2006 Peterson Winery Bernier “Zinyard” Zinfandel

Mission Codename: Zinsational

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Operative favorite, Peterson Winery. Secure their newest Zinfandel, the uniquely delicious a wine that is much sought-after by their club members

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Peterson Winery

Wine Subject: 2006 Bernier Zineyard Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley

Winemaker: Jamie Peterson

Winery Backgrounder: Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley is a treasure trove of great wines, but Zinfandel is the king in this region. Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is a Wine Spies Operative favorite, and today’s wine clearly reinforces their love. Fred Peterson, gentleman framer, grows the grapes. His son, Jamie, turns the fruit into a magnificent experience in a bottle.

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Varietal Backgrounder: Related to the Italian Primitivo grape and 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. Today’s wine is a delicious DCV Zin that is worthy of your cellar

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and translucent, this wine almost glows with soft burgundy hues. The thin edge of the wine show a tender nectarine color. Fast, medium-width legs take a moment to emerge – before they streak down the edges of the glass

Smell – Blackberry and fresh bramble mix with bright red cherry and red plum. These dance with unique aromas of dried alfalfa bale, black cherry, Chinese five-spice, brown sugar, black pepper and soft earth

Feel – Soft and light on initial entry, velvety smooth and light of body. After a moment, the wine reveals a more medium body as soft tannins add just a hint of soft mineral-infused dryness. With an easy acidity and soft pepper, this wine has a delightful overall feel

Taste – Lead by black cherry cider, this wine presents an amazing array of additional flavors. These include soft plum, wild strawberry, brown sugar, cassis, cranberry, stewed raisin, minerals and a pleasant hint of white balsamic at the rear of the palate

Finish – This wine finishes bright, softly smoky, clean and long, with extended fruit and soft minerals that go on and on

Conclusion – We have a great affection for Peterson wines. Today’s wine easily impressed our tasting panel with its easy-drinking quality and complex layering. This is not a plummy fruit-bomb. Rather, this wine is a soft, flavor-filled and aroma-rich delight that had our panel of tasters drawing out an amazing array of qualities. Balanced and well-integrated, this wine is the perfect compliment to great food. With balanced acidity (a quality that helps to make it so food-friendly), this wine won’t overpower even a lighter meal.

Mission Report:

What follows is our winemaker briefing and interview, from a previously featured wine. Please note that some of the information refers to a different wine than the one we are showcasing today:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Jamie Peterson

DATE OF BIRTH: 03/20/1981

PLACE OF BIRTH: Saratoga, CA (Mt. Eden Vineyards)

WINE EDUCATION: Ongoing, on-the-job. UC Davis Extension chemistry/lab analysis/viticulture classes.

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Grew up in Peterson Winery, helping with odd jobs in the winery and vineyard as a teenager. Worked first harvest at 19, and then traveled to Australia and New Zealand to work harvest in 2001. took over as Assistant Winemaker at Peterson Winery in 2002. Given full Winemaker responsibility in 2006.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: “Zero Manipulation”/Minimal intervention, letting the vineyard and vintage show through in each bottling. No fining, no filtration. Minimal new oak usage, minimal additions and SO2 use.

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: Dry Creek valley Zinfandel.

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WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Greetings, Jamie. We are thrilled to be showing your 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

JAMIE: Thank you for giving me the time.

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

JAMIE: It’d be hard to pick one. Growing up with the sights, sounds, and smells of the winery and vineyards, there were many inspirational moments. But I didn’t think I’d be getting into the life of wine as deeply as I have until I worked harvests in 2001 in Australia and New Zealand. Seeing the international wine community and how it ties people together made me decide to come back to the family winery and join full time in 2002.

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

JAMIE: From my father, growing up in the winery, and being able to learn on the job.

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

JAMIE: I believe that vineyard and vintage driven wines are the only reason for small wineries to exist. I prefer wines from different vintages to reflect the growing season (otherwise why put the vintage on the bottle?) rather than use additives (acid, tannins, enzymes, gum arabic, overblown new oak) or technological processes (filtration, alcohol removal, micro-oxygenation) to create wines that taste the same each year. I don’t filter or fine our wines, and I predominantly use native yeast fermentations and malo-lactics, so we have to keep things clean and monitor closely, as we don’t choose to use the tools for fixing mistakes that some wineries do. We source from the same vineyards each year, so there is a thread of continuity running through vintages. Our vineyards are sustainably farmed, with a few certified organic, and a number of others dry-farmed.

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

JAMIE: I’m inspired by European vintners who have made wines from the same places for generations, and haven’t succumbed to commercialism.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

JAMIE: 2002 was my first full year of working with wines from grape to bottle. 2000 was the first full harvest I worked with my father. At 28, I have 12 harvests under my belt (including working in both Australia and New Zealand in 2001).

RED: Who do you make wine for?

JAMIE: I make wines for my own tastes, and then we find enough people that share our ideas to buy it. We don’t submit our wines for scoring or competitions.

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

JAMIE: The Dry Creek Valley is a special place to grow grapes because of the amount of different types of quality terrain for growing a variety of varietals. From the Eastern bench to the Western hills and mountains, the range of soils and exposures lends itself to the diversity of wines we like to make.

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

JAMIE: Realize that winemaking is both simple and complicated. It’s all just fermented grape juice, but it’s all about the details; every minute little thing you do or don’t do to the grapes or wine will affect how it turns out.

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

JAMIE: Just finishing up harvest; we took in 50% more grapes than we ever have before, as our newly replanted Bradford Mt. Vineyard comes into production. Right now is the “what just happened” phase, where we continue to do more of the lab tests to confirm that what we are tasting is what is really there, and there are no surprises. Everything from this vintage is looking great, and I’m excited to have been able to take in this much from such a great year.

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

JAMIE: The 2005 growing season was cool, and one of the latest harvests we have ever done. The Cabernet was let hang for a long time, to bring the natural mountain acidity into balance, and the resulting wine is richer and darker in fruit than the Bradford Mountain Cabernet usually is. We blended in some Cabernet Franc to soften the wine and provide some floral complexity. This wine is one of the finest I think I have seen into bottle, and will really benefit from aging.

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

JAMIE: I love this wine with a grilled rib-eye steak, roasted rosemary-garlic fingerling potatoes, and sides of sautéed chanterelle mushrooms, sautéed spinach, and good sourdough bread (from the Downtown Bakery here in Healdsburg).

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

JAMIE: I like to go mushroom hunting (for chanterelles and porcini), even though as a teenager I accidently picked and ate Death Cap mushrooms.

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

JAMIE: Zinfandel is the wine I seem to open the most often of our own, but I also drink a lot of Rhone wines, and wines from the Ventoux.

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

JAMIE: So many people look for the “best” wine. I always ask them “best for what?” Every wine has a place and time for appreciating (unless it just is a wine that really sucks…), and it’s more important for people to figure out what types of wine they like, and why, than what others think is the best. Trust your own palate rather than what a critic or others say.

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!

JAMIE: Thanks for having me, and for appreciating and selling our wines!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

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

2006 Ceja Vineyards Carneros Pinot Noir

Mission Codename: Del Soul

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Ceja Vineyards and procure an allotment of their exceptional 2006 Carneros Pinot Noir for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Ceja Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2006 Carneros Pinot Noir

Winemaker: Armando Ceja

Backgrounder: Some of our favorite California Pinot Noir comes from the Carneros viticultural area, a wine-growing region which straddles the Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. The cool Carneros region provides ideal growing conditions for Pinot Noir and Pinot thrives here. Ceja Vineyards is a Wine Spies favorite and we are proud to bring you today’s very special wine. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report to learn more about this fantastic Pinot Noir.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Prevailing medium pink-burgundy hues, a little opaque with a slightly darker core. At the edges of the wine, near the rim of the glass, the wine shows a unique blush-peach color that our tasting panel found intriguing. When swirled, this wine shows a soft surface that leaves behind skinny and fast moving legs

Smell – After this wine opens up, an amazing array of aromatics emerge, lead by bright cherry, wet forest floor, tomato vine and black plum. These coexist with follow-on flavors of dried meats, soft cigar, dried red flowers, black tea, subtle mixed baking spices and jalapeno pepper

Feel – Soft and round on entry, then a roving dryness winds its way around your mouth, starting at the tip of the tongue and working its way around the edges of the mouth, drying the lips and cheeks as it goes. The feel is complimented by an easy acidity, soft minerals and a unique cooling feeling the shows up at the end

Taste – Dark cherry, dried blueberry, black tea, and soft herb on the attack, then soft dried herbs, subtle nutty marzipan and subtle roasted tomato emerge. These are joined by a flinty dark minerality that seems to wrangle all of the flavors together at the center of your tongue

Finish – Ultra-long and very smooth with fruit and spice flavors that actually increase in intensity after the wine is swallowed. Flavors persist for a long while after swallowing, ultimately leaving behind a dark minerality

Conclusion – This is a fantastic wine that really benefits from extended decanting. Initially shy, this wine blossomed after sitting for an hour. The difference between just-opened and post-decant is significant, so be sure to allow the wine ample time to breath. I have always been very enamored with Ceja wines and with Carneros Pinot Noir, so when I had the opportunity to get my hands on this wine, I was thrilled. The wine, like the Ceja family, is filled with heart and soul. With a bevvy of unique flavors and aromatics, this is a very interesting wine to drink. Add to these attributes the fact that the feel of the wine is very unique – and you have a thrilling overall Pinot-drinking experience. Enjoy now, and cellar a few bottles for up to 5 years. Salud!

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Armando Ceja

WINE EDUCATION: My wine education started immediately upon my arrival here to the US from Mexico. I immigrated in 1967 with my family when I was seven years old. We settled in north Napa where I started working alongside my parents and siblings in the vineyards. Over the years I fell in love with the grape growing process and eventually decided I would make a career out of it. I worked at various wineries throughout high school and even had the chance to make my first barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon at the age of seventeen before I headed off to UC Davis where I received degrees in oenology and viticulture. I was on my way!

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: After college I worked for Kenwood Vineyards in both winemaking and vineyard management before joining the management team at the Christian Brothers winery on Mt. Veeder. After a few years at Christian Brothers I decided it was time to strike out on my own; I formed Vina Del Sol (Vines of the Sun), my own vineyard management company.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Grow the best fruit possible in the vineyards and let nature take its course in the cellar utilizing gentle wine-making techniques.

WINEMAKER QUOTE: Wine is not a lifestyle, it represents life itself.

FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: 1998, Sonoma Carneros Pinot Noir

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WINEMAKER INTERVIEW_

AGENT RED: Greetings, Armando Ceja. We are thrilled to be showing your 2006 Sonoma Carneros Pinot Noir today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

WINEMAKER: Thanks for promoting the Ceja love. Can I have a cool “Agent” name too?

RED: We’ve already given you one, Agent Carneros! Tell me, was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

WINEMAKER: Having been born into a seasonal farm-working family, I had no choice but to work in the vineyards of Napa as a child. During harvest I would follow the grapes to the winery, curious to see how the grapes would end up. That curiosity still leads me to the cellar today.

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

WINEMAKER: I was fortunate to have Gino Zepponi of ZD Wines as mentor growing up.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

WINEMAKER: Mother Earth

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

WINEMAKER: Our Carneros Pinot Noir is a classic medley of “New and Old World” styles. It has balanced acidity and low alcohol and features earthy and smoky notes yet is still quite fruit-driven and voluptuous.

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

WINEMAKER: My mama’s pozole.

RED: In your opinion, what makes the Carneros region so special?

WINEMAKER: French winemakers have a term that “something” about a place grows great wines – terroir. The factors that influence grapes – sun, wind, temperature and humidity – produce a geographic alchemy that results in the white and red magic of Carneros wines.

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

WINEMAKER: I’m spending a lot of time moderating malolactic fermentation and racking (the process of siphoning the wine off the lees into a new, clean barrel).

RED: How would you recommend people approach your wines and wine in general?

WINEMAKER: With a wine glass and corkscrew!

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

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Vina Del Sol vineyard and Ceja Vineyards winery can be seen in this satellite photo.

2005 Domaine Parent ‘Les Renardes’ Corton Grand Cru

Mission Codename: A Grand Legacy

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Secure a very special Grand Cru Burgundy

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Domaine Parent

Wine Subject: 2005 ‘Les Renardes’ Corton Grand Cru

Winemaker: Anne Parent

Backgrounder:

Corton, in the Cote de Beaune region of Burgundy is located between the villages of Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix. Corton has several specific vineyards or climats, each with its own distinct Terroir and character. Today’s selection is from the ’Les Renardes’ climat near the Aloxe-Corton commune. Aloze-Corton derives its name from the Celtic word for high place. While most, 95%, of the wines in Corton are red (Pinot Noir), the region is also famous for Corton-Charlemange, among the most exceptional Chardonnay made in the world.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and beautifully dark garnet with ruby red reflections through its deep but crystal clear core. The color remains dense and deep all the way tot he very edge of and when swirled, this wine shows its springy surface texture while leaving thin legs that start slowly and gain momentum as they descend to the wine below.

Smell – Bold and expressive with bright aromas of wild blackberry and dark cherry. Complex notes of subtle oak, earthy truffle and mushroom and spice mingle with this wine’s minerality.

Feel – This full-bodied dry wine has a muscular framework that is at the same time restrained, a quality that carries over into the taste category. Firm, powdered-textured tannins and a bright acidity kick and Terroir-driven minerality keeps things intense but also elegant.

Taste – Exceptionally distinct but restrained Pinot Noir flavors of wild blackberry and cherry along with spicy pepper, mushroom, and funky earthiness. A chalky/pomus minerality that is both felt and tasted lingers over the palate with layers of subtle smoke, herbal notes and oak. Focused in its integration.

Finish – Exceptionally long this wine’s tannin and mineral textural quality that clings to the palate, as notes of fruit and other flavors linger making the mouth water for another sip.

Conclusion – The 2005 Domaine Parent ‘Les Renardes’ Corton Grand Cru is a delicious and exceptional example of one of the world’s finest wine-growing regions. It is almost a shame to have tasted and reviewed this wine now, as its true potential lies at least decade into the future. Redolent on the nose; bold and muscular, but not overbearing on the palate; elegant, pure but also austere in its flavors; and a finish that leaves you yearning for more. What else could you want? Allow this wine to open up and breathe for 30-60 minutes if enjoying it now, but if possible save a couple bottles for the future. You’ll love the evolution of this wine in the glass.

Mission Report:

Below is a recap of Agent White’s and Blush’s recent visit to Burgundy.

… East Central France …

We began the day early as we wanted to hit the Route des Grand Crus with lots of time to enjoy the food and especially the wine. Zipping through the back roads from our safe house in Bar Sur Aube(south end of the Champagne region) to Dijon at this hour was fast but just outside of Dijon, we started to hit the normal business day traffic. Thankfully, the GPS devise in my handheld spy communicator quickly re-routed us around and soon we were headed south through some of the finest vineyards in all of Burgundy.

The N74, or Route de Dijon as its known officially but wine aficionados know this as the Route de Grand Crus. We slowed down and started taking it all in. The names of each commune and village familiar to anyone who has spent time in the French section of a good wine shop. The vineyards, this time of year, bare, with a slight fog resting in the lower valleys, and along the tops of the hills to the west. A slight drizzle fell creating an almost surreal experience as the fog and low clouds moved with the weather exposing and then rehiding these prized vineyards.

After our lunch in Beaune, Agent Blush and I had the chance to explore some of the smaller communes that overlooked the valley and in particular, the historic Aloxe-Corton with is many Grand Cru vineyards. Aloxe-Corton is located just about 1.5 miles north of Beaune. The wines from here are truly representative of the finesse and elegance that Burgundy is known for.

Quite simply, this is the life. While you may not have been able to join us on the Holiday in Beaune, today’s selection from Domaine Parent will at least give you a small bit of the flavor of the trip!

A votre sante!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Aloxe-Corton can be seen in this satellite photo.

2006 Sol Rouge Vineyard & Winery “The Keep” Syrah-based Rhone Blend

Mission Codename: Finders Keepers

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Raid the winemaker’s keep at Sol Rouge and return with ‘The Keep’

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Sol Rouge

Wine Subject: 2006 ‘The Keep’ Red Rhone Blend

Winemaker: Bryan Kane & Jill Brothers

Backgrounder:

Its always a pleasure to feature the great wines form Sol Rouge. There focus on exceptional fruit, old-world technique and Terroir driven wine results in classic wines with a distinct California flair. Today’s selection is a blend of the best barrels of the 2006 vintage made in the style of the Southern-Rhone

The Southern Rhone Valley in France is famous for its Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan and Cinsault based blends that dance on the palate with a range of flavors, richness and elegance. With the popularity and awareness of such wines, more and more California producers are trying their hand with proprietary Rhone style blends. While these blends do not have to adhere to the strict AOC restrictions, they do capture the style very well. Today’s selection is a lovely example.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Beautiful dark clear garnet with ruby red reflections in its dense but clear core. Along the edges, the color remains deep garnet and when swirled, this wine shows its springy surface tension and leaves slow fat legs on the side of the glass.

Smell – Bold and rich, this redolent wine has aromas of wild blueberry and other dark fleshy and tart bramble berries. Sweet floral notes and brown spices meld with mild oak and mocha.

Feel – Full-bodied and smooth, this dry wine is expansive on the palate, becoming almost chewy and meaty in character with firm tannins, balanced acidity and a touch of spice that lingers into the finish.

Taste – Ripe and fleshy dark berries with a hint of sour cherry layered over mocha and soft toasted oak. The brown spice and floral aromas from the nose make their appearance on the palate with the addition of a good dose of minerality.

Finish – Extremely long with lingering fruit, the finish of this wine invites another sip, and eventually another glass.

Conclusion – The 2006 Sol Rouge ‘The Keep” is a lovely Syrah-based blend with fantastic rich fruit leading the way. Sentimental brown spices and mocha along with other complex flavors makes this wine both approachable and contemplative in nature. Enjoy this wine now (let breathe for 30-60 minutes) or cellar for many years to come.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Bryan Kane

WINE EDUCATION: I was a long time home winemaker and then joined up with the East Bay Winemaker’s Society where I met Ken Rosenblum and Thomas Coyne. I got some hands-on harvest training and winemaking mentoring with Scott Shatley, the assistant winemaker at Siduri. I continued to work with Scott at Copain and later at Roessler Cellars with Scott and his brother-in-law Walt Gurthrie where I then polished my Rhone-style winemaking.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Classic winemaking that utilizes old-world style and minimalistic winemaking techniques.

WINEMAKER QUOTE: “Wine is an individual experience meant to be shared with good friends”

FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: 2004 Sol Rouge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

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WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT WHITE: Greetings, Bryan. We are thrilled to be showing your 2006 “The Keep” today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

BRYAN: My pleasure, its always fun to meet up at The Wine Spies safe-house. Can I take this hood off now?

WHITE: Sure, but if you don’t mind, we’re going to keep you in lockup as your reputation precedes you…. Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

BRYAN: When I was 21 years old I at a restaurant in Michigan with a number of work associates we enjoyed the wine flight special. After the first sip, the wine took over the entire focus of our conversation that lasted long into the night. I love the way wine brings people together.

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

BRYAN: Michel Chapoutier from France’s Hermitage region

WHITE: Who do you make wine for?

BRYAN: I make wine for myself and also the vineyard owners. I always try to make wines that expresses the unique characteristics and Terroir of each vineyard.

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

BRYAN: Each year we select the two best barrels of the vintage. These two barrels become the base blend for our winemaker’s keep. Usually this wine is reserved for our wine club members, family and close friends. Today only we are making a few cases available for your operatives.

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

BRYAN: Since this is a bolder wine, I’d pair it with Moroccan spiced grilled lamb chops or kabobs.

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

BRYAN: Now that harvest is over and the wine is either in bottle or barrel I spend most of my time pouring at trade tastings to get as much exposure for the winery as possible.

WHITE: How would you recommend people approach your wines and this wine in general?

BRYAN: I made this wine to be balanced in structure and to evolve and mature in the bottle. You could certainly enjoy it now (keep, pun intended, a few bottles in the cellar for the future). It is still a young wine, so open the bottle and give it some time to breathe. Enjoy this wine as it evolves in the glass and opens up.

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

2006 Andrew Murray Vineyards Watch Hill Vineyard Syrah

Mission Codename: Overwatch

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Respond to reports by our junior agent, Agent Franc, that Andrew Murray Vineyards in Santa Barbara County makes extraordinary Syrah. If his intel is correct, infiltrate the winery and secure a small allotment for our Syrah-loving Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Andrew Murray Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2006 Watch Hill Vineyard Syrah

Winemaker: Andrew Murray

Backgrounder: Several months ago, Agent Red began a new round of Wine Spies Agent recruitment. His search uncovered an eager young man named [REDACTED]. After thoroughly vetting [REDACTED], Agent Red brought him into the fold, making him a Junior Agent, and giving him the code-name, Agent Franc. Fran quickly proved his mettle, and when he sleuthed out an Andrew Murray Syrah, it was clear that Agent Red had recruited wisely. Today we are proud to feature Agent Franc’s first wine selection, a brilliant Andrew Murray Syrah.

The popularity of Syrah is undeniable. Big and bold in flavor and texture, it packs a concentrated punch of flavor that many people love. This Rhone varietal, although many believe that the grape originated in the Persia region, is 100% French in lineage. The Syrah grape is directly descendant from the Monduese Blanche and Dureza varietals and is grown worldwide with great success. Today’s delightful Syrah is a bold and balanced delight with deep flavors, dark aromatics and a voluptuous mouth feel

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deepest dark garnet, with a deeper but still clear heart. This wine shows off very concentrated color throughout, but has lovely ruby edges. The surface of the wine looks soft and bouncy when swirled. When it settles down, super tightly-packed, chubby legs appear high on the glass. They take a very long time to make their way down the glass, becoming thinner as they do

Smell -Dark ripe blackberry leads the charge, followed by raspberry, cassis, smoky black cherry and aromatic forest floor. These sit atop dried fall leaves, dark dried flowers and a hint of subtle pencil shavings

Feel – Round and rich in the mouth, with a voluptuous medium body, balanced acidity, soft spice and mild minerality

Taste – Deep blackberry, smoky blueberry, dark cherry and cassis, with soft earth, dried meats and cracked peppercorn

Finish – Ultra-long, rich and full of dark fruit, this wine finishes dusky and flavorful, leading with darkest fruit flavors and finishing slightly smoky

Conclusion – I think that I may have found my new Go-To Syrah! This is a deeply delicious wine that reaffirms Syrah’s place among the other kings of red wine. Andrew Murray is known for his extraordinary Santa Barbara County Syrah and this wine shows us why; Deep, rich and full of dark flavors, this Syrah is beautifully balanced and a great joy to drink. Spend ample time with this wine, experimenting with sips (and gulps!) of differing sizes, and you’ll find a full range of flavors and feelings in your mouth. Kudos to Agent Franc for bringing this extraordinary wine – and winery – to my attention. Andrew Murray Syrah is a new favorite!

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER_

SUBJECT: Andrew Murray

WINE EDUCATION: Double BS in Fermentation Science and Viticulture, UC Davis

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Founded eponymous Vineyard and Winery in 1990.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Wine starts and very nearly ends in the vineyard. We are blessed to be in Los Olivos, in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, where we focus exclusively on Rhone varieties, and mostly on Syrah. We have worked tirelessly to pursue relationships with a select few local growers who share our passion for excellence and our attention to detail. We strive to craft wines that speak of their unique hillside origins while adhering to our philosophy of non-interventional winemaking. We will employ as few inputs as possible towards our goal of crafting delicious and ageworthy wines.

FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: 1994 Vintage Syrah, released in 1996.

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WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Greetings, Andrew. We are thrilled to be showing your Watch Hill Syrah today. I had the great pleasure to review the wine, recently, and I have to tell you, I love it! Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

WINEMAKER: Hello, I am truly delighted to have our Syrah featured on the site…

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

WINEMAKER: Wow…deep question right off the bat… Sometimes I feel as though my parents raised me to be a winemaker, though I know that they would argue with that! My parents raised me as an inquisitive foodie, and shared with me their passion for travel and all things Gourmand…they took me on a few culinary tours of Europe while I was just a young teenager. These food trips once led to the Rhone Valley in Southern France…there we sampled Viognier for the first time. It was the most unusual variety…rich, un-oaked, floral, oily, unctuous, palate filling. It got us all started with the crazy notion of starting a vineyard together, back on a parcel of land that my parents had recently purchased as a Los Angeles getaway…it just happened to be along Foxen Canyon Road, in the heart of some really up and coming wine country…

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

WINEMAKER: No one winemaker or wine has singularly influenced my winemaking…rather the influence comes from so many wines and so many regions. I lived and worked in Western Australia for nine months before launching AMV, so I was and am heavily influenced by Australia…though I often find the wines to be over the top. So, I temper this influence with my European travels (including virtual travels while sitting at dinner with a great bottle of wine in front of me), where I have often found the wines to have too much restraint. So, I am uniquely influenced by a mythical blend of in-your-face Aussie Juice and wonderfully elegant Old World wines.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

WINEMAKER: I used to answer this kind of question with the answer, “Myself”…yet it always sounded so self-serving and shallow. What I really meant was that I craft our wines for our consumers, while staying true to MY core values as a person and a winemaker. I strive to make pure and honest and delicious wines for our customers, as I certainly want our customers to appreciate and purchase our wines and to share this ride with me…

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

WINEMAKER: The Watch Hill Vineyard lies in the cool reaches of the Los Alamos Valley. The grapes are allowed to reach very high maturity levels, while retaining a stunning natural acidity due to warm, sunny days and cool nights and soils rich in sand an calcareous material. This results in a very full-bodied Syrah that is refreshing, rather than heavy or cloying. The aromas and flavors lean toward bright red fruits…cherries, raspberries, currants, and cranberries, with a spicy note dominated by fresh black pepper and a dose of sweet French Oak. This wine is quite drinkable now, but you will be rewarded if you wait 2-5 years to drink this one.

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

WINEMAKER: I am always overly simple about food pairings, taking the philosophy that I usually choose the wine and then enjoy it with whatever we are eating…however, this wine sings with grilled meats like lamb, and filet, and even lasagna and Pizza. The Super Bowl is forthcoming…it would be tasty with a gourmet burger, grilled onions, blue cheese and bacon…I must be hungry as that sounds really good right now.

RED: In your opinion, what makes Santa Ynez so special?

WINEMAKER: The Santa Ynez Valley has a magical combination of varied and fantastic soils, amazing hillside aspects, and consistently near-perfect weather. This is combined with conscientious and focused vineyard owners and managers who strive to grow the best fruit possible. Also, the local wine community is a fun bunch of people who are always stretching and trying to improve their own wines and thus the reputation of this place.

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

WINEMAKER: We are making final blends and getting ready to bottle the 2008 Vintage wines for release later in the year.

RED: How would you recommend people approach your wines and wine in general?

WINEMAKER: My great hope in life is that people enjoy the kinds of wines that they ACTUALLY enjoy rather than simply drinking a wine that they think is O.K. to like because someone else has told them that it was good. I see lots of unsure wine consumers out there, who endlessly apologize for their lack of knowledge or sophistication, or for liking a kind of wine that others have deemed less-than-worthy. It really bums me out. I always tell people that they are their own best expert, their own best judge and that they should never be embarrassed to like or dislike a certain wine. It sounds so simple, yet there are too many folks out there that do not approach wine like this at all. I think that too much emphasis has been placed on the wine critic and not enough on their own personal strength. Don’t get me wrong…the wine critic or the expert is a very important piece of the puzzle…often helping a confused consumer (and yes even me) wade through the ever expanding world of wine. But, don’t let them be the judge and the jury, retain that power for yourself. Everyone has some sort of system for liking something over something else…whether it be art, cars, music, sports, books, etc. and usually that system is established over a lifetime of experiences and interactions. Wine seems to intimidate people (not all people certainly), but enough people that it worries me that people are drinking certain wines for someone else’s ego, rather than for their own hedonistic delight. So, I would wish for folks to try our wines with an open mind and an open palate (we have been lucky to get some really nice scores through the years) and to appreciate them (or not, of course) based upon their own perceptions…

RED: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

WINEMAKER: One will notice right away that this wine is closed with the Stelvin screw top. We switched to this closure system for all of our wines in 2006 after several years of experimentation. We believe so strongly in the superiority of the closure that we purchased our own bottling line so that I could directly oversee each and every bottle as the cap is spun on. Many are confused about the qualities of the screwcap, so I wanted to leave you with one interesting morsel. The Stelvin screwcap is engineered to let in a small amount of oxygen over time, just like a cork allows. So, it is a miss-truth to say the screwcap is aseptic or airtight. The cork and the screwcap differ in a very important way…the cork is the bark of a special oak tree…it is a living organism and thus is quite variable from batch to batch. So, even though TCA taint has been dramatically reduced through these last few years, there is still chance for leaking and severe oxidation from a bad cork. When we looked at the evidence proving the screwcap as a superior choice, we had NO choice but to bottle our wines this way. Because the air ingress is engineered and is rather a small amount, our wines tend to age more slowly and taste “fresher” long after bottling. We are also allowed to employ smaller amounts of sulfites prior to bottling…all good things in my humble opinion.

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

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of Andrew Murray Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

2006 Burgess Cellars Estate Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Codename: The Urge

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: With Burgess Cellars under extended surveillance, rush to procure their newest Cabernet Sauvignon – and make it available to our Operatives long before the public gets wind

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Burgess Celllars

Wine Subject: 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Winemaker: Steve Burgess

Backgrounder: Our Operatives love Burgess Cellars’ Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2004 and 2005 vintages we featured here in previous years quickly became best-sellers! When we learned that Steve’s 2006 was ready, we sent Agent Red to secure an ample supply. Read Agent Reds tasting notes and mission report below.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep ruby red, with a heart of slightly opaque darker garnet. Color maintains solid concentration, right out to the edges of the glass. Swirl the wine and you’ll see a tight surface that settles fast, leaving behind skinny tears that take a long time to emerge before they march steadily down the glass

Smell – Lush and full of red berries, leading with raspberry, dark cherry, ripe strawberry and cranberry. These yield to a softly earthy aroma of forest floor, and dried meats with licorice and hard leather. Underneath all of this you will find a lovely herbaceous aroma, with very subtle dried rosemary and thyme

Feel – Soft and plush at first. Then, gradually, softly grippy and slightly drying as the wine winds its way around your mouth, leaving behind a soft coating as it moves

Taste – Dark and full, with deep red fruit from the nose. Add to these, additional flavors of overripe blackberry and smoky black plum, with dried meats, tobacco leaf, black licorice and soft spice

Finish – Exceedingly long, with ripe fruit flavors, a hint of dark smoke and a soft flinty minerality

Conclusion – I have had the distinct pleasure to enjoy 3 successive vintages of Steve Burgess’ exceptional Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Of all of them, I find this one to be the most intriguing – and the most complex. This, according to Steve, is attributable to the precise timing of the 2006 harvest. The result is a wine with deeper fruit and greater intrigue. With bold but balanced flavors, wonderful aromatics and a dynamic feel, this iteration of Steve’s estate Cabernet is a delicious and delightful treat!

Mission Report:

What follows is Agent Red’s first encounter with Burgess Cellars. Now that we have a mole deep within the Burgess organization, procuring specials like today’s pre-release allotment is a snap. Please enjoy this mission recap:

In which Agent Red has enjoyed a few glasses of today’s 2004 Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon – and finds himself waxing poetic. Or does he?

Ode to Burgess and their fanTAStic Cabernet Sauvignon

Millenial
Generational
Dedication
Preservation

Your wines appeal
they make us feel
a connection
to the Mountain Howell

Maceration
Vinification
Fermentation
Mere words
The true soul of your wine shines
in the tall pours that I desire

Succulent
Juicy
Delicious
Bright fruit
Deep roots
Your Cab is beyond compare

In which Agent Cuvee, sensing that Agent Red is not the Pablo Neruda of wine, steps in and stops Agent Red from writing any more _poetry.

Okay, Red, put down the pen and go get some rest. I got this one.

Greeting Dear Operatives. Agent Red had to, umm, leave. I’m taking over this briefing.

All of us here at Wine Spies Central Command agree: Bill Sorenson is a winemaker of remarkable talent. All of his wines shine with a uniqueness and distinctiveness and all of his wines taste great. The fantastic Howell Mountain fruit grown on the Burgess estate doesn’t hurt, either.

We recently had the great fortune to taste through all of his current release red wines and it was his Cab that really stood out as our favorite. With bright fruit, a tender mouth feel and a rich finish, this wine is not a massive monster Cab that bullies your senses. This is a refined wine that is real pleasure to spend quality time with.

During our tasting, we found ourselves discussing this wine at length. It was really interesting to pull apart and describe in detail all of the aromas and flavors that the wine conveys. With its bright acidity, we suspect that the wine would pair nicely with most anything. We were hoping to enjoy it with the meal we had planned for later that evening, but Agent Red seemed to have enjoyed most of the remaining bottle, leaving none for our dinner. Alas. At least it led to some poetry that we can tease him about – once he returns from his latest mission!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Burgess Cellars in Napa Valley can be seen in this satellite photo.

2007 Trefethen Family Vineyards Estate Chardonnay

Mission Codename: Liquid Sunlight

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Seek out one of the best Napa Valley Chardonnays

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Trefethen Family Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2007 Estate Chardonnay

Winemaker: Zeke Neeley

Backgrounder: In 1979, Trefethen 1976 Chardonnay was named “Best Chardonnay in the World” at the Gault Millau World Wine Olympics in France, beginning our 30-year tradition of excellence with this most popular of white wines. Key to our success is our vineyard’s location in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, where well-drained, loamy soils and a marine-influenced climate yield Chardonnay grapes with rich, balanced flavors. Read Agent White’s tasting notes, followed by his mission report, below.

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 – Pale straw yellow with golden yellow-honey reflections through its crystal clear core. When swirled, widely spaced legs of varying speeds descends to the wine below.

Smell – Medium in intensity, but very pretty in character, with aromas of ripe melon and tart green apple. Notes of sweet toasted oak and a very slight butter and honey component emerges with a a touch of minerality and white flowers.

Feel – Smooth and dry, this medium-bodied white has an excellent mouth-feel that balances its creaminess and crisp minerality almost perfectly.

Taste – Lovely green fruit (pear and apple) and tropical melon with a subtle Meyer lemon kick. The restrained oak, vanilla cream, butter and herbal spice emerges as this wine glides over the palate as the minerality keeps everything in check.

Finish – This wine finishes long and clean with lingering flavors of refreshing green apple and subtle mineral hints that blend with this wine’s lovely creamy texture, begging for another sip.

Conclusion – The 2007 Trefethen Family Vineyards Estate Chardonnay is a lovely California Chardonnay with an extremely well balanced flavor and texture. Crisp and refreshing without being overly tart. Restrained and elegant, we enjoyed this wine with herb crusted grilled chicken.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Zeke Neeley

DATE OF BIRTH: September, 1971

PLACE OF BIRTH: California

WINE EDUCATION: B.S. Biochemistry, M.S. Viticulture & Enology U.C. Davis

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: 3 years Bonny Doon Vineyards (Santa Cruz, CA), 2 years Schug Carneros Winery (Sonoma, CA), and approaching 2 years at Trefethen Family Vineyards here in Napa, CA.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: A winemaker is part chef, part scientist, and part fermentation guidance counselor.

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: Chardonnay

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Making wine for Trefethen Family Vineyards. . . living the dream!

CAREER HIGHLIGHT:

WINEMAKER QUOTE:

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WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT WHITE: Greetings, Zeke. We are thrilled to be showing your 2007 Trefethen Family Vineyards Estate Chardonnay today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

WINEMAKER: Who’s talking? Where are you? Oh, I didn’t see you hiding behind the curtain.

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

WINEMAKER: My wife and I would often go wine tasting in Napa and it was there that I developed not only a love of wine but a fascination for the process of winemaking.

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

WINEMAKER: I know that most winemakers say that they learned the most about winemaking on their first job but I learned the most in school. Winemaking was my second career and I went to graduate school not to get a degree but to learn everything that my professors knew about winemaking.

WHITE: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

WINEMAKER: I’m shooting for balanced wines that accentuate the positive attributes of our estate grown fruit here in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley.

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

WINEMAKER: My predecessor here at Trefethen Family Vineyards, Peter Luthi, and the Dry Rieslings that he has made over the years. The chance to work with Peter and that fruit spurred me on to take this job.

WHITE: How long have you been making wine?

WINEMAKER: In reality, the yeast make the wine. We just fool them into doing what we want. I have been involved in fooling yeast for 6 vintages.

WHITE: Who do you make wine for?

WINEMAKER: We strive to make wines that the Trefethen family enjoys. Unfortunately, we make several thousand cases more than the family can get through in a year so we sell the excess.

WHITE: Tell me, what makes the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley so special?

WINEMAKER: The Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley is a climate sweet spot between the cooler Carneros district and the hot Rutherford district. Like Goldilock’s experience with baby bear’s porridge, we are “just right.” I find that too cool regions often result in thinner wines and too warm regions syrupy wines. This goes back to the pursuit by Trefethen Family Vineyards for balance.

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

WINEMAKER: If you are still passionate about wine after cleaning your hundredth steel tank, this might be the career for you.

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

WINEMAKER: We are tasting wines still in barrel and coming up with the best possible blends for our upcoming bottling. As an example, we have 58 different lots of Chardonnay from which to find the optimal blend for our 2009 estate Chardonnay. Every lot of Chardonnay that was picked from a different area of our vineyard or picked on a different day is kept separate until we make the blend. Sometimes we further complicate the matter by making two lots from a single lot of grapes by deciding to ferment half in steel tank and half in French oak barrels. Determining the final blend can be quite challenging, but spending hours every day getting paid to taste wine makes up for any aggravation caused by the process.

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

WINEMAKER: The 2007 Trefethen Estate Chardonnay is an elegant and balanced Chardonnay. The aroma is a combination of lemon cream with spicy-floral notes. With a full velvety palate balanced by a citrus acidity, this wine is sure to please any lover of Napa Chardonnay.

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

WINEMAKER: I especially like the 2007 Trefethen Estate Chardonnay as an accompaniment to cream-based seafood dishes. I’ve had it pair beautifully with scallops and risotto as well as, on a cold winter night, a nice comforting bowl of clam chowder.

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

WINEMAKER: I’m a baseball fan and I don’t care who knows!

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

WINEMAKER: The 2007 Double T Red wine is always well stocked at my house.

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

WINEMAKER: Drink what you like and don’t be afraid to explore your local wine shop. Be adventurous and don’t let your own preconceptions or the advice of any so-called expert keep you from trying a wine. Winemakers, critics, and consumers—we are all students of wine.

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

WINEMAKER: If I am disregarding price and availability, I would also like to disregard the space-time continuum and travel back 130 years to taste the Bordeaux of long ago.

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

WINEMAKER: What is my favorite color? It is green.

WHITE: 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!

WINEMAKER: This interview will self-destruct in 5. . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . .

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

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

2006 Adobe Road Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Codename: The Lion Roars at midnight

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Wine Spies Operative favorite, Adobe Road Winery, to retrieve their award-winning 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from the famous Bavarian Lion Vineyard in Knights Valley

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Adobe Road Winery

Wine Subject: 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley, Bavarian Lion Vineyard

Winemaker: Michael Scorsone

Backgrounder: Knights Valley AVA, along highway 128 is located in Sonoma County at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains and next to Napa County. It is a small 55 square miles with about 1000 acres under vine. The gravel and rock soil and higher relative altitude is most influential to the exceptional Cabernet that grows there. The rustic and rural region is well known for its traditional northern California style.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark and inky garnet in color with a slightly opaque, inky heart. The wine maintains deeply concentrated color out to the edges of the glass, where the edges show as pretty ruby hues. On swirling, this wine shows a tight and fast-moving surface. When it settles, it leaves behind skinny legs that start high up on the glass

Smell – Dark and lush, with dark layers of earthy ripe blackberry, dark blueberry, smoky black cherry and soft toasted oak. These sit softly atop softer notes of dried and smoked meats, soft cedar, clove, anise, and dried leaf notes

Feel – Light weight, soft and wet up front, then softly grippy and mouth-coating across the mid-palate. After a few moments, fine-grained tannins show make a gradual appearance, drying the cheeks and lips

Taste – Delicious and tender, balanced and evenly split between dark fruit and an earthen heartiness. The wine leads with dark black stonefruit and dark mixed berries. These are followed by an under-layer of woodsy flavors with leaves, dusky dark cherry, soft oak, dark chocolate, dried meats and soft spice

Finish – Medium-long, starting with soft flavors which linger for a time before they begin to fade gradually. The wine begins dark and fruity, then tails off with smoky mixed berries, forest floor and a very subtle hint of oak

Conclusion – This single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from our old friends at Adobe Road is a real delight. We have had the great pleasure to experience wines from the unique Bavarian Lion vineyard, and Adobe’s interpretation stands as tall as the rest, with it’s own unique character. This wine is a unique Cabernet Sauvignon, with plenty of classic Cab character. Present, also, is an overall experience that can only be had from wines from the Knight’s Valley in Northern Sonoma County. This wine delivers an experience that one might find in Napa/Sonoma Cab blend. Perhaps this is due to the vineyards proximity to Napa County. The wines rich aromatics suggest a wine that is big and bold, but on the palate, you discover that it shows a certain softness that is not what the nose might have suggested. In all, the personality of the wine is a balanced – and delicious one that our tasting panel really enjoyed.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Michael Scorsone

DATE OF BIRTH: 9/77

PLACE OF BIRTH: Pennyslvania

WINE EDUCATION: Culinary Institute of America and Napa College

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Adobe Road, Turley, Failla, Neyers

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Let the wines show character and personality. A strong sense of vineyard location. Show tradition…but not afraid to take chances. Don’t make the wine into something it’s not.

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: Pinot Noir

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Having the opportunity to work with Adobe Road and also all the traveling that I’ve done in my career.

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WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Greetings, Michael. We are honored to be showing your 2006 Knights Valley Cabernet Franc today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

MICHAEL: Thanks, Red. It’s good to be showing another wine with The Wine Spies!

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

MICHAEL: Growing up in an Italian family where food and wine is very important, my travels to old world wine regions and working in the fields in Italy.

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

MICHAEL: I’m always learning something new and always expanding my knowledge.

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

MICHAEL: “Hands off”, non-invasive approach and letting the wine show its personality.

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

MICHAEL: Ted Lemon from Littorai because he’s an excellent wine maker and farmer. He is one of the few winemakers who does it all.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

MICHAEL: Ever since I was a little boy, I helped my dad make his wine.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

MICHAEL: Myself, our customers – and the Adobe Road wine team RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today. WINEMAKER: The wine is very focused on balanced and seamless on the palate and very sweet tannins. Wines from this region consistently show great depth and are very well received by the press. They stand alone and a sense of place next to their neighbor, Napa Valley.

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

WINEMAKER: Because it is mushroom season, black chanterelles with a peppered hanger steak would pair perfectly with this wine.

RED: In your opinion, what makes the Knight’s Valley so special?

WINEMAKER: We are always very excited about any of the wines that come from Knights Valley. It’s a small, unknown region that has high yield and small concentrated fruit. The Bavarian Lion vineyard is sort of tucked away and has its own micro-climate.

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

WINEMAKER: I’m babysitting malolactic fermentation and blending and tasting the ‘08’s for bottling in the near future. 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!

MICHAEL: Thanks, very much, Agent Red! Cheers!

2005 Spellbound Wines Reserve Petite Sirah

Mission Codename: Like Magic

Operative: Agent Red – and a Top Secret tasting panel

Objective: Scour the Napa Valley for an exquisite, winery-only Petite Sirah that is worthy of our Operative’s exacting tastes

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Spellbound

Wine Subject: 2005 Petite Sirah Napa Valley

Winemaker: Robert Mondavi, Jr.

Backgrounder: The name Mondavi is instantly known to nearly all who enjoy finer wines. The Mondavi family, and Robert Mondavi winery, have been Napa Valley legend since 1966. When we were offered the opportunity to taste today’s wine – made by Robert Mondavi, Jr., – we were honored. Today’s wine is a beautiful Petite Sirah from the Napa Valley. Agent Red reviewed this wine with a distinguished tasting panel of wine experts from around the country. The covert tasting was held at The Meritage Resort, in Napa, under a shroud of secrecy. Read their tasting notes, below.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – A dark, brooding and deeply concentrated purple. Inky and slightly opaque, this wines deep looks is accentuated by the purple coating and skinny legs left on the inside edge of the glass after swirling

Smell – Blackfruit through and through, with pronounced blackberry, black currant, dark plum and black cherry leading the charge. These sit right atop more subtle aromas of cigar, supple leather, clove, nutmeg and softer cinnamon

Feel – Lightweight on initial entry, then the wine digs in as medium tannins take hold, leading to a more medium-bodied feel

Taste – Black cherry, darkest stonefruit, underripe blackberry, and currant. Flavors evolve and emerge as you take additional sips. Soft spice and cocoa also make a tail-end appearance

Finish – Long and also evolving, with flavors that change and emerge as the fruit continues to emerge, and spice and minerals are also revealed

Conclusion – This rich and brightly acidic wine is delicious and fun to pull apart. We found that decanting really coaxes the flavors and aromatics from the wine, so we recommend that you give the wine at least 30 minutes to breath before enjoying. The patient among you will be rewarded with finer fruit, better flavors and deeper aromatics. It was also the consensus of our paneel that this wine would be best served with a hearty meal, such as a nice grilled steak. Michael Mondavi, Jr. continues to impress us with his winemaking skills. Enjoy this wine now, or cellar for the next few years.

Mission Report:

Agent Red and Rob Mondavi JR have been reported A.W.O.L. When we find them, we will post their interview and debreif them.

2005 Reverdito Michele ‘Badarina’ Barolo DOCG

Mission Codename: Barolo Bada-BING!

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Secure an exceptional single vineyard Barolo worthy of our operatives’ tables and cellars

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Reverdito Michele

Wine Subject: 2001 Barolo ‘Badarina’ DOCG

Winemaker: Michele Reverdito

Backgrounder:

The greatest of all Italian wines are arguably made with from the Nebbiolo grape. Barolo, from the Piedmont made this grape famous, and for good reason. Most people don’t give Barolo enough time and drink them young, but those patient enough to wait at least 7 – 8 years, and often as much as 20 plus years are handsomely rewarded with a wine that is the ultimate expression of the grape. The most prized bottlings of Barolo are those from an exceptional single vineyard.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark and deep ruby with orange and brick hues along the edges and a dark clear core. Slow fat legs ring the glass that are followed by fat tears that hang for an extended time before slowly descending to the wine below.

Smell – This wine has a redolent nose that hits you immediately upon pulling the cork. Aromas of smokey and tangy blackberry and raspberry fruit are layered over floral violets, earth, zesty Italian tar, and cedar Highly complex, aromas of fresh white pepper and tobacco reveals themselves as the wine opens up.

Feel – Full-bodied, bold and dry, with firm highly textured, almost powdered, grippy tannins (softens as it breathes) that coats the far reaches of the palate. Exceptional acidity and a solid spiciness lingers long into the finish.

Taste – Serious and exacting, this bold wine balances its complex spice, floral and cedar over restrained tangy and tart red and black fruit. Zesty tar, tobacco, earth and a tiny hint of licorice emerge and linger framing the fruit perfectly.

Finish – Extremely long with blackberry, raspberry and sour cherry dance over the palate as this wine’s textured tannins linger with slowly fading white pepper spice.

Conclusion – This single vineyard Barolo is a classic old-world wine that is both focused and restrained. This wine’s grippy textured tannins hold on tight and don’t let go. The epitome of Barolo is its bold power. Pair this classic with everything simple buttered tagliatelle noodles and shaved truffles to Osso Buco. If enjoying this wine now, be sure to give it plenty of time or decant, otherwise cellar it for up to ten or more years. Cin Cin!

Mission Report:

Below is a recap of the mission when we first discovered Reverdito Michele.

After last week’s dangerous mission I needed to get back on a firm footing, plus we still hadn’t located Agent Baco Noir. We had lost contact with her in Tuscany, but my gut told me to head back to the Piedmont to pick up her trail.

And why not, anyone who follows our missions knows her (and mine also) love for the wines of Northwest Italy. In particular, Barolo, which is, in my humble opinion, in my top three of all Italian wine styles (before you jump all over me, the others are Amarone della Valpolicella and Brunello di Montalcino).

Unfortunately, may of the greatest of these wines are either inaccessible or drunk too young. I’m as impatient as the next wino, but if you can wait, you’ll be handsomely rewarded.

I made my way to Alba, an old medieval town, south of Torino, made famous for its White Truffle Festival, held each October, and of course Rocher Ferrero chocolate! I always love exploring the back roads in Italian villages. I stumbled into a small cafe/wine bar in the Piazza del Duomo, initially planning to simply enjoy a coffee, but to my surprise, at an adjacent table, was the young and dynamic Michele Reverdito, owner and winemaker of Azienda Agricola Reverdito Michele.

I immediately recognized him since we have featured one of his exceptional Barbarescos earlier in the year. Michele invited me to his table, and asked if I would like a glass of wine.

”Coffee is fine for now, its been a long day travelling”, I responded.

”Are you sure?, I have a bottle of my 2001 Barolo Bricci Cogni, I think you should try it…”

”In that case, why not!”, I responded, thinking to myself, who? in their right mind, would decline a taste of a single vineyard Barolo, especially from such an exceptional winemaker?

The look on my face must have been a total give away, I was immediately transported. There is just something about enjoying a great wine, with great food, in a great little Italian piazza, its just quite simply heaven. In a word, this wine is magnificent!

I guess my search for Baco would just have to wait…

Top Secret Message to Agent Baco Noir:

OPS SEEKING CONTACT WITH YOU… NEEDS TASTING NOTES ON YOUR WINERIES UNDER SURVEILLANCE… CONTACT WHITE POST HASTE

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the approximate location of Reverdito Michele’s vineyard can be seen in this satellite photo.