We love (LOVE!) visiting wineries and tasting their wine. Meeting the winemaker and staff, learning about their point of view, understanding the journey that the wine took on its way to our glass, it all adds to our enjoyment. Only rarely do we have a wine in our home that was not purchased in a tasting room. A holiday gift of wine was an unexpected chance to break out from our pattern. It gave us a chance to taste and learn about a new winery: Joel Gott Wines.
We received a lovely quartet of wines for the holidays, and then fell prey to the classic “wait for a special occasion” trap. The wines seemed to taunt me a bit, suggesting that the perfect moment for tasting would never arrive. Well, take that, wine! The arrival of Gatsby, Delaynie’s new pet fish, was the perfect excuse to celebrate with one of these wines. We chose a Cabernet Saugivnon from Joel Gott to toast the new arrival.
As we prepared for our tasting, we did a little research on Joel Gott Wines. Born and raised in wine country and the wine business, Joel and his brother Duncan purchased Palisades Market and offered high-end food and wine to their Calistoga customers. Starting with a small purchase of Zinfandel grapes, Joel and Sarah (his soon-t0-be wife) made the first Joel Gott vintage. Some favorable reviews in key wine magazines, and their future as wine makers was set!
Research complete, it was time to pop the cork on our Joel Gott 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon. We poured a generous splash in each glass for our toast to the newest addition to the family, Gatsby. As Gatsby showed of his best fish moves, we savored the lovely aromas of cocoa, chocolate nibs, leather, and nice earthiness.
As we complimented Gastsby on his mastery of the aquatic arts, we savored the cranberry, plum, and huckleberry notes. We found this Cab to be bright and well balanced with subtle layers of fruit. Just right for pairing with some spicy pork chops, it showed light tannins and just right amount of acid, with a bit of citrus zest. Judi said she could, “taste the sunshine.”
So our day ended pretty well! We had a new family member and a new appreciation for yet another winery. On behalf of Gatsby and the rest of us, cheers!
About the Author: John grills a mean steak and is always in the market for another wine fridge. Believes that if a winery has more than 10 employees, it's probably too big. Buys wine faster than he drinks it, but who cares?
