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Merlot & Pinot Noir
Roche Carneros Estate Winery
1999 & 2000
By David Ginochio
The Carneros designation is now one of the premiere growing regions in California, uniquely positioned amongst the dramatic, wind swept hills straddling Napa and Sonoma counties.
When Joseph and Genevieve Roche purchased their ranch in Southern Sonoma County in 1977 however, the appellation did not yet exist. The Roches, having grown up with farming in their blood, had dreams of growing vineyard on their new land, despite their neighborsÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ protests that the climate was too cold and foggy. Five years later, they decided to buck conventional wisdom and plant grapes anyway, and in 1987 opened the Roche Carneros Estate Winery, producing limited quantities of ultra premium wines.
My wife and I recently had the pleasure of uncorking two of RocheÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs finest (not at the same time, of course). RocheÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs 1999 Carneros Merlot greets you with an inviting deep royal plum hue, whiffs of vanilla and spice and flavors of briary dark berries, sweet oak, an exhilarating acidity, and a finish that probably is continuing as you read this sentence.
Score 92
The 2000 Carneros Estate Pinot Noir offering from Roche is a spicy, full-bodied wine, with essences of cherry and smoke, bacon, leather, caramel, loganberries, and an appealing bittersweet quality, along with sweet tannins and a lingering finish.
Score 90
Visit the Roche Carneros Estate Winery Web Site
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The Mennonite & Ballads
Nate Birkey
Birkey Music
The Mennonite
Nate Birkey's trumpet rings with a clarion tone, as his quintet interprets straight-ahead ideas. Acoustic, and derived both from jazz and blues traditions, his session favors original compositions. Birkey's sense of the modern mainstream includes light Latin reflections, moody trumpet daydreams, cohesive ensemble play, and a bit of adventurous growth. The album is a clear winner. Nods to Miles Davis are everywhere. Alongside Birkey's trumpet, his pianist, tenor saxophonist, and bassist carry a fair share of the melody. Each displays an honest respect for tone quality, and everybody solos. Samples are available from his web site. When the trumpeter steps forward, his ballad tone takes over. There are classical music overtones. Several of the pieces proceed suitelike, telling stories through their myriad mood changes. Irving Berlin's "What'll I Do" contrasts with the rest of Birkey's stellar session. The leader's vocal presentation with piano accompaniment leaves behind all
of the favorable displays of attention to tone evident elsewhere. The title track - a loose, bouncy affair - adds guitars to color with a contemporary brush. Guest Joe Woodard elevates Birkey's straight-ahead piece to the leading edge. This is where today's jazz should be. The tradition remains intact, while familiar elements from rock, pop, and world music serve to provide an avenue for growth.
Ballads
Nate Birkey sings each of the classic songs on his ballads album. Like Michael Franks and Chet Baker, he possesses a fragile, upper-register voice that floats lightly on the breeze. And, like both singers, he colors his performance with light pastels. Piano, bass and drums back him lightly. Birkey has taken care to avoid messin' with these familiar tunes. Interludes by trumpet, guitar, bass, vibraphone or piano settle in nicely and complement the singer. His straightforward delivery, however, cries out for some kind of adventure. The eerie guitar sustains on "Hi Lili, Hi Lo" seem to indicate a desire to alter the scene somewhat. For this one piece, a mild-mannered cabaret mood is surrounded by strange electric guitar sensations. It's as if their late night concert hall were experiencing the front lines of a winter storm. "I Will Wait For You" offers a similar bit of adventure. Birkey sings this one with a straight face. Like Baker, his vocal accuracy comes and goes. And,
like Baker, he plays the melody on open trumpet with a respect for tonal beauty. A lover of straight-ahead improvisation, Birkey ends the arrangement with straight-ahead fun. The piece is accented in places by eerie guitar lines. It's one way to infuse something different into an arrangement, and it works. Throughout the session, the band supports by improvising brief solos, and each member finds a way to add something fresh. Whether it's quoting Monk during a Kurt Weill song, clicking a drum cadence on an Alec Wilder tune, or waxing acoustic Latin via a Gershwin number, these Household Ink artists provide mild adventures. Birkey's ballad album features his voice alongside his open and muted trumpet. While due respect is maintained for melody, the singer's uneven vocal performance hampers an otherwise favorable session.
Visit Nate Birkey's Website.
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