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by Fred McMillin Winery of the Week
Superstar Cinnabar
Prologue"A Chardonnay more opulent than Peter the Great's Summer Palace...A textbook Cab that makes you wonder if you just woke up in Margaux." ...Wine Enthusiast
The Rest of the StorySuch praise should not be a shock when you consider the pedigree of the vines Dr. Tom Mudd and his wife, Melissa Frank, were planting in 1984. The Chardonnay vines can be traced back to Burgundy's renowned Corton Charlemagne vineyard. The Cabernet Sauvignon clone was "originally grown over a century ago in the La Questa Vineyard at Woodside, California, and is believed to have come from Bordeaux's Chateau Margaux." and life has not been dull once there were grapes to harvest. Examples: Swimming in Wine?—At 5 P.M., Oct. 17, 1989, Tom was on the catwalk above the fermenting wine tanks. He climbed down. Suddenly, he was knocked off his feet, and wine was splashing out of the tanks. Had he still been ABOVE the tanks, the Loma Prieta earthquake would have put him IN one of those tanks! Using Wild Yeast—In time Tom turned winemaking details over to George Troquato, a devotee of using the vineyard's wild yeast. "It yields a wine of greater depth of flavors, a richer mouthfeel, and a stronger reflection of the vineyard character. However, each fall I question my mental state, when about 20 out of 150 barrels show fermentation is fading." But by rapid application of electric blankets and other tricks, "the yeast is revived, the fermentation completed, and the wine tastes terrific!" Choosing a New Label—Even this wasn't easy. Melissa says: "I don't know why Tom and I expected to select a new label design quickly. After all, it took us eleven months to buy a couch." Enough excitement. Here's how I first heard of the winery. A FreebeeA 1993 letter from Cinnabar: "I hear you are about to conduct a tasting for several sommeliers of San Francisco restaurants. In case you can include them, two bottles of our 1989 Saratoga Estate Cabernet Sauvignon are on their way. This would be a fine way to help us kick off the new vintage." Raising Wine Service to New HeightsAt the tasting, I particularly remember the wine whiz from San Francisco's Carnelian Room. I recall his arriving early, picking up the first glass, and with no clues, he said, "That's a Chardonnay, but it's from the East Coast." (It was from Virginia!) His name was Andrew Dombrowski...and he could raise wine service to new heights. He is the only sommelier I've ever met who could slam dunk a wine bottle into a basketball hoop! Anyhow, the Cinnabar won Best Cabernet that day.
Cinnabar ChardonnayThe Chardonnay made a good impression on my tasters in 1993, also. When the dust had settled, it was voted fourth Best Wine Tasted that year. That was the 1990 vintage. The prestigious InterVin International Wine Competition judges agreed. They voted it best American wine in their huge, blind tasting. Just the Facts
Name—Cinnabar Vineyards and Winery Postscript—Whence the Name?My father, long in charge of the University of Puget Sound Geology Dept., always used as a paper weight a polished piece of red cinnabar. That's the ore that medieval alchemists could magically transform into mercury with heat. Tom Mudd says he is a "modern-day alchemist transforming simple rainwater into celestial wines."
WineDay Annex WineDay Archive
April 2000
04/19/00—The Hex on Grape X 04/18/00—Shake and Bake 04/17/00—Well Done, Byron! 04/14/00—It's the Price, Stupid 04/13/00—The President's Pick 04/12/00—Tamas for the Boss 04/11/00—Clear Lake Takes the Cake 04/10/00—Out Damn Bubble 04/07/00—Sure Thing Sterling 04/06/00—Sing a Song of Syrah 04/05/00—Andre Remembered 04/04/00—Cab Gab 04/03/00—Noah to Napa This page created April 2000
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