[wine] Meeting this week? Arezzo?

Greetings, Russ, Sue, Alicia, Dave T and I are planning to meet this week. Thursday, 6:30 at Arezzo in Mpls/Edina. I'm bringing wines from Piedmont or at least in that style. $6 per person in lieu of corkage. Cheers, Jim Is Napa Valley Cabernet falling back to Earth? Jon BonnéChronicle Wine Editor Sunday, April 12, 2009 Given where the market for expensive wine is right now, you'd think it would be time to scoop up deals on primo Napa Cabernet. The primo part is right, at least for the 2005 vintage still largely found on shelves. The deals part? Not so much. Our recent Chronicle tasting of about 40 Napa Valley Cabernets in current release, almost entirely from the 2005 and 2006 vintages, had its ample share of highlights, which we'll get to in a moment. But deals were a bit harder to come by, which is our tasting was geared toward more affordable, accessible wines. To sample this cross-section, I was joined by two panelists: Nicole Burke, wine director at Epic Roasthouse in San Francisco; and Cezar Kusik, a wine consultant at Fourcade & Hecht Wine Selections who previously was wine director for Rubicon restaurant. Both have sold more than their share of Cabernet. Let's start with the good news. The 2005 vintage was fantastic for Napa Cabernet, with high yields and a moderate growing season that warmed in the home stretch, allowing for even, steady ripeness and late picking dates. By contrast, 2006 was a rollercoaster: a wet, cool spring; summer heat spikes that presaged an early harvest; then an extended temperate summer that lengthened the growing season, perhaps past the point of wisdom. It was a vintage that revealed winemaking talents and shortfalls. Those that did it right made gorgeously ripe wines, like the 2006 Tor Kenward Cimarossa Vineyard, which showed plenty of depth despite a huge structure (15.1 percent alcohol). But many expensive 2006s tasted like they'd been pushed to the limit of ripeness, with too much jam, too much oak, too much extract. Some seemed confected more than made. Both of our panelists pointed out that the plusher, more heavily fruited style remains a big sell in restaurants - especially those of the steak-friendly variety. Even in that context, however, many examples were too lavished with oak to want to drink. If recent claims of winemaking restraint are true, we might have to wait until the 2007 vintage to see it. Certainly the alcohol levels and thick gobs of fruit didn't give much indication. It's no surprise, then, that many 2005s are still in the market, especially given the near-stagnant pipeline for high-end wine. It seems many restaurants and retailers are thinning their inventories and not acquiring a whole lot more. With a slow market for expensive wine, and an uneven vintage sitting in the wings, these may not be the cheeriest of times along Highway 29. But if the top end of Napa Cabernets faces a headwind - and I suspect there's a limited number of tears to be shed on that front - there's clearly an opportunity for less expensive labels to get some exposure. We found at least a half-dozen under $50 wines that are worth drinking now. This essentially dials back price tags to when Napa wines felt like more of an affordable luxury. Among the names in this cheaper category, we found a mix of familiar and new. The 2006 Napa Valley bottling from Buehler followed its consistent quality tradition for this more basic effort from largely purchased fruit. Conn Creek, the longtime brand owned by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, offered solid value, as did wines from Trinchero and Chappellet. On the other hand, the 2007 The Table - can it possibly be time for 2007s yet? - from newly unveiled Once Wines, a sister entity to the Evening Land Vineyards project, shows exceptional winemaking (from Sashi Moorman of Stolpman Vineyards) for under $30. If you're still hunting 2005s, there is no shortage of good wine to stock up. Looking back to our tasting last November, we found standouts from Corison, Round Pond, Caymus and more. And in coming months, you're likely to find the 2005s at ever more discounted prices. I often point out to Cabernet producers that they should remember how much competition exists around the world - never more than at times like these, when the pride of place meets the humility of the pocketbook. So to find affordable quality in the Cabernet mother lode that is Napa Valley strikes me as a truly hopeful sign. As to those who can't or won't adjust their prices to the current reality - yes, even in a realm where over 60 tons of Cabernet sold last year above $20,000 per ton - an Icarus moment may not be far off. E-mail comments to jbonne(a)sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/12/FDJD16TSQE.DTL This article appeared on page E - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle Where to get a taste of Napa's cult Cabs Jon BonnéSunday, April 12, 2009 It's easier to schedule a Vanity Fair cover shoot than get a dozen of Napa Valley's biggest stars in the same room. But Karen Williams and David Stevens of St. Helena's Acme Fine Wines make a habit of getting these folks on speed-dial. Now they've coordinated a tasting with winemakers like Andy Erickson (Leviathan, Arietta), Heidi Barrett (La Sirena, Lamborn), Russell Bevan (Showket, Dry Stack) and Philippe Melka (Vineyard 29). Not all their projects will be featured - no Screaming Eagle, sorry - but each is scheduled to tote along at least three; Celia Masyczek is set to bring nine, including bottles from Lindstrom, Keever and Scarecrow. The $175 price tag may feel extravagant, but with more than 50 wines, and the chance to chat up Napa's current A-team, the Acme folks have raised the stakes. The Acme Atelier tasting is from 1 to 4 p.m. April 25 at 1080 Fulton Lane, St. Helena. Tickets are $175 at (707) 963-0440 or www.acmefinewines.com. - Jon Bonnéhttp://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/12/FDJD16VVV2.DTL Napa Valley Cabernet Jon BonnéSunday, April 12, 2009 Chateau Montelena Napa Cabernet. 2005 Bardessono Maxine's Vineyard Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon ($60) Tom Bardessono's family has been growing grapes in Yountville for decades, and this vineyard is named for his mother, who still resides there. Lots of big, ripe fruit, with an inviting nose highlighted by cocoa, graphite and dust. Lighter cassis and deeper plummy notes provide a full palate defined by equally ripe tannin. Subtle for its notably deep-fruited style. 2006 Chappellet Signature Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($42) Chappellet's trademark effort, made by Phillip Corallo-Titus, shows the hefty ripeness of Pritchard Hill fruit even in a leaner year. An upfront, generous wine, with oak-tinged plum, plus dried branch on the finish. The well-robed structure still reveals plenty of backbone. 2005 D.R. Stephens Estate Moose Valley Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($125) Big and sultry, this effort made by Celia Masyczek from fruit near St. Helena is dominated by chocolate, pencil lead and deep black fruit. Lifted bright mineral and citrus add more depth, and it's gripping and rich across the palate. Give it four to five years or more to improve, but this is full-bore (15.1 percent alcohol) spare-no-cost Napa Cab, and it all pays off. The 2005 Hunnicutt ($48), from Stephens general manager Justin Hunnicutt Stephens, caught our attention, though a dried-fruit character divided the group. 2006 Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($48) With fruit from the Mount George area east of the city of Napa, the winery's Left Bank-style blend, with a bit of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in the mix, outperforms for the price. A clean, pure Cabernet nose: graphite, cassis, hints of dried citrus peel to brighten things. Polished and sleek, with a lingering sweetness to the finish. 2005 Conn Creek Limited Release Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($25) Quite a pleasant surprise, as the Conn Creek wines have been lost in the background noise for a long time. Clearly a lighter style, which is no surprise given the price and sourcing from vineyards throughout the valley, and perhaps a bit mellow given the extra year's time in barrel for a wine of this price. But with dusty intrigue and solid, ripe Cabernet notes of bright black berry and cassis, this once-popular label is getting good fruit and worth watching again. 2006 Trinchero Chicken Ranch Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon ($30) The Trinchero family may have sold off their ranch winery facility, but they've kept access to the fruit from this 28-acre parcel just south of St. Helena. Earthy overtones of graphite and loam dominate at first, but with plenty of ripe black fruit and dried herb. A more textural, low-key style from an often overlooked name. 2006 Buehler Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($28) A classic, approachable Napa Cab, with savory tones of black olive, coffee and toasted plum. Tannins are generous and tight, and there's mineral lift for nuance. Ready to drink now, Buehler remains one of the top deals in Napa Cabernet. 2005 Chateau Montelena Estate Calistoga Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($135) Montelena's benchmark estate bottling is exuberant in this banner year, with a ripe nose showing typical cassis and pencil shavings. A hint of dry herb rounds out a full, elegant package that underscores Napa's potential for complexity when done right. Should last a dozen years or more. 2006 Tor Kenward Cimarossa Vineyard Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($75) Winemaker Jeff Ames again coaxes remarkable power and nuance from this mountainside vineyard, thanks in part to 18 months in a mix of French oak. Its signature cinnamon aroma steps forward on a complex violet-tinged nose. Racy black fruit and cassis fill the palate. Strong and precise, it's an outstanding example of how complexity can emerge in the modern Napa profile. 2007 Once Wines The Table Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($28) Still a baby, in this case birthed as a part of the Once project, which brings together sommeliers to make wines for both their wine lists and retail stores. Made by Sashi Moorman, this is the result of a 2008 blending session involving Larry Stone and a handful of superstar wine directors at sommelier Daniel Johnnes' La Paulee tasting. What do you get in Cab blended at a Burgundy event? Eighteen percent Cabernet Franc adds more blue fruit to the mix, with sweet figgy aromas and raspberry. Juicy, fresh and ready for the near-term. 2005 Terra Valentine Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon ($38) The oak's a bit forward now, but Terra Valentine's mountain vineyard wines have no shortage of tannic structure, so this can easily be laid down to mellow. Rich coffee, savory black olive and charred blackberry on the nose, with a rich, dense palate that moves to toast and fine, hefty tannins. - J.B. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/12/FDJD16TSQB.DTL -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *