Booklet - Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Robert Sinskey Vineyards
Merlot, Los Carneros, napa Valley, 2009
r e l u c ta n t R e d . . .
a blackbird singing in the dead of night!
by Rob Sinskey
It wasn’t the wine they wanted, but it showed up anyway.
About a quarter century ago, Merlot crashed the party with
as much subtlety as Bluto Blutarsky in a toga. It came out
of nowhere while other wines, like Pinot Noir, were still
finding their New World footing. Oh, there were a few
people making a wine called Merlot, but no one anticipated
it would soon alter the wine landscape and, for better or
worse, define a prototypical American wine style.
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In cool climates like the
Right Bank of Bordeaux or
the Carneros, Merlot can
take the lead as a varietal
wine because it has the
ripening time to develop
flavor and structure in the
cooler hinterlands.
Prior to the 90’s, American taste in wine veered between extremes. At one end the masochistic, tannin-laden Cabernet Sauvignon reigned supreme amongst macho, male-dominated wine collecting clans, who stood around comparing size while trading the
adjectives: “massive”, “powerful” and “hard.” We were told that these wines were designed for the ages - yet many remained “hard”
and surly into old age. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the sugary, sweet, white Zinfandel dominated the top of the
charts, driving growth and profits for many wineries, forcing them to transition from mom and pop operations into large, national
corporations. The masses loved the soda pop-like wines even though they didn’t pair well with anything but bubble gum.
People grew dissatisfied with their limited choices and looked for something more elegant and balanced... a softer wine that
could be consumed younger than the massive Cabs, yet without the sugar of the mass-produced White Zins. What they really
wanted was Pinot Noir, but since most didn’t know how to confidently pronounce it and there weren’t yet many well made ones
from the New World, Merlot stepped into the spotlight.
Merlot sounded elegant - it sounded French - and it was not intimidating to ask for a glass at the bar. Who cared that its name
means “young blackbird?” It sounded sophisticated, cool, and sexy as it rolled off the tongue.
Besides the unintended marketing advantage of a pronounceable name, why did this wine take off? Merlot is an early ripening
grape, which means it performs better in cooler climates than other Bordeaux varieties. Not only does it ripen sooner, it has softer
tannin. Traditionally, Merlot was blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to tame its harder tannins. However, in cool climates like the
Right Bank of Bordeaux or the Carneros, Merlot can take the lead as a varietal wine because it has the ripening time to develop
flavor and structure in the cooler hinterlands.
As Merlot became more popular, growers started planting it in warmer climes. This accelerated its popularity as warmer regions
not only decreased acidity and amplified softness, but the grapes got riper, allowing for residual sugar and/or high alcohols that
fattened the mouthfeel of the finished wine with sweetness. So even though Merlot started out on the “razor’s edge” in fringe areas that made a more elegant, food friendly wine, its success encouraged plantings in less than optimal locations, managing to turn
it into a hybrid wine with both big and sweet characteristics. Merlot went from being the niche jazz act, playing gigs in obscure
underground French dinner clubs, to become a “hair” band with the power to sell out Madison Square Garden!
Fashion has a way of correcting itself. Once Merlot turned it up to “11”, it became a self parody. All it took to initiate a correction was one “F’ing” line in a movie. Now Merlot is back in the small clubs, working in obscurity as it finds its voice of elegance,
balance and finesse in the cooler growing regions where it belongs.
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Merlot cluster prior to veraison
Wine Growing Notes
by Rob Sinskey, Jeff Virnig and Debby Zygielbaum
The 2009 vintage was born into fears of drought as a dry January and February left the
Carneros with just 30% of normal precipitation. Then, the March Miracle occurred, leaving a
respectable 80% of normal rain fall for the season.
The rest of the long, cool growing season in RSV’s organic and Biodynamic Carneros Vineyards
allowed for the relatively small crop of Merlot to mature leisurely, developing nice red fruit
characteristics and elegant, elongated tannins for a classic, balanced structure.
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Merlot, Los Carneros, Napa Valley, 2009
Tasting Notes
by Rob Sinskey and Jeff Virnig
Aromas and flavors of red cassis and tart plum with hints
of earthy dried herbs and cacao nibs. The wine has a nice
weight that fills the mid-palate, yet finishes long and clean
with bright, mouth watering acidity... an ideal candidate for
the dinner table.
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W h at g o e s a r o u n d c o m e s a r o u n d !
I used to make lasagna for just about every large dinner party I threw during my early
years of entertaining. It took more than a little effort as I had to make the sauce, the
pasta and then the filling from scratch. However, once everything was done and the
lasagna assembled, I just had to pop it in the oven while I entertained my guests. A
delicious dish was as simple as that!
I had moved away from lasagna until some restaurant friends from Nantucket came for a
visit and turned me on to a white lasagna they made with our vineyard raised lamb and
pasta sheets made from “00” flour. The result was a light, ethereal lasagna, filled with
richly braised lamb and creamy béchamel. Pure heaven!
That lasagna lingered in my head for nigh over a year before I took action. When
I tasted the rich yet restrained, dark plum and cherry fruit of the Merlot, it hit a
nerve. Its beautiful structure with underpinnings of vibrant acidity, opened the door
to re-create the lasagna using veal instead of lamb. I felt lamb might just be a tad
overwhelming for this elegantly balanced wine and veal would hit the spot.
Roll up your sleeves and give yourself a little time to create this dish. Enlist the help of
others and pour yourself a glass of Merlot.
Until the next wine…
Maria
White Lasagna with Veal Sugo
There is no need to cook the pasta sheets for this rich yet delicate lasagna. For a vegetarian option, substitute 3 pounds of a mixed assortment
of mushrooms for the veal.
4 tablespoons divided extra virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots minced
2 celery stalks, minced
1/2 medium yellow onion minced
2 pounds ground veal
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup red wine
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
Béchamel Sauce, Recipe follows
“00” Pasta Dough, Recipe follows
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1. Heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the
pan, then the carrot, onion and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables
are golden and soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat if the vegetables brown too
quickly before they are soft. This is the soffritto that is the base for many Italian sauces.
Remove the soffritto to a plate.
2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and then the veal. Brown the
veal for 6-8 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, stir well, and cook for 1
minute more.
3. Add the soffritto back to the pan along with the tomato puree, red wine, water and bay
leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover with a lid and cook for
1 1/2 hours until the veal is meltingly tender. Add more liquid if the pan becomes dry. The
veal should be moist, but not sauce-like, at the end of cooking. Remove the bay leaves. The
veal may be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
To make the lasagna:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Use olive oil to lightly rub the inside of a 9-inch x 7-inch x 3-inch casserole dish. Line
the bottom with UNCOOKED pasta sheets, overlapping by 1/2-inch.
3. Spread 1 cup of béchamel over the first layer of pasta. Top with 2 layers of uncooked
pasta, then 1/2 of the veal.
4. Top with 1 layer of pasta sheets, then spread 1 cup of béchamel over. Top with 2 layers
of pasta and then the remaining veal.
5. Finish with 2 layers of pasta, then top with 1 1/2 cups of béchamel.
6. Sprinkle with Parmesan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour until the
lasagna is bubbling and the top is golden.
Béchamel Sauce
Pasta Dough
Yield: about 4 cups
2 cups “00” flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons “00” flour
4 cups milk
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
1 small dried bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium
heat. Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden
spoon until smooth. Cook at a vigorous bubble, stirring
constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes but do not brown, lower
the heat if necessary.
2. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in 1 cup of milk.
Continue to add milk 1 cup at a time, whisking after each
addition to keep the sauce smooth. After all of the milk
has been added, place the pan back over medium heat.
3. Whisk slowly but constantly until the milk comes to
a boil and thickens. Reduce the heat to low. Add the
nutmeg, bay leaf and onion.
4. Cook for 15 minutes. Stir frequently to keep the sauce
from burning on the bottom of the pan.
5. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer. Do not scrape
the bottom of the pan. Season the sauce with salt and
freshly ground black pepper. Cool to warm. Sauce can be
made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated.
1. In a small bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Place in a food processor fitted with
the blade attachment.
2. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and
olive oil together. Add to the flour and pulse
until ingredients are combined and come together when pressed between your fingers.
If dough is too dry add a few drops of water
until the dough presses together.
3. Turn the dough out of the food processor
onto a board or counter and knead lightly
until dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap in
plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes
or overnight.
4. Pass three times through pasta machine
before rolling to the second thinnest setting
(you should be able to see your hand through
the dough). Dust sheets with flour to keep
from sticking.
5. Dust the finished sheets with flour and
lay them out on a floured board or pan. Place
flour-dusted parchment or wax paper in
between the sheets of pasta. Cover them
lightly with a towel until you are ready to
make the lasagna.
Winemaker: Jeff Virnig
Recipes: Maria Helm Sinskey
Photos and Text: Rob Sinskey
Vineyard Manager: Debby Zygielbaum
Merlot, Los CarneroS
napa Valley, 2009
Fine Wines from Organic Vines
6320 Silverado Trail
Napa, CA 94558
707.944.9090
RobertSinskey.com