Pushing 40 with talented California winemaker Mike Lee

<p>As a wine writer on the brink of turning 40 years old at the end of October, I often jokingly say that the Sonoma County wine experience grew up around me. But believe it or not, there is some truth to that statement.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>For, it was in my birth year of 1969 that the Dutton and Sangiacomo families planted their first crops of Chardonnay in the cool climate regions of Russian River Valley and Sonoma Valley. During that same year, famous winemaking families such as the Sebastianis, Foppianos and the Pedroncellis began to expand their production. And although sweet wines and fortified wines still outsold table wines, the interest in fighting varietals was growing.</p><p>A person that remembers this period well is Mike Lee, a talented winemaker who is currently working his 40th vintage. </p><p>A young graduate of Santa Clara University working for the Crown Zellerbach firm in the Bay Area, Lee traded in his suits and ties for jeans and short-sleeved shirts when his family purchased the Pagani & Sons winery in Kenwood in early 1970. </p><p>At the time, the winery was old and tired, but it had potential. Eventually, the name was changed to Kenwood Vineyards and the winery was transformed into a modern producer of premium wine. As the young, single man in the family, Lee moved to the property and oversaw the production of wines made by consulting winemakers and eventually took over the role as head winemaker in 1980. </p><p>By the mid-1980s, the wide range of varietals produced at the winery exceeded 100,000 cases. The majority of the wines that Lee made were reds, primarily cabernet sauvignon and zinfandel-based wines. Later whites became important, particularly sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. Most of the grapes were grown in Sonoma Valley and quite often the names of the vineyard designates were mentioned on the labels.</p><p>On the high-end scale, in 1976, Kenwood Vineyards was granted the exclusive rights to produce and market wines from Jack London's historic vineyard in Glen Ellen. This unique, red-lava soil vineyard, located on the west side of Sonoma Valley on Sonoma Mountain, was first planted in the late 1800s. </p><p>Lee first contacted Milo Shepherd, whose family owns the Jack London Ranch, in 1973. And this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Jack London Cabernet sauvignon wines. “When we started to tap into these great vineyard sources, it really snowballed for us,” said Lee.</p><p>By the time Lee sold the winery to Heck Estate in 1998, the entire property had been updated. “All we were doing is remodeling the place for 20 years. We tore down every damn redwood tank eventually. We re-did it and replaced it with stainless steel and French oak barrels. At the end, we had 24,000 barrels when I left!” said Lee, who continues to make superb estate wines for Patianna Organic Vineyards in Hopland. He and his wife, Karrin, grow zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon grapes at their Monticello Vineyard in the Sonoma Valley. </p><p>In celebration of the 30-year anniversary of the Jack London cabernet sauvignon, I had a rare opportunity to sit down and taste a vertical of the wines with winemaker Pat Henderson, a talented man who worked with Lee before taking over head winemaker duties at Kenwood Vineyards in 2003. Here are some of my favorite cellar selections to consider serving to family and friends during the holidays:</p><p>Jack London 2000 cabernet sauvignon: Very complex wine with notes of wild berry, earthy spice, cedar, tobacco, a broad mouthfeel and nice integration of fine French oak.</p><p>Jack London 2001 cabernet sauvignon: Still very showy, this wine features aromas of dark chocolate and lovely flavors of ripe cherry, cassis, blackberry, cola, clove and a silky smooth finish.</p><p>Jack London 2002 cabernet sauvignon: Big, powerful and elegant wine with aromas of cigar box, smoke, cardamom and mint, flavors of black currant, cherry and black olive and a long, spicy finish.</p><p>Jack London 2003 cabernet sauvignon: Bigger, broader wine with powerful flavors of ripe plum, blackberry, black licorice, soy sauce and secondary notes of graham cracker crust and mint. </p><p>Jack London 2004 cabernet sauvignon: This soft and sexy style of Cabernet Sauvignon features aromas of ripe cassis and violet, flavors of ripe currants, cherry, orange peel, clove and a rich mouthfeel.</p><p>Jack London 2005 cabernet sauvignon: Powerful combination of red and black fruits, ripe boysenberry, mint, and chocolate-covered cherry, exotic spice, elegant mouthfeel and very ageworthy.</p><p>Jack London 2006 cabernet sauvignon: The newest release! This young wine features vibrant aromas of mint, sage and tobacco smoke, dense flavors of blackberry and dried cherry, firm tannins and a long finish.</p><p><i>(Petaluma resident Christopher Sawyer is a journalist, wine judge and the world’s only official film festival sommelier at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival, held each April. He can be contacted at csawyer@sonic.net.)</i></p>