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.

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!

Just released- 2011 Tensley Syrah

A quick tasting stop this weekend in Los Olivos netted nice results, as a few of the newly released 2011 Tensley Syrah wines were available in their tasting room. These are low production and very well regarded – in other words you try them and buy them while you can.

Joey Tensley began producing his wines starting with the 1998 vintage. The original idea was to produce site-expressive Syrah from unique vineyard sights in Santa Barbara County. Most are made in a similar fashion with partial whole-cluster fermentation and using mostly seasoned French oak for about an 11 month elevage on lees. The single vineyard wines are generally released about a year after harvest. Production has grown to 4,000 cases with other Rhone varietals being produced as well as Pinot Noir from Jennifer Tensley under the Lea label.

The tasting featured the 2011 Santa Barbara County Syrah, the 2011 Thompson Vineyard Syrah and the 2011 Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah. All show a common style of bold balanced fruit with secondary savory depth and hints of rusticity and old-world Syrah character.

The Santa Barbara County bottling comes from five sites from throughout the county, blending both warm and cool sites as well as a variety of soil types. It features nice forward brambly fruit with subtle spice and mineral accents, finely structured with good depth and length. It’s an attractive price point too at $25.

The 2011 Tensley Thompson Vineyard Syrah comes from the moderate climate Los Alamos Valley. The vineyard’s south-facing slopes ensure ripeness while the depleted soils keep yields low. I noted lots of blueberry, dried herb and peppercorn aromas and flavors that added rocky notes and brown spice through the palate. It was full and rich, yet balanced with gripping tannins and nice length and an underlying rusticity. Really nice but still so young, it’s a little unfocused at this point but should take shape nicely. 155 cases produced, $38.

 Lastly the 2011 Tensley Colson Canyon Vineyard Syrah comes from volcanic soils set high in the foothills above the Santa Maria Valley. It’s warmer than the valley floor due to its elevation above the fog line. The Colson Canyon is the only of Tensley’s single vineyard Syrahs to receive any new oak aging. Here I noted striking aromas- tea leaf, tobacco, spice, currant. It was layered and complex with subtle meaty notes through the palate. Round and polished throughout with firm structure and a full finish. It was the most distinctive at this point while still showing the potential to tie up the loose ends. Excellent. 1620 cases produced, $38.

I also tasted the 2011 Santa Barbara Grenache and the 2011 Lea Pinot Noir. Click here for the full lineup of notes. 

Another defense of California Syrah

Tasting some memorable Syrah at Piedrasassi

In a blog post last week, Steve Heimoff critiqued California Syrah in general as having quality issues due to a lagging price point. Flaws such as brettanomyces and searing acid were listed by Mr. Heimoff as stumbling blocks to the varietal being on the top echelon of California red wine. And it was theorized that due to its price point being behind top reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, producers are not making the necessary investments into production in order to make the best possible wines. In short, due to the market the grape doesn't meet its potential in the state.

It’s an interesting observation. Syrah’s greatest strength can sometimes be its greatest weakness. Its versatility as a grape – growing effectively in a variety of climates and locales – creates different profiles of wine that can be confusing to the average consumer. As a result, domestic wine tends to struggle in the three-tier system as distributors and retailers tend to gravitate toward things that roll quickly downhill. Throw on top the confusion people can easily run into about what is Shiraz? Petite Sirah?

Syrah seems to do best in the hands of producers selling directly to a consumer base that they can taste and educate on the wines. Or in the hands of sommeliers who can educate staff and guests on how versatile it can be with a menu; or how it expresses differently according to climate and terroir. Once the mysteries are unraveled, Syrah doesn't seem to have a problem attracting fans – both consumers as well as other wine critics.

A flaw such as brettanomyces that's listed in the blog post comes from uncleanliness in the cellar, and it doesn’t discriminate by varietal. Acidity is a virtue in California wine, not an problem. The best examples of California Syrah have a juicy acidity built around the fruit and depth. And is Syrah any more uneven in quality than Pinot or Cab in California? There are plenty of flabby overripe Pinots and Cabs, up to the highest price points.

The quality of Syrah in California is the least of its problems. There are plenty of great options in all price points and of varying styles. Value is excellent as well – I believe that one can consistently be amazed by California Syrah at price points well under those of top Cab and Pinot.

Here are four excellent California Syrah wines that I’ve had over the last few months that represent excellence, variety and value.

Tercero 2007 Thompson Vineyard Syrah, Santa Barbara County- From steep south-facing hillsides in the Los Alamos Valley of Santa Barbara County. 25% whole clusters. Lots going on. Bitter chocolate, cassis, cracked pepper, blueberry aromatics. All that and more pure fruit on the palate- blue and black. Smooth and round and polished- a pretty wine with fine balance. A full finish with peppery fine tannins. Excellent stuff. $30.

Cambria 2009 Tepusquet Vineyard Syrah, Santa Maria Valley- Loamy soils. Destemmed and cold soaked for 7 days. Pressed off at 2-3 degrees brix with fermentation finishing in barrel. Purple black opaque appearance. Primary notes of black olive, tomato skin, lavender and peppercorn. Ripe notes of cassis and black cherry forward on the palate. Round and polished with nice balance. Fine tannins and juicy acid on the finish, along with lingering fruit. Nice wine and very nice QPR. $22.

Piedrasassi 2009 Rimrock Vineyard Syrah, San Luis Obispo County- From cool-climate coastal southern San Luis Obispo County (around Nipomo). 100% whole cluster. New and neutral French oak. Aromatic savory fruit nose. Amazingly bright and vibrant with electric acid and pure fruit along with spice and long earthy depth. Firm structure and long finish. A great wine. $56.

Copain 2009 Les Voisins Syrah, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino Co- Vineyard blend coming mostly from schist soils. Aging in neutral French oak. Plump aromatics 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. $34.

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.

Syrahhhh

Trying to avoid drinking Syrah in Santa Barbara County is like trying to avoid drinking Coca-Cola in Atlanta. It's free, cheap and easy and served just about everywhere.

And while that may be a bit of hyperbole, it's certainly true that Santa Barbara County is a great place to showcase the versatility of Syrah. Cool climates like Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley can bring out the full range of savory notes, while the warmer reaches of the Santa Ynez Valley bring out the blue fruit and black pepper. And while that may be a bit of generalization, it's certainly true that these elements wax and wane in Syrah produced from throughout the county.

I recently revisited a wine I purchased and stored from before I moved here. The 2005 Qupé Bien Nacido Hillside Estate Syrah, Santa Maria Valley is from the Z Block at Bien Nacido. It's a hillside block with poor soils and southwest exposure that produces one of the finest Syrah's from Qupé each vintage. The grapes are typically destemmed and the wine is typically aged for about 20 months in roughly 50-60% new French Oak barrels. 

This was one of those wines that demanded whole-bottle consumption. It glided through a dinner pairing with barbecued pork chops and then proved to be a very nice weekend evening companion. Here are my notes- 

Three hour decant. Full dark garnet color with lightening ruby edges. Complex aromas- marinating steak, white pepper, black olive, vanilla, blueberry and lavender. Rich, fine and structured on the palate. Bright but still a little inward with its layered flavors of ripe dark fruit and broad savory notes. Firm tannins with a full juicy peppery finish. An exceptional bottle of Syrah just hitting its stride. Could easily be held for a few more years (rating- I like++!) $36

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An honorable mention also goes out to a Syrah from the far reaches of the great Pacific Northwest. Red Mountain in the Columbia Valley to be exact. This is where Hedges Family Estate cranks out excellent wines with excellent value year after year. The CMS wines are outstanding Columbia Valley blends at very accessible prices. Two of their bottlings- The Estate Red Mountain and the Descendants Liegeois Dupont Syrah Les Gosses are Red Mountain estate bottled wines typically showing distinguished character and good value. I recently opened a bottle of the 2009 Descendants Liegeois Dupont Syrah Les Gosses, Red Mountain that I purchased at the winery. Below are the notes -- 

Aerated with Vinturi. Bright opaque purple color. Loads of cassis, currant and violet aromas with just hints of meaty white pepper. Silky with juicy bold fruit on the palate with a light savory backdrop. Fine tannins and full fruit finish. The savory depth should develop with a little bottle age, but this is irresistible now. Awesome price too. (rating- I like!) $25

Lompoc Wine Ghetto- Day 1

Nothings evokes wine country images quite like an industrial park behind a Home Depot store. Just beyond the tranquil vineyards and rolling hillsides of Sta. Rita Hills is the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. It sits at the edge of Lompoc, CA and houses a plethora of great Santa Barbara County producers -- both well known and emerging.  It's primarily tasting rooms, although there are a few winery operations there too. You could literally spend days tasting through all the wines.

I'm spending my Sundays there now working in the Arcadian tasting room. It's just a little part-time job as a hobby... Having worked hectic full time schedules in the wine business in my past life, it's a real pleasure to swoop in one day a week to talk about and taste wine with people who are there for that reason. I look forward to meeting people in the area and getting to know more about the wines.

An awesome lineup at Arcadian- as good as the Pinot Noirs were, the 05 Stolpman Syrah was stupid good. All the Syrah concentration and savory fruit with a Pinot Noir-like supple elegance.

A great lineup of 2009 Pinot Noir from Evening Land. One from Edna Valley and two from Sta. Rita Hills.

2011 Wine Travels- Paso Robles Top 10

Onward and upward. The same trip in May produced a wonderful afternoon strolling around the Westside hills of Paso Robles. If you've never taken a ride on Vineyard Dr, it's truly one of the great scenic wine country drives in California.

The day included stops at Turley, L'Aventure, Denner, Tablas Creek and Adelaida. Through the day I enjoyed a nice variety of Westside Paso wines and caught plenty of highlights of what the area does well- Syrah, Rhône blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel- below were my 10 favorites:

Click the links for more info on the wines

2007 Adelaida Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Viking Estate Vineyard, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Mineral, tea, floral, and red fruit on the nose. Additional red fruit, tea, lavender, and cedar notes on the palate. Well structured with good weight and feel, grainy tannins, and a long finish. (I really liked!)

2008 Adelaida Syrah Anna’s Vineyard, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Meaty, floral, and blue fruit notes on the nose. Plush fruit, floral, gamey flavors- with lush round tannins and long fruit notes to finish. (I really liked!)

2008 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Cherry, fruitcake, herb, and spice notes on the nose. Beautiful silky feel on the palate with red fruit, mineral, and peppery notes. Firm-fine tannins and a long finish. A lot more to this than tasting room notes can indicate. Outstanding and should develop nicely. (I really liked!)

2010 Tablas Creek Rosé, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Rich red fruit and toffee on the nose. Strawberry and cherry fruit, rich and full, with a nice finish. Excellent rosé. (I really liked!)

2008 Tablas Creek Mourvedre, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Meaty, mineral, red & blue fruit on the notes. Notes of tea, red fruit, and light spice on the palate. Firm round/ripe tannins, and a lengthy finish. (I really liked!)

2009 Denner “The Ditch Digger”, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Tight aromas- mostly cherry and red currant. The palate gives black cherry and mineral notes with rich spice and round tannins. Finishes long. (I really liked!)

2010 Denner Theresa, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Stone fruit and floral nose. Leesy and rich fruit through the palate with a lengthy finish. Very nice. (I really liked!)

2008 L’Aventure Estate Cuvée, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Mineral, tea, black currant, and cherry notes in the bouquet. Full dark fruit along with mineral and toffee notes on the palate. Round firm tannins and good length. (I really liked!)

2005 L’Aventure Optimus, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Cracked pepper, cherry, and dried herbal notes on the nose, leading to darker currant, leather, and graphite notes on the palate. Great feel and structure. Gripping round tannins and a long finish. (I loved!)

2009 Turley Zinfandel Dusi Vineyard, Paso Robles

Tasting room pour. Blackberry, cherry cola, and spice on the nose. The palate shows additions of red fruit and black tea, with a nice satiny feel. Tannins and round and fine with spice and fruit lingering on the finish. (I really liked!)

Click for more Paso Robles pictures

2011 Wine Travels- Santa Barbara Top 10

This past May I traveled to California and toured multiple areas of the Central and North Coasts. In September I did a second stint out west to the Willamette Valley and Eastern Washington.  I carefully planned producers to see and mapped my areas of interest. The end result was getting to taste some spectacular wine along the way.

As the year ends and I prepare to move from Atlanta to California, I'd like to take a little stroll down memory lane and list my favorite wines from each region that I visited in 2011. These are all wines tasted and notes written while on the road

Starting things off is Santa Barbara County. In Santa Barbara I visited Melville, Fiddlehead, Qupe/Verdad, Foxen, and the Bien Nacido Vineyard. It was a great day that saw my friends and I completely circling Sta. Rita Hills before heading into Los Olivos via Ballard Canyon Road, and then heading up Foxen Canyon Road to Santa Maria Valley. It's interesting that 2011 ended up being such a cool vintage for California, it was very hot in Santa Barbara in early May while I was there, even in the cool-climate Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley areas.

As you can see from the list there were lots of great Syrahs, and the 2009 Pinot Noir vintage was looking pretty good.

My 10 Favorite Santa Barbara wines from the trip-

2008 Foxen Pinot Noir Black 8 Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

Tasted at Bien Nacido. Pungent bouquet with black fruit, mushroom, and cola. Very bold style continues to the palate. Black fruit, red fruit, mushroom, mineral, cola. Silky but a little hot. Gritty tannins and bold finish. Aggressive but somehow pulls it off- drinks and tastes like Pinot Noir. It's wild- I could see this being profound if it mellowed a little with bottle age. ( I really liked!)

2009 Tyler Pinot Noir N Block Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley

Tasted at Bien Nacido. Cola, plum, apple-cherry, spice- expressive bouquet. Mineral, red fruit, and spice- beautifully balanced with a silky feel, fine tannins, and a long finish. (I really liked!)

2005 Qupé Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside Estate, Santa Maria Valley

Tasting room pour. Gamey nose with plum, raw meat, leather, and olive- awesome. Black peppery fruit with plenty of mineral and savory depth on the palate. Firm tannins and long finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2010 Verdad Rosé Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, Edna Valley

Tasted at the winery. Strawberry and peach aromas and flavors throughout. Leesy and rich with good finish. Very nice. (I liked!)

2008 Fiddlehead Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley

Tasted at the winery. Lemongrass, apple, toast on the nose- rich and leesy style bold fruit and a long finish. Very nice. (I liked!)

2009 Melville Pinot Noir Carrie's, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasted at the winery. Lots of perfume and floral aromas along with cola, spice, and red fruit. Bright flavors on the palate- fruit, well-integrated spice, subtle earth notes. Great feel. Tannins firmer than past vintages. Big finish. It's all there- can't wait to spend a little more time with this and delve deeper. Very excellent. (I loved!)

2009 Melville Pinot Noir Terraces, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasted at the winery. Aromas are marked with cola, mushroom, earth, and black cherry. Balanced earth, spice, and fruit flavors- bold & intense & elegant at the same time. Lithe structure and feel, fine tannins. Long finish. Excellent. (I really liked!)

2009 Melville Chardonnay Clone 76 Inox Estate, Sta. Rita Hills

Tasted at the winery. Creamy melon & honey aromas. Hits the palate with brightness and strong acid. Lots of green apple/pear/melon, and leesy richness, along a lengthy finish. Very nice. (I really liked!)

2007 Qupé Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley

Tasting room pour. Gamey, leathery, peppery fruit on the nose. Black pepper, black olive, and lush black fruit fill the palate. Smooth silk feel, round tannins, and long finish. Excellent.  (I really liked!)

2009 Foxen Syrah Dry Farmed Tinaquaic, Santa Maria Valley

Tasted at Foxen tasting room. I lost track of my notes for this one, but you have to know it was a big gnarly savory monster- totally awesome. (I loved!)

Link to the photos-

Day 5- Sonoma County- Calluna Vineyards + Four More Stops

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 wineteeth

The 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