“I do things differently.”
Richard Kasmier — Kaz — doesn’t really need to tell you this. A glance at his eclectic list of wines, a few moments listening to his rhapsodies on the spirits he plans to distilled from Lake County fruits suggest someone of wide-ranging interests.
But he makes the point, anyway. In this case while pouring a non-vintage “port” of fortified sauvignon blanc.
Granted, an after dinner bottle from sauvignon blanc is hardly unusual. Treated to noble rot, the grape turns out remarkable late harvest wines, such as the storied Sauternes of France. Kasmier, however, picked at normal brix levels in order to preserve sauvignon blanc’s brisk character.
So his Kaz Sauvignon Blanc “port” — Kasmier has settle on a legal definition — remains bright, conveying this in aromas of peach and tropical fruit and a juicy bite of kiwi on the palate. Yet you begin to sense the wine’s depth on the nose. The piquant note of pineapple begins to caramelize as the bouquet sinks in, taking on a candied aspect. The genteel notion of fresh peach droops until an image of skin peeled from the fruit emerges.
A sip confirms the indecisive nature of this wine. Brisk at first, with tart tropical zest balanced by calming peach and a hint of tumbled stone, it soon drifts and begins to take on weight. Caramel notes bubble up. The bright kiwi juice flutters away and a bellow of candied pineapple and red apple dipped into caramel looms.
The finish is long and rich — yet at the same time lively, a reminder of the fresh introduction. It is a wonderful wine, though one that eludes definition. As Kurt Vonnegut might say, the Kaz Sauvignon Blanc “port” is unstuck, having escape the bounds of genre.
“It’s California style — fresh, young and fruity,” Kasmier observed. “It’s in between late harvest and port.”
Kasmier stopped fermentation with an aged Brandy. Instead of setting the cask aside and allowing time and patience to mold the wine, he decided to bottle after just three months.
“I wanted to keep it lighter,” he explained. “It’s just a different thing.”
That word again. In this case difference is something to celebrate. It is not just a dessert wine, the Kaz Sauvignon Blanc “port” is a festive thing.
Kasmier also recently bottled a young tawny wine.
His 2015 Kaz Syrah “port” offers crushed blackberry and soothing chocolate on the nose, with cured olives, hanging tobacco and dried herbs drifting in the background.
On the palate it develops into something intense, almost brooding. After a burst of berries, the flavors begin to settle. Darker hints of spiced chocolate, licorice and dried blueberries cast a pall. Where an unfortified syrah would yield, however, the Kaz Syrah tawny gathers itself. Hints of pepper spark a mellow impression of raw sugar. Cured fruit and bacon caramelized in brown sugar lend a depth and richness.
Still, the wine refuses to carry the heavy load of aged ports. Traces of ripe blackberry provide a glimmering aspect.
Despite its serious soul, it still kindles a fun, lighthearted character.
Kasmier aged the tawny in oak for a year and a half after bringing fermentation to a halt. Otherwise he left it alone — no filtering, no fining.
“The only thing I put in was yeast and alcohol,” he said.
Again, the result is a more upbeat dessert wine — one he also pegs as California style.
“It’s lighter, fruitier,” Kasmier pointed out. “California style is fruitier, not as much oak. That’s how I explain it.”
So, yes, Kasmier does things a little differently. And that’s a very good thing.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
