Windsor Oaks

This new stop proved to be quite the boon. If you can find the place, at the right time, you’ll thoroughly enjoy their offerings. The estate sits on land that is overlapped by three AVAs (Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, and Chalk Hill), so they have the luxury of identifying their wines with whatever appellation suits their marketing strategy.

They offered six barrels for futures purchase, that range widely. At some of the barrel stations, they offered last year’s bottled vintage as a basis of comparison. This is a very classy move on their part; other wineries don't usually bother. The interesting thing about that was that it didn’t have the effect that you might expect. The overall experience today revealed that the year-to-year variation of the wines provided a little uncertainty as to the final, bottled result. Nonetheless, they have demonstrated their professionalism and quality, if for no other reason than they weren't trying to shove last year's harvest down your throat (ahem, Mazzocco).

If you chose to buy futures that day, you were treated to a VIP experience in their barrel room. This was not a small thing. In walking in, we witnessed the winemaker herself standing on the third stack of barrels, thiefing wine for the patrons below, like a momma bird feeding her little chicks. After wading through the chirping crowd, we found ourselves at the first station where a three year vertical of their chardonnay was awaiting us. More on the wines, later, but one exceptional note was that the 2008 vintage was aged in 100% French oak (and here’s the exceptional part) at the customers’ request. Right next to that was a station serving a lobster bisque soup to pair with the wine. Ahhhh…that was nice!

Because they offer such a wide variety of wines and they were taking the opportunity to showcase them, the next station rounded out the list. Taking notes at this point became challenging, but because this was the first stop of the day, we mustered up and soldiered on. While we stood at the table taking notes, a charming member of the Windsor Oaks team introduced himself (Brian) and engaged us in long, deep discussions over their wines. Moments later, he disappeared and returned with three more bottles, and we were happy he did! More about those wines later.

Overall, this was a monumental stop for us, leaving with two cases of futures and a case and a half of their current offerings. I’ll bet you can’t wait to hear about that!

As a side note, through the course the tastings, we learned that Balverne Manor resides in the middle of the vineyards with a spectacular view. For a reasonable rate, the winery provides accommodations for up to three couples, an incredible meal, and all the wine you’d want to go with it. I’m looking forward to maximizing that experience one day.

2011 Reserve Chardonnay Block 8 Russian River Valley (futures) $35/$26/$30

Cool, creamy nose; light vanilla. Lemony, tart on the palate (like lemon filling of meringue pie). Clean mouthfeel.

2011 Pinot Gris Russian River Valley (futures) $25/$19/-

Organically Grown Block 10

Light pink grapefruit nose. Crisp and a little oaky w/ lemon zest on the palate.

2010 Pinot Gris Russian River Valley

Much more settled and less oaky. It has a little better mouthfeel but not as flavorful. Light apricot on the nose.

2010 Red Mountain Cuvee Chalk Hill (futures) $35/$26/$40

Blend of Syrah, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Sauvignon

The sangio really asserts itself on the nose in a classic Brunello kind of sense. Perfect tannins and mouthfeel for this type of blend. The vanilla and mocha comes trough on the palate with a thin note of raspberry.

2009 Super Tuscan Estate Reserve Chalk Hill (futures) $45/$34/$42

Wonderful nose! Bright fruit on the nose. No acidity on the palate, but still had a mild, velvety finish. I expect this to improve with time. See WM NOTES

2008 Super Tuscan

This is blended with syrah instead of cab franc. It has a better palate and nose.  This is a really good wine with the same mild, velvety finish. Very complex notes. Dark blackberry, brambles, black cherry, cassis with hints of cedar.

2010 Zinfandel Estate Reserve Russian River Valley (futures) $29/$22/$35

Nose is consistent with an old vine zinfandel – Jammy and rich, grown in a higher elevation. It has an extremely well balanced palate. The oak and pepper balance with the blackberry fruit is fantastic!

2009 Zinfandel

This older sister has more oak bias but has very consistent fruit to the newest member of the family.

2009 Estate Petite Sirah Russian River Valley (futures) $35/$26/$38

Soft nose with layer of vanilla, fig, mocha. Nice velvet finish, but the palate doesn’t follow as prominently. A nice dinner might bring out more of the flavors.

Now we get to the point in the story where we entered the VIP room for the rest of the experience.

2007 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

French oak and stainless steel (aged 16 months)

Nose: nice, creamy – buttery lemon sauce for crab

Palate: Much more fruit than most chardonnays like a soft apple, tempered with pear.

2008 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

24 months in 100% French oak (30% new)

Nose: Milder nose with hints of lime

Palate: more tropical melon flavor

2009 Russian River Valley

Nose: Soft, almost muted. Paler color than the other two.

Palate: Watery mouthfeel and flavor…I guess the color was right.

2009 Russian River Valley Rose’ of Pinot Noir (Vin Gris) $19/-/$19

Very light, crisp, nose; a little strawberry. Completely refreshing and wet for a rose'.

2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $35/-/-

Nose: Cold and a bit muted.

Palate: Cinnamon and red currant, strawberry-dominated by the spice. Very subtle fruit.

Very light palate. I didn’t get the fruits that were on the nose. Nose had a cinnamon, fig, and sweet rhubarb.  Not for me… -Lisa

2008 Super Tuscan

Nose: Hard to find

Palate: Big! Tannic with cassis, blackberry, mocha

2008 Malbec

Nose: Big jammy fuit, black anise, black currant

Color: Deep burgundy

Palate: I have a different expectation of malbecs, with a desire for more earthiness that just didn’t exist.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon $35/-/$50

Nose has bell peppers, a little truffle, light pepper, but good dark earth. Needs to open. Palate is deep, rich, and earthy, with no truffle, but a lot of chocolate and cab franc taste to it. Spices open up in this quickly. Fantastic cab!

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon $45/-/$52

Even more accessible nose, coffee, toasty, peppers, spices, rich dark fruits.

2009 Cabernet Franc

Big nose – good bell pepper, but lots of fruit and spice on the nose. Italian hard salami. Great cabernet franc.

Sheldon Wines

Last stop of the day and we run into an old buddy from Siduri of many years ago! JODY! He’s shilling for Dylan and Tobe of Sheldon wines and doing a good job of it! For what it’s worth, since Lisa took over the tasting notes at Siduri, these are also almost all hers.

2010 Vinolocity Blanc $30/$22/$25Only 100 cases produced. Very nice nose; crips but not tart at all. Nutty, with notes of apricot.

2007 Sleepy Hollow Old Vine Chardonnay, Monterey County $36/$30/$35Notes of pineapple; oaky and a little bit tropical. Unfiltered with 100% malolactic fermentation. Yummy!

2008 Krutz Chardonnay, Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands $38/-/$29A little too sweet for my nose, but Jamie likes it. That palate is very smooth and creamy.

2007 Sheldon Pinot Noir Main Coast $28/$24/$25Very light spice and light red fruits, light-bodied, summer pinot

2008 Sheldon Vinolocity $36/$31/$20100% Grenache
Not much of a nose for me. Jamie said a “good Grenache”. I didn’t get the strawberry I look for.

2009 Weatherly Cuvee $42/$35/$3250% Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon / 50% Petite Sirah
You can really smell the petite sirah in this nice round wine. Light on the body but still has some complexity.

2007 Deviant Velocity $28/$23/$35Nice full nose; a bit of syrah smell, or is it gin, or is it cab…no it’s petite sirah. Too light for Jamie, doesn’t have enough punch. Lisa likes the relaxed taste.

Woodenhead

This was a new stop and I was disappointed to learn that they don’t actually SELL the futures that they were tasting from the barrel. While the tasting room location was very nice, there were too many smells going on…body odor from patrons, paint, dog, etc.

2010 Zinfandel Guido Venturi Vineyard Mendocino County

Beautiful nose! Robust red currant, vanilla, all-spice, with an integrated lay of rose. Light-bodied but well integrated spices on the palate. The fruit is on its way…

2010 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Bright spiciness on the nose. Baked cherry pie, mildly. More spice than cherry but still a pie-like quality.

Siduri

A group of Lisa’s friends joining us enhanced the perennial stop at Siduri. While they made the same annual pilgrimage to barrel tasting, this was their first time at this winemaking juggernaut. By most measures, it didn’t disappoint.

The Pinot Noirs this year were bountiful, but slightly less engaging than years past. In the interest of full disclosure, my opinion on this matter is singularly mine. Our guests were enthralled and enamored with the experience.

I’ve come to realize this trip that trying to take notes at Siduri is more than just a challenge, it’s damn near impossible. I went so far as to try recording my notes on a voice memo on my phone, but after three wines, I realized that the “downstream value” that my notes have would be lost… i.e. being able to refer to my notes when it was time to purchase. That said, my notes aren’t as complete as they could be, but probably no worse than previous years.

I’ve also come to realize that having access to your cellar inventory is invaluable! I’m standing in line, about to order, and it occurred to me that some of the wines I’m about to order may already reside in one of my three cellars at home. A quick trip to the car to retrieve my iPad and, sure enough, I’m well stocked. Phew! That saved me about $1200!

2010 Novy Russian River Valley Viognier $19.50/$/$Crisp melon on the nose that was even crisper as it passed over my palate. Along the way it picked up some lemon and a hint of Fiji apple. It was an excellent pairing with St. George cheese, which they often have in abundance, here. If not for the fact that we purchased 2 cases in the last 12 months, I would have included it in my final order.

2010 Novy Blanc de Noir Willamette ValleySo they characterized this as a sparkling wine without the bubbles…and they were right. It smelled like a typical brut sparkling wine…and it tasted of one, too. It was dry to the point of astringent and lemony. All I could say was “holy sheisse!”

2009 Novy Keefer Ranch Chardonnay $19.50/$/$20As chardonnays go, these days, this is pretty standard. In an effort to appeal to those who miss a buttery chard (of which, I confess, I’m one), the nose is nice and creamy, with light buttery notes and French oak. To further broaden their demographic, the winemakers are making the palate nice and clean. They typically do this by blending it with chardonnay they’ve aged in stainless steel. The lemon, pear, and green apple integrated subtly on the palate. When I say green apple, though, I mean an apple that is not yet ripe. The ironic thing about this wine was that Lisa enjoyed it more, and bought a bottle…and then, this week, I accidentally drank it…and it showed a lot better than it did at the winery.

2010 Novy Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc $19.50/$/$22Crisp, clean nose, implying stainless steel fermentation. The palate was a pleasant surprise, full of pink grapefruit softened with some notes of melon. This is one of the softest sau blancs I’ve had in a while. It’s really, quite good!

2010 Siduri Chehelam Mountains Pinot Noir $30/$/$30I wasn’t really sure what I was smelling on the nose. If it’s a fruit, it’s a dried fruit and dried herbs. The palate doesn’t really follow. Nice mild dried strawberry with a pile of black cherry. It’s actually quite nice for $30.

2010 Siduri Hawk’s View Vineyard Pinot Noir $39/$/$Dried fruit on the nose, probably black cherry. The palate was spicy with notes of dried fruit. I found it a bit lackluster.

2010 Siduri Sonatera Pinot Noir $49/$/$40I’ve been a Sonatera fan for years, but they’re grapes tend to lack a little consistency from year-to-year. What I enjoy about Sonatera is that it’s a Sonoma Coast vineyard and they are among my favorite AVAs for Pinot Noir. This one is a classic Sonoma Coast wine. It has good balance of spice, red fruit (mild strawberry, cherry), and forest floor, with a medium body.

2010 Siduri Lewis Vineyard Pinot Noir $45/$/$45Another medium-bodied Pinot Noir with rich color. The spicy, red cherry and dark fruits draws you in on the nose. The palate is BIG! The tannins are mild because the red fruits attack you!

2010 Siduri Ewald Vineyard Pinot Noir $45/$/$50Fantastic nose! Deep color & consistency. Medium-to-full body. The rich, baked fruit flavors were delicious!

2009 Siduri Cargasacchi Vineyard Pinot Noir $50/$/$It smelled as though it was pulled out of an old cellar…a bit musty, with forest floor. The palate was nice with dark herbs/fruits, and cinnamon.

2009 Siduri Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir $30/$/$This is a blend of Cargasacchi and Clos Pepe. It adds the bright fruit of the Clos Pepe to the nose with mild tobacco, dark plum and mild strawberry. When it’s all said and done, I love the 2008 vintage sooo much better for the same price.

2010 Siduri Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir $30/$/$Another blend. This time a blend of Sonatera, Hirsch, and Ivywood Vineyards. Peppery nose with a cinnamon finish. It impressed me as more of a food wine, but good, nonetheless.

I’m sorry to say that this is where I “fell-out”, as we’d say in the military. Fortunately, my trusty sidekick picked up the slack for us all. The following are the unabridged notes from Lisa. If it comes across in as a foreign language, there’s not much I can do about it… Hell, I’m not even sure I’m reading her handwriting all that well.
2010 Siduri Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir $50
The longer this stays in the glass, the better it smells. A nice, rich, warm fruit dish pie & cinnamon.

2010 Siduri Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir $30Sierra Mar, Gary’s Vineyard & Rosella’s Vineyard – Very accessible fruit on the nose. I can smell Gary’s Vineyard and am losing the nose.

2010 Siduri Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir $49Rich spice, a little smoky. Smells like it’s had the fog come in and settle a bit. Nice full body. Definitely an upper-end wine.

2010 Novy Four Mile Creek Red Table Wine $10No nose. Serve to family who buys 2-buck Chuck.

2007 Novy Stolpman Vineyard Nebbiolo $19Jamie says kind of a caramel flavor. Did not care for it.

2010 Novy Russian River Valley Zinfandel $19.50Very fruit forward zinfandel. Med nose, palate has little finish, but nice easy drinker.

2009 Novy Christensen Vineyard Syrah $29Bold, spicy nose; palate is also spicy, tannic.

2009 Novy Simpson Vineyard Syrah $29First bottle was corked. Fantastic, just like every year.

2009 Novy Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah $27Can smell Gary’s [Vineyard]. Full, spicy, easy to drink.

2009 Novy Rosella’s Vineyard Syrah $29Has a nice nose, not a lot of structure.

2009 Novy Gary’s Vineyard Syrah $33Smells a little mildew, but not corked. Doesn’t follow the others.

2010 Novy Oley Late Harvest Viognier
Almost as great as last year (2009).

Russian Hill Estate

Going from Woodenhead to Russian Hill was a tasting trip in reverse. At Woodenhead, they were tasting out of the barrel, but not selling futures. Russian Hill opted out of the event altogether this year, which, based upon past years, was very disappointing. Case in point, we were making this stop to pick up both syrah and pinot noir from last year. We still took the time to taste their wines though, and it was worthwhile.
Odd story about this pinot noir… The winery decided to engage their customers in the naming process. One year later, they couldn’t release the wine because none of the submissions were either appropriate or legal. People…what are you going to do?

2008 Chardonnay Gail Ann’s Vineyard $32//French oak smell – soft lemon, and lightly buttery. It was aged 50/50 in French oak and stainless steel. It was left 10 months on the lees. Surprisingly, the palate was crisp & lemony (lightly). As further tasting will reveal this weekend, this seems to be the pervasive theme for chardonnays – soft, buttery, creamy nose, but crisp, tart, and clean on the palate.

2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $36/-/$34Enticing nose of baked spices, cherry, and strawberry. Mild soft tannins with a medium body on the palate that follows throughout.

2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Estate Grown $36/-/$36Same baked spices with hints of vanilla and cherry (both bing and black). It’s medium bodied with palate follow-through.

2008 Pinot Noir Tara VineyardStronger baked spices with a little cherry on the nose, but no less appealing. No tannic finish – pretty clean with some mild cinnamon.

2008 Russian River Valley Estate Vineyard SyrahThe nose is muted with hints of a velvety finish. It’s showing nicely and suitable for pairing with a peppery dinner.

Joseph Swan

This is our first stop of the day. I have futures to pick up and I’m curious as to how they survived the 2010 Zinfandel crisis (85% of the grapes practically fell off the vines). As it turns out, they don’t bother…

2010 Trenton Station Syrah (futures) $180 per case/ -This has no nose of oak, just rich blackberry, plum and a mild red currant. It has big spiciness on the palate, with real oak and little else – the other flavors are hiding and will certainly appear in a couple of years.

2010 Trenton Estate Syrah (futures) $240 per caseThis is the richest nose on a syrah that I’ve had in a while! Deep, dark, red fruits… If red fruits had a continent, these would be from Africa; blackberry, black cherry, black currant. The palate introduced a new quality that is hard to put my finger on. The fruit is blanketed by a soft spice that I can’t discern. It may be the tannins, but I don’t know… ARGH! All in all, it’s worth the gamble.

2010 Great Oak Syrah (futures) $240 per caseBlackberry, raspberry, with hints of vanilla bouquet. Wow! That’s really young! It’s full of oak and tannins and little else. It doesn’t lack structure for aging, that’s for sure.

2011 Carignane Cotes du Rosa (futures) $210 per caseFlat, light-bodied Carignane with little character and mostly earthy notes. It should be aged in oak a lot longer. It’s going to be bottled after the 2012 harvest, but it could use a lot more time than that.

2010 Tannat Matthew’s Station (futures) $225 per caseI struggled to pull the nose out this glass, it may simply need to open. It doesn’t present a great deal of structure, but the palate has some red currant, a little smokiness, and green vegetable.
This is used as a blending win in France, it’s grown to add color and velvety finish (tannic) but this one clone has a mild character to it that has unique appeal…just not to me.

2005 Russian River Valley Syrah Great Oak VineyardI like the blackberry, black cherry nose. The color is deep and dark, but a lot more tannic than I expected.

2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Trenton View $32/$28/$30Soft cooking spice on the nose. This is a commonly nice Pinot Noir. The red fruit is shy but appealing. If this is a competition, then it doesn’t stand out.

Grgich Hills

This was a first-time stop here. I'll be honest... In the way that Napa wineries tend to be snobby about their status in the wine industry, I've been counter-snobby. I've resisted the status that they claim to the degree that I tend AWAY from them altogether. Every once in a while, I decide to give them the benefit of the doubt and today was one of those days. After stopping in at Grgich Hills, I won't say I've been validated all this time, but I will say that I can substantiate my argument much better.

One of the things that irks me is that Napa insists that they need to charge you for the tasting. Fine...so be it. "For the Special Selections tasting, please pay $30 at Grgich Hills, and we will gladly pour you 5 wines." For those of you keeping track at home that's $6 a glass for wine that isn't more than 0.5 ounces. In any event, I ponied up the dough and immediately set about screwing with them. I asked to switch the Chardonnay on the basic tasting with their desert wine on the special tasting. In this way, I could compare their basic, well-distributed chardonnay (2009) with their special, exclusive one (2007).

2009 Napa Valley Chardonnay $42/$35/-
Big, oaky nose with some rich white fruits and a little butter on the nose. Creamy mouthfeel, with citric acid, melon, pear. This has a great deal of “broad appeal” to it. 30%new oak, but mostly 2nd and 3rd year oak.

2007 Chardonnay, Carneros $75/$64/-
Interesting process they applied to this wine. They soaked it in new oak for a year, and then 6 months in stainless steel. Dry without being acidic. Clean but not crisp. Mild lemon/lime on the nose. Melon sneaks up on the finish. The only other thing I'd add is... How did they screw up a Carneros chardonnay?!?!

2010 Napa Valley Essence $48/$40/$20100% Sauvignon Blanc
Dry, grassy/floral bouquet that blankets a lemony zest. Light bodied with structure but no access to the fruit on the palate.
Jamie is crazy. First of all, the nose on this wine is not just grassy & floral with a slight lemon zest, but it has an underlying sweetness that balances this wine to entice the nosy to take a sip. The sip disappoints from the sweet balance point of view and makes Jamie sound like a genius. He sucks.- Lisa

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley $95/$80/-The color leaves the impression of a light-bodied wine, uncharacteristic of a Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose alludes to structure, but little else. The palate is medium bodied with some acidity, cinnamon, and a mild red fruit.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville $150/$128/$45The nose is much bigger and substantial. The notes of blackberry are prominent, tempered with mild pepper. The balance lives between oakiness and blackberry, with hints black liquorice, in a medium bodied wine. It’s an easy cab to drink, but if you want a more rewarding exploitation of your wallet, there are other places… To wit, the 2007 Bosche Cab Sau at Freemark Abbey was 4x better for half the price.

Freemark Abbey

On a lark, we decided to jump off the beaten path of the Wine Road and take advantage of the fact that we're here on a weekday (Friday) and can stop at a couple of places in Napa County. So, down CA-128 we went... Freemark Abbey, here we come!

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard $75/$60/$50
80% cab; 7% cab franc; 7% merlot
Vanilla and white pepper on the nose, with a layer of dried herbs. Strong acidity, with spices, plum, and a hint of black currant. As cabs go, this is nice, but would benefit from some time in the cellar.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche $75/$60/$70
87.5% cab; 12.5% merlot
The nose was muted for me, compared to the 07 Sycamore, but the palate was “Mmmmm”. The tannins are much better balanced with black currant, plum, pepper, and chocolate truffle. This is a great wine to drink for the money and I'm sure I have a few in my cellar.

1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard $170/$120/$8576% cab; 14% merlot; 10% cab franc
This is a seriously mature wine! The nose is big with a smokiness and toast, but the black currant peeks through, as well. The tannins are long since gone, but the magic of the flavors left behind are delicious! Black cherry, cassis, plum and a mild hint of chocolate leave you with a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche $150/$120/$8587% cab; 13% merlot
The nose is quiet and subtle like a shy darling at the corner of the dance floor. The black cherry and blackberry are blanketed by an extremely subtle but heavy, warm blanket of tobacco. The cedar on the palate is deeply entwined with the black currant, cherry, and blackberry. This is another wine you can pull out to impress your guests, but for the value, stock up on the 2007 vintage.

2008 Petite Sirah $32/$25.6/$35Fruit from Rutherford, a cooler climate from most Petite Sirahs in California, which translates into lower alcohol content. Mild cinnamon on the nose, with some black pepper. The cinnamon comes through, integrated with a base of red currant (perhaps it’s cherry & black currant).

For what it's worth, for larger parties (4 or more) the winery breaks out some of their library wines in an event called "Decades Tasting". $50/person ($40 for club members) This would be quite a treat for the consummate connoisseur.

Mazzocco

As club members to Mazzocco and the Wilson family of wineries (which also includes Wilson, Matrix, DeLorimier, and Soda Rock), we have found value in their wines over the years. They are consistently successful in winning awards for their zinfandels, and for good reasons. The complaint that we consistently have, however, is management of their club and tasting room. In October, we stopped in to see if we could pick up our club case so that we could transport it back with us. In spite of the fact that they were one (1) day away from "releasing" the club shipment, they wouldn't accommodate us. In years prior, we would see the club shipment hit our credit cards without so much as an enthusiasm-generating heads-up email. The 99% of us who actually care about such things like a little warning when $400 affects our finances (especially before holiday shopping season). This year, as we concluded our transaction, little attention was given to securing our personal/financial information after we completed the transaction for the futures. In other words, the signed receipt and futures form was left out on the counter, unattended as we left the winery. Oh, and for what it's worth, they couldn't provide us March's club shipment...It had apparently shipped the day before. I can't remember a single time when we've left here and haven't felt like dumping the club. It must the be wine that keeps us from it...

2011 Zinfandel Sullivan (futures) $34/$24/$20The bouquet is undeveloped, but the palate is light-bodied with bright red fruits, such mild strawberry, red currant, and mild raspberry. This is an easy-drinking wine that I’d buy and drink…if it was already bottled. This isn’t a wine that I’d want to commit $268 (club prices) worth of cash outlay, much less the full price outlay.

2011 Zinfandel Stone (futures) $34/$24/$32Very characteristic STONE wine. Even as young as it is, the oak is subtle, revealing the bright red fruits and a splash of dark fruit for body and flavor. The acidity on the palate reminds you that it’s a zinfandel, with cassis, currant (both black and red), raspberry and a splash of blackberry. This is a crowd pleaser at any event and usually worth the wait.

2011 Zinfandel Smith Orchard Reserve (futures) $52/$37/ -Far less fruit and more herbaceous in flavor and nose. This is a wine that is usually fantastic…I don’t know how this vintage is going to fair. It’s too young, too oaky, with nothing on the nose and little more on the palate. This is another thing that annoys me about Mazzocco; they barrel taste zins from the most recent harvest. This is exactly the reason we haven't gone back to Wilson Wines since our first year of barrel tasting; they served a syrah from the recent harvest and it was still effervescent from the fermenting process!

2011 Zinfandel Seaton (futures) $34/$24/-Even better nose than the Stone , but still a little too young to judge on the palate. This could go as a big, well-loved Mazzocco zinfandel. -Lisa

Fritz

We started our odyssey at Fritz on Friday, this year, but was surprised to see that the tasting was from bottled samples, through no fault of the winery, however. The Wine Road event organizers bungled and ignored Fritz's communiques that they wouldn't be participating on Friday's. Being the professionals that they are, Fritz accommodated those who were signed up to start there, anyway, and poured from barrel samples that had been bottled (as a contingency).

Now, on to the wine!

This is really a place where you need to inquire/coax/cajole/seduce your way into their reserve offerings. As much as I have enjoyed their estate grown wines over the years, their reserve wines are...well...reserve quality.

2010 Vino Valpredo Bianca Mia $14/$11/$12
Chardonnay/Sau Blanc Blend: bright melon on the nose. Light-bodied palate, with mild, crisp lemon and cumquat. If you don’t care for Sau Blanc, but would like a light, crisp, palate-cleanser, then this is a good buy.

2009 Vino Valpredo Squeezebox Red $20/$16/$17Zinfandel/Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon Blend: The nose is very enticing with delicious, sexy flavors. The palate is light-bodied, implying a mild summer blend. I would positively LOVE this wine if it had just a bit more body...but then again, I'm partial to full bodies (wink).

2008 Estate Zinfandel $25/$20/$20The nose on this has changed ethnicity; this wine has historically been full of anise on the nose, but this has a new breed in it. The anise is gone and in its place is black currant, rhubarb pie, and brambles…yes, brambles. As it rolls over the palate, this zin demonstrates an identity crisis. Light-to-medium bodied, typical of their wines, but this is a zin wanting to be a syrah… which explains the nose. Don’t mistake me, it’s a nice zin, but you should definitely set the appropriate expectations for yourself.
“I don’t know…I’m too confused.”-Lisa

2007 Dry Creek Valley Syrah $30/$24/-You can get a sense of the body on the nose, but the flavors are muted. It could be that it simply needs to warm up, a bit.

“Ahhh! There it is!”-Lisa

The tannins on the edge of the nose find their way into the open on the palate. The nose of modest earth, dark, slightly bitter fruits, greets you more assertively on the palate. As syrahs go, it’s not bad and you’d find it quite suitable for a relaxing day alone, but if you’re looking for a syrah to plant your petunias in, this isn’t it.

2010 Estate Malbec (futures) $40/$28/-Fully engaging nose with a bit of tobacco, wood, then it settles down quickly and loses that nose leaving just the earthy skin. The mouth feels more fruit than the nose did, but I struggle to name them. -Lisa

This one is still young and woody for me, hiding the fruit inside. I’d be curious to see what it’s like in a couple of years, but not curious enough to buy it on futures. As a club member, I’ll get a bottle in June. If you're not a club member, sign up. If you're not going to sign up, get a half case of futures and lay it down for a year or two.

2011 Reserve Zinfandel (futures) $50/$32.5/$24Aha! Now this is the Fritz zin, I know! The nose has the appeal of old, with bright fruits and a splash of red currant. The woodines on the palate leaves me with “holy oak, batman”, but it gives me the sense that it’ll mature w/ time. The palate does follow with appropriate hints of red currant, a watered-down plum and very mild pepper. This’ll be another club bottle, and I have no qualms about waiting for that.

So, this is one of the things I love about Fritz... After sampling their wines for the day, Brad Longton (the winemaker) passed through the tasting room, recognized us, and took time to stop and chat about his wines. (My best attempt at name-dropping...) In the course of our conversation, Lisa solicited his personal recommendations, that we might use to augment our purchase. The following is the fruits of her efforts (that pun was for you, honey).

2010 Jenner $25/$18/ $29

This has a lot more cherry, and frankly, alcohol on the palate. The nose is a clean, crisp pinot with all the right red fruits, and I’m drinking it cold. As this warms up, the rich spices begin to show on the nose and palate. This is a fantastic pinot that is completely drink now! -Lisa

The more it warms up, the more the body and fruit reveals itself. So smooth and delicious, this is an everyday pinot with a green closure that means “GO”!

2009 Lost Canyon Pinot Noir Morelli Lane Vineyard $45/$34 /$39The mouth feel on this wine is perfect! This is how all wines (at least all pinot’s) should feel. The nose is all about green leaves (winemaker says tea). The palate is a little puzzle, because the nose says green, but the palate says red dark current…just light. -Lisa

Slightly herbaceous and slightly sweet flower on the nose. I agree with green tea aroma suggestion. The mouth feel is soft and cleansing. I prefer a less acidic pinot, but this has a place on every table.

2009 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Reserve $50/$40/$44Smelled a wonderful rich, dark strawberry and deep red fruit with full earth and body. I have no idea how to aptly describe this zinfandel when it is such a full fruit palate without loss of body. Wonderful. -Lisa

Blackcurrant (but no anise) dominates the flavors on the palate in such an appealing way that you don’t want to set down the glass to eat anything! (or take notes!) The nose sucks you in with the complex blend of dark black fruits. The body is heavier than any zin they’ve produced in recent memory and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

2012 Barrel Tasting

Let the games begin! It's that time of year again when the winemakers are anxious to get some feedback on their "brews" still stewing in the barrels. (They'll kill me for mixing non-wine metaphors.) And let the feedback come in the form of cha-ching$$! Futures are a fantastic way to stake your claim to the last remaining "gold" in northern California. It also keeps the wineries afloat for another season (wink - just kidding).

All right, enough blathering... We're going to take a slightly different tack this year. Yes, we'll make some standard stops (if for no other reason than to pick up last year's futures), but we'll be invading some new territory, as well. Spontaneity is the word of the day (if I can spell it right).

Friday
Fritz - of course
Mazzocco - to beat the weekend rush
Freemark Abbey - wait, what?! They're in St. Helena, not Sonoma... Yep, I wanted to return to Napa Valley for a quick stop or two before the weekend swarm.
Grgich Hills - ugh. More to follow on this stop...
Jessup Cellars - Wine club pickup and a surprise in the chardonnay department...

Saturday
Joseph Swan - Picking up last year's

Woodenhead - New place to try; discovered that they don't SELL futures

Russian Hill - Opted out of barrel tasting this year, but it's worth a stop (and a pickup)

Siduri/Novy - Met friends here in the p.m. Learned something new...Always make this your FIRST stop

Sheldon Wines

Sunday

Windsor Oaks

Sapphire Hill

Lessons Learned from this year's event:

1. Going into the weekend without so much as a rudimentary plan will really limit the number of places you end up going. This year was eleven (11)...a far cry fewer than any years past. As a consequence, we missed (yet again) A. Rafanelli. Spontaneity has its consequences.

2. Two bodies intersecting at a tangent, share energy, in pursuit of equilibrium. In other words, if you find yourself off tasting on your own "path" and agree to meet another group, on THEIR own path for just one stop, you will find that you're respective momentums will be dramatically reduced. Such was the case on Saturday @ Siduri. The stop lasted 2.5 hours, twice as long as it would have if both groups had started/ended the day on the exact same path.

3. If you want to go out to wine country during the wine tasting event, but don't want to particpate, you may have a problem. I learned for the first time that wineries (who are particpating) are not allowed ANY tasting for patrons who haven't purchased the tickets. You're not even allowed to PAY for a tasting.

4. I think I'm going to stop measuring our "success" by the number of wineries and, instead, measure it by the number of wines tasted. We made two stops this weekend that, by most measures, would be considered 3 stops, each! We tasted two dozen wines at Siduri and Windsor Oaks, each!

5. With all of the wine tasting at one stop, I need to come up with a new way to "slow the sizzle" of my palate. After a certain number of wines, my tongue is fried (and so is my ability to make subtle/substantial distinctions in flavors. What the hell's the point, then?

Russian Hill Estate

Harkening back to the first winery, on the first day, of our first wine tasting experience, Russian Hill has a special place in our heart and on our palates. If I have an opportunity to introduce people to good pinots and syrahs, this is a stop that is a positive MUST. While their styles of pinots and syrahs vary from other producers in the area (e.g. Siduri/Novy), in many ways I consider them to be standard bearers, against which others are measured.

2008 Russian River Valley Pinot NoirBlack fruits on nose and palate, not sure of the spice, but it’s a mild spice (like nutmeg, not pepper) finishes well. -Lisa
Mild note of caramel on the nose. Full acidity on the finish

2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Tara’s VineyardLisa likey! Spices are more distinct with no absence of the rich black fruits on the palate. Spices are much more prominent. The fruit smacks of dried red currant, cranberry, and some spicy herbs. -Lisa

2009 “Nameless” Pinot Noir (futures)Rainy day pinot which has good spice and underearth, fungal notes on the nose, but not huge fruit on the palate. Makes me think of a fog rolling in. -Lisa

Slight smokiness with fewer herbs than others. The fruit is dark and rich with blackberry, redcurrant, mild strawberry. Luscious!

2008 Estate Vineyard Syrah (futures $125/6 bttls)Fantastically smooth! Mild earthiness with a drink anytime kind of quality. Well integrated plum, blackcurrant, and a dried red fruit.

2005 Russian River Valley Windsor Oaks Summit $36//Mild smoky notes. Deep Deep Deep dark red fruits. Mildly spicy, with no earthiness. The nose pulls you in to one of the most delicious palates of a syrah.

Off the Wine Road, onto the shoulder...

In an experiment of sorts, we met a couple in Santa Rosa on the Saturday of the barrel tasting weekend. This was a new couple that had been referred to us for our knowledge in wines, who were interested in getting more involved in the experience. The two of them are foodies, which go nicely with winos (sorry..., “oenophiles” for those of you with fragile egos). They were vacationing in San Francisco for the weekend and we coordinated a day in which they would join us for barrel tasting. Given that this was their first foray into wine tasting, we “prepped” them a couple of weeks prior. As much as anything, we wanted to get a real impression of their preferences in wine and then tailor the experience to them. So, what follows are some notes that we collected while “introducting” them to wine and wine country.

My notes aren’t complete here, as usually occurs when we have company, so bear with me. The first stop, in fact, wasn’t even on the wine road, but I was confident it would be a fruitful stop (no pun intended).

Buena Vista (March 2011)

This is a winery that is often overlooked and highly underrated. It's been a favorite of mine for the last five years and will continue to be in the foreseeable future. The best quality of this winery is their diversity, which is odd when you consider they only really make three varietals. The diversity comes within the wines themselves. As we mapped the relative preferences of our guests, we quickly concluded that, as individuals, they had very competing tastes. Buena Vista became the place where we could solve that problem and satisfy everyone. ...and satisfy them, we did! For their first stop at their first winery in their entire lives, we hit the mother lode, walking out with 3.5 cases of wine! I can't speak to what our guests bought, but, as usual, the green highlighted wines were part of our purchase.

If you enjoy a crisp, clean chardonnay, they have it; if you enjoy a warm, soft, slightly creamy chardonnay, they have it. Pinots range from luscious to dried fruit and herbaceous. This is what I mean by diversity. Moreover, they are supremely well-priced; notice that the guilt-free price (the third of the three) is almost always as much as the retail (the first) and greater than the club price (the second). This is why I've never balked at being a club member, here.

2007 Robert Young Chardonnay Clone 17RY $36/$27/$30Field selection chardonnay from Robert Young
Crisp nose. Light-bodied and modestly acidic. Mild green apple and pear. Nice crispness on the palate.

2007 Ramal Vineyard Chardonnay $36/$27/$35Rich nose. Soft flavors. Wonderful juicy palate. Some pear, honeydew and citric melon.

2008 Ramal Vineyard Pinot Noir Swan Selection $42/$32/$44Strawberry, raspberry, red currant on the nose. The palate follows with hints of vanilla. This is a wonderful Pinot Noir! I’ve always loved it!

2007 Ramal Vineyard Pinot Noir Dijon Clones (777) $42/$32/$38Warm nose, warm wine, warm finish. Not as enticing as the Swan Selection, but a nice wine on a cool day. Dried fruits, with no “lusciousness”.

2007 Ramal Vineyard Syrah $45/$34/$38Blackberry, smoked meat, spice and licorice on the nose. Medium-to-light bodied. I like it unaerated…much better body.

2007 Ramal Vineyard Pinot Noir Dijon Clone (777/828/POM5) $45/$32/$45Very similar to the Dijon Clone 777 with all of the nose, but with a much smoother, fuller-body. The fruit brightens with time on this wine. This is a standard bearer.

2006 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $30/$23/$43Nice fruit, soft tannins with earthiness across the finish

2005 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder $60/$45/$46Brighter red fruit with fewer tannins. Super smooth with under-bearing character. Good value. Good wine.

2006 Ramal Vineyard Pinot Noir Dijon Clones (777) $42/$32/$45Nose is bright red fruit with no spice or herbaceous flavors. The nose is delicious, medium bodied with full integration.

This little side trip from barrel tasting was well worth the time and distance. A couple of my wine tasting tenets were really validated at this stop. 1) Take notes - it shows you're a serious consumer with discriminating tastes. If not for this, we wouldn't have been offered HALF of the wines listed here (including the Cabs). 2) Be prepared to join clubs. Our guests joined the club and saved a LOT of money over the 3.5 cases they purchased. If the average bottle is $40, 3.5 cases costs $1680; club price is $1260, a savings of $420!

Mill Creek

Why do we stop at Mill Creek…? Let me count the ways… Mill Creek has a quaint little tasting room set back from the main road. With a water wheel at the side, the tasting room has a cathedral ceiling to accommodate a loft above the long tasting bar. The TRL rating notwithstanding, the value we’ve found in their wines over the years has been great! In past reviews, you may recall that I’ve felt they’ve had a bit of inferiority complex, being so close to Twomey as they are. The boon is to the consumer, however, because the wines are REALLY good at a GREAT price!

This was an interesting stop, this year, because it’s growing in popularity with the neophytes that seep up from The Bay. It’s close to Armida, who is WILDLY popular, so spillage is bound to occur. We managed to slip in and begin tasting before the flood, but it was short-lived. Two, maybe three tastings in and the patients were loose in the asylum. For whatever reason, though, I was being patient, patient, patient…and it paid off. We had been there almost an hour, still “slogging” through the offerings, when we were invited upstairs to the loft (reserved for club members, of which we are not). This is where the fun really began and a whole new dimension of Mill Creek was revealed to us.

When this is all said and done, you’ll notice a couple of things: 1) our value ratings were pretty close to retail prices; 2) we bought a lot of the wine. It’s important to note that there were other discounts being offered, and with the rapport that we developed with the staff, they were exuberantly offering more!

2009 Sauvignon Blanc $19/-/-Notes of pink grapefruit. Dry and slightly acidic

2009 GewurstraminerCalifornians are trying to make a name for themselves with Gewurstraminer, so they’re doing what’s not usually done with the grape; they’re making it dry. This is one of those dry gewürztraminers with plenty of citrus fruit flavor. It has a smooth, simple, good palate with notes of lychee and honeysuckle… yes, I said lychee.

2007 Chardonnay Reserve $32/-/-This chard was aged in French oak for 9 months. It has a soft nose that is not inviting but very unimposing. It displays an unusual integration of flavors of melon, citrus, and slight butteriness (I know, it’s not a word; deal with it). It’s a wine that goes down nicely but makes me think about it.

2009 Zinfandel $30/-/$34The obvious youth of this zinfandel should discount most less favorable comments that I might offer. For example, it’s very light bodied, in a way that reminds me of a smoky pinot, but is still fruit forward, with strawberry and boysenberry on the palate. -Lisa

The nose hasn’t developed yet, but it hints at the some floral qualities that will be interesting once it has developed as a wine. The red fruit qualities are dominant and quite appealing. The anise, characteristic of Dry Creek Valley, doesn’t present itself. As zinfandels go, there’s no spice, just bright fruit deliciousness. I liked this wine and would buy a bottle or two in the future, but it didn’t compel me to buy futures.

2006 Zinfandel $26/-/$32This zin had much more spice on the nose. The anise appeared alongside the red fruit in this vintage. A nice wine... better than the 2009.

2006 Syrah Estate Corner Pocket Vineyard $33/-/$32

There’s a bit of toast on the palate which smoothes out the dark fruit and spice in this wine. Not sure of the spice I get on the nose, but feel it’s well integrated on the palate.
Deep dark blackberry, raspberry, black currant and mild smoke. Without the earthiness of a typical syrah, this is a delicious wine!!

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma county -/$30/$34By now, you should know that we’ve been invited up to the loft, away from the clamor and cacophony of the neophytes below. This will prove fortuitous when one of them breaks a bottle of white wine vinaigrette whose aroma permeates the building, making it nearly impossible to smell/taste anything.
This is a club member only wine, so no retail price was provided. Again, it’s very young (especially for a Cabernet Sauvignon), so the nose is a bit undeveloped. It did have slight floral notes with the slightest hint of mint/eucalyptus. 90% Cab/10% Merlot. Smooth with mild tannins and modest-to-no complexity. It had an unusual sting /tingle in the back of my throat/mouth that may be associated with the fermentation process that it’s still undergoing.

2004 Reserve Merlot $32/-/$45
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ah, yes, the merlot for which we are most fond! Soak in the warm nose of baked cherries with tannins that are perfectly balanced with the fruit. This is a fantastic Merlot! There’s a spicy red fruit that I’ll have to look up, but the mystery only enhances the allure of the wine.

2006 Wine Club Blend -/-/$30Since we were in the “clubbers” loft, we were introduced to one of the perks of membership. A number of years ago, they brought their club members together to offer them an opportunity to blend their own wine. I’ve seen other wineries do this, but have never participated. The product of this event, however, will be bottled and sold under the Mill Creek label and the club member’s special designation. This is a fun, fun thing to do if you have aspirations in the wine industry.
This is a blend that is really interesting. The spice on the palate brings blood to the senses. 28% Merlot/50% syrah/22% Zin. They let us taste this, but it wasn’t being released, yet, so no pricing was available. With a little more maturity and bottle aging, this will be worth upwards of $30 per bottle.

2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley $44/-/$45This cab originates from a 10 acre Vineyard in Alexander Valley used for the Reflections blend. It has a warm nose and smooth palate. The nose increases in complexity as time passes. It has a soft quality to it that is quite beguiling. The palate is smooth but would still stand up to a very mildly smoked porterhouse with white pepper. (not sharp, very smooth).

2009 Reflections Bordeaux blendThis is what Clos du Bois’ Marlstone has always wanted to be. The nose has bright red fruit with notes of raspberry, strawberry, cherry, and red currant. The tannins are smooth and almost subtle. The current blend is Cab/Merlot. The palate follows well, with little or no surprises…perhaps some mild white pepper. Even as young as it is, I’m going to implore my club member friends (whom I introducted (my new word) to Mill Creek) to acquire some for me.

The Final Take : 21 bottles, totaling $493.20 to include2005 Mill Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
2007 Mill Creek Vineyards Left of Starboard Zinfandel
2004 Mill Creek Vineyards Merlot Estate
2004 Mill Creek Vineyards Merlot Reserve
2006 Mill Creek Vineyards Syrah Estate Corner Pocket Vineyard

Unti

So, a word about Unti... The Italians settled in the Russian River Valley to make primitivo (cum zinfandel). Among them are Rafanelli, Teldeschi, Forchini, Unti, Pedroncelli, and others. Unti is a winery that sets a standard in Syrahs, on most occasions. This is a small winery run by a father and son, where the tasting room is little more than some free space at the south end of their barrel room. They put up a few walls to create some offices and a bar for tasting. No charm to speak of, but they have a generous offering of wines to tast and some exceptionally notable varietals. They have a Benchland Syrah that is quite coveted and a classic Barbera that won't stay on the shelves for more than a couple of months (rightfully so). If you want a bottle of the best Barbera in northern California, then you better get there quick. They usually release their Barbera in May and you can count on it being sold out before the summer’s over. While we didn't have the chance to taste the Barbera, we didn't leave without it. There are many good reasons it’s popular and there’s no such thing as a bad vintage for this wine.
Pomp, posh, and pinache are merely words that start with a "p" for these folks. Nonetheless, find twenty minutes out of your day to stop in.

2007 Grenache Dry Creek Valley
80% Grenache/10%Syrah/10% Mourvedre Unfined/unfiltered

Lively nose once it warms, with notes of boysenberry and red currant. It has no acidity, is medium bodied, and possesses a modest earthiness. As grenache’s go, this is atypical…which is why I like it.

2007 Zin Dry Creek Valley 28/-/26
88% Zin/8% Petite Sirah/4% Barbera

This is zinfandel is a primitivo clone. If your unfamiliar with the genesis of zinfandel in America, you should hit Wikipedia; some say it started from the mission grape, but it definitely has roots in primitivo. (That pun was for you, honey.) What's important to note is that a primitivo clone is like a second generation Italian... the first descendant of the immigrant whose name was shortened on Ellis Island. That said, it has an unusual floral nose, but a delicious palate. It's a bit spicy without the acid. If I could be a little pretentious, I'll add that the Petite Sirah definitely shows itself in this wine.

2007 Syrah Dry Creek Valley $30/-/$26
This wine is dark, rich, and earthy. The nose confused me, but I went through a few glasses before I found one that presented the wine appropriately. The wine could benefit from a smaller glass (in lieu the Bordeaux glass, in which it was served). This is one of the best syrahs for the price. There’s still a note of anise, but the other syrah characteristics are still present. The principal reason my guilt-free price was so low as because we struggled to get a good taste of it, struggling with the glass as we did.

2007 Benchland Syrah Dry Creek Valley $35/-/$35You have to get past the initial shock of the dark earth, mildly fungal, but no-spice salami-like (no pepper qualities) earthiness in order to get the fruits on the nose, but let it sit a moment in your glass (decant it if you like), and you’ll get the full black currant fruits with deep earth tones you like in a sirah. -Lisa

The dark fruits are plentiful, to be sure. The earthiness that you expect in a Syrah would be a stretch to say. The black currant and anise (typical of the area) contribute to the lightly velvety finish. I’ve had better versions of this wine, but it’s still a good value.

2006 Benchland Syrah Dry Creek Valley $28/-/$35Since this was a cooler vintage, the tannins should be rougher. As it happens, though, this is a better rounded Syrah than its younger brother. Let the wine open in the glass before you stick your nose in it... It could just be the way things were being presented, but my first snootful was filled with the smell of bad meat. As it warmed up a little, and the wine settled. While it is better rounded, the nose is of some concern
Winemaker notes are of intense blackberry, smoked meat, and spice. I get the meat…but if it’s smoked, it’s a gamy, smoked meat.

Fritz

Predictably, our first stop of the year was at Fritz. It was the Friday of the second weekend and my wires were crossed...they weren't tasting from the barrel that day, "but if I came back tomorrow..."

I was characteristically noncommittal because I knew that, as a club member, I'd have my chance at a good deal on their new wines. (Not as good as the futures price, but you win some and you lose some...)

We had to stop, if for no other reason, to pick up our futures from last year. It had been a good selection last year, with a purchase of a half case of each of their offerings. Unfortunately, they chose to barrel age the Zinfandel just a little longer. No worries, though, the Cab was good to go without a word to say! Ahhh, but if that were the end of the story, there'd be little reason to go on, now would there!

2009 Sauvignon Blanc
I've been a big fan of these Sau Blancs over the years and this one doesn't disappoint as much as it surprises. It has intense flavor on the nose, fully integrated, indistinguishable, but undiluted. Having said that, the huge acidity over the palate almost took me aback. As Sau Blancs go, I prefer a creamier mouthfeel, but I'm not averse to a crisp finish. This one, however, was so crisp it could have shaved your tongue off! All kidding aside, the shortcoming of this wine is that the acidity completely masks the flavors on the nose. If you buy this wine, lay it down for a while and if you do serve it, pair it with some oily/buttery fish or chicken.

2009 Jenner Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
So, Jenner is a new label of Fritz's and I was curious how it would stand up to their estate chardonnays. This wine lures you in with hints of lime on the nose... and then it EATS YOUR FACE with explosive tartness (lemon lime) on the palate! I can't remember anything like this in recent memory. If you really enjoy Italian Pinot Gris, then this will be your chalice of choice. For half the price, though, buy a Pinot Gris.

2009 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Now, on to their estate grown chardonnay... This wine had mild citrus on the nose, and with trepidation, I sipped it anyway (still re-arranging my face from the last wine). The palate followed with more intensity than the nose, but not so much that it frightened you off Chards for good. It was fresh and crisp; it's a nice wine, but not what I want in a chardonnay, these days (I miss the buttery chards of old). I wouldn't tell you to not buy this wine; it certainly satisfies a demographic.

2009 Jenner Pinot Noir: $25/$20/$28Back to Jenner, the new label... This wine has a mild red fruit on the nose, with slight hints of herbs. It was a very appealing nose, if I'm honest. The fruit and herbs are spicy on the palate with quite a bit of acidity. It could settle (be laid down) for another year.
Lisa's notes: Huge herbs (say that three times real fast), but does not overpower the fruits on the nose. The palate is easy and drink now, but will improve in the next year. My guiltless price is $38.

2008 Lost Canyon Pinot Noir Saralee’s VineyardThis wine has rich, red fruits on the nose. A dried red fruit flavor appears on the palate with modest spice and acidity. We still have a few bottles of this from our futures purchase last year. It’s showing better here than when I served it with salmon last weekend. What did I do wrong? Well, for one, I served it with salmon. You really want something biased toward herbaceous than fruit when pairing with salmon.

2007 Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley: $25/$20/$22This was mild and muted on the nose. It’s light-bodied with spicy, fruit flavors.

2008 Zinfandel Dry Creek ValleyMedium-to-light-bodied Zin with much more flavor. More than modest amount of anise, red currant, and a flavor I can’t identify. If you subscribe to the "wine has an ethnicity" philosophy, then this one has the Nose of Dry Creek Valley (much like the Italian noses of New Jersey).

2008 VinoValpredo Squeezebox Red: $20/$16/$3050% Zinfandel/35% Cabernet Sauvignon/15% Syrah
This wine exudes a lightly flowery nose with hints of a dark red fruit. It's medium-bodied with subtle tannins from the cabernet. A splash of petite sirah would really liven it up. It's a perfectly enjoyable wine that I classify as an over-achiever at its market price.

2007 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: $35/$28/$35What a full-bodied cab, with great flavor! The mild anise confuses the tannins a little, but that's the ethnicity of a Dry Creek Valley wine, even the cabs.
Lisa's Notes: I'm not sure this will mature to anything more complex or full. The last of the glass demonstrated a little light for a cab, but it is a great drink now for an inexpensive cabernet that would nicely complement a regular sirloin (no real spice). This could not stand up to a spicy or well smoked steak.

2007 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: $50/$40/$45This is what I call my "big dog" of Fritz's cabs. It's an extremely smooth, very drinkable Cab with lots of big red fruits. It has very little tannins, or acidity so it won’t hold up to much red meat, but for a cab out of northern California at this price, it's a good deal.

2011 Barrel Tasting

This turned out to be quite a nice adventure. I'm only starting to realize it as I sit in my cozy, leather couch drinking one of my luscious, treasured finds. If you've spent time, year after year, going to barrel tasting as we have, you might find yourself becoming inured to the charm of the event. The crowds get bigger and younger every year (not that we get older), and it somehow feels more like a travelling frat/sorority party than a weekend of discovering new wines while they are barely zygotes (so to speak). Part of the challenge of late is to keep it fresh while trying not to kill or maim those airheaded, mindless neophytes that surround you. You work to keep it fresh by finding one or two new wineries you've never tried before; one-in-three will be fruitful. Volume of wineries visited also helps keep things fresh. On any given three-day weekend, we will visit 20-30 wineries. This allows us to revisit many of our old haunts and slip in more than a few new ones.

The other thing that keeps things fresh is to bring along newcomers..."fresh meat", as it were. Of course, it's important to be selective; you don't want them to blend in with the chuckleheads (like the year I took my sister). This year, we happened to introduce a couple to the experience (and wine-tasting, as a practice) on the second day of the event. The experience was so successful, they changed their other plans and joined us again on Sunday. Rookies will usually slow the pace a bit, but after the first day, we were all into the swing of things. All told, our three-day tally was 17 wineries and just as many cases of wine.

While I'm on the point of returning home with such a booty, I have to say I was surprised at my success in bringing so much home. In years past, our sojourns have been in our Toyota Prius which, through repetition and learned efficiencies I've come to be able to pack 18 cases, luggage for two, and a passenger. On this trip, I was in our Lexus IS350C (a convertible) and was concerned that I'd have to leave some of "our soldiers" behind. My persistence prevailed, however, and we (myself and my soldiers) were treated to the most comfortable 800 mile ride home ever! As impressive as it was (to me, anyway) that the ride was still smooth, it was even more exciting that the car didn't lose a step in it's zip! All I can say is...Ahhhh!

So here's the short version of our event weekend; the details will be forthcoming.

Friday - 3/11/11

Fritz (of course) - Dry Creek Valley

Sbragia - Dry Creek Valley

Unti - Dry Creek Valley

Mill Creek - Russian River Valley

Saturday - 3/12/11

Buena Vista

Siduri/Novy

Armida

Matrix

Sunday - 3/13/11

Russian Hill

Harvest Moon

Joseph Swan

Sapphire Hill

Stonestreet

Robert Young

Clos du Bois

Mauritson

Sheldon Wines

The Take was 7 cases (by volume) out the door, and 4.5 cases on futures. Purchases were made from 12 of the 17 wineries (futures or otherwise). I call that quite productive.

Sunce

What an incredible difference from last year! When we stopped here last year, the offering was limited to two or three barrels. This year, the barrel room was open and they were pouring from upwards of 14 barrels! I confess that I was done for the weekend, by that point, so I don't have much to offer, except to say that don't let one year be the only indicator; four times as many wines to choose from, year-to-year is a wonderful surprise.

Joseph Swan

I do like stopping at Joseph Swan to see what their barrels are offering. They often have 6-8 barrels open for the tasting and the case price is more than reasonable. Moreover, they'll have a vintage wine on clearance for a ridiculous price.

Joseph Swan, in my opinion, has some of the best-balanced zinfandels in the valley, particularly at that price point ($19-$25). I often believe they are under-priced, but it's their market and I'm not complaining. Unfortunately, I lost my tasting partner this year before we stopped here (and subsequently Sunce), so my heart wasn't in it. Even though the wines weren't compelling as futures, I'd likely buy them for full price if I was walking out the door with them. In fact, if you can get your hands on some vintage Lone Redwood, horde it! They've since ripped out the vines, but it was a delectable zinfandel.

Sapphire Hill

This is a winery we've regularly purchased futures at. In fact, we had to stop this year just to pick up last year's futures. If you find yourself milling about Healdsburg, wander down to Front Street and stop into the tiny little winery that is Sapphire Hill. You'll be amazed at how enjoyable their selection is; Chardonnay, Winberrie Zinfandel, Porky's Patch Zinfandel, Syrah, to name a few.

This year, the wines weren't tasting well. In the past, I've had to negotiate with Lisa over which futures we commit to, but this year, none of their offerings were compelling. That did not, however, deter us from filling out the rest of the case to include one of their 2006 Chardonnays (stainless and oak fermented), the 2004 Bastoni Ranch Zinfandel, and 2008 Porky's Patch Zinfandel.

In fairness, barrel tasting here has been a temperamental experience. One year, we rolled in on a Friday and the Syrah was tasting poorly. We dropped back in on Sunday and it was compelling enough to buy futures. They seem to be dramatically affected by the weather, as in this case, the temperature had dropped Thursday night and the barrels were a little below their optimal aging temp. Moreover, they hadn't warmed up for tasting yet, as they had by late Sunday afternoon. Another opportunity to continue to collect empirical data! Cheers!