July 29, 2022 – And that element would be 79, which, if you consult the periodic table, happens to be none other than Gold (symbol AU). I recall when I was recruited to California from the East Coast to work in Silicon Valley, one of the sharp marketing people at the company where I worked had a vanity license plate that read: SI2AU.
Overhauser, a longtime resident of Carmel, was a fixture at Wrath before going to Hahn, with his longtime friend Bill Legion. They knew it had great potential to be a stunning hospitality spot. I have many fond memories of Hahn events featuring Overhauser’s amazing food and wine pairings. Chef even started a line of wines he made with Paul Clifton, called Chef’s Table. Picked earlier and done with minimal oak, they were meant to pair with food, among them an outstanding Pinot Gris and a Pinot Noir Blanc, which was the bomb.
When Bill Legion departed Hahn, Overhauser left also, and went to Jamieson Ranch on the outskirts of Napa, where he discovered that the owners were basically spending money that didn’t exist. Thereafter, he relocated to the Sacramento area and began working for Scott and Jana Harvey in Plymouth. He had just launched a culinary program to compliment Harvey’s legendary old vine Zins and Barberas when the pandemic hit.
So here we all are in reset mode. Overhauser is now the Estate Manager at a gorgeous piece of property owned by a delightful couple from North Dakota who have an insurance background that has more than paid off.
Les and Sharon Heinsen now own a 77-acre El Dorado County parcel in Fair Play, planted to Viognier, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petite Sirah. They retired to Fair Play after 38 years in the biz, and are definitely mining some new gold in these foothills.
Their tasting room, or should I say hospitality center, is striking but not ostentatious, using all reclaimed barn wood and industrial lighting tempered with little gleams of gold here and there.
I visited Brian last weekend at Element 79 with some friends who live down the road in Somerset and were delighted to sample the amazing food he and his staff are putting out. We were also very delighted by the mister system they have built into the railing that surrounds the deck overlooking the vines, so you can spritz yourself on those triple digit days.
My new friend Staci, who has a truffle orchard in Placerville, also joined us and brought chef some summer truffles, which we were all fascinated by, but that is another story for anther time.
The first wine we tasted was served in delightful little flutes, but it came out of a can. It happened to be sparkling rosé of Zinfandel, and let’s just say it was a hit. Called Color, the 375mm can has pretty pastel stripes and looks like a $10 good time if ever there was one. Overhauser served this with a breadstick wrapped with prosciutto, a very nice bite to begin. The wines are all made by UC Davis trained winemaker, Scott Johnson, who also makes beer at Solid Ground. He’s also the winemaker at Perry Creek.
A second sparkling, also in can, is a hopped Viognier, which smells like flower garden meets pot farm, and tastes pretty similar, with lots of floral and perfumey notes, hopped up with beerish notes and a hint of green herb. Not my jam, but it was darn fine with the clever little tube of olive that doubled as a skewer holding a tiny bit of compressed tomato, mozzarella and basil. A fun bite and pairing.
The next wine was called Rare Earth, a 50/50 blend of Syrah and Viognier, which was perfumey and earthy at the same time, with a round and almost viscous texture, a good match with the Skuna Bay salmon with curry and pea salsa atop pita, a very grounded, complex dish that delivered new flavors with every bite.
Chef Overhauser really showed off with the final pairing, a quattro fromaggio with tomato sauce baked in a fresh grape leaf, of which every vineyard has plenty when it’s time to trim the canopy at veraison. The wine pairing here was the 2018 Alloy blend, a mashup of Zin, Cab, Syrah and Petite Sirah, bold yet smooth and very accommodating of the tangy sauce and vibrant melty personalities of the four cheeses forced to share that grape leaf. Dolmas never tasted this yummy!
After our feast, and a wonderful cheese and charcuterie board ordered from the Element 79 kitchen by our friends Holger and Tiffany (they know how to live large, believe me), we climbed into the quad and went on an adventure ride through vines, then forest, then back to vines. It’s a spectacular sight to behold the Sierras off in the distance, surrounded by vineyards and magnificent oaks. We paused underneath the most majestic oak in a flat spot overlooking the Petite Sirah.
Brian told us this is the spot they hope to build the Club deck, complete with outdoor kitchen. It was easy to imagine sitting here of a balmy evening, feeling the heat retreat from the nutmeg colored hillsides, waiting for the westerlies to materialize, while cracking a can of sparkling Zin. This is precisely what cans are for.
Overhauser is happier than I’ve seen him in years. This place has all manner of possibilities. Although you can see structures on the vineyard parcel to the southwest of the uppermost knoll, it feels like miles from civilization, and it is. The adjacent parcel is occupied by a herd of goats who really were not that interested in us, especially since we didn’t offer them a drink. But just as we were about to leave, several cows with their young calves got wind of visitors, and came trotting up excitedly to bellow their greeting. It’s always good to meet the neighbors.
This will be a spot where you can literally party until the cows come home.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
