June's Epilogue

While the end-of-May trip was a significant research trip, it wasn't over on the 31st. Over the next three days we wound down our trip with eight more wineries and forty-six more wines.

Final trip count:

• 8 days
• 34 wineries
• 233 wines

The wineries, in no particular order...

• Zichichi (zee-KEY-key)
• Talty
• Frick
• Williams Selyem
• A. Rafanelli
• Truett-Huerst
• Rued
• V.M.L.

Zichichi

TRL/Staff/Wine: 8/6/6

2008 Estate Zinfandel $32/$/$28

Sweet caused shudders.

Hints of candied blackberry on the nose. Blackberry flavors appear with hints of residual sugar. The alcohol finish lingers in the back of your throat.

2010 Old Vine Estate Zinfandel $38/$/$30

85 year old vine.

Black currant and red currant on the nose. A little flabby acids with fresh ripe berries that dominate.

2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $30/$/$30

Fruit sourced out of Yountville.

Nice fruit with no structure, acidity, or potential for longevity.  It’s a juicy red wine and little more.

2011 Estate Zinfandel Futures $32/$26/$-

Intense fruit that comes across as a having residual sugar. The alcohol hangs in the back of the throat.

2011 Estate Old Vine Zinfandel $36/$28/$28

This is a much better balanced zinfandel with intense fruit, but some vanilla, toast and mocha to balance the fruit. The alcohol still lingers in the back of your throat.

Talty

TRL/Staff/Wine: 8/8/8

2009 Dwight Family Zinfandel $30/$-/$-

Young, spicy nose. Very nice balance of fruit and spice with a medium-to-light body.   The palate is cherry, plum, and spice.  The sage finish is just enough to brag.

2009 Filice Connolly Zinfandel $38/$-/$34

The nose still has spice on it, but it’s far more fruit forward (Jamie describe).  The palate is full fruit with quite a bit of strawberry. Yum. Much more muted nose, with little or no spice balance. Good body, older vines (65 years old). Modestly complex fruit.

2009 Willam Talty Estate Zinfandel $38/$-/$34

Field blend. Mild raspberry notes on the bouquet. Nice integration of raspberry, cherry, and blackberry. The red currant comes out after following tastes.

2008 William Talty Estate Zinfandel $38/$/$39

This is the best nose thus far with a very fruit forward nose with all the baking spice you enjoy.  The palate is very well balanced with a great finish.  It leaves you wanting another drink, but also wanting the next bite of dinner.  The red currant is softer, allowing the black currant, blackberry, and toasty cedar to appear.

2009 Drouthy Neebors Syrah $35/$/$38

Black rasbberry and blackberry don’t jump, but certainly speak to you in a mature feminine manner.  The winemaker’s recommendation of grilled salmon is a good thing to remember for this lighter, delicate syrah.  The palate has a nice forest, mushroom, and black raspberry taste balance. 

This would be a spectacular syrah with a little more earth notes. The tartness of the red currant makes you want a little more of that balanced spicy.

2009 Judge Family Syrah $38/$/$40

Winemaker definitely recommends trying the 2010 judge family syrah.

He recommends pairing with anything mushroom.  The nose is far more complex with spice, mushroom, forest, and fruit. I think the earthy notes will appear over time with some cellaring.  This is a good syrah.

Frick

TRL/Staff/Wine: 6/6/6

2009 Viognier, Estate, Gannon Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley  $27/$24/$24

Nice tropical nose.  The palate follows with mango and pear that lingers.

2009 Counoise Estate, Owl Hill Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley $26/$23/$-

The nose is floral w/ strawberry and plum, but the palate is huge and very odd. At one point I thought I was actually eating flower petals infused with fig, plum, and spices.

2009 Cinsault Dry Creek Valley $29/$23/$-

The nose was muted, but the palate had raspberry, bramble berry and black plums.

2007 Carignane Old Vine, Dry Farmed $23/$20/$-

Classic Carignane with blackberry and black cherry flavors, layered with a mild spice.  It’s a typical Carignane.

2008 Conley Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley Grenache $27/$24/$13

The nose presents as if the wine is fortified, but I’ve discovered that is just the cedar notes coming through.  The palate is a bit bitter to me.  I could not access the fruits.

C2 (C-squared) $22/$19/$20

Floral bouquet with undercurrent of plum and red cherries. Nice, easy-drinking petite body with a dusty finish that lingers. 

Williams & Selyem

TRL/Staff/Wine: 10/10/10

2010 Chenin Blanc Limestone Ridge at Vista Verde Vineyard $25/$19

Stirred with the lees given the fermentation is done in concrete eggs, giving it a bigger mouthfeel. The nose is blank but the palate has bright, tart, lemony/limey flavor.

2006 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Precious Mountain Vineyard $94 /$95 ($115)

This is a spectacular wine! The nose is unique, bright with bing cherry, red currant, with notes of strawberry, charcoal, and vanilla beans.  The vanilla notes leave a silky finish and incredible sense that no other pinot has ever done. The fresh, ripe raspberry dominates the palate, but the layer of vanilla adds to this incredibly complex pinot.  Don’t swirl this too much, it’s too delicate.

2008 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $49/$50

Mix of Russian River Valley Dijon Clones (115, 667) and Pommard clones with true Sonoma Coast grapes. Notes of wild berries, fresh herbs, cranberries, and white pepper.  The palate brings forth notes of ripe berries, fresh herbs, and a long, silky finish. Don’t swirl this too much, it’s too delicate.

2010 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $49/$54

Much of the same nose as the 2008, with notes of wild raspberry, rose petal and hints of mocha. The palate explodes with notes of wild berries, white pepper, cranberries, and a silky finish.

2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $49/$49

More Pommard clones. Lush fruit with full body and (Pommard and Dijon 115). Blackberries, plums, and hints of toffee on the bouquet. The dark fruit finishes boldly with a silky mouthfeel.

2006 Hawk Hill Chardonnay Russian River Valley $50/$35

Very rich honey and fig notes on the nose and palate.  This is a fantastic chardonnay; however, you could not pull it as a “chardonnay”.  You need to know that this is a more honey, creamy, fig-like fruit wine which would pair beautifully with the cream-cheese fig cracker appetizer or the a delicious apricot-cheddar cheese.  Lovely. Even though this is an oaked wine, it’s smooth as though it wasn’t.

V. M. L.

TRL/Staff/Wine:10/8/7

Used to be C. Donatello, and Belvedere previously. Whomever ends up in this facility will always inherit a beautiful winery and tasting room.

2011 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc $22/$18/$14

Very light sauv. Blanc. High citrus on the nose, but muted just enough on the palate.  Ok.

2010 Russian River Valley Chardonnay $25/$20/$25

45% new French Oak/ 55% 1-2 year old for 10 months

 The French oak opens up the nasal passages, but once you’re past it, the pear and orange aromas win out.  The palate is light with lemon and a little creaminess.  Nice chardonnay.

2010 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $30/$24/$30

100% French oak.

Nice silky finish. Modest notes for strawberry, raspberry, and vanilla (clearly, from the oak).

2010 Ivywood Vineyard Pinot Noir $45/$36/$38

Vineyard is north of Occidental.

Blackberry with hints of some type of meat spice, (light pepper or rose) on the nose. The palate is tight with acidity and would benefit from some time in the cellary. The pomegranate will come out in due course.

2010 Winemaker’s Select

Vineyard is in the middle Occidental, Forestville, and Sebastopol.

I’m not sure if there’s pomegranate on the nose or not, but there’s a dark fruit that is not quite blackberry on the nose.  The palate is mild and pleasant, but the Dubliner cheese we were tasting with the wine paired beautifully.  It also had a kick from the chocolate covered pomegranate tasting paired with it.  Interesting and good.

2010 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel  $22/$18/$22

Holy jammy batman!  Ripe blackberry jam and black licorice on the nose and palate.  Not much else.  Definitely a porky’s patch type.  Mom likes it.

Truett-Hurst

TRL/Staff/Wine: 9/9/9

Left with a half-case. This is an exceptionally club-worthy winery.  The humble exterior of the tasting room belies the rustic, spacious, and charming interior. Walk through the room and you’ll discover tiered picnic areas that lead to the creek behind the property.  This is designed for tastings for 16 and a comfortable seating for 15 more. My only gripe is that the wines are tasted in Riedel O’s.

Staff is already bubbly and informative…within seconds upon our arrival. The energy and enthusiasm was maintained throughout the experience without missing a beat.

This is a stop where you can stock up on meats, cheeses, water, spreads, and crackers. Like Sbragia, this will provide you the resources to extend your tasting day. Moreover, they offered us cheese and crackers to pair with their tastings.

2011 Salmon Run Zinfandel Rose $17/$14/$-

Light crisp and very rose’ like.

2010 White Sheep Pinot Noir $40/$32/$28

Blend of two Dijon Clones, 777, and 667, grown in Green Valley. Light floral notes with subtle layer of raspberry and black cherry. Good color and viscosity. Flavors are warm and comfortable. 100% Pinot Noir

2010 Black Sheep Pinot Noir $40/$32/$37

Blend of two Dijon Clones, 828 and 115. The nose is muted, but the flavors are much more accessible and enticing. Good body with cherry, mild blackberry, and hints of fig. 100% Pinot Noir

2010 Southdown Zinfandel $29/$23/$32

Hints of black tea on the nose with notes of blackberry. The palate follows perfectly, the humble notes of a blackberry/black tea.

2010 Red Rooster Zinfandel $29/$23/$28

The blackberry and leather bouquet. The palate finishes with a tart blackberry and raspberry. Nice body and finish that lingers.

2009 Rattler Rock Zinfandel $29/$23/$32

Interesting nose, with notes of strawberry, boysenberry. Very light and bright fruit on the palate.

2009 GPS Mendocino County Dark Horse Vineyard  $40/$32/$37

40% PS/$30%Syrah/$30% Grenache

Wow, do I ever smell the petit syrah.  This has a nice sweet overtone of strawberry syrup on the nose, but the palate is more of a balanced syrah and Grenache with the right amount of pepper and black fruits to balance the strawberry.

2010 Dry Creek Valley Old Vine Burning Man Petite Sirah   $33/$26/$38

The nose was a little inaccessible, with subtle hints of lavender and plum.  Oh my goodness, was there a rich blend of chocolate and black currant that is so balanced it hits you only as a yum with no “oooh sweet” to it, as the dusty finish explains to your palate.

A. Rafanelli

TRL/Staff/Wine:  8/6/5

With all of the hype surrounding the "King of Zins", I had high expectations. I'm hoping we just caught them on a bad day, because I have never been so underwhelmed.

2010 Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley //-

The nose is a little cold but the blackberry is struggling to get out. It has an unusual quality on the finish, with notes of red currant and liquorice.

2009 Merlot Dry Creek Valley //-

The bouquet is hiding on us…Soft finish with some earthy tartness. Pinnacle of simplicity.

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Very young, but soft tannic nose. Subtle notes of vanilla bouquet. The finish is nice and velvety, but I’m still chasing the fruit.

Rued

TRL/Staff/Wine: 8/8/7

2010 Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley $16/$15/$-

Pear and kiwi on the nose, with hints of lemon. Clean, stainless steel fermentation with a thin fruit on the palate.

2010 Chardonnay Russian River Valley $18/$16/$-

Nose is a bit cold and muted. Aromas of subtle green apple and white peach, and the oak appears as it warms. The oak layer dominates the palate.

2009 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley $28/$25/$-

Spicy nose and palate with a hint of bing cherry. Aromas of vanilla and rose. Thin body and delicate

2008 Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley $25/$23/$30

Notes of candied blackberry, blueberry and vanilla.  The body is nice and well balanced.

2009 Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley  $25/$23/$32

The nose on this is so much bigger with much more smokiness to it. The fruit is meat-infused. The blackberry and black pepper are well-balanced in the wine. The body is bigger, with more viscosity and a mild tart, finish.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Valley $45/$41/$32

Dusty nose with hints of black pepper, cardamon. Loads of pepper, tannins, with a subtle clovish flavor. The fruit was inaccessible to me.