The Accidental Wino » Spring Mountain

Project Food Blog 2010, Round 6: A Picnic @ Behrens Family Winery, Spring Mountain

The Accidental Wino — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 06:36:34 +0000

S'more Pots du Creme: Scharfenberger Chocolate Custard, Graham Crackers, and Toasted Marshmallow Fluff.

Last Tuesday felt like the last warm day of 2010. Whether or not that proves to be true, tomorrow can only tell. It’s very possible that November or December might offer an odd sunny day here or there — that happens fairly frequently here in Northern California — but as far as planning a picnic was concerned, Tuesday just seemed like the last sure-shot bet of the season. Instinctively, and with the last vestiges of summer quickly fading into fall, I felt like I needed to plan just one last visit up to Spring Mountain. Among the many wines of Napa Valley, I love Spring Mountain Cabernet in particular, and if I had to name a handful of my personal favorites, I’d list Pride Mountain, Behrens Family, Terra Valentine and Paloma (although the latter winery specializes in Merlot exclusively).

The drive up to the Spring Mountain summit takes you 2,000 feet above the Napa Valley floor, and if you ask me, all that much closer to heaven. When it comes to wine tasting on Spring Mountain, my strategy is to schedule three appointments as far apart in the day as possible (10am, 1pm, and 3pm is ideal), and then pass the time picnicking in between tastings. Spring Mountain features exactly zero restaurants, delis or taco trucks (it’s wine or nothing up there), and it’s way too much of a hassle (for me) to drive back down into St. Helena just to battle the crowds for lunch. The elegant solution, of course, is to pack your own picnic, and to enjoy the view. Each winery on Spring Mountain offers its own unique vista, so hopping picnic grounds is definitely a worthwhile pastime. I’ve got a couple pictures from Spring Mountain at the bottom of this post, but first things first: The views and booze may complement the scene nicely, but the food is still the highlight around these parts. And since I’ve already teased this entry with a picture of dessert, let’s just cut to the chase, shall we?

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• S’MORE POTS DU CREME •

The moment that the words “s’more pots du creme” popped into my head, I was instantly married to the idea. I felt that the words themselves, American slang alongside proper French, conveyed the very idea of a refined take on a classic treat. So how would it look? I pondered my strategy, and after considering all of the possible configurations, I decided that marshmallow definitely deserved the top spot, no question, since it would get the torch. As for the graham crackers, they would get soggy if they were on the bottom, so chocolate was the natural choice for the base. As for chocolate pots du creme recipes, I needed a stove-top approach, since baking the pots du creme in the oven would prove risky (these glass jars aren’t tempered, so they might not survive the extreme heat). I used a Cook’s Illustrated recipe as inspiration, but with a few substitutions and omissions, based upon what I already had on hand. Custard recipes offer a fair amount of leniency, so long as you keep them in the ballpark. Italian meringue, pictured below, requires a little more focus, but is also relatively forgiving, which is great. Once you learn to make Italian meringue from scratch, you’ll take step closer to rock star status among your friends (not to mention, the groupies).

Little Fluffy Clouds: Re-Whipping after a Night in the Fridge.

Italian meringue is marshmallow fluff, plain and simple. Everything is the same, but the name; they’re both created by adding hot, liquid sugar to beaten egg whites. I suspect that for most people, making an Italian meringue is one step beyond the norm. For me, I used to execute this recipe nightly when I was working the pastry station at the Martini House. However, I had never made Italian meringue even once before that, nor had I ever really considered it. Luckily, the sophistication of Italian meringue lies in its simplicity, which was excellent for me, since my background in baking and pastry was relatively scant. In this case, having a candy thermometer is 90% of it, and having a stand mixer is the other 10%. Basically, if you can read a thermometer, you’ll do fine. The recipe for meringue, which I also included below, is adapted from the one and only Julia Child.

• RECIPE •

S’MORE POTS DU CREME

Chocolate Pots du Creme Ingredients

• 9 oz Scharfenberger 62% (pale yellow wrapper, three big bars)

• 5 egg yolks (save the whites for Italian meringue)

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1/4 cup whole milk

• Pinch of salt

Chocolate Pots du Creme Method

1. Break the chocolate bars into coin-sized pieces and set aside in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar and the salt, until the mixture becomes pale yellow. Add the milk and the cream, then transfer this mixture to a sauce pot. Cook the custard slowly, over a low flame, stirring and scraping the sauce pot with a wooden spoon. Cook the mixture until it coats the back of the wooden spoon, about 170ºF.

3. Strain the warm custard over the chocolate, and stir until the pieces dissolve.

4. Divide the custard into jars and chill.

• • •

Italian Meringue Ingredients

• 5 egg whites

• 1/4 teaspoon, cream of tartar

• 1-1/3 cups, sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1T vanilla extract

Italian Meringue Method

1. In a stand mixer, beat the eggs, salt, and cream of tartar, add the salt and cream of tartar, to soft peaks. Turn the mixer to the slowest speed as you complete the sugar syrup.

2. Bring the sugar and water to the simmer, and boil to the soft-ball stage (234°F to 240°F).

3. Beating the egg whites at moderately slow speed, dribble the boiling syrup into the mixer, trying to avoid the wires of the whip. Increase mixer speed to moderately fast, add the vanilla extract, and beat until the sides of the mixing bowl are just warm.

4. Allow the meringue to sit for 30 minutes, then re-whip the mixture to the smooth consistency pictured above. From this point, the meringue can be held for several hours, or re-whipped again the next day.

• • •

S’more Pots du Creme Assembly

1. After the custard has set overnight, add a layer of graham cracker pieces, followed by a layer of marshmallow fluff. Toast the marshmallow fluff with a torch.

• • •

What didn't fill the jars filled the ramekins. Not a bad look, either.

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• THE MAIN COURSE •

Snap and Go: Shrimp Ceviche, Roasted Garlic Hummus, Duck Rillettes.

Duck rillettes sparked my fascination with hinged jars recently. Since I had duck confit in the fridge from a previous challenge, I knew that I wanted to bring some delicious duck rillettes up to Spring Mountain. But then I got to thinking about hinged jars in general, and how well they travel. Sure, they’re heavier than plastic containers, but glass also insulates far better than plastic, the hinged lids make it easy to flip the jars shut if there’s insects buzzing around, and glass also looks much more appealing than plastic (which certainly counts in PFB). I got carried away with the idea, and before I could even reconsider, I was knee-deep in brainstorming.

As for the food itself, I decided that the picnic should only consist of cold-prep items, since there would be no option to heat or re-heat anything at the summit of Spring Mountain. At the same time, I also wanted foods that would lend themselves to casual noshing, which meant that I wasn’t keen on specific portions, either. I envisioned impromptu snacking between winery visits, a scenario where one could simply make canapes as desired, selecting among a few different options. In this situation, someone could eat just a little of one thing, and maybe much more of something else. Ultimately, it all plays to personal taste, and having freedom from specific portions is a beautiful thing, so long as everyone has enough to eat.

• • •

Sourdough crostini.

Crostini are great for picnics because it’s one-handed eating: You can hold a wine-glass in one hand, a duck rillettes crostini in the other hand, and you’re free to walk among the trees and take in the full view. What’s the point of eating outside if you can’t be liberated from the table?

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• SHRIMP CEVICHE with TOMATILLO-AVOCADO SALSA •

Shrimp Ceviche, smothered with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa.

Since I had duck rillette in the works, I wanted a couple lighter options to balance out the savory course. Ceviche was a great choice, since it represents one of the lightest seafood preparations possible. I adore ceviche, and I also have a great admiration for tomatillo-avocado salsa. What can I say? I put them together, although in layers, just to kind of echo the look of the duck rillette (I blame this far-out presentation on too much wine, and my staunch California upbringing). If you don’t feel like getting freaky with the presentation, you can certainly mix the ceviche with the salsa verde ahead of time.

• • •

Shrimps.

I had actually been planning scallop ceviche, but when I got to the market, the scallops looked haggard compared to these beautiful shrimp.

• • •

Tomatillos, alongside Avocado and Lime.

• • •

So fresh and so clean.

Put together, the ceviche and tomatillo-avocado salsa look striking in the outside light. This photo above is what didn’t fit in the jar. So vibrant and tasty on a proper tortilla chip, pictured below.

I bought the chips along the way, courtesy of my local lunch spot.

• • ••

• RECIPE •

SHRIMP CEVICHE with TOMATILLO-AVOCADO SALSA

Shrimp Ceviche Ingredients

• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped

• 1 carrot, diced

• 1 small red onion, diced

• 1 red jalapeño, seeded and diced

• Zest and juice of two limes

• Salt, to taste

• Cilantro, chopped, to taste

Shrimp Ceviche Method

1. Combine ingredients and chill overnight.

• • •

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado

• 5 tomatillos

• Juice and zest of one lime

• Salt, to taste

• 1/4 cup water, plus more, as needed

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa Method

1. Puree all ingredients, except for the avocado. Add water to the puree to achieve the desired sauce consistency. Transfer the tomatillo puree to a bowl and mash in the avocado with a whisk.

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• DUCK RILLETTES •

Duck : Rillettes. Pig : Bacon.

Although by far the most modest-looking of the trio, the duck rillettes were actually the star of the show (I floated some sprigs of thyme in the fat cap, just to add a little style to the presentation). Pictured above, this jar of duck rillettes is potent stuff, all lack of style is accounted for with substance: Three legs of duck confit, minced together with one shallot, and the three respective duck cracklins, pictured below. Oh yes. There’s high-octane flavor in that jar. The photo below depicts the cracklins as they emerge from the frying pan, before being minced into the confit. Duck skin sets the bar for crispy. And look at that golden brown color. You just can’t coach that. The picture below is actual size, unless you click it. For more background on duck confit, please visit my entry for cassoulet pizza.

What's cracklin, y'all?

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• ROASTED-GARLIC HUMMUS •

I stuck the parsley leaves to the inside of the jar with a little dab of olive oil. Then I filled the jar with a piping bag. If you use this little trick, the leaves stay put, no problem. You'd have a tough time trying to do this with a spoon, believe.

I feel like hummus is quite a bit like guacamole: As long as there’s enough salt and acidity, it’s usually pretty good. Hummus is a simple recipe, so much so that I never really use exact measurements for hummus. However, I’ll typically process two cups of drained garbanzo beans with an eight-ounce jar of tahini, assisted by 1/4 cup each of olive oil and water. For this recipe, I also added the roasted garlic (pictured below) to the puree. Once the puree is smooth, simply add salt and lemon juice to taste (for a recipe of this size, I’ll usually add the zest and juice of at least two lemons). I also like to add rough-chopped parsley to the hummus, for a clean, bright, herbaceous note.

Garlic, dressed with Olive Oil, Salt, and Black Pepper (then roasted for 30 minutes at 300ºF).

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• CUCUMBER AGUA FRESCA •

Cool as a cucumber: Agua Fresca has a great look in the sunlight. It's iridescent from some angles.

I started making tons of agua fresca this summer, especially as watermelon came into season. I have a general formula that includes two pounds of fruit, one pint of water, and 1/4 cup of sugar (of course, this ratio can be heavily modified to suit personal tastes). The mixture is simply blended and strained. I chose cucumber because it’s one of the more counter-intuitive ingredients for a beverage. Plus, cucumber agua fresca is super-delicious.

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• THE PICNIC •

The jars fill the bottom, and everything else fits on top, even the plates and the accoutrements.

• • •

Picnic with a view: I stitched together three photos of the Behrens Family vista. If last Tuesday does prove to be the last warm day of 2010, at least it was perfect. Click to zoom.

• • •

The tasting room at Behrens Family is the business: A 1947 Westcraft trailer. I took this photo during my March 2010 visit. Great wines.

• • •

Taken the same day as the photo above, this is the picnic area at Pride Mountain, as seen in the early springtime. Great wines, as well.

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Wine Tasting Notes from Spring Mountain: Behrens Family, Pride Mountain and Paloma Vineyards

The Accidental Wino — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:37:47 +0000

A picnic table at Pride Mountain: Perhaps the best argument for bringing along a lunch.

I’m back in the Napa Valley after an extended trip down to the Santa Ynez Valley for some wine tasting. It was a successful journey, and one that I plan to embark upon annually. But before I rehash the details of my venture down to Santa Barbara County, I still need to acknowledge my trip to Spring Mountain last week, where I tasted the wines of Behrens Family, Pride Mountain and Paloma. Each of these three wineries is most certainly worth a visit, and I’ll preface my notes with a helpful caveat for anyone who wishes to journey up Spring Mountain Road: Plan your appointments carefully, and definitely pack a lunch. The drive up Spring Mountain Road is somewhat steep and winding, and since there’s nowhere to buy food on Spring Mountain, it’s far more relaxing to bring your lunch than it is to drive back down to the valley floor in between winery visits.

• • •

The tasting room at Behrens Family Winery is actually a restored 1947 Westcraft trailer.

Behrens Family Winery, formerly known as Behrens and Hitchcock, was the first stop of the day, and I tasted a grand total of eight wines that morning (all but one being a Bordeaux-style Cabernet). My four favorite wines of the tasting were the 2007 Drinkward Peschon Cabernet ($55, and a small side-project of Behrens Family co-proprietor Lisa Drinkward), the 2007 Erna Schein “Spare Me” Cabernet ($45, and another stellar Napa Cab for under $50), the 2007 Erna Schein “Knock Out” Cabernet ($75, and the last vintage of this particular bottling), and the 2007 Erna Schein “Cemetary” Cabernet ($80). It’s worthwhile to note, however, that all of the wines in the tasting were well-crafted, and this relatively new Spring Mountain winery warrants some serious recognition.

• • •

Compared to an upstart winery like Behrens Family, the wines from Pride Mountain have long lured folks up to the summit of Spring Mountain. The hook to describe Pride is an easy one: It’s actually equal parts Napa and Sonoma, since the winery straddles the Napa-Sonoma County line. Of course, this location leads to some interesting labeling scenarios. The 2007 Pride Cabernet Sauvignon ($66), for instance, is blended with 50% Napa fruit and 50% Sonoma fruit, which they must specify on the label, even though the vineyard itself is one contiguous plot (the alternative would be to give the wine a generic “North Coast” appellation). Although the minutiae of California wine labeling laws might be interesting to wine geeks, it’s best to ignore the silly details if you choose, and simply remember this one plain fact: Pride Mountain makes great wine across the board, and their 2007 Pride Cab is delicious.

• • •

The last stop of the day was at Paloma Vineyards to visit with proprietor Barbara Richards, whom I consider to be a Napa Valley legend and a treasure trove of information. Paloma has always been famous for its estate-grown Merlot, although the winery also produces small amounts of Dry Creek-sourced Syrah for its wine club members. During this most recent visit, I tasted the 2007 Paloma Merlot and the 2006 Paloma Merlot (both $55). Both wines were fantastic, although Barbara says that the 2006 vintage is her favorite of all-time (a bold statement). Considering that Barbara has been a steward of the property since 1983, this endorsement carries a ton of weight, and although I had already purchased a few bottles of 2006 Paloma Merlot during my last visit, the experience warranted an additional bottle.

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Tasting Report: The 10 Best Napa Cabernets for $50 or Less

The Accidental Wino — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:04:33 +0000

As I spent 2009 combing the Napa Valley for great wines (the one definite perk of living here and being in the wine business), I decided to pay special attention to the Cabernets that were priced at $50 or less, hoping to one day compile a list of favorites. In order to confirm their merit, I plan to eventually put all of these wines into blind tastings alongside a few of their $100 counterparts, just to see how they fare against the big boys (I suspect that many of these lesser-priced wines will easily rise to the top). But first things first: Although it did take me all of last year, I’ve finally encountered enough outstanding wine to formulate a serious list, and so I’m now prepared to finally put my selections on record. To that end, I submit the following 10 wines, listed in order of preference…

• Martin Estate Bacchanal 2006 ($48) : One of the great unsung wines in the Napa Valley, I have already placed Bacchanal into a blind tasting of Oakville and Rutherford Cabs, pitting it against the 2006 Groth ($58), 2005 Rubicon ($175), 2006 Pedemonte ($39), 2006 Nickel & Nickel John C. Sullenger ($90), and 2006 Paradigm ($62). The Bacchanal won the tasting, with all five wine tasters ranking the wine in the top half (no other wine exhibited such consistent positive marks). My personal favorite was actually the Nickel & Nickel, with the Bacchanal ranking second. Frankly, Martin Estate is a winery that I have long meant to review, but simply haven’t yet.

• Terra Valentine Spring Mountain 2006 ($38) : In my previous review for Terra Valentine, I mentioned that the winery’s single-vineyard Cabs were the wines that originally drew me up to the top of Spring Mountain Road, but that their Spring Mountain Cabernet blend has now become my favorite Terra Valentine wine. This Cabernet features ripe, plush fruit with terrific character and concentration. If you’re spending a day visiting Spring Mountain wineries, make sure to visit Paloma and Behrens-Hitchcock, as well.

• 2006 Turnbull Estate ($45) : Flanked by Nickel & Nickel to the south and Cakebread Cellars to the north, I think that Turnbull is often overlooked by far too many of Napa’s tourists. My notes from my blind tasting of 2005 Oakville Cabernets revealed Turnbull as the clear winner (and the lowest-priced wine in the flight, to boot). One more reason to visit Turnbull: The winery also offers its 2007 Old Bull Red ($19), a tasty catch-all blend and one of the few good Napa reds that you can find for under $20.

• 2005 Heitz Cellars Estate ($42) : After living in the Napa Valley, I have found that the wineries with the greatest histories sometimes have the lowest prices. Many say that the old-timers have that conservative, farming mentality that will see them through good times and more importantly, bad times. The 2005 Heitz Estate Cabernet is an affable wine that boasts big ripe fruit, and I’m always amazed at how long Heitz holds back its releases (I can’t think of many other wineries that still offer a 2005 Cab as their most current vintage). As a result, these wines are often plush right out of the gate.

• 2006 Bennett Lane Maximus ($35) : Maximus is the perennial 90-point “Feasting Wine” that lures folks to drive all the way up to Calistoga, even during the height of summer. It’s bold in the way you might expect for the newly-designated Calistoga AVA, which typically does so well with hot-weather varietals like Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. My last tasting report for Bennett Lane was in December 2008. Although the winery has since discontinued its White Maximus, the proprietary red is still at its consistent best.

• 2007 Chappellet Signature ($47) : For those who have spent any time perusing the “Essay and Oddities” on the right, I have long championed Chappellet as one of the top five wineries in the Napa Valley. The winery, founded in 1967, has great history, a great view from Pritchard Hill, and great wine. With neighbors like Colgin and Bryant Family, Chappellet presents the best value, by far, along Sage Canyon Road. The winery also offers its terrific 2007 Mountain Cuvee ($29), which could’ve made this list on its own (although this wine is just 51% Cabernet).

• 2006 Titus Vineyards ($41) : Chappellet winemaker Phillip Titus owns an eponymous wine label — Titus Vineyards — that also produces a noteworthy low-cost Cabernet. For me, this Cabernet exhibits some similar traits to Chappellet’s terrific estate Cab. Titus Vineyards is another winery that I’ve meant to review more recently, but have not found the time for a more thorough recap. Hopefully, I can coordinate something in the next month or so.

• 2007 Newton Claret ($25) : Another bargain from Spring Mountain Road, the Newton Claret is one of the lowest-priced bottles on the list. Keep in mind, you could actually purchase two full-sized bottles of the Newton Claret, yet still remain within the $50 or less level (impressive). As with Chappellet, the quality of Newton’s lower-priced wine reflects the overall quality of the winery’s portfolio. Newton wines are always a pleasure to drink, and their Red Label Cabernet ($28) is also an over-achiever. Like Bennett Lane’s Maximus, the 2007 Claret is technically a Bordeaux blend, and not an official Cabernet.

• 2006 Dare ($34) : The second label of Viader, the Dare series offers 100% varietal bottlings of Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, and Tempranillo, each at the same price. The Dare Cabernet features fantastic pedigree, combining fruit from Viader’s Howell Mountain Estate and from the historic Lewelling Vineyard in St. Helena. I tasted these wines very recently, on the same day as my trip to Ladera.

• 2007 Vincent Arroyo Estate ($36) and 2007 J.J.’s Blend ($20) : Although the strength of Vincent Arroyo lies in its single-vineyard Petite Sirahs, the winery earns kudos for offering a legitimate giant-killer of a Cabernet (and the only wine on the list at less than 14% alcohol), as well as its lighter and less-expensive counterpart (which takes its name from one of the winery’s resident Labradors). The winery remains one of the Napa Valley’s best-kept secrets.

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Tasting Notes, 2009: Terra Valentine, Spring Mountain

The Accidental Wino — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:30:07 +0000

Close-up: One of the stained-glass windows at Terra Valentine.

I was at Terra Valentine the other night for an open-house event, drinking through the winery’s three delicious estate Cabernets. I had tasted these same wines several months ago, having also visited the winery during the summertime. Originally, it was the 2005 Yverdon Vineyard Cabernet that had lured me up Spring Mountain Road, although I think that their 2005 Wurtele Vineyard Cabernet ended up being my favorite of that day. For me, the key difference was that the Wurtele Cab exhibited a more subtle use of oak than the Yverdon Cab, but that both wines presented great values at $60 and $70, respectively. That was then.

Fast forward to the winery’s recent open house a couple weeks ago, and I’m revisiting the Wurtele and the Yverdon Cabernets, along with Terra Valentine’s 2005 Spring Mountain District Cabernet. Again, all three wines taste terrific, as I remember, and my recollections regarding the Wurtele and the Yverdon remain consistent. But the wine that I’m really enjoying the most (and drinking the most of) is actually the Spring Mountain Cabernet. I found that it was extremely approachable with mellow tannins and full fruit on the palate. It eventually dawned on me that, although I do appreciate the idea of Terra Valentine’s two single-vineyard Cabernets, this Spring Mountain blend was really stellar.

This morning, I was sifting through some of my tasting notes, and I happened to discover the price sheet that I took from Terra Valentine earlier this summer. I was surprised to learn something that I had not realized the other night, which was that the 2005 Terra Valentine Spring Mountain Cabernet — the wine that was my favorite of the three — was only $38 (I was also reminded that the wine was 95% Cabernet, 3% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc). Wow. It just underscores the idea that blind tastings always reveal the absolute truth. I rank this wine alongside the greatest values in the Napa Valley.

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Tasting notes: Stony Hill Vineyards

The Accidental Wino — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:57:41 +0000

For as many California wineries that claim to model their Chardonnays after “the classic Burgundian style,” very few actually produce wines with any sort of true “old world” character. While I’m not trying to criticize California’s efforts, I’m simply pointing out that most California Chardonnays skew towards the opulent “apple-pear” side of the spectrum, as opposed to the austere “flinty minerality” of something like a top-level Chablis. But while I admittedly enjoy many of California’s fruit-forward Chardonnays, the local product can sometimes taste homogenized. Fortunately, for those of us who enjoy variety, there are always exceptions to the rule.

Stony Hill Vineyards offers one of the Napa Valley’s most distinct California Chardonnays, which has more in common with an authentic Chablis than anything else in California. I visited Stony Hill this week, which is always an incredible experience, since the winery has so much history here in the valley. The first vintage of Stony Hill Chardonnay was produced in 1952, giving this facility a 20-year head start on even the most established wineries in the Napa Valley. To that end, Stony Hill winemaker Mike Chelini has worked at the property since 1971, and has been making the Chardonnay since 1977.

In its earliest days, Stony Hill was one of just a dozen wineries in operation, as founders Eleanor and Fred McCrea staked their claim on a rugged 160-acre parcel on Spring Mountain in 1943. The winery currently features 40 acres of white grapes planted on beautifully terraced vineyards, a throwback to a bygone era and much simpler times (terracing is now prohibited under Napa Valley’s Agricultural Preserve: opponents of terracing feared the hillsides of Napa Valley could eventually be over-farmed, thus leading to potential top-soil erosion, as well as an affront to Napa’s natural beauty).

• The tasting began in Stony Hill’s small barrel room, where I sampled the recently-fermented 2008 Stony Hill Chardonnay. Most of the barrels at Stony Hill are 30 and even 40 years old, which is almost unheard of in this day and age (at least in the Napa Valley). Most wineries that wish to limit the oak component in their Chardonnay will age their wine in stainless steel, which is much easier to clean and maintain than decades-old neutral oak. Still, an oak barrel allows a wine to breathe, and so stainless steel is not a perfect substitute for aged wood. As one might expect, the 2008 Chardonnay was pure in character, slightly cloudy, with a profile reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc.

• After more barrel samples, we returned to the old McCrea House to taste Stony Hill’s current releases. I began with the 2007 Stony Hill Gewurztraminer, which was light in body and fermented to complete dryness. The 2007 Stony Hill White Riesling was next in the flight, slightly off-dry in flavor, with just under 1% residual sugar. As with the Gewurz, the Riesling had pleasant fruit flavors, with a crisp and lingering finish. Either of these wines would be terrific to drink in the summertime. The 2006 Stony Hill Chardonnay was true to form, as flinty as ever, with a seamless acidity and plenty of finesse. For those who are accustomed to typical California Chardonnays, the Stony Hill version may present a challenge to preconceived notions. It is a remarkable wine in its subtlety, though many people may be left searching for the apples, pears, or butter.

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Tasting Notes: Newton’s Claret

The Accidental Wino — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 05:09:14 +0000

I had the opportunity to taste up at Newton Vineyard today, where I purchased a couple bottles of the 2006 Newton Claret. Wines like these are satisfying to discover, since they represent tremendous values at their price point. The Newton Claret retails for $25, which is practically unheard of here in Napa. Honestly, you can expect to pay that much — or more — for Sauvignon Blanc or Rosé.

The 2006 Newton Claret is definitely a wine to include alongside Chappellet’s 2005 Mountain Cuvee, also a fantastic wine at just $26. These two wines are neither life-changing nor are they flawed; quite simply, they are well-crafted, exhibiting pleasant flavors and just enough complexity, with soft enough tannins to drink tonight. Call them what you will — daily drinkers, pizza wines, patio pounders — they are essential to have on hand.

Of course, I should mention that the entire Newton portfolio was noteworthy. I tasted the 2002 Newton Unfiltered Merlot, which exhibited a Syrah-like gaminess, perhaps in part to its substantial dose of Petit Verdot. Additionally, the 2005 Newton Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon was also quite good, a combination of delicacy and depth that proved a bit more enjoyable than the Merlot. Still, at $60 per bottle for each, I was not compelled to buy either wine (I’m cutting back during these tough times), although I did come awfully close to purchasing the Cabernet.

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