California wine tasting is so enjoyable and getting to know the people behind the wines can be a lot of fun. While talking with Jon Björk at Markus Wine Co I noticed that he had listed a French Colombard. Back while Jon and I were talking wines I had in mind the warm weather that would soon be on its way. Well, warm was a bit of a miscalculations as it has been a hot July 2021 all over California and the Western United States. Enough of that, back to the French Colombard that Jon sent my way. Jon marked on the unlabeled bottle that this wine is a 2020 French Colombard, and that Labeling was scheduled for some time in April. Well, I am glad I got this bottle because recently I learned that all the French Colombard produced had been purchased for another bottling. So, this makes this bottle just a little bit rare and I thought I would share it with you in this review.

This Colombard From Markus Wine Co has a nice acid balance along with sufficient residual sugar. Be sure to give it a good chill first on a day like today, forecast is for the triple-digits. Now that you wine has a good chill on it you can see how the aromas change as it warms in the glass.
 
A little bit on wines produced with Colombard grapes
Most information on Colombard tells us that the grape grows the best on sandy, dry soils and even clay loams.  Colombard is a high yielding variety. In the San Joaquin valley of California, Colombard is cultivated midseason with harvest beginning usually in mid to late August. Where does Colombard grow?

California Wine Tasting at Engelmann Cellars, June 2021. 

The Experience -

While I had the opportunity to taste couple more that listed here during my last visit here are some quick notes on 3 of the wines. Kylie the wine club manager was pouring on this hot Saturday afternoon. While I tend to lean a lot towards the red wines, a couple of white blends were very welcome in the heat of the afternoon.  The first was Summer Quartet, a dry white blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, White Cab and Dry Muscat. Next was RS, another white blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, White Cabernet, and Sweet Muscat. Both wines were enjoyable and welcome considering how warm it was that day and the fact that tastings were all taking place outside. Summer Quartet, a dry white-blend that would pair well with fish and summer salads. RS being a sweet white would be great for a glass before or after a meal.

Old 44 Cellars 2018 Aglianico Estate Grown – Estate Grown – 80% Aglianico – 20% Grenache

Don’t you just love it when you find a delightful gem of a wine that is kind of hidden away? I visited with the Nick winemaker at Old 44 Cellars at a wine event that took place in Redding, CA just before the Pandemic broke out. I enjoyed the visit and his invite to come visit him. Well, we did an outdoor private tasting together not that long ago, about a year and a half from our first meeting. One of the wines, actually several bottles, that I brought home with me was Nick’s estate Aglianico blend. This is a wine is a blend of Estate Aglianico and Grenache that provides a delightful glass of wine to those that have obtained it.

Grenache in this blend provides some white pepper aroma followed with red fruit flavors. Grenache is known for its flavors of strawberry and raspberry with spicy notes. Some Grenache wines can develop complex flavors of blackcurrants, black olives, coffee, leather and tar. The grape produces wines that are medium to full-bodied. Tannin and acidity are low and makes it a great fit as a blend. Although Grenache is a high-quality grape, often you will find it blended with other varieties, such as Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. This is because it is very complimentary within a blend, as it adds body and fruitiness without adding tannin or acidity, which are both naturally low in Grenache.

Ficklin Vineyards wine review.

The clarity is lustrous and shimmering. As you take in the aromas from your glass of this ROSÉ PORT immediately comes to mind juicy red pear along with delightful hints of sweet floral. As you continue to enjoy those first few sips on your palate are flavors of mango and honeydew, ripe strawberry, and green apple. With all of this going on with the delightful bouquet and luscious flavors in between sips you detect a spark of banana. Incredibly pleasant, and enjoyable this wine. Light, refreshing, and yes, slightly tropical. Exceptionally easy to sip, but also complex enough to linger between sips. This is a delightfully well-balanced wine from Ficklin Vineyards.

Ficklin produces some wonderful California Port Style wines. Ficklin’s 1988 Vintage Port is grown-up, mature with spicy flavors and wonderful layers of leather, hints of tobacco all wrapped around dark cherry flavors. Right in the heart of California’s Central Valley wineries you will find that all of Ficklin’s Ports are among a handful of California wineries that consistently produce vintage port style wines.

The Winemaker

With 41 years of award-winning winemaking, third generation partner winemaker Peter Ficklin still guides the daily winemaking and oversees each step in crafting Ficklin's Ports. 

Treasure Island Wines 2016 Pinot Noir, Bennett Valley

I really love the versatility of this wine grape. While all wines take on the terroir and just about everything in the winemaking process, Pinot Noir seems to provide a wide spectrum of flavors. From bright red cherry, cherry pie filling to earthy forest floor are very characteristic experience on the palate and at the nose. This makes a Pinot Noir one of my go to wines when dinning out with friends that are not big red wine drinkers but want to enjoy a glass with their meal but are not sure what to order. Treasure Island Wines is at the forefront of San Francisco's urban winery movement; a home for wineries and tasting rooms offering something for almost every wine aficionados' interest. This wide variety makes the Island a perfect place for Bay Area residents to take daytime wine tours at a location much closer to home than Sonoma or Napa. Among those pouring their wines for visitor is Treasure Island Winery.