Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Peju Province Winery Revisited


Peju is one of Napa's loveliest wineries, and I have been their many time.  My last visit to was 3/28/10 so I thought it was time for a revisit. During my last visit they mentioned having a fairly new winemaker.  I seem to recall some of her wines were just then being released. This would be Sara Fowler, who joined them in 2006.  Peju is located on Highway 29 between Oakville and Rutherford and was founded by Tony and Huerta Peju in 1982.  Their two daughters are no also actively involved.  Peju expanded from 30 acres in 1982 to 380 acres in 2009. The two main vineyards are Rutherford H.B. Vineyard and Persephone Vineyard in Pope Valley


Winery building

Peju is open to the public without appointments.  Because of its location and popularity it can be very busy during the summer, especially on weekends.  Even when visited during this peak time, however, Peju is still very accommodating and efficient because they have a number of tasting bars and can bring visitors through for tastings in small groups.

Front entrance

In addition to the famous rather surrealistically pruned sycamores that  line the lane to the winery, Peju is well known for its lovely architecture, beautiful gardens and grounds with art work and fountains, and an interesting changing art exhibit on the second floor.  Every three months the art work changes and features three to four new artists. 

Garden

Tom, our host, was exceptionally pleasant and helpful.  During the many times I've visited Peju, staff have always been very welcoming and friendly.  There is a $20 tasting fee but it is very generously waived with a $35 wine purchase.  Peju is also in the Napa Neighbor Program, so discounts are available to persons with a local ID.

Our tasting began with the Peju 2011 Sauvignon Blanc ($22).  This one a Gold Medal in 2012 at the Riverside International Competition.  After some lemon on the nose I got some intense but balanced fruit on the palate, mostly grapefruit and melon and then a decent finish.  It has good acid and is fairly dry but seemed somewhat green.  This is not one of your light, sweetish, insipid Sauvignon Blancs, however. 

Tasting bar


The Peju 2009 Zinfandel was next at $30.  This is 82% Zinfandel, 16% Cabernet sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot and is aged in American oak. This had an amazing nose of cherry with a hint of spruce.  Although we recently attended the Zinfandel Festival where I tasted around 50 Zins, I do not recall any that had this much aroma.  It had red fruit on the palate with some delicious black pepper and a long finish.  I bought a bottle to try at home and found it very pleasant.

Another tasting bar


Up next was the Peju 2008 Merlot at $35.  After a light nose, this had more substance and structure than some Merlots but was still easy on the palate.  I got mostly red cherry with some chocolate, fairly dry for a Merlot, with good well integrated tannins and a fairly long finish of dark chocolate and cherry.  It is a pleasant, easy to drink Merlot that has more going on than many Merlots. It should pair well with food. If you like Cabs you will probably like it.  I bought a bottle to share with some friends.  Of the regular tastings I liked this one the best followed by the Syrah.

Gift shop


This was followed by the Peju 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon at $50.  I got a black cherry and cigar box nose followed by mostly well-balanced red cherry on the palate and a medium length finish.  This is still young.

The Peju 2009 Syrah at $32 came after this. It had a light aroma and was fruit forward but not jammy on the palate with good integrated tannins and some pleasant pepper, followed by a soft finish. Nice for the price and we purchased some.

Gift shop


We were also offered two tastings that were not on the regular tasting line up and both of these were in another league. I really loved the Peju 2002 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon at $150.  After some cherry, spice and cigar box on the nose, I encountered one of the silkiest Cabs I've had in recent years.  Although it is supple and smooth, I think "silky" is the most accurate term.  It is beautifully balanced with blackberry and cherry and soft tannins followed by a very long finish.  I would need to spend more time with this wine to determine the level of complexity it offers.  Although it was over ten years old, it still had good fruit.  I think it is at its optimum age-wise.

Tasting room

Last time we visited three years ago, my favorite Peju wine was a Cabernet Franc.  It was not on their regular tasting menu and I do not recall the year, but I remember it being exceptional.  It might very well have been the Peju 2006 Reserve Cabernet Franc ($115) that we tasted at this visit.  This is an amazing wine and one of the finest Cabernet Francs I've had in recent years.  It is 84% Cabernet Franc and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is deep purple in color with some plum and vanilla on the nose. On the palate it is very complex with cherry, herbaceousness, pepper, forest floor and layers of interesting flavors.  It is full bodied but pretty dry, with great structure and balance. As with most really exceptional wines, it has a long finish.  This is Cab Franc at its best and a real credit to Peju.  I'd rate it a 94.

Art work


Peju is a winery you will not want to miss.  Their wines are quite good for the price and their 2006 Cabernet Franc is among the finest in Napa Valley. Peju is so lovely both inside and out, that even those who don't drink wine should enjoy a visit.  Whether you like art, architecture, gardens, sculpture or nature, you will find much to view and many photo opportunities.  Below are some additional photos.

8466 St. Helena Hwy.
Rutherford, CA 94573
800-446-7358
Date of visit: February 26, 2013

















Friday, February 22, 2013

PS I Love You Seventh Annual Dark and Delicious Petite Sirah Event

Are you looking for a fun event with plenty of delicious food and interesting wine? We attended the PS I Love You Seventh Annual "Dark and Delicious Petite Sirah" wine and food event on February 22, 2013 in Alameda, California.  "PS I Love You" is the name of the organization that sponsored the event with  P.S. being the abbreviation for the wine varietal Petite Sirah. PS I Love You

PS I Love You was founded in 2002 by Christine Wells-Groff, Dan Berger and Jo Diaz while they were planning the First Annual Petite Sirah Symposium which was held at Foppiano Vineyards. Foppiano Vineyards bought the domain name and Rosenblum Cellars made initial payments to the Webmaster.

Geodesic dome with other tasting room on right


Thanks to  Jo Diaz for inviting us and providing VIP tickets as part of the media.  This allowed us to arrive an hour early for a tour of Rock Wall Winery next to where the event was being held.  The tour was conducted by Shauna Rosenblum the winemaker of Rockwall Wines.  Her family sold Rosenblum Cellars in 2008 and started Rock Wall Wine Company in Alameda. Shauna is listed in Women Winemakers of California. Shauna Rosenblum

Inside one of the Rock Wall tasting rooms

The tour was conducted with so much enthusiasm and passion that I kept wondering where Shauna got all of her energy.  Then I realized that she really loves being winemaker as much as she loves the winery. It was the first winery I ever visited that was in an airplane locker with an additional tasting "room" in a geodesic dome.  I can't even remember ever being in a certified authentic geodesic dome, although I did read much about them back in the 1960's when they were referred to as "Bucky Domes", because they were designed by Buckminster Fuller.  Sort of modern Fung Shway influenced buildings with an ecological slant.  I like them, although I'm not sure I would want to live in one.  But for tasting wine it was great.  Rock Wall Wines had some very good wines and we did not just get to taste their Petite Sirahs but one of their sparkling wine as well. Rock Wall Winery

Linda Vista Winery owner Charles Melver introduced Petite Sirah to Californiain 1884. The Petite Sirah varietal was originally known in France as Durif, although the Petite Sirah grown in the U.S. was not identified genetically as such until 2003.  It is a cross between Syrah and Peloursin.  The varietal is hardly known in France anymore but has become something of an all American wine similar to Zinfandel, even though neither originated in the U.S. 

Relaxed and friendly


My first introduction to Petite Sirahs was in  1974 when I went to a blind tasting of PS with friends.  It was the first time I ever tasted one and I was hooked.  They were big, bold, tannic wines, usually very dry, with pepper and substance.  I had found an alternative to Cabernets. I remember Ridge and Stags' Leap Winery making very good ones and, of course, Concannon.  My first visit to Ridge and Concannon was in 1975.  I've had a lot of PS over the past 40 years and am very fond of the varietal, even though I know it has some limitations.  It is often blended with other varietals but, like Cabs, the PS can handle that and often excels in blends, although I'm fine with it at 100%. This is a varietal I dearly love.

PS I Love You hanging sign.

One major advantage to these festivals is that you can taste wines from wineries that are not open to the public, small wineries with very limited production and distribution. I decided to focus initially on those few wineries that my research indicated would be especially interesting. I saved the better known wineries such as Robert Biale, Ridge and Concannon for the end.  I was disappointed that Kent Rasmussen did not attend with his Esoterica Petite Syrah, the 2007 being my favorite with his 2009 also being lovely.  Kent is making some of the finest and most interesting PS I've had recently.  Of recent vintages I also loved Gustavo Thrace's 2006 PS.  I was also disappointed not to see Stags' Leap Winery, who participated in this even last year and whose Petite Sirah I've been drinking and appreciating since the early 1980s.

Wine auction

I had eaten just prior to the festival so did not sample much of the food. I had my usual spit cup in one hand, wine glass in the other and notebook in my underarm. Instead of trying to juggle these to take detailed tasting notes or simply giving 100 point scale ratings to all of the wines, I decided to spend more time focusing on and learning about small wineries with which I was unfamiliar.  As usual I prepared a plan of attack by making a list of the wineries I did not want to miss. After visiting each winery on my check off list, I tasted other wines until the crowds were becoming thicker and the music seemed to be getting too loud.  We arrived there at 5 and the event was from 6 to 9, but we left by 8 to head back to Napa. Anyhow, while we were there, I felt like I was panning for gold, and I did find some gold nuggets.


Hardly any crowd at the beginning
 

My favorite Petite Sirah of the tasting was the Trueheart Vineyard 2010 Petite Sirah ($35) from Sonoma Valley. Only 324 cases were produced by winemaker Alex Beloz. Very deep, dark purple in color, this was incredibly well-balanced, with ripe blackberry, along with very nice PS pepper, a great mouth-feel and an intense but not overly extracted presentation.  It had great structure with well integrated tannins and eschewed the fruitier, sweeter presentation that is found in some Petite Sirahs these days.  It was so good I couldn't bear to spit it out and swallowed.  This is one of the very finest Petite Sirahs I've had in recent years and the sort of Petite Sirah that makes the varietal so dear to me. I plan to order some of this and take careful notes. Trueheart Vineyard
 
My second favorite Petite Sirah was the Aver Family Vineyards 2009 Petite Sirah Blessings ($49).  I even returned at the end as we were leaving because I wanted to taste more without having to spit.  It was the only Petite Syrah beside Trueheart that I plan to purchase and explore in more detail.  Aver Family Vineyard

I also really liked the Robert Biale 2010 Petite Sirah Like Father Like Son, a Syrah and Petite Sirah blend and the Robert Biale 2009 Thomann Station Petite Sirah.  I thought the Shadowbrook 2010 Double Trouble was very good, especially at only $25.  It is 65% Petite Sirah and 35% Petite Verdot with only 96 cases having been made.  And I enjoyed the Shadowbrook 2010 Petite Sirah Pre-release ($38). Rock Wall Winery also had some very good Petite Sirahs.  Although I am usually very fond of Ridge Petite Sirahs, I was less impressed than usual with their offerings this year.

San Francisco skyline as seen from the parking lot.

The Dark & Delicious Petite Sirah event is far smaller than ZAP or the Zinfandel Festival and has a much wider variety of food.  There was no waiting at all for the food and with most of the wineries (up until the last hour) you could simply walk right up and ask for a pour without having to push through a crowd. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and I saw many smiling faces. There was plenty of parking and Google provided very good directions. The main reason for attending for me was to sample wines from small, limited production wineries that are not open to the public. But most people seemed to be attending simply to have a good time and it appeared they were doing so. I highly encourage you to check this event out when it comes around again next year. 





Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Raymond Vineyards

Raymond Vineyards was established by Roy Raymond in 1970, and its first crush was in 1974. Kirin Brewery bought a controlling interest in the winery in 1989, but the winery was subsequently purchased by Jean-Charles Boisset in 2009 who completely remade the winery, adding a two acre educational exhibit about organic and biodynamic farming called Theater of Nature, an extravagant red velvet lined room called The Red Room, another room called The Crystal Cellar with a Baccarat crystal chandelier and a winery for dogs called Frenchie Winery.  (Honoring French bulldogs.)  Although many Napa County wineries are now fairly dog friendly, M. Boisset takes this to a higher level, encouraging visitors to bring their dog for a walk through the Theater of Nature to Frenchie Winery where their dog may wait while the owner is inside tasting.  (See description and photos below.)





Raymond entry sign
M. Boisset received the Wine Star Award for Innovator of the year in 2009 and Raymond Winery was chosen as the American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2012.  Numerous Raymond wines have recently scored 90 plus, with two of their 2008 Cabs scoring 94 points by Wine Enthusiast.  In addition to the 90 acre estate at the winery, Raymond Winery owns vineyards in Jameson Canyon and just north of the winery in St. Helena, totaling 300 acres.  M. Boisset also owns De Loach Vineyards and Buena Vista, both in Sonoma County.

Garrett assisting us in the Crystal Cellar
Much thanks to Garrett for hosting us during two of our visits and being so informative and helpful. Staff members at the winery all seemed very friendly, unpretentious, enthusiastic and hospitable.  Whenever I encounter such cheerful staff at a winery, I know that they are not only well trained but well treated by the owner and manager.  Jean-Charles Boisset is not only admired by his staff (who told us stories about him), but he obviously has his act totally together.  No wonder they were the 2012 American Winery of the Year.

Crystal Cellar

Raymond Vineyards offers three different tastings.  In the Limited Tasting one may sample limited edition, very small production wines that are available only at the winery.  Their flagship wines are offered under the Reserve Tasting.  Their ultra premium wines are offered in the Crystal Experience.  The first two are $20 with the later being $50.  Wine club members may have complimentary tastings and Raymond Winery is also in the Napa Neighbor Program.

Barrel room

Because of the extensive line of wines, the extremely friendly staff and their award of  The Wine Enthusiast's 2012 American Winery of the Year, we opted to try all three tastings by visiting three consecutive weeks, something we have never done before in our over 40 years of visiting wineries.  (Wine Enthusiast is also my favorite wine magazine.) 

Regular tasting bar

The Limited Tasting includes limited releases including: The Raymond 2011 Small Lot White Wine at $32, the 2011 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay at $42, the 2009 Napoleon Red Wine at $30, the 2009 Louis XIV at $30 and the 2009 Small Lot Petite Sirah at $40.  All of these are made in very small quantities and are available only at the winery.

First was the Raymond 2011 Small Lot White Wine at $32 which is 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Chenin Blanc.  What an unusual blend for a California wine.  I was prepared not to like it, thinking the soft and fruity Chenin Blanc would ruin the dry, crisp, acidic Sauvignon Blanc.  The wine was light gold in color with a pronounced and delightfully pleasant nose of flowery Chenin Blanc. On the palate I got Meyer's lemon and Sauvignon Blanc varietal flavors with almost no Chenin Blanc varietal coming through. The Chenin Blanc added to the aroma while seemingly adding almost nothing to the palate, although I suspect it helped to balance the wine.  Anyhow, it was a pleasant white wine with a lovely Chenin Blanc nose and a nice Sauvignon Blanc palate. I think it should appeal to many.

Of the two whites, though, I preferred the next wine which was the Raymond 2011 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay. This saw eight months in 100% French oak with 50% of that being new French.  Only 168 cases were produced.  Grapes are from their Jameson Canyon vineyard near Carneros.  I got mostly butterscotch, vanilla and peach on the nose, followed by tart apple and lemon on the palate and a medium length finish.  We both found it quite likeable.

The Raymond 2009 Napoleon Red Wine was next.  It is described as a "Bordeaux, Rhone Tuscan blend" and 500 cases were made.  It has an intense aroma of raspberry. On the palate I got lots of fruit with some spice. We both liked it, although I preferred to next two red wines.

Raymond 2009 Louis XIV was next.  This is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese blend with 520 cases produced.  I got a light nose of red fruit with some forest floor.  The rest was fruity, mostly cherry, with some black pepper and a tart cherry moderate length finish.  It did not have the great nose of the Napoleon but had a more interesting presentation and finish.  But my favorite of the line up was next.

The Raymond 2009 Small Lot Petite Sirah is 94% Petite Sirah and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon with 168 cases produced.  I would score this one about 91 points.  After a good nose I got some blueberry, black cherry and spice on the palate.  It was not a big, tannic, monster Petite Sirah, but had good substance and structure with good body.  It was my favorite of the Limited Tasting line up.


Raymond gift shop


The Reserve Tasting includes: the Raymond 2011 Reserve Selection Chardonnay at $20, the 2011 Barrel-to-Barrel Field Blend at $56 a 3 litre box (party time), the 2009 Reserve Merlot, the 2011 Barrel-to-Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon at $56 a 3 litre box and the 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at $35.


Raymond 2011 Reserve Selection Chardonnay at $20.  No malolatic conversion. Some French oak. Very nice flowery nose.  Apple and white peach. Good length on finish.  Quite nice for the price.

Raymond 2011 Barrel-To-Barrel Field Blend at $56 or a 3 litre box.  "A blend of Bordeaux, Rhone and California Varietals."  For parties or get togethers.  Light cherry nose. Rather light bodied  and fruit forward with cherry and plum. Well integrated tannins.  Hint of spices. Medium length finish.  Not bad.

Raymond 2009 Reserve Merlot at $24.  88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon.  25% saw 18 months on new oak. Very lovely pronounced vanilla and cherry nose.  Lighter bodied with soft tannins and fresh red fruit, mostly raspberry.  Good finish. Well done for a lighter style Merlot.

Raymond 2011 Barrel-To-Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon at $56 for a 3 litre box.  100% Cab.  Good red cherry and vanilla nose.  Light to medium bodied.  Fresh fruit of bright red cherry with a good medium length finish.  Pleasant.

Raymond 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at $35.  89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.  Aroma of cherry, cedar and vanilla.  Smooth red cherry on the palate with interlaced tannins and a medium plus length cherry finish.  Medium body. Very easy to drink. Nice cab for the price and my favorite of the Reserve Tasting.


Raymond Crystal Cellar


The Crystal Experience, is the third tasting option offered by Raymond. This tasting is held in the Crystal  Cellar and not in the regular tasting room.  The following wines were included:

Raymond 2008 Rutherford Merlot at $45. We were informed that this is the last vintage for this one. Much bigger and riper than the Raymond Reserve Merlot.  Intense aroma of plum and raspberries.  It had good structure, with a medium body and nice balance. I got mostly bright red fruit of plum and raspberry.  The finish was medium length.  It was decent but not memorable.

Raymond 2008 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon at $75.  This one is a real winner.  The nose was light but pleasant, mostly blackberry.  It had a great mouth-feel, broad and full but not at all overpowering.  On the palate it was multidimensional with blackberry, cherry, currant, and mocha accompanied by interesting tannins and outstanding structure.  The finish was long with some distinct chocolate.  This is an excellent cab and the one I'd recommend most for immediate consumption. I'd rate it a 94.

Raymond 2008 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon at $75.  This was given 91 points by Wine Enthusiast and is a fairly good cab but, to me, was not nearly as interesting as the Oakville above.  It did have a great aroma.  I got mostly red fruit, namely soft cherry on the palate and a decent finish.  It was very interesting to learn that our host tasted this same wine about six months ago and it was mostly dark fruit with dark chocolate and much different tannins. This is an excellent example of how wines change over time, even a few months.  A person drinking this six months or a year from now will probably encounter a much different wine.

Raymond 2009 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon at $75.  This is a very good Cab but still needs some time to develop.  I got a rather light but interesting nose followed by dark chocolate, cherry, blueberry, spices and some forest floor.  It had plenty of tannins that were very well integrated.  Finish was medium length and chewy.  Although drinkable now, I think this one will improve with some age and has a lot of potential.  I hope to sample it again next time we visit.

Raymond 2009 Generations at $115.  This was just released.  Sometimes the Generation is a blend but this year it is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was aged in new oak for 18-20 months.  This is still a young wine but shows excellent potential.  The aroma was fairly light but it was pleasing delight on the palate.  I got blackberries, plum, spice with a hint of mocha.  Good structure and balance with interlaced tannins and a medium length finish. This wine is drinkable now but should really start coming into its own in a year or two.


Winery of the Year

The wines listed above that are in bold and underlined will be added to our next list of favorite Napa Valley wines. Raymond Vineyards is an interesting, unique, creative winery that offers a feast for the eyes as well as one for the palate.  Although we recommend all three tastings, if you need to limit it to one, we recommend The Crystal Experience so you may taste their outstanding premium Cabernet Sauvignons.  Couples might want to consider splitting two different tastings.  We spread our tastings out over three different visits and are glad we did.  Rather than listing three or four photos as I usually do, I'm also posting additional photos at the end for those who might want to view more of this very unusual winery. (see photos below.)

Raymond Vineyards
849 Zinfandel Ln
St Helena, CA 94574 (707) 963-3141
Dates of visits:  February 6, 13 and 19, 2013

Note from the winery's web page:
"Napa Valley's first dog winery"
"Frenchie Winery was built with the belief that ALL creatures deserve a beautiful tasting room where they can enjoy the beautiful Napa Valley. So, instead of feeling guilty about leaving your 4-legged family member in the car, bring them to Frenchie Winery in the heart of the Napa Valley. Here they will enjoy the lavish Napa Valley lifestyle in the comfort of their own outdoor, shady dog suite, complete with their very own wine barrel bed. You can watch your best friend, via our "Frenchie Cam", enjoying themselves outdoors while you enjoy your wine tasting experience indoors."


Welcome sign to Frenchie Winery



Frenchie Winery

Frenchie Winery


Raymond Crystal Cellar


Coco and Channel

Jezebel
 

Theater of Nature entry way



Lambs at Raymond Vineyards



Bat hotel







Owl box


Biodynamic cow horns

Raymond Frames


Raymond entry way




Visitor to Frenchie Winery