No Holds Barra

I was generously offered the wines of Barra to try, and I’ll be honest, they had me at Mendocino. It’s region I had started a love affair with before I even breathed its air.

Then, I visited–the first trip I took post vaccine–and omg there was romance added to the love affair, like the lover becoming a real person, one who surprises you and becomes more a whole person, while maintaining their mystique because damn, every precious thing you discover about them, well, each quirk and nuance makes each day with them a new one. Sure, I only spent a few days in Mendocino but I am madly enraptured with the land, the people and yes the wine too.

So yes obvi I wanted to taste the wines. Barra is made with certified organic grapes and coaxed into wine status by Randy Meyer, who, much like many other Mendocino winemakers I met, holds hats for a few operations. He’s steering Barra and its other label Girasole, and he has a custom crush joint.

I appreciated the note that arrived with the wines informing me they don’t print tech sheets, but please find the information online. I end up with major tech sheet pile up sometimes so this is a good step. The wines followed suit–all showing a freshness that chills out a ripeness, and all over makes for balanced delight.

Barra Mendocino Reserve Chardonnay 2021

Just that hint of gunflint-y minerality battles the marshmallow and vanillin effect of oak and in the end they partner up quite happily. Warming nose, filled with aforementioned minerals and nutmeg, citrus compound butter and yellow pear, full-figured body (not quite voluptuous) brings all of the above, all with a bit butterscotch. Lovely and silky and just rich enough to be a winter white but lively enough to face a hot day too.

Barra Mendocino Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

All vibrant blackberry and black currant (so different from red) jam on the nose with hints of tobacco and just a touch of dried vine zest–JUST a tiny touch, like one finger gently place on the lips telling the pyrazines to whisper. Supple on the palate, neither heavy nor light, but somehow more than medium bodied–like it glides with some drag–and boasts expansive stewed berries (mostly black and blue) thinned just enough to slide through the mouth guiding professor-ly (like they wear tweed) hints of black currant, vanilla bean through. Shades of dried earth and cloves come in in the finish. It manages to be bright and classy, despite having rather elevated tannins and alcohol. Very friendly.

Barra Reserve Pinot Noir 2021

A nice little slip dress of a Pinot. A noir one, naturally. Lithe, pleasing, easy going. The nose brings ripe but not jammy cherries and makes me think “cherry Gushers” but not sweet. A mid-level palate, this wine has a texture to it, with drying tannins, that serve as a conductor of all the undercurrents in this wine–cola, tea, and mint. The big currents though? The ones that parade loudly? That’s more cherry. Vanilla bean. Allspice and cordial. Truly a pleasing specimen–and one of the things that endears me to Mendocino is evident here in spades: the fruit is ripe but not overly jammy or overly oaky, sort of how Oregon Pinots show to me these days. Damn this is good.

Fly Free: West Sonoma Coast AVA

Looking at you, newly minted West Sonoma Coast AVA. You and your super cool cooler climate craveable gulp-able delights.

The West Sonoma Coast AVA is within the Sonoma Coast AVA. Which is within Sonoma County. So why the need to separate? Is this just the typical the-smaller-the-region-the-more-elite-we’ll-be strategy? Well I guess not seeing as after eleven (my favorite number!) long years it was decided that the western wines were in fact different and unique.

Environmental factors are the key to these fresh af gems. The wines aren’t just cool, it’s literally cooler there. Cooler days. There’s less of a drastic shift from days to also cool nights. Way more fog and sea breeze. The result being temperatures ten degrees cooler than the rest of the Sonoma Coast AVA. Grapes ripen slowly and hold on to that precious acidity that makes them so refreshing. As you maybe possibly would imagine, this cooler climate does well for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They grow a smidge of Syrah to boot.

Now, the AVA is new. So there are not West Sonoma Coast bottling yet, but I gave a taste to a couple of members of the West Sonoma Coast Vintners–can you guess who was leading the charge to getting the AVA approved? Is there a stylistic difference? Yes. Yay! I look forward to tasting these when the officially West Sonoma Coast AVA bottlings come out.

In the meantime, here’s my thoughts. So far. Wine is a living and breathing and evolving thing. Here’s this year’s far west findings!

32 Winds Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019

Holy yes please. In a blind tasting I honestly might at least think this was an Oregon bottling, or maybe even Santa Rita Hills bottle. Aka the fruit is ripe but elegantly so. It smells of ripe black cherries, pomegranates, baking spices, and roses. The tannins are ever so well woven. On the palate you get all the aromatics plus a hint of dried earth, dried herbs and maybe even a touch of truffle and vanilla finish vibes. A quaffable wine–the alcohol is a modest 12.7%. But also a slow-sip-worthy one.

Raen Sonoma Coast Royal St. Robert Pinot Noir 2019

The name of the winery stands for “Research in Agriculture and Enology Naturally”. Terrifically between ethereal wafting sweet cherry aromas and grounded textured tannins. Um, they don’t say if there is oak at play but I think there has to be some. A touch of licorice, thyme, and…even a smidge of–is that menthol?–perhaps. Whatever it is I fucks with it.

The line

Oh hi hey! We all thought this was perhaps from the Macon in a blind tasting including me. And…I brought it. So I should have known it was it. So.

The chum you see in the picture is my friend Jiaqi. Also a wine nerd in my life. We are shameless selfie-ers but I’m the shameless insta-story and blogger.

This is surprising. All the Line 39 wines were. So good for 11 bucks a bottle!

I didn’t want to like it any more than I wanted to like the Line 39 Pinot Noir which has quite the savory kick to it.

But the Chardonnay tastes like southern Burg making a stab at tasting like expensive winemaking but it’s not expensive but it’s got some oak happening but isn’t too rich or ripe. Like a person who carries things that look great and look designer but hey! They just braved the Ross Dress for Less Lines.

And they look casually possibly pricy.

Wine fast fashion but it’s all good.

football wine, baseball post

I am a Cardinals baseball girl. But I have yet to stumble on wine made by a Cardinal.

In St. Louis they inject baseball into your veins on birth. For some it is a delayed reaction love. I grew up going to games, but they terrified me because a) it was a lot of screaming adults and b) when you are little you are short and close to the ground and the ground smells like beer and I do not like beer.

Then, a few months before leaving for Los Angeles I was in a play with a bunch of baseball fans. It was 2006, and we made it to the World Series. The cast’s enthusiasm caught me. Last game of the series we did that play (“The Birthday Party” by Harold Pinter) faster than ever before so we could run backstage to our tiny television and see what was happening. We took our bows and RAN off the stage in time to see the final pitch. Oh what a night! Glorious.

Fantasy baseball will be my next step.

But can sports people make wines? I could not help but wanna try a sport person’s vino. I was recently given Intercept Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It is made by Charles Woodson–his love of wine started while playing for the Raiders and living in Napa. I decided to give football some damn respect.

Also really liked the fact that while Woodson stilled played he had/has (?) a label called TwentyFour. But the NFL would not allow players to endorse alcoholic bevs. And yet he made wine anyway. Now that he’s not a player he can be totally public about his vinous life.

This is my review. Take from it what you will.

The labels:

Supes into them. I’m a cat person and there is a lion leaping. I am nothing if not a leaping lion fan. you know the leaping lords of the 12 Days of Christmas? Fuck that, I want leaping lions.

Then I smelled and tasted. It smells like California Pinot Noir. It has a bite and a spicy burn and is cherries for days. It looks garnet-ish own the glass. It tastes like cherry preserves but not sweet. It has little tannins and much alcohol. Totally a pleasure. Sometimes a girl needs a ripe Cali Pinot Noir like…I dunno I guess sometimes a girl just needs a ripe Cali Pinot.

Now for the Chard. I am always concerned about California Chardonnay. Will it be an oak bomb? Will there be so much butter I need a piece of bread?*

*trick question I always need bread

But no! It really is quite pleasant. Rather boozy, yes. But that’s okay. The body is full but merely hints at butter and oak and has quite a bit of…quince? Let’s call it quince.

What do you know–football (American football that is) players make tasty vino.

Now I’m off to check my baseball app. Please let me know if there are baseball wines I need.

 

Blinded

Oh certainly this was not truly blind. I did know I had three Pinot Noirs. But that was it.

Oh wait no I did know one was from Santa Barbara County, one from Russian River Valley, and one from Willamette Valley. So Southern California, Northern California and Oregon.

Oh and they are all from Siduri. These lovely samples.

But I wondered…can I identify Pinots from around the…west coast? I am a Santa Barbara (especially Santa Rita Hills) buff–but would I know it and favor it in a blind tasting?

I braved myself to feel like a bad fan lest I prefer one of the other regions.

Wine one felt extra light. I’d call it discount (that’s not an insult) Bourgogne. Like just wine you’d taste and think “basic Bourgogne but a leeeeeettle lighter” ergo I am thinking Oregon. But before making a call wanted to taste the other two.

Wine two said cherry jam af. It was ripe and bunches fuller. And had oak n things. Like also vanilla and a cough medicine but the tasty kind and I’m so into that so…well let’s look at wine three.

Three! Was fruit rich but not as cooked as two. There was earth there too. Also I liked it best.

I made my decisions. 1) Willamette 2) Russian River 3) Santa Barbara

And I was right! Ran the flight by my bf too who just looking at the wine deduced the answers.

This was a good test. Siduri is a good wine.

Pinot Noir is your friend.

Especially from Santa Barbara. Wow I’m a loyal wine wife.

Cheers sweet babies. Wrap up some pinots and blind test yourself…

Another milestone

I finally had a grand cru. So now I’ve had a birth year wine and a Grand Cru. And Cristal.

All were beautiful. But I think I’m having post-winum depression like…what’s next?

Still haven’t had a Bordeaux first growth. Or Chinese wine. Or a wine younger than 1965 (it was a Wendt Bros. Pinot Noir). Or Winston Churchill (the prestige cuvée of Pol Roger). Or Opus One. Or the REST of the Burg and Bordeaux crus so I’ve got my work cut out for me if I REALLY want to turn into a namedropping ladyyyy.

Which I don’t.

Except I do wanna try all that stuff.

I also really wanna taste a Valtellina Inferno cause the goth in me craves the dark hellfire of wine with a name like that.

I need to make a checklist of wines to try somedayyyyy. In the meantime I have to say that Grand Crus solidly rock.

If I ever check everything off the list I’ll be forced to start my own winery. I have a name in mind.

Wine Love, Love Wine

Okay I just needed to post some sexy wine. Because Valentine’s Day. Which I will be spending on a platonic double date with my best friend and a married couple we hang out with. People surely see us and assume that we are two couples on a date together by nah. My bestie and I are platonic.

I can’t wait. V-day plans with friends are the best. But being friends does not preclude the four of us drinking sexy wines and eating sexy foods and generally having a beautiful time because we all love each other.

So ZIN. I’m a Zinfandel nut. Luv Love LURVE Zin.

Got this in the mail free incidentally but this is like one of ten bottles I feel like speaking of.

And okay this is a Zin/petite sirah/tannat/teroldego blend.

If you are a wine snob shut up. It’s okay. If you judge me talking of this you won’t like it as you’ve decided not to. This wine is not Chateauneuf-du-Pape and shouldn’t be it is just yummy and silky and zippy and fucking-A why not sexy.

Also sexy is not being worried about money. And this wine will not concern you. Have I had wines I would put…oh in another level? Maybe. But whatever. I first encountered Dark Horse at a fave LA restaurant, Mess Hall. That’s suitable pedigree to me.

Then on the podcast we asked peeps for their favorite grocery store wine and Dark Horse came up. Then this bottle showed up and I cracked it and decided it was a wine to share with loved ones.

Dark Horse Double Down Red Blend

Yay. So friend V-day notes. This wine is overwhelming at first and then you want more.

Tasting notes let us go: deep ruby purple to the eye with thick slow tears. Dry, medium acid, medium tannins, medium plus alcohol. Voluptuous body. Dark cherries, raisins, leather, licorice, baking spices and dirt.

Yum dirt.

Finish is medium. It goes on a wee bit but is consistent.

Yum. I’m into it. I’m into affordable numminess.

Love. Sexy full-bodied love.

love you too

Ooooh special podcast

From an idea in my head to doodlings in my sketchbook at my neighborhood bar to—WE ARE ON EPISODE 4!

On zee iTunes

On thar Stitcher

And on this here site

This one is pretty special. Our guest is Drew Droege who is a stellar human being, and amazing actor, and hilarious improviser and a very good person to this tasty Dragonette pinot noir with.

Mine. All mine.

I am a wine slut. I get into this..then that…and in the moment what I have is my true love. For flavor. I’m different with humans. Even though I’d argue each wine is its own person. Just not human.

I am a wine polyagomist. I have enough tastebuds to love a whole lotta fluids. From grapes. Grapes. Wrest ye minds from zee gutters.

What I am saying is while in a person I want one, in my grapes I am a flagrant harlot seeking pleasure.

2015 J Wine Monterey County/Sonoma County/Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir

This one is a surprising pleasure.

It was surprising in that I was not expecting it when boom! FedEx was at my door. Thank you Gallo publicists.

I know you are thinking “that is one grape!” It is just Pinot Noir!

But look more closely at the bottle. This is Monterey County + Sonoma County + Santa Barbara County and the same grape is wildly different depending which of those locations it is grown.

Let us be more specific. In Monterey it is Santa Lucia Highlands. In Sonoma it is Russian River. And then in general Santa Barbera.

I don’t need my loves to know their entire genetic past. As with wine this is enough because it is good in my…okay it is good. Great even. For a 25 buck wine (I did not buy but that is the suggested price) this is QUITE do-able.

I am probably more picky with men but maybe I should move past this metaphor.

This wine has the elements of its main three regions. There is the jammy nature of Santa Barbara where SoCal heats things up. There is the red fruit and chipper acid of Monterey where coastal breezes keep things from being jammy. Then there are the bright cherry notes and elegant tannins which are gripping yet drying but not unpleasantly so from Sonoma. Those coastal breezes counteract brutal sun.So blend those three grapes together and it is a damned fine wine.

Heck. I LOVE when something I did not expect arrives at my door AND is SUPER good. Hell.

Life is good. Kiss the ones you love. Hold their hands. And then…drink the shit out of whatever beverage you wish because monogamy is for people.

Free love is for grapes.

 

 

It’s not corked!!!

Oh heck I was nervous to taste my second. Because the first was wonk so I wrote the winery and they sent me a non-corked specimen. But what if I was wrong?

I’m a member of this winery. Did I hate one of their top wines? Was this a sign my taste blew? Blows? Blow-ed? Did a blow thing in the past?

I was questioning existence itself as a thing which is probably too much thought for a wine that was obviously corked.

All the same the winery kindly sent me a replacement bottle and I was SO SCARED that I’d open it and it would be the same and the wine was supposed to taste like that and maybe I just had terrible taste buds.

It was not corked. My tasters work. This wine is marvelous and kudos Dragonette for quickly remedying my corked situation.

2014 Dragonette Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard

Only 380 cases produced. It’s too bad one was corked but gosh dang the real deal is the bees knees.

Bees have real sexy knees.

Fuck dude it’s cherry syrup on butter pecan ice cream. That’s it.

Okay I will say more.

You sip and boom there is some acid. Also if you get to the end of the bottle there is some sediment. This shit is unfiltered like a goddamned boss.

Shit this is…GOOD Cali Pinot?! I Lurve This Pinot. Right now. I’m not normally into Cali Pinot but Dragonette as I mentioned is a goddamned boss.

Okay to sum up it is highly Acidic. Highly cherries that have hung out in vanilla and oak and sunshine. 

This is one of those confusing thangs. There is so much up body up in this Noir you are like “is this a cab Blend?” And then you are like I’m an idiot.

But you are not. Because this lovely is full and nuanced and mellow yet complicated like me when I am not yet fully awake but already trying to decipher my dreams.

It’s like…the cherries. But they are complicated. Did I mention them? The cherries? Like every color and roasted and boiled and maybe even pickled. All the cherries.

I mentioned them right?

And there is mayhaps some oak. 

Double checked: 20 months in French oak barrels–13% new.

This is cherry Coke vacationing on the shore near the forest in…in wherever there is earth n dirt and an enchantress stewing cherries. 

Yah.

Happy spring y’all.

This is your unicorn Pinot.