Smith-Madrone and a Lesson in Seduction

Has old-school become the new new-school? Perhaps that doesn’t make any sense, but it’s something I realized on a tour of Smith-Madrone yesterday.

The Vineyards

A winding ascent from Santa Rosa (or St Helena) leads to the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley. The hillside provides a commanding view of the valley, along with good wine. It is here that Smith-Madrone is located – a small old winery in the midst of its own vineyard. The winery was founded in 1971, well before Spring Mountain became an AVA in 1993.

Upon arrival, I was greeted with a tour of the beautiful grounds and an energetic pup. Vineyards and madrone trees sit side-by-side in harmony on the hillside, and I became very excited to find out what these hillside vineyards are capable of producing. As much as I’d love to have roamed the vineyards, it is the fruits of their labors which brought me here, and no time was wasted in discovering them.

Looking down the valley

The Wines

In the winery the brothers Stuart and Charles Smith (not the “rockstar”) poured generous amounts of their current releases and a couple of tank samples. We tasted the 2007 and 2009 Chardonnay, both made in a classic oaked style, which I am slowly growing fond of as the rest of the world slowly becomes entranced with stainless chardonnay (boring!). The 2009 was in tank and ready for bottling, but the 2007 was clearly in a better stage at the moment, which is why it’s the current release I suppose. It is here that we got into a philosophical discussion that still has me thinking.

A few ounces of 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon was poured into my glass, and over the next few minutes I began to understand why people go berserk over Napa cabernet. Mondovino became the subject at hand, in a manner of which I don’t recall. There is a scene in Burgundy where an old vigneron is bashing high alcohol, “new world” wines — claiming they seduce immediately but don’t leave a lasting impression, much like topless dancers (that part isn’t in the movie).

The Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon is not one of those wines. The alcohol reads 13.9%, and the wine is beautifully balanced and exactly what cabernet should be. I don’t know what the professionals have scored this wine, but it doesn’t matter; it’s not a fruit bomb, but it is fully ripe and highly seducing, just not immediately. They sent me out with a bottle which I was looking forward to cellaring, but to make a long story short it was consumed that night at a restaurant in St Helena and very much enjoyed by all. R.I.P., sexy Cabernet; you are already missed.

A Fish Out of Water

Riesling and Napa Valley are two words I never expect to hear in the same sentence (like complex and pinot grigio), but alas, there does exist at least one tasty Napa Valley Riesling. I wouldn’t venture to place it quite on the pedestal with Poet’s Leap or Tantalus and the rest of the best of the Northwest, but it could be placed on a slightly shorter, rounder pedestal. They did mention that at one point in their careers they used some skin contact on the Riesling. I’m tempted to seek out a bottle of this, because we all know about my unhealthy obsession with skin contact.

The Rest of the Story

Stuart and Charlie have been making wine significantly longer than I’ve been drinking it, and I think they know what they’re doing at this point. It’s somewhat ironic that there exists a significant wave of young winemakers who insist on all-but-eliminating technology and everything California has taught us about winemaking from the process. I can’t argue with the wines nor with their experience level, but I am in this wave, so all I can really say is that they have a point. But old-school is the new new-school, and I’m sticking to it.

Champion Wine Cellars: Have You Heard?

Have you heard? Apparently not. As I have been meeting more and more people from Seattle, the percentage of them who have actually heard of Champion Wine Cellars is negligible. This fact is truly heart breaking for this Terroirist. I make it a point to stop here every time I’m in Seattle; that’s right, every single time.

Champion Wine Cellars has a character all its own. It feels rather more like somebody’s damp, dark basement than a high class wine store. However, you brush off some of the dust and cobwebs and you will find what may be the best wine shop in Seattle. There is something here for everybody regardless of tastes and wallet. It was in Champion Wine Cellars that I witnessed for the first time in my short yet eventful life, a bottle of 1998 Chateau d’Yquem for the modest price of 495 dollars. And was this bottle locked away in some glass case that you had to be supervised by the owner to see? The answer is no, it was right out where you could get a good look at it. It’s not all over-the-top extravagance, they have bottles priced anywhere from 10 dollars a bottle on the upwards of 500 and maybe more.

Champion Wine Cellars is located at the intersection of 1st street and Denny Way. Please, if you live in the Seattle area and are into wine and have not checked this place out yet, get off your ass and do so as soon as possible. Oh, and did I mention they offer a complimentary tasting on Saturdays?

Check them out at Champion Wine Cellars.

Chelan: Peaceful, Tranquil and Serene

Peaceful, tranquil and serene: all are things that make me a bit edgy with prolonged exposure, but in small doses it can do a body and mind good. First, I would like to get out of the way just how beautiful Chelan really is, it’s as if the landscape itself was designed by some master painter and then engineered into form, everywhere you go here feels like you’re standing in a postcard. That being said, let’s talk a bit about the wine and the AVA itself.

As you may or may not know Chelan is one of the newest approved AVA’s (American Viticultural Area) in WA, along with Snipes Mountain. After spending some time in Chelan I have a few points and conclusions to make: first, that after talking to some wine makers up there, nobody can give me a straight answer as to different soil profiles in the area aside from glacial till; secondly, none of the winemakers and growers in the area seem to be able to agree on what varieties do well there, however, after hearing different arguments and sampling some wines myself I must say that this Terroirist really enjoyed the Syrah, Cab Franc, and actually, believe it or not, the Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio from this area.

I actually bought a bottle of Benson Estates 2007 Pinot Noir, it’s as if the world has been turned upside down I know, and those of you who know me will endlessly ridicule me for this one. However, I found this to be one of the only bottles of Pinot Noir I have ever tried that had a stronger and more robust mouth feel and flavor rather than the nose. Pinot Grigio from this region has nice acids and an actual aroma, which was a big surprise.

Now let’s talk wineries.

Nefarious Cellars: This is a winery I made it a point to sample at in both of my trips to Chelan in the last two months. I might go as far as to say that Nefarious is making some of the best wines in the Chelan AVA, and they are doing it with a decent amount of estate grown fruit. I also enjoyed the fact that they were the only winery which had the winemaker working in the tasting room. I always like talking to the winemaker anywhere I go because I feel as though it’s more or less alright to nerd out and speak more in-depth about the wines. A trip to Chelan might be worth it just to visit Nefarious Cellars and try their wines and visit their overly friendly winery dog.

Benson Vineyards: This place is 100% estate grown fruit which is planted to rougly 29 acres. I will say they had the most beautifully manicured vines I saw in the entire trip, however they also had a lot of varieties spaced out on what really is a small space. Rather than committing to a few varieties and doing them well, they do everything from Viogner and Gewurztraminer to Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. On the upside of that, you can really get a taste for the Chelan AVA in one winery. On the downside some of their wines seem to get lost in it all, but as I said before they do make the first Pinot Noir that this Terroirist has ever bought.

Lake Chelan Winery: This place is the work horse of the Chelan AVA. They make wine for quite a few of the wineries up there. The highlight from Lake Chelan Winery would have to be their Cabernet Sauvignon; such rich flavors of Annis and Cherries — yum. They have a small vineyard on site that they source some of their fruit from, but the bulk of their fruit comes from elsewhere. All in all they make some wines ranging from good to great. You really couldn’t go wrong with a stop here.

Vin Du Lac: Now I’m going to be mean in the nicest way possible. This place has great views of the lake as they sit up on bluffs. I was not a big fan of their wines, which doesn’t mean that other people don’t like it. I will say though that they did receive NW winery of the year by a certain publication that I am slowly losing respect for as I believe that there were countless other wineries that were more deserving of the title, but that’s enough of my bad mouthing.

Tsillan Cellars: With a graduate of the WWCC wine program making the wines I was anxious to see what all the fuss was about with this place. This place is a pleasure palace, as some would say. The grounds are very beautiful with estate vineyards on site, and they have also won more awards than any other winery in Chelan thus far. I did have a few beefs with them, however; they have a restaurant on site and when the kitchen is in full swing it can make it quite difficult to smell the wines properly, also I found their wines just kind of hovered around the area of good, nothing really made it to the level of greatness. From what I can tell Tsillan Cellars might be what I would consider the Chateau St. Michelle or Columbia Crest of Chelan, making some good wines and sometimes reaching the level of greatness.

Other notable mentions:
Hard Row to Hoe
Tildio Winery

In conclusion I would just like to say: GO TO CHELAN!

Purple cafe and wine bar: Welcome to the Promise Land of Wine Bars

Another installment from my trip to Seattle. Most of you who live in WA have no doubt heard of the behemoth that is Purple. With its cylindrical wine tower, which might just be one of the most impressive things I have ever seen in my life, and its chairs and barstools that have the collective weight of my entire five story apartment complex, purple seems to have it all: great food, an amazing wine list and a great location in downtown Seattle.

Upon entering this monumental establishment you will notice two things: first, the gargantuan pillar of fermented grape goodness with a spiraling staircase to help you ascend into the heavens to find the perfect bottle of wine to accompany what will be an astounding evening, and two, I got so caught up in the awesomeness of the wine tower I completely forgot about two. This place has a seemingly industrial feeling and a huge wide-open floor plan. This might not be your best bet for a cozy romantic evening or if you’re looking for someplace to kick back and relax. The atmosphere can be quite loud as there are really no barriers to muffle the sound of the large number of patrons that came for the same reason that you did, which is to bask in the awesome glow of the shimmering obelisk that towers over the landscape.

Now let’s talk about the wine. There are very few places in Seattle that I know of with a more extensive collection of vino. The only one that actually comes to mind is Wild Ginger which i’ll discuss at a later date. I have never spent so much time paging through a wine list without being able to make a choice, which should tell you that, not only is the wine list extensive, it is also pretty impressive and diverse. I ended up drinking the Domaine Aux Moines Savennieres from 2005. My co-pilot on this Purple adventure happened to be my dad, and he was enjoying the Chateau Les Tuileries Sauternes from 2006.

To sum this whole thing up I would just like to say that if I had to rate this bar like a wine I would be happy to give it a 94. It’s great for having a drink with friends after work or going out to dinner — just don’t expect it to be quiet and cozy; also you can expect to have a tear come to your eye on the first glimpse of the towering tower of wine.

106 Pine: The wine bar that set the standard

On my visit to Seattle I simply had to check out some of the local wine bars. The first one I found happened to be my favorite of the whole trip. 106 pine was small, comfortable and cool. These are characteristics I would not expect from a wine bar lodged in the middle of downtown Seattle.

106 Pine boasts a broad selection of wines from throughout the northwest and also doubles as a bottle shop. The staff was friendly and more than happy to open up a bottle not on their glass pour list. This fact alone gives them a serious leg up on the competition if you ask me. Their glass pour list ran the gambit from the subtle flavors of a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (and yes I am slowly gaining a appreciation for Pinot Noir) to the other side of the spectrum with some seriously chewy, meaty, smoky Washington Syrah, and a nice selection of whites as well. 106 Pine also offers small plates if you are hungry and has a awesome sweets shop right next door.

In summary 106 Pine must be doing something right, because I went back all three days I was in Seattle, and each time the experience got better and better. I almost felt more like hanging out at a friends house than being in a bar in the middle of a downtown area.