Quiz & Quote #14

"In vino Veritas"

                         - Plato 

Great Wines of the World Trivia

1. In 2000 police uncovered a scheme to sell 20,000 bottles of a fake version of this wine.
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
2. The producer of which wine rejected an offer to have his wine featured in the 2004 film Sideways?
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
3. This venerable wine's vineyard was the subject of a failed 2010 vine poisoning extortion plot.
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
4. This wine first gained acclaim at the 1929 world's fair.
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
5. Which cult wine received poor reviews on its first release in 1951?
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange
6. Which wine is sometimes described as an "iron fist in a velvet glove"?
Romanee-Conti Chateau Maregaux Chateau Petrus Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vega Sicilia Unico Penfolds Grange

Summer 2010 Tour of Clos Pepe

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of the California Central Coast and it's characterful wines.  I have been lucky to travel though Central Coast wine country on several occasions, tasting many lovely wines and soaking in the incredible old California ambiance and natural beauty.  One of those memorable trips occurred last summer when I had the special privilege to take part in one of the last tours offered at Clos Pepe Vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills. The extremely personable Wes Hagen, vineyard manager and the estate's winemaker, was a font of knowledge as he led the group from the vineyards, through the wine-making process, to a memorable private tasting in the estate's main house.  Wes even took time to personally put together a local cheese and bread platter as he answered the group's questions and poured several delicious wines. To top off an amazing morning, we were treated to the fruits of another of  Wes' great passions; his freshly brewed, home roasted expresso.

I absolutely fell in love with the beautiful vineyard setting with meticulously kept vines, olive groves, and even a picturesque little heard of sheep which are an integral part of the bio-intensive vineyard culture.  Eve more impressive were the wines.  We tasted two vintages of exquisitely crafted, bright, crisp, Burgundy style Chardonnay, one of them an unfiltered barrel sample.  Quite the treat.  Then came the lovely Pinot Noirs, with their characteristic Santa Rita Hills raspberry and cherry aromas backed by a hint of Central Coast herbalness. These were juicy Pinot Noirs, quite drinkable in their youth, but with Burgundy-like earthy complexity and the backbone to develop nicely for several years in the bottle.  Clos Pepe wines are a great testament to what can happen when an incredibly talented winemaker's skills combine with low-yields, organic/sustainable practices, and meticulous hand-labor in the vineyard.  

Sadly, Clos Pepe no longer offeres tours of their beautiful estates, but their wonderful wines are available online on clospepe.com and in wine shops for your enjoyment.  I heartily recommend seeking them out.  In the meantime here are some photos from my memorable 2010 tour, so you too can experience some of the beauty of this incredible estate.

R. Lopez de Heredia 2000 Viña Gravonia

In 1877 Rafael Lopez de Heredia y Landeta came to the Rioja region in Spain from Chile to follow his dream of making wine.  At the time, the wine business in the Rioja was booming, as the phylloxera epidemic drove Bordeaux producers there to seek alternate sources for quality grapes.  Lopez de Heredia began experimenting with a wide range of Spanish and Bordeaux varieties, finally determining that the traditional Tempranillo and Viura were the most appropriate grapes for top quality wine production in Rioja.  In 1913 he purchased a parcel of land that became the vineyards of Lopez de Heredia Tondonia, established one of the first Bodegas in Rioja, and began a wine making heritage based on strict quality.  Three generations later Lopez de Heredia's great-grand  children carry on his dream by making wines very much in the same traditional way.  These are old-style Rioja wines that emphasize extreme care in the vineyard in order to produce the highest quality grapes possible, and very traditional vinification in the cellar.  

Harvesting is done meticulously by hand, bunch by bunch, and grapes are brought to the winery in small wooden containers that are handcrafted in the estate's own cooperage.  After natural yeast fermentation, the wines are aged a minimum of four years in 225 liter hand-crafted American oak barrels.  This long aging period, which varies with each wine's natural development, allows them to undergo the slow esterification process needed to develop the classic and complex bouquets of great traditional style Rioja wines.  During this aging process the wines are gently and laboriously hand-racked to remove impurities without having to resort to mechanical filtering.  The wines then continue to age in bottle until deemed ready for release.  

The resulting wines are anything but the modern fruit and oak bombs many modern Rioja wines have become. These are contemplative wines of restraint, elegance, and nuance.  They offer the kinds of earthy complexity that made me fall in love with traditional Spanish wines years ago.  Thanks to Lopez de Heredia's dedication to tradition we can still enjoy this uniquely wonderful style of wine.  We can only hope the tradition will continue for generations to come. 

The wine we will taste today is made from grapes from the Viña Zaconia vineards, one of the original parcels purchesd by Rafael Lopez de Heredia y Landeta.  The 45 year old Viura vines are situated on south-facing slopes of poor, stony soil, which forces the roots to go deep, developing great character and complexity in the grapes.  This is the stuff I live for, so come along as I taste this exciting traditional white wine from the Rioja region.  

Today's Video Review Delayed

My sincerest apologies, but doe to technical difficulties today's video review will be delayed.  Check back tomorrow and we should have it up and ready for your viewing pleasure.  Thanks for your patience.

Quiz & Quote #13

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance"

                                                                                         - Benjamin Franklin 

Esoteric Whites and Abstruse Reds

Can you identify the color of these not so common wine grapes?

1. Mavrodaphne
White Red
2. Dornfelder
White Red
3. Inzolia
White Red
4. Corvina
White Red
5. Moschofilero
White Red
6. Plavac Mali
White Red
7. Jacquere
White Red
8. Rotgipfler
White Red