The Wine Hacker.com

Looking for a Big Italian for New Years? Wine, That is? Try the Findleton 2018 Primitivo

The folks at Findleton Estate Winery here in El Dorado County have done it again!  The 2018 Primitivo is BEYOND yummy - with rich flavors of ripe black plum, dark cherry, blackberry jam and just a hint of all spice.  It wins the distinction of being my favorite Findleton wine for the season, and it had LOTS of competition as Findleton makes great red and white varietals.  

Crystal clear, it has a beautiful dark purplish-ruby color.  it is not a dry red, but also doesn't fall into the category of overly sweet.   We love good Italian varietals, so for us it has just a perfect amount of sweetness and forward fruit.  It is bold but not too bold, and has the rich complexity we love in Italian wines. 

Not being able to settle for just one bottle, we have served it several meals including BBQ St Louis Ribs - it complimented the sweetness in the sauce perfectly and added a touch of class to our country meal.  We have also found it to be a fabulous lasagna and pasta wine.  My husband Bert's favorite food is lasagna, so we were delighted to find a new lasagna wine that didn't either overpower the sauce or clash with it. 

Findleton is offering tasting flights outdoors during our pandemic, but is best to check by calling them first as this changes from day to day as we move in and out of Purple Covid status.   Here, you can see the rich color of all of our pours during our November tasting.   

At $26/bottle, this wonderful libation can be purchased online here, if you are unable to come to Camino, CA to taste and purchase directly.  A comparable Sonoma or Napa County wine would be at least four times this cost! 

Happy New Year to all! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Great Video from One of My Favorite Wine Makers - Mike Owen from Crystal Basin

Back in the dark ages of Silicon Valley - Mike was once the guy at one of my customers' who beat me up on price, as he was CFO of a prominent early stage company.  Now, I am buying his wines!    Mike has a lot of wisdom to share and some award winning red wines, as well as a great sense of humor 

https://crystalbasin.com/category/videos/

 

 

Listen to the "Grapefather" for Amazing Italian Wines in El Dorado County

One bright January day, I stumbled upon this handsome gentlemen at the newly opened Nello Olivio tasting room in Camino,  CA off Highway 50.  He was the epitome of grace and finesse, and invited me to join him in some libations left over from a wine club event that had just been held.  I had just tasted his wines, and immediately joined the "Wine Mob" as I just couldn't get enough of the big, earthy reds offered!  Also , wine club members can use this beautiful room as well as a gorgeous "cave" at the Placerville location that was just the site for my husband Bert's 65th birthday held this July.  

And the wine we opened that day?  It is now a library wine as it was a double Gold medal winner; the 2015 Sagrantino.  I tasted it that day in January, bought it and hid it to save it for Bert's party.  I mostly hid it from myself -if I had seen it in plain site it never would have made it till July!  Sagrantino is a rare treat, as it is an Italian varietal only grown by a few wineries in the US.  Until recently, it was almost exclusively grown in Umbria, Italy.

It was the perfect birthday treat - rich with a lovely berry nose, heavy but smooth and rich tannins, and plummy with hints of earth, cinnamon, leather, and just a touch of fine oolong tea.  Our friends loved it, and ran to the tasting room to try the 2016 Sagrantino.  Not quite as big or elegant, but still a very fine wine and a great find.  

If you are looking for a light summer wine, another one enjoyed at our party was the 2016 Bianconello.  It is simply delightful chilled!  It's perfect if you want a dry white that is not lemony, buttery or heavy.   I also loved the Dieci and the Sangiovese.   

If you visit Camino OR Placerville, be sure to stop in and visit the "Grapefather".  The reds are fantastic, and the ambiance wonderful.    

And now, for something completely different (to quote Monty Python) - here is a little video they showed us in the Placerville tasting room.   Yes, he really IS the Grapefather!  

 

Enjoy!! 

 

 

 

 

2019 Open House Party at Madrona Vineyards - Fun In Spite of Rain

Sunday was a cold, rainy day in El Dorado County - but spirits were bright at the annual Madrona Vineyards Open House!  Here is a small video I took - there was a small live band playing so may be a little tough to hear.   Turn up your speakers, and get ready to stand in line for those Malbec futures. 

 

 

Love Red Blends? Visit Gold Hill Vineyard and Brewery in Placerville, CA

Yesterday was a fun Saturday as it was wine pick up day at Gold Hill Vineyard   We LOVE Gold Hill for its picturesque setting, idyllic countryside picnic opportunities, and WONDERFUL wines and beers.  Here are some more of my new VLOGs describing our visit and red blend tasting/comparison:

 

Watch Video

 

  

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Remember, Gold Hill is a MUST for any wine lover who visits El Dorado County!

 

 

 

 

Pizza Night at Via Romano in Camino, CA is FAB!

One of our favorite wineries here in El Dorado County is Via Romano, and for the first time ever, our busy schedules allowed us to attend their bi-monthly pizza night.     Jon and Leanne, the winemakers, purchased an Italian style pizza oven that cranks out unique and delightful creations about every ten minutes for the duration of the event.   What a great time we had!  The pizzas ranged from a traditional pepperoni and red sauce with cheese to a delightful pesto, tomato and arugula creation.  They even had wonderful, piping hot calzones oozing with cheese and veggies.  Nothing is better than this, fresh from the oven and enjoyed on the winery patio under the stars.  

If you want to attend these events, I suggest booking early as they sell out fast.  Live music is featured every pizza night, we got to listen to Wanderlodge from Oregon, which was a folksy, southern rocky kinda small town band with a style all their own.   And you have to be quick as the pizzas get put on the table in front of the oven where hungry guests dive bomb them.  The veggie pizzas don't go quite as quickly as the meat ones do, but are every bit as delicious. 

We enjoyed the new 2015 Sangiovese with our dinner and it was just lovely, with big jammy flavors and the rich complexity that Italian wines bring to the table in spades.  It perfectly complimented our delicious pizzas, and the night was just fabulous.  

The only down side was that I did a great VLOG of this event that I lost as I was just learning my video blogging platform.....which was upsetting.   Next time...

 

 

 

 

Chateau Davell Moves to Beautiful "New Digs"

Last weekend we stopped at Chateau Davell's brand new tasting room on our way to a jam sess in the Bay Area to pick up a friend's wine club shipment.  WOW!!  The view is spectacular, the grounds peaceful and inviting, and the wines are as good as ever.  

I am posting my first ever VLOG or video blog on our visit - which is here:  

Watch Video

 

Two of our favorites were the 2015 Charlotte's Cuvee and the 2015 Verlyn.  The winemaker, Erik, names his wines after members of his family and includes beautiful portraits of them on every bottle.   Charlotte is his daughter, and she was happily doing cartwheels on the front lawn while we sipped her namesake wine.   Verlyn is Erik's grandfather.

We are definitely blend people, and both these wines are blends.  The Charlotte is an Estate wine and a blend of Cabernet, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.  Our friend John Worley served it at our jam sess where it was definitely a hit.   It has an inky deep reddish garnet color with a blonde coffee noise, big fruity middle tones, and a cardamom and clove finish.  It is both delicate and rich at the same time, and the blend has created just the right amount of lightness and complexity. 

The Verlyn is a stronger, heavier wine, with 45% Mourvedre and 25% Grenache.   It has solid, structured tannins and would cellar well.  I tasted cedar, toasted oak, rich black cherry and pomegranate flavors.   This wine would stand up well to any grilled meat or BBQ, and has plenty of spunk and character.

The longest finish wine is the 2015 Green Man cabernet - a great wine to drink on Summer Solstice.  I got eucalyptus, wood, and leather on the finish, with a ripe garden nose and early palate and blackberries with sun dried tomatoes on the mid palate.  Chewy tannins give this wine the structure one expects from a fine Cabernet. 

If you are up this way, a visit to Chateau Davell will be worth your while for sure!

 

 

Looking for a Yummy Cab Franc? Findleton Winery's 2014 Release Totally Rocks!

                                                                              
A truly good Cab Franc is very tough to find.  Not many wineries offer it, and many are harsh or just plain blah.    But when you get a truly good one, it is worth the wait.

Tom Findleton has created such a gem and I was thrilled to be able to taste it back in February. Since then, we have enjoyed several wonderful bottles of this "nectar of the Gods" 

Cab Franc is primarily grown as a blending wine, which is why you rarely see it sold pure.  From Wikipedia,:

 

 

 

    

Cabernet Franc
Grape (Vitis)
Cabernet Franc in Viala & Vermorel
Color of berry skin	Blue-black
Species	Vitis vinifera
Also called	Bouchet, Bouchy, Breton (more)
Origin	Bordeaux, France
Notable regions	Bordeaux, Loire
Notable wines	Château Cheval Blanc

Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being used in blends and produced as a varietal in Canada and the United States, it is sometimes made into ice wine in those regions.

Cabernet Franc is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon,^[1] making a bright pale red wine^[2] that contributes finesse and lends a peppery perfume to blends with more robust grapes. Depending on the growing region and style of wine, additional aromas can include tobacco, raspberry, bell pepper, cassis, and violets.

Records of Cabernet Franc in Bordeaux go back to the end of the 18th century, although it was planted in Loire long before that time. DNA analysis indicates that Cabernet Franc is one of two parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carménère.^[3]

 

 

This lovely and fully drinkable wine is acidic in character, with the beautiful softness of a Cab Franc as well as a bold character usually seen more in its close relative; Cabernet Sauvignon.   I tasted rich forward fruit, a hint of black pepper, soft vanilla and hot cocoa flavors enriched with some tart strawberry and rhubarb middle tones and a soothing rich dark berry finish that was both lingering and satisfying.   I also got just a hint of the type of bell pepper you would find in a Chicago Portillo Italian sub sandwich (thinking of those, as I am making a clone of them tonight for dinner).   The color is also dark and rich, with outstanding clarity (no need to decant as no sediment in this wine). 

There are enough tannins to provide some character with a mild chewy feel, as well as to ensure it will cellar well.    

We enjoyed this wine with a a pasts smothered with rich Marinara sauce and meatballs.   I would expect it to go equally well with salmon dishes, fajitas, grilled chicken based dinner salads, and  Italian antipasto plates.   And yes, Portillo type Chicago-style Italian sub sandwiches which are NOT low calorie, but a true foodie experience that is not to be missed.   

Drink up folks!  

 

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). 

A 100% GREAT tasting at Gold Hill Vineyard and Brewery - Placerville, CA

It is exceptionally rare to visit a winery and have EVERY wine you taste be outstanding, but that is exactly what happened the week before Christmas at Gold Hill Vineyard .   I had hoped to choose my absolute fav of 2017 and write about it, but that became impossible after visiting Gold Hill (and Fenton Heriott, which I will talk about in a later post).  

Gold Hill is a definite must see if you go wine tasting in the California wine county!  The grounds are absolutely beautiful, and many brides-to-be choose this scenic locale for their weddings.  They are dog friendly (on a leash, of course), with a nice deck overlooking the grounds for enjoying a nice glass of wine or beer while Fido sun bathes.  This month the deck is under construction, but should be operational again once it is warm enough to sit outside.   

Several incredible wines stand out in my mind and taste buds from this experience.  The top of the line white choice was the 2015 Reserve Chardonnay, which was aged 12-18 months in oak and had a nice, light straw color.  It managed to be both sweet and crisp, with Jonathan apple flavors, jasmine, honeysuckle, and just a "tad" of ginger.   I recommend it highly with a nice Thai meal or white pasta. 

The "stars" of this tasting show were the reds which rival anything I have had in Napa or Sonoma.  If I wrote about all of them, this post would go on forever so I will feature just a few.  I am a huge fan of blends, and Gold Hill has two that are just world class.  The 2014 Meriticious Red is a Bordeaux blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, and Merlot that won a double gold at the 2017 Amador County fair.  WOW WOW WOW - this is an incredible wine and we are so lucky to have scored some of it before it sells out.  It has a rich, jammy black raspberry flavor with a rich, long finish full of plum, rhubarb, and rich cherry flavors.  The deep garnet color is exceptional, and the nose full of red berry notes that hint of the wonderful wine to come. 

The Rhone blend, called simply the NV5311, is a blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Mourvedre and is equally yummy.  I tasted rich pomegranate, persimmon, grape jelly and structured tannins with a snappy black pepper finish.  This wine is rich and dark in color with great clarity.   We gifted this one to some friends for Christmas who told us they loved it as much as we did.  

And one more wine in the same class as the blends as far as quality and drinkability is the 2012 Cab Franc.  The nose on this wine was highly fragrant with plum and current notes and just the barest hint of white pepper.  It is big for a Cab Franc, with lots of forward fruit and rich jammy flavors.  A "zing" at the end was not unpleasant, but rather gave it a unique signature that we really liked.  

All in all, we are very pleased to live in El Dorado County as the wines are simply getting better all the time.  Gold Hill is aptly named, as these great wines are a TRUE treasure.  

(Photo from www.goldhillvineyard.com)