EntriesTobin James 2002 James Gang Reserve Zinfandel
Wine Tasting in the Anderson Valley
Wine Tasting in the Russian River Valley
Wine Tasting in Napa Valley
Winetasting in Livermore II
Winetasting in Livermore
Wine Tasting in Russian River
July 24, 2007
Tobin James 2002 James Gang Reserve Zinfandel
After our trip to the wine country, Mike and I seem to be getting into wines. We'll see how long it lasts. But we're happy with our half a dozen collection of good quality reds, 3 sweet wines and 2 sparkling. Not very much, specially if we start drinking it up. Alas, wine is not hard to find :)
Last night we opened a bottle of Tobin James 2002 James Gang Reserve Zinfandel. We had won it the previous day at a charity raffle.
It had a very strong fruity aroma, and was somewhat sweet, with a strong hint of plum. It was smooth, somewhat acidic, and really nice to sip by itself. It also went well with dark chocolate, marrying in your mouth. I thought it might be too fruity/sweet for the red meat we were having that night, but they went very well. The wine dried up and let the taste of the meat win over. Very good. Mike liked it too.
July 20, 2007
Wine Tasting in the Anderson Valley
On our third day in the wine country, we tried the wineries in the Anderson Valley in Mendocino. I had never been to this part of California before and enjoyed the wine tasting experience very much. None of the wineries we visited were as beautiful as those we’ve been to in Napa, Sonoma and even the Russian River, but they were nice, friendly and relaxing experiences.
We started at Yorkville Cellars a small family winery that sells organic wines. It’s run by an English lady and it’s been there since 1986. They mostly sell at the winery, local shops and restaurants. We’d had organic wines before and had not been particularly impressed by them, so Yorkville pleasantly surprised us. The tasting room itself was small but featured a veranda with picnic tables and a view of the vineyards. They had a very friendly black lab greeting you. Tasting was complimentary and they gave us good sized pours.
We started with the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc ($16), which was a nice drinking and table wine, not too sweet. Mike disliked their Eleanor of Aquitaine wine ($25), but I felt that it was quite pleasant, a little bit bitter but with hints of oakiness. I also found their 2006 Rosé de Franc ($18) to be a good summer wine, fruity and somewhat complex. Their 2004 Cabernet Franc ($20) was light on tanins and an easy to drink wine. Mike really liked the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon ($25), which I found tanic but not too oaky. I thought their 2003 Richard the Lion Heart cab ($34) but I liked their 2001 ($40) better. It was more balanced and had hints of brandy. At the end we ended up buying a bottle of the 2001 Cab, which we hadn’t tasted, on Mike’s theory that if he liked the 2003, he’d like the 2001 better. We’ll see how it is when we open it.
The next stop was Meyer Family Cellars, which had been recommended by people at two different wineries. The winery was pretty cute, a wood cabin-style building with a nice garden and picnic tables outside. Mike spent quite a bit of time observing the plump bees go crazy over the flowers. Inside, it has a plain wood tasting room and a small shop. The winery is also somewhat new and makes only syrahs and ports. Until recently it bought all of its syrah grapes from Sonoma County, as they didn’t have any Syrah in the Yorkville area. They have now planted some and have 12 local vineyards they buy from.
We started with the 2002 Sonoma County Meyer Family Syrah ($25), which was nice and full bodied. I also liked their 2003 Mendocino County Meyer Family Syrah ($30) which had been released only 4 months before.
Their 10 year Meyer Family Port comes from Lodi, and Mike thought it was very nice. For some reason it reminded him of creme de cassis. The port should go well with chocolate.
After lunch, we headed to Breggo, a simple, very small but well appointed winery. It’s very new and its unique tasting room offers hats, jewelry and wraps for sale - don’t ask me why. There is a $5 tasting fee, refunded with purchase, for which you get to taste 6 wines.
It’s still a very new operation, and they don’t get many people stopping by - so you may want to give them a try for full bodied wines.
We started with the 2006 Wiley Vineyard Pinot Gris ($22). It was quite sweet and fruity, so much so that I wouldn’t be able to drink too much of it. But it was pleasant for a short sip. The 2006 Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer was almost as sweet as the pinot gris, but not quite. I still wouldn’t be able to drink too much of it, however. The 2006 Ferrington Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc ($22) comes from the coolest and most moderate vineyard of the valley. It was sweet, full bodied and with a nice finish. Their 2005 Anderson Valley Rosé ($18) is less sweet and floral, while their 2005 Savoy Vineyard Chardonnay ($35) is buttery, complex and neither sweet nor dry. I liked it. Finally, their 2005 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($35) had a nice fragrance. It was very well balanced with oaky undertones.
Our next stop was Goldeneye Winery, which turned out to be our best winery experience in the Anderson Valley. It looks like a regular house from the outside and it has a lovely porch. Inside, it’s also set up like a house, with a living room area and a sturdy table with dining room chairs. The best part is the patio outside, set up with a myriad of tables under umbrellas, all with a view of their garden. They serve you at the table, and it’s an extremely pleasant tasting experience.
They offer two choices for tasting, their regular tasting of 3 wines for $5, or 5 wines, including their more expensive bottles, for $10. You can share a tasting, and I’d recommend that you do it as these are *very* generous pours. Tastings come with a complimentary little plate of crackers, cheese and raisins.
Goldeneye is the Pinot Noir operation of a Napa company.
We started with their 2006 Anderson Valley Migration Vin Gris ($20). It was fruity, moderately sweet, medium bodied and pleasant. A very good summer wine. This was followed (all in different glasses) by their 2005 Anderson Valley Migration ($32), which had an oaky fragrance and after taste. It was medium bodied and nice to sip. It would go well with light food. Their 2004 Anderson Valley Goldeneye ($52) was a hearty wine that I liked drinking. Their 2004 Narrows Valley Goldeneye ($70) was not significantly better than the one before, though it was smoother. It had a long finish and the taste lingered in your mouth leaving you with hints of spice. The 2004 Confluence Vineyard Goldeneye ($70) was also very smooth and easy to drink, and I would pair it with any non-tomatoish savory food.
In all, our experience was great and I’d surely return.
Next stop was Scharffenberger Cellars, a mostly sparkling wine operation. It was started by the same person who started Scharffenberger chocolate, but he is no longer associated with it. It’s a modest winery, with patio seating and a simple tasting counter. There is a $3 tasting fee and they give you generous pours.
In case you are reading this right after I post it, I should clarify that I don’t have the list of wines I tasted with me - only my numbered notes on them. When I get the list I’ll include the names.
The first sparkling wine had hints of apple juice. It was on the sweet side, and was very easy to drink. It would please anyone who likes sweet wines. The second one had about the same amount of sweetness, but was perhaps less smooth. Again it was easy to drink, and I liked it. The third also had notes of apple juice, it was creamier and had fewer bubbles than most sparkling wines. The fourth was fruity, smokey and smooth, while the fifth was very light, smooth and balanced. The sixth wine was still young, and it needs a full hour decanting before you can truly enjoy it. It had a medium body, was balanced and easy to drink. Finally, the last wine was only released 6 weeks ago. It had hints of tobacco and a smooth finish. I liked it.
Navarro Winery had been mentioned and recommended to us several times. It has a pretty large production and it sells wines at a myriad of restaurants throughout California (as shown by their much outdated list - it included restaurants that had closed years ago). It was very popular and it was very busy when we got there. They sell 80% of their wines from the tasting room, however. I’m not surprised as the wines were more reasonably priced than at other wineries. I liked most of them, but bear in mind that by this time I was pretty tipsy.
The tasting room itself is small and crowded, but they have picnic grounds outside. They specialize in dry Alsatian style white wines and Pinot Noir. Tasting is complimentary.
They have a very long list of wines that you can try, clearly it’d be too much for a person to taste them all (specially given that the pours are quite generous), so the following are only a few of those available.I started by the 2005 Muscat Blanc ($18). It was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, fruity and reminiscent of a light Muscat. Mike, who loves Muscats, thought it was just OK. The 2006 Pinot Grigio ($16) was also nice, sweet and easy to drink. I liked it. I found the 2005 Gewurztraminer to have a crisp start and a sweet finish, a good balance. The 2006 Edelzwicker was a mixture of Pinot Gris, Riesling and other wines. It was simple and undemanding. I liked it. The 2005 Navarro Rouge is a pizza and pasta wine. It’s dry, easy to drink with a good finish. It changes every year, however. Finally, the 2005 Muscat Blanc ($59 for a 750 ml bottle) was delicious, sweet and balanced. Mike loved it. I preferred the 2005 White Reisling ($59 for a 750ml bottle, $29 for a 375 ml bottle). It was a bit too sweet for my taste, but I liked it anyway. Someone suggested that you could pour it as a syrup on ice cream. We did buy a small bottle of this, and I will report how it was when I drink it without so much alcohol in my system.
Despite the fact that it was definitely time to quit, we had to visit Roederer Estate, which produces Mike’s favorite sparkling wines. The winery is nice, there are ample views of the vineyards from the very large tasting room. When we visited, we were the only people there so we got to talk to the wine server, who herself works in their producing operations (the first non-French person to do so). It was pretty enlightening.
The first sparkling wine we tasted was the Brut MV, a multi-vintage wine that is quite popular, they produce 75,000 cases a year. It’s very nice, with a good balance and I liked it. The Brut Rosé NV was also nice, complex yet non-challenging. It’d go well with food. I don’t really have notes on the two L’Ermitage champagnes (one brut, another rosé), but I know that Mike liked them a lot. He actually bought a bottle of the Roederer Estate L'Ermitage ($45). He also bought a bottle of a Syrah they produce, I don’t have notes on it.
Finally (and did I mention Mike was driving but seldom tasting?), we went to Handley Cellars. I loved that winery, the owner loves to travel and she had brought “souvenirs” from her travels. These included Asian statues, a marvelous set of Thai elephant chairs and table, Latin American tapestries and a myriad of other stuff. It reminded me of how I decorate my home, but it was more stylish. Check it out. Tastings are complimentary.
Once again I was fond of the wines here, and once again I wouldn’t completely trust my judgement on them (not that you will anyway). I started with the 2005 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($30). It was full bodied, sweet with a good amount of tannins, a red meat wine. The 2004 Redwood Valley Zinfandel ($20) comes from north of Ukiah, as the Anderson Valley is too cool for big reds. It wasn’t as complex as the pinot, but it was easy to drink and I think it would go with lighter meats. I liked it. The 2004 Ranch House Red ($13) was a very easy to drink wine that would go well with hearty food.
And that was that, the end of my Anderson Valley excursion and the end of our wine country vacation (we still had a couple of days left on the California coast, but there would be no further wine tasting for us).
Wine Tasting in the Russian River Valley
On the second day of our wine country trip, we headed to the Russian River Valley. I'd been there only a couple of months before, when my friend Lola treated me to a wonderful girls-weekend-out for my birthday, and I was eager to go again. I found the wineries in the Russian River Valley more relax and more friendly than those in Napa, and I was there purely for relaxation (OK, and wine tasting too).
Last time, the helpful manager of the West Sonoma Inn, where we had stayed, had recommended we go tasting at the wineries on Olivet Road. We hadn't managed to do it, but it made sense to try them on our way from Calistoga. So there we headed.
The first winery we visited was Harvest Moon. This is a very, very small winery that also (as Flora Springs in Napa) grew out of a wine growing operation. The owners had been growing wine for a number of years, and their son decided to start making wine. I think they've been doing it since 2002.
The winery is small and the tasting room is very modest. However, the people serving the wine were very friendly and attentive. That may be because we were the first guests of the day. Unlike many Russian Valley wineries, which offer complimentary tastings, there is a $5 tasting fee here.
We started with their 2006 Estate Dry Gewurztraminer ($20). If found it to be dry, with hints of sweetness, and pretty light. Their 2002 Rusian River Valley Zinfandel ($30) was a blend of grapes from different vineyards all nearby. It was very buttery, soft but in need of more finish. It's probably a wine that will age well. The 2003 Pitts Home Ranch Estate Zinfandel ($42), on the other hand, is made completely from their own fruit. It was very bright, very fruity with spice on the background. It wasn't oaky but had an oky finish. I think it'd be meat friendly.
One surprise was their 2006 Dessert Gewurztraminer ($42), an artificially frozen ice wine. The grapes are freezed for 90 days and then pressed. It was very good, light, peachy and floral, but I found it too sweet for my taste. Mike, who likes sweeter wines, thought it was great. Alas, I think for that price, I'd get a naturally iced wine.
We continued with the 2006 Late Harvest Zinfandel ($32). The grapes are given 3 extra weeks on the vine with no water, this causes the water to evaporate and the sugar in the fruit to intensify. It is meant to be eaten with dark chocolate, as the chocolate takes some of the sweetness away. They recommend an orange chipotle truffle.
In all it was a very good tasting experience, and I'd recommend it.
Our second winery of the day was Pellegrini, an Italian winery, also on Olivet Road. It has a very impressive tasting room, with lines and lines of wine barrels around you. It makes you feel like you are in the real thing. They also have a little store selling the usual wine paraphernalia. One nice touch is that they have a plate with crackers and cheeses available for tasting. Tasting is complimentary.
We started by tasting their 2006 Sauvignon Blanc ($14). I found it to be light and different from other sauvignons, though I didn't write why. It was good with the cheese. Their 2006 Chardonay Pellegrini ($16) is a food wine that also goes well with cheese. It's very light and has no complexity but I overall liked it. I forgot to write what the third wine was! Silly me.
The 2005 Olivet Lane Estate Pinot Noir ($30) was very pinoty, presenting a burst of oakiness and a blunt finish.
We then arrived at what for me was the surprise of the day, a Merlot I liked. The 2004 Cloverdale Ranch Merlot ($22) was very well balanced, had medium tanins and oakiness. I liked it so much that Mike bought me a bottle.
The 2005 Pellegrini Carignan($18) is a wine that originates in Spain. It compliments cheese very well. Finally the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Cloverdale Ranch ($32) is 5 years old but needs aging. It was still very light, with medium tanins and an easy drinking wine.
Finally (and I can't believe how many wines I tasted there), the 2005 Pellegrini Zinfandel ($24) was very fruity.
The wine servers were very friendly and knowledgeable. I certainly recommend that you come here.
Our next stop was Suncé winery, owned by Croatians who've brought their own wine making style to the Russian River Valley. It's a very small family owned family producing 5,000 cases a year. The tasting room is also small, and features pictures of Croatian vineyards and boats loading wine. They offer complimentary tasting, served by the sister-in-law of the owner.
We started with their barrel fermented 2006 Chardonnay ($19). I found it to be rather empty, not very sweet, with an alcoholic finish. I didn't like it. I don't think I liked their 2005 Pinot Russian River Valley ($20), their 2005 Sangiovese ($28) or their 2004 Meritage ($48) as I didn't write any notes on them. Indeed I remember being particularly disappointed in the Meritage. I did find their 2003 dry farmed Old Vine Pinot Noir ($20) to have a pleasant earthy quality.
Their 2005 Malbec ($50) was very good. It was well balanced and ready to drink now. However you can get many Argentine Malbecs which are just as good or better for much lower prices. I think that because Malbec is a new grape in California, they are probably trying to recoup their investment by charing ridiculous prices for it.
I also liked their 2006 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc ($50) very much, which wasn't too sweet nor overpowering, but it was too expensive for what it was.
In all I'm not sure I'd return to Suncé again. It was my second time there and it wasn't the best tasting experience I had (not bad, just not the best).
It was time then for Martinelli Winery. We had been there before and loved their wines. I don't know if it was because I was tipsy but now, but I wasn't as crazy about them this time.
Martinelli is a nice winery. It's an artisan winery, with a woman winemaker. There are a couple of picnic tables outside (albeit close to the noise of the road), and has a shop selling assorted wine paraphernalia as well as mustards that you can taste. Tasting is complimentary.
Here I started with the 2005 Tessa Lee Sauvignon Blanc ($26). I found it to be too light and soft and to have an alcoholic finish. It wasn't for me. The 2005 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($28) was well balanced, oakey and not too sweet. It was a very nice Chardonnay and I would drink it/buy it (but I didn't). The 2006 Bella Vigna Chardonnay ($28) was less balanced, with hints of alcohol, a light wine, but it was fine, I'd drink it. I did like the 2005 Bella Vigna Pinot Noir ($40). It was a blend of several vinyards, and I found it to be soft, nice and balanced. The 2004 Syrah ($45) was oaky and had a less sharp finish than most Syrah.
In all, it was a pleasant tasting experience and I'd come back.
After resting and having lunch, we headed to Davis Bynum winery. I think I'd been there before, it has a very large tasting room with enough interesting things for Mike to keep occupied while I tasted (he barely tasted anything because he was driving). Their tasting fee is $6.
Their 2005 Fumé Blanc had hints of overpowering sweetness but it was light. Their 2005 Rosé was a mixture of Cab Franc and Syrah. I found it light, fruity and not too sweet, but ultimately it was too dry for me. I did like their 2005 Pinot Noir ($32), which mixes grapes from 6 vineyards. It had a nice oaky start and a sultry finish. Their 2001 Cabernet ($35) was melow, a bit too alcoholic and had a sweet finish that reminded me of port.
Next, we went to my favorite winery in the Russian River Valley, Arista. It's my favorite garden because it has a beautiful garden outside, there is a table with chairs facing their waterfall/pond that is just the most perfect place to relax and have a pleasant conversation with your friends. Tasting is complimentary. You should definitely come here.
The winery is a boutique operation which sells mostly at the winery. It's owned by a Texan family and they concentrate on pinot noir. They produce 3,000 to 3,500 cases per year. Jeff, the wine server that day, was very helpful and friendly.
Finally, and as if I hadn't gone to enough wineries that day, we decided to stop at Hop Kiln, as I had heard it was somewhat eccentric. I didn't find it to be so, but I did think it was a pleasant place to stop. In addition to the tasting area they have a store selling the usual wine stuff, but also mustards (they were all very good), cheeses, bread and drinks. You can load up and have a picnic in one of their outside tables.
Tasting of their regular wines is complimentary, but tasting of their reserves is $5. I went for the regular wines.
I thought the 2006 Gewurztraminer ($22) was very pleasant, with hints of sweetness but not overbearing. It'd be good with spicy food. The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc ($16) was very fruity, and I could discern (finally!) peach and/or apricot. Ultimately, however, it tasted like a wine cooler - but was very nice. I'd drink it.
Their 2006 Thousand Flowers ($15) was indeed very floral and fruity. It was an easy to drink wine, and one of their most popular ones. I'd buy it, but didn't.
Their Big Red is also a favorite. It goes well with chocolate sauce, as it's served at the winery. I also tasted their 2005 Russian River Red ($22) but I didn't write any notes.
So that was it for our tasting at the Russian River Valley. Next day: Mendocino.
Wine Tasting in Napa Valley
This week Mike and I took a mini-vacation to the northern California wine country. We spent three days wine tasting, in Napa, the Russian River Valley and Mendocino. Of necessity, we visited only a few wineries, but you can read my notes from them. Alas, I'm in no way a wine connoisseur and I'm completely unable to taste any of the dozens of flavors experts can discern in wine. Berries? mango? licorish? I can't find them. So don't take my reviews too seriously. In reality all I can say is what I liked and what I didn't like, which may be very different from what you like. I tend to like full-bodied wines, neither light or heavy in tanins and with a well defined oakiness (which I didn't find at all in this trip).
Anyway here is my report from Napa. Reports from the Russian River Valley and Mendocino will follow.
Domain Carneros has a different approach than other wineries to wine tasting. You sit at a table (there are several outside ones, some under umbrellas, as well as a much less nice inside lounge) and an attendant comes and takes your order. You can chose from 2 3-wine flights, one featuring sparkling wines and the other pinot noirs. They both cost $15 and feature 2-oz servings of each wine. That's enough for 2 people to share. You can also order food, a plate of different cheeses is $14 (we skipped it). If you chose, you can order wine by the glass ($5.40 to $9.60) or buy a whole bottle to enjoy.
The first sparkling wine we tasted was the Brut ($25 a bottle). It's made from pinot noir and chardonnay and spends 3 years in the bottle before it's ready. It's supposed to last another 5 years. We liked it. It was medium bodied and had an edge. It didn't have much of a finish, however. We'd drink it.
Mike was more enthusiastic than I at the Le Reve (The Dream) sparkling wine. It's a blanc de blancs. He found it subtle and refreshing. And indeed, it's supposedly been voted “best in the country”. At $75 a bottle it should get some accolades. I wasn't so crazy about it. I found it similar to the brut, but lighter, too light for my taste.
The final wine was the brut rose, a mix of pinot noir and chardonay as well. It's under 2 years of age, and would last another 2 years in your cellar. I thought it was light, fruity and easy to please. It wasn't too complex but I liked it. Call me unsophisticated, but that's what I'd serve my friends. At $36 a bottle, however, it's probably beyond my budget.
We paid and left as soon as we were done tasting our wines, but I heard the server giving a very hard sale to the women in the table next to us (that's why we rushed out). Be prepared.
I have always liked V. Sattui because it's a very unpretentious winery. It sells you a plebeian tourist version of the wine country experience. They have some very nice buildings – stone with ivy growing on it, a large tasting room/store with all the wine gadgets you could imagine, and a deli area with fine cheeses, bread and desserts. That Sunday they were also having an outside BBQ with sandwiches at very reasonable prices (I think the tri-tip was $8 or $9). You can also take a tour of the property, and sample some of their other goodies (fudge sauces, mustards, salad dressings, etc.).
Their wines are not half bad either, if no longer my favorites. They no longer offer free tastings, but you can taste 8 of their regular wines for $5 and 8 of their prime wines for $10 (look for 2-for-1 coupons online). This all meant that we had lots of wines to taste.
We stared with the 2005 Carneros Estate Chardonnay ($28 a bottle). I found it light and unfinished, albeit with hints of oak. I didn't really like it. I also wasn't too fond of the 2005 Carsi Vineyard Estate Chardonnay ($26 a bottle). I found it oakier but also very light, sort of empty. I wouldn't buy it.
Mike, meanwhile, was tasting the 2005 Carneros Pinot Noir. Mike thought it was pretty good for a pinot noir (he's not a fan). I found it smooth with bitter undertones.
It was then time for the Cabs, which had in the past been my favorites at V. Sattui. This time I wasn't as happy. I found all of them to be weak though somewhat complex, with light oaky flavors. The tanins were generally well balanced, however. At $48 a bottle, I passed.
I liked their 2005 Russian River Syrah better. It was light, not too complex and easy to drink. More affordable at $27. I'd also drink their 2003 Duarte Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel, which was light and non-challenging, but at $27 I wouldn't buy it either.
What I did end up buying was their $19 Muscat. It was light and refreshing, sweet but not too sweet and just yummy. Mike who loves dessert wines was all over it.
Mike also liked their Madeira ($39 a bottle), which was sweet, smokey and smooth with a faintly oakly finish. I wasn't as pleased with the Angelina, a mix of Muscat and Brandy, but I'm not a brandy fan. It seemed like a perfect drink for the “ladies”.
That was it for our visit to V. Sattui, and we then headed to Milat, a very small family owned winery almost across the way. It has a small plain tasting room, manned by one of the wine makers. The family is Croatian, but I'm not sure how that influences their wines. They are extremely friendly, however, and this is a place where you can just have fun tasting. Tastings are $5 for, I think, 6 wines. Wines are sold only at the winery and I'm told by those who know better than I, that they are quite high quality. I didn't fall in love with any of them.
I'm discovering that I actually like white wines (after being a snob about them), specially in very hot Napa afternoons. Their 2006 Chenin Blanc ($18 a bottle) was very pleasant, fruity and light. Definitely something I would drink. I liked their 2005 Chardonnay ($23) even better. I found it both fruity and dry with a bit of a smokey finish. It was a bit too sweet for me, but I thought it was edgy. Nice to drink. I wasn't as fond of their 2004 Pine Station Red Table Wine ($18), a blend of merlot, cab & zinf which changes every year. I found it too watery for my taste, but I guess it'd work as an everyday table wine (but at $18? I'm so cheap!). Their 2004 Merlot was smokey and had no finish. Their 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is light on tanins and very easy to drink. I'd like it with some bbq. Their final offering is their 2004 Zivio Port (Zivio means a toast to life - $25) which they serve with a chocolate sauce (also sold at the winery). The two went well, but we had better ports later in our trip.
Finally, we went to Flora Springs for tasting, where I'd never been before. This is a hobby operation, by their own words. This is the largest family grower operation in Napa. The owners mostly grow grapes to sell them and a few years back they decided to get in the bandwagon and make their own wines as well. They say that they keep the best of the best of the harvest for themselves, though the attendant wasn't able to explain how they knew what were the best grapes (experience, he said).
The winery presents a large tasting room, with an assortment of items for sale (not food or drinks). It's pretty quiet - at least on a Sunday afternoon - and a pleasant experience. Tasting here is $5 for 3 wines, $12 for 4 more expensive wines. They have good size pours.
I had their 2006 Soliloquy from Oakville ($22), made from 100% sauvignon blanc. It was very light, simple and fruity and I liked it. I'd drink it with cheese on a lazy afternoon. i also liked their 2005 Sangiovese ($18). It was very nice, with subtle hints of oak and tanins. Finally I had their 2004 Napa Valley Merlot ($24). It had a very light fragrance, light tanins and hints of depth and oakiness. It was fine.
That concluded my day of wine tasting in Napa.
April 12, 2005
Winetasting in Livermore II
A couple of weeks ago, my sister Kathy and her friend Anna were in town and I decided to take the girls winetasting. Once again we headed to Livermore as it's significantly closer to us. It was quite fun, we visited several wineries and had lunch at one of them. Anna became exposed to a few new wines, even found one she liked, and while Kathy didn't try anything (she's not a wine drinker) she said she enjoyed herself.
Once again, I was not impressed by the quality of the Livermore wineries. I am not a wine connoseur by any means, and I'm mostly a Cabernet Sauvignon drinker - that's great if you're in Napa, not that great if you are in Livermore where Cabs don't a abound. I prefer complex, smooth, oaky flavors, and these were rare. In all, my impression was that the wines were young and simple, generally easy to drink but not fun or interesting. I didn't find any wines that attracted me. Most of the wines are only available at the winery and at local grocery stores.
The guide below is mostly for my benefit, so that I can remember the experience and decide where I want to go back in future trips.
We started at Garr Winery with lunch at the Caf Garr (good sandwich, OK pastas) before tasting. I found their wines easy drinking but unremarkable, often lacking complexity. Their Nonna's Reserve, a combination of Merlot, Barbera and Cab Frank was particularly disapointing, it tasted mostly like cab frank but was very shallow. A 2000 Merlot was very melow, but had a sharp finish. The wine tasting room itself is very plain.
I was happier with the wines at Cedar Mountain, perhaps because they were tasting cabs. I wasn't too excited about the 2002 Cab which was easy to drink, but didn't have much depth, but loved their '98 Cab which was very well balanced - but way overpriced at $50 a bottle. A '99 Duet, a combination of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, was more reasonable at $22, but tasted younger and less refined than the cab. The tasting room here was also plain, but the people were very friendly and very much into wines, which made the wine tasting more fun.
Ros Lovell charges a $4 tasting fee (you get to keep the glass) which is worth it given the quality of their wines and the friendly attitude of the attendant - who let us taste wines not in the list. In general, I found their wines to be much more finished, more balanced and substantial than those at the other wineries. I really liked their '2001 Reserve Estate Chardonnay ($14), it was somewhat tanic and oaky and not too sweet. Anna enjoyed their '2003 Viognier ($16) which tasted like an explosion of flowers and had a sharp, yet nice, finish. She also liked their 2001 Barbera ($18), an easy drinking yet nice wine. I wasn't impressed by their Cab, which was in need of tanins. The tasting room was one of the larger ones, and had a nice store. I'd go back here again.
Tesla Vintners offers wines from 4 local wineries, the tasting room is very small and crowded but cute and it offers some cool novelties for sale that I hadn't seen elsewhere. The server looked like a grandma and was quite pleasant and there is a grassy area outside and even a little playhouse for children to play in. If I ever came winetasting with the kids along, this would definitely be a spot. Here we tried the flavored champagnes by Little Valley winery. They are a gimmick, of course, but I rather liked the almond one - though I'm not sure if enough to drink a whole glass of it. The other wines we tasted were fine, easy drinking but not sophisticated.
Livermore Valley Cellars is a small, family winery behind a new McMansion housing development. We wanted to like the wines, many of them inventive mixes, but we didn't. Most of them were shallow, tasted too acidic and lacked finishes. The woman serving them to us also gave us a weird vibe.
Finally, we went back to Concannon, where once again I noticed that their new syrahs are almost undrinkable while their older ones are quite good. This is one of the prettier tasting rooms in the valley and it has a nice grassy area outside, so while I'm not crazy about their wines, it makes a nice stop.
April 8, 2004
Winetasting in Livermore
We spent part of today, our 11th anniversary, winetasting in Livermore - our closest winemaking region. The wines were generally pretty good, though not remarkable, and the wineries cute and modern. In all we had a great time. We made it to four wineries, apparently all I can take before getting too tipsy.
Concannon Vineyards, our first stop, seems to specialize in Syrah. Here we learned what a difference a few years aging can make. The 2000 Syrah was completely undrinkable for me - it was too tannic and acidic. The 1995, on the other hand, was quite pleasant. We found the other wines to be OK but unremarkable. I probably liked the Cab most of all, but it tasted just like your run of the mill $10 Cab (though it was probably more expensive than that). On the plus side, this winery has a very nice tasting room.
Stony Ridge Winery, our second stop, features not only their wines but those of Crooked Vine Winery, owned by the same people. Here we met some new wines for us like the orobianco (nicely drinkable) and the nebbiolo (id). But the Malvasia Bianca, a not-too-sweet dessert wine, was by far our favorite. If we only ever drank the dessert wines we bought, we'd have bought a bottle.
Our third stop was Steven Kent which was featuring Tams Estates wines. All the wines here were nicely priced, completely drinkable but not too interesting. In a way, these are the perfect wines to serve at a party. They are sure to not offed anyone, beginners won't find them too challenging and wine lovers won't find them too cheap.
Finally, we went to Murrieta's Well, a very cute "boutique" winery owned by Wente. Murrieta is trying very hard to be different by offering unique blends and not-very-common grapes. It has a Chilean winemaker that comes a few times a year to select the grapes and do the blending. You have to pay $5 to taste six wines here, and is probably worth it as they were by far the best wines we tasted in Livermore. Of the two white I liked the "Los tesoros de Joaqun" Chardonnay & Semillon blend the best. It was a smooth yet bodied wine that I could imagine would be perfect for sipping before a hearty meal or drinking with bread and cheese. Of the reds, I liked the Tempranillo quite a bit as well, specially for the price. It was smoother than a cab but probably as satisfying. I also really liked the Sarzuela, a mixture of tempranillo with other grapes, though probably not enough to justify the difference in prices. Murrieta's pride and joy, the Red Vendimia, surprisingly didn't do much for me, even though it's a blend of cab and other varietals that I like.
April 5, 2004
Wine Tasting in Russian River
Sunday afternoon we took my father wine tasting in the Russian River region. We'd previously taken him to Napa and Sonoma and wanted to go somewhere new. We started late so we only hit four wineries, but it was a very pleasant (if long) trip. The region is very pretty, the wineries are much less busy than those in Napa or Sonoma and they are more generous with their wines, I think you could taste an average of 7-8 wines at each winery we went to. Hint for next time: eat before we go.
We only hit four wineries:
Martinelli Winery was our first stop and it had by far the best wines we'd ever tasted at a winery. They were also the most expensive at $35-50 a bottle. The artisanal wines are hand-made (that is to say, without the use of heavy machinery) and they were all very smooth and non-tanic and yet quite complex. These are the types of wines you can sip for hours and still enjoy every minute of it. We were particularly fond of the Sauvignon Blanc (and we're not white wine drinkers), though my dad's favorite was the Giuseppe & Luisa Zinfandel. We'll have to go and get a bottle sometime to gift him.
Sunc Winery, our second stop, looked more like a house than your typical winery. It's very small, and run by a Croatian winemaker who was also our host at the outside wine tasting. We weren't so fond of the wines. We found them generally shallow and not interesting. An exception was the Mariage a Trois, a mixture of cabernet, zinfandel and syrah, which I liked enough to buy a bottle.
By the time we arrived at De Loach Vineyards I was already a bit tipsy, and much more than that by the time I left. The winery has been recently sold to a French company that is planning to turn it organic in time (we wish them luck!). The wines were very much every-day wines, easy to drink, not too tanic, but not too complex either. Some of them are sold at Trader Joe's and I would definitely buy them there.
After lunch and sobering up quite a bit, we headed to Korbel, where we got to taste some of their new (and sold only to wine club members) red champagnes. They were interesting as a novelty, but we didn't find them particularly succesful. They were too shallow as red wines and the bubbles retracted rather than added to the experience. We did really enjoy several of their regular champagnes, however. The Korbel Non-Vintage Blanc De Noirs was particularly excellent and I will definitely buy it and serve it in the future.
In all we had a great time and this is certainly a region worth visiting again.
