by Richard Paul Hinkle
The son of a grocery store owner, Norm de Leuze got into wine in 1969 when he and another Aerojet General aerospace engineer rented one of Ed Bacher’s empty farm buildings outside of Sonoma. I vividly recall him telling me at the time, “We originally intended to make only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but these excellent lots of Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and White Riesling kept coming our way. What could we do?”
After a decade of cramped working conditions – the wines, however, were never so inhibited, always brash and uninhibited in character and in varietal definition – they bought a six-acre parcel on the Silverado Trail east of Rutherford and built their 5800-square-foot dream winery. No longer limited to 2000 cases per year, they expanded production while cutting back on the number of varietals they produced.
Through it all, the de Leuze family has steadfastly clung to sound principles. Norm’s wife Rosa Lee initially handled sales and marketing and was quick to cook up exquisite meals to complement the wines. Son Robert started out as winemaker and is now CEO. Julie handles administration and artistic duties (check out the gorgeous stained glass windows in the winery), while Brett is president and handles sales and marketing responsibilities.
In fact, the next generation is already on board. “Yes,” says Robert with obvious pride, “my son Brandon joined us a couple of years ago after he finished school at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and is now assisting Chris on the winemaking side.” Robert admits to missing that job himself. “Making wine really kept me in shape. Now, I sit a lot, and mostly am here to help out wherever I am needed in the winery.”
THE WINES
Chardonnay 2006 California ($34): The de Leuze family were among the first to seriously investigate Monterey and Santa Barbara counties for Chardonnay, and the resulting wines have always blended that wonderful tropical pineapple fruit with the more nectarine and apple qualities from Napa and Sonoma counties. “We aim for richness and balance,” says Robert. “Cool growing sites, blended with cold barrel fermentation in toasted American oak barrels, give us deep opulence, coupled with aromas of tropical fruit and a hint of vanilla and coconut.”
Chardonnay 2005 Napa Valley Reserve ($55): This one, of course, is for those who like their Chardonnay full-blown. Ripe fruit and lots of time in oak lead to a wine that is fleshy and supple, with fresh dairy cream and honeydew melon juiciness and those toasty, French bread and apple pie crusty oak accents. Chicken in a cream sauce might stand up to this one.
Pinot Noir 2006 Carneros ($40): This wine shows the typical strawberry and red cherry fruit of the Carneros, abetted nicely by some nifty spiciness of potpourri and Allspice. “The fruit is organically farmed, and there’s a mix of Dijon and Pommard clones,” says Brooklyn-born winemaker Chris Pisani. “As always, we de-stem the fruit gently, ferment in small, open top fermenters, and punch down the cap by hand every six hours during fermentation, which ensures a gentle extraction of color and tannin. Ten months in French oak helps to create a wine with depth, balance and elegance.” Goes good with the filet mignon, too.
Syrah 2006 Napa Valley “Rosa Lee” ($35): Very dark in color, with full-throated raspberry and strawberry fruit that is dense and well-focused. The tannin holds this solidly built wine together. For sitting in front of the fireplace, with healthy slabs of sharp cheddar cheese or warm slices of pizza with everything on ’em. Nothing bashful about this beauty. (The “Rosa Lee” wines are small lots, sold solely out of the tasting room. This one comes from Ray Centanni’s 2.5-acre vineyard. Ray’s last name is, coincidentally, the Italian toast, “May you live a hundred years!” Drink this wine regularly and you improve your chances.)
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Napa Valley ($50): This is a fine example of what Napa Valley Cab is all about, with deep cassis and tobacco fruit, hints of cedar-like French oak sassiness, and notes of blackberry and chocolate in the finish to keep your interest. Prime rib and all the trimmings (including plenty of horseradish, this wine can stand up to it).
ZD Wines is located at 8383 Silverado Trail (just over a mile south of the Rutherford Cross Road) in Rutherford. Phone
1-800-487-7757 or visit them online at www.zdwines.com. The warm, wood-paneled tasting room is open daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for tasting and sales; tours are by prior appointment only.

 [The author of eight wine books, Hinkle is presently at work – when he’s not playing baseball or basketball or soccer – on books number nine and ten. His work may be viewed at RichardPaulHinkle.com.]

Related Information

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