I have wine tasting books filled with comments from many a night in Folsom at the now closed Bella Bru. For years, a group of us never missed wine tasting. The best of these events for me were always when the winemaker was there. The personal viewpoint that only a winemaker can share about his or her product brings the glass to life.
Now that I am no longer in Folsom, I have migrated my tasting to Bella Bru in Carmichael. I must say it is not the same without the laughter of friends and the conversational banter over the wines. I do not consider myself a wine critic of any kind. I am a wine enthusiast. And my evening at Bella Bru with Matt Powell of Draconis Wine from Lodi, was one of those special wine nights. I like my wines red. I like them to fill my palate with flavor. I loved Draconis wines.
Matt is quite a maverick and entrepreneur in his wine making style. He has a day job outside of the winery. But when he talks about his wine it becomes an alive and breathing entity. It is. All hand-made. Reductionist style. Old School Lodi. Timeless. He talks about "mouthfeel and texture". His wines develop in the glass.
He doesn't have a tasting room. No club. He only sells through his website via email.
Here is my humble take on his wines.
2007 Petite Sirah Classic
Usually my favorite wine but he had a surprise in store later. 18 months in the barrel. Snap dragon red in color. Nice chew and a pinch of sweet but I like it like that.
2007 Syrah Traditional
Low and slow as Matt described it. Scarlet color. Open full bite with smooth silky follow.
Grapeful. Scent of earth and life.
2007 Syrah Modern
Hot and fast says the winemaker. Medium bold with tacky undertones. My kind of wine. Better as it opened up. Just the right flavor of grapes and grit. This is the one I went home with.
2007 Zinfandel French Oak
Woody and astringent. All the wines have assorted goo in the neck since they spend time in the bottle and no filtering. Not a turn off for me. Shows they are earthy and true to the grape. I would have picked this from the list to be my favorite before tasting, but it wasn't.
2007 Zinfandel American Oak
Zap, bite, crunch. Best zin. Mineral slate and big. Matt calls the Zins his flagship wines. No doubt. I want more.
Bella Bru did their due diligence by inviting Draconis Winery to the table. Not only was the winemaker knowledgeable, he was genuinely excited to tell you about his wine. Having Matt's story added to the complexity of the tasting experience. His wines fill the mouth with flavor and excite the taste buds to desire more. He has a beautiful website. Please check it out.
www.draconisvineyards.com
www.bellabrucafe.com
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Oh boy do I remember those nights at Bella Bru Folsom. It was a great time. I also miss them and the comaraderie that was involved. Sometimes I would laugh so hard my face would hurt. Maybe it was because Dan made us all laugh on a regular basis. I am sitting here enjoying a glass of Esterlina Pinot Noir. Esterlina was a winery we learned about at Bella Bru. I remember when you went on an adventure with Trinette to find them. I wish you were here enjoying this wine with me, it would be something you would have to write in your books!
ReplyDeleteOh do I remember those nights at Bella Bru Folsom. I think my face still hurts from all of the laughing. I also miss the camaraderie.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there are a lot of items in your little books that should not go public. Let me know when you are going to release your tell-all book. It will be a bestseller and probably make Oprah's book club list. Keep up the good work.