It’s hard to be a Merlot these days

For years, many wine connoisseurs dismissed Merlots from California as bland and characterless–so much so that it was probably the most memorable line from the movie Sideways: “…if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving.”

Everyone likes being part of a secret. And maybe that’s why the dinner that we held about a week ago at Topaz featuring an assortment of Jim and Mary Dierberg’s wines was such a hit. Sure, our event was publicized, and the restaurant is known to be one of the best in our area, but the wines—these were well-reviewed wines that have surprisingly not gotten a lot of press. So, it was a real treat to not only taste the wines, but to do so with the winery owners and their winemaker, Nick de Luca.

In a country known for its tempestuous tango and its opulent Malbec, is it really any surprise that by the end of our Mendoza wine tour, the visits and outings grew increasingly extravagant and , dare I say, sensuous?

Day Three (February 10, 2009) and Day Four (February 11, 2009)

No one will ever accuse winemakers of being boring or homogenous.

Day One (February 8, 2009) & Day Two (February 9, 2009)

If there was such a thing as a time machine in winemaking, so many of us Napa lovers would travel back about 30 years and visit Napa Valley before the enormous tour groups took hold and wine tourism became big business for that region.

Short of a time machine, what one can do –

Perhaps circling the globe to consult with other winemakers causes one to return home with an appreciation for not only good wine, but also preserving the resources that help create it.

That seems to be the case for Susana Balbo, who is respected worldwide for her skill and experience in winemaking. After 20 years of advising others and helping them to produce great wines in Australia, California, Chile, France, Italy, South Africa and Spain, she found her way back to Argentina and started Dominio del Plata, a vineyard known for its sustainable agriculture as much as its fabulous wines. Reportedly, she still spends a month each year in a different wine region of the world, everlearning from other winemakers and growers.

According to the winery’s Web site, “the entire project is specially designed and implemented in a way that doesn’t harm the natural resources, preserves the environment, functions according to social requirements, and at the same time maintains productivity to remain economically competitive.” And, though, many of the grapes for the wines come from other vineyards, those growers too, must agree to Balbo’s rigorous standards.

Hinsdale Cellars’ own Sean Chaudhry spent a day touring her vineyards and winery recently during his ongoing Argentina wine expedition that you will soon read about in Vintelligence.

A winery known for passion and precision

A family enterprise, Balbo and her husband Pedro Marchevsky had a shared vision of paying close attention to the small things that make the difference between good wine and great wine. Many describe her wines as a bridge in style between California and Bordeaux with fruit “opulence” that doesn’t overpower.

Wine critics reiterate the evident passion Balbo and her family have put into producing quality wine: the careful selection of Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, an area noted for its warm summer days and cool nights; the well-draining, sandy soil that, despite strong hail storms, make this a nearly perfect home for grapevines’ the high-trellising system for stability that is credited for sustaining the grapes during a long growing season so they can have great color and aroma; and the constant maintenance Balbo and company give their vines. It all adds up to making truly noteworthy wines.

In addition to Balbo’s super premium or signature labels of Susana Balbo, Ben Marco, and Nosotros, she has become popularly known for her more moderately priced “Crios” line. Crios means offspring in Spanish, and she has said that she chose this name because these wines weren’t quite as grown up as her others – more brashly fruit forward and to be enjoyed younger than her signature wines.

A winning combination

Perhaps, one of her most interesting wines in the Crios collection blends Syrah and Bonarda grapes. Critics and wine connoisseurs alike proclaim it drinks like a significantly more expensive wine than she has priced it, so take note. The Bonarda grape, which originated in Italy, is rarely found there these days, but it’s quite common in Argentina, and the blend with Syrah has produced a dark reddish/purple wine with an intense aroma of black raspberries.

According to Robert Parker Jr.’s The Wine Advocate, the 2006 Crios de Susana Balbo Syrah-Bonarda “delivers an alluring nose of baking spice, blueberry plum, and black raspberry. On the palate, it is medium bodied with loads of spicy dark fruit a forward personality, good balance, and a pure finish….” His rating of 90 points for this wine follows Wine Spectator’s 89 points and the quippy comment: “Very tasty. Drink now.” Clearly advice to heed…and soon!

– Ivy F. Kupec

Ben gathered with a group of local wine connoisseurs at the acclaimed Hinsdale Wine Shop in the city’s western suburbs (he’s posing here with oenophile Doug Myers, center, and the wine shop’s esteemed founder Sean Chaudhry) and unveiled a spectrum of exceptional types of red wine, foremost among them the 2006 Amon-Ra Shiraz. Ben does not attempt to conceal his lofty expectations for the ‘06, even though it comes on the heels of an ‘04 and ‘05 also both highly regarded. He expects to go three-for-three. The ‘06 growing season was slighty warmer than the previous two, which leads the congenial Aussie to believe the current Amon-Ra will continue to add finesse, elegance and structure as it matures in the bottle.

The nose of the ‘06 exhibits a full measure of dark cherry and toasty hints. On the palate there is a quickly noted complexity and a juicy intensity.

The 2004 Amon-Ra rated 95 points when reviewed by Stephen Tanzer, and the 2005 was a monumental success, earning 98 points from Robert Parker Jr. The ‘06 likely will join their critically acclaimed ranks.

The other news tidbit from the Glaetzer camp is that the Godolphin Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon blend has been renamed. Beginning with the 2006 vintage it will be labeled Anaperenna, although the wine is from the same vineyard and even the label image remains intact. The Glaetzers had to yield the Godolphin name due to threatened legal action by a party outside of the wine industry.

The headline for Craig fans is that the ‘04 Affinity (85% Cabernet Sauvignon), produced from yields in southern Napa Valley’s Tulocay appellation, is unfiltered for the first time in its history. The goal is to achieve “more depth” for the blend, which tended to show less power and structure than Bob’s “mountain wines”. Our Wednesday tasting suggests the new approach is doing the job.

More news: Next year there will be a fourth appellation represented under the Craig umbrella when he unveils his first vintage from the Spring Mountain AVA between Mt. Veeder and Howell Mountain.

Craig, who is nearing his 30th anniversary in the wine industry, is naturally partial to Mt. Veeder. He was one of the early investors and developers in the region, where he spent one 10-year period as general manager at Hess Collection winery. Bob also led a campaign that succeeded in bringing an AVA designation to Mt. Veeder in 1990.

His 1,400-case Mt. Veeder Cabernet, from a single, 26-acre vineyard, is again exhibiting its signature elegance, black fruit depth and supporting cedar notes. By contrast (and because of geographic variances), the 2004 Howell Mountain is more peppery, herbal and powerful.

“We are really pleased by how it has unfolded this year,” Bob said as we sampled the 900-case Howell Mountain Cab. “In the past, it always has taken a bit longer (after release) to open up.”

With her new husband, Paul, at her side, Betty is on the road with new sales and marketing director Mike Steffel to herald the forthcoming release of the 2004 O’Shaughnessy Estate Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. There is much to herald.

Betty and winemaker Sean Capiaux have patiently awaited this release. They have been out of the consumer market for a year. The 2003 Howell Mountain Cab sold out quickly, followed by a decision to bottle-age the ‘04 Cab six months more than earlier vintages (resulting in a total of 12 months in the bottle).

“It was a good decision,” she said during a memorable lunch created by NoMI executive chef Christophe David. “We are pleased we waited the extra six months.”

The ‘04, with decanting, was highly drinkable when we sipped it with a delicious roasted lamb/spinach cannelloni dish (left) at NoMi on Tuesday. This is the fifth O’Shaughnessy vintage, but the first to contain all six Bordeaux blending varietals planted on her 36-acres of vineyards. The combination of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot (6%), Petit Verdot (4%), Malbec (3%), Carmenere (2%), Cabernet Franc and St. Macaire (1% each) results in a premium Napa red wine that has “more complexity” and tames the “harsh tannins of Howell Mountain (fruit),” Betty said.

Besides her marriage last September, which finds Betty living part-time near Los Angeles (where her husband’s law firm is based), the other big news delivered during her stop is that O’Shaughnessy Estate is one of only 12 California Cabernet producers invited to participate in a prestigious tasting this October.

The Oct. 19 blind tasting at Chateau Brane-Cantenac in the Bordeaux region is organized by the Vintners Club of San Francisco. A panel comprised of chateau owners, negociants, European aficionados and wine journalists from London and Paris will blind taste 12 California Cabs from the 2002 vintage. The other invitees are Caymus Vineyards, Flora Springs, Justin Vineyards, L’Aventure, The Nth Degree, Palmaz Vineyards, Ramey Wine Cellars, Ridge Vineyards, Robert Craig (also from Howell Mountain), Rocca Family Vineyards and ZD Wines.

As we savored a menu that also included a delicate heirloom tomato and buffalo mozzarella starter (right), later concluding with a dessert of artisan cheeses, Betty mentioned that O’Shaughnessy is releasing a 2004 Mt. Veeder Cabernet. Unfortunately, only 300 cases were produced and will be available only to the winery’s mailing list customers.