Testarosa Wine Dinner at Cafe Maxx with Special Guests Rob and Diana Jensen

“It is the wine that leads me on,
the wild wine that sets the wisest man to sing at the top of his lungs,
laugh like a fool – it drives the man to dancing...
it even tempts him to blurt out stories better never told.”
? Homer, The Odyssey

We start out next week with a small producer of Chardonnay Pinot Noir from California that started out making wine in their Garage.  We have the founders of Testarossa Winery Rob and Diana Jensen in town and chef Oliver Saucy has prepared a special five course tasting menu to showcase the newest releases from some of the top vineyard sites for these two varietals in California.  The fee for this tasting is $85 + Tax + Gratuity, for reservations call 954-782-0606.

Testarossa Wine Dinner at Cafe Maxx with Special Guests Rob and Diana Jensen
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
7:00 PM

Pass arounds

Lemon drop vodka & mignonette oyster shooters
Honey bourbon cured foie gras toast with peach jam
Sea scallop and dried apricot ceviche

2013 Testarossa Chardonnay Cuvee Los Gatos Monterey County
Price: $25.50       Sale $22.44          Case $261

Notes of carmel corn to the ripe peach and apricot like fruit, a touch of butterscotch and honeysuckle floral highlights. A rich and creamy wine on the tongue with lemon drop candy like fruit bright acidity keeping things fresh through the finish. Lovely balance rich ripe fruit and a zesty fresh mineral laced finish. Finish 40+ Excellent

First course

Grilled Florida grouper with toasted brioche, mango beurre blanc, tropical fruit and crispy plantain

Testarossa Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands 2013
Price: $36.75       Sale $32.34          Case $375

Wine Watch Tasting Notes:  The winery is located in Los Gatos and they contract all the fruit and Bill Brosseau is the winemaker, a very cool area and you get that Georgia peach, buttered toasty, a light flinty mineral like notes, nice complexity on the nose. Good concentration and richness on the palate with rich tropical fruit, a nice touch of lightly toasted oak spice and a firm hand of acidity holding things firmly in place. Finish 45+ Excellent +

Second course

Lobster stuffed scampi lobster, caramelized apples and roasted butter squash sauce

Testarossa Dos Rubios Chardonnay 2013
Price: $43.50       Sale $38.28          Case $444

This estate represents a new chapter in Testarossa’s role as one of California’s defining producers of small lot, vineyard specific Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Not content to merely purchase grapes, the Testarossa team has literally designed the Dos Rubios property from the ground up. Winemaker Bill Brosseau worked directly with owner / grower Kirk Williams in the design and installation of the vineyard. The name “Dos Rubios” represents the partnership between Testarossa owner Rob Jensen and Kirk - both have red hair. The property is located in the heart of the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation. Testarossa purchases 100% of the grapes grown on the 24 acres - 7 acres of Chardonnay and 17 acres of Pinot Noir. Winemaker Bill Brosseau selected Dijon clones 17 and 76 for the Chardonnay in this vineyard and 4 clones for the Pinot Noir - Mt. Eden, Dijon 115, 667 and Pommard 4. The vineyard was planted in 2008 and the first vintage was in 2010.

TASTING NOTES:  Pale Straw color.  Scents of ripe fig, apple, caramel, butterscotch, and lemon blossom.  The flavors stay true to the aroma profile and intensify on the palate.  The texture is quite brisk and vibrant, yet very refreshing.  The minerality shines through on the finish, with layers of focused flavors.  Enjoy now through 2022.

Third course
Grilled ostrich filet, sundried frit and berry chutney, new potato puree, seasonal root vegetable au gratin

2013 Testarossa Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
Price: $43.50       Sale $38.28          Case $444

Beautiful bright black and red berry fruit, raspberry, cranberry and black cherry fruit with pretty floral notes and dark spices, very complex bouquet. A smooth and silky wine on the tongue with bright red berry fruit and a nice hand of exotic spices and floral notes through the finish. finish 45+ Excellent +

Fourth course

Sterling beef tenderloin with orange pomegranate glaze, cranberry and apple sausage bread pudding, roasted acorn squash and red wine sauce

2013 Testarossa Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
Price: $39.00       Sale $34.32          Case $398

(90 Points) While I wasn't able to get the price for this current release, I suspect the classic 2013 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills will be one of the lesser-priced wines; nevertheless, it was one of my favorites in the lineup. Offering lots of raspberry, black raspberry, underbrush and hints of that classic Pinot Noir floral quality, it's medium-bodied, supple and balanced, with good mid-palate depth and lots of charm. It's a beautiful Pinot Noir that will drink nicely for 4-5 years.  eRobertParker.com #220, Aug 2015

2012 Testarossa Dos Rubious Pinot Noir
Price: $58.50       Sale $51.48          Case $597

This estate represents a new chapter in Testarossa’s role as one of California’s defining producers of small lot, vineyard specific Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Not content to merely purchase grapes, the Testarossa team has literally designed the Dos Rubios property from the ground up. Winemaker Bill Brosseau worked directly with owner / grower Kirk Williams in the design and installation of the vineyard. The name “Dos Rubios” represents the partnership between Testarossa owner Rob Jensen and Kirk - both have red hair. The property is located in the heart of the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation. Testarossa purchases 100% of the grapes grown on the 24 acres - 7 acres of Chardonnay and 17 acres of Pinot Noir. Winemaker Bill Brosseau selected Dijon clones 17 and 76 for the Chardonnay in this vineyard and 4 clones for the Pinot Noir - Mt. Eden, Dijon 115, 667 and Pommard 4. The vineyard was planted in 2008 and the first vintage was in 2010.

(92 Points) From a site where they get all of the fruit (it’s the closest thing to an estate vineyard for this team), the 2013 Pinot Noir Dos Rubios Vineyard offers up more red fruits than black, with plenty of cherry and raspberry notes giving way to pretty spice-box, dried flowers and ample minerality. Vibrant and lively on the palate, with fine tannin and good acidity giving plenty of cut and focus, it’s approachable now but will evolve nicely through 2023.   eRobertParker.com #221, Oct 2015

From a Silicon Valley Garage to International Acclaim

Testarossa (Italian for “red head”) was the nickname given Rob Jensen as a young university student in Italy. Rob and Diana Jensen started Testarossa in their garage in 1993 with just twenty-five cases of wine. Today, the winery works closely with top winegrowers in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Rita Hills, Arroyo Grande Valley, Santa Maria Valley, Russian River Valley, Chalone and Santa Cruz Mountains appellations. The label has grown to national prominence among collectors and reviewers by cultivating long-term partnerships with passionate winegrowers and vineyards the likes of Garys’, Pisoni, Rosella’s, Doctor's, Sierra Madre and Rincon.

Director of Winemaking, Bill Brosseau has been with Testarossa since the year 2000. Bill brings extensive viticultural experience in the field and from the classroom. He studied at UC Davis where he received his Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Enology. His unique approach to winemaking comes from working both sides of the equation—in the vineyard and in the cellar. Because Bill is also a grower, he brings invaluable hands-on experience and a unique perspective that allows him to supply the winery with only the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit to translate into the most sought-after wines. Key to this is Bill’s ability to establish close, long-term relationships with the top vineyards, ensuring exceptional quality vintage to vintage.

At Testarossa, all of our winemaking expertise and experience flows towards one goal: crafting elegant, limited release Pinot Noir and Chardonnay worthy of your table.

Brosseau works both sides of the equation – in the vineyard and in the cellar - to translate the state’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit into the state’s most sought-after wines. Behind our historic hand-hewn stone walls, Bill and his team employ traditional techniques and modern tools. Native yeast fermentations in sixty gallon French oak barrels for our Chardonnays. Hand sorting, extended pre-soaks, and small, custom designed stainless steel fermenters for our Pinot Noir. And everywhere, gentle, gravity-fed movement of the wines to preserve the vineyard’s character and integrity.

The results speak for themselves. Testarossa has an impressive, decades long track record of accolades and ninety-plus point scores from Wine Spectator, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Antonio Galloni's Vinous Media, Wine Enthusiast and Connoisseurs’ Guide.