SECRET SAVINGS ALERT:

Subscribe to our Daily Dispatch (above) and you’ll always know what our Top Secret coupon code of the day is. Every day we issue a new members-only code that entitles you to have Ground Shipping included and, sometimes, an added discount!

Mission Codename: Backside of the Barn – Part Two

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Revisit our good freinds at Dry Creek’s Wilson Winery and return with their delicious Bordeaux style blend.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Wilson Winery

Wine Subject: 2005 Bordeaux Blend

Winemaker: Diane Wilson

Backgrounder:

The lush Dry Creek Valley, in Sonoma County, is home to some of our most favorite wineries. A still and beautiful place the Dry Creek Valley is fertile, lush and abundant with vineyards that produce an astonishing range of wines. From creekside low-lying vineyards to those at higher elevations, the variety of flavors and styles – even among a particular varietal – is astounding.

Today’s selection from Wilson Winery is a Bordeaux style blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 28% Cabernet Franc.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark purple with a dark, inky and nearly black core that shows reddish and bluish reflections when held to the light. Along the edges, the color density stays thick to the very edge where it lightens slightly to a robust garnet color. When swirled, a low ring of legs hangs with its legs being thick with color.

Smell – Medium bold in intensity with ripe of blackberry, raspberry and plum that are well integrated with a distinct dried Provencal herb component. Hints of baking spice, pepper, floral aromas and toasted vanilla round out the very classic nose of this wine.

Feel – The initial attack of this full bodied dry wine shows a spicy kick over its mineral and grippy tannins, but when given some time to open, the initially firm and masculine attack mellows dramatically providing a solid but balanced structure and texture that carries long into the finish.

Taste – Plush, dense and ripe flavors of blackberry, raspberry and plum mingle with soft oak, toasted vanilla, and hints of fresh cut cedar, leather and black licorice. These flavors, mix well with a balanced structure that includes a touch of minerality highlights the exceptional Bordeaux styled fruit.

Finish – Medium long in length with a textural quality that lingers with ripe plush plum and other dark fruit along with its complex herbal, floral and cedar components.

Conclusion – The 2005 Wilson Winery Bordeaux Blend is both traditional in character and also shows off Dry Creek’s exceptional ripe and plush fruit. Don’t get us wrong though, this wine doesn’t overpower you with its fruit at the expense of other required classic aromas and flavors. Well developed on the nose, great texture and structure and rich flavors make this wine ideal for grilled meats. We enjoyed this wine with simple rosemary grilled lamb-chops, Gratin Dauphinois and grilled tomato and zucchini.

Mission Report:

We are proud to present Agent Sparkle’s interview with Diane Wilson:

AGENT SPARKLE: Hi Diane. We are big fans of your wines and it is a pleasure to talk with you! Here’s my first question: What inspired you to become a winemaker?

DIANE WILSON: Ken and I had been growing grapes for several years and one of our contracts ran out, so we thought it was a good time to venture into making our own wines… and there is something very tempting about growing the grapes, picking them, and keeping them to make the wine and have a finished product; all the fruits of our own labor.

SPARKLE: How long have you been making wine?

DIANE: My first commercial vintage was in 1994 with a Reserve Cabernet. It won a Best of Class and a Gold Medal in the 2000 Sonoma County Harvest Fair, which was very exciting!

SPARKLE: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

DIANE: I make very big, bold, rich-mouth-feel style wines, making the most of what the grapes have to offer. I mostly use natural yeast, and let the wines come into themselves without fussing with them too much.

SPARKLE: Who do you make wine for?

DIANE: Myself! Wilson Winery is our family’s flagship winery, so the wines I make here are establishing our family heritage…

SPARKLE: Do you think that women winemakers have an advantage over their male counterparts?

DIANE: I don’t know…I think that many people have a good sense of smell and taste, and you finesse the wines you have made by using those senses. You also want a basic understanding of the chemistry what you are producing, and my science background definitely has helped…

SPARKLE: What is the biggest obstacle you have encountered in your career, and how have you overcome it?

DIANE: Marketing, making great wine is only one part of the wine business, you also need to sell the wine. When you are new and unknown, it is a lot of work to get your name out there and create a following of your wine.

SPARKLE: Who is your favorite woman winemaker and why?
DIANE: That’s a tough question, there are so many out there, but who first comes to mind is Carol Shelton. She works incredibly hard both making her wine and putting herself out there in marketing world. She has an amazing palate and creativity to her.

SPARKLE: What is the one question that you would ask another woman winemaker – and what is your answer to that question?

DIANE: What is your favorite aspect of winemaking? For me it is harvest. Harvest is like a new year with all that unknown potential and anticipation of what the new grapes will bring – will this year be the best yet?

SPARKLE: What is one piece of advice that you would give to a woman that is considering a career as a winemaker?

DIANE: Take the opportunities afforded to you and learn all you can from everyone! Ask ten winemakers a question and you will get ten different answers, so you need that basic experience to figure out what path will work for you and your personal philosophy of winemaking.

SPARKLE: In the eyes of consumers and the eyes of those in the wine business, is there gender equality among winemakers?

DIANE: For me, I have to say I have only found only equality, I can even say I think being a women in this business has been a positive.

SPARKLE: What is your current favorite wine?

DIANE: My favorite wine can change from week, but right now I think my favorite wine is the 06 Reserve Zin, in fact it has been my “flavor of the month”, and this is not because you are featuring this wine.

SPARKLE: What was the last wine you drank and did you enjoy it?

DIANE: The last wine I drank was a wine I bottled just over a week ago called Wilson Family Red which is a blend from our different family named estate vineyards. It is comprised Zinfandel, Cabernet, Petite Sirah, and Syrah. I am very happy with how it turned out. This is a new wine for us, I think people are going to like it.

SPARKLE: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

DIANE: With the 2006 Reserve Zinfandel, I love to pair a portabella mushroom soup! The flavor pairings are really delicious…

SPARKLE: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

DIANE: I was planning on going to medical school before I got caught up in the wine culture!

SPARKLE: What is the one question that I should have asked you, and what is your answer to that question?

DIANE: What is my favorite wine to make: It’s like children; I don’t really have a favorite, but every year a different one needs a little extra attention. I do have fun tinkering with each year’s Petite Sirah — we have such a small amount planted and it is so terroir-driven that we get something unique and different every year!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Wilson Winery in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley can be seen in this satellite photo.