WORLDWIDE EXCLUSIVE ALERT:

Only The Wine Spies have the resources – and the reach into the wine trade – to be able to bring you wines that no other wine merchant can! Today, we are very proud to bring you a superb Winery-Only Chardonnay from our great friends at SIMI Winery.

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Mission Codename: True Boldness

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: In time for Summer enjoyment, return to Simi Winery and acquire an ample allotment of their exclusive, winery-only Alexander Valley Chardonnay

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Simi Winery

Wine Subject: 2007 Alexander Valley Chardonnay

Winemaker: Steve Reeder

Backgrounder:

Today’s Alexander Valley Chardonnay comes to us from our good friends at Simi Winery, in Sonoma, California. Grown in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley, today’s wine is a delicious complex and delicious wine that you won’t find anywhere but at the winery – or right here, today only.

Alexander Valley in northeast Sonoma County is located on the western side of the Mayacamas range and extends westward to the edge of the Russian River Valley. This appellation was formerly considered a part of Dry Creek Valley but became its own appellation in November 1984. The region is best known for exceptional Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Beautiful golden yellow, with perfect clarity and concentrated color, right out to the edges of the wine. When swirled, chubby legs begin high on the glass and then run slowly down.

Smell – Leading with bright citrus and pear, this wine soon offers up caramel, candied pear, maple pecan essence, vanilla and subtle soft oak.

Feel – Medium weight on entry, this initially velvety wine spreads quickly around the palate, drying with a chalky mineral feel as it makes its way around your mouth.

Taste – Rich and delicious, with candied pear, pineapple, green apple, hazelnut, citrus, white flowers and chalky minerals.

Finish – Extra-long, bold and very flavorful, this wine starts tropical and lush. Tropical flavors give way, eventually, to tart citrus and minerals – with a hint of soft sweetwoods.

Overall – There is nothing subtle or wimpy about this great wine! Bright, tart, complex, robust and delicious, this wine is filled with character and deep flavors. Here at Wine Spies Headquarters, we are big fans of more complex Chardonnay, and this wine really excited us; It fills the senses with its big character and delicious flavors. We experimented with tasting the wine at different temperatures, and found that it softened and delivered more fruit as it warms slightly. Enjoy this superb wine with soft, flavorful cheeses.

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 Kendall-Jackson 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 winery-exclusive 2007 Alexander Valley Chardonay today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

SUSAN LUEKER: It’s great to be back with you, Red!

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: Goodness, that is an impressive bunch of winemakers. I am pleased to tell you that we have featured wines made by almost all of them! Tell me, 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: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

SUSAN: This is one of our small production wines, we bottled 380 cases. It’s 100% barrel fermented in new French Oak barrels, and barrel aged for 13 months. Aging in barrel helps to integrate the fruit and barrel aspects in the wine. Extended aging on lees builds weight and roundness, increases viscosity. This wine did not go through malo-lactic fermentation, so it maintains a good balanced acidity. It’s a big wine, maybe more of white wine for red wine drinker; full bodied, lots of viscosity on the palate, but finishes with a lifted acidity. Our Alexander Valley Chardonnay has aromas of roasted pear and pineapple, smoke and toasted brioche.
RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?
SUSAN: I like drinking this Chard before the meal with a cheese plate of Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam, an olive oil marinated goat cheese like Laura Chenel’s Cabecou, and Montenebro or a main course of grilled scallops on a bed of shaved Brussels sprout and a very light orange truffle sauce.

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: We are putting together our final blends of 08 Red wines, tasting through the 2009 wine that’s aging in barrel, and finishing up bottling. We are receiving our new barrels at the winery, finalizing our harvest estimates, buying harvest supplies and getting our equipment checked out so we will be in good shape for the fruit to come in this vintage. We are also trying to cram in last minute vacations so we’ll be refreshed and ready for harvest. In a nutshell, we’re prepping for Harvest.

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.