Walking the Stepping Stone

By Rob Bralow, Wine Post Editor

On average it take me about two to three months review a wine that has been sent to me here on Wine Post. There is first the time lag between when I receive the wine and when I taste the wine. That is usually about three to four weeks. This is deliberate, as it allows the wine that has been sent to me to get over its bottle shock from being put into a box, shaken vigorously by the UPS or FedEx man, and then delivered to me.

After waiting an appropriate amount of time, I then taste the wine and write down my tasting notes. I will usually taste the wine after about 15 minutes of it being opened, then again after 30 minutes, and then again after an hour. This allows me to see how the wine changes and evolves. It also gives me a small glimpse into seeing if the wine could have aged. The more changes the wine goes through while open to air, the more these changes could have blended into a wine as it sits in the bottle. It is not a sure indicator, but it is close. You can definitely tell when a wine is closed tight and needs a while in the air to open up. More time in the bottle would certainly help these wines open.

I mention this because these are some of the properties I found in Cornerstone Cellars' newest label: Stepping Stone. I received a bottle of the 2007 Grenache and 2007 Cabernet Franc. The Grenache is from the Red Hills AVA, in Lake County, within the North Coast of California (circles within circles). The Cabernet Franc comes from vineyards in Carneros. I really enjoyed both of these wines, but I thought the Grenache was great. It had beautiful wild berry flavors, with a fine sprinkle of crushed black pepper. The longer this wine sat in my glass, the smoother and more enjoyable it became, clearly indicating to me that this wine could have held up for another five years easily.

The Cabernet Franc was also very nice, with fresh and vibrant fruit, hinting at a background of herbal polish. Blueberries and raspberries were the most prevalent with a band of dust that carefully divided the fore-palate and the mid-palate.

Another thing I like about Cornerstone is that on the individual wine pages there are a few notes about WHY the winery decided to make the wine.

Disclaimer: I received both wines as samples from the winery.

A blend of Pinot Noir and Claude Monet

The more invested and heavily educated of wine drinkers can sometimes taste a wine and give you the details of how it was made, where it was from, what vintage it was, even to the point of if the barrels were made by a certain cooper. It really is extraordinary to watch (although it is probably a good parlor trick at only certain types of parties).

Similarly it is truly breathtaking to listen to a knowledgeable art historian talk about an artist's masterpiece. They can look at the painting and tell you what brush was used, how many brush strokes were done, the period of history the painting came from, the materials used in its formation, the story of the artist or the depicted scene, the side story behind why there was this symbol placed just so... I find it fascinating.

Then again, I also spent from age 5 until age 10 wondering the halls of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, guided by my godmother, Danielle Rice who at the time was the museum's Director of Education. Every Friday for years I would go from school to the art museum, spend a few hours learning about one style of art or another and then be taken home by Danielle. On our way home we would always stop at Klein's Deli and pick up briny kosher pickle. I was much better at eating that I was at art and it was hard to tell if she was buying me the pickle to make me feel better or to reward me for sticking with the art classes.

Danielle is now the Executive Director of the Delaware Art Museum (a wonderful place to explore one weekend), which brings me back to wine. Danielle also happens to enjoy wine and has found the beverage to be a natural pairing with art exhibit openings and parties that highlight both art and wine.

Danielle notes: “I don’t know much about wine, but I know what I like... Just kidding...that’s what people say about art all the time. Art and wine have this in common: they both require discernment. And discernment is not something that can be learned instantaneously. Both art and wine encourage us to pause, reflect and savor. And there’s nothing more wonderful than seeing something new in a painting or noticing a new flavor in a favorite wine!”

It turns out that there are plenty of art lovers in the wine world (and I am sure the reverse is true as well). Gerret Copeland, who owns Bouchaine Vineyards with his wife Tatiana, is a resident of Wilmington, Delaware and a notable contributor to the Delaware Museum. Copeland was once the owner of a New York Stock Exchange brokerage firm which he then sold. He went on to purchase Bouchaine Vineyards in 1981. Besides having an interest in art and wine, Copeland is also interested in sustainable practices and environmental initiatives. You cannot help but like what he is doing.

When asked about the Gerret and his wife, Danielle says, "We are very fortunate to have the Copeland's involved with the Museum as well as with all of the arts in Wilmington. They are very generous and as a result of their passion for both art and wine we often get the benefit of enjoying Buchaine wines at our special events!"

In my opinion the wines from Bouchaine are pleasant and fruity. I tasted the 2007 Chardonnay and the 2007 Pinot Noir, both from Carneros. The Chardonnay was pleasantly toasty, with a blend of a bright yellow apple dipped in a light caramel. The Pinot Noir was floral and milk chocolaty on the nose with some dry cherry flavors in the taste.

It also turns out that the Delaware Art Museum is very integrated into the social media world. Recently the museum held an Exposed exhibition and for the duration of the exhibit the museum wrote a blog. It was well written and gave a 'real-person' voice to the pieces of art. Danielle also writes her own blog, although like mine sometimes the pressures of everyday life do not allow consistent writing as one would wish.

Wines tasted on October 29th, 2008

Pinot Noir

1) Fleur de California Pinot Noir 2006, 13.5% ALC., Carneros, California, USA

2) Joseph Drouhin Cote de Beaune-Villages 2005, 13% ALC., AOC Cote de Beaune-Villages, Cote D’Or, Burgundy, France

3) Baden Biengener Maltesergarten Pinot Noir 2003, QmP Troken Auslese, Markgraflerland, Germany

Merlot

4) Sterling Vineyards Merlot 2004, 13.5% ALC, Napa Valley, California, USA

5) Chateau Beaumont Cru Bourgeois Supérieur 2005, 13.5 ALC, (51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot), Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France

6) Chateau Haut-Surget Lalande de Pomerol 2005, 13% ALC, AOC Lalande-de-Pomerol, Bordeaux, France