2007 Roudon-Smith Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains – 171 cases produced $25

Very nice aromas of tropical fruits, mostly pineapple with a touch of oaky high notes – there’s a bit more oak on the palate with the tropical profile yielding to melon and white stone fruits – medium weight with a bit of tannic astringency – may come into harmony and better balance with a couple of years in bottle. Find this wine

2007 Roudon-Smith Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains – sourced from two vineyards in the Corralitos area $30

Pretty ruby color – sweet and lovely red and Bing cherry/Pinot fruit aromas – the flavors follow the nose in a nice medium weight package – leans toward the feminine side of Pinot – elegant, but stops just short of being delicate – will benefit from a little time in bottle to come together – will become a lovely and food friendly wine. Very fine. Find this wine

Roudon-Smith Claret NV – 50% Syrah 33% Zinfandel 17% Merlot the blend varies from release to release $15

Somewhat reticent nose – hints of tobacco leaf and spice – pleasant medium weight in the mouth – the blend does not reveal its components – needs some time for tannin integration, but a pleasant (although not profound, and not intended to be) red blend that will likely make a great pizza wine. Cleverly priced and a good value. Find this wine

Not ten feet away, Dr. David Estrada (left) poured the wines of his one man operation, Clos Tita. Planted at a 900 ft. elevation and at a slope of 25°, the 700 vine estate production is augmented with purchased fruit to achieve an annual production of less than 500 cases – roughly half of it estate grown Pinot Noir. Originally a home winemaker, Dr. Estrada received his bond in 1996, and makes his wines in a converted stable on his hilltop property in Scotts Valley.

2005 Clos Tita Pinot Noir Cuvee – 15% Estate fruit, the balance from the Branciforte Vineyard nearby 20% whole cluster fermentation 14.5% alcohol $30

Deep ruby color – Oh! Welcome to the Dark Side – the aromas show purple and black stone fruits with a hint of char – reasonably friendly with a fruit profile that follows the nose and adds a hint of steminess – some medium weight but smooth tannins shut the wine down in the mid-palate. It will be interesting to see how this wine develops over time – it’s not quite ready for prime time drinking right now, but is very promising. Find this wine

2005 Clos Tita Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Bottled – whereas the Cuvee consists of mostly Dijon clones, this wine is made from the clones grown on the estate: 15, 777, 113 and 114 – about 125 cases produced. 20% whole cluster fermentation 13.7% alcohol $36

Pretty deep ruby color in the glass – the earthy aromatics promised by the winemaker are certainly apparent – this could easily masquerade as an Oregon, or even (gasp!) French Pinot Noir – the earthy elements round out the profile and add a nice complexity – the fruit profile is not nearly as dark as the Cuvee, and is far more restrained – the earthy components drive the palate right now along with some fine tannins and a firm acid backbone that lends structure. We won’t even begin to glimpse this wine’s potential without at least another two years in bottle. With patience, should provide a lovely and rather individualistic expression of SCM Pinot Noir. Find this wine

2005 Clos Tita Merlot Santa Cruz Mountains – Los Gatos grown fruit $20

Deep and dense garnet color – pleasant , if somewhat muted plumy aromas in the glass – smooth entry with ripe plum flavors and moderate, but smooth tannins – a nice package. A fine value – delivers more than some Merlot I’ve tasted at two or even three times the price. Buy now – hold for two years or longer. Well done. Find this wine

2005 Clos Tita Gironde Santa Cruz Mountains – 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Merlot Saratoga and Los Gatos grown fruit $25

Dark and rich color – restrained aromas needing time – no noticeably oak on any of these wines (other than the bit of char on the Cuvee) – pleasant richness of fruit in the mouth with some astringent tannins up front – tannins are smooth and just need some time – good value, needs a couple of years in bottle. Find this wine

A decidedly strong showing from Clos Tita, previously under, but now squarely on my radar.

The walk back towards my car led me to the Forbes Mill Steakhouse, who were hosting a tasting on their slim veranda usually used for sidewalk dining. There I met Don Naumann, (right) proprietor and winemaker of his eponymous Naumann Vineyards. The estate is located on Montebello Road in Cupertino, a very short distance from Ridge. He also manages two small neighborhood vineyards and produces his wines at Fernwood Cellars.

2006 Naumann Vineyards Chardonnay – from a one acre family owned vineyard on Monte Bello Ridge $18

Noticeably viscous in the glass – fairly rich fruits in the nose with a touch of oak – surprisingly refreshing in the mouth with peach and melon flavors up front and some fine grained wood tannins that leave an astringent finish on the front of the palate – quite nice, even nicer if the tannins integrate. Pretty good value with some regional typicity. Find this wine

2005 Naumann Vineyards Merlot – from Don’s two and a half acre estate vineyard $26

Looks like a non-filtered wine – nicely ripe fruit that comes up in the glass with swirling – fairly attractive in the mouth with perfectly ripe red plum flavors and a hint of dustiness – the tannins need some time to resolve, but a delicious wine and not an unreasonable value. Find this wine

2007 Naumann Vineyards Merlot – from barrel

Lovely clarity – medium garnet color with just a hint of purple – somewhat shy in the nose, but ripe and pretty in the mouth before the tannins assert themselves – shows potential and I expect it to improve.

2008 Naumann Vineyards Merlot – from barrel

Pretty ruby color – muted but pleasant red and purple plum fruits with some overlying spice – ripe and forward in the mouth with a lovely flavor profile and the expected wood tannins. Shows good structure, pleasing ripeness and a noticeable lack of manipulation.

These are not blockbuster wines by any means but for a small 500 case winery, they are impressive and represent reasonable values in today’s market.

A ten minute stroll brought me to the tasting room of Fleming Jenkins Vineyards & Winery, owned by Olympic Gold Medal skater Peggy Fleming and her husband, Dr. Greg Jenkins. He serves as winemaker and consults with the folks at Testarossa, where they are bonded. They planted the estate vineyard in 1999 to Chardonnay – one acre of Dijon clone 76 on 110R rootstock at 1400 foot elevation.

Ms. Fleming, a breast cancer survivor herself, has created the Victories Rosé and donates $2 per bottle sold to a variety of charities benefiting research and treatment.

2008 Fleming Jenkins Victories Rosé – 83% Syrah 17% Pinot Noir 14.1% alcohol 477 cases produced $20

There are some pleasant and sweet fruit flavors in the mouth, but its more sweetness than fruit – not a bad wine, but not showing very much character – perhaps a function of the vintage. Buy it because of where the donation goes. Find this wine

2005 Fleming Jenkins Choreography Napa Valley - 78% Cabernet Sauvignon 12% Cabernet Franc 9% Merlot 1% Malbec 14.5% alcohol 565 cases produced $50

Pretty garnet color in the glass – shy but pretty and ripe varietal fruit in the nose – attractive and ripe fruit flavors up front – moderate tannins intrude on the mid-palate. An attractive enough wine, but will the fruit outlast the tannins? That said, nicely done. Find this wine

2006 Fleming Jenkins Syrah Livermore Valley Madden Ranch – owned by Ms. Fleming’s ABC Sports colleague, John Madden. 100% Syrah all Concannon clone on 5BB rootstock 14.6% alcohol 311 cases produced $40

Deep and slightly dusky plum color – decidedly warm climate Syrah in the nose – ripe and attractive in the mouth – a medium weight package – drink or hold. Find this wine

2007 Fleming Jenkins Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains Jenkins Vineyard – 100% Chardonnay Dijon clone 76 on 110R rootstock 14.4% alcohol 191 cases produced $38

A bit shy aromatically, but does show some citrus notes and SCM minerality – what the wine lacks in the nose is more than compensated for in the mouth with rich melon and white peach flavors with citrus highlights – the backbone of acid and minerality makes for a very complete package – quite delicious, showing a deft touch with the oak treatment. Will improve for five years or longer – I suspect the lush fruit will fade, and the mountain terroir will come forward. Find this wine

2006 Fleming Jenkins Syrah Santa Cruz Mountains Black Ridge Vineyards – 100% Syrah clones 99, 877, Noir 14.7% alcohol 251 cases produced $40

Very pretty dense and inviting garnet color – reticent aromatics – very appealing entry with nicely ripened Syrah fruit that falls somewhere between northern and southern Rhone in profile – noticeable acids up front which lend character and structure – the fruit is rich enough to tolerate the bottle time this wine will need to come together. I would love to taste this again in five years or so. Find this wine

I must admit that I tend to approach celebrity owned wineries with heightened skepticism, but I was favorably impressed with the wines of Fleming Jenkins. They were well made and showed some finesse and real potential. I also need to express my appreciation to Gregg Gorham, (left) their tasting room manager, who could (and should) be teaching classes in hospitality. Thanks, Gregg!

I hiked back to the car and swung back onto 17 South, headed up towards the summit and the hamlet of Redwood Estates. No doubt sustained by redwood logging at some point in its past, there is also an old oil field north of the community that consists of some twenty capped wells. Today my mission was to visit Nonno’s Italian Café and Wine Bar.

But a funny thing happened on my way to Nonno’s – I drove past a Loudon Wainwright.

(Okay, okay – it’s not as oblique a reference as you might think, in fact, I suspect many of you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you don’t, send me an email.)

I pulled off the highway and climbed up through the neighborhood, trying to follow the poor signage around tight turns and unfamiliar streets when I was suddenly engulfed by that sweet stench. Despite my windows being down, the car was filled with olfactory overload that took more than a full minute to dissipate. I drove another quarter mile and parked across the street from my destination, and as I crossed the road, I was once again surrounded by an unforgiving and all consuming smell.

Now, I know I have a sensitive nose, particularly when it comes to matters oenological, but I cannot say if this was a second perpetrator or a geographically unlikely reprise. This shall forever remain one of my life’s unresolved mysteries.

Undaunted, I followed the folks in front of me and found myself walking through a temporal rift in time.

The first thing I noticed were the low wattage incandescent light bulbs strung across the grounds – then the faux grass runners covering the backyard. Two bocce ball courts to my left, a modest outdoor buffet to my right.

 
Click images to enlarge

But it most certainly was the sound track that sealed the deal – the Italian Crooners. oozing from the outdoor speakers. First, Dean Martin, then Al Martino, then Vic Damone, then the Coup de Grace: the vocal rendition (lyrics and all, mind you) of the Theme from the Godfather.

I shook my head, briefly pondered my cultural juxtaposition and headed for the nearest bottle of wine.

Storrs Winery was founded in with the 1988 vintage by Stephen Storrs and his wife, Pamela Bianchini, both graduates of UC Davis. Over the years, their production has grown from 1200 cases to 12,000, and in 2001 their long held dream was realized with the purchase of fifty acres in the Pleasant Valley district of Corralitos. Today, they grow three acres of organic Newtown Pippin apples and have completed their initial planting of ten acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

2007 Storrs Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains – 100% Chardonnay from five vineyard sources in the AVA $22

Slightly golden brass color in the glass – pretty white stone fruits in the nose showing mostly peach with some nectarine – ripe and sweet in the mouth – nice background notes of acid and minerality. A complete package, with structure from acid and a touch of tannin balancing rich fruit flavors – delivers very nicely. Excellent value. Find this wine

2006 Storrs Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountain – 100% Pinot Noir sourced from the Deerpark Vineyard and Sunnyknoll Ranch 14.7% alcohol

First pour: magnificently corked, undrinkable.

Second pour: somewhat muted nose from this freshly opened bottle – very pretty and nicely ripe red and Bing cherry flavors up front with some dustiness that adds character to the flavors – friendly texture with some soft tannins that lend a bit of astringency, but rather than needing bottle age, I think it just needs to be aired out a bit. I think it’s ready to go – just splash decant and give it an hour. Find this wine

2006 Storrs Pinot Noir Wildcat Ridge – 100% Pinot Noir from the same two vineyards-clonal selections: Dijon clone 115, 2A, Mount Eden, Pommard and 667 $40

Pale garnet color – reticent aromas – lovely medium weight Pinot fruit in the mouth – nicely ripe with clarity and focus – some smooth tannins lend structure but will need some bottle age – very nicely crafted and showing some of the unique characteristics of the appellation. Find this wine

2005 Storrs Petite Sirah Santa Cruz Mountains Savaria Vineyard – 100% Petite Sirah $23

Inky dense color – somewhat muted varietal aromas – dense and plumy in the mouth with lots of spice – drinkable now for you tannin pigs, but will show better with a year or two in the bottle. Another very nice Petite Sirah from Storrs. Find this wine

The real take home message here, especially for those of you in the hospitality industry, is the absolute necessity of smelling and tasting every bottle you open for the public before you pour.  This is the winemaker/proprietor/marketing director’s nightmare: fifteen or twenty consumers are poured a flawed wine – the only thing they recognize is that it is not very good. That impression will be indelibly associated with the label. Just taste it!

P & M Staiger were pouring a short distance away. I introduced myself to Paul Staiger (right) as he poured me a taste of his first wine. During the time I spent at their table, neither he nor his wife smiled, offered any information or seemed remotely interested in what they were doing.

2006 P M Staiger Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains – $24

Pleasant, if somewhat muted pear aromas – the flavors follow with a slightly tart, acidic backbone showing bitterness on the back end, which is a deal breaker for me. Find this wine

2006 P M Staiger Merlot Santa Cruz Mountains

Pretty garnet color – attractive plumy fruit marred by an overlay of mustiness, most likely from the barrel hygiene program, or rather, the lack thereof. Tartness up front and bitterness on the back end makes for a very unattractive wine. Find this wine

This is not a single bottle problem and I wonder how this wine ever made it into bottle, let alone into a consumer’s glass at a tasting. Simply dreadful.

2005 P M Staiger Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

Rich and attractive varietal fruit in the nose – rather friendly entry showing nicely ripened Cabernet flavors with a touch of tannins on the front end – an attractive and drinkable wine. Find this wine

I had hoped to taste with McHenry Vineyard, but they were a no-show.

Hoping to end the day on a high note, I headed back down the hill into Los Gatos and found my way to Testarossa Winery.

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I have enjoyed the wines of Testarossa since I was first introduced to them a decade or so ago. The Gang’s good friend, Delia Montesinos, became marketer there after she left Ridge Vineyards, and I have warm memories of a Thanksgiving dinner with her family and several bottles of their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

They are housed at the historic Novitiate Winery built by the Northern Italian Jesuit Fathers and Brothers in 1888. For over one hundred years, the brothers made alter wines as well as sweet and fortified wines to finance their new seminary college (now Santa Clara University). After production declined over two decades, the label and the winery were shut down in 1986.

Testarossa crushed their first three vintages at Cinnabar Winery, and moved into the Novitiate Winery in time for the 1997 crush.

The visit began well with a cheerful and courteous greeting from a pleasant young woman who offered me a taste of the

Novitiate Pinot Noir Rosé – 287 cases produced Testarossa’s second label $17

Attractive pale salmon color – lovely light Pinot aromas with some added perfume – light and refreshing in the mouth with pretty ripe and light cherry flavors that lean toward strawberry – good acid balance makes for a finely crafted rosé. Very nice. Find this wine

2007 Testarossa Chardonnay Central Coast Castello – 5050 cases produced 14.3% alcohol $30 Castello is a proprietary name – the wine is a blend sourced from seven vineyards

Quite pretty varietal fruit in the nose – certainly smells more “Central” than “North” coast – deftly handled oak – pleasant in the mouth as well with a nice acid attack – there’s a little bit of oak on the back end. I suspect this is their entry level Chardonnay – tastes like it. Find this wine

2007 Testarossa Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard – 216 cases produced $39 newly released

Shows a hint of minerality in the nose, but mostly oak at this point – only minimally more successful in the mouth, showing a certain harshness of texture and wood tannins that virtually obscure the fruit flavors – hopefully some time will help this wine to come together, but it is terribly unimpressive right now. Find this wine

2007 Testarossa Pinot Noir Palazzio – 4731 cases produced 14.1% alcohol $37 Palazzio is also a proprietary name – the wine is blended from 11 vineyard sources

Pleasant garnet color – a somewhat cloying sweetness in the nose that seems to come from something other than ripe fruit – decent fruit in the mouth, but there’s some prominent steminess that I find off-putting and generates a bitterness on the follow that makes the wine quite unattractive – wood tannins on the back end, as well – fairly underwhelming. Find this wine

2007 Testarossa Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands Sleepy Hollow Vineyard – 625 cases produced 14.3% alcohol $59

Clear garnet color –very pretty Pinot fruit aromas with tart cherry notes up front – the flavors follow the nose in a well crafted medium weight wine – moderate tannins that will need some time – I could be picky and say that I would expect more from this vineyard in this vintage, but it really is a very nice wine, but hardly worth the price. Find this wine

2007 Testarossa Syrah Subasio – 600 cases $34 another proprietary name – the wine is blended from four vineyard sources

Ruby color in the glass – pretty perfume in the nose with hints of violets – really quite nice – rather friendly entry with some southern Rhone Syrah flavors up front – initially very attractive, although some tannins on the finish will need some time to resolve. Find this wine

All in all, a rather disappointing showing for Testarossa, a winery that I have held in high regard.

I motored back to the Doghouse, empty now that Perro Grande and his Goddess had departed for a short holiday and reflected on a day that had started with some very fine wines and exciting new discoveries, yet had degenerated into a comedy of forgettable, and in some cases, undrinkable wines.

Is there equilibrium to be found? Does this AVA have an identity? A common thread? Perhaps tomorrow would be a better day and bring some cogent answers.

Or would it?

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