Alas, all good things must come to an end. Napa and Sonoma in April 2010 were marked by celebration and discovery. A celebration of the spiritual connection to the world of vino, being there among it and soaking it all in-both old and new-discovery. There was one more day to achieve these goals, primarily in untapped areas on this trip. Starting in Chalk Hill and then working my way through Sonoma Valley and into Carneros.
Calluna Vineyards
The day started at Calluna Vineyards in the Chalk Hill AVA. I learned of Calluna from reading a post on the CabFrancoFiles blog about Calluna and some of ideas about winemaking, myths of California wine, and Chalk Hill. Calluna is a fairly new vineyard and winery, the brainchild of proprietor and winemaker David Jeffrey. Jeffrey was a longtime New York area wine collector and enthusiast who decided to pack up and move west, diving head-first into a new vineyard and winery project. He studied Enology at Fresno State and then worked the 2003 harvest in Bordeaux with Alain Raynaud at Château Quinault in Saint-Émilion, all the while searching for a vineyard site in Sonoma County that would meet his goals of making world class wine that combines the power and balance of Bordeaux, with the bold and rich flavors of Sonoma.
That site was newly developed as Calluna Vineyards in the Chalk Hill appellation, an AVA that Jeffrey believes achieves the perfect climatic balance for Bordeaux varietals. It gets a cooling influence from the Russian River Valley to the west, but with plenty of warmth and a smaller diurnal temperature variation than most other areas of Napa and Sonoma. Jeffrey relates these climatic factors to the great sites in Bordeaux, with ideas that sometimes fly in the face of conventional wisdom regarding California viticulture. The hallmark of the Calluna Vineyard sites for Jeffrey, is the ability of his grapes to reach full phenolic ripeness without excess sugar development. This allows him to make wines that fully express the terroir of Chalk Hill, without the addition of water to the must or tartaric acid. He is also in the process of implementing a barrel fermentation method, unique for red wines, where the barrels are able to be rolled in place helping to submerge the cap of skins back into the wine without having to punched down.
Mr. Jeffrey gave me a detailed tour of his vineyards, explaining the different exposures and soil variations that worked best for each of the Bordeaux varietals that he grows. Aside from being a great vineyard site, the property has spectacular panoramic views of the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill, and the mountains of Napa Valley. Then it was on to taste the wines- current releases including the 2008 Calluna Vineyards Cuvée, the 2008 Merlot "Aux Raynauds", and the 2007 Windrift. The limited production Cabernet Sauvignon wines are sold out from the 2007 vintage, with the 2008's not yet ready for release. The wines are detailed below, but overall I can say that the proof is in the wine that this is an impressive undertaking. With the 2008 being only the second vintage, it amazes even further. What was available for tasting primarily was Merlot-based. It's pretty clear to me that this is a special site for Merlot. I look forward to trying the Cabernet-based wines in the future.
The Wines-
-2007 Windrift Red, Chalk Hill- This is Calluna's everyday wine. 39% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Malbec. Aged 20 months in French oak. Expressive aromas of red and black currant, slight herbal, and peppery notes- with fresh herbs, baking spice, and full secondary fruit. Sweetly spiced tannins finishing with nice length---very good---$20.
-2008 Windrift Red, Chalk Hill- Starts with tea, leather, rubbed herbs, and secondary fruit on the nose. Red fruit, spice, and graphite notes lead into silky coffee flavored tannins. Darker and more dense than the 2007---very good---$?
-2008 Calluna Vineyards Cuvée, Chalk Hill- Aged in 40% new French oak. 44% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, and 1% Petite Verdot. Great color- a rich purple-garnet that shines in the glass. An expressive nose with smoky black cherry, floral-violets, blackberry, and secondary spice. Much the same vein on the palate with lush and silky tannins brushed with white pepper and secondary fruit on the finish---excellent---$30.
-2008 Merlot "Aux Raynauds", Chalk Hill-Aged in 50% new French oak. 96% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. A bright ruby/garnet. Aromas of coffee, cherry, red currant, and spices- fully expressive. A ton of depth on the palate with coffee, leather, mint, dark berries, and currant- full throughout, with gripping dusty tannins. Finishing long with berry and spice notes---excellent to stellar---$40.
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Arrowood Vineyards
Heading down into the Sonoma Valley, I stopped for a quick tasting in Glen Ellen at Arrowood. Arrowood is the namesake of famous Sonoma County winemaker Richard Arrowood, who still makes the wines there today. The winery is located along Highway 12, surrounded by a few parcels of their estate vineyards, and abutting the Mayacamus Mountain. The property is very much New England-style farmhouse in style, with a tasting room that overlooks Sonoma Valley. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and the wines were uniformly good- a mix of Rhone, Burgundian, and Bordeaux varietals.
The Wines-
-2006 Réserve Spéciale Chardonnay, Sonoma County- Russian River Valley fruit from multiple vineyards. Unfined, 100% Barrel and Maloactic fermentation. Aged a total of 14 months in French oak. Nose of floral and mineral notes green apple fruit. Slight creamy notes, well balanced with crisp fruit and lively acidity---very good to excellent---$40.
-2007 Côte de Lune Blanc, Saralee's Vineyard, Russian River Valley- Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier with barrel aging and full malo. Floral aromas with peach and tropical fruit. Honey, mango, and peach flavors- nicely layered and with good acidity---very good---$25.
-2006 Estate Malbec, Sonoma Valley- Aged 27 months in French and American oak. Unfined and unfiltered. Coffee, tangy black cherry, and plum aromas with ample black cherry & plum flavors over a backdrop of secondary spice. Mellow tannins on the finish---good to very good---$40.
-2004 Réserve Spéciale Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County- From select mountain and benchland sites around Sonoma Valley- including Monte Rosso. Unfined and unfiltered with up to 30 months in French and American oak. Coffee, mocha, vanilla bean, with undercurrents of black fruit. Balanced on the palate with currant, spice, mocha, cocoa, and raspberry. Nice and supple with spicy tannins and a long finish---excellent---$110.
-2006 Côte de Lune Rouge- Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah. Unfined and unfiltered with 16 months in French oak. Smokey plum and cherry with spice box aromas. Coffee bean, plums, and chocolate with spicy tannins---very good---$30.
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Audelssa Vineyards
The next stop was an appointment at Audelssa Vineyards above the Sonoma Valley floor. It's located far up the western slope of Mt. Veeder. A visit up to Audelssa begins and ends with the incredible view. Standing in the vineyards, the southern view starts with the famous Monte Rosse vineyard just below, and extends all the way across the San Pablo Bay to the San Francisco skyline and the Golden Gate Bridge. The western view is of the entire Sonoma Valley floor. In an area not short of spectacular views, this really stood out.
We did a quick overview of the vineyard and history of the property. The Shaefer family developed the vineyards in the early 1990's, and their wine was originally made by Richard Arrowood at his winery on the valley floor below. Winemaker Erich Bradley, who worked at Arrowood, eventually started to work with the Shaefer's, developing a program completely customized to fully express the estate's Sonoma Valley/Mt. Veeder terroir. I tasted through their current releases at the tasting bar overlooking the vineyard.
Your humble author, guilty of wineteethThe Wines-
-2008 Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley- Rich gold color. Much fruit on the nose, with light creamy notes. Explodes with oak and malo notes on the palate- butter and creme fraiche with lighter pear notes. The acid holds up, but this definitely fits the bill for big buttery oaky CA Chardonnay---good to very good---$??
-2006 Alder Springs Merlot, Mendocino County- Aged 28 months in French oak. Violet, perfume, vanilla, and underlying fruit on the nose. Oak-driven spice flavors included vanilla, clove, and cigar box; with black cherry. Underpinned with more baking spice on a lengthy finish---very good---$60.
-2007 Summit, Sonoma Valley- 38% Cab Sauv, 35% Merlot, 12.5% Cab Franc, 10% Malbec, 4.5% Petite Verdot. Aged 22 months in 40% new French oak. Earthy aromas of black truffles mixed with black raspberry & cherry and other spices. Plummy, with black cherry and spice. Silky tannins are deceptively gripping with a nice finish---very good---$52.
-2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley- 28 months in French oak. Smoky notes of black currant, spice, cherry, and baked earth- with beautiful mixed berry flavors and supple spice-laden tannins, finishing with good length. Some bottle age should help the depth of the nose integrate into the flavors---excellent---$40.
-2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley- 28 months in French oak. Chocolate, cherry, red raspberry aromas with red currant, leather, tobacco, and mocha- silky with a light grip. Good finish---very good---$90.
-2007 Zephyr, Sonoma Valley- 37% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 29% Mourvedre, 1% Voignier. 18 months in neutral French oak. Vanilla & cloves, cherry, sarsaparilla that moves onto the palate with mellow red berries, mulled fruit, and firm tannins---very good to excellent---$48.
-2007 Tempest, Sonoma Valley- 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier- co-fermented. 18 months in 20% new French oak. Red cherry, raspberry, currant, and lavender- pepper, currants, and a dusting of spices. Gripping, peppery tannins that preclude a long finish---excellent---$48.
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Bouchaine Vineyards
As I was leaving Audelssa, I realized that I was dangerously close to running out of gas. With nothing between Audelssa and the valley floor, it was going to be a long 15 minute ride to the bottom... wondering if I was going to make it. Luckily, I was able to ride the whole way down the mountain in neutral... only once giving any gas. When the car leveled out, my gauge looked a little more optimistic, so I was able to comfortably get to a gas station while heading south toward Carneros.
Bouchaine is on the Napa side of Carneros, heading to the south of the appellation. Carneros is an interesting region for me visually. It seems like most of California's vineyard scenes have a background of mountains somewhere in the picture. In Carneros, I look around and see only benign rolling hills carpeted with vineyards. With a relative lack of trees, I can imagine it as a desert if the vineyards were removed. With the proximity to the San Pablo Bay and its cooling effects, this is a prime Pinot Noir and Chardonnay region; and Bouchaine certainly has plenty to choose from. It's a historic winery property that dates back before prohibition. Beringer bought the property in 1951, re-establishing the winery. It was purchased in 1981 by the current owners, Garret and Tatiana Copeland, who refurbished the winery into a rustic hop kiln style. Eventually they hired Carneros veteran Michael Richmond as winemaker and general manager, establishing their current viticulture and winemaking standards. The tasting room was warm and welcoming, with friendly staff and a great view.
The Wines-
-2008 Chêne d'Agent Estate Chardonnay, Carneros- Unoaked. Green apple, lilac, and river rock notes open on the nose- with crisp pear, apple, and honeycomb. Lively balance---good to very good---$24.
-2008 Estate Chardonnay, Carneros- Primarily barrel fermented with some stainless fermentation, partial malo. Expressive mineral notes-floral and with bright fruit. Stone and apple on the palate with pleasant creaminess, butterscotch, and vanilla---nice depth on the finish---very good---$25.
-2008 Laird Cold Creek Pinot Gris, Carneros- Neutral oak fermentation and aging with full malo. Bright apple and tropical fruit highlighted by floral notes- with pear and honey- full bodied and creamy. Good acid balance---good to very good---$25.
-2006 Rockin H Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast- Barrel aged with partially new Hungarian oak. Notes of honey, butterscotch, truffle, and black fruit- with black cherry, plums, and creamy tannin spice---very good---$25.
-2007 Estate Pinot Noir, Carneros- Smoked meats, cherry, and herbs- with earthy and lightly spiced cherry and raspberry. Tannins with a touch of rubbed herbs, finishing with good depth---very good to excellent---$40.
-2007 Mariafeld Pinot Noir, Carneros- Mushroom, black cherry, herbs, and spice on the nose. Good acid greets the palate-with earthy & smoky black cherry, plums, and silky baking spice- with peppery tannins and nice spice on the closing---excellent---$30.
-2007 Estate Pinot Meunier, Carneros- Pepper, cherry, and violets- with more cherry and spice. Silky texture---very good---$??
-2007 Rockin H Syrah, Sonoma Coast- Gamey black fruit and spice throughout. Lush and fruity---good---$24.
Overall, these were nice wines for their price point. Nothing that blew me away, although the Mariafeld Pinot comes close when you consider the price. I like to add a little info about the winemaking, but their website was lacking info and hard to navigate...
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Gundlach Bundschu
Not content with 23 wineries in 5 days, I slid into Gundlach Bundschu right before closing. Those sneaking in under the bell stops can be a little iffy, see my 1st day stop at Peju in Napa. The staff at Gundlach Bundschu however, was helpful and engaging. I was able to taste through their reserve lineup, with a couple of extra pours thrown in.
There are a couple of interesting things about Gundlach Bundschu. Remarkably, it has been owned within the same families for over 150 years; surviving events like phylloxera and prohibition. Also, the property sits right on the border of the Sonoma Valley AVA, adjacent to Carneros AVA, and just over the Mayacamus foothills from Napa Valley. The Rhinefarm Vineyard's location- spread across 230 hillside, benchland, and valley floor acres- with the different climatic influences meeting- means that there's a good spot for just about any varietal somewhere on the property. There are underground caves, the tasting room is built into a hillside, and there is a really cool mural on the winery to honor its generations of vineyard workers. By all rights, my palate should have been shot by now, but I enjoyed the full range of wines that I had here, and still felt like what I was tasting made sense. Like Bouchaine in Carneros, these were well priced, extremely well-made wines, with nice balance and good depth.
The Wines-
-2008 Estate Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley- Inoculated and indigenous yeasts, barrel fermented, lees stirring up to 5 months, 30% malo, 9 months in 10% French oak. Caramel, buttered popcorn, apple and pear aromas- with apple, heather, and honey- full bodied with a nice finish---very good---$27.
-2007 Estate Pinot Noir, Sonoma Valley- Dijon and Pommard clones, up to 40 year old vines, 12 months in 40% new French oak. Truffle, cherry, and clove aromas- with vanilla, cherry, herb, and spice notes full throughout the palate. Vibrant with gripping tannins, and a long spice-laden finish---very good to excellent---$34.
-2007 Estate Tempranillo, Sonoma Valley- 14 months in 40% new American oak. Leather, spice, maraschino cherry, rose petals- with spice, ample fruit, baked earth, and green herbs- fairly well balanced and a light finish---very good---$36.
-2007 Estate Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley- 15 months in 35% new American oak. Plums, cherry, butterscotch, and vanilla- with pepper, nutmeg, black cherry, and lavender. Silky with spicy oak tannins and nice length---very good to excellent---$38.
-2007 Estate Syrah, Sonoma Valley- 14 months in 40% new French oak. Blackberry, leather, cocoa, and espresso notes- with earthy, gamey cherry & spice. Silky and long---very good---$36.
-2007 Estate Cabernet Franc, Sonoma Valley- Violet, lavender, plums, and other black fruits- silky on the palate with black currant, cherry, and herbs. Cracked pepper on the tannins with nice length---very good to excellent---$38.
-2006 Vintage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley- 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 6% Petite Verdot. Aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. Fig, tea, cherry, and coffee notes- with leather, roasted coffee, cigar box, and black currant. Silky and spicy throughout with depth to ride it out---very good to excellent---$80.
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And so it goes, Spring 2010- Napa & Sonoma, is in the books. Thanks to my friends Justin and Jon for tagging along with me for most of the trip. Thanks to all the helpful and friendly people that I met along the way. I didn't taste a bad wine while on the trip, just varying degrees of quality. Great times and great memories... cheers!
Link to all day 5 photos
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