A brief intro to Bonny Doon and 2009 Bonny Doon Ca’ del Solo Estate Albariño Monterey California

Who hasn’t read or taste or heard of Bonny Doon, or Randall Grahm the mad genius behind it, is in my opinion not a wine connoisseur! You didn’t? Well let me tell you how I first encountered his wines.

It happened 14 years ago, when I was a young Sommelier in London. I was working in high standards private club that had one the best wine list that I can remember seeing in a restaurant. Despite all the best names and quite a few of the best vintages from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, the wine list included some of the best wines from the US available in the Kingdom. And guess what? Bonny Doon Cigar Volant was part of it, but at the time I wasn’t acquainted at all with this wine or the man who produces it.

The wine, adorned an intriguing old world old fashion label, representing a long ovoid shape floating above a wine estate with a ray of red light descending on the house and its surrounding vineyards; hence its name of “Cigar Volant” in reference of a flying soccer story.

The wine had similar character to a Rhone wine, yet it was made in California and adorned riper fruit yet nearly identical earthy and Terroir oriented traits. The wine was first produced in 1984 and was released in 1986, a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault, it was an homage to Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines and the confirmation of Randall Grahm as an excellent winemaker, the start of a long story. And the rest is history.

Bonny Doon Vineyards, and its proprietor, Randall Grahm, need no introduction. The winery focuses on Rhone varietal blends, adhering to strict biodynamic viticultural practices since 2004.  The winery recently received Biodynamic® certification last month from Demeter for their 125 acre estate Ca’ del Solo vineyard in Soledad, Monterey County, and the winery.

This strict three-year process eliminates all chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones, fumigants and GMOs from the vineyard. Instead, traditional green vineyard practices such as composting, manuring, and the use of biodynamic preps, sprays and teas are employed to achieve a healthy level of soil and crop fertility in the growing environment.

Randall noted that, “Biodynamic growing practices are not old wives’ tales or marketing flim-flam. These practices respect and heal the vineyard and, by extension, the earth. While it may not be the only way to grow great wine, I do, in fact believe that it is the royal road to terroir.”

In 2003, Randall set a goal to make wines reflective of their specific place of origin: “We have seen quite astonishing improvements in wine quality since we began this process. Demeter’s certification of our Ca’ del Solo vineyard and its wines bring Bonny Doon closer to their long-term goal of only producing 100% estate grown biodynamic wine.”

Randall Grahm is a vitizen of the world, a champion of the strange and the heterodox, of the ugly duckling grape varietals whose very existence is threatened by the dominant Cabo- and Chardocentric paradigms.  He lives in Santa Cruz with his muse Chinshu, their daughter Amélie and his thesaurus.

He makes about 15+ different wines from various grapes and viticultural regions of California. One of his many and latest creations that I enjoyed lately is his Albarino.

Galicia, the Iberian playpen of albariño, loureiro and treixadura, could not be more different than Soledad, yet these varieties seem to be enjoying their extended siesta in the Salinas Valley. Where the Galician coast typically sees fifty inches of rainfall per year, Soledad is lucky to receive one-fifth that amount. A little fine-tuning of the viticultural practices however has been very successful.

We have found that allowing a tad more shade on these Iberian varieties somehow mimics the Iberian climate and produces grapes with thinner skins – and thus lower phenolics – preserving delicate aromatics and finesse. This wine expresses a beautifully crystalline mineral aspect, great persistence on the palate, and a bracingly crisp, grapefruit, yuzu and tangerine dream. It is the perfect aperitif and wildly successful with Asian food or shellfish, the traditional Galician accompaniment.

The vineyard in Soledad is located on the east side of the Salinas Valley at the base of Gabilan Mountain Range. The total planted area is 135 acres on a 160-acre parcel. It is the last area of cultivation one encounters moving east up the slope of the range. As such, it slopes modestly – 5-10% – particularly on the eastern third of the parcel. The majority of the land is composed of Chualar and Danville Sandy Clay Loam soil series – deep, well drained soils formed on alluvium fans of decomposed granite.

A quick look on a map might lead one to believe this area is much hotter than is actually the case. This area is regularly visited by morning fog. While the wind does have a detailed case history of rendering the locals psychotic, it would do the Mistral proud. The climate is dry-as-a-bone to boot, seeing a bare 8” of rain per year. It is all in all a fairly low-vigor site which benefits markedly from progressive viticultural practices.

Bonny Doon began farming this vineyard biodynamically in early 2004. The degree and vitality of microbial and other life has increased dramatically in the soil in the past three years. Randall hypothesizes that, as a result, there is a much more complex spectrum of bio-available compounds for much healthier root systems to access.  

2009 Bonny Doon Ca’ del Solo Estate Albariño Monterey California
Suggested retail price $15-$18
Imported / distributed by Michael Skurnik Wines

This rich Albariño, sourced from biodynamically grown grapes in the cool climate region of Monterey, is made with minimal intervention but a lot of care and attention, like all Randall wines. The nose opens with a beautiful note of honey, unfolding to reveal aromas of apricots, lemon blossoms and herbs. Clean mineral flavors on the palate give way to a plump, rich fruit in the midpalate that is balanced by bright, zippy acidity. This Albariño is a bit bit more gutsy than its Spanish couterpart, but Galicia wine lovers will definitely recognize similar attitude and structure, even if the fruit is a bit riper. Very well crafted, refreshing and racy, it will pair pleasantly with shellfish, grilled fish and Asian cuisine.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Most info and picture courtesy of https://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com and http://www.skurnikwines.com

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. "Commerce Equitable" or "Fair Trade" is evidently and more than ever a needed movement connecting producers and customers, to be aware of others and their cultural and traditional products based on high quality, natural components and craftsmanship.

2009 Qupé Marsanne Santa Ynez Valley California USA

QUPÉ

Qupé is dedicated to producing handcrafted Rhône varietals and Chardonnay from California’s Central Coast. Robert Neil Lindquist, a.k.a “Bob”, and his team employ traditional winemaking techniques to make wines, which are “varietally” correct, true to their type and speak of their vineyard sources and Terroir of origin.

Qupé goal is to make wines with impeccable balance that can be enjoyed in their youth, yet because of the good acidity from cool vineyard sites can also benefit from ageing. Bob and his team are committed to sourcing grapes from some of the best and most prestigious vineyards in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Yet, before I describe the 2009 Qupe Marsanne Santa Ynez Valley California, it will be difficult not to talk about the legendary winemaker behind the label and his very interesting journey in the wine world, which inspired him at an early age and eventually led the way, bouncing from one opportunity to another, to become one of the best winemakers and producers of California central coast.

So here is his story that I simply took and slightly shorten from the winery website at http://qupe.com/

Robert Neil “Bob” Lindquist was born in the Midwest and moved to Southern California with his family in 1964 when Bob was 11 years old. The sixties music scene quickly became a passion of Bob’s as bands like the Beatles, Beach Boys, Kinks, Byrds and Rolling Stones were electrifying the airwaves…rock and roll music still resonates with Bob and in fact the “Kinks” later became a plot device in Bob’s choice to pursue a career in winemaking.

In the early ‘70’s while Bob was in college at UC Irvine he got his first taste of good wine and he was instantly hooked. Bob started hanging out at Hi-Time Cellars, a great wine shop in Bob’s hometown of Costa Mesa, asking a lot of questions and buying whatever wines he could afford…and in 1975, at the age of 22 years old, Bob moved from “SoCal” with his young family to the North Central Coast to pursue a career in the wine business.

Bob’s first job was working the 1975 harvest at the Fortino Winery in the Hecker Pass area near Gilroy. When harvest ended he landed a job at the San Martin Winery tasting room in Gilroy where his enthusiasm and growing wine knowledge quickly got him promoted to assistant manager. San Martin was a dynamic and important player in the growing Central Coast wine business.

When an opportunity to manage a new tasting room in Ventura County came along in 1976, Bob jumped on it. This lead to Bob’s discovery of the potential for wine in neighboring Santa Barbara County, and from his first visits to Firestone Vineyards, Santa Ynez Valley Winery, Rancho Sisquoc and Sanford & Benedict this is where he was destined to be.

On January 1st, 1979, Bob moved to Santa Ynez to manage a retail wine shop in the little town of Los Olivos. This shop was way ahead of its time, and was owned by the son of the owner of Zaca Mesa Winery. Fate intervened (the Kinks) and in September 1979 Bob went to work at Zaca Mesa as their first tour guide just in time for the upcoming harvest. Zaca Mesa didn’t get many tourists in those early days so most of Bob’s time was spent working in the cellar learning to make wine under the tutelage of assistant winemaker Jim Clendenen, who would become Bob’s winemaking mentor.

Zaca Mesa was fertile ground for learning about winemaking in this up and coming region. In 1982, while still working at Zaca Mesa, Bob started Qupé by buying barrels and grapes and traded his time to use Zaca Mesa’s facility. In that first vintage he made 900 cases of chardonnay, syrah and a dry rosé of pinot noir.

After the 1983 harvest Bob left Zaca Mesa and went off on his own, continuing to rent space in other wineries to make the Qupé wines. As the winery’s production grew, Bob decided to focus on Syrah and other varietals of the Rhone, while continuing to make chardonnay, which always helped pay the bills.

In 1989 Bob joined with his old friend Jim Clendenen (who had started his own winery, Au Bon Climat, in 1982) to build a winery facility of their own under a lease agreement with the Bien Nacido Vineyard. The wines continue to be produced in this same facility to this day.

Bob is also a partner in Verdad, a winery dedicated to Spanish varieties produced by his wife, Louisa. In 2002 Bob and Louisa purchased an 80 acre ranch in the Edna Valley near San Luis Obispo, and the following year they moved to SLO with their then 2 year old son Theo. In 2005 they planted 40 acres at what is now called the Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, where they are starting the next chapter of their life.

In short, Bob Lindquist had an amazing “parcours” and is now a recognized and consulted winemaker, who transmitted his passion for wine and winemaking to most members of his family. Bob’s two oldest sons, Ethan and Luke Lindquist, are also winemakers and spent plenty of time around the ABC/Qupé winery. Daughter Paige runs the Qupé tasting room and wine club.


2009 Qupé Marsanne Santa Ynez Valley California USA
Suggested retail price $15-$18
Distributed by Verity Wine Partners in NYC

2009 Qupe Marsanne Santa Ynez Valley is a blend of 85% Marsanne and 15% Roussanne, including 70% Marsanne from Ibarra-Young, 15% Marsanne from Purisima Mountain and 15% Roussanne from Bien Nacido Vineyards. The Marsanne lots were barrel fermented and aged in neutral barrels, while the Roussanne was fermented and aged in one year old Francois Freres French oak barrels.

The Marsanne lots were picked at the low end of ripeness, 21.2° for the Ibarra-Young and 22.2° for the Purisima, while they still have great acidity and fresh, balanced alcohol levels. The Roussanne holds its acidity better and was picked at riper sugars, 24.4°, which adds richness and complexity to the blend. 848 cases of 750ml and 98 cases of half bottles were bottled in June 2010.

The resulting 2009 Qupé Marsanne Santa Ynez Valley is a classic example of Marsanne from cooler climate in central coast. Yet it is far from the Marsanne wines of the Rhone Valley, which are fatter and denser. This Marsanne has more refreshing acidity, crispiness and balance, and seems less viscous than its Rhone counterpart. Even the color seems paler. The nose exhibits aromas of white core fruit like white peach, but also citrus and fresh almond, with flinty mineral notes. The palate is rich and complex, and lively and racy, with a lengthy zesty finish, rather than being flat and dull like it happens too often with white Rhone when not properly handle and care after, more especially if inexpensive.

Like Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne are difficult grape varieties to work with and the result may sometime be unsatisfying, if not crafted with enough acidity and balance of all components. I must say that Bob isn’t like at his first vintage, and his experience is greatly reflected in his wines, especially this one (and his Syrah, which is for me always a standard of quality).

Although ready to drink now, this Marsanne blend offers texture, structure, balance and great acidity, which should allow it to age nicely for the next 2-3 years, and more (but you know me, I hate speculating about how long a wine will last in the bottle, because there are too many factors that come to play in the life of a wine to really be certain and advance big numbers: how it was stored, oscillating temperatures, etc…).

However, in my opinion, better drink it now than latter to enjoy the full characteristic of the flavors, which encompasses vibrant nuances of peach pit, citrus and green hazelnuts and honey in the lingering finish. Serve it as an aperitif with hors d’oeuvres, but also with fish and white meat dishes.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Most info taken and partly edited from the winery website at http://qupe.com/

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. Also support 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. "Commerce Equitable" or "Fair Trade" is evidently and more than ever a needed movement connecting producers and customers, to be aware of others and their cultural and traditional products based on high quality, natural components and craftsmanship.

2008 Parker Station Pinot Noir Santa Maria Santa Barbara California USA

Fess Parker Santa Barbara California

Fess Parker? The name rings the bell? No? May be you’re too young or may be you don’t know your American classics.


In memory of him, because he was once, as Walt Disney's Davy Crockett, one of my heroes, when I was really young watching this old American classic on the French TV, I couldn't resist writing a little post.

Here is to refresh your memory: Late Fess Parker (1924-2010), who just recently passed away, was an actor who was cast, in the mid-fifties, for the role of "Davy Crockett" (King of the Wild Frontier, Walt Disney, 1955). It was one of his most inspiring roles, which deeply influenced his life and many fans and generations in the same time all around the world.

But what the fact that he was an actor has to do with wine, will you tell me? Well, Fess Parker was an entrepreneur and during his acting period bought a 714 acres plot of land in the Santa Ynez Valley where he could watch his little family grow and started a different career as hoteliers on his own Domaine.

Realizing the potential of Santa Barbara County as a premium grape-growing region, Fess and his son, Eli, originally set out in 1989 to plant a small vineyard and sell fruit to local producers. The Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard now farms almost 700 acres on four vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County.

Working as a family has always been a great source of pride and pleasure for the Parker family. Eli Parker began in the family business as assistant winemaker in 1989. After several years of learning the craft at the side of renowned and accomplished winemakers, Eli took the reigns as winemaker himself with the 1995 vintage. A leader of the winery since its inception, it was in 1996 that Eli formally assumed the title and responsibilities of President. In the early 1990’s, Ashley ran the first tastings out of the barrel room and represented the winery at trade shows. In 1998, Ashley became Eli’s partner, working on the public relations and sales and marketing teams. The presence of Fess and his wife Marcy as the founding visionaries of the winery is a vital and enduring one.

After years of commitments, hours of passion and hard work, the Fess Parker winery is proud to produce a wide range of different high quality wines made with grapes like Chardonnay, Viognier and Riesling for the whites; and Pinot Noir and Syrah for the reds. And I invite you to visit the winery’s website to discover their selection at www.fessparker.com

Our wine of the day, although not listed on their website, is a side project of Fess Parker winery, called "Parker Station".

Parker Station was created to offer you a high quality Pinot Noir at an affordable price, especially compared to other Pinot Noir produced in this area. The back label describes this wine in one very appropriated sentence, especially for a Californian Pinot noir wine: “The best Pinot Noir you afford to drink daily.” Intrigued, I refreshed my memories a few days ago, during a tasting at the store and was pleasantly surprised.



2008 Parker Station Pinot Noir Santa Maria Santa Barbara California USA
Suggested retail price $11-$14
Distributed by Verity Wines in NYC

Unlike many budget Pinots from California in general (there are always exception, granted! But so few overall…), Parker Station offers ample varietally correct fruit and attractive features at a reasonable price, especially for a wine made from grapes sourced in different locations.

The grapes were partly sourced from Santa Barbara and Monterey counties; and about a 1/3 of the resulting wine was aged in French oak for about 6-9 months.

The 2008 Parker Station has a medium ruby-garnet color and expresses attractive, slightly spicy, ripe yet fresh red cherry fruit on the nose. The palate is light, clean, fairly crisp yet soft and balanced, offering well-rounded and delicious flavors of red cherry and strawberry, which persist through the mid-palate and the refreshing fruity finish.

Overall, gentle, easy going and medium-bodied with a juicy finish full of the same lingering red fruit, this versatile Pinot Noir is somewhat a touch reminiscent of certain European style Pinots rather than Californian due to its lighter, ripe yet harmonious structure enhanced by good acidity. Although, don’t get me wrong, the freshly crushed omnipresent riper red fruit profile with less earthiness denotes more of a new world, warmer climate style. Surprisingly enjoyable and approachable at this price, especially compared to the ocean of other Californian Pinots that are usually for this quality much more expensive. Drink it your way with or without food.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info above partly taken and edited from the winery website at www.fessparker.com

Step into the Green! Drink more Biodynamic, Biologique and Organic wines (and spirits and food) from sustainable culture and respect the environment! Support the right causes for the Planet and all the people suffering all around the globe! Also follow projects and products from the Fair Trade, an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability.

2002 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Rutherford California

2002 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Rutherford California

Once again, searching for a fortunately forgotten bottle amongst my precious bottles that I normally keep for special occasions, I found a wooden box, a untouched "coffret", containing 3 bottles of Sequoia Grove from the 2002 vintage: 1 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 Chardonnay and 1 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve; that was offered to me 3 or 4 years ago.

Sequoia Grove vineyards was founded in 1978 by Jim Allen, whose love for European wines inspired him to look for the perfect place, leading him to the Napa Valley.

Surrounded by its purple hued mountains, Sequoia Grove Winery sits on 22 acres right in the heart of the valley floor in an important region referred to as the Rutherford Bench. Here the alluvial soil, rich in minerals, combined with the fog from the bay, mingling with the warm inland temperatures create the ideal location to produce their award winning Cabernet Sauvignon.

Michael Trujillo, their Director of Winemaking and President, has been with Sequoia Grove since its beginnings joining the team in 1982. Winemaker Molly Hill overseeing daily operations and quality control. Together Michael and Molly share the same passion for excellence, and have forged great relationships to acquire the best Napa Valley fruit available. These Bordeaux-style wines show varietal expression, structure and balance with a true sense of place; a fresh approach yielding modern-day liquid treasures.

Sequoia Grove wines are made with 100% Napa Valley fruit from the original Estate vineyard and the newly acquired Tonella Estate Vineyard in Rutherford, as well as from premier Napa Valley Growers throughout Napa County.

So after reading a bit of info on the winery website, I "googled" 2002 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, and found the following notes (taken from the fact sheet):

“This wine has twice the horsepower of any previous Napa Valley Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon; it’s twice as bold and rich with twice the concentration. At the last minute, I blended in 4%-5% Merlot – I’m out to make the best wine possible, not to be boxed in by the idea of a 100% varietal wine. This wine reveals the most dramatic improvement of all the wines we make, and I’m confident there isn’t another Rutherford- based wine of this quality for this price.” - Michael Trujillo

The Fruit: Ideal harvest conditions in 2002 produced grapes with full maturity and intense flavors. The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from estate-grown grapes as well as neighboring growers Gary Morisoli, Bill Collins, Beckstoffer, Traina, Garvey and others all within the Rutherford, Oakville and Napa Districts of the Napa Valley (60% Rutherford, 30% Oakville, 10% Napa).
Vinification: All fruit is hand-sorted and crushed to the fermenter where each individual wine is to be fermented. After a gentle pressing, the wines are transferred to 100% American oak barrels – 40% of which is new – where the wines undergo and finish secondary malolactic fermentation. Finally, the wines are blended and further aged in barrels for a minimum of 22 months prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes: Generous aromas of currants and blackberries are offset by impressions of black olive, clove and spice. On the palate, rich, full flavors of ripe dark fruits, black cherries and dark chocolate are supported by fresh acidity and a restrained, elegant tannic structure. With a velvety finish, it is approachable now and will only improve with more time.

I thought: "He, it has been a long time since I wrote something on a Californian wine; let's open it and see how this "twice the horsepower" Sequoia Grove 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon has evolved in the bottle.




2002 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Rutherford California
Suggested retail price $27-$30

As soon as I opened the slightly-dry-at-the-top cork (strange because these bottles have been laying down for quite some time in their box...), "volutes" of liquorice, old prune scents with a slightly musty touch, evolved in the environing air. I let it breathe for a little while. In the glass, its color is quite deep and intense, red garnet with dark orange-brick reflects in the rime. It also seems to have quite a few sediments (no filtration? bad storage?...). I even put it close to the light to witness minuscule rounded floating red sediments, almost like if the wine was pigmented with multiple red dots swimming around.

After a few minutes in the glass, the same profound and expressive old prune, dark wild berries, liquorice, forest floor, cider wood (or sequoia in this case may be), spicy, earthy aromas came out warmly from the glass with a slight touch of alcohol. To use a metaphor, it was almost like walking in the red wood forest by a warm Indian fall afternoon, breathing the different scent intermingled with dark fruit, earth, mushroom and almost smoky notes in the air.

Boosting 14.2% of alcohol, this wine attack is clean and inviting yet ultra-ripe, creamy and woody with very dark, jammy fruit, earth and spice. The mid-palate is really generous, fairly balanced at first and expanding nicely for the first half, with even more ripe dark fruit, almost scorched fruit, dark chocolate (Michael was right on this one too), more earth, spice and toasted oak. The second half that leads toward the finish is somewhat less attractive, slightly rough and a bit angular, fortunately the acidity is persistent and balances it, although at some point the wine seems to have a down curve before the finish. Despite the gorgeous and lingering ripe dark fruit and chocolate flavors, the woody finish possesses some dry tannins with some alcohol, which brings, (IMO), some bitterness (or even sourness if you ask my wife) in the back palate. The tannins seems quite young still and may need a few more years to integrate. One thing is sure, this wine still has some good ageing potential due to its tannins.

Overall, the wine is not bad, very ripe, fairly juicy and fairly balanced, but not as harmonious or integrated as I thought it will be after a few years in the bottle. It is a big fruit bomb, with a lot of chocolate, toasted oak and alcohol, fortunately with some decent acidity to lighten and balance it and somewhat round some of the angles.

Although I buy some of these wines for my customers at the store and I still appreciate some of the featuring aromas and flavors in this one, it is not necessary my style, no offense to the winemaker or the winery, but the alcohol in the finish is a bit of a put-off for me.

You see when I taste them and sometime, if rarely, buy them, I must comprehend and appreciate them for what they are but I don't enjoy them for myself, that is one of the dilemma of a wine-buyer like me (because even if I need to be open minded to any wines and any styles to offer a wide array of wines from all around the world to my customers, from the driest, earthiest, leanest and acidic to the ripest, woodiest, more alcoholic juice out there; I still prefer my wine to be more harmonious, balanced, fresher and juicier with more minerality, integrated tannins and less alcohol).

Big Cabernet lovers should enjoy this wine very much. I'll suggest to open it at least an hour before you drink it, because it seems to round up and get slightly more open and easy to drink after now about 30 minutes of opening. It will need something substantial like a grilled steak.

Don't get me wrong, If I was living in Napa Valley, enjoying the warm weather sitting outside with a glass of this wine, breathing the fumes of a juicy steak or burger grilling next to me with a few friends and family around, I'm sure that it will change my point of view and my way of drinking this wine.

May be, I'm too impatient and should let it breathe a little longer, or may be, I'm not used to this type of wine anymore. The Rioja, Ribera del Duero and some Bordeaux wines that I drink from time to time, may have this type of body and strength, or even the alcohol, but I need to admit that too much ripeness and heaviness in the glass get me tired very quickly and I can't enjoy the wine as much as I would love to.

Moreover, as a good wine lover, I like to finish my bottle and try different wines within the same meal, any wine above 14-14.5% of alcohol will get me on my knees quick and make me sleepy, but any wine below 14% will surely enhance my mood and my meal and my conversation, and I will have no problem to sip it and appreciate it and of course finish the bottle.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info taken from the winery website at www.sequoiagrove.com and from a fact sheet at http://www.sequoiagrove.com/sequoiagrove/servlet/streamfile%3Ffile_record_id%3D1006&ei=MXIdS53BC9WZlAesu9HyCQ&sa=X&oi=nshc&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=2&ved=0CA8QzgQoAQ&usg=AFQjCNHmrSHHuKuvkrJ_M3O8r-cOitU7dQ

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2006 J.Wilkes Pinot Blanc Bien Nacido Vineyards Santa Barbara California USA

2006 J.Wilkes Pinot Blanc Bien Nacido Vineyards Santa Barbara California USA
Suggested retail price (unclear depending of the retail) $31-$34
Distributed by Rad Grapes in NYC

Bien Nacido Vineyards is a cool-climate vineyard on the central coast of California, in Santa Barbara. Located midway up the Santa Maria Valley, it is known for growing Burgundian and Rhone grape varieties, like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Syrah and Merlot. Since the mid-90s, other grapes such as Pinot Gris, Barbera, Roussanne, Nebbiolo and Viognier have been planted. Bien Nacido is also known to be one of California's viticultural nurseries, specializing in growing certified budwood and clones for wineries.

J.Wilkes sources is Pinot Blanc grapes from the Bien Nacido vineyards, block D. This wine is made with 100% Pinot Blanc planted on well drained, sandy loam soils. The wine is made in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fruit quality and flavors, and aged on its lees for 6 months in tanks to add volume, complexity and texture, before last filtration and bottling.

Pale, bright, yellow color in the glass, this Pinot Blanc offers a clean, fresh and mineral nose with white blossom, citrus and white fruit aromas. Great juicy attack with lovely acidity and fruit, almost Alsatian in style, yet with riper, more tropical fruit. Really balanced and well rounded, almost creamy with good acidity. Overall, nice, clean, easy drinking. Lovely.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

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2006 Stonehedge Merlot California USA

2006 Stonehedge Merlot California USA
Suggested retail price: $9 - $12
Imported & distributed by Nestor Imports in NYC

2006 Stonehedge Merlot California is a blend of 89.3% Merlot and 10.7% of Syrah and Sangiovese. It somewhat brings to your palate the roundness of a good, ripe Merlot from California with a spicy Rhone edge add by the Syrah and the freshness of the Sangiovese. The resulting wine is clean, rounded, nicely balanced and uncomplicated.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

For more info go to their website at: www.stonehedgewinery.com