I’m finding myself buying more and more California wines lately, even if the values I find from Portugal and Spain still make up the bulk of my everyday wines. As the wineries of California become more mature, you can find a lot more variety than you might remember. Chardonnays are no longer just oak bombs, and California reds aren’t all hot, high-alcohol inky and jammy chores to sip. Plus, I’ll admit that since I don’t speak French, the names of Cali wines are easier for me to remember.
So I’m excited by a few wines that I’ve been fortunate to sample lately and also for an upcoming wine dinner that features an acclaimed Napa winery that specializes in single-vineyard expressions to create some really collectible wines. Top off your glass and read along for the skinny on some great grapes.
The dinner that’s got me fired up is the “Fine Wines & Skylines” event coming up on Thursday, May 16 at Bourbon Steak when Heitz Cellar will be the guest winery at a five-course dinner in the private 34th-floor dining room. Heitz owner Gaylon Lawrence and winery CEO Carlton McCoy Jr. will be in attendance at the dinner, and they’re bringing some of their finest wines with them. Among the three cabernet sauvignons they’ll be pouring is a vintage from 1997, and if you keep one of those vintage charts in your glove compartment like I do, you’ll know that was one of the best years for growing red grapes in Napa in a generation. Check out the menu they’ll be serving, along with wines (and tasting notes):
Bay Scallops: Uni Cream, Baby Turnip, Saffron
Sauvignon Blanc ‘Ink Grade,’ Napa Valley 2018 (papaya, pineapple, lemon zest)
‘Instant Bacon’: Bourbon-Soy Glaze, Shredded Brussels, Tempura Oyster
Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2014 (blackberries, tart plum, savory herbs)
English Pea Agnolotti: Braised Lamb, Preserved Lemon, Morels
Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1997 (soft tannins, earth, spice)
Duo of Wagyu: New York Strip, Braised Short Rib , Asparagus, Potato Puree, Sauce Perigord
Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Trailside’, Rutherford, Napa Valley 2001 (ripe blackberry, cedar)
‘Huckleberry Goat’s Milk Cheesecake”
Port ‘Ink Grade’, Napa Valley (ripe plum, honey)
Admittedly, this won’t be an inexpensive event at $270 per person, but these are some once-in-a-lifetime wines you’ll be sampling. If you’re game, email nrotondaro@turnberry.com to hold your spot at the table.
Speaking of single-vineyard wines, I was fortunate enough to sample a bottle of 2015 Ramey Wine Cellars Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay, the noted winery’s first single-vineyard chard from the historic plot of grapes where the Rochioli family has lived and farmed for close to 80 years. The Sonoma vineyard is counted among the absolute best in California, and Ramey purchased fruit from there for years before earning the chance to make a vineyard-designate wine from those grapes.
Even though I’ve expressed a dislike for overly oaked chardonnays, Ramey treats wood with finesse with this wine, aging it for almost two years in French oak. The time in cask offers a lovely toasty backnote that plays well with the layers of acidity, citrus and floral characters that come from the old vine grapes, kind of like marmalade on buttered toast. The finish is incredibly long and complex, and I wish I’d had the patience to revisit the bottle after a couple of hours of opening up. But I didn’t. We’re more about immediate gratification in my house. Retailing in the mid-$60s range, this would be a special occasion white in my pantheon, but really it would make any occasion special if you uncorked a bottle of this remarkable chardonnay.
The other two California wines I want to bring to your attention are some Rhône-style varieties from the Beckmen family in Santa Barbara. Beckmen Vineyards have been pioneers in biodynamic practices, becoming the first Santa Barbara-area winery to achieve official certification. Winemaker Steve Beckmen is committed to using native yeasts for his fermentations, and his dedication to Rhône varietals really offers a focus to the winery’s offering.
The two samples I received were both affordable wines that punch well above their class. The first was their 2017 Beckmen Vineyards Cuvee Le Bec, Santa Ynez Valley, retailing at about $25. A blend of Rhône grapes including a plurality of syrah and grenache plus a skosh of mouvedre and counoise, this wine reminded why I love Rhône wines so much. Peppery and fruity with hints of dark berries, it was both a great wine for sipping without food and for pairing with flavorful smoked meats like lamb or pork. I don’t think it would stand up as well to a more acidic dish like anything with tomatoes, but with a crusty pork chop, this would be fantastic.
Also retailing in the mid-$20s is Beckmen’s 2018 Purisima Mountain Vineyard Grenache Rosé, a blend of grenache and syrah. Despite the fact that Beckmen intentionally allows for extra skin contact prior to pressing, this rosé is surprisingly paler than the dark pink that you might expect from other commercial rosés. Just because it’s light-bodied doesn’t mean it’s not a complex wine, and I really enjoyed the subtle tannins hiding behind the berry flavors. Hints of pepper and vanilla were also pleasant discoveries that made this a fine accompaniment to the custard that I paired it with. If you can’t hold off until dessert, this wine would drink fine all by itself.
