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July 22, 2009
I have never actually gone out of my way to be labeled “deranged”--but then Joel Burnstein told me that his Marilyn Remark wines have “a small, loyal, and slightly deranged following.” Count me in.
To be honest, I’d never really heard of this label until I made a trip to the Monterey region’s River Road Wine Trail a few weeks ago. Spread out along the slopes of the Salinas Valley about two hours south of San Francisco, this rustic, rural landscape is home to plenty of familiar, outstanding wineries including Chalone, Hahn, Paraiso, Talbott, and Mer Soleil.
But Marilyn Remark? Someone I’d recently met had mentioned that the wines were good, but I had a full schedule of wineries to visit that day and was disinclined to waste time on one that I didn’t know. As I  drove towards the unprepossessing place--light years away from Napa Valley’s glitzy showplace wineries!--I was tempted to keep going, but on an impulse I pulled into the driveway instead of just zipping by on my way to more well-known establishments and made my way into the converted barn-winery-tasting room. I found the owner, Joel Burnstein, puttering around the premises.
Instead of the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that are the most widely produced varietals in the Monterey wine region, Burnstein concentrates on the type of wines made in the Rhône Valley. When I tasted them I was utterly gobsmacked by the high quality of these wines and by their genuine Rhône-like character.
The 2008 golden colored Roussanne had a honeysuckle perfume and both honey and minerality on the palate, plus a long, satisfying finish. If you ever doubted that rosé is capable of great sophistication, try Marilyn Remark’s 2007 Rosé de Saignée, which is bone dry and crisp, with penetrating strawberry flavors. The signature Grenache from the Los Ositos Vineyard floods the senses with bright blueberry, cassis and blackberry, while Grenache from the warmer Wildhorse Vineyard veers towards raspberry and chocolate elements, with big, round, sumptuous tannins. Syrah--the backbone of Hermitage and Côte Rôtie--is here appropriately supple and complex, revealing hints of summer plums, juicy blackberries, leather and vanilla. The 2008 VMR (Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne) from the Loma Pacific Vineyard (Monterey/Arroyo Seco appellation) had a sweet almost floral aroma, great texture, and the long, refreshing acidic finish that characterizes the best Monterey wines. With a production of only about 2000 cases, the wines aren’t easy to find, but well worth seeking out. Prices range from $22 to $45.
So who IS this guy Joel Burnstein? He tells me that a mid-life career change is what brought him into wine from being a trader on the Pacific Stock Exchange in San Francisco. He was already a devoted wine consumer, but a 3-week trip to France with his wife, Marilyn Remark, was the pivotal point in his life. “We had driven from Champagne down to Cannes,” he recalls, “but we didn’t really like Cannes so we turned around and headed back to Champagne. Along the way we stopped for lunch in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. About midway through the meal I looked at Marilyn and said, ‘This is what I want to do.’ That was either the biggest mistake of our lives, or the best thing that ever happened to me. It depends which day you ask me about it.”
Burnstein went home and enrolled in enology studies at Fresno State University. He then had an internship at Sterling Vineyards and ultimately became winemaker at Jekel and San Saba. His basic winemaking philosophy is pretty straightforward: “Making good wine is a two-step process. One: Get great grapes. Two: Don’t screw it up.” As for me, I’ve now developed my own two-step philosophy for wine tasting. One: Keep an open mind and don’t just go back again and again to the wines you know--keep trying new labels, new regions, new grape varietals. Two: When it comes to wine, don’t be afraid of being labeled “deranged.”
Posted by Marguerite Thomas at 11:05 AM
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July 14, 2009
Traditionally, single malt Scotch whisky is aged in once-used American oak barrels, often previously used to mature American Bourbon whiskey. By law, Bourbon must be aged a minimum of two years in new oak barrels, allowing for an abundant supply of used barrels that ultimately see new service in the malt distilleries of Scotland.
Long ago, single malt distillers looked for a way to “mellow” their new whiskies that they were not getting from American oak, so by the beginning of the 20th century, the practical move was to ex-Sherry casks, since at that time Sherry was shipped to the United Kingdom in oak casks. David Daiches, in his informative book, Scotch Whisky, says that William Sanderson, the man who developed Vat 69 (blended) whisky, first wrote about the use of Sherry casks for aging malt Scotch whisky in 1864. The theory at the time was that residual Sherry left in the casks migrated into the whisky, mellowing the new spirit and also changing its color; Fino Sherry a lighter color; Oloroso a darker color. More current thinking is that the influence of secondary wood (Sherry, Port, Madeira, Red Wine) is not as important as the barrel itself.
The Macallan, the Highland-Speyside distillery that has long maintained its position at the head of a long line of excellent single malts, built its reputation on Speyside Malt Whisky aged in ex-sherry casks, built from both Spanish and American oak. Going beyond double-wood, The Mcallan has a “Five Oak” Triple Cask Matured -- European Oak/Sherry, American Oak/Sherry and American Oak/Bourbon malt whisky. And there are many other Highland Malt distillers with a reputation for using sherry wood to age their malts, including Glenmorangie, Northern Highlands, Glenfarclas, Speyside and The Balvenie, Speyside.
The use of ex-sherry casks is not limited to Highland distillers.  Talisker, from the isle of Skye, bottles a Distiller’s Edition Amoroso Double Matured. The Arran Malt, from the Isle of Arran, has a Single Cask Sherry #69, and Bruichladdich, from Islay, sells PC7 (Port Charlotte), aged in sherry and bourbon oak. My favorite single malt, Highland Park 18 Years, is sherry wood aged.
Since the advent of the use of sherry oak, malt whisky distillers have experimented with a wide range of what is known as “ACD” or Additional Cask Enhancement. Here’s a small sampling, by region, from the many interesting ACD Single Malts available today. Highland ACD Single Malts: Ballechin, from Edradour #2 Heavily Peated and #3 Port Cask; The Balvenie 12 Years, Double Wood Boubon and Sherry; Murray McDavid Glendullan Speyside Bourbon and Tempranillo; Benromach Speyside, Marsala Casks; Glenfarclas 27 Years Port Cask; BenRaich 16 Years, Sauternes Wood Finish; BenRaich 13 Years Maderensis Fumosis (Madeira Wood Finish), and Glenmorangie Port Wood, Sherry Wood and Madeira Wood.
Island ACD Single Malts: The Arran Malt, Chianti Wine Cask; Bruichladdich “Flirtation” 20 Years, Mourvedre Casks from the South of France; Bruichladdich “Infinity,” Rioja Casks; The Arran Malt Cask Single Bourbon Cask #1801; Lagavulin (Islay) Distiller’s Edition PX (Pedro Ximenez) Finish.
All of this ACD activity, of course, raises the question about whether these double and triple wood malts are “truly” malt whisky. A similar question applies to some wines, such as when Spain’s Miquel Torres decided to add Chardonnay and other non-Spanish grapes to his wines. Were the “new” wines still representative of the Penedes sub-region of Cataluna? Torres, of course, continues to make wines from traditional grapes, just as malt distillers have not given over completely to ACD malt whiskies, so maybe the question is a non-starter, but then….
Like wine, single malt whiskies are available in a huge range of styles and prices. The best policy is to find a retailer that specializes in malt whisky to do your shopping. Single Malts range in price from about $35 to $1,900 for The Mcallan 1824 Limited Release, but the average is about $40 to $45. A final word: Throughout this two-part piece on Single Malt Scotch Whisky, I’ve used two spellings for whisky and whiskey. Basically the accepted convention is Scotland and Canada use “whisky,” while the United States and Ireland prefer “whiskey.” Slainte!
Posted by Gerald D. Boyd at 8:57 AM
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July 11, 2009
Wine drinkers are, by nature and temperament, restless souls, endlessly searching for that new taste experience. Syrah, Albarino, Pinot Grigio, Petite Sirah, aged Cognac and Sherry; the adventure never stops.
The latest drink to attract the wine crowd is single malt Scotch whisky, the complex super nova grain-based spirit with many parallels to the finest aged grape wines. Both drinks rely on simple ingredients (grape or grain), vary stylistically based on regionality and develop complexity and depth from aging in oak barrels.
To understand the basics, you need to know for starters that single malt whisky, as it is commonly known, is made from malted barley and pure water. Originally an artisan spirit distilled from hand-malted locally grown barley, single malt whisky today is distilled throughout Scotland. All but a handful of distilleries purchase their malted barley from a maltings house which custom malts barley to the distilleries individual specifications. A few distilleries, like the Balvenie, have their own malting floor. Malting is the process where fresh barley is germinated (malting), dried and then “peated” or smoked in a kiln, fueled by logs of organic peat. The peatiness of a whisky is measured in parts per million, with Islay malts like Cao Ila and Ardbeg considered the peatiest, both carrying a hefty measure of pungency that many liken to iodine or seaweed.
 Today, there are over 100 malt distilleries scattered throughout Scotland, although the number changes with the economy. Single malts can be divided into the lighter weighted lower peated Lowland whiskies, the medium to heavy weight Highland malts with varying amounts of peatiness and the distinctive, often heavily peated Island malts, such as those from Islay, Orkney and Skye. A more traditional division also includes Campbeltown malts, reflecting a small group of distinctive single malts from the southwestern Kintyre Peninsula. Of the original 21 distilleries, only Springbank and Glen Scotia continue to operate.
The largest concentration of distilleries is along the River Spey in the Highlands producing whiskies known popularly as Speyside malts. Some groupings list single malts from the northern islands (Orkney, Skye) as Northern Highland Single Malts, while other classifications divide the Highlands into Northern Highlands, Speyside and Southern Highlands. Consumers, especially those wine fans new to single malts, are advised to use the groupings only as a guide, letting your personal preference define your favored style.Critical to the style of any single malt whisky is the source of the water used in the distillation. Generally, soft, low-mineral water comes from an unpolluted stream, often owned or controlled by the distillery, although artisan wells are used by some distilleries. Another key factor defining style is the size and shape of the still used. All single malt whisky is twice distilled in a copper pot still, while grain whisky and other spirits are usually processed in a continuous still. The length and angle of the condensing pipe or worm that sits on top of the pot still also influences the style and density of the final spirit. Many whisky experts believe that when a still needs repair or a worn panel needs to be replaced, every dent and depression must be hammered into the new panel to match exactly the surface of the old panel. The slightest change in the still, some say, can profoundly change the character of the whisky.
Single malt whisky is aged in oak, traditionally once-used Bourbon barrels. In recent years, the practice for a large number of malt distilleries was to age the malt whisky first in Bourbon wood, followed by a second maturation in oak barrels previously used to age different types of wines, such as Sherry, Port, Madeira, Bordeaux red and Sauternes, to name a few. Single malts carry an age designation but rarely a “vintage.” Popular malts are aged 12 Years, 18 Years, 24 Years and older.
For many years, large drinks companies with a popular brand of blended Scotch whisky like Chivas or Johnny Walker, owned the majority of the malt whisky distilleries, using single malts as essential components in their blended whiskies. But the popularity of single malts caught on and sales rose, then fell when demand decreased, eventually causing many of Scotland’s single malt distilleries to close.
By the late 1980s, single malts made a comeback and today the market for a wide range of malt whisky is strong and getting stronger. As the demand increases, shuttered distilleries are re-opening and brands that had long-laid dormant are experiencing new life.
Popularity of single malt whisky is strong in today’s market, due in large part to the innovation of what is called double-wood aging. In the next part of this blog on single malt whisky, I’ll address the various double-wood aged malts.
Posted by Gerald D. Boyd at 10:59 AM
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July 8, 2009
It's not every day that I sit down to a mountain of wines for tasting and evaluation and get up two hours later wishing there were more to come.
 Then again, it's not every day that I run through a lineup as consistently stellar as the one my trusty assistant set up earlier this week. Wine after wine ranked high in my tasting notes, with 90-point-plus scores flowing from my pen.
Of course, there had to be a ringer in the group. Indeed, I had the good fortune to have a run of Dutton Goldfield vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs. This Sonoma County producer has been on a stupendous roll the past several years, cranking out with seeming ease well-balanced, complex Pinots and Chardonnays while rivals challenged our tolerance -- and patience -- for alcohol and oak.
Dutton Goldfield had it dialed in all along, and the new releases from the 2007 vintage are merely another in a string of successes.
I run down the superb Dutton Goldfield Pinots from Devil's Gulch, Dutton Ranch/Freestone Hill, McDougall and Dutton Ranch/Sanchietti in this week's WRO Reviews pages, as well as an outstanding Pinot from the Sta. Rita Hills and a limited-production Syrah from Chuck and Matt Ortman.
Enjoy!
Posted by Robert Whitley at 11:24 AM
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July 1, 2009
Today is a big day at Wine Review Online because it marks the "official" debut of our wine club in partnership with JV Wines of Napa.
 This idea has been in the incubator for some time, inspired by what Michael Franz and I consider the bane of our existence, the ubiquitous "where do I find that wine you've just recommended?" question, which we both field with regularity.
Both of us thought it would be a great idea if we could identify a couple of gems each month and provide a resource that would allow you to find and purchase the wine. At a great price, of course!
So here it is, two wines -- a red and a white or two reds -- delivered to your doorstep each month for $39. We've even made a deal with JV Wines to provide free shipping.
If you aren't familiar with JV Wines, be prepared to be impressed. With more than 4000 selections at any given time, we have plenty of great wines to choose from each month. What we're looking for are wines that "over-deliver" on quality for the price.
This month it's two superb wines from Spain, a red from Rioja and a white from the Rias Baixas. We've selected a Napa Valley stalwart, the 2005 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon, and a yummy new Chardonnay from the Central Coast of California, the 2008 Acre Chardonnay, for the month of August.
And this is just the beginning. On top of these superb wines at a fabulous price, club members also will receive a subscription to the WRO Reviews pages for the length of their membership -- even more bang for your bucks!
Salute!
Posted by Robert Whitley at 6:16 PM
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