Mission Codename: The Return of the Strongman

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Rodney Strong Vineyards and retrieve their Single Vineyard Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Rodney Strong Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2006 Alden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Rick Sayre

Backgrounder: Today’s Cabernet Sauvignon comes to us from one of our favorite Sonoma County wineries, Rodney Strong. Grown in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley, today’s wine is a delicious single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Rodney Strong’s highest elevation Cabernet Vineyards, Alden Vineyards. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report, below, for the the complete scoop on today’s wine

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark and inky Burgundy in color with a heart of darkest garnet, The wine maintains deeply concentrated color out to the edges of the glass. On swirling, this wine shows a tight and very fast-moving surface. When it finally settles, it leaves two rounds of legs. the first are evenly-spaced and skinny legs that shoot down the glass. After a few moments, a second set of legs emerges! These are chubby and tightly-packed, and take a long time to run down the glass

Smell – Dark and lush, with dark layers of blackberry, dark blueberry, smoky black cherry, plum, earth, oak and spice. These sit softly atop softer notes of cedar, anise, and floral notes

Feel – Light, soft and wet up front, then grippy and mouth-coating across the mid-palate. After a few moments, more medium-grained tannins show up, drying the cheeks and lips as the mouth experiences a cascade of the flavors of the wine

Taste – Delicious and rich, but balanced and even with great fruit and flavors that lead off with black fruit and dark mixed berries. These are followed by an under-layer of smoky cherry, soft oak, dark chocolate and soft spice

Finish – Begins with big flavors which linger for a long interval before they begin to fade gradually. The wine begins dark and fruity, then tails off with smoky mixed berries, earth and a very subtle hint of licorice

Conclusion – This single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from our old friends at Rodney Strong is a real delight. At today’s price for this wine, I declare it an exceptional value, as well. With a deep and lush aromatics, a really excellent feel and flavors that invite lingering sips, this is a wine that is just a pleasure to drink. I enjoyed it with fresh pasta with a light tomato and basil sauce and it was a delightful compliment. With balanced acidity, this is a great food wine. I also really enjoyed an extended sipping-session of the wine on it’s own. I sampled the wine immediately after opening it – and after a few hours of decanting. Both were exciting and delicious experiences, but if you desire a more tenderexperience, decant the wine for at least 30 minutes before drinking. This 2006 is, in my spy-pinion, ready to drink now – but will be even better after a few more years. For best results, buy enough bottles for both experiences!

Mission Report:

What follows is a retransmission of our initial encounter with Rodney Strong:

The call came in the middle of the night.

“Go for red,” I answered groggily.

“Do you recognize my voice?”

I perked up almost immediately. It was Teech, a great asset and local college professor. Teech is a respected professor of Wine Industry Marketing at the Sonoma State University, and a great friend to the company.

Without saying her name, I replied, “I do. Go.”

“If I can guarantee your anonymity, will you come and guest lecture to my students?”

“I would be honored. Transmit the date and details, and I’ll be there. Depending on my mission on that day, I may have to come in disguise. That’ll help me keep my cover.”

She agreed and we signed off. A few minutes later, my smartphone chimed. Coordinates and full details were revealed to me on the small screen. I confirmed the date.

The weeks passed and I eventually found myself in front of a class of college students. I was there as a ‘wine industry marketing insider’, and I gave a talk on ‘alternative sales channels’. Actually, it was more like an informal dialog, with a short presentation and a longer Q&A session. It was good fun and almost all of the students actually stayed awake.

One student, in particular, had the tougher questions for me. I did my best to answer him, but as the questions became tougher, I realized that he was testing me. Was he trying to punch holes in my cover? I wondered. I kept my cool and decided to subtly press back.

It was obvious, to us both, what was happening here, so I made it a point to encourage other students to ask questions.

The presentation now over, the young man approached me. He reached into his jacket pocket. I tensed, ready to spring. He withdrew his hand – to reveal a business card. the card read, ‘Rodney Strong Vineyard’ and contained his name, [REDACTED], and title, [REDACTED].

I took the card and then accepted his outstretched hand. He said in a whisper, “Agent Red, I’m codename King. I’m your newest asset. I’ll be acting as your mole at Rodney Strong. I’ll reach out when I can secure a fantastic RS wine.”

I don’t know how he knew my true identity – and it didn’t much matter; And so a valuable new asset was developed. And, now you know how I came to procure today’s delicious Syrah for you!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of Rodney Strong Vineyards (look for the the brick-colored, X-shaped building) can be seen in this satellite photo.

Mission Codename: The Power of the Black Beret

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Revisit our friends at Grgich Hills Estate to acquire their delicious Napa Valley Merlot.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Grgich Hills Estate

Wine Subject: 2005 Napa Valley Merlot

Winemaker: Miljenko “Mike” Grgich

Backgrounder: In 1976, Mike Grgich rocked the wine world by creating a California that beat out French Chardonnays in the now famous Judgment of Paris. The French were outraged, and Mike Grgich earned the respect of wine drinkers and critics, worldwide. Today, Mike continues to oversee production of what have been heralded as “the finest wines in the world”. We are very proud to be able to bring you today’s fantastic Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley Merlot.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark and almost inky purple with a deep core that shows glistening garnet highlights. Along the edges the color lightens to a brighter ruby color. When swirled, slow thick randomly space legs slide down the glass showing hints of this wine’s color.

Smell – Medium in intensity with plush aromas of earthy spiced red and black fruit including red cherry, plum and wild blackberry are well integrated with black licorice, savory dried herbs, hints of soft oak and cedar box. A touch of mild cayenne pepper spice and floral notes round out the lovely complex nose of this wine.

Feel – Smooth and dry, this full-bodied wine immediately coats the entire palate with round ripe tannins. Balanced acidity with a slight spice kick balances the great weight and structure of this wine.

Taste – Ripe and dense red cherry, plum, blackberry, and other red and black fruits balanced with pungent spice, earthy notes, hints of unsweetened dark chocolate and toasted oak blend together and reveal themselves gracefully.

Finish – Lingering and silky, its ripe plums and dark cherry with earth, spice and cocoa notes are supported long into the finish by a great texture that clings to the palate.

Conclusion – The 2005 Grgich Hills Estate Napa Valley Merlot is a very approachable, lush and rich Merlot with the nose, texture and flavors that not only represents the fine 2005 Napa Valley vintage but is a wine that shows tremendous character and depth without being overly powerful that will please even the biggest Merlot skeptics. Enjoy this wine now or cellar for the next 5-10 years.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Miljenko “Mike” Grgich

DATE OF BIRTH: April 1st, 1923

PLACE OF BIRTH: Desne, in Croatia’s coastal Dalmatian region

WINE EDUCATION: Attended University of Zagreb. Field of study, viticulture and enology

CALIFORNIA WINERIES EXPERIENCE: Christian Brothers Cellars, Souverain Winery, Robert Mondavi and Beaulieu Vineyard (with André Tchelistcheff)

FOUNDED NAMESAKE WINERY: Grgich Hills Cellar, founded 1977, renamed to Grgich Hills Estate in 2006

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: To, ”... year after year, is to improve the quality of [the] vineyards and [the] wines” and to, ”... remain committed to making distinctive wines with quality, consistency and longevity”.

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: Chardonnay

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: In 1976, Mike Grgich’s Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won the infamous Judgement of Paris tasting, to become the best Chardonnay in the world. The fact that a California wine won the tasting shocked the wine world – and spurned Mr. Grgich on to great success with his own winery

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: On March 7, 2008, in recognition of his impact and contribution to the wine industry, Mr. Grgich was inducted into the Vintner Hall of Fame. The honor coincided with his 50th vintage of winemaking in the Napa Valley

GRGICH QUOTE: ”For years, everybody in the world believed that only French soils could produce great wines. We shattered that myth. That was probably the most significant result of the Paris tasting. Our victory pumped new energy into the California wine industry, particularly in the Napa Valley.”

BLACK BERET: Mr. Grgich wears an ever present black beret. It is rumored that the beret is imbued with magical energies that power his winemaking talents. Further investigation is required…

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Grgich Hills Estate can be seen in this satellite photo.

Mission Codename: West of Eden

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Infiltrate C. Donatiello and raid their supply of their outstanding Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: C. Donatiello

Wine Subject: 2006 Pinot Noir

Winemaker: Chris Donatiello

Backgrounder: The Russian River Valley in Sonoma is particularly well suited to producing exceptional Pinot Noir. This AVA was officially designated in 1983, but many of the wines in the region used the designation as early as the 1970s (early in California’s wine history) with the many of the vines having been first planted in the early 1900s. In today’s wine, C. Donateillo presents a delicious take on Russian River Valley Pinot Noir by delivering a wine of bold and balanced character. Read Agent Red’s mission report and tasting noted below for the full intel on this very exciting wine

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet in color with perfect clarity through its deeper and darkening heart. When swirled, the surface of the wine appears taught and springy. When the wine settles, it leaves behind a high ring of ultra tight-packed legs that are very chubby. The legs seem to take forever to emerge before they make their slow march down the inside of the glass

Smell – A initial bold rush of cherry leaps from the glass. Then, lush and deep aromatics show off a medium intensity with cranberry and spice. These sit atop an earthiness with soft forest floor, cigar box, dried violets, soft sassafras, minerals and the slightest hint of gray gunpowder

Feel – Smooth, soft and round, but only very initially. Soon after sipping, the wine reveals more character by introducing minerally tannins that take hold at the mid-palate, coating the mouth slightly and drying the tongue, lips and cheeks

Taste – Deep and integrated flavors of ripe red cherry, strawberry, dried rose petals, a hint of black tea, spice, minerals and the most subtle hint of green tomato

Finish – This wine goes very long, with fruit, softest spice and a clean minerality that lingers long after you sip

Conclusion – This is a delicious wine with a ton of Russian River Valley character. A very impressive offering, this Pinot Noir delivers bold and classic RRV fruit in a wine that has amazing aromatics and a really exciting mouthfeel. When I sample this wine at our covert tasting, I was able to taste it through a range of conditions, from cold to warmer (room temperature), and from freshly opened to well decanted. The wine was delicious and a real pleasure to drink under all of these conditions, but it was after it was decanted for a spell that it revealed its best character. After about 30 minutes, the wine softened and opened up, delivering appreciably better fruit and a more tender feel. Drinking beautifully now, I am certain that this wine will continue to improve over the next few years. Certainly grab a few bottles to enjoy now, but also lay a few down. The patient will be amply rewarded! If you love great Russian River Pinot Noir, this wine is a true delight that is certain to please you.

Mission Report:

ALERT! Chris Donatiello, winemaker and proprietor, is AWOL and an All Points Bulletin has been issued. As soon as we locate Chris, we’ll debrief him and then publish a transcript of the interview here.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the gorgeous C. Donatiello Winery, vineyards and gardens can be seen in this satellite photo.

Mission Codename: 9 Lives

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Secure a exceptional budget-minded Cabernet for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2006 Cabernet Sauvignion – Morris Fay Vineyard – Alexander Valley

Winemaker: John Pedroncelli

Backgrounder:

Today’s Cabernet Sauvignon comes to us from one of Sonoma County’s most experienced winemaking families. Grown in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley, today’s wine is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report, below, for the the complete scoop on today’s wine

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark but clear deep ruby with a darker garnet core. Garnet hues shine through when this wine is held to the light as the color fades to a light ruby red along the edges. Skinny legs appear slowly after swirling, before they race down the glass

Smell – Bold and perfumy in intensity with aromas of bright red fruit over black currant, ripe blackberry, pepper and subtle clove. Hints of dusty bramble sit beneath the fruit along with a subtle mineral component

Feel – Full-bodied, smooth and soft at first – then the wine shows a slight tanginess with spice that reaches the edges of the palate. Solid but still soft tannins support classic Alexander Cab flavors right through to the finish

Taste – Flavors of both tart and ripe red fruit including smoky Bing cherry, ripe raspberry, blackberry and ripe plum sit atop a base of softly toasted oak, black-pepper spice, herbal bramble-brush and fresh herbs

Finish – Medium long in length, with lingering tart plum, blackberry, raspberry, toasted oak and pepper that are well supported by the structure of the wine

Conclusion – An impressive wine, especially for the low price. We appreciated it for its depth, delicious flavors, tender feel and rush of perfumed aromatics. Take some time to allow this wine to breath. After a spell exposed to the air, the feel of the wine softens and additional flavors are also revealed, making the tasting of the wine a more rich and compelling experience. Take your time with this wine. Enjoy it on its own or with a great meal. It is well suited to both!

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: John Pedroncelli

DOB: 5/2/25

POB: Dunsmuir CA

Wine Education: SRJC and summer short courses at UC Davis

California wine job brief: Pedroncelli Winery from 1946-present; winemaker in 1949

Winemaking Philosophy: To produce the best wine possible to reflect the variety and appellation it is grown in.

Signature Varietal: Zinfandel

Career highlight: Traveled/visited most of the winemaking countries of the world.

Quote: “World class wines are made in the vineyard.”

WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Greetings, Jim. We are thrilled to be showing your Morris Fay Cabernet Sauvignon today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

JIM: My pleasure to work with you, once again, Agent Red. We enjoy our Wine Spies missions!

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

JIM: Growing up in a winemaking family

RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

JIM: In the classroom, from peers, and from the ground up—beginning in the vineyard.

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

JIM: To produce world-class consumer affordable wine to enjoy on a daily basis

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

JIM: Giovanni Pedroncelli, my father

RED: How long have you been making wine?

JIM: Since 1949

RED: Who do you make wine for?

JIM: Knowledgeable wine drinkers

RED: Tell me, what makes the Dry Creek Valley, where Pedroncelli Winery sits, so special?

JIM: weather, soil and the individual grape growers

RED: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

JIM: Attend a good Agricultural college plus work experience in the vineyard and winery

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

JIM: I consult with our winemaking team that includes our assistant winemaker, Montse Reece, cellarmaster Polo Cano, and vineyard manager Lance Blakeley.

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

JIM: Good balance of acid and tannin, good flavor and long lingering finish. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a vineyard in Alexander Valley that was established in the 1970s, from a family who has farmed the property since the late 1800s.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

JIM: Vennison stew or for mainstream meals, I like New York Strip steak grilled

RED: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

JIM: Tennis was a passion of mine for many years.

RED: What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

JIM: Zinfandel

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

JIM: With an open mind and a view that wine really has no boundaries – there are so many choices when it comes to wine – if you don’t try it, you’ll never gain experience.

RED: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

JIM: I’d like to taste our first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon from 1966

RED: What is good piece of wisdom that you can share with us today?

JIM: I have seen quite a bit of our little corner in Dry Creek Valley change, for the better. I’ve learned you need to ride the waves of the industry, the ups and downs, in order to succeed.

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

JIM: Thanks, Red!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.

Mission Codename: Hanging in the Salon

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Revisit Swanson and acquire a limited allocation of the delicious Salon Sauvignon Blanc.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Swanson Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2008 Oakville Salon Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaker: Chris Phelps

Backgrounder:

Napa’s Oakville AVA, centrally located and adjacent to Napa Valley’s famous Rutherford AVA, was established in July 1993. Oakville is considered one of the most diverse AVA’s in the Napa area and grows some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and as you’ll see in today’s selection, Sauvignon Blanc in California.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Very pale crystalline clear straw-yellow with just the slightest of pale honey hues through the core. When swirled, this medium weight wine has slow medium thick legs creep down the side of the glass.

Smell – A fresh aromatic nose of plump grapefruit, tangerine citrus and other tropical aromas with a hint of honeysuckle and sweet spice. Floral notes of orange blossom and touch of flint and stone balances the bright fruit.

Feel – Lively and youthful with bright acidity, this dry medium-bodied wine has a little weight at mid-palate that holds everything together balancing the structure that ripples to the finish.

Taste – Crisp and fresh ripe grapefruit up front followed by other tart citrus and sweet tropical fruits integrated with slate and mineral notes, hints of sweet spice linger with a touch of smoke, vanilla and sweet floral orange blossom.

Finish – Medium in length and clean with persistent grapefruit and citrus framed under a touch of lingering minerality.

Conclusion – The 2008 Swanson Salon Sauvignon Blanc shows exceptional purity of fruit that shines through in a refreshingly crisp and flavorful. The redolent nose, a texture with spice and minerality and its clean finish makes this perfect for enjoying on the long warm summer afternoons.

Mission Report:

Today, we are pleased to provide Agent Red’s recent interview with Chris Phelps, winemaker for Swanson Vineyards:

AGENT RED: Greetings, Chris. We are thrilled to be showing your 2005 Oakville Merlot today. The wine is really fantastic. Thanks so much for the wine, and for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today. We are really impressed by your wines!

CHRIS PHELPS: I always appreciate hearing that, Agent Red. It’s a pleasure to go ‘covert’ with you today.

RED: Thanks, Chris. Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

CHRIS: Well, yes, but more cumulative experience than specific. I grew up in Livermore, CA, a stone’s throw from Cocannon Vinyeards. My parents made a barrel or two of Zin or Cab every year when I was a kid. They picked the grapes with friends, and I helped with crushing, racking, etc. when I was old enough. I found it fascinating that the wine quality could vary so much, depending upon variety, grape source and vintage.Wine was often on the family dinner table, so I was able to taste when I was a kid, and I liked it.

RED: So, winemaking was really in your blood. Tell me, where did you learn the most about winemaking?

CHRIS: I learn more about winemaking every day! There is so much nuance in winemaking, which consists of hundreds of details, some of which might seem insignificant, but can really affect the final product. I was fortunate to me mentored by many colleagues along my career path, starting with Mike Martini at Louis M. Martini in 1980. I graduated from UC Davis in Enology, then continued my education at the University of Bordeaux. Those years in academia, coupled with the key internships I did at Martini, Chappellet and in St. Emilion / Pmoerol as I cut my winemaking teeth, were very formative years.

RED: It sounds like it! What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

CHRIS: In a word, minimalist. If the fruit, at the time it is picked, is physiologically ripe and balanced, intervention through winemaking techniques is minimized. Speaking of red Bordeaux varieties, since we are tasting the 2005 Swanson Oakville Merlot today, I’m looking for perfectly ripe fruit, but avoiding super-high Brix levels, which lead to some of the very stylized wines produced today, which need huge doses of input by the winemaker. If the fruit is handled correctly, it is possible to coax the optimum extract out of the must, and produce a wine which honestly reflects the terroir from which it came. My job as a winemaker is precisely this: to form an honest interpretation of what a specific vineyard site in a specific vineyard is trying to tell me. I hope that makes sense to you…

RED: Your focus is on Merlot, and we applaud that. We are really happy to see Merlot doing so wonderfully. Tell me, what makes Merlot so unique?

CHRIS: So nice to preach to the choir when it comes to Merlot. Merlot is uniquely a ‘winemaker’s wine’. It suits my minimalist approach to winemaking perfectly. Grown in the right climate, in the right soil, with the correct conditions that dictate terroir for Merlot, it is one of the best varieties to work with. Color, aromatic expression of fruit, balanced acidity, silky, ripe tannins – the key attributes we are looking for – come very naturally to Merlot. Even grown under less-than-appropriate conditions, Merlot yields a decent, quaffable wine, and this is also the problem with Merlot, which is part of its uniqueness… there are a number of Merlots, from hot climates, with deep soils better suited to corn or tomatoes, which are not unpleasant, but have nothing to do with great Merlot. We know at Swanson that the clayey-loam soils in Oakville are optimum for this variety, and we take full advantage of this. When it comes to Merlot, terroir is everything. In Napa, there are sites on Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain, in Oakville, in Carneros that are perfectly suited to the production of ultra-premium Merlot.

RED: And you happen to make your Merlot in one of them! What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

CHRIS: Jean-Claude Berrouet, winemaker for Ets. JP Moueix in Libourne, France. After being the winemaker for Petrus and a number of other Moueix properties on the Right Bank of Bordeaux for 44 years, he has ‘retired’, staying on in a consulting role for Petrus in Pomerol, and Dominus, here in Napa. During my 12 years as the first winemaker at Dominus, he had a significant influence upon my approach to winemaking.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

CHRIS: My first stint was 6 months in 1980 at Martini. I became a ‘winemaker ’ in 1984, when I joined the team at Dominus. I remained there for 12 years, before moving to Caymus for 7 years. I have been at Swanson for 6 years.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

CHRIS: Chuck Wagner at Caymus gently reminded me from time to time that I should not make wine for myself, and this was an important lesson. I don’t fixate on ‘who’ the wine is for, per se, but it does get factored into the overall picture. I am conscious of the fact that Clarke Swanson would like me to be producing wines that appeal to consumers, critics, bloggers, etc. At Swanson, as in my previous winemaking roles, I strive to make the absolutely best wine possible, given the fruit sources and other resources I am given to work with. I’m sure this sounds cliche, but it always seems to work out. The wines are not just for the critics, not just for the consumers, not just for me. Wine should be universal. We’ll need to sit down and discuss this question more over another bottle of Merlot…

RED: Any time. It would be a great pleasure. Tell me, what makes the Napa Valley so special?

CHRIS: As I am reminded every time I return to the Valley after being away (I’m sending these notes from Chicago, where I am spending 3 days helping promote Swanson wines), Napa Valley is a place of unique natural beauty. And it is still the Mecca for ultra-premium domestic winegrowing.

RED: Nice to hear someone else call Napa ‘Mecca’. What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

CHRIS: Seek a mentor or mentors who are willing to share what they know. Plan on internships in different international wine regions. Study, sure, but not to the exclusion of lots of practical experience. You must be willing to get your hands dirty.

RED: And stained purple. What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

CHRIS: 2009 is a critical year for winemakers to help with promotion. We’ve completed bottling for the year, and are fine-tuning 2008 blends. I’m taking advantage of the fact that we are ahead of normal schedule in the winery to spend a little more time on the road, sharing the wines with consumers and trade. All wineries are affected by the domestic financial situation, but folks enjoy meeting the winemaker, so I am happy to help out when I can.

RED: Ahead of schedule. I wonder what that’s like. Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

CHRIS: The 2005 vintage was characterized by a very generous fruit set in our blocks of Merlot, so we were able to select the very best 1 or 2 clusters on every shoot, and drop the rest on the ground, and believe me, the ground was covered with green fruit! Producers who did not want to look very seriously at crop level, and had too much fruit on the vine, had difficulty getting it ripe, since it was not an overly warm growing season. I believe the longer, cooler seasons like we saw in 2005 in Napa produce the best red wines, whereas the hot, short seasons in Bordeaux are generally better for achieving optimum fruit maturity. The 2005 Merlot – 100% Oakville, by the way – represents a tremendous value. During my tenure at Swanson, we have moved to a riper style, but not overripe, to avoid green, herbal, herbaceous aromas and flavors, and have increased the black fruit component in the process. In fact, the black cherry and blackcurrant aroma/flavor in this wine are more Cab-like than Merlot. We call our Merlot a Cab-drinker’s Merlot, because it has many of the same attributes as a good Cabernet, without some of the astringent tannins of Cabernet. That’s the beauty of Merlot – quantitatively, about the same amount of tannin as Cabernet, but qualitatively, tannins which are more velvety, more finely-grained, and, frankly, more balanced. Christian Moeuix, director of his family’s Right Bank company now, and the owner of Dominus, told me last Saturday when we met up in Oakville, that he loves our 2005 Merlot. I consider this a huge compliment to our winemaking team, since I know he was not just being kind, he really meant it. This from a man who is known in the press as “Mr. Merlot”. We’ve balanced the wine with the addition of a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, and about 30% new oak, which is half French, half American. Christian found it to be well-balanced and enjoyable. I agree!

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

CHRIS: When I lived in Pomerol in 1982, the locals taught me how to grill ribeye steak over aged grapevine canes. I still do this at home, and at the winery. I like the meat rare, with sauteed shallots. This is a great combintation with the 2005 Merlot.

RED: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

CHRIS: I’m an Indigo Girls (folk-rock duo) groupie. I love to get to as many shows as possible. Emily Saliers (one of the IGs) has become a good friend, and she loves wine.

RED: What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

CHRIS: Over the past 15 years or so, I’ve made a barrel or two of home wine every year, kind of like my folks did. In addition to being the communion wine at our church in St. Helena, this is our everyday table wine.

RED: You’ll have to tell me your secret formula one day. How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

CHRIS: Keep an open mind. Minds are like parachutes, they function best when open. Drink what really appeals to you, not what someone else thinks you should like. Always be open to trying new wines.

RED: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

CHRIS: I would love to try the 1961 Petrus again; I’ve tasted it out of both 6 liter and 750 ml format, and it was phenomenal.

RED: If I come across a bottle, I promise to share! What is the one question that I should have asked you, and what is your answer to that question?

CHRIS: What are my favorite Napa Valley producers? It’s actually a tough question, and my answer varies, but Joseph Phelps, Chappellet, Provenance, and Honig are always on the list.

RED: Thank you so much for your time, Chris, and for the extensive answers. Our Operatives love getting to know our winemakers and I appreciate that you spent this much time with me today.

CHRIS: Thank you for spending time with me, and for your insightful questions. Is your name really Agent Red?

RED: I could tell you, but, you know…

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Swanson Vineyards in Napa’s Oakville District can be seen in this satellite photo.