Friday was a blast with Ivan behind the bar doing what he does best: pouring delicious California juice. First in the lineup was Andy Erickson’s 2011 Favia ‘Suize’ Viognier from the Shake Ridge Ranch Vineyard. Along with the Quill, it was voted as the favorite of the lineup. Quince jumped out on the nose with Asian pears, and preserved lemon. The texture was lush, as Viognier should be, with layers of spice and white and yellow flowers and a wet stone minerality that cut through the opulence to balance out the wine.
The next wine was the 2012 “The Archive” Pinot Noir by Relic Wine Cellars. It was showing wonderfully with notes of ripe strawberry, black cherry and baking spice. There was great acidity and minerality to keep this wine leveled. This true-Sonoma Coast Pinot is sourced from Pahlmeyer’s sandy Wayfarer Vineyard, and is a perfect everyday drinker.
As mentioned before, the 2006 Quill Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, was considered the most desired from Ivan’s lineup by the majority of the members. This elegant Cab was one of my favorites too. Black and blue fruits just jumped out of the glass with layers of dark chocolate, mocha, and sweet herbs. The tannins were silky and the finish was lengthy with notes of star anise, cassis, and cocoa. We also opened the 2007 Quill Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, and in tasting these wines side by side, Quill’s 2007 Howell Mountain Cab showed a touch superior with more richness from the riper vintage and Howell Mountain’s signature phenolic power. It really expressed Howell Mountain with weight, spice, brambly black fruit, and strength in tannins and the finish. Overall, Ehren Jordan does a fabulous job creating insanely attractive wines. With Failla and Turley under his belt, his craft is wonderfully exhibited in Quill Wines.
The last two wines in Ivan’s fun-bag were the Behrens Family 2010 ‘The Knockout’ Cabernet Sauvignon and Robert Foley’s 2012 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah. Both were knockouts in their own right. Les Behrens creates wine with really fun, slightly provocative labels, and all their wines taste as riveting as their labels indicate. The Knockout’s blend is majority Cabernet Sauvignon with a little bit of Petit Sirah to give it punching aromatics and spice. Generous black fruits burst in the mouth with notes of sweet licorice spice, black pepper, and a touch of baking spice. The palate was supple and the tannins were silky. We do not really open a lot of Petite Sirah at Graileys, but when we do, you know it is a good one! Ivan shared with us two vintages of Switchabck Ridge’s Petite Sirah: 2002 and 2012. Out of the lineup; both showed the most power, with rich black fruit extract, chocolate covered Maraschino cherries, and loads of spice. The 2002 had more depth, but the fruit was still bouncing on the palate. They both had mouth-filling viscosity, which were elegantly balanced with clean, brilliant acid in their structure.
What I found so fascinating about this night was that more back-vintage Cali Cabernets were opened than the older Bordeaux and Burgundy that we typically open on any given “normal” Graileys’ night; and what a perfect night to do so with Ivan showcasing younger California gems. It was great to see and taste the clear difference in alcohol content in the wines from the older vintages and the wines of current release. Very much Old World in style, these wines have an ABV (alcohol by volume) less than 14%!! The 1992 Opus One has an alcohol content of 13.5% and the ’94 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cab has an alcohol content of 12.5%, the same as the ’94 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande!! The 1990 Coach Insignia also had the same alcohol percentage as two Bordeaux ten years younger: the 2000 Chateau Figeac and the 2000 Calon Segur at 13% ABV. Of course with age, these older wines showed more depth, without the strong alcohol overshadowing its character. As younger the wine became, the higher the alcohol climbed, with the 2001 Beringer Private Reserve Napa Cab at 14.2% and the 2009 Shafer Hillside Select Stags Leap Cab weighing in at 15.5%. And it is not just California that the alcohol has increased as each vintage goes by. Many Chateaux and Domaines throughout France and the rest of the EU have increased their alcohol content to lure the current palate and increase their scores. Whether the wine comes from the “Old” or “New” and is young or old, as long as the finished wine is balanced, the alcohol content does not make or break the wine in quality standards, as shown in all the wines that Ivan poured this night and many great Cali’s that are from even the ripest of vintage. As I type this blog, I am tasting a wine with an alcohol content of 15.1% and am very happy to do so because this wine is wonderfully BALANCED.
Other delicious wines enjoyed that evening…
Krug Grande Cuvee
2011 COS Rami, Sicilian white blend
1996 Leroy Pommard Les Vignots
2010 Gaja Barbaresco
1999 M. Chapoutier Les Granits St Joseph
2000 Chateau Figeac
2000 Calon Segur
1994 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
2009 Shafer Hillside Select Stags Leap
2009 Our Gang Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville
2001 Beringer Private Reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
1994 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
1998 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon
1992 Opus One
1990 Coach Insignia Fisher Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa/Sonoma County blend
2007 Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes