Why We Love Zeitgeist Cabernet

We think that one taste of Zeitgeist Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 is all you’ll need to fall in love with this lush, rich, luxurious Napa red. And, how great it tastes has a lot to do with why we love it, too. But it’s only part of the reason we became this small-production Napa Cabernet’s foremost champions in the Mid-Atlantic nearly five years ago.

We introduced the mid-Atlantic region to Zeitgeist Cabernet Sauvignon four years ago with the un-rated 2011 bottling. Why did we pre-buy a substantial quantity of a not terribly inexpensive, utterly unknown, wine in what was easily Napa’s least popular vintage in 25 years – without even tasting the finished wine?

Because as soon as I met co-owner/winemaker Mark Porembski and tasted his 2010 Napa Cabernet, I could tell this was a person and a project we wanted to be a part of. Mark and his wife/partner, Jennifer Williams (formerly of Spottswoode), care about the things we care about. Hard work. Exhaustive selection. Careful craftspersonship. And, most of all: having fun with delicious, authentic, place-centered wine with no snobbery, attitude or fuss.

The Critics Pay Attention
With Mark and Jenn’s 2012 vintage, the Wine Advocate began paying attention and (under) rated it 91 points. The next year, Robert Parker upped the rating for the 2013 to 93 points. In 2014, the 10th bottling of Zeitgeist Cab, Parker’s Wine Advocate delivered Mark and Jen an “Outstanding” 94 points. And while Parker hasn’t tasted the 2015, his former associate, Jeb Dunnuck, popped the rating up to a fine 94+ points in 2015!

After tasting that succulent 2010, it took us a couple of years to persuade Mark to sell us any wine – after all, with only 330-450 cases made per year and “insider” fans up and down the West Coast, there wasn’t much to spare. But – as we said – Mark’s our kind of guy, and even as the praise and ratings roll in, he’s remained generous in giving us all the Zeitgeist Cab we ask for.

So, by all means, feel free to enjoy the 2015 Zeitgeist Cabernet Sauvignon for its bold fruit, velvety texture, and powerful, cellar-worthy, finish. And it won’t bother us if you notice that this wine delivers the quality and intensity that you normally only find in $100+ (even $200+) bottlings.

But if you really want to “get” why this is so special, plan a trip to California and, before you go, give Mark a call at the winery to schedule a visit. An hour with Mark (or Jenn if she’s available) will remind you that there’s more to wine and winemaking than what’s in your glass. And that little bit extra is why wine can be so very, very, exciting and satisfying.

Why We Love Zeitgeist Cabernet

Owners/winemakers Mark Porembski and Jennifer Williams

We think that one taste of Zeitgeist Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 is all you’ll need to fall in love with this lush, rich, luxurious Napa red. And, how great it tastes has a lot to do with why we love it, too. But it’s only part of the reason we became this small-production Napa Cabernet’s foremost champions in the Mid-Atlantic nearly five years ago.

We introduced the mid-Atlantic region to Zeitgeist Cabernet Sauvignon four years ago with the un-rated 2011 bottling. Why did we pre-buy a substantial quantity of a not terribly inexpensive, utterly unknown, wine in what was easily Napa’s least popular vintage in 25 years – without even tasting the finished wine?

Because as soon as I met co-owner/winemaker Mark Porembski and tasted his 2010 Napa Cabernet, I could tell this was a person and a project we wanted to be a part of. Mark and his wife/partner, Jennifer Williams (formerly of Spottswoode), care about the things we care about. Hard work. Exhaustive selection. Careful craftspersonship.

And, most of all: having fun with delicious, authentic, place-centered wine with no snobbery, attitude or fuss.

The Critics Pay Attention
With Mark and Jenn’s 2012 vintage, the Wine Advocate began paying attention and (under) rated it 91 points. The next year, Robert Parker upped the rating for the 2013 to 93 points. And in 2014, the 10th bottling of Zeitgeist Cab, Parker’s Wine Advocate delivered Mark and Jen an “Outstanding” 94 points.

After tasting that succulent 2010, it took us a couple of years to persuade Mark to sell us any wine – after all, with just 330-450 cases made per year and “insider” fans up and down the West Coast, there wasn’t much to spare. But – as we said – Mark’s our kind of guy, and even as the praise and ratings roll in, he’s remained generous in giving us all the Zeitgeist Cab we ask for.

So, by all means, feel free to enjoy the 2014 Zeitgeist Cabernet Sauvignon for its bold fruit, velvety texture, and powerful, cellar-worthy, finish. And it won’t bother us if you notice that this wine delivers the quality and intensity that you normally only find in $100+ (even $200+) bottlings.

But if you really want to “get” why this is so special, plan a trip to California and, before you go, give Mark a call at the winery to schedule a visit.   An hour with Mark (or Jenn if she’s available) will remind you that there’s more to wine and winemaking than just what’s in your glass. And that little bit extra is why wine can be so very, very, exciting and satisfying.

An Evening of Relic With Mike Hirby

Even though it’s a world-famous wine region, the pace in the Napa Valley is just a little more relaxed than it is here on the East Coast.  When Mike Hirby called Doug this past Thursday to tell him he’d just gotten into a cab in Georgetown, and thought he’d be at our store in 15 minutes during the height of rush hour, we just looked at each other and laughed.  Though Highway 29 can get a little backed up during crush, it’s still nothing compared to the gridlock we experience in the DC area on a daily basis.  Add to that the fact that many of the best cult projects in Napa barely make it out of the state, much less to the East Coast, and you’re left wondering why the heck people want to live anywhere else.

Well, we may not all be able to move to wine country, but we at least have access to one such hard-to-get cult project, Relic wines.  This past Thursday, Mike Hirby was kind enough to stop by to walk us through the current vintage of Relic releases and give us his perspective on winemaking in the Napa Valley.

However, while Mike’s cab was fighting traffic, we started with an offbeat sparkler.  We thought it would just be a bit of fun to get everyone’s palate going before the main event, but people liked it so much they wrote it onto the order forms.  Mas de Daumas is known as the “Lafitte of the Languedoc,” and we featured their rose sparkler, mostly because it’s made almost entirely from Cabernet, and we thought it would be fun to have a sparkler made from the same grape as the biggest wine of the evening.  Just barely off-dry, pink, and loads of fun to drink, it’s the perfect ‘porch and picnic’ wine for this summer.

The reds started with the Kashaya Pinot Noir, an elegant, honest take on Sonoma Coast Pinot whose texture has gotten even more elegant since we first got the wine.  The Scarpa Syrah was the perfect balance between ripe California fruit and that whiff of earthy meatiness you expect in Syrah.  Delicious, and crying out for some red meat on the grill!

Relic’s Ritual is so named because it’s the kind of wine Mike Hirby and his partner Schatzi like to drink on a daily basis, and it’s a personal favorite at Doug’s house, too.  Like the perfect Cotes-du-Rhone, but much more sophisticated and shot through with California sunshine, it can go the distance in the cellar thanks to its hefty dose of Mourvedre, but it’s pretty tough to resist now.  In that same category was the 2009 Artefact Cabernet Sauvignon, this year blended with 19% Cabernet Franc.

Thanks to Mike Hirby for coming all the way from California to taste us through his wonderful wines!

Harvest 2012 in Napa and Sonoma!

Lauren hard at work!

Greetings from sunny California!  Our very own Lauren has spent the last week taking in all that harvest has to offer in Napa and Sonoma.  Reynold’s Family Winery put her to work for a few days staining barrels and helping with the harvest, but she’s snuck in a little wine tasting and eating as well.  After all, it’s research and quality control, right?

Crush is a magical time, with winemakers and vineyard managers watching and waiting for just the right time to call for all hands on deck to harvest.  The smell in the air is like nothing else, especially in the Napa Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon is king.  All that deep, dark fruit being crushed and fermented means that the scent of dark berries like blueberries and blackberries permeates the air, event through your car’s vents!

The Napa Valley, and increasingly Sonoma, has become synonymous with great food, and this gorgeous plate from Angele in downtown Napa shows exactly why!

A plate worthy of a closeup at Angele in downtown Napa

We’ve always been impressed with the consistent high quality of Elizabeth Spencer wines, and they seem to be keeping it up!

“quality control” at Elizabeth Spencer

At Cade on beautiful Howell Mountain, the grapes are just coming in.  Look at that stately barrel room!  What a fantastic place to taste.

 
Honig is another winery that has long had dedicated fans in the store, and Lauren even got a chance to taste their rose.  It may not quite feel like rose weather here, but the temperatures in Napa have been toasty!

  

The quaint, yet artsy town of Healdsburg in Sonoma is home to world-class restaurants as well as Iron Horse, one of our favorite producers of domestic sparkling wine.  Their tasting room is really more like a tasting shack, as it’s open to the outside.  All you have to do is belly up to the rustic wooden bar, grab a glass, and turn around to take in the breathtaking view of their estate vineyards that roll out beneath you.  It’s a must-see if you’re in the area.

 
Iron Horse also gave an informative tour that helps explain the traditional Champagne method for making sparkling wine.  When you’re looking at diagrams in a book, it can be a little baffling, but seeing the equipment helps the process become clear.

 

Girard was another highlight, and Lauren assures us that the Petite Sirah and Russian River Chardonnay are as good as ever!

What are your favorite stops in Napa and Sonoma?  Do you have to have a big, juicy burger at Gott’s Roadside?  Do you prefer the main drag on Highway 29, or do you like to sleuth out unknown spots?  Let us know!