Okay, so the goose doesn't exactly make the Pinot, but Toulouse Vineyards' mascot is most definitely a goose, and their Pinot is without a doubt off the charts (though admittedly made by human hands). I absolutely loved the 2006 Toulouse Anderson Valley Pinot Noir my sister picked up in Mendo recently, and which I had the pleasure of quaffing a few days ago in the baking hot Central Valley, where I'm visiting my family. The newish operation (their first vintage was 2002) is run by Vern and Maxine Boltz, a retired Oakland fire chief and United airline stewardess, respectively, and Toulouse Vineyards represents ]]>
a second career for both of them. They do everything by hand on site, including bottling and farming their 17 acres of sustainably grown Pinot Noir.
Goose Has Good Pedigree
Once I did a little research I quickly discovered I'm not the first to find the wine fabulous (some other peeps who thought it was good include the Chronicle and Wine Spectator), which just goes to show it really is great juice, and great juice getting noticed, at that. My tasting note follows, but I just want to say that the best part of the bottle after what came inside was this simple note from the back label:
"The Toulouse is a huge blocky goose that can tip the scales at 30 pounds or more. This placid giant thrives in the tranquility of the vineyard." Said huge blocky goose is pictured on the label, and I love the simplicity of its image and the subtle humor (and brevity) of the bottle's descriptor. Clearly, these are people who aren't interested in hyper polished marketing lingo (or they might've written something about the berries and toast in the wine, or its ideal food pairings, or something else rote and predictable) and they also really care about their vineyard and what goes on it in - as well as who lives in it! Blocky geese, welcome!
Tasting Notes
Appearance: pale-med ruby with brick rim
Nose: moderately intense inviting notes of smoke, meat (bacon), cooked strawberry, anise, nutmeg and sage. Stony (granite? I wrote, but after reading the site it's gravel; totally get that!).
Palate: dry with marked acidity and high alcohol, though strikes me as balanced; moderate tannin. Flavors of plum, anise, earth, nutmeg. Smoke lingers on the finish.
Conclusion: Lovely, absolutely lovely. Poetic, like a Burgundy, and though heavy on the toast/nutmeg (comes from barrels), that works, too, just like the high alcohol (14.5%). It's a wine that transmits its sense of place - that's the poetry part - and strikes me as incredibly harmonious in all its parts. Bravo!
92 points
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I've never picked up a wine book I wanted to quote more than Lawrence Osborne's deliciously entertaining tome, The Accidental Connoisseur: An Irreverent Journey Through the Wine World. In it, the Brit - who right up front gamely cops to a serious distrust of his own sense of taste - sets out to visit several of the world's foremost wine regions in search of answers to his own burning question - what exactly is taste? - as well as more (less?) controversial issues like "why do men fetishize wine, and woman don't?" ]]>
As you might imagine, this book delighted me. For those of you wondering what's behind the fetish question, it came up not so much as a question posed by the author but instead as a fantastically quotable tidbit offered up during one of the author's interviews, in this case with one Ralph Ewing, Opus One's PR guy. In response to Osborne's inquiry "who drinks wine?" Ewing said the following:
Given the surge of interest in so-called adventure tourism, it's no surprise that extreme activities have finally made their way to wine country. From mellow outings like deep-sea fishing and balloon rides to truly adrenaline-pumping options like skydiving and trapeze training, the options themselves are as varied as the highs they inspire.
Hey folks, if you're in or around Napa tomorrow please come out and join me along with four other wine authors as we chat and sign our wine books published in '07. Part of the St. Helena Public Library's 1st Annual "Books on Wine Festival," the event will be the first of its kind for St. Helena, and I'm totally tickled to have been included! Refreshments start at 6, author presentations are at 7 and author signings begin at 8:15. Besides Hip Tastes, other titles featured include "A Moveable Thirst," "New Classic Winemakers of California," "The Art of Terroir" and Small Plates, Perfect Wines." More info at shpl.org - I'd love to see you there! ]]>
Texas has long been known for many things - BBQ, the Alamo, Dynasty, a fantastic music festival called South By Southwest (to name just a few) - but until recently something the Lone Star State most certainly was not known for was its wine. On the heels of this year's well-attended Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival, however, that's all changing.
Woop, looks like another celeb designer has gotten in on the wine design thang. Busy Italian designer Roberto Cavalli - famous for his flamboyant, figure-hugging frocks worn by adventurous celebutantes on many a red carpet - has just released Roberto Cavalli Selection, a Tuscan IGT made with the assistance of Italian wine guru Carlo Ferrini. Just about 5,000 bottles were made of the debut vintage, 2004, a portion of which come in this appropriately flamboyant box covered in leopard print used in the designer's 1996 Spring/Summer collection and...]]>
two black goblets. That's right, BLACK goblets. And while the black goblets are certainly impractical for those looking for the full wine tasting experience (in which a wine's appearance is a big part of enjoying the drink), I can't deny that they're dramatic, which suits Cavalli. In fact, I totally respect him for the leopard and black goblet flair. It's so...HIM.
This is the first in a series of wine & food memories I'll be penning in the coming months. Enjoy ;)
"From Major Leaguers to major religious leaders, celebrities of all stripes are catching the wine bug these days, lending their names and likenesses to bottles, participating in the promotion of the wines and sometimes even cuing up the blends themselves. And while celebrity wines are hardly a new phenomenon, the most recent influx of offerings brings with it a surprisingly diverse mix of celebs, not to mention a fascinating blend of prices, styles and blends to boot...]]>
Mafia Maven
Just a little shout out to the great man who worked so hard - and did so much - to make a name for California wine. Not only did Mondavi run his eponymous winery for decades, he helped introduce Americans of all stripes - not just the snobs! - to the modern wine lifestyle. For more on this legend, check out Alan Goldfarb's recent article on Mondavi at Appellation America.
Keller Estate's Syrah-based 2007 Sonoma Coast Rose is a delight. I'm always searching for a rose from California that's not too pink and not too sweet (not to mention a lot of fun to drink & great with food) and this one fits the bill just right. Made for the winery founder's 75th birthday, this medium pink-hued quaffer offers up delightful aromas of watermelon Jolly Rancher candy (always a favorite), caramel, chamomile, rose water and a kiss of pink grapefruit... ]]>
The palate boasts medium to med+ acidity (not too tart!) and mellow flavors that echo the nose along with mild cherry cola notes. The finish is pleasant, the balance is good, and you can probably guess by now I'm sold on this pink! At $28 smackers a little steep for a rose, but if you're down to splurge I think you'll really enjoy.
Enjoyed this new article at DivineCaroline about women's physiology vis a vis that of men and how this impacts our ability to compete with guys in, oh say, a drinking contest. The results aren't in our favor (sorry, ladies) unless you happen to be a very buff woman paired off to compete with a fat guy of roughly your same height. Here's a brief excerpt from the piece, and link to check out the rest: