Cliff's Wine Picks

 

2016 M2 Vintners Carignane Rosé of Carignane

2016 Jeremy Wine Company Albariño

2016 St. Amant Winery Barbera Rosé

2015 Michael-David Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

2016 Uvaggio (L’Uvaggio di Giacomo) Cinsault Rosé

2016 d’Art Wines Barbera White Barbera

 

 

This post is based on samples that were provided to me.  I am showing the suggested retail price for the wines.

 

For a great, all inclusive look at Lodi, visit the Lodi Wine site.  I highly recommend reading ” The Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing” to learn more about the region’s commitment to the environment and leaving the area better for future generations.  This is very important for a region built around family owned businesses.

 

 

 

2016 M2 Vintners Carignane Rosé of Carignane – SRP $18

This wine is made from 100% Carignane grapes grown from the Mule Plane Vineyard that was planted “sometime” around 1920.  The vineyard’s name, “Mule Plane”, is in respect of the mules that pulled cast-iron blades to cultivate the ground and vines in the early days.

 

This is made in a traditional French style; the grapes were harvested, then crushed, and the skins were allowed to remain in contact with the juice for a short period of time to gain color and flavor.  After the must is pressed, the juice is fermented as if it was a white wine at a very low temperature.  The total production was only 180 cases.

 

Much more information on the winery and their wines is available on their website by clicking here.

 

The wine is a light peach color.  The bright and vibrant nose has cherries, chalky minerals, strawberries, white peach, melon, orange blossoms, subtle underbrush and a hint of leafy herbs.  This is barely medium body with nice acidity and just a subtle hint of sweetness.  On the palate tart cherries, white peach, strawberries and minerals grab your attention immediately with melon and a touch of underbrush coming in later.  The juicy finish has good length with orange blossoms and a touch of leafy herb providing nice depth.  The nice upfront fruit makes this easy to sip and the savory notes coming in on the back end and finish keep it interesting.  Nice job!  This has 12.6% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2016 Jeremy Wine Company Albariño – SRP $20

Jeremy Wine Co is owned by Jeremy & Choral Trettevik.  The winery has grown from 5 tons of grapes in their first harvest to now harvesting well over 100 tons.

 

I’ve been very impressed by the Albariño wines being produced in Lodi.  These are world-class wines that rival the wines being produced anywhere in the world.  The grapes for this 100% Albariño come from the Felten Vineyard.  The grapes were fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel.  There were only 210 cases of this wine produced in this vintage.

 

For more information on the winery and their wines or to make a purchase, visit their website by clicking here.

 

The wine is a light straw golden color.  The alluring nose has apples, white peach, lemon grass, orange blossoms, lime zest and dusty minerals.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate apples, white peach and lemon grass jump out on the front end with minerals and orange blossoms coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with mouthwatering lime zest providing depth and compelling you to grab another sip.  This is great as an aperitif or with a light meal, preferably one with seafood.  This is very easy to like.  This has 13.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2016 St. Amant Winery Barbera Rosé – SRP $15

St. Amant is a family owned and run winery that was founded in 1979 by Tim and Barbara Spencer.  Their son, Stuart is currently the  knowledgeable and very friendly winemaker.  I highly encourage you to read about the wonderful history and growth of this winery by clicking here.  While you are visiting the site, you can purchase their wines.

 

My first exposure to this specific wine was at a “welcome” reception and dinner in Lodi in September.  I love this crisp and flavorful wine.  I’m glad I was able to try the latest vintage.

 

The wine is a bright cherry color.  The fresh and lively nose has strawberries, cherries, dusty minerals, orange blossoms and a touch of leafy herb.  This has light to medium body with nice acidity.  On the palate tart strawberries and cherries jump out on the front end with minerals and a hint of leafy herb coming in later.  The finish has nice length with orange blossom and a touch of citrus zest providing depth.  This is extremely easy to sip on a warm and sunny day alone or with a light meal.  This may not be the most complex bottle of wine out there but it is extremely tasty.  I like this one a lot.  This has 12.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2015 Michael-David Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc – SRP $16

The Michael and David are brother Michael and David Philips, the fifth generation of grape growers in the Philips family storied history.

 

Sustainable farming practices are just slogans and buzzwords for the Michael David Winery.  They have adopted some of the most progressive sustainable farming practices in state.  All 750 acres of the family’s vineyards are third party certified.  The winery goes as far as offering a per ton bonus to follow in the family’s foot steps.  Starting with the 2011 vintage, 100% of the Lodi grown fruit crushed at Michael David winery have been certified sustainable.

 

Much more info on the family, the winery and their wines is available on their website.

 

The wine is a very light straw yellow with a slight green tint.  The enticing nose has green apples, flinty minerals, lemon grass, apricot and grapefruit zest.  This is barely medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate tart apples, apricot and minerals pop out on the front end with lemon zest coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with mouthwatering grapefruit zest providing depth.  This would be very nice by itself or with a light meal on a warm day in a sunny location.  This is very appealing and refreshing.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2016 Uvaggio (L’Uvaggio di Giacomo) Cinsault Rosé – SRP $24

The proprietor/winemaker for Uvaggio is Jim Moore.  Jim has a long history in the California wine business.  It was his vision and development that lead to the creation of La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi.  This was my first introduction to the other wines coming out of California beyond Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot, etc.  Their Barbera was our “house wine” for several years.  I’m glad I now know and can enjoy the newest iteration of these wonderful wines.

 

Much more information on Jim, the winery and their wines is available by clicking here.

 

This 100% Lodi sourced wine is a blend of 80% Cinsaut from the Bechthold Vineyard, 11% Vermentino from Gayla’s Vineyard and 9% Grenache from the Mettler Vineyard.  For this wine, the winery co-fermented the Vermentino with the Cinsault and a week later added the Grenache to prolong the fermentation to add additional complexity.

 

The wine is a bright salmon pink color.  The expressive nose has strawberries, cherries, orange blossoms, lime zest, white peach and a hint of white pepper.  This has light to medium body with nice acidity and just a hint of lingering sweetness.  On the palate bright strawberries and cherries are joined with orange blossoms on the front end with white peaches coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with white pepper and tart lime zest providing nice depth.  This is very easy to sip and enjoy.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2016 d’Art Wines White Barbera – SRP $22

“What does a Spanish dancer have to do with a winery that has a French name?”  so begins the history of d’Art Wines.

 

d’Art Wines is owned by Helen and Dave Dart, and this is truly a family business.  Dave and their daughter Jessica handle the winemaking end of the business while Helen greets visitors in the tasting room and shares the winery’s history and some of her wine friendly recipes to pair with the wines.  Some of these recipes are available on their website.  I know I’m looking forward to trying here recipe for Pappa Al Pomodoro, especially with a few of the serving suggestions.

 

Much more information on the Darts, their winery, the wines and Helen’s recipes is available by clicking here.

 

The wine is a pale orange color.  The fresh and exotic nose has cherries, orange blossoms, leafy herbs, strawberries, white pepper and dusty earth.  This is barely medium body with nice acidity and seems to be totally dry.  On the palate tart cherries, strawberries and orange zest come through on the front end with white pepper and leafy herbs coming in later.  The finish has decent length with a touch of dusty earth providing some depth.  This is a lighter bodied wine that will stand up to a lighter meal or even better with a small platter of cheese.  This is easy to sip on a hot sunny day.  This has 14% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

Conclusion and recommendations

These are all wines made with pride by families who either grow their own grapes or buy them from “friends”.  The over riding thing I learned during my visit is this region performs like one big team.  Everyone from the grape growers to the winery owners are equals when it comes to producing these world class wines.  The wines in this post are generally not available at you local wine store.  They are available via the winery’s websites or from the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center.

 

 

If you want to plan a trip to Lodi, which I highly recommend, your first step should be to visit the Lodi Wine Site.  If you find yourself in Lodi and want to sip some wine, buy some wine or look for recommendations, I encourage you to visit them at:

Lodi Wine & Visitor Center

2545 West Turner Road

Lodi, CA 95242

Phone: (209) 367-4727

Email: lwwc@lodiwine.com

 

This is also a great place to buy Lodi wines.  They have an extensive inventory of wines that you can have shipped to your home.

 

 

 

How can’t you talk about these food friendly wines and not show a few of the dishes that were paired with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lodi Information

Lodi is just east of San Francisco and has provided grapes for producers all over the world since the 1800’s.  The Lodi area has provided grapes for producers all over the world for decades, and many families in Lodi have been growing grapes for six and seven generations.  Today, there are approximately 85 wineries and tasting rooms, over 750 growers and more than 100,000 acres planted to vineyards.  The wines we tasted commemorate the heritage of Lodi and are not only exquisite, but tell a narrative.

 

It is a well-known fact that Lodi is predominantly a red wine region, proudly holding the self-proclaimed title of “Zinfandel Capital of the World”.  What is lesser known is that Lodi’s unique Mediterranean climate allows for over 75 different varietals to thrive.

 

Tons of great and useful information is available on the Wines of Lodi, LOCA website.  I highly encourage you to read about the area by clicking here.  You can also follow Lodi on Twitter at @Lodi_Wine.

 

 

Lodi Green Program

The Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing is California’s first 3rd party-certified sustainable winegrowing program.  Originally launched in 2005, over the past two years the program went through and extensive review to update and make standards more rigorous.

 

The Lodi Rules takes a comprehensive approach to farming that goes beyond just pest management to promote practices that enhance biodiversity, water and air quality, soil health, and employee and community well-being.  This allows us to produce higher quality wines more reflective of the places and people that grow them.  It gives you the opportunity to promote responsible farming by enjoying the great wines from these vineyards.

 

When you drink a certified sustainably grown Lodi wine, you are supporting a farmer, a vintner, and a community that embraces its responsibility to take care of the environment.

 

Visit the Lodi Certified Green site for more information on the region’s sustainable winegrowing.

 

 

 

 

Calhoun & Company enjoys a diverse portfolio of wine and spirits clients. From family owned to corporate managed, luxury to everyday priced, small lot wines to nationally distributed, Napa to Oporto, we thrive on the varied media opportunities each of these categories presents. We are exceptionally proud of the breadth and depth of our practice, as illustrated by this partial list of brands we have worked with over the past 13 years.  For more information, visit their website.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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Cheers!

 

 

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!