May Winery Tallies - 187 Wines & 26 wineries

May 26, 2012 (6 wineries/38 wines)

• Balletto Winery (8 wines)
• Red Car Wine Co. (6 wines)
• Lynmar Estates (5 wines)
• Gary Farrell Winery (5 wines)
• Skewis (6 wines)
• Martinelli (8 wines)

May 27, 2012 (4 wineries/28 wines)

• Trione (8 wines)
• Sausal (7 wines)
• Hanna (7 wines)
• Gopfrich (6 wines)

May 28, 2012 (4 wineries/30 wines)

• Landmark (10 wines)
• Imagery (9 wines)
• Kenwood  (9 wines)
• Matanzas Creek (12 wines)

May 29, 2012 (5 wineries/29 wines)

• Bennett Lane (6 wines)
• Turnbull (5 wines)
• Sequoia Grove (8 wines)
• Francis Ford Coppola Winery (4 wines)
• Cakebread Cellars (6 wines)

May 30, 2012 (4 wineries/39 wines)

• La Crema (7 wines)
• Williamson Wines (5 wines)
• Topel  (10 wines)
• Portalupi (4 wines)
• Sapphire Hill (13 wines)

May 31, 2012 (3 wineries/23 wines)

• Pellegrini (10 wines)
• Benovia (8 wines)
• Soujourn (5 wines)

Soujourn

TRL/Staff/Wine: 8/6/6

Nice, intimate setting. Long table with informational props, like soil jars. Crackers and water.  Their vinification process includes whole cluster fermentation, hand press-downs. 50% new oak, 50% 1yr old French oak.

2010 Rodgers Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast $48/$/$30

Grown on the eastern edge of the Sonoma coast ava.  Muted nose, delicate fruit. A little smokiness.

2010 Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast $48/$/$27

Much bigger nose with smoky notes. Smoky palate, with a little bit of cold meat, like prosciutto.  The palate does not actually follow the nose and lacks the spice needed to balance this into a nice pinot. After some time there’s a cola note on the bouquet.

2010 Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast $48/$/$30

Big nose with sour fruit on the palate and an alcohol finish that lingers. Needs more fruit balance.

2009 Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley $59/$/$44

Lisa- Has a nose very similar to what I expect from a Howell Mtn. cabernet with deep blackberry exploding from the glass.  The palate is so full of fruit you are actually surprised by it.  The blackberry and blueberry balance with a bit of earthiness and the dusty finish that dries your mouth just enough to say wine has been here.

2008 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley $69/$/$50

Plum and blackcurrant blend on the nose to give you a cooler nose. Earthy notes on the finish with deep rich fruits. The body is full, the finish is smooth.

Benovia

TRL/Staff/Wine:  10/10/10

This may be our first perfect score EVER!  Here's what you need to know about Benovia...

• There's no wine club; get on their mailing list. 
• They make 4,000 cases per year and you're not going to want to miss an opportunity for ANY of them! 
• The staff (Roger) is exceptionally knowledgeable. This guy has been around here for the last 4 decades, knows some of the pioneers of the area, and can tell you details and stories that will far exceed your expectations!  I've been coming out here for years, have visited wineries hundreds of times and have NEVER encountered someone with more encyclopedic knowledge! In the hour and a half we were there I learned an IMMENSE amount! You’ll gain so much information about their vinification process, their growing process, and anything else you want to know.

2010 Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay $32/$-/$32

Wonderful tropical fruit notes that lingers in your nose forever.  The fruit follows perfectly with some spicy oak. I really like this wine.  Lisa - Almost perfect chardonnay.  This could be a little less tropical and a little more buttery for me, but very nice.

2010 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $45/$-/$42

Wonderful nose! Perfect nose with bright red fruits (mild cherry, raspberry) with black fruits layered on the palate (blackberry, blueberry) Light body but the fruits didn’t appear as watered down. This had a spring release.

2009 Savoy Anderson Valley Pinot Noir $56/$-/$40

Very light bodied wine with subtle notes of strawberry, cranberry, and raspberry. Short finish

2009 Cohn Vineyard Pinot Noir $62/$-/$56

What a wonderful floral, fruit nose! Dry farmed with a significant Vineyard pedigree (Williams Selyem, Kosta Browne, DeLoach). Wonderful bright fruit with sour strawberry, with cherry and cranberry notes on the palate.

2009 Bella Una Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $56/$-/$60

Proprietary blend of Pinot Noir Cuvee.  Seductive aromas of ripe blackberry that really represent the region. Juicy mouthfeel with a dusty finish, inviting you to imbibe more.

2009 La Pommeraie Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $56/$-/$56

Characterized as a cabernet lover’s Pinot Noir. Deep black cherry with notes of boysenberry. Silky finish with lingering fruit. The palate is viscous and rich, with balanced acidity. I'd like to say much more about this wine, but I might enthuse some people who would want to ply it out of my cellar. {BARK} Back! Back!

2009 Sonoma County Zinfandel $38/$-/$40

Ripened blackberry nose, with a wine that is exclusively free run juice. Lots of aromatics. Very balanced finished with a mild earthy finish.

2009 Sonoma Mountain Grenache $32/$-/$32  

This is a really nice Grenache with dark fruit notes and a light strawberry finish and modest peppery. I rarely like grenaches because they’re rough, but these are smooth with complexity. They call it a garnacha style which is a Spanish style.

Pellegrini

TRL/Staff/Wine: 6/8/7

2010 Sauvignon Blanc Lake County $15/$12/$14

Pear and apple on the nose.  The green apple tartness dominates the palate with a crisp finish.

2009 Chardonnay Russian River Valley  $18/$14/-

Unoaked chardonnay. Muted nose with crisp acidity on the palate. Lemon notes with bright tartness.

2007 Olivet Lane Reserve Chardonnay  $35/$28/$25

There’s something tropical and woody about the nose. The palate follows exactly but in greater proportion. This is a non-standard chardonnay, so don’t be surprised.

2010 Five Barrel Section Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $35/$28/$30

Bright raspberry and cherry bouquet. The flavors follow, but it’s thin and uninspiring.

2010 Eight Cousins Vineyard Russian River Valley Zinfandel $26/$21/$28

Rich raspberry, blackberry, and red currant on the nose.  The palate follows nicely with a thin body and light pepper.

2007 Napa Valley Dolcetto $18/-/$20

Muted nose (might have been too cold). Smooth, rich flavor with no acid spicy Italian food wine. This is an easy drinking wine with a accessible fruit.

2007 Eight Cousins Merlot Russian River Valley $22/$18/$20

Another cold nose. Flavors of cherry tomatoes, mushroom, with mild earth and no tannins.  

2009 Cloverdale Ranch Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $28/$22/-

A little smoky, but mostly spice with black cherry and red currant on the nose.  Light-bodied for a cabernet, but it doesn’t taste as if it’s lacking at all.  In fact it has a very pleasant finish.

2006 Milestone $30$/24/$27

Red fruit with cedar notes and mint. Dark fruit and earthy. The fruits are well integrated, and modestly complex.

2005 Finale (Late Harvest Zinfandel Port) $40/$/$30

The Brandy doesn’t overwhelm you like you would expect. It’s a nice smooth, fruit forward, accessible fruit with candied blackberry. The brandy is very subtle and unobtrusive. This is agood dessert wine, but one I’d enjoy at a lower price.

Portalupi

TRL/Staff/Wine: 7/7/5

2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir $46/$/$-

The alcohol is heavy on the nose. I’m having trouble finding the fruit that has been swallowed by the alcohol on the nose. The cherry is bright and sour across the palate and the alcohol lingers in the back of your throat.

2009 Mendocino County Barbera $36/$/$-

Plum on the nose with high alcohol. It comes across the palate as sour blackberries.

2009 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel $32/$/$-

This has classic notes of Dry Creek Valley zinfandel with a heavy layer of rose. The red currant, black berry and raspberry appear on the palate, but again…the alcohol lingers.

2010 Vaso di Marina $28/$/$-

This is a red blend of cabernet franc, zinfandel, and petite sirah. I’ve never smelled anything like it.  It’s a long term puzzle to distinguish all the flavors on the nose. Black liquorice on the nose coupled with black currant and cherry. 

Topel

TRL/Staff/Wine: 8/8/8

2010 Chardonnay Classique Mendocino County $35/$/$26

Has the color of a sauvignon blanc. Fresh, tropical fruits on the nose and the palate. Easy-drinking, but pricey for a simple chardonnay.

2009 Pinot Noir Reserve – Monterey $40/$/$40

Perfect pinot nose.  This is what a pinot should always smell like. The smoky, tobacco, cola scents are well coupled with the cherry. There’s only a thin, silky finish after the sour cherries dissipate.

2009 Monhoff Vineyard Zinfandel $30/$/$-

Bright blackcurrant, raspberry with some notes of vanilla on the nose. The thin body left the sense of the fruits in skin form. It was a little disappointing…

2007 Extended Elevage Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon $50/$/$55

Big rose on the nose, with clove from the stove.  Very smooth, dusty finish, with hints of plum and black currant.

2007 Battuello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon $40/$/$55

Brighter fruit on the nose, with only hints of floral aromas. The fruit is reminiscent of dark berries. The finish is dusty with lingering alcohol.  This is a drink alone wine, akin to a juicy meritage.

2008 Battuello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon $40/$/$60

The nose on this is the best, yet, with more complexity that includes dark berries, peppercorn, and a white pepper.  The palate seemed to fall just short, but I may be a bit too critical. The wine has a tattered velvet finish with bright berries.

2006 Meritage – Le Mariage Mendocino County $36/$/$55

60 cabernet 25 merlot 10 petite verdot 5 malbec

Big deep earth and deep dark berries on nose and the palate. Awesome! I was enjoying it so much I couldn’t take decent notes!

2007 Red Blend Topel Estate Blend Mendocino County $36/$/$-

Nice dark fruits, but a little muted nose. The finish is dark, and velvety, but a bit drying to the palate.  The fruits on the nose don’t flow as smoothly over the palate as you’d expect…a little bit of a sour taste is what dries on the finish.

2007 Syrah Noir Cuvee’ Donnis $32/$/$35

Dark fruits with juicy flavors/$feel.  Slightly earthy and dusty.  The fruits flow richly over the palate with a very nice earthy finish. 

2009 Petite Syrah, Topel Estate Vineyard $36/$/$35

Very woody nose, with notes of red currant, vanilla, and rose.  It has a silky finish with red currant and anise. 

Williamson Wines

TRL/Staff/Wine: 8/8/7

Large tasting room with many tables, chairs and a long bar. It’ll handle nearly twenty normal patrons and two long tables for private tastings. They pair their wine with food and provide a cheese club option.

2010 Chantilly Chardonnay $38/$/$26

Fresh crisp nose with notes of lemon and butterscotch. Very well-balanced oak and fruit notes. Paired with a mango cheese of some sort.

2010 Rapture Pinot Noir $45/$/$45

Paired with Irish cheddar with a little truffle salt. Bouquet is a little muted, but the flavor has a nice smoked black fruit flavor.  The cheese WAY over-powered the Pinot Noir . I like the wine, it has good balance and is well-integrated.

2008 Seduce Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Valley $57/$/$55

Paired with Irish cheddar and double cream French blue cheese, called St. Agur.  Black pepper on the nose with hints of cinnamon and blackberry. The earthy notes brings a nice finish that alludes to a structure that will provide longevity for another five years. The sweetness of the pairing (honey) flairs out the acidity that overwhelms everything else.  Dusty blackberry and plum provides a nice, pleasureable drink.

2009 Entice Cuvee $47/$/$50

Blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry aromas. The fruit doesn’t hide on the palate, but also leaves a dusty finish. The pairing was better than the last three, but it removed the dusty finish of the wine.

2009 Enchant Trinity $47/$/$-

Grenache, syrah, and mouvedre

Châteauneuf-du-Pape style of wine

Hints of many things, including cherry, strawberry, tobacco, blackberry, raspberry and some raspberry. The blend was well-integrated with earthy notes. It wasn’t appealing to me, but it was a decent wine. The food pairing KILLED me.  Cheese with merlot-soaked onions changed the wine for the worse.