Wine Each Week - 2017 Steele Merlot

For over five decades Jed Steele has been going about his business rather quietly. “My goal was never to be a huge winery,” he says. “We bottle a lot of different varietals under four unique brands, but most of our wines are made in lots of fewer than 1,000 cases. This reflects my fascination with many diverse varietals and vineyard sites. And staying small means we can practice true craftsmanship in the production of all of our wines.” Which brings me to his 2017 Merlot: Great acidity and surprisingly taught tannins, this also offers blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, and boysenberry notes along with back notes of black tea, earthy smoke and light herbal touches. There are also notes of light sweet vanilla. Aged 14 months in a combo of French and American oak this also shows that really good, balanced flavorful wines can be made for very little money. If you’re not familiar with his wines, I really hope you’ll seek them out.

ORIGIN: Lake County, California

ALCOHOL: 14.5%

PRICE: $20 (750ML)

SCORE: 90 POINTS

STEELE

Wine Each Week – 2016 Steele Stymie Merlot

Merlot has always had followers, including me. In spite of the ups and downs of the market, Merlot has been a deifier of trends and the truly quality Merlot out there has held its value. Case in point: Jed Steele’s Stymie Merlot, which he has been making for two decades. This 2016 offers earthy notes of dark fruits, black cherry, black berry and a subversive acidity that snakes its way through the wine. It also offers up light tobacco, elements of mocha, vanilla and sandlewood. What’s unique about this wine is that this fruit is not the usual suspects (Napa, Sonoma) it is from the often-overlooked Lake County and these vines are 20 years old, so there’s a depth of maturity to this fruit. 22 months in French and American oak barrels rounds out its overall mouth feel.

ORIGIN: Lake County, California

ALCOHOL: 14.5%

PRICE: $42 (750ML)

SCORE: 91 POINTS

STEELE

Wine Each Week – Grgich Hills Estate 2016 Merlot

Grgich Hills is iconic. It is one of Napa’s stalwarts. Since 1999 it has made Merlot and it has always been a consistently excellent wine. Their 2016 iteration veers a little bit, which is a good thing; after all, we should celebrate vintage variation.

It’s dominated by Merlot with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc blended in, and spent 21 months in oak with just 25% of those barrels being new. Therefore the oak is evident, but its judicious use allows more of the terrific Napa fruit to shine through. It offers black cherry, raspberry, blueberry and lingonberry notes along with a savory components of vanilla, rosewood, parsley, mint and charred cedar. This Merlot does not apologize for its distinctive herbal elements but celebrates a kind of wild garden vibe, earthy and piquant, its success is in being slightly different. Pulling fruit from their estate vineyards in both warmer and cooler regions has clearly paid off. If you’re looking for a Merlot with a unique personality, this is it. 3,740 cases

ORIGIN: Napa Valley

ALCOHOL: 14.6%

PRICE: $43/ 750ML

SCORE: 92 POINTS

Grgich Hills

Wine Each Week – Seven Hills Winery 2016 Merlot

When Walla Walla Valley became its own AVA in 1981, there were two dozen wineries. Currently there are over 930 in Washington State. Seven Hills itself was established in 1988 and their initial plantings were Cabernet and Merlot. That provenance is clear when you taste this Merlot.  Blended with 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 was aged 16 months in barrel. The result is a lovely wine that offers blackberry, boysenberry, black cherry, vanilla, hints of tobacco, mocha and dusty spice. That this wine is a mere $25 for a Merlot of this quality shows winemaker Casey McClellan’s judicious use of his estate fruit and an understanding that Merlot need not be a bulk wine in a fancy wrapping. If Merlot is not on your list, this will entice you to rethink it, and Seven Hills gives verifiable proof that quality Merlot still exists.

ORIGIN: Walla Walla Valley, Washington State

ALCOHOL: 14.4%

PRICE: $25/ 750ML

SCORE: 91 POINTS

Seven Hills

MerlotMe: Time to Start Drinking Your Fu**ing Merlot Again

The self-proclaimed Merlot Month of October gives you permission to start drinking Merlot again. Just like the talented child overshadowed by his elder sibling (Cabernet Sauvignon in case you didn’t follow that), Merlot is getting the attention it deserves and the oft quoted, well-known line from Sideways, may never be uttered again.

Hello My Name Is…

Merlot grapes have been around since, some think, the 1^st Century. Who really knows? What we do know is that some French dude in Bordeaux mentioned Merlot for the first time in 1784, the same year in the US that we ratified the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the Revolutionary War with Great Britain (I know, right?).

Because of the California Gold Rush and the influx of European immigrants, Merlot cuttings arrived in California sometime in the 1850s but it wasn’t until the late 1980s when planted acreage was increased and Merlot became more significant as a stand alone wine. Now, it’s the second most widely consumed red wine in the US.

2014 Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot, Napa

Duckhorn is, without a doubt one of the best and most consistent producers of Merlot in California. Period. Part of that is their decades long attention to Merlot when others shunned it. The other part of that is they are meticulous with their fruit, and it shows. This Merlot is that foolproof wine that balances fruit, wood and age into a terrific bottle of wine. It’s the velvety texture that first grabs you as waves of mature blackberry, blueberry and black cherry fruit cascade across your palate. But it’s also the comprehensive acidity, the proper use of oak as an equal player and the tannic structure that allows this wine to be graceful and self-assured.

($52)

2013 St. Supery Napa Valley, Rutherford Estate Vineyard Merlot, Napa

St. Supery opened their Napa doors in 1989, and Merlot has always been a part of the equation. Elegant and refined this is predominately Merlot with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged for 19 months, roughly half of that was in new French oak barrels. What you get is soft inviting fruit, black cherry, blackberry, ripe plum, dried boysenberry with back notes of wild herbs, Madagascar vanilla, campfire smoke, and hints of anise and mocha. The tannins and acidity are properly aligned in this wine making for a wine of balance.

($50)

2015 Shooting Star Merlot, Lake County

Jed Steele has an amazing knack for finding impressive fruit and delivering that fruit in a structured wine that over delivers in quality yet is underpriced. His Merlot, grown in volcanic soils, represents the minerality and richness these soils are known for. You get subdued blueberry, blackberry, plum boysenberry with some cedar and vanilla from the eight months of oak aging, but also fairly tight tannins. This offers mare mature fruit and if far richer that typical Merlots at this price point. This a wine that is so structured and uniform, that the price belies the quality in the glass.

($14)

2015 Chelsea Goldschmidt Dry Creek Valley Merlot, Sonoma

Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley is bet known for Zinfandel rather than Merlot, yet a few pockets turn out terrific Merlot fruit. This Merlot straddles a line between bright fresh fruit, and undertone of earthiness. Yes there is blackberry, black cherry, blueberry with back notes of plum, sage and wild thyme. But there is also delightful toasted oak giving off vanilla and cedar notes, but this wine has subversive tannins, they seem mild, but they announce themselves mid palate. The acidity rounds this out make for a great food wine. ($19)

2015 J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot, Paso Robles

From the El Pomar district of Paso Robles, the J. Lohr team brings you fresh bright fruit as Paso grapes tends to be more ripe and that’s the case here. The fruit is more berry driven, so you’ll taste blueberry pie, boysenberry cobbler, back notes of black cherry, blackberry with mild tannins and mild acidity. The oak is evident but not powerful and it lays a solid framework for the fruit and for an easy drinking Merlot. ($15)

On Your Mark: Markham’s 35th Birthday

I don’t recall what I did for my 35^th birthday. And I’m guessing you really don’t care. But Markham Winery’s birthday is a different story, you know, cause they make wine…wine that you buy. It was 1980 when the first vintage of Markham Merlot hit the shelves, and Merlot--that underappreciated grape--has been Bruce Markham’s success since then. The winery in St. Helena traces it’s roots (pun intended) back to the 1870s when it was founded. Bruce and Kate Markham rebooted the old winery as Markham in 1978, keeping the history alive, and creating new wines. Sure there are other wines in their portfolio, Chardonnay, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Pinot and others, but it is Merlot they are known for, and what they do exceptionally well. So we’re celebrating with Merlot and cake (no, it’s not merlot-cake, it’s a lovely chocolate cake from WeTakeTheCake) but more importantly it’s the 2014 Markham Merlot that you should get your hands on. It offers ample mild fruit of bing cherry, blueberry, boysenberry and rustic sweet cedar, beautifully integrated tannins and a mild acidity and ultimately is a terrific value - a wine that is truly worth getting to know. Happy birthday, Markham!

ORIGIN: Napa, California

PRICE: $25/ 750ML

ALCOHOL: 14.2%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  90 POINTS

Bruce and Kate Markham

Old Poodle Dog Cabernet Sauvignon: Man’s Best Friend

Jasper and the Old Poodle

It’s only fitting that Boozehoundz should write about Old Poodle Dog 2012 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Odd name? Well, as the story goes that a French restaurant in San Francisco during the gold rush days was called Le Poulet d’Or. Then, as now, many locals had a hard time pronouncing the name. Some began to call it simply Old Poodle Dog. So, there you have it. What is unleashed by OPD is a wine of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Merlot, Malbec and Petite Sirah, which translates to robust black cherry, blueberry, blackberry and sweet cedar, without being too hot, and what sets this apart are the back notes of tobacco and smoke, a great acidity, bright fruit, culminating in a deep and resonating Napa Cabernet – ultimately very pleasurable to drink. It’s ideally balanced - a spot on example of a terrific wine that actually will best other well known Napa Cabs but at a lesser price. Seriously, take this Poodle for a walk.

COHOWINES.com

ORIGIN: Napa, California

PRICE: $36/ 750ML

ALCOHOL: 14.4%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  89 POINTS

Merlot Me, Maybe

“Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy,

so here’s my number, Merlot me maybe.”

Okay, so you might be now singing that pop song in your head. Sorry about that. Anyway…October is the self proclaimed Merlot Month. Really? Does a wine need 30 days in which to prove itself? Ah…with Merlot, yes it does. Merlot has been maligned ever since the film Sideways unapologetically voiced the main character’s opinion, “I’m not drinking any fucking Merlot!” Ouch. It’s not that Merlot was a crappy grape, but that in California, back then in the early 2000s, it was overplanted creating not only glut, but lousy grapes. I love Merlot. Truly, there are some terrific examples, including Lava Cap (Sierra Foothills), and Robert Hall (Paso Robles) and a host of others. So, may I present a Merlot sampler - a range of wines worth considering this month of October that might reinvigorate your red wine consumption. At the very least, try a new Merlot, even one not on this list.

From Sonoma is the inexpensive 2014 Cannonball SonomaCounty Merlot ($14.99), a nifty little number that is a great entry Merlot for those who like more ripe frit and fewer tannins and change in your pocket. It offers rich jammy boysenberry, black berry, a little black cherry and huckleberry, a sweet oak and a pleasant personality - easy to drink, easy to love, easy on the 401k.

Moving up the scale is Peju’s 2013 Napa Valley Merlot ($38), from a certified organic vineyard in the Rutherford area of Napa, which offers more acidity, tighter tannins and more subtle fruit with notes of blackberry, boysenberry, dark plumb and raspberry, hints of sweet cedar and black cherry.

Then we come to the Duckhorn 2013 Napa Valley Merlot ($54) which is the gold standard of Merlot in California. Routinely Duckhorn Merlots provide a tactile, sensory experience with dark fruits of blackberry, boysenberry, huckleberry, pomegranate, charred resin, seamless oak integration and a constant stream of acidity working through the wine making this ideal with food.

Sonoma’s Celebrity Wineries - Of Emmy’s, Grammy’s & Writer’s Block

It's nice to be a celebrity - people treat you well, you own nice things and have the money to do most anything you want, say like, starting a winery. Sonoma seems to have a lock on celebrities-turned-vignerons. A visit to this bewitching wine country shows the diversity of celebrity styles and their wineries from theatrical to tranquil amid the rural setting of the Sonoma countryside.
 
What a Fool Believes

Inside the BR Cohn tasting room

The Doobie Brothers have sold over 40 million records with hits like China Grove, Listen to the Music, and, What a Fool Believes. But their success in large part came because of Bruce Cohen who is the Doobie Brothers’ manager. But Bruce Cohn was not just about music. He bought land in Sonoma, built a house for his family and raised his kids in what is now the winery tasting room for BR Cohn Wines. In addition to an outdoor grassy amphitheater where music is played all summer long for the last 27 years, there are 13 gold and 11 platinum records that stud the tasting room walls, signed guitars and photos. BR Cohn also produces olive oil from trees on their property. “Our olive trees are the largest and oldest picholine olive trees in California,” Bruce’s son, Dan Cohn, tells me. You can sample wines like Zinfandel, Barbera, and Cabernet, and olive oil, and both will be music to your ears.

An Offer Your Can’t Refuse

The Author at the Godfather desk at Coppola Winery

With wineries in both Napa and Sonoma, Oscar winning film director Francis Ford Coppola turned to winemaking after filmmaking. His Sonoma property is a palatial estate and in addition to an onsite restaurant and tasting room, Coppola has a mini-museum with props from some of his well-known films including Apocalypse Now, Dracula, Tucker; The Man and His Dreams, and his iconic American gangster film, The Godfather. Surfboards used in Apocalypse Now hang from the ceiling, the black veiled costume worn by actor Gary Oldman in Dracula sits encased in glass and the Tucker car gleams in the center of a room flanked by a circular staircase and the iconic Godfather desk and chair sits atop a staircase illuminated by amber lamps. There’s also a collection of Coppola’s five Academy Awards. Coppola produces a lot of wine including a series called Director’s Cut, which includes Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

Animating Wine

Tasting at Lasseter Family Wines

If Pixar movies like Toy Story, Cars, and Monster’s Inc. - all helmed by John Lasseter - are up your alley, then you might think the Lasseter Family Wines tasting room and wines are consistent with high energy comedy and spectacle. Well, it’s the exact opposite. The Lasseter tasting room is actually a bit subdued, a non-Hollywood counterpoint to places like Coppola and Cohn. Though architecturally beautiful and comfortable with sleek clean décor there is very little Pixar memorabilia displayed here. There are a few wine glasses with etched logos of Monsters Inc. and other Pixar movies but you won’t see much else. Open by reservation only, this is a sit down wine tasting with a small plate of food, made to accentuate the wines.
 

Calling the Wild

The Remnants of Jack London's Wolf House

Though he died in 1916, author Jack London (White Fang, The Call of the Wild), was one of the foremost celebrities of his day, authoring over 24 novels and dozens of short stories. He built a 15,000 square foot, four-story stone and wood home he called Wolf House, deep in the forests of Glen Ellen. Weeks before he was to move in his massive residence mysteriously caught fire and was destroyed, only the stone and brick chimneys standing like mute sentinels as witnesses to history. To this day no one knows who started the fire; was it an accident, did his wife set the blaze, were locals intolerant of this unsightly structure in their backyard, did London himself set the fire to cash in on insurance money? These are viable theories, but the truth is still as elusive as the smoke that rose from the ashes nearly a hundred years ago. You can visit JackLondon State Historic Park, as I have many times, and the burned out shell of his home. A half-mile walk along a dirt path takes you to moss-covered stone walls surrounded by pine trees; at once both eerie and calming.

The Supporting Characters

Having penned movies as diverse as The Karate Kid, Taken, and A Walk in the Clouds, screenwriter Robert Kamen has written his passion for wine in the form of his own tasting room just off the Sonoma Square. His vineyard sits stop a long circuitous dirt road, overlooking San Pablo Bay, which I visited with Robert a while back. In addition to Cabernet, and Syrah, he offers a wine called Writer’s Block, a blend of Petite Sirah, Cabernet and Syrah.

The Author flanked by Kate MacMurray (L) and Gina Gallo (R) at MacMurray Ranch

Though it’s only open to the public once a year during the monumental Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, MacMurray Ranch was once the apple of actor Fred MacMurray’s eye. MacMurray (Double Indemnity, The Absent Minded Professor, TV’s My Three Sons) started raising shorthorn cattle, actually competing against my great uncle (affectionately called Uncle John O and a hell of a guy!). MacMurray had visions of turning his ranch into a working winery - something that eluded him before his death, however his daughter, Kate, eventually accomplished this and she graciously showed off the ranch to me. The Gallo Family purchased his property and still works with Kate MacMurray to make exceptional wine including Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. If you attend Sonoma Wine Country Weekend in September during the grand tasting at the ranch you’ll notice two redwood trees planted by hand by Fred MacMurray in 1941 at the entrance to the original 1840s barn.

Ultimately Sonoma is about the wines first, and celebrity second. Sonoma is a slice of quintessential California and a place of relaxation, regardless of whose name is on the bottle. So come enjoy California at its best - a mix of star power and intoxicating grape juice. 

Atlas Shrugged

What is Merlot? The second cousin to Cabernet Sauvignon? The over planted, over hyped grape as a counterpart to Syrah? American Merlot has long been denied respectability in part because it’s treated (typically) like a cheap wine here in the US. Sure, go to France and Merlot gets more respect. Ah, respect. That’s the word. There are a handful of excellent producers of Merlot in California and in case you’re thinking that Merlot is second fiddle, Duckhorn’s 2011 Napa Valley Atlas Peak Merlot is a game changer.
The best Duckhorn Merlots rival Cabernet, not in their Cabernet-esque quality, but provide more manageable tannins with as much robust ripe deep red fruit. Should you shrug and say, I don't really care? Well, that's up to you but Merlot should not be viewed in anyway shape or form as somehow inferior to Cabernet. It is a different grape altogether and whether you appreciate the nuances or not, to avoid drinking Merlot limits your wine knowledge. The grapes for this wine, grown on Atlas Peak located on the Western side of the Vaca Mountain range and first planted to grapes around 1870, are typically cooler than Napa Valley floor fruit and yet they achieve a stunning maturation. This Altas Peak shows how compelling Merlot can be; rich definable blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, huckleberry, cedar, all judiciously handled by the Duckhorn team – experts in Merlot. Sure the market is awash with inferior generic versions of Merlot (much to my dismay), but do not let those iterations cause you to believe that Merlot is a one-trick pony. Yes, the Duckhorn Merlots are not inexpensive, but after spending time with them, you will gain an understanding of the breadth of what Merlot can be.

ORIGIN: Napa, California

PRICE: $72/ 750ML

ALCOHOL: 13.5%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  94 POINTS

Hark! The Herald Angels Drink

The Holidays – a blur of parties, gifts, stress, bad drivers, and other things. So let’s simplify the gift giving process (enough with S’well bottles, gift cards, and Blue Apron) let’s focus on six top-notch liquid gifts for your loved one, for yourself, your neighbor, pastor, UPS driver, or whomever. Life is short, so drink well.

The Three Wise Wines

Canard Vineyard 2012 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Under the radar and around since their first vintage in 1984, Canard is one of those incredible finds. Canard sacrifices big yields for smaller grapes and greater concentration of flavor due to their dry farm approach. Located on the Silverado Trail they craft a rich and voluptuous Cabernet with vibrant black cherry, raspberry, black and huckleberry, with shrewd notes of cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and black pepper spice - a perfect balance of oak, fruit and a mild but proper acidity. This is a seamless wine that reflects exactly how dry farming can change the complexity of a wine. ($125, canardvineyard.com)

Ram’s Gate 2013 Pinot Noir Bush Crispo Vineyard

Located in Carneros, Ram’s Gate is crafting exceptional wines, though this vineyard is Russian River Valley. The nose is super ripe black cherry that gives way to rich luscious hedonistic black cherry, blackberry, black raspberry, acidity and a joyfulness in simply drinking this wine because it's just so damn good. And that is the X factor: a wine that tastes so good that you want to drink it three ways hard, fast and continuously. But do savor this wine – in fact it makes you stop whatever you're doing when you take the first sip and say, damn, I need to pay attention to this. What stands out is the dark rich vibrant fruit, more so than the oak treatment. ($70, ramsgatewinery.com)

Duckhorn 2012 Rector Creek Vineyard Merlot

Duckhorn has always been at the forefront of Merlot, even when it wasn’t popular they have continued to show how the grape could excel. Rector Creek, located just north of Yountville produces powerful Merlot grapes grown on alluvial soil. With velvety smoothness, this Merlot exudes blackberry, black cherry, a wee bit of plum, a hint of cedar, allspice and a mild acidity, which compels this wine forward. Merlot’s softer side and its food-friendly nature shine through with this compelling wine. ($95, duckhornwine.com)

The Three Wise Spirits

Hennessy VS Limited Edition Cognac

Hennessy has been making Cognac for 250 years and I had the great fortune to visit them firsthand in early 2015. Twice distilled, Cognac (actually a brandy) has reached mythic heights in part because the aging process can take decades. Wine is distilled into eaux du vie, which is then distilled a second time and aged. The VS Limited contains more than 40 different eaux-de-vie, aged up to eight years. This smooth refined Cognac offers a bite at the end, but it is full of spice, cedar and amber notes from the oak casks, a slight floral nose with violets and rose petal and a caramelized nut note. It’s smooth, sweet, mature and complex, as Cognac should be. ($45, hennessy.com)

Jonnie Walker Select Series Rye Cask Finish

The first iteration in the Johnnie Walker Select Cask series (traditional whiskies finished in different casks than they were aged in) is a rye cask finish which brings together a blend of whiskies aged for 10 years in new American oak barrels and then finished in older American rye barrels, or casks. Light malt, vanilla, and honey slowly infiltrate the palette and then there is the noticeable oak. Yes the rye is evident but most noticeable is the sweet peat and smoke that permeates all around followed by sugared almond, citrus, soft resin and a spicy, floral finish. ($45, jonniewalker.com)

Teeling Irish Whiskey

The Teeling family traces their distilling history back to 1782, but it was only 1987 when John Teeling reopened a distillery in Dublin with the goal of producing age-old Irish recipes that had been long forgotten. This is a soft and aromatic whiskey with notes of citrus, resin, cinnamon, vanilla, cedar and rose water. Unlike many brown spirits, there is no harshness to this, it is an elegant, gracious and personable whiskey, finished in rum casks and easy to drink, offering a maturity you wish all whiskies had. ($40, teelingwhiskey.com
 

Aleksander and the Fabulous, Marvelous, Quite Good, Very Nice Wine

For a children’s story, wine doesn’t make a good central character or theme. Kids’ books are better suited to things like James and the Giant Peach, not Mike and the Mammoth Merlot. But as a story, S&G Estate has a good one. Owners Goran and Ksenija Bjekovic first met while playing volleyball for Yugoslavia’s national team. Their son, Sasha Vujacic, two-time NBA Champion and former Lakers star, began his athletic career in Italy where Goran and Ksenija also began a love affair with wine. And now from their property in Paso Robles comes this Bordeaux beauty; as sleek and focused as an athlete but not a steroid driven maniac. The 2011 Aleksander is 80 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. This luscious wine spent18 months sitting in French, Serbian and Romanian oak barrels. It’s as smooth as silk with notes of black cherry, rhubarb, black berry and boysenberry, a proper acidity you don’t often get from Merlot and spicy cedar and vanilla. Paso wants to be known for it’s Bordeaux wines, and some are quite good, but they tend to be huge ripe fruit wines, which actually have a difficult time working with food. The Aleksander by contrast is a seamless wine, certainly one of the best I’ve had from Paso in a long time, beautifully balanced and ideal with food. So get a bottle, and tell your own story with it. http://www.aleksanderwine.com/

ORIGIN: Paso Robles (Creston AVA), California

PRICE:  $75 - 750/ml

ALCOHOL: 13.4%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  91 POINTS

Duckhorn: The Little Black Dress of Wine

It was Coco Chanel who came up with the Little Black Dress concept in the 1920s; that versatile, unadulterated mainstay and must-have centerpiece to any woman’s wardrobe – a classic piece of clothing that could be accessorized or not; clean, pure, functional and elegant all at the same time. Duckhorn Vineyards in Napa Valley is the Little Black Dress of the wine world. A visit in December 2014 reminded me exactly why this is true.

Duckhorn is best known for Merlot, Cabernet, and Sauvignon Blanc: consistent, elegant, restrained and structured wines that never raise questions of integrity, nor disappoint. They are one of the blue chip wineries in Napa. At my tasting, just like revisiting old friends who get better funnier and more compatible with age, Duckhorn wines are both familiar and comforting, old-school but still cool.

Selena Gomez and her Little Black Dress

Sure, there is always a move towards flashy trendy, current, hip and employing the ‘wow factor.’ But those moments always disappear, and true staying power is what’s important. Think of any actor who splashed on the big screen with accolades, awards and throngs of admirers, but who has since left the building. That’s why they have “Were Are They Now?” shows. Duckhorn will never be that show. The perfect believability of their portfolio of wines is exactly what people crave. As a wine writer, I’ve had these wines for years, under both ownerships, and there has never been fault, only the comfort and subtle appreciation for what is reliable and unfailing.

The porch is the place to fly at Duckhorn

If you have not visited Duckhorn, or are wary of the flashy new hipster wineries in Napa (or elsewhere), consider a re-visit with Duckhorn. Their grounds are beautiful, the interior classy and appealing with maple wood tones and the wrap-around porch is the desired place to be, even on a gray and overcast December day. Checkers the cat will be ambling about, the service will be attentive, courteous and you feel like you’re back where you belong; right where classy meets comfort.Duckhorn.com

See my other Duckhorn portfolio reviews: Goldeneye

The Best of 2013

As a wine and spirits writer for a variety of publications like The Hollywood Reporter, The Tasting Panel, IntoWine.com, Draft, Fine Wine & Liquor (China) and others, I taste through a lot of booze in a given year. 2013 was a good year, but not a great year, for new discoveries. I’ve listed the top 5 wines and the top 5 spirits I rated this year. If you get the chance, I suggest you put them on your dance card. And for 2014, don't be afraid to try something new...and let me know about it!

2013’s Top 5 Wines

Croft 2011 Vintage Port (91)

2011 was a declared Vintage year and this Port shows why. Viscous and rich with hefty black cherry, slightly smoky wood, dusty cinnamon, suburb tannins and proper acidic undertones – this is why people drink port – not to get a sugar rush, but to bask in the rich, opulent, smooth wine which is just so damn fun to drink. $120

Halter Ranch 2010 Ancestor (91)

Coming from Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast the Ancestor has great notes of cedar, blackberry, dark cherry, cinnamon and raspberry, a lush, rich wine which always calls for a 2nd bottle. It is seamless with its tannins, use of oak, pop of fruit and its smooth finish. $50

LaZarre 2012 Vin Gris (90)

Rose needs more love and for this little jewel there's a nice little acidity perfect for food with flavors of cranberry pomegranate and to a lesser degree, strawberry. It has an almost earthy, smoky quality to it and it’s lean and clean. $18

Vina Ventisquero/Grey 2011 Carménère (90)

From Chile comes this outstanding example of this unknown grape. This happy little number has a boatload of rustic zesty black cherry, rich red and black fruit, spicy pepper, and a slight acidity. $23.99

Robert Hall 2010 Merlot (90)

Paso Robles is Cabernet country, but Merlot is best expressed by Don Brady and his devotion to this grape. I’ve tasted though various years of his Merlots and they always work. Earthy, rustic, clean and soft tannins. $18

2013’s Top 5 Spirits

Herradura Reposado Tequila (90)

This reposado really intrigued me with its smooth caramel and resin flavors, sweet oak and a stealth citrus back note. Clean and viscous, there's a slight burn and a beautiful butterscotch aroma. $40

Stone Barn Brandyworks Coffee Liqueur (89)

Available only in Oregon, sadly, this this is a blend of coffee from El Salvador and Yemen. They infuse a house-distilled Pinot Noir brandy and pear/apple spirit with fresh roasted coffee. Toss in some Madagascar vanilla, cinnamon and invert the sugar to make the liqueur and, voila! $27

Bully Boy White Whiskey (89)

USDA certified organic white whiskey therefore it’s clear and lacking the caramel and wood flavors. There’s a smooth viscosity to this, a little burn but the liquor is rounded inside the mouth. This is clean, with near mint overtones, and it presents a cooler vibe not hot and alcoholic, medium bodied and subtle. $28

Hornitos Lime Shot (89)

Using blue agave, lime and salt this is cool, clean, minty, and yes, limey, and way too easy to drink. It's certainly drinkable on its own though it works better as a mixer. $18

Astral Tequila (88)

This tequila is produced from nothing but organic blue agave (I’m always a fan of organic if the end result is a better product). It has a cool clean nose of resin and eucalyptus and a spicy mint-ish vibe which grips the mouth. $34.99

50 Shades of Grey

Carménère. What you might ask? Carménère, the grape, the wine. There’s a cool little bottle available for you to try. Originally from the Medoc region of France, Carménère was always blended into other wines, and, like the classic middle child who craves attention, Carménère needs some time in the spotlight. And ta-da, its time is now here! One wine writer whom I have never heard of referred to Carménère as “the Alec Baldwin of forgotten grapes.” I have no idea what that means, but in some existential way it makes sense. Made by winemaker Felipe Tosso from Vina Ventisquero in Chile (you know, the country in South America?) this happy little number has a boatload of zesty black cherry, rich red and black fruit, spicy pepper, and a slight bitterness, frankly a lot of shades to this wine. Aged for 18 months in French Oak to soften the flavor and give some structure, yes, there is a slight vegetal element waaaaay in the back which normally I abhor (under ripe fruit and all) but weirdly it doesn’t detract from this wine. Carménère has softer tannins than Cabernet, but also a solid acidity which works so much better with food than a lot of heavily manipulated, or redundant Jolly Rancher-fruity Cab. It’s actually closer to Merlot, but with a rustic, edgy quality that makes this version actually fun to drink. Yeah, fun – as in Alec Baldwin fun. So try something new and find this baby. There are quite a few wines under the Grey label, but this is the only one I have tried, and it’s a beauty. It's imported by San Francisco Wine Exchange into the U.S. market.  VINA VENTISQUERO
ORIGIN: Maipo Valley, Chile (Block 5 from the Trinidad Vineyard)

PRICE: $23.99 / 750/ml

ALCOHOL: 13.5%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  90 POINTS