Tit for Tat Del Dotto and Napa Valley December 2024

As usual I have failed to keep up with this Blog. It’s not that I don’t have anything to say. Life as we know just gets in the way. So today I have a few items to advise you on and some great wines to recommend.

Some Tips on tasting wines and recent insights.

1. When tasting lots of wines you get palate/nose fatigue. To freshen your tasting ability and reset your senses try smelling your elbow or body.

2. The higher the acid in a wine the higher the saliva production. If you have increasing watery secretions in the mouth your are drinking a higher acid wine.

3. Wines fermented at higher temperatures show less fruit. As usual heat kills wine.

4. Wine fermented in concrete which goes back 2000 years to Roman times presents differences in wine production. A couple of years ago we visited a vineyard in Bordeaux/Blaye that were still using 2000 year old concrete vats built by the Romans and they were square in size. At modern vineyards you will frequently see egg shaped vats that are made with concrete. Wine fermented in concrete it is harder to control the temperature of fermentation so the wine maker usually doesn’t meaning a certain acceptance of loss of fruit. Also the lees(Lees are deposits of dead yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate to the bottom of a vat of wine after fermentation and aging) do not settle so it makes no sense to tamp down the lees like you see being done in stainless tanks. By not tamping down the lees the wine increases in complexity due to increased surface contact with the lees.

Del Dotto Napa Valley

Making our second annual trip to the Del Dotto White Truffle Dinner we spent a day with Dave Del Dotto tasting some of his recent offerings listed here. Dave continues to lead an innovative and forward looking team with lots of surprises in his wines. You really have to visit to taste his wines and I do recommend scheduling a visit when you are in Napa. All of the vineyards today charge tasting fee's as they simply can no longer give away that much free wine. Del Dotto is clearly the best tasting experience in the Valley that I have experienced and it comes with great food and pizza so I highly recommend lunch. You must make reservations as they are always busy. Don't miss the cave tour and tasting in the caves as it will be memorable.

2012 Vineyard 887 Cabernet

There is a unique smoky nose here. The alcohol is high at 15.5% and too me it was hot and overwhelming so the fruit was sort of hidden.

2021 Family Chardonnay Reserve

Has a nice nose. Lots of pear in the taste along with apple. Has a good finish. In general we like this wine and have purchased a case or two. To me the family reserve wines are usually the better ones here.

2012 Rutherford Vineyards

As a rule I love Rutherford and Oakville wines in general. This one starts with a nice oaky nose and despite an alcohol content of 15.4% I found the wine to be soft and feminine. There is plenty of fruit on the taste with hints of licorice. So it is farily complex. The mouthfeel is nice so it is a wine I can recommend

2015 St Helena Family Cabernet

The main attraction to this wine was an exceptional long finish, more than most. It had a basic Cab nose and taste along with another high alcohol monster at 15.2%. As a family favorite it is compelling and has plenty of fruit

2014 Villa Del Lago

One of Dave’s top 2 wines and my personal favorite. It is an exceptional wine with layers of complexity and finesse hard to find. It is very complex with lots of berry flavors in the nose and taste and surprisingly a taste of dark cherry. Like all of Daves wine plenty of alcohol but perfect balance and a pleasant velvet mouthfeel. It also has a good finish.

2014 The Beast

When I think of the Beast I think BOLD. It is sort of how it got named. Someone was drinking it and said “this is a beast of a wine”. Most of us agree. It opens with a bold smoky nose with lots of charcoal smell and taste. In many ways it is too bold with a lot of tannin and maybe not as smooth, especially when compared to the Villa Del Lago. Dave also brought out a 2020 Single Cluster Beast and to me it had a much richer taste and a predominance of licorice. A significant number of vintages of the Beast have been rated 100 points by the professionals which I can confirm.

Carter Cellars

Owner and vintner Mark Carter has built a portfolio of great California Cabernets over the years with a long line of 100 point wines. In fact this year his wines received his 25th 100 point score. I have now met him twice over the past two years and he is a great guy to taste wine with and clearly is passionate regarding his wines. For decades he controls a significant portion of the Beckstoffer To Kalon vineyards one of the original and oldest Cabernet vineyards in the valley.

2022 The Haze $95

The nose opens with a sweet and smoky flavor. I noticed blackberry fruit on the nose. There's lots of fruit in this wine, as I also detected boysenberry along with the blackberry. There was a huge amount of tannin in this wine, so it's very bold. I also picked up some licorice but Despite all of the positives, I didn't find it particularly complex.

2022 Carter Carter $175

The nose opens with a lot of fruit and floral aromas with hints of honeysuckle, pencil, and graphite. This wine was more complex than the previous one. There was a good mix of floral and Earth tones. The wine presented a fair amount of sweet taste and there was a velvet mouthfeel. It had a pretty nice finish. The wine was a primary profile of Berry flavorsand moderate tannins. The alcohol content in this one is 15.2%, which was not particularly noticeable.

2022 Beckstoffer Las Piedras La Bam $260

This wine has a more simple basic nose of fruit with some mild smoke and the fruit. I found this wine to have a bitter Disjointed candy flavor taste that I did not like. Interestingly the 2021 was 100 point rated, but I was just not that impressed with the 2022. There was a high concentration of tannin in this clearly young puppy but you could still taste the fruit

2021 Beckstoffer Las Piedras La Bam

A bit more complex on the nose. Nice cinnamon and floral hints. The mouth feel is very nice and there is a sweetness to the wine taste. It has a little more alcohol and I described it as hot in my notes. The tannin was moderate. Overall I preferred this to the 2022 and thought it was a better wine.

2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The Grand Daddy $260

Starts with a nice sweet balanced nose. Again some hot alcohol and a lot of tannin, so very young. There was a short finish. It may be the grand daddy but not for at least 10 years in bottle.

2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The O.G. $260

Starts with a nice tobacco cigar smoke nose. It has a classic Cabernet taste with balanced alcohol and tannin. The wine presents again as very young and tannic but fruit is there. I detected some licorice here. It is a nice drinkable wine for now and will age well.

2022 Beckstoffer To Kalon The GTO 1.5L $650

Mark Carter’s Opus one landmark wine and rich, smoky, graphite nose followed with a hedonistic velvet mouthfeel. One of Carters best balanced wines. It has again high alcohol of 15.2% but due to the exceptional balancee you do not notice it.

Theorem Vineyards

On my own separate from our usual Napa guide I made reservations at Theorem estate grown wines. This vineyard was established in 1878 and is located on the northern slope of Diamond Mountain in Calistoga, California, approximately 1,100 feet above sea level.  The vineyard benefits from volcanic soil, ample sunlight, and cooling afternoon winds, which contribute to the quality of its wines.  Visitors can enjoy stunning views of Mount St. Helena, a noted private chef, and various tasting venues that offer a unique experience.  The estate produces world-class wines, including its flagship Cabernet Sauvignon.  I have loved California Mountain vineyards for years and Theorem is one of my favorites, especially their Chardonnay, and we usually buy a case or two per year.  We tasted the following wines and all were world class and again found the Chardonnay compelling and purchased a case. Their tasting room is spectacular so book a visit. Advance reservations are required.

2022 Moon Mountain Sauvignon Blanc

2022 Moon Mountain Chardonnay

2022 Moon Mountain 100% Syrah

2022 Moon Mountain 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Good vs. Great Wine

Let’s again be honest. No one to my knowledge gets up in the vineyard every day and says let's see how we can make bad, awful wine today. Every winemaker I have ever met is there because they truly believe they will make the next 100-point wine or the next Screaming Eagle, or the next DRC Montrachet. You have to wonder are they delusional. Sometimes they are. It always boils down to two things in general. Things the winemaker can control and things they cannot. They cannot control the weather. All you need to do is look back at the weather for the past decade and you will notice that the changing weather has severely impacted wine production everywhere in the world. On the other hand, the technical aspects of winemaking and the basic chemistry have advanced a hundredfold and today, again across the world, the things winemakers can control, have become somewhat consistent from vineyard to vineyard with most winemakers now graduating from some 4-year college winemaking program. When they make wine they can “tweak” these technical details which in my opinion changes the “style” of the wine, percentage of alcohol, concentration of fruit, etc. but in the end, the actual production of the wine produces fermented alcoholic grape juice which again comes out in many ways the same.

When you read Wine Spectator or The Wine Advocate you immediately notice “scores”. Their wine experts do a report card on every wine they taste and publish for your information a score which has the intent, good or bad, to direct you to “better” or “higher quality” wines in that wine writer's opinion. Truthfully I have done the same thing. But every wine writer has a “bias” myself included. Every wine writer has a different number of taste buds on their tongue meaning no two might taste the same exact wine the same so hence their “opinion” might differ. Robert Parker to most people's understanding was biased towards big, high alcohol, jammy wines. For me my bias is balance. Wine again is grape juice with alcohol in it. But the alcohol should not be so high that all you taste is alcohol. If that is what you want you should buy vodka or grain alcohol. If all you want is sweet fruit juice then buy Welsh grape juice. But if you are like most wine buyers you want something in between. A beverage with enough alcohol to be pleasant and a taste experience that makes you think a little improves your food tastes, and in the end fits your budget.

What dawns on me is this. The question I need to answer is what is the difference between “good” wine and for me, 99% of all wine produced is “good”. But what defines “great” wine that stands out from the rest? What I have discovered over the years is that those “scores” don’t always mean the wine is a “great” wine. Usually, a higher score means a “greater” wine but not always, and maybe not for you or me but just the guy or gal writing about the wine due to their and our genetic makeup and number of taste buds on the tongue. In basic logic in order for a statement to be “true,” it has to be “true” 100% of the time. To my knowledge, I have never seen 100% of wine writers come out and say we all agree this is a “great” wine or the best ever, etc. Maybe close to 100% but still not 100%. So I have to ask is there something more fundamental or even complicated that I am overlooking?

Years ago I came up with a list of what I called spiritual wines. In short, my great wines. I have never forgotten them and I can usually list them by heart. In no particular order they are 1990 D’Yquem Sauternes, 1989 Aux Allots Leroy Red Burgundy, 1977 Sonoma Hanzell Chardonnay as well as the Pinot Noir, and 2003 Chateau Guiraud Sauternes as examples. Clearly what I consider “great” wines. But why? For one thing, they were unique. They had a unique taste profile I had not tasted before or after. Something special about them. Of the batch, the 1990 D’Yquem is a repeat favorite. Every time I drink it the sensation and thought “velvet” comes to mind, “smooth”, not too sweet, just right. Sort of the Goldilocks syndrome. Nothing out of place. The Red Burgundy had the most memorable cherry taste I can remember. A perfect cherry. None of these wines tasted anywhere close to similar wines and vintages, again very unique. As previously stated they were perfectly balanced, nothing out of place. And finally, a long pleasant hedonistic finish that evolved into a lifetime memory. You simply never forget.

I do understand that my list will not be yours or others, primarily due to our genetic differences. Your “great” wine may only be a “good” one for me or vice versa. That’s OK. In the end, all those scores help point you in the right direction but they should not be the only direction. The only way to find a “great” wine is to drink a lot of “good” wines. I sometimes deer hunt and was told years ago that you will never harvest a deer if you are not out in the woods(getting mosquito bit, stepping on snakes, being wet and cold, etc.) so the same rule applies with wine. You have to be in the arena.

My conclusion in the end for me a “great” wine is a perfectly balanced unique wine that surprises and delights me and I never forget. In fact, as I have said before it sends me on a quest to find it again at $10 a bottle. I also understand that “great” wines take time(remember the Gallo TV ads?) and usually cost a little more, but not always. There is no question that when you look at a list of great winemakers as Wine Spectator recently did writing about the founding fathers of California Chardonnay every winemaker there was meticulous and obsessed with getting it right and another factor you cannot quantify is that those winemakers and many others have is the “art” of wine. Something that only they, and sometimes even they don’t, know.

Contact List for Napa Valley California

Contacts to use for any upcoming trip to Napa Valley California. Feel free to contact them directly for appointments and visits. All are highly recommended.

Eric Tracy

Vine View Tours & Transportation

vineviewtours.com

eric@vineviewtours.com

707-337-3056

Drew Neiman

Neiman Cellars

drew@neimancellars.com

707-322-7478

Michael Meyers

Oxbow Cheese & Wine Mechant

Oxbow Market Napa CA

610 First Street, Napa CA 94559

www.oxbowcheese.com

michael@fpwm.com

707-819-6126

866-991-9400 toll-free

Scotti Stark

Stark Advantage

scotti@starkadvantage.com

707-628-7600

Justin Vazquez

General Manager Ellman Family Wines

justin@ellmanwine.com

707-312-2684

Patrick Quigley, Assistant Winemaker

Amulet Estate

patrick@amuletestate.com

509-844-2076

Billy Dewey Cellar Master

Dakota Shy

billy@dakotashwine.com

601-278-2126

Lydia Stafford

Morlet Family Vineyards

lydia@morletwines.com

707-967-8690 ext 105

Trefethen Family Vineyards

trefethen.com

707-255-7700


Aero Packing

Great shipping agent for Napa

They will accept your wine and ship it to your home

707-554-2088


Strala Vineyards

stralavineyards.com

707-339-2244


Theorem vineyards

theoremvineyards.com

Sequoia Grove Winery

Oscar Escareno

www.sequoiagorve.com

707-944-2945

Final Thoughts from Napa, What I call the Wine Soapbox Part 9

This was truly an exceptional, spectacular, memorable week of wine with loving friends and in celebration of our friend's wedding. There are simply not enough accolades to express how wonderful this experience was. I don't know how we can ever repeat it but I am sure someday we will all try. 

I came away with a few observations. Number one we tasted and drank a large number of 2015 and 2016 high-end California Cabernet and Blends so most of us are now experts in my mind on these two years. Both years had outstanding wines with well-developed and crafted fruit that will age well and last for most likely 40 to 50 years minimum. So buy them now and start drinking them over the course of the coming years. Though many were young and tannic they all were approachable now and drinkable and very well made. To me, it indicates that other Cabernets from 2015 and 2016 are most likely high-quality wines but maybe at a lower price point. I recently was able to also drink some of the Del Dotto wines from 2019 and can say the 2019 are also spectacular. One Cabernet I can think of at a lower price point is Mount Veeder Cabernet which retails around $40. In the past, it has been an exceptional wine for the money and I can't wait to try the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. 

Number two each and every owner and winemaker was over the top passionate about making his or her wines. (One example Russell Bevan!) I see it in France every year and in France, it passes from one generation to the next. But clearly, the better individual California Vintners have as much if not more care and passion regarding their wines as anyone in the world. And in the end, it shows in the wines they produce. 

Number three I say again you do not have to spend thousands of dollars to drink wines of the high caliber that we had that week. But I must admit I finally understand what my friends have been telling me. There was a difference in the wines we tasted. They were in fact a step above other California Cabs. But it took me years and thousands of bottles to finally appreciate this difference and I feel I have an above-average palate. But the average wine drinker probably will not appreciate the nuances these wines offer especially at their costs. If you can afford them go for them and appreciate them and the loving work and the sleepless nights the winemakers put into these wonderful wines. But everyone else trusts me to buy the lower cost Cabernets, for you they will be great. For the past few decades California Vintners inspired by initially Robert Mondavi has strived to exceed the taste and quality of California wines when compared to France. They have succeeded and with every blind tasting comparing California and French, even the French have rated California(and Oregon for that matter) better than their own. 

A couple more points. When I first started going to Napa to taste wines we would get a car and start at the south end of Highway 29 and drive North stopping at every tasting room. Back then they were small, many did not charge, and at the end of the day, we would call our adventure “combat tastings” attempting to stop and taste 30 different vineyards. The palate fatigue was huge. The general fatigue was huge. We would then go to dinner for multicourse meals with wine, go to bed, and get up the next day and do the same thing in Sonoma. 

Yes, it was Nuts! I am way too old to even think about trying that. You have to slow down and smell the wine. The amount of ground we covered in a 3 day weekend should have taken 7 days. One or two experiences a day, then a nap. Today most folks I know do one tasting in the morning, have a leisure lunch, and then maybe, one tasting in the afternoon, though many like me go take a nap. So my recommendation there is whatever time you think you can be in Napa make an honest effort to double the planned time so you can enjoy the experience and have time to rest. 

My second point is in regards to fine dining, in Napa as well as elsewhere, and more specifically the French Laundry. There is no doubt in my mind as well as thousands of others that dinner at the French Laundry should be on your bucket list. Yes, reservations are hard to get, but they are not impossible. In my early years knowing Chef Keller I made a comment to him regarding difficulty with reservations and his answer to me was “what is your problem, you have come twice already?” Dinner at the French Laundry is an exceptionally unique dining experience. The food preparation and presentation and combinations are second to none. Courses are intended to be smaller so you may enjoy more. This means of course time between courses so one problem I have is the long length of time required for dinner, though you can limit the number of courses and spend less time. But my first 2 or 3 visits a very long time ago lasted up to 6 hours long and I was worn out. Because dinner at the French Laundry is as unique and much as it is it is probably a good idea to have a light lunch the same day as opposed to a 5-course lunch down the street. Again, pace yourself. Do less every day, not more. Finally, are the costs involved with these top-shelf experiences worth the high price? Obviously, that is an individual decision everyone has to make for themselves. To me doing it once works most of the time. Sort of been there done that approach. A few places I have returned to, but the second time with open eyes and better information and a better ability to manage the experience and be reasonable. In the end, yes, the French Laundry is absolutely worth the time, effort, and cost at least once in your life. You will never forget the evening you were there, and at times you will try and replicate the dishes at home, though sadly you will fail, as you don’t possess the magical skills Chef Keller has to produce the magical and at times spiritual experience.

Bougogne Wine Tasting with Stevie Bobes of Wine Ambassadeur, Beaune France

For many years I have said that wine is all about relationships.  It is not always what you know but who you know and exploring the wine regions of the world you build lifelong relationships with many wonderful people in the wine world who only serve to enhance your life and love of wine.  One such gentleman is Stevie Bobes of Wine Ambassadeur from Beaune, France who I have introduced you to before.  Even with Covid-19 raging across the land Stevie traveled to Amelia Island as well as Greenville, SC to present to me and my La Chaine des Rotisseurs friends an evening of Bourgogne wines to taste and evaluate.  Having now known Stevie for many years I knew this was going to be a once in a lifetime event.  Stevie's knowledge of the Bourgogne region is second to none and you can never go wrong buying Stevies wines.  He travels the vineyards daily discovering new and exciting new vineyards that frankly are making some of the best and best value wines in the region.  For one thing, many of his wines are low production, and wines you will never see in the USA as few if any are exported.  Please enjoy reading about the wines Stevie presented to us and you may contact him at https://wineambassadeur.com/.  Also, he does organize upscale trips to the Bourgogne region arranging for lodging, meals at the top places, and vineyard visits where no one else goes.  Again feel free to contact him.  Interestingly all of these wines including the Reds come from the Cote de Beaune which is primarily a white wine production area.  In case I did not mention it these wines are available for purchase from Stevie in limited quantities or until gone and he ships directly to your door.

Sparkling Cremants

Crémant de Bourgogne ‘Terroirs', Louis Picamelot D91 

Winemaker Notes A lemon gold color, with a rich but discreet foam. Note the fine balance between the fruity aromas coming from the grape varieties and the toasty aromas following the aging in the bottle; a lovely alliance between vinosity and crispiness. Enjoy as an aperitif but also with butchery or shellfishes. Decanter 91 points Lovely complex almond, pistachio, peach, and fresh bread characters with a vivid and incisive freshness and an elegant finish. 

Crémant de Bourgogne 'Jeanne Thomas', Louis Picamelot 

Dedicated to Jeanne Thomas Picamelot, Louis' wife, this cuvée is said to combine a feminine elegance and strong personality. We can but smile and nod in complete and utter agreement. 'Happy wife, happy life' comes to mind. This is a vintage-dated sparkling wine, but we tend not to focus on that. Produce of mostly Chardonnay with a slight admixture of Aligoté, all hand-harvested from the Côte Chalonnaise, Côte de Beaune, and Côte de Nuits. Vivid green-gold in color with generous and persistent tiny bubbles and aromas ever so fresh and inviting, suggesting white flower, citrus zest, and fine wine-friendly limestone rich soils; full and round, powerful, yes, and eventually sumptuous on the palate, this wine both refreshes and satisfies. Picamelot themselves recommend it as a perfect Crémant pour le gastronome (it works especially well at the dinner table, that is). 

Crémant de Bourgogne ‘Reipes' blanc de blanc 2015, Louis Picamelot D91(2014) 

This wine from a well-tended single vineyard site above St Aubin in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune has a muted but enticing scent of plant sap and spring vegetation. The palate is a little bigger than the nose suggests with some appley wealth behind the sheer green notes: long, vivid, mouthwatering. Decanter 91 reviews of 2014 vintage. No review for 2015 

White Wines

Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru « Climat du Val » 2018, Domaine Roy

Auxey-Duresses is one of the best value wines area in Bourgogne.  This wine was on the dry side but with good acid structure making it food-friendly.  It was well balanced and had a good balance of mineral and fruit.   

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru « Hammeau de Blagny » 2018, Domaine Moissenet-Bonnard 

The Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru "Hameau de Blagny" is a rich wine with beautiful minerality, a pale yellow color, and luscious notes of almond paste, vanilla, hazelnuts, and white flowers. In the mouth, it is well-balanced, with a long, complex finish on notes of peppermint and citrus fruits. Its full personality will be developed in 2 to 3 years.  My wife and I particularly enjoyed this wine buying a case of it.  We like most Puligny wines as we do favor the mineral characteristics of Puligny though this wine had a strong presence of fruit, you have to ask yourself if you don't taste fruit what are you tasting as wine is at its basic grape juice.  So we found the wine a perfect balance of minerals and fruit.

Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru « Clos Saint Jean » 2013, Au Pied de Mont Chauve RP 90 

The 2013 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jean, which sees 10% new wood, offers subtle tropical tones with hints of blackberry leaf on the linear bouquet that soon loses its inhibitions. The palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity. This is a delicate and poised Clos Saint-Jean that tapers on the finish at the moment, but it should drink nicely over the next decade. The Picard family owns the beautiful Chateau de Chassagne-Montrachet and its magnificent vaulted 11th and 14th-century cellars. The Domaine is run by Francine Picard, who's grandfather, wine merchant Louis Felix, set the wheels in motion in the 1950s. Francine's father Michel started to buy vineyards in the 1970s and in 1997 he purchased the dilapidated chateau. 

Red Wines

Beaune 1er Cru « Clos du Roi » 2018, Domaine Giboulot 

From K&L On The Trail blog: "Jean-Michel Giboulot took over the family business in 1982 and has put together one of the best bang-for-your-buck portfolios in all of Burgundy over the last three-plus decades. His wines from Burgundy's Savigny-lès-Beaune appellation are known as great values, and both the reds and whites are equally strong. Giboulot's wines straddle the line between traditional and modern, with reds that have crunchier fruit and fine tannins, but plenty of ripeness and purity. 

Pommard 1er Cru « les Charmots » 2018, Domaine Parigot 

A palette of red and black fruits (blackberry, blueberry, gooseberry, cherry kernel, ripe plum). Leather, spicy and wild notes are also present. This was my favorite red but my preference from this rejoin for red has always been Pommard.  I found the wine very well balanced which is a plus for me.  Great acid and tannin balance.

Corton Grand Cru « Clos du Roi » 2018, Domaine Dubreil-Fontaine V 92 Antonio Galloni 

One of the great wines of the evening and how can you go wrong when it came from the "kings" vineyard which is what Clos du Roi.  Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine was established in 1879; five generations later, it is managed by Christine Gruère-Dubreuil and her husband, Nicolas Gruère. Superb winemaking tradition and an intense love of their land have enabled the estate to rise to epic status, using the family motto, “Pleasure and passion carry on…” as a guideline for success. This family has spent over a century chasing perfection, and that fact is beautifully evident in each new vintage from this unforgettable estate. This 100% Pinot Noir pours a gorgeous ruby red into the glass. It possesses ripe fruit aromas of raspberry and currant on the nose. A wonderful mineral backbone runs throughout the wine, but its silky tannins glide over the palate and create its soft, delicate style. The mid-palate displays red fruit, earth, and light chocolate flavors with a great, intense structure to the body and a long, smooth finish. It is the epitome of Corton Clos du Roi!

Concrete Egg Fermentation

I would like to direct your attention to an article that I will summarize here by Kathleen Willcox of Wine-Searcher.com regarding concrete eggs for fermenting wine here: https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2019/08/the-incredible-concrete-wine-egg . Concrete has been used to ferment, store and transport wine since Greco-Roman times. But then French winemakers popularized oak barrels and, for centuries, oak was the vessel of choice deployed by mainstream premium winemakers for fermenting and aging wine.  In the 20th Century, of course, California winemakers were the first to adopt stainless steel tanks for fermentation. The steel tank was all about control. The tanks are easy to clean, which prevents bacteria baddies from funking up wine; the tank temperature can be monitored, which also allows for maximum micro-management of the fermentation process. They were also shiny and cool-looking.  Still, in the 1980s and '90s, reds that had spent time on oak snagged top scores from critics, as did creamy, oak-aged Chardonnays. But around the turn of the millennium, tastes changed. Buttery overoaked Chardonnays became passé, and cool climate, restrained reds became the hotness. 

Modern times 

Around 2001, Michel Chapoutier, a trailblazing biodynamic producer in the Northern Rhône, and the first winemaker to print his wine labels in braille, commissioned an egg-shaped concrete fermentation vat from Marc Nomblot, a French concrete vat manufacturer. Legend has it, his custom 2.1-meter-high egg was designed to hold 600 liters of wine. Chapoutier, who appears to embrace the more esoteric spiritual-esque aspects of biodynamic winemakers, reportedly believed the egg's spheric shape would imbue it with "celestial energy".  Nomblot must have seen the sky-high commercial potential in the design after completing Chapoutier's initial egg because the company soon scaled-up manufacturing for others; Chapoutier threatened a lawsuit several years later after Nomblot sold the company to the Bonna Sabla Group, claiming he never received proper credit – or cash-money – for the design he claims intellectual responsibility for.  Nothing ever seemed to come of the lawsuit, but Chapoutier appears to still be steaming, as he has links to articles on the contretemps still up on his website.  Trademarking something as ephemeral as a shape, Rosenblatt explains, is next to impossible.  "Concrete and wine have been used together by Etruscans and Romans," he says. "When we first got started, we received a letter from the company that owns Nomblot threatening legal action, but after a few letters back and forth, nothing ever came of it. And five years after Nomblot himself sold his company and his own non-compete expired, he himself came out with a concrete egg of his very own." 

If you visit the vineyards in France you will see these "eggs" all over, usually, side by side with traditional oak barrels. In the Rhone valley, you will see large square concrete vats and on a recent trip to Bordeaux in the Cote de Bourge I visited a small family vineyard with large square concrete vats. When I ask why they are used I am always told they help with "extraction". Gianna Kelly, winemaker at Napa Valley's Galerie, who says she uses concrete eggs to ferment and age Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, for their superior influence on texture, complexity, and flavor.  "The big advantage of the egg is, of course, that oval shape," Kelly says. "The shape allows for natural convection of the lees all throughout fermentation, and this constant contact adds weight and complexity to the texture of our wines." 

Whether any of this truly makes any difference is clearly up for debate.  Again in France a lot of experimenting is going on.  You will also see fermentation tanks built as upright cones and at the next vineyard, the cone is upside down.  The explanation "Extraction".  So who knows in the end if the wine is good and you like it does it really matter.

Buying Wine at Discount

I have previously written recommendations on places to purchase wine at a discount but I have just found a new one that might be the best. I was going to purchase a very special Rioja that was advertised by one of my suppliers and the regular price was $39.99 per bottle on sale at a discount for $34.99. Before purchasing I always double-check the prices at wine-searcher.com as I have found them to be an excellent source of determining wine prices the world over as well as the USA. I really did not find any prices better at that point in time but on a lark just did a general Google search to see what I might find. What I found is 1000corks.com which lists pretty much any alcoholic beverage and it's availability anywhere in the USA and lists all the different retailers and their prices. Much to my surprise, I found the same identical wine at $27.97 per bottle with a $20 off shipping coupon that I did not find on wine-searcher.com. Just the price per bottle discount worked out to 30% off the regular price of $39.99 and an additional 20% off of the 34.99 prices. The bottom line is I saved $7.02 per bottle off of the previous "on-sale" bottle as well as $20 less for shipping. For a case of 12 that I purchased that is a total savings off of the "on-sale" price of $104.24 savings on a case. It pays to shop around.  With the internet, it does not take long to price shop and as shown above, the savings can be substantial. I want to reassure everyone buying wine on the internet and shipping to your home in most areas is legal and hassle-free and has been upheld as legal by the 6th Court of Appeals as well as a recent ruling by the Supreme Court involving Total Wine Company.  So when purchasing wine I recommend you always double-check and look the wine up on both: 

Wine-Searcher.com and 

1000corks.com

It's Time to take a Wine Test!

So has everyone been reading and studying my blogs in detail and looking up different things regarding wines?  To help increase your overall wine knowledge, some of which is probably quite useless when you are enjoying your favorite glass, please enjoy the following quiz with detailed answers. Many questions would be great to add to your Trivia night parties. Hope you like this format. 

1. Phylloxera is a(n)

a. Disease

b. Greek vessel for storing wine

c. Grape variety

d. Insect

Corrrect answer D: Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch 1855); family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs); originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaera vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera (/fɪˈlɒksərə/; from Ancient Greek: φύλλον, leaf, and ξηρός, dry) is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. These almost microscopic, pale yellow sap-sucking insects, related to aphids, feed on the roots and leaves of grapevines (depending on the phylloxera genetic strain). On Vitis vinifera, the resulting deformations on roots ("nodosities" and "tuberosities") and secondary fungal infections can girdle roots, gradually cutting off the flow of nutrients and water to the vine.[2] Nymphs also form protective galls on the undersides of grapevine leaves of some Vitis species and overwinter under the bark or on the vine roots; these leaf galls are typically only found on the leaves of American vines. American vine species (such as Vitis labrusca) have evolved to have several natural defenses against phylloxera. The roots of the American vines exude a sticky sap that repels the nymph form when it tries to feed from the vine by clogging its mouth. If the nymph is successful in creating a feeding wound on the root, American vines respond by forming a protective layer of tissue to cover the wound and protect it from secondary bacterial or fungal infections.Currently there is no cure for phylloxera and unlike other grape diseases such as powdery or downy mildew, there is no chemical control or response. The only successful means of controlling phylloxera has been the grafting of phylloxera-resistant American rootstock (usually hybrid varieties created from the Vitis berlandieri, Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris species) to more susceptible European vinifera vines.

2. What procedure effectively solved the problem of phylloxera?

a. Irrigation

b. Grafting

c. Cross-pollination

d. Fruit set redone

Correct answer B: The only successful means of controlling phylloxera has been the grafting of phylloxera-resistant American rootstock (usually hybrid varieties created from the Vitis berlandieri, Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris species) to more susceptible European vinifera vines. Of interest the root stock used to replant the vineyards of France came from American rootstock in Texas. 

3. Wines as we drink it today originated where?

a. Portugal and Spain

b. France and Italy

c. Iran and Iraq

d. Chile and Argentina

Correct answer C:  The origins of wine predate written records, and modern archaeology is still uncertain about the details of the first cultivation of wild grapevines. It has been hypothesized that early humans climbed trees to pick berries, liked their sugary flavor, and then began collecting them. After a few days with fermentation setting in, juice at the bottom of any container would begin producing low-alcohol wine. According to this theory, things changed around 10,000–8000 BC with the transition from a nomadic to a sedentism style of living, which led to agriculture and wine domestication. Wild grapes grow in Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the northern Levant, coastal and southeastern Turkey, and northern Iran. The fermenting of strains of this wild Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris (the ancestor of the modern wine grape, V. vinifera) would have become easier following the development of pottery during the later Neolithic, c. 11,000 BC. The earliest discovered evidence, however, dates from several millennia later. The earliest archaeological evidence of wine fermentation found has been at sites in China (c. 7000 BC) Georgia (c. 6000 BC Iran (c. 5000 BC Greece (c. 4500 BC), and Sicily (c. 4000 BC). The earliest evidence of steady production of wine has been found in Armenia (c. 4100 BC The Iranian jars contained a form of retsina, using turpentine pine resin to more effectively seal and preserve the wine and is the earliest firm evidence of wine production to date Production spread to other sites in Greater Iran and Greek Macedonia by c. 4500BC. The Greek site is notable for the recovery at the site of the remnants of crushed grapes. The oldest-known winery was discovered in the "Areni-1" cave in Vayots Dzor, Armenia. Dated to c. 4100 BC, the site contained a wine press, fermentation vats, jars, and cups. Archaeologists also found V. vinifera seeds and vines. 

4. What country has never been infected with phylloxera?

a. Portugal and Spain

b. France and Italy

c. Iran and Iraq

d. Chile and Argentina

Correct answer D. so far, Chilean wine has remained phylloxera free. It is isolated from the rest of the world by the Atacama Desert to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Andes Mountains to the east. Phylloxera has also never been found in several wine-growing regions of Australia, including Western Australia and South Australia. The Riesling of the Mosel region has also remained untouched by phylloxera; the parasite is unable to survive in the slate soil.

5. What country exported the phylloxera epidemic to Europe?

a. Iran and Iraq

b. Chile and Argentina

c. United States

d. Australia

Correct answer C:  In the late 19th century the phylloxera epidemic destroyed most of the vineyards for wine grapes in Europe, most notably in France.  Phylloxera was introduced to Europe when avid botanists in Victorian England collected specimens of American vines in the 1850s. Because phylloxera is native to North America, the native grape species are at least partially resistant. By contrast, the European wine grape Vitis vinifera is very susceptible to the insect. The epidemic devastated vineyards in Britain and then moved to the European mainland, destroying most of the European grape growing industry. In 1863, the first vines began to deteriorate inexplicably in the southern Rhône region of France. The problem spread rapidly across the continent. In France alone, total wine production fell from 84.5 million hectolitres in 1875 to only 23.4 million hectolitres in 1889.  Some estimates hold that between two-thirds and nine-tenths of all European vineyards were destroyed. In France, one of the desperate measures of grape growers was to bury a live toad under each vine to draw out the "poison".   Areas with soils composed principally of sand or schist were spared, and the spread was slowed in dry climates, but gradually the aphid spread across the continent. A significant amount of research was devoted to finding a solution to the phylloxera problem, and two major solutions gradually emerged: grafting cuttings onto resistant rootstocks. So America caused the problem and then solved it. It is also as a result of this story that when you cross Country borders or return home from Europe you have to declare to Customs you don't have any plant or animal items in your luggage.  No telling what bugs and critters you could be bringing back and what havoc they might cause on our agricultural system.

6.  Thomas Munson of the USA found the cure for the phylloxera epidemic. What State did he develop the cure in. 

a. New York

b. Texas

c. California

d. Oregon

Correct answer B: The rootstocks that Munson recommended to the French were Texas native Vitis Berlandieri, cinerea and cordifolia (vulpina) grapes that were found in the central Texas hill country at Dog Ridge in Bell County near Temple, Texas. These wild grapes can still be found there.  Munson specified these Texas native grapes because soils in this location closely match the limestone soils in French vineyards and these grapes were highly tolerant of high pH limestone soils. Later, Munson was also asked to advise on a Phylloxera-resistance rootstock for California vineyards, and through discussions with Luther Burbank he recommended Vitus rupestris.

7. Who discovered the role of yeast in fermentation?

a. Louis Pasteur

b. Thomas Munson

c. Jules Guyot

d. Steven Spurrier

Correct answer A:  Pasteur was the first to demonstrate experimentally that fermented beverages result from the action of living yeast transforming glucose into ethanol. 

8. Who was the Englishman Steven Spurrier?

a. A famous football coach

b. A winemaker

c. A wine Merchant in London, England

d. A wine Merchant in Paris, France

Correct answer C:  Steven Spurrier (born 1941) is a British wine expert and the former merchant who has been described as a champion of French wine.  Spurrier organized the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, which unexpectedly elevated the status of California wine and promoted the expansion of wine production in the New World. He is also the founder of the Academie du Vin and Christie's Wine Course, in addition to authoring and co-authoring several wine books. 

9. Grapes are grown in a warm climate with produce wines with___________than a wine from a cool climate? 

a. more acid and less alcohol

b. more acid and more alcohol

c. less acid and more alcohol

d. less acid and less alcohol

Correct answer C.  Kudo's to Bill Sudlow for correcting this answer. Grapes from cooler regions typically don't ripen as quickly which results in lower sugars and higher acidity. Higher sugar leaves more sugar to ferment thus higher alcohol and drives the acidity downwards leaving some vintners to want to actually add acidity at times.  It also plays into harvest as the vintner is trying to achieve a balance between alcohol and acidity and if he picks too late in a hot environment with an overabundance of alcohol the acidity might end up too low.   Growers in cooler climates do face distinct challenges. Vines may be lower yielding, winters can harm or kill the vines and frost events are more common and destructive. Polar vortexes that seem to dominate the news during winter can claim entire vintages in the Finger Lakes and Ontario. In the last few years, growers in Chablis, Burgundy and Bordeaux suffered devastating losses due to spring frost. Also, if the summer growing season is too short or cool, grapes may not ripen fully by harvest. That’s why many cooler regions allow chaptalization, the addition of sugar to must so alcohol levels increase during fermentation. 

10. A vintage date on a bottle of wine signifies the year the: 

a. wine was released

b. wine finished fermenting

c. wine finished oak aging

d. grapes were harvested

Correct answer D:  Vintage means year the grapes were harvested

11. The primary difference between the production of red wine and white wine is?

a. red wines are fermented at cooler temperatures than white wines

b. red wines are aged in oak barrels and white wines are not

c. red wines are fermented with their skins, white wines without

d. red wines are fermented with wild yeasts, white wines with cultured yeasts.

Correct answer is C:  longer skin contact during the fermentation process results in the increased red color of the wine. Of interest, some white wines like Champagne actually come from red grapes. Many Champagnes are made from Pinot Noir a red grape but during fermentation, the skins are removed. 

12. Which of the following characteristics in a bottle of wine will NOT prolong its aging potential?

a. Alcohol

b. Body

c. Tannin

d. Sugar

Correct answer A. Alcohol is volatile in non-fortified wines and causes the wine to turn to vinegar more quickly. Generally speaking, the lower the alcohol level in a non-fortified wine the longer it will last There is a widespread misconception that wine always improves with age, or that wine improves with extended aging, or that aging potential is an indicator of good wine. Some authorities state that more wine is consumed too old than too young. Aging changes wine, but does not categorically improve it or worsen it. Fruitness deteriorates rapidly, decreasing markedly after only 6 months in the bottle. Due to the cost of storage, it is not economical to age cheap wines, but many varieties of wine do not benefit from aging, regardless of the quality. Experts vary on precise numbers but typically state that only 5–10% of wine improves after 1 year, and only 1% improves after 5–10 years. In general, wines with a low pH (such as pinot noir and Sangiovese) have a greater capability of aging. With red wines, a high level of flavor compounds, such as phenolics (most notably tannins), will increase the likelihood that a wine will be able to age. Wines with high levels of phenols include Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, and Syrah. The white wines with the longest aging potential tend to be those with a high amount of extract and acidity. The acidity in white wines, acting as a preservative, has a role similar to that of tannins in red wines. The process of making white wines, which includes little to no skin contact, means that white wines have a significantly lower amount of phenolic compounds, though barrel fermentation and oak aging can impart some phenols. Similarly, minimal skin contact with rosé wine limits their aging potential. 

After aging at the winery most wood-aged ports, sherries, vins doux naturels, vins de liqueur, basic level ice wines, and sparkling wines are bottled when the producer feels that they are ready to be consumed. These wines are ready to drink upon release and will not benefit much from aging. Vintage ports and other bottled-aged ports and sherries will benefit from some additional aging. 

Champagne and other sparkling wines are infrequently aged, and frequently have no vintage year (no vintage, NV), but vintage champagne may be aged. Aged champagne has traditionally been a peculiarly British affectation, and thus has been referred to as le goût anglais "the English taste", though this term also refers to a level of champagne sweetness. In principle, champagne has aging potential, due to the acidity, and aged champagne has increased in popularity in the United States since the 1996 vintage. A few French winemakers have advocated aging champagne, most notably René Collard (1921–2009). In 2009, a 184-year-old bottle of Perrier-Jouët was opened and tasted, still drinkable, with notes of "truffles and caramel", according to the experts. A couple of years ago a salvage team recovered items from a shipwreck in the North Sea of Europe which included cases of Champagne from around 1910 and when opened were described as fresh and as if they were produced yesterday. 

13. Botrytis is a: 

a. special yeast strain used to produce sparkling wines

b. type of red-skinned grape grown in Germany

c. the mold that attacks grapes and concentrates their sugar content

d. process of adding sugar to fermenting wine to boost alcohol

Correct Answer C. Botrytis is also known as "Noble Rot" and is present in most sweet wines.

14. Which two characteristics in wine are best when paired with dishes that have a high-fat content?

a. Sugar and acid

b. Acid and Tannin

c. Sugar and Tannin

d. Alcohol and sugar

Correct Answer B Fatty foods need either an acidic or high alcohol wine otherwise the wine will taste flabby. Tannin also helps to "cut the fat" so to speak and acidic tannic red wines are what you usually see served with steaks and chops.

15. It is never a good idea to pair white wines with red meats and red wines with white meats.

a. True

b. False

The correct answer is it depends. The question refers to old rules of wine and food pairing that have been followed for hundreds of years but as wine styles have changed it is no longer an absolute rule and feel free to experiment in your home. Fact is there are white wines that go well with steak and red wines that go well with fish. A lot of these rules are based on our own prejudices that we have grown up with. Want to have some real fun? Buy yourself some black painted glasses where you cannot see the color of the wine and then have a tasting with your friends. You will be surprised how many will say that is a red wine when in fact it is white and vice versa. Sometimes even the professional experts cannot tell the difference in black glasses.

Biodynamic and Organic Wine Making

Welcome back to Wine, Travel, and Food(WTF) with Ross

I had a request to write something on biodynamic winemaking. Biodynamics has much in common with other organic approaches – it emphasizes the use of manures and composts and excludes the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants. Methods unique to the biodynamic approach include its treatment of animals, crops, and soil as a single system, an emphasis from its beginnings on local production and distribution systems, its use of traditional and development of new local breeds and varieties. Some methods use an astrological sowing and planting calendar. Biodynamic agriculture uses various herbal and mineral additives for compost additives and field sprays; these are prepared using methods that are more akin to sympathetic magic than agronomy, such as burying ground quartz stuffed into the horn of a cow, which are said to harvest "cosmic forces in the soil."Biodynamic was the first modern organic agriculture. Its development began in 1924 with a series of eight lectures on agriculture given by philosopher Rudolf Steiner at Schloss Koberwitz in Silesia, Germany (now Kobierzyce in Poland). These lectures, the first known presentation of organic agriculture, were held in response to a request by farmers who noticed degraded soil conditions and a deterioration in the health and quality of crops and livestock resulting from the use of chemical fertilizers. 

It has always been my understanding that the main underpinning of biodynamic was the minimization of artificial chemicals in the growing of plants. As mentioned the movement started when farmers noted degraded soil conditions. Ever since agriculture was invented even common everyday people understand the need to rotate crops and give some plots a year or two of rest. I visit Georgia farm country to hunt every year and every year the farmers have a different crop planted. Soybeans this year, corn next year. The whole purpose is if you grow large numbers of plants year after year any natural minerals and nutrients in the ground will eventually be depleted so that no more plants can grow there. Just makes sense. One big problem with vineyards is that grape vines cannot be rotated and many vineyards have vines over 50 years old which many consider an asset. When a vineyard is no longer producing as it should most vineyards pull up the old vines and plant new ones. Chemicals were invented to increase crop yields by stimulating crop growth, controlling insects that destroyed crops, and in some cases actually replenish the soil. Fertilizer and manure simply replace nitrogen into the soil which is one of the main nutrients needed to grow stuff. Throw some nitrogen on a yard and see what happens. The problem as I see it over the years those chemicals were no longer pure. When you buy an artificial bag of fertilizer today it probably has over 100 different chemicals in it for preservatives and other reasons some of which can be harmful and some that have been related to cancer development in humans. So you are not putting a pure compound on the ground and to me biodynamic was invented to get away from that. 

In the end, I am a scientist which means to prove something scientific results and facts have to be demonstrated reproducibly by multiple researchers prior to it being fact. The problem is No difference in beneficial outcomes has been scientifically established between certified biodynamic agricultural techniques and similar organic and integrated farming practices. Biodynamic agriculture lacks strong scientific evidence for its efficacy and has been labeled a pseudoscience because of it's over-reliance upon esoteric knowledge and mystical beliefs(translation, snake oil). Research into biodynamic farming has been complicated by the difficulty of isolating the distinctively biodynamic aspects when conducting comparative trials. Consequently, there is no strong body of material that provides evidence of any specific effect. Since biodynamic farming is a form of organic farming, it can be generally assumed to share its characteristics, including "less stressed soils and thus diverse and highly interrelated soil communities".  A 2009/2011 review found that biodynamically cultivated fields had lower absolute yields than conventional farms, but achieved better efficiency of production relative to the amount of energy used and had greater earthworm populations and biomass than conventional farms. But both factors were similar to the result in organically cultivated fields. 

I understand that nature has its own biorhythms that you cannot ignore. As a hunter I have known for years you don't hunt deer after a full moon. It's not science but it's common sense the deer ate at night because they could see so they are not hungry the next day and are taking a nap and not moving around and you should take a nap as opposed to sitting in a tree stand all day looking at the grass. But to say you are going to make better wine and a 100 point wine because you planted or harvested based on some astrological calendar as an example is baloney to me. I am convinced that the number one factor that determines the greatness of wine is basically one-word "drainage". The worlds greatest vineyards sit on a moderate slope halfway up a hill. That way when it rains just the right amount of water gets to the roots. If the incline is too steep the water runs off. If there is no slope the water pools and the roots are saturated diluting the wine. The roots need to struggle a little. When they struggle they concentrate the flavors in the wine. You want to see vines struggle go to the Rhone. You have to see it to believe it but the Rhone vineyards have NO soil. The vines grow out of ROCK pebbles. The soil is 15 feet deep and the roots go down 15 feet. 

With organic and biodynamic farming GMO seeds and chemicals are not supposed to be used. Organic is supposedly better because it is more "natural" hence good for you. But consider this. Many medicines we use today are just carefully formulated and "pure" forms of herbs and spices that were used by Shaman's and Witch Doctors eons ago and man has just refined them. Nightshade contains digoxin which is used to treat heart disease. The difference between Nightshade and Digoxin is when you take a Digoxin pill you are getting an exact dose that has been determined to be therapeutic and safe. When you chew on a bunch of Nightshade who knows what dose you get. Let's face it science help improve nature. I agree one problem is chemical makers add a bunch of additives for long term preservation but do we really need all of those additives in our chemicals and drugs and fertilizers? 

Winemakers like all farmers have used fertilizers and chemicals since the beginning of time for one purpose, increased yield and production to make more money. In farming, we have increased the yields where famine, at least in industrialized countries, is nonexistent. Winemakers need increased production to offset lower yield years so they can stay in business. So using science helps winemaking and going back to using less science to me may not be in the best interests in the wine world. And the main problem with Biodynamic is that it depends too much on those esoteric ideas like astrology to be a determining factor in wine production. I accept there are biorhythms of the earth that we should be sensitive to, but when it comes to wine as far as I am concerned wines struggling mid-slope with an ideal amount of water and good weather to enhance the best maturation are what is important and biodynamic is just another word for witchcraft and snake oil.