Cuvaison pours a rockin’ lineup of chardonnays

Chances are if you have any interest in wine you can drop into any wine tasting room or wine bar and start chatting with the owner server or another patron and hurriedly discover you know someone in common It s what makes the industry a strong tribe A fresh visit to Carneros a must for lovers of classic pinot noir chardonnay sparkling and increasingly albarino took us to Cuvaison where we met with CEO Dan Zepponi who grew up in the wine industry His grandfather is the Z in ZD Winery one of wineries in Napa that date back years ago Related Articles Berkeley examination of wildfire exposure adds to dispute over Sonoma County s Ag Pass activity for farmworkers MOHI Food Wine Festival returns for second year Napa Valley s Rutherford Hill offers elevated wine tastings literally Escape to California s largest wine country Top Sonoma County wines revealed at Harvest Fair gala Zepponi has worked at Beringer Foster s Wine Estate Mark Anthony in Okanagan BC where Mike s Hard Lemonade and White Claw originated among others and took over Cuvaison and sister brand Brandlin Estate nine years ago He s been replanting vigorously to replace pinot noir that contracted a virus and to add the Sancerre clone of sauvignon blanc which makes their Brandlin Estate SB from Mt Veeder such a gem Steve Rogstad who s been Cuvaison s winemaker since make it in specially treated cigar-shaped barrels that are steam bent to eschew the toasty caramel of the new wood Everyone has chardonnay but this sauv blanc is in the perfect spot to get ripe enough to avoid pyrazines while maintaining just enough acid Zepponi mentioned We veritably pick it after our pinot noir Generally sauvignon blanc is one of the first grapes brought in during harvest to capture its freshness and before acid drops In cool vintages this can upshot in several green vegetal notes Over tastes of the Cuvaison Brut Cuvee made with the help of sparkling wine house Domaine Carneros with whom they share views of the same grape-covered hillsides Zepponi recounted me we had a friend in common I played in a band with Tres Goetting he revealed referring to the former Ridge winemaker who briefly took over from Eric Baugher before being replaced himself Goetting plays bass and Zepponi lead guitar in the band Silverado Pickup who primarily play for charity auctions They ve also opened for Leon Russell at Bottle Rock Speaking of rocking Rogstad really rocked it with the entire Cuvaison lineup of chardonnays which range from barrel-fermented to those done in concrete barrels The Cuvaison Kite Tail Chardonnay is made in the Chablis style from old Wente clone vines very reflective of the wild grass-covered hills of Carneros We enjoyed the Debut Cru Pinot Noir the merlot and the Brandlin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon whose tannins are smoothed by warming the cellar to form longer tannin chains earlier in the aging process resulting in a silkier mouthfeel Speaking of cabernet sauvignon Premier Cruz the annual tasting of Santa Cruz Mountains cabernet is coming up Nov - p m at the Lexington Hills Estate and Winery in the Los Gatos hills This strolling salon features current and library vintages from -plus local producers alongside savory pairings from Oak and Rye showcasing the tremendous age-worthiness of wines from this renowned terroir Since the late s the Santa Cruz Mountains has been recognized as a premium cabernet-producing region when local winegrowers began to win acclaim in national and international competitions At the Judgment of Paris in one of the wines chosen to represent California was Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Cabernet from the Santa Cruz Mountains The tasting was repeated in with the same vintages and the Ridge Monte Bello was judged the top-rated wine But Ridge is not alone here You have Burrell School classic Old School Cab and flagship Valedictorian Cooper Garrod Vineyards piney intense cab francs House Family smooth cabs Mount Eden legendary mountain might Kings Mountain Vineyards meritage that taste like French Bordeaux Kathryn Kennedy Winery the Small Lot and Lateral consistently aim to please Lexington Wine Company from Gist Ranch Maison Aerion made by an actual Frenchman Martin Ranch accessible yet well-built Silver Mountain Vineyards O Brien s Alloy is pure gold Storrs Winery excellent Bates Ranch Cab Vidovich Vineyards endurance runner and Wrights Station Winery spicy cab franc from Lago Lomita Vineyards Tickets are at http bit ly e dxy Discover the story behind the vines at Mount Eden Vineyards at the Saratoga Foothill Club s first society event of the season On Sunday Nov - p m enjoy a special screening of Eden an award-winning documentary exploring legacy and craftsmanship in Santa Cruz Mountain winemaking followed by a Q A with director Chris McGilvray For tickets and more information visit saratogafoothillclub org public-events Winston s Champagne Bar is now open in downtown Los Gatos on Santa Cruz Avenue Run by proprietor Melanie Bauer Winston s is open for business Wednesday-Thursday p m Friday-Saturday - p m and Sunday - p m winstonchampagnebar com Further south Paso Robles now has tasting rooms in the downtown area including Justin Tudor LXV Art of the Vineyard Carmody McKnight tasting gallery and more The Paso Wine Walk set For Nov - p m includes wineries like Cordant Cypher Indigene Mid Point and Derby Wine Estates and Rockbound Tickets are at http bit ly Lb Gmq