Vol. 4 No. 1
Standard Selection - (1) Red, (1) White
1999 Kenwood Vineyard Russian River Pinot Noir
1999 Torres Vina Sol
Red Wines Only Featured Selections
1996 Wilson Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
White Wines Only Featured Selections
1997 Bouchaine Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay
Kenwood Vineyard Russian River Pinot Noir 1999 - California
Kenwood Vineyards: In the Heart of the Valley of the Moon
Kenwood Vineyards was founded in 1970 at the beginning of the great wine Renaissance in Sonoma County when Mike Lee and two other wine enthusiasts from the San Francisco Bay area refurbished and modernized the former Pagani Brothers Winery. The estate is ideally situated in the heart of Sonoma Valley, a picturesque valley that the Miwok Indians called "the valley of the moons", as the moon seemed to rise several times each evening, appearing among various mountain peaks to the east. Named after the town of Kenwood, this estate presently is committed to producing premium wines that reflect Sonoma County’s finest vineyards and define the region’s grape varieties in their true character and style.
The Kenwood winery sits on a beautiful twenty-two acre estate amid some of Sonoma County’s finest vines. To supplement its acreage, some wine is also produced from fruit sourced from a number of Sonoma County’s best vineyards. Using the "cuvee" winemaking method, the harvest from each vineyard is handled separately to present its individuality and true character. Such "small lot" winemaking allows Winemaker Mike Lee to bring each lot of wine to its fullest potential.
Housed in the original winery buildings that were established in 1906, Kenwood produces classic varietal wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Gewürztraminer and Merlot.
The Kenwood Vineyards leading selling line of premium wines is the Sonoma Series, which features all seven of the winery’s classic varietals, including their award-winning Russian River Pinot Noir. This estate also produces several Single Vineyard and Reserve Wines and a very limited production of a Cabernet Sauvignon dubbed the Artist Series. Past Artist Series labels have included the artwork of Sam Francis, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro. These wines have become collector’s items since their first vintage release in 1975.
Another distinctive product line in Kenwood Vineyard’s portfolio is the Jack London Series, named in honor of the famed writer, adventurer and Sonoma County grape grower. Kenwood has the exclusive rights to harvest the grapes from the historic, lava terraced vineyards of the Jack London Ranch located in Glen Ellen, California.
Today, Kenwood plants, farms and harvest the historical, lava-terraced vineyards of Jack London’s ranch, producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot and Pinot Noir wines. Made only from Jack London vineyard grapes, these four wines are savored for their mint-accented berry flavors and smooth finishes. The dramatic Jack London label-a replica of the wolf’s head Jack London used as his signature stamp—has created tremendous consumer interest and recognition in the wines.
Tasting Notes: The cool climate conditions of the Russian River Valley make it one of perhaps only four regions in California where the delicate Pinot Noir grows well. Produced from vineyards where the rocky soil and the ocean’s cooling influence create the ideal conditions for growing Pinot Noir, the 1999 Kenwood Russian River Valley Pinot Noir offers up enticing scents of cherry and vanilla, mingled with the delicate aroma of an orchard in bloom. This medium-bodied Pinot Noir follows through with a fine array of wild berry, plum, and cherry flavors, all in an silky, easy to drink format. About 10% of the fruit was whole-berry fermented to preserve the bright Pinot Noir fruit, and then the entire cepage was aged in French oak barrels for a year so one can enjoy this delicious wine now with a little breathing time, or lay it down for a year or two for added nuance. Serve cool, but not chilled.
Accompaniments: This refreshing, fruit driven Pinot Noir is wonderfully versatile on the table and can be served with a wide range of foods, including pork, chicken, duck, lamb and garden salads. However, we must confess to a special passion for serving the Kenwood Pinot Noir with a roast turkey with onion, sage and sausage stuffing. This Pinot Noir makes an incomparable companion to traditional holiday fare. The savory splendor of this feast brings out the latent hedonism in the wine, marrying pure fruit and spice to moist succulent meat, rich gravy and plenty of stuffing. Turkey soup, Curried turkey dishes, and even leftover turkey make admirable accompaniments to the Kenwood Pinot Noir, so why not pour yourself a glass or two, you’ll be thankful that you did? Enjoy!
Recipe for Red Wine:
Curried Turkey
1 onion – chopped
1 apple (tart) – cut in cubed
2 stalks celery – sliced
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups turkey – cubed
2 Tbl. flour
1 Tbl. curry – mild
2 Tbl. butter or margarine
Sauté onion, apple and celery in butter until tender. Add curry powder and flour slowly. Continue stirring until it begins to thicken and begins to simmer. Add chicken broth very slowly so flour mixture doesn’t clump up. Stir in turkey pieces. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Serve promptly.
Quote for Red Wine:
"I ride over my beautiful ranch. Between my legs is a beautiful horse. The air is wine. The grapes on a score of rolling hills are red with autumn flame. Across Sonoma Mountain, wisps of sea fog are stealing. The afternoon sun smolders in the drowsy sky. I have everything to make me glad I am alive…"
----Jack London
Torres Vina Sol 1999
Torres: Spain’s First Family of Wine
The Torres family has made wine in the ancient Catalan town of Vilafranca del Penedes, since at least the 17th century. Yet, it wasn’t until 1870 that Don Jaime Torres officially established a winery and began the house of Torres. Today, Torres wines are known around the world, as "the best Spain has to offer".
First planted by the seafaring Phoenicians and later expanded by the Romans, the vineyards of Penedes have flourished for thousands of years. Situated in the Spanish province of Catalonia along the Mediterranean coast southwest of Barcelona, the Penedes enjoys a variety of microclimates, ranging from hot, arid tablelands to cool mountainsides, tempered by the sea. Such variations in terroir and climate foster the cultivation of a large variety of indigenous and imported varietals, including Spain’s most acclaimed Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Parellada.
Fortunately for Spain and the wine consuming public, Jaime Torres, the second son of the vineyard owning family, went abroad in the middle of the 19th century to seek his fortune in the Americas. Returning to Spain in 1869 with a tidy stake, which he made in oil and shipping, Jaime built a winery to vinify grapes grown in his family’s vineyards. Soon afterwards, the twin plagues of oidium and phylloxera devastated the vineyards of Bordeaux and most other French vineyards to the north, making Spanish wines more popular worldwide than they had been since the fall of the Roman Empire. Within a few years of establishing the winery, Torres wines were famous in Spain and shipped to markets all over the world, including America.
Today, Torres is headed by Miguel A. Torres, the president and winemaker of this exclusively family-owned and managed winery. Trained in both Spain and Bordeaux, Torres has guided his family’s winery to the top echelon of wine producers, not only in Spain but worldwide. Through a combination of deep traditional roots and innovation, Miguel Torres manages to turn out a dizzying array of white and red wines from both traditional Catalan grapes and the very best clones of imported varietals. Consequently, Wine & Spirits Magazine named Torres the International Winery of the Year in 1999, while others continue to heap accolades such as, "the most important winery in Spain," upon this estate.
In the 1960’s, it was Miguel Torres who pioneered the planting of Cabernet Sauvignon and established the firm’s famous "Black Label" which is considered to be Spain’s foremost 100 % Cabernet Sauvignon. Truly, this is only one of a hand full of Spanish wines, which favorably competes with first growth Grand Cru Bordeaux. In addition, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and even tiny quantities of Merlot are produced by Torres at his Penedes estate and earn great international acclaim.
Simply, what makes Torres Spain’s "First Family of Wine" is their commitment to excellence, controlled growth, and a deep, abiding bond with tradition, which is best explained by Miguel Torres himself when he says, "We can offer New World-style wines…, but we are still part of the historical and cultural background that represents Europe, which is very important. Every bottle of Spanish wine has to feel its history, tradition and culture…" No one better represents Spain than the Torres’
Tasting Notes: Lemon oil, grass, spring flowers and an eminent freshness mark the seductive bouquet of this flavorful white wine. Rich in savor, and natural fruit, the 1999 Torres Vina Sol delivers a mélange of flavors onto the palate without ever seeming to be overbearing of flabby. Already, the wine has developed a distinct mid-palate and a soft succulent center that is highlighted by a refreshingly long finish of citrus, fennel, and blooming meadowlands. Fully ripe, but never sweet or sugary, the Vina Sol typifies the great strides in white wine production made by Spain’s greatest wine producer. Kudos to Torres for the purest, most delicate rendering of the native Catalan varietal Parellada, one of Spain’s most pleasurable white wines. Unquestionably, the Torres Vina Sol is testament to the quality that is capable of being produced in Spain, when growers plant the appropriate varietals at high altitudes and limit their yields.
Accompaniments: Excellent with traditional rice dishes, fish and shellfish, the 1999 Vina Sol is especially well matched with smoked or marinated salmon; both the salmon and the wine combine delicacy with consummate flavor. A lightly smoked spiral sliced ham or a seafood paella also provide a wonderful pairing with the Vina Sol. Sunsets at the beach and highbrow cocktail parties would do equally well as pairing for this delicious wine, which shows as well with food as without. Chicken or roast turkey with pearl onions and a savory onion and sage stuffing are other winning combinations with the Vina Sol. Enjoy!
Recipe for White Wine
Marinated Filet of Salmon
4 salmon filets
6 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic – minced
2 Tablespoons lime juice – fresh
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger root – grated
Rinse and pat dry salmon. In a large bowl or baking dish, wisk together soy sauce, garlic, lime juice and ginger root. Add filets, cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes turning once during marinating.
Preheat oven to 425. Discard marinade and add non-stick spray or butter to baking dish and bake salmon filets for 10-12 minutes on each side.
Quote for White Wine:
"We can offer New World-style wines…but we are still part of the historical and cultural background that represents Europe, which is very important. Every bottle of Spanish wine has to sell its history, tradition and culture…"
----Miguel Torres
Wilson Vineyard "Gallery Series" Cabernet Sauvignon 1996
The Wilson Vineyard is a family-owned venture in the Polish Hill River region of South Australia’s Clare Valley. Located an easy two hour drive from Adelaide, this well situated vineyard produces a fine portfolio of white and red varietals, including Semillon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Shiraz, Zinfandel and a highly acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon, which appears under the prestigious "Gallery Series" label.
The "Gallery Series" collection is Wilson Vineyard’s highest expression of quality and is only produced in the finest vintages from the estate’s two flagship varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling.
A renowned local artist, Sabine Deisen, did the artwork for the 1996 Gallery Series Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery’s tradition with the "Gallery Series" is to invite an artist to produce an impression piece based upon the Wilson’s vineyard. As well as a tour, the artist is supplied with several bottles of wine as encouragement.
Sabine Deisen’s inspiration for the 1996 Gallery Series derives from the fantasy that if Adam and Eve had wine this good in the Garden of Eden, there would have been no temptation of the forbidden fruit, and the subsequent course of human endeavor would have been clear sailing. With Jungian archetypical images and the harmony of opposites, Sabine’s painting is quite a symphony of oils. Interestingly, the wines, (Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling), for which it was designed, embody the harmony of opposites.
Tasting Notes: A deep crimson red, the 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon prepares the taster for a variety of flavors. The nose is very perfumed with aromas of violets, black currants, spice, confectionary and hints of leather in the background. The palate has excellent depth of flavor with the telltale black currant, licorice and spice of Cabernet predominating. From the addition of Merlot (10%), the wine gains complexity and a pleasant earth tone that balances the flamboyant fruit of the Cabernet. Soft, but dry tannin add additional balance to a long finish that is replete with berry, leather, spice and earth. Drink now with some breathing time or cellar for several more years.
Accompaniments: The Wilson’s suggest lamb, roasted over vine cuttings (Cabernet Sauvignon, of course) as their favorite accompaniment to the 1996 "Gallery Series" Cabernet Sauvignon. Roast beef, steak and braised beef also make excellent pairings, as do most cheeses and full-flavored dishes. Enjoy!
Bouchaine Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay 1997
Bouchaine Vineyards, founded in 1981, is a 38-acre estate in the prestigious Carneros region of the Napa Valley. Located just north of San Pablo Bay, the climate is directly influenced by the fog that floats in each night and unlike most California terroir, the shallow, gravely soils of Carneros are best suited to the Burgundian varietal of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – Bouchaine’s two flagship varietals.
The estate was first planted to vines and fruit trees in the mid 1800’s by oneBoon Fly and his family. After the turn of the century, the property was established as the Garetto Winery and Vineyards. Subsequently, Johnnie Garetto sold the ranch to Beringer Brothers in 1951 and Beringer used the site as their Carneros wine making facility for the next thirty years. Today, Carneros Vineyards is owned and operated by Gerret and Tatiana Copeland. A massive and long overdue renovation of the winery was completed in 1995, resulting in world class wines being produced at Bouchaine.
Winemaking at Bouchaine is a dynamic process where diversity is created by tailoring vinification and cellar practices to the individual vineyard lots. Most Chardonnay lots are barrel fermented and aged sur lie for six months to add texture and toasty vanilla nuances. A fraction of the wine is cold fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve delicate floral aromas. Depending on the vintage, 25-40% of the Chardonnay goes through malolactic fermentation to soften the lean, citrus character of the Carneros grapes. Balance, complexity, and a unique expression of varietal fruit defines Bouchaine Chardonnays.
Tasting Notes: A jubilant, brightly robed wine, the 1997 Bouchaine Carneros Chardonnay exhibits fresh, foreword fruit in the nose and flavor. Easy drinking, subtle, yet sophisticated, this beautifully balanced Chardonnay contains remnants of coconut, pineapple and other tropical fruits. Bolstered by an excellent structure and just the right amount of caramel and vanilla from barrel ageing, the Bouchaine Carneros Chardonnay finishes perfectly, making you wish you had another glass.
Accompaniments: More sophisticated fare: salmon, grouper, lobster, roast turkey all provide fine complements to the mature 1997 Bouchaine Carneros Chardonnay. Moreover, a beautiful crispness, coupled with fruit and floral notes, masks the wine’s high alcohol, making it a wonderful choice for sipping or playing backup to some sophisticated cheeses and fresh fruit.
Terms of the Vine
Here, you will find a glossary of varied wine terms and definitions to assist you in building an even greater appreciation for the grape.
ACID: A compound present in all grapes and an essential component of wine that preserves it, enlivens and shapes its flavors and helps prolong its aftertaste. There are four major kinds of acids--tartaric, malic, lactic and citric--found in wine. Acid is identifiable by the crisp, sharp character it imparts to a wine.
ALCOHOLIC: Used to describe a wine that has too much alcohol for its body and weight, making it unbalanced. A wine with too much alcohol will taste uncharacteristically heavy or hot as a result. This quality is noticeable in aroma and aftertaste.
BOUQUET: The smell that a wine develops after it has been bottled and aged. Most appropriate for mature wines that have developed complex flavors beyond basic young fruit and oak aromas.
DOSAGE: In bottle-fermented sparkling wines, a small amount of wine (usually sweet) that is added back to the bottle once the yeast sediment that collects in the neck of the bottle is removed.
FOXY: A term used to describe the unique musky and grapey character of many native American labrusca varieties.
HAZY: Used to describe a wine that has small amounts of visible matter. A good quality if a wine is unfined and unfiltered.
IMPERIAL: An oversized bottle holding 4 to 6 liters; the equivalent of eight standard bottles.
JEROBOAM: An oversized bottle holding the equivalent of six bottles. In Champagne, a jeroboam holds four bottles.
LATE HARVEST: On labels, indicates that a wine was made from grapes picked later than normal and at a higher sugar (Brix) level than normal. Usually associated with botrytized and dessert-style wines.
LIMOUSIN: A type of oak cask from Limoges, France.
MURKY: More than deeply colored; lacking brightness, turbid and sometimes a bit swampy. Mainly a fault of red wines.
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