Three sides of Sonoma

There are many things to love about Sonoma County wine, and variety is definitely one of them. It was the theme of the final day of wine tasting in California’s North Coast regions in April 2013. We visited three very different producers – beginning in Santa Rosa at the Punchdown Cellars facility to visit Ceritas Wines, on to Chalk Hill and Calluna Vineyards, and finally into the heart of the Russian River Valley to Scherrer Winery in Sebastopol.

Ceritas Wines is the brainchild of John Raytek and Phoebe Bass. Their mission is to produce site-specific Chardonnay and Pinot Noir most notably from the family vineyard – The Porter Bass Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast, just 8 miles inland in Forestville. There the vineyard rolls along slopes situated between ridge lines, benefiting from gentle fog, bright sunshine and cool nights. They sort grapes in the vineyard prior to harvest. In the cellar fermentation begins naturally without inoculation, and the wines are made without acid-addition. They avoid a cold-soak of the Pinot Noir, and ferment with 25% to 75% whole clusters.

Ceritas

We tasted three 2011 releases, as well as two barrel samples of 2012 Pinot Noir. My standouts included the 2011 Ceritas Peter Martin Ray Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, which shined with bright citrus and floral notes, along with underlying depth of earthy minerals and dried herb – showing a dynamically rich structure with plenty of nervy tension. Very nice. The 2011 Ceritas Coastalina Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast showed clean tart fig and raspberry flavors along with deep notes of pine needle, tea leaf, and earth and brown spice – fine, silky, vibrant and complex. The 2012 Ceritas Porter Bass Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast from barrel was deeper and darker with black cherry and fig notes along with earth, forest, and savory spice that framed beautiful high-toned juicy mineral notes through the palate.

Calluna Vineyards

I first wrote about Calluna Vineyards after a visit three years ago. The vineyard was planted by David Jeffrey in 2003, and his moderately cool-climate site for Bordeaux varietals is producing balanced, powerful, and graceful wines – full of pleasure and sophistication. We tasted the current 2009 and 2010 releases.

Jon and I in the vineyard with David Jeffrey (photo by Justin)

My favorite was the 2010 Calluna ‘Aux Raynauds’ Merlot, Chalk Hill – showing plenty of mineral, floral, cedar, lead and leather sophistication, along with ripe currant fruit, all seamlessly layered and velvety on the palate, and finishing with plenty of brightness and firmness. What an awesome wine, it really shows the seriousness and sophistication that Merlot is capable of in California. I also really liked 2009 Calluna Vineyards Estate, Chalk Hill – this is a blend of the five Bordeaux varietals featuring Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot most prominently in the blend. This showed cassis and currants, with tea, floral, cedar, tobacco and black pepper notes, layered with big supple/firm tannins and juicy acidity on the finish. Also, look for the relative value of the 2010 Calluna ‘CVC’ CallunaVineyards Cuvee, Chalk Hill. This is another Bordeaux blend, that shows really well at a lower price point.

Scherrer Winery is located in an old warehouse building out on the far side of Sebastopol. Fred Scherrer produces wines from his family’s estate vineyard in Alexander Valley, as well as from numerous other sites in Sonoma County. It’s not a program that focuses solely on Bordeaux, Burgundy or Rhone varietals – instead it’s all of the above, along with Zinfandel too. Fred built production through the late 1980’s while working at Dehlinger Winery, finally moving into his own facility in 1997. Today production is between 4000 and 5000 cases. Fred’s winemaking philosophy often centers on minimal handling and non-interventionist techniques, and varies by varietal.

Fred Scherrer pouring for Justin

We tasted through a broad range of wine, with favorites ranging from the 2009 Scherrer Old Vine Scherrer Vineyard Zinfandel, Alexander Valley – a broad and brambly dark fruited Zinfandel with lots of cola, spice and cedar depth, polished and rustic with a nice finish. A trio of 2008 Pinot Noirs shined- 2008 Scherrer Pinot Noir, Sonoma County and 2008 Scherrer Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley both showed nice, forward, spice-laden red fruit with earthy rhubarb notes. The 2008 Scherrer Platt Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast showed similar flavors with more depth and a more bracing structure. A 2005 Scherrer Cabernet Sauvignon Scherrer Vineyard, Alexander Valley showed the warm friendly dark fruit of Alexander Valley with plenty of cedar, leather, dried herb, and vanilla notes, along with a rustic feel and sweet ripe tannins. Finally, the sleeper of the lineup was the 2008 ScherrerTimbervine Vineyard Syrah, Russian River Valley – showing beautiful crushed rock, tobacco and cedar, along with robust blackberry and savory earth on the palate. Elegant and balanced and very nice.

In many ways Scherrer’s wines embody Sonoma County. Not just in the variety and flavors in the bottle, but also in the down-to-earth workmanlike aesthetic of Fred and the winery. Fred’s even got a band room off to the side in the winery – jammed full of big amps and drums and guitars.

This was a fine lineup of three very different producers - click here to see all tasting notes from the day. It’s always a little sad to leave Sonoma County. Until next time!

Head for the mountains of Napa Valley

To find classically styled wines and a more down-to-earth side of Napa Valley, just look to the mountains. The hairpin roads up and down Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain, and Howell Mountains on a bright and sunny late April day were filled with twists and turns - leading to great wines, history, and personality.

Mayacamas Vineyards certainly provided all of the above. It also ended up being a sentimental time to visit the historic vineyard and winery on Mt. Veeder, as the sale to Charles Banks/Terroir Capital was announced early the following week. Bob Travers and family owned Mayacamas through the previous 45 years and brought the property, a vineyard dating back to the 1880's, to international prominence through its involvement in the 1976 Judgment of Paris and the famed evolution of its wines since. Taking an at-times uncommercial path in its style, Mayacamas became known internationally for extremely long-lived mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay that stayed true to their style, despite popular trends.

The very old press at Mayacamas

In touring the winery, it was striking to see the oldness of the place. From the old continuous screw press, to the built-in concrete fermenter, to the large oak tanks, to the musky cellars - not something you see everyday in Napa Valley. Neither were the 50+ year old Cabernet Sauvignon vines. All of this will surely see a makeover with the new ownership and incoming winemaking/vineyard team of Andy Erickson and Annie Favia. Nostalgia aside, appearances suggest that the makeover is probably coming at the appropriate time. I do hope that large oak tanks will still be used to age the Cabernet Sauvignon before it goes into small barrels - something the winery has traditionally done. I'm guessing this is a key factor to the Mayacamas style.

The cave at Mayacamas

Old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon at Mayacamas

We tasted a pair of Chardonnays from the 2010 and 2006 vintage. Both were impressive in their brightness and complexity. The Chardonnay is fermented in a built-in concrete fermenter and goes to barrel without malolactic fermentation. The 2006 Mayacamas Chardonnay, Mt Veeder, Napa Valley was reveling in its advanced earth and spice notes, complementing the stone and citrus fruit and filling out a big toasty structure. Great Chardonnay and even more amazing to consider the release price of $30. The 2007 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt Veeder, Napa Valley was showing big earthy brambly structure along with juicy black cherry, currant, leather, mineral and anise. Definitely one for a later date, but a fun glimpse into its future.

Smith Madrone Vineyard- Cook's Flat blocks top-center

My third trip up Spring Mountain to Smith Madrone Vineyards was a great chance to show my friends Justin and Jon what makes brothers Charles and Stu Smith's winery and vineyards so special. There's quite a bit of history here too, with the Smiths founding the winery and vineyards in 1971 high atop Spring Mountain on an old vineyard site. There they dry-farm their Bordeaux varietals, Chardonnay, and Riesling. This is always a fun visit - Charles and Stu are colorful characters, the winery is quaint and rustic, and the views of the valley floor from the vineyard are amazing.

Justin sharing his crazy viticulture ideas with Stu Smtih

A lunch and tasting with the Smiths

Charles Smith teaching me about political cartoonist, Bill Mauldin

We tasted the current releases. The 2010 Smith Madrone Chardonnay, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley was showing nice slate and citrus, balanced and rich, with silky spice depth. The 2007 Cabs were especially impressive. The 2007 Smith Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain, Napa Valley was especially notable for its rich silky structure showing notes of black tea, olive, blackcurrant, cassis and vanilla - along with firm tannins and plenty of depth on the finish. This has the structure of past vintages, with nice accessibility as a new release. The 2007 Smith Madrone Cook's Flat Reserve was produced to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the winery. 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, it comes from select blocks in the vineyard and is aged in new French barriques (The estate Cab is aged in American oak). This shows similar flavors to the estate cab, with added depth and structure. Very polished and balanced, and very Bordeaux-like. It's a much higher price point than the estate Cab, but definitely a special wine.

Carole explaining the view at Lagier Meredith

Back on Mount Veeder, the Lagier Meredith Vineyard sits high atop an epic driveway through the trees. Stephen Lagier & Carole Meredith developed vineyards on the property after purchasing in 1986. Stephen was making wine at Robert Mondavi and Carole was a professor of viticulture and enology at Cal-Davis. They grow primarily Syrah, along with Mondeuse, Malbec and Zinfandel. The 4.5 acre east-facing vineyard sits at about 1300 feet on fractured shale and sandstone soils. Justin, Jon and I sat with Carole and Stephen and enjoyed a beautiful bright and rich 2012 Rosé, along with their 2010 Lagier Meredith Syrah, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley- which was showing nice peppercorn, black olive, floral and currant notes with added layers of flavor on the palate, along with a deep elegant and silky structure. Also of note were Carole's delicious Niçoise cured olives grown on the property.

Last was an ill-fated trip up Howell Mountain. Scheduling difficulties and St Helena traffic had gotten me behind schedule. We were late to Black Sears Vineyard & Winery, and our host Chris had to head out. He left us the 2011 Black Sears estate Zinfandel to taste, but it was corked. Their wines sell out quickly - the 2010 Zin is gone and the 2011 won't even be released for another year. Luck ran out on the day, but it's a beautiful vineyard to get a chance to visit with or without the wine. 

Zinfandel at Black Sears

More to come from late April 2013 in Napa Valley. For full tasting notes on the wines tasted on this day, click the link.

Tasting highlights- Garagiste Festival, Southern Exposure

Southern Exposure, the Garagiste Festival previewed last month, was an exciting and eclectic mix of Santa Barbara County wineries. Ranging from the small and well-known to the smaller and more obscure, the festival grand tasting provided a one-stop shop opportunity for exposure to new Santa Barbara wineries and vineyards.

Among the new and interesting favorites were Altman Winery. The winery is so small that the website is a Wordpress blog and I had to manually input the wines on Cellartracker. Proprietor Mike Altman produces a pleasant and inexpensive Santa Ynez Valley Chardonnay and Rosé, but what really shined was a pair of Petite Sirahs from the Sunset Ridge vineyard in Paso Robles. Both the 2008 and 2009 Altman Petite Sirah Sunset Ridge showed bright wild blue fruit, violet, and tangy mineral notes - with the 2009 adding firm complexity to the structure.

Baehner Fournier Vineyards is located in the eastern hills of the Santa Ynez Valley. The Baehners decided to plant Bordeaux varietals on their property and are now bottling quality Santa Ynez Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot from hillside fruit. Their 2010 Baehner Fournier Estate Merlot is grown in gravely clay on sloping northeast-facing blocks. The wine is cold-soaked and fermented in small open-top fermenters with aging for 19 months in 20% new French oak. It's got a pleasing leathery cedary blueberry nose, with balance and layers of flavor, and lingering polish on the finish.

Living near the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, I often drive by the Kessler-Haak vineyard. Planted in 2005 and next to Clos Pepe, it's an organically farmed vineyard on rolling hillsides and sandy loam soils. I had yet to try their wines, but it's a no-brainer that the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay would be as good as they were. I enjoyed the entire lineup, with the highlight being the 2010 Kessler-Haak Vineyards Pinot Noir Clone 2a. It towed the line between brooding dark fruit & earth, with brighter mineral and floral notes building tension and complexity- a very nice wine. With the vineyard at only 8 years of age, it will be fun to watch these Pinot Noirs develop complexities in future vintages.

Josh Klapper's La Fenêtre Wines come from multiple vineyard sites throughout Santa Barbara County. The specialty is bright and elegant Burgundian Varietals, along with Syrah. Josh's Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah from Santa Maria Valley were shining on this day. The 2010 La Fenêtre Chardonnay Bien Nacido shows beautifully bright lime and slate notes that counter a subtle toastiness. The 2010 La Fenêtre Pinot Noir Presqu'ile shows depth with rich dark fruit notes complimenting the floral earth and cherry elegance. One of the biggest and baddest Syrahs that I tasted at the event was the 2009 La Fenêtre Syrah Z Block Bien Nacido, showing wet-earth, sandalwood, cured meat and black currant, highlighted a bright mineral-acid streak and stitched together with huge structure- epic stuff.

Long a key vineyard in the new Ballard Canyon AVA, Larner Vineyard began producing its namesake wines in 2009. Ballard Canyon is known primarily for richly elegant Syrah and other Rhone varietals grown in the moderately cool hillside slopes in the center of the Santa Ynez Valley. The 2009 Larner Vineyard Elemental, a Grenache/Syrah blend, is hugely deep and expressive with mint, cherry, blueberry, earth and spice notes - quite a beautiful wine. The 2009 Larner Vineyard Syrah shows beautiful mineral, earth and floral notes that compliment the spice laden dark fruit. 

These aforementioned highlights capped off an enjoyable day of new Santa Barbara wine discoveries. Click here for a full list of 33 wines tasted at the event.

Beautiful Chardonnay at The Watering Hole

Tucked away in Los Olivos, almost hidden behind Mattei’s Tavern, is the unassuming home of the exciting new Sandhi Wines project. Opened in October of 2012, The Watering Hole as it’s called is the tasting room for Sandhi as well as other wines from the new Terroir Selections portfolio.

Sandhi was founded in 2010 by the famed sommelier Rajat Parr, former owner of Screaming Eagle & Jonata Charles Banks, and winemaker Sashi Moorman (Stolpman, Evening Land, Piedrasassi). The aim is to produce elegant and balanced Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of terroir-distinction from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, including classic vineyards such as Sanford & Benedict, as well as newly emerging sites such as Rita’s Crown and Bent Rock.

 The current available lineup of Sandhi Wines highlights the best of what Santa Barbara County has to offer in Chardonnay. The Chardonnays are barrel-fermented and aged in neutral French oak, undergoing malolactic fermentation.

The 2011 Sandhi Santa Barbara County Chardonnay bottling is bright and complex with a trove of flint, mineral, citrus and honeyed spice notes throughout a rich sleek frame. It’s a pretty amazing introduction to a trio of single vineyard Chardonnays. The 2010 Sandhi Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay,Sta. Rita Hills comes from Mt Eden clones from the oldest blocks within the vineyard. This is a young and complex wine with notes of fresh cream, butter toffee, white florals, and tropical fruit. It’s bright and sturdy on the palate with earthy mineral highlights, lithe richness, and emerging spice on the finish- an absolutely beautiful wine.

View at Rita's Crown Vineyard, June 2012

Rita’s Crown Vineyard is an extreme vineyard site sitting atop Mt. Carmel in Sta. Rita Hills. It’s known for its diatomaceous soils and high elevation of up to 1000 feet. It’s windswept and cold, however the Sandhi 2010 Rita’s Crown Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills comes from warmer south-facing blocks. It shows juicy orange and lime zest notes with hints of hazelnut and honey, along with a beautiful textural richness that belies its angular acidity. It’s another beauty.

View at Bentrock Vineyard, June 2012

The 2010 Sandhi Bentrock Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills comes from another extreme site within the far southwestern corner of the AVA. Steeply sloped north-facing blocks are in the direct firing line of cool winds from the Pacific, creating concentrated flavors from low-yielding vines. It features a notably bright gold color with notes of vanilla, nutty butterscotch, creme fraiche, and complex tropical fruit – along with ample depth and sleek texture on the palate. This is another exemplary Chardonnay.

I also tasted a nice 2011 Sandhi Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, and several other Terroir Selections wines. Click here for tasting notes on all wines tasted.

This is an exciting chapter in the wine evolution of Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Barbara County. Sandhi’s acclaim and attention are certainly well-deserved.

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!

The best of the rest

I try to do more than just blog tasting notes, but I've amassed a few over the past month on wines I've not otherwise blogged about. Several of the wines are very nice, so I thought I’d combat writer’s block by dedicating a post to these notes!

~Arrowood 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Réserve Spéciale, SonomaCounty – Aromas of plum, earth-slate, and currant with deep black fruit on the palate with tobacco, cedar, and blue-floral notes. It’s balanced and rich with round polished tannins and a full finish. Nicely developed and still tastes young. $68.

~Cakebread 2009 Chardonnay, Napa Valley – Touches of mineral, honey and butterscotch, along with stone fruit. It adds subtle notes of citrus on the palate, with polished feel, good acid, solid structure, and a decent finish. Drinking well. $38.

One of the highlights

~Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley – Popped and poured with Thanksgiving leftovers. Clear ruby and medium body in the glass. Aromas of black tea leaf, red curry, sandalwood and fresh fig. Beautifully expressive palate of open red fruit, melted stone, red florals and flourishes of spice. It’s polished in feel, elegant, and fleshy throughout with balanced acid and fine tannin. It finishes long with nice black peppery fruit. Excellent, really drinking well right now. $38.

~Firestone 2010 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County – Nicely expressive strawberry and cherry fruit throughout with subtle spice and earthy depth. Silky and rich with elegance, roundly structured with good acid-tannin balance. Decent finish. Very good value. $24

~Firestone 2009 Malbec, Santa Ynez Valley – Black and blue fruits dominate with secondary black peppery notes and hints of oak. Full fruit, round on the palate, easy drinking style with fleshy tannins. Good. $24.

Firestone Vineyard in the Fall

~Firestone 2007 Chairman Series Merlot, Santa Ynez Valley – Cedar and leather on the nose draping the fruit. The flavors are black cherry and blackberry with subtle oaky vanilla and mocha notes along with hints of dried herb. Dry firm finish with decent length. Nicely done. $42.

~Firestone 2009 Chairman Series Cabernet Sauvignon, SantaYnez Valley – Plenty of cassis and currant aromas along with dried herb. Cassis and red fruit flavors on the palate nicely integrated with subtle medicinal herb along with oak notes of cedar and espresso. Fine firm tannin and a full finish. Very good. $42.

This big boy needs a little time and TLC!

~Firestone 2009 Proximity Twenty Six, Santa Ynez Valley – Bordeaux blend- mostly Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Red currant, cedar, cherry and licorice are on the bouquet. There’s tons of oak on the palate, with flavors of coffee and cedar with currant, cassis and brown spice. Round and lush with silky tannins and a spicy long finish. It needs time for the oak to resolve. $75.

~Perrier-Jouët Champagne Cuvée Fleur de Champagne Blanc de Blancs – Tasting out of Bordeaux glass so not a great display for the bubbles. Plenty of yeast, toast and brioche notes on the nose. It’s bright with lively citrus on the palate with mineral notes to accent the bready yeasty depth. Slightly honeyed flavors with a deep and long expansive finish. Excellent. $230.

~Tenuta Sant’Antonio Scaia, Veneto IGT – Garganega/Chardonnay. Light straw color. It’s very Sauv Blanc-like on both the nose and palate with tons of gooseberry and grapefruit and very subtle depth. Round and bright on the palate with full body and a crispness to the finish. This is a bright and pleasant casual drinker with an odd similarity to new-world Sauvignon Blanc. $12.

~Sea Smoke 2010 Southing Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills – Aromas of rhubarb, earth and plummy fruit. Well balanced on the palate, showing nice mineral, earth, tea, and dark floral notes that temper the darker fruit. Silky feel on the palate with sharp acid and fine tannins. Medium-long finish. Nice complexity. Very well done. $60.

~Siduri 2010 Sonatera Vineyard, Sonoma Coast – Popped and poured with dinner. Nice bouquet of tea leaf, wild mushroom, white pepper, Christmas spice and cherry fruit. It’s ripe and aggressive to the palate with black cherry and fig jam along with piney, earthy and herbal depth. Fine and polished in tannin with seemingly good acid and a decent finish, it's just not very graceful or balanced with this tasting. The fruit awkwardly sticks out like a sore thumb. Not how I remembered it, perhaps it just needs some time to mature back into balance. Day 2- Much improved with the fruit integrating and adding nuances of cedar and sandalwood. Shows balance and elegance. Nice mouthwatering acidity and fine tannin on the finish. Good on the second day- air it out before drinking or hold. $48

~Silverado 2006 Merlot, Napa Valley – Notes of cigar box, black currant and leather on the nose. This is densely structured palate of cassis, cedar, tobacco and black cherry. It’s broad on the palate, nicely polished, and with big chewy tannins, along with hints of mineral and earth on a full finish. Drinking well. $29.

~Stag’s Leap 2009 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – Plummy aromas with anise, currant and cedar notes. Black fruit on the palate with stony, black-floral, and ashy-mineral notes. Integrated oak. Elegantly structured with fine tannin and full finish. Very nice. $45.

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.

Tasting the 2010's at Brewer-Clifton

I'm a fan of Greg Brewer's wines at Melville and Brewer-Clifton. So the lineup of new 2010's and a few older wines being poured at Brewer-Clifton's tasting room for Santa Barbara Vintners' Fest weekend was right up my alley.

If you're not already familiar, Brewer-Clifton makes single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from vineyards throughout Sta. Rita Hills. They control 100% of the fruit from four vineyards- 3-D, Gnesa, Machado and Mount Carmel; while sourcing from many others. The winemaking centers around perfectly ripe fruit maintaining good acidity, adding depth and texture on the Pinot Noir through whole-cluster fermentation. Each wine is fermented and aged identically with aging in neutral French oak. All of this is meant to showcase the individual characteristics of the vineyards, and the common elements of the AVA as a whole.

Overall this lineup was most impressive from the Mount Carmel and Ampelos vineyards. The best of the Pinot Noir tended to maintain a softness and elegance in the face of darker ripe fruit and earthiness. Others were impressive with ripe fruit and presence while falling short of that ideal elegance and texture. The best Chardonnays had a dense complexity to go along with the racy acid, suggesting some life ahead. All of the wines were very enjoyable.

All of my notes are below. The appellation wines retail for $30-$36 and the single vineyard wines retail for $46-$56. Information about the vintages and production of the wines is available from the Brewer-Clifton website. If you're interested in this producer or this region I hope you find this useful~

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Pinot Noir Ampelos, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Alluring aromas of floral, earth, clove and delicate red fruit- very pretty. Deft on the palate with structured acid and fine tannins- great presence and complexity. Very present flavors of earth and spice, but the fruit is focused and pure. Long open finish with mineral and floral influence. (Rating- I love!)

Brewer-Clifton 2009 Pinot Noir Mt. Carmel, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Smokey earth and dark fruit on the bouquet. Pure and silky on the palate adding elements of spice and slate and dried herb to the earth and fruit. Fine firm tannins and a full spice-laden finish. (Rating- I like+!)

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Pinot Noir Machado, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Dense aromas of earth, violet, plum & dark cherry. The palate shows nice acid and a delicate sensibility. Very nuanced mix of ripe fruit, spice, earth and floral flavors. Polished fine structure and a full open finish. (Rating- I like+!)

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Full aromas of tart cherry and dried fruitcake. The palate brings spice and some balance to the dark ripe cherry flavors. Round and ripe and full with fine polished tannins and a pleasant bitterness on the finish. (Rating- I like!)

Brewer-Clifton 2008 Chardonnay Mt. Carmel, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Aromas of vanilla and cream with tropical and citrus fruit. Full tangy lime fruit with mineral, honey and spice. Round and opulent feel with medium weight. Balanced acid structure and a full finish. (Rating- I like+!)

Brewer-Clifton 2009 Chardonnay Mt. Carmel, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. The complexity starts on the bouquet- lactic frommage aromas with honey, white-floral, lychee & stone fruit. Dense and smooth on the palate with great complexity and balance. Layers of fruit, mineral, spice and floral flavors. Nice presence and weight with a pleasing tangy gripping finish. (Rating- I love!)

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Chardonnay Sea Smoke, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Aromas of honeycomb, spice, lychee & kiwi. Opens on the palate with vibrant mineral notes and lime/tropical fruit. Hints of floral dried herb and eastern spice. Opulent roundness is balanced with acid. Full opulent finish with tinges of slate-mineral. (Rating- I like!)

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Chardonnay Gnesa, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Begins on the bouquet with honey, straw, white-floral and stone fruit. Tightly wound stone fruit and lime with hints of vanilla and tangy minerality. Drinks elegantly with smoothness and round feel. Lingering finish. (Rating- I like+!)

Brewer-Clifton 2010 Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasting room pour- 4/20. Citrus and tropical aromas- banana & kiwi with hints of dried herb and clove. Grassy tropical fruit and lime on the palate- very bright with some opulence. Mineral notes add to the finish along with lingering fruit. (Rating- I like!)