The Wine Hacker.com

Fenton Herriot Vineyards - the Best Kept Secret of El Dorado County!

Far off the beaten path, Fenton Herriott is one of the smaller wineries in the El Dorado area.  I only learned of them through taking a flyer and ordering one of their lovely wines off the menu at the Smith Flat House (arguably the best restaurant between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe).

One sunny Sunday, we went on a pilgrimage to find this wine mecca, and were not disappointed in our tasting experience. 

An overall observation - most El Dorado wineries specialize in wonderful reds and have a few token whites.   Fenton Herriot has a full selection of great whites, roses and reds, plus yummy dessert wines.  I have about five pages of tasting notes, so will attempt to condense them down to what I found to be the very best of the best (although every wine I tasted here was excellent).

On the "white and light" side, we loved the 2015 Gewurtztraminer for its purity, perfumey floral nose and rich creamy, peach, mango and citrus flavor with the hint of spice for which Gewurtz is famous.  A tiny hint of earth in the finish gives it character and complexity.   And a most interesting blend - the Jane Way Lot 4 , tones down the sweetness of the Gewurtztraminer by adding Chardonnay.  This wine had a beautiful light straw color, a floral and spicy nose, and nice acidity with some white pepper and nectarine flavors in the finish. 

I usually hate Rose', but the 2016 Rose' captured my fancy with a nice salmon color, only 1% residual sugar (so not sickeningly sweet like a lot of pink wines), and cranberry/strawberry flavors with a hint of nutmeg.  At $18 a bottle, this is truly a bargain!

On the red side (always my favorite), we LOVED the 2014 Sangiovese and scored a few bottles of it for our Italian meals.   Only 100 cases were made and at $23/bottle, we suggest getting them while they are available.  This Italian wine has a rich cedar and licorice nose, with forward flavors of spice, oak (was cellared in 25% refurbished oak), black cherry, dark chocolate and mixed berries.  A long, satisfying finish rounds out the experience of tasting this fine wine. 

Velvety and rich, the 2014 Syrah is a medium-bodied and delightful wine with a dark, garnet color and rich flavors of coffee, dark cherries, plum, elderberries, and just a hint of vanilla and eggnog.  This wine is rich and warm, and would be an excellent accompaniment for just about any type of meal (yeah - I don't think I would serve it with hot dogs, so as a qualifier, let's say any ELEGANT meal). 

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon was the star of the red wine show, with a beautiful forest and olive nose, early flavors of Honeydew melon erupting into rich fruit-forward flavors of blackberry, cassis, oaky vanilla, and blueberry jam with just a hint of cardamom.  At $30/bottle, we felt it out performed many of the $100/bottle Cabs we have had, and were happy to score a bottle of this wonderful stuff. 

Our tasting included three outstanding dessert wines as well; the standout here was the 2015 CC Ruby Syrah of which only 63 cases were produced.   I tasted silky, rich chocolate cherry flavors with a hint of cocoa bark and mint.  It is very different from most dessert wines, and is totally free from the "raisiny" flavor that many inferior dessert wines have.  It is a deep garnet color, and would be great with vanilla ice cream or as a nightcap (preferably while in a hot tub). 

Only in the Silicon Valley.......Guns and Chardonnay

Photographer husband Bert Johnson believes that local and regional signs have great significance as social commentary, he is on a world pilgrimage taking pictures of meaningful signs and found this one right in our neighborhood. The Sunnyvale, California shooting gallery near Steven's Creek Dam  has this to say.   Just hope the Chardonnay came later, AFTER the shotguns....

 

  [Photo Credit:  Bert Johnson]

One Mighty Cold Wine Hack for Halloween

Happy Halloween 2012!   Halloween is my favorite holiday, always has and always will be.   I love the scary movies, great treats, haunted houses and little trick or treaters.  And I love the beginning of the holidays, when decorations are broken out of storage and reverie begins. 

The chilly fall weather is mirrored perfectly by a glass of chilled Chardonnay, which is a wonderful libation to enjoy while stringing spider webs or ghost lights.  But alas, how do you chill your wine quickly without diluting its nice lemony flavor?

My neighbor Beverly showed me the best trick in the world for this -  we sipped Chardonnay chilled to perfection while she showed me her Halloween spirit and beautiful centerpiece. 

Her secret?  Frozen green grapes in your glass keep your wine chilled without melting and diluting the flavor.  Wine stores sell "wine rocks" for storing in your freezer for the same purpose, but the grapes are not only cheaper, but you can eat them when you are finished. 

Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries work well too - and add a nice touch to your glass of wine.  We enjoyed a nice but simple glass of Kendall Jackson 2010 Chardonnay with our green grapes and Halloween decorations.  

Or, you can invite a friendly ghost to come touch your glass - Moooohaaaaaaaaaahaaaaa!!!!!  

Happy Halloween Everyone! 

 

The California Beach Boys and the 2011 Jason Stephens Estate Chardonnay

Every year in September, the growing town of Morgan Hill holds a wonderful food, music, crafts, and wine festival called "The Taste of Morgan Hill". This year, festival-goers were blessed with great weather, a wonderful car show, and a headliner band called "The California Beach Boys".  A tribute band to the original Beach Boys, they were so close to the original that I had to blink twice to keep from seeing Brian Wilson on the stage!

The outdoor Morgan Hill stage had a lovely little wine stand, featuring a wide choice of local South County wines and souvenir "Taste of Morgan Hill" wines.   The bright happy sounds of the Beach Boys called for a nice white wine like a Chardonnay - although many red drinkers were in the crowd.  Having just enjoyed a nice Cabernet from the Jason-Stephens Winery, I opted for the 2011 Estate Chardonnay from this local Gilroy landmark. 

 Wow!  What a bright, happy, tropical wine!  It was the perfect accompaniment to the balmy night, overhead stars, and Beach Boys harmonies.  I tasted vanilla ice cream, pineapple, banana, and papaya flavors in this light, lemon colored glass of heaven.  In my beautiful Taste of Morgan Hill souvenir glass, I could see its exceptional clarity and light honey color.   One note, although I loved this wine, it was a little sweet for hubby so not everyone would enjoy it as much as I did.   It is considerably "off-dry" for a Chardonnay, but perfect for a tropical night or island adventure.  

This relatively new winery (formed in 2008), is one to watch in the future.  

Food Pairings: A great choice for anything light, this wine pairs nicely with a fruit salad, a fruit and cheese plate, a pear-blue cheese-candied walnut salad, or a Chinese chicken salad. 

Music Pairings: Beach Boys Baby!! 

Other Pairings:  Cruise ship trekking, an island luau, a pig roast, or an outdoor pool party.  

Our Sweet Neighbor, Murphy's California, and the 2010 Stevenot Chardonnay

If you have read earlier blog posts of mine, you have probably read about my quest to find the perfect bottle of Chardonnay for my very sweet "83 years young" neighbor.  She enjoys a glass of Chardonnay in her beautiful garden every night before bedtime, and is always bringing us something delectable from her kitchen. 

During a Memorial Day trip to Arnold and Murphys, California - I visited the tasting room of Stevenot Winery, where I managed to find a wonderful nightshirt that reads, "Wine Takes the Bitch out of Me".  I also found this incredible Chardonnay that Beverly tells me was my best "score" for her of the entire summer.  

My tasting notes (yes, it has been a while since Memorial Day), read that this wine was very smooth with just a hint of oak, lemon, and butter.   It was light without feeling like a Sauvignon Blanc, but not too heavy - just nicely balanced.   

Several weeks ago, when Beverly's daughter visited from Oregon, she opened the bottle I brought her for all to share.   I was amazed to find that it tasted even better than I remembered it.  Beverly served it chilled, with fresh berries in every flowered glass.   This was a particularly nice touch, and it blended very well with the fresh brie and crackers she offered on her garden table.    

I would definitely recommend this wine as one of the best Chardonnays I have ever tasted.

Food Pairings:  A light shrimp scampi would be fabulous with this wine, as would rock cornish game hans glazed with apricot jam and roasted in a 350 oven for 40 minutes.   I really enjoyed it with brie, crackers, and almonds.   A parsley crusted Tilapia filet also comes to mind, as the fresh parsley flavors would complete the bright fruit in the wine. 

Music Pairings:  The music of Bay Area local Christian Tamburr would be lovely while sipping this Chardonnay - I really enjoy his light touch and lively, progressive jazz sounds.  Vivaldi's Four Seasons - Spring selection would be wonderful with this wine as well. 

Other Pairings: This was the ideal end-of-summer garden party wine, sipping something so fruity and well-balanced is particularly enjoyable while looking at the harvest moon and gardens.   

Where to Buy: You can find this wine at the winery or winery website .   Finding it elsewhere is a bit trickier, as it appears the winery ownership is changing hands.  I suggest keeping your eyes peeled at Bevmo or local wine shops.   

A Great White for a Great Little Old Lady - the Cuvaison 2010 S Block

Last weekend, my husband and I went to Napa for some well-earned rest and wine tasting.  Our very sweet, 83 years young neighbor just loves her Chardonnay; she has a glass every night before going to bed while reading or enjoying her lovely garden.  We made it a mission to get her the perfect bottle of Chardonnay as a souvenir from our trip, immediately I made a beeline for Cuvaison with many fond memories of lovely whites dancing in my head. 

The 2010 S Block Chardonnay did not disappoint us; rich and creamy, with a light, fruity fore palate - this wine was paradoxically both simple and complex, providing a perfect finish for the sophisticated white drinker.  I tasted toasted oak, nutmeg, and rich pecan flavors in the mid palate, with a "perfumey" nose and beautiful honeydew melon, fig, and apricot fruit.  Definitely not yet another boring buttery and lemony Chardonnay! 

We tucked a bottle of lovely wine under our arm, and carried it back to the South Bay as a gift for our wonderful friend.   At last account, she enjoyed it this week along with her summer garden and blooming flowers.  

Cuvaison is also a very classy winery - with great wine stewards and a lovely ambiance.  I recommend visiting when in Napa.  

Food Pairings:  A wonderful brunch wine, I would pair this wine with Quiche Lorraine, a creamy fruit salad,or a proscuitto wrapped melon appetizer.   It is rich enough to pair with a main dish also,  such as a Pasta Alfredo or even a Seafood Lasagna.  

Other Pairings:   This is a "little old lady reading a mystery novel" type of wine, just spicy enough to go with the great mystery, but light enough not to be overwhelming.   It would be perfect to drink while wearing a stylish hat, or admiring lovely roses.  I would sip it slowly while  making jewelry (that is, if I made jewelry), or while reviewing a color palette for what to paint the living room. 

Where to Buy: You can buy this from the winery directly at http://www.cuvaison.com/.