Wine Club Newsletter - December 2014
I Wanna Wanna Do Walla Walla (Part 1)
By Gary Parker
In the latter part of October this year, we made the trip to Walla Walla wine country to visit our friends and to peruse the area, as it had been six years since we were last there.
On the last trip to Walla Walla, I was a guest of a new program that had just started, entitled W2U 2008. A consortium of Walla Walla wineries flew 20 of what they considered to be the top wine buyers in the United States, and somehow I got on that list. Luckily so, as they pulled out the jams to showcase their proud achievements, through many wine tastings, tours, seminars, lunches, dinners for four days straight.
Not so lucky for me, I was in a great deal of physical pain at that time. I later learned that I had to get into a hastened surgery upon my returning, as I had ruptured vertebrae in my lower back. Anyway, I was having difficulty keeping up with the group as well as taking pain medication that inhibited clear thinking processes. But I do remember the Father of Walla Walla wine, Norm McKibben, taking me under his wing for three days and helping me get through it all.
So, back to 2014. We are a party of six, touring under the guidance of our good friends, Jerry and Sandy Solomon. Jerry reminded me that about 14 years ago, I told him he should buy some vineyards in Walla Walla and perhaps start a small winery. Well, he did just that. Jerry and Sandy have created their own Washington winery, Sleight of Hands Cellars, with partner and very talented Winemaker, Trey Busch. The winery is growing at a nice pace, and the wines have very high rankings by the media, including a recent 93 points for the 2012 Enchantress Chardonnay. Can’t wait to see the winery.
As we arrived late afternoon (beware, very limited flights into Walla Walla from Seattle!), our only winery stop is at Figgins Wine Studio, on Melrose in Walla Walla. It has a very good-looking reception/tasting room, but we were whisked into the winemaking facility to sample barrels of winemaker/owner Chris Figgins craft. Figgins specializes in Estate grown, single vineyard Bordeaux blends, in an old world style. He is the son of Gary & Nancy Figgins, who founded Leonetti Cellars, Washington’s oldest winery. The wines were as advertised, dense, rich, powerful, and tannic, wines that will stand the test of time. A very good first stop, and recommended. By appointment only.
So now it was on to dinner. A very heavy-hearted event was dinner, as the wine community was reeling from the just learned sudden death of Eric Dunham. Eric was the founder and winemaker of Dunham Cellars, great friend and mentor to Trey Busch, and was respected and loved all throughout the wine and food community in Walla Walla. One of Eric’s very good friends and renowned local Chef, Andrae Bopp, was putting on the dinner. He bravely moved forward with a ten-course menu at Studio TwoZeroTwo that featured wines from Alleromb Winery, Ardor Cellars, and Gard Vintners. It was beautiful.
Next morning our first tasting is at Long Shadows, an interesting concept. They partner with seven of the great winemakers from around the world to each make a wine from Washington State grapes. Totally cool, and a great, no, a phenomenal tasting room. Our hostess Maressa guided through the four (out of seven) selections that they still had in inventory. This is a must see and taste experience. I took home a bottle of Riesling, made by heralded German winemaker, Ernst Loosen.
On to Woodward Canyon winery, started in 1981. I have always enjoyed their wines, and tasting through the extensive line up in the quaint tasting room was a delight. I think all the wines are reasonably priced as well. But the thriller was having lunch in their “Reserve House” restaurant. Stunning food, both in preparation and presentation. They are open in spring and close sometime in November. A must lunch. (BTW, we walked into Le’Ecole No. 41 winery next door, but left because it was too crowded to get a tasting. “The place is so famous, nobody ever goes there anymore”. (Yogi Berra).
After lunch, we travel to Pepper Bridge Winery, to surprise owner Norm McKibben with his W2U 2008 wounded wine geek of yesteryear, me. Jerry Solomon made the appointment with Norm, so Norm didn’t know I would be in the group of five people. He led us on a fine tour, and an intimate private tasting for our small gathering of 5 people. After a few minutes, I could see the face of recall and recognition coming over Norm, and soon we were discussing how he reserved the front seat of his truck for me everyday, and got chairs for me so I didn’t have to stand in the vineyards, etc.
When I say Norm is the Father of Walla Walla wine, I am not exaggerating. Know as “Stormin Norman”, he has worked on countless projects and countless wineries, developing the Walla Walla wine industry into what it has become today. You have to go to the link I provide for you below to see his picture and read about him. My heart was warmed, and hopefully he and I can go to the links and play golf. Then I can watch Norm outdrive me. That’s the kinda guy he is.
This concludes Part One of the I Wanna Wanna Do Walla Walla WOW piece. Part Two will be in January’s WOW, just in time to coincide with our Sleight of Hand Cellars winemaker dinner at The WineSellar & Brasserie, with Trey Busch, Saturday, February 21, 2015.
Figgins Wine Studio
2900 Melrose St
Walla Walla, Washington.
509-522-7808
Long Shadows Tasting Room
1604 Frenchtown Road
Walla Walla, Washington
509-526-0905
Woodward Canyon Winery
11920 U.S. 12
Lowden, Washington
(509) 525-4129
Pepper Bridge Winery – Norm McKibben
1704 J. B. George Road
Walla Walla, Washington
509-525-6502
(Go to “Winery Family” for Norm McKibben information)
Dinner was at Jim German Bar, about 25 minutes outside of Walla Walla in the very small town of Waitsburg. Specialty cocktails, tapas style menu of “Etruscan Snacks” and personal service in this small venue make for an intimate, fun time for your dinner friends. Recommend you get a driver so you can fully enjoy the offerings.
2010 Volcan Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Growing Region: Spring Mountain, Napa Valley, California
Varietal Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Fermentation: Oak Aging
Suggested Retail: $65.00
WineSellar Club Price: $58.49
Broad Strokes:
Volcan Cellars was formed in 2006 by Rogelio Morales, who originally hailed from Michoacan, Mexico. He started working at Spring Mountain Winery in 1992, and later became Cellar Master. Rogelio was named Assistant Wine maker there in 2011. The name “Volcan” was derived from “Volcan de Paricutin”, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
“Volcan” means “place on the other side”, and for Rogelio, this is representative of his coming to the United States to realize his dreams of making his own wines. This story is reminiscent of Mi Sueno (My Dream) winery, which we featured earlier in the year.
Appearance:
First thing you may notice is that the label is mainly in black and white, and has an etched version of the “Volcan de Paricutin” centered on the label. I wanted a bit more splash, as I don’t feel the label represents the quality of the wine. Nice heavy bottle though. The wine has a black core with dark purple bubbles, and legs slowly dripping down the bowl.
Nose:
Dark cherry and ripe, sweet plum are the fruit scents rising above the glass. Toasted coconut, vanilla spices, anise, mineral, roasted almonds, black and white pepper, sweet tar, and apple pie dough.
Texture:
The texture is approaching what I would consider perfection. A very smooth entry, with beautiful balance, the medium full fruit richness envelops your palate. Seamless, lush fruit is expansive, showing a hint of countering citric/strawberry acid. This leaves a very long, joyous impression on the finish, which lasts for minutes.
Flavors:
Dark cherry and ripe plum are the forward tastes, as is a sweet and savory mincemeat pie sensation, complete with the pie crust/dough. All descriptors from the nose translate to the flavors on the palate. Also got touches of chocolate, and the ripe, citrus acid of kumquat, tangerine, and key lime pie to perfectly edge the long finish.
Serving Suggestions:
This will last my lifetime. We thought of the 1982 Bordeaux when examining this wine: Fruit forward wines that have supple tannins, yet are extremely well structured. Strongly recommend purchasing 6-12 bottles to go into your cellar.
2009 Bellarina Meritage Red, Ehret Family Winery
Growing Region:; Knights Valley, Sonoma County, CA
Varietal Blend: 69% Syrah, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot
Fermentation: Oak Aging
Suggested Retail: $24.00
WineSellar Club Price: $21.59
Broad Strokes:
For those of you keeping scores, this wine was assigned a 95 Point rating by Wine X Magazine in January of this year. That’s pretty nice! I have always enjoyed the wine coming from Knights Valley. Many of the red wines from there (including the Bellarina) seem to have this nice blackberry component to them.
I found it interesting this was labeled as a “Meritage”, because the dominant varietal is Syrah. But the law states that a “Meritage” wine must have at least two of the Bordeaux varietals in the blend, which the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot fulfill that obligation. Only 325 cases made.
Appearance:
The whimsical label is fun, and I hope the play on “Bellarina” works for them. The name “WineSellar” sometimes challenges our newcomers, and to this day we find ourselves spelling it while talking in our sleep. Good back label description is always a plus in my book. The wine has a blackish hue, with a very dark center.
Nose:
Let’s start with blackberry. Then raspberry. On it goes to deeper fruits, dark wood, vanilla, mint/herb, white pepper, plum, and roasted nuts. Quite nice.
Texture:
Good, rich entry. Tannins are soft but present. They are almost drying like, waiting for food to play off it. It is mouth-watering and juicy.
Flavors:
Great blackberry fruit. Additionally, look for cinnamon, black walnut, dark berry jelly, root beer, nutmeg and plum. Really mouth-watering fruit, with dark wood-notes. Add mincemeat pie (including the crust), sweet and savory characteristics, black and white pepper, and cumin.
Serving Suggestions:
BBQ doesn’t necessarily need wine, but this wine needs a BBQ’d steak. The tannins, the texture and flavors scream out for grilled, marinated meats. The wine will improve in the bottle for 5-12 years, becoming even more complex with its aging.
2011 Numanthia, Termes
Growing Region: Toro, Spain (Northwest Spain)
Varietal Blend: 100% Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo)
Fermentation: 16 Months in One Year Old French Oak
Suggested Retail: $33.00
WineSellar Club Price: $22.49
Broad Strokes:
For those of you keeping scores, this wine was assigned a 94 Point rating by the respected European Guia Penin Wine Guide, 92 Point rating by Wine Enthusiast, and 91 Point rating by The Wine Spectator.
The story behind Numanthia is amazing and compelling. It is too long for me too write about here, so let me urge you to Google Numanthia and read about them. Basically, you’ll find that the 100-year-old vines and their location are quite exceptional. They produce wines that range in price from $33 - $170 a bottle.
Appearance:
Very handsome packaging, with light embossing and color contrasts on the label. Well-written short description on the back label. The wine is just about jet-black, with dark magenta rim, and oily legs that slide slowly down the glass.
Nose:
From the winery: “Fresh and fruity with aromas of cherries in alcohol, fresh figs, raspberries and plum. They perfectly integrate with thyme, eucalyptus, hazelnuts, tobacco and cinnamon.”
Texture:
Excellent to great structure! The almost creamy entry turns into dusty, drying tannins. The formidable fruit gives major promise to the balance and integrity of the wine. The finish is very long in the mouth, and takes on an interesting, masculine elegance.
Flavors:
It keeps getting better as the minutes go by . . . Dark cherry, dark berry fruit is wrapped by a beautiful mahogany/wood essence that is lovely. Dark (slightly bitter) chocolate wine, so it seems for a moment, turning into a very worthwhile real wine experience.
Serving Suggestions:
Going back 20 years, very few wines have qualified to be in all three of or wine clubs. The Termes makes it because of price, quality and ability to age for many years. The pedigree and promise of this wine makes it a keeper!
2013 Albariño, Route 3, Dunnigan Hills
Growing Region: Dunnigan Hills, California
Varietal Blend: 100% Albariño
Fermentation: Neutral Treatment
Suggested Retail: $15.99
WineSellar Club Case Price: $14.39
Broad Strokes:
This Albariño is one of the finest white wine values I have come across for ages. In Northwest Spain, Albariño is the most widely planted white grape varietal, and is loved and adored by the people from the area and now all over the world. There are very few plantings of Albariño in California, but after enjoying this wine so much, I hope to see more from our state.
Route 3 people have a great story about the generations they have been farming the land in this Dunnigan Hills Appellation, and to commemorate the land and the area, they named this project after the main highway going by the property.
Appearance:
Of course I like clear wine bottles. The liquid is gorgeous, with a metallic/golden hue. Same as for Route 3 Chardonnay, I love the way the label depicts the Highway (Route 3) and its farmlands, as well as its color scheme. It is so perfect for the project. So is the little descriptor on the back label. The label is heartfelt, and has a soul.
Nose:
Straight up Albariño fruit, which is typical of the varietal. You’ll notice white tree fruit, anise, corn and some tropical fruit (mango). A nice note of mineral and stones, and a fresh, off-the-farm scent of haystacks.
Texture:
Some bright, youthful acid gives parenthesis to an expansive, medium to full weight fruit. High in alcohol content (13.9%) for an Albariño, it is full feeling in the mouth, finishing brisk, very clean, and VERY agreeable.
Flavors:
The stone and mineral components come through nicely on the palate. The flavors are focused with white flower elements, honeysuckle and gardenia. Then I noticed nectarine, apple cider, fresh water, Asian spices, chicory, hazelnuts and sesame oil.
Serving Suggestions:
This is one of the best under $15 values you may be inclined to find. I serve this to my wine snob friends without a blink, and all find it unique and exceptional. Great with Asian food, with cheeses, as an aperitif, or just enjoying it on its own.
Herb Meatballs in Tomato-Plum Sauce
From the website of Ehret Family, who produce the Bellarina Meritage 2009.
These tender meatballs are simmered in a sweet-tart tomato and dried plum sauce.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
- ½ cup yellow split peas
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup cooked basmati rice
- ½ cup finely chopped dill
- ½ cup finely chopped tarragon
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
- ¼ cup finely chopped chives
- 1 tbsp. ground turmeric
- ½ tsp. crushed saffron
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup plus 7 dried sour plums
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and roughly chopped
Instructions
- Bring peas and 2 cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over high heat; cook until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain; transfer to a bowl.
- Add beef, rice, dill, tarragon, parsley, chives, turmeric, saffron, egg, salt and pepper; mix. Place meat mixture in your hand and place a dried plum in the center; form around plum into a 2 inch ball. Repeat to make seven meatballs; chill.
- Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook until softened, about 15 minutes.
- Add tomato paste; cook until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes; cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add remaining ½ cup dried plums and 3 cups water; boil.
- Add meatballs to sauce, reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until cooked through, about 45 minutes
- Season with salt and pepper.