In the early 1960s the Louis Martini family purchased some land in eastern Napa Valley that they would eventually plant as a vineyard. On that property was a stand of gray pines, also referred to as ghost pines. Louis Martini, in a joint project with the Gallo family, began producing a line of wines called Ghost Pines several years ago.
Robert Parker calls the Ghost Pines line of wines “super values” and rated the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon a 90, the 2006 Merlot received an 89 and the 2007 Chardonnay rated 88 points. Between 20,000 and 30,000 cases of each of these wines are produced by the winery. They retail for around $20 a bottle or less, and interestingly enough, the grapes used to produce them are from both Napa and Sonoma counties.
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep garnet color, with an aroma of dark fruits.
I could taste a combination of white pepper and black cherry on the finish and I found it to be somewhat soft and medium-bodied. The wine is comprised of 80 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with a blend of Syrah, Petite Verdot, Malbec and Merlot. The grapes used to blend with the cabernet are the likely reason why it feels so soft in the mouth.
The 2006 Merlot had flavors of mocha and dark chocolate on the front end. I thought this wine was tight and tannic so it may age well, but I was the only person in the tasting group who enjoyed this wine or thought it would improve with age. (After the tasting, I bought a couple of bottles and intend to try this wine again in another six to nine months to see if it ages in the bottle.)
So, what does “tight and tannic” mean? Several years ago, while visiting a winery, we were told to pick some cabernet grapes that were growing next to the parking area. I can still feel how quickly my mouth dried and my lips puckered when taking that first bite out of one of those grapes. That dryness was caused by tannins, which are generally found in the skins of grapes commonly used to make red wines. In most cases, the tannins are transferred into the finished product by leaving the skins in contact with the wine during the fermentation process. Tannins are also found in grape seeds, but are much more harsh and astringent than those found in skins.
As wine ages, the tannins will begin to soften, allowing the wines natural fruit flavors to become more evident. When one refers to a wine as tight, it means the tannins are so strong that they override and/or suppress the other flavors in the wine. In many instances, a tight wine will age well.
I was unable to find the 2007 Chardonnay, but the 2006 was easy to locate. I thought the 2006 was light-straw colored and had citrus on the nose. It was obvious that the wine came into contact with only a small amount of oak during the aging process. I tasted mineral on the front end and the finish was quite dry, but still somewhat round — meaning it contained a decent amount of acidity.
I was somewhat surprised at how well this Chardonnay paired with poached lobster tails covered with a garlic butter sauce and roasted red potatoes, mainly because it is not a real creamy and buttery wine.
I also think this Chardonnay would be nice to drink poolside on one of our typical hot summer Florida afternoons.
Jim Rawe, a family attorney in Bradenton, is an avid collector of fine wines. He can be reached at jimrawe@gmail.com.
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