Pinot Days Tasting - The Best of Anderson Valley
Jon and I picked up tickets last minute for one of the Pinot Days focus tastings - this one was titled, "The Best of Anderson Valley". I am not sure if it was really the best of Anderson Valley but it was definitely an educational tasting. Here are the wines in alphabetical order:
2005 Arista Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir2004 Bink Wines Weir Vineyard Pinot Noir2005 Breggo Cellars Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir2004 Claudia Springs Klindt Vineyard Pinot Noir2005 Dain Savage Juliet Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir2004 Elke “Donnelly Creek” Pinot Noir2004 Esterlina Vineyards Pinot Noir2004 Goldeneye Pinot Noir2004 Handley Cellars Reserve Pinot Noir2003 Harmonique “The Noble One” Pinot Noir2004 Husch Estate Pinot Noir2005 Navarro Methode a l’ancienne Pinot Noir2004 Philo Ridge Anderson Valley Pinot Noir2004 Raye’s Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir2005 Standish Wine Company Mayflower Pinot NoirThis was a really interesting tasting. It didn’t have the big names (other than Goldeneye) and I think I had only tried 2-3 of the wines in the past. It wasn’t about the name recognition or labels because everyone was laid back. In most of the flights, each of the wines had its supporters and it seemed like everyone got a fair shake. The acoustics in the room were poor so I didn’t get much out of the winemakers presenting their wines. Also, they debated the “deep end” versus “shallow end”… but it seemed like many of the winemakers did not believe this was the defining characteristic in the Anderson Valley. Some of the winemakers, including Bob Klindt at my table, thought that clone selection was much more important.
Sitting with a winemaker was a nice touch. Bob provided us with good color commentary and he was very honest with assessments. Most impressively, he was able to pick out both of his wines (blind).
I was impressed with the organization – everything ran on schedule, the wines were poured promptly, good stems for such a large tasting, and the cheese was tasty. There was a Camembert from Rouge et Noir that I especially liked. I was less impressed by the moderator – I appreciated his attempts at comedy, but I don’t think they added much value. On the other hand, his palette was somewhat suspect. I was often confused by his comments on specific wines, finding totally opposite impressions of things like acidity and tannins.
Anyway, I think the Claudia Springs was my favorite of the tasting… or at least the best value. All of the wines in Flight 4 were pretty good, and I thought Flight 3 offered up some great values.
Flight 1 – this flight had much more variation, both in the aromas and the quality
Wine 1 – a little jammy, candied, dried cherry, and roses; the aroma reminds me of pressed grape bins… it also reminded me a little of a blue raspberry icee. This was my 3rd favorite in this flight. Reveal:
2004 Bink Wines Weir Vineyard Pinot Noir. Retail: ~$40.
Wine 2 – darker flavors, this had the sexiest nose of the flight. However, the mid-palate just didn’t follow through – not enough concentration. The moderator said he liked the acidity, but that was what I thought this wine was lacking. To each his own. 4th favorite in this flight. Reveal:
2004 Elke “Donnelly Creek” Pinot Noir. Retails for $30, 200 cases produced.
Wine 3 – richer, dark, gripping, tannins, oak… big, but not jammy
Reveal:
2003 Harmonique “The Noble One” Pinot Noir. Retails for $48, 350 cases produced. Made from 30% Pommard clone, 20% 113, 20% 115, and I forgot what Bob said composed the rest.
Wine 4 – lightest, mushroomy, funky; this wine had deeper acidity and struck me as Burgundian
Reveal:
2004 Philo Ridge Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. Retails for $40.
Flight 2I thought this was the lowest quality flight overall. The big name wine (Goldeneye) did not impress me at all – it seemed muted and shut down… was it recently bottled?
Wine 1 – earthy cherry, some tar, spiciest, strong acidity
Reveal:
2004 Handley Cellars Reserve Pinot Noir. Retails for $52, 350 cases produced. I believe the winemaker said that they only make a reserve in some years, and that this cuvee is made from all Martini clone grapes. It is also an older vineyard.
Wine 2 – this was not a big complex wine, but it had bright cherry and focused fruit/acidity. It was also lighter in color.
Reveal:
2004 Raye’s Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir. Retails for $24, 450 cases produced. This is a blend of 4 clones and the winemaker said it is definitely “deep-end”. This was clearly the group’s favorite.
Wine 3 – my first impression was that this wine was muted and shut down. I wondered inwardly with my pen (instead of actually asking the folks around me)) if the wine had been recently bottled? At this point, the mid-palate seemed watery though the finish was fine.
Reveal:
2004 Goldeneye Pinot Noir. Retails for $54, 6000 cases produced.
Wine 4 – This wine had a bright strawberry nose and very ripe smells. It was so sweet and ripe that I was wondering about VA or reduction. I detected some sulfur and the acidity was not well-integrated (tasted like cranberry’s acidity).
Reveal:
2004 Esterlina Vineyards Pinot Noir. Retails for $40, 800 cases produced.
Flight 3 – this was a really nice flight and I was impressed after hearing the prices – lots of good values! These are wines I would buy if I saw them at retail or was visiting the Anderson Valley.
Wine 1 – deeper character but with good acidity; I liked the dark berry flavors, nice acidity, and mushroomy characteristic.
Reveal:
2004 Claudia Springs Klindt Vineyard Pinot Noir. Retails for $28, 300 cases produced. This was a slight group favorite and definitely my favorite.
Wine 2 – like wine #1, this was also deeper, but it had a little less acidity.
Reveal:
2005 Breggo Cellars Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir. Retails for $50, 200 cases produced. This vineyard is far from the ocean and typically ripens early.
Wine 3 – in this flight, this was the lightest Pinot, but the tannins were still palpable. I found that it had good acidity, and yes, it was herbal and minty. My 3rd favorite of the flight – still enjoyed it quite a bit.
Reveal:
2004 Husch Estate Pinot Noir. Retails for $21. The winemaker commented that the more herbal notes came from their use of about 25% whole cluster in 2004.
Wine 4 – deep and earthy, though it had the least acidity. This was my least favorite of the flight, but I think this was just a personal preference.
Reveal:
2005 Navarro Methode a l’ancienne Pinot Noir. Retails for $27, about 5000 cases produced. This wine doesn’t actually get released until October 2007.
Flight 4 – this may have been my favorite flight – all of the wines were structured and had a lot of fruit in their bones. It wasn’t clear whether they would each age, but they were candidates. They each had fruit upfront, but also had a sense of terroir.
Wine 1 – definitely a fruit-forward Pinot - it was flabby initially, but I wrote (after about 10 minutes) that this seems to be coming together, very juicy with very pure cherry fruit. At the end, this turned out to be my 2nd favorite in the flight and it seemed to be getting better in the glass.
Reveal:
2005 Dain Savage Juliet Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir. Retails for $42, just 50 cases produced. Dain used Pommard and Dijon clones in this blend.
Wine 2 – I found a light floral nose, with slightly brighter and redder fruit. It also got better in the glass. Initially, I found this wine to be similar to the first wine in the flight, but it got brighter with time.
Reveal:
2005 Arista Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir. Retails for $54 (Ferrington fruit must be expensive), 100 cases produced. This wine was bottled, unfined and unfiltered.
Wine 3 – I think my nose must have been getting tired/stuffed up because I write that this also had a muted nose. It was somewhat earthy/floral and it had the most acidity in this flight. This was my favorite in the flight.
Reveal:
2005 Standish Wine Company Mayflower Pinot Noir. Retails for $40, 350 cases produced.
Labels: Anderson Valley, blind, Pinot Days, Pinot Noir
Update on 2006 Nomadic Wines Pinot Noir and 2006 LeFavre Alder Springs Syrah
Jon F. really came to town so we could check the progress of the wine we're making at
CrushPad. I had tasted the wines a couple times since we pressed the wine into barrels, but this was the first time for Jon. The wines had improved quite a bit since the last time. The crux of this CrushPad experience is the chance to watch our wines develop.
We first tasted the Nomadic Wines Amber Ridge Pinot Noir. It has developed exactly as I had hoped - it is a very light red color with bright fruit and great acidity. The 667 clone is showing its great aromatics, though it also looks like we should blend in some 115 to give it more structure in the mid-palate. I like the tannins and the acidity, so the trick will be maintaining the bright fruit while giving it the extra structure.
Next, we found the barrel of LeFavre Alder Springs Syrah. This wine has made great strides - the last time I tasted it the wine was chalky, grainy... it tasted like the experience I would have expected when chewing on fruity coffee grounds. At this point, it has integrated and while the coffee and black olive are still the dominating characteristics, the black fruit is coming out and the tannins are coming together. We think it is time to transition into a neutral oak - we don't want the wine to become to vanilla-y or oaky. Thanks to Ty for helping us out.
I am looking forward to chatting with the winemakers about bottling and racking decisions.
After CrushPad, we stopped by the Ferry Plaza for lunch then drove to Fort Mason for the Pinot Days Anderson Valley tasting. I will post notes as soon as I can.
Labels: Crushpad, Jon, LeFavre, Nomadic, Pinot Noir, Syrah, wine
Tasting my wines at Crushpad
It was barrel tasting day at Crushpad, so I stopped by to try my wines as well as some of the other barrels being made at Crushpad. I do have some experience tasting out of barrels, but not enough to be able to predict success.
It was interesting to taste so many different wines from many different vineyard sources. There was a lot of diversity in styles, though as a body, they tended to be more modern in style.
When I arrived, the room was filled with people. I am guessing that most of the people who make wine at Crushpad make them with groups, which inflates the number of people at the tasting. I headed straight to the Pinot Noir table, starting with the lightest varietal... though completely forgetting there were white wines available. I gave up on the notetaking early in the evening.
I tasted a bunch of wines at the Pinot table, but none really stood out. The best ones had a balance of acidity and fruit. I was surprised that the Dain samples didn't stand out... it actually is a good thing because it makes it seem like we could all achieve the quality level he is achieving. My Nomadic Wines Pinot Noir had bright raspberry and sour cherry fruit. The mid-palate had great acidity and the finish, while not long, was clean and left a nice taste lingering on the palate.
The LeFavre Alder Springs Syrah that I am making with Jon Favre was whole different ball of wax. Smoky, mocha, coffee, brambly berries... with tannins that are chalky and just shut down your palate by sitting on your tongue and refusing to leave. I know this wine will come around and improve... the question is just how long will it take???
Labels: barrel tasting, Crushpad, Nomadic, Pinot Noir, Syrah, wine
Trip to Sonoma
I took a relaxing trip to Sonoma with my wife and my parents. We didn't pack the schedule with appointments, but we did visit a few wineries and we drank some nice wine with dinners. By the end of the trip, I realized that I almost always visit Pinot producers, in Sonoma, who make wine in warehouses. I am going to concentrate some effort on visiting more traditional wineries (still small) in Napa, just to explore more diverse wineries.
December 27, 2006
Inman Family Wines with Kathleen Inman- 2005 Inman Family Pinot Grigio – strong acidity, pear, pear skins, and citrus peel. Nice finish. The pear is strongest on the finish, with a nice variation between fleshy fruit and acidity.
- 2004 Inman Family OGV Pinot Noir – nose of deep cherry and spicebox flavors. Tart cherry and cranberry on the palate.
- 2005 Inman Family OGV Late Harvest Pinot Grigio – very light with low alcohol (tasted like 8-10%). I tasted lemon peel and fresh pear – it is very fresh overall, not cloying at all. Some light nuttiness on the finish add another dimension. The finish has a little acidity, but there is a little flabbiness… the rest of the wine is so nice; the finish is just a notch below.
- 2003 Inman Family Olivet Grange Pinot – purer fruit, more earth, grainier tannins, less spice, and strawberry.
- 2005 Inman Family OGV Pinot Noir (from 375 mL) – little bit of cola, clove, deep dark cherry. It has high acidity and it is more floral than the other vintages… the vines are clearly maturing and yielding darker fruit flavors.
Kathleen was an extremely gracious host. She spent the entire afternoon with us, drinking wine and talking about her winery. She planted her estate winery in 2000 so the vines are still young. She is learning a lot quickly, so I only expect the wines to get better. We talked about yields in her winery as well as the Klopp vineyard (she got fruit from them in 2006), mentorship from fellow winemakers, and how she runs the business. A wonderful visit and I am looking forward to when she has a tasting room on her property.
Dinner at the girl & the fig- 2003 Château de la Gardine Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (12/27/2006)
($60 off the list)
Raspberry, bing cherry, tar, anise… smooth wine but grainy tannins. There was a little heat/spice on the finish which reminds me of peppercorn. The tannins were in balance, drying the mouth slightly, and lingering on the mouth.
- 2005 Mark Ryan Chardonnay - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (12/27/2006)
(brought with us)
Coconut, lemon, creamy, vanilla… there is a touch of butter and oak with a finish that was like the oils from lemon peel. Nice wine (though less powerful Ramey from the next day) and a good match with my scallops/butternut squash entrée.
This turned out to be the best meal of the trip. The food wasn't "wow" kind of food, but I thought it was good value and well-executed. The balley-hooed fig salad wasn't exciting; maybe it would be more exciting when fresh figs are in-season.
December 28, 2006
Carlisle Winery with Mike OfficerWe arrived 20 minutes late for our appointment with Mike. If you go to visit them, I recommend getting directions from Mike... because the last little bit is tricky. Since we were late and Mike had to pick up his son at practice, we just tasted about five wines from barrel.
- 2005 Carlisle Dry Creek Zinfandel (Teldeschi, Goldmine, and ?) – an elegant Zin… i.e. not truly elegant, but well-structured and feminine. Nice wine – I’ll be looking for this one.
- 2005 Carlisle Goldmine Zinfandel – harder with more heat and fruit… this just lacked any of the elegance that the blend had.
- 2005 Carlisle Pietro’s Vineyard – blend of everything from vineyard, in 2005 all picked at the same time. We talked about Alicante as a varietal – it provides a lot of dark color and depth. I’m not even sure how much Alicante was in this vineyard but it was interesting to learn about it.
- 2005 Carlisle Bennett Valley Syrah – the most northern Rhone of the Syrahs and I think Mike said it is the lowest alcohol. Nice cool climate Syrah.
- 2005 Carlisle Papa’s Block Syrah – this had fruit up-front, but green olive on the finish. This wasn’t my favorite that day.
- 2005 Carlisle Russian River Valley Syrah (Parsons Vineyard) – dominated by blackberry and other black fruit, though the alcohol and tannins seemed to be well-knit. Pleasure wine.
- 2005 Carlisle Knights Valley Syrah – soft tannins, black fruit, vanilla… this was the new modern California style that many winemakers are focused on.
Mike answered a lot of questions. When asking Mike which Syrah was his favorite, he gave a very tactful (and intelligent) response – it was nice in 2005 to be able to make a range of wines.
I was also interested to hear his take on vineyard designation – he thinks the practice is abused and he prefers to use it when he has to or when he thinks it actually adds value.
Mike has a great grasp of winemaking, so it is easy for him to answer questions. It was nice to visit right before I get the mailer, so that now I know which wines I want to purchase.
Siduri with Kate Noble- 2005 Novy Chardonnay – fruity with a small bit of oak
- 2005 Siduri Sonatera Vineyard Pinot Noir – earthy spices, lush cherry, great balance already, pure red fruit. Stunning at a young age.
- 2005 Siduri Sapphire Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir – mushroom, bigger wine (less elegant than the Sonatera), dark cherry, and a low fruit tone finish (not ideal).
- 2005 Siduri Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir – high acidity, tart, and seems to be coming together slowly. This is definitely an awkward stage, even though I am always more of a Garys’ Syrah fan.
- 2005 Siduri Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir – strange effervescence is accompanied by creaminess. Lots of red fruit… maybe even more awkward than the Garys’ at this point.
- 2005 Siduri Cargasacchi Vineyard Pinot Noir – fruit forward and more fruit on the finish. A little simple but definitely a fun wine and a great example of SRH Pinot.
- 2004 Novy Amber Ridge Vineyard Syrah – crushed berries and chocolate, with a very clean finish. I enjoyed this wine and I bought a bottle because it is an Amber Ridge.
(from tank)
- 2005 Novy Sonoma County Syrah – pretty color, fruit forward, long finish = recipe for a great $20 California Syrah.
- 2005 Novy Rosella’s Vineyard Syrah – smokey, ashen, licorice… looking forward to seeing where this goes.
- 2005 Novy Christensen Vineyard Syrah – white pepper, green pepper, and maybe some black pepper… seriously, not as pepper-y as the 2004 but this isn’t my cup of tea. I think other people really like this because it is well-made and consistent from vintage to vintage.
Dinner at Café La Haye- 2004 Ramey Chardonnay Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/28/2006)
($33 for 375 mL on list)
Delicious Chardonnay with nuttiness, lemon, subtle oak, peach, saltiness, and slight tinge of smokiness. There was nice oily acidity on the finish.
- 2004 Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir Cahill Lane - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/28/2006)
($60 on list)
Feminine, sexy cherry, with very soft tannins. The finish lingers for a long time. Along with the Sonatera, best Pinot of the trip. As it opens, sweet mushrooms come out and it becomes silkier. Interesting color – deep, deep red color.
The food was a little busy, but the good overall. The wine list is impressive. It would be nice to have a dinner there where we opened a few bottles off their list - they had great prices of SQN, Shafer Hillside Select, and a few other hard-to-find wines.
December 29, 2006
Merry Edwards Winery with JackieWe started by talking about Merry and her history, which has been well-documented. I think PinotFile did a great job discussing the history. They have an artist’s rendering of their new facility at the Coopersmith Vineyard. (Coopersmith is the last name of Merry’s husband.) Looks like a nice, modern facility but integrated nicely into the landscape.
- 2004 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – cinnamon, cherry, pure in a simple sense. After tasting the Klopp, we could taste the difference especially on the finish (even though this was 50% Klopp fruit).
- 2004 Merry Edwards Klopp Ranch Pinot Noir – plum, black cherry, sweet fruit, and a long finish. Not my style, but extremely well-made.
- 2004 Merry Edwards Meredith Estate Pinot Noir – the label says Sonoma Coast but it is more like Russian River Valley – it is a masculine wine. Compared to the Klopp, it is silkier, less tannins (though grainy), and lighter bodied. I tasted red berries and cherry, though the wine seemed a little dumb and continued to close while in the glass.
- 2005 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc – tart peach on the nose with fleshy fruit upfront; I got grapefruit on the finish with a little brown sugar.
Dinner at Redd- 2004 Peay Vineyards Syrah La Bruma - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (12/29/2006)
($78 on list)
Darker purple than I remember… pretty much opaque. This is my type of Cali Syrah… meaty, blueberry, smokey on the nose. The palate is filled with iodine and bacon fat. This is a complex wine that maintained its strength over the next two hours. My dad found it to be thin, but I think it just lacked the jammy fruit he was looking out for.
- 2005 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc La Crau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (12/29/2006)
($76 on list)
Translucent with a yellow tint, it started with a ripe nose of citrus and pears; it evolved into caramel, honey, and candied peach. After about 1.5 hours, I tasted fresh fig and melon. By the end of the bottle, it was back to citrus.
December 30, 2006
Lynmar Winery tastingThere was an
interesting article today about Lynmar. I had hoped to meet a winemaker or taste more wines, but I guess we arrived early. Next time I will call ahead because even though tasting room is beautiful, the people in the room didn't seem to want us there.
- 2005 Lynmar Russian River Valley Chardonnay – more citrusy with a touch of spice on the palate. Tasted pear and a slight touch of butter, but not as much oak.
- 2004 Lynmar Quail Hill Chardonnay – estate grown fruit is masked a little by toasty new oak. The wine still showed peach on the nose and creaminess.
- 2004 Lynmar Pinot Noir – Russian River Valley blend is bright red cherry all-around with some candied notes. Smelled a little raspberry on the nose and it is floral. An average Pinot for the price.
- 2004 Lynmar Syrah – another blend from RRV fruit, it was ashy and smoky on the nose with some gaminess. The palate had relatively strong acidity, green olive, and chalky tannins. I am interested to see how this develops because it needs a little more time.
Labels: Chardonnay, family, Pinot Noir, restaurants, Sonoma, wine
1988 Hugel et Fils Pinot Noir Jubilee - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC (12/30/2006)
Not sure if I am capturing the name of this wine correctly. It is labeled Pinot Noir "Hugel" and then under that it says Réserve Personelle.
Anyway, a surprising little beauty. It is bottled in the tall bottles used for Alsatian white varietals. The nose is not terribly expressive, though it may have been masked by that old cork smell. The wine had creeped all the way to the top of the cork, which suggests storage issues... though I am pretty sure it has been resting peacefully till in my possession. The nose had some cherry notes which followed through in the mouth. The palate also had some forest floor and earthiness to counter the cherry. This wine has enough body to stand up to cheese, along with elegance of aged Pinot.
I think there are a few more bottles in the cellar that I will try.
Based on some posts on the eRobertParker Mark Squires bulletin board, I have learned that the Réserve Personelle is from a single vineyard planted in 1966 and acquired by Hugel in 1985. This parcel is the source for the "Les Neveux" cuvée, only produced in 1990 and 2003. It is usually included in the Jubilée cuvée, but in the good years they produced a "Réserve Personnelle" wine from this vineyard.
I am interested in trying other Alsatian Pinot Noirs - my experience has been that they lack the ripeness of US Pinot or the acidity/verve of Burgundy. This makes me want to explore.
Labels: Alsace, France, Pinot Noir, wine
