Cellarmistress Cracks "The Whip" and Other Delights...

Wow! I've done a lot of tasting lately and boy--am I ever ready to be able to just sit outside and enjoy a nice glass of white wine. Spring is coming, my dears, and we must be prepared! Backyard deck time is just around the corner! A couple days ago, I attended the 24th Anniversary Wine Tasting of Ingersoll Wine & Spirits--a local wine shop that puts on some really great events. I was on the hunt for some good white wines that would knock my socks off. Guess what? I found plenty of that! Here are my top three "Best In Show" whites and why you should be sampling these wines on a patio near you!

2009 Murietta's Well "The Whip" (Livermore Valley)--Move over, Conundrum! There's a new kid in town and he's taking over! A sophisticated blend of six varietals (Semillon, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Gewurztraminer and Orange Muscat), this extremely approachable quaffer is so nice! Be careful though...Before you know it, the bottle will be empty! It's extremely addictive with its white peach and butterscotch flavors! $16



2009 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier (Clarksburg)--Pine Ridge Vineyards is located high up in what I believe is one of the most beautiful locations in Napa Valley--the Stags Leap District. This blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier received a 90 point Parker score and is one of the nicest, most easy drinking white wines out there. A great value to be enjoyed over and over!
$14.



2009 Honig Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc---I was just at Honig (located in Rutherford) visiting them a little over a week ago and was in Sauvignon Blanc heaven! So much to my surprise, I was able to once again sample the bottle I brought home (which I am saving for warmer weather). This wine, made by winemaker extraordinaire Kristin Belair, is scrumptious! A melange of lime, mango and grapefruit in a beautiful hologram-style bottle worthy of display. You need to get this wine!! $16.

All of the above wines are available at fine wine shops across the United States or through direct shipping on the following websites:

www.muriettaswell.com
www.pineridgewinery.com
www.honigwine.com

Stay tuned for my "Best In Show" red wine segment later this week! Cheers!

Cellarmistress Does the Pinot Noir Summit!

As you all probably know, I attended the 9th Annual Pinot Noir Summit in San Francisco on Saturday February 26th. I blind tasted Pinot Noirs from all over, took part in a workshop and savored some really great wines during a sparkling wine tasting and the Grand Tasting of the evening. What a great event! I want to thank all the winemakers and winery representatives who were present for the Grand Tasting! Meeting you was wonderful! Thank you for sharing such spectacular wines with us! And to Barbara Drady--she is a Saint!! This remarkable woman put on one heck of a show this year and has made it her goal to make me love Pinot Noir even more than I did before she brought this event to my attention!! Thank you! Thank you!

The first thing I got to do that day was attend a workshop about the styles of Pinot Noir. There I discovered three wonderful wines and three equally wonderful winemakers who were eager to tell us all about them: Mark Goldberg, winemaker and owner of Windward Vineyard in Paso Robles, Philip Krumal, chef/winemaker/owner of Ascuncion Ridge Inn & Vineyard in Paso Robles and Kerry Damskey, consulting winemaker for TR Elliott Winery in Sonoma. Those of you who didn't attend this session missed out on some fabulosity!!! Everyone knows I love big flavors, but if I came away with anything from this event, it would be that Pinot Noir is delicate and there are so many styles--it's graceful, beautiful and something to really embrace!

The next thing I did was blind taste 32 Pinot Noirs and rank them. Here are my top 15:

15. Firesteed 2006 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $29.99 2146 cases produced

14. Coghlan Vineyard 2009 Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, $47.00 300 cases produced

13. Bianchi Winery 2007 Signature Selection Edna Ranch Pinot Noir, Edna Valley, $24.99 989 cases produced

12. CRU 2008 Appellation Series Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, $35.00 332 cases produced

11. Ampelos Cellars 2007 Lambda Ampelos Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills, $35.00 850 cases produced

10. Pacific Coast Vineyards 2007 Babcock Vineyards Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, $62.50 300 cases produced

9. Tondre 2007 Tondre Grapefield Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, $40.00 600 cases produced

8. Tarras Vineyard 2008 The Steppes Vineyard Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand, $29.99 600 cases produced

7. Mueller 2008 Emily’s Cuvee Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $44.00 800 cases produced

6. Sequana Vineyards 2008 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, $40.00 1300 cases produced

5. McIntyre vineyards 2008 Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, $36.00 390 cases produced

4. Davis Family Vineyards 2008 Horseshoe Bend Pinot Noir, Russian River, $42.00 350 cases prod.

3. SCV 2007 Balistreri Family Vineyard – Freestone View Block Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, $75.00 342 cases produced

2. Steele 2008 Bien Nacido Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, $40.00 200 cases produced

and my #1 favorite!!! Bonneau 2008 Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir, Los Carneros, $34.00 300 cases produced

Honorable Mentions: Pinot Noirs I loved that weren't in my blind tasting!

Asuncion Ridge Vineyards 2007 Barrel Select Pinot Noir, San Luis Obispo County, $54.00

Graton Ridge Cellars 2008 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, $35.00



Gioia 2008 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, $38.00

Windward Vineyard 2008 Barrel Select Gold Windward Vineyard (Estate) Pinot Noir, Paso Robles, CA, $62.00

Handley 2007 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, $30.00



Laetitia 2007 Single Vineyard Les Galets Pinot Noir, Arroyo Grande Valley, $60.00

Chamisal Vineyards 2008 Califa Pinot Noir, Edna Valley, $60.00

TR Elliott 2007 Burgonet O’Connell Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Vallley, $40.00

A great time was had by all! I strongly encourage all Pinot lovers to attend this event! 'Til next year!!!

The Jewel of Carneros

Domaine Carneros is the jewel of Carneros. I have dubbed it this because to drive up to it simply takes your breath away. It is a truly beautiful sight to behold! As you stand in front of it, the staircase leading up to it may look a bit intimidating but it is worth the climb to reach the terrace and sample the wonderful wines that await you inside.



I have visited several times and the gorgeous view and world class wines keep bringing me back. How did this spectacular palace come to be? Domaine Carneros is owned by the renowned Taittinger family of Champagne, France. The winery was founded in 1987 in the Carneros appellation south of the town of Napa--the perfect area for the cultivation of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. The cool climate and proximity to the San Pablo Bay make for the perfect scenario when it comes to making sparkling wines and amazing Pinot Noirs! To date, Domaine Carneros produces a wide variety of well-loved sparkling and still wines. Their portfolio is amazing. As a veteran of many a day of sitting on their terrace tasting sparkling and still samplers, I can’t say enough great things about the place! And its allure keeps me coming back for more!



Recently, I decided to recreate the experience at home, tasting two of their famed wines--the 2006 Estate Brut Cuvee and the 2007 Estate Pinot Noir. I’d been hanging on to the 2006 Estate Brut Cuvee for awhile, having purchased it last year. A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this sparkling wine is crisp, simple, beautiful! And if you will notice, it is one of the few American sparkling wines that actually has a vintage year on it. It was bottle aged three years before its release in 2009. And at $26 a bottle, it’s a great representation of the quality this winery offers.



The 2007 Estate Pinot Noir is their “entry-level” Pinot Noir. I received this bottle as a sample and was amazed at the complexity of this wine. Multi-layered with dark cherry, raspberry, cloves, and chocolate. Super silky, smooth finish. At $35, this wine is such a value and really delicious!



I highly recommend spending an afternoon here, sampling different wines on their terrace. It’s romantic, it’s fun, and it’s an unforgettable experience! And if you can't make it in person, Domaine Carneros wines are distributed nationwide and are also available for direct shipping through their website, domainecarneros.com.


Domaine Carneros is located at 1240 Duhig Road in the Carneros region of southern Napa. They are open daily for tastings from 10-6. They also offer tours. Do yourself a big favor: visit them! It's a wonderful addiction!!

"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.

Three Sticks and the Magic of Durell Vineyard

For the past year and a half, I’ve been a member of a tasting panel participating in a series of live events on Twitter. These events for TasteLive, offer an opportunity for wineries and winemakers to interact live with wine bloggers and share their wines with us. I have been fortunate to participate in three events for a winery named Three Sticks. This winery, based in Sonoma County, produces some phenomenal wines! For three events I particpated in, I received samples of the wines and had opportunity to interact with the Three Sticks team via live feed. I'd like to take this opportunity to share some information regarding this winery and what I learned from my experience!

Three Sticks is the brainchild of proprietor Bill Price. Having worked with such award winning wineries as Kistler, Chateau St. Jean and Kosta Browne in the past, he founded Three Sticks in 2002 with the goal to make world class wines from Durell Vineyard, a small vineyard now considered one of the best in Sonoma County. The land bisects three AVAs (American Viticultural Areas)--Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Elements from all three of these AVAs work together perfectly and in the past years, the rocky soils and cool climate have produced many award-winning wines. The wines coming out of this vineyard are pure magic! To make the wines, Bill hired a winemaker whose familiarity with this vineyard was key--Don Van Staaveren. Don brings twenty five years of experience to the table and is best known for being the mastermind behind Chateau St. Jean’s 1996 Cinq Cepages, which was Wine Spectator Magazine’s 1999 Wine of the Year! His reputation for making top notch wines is unbeatable!

Both these men lead a team (which includes winemaker and enologist, Tracey Bledsoe) dedicated to making the best wines possible. I am here to tell you, these wines are superb! You’ll be hearing a lot more from this winery in the future! They have what it takes to conquer the world!!



The 2008 Three Sticks Durell Chardonnay is wonderful! Typically, Chardonnays made from Durell Vineyard grapes are vibrant and full-bodied! This one is unbeatable! Layered and full of bright fruit with just the right amount of acidity and a long finish. It was difficult for me to put this one down and move on to the next wine during each TasteLive session! $45.

The 2007 Three Sticks Durell Pinot Noir is so rich and powerful! Huge, full-bodied, amazing flavors of dark cherry, raspberry, cinnamon spice, even a little floral quality. Very long, smooth finish. It’s tough to beat this velvety dream! I’ll have some more, thank you! $55.

Three Sticks also makes a Cabernet Sauvignon from their vineyards high up above the Sonoma Valley. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is a nice blend of the Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec). Well-structured with huge dark fruit flavors and floral components (violets come to mind) this wine will age nicely if you want to lay it down for a few years. It should retain its flavors very nicely. $65.

All of the wines above are very small production. Less than 300 cases of each were made. Isn’t it time you experienced these for yourselves?

Three Sticks wines are available for purchase in lots of 3,6 or 12 bottles by accessing their online store at threestickswines.com. They also do a limited amount of distribution and are available on restaurant wine lists in the bay area.



I’d like to thank the team at TasteLive and at Three Sticks Winery for sharing such lovely wines with me and allowing me to share the story! Hopefully some day I will be able to visit the Durell Vineyard and see all the magic firsthand! And a big thanks to photographer Michael Wright for taking such beautiful photos and allowing me permission to use them for this story! For more information about TasteLive please check out their website, tastelive.com.

"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.

Saint Laurent Winery: A Washington State Beauty

Last Summer, while traveling through Washington state for the WBCorBust contest, I had the pleasure of learning about a small, family-owned winery in eastern Washington. The winery was named Saint Laurent Winery and the wines would leave a lasting impression on me. On the second day of the contest, I visited a beautiful place called the Cave B Inn. There I met Sarah Bagdon and Emily Mrachek, two great ladies who work at Saint Laurent! Sarah is the winery's Sales Director and Emily, whose family owns the winery, is their tasting room manager. They introduced me to the wonderful world of Saint Laurent wines and I’m here to tell you, these wines are some of the best that Washington State has to offer!


The winery, located in Malaga, Washington, is so picturesque and immediately I was smitten with what I saw in the photos. The winery produces 4200 cases annually and really epitomizes a small-family winery. When I got back home, I contacted Sarah and she sent me three samples of their wines—the 2009 Riesling, 2006 Syrah and 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines, all under $30.00, are values that simply should not be missed. They have incredible flavors and I can honestly say, they are truly some of the best wines I have ever sampled. The labels on the bottles depict beautiful flowers and everything about the place and its wines evokes a vision of beauty! Their price points are unbelievable. I am so excited to have found this winery!



The 2009 Columbia Valley Riesling is a demi-sec style Riesling (meaning 2.4% residual sugar) with huge tropical and floral flavors and characteristics such as mango and honeysuckle. It was amazingly good and paired well with the spicy Thai food I was dining on. At $12.00, this wine is huge deal and my goodness--I'm really not a sweeter Riesling fan but this Riesling is just dry enough and flavorful that I didn't even notice. Outstanding!

The two reds I sampled come from vineyards located in the Wahluke Slope appellation of Washington. It's a really small strip of land in central Washington, one of the driest and warmest regions, making for intensely flavored wines. I actually got to see the region and it was beautiful--out in the middle of nowhere but really surreal!


The 2006 Wahluke Slope Syrah made me melt! It is simply wonderful! Every drop of it! It had a lush blackberry flavor with a small amount of smokiness. I wanted more more more! My jaw dropped when I saw the price--$22.00. It is worth so much more than that! This wine has helped me inch that much closer to being a Syrah-lover! I’m getting there! This wine received 91 points in Wine Spectator Magazine.


Last but not least, I sampled the 2006Wahluke Slope Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has won many accolades including a 92 point rating in Wine Spectator Magazine. And rightfully so! It has a great backbone, lots of dark berry flavor and a smooth finish. And wait til you hear the price point---$28.00!! This is why Washington state wines are such a well-kept secret! Unbelievable and wonderful! You really need to try this!

I truly hope I can visit the winery someday and see all this splendor for myself! The grounds are beautiful and scenic. It’s almost like a little piece of paradise in Washington!

Saint Laurent wines are available on their on-line store at saintlaurent.net. They also do a small amount of distribution in several states. Please visit their tasting room in Malaga, WA when they open again soon! (They are currently closed for the Winter season) They are located at 4147 Hamlin Road. To schedule a private tasting, please call ahead at 509-888-9463.

Please discover Saint Laurent Winery for yourselves! You will love them!

I want thank Sarah Bagdon and Emily Mrachek for their wonderful hospitality and friendship! See you ladies very soon hopefully!

"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.

Best Kept Secrets...

I think I may have found two of the best kept secrets in the state of California. Maybe it’s time to let the cat of the bag. Every Tuesday night, I have a ritual so to speak. Around 6 PM Pacific time, I turn on my laptop and go to this website: cellarsofsonoma.com. And for the better part of the next hour, I tune in to a great live broadcast with a bevy of wine information. To watch this broadcast does not cost a thing and I consider it one of the best learning tools out there. If you are a wine lover, wine writer, blogger or even affiliated with the wine industry, you should be watching this broadcast. The experience has proven invaluable. These guys have something really unique and special happening here. So, who are these guys and why should you be watching?


Cellars Of Sonoma is a small, neighborhood wine shop, located in downtown Santa Rosa, California in scenic Railroad Square. But it doesn’t stop there. What sets this place apart from others is the image they are projecting. They are more like a tasting room--featuring wines from various small lot wine producers that many of you have probably never heard of: Amorosa Bella, Bonneau Wines, Bradford Mountain Wines, DuNah Vineyards, Gann Family Cellars, James Family Cellars, Krutz Family Cellars, LaSirena, and TR Elliott Winery. These guys really go the distance to help promote these small producers! Owner Scott Jordan and his staff (including my friend Mike Westerberg) are very passionate and committed to their venture! They offer a wine club, public and private events, music events each week and the best part: on Tuesday nights, you too can be a part of the festivities by tuning in to the live broadcast and participate by asking questions online! It’s that simple! Each week, they feature a new guest: perhaps a winemaker, winery owner, social media phenomenon or even me… Yes, me.


On October 19th, I flew to California and guested as "Cellarmistress" on the live broadcast that evening. This is where I discovered my second best kept secret… Along with myself and my good friend Amanda Hagood, of The Traveling Grape, our special guest was Michael Gann, owner of Gann Family Cellars. I had never heard of Gann Family Cellars but I walked away from my experience knowing that I had discovered yet another great small family winery from Sonoma County! This winery makes top notch wine in many varietals (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, late harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Petite Sirah, and Syrah.) Michael had a family history rooted in the wine industry but didn’t decide to take the plunge until 2001, when he and his wife Gretchen decided to make their dream of owning a winery a reality. The grapes for their wines are sourced in Sonoma County in the Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley. I was able to sample two of their wines while I appeared on the show: the 2005 Alexander Valley Syrah and the 2005 Alexander Valley Petite Sirah. Both were beautiful, full-bodied wines.



The 2005 Alexander Valley Syrah was elegant and concentrated with cornucopia of dark fruit flavors. The finish lingered on forever. As I sat there tasting it, I dreamed of short ribs and polenta. It commanded that type of meal! The wine is available on the website at cellarsofsonoma.com for $38 a bottle. Well worth the price!



The 2005 Alexander Valley Petite Sirah was a monster! Petite Sirah is making a comeback in a big way and this one is the classic example of the excellent wines coming from Gann Family Cellars. I wanted a big, juicy steak with this wine. It had firm tannins and lots of dark fruit. The color was almost an inky blue-black and I knew it spelled trouble!! At $38, this wine is a steal!

(Later that evening, we all went next door to Jacksons for dinner and Scott brought along the Gann Family Cellars Malbec. Though the vintage year escapes me at the present time, I'm here to say that it was fabulous! You just don't find a lot of California producers making Malbec. It would be worth your while to get a bottle of it.)



For more information on Gann Family Cellars, please visit their website at ganncellars.com. It was a real pleasure meeting Michael Gann and getting to sample his wines. You really need to experience these wines for yourselves!!

If you live in the bay area, you owe it to yourselves to visit Cellars Of Sonoma! Scott Jordan, Mike Westerberg and their team are so enthusiastic, you will feel right at home and have a wonderful time. And if you don’t live in the area, tune in every Tuesday at 6 PM Pacific time on their website for a fun, educational experience! These guys put on a great show!!! It won’t be a secret for much longer! Thanks for having me as a guest! It was one of the nicest wine country experiences I've had so far!

"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.

Crazy About Folie à Deux!

Ok, maybe a little crazy... Not long ago, bestowed upon me were a set of wine samples that I easily became "a little nuts" about. Ever heard of Folie à Deux? The surprise hit me like a ton of brix. (Ha Ha--that's a joke! Must be the psychosis...LOL!) A complete surprise because I had seen these wines at the store and on my travels to Napa Valley, I had many a time traveled past the winery, bright and shiny and on the left hand side of HWY 29 as I traveled to other destinations further north. Why did I not stop there ever? Beats me. But I will sometime soon... The wines I sampled represent a wholesome value that is not often seen in these parts: great wines at a low price!

We'll start with my favorite of the three reds I received, the 2008 Napa Valley Merlot. OK, I can see the frown on everyone's faces bringing thoughts of the ever shrinking Merlot section of the wine shops and wine aisles across America! It's still happening out there! No one wants to drink Merlot! Here's the issue though--by not drinking it, the public is missing out on some terrific wines and this one is no exception! One sip and I was totally hooked and I remember thinking, "How much does this cost???" The flavors were huge and rich--ripe raspberries, chocolate and spice. Beautiful long finish. At $18, this wine is a steal and I plan to steal a lot of it!! Yum!!!

The next wine I sampled was the 2008 Amador County Zinfandel. Amador County is best known for its meaty and earthy "in your face" rich reds that are a perfect winter weather accompaniment. This one is a bit lighter than some I've sampled in the past, but the flavors are still there! Brambly blackberry and cinnamon spice with just a hint of earthiness and only 14.5% alcohol. (I'm used to the fruit-bomb style over 15.5% Zins) I loved it! And here's the best part: This one is only $18 too! Another great value!



In the land where Cabernet is king and there is more Cabernet per square mile than people, it would be tough to compete and be recognized. I don't think Folie à Deux necessarily wanted to compete with the big boys out there more than they wanted to create a nice, balanced and food friendly Napa Cab that would be easy on your pocket book. The 2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon does this. For $24, it's a wine you could serve at dinner several times a week and know you got your money's worth. Tasty dark fruits meld with smooth tannins and a smooth finish.

(I also received the 2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay which I have chosen to save until later in the year when I do a post on different Chardonnays. Currently, I am suffering from white wine palate fatigue of the worst kind so it would not be fair for me to review this wine at the present time...)

So, in a nutshell, I truly believe that Folie à Deux are a great value and that you would be a little "crazy" not to discover them for yourselves.

Folie à Deux wines are distributed nationwide as well as found at their Napa Valley tasting room. The winery is located at 7481 St. Helena Highway in Oakville. They are open daily for tasting or you can schedule an appointment via their website, http://folieadeux.com.

"You Saw It Here First"...This post was created solely for "Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk" by Grace Hoffman. Grace is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with an all-consuming passion for wine and all it encompasses.