Perhaps Matt Hughes was bored.
After a few years producing a Bordeaux-style cuvee, the Six Sigma winemaker decided to blend in a little of their Tempranillo. As it turns out, the result was a touch of genius. The exclusive Williams-Sonoma catalog recently added the Lower Lake winery”s Diamond Mine Cuvee to their list of high end offerings.
“We”re pretty pumped up about it,” said Six Sigma director of hospitality Jacquelyn Farrington. “It”s a big deal.”
They have reason to be a little giddy. Not only did a blend retailing at $18 a bottle win over scrupulous Williams-Sonoma judges, but the winery also ended up with yet another impressive wine to market on their own.
The cuvee is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Syrah. The percentages vary according to the vagaries of each growing season, but Cab and the vineyard”s signature Tempranillo comprise the majority of this engaging, approachable wine.
On the nose, Diamond Mine Cuvee presents a brooding combination of dark berries, ripe plum and bitter chocolate, softened by more refined impressions, such as vanilla and rose petals. Take a sip and those fruits rush forward, juicy and intense. But there is something more tailing behind — tantalizing details, tannic structure, peppery spice and hard red earth.
This latter is difficult to deconstruct, yet always hanging around like weathered suede waiting in a closet. The leathery, earthy spine helps define the fruit by grounding it in a place, lending a casual ease its brisk, brawny impulse.
Diamond Mine Cuvee is a smooth, pleasing yet contemplative blend.
“It”s very balanced,” Farrington noted. “The Tempranillo adds an earthy flavor and the Syrah adds spice to the finish. There”s nothing lacking on the palate.”
Indeed, the grapes are well suited to the task at hand. Redolent of bright cherry , tomato and vanilla—along with rustic notes of tobacco and dark soil—the Spanish varietal perks up the heavier fruit of the Cab while complementing the toast and chocolate also found in California”s favorite purple fruit. Meanwhile the Syrah, notable from Rhone to Australia, adds a lush intensity as it pulls on the musky, spicy and vanilla notes in the others.
In blind tastings, it rivals far more expensive wines.
“It”s a crowd pleaser,” said Farrington. “It has fruit, but it also has the dimension aficionados love.”
Williams-Sonoma”s judges rate different aspects of each wine they sample on a scale of one to six, topping out at six—which may have foretold of Six Sigma”s success. The winery brought several wines before the panel. As it happens, six of these ended up with an average rating between five and six.
But a nuanced table wine took the prize.
To Farrington, the addition of Six Sigma”s Diamond Mine Cuvee to the Williams-Sonoma pantheon is just the beginning, not only for the Lower Lake vineyard, but also for other Lake County labels long ready for the national spotlight.
“This may be an in,” she said.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
