Catching up with veraison.

Entertaining out of town guests gave me the opportunity to capture a couple of veraison pictures in Santa Barbara wine country. The top picture is Pinot Noir at Melville in Sta. Rita Hills. The bottom is Pinot Noir at Cambria along Tepusquet Rd in Santa Maria Valley. The Melville picture is valley floor fruit and the Cambria is benchland fruit. I suspect the sloping and higher elevation vineyards, especially in Sta. Rita Hills, are a little further behind.

The 2012 vintage in Santa Barbara County has been sunny, dry and cool. In Sta. Rita Hills it's been mostly under 80 degrees in the afternoon with cool foggy mornings. It will be interesting to see if things remain on such an even keel the rest of the season.

On a side note, I visited Sanford Winery for the first time today. I've respected the history of Sanford, but figured I'd missed out on its heyday. What I found was an exceptional lineup of wines showing bright full fruit along with elegance and balance. The trio of single vineyard Pinot Noirs were outstanding. I found them overall to be pure, deep and balanced. They were the 2009 La Rinconada Pinot Noir, the 2009 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir and the 2009 Dominio Del Falcon Pinot Noir.

Day 2- A Sunday in Northern Sonoma

Day 2 of my Napa/Sonoma weekend junket saw me in Northern Sonoma tasting a variety of wines from a variety of appellations. 

Sunday ended up as a trip from Siduri's Santa Rosa winery, throughout the Middle Reach area of the Russian River Valley at Copain and Porter Creek, and up to Ridge-Lytton Springs in the Dry Creek Valley. Aside from plenty of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, it was a great day to taste varietals ranging from Viognier & Pinot Noir Blanc to Zinfandel, Syrah & Carignane.

Siduri is located in an industrial complex in Santa Rosa- a large open warehouse space filled with fermentation tanks, barrels and cases- with a tasting area carved out within and plenty of variety to be had. Their Novy Family wines featured Chardonnay, a white Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Zinfandel and a late-harvest Viognier- most of which were single vineyard. Overall the Novy wines were distinctive and terroir-driven with good value. Among the Siduri Pinot Noirs were four new 2010 releases including three single vineyards- 2010 Chehalem Mountains Willamette Valley, 2010 Sonatera Sonoma Coast, 2010 Ewald Russian River Valley & 2010 Cargasacchi Sta. Rita Hills. The Sonatera and Cargasacchi were highlights for me.

Copain was a magical and lustrous spot perched up on a hill along Eastside Road. The winery and tasting room overlooks their estate vineyard on one side, and the greater expanse of valley floor vineyards on the other. It's a nice showcase for the wines, which were pure and focused with deft balance and elegance. Tasted were current release "Tous Ensemble" and "Les Voisins" wines from Anderson Valley (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah) as well as a single vineyard Pinot Noir- 2009 "En Bas" Kiser from Anderson Valley. Overall a beautiful assortment of wines. 

The Ridge tasting room at Lytton Springs is a great place to view 100+ year old Zinfandel vines as well as taste a full assortment from of Ridge wines- from the Monte Bello wines in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Zinfandel and blends from Sonoma. Lastly, Porter Creek has a cool little tasting room along Westside Road overlooking their organic vineyards on one side and a MacMurray Ranch vineyard on the other. Their wines overall show bright fruit with balanced Russian River spice and earth along with a hint of rusticity.

Below are my favorite wines from the day (click the link for price and tech info as available).

Siduri 2010 Pinot Noir Sonatera, Sonoma Coast-

Compact aromas of spice, sagebrush, sandalwood and fig. Interesting red notes on the palate- spice, dates, fig and sarsaparilla. Nicely weighted and smooth fine tannins. Full breathy finish. Very nice.

Siduri 2010 Pinot Noir Cargasacchi, Sta. Rita Hills- 

Dense all the way through. Aromas of sage, plum, mossy earth and violet. The palate featured densely layered red and dark fruit, eucalyptus, earth and mushroom. Smooth and lithe through the palate with fine tannins and a lengthy breathy finish. Very nice, needs a little time.

Novy Family 2009 Syrah Rosella's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands-

Aromas of tea leaf, olive, black pepper, violet & bacon fat- with blue fruit and cassis on the palate accented violet and white pepper. Fine grainy tannins and full breathy finish. Very nice.

Novy Family 2010 Viognier Oley Late Harvest, Russian River Valley-

Aromas of slate, honey and apricot- shown with focused baking spice and gingerbread depth on the palate. Nicely balanced and intense. Full finish.

Copain 2010 Chardonnay "Tous Ensemble", Anderson Valley-

Bright aromas- Meyer lemon, riverstone and spice. Similar notes on the palate, very bright fruit with mineral accents and toasty lees. Rich and silky and bright throughout with a full finish. Very nice.

Copain 2009 Pinot Noir "LesVoisins", Anderson Valley-

Bouquet of clove, eastern spice, fig & sandalwood. Bright raspberry & fig with earthy spice depth on the palate. Elegant textures, fine tannins and a full plush finish. Very nice.

Copain 2009 Pinot Noir "En Bas" Kiser, Anderson Valley- 

Complex and dense bouquet- bright raspberry & fig paste with a myriad of spice and floral aromas. Beautifully layered and textured fruit with earth, spice and wood depth- woven and seamless and still tightly wound but very pretty. Fine smooth fleshy tannin with lingering depth on finish. Needs a few years. Outstanding.

Copain 2009 Syrah "Les Voisins", Yorkville Highlands- 

Plump aromas of black pepper, black olive, marinating beef, violet and plum. Pure fruit and savory depth on the palate- seamlessly woven with fleshy feel and fine firm tannins and full finish. Deft balance. Excellent.

Ridge 2010 Geyserville, Alexander Valley- 

Tasted at Lytton Springs. Aromas of black pepper, blue fruit and wild earth. Juicy and ripe fruit on the palate with savory like leather and spice. Roundly structured and an ample finish. Very good.

Ridge 2007 Syrah Lytton Estate, Dry Creek Valley-

Expressive aromas of anise, savory spice, blueberry and lavender. Peppery dark and red fruit on the palate with accents of blue flowers, licorice and cola. Round smooth tannins and a breathy juicy finish. Very nice.

Ridge 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, Santa Cruz Mountains- 

Notes of cedar, tobacco, cassis, berry and leather. Layered and complex and elegant. Juicy with nice depth and feel. Fine firm tannins and a medium finish. Very nice.

Ridge 2007 Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains-

Big savory notes on the bouquet- tobacco leaf, earth, shoebox leather; rich and deep with cassis and currant peeking through. Rich and fine on the palate with layered fruit and depth- still very dense and tightly wound. Fine tannins and lengthy finish.

Porter Creek 2010 Old Vine Chardonnay, Russian River Valley- 

Notes of slate, lemon and stone fruit. Rich and balanced on the palate with stone fruit, spice and traces of mineral notes. Medium finish with lingering spice.

Porter Creek 2009 Pinot Noir Fiona Hill, Russian River Valley- 

High pitched spice and plum on the bouquet. The palate led with plum and cherry along with mulled spice and rocky mineral notes that were balanced and integrated. Nicely layered structure with fine tannins and a pleasing finish.

Porter Creek 2009 Zinfandel Old Vine, Sonoma Co- 

Blue fruit on the nose with subtle mulled spice. Red cherry and red currant notes on the palate that are jammy and juicy, along with notes of earth and cracked pepper. Juicy fleshy tannins and a nice long finish. Very nice.

Porter Creek 2009 Syrah Timbervine Ranch, Russian River Valley-

Huge Syrah nose of green olive, bacon fat, cracked pepper and black currant. On the palate is grainy black fruit with savory herb and pepper notes. Nice depth. Coarse tannins with a nice richness on the palate. Breathy finish. Very nice.

A Saturday in Napa Valley in pictures and tasting notes

Last weekend I got away from the Central Coast for a couple of days, visiting Napa Valley and the Russian River Valley area in Sonoma Co. 

Saturday found me in Napa Valley tasting wine with Charles Smith at Smith Madrone in the Spring Mountain AVA; at Corison Winery hosted by Hardy Wallace; and then on to the Envy Winery tasting room in Calistoga to taste new releases from Mike Smith's Myriad Cellars as well as several of his Carter Cellars 2010 reds.

Smith Madrone

It was a nice mix of old-school Napa wines at Smith Madrone and Corison (no reds newer than 2006 tasted in either), and silky and voluptuous modern Cabernet from the Mike Smith wines (mostly 2010's). I enjoyed all three stops- very different experiences and wines that really showcased the diversity and personal experience that can be found in Napa Valley if you dig beneath the surface.

Smith Madrone is completely old school mountain Cabernet Sauvignon with burly brawny savory flavors, black fruit and massive structure. Their Chardonnay is structured as well with green stone fruit and acid along with brisk spice. The Riesling is a beautiful thing as well. It's an old winery structure with a workshop-like tasting area in the winery, surrounded by their mountain-top vineyards set among century-old olive trees.

At Corison you taste in the cellar and walk out into the Kronos estate vineyard, a phylloxera-surviving vineyard predating the massive replantings of Napa Cab in the early 90's (40+ year old vines). The Cabs are ageworthy, balanced and elegant.

Corison Kronos Vineyard- St. Helena

Old-Vine Cab at Kronos

The Mike Smith wines of Myriad and Carter are of the modern variety, showing balanced and integrated flavors set among creamy silky structures. The best of which showed emerging savory notes that should fill out with the fruit in time.

Tasting Myriad and Carter (Carter in half-bottles)

Below are my favorite wines from the day (click the link for price and tech info)-

Smith Madrone 2009 Chardonnay Estate Bottled, Napa Valley- Spring Mountain-

Melon, tropical with light floral, lees and toast accents. Crisp and lively on the palate with good balance and rich depth along a flourishing finish. Very good.

Smith Madrone 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled, Napa Valley- Spring Mountain-

The bouquet is stacked like bricks and mortar- cassis, slate, plum, lavender and cherry. On the palate the savory leathery cedar shows around tight fruit. Firm round tannin and touches of mineral on the finish. The stuffing is there. Good length. Enjoyed tasting but won't touch this for some time.

Smith Madrone 2011 Riesling Estate Bottled, Napa Valley- Spring Mountain-

Aromas of kiwi, orange, slate and white flowers. Crisp and brisk palate, well balanced with bright fruit and depth. Long finish. Excellent.

Corison 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley-

Big aromas of cassis, plum, blueberry, vanilla, cedar and olive. Black currant and cassis on the palate with rocky mineral and blue floral accents. Just traces of oak. Elegant feel and weight. Fine/firm tannin and a full finish filled with floral fruit and dried herb notes. Excellent.

Corison 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- 

Cedar & leather, cassis, kirsch, licorice and blueberry nose- nice complexity. The palate begins with melted mineral notes ushering in blueberry and black cherry. Tea leaf, black olive and cedar depth. Layered and balanced and complex. Fine tannins holding firm, with a layered full finish. Outstanding.

Corison 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard, Napa Valley- 

Aromas of cassis, leather, violet and blueberry. Begins with high-toned blue fruit and moves to black cherry, tea, olive and cedar. Medium weight and polished on the palate. Fine tannins and a full finish. Excellent. 

Myriad 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley- 

A bit tight on the nose at first, it comes on with graphite, cassis and tobacco leaf. Layered flavors on the palate- creme de cassis, tea, leather, tobacco, blueberry, blackberry and spice. Full bodied and velvety in feel and tannin. Full finish with notes of red fruit. Very nice.

Myriad 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard, Napa Valley- St. Helena-

Aromas of tobacco leaf, cedar, spice, cassis and black currant. Pretty notes of mint, clove, red currant and mineral on the palate. Integrated oak. Velvety and polished. Tannins are firm. Spice, melted rock and red fruit on the finish. Good depth and length. Excellent.

Carter Cellars 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard The O.G.- Oakville-

Subtle nose of tea, clove, red currant and anise. Layered primary anise, spice, cola and plum on the palate with ashy earth, cocoa, vanilla and espresso depth. Concentrated and gliding through the palate with silky fine tannin, firm with rock and red fruit on a long finish. Very nice.

Favorites from the Chardonnay Symposium

This weekend I attended the 2012 Chardonnay Symposium'sGrand Tasting at Byron Winery & Vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley. This is an annual event in Santa Maria sponsored by Wine Enthusiast Magazine and Byron. It's unique in its total devotion to Chardonnay. For a nice synopsis of the event and what makes it special, check out this blog post from Steve Heimoff.

The grand tasting was held outside at Byron. It's nice being outdoors on a cool and beautifully bright sunny afternoon, overlooking the valley and sipping Chardonnay. However aromas were fleeting as a whipping wind made tasting conditions a challenge at certain tables.

It was a small drawback though. Overall there were many examples of finely balanced and lively California Chardonnay- mostly Central Coast (HELLO Wine Spectator!) with a few choice North Coast producers in attendance. Here are my ten favorite wines of what I was able to taste:

La Fenêtre 2009 Chardonnay Block 11, Santa Maria Valley-

From Block 11, originally planted to Chardonnay for Bob Linquist of Qupé for its sun exposure, low yields and shallow well-drained soils. La Fenêtre's Block 11 comes is a special selection of top barrels. The wine is hand-harvested and pressed into 66% new French oak barrels with 14 months on lees and 19 months total in barrel. In this I found butterscotch, lime and floral notes. Big fruit on the palate with integrated depth of earth and spice. Full finish. Very nice.

Au Bon Climat 2010 Chardonnay XXX Anniv Passant des Nuits-Blanches au Bouge, Santa Maria Valley- 

Newly released special bottling for ABC's 30th anniversary. Vineyard blend featuring top barrel lots. Notes of butterscotch, lees, floral and lime. Complex and dense with nice feel and weight. Mostly spice on a full finish. Very nice but needs time. 

Qupé 1999 Bien Nacido Reserve Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley- 

Library wine poured from magnum. From Qupé's Block 11 at Bien Nacido (see La Fenêtre note above). Expressive- nice apple and lemon creme notes on the bouquet. Nicely layered flavors of mineral, caramel, citrus, melon and spice. Rich on the palate with a fine feel and full finish. Drinking well at age 13.

Talley 2010 Chardonnay Oliver's Vineyard, Edna Valley- 

Hand-harvested and aged sur lie for 16 months in 21% new French oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered. Creamy, citrus & mineral bouquet. Palate of crisp lime/lemon/orange with leesy richness and baking spice. Silky medium weight with great depth and a long finish. Excellent.

Talley 2010 Chardonnay, Edna Valley-

Also from Oliver's Vineyard. Slightly earlier harvest, aged 11 months in 25% new French oak barrel. Expressive slate, lime and ashy earth. Bright and pure on the palate with orange & lime with flourishes of spice and mineral. Showing well all around with good feel, depth and finish. 

Riverbench 2008 Reserve Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley- 

Estate grown. 44% new French oak. Lees-spice and frommage notes lead on the bouquet. Bright citrus and melon fruit comes out on the palate with vanilla and gingerbread. Nicely balanced with a fine weight and full finish. Very nice.

MacRostie 2008 Wildcat Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast- 

Estate grown mountain-top vineyard in the far Sonoma Coast. Volcanic soils. Whole cluster pressed, racked off lees, full malolactic, and aged for 10 months in 25% new French oak barrel. Bright aromas- lemon creme, floral and slate. Complex on the palate with lees, lime, gingerbread and butterscotch. Pure and balanced with big finishing flavors. Excellent.

Solomon Hills Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley- 

Flinty lees with subtle citrus & stone fruit and accents of spice throughout. Nicely weighted and balanced with a medium + finish. A little dense- should unfold with time. Very nice.

Bien Nacido Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley- 

Aromatic with forward lime and mineral. Expressive palate with nuanced citrus and spice. Open, complex and pure in flavor. Full weight and finish. Very nice.

Williams Selyem 2010 Unaoked Chardonnay, Russian River Valley-

Vineyard blend, stainless steel fermented.   Creamy lemon and river rock notes accented with leesy lime and orange zest on the palate. Nice weight and texture on the palate. Good secondary depth and full finish. Very nice.