New Wines From CRU and Rexford 

January 5, 2024 – Before we get into some of the new wines to enjoy in this new year, let’s take a look at some of the results from a recent survey by Coravin on wine habits. In polling of 2,000 wine drinkers over the age of 21, it was determined that many (34%) are thinking about cutting back on alcohol consumption in the new year, but find it hard to do so because they tend to prefer drinking wine in the winter months. And our rainy weather can certainly increase the urge to pop open a bottle. To solve this dilemma, follow winter around the globe, although it’s been somewhat elusive this year. 

About 41% of those surveyed said quality outweighs quantity, while more than half (57%) have seasonal wine preferences. A large number of respondents (66%) report they are seeking to expand beyond their current varietal set. 

The Coravin survey reports the most preferred wines are rose (21%), Moscato (20%) and Chardonnay (12%), followed by a tie between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (8%), with Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio and Riesling bringing up the rear, with 4-5% of respondents choosing one of those varietals as their favorite. 

Note that this does not square with the Nielsen data that reports wine purchased through checkout stands, so it likely reflects the preferences of a particular group of consumers, who most likely skew younger and are buying their drinks at bars and restaurants. Or, they say one thing, and do another. Kinda like political polls. 

The survey also tested the waters on price points and the reluctance to move up to higher priced wines, reporting that most buyers (47%) were afraid they might not like it, while 38% cited tight budgets, and 24% worried the wine might expire before they finished it (clearly what the Coravin people wanted to hear). About 21% claimed they had not had the chance to try higher priced wines before (one of the primary benefits of buying a ticket to a wine tasting event) and 18% claimed to have had bad experiences in the past. Well, the good news there is at least they tried, but perhaps got a bad bottle or the wine just didn’t meet their criteria. Proof all the way around that fundamental wine awareness – I won’t even call it education — is needed. Keeping track of what you like and don’t like about wines will help steer you away from bummer experiences and increase your chances of happiness, no matter what the weather.

Rexford’s New Releases

Just before Christmas, I dropped into Rexford Wine’s tasting room on the Westside of Santa Cruz to check out their new Brut Rosé sparkling, and let me just say, these guys have good taste. But we already knew that, as their wines have reflected their excellent noses for the best vineyards and fruit, and that’s where it all starts. They make no bones about the fact that Rack & Riddle is the source of this Brut, made of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, but they sorted through many samples and trials to get just the product they wanted. Dazzling with fresh strawberry, orange peel and rhubarb, this lively and engaging sparkler already been such a hit, they may not have ordered enough. Asked what they were benchmarking against, Sam and Joe Miller said their target for the price is a cross between Schramsberg and Domaine Chandon.  If you’re looking for a sparkling in the $40 range that drinks like a $65 plus, give this a try. 

Riesling lovers will find the 2022 Dry Riesling from Tondré Grapefield in the Santa Lucia Highlands intriguing, with its bold texture due to fermentation in neutral oak barrels. The honey and apricot aromas and flavors are nicely offset by terrific acidity, kept vibrant as the wine refuses to go through malo. This wine, does, however, want crab quesadillas with Hatch chiles, Bahn Mi or spicy garlic noodles.

 While tasting, I was joined by a mother and daughter team who are Rexford club members. They were out delivering Christmas cookies to the wineries to whose clubs they belong. One liked Chardonnay and the other was not a fan, but the 2019 Chalone Brosseau Chardonnay is just such a different animal, it impressed both. The richness and elegance of this wine are reminiscent of a fine French Burgundy, perhaps a Puligny Montrachet. Barrel-fermented in 50 percent new French, this Chardonnay is second to none in the Rexford lineup, and is a club only wine.

A close second proved the 2019 Monterey County Chardonnay, which is a blend of Brosseau and Escolle fruit, hence the Monterey County designation. Barrel-fermented in neutral oak, this is a serious wine, reflecting the warmth and minerality of the Chalone fruit and the preserved lemon curd flavors of Escolle in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This wine absolutely over delivers in complexity and range of flavors, including pear, butterscotch and apricot, maintaining a lush mouthfeel all the way to the finish.  

We were then joined by another club member, Greg Zack, and his Mom who was visiting from the Midwest for the holidays. Greg and his wife Ava had been early club members at Poetic Cellars and were the first couple married there in 2012. We took a bittersweet moment to share memories of Poetic Cellars winemaker Katy Lovell, who created a special wine label for their wedding: everyone in the room knew her, and it was a truly touching time to recall her touching way of relating to everyone, and her natural ability to create wines that everyone still talks about. 

The Millers then poured two Zinfandels. The first was a new release from Dry Creek, the 2021 Raymond Burr Vineyards Zinfandel. Naturally, that led to an extensive discussion about Perry Mason reruns on MeTV. Celebrities have always been drawn to wine. Dry Creek Zin, especially the older plantings, can come across as Pinot Noir-like in their delicate aromas. This is pure rose petal and pretty red cherry, packing a whole lot of flavor into its red-fisted punch.

In utter contrast was the 2021 Lime Kiln Valley Zinfandel from Gillian Enz Vineyard in San Benito. Powerful stuff, this oozes pure blackberries ripening in the summer sun. It has just that bit of summer road dust as well. If you like classic baked blackberry pie Zin, this might do it. 

I had the chance to try the two new CRU wines from Sarmento Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The 2021 CRU Sarmento Vineyard Chardonnay is classic SLH Chard, with rich aromatics of baked pears, butterscotch, peach cobbler and apricot tart. As is typical of this vineyard, there is taste of pie crust and sweet fruit with a squeeze of Meyer lemon on the palate, along with lemon drizzled almond shortbreads. 

Quite savory with a dark pomegranate core, the 2019 Sarmento Pinot Noir Clone 777 rewards a bit of air, opening with fig, nutmeg, raspberry bars and brown sugar roasted sweet potatoes. The silky, close to velvety texture delivers flavors of rich pomegranate, fig bars, red raspberry and figs poached in red raspberry balsamic with cinnamon stick. The unique signature of this vineyard is its meatiness and depth. 

The very first wine I remember from Sarmento was the 2007 Sequana Pinot Noir made by James MacPhail, who later sold the brand to Hess Collection. The distinctive label depicted the goddess of the river Seine, standing on what appears to be a canoe carved in the shape of a duck.  A most unusual image, very befitting the wine. Again, it’s all about the terroir.