The Hunter, 2016 White Wine

Mastro Scheidt releases The Hunter, 2016 White Wine

While technically not a drought year, 2016 offered abundant sunshine and warmth through the growing season. Yields were up over 2015 and about on par with 2014. Setting pick dates, we saw no complications. Several vineyards were used in the creation of this wine throughoutSonoma County.

The 2016 Hunter is a classic Bordeaux inspired white blend. The backbone is all Sauvignon Blanc adding acidity and notes of lemon cream and melon to the blend, without any unripe flavors. I'm personally not a fan of grassy Sav Blanc. The addition of Semillon and barrel fermentation in neutral French oak adds complexity and roundness to the finished wine.

I hope you enjoy this wine all Summer long. I will.

For those that want the technical specs, find them HERE.

Rose of Sangiovese 2016

Rose of Sangiovese 2016 aka The First Rose I've Ever Made!

Rosé of Sangiovese is a wine I’ve always wanted to create, as I’ve produced various Sangiovese red wines over the last several years. The wine was created using the saignée method, a technique whereby I drain off juice from the main body of the Sangiovese crop, which has had skin contact for a 24 hour period. The resulting juice for this Rose is light pink in color.

The juice was placed in last year’s Sangiovese barrels for primary fermentation for 14 days and stirred twice on the gross lees. The wine was then racked off the gross lees and returned to barrel, where it was stirred again twice, or bâtonnage, adding texture to the wine. The wine was not allowed to go through secondary fermentation.

The result is pale pink in color, with a bit more depth on the palate. The wine was fermented dry, without residual sugar.

For those that want all the technical specs you can find it HERE.

A Hot Dog Wine Pairing

I'm a traditionalist; white wine doesn't pair with rib-eye and Cab doesn't pair with shrimp, period. However, when an opportunity presents itself to pair my wines with hot dogs, I don't see much downside. It's a hot dog, I can drop the pretense.

The pairings were done on a working crush pad at the winery and I chilled my wines before eating the hot dogs (it's 100 degrees up in Healdsburg).

The first dog incorporated a Southwest or Tex-Mex flavor profile; the second is a spin on a banh mi Vietnamese sandwich.

Tex-Mex Hot Dog with the 2014 Mastro Scheidt Il Bruno Sangiovese

The Tex-Mex style dog used a Niman Ranch uncured hot dog, a smear of paprika honey mustard on each side of a normal hot dog bun, some pickled jalapeno pineapple salsa, corn cotija salsa and finally a few pieces of fried chorizo on top. The acid and heat from the jalapeno pineapple salsa combined with the cotija cheese are what bring this hot dog to the next level. Sweet, savory, hot, pickled, cool and fat from the chorizo and hot dog for some reason all work with my Sangiovese. I'm not just saying it, it works, but I wouldn't have ever thought to pair all this stuff together with a Sangiovese.

Corn and cotija salsa

Banh Mi Hot Dog with the 2015 Mastro Scheidt Hunter White Wine

The minute I heard "banh mi" I thought of my white wine blend. Since the first vintage, my white wine, The Hunter, has always had citrus flavors which allow generally solid pairings with Thai and Vietnamese foods. With the addition of Muscadelle to The Hunter in 2015, a wider range of spicy flavors have begun to pair well with my white wine.

The Banh Mi hot dog had some lightly pickled hot red chili which added zing and heat to the hot dog and paired off with The Hunter well. Add the richness of a peanut sauce and the fat from the Niman hot dog, and the citrus flavors in the wine cut through, again harmoniously. The hot dog itself was fun because it plays on textures, heat, Thai/Vietnamese flavors that is so far away from a ballpark hot dog, I'm surprised more people don't demand more condiments at the ball game.

Chili and peanuts for my hot dog

Lamb, potatoes, green beans, Zinfandel

My friends and I have been sous vide crazy this summer. We've even tried to sous vide an artichoke (not that I'd recommend it).

I didn't do much cooking for this dinner, I have childhood friend John to thank for the sous vide lamb. Lamb leg was the next logical candidate for the sous vide machine. Leg of lamb generally has a long, slow cooking time anyway, so it makes sense to use a little science and cooking together. There is no real recipe for sous vide leg of lamb, other than cooking time, which was 9 hours. We finished it on a charcoal fire for some color and additional flavor.

Sous vide lamb leg with roasted peppers

For me, what made the entire meal pop were the green beans. Chinese influenced green beans were the contrast to all the richness in the meal. The salty umami heat in the sauce made me want to have another bite of lamb and another sip of Zinfandel. It was a virtuous circle of eating.

I can't take credit for the green beans, John's wife Falina prepared the dish, in addition to the roasted potatoes, one style with feta the other with proscuitto.

Pan fried green beans with slivered almonds and chili sauce

1 package Fresh green beans (you know, the ones that come in the bag, cleaned)
1 tablespoon Fresh chopped garlic
1/4 cup Shaved almonds
3 tablespoons Soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chili paste
3 tablespoons Canola or Peanut Oil

Blanche your green beans in boiling, salted water for about 30 seconds.

Have a large, hot saute pan ready to combine all the ingredients above for a quick, high heat saute (unless you're lucky enough to have a commercial wok in your house). The saute pan should NOT be overloaded with green beans. It's better for this dish to split the green beans in two or three batches, so that the pan stays screaming hot and the cooking process stays hot, this is wok-style cooking in a non-commercial home kitchen.

Steelhead Salmon Dip for the 4th of July

It's hot in Fresno all Summer. Real hot. 100 degrees plus. Fresno is all about backyard parties, cold beer and white wine (generally white wine, some Fresnans will put ice in red wine during the summer, I usually just pop the whole bottle in ice).

A simple cream cheese and salmon (cooked and cooled salmon, not a tartare) based dip, kept cold, is an easy appetizer to wash down with beer and wine all summer long. 

The proportions in the picture below, outline the entire recipe and ingredient list. Rather than write everything down, I just shot a picture instead. Remember to juice the lemon and chop the taragon for those that take things literally. Stir everything together until incorporated.

You can scoop the dip with vegetables, such as celery or carrots, or serve with toast points or crackers. If you want your salmon dip to have a creamier texture to it, add sour cream and/or mayonnaise and a bit more salt and pepper to taste.

Cooked salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice, red onion,taragon, capers, salt and pepper - stir all ingredients vigorously until combined

Finished product, salmon dip topped with taragon

The Hunter and the salmon dip are a natural pairing

Paradise Patio Party Couscous Recipe

Paradise, California. 

There is such a place. It's just off Highway 395 nestled in at 5,200 feet. I've been to a few patio parties there in the last couple years. For this party, I prepared a couscous salad, along with my tri-tip beef skewers. 

Here's the recipe for the couscous salad:

Cooked Couscous
4 cups Couscous
4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup olive oil
Follow package instructions for the cooking of the couscous.

After couscous is cooked, let cool on an oiled large sheet tray so that the couscous can be worked over by hand. Using your hands (kitchen gloves make this easier and less messy), make sure the couscous is coated in the olive oil. Break up any clumps of couscous with your hands. This will prevent it from clumping up later if you are making your couscous in advance and it sits. Couscous should be “light and fluffy” not clumpy and starchy. 

For the dressing
1 small handful of fresh mint, chiffonade
4 red bell peppers, minced
10 green onions, minced
½ cup Olive oil
½  cup Rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Ras el Hanout (to be found at places like Trader Joe’s and Cost Plus)
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and allow ingredients to marinate together for an hour. This will help soften the edge of the bell peppers and green onions.

Combine Couscous and Dressing

Combine the cooled couscous and the dressing together in the large bowl. You can serve immediately or hold for a couple hours at room temperature.

If I may be so bold, grilled tri tip skewers and couscous salad pair really well with my Cabernet Cuvee. Yes, that is a picture of several red wines kept cool on ice. It's 100 degrees in Paradise at 5pm in the summer, I wouldn't want to drink my red wine either if it were "room temperature"!

Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical

I showcased three vintages of my Signature Cabernet Sauvignon at one of my tasting events recently to highlight the differences Mother Nature can impart on Dry Creek Valley Cabernet.

2011 was from the summer that never came, 2012 was the "perfect season" and 2013 was an early harvest and a warm, dry growing season. The Signature is always Dry Creek Valley fruit. It can come from various vineyards and since 2011, has been 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Three years of Signature Cabernet Sauvignon from Dry Creek Valley

These three Cabernet's are remarkably different. From lean in 2011 to plush in 2013; there's something for every Cabernet lover in this line-up. 

While tasting the vertical of Signature with customers, I was asked more often than not, "Which is your favorite?". Signature has always been my project; blending from various fruit sources in Dry Creek Valley, trying not to be just another Cab that tastes like blackberries and spice. I don't think I have a favorite, what I have are three very different wines:

2011 Signature: For my palate, the 2011 tastes best with beef, plain and simple. When I'm having steak, be it rib-eye or New York, the 2011 shines brightest. Lower alcohol and higher acid is the perfect pairing with rich beef. The 2011 has been showing better each year since release, gradually maturing with its peak still a few years off. Think Bordeaux, not Napa or Sonoma Cab.

2012 Signature: The 2012 pairs best with lamb. Where the 2011 is more about minerality and austerity, the 2012 is more about macerated fruit, plums and roasted nuts. The 2012 has gone through the most changes since bottling, a moving target of flavors that have paired well with pasta initially, to burgers and pizza last year, to grilled and stewed lamb today. Something about the pronounced flavors of lamb are hitting the spot with the 2012 Signature.

2013 Signature: The 2013 is all about elegant, sexy, smooth drinkability. The 2013 seems to get consumed before dinner hits the table. I picked the 2013 fruit several weeks earlier than 2012, and not all at the same time. Layering of flavors, chewy tannins, full palate smoothness and a lingering palate have contributed to the early drinkability of this wine.

The Signature Cabernet is the only wine I hold back in inventory and release date. I want to show the evolution of style, the effects of weather, and what cellar time does to change the wine. The 2014 is already in the bottle, the 2015 is in the barrel and I'm looking to my trials on the 2015 as the 6th vintage in the series.

I'll continue to write about the evolution of the Signature wine from personal tastings and interaction with customers. 

New Release Focus - 2014 Zinfandel

I've been hinting at this project for a while. 100% Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel from the 2014 vintage.

Before I was a Cabernet drinker, I was a Zinfandel zealot. I couldn't get enough of the stuff. Verticals of Zin took up my cellar. But around 1995, things began to change. I was buying less and less Zin, sometimes no Zin at all. Zinfandel was morphing into an alcoholic fruit bomb of a wine. Riper and riper with each passing year to the point I couldn't drink the stuff anymore. 

So, I took matters into my own hands and made Zinfandel in 2014. 

I decided on first pass French and American oak for the Zin; a difference from what many do in Sonoma County, favoring more neutral Hungarian and American oak. Hungarian oak is known for spice characteristics. Likewise, Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel has pronounced spice as a matter of terroir. I saw no reason to double up on the spice character of my first release of Zinfandel. 

Secondly, I extended the Zinfandel aging process from a more typical 9-12 month program in oak to just over 12 months. That additional time in oak smooths out the corners, rounds the edges, and builds complexity.  

I'm craving elegance in my Zinfandel. A Zinfandel that shows power, but not alcohol; rich fruit but not cooked fruit, spice but not heat. 

I want to drink Zinfandel again...my Zinfandel! 

New Release Focus - 1TL 2013

The 1TL is always our most discrete bottling every year; a total of 50 cases of wine. That's it. All previous vintages of this wine are sold out.

The wine represents a specially selected single ton of fruit each harvest, designated AT harvest for the 1TL bottling. That's not always easy for me as the owner and winemaker to determine nearly two years ahead of a bottling. In the past, the 1TL has been Cabernet Sauvignon, with one exception, the 2010 1TL which was Cabernet Franc.

The 2013 1TL will be 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from D. Rafanelli Vineyards of Dry Creek Valley, 100% hillside. I am incredibly pleased to have this fruit for a second year in a row for the 1TL. Bold, black fruit, expressive tannins, full-bodied and without compromises, that's the 2013 1TL.

Buy the 2013 1TL here

New Release Focus - Proprietary White Wine 2015

As we jump into Spring 2016, the first thing I get asked by customers is, "When is the white wine being released?"

Your wait is over, the 2015 white wine is here!

Full of beautiful fruit, freshness and follow through, the 2015 Hunter is a blend of white varietals, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscat de Frontignan from Alexander and Russian River Valley. You won't find any green, grassy flavors in this wine. So if you like Kiwi Sav Blanc, look elsewhere.

The nose has hints of honey and lemon curd, with a palate of ripe pears and full-palate finish. The wine is neutral barrel fermented for 2 months in French barriques.

New Release Focus - Signature 2013

My Signature bottling from Dry Creek Valley has always been about a unique expression of Dry Creek Valley fruit; trying to go beyond just spices and blackberries.

The 2013 vintage marked another year of steady warmth and drought conditions in Dry Creek Valley. Two different Cabernet Sauvignon hillside vineyards from opposite sides of the valley were used for the 2013 Signature bottling. Both vineyard sites in these drought conditions are yielding 3 tons per acre or less in 2013; with one of the vineyards being completely dry farmed. The 2013 Signature was bottled unfined and unfiltered without additional sulphites.

The flavors are integrated, elegant and expressive. Despite the warmer, drought conditions, the fruits on the palate are black and fresh, not cooked, due to proper timing of the harvest. Deeper, back palate flavors of mocha come through along with fine grain tannin. This wine will continue to develop in the cellar for 10 years or better. 

Buy the 2013 Signature here

New Release Focus - Sangiovese 2014

My 2014 Sangiovese was harvested from a single vineyard in the northern extremes of Dry Creek Valley. The 2014 vintage marks the first time I crafted the Sangiovese with native fermentation. In other words, I let nature take its course and did not inoculate with a commercial strain of yeast.

Native fermentation is tricky and I was a bit nervous throughout the process. However, the results prove out the benefits, in this particular case, richer flavors and a more complete finished wine. 100% of the oak used in neutral, as Sangiovese and new oak don't mix very well.

What we taste is purity of fruit and place; with a warmer climate and flavors in the wine that lend themselves to red fruits, cherry to raspberry depending upon the temperature the wine is served. The bouquet is of spice and ultra-light tobacco with a slightly floral note, but not perfume or clipped flowers.

A special note to my friends that love Pinot Noir...my 2014 Sangiovese will pair up nicely with many of the dishes that Pinot will pair with.

Buy the 2014 Sangiovese online.

Italian Wine Notes, Tuscany and The Veneto

I wanted to drink great Sangiovese in Italy. 

One must continuing trying wines. Great wines. Lesser wines. Wines that come from a jug. Wines that I'll never remember the name; but I'll remember the experience. I make wine for a living and I don't want to develop a "cellar palate".

The pictures below are the wines I've been drinking during my travels in Italy. I don't give scores; I give basic descriptions, often the impact of the wine and my personal outlook at the time. I was probably eating something while I was drinking. These tastings are not blind, ever.

I'm only looking and reporting on the score from the major critics after the fact. I generally didn't have any idea on scores while I was purchasing. A few wine stores did post the score at the point of sale. The descriptions are varied, sometimes without a single word regarding any of the properties often assigned by critics; a simple Up or Down vote from me might do.

This is NOT an exhaustive list of wines I consumed in Italy. Stuff falls through the cracks, but it's a good representation of what I've been drinking. I might be drinking with friends, restaurant staff, the winemaker, winery owner, or alone. The list is heavily Sangiovese influenced, that is the one purposeful item I injected into my overall experience. After all, I make Sangiovese for a living.

Fattoria Colle Sala 2009

Tuscany, near Lucca, Fattoria Colle Sala 2009, 100% Sangiovese, 14 month in oak, 4 months in bottle. 12km from the ocean and about 900 feet in elevation, the vineyards face West. I can't find anything on the cooperage. My palate says there's some oak here, because the back palate is too developed. There's integration and roundness to the wine, that I don't taste in unoaked product. And at 13.5% Alc, I would expect more lively acidity which I don't get. And only 14 months on oak? It's a curious wine and one that I very much enjoy out of the bottle. I think American palates would enjoy this wine and it's showing wonderfully after 6 years in bottle. I don't think it will be as vibrant in 1-2 years.

Pergolaia 2010 Caiarossa

Tuscany, near Lucca, Pergolaia 2010 Caiarossa, is a dominant Sangiovese blend, with lesser amounts of Cab Franc, Cab Sav and Merlot. Large vat fermented, 15-25 days with native yeast. Pumped over twice a day for 10 days, then once a day after that till the end. No new oak. Only big vats and concrete. 12 Months in large format oak, then another 10 in concrete and wooden casks. Paired it with the veal chop and slightly spicy wilted greens. Paired fine. Not dominant in the meal. I liked the Fattoria Colle and Epibios better. The flavors here are muted, not overly complex in my opinion. I think this wine can hold up for a long time, but I  don't know held up.

Fattoria Zerbina, Sangiovese

Emilia Romagna, Fattoria Zerbina, Sangiovese, 10-15 maceration on the skins, aging in concrete and stainless. 100,000 cases made. In distribution globally. Not much aging and no oak on the palate. My original assessment was "it's a drinker". Food notes from Cocchi in Parma.

Bordocheo Picchio Rosso 2012

Tuscany, near Lucca Bordocheo Picchio Rosso 2012, is the show wine. Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. Trace amounts of Cabernet. 15 day controlled stainless fermentation, not native. 12-14 months in barrel, generally French, mixture of new, 1st and 2nd pass oak. Held 12 months in bottle before release. Fuller bodied, but not powerful, restraint is still present. Back palate has some texture, finer tannin structure. I can easily see this pairing well with grilled meat and fuller bodied flavors. The 2012 is showing well, however, I think that this is a wine to be consumed in 5-7 years, rather than later. 

Bordocheo Bianco Dell'oca 2013

Bordocheo Bianco Dell'oca 2013 is dominant Chardonnay and Vermentino with a trace of Sauvignon Blanc. The Chardonnay is aged on its own in French oak, sur lie for 8 months. The final blend is assembled in stainless steel for 6 months before bottling, before release 3 months later. This has oak present, but it's complimentary, not overpowering. Full-palate, with elegance. Creamy texture, but still has acid, coming from the Vermentino. Americans would like this wine. I like it.

Lucca Local Spirit, La Diadina

Served at Punto in Lucca

Bordocheo Bianco 2014

Bordocheo Bianco 2014 is a clean, fresh blended white wine of Trebbiano, Vermentino, Malvasia Toscana and Grechetto. Classic drinkable Summer on the patio.

Fattoria Sardi Valle Buia

Tuscany, near Lucca, Fattoria Sardi Valle Buia dominant Sangiovese and Colorino plus other indigenous varietals. Native primary and secondary fermentation with everything occurring in concrete vats including aging time of 6 months. No sulphites added to the entire production process and certified organic. I had it at Punto Restaurant with my wild hare. The wine had a slight effervescence to it. Lots of acid, but not green flavored. It's a summer wine, drier and less spritzed than Lambrusco, but would serve the same purpose. Not a wine to be served late in the meal, but rather early and with cheese, pate, and cured meats. Drink within one year and treat it like a white wine, it ain't gonna age.

A Jug wine by any other name

Bordocheo Rosso, Colline Lucchesi 2014

Tuscany, near Lucca, Bordocheo Rosso, Colline Lucchesi 2014 is a blend of stuff, probably a lot of Sangiovese and native varietals. And my blind taste was correct. Dominant Sangiovese with Canaiolo,  Ciliegiolo, and Merlot. Lean, higher acid with a 12.5% state alcohol. What I would expect from limited aging and bottle time. A drinker, on an everyday basis with food. With a slight chill on it in summer, I'd drink it easily. Again my assessment prior to talking with  the winemaker was spot on, 6 month aging, then 3 months in bottle before release. American palates might have difficulty with the lean nature of the wine.

Movia 2005 Slovenian Pinot Noir

The wine for my game bird courses was a Movia 2005 Slovenian Pinot Noir and it was outstanding. 92 pts by W&S at release, this wine drinks fresh, with full-palate depth, I wouldn't have expected. Cherry skins, licorice and completed integrated and well rounded tannin structure. I would have loved to try this wine at release to compare.

Castello di Farnetella 2007

Tuscany, near Siena, Castello di Farnetella 2007 Cabernet, Syrah, Sangiovese, Merlot from Sinalunga. Vines are at 800 feet. Wine is fermented at a max of 86 degrees, and macerated for 16-20 days. Malolactic in stainless steel. New and once used French oak for 12 months and then 8-10 months in bottle before release.The wine was beginning to give off a hint of oxidation and raisin notes on the nose after about 10 minutes in the glass, on a bottle that was poured to 3/4 empty. I'd say the wine was paired off better with the beef and foie than with the duck filled pasta, as the broccoli through it all off. More thought needs to go into the pasta and wine pairing because of the flavor profile of this particular wine (food notes from Parizzi in Parma).

2006 Planeta Burdese

2006 Planeta Burdese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend from Sicily. 92 pts by WE and one of their Top 100 wines on release and 91 by WS on release. Riper edge when compared to the other wines I sampled at Parizzi, with prunes, tobacco and spice. The bright fruit was gone, this was a wine that needs to be drunk sooner rather than later. I appreciate its longevity, but it was least favorite wine in the mix; Slovenian Pinot wins the wine award today.

Epibios 2011

Tuscany near Siena, Epibios 2011, 40% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot aged in "the best French Durmast" which is a variety of oak, generally not mentioned in the material I read. The website doesn't mention forest, oddly they mention species. The wine was full-bodied, no thinness. Big fruit, bone dry, tannins were integrated and not course. Oak was certainly present, but not unbalanced with the wine. Tuscan, just outside Siena. American palates would enjoy this wine, and for a 2011, even after 5 years, it's showing very well.

Tenuta di Valgiano 2012

Biodynamic, Sangiovese, Syrah, Merlot, Dominant Sangiovese. Certainly the show wine at the estate. Rounded and complex, but young. Fine grain tannin structure, not showing everything its got. I had it with pasta earlier in the day and a steak on the bone at night. 10xBetter with the steak. A winner.

Tenuta di Capraia Chianti Classico

Tenuta di Capraia Chianti Classico, Sangiovese 90%, Cab 5%, Merlot 5%. Not the biggest wine, nor the most fragrant. It's good, just not killer. 6euro a bottle. In barrel 12 months, in bottle 6 months. Not blowing my doors off.

Il Pareto Grappa of Cabernet Sauvignon

This one packed a punch

Infused Chili Campari

Not my thing, but someone is drinking this stuff in Florence

Le Boncie, 2013, Castelnuovo Berardenga

Le Boncie, 2013, Castelnuovo Berardenga, 14% Alc Sangiovese, Mammolo, Colorino, Fogliatonda & Ciliegiolo. ‘5’ is treated in the same manner as Le Trame but aged for between 15 and 18 months. A bit more course, but a nice wine. Not overly complex, only a hint of stink, but without fresh fruit notes. I would have expected more from the 2013. Paired it with ox tail tagliatelle pasta, Not as much perfume on the nose as I would have wanted. At Il Santino

Casale del Giglio, Lazio,Tempranillo

Casale del Giglio, Lazio,Tempranillo. I like this wine very much, more so than the Chianti Classico which I had first. More vibrant and mouth filling than the Chianti, nose was more fragrant as well. 22 euro a bottle. 100% fully ripe Tempranillo grapes, which may have been allowed to shrivel slightly on the vine, undergo cold maceration for two days at 10°C to extract as much aroma as possible from the skins.

La Rasina 2010 Brunello di Montalcino

La Rasina 2010 Brunello di Montalcino. Much more modern styled in French oak. Initially, fig cake, fig jam ripe nose. As it opened, the fig gave way to ripe black fruits, plush on the palate with some force. Easy to  drink before dinner or after. Much more for the American palate. More plush.

Lisini 2010 Brunello di Montalcino

Lisini 2010 Brunello di Montalcino...not as old school as the Gianni Brunelli, but not as ripe and modern as the Rasina. The Lisini was never weak, only tight on the open. After 12 hours, violets, blackberry and muted spice showed up with luscious tannin structure. This wine demands beef or veal. I could see this trading off, side by side with a 2007 Cabernet from CA.

Marchesi Antinori, Pian delle Vigne 2010

Marchesi Antinori, pian delle vigne 2010, 100% Sangiovese, Brunello do Montalcino.  A black olive note on the palate, as I paired 3 hard cheeses with my wines. Rich, brooding, deeper in flavor than any of the others I've had. 20 day fermentation, on the skins at a maximum temp of 82 degrees. Transferred to large casks, 800 to 2000 gallons for two years. Then bottled just releasing the 2011, so assume another year in bottle. At Antinori Wine Bar in Florence

Argiano Solengo 2013

Argiano Solengo 2013, SuperTuscan Could have easily been an American wine. Cab blend, with pronounced oak on the nose and rich palate. I drank a glass before dinner one night, more a reminder of CA than Tuscany.

2010 Agostina Pieri Brunello di Montalcino

2010 Agostina Pieri Brunello. Tight and wound up, Not much on the nose but cedar and spice, not specific. The mouth feel just felt undeveloped at this point. Had it with ground duck pasta. 95 Point Parker, but I tend to favor the Suckling rating of 91, which more accurately described the wine.

Brunello di Montalcino 2010, San Polo

Brunello di Montalcino 2010, San Polo. Of the trifecta I bought and drank in Vicenza, the last one, this one, was the best. Based upon the profile, more modern in style, smaller barrel aging process, probably with some new oak on it. Drank nice on open and after several hours. Had it with 4 different pizzas. Nothing like a 95 point Brunello with pizza.

Castello Romitorio, 2010 Brunello di Montalcino

Castello Romitorio, 2010 Brunello di Montalcino. Upon the open, spice and earth are dominating the nose. The palate is complete, but not luscious, more lean than palate clinging. Tight as hell. On night 2, the spice elements opened up further, but the palate didn't richen up.  Needs way more time. Again, ratings were high for this wine. 94 Points from Suckling, RP and WE. Again, I tend to agree with Suckling's evaluation.

Pergola Vece 2008 Amarone, Le Salette

Pergola Vece 2008 Amarone, LeSalette. Upon arrival in Vicenza, a mouth filling and rich wine with that characteristic sweetness that comes through. Balanced and nice with the cheeses and mustarda we were snacking on pre-dinner. IPOB thoughts...would they think this is balanced at over 15% alcohol? I do. It's lovely. 95 Points WE.

Gradis Ciutta Collio 2014 Cabernet Franc

Gradis Ciutta Collio 2014 Cabernet Franc, Princic, near the town of Gorizia in Italy. Herbaceous and young, I had this at Ai Porteghi in Padua. Worked with the pasta and beef pretty easily. Surprised I could drink a 14 Cab Franc this young. Food for thought.

Latium Morini, Ripasso

Latium Morini, Ripasso we had at risottoria. Easy drinker with a diverse offering of risotto. From light and easy to puttanesca. 12-15 months.

Gianni Brunelli 2010 Brunello di Montalcino

Gianni Brunelli 2010 Brunello di Montalcino - this is a more traditionally styled Brunello. Not heavy on the palate with oak or fruit or tannin, but softer, more anise, dried cherry and earth on the nose than overwhelming ripe fruit notes. Elegant. Paired up great with the my entire meal, from cured meat to roasted lamb, Is this a stand-out wine on the initial open. I'd love to see what happened in 24 hours and how it would have developed. 95 Points from Suckling. 95 from Gallioni as well.

Gianni Brunelli Grappa

After lunch treat.

Monti Garbi Ripasso, 2013 Tenuta Sant Antonio

Monti Garbi Ripasso, 2013 Tenuta Sant Antonio. It was ok. My gut said, oh, this tastes like bulk wine, thin and not overly complex. And I think that sums it up. Not complex. An inexpensive drinker from the region that happens to pop with just the right food.

Recioto Valpolicella 2012, Venturini out of Cariano

Recioto Valpolicella 2012, Venturini out of Cariano. At Bottega di Vino in Verona. Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara blended varieties. Pretty awesome wine with tons of flavor. Yes, it's got RS, but it seems to work after the meal. I couldn't drink but a glass of this stuff, but with the dessert, it was great. Now, it wasn't great with just the straight chocolate, then it tasted sour. Cabernet would have been better with the chocolate.

Scarpa, Monferrato Rouchet

Scarpa, Monferrato Rouchet. Native varietal. Nice full bodied wine with good structure. Spice and fruit. Solid drinker. 12 months in bottle, 12 months in stainless Steel. Surprising structure for no oak.

Dirupi 2014 Ole'

Dirupi 2014 Ole', 100% Nebbiolo from Lombardia. Not deep and brooding like Barolo or Barbaresco, this is easy drinking wine. Not complex, but fresh, bright flavors, floral notes and just barely ripe red fruits. Had this back at the house in Lucca with tartare and Salad Lyonaise

Tiezzi, Brunello di Montalcino, 2010 Poggio Cerrino

Tiezzi, Brunello di Montalcino, 2010 Poggio Cerrino. 20 day ferment, 44 months in Slovenian oak, then 4 months in bottle. The flavor with the roasted veal was extraordinary. I can't get past olives, tobacco, and  dark fruit and spice notes on this and other Brunello wines. Still lively and drinkable. At Il Santino

Selvapiana Chianti Rufina 2013

One of the last wines I had on the trip. Drank over 2 nights with lighter items, like cheese, salumi, roasted potato. dried cherry, cocoa powder, solid mid-palate texture and clean finish. Solid drinker. Suckling 92 Pts, WE 93 Pts. Great price, under $20.

Osteria del 36, Parma

Upon entry, I didn't see anyone at the front desk. So I made a little cough noise. I can only assume it was the owner that heard me, he clapped twice, loudly, as if to summon someone from the back to help. That's exactly what happened. The summons clap, something you won't ever hear in an American restaurant.

Incredible wine list here. Pages of stuff. Lots of big names and verticals from Tuscany. This is where traveling solo has a disadvantage, missing some great wines at reasonable prices. This is probably the reason this restaurant is on the Michelin list as an up and comer.

It's pasta, it's soup, it's good. 

This is the first place that I noticed non-Italian music in the background.  Club beats in English no less, from Pitbull. Truly Mr. International.

To start, tortellini con brodo. It was pure. I added 2 spoonfuls of Parmigiano. There's not much to say here, it's broth, it's pasta (some meat filled, some only cheese), it's good. Look at the picture.

Time for your close-up Ms. Pasta

Wild board with pears

For my second plate, wild boar. The cut is a loin chop, bone in, with pear in a red wine reduction finished with what are small enough to be huckleberries and  a ton of butter. A true pan sauce style. The boar is gamey and wildish in texture and flavor like wild ducks. Frankly, a bit tough and chewy. The rare part near the bone is where it's at. The Italians can cook a steak perfectly rare, but pork or boar, always cooked through. The pan sauce is the bomb. I actually took bread to soak it up. If it weren't for the sauce, I would have been disappointed.

A first, Parmigiano with honey

Parmigiano with honey. A first. The pairing doesn't clash with the pitcher of wine. No problem. Never seen honey served with Parmigiano, only w Gorgonzola. 

This is basically what I drank at Osteria 36

My pitcher of red wine is a drinker, plain and simple. It's my Jug wine. It's red, Sangiovese based and an easy going bouquet that will pair with everything I eat. This is why I made the Jug wine.

Grappa generally has a couple choices, morbide or dolce and then bianco or the caramel colored variety that has been aged in oak. The Italian purists believe that anything other than bianco is not one should drink. Basically, the oak adds color, some sweetness and mellows out the flavor. That oak treatment is something I've seen in many an American restaurant for sure. We do love oak, sweetness and mellowing. I tend to get bianco and morbide.

Grappa and the end of another meal

Was this my best dining experience in Parma? No. However, there was one very positive take-away, chunks of 24 month or older Parmigiano pair very well with wild honey and dry red wine and for that alone, I'm glad I dined here.

Another night (or two) at home

Creating my own meals are just as important in Italy as going out to dinner. I get to shop at various markets in my general area, work on my otherwise horrible Italian language skills, and walk-to-shop something I haven't done in too many years (I drive to shop for everything these days). 

Buying some basic stuff from the market; fennel, oranges, persimmon, raw onion, and treviso I can create a simple, seasonal salad. While this salad is just basically chopped stuff on a plate (because that's what it looks like), I did slice the fennel and onion about an hour ahead of time, squeezed oranges and a pinch of salt over them to allow the fennel/onion mixture to "cure" as I didn't want the harsh flavor of the onion and overly crunchy fennel, as my knife selection here isn't sharp (or I would have cut the fennel thinner)

Fresh winter style salad. 

The salad makes a great starter course to be followed up with pasta with braised fennel, onions and mortadella, topped with Parmigiano. 

Homemade pasta in Parma

Dolcetto d'Alba. Easy drinker for the week. 

Re-working a dish of leftovers, is just as important as a new dish when you're only in town for a few days at a time. You may recognize the big green cabbage roll (below) that I had earlier in the week (that's another purchase) since it's filled with pork, it's going to be tonight's protein. Beneath the cabbage roll are the denser and greener stalks of fennel as well as the whiter parts of the treviso, scraps from the salad I mentioned above. Add a little bread to the plate and bingo...another meal in the books and no waste. 

Pork filled cabbage roll with braised fennel and treviso

What's next in the kitchen? Don't know. I keep a supply of yogurt for breakfast along with a big hunk of Parmigiano for when I get hungry mid-day. We'll see what the market has to offer.  

Ristorante Cocchi, dal 1925, Parma

I discovered this restaurant on one of my random walks down (or was it up?) one of the main thoroughfares of Parma. Located in the Hotel Daniel, ​Ristorante Cocchi has been around for some time.

To start, Insalata Mista with warm speck and potato. Speck is a smoked ham, usually found in mountain towns. The dressing was simple, a sweet balsamic and olive oil. Solid. Normally I wouldn't order salad but it was kind of nice considering its cold outside, around 38 degrees and I walked about 2 miles to get here. Good start.

Mixed green salad with warm potatoes and speck

Next up, pasta with potato filling and shaved truffle. Good crack of black pepper. There was a starchiness to the sauce, which leads me to believe the pasta was placed in a sauté pan with butter and black pepper with some of the pasta water and tossed through with extra butter. Notice a bit of a brownish sauce coating the tops of the pasta., super viscous.The potato filling was good and hearty, the truffles are all about luxury and perfume. A couple elements on the plate to produce a wonderful lunch.

Pasta with truffles

Grilled steak. Let's get something straight. My server didn't ask me how I'd like my steak because there's only one way it SHOULD be prepared, THIS WAY! No medium or well. Medium rare to rare. No sides. The sauce is olive oil and the garnish is salt. The simplicity of it all. Yes it was tender, yes it was tasty. And if it makes you feel better, I went Paleo on this course.

Filetto di Fassona

The mezzo of Sangiovese from Fattoria Zerbina went with everything. 100% Sangiovese Grosso, aged in stainless steel and concrete vats, no oak, and I'm guessing not aged for more than a year. Easy to drink but not weak or thin. The wine easily paired with this whole meal. This is why I make Sangiovese, because it's good and pairs with lots of things.

Zabaione with crushed amaretto cookies. We've got a Goldilocks moment here. Too much liquor whipped in with the egg yolks and the zabaione is ruined. Not enough and it tastes like mousse custard thingy. But the zabaione at Cocchi, just right. The magic of having a crushed cookie lurking in the depths of that yellow custard is a nice surprise to, not all creamy and luxurious, but with an edge.

Zabaione with crushed amaretto cookies inside

Always some grappa to finish! 

Grappa to finish

Ristorante Cocchi, Parma

I enjoyed my lunch experience at Cocchi and my 2 mile walk back home. 

Ristorante Parizzi, Parma

As I mentioned in my last post, I can't always start a multi-course meal at 9:00pm. I'll be up till 2am with a heart rate nearing cardiac arrest levels trying to digest 10 courses. Which is why there are multi-course lunch options with the same menu as dinner.

One of those options is the Michelin-stared Ristorante Parizzi. 

Lonely Waffle

To start, compliments of the chef, a Parmigiano waffle. Tasty. A good waffle. The next level would have been to sauce it with balsamic as the "syrup" or Saba because basically it's a lonely waffle that needed a partner. Balsamic infused butter? Fried chicken? (too American) Gorgonzola honey? I liked the waffle, but it needed something to pair with it.

A second amuse was a mache salad with stuff I couldn't identify. It was very good and was perfect with the Pinot. It sort of looked like and tasted like cous cous spiked with saffron and sun dried tomatoes. But I can't be sure. It was all served cold....I liked it, I just wished I asked again what was in it.

Mache Salad

Slovenian Pinot, wine highlight of the day

The wine for my game bird courses was a Movia 2005 Slovenian Pinot Noir and it was outstanding. 92 pts by W&S at release, this wine drinks fresh, with full-palate depth, I wouldn't have expected. Cherry skins, licorice and completed integrated and well rounded tannin structure. I would have loved to try this wine at release to compare.

Cracker sandwiches of pheasant pate were next up. The Pheasant pate was uber smooth in texture, a fitting foil for the cracker crunch. In the middle of each pate cracker sandwich, there were caramelized onions waiting for you. The appropriate contrast for the rich smoothiness of pate.  Gelatin, placed as garnish, was made with white wine and offered yet more contrast and all important acid to pate cracker sandwich. Well done overall and visually attractive.

Pheasant pate cracker sandwich

Surprise! Caramelized Onion! 

Roasted quail with winter salad. The quail was delicious, moist and well seasoned. The winter salad of persimmon, fennel and pomegranate seed is a combination I expect from a 1-Star establishment at this time of year. I could have done without the chickpea cake, don't think it added much. The dish was paired spot on with the Slovenian Pinot. And since I ate the bones with my fingers, they gave me a bowl of warm water with a towel in it to clean my fingers prior to the next course. Excellent attention to detail and unexpected.

Game Bird #2...Quail

Pasta with duck and a bit of broccoli rabe was a high point. I love my pasta. If you're worried about gamy flavors, broccoli rabe will get rid of that notion in a hurry. Sharp flavors of broccoli rabe that contrast the warm, rich, wild flavors that come with rich duck pasta. I like the dish very much and could easily see cauliflower or cabbage used as the contrast to the duck. Possibly a grilled item, such as fennel, as a further flavor development.

Time for Pasta

To finish the Degustazione di Terra menu, a grand presentation of loin with foie gras. The middle of the loin was punched out and foie gras was inserted in the middle. Three sauces or garnishes surrounded the main, true center-of-plate many a chef fail at creating. Not whispers and smears of sauce, but statements of sauce. The foie and loin were balanced out. I thought for sure the foie would have been the star, it almost always is, but there was harmony here.

Highlight of the meal, Loin and Foie

Near the end of its life for my palate

Both the duck and the loin/foie were paired with Castello di Farnetella 2007 Cabernet, Syrah, Sangiovese, Merlot from Sinalunga near Siena in Tuscany. The wine was beginning to give off a hint of oxidation and raisin notes on the nose after about 10 minutes in the glass, on a bottle that was poured to 3/4 empty. I'd say the wine was paired off better with the beef and foie than with the duck filled pasta, as the broccoli through it all off. More thought needs to go into the pasta and wine pairing because of the flavor profile.

Cheese, glorious cheese

Regional cheese selection focusing on one item and one region...Parmigiano Reggiano! Duh! 14, 24, 36 months from different areas of the province. I've experienced this type of tasting before a while back in San Francisco, when the Consortium for Parmigiano came to visit and presented to the trade. I liked the 24 month cheese for this tasting.

Pre dessert #1, Creme anglaise w lemon was light and easy dusted w chocolate. I like this Pre-Dessert compliment a lot. Refreshing, colorful and clean. Winner.

Pre-Dessert #1

Chosen dessert...chocolate cannoli with candied orange and raspberry coulis. Cannoli shells are filled fresh, as they are crunchy, not soggy. Easy, one-bite cannoli. Candied fruit and crushed nuts are often served with cannoli, and there was no exception here. I don't like candied fruit inside my cannoli. I want the option to eat it separately; Parizzi gave me the option to explore the candied fruit on my own, which, I happened to really like. Great dish. Fun, exciting to look at, playful and well de-constructed.

I chose Dessert #2, Cannoli

Post dessert...In rapid fire and in order of how I consumed them: raspberry topped panna cotta was about as light and clean as Pre-Dessert #1; therefore it was devoured. Creme brûlée was not so good, I had one bite and finished. The 4 candied nuts were good so I ate them all, the single chocolate truffle was good, the single lemon ball was great. Done, done and done.

Dessert #3, Post Dessert, Dessert

Sicilian Cab / Cab Franc

From the cheese course through the last dessert, the wine offered was a 2006 Planeta Burdese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend from Sicily. 92 pts by WE and one of their Top 100 wines on release and 91 by WS on release. Riper edge when compared to the other wines I sampled at Parizzi, with prunes, tobacco and spice. The bright fruit was gone, this was a wine that needs to be drunk sooner rather than later. I appreciate its longevity, but it was least favorite wine in the mix; Slovenian Pinot wins the wine award today.

Grappa to finish. No espresso today.

Grappa

Service was solid, attentive but not intrusive. Everyone hustled and I never felt rushed or alone. Stemware replaced swiftly, silverware replaced swiftly, plates taken away 80% of the time by the time I placed the utensils down. Everything is brought on a cart or in a tray and placed away from the table and then brought to you from a service location in the center of the dining room. Michelin service standards here, professional.

A very good experience at Parizzi. The level of service, attention to detail, intricacies on the plate, and atmosphere all  lead to a professional dining experience in a restaurant that is expected to cater to a wider, international clientele because of their star rating. Is this better than some of the other places I've dined so far? No. Is it worse? No. It's apples and pineapples; very different dining experiences. Each with their own expectation level though. 

New Year, New Releases.

We pulled more than a few corks in 2015, thanks to our customers (Thanks for the picture Mary!). From our Proprietary White Wine, Pinot Noir, Superstrada, and of course Cabernet Sauvignon; I'd like to personally thank everyone who had a glass. While many of your favorites from 2015 are sold out, there are several new release wines coming in 2016.

Cork, Picture and Permission provided by Mary

The triumphant return of Superstrada is slated for release in the first quarter of 2016. The 2013 Superstrada will be a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, exclusively from hillside vineyards in Dry Creek Valley. 

Our 2015 Proprietary White Wine will be released right around Valentine's Day, and promises to be a clean, crisp white wine you'll be able to enjoy all year long.

The 2012 Sonoma County blend, the one wine that is guaranteed to never be the same blend twice, just hit the shelves in late 2015. If you want the detail on the blend and process, it's all in the fact sheet. The short story is, it's the first time I worked with Malbec from Alexander Valley. Malbec packs a punch with aromatics and back palate flavor when combined with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

We will have our first Zinfandel released in early 2016. I found a great little vineyard in Dry Creek Valley in 2014, hand-picked and hand-sorted, I gave the wine both 1st Pass French and American oak for 18 months of aging for a full-bodied flavor, but without the sting of so many Zinfandels on the market today.

Naturally, we'll be releasing some big Cabernet and Cabernet blends in 2016, from the limited 1-T-L and Signature, along with the 2013 Cuvee of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Thank you again for all of your support in 2015 and looking forward to pulling some more corks (and sharing your pictures) in 2016.

Rack, Return, Jug!

Blending the Mastro Scheidt Mastrogiacomo Craft Red Wine Growler has been a top priority in early 2015.  For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm blending The Jug for 2015.

This is a good opportunity to explain a little bit more about The Mastrogiacomo Jug. Let's address the name on The Jug. Mastrogiacomo, shortened to Mastro at Ellis Island, is my mother’s maiden name. My Italian ancestors immigrated to Fresno, California from Southern Italy in the early 1900s.

Nearly every one of my Italian relatives made wine in their basement and nearly every one of them bottled their wine (if they bottled it at all) in a jug. Fast forward about 100 years to what I'm doing at Mastro Scheidt Cellars; where I've taken the jug very seriously and crafted a high-quality red wine blend from Sonoma County and turned it into a cult favorite with both first-time buyers and regular enthusiasts of my more traditional offerings.

Since its infancy, my red wine Jug was blended with 100% Sonoma County fruit. I've always used fruit that I've purchased and fermented to create my master blend, no corner cutting. My Jug is NOT 'the leftovers' from each year. Far from it.

Winemaker and Owner, David Scheidt steam cleaning barrels

Every barrel is selected by me, with the same attention to detail as our single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. I use high quality French, American, and Hungarian oak to age my jug wine.  The Jug is by design a non-vintage blend. I could declare a vintage, but this gives me the freedom as the winemaker to blend more well-rounded (read: more barrel time) wine from my cellar. 

And then I blend. And blend again. And again. Then test and test again. Until the final product is easy to enjoy and readily drinkable. The Jug is not meant for aging or time in bottle, it's meant to drink. I rack off gross lees, allowing the wine to settle, as our method of fining and filtering the wine, rather than use a filtration system. We then bottle without adding additional sulphites.

The goal is for a great glass of wine that I personally produced from Sonoma County that is affordable and appeals to the casual drinker and connoisseur; hopefully around a table of friends and food. It has always been my ideal to tell you exactly what's in my blends and what my process is. The 'mystery' of what I do is the daily, weekly, and monthly planning (what barrels to bottle when), tasting (and spitting a lot) and testing (the less glamorous stuff) of each vintage and non-vintage bottling.

2015 Starts at the Beach then heads to the Mountains

After driving just around 40,000 road miles in the state of California in 2014 (unfortunately there is no 1K Club for driving), I've already started logging the miles in 2015; ringing in the New Year in Santa Barbara and then heading to the East Side and Mammoth Lakes to round out my first weekend in 2015.

New Years Eve Menu 2014...Tuna / Twice Baked Potato / Whole Loin of Beef

A totally relaxed evening with friends over dinner and Cards Against Humanity for NYE. A real pleasure to drink several wines that night reinforcing a wine can taste great, age gracefully and use AMERICAN oak...Silver Oak Napa Valley 1997 and 2004 both tasted spot on (there's a reason Silver Oak is the #1 selling wine in American steak houses and it's a lesson learned).

And yes, I drink every wine I come across, not just mine. We also had a terrific Blair Fox Syrah (Los Olivos) and Stoller Pinot Noir (Oregon).

The East Side

It was off to Mammoth Lakes and the East Side to cook and take in the final performance of the Winter Wonderettes at The Edison Theatre...and maybe, just maybe catch some snow (not ice).

Had a full house for Saturday night dinner at the East Side Bake Shop, knocking out one El Super Burrito after another. As usual, the Saturday Night Bluegrass Jam was in full effect, with a solid group of players, elements of Bodie 601 and Sweetwater String Band and lots of familiar faces I'm getting to know.

More music on Sunday, with the final show of the season of The Winter Wonderettes at The Edison Theater. Friends from Bluegrass Night and the Mammoth Lakes Foundation (Juliana and Shira I'm talking about you!!!) kept encouraging me to take a front row seat for the performance, which made me slightly suspicious. I admit, I'm happy to take a great seat, but the coaxing led me to believe something was up.

Sure enough, Wonderette Missy (a.k.a. Kristin Reese from Bodie 601) points to me in the crowd as "Bill...her husband" and we did a short dance number in Act 1. 

However, Act 2 of the performance required "Bill" to step up on stage, wear a Santa hat and sit in The Big Chair (think Santa and The Big Chair). The Wonderette's surround me and sing a rather entertaining "Santa Baby"...but wait there's more! The Wonderettes then wheel the chair under the mistletoe...and well...

Welcome to 2015!