Here is the blog, cross posted, from a guild of sommelier site I belong to. When I can figure out how to post the pics, I will add them in...

It seems increasingly evident to me how important it is to develop a process for tasting and evaluating a wine that is second nature. Today I listened to the latest guild podcast and got a little peek into what it will take to be a successful taster. It was very impressive to say the least, and I got a little carried away while listening, shouting, "Chablis! Chablis!!" at the computer near the end of the first assessment. Having a mechanism to assess a wine in an unbiased way is probably one of the most important skills for a Sommelier, not just for passing the test, but for making decisions for your wine program and your guests. This is probably no big news to a lot of people, but the gravity of it is sinking in for me. Although I haven't been seriously tasting for a long time, I can already see how my mood, surroundings, and company affect my ability to concentrate and make conclusions about a wine. Two weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to go up to Au Sommet winery and taste through a truly wonderful line up of 2008 vintages, many of them made by Heidi Barrett.

I had been looking forward to this tasting for several weeks, and I viewed it as somewhat of a celebration for passing my Certified test as my wife and some friends would be there with me. I should probably count it as progress that I was taking notes when no one else was. While I really just wanted to enjoy what I thought would be some great wines, I have had several opportunities to taste some exciting wines in the past where I did not take any notes at all, and I just couldn't let that happen again. Especially since I am certified now, and especially since I wanted to post a blog about it. After reviewing my notes the next day, it was pretty clear that I need to work on a consistent tasting format (the grid) and a note taking system that will make sense to me the next day. All the same, I will post what I have.

The day oozed with luxury. We had a babysitter, so my lovely wife and I had a leisurely brunch before being picked up by a limo that one of the members of our group had arranged. I brought a vintage 2002 Veuve Clicquot to share. I had read that 02 was a real Pinot Noir vintage, and was curious to see if a bold and beautiful wine was made that year (I think veuve has a reputation for mainly Pinot). I never tasted champagne with the attention that I do still wine, and it seems very difficult for me with the very high acidity and bubbles to get a clear sense of the wine. All the same, this champagne seemed particularly vivacious to me.

We drove almost all the way to the top of Atlas Peak to Au Sommet. There isn't actually a winery with equipment and barrels. That must be done somewhere else. The tasting was actually done in a tasting room on the property of the vineyards themselves. It is also the private residence of John Schwartz, who works very closely with Heidi Barrett on a number of her wine projects, and the place is a working ranch with goats, chickens, sheep and dogs everywhere.

The vineyards we saw were on the East side of the peak, and we looked out towards Lake Tahoe. The mood was calm and peaceful, and you are not far removed from the wilderness. Apparently, they lose about one chicken per day to the hawks, raccoons, coyotes, rattle snakes and mountain lions that prowl the area.



We went into the tasting room where there were a variety of cheeses awaiting us(including the goat cheese they make right on premises). Sinatra is playing, there is original artwork on the walls along with prints of the artwork from the labels, and John Schwartz is a very gracious and friendly host. We make our way through the wines.



The first wine was a 100% Marsanne from Hermitage called Le Cheval Fou, which is a joint venture with Chapoutier. My notes indicate a rich perfume of banana taffy, minerality, lilac and lily. Almonds with a touch of sweetness on the nose. The wine was fairly full bodied with a good acidity that drove the long finish. There is also a Syrah, but I haven't tasted it.
Next was the 2010 Pret a Boire rose. Schwartz said they made this wine in part to answer all of the people that say repeatedly, "Why do we have to wait so long to drink your wines?" The wine was lush and summery, with honey and rose on the nose, watermelon and ripe red cherry on the palate.


2008 Amuse Bouche is their flagship wine out of the East Rutherford Hills. Schwartz and Heidi Barrett wanted to make a non-cab, and looked to Pomerol for inspiration. The 08 Amuse Bouche is 92% Merlot and 8% Cab Franc, and they produce around 600 cases per year. I found very lush red berry fruit on the nose, lots of strawberry jam mixed in with clove and cardomom. 16 months in Taransaud french oak lend it a nice structure and the balance between acidity and fruit is great. Schwartz tells us we will revisit it after tasting all of the other wines.
2008 Coup de Foudre from their Stag's Leap winery. 92% Cab. Much riper red fruit than the Sinatra, particularly strawberry and raspberry. The wine is light, agile even, on the palette with medium plus tannins. Dark cherry and mint.

2008 Vin Perdu (with a flip lenticular label...) I am quickly learning that this is a company that likes to have fun with their labels and names. In France, "pain perdu" is the dish made from the left over bits and pieces of bread from the day before. We call it french toast. Vin Perdu is made from the leftover bits and pieces of wines left over from the blending process for their other labels. 08 vintage is 65% Petit Verdot. I note that it has a much softer nose and a tannic structure, with a earthy notes. This is the wine that didn't jump out of the glass at me like many of the others.
2008 Sinatra Estate cabernet. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cab Franc. Schwartz said they were initially hesitant to make a "celebrity" wine because it usually means high volume and much lower quality. After meeting with the Sinatra family, though, they agreed to a much smaller, premium production. 500 cases produced from their small vineyard in Calistoga. The tasting really started to come alive for me at this point. Black pepper, cassis, blackberry and baking spices on the nose. Lush berry, dark cherry with clove and vanilla, hint of chocolate. Medium plus acidity with good tannic structure and a long lasting spicy finish.

2008 Au Sommet. This is the wine I was the most excited to taste. Forgive me if I wax poetic. The fruit is sourced from their Atlas Peak vineyard at 2100 feet elevation (which probably makes it among the highest in Napa I am guessing.), and it is Barrett's attempt to make her next cab dominated wine a la Screaming Eagle. If anything, they have problems achieving full ripening at such a high altitude, and the yield is about 1/2 ton per acre with 290 cases produced (50 unreleased cases produced in 2007) with eight acres under vine. They can pick as late as Thanksgiving, and although we noticed quite a bit of bud break on the valley floor, it had not occurred in these vineyards yet. According to Schwartz, attention is lavished upon these vines,and they spend twice the amount of money per acre as the Napa average, which amounts to around $14k/acre. The fruit is berry sorted before pressing, not whole cluster sorted. I took very few notes when I tasted this, only "rich black cherry" and "integrated structure." I pretty much put down my pen and enjoyed. But I remember distinctly thinking that there was a lot going on with this wine on the nose, with seemingly every descriptor I could conjur up in evidence. The wine comes together on the palate in fluidly and sumptuously. It reminded me of my first experience singing "Row, Row, Row, your Boat" in elementary school with the whole class in rounds. The surprising musicality of it, the unexpected harmonic buzz, the way we sounded like more than the sum of us, the desire to do it again and again. One of the best wines I have tasted in my admittedly limited experience with wine.
2008 Pharoah Moans from Paso Robles "west side." 90% syrah, 10% Grenache. Earth, soft spice, mushrooms, but predominantly black licorice and bacon fat. Well made.
I took Schwartz up on his offer and revisited the Amuse Bouche. It seemed even more headily aromatic, more seductive. The aromas and flavors seemed even more heightened, the touch on the palette more refined. I had not been spitting, to be truthful, but I wasn't the only one who admired it more the second time around.

After the tasting, we walked around the ranch a bit. Schwartz used the term "biodynamic," but I haven't seen anything resembling the approval of the Demeter association that certifies that terminology. I believe that the vines are pesticide free, though, being so close to his family's residence, and the variety of livestock everywhere makes me think that it is certainly a biodynamic operation in spirit, but perhaps without the phases of the moon factored in. We were there the day after six baby goats were born, so we got to see them jumping around spiritedly.

Cute baby goats...


Sheep in the vineyard. I was told that sheep "eat down," and goats "eat up," so you will not see goats in the vineyard.

vines...


This is a guinea hen. It actually kills rattle snakes as it is immune to their venom.
I really had a great, great time, and I found all of the wines to be solid and well made at the minimum. As for tasting, I will have another opportunity in three weeks to taste a wide variety of wines at a trade show. I will have to go through the grid several times before then and come to some sort of understanding on how I am going to notate my perceptions. It is always very tempting to try and come to a conclusion about the wine when you first put your nose in the glass. It sort of makes you feel better and diminishes the stress of "not knowing" what a wine is, but it seems to lead me down the wrong track more often than not. It takes a lot of calm to work on the process and not worry about the results, even though we are ostensibly trying to get the "right answer."
My vacation from studying is over, and I hit the books again starting tomorrow. I am not sure what the best plan of attack is. I will be at a Chilean wine tasting early next month and so I think I will take my time and try and come up with some sort of methodology for studying using Chile in particular to work out what seems to function best. I know I will have to do better than one region per month, but I will count it as sort of an exploration of best study practices while preparing myself to get the most out of an upcoming tasting. I would also like to come to a better understanding of different soil types and their effects. I feel a certain amount of pressure to advance quickly in my studies and tastings, but as my friend Jeremy pointed out to me, I have time.