I heard it through . . .

THE GRAPE VINE The Newsletter of the Cellar Society of San Francisco

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California Sangiovese Tasting was held Saturday, September 10, 2016, 6:00 p.m. at the home of Ed Coyne in San Rafael and hosted

by Ed Coyne, Laura Wilson,John Henry and Sue Beyer

Thanks for a beautiful evening at a spectacular setting, with fine Sangiovese and terrific company! Detailed results and more pix on page 3!  

September, 2016 Volume 16:9

And in October….

2009 Bordeaux Tasting Saturday  October  8,  2016,  6:00PM Hosted  by  Genie  Simcox  &  Todd  Ryan

At Horatio’s  Restaurant 60  Monarch  Bay  Drive San  Leandro,  CA  94577

. Red  Bordeaux  is  generally  made  from  a  blend  of  grapes.  Permitted  grapes  are  Cabernet  Sauvignon,  Cabernet  Franc,  Merlot,  Petit  Verdot,  Malbec  and  rarely  Carménère.   With  seven  years  of  the  age  behind  them  the  2009  Bordeaux  are,  as  one  would  expect,  really  beginning  to  strut  their  stuff.  Upon  their  release  Robert  Parker  enthusiastically  proclaimed:  “[2009]  may  turn  out  to  be  the  finest  vintage  I  have  tasted  in  32  years  of  covering  Bordeaux.”  That’s  a  huge  claim,  but  one  that  has  been  proven  true  time  and  again  from  First  Growths  to  the  Cru  Bourgeois.   The  2009’s  all  entering  their  prime  years  with  their  youthful  tannins  now  well  integrated.  They  are  smooth  and  supple  while  retaining  plenty  of  vivacity  and  abundant  ripe  fruit.    Details  and  RSVP  instructions  follow  on  page  2.

Cellar Society Tastings 2016-17

2016-17 DATE

Location

Varietal

Hosts

Sat. October 8

Horatio's restaurant at San Leandro marina.

Bordeaux 2009

Genie Simcox Todd Ryan

Sat. Nov. 12

Lodi /SF?

Lodi Reds

Bob and Sandi Simoni

FRIDAY December 9

Christmas Repast French Club

From the Cellar

Steve Smith Susi Ehlert

Sat. January 14, 2017

2017 Planning BYO for Drinking

DeAtley or Shank

Sat. Feb. 11, 2017

Tasting, TBD TBD Indra Obseykere Diane Kawaguchi Chris and Mignone

DETAILS FOR THE October TASTING!

From  880  Interstate  take  Marina  exit,  go  west  until  road  ends  and  veers  left to  become  Monarch  Bay  Drive.    Signs  are  hard  to  see  but  you  can  see  the  Marina. Horatio’s  is  right  there  with  plenty  of  free  parking.   Our  tasting  will  be  in  the  glass  enclosed  patio  with  view  of  the  marina.  There  will  be  a  fish  and  meat  choice  to  be  selected  on  that  day. Please  bring  your  own  glasses. RSVP  to  Genie  at  geniesimco@aol.com  or  510-­‐733-­‐6692  by  Sept.  30th. Provide  number  tasting  and  there  is  plenty  of  room  for  dinners.

Note: We’ve adopted the idea of using a Wordpress website for the Cellar Society! Bob Simoni has been able to build the site and this month’s edition will also be located on the website (when I learn better how to add). Check out Bob’s cool work at www.cellarsocietyofsf.wordpress.com

Some of the details of the California Sangiovese from September Italian immigrants brought Sangiovese to California in the late 19th century, possibly at the Seghesio Family's "Chianti Station" near Geyserville. [Once again there will be a Seghesio in this tasting.] But it was never considered important until the success of the Super Tuscans in the 1980s. In 1991, there were less than 200 acres of Sangiovese in CA, but by 2003 there were 3,000 acres across the state. However, by 2010 this declined to 1,950 acres. In the late 20th century, poor site selection and clonal selection yielded wines that had little in common with the wines of Tuscany. The Antinori family, which once owned Atlas Peak Vineyards in the Napa Valley, found that the greater intensity of sunlight in California may have been a factor in the poorer quality.

2012 & 2013 West Coast Sangiovese Tasting Report After Sue tried a great California Sangiovese (Stolpman) in Palm Desert last December, the idea of a CA Sangiovese tasting took hold. Since the Beyer's mostly-Italian Sangiovese tasting in 2007, in which two California ringers took 1st and 2nd place, a number of wineries have greatly improved the quality of their Sangiovese. However, finding it unsuccessful in the marketplace, they have reduced production. Many stores don't carry them, and reviewers don't write about them. But Total Wine (the new competitor of Bev Mo) has a wide selection, and we got to taste what can be done by knowledgable winemakers who select appropriate terroir. These are fruit-forward, food-friendly wines with great aromas - and many at very reasonable prices. Some winemakers are bottling 100% Sangiovese and others are blending with a small percentage of other varietals (akin to Super Tuscans). As many said, there was not a bad wine in the tasting, so ranking got difficult. Many thanks to Ed for finding a great caterer, Susan Caniglia at Luving Spoonfuls, and for opening his home to a fun and appreciative group of Cellar Society members and guests.

CA & WA Sangiovese Tasting 10 September, 2016 Bottle No. 2012 & 2013 CA and WA Sangiovese Group

Rank Points

3 2012 Opolo, Paso Robles, CA. 100% Sangiovese 88/100 CT $24 Total Wine, Palm Desert 1 58

7 2012 Stolpman, Ballard Canyon, Lompoc, CA. 100% Sangiovese 90/100 CT $32 Stolpman Winery 2 60

4 2013 Opolo, Paso Robles, CA. 100% Sangiovese 89/100 CT $24 Total Wine, Palm Desert 3 65

1 2013 Luna, Napa Valley, CA. 100% Sangiovese $15* Total Wine, Roseville 4 77

2 2012 Naggiar, Sierra Foothills, Grass Valley, CA. 98% Sangiovese Gold Medal, 2015 CA State Fair $20* Total Wine, Roseville 5 79

8 2013 Leonetti, Walla Walla, WA. 100% Sangiovese 93 RP $80 Total Wine, Palm Desert 6 83

5 2012 Story, Shenandoah Valley, Amador Co., CA. 100% Sangiovese $24 Story Winery, Plymouth, CA 7 94

6 2012 La Chertosa Reserve, Sonoma Valley. 88% Sangiovese, 8% Petite Sirah, 4% Malbec 91 pts WE (Sam Sebastiani "Old World" wines) $30 Sebastiani Winery

8 97

Pre Tasting Wines

A 2012 Niner, Paso Robles & Edna Valley, CA. 91% Sangiovese, 6% Barbera, 3% Carmenere 88 pts CT $20* Total Wine, Roseville

B 2012 Cooper Vineyards, Shenandoah Valley, Amador Co., CA 91/100 CT $22*,Total Wine, Roseville

C 2010 Seghesio Venom, Rattlesnake Hill, Alexander Valley, Sonoma Co., CA 92/100 CT $45* Total Wine, Roseville

D 2013 Hunt & Harvest, Napa Valley, CA $54, Longmeadow Ranch, Napa

RP-Robert Parker, WE-Wine Enthusiast, CT-Cellar Tracker * price after case discount

And some great photos!