“Appetite comes with eating. … But the thirst goes away with drinking,” Francois Rabelais, 1494-1553, Gargantua and Pantagruel, I, ch. 5.
Ever since I first laid my palate on one of Cline’s Zinfandels, I was wonderfully impressed with both its alluring drinking and attainable price.
It was founded by Fred Cline’s grandfather, Valeriano Jacuzzi (the spa guy, yep), and many acres were planted and visited frequently by young Fred, who was bit by the wine bug and then went to the University of California at Davis, the fertile breeding ground of many of the West Coast’s finest winemakers. In 1982, Fred founded Cline near Oakley, Calif., with a little help from Valeriano, then moved to the Carneros region of Sonoma County in 1991. His 350 acres of vines thrived in that cooler area, and I found that cool influence was evident as I tasted my way through many of his offerings. Often, wines from cool growing areas display a roundness and spicy complexity that is wonderfully attractive.
A number of Cline’s wines sell at the winery for $12 plus per bottle, but I’ve found a large number in the Milwaukee market for $9.99. I consider that to be a fabulous price point when I take its quality into account. Furthermore, many of our area’s better retailers tell me that much of today’s sales activity is in the $10-$15 range, which makes Cline a solid bulls-eye for those looking for good quality wines that are fairly priced. Here are my tasting notes for four of Cline’s wines, using my normal “A”-“F” grading system:
1. 2009 Pinot Gris, Sonoma Coast, $9.99: Vanilla hue with heavy body. Spicy, deep and rich nose with teasing hints of vanilla, butterscotch, cinnamon and a whisper of nutmeg. Medium-rich fruit with good acid and a clean, pleasing finish. A-
2. 2009 Viognier, North Coast (Pronounced “Vineeea”), $9.99: Light caramel hue with medium body and teasingly intense and spicy nose. Great fruit and complexity with fun, acidic finish. I’d recommend this with cheese, chicken or Chinese food, or for enjoying on the patio with friends. A
3. 2009 Zinfandel, California, $9.99: Exuberant ruby color with medium body. Nicely fruity nose with hints of brambly raspberries and cassis. Nice and pleasingly fruity middle with a totally enjoyable, clean finish. Outstanding with pasta. A
4. 2008 Syrah, Sonoma Coast, $9.99: Inky purple robe with heavy body (10W-40, anyone?). Deeply intense nose pregnant with rich plum and gobs of fruit. In the mouth, loads of deep, brooding fruit. A rocking chair wine! A+
Today’s winner was the deep Syrah, followed closely by the Viognier.
Given the overall quality and price of these beauties, I’d readily award my Price/Value crown to the whole flock.
Great work, Fred and Company!
Cheers!
