Don Gillette's Wine Blog
August 10, 2009
Last year, I was lucky enough to barrel-taste a substantial number of 2007 Pinots from the Russian River Valley and a good smattering of others from the Santa Lucia Highlands. I had occasional looks at wines from Carneros, Anderson Valley, the Santa Rita Hills and Edna Valley.
What I saw was pretty consistent. Wines that were impressive for: bright focus; engaging zest; pristine varietal and regional accuracy; fruit intensity that easily dominated barrel character; generous, supple mouth-feel; polished, but gripping tannins; and fine length. In other words, it looked to be a nearly ideal vintage.
Nothing I have seen in bottle challenges the assumption I made back then that 2007 was going to be a terrific vintage. 2007 is not only brilliant, but reliably so throughout the state. This has not happened since 2002 and 1994 and no previous vintage has produced as many successful Pinots. That happy result reflects both the largesse of Mother Nature and twenty years of continual planting of new vineyards.
As a retailer, and Pinot lover, I should be happy with this situation. Certainly I am. The wines have been easy to sell, despite the economy, and everything about the vintage seems like “smooth sailing”. 2007 is proving a challenging year in only one respect: describing the wines!
Usually, wines (good ones) are fruitier in barrel. They more clearly reveal tannin, acidity, oak influence and overall structure after they are bottled. Flaws become more obvious. What puzzles me is that many ’07s are doing the opposite!
Some Self-Indulgent Complaining
In barrel, 2007 Roar Garys‘ Pinot from the SLH, had backbone, tannic grip, hard fruit acids and loads of structure. Of course it had wonderful fruit as well. I imagined it in barrel, as a clone of the brilliant 2004 Roar Garys’. The 2004 is now recognized as a brilliant wine, although it was mean as a snake upon release.
The 2007 Roar Garys‘ turned out to be, upon release, a total fruit bomb! The skeletal parts of the wine had become invisible and it was as easy-drinking as Hawaiian Punch. I don’t for a minute think that the structure is gone (it has no where to go), but the wine has now been reviewed as though it will be mature in six months to a year. There is the clear and present danger that it will be dismissed as a lightweight by Pinot collectors.
My notes on a final tank sample of the 2007 Chamisal Califa Pinot Noir from Edna Valley describe a wine where ferocious tannic grip and cutting acidity coil intense, but extremely youthful fruit into a tightly wound ball. I made the wine a component of our summer Pinot Noir Club six pack, and the notes I included advised customers to be extremely patient with it. Six weeks after I wrote those notes, I re-tasted the wine. It is now behaving like a more zesty equivalent of the Roar. I continue to believe that the Califa ’07 is the best and most age-worthy Edna Pinot ever made, but I am now telling my customers to try it while it can still be reordered!
Last Thursday, I had the 2007 Fort Ross Fort Ross Vineyard Pinot, from what may be the coldest part of the Sonoma Coast. This is typically a mineral-dominated, tightly-wound, fruit-shy bottling, that in its youth often behaves like a particularly austere mid/low-priced Burgudy. In 2007, it has not become a fruit bomb, but the vintage has elevated it considerably beyond its usual limitations. It is graceful and sweet-natured, yet retains its obvious Burgundian personality. When you actually try to reproduce Burgundy in California, you usually get tart, austere wine. This time you get a Premier Cru.
I just tasted all nine (yes, they made 9 Reserve bottlings) of Chasseur’s 2007 Vineyard Designated Pinots. How to explain that each was tightly-wound and shockingly oaky when opened, yet most were vividly fruity after 8 hours of airing and that each was distinctively different. When my notes were finished my hand ached and I felt like Marcel Proust!
That’s enough complaints from me, but I hope my message gets across: Don’t under estimate the 2007s, they are special.
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July 26, 2009
This blog is ultimately about the process of writing descriptive notes for the 2007 California Pinot Noirs. First though, I want to note a bit of history and clarify some personal opinions and prejudices.
From Santa Barbara to Mendocino, California is now checker-boarded with outstanding Pinot Noir vineyards. It’s early yet, but I expect the marketplace to eventually sort those sites into levels of quality, fame and price. I am firmly convinced that many of our emerging vineyards will prove to be the equal of Burgundy’s Premier Cru and Grand Cru properties. I am just as certain that dozens and dozens of brilliant sites are yet to be discovered.
Thirty years ago, I was absolutely certain that we would never see a local “Slope of Gold”. At this point however, we have multiple candidates for that distinction (the Russian River Valley being the most widely developed thus far) and time may reveal more. Each of these appellations is producing great wine, although a few have limitations that may not be overcome in the short term (for instance, much of the best land in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation is currently in the hands of profit-driven corporate owners).
I believe that foremost among the factors which still elevate French Pinots above our California bottlings is vine age. Other obvious factors include: who owns the land; marketplace forces, including the influence of critics; and the winemakers’ talent, commitment and experience with the land.
Vine age is overwhelmingly important with Pinot. Not so with all grapes. I learned early on that Cabernet can produce brilliant wine from young vines. I barrel-tasted multiple young-vine Cabs in the 1970s, several of which became great wines and plenty of which turned out to be fine and age-worthy. Viognier can produce fine results from the outset, as can Syrah. I cannot name any new vine California Pinot Noir that became an outstanding wine.
Dozens of new Pinot bottlings are introduced each year, some from existing vineyards, even more from new properties. A consequence is that, with each new fine vintage, an expanded supply of fine wine becomes available. If our weather remains as helpfully clement as in the recent past (hurrahs for global warming anyone?), we can expect each new year to produce a larger group of successful bottlings.
Pinot lovers have been the beneficiaries of this situation for about 20 years now. The 1988 bottles, a small but memorable group, were entirely eclipsed by the even better and more numerous Pinots of 1990. The memory of 1990 (a year when the best California wines were favorably discussed vs. the famous 1990 Burgundies in Wine Spectator Magazine) was virtually erased when the fabulous and much more numerous 1994s (successful state-wide) arrived.
During this period, an enormous amount of new planting was taking place, as growers were learning to fully exploit a newfound availability of authentic Burgundian Pinot clones. The next state-wide success occurred in 2002, when (despite a bit of overripeness in places) quality was both very high and uniform.
We have, in each vintage since then, seen great wines produced in appellations around the state. We have, from 2002 on, had six consecutive fine years in the Russian River Valley. Our next state-wide great vintage came in 2007, which is at this moment bringing us an enormous selection of truly delicious wines.
Next week, part two: Paradoxes of Perfection?
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July 6, 2009
In recent years Summer has become a showcase for California’s non traditional white grapes. This includes historically important, but lately more obscure varietals like Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc and Semillon, along with relative newcomers like Verdelho and Arneis. This year we have a group that is bountifully diverse and highly successful. What follows is a brief guided tour for the curious.
Last week I tasted two new offerings from Doug Margerum. The first was a genteel and delightfully sip-able 2008 Riesling from Santa Barbara ($19.95), while number two was the best local Chenin Blanc I have had in years. Margerum’s 2008 Chenin Blanc from Santa Ynez Valley ($19.95) combines California-style richness with pristine focus and the stone-hard minerality encountered in the best French bottlings. It should be ideal for twilight dinners.
Minerality and focus are also hallmarks of the 2007 Kynsi Pinot Blanc from Santa Barbara’s famous Bien Nacido vineyard ($22.95), while luxurious Sauterne-esque richness is hinted at by the 2007 Bridegroom 80% Semillon/20% Sauvignon Blanc Blend ($19.95) from Napa. Palminas 2007 Arneis, from Santa Barbara’s Honea vineyard ($21.95) is a richly textured and subtly complex offering, while Seghesio’s 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Gris ($20.95) showcases another piece of the Italian palate, delivering gushing fruit, balanced by cutting acidity.
Portugal and Spain are nicely represented as well. Two Verdelhos, from vineyards 400 miles apart, demonstrate that adventurous planters can be well-rewarded. The 2008 Lee “Silvaspoons” ($16.95), from the new Alta Mesa appellation in Lodi, is a quietly refreshing, subtly-rich and tasty effort. In Paso Robles, Ken Volk has made a fuller, yet even more vibrant 2008 bottling from a property called El Pomar Junction ($23.95). Tangent’s 2007 Central Coast Albarino ($18.95), delivers the thirst-quenching refreshment and food-companionability one expects from Spain’s official Tapas-tamer.
The spirit of the Rhone Valley looms behind two other contributions. The 2006 Nadia White ($36.95) showcases the new Santa Barbara Highlands area by joining Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne in a creamy and delicious marriage. The new 2007 North Coast release from Sol Rouge winery, called Gypsy Blanc ($28.95), makes a brighter and more floral, but equally impressive statement.
I have long hoped that someone would bring Austria’s Gruner Veltliner grape to California. Although I have yet to see a California example, I couldn’t resist the 2007 Daedalus Elton Vineyard bottling ($23.95) from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The Daedalus is a bit low-key, but shows appropriate mineral strains and texture, and developing fruit that already satisfies.
Darker Hues
No Spring or Summer is complete without ros. Three jumped out at us this year. Samsara’s 2008 California Grenache ($19.95) is a vibrant refresher, packed with wild strawberry, watermelon and Kirsch flavors. Made in a much warmer locale, hundreds of miles to the north, the 2008 Elizabeth Rose ($18.95) takes Napa Syrah to an truly unexpected place, as layers of fruity/peppery/floral aromas and flavors are kept bone-dry by wonderfully vibrant zest.
The 2005 Schramsberg North Coast Sparkling Ros, is simple the best domestic example I have ever tasted. It combines the vivid Pinot-based flavors one hopes for, with the chiseled dryness and sophistication of fine French bubbly. I have built several dinners around it, to general applause!
To those who believe that a wines first duty is to be red, yet still want refreshment, I recommend the bright, refreshing and brilliantly food-worthy 2008 Chukker Happy Canyon Cabernet Franc from Santa Barbara ($17.95). For the heartier dishes, like the grilled Rib Eye I had last night, I suggest the Ken Volk’s 2007 Negrette, from San Benito County ($23.95). It is impressively refreshing, fairly gutsy, and tastes good with just about everything!
Time to belly-up to the backyard bar!
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July 1, 2009
Our store offers several wine clubs, some monthly, others quarterly. I have a hand in the administration of most of them and I think about them all the time. In fact, each attractive new sample we taste sends electricity to circuits in my brain set aside for the evaluation of “club wines”. I need several such circuits, as each club box tries to meet the expectations of a slightly different group of drinkers.
For a while now I have contemplated writing about the various strategies adopted when picking wines for the different clubs, as customers ask me about this topic regularly. Today I have decided to explain my thinking to our Pinot Club members, with am eye toward dropping a copy of this blog into the July PC box.
When I was younger (about the time Moses joined the choir invisible) and Burgundy was the only choice, Pinot lovers traditionally built their cellars along the following lines:
1 – Buy as many fine-vintage/age-worthy Premier-Cru & Grand-Cru Burgundies as are affordable, preferably with a preponderance of “vineyard-designated” bottlings over less distinguished “village” blends.
2 – Judiciously buy the best examples from less prestigious (cheaper) appellations and like Santenay or Volnay. If not up to dinner at the Ritz, these will be better than a Chambertain with the next veal chop you grill!
3 – Finally, capture the occasional bottle of something truly extravagant, like a Romanee-Conti for instance. This is not only an extremely expensive treat, it is a wine you probably couldn’t find by the case anyway, regardless of your current bank balance. It isn’t replaceable once its gone, so you cellar it patiently, reserving it for that special dinner with like-minded Pinot-philes.
I try to incorporate the above traditions into our Pinot Club boxes, but with some extra provisions that take into account the extraordinary availability of outstanding Pinot we are now experiencing.
Cause the Hits Just Keep on Comin’
California Pinot Noir planting has expanded exponentially since the late 1980s and that expansion rate remains steady. When a new and exciting vineyard or winery appears; or one reaches a level of maturity that it challenges its competitors for quality; or if a planter or winery literally braves new ground in some unexpected place to produce something of merit: it deserves inclusion in the Pinot box.
The box should also introduce any new vintage of merit, which (in light of the fact that we have just had multiple consecutive brilliant Pinot vintages) means that the box will typically contain the early-release appellation bottlings of a new vintage, along-side the late-release vineyard-designates of one or two previous years.
What should subscribers expect? Something that is a fine value, perhaps from an evolving property that is showing great promise. Something that shows the pedigree of its year or highly regarded produced. Something that drinks beautifully, yet can improve. Something that truly impresses and will clearly repay cellaring. Something read about but never successfully acquired. Something never before seen that will startle with its quality.
Some of the six wines will be easily re-ordable. Some are scarce enough that only the fleet of foot will be able to order more. Some utilize every bottle that NVWE has been able to procure and will likely never be available again. We include those wines because we recognize that our most passionate Pinot customers might otherwise never be exposed to them.
A Quick Word about Pinot Days and the highly anticipated 2007 Vintage
Sunday, June 28th, marked the Grand Tasting of this year’s Pinot Days celebration. Here is a brief list of new wines that especially impressed me (excluding most appellation bottlings).
The most clearly outstanding 2007s (in alphabetical order):
2007 Arista Longbow
2007 Arista Perli
2007 August West Rosella’s
2007 Benovia Savoy
2007 Benovia Sonoma Coast
2007 Black Kite Redwoods Edge
2007 Black Kite Kites Rest
2007 Chasseur Umino
2007 Chasseur Blank
2007 Dutton-Goldfield Sanchetti
2007 Dutton-Goldfield Freestone Hill
2007 Londer Ferrington
2007 Lucia Garys’
2007 Roessler Sanford & Benedict
2007 Roessler Gaps Crown
2007 Tantara La Colline
2007 Tantara Rio Vista
Others 2007s that looked very impressive but seemed not yet as complete or as focused, as they should be in a few months:
2007 Ancien Mink
2007 Arista Mononi
2007 Arista Toboni
2007 Baton
2007 Benovia Cohn
2007 Benovia Bella Una
2007 Black Kite Stony Terrace
2007 Black Kite Rivers Turn
2007 Cargasacchi SRH
2007 Dutton Estate Manzana
2007 Kastania Proprietor’s Reserve
2007 Kendric Marin Estate
2007 Ketcham Estate
2007 Londer Anderson Valley
2007 Londer Parabol
2007 Roessler Savoy
2007 Russian Hill Estate
2007 Tantara Garys’
2008 Bohemian Estate
Apologies to Dutton-Goldfield, Dutton Estate, Freeman, Melville and any others whose tables I failed to fully explore! Apologies to all those who poured delicious 2006s! Special thanks to Lisa & Steve Rigisich and all those who made this wonderfully successful tasting possible!
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June 25, 2009
It is now apparent that 2008 will be the fifth consecutive “great vintage” for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The persistent rumors to that effect were nicely substantiated at the annual Passport to Cabernet barrel tasting, this May.
Each successive vintage has shown a personality of its own, although not every one has been easy to understand at the outset (particularly 2006). The character of 2008 is already clearly defined however, despite its immaturity: wine lovers will be able to recognize it by its concentration.
Winter 2008 was extremely dry and frost damage was a serious issue in the Spring.These and other events resulted in a tiny crop. That may seem a blessing at this point, as the market is currently swamped with fine Cabernets, yet someday we will wish there were more. If there is not much juice, it is apparent that quality in 2008 is consistently exceptional throughout Napa’s multiple appellations.
What is especially appealing to me is that this could be a classic grand-scale vintage, without being an overripe one. The statement seems as appropriate in all the valley appellations as well as in the much different mountain areas. This means that even those producers committed to classic elegance and polish will have the raw materials to make wines of impressive longevity.
The most impressive example of the classic-style I have thus far encountered is the gorgeous 2008 Martin Estate Reserve (it reminds of ’60s BV Reserves). The intense, yet wonderfully graceful 2008 Arns shows that similar results were possible at higher elevations.
The most powerful and dramatic 2008 I have so far tasted is the Keenan Reserve. It has extraordinary depth and focus; pristinely ripe varietal character; authentic Spring Mountain terroir; and a mountain musculature reminiscent of the great ’60s and ’70s Cabs of Mayacamas and Ridge.
Other exciting examples poured at the Passport tasting included the tightly-would and powerful ’08 Carter “Tokalon” from Oakville; the concentrated and attractively herbal O’Saughnessy from above Arns on Howell mountain; and the vividly fruity Sherwin and Spring Mountain Winery samples.
Cabs blended across appellation lines, like the rich Whitehall Lane Reserve (Rutherford & St Helena fruit), should really benefit from the grape’s general success here.
Bye the way, two Paso Robles Cabs poured at Passport were of similar stature. Adelaida’s Viking Cab, and Justin’s sample (assumed to be headed into 2008 Isoceles) were as rich and vibrantly fruity as the northern wines.
2004 through 2008 looks a bit like a Royal Flush!
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June 25, 2009
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May 7, 2009
I have attended three major wine showcases in the last two weeks, with Cabernet Sauvignon the main theme at two. The First was the annual Oakville Growers trade tasting. This year, it was held at Robert Mondavi winery in Napa Valley. Each year, it is the Cabernet lover’s most sought-after ticket. The wines here can reach toward the heavens.
This year’s event was a coming-out party for the very fine 2006 vintage, the success of which I found gratifying. 2006 was a year in which Napa Cabernet fermentations were typically prolonged. That resulted in dumb barrel samples which were nearly impossible to evaluate early on. The samples did not lack concentration or structure, but were blurry, awkward and confusing. I have watched this ugly duckling and told anyone who would listen that it would eventually become a Swan, yet the wines have remained stubbornly tight until just recently, and many still need extended airing to fully reveal themselves.
The Growers venue makes for a wonderful vintage-release showcase, as so many great independent producers are located in Oakville. Large corporate wineries (and their heavy-tonnage crops) are much in the minority here, so the event is a nearly ideal place to judge the high-end potential of a new crop. This is also a tasting where one can try cult wines that will reach shelves at $300.00 to 1200.00 per bottle, alongside multiple bottlings of similar quality that sell for under $75.00.
The 2006s were very impressive, not just for structure and mouth-feel, but for clarity, intensity and charm. A few were just emerging from their shell, while others were full-blown wonderful. Some gorgeous late-release 2005s were also poured. A list of my “first tier” Oakville Growers Cabs, in alphabetical order, would include:
2006 Ghost Block Estate
2005 Harlan Estate
2006 Hoopes Estate
2006 Liparita
2005 Paradigm Estate
2005 Phelps Backus Vineyard
2006 Screaming Eagle Esate
2006 Stanton Estate
2006 Tierra Roja Estate
The first tier wines were uniformly impressive and forthcoming. Those in boldface are current releases, and each is under $75.00 per bottle! All my “second tier” wines were clearly successful, yet less forthcoming. Time will tell whether they are a lesser breed or just late bloomers. Here is that alphabetical list:
2005 Bond St Eden Vineyard
2005 Bond Vecina Vineyard
2006 De Sante Terraces
2006 Far Niente Oakville
2006 Futo Estate
2005 Kelleher Brix Vineyard
2005 Robert Mondavi Oakville
Unfortunately, I arrived too late to the Dalla Valle table and managed to accidentally pass by Nickel & Nickel.
Next week: The Califronia Cabernet Society tasting and the 2008 Vintage.
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April 13, 2009
For the last decade or so California Rosé has experienced steady growth in both production and quality, the latter to the point where anticipation for upcoming releases is now one of my personal Spring hallmarks.
Three recent releases are particularly gratifying: one for its purity and infectious drinkability; another for its depth and potential for improvement; the third, a sparkler, for its remarkable overall quality.
The 2008 Elizabeth Rosé of Syrah was a joyful surprise on multiple levels. Its color is a striking pink of great clarity. Its aromas and mid-palate flavors are a gale-force blast of spring freshness, while its lingering finish is a knife-edged contest between vibrant fruit and zesty dryness.
The Elizabeth includes 7% Zinfandel and is produced from two plots carved out of famous Yountville and Oakville Cabernet vineyards at a significant financial loss to the producers. When they told me the source of the fruit, I told them that intentionally producing a blush wine in the heart of Cab country made no sense to me whatsoever. I don’t think I stopped berating them until I tasted the wine.
The 2008 Bedrock Rosé of Mourvedre from old vines in Sonoma Valley is nicknamed “Ode to Lulu”, to honor the legendary proprietor of Bandol’s Domaine Tempier. Tempier’s Mourvedre Rosé is France’s definition of the sophisticated and age-worthy style.
“Ode to Lulu” is paler in color than Elizabeth, and its aromas are just beginning to express the minerally-earthy, slightly bark-like undercurrents that define a Bandol blush. Its fruit components of strawberry and plum and a custard-like richness seem to float in the ether above. On the palate, this is a quietly delicious and dinner-worthy wine, destined to grow deeper and more exotic over the next year or so.
Neither of the preceding beauties however, offered the drama of the 2005 Schramsberg North Coast Rosé, which was such a revelation that it was distracting. My thoughts kept returning to it as I tasted through their other wines. Schramsberg’s delicious Reserve and J Schram bottlings, poured beside it and sold at more than twice the retail price, could not compete with the Rosé’s intensity, lovely fruit character and chiseled focus.
I was determined to build a Spring dinner around the Schramsberg, to see if it was really that good or if I was crazy when I first tried it. Last Saturday was the test. I paired it with grilled prawns, left 4 hours in a smoked paprika, lemon and olive oil marinade; cold asparagus in vinaigrette; potato rolls (hot out of the oven); and a cold salad of baby rose potatoes, golden beets, kumquats, sliced shallots and tarragon all steeped in an orange juice, lemon and olive oil dressing and served over butter lettuce.
The result was something near perfection. Not only did the wines fruity-minerally personality perfectly match the dinner, but the second bottle was better than the first! It was not only the best domestic Rosé I have ever tasted and the best Schramsberg bottling I have had ever had, it was in the running as the best California Sparkling wine I have ever had. If the bottles prove consistent, I may have to give up everything else for a while.
My full notes on these beauties can be found here on our website at www.nvwe.com.
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April 8, 2009
The wines of Mendocino have always been a very diverse group and for much of the areas history quality has been just as variable. The emergence of Anderson Valley as a center for sparkling wine production and more recently as the hub of the Mendocino Pinot Noir industry, has elevated the regions status dramatically. Yesterday, a diverse offering of Mendocino’s viticultural produce was brought south, for display at the Golden Gate Club in San Francisco’s Presidio.
As expected, Pinot Noirs were the standouts, with 2006 and 2007 bottlings about equally represented. I have found 2006 to be rather more inconsistent here than elsewhere, with the lesser bottlings seeming wimpy or dull, while some of the better bottlings have been ultra-slow to express themselves. This tasting generally reinforced that opinion.
Shirley Londer’s Pinots are a prime example of 2006 reticence. This was my third taste-through of her ’06s, which were hard as nails upon release, but were significantly more expressive at this stage. This was especially true of the regular Anderson Valley bottling, which is now becoming a lovely dinner wine. The Anderson Valley Estate is now revealing truly lovely fresh cherry-pomegranate fruit; while the Parabol remains a tightly wound bottling that only now is beginning to soften its hard mineral personality with notes of cherry syrup and dried cranberries. Age is being kind, but patience is still necessary.
The Goldeneye ’06 represents the other pole, as it is an unusually forthcoming and delicious Pinot. Goldeneye’s Gowan Creek version is oakier, grander and clearly more cellar-worthy, if tighter at this point.
The group of 2007 Pinots were much as I had hoped, with lovely color and the sweet fruit-forward character this extremely charming vintage is exhibiting state-wide. Some of the examples seemed bottle-shocky and in need of more time to fully round into focus, but others were pure pleasure.
If I had to pick a favorite among the ’07s, it would probably be Arista’s new Perli Vineyard bottling, a wine of picture-perfect clarity in both color and fruit definition. It is an October release that we will jump on. Drew’s Fog-Cutter was another fine example, a wine of obvious youth, it already displayed depth, charm and distinctive varietal character. Drew’s Savoy was also impressive, if clearly displaying that well-known vineyards need for cellar time.
The Migration ’07 was a fruit-forward lovely at a fine price, while Phillips Hill’s Oppenlander bottling (from the less recognized Comptche area to the North of Anderson Valley) stood up to the best Pinots from the AV. Only a few bubblies were poured, with the steely-elegant 2002 Roederer L’Ermitage stealing the show. One could hardly envision a better “oyster-wine”.
Time constraints kept me from fully covering the red wines in the non-Pinot group, but I did a pretty good job on the whites. I found no Chardonnay that rose above the ordinary, but did very much enjoy one Sauvignon Blanc, finding the 2007 Patianna (organic & bio-dymamic) very expressive and having a fine mouth-feel. I did save time to sample goodies from the various food-perveyors who were in attendance and they were uniformly first rate! Although worth a special trip, Mendocino is very inconvenient to visit, so this local event was a pleasure. I hope it occurs annually.
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March 25, 2009
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