California Sun – six to seek out

These six wines accompany the California Sun article and were recently shown at a tasting for the Caistor Branch of the Yorkshire Sommeliers. These can only hint at the excitement and diversity of California winemaking. These wines are also good with food, majoring on balance and harmony rather than sheer power and there are some older vintages featured to show how well they can age too.

1. Cuvée Napa Brut Sparkling wine, Mumm, NV, Rutherford, Napa Valley. 12.5%. D. Byrne, Clitheroe, £10.89 and widely available

The Mumm winery was built in 1988 on the Silverado trail in the heart of Napa, just along from Rutherford. Grapes from 50 different vineyard sources throughout Napa are used, (cooler climate sites in Carneros for fresh acidity and warmer sites at Rutherford for fruit flavour), including their own Devaux vineyard. As in Champagne the traditional method is used, with 18 months on the lees and some Pinot Gris included with the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Current winemaker Ludovic Dervin is from Champagne and makes a range of cuvées; this is their best seller.

Pale straw, peach, melon, toasty vanilla. Firm acidity – crisp yet creamy, body and texture a little broader than Champagne, this reveals the warmer climate. Medium body, good mousse and length. A good aperitif. Shellfish, chicken and cheese are all good pairings. This is a good example of classic French invasion fizz, also look out for Domaine Chandon (Moët), Roederer Estate and Domaine Carneros (Taittinger).

2. Sauvignon Blanc, Rochioli, 2003. Russian River Valley, Sonoma. 14%. D. Byrne, Clitheroe, £13.99

Established in 1938, the grapes were originally sold to Gallo for plonk! Tom Rochioli is the 3rd Generation and he has established the winery as one of the best cool climate terroir wine makers (specialising in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc) located in the beautiful and unspoilt RRV near Healdsburg. This wine is a blend of three vineyard parcels, one being nearly 50 years old. Fumé oaking – 25% barrel fermented for texture/complexity with a blocked malolactic, the rest in tank to maintain acid balance. Much less oaking than with the full-on Fumé style pioneered by Mondavi, so this is far more elegant and subtle. These wines are made in minute quantities and most are snapped up by collectors. Organic/sustainable methods are employed.

Full bodied. Some smoke and creaminess, obviously SB on the aromatics. Leesy flavours, passionfruit/kiwi fruit with some deliciously subtle herbaceous/ green notes before a good length and a clean dry finish. Lovely textured wine – is this California’s best Sauvie? Try as an aperitif or with seafood – Oysters and Mussels. Cain and Arraujo make their Sauvignon Blanc in a more white Bordeaux style and are worth investigating.

3. Le Cigare Blanc, Bonny Doon, 2004, Santa Cruz, San Francisco Bay Area. 14.5%. D.Byrne, Clitheroe, £13.99

Iconoclast Randall Grahm – a philosophy student that first made wine in 1983 – combines a populist and firmly anti-elitist stance with biting humour. He originally tried Pinot and Chardonnay, but after obtaining only limited success he turned to Mediterranean styles – hence he is known as one of the original Rhône Rangers. A great experimenter and advocate of Screwcaps he is not known for perfectionism but he has now sold vineyards off to concentrate on Biodynamics.

Le Cigare blanc is a white blend of 73% Rousanne and 27% Grenache Blanc - a white Châteauneuf-alike. 67% is vinified in stainless steel, the rest vinified and matured in neutral oak. White blossom and acacia nose, minerality, rich mouthfeel and stoniness from the Rousanne. Subtle orchard fruit is found on the palate - pear, white peach - with fresh acidity and just a touch of attractive oxidation. This now has some bottle age and integration and shows really well when allowed to warm and open up in the glass. Pair with crab, white fish, roast chicken or duck, cheese (Gouda and Fontina work well). Look out for Rousanne from Fetzer and Alban too.

4. Zinfandel, Ridge, Lytton Springs, Healdsburg, Sonoma Valley, 2005. 14%. D. Byrne, Clitheroe, £20.49

77% Zinfandel with 17% Petite Syrah and 6% Carignan for complexity, bottled in January 2007. I’ll come clean, Ridge is my favourite Californian destination and this (alongside Ridge Geyserville) is my favourite Zin, made by a true master. Winemaker Paul Draper has been at Ridge since 1969 and is both a perfectionist and non-interventionist winemaker. Ridge is most famous for their wonderful Monte Bello Cabernet, but these Zinfandels are stunning and terroir-driven.

This 2005 is still very young but already lovely. It has beautiful balance and no excess of oak. It’s American oak (20% new) though you’d never know, and there’s no excess of alcohol either. Drinking well now, though at least another 10 years of development is possible. Decanting is always a good idea. Complexity comes from ancient bush vines planted in 1900! All viticulture is sustainable/organic. This is quintessential Zin, the nearest Cali gets to an “indigenous” grape.

Purplish/ruby hued, dense. Blueberry, blackberry (cassis), bramble, leafy hedgerows. Firm acids and slightly grainy tannins that enable great ageing potential. Creamy, cherry, liquorice, herbs. Cedar notes. No hot alcohol, no jammy fruit. Elegance and balance and beauty. Food: Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, barbecues (spare ribs), big casseroles, ratatouille/aubergine. Avoid both the blush or over-alcoholic Zin styles and seek out Ravenswood, Seghesio and Rafanelli too.

5. Pinot Noir, Don Miguel Vineyard, Marimar Torres Estate, Sebastopol, Russian River Valley, Sonoma. 1998. 14%. T.Wright, Horwich, £23.95

Torres’ California vineyards are operated by the sister of Miguel Torres, head of the quality Spanish giant. Based at Sebastopol in Green Valley, just south of the Russian River Valley, just 10 miles from the Pacific. The land was bought in 1982 and planted with Dijon clones of Pinot Noir. Cool climate (very foggy): the wine style is about finesse not jammy power. Unfiltered. Great attention paid to viticulture and small production of this, their flagship wine. French barriques used, 30% new. No fining or filtering. Marimar Torres is now in Biodynamic conversion.

Here’s what Michael Broadbent said back in 2000 about the 1998:

“The very best of Miguel Torres’ session. His sister’s wine was sweet, chewy, delicious”

Eight years on, this now has real bottle age. A wide browning rim and just the vestiges of a scarlet core remain. Those Pinot secondaries have all come through, barnyard/sous bois as well as a final coda of fruit (raspberry, strawberry). Just past peak, this still has finesse, length and pinosity. These are lean, shapely and subtle wines, not flashy, made in a burgundian style and great with food. (Think duck, game, and rare lamb). Decanting recommended, this had thrown big sediment. Other must-try Pinot producers include Rochioli (qv), Au Bon Climat and Gary Farrell.

6. Cabernet Sauvignon, Frog’s Leap, Rutherford Bench, Napa Valley, 1996. 13.5%. T Wright, Horwich, £20.95

Ribbit! Add a splash of Cabernet Franc and Merlot to make a truly Bordeaux style blend. Made by John Williams (originally in partnership with Larry Turley at an ex-frog farm before he moved to the famous Red Barn at Rutherford). He was into organics early, with BD experimentation and mixed farming. The estate is dry farmed and solar powered, this Cabernet uses their own grapes from the Rutherford terroir and the wine is given 20 months ageing in French oak barriques (30% new). Wit and humour (they also make a white called leapfrögsmilch) belie the seriousness of this operation. “Time is fun when you’re having flies”, as they say.

Very well balanced, softly textured, very ripe fruit. Into the second decade, a narrow browning rim advancing but still a core of dense deep colour. There are now many secondaries in evidence - pencils, cedar notes, leather, and balsam. Fruit consists of a melange of Black currant, black berry and even black olive, all bound in fresh acidity and smooth texture. This is a great California Cabernet with bottle age; it’s at peak now and still has a life ahead of it. Such poise. Decanting is recommended, plenty of sediment thrown. Proof if it were needed that great Californian Cabernet demands bottle age.

Elegance and balance to accompany food is the philosophy. Stews, casseroles, roast beef, steaks.

Other firm favourite Cali Cabs of mine are from Niebaum-Coppola, Ridge (qv), Joseph Swan, Stag’s Leap and Far Niente (Nickel & Nickel). There are many more. This is California at its finest.

For Evelyn and Brian Johnston, big fans of Californian wines.