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Varietal Voyage No.10 - 2008 Rosenblum Cellars "Kathy's Cuvée"

Up to this point we have tasted wines made from several different grapes including: Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Chardonnay. The fourth and final white varietal on this voyage brings us to Viognier!

This strange sounding varietal, pronounced Vee-yoh-N'YAY, is a finicky grape that is difficult to grow. Most prevalent in France's Rhone Valley, it has been grown with much success in many places around the world. The United states is one of these places but it has only been grown here for the past twenty years.

This week's Viognier is from Rosenblum Cellars. In 1978, Kent Rosenblum, his wife Kathy, and several friends founded Rosenblum Cellars. Using grapes sourced from several now famous vineyards, they quickly became known for top quality Zinfandels. Over the years Rosenblum has grown in size and popularity, producing numerous award winning wines. All of Kent's successes have earned him title: "King of Zin." Grape Radio interviewed the King of Zin recently, Click here to listen.

"Kathy's Cuvée," named after Kent's wife, is one in a series of wines called the Appellation Series. This particular wine is made from a blend of Viognier grapes from three different California appellations, each with very differnet soils and climatic conditions, rendering very different aromas and flavors.

The first thing you notice is how aromatic this wine is. As soon as the cork is removed, rich floral and tropical fruit aromas fill the room. The flavors are equally as rich and even more complex. Sue's described her first sips as "fireworks" exploding with different flavors. This is where the three appellations shine through. The cooler location (Fess Parker Vineyards, Santa Barbara) provides the structure with bright, citrus flavors and well balanced acidity, while the warmer areas (Ripken Vineyards, Lodi and Lange Twins Vineyards, Clarksburg) flesh it out with lush, ripe apricot and pear flavors. Careful aging in a variety of oak barrels and some time resting on lees offers a creamy, honey-like texture that reminds you of silk. All of these aspects blend together so well that you hardly notice its high alcohol content (14.5% ABV).

2008 Rosenblum Cellars "Kathy's Cuvée" ($18)

• 100% Viognier
• California (Clarksburg, Lodi, Santa Barbara)
• Rosenblum's Info Sheet

Varietal Voyage - See how it started...

2005 Boorman Estate Pinot Noir

Boorman Vineyards is a relatively new winery located in southern California's Temecula Valley. They are a very small operation (1,500 cases total) using state of the art equipment to craft their wines in small lots. Their focus is on creating a few unique wines with a degree of quality and finesse not found in larger operations. Boorman currently offers: Cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, including a few Bordeaux-style blends. They also make a unique pinot noir.

The 2005 Pinot Noir is a huge wine! When I say "huge" I mean heavy bodied flavors with lots of alcohol (14.5% ABV). Southern California's warm climate tends to produce much riper fruit than normally found in traditional pinot noirs. Boorman ferments their pinot noir for a longer period of time to breakdown the additional sugar in the ripe grapes, adding to the high alcohol content.

Tasting Notes:

The flavors and aromas are intense to say the least. Complex aromas of raisins, dark cherries, and pepper radiate from the glass. I compared this to a bottle of Leacock's 10 year Madeira and the aromas were almost identical, very unusual for pinot noir. Tart cherry flavors combine with black pepper and a healthy dose of tannins. I suggest decanting or aerating this one early to help soften the tannins. The high alcohol content adds a tremendous amount of heat to the finish, making the wine seem out of balance. This is more like a tenacious young zinfandel than the delicate pinot noirs I have become accustomed to. Hopefully the 2007 is a little more balanced.

Tres Hermanas 2003 Syrah

This is the second wine I've had from the Tres Hermanas Vineyard and Winery. The first was their wonderful sauvignon blanc that I tasted for Varietal Voyage No.1. Their 2003 syrah is equally as great!

Tres Hermanas is known for their French and Italian style red wines. In fact, the Central Coast AVA, where TH is located, has a very similar climate to France's Southern Rhone Valley where syrah is transformed into some of the world's most popular wines.

Tasting Notes:

This wine has all the hallmarks of a great syrah with its inky garnet color and a bouquet full of earthy and spicy aromas. The 2003 Syrah is a very complex wine that has a lot to offer, but it takes some time to fully understand and enjoy it. This one is full of jammy blackberries with many layers of smokey earth and herbal flavors. The long finish showcases its peppery spice and bittersweet chocolate. Pair this with a juicy grilled steak and you won't go wrong!

Varietal Voyage No.9 - 2005 Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils Meursault

The last Chardonnay on our list comes from the Burgundy region of France, or more specifically, Meursault, in the Côte de Beaune. Burgundy is typically associated with Pinot Noir, but it is equally known for Chardonnay. With the exception of Gamay and a little Aligoté, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the only two varietals allowed to grow here.

Meursault is the heart of white Burgundy (aka Chardonnay). The vineyards here grow in a great diversity of soil types. Everything from stony chalk, to gravely clay is present giving these wines great richness and complexity. The cool temperatures here keep the grapes from getting too ripe which helps the winemakers capture the natural flavors and acidity of the fruit.

In 1731 Michael Bourchard left his home in the French Alps and moved Volnay where he established himself as a cloth merchant. In 1751 Michael's son, Joseph, began his own business. Joseph, also a cloth merchant, sold Burgundian wines as well. It wasn't until 1775, when Joseph purchased the family's first vineyards in Volnay that they started to grow their own grapes and produce their own wine. After that, the rest is a very interesting history lesson. Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils now owns many properties in Burgundy, including vineyards in the Côte de Beaune, Côte de Nuits, Côte Chalonnaise, Côte Mâconnaise.

This complex wine had Sue and me scrambling to understand everything we had tasted. This surprisingly pale yellow Chardonnay provided many different layers to discover as it opened up throughout the evening. The fruit aromas and flavors are more discreet than the other Chardonnays. Peaches and honey were the most obvious flavors but there is a definite underpinning of fresh herbs and minerals. This puzzle of flavors balances nicely with the toasty notes imparted by oak fermentation and aging, and finishes off with a lingering dose tropical fruits.

2005 Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils Meursault

• 100% Chardonnay
• Meursault, Côte de Beaune

Varietal Voyage - See how it started...

2005 Oreana Central Coast Pinot Noir

Located in downtown Santa Barbara, the Oreana Winery is in a tricked out combination winery/warehouse/tasting room called “Cellar 205.” In the past several years they have crafted some very interesting and award winning wines. As part of California’s Central Coast AVA, they enjoy a cool maritime climate where Chardonnay and Pinot Noir flourish.

A few years ago I was lucky enough to buy a couple bottles of Oreana’s 2005 Central Coast Pinot Noir at a private tasting in Milwaukee hosted by David Breen. I didn’t realize how lucky I was until I heard that less than 100 cases were produced! This Thanksgiving seemed to be the perfect occasion to finally enjoy a bottle.

When we first open bottle we were immediately struck by rich cherry and spicy cinnamon aromatics. Pouring our first glasses of this dark red cherry colored Pinot Noir released even more of the wonderful aromas. This followed with juicy black cherry and currant flavors. The ripe red fruit and medium body made for a pleasing finish with just a little heat (14.1% ABV). A perfect pairing for Thanksgiving!

Wish I had bought more!

Shingleback "Black Bubbles" Sparkling Shiraz

Several months ago I learned about sparkling shiraz from a friend. The concept seemed interesting, so I filed it away in that dark place somewhere between my ears for future reference. As luck would have it, I spotted a bottle of Shingleback “Black Bubbles” Sparkling Shiraz at the Grapes & Tastes, the new wine shop that just opened in Cedarburg.

Shingleback Winery, in Australia’s McLaren Vale, produces many different wines, but Black Bubbles is their only sparkler. The winemakers at Shingleback blend together several vintages of shiraz to create a fruit-forward wine with relative complexity.

I brought this bottle to Thanksgiving dinner with my parents, where we enjoyed it as an aperitif. The first thing we noticed were the aromas of blackberries carried by the bubbles. The bubbles weren't quite black, but definitely on the deep purple side of the spectrum. Very ripe, sweet flavors of blackberries and currants balanced well with its mild acidity. The spicy character and soft tannins of the shiraz really came through in the finish. Make sure to keep it well chilled. We noticed the flavors begin to fall flat as it warms up.

Not bad for the first sparkling shiraz I've tried. This is an easy drinking wine, perfect for a summer barbecue or a nice pairing to a sweet chocolate dessert.

Shingleback "Black Bubbles" Sparkling Shiraz

• 100% Shiraz
• McLaren Vale, Australia
• Producer's Info Sheet