The Tasting Panel magazine

A defection? An invasion? How to characterize the decision by Folie à Deux to uproot itself from Napa Valley and hit the road for Sonoma? Whatever it is, the highly regarded wine company—opened in 1981 in St. Helena, and creator of wildly success- ful Ménage a Trios Red, among many other acclaimed wines during its three decades—has released its flagship wines, again. This time, each bottle features Sonoma County AVAs. "I think this is very much in our strike zone," says Bob Torkelson, President and COO of Trinchero Family Estates, which owns Folie à Deux. Torkelson sees the move as an incredible opportunity to work with and within another great California wine region. "We're very impressed with some of the innovation and growing conditions in Sonoma. There are great growers in Sonoma. And we really wanted to be a part of it. This is Eric Arsenault, Certified Sommelier and Director of Wine & Spirits for The Chop House in Ann Arbor, finds a higher level of fruit quality in every Folie à Deux wine. the first time in Trinchero's history that we've been able to take a brand like Folie à Deux and transfer it to some key growing regions in Sonoma and re-introduce it to the public." Tasting Notes Folie à Deux 2010 Chardonnay, Russian River ($18) Sexy, tropical and leaner than typical California "big Chards." This is dressed to reveal the varietal's allure, with the toasty/woodsy flavors enhancing rather than covering up all the good parts. Folie à Deux 2010 Merlot, Sonoma County ($18) Juicy, clean and concentrated. The dark purple fruit and cool spici- ness are elegant and lasting. This isn't overly oaked and the tannins are in check. It's a great expression of the grape. 70 / the tasting panel / january/february 2012 Folie à Deux 2009 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley ($18) A Zin to put Paso Robles on notice. This is balanced and approach- able, and because it's laced with enough Petite Sirah to add structural support, the character remains steadfast even as the spirit goes bold. Folie à Deux 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley ($24) As if it's just letting the land introduce itself, this 100-percent Cab soon becomes familiar Sonoma territory. There's little tannic resistance, lots of fruit and lingering body. Already known for an impressive, expansive Napa Valley portfolio (including Sutter Home and Napa Cellars), Trinchero now has a stake in AVAs such as Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek—because the team at Folie à Deux successfully switched sides of the county line. "Yeah, some- times I think our people might need a passport for getting back and forth," Torkelson jokes. "It's a complete address change, so there's no turning back now." In truth, there's no need for turn- ing back. If part of characterizing Folie à Deux's endeavor includes tasting its new wines, then the move surely proves prescient (see Tasting Notes). Torkelson says he's aware of increased consumer interest and knowledge of "Sonoma wines," and so Folie à Deux's move is good for them and good for restaurants and retail partners that want a broad spectrum of offerings. Eric Arsenault, Certified Sommelier and Director of Wine & Spirits for The Chop House in Ann Arbor, MI (as well as several other regional and national restaurants), believes that Folie à Deux's move to Sonoma was an instant boost to the brand's already high- "An exciting pairing": Folie à Deux Dry Creek Zinfandel with the signature steak au poivre at The Chop House in Ann Arbor, MI. quality legacy. "Considering the wines are being sold at the same price point as they always were, it's obvious that they are now getting much better fruit for their grape dollar. This higher level of fruit quality is evident throughout every wine," he says. "I'm most impressed with the Dry Creek Zinfandel. It's a phenomenal wine paired with our signature steak au poivre: pan-seared, pepper-encrusted New York strip with peppercorn cream sauce," Arsenault says. "There's a considerable amount of heat here, and PHOTO: BENJAMIN DELL PHOTO: BENJAMIN DELL

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