Category Archives: Wine

The Zuccardi family considers itself a small wine operation. And perhaps by Argentina’s standards it is. Founded in 1963, the winery produces millions of bottles of wine annually (most for domestic consumption), employs 700 people year-round, and runs a vast tourism operation out of its facilities, where visitors can take hot-air balloons, ride horses, and learn to cook, Pampas-style.

Julia Zuccardi, the 29-year old ingenue for whom Santa Julia is named, recently visited San Francisco to show off her wines — and she brought her chef with her, Ana Soledad Rodriguez Armisen. Ana cooked lunch (and showed us her chimichurri recipe — the secret is paprika!) while Julia talked wine. For these prices — no wine is more than $13 a bottle — these were surprisingly good, and they went well solo or with food.

Thoughts follow.

santajulia.com.ar

Tasting Report: Wines of Santa Julia

NV Santa Julia Brut Rose / $13 / A / delightful, what a rose sparkler should be; touch of sweetness

2010 Santa Julia [+] Torrontes / $10 / B / grassy, melons, lean finish

2011 Santa Julia Organica Chardonnay / $11 / A- / really bright citrus, unoaked

2010 Santa Julia Organica Cabernet Sauvignon / $11 / A- / light body, cherry qualities

2010 Santa Julia Riserva Malbec / $12 / B / cherry, plus and raisins, bit charcoal on the finish

2009 Santa Julia Riserva Cabernet Sauvignon / $12 / B+ / jammier in style, some pepper in there

2009 Santa Julia Tardio (500ml) / $13 / B+ / late-harvest Torrontes; nice, not too sweet, mostly orange in character

This recent wine event featured a collection of all-over-the-map Italian wines, from well-known brands like Antinori and Donnafugata to obscurities (and lots of cheap stuff) seeking an importer on our shores. No guarantee that you’ll find any of these for sale, including, tragically, the perfectly-formed 2007 Tenuta Carretta Cannubi Barolo, perhaps the best Italian wine I’ve had in years.

For this event, please see our disclosure.

Tasting Report: 2011 Simply Italian Great Wines U.S. Tour

2005 Avide Barocco DOCG / B / overly acidic

2008 La Togata Rosso di Montalcino DOCG / B / stalwart

2009 Tenuta Carretta Bric Quercia Barbera DOC / B+ / candy finish

2008 Tenuta Carretta Bric Paradiso Roero DOCG / A- / Nebbiolo, big finish

2007 Tenuta Carretta Cannubi Barolo DOCG / A+ / perfect Barolo – big wine, sikly texture, lovely balance

2007 Tenuta Carretta Cascina Ferrero Barolo DOCG / A- / very good also

2008 Tenuta Carretta Bordino Barbaresco DOCG / A- / really fruity, more spice

2004 Castelcosa SoleTerraVite / B+ / merlot heavy blend, has balance issues

2007 Michele Chiarlo Barolo Riserva / A / great body and balance

2007 Alois Lageder Lindenberg Lagrein / B+ /

2006 Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva / B / over earthed

2009 Antinori Il Bruciato / B /

2008 Masi Brolo di Campofiorin Rosso del Veronese / B+ / very young

2006 Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato DOCG / B / tough and intense

2009 Pio Cesare Fides Barbera d’Alba DOC / A- / young and fruity

2010 Bidoli Merlot Friuli Grave DOC / B / very young

2009 Campo Sera Lugana DOC Superiore / B+ / figs, minerals

2007 La Berra Lugana DOC / B+ / heavy body, bit astringent

Apologies for how long it’s taken me to get around to typing up my notes on the latest tasting from the auctioneers at Bonhams, but hey, these wines aren’t going anywhere. The most recent event featured a quintet of Champagnes, lots of old French Burgundy and Bordeaux, and finished up with some interesting New World Pinot Noir. If only I had been able to bid on that 1996 Nuits St. George — easily my favorite wine of the event.

Tasting Report: Bonhams Pre-Auction Event, October 2011

NV Krug Grande Cuvee / B+ /

NV Lamandier-Bernier Blanc de Blanc / B /

NV Alain Soutiran Blanc de Noir “Perle Noir” / A- / tropical, big

1997 Jacquesson Extra Brut / A- /

NV Pierre Peters Brut / A- / lighter

1997 Puligny Montrachet Les Pucelles J.M. Boillot / C+ / way past its prime

2003 Bienvenue Batard Montrachet Domaine Leflaive / B / lightly corked, but I thought the fruit was still there

2004 Corton Charlemagne Chandon de Briailles / B+ / tart, acidic and yeasty

2003 Marcassin Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard / B+ / off finish

2001 Braunberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett F. Haag / A / brisk

2002 JF Coche-Dury Meursault Les Chevaliers / B+ / curious, lean

1996 Les Perrieres R. Chevillon Nuits St. Georges / A / great life to it

1998 Les Hauts Doix R. Groffier Chambolle Musigny / A- / lighter

2001 Taupenot-Merme Mazoyeres Chambertin / A- / bit thin

2002 Domain de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux / A- /

2005 V. Girardin Vosne Romanee Vieille Vignes / A- /

1999 Chateau Trotanoy Pomerol / A- / earthy, good balance

2000 Chateau Pichon-Lalande Pauillac / B+ / big

2003 Chateau Pichon Baron Pauillac / B / bit pruny

2001 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino Riserva / A- /

1999 Vina Sastre Ribera del Duero Pago de Santa Cruz / A- / huge wine, will last for years

1993 Conterno Monfortino Barolo Riserva / B+ / fading

1992 Domaine Tempier Bandol Cuvee Speciale La Tourtine / A- / substantial

1995 Chapoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne / A- / fading

2005 Champet Cote Rotie La Viaillere / A- / heavy with meat character

2006 Vieux Telegraph Chateauneuf-du-Pape / A- /

1999 Clarendon Hills Syrah “Moritz” / B- / big and clunky

2003 Standish Shiraz “The Standish” / B / overjammed

2004 Ken Wright Pinot Noir Wahle Vineyard / A- / black cherry, earth, licorice

2006 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Mount Carmel Vineyard / A- / quite light

1994 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon / B / punchy, mamoth

2003 Peter Michael Cabernet Sauvignon “Les Pavots” / A- / good balance

2004 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines / A- / good balance

2004 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon / B+ / too big

Conn Creek is a Napa-based winery founded in the 1970s that makes wines almost exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux grapes. Today it produces dozens of wines, including many single-vineyard wines from all over Napa Valley (called the AVA series). We checked out four of these wines, plus the less expensive, blended “Napa Valley” offering.

2007 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley – A fruity, ready-to-go Cab, with plenty of cherry character, some olive notes on the finish, and a moderate body. Not complex, really, but quite easy-drinking and both food-friendly and ready for solo consumption. I wouldn’t hesitate to pop this open on a whim for just about any occasion at this price. A- / $25

2007 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak Stagecoach Vineyard – Similar, fruity, quite jammy with distinct plum character. Surprisingly easygoing for mountain fruit. Hang around for the smoky tobacco finish. A- / $45

2007 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Carneros Truchard Vineyard – Carneros isn’t known for Cabernet, but Conn Creek does a credible job with this one. A little pruny, erring toward the raisin side of things, but the lively fruit character saves the day. B+ / $45

2007 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District – Again, this district normally produces thick, tannic wines, but Conn turns the dial down, with a lively and lush wine, both fruity and full. Some light chocolate notes play with big plum character. Arguably my favorite of the group. A / $45

2007 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Collins Holystone Vineyard – Distinctly different than all of the above, it has more of a tart body to it, with a candy-like finish, almost like Jolly Ranchers. I’m torn on it: It’s extremely easygoing on its own, but too jammy for food. B+ / $45

conncreek.com