Day One
I don't know what it is... Maybe I'm older and my interests are changing, maybe it's a bit of attention deficit disorder, but I'm losing my verve for barrel tasting. This year we had to go it alone because our friends had other priorities. Maybe that's why I was borderline ambivalent to the trip. Whatever the reason, we went anyway, and I'll say that it wasn't a bad time, but we've had a lot better.
The itinerary was simple and pretty unplanned; we were going to be there the first weekend (Friday through Sunday) and we had to pick up last year's futures. Beyond that, it was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of weekend.
Valdez Family Winery
The first stop on the Wine Road was actually planned. This is where you have to check-in to the event and pick up your glasses and wristband for the weekend. Last year, the six of us did Barrel Tasting and it was a concluded that Valdez Family Winery was the best stop of the trip. The wines were quite good and altogether surprising in quality and value.
The first barrel was a pinot and a very nice one, at that. It was followed by two zins (Botticelli Vineyard and St. Peter's Church Vineyard). Both of the zinfandels were mere minutes away from being bottled (mid-April) and released (mid-August), so your risk on a futures purchase was quite minimal. Both had good flavor, although I would have preferred to have tasted the Botticelli Vineyard zinfandel, last. It had a full-bodied inkiness to it that lingered in your mouth forever! It was at least 5 minutes and three wines later before I could taste something without that hint of black ink in my mouth. In the end, we procured 6 bottles of the pinot and 3 each bottles of the zinfandels. It was a nice stop, but not inspiring.
Futures:
6 ea. 2014 Valdez Vineyards Pinot Noir
3 ea. 2013 Botticelli Vineyards Zinfandel
3 ea. 2013 St. Peter's Church Vineyard Zinfandel
J. Keverson
Lisa and a friend bought a case of futures (Starkey's Court Zinfandel) last year, so we had to stop and pick it up. For the price ($22/bottle), it was a very drinkable wine. This year's barrel tasting was on par with last year's, but we weren't as jazzed (in general), so nothing came of it. I will say that there are ancillary benefits to these events and J. Keverson reminded me quickly of it. The wine we were picking up (normally $30/bottle retail, $22/bottle on futures) was being sold as a special - 2 cases for $432. It was better that buy one, get half off the next. It was tempting, but better judgment prevailed.
Pickup:
Split case of 2012 Starkey's Court Zinfandel
Skewis
I enjoy these pinots, I really do. It was disappointing to withdraw from their wine club, but circumstances being what they are, it was prudent. Hank and Maggie are a wonderful couple and Hank makes several good pinots. Most notably, the 2012 Lingenfelder Vineyard slipped into the top 100 wines of the year - by any measure a laudable accomplishment. Their futures were tasting well, but the youth of the wines (and a little bit too much warmth) didn't give them their best opportunity to shine. These wines will be good-to-great when their bottled and Skewis is on par for their prices ($40-$50 per bottle). Even though I withdrew, I highly endorse their wine club (20% discount).
Sapphire Hill
Always a big stop, this year Sapphire Hill didn't disappoint. And while it was energizing, it wasn't because of the futures. Chris and Lisa are always so personable and given the opportunity, Chris will talk your ear off. Don't get me wrong, it's usually a fascinating tale of recent transformations his winery has gone through (or is going through) and this time was no different. I would regale you with his tales, but that wouldn't be fair... If you want to know the latest, you need to commit your own time to it. It's worth every minute.
Chris was tasting a chardonnay and his signature Merleaux out of the barrel, but that wasn't where the real gems were. Don't get me wrong, they're fine wines, but his recent production of malbec, a new chardonnay, and his zinfandels are the stars of the show!
So, at the risk of beating a dead horse, I'm going to say it again... There are benefits to barrel tasting (and similar events) beyond the event's focus. While there were only two wines being tasted out of the barrel, we left with 3 cases of wine, mixed with a bunch of his current releases. The D'Argento chardonnay was a full case purchase and a creamy, old school wine. The nose was full of bright melon fruits, but the mouthfeel was where it sold me. The full body, creamy finish of the wine literally made your mouth water!
The zinfandels are varied but all showing very well. Admittedly, they haven't had a standard-bearing zinfandel like the "Q" since its release as a 2010 vintage, but The Saint, the Old Vines DCV, and the Cabochon Cuvee provide a broad, deep, flavorful offering of very enjoyable zins. Of course, while I was there I was able to snake some 2010 Zafira, which if you've never had any, you've really lost out. There isn't a single wine I can recall that does a better job of pairing with food (in this case green enchiladas) than the Zafira. You're screwed, though, because I snagged almost all of the last of it. For those of you who enjoy a little residual sugar in your zins, (ala Rosenblum) then revisit the 2013 vintage of Porky's 2.0. It's very reminiscent of the early years of Porky's Patch (when Tim still owned the winery), but significantly improved and refined.
The real "jewel" hasn't even been released yet. I've had my go at it before it was even labelled and it was a beautiful wine... Its name is the Sapphire Hill Red Beryl Pinot Noir. A half of a case found its way into my possession and I'll be the better man for it! I could tell you all about this wine, but I won't because that would be too cruel...you can't have it, yet...Anyway, it's all mine! {insert evil laugh here!}
The Haul:
2013 Sapphire Hill Chardonnay D'Argento (12) / $24 ea.
2012 Sapphire Hill Cinque Gemma (3) / $20 ea.
2012 Sapphire Hill Malbec M Cuvée (2) / $31 ea.
2009 Sapphire Hill Pinot Noir Red Beryl (6) / $40 ea.
2012 Sapphire Hill Zinfandel Old Vine Dry Creek Valley (3) / $29 ea.
2013 Sapphire Hill Zinfandel Porky's 2.0 (3) / $20 ea.
2010 Sapphire Hill Zinfandel The Q (2) / $60 ea.
2010 Sapphire Hill Zinfandel Zafira Sonoma County (6) / $28 ea.
Truett Hurst Winery
The Red Rooster Zinfandel showed well at last year's event, enough that we purchased a half-case. While picking it up this year, we sampled their latest offerings (among which was the Red Rooster) and was very tempted to repeat last year's performance. It was a quiet day at TH and instead of succumbing to our impulse, we took a walk down to the river and milled about for a while. Returning to the barrels and retrying the wines, we changed our mind. There wasn't anything wrong, it just wasn't as compelling as it was last year.
The three wines they were tasting included 2014 vintages of Luci Zinfandel, Red Rooster Zinfandel, and Black Sheep Pinot Noir. I'll be frank, they were all really too young to be tasted out of the barrel for me, and at the end of the day, that's why I passed. Bottled, in a year, these will be solid purchases, I'm sure.
Pickup:
2013 Truett-Hurst Zinfandel Old Vine Red Rooster (6) / Cost: average $27 / total $162
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