Chance Meetings With Winemakers
I met Jeff and Stephanie Lippencott by chance at lunch in a hotel where we were staying. Jeff is a composer, responsible for music accompaniment to numerous top-rated television programs. Later, as I sat at the bar reading Rajat Parr's Secrets Of The Sommeliers, Jeff sat next to me, and asked what had me reading the book. I explained my passion for wine, my blog, and working to share the love. "I make wine!" he exclaimed.
Jeff enthusiastically described cultivating a small vineyard over the past decade in Southern California, from which he now produces Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a red blend under the One Vine Four Branches label. Stephanie recounted the depth of resources and research that have been invested in learning about winemaking. They once hired a Master Sommelier to gain entrance to and escort them through barrel rooms of the first growth chateaux of Bordeaux. Jeff is hands-on throughout the entire winemaking process of growing, harvesting, barreling, and bottling his wines, which contain only juice from his grapes. Annual yield determines whether the wines will be single varietal or blends. An early effort, the 2010 Syrah, won a gold medal in the Los Angeles Cellarmasters home winemaking competition, and a silver medal in Wine Maker Magazine's home winemakers competition. He expressed his excitement over recently receiving a shipment of new, custom-made, French Oak barrels for use with his 2015 vintage, which will be a blend appropriately entitled Maestro. While still very limited in volume, Jeff's "hobby" has grown from sharing a few bottles with friends and clients, to making sizable philanthropic gifts.
I love to meet winemakers and hear their inspiring stories, and the surprise aspect of this encounter provided an additional thrill. It was an exhilarating conversation that came about entirely by chance, even after our initial introduction. More wines available logically means there are more people making it, so remain alert to wine-minded people you run into. You never know when that person sitting nearby is a winemaker!
Quenching Your Wine Thirst - 2015
Standouts from a tasting of the current portfolio of Thirst Wine Merchants.
White Wines
- Blackbird Vineyards Arriviste Rose 2014 - A delightful dry Rose from French varietals. $16
- Sandhi Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills 2013 - Becoming a regular favorite from Rajat Parr. $34
- SCRIBE Estate Chardonnay 2013 - Grapes from the corner of Carneros, Sonoma, and Napa, with a hint of pepper. $25
- SCRIBE Chardonnay Skin-Fermented 2014 - From a different clone in the same vineyards as #3, delivering a very unexpected punch. $34
- Gramercy Cellars Viognier 2014 - A field of daisies and baby powder. $22
Red Wines
- Leonetti Cellar Merlot 2013 - A Merlot leading the way?! Very dark, thick, and smooth. $84
- Figgins Family Estate Red 2012 - Herbaceous, then very dry and balanced. $87
- Chateau Angludet Margaux 2011 - The winemaker loves Petit Verdot, and this has 12%. Dark and earthy, with a hint of sweetness to finish. $45
- Blackbird Vineyards Arise 2012 - Dirty and chewy with strong spice. $52
- Owen Roe Syrah Ex Umbris 2012 - From hot and cool climate vineyards offering balance. Smooth with some spice. $19
- Sean Minor Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 - $18
- Boroli Barolo 2010 - $45
- Shaefer Vineyards Merlot 2013 - $53
- Casa Silva Carmenere 2013 - $15
- Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco Vigneto Enrico Cialdini 2013 - Yes, Lambrusco. $18
A Visit To Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello
I visited Ridge Vineyards' Monte Bello Estate high atop the Santa Cruz Mountains during the final assemblage of their 2006 flagship wine. I recently happened upon a supply of the wine, and enjoyed recalling one of my best winery experiences.
Paul Draper - Legendary Winemaker
Anything Ridge begins with Paul Draper, the chief winemaker since 1969 and CEO since 1988. Draper is one of the most-decorated winemakers in the world, including the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine and Spirits, which he won shortly before my visit in 2007. He is an advocate for quality and transparency in winemaking, and Ridge has listed all ingredients on their labels since 2012. It was intriguing to have a conversation with Paul at ease in his element. With one of wine's greatest resumes, he remains eagerly hospitable. When setting up my visit, I copied three Ridge employees on my request email, and who do you think replied first and most-graciously? That's right, Paul Draper.
Monte Bello Assemblage
Tasting the individual components of the 2006 Monte Bello was extremely interesting, with guidance from Ridge vice president of winemaking for Monte Bello, Eric Baugher. A Santa Cruz-area native who grew up farming before earning degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology, Baugher has been with Ridge since 1994. During the tasting, he explained in depth the constantly-refined science of winemaking at Ridge. The Monte Bello is a Bordeaux-style blend is made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc grapes, all grown on the Monte Bello Estate. Draper likes to say, "Wines make themselves", and the cool, mountain-top climate and terroir undoubtedly "make" this standout wine as much as the winemakers.
Ridge Vineyards and Wine History
2006 marked the thirtieth anniversary of the famed Judgement of Paris, where the 1971 Ridge Monte Bello placed fifth. It was celebrated with a re-tasting of the same wines from the seventies, and this time around, the Monte Bello lead the way for the now dominant American wines. The 2006 version is promoted as a "direct descendant" of the winning wine. But sentimental feelings for the 2006 aside, any year is likely to impress. At the assemblage tasting I also savored a couple of glasses of the 1978. Browned at the edges, yet bright and fresh, with a fantastic(!) taste of forest floor, this library selection was still very much alive. Always concentrated and complex, Ridge Monte Bello is built to please now or for the long-haul.
Along with the excellent wine and conversation, the humility and commitment to great wine at Ridge must be appreciated. During my visit, there was not a peep of the accolades from the thirty-year anniversary of the Judgement, nor Paul Draper's James Beard Award. All talk was about the current and future wines. If you have the opportunity, take the long, winding road up the mountain to Ridge, a unique and memorable wine experience.
Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello - 17100 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014
Subtle On-Screen Wine Appearances
My wine love leads to quirky activities, like identifying wines that are somewhat hidden on-screen. There are understandably increasing numbers of films that are based on wine, like my all-timer SOMM, or serious box office bonanzas like Sideways. But what about appearances where wine was not intentionally a star? Here are just a few not-so-subtle starring roles.
Anton Ego and Cheval Blanc '47 from Ratatouille
Bogie as booze master, via BoozeMovies.com
- Casablanca - Champagne and Cognac and Brandy, oh my! What would you expect from Rick's? There are so many scenes involving wine and service, it is difficult to pick the best. But the classic is not really about the drinks. Or is it?
- The Muppet Movie - Steve Martin hilarity with assistance from bottle-capped wine from Idaho. See the conversation here, via WineIntro.com.
- Sopranos - A specific reference to the season six, episode nine wine heist of a case of Chateau Pichon-Loungueville Comtesse de Lalande 1986. If I had a case, I would happily savor a bottle as soon as possible, even if I were to gulp it down in a parking lot, like Tony. Though I would take much better care of the rest!
- Ratatouille - Esteemed food villain Anton Ego enjoys Chateau Cheval Blanc 1947, another famed Bordeaux fetching up to five figures for a bottle. And there was this.
- Mad Men - Alongside the dominance of cocktails, wine had an increasing presence throughout the series. If only it could have carried further into the seventies to encompass the initial explosion of American wine. I like this article for a dive into the historical accuracy of the Mad wine culture, and there are several more articles on GrapeFriend.com.
With dozens more to choose from, what are your favorite on-screen wine moments?
Brian McClintic, Master Sommelier And Much More
Master Sommelier. Vallin winemaker. SOMM Film Star. Les Marchands Wine Bar owner. Brian McClintic shared some of his experiences from all aspects of his busy schedule.
What was it like having a camera in your face while studying for the master sommelier exam?
I think it impacted me positively. The Master Sommelier test is very social. The tasting is with a panel. Service is obviously social. The theory test is oral. You’re walking around with so much information in your head, a lot of people become socially awkward. The film forced me to come out of my shell, to lighten up and stay loose, and be the best version of myself. I was able to stay outside myself, to not get lost in myself.
how do you drink your way through a calendar packed with wine projects?
I cry myself to sleep every night?! Really, they just flow into each other. We were already making wine, and it all happened at once after the movie in a whirlwind. It’s ironic, wine is to celebrate, it’s social. It’s not like coffee, not a shot of espresso and go about your day. With wine we take our time. My day is not like that. Imagine if your job was eating just your favorite food. Now imagine if I asked you to start eating it twice a day. And you love steak. You wouldn’t be able to do that very long, not without throwing a salad in. I’m tasting wines constantly. Your palate can only take so much. But I love what I do. I remind myself at the end of the day that it’s just wine.
What wines were difference-makers for you?
As for ah-ha wines, there was never one, but there were several stages along the way. I was working at a steakhouse, and it was all about Napa Cab. From five to five-hundred-dollars. That’s where I learned to taste the difference. But then a guest would ask about our tiny French section, and I would think, “Bordeaux, is that a grape or a section? How do you pronounce these things?” So one night I splurged. I bought an eighty-five Pomerol, and took it to a friend who would know, and it was like, “Oh!” The smells and tastes were like nothing I knew. That was my new to old world intro. At a certain point you experience Burgundy, and at first you think, “It’s thin and soft, it smells light. Why is everyone going crazy for this?” I was working at the Little Nell in Aspen, and had my first Grand Cru Burgundy. That was when I got Burgundy. After that, going back to Napa Cab...they seemed unctuous, over the top. If it were just me, ninety-percent of what I drink would be whites.
what do people need to know about santa barbara wine?
Oh, I could talk forever. So there’s the new world of wine, it’s still in it’s infancy. In the old world, monks have been making wine over the course of centuries. Santa Barbara was only planted in seventy-one, so it’s very young. All of California, really, are like infants playing in a sandbox. Just highly gifted, intelligent infants. It’s the old world we learn from and give credit to, and we’ve come far very quickly. But do we know what grows best where? No, not until we know what is best viticulturally. Santa Barbara is a geographic anomaly. San Francisco area is great, cellar temperature year-round. Santa Barbara has the coolest, longest growing season in the valley. It allows us to plant grapes that ripen, but grow over a longer period of time. But it’s branded for tourism. You say “Napa” or “Sonoma” you immediately think wine. You say “Paso Robles”, you think wine. You say “Santa Barbara”, you think palm trees, sun, beaches, and bikinis, not wine. Everyone asks, “How can we change it?” I say, “Don’t! Stay out of the spotlight while we figure it out.” Maybe Gruner Veltliner is perfect for growing, but Pinot Noir is the most marketable. Now there are progressive growers who choose to plant what’s best, not what is most marketable. There are makers who want to work with Gruner Veltliner and others like it. And there are drinkers who want to try Gruner Veltliner, that are more open than ever. I like to say Santa Barbara has unlimited potential.
On winemaking and service
Vallin was not started to be a money-maker. It was to keep four guys connected together. But once we started, we decided, “OK, we’re going to do some serious wine.” Lots of somms make wine, put juice in a bottle, put a label on it, we’re not doing that. We said, “So Syrah is not the most marketable wine. Syrah is a world-class grape, let’s get behind it.” Northern Rhone is the heart of Syrah, and we made it our focal point. We were in Burgundy, drinking Jamet Cote Rotie. Let that sink in. Vallin was on the label, we liked how it looked on the label. We researched and found it was a street name, then went further and found it was actually a surname. Vallin means valley dwellers, from people that originally settled the Rhone valley. We said, “That’s cool and simple, let’s go with it.” It’s exciting to see three years later, we sold out of the ‘twelve, and are just waiting for the ‘thirteen in the barrel to be ready to bottle.
Brian exams the well-stocked shelves at Les Marchands
Service for a sommelier is different than any other service. The court teaches specific standards of service, so that if the Queen of England asks you to do a wine service, you could deliver that. It’s very technically precise. With staff, it’s different. You take the clientele, the concept, into account. Les Marchands is not buttoned-up like formal fine dining. We’re very warm and approachable, and technically proficient. Usually it is one of these, but not both. This is without being stuffy or pretentious. We size up each guest. We tailor service to each guest, it’s all about how we meet them where they are. Michael Jordan, the sommelier not the basketball player, is a master sommelier and my mentor. He said, “It’s not how much you know, it’s how much you care.” That’s something that has stuck with me, so simple but so powerful. We guess where guests are at, and think how can we meet them there. Invariably every night there is one guest you could have done something better. And being attuned to the needs of others is something applicable to every area of life.
expect to experiment at Les Marchands wine bar & merchant, santa barbara
Most people look at our by the glass list and say, “What language is this?” But then we pour them a tasting and they’re in. We’ve found that “yeah, I’ll try it” makes up about ninety-percent of our clientele. When we originally told our investors we wanted mostly lesser-known European varietals on the list, they said, “Are you crazy?!” But these are balanced out by the local wines. There are tremendous values from strange places. Not just to be strange, but good, high-level wines. But they're not marketed, so they’re way underpriced.
What Brian described here played out in my experience at Les Marchands. Several staffers combined to accommodate my group's requests with recommendations that were right on target, and there were many unfamiliar wines available for tasting, along with attractive pricing. Wines by the glass change frequently, allowing for an ongoing educational process for those fortunate enough to be regular patrons.
Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchants
2012 Bordeaux Tasting Standouts
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux members showed off many wines from the 2012 vintage at the Museum of Flight in Santa Monica. Thanks to Wally's Wine & Spirits for hosting the event. It was a packed event, full of colorful personalities, many of whom made individual exhibitions of an unfortunate array of perfumes and colognes. I tasted my way through fifty-six wines in two hours. While many were light, even thin for their youth, and had an overriding grassiness, there were several standouts. Here are the best tasting Chateau to me, their appellation, highest En Primeur critics ratings as available, and current, still-futures (expected delivery summer, 2015) prices.
Bordeaux bargain
Clarke, Listrac-Medoc - Layers of flavors, yet smooth and approachable, and great for the price. 16-Decanter, $32
Great Whites
Malartic-Lagraviere Blanc, Pessac-Leognan - Rich and powerful fruits and acidity, stoney, with toasty edges. 91-94-Parker, $66
Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Leognan - $50
Red and ready
Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Leognan - Full and ripe, with tobacco spice and length of finish. 91-93-Parker, $90
Pape Clement, Pessac-Leognan - 92-95-Parker, $95
Lagrange, Saint-Julien - 17 Decanter, $50
Langoa-Barton, Saint-Julien - 87-90-Wine Spectator, $65
Saint Pierre, Saint-Julien - 91-93-Parker, $59
Rest of the best
Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol - $70
Lascombes, Margaux - 90-92-Parker, $73
Trotte Vielle, Saint-Emilion - 90-93-Parker, $83
Grand Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac - 89-92-Wine Spectator, $67
Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien - 90-93-Wine Spectator, $95
Santa Barbara Wines Ready To Impress
A recent wine tasting trip to Southern California yielded some unexpected favorites. After several tastings, and over a hundred wines from all around the world, the most impressive were not from Bordeaux or Napa, but from Santa Barbara County. Several exuberant wines like Domaine De La Cote Bloom's Field 2012, and Sandhi Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2012 stood out from their competition. It is easy to see why winemaker and master sommelier Brian McClintic said, "Santa Barbara has unlimited potential."
The wines tasted include 2012 Bordeaux and out of the mainstream Italians tried at large events, plus smaller producer tastings and numerous wines by the glass. Along with the wine itself, there were conversations with some of the top wine professionals and one of the foremost advocates of food trucks in the United States. I will share more about my tastings and best experiences in posts over the next few weeks.
Investing In Wine - Lessons From 1990 Bordeaux
Spring 1991, the time of Bordeaux's en primeur, or futures market, was a particularly good time to invest in potentially outstanding wine. After the multiple renowned and abundant vintages of the eighties flooded the market, the 1990 vintage was rumored to be troubled. There was the chaos of an economic downturn, and a war involving the United States, home to a large group of consumers of top Bordeaux, was in the works. These factors brought about a subtle reduction in Bordeaux futures prices, with first growths available in the fifty-dollar range. (approximately $90 today)
From Berry Bros. & Rudd, London
At the time, I was just determining that I would become a regular wine consumer, and felt an eagerness to experience some of these legendary big names. Nonetheless, the idea of spending $50 for a bottle of wine, much less a case of it, that I would not possess or taste for two years was outlandish. In hindsight, it would have been a worth waiting for. Twenty-four years later, the vintage is considered very good and still going strong. Futures prices have continued to escalate, even though many years have produced lesser rated wines. 2013 futures prices for comparison, with various economic impacts driving prices down, were still four to five times the 1990 vintage's inflation-adjusted prices, for what has been characterized as an "unexciting" vintage.
If I knew then what I know now, I might have recognized the opportunity to acquire a selection of the great names worthy of cellaring, and searched out the best of the second through fifth growth wines that were offered for much less. Maybe I would have accumulated a vast wine portfolio. Or, I could have sat my tastes and expectations at such a level of snobbery that I priced myself out of the joys of regular exploration. I am not an investor when it comes wine. Had I paid the price, I would certainly have drank all of the 1990s well before their estimated primes, and loved every drop. If you were willing to buy and wait on the 1990 Bordeaux, you would now hold a nice asset for your money.
I purchase wine with the intent to drink it relatively soon, becoming impatient with wines I have held for more than a few years. Still, I recommend remaining alert for the opportunity to taste or purchase big deal wines at what you consider to be bargain prices. If you like a wine enough, or the cost is especially tolerable, buy as much as you can afford! Perhaps you can drink now and save for someday. Whichever side of the investment conversation you may be on, the key factor is your enjoyment of the wine experiences you collect.
Wine Tasting By The Glass - Stonehorse Cafe
A restaurant with a strong wine program can provide the setting for a by the glass wine tasting, and potentially turn you onto your next go-to bottle. Recently at Stonehorse Cafe, three of us shared the following wines and observations.
Cultivar Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 - This was the unanimous favorite. Very dark and powerful, with spicy sweet finish, and requisite vanilla note. $28 (retail)
Coppo L'avvocata Barbera d'Asti 2012 - My top pick, but I'm a Barbera fan. Red fruits and a spicy effervescence. $14
Scarpetta Barbera del Monferrato 2012 - We all agreed on this for our bottle with lunch. Fruity, though darker, with earthiness. $16
Telmo Rodriguez LZ Vinedos de Lanziego Tempranillo 2011 - Jammy with smoke. Very pleasant and lengthy. Only one of us was a fan. $18
Recuerdo Malbec 2012 - Full of dark berries and currant, a little grassy. $16
Chateau La Hase Bordeaux Blend 2012 - Very mild, suffering against the bigger and fruitier opponents. It had no chance in this lineup. $14
Tasting several wines the glass can be an informative and fun social experience, and our impromptu session led us to a few bottles to seek out for the full experience. Take advantage of your dining out opportunities to experiment, and find the next big wine on your list.