© 1996 JDM Enterprises
SIXTH GENERATIONby Jerry D. MeadNo one has challenged the claim of the Mirassou family to the title of "oldest winegrowing family in North America." The claim goes back to the mid 1850s anyway you look at it, and an ancestor named Pierre Pellier. Pellier's son-in-law, one Pierre Mirassou, took over the vineyard and winery business, and that made a second American generation. His son Peter was the third, and then came Peter's two sons, Edmund and Norbet. Norbet died several years back, Edmund only a few weeks ago. the fourth generation stayed in the wine business throughout their lives. The fourth generation devoted most of its energies to growing grapes in its Santa Clara County vineyards and making bulk wine to be sold to other wineries. They were also among the pioneers in planting grapes in nearby Monterey County. Back in the mid-sixties, Edmund's three sons and Norbert's son and son-in-law took over marketing wines under the family name. In effect, the fifth generation was buying grapes and wine from the fourth, and making a market nationwide. In recent years, Norbert's branch of the fifth generation sold out to Edmund's boys, the children of which make up the sixth generation and who are now being trained to take over the family business that started in San Jose more than 135 years ago. The winery remains in San Jose and is open to visitors, but most of the Santa Clara vineyards have been replanted to tract homes or high rise business buildings. The vast majority of vineyard holdings are now in Monterey County, where Mirassou also pioneered machine harvesting and field crushing. Mirassou 1995 Pinot Blanc/White Burgundy ($8.25) I think the previous two vintages have been "Wines of the Week" here, and this one logs in as a "Best Buy." Bright melon aromas and flavor. More richness and vanilla flavor than this usually lighter style ever shows. Case purchases for everyday drinking highly recommended. Rating: 88/92 Mirassou 1994 "Harvest Reserve" Pinot Blanc ($15) One of their best ever. Big and bold as Pinot Blanc goes...closer to Chardonnay in style than usual. Lots of oak, flavors cross over into the tropical realm, and the aftertaste goes on forever. Rating: 90/85 Mirassou 1994 "Monterey" Chardonnay ($11) Big vanilla and pineapple nose, with good fruit throughout and lots of pleasant wood notes. Very tasty; very good value. Rating: 83/86 Mirassou 1994 "Reserve" Chardonnay ($15) Very highly oaked yielding the toasty vanilla flavors that us oak lovers love. Apple fruit and a pleasant mineral quality aftertaste. Rating: 88/86 Mirassou 1995 "Monterey Riesling" ($7.50) This one comes in a pretty blue bottle that folks will pick up because it looks good even before they know how good it tastes. Once they try it, they'll buy it again. Spicy, appley fruit, with hints of peach and lichee. Smells good, tastes good and likes to be cold...what more can one ask of a refreshment wine for these remaining days of summer? Rating: 84/87 Mirassou 1992 "Monterey" Cabernet Sauvignon ($11) Very youthful boysenberry flavors, considering it's already four years old. Lean structure makes it especially food compatible. Rating: 84/85 Mirassou 1992 "Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon ($15) Really big, intense, extractive red with boysenberry and plum flavors. Definitely needs 3-5 years cellaring to show its best. Rating: 86/84 Mirassou 1992 "Monterey" Cabernet Franc ($8.25) Mildly herbaceous on a cherry fruit base. Delicate and friendly and very much like most people expect Merlot to be. A gold medal winner and worthy of it, and a "Best Buy" too. Rating: 86/92 Mirassou 1993 "Reserve" Merlot ($15) The only Merlot-like thing about this wine is its traditional cherry fruit flavors. It is bigger and chewier than Merlot is expected to be, with a firmer structure and bolder tannic base than most Merlots offer. It will improve with a bit of time in the bottle. Rating: 84/84
BEST BUY WINE OF THE WEEKMirassou wines have broad national distribution. If your retailer doesn't stock a particular wine, chances are they can order it. For nearest retail outlet, or for information on winery visits: Mirassou Vineyards, 3000 Aborn Rd., San Jose, CA 95135 (408) 274-4000, E-mail: mirassou4u@aol.com.
MEA CULPAIf you've been shopping for "Best Buy - Wine of the Week" Wente 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon ($8 or less), I shouldn't have listed its appellation as "Central Coast." The label says "Livermore Valley." (The winery's value-priced Chardonnay has the "Central Coast" appellation, and I got the two confused in my notes.), The other mistake was just a pure typographical error. The Paraiso Springs Pinot Noir ($14) that I called their "best ever," was not the 1995 vintage, which is still aging in barrels, but the 1994. The other three Paraiso wines I reviewed, all whites, were 1995 and I guess my finger got in the habit of typing 1995.
Wines are scored using a unique 100 point system. First number rates quality; second number rates value. For a reprint explaining the scoring system in depth and a pocket scoring guide, send $1 to: Mead's 100 Points, P.O. Box 1598, Carson City, NV 89702-1598.
 HOME
|
