcini mushrooms ($37)
Atlantic farmed salmon with lima bean puree and kohlrabi relish ($23)
Beef filet with green peppercorn pesto and braised italian string beans but the string beans were replaced by the nasty zuccini ($30)
So what to do about Brix? It appears that they have returned to where they were some years back: good but not great. Saturday night, it was a restaurant not firing on all cylinders and one would expect on a weekend during the high tourist season you would have the "A" team at work. The service was knowledgable and professional though not especially warm and friendly. The pace of the meal was really off. There were noticable lags between courses and in clearing our plates. I'm a forgiving sort so although I wouldn't rush back there, eventually I guess I would give them another go. I might have to do it alone however, because my dinner partners said they would never come back. I really can't blame them. Competition is tough and a restaurant really needs to have a better selling point than we can't get in anywhere else. Especially at these prices.
7377 St. Helena Hwy, Yountville CA 94558
(707) 944-2749
Brix serves Sunday Brunch which seems like a good idea so close to Yountville, the largest supply of hotel rooms up Valley. There is also a small gift shop and wine store in front with some nice, but expensive, selections.
Posted by matchvineyards at July 27, 2009 09:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 26, 2009
Tasting: It's not always good
I'm incredibly lucky that I live in an area where excellent dining and wine choices are abundant. I have regular access to food and wine that folks in many areas can only dream of seeing. So, lucky for me, bad meals and bad wines are a rare occurrence. But they do occur.
The dilemma when one blogs about food and wine -- especially when in the business himself -- is what to do about disappointing experiences. I hate writing negative things about restaurants and wines that I know are labors of love by their producers. Personally, such writing can cause some awkward moments with my peers. Professionally, such candor can come back and, well, honestly, bite me in the ass.
Folks should keep in mind that my experiences are just that, my own. Your mileage may vary. With just a few exceptions, we go to restaurants that have good reputations and drink wines that come recommended by folks I trust. If you try the wines that disappoint me (or the ones I like) or dine in places I pan (or those I loved) and don't agree with my assessment, I would love to hear about it. I'm all for giving them a second chance.
With restaurants, I'll try to write about what I experienced that was both good and bad.
With wines, I score wines very literally and strictly based on the Cellartracker.com scale. Note, 75-79 while damning in some publications, means "Average." Although in this day and age, I believe it is not that difficult to find an above average wine at almost any price point, average does mean average. To me, it is a competent, if unremarkable wine.
Cellartracker scale:
* Extraordinary (96-100 points)
* Outstanding (90-95)
* Very Good to Excellent (85-89)
* Good (80-84)
* Average (75-79)
* Below average (70-74)
* Avoid (50-70)
Posted by matchvineyards at July 26, 2009 02:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Walking into my work...
This entry was originally published in June 2005 but I liked it so much, I wanted to move it forward in time so it doesn't get lost as I relaunch the blog. I had asked, Cary Gott, our very talented winemaker, to jot down a few thoughts for the Vintner's Journal. Here was his first post.
------------------------------
Walking into my work...
In an interesting lifetime of making wine from lots of vineyards at many different wineries (Inglenook in 1969 was the first) I have learned to entertain myself with a few special experiences I get to enjoy as a winemaker. Some are in the vineyard and usually relate to driving tractors in the spring. Another is the design phase of a new winery when the architect in me puts a new design on paper, a cellar where I would like to make wine. There is always the opening an old bottle from my winemaking past and enjoying again the work I did many years ago. And there is one at the conclusion of a winemaking project that occurs just a few times a year...
Last week I created the blend of the Match Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. In the caves at Rombauer two different lots of Cabernet and one of Merlot were racked from barrel, blended and returned to barrel (my unique mix of mostly new French oak barrels). Eleven barrels of clone 15 Cabernet, nine barrels of the clone 7 Cabernet and three barrels of Merlot. All three, very, very nice wines and just eight months old. I always worry that a new blend might not be as expected after the work is done. Maybe something unexpected happened or it just doesn't go together as planned. Usually about a week after the blend is made I make myself go taste the wine, usually with a little fright in my mind but also there is excitement to see what I have created (especially when I'm working with wines as interesting and complex as the 04 lots from Butterdragon Hill).
I waited until the end of the day when the winery was closed. It was a rather warm day, the first day of summer. Beautiful outside, cool in the winery. I found a wine thief and a glass in the lab. Next, a zig zag walk through a room packed with barrels to the shut cave door and a fumble feel along the wall to find the light switch once inside. Lights on and the winemaking fun begins. The floors are shiny wet, everything is damp, the smells are a heavy complex mix of wood, cave walls and years of winemaking. The walk between two rows of barrels seems to be a gliding-on-water experience that does not require effort, just absorbing what is around me. Two turns into other tunnels and now here are the Match barrels that were just racked. My random selection machine is turned on and a barrel is chosen to taste. Bung out. I always amaze myself (I guess it is from doing this so many times) that I am able to to get the thief to go in the bung hole without hitting the sides since I cannot see the hole as it is hidden in the shadows of the barrels stacked above.
Half a thief-full is slightly splashed into a rather large bowl glass. One big swirl. I'm not concerned about the color, just the nose and the taste. I'm by myself with a wine I just made. Talk to me. I never had a large learned vocabulary of words to describe a wine. I have few friends I use all too often, but they work so well for my purposes. Big, rich, full, elegant, deep, stylish, long-finish, complete, nice, wow!.
After a smell and a taste (with a well executed and accurate spit, a fun talent) and then one more taste, I'm thinking this wine is better than I expected. All of those words I so often use are this wine. And now I say out loud in a rather large voice, "wow, this is great wine". I'm speaking to the cave. I'm speaking to the other barrels of the wine. I do a 360 in place and have a last taste. I am so pleased. Do I take the credit (in my mind)? No. It's the vineyard. I just finished the vineyard's work. Great wine. Thank you vineyard.
Then I do a quick tasting of the 03 Cabernet. Just as expected the nose is getting spicier, complex and the body is silky and elegant. A wine doing its thing correctly and beautifully. But I was really here to taste the new blend of 04 and give myself peace of mind on the work we just did. Touchdown ! I now have two great wines aging.
I don't remember my quick exit from the cave. Later I try to remember if I turned the lights off, I can't. What I remember is the first smell and taste of what I think will be an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. Big, rich, full, elegant, deep, stylish, long-finish, complete, nice, wow!.
2004 Match Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from Butterdragon Hill.
Cary Gott
June 23, 2005
Posted by matchvineyards at July 26, 2009 01:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 22, 2009
Iona or "Once when I felt stupid while naked"
Think Napa Valley. Think wine. Think food. You should also think "spa." Nothing refreshes the body after a strenuous day wine tasting and eating like a massage, mud bath, aroma therapy, or some other rejuvenating technique from the non-traditional healing arts. Between you and me, I just like it ‘cuz it feels good. It’s really nice that there are a lot of places in the Valley that one can get a massage with little notice. This story has to deal with one such visit.
But first, the stage must be set. One should not forget that the Napa Valley, with all its “landed gentry” feel and wine country lifestyle, is definitely located within Northern California. You’ve heard of Northern California? You know, where Berkeley is located. We won’t be getting in to politics here, but it is important for one to understand two things: a) my previous perception of someone working as a massage therapist is that they were probably not leaning really far to the right and b) I’m a talker during a massage and the last thing I want to be thought of while lying there in my birthday suit is that I’m uncool.
Anyway, one day I “assumed the position” on my stomach in a massage. The therapist came in and introduced herself as “Iona.” This didn’t phase me at all. If one gets enough massages, he runs in to many Crystals, Sunshines, Harmonies, Starrs, etc. Just par for the course here in Northern California where the name you were born with is actually just a suggestion on what you should use for the rest of your life.
“Nice to meet you, blah, blah, blah…” I drifted off into a peaceful state, but before long, my mind wandered back in to reality and I started wondering to myself, “hmmm… Iona. I wonder where that comes from.” Asking her the origin of her name would reveal me both as enlightened and cool. I expected some story – just a little flakey – about how it was Celtic for “Wise Searcher” or Wapoo for “Evening Dew.” You get the idea.
Iona, without skipping a beat, explained. “Well, I’m from the Midwest. And when I was born, my father didn’t know what to name me. He looked outside and there sat an old, rusted out International Harvester tractor. But most of the letters had rusted away. What was left was IONA.”
Posted by matchvineyards at July 22, 2009 09:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 21, 2009
Tasting: A North Berkeley classic
The last time I wrote about a restaurant, it was a relatively undiscovered new place. Judging by the crowd queuing all Tuesday evening, Lalime's in North Berkeley is still on everyone's radar. And deservedly so. The setting is a converted house in the craftsman style. We were seated in a semi-private room near the main entrance. Service for our party of 7 was friendly and speedy. Especially impressive was the waiter's knowledge of the menu. He patiently described numerous menu items and made them all sound delicious. I bet he was right. I can at least vouch for my appetizer of Deep-Fried Maryland soft shell crab with pineapple-ginger chutney ($14) and entree of Crisped duck leg with sweet corn spoonbread and poblano chile coulis ($19). Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact preparation of my dessert, but it was a raspberry mousse crepe with a coconut pistachio cookie. It was phenomenal. Order it even if you don't have room!
Wines
- 2007 Edmeades Winery Zinfandel - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (7/21/2009)
I was a bit leery when I heard a dinner companion order this wine. I wasn't familiar with it and some less expensive CA Zins can be too big and jammy for a typical meal. I was wrong. This wine was soft and balanced with pretty red fruit that while it doesn't wow, it doesn't muscle its way into the meal. >15% alcohol is fairly well hidden. Notes of new leather accompany the red plum fruit. (86 pts.) - 2008 Quivira Sauvignon Blanc Fig Tree - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (7/21/2009)
Very California style Sauv Blanc. Grassy nose but lemon taste with a touch of sweetness. Fun, but not a wine that spurs much thought. (80 pts.) - Posted from CellarTracker
Posted by matchvineyards at July 21, 2009 11:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
7/19/09 What do my clusters look like?
Baconbrook
Starting to get a bit of purple hue. Veraison (when the grapes turn from green to purple) is just around the corner.
There are a few purple berries...
Every year we have to replant a few vines.
Butterdragon Hill
A lot of leaf overgrowth brings mildew danger.
In order to reduce mildew threat, we go from this...
...to this. Leaves are thinned out to allow more airflow around clusters.
Posted by matchvineyards at July 21, 2009 03:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 20, 2009
Please do not eat at this new Oakland restaurant
I really shouldn't be telling you this since this restaurant is just a mile or two from my house, the food was awesome, and six of us were able to snag a table without a reservation on Friday night at about 8PM. I guess I know that easy access isn't going to last whether I let the cat out of the bag or not.
Commis is a fantastic new place at 3859 Piedmont Avenue in Oakland / 510-653-3902. Chef and founder, James Syhabout, after many years with David Kinch at the famous South Bay restaurant Manresa, has opened a small, very sparsely decorated, well staffed, eatery where the food does the talking.
The format is a three course Prix Fixe for $59 and folks may choose items from any section of the short menu to serve as your appetizer, main course, and dessert. Portions are adjusted accordingly. We all chose to skip the dessert section and load up on apps and entrees. There were no complaints, only raves, for all the food served to our table that night. I may be missing a dish or two, but I do remember:
Monterey Bay Sardines, lightly cured then smoked with green tomato confit in rhubarb juice, bronze fennel and pollen
Soft Farm Egg with Potato and Allums, fermented black garlic and pork jowl
Morro Bay Cod with Brandade, mussel liquor and vermouth, pardron petter
Corn Fed Chicken, Poached then Roasted in Summer Savory, crushed english peas, crepes emulsified with foie gras
Corkage is $20 for the first bottle, $30 for the second, however one corkage is waived for each bottle purchased from their short, well-thought, fairly priced list. Our choices:
NV Fracois Pinon Chenin Blanc Brut Dose Vouvray $48
2007 Domaine du Salvard Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay Cheverny $30
2004 Match Butterdragon (brought)
2006 Match Baconbrook (brought)
All the wines were excellent -- if I do say so myself -- but especially surprising was the 2006 Baconbrook. This wine will not be released until this fall and typically our Baconbrook vintages are more for the cellar than immediate consumption, however, this bottle was singing that night.
So, I guess I have spoiled this "secret" for myself and the few who have stumbled upon this place that doesn't even have an exterior sign yet. Is there any way I can discourage you from going and crowding it up? I know, and this is the honest truth: Parking is a pain in the butt and they are now reading the meters until 8PM in Oakland. Stay away from Commis!
Posted by matchvineyards at July 20, 2009 08:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 18, 2009
Tasting an aged Syrah from Napa, a Cab, and a Rioja
- 2001 Novy Family Wines Syrah Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley (6/5/2009)
I pulled this wine from the cellar with hope that it hold its own with the spicy food at Tamarindo Antojeria Mexicana (Oakland - awesome restaurant). With the exception of the grilled habaneros, anaheim chiles, and jalapenos, the wine did serve the meal fairly well. Fortunately, the very hot (EtOH) nose of this wine doesn't overwhelm once you take a drink. Grilled teriyaki steak, dark berries, anise, a bit of a medicinal note, smooth and mouth coating. Drinking at its peak. Interesting, I'm going to give this wine a score not too different from previous tasters on CT but I liked it and their TN seem to indicate otherwise. Excellent wine. 88+. The "plus" is because I'd bet the wine would be even better with a rack of lamb. (88 pts.) - 2005 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (6/2/2009)
I'm not that experienced with Rioja, but this one seemed quite pleasant a great addition to the Spanish tasting meal at Mezze Restaurant in Oakland. Cherries, wood smoke, fresh turned earth, some crushed sage leaf... not a big wine or especially complex but certainly worth the $30 off a restaurant wine list. (84 pts.) - 2001 Neal Family Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (5/27/2009)
Tight with cedar and sour blackberries. A bit austere and angular right now but should improve with 2-3 more years in the cellar. By about hour 4 in the decanter, it edges had softened a bit and the wine displayed a smokier character. (88 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Posted by matchvineyards at July 18, 2009 01:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 17, 2009
My Wine Life in Pictures
Tell your wine life story in pictures. I've started with the mosaic to the left. You can either create one and upload it directly to our Facebook Page or email it to me and I will do it for you.
Instructions:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search (http://www.flickr.com/).
b. From the pages of search results, pick an image. You may choose to be literal or rather esoteric.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images (the thumbnail image location) into Mosaic Maker. Change rows to 3 and columns to 3 (http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php).
d. Save the image to your hard drive and either upload it directly to our Facebook Page or email it to me and I will do it for you. I'll also add them to our Vintner's Journal blog.
Note: if you upload the photo to Facebook yourself, it will not be anonymous. If I do it, I will leave out all names.
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite red wine pairing?
3. What is the vintage year of the oldest bottle of wine you own?
4. Where were you when you first experienced your wine drinking epiphany? The place or situation where you realized wine was more than just a liquid to quench your thirst?
5. What is the first and/or last name of the person living or dead with whom you'd like to share a special bottle?
6. What is your favorite wine growing region?
7. What is your favorite pairing with white wine?
8. Where were you born (city, state, country, anyplace)?
9. What is your favorite wine varietal?
Posted by matchvineyards at July 17, 2009 12:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 15, 2009
De-Fleur a Maiden at Dinner
The other night we celebrated a special occasion in San Francisco at Chef Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lys. Amazingly, even after many, many years in the Bay Area, we'd never been to this famous restaurant known as one of the most romantic in The City. It is one of those restaurants that stays consistently outstanding (Chef Keller has been at the helm since 1986) and continues to thrive while trendy places come and go. The food, service, and atmosphere were impeccable. I'm not going to pretend to be a food writer since I can't do this meal justice, so I will just list our menu. I would not hesitate to recommend anything here:
Amuse bouche
Chilled Carrot & Coriander soup and Chilled Cucumber & Mint soup
First Course
Pan Seared Artisan Foie Gras with rhubarb, corn, and truffle sauce
Veal Sweetbread "Meuniere" with morel mushrooms, poached egg "purse", toasted brioche, veal jus
Second Course
Chilled Dungeness Crab Salad with shavings of young vegetables, lobster infused vinaigrette, and lobster fondant with caviar
Wild Prawns with brioche crust (unfortunately didn't get the full description of this one)
Third Course
Slow-Braised Snake River Farm Waygu Beef Cheeks with Pretzel Crust on spatzle, choucroute gratin and scented beer sauce
Oven Roasted Venison Chop with Truffled Baby Bok Choy accented with rich cocoa nib red wine reduction, Spanish chorizo, and cocoa tuile
Dessert
Chocolate Souffle
Grand Marnier Souffle
A four course menu is priced at $82 per person though there are additional surcharges on a few menu items. Corkage was $35 which is reasonable in The City at a restaurant of this caliber -- especially since they treat the wine you bring the same as if you had ordered it off their list providing proper stemware, decanting, and giving fantastic wine service. Kudos to Marcus, the manager and sommelier that evening for making our dinner special both in food and wine.
Speaking of wine, I guess I should explain the rest of the title of this post...
- 2001 Harlan Estate The Maiden - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/14/2009)
Wood smoke, sweet blackberries, molasses, cedar, toasty oak, river rock, and chargrilled meat. It was an outstanding wine after about an hour in the decanter and proved to be a great compliment to the meal. Not overpowering, it was a graceful heavyweight that stood up to the rich, big flavors of the French Alsatian meal at Chef Hubert Keller's Fleur De Lys (San Francisco). The one negative: after about 2 hours in the decanter, I did notice the fruit starting to trail off and the tannins coming across as a bit dry and dusty. It makes me wonder if the time to drink and enjoy this wine is now, not later. (91 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Posted by matchvineyards at July 15, 2009 05:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
7/17/09 Tasting at Wine on Piedmont
Just a reminder, I will be pouring our Match Vineyards 2004 Butterdragon Hill Cabernet and the soon-to-be-released 2006 Baconbrook Cabernet from 4-7PM on Friday 7/17/09 at Wine on Piedmont, 4183 Piedmont Avenue (across from the Piedmont Theatre) in Oakland, 510-595-9463. Your $5 tasting fee will be donated to the Alameda County Food Bank.
Posted by matchvineyards at July 15, 2009 10:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 14, 2009
Tasting: 2 Americans and a Frenchman walk in to a bar
- 2001 Neal Family Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (5/27/2009)
Tight with cedar and sour blackberries. A bit austere and angular right now but should improve with 2-3 more years in the cellar. By about hour 4 in the decanter, it edges had softened a bit and the wine displayed a smokier character. (88 pts.) - 1998 Château Pavie - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (5/18/2009)
Absolutely wonderful. Creme de cassis, chocolate covered cherries, mint leaf, eucalyptus, and smooth, sweet oak. Drinking very youthful, but "ready." Wine Searcher shows this wine around the country at $175 - $200. It would be worth it. (96 pts.) - 2001 Gemstone - USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville (5/2/2009)
I had forgotten that 18 months ago I had decided to hold this for 3+ years. That shows how tough it can be to make such predictions because this wine is rocking and rolling right now. It is wonderfully balanced, walking the tight rope between lush, extracted fruit while still supported by a smokey, secondary complexity. Kind of the best of both worlds: Mouth coating, but not heavy. Earthy, but not rustic. Extremely long finish with tannins fully integrated.
Gemstone is a list that I allowed myself to drop. When the wines were released, I found them cloying, but if this is how they can be at age 8, I need to rethink my decision to not buy. (95 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
Posted by matchvineyards at July 14, 2009 12:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 10, 2009
7/8/2009 What do your clusters look like?
Baconbrook Vineyard
Berries are a bit fuller than 3 weeks ago, but we're still a few weeks out from being able to make an accurate crop size estimate.
Posted by matchvineyards at July 10, 2009 12:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 09, 2009
2007 Butterdragon Hill bottled
Yesterday we bottled 584 cases of our 2007 Match Vineyards Butterdragon Hill. This was the first time we've used a mobile bottling line. There are always a few false starts on bottling day as everything gets set "just right" but I was very impressed by the mobile line crew and the Bin to Bottle staff in support. By the way, this '07 Butterdragon is going to be killer!
The whole bottling line is inside this small trailer.
Final bottling count breakdown:
1122 x 6 packs 750 ml
24 x 23 packs 375 ml
9 x 6 packs of 1.5L
4 x 3.0L
Posted by matchvineyards at July 09, 2009 01:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 06, 2009
Special Summer Offer
Order when it's Hot, Ship it when it's Cool
Take advantage of the lowest prices of the year on these small production Napa Valley wines.
Sometimes shipping weather and a winery's release season don't coincide with when you may want to buy wine, so we are offering this special deal for those of you who are sitting on piles of cash, are staring at an empty wine celler, or those who just can't wait until the mailers start arriving this fall
| 750ml | Magnum | Wine |
| $65 (reg $72) | $135 (reg $150) | 2004 Butterdragon Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Read Cellartracker.com Tasting Notes |
| $65 (reg $72) | $135 (reg $150) | 2005 Butterdragon Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Read Cellartracker.com Tasting Notes |
| $65 (reg $75) | $140 (reg $155) | 2005 Baconbrook Cabernet Sauvignon Read Cellartracker.com Tasting Notes |
| Or Mix and Match 6 to 11 x 750ml bottles and get them for $60 each | ||
| Or Mix and Match 12 or more 750ml bottles and pay just $55 each | ||
| From this total, repeat customers can still deduct their discount. If you'd like to find out your current discount level, email us. For new customers, taking advantage of this special summer offer will establish your discount status for our upcoming fall 2006 Baconbrook release. | ||
| As is our custom, we will pay for ground shipping in the fall of all magnums and orders of 6 x 750ml bottles or more. Ground shipping to everywhere in the continetal USA on orders of less than 6 bottles is $5 per bottle. We will hold your wine until cooler weather allows safe ground shipping but if you are in a hurry to receive your wines right away, we will credit you what we would pay for ground shipping and charge you our actual cost for air shipping. | ||
| The above offer expires 7/31/09. Download Order Form | ||
Share the news about our wines!
In addition to our regular Repeat Customer Discount program and the Summer Special described above, we want to thank those of you who help spread the word about our wines. If you are part of our Repeat Customer program and you recommend our wines to a new customer (or a mailing list member who has never purchased), you will receive a very special gift. All the new customer needs to do is put your name in the comments section of our order form when they order. Hint: a new customer can get in on this too. Just send in an order, thus becoming a repeat customer, and then have a friend order as well with you as the referrer. Sorry, two new customers can not refer each other. You'll just have to share the free bottle of 2006 Baconbrook. (Whoops! I told you what the gift was.)
Posted by matchvineyards at July 06, 2009 02:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
NY to out-of-state wine retailers: STAY OUT OF NY
Time and again this Court has held that, in all but the narrowest circumstances, state laws violate the Commerce Clause if they mandate 'differential treatment of in-state and out-of-state economic interests.' This rule is essential to the foundations of the Union. States may not enact laws that burden out-of-state producers or shippers simply to give a competitive advantage to in-state businesses. We have viewed with particular suspicion state statutes requiring business operations to be performed in the home state that could more efficiently be performed elsewhere. - Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
Sigh. Despite the statement above from a 2005 ruling by the US Supreme Court that states can not discriminate against out-of-state wineries and must treat them as they do their own in-state wineries, the powerful liquor/wine distributor lobby keeps trying to preserve their power to, in my opinion, the detriment of the consumer and the wine industry. A federal appeals court in NY has upheld a ruling that NY can bar out-of-state retailers from shipping wine into NY while NY retailers can ship wine.
This ruling seems, to me, to be counter to the 2005 Supreme Court decision. There are several similar cases coming up in the future in Texas and other states. Unless the Supreme Court steps in and broadens their decision and resolves the apparent conflict between the 21st ammendment (which grants states the power to regulate the sale of alcohol) and the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, we're going to keep seeing this sort of thing happening. The only way around it is to make sure that your state passes laws that are in the best interests of the wine consumer.
Based on a story from Wine Spectator online.
Posted by matchvineyards at July 06, 2009 12:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 05, 2009
Modern Wine Drinker Independence
Alder Yarrow of Vinography used the 4th of July holiday to post an excellent article declaring independence for modern wine drinkers. Everyone should read it and "sign" it. In fact, you should regularly read Vinography. It is, in my opinion, the best wine blog out there.
Posted by matchvineyards at July 05, 2009 01:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
