Wines I'm drinking: 2008 Château Ballan-Larquette Bordeaux Blanc, 2009 Bordeaux Rosé

I recently reviewed the 2007 Château Ballan-Larquette Bordeaux in these pages. Yesterday I found a 2008 Bordeaux Blanc and a 2009 Bordeaux Rosé from the same Château, again at Beverages and More, and decided to give them a try. Tasting notes follow.

2008 Château Ballan-Larquette Bordeaux Blanc--a classic Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend. The wine was a very pale straw color with a fresh, yeasty, oaky nose that also had hints of pear blossom and later lemons and perhaps limes as well. Nice, appetizing scent. Clean, dry, and correct on the palate, but very light in body, of only moderate length, and ultimately fairly bland. There were some lingering woody hints on the finish. Good acidity. Not nuanced, but refreshing. Simple, grapey flavors. Crisp, but not distinctive in any way. I would call this the least successful of the three Château Ballan-Larquette wines I tasted. I don't think I'd go out of my way to buy this again. Having said that, this is the kind of wine that is excellent with strongly flavored or spicy Asian foods--Thai, Chinese, Korean, Japanese. On sale for $8.99 a bottle at Beverages and More (regularly $9.99 at that store, about $14.99 elsewhere).  


2009 Château Ballan-Larquette Bordeaux Rosé. The best of the three wines in my view. A rosé of classic Bordeaux grapes--Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, it was a very pretty coral pink. Pink wines always look wonderful in a sweating glass. Very attractive nose, but hard to pin down--something floral (but what?), something fruity (raspberries, perhaps?). Later the fruit seemed more suggestive of strawberries. Later, it tasted like strawberries when--and this was rather surprising--tasted along with a good Munster (the stinky soft cheese from Alsace, not Kraft slices). On the palate it was suggestive of honey, but subtly sweet--sweet with fruit, not the sweetness of residual sugar. It was in fact quite dry for a rosé, well balanced with acidity, and taut--not at all cloying. There was a maple-like flavor component--but, again, I don't mean to suggest the sweetness of syrup. Overall, the impression was one of crispness--as it should be in this sort of wine. Longer finish than the white, more body, more flavor, with a good, slightly tannic, slightly bitter finish. Tasty everyday wine for summer quaffing. On sale for $8.99 a bottle at Beverages and More (regularly $9.99 at that store, about $14.99 elsewhere). Recommended at the Beverages and More sale price. 

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Peruvian Verbena, Salvia Cacalifolia, (2010)

First blooms yesterday, May 11, on the Peruvian verbena in the garden. I love the this tall, sturdy plant (Verbena bonariensis) that puts up with just about anything. It can grow to over six feet tall--taller than me. It's an ideal plant in many ways--it's carefree, doesn't need a lot of water, easy to root from cuttings, self-sowing, and pretty. Peruvian verbena bloomed on April 21 in 2009, considerably earlier than this year. A year according to this plant was thus 386 days.

Salvia cacalifolia also bloomed today (May 12). This is a pretty blue salvia that dies back with the frost each year but always makes a strong comeback. This plant bloomed on May 9 in 2009, for a year of 369 days.

Pyracantha also bloomed today, as did Silene dioica, or red campion--although the flowers are more pink than red. I don't have older records for either plant and I can't remember the Pyracantha variety, although I remember that the one in the garden here is unusual--rather different from the type with bright orange berries that is common around town.

Wines I'm Making: Sulfur Spraying (May 11. 2010)

Following heavy rains on May 9 and 10, I had to spray the vines with sulfur again. I used a brand new sprayer with a bigger capacity (3 gallons) than my old one, which allowed me to do the whole vineyard with a single tank--much more efficient. Now, let's hope it doesn't rain again for a while....

Music I'm Listening To: Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic

I enjoyed an excellent concert last night in San Francisco at Davies Symphony Hall with Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The program was a simple one--City Noir, by John Adams, and Mahler's Symphony No. 1--although an extremely appreciative audience also got an encore that I believe to have been the Intermezzo from Act III of Puccini's Manon Lescaut, with some excellent solo passages for cello and viola. (I'm always rooting for the viola players of the world; I love the sound of the viola.)

City Noir was unfamiliar. That's not surprising, I suppose, as it's a new work (its first performance was in early October 2009). It's one of three pieces the composer has written about "the California experience, its landscape, and its culture," according to Adams in the program notes--this piece written in celebration of the city of Los Angeles in the spirit of film noir. It is, in fact, reminiscent of film scores of the 40s and 50s in places, although I wonder how much of that is attributable to the power of suggestion. It's sometimes brash and jazzy, sometimes slinky, sexy, and moody, but nearly always it has an irresistible nervous energy. I enjoyed this very much. I kept imagining black and white street scenes starkly lit, with Robert Mitchum lurking in a dark corner, obscured by a billow of cigarette smoke. The score was notable for a six-man percussion section, two harps, a sizzling alto sax, and some wonderful trombone playing. The entire orchestra was extraordinary, actually--focused, crisp, and astonishingly responsive to the conductor. The sound was excellent, too. I was somewhat off to the left this time (from the perspective of the audience, in seat CC 5). Maybe the dead spot I've experienced at Davies Symphony Hall is mostly in the middle section of what they call "upper orchestra?" Hmmm....an ongoing investigation.

[Update (December 11, 2010): See my comment on last night's concert for more about the Davies Symphony Hall dead spot.]

With one reservation, the Mahler was wonderful. I have three recordings of this piece--Solti and the Chicago Symphony on CD (London F35L-50050), Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic (Columbia Masterworks MS 7069), and Erich Leinsdorf and the Boston Symphony (RCA Victor Red Seal LM-2642), both on LP. The Leinsdorf recording has always been my favorite (in part because of the absolutely beautiful suit Leinsdorf is wearing in the cover photo--OK, that's not the best reason, but that suit is beautiful).

The performance last night was rather different from what I'm used to. Dudamel chose a very slow tempo. I think this worked against Mahler in the first movement. The opening, with its sustained notes, is already quite slow and the music seemed to lack focus as a result of the excessively languorous pace (and a restless audience didn't help). The remaining three movements, however, were highly persuasive. Again the conductor took what seemed to me some rather broad liberties with the tempo--this time not just slow overall, but using rubato liberally--stealing here, giving back there. Dudamel's reading was idiosyncratic, but it worked. He milked the score for every drop of expressiveness. Again the playing was startlingly crisp and together--the members of each section absolutely perfect in their unison--the kind of playing that gives you goosebumps, the kind of playing that can elicit involuntary giggling--unbridled joy. This is live music at its best. Dudamel clearly has something special. It was a privilege to hear the orchestra, despite the somewhat less successful first movement. The audience appeared nearly unanimous in its approval, rewarding the players and their leader with a standing ovation that lasted several minutes.

Fashion Note: Gustavo needs to talk to his tailor--His attire was cut very long in the back, in a way that seemed to accentuate his rather short stature. The opposite effect presumably would be more desirable.

(Photo of Gustavo Dudamel courtesy of the San Francisco Symphony. Photo by Mathias Bothor.)

Tidbits: RIP--Lena Horne

Lena Horne died today. She was 92. A great singer, a great fighter.

Found Art: Inlaid Metal Numbers (May 9, 2010)

I love the metal numbers embedded in the floor of the San Francisco Ferry Building. Shiny, set against the scratched and marked floor, they are like jewels. Beautiful.

Rain: Violent Downpour (May 9-10, 2010)

A violent downpour this morning--just after I had finished thinning the shoots on the Cabernet vines--added yet another 0.60 inches of rain to our 2009-2010 total, which is now 31.45 inches. That's above the historical annual average of 31.01 inches and above the historical average for this day (May 9), which is 30.23 inches--and some Santa Rosa stations have reported considerably more rain than us. So far, the timing has been perfect. It's been mostly unnecessary to water much in the garden. The hills are still green. They had already turned brown and dry in the middle of March last year.

[Update: It rained again on May 10, adding 0.2 inches. The total now stands at 31.65 inches.]

Wines I'm Making: 2010 Cabernet Shoot Thinning

I got up early this morning--well, early for a Sunday--determined to get the shoots thinned on the Cabernet vines, which I did, all before breakfast, even though it took nearly three hours. This reduces the risk of mildew, gives the ripening berries more air and sun, and reduces the amount of fruit on each vine considerably, which makes for easier-to-ripen, more flavorful fruit. I thinned the Sangiovese vines a while back. Everything looks good.

I ended up waiting longer than usual (although I notice I'm not the only one; the vineyards are full of crews right now doing this same work). The wait--primarily because of all the rain this year--may have been a good thing. I'm hoping some of the excess vigor I always have to deal with will have gone to supporting the extra growth. Maybe the vines won't become quite so huge this year. The top photo shows vines before thinning, the bottom photo vines afterwards and some of the carnage on the ground.

Art I'm Looking At: "Mt. Peace-more"

I came across this today at A.P. Giannini School, in San Francisco. My photograph makes it hard to judge scale, but the mural is about 40 feet wide and more than 15 feet high. It's been there for years, but it's sprouted a portrait of President Obama since I last saw it, head and shoulders above the other denizens of "Mt. Peace-more." I don't think this needs much comment, but it interests me on a number of levels. It's interesting that an addition was made to the original mural, it's interesting that the Obama bust is positioned to dominate so completely, it's interesting that the portrait has been copied directly from Shepard Fairey's poster of Obama that was itself copied--without attribution--from a photograph of Obama by Mannie Garcia. As Vladimir Nabokov once said "Everybody loves a metamorphosis"--or something to that effect.

Places I'm visiting: Strybing Arboretum at Golden Gate Park (May 8, 2010)

I took a walk around Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park this morning after a tasty breakfast at Park Chow, on Ninth St., near the Ninth St. entrance to the park. It's been about a year since last visiting and the place looks wonderful. Many of the pathways have been redone and most of the unsightly untended areas have been weeded and replanted. The place looks great. Everything is in bloom at the moment. It's well worth a visit right now.

In the cactus and succulent section I spent about an hour watching birds, including Pygmy Nuthatches, Anna's Hummingbirds, Rufous Hummingbirds (although these may have been Allen's Hummingbirds), White-crowned Sparrows, and Song Sparrows. The sparrows were drinking nectar from huge, chartreuse Puya chilensis blossoms. According to an Internet search, the main pollinator of this plant in its native habitat (arid hillsides in the Andes between about 300 and 1,000 meters) is Curaeus curaeus, the Austral Blackbird, but the sparrows were certainly providing pollination services here. I photographed a Song Sparrow (middle photo) and a White-crowned Sparrow (bottom photo) each with a saffron head. I guess that's one way to confuse a beginning bird watcher. I also got a good shot of one of the hummingbirds (photo above).

By the way, a proposal is being made to start charging admission to the Arboretum--which would be a shame. If you agree, you can help by signing the petition at Keep the Arboretum Free.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Salvia Chamaedryoides, Ceanothus "Skylark," Rhododendron "Goldflimmer"

New plants blooming in the garden yesterday and today: First blooms yesterday (May 7) on Salvia chamaedryoides, first blooms today (May 8) on the big Ceanothus called "Skylark" and the rhododendron "Goldflimmer."

Salvia chamaedryoides is planted in several places in the garden. The plant hidden behind the fig tree started blooming yesterday. The other examples in the garden look like they won't bloom for another day or two. My records say this plant first bloomed on May 8, in 2009, which would mean a year of 364 days, but I'm not sure which plant I recorded.

"Skylark" is always the last of the Ceanothus varieties in the garden to bloom. Flowers first opened last year on May 4. A year according to "Skylark" was therefore 368 days.

"Goldflimmer" is one of the very few rhododendrons with variegated leaves. The plant has done very well here planted up against a fence that runs north-south, which gives the plant morning sun and afternoon shade. This has been one of the most carefree rhododendrons in the garden. I don't have a record of the first blooms on this plant in 2009.

Birds I'm Watching: Sugarloaf Ridge State Park (May 6, 2010)

I took a walk at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park this morning, hiking up Bald Mountain Trail. It was the first time I've been there birding and only my second visit to the place. I was hoping to see Western tanagers, lazuli buntings, and blue-gray gnatcatchers, all of which would be life birds for me (I've never really birded seriously in the appropriate habitat in the summer). No tanagers and no buntings, but I saw my first blue-gray gnatcatcher (pictured)--and my second, and my third, and fourth, and fifth, and sixth, and seventh: I saw three pairs and an individual. I also heard some that I couldn't see. They were all over. If you want to see this bird, this is the spot right now. (Thanks to Bill Doyle for the recommendation.) There were also wrentits all over the place. I heard maybe ten vocalizing and saw three, which is rather unusual, I think.

Other birds I saw were: Wild turkey, black-headed grosbeak, violet-green swallow, barn swallow, cliff swallow, Western bluebird, Nuttall's woodpecker, robin, Pacific-slope flycatcher, scrub jay, Steller's jay, ruby-crowned kinglet, Bewick's wren (which appeared to be in a nest), Anna's hummingbird, turkey vulture, orange-crowned warbler, spotted towhee, California towhee, Western kingbird, mourning dove, oak titmouse, lesser goldfinch, and black phoebe. Twenty-seven species. I heard about five more species I couldn't identify, but one was probably a pileated woodpecker. I was interested to find a big stand of Western chain fern (Woodwardia fimbriata) growing wild and some coffee fern (Pellaea andromedifolia) growing in crevices in the rocks. The latter is one I've been trying to find in a nursery for ages. One of these years....


For more information about bird watching in Sonoma County, see my Website Sonoma County Bird Watching Spots.

Wines I'm Drinking: 2003 Domaine la Rocalière Lirac

I recently picked up a few bottles of the 2003 Domaine La Rocalière Lirac at Grocery Outlet on the strength of the name Lirac, which is one of my favorite southern Rhône villages. At their best, the wines of Lirac are ripe and fruity and redolent of violets but with some finesse as well. I was surprised to see a 2003 Lirac on the shelves. I was hoping it would be a soft, mature wine with some of the characteristics I most associate with Lirac. I was not disappointed. I will go back first thing tomorrow morning to buy a case of this. It's a bargain at only $4.99 a bottle (or $4.49 a bottle by the case).

The wine is a deep brick red, showing its age. It has hints of citrus on the nose, but mostly offers earthy, compost-like scents, barnyard scents reminiscent of a good Burgundy, and violets--in short, everything I was hoping for. The wine is is ripe and rich on the palate with a long, sweet finish suggestive of raisins or prunes (in a good way) and just enough delicate tannin to keep things interesting. Yes, it's a bit soft--not much acidity--but it's not flat either. It's definitely mature, and I wouldn't expect it to get better at this stage, but I'd say it's good for immediate consumption--the kind of wine I love to find: better than average and cheaper than it ought to be. But, I should stop writing now. I might begin to wax Liracal. This wine normally retails for about $15.  Recommended.

[Update: Having bought a case shortly after writing this review and now consumed about half of the bottles, I can say that the quality has been quite variable (possibly storage issues). The best bottles have been as described above. One or two have seemed rather tired. One was virtually undrinkable. Still, not a bad deal at this price. The entire case cost only about $59.]

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Cistus "Elma," Garden Sage, Salvia Lyrata (2010)

Three more plants came into first bloom in the garden today: One of the big rock roses (Cistus laurifolius x palhinhaii) "Elma," a large plant with slightly sticky, dark green leaves; garden sage (Salvia officianalis); and a low-growing salvia with a basal rosette of purple leaves that I believe is probably Salvia lyrata, although I'm not 100% sure. "Elma" has done well in some locations in the garden, less well in others, for reasons that are obscure to me. It's very pretty when it's happy. It has a touch of the ladanum scent that makes Cistus ladanifer so attractive. Ladanum (not to be confused with laudanum) is a common component of many perfumes. Cistus ladanifer is another one of the rock roses that has been somewhat difficult to grow. It seems to need more water than it typically gets here.

I first planted Salvia lyrata in the garden about five years ago. It didn't do well. It died after only one season, but not before spreading its seed. Since then, several plants have become established in places they seem to like better than the spot I originally chose. I let them have their way. The small white flowers are not very showy, but the basal rosette of dark purple-green leaves is always attractive.

Salvia officianalis, or garden sage, is one of the herbs I keep around for cooking. Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives, and oregano are thriving at the moment. The chives, thyme, sage, and rosemary are in bloom, although the rosemary is mostly finished now. Seeds are forming. These are a favorite of the house finches, American goldfinches, and lesser goldfinches that are daily visitors to the garden.

Music I'm Writing: A Miniature

Today I post a little musical offering--a musical haiku of sorts--, my Miniature No. 1. I learned not long ago that there's a fairly well established genre of miniatures of 100 notes or less. The idea of a miniature is not new to me, of course, but I didn't know that pieces of 100 notes or less have an established following or that there are competitions specifically for works of this type. No one seems to agree on exactly how to count 100 notes, but I have counted chords on the piano and multiple stops on the violin as a single note. Using that method, this piece is 97 notes long. The link will be good for only one week, or until May 11. If you listen to it, I hope you like it.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Yarrrow, Monkey Flower, Yellow Rose (2010)

More new plants are blooming in the garden today.

Two types of monkey flower (Mimulus sp.) started blooming this morning--one a plain orange-yellow, like the native sticky monkey flower but with broader leaves that aren't very sticky, the other known as "Azalea-flowered monkey flower."

The one yellow rose in the garden--I don't know its name--also bloomed today, as did the low, white yarrow I planted last year, which I believe is Achillea kellereri (pictured below).

The Azalea-flowered monkey flower bloomed last year on April 22. A year according to this plant was 375 days. The yellow rose bloomed on May 4 last year, for a year of 364 days.

Found Art: Moth Wing (May 3, 2010)

Another piece of found art. This one is unusual in that it landed on my doorstep, as if it wanted to be photographed. A strikingly colored moth that looks very much like a leopard skin. Beautiful.

A little Internet research suggests this is a Mexican tiger moth (Notarctia proxima). It looks more like a leopard to me--but that appears to be its name. Should I tell this Mexican moth that this is Sonoma County?

Wines I'm Drinking: A Jaunt Around the Valleys

I spent much of the weekend escorting friends of friends from Japan around the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Like the New Yorker who never visits the Empire State Building, I rarely go tasting at the big wineries these days (and especially not at the sometimes snooty Napa wineries). I usually stick to the smaller Sonoma tasting rooms where I buy wine fairly regularly. So, this was reason to go further afield. The vineyards, clothed with new growth, are beautiful right now--in some places like a shag carpet in chartreuse.

We started Friday with a glass of sparkly on the terrace at Gloria Ferrer, which has one of the best views anywhere in the region. You can see almost the entirety of the Carneros appellation, which spans the southern parts of Napa and Sonoma counties, just north of San Pablo Bay (the roundish projection at the top of San Francisco Bay proper). It was cool with a light breeze but clear and sunny. A perfect way to start the day.

We moved on to Domaine Chandon in Yountville (Napa County) to take the winery tour, which remains interesting, but I can't help feeling cheated by it; I remember when it included views of the disgorging process (during which the settled yeast in the bottles is popped out in a frozen plug of wine) and the bottling line. Now the tour is about half as long as it once was and it costs $12 a head. It used to be free.

Lunch afterwards at Étoile, the restaurant at the winery. Étoile has just received a Michelin star. I was a little disappointed to tell the truth. My vichyssoise was excellent. It was served poured over a layer of goodies such as tiny potato balls, shredded smoked pork, cooked greens, and something that had been marinated in vinegar. Every bite was a surprise. This is what great food should be. However, my main course, duck confit, was tasty, but not extraordinary. Still, it was a very pleasant meal.

Later in the day we went to Opus One and then to Joseph Phelps.  It has been a while since I've tasted Opus One. They are pouring the 2005 and 2006 wines ($30 for a 4oz pour--which sounds like a lot, but that prices a full bottle at about $190, in line with its retail price). I was very surprised at how supple and approachable these wines are already--especially the 2006. I was expecting them to be far tighter and more tannic than they were. I wonder how they will age?

Joseph Phelps has another of the wonderful views in the area. The winery terrace overlooks a shallow valley with a small lake in the distance. A dirt road winds through the valley floor. The near side is planted in Cabernet Sauvignon, the far side with Sauvignon Blanc and Scheurebe, which is used to make dessert wines. A downy woodpecker was going in and out of a nest hole in a tree just a few feet from the terrace. California quail were calling in the distance. The wines were excellent, as always--particularly the current vintages of the Ovation Chardonnay, the Insignia, and the Backus Vineyards Cabernet.

On Saturday, we went to the Santa Rosa farmers' market, starting the day with oysters in butter and garlic and then moved on to Café Citti for lunch--garlicky Caesar's salad and the house ravioli with ground pork and chard stuffing in a light tomato cream sauce, washed down with a bottle of the backyard Cabernet Sauvignon. I've never brought my own wine to Café Citti before, but they were very happy to serve it and charged no corkage. Wonderful.

We tasted at Chateau St. Jean, Enkidu, and Wellington Vineyards. The highlight of the Chateau St. Jean tasting was the Robert Young Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay. Enkidu I had never been to before, but I was impressed by the 2006 Kick Ranch Sonoma Valley Syrah and very interested to find that the grapes come from the Rincon Valley, not more than a few miles from my own house. Wellington is one of my favorite wineries in the Sonoma wine country. The wines are excellent, reasonably priced, and the tasting room people are about the nicest you're likely to encounter anywhere.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms:Buddleia "Sungold," Lupinus Arboreus (Yellow), Cistus Argenteus, Purple Toadflax (2010),

I spent a very busy weekend escorting friends of friends around wineries in Napa and Sonoma, so I'm tardy in reporting what started blooming yesterday in the garden--four new plants.

First blooms on the orange-yellow butterfly bush with globe-shaped flower clusters (Buddleia globosa). I believe it is called "Sungold." This is a plant I found at one of the plant sales at Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco. It has done well here. It suffers toward the end of our dry summers, but it can be cut down to about 18 inches at the end of the season and it comes back very strongly in the spring--like nearly all of the butterfly bush (Buddleia) varieties. This one is striking for both its color and the round flower clusters. Most Buddliea come in whites, pinks, and purples. I don't have a record of this coming into flower in 2009.

The yellow bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus) had its first flowers of 2010 yesterday. This is a wonderfully fragrant large lupine (up to about six feet across and usually four to five feet high--although it takes well to pruning). I fell in love with it many years ago out at Bodega Head where I first saw hundreds of them. They are beginning to come into flower right now out at the coast as well. A little bit of the seaside in the back yard. Last year this plant first bloomed on April 26. A year according to Lupinus arboreus was thus 371 days. This plant is also referred to as Lupinus arborescens. I don't know which is correct.

Purple todflax (Linaria purpurea) is starting to bloom all over the garden. I bought two of these about three years ago. I let them go to seed. They sprout like weeds all over the place. I pull the ones that come up in inconvenient places and leave the rest. There is a pink variety as well. They are both pretty enough that I'm content to put up with their weedy ways. I didn't record the first blooms on this plant in 2009.

The rock rose "Silver Pink" (Cistus aureus) starting blooming yesterday as well--although I'm not entirely sure this is the right name. I seem to have lost track of the names of many of the rock rose species in the garden (there are at least eight). There are many hybrids and sometimes multiple common names for the same plant; it can be confusing. This one--whatever it is--is very attractive, but the plant hasn't been all that robust. It remains fairly spindly. I've had trouble getting it to fill out. Most of the rock roses are pretty much maintenance free. This one has required a little pampering. Perhaps it doesn't get quite enough sun where it is right up agains the side of the house.... I don't seem to have a record for this plant in 2009.

The garden is probably at its best right now. Hundreds of plants are in bloom. There is something in every corner. Because of the late rains, everything still looks fresh. I wish I could show it to you.

I write about many subjects, not just the plants in my garden. Try the tabs at upper right to explore other topics.

Wines I'm Making: First Sulfur Spraying (2010)

This morning I finally had the opportunity to spray the grape vines with sulfur to prevent mildew. The forecast is now for clear skies for at least a week. The longest shoots on the Sangiovese vines are already about 18 inches long. The longest on the Cabernet vines are about six inches long. Spraying with sulfur is the one tedious chore involved in making wine. I enjoy just about everything else. It has to be done though. The vines will need to be sprayed again in another couple of weeks, as new growth becomes vulnerable. In the photo you can see the sulfur on the leaves. A tiny grape cluster is clearly visible a well.

Wines I'm Drinking: (Oops) Carménère Rosé

Some of my long-time readers may remember that I reviewed a large group of Carménère wines in these pages a while back (January 2009, to be precise) that included the 2006 (oops) Valle Central Rosé of Carménère (Grocery Outlet, $2.99). It was cheap and good. It's not that it was "good for the price." It was good wine, period. Forget the silly name. The ridiculously low price was a bit of icing on the cake. Not surprisingly, the wine disappeared almost overnight.

I'm happy to report that my local Grocery Outlet (Santa Rosa) suddenly has this wine again. I bought a case. There appear to be at least three cases left. It's worth checking your local store. Only $2.69 a bottle if you buy by the case.

One caveat: The wine is now a year older than it was when I first tasted it. I figured it worth the gamble. After I open the first bottle, I'll report back if anything disastrous has happened to it since last year. A link to my original review appears below.

[April 30 Update: I opened a bottle. It's very tasty--although somewhat sweeter than I remembered it. It still has a wonderful honey and passion fruit scent and an interesting waxy flavor (in a good way) that's reminiscent of the wines of France's Costières de Nîmes appellation.]

2006 (oops) Valle Central Rosé of Carménère

Birds I'm Watching: Oaks at Oakmont and Melita Rd.

Yesterday, I had errands to run near Oakmont. I took a quick look in some of the pockets of oak trees in the area. There are a number of side streets off the main road trough Oakmont that have large oaks in them and little traffic (often they are cul-de-sacs or loops that go nowhere). These streets offer excellent habitat for birds like chickadees, nuthatches, the oak titmouse, scrub jays, Pacific slope flycatchers, and, at this time of year, warblers. I suppose the place is called Oakmont for a reason. The streets have names like Oak Leaf Dr., Oak Point Ct., Oak Brook Ln., and Oak Mesa Dr.

I also looked around Melita Rd. I didn't see much of interest except a single white-throated sparrow. April 27 is a very late date to see one in Sonoma County. I think the latest record is May 1. Most of them will have already begun to move south after wintering here. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me. I may try to go out again today to get a picture of him, although he is likely to have moved off.

Art I'm Looking At: Graffiti Preserved--A Travesty?

I came across an interesting Reuters article today on Yahoo News. The story, entitled "Cleaners Paint Over Priceless Art," is about street cleaners in Canberra, Australia that painted over "graffiti art" the city wanted to preserve. The Canberra government is now scrambling to protect (with clear coat) other examples of work there by the street artist known as Banksy.

This strikes me as very odd. If property owners encourage graffiti or preserve it, they effectively neuter it. It becomes a travesty. If graffiti artists seek to create work knowing it will be considered a positive addition to an urban landscape and that it will be preserved as art, their work is no longer a rebellious and criminal act--which it seems to me is much of the point of graffiti. The graffiti artist is no longer an outsider. Instead, he or she becomes a participant in a modified version of the traditional relationship between artist and patron. The whole thing seems rather wrong-headed to me. While I understand wanting to preserve an interesting work once it has been created, shouldn't the graffiti artist have to accept that his or her work may be painted over or removed at any time? This reminds me of the original London punk subculture and its Mohawk hairstyles and the Takenokozoku performers in the Harajuku area of Tokyo. What began in each case as a pure expression of the self devolved into a series of hollow stunts for tourists. Perhaps it's just a problem of words: Street artists that use buildings as their canvases with the understanding that their work will be condoned are just that--street artists. It seems to me, however, that they should not be called graffiti artists. What do you think?

Rain: More than Half an Inch of New Rain (April 28, 2010)

More rain last night and today has added 0.65 inches to our 2009-2010 season total, which now stands at 30.85 inches (as of 2:00PM April 28). That's above the historical average rainfall for April 28, which is 29.90 inches and just below the historical annual average for Santa Rosa, which is 31.01 inches. I'm reporting rainfall at my own house, but some Santa Rosa stations have reported nearly 36 inches already this year. There was a little bit of hail mixed in this morning, but not enough to do any damage.

Wines I'm Drinking: Four Wines from Tuscany

Last night I tasted four red wines from Tuscany--three bottles of Chianti Classico and a Brunello di Montalcino--from Trader Joe's. I tasted the wines blind. They ranged in price from $8.99 to $19.99 (the Brunello). While $19.99 is an excellent price for any decent Brunello these days, I was curious to see whether it really stood out in a blind tasting. Notes follow:

2005 Incanta Chianti Classico Riserva
Medium deep brownish red with good color to the rim. Scents of wood, prunes, nutmeg, and orange rind. Tannic at first, with moderate fruit. Woody mid-palate. Fruit drops away fairly quickly. Finish is a bit tart with fine-grained tannins lingering. Comparatively long with some interesting brandy-like flavors on the end. After opening up a little, the tannins softened, but there wasn't a lot of fruit behind them. Bright, fresh acidity makes this easy to drink, but it doesn't have a lot of depth. Perfectly acceptable everyday wine, but the same can be had for less money. $9.99 at Trader Joe's.

2006 Lamole di Lamole Chianti Classico
Medium deep brownish red. Color a bit less intense than in the first wine. Interesting nose. Wood, nutmeg again and something that put me in mind of women's makeup--stage pancake, perhaps--which is an odd association, but there it is. Noticeably richer on the palate than the first wine. Attractive sweet, ripe fruit. Light tannins. Round. Tasty right off the bat. Well integrated flavors. Not a powerful wine, but immediately appealing with delicate, lingering, woody flavors. Delicate but with a decent balance of fruity sweetness, soft tannins, and acidity. This turned out to be my favorite wine of the four. As it's half the price of the Brunello (which I also liked), I went back for more of this. I don't know if it will improve much with time (I'll reserve at least one bottle for a few years), but tasty for immediate consumption. $9.99 at Trader Joe's. Recommended.

2007 Il Tarocco Chianti Classico
Color again very similar to the first two wines, but somewhat deeper. Had some "off" scents. Smelled of iodine and musty paper. The wine was slightly corked. I took it back for a replacement. The second bottle was fine. Mostly scents of leather with something a bit musky as well. Hints of prunes. Something was suggestive of sour hard candies, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Sour plums, maybe? Initial impression on the palate was tartness with some woody flavors. The mid-palate was more attractive, but overall the wine seemed somewhat short and austere with dry, woody flavors predominant. Remained fairly tannic even after quite a bit of time open to the air. Not unpleasant in any way, but not an especially generous wine. Acceptable for everyday drinking, but this was the least attractive of the four wines in my view. It's well worth spending the extra dollar for the Lamole di Lamole wine. $8.99 at Trader Joe's. [Update: This showed much better the following day, suggesting it might be worth tucking away a bottle or two for a few years.]

2003 Bonacchi Brunello di Montalcino
I was excited to find this. Brunello is one of my favorite wines (I have very fond memories of the 1985 Lisini Brunello, among others. Ahh, those were the days...). To get a good Brunello today usually requires spending anywhere from about $45 to $85, so $19.99 looks very attractive (for my local readers, the best selection of Brunello is usually at Traverso's, which has moved from its downtown Santa Rosa location to a new store off Fountaingrove). The wine was tasty, but I wouldn't say it was anything like twice as good as the Lamole di Lamole wine. On taste alone, I'd have chosen this as the best of the group, but in terms of cost performance it was a disappointment even though it's undeniably inexpensive for a Brunello.

The Brunello was very similar in color to the other wines, although a bit deeper in hue and more garnet. Attractive "dark," musky scents laced with prunes, plums, and nutmeg again. At first seems tart and woody, but has a good mid-palate with ripe fruit and an extended, dry, finish marked by attractive, delicate tannins. Has some finesse. Fairly tight. This will need a little more time to be at its best, perhaps. The wine kept evolving over the course of the tasting, however, which is always a good sign. Later it seemed softer, with scents of leather and meat developing. While this is tasty, well made wine, it was not as exciting as I was hoping. Probably fairly priced at $19.99 at Trader Joe's, but, as noted above, the Lamole di Lamole Chianti Classico was nearly as good and half the price.

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Movies I'm Watching: The Best Movies I've Never Seen (April 27, 2010)

I've just seen three more of the films recommended in Leonard Maltin's 151 Best Films You've Never Seen. These three were all stinkers. I'm really surprised Maltin likes these films. Having said that, I've never thought much of Maltin's recommendations, and so far my prejudice has been reinforced by seeing the movies he singles out in this book--and I'm still in the "B"s. I saw American Dreamz, The Ballad of Little Jo, and The Big Hit. None of these three have much to recommend them in my view. Save your time and money.

American Dreamz (2006, written and directed by Paul Weitz, starring Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Willem Defoe, Sam Golzari, and others) is an example of everything that's wrong with American filmmaking today--slick, bland visuals; mediocre acting; and flat writing that insults the viewer's intelligence. The film's one redeeming feature is the interplay between the Hugh Grant and Mandy Moore characters, two people who don't think much of themselves that are attracted to each other precisely because they understand each other so well. American Dreamz is billed as a comedy, but I don't think I laughed once. Typical Hollywood laziness. Almost entirely lacking in wit or intelligence. I can't imagine what Maltin sees in this. Two thumbs down, to borrow a phrase.

The Ballad of Little Jo (Written and directed by Maggie Greenwald, starring Suzy Amis, Bo Hopkins, Ian McKellen, David Chung, Heather Graham, Rene Auberjonois, and others) at least has in it the kernel of an interesting story--although there isn't a great deal of drama in the plot. A plot synopsis would seem to exhaust as much of the story's potential interest as the film itself has.

A woman with a child born out of wedlock on the East Coast flees to the West (leaving her child behind). She finds life tough as a single woman. The film suggests the only roles available to her are wife or whore. The central character, however, chooses an alternate path through life: she becomes a man, by cropping her hair, dressing as a man, and working as a man. She eventually finds a place among the people she settles near. In a subplot, the Chinese laborer she takes on as a manservant becomes her lover. Almost no one else knows she is a woman until she dies and the undertaker begins to prepare the body for burial. Everything else that happens is pretty much standard western fare.

The Big Hit (1998, directed by Kirk Wong, written by Ben Ramsey, starring Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christina Applegate, Avery Brooks, and others) was about as good as American Dreamz, which isn't saying very much. It is a mostly dull, sophomoric action piece that seems to be trying to laugh at itself, but without much success. It occasionally veers off into Hong Kong-style martial arts effects, especially toward the end of the film. An implausible romance between sensitive hitman Melvin Smiley (the Mark Wahlberg character) and his kidnap victim, Keiko Nishi (played by China Chow), is embedded within strife among gangsters. At the same time, the sensitive hitman is trying to please two other women he's involved with, his Jewish fiancé, Pam Shulman (played by Christina Applegate), and Chantel (played by Lela Rochon). The kidnapped girl (daughter of a Japanese tycoon that has gone bankrupt) goes to a girls' school that has a uniform with the inevitable short plaid skirt, allowing the filmmakers to titillate in the style of soft-core Japanese schoolgirl porn. Although Christina Applegate was sporadically amusing as the Jewish bride-to-be struggling with her parents that aren't about to accept her non-Jewish fiancé, I suspect this film was more fun for the people that made it than it is likely to be for people who watch it.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Carpenteria, Digitalis, "New Dawn" Climbing Rose, White Bush Rose (April 26, 2010)

First blooms of 2010 today on the Digitalis that comes up every year under the hammock. I'm still not sure how this got started. It was probably in some seed I threw around the garden years ago. This is Digitalis purpurea. It always looks pretty in the spring but then suffers through the dry summer. It has been quite reliable nevertheless.

First blooms today also on the Carpenteria californica by the birdbath and on the "New Dawn" climbing rose on the back fence, behind the grape vines. The white bush rose by the Osmanthus also bloomed today. The Carpenteria was a new addition to the garden last year, so I have no record of a bloom in 2009. Actually, there is another Carpenteria in the garden planted a couple years earlier, but it has never bloomed, for some reason.

"New Dawn" is a beautiful old-fashioned climber with full pink blossoms that open out of tight buds. I can't remember when I planted it (around 2002, I think), but it is now as tall as the fence (more than six feet high) and about 10 feet wide. It was the closest thing I could find to the pink climber that used to bloom on the fence at what was my grandmother's house in Dayton, Ohio--a rose that long ago became effectively nameless. It had been there forever. "New Dawn" bloomed on April 20 in 2009. A year according to this plant was thus 371 days.

The white bush rose (another nameless rose--although it may be "Tumbling Waters") also had its first flower of 2010 today.

Wines I'm Drinking: 2005 Château Roudier Montagne-Saint-Émilion

Last night I tasted the 2005 Château Roudier Montagne-Saint-Émilion. The appellation Montagne-St.-Émilion is one of four surrounding St. Émilion proper allowed to append "St. Émilion" to their own names. The wines of the St. Émilion satellites can be solid (I've had the best luck with those from St. Georges-Saint Émilion), but they rarely have the power and finesse of wines from St. Émilion itself and the nearby Pomerol--or even from other "small" appellations on the right bank of the Dordogne, such as Fronsac. 2005, however, was the kind of year that favors even the smallest, unsung producers. I'm always on the lookout for tasty, inexpensive wines from that year, hoping to repeat the many successes I had finding wonderful little wines in 1989 and 1990--especially because most of that wine is gone now.

The 2005 Château Roudier Montagne-Saint-Émilion was an appetizingly deep red with a hint of garnet. It looked neither young nor old. The nose was suggestive of flowers and perfume with hints of leather immediately coming up out of the glass. Swirling the wine brought out considerably more--cherries and licorice, and hints of barnyard and violets. The violets, in particular, persisted.

The wine was initially rather harsh on the palate--quite tannic and closed, but it did have some ripe fruit pushing through. I decided to decant it to let it open up. (If you buy this wine, I recommend doing the same.) There was a very light deposit in the bottle, but I decanted the wine mostly to give it air. With air and a little time, some nice cherry flavors developed and later I began to detect scents of vanilla and oranges along with the violets. While the tannin fell away to reveal some nice fruit flavors in a clean, compact package rounded out by sweet tannins on a shortish finish, the wine was rather low in acid, which made it begin to seem a bit flat as soon as the tannic bite moderated a little. I enjoyed the wine for its flavors of cherries and (later) very ripe plums and for lingering suggestions of violets that made it seem something like a well-made Côtes-du-Rhône, but it lacked the balancing acidity a wine needs to continue tasting fresh and alive. I suspect that this will not be a long keeper (on the following day, it tasted very flat indeed). It may be at its best now, decanted. Fairly priced at Trader Joe's at $12.99 a bottle, but I probably won't go back for more of this. Then again, I might.

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Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Sally Holmes Rose (April 25, 2010)

The first buds opened today on the large climbing rose "Sally Holmes" behind the grapevines. This is one of my favorite roses. When fresh, the flowers look almost like dogwood blossoms. When whole groups of them open at once (and the buds form in large clusters), the plant looks like a woman in a green gown holding numerous bridal bouquets. When the flowers age, they go pale and spotty and look rather forlorn--contributing to the plant's charm. But, I must admit, I like Sally Holmes best when her bridal bouquets are new. Sally Holmes first bloomed in 2009 on April 16, so a year according to Sally was 374 days.

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Phlomis Fruiticosa, Cistus "Sunset," Penstemon Heterophyllus (April 24, 2010)

First blooms of 2010 on three plants in the garden today: Phlomis fruiticosa, the big Jerusalem sage; Cistus "Sunset;" and the purply-blue wild penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus. Phlomis is one of the first plants I put into the garden here, not realizing how big it would get. It's now about seven feet across and the flower stalks are nearly as high as me. The photo shows buds in an axial whorl. A pair of big yellow petals will pop out of each of the "cells" visible here. This plant bloomed much earlier last year (April 10). A year according to Phlomis fruiticosa was 379 days.

"Sunset" has been blooming around town for about a week. The one here is comparatively shaded, so it has bloomed later than many. The plant bloomed in 2009 on April 9--much earlier than this year. A year according to "Sunset" was 380 days.

Penstemon heterophyllus is one of my favorite plants. It's almost irridescent. I've seen it growing wild in rocky, higher-altitude areas in California and elsewhere. It doesn't seem to last very long (2-3 years) and doesn't seed itself much, but I'm happy to keep planting it. I have a note of it blooming in early June along Highway 97 in the north-eastern part of the state, but no record of its first flowers in the garden last year.

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