If you love Pinot Noir you need to watch Episode 19 of One Bottle Each. Greg Morthole and I get geeky about this much loved, and somewhat fickle grape
Viewing entries in
Russian River Valley
On Episode 10 of “One Bottle Each I’m joined by Jeff Kralik. Jeff is best known online as The Drunken Cyclist. As you have likely already surmised, from the name of his blog and Social Media handle, my friend Jeff is passionate about both Wine and Cycling. Most of the time he enjoys these separately. Jeff was my guest on Episode 02 and I’m thrilled to have him back as my first return guest.
In every episode of “One Bottle Each",” my guest and I each introduce a wine for us to taste and talk about.
On episode 10 Jeff and I taste and discuss:
Happy Giving Tuesday!
There will be many opportunities in the month ahead to enjoy a glass of wine. Whether you’re having a Holiday Meal, Toasting your friends and family over Zoom, or knocking back some for simple gustatory pleasure, there will be a multitude of reasons to enjoy wine.
On this Giving Tuesday I’m recommending a Chardonnay from a stalwart Sonoma County Producer. Sonoma-Cutrer has been producing wine for nearly 40 years. In that time they’ve become a go to producer for so many consumers and a standing selection of restaurant wine lists across the country.
While they grow and bottle a number of distinct Chardonnays, it’s the Russian River Ranches Chardonnay that they’ve become best known for. In light of Covid-19, Sonoma-Cutrer has taken the step of donating $100,000 to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation (RWCF). This non-profit is an advocacy and action group created by and for restaurant workers. Sales of Russian River Ranches Chardonnay will directly support their donation.
Sonoma-Cutrer 2017 Russian River Ranches Chardonnay ($28)
The fruit for the 2018 vintage of this Chardonnay was sourced at all six of their Estate Vineyards as well as some outside growers. The result is a well hewn composite of Sonoma County Chardonnay. Green apple, Bartlett pear and an undercurrent of baker’s spices inform the aromatics. The flavors are soft, fruity, and direct. Lemon ice, granny smith apple and a underpinning of minerals are the most prominent. The finish is above average, acid-rich, and mouthwatering. It’s a wine you’ll simply want to keep drinking.
You should certainly, drink this Chardonnay because it helps support a worthy cause, but also because it’s consistently well produced and delicious. It’s worth noting that Sonoma-Cutrer’s recent charitable work also incudes a joint donation with Woodford Reserve of $50,000, announced last month, to No Kid Hungry.
Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, located in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley is best known to the average consumer for their two tent-pole Wines; Russian River Valley Cuvee’s of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It stands to reason as these represent a large portion of their overall case production. Not to mention these wines are generally available on store shelves across the country. But if you poke your nose under the hood a bit, you’ll find that there’s a lot more on offer at Gary Farrell Winery.
Last week I participated in a Virtual tasting with Winemaker Theresa Heredia and a handful of other writers over Zoom. We took a deep dive into a selection of their Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs. A few things were readily apparent; their goal is to let the particular site speak, and while they are certainly proud to call the Russian River Valley home and showcase it’s bounty of fruit sources, they’re also invigorated to widen the breadth of Gary Farrell offerings by using fruit well outside its bounds, as they deem worthy.
2016 Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir ($70)
This first wine we tasted is from Santa Maria Valley, the most far flung from Russian River Valley in this lineup. Winemaker Theresa Heredia said she included it both because it’s a personal favorite, and also because she considered it a bit of an outlier. Dark fruit and spice aromas waft with conviction from the glass the moment you pour it. Red cherry flavors, continued spice and wisps of sour black currant are also present. The finish is above average in length.
2016 Fort Ross Vineyard Pinot Noir ($75)
This Fort Ross-Seaview Pinot comes from the vineyard closest to the Pacific Ocean in the Sonoma Coast. Ripe Wild strawberry and bit of gaminess present on the nose. The palate is dotted with a solid core of cranberry. Savory herbs and a long deep, kiss of salinity drive the acid rich finish. In a gathering of Pinot Noir bottles that impressed across the board, this is the one I’d personally reach for most often. The rich acid and vein of salinity knock me out with every sip.
2016 Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir ($55)
The first of four wines in the tasting from their home AVA, Russian River Valley. A bowl of ripe red fruit drives the aromatics. The palate is loaded with bright Bing cherry and baking spices. Earth and mineral notes are evident on the long finish. Good structure balances the overall juiciness of this wine which has lots of curb appeal.
2016 Hallberg Vineyard, Dijon Clones Pinot Noir ($60)
Also from the Hallberg Vineyard this wine is limited to a selection of Dijon Clones. It leads with a big, complex nose loaded with floral notes. Sour red fruits, spice and tobacco are strewn through the even-keeled palate. A treasure trove of minerals drive the acid-laden finish.
2016 Toboni Vineyard Pinot Noir ($55)
This Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is immensely aromatic with red and black fruit competing for attention. The palate has an elegant muscularity about it with red plum and black raspberry joined by bits of black cherry and a solid core of spices. Earth and black tea are evident on the the lovely finish. As with the other wines there’s a solid vein of acid running through and keeping things proportionate.
2016 Martaella Vineyard Pinot Noir ($65)
The fourth Russian River Valley wine in this group shows off savory aromatics such as bay and thyme alongside violet. Blueberries, blackberries, bit of leather and copious spices are all present. This is a rich wine whose mouthfeel and texture really set it apart. This wine benefited from some air and had really opened up by the second day to express its charms more willingly.
2016 Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir ($80)
Like the last wine, this offering from the Petaluma Gap really benefits from some air. It was tasty on day one, but a bit reticent. On day two it was fully unleashed and ready to party. Everything here is deep, and dark, from the fruit to an undertone of savory herbs and earth. The finish is long, persistent and impressive. The recommendation here is to decant it for at least two hours.
On the one hand these seven offerings are quite distinct, on the other hand they do have a commonality among them; the vineyard and the AVA speak most loudly. These wines represent only some of their Single Vineyard Pinots. In addition to other Single Vineyard Pinot’s their portfolio also includes a range of Chardonnays, a Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Rosé, Port style wine and more. There’s a lot under that hood I’ve tasted many of their wines over the years and the consistent connective tissue is the balance and proportion of the wines and the integrity of the fruit sources shining through.
If you’ve never been, Gary Farrell Winery is a beautiful and welcoming place to visit and taste some excellent wines. Of course, visiting options are limited these days. As a nod to that, Gary Farrell Winery has put together a wide range of virtual tasting options. They’re designed to get as much of a feel for the winery in your home as possible. These are detailed at and can be booked directly through their website. In any case, if well-made, food loving wines with a sense of place sound like your thing, the Gary Farrell winery is one you’ll want to be familiar with. If it happens that Pinot Noir and/or Chardonnay are your jam, the experience might just be heavenly.
Acorn Winery is a labor of love for owners Betsy and Bill Nachbaur. They’ve been farming their property, Alegría Vineyards, sustainably since 1990. On their 32 acres in Russian River Valley, they grow 60 grape varieties. From that they bottle approximately 3,000 cases of wine each year; every one of them field blends. Their commitment to environmentally sound practices even includes doing away with foil capsules on the bottle. I’ve been a fan of what they do for years now and try to visit them whenever I can. I was out in Sonoma County recently and I spent some time with them, chatting and of course tasting through their latest releases. Head over to The Daily Meal to read the rest.
Wine in containers other than traditional glass bottles has, in some cases, come a long way. It used to be a bit of a joke, but more and more there are wines of various higher levels of quality coming in alternative closures. One fairly new entry into the marketplace is Andegavia. They use the “cask” concept. At the end of the day it’s a bag in a box. The Andegavia releases come in a box that has a nicer shape and is overall better looking than lower priced competitors. As with most within the wide, box category, it containers 3 liters which is the equivalent of 4 standard bottles. The suggested retail price is $70 or $17.50 per bottle. Once you open it the wine is supposed to stay fresh for 30 days. I didn’t test this one over 30 days but I have done experiments with similar style packaging and the wine held up, virtually unchanged, until about the 28th day. The Andegavia is made from Russian River Valley fruit, one of the great areas for growing Pinot Noir. This vintage is now sold out, but the 2013 will be along any minute. They’re available at select retailers and you can place orders through their website. Several options are available when purchasing direct such as bulk discounts as well as a subscription service.
The packaging recommended decanting this wine and I gave that a shot. In fact what I did was pour some in a decanter and let it sit for about 45 minutes and then I poured myself a glass from there as well as from the cask. The decanting made a real difference in this offering. It was good right out of the cask but a bit tight. The fully expressive, decanted wine offered wild strawberry and red cherry aromas that are underscored by wisps of thyme and sage. The backbone of the palate is loaded with red and black cherry flavors as well as cinnamon and cardamom spice. Sour black cherry and rhubarb flavors emerge on the finish along with dollops of mineral and black tea.
Quality Pinot Noir under $20 a bottle is a tricky proposition at best. This example belies that. Money saved on glass and shipping costs help. An added benefit is that the packaging is completely recyclable. I poured this for people at a party and it was a huge hit with a large crowd. Whether you’re entertaining many people or simply just want to have a glass of wine with your dinner each night this Pinot Noir is an affordable option and a delicious wine. I look forward to trying other selections in their portfolio to see how they stack up to this Pinot. My first impression is a very positive one.
If you’re a regular wine drinker and, like most of us, operating on some sort of budget, Rodney Strong Vineyards is a name you should know. They are one of Sonoma County’s most important wineries, if you ask me; perhaps that seems like a bold statement, but the evidence backs it up. Year after year they provide consistent quality and often over-deliver on value for the price in question for a specific bottle of wine. Add the fact that they do this in numerous price tiers from the $10 range all the way up to wines in the $75 range. And as importantly as any of that, they dependably turn out wines that are emblematic of their home in Sonoma County. Here’s a look at a number of their current releases from several tiers in their portfolio. Head over to The Daily Meal to read the rest.
One of my favorite things about covering wine is the opportunity to hang out with winemakers. It’s a lot of fun and also a relief when there’s someone in the room who’s more of a geek about fermented grape juice than I am. The last few years I’ve been really impressed with the offerings being put out by Trione Vineyards & Winery. And while I’ve loved the wines, it was only recently that I visited their tasting room and met their winemaker Scot Covington. I spent most of an afternoon with him and we tasted wines in barrel, tank and of course out of bottle. Trione has vineyards in Alexander Valley and the Russian River; hundreds of acres in fact. Most of the grapes are sold; Scot gets to make wine with the best of the best that their property offers. It’s clear that he loves what he does and the opportunity to select fruit from such a large playground is an inspiration to him. I tasted lots of wine with Scot and I eagerly anticipate re-tasting some of the offerings that aren’t even in bottle yes once they’re released, there’s a ton of promise and upside there. For the moment though here’s a look at three current Trione Wines you can get your hands on.
Trione 2009 Russian River Valley Syrah – The fruit for this wine came from a single block in Russian River Valley that’s planted to clone 470 and 877. The methodology Scot used to make this Syrah is similar to the one he employs with Pinot Noir. 809 cases were produced and it has a suggested retail price of $32. Black and red plum aromas fill the heady nose of this Syrah. Dried black fruit flavors are in strong evidence throughout the palate; blackberry and blueberry characteristics are joined by plum pudding spices. Bits of espresso and smoked meat emerge on the lengthy finish. Firm gripping tannins yield with some air. This Syrah is two-faced in nature, the fruit says new world, the style and methodology say old world. Bottom line, it makes for a delicious and food friendly wine.
Trione 2009 Alexander Valley Red Wine - This wine is a blend of all 5 classic Bordeaux grapes. The majority is Cabernet Sauvignon (69%), with Merlot (12%), Petit Verdot 7%), Cabernet Franc (6%), and Malbec (6%) making contributions too. The wine was aged in French oak for 18 months; 45% of the barrels utilized were new. 2,292 6 bottle cases were produced and it has a suggested retail price of $48. Sweet, dark berry fruit aromas fill the nose of this Red blend. Plum and blueberry flavors dominate the palate which brings to mind a bowl of fresh berry fruits. Black fruit flavors lead the charge, but bits of red slip in and out making their presence known. Tobacco, leather and chocolate notes are all in evidence on the finish which has solid length. Tannins are firm and gripping, they yield with some air. Along those lines, if you’re going to drink this now, decant it for an hour or so, otherwise lay it down for 5 or 6 years and enjoy it in the 5 or so years after that.
Trione 2009 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon “Block 21” – The single block this Cabernet was sourced from is planted to clone 337. In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), bits of merlot (9%), Cabernet Franc (2%), Malbec (2%), and Petit Verdot (2%) were also blended in. Each lot was barrel aged separately for 12 months and then blended, an additional 12 months in barrel followed blending. French oak barrels were uses, 45% of them were new. 981 6 packs were bottled and this wine has a suggested retail price of $64. A potpourri of spice leads the nose of this Cabernet. They’re joined by violets and blueberry aromas. Plum, black raspberry and blackberry flavors are present on the full-bodied but easy-going palate. The finish shows off chocolate covered blueberry and a wisp of chicory. This is an exceptionally smooth and engaging Cabernet Sauvignon that’s as easy to drink all by itself as it is to pair with a wide array of food. Alexander Valley is one of the best areas in California for growing excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. This offering from Trione proves how good Cabernet from Alexander Valley can be. It’s wonderful now, but don’t hesitate to lay it down for 8-12 years.
Trione Vineyards & Winery is releasing some terrific wines that speak to their origins in two distinct Sonoma County Appellations. Winemaker Scot Covington is pushing the envelope one vintage after another. He does this not only by enhancing the portfolio with occasional new releases but more importantly by constantly tinkering and striving to make the best wines he can with the bounty that Trione’s Vineyards offer. If you’re in Alexander Valley, stop off at their tasting room and sample the wonderful Sonoma County Wines they’re offering. And if you’re not going to be in Sonoma County soon, go to your favorite local wine shop and look for some Trione wines; I guarantee a delicious experience.