When we lived in Atlanta we visited “wine country” many times.  No visit was ever void of special moments.  Those special times when everything is relaxed and in order and it just feels good.  And there would usually be a glass of wine in hand.  But, living here all the time has made me wonder if we would still get to enjoy those special moments. Or, if tasting wine and relaxing at wineries would just become routine.

Luckily, that hasn’t happened.  A visit to Ma(i)sonry last Saturday made this even more true.  Ma(i)isonry is a tasting room/art gallery in downtown Yountville that pours 13 different artisan wine labels.  The service is top notch, which made the many wine choices you have easy to manage.  Taj (spelling? – pronounced “Ty”) and the rest of the team make the menu very easy to navigate.  We recommend setting the tasting menu aside and just go with their great recommendations. The outdoor seating area is very relaxing and inviting.

As we mentioned there are 13 different artisan producers they host and there were two that really stood out for us during this visit:

2009 Chester’s Anvil Sonoma Coast Chardonnay – this is a well-made, balanced Chardonnay that is unfined and unfiltered.  Only a hint of toast on the nose, mostly due to the aging on the lees, with pronounced citrus notes and minerality on the palate.

2007 Renteria Knittle Vineyard Pinot Noir – very aromatic, delicate, elegant, lots of red fruit from Carneros.  The palate is smooth and silky.

Many people ask us for recommendations on places to visit when they’re in the area. Ma(i)sonry has become a “must stop” on our list of places we will suggest.

Much has been written regarding the “speed dating” of wine tasting with wine bloggers in Walla Walla.  I especially like Josh’s take here at DrinkNectar.com.  Below are my quick notes from that event of the Whites that were presented, though I admit there are a few wines missing because I didn’t get any notes down in time.  That’s the risk of such a style of tasting:

LeCole 41 – 2008 Semillon – 89% Semillon, 11% Sauvignon Blanc – Columbia Valley – apricots, honey, lots of minerality on the finish… good acid.  Minerality + high latitude + longer hang time = mineral uptake.  The complex minerals historically were broken up and brought down by ancient glaciers.   Winery started in 1983, Mary became winemaker in 1989… one of first whites was Semillon.

Parducci – 2007 Sustainable White – Mendocino – Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli – Very floral nose.

Pithy Little Wine Co. – 2009 Sangiovese Rose – 98% Sangiovese, 2% Syrah – Strawberries, raspberries, and cherry.  Lightly pressed, add color with Syrah <– why?

Ortman, Paso Robles – 2007 Edna Valley Chardonnay -Bright, golden hue – Jonjie’s favorite

Pepperwood Grove (Don & Sons) – The Big Green Box, 15% growth based on Nielson… makes for awkward “pouring” while walking around the table, $19.99 – same for the Big House Octovin – not going to impress the ladies here gents!  Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc (10%) Viognier (splash) – Oak staves for 6 months – green nose, like opening a can of veggies (worked with Joe on this one), oak nose, partial malolactic fermentation

That looks awkward and semi-uncomfortable!

Longshadow – 2009 Riesling – very clear, pale yellow color, 1.3% RS, very sharp acidity = 3.05 pH

Maryhill – 2008 Viognier – great aromas, but toastyness from oak barrels doesn’t align with how I enjoy Viognier

Hogue Cellars – 2008 Genesis Chardonnay – unoaked, no malolactic fermentation therefore pretty crisp… all apples and pears… texture/brioche due to yeast lees.. light minerality on finish  $16

Buty – 2008 Semillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle – oak aged in old wood, completed malolactic fermentation… the color is bright yellow leaning toward chartreuse… nice acid, crisp, floral, honeysuckle

Dusted Valley – 2009 Columbia Valley  Rose – Sangiovese.  Deep salmon color… another good rose’…  raspberries and strawberries… distinct, aromatic, $18, great red fruit palate, finish stays strong.  Chad’s a good guy.

My favorites in this lineup were the Pithy Little Wine Co. 2009 Sangiovese Rose’ and the Hogue Cellars 2008 Genesis Chardonnay.

When most people think about Washington state, they are likely to conjure thoughts of the dreary, rainy confines of Seattle.  This makes sense as nearly 75% of the state’s population reside in the Puget Sound Lowlands.  However, when talking about winegrowing, 99% of the state’s grape production comes from vineyards east of the Cascade mountains where the climate is arid yielding a paltry 6-9 inches of rain a year.  Washington is the second largest premium wine producer, behind only California, and boasts more than 650 wineries and over 165,000 tons of grapes harvested in 2009.  The foundation for the state’s accelerated growth of quality grapes and wine can be found in the dirt and the air.

Geography and Geology 

While there are many books that can explain the depths of historical geological change in the area, I’ll briefly mention the Missoula floods here as described to me by local growers.   Roughly 15,000 years ago glacial dams positioned further north and east near the tip of Idaho and the Canadian border broke dozens of times and each time released powerful raging waters that transported dirt and rock through the region as they hurried southwesterly toward the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River.  The results are rocks, silt, silty loam, loamy silt and basalt imparting unique qualities to soils in this region leading to high quality wine grapes.  This uniqueness is evident when looking at a map of the American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) where several accumulate in the south-central portion of the state near the Columbia River where the floods travelled. 

Washington AVA Map

Rocky Soil

Climate 

As mentioned above, the eastern part of the state is pretty much a desert with very little precipitation, therefore, irrigation is absolutely necessary.  Grapevines can flourish and produce high quality fruit when a regulated deficit irrigation strategy is implemented.  Many find the use of irrigation controversial from a natural, conservation and “green” perspective.  While in Walla Walla last week, we were told there was a moratorium on water rights at least to the Red Mountain AVA, though news this week promised the region would receive re-directed water from the Yakima River by an approved $12.5 million project.  Currently, only 1,000 of 1,700 plant-able acres are cultivated in Red Mountain. 

Lucky for us, the temperatures for this time of year were very tolerable on this trip as highs were only in the mid to upper 80′s and lows in the 60s.  While the sun was generally hot at the peak of day, the breeze helped keep us cool.  Due to the higher latitude, there are more daylight hours, which we experienced as we awoke to sunshine at a brisk 5:00 am and witnessed sunset around 9:30pm.  The combination of more daylight and larger diurnal temperature differences allow grapes to hang longer on the vine, reach optimal ripeness when expected, improve complexity and achieve appropriate acid levels. 

Wines 

While Washington has historically been known for Riesling and Merlot, many wineries, such as Delille Cellars (and their second label, Doyenne), are going after European style blends emulating regions such as Cote Rotie, Chateneuf-du-Pape and Bordeaux.  There are unique white blends that include Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, Muscat Canelli, et al, providing for significant flowery and perfume aromas.  But, there are also a few wines that are overdone, manipulated, and single-dimensional.  Is it normal to add Syrah to your Sangiovese Rose’ to add color?  The leading white grapes produced in Washington are currently Riesling, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc while popular reds are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.  The bottom line is that many varieties are being grown successfully here resulting in very high quality wines, and provides a great selection for wine lovers to explore. 

What is your experience with wines from Washington? 

2007 Delille Chaleur Estate

When we visited Jordan Vineyards & Winery back in the Spring the newest releases were still over a month away and we settled on the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Chardonnay instead.  We were not disappointed, of course.  Since we did not have the opportunity to taste the new vintage releases during our visit, Lisa Mattson was gracious enough to send some samples [disclaimer!] for us to review once they were available on May 1st. 

As a reminder, here are my tasting notes from the visit that are contained in the hyperlinked story above along with some vintage highlights:

2007 Chardonnay– Apples, pears and hint of vanilla.  Chardonnay was aged on the yeast lees in French Oak, but the oak level is acceptable and adds just a bit of the vanilla and some texture in the mouth.  The wine is well-balanced, somewhat crisp and minerally on the end and paired well with the hamachi tuna provided by Chef Todd.  Bud break was early in 2007 leading to inconsistent berry set.  However, resulting smaller berries mean higher concentration meaning higher color and quality.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon– Dark, garnet hue.  Cigar box, blackberries and black cherries on the nose, with black fruits and cassis on the palate.  A lingering finish.  Breakdown: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot.  Fruit yields reached record levels in 2005, which allowed vineyard managers to drop as much unwanted fruit as necessary during the long and cool growing season which resulted in a very high quality vintage.

Here are my thoughts on the new releases:

2008 Chardonnay- Light straw hue, clean and bright.  Citrus, lemons and granny smith apples on the nose.  The palate presents apples pears and nice acid to make a well-balanced wine.  I was surprised at the crispness of this wine after hearing it was aged in French oak following 2 months aging on the lees.  However, only 55% oak was used and only 28% completed malo-lactic fermentation (MLF).  Both oak treatment and MLF lend buttery (from diacetyl) attributes to wine while sur-lie aging can also bring in some additional texture to the mouthfeel, yet the process applied here kept those sometimes overbearing characteristics in check.  2008 was similar to 2007 in that berries were smaller leading to more concentration of color, flavor and phenolics.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon- This is a Bordeaux blend, of course, and this one really had an old-world feel boasting black and red fruits with cassis and a highly mineral finish.  The mouthfeel was silky and supple.  The main difference in comparing my notes is the level of minerality I experienced and the lack of noticeable cedar.  Nothing to be worried about, but I wonder how that will change with more time in the bottle.  The 2006 growing season was more normal though yields were slightly less than average.  Red wine varieties were down 16% compared to 2005.  Higher temperatures later in season accelerated harvest but optimal ripeness levels were achieved and many are claiming this a quality vintage as well, but maybe a tad behind 2005.

John Jordan, Lisa Mattson and the rest of the crew are doing a fantastic job and I am glad I have re-discovered the Jordan experience and the wine.  Have you enjoyed Jordan wines or visited their winery?  If so, please tell me what you think in the comments below.

For a full 24-hour period this coming Thursday, May 6th, there may be tens of thousands of people across the planet drinking and tweeting about the Chardonnay in their glass.  They may be enjoying a Chablis, white Burgundy, a Blanc de Blancs Champagne, or simply a straight up Chardonnay from practically anywhere else.  Regardless, anyone who is anyone will be part of this unique event.  Don’t miss out!

If you happen to be new to his world of social media and Twitter, do not fret.  The video below gives you some options of what sites to use and how to follow along if you only want to “listen” to the conversation without actually signing up for a Twitter account.  However, we highly recommend you join in the discussion if you have an account because a wine party is about the wine and the conversation about the wine… is it not?