Dry creek vineyard winery

• March 2010

  Dashe Cellars - Mastering Old Vine Zinfandel Producing great Riesling and Late Harvest Zin I was fortunate to share a meal with Mike Dashe -- and several of his wines -- some seven or so years ago. A mutual friend arranged the little soiree here in New York... Read more Dashe Cellars - Mastering Old Vine Zinfandel Producing great Riesling and Late Harvest Zin I was fortunate to share a meal with Mike Dashe -- and several of his wines -- some seven or so years ago. A mutual friend arranged the little soiree here in New York City and introduced me to these lovely wines that highlight the luscious fruit of old vine Zinfandel, but manage to avoid the worst excesses that usually accompany the breed: excessive alcohol, over-ripe pruny flavors, and flabbiness.   The fact that these wines show such poise and definition should come as no surprise; Mike learned a thing or two during his stint at Ridge Vineyards, as assistant winemaker to Paul Draper, no less. The wines Mike produces today share much with the famed Ridge Zins. They may no longer be called Zinfandel, but Geyserville and Lytton Springs will always be Zins to me. What to expect: Zinfandel Zinfandel is considered America's own great, indigenous grape, even though its origins lay on the Adriatic coast. Planted throughout California and the Pacific Northwest, Zinfandel is at its best in warm regions with cooler temperatures during harvest. The wines can range from off-dry Rosés (White Zinfandel) and light, bistro-styled wines to big, rich powerful wines - even luscious wines for dessert bottlings. The flavors range from plummy to raspberry, although deep blackberry fruit and brambly spice tones are most common. Explore Zinfandel The Dashe style, while echoing that of Ridge, shows an obvious evolution. Gone is the American oak, replaced by a judicious use of French oak. The wines generally show a bit more restraint than the best of the Ridge wines, yielding more focus and elegance in the mouth. That elegance and restraint might just be the influence of Mike’s wife, Anne, a trained oenologist with a background that includes time spent at both St. Emilion’s Chateaux la Dominique as well as Chappellet and Seavey in the Napa Valley. The couple founded Dashe Cellars in 1996 with a shared vision: To craft elegant, layered wines from great vineyards using time-honored techniques. To this day Mike and Anne continue to produce their wines using indigenous yeasts, little or no fining or filtering, and the attention to detail only a small-scaled winery can achieve. The wines move from strength to strength with each passing year, and while Dashe remains under the radar, they deserve all the attention they get. These are wines, the Zins in particular, that preserve a part of California’s vinous heritage. Zinfandel is undergoing a renaissance of sorts. While it lacks the glamour and cachet of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, and thus the prices those wines realize, it is truly California’s own. Yes, it may be Primitivo -- but Primitivo does not taste like classic California Zinfandel.  Zinfandel is a treasure that has been perverted over the years. First by White Zinfandel -- and I thank God for White Zinfandel, which saved countless acres of old vines -- and then by a style of winemaking that forced everything out of each grape, even some things we didn’t really want or need. The Dashe style is one that finds the happy medium that allows for wines to be super expressive and eminently drinkable at the same time. It’s no surprise that I like the wines, what may be surprising is how damn good their dry Riesling is! You have to love these wines; I mean, who else has a monkey riding a whale on their labels? And since we are talking about the unusual here, I urge you all to try and find a bottle of the Dashe L’enfant Terrible Zinfandel. This cult wine, and it really is about as culty as they come, is Zinfandel as a French or Italian farmer might make it, bright fruits over earthy tones with no discernable oak influence. In 2008, production was way down due to rain during flowering, adding to the culty nature of this wine since it’s now almost impossible to find; if you track a bottle down, you must try it. If you can’t, keep on the watch for the release of the 2009. L’enfant Terrible is a uniquely wonderful wine, and one that will help solidify Dashe’s reputation as a great American winery. 2008 Dashe Dry Riesling McFadden Farms, Potter valley 13.8% This has some immediate and penetrating aromatics. It smells a bit leesy at first, then it offers up intense yellow apple, peach, floral, and sharp, granitic mineral tones with a hint of salt and a tiny hint of garlic chive.  On entry this is fun and rich, profoundly so considering it's completely dry. The fruit is cut by mineral tones; a touch more acidity would not be a bad thing. It’s full of apple, and subtle unripe pineapple flavors that yield to more minerality and soft dried mango and earthy notes on the long finish with just a whisper of icy mint on the finale. A really lovely effort that combines a rich mouthfeel with attractive minerality. This would work very well with oily white fish like swordfish or mackerel.  92pts   2006 Dashe Zinfandel Louvau Vineyard Old Vines Dry Creek Valley 14.6% This has a bit of fuminess to it at first and needs time to gain some focus, but it reveals dark chocolate-streaked, pepper-laced dark berry fruit touched with sapwood and smoky, loamy earth.  It’s surprisingly light on the palate with more than a bit of tannin to lose, but features wonderfully refreshing and pure, slightly spicy, briary black raspberry fruit that offers up hints of orange oil and baking spice on the backend. The finish allows the tannins to creep back up, giving this excellent follow-through with the toasty vanilla of the oak being covered with cool, wild red berry fruit until the spicy finale.  Give this two years to let the tannins soften and drink it over the next five or so, or else grill up some beef and enjoy this for all it offers today. 92pts   2007 Dashe Zinfandel Florence Vineyard Dry Creek Valley 14.8% This has a very fine nose, real brambly blackberry and black cherry fruit with a touch of plum and licorice, a bit meaty with a nice savory hoisin note tightly wound up in the fruit.  This is a big wine on entry with lots of glycerin and richness but almost immediately it gains snap and focus. The tannins here are abundant but quite fine, and the acidity is floating just under the fruit. The flavors are dark and just a bit dusky with plum, caramel, earth, licorice, and a hint of mint all in balance on the mid-palate. The backend offers nice lift to the fruit, which floats off on the long finish. This is spicy on the backend but surprisingly lightweight with black fruit notes and a licorice, leathery savory tone on the finale.  A bit of a tight showing but this promises to flesh out and soften a bit with time in the bottle, remaining elegant but gaining breadth in the mouth. I can see this working well with pork in chipotle sauce. 90pts   2008 Dashe Late Harvest Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 14.9% This has a huge nose with top notes of violets over deep black plum, slight prune, and spicy hints of chocolate and vanilla with a core of savory elements that recall herbal, dried black olives.  Lightly sweet on entry this has plenty of acidity to keep the wine lively and lovely ripe tannins that help break up the sweetness. It’s a light, fresh style of dessert wine with a balance akin to fresh fruit making it easy to drink. It’s a bit simpler on the palate than on the nose, but is full of briary, tobacco-edged plummy and dried berry fruit that yields to a lightly sweet finish balanced by drying tannins. 91pts Two Brilliant Examples from Dashe Cellars 2008 Dashe Dry Riesling McFadden Farms Priced from $20.35 On entry this is fun and rich, profoundly so considering this is completely dry. A really lovely effort that combines a rich mouthfeel with attractive minerality and flavors of intense yellow apples and peaches. This would work very well with oily white fish like swordfish or mackerel. 2006 Dashe Zinfandel Louvau Vineyard Old Vines Priced from $32.00 This is surprisingly light on the palate with more than a bit of tannin to lose, but wonderfully refreshing and pure, with slightly spicy, briary black raspberry fruit. Give this two years to let the tannins soften and drink it over the next five or so, or else grill up some beef and enjoy this for all it offers today.    (hide)

  From the article Dashe Cellars

  
  
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  January 2010

  David Coffaro Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 2004

  Snoothrank:

  (Review of Dec. 2006.) I'm ashamed to say this is the first bottle I've tried of David Coffaro Zinfandel. It is outstanding, reminding me of some of the best Ridge Lytton Springs Zins from the past - but at a cost at least $10 lower than those wines. Classic briary, fruit-laden... Read more(Review of Dec. 2006.) I'm ashamed to say this is the first bottle I've tried of David Coffaro Zinfandel. It is outstanding, reminding me of some of the best Ridge Lytton Springs Zins from the past - but at a cost at least $10 lower than those wines. Classic briary, fruit-laden Zinfandel nose, tremendous richess and balance in the flavors. Mouth-coating layers of deep plum and spicy berry fruit. Altogether excellent wine! I look forward to trying some more of this winery's production.    (hide)

  Wine review by WineborkDotCom

  
  
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  January 2010

  David Coffaro Petite Sirah Dry Creek Valley 2007

  Snoothrank:

  Lots of Dry Creek earthiness in this muscular but surprisingly approachable Petite Sirah. Nose displays deep black fruits, especially black raspberry, along with chocolate, vanilla, and baking pie crust. In the mouth the earthiness is really at the fore, with subdued... Read moreLots of Dry Creek earthiness in this muscular but surprisingly approachable Petite Sirah. Nose displays deep black fruits, especially black raspberry, along with chocolate, vanilla, and baking pie crust. In the mouth the earthiness is really at the fore, with subdued blackberry/raspberry fruit and bittersweet chocolate notes. Still a bit tough-textured in the mouth and finish, but nothing like what some young throat-ripping California Petite Sirahs can be at a young age. Good wine, though not nearly as pleasant and charming at this stage as the delicious '07 Coffaro Zinfandel. Retail price estimated - this wine was purchased for about $15 in futures, for which David Coffaro has an admirably well-priced policy.    (hide)

  Wine review by WineborkDotCom

  
  

• January 2010

  Top Picks from 2009 Now that a new year is upon us, it’s time to reflect a bit on the wines tasted, and enjoyed, throughout 2009. Everyone publishes their list of top wines, heck just last Friday we published a couple of lists, but about what interested you,... Read more Top Picks from 2009 Now that a new year is upon us, it’s time to reflect a bit on the wines tasted, and enjoyed, throughout 2009. Everyone publishes their list of top wines, heck just last Friday we published a couple of lists, but about what interested you, the Snooth user. Today I want to take a look back at what interested me. I’ve put together some lists, grouped by grape variety, of wines that were not only great, but that are also available on your retailer’s shelves. These are the wines I want to buy again, or that get filed in the deepest recesses of my brain to be referenced when I’m faced with a particularly puzzling restaurant wine list. I’m not saying these are anything but some of my favorites. I think it’s a pretty good list, full of some surprising selections in many cases, but always open to discussion. Not with me, I chose them after all! So without further ado my many Wines of the Year, in no particular order. One of the Year's Best Buys This will not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. I am a certifiable Nebbiolo freak. I love the grape and the wines, but the prices have gotten a bit out of hand lately. I always suggest that people turn to the best Nebbiolo d'Alba for the greatest values, but when a meticulous, artisanal producer starts offering Barolo from the village of Serralunga at a rock bottom price, well lets just say it's a great way to get my attention, and my wallet open. 2004 Guido Porro Barolo Vigna Santa Caterina Priced from $31.99 This was wonderfully fresh on the nose with heather floral tones and whisps of wild strawberry emerging with some air yet with time the floral elements took control of the aromatics and added a base of cigarette smoke, oily coffee beans and spearmint that was compelling... See page 2 for all of my favorite Nebbiolo wines Pinot Noir Tops My List In trimming each of my lists to fit this email the one I had the greatest difficulty with was the Pinot Noir list. There is simply a ton of great Pinot coming from around the world. I think my favorite Pinot of the year has to be the utterly surprising 2007 Johan Estate from Oregon. Sadly it seems that this particular wine is now sold out, so I did not include it on my list. If you happen to find a bottle, grab it! It's a real treat! 2008 Felton Road Central Otago Pinot Noir Priced from $32.99 Lightly smoky and earthy on the nose with watermelon and spicy cherry fruit that has a light candied cranberry tone. Fairly lightly bodied though juicy and transparent in the mouth with spicy mineral tones giving the wine an almost salty tinge that adds to the subtle... See page 3 for my favorite Pinots Cabernet Sauvignon Rounds out the Top Three Cabernet Sauvignon is still king of the red wine world. So many of the wines really are great, but the prices of the best, from California to Bordeaux, have become difficult to deal with. One great find this year that did not make my list is the 2005 Sausal Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. If I could have found it at retail it would have gotten top billing, a truly delicious California Cabernet that recalls the great wines of the past, at a very affordable price. Until it shows up on the retail shelves I guess we'll have to make due. 2006 Trinitas Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon Priced from $38.59 Intense yet fine with plenty of oak but strong black currant, tomato leaf , licorice, vanilla and mint tones. Lovely mouthfeel, rigid with a touch of woody sweetness and wonderfully pure fruit. The tannins are modest and a touch stiff but in proportion and well balanced... See page 4 for all of my favorite Cabernet based wines My Top wines of the Year Nebbiolo - Page 2 Pinot Noir - Page 3 Cabernet- Page 4 Zinfandel - Page 5 Sangiovese - Page 6 Syrah and Rhone Blends - Page 7 White Wines - Page 8 The Best of the Rest - Page 9 [PAGEBREAK] Guido Porro Barolo "Vigna Santa Caterina" 2004 This was wonderfully fresh on the nose with heather floral tones and whisps of wild strawberry emerging with some air yet with time the floral elements took control of the aromatics and added a base of cigarette smoke, oily coffee beans and spearmint that was compelling. Polished and broad in the mouth with wonderfully fresh strawberry fruit and elegant notes of anise and herbs, this remains lithe and refreshing in the mouth. Air adds to the power here, introducing a touch of pruniness and the fruit turns darker but retains a seamlessness and purity that is very attractive. A wonderful bottle of Barolo 93pts. Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano 2004 This offers astounding purity on the nose with a high toned appeal that melds jammy wild blackberry fruit with spicy soil tones and a touch of sweet wood. Structured and tough in the mouth with a seamless feel though packed with tannins. The tannins are so ripe and the wine so full of fruit that this is rich and flannelly in the mouth before the wine begins to close in the glass. Fine balance and deep balsamic tones accentuate the fruit and leads to a long, savory sweet finish. 96pts Oddero Barolo Bussia Soprano Vigna Mondoca 2004 The smoky nose opens slowly revealing a bit of Ivy, some gravel dust, fresh green herbs then darker notes of old wood, dried flowers and subtle dried fruit tones. 3+ Round with a big, powerful entry very ripe tannins and excellent supporting acidity 3 Great intensity of flavor in the mouth weight any excess weight, melon rind and spicy almost gooseberry fruits that develops a more red fruited aspect with time yet retains the spicy, almost exotic edge 3 Very focused finish with great intensity of mineral tones and huge reserves of fruit on the long, lingering finale-3. 95pts Burlotto Barolo Cannubi 2004 100% Lampia clone from vines averaging 20 years old. 15 days maceration in tini, temperature controlled if needed, Aged 10 months in small, 3-5 HL, French oak barrels where Malolactic fermentation takes place. Aged an additional 20 months in botte. Slightly liquory fruit at first with a touch of fresh sawdust on the nose then turning very sweetly fruited and expressive with handfuls of freshly picked aromatic herbs, sandy soil tones, bright spicy red fruits, ever so jammy currants, sharp notes of dry, white soil, beautifully perfumed. A powerful yet elegant expression in the mouth with great structural balance that support a rich core of red fruits with a subtle medicinal edge. Very aromatic in the mouth with almost spearminty sweet herbs, dark spice notes and an edge of fennel. This offers up an impressive core of sweet-tart wild cherry fruit that shines brightly on the finish accentuated by subtle fennel seed and bitter cherry pit tones. Classic Barolo in need of 5-7 years in the cellar 93pts. Castello di Neive Barbaresco Santo Stefano 2004 Smoky on the nose with a deep earthen spice and limestone notes. The fruit is still tight on the nose but in the mouth this unfurls seamlessly with fine elegance and low key fruit that is tight and unyielding but builds on the backend with a wonderfully richly fruited finish. thus deserves a few more years in bottle or several hours in a decanter but is super stuff! 92pts [PAGEBREAK]Pinot Noir Johan Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate 2007 At first the nose seems dominate by oak influence with vanilla and spice tones but with time the earthy fruit begins to rise from the glass. Earthy and stemmy with lots of cola and root beer, this lacks some focus. Very fresh feeling with a natural quality to the fruit supported by big structural elements, the palate impression of this wine is certainly different than what the nose promises. Wild berry tones on the palate are a touch gamy and sauvage with earth and spices tones playing supporting roles. This pushes through with a bright and assertively refreshing finish. Give it another year though it’s excellent today. 90pt Felton Road Pinot Noir Central Otago 2008 Lightly smoky and earthy on the nose with watermelon and spicy cherry fruit that has a light candied cranberry tone. Fairly lightly bodied though juicy and transparent in the mouth with spicy mineral tones giving the wine an almost salty tinge that adds to the subtle stemmy and floral complexity of the wine. 92pts Domaine des Lambrays Morey St. Denis 2005 Very floral and sweet on the nose with cherry, mint and a light medicinal character that continues to gain sweetness in the glass and has great complexity revealing deep soil spice tones and a lovely violet pastille top note. In the mouth this is soft and rich and packed with sweet fruit that has a melony freshness to it. Deep, dark mineral tone weave through the fruit and offer compelling length on the finish. Very fine and drinking well though this has the potential to move up a notch with half a decades cellaring 94pts. Holdredge Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2007 Sweet and a touch overtly woody at first with a bit of Grenache like garrigue, dirt, red flowers, a touch of toast and hot iron over a reticent core of very fresh cherry. With air really gains Pinot typicity with a dusty minerality and subtle redwood and sappy accents to the red fruit. Soft and almost viscous tasting, but feeling fine and elegant, though the wine does seem to ooze across the palate a bit. Very fine tannin and a fair bit of them. Very autumnal top notes, dried herbs, leaves, tea, touch of caramel apple, dark spicy black cherry with a touch of ludens cough drop to it. Good transparency with real lush ripeness to the flavors. Turns sappy and twiggy on the finish, which has an assertive mineral cut. Very perfumed on the very long finish but without a lot of intensity. Classic Pinot. 93pts Domaine des Lambrays Morey St. Denis 2005 Very floral and sweet on the nose with cherry, mint and a light medicinal character that continues to gain sweetness in the glass and has great complexity revealing deep soil spice tones and a lovely violet pastille top note. In the mouth this is soft and rich and packed with sweet fruit that has a melony freshness to it. Deep, dark mineral tone weave through the fruit and offer compelling length on the finish. Very fine and drinking well though this has the potential to move up a notch with half a decades cellaring 94pts. Antica Terra Pinot Noir Oregon 2006 Awesome aromatics with a beefy, black pepper tinged core that is accented by slight cola notes and lovely sweet/savory Burgundian fruit. On entry this seems a bit muddled with it's earthy presentation but quickly sorts itself out as the mid-palate brings together that earthiness with a bit of roast meat juiciness allowing the wild blackberry fruit to pop in all it's organic, herbal tinged glory. Finishes with good length and deep, dark fruit tones set off by a pumpkin pie spice note. Unusual and delicious. 93pts Melville Estate Pinot Noir 2008 Fantastic on the nose with animal fur, spicy, green herbs and stems, and incredible lift and height. This is a particular expression of Pinot that certain has its followers and dramatic appeal. There’s plenty of fruit lurking under the engagingly high-toned aromatics in the black raspberry and slightly boysenberry toned register. This is smooth and rich with rich strawberry and raspberry toned fruit that has a dusting of cocoa with a real deep core of wonderfully ripe fruit that has a lively, vegetal, rhubarb edge to it. . The finish is still a bit rough with tannin and acid poking out but the fruit is pure, fresh and nicely complex. 93pts Foley Estates Vineyard and Winery Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa 2007 Very floral at first with a light, whispery character that gains a soft, lightly vanilla and tamarind-scented edge to the soft strawberry fruit. There are backing notes of mocha, oaken spice that gain intensity but don’t cover the fruit. Silken on the palate with stealthy tannins and wonderfully supportive acids that keep the slight herb and cocoa toned cherry and strawberry fruit fresh and lively across the palate. Really very fruity on the backend yet with a refreshing slight green edge that yields to some more oak spice and some obvious, yet integrated wood tannins. This should benefit from another year or two in bottle but is already delicious and very well balanced with impressive length to the finish. 92pts [PAGEBREAK]Cabernet Sauvignon Based Wines Sausal Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 A wonderfully fruit driven nose with deep, smoky, dried chili notes, leafy ripe black currant fruit, hints of black olive, leather, dill, and crushed flowers and just the faintest traces of oaken spice. A bit light on the palate with fresh red fruits topped with green herbs and sweet bell pepper tones. This lacks some of the complexity found on the nose but offers up a refreshingly pure mouthful of slightly minty, slightly herbaceous, coffee tinged, unabashedly Cabernet fruit and finishes with the fuzzy mouthgrab of fruit tannin. 91pts Trinitas Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Intense yet fine with plenty of oak but strong black currant, tomato leaf , licorice, vanilla and mint tones. Lovely mouthfeel, rigid with a touch of woody sweetness and wonderfully pure fruit. The tannins are modest and a touch stiff but in proportion and well balanced allowing the pure fruit tones to take center stage. This is not a powerhouse but a well balanced, well focused bottle of cab that recalls some of the classic wines of the 80’s and shows very little sign of the formidable 14.9% alcohol. 93pts. Château Cos-d'Estournel St.-Estèphe 2001 A bit of woody sweetness greets the nose with woodspice notes well integrated into the core of fresh black currants, dried chilies, and a hint of crushed flowers. The aromas here are amazingly well defined. Explosive freshness greets the palate with those silky tannins giving this good breadth but the height in the mouth is profound. It still has a hint of buttered herbs but the core of bitter cherry and black currant fruit powers thought e mid-palate leaving the backend saturated in slightly minty crème de cassis tones with hints of juniper and spice on the long finish. The integration here already is quite remarkable and the tension the wine retains is profound. A great bottle of Bordeaux in the making. 96pts Malk Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2006 Black olive, black currant, intensely aromatic, milk chocolate, roast beef, lots of paprika and coriander spices. Like velvet on entry, good acidy very well concealed tannins, tons of plush, vanilla and cinnamon scented fruit. This is super refined, very fresh and a fruit bomb without the fat and weight of most fruit bombs. This is very easy to drink with a broadly appealing style and a structure that is soft enough to allow this to be enjoyed on it’s own but substantial enough to benefit from food. Really nice length on the fruity, spicy finish. 94pts Monsanto Nemo Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new barrique Adult candy, that’s what this smells like. It’s got a nice hint of underbrush followed by ripe black currant fruits edged in pencil lead and herbs in a cool, precise register. On the palate this is rich but not unctuous with a seamless fell that carries the dense fruit effortlessly across the palate. The ripe fruit tones are framed with slightly spicy notes of cinnamon and cigar box on the back end. This has exceptional balance, nothing sticks out, there is no excess fat or weight and no sign of the heat of the vintage. It’s still youthful so there is a touch of tannin to resolve and the finish ends with a bit more oak spice than I would like but that should all work itself out in after a year or three in the cellar. While I am not usually a fan of Tuscan Cabernet this ranks among the best of its type. 94pts Boyd Cantenac 2005 This is just classic Bordeaux. Big and deep on the nose with classic cassis, deep earthy tones and well integrated spice tones from the wood ageing all in harmony. In the mouth there are tons of fuzzy fruit tannins and good acidity supporting a mass of plush ripe fruit. This may lack a touch of Margaux typicity, though that may come with time, but the cassis and wild black raspberry fruit is complemented by lovely notes of earth and mineral with an animale note on the back end that keeps this just a touch sauvage. A bit of refreshing acidity pokes out on the finish which is long and very pure with a touch of wood spice return on the finale. Compelling bordeaux and at great value in this vintage. Bordeaux as it used to be! This should live a long and storied life. 2013-2030 95pts [PAGEBREAK]Zinfandel Ravenswood Old Hill Zinfandel 2004 Lovely on the nose with it's array of earthy tones and purple berry fruits. Classic Old Hill in a great vintage. This has all the depth of fruit one could ask for. It's got superb, abundant yet ripe, sweet tannins backing everything up. Just about as good as Zinfandel gets. The depth here is married to phenomenal freshness and focus. 95pts Howell Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Beatty Ranch 2005 Intensely dark fruited aromatics greet the nose with a very powerful backdrop of earth, mineral, brambly, and oak tones. Really evolves in the glass revealing notes of dried herb, dried flowers and rocky, shale notes to the pomegranate and grenadine fruit. Shows surprising restraint in the mouth with excellent focus and precision. The acid is bright and the tannins are fine-grained allowing the deep core of dark yet fresh plummy fruit to come to the fore. There is a lurking touch of peach nectar and vanilla but the fruit is accented by expressive spice and soil tones. A well behaved monster of a Zin with the structure and balance to reward cellaring Finishes with good length if a touch clumsy due to the youthful tannins. A bit of buttery wood lingers on the finale. 92pts Neyers Zinfandel High Valley Vineyards 2006 Fine fruit here with plum tones wrapping up some vanillin and fine French oak, smell expensive and refined. There are nice notes of fudgy chocolate and deep, dark blue and black fruits on the nose with a bit of earth, spice and pencil shavings on the edges. Wow this enters with admirable precision for such a big wine. Very well put together and layered with a cool, composed personality and seductive feel. Nice small, tight berry fruit with notes of spice, and herb breaking up the matteness and a touch of caramelly wood spice but there’s plenty of fruit to stand up to it. This is deep and precise with a sophisticated feel. Claret style Zin at it’s finest. Really nice finish is sneaky with subtle, almost grapy fruit and lovely integration. 93pts Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyards Reserve Century Vines Zinfandel 2005 Very earthy on the nose with great briar tones, woodsy and even a touch feral with a whiff of mushroom adding complexity to the melon rind and pomegranate fruits. There is a lovely campfire note complete with toasted marshmallow. This is so rich in the mouth yet retains elegance due to the fine acidity and superb, ripe and polished tannins. This has the subtle power of old vines and while the red cherry fruit with it’s hint of watermelon may not have the spice or power of many other Zins the depth and jewel-like quality to the fruit is absolutely compelling. The finish offers up a bit spicier and allows the density of the tannins to build but this is just a fabulous bottle of Zinfandel. 94pts Carol Shelton Zinfandel Rocky Reserve Rockpile Vineyard 2005 Big and fruit bomb nose with intense orange peel and stewy raspberry fruit that is quite complex with tones of vanilla and game accenting the fruit. Gains in the glass adding toasted hazelnut, bitter cocoa and earth, clove tinged baked plum fruits. Surprisingly lean on entry with an intense attack of very spicy fruits and fine herbal top notes. The mid-palate reveals a core of sweet, earthy fruit rich with strawberry and raspberry tones. In a lighter style with lots of polished tannins and while it is a bit lean it really speaks with excellent soil tones. Lacks the chewy weight of many Zins but makes up for it with a fine, elegant feel and remarkably transparent red fruits. 94pts [PAGEBREAK]Sangiovese Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo 2007 Reticent on the nose but obviously deep and layered with slow to emerge jammy, spicy fruit with a nuance of oaky cocoa and a touch of a tarry, very extracted tone. In the mouth this is rich and powerful with ripe, precise fruit that shows fine balance and good mineral cut. With air this gains a lovely black cherry tone with some youthfully chalky tannins that don’t detract from the wine and add length to the finish. 92pts Querciabella Chianti Classico DOCG 2006 This has a textbook nose of cherry, mineral, moss, tobacco and leather with woodsy undertones. On the palate this is elegant and silky with rich raspberry fruit touched with subtle hints of earth and herbs. The fruit has a nice crystallized edge to it and wonderful purity and cut finishing with a hint of mint. 92pts Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2006 90% Sangiovese/ 10% Canaiolo and Colorino Aged in Barrique, 25% of which were new. This is intensely aromatic with a strong rosemary/balsamic note that adds a lovely counterpoint to the red currant and candied red raspberry fruit tones. There are top notes of violet pastille and a whisper of vanilla adding gentle edges to the fruit. On the palate this has the classic rush of Sangiovese acids followed by juicy, wild strawberry fruit flecked with earth, herbs and mineral tones. There’s a slight roast meat savoriness to the mid-palate, with finely textured tannins adding some nice weight to the slightly under-ripe strawberry tones of the back end. This gains a little creaminess on the finish but end with a nice snap. 92pts Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards Alto Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Sangiovese 2005 This has a great raw character, it’s a bit too woody but the light sour cherry,spice, herb and fruit notes are both intense and distinctive. There is a stoniness that is mouth watering and lovely notes of mushroom and watermelon accents the fruit. Lean on entry with great acidity and a nice mineral cut to the cherry pie filling fruit. Impressive length and surprisingly complex with herb and spice notes, Perhaps a touch rustic though the good acids and tannins are well balanced, excellent austerity with a zest cherry finish. This has real Sangiovese character though many might want more body and a bit less herbal character. 91pts Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2006 The nose here is a bit on the subtle side with a slightly medicinal edge to the candied blackberry fruit with hints of burnt beef fat. On the palate this offers up crisp tannins in a light, bright, energetic feeling medium bodied wine that is very precisely balanced. The fruit is wonderfully fresh with a wild berry edge that tightens up admirably on the finish yet remains elegant and unforced. It’s light on its feet and holds it’s 14% alcohol effortlessly. Lovely wine. 92pts [PAGEBREAK]Syrah and Rhone Blends Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage 2006 Very fine on the nose with superb purity to the syrah fruit with blackberry, floral/herbal nuance, granitic minerality and a touch of wood. Very well balanced in the mouth with bright red fruits given good thrust by the bright, juicy acids, finishes a bit short and tight at this point with lovely cranberry fruit in a lean, sinewy package. There is good stuffing here but it is tightly wound. 92pts Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2005 As usual Coudoulet punches well above it's price class! This is so well framed with the assertive structure of 2005 wrapped in a deep flannelly blanket of spicy plum fruits. There are nice mineral, floral and earthen notes here but this is really about wonderfully pure, deep fruit. I love Coudoulet with some age on, I just, regrettably, finished my stash of 1998s which were absolutely singing. In a world where $50 Cheateauneuf have become the norm this remain a serious bargain. 91pts Qupé Syrah "Bien Nacido" 2006 A distinctively styled Syrah with plenty of peppery notes on the nose as well as hints of grilled meats and crushed autumnal flowers. In the mouth there is a lovely snap to the youthful texture and real depth here. The flavors range from slightly stringent red apple skins to juicier wild red berries but remain rather elegant and particularly fresh with a lovely finish of middle eastern spices and sapwood. This will benefit from several years in the cellar. 93pts Ojai Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard 2005 funky sweaty leather, intense, earthy, savory escargot, some raw coconutty wood here, boysenberry juice, lots of forest floor. Great complexity with only a subtle fruitiness. Very finely focused in the mouth with lots of soft tannins and finely integrated acids supporting soft, almost grapy, slightly peppery black raspberry fruit. This is rather agile on the palate for such a big wine. This has a slightly raw feel to it and will definitely benefit from another 2-4 years in the bottle. There’s a very attractive herbal note on the back end that contrasts nicely against fruit and the finish is a mélange of apple, pomegranate and boysenberry fruits that are fresh, pure and long with a hint of that sweet/sour jolly ranch character. 93pts Capel Vale Shiraz Regional South West Australia Margaret River 2005 A wonderfully intriguing nose sets this apart from many Shiraz. There's the typical notes of fruit and spice but underlying it all is a taut floral note and the whole thing is just so well focused and balanced that I keep coming back for another sniff. That focus translates wonderfully to the palate where this achieve a wonderful sense of harmony among the components and lets the very clear blackberry and boysenberry fruit really take center stage. This is just lovely, balanced and with the subtle evolving complexity of a great wine. 94pts [PAGEBREAK]White Wines Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2008 What a lovely nose, packed with fresh pineapple, passion fruit and lime tones that are backed with hints of cactus and a whisper of vanilla. There are even emergent notes of red raspberries playing in the mix. Great focus right up front with a rich but linear style that plays off the excellent balance in the mouth. There’s a touch of fresh almond nuttiness right up front then rich flavors of Asian pear, minerals, and apricot croissant that end with a zesty and yet ever so creamy finish. This would be an excellent wine with a holiday roast Turkey but should work exceptionally well with a broad range of foods. 94pts Belle Pente Pinot Gris Reserve 2006 A wild nose, gorgeous slightly honied fruit nose, yes its hot but so rich with great wax, incense, dried orchard fruits pressed flower and forest floor tones, noticeably sweet with plenty of acid to balance it, deep dried pear and spiced peach tones with honied pineapple nuances on the quite thick and powerful but still elegant, mid-plate with deep honey notes on the backend that dips a bit on the finish but has a nice balsamic toned dried apricot finale. Big rich sweet and delicious, bring on the foie! 94pts Kick On Riesling 2007 At first a reticent nose, what is here is lightly honeyed, with nice pressed floral tones, very elegant and very retrained, there is some real salty minerality that grows on the nose with emerging notes of petrol, quince paste, dusty stones and a hint of vitamin. Very fine entry, big acids but fairly well integrated, nice finesse in the mouth with some rather subtle but intense mandarin orange, almost quince, mineral and a huge almost salty mineral finish, then some peach pit and lime pith note, absolutely lovely stuff. I wine I want to drink more of. 92pts Coenobium "Rusticum" 2007 Very big VA right off the bat tbut that is followed by herbs, chalk, leather, roasted chestnut, salty prosciutto tones all over a lovely balsamic base. Bright and crisp in the mouth with nice sprightly tannins up front that are quickly subsumed by the candied, burnt orange rind fruit and biting mineral tones that linger on the exceptionally long finish. Great balance and finesse here with everything in place. 94pts Von Hövel Oberemmeler Hütte Riesling Kabinett 2007 Sharp and dusty on the nose this offers up a balanced array of crisp orchard fruits with notes of apple and unripe peach above the base of dusty earth. Sweet and broad on the attack before the lemon and green apple tones burst through in a bolt of crisp, lean freshness. The finish here is focused and very acid driven giving the impression of a zesty, racy wine but one that is brilliant! Offers lovely Kabinettiness! Drink 2009-2016 92pts Stuhlmuller Vineyards Alexander Valley Estate Chardonnay 2007 A lovely nose with nuanced honey, toasted wood, nutmeat, yellow flowers and dusty earth tone. In the mouth the texture is just fantastic, bright and balanced with intense yet tense and focused mandarin orange, apricot and fig notes that are framed with just a hint of almond and measured oak notes. The finish is fruity, clean and crisp with refreshing acids and a delicacy to the flavors that makes this a winner for geek and novice alike. 93pts [PAGEBREAK]The Best of the Rest Moric Neckenmarkter Blaufrankisch 2006 Boy was this beautiful! I loved everything about this wine. Burgundy in Austria! The nose smells like a farmer's hands with a touch of wet earth, a hint of nutty pipe tobacco and rushed black fruits with just an edge of sappy bark. In the mouth this is pure, elegant and refined with a wonderfully fresh fruited, grape/black cherry. black currant fruit is presented in a crisp, tense, perfectly balanced package. Killer wine 93pts Bodegas Miguel Merino Rioja Reserva 2000 Full and deep on the nose with roast peach, wood spice, leather, game, white truffle and white chocolate tones then with air this gains notes of saw dust, old books, cocoa powder, sweet red licorice, cherry pie, vanilla, beefy, lovely complex and balanced nose. The entry is rich and soft with bright acid driven fruit flavors, layered and juicy with a balsamic edge and dried bark, tea and rosehip notes to the bright cranberry/cherry fruit. Classic interplay of red fruit and vanilla in the mouth, lovely mid weight wine with a really elegant feel and a haunting sweetness to the fruit, finishes with sour cherry, vanilla and café-au-lait tones in balance and with good, bright length. A wonderful wine that is drinking perfectly today. 92pts Duckhorn Merlot Napa Valley 2006 Black cherry, vanilla, tobacco leaf, herbs, earth, and a touch of French oak are all nicely balanced. This is seamless on entry with excellent purity of black cherry fruit. The acidity creeps up on you a little but the fruit is very precise and fresh with lovely suggestions of herb and tomato with fine shadings of cigarbox and cedar. This is refined and elegant with excellent length in a surprisingly fresh and juicy style that really highlights the red fruits. 93pts Mettler Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2005 Deep nose has nice notes of crushed currants, spice, tree bark, red currants, earth, clay, and subtle medicinal/menthol tones with a hint of curing tobacco. Big and bright in the mouth with the depth and richness that PS can deliver yet very little fat or flash. This is deep and plush with muscular fruit and ripe tannins. There’s a floral almost rose like note in the mouth with lots of earthy spice framing the black currant and mulberry fruit. Really well balanced particularly since the simplicity and rusticity of PS has not been entirely finessed away. Lovely freshness with a nice licorice/menthol medicinal tone and plenty of milk chocolate notes on the moderately long finish. Embryonic but super stuff even now. 94pts Wine of the night! Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Cascina Francia 2006 An immediate, intense nose of deep, dark fruit with a muscular disposition that reveals green floral, balsam and spice notes above the coiled fruit. Big and dense in the mouth this will need a bit of time to show well though it is layered and long with exceptional intensity and great acidity that is couched in the chewy fruit. This has the feel of very ripe, perfectly ripe fruit. 2011-2018 92pts These three wines just offer a glimpse of what I've included in the complete article. So follow this link to read all about my favorite wines of 2009. From Pinot to Cabernet, Blaufrankisch to "Orange Wine", there's something for everyone in my top 40!    (hide)

  From the article GDP Wines of the Year 2009

  
  
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  November 2009

  Pezzi King Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Maple Vineyard 1999

  Snoothrank:

  No written review

  Wine review by irish623

  
  
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  November 2009

  David Coffaro Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley 2007

  Snoothrank:

  The label (Dry Creek Zin, 15.6% alcohol) and young age suggest a bruiser. But what's in the bottle is a silky-smooth, rich, delicious red without any harshness, tough tannin, or heat. The dark cherry, plum, and spicy berry fruit courses across the palate, while the texture is almost... Read moreThe label (Dry Creek Zin, 15.6% alcohol) and young age suggest a bruiser. But what's in the bottle is a silky-smooth, rich, delicious red without any harshness, tough tannin, or heat. The dark cherry, plum, and spicy berry fruit courses across the palate, while the texture is almost Pinot Noir-like in its elegance and velvety feel. In this sense it reminds me of some of the better Edmeades Zins from Mendocino (the ones that don't erode your epithelial tissue). This wine was purchased for under $20 as part of the excellent Coffaro futures program, and it was a steal at that price. Drinking beautifully in its infancy. Retail price estimated.    (hide)

  Wine review by WineborkDotCom

  
  

• October 2009

  We live in a world where strong adjectives are thrown around loosely both by media types and everyday folks. The trouble with that is it can lessen the impact of those words when they’re used quite seriously and literally. I say this because I had the chance to have lunch with... Read more We live in a world where strong adjectives are thrown around loosely both by media types and everyday folks. The trouble with that is it can lessen the impact of those words when they’re used quite seriously and literally. I say this because I had the chance to have lunch with Joel Peterson recently; for me, as well as many other wine lovers, he’s a legend. As you may know he founded Ravsenswood Winery in Sonoma, and for all intents and purposes he’s the single most influential maker of Zinfandel, not to mention the most prolific.  What’s amazed me over the years is his ability to craft delicious, well made and consistently stylistic wines at a vast array of price points aimed at different audiences. I happily accepted the invite to dine with him and taste some current Ravsenswood releases. I had no idea what we were specifically going to taste and was pleased to learn it was a range of his single vineyard Zinfandels and two of his proprietary blends. More than anything else it’s the single vineyard, designated wines that Joel’s reputation and his winery have been built on. The wines are routinely high scorers and he could have let them speak for themselves if he wanted. But Joel is an engaging and gregarious host and speaker so he regaled us at length about the history of the Ravenswood as well as his family’s personal wine history dating back to his mom’s induction into wine drinking when he was around 4 years old. More than anything though Joel spoke about history and how it tied into many of the parcels of land he has sourced from for many years. One of the vineyards dates back to a civil war era planting and is the oldest planted in the state. In some cases such as with Dickerson he told us about the personal deals that were worked into the earliest versions of the contracts. With Dickerson in addition to the Ravenswood wines he bottled they required him to make some wine for them as well. As Joel told it the wines were identical in every way except name. However they never once got identical scores. The most impressive two things about these wines, particularly the Zinfandels is the duality of how distinct they are from one to the other, coupled with the similarity in winemaking style and intent that ties them together. When it comes to this set of wines I believe Joel’s genius is also two-fold; he picked amazing vineyard sites, forging long term relationships with growers and then he stays out of the way, letting the fruit speak. So when you sip a wine like Ravenswood Big River, one of two that are 100% Zinfandel, you’re getting a pure expression of Alexander Valley Fruit. Similarly the Teldeschi from Dry Creek Valley has the elements one expects from what is the single best region for Zinfandel. Not surprisingly Petite Sirah and Carignane are part of the mix with the Teldeschi which is a classic example of a Zinfandel vineyard planted by Italian immigrants.   30 some odd years into the history of Ravenswood it’s quite impressive to see the zeal and passion that Joel brings to his winemaking. For approximately 3 hours at The Modern in NYC Joel sat with a handful of us and not only gave his thoughts but listened to our questions and ideas. Doing it is one thing, bringing the enthusiasm to it that he does considering the many times he’s done this in the past, is notable to say the least. For a winery and winemaker to be truly great consistency is a key. I find this true in any artistic pursuit. Ravsenswood has that consistency in spades over the long haul. Year after year the vineyard designate wines are well made and have the ability to age. Tastes vary and I have my favorites, but each of the wines we tasted was delicious in its own right. That said I’d imagine every one of them will benefit from several years of additional bottle age. The full flavored yet natural and classic style these wines are made in makes them, without exception food friendly. The folks I dined with ate everything from beef and pork to seafood and vegetable dishes. There are many Zinfandels out there that have a hard time marrying up with food because they’re either too big, too hot or in many cases, both. The Ravsenswood wines are the antithesis of that overblown style. There are in every way proportionate. A veritable sea of wine awaits us all on shelves and in tasting rooms to sample. It’s impossible to try everything hard as one might try. I know for me I sometimes get caught up trying so many new things that I occasionally overlook circling back with a long term and reliable producer. When it comes to Ravenswood, and the wines of Joel Peterson, that would be a huge mistake. If you haven’t had one of his wines in awhile this is a great time to go back. Considering the reputation, they’re quite reasonably priced. If on the other hand you’ve never had one of the vineyard designate Ravenswood wines, you’re in for a real treat. Make a point of reaching for one. You can thank me later. Gabe Sasso Founder of Gabe’s View    (hide)

  From the article Lunch With Ravenswood Founder Joel Peterson

  
  

• September 2009

  A friend and I decided to see wine country while it was just about harvest season, so there'd be grapes on the vines. She had been once before on a planned tour of about four places all in south Sonoma. We opted this time to rent a car and drive ourselves so we could hit the places... Read moreA friend and I decided to see wine country while it was just about harvest season, so there'd be grapes on the vines. She had been once before on a planned tour of about four places all in south Sonoma. We opted this time to rent a car and drive ourselves so we could hit the places we wanted to visit. I learned some valuable things, so if you're planning on going to Napa/Sonoma anytime, this might help. Number one, many of the wineries have tasting rooms you can visit without appointments. Personally, I think setting an appointment for ONLY a tasting is a bit much, but some want to project an air of being a premium, high end winery I suppose. And some of those, fairly enough, include a personal tour or a sit-down tasting, done more personally. So you can pick up maps anywhere that show the ones that welcome tasters openly and which ones you need an appointment for. Tours, you just about always need to set one and we found that many of them do this weeks ahead. We were not that structured, so we didn't plan for tours. We began the first day from SF in Sonoma. We meant to stop and have lunch, then hit Roshambo. Every map we had, provided awful directions, so we never found it. We instead, went up to Ferrari Carano. They have a great room called Enoteca in which you can sample their reserve and other non-distributed wines. All great! We asked them where else in Russian River and Dry Creek Valleys to visit. Our tasting room pourer recommended Bella for the wine caves and Sbragia. Bella was a lovely place with open air picnic tables, a barn where we tasted the rosé, then the caves with the rest of their wines being poured. They had a guitarist playing and singing too. The caves were cool to see. Sbragia was a family-feel winery. Very pretty and nice staff, but for the accolades on the wall for their zins, I am guessing we didn't get poured those. I like everything BUT their zins. From there, we got a bit lost, as everything in these areas is spread out and it's a very rural area. We stopped at Jordan, which is a beautiful facility, but alas, you need an appointment. We then ventured down to Sonoma and only had time left to hit one more, and that was Buena Vista. Their tasting room was very crowded because a load of college students were being a nuisance. Once we got there, we had an awesome guy pouring for us and sharing inside info on each wine. We ended our day with a great dinner at the Fig Cafe, second venue of The Girl & The Fig, No corkage and great food! Highly recommended. Also, the saloon at the Jack London Lodge I believe, is the bar they used in filming BOTTLE SHOCK. We called Opus One to set an appointment for the next day as we planned to hit Napa. They said 10 Am was no problem, so we though, great, tasting appt. at 10 and we'll be there for the 10:30 tour. We took Trinity Road, which is gorgeous, but slow and winding, from Sonoma (we stayed in Glen Ellen at the Jack London Lodge) to Oakville in Napa Valley. We came out right by Far Niente, Mondavi, Opus One and more. It was pretty awesome to se the signs for all these wineries I have been drinking from. We were early, as most of them don't open til 10, so we drove up the 29 looking at the wineries. It's so beautiful there! We arrived at Opus before the gates were open, took some photos and snuck a few grapes off the vines. We went in and were told that the tours were full and we needed to schedule weeks out and our appt was just for a half glass pour of the 2005 vintage for $30. That was disappointing and what made it worse was the uppity attitude of all the staff there. I understand they have to maintain some regality as it's two wine monarchies we're talking about, but come on! So my friend had her tasting, I have had Opus before, so I, annoyed as hell, opted out. Gorgeous grounds and facility and their terrace provided a nice place for my friend to sip her pour and for us to snap photos of surrounding wineries like Turnbull, Nickel & Nickel, Mondavi, etc. We stopped at Franciscan before it was open, before Opus, again on misinformation on our map. After Opus, we had a meeting at Cosentino with Michael Oullette. He's the winemaker of Blockheadia Ringnosii. My friend had met him in Vegas at a wine dinner and he gave her his card, so we had arranged to meet him for a private VIP tasting of his wines when we went to Napa. He opened his rosé, and three zins and one petit sirah. He was awesome! Very nice, informatie about how he made each one, his passion is evident and his zins are knock your socks off good! The petit sirah needed more time, but all in all, his wines are magnificent. He also opened Cosentino's "The Poet" for us and after, we got to take all the nearly full bottles with us! We then were supposed to hit Redd for lunch and he recommended visiting Cliff Lede and Robert Sinskey, but Allison really wanted to hit Calistoga, having seen BOTTLE SHOCK, to see Chateau Montelena. So we took the Silverado Trail up north to Montelena. They were loading bins of chardonnay into the destemmer, so we took video and again, sampled a grape or two. Their tasting room was nice, but one of the more pricey tastings. We took photos with one of the famed 1973 bottles, then went to the spectacular Clos Pegase. Next we saw Sterling, but opted out of taking their aerial tram. No doubt it'd be a great way to see Napa Valley, but time was short as most wineries are open only until 5. On the way back down, we, having missed lunch were starving, so bypassed Beringer, BV and numerous others, in search of Dean & Deluca for some picnic foods to finish some Blockheadia and eat before continuing on. We then stopped into Franciscan and tasted. We realized we wouldn't have time for Trefethen, so we hit Mondavi since it was a "have to". I must say, everything we tasted that was cabs fell flat for me. Perhaps our salami and cheese lunch spread goofed up our palates, but all their cabs seemed to have nutty qualities. They did however have the generosity to let me spray my shirt with their Wine-Away, since Allison ha spilled on me at lunch. Mondavi is breathtakingly gorgeous! We ended our Napa day at Domaine Chandon. We decided being south already, to take the Carneros Highway back to Sonoma/Glen Ellen. We then saw Domaine Carneros and decided to hit Carneros on our way out, toward SF the next day. We then went to another great dinner at Bottega before leaving Napa Valley. The next day, we hit Benziger first thing as it was close to out hotel. Another great experience and nice facility. We then headed down to Gundlach Bundschu where they were also working with the chardonnay grapes. Their tasting room is awesome! Arrange for a cave tour there! Lots of great history and good wines! Then on to Domaine Carneros. Spectacular chateau!! Finally, we hit Boon Fly for lunch, then Artesa who just beat out Acacia, because of their architecture and style. Artesa is another awesome facility with great wines. Obviously there is a ton to see. If you have a list of "must sees" be prepared to miss some or give some up. Time rarely allows you to stay on plan. What's almost a better plan is to hit a cople of must-sees, then ask where they recommend, or even drive and pull in to places that look interesting. Some of the lesser known ones are the best experiences! All in all, it's a great place with so much natural beauty and appeal and magnificent dining. I can't wait to go back and se even more that we missed. Hopefully I can go once a year, then work my way down to central CA. Our initial "must see" list consisted of the following, with the asterisk on ones we actually made it to: Russian River/Dry Creek: Ferrari Carano* Roshambo (took the place of Seghesio which we had on the list previously, hearing Roshambo is hip and way unpretentious) Jordan*- again, no tasting or tour as we didn't have an appt. Michel-Schlumberger/Domaine Michel Maybes were- Simi, Chalk Hill, Quivira, Dry Creek Vineyard, Kendall Jackson, Martinelli, Sonoma Cutrer Sonoma: Buena Vista* Shug Carneros Gundlach-Bundschu ( "Gun Bun" as it's known)* Hess Domaine Carneros* Maybes were- Acacia, Matanzas Creek, Chateau St. Jean, Kunde, Ravenswood, Sebastiani (BR Cohn we passed a lot and it looks VERY nice) Napa: Trefethen Opus One* Robert Mondavi* Cosentino (Blockheadia Ringnosii)* Beringer Clos Pegase* Chateau Montelena* Sterling Maybes were- Stags Leap Wine Cellars (we found out they're pricey so opted against stopping), Cliff Lede (again, costly according to the info we had), Far Niente, Cakebread, St. Supery, Rubicon (this tour seemed intensive and too long. I am sure it's great, but we wanted to spread our time out), BV, Grgich Hills, Flora Springs, Louis Martini (we'd have tasted here, but it was one of the more pricey tasting rooms and we wanted to picnic elsewhere), Charles Krug/CK Mondavi, Freemark Abbey, Duckhorn, Cuvaison, Mumm and Chappellet. As you can see, there are so many to choose from and even when you chip away at your list, you likely won't make them all. We only had Saturday midday coming from SF, to midday Monday as we had to return to SF to fly home. I'd recommend to anyone a trip to northern CA's wine country. It's gorgeous. Even if you're not that into wine, or others you travel with aren't, it's a fascinating place full of history and beauty. I am guessing you're into wine, since you're a Snoother! So make your plans and enjoy!!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Visiting Wine Country by VegasOenophile

  
  

• September 2009

  Wine Guerrilla: Defender of Old Vine Zinfandel Wine Guerilla is a specialist operation run by Bruce Patch, who is intent on sourcing great fruit from some of Sonoma’s best vineyard sites to create wines that are true to their origins and that express the... Read more Wine Guerrilla: Defender of Old Vine Zinfandel Wine Guerilla is a specialist operation run by Bruce Patch, who is intent on sourcing great fruit from some of Sonoma’s best vineyard sites to create wines that are true to their origins and that express the intensity and richness that Zinfandel is famous for.The wines are made at the Coffaro Winery and benefit from the decades of experience that the winemaking team of David Coffaro, Bruce Patch and Matt Wilson bring to the sorting table. Wine Guerrilla’s style is to try and capture the forward fruit Zinfandel is famous for without obscuring the subtle character that each vineyard contributes. Drawing on a variety of appellations and sites throughout Sonoma County allows Wine Guerrilla to offer a significant range of styles. In keeping with the traditions of Old Vine Zinfandel production, and in an effort to accentuate some of the trademark characteristics of each site, each wine is blended with varying amounts of other grape varieties. The Forchini Russian River, for example, gains muscular spice and tannin from the 17% of Petite Sirah in the blend, while the Goat Trek, with 7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petite Sirah ends up with a more assertive bramble note and just the right balance of tannin. While the Wine Guerilla wines are aged in oak, to help soften a few sharp edges and allow the wine to integrate, they see very little new oak. In fact the fist new barrels used were introduced with the 2008 vintage and represent a tiny percentage of the total, 8 out of 150 barrels. With so little oak influence these wines have a chance to express their terroir like few others. 2007: A Vintage of Strength and Distinction 2007 was a Zinfandel lovers vintage with brilliant wines coming from much of California, but nowhere were the wines as strong as in Sonoma County. The cooler growing season produced wines with lower alcohol and slightly higher acids than usual. A winning combination. 2007 Sonoma County Zinfandel 14.6% $18.00 Just lovely in the mouth, bright wild berry fruits are nicely red and have that slight vegetal/floral edge adding complexity and snap to the cranberry fruit on the backend that leads to a refreshing, transparent finish. This is delicious. The Dry Creek Valley is Famous for Zinfandel One of the greatest sources for old vine Zinfandel in California,  Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is famous for its distinct black fruits and gentle spice tones. 2007 Goat Trek Vineyards Block 6 Dry Creek Valley Zinfadnel 15.5% $25.00 Almost seamless with the acid and tannins just poking through the tobacco tinged black plum and blackberry toned fruit. There’s a nice richness to the wine with it’s slightly chewy texture and a slightly creamy, mocha tinged quality on the back end that leads to a dark, muscular feeling finish. The Russian River Valley, not just great Pinot With it's extended growing season, the Russian river valley is well known for rich, plush boysenberry fruited Zinfandels. A dollop of Petite Sirah can add some spice and structure helping to support all of that fruit. 2007 Forchini Vineyard Russian River Valley Zinfandel 15.4% $35.00 Bright and chewy in the mouth with a slinky, silky feel. Lovely balance and texture to this wine with an earthy core of boysenberry and wild blackberry fruit that leads to a spicy, earthy, slightly licorice tinged finish that features a return of the sweet/sour elements of the fruit, yet with a peppery finale. Other Wine Guerrilla wines that I recently reviewed. Forchini Vineyards 'Old Vine' Dry Creek Valley 2007 Deep, earthy, brownie, a touch malty with dusty earth and rosebush accents to the liquory, orange oil accented raspberry fruit. There’s even a small floral element at play here. Seamless, a touch soft perhaps but this really has a bit of elegance in the mouth with those same orange oil and floral nuances contributing some depth to the black raspberry fruit in the mouth. Really hold its alcohol well though the finish is a bit short. 89pts Wine Guerilla Two Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2006 Red fruit, tar and licorice on the nose, with an underlying sweet raspberry tone and nice earthy spiciness are well balanced. Soft tannins and good acidity in a relatively medium weight frame help support nice wild raspberry and wild cherry fruit. This is definitely red fruited and quite fresh in the mouth if a touch simple though the fruit and spice follow through well on the decent length finish that offers up a touch of candied apple. 87pts These are wines that are intended to be enjoyed and shared among friends. All of the wines are finished in screwtops, insuring easy access to the juice in the bottle, whether at home or away The labels are sure to catch the eye, which might be a story in and of itself. In fact they were. There were news storied written about the labels before the wines had even been released!    (hide)

  From the article Wine Guerrilla

  
  

• August 2009

  Sorry it was such a rough week for you and your wife, though it sounds like your Friday night was better. My guess from your remarks is that you weren't able to find the wine on Snooth, so didn't post any tasting notes? Though several wineries do have Dry Creek in he name of specific... Read moreSorry it was such a rough week for you and your wife, though it sounds like your Friday night was better. My guess from your remarks is that you weren't able to find the wine on Snooth, so didn't post any tasting notes? Though several wineries do have Dry Creek in he name of specific vineyards they use grapes from in that part of Sonoma County, I also saw this winery (which Greg DP has reviewed somewhat favorably): "Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Vineyard 2005". If that was the wine, you can post a review there. If not, why don't you post in this thread? A couple more questions: --why won't the establishment let you see the bottle, even if it's served by the glass? --how'd it go with the mongolian beef? Here's that vineyard's website: http://www.drycreekvineyard.com/our_wines/our_wines.html And here's to the healing power of wine. Cheers.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic An Evening at PF Chang's... by dmcker

  
  

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