2005 Judd’s Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Codename: If you’ve got it, flaunt it!

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Revisit Napa’s Judd’s Hill to acquire their superb Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Judd’s Hill

Wine Subject: 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Art Finkelstein

Backgrounder:

Our Operatives we so enamored with the Judd’s Hill wine we featured here a little while back, that they have been demanding that we send an Agent to retrieve another wine. With over 30 years of wine-making experience and a dedication to handcrafted wines, Art Finkelstein’s wines represent the values that us wine spies love.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and concentrated purple with garnet reflexes and a dark, almost black and barely clear core and a slight viscous surface texture. Along the edges, this wine’s deep color fades ever so slightly to a lighter shade of purple. When swirled tow distinct rings of tears hang on the edge of the glass, the lower sit extremely low, just above the surface with clusters of fat legs. On the upper ring, the legs hang for a few seconds before streaking down the glass.

Smell – Medium bold in intensity with well defined aromas of oak, licorice and ripe black fruit and plum. A touch of spice, pepper and floral lavender round out the complex and redolent nose of this wine.

Feel – Full bodied, dry and medium acidity with an initial kick of spice, minerality and tanginess that immediately softens and reveals a firm and finely grained tannins that supports the flavors long into the wine’s finish.

Taste – Sweet, ripe and concentrated dark fruit, including blackberry, plum and other wild berries backed by herbal bramble brush and black licorice, notes of oak and fresh cut cedar, exotic spice and pepper and a hint of floral lavender.

Finish – This wine’s rich fruit, complex herbal and spice and its oak linger long into the clean finish that is supported by this wine’s structure and minerality.

Conclusion – The 2005 Judd’s Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is an opulently delicious wine and fully representative of the exceptional 2005 vintage. Solid, bold and powerful but with an elegance touch and a texture that’s both inviting and interesting. With classic Cabernet Sauvignon aromas and flavors enjoy this wine with braised short ribs, grilled red meat or simply enjoy this wine by itself. Its that good! Cheers.

Mission Report:

Agent Red had the good fortune to catch up with Judd Finklestein, winemaker for Judd’s Hill. He conducted the following interview with Judd:

AGENT RED: Greetings, Judd. We are thrilled to be working with Judd’s Hill again, this time bringing our Operatives your great Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is great. Thanks so much for the wine, and for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

JUDD FINKELSTEIN: Thanks to you, Agent Red!

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

JUDD: Being born into a winemaking family had something to do with it. To be honest, I’ve been enjoying wine for so long, I can’t recall a single moment that inspired my love of the drink. I wish I could, that’d be exciting (and would give you a better story!). Oh, I just remembered… it was a 1959 Margaux that someone splashed into my baby bottle. The subtle earth tones playing against that elegant Bordeaux fruit really paired exquisitely with my Pablum. Yup, that was it alright!

RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

JUDD: Right in the cellar with my father, Art.

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

JUDD: We’re in Napa Valley, where the grapes are divine. That being said, my style is to really let the fruit be the showcase. The Cab does have a bit of wood, but it’s much more of a nuance than a major characteristic. I love to eat and I find that oaky wines with heavy wood tannins just fight with my meals… and I can’t have that!

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

JUDD: My father. My college degree is in something completely unrelated to winemaking (Television Production, see www.juddsenormouswineshow.com) and although I have since gone and taken some courses at U.C. Davis and Napa College, I credit my dad with teaching me just about everything I know about wine.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

JUDD: Since the time I could stand upright to stomp on a grape!

RED: Who do you make wine for?

JUDD: That’s a good question that may not have a simple answer, but I’ll try. The bottom line is that I’m making wine for myself, in the respect that I can’t put something out there that I don’t like. I wouldn’t even know how to do that on purpose! We’re very fortunate that throughout our 30 years in Napa Valley, we’ve been able to attract a core of fans who appreciate the style of wines we make.

RED: Tell me, what makes the Napa Valley so special?

JUDD: It’s all here. The climate, the soil, the grape-growing know-how, the winemaking knowledge, the technology, the right attitudes, the love. This is home. This is where it happens.

RED: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

JUDD: Spend some time interning or temping at a winery on a production crew. It’s not as romantic a lifestyle as many seem to believe. It’s hard and demanding work with long and sometimes unpredictable hours. If your physical stamina and tolerance for stress can match your passion for wine… then go, baby go!

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

JUDD: We’re putting the blend together for our 2007 Cab. Blending is really one of my favorite parts of the whole winemaking process. Discovering the secrets that lie within each of our barrels and how the play together with the others is just too exciting for words.

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

JUDD: As my grandmother says, “Just try it, you’ll like it.” But seriously, without getting too technical, we’ve brought together several vineyard sources including our St. Helena eastern hillside estate fruit, Stags Leap fruit and Oakville fruit. This really gives the wine some great depth and complexity. A bit of Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the blend rounds it all out and the mild oak is a delicate layer that puts this wine solidly in the “food friendly” category.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

JUDD: As I said, I love to eat! Just put a plate (or a box or a stick) of good food in front of me and I’ll be very happy to drink this Cab with it. Really, because of the fruit character and subtle wood, this Cab is quite versatile. No artichokes, please. We do have some of our favorite recipes on our www.juddshill.com website.

RED: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

JUDD: If I’m at a party and there’s a bouncy-house, look out kiddies!

RED: What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

JUDD: Well, out of convenience, I’ve been drinking our 2005 Judd’s Hill Cabernet at home with great regularity. I know it’s not really an “everyday” wine, but for lucky me, it is!

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

JUDD: I’m not sure I know what you mean by “approach,” so I’ll just say fearlessly. Don’t get caught up in winespeak or preconceived notions about anything. Have a sip and see what you think. It’s as simple as that.

RED: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

JUDD: 1975 Oak Pass Wines Zinfandel. This is the first wine that I vividly remember stomping the grapes for. We had a party in our garage and all my little friends and their parents washed their feet and then jumped on in. What a blast it was and how fun it would be to revisit that wine.

RED: What is the one question that I should have asked you, and what is your answer to that question?

JUDD: Q: How did you do that? A: Magic!

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

JUDD: You’re very welcome. Thanks for the support, Agent Red. Watch out!

What follows is our original mission report, in which Agent Red first comes to meet Judd’s Hill Winery

It was the end of a very long day – and I was dog tired. I had been on a mission in Napa Valley that took way longer that I had anticipated and I still had to drive to Monterey County for an early morning surveillance.

I decided to stop in San Francisco for dinner and parked near my favorite Thai restaurant, only to find that it had closed for remodeling. Just great.

It was dark, I was feeling glum and I had no idea where to eat. I moped back toward my car and, as I was getting in, heard the thin sound of music coming from a nearby alley. Even though I could not quite make it out over the sounds of the street, it had a lively feel to it and I found myself drawn toward it.

As I neared the building that the sweet sounds emanated from , the music became clearer. It was Hawaiian music. Hapa haole Hawaiian music, actually. A great vintage sound, with ukulele and steel guitar and happy vocals. My spirits lifted. That is, until a wall of a man blocked me from entering the building. I looked up… and up… and up some more. A very serious looking Polynesian stared down at me.

“Private party, sir, sorry”, he siad in the deepest voice I had ever heard.

Before I could answer, a voice from behind me in the alleyway called out, “Its okay, Pea, he’s with me.”

(”Pea”?)

I turned to see a cardboard box being thrust into my arms. Obviously a case of wine, I went along with this young stranger and followed him inside. He motioned me to set the case down among several other cases of wine. Each box was labeled with “Judd’s Hill”.

I set the box down and the smiling stranger extended his hand and said, “Hi, I’m Judd.”

Judd’s Hill. Judd.

He saw me looking from the wine to him and said, “Yup, my family’s winery! You like wine?”

Needless to say, the rest of the evening was filled with frivolity, great wine, cool music, fantastic food and great people.

After watching Judd (grape grower, winemaker, musician, performer and artist) and his group, The Maikai Gents Featuring The Mysterious Miss Mauna Loa, perform, Judd told me all about his winemaking family and their artisanal ways.

The evening was just what the Spy Doctor ordered and the wine struck me as one of the best I had tasted all year. Right there at the party, Judd agreed to devoting an allocation to our Operatives. My bad-day-turned-great-evening is your reward, dear Operative. Today’s wine is sweet music to your lips!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Judd’s Hill in Napa Valley can be seen in this satellite photo.

2006 Trefethen Family Vineyards Estate Chardonnay

Mission Codename: The Gold Standard

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Infiltrate Trefethen Family Vineyards, a winery that shook the wine world to its core – by trouncing French wines in the 1970s. Return with their World-beating Chardonnay for our eager Operatives.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Trefethen Family Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2006 Estate Chardonnay

Winemaker: David Whitehouse Jr., Winemaster

Backgrounder:

Chardonnay is arguably the greatest of all white grape varietals, showing its influence in the legendary sparkling wines of Champagne, the great whites of Burgundy and of course its expression as ’the’ white wine of California. Chardonnay represents over 50% of the planted white grapes in California with nearly 100,000 acres planted. With such a great number of wines made from this grape, it stands to reason that finding wines of immense quality would be hard, but look no further. In this wine, we have found perhaps the ideal expression of the California Chardonnay.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Clear golden-yellow in color that extends to the edge of the glass with luminescent sparkles of honey and pale green hues and long slender legs.

Smell – Bold aromas of tart Granny Smith apples and ripe pears with hints of citrus, toasted oak and tiny components of butter and orange-blossom honey.

Feel – Slightly viscous, dry and smooth, this full-bodied white fills the palate and has surprising good structure

Taste – Tart apples and pears with a bright acidity backing with hints of citrus, honey and oak. Best of all is a slightly flinty minerality that continues through to the finish.

Finish – This wine finishes long and clean with lingering flavors of pears and citrus, a touch of creamy butter and oak and a mineral component that invites further exploration.

Conclusion – Tasting this wine reminds us why Chardonnay is the king of all the white grapes. This wine is not your typical flabby Chardonnay nor is it an overly oaked butter-ball. With all its components in balance, hints of minerality, layers of aromas and flavors that invite another sip, this wine is sure to please even the most discerning of white wine lovers. As it did in 1976, this Chardonnay sets the Gold Standard.

Mission Report:

We are proud to feature Trefethen Family Vineyards today. For more intriguing Trefethen history, please enjoy the following report, and be sure to go and see the feature film, ”Bottle Shock”, which opened yesterday. See our events page for more details

Agent White reporting. Finally, I get a mission to Napa Valley. Not just any mission mind you, one to Trefethen Family Vineyards.

Trefethen is a record-breaking, rule-breaking, innovating and inspiring winery.

I had the pleasure to spend an afternoon with LOREN Trefethen recently and we toured the vineyards, tasted some grapes, enjoyed some wines and had a great conversation about the family’s rich history in the wine business.

What follows is a partial transcript of our lively discussion.

AGENT WHITE: A big thanks for hosting The Wine Spies today, LOREN. Our Operatives have been anticipating this for a while now.

LOREN TREFETHEN: My pleasure, Agent White. When do I get my own agent name?

WHITE: How about, “Agent Victorious”, in honor of the wine wins that your family has racked up over the years.

LOREN: (laughs) Sure, but only if its an agent name that I can share with my family. We’ve all been in this together since my grandfather purchased this land in 1968.

WHITE: That makes this year the 40th anniversary of your family’s estate. Impressive.

LOREN: Yes, and you know what? In 40 years we have never purchased fruit from any other vineyards in order to make our wines. In fact, today we are still the only American producer that is 100% Estate-only.

WHITE: My informants tell me that this land once belonged to another winery, Eshcol, in the 1800’s.

LOREN: They are right! This is the very site where Eshcol made wines. In 1890, Eshcol won a gold medal for their wine at the states first ever statewide viticultural fair. It was that fair, and Eshcol’s win, that first established California as a legitimate winemaking ‘region’.

WHITE: Until prohibition intervened, right?

LOREN: Exactly! Thereafter, Napa was home to mostly apricots, prunes and walnuts!

WHITE: Fast-forward a few years, and tell me about how your family got started in the wine business.

LOREN: Well, after Grandad purchased the land, he started growing grapes. My dad was in business school, but learning winemaking from a U.C. Davis winemaking textbook. Not the most traditional approach, but neither were his early winemaking experiments.

WHITE: Legend has it that he made his first wines in your grandmother’s basement? In steel garbage cans?

LOREN: Yeah. I remember my Dad telling me about forgetting that he left a lid sealed onto a can for a little too long…

WHITE: Oooh! KABOOM!?

LOREN: Indeed, KABOOM! He was scrubbing away pieces of grapes from all corners of that basement – for a long time!

WHITE: That was the early 70’s. Tell me about his first commercial wine.

LOREN: That came about in 1973. My Mom, a newlywed at the time, suggested that we call the winery, “Trefethen”. Everyone thought it was a terrible idea. even today, people struggle with the name, but it stuck.

WHITE: What happened in 1976?

LOREN: Just a little even that shook up the wine world! In ‘76, Steven Spurrier, a British wine shop owner, living in France, visited America. Here, he found incredible wines, of course. He brought these back to France and organized a competition called, The Judgment of Paris. Our Chardonnay took gold…

WHITE: And that must have really pissed off the French!

LOREN: To say the least! They were infuriated, and insisted that the competition was rigged or set up to be too heavily in favor of the California wines. There were a few more Cali wines represented, but…

WHITE: But, three years later, the French organized a rematch!

LOREN: Yes. The World Wine Olympics were held in 1979. This time, French wines were ‘better represented’, and even outnumbered those from California. We had no plans to enter our wine this time around but found out that a friend had entered our Chardonnay.

WHITE: That’s when the French REALLY got mad!

LOREN: Too true. Our Chardonnay – a wine that was just our fourth vintage of Chard – ended up winning, and was declared the “Best Chardonnay in the World”.

WHITE: Quite something. That really stoked the fires back home, I’ll bet.

LOREN: All around the world, actually, but ours was really the first ‘cult wine’ in America. The wine was in such demand that we were actually asking for wine back from our distributors.

WHITE: Merci, Paris!

LOREN: Exactly!

WHITE: I just heard that your Cabernet Sauvignon just took Gold at the 2008 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Quite an achievement, congratulations.

LOREN: Thanks! We’re very proud of all of our wins. Mondial was a great one for us. 5,800 wines were judged by 240 International judges. To win among a field of so many other superior wines was humbling – and exhilarating!

WHITE: We’ll have to send Agent Red by to taste the 2004 with you!

LOREN: We look forward to meeting him.

WHITE: Thanks, again, for the tour, Loren. I’m sure that our Operatives will love having a chance to enjoy your wines.

LOREN: Thank you, White!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Trefethen Family Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

2005 White Cottage Ranch Winery Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc

 

Mission Codename: Francly, my Dear…

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to White Cottage Ranch. This time, retreive an ample allotment of their fabled Cabernet Franc

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: White Cottage Ranch

Wine Subject: 2005 Cabernet Franc, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley

Winemaker: Rudy Zuidema

Backgrounder: The Howell Mountain region in the Napa Valley is the birthplace of some of our very favorite wines. We fell in love early on and we have not been disappointed by a high-elevation Howell Mountain wine yet. Today’s wine is a made from a blend of mountain fruit and fruit from the floor of the valley, imbuing the wine with a balanced best of both worlds flair. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report below

Cabernet Franc is one of Agent Red’s favorite red varietals. Perhaps this is because its flavors are often rich, layered, complex and elegant. Or, perhaps he loves Cabernet Franc so much because it pairs so exceptionally with many different foods. One of the most notable things about Cabernet Franc is the fact that finding excellent examples can be very difficult. This explains why we have not shown a Cab Franc here in some time. And that makes for a very cranky Agent Red. On noting Red’s foul mood, Agent Sparkle and Agent Blush took matters into their own hands to bring Red back from the brink – by uncovering today’s superb Cabernet Franc. Read their tasting notes and mission report below

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep ruby in color with a perfectly clear, but very dark heart of deep garnet. The color remains concentrated from the heart, all the way out to the edges of the glass. When you swirl this wine, you will notice a tight but springy surface that. When the wine settles, fat legs on this wine start ultra-low on the glass. This is a unique attribute that we all found intriguing

Smell – Brightly aromatic and highly floral with dark fruit notes. Present in restrained abundance (inhale to the wine and you’ll see what I mean with this odd descriptor) as violets, dark plum, blackberry, black currant, and soft earth. Underneath these you’ll find hints of tomato vine, dusky oak and soft spice

Feel – Very soft and ultra light-weight at first. The velvety start leads to deepening all around the mouth gripiness that takes hold at the back edges of the tongue at first, and then, finally, the inside of the cheeks. This all takes place slowly, which adds to the overall experience of the wine

Taste – A perfect balance of bright fruit, tart fruit, fresh vegital and fresh herbal characteristics. The wine is, however, not dominated by any of these. You’ll taste delicious layers of tart cherry, red plum, violet, tomato vine, red currant, blackberry and softest pine tar. For those of you not familiar with the ‘tar’ description, please do not misunderstand; This flavor is subtle and really adds a great deal to the appeal and complexity of this wine

Finish – This wine presents an intriguing march of flavors on the finish, going long as the flavors change from tart to sweet to slightly herbaceous – and then back to sweet. At the end, the mouth waters, reminding you to take another delicious gulp

Conclusion – It’s no secret. I am absolutely crazy about Cabernet Franc. It took some effort to convince my fellow agents that Cab Franc is the perfect wine, but examples like today’s wine make it extremely easy. Rudy Zuidema has crafted a particularly excellent example of Napa Cabernet Franc and I must declare that it is the best Franc I have tasted this year! If you love Franc, this wine will provide you with much to appreciate.

Mission Report:

Please enjoy this winemaker interview with Rudy Zuidema:

AGENT RED: Greetings, Rudy. We are thrilled to be showing your Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc today. The wine is spectacular. You know that I am a Cab Franc faithful, but you should also know that I am very picky when it comes to Cab Franc. Thanks so much for the wine, and for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

RUDY ZUIDEMA: My pleasure, Red. It’s great to be working with you again!

RED: Thanks. Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

RUDY: Oh Yes! I was working for the Oakville Grocery as a wine steward. I heard my boss and many clients speak of the many flavors and smells in such detail, but I could not pick up on any of them. Wine just smelled and tasted like wine. Then, one night with my roommates with way too many open bottles did the light flash before me. Somehow, from nowhere, I could dig into this 1987 Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet and find so many of the layers of flavor and aromas. The wine speak and descriptions that I had thought were a bunch of crap for so long were in my face teasing me to look for more and more. From then on I decided I will never complete my search for the personality and character of EVERY wine that goes past my lips!

RED: Beautiful. And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

RUDY: For me, winemaking is ever changing. Sure, I learned basics (cleanliness, basic chemistry, bottling prep) from one winemaker and special techniques from every other winemaker I have ever worked with or talked to. The biggies for me were philosophical. I am so blessed that Dennis Johns of St. Clement (at the time) taught me to take this craft VERY seriously, but not to take myself too serious. I use this every day.

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

RUDY: That I am only a translator working with a product that Mother Nature has perfected. I just take it from one form to another. As soon as I think I am smarter or better than that, I will as lost as I can be. The style is to make wines that are very representative of Howell Mt., Napa Valley, and California. To me, these are juicy, fruit forward wines that are best from the time they are in the fermenter to 9 or 10 years from then. Delicious with a five course meal or on the porch with nothing more than a sunset.

RED: Please tell me, what makes Howell Mountain fruit so special?

RUDY: Other than bold, concentrated, intense fruit, the addition of a classy earthiness that I seem to find in most bottlings from the appellation. This is clearly the difference from other great Napa Valley regions. It is an hint of the old world that is very subtle and complex and only comes from the soils.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

RUDY: Dennis Johns, James Hall, John Thatcher, Ben Riggs, Scott Mc Leod, Elias Fernandez for winemakers. I am finding myself more influenced by vineyard managers these days.

RED: That’s quite a collection, and I love that vineyard managers are providing your inspiration currently. Let’s talk about that, the next time we show one of your wines. How long have you been making wine?

RUDY: 2009 will be my 19th harvest. It seems like just yesterday I was cleaning out drains. Wait, I was cleaning out drains yesterday???

RED: Who do you make wine for?

RUDY: I make wine that my wife and I can enjoy anytime and anywhere in our crazy lives. We have four kids that keep us on our toes. If leftover mac and cheese is on the table, it should pair perfectly with whatever bottle of therapy we decide to open!

RED: You always did strike me as a romantic. Tell me, what is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

RUDY: Two great pieces I was luck enough to get are: 1) Don’t get into this unless you are ready to go to EVERY length possible towards improvement. Just good enough, IS NOT! 2) Keep your mouth shut and your ears open (questions accepted, of course)

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

RUDY: I am very excited about how the vineyard has responded to the biodynamic program we put in place last year. The growth and consistency from block to block is amazing. I am spending some great times on tractors and managing the canopies. Both are very therapy for me.

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

RUDY: Cab Franc is THE wine that I am the most proud of. We spend 30% of our time in the CF and it is only 10% of the plantings. It takes more attention in hand work, canopy maintenance, thinning, balancing, and even needs great music to be happy. I call it my work wife. If I do put in ALL the time my return is tenfold, if I cut corners it will burn me so hard and so fast that recovery is questionable. The CF is my favorite food wine because of its acid profile.

RED: I find CF to be the most universal food wine there is! I hope that our Operatives embrace this wine today, to learn for themselves just how amazing Cab Franc can be – on it’s own or with a great meal. What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

RUDY: I love it with grilled salmon or a selection of intense cheeses.

RED: And Mac & Cheese? Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

RUDY: I’m just as happy rolling in a 14 foot birdie putt as I am nailing the final blend before bottling.

RED: What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

RUDY: Scrimshaw Pilsner is my “go to” when I get home. Really though, I have been drinking a lot of Gavi and Soave these days.

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

RUDY: Trust your own tastes. If the $9.99 wine is better to to you than your snobby friend’s $150 bottle, you are correct! For our wines, I hope you like one of them because that is all we ask. If not, tell me why and I will help you find the right ones.

RED: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

RUDY: I would love to taste one of the classic Sauternes, Ch. d’Yquem, from my birth year, 1967. It is one of the few highlights from that year.

RED: What is the one question that I should have asked you, and what is your answer to that question?

RUDY: Q: When can you host the staff from Wine Spies at the winery for lunch and a vertical tasting of Howell Mt. Cabs going back to 1993? A: Next Thursday!

RED: We’ll be there!! Thank you so much for your time. We remain huge fans of White Cottage and your exceptional work.

RUDY: Thank you Red, and all of your Operatives that tune in to the Wine Spies site. I have had a ton of fun with them and I’m sure you do too.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Howell Mountain region in Napa County can be seen in this satellite photo.

2005 Trinitas Cellars Spenelli Vineyard Zinfandel

Mission Codename: Fifty Two Years of Excellence

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Trinitas Cellars. This time, retrieve their Spinelli Live Oak Zinfandel, a must sought-after treat for the most demanding Zin-loving Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Trinitas Cellars

Wine Subject: 2005 Zinfandel – Spinelli Live Oak Vineyard

Winemaker: Kevin Mills

Backgrounder: Zinfandel is related to the Italian Primitivo grape, tracing its origin to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski. Zinfandel is one of the most versatile varietals with the ability to make wines, both rich to fruity, dark to light, and dry to sweet. Contra Costa County Zinfandels, which are characterized by their brightness and their juiciness, are gaining in popularity and noteriety. A taste of this wine makes it easy to see why. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report below

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – A deep a beautiful ruby red in color with a heart of pure garnet. Held up to sunlight, this wine exhibits great cherry-juice clarity. When swirled this wine shows a bouncy and fast-settling surface, that leaves behind skinny, tightly spaced legs that start off slow and then streak down the glass

Smell – Bold and deeply aromatic, with dark mixed berries, black cherry, exotic spice with white and black pepper, toasty caramel, vanilla and soft oak

Feel – Medium-weight on the entry, then soft on the mid where the wine ramps up with an increasing richness as ripe tannins settle in and the mouth is coated with a texture that makes you pucker your lips

Taste – Richly delicious with a beautiful balance of both bright fruity, and slightly dusky flavors, featuring blackberry jam, red plum, blueberry, smoky strawberry and big bing cherry. These all sit atop a gorgeous soft exotic spice that really adds to the overall flavor and complexity of the wine. These spices include pepper and subtle cinnamon

Finish – This wine finishes smooth, fine and ultra-long with balanced flavors of its fruit, soft spice and a touch of earthiness

Conclusion – This is a delicious stunner of a Zinfandel! With bold jammy fruit flavors and elegant aromatics and a fabulous feel, this wine is richly layered and deeply delicious. If you are looking for a Zin which is filled with juicy character and long on aromatics and flavors, this is a wonderful selection. While the wine is big and bold, it has enough acidity to make it food-friendly. It does not over-power the palate as many Cali Zins can. We have always loved Trinitas wines, but today’s selection delivers extra oomph. I love this wine, and I’m certain that you’ll love it as well.

Mission Report:

Below is a recap of Agent Red’s original mission when he visited Trinitas Cellars:

Located at the southern end of the Napa Valley, nestled behind the Meritage Resort & Spa and buried in and underground cave, lies a remarkable secret: Trinitas Cellars.

Trinitas first came to my attention while on stakeout during a prior mission. I was on a vetting mission and was keeping an eye on a potential new asset. If this person proved to have the connections that she was reported to, I’d be recruiting her by days end.

I had followed her to the Meritage Resort, when she was having what looked to be a poolside meeting with a group I recognized as some heavy-hitters in the biz. These guys are all business and so I knew that my target must have the chops that her dossier suggested.

A waitress offered me a menu but I politely waved it away. Instead, I simply asked her for a glass of their best house Pinot Noir.

The wine arrived. The waitress set it down on the table in front of me. I handed her a $20 and told her to keep the change. I sat and watched my target for some time before finally picking up the wine.

I inhaled deeply – and the hairs on my neck stood up. This, I could tell, was one excellent wine! I spent the next several minutes enraptured by the wine. It was a young wine, I could tell, but it was very impressive.

When I finally looked up, my target was gone! How could I let myself be so distracted? On scanning the area, my eyes came to rest on an anomaly in the landscape; The hill that sat behind me, over my right shoulder, was obviously manmade. I had seen enough ‘hills’ like this to know that it was a wine cave!

I got to my feet and dashed toward the hill. Cleverly concealed as it might have been, I quickly found the entrance. Once inside I made my way through the cavern, eventually finding – a full tasting room!

And there, at the bar, was my target and her cohorts.

The woman behind the bar beamed at me and said, “Welcome to Trinitas Cellars!”

Trinitas, eh? This requires deeper investigation…

Agent Red, out!

Agent White, reporting:

Is Agent Red losing it? Does he need glasses? The sign above the wine cave clearly reads, “Trinitas Cellars”. At least he returned to HQ with samples of that Pinot Noir. The Pinot, of course, turned out to be a 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir from Trinitas – and today we are proud to present you with an opportunity to try this special wine for yourself.

As for Agent Red and his mission worthiness, we are recommending that he be placed under closer scrutiny. His wine-finding skills are still top-notch, but his methods and his reports leave just a tad to be desired!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Trinitas Callears cave tasting room and winery can be seen, behind the Meritage Resport & Spa, in this satellite photo.

2006 Donati Family Vineyard Tal Padre – Petit Verdot Blend

Mission Codename: Like Father, Like Son

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Donati to investigate claims that their Tal Padre blend is their best wine yet. If true, secure an ample allocation for the enjoyment of our deserving Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Donati Family Vineyard

Winemaker: Dan Kleck

Wine Subject: 2006 Tal Padre

Backgrounder: In traditional terms, a Claret wine is a dry red blend made from Bordeaux varietals. Today’s wine, grown in the Paicines hills above Hollister, along the San Andreas fault, is a wonderful Bordeaux varietal blend of Petite Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The wine is exceptional and if you love big red blends, today’s wine is a real winner. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report below

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – A beautiful deep ruby red, with deeply concentrated color through its dark heart of pure garnet – and all the way to the edges of the wine. When swirled, this wine shows off a super-taught and springy surface that settles quickly – leaving behind tight clusters of skinny legs that move slowly down the glass

Smell – A rush of deep, dark and dusky aromas leads of with a brilliant and striking earthy dark cherry, followed by dark blackberry, raspberry, red plum, soft oak and a hint of mint

Feel – Big and mouth-filling with smooth but powerful tannins that, after a moment, grip in at the top of the palate, the tongue and lips, eventually drying the cheeks

Taste – Delicious and delightfully exotic, with layers of seductive flavors, led off by bright red cherry, ripe red plum, blackberry, raspberry with softly smoky-toasted oak and a hint of fresh herbs

Finish – Light at first, then quickly dark and dusky. Then bright cherry emerges, making your mouth water. After a spell, the dark and smoky flavors – with blackberry and plum, especially – return and then tail off slowly

Conclusion – Of all of the Donati wines we have had the pleasure to feature here, this 2006 Tal Padre is, by far, our favorite! With aromas that run the gamut from bright and fruity, to dark and dusky and flavors that mimic the nose, this wine is a dynamic delight that will please all of your senses. If you are a fan of fantastic red blends, this is one to try. Drinking beautifully now, you should also lay a few bottles down for an even more delightful experience. We paired our bottle with Spanish Tortilla, fresh tomatoes and mixed olives. What a delcious experience!

Mission Report:

What follows is a former mission recap:

Time: 13:00 Hours
Location: Paicines, California
Temperature: 105 Degrees, fahrenheit

Agent Red reporting:

After a few days in the 100+ degree heat of Paso Robles, where the Donati Family Vineyards tasting room and vineyards lay, I was happy to be heading out to investigae their vineyards in Pacines, California, nearly 100 miles almost straight north.

Agent White, who had been along with me on the missions in Paso, flew southward in the Spy Plane, I drove north. Driving through the hills, I was cooled by the mountain air, relieved to finally be out of the heat. And then, as I got closer to Paicines, the heat came back.

On a stop for gas, a native of the area made sure to tell me, “It sure does feel like earthquake weather. Did you know your standing right over the San Andreas fault?”.

I knew about the fault line, but, earthquake weather? I had never considered that some weather was more favorable for playing host to an earthquake than others. I soothed my mind by returning to thoughts of grapes and I postulated that this earthquake weather notion was similar to the notion that some regions grew better cabernet or merlot grapes than others. I took this theory and ran with it, all the way to my next stop: The Paicines vineyards of the Donati Family.

Yes, the temps were soaring, but it was a beautiful day and the vineyards here were beautiful. Situated in a valley the vineyards here had a serene and natural look, without feeling artificial as with some of the larger ‘corporate wineries’ of Napa or Sonoma.

Matt Donati met me and casually began the tour. He explained that the Donati Family Estate Vineyard site enjoys a variety of soils from limestone to decomposed granite to clay loam, and access to the cooling ocean breezes of the Monterey Bay. Like much of southern Napa, Sonoma, and Monterey counties, Paicines has long warm days followed by cool nights. “It’s a lot cooler than people think it would be here,” says Matt. “On the UC Davis scale of growing areas and heat where Region I is the coolest and V the warmest, Paicines is a cool Region II.” With rivulets of sweat from my forehead stinging my eyes, I was unconvinced. Still I was having a great time on my tour.

The vineyard here is planted with various select clones of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc and Petite Verdot.

Matt Donati is hands-on, year round, which he believes is necessary to create an environment where the grapes can be left alone to thrive during ripening.

Inside, Matt opened up a bottle of his 2004 Merlot. We swirled, sniffed and admired. As I lifted the glass to my mouth and the first taste of wine touched my lips, the ground beneath my feet gave a small wobble. I looked at Matt, my eyes wide.

“Did you feel that,” I asked.

With a sly smile, he said, simply, “My wines have that effect on people”.

Winemaker:
Donati Winemaker Dan Kleck has been producing premium wines for the past 28 years. He began his career in the mid-1970’s, in the Long Island region of New York. In 1998, he migrated west to California, crafting elite Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from select premium estate vineyards in Monterey County.

WINERY:
The Donati Family Winery in Paso Robles is designed to capture the quality of the estate fruit in a state-of-the-art facility. The winery is a great place to enjoy a beautiful day at the vineyard.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

Vineyard – The Donatis selected a unique site for their vineyard plantings. They diligently researched and identified clones and blocks that would be capable of developing into Spy-worthy wines in the cellar. With perfect fruit health and absolute ripeness, the wines crafted from the Donati Estate Vineyard are rich in character and nuance.

Numerous Paicines vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

2005 Raymond Burr Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Codename: The Case of the Consummate Cab

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Send Agent Red back to Raymond Burr winery, to retrieve their stellar 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon – before it goes on lock-down!

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: Raymond Burr Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Phyllis Zouzounis

Backgrounder: Our Operatives know that we are huge fans of Raymond Burr wines. We have featured a handful of their wines previously, and today’s 2005 Cab, a brilliant blend of 85% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Estate Cabernet Franc, proves to be just as fantastic as the rest. The 2004 vintage of this wine won a 2008 Wine Intrigue Award Winner as Agent Red’s Top Selection. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and click the big blue button to grab some of this special wine – before we run out

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet, with a darker, concentrated heart and ruby hued-edges. When swirled, this wine has a soft bounciness to it that leaves behind intriguing legs that start off fat and slow, but then turn quickly skinny as they crawl slowly down the glass

Smell – Lush and intense with earthen aromas of blackberry bramble, blackberries, smoky dark cherry, and chocolate. These are gently layered atop floral aromas of violet, sweetwoods, oak and soft minerals

Feel – Soft and light weight, slightly dry on the initial attack. Then, this wine digs in, revealing a supple, medium-body with medium-firm, but fine and well-structured tannins. A balanced acidity rounds out the great overall feel

Taste – Bold and delicious, finely balanced with well integrated flavors from both the Cabernet Franc and the Cabernet Sauvignon in the wine. Brightly tasty flavors of ripe red cherry, plum, ripe blackberry and mocha with a hint of oak, minerals and subtle spice

Finish – Clean, bright and long with lingering ripe blackberry, semi-tart cherry, soft minerals and a hint of smoky plum. The wine is lightly mouth-coating and as flavors tail off, the mouth waters – telling you in no uncertain terms that is time for another delicious mouthful

Conclusion – I had great expectations of this wine – and I was not disappointed! This is a terrifically delicious wine with plenty of flavor, character and complexity. As a fan of Cabernet Franc, I am all to aware that sometimes Franc can overpower a Cabernet Sauvignon when used as a blending component. I was really pleased with how beautifully integrated the Franc was in this wine, complimenting the flavors and feel with a bright suppleness and aromatic appeal. Raymond Burr Vineyards deserves all of the praise that we continue to shower on it. Their wines are consistently fantastic.

Mission Report:

Now that we are great friends with the folks at Raymond Burr Vineyards, additional surveillance or infiltration is not necessary. Now that they have been recruited into The Wine Spies Network, they contact us through back-channels when they have a special allocation of our Operatives..

No new mission report today, so please read below for a recap of our initial mission to Raymond Burr Vineyards.

Please note that we enjoyed today’s featured 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon even more than the Cabernet Franc that we featured previously

Prior Mission Recap:

Ask anyone to describe Raymond Burr in a single word and, resoundingly, you will likely hear, Classy.

The veteran actor, for whom today’s winery was honorarily named, was also a cultivator of orchids, a war hero, a philanthropist and more. Most of all, he was cherished and loved by his close friends, who say that his warmth, humor and compassion made him a remarkable man.

When I was given the mission – finally – to seek out a new Cabernet Franc, I riffled through my mental Rolodex and recalled hearing great things about a Cab Franc from Raymond Burr Winery. In fact, it was in the most unusual way that I had come to hear of the wine in the first place.

On returning from a mission to Latin America, our flight got in to Miami too late to make our connecting flight back to California. the airline put us up in a swanky hotel and the next morning we found ourselves in a shuttle back to the Airport. I struck up a conversation with a young couple who were also on our inbound flight and, as always, I steered the conversation toward wine. We compared tastes in varietals and found that Cab Franc wines were among our very favorites. We traded recommendations and they assured me that Raymond Burr had a wine that I would be sure to love.

Now that I was finally assigned a Cab Franc mission I knew just where to go, so I called proprietor and long time companion to Mr. Burr, Robert Benevides. I used the direct approach and told him that I was very interested in sampling his wine and, if they passed the test, feature his Cabernet Franc here for our Operatives to enjoy.

I enjoyed this exceptional wine more with each sip. With enough time to stretch out in the air, the wine really opens up and loses the rough edges present on opening. For best results, decant the wine for a few hours – and enjoy at cellar temperature.

Aromas, flavors, acid and mouth-feel are all in harmony here and the finish is really very unique. If you love incredible Cabernet Franc, look no further Operative, its right here.

Finally, I remember hearing a story about Mr. Burr that sums up his life and his wines: While working with Errol Flynn, Flynn told Mr. Burr that if he died with ten dollars in his pocket he hadn’t done a good job. This inspired Mr. Burr to always share his wealth with all. His legacy lives on in today’s wine from Mr. Burr’s namesake winery.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Raymond Burr Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

2004 Rosenthal – The Malibu Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Codename: Newton Canyon Redux – Part II

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Revist our good freinds at Rosenthal to bring you an exceptional Cabernet.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Rosenthal – The Malibu Estate

Wine Subject: 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Christian Roguenant

Backgrounder:

Cabernet Sauvignon, long the favorite varietal from Napa Valley and certainly among the most noble grapes. But did you know that the unique climate of Newton Canyon in the foothills of northern Malibu also provide the idea conditions to grow Cabernet Sauvignon? Network Canyon is a single vineyard AVA on the south-facing slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains and was formally designated in 1996.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple, almost black in color, with a dark inky core that fades ever so slightly to garnet and ruby along the edges. When swirled ruby red reflexes glisten and slow moving and thick legs cling to the sides of the glass.

Smell – Intense black fruit including blackberries are layered over woody notes of cedar and oak. Complex hints of mocha, earth, tobacco and spice round out the lovely bouquet of this wine.

Feel – This wine is full-bodied, smooth and dry with solid firm but fine tannins and balanced acidity and shows tremendous finesse and elegance in its structure.

Taste – Excellent layers of rich and plush dark black and red fruit including blackberries and cassis. This wine also has exceptionally balanced hints of oak and cedar along with a nice earthy minerality, mocha, and a lingering flavors of spice and black pepper.

Finish – A clean and long lingering finish that leaves you with flavors of ripe fruit, toasty oak and spice.

Conclusion – Each time we taste a Rosenthal Cabernet we are beyond impressed. It seems that each vintage is better that the previous. The 2004 vintage is a more traditional Cabernet than the 2003 showing excellent balanced flavors of fruit, oak, spice and a structure that will allow this wine to further develop as it ages.

Mission Report:

Summer in Southern California, does it get any better? The last couple days remind us of why I love running to SoCal operations center.

Having wrapped up our recent intel projects on some great Italian wines, I had some free time. I decided to take a trip up the coast. Along the way, it occurred to me that I should check in with one of our inside agents at Rosenthal to see how their progress of the 2004 Cabernet is coming.

It was strange, I hadn’t heard much about the 2004 vintage yet – no doubt after the tough 2003 vintage, but we had no reports from the field. Upon arriving at the prescribed meet point, Agent Blanc (don’t blow her cover, but you may know her if you’re a member of the wine club) handed me bottle of their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.

“I can make some of this available to your operatives,” Agent Blanc said, “but tell no-one.” Trying to hide my excitement and thinking to myself ”another Wine Spies exclusive”, Agent Blanc continued “this wine is only available on a limitted basis, but I know you’ll love the wine.”

Love the wine we did; we love all the wines from Rosenthal that are expertly crafted by winemaker Christian Roguenant and this one is exceptional. Once you try this wine, we know you’ll agree.

It’s nice to be a Wine Spy!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Rosenthal – The Malibu Estate vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

2004 Domaine du Colombier Hermitage AOC (Rouge – Syrah)

Mission Codename: Hermitage Heritage

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Select a classic wine from France’s Northern Rhone.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Domaine du Colombier

Wine Subject: 2004 Hermitage AOC

Winemaker: Florent Viale

Backgrounder:

While, some consider the Northern Rhone just a gateway to the south, lovers of French wines know that some of France’s finest wines are grown and produced in this region. Specifically, Hermitage AOC (and the Cote Rotie as well), known for classic Syrah wines that rival the best Cru Classes wines of Bordeaux. While the appellation allows for up to 15% of Marsanne and Roussane to be added the best wines from this AOC are 100% Syrah and balance power and weight with finesse and elegance.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and dark purple with an almost black nearly opaque inky core. When held up to the light, garnet and ruby highlights glisten and the edges fade ever so slightly to garnet. Slow clusters of fat legs cling the edge of the glass when swirled.

Smell – Fragrant and well developed with ripe berries including blueberry, dusty red raspberry and blackberry that is layered over complex notes of earth, herbal fennel and floral violet hints.

Feel – Full-bodied, weighty and almost chewy in texture, this full-bodied with has firm but silky tannins and balanced medium acidity round with a touch of minerality that lingers through to the finish.

Taste – Rich and deeply concentrated flavors of blueberry, plum, and other red and black fruits are well integrated with a touch of exotic spice and the region’s trademark white pepper kick. Herbal fennel, smoke, floral violets and toasted oak round out the complex flavor profile of this lovely wine.

Finish – Weighty in the finish with fruit flavors that include plum, blueberry and black-fruit with lingering minerality, herbal notes and spice that goes on and on.

Conclusion – The 2004 Domaine du Columbier Hermitage is a delicious wine that truly represents the region’s tradition for exceptional wine. 100% Syrah, this wine has bold and rich fruit, but being classic old-world in its style and production, shows tremendous finesse and elegance. Perfect for anything you through on the grill or snuggling up in front of the bonfire on the beach, this wine will not disappoint.

Mission Report:

For those who know me, Summer time is a favorite season, not only because I enjoy barbecuing and the beach, but each summer one of the greatest sporting events occurs in the greatest of all stadiums. The Tour de France is that specular event with the stadium being the entire country of France.

Spanning 3500km and three weeks its a site to see and lovers of wine will immediately recognize the various regions traversed by those exceptional athletes. This year’s tour starts on the 4th of July in Monaco.

Just a few days ago I was talking with other enthusiasts of both the tour and wine and we pulled out a map to see what villages were included in this years race. And what better to do with good friends, sharing travel stories and pondering future trips? Well, opening up a classic French wine of course!

We wanted something a little different. Not that we were burnt out on Burgundy or Bordeaux, but to often those wines are enjoyed to the detriment of other great wines. So reaching back into the far corner of my cellar I retrieved today’s selection from Domaine du Columbier.

We sipped and enjoyed the wine, reminiscing about past races and journeys with great excitement for this years race.

A votre sante!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Hermitage AOC can be seen in this satellite photo.

2005 Highlands Winery Howell Mountain Cabernet Savignon

Mission Codename: From on High

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Secure an exceptional selection from Highlands Winery

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Highlands Winery

Wine Subject: 2005 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Dave Cofran

Backgrounder:

Napa County’s Howell Mountain AVA, established in 1984 is known for its wines of deep concentration and intensity. The higher elevation and relatively flat aspect make the location great for vineyards, and specifically Cabernet Sauvignon. The first vines in the Howell Mountain area were planted in the 1880s.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep ruby red, this wine maintains its color concentration right out to the edge of the glass. At its heart, the wine has a deeper core of dark black cherry. When you swirl this wine, it shows off a softly springy surface. When it settles, it leaves behind tightly packed clusters of chubby legs that take forever to emerge before they crawl slowly down the glass

Smell – Bold intensity with a big initial rush of bright red fruit of raspberry, cranberry, red currant and cherry. These are soon followed by blackberry, bramble, tomato stem, oak and soft spices

Feel – Solid, rich and almost rustic in character, this full-bodied wine has great firm tannins and a well balanced acidity. Well structured, but not overpowering, as this wine opens up and breathes, it softens and a more subdued character is revealed

Taste -This wine begins dusky, dark and rich with juicy flavors of black cherry, blackberry and blueberry, with smoky raspberry and soft cola. As the wine opens up it softens and reveals flavors of tart plum and soft spice

Finish – Starts dusky and dark, then sweet. these are followed soon after by softly spicy and smoky-tart flavors that linger for a long time

Conclusion – A dusky, deep and delicious wine that delivers a classic Napa Cab experience. A really impressive wine, we appreciate it for its depth, dusky-delicious flavors, medium-weight feel and brightly lush aromatics. After some time decanted, the feel of the wine softens and additional flavors reveal themselves, making an extended tasting of the wine fun and fulfilling experience. Balanced, rich, food-friendly and elegant, this is a great solo-drinker or the perfect companion to a hearty meal

Mission Report:

For today’s wine, Agent Red had the good fortune to spend a few minutes with Highlands’ winemaker, Dave Cofran. The transcript follows:

AGENT RED: Greetings, Dave. We are thrilled to be showing your Howell Mountain Cab today. The wine is really wonderful. Thanks so much for allowing us to show your wine, and for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

DAVE COFRAN: We are very excited to be able to offer our 2005 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon to your operatives.

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

DAVE: My father had a wine shop and I became interested in wine early.

RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

DAVE: University of California at Davis was a very eye opening experience about the possibilities and complexities of winemaking. My studies blended the technical aspects of chemistry with the art of winemaking.

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

DAVE: We want to make modestly extracted, easy drinking food friendly wines from the finest Napa Valley mountain grapes. We restrict our winemaking to Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Through my years at Silver Oak I learned to appreciate the value of focus on a few varieties and perfecting the techniques necessary to produce superior products.

RED: Please tell me, what makes Howell Mountain fruit so special?

DAVE: Howell Mountain appellation is well above the fog that covers the Napa Valley most mornings during the summer. Temperatures are generally cooler in the evening , causing longer “hang times” and more intense flavors. Volcanic soils are well drained and in combination with the steep slopes, cause vine stress ,low yields and extremely flavorful grapes. These grapes give us endless possibilities to let the fruit come forward in our wines.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

DAVE: Joe Heitz had a tremendous influence on my early winemaking. His Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet was a benchmark which provided a lofty goal for me.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

DAVE: Over 40 years as winegrower.

RED: And, for whom do you make wine?

DAVE: We make wine to be a fine accompaniment to rich and flavorful foods.

RED: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

DAVE: You must have a passion for fine wine joined with proper technical training.

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

DAVE: Supervising production with our new consulting winemaker, Jeff Fontanella, and assisting in the sales and marketing of our wines.

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today.

DAVE: This 100 Cabernet Sauvignon is a combination of wines from two distinctive vineyards atop Howell Mountain. Although they are similar soil types, trellising methods are very different. However both provide good light exposure for the fruit.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

DAVE: My favorite pairing is with barbecued dark meat which smooths out the modest tannins present in the wine.

RED: What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

DAVE: Any Highlands red wine!

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

DAVE: With Gusto and enthusiasm for the intense fruit flavors.

RED: Agreed! If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

DAVE: Cabernet Sauvignon

RED: A simple answer. I like it! Thank you so much for your time. Keep up the great work, we became fast fans of your wine and we look forward to your next releases. We are big fans!

DAVE: Thank you for your support. We hope your operatives enjoy this wine as much as we have enjoyed making it.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of Howell Mountain can be seen in this satellite photo.

2003 Cass Winery Paso Robles Syrah

Mission Codename: Pass the Cass

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Revisit Cass Winery in Paso Robles to taste their Syrah.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Cass Winery

Wine Subject: 2003 Paso Robles Syrah

Winemaker: Dan Kleck & Lood Kotze

Backgrounder:

While Pinot Noir is considered the most influenced by the specific clone, Syrah is not far behind. ENTAV, or L’Etablissement National Technique pour l’Amélioration de la Viticulture, founded in 1962 is the French agency responsible for identifying, preserving and cataloging the various grape varieties with the purpose of commercializing only the best of those varietals. By using Syrah clones identified by ENTAV this wine truly crosses the divide between old-world and new-world style.

Paso Robles, located in California’s southern central coast region in San Luis Obisbo county is well known as one of the earliest regions where vines were grown in California with records indicating grapes have been harvested since the 1790s.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and dark purple with an almost black inky core. Along the edges the deep color only lightens slightly to become garnet along the very edge of the glass. When swirled, garnet reflections fade to blackness and two distinct layers of legs ring the side of the glass. The lower cluster with narrowly spaced fat legs and the upper with widely spaced fat legs.

Smell – Bold and redolent with ripe and earthy red and black berries including cherry and blackberry. Well developed and distinctive earthy notes of mushroom, soft floral and herbal sage components and white pepper are revealed.

Feel – Rich, plush and full-bodied, this wine starts with a spicy kick of white pepper that softens as it opens. Firm, but fine tannins and balanced acidity carry this smooth textured wine’s rich and concentrated flavors through to the finish.

Taste – Concentrated and bold flavors of fresh, ripe and earthy dark fruit backed by a spicy white pepper kick. Complex notes of toasted oak, leather, tobacco and briary underbrush are revealed as you explore this wine’s lovely flavors.

Finish – The wine finishes long and persistent marked with focused flavors of ripe dark fruit, earth and lingering white pepper spice.

Conclusion – While many of the wine’s from Paso Robles tend to be overly extracted, we are never disappointed with the quality of what we have tasted from Cass Winery. The 2003 Paso Robles Syrah is rich, bold and powerful, but also shows elegance in its complexity that is interlaced with ripe flavorful and juicy fruit.

Mission Report:

Agent Red was able to sit down with Cass Winery’s winemaker, Lood Kotze, for a short interview when we last featured a great Cass wine. Here is a transcript of that conversation:

AGENT RED: Hi Lood!

LOOD KOTZE: Agent Red. Thanks for coming by.

RED: Is it always this hot here in Paso Robles?

LOOD: Not quite always, but, yes, it gets hot here.

RED: What effect does that have on the grapes – and the wines that are made from them?

LOOD: It’s hard to generalize about Paso Robles, but I would say that the wines from here are deeper and more concentrated. They are very rich, intense and strongly flavored. People love Paso wines for their accessibility. I think that wines from here are more universally appealing.

RED: Tell me, Lood, who do you make wines for?

LOOD: I tend to make wines that I personally like to drink. Luckily, that happens to match up with what fans of our wines also like!

RED: Good thing. I think that left to their own devices, some winemakers would end up making wines that only they like! Tell me, what would you say is your winemaking style?

LOOD: Well, I really believe that the terroir give the quality of a wine and the winemaker just maintains the quality. Great wine really begins in great vineyards. Starting with the best fruit, I tend to allow the wine to do its own thing with minimal input.

RED: Do you ever have to tweak a wine at all?

LOOD: Of course, but always in the most subtle ways possible. Really, the vineyard does most of the work, I just take care of the wine throughout the process.

RED: Before I let you go, please tell me what’s going on in the winery right now.

LOOD: Well, the vineyards are looking great, with shoots that are more than a foot long! In the winery, we just finished up with one round of bottling – and so now my focus is on our 2008’s.

RED: And, before you know it, harvest will be here!

LOOD: Don’t say that! We still have the summer and into the fall… but, yeah, before you know it, harvest will be here.

RED: Listen, I love Cass wines. The Rockin’ One is honestly the best Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre blend I have ever tasted.

LOOD: It is a great wine. Most blends of this style are usually reductive and austere. The Rockin’ One is way expressive and very delicious.

RED: It rocks!

LOOD: Indeed!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The approximate location of the Cass Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.