Brutocao Cellars - 2006 Zinfandel Port & Their Wine Club

The 2006 Zinfandel Port closes out the week on releases from Brutucao Cellars I'm covering at this time. However, considering how impressed I am with the wines from this producer, I expect I'll cover other releases from them in the future. They're also on my short list of wineries to visit on my next trip to California. Before I get to the Zinfandel Port though I thought I'd mention a couple of things about their wine club. Every wine club has it's perks and benefits. Brutocao Cellars has one that seems unique. With a small membership fee when you join they give you a 3 liter bottle of wine. It's worth noting that age-worthy wines tend to do even better in large format bottles. Of course their wine club also includes the normal discounts and free tastings most clubs feature too. Tours at the winery are also free to members. It's my understanding that they have a pretty large and active membership that's growing all the time. Their wines are already reasonably priced in my opinion, add a wine club discount on top of that and you're looking at some real bargains. Check the wine-club specifics out at their web-page, which is very well laid out and informative.

The 2006 Brutocao Cellars Zinfandel Port leads with a nose full of berry and mocha notes. The moment this Port hits your lips you get sweet candied black cherry that carries on all the way through the finish. The mid palate features more berry and cherry fruit as well as some spice. The finish, which carries on for a nice long while features fruitcake notes and lingering mocha characteristics. This Zinfandel Port is smooth and silky and doesn't drink hot at all as some Zin Ports have a tendency to.

I found this wine to be a perfect match for chocolate covered cherries. But it would also go well with dark chocolate, plum pudding or a host of other desserts. The other alternative is to make this Port the dessert and let it shine on it's own. 540 cases were made and it's available in both 375 ml and 750 ml bottles at $20 or $34 respectively. A 375 ml bottle is the perfect size to share with a couple of other people.

As I've stated throughout this week, Brutocao Cellars is making well balanced, food friendly wines. This is definitely a producer whose wines I'd urge my readers to seek out.

 Coming up this week: Releases from Edna Valley Vineyards as well as Mollydooker. 

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Brutocao Cellars - 2004 Syrah - Feliz Vineyard Select

One of the things that struck me when I first tasted Brutocao Cellars wines and has continued to impress me as I have tasted through a number of selections this week is their approach to each varietal or blend of varietals. It's apparent drinking their wines that they strive to make them in a style true to each grapes origin. In the case of the Syrah I'm looking at today it's ancestral home is of course the Rhone. Wines from there tend to be better balanced and more food friendly than Syrahs from other regions. A mere 690 cases of this vineyard select 2004 Syrah was bottled. The retail price for this wine is $25. It was bottled unfiltered.

Brutocao Cellars 2004 Syrah has an immense nose of raspberry, cedar and spice which is underscored by hints of bacon fat. A tremendous amount of white pepper tingles the tongue as soon as you take the first sip and you're hit with that and more berry fruit. That's followed by copious smoky notes that linger lavishly through the finish which also features mocha notes and more dark berry fruit accented by a hint of plum.

There is good acidity present in this wine. As with each of the Brutocao Cellars releases I've sampled it's an impeccably well balanced wine meant for complementing a meal. The use of oak is detectable but well in check. It never takes attention away from the fruit. That said, the Brutocao Cellars Syrah is a a pretty big, mouthfilling wine that packs a wallop in terms of flavor.

The Brutocao Cellars wines are elegant enough for a special occassion, yet priced reasonably enough that you don't need to wait for a special occassion to bust one open.

Coming Tomorrow: Brutocao Cellars Zinfandel Port 

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Brutocao Cellars - 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

Brutocao Cellars makes a couple of  different Cabernet Sauvignon releases. Today I'm looking at their 2005 Hopland Ranches release which is their largest production Cabernet Sauvignon. 900 cases of this wine were produced. 15% of the wine spent 20 months in new oak. The wine was bottled fined but unfiltered. The retail price is $22. The nose of this Brutocao Cellars Cabernet is huge with significant cloves, cedar and oak notes coming out immediately. Taking the first sip you're hit with an avalanche of bright cherry fruit that carries through the rich and mouth-filling mid palate. Earth, spice, and mushroom are also present and stay with you through the finish which also features a touch of licorice and candied cherry. Throughout this wine pepper notes abound.

Soft tannins are present bu for a 2005 Cabernet this wine is incredibly smooth. It's drinking very well now and my initial impression is that this one was built to drink in it's youth.  That said, this wine changed so much and so many times in my glass over the course of an evening that it may have some evolution in the bottle ahead of it.

What impresses me most about this bottle of wine is how drinkable it is right now for a Cabernet this young and in this price range. As with the other wines from Brutocao Cellars I have looked at this Cabernet is made to go with food. It's silky enough that it'll pair with a wide array of things. Grilled meats and hard cheeses are just a couple of options. Enjoy it slowly and watch in evolve.

Coming Tomorrow: Brutocao Cellars 2004 Syrah, Feliz Vineyard Select

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Brutocao Cellars - Quadriga - 2005

Quadriga is the third releases from Brutocao Cellars I'm looking at this week. Considering the Italian heritage that is a huge part of the winery's history it's not surprising that Italian varietals play a sizeable role in their portfolio. They make another blend in addition to this one as well as several stand alone varietals. Quadriga is a blend of Sangiovese, Primitivo, Barbera and Dolcetto. Just under 1,200 cases were produced and it was bottled unfiltered. The retail price on this wine is $24.

Dried cherry, cedar, tobacco and leather fill the nose of Quadriga. A terrific earthiness is immediately apparent with the first sips of this wine. The mid palate is dominated by spice and sour cherry notes. A potpourri of white and black pepper, earthiness and black cherry are all part of the finish which is substantial in length.

Quadriga is somewhere between a medium and full bodied wine. It features excellent acidity and is terrific to drink on it's own as well as with food. I had it with Beef Stroganoff, but it would also be a great match for a dish of pasta.

In a lot of ways Quadriga reminds me of a traditional field blend. It's an easy drinking wine that has more than enough complexity to keep pulling you back in for another sip, another glass and yes probably a second bottle. At $24 this is another excellent value from Brutocao Cellars. I'd expect this wine to age nicely for the next 5 or 6 years at minimum, and drink well for a couple after that. If you like Italian varietals, this is a good wine to grab a few bottles of.

Up next: Brutocao Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon 

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Brutocao Cellars - 2005 Zinfandel & Personal Vineyards Program

Today I'll be looking Brutocao Cellars 2005 Hopland Ranches Zinfandel. But before getting to that I want to mention a fairly unique program that Brutocao Cellars runs in addition to their world class winery. Personal Vineyards is aimed at those wine lovers who want to become involved in the process. It's a scaleable club that allows you to base your participation in wine-making at a level of commitment that you're comfortable with. After joining you might choose to get down and dirty in every step of the winemaking process or you might just make a few key decisions about your wine. Specific vines will be assigned to you based on the varietals you choose. Ultimately the grapes from those vines will be used to make 16 cases of wine that bear a label you have the ability to design yourself. If you're a wine lover you'll not only gain hands on experience with one of your passions, you'll also have a tangible result in the form of wine you can enjoy for years to come and share with friends and family. The Personal Vineyards website has much more detailed information. You can also contact Leslie Bramwell-Smith the Executive Director of this program by e-mail, leslie@personalvineyards.com or phone 1-866-530-4567. As mentioned, today's wine is their 2005 Zinfandel. The fruit was sourced from  two separate blocks on their Hopland Ranches Estate. 18% of the wine spent 16 months in new oak. 1850 cases of this Zinfandel were produced and the suggested retail price is $22.

The Brutocao Cellars Zinfandel has a huge nose of jammy candied blackberries, black pepper and subtle mocha notes. This is followed by a mid palate with more dark berry fruit. The finish which maintains the dark fruit also features tingly white pepper and earth character. The Brutocao Zinfandel is big, ripe and in your face, but it also has sufficient acidity and balance to make it a wine you can enjoy with a meal. This zinfandel would be an excellent choice with grilled meats, particularly a rack of baby-back ribs.

For close to 10 years, one of my favorite Zinfandel's year in and year out has been Cosentino's CigarZin. So it's certainly a compliment when I say that the 2005 Brutocao Cellars Zinfanel reminds me of CigarZin. As of this writing Brutocao Cellars has also released the 2006 Hopland Ranches Zinfandel. Production in 2006 was just over 3300 cases making it their largest single varietal bottling to date.  Considering the total production for Brutocao Cellars is 12,000 they're clearly vested in this great varietal.

Two days and wines into my week long coverage of Brutocao Cellars, the story of their wines is emerging. These are appealing, food friendly wines which are also fairly priced.

Up Next from Brutocao Cellars: Quadriga, a blend of four Italian Varietals

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Brutocao Cellars - 2005 Chardonnay Riserva d' Argento

Back in January at the Sun Wine Fest I tasted many excellent wines. Several of the standout wineries of the weekend were from areas in California that aren't always on the tip of peoples tongues when they think of picking up a  bottle. In this case, the winery is Brutocao Cellars and the area is Mendocino County. Often times wines from these areas provide better values than the better known regions. During this week I'll post my impressions of six releases from Brutocao Cellars. In addition to that I'll touch on some other aspects of what Brutocao Cellars is all about. 425 cases of the 2005 Chardonnay Riserva d'  Argento were produced. It was barrel fermented in French Oak. The retail price is $25.

Tropical fruit, vanilla spice and an undercurrent of green apple are all present in the nose of this 2005 Chardonnay. The first sip reveals creme brulee notes that are underpinned by toasty oak that is ever-present but does not detract from the fruit. The mod-palate is rich, creamy and opulent. The Risvera d' Argento's finish is long and lingering. Spice notes dance on the tongue along with some mineral notes at the wine comes to a close.

My taste in Chardonnay runs towards those made in a Chablis style. I'm happy to say that this release from Brutocao Cellars reminds me more of the wines of Chablis than it does typical California Chardonnay. The Brutocao 2005 Riserva d' Argento Chardonnay does have plenty of oak on it. But it's used in a restrained manner that enhances the fruit rather than overwhelming it. As such it's a wine that's made to serve with food. Oven roasted chicken would be a perfect accompaniment.

While there are many Chardonnays you could buy in the $25 price-range, I have only found a handful that offer the sort of complexity this one does in that price bracket. That makes this a wine that is well worth it's retail price. I'd bet it has a couple more years of enjoyable drinking ahead of it.

Up Next: Brutocao Cellars Zinfandel

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