Phillips' Winery Making Impact Value Wines

 

I never take meeting a winemaker or winery owner for granted. Getting to meet these people and learning about wine and their personal story is my favorite part of wine writing.

Unfortunately, most wine drinkers don’t get these opportunities unless they go to high-ticket wine dinners or have a networking connection in wine country.

Michael Phillips with his signature Seven Deadly Zins

Michael Phillips, of Michael David Winery, is visiting Indiana this week and his PR firm offered me the chance to taste some wines and talk with Michael. I jumped at the chance because my schedule allowed it to work.

While you may not have heard of Michael David Winery, it’s a safe bet you’ve seen its flagship wine if you frequent wine shops. The winery produces around 300,000 cases of wine each year with the bulk of that being Seven Deadly Zins. And if you’re more than a casual wine drinker you may be familiar with the Earthquake label as well.

Michael, and his brother David, are family winemakers living off land farmed by their family since the 1860s. I’m going to transcribe my chat with Michael for a future newspaper column but wanted to share the experience here through the blog as well.

Michael David Winery is a big success story in recent years of plenty of bust. They make great value, big-flavored wines for under $20.

The family farm is in California’s Lodi region which most people know as Zinfandel country but the area produces lots of different wines.

Phillips filled in plenty of the backstories of his wines, family history, and winemaking approach. He personally gave up the winemaking a few years ago but still sits in on the final blending processes.

I’ll comment on the wines I tasted in the newspaper column but I’ve always been a fan of the two mentioned above. Monday evening I tasted their Incognito red and while Rhone-style blends. I loved the white and thought the red was okay. The very reasonably priced 6^th Sense Syrah is one of the best value wines at $15 I’ve tasted in ages.

I also was treated to Michael’s personal project and favorite, Rapture Cabernet. This is a beautiful Bordeaux style $65 cab that would stand up to anything out of Napa at the same price point. It was a double gold medal winner at the 2012 S.F. Chronicle wine competition. It was gorgeous Cabernet.

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Some Recent Great Bottles of Wine

I'm trying hard to get back into the swing of things after a busy start to our College school year and return to my reviews and the blog.

Tonight I have four wines I've recently enjoyed and that are really easy to find. Two Cotes du Rhone - a white and a red. I also enjoyed one of the best Italian whites I've ever had along with with a real value Zin from Mendocino Co. in California.

Michel Gassier Cercius White 2009 - I love this French white wine with 70 percent Grenache Blanc and 30 percent Sauvignon Blanc. It is so refreshing on the palate where you'll find some hints of melon and citrus. I get floral notes and just love the smooth rich feel on the palate. It has an enjoyably long finish for a white wine. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this wine 90s points. (Highly Recommended, $13-$15. I bought this at Cork + Cracker, Indianapolis)

E. Guigal 2007 Cotes du Rhone - This traditional blend of 50 percent Syrah, 40 percent Grenache, and 10 percent Mourvedre delivers everything you'd expect in a solid Cotes du Rhone red wine. I didn't find this to be as earthy or as comples a wine as many - but it's quite enjoyable. It would be a great red for introduction to newbies or introduction to French wines. (Recommended, $14.99, Grapevine Cottage, Zionsville)

Bonterra 2008 Mendocino County Zinfandel - I visited Mendocino early this year and found some of the most approachable, full-flavored Zinfandels I've ever tasted. This value bottle had nice pepper and hints of blueberry. I have to note that I've read "blueberry" as a flavor characteristic in other wine reviews and never really got it until I drank this wine. If you prefer "dark fruit" - well, that works too! It's big enough to please most Zin fans but not overpowering. Wine Enthusiast gave this organically grown Zin 90 points. (Recommended, $11, Cork + Cracker, Indianapolis)

Litorale 2009 Vermentino -Vermentino is a grape I've tried a handful of times and was just always left unimpressed. That changed in a big way with the 2009 Litorale version. I loved this white wine that definitely has a pleasant but different flavor profile than most wine drinkers might be familiar. Vermentino is farmed along Italy's coast near Tuscany. It is a crisp white wine with an enjoyable floral richness. It's not nearly as acidic as some I've tasted previously. (Highly recommended, $14.99, Cork + Cracker, Indy)

These wines should all be widely available wherever fine wines are sold in Indiana. I note where I bought them for readers' convenience.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com