2010: Year in Rear View

Well loyal devoted followers it has come time for us to celebrate the end of yet another 365 day period know as a year. It has been a year of mostly ups and a few catastrophic downs, mainly the launch of James Sucklings webpage, but also the scattering of all three Terroirists to the deep reaches of the western seaboard. 2010 also however gave us the birth of Scorevolution and not to mention Terroirists Wine Blog, the DVD release of Blood Into Wine, some friendly competition between WA and CA and some pretty amazing parties.

Tonight I shall focus on what is right in front of me rather than worry about the past, and what is right in front of me is a Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace. Now admittedly I am not the biggest cheerleader for bubbles, but I do make it a point to sample some from time to time.

The aroma hits hard with butterscotch, vanilla, apple and maybe even brioche. The aroma and flavor are clean and totally missing that yeasty bread like quality that you will sometimes find in French bubbles (which is usually why I dont like French bubbles, I means seriously if I want bread i’ll eat bread). The flavors follow the aromas well and are quite subtle. This wine is not overly bubbly and some may say that it might be lacking a bit in the sparkle department. For a bottle I just bought today at a very reasonable twenty three dollars I could not be happier with my choice of bubbles to celebrate the death of 2010.

Many of you probably wont read this tonight due to the fact that you’re probably out getting smashed and hoping you can find somebody willing to kiss you at midnight, but for the few that may see this before the night is over, drive safe and don’t do anything overly stupid. I also apologize for this post which is probably riddled with typo’s.

Rhone Warfare

It was a simple Tuesday night here in Walla Walla when a few wine friends and myself got together to have a post-harvest Rhone wine tasting. There were five wines in total and we got a pretty good representation of what the Rhone has to offer. As many of you know the Rhone has been gaining popularity in most wine circles and among many of us in the industry it has taken over Bordeaux and Burgundy as France’s most kick ass wine region, exhibiting wines of true terroir and showing true expression of the character of the land.

The Rhone Valley, located in south-eastern France, is home to over a dozen approved varietals within the A.O.C (appellation d’origine controlee). The most prominent of these being Syrah in the northern Rhone and Grenache and Mourvedre in the southern half of the Rhone. Other varietals include Cinsaut, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne and Counoise. The wines we sampled tonight were a good mix of what both the northern and southern Rhone appellations had to offer. Now let’s get to the wines, shall we. I did go through and rate my favorite to least favorite but this tasting didn’t have a stand out turd just wines that were not showing as well as the others.

5. Coming in last place was the wine that I brought, the 2007 Domaine du Grand Montmirail (Vacqueyras). This wine didn’t have the rustic qualities that I usually enjoy from a Vacqueyras, I picked up hints of buttered blueberry pancakes and a slight touch of nutmeg.

4. Number 4 was a wine that I think changed in the glass the most over the course of the night. 2007 Chateau Simian (Cotes du Rhone). When I first stuck my nose in it I wanted to take it out immediately, but after letting it settle and breath for a few minutes I started to get marionberry, wet stones and a very subtle hint of tomato.

3. Number 3 this was the obvious middle of the road in this tasting. the 2006 Coudoulet de Beaucastel (Cotes du Rhone) had one of the most pleasant aromas of the evening of dried chocolate powder, blackberry and teddy grahams, yes I just said teddy grahams. However, once I tasted it kind of let me down, the flavors were very fleeting almost as if they couldn’t wait to get away from me.

2. This is where things got complicated for me, number 2 the 2006 Gilles Robin Andre Pealat (Saint Joseph) went back and fourth as my number one for a while. This wine I thought was the most old-world-like with a great amount of funk and maybe slightly bretty. I got aromas of peppered bacon, lavender, stewed tomatoes and allspice. My other tasters did not enjoy this wine as much with the aroma of wet dog seemingly taking hold of everybody but me.

1. Number one was everybody’s favorite for the evening; the 2007 Stephane Vedau J Boutin “Bonnevaux” (Cote-Rotie). This wine gave me a real creamy characteristic almost like strawberry ice cream. It almost rendered me speachless as I had a difficult time categorizing the multitude of flavors that were having their way with my taste buds for the rest of the evening.

Not a bad way to celebrate the end of the 2010 harvest.

Blackwood Canyon Vintners: Driven Mad by Terroir?

Visiting Blackwood Canyon was something on my to do list for quite some time. The other day, as luck would have it, I found myself in the immediate area and thought it was time to give it a shot.

First off you drive about a mile down this beat up winding road surrounded by a vineyard that looks like it’s either mostly dead or out of a Grimm’s fairy tale. Signs continue to tell you to keep going and you’re almost there. Upon arrival at the winery you find something that seems as though it would fit nicely into a Texas Chainsaw Massacre set rather than set in the scenic hills of Red Mountain. The barrels are aging outside exposed to the elements and are sun bleached and gray. Feeling somewhat apprehensive at this point and not sure whether or not to leave the car, I mustered up the courage and set forth towards the tasting room doors. My apprehension was due to the fact that most of my colleagues who have spoken about Blackwood Canyon have always discussed it as if it’s a mythological creature rather than a real winery.

Meeting the winemaker M. Taylor Moore was a experience all in its own: a man with a somewhat gruff exterior and a beard for the ages. To call him a mad scientist might be the best way to put it. However, after talking with him for a while I realized that though he may have his quirks and may be what some people may call crazy, underneath all that you find a individual who has great passion for what he is doing and what he is doing is super, ultra, insane, over-the-top traditional wine making techniques. Looking in the winery you see a place that would fit in more in Burgundy rather than WA. By America’s winery standards this place was filthy but in Burgundy it’s just what it is.

Now a little bit about the wines. I will be the first to tell you that this is not a place for the novice wine drinker; this is a place for wine geeks who will come in droves just for the experience. I tried a 20 year old chardonnay, yes you heard right, a 20 year old chardonnay that is in his current line up. The wine hit every single part of your palate — sometimes in a good way and other times in a not-so-pleasing way but always in an interesting way that made you want to take another sip. Then he brought out cheese to pair with the wines we were tasting and when the wine and the cheese were combined it was truly amazing, everything that was strange about the wine was balanced out by the flavors of the different cheeses. As some of you know the concept of wine needing to go with food is not one that I am firmly on board with. I think a great wine should be able to stand on its own. However, when these wines were paired with the cheese it all seemed to make sense.

This place was kind of like the first time you go on a roller coaster: once you realize you can survive it you want to go again. After about two and a half hours I had to make my trip back to Walla Walla. I will need to return to Blackwood Canyon in the coming weeks as I was only able to try three of their wines in my two and a half hour stay. For those of you who are extremely obsessed with finding things that are outside of the norm, seek this place out. Whether you like the wine or not I am at least promising you a memorable experience.

Seattle Wine Party 2010: Can you say what the hell did I do last night

This party may not have been a repeat of the fun that fellow Terroirist Steve and I endured at the Portland wine party roughly a year ago, but it was a big ol’ ball of insanity none the less.

Entering the doors at the Palace Ballroom it was clear that this place was not the Jupiter. It was pretty much what you would expect with a name which in it includes the word ballroom. The list of wineries pouring at this event was a who’s who of the Northwest. This party, as it was in Portland, was hosted by Charles Smith. The night was filled with finger food, great wines, dancing, and once again as it was in Portland, burlesque dancers. To be honest, this really felt like an attempt at a repeat of the glory that the Portland party saw. However, this night also marked another vintage for me as I turned 26 and as a 1984 I can tell you we are aging quite nicely.

My focus when I showed up was Riesling, having seen on the list that more than two wineries were pouring them. The varietal was represented by Dunham Cellars, Trust, Charles Smith Wines, Efeste and Zero One Vintners. These representations of Riesling really showed off the full spectrum of what WA can do with this grape, it was also nice to see it being done by somebody other than the big boys. I’m just gonna flat out list from top to bottom the best to least best.

Efeste (Evergreen) – Total onslaught of flavor. This wine gave the thrill of being a little kid and getting caught doing something you’re not suppose to be doing.
Dunham Cellars (Lewis Vineyard) – A close second. The flavors on this one didn’t invade every single spot on your mouth as the Efeste did. What it lacked in balls it made up for with bright flavors and a lasting finish that stayed with me for a large portion of the night.
Zero One (Golden Delicious) – The third on the list. This wine was the clear dividing line between the top two and the bottom two. Therefore, it sits at third. I still found this wine very very yummy.
Trust – fourth place. I still found this wine to be pleasant but it just didn’t have enough gusto or enough going on to make the top three. It was a nice well rounded Riesling.
Charles Smith wines. (Kung Fu Girl) – Having drank this wine on multiple occasions before I was somewhat surprised at the poor showing it had on this night. I now realize that in all the times I have consumed it, I’ve never put it up against anybody else. The acids in this wine seemed to hit me at all the wrong places and it came off unbalanced and somehow awkard

Now that the official business of the night was through I was free to enjoy the rest of my birthday and celebrate it in style. That is until the white russian and irish car bomb later; the night’s a little foggy after that.

Guardians of Red Mountain: The Revolution Starts Now!

How does one put into words something for which there are no words to describe? I humbly ask you to bear with me as I try to do just that.

The history books will eventually write of September 16, 2010 as the day when eight passionate terroirists met and forged an alliance under the banner of Red Mountain. This was a day dedicated to the worship, protection and sovereignty of the almighty vine and its ancient partnership with the powers of mother earth and a night filled with philosophy and ideals that will soon begin to conquer the wine world and put into place the standard that wine is made by grapes, and that we mere mortals are here as nothing more than protectors to provide guidance to the fruit as they undertake their journey from fruit to nectar of the gods.

The day began at a quaint restaurant tucked into the Belltown district of Seattle called the Boat Street Cafe. This was the first time that some of us had ever met, yet the spirit was so powerful that we had no trouble starting some of the best conversations I have ever had the honor of being a part of. Lunch for moi was a delightful sausage sandwich with red peppers and onions. The talk of the table, however, was Stephan’s croque monseiur as it looked as though it was cooked by some deity who is really good at cooking croque monseiurs. Lunch also came with some bubbly and obscure French rosé.

Next was the main event of the day, the branding at Under the Needle tattoo parlor. Unable as we were to find a shop that would allow us to sip Champagne as we each waited for our turn to bleed, we opened a tab at the bar next door and had a wonderful time none-the-less. Eight of us in total received the mark and forever will be held together by the bond made of blood and ink. As the most heavily tattooed member I can honestly say that the combination of the needle and the meaning behind the tattoo was one of the most powerful experiences of my 26 year existence. The artists at Under the Needle were phenomenal — STAY GOLD guys!

The dramatic conclusion to the night came by way of a dinner that would make Anthony Bourdain jealous. The Mistral Kitchen where we sat in the Jewel Box and ate an eight course meal which may have actually been made of a combination of magic (I’m talking like crazy Harry Potter magic), liquid gold, pureed unicorns and rainbows. Each course came with a beautifully paired wine. I really can’t say much more about the food other than watch the slide show at the bottom for food porn; and chef William Belickis is a genius.

Eight men and women woke up on September 16th and eight warriors for terroir woke up on September 17th. We eight raise our glasses to honor the terroir. Those of you who were not able to join us we pray that you continue on your path to protect terroir, and perhaps you will be able to join us next year. HUZZAH!