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Mission Codename: Fratelli Dorati

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Acquire a limited allocation of Simi’s 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Simi Winery

Wine Subject: 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

Winemaker: Susan Lueker

Backgrounder:

Zinfandel is related to the Italian Primitivo grape, tracing its origin to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kastelanski. Zinfandel is one of the most versatile varietals with the ability to make wines, both rich to fruity, dark to light, and dry to sweet. The Dry Creek Valley, where this Zinfandel’s grapes are are grown are characterized by their bright and balanced flavors, distinct minerality and spice are quite in popularity with our Operatives.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep garnet with ruby and violet hues that shine through its dark but clear heart. Along the edges the color remains deep ruby and when swirled, medium thick legs of varying speeds descend to the wine below.

Smell – Medium bold in intensity with aromas of ripe and tart raspberries, blackberries and other bramble fruit. A distinct Dry Creek Valley dusty minerality layers over savory spice, bramble herbal notes and a touch of vanilla toast.

Feel – This dry and full-bodied Zinfandel is rich and smooth in the initial attack immediately followed by peppery spice, bright acidity and finely textured and well structured tannins coats the palate and lingers into the finish.

Taste – Vibrant and youthful in character, flavors of red raspberry and blackberry as well as plum lead off on the fruit side with a kick of pepper and smokey cedar. Savory spices, bramble and earthy notes along with subtle hints of dark cocoa, vanilla and forest reveal themselves and linger as you swallow.

Finish – Focused with with a lingering spice and minerality coating the palate and the wild raspberry and bramble fruit and herbs fading ever so slowly until another sip is taken.

Conclusion – The 2007 Simi Winery Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is a bright and fresh Zin with great spicy pepper and minerality. Youthful in its fruit and bright in its acidity makes this great for food pairing if enjoyed now and with enough structure to cellar for a few years as well.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Susan Lueker

DATE OF BIRTH: August/1964

PLACE OF BIRTH: Little Rock, Arkansas

WINE EDUCATION: University of Missouri, UCD

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Always in Sonoma County. Started at Hacienda Winery in Sonoma Valley, brief stint at KJ in Geyserville, 7 years at Dry Creek Vineyard and 9 years at Simi

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Keep it simple, let the fruit speak for itself, try not to overwhelm fruit with oak, I like higher acids makes the wine work better with food and keeps flavors lively

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: Love Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: I think I’m still waiting for that, I love it when people really enjoy the wine and want to drink more.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: I just did a winemaker dinner, actually I think the wine was the fluff with Tom Colichio and John Legend in New York. Simi’s wines show perfectly with the food, John sang for our dessert. Sweet!

WINEMAKER QUOTE: I’ve got the best job in the world, I love what I do, I hope it shows in the wine.

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WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Greetings, Susan. We are thrilled to be showing your 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

SUSAN LUEKER: My pleasure

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

SUSAN: I do remember a few wine stained sunsets that were magnificent, all the best times in my life have been associated with the consumption of wine. Wine just makes good times brighter

RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

SUSAN: some at school, UCD, but mostly on the job. Watching color and aromas develop during pumpovers, putting your back into punch down. I also liked to think the things we did in the cellar had a positive impact on the wine. Topping barrels to keep them fresh and healthy, inoculating fermentations to be able to sleep. Experimenting every year to find something new and better for the wine. Tasting to see development, blending to make the best wine possible.

RED: What is your winemaking style or philosophy?

SUSAN: Keep it simple, don’t over think it. Start with the best grapes available use the yeast that will give you the flavor/structure character you want, keep your barrels/tanks topped and the wine healthy.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

SUSAN: Hard to say, I really respect everyone I’ve been fortunate to work with and I think they’ve all shaped my winemaking…. Eric Laumann, John Hawley, Larry Levine, Miro Tcholakov, Nick Goldschmidt, and Steve Reeder. They all have unique styles and place more emphasis on different processes.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

SUSAN: 18 years?? Is that possible?

RED: Who do you make wine for?

SUSAN: I enjoy the process, but the end product is for the consumer. I like to think the wine is enjoyed with a great meal, but it could easily go with sitting on the porch watching life go by.

RED: Tell me, what makes the Dry Creek Valley so special?

SUSAN: Great soils for growing grapes along with the climate, warm days with a cooling breeze that comes every day around 3, letting you know it’s time to start wrapping things up.

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

SUSAN: You’ll need to like to work hard, playing hard is not bad either.

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

SUSAN: Getting wines ready for bottling. And getting all the 09 wines tucked in for Christmas break.

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

SUSAN: This wine comes from three vineyards. The zins are from Ray and Bob and the Petite Sirah from George. Each grower lives in the vineyard and watch the vines very closely, they’re really in tune with them, so it’s makes my job easy. Ray’s zin is super aromatic, beautiful red raspberry, slightly perfumy, tastes and smells great right from the beginning. Ray’s fruit is a little darker, hangs on the vine for 2 to 4 weeks longer and has more blue/black berry character, more earthiness. The petite from George is dark and rich, in 2008, I think it was the best stand alone fruit with brought into the winery.

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

SUSAN: We have a wood fired pizza oven, on occasion we get to put together our own creations, but our chef Eric Lee does a better job. He made a Gorgonzola, caramelized onion combo that was fantastic with this wine. I love it with a miso glazed salmon dish, too. Not bad with chicken liver with a balsamic reduction or a simple lamb burger. Can you tell I like to eat?

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

SUSAN: I love watching football on Sundays from a bar stool.

RED: What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

SUSAN: I’m really enjoying a friends GSM at the moment. It’s really a seasonal thing for me.

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

SUSAN: Look for the good in it, it’s meant to be enjoyed not dissected

RED: If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

SUSAN: Champagne, Brut Rose is my fave, possibly from Krug

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

SUSAN: I always like to ask people what they had to drink last night with dinner. I had a margarita with Mexican food

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

SUSAN: Thanks, good, interesting questions. Keep enjoying the wine. Thanks, again.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Simi Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.