Posts Tagged ‘Mark Vernon’

Another Monday, Monday At The Office!

January 7, 2013

I like Mondays.

Why?

May I present …

1.7.13_full

… my Monday Morning Meeting.

We started in on the zinfandels first. The tasters:

Myself

Paul Draper (CEO, Head Winemaker)

Eric Baugher (VP of Winemaking, Monte Bello)

David Amadia (VP Sales & Marketing)

Mark Vernon (President & COO)

Ryan Moore (Director, Direct-to-Consumer Retail Sales)

The wines:

1.7.13_zins

And some tasting note sketches:

2004 Ridge Vineyards York Creek Zinfandel

Nice, bright red ruby tones in the glass, fairly substantial bowl-side glaze, comparatively short, medium-speed legs — Slightly ripe nose, w/ sweet red menthol strains, a trace of anise, and an appealingly mild earthiness – Fairly mineraly tannins, though also somewhat powdery in character, mid to slightly low fruit tones, a nicely mitigated acidity, and a comparatively lean finish, tho still some good structure present; acid on the back-end is vibrant, tannins are still youthful.

2005 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs

Nice pluot tones in the bowl, w/ a refined glaze and quick, slender legs. Very, very clear and pristine translucence.A bit tight on the nose at first, though it opens up a tad with time; an unusual, almost grapefruit-esque citricity in and amongst some dirt and forestation in the nose; a touch herbaceous. Beautiful, round, warm mouthfeel, good acidity, firm but integrated tannins. A pleasantly “sappy” character; sweet but not sweet, viscous but not viscous, piney but not green; herbality is in fact almost perfectly integrated. Great food wine, excellent at table! A more “European” style of zinfandel; w/ the focus being on finesse, balance, acidity.

2005 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville

Lovely bright, red, clear magenta tones in the bowl, with a beautiful, pale salmon-fuschia halo. Medium-glaze, fairly rapid legs. Lots of tobacco and cedar, cherry, concentrated plum. Fairly sharp, crisp, intense cherry, lazer-precise fruit, acidity has def. come forward, lots of gravel and mineral. The least ripe this wine has ever shown, and accordingly very, very delicious. Some plum skin showing towards the finish, w/ strong notes of boysenberries, and a trace of thin and sensorial smoke. Really bright finish, lively acid, slight grippiness to the still young tannins.

2006 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Estate Zinfandel

Very black core, clear garnet middle, magenta to salmon to pale fushcia halo. Remarkable striation to the tones in the glass; some 8-10 easily identifiable rings of hue cycling outwards. Fairly tarry character to the low-end of the aromatics, with a sense of  dense fruit — Black and brambly and earthy mid-palate. Very structured, w/ good acid on the back-end. Sightly herbaceous notes throughout, and still a tad adolescent structurally.  

2006 Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs

Very nice, even-keeled color profile, minimal striation/variation, very good clarity, fairly brightly hued. Very pale, very pretty and subtle and fragile pink halo. Medium glaze bowl-side, with fairly quick and agile legs. Ever so slightly more dirtier and funkier nose, but in a very appealing way — Nicely autumnal fig quality to the mid-palate, w/ more of a sense of dried fruit and nut butter tones; especially a trace of hazelnut — Richer mouthfeel, very concentrated and compressed. Some meat and flesh to the mouthfeel, w/ more somber acid than, say, the Geyserville, but still percolating, particularly on the finish.

2006 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville

Darkish tones overall in the bowl, w/ a concentrated and dark core, ringed by a bright ruby outer striation; a very pretty, very concentrated halo – pretty intensely concentrated on the nose, with lots of baking herbs present amongst the fruit — Very autumnal, with hints of pistachio and roasted chestnut; very nice stone fruit presence mid-palate, bright acidity, very focused and precise fruit, though somewhat dark in character — A bit blacker, w/ some resin notes. Overall, very mysterious and autumnal and rich and exotic, w/ an almost chutney-like character. Possibly the most pleasantly delicious suprise of the lot, as I hadn’t tasted this vintage in some time …

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Then, after a break for liberal samplings of Watsonville Sourdough and Ridge Vineyards Olive Oil, it was on to the Monte Bellos …

1.7.13_mbs

And more tasting notes sketches:

2007 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello

Warm, elegant, beautiful plum hues in the bowl, brilliant lighter ruby on the limn, very controlled and elegant glaze with somewhat svelter legs — Beautiful; very pretty fruit, very accessible aromatics — Very refined, mentholated, herbaceous, along with richer fruit, a dense core, black-hearted and piratic of spirit, yet graceful, elegant, and demure in practice  — Unbelievably firm tannins, but so compressed, so graceful; as if balletic in a boxer’s body — Great evolution to date; lots of raspberry notes, and overall, perfectly balanced.

2000 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello

Beautiful, fresh young appearance, perfectly ruby-toned, w/ a pale, salmon-skin halo, and a slightly thickish glaze – A little intense on the nose, but very excellent cool-climate style; some menthol and eucalyptus, with a fiery exoticness – Seems to be showing more of its cab franc on the nose at this point, and accordingly a great herbality coming through — Perfection of mouthfeel; very round, w/ good focus, and a good spread across the palate. A slight citricty to the acidity in the finish, but overall, pretty classically Bordeaux in character. That said, is admittedly in a bit of an awkward adolescent stage; lots of elbows and knees; good cab franc up front, good cool climate aromatics, and great rusticity and structure to the finish, but mid-palate fruit is still coming in and out of focus. Clearly a stunning vintage, but probably 10 years away from full flower.

1999 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello

Ah, the 99! Such a sexy, dirty, groovy, funky, sly and appealing vintage …Slinky and low and jazzy aromatics; subterranean and slick of style, hints of decadence and groove and purity… Good plummy middle, anchored by an almost neopolitan triad of cocoa, cream, and berry –Spryer and brighter fruit as the wine moves cross-palate; comparatively leaner, brighter acidity on the finish, tho balanced against the still-lingering dirtier funkier character. Proportions are pretty much perfect; a great, rustic Monte Bello with very controlled balance and precision.

 1995 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello

Nice and rich and thick and juicy fruit-dense visuals, perfect ruby limn; really rich glaze, thick and gravitas-laden legs — Fleshy, forward, strong aromatics; muscular, meaty, dense — Some cedar and wood and bark aromatics leading into a plummier, sweeter, astonishingly fresh, lightly playful mixed harvest berry profile on the palate — Still lots of forward tannin present, and still great acidity; just a lot of wine in the glass; pound for pound, a VERY intense offering that continues its VERY slow pace towards long-term high excellence.

–

I DO know why I DO like Mondays …

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Posted in Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Geyserville, Lytton, Lytton Springs, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, RIDGE Staff, Tasting Flights, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Zinfandel | 2 Comments »

Zap! You Love Zinfandel! – Kablam! You Love ZAP!

August 2, 2012

Pow! There’s big news in ZAPland!

Ask yourself, what do Ridge Vineyards, Biale Vineyards, Terra D’Oro Winery, and Starry Night Winery have in common?

Answer? We’re all board members of ZAP!

And YOU may remember ZAP from such events as the  Annual Zinfandel Festival in San Francisco!

And by the way, t’ain’t too late to save the date! The 2013 edition of the annual ZAP festival is now on the books, dig this:

http://www.zinfandel.org/default.asp?n1=26&n2=920&member=

–

But back to the point:

POW! There’s big news in ZAPland!

The current and continuing board members of ZAP — those legendary Troubadours of Terroir; those Vivacious Varietal Vaqueros; those Zany, Zoned-in, Zestful Zealouts of Zinfandel, are today happily celebrating the announcement of New Board Members!

Here is the “proper” PR-speakese edition of the news:

Zinfandel Advocates & Producers has announced its new Board of Directors for 2012-2013. Continuing as President is Robert Biale of Robert Biale Vineyards (Napa); the Vice President is Mark Vernon of Ridge Vineyards (Bay Area); Secretary is Chris Leamy of Terra d’Oro Winery (Sierra Foothills) and Treasurer is Bruce Walker of Starry Night Winery (At Large).

The Board of Directors consists of ZAP members who represent the diverse Zinfandel growing regions: from July 2012 through June 2013, new members on the Board are Kevin Riley (Proulx Wines, Central Coast), Randle Johnson (Artezin Wines, At Large), Robert Biale (Robert Biale Vineyards, Napa), Jonathan Lachs (Cedarville, Sierra Foothills), Kent Knight (At Large), Joel Peterson (Ravenswood, S. Sonoma), Kent Rosenblum (Rock Wall Wine Company, Greater Bay Area), Bernie Scarinzi (At Large) and Miro Tcholakov (Trentadue, N. Sonoma).

The nine continuing Board members are Erin Cline (Three Wine Company, At Large), Duane Dappen (D-Cubed Cellars, Napa), Tim Holdener (Macchia, Lodi/Central Valley), Chris Leamy (Terra d’Oro, At Large), Rich Parducci, (McNab Ridge, Mendocino & Lake), Pete Seghesio (Seghesio, N. Sonoma), Mark Vernon (Ridge Vineyards, N. Sonoma) and Bruce Walker (Starry Night Winery, At Large).

–

Mark Vernon, President of Ridge Vineyards (and Vice-President of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers!), is the living embodiment of our great affection for, and belief in, this fantastic grape; the in-action enactment of our committment to the ever-increasing reputation of, and ever-burgeoning love for, these fantastic wines. That’s why he’s on the board.

Why? Because we love Zinfandel!

But wait!

Is this love controversial?

It can be. Lord knows we’ve waded into the “is it serious or not” waters many times before.

I myself took on the question recently (in rather upright and straightforward form, I might add!), in a post entitled “The Seriousness of Zinfandel,” which can be found by clicking here.

I also took on the question in perhaps more idiosyncratically archetypical fashion in another post entitled “Zin Monk,” which can be found by clicking here. It was in this post that I attempted to lay out, to the best of my ability, and in the way I best saw fit, just exactly what the questions are that drive the so-conceived IDENTITY CRISIS of Zinfandel.

Regarding Zinfandel; the question:

Is it — as the low-brow funky, populist sweaty, good-timin’ egalitarian, country mouse side would have it — the people’s grape? Approachable, affable, not puttin’ on airs? Good for a laugh, great to have at a party, a friend to everyone?

Or is it — as the high-brow uptown, austere elitist , uptight classist, city mouse side would have it — a noble grape? Serious, important, elusive, complex? Not for everyone?

The answer, if you read the post, is Thelonious Monk.

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For another take on the IDENTITY CRISIS, I recently sat down with David Amadia, our Vice President of Sales & Marketing. He had recently written an essay on the seriousness of Zinfandel, and between his preparatory essay-research on the subject, and the fascinatingly diverse multi-demographic exposures his job affords him (this is a man who travels all over the world, tasting wines in every conceivable environment: from private dining rooms in Hong Kong and multi-thousand-capacity halls in Dusseldorf, to the back room of a wine bar in Reno and a speakeasy in Texas), I figured no one in the world was better-positioned to speak to the IDENTITY CRISIS. So, when asked to address the matter of whether Zinfandel should be considered a “serious” wine or not, he had this to say:

–

–

Should you be so inclined, I heartily recommend that you read David’s full essay, entitled “Zinfandel: A Great Wine.” You can find it by clicking the link below:

spring2012

***Attention! Penultimate essay quote:

The percentage of zinfandel that falls into the great category has been growing steadily over the past fifty years, and now compares favorably with percentages of great cabernet and pinot noir produced in California. The time has come for those quaffers of cabernet and pinot to pour themselves a glass of Lytton Springs or Geyserville, and say “That’s great wine!”

–

All of which is just to say … all of which is just to say … all of which is just to say that, in just writing “All of which is just to say,” I’ve just been reminded of the great William Carlos William poem, “This Is Just To Say!” Which goes like this:

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

-

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

-

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

–

which might be paraphrased to serve our purposes here, as follows:

I have tasted

the zinfandels

that were in

the cellar

-

and which

you were probably

saving

for dinner

-

Forgive me

they were delicious

so serious

and so fun

–

All of which is just to say, Congratulations to the New Board Members of ZAP!

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Posted in History, Varietals & Blends, Video, Vineyards and Oenology, Wine & Poetry, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales, Winemaking, Zinfandel | Leave a Comment »

Monte Bello Collector Component Tasting Event: The 4488 Wrap!

March 12, 2012

Monte Bello Noir?

It was a dark and stormy night.

Except it wasn’t.

What it actually was, was a warm and sunny morning, with the low sun casting rays through the gauze of morning haze that lightly veiled the vineyards as I walked down towards the Old Torre Family Barn …

We couldn’t have asked for a better day, and the wine gods were smiling.

At that moment, with the mountain sounds closed to all but the gossip of birds and the rustle of the breezes betwixt the gentle crop-cover tendrils, it was hard to believe how many people would soon be joining us for the Monte Bello Collector Component Tasting…

But the lure of a tasting this unique is strong. Taste, grasshopper, the wine is good …

Or should I say, grasshoppers …

In addition to the beauty of the location, the deliciousness of the culinary offerings, and the singular caliber and exclusivity of the wines, one of the greatest appeals of this event is the opportunity to engage with members of our production team. Winemaker Eric Baugher, seen here with Kim Korupp (most excellent Monte Bello Retail Sales & Hospitality staffer), is a legendarily generous host …

…to whom guests come in droves, notebooks and pens in hand.

We were particularly pleased this year to have a new member of the production team join us for the Component Event festivities. He is Kyle Theriot, and he is now our Monte Bello viticulturist, and this was his very first Collector event as a host!

In addition to the excitement generated around the opportunity to taste barrel samples of the Monte Bello components prior to final assemblage …

… The event is also a great way to enjoy some of the finest of Northern California’s culinary offerings. Each year, we choose three of our fave producers, and we feature their wares at all three Monte Bello Collector Events. This year, Gayle’s Bakery in Capitola provided our breads, Cowgirl Creamery provided our cheeses, and Daniel Cote and the team at The Chef’s Chateau provided the charcuterie …

For the carnivores amongst ye, ye might wish to note that the salami was actually made with Monte Bello, and the pâté is topped with dried cherries re-hydrated with Geyserville Essence. I’m just sayin …

Anyhow, as the day progressed, it only became ever more incomparably beautiful …

There is nothing quite like the sparkle of Monte Bello sun on a Riedel wine glass …

It even brings a smile to the faces of our hard-working staff. For example, even though most excellent host Jenny Merit will likely be suffering wine-pourer’s elbow by the end of the day, her spirit remains simply irrepressible …

Something about the wines, perhaps …

The barn that is the locational epicenter of the event was built at the turn of the century by the Torre family; it was their winery, and the first 8 vintages of Ridge were made there as well. It’s a great space to begin with, and tasting within those hallowed walls definitely goes a long way towards helping one deeply internalize the historical narrative of our wines, and the story of our lands …

In a temporary lull, you’ll see it come across the faces of our staff; the depth of it all, the weight, the history, the story. Peter Yaninek is just as krinkly-eyed and kindly a host as one could ever hope for (and deeply knowledgeable and passionate as well!), and as euphorically reverential a viticultural mendicant as anyone who’s ever strode the mountain or lifted a bottle of Ridge, but in the temporary quiet of a non-pouring moment, the gravitas returns …

While the tenets of Responsible Hospitality mandate a mitigated, modulated, and controlled dispensation of tastes, with nothing left to chance as regards the precision of the pours …

… nothing can in fact diminish the enthusiasm with which those tastes are enjoyed. Take winemaker Eric Baugher, for example; he’s not just an employee, he’s a fan!

And he’s not the only one …

(if you look closely in the pic above, you can spot the host of the very great Stay Rad Wine Blog!)

(And above is Assistant Winemaker Shun Ishikubo, talkin’ shop with none other than The Pepper Man!)

Why, even Mark Vernon, the President of Ridge Vineyards, got in on the act! He’s not just the President, he’s a fan!

While the Old Torre Winery Barn was certainly the locational epicenter of the event (courtesy of our pouring not only the four components, but also the 2011 Monte Bello First Assemblage AND the soon-to-be-released 2009 Monte Bello!), the Monte Bello Tasting Room was certainly a hot bed of oeno-activity as well …

After all, legendary Monte Bello staffer Barry Campbell was pouring the 2006 Monte Bello down there, not to mention the VERY RARE 2009 Historic Vineyard Series Klein Cabernet … they’s was linin’ up, they was!

And don’t forget the picnic area! Heaven forfend if you forget the picnic area. That’s where the serious collectors go, the salty and sage veterans of the Monte Bello wars …

 

The picnic area is where THEY go to share the treasurable niceties from their own hidden vaults … Oat Valley Carignane, anyone?

One of the true stars of the whole show, of course, is our head winemaker, Paul Draper, who, despite having been in these viticultural trenches for over 40 years, still delights in chatting with guests about all things wine, and all things Ridge …

And when he and Eric both go side-by-side?

Magic. That’s a lot of palate magic right there …

And don’t get me started about David Gates! Being our Vineyard Manager (i.e. a farmer!) it’s a tad rarer that we get him INSIDE the barn, but anyone who’s ever tasted with David knows he’s just astonishingly charming, brilliant, knowledgeable, charismatic, and flat-out entertaining. Here he is, running it down for very well-regarded wine-blogger Martin Redmond (he of http://enofylzwineblog.com/) …

The sun is shining, the weather is sweet, yeah, makes you want to move those dancing feet …

Or, just sit, and not do much of anything. Just drink wine, feel happy, relax …

And if all I’ve said to date hasn’t sold ya, just dig this cat (and note the vintage Day In the Vineyard shirt!) …

Dig it Les! Just dig it …

And to you all, I thank you all! Thank you all, on behalf of us all! This is such a special event for us, and we treasure the time we spend with you. Come back next time, it’s going to be oh so fun again …

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Posted in Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, History, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Petit Verdot, RIDGE Staff, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Flights, Tasting Rooms, Varietals & Blends, Vineyards and Oenology, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Blogs, Wine Clubs, Wine Tales, Winemaking | 7 Comments »

Old Vine To Table

June 6, 2011

Monte Bello is a storied locale. There is no getting around it. It’s where Ridge began. The first vintage was 1962. It’s 2011 now. That’s a lot of years to be making wine, and a lot of years to be hosting people for tastings. Talk to the old timers. They remember when it was just Paul Draper, sitting on a bench, ladling Monte Bello out of a soup tureen while feral dogs ran wild through the vineyards. (Disclaimer: Paul never used a ladle.)

Seriously though, things have changed a bit, and also not so much. But the point is, Monte Bello has a lot of history notched into its belt when it comes to tasting wine.

Lytton Springs is the diamond in the rough. History for days (can you say 115+ year-old vines?), a stunning legacy of Single-Vineyard Estate Wines (anyone notice that bit from Thomas Keller –French Laundry– about how he would choose Lytton Springs if it was to be his last wine on earth?) but a wee youngun’ when it comes to tastings.

Have you been there? If you have, then you don’t need no stinkin’ convertin’. But if you’ve not yet made the pleasure of acquaintance with all that goes on up there, I am here to help you dig it to the fullest extent of your cranial-emotive capabilities.

The staff at Lytton Springs? Amazing. The location? Amazing. The wines. Amazing.

But I am telling you, they also know how to put on an AFFAIR! I mean, a Top-Shelf, Grade A, USRDA approved, #1, Top of the Pops, Presidential Seal of Approval, HAPPENING.

Take the very recent Old Vine to Table event as but one example. And then hire a detective, who is able to travel through time and space, in a rocket ship, to go find your mind. Because it will be blown.

Put another way, what an event!

Just a little something Lytton Springs threw together for some members. Just a little somethin’ somethin’ …

Meaning, a gourmet four-course meal amidst the backdrop of our century-old vines. With featured wines including the following:

–1987, 1994, 2003, 2004 & 2008 Lytton Springs 

–1995 Monte Bello

–2007 Geyserville Essence

And did I mention that dinner was prepared from ingredients entirely sourced from Tara Firma Farms in Petaluma? Or that Farm owner Tara Smith and her husband Craig were on hand to host? 

And if that’s not enough, did you also know that Winemaker John Olney, President Mark Vernon, Vice President of Vineyard Operations David Gates, and Vice President of Sales David Amadia were also there?

I mean, hell’s bells, this thing was interstellar on fire magnificent!

Alright, dig, I know, you want to know more about the food. Well, menu up yourself!

Passed Hors d’ Oeuvres

House Cured Wild Pacific Salmon

Spring Pea Blini, Flowers & Bell Creme Fraiche

Pickled Beef Tongue Crostini

Farm Egg, Maple, Brioche

1st Course

Chicken Crepinette, Maitake, Pickled Grapes

2nd Course

Slow Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Spoon Bread, Cilantro, Hibiscus, Charred Pineapple

3rd Course

Braised Brisket

Redwood Hill Cheddar Fondue Potatoes, Fava Beans, French Onion Broth

(cheffed up by the very great folks at Feast!)

Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.

I’m just sayin’, this was some kind of special event, and do you really want to know what made it the special-est? Not the century-and-then-some- old-vines, not the roster of Ridge principals on hand, not the Fondue Potatoes (though good lord, that sounds good!), not even the wine. It was the guests in attendance. Just really fine, fine, folks. The best.

On behalf of us all, thank you for attending this very special event. It was such a pleasure to have you.

And to everyone out there, while we can’t promise an event like this every day, we do really want you to visit us, because we love what we do; we love these wines,we love the how, where, what, why of how they’re made, and more than anything else, we love to share them with you, to talk about them with you, and perhaps best of all, to hear from you later, when you tell us all the amazing stories about the how, where, what, why of how you ended by sharing the wine you took home from us.

Old Vine to Table? Certainly. But event more than that? Us to You.

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Posted in Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, History, Lytton Springs, RIDGE Staff, Special Offerings, Tasting Flights, Tasting Rooms, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine Clubs | Leave a Comment »

Better Late Than Never: The ZAP Wrap In Pics!

February 14, 2011

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Posted in Events & Photographs, Varietals & Blends, Zinfandel | Leave a Comment »

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