Thanks Rich!

A Friday night regular at Market brought a bottle from his cellar to enjoy together before I leave for Australia. He thought it was only appropriate it be Australian and chose 1990 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707. Lucky me!!! The bottle was kept in perfect condition and the best part, it still had the original price tag of $89.98. Out of curiosity, I did a quick search on what it retails for today. The Rare Australian Wine website values it at $425. That's what I call an investment!

Cayuse Vineyard

Cayuse is a BIG name in the wine industry and all thanks to the adventurous French winemaker, Christophe Baron. Christophe grew up in the Champagne region of France where he was the youngest of the centuries-old Champagne house, Baron Albert. It was clear at a young age Christophe would follow in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps and was destined to become a winemaker.

Christophe studied viticulture in Champagne and Burgundy. And an unexpected internship at a winery brought him to the Walla Walla Valley for the first time in 1993. After one year, he traveled the world gaining experience in Australia, New Zealand and Romania before continuing his training in Oregon. He realized he did not want to take over the family business and intended to buy some land and start a vineyard from scratch.

While others saw ten acres of the Walla Walla Valley’s worst farmland, Christophe saw enormous potential. The terroir reminded him of the “galets” of the southern Rhone Valley in his native France. Christophe purchased the property and planted his first vineyard in 1997. He called the venture Cayuse Vineyards, after a Native American tribe 
whose name was derived from the French word “cailloux”, which means “stones.” The area has even been dubbed “Oregon’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape” and home to some of the finest grapes grown in the northwestern United States.

While the sediment throughout much of the Walla Walla Valley appellation are derived from Missoula Flood sediments that are rich in granite-derived silica, sodium, and potassium; Cayuse Vineyard sediments are derived from Blue Mountains basalt, and abundant with iron, magnesium and calcium. Christophe believes the difference can be tasted in the wine and great wines must deliver a mineral quality.

From the beginning, Cayuse Vineyards has been farmed organically, without synthetic fertilizers, chemicals or insecticides. In 2002, Cayuse became the first domaine in the Walla Walla Valley to fully implement biodynamic farming, a chemical-free approach designed to produce healthier soil and fruit.

Since the start of Cayuse, Christophe has grown his one vineyard of ten acres into six vineyards spread over 55 acres in the Walla Walla Valley. Syrah is the dominant fruit, with additional plantings of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Tempranillo and Viognier.

Lucky for me, I have tasted the 2008 Cayuse Syrah from Cailloux Vineyard. We have it on our list at Market. It was surprisingly elegant and complex and made me want to learn more about it as well as its winemaker, hence this post. It had an intensely developed nose for being so young. It smelled of violets, cured meats and black fruits that were soft and well integrated. It had a soft mouthfeel with smooth tannins and a long finish. It was powerful without being flashy. I was pleasantly surprised for a New World Syrah and would never turn down a glass!

Araujo Estate, Eisele Vineyard

If you have heard of Araujo Estate and are familiar with their Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon then you know it can cost over $300 per bottle. So what is the big deal? Why is it one of the most sought after wines in the world? 

Apparently, it has to do more so with the unique vineyard soil, location and grape varietal than the prominent Araujo name. The limited availability doesn’t hurt either.

Eisele Vineyard is located on an alluvial fan near the northern end of the Napa Valley, just east of Calistoga. Milt and Barbara Eisele first purchased the 35 acres of vineyard in 1969. Initially, they sold their crop to the local co-op. But suspecting that their fruit was of exceptional quality, they approached Paul Draper, winemaker at Ridge Vineyards. Ridge produced the first Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon in 1971. This landmark wine is considered by many to be one of the finest wines ever produced in the Napa Valley and is one of the first vineyard-designated wines in California.

The French term terroir describes the unique environment of a vineyard, from its soils, slopes, and aspects to its climate, weather patterns, and microclimate. The Eisele Vineyard terroir reflects the dominant natural forces of water and mountains surrounding the vineyard. The Simmons Creek bisects the estate, and a small perpendicular tributary flows from the east and spreads an alluvial fan of volcanic cobbly soils from the surrounding Palisades Mountains. The vineyard's southerly orientation provides an ideal exposure in which to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon, while the surrounding Palisades Mountains provide a natural air-conditioning system on hot days. Warm days, cool nights and well-drained cobbly soils produce remarkable wines.

In 1975, Napa Valley wine visionary Joseph Phelps began producing what would become a long line of legendary Cabernets from the Eisele Vineyard. Through the last Joseph Phelps bottling in 1991, the wines reflected the incomparable character and quality of the Eisele Vineyard. Bart and Daphne Araujo acquired Eisele Vineyard in 1990 and the 1991 vintage yielded two significant Eisele Vineyard Cabernets: the final Phelps bottling from the property, and the first Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Araujos’ acquisition of the property marked a new phase in the life of the Eisele Vineyard. They have reconfigured the vineyard's component blocks. Now, not only is Cabernet Sauvignon grown, but also Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot for blending; Sauvignon Blanc for production of an estate white wine; and a small amount of Syrah. Fortunately, for the consumer, the new bottlings of the Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah are more attainable and affordable and range from $50-$75 per bottle. 

Montalto Vineyard

I landed another interview for harvest! This time in the Mornington Peninsula, which is known as a producer of elegant Pinot Noir. Mornington’s reputation is fast growing, up there in the ranks with Central Otago, Oregon and Burgundy.

My interview is with Montalto Vineyard, which is not only known for their Pinot Noir but for their single-vineyard wines from three sites as well. In the June issue of Decanter Magazine, winemaker, John Mitchell explains, “Part of the thrill of single-vineyard wines is that you get to discover the personality of wines year on year.  This gives the customer an opportunity to find a Pinot in style that they like. Someone who doesn’t click with our Lake Block – a big powerful Pinot – may find the lighter, more elegant red fruit style of Main Ridge more attractive, while the Merricks wine sits more in the middle.” The article continues to explain more about the different wines and, more importantly, producers of the Mornington Peninsula. It’s a must read for anyone planning to visit Mornington.

Mornington has definitely established itself as a world-class producer of elegant and enjoyable Pinots. And the best part about it...they are affordable, readily available and continuously improving!

New Chardonnay To Try

Winemakers Chris Brockway of Broc Cellars and Brian Terrizzi of Giornata sourced grapes from one the finest vineyards on the Central Coast, James Berry Vineyard. This vineyard is home to Saxum's estate plantings and recently received a 100 point review from Robert Parker. The James Berry Vineyard fruit is hard to get and is desirable because it is loaded with calcareous soil, a soil dominated by ancient seashell composition and limestone.

Personally, I really like this chardonnay. It combines the New and Old World flavor profiles. It is fruit forward, showing some tropical fruits, but has little oak with nicely shown minerality. It has good acidity which will pair well with food.

Great Reference Book

I wanted to cook dinner for my roommates last night. However, I didn’t know what I wanted to make but I knew what wine I wanted to drink. So I used a great reference book for pairings called Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food by Evan Goldstein. It’s a helpful book because he breaks it down into different grape varietals, styles and how to pair with each. He also offers producer recommendations for the different grape varietals and recipes from his mother.

I knew I wanted to drink my 2006 Château Vitallis Pouilly-Fuissé which is a Chardonnay from Burgundy. I simply flipped to the Chardonnay section of the book where Evan Goldstein offers different recipes to pair with different styles of Chardonnay [Burgundy-style, New World style and rich, buttery style]. I clearly went with the Burgundy-style recipe, which was grilled, herb-marinated fish on a bed of white beans. I chose swordfish but he also recommends either albacore tuna or sea bass. It was a great pairing and my roommates loved it! The wine was a little restrained but once it opened up it showed subtle notes of apple, honey and minerality which highlighted the herbal components of the dish. 

You can learn more about wine and food pairings and view some great new recipes at his website www.winecouch.com or pick up his book at Amazon.com for $20. 

Travel Update

I bought my ticket to Adelaide, Australia and arrive on October 26th. I am so excited! I have an interview lined up with Torbreck Vintners in Barossa Valley on the 28th in hopes to work their 2012 Harvest. Torbreck is one of the top producers of Australia Shiraz. I first learned of Torbreck when someone brought in a bottle of The Factor to the restaurant where I work. This particular bottling ranges anywhere from $100 to $300 depending on the vintage. It is a very rich and textured wine with robust black fruits and roasted espresso. I have never tasted the wine myself but hope to soon! Torbreck does a range of wines, all get great reviews and most other bottlings are more affordable. Check out their website and wish me luck!