An Inside Look at Michel-Schlumberger

One of the highlights of the Wine Bloggers' Conference this past weekend in Sonoma was the vineyard walk Saturday morning. The early birds got to pick from 5 options, but chronically late me got there when the vans were pulling away and hopped in one of the last ones. Turns out I stumbled upon the best one by pure dumb luck--as we turned onto the Michel-Schlumberger property nestled into the Wine Creek Canyon part of Dry Creek Valley, Allan of Zephyr Wine Adventures confessed that M-S was the company's top-rated wine walk in Sonoma. He didn't want to influence people's choices by telling them that ahead of time, but I'm sure that's the reason he and conference co-founder Joel Vincent of Open Wine Consortium were along for the ride--and walk.

Winemaker Mike Brunson, a fourth-generation Sonoman, led us through a 20-acre parcel on Bradford Mountain that was formerly a tractor-repair property that had never hosted vines until 1998, a year after Jacques Schlumberger and his wife Barbara purchased it. The winery is committed to organic farming and also employs some biodynamic practices. Mike pointed out that the adjacent winery is also organic, providing a haven for wildlife and peace of mind for M-S as there is no chemical drift.

The permanent cover crop in the vineyard preserves the soil structure and ensures that the water run-off into Wine Creek is clean, important for the salmon and steelhead that spawn in the creek during the spring. M-S is critter central, with fish, sheep, raptors, chickens, etc. all on the property. The winery has four resident Babydoll sheep who, along with another 10 the winery brings in periodically, roam the rows nibbling on the grass and cover crop, keeping it down to a manageable level and "fertilizing" as they go. "They're the basset hounds of the sheep world," Mike said, explaining that they have short legs that let them pass under the irrigation lines but don't allow them to reach the berries. He pointed out the blocks the sheep graze in are more healthy than those that don't get paid a visit by the Babydolls.

The down side of a permanent cover crop is that it provides a gopher-friendly environment. In 2002 M-S lost 700 vines to gophers, Mike noted, so after that year they doubled the number of raptor perches in the vineyards. "They came and ate like it was a burger stand," he laughed, pointing out that the big trees on the property also encourage the presence of raptors. M-S has resident chickens that the winery uses for insect control, manure for fertilization, and egg white fining for the red wines. Mike noted that organic farming means you have to be proactive rather than reactive, so the crew at M-S builds up the soil with nitrates and an insectory mix rather than dumping fertilizer on it.

After pulling a bit of a hill in warmer-than-expected temperatures that led to many of us working up a decent sweat, we paused to taste some barrel samples waiting for us on a picnic table in the shade under a big oak. The '07 Petite Verdot was an inky purple color with roses and voilets on the nose; M-S uses that varietal for clout in the middle of some of their wines. Malbec is also used for that same purpose, and the '07 sample had serious spice on the nose and palate. Mike said Malbec does very well on the property, with that varietal's vines so balanced that they stop growing on their own at the desired height of about 18-leaves up. Even during this very dry season (no rain since February), which saw the M-S vineyard crew watering more than ever, the Malbec didn't need more hydration than usual. The taste of the '07 Cab Franc was lighter than the other two, but has the unmistakable green pepper quality of that varietal, although Mike said M-S keeps the green component down using tactics like canopy management in the vineyard and the use of newer oak in the winery. The brown spice notes are more highly desired, but getting that takes careful berry sorting, as Mike notes just two green berries in the whole bunch will produce green flavors.

After the walk we were treated to a scrumptious lunch catered by Santi Restaurant in Geyserville. Sitting at a long communal table under another goregous oak giant on the side lawn of the elegant winery building (with a courtyard reminiscient of the enclosed Carmen villa garden at the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain) conjured up feeliings of being in the Provencal or Tuscan countryside. We were served baby greens salad with goat cheese, fig, and almond; braised pork shoulder on a bed of rapini and fennel; bread with M-S' own home-made olive oil; and a chocolate torte for dessert. Ha, some of the other conference attendees got a boxed lunch!

I guess I really did luck out...

Live Blogging from First-Ever Wine Bloggers' Conference!

Arrived late to the 1st-ever North American Wine Bloggers' Conference due to horrendous traffic -- my style as usual. :-p Jessica Yadegaran (wine writer for the Contra Costa Times,) and I traipsed in and went to the first person we saw who looked authoritative. Turned out to be the co-founder of the conference, Allan Wright from Zephyr Wine Adventures. Score. Sitting right in front and here we go...

'04 Bonterra McNabb -- 60% Merlot 26% Cab & 14% Petite Sirah. Alcohol 14.1%; 500 cases; $45 retail; all organic and biodynamic. Original rootstock, does have phylloxera but keep orig. stock since like the fruit so much and biodyanmic practices allow vines to resist the phyllox. Cherry, black pepper, spice, good structure -- nice grip on the finish but not overpowering. Would go excellent with roasted meats, maybe rosemary-grilled beef or even chicken.

'05 Clos LaChance Estate Cab Sauv -- 100% Cab; retail $30; 1212 cases; 14.5% alcohol. Family winery started in 1992 with a small vineyard in backyard -- "winery that run amok," went from 100 cases to 60,000 to 80,000. Now in San Martin about 1 hour south of San Jose. Hummingbird is trademark, territorial animal, keeps the bad, grape-eating birds away. Name: "clos" = enclosed area, LaChance is maiden name of matriarch. Leather, stone on the nose, also seems pretty hot. Better on the palate with currants, spicey finish but not quite balanced.

This "speed-dating" version of wine tasting isn't moving quite as fast as I thought. Our table (one of 16) has been neglected 3 rounds -- granted we missed a few before actually sitting down and powering up, but it seems like they need more pourers! We're ready and raring to go, here folks!

Boho Vineyards -- one of first premium-wine box formats; $24 retail ($6/bottle, holds 4 bottles); ecological, efficient, more bang for your buck; easier to ship. Good for the wallet & the planet. Lovely nose, lots of vanilla, stone fruit, oak. Toasty on the palate but not buttery -- the fruit shines through.

Jessica is a star here, tons of people know her through her wine features and her CoCo Times blog. Man I need cards for Wineclubbie and JC Cellars.

'07 Muscat James David Cellars. 14.5%, .17% RS. Very FIRST wine, 105 cases, Paso Robles -- new winery. Going up to 185 then 380 and that will be max. Also going to do a meritage. Tobin James also sources from same vineyard. Honey & apricots on the nose, light, fairly crisp finish. Had to dump out to make room for the next wine, unfortunately. Selling direct from Inertia Beverage Group, distributed in some Sac restaurants -- Nugget markets. Would go lovely with sushi, seafood, Thai food. James David is looking also to foothills for another brand with Cal Poly-grad sister with soil science and viticulture degree.

'05 Bink Weir Vineyards (Yorkville HIghlands of Mendocino) Pinot (blend of 3 diff clones); dusty on the nose not much fruit, but lots of strawberry on the nose and SPICE. Long finish, but think it needs to breathe for a bit.

'06 Twisted Oak The Spaniard; 2/3 Tempranillo, rest Graciano & Grenache. Calaveras County. Clove, big red & purple fruit on the nose; chewy palate, just right touches of oak. Hold up to 10 years -- Jeff Stai (the larger-than-life guy known to most as "El Jefe") says the '02s are tasting great right now.

'06 Small Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir - 150 cases, out of Graton, released in November. Mailing list only, $65. 3,680 vines per acre, 4-foot tractor row, 3 feet between vines, avg. in CA is l,000 per acre; lower pounds per vine b/c pinot is most yield-senstive grape. Biodynamic -- converted from organic last year, felt better Great, classic nose to this one. Not terribly complex on the palate -- lacking some in the mid-palate. Would drink but not buy at that price point.

'07 Cupcake Chardonnay -- founded on idea of making wines that would make you feel like you did when you were a kid and mom gave you a cupcake. Approachable but layered with different flavors -- not so astute that they intimidate. Central Coast -Mnterey & SLO fruit, whole fermentation to preserve aromatics. 30% ML, 100% into small, premium American oak. Aged 6-8 months. Very typical Chard nose, the diacetol really comes throuhg (some might think that's bad, others good). Good dose of butter and oak, but not overpowering. Want popcorn with this wine.

OK, we're done. Supposed to go 'til 5:15, but it's the first year, there might be some kinks.

The palate, it is a-changin'

I daresay my palate is changing, perhaps with the season, the advent of fall. Usually a fan of big wines -- mainly New World, although I do love me some Spanish wines like no other -- I'm feeling a shift toward lighter, but more complex wines. Perhaps I can blame it on Derrick Schneider a bit, but after just two of his classes, I don't think I can really chalk it up to him.

I went up to El Dorado County tasting recently and, while I wasn't surprised to find some Grenache and Mouvedre I liked (from David Girard), it was interesting to note that the bottles I bought of those varietals were of a much lighter variety than what I usually gravitate to. Don't get me wrong, they had every bit as much flavor, but weren't as weighty and oakey as what I used to prefer.Even Twisted Oak's allocated new release River of Skulls that I'm sipping on now (quite appropriate this close to Halloween), isn't the massive wine I expected, but rather a very well-balanced blend of cocoa, clove, and raspberry with a surprisingly silky mouthfeel.

So I came home from wine class last week really wanting a wine that tasted as light but complex as some of those that we sampled in class, but the bottle of Dry Creek Zin we opened didn't exactly fit the bill (b/f Brian does not share my changing palate). Some of the more unusual -- at least to me -- and in my book, the best wines we've tasted in the Cal extension course have all been white. They include the '04 Stephane Tissot Les Graviers Chardonnay from Jura, with its vegetal, kerosene & mineral aromas, high acidity and flavors of lemon; the '07 Domaine des Cassagnole Reserve Selection Gros Manseng from Gascogne which gave off yeasty, chemical aromas and lemon & apple flavors on the palate; and the '04 Domaine de la Charriere Cuvee Clos St. Jacques from Jasnieres, a Chenin Blanc with notes of roses under a chemical veil that jumped out of the glass, but was exceptionally balanced with a long finish. The Jasnieres turned off other folks in the class who couldn't get past the unique smell, but I relished its unusual qualities.

So as much as I hate to see summer go (and for the Bay Area, September & October is our summer!), I'll welcome in fall as it seems to be waking up new taste buds and experiences.

Tasty TAPAS

Considering I'm going to another Spanish varietals tasting next week, I better catch up and post about the TAPAS (Tempranillo Advocates Producers Amigos Society) tasting I trekked up to Napa for last month. Billed as the most extensive tasting of domestically produced Spanish & Portuguese wines ever offered in the good ol' U-S-of-A, I couldn't pass up the chance to see how American producers stacked up to the real deal from Spain.

My friend Chelsea and I battled through painfully slow traffic that was only slightly less angst-inducing when we realized it was due to all the families driving their kiddies to the Six Flags Marine World amusement park. Oh well, at least everyone wasn't headed up to wine country! We finally got to COPIA after a few wrong turns that led us through the revitalized Napa downtown and dead-end streets. While the TAPAS event spanned just the upstairs of the wine center and not both floors like some tastings I have been to there before, figuring out where to start was still a challenge. We first made our rounds in search of Albariño and rosé wines then did a return sweep for the reds.

Standouts from the day.... Bokisch's Clement Hills-Lodi Albariño, which had crisp acidity and notes of apple and pear. The lively, bright wine was my favorite Albariño there, and to my palate, closest to the wines of Rias Biaxas. However, it pales in comparison to Eaglepoint Ranch's '07 Albariño, which wasn't at the tasting but too good not to mention! Two other Albariños from the event worth mentioning were the floral & fruity '07 effort from Abacela, a winery in Roseburg, Oregon (where I didn't even know grapes grew!) and the clean, citrusy Ca' Del Solo '07 Albariño from the fun folks at Bonny Doon.

Moving on to rosés, we gushed over the '07 Odisea Muse Rosé, a 67% Grenache, 30% Carignane, 3% Viognier blend from Lodi's eastern foothills. It was the only rosé of the day that we encountered with Carignane, which I'm increasingly realizing makes my favorite pink wines. Notes of berries and ripe peach were complemented by good minerality and a cripsh finish. Another lip-smacking rosé was a 100% Tempranillo wine from Chateau Lorane in Oregon's Willamette Valley, which had refreshing flavors of strawberry and watermelon.

By far our favorite producer of reds at the tasting was Twisted Oak, an irreverent bunch from the Sierra Foothills' hamlet of Murphys, and up-and-coming wine region I keep hearing more and more about (Hatcher from here is also good). We were wowed by their '06 Torcido, a jammy and spicy 87% Grenache and 13% Petite Sirah wine with a weighty mouthfeel and lovely finish. Twisted Oak's '06 The Spaniard was our 2nd favorite of the day. A bold blend of Tempranillo, Grenache and Gracian named in honor of Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride (told you they were quirky -- and I didn't even mention their rubber chickens). A big but smooth wine, The Spaniard (TO's flagship) was a richly layered wine full of earthy notes punctuated with currant flavors and rich, spicey decadence that begged for a decanter. Note to self: Must plan wine-tasting trip to Calaveras County soon.

Odisea's 2006 Temporary Insanity Tempranillo (actually a blend of Temp, Grenache & Syrah) took the bronze in the red event, with juicy berries & cherries on the nose and a velvety taste of vanilla and spice.

We finished up our day trip with a stop in at Peju, where we loaded up on Peju pink (a rosé made from the same blend of red & white grapes -- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel with Chardonnay and French Colombard -- found in the winery's popular Provence), the perpetually zingy & fresh Sauv Blanc and a few other choice selections. The pourer bundled our case into a box and instructed us to pull around back so he could load it for us, then insisted on taking our picture (despite no appearance of a camera, although I had one stashed in the glovebox). "Say cheese (and don't forget the wine)!"

Hi-End Luxe

My b/f Brian recently marked his last day of work as a paralegal at his law firm, as he left to start law school (his first day was today). Working among others in the law professions who have a taste for wine (argh, let's not even talk about our 4+ bottle evening last week with one of the associates from his firm at Cesar -- where the son of yet another colleague works), he scored big time with his going-away gifts. His paralegal colleague gave him a bottle of 1999 Dom Perignon, while the firm as a group gifted him with the 2004 Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Cab. Both are bottles worth $100+, leading me to suggest that now that he lacks any income maybe he should sell them on eBay!

But no dice. Tonight we're enjoying the Dom, which is much more toasty, creamy and complex than any other Champagne or sparkling wine I've had. I tried to convince Brian to wait to open it until we made the perfect meal to go with it, but he'd waited long enough in his book and was considering taking it boating up north (home to Mt. Shasta ) during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, so I guess tonight with a hodge-podge Mexican-themed meal was better than trying to drink it warmed by hot weather in plastic cups!

So we're celebrating the start of his stint at USF's law school and my new tasting room job at JC Cellars (just working a couple days a month), home of rich Syrahs, complex Zins, and interesting Rhone white varietals. Despite not making a proper meal to enjoy the wine, I think I'm going to go try out a white nectarine with it for dessert!

We're holding on to that Cab much longer, though.

Forgive me, I'm a Zinner

To celebrate the birthdays of me & the B (all of 3 days apart, same year, Leos, makes for interesting times...), we went up to Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma the other weekend with our Sac buddies Alysia & Josh. Despite having a wine fridge and wine racks at capacity, baskets full of bottles, etc., I did it -- I Zinned. That is, I bought a lot of yummy Zinfandel. But hey, it was from a region famed for the grape, a true red-blooded, good ol' American varietal (well, technically it has roots in Italy [Primativo] and Croatia [Plavac] but I think we've refined it enough to call it ours) that came darn close to being California's official wine grape.

First stop after a long, traffic-jam filled drive was Dry Creek General Store to pick up some sammiches as fortification for the round of wineries we were to hit, so we took them to go in order to make our appointment at A. Rafanelli, hollowed ground for Zin fans "in the know." The first time I heard of this place was nearly a year ago from a waiter at Levende East, a fabulous restaurant/bar in Old Oakland. They didn't have the A. Raf on their wine list (good luck finding it many places outside the winery in general) but he urged us to visit the winery and sample their wares. The winery is surrounded by gorgeous vineyard-covered hills and a lack of signage makes visitors feel they're sneaking in to this appointment-only, family-run business. Two other couples were tasting when we arrived, a German Shepherd was sacked out in his doggie-bed, and one of the Rafanelli daughters was pouring the family's Zin, Merlot & Cab. The '06 Zin was the true standout, of course, with lively jammy and spice flavors and smooth tannins that will only get more velvety with time (hopefully I can hold on to my 4 bottles for awhile).

Then it was off to Preston where we ate under the picnic tables among the winery's many cats and fruit trees and then ventured into the tasting room, in search of their single-varietal Cinsault that sold out last year by the time I got there. Alas, the '06 Cinsault had sold out AN HOUR before we got there. Talk about bad timing for me. I was bummed, and despite the charming farmhouse and relaxed vibe, nothing tasted good enough to buy after that disappointment. Our "partners-in-wine" Alysia & Josh picked up a bottle of the L. Preston, a GSM blend that I purchased last time I was there (but wasn't wowed by when I got around to opening it at home).

Next stop was David Coffaro, one of my faves for his "little bit of this, little bit of that" blends. The first time I had his wine was a few years ago at the house of my parents' neighbors (who also happen to be my mom's bosses -- hey, I'm from a small town!). After requesting Carignane (not that a wild of a gander after seeing Peter's cellar!) we tried a Ridge Buchignani Carignane (can't remember the vintage) that was tasty, but not fruit-forward enough for my taste, then opened Coffaro's Carignane (probably the '03), which resonated far better with my palate. At Coffaro, amid a very casual tasting scene, complete with Raiders paraphernalia all about and Scorsese's Stones documentary "Shine a Light" projected onto a big screen amongst the barrels, we sampled the '05 sale offerings and went home with an '05 My Zin, '06 Carignane (of course), and the '06 Terre Melange, a tasty, earthy blend of the southern Rhone reds.

The collection of "family" wineries off Dry Creek Road beckoned next, and we first hit Papapietro, maker of lovely (although pricey) Pinot Noirs and, even better in my (excuse-the-pun) book, the just released volume of Wine Dogs USA! I left here with a $50 bottle of '06 Leras Vineyards Pinot and the $40 doggie book -- not the cheapest stop, but well worth it for the pages upon pages of cute canine mugs. Then we went to Peterson, which makes such a bevy of different wines that you're sure to find something for everyone. Indeed we did, snapping up the '05 Tradizionale Zin, the '05 Bradford Mtn. Zin, and the '05 Sangiovese. The Tradizionale was the smooth, supple Zin while the Bradford Mountain had the spice & sass.

We found the same variations of Zin in our last stop, Mazzocco (not a planned stop but settled upon by looking at Wine Country magazine for which nearby tasting rooms were still open!), which had gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows in a tasteful wooden, barn-like building. The '05 West Dry Creek Zin (91 points from Wine Spectator), was laden with super-ripe fruit, spice and cacao, while the '06 Sonoma Coast was the peppery one here -- both were purchased and we were off to dinner.

Our last stop in Sonoma Co. was at The Girl & the Fig for a scrumptious birthday dinner full of all kinds of proteins & veggies, but since this post is running waaaay long I'll just mention that what did the restaurant have on their wine list but the '06 Preston Cinsault! Score one for the birthday girl... :-)

Bubbly on the High Seas

Poor li'l blog, how I've been neglecting you so... I'll write more about my "adventures in wine" soon (have a birthday Dry Creek Valley trip coming up, hooray!), but for now I'll infuse this page with some techno, which has been sorely missing.

This Sunday is a Sunset boat party, which should -- as it always is -- be a blast. Debauchery in the high seas in the form of house & techno music (the legendary John Tejada joins the crew this time) and lots of booze flowing. I'll be sipping bubbly (Mumm Cuvee Napa Brut Prestige Champagne), which usually runs out, as everyone is in a decadent party mood when crusing the bay waters and taking in the lovely, twinkling skyline of SF.


Another super party wine is Periscope Cellars' little bottles of '06 rosé (a blend of Cab, Barbera, Syrah & Sangiovese grapes in Brendan Eliason's madcap "throw-in-a-little-of-everything" style that he learned while apprenticing with the original mad scientist David Coffaro in Dry Creek Valley). Unlike the dry -- and often rather tasteless -- rosés that are all the rage -- Periscope's is a bit fruitier and earthier and could almost be mistaken for a regular light red if one sipped with their eyes closed. Enjoyed a couple of these little guys at the Sunset park party last month, rockin' out to house grooves by longtime djs Halo and Hipp-e.

Too bad the security on the boat doles out such thorough searches, or I'd bring some of the mini-rosé with me for when the bubbles dry up!


After the boat there's an after-party at Vessel, one of the swankiest clubs in SF, although it feels too Vegas or L.A. for my taste, at least on weekends. The place is gorgeous, though, and they serve some good vino (for example, Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris) in nice stemware (both counts big rarities for clubland). Just be careful not to swirl the wine out of your glass while on the dancefloor!