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Kenwood Press, September 1, 2003
Wine Press
By David Traversi
Wine of the Month
2001 Toad Hollow Chardonnay, North Coast, Francine’s Selection ($14). Over the past year or so, I have shied away from classic California Chardonnay, particularly when I’m seeking a white wine to pair with a meal. California Chardonnay has evolved, for the most part, into a meal unto itself. With its heavy oak and oak-inspired flavors of butter, crème, and vanilla, and its dryness and naturally low acidity, it overpowers virtually every type of food, including red meat. “Flabby” is the adjective that is increasingly used to define most Chardonnay. I have been on a mission lately, and I hear many other oenophiles speak of the same mission, to find Chardonnay that won’t hit me over the head. Chardonnay that lets the fruit speak clearly, cleanly, and crisply. Chardonnay with a tad more acid than most and pleasing tastes of citrus, pear, mineral, and tropical fruit. Chardonnay with more of the blonde elegance of Michelle Pfeiffer than the audacity of Anna Nicole Smith. Eureka! I have found it! This fantastic Chardonnay is made completely in stainless steel; it never touches oak. It undergoes malolactic fermentation and is left on the “lees” for six months (although not punched down) in order to maintain a higher level of acidity and produce a nice mouth feel. It is perfect with salad, vegetable, fish, seafood, and many pastas. At this price, this anti-Chardonnay Chardonnay is a steal. Ageability: 2004. Cases Produced: 60,000.
Toad Hollow Vineyards
Everything about this winery...the whimsical wine labels, the charismatic founder, the wine itself...makes you want to smile. The founder is Todd (“Dr. Toad”) Williams. Dr. Toad came from a mold long-since broken. He is a character in every sense of the word. With a heart of gold and his wonder wiener dog, Hank, sitting in his lap, he’ll tell some of the best tales you’ve ever heard. And he has a lot of experiences from which to draw. Born in Kentucky, his first career was in the restaurant and bar business. Over the course of 29 years, he owned or ran 17 different joints from Oklahoma to San Francisco, Chicago to Jamaica. In his last restaurant venture, in Arnold, California, he lost everything and promised his beautiful wife and business partner, Francine (“Frankie”), that he was finished with the restaurant and bar business forever. He then began working in the wine business for several other producers before launching Toad Hollow in 1993. (As an aside, Dr. Toad has a younger brother named Robin who, according to my Croatian Assistant Taster, is a struggling stand-up comedian and actor.)
The winery owns 103 acres of vineyard and is now producing over 100,000 cases of wine. One of Dr. Toad’s partners is Rodney Strong, a legendary wine-making pioneer whose name still graces another of Sonoma County’s fine wineries long after he sold it to Klein Family Vintners. Other partners are Allan Smithee (Winemaker) and Erik Thorson (Chief Financial Officer). The team’s stated commitment is to produce the best wine for the best price. Its unstated commitment, immediately evident in one’s first meeting with Dr. Toad, Frankie, and their team, is to have fun and to not take wine so seriously. They achieve both in spades. This is a great winery, with great people having great fun making great wines. Location: Toad Hollow is opening its first tasting room in early September at 409A Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, CA. Joe Nagan, a wine marketing veteran, will be running the tasting room, but expect Dr. Toad to be around quite a bit. Phone: (707) 431-8667.
Other Toad Hollow Wines
Toad Hollow wines are meant to be drunk...now. There ain’t nothin’ to be gained by lettin’ em sit around. I think you’ll find that your experience in drinking their wines will parallel the winery’s experience in bringing them to you. In other words, you’ll have fun. Start with the Amplexus (means “frogs mating”) Crémant Brut Sparkling Wine ($15). A French-made blend of Mauzac, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc, this very dry, robust wine is elegant, yet eminently refreshing.
My Croatian Assistant Taster started to run away when Dr. Toad pulled out his 2002 “Eye of the Toad” Pinot Noir Rosé ($8). He was thankful, however, that we held him down and forced a tasting. With this wine, Toad Hollow again delivers an antidote...this time to that which ails the rosé market. Whereas most rosé suffers from sweetness and flabbiness, this one is made in the true French style...delicate, structured, and bone dry. It is the best rosé I’ve had in years. The 2000 Pinot Noir Reserve, Goldie’s Vines (named after Rodney Strong’s mother), Russian River Valley ($20) is also fabulous, as is the 2000 Merlot Reserve, Richard McDowell Vineyard, Russian River Valley ($16).
After the Chardonnay, my favorite Toad Hollow wine probably the 2001 Cacophony (means “raucous, tempestuous, discordant”) Zinfandel, Paso Robles ($14). A behavioral twin of my Croatian Assistant Taster, this delicious wine is packed with raspberry, blackberry, and what seems like hundreds of other fruits. As Dr. Toad says, “it wants to dance.” When looking to take a drive out of our bucolic Sonoma Valley, think about Healdsburg and think about Toad Hollow. Both are beautiful, vibrant, and, yes, fun.
CinCin!
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