TNs--Mike on Tour--Interlude in El Dorado at Cantiga Wineworks + Fleur de Lys, May 14

The day after my Panorama Trail hike found me in the company of friends of a friend who are now friends in their own right after a lovely dinner, evening and morning at Cantiga Wineworks in the Fair Play area. Rich and Christine Rorden are committed to making and selling wine using old world cellaring and non-interventionist methodology. IIRC, production is 1,000 cases total. All this means pretty much only neutral oak, releasing wines later than would be normal and in most cases, no malolactic at all. They are both also absolutely committed to matching their wines with food and opening people’s eyes to that magic that happens when food and wine enhance each other. I got to see that first-hand on the morning of the 15th when I retasted their Zin with a particular combination. Besides being wonderful people, I had a lot of fun tasting a very different kind of wine for California. They make a Semillon and occasionally a Chard, a Syrah and a Shiraz—Rich emphatically stating there’s a difference in the rootstock and fruit that merits using both sets of nomenclature–a Petite, a C.S., Grenache, Zin, a late harvest Zin, Sem and P.S. and even a colheita-style port Syrah and P.S. (when I talked with Rich about what else he’d like to make, I think he mentioned possibly tempranillo or Roussanne).

As was inevitable on this trip, I’ve lost a set of notes for another winery, Fleur de Lys, that they directed me to first. That winery concentrates on single varieties with no blending, and I was delighted to find him making an Alicante which showed the variety well, with herbs and nervy black fruit, and a balanced Cabernet Sauvignon that I decided to grab a bottle of.

2011 Cantiga Wineworks Estate Semillon

Does hay and pear make sense? It’s quite a subtle bouquet. Light hints of truffle. Also grapefruit and maybe nettles. What it does, and what I like, is that it fans out in the mouth. I would want to see more flavour with time, but like the mouthfeel, this is anything but aggressive, yet not limpid and flat either. Tactile and gets better with air, lilac and apple blossom on taste. This is good

2010 Cantiga Wineworks Herbert Zinfandel

cocoa-dusted boysenberry, a real chocolate cake aromatic element. Suave and very tasty indeed! Sweet, lilting fruit but without the heavy alcohol, emphasis on plum jam, this is gorgeous when tried the next morning with a tomato pesto and pecorino cheese combination—like the sun coming up in how they interplay with each other.

2001 Cantiga Wineworks Monterey Shiraz

Rich opened this older bottle—they don’t pull Shiraz fruit from here any longer–and though he doesn’t feel it’s representative, it’s still a fun look at an older bottle. This one I find a peaty, smoky, blue and black fruit nose. It’s sedate and balanced to taste, smooth aftertaste with cherry, but the typical bottle has more showiness about it. This is still quite decent.

2010 Cantiga Wineworks El Dorado Cabernet Sauvignon

It is dark. Cherry mixes with light herbs, including dill, on the nuzzie. Light and airy flow, but quite pure cherry and raspberry. With hummus, sort of lengthens and thins out the flavours a little.

2010 Cantiga Wineworks estate Petite Sirah

Scents of delicious chocolate/black forest cake. Oh my—this is melt-in-your-mouth so darned good. Strawberry shortcake meets chocolate ganache and smooth as baby’s bottom I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a P.S. remotely close to this style. Even more intriguing, a kalamata olive dip jumps up the freshness and acidity. Pressed to score, I’d have to be thinking close to 92. Really wonderful wine.

I didn’t make formal notes on the Madrigal (late harvest Sem) which I will try again in a couple days, but it reminded me of an Alsatian or Loire Vendages Tardives with a kind of focused tart-and-sweet combination.

We did have a couple other things at dinner.

2005 Chateau Climens Barsac

I brought this to share with them in thanks. Popped and poured. Honey, but with elderflower, coconut, vanilla. Length but it’s actually sleepy right now. Sweet and long yes, but not expressive as it has been, although caramel, papaya, honeydew and even a nip of aniseed all poke their head up. To-be-wonderful again, I ordered them not to touch it for 4 days and then retaste.

2011 Windwalker Sierra Foothills Zinfandel

Reticent nose–plum, sweetmeat, chocolate. Yeah, this is sweet all right–blackberry jam. Some acid, but hard to penetrate and balance the torpidness, not a style that I enjoy.

I am left with a fond hope of reconnecting with Rich and Christine and making future visits here—and future visits with the wines.

Cheers,

Mike

I don’t know Cantiga but used to motorcycle a bit in Fairplay, great part of CA! You were so close to La Clarine Farm too.

I was close to a lot of places I had no idea were out there—I think the next iteration of the Tour will include a full day or two up there.

The wines are good, the people friendly and the tasting fees very reasonable. We are going back for our second visit in 4 years this December.

Yippee–I found my notes on Fleur de Lys. Mireille was a very gracious hostess here. She and Robert are actually originally from Quebec.

2012 Fleur de Lys Viognier

18 year vines, 1 year in oak. Active honey, floral and citrusy nose. Extremely sweet, though, almost like a late harvest, though no RS. Honeyed pear. Not quite my style.

2011 Fleur de Lys Chard

1 year in new oak. Also somewhat sweet, but with lines. Sweet corn and apple. Passable.

2009 Fleur de Lys Sierra Foothills Zin

Chocolate, ripe plum and a touch of blueberry pie. Sweet and luscious side dans la bouche, but carries the sugared plums. It is hot, though–16.4%

2007 Fleur de Lys La Joie estate Mourvedre

Dirt-filled, earthy and light coffee notes to scent. Light on the tongue, but very solidly Cali Mourvedre, cherry and mocha

2008 Fleur de Lys La Joie Fleurette

The only blend Robert does, 50% Mourvedre, 50% Syrah. More cocoa here–cocoa bean–tiny nip of mint. Smoother, not as forward. Drinks nicely with prune, cherry and surmaturite plum.

2007 Fleur De Lys Sierra Foothills Alicante Bouschet

This is from Dave Cooper’s vineyard, love that he’s done an Alicante. Pruny/plum bouquet is augmented by campfire and dark chocolate. Violets too. Driving and flavourful wine, forthright with herbs, cranberry and raspberry. This is in my taste wheelhouse and I like it.

2007 Fleur de Lys Camino Cabernet

Quite harmonized on aroma with blue and black fruit and what almost seems like a pleasant grated cheese side. This really is a balanced, flavourful wine. Has grip at top and bottom of tongue, but not from tannins. Juicy berry and plum show through with small cedar sidebar. For QPR at $23, this is a very nice find and I took a bottle.

2008 Fleur de Lys Sierra Foothills Barbera

Light, light cranberry and tart raisin in the sniffer, which also finds a dash of sage. Light but fruity, gets at some strawberry and pomegranate. I’d like more definition.

2006 Fleur de Lys La Joie estate Syrah

18 year vines, a little motor fuel accents chocolatey cassis. Backhit of meat. Palate involves campfire, smoke, plum, a little heavy on the smoky side for me (didn’t ask how long this was in oak)

2007 Fleur de Lys Petite Sirah

Somewhat like the Syrah in aromatic profile, but darker chocolate and a little pepper—actually, more than a little, along with rosemary. Still pretty rich in the mouth, powerful enough with tannins and sticky-sweet blueberry and blackberry. Well made, but not my style.

2010 Fleur de Lys Estate Sauterelle

This is a late harvest Viognier mixed with some brandy. In the 30s for Brix, Mireille tells me. You get a bit of the brandy on the nose. Blends with nectarine and banana on the tongue. Again, interesting but not for me.

Let me see if I have this straight – you had the chance to try late harvest, fortified and even colheita style Zinfadel and Petit Syrah sweet wines and PASSED at Cantiga Wineworks?!?

You’re dead to me. That is all.

Are you still out there? Where is this Panorama Trail? I assume Sierra Foothills some place…

Apologies, Markus, Panorama Trail is in Yosemite Park—I have gotten around on this trip…