Wine Club Newsletter - December 2022
California 2022 Harvest: Variable but Quality Predictions High
Following an uneven growing season, producers across the state are reporting lower yields but of high-quality fruit, pointing to the potential for a great vintage.
Given the sheer climatic diversity, the California 2022 harvest was a story of variability, specific varieties and varied approaches to making it all work out. Yields are down, nearly across the board. Still, winemakers and vineyard manager’s report high-quality fruit throughout the state, and the prediction is that the potential for fantastic, complex wines is high.
There was tremendous variability up and down (as well as across) the state. An uneven growing season, with uneven effects throughout California’s wine regions, meant a little bit of everything.
While it began with a dry winter, the spring of 2022 saw rains return. A wet March and April led to earlier than typical bud break. Spring frosts, in both April and May, complicated things for much of the state, reducing yields in many AVAs. Areas like Lodi and the Sierra Foothills found the frosts particularly challenging.
The vintage was also significantly marked by an eight-to ten-day heat wave around the first week of September. In some cases, this forced winegrowers to act fast and juggle picking fruit at a breakneck pace. Finding available barrels or fermentation tanks as incoming fruit arrived took on a Tetris-like challenge for some producers. The heat wave also slowed things down in some cases as the vines shut down in the more extreme temperatures.
Napa Valley
California’s most famous region escaped the worst of the spring frost and saw earlier-than-average pick dates driven by the early September heat wave. Temperatures were as high as 78 to 85°F in different parts of the valley. Yet cooler nights, with temperatures dropping to 25°F in some cases, meant most grape varieties fared well.
The significant rainfall at the end of 2021 in Napa Valley set vineyards up for a strong vintage, with the pace of picking challenging at times. Many winemakers called 2022 ‘wild’. The early returns are very positive, with wine quality expected to be high across white and red varieties.
Sonoma County
Despite an early February bud break, Sonoma County faced a relatively mild 2022. The warm autumn weather made for excellent phenolic ripeness, with winegrowers reporting a start a week or two ahead of average. Yields were down slightly, and both berries and clusters were smaller, signaling wines of concentration. Winemakers across the board appear to be delighted with this year’s harvest in Sonoma.
Paso Robles
Paso was mainly unaffected by the early-season frosts, but cooler temperatures and high winds later in spring made for some challenges during fruit set. A mostly mild summer saw multiple heat spikes in August and September, creating picking decision challenges further complicated by rain immediately following.
The heat and drought saw yields down as much as 30%. Winemakers are optimistic about the concentration found in the smaller clusters that the 2022 vintage gave them in Paso.
Santa Barbara
Despite a very challenging harvest accented by myriad climatic hurdles, winemakers in Santa Barbara are bullish on the 2022 vintage there, particularly for varieties that were picked early.
In Santa Barbara, the heat wave impact was mostly seen in the canopies, and so grapes had lower-than-expected sugar levels after such a heat event. The late September rains also pushed sugar levels back for late-ripening varieties.
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Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, healthy, safe and secure holiday season, and all the best to you for 2023. You, our wine club members, have provided me and the staff a great deal of gratification, comradery, and just plain fun. It has been our pleasure to serve you.
With much appreciation,
Gary Parker
...
Cheers!
Gary Parker, Owner
The WineSellar & Brasserie
2021 Macon-Villages Chardonnay, Domaine Coteaux des Margots
Growing Region Mac on Hills, Bourgogne (Burgundy), France
Varietal Composition 100% Chardonnay
Fermentation Lined Concrete Vats
Alcohol Content 13%
Suggested Retail $35.00
WineSellar Club Price $26.99
Broad Strokes:
(From the Importer) Domaine Coteaux des Margots is perfectly nestled into the Mâcon hills of Southern Burgundy, just five kilometers from the start of the Beaujolais. And Beaujolais is exactly where we were out for dinner when we first came across this little gem of a producer.
Thirty-seven acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay are sustainably farmed by Jean-Luc and Veronique Duroussay and their son Pierre in the gentle warmth of the Mâcon sun. We are very proud to be offering these authentic, delicious wines for the first time in the United States.
Appearance:
This is one of my favorite types of wine labels for this price category. It is whimsical, well laid out, interesting, to the point, and I think very effective on getting noticed. I like the grey theme on it as well. The wine is a brilliant straw/yellow corn color, reflecting light well, looking clean and fresh.
Nose:
As in its appearance, the nose has a definitive clean and fresh characteristic. Focused Chardonnay fruit, tree fruit of apple and pear, peach, saffron, spices, mineral and some chalk. Notice how pure it is with absolutely no wood aging throughout the entire winemaking process.
Texture:
Medium to medium light in body and weight. It has a tad bit of edgy, youthful spritzy-ness on the entry. Solid middle palate feel of Chardonnay fruit, lined by an appropriate touch of citric acid. Mouth-watering finish.
Flavors:
The apple and pear fruit are forward on the palate, tasting lovely with its soldiering crispy, citric acid. Mineral and chalk also come in to play. Also got a pat of butter, with hints of lime and honey.
Serving Suggestions:
Beautiful zippy sipper is great to have while preparing dinner, along with some mild cheeses and prosciutto.
2014 Confessions, Seven Angels
Growing Region Paso Robles, California
Varietal Composition 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% each Merlot and Syrah
Fermentation 20 Months Hungarian Oak, 50% New Barrels
Alcohol Content 15.7%
Suggested Retail $34.00
WineSellar Club Price $30.59
Broad Strokes: Gold Medal Winner 2017 OC Wine Society
Seven Angels Cellars is a family owned, boutique winery located in Templeton, CA. We began making wine in 2009 with a small production of Petite Sirah. Since then, we have increased production to around 3,000 cases per year. Greg Martin is the owner/winemaker and Pamela Martin is the other owner and handles social media, food pairings, wine club and club events and the website. The story behind the name came from our passion for family. We have seven children in our blended family, our 7 angels.
We believe in the “less is best” approach to winemaking. Less manipulation and more natural methods of making our wine. Greg likes to play with using different kinds of oak in our barrel program. Our wines are food friendly, approachable in both flavor and price point. 260 cases made.
Appearance:
Upscale bottle with a deep punt. Nice touch having angel wings on the label . . . wish they were better defined. Nice comments on the back label. The wine looks perfect and actually youthful for it being eight years old. Lovely red hue at the core, bleeding to clear on the edges.
Nose:
An interesting mix of varietal scents: Focused cherry from the Sangiovese, Dark berry from the Cabernet sauvignon, herbal scents from the merlot, and dark earth soil from the Syrah. I love this stuff!
Texture:
The clean and smooth entry is soft, laced with some delicate but still holding acids. Medium in body, it has a pleasant silky/velvet-like texture, as it glides through the palate. Even and balanced finish.
Flavors:
The flavors are bolder than the soft silky texture may indicate. Blackberry, deep cherry, some cranberry fruit tartness, chocolate, wood oak, and a touch of smoke. Ripe plum, cigar, leather.
Serving Suggestions:
Providing interesting and thoughtful wine drinking, the wine is quite versatile, and can be used for casual sipping, lighter pasta and veal dishes.
2019 Malbec, Yorkville Cellars, Rennie Vineyard
Growing Region Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino, California
Varietal Composition 100% Malbec
Fermentation 10 Months in Neutral Oak
Alcohol Content 13.5%
Suggested Retail $40.00
WineSellar Club Price $35.99
Broad Strokes:
Holistic Farm
Yorkville Cellars is a family-run winery founded by proprietors, Deborah and Edward Wallo. It is the only known winery that grows all eight of the main Bordeaux grapes and then bottles each individually as a varietal: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. (Probably the one place on earth where one can taste these side-by-side where the grapes were all grown with the same viticultural practices within the same terroir.)
All wines produced are vineyard designated. Yorkville Vineyards have been certified organic since 1986 and uses neither pesticides, herbicides nor chemical fertilizers.
Appearance:
I very much like the look and feel of the Yorkville Cellars label. It is subtle, yet distinct, well delineated, and classy. The wine is black at the core, and very dark red throughout the glass, reflecting light very well.
Nose:
Slow cooked, rare, and bloody roast beef. Red bush fruit, black cherry, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, coffee, dark chocolate. Also found black pepper and floral components, such as roses and violets.
Texture:
Full to medium-full in body and weight. Has solid, crispy acids enveloping the dense fruit. Smooth, supple, well-melded tannins.
Flavors:
I found solid, hefty fruit, even-keel, with lots of red and black fruits. There is a myriad of very cool brown flavors such as brown sugar, molasses, coffee, cappuccino, caramel, coffee and dark chocolate as the nose suggested. Fruits of raspberry, blackberry, and of course that slow cooked roast beef.
Serving Suggestions:
The obvious call is slow roasted beef. I would add mushrooms and perhaps a bit of coffee in the sauce, with garlic and herbs too!
2017 Bootleg Red Wine
Growing Region Napa Valley, California
Varietal Composition 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot
Fermentation New and Used Barrels
Alcohol Content 14.6%
Suggested Retail $35.00
WineSellar Club Price $31.49
Broad Strokes: 94 Points Vinous!!
From The Winery:
At Bootleg we pay tribute to the devotion and daring that inspired our forefathers: the winegrowing rogues, who smuggled vine cuttings from renowned French vineyards and replanted them in California to elevate American wine to world class status.
In their spirit, we embrace “unconstrained winemaking,” awarding our winemaker the freedom to create the ultimate expression of each vintage—outside the bounds of a given varietal, appellation, or winemaking tradition. Without rules or expectations comes the opportunity to redefine the game.
Though the recipe may change from year to year, Bootleg’s exuberant, bold and complex blends challenge convention while remaining anchored in celebrated vineyards throughout Napa and Sonoma
Appearance:
Big, heavy bottle in the Dart Vader style, including out of this world optics conjuring up some not so nice terrestrial events. Anyway, it is kind of fun, especially after you get into sipping the wine, which is black in the middle, bleeding to a dark crimson on the edges.
Nose:
Very dense, dark fruit of ripe plum, crème de cassis, violets, cigar and cocoa. Mahogany, vanilla hazelnut, black and white pepper. The aromatics on the wine are quite assertive, active and inviting.
Texture:
Full in texture and body. Deep, dark, rich feel in the palate. The fruit is well-rounded with good power that is smooth, balanced, and a true delight. Structured, opulent and hedonistic, this totally commands your attention.
Flavors:
Highly ripened dark grape, plum, cherry, blackberry and blueberry fruit is dense and smooth. Noce notes of dairy cream, with a touch of anise, freshly sawed wood, forest pine, lead pencil, just awesome.
Serving Suggestions:
Recommending a Tomahawk steak or some such grilled behemoths.
2020 Cabernet Franc, Yorkville Cellars, Rennie Vineyard
Growing Region Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino, California
Varietal Composition 100% Cabernet Franc
Fermentation 14 Months in Neutral Barrels
Alcohol Content 13.5%
Suggested Retail $44.00
WineSellar Club Price $39.59
Broad Strokes:
Holistic Farm
Yorkville Cellars is a family-run winery founded by proprietors, Deborah and Edward Wallo. It is the only known winery that grows all eight of the main Bordeaux grapes and then bottles each individually as a varietal: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. (Probably the one place on earth where one can taste these side-by-side where the grapes were all grown with the same viticultural practices within the same terroir.)
All wines produced are vineyard designated. Yorkville Vineyards have been certified organic since 1986 and uses neither pesticides, herbicides nor chemical fertilizers.
Appearance:
I very much like the look and feel of the Yorkville Cellars label. It is subtle, yet distinct, well delineated, and classy. The wine is not quite opaque at the core and goes to a dark magenta on the rim.
Nose:
This wine reminds me of a lovely Bordeaux, with its sweet and cedary characteristics. I find an enjoyable touch of wood pine, herbs, sweet red fruits, cinnamon, persimmon, and mincemeat pie.
Texture:
Medium full in body and weight. Drying tannins wrap around the largish, chunky fruits. Feeling very comfy in the palate, which is mouth-watering, with a refined balanced fruit to alcohol sensation.
Flavors:
Red currant and red cherry fruit feels somehow darker, more like the line-up of black fruits. Herb and leather, with wood notes dominate at some point. Fresh oak, spices, eucalyptus, mint, continuing to open up as the wine breathes.
Serving Suggestions:
This Cabernet Franc has a few years of evolution in the bottle to derive even further complexities.
2020 Monthelie, Domaine Dujardin, Les Trois Climat’s
Growing Region Monthelie, Cotes D’Or, Burgundy, France
Varietal Composition 100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation New & Used French Barrels
Alcohol Content 13%
Suggested Retail $60.00
WineSellar Club Price $53.99
Broad Strokes:
(From the Winery) Committed winegrower and independent winegrower, Domaine Dujardin uses traditional winemaking methods. Ideally located in the heart of the Cotes de Beaune, in Monthelie, not far from Meursault, the Domaine Dujardin has an area of 20 acres of vines producing Burgundy’s great wines, both red and white. A family estate now managed by Ulrich Dujardin, who passes his passion on to his children every day. Domaine Dujardin produces renowned appellations such as Monthelie 1er Cru, Meursault Blanc, and Auxey-Dureses.
It should be noted that Monthélie has practically no plain, the entire vineyard is practically on a hillside. Many authors have pointed out that in Monthélie, there was only vine. The absence of arable land in the plains gave birth to a well-known saying of the Côte de Beaune saying "that a hen dies of hunger in Monthélie at harvest time", hence the recent undertaking to make the agreements with Bresse poultry if the Monthéliens don't want to starve.
Appearance:
Very cool contemporary looking label, especially when hailing from the old world stuyles of the Burgundy region. Love the gold/copper inlay, and the short story on the back of the label. The wine is darker than expected, as many Burgundy wines have a lighter hue.
Nose:
Pure and beautiful Pinot Noir fragrances have deep complexity, with notes of oak, bread dough, plum, fresh herbs, and darkened earth soil.
Texture:
Medium in weight and body. Feeling plush and nicely rounded on the entry. Youthful feel and slow to open, all the while showing excellent promise. Ever expanding and evolving.
Flavors:
Truly fine and sophisticated Pinot Noir/Red burgundy. Wood and oak, dusty red fruits, elegant and assertive at the same time. Underbrush, bramble berry, toasted bread notes, subtle touches of herbs and spices,
Serving Suggestions:
This will age wonderfully for approximately ten to fifteen years. Put some away in the cellar, you will be greatly rewarded!
Champagne Taittinger, Folie de la Marquetterie, Brut
Growing Region Reims, Champagne, France
Varietal Composition 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay
Fermentation New/Used French Barrels, 5 years in Bottle
Alcohol Content 12.5%
Suggested Retail $130.00
WineSellar Club Price $95.39
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery:
In tribute to Autumn
Claude Taittinger wanted to pay tribute to the ‘Château de la Marquetterie’, where the story of the Champagne House started. He came up with a wine that was created from the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines growing on the hillsides around the house. It was to be a champagne that evoked a feeling of homeliness; a subtle blend of autumnal colors, like those found in the different woods used in ‘marquetterie’ (marquetry work)...
The acquisition of the Château de la Marquetterie and the surrounding vineyards, a site known as “Les Folies”, marked the beginning of the family’s Champagne adventure. The vineyard grew very quickly and the House now presents more than 35 different crus. “Folies de la Marquetterie” pays tribute to this story.
Appearance:
Great looking bottle with the “Fall” color scheme according to the premise of the wine. The sparkling liquid had a golden straw/yellow color. Upon pouring, the bubbles are active, tiny and plentiful.
Nose:
An intense nose, especially for Champagne. Brioche, tree fruits, such as apple, pear and peach, toasted bread, Asian spices and a whiff of saffron. The aromatics continue to evolve for hours!
Texture:
Smooth, tightly knit start for this classic. Soon, it becomes quite evident that this is a big style Champagne, fruit forward. The acid is firm and gentle, as the wine becomes more expansive on the palate. Solid mousse, and the bubbles become finer and more delicate the longer the wine is open.
Flavors:
Brioche and toasted bread dominate early, followed by the tree fruit flavors of apple, pear, peach, and even apricot. Some wood notes, a hint of citrus (orange), rich and dense.
Serving Suggestions:
A fabulous all-occasion Champagne with power and finess.
Turkey Leg Confit
I made this for our Thanksgiving dinner, and it was a major hit. I am a big fan of Duck Confit, so I decided to try it with the seasonal bird. It is easy to make, a bit messy in that you use a significant amount of oil (which is re-usable) and then the clean-up.
Got our turkey legs fresh from Tip Top meats, but frozen will work also.
Serves 2-4.
It is a no miss dish!!!
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sized turkey legs, with thigh
- Olive oil and grapeseed oil to cover legs in the pan
- 6 smashed cloves of garlic
- 1/2 Tablespoon of oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon sage
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns
NOTE: I don’t have a roasting pan at home deep enough to cover the legs in the oil, so I used a large pot and warmed the legs on the stove, making sure the oil doesn’t boil. If you are using an oven, bake the legs at 175 degrees for 3-4 hours, stopping when you see the meat pull away from the tendons and bone.
Method:
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Rinse legs in cold water and set aside to drain.
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In a large pot, add the legs, oil herbs, garlic, salt and pepper.
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Add the oil to cover the top of the legs.
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Set heat at approximately 175 degrees on the stove, making sure you don’t get anywhere near the boiling point (212 Degrees).
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Cook for three to four hours, until you see tendons and bones releasing the meat.
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Allow to cool for long enough to transfer the legs on to a cooking pan with a rack that will let the oil drain into the pan below, skin side up.
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Turn oven on to broil, and place pan with duck legs not to near the heat source.
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Let the skin turn brown or even darker, depending on your preference for crispness.
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Remove and serve with rice or white beans, side dishes, sauces of with mushroom, garlic, or even cherry sauce. (Sauce on bottom of legs, you want to keep the skin crispy).