Wine Blogging Wednesday #34: Washington State Cabernet

Welcome to Wine Blogging Wednesday #34, the online virtual tasting event dreamed up by Lenn Thompson of Lenndevours and hosted this month by Catie over at Through the Walla Walla Grape Vine.

Catie picked a great theme for this month's event: Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon. I've had a few cabs from this region, and have always liked them, but this was my first opportunity to try to explain why. And though Catie encouraged us to look beyond Columbia Crest and Chateau Ste. Michelle, I had a hard time locating a cab by anyone else in my neck of the woods. I checked four stores, but then threw my hands up in defeat and opened something in the closet.

What I opened was the 2003 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Indian Wells ($13.99, Costco). Indian Wells is an area in central Washington that extends from the Wahluke Slope to Cold Creek along the Columbia River. It was a dark, inky purple-red in color. Warm aromas of spice, currant, and tobacco leaf were interesting and inviting--especially for a cabernet at this price point. Flavors of red currant, blackberry, herbs, and more warm spices followed through on the promising aromas. The well-integrated tannins made for a plush drinking experience, which was round and fruit-forward without becoming a characterless fruit bomb. This wine had excellent QPR for a cabernet sauvignon, and I would definitely buy it again if I saw it.

What impressed me most about this wine was its balance. Though fruity and rich it was not heavy, oaky, or demanding like some California Cabs can be. It was easy to pair with food, especially food with an earthy or smoky edge like smoked apple chicken sausage and some mashed potatoes. Most cabernets seem to demand beef for me, but this wine didn't. It would be good with a steak, don't get me wrong, but think of things that are grilled or smoked as well. They'd be great with this wine.

Thanks to Catie for such a great theme--and I'm sorry I couldn't find a more exotic bottling. I will try to seek out more Washington cabs based on this experience. As always, I'll have a link to the roundup of all tasting notes when its completed, and an announcement about WBW #35 as soon as it is posted.

What's Your Wine Sign?

Do you read your daily horoscope in the paper or on Google? If so, do you know what your astrological sign might say about your taste in wine?

I was surprised to discover that there are a lot of places on the web that try to link wine to the 12 signs of the zodiac. Here are a few for you to check out in order to beat back the Tuesday doldrums.

Australian wine writer and educator Martin Field has put together a slightly-tongue-in cheek guide to how your astrological sign influences your wine habits. Mine says I have a low boredom threshold--which is true. It also says I have to watch out in case I start binge drinking. I don't worry too much about this, because I can't drink more than two glasses of wine a night without falling asleep in my dinner!

Not into western astrology, but prefer something with an Asian influence? A similar article by Ed Soon links your Chinese Zodiac sign to wine. According to Chinese astrology, I'm a Snake, and that means I should like Chardonnay (oops...sometimes the stars get it wrong) and Beaujolais (right on!). Thanks to the Celebrate Wine blog for drawing my attention to this post.

Of course, where the stars go, money is sure to follow. Wine.com has found a way to link astrology to their wine search engine, to help you find the perfect bottle for you, or for someone you love. For an Aries like me they recommend syrah or shiraz (which I love). They haven't profiled all the signs yet, but they have covered Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer. If you're not on the list yet, I'm sure they'll get to your sign soon.

The Breezy Las Brisas Rueda

Now that the weather is turning warmer, it's time to bring out the summer whites, and what could be more summery than a white wine named after a cooling breeze? I bought the 2005 Bodegas Naia Las Brisas ($9.99, Beverages and More) on the recommendation of Sonadora at Wannabe Wino, who gave me some help back in January when I posted my New Year's Resolution to learn more about Spanish wines. I had a hard time finding it--it was always out of stock at my local BevMo--but finally I got my hands on some.

The 2005 Bodegas Naia Las Brisas was very pale straw in color, to the point of being almost translucent. Made of 50% Verdejo (which is not the same as Verdelho, but an entirely different grape), mixed with equal parts of sauvignon blanc and viura, I liked the fresh aromas of apples, pears, and the pungent white pith of a lemon after you've zested it. All of these aroma notes can be found in the flavors of the wine, and that lemon pith note gives the finish a slightly bitter edge. One important point: if you serve it too cold there will be almost no flavor to this wine at all, just a citrus impression. Let it warm up a bit, and the orchard fruits characteristic of the varietal do come out, along with an almond flavor that is very appealing and different. I've never had a verdejo wine before, but its strong display of the grape's varietal characteristics combined with its low price makes me think this represents excellent QPR.

The Las Brisas is a perfect appetizer wine, or just for sipping with a handful of almonds or nuts after work. But it also goes great with shellfish. We had it with a Southeast Asian Shrimp Salad, made with a simple dressing and loads of vegetables and herbs. It was a terrific pairing, since the clean, tart flavors in the wine and the salad matched each other.

This wine was made in the Rueda wine region just north and west of Madrid, an up-and-coming area that is known for its white wines. Even if you can't get your hands on the Las Brisas, try a Rueda white this summer. Chances are it will be just as crisp and refreshing as this wine was.

Winery Watch: Beckmen Vineyards

An ongoing series of Friday posts highlighting California family wineries. You might not be familiar with all of these vineyards and winemakers--yet--but they produce wines that speak with the voices of this state's people, places, and history. They are worth seeking out. These posts will be longer than most posts on the blog, but I hope you will find them perfect for leisurely weekend reading and internet browsing. To read previous posts in the series, click here.

High up on a mountaintop overlooking the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, Steve Beckmen found a 365-acre plot of land that would be difficult to plant and hard to harvest. It was perfect, he thought, for Rhone varietals. In 1996 he bought this Purisima Mountain property and began planting grapes as high as 1250 feet. People probably thought he was nuts. (photo courtesy of Beckmen Vineyards)

Good news for us: Steve wasn't nuts. Beckmen's hilly vineyard was planted on a limestone subsoil just like the Cote Rotie and Chateauneuf du Pape, with marine influences, and lots of sunshine. The steep terrain dictated how he could plant his grapes, with the result that you don't see row after row of orderly lines of vines but a patchwork quilt of plantings (for a great map, click here), each one of which had its own microclimate and soil conditions. It turns out that Purisima Mountain was indeed perfect for growing the Rhone varietals Beckmen wanted to plant, including syrah, roussanne, grenache, marsanne, and mourvedre.

But Steve Beckmen didn't just want to grow Rhone varietals in a challenging spot. He wanted to respect the land, and to do that he decided to try out biodynamic farming protocols. Beckmen noted that the vines he grew biodynamically were strong and healthy, that the soil surrounding them retained its moisture, and that the grapes produced had a superb balance between natural sugar and tannin structure. In 2006, the vineyard began a new stage in its development, with 100% of the vineyards on Purisima Mountain farmed biodynamically, and watered by drip irrigation to minimize water waste.

Steve Beckmen, Judy Beckmen, and their son Tom have been winemakers in the Santa Ynez Valley since 1994, two years before they purchased the Purisima Mountain estate. They believe in the great potential of this area of Santa Barbara's wine country, and after tasting their wines it's easy to see why. Beckmen wines are rich and flavorful, with glimpses of the mineral composition of the vineyards, the rich earth where the vines are planted, and the softness of an evening breeze from the sea. They beautifully capture and incorporate the place where they were grown, and the care that went into making them. (photo of Steve Beckmen courtesy of Beckmen Vineyards)

Here are my notes on the Beckmen wines I tasted at the 2007 Rhone Rangers Tasting this spring. Prices indicated are the suggested retail prices at the winery; as always the price you pay may be higher or lower. Clicking on a wine's name takes you either to a list of merchants who stock the wine, or directly to the Beckmen online store.

2005 Beckmen Vineyards Cuvée le Bec ($18) A super Rhone-style red blend with lots of great structure from the tannins and acidity, and deep fruit flavors. Made from a blend of grenache, syrah, counoise, and mourvedre, it has a lush set of berry and chocolate aromas and flavors. Excellent QPR.

2005 Beckmen Vineyards Grenache Estate ($28) Possibly my favorite of the Beckmen wines tasted, in large part because of its lovely aromas of blackberry, dusty earth, and flowers. These notes appear in the flavors, too, and the wine just screams out "summer in Santa Ynez." Excellent QPR.

2005 Beckmen Vineyards Le Bec Blanc Purisima Mountain Vineyard ($20) If you love white Rhone blends as much as I do, make sure you try to find this engaging blend of roussanne, marsanne, and grenache blanc. It has a nice balance between round fruit and acidity, with lots of citrus and orchard fruit flavors and aromas. This wine is aged in oak, but the oak is neutral and doesn't impart an oaky flavor, just adds a creaminess of texture. Excellent QPR.

2006 Beckmen Vineyards Grenache Rosé Purisima Mountain Vineyard ($18). This is a crisp and light rose that is perfect for summer sipping. Watermelon in color, the wine has juicy watermelon aromas. Nice round fruit flavors of summer berries and melon build to a dry finish. Very good QPR.

2005 Beckmen Vineyards Syrah Estate ($25) Ripe red fruits, rich coffee, and dusty chocolate notes fill the aromas and flavors of this young red. There's still a pronounced grip of tannins to pucker the edges of your tongue, so I'd give it a few more months at least to settle down if you can possibly wait. Very good QPR.

2004 Beckmen Vineyards Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard ($40) The distinctive mineral components of the Purisima Mountain vineyards really come through on this big syrah. Berries, coffee, dark chocolate, and spice are evident, too, in both the aromas and the flavors. Even at the relatively high price, good QPR for what it undeniably a very special syrah that doesn't taste like any domestic syrah I've ever tasted before.

If you like Rhone varietals, seek out wines produced biodynamically, or are drawn to wines that exude terroir, then you need to know more about Beckmen Vineyards. If you see them on the shelf of a wine store near you, don't hesitate to pick one up and give them a try. I think you'll be a fan. And if you're already a Beckmen fan, leave us a comment and tell us which are your favorites.

Charge! Bordeaux Season Begins

It's official. It's time to play Bordeaux-ball. (photo by Ian Britton of FreeFoto.com)

I just got my 2006 Bordeaux report in the mail from K & L Wines, and the June 30 issue of Wine Spectator, which includes the 2006 Bordeaux barrel tastings report. This can only mean that the futures market is open, and sure enough, I headed to K &L and there they were, with their prices, and their reviews, and the alluring little "Add to Basket" button.

But should you buy now? Good question. It's impossible to perfectly predict how any wine will age. Nevertheless, experienced tasters can give you some sense of where they think a wine is heading when they do their early tastings of the wines. And then there's cost to consider. The wines will sell now for $3-$10 a bottle less than they will after they arrive in the stores. And unless the wines fail to develop, they are selling now for at least $10-$20 a bottle less than they will sell for when they begin to hit their stride, around 2011. Before you buy, you should decide if the style of the 2006 vintage is for you, then you have to decide if you want to gamble on the wines now or wait until they develop further, and finally will you have room to store your Bordeaux properly once they arrive?

I can't answer the second two questions for you, but I can tell you what the folks at K & L Wines are saying about the style of the 2006 vintage: there are good 2006s, many of which are classic in style (meaning that they are not huge and ripe). You may want to sit this vintage out if you like your Bordeaux lush. But if you admire restrained Bordeaux, with herbs and spice to balance out the fruit, this may be a good year for you IF you buy carefully.

Here are some of the wines that stood out to me from their early reports, with links to the ones that are already on the site and ready for purchase. Of course, your local Bordeaux merchant or favorite internet supplier may already have price details for these wines, too. But I'm a loyal K & L customer, so that's where I'm sending you! One wine I'd take a look at is the 2006 Caronne Ste. Gemme from the Medoc ($12.99, K & L Wines) with dark fruit flavors and aromas and good balance, which often indicates that a wine will continue to develop and improve. At a higher price, the 2006 Cantemerle ($26.99, K& L Wines), also from the Medoc, is getting great reviews and advance reports, with many saying it is better than the 2005 vintage. In the middle price range, I'd seriously consider the 2006 d'Aiguilhe ($21.99, K& L Wines), a merlot-based Bordeaux which is drinking lush and round, according to the buyers. In Sauternes, head straight for the 2006 Doisy-Vedrines ($17.99/375 ml, K& L Wines), which is always a great value and looks to have come through the difficult vintage without problems and to be priced well.

More futures are hitting the market every day, so expect the stock at K&L to change. They have lots of good 2005 values, too, if you haven't yet picked any up. If you buy 2006 Bordeaux futures, don't expect to see them until January-June 2009. And don't expect them to begin to drink well for 3-5 years after that. Of course, you can always check back here in 2013 and see what I think of the 2006 vintage! And if you're new to Bordeaux wines, you may want to check out my previous posts on "Beginning, Budget Steps into the World of Bordeaux," scrolling down to the bottom for the first post.