The Walman Report®
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By Nancy Walman
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Affordable California Wines
It’s easy to highlight the elite “Garage Wines,”
from the boutique California vineyards. But in the real world of wine
enjoyment, it’s a far more difficult task to discover good wines that respect
food for as little as $13 and topping out under $35. Here are 5 recommendations
from some of our favorite California producers that will compliment your summer
meals, without braking the bank.
FREI BROS. RESERVE
2003
Russian River Valley
C h a r d o n n a y
Easy to drink, yet surprisingly complex, you’ll
like this with chicken, fish or light cheese.
Northern Sonoma
Distinctive Sonoma Character
Keeping with the tradition established by Andrew Frei in 1890, Frei Brothers Reserve wines are crafted to reveal the personality of the land and bring out the natural expression of the fruit. This is why we chose the Russian River Valley as the home of our Chardonnay The Russian River Valley is regarded as one of the world’s most preeminent wine-growing regions. Close to the sea, the valley’s summer warmth is moderated by fog and other cooling maritime influences, creating an ideal climate for Chardonnay grapes. 2003 was one of the coolest growing seasons in recent history. The season began with rain followed by a stretch of dry cold weather; however, this did not impact the vines. Bud break, bloom, and veraison still occurred at the same time as in previous years. The time following veraison is most critical for the ripening of the fruit, and in 2003 it was very mild. Grapes ripened more slowly and produced rich ripe flavors ideal for more complex wines. Following the summer was a heat spike during the Labor Day period which sped up ripening. Due to this cool start and spike in temperature, the wines had ripe flavors and good acidity. Harvest was completed by early October.
Classically Inspired Winemaking
We craft our Frei Brothers Reserve wines in a gentle, traditional style enhanced through the use of modern technology that makes fruit the focus and showcases the best that each varietal and appellation have to offer. To ensure that the natural fruit character shines through, the grapes were gently squeezed and 100% of our Chardonnay fruit was gravity fed through a whole cluster press pad to eliminate bitterness that typically results from crusher-destemmers. The juice was also cold settled and then racked before fermentation. 90% of the juice was barrel fermented and aged, and temperature was monitored not to exceed 68°F to produce a slower, cooler fermentation that enhanced complexities in aroma, flavor, and body. Fermentation occurred through a combination of wild yeasts found naturally on the grape skins. The wine also underwent sur lie aging for 8 months and partial malolactic fermentation, resulting in a buttery texture and depth in complex flavors that complements its crisp, clean finish.
Rich Authentic Wine Style
Frei Brothers Reserve wines possess a fruit-forward character with intense aromas and flavors that reflect the land and climate that created the grapes. Our 2003 Chardonnay is big and intense with a soft mouthfeel and a long crisp finish. This medium-bodied Chardonnay expresses bright aromas and complex varietal characters of bright pear, peach and citrus fruit, and displays hints of vanilla and spice.
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Varietal Content: 100% Chardonnay
Titratable Acidity: 0.61g/100ml
Residual Sugar: 0.47 g/100ml
pH: 3.42
Alcohol Level: 13.9%
FREI BROS. RESERVE
2003
Dry Creek Valley
M e r l o t
Northern Sonoma
Not your
run-of-the-mill California Merlot, but something special. Lovely with lamb.
Distinctive
Sonoma Character
Keeping with the tradition established by Andrew Frei in 1890, Frei Brothers Reserve wines are crafted to reveal the personality of the land and bring out the natural expression of the fruit. This is why we chose the Dry Creek Valley as the home of our Merlot. Located in the heart of Northern Sonoma County, the Dry Creek Valley is blessed with warm days and cool nights. Its inland location ensures its vineyards get ample warmth during the day to ripen the fruit, while cool marine influences in the evening enter from the southern portion of the valley where Dry Creek empties into the Russian River. This cooling slows sugar production allowing fruit to develop flavors slowly, the perfect conditions for developing rich, intense Merlot.
Classically
Inspired Winemaking
We craft our Frei Brothers Reserve wines in a gentle, traditional style enhanced through modern technology that makes fruit the focus and showcases the best that each varietal and appellation have to offer. Grapes for our Merlot were destemmed, but not crushed, to retain a significant portion of whole berries for fermentation. We used 67% upright and 23% horizontal rotary fermenters to gently mix the juice and skins, to prevent tannic bitterness. Fermentation temperatures were closely monitored and kept between 85-88º to promote cap circulation for gentle, yet maximum extraction of flavor and body from the grape skins. After fermentation, the wine completed malolactic fermentation. The wine was barrel aged in a combination of new and prior used European, American and French oak for an average of nine months. The barrels were racked every
three months and topped every 6 weeks to clarify the wine naturally and to assist in the aging process. The wine was minimally fined and filtered.
Rich
Authentic Wine Style
Frei Brothers Reserve wines possess a fruit-forward character with intense aromas and flavors that reflect the land and the climate that created the grapes. Our 2003 Merlot is a medium-bodied wine that exhibits luscious and enticing aromas and flavors of blackberry and strawberry, with hints of vanilla and spices from oak barrel aging. The palate continues with flavors of black and sweet cherry, and a long finish that unveils evolving flavors of cedar, briar, blackberry, bramble and toast. The 5% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend also adds complexity and structure, and helps to ensure the wine will age well for the next 4-5 years.
Appellation: Dry Creek Valley
Residual Sugar: 0.15g/100ml
Varietal Content: 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon pH: 3.65
Titratable Acidity: 0.58g/100ml Alcohol Level: 13.9%
SRP: $20.00
GALLO of SONOMA
Pinot Gris, Sonoma County, 2004
EXPERIENCE SONOMA COUNTY
Delightfully clean, endearing and exuding charm,
you’ll like this one with simple pasta dishes, sausage or a princely picnic.
In crafting our award-winning Gallo of Sonoma
wines, our winegrowers and winemakers embark on a careful journey from
vine to wine.
It all begins in Sonoma County, where cool
ocean breezes, lingering coastal fog, and the warm sun nurture the grapes. It
culminates with patient barrel-by-barrel tasting during fermentation and aging,
to ensure that the potential tasted on the vine is captured in the bottle. We
invite you to join us in a glass of wine and experience Sonoma County.
HARVEST
The
2004 growing season got started very early with a warm early spring and very
moderate summer conditions, resulting in bright clean flavors in this year’s
Pinot Gris. Later in the season, the
weather cooled, allowing for a longer hang time where the grapes ripened gently
and evenly adding layers of complexity.
A light crop produced dense flavors, resulting in memorable wines this
year.
WINEMAKING
To
ensure that the grapes are gently squeezed and allow the natural fruit
character to shine through, a gravity fed, whole cluster press pad is used for
100% of our Pinot Gris to eliminate the bitterness that typically results from
crusher-destemmers. The wine was stainless
steel fermented, and temperature was monitored not to exceed 62° F to produce a
slower, cooler fermentation that enhanced complexities of body, flavor, and
aroma.
FINISHED WINE
Our
2004 Sonoma County Pinot Gris is brilliant in color and accentuated with
powerful aromas of peach blossom, fresh pear, green apple and subtly enriched
by notes of fig. Clean and crisp this wine has a lively mouthfeel with zippy
acidity amplifying its citrus, honeydew melon and green apple flavors. In all,
our 2004 Sonoma County Pinot Gris emphasizes the pretty side of Pinot Gris:
packed with deep fruit and framed with a balanced, elegant mouthfeel that
allows the intense flavors to shine. Its versatility makes it the perfect
complement to many foods including, fish, light salads, white meats and creamy
pastas.
Grape Source: Sonoma County
Varietal Content: 95% Pinot Gris, 3% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Viogner
Titratable Acidity: 0.67g/100ml
Residual Sugar: 0.1g/100ml
pH: 3.38
Alcohol Level: 13.5 percent
2001 Alexander Valley Reserve
Cabernet Sauvignon
Big,
but approachable, we can’t wait to taste this in a couple years.
Grape
Varieties: 99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Merlot
Appellation: Alexander Valley
Alcohol: 13.65 %
TA: .68 G/100ml
pH:
3.60
Cases
Produced: 4,000
Suggested
Retail: $35.00
2001
Vintage
This was a banner year for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Picked in the early morning hours
to keep the fruit as cool as possible and destemmed
direct to a tank upon arrival at
the winery. Grapes were destemmed but not crushed,
leaving greater than 90%
whole berries in the fermenter.
Tasting
Notes
Alexander Valley is home to some of the world’s most
beautiful expressions of
Cabernet Sauvignon and this wine is a great example
showcasing an opulent nose of
ripe plum, berries, black cherry with undertones of
anise and sage - very old world
in style. Berries and rich black cherry explodes
onto the palate finishing with a
solid structure that will ensure aging for many
years.
-Michael Martini, Winemaker
Russian
River Valley Pinot Gris
2004
You’ve never tasted a Pinot Gris like this. Rich aromas of white peach, honeydew melon, and fig are the stars of
this wine, with notes of honey and spice adding both weight and interest. The flavors of peach, melon, and fig are
melded together in a rich core, while elements of spice and citrus give
focus. The result is a mouthfeel that
is rich and broad without being heavy. It is a Pinot Gris that reflects the
legacy of the land while exquisitely capturing the terroir of the Russian River
Valley.
The
Russian River Valley is one of the world’s premier growing regions for Pinot
Noir and Pinot Gris. Crafting wines
from this appellation with elegance and finesse,
MacMurray
Ranch speaks to the legacy of this land.
Viticultural
Notes:
The 2004 season began with a burst of heat in March and record temperatures (into the 80’s) pushed out vines a month early. Almost no spring frost and very little rain fell in the spring, allowing the soils to warm, pushing out very strong growth of the new canes. Ideal summer weather, warm days and cool nights, facilitated growth and sugars accumulated rapidly from the mild weather. Early September brought very warm weather conditions and a full week of heat causing sugar levels to increase quickly followed by a cooling period; this lead to more rich tropical flavors. The rapid ripening meant that the fruit was able to hold its acid at good levels. Harvest was completed by mid-September without any rain falling on the fruit.
Winemaking Notes:
The
grapes for this wine were gently whole-cluster pressed to reduce the influence
of tannins and was the juice was cold-settled for 24-48 hours to give the wine
elegance and balance. The wine was
fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve the brightness of both flavor
and aroma. The wine was fined and filtered for clarity of both taste and
appearance, then aged in the bottle for several months prior to release.
Finished Wine:
|
Grape source: Russian River Valley Varietal Content: 99% Pinot Gris Alcohol: 14.2% Titratable Acidity: 0.59g / 100ml |
pH: 3.45 Residual Sugar: 0.27g / 100ml Production: 16,400 cases |
Pricing
Information SRP
2003 Frei Bros. Res. Chardonnay RRV $16.99
2003 Frei Bros. Res. Merlot DCV $17.99
2004 Gallo of Sonoma Pinot Gris Sonoma
Coast $12.99
2001 Louis Martini Alexander Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon $29.99
2004 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris RRV $16.99
FREI
BROS. WINERY BRINGS NEW FLAVOR TO OLD
WINEMAKING TRADITIONS
New
Wines Bring the Best of Russian River and Alexander Valley Appellations to Wine
Enthusiasts
At the turn of the 19th century, the winemakers at Frei Bros. Winery in Sonoma County believed that the secret to making a high-quality wine started with the fruit. By embracing this fruit-forward winemaking philosophy, they crafted some of the finest wines in the region. Today, Frei Bros. Winery celebrates this tradition and honors more than 100 years of fine winemaking with the launch of Frei Bros. Reserve.
Frei Bros. Reserve wines includes the 2000 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley, 2000 Chardonnay Russian River Valley, 2000 Merlot Sonoma County and the 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley. They are offered in fine restaurants and wine specialty stores.
Traditional Winemaking Approach
Senior Winemaster George Thoukis worked side by side with the Frei family, learning the old traditions of California’s winemaking pioneers: respect for the land, close watch of the weather and allowing the fruit to speak through the wine. Today these traditions are guiding Eric Cinnamon, one of the brightest of the young winemakers who believe that Sonoma County is the best place in the world to make wine.
Available this fall, the 1998 Frei Brothers Reserve Cabinet Sauvignon reveals aromas of ripe plum and black currant, characteristic of grapes grown in the warmer Alexander Valley appellation, with nuances of toasty oak resulting from 100 percent barrel aging. This wine has a full-bodied style with a fine tannin structure.
Winemaker Eric Cinnamon knows that technology has given today’s vintners tremendous power to alter the natural qualities of grapes, even to the extent that the personality of the winemaker can overpower the personality of the land and the fruit. “Frei Brothers Reserve wines come from the best vineyards in the best growing region in the world,” Cinnamon said. “My job as a winemaker is to nurture the expression of the fruit, not to manipulate it. I just sort of take care of the wine until it’s done. And that’s true to the Frei Bros. Winery tradition that began right here in 1890.”
About Frei Bros. Winery
Founded by Andrew Frei in 1890, Frei Bros. Winery is one of California’s oldest wineries. Shortly after the turn of the century, it was one of the leading wineries in its area. By combining the spirit of old-world winemaking techniques that highlight varietal character with select grapes from select Sonoma appellations, Frei Brothers Reserve offers wines of grace and authenticity that, like Andrew Frei himself, truly stand out.
LOUIS M. MARTINI
Founder, Father, Pioneer
Louis Michael Martini was born May 27, 1887 in Petra Ligure (near Genoa) in Italy. He arrived in San Francisco in 1899 at any 12 to work in his father’s business, which sold fresh fish to local merchants.
Father and son started making wine in their backyard in 1906, the year of the great earthquake. The wine spoiled, but young Louis knew then that he wanted to make wine – the lifelong dedication to grape and vine had begun.
At 19, Louis returned to Italy to study winemaking at the University of D’Alba. When he completed the year-long courses, his teachers told him to go back to California and begin to experiment with land and grape and teach himself what California wine could be.
Back in San Francisco, Louis made wine at night and helped in father during the day. They sold the wine from the wagon as they delivered fish in the city. Customers liked the wine and came back for more.
The wines that Louis made were so successful that the family rented a winery in Pleasanton, California, in 1911. They made from 50,000 to 100,000 gallons of dry table wine, mostly Chianti and Burgundy styled red wines. This early venture failed to make a profit, and in 1918, Louis’ father and mother returned to Italy. Louis stayed in California, still wanting to make wine. He worked as a consulting winemaker, taking a variety of jobs in and around the wine business.
In 1922, during Prohibition, he got financial backing from a successful rancher and businessman and opened the L.M. Martini Grape Products Company in Kingsburg, California. He made sacramental and medicinal wines as well as grape juice and concentrate for home winemakers. The initiative and insight that led him to open a winery during Prohibition stayed with him throughout his long career.
Louis anticipated the increased demand for dry table wines long before the repeal of Prohibition, and he believed the Napa Valley was the best place to make them. His dedication to winemaking and his insistence on continuous experimentation were forces that helped shape the California wine industry.
In 1933, he began building a new winery in St. Helena, complete with an innovative cold fermentation room (built in 1940), an array of cooperage for aging his wines, and an underground cellar to hold the barrels. By 1940, Louis had transferred all his interests to Napa. He sold the Kingsburg operation and moved his family to St. Helena.
Louis began his family’s long-term investment in vineyards, selecting land in areas that decades later would become world-famous for the quality of the wines made from grapes grown there. He bought Monte Rosso vineyard in eastern Sonoma County, with vines that had been planted in the 19th Century, and he bought land in Carneros along San Pablo Bay, a cool, windy place that he thought would produce superior grapes.
As World War II was coming to a close, Louis M. Martini helped rebuild the California wine industry. He was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Wine Institute and the Napa Valley Vintners Association.
Louis M. Martini remained involved with his winery until he passed away in St. Helena in 1974.
MacMurray Ranch
Wines Debut With Classic Russian River Valley Varietals
Healdsburg, CA –
From the heart of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley,
limited quantities of MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are now being
offered in select wine shops and fine restaurants.
The
wines are named to honor the Healdsburg ranch owned for 45 years by the late
actor, Fred MacMurray, and grapes from premium vineyards throughout the Russian
River Valley are used in the first releases.
MacMurray
bought his ranch from the Porter family, the original homesteaders on the land,
in 1941. MacMurray added adjacent
properties over the years. In 1996, the
MacMurray family sold the ranch to the Gallo family of winemakers. Kate MacMurray, Fred MacMurray’s daughter,
is helping the Gallo family to introduce the wines, as a creative consultant.
“When
I got the call saying they were thinking of making a wine that reflected the
history and traditions of that wonderful ranch where I grew up, I told them
right away I wanted to be involved,”
Kate says. “I know my father
would be proud to see the ranch still being used for farming. And the wine, of course, is splendid.”
Only
6,000 cases of the 2001 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris are available at a retail
price of about $23. The wine is made
with grapes harvested by hand in the vineyard right in front of the old
homestead, between the creek and the redwood rise called Indian Hill.
There
are only 4,500 cases of 2000 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir being offered this year
at a suggested retail price around $32.
Pinot Noir grapes for this wine came from the finest Russian River
vineyards including those adjacent to the original family homestead.
Master
Winemaker Marcello Monticelli oversaw the fermentation, aging, and blending of
both the Pinot Noir and the Pinot Gris, using the Gallo of Sonoma winery nearby
in Healdsburg.
Based
on initial competition results, MacMurray Ranch wines certainly give
aficionados something to look forward to. The Pinot Gris won a Gold Medal at
the Riverside (CA) International Wine Festival in May, and was named “Best
White” (Sweepstakes Award) and Best in Class at the “North of the Gate”
competition in June. The Pinot Noir
also received a Gold Medal at the “North of the Gate” competition.
HISTORY
Founder Louis M. Martini was an Italian immigrant who built his Napa Valley winery as the end of Prohibition approached in 1933. His son, Louis P. Martini, became winemaker in 1954. Michael Martini, Louis M.’s grandson, became winemaker in 1977. In 2002, the Gallo family of winemakers purchased the winery, which continues to operate under Martini family leadership.
THE VINEYARDS
Martini family winemakers family believe that special wines come from special places. The portfolio of Louis M. Martini mountain and cool climate vineyards include Monte Rosso, located high above Sonoma Valley; Sun Lake Vineyard nestled in Pope Valley along the flanks of Howell Mountain, Ghost Pines Vineyard in the narrow, windy south end of Chiles Valley, and Del Rio Vineyard in the famous Russian River Valley near Healdsburg, California.
THE WINES
Louis M. Martini wines are the voice of Cabernet Sauvignon, wines that reflect three generations of accumulated wisdom fitting vines to the land and blending for balance in the bottle. Wines available in fine restaurants and sold by select retailers include the 2001 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2000 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Site specific Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley, Monte Rosso, and Ghost Pines vineyards are limited release wines and are available in the winery tasting room and in select restaurants and bottle shops as well. The tastin room also offers small quantities of other special wines such Gewurztraminer, Folle Blanche, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, and Barbera/
LOCATION
The Louis M. Martini Winery is located at 254 South St. Helena Highway (Rt. 29) in the town of St. Helena. It is 70 miles north of San Francisco, and 22 miles north of the city of Napa.
The mailing address is P.O. Box 112, St. Helena, CA 94574
Telephone (800) 321-9463. Fax (707) 963-8750 The web address is www.louismartini.com
TASTING ROOM
The Tasting Room is located at the winery and is open daily from 11am to 5pm. Many limited production wines, not available elsewhere, are sold in the Tasting Room.
LOUIS P. MARTINI
Science, Art,
and Quiet Passion for Perfection
As the son of winemaking pioneer Louis M. Martini, the young Louis P. Martini grew up to become a quiet, studious man with a burning desire to know how things worked. He was a tinkerer, an innovator, and a winemaker who used science to advance his art.
His vineyard studies of clonal selection and terroir, as well as his investigation of fermentation and aging effects on wine, are part of the lore and legend of California winemaking. He approached the world of winemaking and grape growing with an agile mind and an active imagination.
“Besides being innovative in the vineyards and winery, my dad was innovative with vineyards. He could really size up good vineyard land. Consequently, his acquisition of vineyards in Carneros, vineyards in the Russian River Valley, in Chiles Valley and Pope Valley in Napa County, and his purchase of land in Lake County all made him a pioneer of vineyard development in each of these appellations. He could “buy dirt” says Louis’ son, winemaker Michael Martini.
Louis P. Martini was educated at the University of California at Berkeley, where he majored in food science. He spent his senior year at U.C. Davis studying winemaking under Dr. Maynard Amerine. He served in the Air Force during World War II, returning to the winery in 1946 to work for his father as president and production manager. He was made winemaker in 1954.
Louis P. Martini received numerous honors for his contributions to California winemaking, including the Society of Wine Educators Lifetime Achievement Award. He was a charter member of the American Society of Enologists, and chairman of the Wine Institute. He was president of the Napa Valley Vintners Association and the Napa Valley Technical Group.
Louis P. Martini passed away in St. Helena in 1998.
MICHAEL MARTINI
Michael Martini learned the
subtle arts of winemaking and grape growing first hand as he grew up at his
family’s winery in the Napa Valley.
When school let out, Michael worked alongside his father and
grandfather, and his summer jobs as a teenager included helping with wine
blending and tending the vines at the historic Monte Rosso mountaintop
vineyard.
Mike Martini joined the Air
Force in 1969. He then entered the
University of California at Davis, one of the world’s pre-eminent institutions
for the study of winemaking and grape growing.
He graduated from U.C. Davis in 1977 with a degree in fermentation
science. Mike returned to the family
winery in St. Helena to work with his father, Louis P. Martini, and was given
full responsibility as a winemaker, carrying family traditions into the third
generation.
Under his father’s tutelage,
Mike began to develop his own personal style as a winemaker, bringing balance
and texture to his Cabernet Sauvignon blends.
“My father’s wines are silk,” Mike says. “Mine are velvet.”
In 1981, Mike traveled
through France with legendary California winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff,
studying artisan winemaking techniques in Burgundy and Bordeaux. He continues to pursue classic lines in his
Cabernet Sauvignon, making age worthy wines with structure, elegance and
finesse that express the unique terroir of their vineyards.
Michael Martini is past
president of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, an organization his
grandfather helped establish. He is
also past president of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture and the
Trellis Alliance at U.C. Davis.
When not making wine, Mike
enjoys riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and playing guitar in a
winemaker’s rock band named “Private Reserve.”
These reviews are available and have been seen on the Internet. Click here to see an index of other reviews on the worldwide web <http://www.punchin.com>. <http://www.wineonline.net>. They have been heard on WNCN, WEVD and WQXR radio, seen in Fodor's and Mobil Guide Books, and printed in Chocolatier, Troika, Trump and Metropolitan Millionaire magazines and newspapers and throughout the world, including the NY Post, Women's Wear Daily and the NY Times, via the Punch In International Network. This review may be reprinted free of charge, so long as source and byline credit are included: "The Walman Report," "Punch In International®," Wine On Line International®.
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