The Cellar: California Steals Under $20

The Cellar: California Steals Under $20

The American winegrowing culture began in California and the state still leads the way both in terms of overall popularity, variety of wines produced, as well as combined sales. California's wine history goes back more than 200 years, to when Franciscan and Spanish explores settled in missionary outposts and planted small vineyards to supply wine for the settlers. Armed with a optimal growing conditions, 100 different grape varietals and the motto everything goes, you can expect to see continued great winemaking from the Golden State. This week we will explore Sonoma Chardonnay with a twist, a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from the spectacular ‘07 vintage and Petit Sirah from California’s Central Coast. 

2008 Valley of the Moon Unoaked Chardonnay

The backstory: The Russian River Valley is located in the heart of Sonoma County in California, just 55 miles north of San Francisco. The seasonal fog and the tempering effects of the ocean to the west give the

area an uncommonly long growing season, and create ideal conditions for cool-climate-loving grape varieties, particularly Chardonnay which accounts for 41% of all plantings. Like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay is often fermented and aged (briefly) in oak barrels helping it to take richer notes, creamier body and lengthier finish.

The wine: But not all Chardonnay is oak aged. In fact, the popularity of un-oaked Chardonnay is on the rise, mostly as a direct consequence of some winemakers taking their oak aging too far, producing diffused and overdone Chardonnay. The 2008 Valley of the Moon Unoaked Chardonnay is made of 100% whole cluster pressed Chardonnay grapes aged 5 months in stainless steel tanks. This wine has beautiful melon and lively flower aromas on the nose; no masking here. On the palate the wine is smooth and does a great job in striking that perfect balance between acidity and the sweet fruit and spice that is pronounced. The finish falls a bit short. (B)

2007 Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

The backstory: Napa Valley is California’s best-known wine region. One would think that the area is huge, but the fact is that Napa’s fame has been achieved by producing only 4% of California’s total wine. These days Napa is hated for its larger-than-life ego as much as it is loved, but with iconic wineries such as Opus One, Beringer, Robert Mondavi and Beaulieu Vineyard (among many) there is no denying the region's place

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in history and influence in today’s marketplace.

The wine: Finding a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for under $20 has never been easy and since WineSpectator Magazine's James Laube called the 2007 Napa vintage “the best-ever vintage for Cabernet," the quest has turned almost impossible. I was therefore happily surprised when I spoke to my local wine guy who assured me that even though ’07 Napa Cab’s are scarce, they are still around. He pointed me towards the 2007 Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, which is an 87% Cabernet and a mix of other grapes. While there are nice dark fruits on the nose I also detected an interesting vegetal component. On the palate I find this wine to be nicely balanced with a lot of subtleties, but very little popped out. There are nice toasty chocolate notes on the long finish (fyi... this is great with pizza). (B)

2007 Concannon Petite Sirah, Selected Vineyards, Central Coast

The backstory: Located along the Pacific Ocean halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Central Coast region spans from Santa Barbara to Monterey. This is California’s largest wine-growing region, producing the majority of California’s wine and home to some of the oldest wineries in the country. One of the greatest things about Central Coast wine is its diversity, both in terms of the number of grape varieties

grown, but also the number of different price points its wines are available at.

The wine: This week’s third and final wine is a great example of this diversity. Fifty years ago, Concannon Winery made the first commercially available Petite Sirah in the US. Over the years the Petite Sirah, of which they now produce four, has become the winery's flagship wine. The Selected Vineyards is their entry-level Petite Sirah, and for around $10 it is one I recommend you try. Petite Sirah grapes are smaller than your average-size grape - this increases the skin-to-juice ratio, which results in darker, oftentimes more acidic and tannic wine... not always a crowd pleaser. But the 2007 Concannon Petite Sirah, Selected Vineyards, is tamed and approachable. On the nose I get deep dark aromas. There is a nice dose of acidity on the initial attack, but then I sense a small flavor hole on the mid-palate, which thankfully turns into a lovely finishes with lingering chocolate covered dark fruits. (B-)

Enjoy!

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