Quick Pre-text. The following are quick tasting notes on a myriad of wines tasted over a weekend. Many are from barrel and thus are only suggestions as to what the finished wine might taste like. Almost all are small, 1 or 2 ounce tastes one fairly quickly after the other. Truth be told, I love doing this…it is a barrel of fun for me. It is however not a particularly good way to evaluate wine. I think wine should be evaluated by the bottle, spending lots of time over it, letting it unfold over time and ideally with food. SO take these notes with a grain of salt. I will say, in a broad sweeping kind of way, that both 2004 and 2005 seem like great vintages. Similar to the vintages of 10 years ago, 1994 / 1995, the earlier is a bit more forward and ripe, the later a bit more structured for the longer haul. I will also say that it seems like wineries are using these vintages to go for the big extraction, higher alcohol wines that garner big scores. Too bad. The wineries that have the balls to stick to focusing on balance and integration are the wineries, in my opinion, that will win in the longer run.
Friday: Arrival
No real time for tasting, other than a quick stop at the Sonoma Enoteca, where a number of small producers serve their wine for tasting. A few highlights:
I really like the wines being made over at Manzanita Creek. Their 2003 3 vines Dry Creek Zinfandel is worth seeking out. Very elegant and representative of the Dry Creek, the way zins should be made from their. Worth buying.
http://www.manzanitacreek.com/wineshop/
Similarly I recommend the Abundance Vineyards 2003 “Rich Red”: A zin/carignane mix from Lodi. Full and palate coating, red fruit driven, nice structure…Ridge Lytton Springs for $12 a bottle. Cannot beat it with a stick. They also make a Brick Hill pinot noir from the Sonoma coast that is delicious, complex and equally good value at $23.
http://www.abundancevineyards.com/wines.html
A bit more sophisticated but still well worth the price is the Madrone Ridge Proprietary Red, 2003: Only 200 cases of this cab based wine were made, offering rich, raspberry and chocolate notes, some nice garrigue complexities and a wonderful freshness. Again, great structure and fine balance. $32. Honestly, I don’t know who makes this wine or where you can get it other than the Enoteca:
http://www.sonoma-enoteca.com/Cart/MadroneRidge.html
The Dreyer family is making a wine from the ranch where the horse Seabiscuit was put out to stud up in Mendocino…and it is called Seabiscuit Ranch. The 2004 chardonnay is very worthwhile; lovely custard and linseed oil notes, buttered popcorn and lemon zest. Acids are bright but not too and oak is nicely integrated. $30.
http://www.seabiscuitranch.com/
Lastly, Compass Winery is making a crazy 2004 reisling from Umpqua Valley in Oregon: It is delicious if atypical. The nose is bright, full on pink grapefruit and blood orange. The palate, instead, is much more varietal, with typical tropical fruit, lichee nut and apricot. Lovely at $14. I think it is made by Dreyer as well.
Friday: Arrival
No real time for tasting, other than a quick stop at the Sonoma Enoteca, where a number of small producers serve their wine for tasting. A few highlights:
I really like the wines being made over at Manzanita Creek. Their 2003 3 vines Dry Creek Zinfandel is worth seeking out. Very elegant and representative of the Dry Creek, the way zins should be made from their. Worth buying.
http://www.manzanitacreek.com/wineshop/
Similarly I recommend the Abundance Vineyards 2003 “Rich Red”: A zin/carignane mix from Lodi. Full and palate coating, red fruit driven, nice structure…Ridge Lytton Springs for $12 a bottle. Cannot beat it with a stick. They also make a Brick Hill pinot noir from the Sonoma coast that is delicious, complex and equally good value at $23.
http://www.abundancevineyards.com/wines.html
A bit more sophisticated but still well worth the price is the Madrone Ridge Proprietary Red, 2003: Only 200 cases of this cab based wine were made, offering rich, raspberry and chocolate notes, some nice garrigue complexities and a wonderful freshness. Again, great structure and fine balance. $32. Honestly, I don’t know who makes this wine or where you can get it other than the Enoteca:
http://www.sonoma-enoteca.com/Cart/MadroneRidge.html
The Dreyer family is making a wine from the ranch where the horse Seabiscuit was put out to stud up in Mendocino…and it is called Seabiscuit Ranch. The 2004 chardonnay is very worthwhile; lovely custard and linseed oil notes, buttered popcorn and lemon zest. Acids are bright but not too and oak is nicely integrated. $30.
http://www.seabiscuitranch.com/
Lastly, Compass Winery is making a crazy 2004 reisling from Umpqua Valley in Oregon: It is delicious if atypical. The nose is bright, full on pink grapefruit and blood orange. The palate, instead, is much more varietal, with typical tropical fruit, lichee nut and apricot. Lovely at $14. I think it is made by Dreyer as well.
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