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| Delicato Family Vineyards Tasting |
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| Monday, 12 May 2008 | |
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Reported by David Skinner Someone must have poured the wrong wine. A whisper of confusion made its way around the room as Guild members enjoyed a pre-tasting sample of the 2006 Loredona Pinot Grigio from the Delicato Family Vineyards (DFV) offering. The tell-tale pinkish hue of the crisp white from Monterey California hinted that this was indeed the Pinot Gris variety but a nose more reminiscent of Gewürztraminer and the floral notes of Viognier added to the confusion about a potential mix up of glasses. What a great way to start a Guild event, I thought, but it turned out that this little challenge to the tasters at the outset would place us all on alert for some new olfactory experiences.  It turns out, as our host James Ewarts, the winemaker from DFV, advised us that this was not 100% Pinot Gris but rather a blend that included Gewürztraminer and Symphony varietals. Given that I had just purchased and tasted the 2006 Ironstone Obsession which is made from the UC Davis-created Symphony grape, I should have recognized some of those pear, peach, and spice notes. It was pleasantly coincidental that the Loredona Pinot Grigio had just been released that Saturday, so I grabbed a few to confuse and entertain my friends as well.After clearing up the confusion, our host took us on a tour of the vineyards that produce the wines we tasted. The unique micro-climate of Monterey is fueled by the on-shore winds generated by the deep Monterey Canyon, an undersea feature the size of the Grand Canyon located deep in Monterey Bay. Thus, Monterey’s waters tend to be appreciably colder than coastal waters for many miles north or south of it and the resulting wind and fog create a dynamic aspect of terroir such that temperatures can vary up to five degrees from the north to south end of the vineyards. We tasted three wines from the Monterey area: Loredona Pinot Grigio, Loredona Reisling, and Irony Pinot Noir. Other areas where DFV has a presence include Napa, Russian River Valley, and Lodi. While most were familiar with these regions, the Lodi area is home to the family’s Clay Station vineyards which have a unique tale to tell. It is located in the Lodi foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and it is named after a historic stagecoach stop used during California’s Gold Rush. During the California Gold Rush, the area served as a staging point for miners on their way from San Francisco to the mother lode. DFV grows old world varieties such as Viognier and Petite Syrah on rich clay soils but uses new world techniques to create some interesting wines. One thing that this vintner has used to develop his signature is the application of specially selected yeast strains to ferment his creations. We tasted the Clay Station Viognier, 337 Cabernet Sauvignon and the infamous Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel from the Lodi region. The other regions were well represented with a wide variety of wines made from Chardonnay to Zinfandel. Our tasting notes provide some perspective on the groups’ enthusiasm for this family of wines. There are some special items of note from this tasting that added to the experience for the guild members in attendance. For one thing the moniker “old vine” often is rather meaningless in today’s wine marketing terms. For some marketers it is a relative term meaning that the grapes from these “old” vines are simply older than the other vines used by the grower. For the Gnarly Head Zinfandels, the term “old” is truly meaningful in that these vines are 80 years old. Another note of interest is that the DFV winemaker uses oak staves to augment the oak characteristics of his wines. One suspects that this allows for less barrel aging to achieve the desired profile and thus creates a cost savings and better inventory management. Finally Mr. Ewarts educated the group about the sustainable agricultural practices used to produce his environmentally friendly wines. He covered everything from the composting processes through the use of clover between rows of vines to the building of owl houses to control rodent populations. Certainly this was a great event with some interesting wines and an engaging host. Tasting Notes:Loredona Pinot Grigio, 2006 (Monterey)Slightly pink hue mixed with light golden color. Intense aromas of apples, pear, and ginger matched the crisp acidity and white fruit flavours such as pear, peach and pineapple. A slight minerality added to a medium length finish with some vanilla notes. Clay Station Viognier, 2006 (Lodi) Light golden color. Moderately intense nose highlighted by floral aromas, peach, and orange blossom. Mediumhigh acidity, the flavours burst with peaches, mango, and oranges. A medium-length finish full of fruit. Loredona Riesling, 2006 (Monterey) Medium straw yellow appearance. Moderately intense nose mainly featuring apple, citrus, spicy ginger, and mineral notes. Fully intense flavours dominated by peach, apple, and apricot. The slight residual sugar was well balanced with a medium-high acidity. A long fruit-forward finish. Gnarly Head Chardonnay, 2006 (California) Light golden color. Quite intense aromas of tropical fruit and oak with buttery hints (30% MLF). Crisp acidity and flavours of pineapple and citrus were slightly overpowered by the oak. A fully intense wine with a long finish hinting of vanilla, but oak flavours persists throughout. Most definitely a wine in search of a good food match. Irony Chardonnay, 2005 (Napa) Light gold. Intense vanilla, cocoanut, and buttery aromas. The medium intensity of flavour was similar to the nose but with green apples, citrus, and silky vanilla added. The wine had both a mouth coating character and crisp acidity that was well balanced and enjoyable. A lingering fruity finish. Irony Pinot Noir, 2005 (Monterey) Light ruby with a clear rim. Sweet cherry, raspberry, and some nuttiness smells dominate with a medium intensity. Very fruit forward, medium bodied, and well balanced on the palate. Cherry, raspberries, and some hints of nuttiness. Low tannins and a medium-length fruit finish. Irony Russian River Pinot Noir, 2005 (Russian River) Light ruby with a pink rim. Moderately intense earth tones over subtle aromas of cherry, raspberry, and cedar on the nose. Medium bodied, low tannins, and medium acidity. Flavours of black cherry, vanilla, and mineral tones. A long, well-balanced finish of fruit and earthy flavours. Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 (California) Dark ruby with a purple rim. Aromas of cassis, blackberry, vanilla, and black pepper are very intense. Even more fruit and oak-derived flavours on the palate. Strong flavours of currants, cloves, chocolate mixed with medium tannins, and well balanced with a moderate acidity level. A long finish full of oak character. Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel, 2006 (Lodi) Deep ruby core, purple rim. Aromas of cooked fruit, plum, strawberry, smoke, cloves, and other spices. A jammy blend of sweet berry with coffee and chocolate on the palate. Well balanced, good acidity to offset the residual sugars, but with some slight sweetness rounding out a full-bodied, medium-tannin wine. Long earthy finish. Gnarlier Head Old Vine Zinfandel, 2005 (Sommer’s Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley) Dark ruby with some hints of garnet. Less intense than the Gnarly Head Zin and more elegant on the nose but with the characteristic berry jam, cedar and cloves as the dominant aromas. Full bodied and medium tannins but a bit more finesse than the Gnarly Head version. Dark berry, plum, raspberry, chocolate, pepper, and vanilla tastes emerge inlayers. A long finish well balanced between fruit and spice. 337 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 (Lodi) Dark Ruby core and slight purple rim. Delicate aromas of cherry, vanilla, menthol, and some nuttiness. Full bodied with supple tannins the flavour profile is dominated by blackberry, raspberry and chocolate. Mediumlong finish well balanced between fruit and tannin. Irony Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 (Napa) Dark ruby with pinkish rim. Similar to the 337 but with much more oak. The fruit aromas are primarily currant, raspberry, and black cherry but tobacco and chocolate are present as well in this intense nose. Full bodied, medium tannins, and well balanced with good acidity. Flavours of cherry, chocolate and currant. Long finish with oak texture dominating. |
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 The National Capital Sommelier Guild strongly supports moderate and responsible consumption of wine and spirits. Guild dinner events allow a designated driver to attend at a reduced price. The designated driver will not be served alcohol. Guild tasting events provide and encourage the use of spit buckets. |
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