What is so surprising about Lake County wines? The surprise is that they're interesting, well-made, and reasonably priced.
Twenty-one wineries from Lake County (just north and east of Napa) showed off their recent vintages at a tasting in San Francisco in September. We only had a chance to sample about a third of the offerings, but came away with a desire to visit Lake County to explore others.
The whites had a light touch. Sauvignon Blancs predominated but there were some lightly oaked Chardonnays. The reds exhibited bold flavors and nuances created by some interesting variety combinations.
Langtry Estate and Vineyards had one of our favorite white wines. The 2011 Guenoc Sauvignon Blanc was made from the Musque clone, from the Loire Valley, so it had some characteristics of a Sancerre. It showed terrific fruit at the start, continued with hints of the minerality you would find in its French cousins, and finished with dry grapefruit notes. At $16 a bottle it seems like a great option.
Among the red wines offered, Rosa D'Oro had two interesting bottles. The 2010 Primitivo (Italian Zinfandel) was a full-bodied wine with ripe berry flavors and the peppery accent you would expect from a Zinfandel. It is priced at $20. The 2010 Aglianico (an Italian variety related to Cabernet) was a substantial mouthful. The fruit was well balanced, there was a bit of earthiness, and the firm tannins should allow it to age well. It costs $24 a bottle.
Steele Wines showed off an interesting blend called Outcast Red ($22), which included Syrah, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Barbera, and Petit Verdot. The bold, dark fruits were balanced nicely by earthy tones for a spectacular taste.
Another fascinating blend was a joint production of Shannon Ridge Winery and Vigilance Winery. The 2010 Dalliance ($19.99) is a blend of Zinfandel, Barbera, Syrah, Tempranillo and Grenache. It lures you with a spectacular deep color and aromas of blackberry and cherry. Here again, the blending of grapes with varying characteristics results in a complex, full-bodied wine with balanced fruit, a mellow taste and a dry finish.
Lake County wineries produce small quantities each year that are not as widely distributed as their better-known counterparts from Napa. But if you can find them you will discover they are well made and worth a taste.
For more information visit the Lake County Winery Association at www.lakecountywineries.org.
Before I could leave Colorado I had to try some of the state's wine. There are more than 40 wineries in Colorado but unfortunately I only had the chance to check out one. Fortunately it was a good one: Bookcliff Vineyards.
Bookcliff Vineyards was founded in 1999 by husband and wife John Garlich and Ulla Merz. Their 33 acre vineyard is located in an area of western Colorado known as "the Vinelands," a place where grapes were grown in the early 1900s.
The tasting room is located inside their fermentation and bottling facility, a relatively small warehouse in North Boulder. When I walked inside I was greeted by Justin Jannusch, Bookcliff's assistant winemaker who also led the tasting. It was intimate and informal, the perfect atmosphere for enjoying a tasting.
Bookcliff grows 10 varietals (Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling, Muscat Blanc, Orange Muscat, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Black Muscat), and has an impressive range of wines for its size. In the tasting room I had a hard time narrowing down the choice of wines to taste among the 16 offered.
I decided to start with two whites. The 2008 Viognier ($16) was a delicious introduction to Colorado wines. Flavors of lime and honeydew give way to a clean finish that had just a hint of spice. Next was the 2008 Riesling ($14), sweet yet light with notes of green apple and a crisp finish.
Moving on to the reds, my first wine was the 2004 Merlot ($14). With its fresh red fruit flavors, it reminded me of the Merlot from Long Island that I enjoyed during my trip to the North Fork. Next I really liked Friday's Folly ($11), an upbeat red blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah), that has bright cherry and plum flavors. It's smooth and very easy to drink, making it a great wine for pizza or pasta.
I was almost surprised at how much I enjoyed the 2008 Tempranillo ($25). It has lively flavors of cherry and red plum rounded out by cedar and vanilla.
My favorite of Bookcliff's reds was the 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve ($25). Raspberry, black cherry and plum flavors finish with a hint of smoke and spice. Gentle tannins give the wine a smooth mouthfeel. Like all of Bookcliff's reds, this wine is very versatile and can pair with a variety of meat and pasta dishes.
I ended the tasting with the Finali ($20), a port-style dessert wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes. Fruit forward with some spiciness and sweet without being syrupy, this wine goes well with dessert or on its own.
As I was savoring the wines Justin gave me a tour of the facility, showing me everything from the crusher and destemmer to the bottle labeling and corking machines. It was nice making a personal connection to the winemaking process at Bookcliff, and it really enhanced my tasting experience. I definitely recommend visiting the tasting room or vineyard, or pick up one of their wines if you travel to Colorado.
For more information on Bookcliff Vineyards visit bookcliffvineyards.com.
Spanish Tempranillo can be a tough varietal for some red wine drinkers. Its flavors range from bright red fruits to earth and spice, to strong and musty barnyard notes. If those last flavors have turned you off to Tempranillo, the 2000 Ribereño Tempranillo will get you to come back.
Ribereño Tempranillo is from Ribera del Duero in north central Spain. It's made with 100% Tempranillo grapes and aged for 4 months in American oak.
The 2000 Ribereño Tempranillo has a nice balance of fruit and rustic Old World characteristics. For a wine that costs less than $15, it's surprisingly lush and layered.
Aromas of red fruits and spice introduce flavors of plum, raspberries and dried cherries. These give way to earthy notes of cinnamon, tobacco and a hint of cedar. Well-integrated tannins give the wine a silky mouthfeel and make it easy to drink. The finish is lingering and pleasant.
The 2000 Ribereño Tempranillo is a food-friendly wine that works well with a variety of grilled meats and tomato-based dishes. Pair it with chicken, pork, lamb, beef and stews.
A bottle of the 2000 Ribereño Tempranillo costs around $11.
Bodegas Farina Returns to the U.S.
For years the wines of Bodegas Fariña have been one of Spain's best kept secrets. But now the winery that put Toro on the map as an important wine making region is returning to the United States.
Last month I had the opportunity to meet winemaker Manuel Fariña and taste several of the current releases. Mr. Fariña, who inherited the winery from his father in the late 1960s, comes across as friendly and passionate about winemaking. His somewhat reserved demeanor hides his truly impressive achievements. Mr. Fariña is considered the founding father of the Toro wine region and played a key role in the region's modernization. He was the first to install stainless steel fermentation tanks, the first to implement temperature-controlled fermentation and the first to use a destemmer. Mr. Fariña also moved up the grape harvest by one month to September, which resulted in more elegant wines with lower alcohol levels (13% to 13.5% instead of 17% monsters).
Today Mr. Fariña and his son Bernardo produce wines that celebrate Toro's native grape: Tinta de Toro. You'll know it elsewhere in Spain as Tempranillo. In tasting Bodegas Fariña's wine, it's interesting to see how the flavor of Tinta de Toro can vary dramatically with oak and aging.
Though Bodegas Fariña primarily produces red wines (as do other wineries in Toro), its white wine shouldn't be overlooked. The Colegiata White is 100% Malvasia. It's a perfect Miami wine — aromatic and refreshing, ideal for sipping outside on a hot evening. Crisp flavors of green apple and white peach are balanced with mineral notes and lively acidity. It's a nice match for seafood, salads and soft cheeses.
The Colegiata Rosado is the bridge between Bodegas Fariña's whites and reds. It's made from 100% Tinta de Toro. The skins remain in the juice for 12 hours, giving the wine a deep pink color. The Colegiata Rosado is a rosé for red wine drinkers. Packed with strawberry and raspberry flavors, it tastes more like a light red wine. It pairs nicely with seafood, salads and white meats.
The Colegiata Tinta de Toro displays all the characteristics of the Tinta de Toro grape. Like the white and rosé, it is fermented in stainless steel tanks. This fruit-driven wine is bursting with red fruit flavors. Juicy cherries, raspberries and strawberries are enhanced by good acidity and soft tannins. This wine is very versatile and is a nice alternative to Pinot Noir. Pair this with meat dishes, pasta and cheese.
For a more sophisticated red, try the Gran Colegiata Barrica. It's 100% Tinta de Toro from approximately 30 year old vines and is aged for four months in 50% French oak and 50% American oak. The wine is elegant and well balanced with ripe berry flavors and a hint of violet. Subtle oak flavors give the wine extra complexity. The Gran Colegiata Barrica pairs nicely with grilled chicken, lamb and beef.
The crème de la crème of Bodegas Fariña is the Gran Colegiata Campus. It's 100% Tinta de Toro handpicked from pre-phylloxera vines that are between 70 and 140 years old. The wine spends 15 months in 50% premium new French oak and 50% premium American oak. The final product is a muscular yet elegant wine with a lush, three dimensional taste that you'll want to savor for a long time. Intense flavors of cherry, plum and raspberry mix with licorice, spice, vanilla and tobacco. Enjoy this with grilled meats and deeply flavored foods.
Bodegas Fariña wines start around $10 to $15, with some of the barrel-aged reds costing in the $40 to $50 price range. The wines will be available first in Florida, then elsewhere in the country.
For more information visit bodegasfarina.com.