Thursday, September 30, 2010

Visiting Sonoma, Part 1

Back yard at the Ridge Vineyards tasting room.

Happy, even though my glass is empty!

Behind the bar, Eliot was a fount of information. That band on his arm is for his repetitive stress injury from pouring so much wine.

With three-hundred wineries in Sonoma County, how do you pick which ones to visit? (When "all of the above" is not an option.) At the top of my list was Ridge Vineyards, mainly because I've always had good wines from them (thank you, Bud Armstrong...). So we made a visit to Healdsburg, Calif.
The chic tasting room -- high ceilings, stone floor, soothing earth tones -- has been open since 2002. I tasted nine wines there today.
1. 2007 Santa Cruz Mountain Estate Chardonnay ($40); decent but forgettable. I suppose Ridge is not the place I'd pick for Chardonnay, but I was curious.
2. 2008 Buchignani Carignane (100 percent old vine carignane, $28). A bit tart with a faint scent of cotton, this red was described by our bartender, Eliot, as a perfect "summer wine," and he was spot-on.
3. 2007 Lytton Springs (71 percent zinfandel, 22 percent petite sirah, 7 percent carignane) was thick-tasting and inky. A little too overwrought for me. ($36)
4. 2007 Zinfandel Carmichael (96 percent zinfandel, 4 percent petite sirah). Available only at the Ridge winery, this one was lush and a bit jammy without being a fruit bomb. The petit sirah seemed to take the diva-like zin grape down a notch. ($28)
5. 2006 Lytton Zinfandel Estate (84 percent zinfandel, 16 percent petite sirah). You'd think since I liked the zin/petit sirah combination of the wine before this, more would be better. But this one just didn't hold up. It had some nice mineral aroma, but was ultimately kind of a wallflower. ($30)
6. 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles (100 percent zinfandel); a spicy charmer, with notes of cinnamon and classic zinfandel structure. ($30)
7. 2008 Zinfandel East Bench (100 percent zinfandel). Both drier and brighter than the previous zin, Eliot called this one a classic "Dry Creek" zinfandel. Nice peppery notes.
8. 2007 Monte Bello (79 percent cabernet sauvignon, 10 percent merlot, 9 percent petit verdoh, 2 percent cabernet franc). This is one for the connoisseurs (and the wealthy, at $145). It has a delicate perfumey aroma, very herbal, with layers of flavor. A very special wine.
9. 2007 Pagani Ranch (85 percent zinfandel, 10 percent alicante bouschet, 3 percent petite sirah, 2 percent carignane). This one was tangy, with an almost sticky quality to it. Interesting but not my favorite. ($36).
Which bottles came with me? The 2007 Zinfandel Carmichael and the 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles. I'd love to double back for the Monte Bello, but I'd have to rob a couple of banks first.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Robert Goodman Wines


Our main mission during our stay in Arcata, Calif., was to see the magnificent redwoods nearby. And we did, and they were awesome. I found time to squeeze in a tasting at Robert Goodman Wines, and I'm so glad I did. The tasting room has been open just since April. They produce all their wines in Arcata from grapes bought elsewhere.
I picked a flight of three wines; first up was the 2005 Carneros, Sangiacomo Vineyards Chardonnay. It had a rich lemon color and an aroma of slate but not much complexity. It was well-balanced but not outstanding ($26 a bottle).
Next was a 2007 Humboldt County, Alder Point, Rainbo Vineyards Pinot Noir. I found it floral and grassy, and overly tannic at first -- this one could use a year or two to soften up ($26 a bottle). The charming bartender, Jen, said another wine lover reported that "it bites," meaning it has a snap to it that makes for an abrupt drinking experience.
Last was my favorite, the 2006 Humboldt County, Orleans, Henry Rose Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which had notes of moss and smoke and was a smooth ride from beginning to end. I had to take a souvenir of this one, also at $26.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Domaine Drouhin Oregon


The vineyards at Domaine Drouhin Oregon.


The view from the porch just off the tasting room.


At long last I finally got to visit my first West Coast winery, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, on Saturday. The state has more than 400 wineries, so it was tough to choose which one to visit -- if I had been traveling on my own, I could have spent a few weeks wandering from tasting room to tasting room. But we only had time for one. Drouhin was a name I recognized from wine class last year, and their French wines have been reliably good, so I figured I couldn't go wrong.
The winery sits on a 200-acre farm (about 120 are vineyards) in Dayton, Ore., and it was a crisp, sunny day for a drive through the rolling hills. The tasting room was pouring three wines for $10, so I bellied up to the bar. The 2008 Chardonnay Arthur was buttery, not too woody, and refreshing, with pleasant acidity. Half the wine is aged in oak, half in steel before it's blended, so it has classic Chardonnay notes without belting you in the face. A bottle is $30.
Next was the 2008 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley ($20), which had a slightly skunky aroma. It was tannic and loamy -- it could use a little age to take the edge off.
Last was the 2006 Pinot Noir Laurene Cuvee, the definite champion of the day, and why not, at $65 a bottle? (Bought one; wanted a case.) It spent 14 months mellowing in the barrel, and the result is a balanced, silky wine with notes of rainwater and a distinct earthiness. Drouhin made 2,500 cases of the Laurene, and the bartender told me they expect to sell out within a month. That's one aspect of wine that I love: here today, gone tomorrow. Enjoy it, because you might never experience that wine again.