Merry Edwards

TRL/Staff/Wine: 7/8/7

The winery is attractive enough, nestled in a little valley off the Gravenstein Highway, in Sebastopol. The tasting room is connected to the offices, but is clearly designated. There are two rooms, one includes a larger table for large groups and the full complement of glasses. This is likely for appointments with large groups. For smaller groups, 2-4 people, you stand at a dining room table where they have laid out the winemaker’s notes. It’s not conducive to taking copious notes, whatsoever. Neither is the pace at which the pourer presents the wines and the information about them. It’s fast paced and we were in and out (having tasted four wines) in twenty minutes. The pourer was knowledgeable, but not engaging. She might have been if we had engaged her.
I was unhappy with the fact that they poured the Sauvignon Blanc after three Pinot Noirs and into a Pinot Noir glass, to boot. It was served at a good temperature, but I believe the glass didn’t do it justice.

2007 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley: $36/-/$30
Great nose, w/ balanced fruit (cranberry, cherry) and herbs (dried).
Palate wasn’t as full as the nose.

2007 Meredith Estate Pinot Noir : $54/-/$40
Much more herbal nose, with a modest degree of spice on the palate. The fruit was a bit subdued, but over time would find it’s way out of the shelter of the spices.

2007 Klopp Ranch Pinot Noir:$57/-/$50
Chewy blueberry, blackberry notes on the nose, but fully integrated with smoky notes. This wine was deeply complex on the palate and was as good as the nose implied.

2009 Sauvignon Blanc:$30/-/$12
Amazing nose! Plush nose, full of stone fruits, peach, pineapple, and lemon. The palate was disappointing with a watery mouthfeel, and an embarrassing lack of acidity. I would imagine that this wine would have tasted much better if it had been served in a more appropriate glass (not a Vinum Extreme Burgundy glass).

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!

Mill Creek

If I haven't said it before, Mill Creek is a charming little winery. Set back from the road, in the middle of the vineyards as most of them are, it's a quaint little tasting room that is appropriately sized and staffed. They really fit a price niche and are thoroughly enjoyable.

This year, their merlot in the barrel was an incredible steal! I think they undervalue their merlots, perhaps intimidated by Twomey down the road. The two wines aren't in the same class (or style) so a comparison wouldn't be fair. Truth be told, I think they have a corner on the market in their demographic, in Russian River Valley. In any case, I'm really looking forward to the case of 2008 Estate Vineyard Merlot we'll be receiving next year.

Stop here and try their cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, and don't forget "Left of Starboard", their fortified wine. Not only will you not be disappointed, I challenge you to leave without a bottle!

Twomey

Since Twomey moved into the old Roshambo winery/tasting room in Russian River Valley, they've endeavored to establish their presence, as they have in Napa County (Calistoga). Their merlots are complex and approach a French style, but in an agreeable and accessible way. Their attempts at Pinot Noirs in Russian River Valley, though, have left me wanting. This year's offering out of the barrel was no exception and a local patron had the best use for it when she tossed it into her repugnant boyfriend's face.

The stop is worthwhile, during the year, but it won't make my list for next year's barrel tasting. At least during the year, they don't bogart the better vintages, protecting them from the juvenile oenophiles that tend to swamp certain wineries during these events.

Armida

This was the second stop on the third day and right after the epic 2-hour adventure at Siduri. The timing was good, though, because Armida always puts out a spread of finger foods and it's a fair distance to drive, allowing our palates (and palate processors) time to recover.

If you haven't read previous blogs about Armida, let me summarize quickly. This is a fun stop. Whether they're geared up for a big weekend or they're cruising quietly through the week, you'll have a nice time here. I'll cut it short for the sake of brevity of this blog and begin a contribution on the Review page.

I normally abhor tasting vintages that are younger than a year. In this case, I don't mind a bit. The 2009 Maple Vineyard Zinfandel is a delight! The maturation process on the wine will be very rapid and, quite likely, one of their best vintages of this wine. It was more than worthy of a case, which we generously shared a third of with a friend.

Once done with the barrel tasting, we rolled up to the tasting bar and like many other wineries we frequent, were immediately recognized. Janet, who recognizes us on sight, passed us off to Steve Cousins, brother of Bruce Cousins, and co-owner of Armida. For the next half hour, Steve took us through a few of the wines they had out for tasting, and a few they didn't. We got a real education on the Maple Vineyard that was a special moment for us all. In the end, another case of wine was tucked under our arm (2007 Armida Il Campo) and another great story.