March 2008
Another year of barrel tasting. My note-taking was abysmal, forgive me.
Siduri
There were a plethora of Pinot Noirs and Syrahs to taste here. For posterity’s sake we only recorded the guilt-free prices of the wines.
Pinot Noirs
Hawk’s View Oregon - $0 (Not a fan of Oregon Pinots, yet)
Parson’s Vineyard Russian River Valley - $18
Sapphire Hill Russian River Valley - $23
Amber Ridge Russian River Valley - $28
Sonoma Coast Tierra Promissio - $32
Sonatera Sonoma Coast - $40
Gary’s Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands - $42
Syrah
Amber Ridge - $0
Judge Vineyard - $28
Christiansen Vineyard – Minty, mossy $0
Page – Nord - $30 Good
Rosella’s Vineyard - $25 (blah)
Susan’s Hill – Great! $35
Russian Hill
2004 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard: $35/$34
2005 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard: $35/$36
2004 Syrah : $25/$30
Futures worthy purchase.
Joseph Swan
2006 Ziegler Zinfandel: $20
Futures worthy.
2002Mancini Ranch Zinfandel: $20
Sunce
2005 Merlot (100%): $35/$33
Nice, good. Ended up splitting a half-case on futures.
2005 Cabernet Franc: $30/$30
Nice nose, but a little weak on the palate.
2004 Meritage Reserve: $48/$39
2005 Les Trois Amis: $65/$55
Porter Creek
Chardonnay futures well worth consideration@$200/case
Twomey
2000 Merlot: $60/$60
Good for a purchase of 2
Mill Creek
The zinfandel futures are not bas. We split a case of half bottles they were offering of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This is a good-valued stop for both of those.
Armida
2006 Keefer Ranch Chardonnay
Expect a case of this – the fruit was a nice balance of melon and pear. The oak notes were light. $235/case (futures)
2006 Maple Vineyard Zinfandel: $327/case (futures)
This is a no-brainer. Another good year of Maple Vineyard Zinfandel.
Fritz
2007Pinot Noir
Releases in October 2008. Mild/easy to drink. Bottle purchase worthy, when it releases.
2007 Zinfandel
Releases in October 2009. Will be bottled in June 2008. Fantastic wine!! Keep an eye out for it. Pickup in December $40/bttl
Sbragia
2006 Gino’s Vineyard Zinfandel:$28
Releases Spring 2009. Fantastic, keep an eye out. Futures aren’t ever offered at this winery.
2005 Gino’s Vineyard Zinfandel
Not up to par; comparable to (or less than) 2004.
2006 Home Ranch Chardonnay
Good enough that I bought one for myself and one for a friend.
2005 Home Ranch Merlot
Good enough for one bottle.
Dutcher’s Crossing
2007 Zinfandel Maple Vineyard : $418/case (futures)
5% Carignane, 5% petit sirah, old vine. Very Good!
2007 Taylor’s Reserve Syrah
Nice but not future’s worthy. Spicy such that it can easily be confused with a zinfandel. The real risk with this one is that the winemaker still had some blending to do, so you don’t have a real impression of how it will turn out.
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Taylor’s Reserve: ~$38/bttl
This wine will be better once it has been blended, but the futures risk is too great.
Raymond Burr
We tend to stop here for the meatballs! The Cabernet Sauvignons are nice, but not compelling to me. If you’re a Bordeaux-lover, then these will suit you.
2003 Cabernet Franc
Light bodied. Less flavor. Too bland for a Cab Franc.
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Good; well structured.
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon $38
Gopfrich
I’m never disappointed with a stop at this humble, but charming winery. Ray and Bonnie spend much of their efforts growing grapes for other wineries, but they reserve about 10% of them for their own bottles. Barrel tasting here is a treat, but get here soon, because the case count is measured on a white board and dwindles fast. They might only make two to four barrels (less than 100 cases).
2006 Zinfandel (futures)
Good nose, weak body on the palate.
2006 Syrah (futures)
Excellent; full-bodied!
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Will buy in the bottle, when released: $39
Forchini
2007 Beau Siena (futures)
Bordeaux style. Good value at $176/case. Great nose, but very tannic.
2007 Papa Nonno (futures)
Tuscan style; Zin, Carignane, Cabernet Sauvignon, and mixed whites. Nice wine for the price ($160/case)!!
Unti
2006 Barbera: $28/$26
Excellent; smooth, balanced, great flavor
2005 Zinfandel: $28/$25
Very nice! Balanced.
2005 Grenache: $21/$30
Creamy, easy drinking.
2004 Syrah: $30/$26
Well-made.
2004 Syrah Benchland:$35/$35
Super!
2006 Syrah Winery Block
Tannic.
Mauritson
2006 Rockpile Malbec (futures) $30/bottle
This wine left me very enthused. Should be good to go in October 2008.
2006 Rockpile Cemetary Vineyard Zinfandel (futures price $35)
Missing a lot of zinfandel characteristics
2006 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel: $30/$27
Very balanced, with full character; evenly balanced between fruit and spice.
2006 Sauvignon Blanc: $15/$17
2006 Chardonnay: $22/$25
Tart but has great personality.
Hanna
Sauvignon Blanc
Lemmony, not served well; too warm.
2007 Pinot Noir
Lacked complexity
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Very tannic; requires years of laydown. Not sure the fruit will ever appear.
2002 Two Ranch Road
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon blend. Good nose, huge tannins, very unbalanced.
2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Berry, modest tannins. Not very complex, but better balanced.
Robert Young
2005 Chardonnay
Oakey, but nice balance. A lot of French character to it.
2005 Winery Road
Smooth mouthful. Humble fruit. Fun to drink.
2003 Scion
Modest balance. Structure seemed to break down. Flavor was very accessible.
2004 Scion
Great structure!! Heavy-bodied. Deep fruit flavor.
2006 Scion
Fragile tannins
Clos du Bois
2007 Reserve Chardonnay
I love the French oak Chards. Calcaire-worthy!
2007 Pinot Noir
Light to medium body
A little too simple for my taste.
2005 Pinot Noir
Nice comparison, still on the simple side. What the 2007 aspires to be…
Trentadue
2006 La Storia Cuvee 32 (futures): $264/case
Not ready; not integrated.
2007 La Storia Zinfandel (futures): $226/case
Very young, no spice yet. Very fruit forward & sweet.
2004 La Storia Zinfandel
Better balanced by the 11% Petite Sirah
2004 La Storia Cuvee 32
Better integrated, but not to my taste.
Non-Vintage Sangiovese (100%)
Nice fruit.
2004 Petite Sirah
Perfect body, mouthfeel. A little tannic; cool it down to find the fruit a bit.
Ridge
2007 Carignane
Good flavor and mouthfeel
2007 Zinfandel Ponzo (futures)
2% residual sugar; hard to tell how good it will be.
2007 Monte Bello (futures): $80/-/$60
Complex, very good. Strange tingle, possibly fermentation. Unequivocally not worth the price.
2005 Lytton Springs: $35/$35
Zinfandel blend with Carignane and Petite Sirah. Balanced, great mouthfeel. Vibrant raspberry, blackberry flavors.
2005 Carmichael: $30/$30
2005 Geyserville Zinfandel
Very similar, still. Dryer, less fruity and less balanced.
Mazzocco
2005 West Dry Creek Zinfandel: $30/$27
Very well-balanced. Nose was a little wanting. This would be a good match with beef teriyaki.
2005 Home Ranch Zinfandel
Medium-to-light body. Brilliant raspberry w/ spices.
2007 Pony Zinfandel
Strange minty note.
2007 Maple Vineyard Zinfandel
Like it should be! Characteristic Maple Vineyard; jammy.
2007 Stone Zinfandel
Vacant nose; slightly spicier and less jammy.
DeLoach
2006 Chardonnay O.F.S.: $32/$30
Creamy, tropical.
2007 Green Valley Pinot Noir (Futures)
Fizzy, but expect good things when it’s ready!
2007 OFS Pinot Noir (Futures)
Nose is very full. Expect great things when ready!
2006 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley:$20/$16
2006 Green Valley Pinot Noir:$35/$36
Canadian bacon notes.
2006 OFS Pinot Noir:$38/$30/$30
‘shroomy, truffle notes.
2004 Russian River Valley Zinfandel: $22/$18
Harsh aftertaste.
2006 OFS Zinfandel
2006 Nova Zinfandel:$32/$32
2004 Gambogi Ranch Zinfandel: $27/$30
2005 Russian River Valley Syrah
Smells and tastes a lot like a sweet, fruit forward zinfandel.
2005 Wild Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Valley
Too simple, watery.
Dutton Estate
2006 Sauvignon Blanc Kylie’s Cuvee: $17/$18
Smells like watermelon, but tastes like melon, lemon
2005 Kyndall’s Reserve Chardonnay: $37/$18
Too much tang, not enough French oak, but light and yummy for a summer day or a select meal. Whole cluster press is the culprit; 100% malolactic fermentation in 100% French oak.
2005 Jewell Block Pinot Noir: $47/$26
A little hot.
2004 Stoetz Lane Zinfandel:$30/$26
Smells like a pinot, tastes like a good, aged pinot.
2004 Cherry Ridge Syrah: $34/$32
Big blackberry; full-bodied, complex. Recommendable.
2004 Gail Ann’s Syrah: No
Light-bodied; too much like a pinot.
