SLO Wine Guy

With a name like “William James” and the gold leaf monogram in the background, you just expect that the winemaker must be a little pretentious. But Jim Porter, the winemaker, is one of the nicest and most down to earth folks that you will meet in the wine business. He is first a farmer, specializing in irrigation systems, and on the side he makes some wine (about 2000 cases total) that would make much snobbier wineries jealous!

Grenache is used in France as blending grape, but here in California, as well is in Australia, we are seeing more and more wines made from Grenache. Its characteristic flavors are raspberry and spice. In this beauty, also look for a bit of warm black cherry. Happily, Grenache, like Pinot Noir, is great with almost anything. The brightness and balance of this wine make it a great food wine. As for me, I’d say a nice peppered steak with herbed potatoes. Drink this one sooner rather than later (that is, within the next two years)– Grenache is best enjoyed while it is still vibrant and fruity.

La Filice 2004 “Convivio” Syrah, Paso Robles

My grandmother laments the relatively recent change of pumpkin pie filling to 100% pumpkin. In the old days, there was just enough squash mixed in to give her pies a bit firmer texture. But the prevailing winds in America demand 100% purity. In like manner, with wines, sometimes it is a good thing to blend! This was one of those times, and the little bit of cab gives this Syrah a much stronger backbone. That said, this is a burly, beasty wine.

Massive structure, and gobs of flavor. The nose hits you with very wild gamy meaty and leathery aromas, with some coffee mixed in there. On the palate, it is very full – tannic, without being rough – and speaks of concentrated dark fruits. This is a wine for very rich foods – beef in a butter cognac sauce or with Gorgonzola butter, smoked pheasant, or a hearty beef stew. Age it for up to ten years.

Yeah, another Pinot post. I have been on a Pinot Noir kick for the last few months, and as aforementioned, it is such a great food wine! Yesterday a tasting group that I am hosting with a friend worked its way to Pinot Noir and Merlot. Needless to say, we started with some great Merlots, then tried the Lindeman’s Pinot Noir (a 2007!) that I used for cooking the Pork Loin with Pinot-Cherry Glaze. Having set the bar low, we then leaped into some very nice wines.

One we tried was Longoria’s 2005 Fe Ciega Pinot Noir. I have thoroughly enjoyed this wine over the past 4 vintages, and it is almost always among my favorite wines. The 2005 vintage (which is the current one) is a stunner. Wine Enthusiast gave it 95 points, and for good reason! It was a delight to drink. Lush, warm, and full on the palate, with great fruit character but also some nice earthy and mocha characteristics. It was good with the pork loin, but exploded (in a good way) when we tried the mushroom risotto. As for aging, I think it would age well for up to five years, but it really doesn’t need it.

A bottle of this one is not cheap ($55-70), but wow is it wonderful!

Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult, but most rewarding grapes from which wine is made. It costs a little more, and sometimes doesn’t reward you for that extra spendiness. But at other times, it more than makes up for it by expressing itself with vivid elegance. One of the other things that happens to be true of Pinot Noir is that it pairs well with just about anything, and more than that, with foods traditionally served at Thanksgiving.

One of my favorite Pinot Noirs these days is a beauty sourced from the Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo, California, and produced by Nicolaysen. These guys (a small family winery) do something you rarely find these days and hold on to the wine for years, letting it age in barrel and in the bottle, so when it finally sees the inside of my glass it is ready to drink. As I understand it, their 2003 Pinot Noir has yet to be bottled. But no matter! The 2002 is fabulous! It was one of the best years for Pinot Noir California has seen, and the age has matured this wine perfectly. Silky, silky, silky…and rich dried cherry mingled with warm spices. And no need to age, though it is not in any danger of becoming too old.

Well, you’ve clicked on my page, and here you are. I expect that you like wine — so do I. Maybe even more than you, but it’s too early to tell.

What should you expect? I try to give honest opinions. If a wine is good, I will rant and rave and go crazy. If a wine is bad, I will not sugarcoat it and tell you the wine is “generous” or “odiferous.” I will tell you that it smells bad, and that I hate it.

My area of real expertise is the wines of the central coast of California, but I love branching out and trying all of the many wonderful wines that the world has to offer. I manage a wine shop, so often, I will be able to order wine for you if you see something you like, but no promises.

In addition to wine reviews, I will share some of the tricks of the trade that I have picked up over the years, such as how to recognize flawed bottles of wine and the ever popular trick of how to store an open bottle for up to a week and a half.

More soon…
Cheers!