2005 Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon

We've had some pretty amazing weather here the last week or so. Spring and summer are definitely feeling close. We had a couple days that made it into the mid-60's, which after the last couple of months felt like being on the beach in Mexico. Gorgeous. Naturally, this made us crave some of our favorite warm weather wines, and to celebrate the imminent changing of the seasons we have begun chilling some killer whites to be tasted over the coming weeks.

We have reviewed a couple Pinot Gris wines already, both of which were also from Oregon. We find this varietal to be a perfect summer wine and a great apertif before dinner. Though there are terrific Pinot Gris wines coming from Alsace, for some reason we keep gravitating to those from the United States' own private France... Oregon.

Ponzi is a big name in Oregon wine. This is not only because of the obvious Italian heritage, thus adding bolster to my ongoing hypothesis about Italians making terrific New World wine, but because of their unwavering focus on craft, technique and excellence. Dick Ponzi founded the winery in 1970 and set about building a solid, family driven winery with a culture of land stewardship in the Willamette Valley. Forty years later and the winery is still family run, now by the second generation of Ponzi's with Luisa Ponzi, Dick's daughter, now the winemaker since 1993. Luisa brings a Burgundian focus to the winemaking style, and adds her leadership in Oregon's sustainable viticulture program. The Oregon wine report has named Luisa as "one of the most formidable winemakers in the country." Formidable. I am seeing a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir tasting death match in our future.

Ponzi is known for great Pinot Gris, and this bottle is no exception. The fruit is from four different vineyards, with 30% of the grapes from the Aurora vineyard which is now certified organic. We poured to taste and found the nose full of crisp apple, a little pear and citrus. There is also an alluring spiciness to the nose, like allspice or nutmeg. Not sure. The palate is round and full, but still crisp. More apple, but with apricots and a nice, clean sharpness. Great palate cleanser. There is some grapefruit towards the finish, which is dry and elegant. This is good wine. It has nice structure and acidity and while it is great to enjoy by itself as a sipping wine I could also see enjoying this wine over a lighter dinner... like a big summer salad with lots of fresh vegetables and a nice piece of tuna. I can't wait to enjoy this wine at the end of the day on the patio when the sun is out past 7PM.

cost - $16.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 9

available online at wineaccess

2004 Robert Hall Syrah, Paso Robles, California

We seem to be caught in a wine feedback loop presently. It seems that we have been consistently rotating our wine choices between Burgundy, the Loire, and non-French Syrah. Sure, we've thrown in the occasional Rhone blend or the odd bottle of Champagne, but largely you all have seen reviews that predominantly fall into those three main categories. Prepare yourselves for one more.

To be honest, I would say that our taste preferences fall into those three broad wine categories, and this is evidenced by the diversity of reviews within each here on winecommando. I talked about Rioja earlier, but we haven't really gotten around to reviewing any of merit. Yet. Stay tuned for that one.

We picked up this Syrah simply because we had not tried it before, and we had not yet reviewed a wine from Paso Robles (pronounced "passoe roe-blays"), named for the areas oak trees and shortened from the Spanish El Paso de Robles. What we know of Paso Robles is that there are some great wineries and great wines in this area. It is one of the fastest growing wine regions in California, located between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast, and is currently home to over 100 wineries, producing over 40 different wine varietals. It is still overshadowed by Napa and Sonoma, but Paso Robles is resurgent... and not least of all due to the changing tastes of American wine drinkers. As different varietals, like Syrah and Viognier, gain popularity so do the fortunes of the areas that produce these grapes, areas just like Paso Robles. To be fair, though, there is also great Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel produced there, the backbones (with Chardonnay) of the Californian wine industry.

The winery owner, Robert Hall, is another individual who came to wine indirectly. He was a very successful developer of shopping centers and when faced with options for retirement, chose to dive into wine. He had always had a passion for wine, and had developed this passion with many visits to France, especially to the Rhone valley. When he bought his winery in Paso Robles, it was this passion for the Rhone style wines that he sought to pursue. He partnered with winemaker Don Brady to create wines that are true to the Southern French style, with special focus on the Syrah grape.

It was interesting to learn that this Syrah is blended with both Mourvedre and Merlot. Mourvedre is a traditional Rhone varietal that is often blended with Syrah and Grenache, but the Merlot part of this equation was not something we had experienced before. We opened and decanted this bottle for about an hour and a half. When we poured to taste the nose was full, rich and very aromatic. We could smell the wine well before putting the glasses to our noses. There is intense, concentrated raspberry and blackberry with hints of mint and earth. The palate was also rich and full, but without being cloying or over-the-top. It was remarkably balanced, which I think surprised us given how powerful the nose is. We tasted deep, sweet raspberry with dark chocolate, a little coffee, and some woody flavors. It definitely approaches being a heavier bodied wine, but the balance of the flavors and the structure keeps it well on the elegant side. The finish on this Syrah was long and flavorful. This is a Syrah that would be terrific with beef tenderloin, or a rich meat like bison. It would also work great with Cat's special vegetarian chili filled out with bulgar, which is what we paired it with. It was a good match.

I would not say that this wine was off the charts, or that it delivered some wildly sophisticated flavors. It is incredibly solid, and for the money an exceptional value. This would be another excellent example of a great value wine with which to bolster your cellar as this 2004 will drink great for the next five years or so.

cost - $18.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.5

2004 Domaine de Saint Pierre Sancerre, Loire Valley, France

There is no doubt that we have exposed our bias for the wines of the Loire Valley. We've only really discussed a few, though, and in the context of our review of this Sancerre thought we would give you a little background on the Loire valley and the wines of the region. The valley gets its name from the Loire river that runs through the area. It is this river, changing and moving across the landscape over its history, that has imparted so many of the mineral qualities in the soil that make their way into the regions wines. The Sauvignon Blancs of the Loire are noted for these qualities, and we seek them out. In reality, the Loire is made up of several different grape growing areas and these represent a broad range of growing climates from the appelation Sancerre in the east to the appelation of Muscadet. Along the river are many other appelations, some very recognizable and others less so. The more widely known are Vouvray, Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. But there is also Touraine (a wine from which we just reviewed) as well as Chinon and Anjou (wines from which we will be reviewing in the near future). It is the white grapes of the appelations that the Loire is most noted for, and it goes without saying that the queen of these is Sauvignon Blanc. We would be remiss, though, to not point out that the Melon grape of Muscadet in the Loire makes amazing wine... also a favorite of ours and a grape that is gaining an increasing following with the vineyards of the Willamette Valley and wineries like Panther Creek and Ken Wright Cellars. Something that we are are excited to do, and that is also gaining increasing exposure, is to begin reviewing some of the red wines of the Loire, wines that go mostly unnoticed here in the US but that deliver excellent value and quality.

We found this Sancerre to be classic and delivering of the promise for the wines of this appelation. The nose was bright with lemon and flint, and a subtle pine quality. It tasted wonderful with more citrus, moving toward grapefruit, and a nice minerally backbone. We also picked up rosehips in the finish, which was clean and dry. For the money, this wine is a nice entry-level example of the style of Sancerre.

cost - $16.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8

2005 St. Innocent Vitae Springs Vineyard Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Part two of our St. Innocent double header, and the takeaway here is that Mark Vlossak makes fantastic Pinot Gris, a varietal that I feel is too often overlooked. We reviewed the Adelsheim Pinot Gris earlier, another winery in the Willamette Valley, and the point I made then is how terrific a food wine Pinot Gris really is, and that it sits between Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

The style of this wine is focused on the fruit. St. Innocent does not barrel age the Vitae Pinot Gris so as to emphasize the incredible fruit that comes from their low yield vineyard. The nose is full of pear, honeysuckle and a little orange peal. It has a dry sweetness to it that draws you in and on the palate there is really nice round fruit with pear, lemony citrus, vanilla and a spiced fruit quality. It is a very dry wine, but incredibly sophisticated and though it finishes cleanly, the roundness and richness of the fruit lingers on your palate. There is great structure and enough acidity here to pair this wine with spicier foods, and I could see having this with a Szechuan seafood dish or with a spicy fish or chicken preparation. This Pinot Gris would be an excellent white staple wine for your cellar, and we plan to enjoy more of it on the patio this summer.

cost - $17.00

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.5

2004 Pouilly-Fuisse Clos Reissier, Burgundy, France

White Burgundy means classic French style Chardonnay. At least it means that most of the time. The French style of Chardonnay is so right, in my opinion, and is differentiated by its bastard relatives in Napa and Somoma by favoring crisp, citrus qualities balanced by creaminess and structure. I'm generalizing slightly here, but given the choice I would choose Burgundian Chardonnay over just about any Chardonnay from California... though there are several great California Chardonnays that are vinted in a French style. I have to concede that.

Getting to the point. The area of Pouilly-Fuisse in Burgundy produces wonderfully classic French style chardonnay. Pouilly-Fuisse is an area made up of four villages that collectively make their wine under the Pouilly-Fuisse moniker. The soils of the area are very chalky and has a high clay content. Just from that you can guess what this wine is going to taste like.

This wine sees no oak and is fermented in stainless steel. That can be a good thing as the results are a clean, crisp, bright wine that is a perfect apertif or refresher on a hot day, which we are not currently having around here (-12 degrees F outside at this very moment). The nose of this Chardonnay was full of citrus and green apple, balanced by a flinty scent. On the palate it tasted of pear and lemon with a short but elegant finish. Really, a very straightforward white wine that is totally unpretentious. Very bright, great with lighter food or before dinner, and an excellent palate cleanser - like the lemon sorbet of wine. Very enjoyable for the price.

cost - $15.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8

2005 Chateau Graville-Lacoste Graves, Bordeaux, France

Yes, another white Graves. Yes, we love Sauvignon Blanc. Rarely do wines from Graves disappoint us. This one did. It just did not have the qualities of the wines from this region that we dig so much, and totally expect. Honestly, this wine was flat. It had little discernible fruit, and what was there was citrus at best. It lacked that lovely minerally quality... no wet rocks here. The nose was virtually non-existent. We should have had a bottle of water instead. I shouldn't be mean, but this wine was a let down.

We do like all of the whitespace on the label, though.

In all fairness, we have had Chateau Graville-Lacoste many times before from different vintages and do not ever remember being disappointed. Perhaps this is just the case with the 2005. Be warned.

cost - $16.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 4

2005 Copain Wines "L'hiver" Syrah, Mendocino County, California

We had very high expectations for this wine. It has received great ratings and there was a lot of enthusiasm for it at my local wine shop. When people are enthusiastic about a wine that is enough to get me to try it, but this one is also from an incredibly well respected winemaker, Wells Guthrie, who pursued his passion for wine all the way to Chapoutier in the Northern Rhone from San Francisco. There, he focused on learning the intricacies of the Rhone varietals and worked the winery and the vineyards at Chapoutier. He also began investigating biodynamics, something being talked about more and more amongst grape growers and winemakers.

Wells moved back to California and did a stint with Helen Turley of Turley Wines, whom I have a lot of respect for and whose wines have blown my mine. He departed Turley and started his own winery. He is dedicated to organic farming and seeks out partnerships with grape growers who share this dedication. He also subscribes to a winemaking style that could best be classified as "old world." I admire that a lot as it implies a light touch while making the wine and a minimum of winemaking technology. Factory production this is not. This is about craft and it is about being quite intimate with the wine through the entire making and maturation process.

This wine is like a Crozes-Hermitage from California. It is quite reminiscent of this Rhone wine with a style that pushes the fruit forward, in this case dark cherries, but balances it with an olive like quality. Almost "green olivy." Sounds off putting, but it works great and the wine is pretty wonderful. It is very balanced, velvety and smooth with a longish finish and tannins that are well in check. Excellent with food, especially duck or venison. Maybe pair it with bison tenderloin. Yum.

Anyway, this was a cool syrah to try and completely different in style than the Ridge and the De Lisio that I raved about last week. All three represent the versatility and range of the Syrah grape, which truly is amazing... and really fun to contrast.

cost - $17.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8.5

2005 Adelsheim Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon

The pinot gris grape has been grown in Europe, from an area in the north that includes Alsace, through Burgundy and all the way south to Northern Italy, for a very, very long time. It is a grape very well suited to this region and they produce some outstanding wines. Look for the Alsatian pinot gris by Lucien Albrecht, especially the reserve. Great wine.

Pinot gris was introduced to the United States in Oregon, and Adelsheim is one of the oldest producers of a pinot gris in the US, since 1984. It was a small production wine at the beginning, but the wine has grown in popularity through the efforts of many of the Oregonian producers who vint one. The area of the Willamette Valley is very well suited to grow great pinot gris, much as it is to grow exceptional pinot noir. I think that pinot gris is a great food wine, given its structure, and is an excellent alternative to chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. For Cat and I, it falls somewhere between the two.

This wine was very crisp and bright. We picked up nice round fruit in the nose, like ripe pear. It was enticing and very smooth on the palate with more pear fruit, very subtle lemony citrus, and a really nice creaminess. I tasted a little vanilla in the finish. It's hard to explain, but it is as crisp and refreshing as many great sauvignon blancs, but it offers a depth and complexity that sauvignon blanc just does not have. This pinot gris was delicious, and would pair very well with lighter fish dishes, vegetarian options and fowl. It would also be very nice as a before dinner wine with appetizers.

So let's explain the label. As long as I have been familiar with the wines from Adelsheim, the labels of their wines have had portraits of the women in the Adelsheim family. The portraits are drawn by Ginny Adelsheim, David Adelsheim's wife, and the woman on this label is Ginny's older sister. I think that is cool and truly makes the making of these wines a family affair, which so often it very much is.

cost - $17.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8

2002 Domain Thomas + Fils "La Crele" Sancerre, Loire

French sauvignon blanc gets me as geeked up as pinot noir. There's just something about really, really good ones that stop me in my tracks. Cat feels the same way. This wine was not one of those, but it was still quite good. There are really two main sauvignon blancs coming out of the Loire Valley in France, and they are very different in style. Sancerre being the more delicate of the two, the other is Pouilly Fume, which is made in the next village over from Sancerre. In Sancerre there are two types of vineyards... one is made up of more earth and the other of quite a bit of limestone. This one comes from the limestone vineyards, and you can taste it.

The nose is terrific. It smells like summer, which is probably why I love Sancerre so much. On the tongue there are green apple and lime-like flavors. The limestone quality is prevalent throughout. You can smell it and you can taste it. I really like this, but some do not. I enjoy being able to taste and smell the ground in which the vines are growing. Sounds crazy, but the French call this "terroir" and this approach of bringing out the soil qualities in wine is catching on big time in California. Most of the higher end wines from Napa and Sonoma are now embracing the unique qualities of their soil and touting these as desired flavors in their wines. I say rock on. This wine was crisp and refreshing, and would be a terrific apertif or afternoon cocktail wine with light appetizers or good lightly flavored cheese.

cost - $19.99 on sale from $24.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 6.5

2005 Verget Macon-Charnay "Le Clos Saint-Pierre", Burgundy

Verget is a highly regarded Burgundian wine producer. As a result they are able to acquire their grapes from some of the top vineyards in Burgundy. Several of their wines are actually quite pricey, but this entry-level was not only quite affordable, but also very excellent. It is clean and very well made in a light style with excellent Chardonnay character and hardly any oak. It may have seen no oak at all. It is very fresh and bright tasting with hints of wet stones and anise in the nose. It has fruit as well as a very nice length to the flavors with melon balanced by slate and a mineral quality that we love. Cat noted that the flavors were great and they disappeared quickly leaving a dry and crisp finish to the wine. For the money, this wine kicks ass. It would be terrific with lighter food and most fish and seafood.

cost - $17.99 on sale from $24.99

winecommando rating (1-10) - 8