TRL/Staff/Wine: 9/9/9
When you're out wine tasting and you're adventurous to try a new place, it can really be hit and miss, sometimes. One of the things you do to hedge your bets is to keep an eye out for wineries that look well established. If you come out on a regular basis, you'll see some new wineries and some well-established ones. Sometimes there will be surprises...as it was for us, today. The irony is that we were visiting a well-established winery who simply opened their tasting room within the last three years. Henry Trione has winemaking pedigree that goes back more than thirty years, with his time at Geyser Peak. But I've been reluctant to try his wines because he only setup shop in what was a failed winery (Canyon Road) in the last few years. I was humbled, today, by the experience they offered us.
The tasting room is huge and spacious. When we first arrived, we joined only two other people at the expansive wine bar. Two staff members worked things easily, allowing us to proceed at our own pace, really engaging in our wine tasting experience, and finding ways to make it better. At least twice (that I can remember), they swapped out the wine we were drinking with a freshly opened bottle because our reaction to it didn't seem right to them. Sure enough, in each case, the wine was a great deal better.
In the middle of our tasting experience, one staff member spied a mini-bus arrive and began to reorganize the patrons at the bar and the staff behind it in order to accommodate what became a bevy (~a dozen) of people. This is a very professional staff. Without us even noticing, they added a staff member behind the bar to address the influx of patrons. Again, this was a very professional staff. On top of it all, they were all extremely knowledgeable about the wines, the history of the winery, and anything else you wanted to discuss on both counts. One of them broke down the details on the label and how it related to Henry Trione's roots as a banker.
I could go on for some time, but instead, I'll cut to the chase...the wine. As a measure of our enthusiasm for it, we joined the club and left with a case.
2009 Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley River Road Ranch $16/$13/$18
Rich nose. Lush white fruit; pear, lemon, nice balanced
acidity.
2010 Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley River Road Ranch $23/$18/$18
This had what I thought at first was a grassy nose, but through our discussion with the staff (Andrew), we smelled it for what it really was...green bell pepper. Over the palate, it had thin, mineral notes and this wine would be well-suited for pairing with food.
2007 Chardonnay Russian River Valley River Road Ranch $30/$24/-
This had a real, light grassy nose. The 45% new French oak is accessible on the
nose. The palate was slightly tart with hints of vanilla and pear.
2007 Pinot Noir $35/$28/$35
Blackberry and raspberry on the nose, with a mushroom layer.
This is unfiltered, unfined and has been poured with a wide variety of party
hors d’oeuvres. This was a bottle that they opened fresh for us and when they did, the flavors went from something akin to a tart mushroom to fruits that were bright and fresh! Hazah!
2007 Syrah $32/$25/$36
Fermented with 5% whole cluster Viognier. 4 of the 17
barrels of were American oak. This is what is considered a Cote’ Rhone style. It's aromatic and floral. The “medicinal
nose” fades as the wine opens. After that, the earthy layer appears and anise
introduces itself. Mild raspberry, blackberry, plum, and prune.
2006 Red Wine $64/$51/$50
A true meritage: cabernet sauvignon/merlot/petit verdot/malbec
Spicy nose, with hints of tobacco. The fruits are hiding in
there somewhere. The fruits are cassis. They added cabernet franc to the blend in
2008. They opened a new bottle and the
fruits were much more accessible on the nose. The palate is smoother and the
fruits include more red berry fruit.
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon $64/$51/$55
Cabernet Sauvignon / petite verdot / merlot/ malbec
In the barrel for two years, aging in 50% new & 50% neutral French oak.
Deep dark nose, with notes of rose and dark red fruits. The
fruit is big and bloody. There’s no tannic backbone, but, instead, a mild
velvet finish. Black currants, spices, and hints of clove on the palate. DELICIOUS!
Not exceptional but very accessible.
2009 Alexander valley Primitivo $30/$24/$35
Primitive/zinfandel blend (82%/18%)
A mild candied-black fruit nose. The palate follows
perfectly, with hints of residual sugar that doesn’t exist. {Lisa: The blend is
heavenly and could be pulled anyday.}
May 26, 2012 (6 wineries/38 wines)
