The person who so generously sold us barrels is none other than Randy Hester, the cellarmaster of Realm Cellars in St. Helena.  Not only does he have a hand in helping to make some beautiful, extremely hard to get wines (there is a waiting list, sigh), he is also an all-around good guy.  Randy graciously took us on a tour of the beautiful caves and  winemaking facilities they use at Chateau Boswell.  Realm’s focus is making wines utilizing fruit from world renowned vineyards in the area including the famed To Kalon, Beckstoffer and Dr. Crane.   Randy took us on a barrel sample tour of Cabernet Sauvignon made from these three vineyards.  I was really excited to taste these because so many top wine producers (like Quintessa, Paul Hobbs, Provenance, Realm, Cain, Alpha Omega and Harlan Estate) create vineyard designate wines showcasing these vineyards.  Though I didn’t take notes (I was there to pick up barrels after all) I thought that both the  To Kalon and Beckstoffer were quite masculine and dense whereas the Dr. Crane seemed more feminine with some notes of violets.   Of the three, the Dr. Crane was my favorite, though if I was eating a steak, I might choose the To Kalon or the Beckstoffer.  Sadly these wines won’t be released for quite some time…and there is that pesky waiting list for Realm’s wines.   I will have to be patient…this has never been my strong suit.  Perhaps making a 2011 vintage will teach me patience?  After all the wine is going to be sitting in barrel for at least 20 months and probably closer to 24 months.   At least that gives us some time to think of a good name for our winery…even though the wines are just for friends and family we want it to have a clever name.  If you have any great name ideas please let me know…if we choose a name you submitted you’ll score yourself some fabulous wine and Jason and I will take you out to dinner.   Dang, Screaming Eagle is already taken…how about Shrieking Parrot? 

Our foodie friends Mike and Sandra were visiting from out of town and hadn’t been to Root 246 before, so we reserved the table in the kitchen.  (By the way, a big “THANK YOU” and photo credits go to Mike at Pixillusion.)  We ordered the chef’s tasting menu (my favorite), which was both creative and delicious with interesting flavor combinations:

Course #1: Apple Sous Bois

Course #1:  Apple sous bois amuse-bouche with crème fraîche, horseradish, beet and serrano honey.  Great interplay of flavors – a fun and tasty start.

Course #2: Caviar salad

Course #2:  Caviar salad amuse-bouche on toasted ciabatta with egg, chives and lemon zest.   Bright and fresh tasting – the acid of the lemon zest makes the egg seem even more rich.

Course #3: Salmon sashimi

Course #3:  Salmon sashimi and paddlefish roe with avocado purée and compressed cucumber, wasabi cream, puffed rice, cilantro, with a ginger soy reduction.  This was a favorite all around our table.  My notes for this dish say “CRAZY GOOD” and “how do we get this added to the regular menu?”.

Course #4: Beets with compressed yogurt

Course #4:  Candy beets and rainbow beets roasted in olive oil with compressed yogurt, capers, and fresh rosemary topped with a honey vinaigrette and fresh greens.   The compressed yogurt added great texture to this dish and was definitely a more interesting pairing than the typical restaurant offering of beet salad with goat cheese.

Course #5: Green lipped mussels

Course #5:  Green lipped mussels topped with American sturgeon caviar and green curry mayonnaise served on top of julienne carrots and carrot-curry espuma.  Foaming food has been pretty trendy and overused in my opinion, however I think the carrot “espuma” really works in this dish as it helps link the flavors together.

Course #6: Sturgeon fillet and Manila clam chowder

Course #6:  Sturgeon fillet served with fresh Manila clam chowder, fingerling potatoes, carrots and herbs, served with a bit of citrus on top.   The silky chowder provided the perfect backdrop for the clams and the dense, meaty sturgeon.

Course #7: Veal shank with mascarpone polenta

Course #7:  Braised veal shank with shallots, Swiss chard and orange gremolata served on top of mascarpone polenta.  Everyone really loved this one!  The veal with the mascarpone polenta was very rich, however each bite was beautifully tempered by the orange gremolata.   With his well-honed table side manner, Chef Bradley Ogden delivered this dish to our table himself , making us feel like we were dining in a close friend’s kitchen.

Course #8: Spiced apple cake and apple sorbet

Course #8:  Spiced apple cake with pomegranate foam topped with Tahitian vanilla sorbet, julienne apple, pink grapefruit section topped with a ruby Port reduction and pistachio dust, served with apple sorbet on a taster spoon.  There were many different flavors and textures in this dish.  It was a fun dish that played around with apple in many different guises – the apple sorbet and the spiced apple cake were particularly wonderful and not overly sweet.     I thought the Port reduction didn’t tie the various flavors together and so was a bit of a distraction.  Aside from that small criticism everything else was creative and tasty.

Course #9: Butterscotch pudding with ginger snap

Course #9:  Butterscotch pudding with a ginger snap cookie.  Sometimes the sheer simplicity of a dish makes it that much more delicious.   It is too bad that most pudding these days is made from a box, but I digress.   The gingersnap cookie had just the right amount of bite so it played off the creaminess of the pudding beautifully.

It was such a wonderful dining experience, from the first amuse-bouche to the last dessert!  I highly recommend ordering the chef’s tasting menu.  Just be sure to come hungry!   Here are a few more pics from dinner:

The burger to end all burgers at Root 246

The intrepid diners (photo credit to Sandra)

Hamming it up for the camera in the kitchen

Todd Hannigan

In spite of the cold, rainy night Avant‘s grand re-opening party was standing room only.   My friends and I grabbed some glasses and headed over the wall of wine dispensers where we tasted lots of different local wines.  It was here I overheard a woman next to me say “this reminds me of slot machines in Vegas only better because you always win”.   I wholeheartedly agree!  With live music (from Todd Hannigan and the Heavy 29s), great, half price, wood fired flatbread pizzas and wine specials the evening was festive and fun.   The menu has been radically revamped and there are some fabulous additions including bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese called “yuppie crack” (these are soooo good), and a Greek-style flatbread pizza with artichokes, roasted tomato, Kalamata olives and feta cheese.   There are some tasty new salad options like the applewood smoked bacon and spinach salad with gorgonzola, toasted walnuts , caramelized onions dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.  The grilled flat iron steak salad with fresh tomatoes, arugula, goat cheese, caramelized onions dressed with a balsamic reduction is a great new addition as well.  Avant also has added a recurring event called Taco Thursday with special prices on creative and tasty tacos (like the recent offering of blackened ahi taco served on a soft corn tortilla with fresh cabbage and roasted tomato).  All these changes are due to the welcome addition of new manager Joe Padilla who has over 20 years of experience as a winemaker and owner/operator of high end restaurants nationwide.  Padilla brought on a new head chef Brook Stockwell, who is classically trained and who has many years of experience.   In a short time, these two have turned Avant into a place that I can heartily recommend to friends and family (which sadly wasn’t the case before).  So, if you haven’t been to Avant in a while, I highly recommend giving it another try – I know you won’t be disappointed!    Avant Tapas & Wine Bar is located at 35 Industrial Way, Buellton, California.  (805)686-9400.

Grassini and Sanguis winemaker Matthias Pippig (he talks with his hand alot)

A few days ago I brought a group of friends to Grassini Family Vineyard in the American Viticultural Area (AVA) called Happy Canyon.  I tasted here in the summer and was very impressed with Grassini’s winemaker Matthias Pippig’s talents especially with his own label, Sanguis.  My reasons for scheduling this visit were twofold.  First, I wanted to see how the wines were evolving and secondly I wanted my friends to see the most beautiful winery in Santa Ynez Valley (in my humble opinion).  After driving through the scenic Happy Canyon area, with its horse farms and vineyards, we arrived at the Grassini gate and rang the intercom.  We were buzzed in and the gate opened to reveal gently sloping hills covered with grapevines with varying hues of autumn yellow leaves.  Further on we passed a beautiful lake surrounded by reeds and water-loving plants of many types.  After driving slowly so we could take in the beautiful vistas, we arrived at the winery.   Though the winery was recently constructed, it looked as though it had been there for many years.  It was built using reclaimed antique fir (circa the late 1800s), some of which was milled from timbers found in the Oregon River.  We were greeted by assistant winemaker, Jessica Gasca, who took us on a tour of the facility, which is itself a work of well engineered art.  It is solar powered and built such that the juice, must and wine are gravity fed (in lieu of using pumps) during the entire production process.  Moving grape must and wine by gravity is a technique used for centuries that fell out of favor because of the convenience of pumps.  Though the use of pumps is the norm, some winemakers and reviewers feel that the use of pumps can cause irreparable damage by introducing air and smashing berries and seeds in a way which can release unwanted off flavors.

The cave at Grassini Family Vineyard

Another time-honored method utilized at Grassini has to do with wine storage.  During the construction of the facility, a cave was excavated at the site so that the wines could be stored in a place that stays cool and dark with steady relative humidity.   After spending some time in the Grassini cave, I wanted to start digging one at my house.

The group tasting Grassini wines (that's me taking notes)

Our tour included a very comfortable family room with beautiful copper clad fireplace and dining room.  There is also a large bedroom suite (with a great view of the vineyard) that wine club members can rent.  We tasted a couple Grassini wines, both inaugural releases, while sitting at the dining room table.   We started with the spectacular 2007 Grassini Sauvignon Blanc which aged for 17 months:  60% in stainless steel, 20% in new French oak and the remaining 20% in neutral French oak.  With well integrated flavors of white flower, peach and pear this wine has extraordinary richness, an almost creamy mouthfeel, and a finish with hints of vanilla and caramel.  Next we tasted the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Though a bit young, this wine already has beautifully integrated flavors of black currant, plum, cherry and a finish of chocolate.  I really enjoyed this painstakingly crafted wine and I look forward to tasting it over the next four or five years as the tannins soften.

2008 Sanguis Ramshackle & Threadbare

Next Jessica took us downstairs to the main tasting area which has stunning view of the vineyard.  The room was dominated by an enormous hand wrought table where we were seated to sample the Sanguis wines.  Those familiar with Manfred Krankl’s coveted Sine Qua Non will notice an unmistakable similarity with Sanguis as both labels feature unique artwork by their respective winemakers.  An observant wine taster in our group asked Pippig about this; Pippig cracked a smile and said that he and Krankl have been friends for years and that they share a passion for motorcycles.  Small world eh?  First up was the Sanguis 2008 Ramshackle & Threadbare, a heady white blend of 58% Roussane, 40% Malvasia Bianca and 2% Viognier with aromas of honeysuckle and orange blossom.  Though very rich, the fruit and acidity are balanced.  I’d serve this wine in warm summer months with Asian or Thai cuisine or seafood.  When I tasted the wine I thought it would be fabulous with grilled thresher shark steaks in a spicy orange and ginger marinade.

We moved on to reds, beginning with the Sanguis 2007 Backseat Betty.  This is a blend of 83% Syrah, 14% Grenache and 3% Viognier.  Pippig, who’d taken a break from his tasks in the winery to greet us, commented that the Syrah and the Viognier were cofermented.  He feels that this influences the texture in a positive way.  Though it sounds counter intuitive (since Viognier is white), cofermentation helps to deepen the color and flavor of the Syrah.  This exceptional wine with flavors of white pepper, blackberry and plum is a real pleasure to drink young, but I think a patient collector will be rewarded in 2014 or 2015 with greater complexity and character.  I think that this wine will follow the same arc that I find with some Châteauneuf-du-Papes. They drink well young and then have a few sleepy years where they are best left undisturbed followed by a period of time when they’ve evolved into captivating, complex wines.

2006 Sanguis As the Crow Flies

Next up was the Sanguis 2006 As the Crow Flies, a classic Côte-Rôtie style blend of 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier with flavors of black cherry, blackberry, hints of smoke and herbs.  I have to admit that I fall head over heels for great Côte-Rôtie style wines and their oddly pleasurable combination of floral and meaty, bacon-y aromas.  I purchased some this beautiful wine on my last visit, so it was especially interesting to taste how well it is evolving.  I don’t plan on opening any of these bottles in my collection until sometime between 2013 and 2015.

Lastly we tasted the Sanguis 2007 Devil in the Deep Blue Sea a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Though this is a brand new release, this wine is drinking beautifully now with dominant flavors of black and red fruits and hints of mocha and bittersweet chocolate.  I’d be willing to bet that this wine will evolve beautifully over the next few years.  If you have the patience, I’d recommend opening at least one bottle of this gorgeous wine every year beginning in 2012.

The exceptional wines we tasted from Grassini and Sanguis are the product of impeccable winegrowing practices and the beautiful marriage of art and chemistry in the winery.  Trust me, just go there.  You’ll thank me later.   Don’t forget to call a week or so ahead to make an appointment (888-686-3086).  And when you get there, let Jessica and Matthias know that Anne from Wine Nation Underdog says “hi and keep up the fabulous work”.

Presqu'ile Chardonnay

As the old saying goes, “no man is an island”, but Matt Murphy and Dieter Cronje, winemakers of Presqu’ile are good with “almost”.  Presqu’ile is French for “peninsula” (or almost an island) and it is the name that Murphy’s grandparents gave to a promontory of land they purchased off of the Missippi’s Gulf Coast.  It was a gathering spot for family celebrations for many years until hurricane Katrina destroyed it.   Years of fond memories inspired Matt Murphy to name his wine label Presqu’ile.

Dieter Cronje (L) and Matt Murphy (R) winemakers of Presqu'ile

I was fortunate enough to taste the Presqu’ile 2008 Chardonnay at the Chardonnay Symposium earlier this year.  Unfortunately, the bright sun conspired with my camera settings and my photos weren’t good – in fact they were really, really, bad.  (Thankfully their winemaking is way better than my photography.)  Suffice it to say, Presqu’ile is worth seeking out.  The Chardonnay fruit is from Solomon Hills and Bien Nacido and is cold fermented with native yeasts.  Some is aged in stainless steel and the rest in neutral French Oak.  This wine is too good to pour for your friends who insist they only like red wine…which leaves more for you!  Murphy and Cronje also make an incredibly bright and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc that you can find on the by-the-glass list at Full of Life Flatbread.   Now, you have yet another excuse to go to Flatbread this weekend.  =)  They also make a Pinot Noir, which I am looking forward to tasting soon.  For more information on Presqu’ile, check out this great article that the Santa Barbara Independent just published.   Until next time, remember life is too short to drink bad wine!

Wine Advocate rating:  “92…A sensational blend of 42% Grenache, 42% Mourvedre, and 16% Syrah that utilized whole clusters in the winemaking process, this deep ruby/plum-colored wine initially screams kirsch liqueur in the nose, but as it sits in the glass, raspberry, licorice, and lavender aromas emerge. The aromatic complexity is matched by a wine boasting splendid concentration, medium to full-bodied flavors, beautiful purity, and a silky, seductive texture. Drink this super-impressive proprietary red over the next 4-5 years.”

Faithful Wine Nation Underdog readers will note that I tasted this wine as a barrel sample (before it was bottled) and gave it high praise back in June of 2009.   I also mentioned the De Su Propia label earlier this year and said “if you can find it, buy it”.    So, there you have it, proof positive that Robert Parker reads Wine Nation Underdog.    Well, maybe that is overstating things a bit.  Perhaps a better way is simply to say that Mr. Parker and I agree that the De Su Propia Cosecha 2007 Red Luna Matta Vineyard is an absolutely gorgeous wine, worth seeking out.   If you can find wines from DSP Cosecha or its “sister” label, Rey, buy them, you won’t regret it.  I know that Bob over at the Winehound in Santa Barbara has a few cases.   Get some while it lasts and tell Bob that Wine Nation Underdog sent you!

Oyster shooter with cucumber juice and a dash of Siracha sauce.

Recently, Jason and I went to one of our favorite local restaurants, Root 246, to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  I’d booked the chef’s table (located in the kitchen) and I was looking forward to a  spectacular culinary adventure similar to one we had with friends at the end of June.  Jason and I had already decided that we’d order the multi-course tasting menu, because it was so wonderful last time.  When we arrived we were disappointed to find out that for reasons unknown, the Executive Chef Johnny Church is no longer with Root 246.  Thankfully, immensely talented and creative Bradley Ogden, consultant chef and the creator of Root 246′s  farm-to-table style menu is still affiliated with the restaurant.  We learned that Church has been replaced by the Executive Chef team of Jordan Graf and Brian Ridgeway.    Sadly we found out that the multi-course tasting menu is no longer on the menu.   Jason and I were celebrating, so we just rolled with these surprises and hoped for the best.  Thankfully, we were in the very capable hands of our favorite waiter, Bobby Dommeyer, who chose the perfect sparkling wine to go with our delicious Kumamato oysters.  As Jason and I sat back to watch the action in the kitchen, we noted that the vibe was very tense, there were problems and people were clearly stressing out.  I thought this odd, because our reservation was for an early time on a Sunday.   This was a stark contrast to when we sat at the chef’s table on a busy Friday night in June (when Johnny Church and Bradley Ogden were both in the kitchen) , the vibe was positive, and things were running smoothly.   With all that said, rather than come to any premature conclusions about the recent changes at Root 246, I am instead going to chalk up our recent dining experience to the kitchen being a bit shortstaffed.  Regardless, Jason and I’ll come back soon to see how things are progressing under the Executive Chef team of Graf and Ridgeway.

Here are the photos from the wonderful multi-course dinner that we had back in June.  Maybe we’ll get lucky and Root 246 will bring the tasting menu back?   Thanks again Johnny, we miss you!

The spices lined up in the kitchen at Root 246.

The view from the chef's table at Root 246.

So happy to be in the kitchen where all the fun is happening.

We are celebrating Brian's birthday.

Artisanal cheese plate.

The Kumamato oysters at Root 246 are FABULOUS.

Tempura style calamari and vegetables.

Foie gras terrine with strawberries and toasted nuts. Crazy good!

Our table with friends in the kitchen

Really tasty breads at Root 246.

The black cod was fabulous (and my favorite)!

Duck confit stuffed pasta with duck breast slices...OUTSTANDING.

Beef short ribs and filet mignon with Shiitake mushrooms.

The sweet end to a wonderful meal.

The food groupies with chef Bradley Odgen.

Chef Bradley Ogden (center), Executive Chef Johnny Church hamming it up in the back.

In the genre of chef's tattoos, this one (belonging to Church) is fun and simple.

Another one of chef Church's food-related tattoos.

A plethora of Colson Canyon Syrah

My husband is tenacious and extremely focused. If he gets sparked by something, he follows the rabbit hole until he has thoroughly exhausted the subject. For example, he was on a chipotle kick last year, where *everything* he made included chipotle – even cocktails…chipotle raspberry martini anyone?  Earlier this year some fabulous friends gave us a smoker as a housewarming present…everything was smoked for months. Ribs, fish, pork shoulder, hard boiled eggs, chicken, turkey, garlic, tomatillos, tomatoes, tomatoes, onions, peppers – it all went into the smoker. This kick hasn’t stopped, though thankfully it did slow down a bit. There are only so many rib recipes you can smoke and eat in one weekend.  Whew!

One of his latest obsessions started while tasting the 2008 Brander Colson Canyon Syrah at the Brander tasting room a few months ago. Even though it is relatively young, this is a complex, full-bodied wine with flavors of black cherry, white pepper, anise and hints of cigar box. Jason and I loved the wine and asked Louise (the knowledgeable, personable and all-around wonderful tasting room manager) about the Colson Canyon Vineyard. From her we learned that Colson Canyon Vineyard is a small vineyard, relatively isolated in the hills of Santa Maria. She told us that Colson sells fruit to only a handful of wineries. That was all it took – Jason was on the hunt to taste every wine made with Colson Canyon fruit. Over the next few months, through various purchases made in person, online and over the phone, Jason collected about 2.5 cases of Colson Canyon vineyard designate wines from a bunch of different wineries. Our friends collected still more Colson Syrah. Naturally, the next step was to taste these wines and try to glean a sense of place, the terroir of Colson Canyon. This was the perfect excuse for a dinner party, so we invited some friends from the wine and food business over to help us with the plethora of Colson Syrah. With 2.5 cases of wine to choose from, we sorted and re-sorted the bottles. After much deliberation we settled upon which bottles to open (and found that we have enough wine for a second Colson Canyon dinner – tba).

Here is the lineup of wines we chose:
2001 Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah
2002 Duo (Duo is now called Costo de Oro) Colson Canyon Syrah
2003 Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah
2004 Margerum Colson Canyon Syrah
2005 Barbieri Colson Canyon Syrah Colson Canyon Syrah
2005 McPrice Myers Colson Canyon Syrah (not pictured, oops)
2006 Cleb Colson Canyon Syrah (sadly, this wine was corked)
2006 Alchemy Colson Canyon Syrah
2006 Wades Wines Colson Canyon Syrah
2007 Brander Colson Canyon Syrah

As this was more of a social, fun evening, I did not take detailed notes but our group did draw a few conclusions from this tasting. It may sound odd, but the younger Colsons seemed to have more complexity than the older vintages. I can also tell you that the group consistently gave top marks to the Brander and Margerum Syrahs. The McPrice Myers was a very close second for me (and my husband).  All in all, a wonderful evening of wine, food and friends.  I am already looking forward to the next Colson Canyon Syrah dinner!   A very special thank you to everyone who helped make this evening so much fun.   You know who you are!

2000 Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard & 2003 Ethan Syrah

Fourteen years ago my boyfriend (now husband) and I were invited to a dinner being hosted by a woman I knew from work and her husband.   I was the webmaster at LAWeekly at the time and she was (and still is) a fabulous writer.   I didn’t know what kind of wine they liked to drink, so I simply asked if we should bring “white or red?”.  “Red” was the answer and so brought one of our favorite red wines, a Vieux Telegraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape.   Over that wine (and many more that evening), we realized that we all shared a deep love of wine.   Even after our friends decided to move to the Caribbean we still managed to get together to share wine.  Even if it has been a while, we just pick up right where we left off.  This year marked their 19th wedding anniversary, clearly a good excuse for me to pull some special wine from the cellar to celebrate.  So, we headed to Root 246 for dinner and brought along a 2000 Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (beautifully integrated flavors of black cherry, cassis, mocha, hints of anise – and a long finish) and a 2003 Ethan Syrah (fewer than 300 cases of this wine were made, this was bottle number 1571 -  beautifully smooth on the palate, heavy with condensed blackberry, cassis and white pepper flavors with a satisfying, long finish).   What a pleasure to share great wines with old friends – and catch up while eating delectable farm to table style food from Root 246!  Life really *is* good!

Many thanks to Bobby Delmeyer of Root 246 for taking such good care of us!