Tasting Sonoma County in a virtual tasting room

I looked forward to working on this post for two reasons. First, I've been interested from afar in the TastingRoom.com product and packaging. Additionally, I had a lineup of Russian River and Alexander Valley wines to taste through. Trione Vineyards & Winery put together a tasting kit of their current release wines through the TastingRoom.com packaging system (disclaimer- I received as a press sample).

I recently saw a Twitter post about TastingRoom.com, and have been curious about the concept. Basically they repackage wine into 50ml and 100ml bottles, to then market themed tasting kits (50ml), and by the glass bottles (100ml). The ultimate goal is to sell the featured wines at full retail, but to me the value of the program is in the tasting kits. Wines sold on the site cover a range of price points, and there are plenty of well-known and premium brands. Most of the wine is domestic, with some international available as well.

The Trione kit came in a black recyclable box. The 50ml bottles are glass with high-quality re-creations of the labels. The transfer of the wine happens in an anaerobic chamber, and the bottling date is listed on the label. Basically the wine is packaged well and the integrity of the wine is intact.

Yes, that's a Pac Man lunchbox in the background

Trione’s wines come from their estate vineyards in the Russian River and Alexander Valleys. Previously growers in Sonoma County dating back four decades, the family began producing wines beginning with the 2005 vintage. I tasted four Russian River wines, all from the clay loamy soils of their River Road Ranch vineyard located in the middle reach area of the valley – 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Chardonnay, 2008 Pinot Noir and 2008 Syrah. The red Bordeaux varietals are grown in their vineyards in Alexander Valley. The 2007 Block 21 Cabernet Sauvignon features Cab grapes from a single block at Cloverdale Ranch, with small percentages of Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec coming from Geyserville Ranch. The 2007 Geyserville Ranch Red is a blend of Bordeaux grapes.

If there’s a thread that runs through these wines, it’s accessibility. The whites are nicely balanced with ample fruit, richness and acid, along with good Sonoma character - well priced too. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Geyserville Ranch Red are like big bear-hugs of wine - ripe and mellow dark fruits with roasted coffee, anise and cocoa notes across a stately warm & welcoming structure - totally Alexander Valley. The Russian River Syrah is a smooth drinker of ripe dark fruits along with nice-enough cool-climate savory notes. Click here for individual notes on all the wines.

However, the standout of the group is the Trione 2008 River Road Ranch Pinot Noir, Russian River. This is a blend of clones 115, 667 and 777. It’s made using traditional techniques such as open top fermentation with partial whole clusters and daily hand punch-downs. It’s pretty prototypical Russian River Pinot on the nose with fruitcake aromas of cherry, raspberry and plum. Things get interesting as this hits the palate with darker fruit, earthy forest and mushroom notes, and just hints of spice - all well balanced and nicely layered. It’s sharply textured with fine tannin and nice length on the finish. This is really enjoyable Russian River Pinot with good depth and interest priced below $30 – highly recommended!