The Top 5: January 2023
There’s no such thing as a dry January for a wine lover. Over 50 wines were tasted last month. These are the five that left an indelible memory along with some tasting notes and a little story on each.
Torrin senechal 2019 ($96)
Somehow, someway, membership in the Torrin wine club is still open. But, with low yields in 2020, 2021 and 2022, don’t expect it to remain that way for long.
For access to wines like Senechal, a 76% grenache, 24% graciano blend that is an absolute masterpiece, get in the six-bottle club before it closes. Once it does, it’s expected to remain that way until 2026.
The 2019 Senechal captured the essence of Paso Robles’ Templeton Gap; big, bold wines with black fruits like plum and blackberry. The charm comes from the acidity that keeps the flavors juicy. There’s also salty cured meats, rosemary and sage notes on the finish that make this wine the total package and the most notable bottle opened in January 2023.
La jota, napa valley, howell mountain cabernet sauvignon 2019 ($175)
Chris Carpenter has been in the wine game so long, the world is dotted with his former interns that are now winemakers. It’s a humble, pay it forward mentality the affable in which the veteran winemaker has thrived.
“I’m thrilled to have been able to influence hundreds of people that have worked for me over the years,” Carpenter said. “In some major wine region someone that interned with me is making an impact at their winery and their vineyard.
“Winemaking is so many different things. A business. A science. An aspect of art. It’s also a craft. As most great craft people tell you, you learn from learning from other people who have done it for a while. I’ve had the great privilege of people working for me that I hope to have influence on and inspire. At the same time, I’ve learned a lot from my interns.
“I depend on them. I can point on a dozen different things done by an intern making a suggestion.”
As his “intern family tree” continues its global expansion, Carpenter, at home in the high elevation vineyards of Jackson Family Wines continued to turn out amazing wines. The 2019 La Jota Howell Mountain had plum, blackberry, toasted coffee bean and was elegantly structured with silky tannins that allow the fruit flavors flow right over them. It’s a wine with plenty of years left in the cellar, yet so tasty right now.
A former intern from Italy asked if he’d be remembered by Carpenter when his stint in California was over.
“I told him, ‘you have distinguished yourself with question after question everyday. Those are the people I remember, the ones that are intensely curious. The ones that want the opportunity to learn.”
Matanzas creek, sonoma county “journey,” 2012 ($90)
Worth the wait, this Bordeaux blend focused on merlot from Sonoma County had reached a very nice maturation point.
A medium to full bodied red where time had softened the texture and there were plum and blueberry pie flavors that had had risen to the forefront.
When tasted in 2017, the powerfully built Journey had more dark chocolate flavors. But, time had pulled away those layers and an elegantly-smooth mouthfeel framed the blue-fruit flavors which were now revealed.
Bodegas borsao, tres picos 2019 ($19.99)
The bargain of the new year at less than $20 is a medium to full bodied Spanish garnacha that hails from Borsao vineyards of which 40% are between 30 and 50 years old.
A sweet spot in their life cycle according to General Manager Iñigo Alberto.
“Garnacha becomes wise, just like people,” Alberto said. “You have to have some age 35 to 45 years old to produce just right.”
Tres Picos was just right, medium to full bodied with both black and red fruits, think about black cherry and blackberry, along with sated red meat and wild game flavors.
“You can’t produce grapes like anywhere else,” Alberto said. “You have to keep your roots and heritage. This is what makes our garnacha very different. We have small berries that have very loose clusters with very low yields. But in the end it’s important to keep the personality in what you do with the wine. You have your own secrets, your book, your recipe but have to be open to new ideas.”
Parabellum, Columbia Valley, Coulé 2018 ($44)
Opened on the last day of January, this Washington state red was a blend of 90% syrah and 10% mourvedre. Full bodied with blackberry, plum, stone and mint flavors with a hint of smoky oak, the wine hails from the team behind Force Majure.