{"id":1020,"date":"2018-10-18T00:20:24","date_gmt":"2018-10-18T07:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/?p=1020"},"modified":"2018-10-18T00:20:24","modified_gmt":"2018-10-18T07:20:24","slug":"atlas-peak-shrugged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/?p=1020","title":{"rendered":"Atlas Peak Shrugged"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your West Coast Oenophile<\/strong> has no compunction in admitting I have never read Rudolph Steiner. Nor Ayn Rand. Nor L.Ron Hubbard. Sostevinobile<\/strong><\/span> is developing a growing appreciation for the superiority (if not necessity)<\/em> of biodynamic farming, but Anthroposophy<\/span><\/a> is a whole other matter. And neither is it an intellectual shortcoming not to be familiar with the tenets of Scientology. Or Objectivism. I have never had any use for her tiny little acolyte Alan Greenspan. Nor her soon-to-be-retired adherent Paul Ryan. <\/span>But now permit me to segue from her tome Atlas Shrugged<\/span><\/a> to the near-entombed Atlas Peak AVA. Last year\u2019s Atlas Fire devastated the region, with 51,624 acres burned, along with 6,781 structures destroyed and an additional 120 structures damaged. A tragedy of this scale might easily have driven the entire AVA to throw in the proverbial towel, but even the scourge of climate change and its drastic consequences could not overcome the resolve of these vintners to once again stage their annual Taste of Atlas Peak<\/strong><\/em>.\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Even so, it was heart-wrenching to assay the impact this maelstrom had on the region, especially in light of how consistently superb the wines that survived still proved. Alpha Omega<\/span><\/a>, which is based in Rutherford, poured its exceptional 2016 Stagecoach Vineyards 100% Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> and showcased the 2010 vintage as its library selection. But will this storied wine see a future vintage?<\/span><\/p>\n

I won\u2019t hazard a guess why most other wineries on hand featured older Cabernets than A\u03a9 did. Certainly, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> that Dos Lagos Vineyards<\/span> featured was redolent of just how rich and complex this AVA\u2019s offering s can be at its peak.and while their 2014 vintage did not quite equal the luxuriousness of its subsequent version, I was quite impress with both their 2017 Sauvignon Blanc<\/strong> and a none-too-elusive 2014 Cloaked in Secrecy Chardonnay<\/strong>.The reincarnation of Antinori\u2019s pioneering Atlas Peak winery, Antica Napa Valley<\/span>, no longer focuses on its pioneering Sangiovese, and here presented a similar lineup to Dos Lagos\u2019. Uniformly competent were their bottlings of the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>, their 2016 A26 Chardonnay,<\/strong> and an approachable 2017 Sauvignon Blanc<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The trend this afternoon generally favored the previous vintage. Now operating as a virtual winery, Michael Mondavi Family Estate<\/span><\/a>, represented by 3rd generation vintner Rob Mondavi, performed admirably with their 2014 Animo Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>. Another multigenerational family, Rombauer Vineyards<\/a>,<\/span> here for the first time since the passing of Koerner Rombauer earlier this year, impressed with their 2014 Altas Peak 100% Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>.Randy Wulff\u2019s cleverly-named Lobo Wines<\/span><\/a> also offered their solid 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>, while Lagniappe Peak<\/span><\/a> poured their flagship 2014 P\u00e8re Cabernet Sauvignon and, as if to show their label were not a misnomer, a lagniappe<\/span><\/em><\/a> <\/span>of their 2014 DBA<\/strong>, a sumptuous blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I can only marvel at Michael Parmenter being on hand this afternoon, after his entire VinRoc Wine Caves<\/span> were lost in the conflagration. From his past vintages, he poured a truly exceptional 2015 CHARDonnay<\/strong> alongside the standout 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>. These standards were ably complemented by the 2013 RTW<\/strong>, a proprietary blend of \u00bd Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot and Syrah. Also rising like a Phoenix from their ashes, Sill Family learned that their 2015 Atlas Peak Estate tr\u00e8s Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> had been named 2018 Wine of the Year at the 2018 CWSA Hong Kong International Wine Competition<\/span><\/a> just one week after their winery burnt to the ground. This luxurious blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec, and 1% Petite Verdot proved a true highlight of the afternoon, coupled with Igor Sill\u2019s generous sharing of his 2014 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>, the opulent 2015 tr\u00e8s Chardonnay<\/strong>, and a unique 2016 tr\u00e8s Chardonnay de Ros\u00e9<\/strong>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The winery at Prime Solum<\/span><\/a> escaped unscathed by last year\u2019s fires; not so owner Bill Hill\u2019s residence. Still, Bill was here in force, alongside General Manager Kevin O\u2019Brien, with their 2017 Ros\u00e9<\/strong> and a well-balanced 2013 Circle R Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>, a m\u00e9lange of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, a varietal that had been prominently featured at his eponymous label that Gallo acquired. While Prime Solum omits Malbec from its blend, the grape was the sole focus this afternoon by host Black Stallion<\/span><\/a>, the premium Napa label from the Delicato<\/span> portfolio. Readers here, of course, know I have been championing Malbec, along with Mourv\u00e8dre, as the rising star of the California wine industry, and here the 2015 Malbec<\/strong> rivaled the apex of Paso Robles\u2019 bottlings.This wine, alone, made my trip north worthwhile. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I wish I could do more at this time to help out the Atlas Peak AVA. Fortunately, two of the afternoon\u2019s participants will hopefully be part of my rescheduled CalAsia 2019 Tasting<\/span><\/a> early next year. Eric Yuan\u2019s Acumen Wine<\/span><\/a> has long been prominent presence at Taste of Atlas Peak<\/strong><\/em>, As in years past, their lineup here proved consistently delightful, starting with the 2015 PEAK Sauvignon Blanc<\/strong>. The 2013 Mountainside Merlot<\/strong> was equally pleasurable, as was the 2014\u00a0 PEAK Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>. New to this event, Gordon Kaung\u2019s iNapaWine<\/span><\/a> proved an amazing discovery, with a splendidly balanced 2012 Premium Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> that belied the jeunesse<\/em> of this venture. An exceptional discovery, to be sure.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Taste of Atlas Peak<\/strong><\/em> is not alone in resurrecting from the detritus of calamities past. some eight years have passed since the storied Pinot in the River<\/strong><\/em> debacle. Returning to the security of Healdsburg Plaza, this year\u2019s Pinot on the River <\/strong><\/em><\/span>portends to be the tasting of the fall in Sonoma. Sostevinobile<\/strong><\/span> will be there. Hope to see you there, as well.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your West Coast Oenophile has no compunction in admitting I have never read Rudolph Steiner. Nor Ayn Rand. Nor L.Ron Hubbard. Sostevinobile is developing a growing appreciation for the superiority (if not necessity) of biodynamic farming, but Anthroposophy is a whole other matter. And neither is it an intellectual shortcoming not to be familiar with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,4,16,17,18,2,19,1],"tags":[565,556,558,568,557,566,560,559,561,567,563,564,562],"class_list":["post-1020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cabernet-franc","category-cabernet-sauvignon","category-chardonnay","category-malbec","category-merlot","category-petit-verdot","category-sauvignon-blanc","category-uncategorized","tag-acumen","tag-alpha-omega","tag-antica","tag-black-stallion","tag-dos-lagos","tag-inapa","tag-lagniappe-peak","tag-lobo","tag-michael-mondavi","tag-prime-solum","tag-rombauer","tag-sill","tag-vinroc"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1020"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1020\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1040,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1020\/revisions\/1040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}