The 2007 Lagrein ("la-grine") was conceived after Bill and his wife, Susan, experienced their first taste of this Alpine native on its own soil. While common in Northeast Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige region, lagrein is seldom seen elsewhere. It may be a cross between schiava and teroldego. Bill thinks his production is the largest outside of Italy.
In addition to being a bit of a stranger in a very strange land, lagrein results in wines, whether made here or there, that there is no neutrality about. Much like gewürztraminer, people either love it or loathe it. It typically has a very pungent, almost barnyardy, quality that many think is disgusting (to be honest about it), and others embrace. Regardless of which side of the fence one ends up on, the one thing that can be said about Bill's lagrein is that it would be accepted as authentic if a bottle were opened in Trento. High praise.
The ’07 Lagrein shows dusty, loamy and deep notes of blueberry, chocolate and orange peel. Its fresh acidity allows it to pair well with stews, and grilled and roasted meats.
STATS:
Alcohol 13.5%
1,040-case production
18 months neutral French oak
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California Wine Merchants
Royal Wine Merchants
Sea Grape Wine Shop
Dovetail
Henry's
L'École
So, as promised, the '10 arrived in '11 after a long wait in between vintages (the '07 was the last edition of this wine). The 2010 Viognier is Bill’s first vintage from a new vineyard source in the Russian River Valley. The previous six editions were from Lodi. Interestingly, Bill has long thought that Sonoma County was a bit too cool for this variety. But he found a beautifully situated vineyard and pulled up his Lodi viognier roots, so to speak.
The RRV version is NOTHING like its predecessors. I loved the '07 in spite of the fact that it simply wasn't very viognier-like. I love the 2010 more because it is viognier-like. Viognier, which had its 15 minutes in California about 15 years ago, is typically treated more like chardonnay. In other words, it's permitted to get quite ripe (with a corresponding high level of alcohol from those ripe grapes) and is oaked. In its native appellations in the Northern Rhône (Condrieu and Château Grillet), it's apt to be hit by lots and lots of oak, most of it brand new. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not.
The California versions, for the most part, were Condrieu knockoffs. But the problem was that our warmer growing season meant that those wines skewed toward the less-successful French versions. Bill countered by using only stainless steel in order to retain freshness, something that is crucial because viognier doesn't have the inherent acidity of many other white grapes. He also doesn't permit malolactic fermentation to take place, ensuring that the resulting wine will remain even fresher. (If you're interested in what malolactic fermentation is, do a search on the site.)
All of this means that the 2010 is much more recognizably viognier-like than its predecessors. Fragrant notes of honeydew melon and light citrus are framed by a ripe mouth-feel. It pairs well with exotically sauced fish and chicken dishes.
Alcohol 13.7%
500-case production
100% stainless steel fermentation; no malolactic; sustainably grown
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California Wine Merchants for $20.99/bottle
Brushstroke for $42/bottle
Dovetail for $62/bottle
L'Ecole, the restaurant of the French Culinary Institute for $42/bottle
Valerie’s Vineyard is a one-acre, single-vineyard, organically farmed Carneros Pinot Noir produced by a five-family-member partnership.
For those familiar with the 2006, the price of the '07 might be confusing. Unlike in the fantasy world of Bordeaux, one where prices always rise, regardless of the quality of the vintage, vagaries of Mother Nature, the economy or whatever, new releases typically don't reflect big price increases from year to year. Instead, there are incremental movements (usually, though not always, upward).
The 2007 Valerie's Vineyard Pinot is an exception to that rule. A peek at the production numbers in large measure explains it. Only 88 cases were made of the '07. There were 132 of the '06. Neither number is very big, obviously, but the difference between the two (33% for those keeping score) is big. Like anything, it costs money to make wine. When the winemaker is working with small batches of the stuff like Michael and Valerie Coats are, the less you make, the less bottles there are to spread costs around. And unless you're making thousands of bottles (minimum) instead of 1,000, there are no economies of scale to cushion the pain.
My "allocation" of the 2007 was 15 cases (it seems funny to use such a serious industry term in the case of Valerie's Vineyard, because outside of me in New York City, there is no other distribution other than on Michael and Valerie's home turf of Napa/Sonoma). I got 20 cases of the '06. And what's worse, there are only going to be 75 cases of the '08!
Is the '07 a "better" wine than the '06? Who knows? Though personally, I like the '07 a bit more than the '06. It all depends on what you like. Regardless, the '07 cost me more than the '06, so it will cost you more as well. Sorry.
The 2007 is intensely perfumed, exhibiting strawberry, raspberry and loamy notes framed by a tangy mouth-feel. It partners well with red meats, and thanks to its lovely balance, salmon as well.
88 cases produced
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First & Vine
Blue Hill
Print.
Toquade is French for “infatuation.” Christine Barbe is from Bordeaux, and makes this dry-farmed, single-vineyard SB in a style falling somewhere between Sancerre’s verve and Bordeaux Blanc's roundness. Her style is decidedly not Kiwi, however. No gooseberry/bubble gum stuff here. Just pure, transparent SB the way the grape's originators in the Loire intended.
The fruit comes from an organic, dry-farmed vineyard in Yountville that was planted in 1978.
The 2009 Toquade, thanks to a cooler and rainier growing season than usual, is less grassy and citric than its predecessors. Instead, it shows clean passionfruit and kiwi notes, buoyed by minerally acidity.
350 cases produced
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California Wine Merchants
First & Vine
Maslow6
Royal Wine Merchants
Blue Hill for
Brushstroke
Dovetail
Print.
Made up of 80% cab and 20% merlot, Anatomy No. 1 is a blend of fruit from several vineyards located predominantly in the Napa Valley’s southern half.
The 2007 Anatomy No. 1 is intensely fruit forward, but retains its balance with lively cherry, blackberry and tobacco leaf notes. It is vivacious and direct, making it food friendly and easy to drink.
250-case production; aging in 20% new French oak, 30% once- and 50% twice-used French oak.
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California Wine Merchants for $29.99/bottle
Embassy for $37.99/bottle
First & Vine for $32.99/bottle
Dovetail for $71/bottle
P.D. O'Hurley's @West End for $14/glass; $44/bottle
Kennedy's for $16/glass; $55/bottle
West Side Steakhouse for $55/bottle
Toquade is French for “infatuation.” Christine Barbe is from Bordeaux, and makes this dry-farmed, single-vineyard SB in a style falling somewhere between Sancerre’s verve and Bordeaux Blanc's roundness. Her style is decidedly not Kiwi, however. No gooseberry/bubble gum stuff here. Just pure, transparent SB the way the grape's originators in the Loire intended.
The fruit comes from an organic, dry-farmed vineyard in Yountville that was planted in 1978.
The 2008 Toquade is two wines in one: When chilled, it exhibits classic SB notes of cut grass, citrus and minerals. As it warms, apple and pear show themselves, though always with a continued citric tanginess.
250 cases produced
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Penn Wine & Spirits
Print.
P.D. O'Hurley's @ West End
Amazingly, the 2007 Rosé is Bill’s first stab at this category in more than 20 years. His only goal: Make a quaffable, dry rosé in the style that might be found in Provence. With a twist, that is. This rosé is a red wine drinker's pink wine. Meaning that it has far more wine-y attributes than you generally see in the category.
There are a few reasons for this. First and foremost, it's made of 100% syrah, a grape that can be grown in many places under many different growing conditions. That said, syrah doesn't make frivolous reds (or pinks). It's just not in the grape's DNA. So, what Bill was left with was real fruit for a real wine, one that just happens to be off-red in color.
The second crucial factor is that the wine doesn't undergo malolactic fermentation. This secondary fermentation (that is, second to the initial alcoholic fermentation in which yeast interacts with grape sugars and converts them to alcohol) is discussed throughout this website. The short version is that by not allowing the rudimentary wine to go through malo (the shorthand reference), it retains a sprightly freshness that it might have lost otherwise. This results in a zingy rosé with real wine-like character.
Bill would probably read this, and say, "Just shut up and drink it." Agreed.
WINE PROFILE:
Fresh and very clean combination of citrus and tropical fruit notes with a vivacious finish. Tasty and light enough to drink as an aperitif, it’s also an ideal match for spicy dishes, from Asian-inspired to barbecue.
400 cases produced
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Greene Grape Downtown for $17.75/bottle
The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges for $12/glass; $48/bottle
P.D. O'Hurley's @ West End for $13/glass; $32/bottle
The 2007 Viognier represents the sixth vintage from the same vineyard in Lodi. Bill strongly believes that viognier needs more warmth in the vineyard than Sonoma County can typically be assured of providing each year, thus he chose to source the fruit far afield from his base in the Alexander Valley.
Sadly, there will not be a 2008 or 2009 vintage. Arbios, perhaps suffering from a bit of viognier fatigue (it's not the most loyal of subjects), is taking a pass on these two years. But, weather permitting, there should be a '10. In '11, that is.
And to keep it in your mind's eye, here's a nice writeup about it: Viognier blog.
When served cool, the 2007 Viognier shows off its grapefruity tanginess; as it warms, the inherent body of viognier steps up with yellow flower and stone fruit accents. It’s an apt match for exotically sauced fish, chicken and white meat dishes.
613 cases produced
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Ehrlich's Wines & Liquors for $21/bottle SOLD OUT!!!
Greene Grape Downtown for $20.75/bottle SOLD OUT!!!
Dovetail for $62/bottle SOLD OUT!!!
Print. for $40/bottle SOLD OUT!!!
Harry’s Vineyard is located at 500 feet above sea level in Coombsville just east of the city of Napa. The soil is clay formed out of weathered volcanic rock.
The 2006 Harry’s Cab is reserved and earthy, and opens to plum and berry fruit, cedar and bittersweet chocolate notes. It is both approachable now and built to last thanks to its zesty, bay-influenced acidity.
221 cases produced
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Blue Hill Restaurant for $110/bottle