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).

Siduri

TRL/Staff/Wine: 6/10/10

For new people, walking into the warehouse where Siduri makes their wines and seeing a dozen people at a dozen tables ready to to pour 2-3 wines might be quite intimidating. We've been at it for so long, and have tasted at Siduri so many times, we're often a tad crestfallen when they're only tasting 7-8 wines (see October 2007). For you rookies, hold on to your glass...this will be a long and bumpy ride.

Note that Siduri doesn't have a wine club (they don't need one), so the second-of-three prices will be the "event" price, discounted for barrel tasting, for select wines.

2008 Russian River Valley Viognier: 22/17/-

2008 Chardonnay Rosellas Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands: 24/19.5/20
Lemon is the predominant note, with a little toast. No real buttery feel. Easy to drink.

2008 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir: 30/33
East to drink; nice nose. Simple fruit.

2008 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir: 30/40
Smoky and well-balanced. More complex.

2007 Sonatera Pinot Noir: 29/44Multi-layered. Great spice/fruit balance!!

2007 Keefer Ranch Vineyard Pinot Noir: 50/29/39
Makes me think of rain. No real spice but rounded; needs to settle down. Open for 4-5 hours prior to serving.

2007 Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir: 50/34/34
Sharp nose, but so smooth all the way down. Very nice. Green nose, but unmatched palate.

2007 Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot Noir: 50/29/38
Soft palate, good nose but doesn’t draw you in.

2008 Gary’s Vineyard Pinot Noir: 50/38
Mild-to-bland palate/nose. The finish had merit.

2008 Cargasacchi Vineyard: 50/39/43
Spicy/smoky nose with bright fruit on the palate.

2008 Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir: 55/39
Bright fruit; very accessible. Full mouthfeel, fruity, but too expensive.

2006 Stolpman Vineyard Nebbiolo: 19.50/29
Strawberry!

2009 Lewis Vineyard Pinot Noir (Futures): 39/-
Developing fast for something harvested 6 months ago. Has good fruit potential but little hints of spice/smoke. Still a little effervescent (for which I would usually cry foul) and tangy, but you can feel/taste the fullness of the fruit. A bit smoky.

2009 Sierra Mar Vineyard Clone 943 Pinot Noir (Futures): 45/-
Bright fruit on the nose. Palate falls short; needs more time in the barrel to develop. Has some potential.

2008 Simpson Vineyard Grenache (Futures)
Driest Grenache I’ve ever tasted. Makes your cheeks pucker.

2008 Carlisle Vineyard Zinfandel (Futures)
No notes, but worthy of splitting a half-case.

2006 Page Nord Syrah
Lackluster

2006 Sapphire Hill Vineyard Syrah
Great fruity nose, but the palate bombs.

2006 Judge Family Vineyard Syrah
Great, full nose with strong notes of truffle. The acidity on the palate hides the fruit, however.

2007 Christiansen Vineyard Syrah: 19.5/25-36 (opinions differ)
Nice fruit, uncharacteristic of a syrah. Not earthiness, but some spice.

2007 Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah: 27/32
Nice, accessible fruit with mild tannins. Late spice on the finish. The nose really is appealing.

2007 Rosella’s Vineyard Syrah, Santa Lucia Highlands: 33/33
Meaty nose; classical earthy syrah. Fruit is not as accessible as other syrahs, but good, nonetheless.

2007 Gary’s Vineyard Syrah: 33/30
A “light” version of Rosella’s Vineyard syrah. Consistently lighter, smoother, and less bold.

2006 Pinot deals
Oddly labeled, I know, but the long and short of this is that one of Siduri’s distributors returned a batch of their 2006 vintage pinot noirs. Nearly all of them were well priced at $40/bottle; these were selling for $15/bottle! The most notable pinots included the 2006 Sonatera Vineyard and the 2006 Amber Ridge Vineyard.

2009 Hirsch Pinot Noir
Great nose! Good smoky flavor. Keep an eye out for this – it’s going to be great!

So this is the point of the story where I get to brag a little and substantiate why I keep returning to Siduri. Lisa and I were poring over our notes in an attempt to build a modest, two-case order when Jody (whom we met the very first time, years ago) recognized us and came up to greet us. After pleasantries were exchanged, Jody finds Adam (co-owner and winemaker) and sends him our way. Naturally, this wasn’t the first time we’ve enjoyed his company and his free reign in the winery. After a brief conversation, he directed us back into the barrel room. Now, we had been taking notes on all of the aforementioned wines, which bored the three friends we’d brought with us to the extent that they had been waiting out by the car for a bit. After conferring with Adam, however, I ran out and passed along the command, “grab your glasses, Adam is taking us into the back.” Two of the three friends knew exactly what this meant (having been with us during previous events) and grabbed their glasses without question and chased after me, dragging the questioning “rookie” behind them. Meanwhile, Adam is setting up in the barrel room to offer us a couple of recent formulations. I must confess, at this point, that the Gewurstraminer that he poured us, while interesting didn’t compel me to take notes. Honestly, I was still a bit wrapped up in the special experience. After another wine, he led us to the purpose of my mission… Behold, as he thiefed from the barrel, I heard the angels sing!

2008 Simpson Vineyard Syrah (5o cases)
WONDERFUL! OMG! Mere weeks from being released, it happens to be my favorite vineyard-designated syrah from Novy (Siduri is Pinot Noir; Novy is the label they use for everything else).
2008 Susan’s Hill Syrah
Big fruit, mild spice. Needs more integration. The spice is awaiting its turn, but it’s still very accessible.

2007 Susan’s Hill Syrah
Well integrated, nice spice, great nose – not as full fruit, but the fruit does show.

2007 Simpson Vineyard Syrah
Smoky, like a pinot, but earthy like a syrah. Smooth – not so fruity.
The 2008’s are going to be the better wines, in my opinion.

2009 Oley (dessert wine)
Muscat nose. So sweet! Caramel, honey, orange, peach. Delicious without making you sleep or stop. So GOOD! Also to be bottled in April. Adam says that this will be the best wine in his library, and I have to agree. On its merits, it is the best of their wines. Fun note about this tasting: Adam thiefed from the stainless steel barrel and then from the oak barrel that he was aging the wine in. It gave you the experience of what the two components were like before he blends and integrates them before bottling. Fascinating!

2008 Barrel Tasting

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.

Siduri

2006 Siduri Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (unreleased) ($28)
Smooth, easy drinking.

2006 Chehalem Mountain Pinot Noir: $28/-/$25

2006 Sonoma County Pinot Noir: $20/-/-

2006 Cargasacchi Vineyard Pinot Noir: $53/-/$36
Spicy palate; great, full nose.

2005 Stolpman Vineyards Pinot Noir: $33/-/$30
Mild fruit, mild-to-no tannins.

2005 Novy Napa Valley Syrah: $23/-/$25
Big, bold nose. Fruit doesn’t finish on the palate.

2005 Novy Russian River Valley Syrah: $27/-/$33
Blend of Amber Ridge/Christiansen/Parson’s Vineyards. Full-bodied, very rich flavor.

2005 Novy Santa Lucia Highlands: $27/-/$33
Susan’s Hill/Rosella’s/Gary’s Vineyards. Another good syrah!

October 2007 – Sonoma Harvest Fair

This was, without a doubt, the biggest trip we’ve taken. We dedicated ten days to exploring wine country in Sonoma and Napa counties. For our efforts, we visited 43 wineries, 26 of which were new, and 31 of which successfully plied money from our wallets. Together, we have not dedicated more than a few days to a vacation of any type since our three week tour of Europe (pre EU) in 1992. Needless to say, we approached it with gusto!

Friday Sonoma Harvest Fair
What you should know about Harvest Fair is that it’s not unlike other county fairs you grew up around. It has animal pageants, produce contests, and first rate flowers. The key draw to this fair, in my opinion, is what a $20 ticket will get you the first day… a glass from which you can taste all of the fair’s ribbon winners for the year. This particular year, there were a few standouts. Not only did Clos du bois’ Calcaire win best chardonnay wine, it was voted the best wine of the fair! If you’re a pinot-phile, then you’d want to stop by and taste De La Montanya’s prize winner.

Throughout this entire barn (and it is a big barn) are nothing but tables of wines of all different varietals grown and made in Sonoma County. If you ever wanted to “tour” Sonoma County wineries, there’s no faster way. Here’s the perfect opportunity to taste gobs of new wines that you know are notable, even though you’ve never heard of the winery.

If you do come to the event, I suggest packing a light lunch because there aren’t many food booths to sate your appetite or tame your buzz. Also bring very comfortable shoes, as you will likely be on your feet the entire time. Tables are available if you claim them as soon as you walk through the door or you attempt to reserve them well in advance. Given the size of the crowd and the limited seating, it’s unlikely you’ll have much to work with. Both the barn and the event are big enough to house a couple thousand of your closest friends, with seating for about a tenth of them.

Here's our massive itinerary. If you're wondering about the light day in the middle, somebody had to see the beach and play in the surf...

Saturday
• De Loach
• Martin Ray
• Russian Hill Estate Winery
• Gary Farrell
• Moshin
• Porter Creek
• Arista
• Hop Kiln
• Rabbit Ridge
• Twomey

Sunday
• Imagery
• De la Montanya
• Sapphire Hill
• Holdredge
• Davis Family
• Christie Vineyard
• Huntington Wine Cellars

Monday
• Clos Pegase
• Cuvaison
• Castello di Amorosa
• Merryvale
• Flora Springs

Tuesday
• Ferrari - Carano
• Mauritson

Wednesday
• Mazzocco
• Dry Creek Vineyards
• Lambert Bridge
• Mill Creek
• Belvedere
• Gallo
• Rosenblum

Thursday
• Fritz
• Trentadue
• Robert Young

Friday
• Jessup Cellars
• Domaine Chandon
• Castella di Amorosa

Saturday
• Siduri
• Mill Creek
• Armida
• Fritz
• Clos du Bois
• Robert Young
• Stonestreet

Sunday
• Trentadue
• Heitz Cellars

Napa in 2007

Having learned some hard lessons in past trips, we made the appropriate adjustments for this trip and toured Napa during the week. Every place we stopped was new to us and the whole experience was unparalleled to anything we’d done before.
I'm still searching for the rest of my barrel tasting notes from this trip. Maybe I'll find them anyway...
Clos du Val
Cabernet Sauvignon
I enjoyed this wine while was still pretty tight, while others preferred it decanted/open. It’s a good wine to drink alone with lots of complexity to it: dark flavors like chocolate, black cherry, coffee.

Luna
Luna had some good wines, but they were overpriced and somewhat disappointing.

Conn Creek
These guys opend with a nice “hey, how are you?” chardonnay. It was the wine that led us to coin the term “social chardonnay”. You know the ones I’m talking about, where company arrives and you’re still settling in for the event, so you open a nice white wine to warm things up while you finish your preparations.
Smack me in the mouth, this is the biggest, baddest, Bordeaux blend I have ever tasted! Conn Creek Anthology, a full blend of the five Bordeaux grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec), is the richest, chewiest, blast of complex flavor and mountainous structure that has ever crossed my palate! Wow! Woohoo!

Charles Krug
I confess that I made the same mistake that most people, new to the area, make. I recognized Krug as a sparkling wine maker, but what I learned was only their French wineries make it. They stick to the traditions of it, and therefore make Champagne. (Note: Champagne is a sparkling wine made in the eponymously named region of France.) Nonetheless, Krug was quite a pleasant surprise. They had a good merlot at the price point ($19/bttl). Their red blend, Generations, didn’t have the in-your-face structure that Anthology had, but it was smooth and suitably complex. For $15 a bottle less, it was also better valued.

Louis MartiniThe chardonnay they offered was good and fairly priced, as were all of their wines. The stand-out here was an old-vines zinfandel.

Simi - Barrel Tasting
We stopped at Simi to hit their barrel tasting since they were one of the few open on a Friday. Regrettably, it wasn’t really worth the stop – even the food was poor. At some point, it might be worth stopping for the winery tour.

Armida - Barrel Tasting
Nestled up on a hill overlooking a pond and vineyards, this is a nice spot to buy a bottle and sit out on their deck with a small picnic. We had a thought that having people at the rail of the redwood deck, overlooking the vineyards, with four glasses and a bottle on the rail, would be a nice artistic picture.
Once again, their Maple Vineyard Zinfandel is fabulous! We bought futures and I’m sure we won’t be disappointed. They were also tasting a 2006 One Old Vineyard Zinfandel that would be interesting to try once it is bottled.
Their chardonnay was so worth the futures. The 2006 Keefer Ranch Chardonnay had a creaminess to it while still sustaining citrus fruits of lemon, pear, and oddly, a little banana.

Hop Kiln - Barrel TastingKeep and eye out for the November Release of the Dijon Clone Chardonnay. They have a lot of great oils, mustards, dips, vinagrettes, etc. If you are hungry, they bake you a small loaf of bread in about 5 minutes for a couple of dollars. It’s nice to cut the buzz with… The most interesting thing about Hop Kiln is its history, having once been a brewery.

Copia
I talk about COPIA a little in my book. In short, it’s well worth the stop. Devote the better part of the morning or afternoon here as the museum, restaurant, and wine/food seminars will keep you occupied for a while.

Freemark AbbeyThere’s no doubt that this is a very charming place, but the wines, we found were a tad overpriced. We’ve since learned that the real value wines are in the reserve tastings.

Heitz Cellars
Bella Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon was a multi-layered wine that will improve even more in five years. It was so incredibly complex that there were two distinct phases to the flavors that appeared from the taste. The finish was so long I almost checked my watch!

The chardonnay they offer is quite nice as a social chardonnay. Note, however, that it differs greatly from other chards in the valley, in that it’s not creamy or buttery. This is a chard with so much oak flavor you almost have to dig the splinters out of your mouth. Don’t mistake me, it’s got good balance with lemon, pear, and melon, but this is not your Napa chard.

Grignolino Port – It’s a sweet port, but without the brand fortification. Heitz uses grappa, a wine spirit, to fortify their ports. It’ll be good with fruity desserts (including, oddly, pumpkin pie).
Grignolino wine – this is best characterized as a good pizza wine. I’ve found this varietal to be a little odd, with notes of yellow and red bell peppers. It’s not complex, but has an appealing nose. This one didn’t follow through on the palate, however.

Ink Grade Port – I have had a fair share of ports and, unequivocally, this is the best port I’ve ever had. Before I say more, I must say first that you should beware of which Ink Grade you’re buying. The non-vintage is good (and very well-priced), but the quality doesn’t hold water against the vintage port by the same name! What a fantastic port! Nobody does it better, in my opinion. Heitz is special in many regards when it comes to this port. First, they fortify it with grappa, not brandy like most ports. Secondly, the grapes they use are port grapes, which is to say they are the same varietals used to make port in Portugal! Don’t screw around with other wineries’ syrah, zin, or cab ports if you can get your hands on so much as one bottle of this elixir. It costs twice as much as the non-vintage port but no more than anyone else’s.

Peju
The merlot here was fine. The chardonnay is good at the price point. There was a fun “summer wine” (an expression I detest, but is favored by many feminine wine drinkers) called Prevance. I don’t know why, but they were also characterizing it as a fun, easy, “hot tub” wine. It’s much like Siduri’s “barbeque wine”, just more expensive. (Note: An argument ensued over which was better. No clear winner.)

St. Supery
There was nothing exciting here. I like a wine called Elu, but it didn’t really have the balance or complexity commensurate with the price.

Sequoia Grove
What a beautiful place! The cabernets were well-balanced, but on the spicy side. There wasn’t enough fruit accessible to the palate for our preferences due to the American oak aging.

Havens
“Black and Blue” was a nice wine that will be quite “yummy” in five to seven years. A new varietal to us, the Albarino was tart, but good. The crispness could easily be attributed to the lack of malolactic fermentation.

Twomey
Nothing but merlots and what a good source for them! They were complex and structured enough to be able to lay them down. They were in the process of release a Russian River Pinot Noir that might be interesting, but they weren’t tasting it.

Sterling Vineyards
What a beautiful place to visit, nestled like a mansion on the top of a knoll in the northern valley. A gondola ride takes you to the top where you begin a tour through the winery, narrated by automated recordings and large poster boards. The view of the vineyards in the valley below is quite rustic and charming. As you tour the winery, there are stations that serve you wine for your tasting pleasure. My overall impression was that the wines had a bouquet that was far and away better than the taste. In fact the wines were a bit disappointing across the palate.

Domaine Chandon
OMG, get your lips on a glass of their Pinot Munier! This is a varietal that is often grown to blend with other pinots and sparkling wines, but Domaine Chandon has found a real treasure in their Carneros grapes to make a vintage of its own.
The Etoile Brut sparkling wine was nutty, with a surprising honey taste that made it deliciously smooth.
Classic Brut was pretty good and very accessible – easy drinking
Chandon Riche’ had orange muscat added – perfectly balanced to be a sweet, dry, delicious sparkling wine, especially for the price point.

Schug
The white wines were a bit tart and acidic. The reds were a bit spicy, but unworthy of adding to our collection.

Viansa
What a great merlot they have! It goes down so smoothly and easily, but has a very fruit-rich nose without smelling like a pinot. Drink now or in 5 years.
The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon was rich and full, but not at that price point.
The Cabernet Franc blend was excellent! Finished extremely well with nice balance and left a rich, smooth (non-drying) coating to the mouth.

Domaine Carneros
Great view! We tasted the sparkling wines which were mediocre. They were accessible, but available in any market. In other words, they weren’t anything special.

2010 Sonoma County Barrel Tasting

As you'll see, we have made an event of attending this event every year for the last five. This year was quite fruitful. In short, we hit 21 wineries in 3 days, all but 5 were in Sonoma County. If you ever have a desire for a quality intimate experience, then NEVER go to Napa County on the weekend. Friday's can be a little busy, but not crazy. This trip, we found time to fit in some Napa County favorites.

Friday - 3/5/10
Russian Hill Estate - RRV
Jessup Cellars - Yountville
Flora Springs - Rutherford
Merryvale - St. Helena
Freemark Abbey - St. Helena
Cuvaison - Calistoga
Mazzocco - Dry Creek Valley

Saturday - 3/6/10
Fritz Winery - Dry Creek Valley
Sbragia - Dry Creek Valley
Gopfrich - Dry Creek Valley
Michel Slumberger - Dry Creek Valley
Unti - Dry Creek Valley
Mauritson - Dry Creek Valley
Robert Young - Alexander Valley

Sunday - 3/7/10
Siduri - RRV
Armida - DCV
Twomey - RRB
Mill Creek - DCV
Sapphire Hill - DCV (Healdsburg)
Joseph Swan - RRV
Sunce - RRV

So, I'll be honest and say that our note-taking waned as the weekend progressed. After Siduri on Sunday, my notebook is filled with notes that are written in invisible ink. I'll do a fair job of recalling my opinions from those wineries, though. You have to appreciate the fact that note-taking is time consuming and some people in your party may be bored with the winery, expressing their impatience for the next one on the list. Moreover, you may be just too apathetic to take copious notes by day-3.

The Take: 12 cases of wine, 8 wine futures at 6 wineries. (6/16 is a very good ratio)