The Double Indemnity of Pinot Gris

Actor Fred MacMurray was best known for a diversity of his films, from the classic Film Noir Double Indemnity from 1944, to Disney’s The Absent Minded Professor, and Son of Flubber, to the TV show My Three Sons. But MacMurray was also an avid fisherman and he bought a parcel of land in Sonoma to get away from Hollywood. He raised cattle and had plans to plant vines, but those dreams never materialized while he was alive. However other generations saw the planting of vines on the MacMurray Estate and today Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir form the basis of MacMurray’s dream.

The 2016 MacMurray Estate Pinot Gris utilizes six different clonal selections of Pinot Gris (1, 3, 4, 5, 146, and 152, if you really need to geek-out on this) to create a California classic approach to this old grape.

Presenting tropical fruits like lemon-lime, honeysuckle, pear, mango and guava, and back notes of kiwi, peach and fig, this is a bright, cheery wine with enough acidity to make it very food compatible (I made Cajun/Panko crusted Ahi tuna, with lemon-dill pasta, and garlic-butter China peas) but with enough diversity to make it stand out and not get lost. So with Easter around the corner, this is a versatile choice. The success is its overwhelming complexity and layers of flavors, which is even more impressive in that this is 100% stainless steel fermented and aged - so no oak - but it did spend some time on the lees helping to creating a tangible viscosity. For the price you’re getting a suburb wine. I think Fred would be proud.

ORIGIN: Sonoma, California

PRICE: $20/ 750ML

ALCOHOL: 14.5%

SCORE:  92 POINTS

Syrah Un-Stymied

In golf circles a stymie is a ball blocking another players ball, as in being blocked with a clear shot to the cup. Syrah in general has this same issue - much of what is out there, insincere iterations of Syrah, blocks the truly wonderful expressions of Syrah. I am and have always been a fan of Syrah. Trouble is – how to find a good one that isn’t great but stupidly expensive or not great and a waste of your money. Stymie removed: the 2014Steele Stymie Syrah from underappreciated Lake County.

Jed Steele manages to extract heady aromas of cedar, boysenberry pie, blackberry, red raspberry jam, cedar, vanilla, mocha, with back notes of sage and campfire smoke. The viscosity is stunning, a virtual liquid velvet, that does not subtract from the tannins and acids, which though mild as they are, support the structure of this wine. This in no way is over jammy fruit, instead, this is darker hued, alluring, seductive - a kind of Film Noir idea of shadow and light. It offers a depth of maturity, without the need to draw attention to itself. Aged for 22 months in both American and French oaks barrels, only 20% of which were new, means while the oak provides a framework to the fruit, it does not take center stage. Jed made just 150 cases of this, and I hope you’ll try a bottle.

ORIGIN: Lake County, California

PRICE: $36/ 750ML

ALCOHOL: 14.8%

PAIRING IDEAS: Braised pork loin with garlic marinara sauce; Veggie stuffed baked potato with smoked Gouda.

SCORE:  90 POINTS