This much was clearly evident when he stopped by for an action-packed wine dinner with our members last Friday. The evening’s line-up of recent releases of one white and five reds showed Bob’s special touch; he has essentially figured out how to make wines that are exciting in their youth with vibrant fruit and supple tannins yet judging from a series of mid-90s Pride Cabernet Sauvignon we’ve tasted at Graileys, they mature gracefully developing more flavor complexity as the tannins break down. The 2009 Pinot Blanc’s fresh stone fruits, white peach and apricot were exactly what everyone needed to whet their palates for the reds we had waiting to be tasted. We sat down and got started with 2009 Charbono sourced from the Heitz family in Calistoga. Bob can be credited for saving a few acres of Charbono vines that the Heitz family was planning on uprooting to be replaced with the ubiquitous Cabernet Sauvignon vines. As luck would have it, Bob has previously tasted a vintage Inglenook Winery Charbono, sourced from the same Heitz plantings, that rocked his world. So he committed to to buying the fruit from Gary Heitz thus, the history of Charbono from this acclaimed vineyard continues. Meaty and smoky with gobs of blackberry jam, black raspberries, vanilla and toast. Full-bodied and structured; this wine sticks to your palate with ripe black/blue fruits and toasty vanilla and a dense, rich texture with rounded and velvety tannins. This could easily last a couple of decades in the cellar. Bob’s interesting concoction, 2010 The Griffin, was tasted next. This red is a blend of the barrels that don’t make it to the other cuvees he produces; the blend changes every year as his only goal is to make the best finished product he can from the raw ingredients he has in the kitchen. The 2010 is about 52% Merlot and I just love the bold aromatics on this particularly wine with lots of red fruits on the front along with vanilla, sweet spice, raspberry liqueur and mocha. Fleshy and dense on the palate with a great thread of acidity and a touch of grippy tannins keep the ripeness in check. The 2010 Merlot was tasted next which impressed with its flamboyant nose of blackcurrant, cassis, black raspberries and nuanced oak undertones. Well-structured with supple tannins. This isn’t your thin, monolithic Merlot, but rather a serious one that actually has the stuffing and balance to develop with 5-10 years of cellar age. Year in and year out, this is Graileys top-seller red. It consistently hits that good balance between quality and value. The 2009 Claret, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, was next in the line-up. We decanted it an hour prior to the event and this really blossomed with aeration, smoothing out the rougher edges and allowing the black fruits to push through the firmer tannins. I would love to revisit this wine with an additional five years of bottle age; when the tannins break down with maturity watch out for a more luscious mouthfeel and layered fruit/oak/ flavors. The 2008 Petite Sirah was tasted next. This showcases the deft hand that Bob has in pulling the nuances of valley floor and mountain fruit sources and creating a product that is greater than the sum of its parts. On the nose, blueberry jam, chocolate shavings, mocha, peppery spice are pronounced. This was backed by a massive palate with rich tannins and a lingering finish marked by licorice and blackberries. And just to give this night extra flavor, Simon also served his famous herb-crusted lamb chops while member Dave M’s 2013 scalloped potatoes and wasabi Ceasar salad likewise graced the event. As this is Graileys, the segue into the after-party was effortless… and this being Graileys, what happens in Graileys, stays in Graileys….
