Tasting Dry Creek Valley Red Blends

It's that time again, where I recap another fun virtual tasting. This time it was with McCue Communications presenting the wines of the Dry Creek Valley. Once again it was a small group of bloggers participating, along with the winemakers from each of the three wineries. The wineries were a veritable who's who of Dry Creek producers, with histories stretching back through the decades.

The Dry Creek Valley AVA in Sonoma County, established in 1983, grows a wide variety of grapes. Grapes have been grown there since the late 1800's though, so the region is no stranger to high quality wines.

Chief among them are zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon. That said, a lot of wine geeks these days are interested in the Rhone varietals grown throughout the Valley. Syrah, cinsault, grenache, and mourvedre dominate the Rhone grapes, supported by carignan, petit sirah, marsanne, roussanne, and viognier.

Luckily, with over 50 wineries throughout the AVA, finding great wine is very easy. The three producers represented here all have rich histories and represent the authenticity that is so often lacking in other parts of California.

2006 Teldeschi Estate Reserve Terraluna Dry Creek Valley: Dark and smoky at first, lots of black plum, blackberry, oak and peppery spices. As it opens up, more tart red berry fruit comes out to balance that riper dark fruited element. I love the density on the palate, it's at once concentrated with red fruit and pepper yet retains a sense of lightness and excellent acidity. There's just a "pretty" quality to the wine that I absolutely loved. Carignane 40%, Valdigue 36%, Petite Sirah 24% 13.9% abv. Recommended.

2012 Amista "Tres" Dry Creek Valley: Opens with mild reduction that needs a few moments to blow off. That gives way to smoky/savory notes of jerky, red cherry, garrigue, and a fennel note on the end. Cool and grippy on the palate, this continues with the smoky/savory theme, buttressed by tart cherry and raspberry, oak, and hints of orange rind. With air, menthol and some barnyard starts to show up, but they're still subtle compared to the exuberant fruit. On the finish there's a dusty soil-plus mocha element that serves to clean up the palate. 34% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 33% Mourvèdre. 14.9% abv. Recommended.

2010 Frick Cotes du Dry Creek Dry Creek Valley: A dead ringer for Southern Rhone on the nose, with the grenache component going full speed ahead. It's all about bright cherries and strawberries, wild herbs, subtle oak, and dusty minerality. Cherry licorice comes through with some swirling. The aromas are so compelling that I actually held off tasting for a bit. Once I did, the firm tannins were a welcome foil to the bright, concentrated fruit. Again it echoes the southern Rhone Valley to me, because it's so fresh and pure. A tannic, drying finish cleans everything up, readying you for the next sip or bite. Syrah 40%, Grenache 40%, Cinsault 20%. 15.3% abv. Highly recommended.


At the end of this tasting I was struck by the high quality of each wine tasted. They expressed a very nice sense of place as well as their respective vintages. Each vintner was passionate about what they grow and produce, which left me feeling a connection to the wines as I tasted through them.

To buy any of these, visit the winery websites or better yet, the wineries themselves!

Teldeschi Winery Website
Amista Winery Website
Frick Winery Website

Thanks to McCue Communications for inviting me along and thanks to the winemakers for taking time to sit down and answer our questions.

These wines were samples received for this tasting.

Beau Carufel

California Wine Club, Shipment Three

This is the final shipment I received during my review of the California Wine Club, this time with a distinct Rhone theme. Upon opening this latest shipment, I was thrilled to see these two bottles waiting for me. Over the past several years I've become increasingly excited at the potential of California's Rhone-style producers and the chance to try two new wines was very appealing.

The producer of the Trenza and Tangent wines is Niven Family Wine Estates, who also produce Baileyana and other California brands.

2009 Trenza Mourvedre Syrah Grenache: With fruit sourced from Santa Barbara County, I had high hopes for this domestic Rhone-style blend. The bouquet is nice, with cherry and leather notes at first, followed by more subtle garrigue and pepper. I think the grenache dominates to begin, showing as bright red fruit and pepper, before the syrah's earthy, black olive notes kick in. All of this is enclosed by the mourvedre's firm, chewy tannin. I wish for a little more fruit on the finish but it's still a nice wine, one that I would happily pair with barbecue all summer long. As the wine opened up, we all seemed to enjoy it more and more. 14.4% abv. $13.99 via the California Wine Club.



2010 Tangent Voignier: The fruit in this viognier was sourced from vineyards in San Luis Obispo, with some coming from cooler sites and others from warmer sites. It's a pretty wine, with notes of stone fruit and white flowers, along with a hint of minerality. One thing I did notice though was how it smelled somewhat dilute, perhaps an indication of young vines or watering back of the juice. On the palate the pretty stone fruit flavors came through but again tasted somewhat muted and diluted. This is a very, very drinkable wine for the price, around $11to re-order it. I like that it isn't sweet and peach-syrup oriented like a lot of other low-priced viognier's can be. 14.1% abv




In the first two California Wine Club reviews, I was pleased with one wine and not so pleased with the other, however this time I'm pleased with both selections. The Trenza is a fantastic deal at $14, and I would happily buy multiple bottles for the summer grilling season. I liked the Tangent viognier as well, and feel that it would be best when paired with food. For the $11 Wine Club price, it's a bargain sipper that takes you off the beaten path, but not dangerously so.

So, the California Wine Club went 2 for 2 this time. After three shipments, I can see the appeal and popularity of this club, it's a great way to find unique producers. I do think they over-sell a bit, because when you put in producers like Fess Parker and Tobin James, both of which are widely distributed across the country, that dilutes the message (implied or otherwise) of "small, family owned wineries". Still, the wines were of reasonable quality and definitely crowd-pleasers. I'd happily give thePremier Club as a gift to friends or family whom I know enjoy reasonably priced wines multiple times each week.

You can find the California Wine Club on Twitter as @cawineclub and The Boring Wine Guy as @boringwineguy. Bruce Boring is one half of the founding team behind this club, the other being his wife Pam. The California Wine Club Facebook Page is also full of activity and a good place to talk about your experiences. The Boring Wine Guy is also on Facebook. If you use the code "beau12" at checkout, you will get four bottles instead of two. That might be the best deal of the whole club!

This sample pack was made possible by Mom Spark Media.

Beau Carufel

Two Shepherds' Wines Part Two: Tasting New Releases

Two Shepherds wines are a creation of William Allen, publisher of the Simple Hedonisms wine blog, among other things. In the first part of this two-part blog series, I interviewed William via email to get inside the bottle, so to speak. He explained his motivation, goals, and told us about the great support he got from friends and winemakers around California. For this second blog entry, I am posting my tasting notes on each of the wines I purchased from William.

2010 Two Shepherds Grenache Blanc Saarloos Vineyard: Nose of Asian spice, kiwi fruit, limestone, lemon zest, and pear. At room temperature I detected a little heat from the alcohol but it's not too distracting. Good intensity and a complex set of flavors create an expressive, vibrant bouquet. The palate opens with a burst of lively acid that gives way to a balanced mid-palate of ruby grapefruit, tangerine, limestone, and peppery spice. Great flavor integration that will only get better with time had me thinking this wine will last 5-7 years. More heat comes through on the finish but it's something that will go away when this grenache blanc is chilled. This is an impressive effort, well worth the $24 per bottle. I would suggest pairings of grilled chicken, fish & chips, and even pasta with cream sauce. 13.9% abv.

2010 Two Shepherds Viognier Russian River Valley: Beautiful nose of apricot blossom, yellow peach, and a touch of sweet cream. I was impressed with the aromas because they weren't too overly sweet, instead being in perfect harmony. The mouthfeel is rich and beautifully smooth, yet with some focused acidity to create a nice framework for the grapefruit, pear, yellow peach, and wet river rock. A lingering finish with hints of pine sap and grapefruit tapers off gently after almost 20 seconds. This is one to buy a full case of, it will get better and better with each passing year. As someone who frequently finds California viogniers too sweet and lacking structure, the Two Shepherds is a shift away from that, to a Condrieu-style expression. Pair with chicken tetrazzini, Indian cuisine, or even a simple chicken salad. $21. 13.78% abv.

2010 Two Shepherds MRV Saralee's Vineyard: A white Rhone-style blend of 47% marsanne, 47% roussanne, and 6% viognier. The bouquet is all mint leaf, sea air, hints of peach, and star fruit. Secondary aromas of golden apple and asian pear create a lively sensory experience. Impressive for such a young wine, I think this could pass for a white Cotes du Rhone in a blind tasting. The palate is composed of nicely integrated mint leaf, apple, English toffee, and pear notes. I really enjoyed the mineral character, which gave this white blend a round texture without being flabby. The flavors combine to build a nice crescendo before slowly tapering off to an elegant finish. Out of the three Two Shepherds white wines, this screams at me that it needs food. Pair with lobster or herbed chicken, a cheese plate, or grilled whitefish. $24 per bottle. 14.2% abv.

2010 Two Shepherds GSM California: A blend of 50% grenache, 25% syrah, and 25% mourvedre. The grenache and syrah are from Sonoma County and the mourvedre is from Alameda County. After being open for a few minutes, aromas of raspberry, strawberry, dried herb, and cola waft out of your glass. This is young but showing nice integration even at this point. Secondary aromas of cracked pepper and good minerality build an impressive background to support the red fruit. Upon tasting, you will notice the acid in this GSM is young and a touch raw, but is also the type to hold this wine together for several years. Right now it needs food, cheese and meat especially. Spicy raspberry and wild strawberry, cracked black peppercorn, tobacco, and just a touch of oak that ends the beautifully tapering finish. Although the palate is a bit disjointed, you get the sense of a dominant syrah right now, that's something that will evolve out. That said, the spice and pepper notes carry this wine beautifully. I'm going to be buying more. 13.8% abv. $32 per bottle.

Now before you accuse me of bias and all manner of unsavory things (most of which are probably true), I will state that these wines aren't perfect. That's a double edged sword though, because to be too perfect would rob William's wines of their garagiste-winemaker charm. If each of these wines was flawless, they would be a little less interesting. It's critical to keep in mind that these are Two Shepherds inaugural releases, and they all need some time to settle down.

My biggest gripe ($5 to the person who already guessed it!) is the relatively high alcohol on the Grenache Bland and the MRV. If I were to nitpick, I would also suggest that some of the more angular acidic edges could be refined, but that would be more to please the critics than my own palate. Bring on the angles, and just say no to flabby, boring white wine. The same goes for the Two Shepherds GSM, which will evolve beautifully over the next few years. I must note that it isn't quite available yet for the general public, but you'd best email William about any quantity you may desire, and email quickly.

After tasting through this lineup, I was pleased that they were all so good. My tasting partners agreed, and while they had some suggestions for improvements as well, our unanimous sentiment was that they were all very drinkable, high quality. For that, I raise a glass to William Allen and his Two Shepherds wines. It's great when a wine blogger starts making wine, and even better when the wines are delicious!

Two Shepherds on Facebook
Two Shepherds on Twitter
Two Shepherds on the web

Beau Carufel

Two Shepherds' Wine Part One: Interview With the Winemaker

This is the first blog of a two-part series introducing a new California wine producer. William Allen, a friend and fellow wine blogger, recently released wines under his Two Shepherds label for the first time. These wines express his passion for Rhone varieties as well as his belief that wine should be interesting, unique, and accessible. I support William and the Two Shepherds wines so I sent him ten questions, hoping to gain some insight into his motivations, goals, and dreams. William was kind enough to respond and I am posting his answers verbatim for you to read.

In the next blog installment, I will be tasting and sharing my thoughts on his three current white wines as well as an un-released red Rhone blend (hint: it's great!). For now, pour a glass of your favorite wine and get inside the bottle with Two Shepherds Vineyards.

1. What got you into Rhone varietals?

"As my palate progressed away from over extracted New World styles, to wines that were more subtle and nuanced, I fell in love with Rhones. Rhone wines and blends offer complexity more succinctly. Rhone varietals sing when blended, and each variety offers more unique contribution, then say, Bordeaux varietals. They also tend to be less tinkered with by wine producers. Rhone lovers are passionate about their wines and this category."

2. Why make your own wine?

"I have been a garagiste wine & beer maker for over ten years. Making wine in very small lots has its limits to what you can do. I really wanted to start making blends, which meant producing at least a barrel of each varietal. It turns out even that was too limited for the tools I wanted. I also wanted to put my money where my (wine writing) mouth was: after many years of tasting and writing, I felt I could bring wines to the world that would be enjoyable, and unique."

3. Biggest challenge in making these wines?

"Working with varietals I haven’t before, so not knowing how they are doing during each phase, and projecting how they would taste in the future, and if they would achieve the stylistic goal I clearly had in mind for each. Using techniques like broad scale use of native yeast. Triangulating the many inputs from other winemakers into the many decisions I had to make.
Ask 10 wine makers the same question, and you’ll get 7 answers back."

4. Did you model your wines on any particular producer or more of a regional style?

"It’s a combination of Old World focus, and wines that were epiphanies for me, like Kinero Grenache Blanc, that stylistically I loved. Certainly Tablas Creek blazes a bright trail for me. Successful small winemakers, in my opinion, make wines to their own palate and passion. I have been preaching about balanced, modest, distinct wines and rampaging against Parker-esque extracted styles for years. By sourcing varietals from cool climates, like the Russian River Valley, I was determined to make wines that were properly ripened, but lower in alcohol and higher in acidity."

5. Future plans for the label? Burgundy or Bordeaux varieties perhaps?

"The goal right now is Rhones, but never say never. Artistically I love to play, and its easy to chase shiny objects, but the marketer in me knows the importance of focus. That said, I will always be on the lookout for interesting varietals and vinification techniques. This year for example, I did two ‘orange wine’ projects, one from an obscure white, that could end up as a wine club offering. Two Shepherds is focused on bringing consumers interesting & unique wines."

6. Is there one thing you're most proud of with the current releases?

"That stylistically they expressed what I wanted, and have been so widely received by some very picky people, like the girl & the fig, the Bay area’s most Rhone focused cult restaurant, and Mike Jordan, a very picky wine buyer for K&L Wines, one of San Francisco’s best wine shops. I adore Grenache and I think the Grenache Blanc and Grenache based GSM are wonderful. I’d gladly drink every bottle if they didn’t sell, but they are flying off the shelves and I have already had to limit sales. Luckily, we boosted 2011 production from 175 cases, to ~500."

7. Why the name Two Shepherds?

"We struggled on the name for a long time, it actually delayed our launch by months. So many great names were taken, and wanted something that captured our old world philosophy. Our friends at Cartograph finally gave us the idea, commenting I was a shepherd for the local wine industry with my networking. It also fit my view of myself as a writer, trying to help and guide consumers on the voyage of wine exploration. The other Shepherd, or Shepherdess is Michelle my girlfriend, to whose creative talent we owe much of the design credit, as well as our brilliant label designer Nick McNeil at Agency Orange. Her last name is Berger, which is French for Shepherd. We ran the idea past a few people, and its been a big hit."

8. Any winemakers in particular whom helped you?

"Very many, including some coaching by none other than Randall Grahm. Anthony Yount in Paso Robles, of Denner & his own label Kinero. Alan Baker of Cartograph, the Sheldons. Many of my good friends offered advice. Direct supervision and consulting came from Darek Trowbridge (Old World Winery) and Kevin Hamel (Preston, many others) both known for the minimalist intervention focus. Jon Philips of Inspiration Vineyards, where we presently vinify at, was a huge asset during blending, bottling, and this tricky 2011 harvest."

9. What's the best bottle of wine you've ever tasted?

"That’s pretty tough one for someone who tastes a ridiculous amount of wine each year, wearing my blogger hat. The Sheldon 2009 Graciano comes first to mind."

10. Is there one thing in particular you want people to know about the Two Shepherds wines?

"More about our wine philosophy overall, than us. I want consumers to always be open minded, try new things, and push their palate. I hate when I hear things like “I don’t drink white wine” (try my Rhone winter white MRV blend), or "I hate chardonnay" (ever tried French?). I can’t stand that consumers have been trained to think that all red wine must be dark, or all whites clear. That’s like saying all cheese should come in single wrapped slices. The world produces hundreds of great varietals, and unique wines are finally coming into vogue. Open up, live a little, and try them."

We now have a more complete picture of the Two Shepherds label, and I will reiterate how cool it is to see a blogger put his money where his mouth is. Read the next blog post, Two Shepherds' Wines Part Two: Tasting New Releases, to see my tasting notes on the current releases.

To purchase the Two Shepherds wines, visit the website or email them direct. If you're in the Bay Area or don't mind having the wines shipped, K&L Wine Merchants also carries the Two Shepherds label. Tomorrow I will post the second part of my Two Shepherds blog series discusses each wine in more detail, along with tasting notes and some food pairings.

Two Shepherds on Facebook
Two Shepherds on Twitter
Two Shepherds on the web

Beau Carufel