Don's Gillette's Weekly Wine Blog
Weekly musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Check back here each week for Don's latest thoughts on various wine-related topics. Read Don's full bio...
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Barrel Browsing on the Hills and down into the Valleys
I continue trying to pin-down the personality differences between the three outstanding recent vintages. You may not know if yet, but 2005, 2006 and 2007 all produced Cabernets and Pinot Noirs of fine to great quality. The quality of 2005 Pinots is now well established, while the Press buzz over the long-awaited '05 Cabs is growing ever stronger as they gain release-momentum.
The first-release (of more generic) 2006 Pinots has pretty much come and gone, with most of the vineyard-designated Reserves (which I expect to cement the years reputation) due for release over the coming months. The '06 Cabs (partly due to their generally long, slow fermentation) were an enigma in early barrel-days, yet many now show signs of being quite special. Most have yet to be released.
The greater number of Cabs and Pinots I have tasted from 2007 are immediately appealing for their combination of very forthcoming, wonderfully defined fruit and classic aging structure. August 4th was another gorgeous day of exploration in the Russian River, so I, and some family members, planned visits to Russian Hill, Dutton-Goldfield and Benovia, where a three-vintage cross-section of Pinot might still be sampled. Unfortunately, circumstances forced us to postpone our Benovia stop.
On the Hill
Our hosts at Russian Hill were owners Ellen Mack and Ed Gomez; along with our RH salesman, John Peterson; and winemaker Patrick Melley. Ellen and Patrick did the "barrel-thieving" and answered our questions. The 2005 RHs released thus far have been in the generous, classy, delicious mold typical of that vintage. The best 2006s from others have been generally leaner, with no baby-fat. Generic '06s can seem anemic, but the Reserves from producers of Russian Hill's quality have usually been firm, focused and concentrated.
Russian Hill bottles an "RRV" and four other Pinot bottlings. These include an elegant two-vineyard "Estate" blend; an often buoyantly fruity "Meredith" bottling; a powerfully structured "Leras" version; and a distinctively complex and elegant wine, from their "Tara" site. We tried a variety of Pinots from the three vintages, along with a fine 2005 "Top Block" Syrah; and a delicious, vividly fruity 2006 "Gail Ann's" vineyard Chardonnay (soon to be released).
The 2007 Russian Hill "Estate" Pinot is just about to be bottled and is the best example of this two-vineyard blend in my memory. Its aromas are ultra-sweet, with plum, Black cherry, cinnamon, crushed red rose petal and hints of Schezuan pepper. The flavors rode on a sleek, polished texture, and were delicious, if less evolved.
The 2006 "Meredith" proved as soft-edged and fruit-dominated as expected; with aromas and flavors of boysenberry, strawberry, dried orange, rose, coriander, sumac and pink peppercorn. The 2006 "Tara" showed that vineyard's distinctive terroir notes: a mix of dark earth, spiced cherry liqueur, plums, crushed rose petals, baking spices and roasted grain. It was deep, but sleeker and more floral than in its previous four bottlings.
The "Leras" is always bottled a year behind its siblings, but the 2005 is now in bottle. It poises that year's sweet, forthcoming boysenberry and cherry fruit against strong mineral notes, citric rose hip hints and firming tannins. This wines youthful incongruity always needs time to grow fully harmonized, yet it always manages to get there and '05 will clearly be no exception.
We tasted two barrels of 2007 Tara: a nearly oak-flavor-neutral, three-year-old version; and a much more dramatic one-year-old cask. The later was densely fruit-packed, with aromas of Bing cherry, Black cherry, dried orange and powdered sumac, under a dark veneer of smoke. In the mouth, it offered plush cherry, red plum, roasted grain and dried orange flavors, with little earthiness visible so far under the super-rich fruit, and no floral notes at all.
The neutral barrel was initially broader, much less flamboyant and much less evolved in aroma. On the palate however, it proved focused and vibrantly fruity, with a super-long finish of fresh cherry, yellow rose and orange, and fine structure. These barrels should each make a strong contribution to the final mix.
Our last tasting, of '07 Leras, had super plum, Boysenberry, dry cherry, vanilla and mineral aromas. The flavors were of vivid boysenberry, Santa Rosa Plum and dried orange, while the wines fruit-juiciness pushed back its tannins the way it can only do in a great year. This one rounded-out a group Russian Hill has every right to be proud of!
Part two, at Dutton-Goldfield, in the Green Valley...