Figge Cellars Wine Dinner at Cafe Maxx April 22

"How simple and frugal a thing is happiness:  A glass of wine, a roasted chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea..."  Nikos Kazantzakis 1885- 1957 Greek Writer & Statesman

[FIRSTNAME], yes- that is correct you are reading the schedule correctly we have two events on the same evening here at Cafe Maxx this Wednesday.  At 6:30pm we have Betty Lenhart from J Lohr Winery at the bar conducting at tasting featuring her wines from Paso Robles and we also have vintner Peter Figge in the back room at 7:30pm for a five course wine dinner.  For a complete listing of the J Lohr wines that will be tasted check out our web page.

There are so many small wineries in California it’s hard to keep track of all the "under the radar" vintners.  It can be even harder to find their wines as most of these small hand crafted wines are not available outside of California.  Some of these garagist winemakers have been working in the business for several years and discover a few incredible vineyard sites which lead them into trying their hand at making the next Harlan Estate or Marcassin.   We believe that Figge Cellars is one of those new up and coming superstars from California and it is nice to see that one of the major members of the wine press, Wine News Magazine, out of Coral Gables Florida has noticed this emerging superstar and has given high praise to the 2006 releases of the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah all from specific vineyard sites that express the best that these varietals have to offer. Join us as we welcome Peter Figge back to town for a dinner at Cafe Maxx featuring the newly released wines from the outstanding 2007 vintage.

Figge Cellars Wine Dinner at Cafe Maxx
Wednesday April 22nd
7:30pm

Reception

Lemon grilled shrimp with fried capers and basil aioli
Rare Wahoo with orange-peppercorn ponzu
Grilled Bell & Evans chicken with minted grapes

Figge Chardonnay "Pelio" Vineyard 2006
List $43.50       Sale $38.28

(95 Points) 2006 Chardonnay Pelio Vineyard, Carmel Valley Pale white gold color with a bright and complex bouquet emphasizing minerality and citrus. Lovely hints of lemon peel on the nose, and on the palate a very subtle citrus impression underscored by crisp acidity in perfect balance with abundant fruit. Hints of graphite and white peach enter on the exceptionally long finish. An elegant Chardonnay that is rich without a trace of heaviness. Wine News June/July 2008

First Course

Seared sea scallops with crimson water cress, polenta croutons, roasted pepper & almond sauce

Figge Chardonnay "La Reina" 2007
List $43.50       Sale $38.28

Figge Chardonnay "Pelio" 2007
List $43.50       Sale $38.28

Second Course

Filet mignon with wild mushrooms, crispy potatoes, tomatoes and roasted leeks

Figge Pinot Noir "Pelio" Vineyard 2006
List $44.75       Sale $39.60

(93 Points) 2006 Pinot Noir Pelio Vineyard, Carmel Valley Medium-dark ruby color and not quite as brilliant as the Paraiso. Pelio is a cooler vineyard than Paraiso and the wine shows that with crisper, more angular aromas of cherry and black fruit. Slightly more acidic and tannic than the Paraiso, this is a more restrained wine. Black fruit flavors and some pine and cedar notes emerge on the long, dry finish. Wine News June/July 2008

Figge Pinot Noir "Pelio" 2007
List $45            Sale $39.60

Dinner Course

Grilled rack of lamb, pearled couscous and feta timbale, Mediterranean vegetables and Rosemary sauce

Figge Pinot Noir "Paraiso" Vineyard 2005
List $45            Sale $39.60

Figge Pinot Noir "Paraiso" 2007
List $45            Sale $39.60

Cheese Course

Figge Syrah "Sycamore Flat" Vineyard 2005
List $37.50       Sale $33

(93 Points) 2005 Syrah Sycamore Flat Vineyard, Arroyo Seco Deep ruby color with lovely aromas of black fruit and a light herbal note in the background. This is reminiscent of a good Hermitage with moderate alcohol (14.2%) and ripe fruit held in check by crisp acidity on entry, then an explosion of bright blackberry flavors on the palate. The medium finish leaves a subtle, well-balanced impression. Wine News June/July 2008

Figge Syrah "Sycamore Flat" 2006
List $43.50       Sale $38.28

Dessert

Sundried fig, walnut and chocolate philo purse

Dinner is $95 all-Inclusive, for reservations call 954-523-9463

A bit about Figge Cellars:

Peter began his wine career at an early age, enjoying and learning about wine from his father’s (Jim Figge) cellar of over 4000+ world-class wines.  Developing an appreciation for the finer things of life at an early age coupled with his Biology degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Peter set out to the hills of California to follow his dream of becoming a wine producer.   After stints at Beringer and Grgich Hills in the Napa Valley in 1994 and a harvest in the Barossa Valley of Australia in 1995, Peter received a Masters in Viticulture from UC Davis in 1997.   In 2004 he has accomplished his dream of founding a winery with his namesake.  Peter’s passion for wine is what has brought him to accomplish this goal in such a short period of time.

The vineyards are located in various areas of Monterey selected by Peter for their outstanding potential to produce world class fruit, giving us at Figge Cellars  the starting point for great wine production.

The Pelio Vineyard is the crown jewel at Figge Cellars.  The owners, Les and Nini Pelio, approached Peter back in 2002 to create a vineyard for them on their Carmel Valley property.  The property is located 6 miles from the ocean on the hills above the Carmel Valley floor and sits next to the famous Talbot family’s Diamond T ranch.

The 15 acre site was planted and subdivided into 6 separate blocks of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. With 12 acres dedicated to Pinot Noir the Pelio vineyard has 6 different clones to help Figge Cellars create a rich and complex blend from the vineyard.  While the Chardonnay is only a small portion Peter planted two Dijon clones, clones 15 and 96, which when combined with the excellent soils and slopes should make for a dynamic wine full of minerality and fruit.

Robbie Madsen and his family manage the wonderful Sycamore Flat Vineyard planted to Syrah and Cabernet.  Located far enough up the Arroyo Seco Canyon for which the Appellation is named, the vineyard sees a whole different microclimate than its immediate neighbors, especially in temperature and wind. Fog will roll up the canyon from the Salinas Valley, but burns off early in the morning.  Also since the vineyard is well up the canyon, the gale force winds that dominate the Salinas Valley vineyard scene don’t hit the site at all, allowing the temperatures to average nearly 10 degrees hotter throughout the growing season.  These temperatures are more commonly found further south in Monterey County, but at Figge Cellars they enjoy the fact that being in the northern part of the county, Sycamore Flat cools off in the evening due to its proximity to the ocean influences. 

Located towards the southern end of the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation,  the Paraiso vineyard is owned by the Smith family.  Rich and Claudia helped pioneer Monterey vineyards in the early 1970’s and have advanced many of Monterey’s viticultural techniques throughout their career.  A true family affair, their son Jason now manages the vineyards while son-in-law Dave Fleming acts as the winemaker for the family label, Paraiso Vineyards.

The vineyard is 400 acres of primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Figge Cellars has selected one block of Pinot Noir planted in 1998 to three different clones, 667, 777 and 115.  Each clone gives different flavors at maturity and compliments each other as we blend them in the winery.  For each clone we have selected just a few rows that the Smiths graciously endure our  critiques of and willing manipulate to our desires.  It’s a wonderful thing to have friends in high places!