Thief Wine Blog

Last night’s tasting was of Beaux Freres’ 2007 Pinot Noirs, plus another moderately priced ‘07 Willamette Valley Pinot as a control. Though young, the wines showed their different personalities well and were quite expressive; the tasting went really well as a result. Overall, lots of fun. I poured all four wines at the same time, and everyone really enjoyed being able to go back and forth between the wines

I decanted all wines through a Vinturi aerator at 3:30 and put them back into bottle (again through the Vinturi) at 5:30 for pouring; I wanted to open up the wines as much as possible, since Beaux Freres is known for being exceptionally tight in youth (due to their reductive winemaking techniques, which also makes them quite ageworthy).

The first wine was Klee’s ‘07 Pinot – it’s a nice Willamette Pinot for under $20, and I threw it into the tsating because a)you can’t have a tasting with just three wines; and b) it’s a great point of reference to have a less-expensive wine when you’re tasting a bunch of expensive wines; it helps to have a point of comparison for just what makes the expensive wines worth it (or not, as the case may be). Bright sour cherry fruit, good acidity, nice balance, a really pretty wine.  It served its purpose well in highlighting the quality of the BF wines as well – going back to it after tasting the three other wines showcased a world of difference; the BFs are at an exponentially higher level, and the Klee seemed downright simple by comparison.

Beaux Freres 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot – sourced from their Upper Terrace and Beaux Freres VIneyards, along with a significant portion of fruit from the highly regarded Shea Vineyard and three other vineyards, the Willamette Valley is the most feminine and elegant of the three, yet still with great depth and structure. This wine had an appealing slight floral component, along with sweet strawberry, some brown spice, and high acidity. All three wines had pronounced acidity, actually – this will settle down and integrate in time; in a few years they will all be absolutely stunning. Long, smooth finish; great balance.

Beaux Freres 2007 Beaux Freres Vineyard Pinot – my favorite of the three for drinking right now. It had a really lush middle palate, with some notes of chocolate and brown sugar that were unique to this wine. Still noticeably tight and young, yet quite smooth. My allocation on this wine was a whopping six bottles; I sold three and we poured one, so I’ve only got two left. I think one might be headed for our personal cellar (along with a few of the Willamette; I was able to get better supply on that).

Beaux Freres 2007 Upper Terrace Vineyard Pinot – the Beaux Freres Vineyard was more of a Cotes de Beaune with its softness, while the Upper Terrace is more Cotes de Nuits. Brooding dark fruit and the most earthiness of the three, along with the acidity and structure common to all three. Over time this will ultimately be the best wine; even with decanting now it was very tightly wound. I’d love to taste this again in 6-8 years. Alas, my allocation was only two bottles – we opened one and I sold the other. I’ll see if I can get more.

In sum, Beaux Freres makes damn good Pinot; it was great to be able to experience them.

Winemaker Kenny Likitprakong stopped by Thief yesterday for a tasting of his three labels – Hobo, Folk Machine, and Banyan. We had a nice crowd of about 25 people – enough to keep him busy, but not too chaotic and intimate enough that everyone got a good chance to talk with him. I’ve been a fan of the wines for a while and we carry several of them in the shop already, but I’d never met Kenny. Super-nice guy; very mellow and down-to-earth, but charismatic and engaging, and he genuinely appreciated everyone’s interest in the wines.

Banyan 2007 Riesling, Santa Lucia Highlands: Dry and minerally, with lots of citrus notes,e specially lime, and hints of petrol. A good wine, but to me didn’t have the complexity of some other dry Rieslings we carry.

Folk Machine 2007 “Co-Conspirator”: A kitchen-sink white blend, full of tropical fruit – I got a lot of dried pineaplee out of the wine – but with nice acidity and balance. A fun wine, with more richness and depth than you’d expect at this price ($13.95); it’s showing really well now.

Banyan 2008 Gewurztraminer, Monterey: We’re pouring this one by the glass now, so I obviously like it quite a bit. Slightly sweet (15 g/L residual sugar), but with more acidity than most Gewurzes to balance it out. A little bit of floral, a lot of lychee fruit, and a bit of spice. Very clean in the mouth, not cloying at all. Lovely wine, especially for the price ($10.95)

Hobo 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley: Poured before the Zins because it’s a lighter style of Cab – very elegant, great acidity, moderate alcohol and tannins. Dark red berry and plum fruit, cassis, nice structure. It’s nice to have a Cab that’s not massively oaked and overly alcoholic. This wine was just released; we’ll carry it as soon as I find space on the shelves (which are getting quite full).

Hobo 2006 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel: An elegant style of Zin, and a nice contrast from the Rockpile. Classic Zin flavors of juicy brambly fruit and pepper, but with higher acid than most. Exceptionally food-friendly for a Zin.

Hobo 2006 Rockpile Zinfandel: From the tiny Rockpile appellation of Sonoma County, this wine was the big hit of the night. Rich and full, but not over-the-top jammy. Great body and structure; a serious Zin that’s eminently enjoyable.

I also tried his new 2008 Jeanne d’Arc, which is a Chenin-based blend from California; it’s absolutely delicious. It’s not in the market yet, but should be available in about three weeks.

Overflow crowd Tuesday for the Malbec tasting, almost too much. The wines were great, people were happy, but overall very hectic and harried, and I felt like we couldn’t give the level of service we strive for. So, we’ve decided to change the format of the tastings to provide a better customer experience – starting this coming week, we’re going to require RSVPs and break the tasting up into three seatings, at 4:30, 5:30, and 6:30, with a max of 15 per seating (which will leave some seats open for regular bar customers who aren’t there for the tasting). That should space things out and keep it manageable for us while giving us more time to spend with you discussing the wines.

Back to the Malbecs. I picked the wines to showcase different styles of Malbec, and was quite happy with how they turned out – all good, all unique.

Clos La Coutale 2006 Cahors, France: From the birthplace of Malbec; nice earthy rusticity to it, with dark plum, licorice, and a soft round mouthfeel. We’re out of the ‘06 vintage now but I’ll be tasting the ‘07 when it arrives in a week or two to see if it’s a worthy successor.

Maipe 2007 Malbec, Mendoza Argentina: The under $10 entry – not the most complex Malbec, but a great introduction to the Argentinean style. Much more fruit forward, with juicy dark blueberry fruit. Clean and pure, with low tannins (only 10% of the wine saw oak, and for only three months). Very well-made for the price.

Furque 2007 Malbec, Mendoza Argentina: A more rustic style for Argentina; flavor-wise, almost a combination of the first two. Nice structure, slight pleasant herbaceous (though not underripe) character, good structure, black fruit, licorice, and spice.

Vina Cobos 2007 “Felino” Malbec, Mendoza Argentina: This is Paul Hobbs’ Argentinean winery (he also consults for several others), and this wine showcases his rich, lush style. Big ripe fruit, some notes of creamy vanilla, spicy tannins, good acidity. This was a favorite among many at the tasting, and with good reason. (Actually, all were quite popular, if you judge by what people bought after the tasting; we sold about equal amounts of everything except the Catena, which sold less because it’s considerably more expensive.)

Orzada 2005 Malbec, Lontue Chile: This was the Cabernet-like entry, chosen because it showcases how structured and big Malbec can be. A significant amount of oak aging gave structure and power, and the few years of age on it integrated and softened it nicely. Smooth and full, with more of a black fruit profile than the other wines.

Bodega Catena Zapata 2005 Catena Alta Malbec, Mendoza Argentina: Qualitatively, the star of the tasting (which it should be, at $50). I chose this to show how good Malbec can be, and it delivered. Incredible aromatics on the wine – blueberry, mineral, violets, spice, slight chocolate – and a layered palate with loads of flavors and complexity. Great acidity and freshness; this wine will age well for another 6-8 years. Simply delicious.

I love Tempranillo – it’s an exceptionally versatile grape with a great range of flavors. Similar to Pinot Noir, another favorite, it’s very mutable with many different clones, and thus can be made in a variety of styles, ranging from lighter, almost Pinot-ish examples to full-bodied, high-alcohol, oaked examples closer to Cabernet Sauvignon. Additionally, producers in Spain can range from ultra-traditional winemaking styles (American oak, oxidative treatment, long barrel and bottle aging) to modern (more extraction, new French oak, fresher and cleaner style), adding further variety to the mix. The wines at a recent tasting showcased the full range – all delicious, all different.

Protocolo 2006 Tierra de Castilla ($7.95): A killer wine for under $10. Unoaked, so fresh, clean, and juicy, with fresh strawberry and cherry flavors, and a hint of Tempranillo’s classic leatheriness. This wine is routinely one of the most popular in the shop, and with good reason. Not incredibly complex, but tastes far more expensive than it is.

Puelles 2001 Rioja Reserva ($24.95): A big step up in quality (and a decent jump in price, so it should be). Reservas by law have to age at least one year in barrel and two in bottle, though most do more of each. This was a very well-made example of a traditional style, with more dried fruit and leather characteristics, yet still clean and with vibrant acidity. What I like about Puelles (a pretty tiny producer) is that their Reservas tastes like what Reservas should and their Crianzas (which we also carry; they spend less time in oak, current vintage is 2004) taste like Crianzas – too many Reservas taste like Crianzas that just spend longer in barrel, while this has the fruit to support it.

Paisajes 2004 “V” Rioja ($34.95): A modern-style Rioja, so a nice contrast to the Puelles. In 1998, Finca Allende, a highly regarded winery in Rioja, and Vila Viniteca, a fine wine shop in Barcelona, formed a partnership in La Rioja called ‘Paisajes y Viñedos’ (Landscapes & Vineyards), selecting each year different vineyards belonging to different owners and paying above-market prices to ensure the best grapes. Originally, the regional laws forbid printing the town, the vineyard or origin name on the label, so the winery gave each vineyard-designate wine a number to identify each type of ‘Paisajes’ (The laws have now changed; vineyard designates are allowed). The Paisajes V is from the Valsalado vineyard, a blend of 40% Tempranillo, 40% Garnacha, 10% Graciano, and 10% Mazuelo. Dark fruit, fairly full bodied, lively on the palate, much fruitier than the Puelles (because of the abundance of Grenache) yet still has that old-world chactacter of minerality and elegance. Personally my favorite wine of the night.

Emilio Moro 2005 Ribera del Duero ($29.95): A close second for my wine of the night. 100% Tempranillo, from the warmer Riberal del Duero region. Richer than Riojas; like a more concentrated version, with cherry, spice, earthiness, leather, still with that good acidity and brightness. Traditional producer, yet like the Puelles very clean and well made. (If I sound too positive about all the wines I write about for the tastings, it’s because I select them quite rigorously in advance so that we only feature wines that we believe are great examples for the region/varietal/style). 14.5% alcohol, but you wouldn’t know it by tasting. Impeccable balance, will drink well for several more years.

Numanthia Termes 2006 Toro: ($28.95): The modern counterpart to the Moro: Lush, fruit-forward, high-alcohol (15%; the maximum allowed by Toro law), new French oak. This 100% Tempranillo is a very cool wine. The Termes is Numanthia’s entry level wine – they also make a killer Numanthia (only two cases came into the state; we got one of them – old ungrafted vines, miniscule yields of 1.16 tons/acre; massive wine, smooth now, exceptionally ageworthy) and a ridiculously expensive Termanthia. The Termes is 30-year-old ungrafted vines, very low yields. Big dark fruit, lots of spicy oak; if you like Cab, you’ll love this. Slightly disjointed now in my opinion, but will integrate in 6-8 months and be delicious over the next 8 years. The winery was recently bought by LVMH (luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy), so we’ll see what happens.

For this tasting, we focused on the differences in qualty in white wines. We picked three varietals, two wines of each varietal served blind and in pairs; one of each was significantly more expensive (and thus theoretically higher quality). This was a fun tasting, and everyone enjoyed the blind aspect of it. Most people had a lot of difficulty picking the more expensive wine, which was interesting (and educational; once they knew what to look for and what the elements of a quality wine are, it got a lot easier).

Hanna 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley ($16.95): Crisp, citrus, high acid, zingy, slightly grassy, good minerality, long finish. Very well made cool-climate CA Sauv Blanc, with lots of fruit. This was the hardest pair for people to get right because the Hanna is a very nice wine at a reasonable price

Rochioli 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley ($34.95): The big difference that should have tipped people off is the partial barrel fermentation and oak aging – it added a depth of spiciness and structure, while the aging on lees in small barrels gave the wine a creaminess and richness that the Hanna didn’t have. Still great acidity and typicity; this was a lovely wine. Twice as good as the Hanna? Not at all, but definitely an exponential level up.

Dreyer 2006 Chardonnay, Sonoma County ($12.50): Clean and smooth, with pear and apple flavors and just a hint of oak. Not complex, but well made and doesn’t taste cheap. A great everyday Chardonnay.

Planeta 2005 Chardonnay, Sicily ($41.95): A bizarre wine. The color was deep gold; it looked totally oxidized and over the hill. Nose was bananas foster, with ripe roasted banana, brown sugar, and vanilla; the wine seemed like it would be sweet. Very rich on the palate, yet the acidity was vibrant and the wine was dry. An over-the-top style, with lots of vanilla, spicy toasty oak,  and a creamy, rich mouthfeel. It got better with time, too – the next day the acidity was more noticeable and the wine was more integrated. Not over the hill at all, just weird. People were divided on this – some absolutely loved it, while others thought it didn’t taste like Chardonnay at all.

Yalumba 2007 Viognier, Eden Valley ($18.50) & Darioush 2007 Viognier, Napa Valley ($40.95): Also a hard pair for people. Both wines had great peach and apricot fruit, good richness, and good acidity (important for Viognier; it’s naturally a low-acid grape and done poorly it can taste cloying and soft). We pour the Yalumba by the glass; it’s a great Viognier for under $20. The Darioush was a level up, though, with much more oakand the concentration to handle it. The barrel fermentation and aging gave a depth, layers of flavors, and structure that put it a good bit above the Yalumba, Again, twice as good? No, but unfortunately wine pricing doesn’t work that way – incremental levels in quality come at an exponential increase in price.

Like the red tasting a week later, this was enjoyed by all; we’ll definitely do it again.