The Livermore Valley lacks he bucolic charm of other California wine regions. On approach, you find yourself in the exurbs of the greater Bay Area - chain restaurants and sub-divisions. Old friends of mine live nearby, and have sung the praises of the Livermore wine scene to me over the past several years. After doing a trip with them to the Santa Barbara area, they reciprocated by having me stay with them for the weekend and sharing their region with me.
To get to the wineries, you drive through the neighborhoods of Livermore. Homes, homes, homes, and then you break through and find yourself in a rural setting with lazy rolling hills. Many of the wineries have peaceful views looking down into the valley over expanses of green slopes. During the weekend that we were there, the wineries were all celebrating Christmas with craft shows, Santas, live music, etc.
We did the region over two days, one day it was just two of us, and then
the second day it was three of us, plus their adorable child. They set
the agenda, these were all wineries that they were very familiar with
and enjoyed.
Saturday
Wente Vineyards ($10 "Winemaker's Flight" tasting, wines $25-$120)
'13 Small Lot Viognier, '12 Small Lot Counoise, '12 Small Lot Zinfandel, '12 GSM (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre), '12 Small Lot Grenache, '12 "Nth Degree" Cabernet Sauvignon
To start us off, we drove to the edge of the region. Wente's vineyard
backs right up to the hillside. It's a large campus with a golf course
attached to it, a full restaurant and a handful of large, mission-style
buildings. The tasting room is a bit cramped considering the palatial
grounds. Our host was a lovely and knowledgeable woman. She had
considerable experience in the wine industry and was happy to
participate in a wandering conversation.
Wente is the grandaddy in the area - its also "the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in California." Carl Wente established the winery in 1883. Wente's name comes up a lot in the California wine scene, especially since Carl's son, Ernest Wente brought a specific Chardonnay cutting from France, that clone is now 75% of all Chardonnay made in California.
We both chose to go with the "Winmaker's Flight," a selection of wines that were all considered small lot bottlings. It seemed like the more interesting selection. While I didn't enjoy all of the wines equally, they were all confidently made. The Viognier was light, calm and laden with citrus. The flowers that often accompany Viogniers weren't there sadly. I had a good time with the Counoise, it was bright, natural and had fun green funk. Their Zinfandel was much more restrained that the normal Zin beasts I experience - light beef and checked back acid. The GSM was quite dense, well woven with big boy acid. I'm thinking it would be well served to be aged a few more years. The Grenache was the weakest of the bunch - too much oak and a slight medicine kick, though had an interesting cinnamon hint. The Cabernet was show-stopper. Velvety raspberries guided by smart acid and solid length - mainstream but delicious. As with most of the larger scale wineries, the prices were steep.
Experience: B- / Wine: B
Cuda Ridge Wines ($10 tasting, wines $21-$36)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Cabernet Franc, '12 Malbec, '11 "Black Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 "Bordeaux Blend" Cabernet Sauvignon, '12 Petit Verdot, '05 "Cuda Amis" Port-Style Dessert Wine
From the country club stylings of Wente, Cuda Ridge seemed like visiting a new neighbor's house. Their tasting room and small vineyard is immediately adjacent to homes, and the layout of the building was very suburban house-like. For their holiday festivities, each room was pouring different wines and had snacks and desserts to nosh on, sort of like a progressive house party. One of the rooms had delicious Portuguese soup that hit the spot. There were plenty of folks there, we may have crashed a member party, but who knows. We did get a chance to chat with the matriarch of the winery for a bit, she was terribly sweet - I got the feeling that they invested deeply in the familial feel to their wine community.
The wines were flavorful and generally lacked structure. The Sauvignon Blanc had a crazy grassy nose, and lots and lots of lemons. I don't think I've ever gotten banana bread off of a red wine before, but the Cabernet Franc's nose was dead on bready, the body was bright red fruit. I liked the Malbec, it was jumbled, but was enjoyable. The Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, was big acid, big fruit, not very well defined. Alternatively, the Bordeaux Blend Cab was much more poetic. It probably needed aging, but was calm and varied, slight hints of mint. The Petit Verdot was a mouthful, big acid opening, tart black fruit and then a calm exit. Fianlly, the dessert wine was bacon and maple, but too much stickiness for me.
Experience: B- / Wine: C+
Big White House and Jon Evan Cellars ($5 tasting, wines $24-$45)
'12 Chardonnay - Spendorio Vineyard, '12 Viognier - Ripkin Vineyard, Lodi, '12 Sangiovese - Ripkin Vineyard, '13 Pinot Noir - Ripkin Vineyard, '10 "East/West Blend" Syrah, '12 Zinfandel - Splendorio Vineyard, '11 "Chateau Marion" (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon), Jon Evan '11 "The Winter Star" (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon), Jon Evan '11 "Les Famille des Amoureux" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Petit Sirah), Jon Evan '11 Late Harvest Syrah
We had a hell of a time finding a parking space in their huge dirt lot. The tasting room is in an airy barn, but on the day that we visited, that joint was wall to wall people. And everyone was there to have a good time. The vibe was like a festive sports bar at a country club - a bit older, chill, but saucy (in both was). We were able to select any wines we wanted to try from a massive list. We tried ten, but there were at least five more on the list that we skipped. The list offers two different labels - Big White House are wines that are made by Jon Marion, while Jon Evan wines are made by his son, Jon Evan Marion. Both men create bombastic wines, though Jon Evan's are much more interesting.The place definitely has an upbeat family vibe, though they certainly weren't equipped to deal with so many people. You had to wiggle your way to front to get wines, and then shout above the din to tell them which wine you wanted next.
Neither of the whites struck my fancy. Both featured an apricot skin flavor. The Viognier was a bit more interesting, it wasn't sweet, but had a dessert wine profile. The Big White House reds all had big flavor profiles, and the flavors ran amok - the Sangiovese had a juicy film, the Pinot showed burned branches and cranberries, the Syrah was sloppy, the Zin was a velvet punch straight in the mouth, and the "Chateau Marion" was jammy, jammy acid. Jon Evan's wines were more interesting. "The Winter Star" was dense, boisterous, had high tannins, but was the most thoughtful and enjoyable wine of the day. I also enjoyed the "Les Famille des Amoureux." It was a big dude, but the tannins were more calm, and a fun cranberry jam blend. I did not enjoy the Late Harvest Syrah - that dried apricot flavor showed up again, and the wine was un-centered.
Experience: C+ / Wine: C+
Les Chênes Estate Vineyard (member tasting, wines $23-$32)
'12 "Deux Blanc" (Chardonnay/Viognier), '12 "Anniversary" Pinot Noir, '12 Estate Syrah Reserve, '12 "Deux Rouge" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah), '12 Primitivo, NV Old Vine Dessert Wine
Another winery, another dirt road and a barn for a tasting room - I'm starting to get a feel for the Livermore aesthetic. Les Chênes is a more calm and centered place in comparison to Big White House and Cuda Ridge. The folks behind the winery are Richard and Candice Dixon - a sweet older couple that have been married for over 50 years. In 1999 they purchased the Livermore property to retire on it, grow grapes, and make wine. They opened the winery in 2007.
The love that they have for each other and the wine was palpable upon our visit. The tasting room was busy, but thankfully not as crazed as other places that day. A group of carolers sang while folks mingled and enjoyed the wines. I was mixed on how I felt about the "Deux Blanc." Specifically my note says "seems like a county fair entrant - though a competitor." It had some very interesting characteristics, white smoke on the nose, strong acid, apple and viscous. The Pinot Noir was specifically made by Richard for their 50th wedding anniversary. It was tart and peppery, maybe too flavorful, but if that's commentary on their marriage, good on them. The Syrah was bright red and stark, lots of fun. A second flavor accompanied that primary note - thready and green, interesting. The "Deux Rouge" was a bit too cloying for me, juice added to the nice Syrah flavor. The Primativo was tons of fun. Green notes with a fogginess to it. Calm plums, prunes and raspberries. Finally the dessert wine wasn't very refined, but it was enjoyable - nutty, woody, with bright red fruit.
Experience: B+ / Wine: B
Sunday
BoaVentura de Caires Winery (member tasting, wines $24-$46)
'13 "White Table Wine" (Albariño/Sauvignon Blanc/Orange Muscat), '11 "Red Mutt" (Syrah/Petite Sirah/Cabernet Sauvignon/Zinfandel), '10 Syrah - Nelson Vineyard, '10 Petite Sirah, '11 "Green Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 "Black Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, NV "Platinum Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 "Blue Label" Cabernet Sauvignon, '09 "DePorted" Dessert Wine
BoaVentura was the hippest and best place that we visited all weekend. Quite honestly, I'm generally resistant to hip spots, but they were right on the money with their style and thankfully the wine was good as well. The BoaVentura barn has cool industrial art wrapped up in it.
Brett Caires was inspired to pursue wine based on his family traditions. He remembered wine being a part of family dinner. After a career in real estate and the food world, he and his wife purchased the five acre site that is now their winery and vineyard. The atmosphere was festive, lots of happy tasters on a chilly grey morning. Outside the barn door was a fire where kids enjoyed s'mores.
The white wine was pretty enjoyable. It had a soft effervescence, it was full mouthed and bright. Aside from the green funkiness, it was quite tasty. The "Red Mutt" was very good - medium bodied and a light entry. It had a Bordeaux/California vibe. The Syrah was sour candy grapes with late, soft tannins and nicely apportioned acid. The Petite Sirah was a showy pony - a dark raisin nose, a calm entry, and then a boysenberry juice body.
BoaVentura specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon. They have two vineyard locations for their Cab growing. The back vineyard is a more stable location and easier to grow on. The front vineyard is rockier, sloped and receives less light. Given it's more challenging location, the grapes from the back vineyard make more interesting wines. All of the Cabs that I tried were thoughtful and flavorful. The Green Label (100% back vineyard grapes) was challenging, pine and cedar nose, sharp with high tannins and acid. The Black Label (50% front/50% back) had a much more grand profile. Lots of plum, very Californian. The Platinum Label (60% front vineyard, 40% back vineyard) had a big fruit nose, lots of tart jam and complexity. Finally, the Blue Label (60% front, 40% back) was most decadent. A pretty port nose, calm, velvety entry, and mature juice. Quite the show horse. We ended with the port. It was nice - caramel, leaves, herbs - but a note of medicine threw it off slightly.
Experience: B / Wine: B+
McGrail Vineyards and Winery (member tasting, wines $25-$45)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc, '13 Chardonnay, '12 Cabernet Sauvignon (barrel tasting), '08 Proprietary Red (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon), '11 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
To their credit, McGrail put on a heck of a holiday party. They had a Santa, a lively band, and a bunch of folks enjoying the festivities. Aside from that, McGrail felt very different from the other wineries. Upon receiving our first glass of wine, we were also giving a little map that showed us the layout of the Tuscan-style building, and where we could find the rest of our wines for the tasting. The feel of the staff was stiff, and slightly annoyed. Perhaps this was specific to the holiday event, but I have a feeling that McGrail is always a stoic place. It did not have the happy, friendly atmosphere of the other wineries in the area. It felt like they were trying to emulate a larger winery, like Wente, but didn't have the same panache.
I was led to this conclusion partially by the wine. All of it was bland. The Sauvignon Blanc was nicely balanced, had lemon juice and peel, but was unengaging. The Chardonnay was simple and seemed watered down. The barrel tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon was most interesting. It was lively and had soft peppers. It was mainstream. Seemed like a top shelf supermarket mine. I disliked the Proprietary Red most. It hinted at rotten strawberries. The last tasting, the Cab Reserve was big flavored with raspberries and cherries, but uninspiring.
Experience: C / Wine: C-
Page Mill Winery ($10 tasting, wines $18-$39)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc - Ghielmetti Vineyard, '13 Chardonnay - Chandler Vineyard, '13 "Angela's Cuvée" Grenache Rosé - Lake County, '13 Grenache - Ghielmetti, '12 Zinfandel - Spencer Vineyard, Lodi, '12 Merlot - Cote Vineyard, SF Bay Region, '12 "GPS" (Syrah/Grenache/Petite Sirah), '12 Syrah - Tazatta Vineyard, '12 Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 Petite Sirah
Our last stop on the way to the airport was Page Mill. It wasn't one that my friends were familiar with, I had read a positive review about it in a wine blog. The tasting room was in a quaint rock building. The staff were very nice - surprisingly nice considering that we showed up near the end of the day, and they were starting to close up. The feel to the place was homey. Staff were not the most knowledgeable, but friendly, and were happy to pour as much wine as we liked. There was a lot to choose from. We bounced from taste to taste based on recommendations from the staff.
It was a mixed bag of wines. In addition to some being from the Livermore area, some of them were from various nearby regions: Lake County, Lodi, San Francisco Bay Area. Wines varied from off to good. The Sauvignon Blanc was completely unique. Hints of nastiness and pineapples on the nose. The body had cute, fragile characteristics, and a soft marshmallow mouthfeel. The Chardonnay was too much flavor. It had a sulfur aroma and strongly tasted of candied lemons. The Rosé was reminiscent of a stereotypical surfer - kinda vacuous and bland. I enjoyed the Greneche. It was simple but had a nice melange of flavors - flat cola, fruit juice, sage and funk. The Zinfandel was crazy dense, a kick in the mouth. The Merlot was just fine, pretty mainstream. I enjoyed the other Rhone, the Syrah as well. It had meaty pepper, and hinted of watermelon steak, backed by lots of acid. The Cabernet Sauvignon had a fun green entry with tons of fruit - not amazing, but quaff-able. We ended on the Petite Sirah - the one estate wine. It was similar to the overall experience - densely sweet, with light fruit, kind edges, and kind of jumbled.
Experience: B / Wine: C+
Well there it is. A whirlwind tour of the Livermore Valley. It's a sleepy region that has inspired folks to strike out and do what they love. And along the way they create friendly communities to join them. No one was really stuffy or seemed to look down on folks for not being knowledgeable enough - heck most of the places operated out of barns, and they maintained that quiet, supportive farmer mentality. I will say that I encountered very few interesting white wines. Many places relied upon Cabernet Sauvignon as their flagship grape. Aside from Napa, the California wine regions that I've visited are looking to stake their reputation to other varietals. Does this mean that Livermore will attempt to pivot away from Cab eventually? I'm guessing not, it's been a region for a long time, and while it's expansion is being fueled by the artisinal/locavore movement, I think they've defined themselves already.
