NorCal Wine Blog

Site Upgrade

General Interest

Written by Fred Swan

Created on Monday, 11 February 2013 09:43

NorCalWine.com has just completed an extensive version upgrade in the back-end software that runs the site. It took a bit longer than anticipated as it required rebuilding much of the template, etc. It meant that the site had to go without updates for a few days and that articles from the previous week had to be reposted a couple of times. Those of you who receive my articles by RSS will have noticed/been annoyed by mutliple emails. I apologize for that.

The new software should bring faster load times. It also fixed numerous bugs and allowed upgrades of other modules. The winery database is now fully operational again, including the searches, though the format has changed slightly.

I hope you enjoy the improvements. If you happen to notice any bugs or missing functionality though, please shoot me an email.

Thanks,

Fred

Follow NorCalWine on Twitter for breaking wine news, information on events and more. Become a fan and join the NorCal Wine community on Facebook. Also check out our comprehensive Northern California winery listings. They are very useful for planning a tasting trip or just getting in touch with a winery.

This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Copyright 2013 NorCal Wine. All rights reserved.

California Crushed It in 2012

Wine Business

Written by Fred Swan

Created on Sunday, 10 February 2013 20:13

2012 was a record year for California's wine grape business, according to the just-released Preliminary Grape Crush Report from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Coming off a very diffcult 2011, growers achieved all-time highs in both total crush volume and price per ton.

The total grape crush in 2012 was 4.383 million tons. That was a 13% increase from the previous year and 1% better than the previous record year, 2005. Total crush includes both raisin and table grapes though. The 2012 California wine grape crush was 4.014 million tons, 7% greater than the wine grape crush in 2005 and 20% greater than in 2011.

The tonnage of the 2012 California wine grape crush was greater than that of 41 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. Infographic: Fred Swan

Wine grape prices increased dramatically in 2011, due to both shortage and the depletion of previous wine inventories. The average price for wine grapes was $637 per ton, 4% higher than in 2009 (the previous record year) and 11% greater than in 2010. Despite record high volumes, prices didn't just rise again in 2012. They skyrocketed to $769 per ton, eclipsing 2011's all-time high by almost 21%.

Clearly, the increase in both tonnage and price will help growers recover some of their losses from the previous two years. But the higher grape cost will also put price pressure on the finished product. Will the 2012 vintage be introduced at markedly higher wholesale and retail prices? Or will the high volume combined with consumer price sensitivity and foreign competitors limit hikes at the cash register and squeeze wine producer profit margins? Some wineries locked in supply contracts with growers this year. Those contracts could be extremely burdensome in future years if retail prices don't rise.

Which were the leading grape varieties in the 2012 harvest? By ton, the answer isn't surprising: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Merlot.

What were the most expensive grapes? The numbers are misleading if you don't consider the effect of high-volume plantings in low-price regions. For example, the most expensive grapes overall per ton were varieties such as Beclan, Picpoul Blanc, Early Burgundy, Ribolla Gialla, Meunier and Charbono. But these are very low-volume, boutique varieties grown in relatively high-dollar regions. The 3 total tons of Beclan sold for $2,700 each. That's twice the average price per ton for Cabernet Sauvignon which is ery expensive in places such as Napa and Sonoma but much less so in the high-volume Central Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon average $5,098 per ton in Napa County. The (very extreme) peak price there was $50,000 per ton from one grower who produced 5.2 tons of fruit.

Follow NorCalWine on Twitter for breaking wine news, information on events and more. Become a fan and join the NorCal Wine community on Facebook. Also check out our comprehensive Northern California winery listings. They are very useful for planning a tasting trip or just getting in touch with a winery.

This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Copyright 2013 NorCal Wine. All rights reserved.

Zin Pourin' and Food Porn at ZAP Epicuria

Tasting Event

Written by Fred Swan

Created on Friday, 01 February 2013 21:47

Heading out the door last night to drive to San Francisco for ZAP Epicuria 2013, I stopped, turned around, and grabbed my camera. A big lens can be unwieldy for crowded walk-around events though. So I ditched the zoom and attached my nifty — and extremely light — portrait/macro lens. I'm glad I did. These photos should give you a great flavor of the event. Enjoy!

Light and delicious is a good way to start. And truffles! Rose Pistola fit the bill with Ricotta Black Truffle Pansotti with Parmesan Broth and shaved Black Truffle.

Il Davide's Black Truffle Porcini-filled Agnolotti with White Truffle Fondue tempted me to lick the bowl.

Then it was time for Zinfandel. There's no better way to start than with Ridge. Their 2005 Lytton Springs blend was elegant but flavor-packed.

Joel Peterson of Ravenswood had a decanter full of Zinfandel...

that came from this 1997 three liter bottle made from... 

this historic Russian River Valley property with 90+ year old vines. The large format bottle meant the wine still showed some youth, but there was also the grace that comes with age. This was one of my favorite wines of the night and the one I went back to for my very last sip.

Nils Venge also brought his wine in a large format container but, appropriately for a winery called Saddleback Cellars, he used a pony keg. The wine was his 2010 Old Vine Zinfandel from the Frediani Vineyard's 88-year old vines, Calistoga AVA. The wine was excellent and I'm sure he was tipping it to get the last drops for people by evening's end.

Old vine Zinfandel was a recurring theme for the evening. Scott Harvey and Jana Harvey featured the 2010 Scott Harvey Old Vine Reserve, Amador County from an 80-year old vineyard that had been owned by Scott's grandfather.

Time for more food. These delicate but decadent bites from Twenty Five Lusk were Duck Confit Crepes with Organic Watercress, Comte and Dried Cherry Powder. The ravaged state of the platter testifiess to pace at which people were snatching them up.

A16's bowl and spoon presentation brought a little bit of restaurant dining to The Concourse. Their Lamb Sausage with Butter Beans, Herbs and Fennel had a lot of fans, I among them.

But there's nothing wrong with finger food and there was nothing wrong with these tasty bites from the Carneros Bistro, Spiced Tartlets of Sonoma Duck Confit, Caramelized Onions, and Big Rock Blue Cheese.

Julie Johnson of Rutherford's Tres Sabores blends Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot and asks "Por que no? My question is, "May I have some more?"

Jule and Tres Sabores also took food pairing and estate-grown products to a higher level by providing guinea fowl raised at the vineyard/ranch/farm to Local: Mission Eatery who then made these scrumptious Crostini with Guinea Hen Confit, Red Onion Jam and Pepper Cress.

Le Truc served up one of the most memorable and distinctive bites of the evening. I loved their Spicy Thai Curry Pulled Pork on Candied Jalapeno with Cilantro and Lime and will definitely be visiting the restaurant big black schoolbus to try their other dishes.

Also memorable was the excellent 2009 Grgich Hills Milijenko's Old Vines Zinfandel. On a side note, I like the way this photo has a slight faux-aged look even though I didn't edit a single pixel.

There's nothing faux about the age of the vines used for this 2011 Robert Biale Vineyards R. W. Moore Vineyard Zinfandel from Coombsville. They date back to 1905.

Harris' knows beef and I had no beefs at all with their signature Steak Tartare. Both the taste and texture were perfect.

From raw beef we go to slow-cooked with Straits' flavorful and tender 5-Spice Bali-style BBQ Beef Ribs. The spice mix is a proprietary blend, so I'm going to have to go to the restaurant over-and-over again to enjoy it.

The slow-cooked meat was a good setup for this 1986 J. Pedroncelli Sonoma County Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley. The wine was still showing fruit but offered a lot of tertiary flavors. Drink them if you've got them, but you will enjoy it. Note the 12.5% alcohol by the way. You don't see that from Dry Creek Valley too often these days, but such low levels weren't necessarily the rule "back in the day." There were plenty of 15+% alcohol Zins made in the 1970's.

Meanwhile, back in Napa Valley, Ballentine's superlative 2010 Block 9 Reserve Zinfandel was rich but balanced with with a lengthy finish.

The 2010 Rock Wall Reserve Zinfandel Hendry Vineyard was powerfully palatable.

So too the 2010 Frank Family Vineyards Zinfandel Napa Valley.

The 2010 Outpost Howell Mountain Zinfandel was a barrel-sample, but I'd be happy to drink some tonight. It offered lip-smacking dark berries and succulent powdery tannins.

Speaking of succulent, I double-dog dare you not to smile after a bit of this Rosamunde Sausage Grill Lamb Merguez Sausage Sandwich with Mango Chutney and Sauerkraut.

City College of San Francisco's Culinary Art and Hospitality Studies Dept earned an "A" for their 5-Spice Duck Confit Sliders.

Carol Shelton Wines invited us to do the Wild Thing. The 2009 Wild Thing Old Vine Zinfandel, Mendocino County is full-bodied and oozes jammy fruit.

This 2009 Carol Shelton Monga Zin from old vines in Cucamonga Valley (between Los Angeles and San Bernadino) was the first wine I've ever tried from that area. It was really good, balanced but showing plenty of perfectly ripe fruit.

If anyone should know how to pair Zinfandel with food, it's the house chefs at Zinfandel-specialist Seghesio Family Vineyards in Healdsburg. They didn't disappoint. Seghesio's smokey Signature Ribs had just the right ratio of chew to tenderness and a light touch with the caramelized sauce contributed lip-smacking flavor that didn't compete with the wine.

The Lamb Lollipops with Zinfandel Dem-Glace from Ruths' Chris Steak House may be the best lamb chops I've ever had, and I've had some lamb chops. They were almost melt-in-your-mouth tender, flavorful and perfectly seasoned.

You can't go far in Lodi without tripping over an old Zinfandel vineyard, which might lead us to take them for granted. We shoudn't. Many have been torn up over the years, as in other regions, and it's only been in the past decade or so that a broad audience has begun to grasp the quality and character old vines deliver. How proud would the farmers of a century ago be to know that their work was still bringing joy to people?

Harney Lane is surrounded by old vine Zinfandel, including the Lizzy James Vineyard. The 2010 from that site was so good my camera practically took this picture by itself.

People say, "Zinfandel can't age." And even people who've enjoyed an old Zin here and there would scoff at the idea that Zinfandel from Lodi can age rather than just get old. In reality, most wine can't age and isn't designed to do so. But, as with many other red wines, Zinfandel made from good vineyards and vinified for ageability can improve with some years in bottle. Yes, even Lodi Zinfandel. This 2003 Klinker Brick Old Ghost Zinfandel Lodi, the winery's first vintage, was absolutely killer and easily one of my favorite wines of the night.

One of my favorite bites of the night was this little ball of happiness, a Chicken Croquette with Chipotle Aioli from Alebrijes Bistro in Lodi. The croquette was crispy on the outside, almost fluffy inside and the chipotle aioli offered just the right level of "pop."

My penultimate sip was Layne Montgomery's 2010 M2 Soucie Vineyard Select Block Zinfandel, a gorgeous, powerful wine with fine, powdery tannins and flavors of sweet berries, ripe red cherry, chocolate mint and oak-spice accents. The finish held up all the way over to the Ravenswood table where I got my Belloni Vineyard nightcap.

Follow NorCalWine on Twitter for breaking wine news, information on events and more. Become a fan and join the NorCal Wine community on Facebook. Also check out our comprehensive Northern California winery listings. They are very useful for planning a tasting trip or just getting in touch with a winery.

This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Copyright 2013 NorCal Wine. All rights reserved.

Kelly Fleming Winery: World-Class Cabernet Sauvignon, Timeless Beauty

Winery Profiles

Written by Fred Swan

Created on Wednesday, 30 January 2013 22:47

Scores of wineries line Napa Valley’s main roads. But there are many hidden gems you’ll never find on casual, signpost-to-signpost wine tours. Places like Kelly Fleming Winery offer great wines, serene settings and are easy to get to once you know about them.

Kelly Fleming Winery is located in the hidden Simmons Canyon, just 5 minutes off of Silverado Trail in the Calistoga AVA. Drive into the hills on a short road of rural residences then make a right turn behind the houses. A little valley opens before you, revealing Kelly Fleming’s beautiful stone winery set on a slope amongst the estate vines.

  Kelly Fleming Winery, Fall 2012. Photo: Fred Swan

Kelly and her then-husband Paul bought the 300-acre property in 1998 for it’s potential as a vineyard. The neighboring Araujo Eisele Vineyard testified to the terroir. They liked the land’s undeveloped state — nothing to tear down or rip out — as well as its beauty and relative isolation. It’s adjacent not just to a number of well-established vineyards but to the land trust. The area will remain undeveloped and low-traffic.

The Flemings had been coming to Napa Valley for years, making evaluations for their restaurant chains’ wine lists. She grew to love the valley and thought they would retire to the property, plant a vineyard and sell the fruit. That plan evolved.

Paul was attached to the restaurant business. Kelly wanted the vineyard life. She moved to the property, building a house further up the canyon and, with consultant Celia Welch, overseeing the planting of eight acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. When the vines began to produce wine-ready grapes, she decided to vinify rather than sell. So much for retirement. “I’m working harder now than I ever did before,” Kelly smiled.

In addition to her role as proprietor of the vineyard and wine label, Kelly played a large role in the design of the house and tasting room. She has a background in fine arts and later designed interiors for her husband’s restaurants, which include Ruth’s Chris Steakhouses in Arizona and California and P.F. Changs. For the winery and house her inspirations were Italian villas of weathered stone: simple, elegant, low-maintenance and timeless. Inside, furnishings follow the theme and are sparse but both functional and comfortable. The tasting room also includes a restaurant-quality kitchen to handle winery lunches and dinners.

The tasting room carries on the feeling of an Italian villa. Photo: Fred Swan

Celia Welch made the first small commercial vintage of Kelly Fleming Cabernet Sauvignon at Rombauer Vineyards. The next year, with a larger crop, they moved production to Laird. But Kelly wanted to follow her fruit through the whole process to guarantee the best representation of the vineyard and to provide her customers with the provenance they expect at nearly $100 per bottle. To do that, she began construction of a 5,000 square-foot winery/tasting room. It opened in 2010. Though the winery has a 5,000 case capacity, Fleming intends to keep production at or below 3,000 cases to ensure quality.

Workers used dynamite to blast a 7,000 square-foot cave into the solid, volcanic hillside at 
Kelly Fleming Winery. Photo: Fred Swan

The cave houses not just barrels, but a library of bottled wine. Photo: Fred Swan

  A custom chandelier highlights the volcanic bedrock and creates a dramatic setting.
  Photo: Fred Swan

Celia Welch —  2008 Food and Wine Magazine winemaker of the Year — continues to make the Kelly Fleming wines with help from assistant winemaker Becky George, Kelly and the rest of the small staff. “We’re all certified on the fork lift,” Kelly quipped as she led me through the fermentation room. It's a family operation too. Kelly's daughter, Colleen, works in hospitality, sales and marketing for the winery. Kelly's son Robert handles national accounts.

The estate vineyard is just over 12 acres now, with four acres of Cabernet Sauvignon added in 2005. There is a small plot of Malbec too. Six blocks of Cabernet Sauvigon lie in four distinct areas. Six clones of Cabernet Sauvignon on five rootstocks provide diversity for nuance. Soil depth ranges from just four inches on steep slopes to eight feet in the flats, but it all drains quickly. “My second crop is rock,” Kelly muses. The rhyolitic bedrock includes channels of softer material that lets roots dig in for water, but limited irrigation is still required to keep the vines alive.

I highly recommend a visit to Kelly Fleming Winery whether you’re on a buying trip or just looking for a delightful tasting in a romantic setting. It is open by advance appointment, Monday through Saturday. Visits, $40 per person, include a tasting of available wines accompanied by cheese, crackers and often another treat made from the property’s olives, fruits or vegetables.

Current Releases

The 2011 Kelly Fleming Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley is pretty, aromatic Napa Valley blend. Celia Welch took all the Sauvignon Blanc Musque U.C. Davis’ To Kalon Vineyard could provide. It delivers lovely floral highlights with white peach and spice. A jot of Sauvignon Blanc Clone 1 from elsewhere provides accents of sweet citrus and dry grass.

Half of the wine fermented in stainless steel. The other half went into a mix of new, once-used and twice-used French oak barrels which lent nuanced flavors of wood and spice. After fermentation the wine aged sur lie for 4 months. The palate is lithe with a satiny texture, medium body and long-lasting finish. Drink now through 2014. Highly Recommended. [14.1% alc., 884 cases, $36]

Big Pour is a new label for Kelly Fleming. This wine will be a different blend every year. It will always include estate Cabernet Sauvignon and, starting in 2010, estate Malbec, but will be complemented by other Bordeaux varieties from elsewhere in Napa Valley to create a wine that’s intended to be immediately accessible but still age-worthy.

The 2009 Kelly Fleming Big Pour is a blend of estate Cabernet Sauvignon (84%) and Merlot from a select vineyard in Oakville. Dark ruby in the glass, it offers pronounced aromas of black currant, blackberry, dusty earth, violets and dark spices (allspice, pepper). The palate is full-bodied with a lovely, silky-smooth texture imparted by rich fruit and medium+ fine, powdery tannins. Black currant, chocolate and oak flavors are at the fore. It is ready to drink now and doesn’t require decanting but will gain complexity, through 2020. Highly Recommended. [14.7% alc., 756 cases, $60]

Made solely from estate Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Kelly Fleming Cabernet Sauvignon is a testament to that vineyard’s excellence. For maximum quality control and blending flexibility, the blocks/clones are picked and vinified separately. The estate Cabernet Sauvignon ages for about 22 months in French oak. Final blending takes place six months before bottling. The wine matures in bottle for another 14 months prior to release.

The nose is a charming melange of dark fruit, flowers, sweet spice, cedar and oak. In the mouth it is full-bodied and smooth with medium+ fine, powdery tannins. Rich but graceful, the flavors echo the aromas (dark fruit, sweet oak and spice) and add a bit of chocolate. The finish is long. The wine I tasted had been decanted for 24 hours and I would encourage decanting if drinking this wine in the next couple of years. It will age well through 2028. Very Highly Recommended. [14.9% alc., 997 cases, $98]

Follow NorCalWine on Twitter for breaking wine news, information on events and more. Become a fan and join the NorCal Wine community on Facebook. Also check out our comprehensive Northern California winery listings. They are very useful for planning a tasting trip or just getting in touch with a winery.

This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Copyright 2013 NorCal Wine. All rights reserved.