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The following are excerpts from the Salamandre Newsletter:
On March 20, the sun arose precisely in the East and set precisely in the West, exactly 12 hours later. That happens twice every year, but on this Equinox, all five visible planets would also shine simultaneously under the ghostly trace of a New Moon. Celestial convergences command homage without the blinking distractions of electrified life and the petrol haze of civilized boredom. We decided to go to Death Valley with a multigenerational flourish.
Evan Evans has spent 80 years pondering things most of us take for granted but cannot explain, earning him the family title of Emeritus Wizard of Metaphysical Flatulence. He is, indeed, an emeritus professor of biophysics, but that's merely the beginning. He's a scientist of marine mammal communication, a mushroom expert with a fringy curiosity, a devotee of Polynesian mysticism, an admirer of obsolete tools, an outspoken fan of glial cells, and an intrepid driver of marginal trucks. He's also spent years probing the physics of musical sand dunes.
Despite his breadth of interests, Evan is not exactly tolerant of diversity. He won't touch white wine, with the one concession of Salamandre Sauvignon Blanc with mussels. Since the only mollusks in the desert are fully petrified fossils, our wine was safely committed to redness.
Evan gave away the hands of two lovely daughters to two resourceful young men, Geoff and Pat, now responsibly middle-aged and overdue for desert initiation. While I could claim no family carnal relationships, a full case of Salamandre assured that the companionship would thrive.
We settled for our final night in the gravel wash of remote Dedeckera Canyon, cleaved into the striped escarpment of the Last Chance Range north of Death Valley. The Eureka Dunes shimmered far below, making it impossible to gauge their monumental scale.
We cooked Cajun red beans and rice with Andouille sausage, chased with generous waves of Primitivo and rising tides of laughter. After the final purple glimmer of dusk and a nod to the seldom-seen, low-riding Mercury, the boys built a fire which cast giant flickering shadows on our amphitheater of primordial stone. It didn't take too long to discover the appeal of shadow choreography magnified to 100 feet.
Meanwhile, Evan the Elder began chanting to the Ancients dwelling in the rocks around us. Evan learned Hawaiian spirit conversation in the Awaawapuhi Valley, and he must have been practicing on his solo trips in desolate places ever since. I didn't understand a word of what he said, but it made perfect sense. Evan's chanting grew stronger. The boys linked arms and kept dancing. Soon the canyon reverberated with timeless echoes.
I think the Shoshone Ancients probably said to Evan: "You're not from around here, are you?" No matter. I think they went on to talk about more important, things, like what really happened to the Anasazi and whether the fishing was any good when Death Valley was a shallow sea. I suspect that Evan asked for their indulgence for the impertinent noise and the clumsy moves of his younger companions. The Ancient Ones must have enjoyed his company.
Evan the Ancient stayed up later than we did and awoke with a mischievous grin and a robust appetite. A few hours later, he lugged his beard and his bones 700 feet up to the crest of the tallest dune, and there he showed the boys how to make the sand sing. You can sing, too.
Summer Wines and New Releases
Primitivo 2001 A worthy successor to the rambunctious 1999 and 2000 armwrestlers. These huge wines need 2 years in barrel and another in bottle to learn how to behave in public. Despite its youth, silver medal at Orange County this year.
Pinot Noir 2002, Dijon Clones, Arroyo Seco This dense Pinot takes the fruit and complexity of the 2001 up a notch. It's a bit young for the table, but we're pouring it outside, under a redwood tree.
Ménage à Trois 2001 Let's be frank. It's very hard to show up as an adolescent when the voluptuous 2000 is strutting around the living room, but we think kids are learning fast these days.
Chardonnay 2002 Arroyo Seco We've been making Chardonnay from these same vines for 25 years, and this is one of the stars of the series. Abundant fruit, perfect balance, crisp acidity, and tasteful touches of oak. Silver medal at Orange County.
Alexandra, Sparkling Brut, 1996 CuvéeWe aged the Alexandra, a classic cuvée of 2/3 Pinot and 1/3 Chardonnay, a full 7 years en tirage at Salamandre. It's one of our proudest creations. $36. 3 bottles for $100. Limit 3. Available only at the winery.
Don Carlos Red 2002 Unpretentious red blend with bright "red fruit" of strawberry, red cherry, and pomegranate.
Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Ventana Vineyard. The rare Musqué clone from Arroyo Seco reveals complex melon and fig aromas. Hint of oak. Elegant with seafood.
Merlot 2002, Arroyo Seco. Big wine with inky color and concentrated fruit with an aroma which billows across the table. Flattens the stereotype of "frilly Merlot."
2002, Los Lobos. Jammy fruit, earthy notes, and black pepper spice with an enticing raspberry aroma. Bottles are too small for wine this tasty.
Ménage à Trois 2000. Amorous threesome of Primitivo, Merlot, and Syrah keeping secrets from 2 years in a dark corner of the barrel room. Too charming to be moral, but discreet at least through dinner.
Pinot Noir 2001, Arroyo Seco, Dijon Clones. Maturing Pinot with seductive black cherry fruit elements, progressive complexity and delicacy.
Primitivo 2000, Los Lobos. I typically serve this wine last in our tastings, because it's just not fair to pour even excellent red wines after the Primitivo. It sweeps the table clean. It's my favorite mountain wine, desert wine, cliff dwelling wine, ocean wine, laughing wine, get 'em next year wine, was-that-really-you wine, still-in-love wine.
New Moon ghost
O'er Last Chance coasts
Anasazi spirit
No reason to fear
Ancient canyon chants
Flickering shadow dance
Harmony primeval
Quaffing Primitivo
A word about access.
Salamandre Cellars has no tasting room and we are not open to the general public. Our private invitational tastings are held in the winery, which is carved into the hillside next to our home. Parking is very limited and our surfaces can be uneven, slippery, and steep. This is not an appropriate environment for unsupervised children, and it is not accessible to wheelchairs. We are pleased to make special advance arrangements so that guests with mobility challenges can sample our wines. Please Call.