© 1997 JDM Enterprises
IRONSTONE: THE WINESby Jerry D. MeadLast week's installment raved about Ironstone Vineyards in the gold rush community of Murphys in the Sierra Foothills. I predicted it is about to become one of the most popular "destination" wineries in America, and it may already be the king of winery wedding sites. If you missed that first installment that included a all of the winery's features, like tasting, deli, museum, antique pipe organ, creek, pond, picnic sites, cavern with waterfall entrance, banquet room for 300 and more, then send $1 (to cover printing and postage) and I'll send a reprint: Mead/Ironstone, Box 1598, Carson City, NV 89702. For all the winery talk, I didn't say a thing about the wines. Let me say in general terms that the wines have two things in common...value and drinkability. Ironstone 1995 "Gold Canyon" Chardonnay ($10) Fleshy, fairly intense melon and pear fruit. You might imagine some oak, but this is a stainless steel produced wine that is about fruit not wood. Rating: 84/88 Kautz Ironstone 1993 "Library Collection" Chardonnay ($14) A "bells & whistles" wine, with barrel-fermentation and other fancy winemaker techniques employed, resulting in a buttery, lactic style that lets you know it is a wine influenced by wood. Rating: 87/88 Ironstone 1994 "Triune" Cabernet Sauvignon ($10) There's 8 percent Cabernet Franc and 8 percent Merlot in the blend of this substantial and mouthfilling claret with flavors leaning to berry. Light cedar notes. Rating: 86/89 Ironstone 1994 "California" Shiraz ($12) Plum and berry fruit, with spicy undertones and a hint of black pepper. Like all the Ironstone reds it is very drinkable, though it should get even better with a few years bottle age. Rating: 85/85 Ironstone Zinfandel Port ($18) Be careful. This wine is truly delicious and goes down so easy that the brandy-enhanced 18 percent alcohol may sneak up on you. Big fruit! Tarry, earthy plum fruit. Great after-flavors. For now and for the cellar. Case purchases highly recommended. Rating: 90/90 Ironstone also makes a 1992 Meritage under the Kautz "Crown Jewel" ($22) label which just won a gold medal in Europe, and there's a good quantity of 1995 Ironstone Merlot ($10) that everyone seems to like better than me.
BEST BUY WHITE WINE OF THE WEEK
BEST BUY RED WINE OF THE WEEKIronstone wines are widely distributed. If you have trouble finding them, or want information on visiting: Kautz Ironstone Vineyards, 1894 Six-Mile Road, Murphys, CA 94949 (209) 728-1251; E-mail: kautz@goldrush.com
GREAT NEW GINLeyden Gin (pronounced "lie-dun") is a triple-distilled (removes more impurities and makes for greater smoothness) product, and when I had the opportunity to sit in on some blind tastings of Leyden versus all the biggest names and most expensive competitors...here's what happened: It whomped most of the competition and at the very least held its own with the others. If you're a Martini drinker, there's a very good chance this is going to become your favorite gin. It's already available in some markets and should be everywhere by mid-July. Check it out! It's so smooth you probably won't bother with the Vermouth...if you ever did.
GREEN NOT GREENWell, Green Hungarian hasn't gone anywhere. Weibel is still making it and making it just like always...the way you like it. But they did do something really dumb. Green Hungarian ($5 or less) has been in this green bottle with a green label for as long as anyone can remember. Now they've put it in this really classy looking dead-leaf green Burgundy style bottle with a punt bottom and a fancy gold label. It looks like a $20 Chardonnay. Will it turn off the regular Green Hungarian folks? Or will they learn to love the new classy package? I predict another package change is on the horizon! Weibel did do a smart thing. They have an ad about to appear that shows the old bottle being morphed into the new one. That should help with the recognition factor.
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