The Holiday 2006 Newsletter (Archive page)
Welcome back to the toy department for grown-ups. We’re feeling mighty proud of the wines in this holiday newsletter. We have cellar wines, drink-menow wines, show stoppers…request a style and we have a recommendation. If your perfect wine is not reviewed on these pages, then it’s certainly resting on our wine racks. Call me or Ryan here at the shop and we’ll set you up.
Here we are again, the time we call, so politically correct, “the holidays.” In perfectly capitalistic celebration, I present below three fantastic wines ideal for drinking in December. In progression, these wines take you from crab cake appetizer to lamb chop entrée. My mantra for this newsletter is to write from the heart (and the stomach of course). Allow me to take you on a journey of taste sensations, transferred to you by way of keyboard, and very soon into your wine glass. Thanks for the business, and enjoy reading.
Daniel Dawson. Owner, Back Room Wines.
A December Dinner Wine Selection
HARTWELL SAUVIGNON BLANC Napa Valley 2005 ($30) is from cool Carneros vineyards, just a ten minute drive from Back Room Wines. Grapes, tiny size yet big in flavor, make for very strong white wine. Grapefruit extract, mango and tangerine flavors are complemented with cream custard, brioche
and nutmeg (30% new French oak used). 835 cases made.
RUSSIAN HILL PINOT NOIR “Tara Vineyard” Russian River Valley 2004 ($42) is the perfect definition of Pinot. It’s spicy, it’s silky and it’s sexy. Wild cherries, ripe and fresh, envelop your mouth. The finish boasts layers of plum, allspice, mint, cocoa and more. This’ll hit all your Pinot pleasure buttons, and match everything from guacamole to Filet Mignon. Only 395 cases made.
If you still look askance at Merlot, drink the COHO MERLOT “Michael Black Vineyard” Napa Valley 2004 ($62). This tiny vineyard just north of us truly makes some of the best Merlot in the world (Paul Hobbs comes to mind). Coho Merlot oozes with black cherries, cola, sweet smoke, mineral and berry liqueur. I’m taking this wine to my folks’ home for Christmas dinner. We’re having Prime
Rib. It will rock. Only 360 cases made.
Buy all three wines (Wine pack A)
Hartwell Sauvignon Blanc,
Russian Hill Pinot Noir, Coho merlot
2 of each: $255 (5% discount)
4 of each $485 (10% discount)
Thoughts? E-Mail Us.
Order? Try Here.
Or call Back room wines. Toll Free: 877-322-2576
Cabernets and Big Red Blends
No matter the time, it’s always “Big Red Season” in these parts. The next eight wines are big, thick red blends that have been, and will continue to be, the cornerstone of Back Room Wines. Some of these you can enjoy anytime, some will reward patience. My notes tell you which is which.
ROUND POND CABERNET SAUVIGNON Rutherford, Napa Valley 2003 ($51) is an Estate Cabernet from the Valley floor, east side. This is dark, rich, juicy wine with more stuffing than its previous vintage (which we liked...this one we love.) No great surprises in the flavor: black cherry liqueur, blueberry, Asian spices, mocha, cedar...classic Napa Cab flavors neatly packaged in sweet, new French oak. Decant this an hour before imbibement and this alluring Cabernet gets all lush, rich and dreamy. It’s the perfect wine to have with lamb chops. 1500 cases made.
MEYER VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON Napa Valley 2003 ($42) This is our “biggest bang for the buck” Napa Cabernet this newsletter. Made by the Mark Herold, owner of Merus and winemaker for Buccella, Kamen and others. Compromise is not in his vocabulary when it comes to winemaking - he insists on making the best. The Meyer Cabernet boasts loads of black currant, bittersweet chocolate, mulberry, licorice and tobacco flavors. Its tannins bite hard on the end, and gently soften with air or cellar time. Pull this puppy out of your cellar around 2012 and you’ll be very pleased. The breed, character and quality of this wine belies its quite reasonable price.
Let’s talk red blends for two moments. Numero Uno: BRIDESMAID Red Blend Napa Valley 2004 ($40) was a Cabernet Sauvignon in 2003. The 2004 is a blend of Cab, Merlot and a smidgen of Syrah. This is fantastic red wine, but we feel it needs time. Buy some soon, for we may not have it for long. Then stash it away until next summer. Your patience will reward you with a fruit-forward, dark, juicy, luscious, unique red wine that will make you wish you bought more, regardless of how much you pick up now.
SHERIDAN “L’ORAGE” Yakima Valley, Washington 2003 ($39) is about 3/4 Cab Sauv and 1/4 Cabernet Franc. A rich nose of chocolate crème brulée and black cherry preserves turns to a luxurious mouthful of red wine. The Cab Franc adds violet-scented perfume and cracked pink peppercorn. French oak gives buttercream and vanilla bean, particularly on the finish. Long time followers of Back Room Wines know our affinity for this little Washington winery. We're still impressed.
SEMPRE VIVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON “EUGENIA” Napa Valley 2002 ($60) is colorfully named Cabernet by Romeo Vineyards in northern Napa Valley, where our reds are typically the most luscious. “Sempre Vive” if Italian for “Always Alive.” Makes me want to sing! We like this Cab for its big, forward fruit, great richness and deliciousness. “Eugenia” boasts a ton of super-ripe berries and cherries, nice toasty oak (not a lot), supple tannins, and a particularly long, earthy finish. With only 325 cases made, we’re shocked that a wine this good is still available to us!
“PIOCHO - HAPPY CANYON VINEYARDS” Santa Ynez Valley 2004 ($31) This will not be the only newsletter that writes “Piocho” is the best Bordeaux style red ever made in Santa Barbara. Parker wrote this, and you know what? We think he’s right. It’s a Cab Sauv/Cab Franc/Merlot blend that is ready to drink with untempered, crazy pleasure right now. Sweet, succulent berries and cherries are backed up with a little pie spice, milk chocolate and “bouquet garni.” One problem: it’s too easy to
polish off a whole bottle...better get a few.
Here’s another wine for your cellar: BLUE ROCK CABERNET SAUVIGNON Alexander Valley 2003 ($46). Since previous vintages were so giving upon release, we were a little surprised how wound up the 2003 is right now. If drunk soon, you should find this wine better 24 hours after being opened! This vineyard is just north of Napa Valley, planted amongst serpentine, blue rocks and pebbles. Rich fruit and silky texture will emerge with time. Drink this with your roast duck next holiday season, for then its unique creme de cassis, black raspberry, pomegranate, candied ginger and dry cocoa flavors will shine. 592 cases.
KAMEN CABERNET SAUVIGNON Sonoma Valley 2003 ($55) is just finally coming around. Released in September, it was showing more oak than fruit until late October. Last two tastings have been most pleasurable, and we’re now feeling good about suggesting it for your table tonight.
This is hillside Cabernet (the other side of Mt. Veeder, we say) at its best: full of dark berries, figs and plums. Lot of structure with brooding flavors of maduro cigar, truffle and smoke. This Kamen Cab is very good now, potentially great come 2010. 1225 cases made.
Here’s a great gift idea (especially for yourself):
Membership in Back Room Wines’ WINE CLUB
Get more love than in any other wine club!
To sign up, visit our Wine Club page
Start the night out right
With three of our favorite local whites.
Since its debut at Back Room Blow Out XVIII, CARL ROY SAUVIGNON BLANC Napa Valley 2005($18) has been a real house favorite. Disregard the price for a moment and imagine a rich, viscous, pure, golden Napa white, bursting with pear-apple, kiwi, grapefruit and keylime flavors. No barrel here, just pure, ripe Sauvignon Blanc shining through. Then consider the $18 price tag. This wine will certainly make a good first impression upon your fortunate guests. First release, and already a staple of the Back Room Wines racks (if we have our way).
DEHLINGER CHARDONNAY Russian River Valley “Estate” 2004 ($33) Dehlinger Chardonnay is well known for many years of quality winemaking, and still relatively hard to find. It made our newsletter because it’s amazingly good for the price and so perfectly balanced. From the coolest parts of Russian River Valley, the Dehlinger Chard has bright acidity, an appetizing streak of minerality, grapefruit, quince, lime zest, buttercream and fresh croissant sensations. This is truly “Burgundian,” an oft-misused term to describe Chardonnay. Best pairing is a garlicy bowl of steamed clams, mussels or both.
ZMOR GEWURZTRAMINER Russian River Valley 2005 ($36). I realize and accept the challenge to convince you to buy and drink Gewurz. I hear you say “not my thing,” “too much” and “too sweet for me.” Oh well, here goes: A) For the best Cal Gewurz, look to two places, Russian River and Anderson Valleys. Good Gewurz demands the coolest wine regions because it needs B) ample acidity to balance its exotic flavors and voluptuousness. C) great vineyards, great winemaking. Gewurz grapes so flavorful it’s almost sinful are fermented dry in neutral oak, put through malolactic for even more richness, bottled unfiltered. A scant 350 cases of ZMor Gewurztraminer were made. Should you buy this from us, drink it, and still say “not my thing,” then we’ll leave you alone. Obviously we don’t think that’s going to happen.
Buy all three wines (Wine pack B)
Carl Roy Sauvignon Blanc, Dehlinger Chardonnay, Zmor Gewurztraminer
2 of each: $165 (5% discount)
4 of each $315 (10% discount)
Thoughts? E-Mail Us.
Order? Try Here.
Or call Back room wines. Toll Free: 877-322-2576
keep the night going strong
With these three very food-friendly reds.
We shall now impress you with three sommelier seletions, chosen for their quality (of course), uniqueness and their ability to make everything look, smell, and taste better!
RAYE’S HILL PINOT NOIR Anderson Valley “Estate” 2003 ($29). Not the first time Raye’s Hill has made these pages, and certainly not the last. In fact, this very wine was in the Spring Newsletter. Its impressive cloak of rawberry, pie spice, currant, plum and bread crust. Will continue to improve through 2007 at least. Its power and persistence is surprising at first, like a gymnast in baggy sweats. Trout, cod, chicken and mushrooms are food matches that come to mind. 227 cases made.
PHOENIX RANCH SYRAH Napa Valley 2003 ($33) drinks like top-notch
Northern Rhone Syrah. This vineyard, in the northeastern corner of Napatown, always makes spice & sweet earth driven Syrahs. Certainly not for everybody, but a must for seekers of the most Rhone-like California Syrahs out there. If you know and enjoy the best of St. Joseph, read no further (unless you want to). Phoenix Ranch Syrah smells and tastes of slightly black tea, oil cured olives, ginger candies, slightly smoked bacon, a new car’s leather interior and a fifty dollar cigar. Fruit, too. Tiny ripe blueberries, raspberries, wild strawberries and a whiff of mandarin orange (or something close to it). Meat with a gamey edge is highly recommended here. Leg of lamb is obvious, and easy to get. 200 cases made.
HAMEL PINOT NOIR “Campbell Ranch” Sonoma Coast 2004 ($31) is “real Sonoma Coast” for one can practically smell the Pacific Ocean from the vineyard. Power, intensity and refinement are the qualities of Pinots from here, and in this Hamel Pinot Noir in particular. Red-fruit-driven with lots of spice, structure, big fruity center and length, this is another example why Pinots are so loved and popular by Back Room Wines customers. Sorry to be a bore, but have with boar. Or grilled salmon. 400 cases made.
Buy all three wines (Wine pack C)
Raye's hill pinot noir,
phoenix ranch syrah,
hamel pinot noir
2 of each: $175 (5% discount)
4 of each: $328 (10% discount)
Back Room's ode to Zin
Time to pay respects to Zinfandel, the unofficially official California grape. Seems that Zin just isn’t as fashionable as it was ten years ago. Could be that Zinfandels as a whole have more than their share of frogs, could be Pinot Noir’s recent success has taken away some of Zin’s luster. Whatever, here are three we feel are as good as they get.
TOFANELLI FAMILY VINEYARD ZINFANDEL Napa Valley 2004 ($37) is big Zin. Really big. Sporting 15.9% alcohol, a ton of fruit is needed to balance. Mission accomplished. This is particularly intriguing wine for its complexity. You can taste, along with all the dark berries, black tea, rose petals, black pepper, allspice, espresso, pipe tobacco and anise. This wine greatly benefits from a lot air. Well known for supplying some of Napa’s preeminent Zin producers, this wine is the handywork of the vineyard owner, Vince Tofanelli. Smashing good job, Vince! 518 cases made.
MAURITSON ZINFANDEL Dry Creek Valley 2004 ($23) boasts superb concentration, but it also appeals to those who eschew the real big style of a Tofanelli. The Mauritson family owns “Rockpile,” the outstanding vineyard that looks over Dry Creek Valley to the north and makes up part of this wine. This wine tastes of blueberries, cinnamon, wild strawberries, sassafrass, clove and of course black pepper. Really good all by itself, I highly recommend BBQ Pork Spareribs with the Mauritson Zin. 725 cases.
JC CELLARS ZINFANDEL “Iron Hill Vineyard” Sonoma Valley 2004 ($36). Considering there’s only 144 cases made, you better believe thatthis wine will soon be discovered by others and soon vanish. “Iron Hill” is planted on a steep, iron-rich, volcanic rock-laden hillside looking over Sonoma. The yield, as you may guess, is miniscule. Takes passion to work so hard for such little quantitative reward. But the quality! Try it and you shall understand. Griotte (wild red cherry), framboise, pink peppercorn, blacktea and light soy sauce flavors swim about this wonderfully intense, special Zinfandel.
Buy all three wines (Wine pack d)
Tofanelli, Mauritson and j.C. Cellars zinfandels
2 of each: $182 (5% discount)
4 of each: $345 (10% discount)
Thoughts? E-Mail Us.
Order? Try Here.
Or call Back room wines. Toll Free: 877-322-2576
still in the store,
And Better than ever...
CROCKER & STARR SAUVIGNON BLANC Napa Valley 2005 ($26)
This broad-shouldered SB is pear, Granny Smith apple and sweet cream.
FIDDLEHEAD PINOT NOIR “Lollapalooza” Santa Rita Hills 2002 ($52)
Soy sauce, dark tobacco and aged beef in a Pinot? YES! World class wine.
T-VINE GRENACHE Napa Valley 2004 ($29).
Pinot too light and a Cabtoo big for you? T-Vine Grenache,
full of berries and pepper, is perfect.
ROBERT FOLEY CLARET Napa Valley 2004 ($125 net).
Just wait ‘til the Parker score comes out for this wine.
It will be a sellers’ market.
HIDDEN RIDGE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Sonoma County 2003 ($75 net)
We still believe this is the best Cab we’ve had on the shelf all year.
Almost all who have purchased and imbibed agree with us, which is nice.
Back Room Wines' Mixed Cases
#1 Cabernet Case for the Holidays
here are some to drink now and some for the cellar
Round Pond Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, Napa Valley 2003
Sempre Vive Cabernet Sauvignon “Eugenia” Napa Valley 2002
“Piocho - Happy Canyon Vineyards” Santa Ynez Valley 2004
Meyer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003
Sheridan “L’Orage” Yakima Valley, Washington 2003
Blue Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2003
6 Pack Price (one of each): $255
12 Pack Price (two of each): $485
#2 California Pinot Noirs
We think this shall interest you:
One Pinot from six unique, distinct parts of California.
Fiddlehead Pinot Noir "Lollapalooza" Santa Rita Hills 2002
Hamel Pinot Noir "Campbell Ranch" Sonoma Coast 2004
Russian Hill Pinot Noir "Tara Vineyard" Russian River Valley 2004
Loring Pinot Noir "Gary's Vineyard" Santa Lucia Highlands 2005
"Miss Olivia Brion" Pinot Noir Wild Horse Valley 2004
Raye's Hill Pinot Noir "Estate" Anderson Valley 2003
6 Pack Price (one of each): $230
12 Pack Price (two of each): $440
6 packs are listed at 5% discounted price.
12 packs are listed at 10% discounted price.