October 2024
California, Classically
This month we take a quick break from exploring international wines to look in-depth at the state that made wine famous in America. From the vine’s origins creeping north up the California coast with Spanish missionaries as they planted vineyards for communion wine, to present day where it accounts for ~$90 billion of the American economy, grape-growing in California has been a fundamental part of The West since Europeans first set foot there. In a previous wine club, almost a year ago, we looked at some of the new styles of wine coming out of the West Coast. This month we look at classic styles that have defined California for the past half-century (or more) and become synonymous with what many understand ‘wine’ to be. Of course, at Clarity, we’re usually trying to expand that understanding to include the plethora of other wines out there in the world, but occasionally it’s fun to keep it simple and play the hits.
All four of the wines this month are very different from one another, but each represents a fun example of what classic California wines have to offer. While we would have loved to fit in a bold Napa Cabernet or elegant Russian River Pinot Noir, the price points on those wines have become quite restrictive (especially from non-commercial producers), so the fun in this month’s selections comes in finding excellent quality wines from top-notch estate producers that also fit the budget and can be enjoyed time and time again. So while there is one wine from Napa (a Chardonnay), the others come from sites you won’t see on most shelves: Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo (both central coast), and Contra Costa just east of the East Bay. From a light and bright white to as bold as bold red gets, there’s a little something for everyone this month!
Teaser: After two months of classics (Australia and California), we dive back into the outskirts of wine this November and explore the tantalizing cuvees of Southern Italy. Puglia! Basilicata! Campania! Calabria! All are in play, let’s see what gems we can dig up.
Stephen Ross Wine ‘Flying Cloud’ Sauvignon Blanc
San Luis Obispo
The Grapes
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Producer Profile
A wine with a close-to-home story for us here in the Northwoods. Stephen Ross grew up in Minnesota, making rhubarb wine in his basement, before going to UC Davis to get his enology degree. After bouncing around the wine world for a bit he founded his central coast winery about twenty years ago, with this ‘Flying Cloud’ label being named after a small Eden Prairie airport.
Tasting Notes
Light and tropical guava and citrus. Lightly herbaceous, hibiscus with a nice sharp mineral note. Acid is lower for sauv blanc, very approachable. Finish has nice lime zest aromas with the juicy guava still present.
Pairing Suggestions
Fresh end-of-summer-salad with a lemon-vinaigrette or as a simple aperitif wine to sip before a meal.
Grand Napa Vineyards Chardonnay
Carneros, Napa Valley
The Grapes
100% Chardonnay
Producer Profile
Grand Napa Vineyards is an old-school, family owned Napa Estate in Rutherford, about halfway up the valley. They produce classic Napa wines from vineyards across Napa, mostly Cabernet (naturally), but also Cab Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. This, their Carneros Chardonnay, is a really pretty example of what Chardonnay can be in the right producer’s hands. Not overly-oaked, not overly-buttery, but extremely balanced with an abundance of flavor.
Tasting Notes
Melon, stone fruit, well-integrated vanilla and cream. On the palate a fruity pineapple note (pineapple upside down cake?), nice rich body with just the right amount of acid. A hint of butter (or coconut cream) to smooth it out and a pleasant finish.
Pairing Suggestions
Perfect with a cheese plate or white sauce pasta dish. In short: cream it up. Fancy mac n’ cheese, anyone?
Presqu’ile Pinot Noir
Santa Barbara
The Grapes
100% Pinot Noir
Producer Profile
Many people know of Santa Barbara Pinot Noir as the protagonist of the movie ‘Sideways’, but few have had Pinot Noir from a true Santa Barbara producer because there are not actually that many estate wineries there. Presqu’ile happens to be one of them though and this is a picture-perfect example of what the region can produce. All organic, estate grapes vinted with minimal intervention. A fresh and evocative wine from the central coast.
Tasting Notes
Tons of bright red fruit on the nose. Ripe strawberry, red cherry, and almost a cranberry note. Lots of florality present as well, crushed rose petal. The palate is not quite as bright as the nose suggests, with really well balanced acid and tannin and more of those red fruits. A tiny touch of oak aging helps to round out this light-bodied wine. Lovely long finish.
Pairing Suggestions
This is something of a pizza wine to me. Gulpable and indulgent, to be shared with friends around a nice aromatic ‘za. Something with cured meats and basil.
Three Wine Company ‘Old Vines Field Blend’
Contra Costa
The Grapes
57% Carignan, 20% Mataro, 10% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 3% Alicante Bouschet
Producer Profile
Located in Oakley, California, on the sloughs of the San Joaquin river east of Oakland, Three Wine produces notably full-bodied wines with very elevated alcohol which can be attributed to the extremely hot, desert-like conditions so far inland from the Bay Area. This blend is a perfect representation of ‘bold red’, using a handful of grapes (the majority of which are relatively unknown in California) to produce something very familiar: a rich, oaky, ripe fruit, and high alcohol content red.
Tasting Notes
Ripe jammy black and red fruit on the nose with some sweet vanilla overtones. Stewed black plum and blackberry with a nice full body. Medium tannin and very low acid.
Pairing Suggestions
Fatty red meats with powerful flavor to hold up to how big the profile of the wine is. A rare steak with caramelized onions and mushrooms on the side.