WTN: Recent pinots and sauv blancs

[Jenise]

Last night here at home I opened a 2004 Morgan Twelve Clones pinot noir from California's Santa Lucia Highlands appellation to serve with pan seared sable fish and fresh Maine scallops drizzled with a little emulsion of truffle oil and soy sauce. This is a lighter-bodied, more traditionally styled pinot as compared to the heavy, extracted versions you see coming out of SLH these days, and with four years' bottle age it's nicely into the warm, mushroomy flavors maturing pinot develops. Great match for the dish.

In Honolulu at the Side Door Cafe a few days ago, we chose 2006 Guenoc [b] and 2006 Cliff Lede sauvignon blancs to go with Hawaiian soul food on a hot night. The Cliff was very Napa-esque with rich and creamy sauvignon blanc flavors, but it was the crisp and precise Guenoc's stainless steel fermented balance of fruit and grassiness that cut through the pork and refreshed. I had ordered a case of this before leaving for Hawaii, and this bottle confirmed what a great choice this was.

The next night, we took a 2006 Etude Pinot Noir rose and a 2005 Drew Threesome pinot noir to dinner at a friend's home. We'd picked up the Etude at Seattle airport's Vino Volo wine lounge and the Drew (from California, but I forget where) came from a good wine store in Honolulu, Vintage Cellars. The Etude is a wine I've loved in the past, but I'm not a fan of this vintage which is dulled by slightly higher residual sugar and less acidity than I expected. The Drew got raves, on the other hand, with ample fruit and plenty of finesse. Our friends immediately planned a trip to Vintage Cellars the next day to buy more.

Also while in Honolulu, at sushi-fusion restaurant Sansei, I chose a French white, the 2006 Soutard Cheverny, which is I believe a sauv blanc-chardonnay blend, to go with a wide-ranging panoply of seafood dishes. There probably isn't a better all-around choice on the planet for matching both the quiet flavors of raw fish and the rich creamy flavors of a lobster ravioli, or the pungence of truffle flavored ramen soup with crab.

Cheverny, which is I believe a sauv blanc-chardonnay blend, to go with a wide-ranging panoply of seafood dishes. There probably isn't a better all-around choice on the planet for matching both the quiet flavors of raw fish and the rich creamy flavors of a lobster ravioli, or the pungence of truffle flavored ramen soup with crab.

Sounds like very good logic indeed.

And truffle flavored ramen? Definitely not your average noodle shop..

Jenise, I looked up Drew Threesome and its listed as from Santa Rita Hills. The threesome are Clos Pepe, Anita or Arita Hills (can't be sure from the script on the label) and Fiddlestix Vineyards. I'm becoming more intrigued with the Santa Rita AVA (although I'm still a big fan of Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs also.) I hope to visit some of the Santa Rita wineries next October. I also liked the one vintage of Morgan Twelve Clones I've tried--will look for later releases.

[Jenise]

Jenise, I looked up Drew Threesome and its listed as from Santa Rita Hills. The threesome are Clos Pepe, Anita or Arita Hills (can't be sure from the script on the label) and Fiddlestix Vineyards. I'm becoming more intrigued with the Santa Rita AVA (although I'm still a big fan of Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs also.) I hope to visit some of the Santa Rita wineries next October. I also liked the one vintage of Morgan Twelve Clones I've tried--will look for later releases.

Thanks for looking that up, JC, and no wonder I liked the wine as I'm often quite taken with SRH fruit. Also Fiddlestix, though I thought that was Santa Maria (and it may be). I don't think Morgan will disappoint you, though I highly recommend holding onto them for a few years to get the whole show. I had the 04 when young and liked it then too, but it developed into something even more interesting than I'd have guessed.

thanks for notes. While Guenoc isn't one of the first wineries I think of when I think of CA wines I like, now that I think of it, I've liked a lot. I haven't had the SB in years, but remember liking. I've also liked the Langtry meritage, the Beckstoffer cab, and I think even (gasp!!) the Chard.

I recently had the 2006 Cliff Lede SB too...I thought it one of the better CA SBs I have had. Clean, crisp, varietally correct but not overly grassy. Pretty terrific. I didn't find it `creamy' as you did.

Fiddlestix is squarely in the Santa Rita Hills, off of Santa Rosa Road, about 1/2 way between the 101 and the 1.

[Jenise]

thanks for notes. While Guenoc isn't one of the first wineries I think of when I think of CA wines I like, now that I think of it, I've liked a lot. I haven't had the SB in years, but remember liking. I've also liked the Langtry meritage, the Beckstoffer cab, and I think even (gasp!!) the Chard.

That is PRECISELY, word for word, what went through my head a month ago when I saw a bottle of the Guenoc SB locally and made the decision to buy. The chard has a lady's name on it, though, which I couldn't remember. Genevieve? Geraldine? Guineviere?

thanks for notes. While Guenoc isn't one of the first wineries I think of when I think of CA wines I like, now that I think of it, I've liked a lot. I haven't had the SB in years, but remember liking. I've also liked the Langtry meritage, the Beckstoffer cab, and I think even (gasp!!) the Chard.

That is PRECISELY, word for word, what went through my head a month ago when I saw a bottle of the Guenoc SB locally and made the decision to buy. The chard has a lady's name on it, though, which I couldn't remember. Genevieve? Geraldine? Guineviere?

Is it Lillie? I think Lillie Langtry actually owned that estate,and they put her name on the Meritage bottling, maybe other stuff too.

[Jenise]

Is it Lillie? I think Lillie Langtry actually owned that estate,and they put her name on the Meritage bottling, maybe other stuff too.

I didn't think it was Lillie, but I remember a gold label with an old-fashioned woman's face in a cameo-like frame. Maybe that was Lillie? Apparently, that label's gone, I just found this on the internet, and without the Guenoc name:

http://www.amazinggrapeswinestore.com/store/product/7522/Langtry-2006-Chardonnay-Guenoc-Valley-Genevieve-Vineyard/

[Jenise]

I recently had the 2006 Cliff Lede SB too...I thought it one of the better CA SBs I have had. Clean, crisp, varietally correct but not overly grassy. Pretty terrific. I didn't find it `creamy' as you did.

Fiddlestix is squarely in the Santa Rita Hills, off of Santa Rosa Road, about 1/2 way between the 101 and the 1.

Jim, the cream on the Cliff Lede was by comparison to the Guenoc. If we'd had it on it's own, it might not have presented that way. Thanks for the correction on the Fiddlestix location. I believe I was mixing up the name with Kathy Joseph's Fiddlehead winery, which is in Santa Maria.

Kinda cool to get to correct ya two times, Jenise.. but the winery, if you can call an industrial building a winery, is in the so-called Lompoc ghetto..

[Jenise]

Kinda cool to get to correct ya two times, Jenise.. but the winery, if you can call an industrial building a winery, is in the so-called Lompoc ghetto..

I just checked and I see you're right. I was working off of memory, having met Kathy in the early 90's in Oregon and having placed her in Santa Maria at that time. It's entirely possible that I've garbled that up over time, but too she might have moved. Back then, there wasn't a "Lompoc ghetto". At least not that anyone owned up to.

I confuse Fiddlehead and Fiddlestix too. Kathy Joseph was one of the presenters at a Pinot Noir panel with Allen Meadows at a Charlotte Wine and Food Weekend event a couple years ago. I think she will be present this year also. The weekend is May 8-10. Can't wait even though I'm not super-excited about the wine dinner for which I signed up. I thought it was going to be Italian wines (in general terms) but it is all Sicilian wines. Also attending a Bordeaux tasting, the tasting where all the participating vintners congregate to show their wares (usually not their more expensive offerings), and may get to see some of the winemakers at Dean & Deluca or elsewhere in town. I will be staying near South Park (remind anybody of a cartoon series?) and Dean & Deluca tasting room is close by so that will be a time killer before or between events. The wine dinners are Thursday and two other tastings Saturday so I am on my own most of Friday and will visit a couple restaurants for lunch and dinner. (I believe there are some events scheduled for Friday but too expensive for my budget or not up my alley.)