Booklet

R obert S inskey V ineyards
Pinot Gris Late, Los Carneros, 2012
Pinot Gris Late, Los Carneros 2
T h e Sw e e t Sp ot. . .
by Rob Sinskey
You know it when you find the sweet spot. It just feels right. Like
hitting a tennis ball in the center of the racket as it makes that
perfect “pop” sound or swinging the bat as it meets the ball with a
“thwack!” Or accelerating out of the apex of a turn in a way that
puts a smile on your face - and elicits screams from your passengers.
The first known use of the phrase “sweet spot” was in the 1883
novel “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson when John
Silver states: “this here is a sweet spot, this island — a sweet spot
for a lad to get ashore on. You’ll bathe, and you’ll climb trees, and
you’ll hunt goats… Why, it makes me young again.”
Ah, but in 1883 “sweet” was still a luxury and the very word
connoted visions of ease… the sweet life. Sugar was rare in the
pre-20th century world, but even so, we craved it. We learned as
hunter gatherers that sweet fruit provided instant energy and if
it was that good, what if we concentrated the sugar in that fruit
by drying it, or juicing it? Yum! Later, during the very beginnings
of agriculture, we learned how to ferment the sugar of grapes to
create a beverage for the heart and soul. Even later, in the northern
reaches of the grape growing zones, the fruit would freeze on the
vine and those industrious vignerons would pick the frozen fruit,
press the concentrated sugar nectar from the grapes, and make a
wine that both warmed the soul and sweetened the disposition…
a dessert wine that had happy levels of sugar and moderately low
alcohols balanced by good acidity.
The sweet spot of the past was a wine that captured the essence
of perfectly ripened fruit, fruit that would have been stolen by
birds or animals before humans would have been able to harvest
or would have rotted before making it to market. It preserved the
fruit character at its apex of ripeness.
But now sugar is cheap and commonplace. Most of us were
weaned on sugared drinks and snacks. Every coffee house has jars
of sugar on counters, spoonfuls of which are free for the taking.
Our sugar meters are calibrated differently than our forebears and,
unfortunately, more of it is needed to impress. So, if excess is
what impresses, where is the sweet spot today?
I will confess that the first time I tried a “super sticky” dessert
wine, I was impressed. The sweetness knocked my socks off. But
as I tasted more and more sweet wines, I found that high amounts
of sugar alone no longer satisfied. What I wanted was balance,
something that tasted like ripe, crisp fruit…
There is a point in the cycle of a growing season when the vine
no longer supports the ripening of the grape. It shuts down and
the only thing that is occurring is dehydration or rot, hopefully
the noble kind, removing water and concentrating sugar. However,
what is being lost is acid and it is acid that makes a wine crisp and
refreshing… even a sweet wine.
So, in my contradictory world, the sweet spot is more ethereal… it
is the intersection of physiological and sugar ripeness… a point of
libration as sweet is balanced by crisp acidity. Like biting into an
optimally ripened crisp apple or peach right from the tree on a cold
fall morning. This is my ideal sweet spot.
Pinot Gris Late, Los Carneros 3
Winegrowing Notes
The RSV Pinot Gris Late is a chimera. It
only appears when the conditions are right…
and they were right in 2012. A nice, long
growing season with late ripening weather
helped push the Brix over 27 degrees. For
reference, a normal dry wine is picked
between 22.5 and 24.
Pinot Gris from two of RSV’s CCOF
certified vineyards, The Three Amigos
(Amigo 2 to be precise) and the Scintilla
Sonoma Vineyards went into this wine. The
Three Amigos Vineyard lent a vibrant citrus
component with beautiful structure and crisp
acidity whereas the fruit from the Scintilla
Sonoma Vineyard enriched the mid-palate
with lovely pear and melon characteristics.
The late growing season allowed a touch
of the noble rot, botrytis, to take hold,
imparting a pleasant nuttiness to the mix.
Tasting Notes
RSV’s Pinot Gris Late hits the “sweet spot”
with its gold-i-locks, straw-gold hue and
“just right” delicate sweetness balanced
by crisp acidity. It has aromas and flavors
of crystalized ginger, citrus, ripe pear and
peach-like stone fruit… followed by a nutty
note of almond. This off dry wine is not
just for dessert but can be served with the
cheese course, and it really shines with nottoo-sweet fruit based desserts like wine
poached pears or nut tarts. It makes for a
happy ending to any meal.
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A Touch of Sweet
As I take my first sip of Pinot Gris Late, dessert isn’t the first thing that springs into my mind. The wine’s slight kiss of
residual sugar brings out the pear and spice notes of the grape and also a touch of almond-like nuttiness. So instead of
saving it exclusively for dessert, try it with a salty blue or a funky washed rind St. Nectare. This ethereally sweet wine
balances nicely between savory and sweet. It makes a fitting end to any meal or as an afternoon aperitif. Whether you
enjoy it with something savory or sweet, the first sip will have you going back for more.
Until the Next Wine....
Maria
Pinot Gris Late, Los Carneros 5
Pinot Gris Late, Los Carneros 6
Oatmeal BIscuits
These biscuits are delicious with cheese, particularly blue or creamy washed rind - and oh so fabulous with a slightly sweet wine.
They have an addictive rustic yet delicate texture. For a sweet turn, sandwich jam or dulce de leche between 2 thin cookies to
have with dessert wine or tea. If you substitute steel cut oats (for more crunch) increase flour by ¼ cup.
Yield: 8 4-inch cookies or 2 dozen thin 1½-inch cookies
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup thick cut rolled oats or steel cut oats (see head note)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablepoons whole milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl with a paddle or by hand, beat the butter until it is light and fluffy.
3. Add the sugar, salt and oats. Beat again until the mixture is light.
4. In a small bowl mix together the flour and baking powder then add to the mixer and mix on slow until just combined.
5. Add the milk and mix until the dough forms a crumbly ball.
6. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured counter and knead lightly to incorporate the ingredients evenly.
7. Roll into 8 1½-inch balls. Dust lightly with flour then press with cookie mold to ¼-inch thick. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden on the edges.
Note: Dough may also be rolled 1/8 inch thick and cut into 1½ inch circles. Prick with a fork and bake until golden on the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Pecan Shortbread
Traditionally shortbreads where decorated with a cookie stamp to make them more front parlor than back kitchen. You can
use a cookie stamp, but if you like your cookies more simple, press into a pan and cut while warm or cut into circles and bake.
Yield: 16 4-inch cookies
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup finely ground pecans
2 cups all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl with a paddle or by hand, beat the butter until it is light and fluffy.
3. Add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Beat again until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Add the ground pecans and mix until thoroughly combined.
5. Mix in the flour until just combined.
6. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured counter and knead lightly to incorporate the ingredients evenly.
7. Roll into 16 1½-inch balls. Dust lightly with flour then press with cookie mold to ¼ inch thick. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden on the edges.
To bake the shortbread in a pan:
Press the shortbread into an ungreased 9-inch square pan and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350˚F until the edges are golden.
Cool to warm and then turn the shortbread out onto an odor free cutting board i.e. one that has not been used to cut onions or garlic or any
other assertive food. Cut the shortbread 12 down and 3 across into long, thin, rectangular “fingers” while the shortbread is still warm from
the oven. If the shortbread cools too much it will become brittle and break when it is cut. If this happens, slide the shortbread onto a sheet
pan and place it back into the oven for 3 to 4 minutes to soften. Remove from the oven, slide back onto the board and cut immediately.
Pinot Gris Late, Los Carneros 7
Fine Wines. Organic Vines.
Robert Sinskey Vineyards
6320 Silverado Trail
Napa, CA 94558
707.944.9090
robertsinskey.com
Winemaker: Jeff Virnig
Chef: Maria Helm Sinskey
Photos and Text: Rob Sinskey
Vineyard Manager: Debby Zygielbaum
[email protected]