melissa, Author at Time To Unwine-D

Tasting Paso Robles

I attend a lot of wine tastings around Florida and beyond, and the tastings at Tim’s Wine Market in Orlando are always very special. Tim has loads of wine credentials and an enormous wealth of knowledge, which make his tastings very informative, but he always adds a fun factor too!

Last week he hosted a tasting “What I Did On My Summer Vacation”. I got a kick out of his subtitle “Three days in Paso Robles I barely remember and will never forget”!

The Paso Robles AVA is located in San Luis Obispo County, about 3½ hours south of San Francisco and 2 hours north of Santa Barbara. Set farther inland than other parts of the Central Coast, Paso Robles is shielded from the cool, maritime influence of the Pacific Ocean by the Santa Lucia Range to its west. The days are long, hot and dry, but the nights are usually chilly which provides the perfect temperature for Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah and other Rhone varietals.

First on the agenda was a brief history of the region, while we sipped the pleasant 2011 Clayhouse Winery Adobe White, which retails for $15.

Tim then moved on the sharing some fun facts about the wineries, while we tasted a few from each he visited.

Clayhouse Winery has many, many acres of vineyard, and only uses between 5 – 10% for their own wines. The rest of the grapes they sell to other wineries. Their name comes from a 150 year old adobe structure that sits in the middle of their vineyard acreage, which has become their symbol. Other Clayhouse wines we tasted were:

2010 Clayhouse Malbec ($15) This wine (100% stainless steel) has cherry and raspberry on the nose and it’s very bright fruit explodes on the palate.

2010 Clayhouse Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles ($15) With grapes from their Red Cedar Vineyard, this wine spent 12 months in oak and has aromas of raspberry and cherry. These fruits also come through on the palate, along with licorice, vanilla and spice.

Sans Liege Winery is a one-man operation. That man is Curt Schalchlin, whose passion for the vine and vision of being a partner with the fruit is aiding him to make some very intriguing wines. His other label is Groundwork, and here’s what we tasted:

2012 Groundwork Grenache Blanc ($20) – Aromas of passion fruit, pear and melon come from the glass. On the palate was baked apple with a hint of cinnamon. It was delightfully like eating apple pie. This wine was fermented for 14 days (which is very long) and has lees contact for 14 months. The acidity and alcohol are balanced perfectly.

2010 Groundwork Grenache ($20) – On the nose of this wine are chocolate covered cherry, fresh raspberry and rose petal. The rich palate has some licorice and sweet fruit. The almost 15% alcohol sounds shocking, because the harmony in the glass keeps the wine from being too hot.

2010 Sans Liege Pickpocket Grenache ($49) – One of my favorite wines of the night, this was a big wine full of ripe red fruit, spice and some wet earth to balance it all out. This is a lovely wine.

Halter Ranch Winery is located in the heart of Paso Robles’ Westside Adelaida District. They make estate-grown wines, which are sustainably grown. Their winemaker, Kevin Sass, was formerly the winemaker for Justin Winery. Their wines of the night were:

2012 Halter Ranch Rosé ($18) – This is a salmon colored wine made of 68% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 12% Picpoul Blanc and 5% Syrah. With strawberry, watermelon and a touch of pipe tobacco on the nose, this is a refreshing, crisp Rosé that reminds me a lot of the Rosés I drank earlier this summer in Provence.

2011 Halter Ranch Synthesis ($25) – This is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Syrah. The nose is spicy, which also comes through on the palate, along with some cherry and plum.

2009 Halter Ranch Syrah ($29) – Aromas of plum, black currant and black olives, with cherry and vanilla on the palate, this is a pleasing wine. There is also a little pepper on the finish.

AmByth Estate Winery is certified Biodynamic and 100% dry-farmed. Their wines are 100% Estate, unfiltered, unfined and use native yeast. “AmByth
is a Welsh word meaning ‘forever’, so it’s the perfect name for this winery. Owners Phillip Hart and his wife Mary are passionate about keeping the land healthy for the rest of their lives, as well as future generations. And their wines rock!

2010 AmByth Estate Viognier ($34 at winery) – This wine spent 16 weeks with the skins, which is very rare for a white wine. The honeysuckle and gardenia leap from the glass and compliment the peach on the palate. No sulfites are added to this wine. This is one of the best bottles of California Viognier I’ve ever had.

2010 AmByth Playground (N/A) – A Mourvedre blend (70% Mourvedre) this is a fabulous wine with raspberry and earth, along with an essence of caramelized white mushroom. The Playground will benefit with more time in the bottle, or some serious decanting. This was another favorite of mine.

2010 AmByth Mourvedre (N/A) – Another wine in need of time or decanting, this shows some cherry, soil and sage.

I bought a bunch of these wines, and Tim did a great job of making me want to visit each of these wineries the next time I head to the Central Coast region.

You can check out more about Tim’s at: www.timswine.com

Visiting Gigondas

After visiting the Northern Rhone Valley, Gigondas was our next stop.

Gigondas is a charming village located near Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhone. It is also an appellation that produces some fabulous wines, both red and rosé, with its vineyards sitting below the dramatic rock formation called the Dentelles de Montmirail.

For many decades all of the wines of Gigondas were simply Côtes-du-Rhône, but in 1966 they were elevated to Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages. In 1971 Gigondas was deservingly awarded its own appellation. By law, the red wines of Gigondas can be made of no more than eighty percent Grenache, and no less than fifteen percent Syrah and/or Mourvedre. The remaining blending varietal is usually Cinsault, but may be any other red Rhone varietal except Carignan.

One of the top producers of Gigondas is Domaine de Cayron. I have some of their wines in my home cellar and was excited to visit them. Sadly when I arrived for my tasting the winery was closed and I received no response to my knocks on the door or rings of their bell.

Thankfully, not far down the road sits the Caveau du Gigondas. Here one can taste a plethora of Gigondas wines (over one hundred!), including wines from Domaine de Cayron! The tasting room is a large, modern space that has many wines along the walls. At the tasting bar we bellied up and were offered as many tastes as we liked, all being poured from small bottles that were filled directly from barrel at the respective winery.

My husband and I tried many, but not all, of the wines. One of our favorites was the 2010 Domaine La Bouïssiere Gigondas Le Font de Tonin. This full-bodied wine is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20 % Mourvedre. Its floral and dark fruits on the palate are well concentrated with nice minerality. We bought a couple of bottles that will sit in our cellar for a few years, because they need some more time to evolve.

The Caveau du Gigondas is a GREAT place to taste. It was quite busy while we were there, but nonetheless the service was wonderful and the fellow tasters very friendly. We were given a written list of each wine available to taste, and we were able to pick and choose our preferences. One man we met had tasted them all!!! I sure do hope that he wasn’t driving!!!

If you’re in Gigondas be sure to plan a visit. They are located right next to the town hall and the tourist information office. They are closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day, along with 15 days in January. Otherwise they are open daily from 10am – 12pm and 2pm until 6pm. You can check out their website at: http://www.caveaudugigondas.com/

My July Wine of the Month

Domaine Roger Sabon
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
2005 Les Olivets
80% Grenache
10% Syrah
10% Cinsault

Yesterday was Bastille Day, the French National Day known as Fête Nationale in France. To celebrate, I opened a bottle of Domaine Roger Sabon from Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhone Valley.

The Sabon family has been in Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a very long time. The descendants of the family have been making wine in this region since at least 1560, and Roger Sabon began estate bottling with the 1921 vintage. This is truly a family operation, with Roger’s sons, grandsons and granddaughters and step-grandson being the heart of the operation today. The domaine uses the best traditional techniques along with modern technology to produce some wonderful wines.

The Wine – The 2005 Les Olivets has baked red berry fruit, sandalwood and some heat on the nose. The heat does not show up on the palate, which does have ripe bing cherry, plum, earth and spices. This nicely balanced wine is peaking right now and drinking beautifully.

Visiting the Winery – Domaine Roger Sabon is located right in the town of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The modern tasting room is located at the winery and is very inviting. The gal who was pouring for us was very friendly and knowledgeable, but did not speak English. I was thankful to know enough French to get us by with no problems whatsoever! They have a very nice small store in the tasting room, where one can purchase T-Shirts and other souvenirs, wine accessories, and of course bottles of their wines.

The Journey – Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a lovely village in the Southern Rhone Valley of France. Domaine Roger Sabon has a driveway right off of one of the main drags, making it very easy to find. It is a short distance from the village’s main area where we stayed. You can find out more about them at:

http://www.chateauneufdupape.info/en/chateau/domaine-roger-sabon/

Visiting the Northern Rhone Valley

Syrah is my favorite varietal, so I was very excited to visit its “homeland”, the Northern Rhone Valley in France. Syrah is the only red varietal used in all five of the appellations located in the Northern Rhone: Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint Joseph, Cornas and Côte-Rôtie.

My husband and I stayed in Tain l’Hermitage, a beautiful town set right on the Rhone River. Hotel Les 2 Coteaux was the perfect spot to call home while we were there. The view from our window had vineyards, the river, and an adorable pedestrian bridge that connects Tain l’Hermitage to its twin city Touron-sur-Rhone. The proprietor was very kind and made us feel at home immediately.

Our first tasting was at the famous Rhone Valley producer Maison M. Chapoutier, often referred to simply as Chapoutier. They have a beautiful tasting room right in Tain l’Hermitage where we tasted many of their wines from the Northern and Southern Rhone. My favorites included the 2010 Côte-Rôtie Les Bécasses, which has violets, spicy earth and bacon, the 2011 Les Granilites St Joseph Blanc, big on the palate with honey, apricots and nice minerality, and the expensive but unbelievably impressive 2010 Le Pavillon Emitage, with a deep purple color, dark fruit flavors, superb concentration and a long finish. This wine needs to spend many years in the cellar before cracking open. Another fun fact about Chapoutier is that their labels are also in braille!

Our next visit was Cave de Tain, also right in Tain l’Hermitage. While waiting for them to open after lunch, we witnessed some vineyard workers across the street. It was fascinating to see the use of horse and plow in the fields. This is not an uncommon practice in the Northern Rhone, because of the steep hillsides and the popularity of biodynamic and organic farming practices.

At Cave de Tain we tasted a large range of Rhone wines, from everyday bottlings for as little as 5 euro, a nice Cornas at 23 euro, all the way up to a nice Hermitage in the 70 euro range.

Next on our list was Domaine des Remizieres located in Mercurol. This is a family winery with some wonderful wines. The 2011 Cuvee Christophe Crozes-Hermitage is 100% Syrah and is quite aromatic with plenty of dark fruits and some licorice and earthiness on the nose. The palate is lush with fruit and some pleasant toastiness. The 2011 Saint Joseph is lush with fruitiness and vanilla. It can be drunk young (I’ve already consumed the bottle I bought and wish I had more!), but will get even better with a couple of more years in the bottle.

Our final tasting in the area was at Domaine des Entrefaux, which is located in the village of Chanos-Curson. This winery is set in a beautiful location, up on a mountain overlooking vineyards. The tasting room was perfect, complete with a table and chairs in which to sit and an adorable wine dog. The gal pouring for us was delightful, and I had the opportunity to use my much practiced, although somewhat limited, French. We communicated fine, though, and had a wonderful tasting. Known as one of the most reputable producers of Crozes-Hermitage, it wasn’t surprising that we were thrilled with the quality of the wines we tasted. Father and son team Charles and Francois Tardy have 21 hectares of Syrah and 5 hectares of Marsanne. They began using organic practices in 2000 and received official organic certification in 2012. It was difficult to pick a favorite. I bought a bottle of each of the 2011 Crozes-Hermitage Les Pends Rouge and Blanc. I couldn’t wait to open the red, so I’m drinking it tonight. There is blackberry, cassis and some white pepper on the palate. At only about $20 a bottle, this wine rocks!

If you’re a fellow lover of Syrah, the Northern Rhone Valley is a must visit. The people are lovely, the views are incredible, and the wines are very special.

Caves Madeleine in Beaune, France

While visiting Burgundy last month, my husband and I re-visited a restaurant from our past. We had a wonderful dinner a few years ago at Caves Madeleine, so when we decided to visit Beaune again, we knew that we had to go back. We were not disappointed.

Caves Madeleine is located in the heart of Beaune. A popular spot for locals, this is a small restaurant with a long waiting list. We saw scores of hungry people get turned away. The owner, LoLo, usually has only one seating per night, but he was kind in recommending those without a reservation to head to some of his personal favorite spots.

Caves Madeleine has four tables lined against one wall, with rows and rows of wonderful wine lined up against the opposite wall. Between these walls LoLo has a large communal table shared by different dining parties. No one seems to mind! The table is actually an old monk’s table that is hundreds of years old. We asked what the drawers on the sides of the table were for, and LoLo told us it was where the monks put their bread!

We had one of the solo tables, and sat down to begin what we knew would be a lovely evening.

We asked LoLo, who is also a Sommelier, to select the wines for us. We decided to start with a local white, as I’m a lover of white Burgundy, so he brought us a bottle of the 2005 Butterfield Meursault. I loved this wine, and it complimented our onion tart starter beautifully. This straw colored wine has an expressive nose of white flowers, lemon curd and hazelnut. On the palate there is a lovely touch of oak, with good minerality. I was in heaven! I only wish we could purchase Butterfield wines in the States.

The red wine LoLo chose for us was a 2004 Domaine Simon Bize & Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Fourneaux. Some raspberry and pomegranate still linger on the palate, along with some licorice. There was a wonderful smokiness that paired nicely with my husband’s entrée selection of game hen, accompanied with a cabbage and bacon salad. I ordered the black truffle ravioli, which harmonized beautifully with the earthy mushroom essence of the wine.

We finished the wine with an assortment of cheeses to end the meal. We were stuffed and happy as can be.

Once again, the food was divine and the service was impeccable.

If you have plans to visit Beaune, France in the beautiful Burgundy region, be sure to make a reservation at Caves Madeleine for a very memorable meal.