Wine Club Newsletter - February 2018
♫ I Left My (credit) Card . . . ♪ in San Francisco ♬
Gary Parker
The first week of January is one of our slowest of the year, as we have ended our busy holiday season of November and December. This year, Lori and I decided to make a quick sojourn up to San Francisco to catch up on some restaurant action.
We were initially excited when a trade publication came out with its top 50 restaurant and wine bars to visit in San Francisco, written by six different journalists and food critics. Cool, we thought. We spent an hour or so pouring through the listings. Of course we knew we couldn’t visit all fifty locations in three days and two nights, so we made a plan.
The restaurants were listed alphabetically, so we decided to rank the potential stops on our own five-point scale, based on what we thought we wanted to experience. We picked out about a dozen places to visit, but found our plans changing after touchdown.
Over the years, on our travels across the globe, we have spent a significant amount of money in restaurants on fine food and wines. And happily so, for the most part. But after making a few stops in the city, I was becoming disenchanted with the amount of money restaurants were charging for wine.
Simple wines like Italian Pinot Grigio that I know cost about $10-$12 a bottle, were listed at $60. In fact, $60 seemed like a starting point of many wines on wine lists. There is something taken away from the joy of dining out when I have to pay exorbitant prices, even though I sympathize with the restaurant owners suffering from the high rents they have to pay.
But they knew that going in. I am not sure how sustainable wines in restaurants can be when they are priced in the stratosphere like this.
OK, so enough of my sniveling. Here are some fun spots we enjoyed and wish to share with you:
20 Spot
This was fun for its quaint feel, very small and intimate. You have to get there early or you’ll get shut out. It is an old record store turned into a sort of wine bar and restaurant. They play vinyl records as a nod to the old tenants, and the sound system is really nice. Very interesting food, they are known for their deviled eggs.
Uma Casa
We were excited to go here after conducting our recent wine tour to Portugal. It was a good stop, as we enjoyed some octopus and crispy polenta cake, and from one of our favorite winery visits in Portugal, an Alvarinho from Soalheiro.
August 1 Five
Great stop for lunch. Modern Indian cuisine using the fresh ingredients and influences of the Bay Area. We found the food, service, and wine list all attractive. We ordered a number of appetizers and an entrée, and were delighted.
The Slanted Door
2nd time visiting this contemporary Vietnamese restaurant on the Embarcadero, and it is well worth the effort to get in here. First time we had lunch, this time was in between hours so we sat at the bar and had appetizers with a bottle of well-priced wine. A great wine list, and one of the most reasonable in the city. Highly recommend.
Bellota
A favorite stop for the trip, a lunch before we flew back home. Featuring foods from Spain, with focus on paellas, seafood, wood-fire-grilled options, all Spanish wine list (nicely priced), with sherry on tap (had to have), it was a great send-off for us. Highly recommended
Hotel Sir Francis Drake Kimpton
Got a fabulous rate to this centrally located, well-appointed hotel. Sumptuous bar area, and we had two meals at their bistro Scala, as the food was excellent, and wine priced very well. Recommend highly!
California Dreamin’ Walk-Around Wine Tasting
February 24, 3:30 to 5:30pm
We’re dreamin’ of California (wine) on such a winters day. Our state produces close to 89% of the wine made in the United States. Join us as we taste through over 15 hand-picked selections.
$35 per person, $30 Club Members
Call (858) 450-9557 to reserve your spot, or go here
Portugal Wine Dinner with Gary Parker
I am hosting a dinner here at The Brasserie highlighting some of the wine finds we discovered while in Portugal last year.
Menu & Pricing Coming Soon!
Call (858) 450-9557 to reserve your spot!
2015 Zotovich Chardonnay, “Zoto”
Growing Region: Sta. Rita Hills, California
Varietal Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Fermentation: Malolactic Fermentation, Oak Barrels
Alcohol Content: 13.9%
Suggested Retail: $25.00
WineSellar Club Price: $20.69
Broad Strokes:
Form the Winery: Zotovich Vineyards & Winery is a small, family-owned winery located in the Sta. Rita Hills American Viticulture Appellation on California’s Central Coast in Santa Barbara County. Right in the middle of Northern Santa Rita Hills on the 246 corridor, between Buellton and Lompoc. The vineyard was purchased 12 years ago by Steve Zotovich.
Legend says the deed was signed the day Sideways was released in theaters. The first estate wines were produced 2 years later. The vineyard's original owners planted it in the late 1990's, mostly to Italian varietals. Steve grafted over to the current mix of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Viognier when he bought it. Grenache went in 10 years later. This Chardonnay scored 91 Points!
Appearance:
Very clean, straightforward, and identifiable packaging. You can read “Zoto” so well, this would stand out on any shelf. And another screw cap, thank you very much, I love it! The wine has a yellow/white corn hue, and clings to the glass.
Nose:
A lot going on with the fragrances. I got baked apple wrapped in a hint of caramel and sweet oak. Mineral notes, mixed with the vivacious acids from kiwi, tangerine and grapefruit. A touch of pineapple surfaces, with toasted almonds and ginger flower.
Texture:
It is medium in weight and body. A nicely balanced offering that feels clean and organized (in a good way), and provides a solid mid palate and finish that is mouth-coating. Some bright notes, the feeling of evolution is positive with a few more years.
Flavors:
The caramel (popcorn) and baked apple are most prevalent, buoyed by the kiwi, tangerine, grapefruit and ripe pear notes. Got a touch of pumpkin, in addition to all the elements experienced in the nose.
Serving Suggestions:
This is GREAT Chardonnay value, $20.69 for a 91 pointer!!! Multi-purpose uses, great as an aperitif, and wonderful with fish, sushi, and spicy foods.
2015 Field Recordings, Old Potrero Vineyard
Growing Region: Arroyo Grande Valley
Varietal Composition: 92% Zinfandel, 5% Mourvedre, 3% Syrah
Fermentation: American Oak, 50% New for 10 Months
Alcohol Content: 14.9%
Suggested Retail: $20.00
WineSellar Club Price: $17.99
Broad Strokes:
Field Recordings is 35-year old winemaker Andrew Jones’ personal catalog of the people and places he values most. Spending his days as a vine nursery field man planning and planting vineyards for farmers all over California, Andrew is sometimes offered small lots of their best fruit on the side. Having stood in just about every vineyard on the Central Coast, he has a keen eye for diamonds in the rough: sites that are unknown or under-appreciated but hold enormous untapped potential.
As friendships are made and opportunities are embraced, Andrew produces small quantities of soulful wine from these unusual, quiet vineyards.
The Field Recordings wines are a catalog of single vineyard sites that produces wines with a sense of place and personality.
Appearance:
It’s a really cool package. Distinctive, kind of homey, yet creative and contemporary. The die cut label represents the shape of the Potrero Vineyard (I am fairly certain). I like the heavy, deep punted bottle with the white trim capsule. The wine is purple-grapey hued at the core, and is solid all the way to the edge, where it becomes dark red, brilliant and clear.
Nose:
Kirsch, intense raspberry, very concentrated fragrances. You can detect the American oak by the touch of coconut. Peripheral notes of cigar, tree bark, tobacco, roasted nuts, smoke and tree bark. Also notice star anise, black pepper, with hints of pomegranate.
Texture:
It is medium to medium-full in weight and body. The fruit density makes the high alcohol seemingly disappear. Some tannic acid on the entry, but it is fun and energizing, as the middle palate glides to reach the crispy, astringent finish. Pomegranate acid also.
Flavors:
Sweet and smoky one could say. You could also say the fruit and oak reminds one of black berry ice cream, albeit with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, Dr. Pepper, cranberry, pomegranate, and a touch of orange rind. It all works out great! VALUE!!!!!!!!!
Serving Suggestions:
BBQ, big foods, big cheeses, with chocolate, anything commanding a nice big red.
2013 Nelle Syrah
Growing Region: California
Varietal Composition: 100% Syrah
Fermentation: 30% New French Oak for 22 Months
Alcohol Content: 15.1%
Suggested Retail: $36.00
WineSellar Club Price: $31.49
Broad Strokes:
In his early 20’s, after a few years working in the shop and eventually becoming the buyer, Tyler Russel’s interest for wine production grew too large to ignore. From there he packed his bags and headed to Paso Robles to pursue his dreams. It didn’t take long for him to get a tasting room gig at Dover Canyon Winery where he was shown the ropes of the trade, honing his knowledge while performing any job big or small.
After Dover Canyon, Tyler began methodically crafting his winemaking and cellar skills at other Paso Robles wineries, to include Zenaida, Justin, and one of my favorites and past WineSellar Club winery, Calcareous. During this time, he invested is spare time on the Nelle Winery project, producing the first wines in 2008. Only 250 cases of this wine have been produced.
Appearance:
Love the packaging . . . artsy, whimsical, and presenting both feminine (label art) and the masculine (big, heavy, dark bottle with deep punt). You anticipate something great, and it delivers. It’s black at the middle, bleeding (only slightly) to dark crimson to the edges.
Nose:
Blackberry, currant, very ripe plum are the solid and enticing scents of the fruits, backed by solid dollop of vanilla oak, cigar box, rosemary and earth. This is typical of the Syrah grape, which is why I love it.
Texture:
Big and bold is the palate entry, yet the wine is nonetheless smooth, balanced, and has a lovely texture. Even though the alcohol is high, it presents a silken, velvety consistency, rich, almost syrup-like feel, but of course, not with a heavy/sweet feel like that.
Flavors:
Ripe plum and blackberry essence from the nose follow through to the palate. Vanilla, dark cherry, wood notes, nutmeg lace a certain roast beef/red meat flavor. Very cool! Coffee, cappuccino, chocolate milk as well.
Serving Suggestions:
Keeper for a few years if you like to age your wines, This would be great about 2022-2030, or even later. Rack of lamb would be to die for with this!
2015 Pellegrini, Pinot Noir
Growing Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Ca.
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation: 15 Months in Oak Barrels
Alcohol Content: 14.2%
Suggested Retail: $50.00
WineSellar Club Price: $40.49
Broad Strokes:
The Pellegrini Family traces its heritage in winemaking to the early 1900s when brothers Nello and Gino Pellegrini arrived in New York City from their native Tuscany. They soon made their way to the West Coast and in 1925 became Sonoma County grape merchants, shipping grapes throughout the U.S. for home winemaking. In 1933 after repeal of Prohibition, the brothers established the original Pellegrini Wine Company, shipping grapes from Sonoma County and producing quality wines for many of San Francisco's finest shops and restaurants. In 2003, the eight children of Robert, Richard and Jeanne–the "eight cousins"–purchased a 12-acre parcel of old-clone Zinfandel alongside the Olivet Lane Estate, launching the fourth generation of the Pellegrini family into the wine business. 92 Points Wine Enthusiast!!!
Appearance:
I like the looks of the packaging: Clean, cut, trim label with focused message, and the detail on the label transferred to the capsule. Very cool. The wine has a red apple skin hue, which is on the light side. You can see light through the wine at the center, and spreads evenly to the edge of the glass. Perfect for Pinot Noir.
Nose:
Soft cherry, white cherry, lovely cherry juice. It’s just SO Pinot! Notes of white pepper, mint and sage, red licorice, vanilla, coffee, cardamom, and a hint of chocolate are delightful!
Texture:
Perfect Pinot Noir texture! Not too heavy, not too thin, elegant, beguiling, delicate, lavishing, present, memorable, unctuous . . . should I go on? It has a fabulous feel in the mouth from the smooth entry to the very long finish.
Flavors:
Obviously, it has a solid core of cherry fruit, albeit delicate. It is wrapped with vanilla oak, cedar, ample, cola, menthol, sassafras, cardamom, Asian spice and coffee. Notice a sprig of chocolate, tangerine (Grand Marnier) and milk chocolate.
Serving Suggestions:
It is so wonderful to drink now, it is hard to keep it off the table. I am certain it will benefit with bottle age, probably about 3-7 years more to go. Try with roasted meat.
2013 Mattina Fiore, Buona Derrata (GSM)
Growing Region: Santa Maria Valley, California
Varietal Composition: 42% Grenache, 38% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre
Fermentation: 40% New French Oak, 30% 2nd Year French Oak, 30% Neutral Oak
Alcohol Content: 14.4%
Suggested Retail: $50.00
WineSellar Club Price: $44.49
Broad Strokes:
From the Winery: Buona Derrata translates from Italian to English as “The Good Stuff”. It is a blend of our Murmur Vineyard Grenache, Syrah, and Santa Maria Valley Mourvedre. Although the origins of this blend of varietals s from the Rhone Valley of France, we live in and produce Syrah and Grenache in one of the most premier locations to do so.
A few years back, in our Wonderful World of Wine newsletter, I wrote about the Garagiste tasting I went to in Solvang in April of 2014. The Mattina Fiore wines I bought were a direct result of that event. They now have grown up into having a distributor in San Diego. I love the winery and its people, Scott & Andrea Williams. They are meticulous, caring, and thoughtful producers that deliver excellent wines in great packaging. Only 368 Cases Produced!
Appearance:
Class-act packaging. Big, heavy bottle, deep punt, tie cut label, special individual wrapping. They just do it right! The wine is deep purple-black, with long, long legs dripping slowly, slowly down on the inside of the bowl.
Nose:
Deep and rich aromatics, ripe with blueberry and dark fruits, with hints of black olive, pine, eucalyptus, rosemary, some herbs and toasted nuts. Just awesome! Also detected some balsamic, red licorice, coriander and exotic spices.
Texture:
Perfectly rich and balanced, it is medium-full in body. There is definitely some silk and velvet to the mouth feel, almost oily, but still has firm acid. SO agreeable and lasting forever in the palate. A long, even, smooth finish that lingers longer than the Mother-in-Law.
Flavors:
Rich cherry compote, ripe fruit, including the ripe black plum, wild mushrooms, black and white pepper, vanilla oak, roasted almonds, black olive and herbs that whisk you away to the senses of the Rhone Valley.
Serving Suggestions:
Keeper for a few years if you like to age your wines, This would be great about 2022-2030, or even later. Rack of lamb would be to die for with this!
Roasted Duck Breast with Dried Sour Cherries, Red Onion, and Thyme
To serve six
Ingredients:
- Six duck breasts, each weighing about 8 oz.
- 1 red onion
- 1/4 cup honey
- 6 oz. dried sour cherries
- 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 3 cups brown duck (or chicken) stock
- 2 tbsps. heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. butter
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- balsamic vinegar
- olive oil
Sauce:
- Pre-heat oven to 450º F.
- Peel and thinly slice the onion, tear three sheets of foil, each 12" long, and stack on top of one another. Place the onions on one side, drizzle with a little olive oil and fold the other side over, sealing tightly
- Place in the oven and roast for twenty minutes.
- Combine honey, dried cherries, and thyme leaves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, reduce over medium heat until the honey lightly caramelizes.
- Add brandy and roasted onions, reduce by half and add 3 cups of the stock.
- Reduce over high heat by two-thirds and add cream, continue reducing until liquid coats the back of a spoon and set aside.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preparing the Duck Breast:
- Trim the duck breast and score the skin, season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large sauté pan large enough to fit all of the duck breasts in a single layer. Add a little olive oil and sear the duck, skin side down until well browned, turn over and sear the flesh side for about 30 seconds, return the breast to skin side down and place the oven.
- Roast until skin is crisp and the duck is medium-rare.
- Remove the duck from the oven and let sit skin side up in a warm place for about five minutes to collect its juices.
To Finish:
- Heat the sauce over medium heat, swirl in the butter and adjust seasonings, add a few drops of balsamic vinegar to adjust acid level if desired.
- Spoon a bit of sauce onto each of six warmed dinner plates and slice the duck thinly against the grain, arrange on top of the sauce.