New Arrivals

Lovers of white wines with the notes that develop with age should check out this Sauvignon Blanc from the 2006 vintage. The Dry Creek Valley features a climate that’s cooler than the Alexander Valley but not cold like Sonoma’s Petaluma Gap or Russian River AVAs; hence, Sauvignon Blanc does not have to be made in a crisp, Sancerre-like style. Indeed, the producers of Trois Voyelles clearly had white Bordeaux in mind when they made this wine. Fermented and aged in French oak and at least partially put through malolactic fermentation, this is a wine that has mellowed well into a mature state. Golden colored, this Sauvignon Blanc seduces with its rich, full body as well as aromas of guava, apricots, white raisins and dried herbs. A mouthfilling palate follows with ripe pineapple as well as notes of butter and toast that last long in a luxurious finish. Fans of Rombauer Chardonnay may find this mature Sauvignon Blanc similarly seductive and compelling with new surprises that emerge in each sip. 

While Cabernet is king in Sonoma’s warmest AVA, the Alexander Valley, the well-drained soils and Mediterranean climate can also produce Syrah that’s enticing, multidimensional and complex. Wilson Fleming’s Trois Voyelles Syrah grows at the southern end of the valley, where cool nights extend the harvest season, producing fruit with elegance and balance. At 14 years of age, this Syrah is all about the emergence of savory notes – green olives, dried herbs, smoke, earthiness – to balance out the dark fruit. Earthy tannins and acidity give structure and freshness to this wonderful example of a well-aged California Syrah. 

Like Zinfandel, Petite Sirah arrived in California with the pioneers, became a significant player in California viticulture but diminished to the point of obscurity elsewhere in the world. Its inky black color, bright acids and hefty tannins made it a natural blend partner with Zinfandel, Syrah and even Cabernet Sauvignon but also led most winemakers to shy away from producing Petite Sirah as a varietal wine. In recent years, however, consumer demand for new wine experiences as well as new approaches to working with the variety, has led to a renaissance in Petite Sirah offerings. Three sources its Petite Sirah from a mature vineyard in Contra Costa County with soil about as sandy as a beach. The winery says, “due to this soil type and moderate growing conditions, the vineyard produces low yields with intense fruit flavors. This wine showcases deep blackberry fruit with a big tannin framework. For those of us who love Petite Sirah, this one will not disappoint.” They also point out this wine is so dark, it could be used  fountain pen ink! But we prefer to drink every last drop!

  This wine is a product of three Sonoma County vineyards: Gap's Crown, Durell, and Deodura. Throughout the summer, both Gap’s Crown, a hillside vineyard on Sonoma Mountain, and Durell vineyard, located west of Sonoma town, enjoy conditions that perfectly balance both warm and cool. These vineyards have such a reputation for robust and intense Pinot Noir that several of Sonoma’s best producers buy the grapes for their top wines. Head High Sonoma County Pinot shares the grapes and qualities of these wines - but is available at a much more reasonable price. The bright red fruit, crisp acidity and power of this wine all stand out. Serving slightly chilled will help mute the sharp edges. 

Piper Sonoma Brut is made in the the traditional manner of the Champagne region in France. The grapes, a classic blend of 60% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier, are hand-harvested early in the season in order to ensure high acidity and low potential alcohol. Lots from vineyards in Sonoma, Carneros and Dry Creek Valley are fermented separately in stainless steel. In early winter, the wines are tasted and painstakingly blended in order to create a cuvée that maintains consistency with earlier vintages. The final blend is bottled with bit of yeast and sweetness to kick off the second fermentation inside each bottle. After 18 months of aging on the lees and further blending with 20 – 25% reserve wines (hence, the non-vintage dating), this delightful sparkling wine is ready to drink. Combining the sophistication and elegance of fine Champagne with the sunshine and bright fruit of California, Piper Sonoma offers value that says “no special occasion necessary!”  

A product of the cool Russian River Valley, Piper Sonoma’s Brut Rosé is crisp and fragrant, a delight to the eyes, nose and palate. While the blend of 54% Chardonnay, 39% Pinot Noir, and 7% Pinot Meunier differs little from the Brut in its ratio of white to red grapes, the cuvée includes a dash of Pinot Noir still wine, and the gorgeous pink color and tantalizing floral notes and red berry aromas are the result. A sparkling wine that will turn any gathering into an occasion, the Brut Rosé will pair well with sashimi, Thai duck curry, or most anything laid out to nibble on before a meal. 

A new offering from Dashe Cellars, Vineyard Select Zinfandel is neither a single vineyard nor an appellation specific wine but rather a blend of fruit from growers in several areas ,including Contra Costa and Clarksburg, with a focus on Sonoma. The blend of 80% Zinfandel, 9% Teraldego, 5% Tannat, 3% Mourvedre, 3% Petite Sirah makes this a unique, only-in-California wine. For only in California could anyone blend Teroldego (originally N.E. Italy), Tannat (S.W. France), Mourvedre (Southern France and Spain) with our beloved California natives, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. Michael Dashe describes this as a “bistro wine” that will accompany a wide range of casual dishes as it is aromatic, bright, and lower in alcohol than the typical Zin. 

In 2016, in order to mark 20 years of making Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, Dashe Cellars decided to craft a special reserve cuvée from select barrels of wine from the most distinctive vineyards they work with. This was a wine that showed off the very best characteristics of the region - the complex spectrum of flavors, and a balance of pure fruit flavors and bright acidity. The result, a complex, lovely, and fruit-forward wine, inspired them to try it again in 2017. Aiming for bright acidity, they harvested early and were able to avoid the wildfires that afflicted the region later on. About 10% Petite Sirah was added to the blend for additional texture and structure. They say it’s one of the most intense and complex Dry Creek Zinfandels they’ve made, “with dark chocolate and black pepper spice underlying the velvety, intense mid-palate and the balanced, sweet red-fruit finish.” 

If you like California Zinfandel, you’ve really been drinking Tribidrag all along. Here’s why. Many are aware that California’s “indigenous” grape is genetically identical to Italy’s Primitivo. The nerdier among us may also know that the Croatian red, Crljenak Kaštelanski, is the true ancestor of both. It turns out that Tribidrag was the name used for Zinfandel/Primito/Crljenak Kaštelanski going back to the middle ages. And who better to confidently name her Zin Tribidrag than Carole Meredith? After all, it was she who led the DNA research establishing that Zinfandel, Primitivo and Crljenak Kaštelanski are one and the same. Whatever the name, this is an awesome Mt. Veeder wine.

Mondeuse is the black grape best known for the dark, aromatically attractive wines of Savoie in eastern France. It’s also the grandparent of Syrah. But because so little Mondeuse is grown outside of Savoie, Lagier Meredith’s vineyard on Mt. Veeder may be the only spot where these two “relatives” are grown in close proximity. The vines were planted in 2007. The winery describes the wine as “a dark and lush wine with intense aromas of dark fruit and rose petals <that’s> in it for the long haul.” 

Wine in cans poses a challenge to those of us who associate wine with tradition, ceremony, special occasions, fine dining, collecting and connoisseurship. And treating Pinot Noir – our graceful queen of the noble grapes – in such a proletarian manner may seem particularly offensive. On the other hand: why not? Aluminum cans are clean, have little effect on flavor, and and make it so easy to add wine to weekend or holiday experiences. Besides, as Wine Spectator recently pointed out, sales have grown to a point where canned wine is no longer a mere fad. Head High sources grapes from premium California growers and crafts the wine with the same attention to detail as its bottled wines. It’s a fine wine with excellent varietal character. Note: as three of these cans is equal to a 750 ml bottle, remember to sip and savor your wine, and drink from a can as you would from a glass.