Carolyn Tillie's Ultimate California Wine Blog

Simon Levi - Cuttings Wharf - Pour la Vie - 180

Simon Levi Cellars is located on the main road that stretches between Santa Rosa and Sonoma in a community known as Kenwood. It is a small, two-lane road peppered with small tasting rooms, tiny restaurants, and an occasional shop or two. One of the main draws for me, after driving past a number of times, was a sign that said Champagne.   Now I know darn well that Champagne is made in France and that California makes sparkling wine, but vernacular aside, wine with bubbles is a really great thing, whether it is sparkling from California, Prosecco from Italy, Champagne from France, or Cava from Spain. I also tend to forget that there are more and more wineries producing sparkling wine, getting into my own rut of drinking from my personal Big 5 (Chandon, Mumm, Taittinger, J, and Schramsburg).

The building is very reminiscent of an old-style school house; probably because it was red and shingled and quaint. A few picnic tables on the surrounding wooden deck invite guests to relax and stay a while. While there, taste from four different labels. The three made under the Simon Levi auspices is SLC (Simon Levi Cellars), Cuttings Wharf, and Pour la Vie. (The fourth label will be its own blog entry.)

The Pour la Vie label is the name given to the sparkling wines and is made in three flavors; a Grand Cuvee, Almondine, and Framboise. I wanted to get a good cross reference to all the offerings and did not bother tasting the almond or raspberry sparkling, although others in the tasting room seemed to enjoyed it. The tasting room has some lovely things as well -- take a look at the suspended model train that runs above the pouring station! Open and spacious with some wonderful discoveries to be had.

2003 Cuttings Wharf Chardonnay - From Carneros fruit. Creamy tropical, kiwi nose with a bright, crisp entry. Not overly buttery or oaky, this fruity, balanced wine is easy to drink. $25.00

2002 Cuttings Wharf Pinot Noir - Light red color belies with intense, fruit-forward, fresh aromas of cherry and strawberry. Substantially more body and structure in the mouth with a defined, sculpted mineral mid-palate. $25.00

2003 Simon Levi Dry Creek Syrah - Dark, plummy colored wine. Smoke and candy dominate the nose. A tad hot on the mouth entry, flavors of spice and earthy mint tease until the slightly dry finish. $28.00

NV Pour la Via Grand Cuvee - 100% Chardonnay. Nutty, creamy, and slightly sweet on entry (probably because I was tasting it after the reds). Hints of light kiwi. $18.00

Simon Levi Cellars ~ 9380 Sonoma Highway ~ Kenwood ~ CA ~ 95452 ~ 707-833-5070
No charge to taste.

Buena Vista - 173

When it comes to historical pedigree, there is a little bit of hair-splitting as to who is the oldest winery in America. It is often touted that Agoston Haraszthy is father of modern viticulture and in 1857 purchased a hunk of property in Sonoma to start Buena Vista Winery. Jacob Gundlach also bought some property in 1857 to open Gundlach Bundschu but apparently it was technically a few months after Agostin started his winery.

To make all this that much more confusing, the original property that Agoston purchased is now home to Bartholomew Park Winery (still the site of Agoston's home) and the current Buena Vista site was a secondary wine-making facility that was constructed in the 1870s. The modern grounds are stunning and well worth the visit. Guided tours and picnic grounds are available, allowing visitors to sit amidst stately old trees.

The tasting room is a stately affair; two stories with the second floor full of historical displays showing some fabulous pictures of Haraszthy's family, some stunning scenes of the early Chinese workforce. The room is beautifully bedecked in dark wood, hearkening to the stately gradeur of its legacy. The pouring staff are friendly and extremely helpful. While I had a bit of wait before being noticed, the nice man who assisted me insisted on delaying his break to make sure seamless service was proffered.

2004 Pinot Gris - Light and fruity, a sweet nose of honey suckle and white flowers. Clean entry with more sweetness than I usual care for. Crisp acidity comes after the sugar in the medium-bodied wine. $19.00

2003 Carneros Reserve Pinot Noir - Some initial green aromas; leaves or underripe fruit. Light body, red fruit and green olive display in the sharp entry. Young. $25.00

2003 Estate Carneros Pinot Noir, Clone 4 Pommard - Rich, terroir-driven wine. Supple nose shows a whisper of green olive with a core of red cherry. Soft mouth entry showing red fruit and floral qualities. $38.00

2002 Tres - 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petite Verdot, 2% Syrah. Aromas of green tobacco and herbs. Medium-bodied red fruit is fuller than the nose implies. Textured, but young. $29.00

2003 Syrah - Rich, smoky nose showing youth. Blackberry liqueur flavors in the initial taste. Thin on the intial entry which expands to a chewier middle, showing richer brambleberry on the finish. Medium bodied and even texture. $38.00

Buena Vista ~ 18000 Old Winery Road ~ Sonoma ~ CA ~ 95476 ~ 800-926-1266

Gloria Ferrer - 130

I had been waiting to blog Gloria Ferrer. I was waiting because every year the sparkling wine producer holds a large Catalan Festival around the third weekend of July every year. So this is not just a blog of a Spanish-heritage winery, but also of a pretty spectacular event that sells out early every year.

Upon arrival, two large figures loomed above the crowd. There were people inside them that could lift them up and walk around with them, despite the heat of the day. Very, very impressive. A demonstration tent was set-up outside the building where music performances and cooking demos occurred throughout the festival. I saw Flamenco dancers, heard lovely Spanish guitar, and

But it is upstairs, in the main room of the winery where most of the action takes place - the food! A number of fabulous vendors participate in the event; restaurants, bakeries, and stores. Upon your arrival and check-in, each guest is given a handful of color-coded tickets, red for food and yellow for drinks. The various food purveyors have pre-established how much 'their' dish is worth (usually two red tickets, although some dishes cost only one ticket to consume).

The food sampled was of exceptional quality, as the restaurants serving and promoting themselves included B-44, Wild Thyme, Destino, and Avance (to name only a few). Some of the food we sampled included cod cakes, roast pork loin with dried figs, classically-prepared sardines, Spanish cheeses, a fascinating and savory version of cassoulet, stuffed peppers, and bacalao.

Of course, one can't forget Paella, which along with the sparkling and still wine served, was a fabulous offering. The rice had the perfect level of spice from the saffron and delicacy of smoke from the paprika. The seafood was fresh and chicken tender. Those 'tending bar' certainly had their hands full as the hundred-plus degree heat certainly warranted the flowing of well-chilled bubbly. However, I was pleased that numerous still red wines were also being served as their Syrah was an especially nice accompaniment to the paella. Overall, a delightful experience:

NV Sonoma Brut - A hint of pear and a touch of toast makes this bubbly clean and easy to drink with both tacos and quail. $20.00

NV Blanc de Blancs - 100% Chardonnay. Slightly yeasty nose which shows a whisper of clean, white fruit. A hint of floral provides a crisp, even mouthfeel. $24.00

NV Blanc de Noir - 92% Pinot Noir, 8% Chardonnay. My personal favorite, a bit more complex with a tease of strawberry and brambleberry. Ever so slightly peachy in color, a creamy entry that blossoms with integrated spice. $18.00

2002 Pinot Noir - Liqueur-like berry in the nose and dark, ebullient berry in the initial taste. Sweeter than anticipated, silky and smooth. $26.00

2002 Syrah - Inky dark red, rich and complex in nose. Very full-bodied mouth feel showing dark blackberry and black plum with a hint of herb and exotic spice. Price unknown.

Gloria Ferrer ~ 23555 Carneros Highway (121) ~ Sonoma ~ CA ~ 707-996-7256

Nicholson Ranch - 129

Socrates Nicholson purchased a small cattle ranch in Sonoma in 1961, thinking it would be a better place to raise his family. Years later, it was daughter, Ramona (along with her husband Deepak Gulrajani) who made the ranch that she had grown up Nicholson Ranch.

I watched the construction of the winery building when it began in 2002 and visited briefly right before it opened. It is an impressive gravity-method winery and on any given day, tours of the facilities are offered. These are hardly formal and are not at set times.

The tour guide is great at relaying the family history and pointing out much of Socrates' influence. There is a small chapel that was built for Ramona's christening that can be seen from only a few vantage points on the property. Socrates has also personally constructed a stacked-rock waterfall and a classic outdoor pillar-bedecked amphitheater for performances.

Most impressive on the tour is the great room with a continuation of the Greek-themed pillars and inset stained glass windows that depict the four seasons of a grape's life. This room, along with much of the winery's facilities are often utilized for events and weddings. During my first visit, the winery was producing just barely 1,500 cases of wine. On this visit, I was told they are now at 5,000 cases with aspirations towards 10,000 cases.

I will give the winery much credit in its growth. During my first visit, the Pinot I tasted was downright cloudy. Perhaps I received a single questionable glass from a single questionable bottle, but it was exactly that: questionable. The wines have improved greatly and the tasting room is now elegantly decorated and the staff warm and inviting.

2002 Estate Chardonnay - Clean aromas of kiwi and tropical fruit. Mouth feel is creamy with well-integrated stone fruit qualities. $26.00

2004 Ramona Rosé - A rosé of Pinot Noir. Pinky garnet-toned color. Sweet nose of candy apple with a touch of cream. Soft entry that heightens in the mid-palate with a slight tang of cotton candy. A tad hotter in alcohol than anticipated. $18.00

2001 Estate Pinot Noir - Light bodied wine with cherry, strawberry, and some candy. A bit murky (not nearly as cloudy as the first time I tasted the wine two years ago). Thin entry expands a bit to fuller, mostly sweet mineral tones. Strawberry predominates and finishes hot. $24.00

2002 Estate Pinot Noir - Dark ruby color with magenta hue. Great, rich berry nose. Dark candy and some mint. Initial taste of marshmallow which subsides to show layers of strawberry, zinfandel-like pepper, and muted herbs. $30.00

2002 Carneros Syrah - 20 months in French oak with medium toast. Dark, inky color with aromas of bacon, soy sauce, and smoky blueberry. Medium body in taste that was a bit astringent. Long herbal finish smooths out. $25.00

2002 Estate Syrah - Fruit-forward dark berry that is inky black with purple tinge on the edge. A bit more balanced than its predecessor. Behind the jammy fruit is a hint of eucalyptus. Surprisingly less fruit in the mouth than its jammy nose portends. Definitely showing more structure with an even touch of wood in the finish. $40.00

Nicholson Ranch ~            4200 Napa Road ~            Sonoma ~ CA ~ 95476 ~            707-938-8822

Schug - 43

I was delighted to hear German-born Walter Schug speak at the tenth annual Taste of Sonoma celebration held at Copia a few months back. He was part of a six-person panel comprised of other local winery owners, growers, and winemakers. Having started out as a grape grower for Gallo, Schug has seen more than fifty harvests in California. In helping Joseph Phelps establish the Phelps winery in 1973, Schug made his first Pinot Noir.  Those years at Phelps were breakthrough years as it enabled Schug to spearhead the establishment of what is now known as the Carneros Appellation.

Tapping into his German heritage, he explained that there is often a joke that Germans have one long leg and one short leg for working the mountain vineyards in Germany.  In Carneros, the workers have no necks as there are almost constant strong winds. These strong winds force the grapes to grow thicker skins for protection. And while it is perfect Pinot country,  he lamented that it would also be the perfect appellation for Riesling and Gewurztraminer grapes... if there were a market for such grapes.

Finding the winery to taste Schug's wine takes a little perseverance.  At the pseudo-three-way intersection of Highways 116 and 121 sits a small, innocuous delicatessen, Carneros Deli. Immediately to the side of the deli is an access road which, if you drive along long enough, leads you to the front gate of Schug, up and around a small hill, and ultimately to a small German-heritage styled building which houses the winemaking facilities and tasting room.

The tasting room is small but the reception and warmth which lies within is large. During my last visit, the bloke who poured for me was the very one who was there during my last visit, well over five years ago. They are friendly and informative and the wines themselves are extremely impressive in an age of over-priced, bombastic fruit bombs.

2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County - Having seen just a tad bit of oak, this classic offering of Sauvignon Blanc presented warm and soft tropical notes on the nose. The mouth entry was a surprise with crisp, bright grapefruit which immediately softened to a clean, spicy melon finish. $15.00

2003 Chardonnay, Carneros - Inoculated in new barrels, I was surprised at how pale in color this Chardonnay was. Light, apple and tropical notes just barely tantalized before displaying deeper pear tones. Elegantly balanced with even acidity providing a very clean, tangy finish. $20.00

2003 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast - Jammy plum aromas are somewhat the antitheses to the bright raspberry and cherry mouth entry. Acidic mid-palate provides a nice balance to the somewhat dry finish. $16.00

2003 Pinot Noir, Carneros - Oak aromas present themselves upfront which pair nicely with the warm, soft entry of cherry and dark berry. There is a brightness in the mid-palate which is punctuated at the end with a spicy finish. $20.00

2002 Pinot Noir, Carneros, "Heritage Reserve" - Barrel aged 16 months, this incredibly dark, spicy wine showed immense amounts of dark berry along with cinnamon and clove aromas. The velvety entry was supple and hinted at some of the toasty oak underneath. A dry, spicy finish highlighted the mouthfeel of this exceptional offering. $30.00

2001 Merlot, Sonoma Valley - Huge jammy dark fruit subsides to hint at just a whisper of bell pepper on the nose. A tight entry blossoms to dark, full-bodied fruit with a dry, spicy finish. $20.00

Schug ~ 602 Bonneau Road ~ Sonoma ~ CA ~ 95476 ~ 800-966-9365