Tried this last night, fresh off the boat:
1. TreViti Chard StoloFamilyVnyd/CentralCoast/Cambria (13.9%; http://www.TreViti.com) P&B by StephanDooly/SantaMaria 2005: Med.gold color; lovely very perfumed/fragrant honeysuckle/floral/mango/tropical fruit/melony almost Riesling-like aromatics light toasty/oak quite spicy some minerally nose; very tart rich/balanced/structured light toasty/caramel/oak quite minerally elegant very spicy/melony/mango/floral beautiful flavor; very long/lingering light toasty/pencilly/oak very spicy/floral/mango/melony some minerally/tangy finish; restrained/elegant but plenty of intensity; a terrific Chard at a great price. $18.00
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Man....I hate wines like this!!! My normal weekday routine is when I get home from fencing between 9-10 pm, I'll crack open my dinner wine, give it a try, set it aside, make dinner and then sit down to eat about 10-11pm, drinking about 1/3rd-1/2 the btl & then setting it aside to try over the next few days. But, maybe once a month, I'll open a wine that knocks my sox off. "Hmmm...that's rather interesting"."Gee...that's really tasty". "Wow..this stuff is really/really good". "Holy Toledo...Wow". And by the time I sit down to eat after fixing dinner, I find the the btl of wine is seriously depleted. Such was the case last night.
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2. TreViti is a new wnry for me. I'm all the time stumbling across the name of a new wnry, check out its WebSite, think I'd like to try their wines (unless they only produce Cab or Merlot & are in NapaVlly and have big $$ on the price), and then never follow up on it. So then their mailing list fills up, they get a big score from a famous critic, and then I start whining on the wine boards for the next several yrs that I can't get their wines. Life is soooo cruel.
About a month ago, one of the principals, MariaBennetti, responded on one of the boards to a post of mine, and I noticed she was in the wine biz. Went to Google, tracked down her WebSite, took a look see...nothing really special. Then I noticed...they're located and grow grapes in Cambria!! HolyCow!! That's very cold-climate. Further enquires indicated they're even further West, only 2.5 miles from the Ocean, than Susan&Ellis Bassetti's vnyd, one of Calif's great Syrah vnyds. They grow Pinot, Chard, and Syrah there on their property. My interest was picqued, so I ordered a mixed case. Arrived ystrday in fine fettle, so I decided to try the Chard right off the boat.
Their consulting winemaker is StephenRossDooly. I first met Steve down in BobSenn's shop a number of yrs ago, when his first StephenRoss wines were released. So I guess I've followed him from the very start, as they say. He was making his wines at Talley, so stopped in for a visit the next morning on my way up to JohnAlban's. Steve originally worked up at LouisMartini (and still makes a lovely MonteRosso Zin) afore going to SantaBarbara. I was quite taken by Steve's wines for their restraint & elegance; not about bombast and a lot of shouting. But I've not been very good about keeping up w/ them of late. Anyway..the winemaker is SteveDooly...good sign in my mind.
Next up will be a Syrah at SantaFe W&C Fiesta w/ friends.
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2. Like many folks, as my tastes have gotten "more sophisticated", maybe more bizarre & perverted, more on the outer fringes for things like Schiopettino, Teroldego, Tazzalenghe, Mondeuse, etc; I've sorta given up on Calif Chard. Over the last year, I've been drinking more & more Calif Chards and finding some that I really/really like. They are not, if you search around, that old stereotype of "fat/buttery/toasty/over-oaked/creamy/alcoholic" Calif Chard. A lot of them are elegant/balanced/structured, show some terroir & minerality and restraint.
This TreViti was one such Chard. Probably the best Calif Chard I've had over the last yr, 'cept maybe the Boheme TaylorLane. It had plenty of power & intensity, but also showed a restraint & elegance and structure, maybe a bit of minerality and terroir, and a really lovely spiciness that knocked my sox off.
Anyway...a vnyd & wnry to keep your eye on. First look is promising.
Tom