Thursday, October 23, 2008

Old world in the new world.

Kalin Cellars, Livermore Valley, Semillon, 1997. 

This wine is so interesting, a dead ringer for white Bordeaux, albeit with slightly higher alcohol. From the website, "The grape source is the Wente Estate Vineyard located near Livermore. The vines were planted in the 1880s from the original Chateau d'Yquem cuttings brought to this region by Charles Wetmore. The soil is thin, iron-rich clay, underlain by 20-30 feet of gravel subsoil. The grapes (75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc) were hand-picked and sorted, crushed and pressed. The juice was fermented in French oak barrels for ten months."

And it's diesel-like and oily and marmaladey and all sorts of good semillon stuff. 

You can get this at Grace on Beverly for $52. 

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