By highlighting Clos Saron — a Pinot Noir producer in California’s Sierra Foothills — Matt Kramer explains why “small, local wineries are slowly but certainly reshaping what American wine lovers expect in and from their wine experience.”

In Wine Enthusiast, Steve Heimoff pens his 2012 “State of the Grapes.”

On Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill legalizing the direct shipment of wine from producers to consumers in the Garden State.

In Wine Review Online, W. Blake Gray profiles Georges DuBoeuf, who heads up one of the of the largest wine merchants in France. On his blog, he details his thoughts on Beaujolais.

Elsewhere, in Palate Press, W. Blake Gray argues that “Brazil is the next great frontier for the wine world.”

Reuters reports on the “dampening prospects for the eastern American ice wine industry” due to the “unusually warm winter.”

Forgotten Man Films releases the trailer for Somm, “the story of four Sommeliers attempting to pass the Prestigious Master Sommelier Exam.” It looks awesome. Mike Steinberger is “eager” to see the film, and wonders if “the next set of big-time wine communicators [will] come from the ranks of America’s sommeliers?”

Meanwhile, Steve Heimoff wonders if sommeliers are an “endangered” species?

Over at Brooklyn Guy Loves Wine, a lively discussion on opening and pouring old wines. (H/T: Eric Asimov.)

A reminder: Terroirist has partnered with Uncorkd to give away two free bottles of wine! All you need to do is send out a single tweet!

Earlier this week, a small group of DC wine geeks gathered at Bourbon Steak DC to open up some rock star California Cabs from the 1990s, along with a 2008 Rivers-Marie Summa OV (in anticipation of the spring 2012 release). There wasn’t a dud in the group — check out my notes below!

• 2008 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Old Vines Summa – USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  SRP: $60 (mailing list only). Decanted for 2-3 hours. The nose is intoxicating and incredibly floral – sweet, purple lavender and fresh, sweet herbs. The fruit is big, ripe, and lush – a mix of red cherry, black cherry, and cranberry — but somehow elegant and restrained. The orange rind and citrus notes that everyone talks about are there, but I couldn’t find any smoke taint, despite the challenges of the vintage. Great balance, juicy acidity, soft-but-present tannins. This wine will be fantastic in 5-10 years. (93+ pts.)

• 1991 Ridge Monte Bello – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Current release price: $145. 1991 blend: 85% Cab, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Opened 2-3 hours prior to consumption. In 2000, Stephen Tanzer described this wine as “among the top dozen made in California during the last 20 years,” so expectations were high. And it exceeded everyone’s expectations. The wine explodes out of the glass – super sweet, ripe, fresh, fleshy black fruits, with molasses, sweet spices, and wild herbs providing a wonderful, mouth-coating foundation. The wine is dense and concentrated, but there’s absolutely zero heaviness. Perfectly balanced and focused – and obviously has many years left. Probably the classiest California wine I’ve ever had. (97 pts.)
• 1995 Seavey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley
  Current release price: $95. Decanted for sediment. Opens with strong and intoxicating eucalyptus, followed by ripe blackberries, black currants, and boysenberries; sweet herbaceousness; gray slate; and maple syrup. Super juicy, with firm tannins that make for a very well-structured wine. The finish is a bit drying and bitter, but overall, it’s absolutely spectacular. (95 pts.)
• 1995 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard – USA, California, Napa Valley
  Current release price: $135. 1995 blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. Opens with oak – cedar, cigar box, and dark chocolate – that smells a bit burnt. Underneath the oak is some nice fruit — blackberries and raspberries that still smell fresh — along with some smoked meat (!), crème de cassis, and tobacco. Balanced with fine tannins and good acid, but the oak treatment is too harsh, and will likely takeover the fruit very soon.(91 pts.)
• 1999 Chappellet Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard – USA, California, Napa Valley
  Current release price: $135. A beautiful wine. The nose is precise and intoxicating – dark, mountain blackberries, blueberries, black currant, and loam. The tertiary aromas are strong but elegant – sweet spices, seductive chocolate – and the wine has silky, well-integrated tannins. The wine is a bit hot at the very front and the very back, but it’s barely noticeable. I doubt it’ll get much better, but it will probably stay where it is for quite some time. (93 pts.)
• 1997 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain – USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
  Current release price: $79.99. The brett monster attacked this wine, unfortunately, so it was hard for me to get past the poopy diaper. Fortunately, the brett seemed to weaken as the wine sat in the glass – and a big Napa Cab emerged. Ripe blackberries and plums, blackberry jam, dried blackcurrants, sweet cardamom, vanilla, and sweet spice. The tannins were HUGE, but the wine had a cutting acidity that somehow balanced the whole package. If it weren’t for so much brett, I would have loved this wine. (89 pts.)
• 2000 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
  Current release price: $90. Screwcap closure. Decanted for 2-3 hours. This wine opens with candied pecans and roasted hazelnuts, cedary oak, thick molasses, and bitter chocolate. With five minutes of reflection, this strikes me as quite odd, as it’s a struggle to find the fruit. It’s there, though – dried, jammy cherries and red currants, along with some green pepper and sage. (87 pts.)

At WineFuture Honk Kong, Robert Parker “repudiated heaviness” (according to Jancis Robinson) when he explained how top-notch Bordeaux can have “depth and intensity… without heaviness.” The ’91 Ridge Monte Bello is a perfect example of what Parker meant — it was rich and ripe, but also graceful. I also awarded it more points than I’ve ever awarded before in a formal tasting note. Overall, an excellent evening!

The Canary Islands.

In the San Francisco Chronicle, Jon Bonné announces his Winemakers to Watch in 2012. The list includes Enrico Bertoz and Letizia Pauletto of Arbe Garbe; Chris Brockway of Broc Cellars; Gavin Chanin of Chanin Wine Company;Theresa Heredia, the winemaker at Freestone Vineyards; and Michael McCay of McCay Cellars.

“Of all the world’s wine regions well off the beaten path, none is farther removed than the Canary Islands.” Eric Asimov gives the region some press in his latest New York Times column.

In the Star Tribune, Bill Ward profiles David Gates, vice president for vineyard operations at Ridge Vineyard.

Alder Yarrow marks his 8th year in the wine blogosphere — and reflects on what he’s seen.

In the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, Cathy Bussewitz reports that the market is improving for the area’s grape growers.

“Among people who think of themselves as wine connoisseurs there’s a 61 percent Asshole Correlation Index… People who spend a lot of time discussing both cigars and single malt scotch, by the way, have a 78 percent ACI.”

In the Financial Times, Jancis Robinson looks at the discussion surrounding alcohol levels in wine.

A reminder: Terroirist has partnered with Uncorkd to give away two free bottles of wine! All you need to do is send out a single tweet!

I’ve seen the future of restaurant wine lists, and they’re all on iPads.

My office is just a few doors down from Bistrot Lepic – a great French restaurant in Washington DC — and while dining there recently, I was stoked to check out its wine list. In November, the restaurant transitioned to iPad wine menus, allowing “diners the chance to search for wine by vintage, grape, region and price.”

One company that’s making software for iPad wine lists is Uncorkd. The Chicago-based company provides a web-based platform for iPad wine lists across the United States and Canada. And its software appears to be quite intuitive for consumers and easy for restaurants to use.

Terroirist has partnered with Uncorkd to give two lucky readers a free bottle of wine from Wine.com up to $30 in value. (If you’re in a state where retail shipping is illegal, we’ll send a gift basket instead.)

To enter the contest, post a tweet about iPad wine menus you’ve used OR how you use your mobile phone or tablet to find information on wine — and include @UncorkdMenus and @Terroiristblog in the tweet.

We’ll stop accepting entries on Sunday, January 29 at 11:59 pm. Winners will be selected via Random.org.

Check out what the Terroirists drank this week, including highlights from Clos Rougeard and a wine with ties to Donald Trump.

Matt Latuchie
I decided to crack open a 2005 Burgundy this week — despite knowing they’re years and years away from maturity. I opened at 2005 François Parent Volnay 1er Cru Les Fremiets and it took a couple hours to really open up. Compared to other Volnays I’ve had (from other vintages), this was darker and meatier than what I was expecting. Typically, I think of Volnay as feminine, elegant Pinot Noir but this was more masculine and weighty. This was a great example of a bottle of wine that the last drop was by far the best.

As a part of the Wine Library TV Forum Producer of the Month thread I reached for a 2008 Ridge Geyserville. I’ve never been a huge fan of zinfandel, but given the producer and its designation, I was expecting a treat. Sadly, this was incredibly disappointing. The oak and alcohol were just plain distracting. It had some underlying blueberry and tart cherry tones, but the fruit was essentially hidden behind the cream, charcoal, and mocha tones that the oak gave the wine. After drinking this I still feel like I don’t know what the fruit in a 2008 Ridge Geyserville zinfandel tastes like — all I’ve tasted is oak.

David White
The week started with some Rhone varietals. On Sunday, I opened the 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Page Nord. Like most Novy wines, it was obviously well made – ripe fruit, good structure, nice balance, etc. But the wine seemed sad. There was nothing bright or lively or compelling about it.

On Monday, I opened a different Novy — a half bottle of the 2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Russian River Valley. This wine continues to improve, and delivers an incredible value. Dark fruits, smoky meat, maple syrup – just delicious.

On Tuesday, over dinner at Proof – one of DC’s better wine bars – I ordered a bottle of the 2008 Jemrose Foggy Knoll Vineyard Grenache. This was my first Jemrose, and I was floored. The wine was big but not dense and ripe but not jammy – and it had great acidity. I can’t wait to seek out more wines from this producer.

On Wednesday, I attended an epic tasting of Clos Rougeard – the Loire estate that’s universally considered one of the top wine producers in France, and that only a “lucky few” will ever get to taste.

The night opened with three Champagnes. The first two were from Nicolas Mallart – the 2004 Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Extra Brut Les Chaillots and the 2005 Blanc de Noirs 1er Cru Les Francs de Pieds Vieille Vignes. Both were delightful, but the Blanc de Blancs really stood out — incredible focus, bright fruit, intense minerality and wonderful florals. We then opened a 1985 Krug. Wow. I don’t have much experience with aged Champagne, but I couldn’t get enough of this wine — subtle effervescence, beautiful mouthfeel, seductive aromas of tropical fruits, sweet, baked apples, hazelnuts. Awesome.

We then opened three 2008 Chablis from William Fevre: The 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre; Grand Cru Les Clos; and the Grand Cru Les Preuses. I really loved the MdT – bright citrus fruits, sea shells, salinity, just a perfect Chablis.

Finally, we opened five Clos Rougeards: the 2004 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg; the 2004 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux; the 2005 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny “Clos”; 2006 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny “Clos”; and the 2006 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux.

Suffice it to say that I’ve seen the light – all of the wines were wonderful and showed just how delicious Cabernet Franc can be when grown in the right region and made by the right producer. The ’04 Le Bourg and the ‘06 “Clos” were my two favorites – the ’04 for its enchanting combination of gray rocks and flowers; the ’06 for its incredibly seductive nose. While obviously young, the ’06 was unlike any wine I’d ever put my nose in — spice and licorice and bright, tart fruits and wild herbs, just fantastic.

Warren Leonard, a friend who works at Weygandt Wines, shared his notes on WineBerserkers.

The week finished with a 2004 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Peay Vineyard. I knew that the wine would be a treat – I’ve always been a fan of Williams Selyem, and the Peay Vineyard might be my favorite for Pinot. But I was still surprised by the wine, mainly because it tasted shockingly young. The wine opened with tart cherries and lavender, and became bigger and darker – showing cola and dark cherries — as the night went on. Aged characteristics were nearly impossible to find – if I had been told this wine was from ’07 or ’08, I would have believed it. Read the rest of this entry »

New Jersey’s decision to finally legalize direct shipping from wineries is certainly worth celebrating. But, as Tyler Colman points out,  “the bill only legalizes shipments from wineries, not wine stores, thus disallowing free trade in over a third of the wine consumed in the US.”

At a weekend auction in Hong Kong, “lots of first growth Bordeaux, including Chateau Lafite-Rothschildand Chateau Margaux, went unsold… [as “wealthy Chinese and other collectors focused on the very best older vintages and Burgundies such as DRC Domaine de la Romanee-Conti.”

From Dr. Vino: “Sun Xitai, a 62-year-old businessman in China has been sentenced to life in prison… [for] bringing about $7 million worth of wine from Hong Kong to mainland China and failing to pay sufficient duty.”

In Chicago, Walgreens just opened a 27,000-square-foot, high-end flagship where customers can enjoy made-to-order sushi and select from a large selection of “gourmet foods, wine, spirits and beer.” Who goes to Walgreens for sushi and wine?

In the Los Angeles Times, Mike Ives visits a winery in China — and discovers that the industry is on its way, but still has plenty of kinks to work out.

Lettie Teague sees no slowing down in America’s thirst for Moscato, so decides to purchase and taste through 25 different bottles ranging in price from $5 to $30.

Ray Isle, executive wine editor at Food & Wine, sits down with Eater to discuss what’s next in wine and beer.

Michael and Kiky.

Each week, as regular readers know, Terroirist poses questions to a winemaker. This week, we’re featuring Michael Parmenter, the owner of and winemaker for VinRoc in Napa Valley.

VinRoc is located on the top of Atlas Peak, high above the Valley’s fog belt. Michael and his wife Kiky purchased the 35-acre property in 1999. They were living in Los Angeles at the time — where Michael worked in the shoe business and Kiky worked in real estate – and both were looking to leave the city and “drop it down a gear.”

As soon as they purchased the hillside property — which was completely “raw,” with no other vineyards nearby — the two began researching its soil and climate and taking classes at Napa Valley College. They installed trellising one year later, and then planted vines in 2000. In 2004, the Parmenters harvested their first vintage for a commercial release.

Ever since, the wines have received a number of accolades – Wine Spectator’s James Laube has awarded high points to several of VinRoc’s releases.

Check out our interview with Michael below the fold. Read the rest of this entry »

Dipak K. Das.

The New York Times reports that Dipak K. Das, a University of Connecticut whose work reported health benefits in red wine, stands accursed of “widespread scientific fraud.” Wine Spectator has more. (Fortunately, Das was peripheral to the important research on resveratrol — its health benefits still stand!)

Will Lyons travels to the heart of Bordeaux — Saint-Julien – to taste the “spectacular wines whose prices never really reach the dizzying heights of their counterparts in Pauillac or Margaux.”

On his blog, Jon Bonné explains what “the Languedoc and Roussillon have to show California.”

Pass the funnel: American binge drinking, by the numbers

According to W. Blake Gray, Americans will never ditch the 100-point scale because that would signal a willingness “to embrace uncertainty… [and] spend hours thinking and talking about wine.”

Lettie Teague applauds New Jersey’s move to legalize direct shipping.

Tyler Colman details the “10 best wines for the right occasion” in Men’s Health.

This morning, the DC Examiner gossip column reported that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie dined at Charlie Palmer Steak on Capitol Hill before the premiere of “In the Land of Blood and Honey” at the Holocaust Museum.

As the Examiner reported, “the Hollywood power couple chose a Pinot Noir and Merlot from Washington State” to drink.

We’ve got the scoop on what they drank. Brad drank “big glasses” of the L’Ecole 41 Merlot, from Washington’s Columbia Valley. Angie, meanwhile, enjoyed Domaine Chandon’s Pinot Noir.

Good choices — and their taste is much more affordable than I would have predicted! Both wines retail for about $25/bottle.

For the third edition of Wine on a Budget, I tried a few wines from the U.S.-based, Montalcino-located Banfi. This post could also be easily titled, What To Drink Instead of Pinot Grigio. A few of Banfi Vitner’s Italian whites offer easy-sipping alternatives to the typically neutral party quaffer (and vocal favorite of NYC real housewife, Ramona).

Wine drinkers generally associate Banfi with its high priced, highly-ranked Brunellos. In fact, after I fell in love with Brunello, Castello di Banfi was my dream vacation & career destination given their castle in Brunello looks spectacular AND their headquarters are here in New York state. However, the Banfi family also runs Banfi Vintners, an importer that works with both New World and European wines, many of those in Italy as well. Notes on several of the company’s imported wines are below the fold. Read the rest of this entry »