Wine Bloggers Conference 2009: Dinner at Spring Mountain Vineyard

The second day of the Wine Bloggers Conference rounded out with an exceptional dinner at Spring Mountain Vineyard where we got to have dinner and some great wines while chatting with winemakers from Spring Mountain and Viader and reps from Lang & Reed and BV. I was impressed that the winemakers took the time to sit down with us and talk wine, and it showed a burgeoning respect for the passion and thoughtfulness that 'citizen' bloggers can bring to the media world.


The setting itself was quite beautiful, with the rolling hills of napa etching themselves out along a sky dappled with red and golden hues over a declining hill of grape vines.


Over the course of the evening I managed to get a taste of quite a few wines, with the following four truly standing out.

1. Spring Mountain Vineyard Elivette 2001

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, this 8 year old wine was showing very well that evening. Smooth and full and filled with dark berry fruit, this yet had an elegant structure and a very finessed finish. A standout Bordeaux style blend.

Excellent to Excellent+
$100




2. Viader 2005

Viader makes this red blend with 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Cabernet Franc, which is a surprisingly high % for the often funky and tannic Cab Franc grape. Nonetheless, this young wine was drinking very well and may have been the standout of the night. Very fruit forward, with notes of chocolate underneath, the wine paired ideally with the BBQ'd beef we were eating for dinner. Frankly, I would never have guessed that this had such a high percentage of Cab Franc given how smooth and fruity it was. A favourite at the table with winemakers from Spring Mountain and Viader in attendance along with several bloggers.

Excellent+
$100

3. Spring Mountain Elivette 1993

It was certainly a treat to taste this 16 year old wine, which was still drinking with real backbone but without that overpowering punch that young Napa Cab blends can have. Instead, it was showing plenty of secondary and tertiary flavours from the bottle age such as slate, tobacco, and leather while still maintaining a pure line of red and black berry fruit.

Excellent
$100

4. Lang & Reed 'Right Bank' 2004

Sneaking in to our bevy of $100 cabs was the subtle and suave Right Bank red blend. Made with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, this wine straddled the line between styles that many in the media have come to oppose as New World v. Old World. For me, this was fruit forward and yet elegant and finessed such that the fruit did not overwhelm the development of the wine and the layering of the mid-palate. Many classic dark fruit flavours abound in this along with cedar and mocha. But this wine is special more because of its velvet glove approach. One to look for.

Excellent
$80

Chateau Leoville Barton 1994

I seem to be on a lucky roll with these aged wines - it would be great to be able to afford these things for real and actually fully stock a cellar with them. Alas I suppose that will only make me value the occasional moments of joy! For those unfamiliar, this is a Bordeaux second growth that ranks among the "super seconds", which are said to 'approximate' first growths in quality.

This wine exemplifies why Bordeaux is considered the greatest wine region in the world. It also exemplifies the sheer singularity of pleasure when a wine heavily impacted by vintage variation, bottle aging, and history actually reflects each of these elements in a seamless balance. There is subtlety, deftness and poise in a wine that accomplishes this, and I must say that after spending a few months drinking mostly Californian wine, it was almost a shock and awe experience to delve into this wine - so much so that I declared to myself that California really had nothing on Bordeaux in the end.

The nose is profoundly expressive and layered beyond imagination. I don't enjoy long lists of descriptors, but here my consciousness of smell was wakened by graphite, violets, licorice, cassis, a bit of barn, layers of earth, black cherry and a bit of tomato vine. And all of that just on the nose! It is not often that one can nose a wine for minutes without taking a sip and keep experience new aromas. Astounding.

The palate mustered a bevy of skills to show its deftness, but also was as soft and eloquent as a Shakespearean sonnet: wood, tomato, pencil shavings, earth, tart blackberry and licorice were the operative motives. A great 90 second long finish completed the wine with earth, minerals and a rooty licorice lacing. Quite a fantastic wine, but in the end the nose is what took this oh so close to the upper echelon.

Excellent to Excellent+
$70 at K&L

Mini Vertical: Peter Lehmann The Mentor

It seems as though great deals abound here in California since I was able to score two vintage bottles of Lehmann's Barossa Bordeaux blend "The Mentor" for a pretty fantastic price. Furthermore, Australian wines are not known so much for their ageability, and I was curious how a wine like this, from a major producer, would fair with moderate age on its back. Here are the results:

The Mentor 1999

A big cassis blast on the nose and not showing fatigue. Wood, eucalyptus and cedar smoke. Quite aromatic and very Australian. However, the palate was definitely a lot softer than I remember recent versions of this wine being. Notes of caramel opened the palate, but it was the purity of the cassis that was most impressive - one of the more authentic expressions I've tasted. It reminded me of an ice cream shop I loved when I was a kid that home made black currant ice cream by folding numerous fresh berries into it - and man was that good. Quite a long finish, and actually semi-earthy. The 9 years of age has made this quite an elegant wine, even if it is not super complex. It has layered very nicely and is still an excellent wine.

Very Good+

$25 at K&L

The Mentor 2002

Showing cedar, chocolate, cassis, eucalyptus and blackberry on the densely layered nose, this promised a lot. The palate, however, was a bit disjointed and this is definitely not showing as well as it did last year. In fact, this has become alsmost too cashmere in texture, and it lacks the layering and elegance of the 99. Cassis and cedar predominate on the palate, which feels quite round in the mouth. So, while the wine has good flavour, it is lacking the punch I expected from its more youthful visage.

Very Good to Very Good+

$25 at K&L

Clearly these wines can age, although I would suspect there is reasonable bottle and vintage variation in the quality of the aged wines. Also, I don't find them to be that much more expressive or complex than the most recent vintages; rather, the difference is in texture and elegance. I will enjoy continuing to sample some older Aussie wines to get a fuller sense of how they fare over time.

Spring Valley Uriah 2001

Spring Valley is a highly respected Washington producer whose winemaker and owner died in a car crash in 2005. I mention this only because the industry seemed unsure about the direction of the winery after that tragic event. Luckily I was able to get my hands on an older vintage of one of their top Bordeaux style blends.

Here we have a nose of mint, cassis, garden soil and very predominant eucalyptus. The palate itself is quite soft, with a sweet forwardness filled with cassis and blackberry jam. Unfortunately, this is surprisingly hot on the back end, especially for an early 2000's WA cab based blend. Nonetheless, this is round, and full and very nicely textured, with a drawn and lengthy finish. I suppose I was expecting more from this reputable producer, but this is still a good wine.


Very Good to Very Good+
$45 at Benchmark Wines

A Day in Napa: St. Clement

After our little excursion to Cakebread and Nickel & Nickel my friend and I decided to hold our breath and fit in one more winery before lunch. This particular winery I chose due to a nice writeup from Joe in Montreal. St. Clement purchases all their fruit, but has very long term contracts that have given them access to some of the finest blocks in the Valley. It helps that their tasting room is both cute and has an amazing view:

View from the terrace:

What struck me about St. Clement was its tendency to not shy away from roughness and terroir in their wines at the expense of silky texture and sweet fruit. We were lucky enough to happen upon a cellar sale, and so got to taste some older vintages and rare bottlings.


We started with an Oroppas flight, beginning with the 2000 Oroppoas Cab blend, which had a rich and brambly palate with balanced acidity and a nice cedar character. The nose (doing this note in reverse) was cherry-like and peperry and very full and complex - in fact, entrancing. This was a very complex wine with incredible layering and depth. Poured from a magnum. Excellent. $150 ($105 on sale) for the magnum.


Up next was the 2001 Oroppas, which was less complex than th 2000, but was also more subtle with a smooth berry palate and a touch of toast. Somewhat of a mocha component here too. I found this very elegant, in fact much more so than the 2000, with a great level of finesse throughout the palate. Very Good+. $150 ($105 on sale) for the magnum.


The last of the Oroppas vertical was the 2002 Oroppas, which had a distinctly minty nose. Spicy blackberry predominated on the palate. Flavourful, but in relation to the 2000 and 2001, which each fulfilled a niche (power and layering vs. finesse and elegance) the 2002 was a bit of an ugly duck - but a tasty one at that! Very Good+. $150 ($105 on sale) for the magnum.


The universe must have been on our side that day because we were also treated to a mini-vertical of the Howell Mountain cabs, starting with the 2000 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Intense earthyness, cassis, and eucalyptus were forward on the nose and palate. A very structured and well made cab, but lacking the layering of the 2000 Oroppas, and not drinking quite as well as any of the Oroppas in my opinion. But Howell Mountain cabs often need time. Very Good. $180 for the magnum.


Our mini vertical finished with the 2002 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, which was a HUGE powerhouse of a cab, with chewy and tight blackberry fruit. The tasting note suggested cola and plum spice, but right now the tannins are so massive on this beast that it is honestly hard to fully appreciate. Give this time and I'm sure it'll be phenomenal. Very Good+. $180 for the magnum.


The Cab dominant tasting was luckily punctuated with two other varietal wines, the first being the 2006 Abbott's Vineyard Chardonnay, which had a very dominant nose of banana and rich tropical fruit. In fact, the banana was so dominant that it overwhelmed most everything else. If you like a creamy lactic banana vibe, then you will also dig this wine. Personally I hoped for a little more complexity, which maybe would develop with time. Very Good. $?.


The last wine I tasted also happened to be the one I picked up: the 2002 Progeny Syrah, which was built like a Northern Rhone syrah with a massive palate that I would describe as intensely meaty and brambly. However, this also had a nice California fruit component that balanced the imensity of the textural elements of the syrah: cloves, spices, chocolate, and massive dark fruit. Wonderful structure and integration - this is an awesome California syrah, and atypical for what you usually get around here. Very small production. Excellent. $80 ($60 on sale).


After St. Clement we had a pretty quick, but tasty, lunch, which was followed by perhaps one of the greatest tasting experiences I have ever had. But that's for the next post...

Dellile Cellars D2 2005

Washington state may be getting expensive, but I have to say that their best producers are also extremely adept at bridging the gap between old world and new. The D2 is from one of Washington's most well respected producers, Dellile. I've previously had their Doyenne Syrah, which was awesome with briased lamb.

The nose was very cherry cola to start, but added earthy and acidic components later. The palate had chocolate, boysenberry, earth, and dill. A wonderful Bordeaux style blend, this was restrained but packed with flavour and also managing some elegance. Again, this went very well with braised lamb (I seem to eat that a lot). Worth tasting to get a sense of the Dellile style.

Excellent
$50 at Taphouse Liquor Store

Chateau Gruaud Larose 1997

A special occasion warranted opening this 11 year old bottle of the second growth Gruaud Larose. Given that 1997 wasn't a great year, I was worried this wouldn't deliver. However, my experience showed me that even in an off year quality wine can be made by a quality chateau. While I am not experienced in aged Bordeaux, I can safely say that I nevertheless thought this was a good example for a bad year.

On the nose was black current, wood and earth. A very stylish palate opened more flavours, such as minerally earth, tobacco and tea. The back end, while medium length for Bordeaux, was long compared to what I tend to drink. Complex and layered, this dissipated quite quickly after openining (which I find with a lot of aged wine).

Excellent

$150 at BCLDB

Peter Lehmann "The Mentor" 2002

The more and more I approach wine with greater 'objectivity', the more I become confident that I simply and authentically love the lush New World style of wine making. This is not to say that I don't also love subdued and elegant wine-making, but I certainly don't agree with what appears to be a trend towards deriding overly lush and fruity approaches. Recently I've been rediscovering the beauty and power of Australian wine, and this particular Bordeaux style blend continued to reinforce my positive image of modern Aussie wine making.

The nose on this beautiful Cab based blend had intense chocolate and dark berry aromas. The palate had a huge body of oak, eucalyptus, and dark berries. But, none of this was out of place or unintegrated. This was also complex, but not boring, over-oaked nor did it have heavy cassis flavours. This was long and elegant, with a full bodied palate-coating mouthfeel and beautifully integrated and smooth tannins. A truly great blend.

Excellent

$45 at BCLDB

Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion 1998

I managed to find this wine tucked away in the corner of my local BC Liquor store. While I know that this is a far cry from the famous Haut Brion Bordeauxs, I figured it would be a lot of fun to try out an older vintage Bordeaux from a decent producer. Keep in mind, however, that this wine was more a combination of new and old style Bordeaux as opposed to the purely classic.

The nose gave up sweet jammy mint and chocolate notes. The palate was tangy and earthy with pretty subdued fruit. I liked that. This is what you might call a more austere wine that has a lot of finesse and structure, smooth tannins, medium body and a medium length finish, but that is also not a big fruit fun blast. This requires you to be in the right mood when drinking. With some air the palate opened up into barnyardy coffee flavours.

Very Good+

$77 at BCLDB

Yeringberg 2002

There is nothing like an under the radar wine - it's like exploring a hidden world and flirting with a new personality. It may work, it may not - but when it does it's a fantastic experience. This is one such wine. I picked up this 2002 Yeringberg at about half price at Marquis wine cellars; for some reason it was not selling well and I got the benefit of other people's oversight.

This is not a typical Aussie wine - insofar as typical means big jammy, syrupy fruit bombs with no finess, which is not always a fair characterization of Aussie wines, many of which are nothing like this. However, what typically gets imported into Canada, and especially the mainstream stuff, is usually fruit bomb over-oaked stuff. This is unfortunate since Australia makes some absolutely amazing wine not of this character.

The Yeringberg is from the Yarra Valley in Victoria, near Melbourne and has been around since 1863. It has a rich opulent medium-red colour and consists of Cabernet Sauvignan, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec and so takes on all sorts of interesting characteristics while being very nicely balanced. The nose is heavy on the eucalyptus and cassis, and after about an our it took on a hint of rich meat. The palate has great integration and balance and simply superb acidity. I got notes of tart raspberry with a smooth minty breeze. It was a tad hot on the finish to begin with, but this dissipated with some air. The tannins are silky and help the wine develop consistently from the up front taste through the mid-palate and into the finish. The mid-palate is particularly well done with some great vegetal characteristics.

Final Verdict: seek out more non-typical Aussie wine.

Excellent

$60 at Marquis (purchased for $35 on sale)

Achaval Ferrer Quimera 2005

I generally drink a lot of california and Australian wines, probably because I visited Napa and Sonoma and loved it and Australian wine offers good value for money (given the Australian government's reduction on tax for exports of wine). Anyhow, I decided I wanted to try a region I used to go to a lot for good value wines: Argentina. However, in this case I wanted a wine that would express some authentic Argentinian terroir and a little something extra in the flavour department.

This wine consists of 27% malbec, 28% merlot, 25% cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc. The nose presents aromas of chocolate, mint, and blackberry. The palate is mostly blackberry and earthy leather. The wine is a moderately tangy and has a decent length in the finish, even if the complexity is somewhat lacking. It is a little closed and simple on the palate, but this might be due to the year - 2005, which saw less heat and therefore less ripeness and lower alcohol levels. But, the lower alcohol provides somewhat of a 'raw' element to the wine, which is appealing.

Upon first tasting the Quimera promises a lot, but kind of fails to deliver on the mid-palate and the finish. That is not to say it is a bad wine - far from it. It's well integrated and structured. It just lacks a 'wow' factor. It is certainly enjoyable sipping wine. However, it's too expensive for what you get. So, I would recommend a pass on this, despite the 'very good' rating, unless you are interested in tasting a slightly 'finer' wine with a decent sense of Argentinian terroir.

$45 at BCLDB
Very Good

Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin 2004

Canadian provincial wine laws have always been a pet peave of mine. In the case of Canadian made wine, bad wine laws have contributed to their general poor quality and lack of international reputation. For example, Ontario allows wine makers to import plonky leftover juice from around the world and yet label their wines Canadian. However, the state of wine production is improving somewhat, although for legal and economic reasons (lack of viable and large enough markets, lack of wide distribution) most Canadian wine is still sub-standard for the price (At least in my opinion). There are many proud supporters of Canadian wine, but I only follow my taste buds. That said, this bottle is not only an exception to what I've written above, but one that I would not be ashamed to see in other national markets.

I tried to hold on to this bottle a bit longer, but gave in to the urge to try it after only a few months of cellaring. The nose opened with a bit of cassis and cherry and these flavours continued to develop upon my first sip. The wine is pretty well integrated, but is a bit tight and overly tannic, especially in the finish. This really probably needs more time in the cellar to open up completely. However, this is definitely a very enjoyable wine.

$40 at BCLDB and Private Stores
Very Good (although probably Very Good + to Excellent with some bottle age)

Chateau La Vieille Cure 2000

Having trudged through enough exam prep to warrant a reward I decided to open a 'nicer' (i.e. more expensive) bottle tonight and decided on this nice little wine from the great 2000 vintage in Bordeaux (although now overshadowed by the 'best ever' vintage of 2005). The wine was a bit closed upon first opening the bottle but opened up to reveal notes of tar, ash, and smoke. I smelled a bit of coffee on the nose initially, but that dissipated pretty quickly. After about 30 minutes the flavours developed to include a refreshing mintyness in the finish. The best way I can describe the fruit of this wine would be 'brambly'. It was slightly tannic, but pleasantly so.

I initially thought decanting was supposed to open a wine to reveal its best side. However, I came across a wine writer a while ago that really changed my perspective. He wrote that while decanting can help to bring a wine to its peak, he rather liked thinking of wine as a flower growing from bud to full bloom. That a wine evolves as you drink it can be, and is for me, a huge part of the pleasure drinking it. It's part of the living character of wine and helps to make it much more than just boozed-up grapes.

On that note, I will conclude by saying that while I really did like this wine, it is just way too expensive in BC to justify its purchase. If I were able to pick it up in the US for roughly $20-$25 (which is what it goes for down there) then it'd be a steal. As it is I probably won't get it again just because there is always so much more to explore.

Very Good
$50 at BCLDB