Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

We could easily have stopped with the Réserve Personnelle, and I would have felt I had gotten more than my money’s worth from the seminar, but there were four more wines lined up in front of me.

Change le Merle Vielles Vignes 2007, Bosquet des Papes, presented by Nicolas Boiron, proprieter and winemaker.  Blend 88% grenache, 8% Mourvèdre and $% syrah grown on three parcels, Gardioles, Montredon and Cabriéres.  The vines are 90+ years old, and the wine is aged 14 months in a combination of demi-muids and foudres.  Only 750 cases were produced.

The Chante le Merle Cuvée was first produced in 1990 by Maurice Boiron, the third generation of the Boiron family to helm Bosquet des Papes, and since then he, and now his son Nicholas who took over the winemaking in 2000, produces the Cuvée only in those vintages that he feels deserve it.

The color is a dark ruby color with some lovely deep red notes when the wine catches the light.  The nose is very soft with light notes of fruit, particularly cherry.  In the mouth, the wine is soft, lush, lightly fruity and very spicy with strong notes of pepper and cumin.  This is a very big, robust wine, a “steakhouse wine,” if you will.  The finish lingers with the warm toasty spiciness of the cumin.  Soft tannins help give the wine a nice balance and complexity.  Overall this was another one of the eyes-rolling-back-in-the-head, wish-I-could-afford-these-wines moments and I immediately texted Kevin, who, I am sure, was heartily sick of my taunting him with “you should be here” texts.

Vielle Vignes 2007, Domaine de la Côte d l’Ange, presented by John Junguenet.  Blend 90% grenache, 5% syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, grown on the parcel for which the domaine is named: Le Coteau de l’Ange.  the age of the vines is 95 years, and the wines are aged for 12 months in foudres and 2-3 year old barrels.  600 cases were produced.

The Vielle Vignes gave the Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Cuvée du Mon Aïeul a run for it’s money for the top spot as my favorite of the day.  Even revisiting the Cuvée in a back-to-back tasting, I was hard pressed to choose between the two.  I’d call it a tie, but as I tasted and compared, I realized if I was going to recommend one wine to Kevin from the entire group, this would be it.

The color is a dark garnet, not as bright as the previous wine, but still a lovely color.  The nose is soft and very light with notes of sea air – that bright salty crispness you often find in sea air.  In the mouth, the wine is smooth and fruity, although I found it difficult to isolate particular notes.  The finish is also smooth and lightly fruity and while another robust wine, it lacks the spice found in the Chante le Merle.  It was a very interesting contrast to taste the two back to back.

Cuvée du Quet 2007, Mas de Boislauzon, presented by Daniel Chaussy, proprieter and winemaker.  The blend is 80% grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, grown on the Bois Lauzon parcel.  The wine is aged for 16 months in a 50/50 combination of foudres and 3-year old barrels.

Daniel Chaussy, who runs the winery with his sister Christine, first produced the Cuvée in 2000 as a showcase for the Mouvèdre, with the base of the wine (60-70%) being old-vine Mouvèdre.  In 2007, he flipped that and increased the percentage of grenache.  The result earned the Cuvée 100 points from Robert Parker.

The color is a deep ruby/garnet.  The nose is earthy, rich and almost loamy – a really lovely nose with a much stronger presence than that of the previous few wines.  In the mouth, the wine is dry, earthy and elegant – lovely notes of grass and a lot of spice, particularly the sharper heat of pepper.  The finish lingers on peppery notes.  The wine still has the feel of a young wine, and while definitely drinkable now, I very much felt the potential, and think that this will really transform and blossom with aging.  Overall, while not a bad wine, I found it not as strong or as interesting as some of the other wines in the selection.

Les Petits Pieds d’Armand 2007, Domaine Olivier Hillaire.  Presented by Olivier Hillaire and translated by John Junguenet.  Blend, 100% grenache grown on a single parcel, Le Crau.   The vines are just over 100 years old, and the wine is aged 14 months in demi-muids.  330 cases were produced.

The color is a dark ruby, with a dense opaque tone.  While a lovely color, the wine doesn’t catch the light in quite the same way as a number of the other wines.  The nose is absolutely gorgeous – soft but complex; earthy, spicy and notes of dark berries.  In the mouth the wine is smooth with lovely, soft, rich notes of dark plum.  The sharp spicy heat of pepper comes with the finish providing an interesting complement to the soft plumminess.  Very, very nice wine, and like all the wines I tried that day, will definitely grow in depth and complexity as it ages.

That concluded the seminar, 10 Chateauneuf-du-Papes from the remarkable 2007 vintage, that near-perfect year.  Since returning from the seminar, I’ve been doing some hunting via Google to see if I can pick up at least a couple of bottles to cellar for a few years.  Even as young as they are, these are not cheap wines – most start in the low $100s and move up from there.  They also are not widely available, due both to the relatively low number of cases produced and limited distribution here in the US.  Luckily I live on the East Coast, near New York, and am sorely tempted to head down to the city, cruise the wine shops, and see what I can find.

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

The seminar proceeded rather leisurely; we were provided with plenty of time to enjoy each wine before moving on to the next one.  Also. the Junguenets were generous with their pourings, providing full half glasses of each wine, rather than the usual few ounces I’d found with other seminars.  It meant that most wines were left unfinished on the table (or I wouldn’t have made it home that afternoon), but there was plenty of opportunity to not only taste the wines, but also to revisit them, doing quick side-by-side comparisons of ones that were particular favorites.

After the Reserve Sixtine, we moved on to

Cuvée Vielle Vigne, Domaine de la Charbonnière, presented by Veronique Maret, daughter of proprieter and winemaker  Michel Maret.  Blend 70% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre grown on two parcels, La Crau and Charbonnière.   The age of the vines averages 65-70 years old, with a few being almost 100 years.  The wine is aged in both foudres and barrels for 12-18 months.  4,000 cases were produced.

The wine itself is a dark ruby color, with an earthy, lightly musty nose that I found really pleasant.  In the mouth, the Cuvée is earthy and spicy, with strong notes of pepper that linger through a very long finish.   Strong tannins and an overall “young” feel to the wine kept it from immediately being one of my favorites of the afternoon, but I was definitely intrigued enough to want to revisit the wine in a few years.  This is one that I may try to track down and cellar a few bottles just to see how it ages.

The Domaine de la Charbonnière will be celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2012.  Originally purchased by current winemaker Michel Maret’s grandfather, Eugene, as a present for his wife, herself the daughter of a Chateauneuf-du-Pape winemaker, the estate has been family owned ever since.  Under the propriertorship of Michel Maret the domain has, in the words of Alain Junguenet, become one “of the upper echelon of Chateauneuf-du-Pape estates.”

Cuvée de Mon Aïeul 2007, Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils, presented by John Junguenet.  The Domaine is a relatively new one, founded in the 1940s by Francis Usseglio, who had left his native Piedmont in 1931 to work in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape vineyards.  He produced his first vintage in 1949, and soon was joined by his son, Pierre, for whom the domain is now named.  Francis’s grandsons, Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio today run the estate are the Domaine’s principal winemakers, who designed this wine as an homage to their grandfather.  The age of the vines is 80 years, and the wine is fermented for 14 months in cement tanks, with 10% being aged in 1-3 year old oak barrels. 1,500 cases were produced.

The Cuvée is a blend of 95% grenache and 5% syrah, grown across four parcels: Grand Serres, Les Serres, Esquirons, and Les Bédines.  The is a medium-dark ruby color, a bit more vibrant and not as deep a color as the previous Cuvée.  The nose is earthy, musty, and has light spice notes, particularly pepper and a hint of the toasty warmth of cumin.

With one sip this wine went immediately to the top of my favorites list.  Definitely one of the eyes-rolling-back-in-the-head moments that I tormented Kevin with all day.  This is an absolutely beautiful wine, smooth with deep rich notes of dark fruits particularly black cherry and blackberry.  The mouth feel is lush and satiny, and the wine really expands and blossoms in the mouth.  The finish moves to notes of spice and toast and lingers on the palate.

Unfortunately a bit out of my price range at an average of $150 per bottle, but one I will definitely keep on the list for a future indulgence.

Réserve Personnelle 2007, Le Vieux Donjon, presented by Claire Michel, daughter of proprietor and winemaker, Lucien Michel.   This was one of the highlights of the seminar.  As the name suggests, the 2007 Réserve was produced as a private wine, just for the family.  Only 600 cases were produced, and none were released for sale.  However, because of the Michel’s longstanding relationship with Alain Junguenet, who we were told begged to have the wine included in the seminar, the Michels did agree to release a case.

The blend is 90% grenache and 10% syrah, grown on the Pied-Long (Pielons) parcel, the oldest parcel of the domain.  The vines are between 95 and 100 years old, and the wine was aged for 15 months in foudres.   Described by Claire Michel as a very traditional wine, the color is a lovely jewel-tone ruby.  The nose is earthy with discernible notes of grass and hay.  In the mouth, the wine is soft and fruity with a soft peppery finish.   The oak adds a soft butteriness, rather than the toast or licorice notes I had been finding in the previous wines, and it contributed to an overall soft, silky mouth feel.

I found myself comparing it to the Usseglio Cuvée we had just sampled, and even went back to the previous wine to try a back-to-back tasting.  Both are very impressive wines, but I found the Usseglio just edged out the Réserve for the top spot on my list.

Coming Thursday: The Final Four

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

If there was one theme we kept hearing throughout the seminar it was “2007 was as perfect a year for growing wine as one could hope for.”  Despite experiencing one of the worst droughts in more than 20 years (only 1.38″ of rain between June and mid-September), the consistently mild temperatures (average of 73ο F) and over 20 days of strong, cool Mistral winds blowing across the Rhone Valley which kept the vines from drying out after the rains, resulted in near-perfect growing conditions across the region.  As a result, the 2007 vintage is consistently one of the best across all Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers.

Joining Alain and John Junguenet in leading us through this exploration of the 2007 vintage were many of the winemakers or winery owners.  A couple only spoke French, but it was a rare and fascinating treat to hear their impressions of the wines we were tasting.  We kicked off with the

Hommage à Henry Tacussel 2007, Domaine Moulin-Tacussel.  Presented by Didier Latour, the cellarmaster and winemaker at Henry Tacussel.  Blend: 93% Grenache, 7% Syrah; Parcel: Charbonnière.   The Charbonnière parcel has a mix of Galet (rocky) soil in the higher elevations and sandy in the lower.  The vines are between 80 and 90 years old and were planted by Henry Tacussel, who created the domaine in the late 19th century.   The wine is aged in oak barrels for twelve months, and only 1800 bottles were produced.

The color is a rich, dark purple.  The nose is earthy with very discernible notes of pepper.  In the mouth, the wine has light notes of cherry, and the mouth feel is smooth, rich and full.  There’s a slightly sharp finish that I felt primarily in the top and back of the mouth, but that should soften with cellaring and when paired with food.

Réserve Spéciale, Château Fortia.  Presented by winery manager, Pierre Pastre.  The domaine was founded by Baron Le Roy de Boiseaumarie, the man credited with organizing the region’s winemakers in 1936 and creating France’s first AOC, and is now owned by his son, Bruno Le Roy, who is also Fortia’s winemaker.   The domaine, and the parcel, are named for the castle, Château Fortia, that sits on the land, and the estate is one of the few whose vines and cellar are all within the same parcel.

Blend: 85% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre; Parcel: Fortiasse.   This average age of the syrah vines is 35-36 years, with the Mourvèdre averaging just over 50 years. Château Fortia vinifies the wine in cement tanks before aging for 14 months in oak barrels.  While not a common blend for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I found this one of the more interesting wines of the seminar.  The color is a very dark purple/dark ruby color, almost black.  The nose was very soft with deep rich notes of blackberry and black currant.  In the mouth, the flavors are layered but well balanced, with notes of blackberry, black currant and a gaminess which I found quite interesting.  Pastre described the gamey notes as touches of venison, and I must say they provided an interesting richness and depth.   The wine opens in the mouth, and finishes with notes of black licorice.   While definitely drinkable now, the wine was designed to be aged 10-15 years, and production was limited to only 250 cases in an attempt to improve the overall quality.

Réserve Sixtine 2007, Cuvée du Vatican.  Presented by John Junguenet.  Cuvée du Vatican is owned by Jean-Marc Diffonty, who is both proprieter and winemaker, heir to a long family history of winemaking which dates back to the 17th century.   Diffonty’s father, Félicien, also served as Châteauneuf’s mayor for more than 30 years.   Jean-Marc Diffonty took over the winery from his father in 1993, and since then has been credited with bringing “the estate a very long way in the last 14 years” (source: Alain Junguenet Selection Seminar Notes).  He was the first winemaker in the appellation to have a punch-down machine, designing his own machine.

The Réserve Sixtine 2007 is a blend of 55% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre grown on three parcels: La Crau, Barbe d’Asnes, and Rayas.  The age of the vines is roughly 60 years, and a blend of grapes are gown in each parcel, allowing for a blend of terroir in addition to the blend of grape.   The Réserve Sixtine is a relatively newer wine for Diffonty, who first began producing it in 1998.  Diffonty also uses a relatively high percentage of new oak in his wines, aging the wine for 12 months in a combination of  foudres (40%), new oak barrels (30%) and stainless steel tanks (30%).  2,009 cases were produced.

Like the previous two wines the color is a dark purple, but leaning more towards shades of dark plum rather than ruby.  The nose is soft with very discernible notes of cherry.  In the mouth, the wine is bright, but elegant with a lush mouth feel.  The cherry is also present on the palate and there are notes of pepper on the finish, which lingers beautifully in the mouth.  While I liked the wine, I did feel it was still young, and would definitely benefit from cellaring.

Tuesday, 4.20.2010 – the exploration of the 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Papes continues.

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

At the time of this writing, the Red Mountain AVA is, indeed, the smallest appellation in the State of Washington, although if the trend of designating smaller and smaller sub-regions continues we will eventually have every block of vineyard considered unique.  The appellation is located in both the Yakima and Columbia Valley AVAs in Benton County, Washington between the towns of Benton City and Richland.  This area has 4,040 acres, 600 of which are under cultivation.

Appropriately enough given the name of the appellation, the area is known primarily for its high quality red varietals including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah.  It is believed the quality comes from the Southwest facing slopes which are warmer than typical for the Columbia Valley and cool evenings which preserve the acid levels within the grapes.  Additionally the gravelly soil with high levels of calcium carbonate and acidic soils help to balance the flavors and concentrate the berry flavors of the grapes.  Is this how the mountain got its name?  No.  It is named for the wine red color that the native cheatgrass turns in the spring.

Wine began to be produced on the Mountain in the 1970s with John Williams of Kiona Vineyards and Jim Holmes (now) of Ciel du Chaval.  There are now 13 wineries including:

• Blackwoood Canyon
• Buckmaster Cellars
• Canon del Sol Winery
• Col Solare Winery
• Corvus Cellars
• Goedhardt Family Winery
• Hedges Cellars
• Hightower Cellars
• Kiona Vineyards and Winery
• Oakwood Cellars and WInery
• Seth Ryan Winery
• Tapteil Vineyard
• Terra Blanca Winery

The total acreage in the AVA under cultivation is 14.85% of the total… imagine the wines that could be produced from 15% or 20%!

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

I don’t think it is news to anyone that I love wine. Ok. Stop laughing already. I SAID it wouldn’t be news. And as much as I love local wine, I love trying wine from all over the world. Is this inconsistent with my locapour ways? Not at all… I refer to it as the Tip O’Neil Corollary, when speaking of politics, Speaker O’Neil once famously pointed out that “All politics are local”. And I believe that the same holds true with wine. It is local to somebody.

when I got a chance to try some wine from the “local” vineyards of the Clare Valley of Australia, I naturally jumped at the chance.

The wine is produced by Some Young Punks. Already, you know that I was enjoying this. Their name alone, indicates to me that while they love their wine, they don’t take themselves too seriously. The wine was the 2007 Passion Has Red Lips which was a Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend. I thought it was earthy, almost leathery. 1500 cases were produced. The artwork was taken from an old pulp fiction novel, Sin On Wheels.

I am hoping to find more of it soon.

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Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

I hate this time of year. I can’t hit the road and explore the way I would like to as there are too many things going on here. (Birthdays, Superbowls, etc.) So, instead? I make plans and dream of hitting the road.

And with a trip to Washington State coming up at the end of the June that gives me some time to think about where I will be going. Washington is full of viticultural areas that are mostly part of the larger Columbia Valley AVA. I am working on exploring the smaller viticultural areas first.. and began with Walla Walla since that is where I will be visiting.

This time, I am exploring the Yakima Valley. Years ago, Kevin and I drove around parts of Washington State and got pretty close to Yakima. It was an amazing place. Highly irrigated, the area is a fruit belt. Orchards of apples, peaches and even a town called Apricot (which we passed). The rest of the area not being irrigated looks like a moonscape. It is dry and desolate and I was amazed by the difference between the lush valleys and bleak hills.

That being said, the area is home to nearly 50 wineries and has cultivated wine grapes since 1869. The main varietals planted are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Lemberger, Sangiovese, Malbec, Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris and Viognier.

Hopefully, I will be able see some of these wineries on my trip west. Oh, and like my map of of the Central Delaware Valley AVA, I find a recognizable shape in this map. Instead of a dragon, today, I see a whale. In fact, given that I grew up on the East Coast, I see Fudgie The Whale, the beloved ice cream cake shape from Carvel. I won’t test this theory by inverting the shape to see if I can identify the equally beloved Cookie Puss. But you East Coasters will understand my drift….

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Continued from Thursday, October 15, 2009

Villa Milagro’s wines, in addition to being organic, are all European-style wines.  The Gambinos have eschewed the American hybrid varietals that you find so often in the Northeast, and have planted 11 acres of Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.  They have no plans to expand their holdings or production, preferring to focus on artisanal wines that they sell exclusively through the winery.

Villa Milagro produces five wines: one white, one blush and three reds, and in keeping with Audrey’s California heritage, all of the wines have Spanish names.  They are currently serving the last of their 2006 vintage, with the 2007 vintage scheduled for release around Thanksgiving of this year.

While we very much enjoyed our visit to the winery and our time with Audrey Gambino, both Maree and I were underwhelmed by the wines.  They all show promise, but in general we found them on the light side.  As both the vines and the winery matures, I would anticipate the wines becoming more complex as well.

The tasting kicked off with Villa Milagro’s sole white, a Chardonnay…

Dos Luz 2006 This is a very smooth Chardonnay.  In fact, one of the hallmark characteristics of all the Villa Milagro wines is their smoothness, which I believe contributed to our disappointment with the wines we tasted.  The wines were almost too smooth, lacking the acid that would give them balance and depth.  Aged for two years in stainless steel tanks, the Dos Luz is a light-bodied Chardonnay with a very soft, subtle nose and light notes of citrus on the palate.  I would have liked to find a bit of a “kick” on the end, and without it, the wine felt a bit flat.

Roja Dulce 2006 Roja Dulce, which means “sweet red,” blends Cabernet Franc with other, sweeter grapes to produce a fruity, slightly sweet Cabernet Franc.  The nose is pleasantly fruity, with interesting notes of strawberry.  Dry, with just a touch of sweetness, the Roja has a slight tartness and touch of acid at the end which gives the wine some character.   This was my favorite of the four Villa Milagro wines.

Sombra 2006 A medium-bodied Shiraz blend, the Sombra, like all the reds, is oak-aged for 24 months.  There are light notes of cherry in both the nose and the mouth, and the oak is stronger here than in either the Roja Dulce or the Suave, contributing smokey notes, particularly in the mouth.  I found myself writing “young” in my notes, and I suspect this wine will do better if cellared for a few years and then allowed to breathe before serving.

Suave 2006 The last wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon blend.  Suave, which is Spanish for smooth, is a medium-bodied red with both berry and chocolate in the nose.  In the mouth, cherry is the predominant note with a light toastiness from the oak.  The finish is light and slightly tart, and like the Sombra, I anticipate this wine will improve with additional aging.

We stayed a bit longer to chat with Audrey before saying a fond farewell to Commander Cody and heading north to continue the adventure…

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Continued from Thursday, September 17, 2009.

Both Maree and I prefer reds, so we carefully coordinated our selections to ensure we got to try as many of them as possible.

Under the Alba Vineyards label, the winery produces three reds: Old Mill Red, Chambourcin, and a Pinot Noir.  Unfortunately the Chambourcin was temporarily out of stock, so we each selected one of the other two.

Old Mill Red Described as a “chianti-style” wine, this is a very drinkable, pleasant red table wine.  Made from a blend of Marechal Foch and Chambourcin, with a bit of Merlot and Cabernet Franc thrown in, the wine is aged in american oak for 8-10 months.  The nose is rich with strong notes of dark berries and plum.  In the mouth there are also discernible notes of plum, and the oak provides a smoky finish.  I felt the wine would definitely benefit if allowed to breathe, as it was there was a sharpness in the mouth that is often found in wines with a strong percentage of Marechal Foch, and that usually mellows when allowed to breathe for 30 minutes or so.

2004 Pinot Noir The vineyard has only recently planted Pinot Noir grapes, and this is one of Alba’s first pressings.  For the 2004 vintage, the grapes came primarily from the New York Finger Lakes area and the Williamette Valley in Oregon.  The wine is a medium-bodied wine, although on the lighter side of medium.  There are lovely notes of cherry both in the nose and in the mouth, and there’s an interesting tanginess at the end.  This struck me as a young wine, and I wasn’t surprised to find that Alba has only just begun working in Pinot Noir.  For a newer wine, it is interesting, though, and I believe future vintages will grow richer and more complex.

Next we proceeded to the Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah of Chelsea Cellars.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon This was a lovely, very drinkable wine.  Medium-bodied with a soft dark-plum nose, the wine is rich and soft in the mouth.  On the palate the notes of plum are nicely balanced by touches of pepper and spice.  This would pair well with a wide variety of foods and should age well.  Definitely one of my favorites of the afternoon.

2005 Syrah I’ve been gravitating towards Cabernet Franc and Syrah lately, and the Chelsea Cellars Syrah didn’t disappoint.  The color is a dark red/purple – almost plum color.  The nose is smooth and light with notes of both cherry and plum.  Medium-bodied, in the mouth the wine has definite notes of plum and light notes of cherry which give it a brightness and freshness.  The finish is smooth with a nice balance of acid.  While I did like this wine, I definitely preferred the Cabernet, finding it a more interesting and complex wine.

We finished up the tasting with selections from among the Dessert wines.  Maree, who loves blueberries and had never tried blueberry wine, gave that one a whirl.  I, who have been tasting a fair amount of fruit wines lately, went with the Dolcina, an ice-wine style dessert wine.

Blueberry Wine When they say blueberry, they aren’t kidding.  The smell and taste of blueberry is predominant in both the nose and mouth.  Interestingly, though, it’s not overwhelming.  Like their Apple and Raspberry wines, Alba’s Blueberry wine is sweetened solely from the fruit and the result is a flavor that comes very close to blueberries straight from the vine.  It’s a rich, deep flavor that evokes … summer.  This will pair exceptionally well with chocolate or cheesecake as well as with fruit and cheese.  It would also be good sipped on it’s own as an aperitif.  Winner of the 2009 Governor’s Cup for Best Dessert wine.

Dolcina Described as an “ice-wine” style, the grapes are harvested late in the season (but not technically late-harvest) and cyrogenically frozen to produce that rich, velvety sweetness that one finds in ice wines.  The nose has notes of honey and apricot, and the mouth feel is soft and smooth.  In the mouth, the notes apricot and honey blend harmoniously, with neither one being predominant.  Definitely a nice dessert wine, but I found it didn’t have the depth and character of the true Ice Wines of the Niagara region or Germany.

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Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

Gene Ventimiglia, patriarch and principal winemaker of Ventimiglia Vineyards, is a third-generation winemaker, having learned the craft from his grandfather, who emigrated from Italy in the early part of the 20th century.   In the 1920s, the elder Ventimiglia, a member of a local Italian-American Club, produced wine for the club throughout the Prohibition era.  With the demise of Prohibition in 1933, Ventimiglia continued to produce wine, albeit legally now, and passed the traditional hand-crafted winemaking methods he learned in Italy down to his grandson, Gene, who after growing up in Patterson, New Jersey, opted to continue the family traditions here on the East Coast.

As for the Ventimiglia Reds, Gene has produced a very interesting collection of California and New Jersey table wines:

Rocky Ridge Red 2006 The Rocky Ridge Red is a bland of eight different grapes, all grown locally in New Jersey.  It is cold-fermented and aged in oak, and like all of the Ventimiglia Reds it is unfined and unfiltered.  The nose is bright and fruity, and in the mouth there are lovely notes of dark berries and stone fruits.  The wine has a slight tartness, which gives it a piquancy.

Chambourcin 2007 A Gold Medal Winner at the 2009 NJ Wine Competition, this is a very interesting wine.  Chambourcin with a slight blend of Syrah, Merlot and a little Sangiovese, this is a medium-bodied wine with a lovely deep ruby color.  The nose is bright and fruity, and the mouth-feel is lovely and full.  Aged for 16 months in French and Hungarian oak, there are notes of dark berries, particularly blackberry, in the mouth, with a light pepper finish.  95% of the grapes are grown locally in New Jersey, making this one of three of Ventimiglia’s New Jersey Reds.

Syrah 2007 The last of Ventimiglia’s New Jersey Reds, the Syrah is made from grapes grown in vineyards directly across the street from Jon Bon Jovi’s house.  Gene has added just a touch of Grenache to the Syrah and the result is a lovely medium-bodied wine with a delicate, fruity nose, a smooth, soft mouth-feel, and light cherry notes on the palate.  The Syrah will pair well with a wide range of food, and will also cellar nicely.

Carignane 2006 This was my first taste of a Carignane wine, as despite it being one of the most planted grapes in France, it is often used for blending rather than as the primary grape.  Medium-bodied with a soft mouth-feel and notes of stone fruits on the palate, it is designed to be a “companion” or table-wine, and is Gene Ventimiglia’s favorite everyday wine.  It shares many of the characteristics of a good European (French or Italian) table wine – interesting and lightly complex, without being overpowering, it will pair well with a wide variety of foods.

Merlot 2006 Made from California grapes, the Merlot has a bright nose with notes of plum and cherry, and a lovely soft fruitiness in the mouth that is balanced by a slightly acidic finish.   A nice wine, but not as interesting as the Syrah, Carignane, Chambourcin or Cabernet Franc.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Also made from California grapes, this is a full-bodied wine with a lovely deep garnet color.  The nose is sharp and tangy, and in the mouth the wine is soft with nice notes of plum and a smoky, spicy, slight tobacco finish.  The finish also lingers beautifully, and the wine grows more complex and interesting with each sip.

Cabernet Franc 2006 The afternoon ended with the 2006 Cabernet Franc, one of my favorites of the day.  Aged in French Oak, the wine ages an additional 3 years in the bottle.  Made in the Bordeaux-style,  this is a full-bodied, dry red.  The nose is earthy with a slight mustiness, and in the mouth the wine is rich, full, with notes of grass and berries and a strong earthiness that gives it depth and character.   Very interesting wine.

A smaller winery, tucked in the northwest corner of the State, Ventimiglia is worth a stop.  While I definitely had my favorites from among the selection, none of the wines disappointed.

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THE REDSMarguerite BarrettContributing WriterSome of the more interesting finds among the Reds at the Sun Winefest included:Greenpoint Shiraz 2005 Australia Nice smooth, earthy Shiraz. Has a slight bite at the end, but I suspect pairing it with food will do much to smooth that out.Lot 205 Petite Sirah California Deep plum color, rich and fruity. Detected notes of berries.  One of the wines I starred for future purchase.Alma Negra Bonarda Malbec Chile  A blend of 60% bonarda and 40% malbec grapes, this is smooth, earthy, dry wine.   It finishes with a slight bite that is a hallmark of Malbec grapes.  Interesting wine.  I also really liked the label, and when I asked about it, the distributor informed me that Alma Negra refers to “Other face,” and the label was designed to evoke that sense of mystery.Faustina V Reserva Rioja Spain According to the distributor the Faustina V Reserva is a Rioja made in the “traditional style.”  Aged in French Oak, the wine is earthy and deep, with a slight mustiness to the nose.   We were encouraged to taste it back-to-back with the…Condesa de Leganza Crianza Spain  A tempranillo from the La Mancha region of Spain, this is a deep, rich, fruity wine.  Very smooth, with a rich, complex bouquet, the distributor described it as being more in the spirit of California wines.  It was interesting to taste the two wines back-to-back; the rioja with its strong earthiness and the tempranillo with its bright fruitiness.  Even given the differences attributed to the grapes and the regions, it’s an interesting juxtaposition of different styles of winemakeing.Chateau d’Aussieres Vin de Pays Ausseries D’Oc Rouge 2006 Languedoc-Rousillon A medium-bodied red with a rich, earthy bouquet.   Like the 2006 Blanc, a nice table wine.Avia Shiraz Chile Medium-bodied, smooth wine.  Priced under $10 US, this is a nice affordable every-day red.Avia Merlot Chile Another medium-bodied red, with nice notes of berries.  Also priced under $10 US, a nice affordable Merlot.  I used to drink Chilean wines more frequently than I have been lately.  While I’ve never found large selections of Chilean wines unless I go to a large wine specialty store, it does seem like fewer and fewer Chilean wines are available in local shops and outlets these days.  It’s a shame, because as I found with these two wines, the Chilean reds are smooth, interesting wines that are very affordable.Windmill Estates Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi From the Michael~David Family of Wines, the Old Vine Zin is fruity, with strong notes of cherry and plum in both the bouquet and on the palate; overall a really nice Zin, but not a standout like their more recognized wine…7 Deadly Zins  Lodi Michael~David’s “flagship wine,” this is a wine I’ve had often before.  A combination of zinfandel grapes from 7 different wineries (hence the name), this is a rich, fruity, absolutely gorgeous wine.  One of my all time favorite zins. Save This Page

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