review

2 Great Cabernets from B.R. Cohn

I had a chance to meet Dan Cohn for dinner earlier this fall. We met for an old school steak dinner at the famous Durant’s steakhouse in Phoenix Arizona and of course to taste some wines.

Dan, is the son of Bruce Cohn, founder of the winery. Bruce is also the manager of a band called The Doobie Brothers, and has been since 1970. Bruce founded the B.R. Cohn winery in 1984, but he had already been running a vineyard and selling grapes for 10 years by that time.

I sat down in one of the booths at Durant’s and waited for Dan. He arrived a few minutes after me and greeted me warmly. The first thing I noticed about Dan is that he is a straight forward completely un-shy (if that’s even a word) kind of guy. Or at least that is how he comes across. He gets straight to the point, he’s confident but has a sort of boyish sense of humor. In talking about how he currently runs the whole show for B.R. Cohn, he almost laughed:

“My office is the bedroom I grew up in, like literally the tasting room and offices is the house I grew up in.” Suddenly he stood up and walked over to another table and greeted the guests. They had just ordered a bottle of B.R. Cohen with their dinner and he quickly went over and thanked them personally. The guests were quite old and I could tell they didn’t quite know what to make of this guy. He was wearing a purple corduroy type blazer and had a paisley shirt and a fat tie on. He looked like a rock star. A little later on at another table a young couple also ordered some of his wine and he raised a glass to them, their waiter let them know who he was and they were definitely interested.

Dan talked a little bit about winery life, but for the most part he was persistent in asking me questions. While not the greatest for pulling information, I did find it flattering and interesting. Not a lot of wine makers and people in the business want to know about the details of wine blogging. His interest was genuine and I appreciated that.

When it came time to order, of course we had steak, and paired it with B.R. Cohn’s Olive Hill Estate Cabernet.

B.R. Cohn 2010 Olive Hill Estate Cabernet, Sonoma

This wine is 100% Cabernet, aged 24 months in French Oak. The flavors of anise and mint dominate the palate. This wine would pair very well with Lamb, although it did go quite nicely with the steak as well. 3,000 cases were produced and the suggested retail is $55.

B.R. Cohn 2012 Gold Label, Cabernet Sauvignon

I was surprised by how different the Gold Label is to the Olive Hill. This wine is solid, still young and will benefit from several hours of decanting in the near future. The blend is 67% Napa County and 33% Sonoma County, all Cabernet. Each lot is aged separately in French Oak. 4,800 cases were produced and the suggested retail is $40. I was surprised to see the price at only $40. This a really good deal for that price. The wine is ideally suited to prime cuts of beef grilled over an open flame.

B.R. Cohn Website

Durant’s Steakhouse Website

*These wines were provided as review samples

A Taste of Howell Mountain Wines | 2013

A Taste of Howell Mountain Wines, 2013

The setting for the Taste of Howell Mountain 2013

If you’ve paid even a perfunctory attention to wine over the last 30-40 years you’ve noticed that wine is produced in Napa Valley and you’ve heard of Robert Mondavi. And if you’ve taken a liking to wine you might know a dozen or more wine names and you might have seen the movie “Sideways”. The more you interested you become the deeper you dig until eventually (hopefully) you discover the taste of Howell Mountain wines.

These mountain fruit wines are not for everyone. They’re big, they’re tannic, they need time to unwind, but given patience they can develop into something unique and mind blowing.

Throughout the year the Howell Mountain Vintners & Growers Association holds tasting events in the San Fransisco area. The main event, however, is held every June on the grounds of the historic Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena.

Guests pay $125 to sample wines from over 40 wineries, all of which have wines made from Howell Mountain fruit. $125 may seem like a lot, but when you consider than many of these wines cost $100-$200 a bottle, its actually a great deal. In fact, you’ll probably even sample wines that are just not for sale!

At this year’s event I visited as many of the participating wineries as possible, but just like Disneyland, it’s just not possible to experience it all in a day.

Robert Craig wine-maker Stephen Tebb and director of retail sales Rachel Miller

My first stop was Robert Craig’s table. I sampled the 2010 Howell Mountain Cabernet from his estate vineyard and the 2010 Howell Mountain Zinfandel which is made from fruit from the neighboring Black Sears Vineyard. Robert “Bob” was also pouring an unreleased Rose which was really amazing. The rose was dry and crisp with good floral aromatics.

Robert Craig Rose

I managed to get a quick video interview with Stephen Tebb, which you can see here. I also got to chat with Bob a little bit, which is always nice as he’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Check back for an upcoming article on Robert & Lynn Craig’s 50th wedding anniversary…

Next up was Robert Foley. I sampled the ’09 Howell Mountain Cabernet. “Bob” wasn’t in town, so new assistant wine-maker Eric Reichenbach and Bob’s wife,

Eric and Kelly

Kelly Kehoe were on hand pouring the wine. Both were a little camera shy, so I couldn’t get them to agree to an outrageous YouTube interview about fine wine. But I picked up the vibe that they had something to say or announce, something to do with an upcoming new release perhaps? hmmm… There will be an article in the near future on my visit to the Robert Foley Estate on Howell Mountain.

Tom Altemus – Red Cap

On the other side of Robert Craig was Red Cap Vineyards. I’d heard about them through Instagram and noticed a number of people commenting on how great the wine was so I was eager to try it out. Owner and grower, Tom Altemus was on hand pouring wines and giving a brief history of Red Cap’s brief history. I sampled both the 2009 Howell Mountain Cab and 2011 Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc. Red Cap’s production levels are also low, even by Howell Mountain standards. Only 260 cases of the ’08 Cab were produced and only 150 cases of the ’11 Sauv Blanc were produced! $65 for the Cab and only $22 for Sauv blanc, you’d better get some shipped to you before its all gone!

Alejandro Alfaro – Rutherford Grove, Pestoni Family

I ran into wine maker for Rutherford Grove and Pestoni Family Wines, Alejandro Alfaro, whom I’d met the day before at the winery. I tried out the ’08 Pestoni Estate Reserve Howell Mountain Cab and was really pleasantly surprised. This is a REALLY nice wine. With only 350 cases made and $65, this wine also won’t last. I have to say Alejandro is also a very nice and friendly fellow, if ever you’re in Napa, stop by the Rutherford Grove (not to be confused with Rutherford Hill) tasting room and say hi. Future article on that visit also coming up…

During my happy wandering it was suggested to me that I head over to the Aloft table. I was filled in that there was quite a bit of buzz surround the new project. And when I arrived at the table I knew why. It was there I met and had a long conversation the Marc Mondavi. He explained that they wanted to create a new project of exceptional quality, and not have it associated with the Charles Krug brand in any way. So they went with a totally hands off approach. The grapes come from the 21 acre Cold Springs Vineyard, the Mondavi’s hired Jim Barbour as vineyard manager and Thomas Rivers Brown as wine-maker!

If you don’t know Thomas Rivers Brown, just consider this feat: In 2008 he scored two 100 point wines from the same vintage from Robert Parker and then in 2010 he scored another two 100 point wines from The Wine Spectator! He is the youngest wine maker to receive a 100 point rating and also the first American wine maker to receive 100 points from Wine Spectator. But wait, there’s more! He received 3 consecutive 100 point scores for both the Shrader CCS and Shrader “Old Sparky”. Ok, so the critics like him, what’s the wine like?Its remarkably approachable for a mountain wine. It’s definitely big, but exceptionally smooth and complex. Nice dark fruit and a hint of earth. That’s what I wrote down on the back of a business card. A third of a glass of wine is really not enough to give this or any of these wines a fair taste, I prefer bottle tasting.

The elusive Randy Dunn

Another highlight was when I spotted the elusive Randy Dunn! Dunn Vineyards has been producing exceptional Howell Mountain Cabernet since 1981. His wines are some of the most age worthy wines you’ll find in Napa. Randy was pouring his ’05 Howell Mountain Cab. This wine is still a baby and will evolve for many years to come. I asked Randy: “How did you have the foresight to make and save magnums from every vintage so that you..”

He finished my sentence: “So I could give them away to charity?”

“yes”

“Heh” he answered and continued pouring.

18 Magnums of Dunn Vineyards wine

Randy donates verticals from every vintage he’s released so far to be auctioned at the Taste of Howell mountain every year. This year he donated 18 magnums of his cab ’83 thru ’99 with a just a few years missing. In 2011 he donated an 18 year vertical ’89 thru ’07.

Retro Cellars – Kara Dunn

Randy’s son Mike has his own label – Retro Cellars. Mike’s wife Kara was on hand pouring and talking about the wines. I tried out their 09 Howell Mountain Petite Sirah, and it was amazing! Only 100 cases of this wine were produced, so this was a real treat for me to be able to try it out. Look out for this wine in the future I think they’re really going to make a name for themselves

Some of the live auction lots

With all the talking and sipping time really flew by at this years event. Before I knew it the clock struck 3 and the tasting wrapped up, and guests moved indoors, into the beautifully renovated upstairs dining room of the Charles Krug carriage house. The live auction of some really amazing wines, wine dinners, and private tastings helped raise a lot of money for Howell Mountain schools and charities. This year over $110,000 was raised with $73,000 of that coming from the live auction. Live auction highlights:

Lot#5 Outpost Wine,Dine and Dance. Table for 10 sold twice at $4000 each

Lot#9 Spence dinner and fine wine: 10 couples, $400/couple

Lot#15 18 Magnums of Dunn Vineyards wine: $7400 (assorted vintages ’83-’09)

Inside the Charles Krug carriage house where the live auction was held

All in all, this was a great event. It was nice to see more wineries and guests than in previous years. It was also nice to meet Samuel Peters, executive director of the Howell Mountain Vintners and Growers association who was kind enough to petition the board on my behalf and secure a media pass for me. (FCC disclaimer-I received a ticket to this event)

Next time you see a bottle of wine labelled Howell Mountain, give it a try!

See more photos from the event on the Weekly Wine Journal Facebook Page

Two amazing blends from Napa | Part one

When you think of Napa, what do you think of? Cabernet? Chardonnay? Most people think of those two, how about Merlot, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel? Those five varietals wrap up the five most popular. If you dig a little deeper or search deeper in the wine department where you buy wine you might get into the blended wines, also known as Meritage.

I recently picked up two of the finest wines I’ve had in a long time from my local Costco of all places. Due to the economic situation, which has been a little more acute in the Phoenix area than most, the supply of higher end wine at a place like Costco has been rather limited. But on my last visit I noticed two wines that I hadn’t seen there before and well, I made an impulse purchase.

Kapcsandy 2009 Endre
1,700 cases produced
$60-$75 retail

The first wine on the list is from Kapcsandy Family Winery in Yountville. Kapcsandy is much better known for its Merlot, having received near perfect scores from a wide range of critics for their Roberta’s Reserve. But with a production of just under 200 cases and an average auction price of just under $400, its more likely I’ll see a unicorn in my backyard than a bottle of this wine in my decanter.

Kapcsandy, 2009 Endre, Napa Valley red table wine

From the same 16 acre State Lane Vineyard in Yountville as Roberta’s Reserve, this wine is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The Kapcsandy family actually purchased the historic State Lane Vineyard from Beringer in 2000. Beringer had used the vineyard to produce its flagship Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon for 25 years. The vineyard was replanted in 2002 with help from Helen Turley and with the varietals that make up this wine. The family brought on consulting wine maker, Denis Malbec, from Chateau Latour no less, and the debut vintage came out in 2005

I popped the cork and let the wine sit for a few minutes before pouring a smallish amount. I put my nose in and gave it a big sniff and WOW! The aromatics practically punched me in the face. Or more like gave me a playful slap on cheek.

The nose is intense, bright and complex. Dry herbs, flowers and cigar tobacco. Ripe fruit on the palate, intense red cherries with a long mouth watering finish. All around, not what I expected, but in a very good way.

Weekly Wine Journal rating: 94 points

Production: 1,700 cases

Price: about $60-$75 retail. I bought it at Costco for $49.97

Alcohol: 13.5%

http://www.kapcsandywines.com

Restaurant review | Cork! Chandler, Arizona

About 25 miles south-east of downtown Phoenix, lies a hidden gem in the Sun Lakes area of Chandler.

The glass walled wine cellar

At first I was a little skeptical of the location, being that it’s not in the CenPho corridor or Old Town. But I decided to give it a whirl and I’m glad I did.

Immediately upon entering I knew that this was not just a wine place in a strip mall. The large glass wall featuring a fully functional wine cellar was one clue. Another was the wine glasses. I totally judge a restaurant by its wine glasses. The bigger the better.

Also, the wine list is all on an iPad. This is quite interesting. A few years back I would have preferred a book, but now that better interfaces have improved functionality dramatically I quite like the interactive approach. It probably makes updating the list a lot more efficient than reprinting the wine book.

Cork!’s cuisine is can be described as European. What this means to hungry Americans is that you should order a starter as well as a main dish, because the portions are reasonable, not super sized.

What you will also find is some more unusual but non the less tasty offerings such as Wild Boar, and braised rabbit, and venison.

Wild Boar

As far as the wine list goes, I found the list to be pleasantly extensive, but not so big that it was hard to decide what to get. One wine really popped out at an exceptional value: Beaulieu Vineyards 2004 Georges DeLatour. This is a $100-$120 bottle in the grocery store.

Flourless chocolate cake

I was just in Las Vegas last week and this wine was $350 a bottle at the steak house I was eating at. At Cork! it is priced at $160. If you were celebrating a special occasion that would be a deal that’s hard to pass up.

One last interesting thing to note, and this was passed on to me by the waitress is that the sous chef is gluten intolerant (celiac) — allergic to wheat. So there are quite a few options on the menu sans gluten. Including a flourless chocolate cake for dessert which was really and I mean really yummy

New boutique online wine store hopes to make it big

A few weeks ago The Weekly Wine Journal sent out a tweet to wineries and wine makers offering to help get their word out. For free! The response was rather tepid, however there was one response that caught my attention. @winepassionate responded to the effect, that although they are not a winery or wine maker, would I still be interested.

I’m glad I took the opportunity because it exposed me to some new wines while recharging my interest in social media!

Winepassionate.com is a brand new boutique online wine store specializing in wines from Italy, Chile, Argentina and California. They recently became the official reseller of Ducati wines.

The sample pack I received included a Chianti, a Malbec and a Sauvignon Blanc

La Moto, Chianti Riserva DOCG, 2006, Italy

Blend: 85% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo, 5% Cabernet

Alcohol: 12.5%

I couldn’t find too much detailed information on this wine, other than on the wine passionate website which states that this wine was aged for 2 years in oak with additional bottle aging. I don’t know why but I was expecting a dry bitter Sangiovese. I was pleasantly surprised by the supple fruitiness of this wine. It paired with my home made marinara sauce quite well. This is not a terribly complex wine, and as such it is quite food friendly. This wine retails for about $20-$25.

Juana de Sol 2010 Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

This wine was the most interesting of the three for me. The wine itself was a very dark almost inky purple. The nose on this wine had some nice elements of black fruit and spice. The palate was the most interesting part, intermingled with a light black cherry and blackberry fruitiness was an olive like funky earthiness that I found very interesting. There is a bit of heat on this wine that sears the nostrils, and at only 13.5% alcohol that is a bit surprising but not enough to be seriously off-putting. This wine would pair very well with beef roasts and marinades. Wine Advocate gave this wine 88 points, which is in the range of 86-89 that I was thinking. At about $15 retail this wine offers a decent value

Trile 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, Valle Central, Chile

According to the back of this bottle, this 100% Sauv blanc was bottled very young. The alcohol only weighs in at 12%. I wasn’t expecting much from this wine, but was actually pleasantly surprised. If you are tired of the New Zealand lemon grass monsters, and the California sugar monsters, this is the wine for you. The nose is subdued, with hints of lemon. The palate is very light, with touches of lemon grass and an interesting nuttiness. As the wine warmed up to room temperature the lemon grass came through a little more, but not nearly as much as most. This wine is a decent value at around $12 retail, think casual summer sipper.

Thanks to winepassionate.com for reaching out, and cudos for their exceptional social media manners.

winepassionate.com

Scotch Review | Laphroaig 10 year single malt whisky

Wine drinker’s Scotch Review | Laphroaig 10 year

I know this is a wine website, but I decided to switch things up with a Scotch review. Why Scotch? Why this Scotch?

Over the last year I was introduced to the world of Scotch and of all the ones I’ve tried, it is Laphroaig that I enjoy the most. I was first introduced to Laphroaig on a Friday afternoon at a friends office. I know it sounds so cliche, sitting in a plush leather chair in the C.E.O’s office, 3pm on a Friday, sipping Scotch! It is a cliche, an Awesome one!

This particular Scotch appeals to me because it is incredibly rich. I find most Scotch’s to have a sort of medicinal flavor to them.

I don’t know if you ever remember walking on train tracks as a kid, but if you have you will remember the aroma of the rail way ties. Creosote. and Peat. If you haven’t experience walking on train tracks, maybe you are familiar with the aromas of campfire, extinguished campfire, or the smell of your clothes the next morning.

All of these aromas might sound off putting, but I assure you they are not. If you are a wine nerd like me, you will find Laphroaig one of the most fascinating beverages you’ll ever try.

If you like wines with a nice long finish, you’ll love this. The finish goes on for 5 to 10 minutes!

Important! How to drink this drink (and Scotch in general) Mix the Scotch 50/50 with cold water. Ice cubes can be added, but they tend to dull and mute the flavors in much the same way that red wine can be when it is served too cold. I use a couple of ice cubes because I live in Phoenix, Arizona and it is really never below 80F or 27C and so a little ice can make the drink more refreshing. Do not use tap water, use purified or spring water. The water helps elevate the aromas, and softens the heat. Drinking 80 proof straight up, especially one as rich as this one, will probably be too much.

As a wine drinker, have you enjoyed Scotch? Other drinks? Feel free to comment!

Wine Review | Robert Mondavi 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Robert Mondavi, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Blend: 85% Cabernet, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Syrah, 1% Petit Verdot

Alcohol: 15.3%

Residual Sugar: .14 g/L

Total acid: .6 g/L

Final pH: 3.69

Grape Sourcing: 100% Napa Valley (40% To Kalon Vineyard)

Price: suggested retail $28

Robert Mondavi’s Napa Cab is usually a safe bet when you’re at a restaurant and don’t recognize the other brands on the wine list. This wine can be found on most wine lists across the country and usually at a fair price, considering the quality.

I’ve had this wine in many different restaurants and also had many different vintages of this wine. While the wine is not mind blowing amazing, it is good and consistently good. Year after year this wine delivers, and considering it’s actually a large production wine, the consistency is an achievement.

So, how does this vintage fair? The nose consists of a mix of cherries and plums, not explosive but it is noticeable. The palate transitions into a standard Napa Valley fair of ripe fruit. Blackberry and black cherry dominate with a bit of oak and spice in the back ground. A smooth finish, well balanced. If you can find this wine for around $15-$20 it will be a good find.

Weekly Wine Journal rating 88 points

Central Coast Chardonnay roundup #1 | Mer Soleil | Layer Cake | Chalone

Wines reviewed in this article: Mer Soleil Silver 2008|Layer Cake 2009 Virgin Chardonnay|Chalone 2009 Monterey

Photo courtesy of Ben Ladouceur

While many parts of North America are still in the grip of winter I have been preparing for spring and summer by tasting Chardonnay. That way, when everyone else finally thaws out ( I live in Phoenix ) they will already have some Chardonnay “inception” on the brain. Let’s get started!

The vast Central Coast region of California stretches 250 miles from Santa Barbara County all the way up to San Francisco . The massive region encompasses 6 Counties and 26 different sub A.V.A’s (American Viticultural Area). There are more than 90,000 acres of vines planted in the Central Coast and about half those acres are Chardonnay. One of those sub AVA’s is The Santa Lucia Highlands which is located about 30 miles east of Monterey, California overlooking the Salinas valley, the same Salinas valley made famous in many of John Steinbeck’s novels.

2008 Mer Soleil Silver

Mer Soleil Vineyard is located on the southern end of the AVA and is named after the influences of the Ocean (Mer) and the Sun (Soleil). The Mer Soleil vineyard is actually part of the Wagner family of wines. The Wagner family has a very long history of wine making in California, and just in case you still don’t know who they are…have you heard of Caymus? Now we’re talking!

Mer Soleil makes two styles of Chardonnay, oaked, and unoaked (Silver). Mer Soleil Silver is fermented in cement and stainless steel tanks and does not undergo Malolactic fermentation. The vineyard subscribes to the agricultural practice of crop rotation and according to the vineyard nearby lemon orchards is impart their flavor profile of the wines.

Mer Soleil’s website has little to offer in terms of technicals on their wine, so I have no information on total production, brix ect. But it does let us know a little about the style. A mix of Chablis like minerality and tropical fruit. I found the wine to be rich, with solid acidity, and slightly riper than I expected, which was pleasant. Think lemon and grapefruit. The wine is dry and has a nice big mouthfeel. The alcohol weighs in at a hefty 14.8% but don’t let that scare you, its really well balanced with the fruit and I didn’t detect any off putting “heat” from it. Mer Soleil Silver retails for around $20 a bottle.

Are you tempted by the cake??

You might have seen Layer Cake’s eye catching label, a nice big slice of layer cake, and you might have been tempted to buy the wine purely on that association and I forgive you for that because I bought their wines for the same reason! Laker Cake’s 2009 Central Coast “Virgin” Chardonnay’s fruit is sourced from two vineyards within the Central Coast AVA; Monterey and Santa Barbara.

Layer Cake’s Chardonnay is quite different than Mer Soleil’s Silver even though both are unoaked. The first thing you will notice is the difference in alcohol content, with the Virgin Chardonnay coming in at a refreshingly light 13.5%. The wine is lighter on the palate, with less minerality though it still retains enough to make it interesting. The fruit is more lime and pineapple than grapefruit. This wine retails for $13.99 and was provided to me as a sample for review

Chalone Vineyard 2009 Monterey Chardonnay. Chalone Vineyard Estate is the oldest winery in Monterey County, and is the only winery in the Chalone AVA. Chalone received international critical acclaim in the Judgment of Paris, 1976 earning 3rd spot out of 10. As different as Layer Cake was to Mer Soleil, Chalone is to both of those wines. Chalone makes wine very much in the French, Burgundian style. The grapes are sourced from the northern portion of the Salinas Valley, in the Arroyo Seco AVA. The soil consists largely of limestone which gives us a clue to the Burgundian connection. By “Burgundian” I mean terroir or specific place driven wine as apposed to producer driven wine such as Bordeaux. Chalone’s Monterey Chardonnay is also relatively light when compared to the typical Chardonnays of Napa Valley, the alcohol comes in at 13.5% This wine, in contrast to the other two, saw 6 months in a combination of French, American and European oak. Light on the oak, but enough to soften the crispness of the mountain fruit a little, as well as add another layer of complexity not found in the other two wines. This wine retails for around $10 which is actually an amazing deal.

These three wines should keep you busy with variety for at least a weekend. Next week I will have 3 more Chardonnays for your consideration

Cheers!

Women in Wine | Kristin Belair | Honig Winery

Kristin Belair, winemaker

Every once in a while you come across a couple that are the perfect match. They seem ideally suited for each other, the whole greater than the sum of their parts. As Jerry McGuire would say, they “complete” one another. Female winemaker Kristin Belair and Honig Winery have one of those special symbiotic relationships.

Honig Winery traces its history back to 1964 when Louis Honig bought a 68 acre ranch in Napa Valley, planting it with Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon vines. In its early days, Honig focused only on selling grapes to nearby wineries but had dreams of retiring and making his own wine. He sadly passed away before his dream could ever be realized, however his family would ultimately go on to start making wines; a sort of tribute to his legacy.

In 1981 the family produced a few hundred cases of Honig Sauvignon Blanc which they entered in the annual Orange County Fair wine contest. To everyone’s amazement, they took home the gold medal and later that same year, Honig’s future winemaker, Kristin Belair, graduated from U.C. Davis. She began her career at another Napa Valley staple, Trefethen Vineyards.

Belair, like most young winemakers, would start working from the ground up. Below ground, in fact… working in the cellar, as what’s commonly known as a “cellar rat”. In her understated humorous way she explains that during this internship she perfected forklift driving and cleaning tanks. Not exactly the most romantic ideal that winemaking has come to be known for.

In 1985, Belair moved over to Turnbull to begin an “official” winemaking position, producing both Chardonnay and Bordeaux-styled reds.

Finally, in 1998 Belair landed at Honig, starting what remains today a deep connection between winemaker and winery. Kristin Belair’s healthy sense of humor and easy going attitude fits right in with the folks at Honig. Take for example their tradition of yearly themed Christmas cards, which have included “Rock stars”, “Charlies Angels” and “Mermaids by the pool” themes. Belair not only cooperates, but loves the custom.

But don’t let their penchant for humor fool you, these wines are serious.

The 2007 Honig Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which I was fortunate enough to enjoy at a recent female-focused winemaker dinner, is a complex and elegant wine. It features rich black fruit, a hint of sage and creamy vanilla. It’s still young but has silky tannins with a nice, long finish, and can be enjoyed now with a little decanting. The blend of 95% Cabernet, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and .5% Petit Verdot, aged for 18 months in one-third new French Oak. I asked Belair about the reasoning behind adding a miniscule .5% Petit Verdot, to which she explained that yields were extraordinarily low from their vineyard that year. In addition, the flavor profile was such that such a small amount had a greater than expected impact. With about 15,000 cases made, consumers will readily be able to find this wine.

In a word, this wine is “complete”.

Edited by Jon Troutman

Wine Tasting at the Phoenix Public Market

Inside the Phoenix Public Market

I recently attended a free wine tasting at the Phoenix Public Market in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Every Wednesday starting at 5pm the Public market pours local Arizona wines for the public to sample. The wines being offered this particular night were Oak Creek Vineyards 2008 Chardonnay, Rancho Rossa 2006 CSM and Canelo Hills 2009 Sauvignon Blanc.

Oak Creek Winery, Rancho Rossa and Canelo Hills

First up was the Canelo Hills 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. The first thing I noticed was a very crisp acidity and tartness. This wine is not for people who can only drink the ripe fruit forward styles of Sauv Blanc. Personally I thought the crispness and tartness were quite welcome considering it was at least 106F outside! The tart fruit is along the lines of green or Granny Smith apples mixed with a bit of lemon. There is a hint of grassiness along the lines of what is commonly produced in New Zealand. The alcohol came in at 13.7% which was pleasant, no heat on the finish. This is a dry Sauvignon blanc. $22 a bottle retail. Canelo Hills was one of the vineyards almost completely destroyed by a violent wind and hail storm this summer. So there might some sort of collectability to this vintage as their 2010 vintage will most likely have to be sourced from alternate growers.

Interesting Purple Peppers

Next up was the Oak Creek Vineyards and Winery 2008 Chardonnay. This wine is made in the Burgundian style with no oak. It underwent malolactic fermentation. Unfortunately I found this wine to be a little on the flat side. The fruit was lacking in something that I could really grasp and say “Ah thats it!” To be honest I would say Chardonnay is the wine of which I am most critical, it takes a lot for me to be wowed by a Chardonnay. This Chardonnay did not wow me.

Signs made from old barrels

Last but not least was the Rancho Rossa 2006 CSM. This wine is a blend of Cabernet, Syrah and Merlot. This wine was the most interesting of the three. Full-bodied with solid tannins throughout. There is a predominant smokiness that I think could use a little toning down, but there is a decent complexity to make up for that. The fruit is along the lines of blackberry and cherry, and plum. Standard fare for red wine.

After the tasting I enjoyed a fabulous sample platter paired with a brand new wine from Dick Erath…

Delicious sample platter

Click here to see a quick video tour of the Phoenix Public Market

Canelo Hills website

Oak Creek Vineyard and Winery website

Rancho Rossa website

B.R. Cohn 2010 Olive Hill Estate Cabernet, Sonoma

B.R. Cohn 2012 Gold Label, Cabernet Sauvignon

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A Taste of Howell Mountain Wines, 2013

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Restaurant review | Cork! Chandler, Arizona

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