PINOT NOIR, LOS CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY, 2014

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Shonda Reeves
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1 Robert Sinskey Vineyards PINOT NOIR, LOS CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY, 2014

2 Pinot Nor, Los Carneros, Napa Valley 2

3 THE REDISCOVERED... by Rob Sinskey authentic classic! Who da thought that a 70 year old rock musician would become the face for a brand of board shorts? But there he is, shirtless, in all his wrinkled glory, during every commercial break of the Pipe Masters pro surf event, mugging it up like a bad grandpa with young beach-y models while somehow looking cool in board shorts. Iggy has been in and out of fashion many times over the past fifty years... and now he is a classic. I saw Iggy play in Hollywood sometime in the 70s. He was the most visceral performer I had (and have) ever seen. He was an animal - all lean muscle and sinew, climbing on amps, launching himself into the rafters and swinging like a monkey over the crowd. He and his band were the opposite of the polished arena rock of the time. He risked it all, made mistakes and came back for more. It was total commitment. Any moment you were expecting disaster as he sang Gimme Danger with a bit of blood smeared on his chest earned from a go in the mosh pit. How did this old guy, who is now well past his prime, become an icon of youth? One word: authenticity. He is the real deal. He is analog in a digital age. A guy who lives life on his terms even though it probably cost him big time. Oh, he made a few compromises (like that Candy duet) but overall, he stayed true-to-self, playing an aggressive style of garage rock that many credit as the gateway to punk. Staying true, no matter what others thought, is why this old guy is now a classic and has earned the respect of kids who weren t yet born when he made his first records. Now the parallel- I am hosting a seminar at the Taos Winter Wine fest with my good friend Steve Matthiasson titled How Punk Influenced our Wine Style and it has caused me to reflect on how this vintner went from being the youngest in Napa Valley to a gray haired old fart playing the same tune. Oh, our craft has improved, but we have always stayed true-to-self even when it meant missing the big time when we refused to compromise our ideals by pandering to the wine critics. We started growing and making Pinot Noir at a time when many people in this country could not pronounce it. That in itself was a punk thing to do. Then, as styles changed and critics responded to bombastic, riper, sweeter, oak-ier and higher alcohol style of wine (the arena rock of vinous beverages), we stayed true to our mission to make elegant, balanced wines and ignored the critics. We preferred to stay underground while we learned our chops and honed our craft and discovered that newer and shinier wasn t always better. Like a musician who prefers his old beat up guitar, we found music in the old selections of Pinot Noir that pre-dated the new French clones so popular in the 90s and beyond. We resurrected several old heirloom selections because they were just right for the area we were growing them and the style of wine we wanted to make. They weren t fashionable but they allowed us to make pure, unadulterated, Pinot Noir. Now, I don t think I ll be posing shirtless for an ad anytime soon (though winemaker Jeff Virnig might get away with it) I will be happy if young (and old) people consider our Pinot Noir an authentic classic. Pinot Nor, Los Carneros, Napa Valley 3

4 Winegrowing Notes - by Jeff Virnig The vintage of was one of the driest on record, but fortunately there was sufficient rain in late February and early March to fill the ponds and saturate the soil profile. The set and berry development was influenced by another drought year with medium to smallish grapes with intense fruit characteristics and firm tannins from the thicker skins. The otherwise beautiful growing season was punctuated by the August earthquake that shook us up, broke some things and left a crevice through a couple of the vineyards but otherwise left the fruit alone. RSV s five organically farmed Carneros vineyards were harvested at night over a period of a few weeks as each reached peak physiological ripeness and delivered to the cellar in peak form where they were fermented using native yeast and allowed to rest in French oak in the caves for one year. Tasting Notes - by Phil Abram A brilliant Pinot Noir! Rose, lavender and rosemary aromas spring from the bottle with an alluring and clear first impression of true Pinot form. Layers of ripe strawberry, cranberry, red plum, raspberry and Rainier cherry unfold shortly thereafter and are rounded out by the warmth of cardamom, clove and vanilla spice from time spent resting in elegant French oak. Tasting reveals more of its youth and vigor than its bouquet suggests. Textured fruit flavors of blood orange, cranberry and pomegranate burst through the mid-palate and carry through a long, mouthwatering finish nuanced by Carneros terroir notes of sage and forest floor. A wine to quaff, to contemplate or to complement a meal... this wine is pure pleasure. FAT IS FLAVOR!! Long ago, before refrigeration, meat was made into a confit, which meant it was rubbed with salt, herbs and spices then cooked and stored in fat, to preserve it for the winter ahead when there would be little fresh meat available. These vats of fatted meat would be stored in the cool cellar for months with no adverse effect the salt cured the meat and inhibited bacterial growth and the fat sealed out air. Pork and duck rillettes, duck leg confit and whole goose livers in fat gave the farmers and village people the extra energy necessary to keep warm and go about their winter labor. Any meat, game or poultry made into a confit is flavorful and succulent. I like to make confit when the weather turns cold. Not that I don t sometimes make it in the summer, I just think it makes more sense to have the oven on for a few hours when it can do double duty and also heat the house. Bulky cold weather sweaters also help to hide the end result of gorging on duck confit and one of my favorite by products of confit Rillettes!! Rillettes make a great partner to fragrant, fruity and high acid white or red wines. I particularly enjoy rillettes slathered on homemade sesame crackers washed down with RSV s Los Carneros Pinot Noir. Sesame pulls the rillettes and crackers together to make a taste sensation and the crunch of the crackers offset the rich fattiness of the rillettes. There are plenty of commercially available rillettes if you don t have time for homemade. I do recommend making your own crackers if you go this route. The crackers are simple to make and won t take up a lot of your time. Until the Next Wine... Maria Pinot Nor, Los Carneros, Napa Valley 4

5 Pinot Nor, Los Carneros, Napa Valley 5

6 DUCK RILLETTES Serve rillettes on toast or a good sturdy cracker with cornichons, coarse mustard and preserved fruits served in little bowls so guests may garnish to preference. Serves large duck legs ¼ cup coarse sea salt 6 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons thyme leaves 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper 8 whole cloves 6 cups rendered duck fat Chopped Italian parsley for garnish Note: The duck confit may be prepared a week in advance of serving. They can be stored in their fat under refrigeration for one week and will develop more flavor as they sit. 1. Peel, trim and thinly slice the garlic cloves. Reserve. 2. Remove the thighbone from the duck legs. Leave the drumstick bone intact. Lay the duck legs on a flat surface so that the meat side is facing up. Sprinkle the meat side of the legs evenly with ½ teaspoon of coarse salt per leg. Distribute the garlic, thyme, black pepper and cloves evenly over the legs, pressing into the meat well. Press two legs together meat side to meat side. You will have four pairs of legs. Sprinkle the skin side with 1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt for each leg, rub into the skin well. Place the legs in a shallow pan. Cover with plastic wrap and press lightly with a weighted pan on top. Turn the legs over the next day. Drain any juice in bottom of pan, reweight and marinate overnight. The following day turn again, drain off excess juice in the pan, re-weight and marinate one more day. 3. To cook the confit, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 4. Unpair the legs and clean off the excess salt, garlic and cloves. In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, sear the legs skin side down until golden, about 10 minutes on each side. This may have to be done in two batches if your pan is not large enough. Adjust the heat if the pan gets too hot. Remove the seared legs to a pan large and deep enough to contain all of the legs when covered with duck fat. Pair the legs together as they were when they were marinated. Pour any duck fat that has accumulated in the pan over the legs. 5. Heat 4 cups of the rendered duck fat until it is melted and hot and pour over the seared legs. Melt more fat to cover the legs if necessary. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 2 hours until the meat is tender and easily removed from the bone. Cool to the touch and strain off the fat. Store the legs in the fat if you will not be using them immediately to make rillettes. 6. For rillettes remove the legs from the fat. Strain the fat and reserve at room temperature. 7. Pull the meat off the bone and shred. Be sure to remove all gristle. 8. Place the meat in a bowl and pound with the edge of a wooden spoon to break up the meat and transform it into a coarse paste. You may also use a food processor but be careful not to process too finely. When the meat is uniform in texture, fold in enough of the reserved duck fat to moisten the paste and create a spreadable mixture that holds together. Add salt and pepper to taste. 9. Transfer the rillettes to mason jars or a deep bowl and pack in tightly. Top with a ¼-inch-thick layer of the reserved duck fat. Warm the fat if it has hardened. 10. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 11. To serve - remove the rillettes from the refrigerator 1 hour before serving to soften the duck fat. Serve from the jar or turn out into a bowl. Mix in the duck fat and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with crackers or toasted bread. Pinot Nor, Los Carneros, Napa Valley 6

TOASTED SESAME CRACKERS These crisp, light but sturdy crackers are delicious on their own, topped with cured meats, slathered with cheese or plunged into dips.

Extra virgin olive oil Fleur de Sel or kosher salt for sprinkling 1. Place the warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast evenly over the top of the water and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes.

7 TOASTED SESAME CRACKERS These crisp, light but sturdy crackers are delicious on their own, topped with cured meats, slathered with cheese or plunged into dips. Yield: Enough crackers for 20 snacking people 1 cup warm water 1 tablespoon yeast 3½ cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons kosher salt ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter Extra virgin olive oil Fleur de Sel or kosher salt for sprinkling 1. Place the warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast evenly over the top of the water and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes. Whisk it into the water until smooth. 2. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast. Knead with the dough hook until the dough is roughly combined and then add the sesame seeds and soft butter. Knead until the dough is very smooth, about 5 minutes. You can also hand knead the dough. 3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm corner of the kitchen to rise. Let the dough rise for 1½ hours until doubled. Punch the dough down and divide into 3 pieces. Cover the pieces of dough with plastic wrap to keep moist. 4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 5. Remove one section of dough from the wrap and roll thinly with a rolling pin on an un-floured counter. Lift the dough and turn it to get it really thin. You can also use a pasta machine to roll the dough thinly. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil and then sprinkle very lightly with salt. Prick well with a fork. 6. Use a knife to cut into any size and shape you wish. Transfer crackers to a sheet pan. Let the crackers sit for 10 minutes before baking. 7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once until the crackers have bubbled and are golden on the edges. 8. Cool before storing in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Pinot Nor, Los Carneros, Napa Valley 7

FINE WINES. ORGANIC VINES. Robert Sinskey Vineyards 6320 Silverado Trail Napa, CA 94558 707.944.9090 robertsinskey.

8 FINE WINES. ORGANIC VINES. Robert Sinskey Vineyards 6320 Silverado Trail Napa, CA robertsinskey.com Winemaker: Jeff Virnig Chef: Maria Helm Sinskey Photos and Text: Rob Sinskey Vineyard Manager: Debby Zygielbaum

Robert Sinskey Vineyards. Cabernet Franc, Vandal Vineyard, Los Carneros, napa Valley, 2009

Robert Sinskey Vineyards. Cabernet Franc, Vandal Vineyard, Los Carneros, napa Valley, 2009 Robert Sinskey Vineyards Cabernet Franc, Vandal Vineyard, Los Carneros, napa Valley, 2009 Traditional Franc... touch the past, embrace today! by Rob Sinskey We all make our own traditions - little family