Wine Tasting-Malibu Jack’s-Thurs., July 29

Posted by Bottle Report on Jul 29th, 2010 in Calendar Event, Featured Articles | 0 comments

It was an educational tasting. Tasting sheets were popular reads.

Event: The hard work paid off. Dennis has been working hard this summer getting a new room ready for parties and wine tastings. Today, they packed them in. Literally as more than 70 tasters showed up for their first wine tasting after a short hiatus. Good nibbles, live entertainment by Wayne Capps, some door prizes and 9 great wines kept everyone happy.

The Liberty School line was popular with many tasters with the Syrah and the Cab being the top picks mentioned. But one taster, Barry, said the Liberty School Cuvee “was to die for.” One taster said she really liked the B&G Vouvray saying it was “not to sweet, not too dry”. One taster, Pat, said he was reluctant to say he liked the Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages because he normally doesn’t care for French wines. Barry added that the Louis Jadot was fairly light for a red and enjoyable during the hot weather. Richard, who says he normally doesn’t like white wines, said he liked the Acrobat Pinot Gris.

Where: Malibu Jack’s Surf Grill in Furys Ferry Station, 231 Fury’s Ferry Road. (Bottom level of Fury’s Ferry Station-corner of Riverwatch and Fury’s Ferry Rd)

When: Thursday, July 29, 6-8pm. Reservations call 706-724-1442

Cost: $15 per person

Here is the Quick List of the wines presented (click on a wine to see more):

Zardetto Prosecco NV
Liberty School Chardonnay 2008
Liberty School Syrah 2008
Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon
Liberty School Cuvee
B&G Vouvray 2008
Acrobat Pinot Gris 2008
St. Francis Sonoma Merlot 2006
Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages

[Show as slideshow]

Here are the detailed wine notes:
Zardetto Prosecco NV
What: The color is a brilliant straw-yellow enlivened by its perlage (strands of tiny bubbles). It is characterized by richer aromas of citrus fruit and a freshness that remember the renetta apple with pleasant hints of bread crust showing through, coming together with an exquisite gustative energy. Its fine perlage ensures a persistent taste which is clean on the palate, making this the sparkling wine excellence for the table.–From their Website
From: Italy
Winery: Zardetto
Cost: $14.99
Goes with: It goes well with simple or elaborate fish and vegetable hors d’oeuvres, first courses of sea foods and
backed fish, or, as is the custom in its production zone, enjoyed the entire meal. And now try it with
sushi or sashimi, you will be surprised.
Comments: Presented by Empire Distributing

Liberty School Chardonnay 2008
What: The majority of Liberty School Chardonnay comes from one of the best stretches of Chardonnay country on the Central Coast—two growers in the cool-climate Santa Lucia Highlands, located on the west side of the Salinas Valley in Monterey County. Some of the most acclaimed Chardonnays in California come from that area, and Liberty School’s grapes get, as they should, first-class treatment all the way.

The grapes are picked when their flavors are ripe and before the essential acidity drops too far. Checking the vineyards means driving from Paso Robles up to Monterey at least once or twice a week as harvest nears. Some of the grapes are hand-harvested in the early morning, some by machine at night (which keeps them cooler); all are picked in small enough lots that they can make the 2-hour trip down to the winery and be processed immediately.

The fruit is whole-cluster pressed with a Champagne-style press cycle—low pressure, slow pressing—using custom-built equipment. The different press fractions (earlier and later in the cycle) are kept separate; all the wine is cold settled for 48 hours to let the solids fall out and emphasize the fruity characters in the wine. Two-thirds of the juice goes into barrels, one-third to tank; the road to fermentation starts at a chilly 35º, slow and gentle.

Liberty School Chardonnay is not inoculated to produce a malolactic fermentation, which could overwhelm the bright, crisp fruit. To minimize the possibility of an accidental, spontaneous malolactic fermentation, the Chardonnay is kept in a separate barrel room from the reds, and all the barrels are sanitized with ozone before filling to eliminate stray bacteria.

The Chardonnay matures in a 50/50 mix of French and American oak, 10% of it new, for seven to nine months. The final blend is put together and bottled in August, just before the next harvest. The result is a wine full of fruit, full of youth, and unmistakably Chardonnay.–From their Website
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School
Cost: $11.99
Year: 2008
Comments: Presented by Empire Distributing

Liberty School Syrah 2008
What: Liberty School’s Syrah comes from select vineyards on the east side of Paso Robles which tends to yield more upfront, berry-like Syrah with floral aromatics.

Multiple yeast strains are used to drive the fermentations, and some lots are allowed to start off fermentation on their own, with naturally-occurring yeasts from the vineyard and the winery. Each fermenter is carefully tracked and repeatedly tasted, making possible informed decisions about when and how often to pump the juice over the skins, when to press, and how to deal with any problems before they advance. Choosing when to press reflects the tasting judgment of the winemaking team about the developing tannin structure and potential mouthfeel of the wine.

After pressing, the free run and press wine go quickly to barrel, mainly French oak, 15%-20% of it new wood. Liberty School Syrah spends a little more time in barrel than the Cabernet Sauvignon, about 14 months on average, with the original harvest lots kept separate until the final blend is put together and bottled. A small amount of Viognier is added in order to lend additional aromatic complexity and enhance color stability.–From their Website
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School
Cost: $14.99
Year: 2008
Comments: Presented by Empire Distributing

Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon
What: Liberty School’s Cabernet Sauvignon comes primarily from the east side of Paso Robles, prime Cabernet country, with the added complexity of a few west side sources. Drawing on multiple vineyards—usually about a dozen each year—allows the winemaking team to take advantage of different soils, micro-climates, clones and rootstocks to create a harmonious, balanced, rounded final product.

Decisions about when to pick are made in the vineyard based on taste, on the retention of good acidity, and on potential tannin structure, not just on the level of sugar in the ripening grapes. After destemming and crushing, each lot of grapes goes to a separate fermenter, spending two days at about 60ºF before the onset of fermentation—a slow start to preserve fruit intensity.

Several different yeast strains are used each year, along with some fermentations kicked off by the yeasts that naturally come in from the vineyard, adding to the diversity of the wines down the road. Fermentations are warm, with the must getting up to between 80º and 90ºF to achieve full extraction of flavors and colors from the skins. Juice is pumped over the floating cap of grape skins to facilitate extraction; the timing and frequency of pump-overs is determined by tasting the wine, not by the time clock.

Choosing when to press the grapes depends mainly on how the tannin structure is developing; some lots might be pressed before the wine is entirely dry, some may wait through a period of extended maceration on the skins after the wine is fully dry. In every case, the approach is: taste first, then confirm with testing, then take action.

The free run wine and the wine from pressing are kept separate and after a brief time to settle, all the wine goes to barrel, where the secondary (or malolactic) fermentation is kicked off. The Liberty School Cabernet matures in a mix of French and American oak (and a mix of different cooperages), about 10% of it new oak, for about 12 months before blending and bottling.

The recipe is straightforward: start with an array of good fruit, handle it with basic, no-tricks winemaking—and pay attention every step of the way{WEB 1-}-From their Website
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School
Cost: $14.99
Comments: Presented by Empire Distributing

Liberty School Cuvee
What: The Central Coast of California is an ideal growing region for making world-class wines. As Paso Robles gains notoriety for its stellar blended wines, the Liberty School Cuvée offers itself as the latest example. With over thirty years of history making single varietal wines, Liberty School is proud to introduce its first red blend. Adding Liberty School Cuvée to the portfolio makes sense as the winemaking team oversees some of the best and most diverse vineyards in the Central Coast. A blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Viognier, this cuvee harmoniously melds the best characteristics of each varietal to make a complex and unique blend.

Upon harvest, the grapes were de-stemmed, lightly crushed and placed in open top and closed stainless steel tanks, depending on the vineyard lot and varietal. A cold soak prior to fermentation allows for greater extraction of tannins. This practice allows extra time for the juice to interact with the grape skins and increases flavors. Steady pump-overs for 10 to 12 days after fermentation begins allows all the natural sugar to convert to alcohol until completely dry. Additional post-ferment aeration of the wine helped integrate tannins prior to going into barrel. Separated into lots by varietal, the wine is then placed in primarily neutral French oak barrels and aged approximately 14 months. Blending occurs after the first racking. The Cuvee is lightly filtered one time prior to bottling.

The Liberty School Cuvée displays bright red fruit flavors on the nose. With accents of smoke and pepper, the fruit-forward blend shows fine grain tannins which are reminiscent of wines from the southern Rhone Valley. The predominant grape, Syrah, shows off its jammy, strawberry and plum-like flavors. Petite Sirah adds deep ruby color and tannin structure. Smaller amounts of Grenache soften the wine and add needed balance. Mourvèdre brings an element of spice to the blend, while small amounts of Viognier add floral aromatics and color stabilization. Well balanced and full-bodied, this wine can be cellared for five to seven years.–From their Website
From: Paso Robles, California
Winery: Liberty School
Cost: $14.99
Comments: Presented by Empire Distributing

B&G Vouvray 2008
What: Pale straw with green highlights. Great nose of subtle white flowers mixed with white fruits A lovely and intense wine with floral notes, peach and pear flavours.–From their Website
Winery: Barton & Guestier
Cost: $11.99
Year: 2008
Goes with: Aperitif, cheese, light desserts. Serve well-chilled 10-12°C
Comments: Presented by National Distributors

Acrobat Pinot Gris 2008
What: Pale straw with golden highlights. The nose features Green apple, grapefruit, lime zest, and pear. Flavors include tangerine, lemon, kiwi, pineapple. The mouthfeel is crisp entry with nice balance between acidity and residual sugar, round and full mid-palate, clean refreshing finish.–From their Website
From: Oregon
Winery: King Estate
Cost: $13.99
Year: 2008
Goes with: A perfect accompaniment for poultry, shellfish and other seafood. This Pinot Gris would also pair beautifully with fruits, cheeses, and cured meats.
Comments: Presented by National Distributors

St. Francis Sonoma Merlot 2006
What: The 2006 Sonoma County Merlot is composed of hand picked grapes from vineyards through out Sonoma County; each vineyard possessing diverse micro-climates ranging from hillsides of the Mayacamas Mountain Range to the cooler SonomaValley floor. This mixture of valley and mountain grown grapes combine the richness of valley grown fruit with the solid structure of mountain grown
Cabernet, yielding a wine of noteworthy intensity. After hand harvesting at full ripeness, the grapes are crushed into stainless steel tanks for fermentation. After fermentation is complete the wine is aged in American and French oak barrels for a full twenty-three
months. Spicy herb and vanilla overtones give way to luscious plum and cherry flavors on the palate, with hints ofchocolate and generous tannins on the finish. AGING POTENTIAL 5 to 8 years–From their Website
From: Sonoma, California
Winery: St. Francis WInery and Vineyards
Cost: $21
Year: 2006
Comments: Presented by National Distributors