Row Eleven Wine Company Dinner with winemaker Richard De- los- Reyes

God made only water, but man made wine.
Victor Hugo, 1856

We are back after a week of radio silence, Flavio was on vacation so our video capabilities were very limited last week.

The Month of April is filled with wine drinking opportunities for our Wine Drinking People.  Next week we have four events including the American Fine Wine Competition Gala Dinner at the Boca Raton Resort with Emeril Lagasse cooking the dinner course live on stage and over 600 wines!

Hey we still have a few seats left for our Cheval Blanc tasting on this Friday night going all the way back to 1949!

And don't forget about the Valentini at the end of the month, the undisputed KING of Montepulciano D'Abruzzo all the way back to the legendary 1975 vintage.

When I heard that Richard de Los Reyes was in town I was interested in putting on this dinner as this winery is producing some outstanding wines, the Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir has been the best selling Pinot Noir in the store for the last 3 vintages!   And even if you have never heard of Row Eleven Winery you know that Chef Oliver Saucy is going to dazzle your palate with a five course tasting menu.  The fee for this dinner is $75 + Tax + Gratuity, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Cafe Maxx Welcomes
Row Eleven Winery to Dinner with Winemaker/Founder Richard de los Reyes
Tuesday, April 17th
7pm

Pass Arounds

Yellowfin tuna tartare with caviar, mango and sweet soy
Crispy fried shrimp with apple & cucumber gazpacho
Goat cheese and golden dried fruit chutney philo purses

Stratton Lumis Chardonnay Napa 2009
Price: $19.25       Sale $16.94          Case $197

The grapes from this single vineyard are the finest Dijon clones grown in the best region in California for Chardonnay - Carneros. Stratton Lummis Chardonnay is cold fermented, rests on the lees of specially selected yeasts for over ten months and undergoes a slow 100% malo-lactic fermentation
Tasting notes: Layers of juicy white peaches, crisp Fuji apples, and fragrant white flowers are balanced with perfect acidity and rich minerality to give our Chardonnay a long-lasting finish. We need no oak.

First course
Venison tenderloin carpaccio, sun dried currants, fried shallots, whole wheat crostini shaved Mahon, opal basil and aged balsamic aioli

Row Eleven Pinot Noir Vinas III 2008
Price: $18             Sale $15.84          Case $184
Row Eleven has a contract with Pinot Noir lovers. We will deliver a luscious red wine, rich in cherry pie aromas with a silky smooth finish, at a great price.
Row Eleven makes three different Pinot Noirs. Our Santa Maria and Russian River wines are a study in the relationship of appellation to clone to soil. Vinas 3 is a blend of Sonoma, Santa Barbara and Monterey vineyards. It is about Pinot Noir itself, and less about any particular region or vineyard. Crisper in acid, rich in cherry pie flavors, lower in alcohol. Enjoy New World with a nod to the Old. Vinas 3 makes good on our contract.
Three different appellations, vineyards and clones (Pommard, Dijon and Martini) are blended into one bottle. Though it is crafted for immediate enjoyment, this wine will age for several more years.

Row Eleven Russian River Pinot Noir 2009
Price: $36.75       Sale $32.34          Case $375
The grapes are whole cluster-crushed without stems, to open top stainless steel fermenters. The must is cold soaked for five days. On the fifth day the must is inocculated with two different strains of cultured yeast. The wine is then fermented cold at 65F for 10-14 days with the cap almost continuously submerged. After fermentation has gone completely dry, the wine remains in the tank for a period of another seven days. The wine underwent malo-lactic fermentation for six months and was then aged for 13 months in two to four year old French oak barrels.
Tasting notes: Red cherries, lighter smoke and hints of bacon with all the finesse and elegance expected in Russian River Pinot Noirs. This wine is ready to drink now, or can be enjoyed for many more years.

Row Eleven Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley 2007
Price: $27.50       Sale $24.20          Case $281

Ripe and rich red cherry berry fruit on the nose with fresh flowers and exotic spices on the nose. Rich and fruity on the tongue, a big Pinot Noir with lots of ripe black cherry liqueur like fruit, smooth and velvety on the tongue with nice freshness on the finish, a big and seductive Pinot Noir that still has elegance and finesse a bit of heat on the finish, but still has balance and even more important it smells and tastes like Pinot Noir. Finish 45 Excellent

Second course
Duck confit and grilled breast of duck, pearled couscous timbale, cipolini onion braised beets and raspberry demi glaze

Stratton Lumis Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2008
Price: $24.75       Sale $21.78          Case $253

Stratton Lummis Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the very heart of the Napa Valley. It is a blend of Oakville and Rutherford. Because of the price that we sell this wine, we are not allowed to discuss the name of the primary vineyard. The wine has to do its talking for us.
Tasting notes: Aromas of dark wild berries and fragrant flowers. Flavors of black cherries, elegantly balanced with hints of Rutherford soil.

Third course
Grill braised short ribs of beef, roasted leek and brie bread pudding seasonal vegetables and dried cherry and brandy natural sauce

Stratton Lumis The riddler Lot 2 NV
Price: $20.25       Sale $17.82          Case $207

Lot Two has all the varieties you would expect in a Napa Red. Our riddle for you is what are they?
Tasting notes: Hints of bright wild raspberries mix with fresh plums and violets. Red fruit flavors linger endlessly on your palette.

Dessert
Macerated berries in almond crusted puff pastry shell with warm red wine & Valrohna chocolate fondue

The fee for this dinner is $75 + Tax + Gratuity, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

A bit of information about Row Eleven Wine Company

Just like the great vineyards of the world, the roots of Row Eleven stretch back many years touching hundreds of grape growers and winemakers.  In 1987, after fifteen years of crushing grapes in the United States and Chile, Winemaker/Founder Richard de los Reyes (also known as Ricky or Ricardo) swore he would never make wine again.  Instead, he became a partner in two companies which assisted other winemakers as they searched California appellations for vineyards, grapes, and wines.  Richard’s training in winemaking and unique position representing hundreds of winemakers and growers allowed him insight into techniques and vineyard access that no other winemaker had or probably will ever have.  In 2003, while watching California growers plant new Dijon clones in new appellations, Richard became interested in making Pinot Noir again.

In 2004, Richard partnered with Ken Conner to create Row Eleven Wine Company.  Their plan was simple.  Turn Richard loose and let him find the best vineyards, in the best appellations, and take the best rows.  They chose Row Eleven.  It would not be possible for these three to embark upon this journey if it wasn’t for three wonderful friendships: Bob Miller (Founder Bien Nacido Vineyards and Solomon Hills Vineyard), Dale Hampton (considered the “father” of vineyards on the south central coast), and Mel Sanchietti (one of the most respected industry veterans and growers in the Russian River) these three pledged their best grapes if Richard ever made wine again and the quality of these new wines is the direct result of these three growers hard work.

A vineyard is limited to its own distinct flavors and characteristics.  At Row Eleven they think of each vintage as a jazz concert, and each vineyard as an instrument.  Drums are okay alone, but add guitars, bass, piano and horns and you are really cooking with gas.  I prefer vineyards with more than one clone and I use multiple vineyards to make wine that is as complex as it is rich, delicious and special.

The team of growers that bring grapes to the table for Row Eleven are experts and industry veterans.  Mel Sanchietti’s family were pioneers in the Russian River Valley.  He has wonderful old vines.  Dale Hampton and Bob Miller were the first to plant grapes in Santa Maria/Santa Barbara County.  They have been advising others how and where to plant grapes for over thirty years. The best grapes that each man grows are given to Row Eleven.  Every bottle made by this dynamic trio has over 70 collective years of winemaking and grape grower experience in the bottle.

There is no secret formula for the grapes that come from these three different vineyards.  Each vineyard has its own distinct flavors and is fermented separately depending on the character of the vines from each site that growing season.  For example in 2005 all grapes were cold soaked for seven days.  Bien Nacido was fermented whole cluster with no stems and in small bins.  Riverbench was submerged cap cold-fermented in an open top stainless steel fermenter.  Sierra Madre was fermented whole cluster with the stems in small bins.  On the fourth day of cold soaking each vineyard was inoculated with its own yeast strain.  The bins fermented at approximately 65F to 85F for 10 days.  The tank fermented between 65F to 70F and after fermentation the wines were left on their skins another six days.  The Pinot Noirs were aged for 12 months in two to three year old French oak barrels.

The Santa Maria Valley is located at the gateway to Santa Barbara Wine Country, it is the northern most AVA of Santa Barbara County.  Pinot Noir is one varietal that understands and celebrates the importance of terroir as a sense of place.  The unique soil and the maritime influence in this region, which has gained world renown for its cool climate and ideal growing conditions, are perfect for producing world class Pinot Noir.