Actually, Jed Steele WAS the show at the “Intimate Tasting With The Wine Maker” event as the featured guest. I have supported and been a fan of Steele wines including the Shooting Star and Writer’s Block labels for a long time.
The Steele winery is located in Lake County which is north of Napa County and east of Mendocino County. Home to around twenty-five wineries this area is back woods compared to Napa or Sonoma. It is here in 1991 that Jed started Steele Wines. It seems like longer then that, that I met him for the first time at the Duck Soup Inn restaurant at a meet and greet event. I fell in love with his wines back then, and still find them to be great values of high quality. So it seemed natural to have him at one of my tasting events.
It was a nice crowd and a fun event as Jed shared with us his personal history in wine making and some of his feelings on the subject. Jed covered many of the aspects of wine making and went over each of the wines that we enjoyed. I would like to take just a few paragraphs to go over the wines that we tasted.
We started off with the 2010 Shooting Star Aligote. Sourced from Washington State fruit, Steele is the second winery to begin producing aligote as a sole varietal. Jed pointed out that this wine was considered a peasants wine in Burgundy back in the day. However, I think I can speak for everyone in attendance that this white went well beyond the “Peasant” category. Vibrant on the palate with zippy tropical fruit notes that danced in the mouth. A perfect white for mussels, clams or oysters, this was far and away the favorite white of the night.
The second white we poured was a personal request of mine. 2010 Steele Viognier Lake County, California. I love this viognier because it has great balance between fruit and acidity. Fragrant but not overly perfumed it displays delicious notes of apricots, peaches and tangerines. Nice weight on the palate yet it finishes dry. The audience asked what it could pair with, and I think it would be excellent with mussels, clams or Asian fare. Saute your clams in this viognier and then have a glass with the end product. You may just die and go to heaven.
Next on the list of whites was the 2009 Steele Cuvee Chardonnay California. The grapes are sourced from several vineyards thus the “cuvee” monicker. I think a lot of the folks were pleasantly surprised by this chard. Excellent balance of fruit and oak with notes of pear, pineapple and a kiss of toast. Jed has come a long way with this effort, and I can remember back when this chardonnay was practically liquid lumber. Of course, a few years ago, heavily oaked chardonnay was all the rage. This chard strikes a nice balance, and many were sold on it.
It was now time to move onto something with a little color to it. We poured the 2011 Steele Cabernet Franc Rose Lake County, California. Jed has produced a rose of and on in his career depending on demand. He has now found a favorite grape to make rose with… Cabernet Franc. He helped the audience understand the method for making rose that many wine makers employ called the saignee` method, in which juice is bled off during maceration giving it the light red hue and leaving the rest of the juice for a more concentrated cabernet franc.
The finished product is absolutely delicious. Notes of strawberries, rhubarb and raspberry come through on the nose and palate. Nice acidity drives the flavors into a mouthwatering finish. This is no wimpy rose and lends itself well for food. Ham, pork or even pizza would match up nicely with this effort. Rose is still a tough sell in my store, but I am working hard at converting as many as possible over to this versatile wine. Many in the audience expressed their delight for this wine.
We now moved on to the reds and one of the more interesting wines that Jed produces. 2010 Shooting Star Blaufrankisch (Blue Franc) Washington State. Most of us Washingtonians know this wine as lemberger. However, Jed prefers the blaufrankisch designation that was only allowed by the government a few years ago. Blaufrankisch is the Austrian name of the same grape the Germans call lemberger. The Austrians produce some outstanding red from this grape, whereas as Jed pointed out, the Germans do not put a lot of effort into their lembergers.
So, blaufrankisch it is! This is a gutsy little red with nice raspberry, spice and cherry notes. The tannins are structured but approachable making this a wine that will hold for a few years. I was not surprised at the response to this wine… Many took advantage of the great price offered and ordered some for themselves.
The 2009 Writer’s Block Cabernet Franc Lake County, California was next up. Jed pointed out that his son Quincy Steele has taken the reigns on this label as the wine maker, but Jed helps in the blending. This is one of my top selling cabernet francs at the store not only because it roles in at fifteen bucks, but it is damn good juice. Some of the cab francs on the market are asking an obscene price for such an obscure varietal. (Obscure that is, to the average consumer) This cabernet franc strikes a nice balance between old and new world styles in wine. Nice dark fruits come through backed by some nice earthy notes and good structure. Very approachable and layered. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a better deal in domestic cab franc on the market.
Jed & Quincy also produce a Malbec under the Writer’s Block label and that is what we poured next. 2009 Writer’s Block Malbec Lake County, California. Wow, did this malbec have some muscle to it. Unlike it’s much softer Argentinian cousins, this malbec seriously needs some time in the bottle. Big tannic structure backed by tobacco leaf and boysenberry notes, this wine screams for a grilled steak or some bbq spareribs. If you have the patience to wait, this wine will be at it’s best in 5-10 years… No kidding! Again, the price is right rolling in at fifteen bucks. Jed let us know that it might get more expensive in a couple of years since the farmer raised the price of his grapes substantially. Get your hands on some of this and put it away for a few years… It will be a treat when you open it.
Now came the big hit of the night overall. The 2008 Steele “Pacini Vineyards” Zinfandel Mendocino County, California. I think it is safe to say that Jed likes zinfandel. He produces several different vineyard designate zins under the Steele label and a zin under the Shooting Star and Writer’s Block labels. His zins are expressive and structured, never going into the goopy, jammy arena. Everyone loved this zin (Or at least most of the crowd). Nice black raspberry and anise notes with hits of vanilla and mocha coming through. Hints of white pepper come through on a long finish. I have to say that this is not my personal favorite of Jed’s zins but I still like it a lot. Who cares anyway, the crowd loved it to the tune of ordering almost eight cases of it at the event. The top seller, hands down.
Now came one of my personal favorites in red from Jed. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) 2008 Steele “Red Hills” Cabernet Sauvignon lake County, California. Jed spent a little time talking about the excellent soil composition where these cabernet sauvignon grapes are grown. A lot of vocanic soil with what they call black glass deposits help to give the grapes an interesting flavor profile. Terroir has a huge influence on this wine. Notes of dusty minerals come through on the nose backed by aromas of plums, cherries and some nice spices including nutmeg. Bright and structured on the palate with notes of dark cherries, blackberries and a nice minerality on the long finish. Structured tannins with a little tannic grip on the backside. Serious cab that is approachable now and will age nicely over the next 5-8 years. Sorry about the expressive notes, but I love this cab!
Last but certainly not least on the list of wines was the 2006 Steele “Stymie” Merlot Founder’s Reserve Lake County, California. In honor of his father, Jed named this merlot after his father’s favorite race horse, Stymie. Jed spent a little time talking about the demise of merlot in our country and why that is a shame. When merlot became a big hit in the late eighties, many wineries jumped on the bandwagon producing insipid examples of this varietal. Then the movie “SideWays” came out, punctuating the feeling about merlot. However, as Jed pointed out, many of the greatest wines in the world are merlot including the much heralded Petrus.
That being said, the crowd was treated to this outstanding effort. Dense and delicious would be the best way to sum this one up. It reminded me a little of an Amarone with its concentrated black currant flavors backed by leather and tobacco leaf. The tannins are smooth and elegant. This wine has a seemingly endless finish. Despite the higher price point of over thirty bucks many were moved to order a few bottles if not a case. In terms of dollars spent, this was the top dog!
If you have not had a chance to taste some of Jed’s wines, I encourage you to seek them out. Steele, Shooting Star & Writer’s Block (Quincy Steele) are both excellent wines and top notch values. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
