{"id":21,"date":"2011-12-01T04:01:38","date_gmt":"2011-12-01T04:01:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/?p=21"},"modified":"2011-12-01T04:01:38","modified_gmt":"2011-12-01T04:01:38","slug":"discoveries-2011%c2%bd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/?p=21","title":{"rendered":"Discoveries 2011\u00bd"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If Ernest Hemingway hadn\u2019t existed, some high school English teacher would have had to invent him. And maybe one did. Think about it for a moment: imagine having to read and critique 40 or so 10th grade essays every week. Ponder what that might be like if students were exhorted to write like Pynchon<\/a>. Or Laurence Sterne<\/a>. Or\u2014shudder\u2014<\/i>James Joyce<\/a>.<\/div>\n

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At the quaint New England institute where Your West Coast Oenophile<\/b> was incarcerated during his formative years, the author I most idolized was Thomas Love Peacock, whose parlor novels satirized the Romantic poets and other luminaries of 19th century Great Britain. Granted, those among my schoolmates who were fifth- or sixth-generation Hotchkiss legacies showed a pronounced predilection for F. Scott Fitzgerald, but the virtues of such works as A Farewell to Arms <\/b><\/i>and The Old Man and the Sea<\/b><\/i> were rarely extolled as paragons of emulative composition.<\/div>\n

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Perhaps if they had been, I might now be able to contain my entries for Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font> to a concise 750 words, instead of the opus interminatum<\/i> each one of these postings turns out to be. Allora<\/i>! After three years grinding my fingertips on a Mac keyboard, I am still trying.<\/div>\n

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My overdue reports on these rounds of tastings started with a long overdue event, a Paso Robles trade tasting in San Francisco. The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance<\/a> had previously sponsored an intimate though curiously situated tasting amid the leading venture capital firms on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, an enclave where substance tends to be measured more <\/font><\/font>in bytes than in brix. Here, amid the more familiar environs of the Presidio, the Golden Gate Club<\/a> offered Trade and Media an intimate tasting before holding its oversold public event, the 2nd Annual Lamb Jam<\/a>, a pairing of lamb with an array of wines from this Central Coast stronghold. <\/div>\n

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Yet there was nothing sheepish about the wines themselves, as my introduction to Bianchi<\/a>, the masculine plural of the attributive terminus of my surname (but no familial relation) <\/i>quickly showed. Tanto peggio per me<\/i>, it would have been nice to qualify for the Friends & Family discount on their 2008 Moscato<\/b>, a delightfully sweet wine with kumquat overtures, and their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles<\/b>, a varietal rounded with 2.3% Syrah (a blend quite prevalent in Paso)<\/font><\/font><\/i>. Their most intriguing wine, the 2008 Zinfandel<\/b>, consisted not only of 3% Syrah, but a 2% touch of Royalty, a varietal I not encountered before.<\/div>\n

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Another revelation, Riverstar<\/a>, offered a diverse range of wines that also reflected the staunchly independent spirit of the AVA. Wines like the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc<\/b>, the 2007 Syrah<\/b>, and even the 2009 Vintner\u2019s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon<\/b> presented straightforward expressions of their single varietals, but the winery\u2019s truest creative expression manifest itself in the NV Sunset Red<\/b>, an uncommon blend of equal proportions<\/font><\/font> of Merlot and Syrah. And while I also greatly enjoyed the Twilight Vintners Reserve<\/b>, a non-vintage Port-style wine, my true affinity, coincidentally, was for the 2007 Affinity<\/b>, an artful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with 20% Zinfandel.<\/div>\n

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After twilight, of course, comes Midnight Cellars<\/a>, an astrological endeavor from Rich Hartenberger that. somewhat ironically, leaves nothing about their wines in the dark. I know of no other winery, including the ultraspecific wine labels from Ridge<\/a>, that lists not only the volume of alcohol and the percentage of residual sugar, but also the pH and \u201ctitratable acidity<\/font><\/font>\u201d for each of their wines (even with a strong background in chemistry, I have no idea what the distinction between these latter two measurements means)<\/i>. Certainly this winery\u2019s expression of straight varietals, like their 2010 Estate Chardonnay<\/b> and the 2007 Estate Zinfandel<\/b>, proved more than admirable, but it would not be overstatement to say they reached for the stars (and came rather proximate) <\/i>with both the 2007 Nebula<\/b>, a Cabernet Sauvignon rounded with Malbec and Merlot and their standout, the 2007 Mare Nectaris<\/b>, a Merlot-dominant Bordeaux blend balancing 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec, and 12% each of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Ironically, with all the precision of their labels, the 2008 Full Moon<\/b> lists itself merely as a red blend (with pH: 3.67 and titratable acidity: 0.625)<\/i>; nonetheless, an eminently approachable wine!<\/div>\n

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I didn\u2019t think to ask whether Kim & Jeff Steele of Roxo Port Cellars<\/a> were related to Shoo
\nting Star<\/a>\u2019s Jed Steele, but their meticulous approach to producing authentic Metodo Portugues<\/i> fortified wine certainly belies a strong kindred spirit. Their 2007 Magia Preta<\/b> proved a more than interesting variant on the 50\/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah so prevalent in Paso, while even more delightful was the 2007 Paso M\u00e9lange<\/b>, a Port-style blend of 71% Cabernet Franc with 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot. Best, though, inarguably had to have been the 2007 Ruby Tradicional<\/b>, a traditional blend of 34% Souz\u00e3o, 25% Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo)<\/i>, 18% Touriga Nacional, 15% Tinta C\u00e3o, and 8% Bastardo.<\/div>\n

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Having begun this post with a literary riff, I can be forgiven for presupposing Steinbeck Vineyards<\/a> had ties to the famed Central Coast chronicler and author of Grapes of Wrath<\/i><\/b>. Despite my erroneous assumption, the wines proved as rich and complex as any of John Steinbeck\u2019s literary opera<\/i>. The superb 2008 Viognier<\/b> set the tone for this lineup. Other equally compelling single varietal bottlings included the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/b>, the 2007 Petite Sirah<\/b>, and a wondrous 2007 Zinfandel<\/b>. Even more compelling, however, was Steinbeck\u2019s 2006 The Crash<\/b>, an atypical blend of these four grapes, along with the 2007 Voice<\/b>, a 2:1 mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah.<\/div>\n

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Twenty-nine other wineries featured their diverse vintages this particular afternoon, and it is by no means a disparagement not to detail each here, along with the panoply of wines they offered. Certainly, I have covered each of these ventures numerous times in this blog, but, in the interest of (relative for me) <\/i>brevity, I am electing now only to highlight the premium echelon of these selections, starting with the 2008 Version <\/b>from Adelaida<\/a>, a Mourv\u00e8dre-focused GMS blend balanced with 9% Counoise.<\/div>\n

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No overlap in the blended varietals could be found in Ancient Peaks<\/a>\u2019 2008 Oyster Ridge<\/b>, a Meritage composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Petite Sirah. Cypher Winery<\/a> pulled no punches in labeling its Zinfandel\/Mourv\u00e8dre\/Syrah blend the 2008 Anarchy<\/b>, but I can only defer to their own description of the dodecahedron known as the 2008 Louis Cypher<\/b>: 15% Teroldego, 14% Petit Verdot, 13% Souz\u00e3o, 13% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane, 9% Alicante Bouschet, 6% Syrah, 5% Tinta C\u00e3o, 5% Tinta Roriz, 5% Tannat, 4% Touriga Nacional, 2% Zinfandel = 100% Seduction! Even if they did forget the Touriga Francesa\u2026<\/div>\n

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I\u2019d be dishonest if I didn\u2019t concede that the true pleasure of Derby Wine<\/a> is the chance to revisit with Katie Kanpantha, but their standout vintage had to have been the 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir Derbyshire Vineyard<\/b> from San Simeon, the home of Hearst Castle. And it seemed only fitting that San Simeon would also feature the Hearst Ranch Winery<\/a>, whose Rh\u00f4ne selections<\/font><\/font> stood out among its eclectic choice of varietals. In partic<\/font><\/font>ular, the 2008 Three Sisters Cuv\u00e9e<\/b>, a straightforward Syrah\/Grenache\/Mourv\u00e8dre blend outshone such curious nomenclature as Chileano<\/b>, Babicora<\/b>, and Bunkhouse<\/b>\u2014all of which beg the question: why not Rosebud?<\/div>\n

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Always a prominent presence at events where they pour, Paso\u2019s Halter Ranch<\/a> truly excelled with a pair of their wines, the 2008 Syrah<\/b>, rounded with Mourv\u00e8dre, Viognier, and, uncharacteristically (for a Rh\u00f4ne blend)<\/i>, Malbec. Esoteric, but in proper keeping with the genre, their stellar 2008 C\u00f4tes de Paso<\/b> added both Cinsault and Counoise to the standard GSM composition.<\/font><\/font> Another of Paso\u2019s revered wineries, Justin<\/a>, must be finding itself in quite the conundrum, its overt commitment to sustainability in stark contrast with new owner Stewart Resnick\u2019s other signature venture, Fiji Water<\/a>. Nevertheless, Justin\u2019s iconic Meritage, the 2008 Isosceles<\/b>, proved itself worthy of the myriad accolades it has received.<\/div>\n

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My friends at L\u2019Aventure<\/a> managed to garner a Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font> trifecta here, impressing across the board with their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/b>, the 2008 C\u00f4te \u00e0 C\u00f4te<\/b> (their GMS blend)<\/i>, and the crossbreed, the 2008 Estate Cuv\u00e9e<\/b>, a m\u00e9lange<\/i> of 50% Syrah, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Petit Verdot. Despite its insistence on lower -case lettering, kukkula<\/a> once again proved there is nothing diminutive about its \u0153nology, excelling with its own Syrah-dominant GMS, the 2009 sisu<\/b>, and the Mourv\u00e8dre-less 2009 pas de deux<\/b>.<\/div>\n

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One of the afternoon\u2019s most striking wines came from Ortman Family Vineyards<\/a>: the utterly delectable 2007 Petite Sirah Wittstrom Vineyard<\/b>. Meanwhile, the Rh\u00f4ne virtuosos at Tablas Creek<\/a> veered beyond their forte and produced a stunning 2010 Vermentino<\/b>. <\/div>\n

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But Paso will always remain the realm of Syrah and Roussanne, Tannat and Viognier, Grenache and Picpoul Blanc, Picpoul and Grenache Blanc, with a wide smattering of Bordeaux, Spanish, Italian and local varietals thrown into the mix. Whether its the joyous blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourv\u00e8dre, and Cinsault Terry Hoage<\/a> bottles as their 2008 5 Blocks Cuv\u00e9e<\/b> or the Shel Silverstein<\/a>-ish GMZ blend, Thacher<\/a>\u2019s 2008 Controlled Chaos<\/b> (42% Mourv\u00e8dre, 35% Zinfandel, 23% Grenache)<\/i>, California\u2019s largest and most diversified AVA continues to delight with its unfettered approach to winemaking.<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n
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Ah, if only my own writing could possibly be fettered! I keep trying to keep things here succinct, and yet\u2026<\/div>\n

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I seem to be going backwards, not forward. I should have completed my June notes \u00e6ons ago, but somehow I let the reformulated Pinot Days<\/a> slip through the cracks. Nonetheless, I need only remind my readers (as well as myself)<\/i> that the primary purpose of this blog is to share all the wondrous wines that I sample\u2014at least until I am able to have them actually poured for my readers\u2019 delectation!<\/div>\n

<\/font><\/font>After such strong showings across California and Oregon for both the 2007 and 2008 Pinot vintages, the tendency might have been to expect a letdown in 2009. Among those who would prove to the contrary was Ed Kurtzman\u2019s August West<\/a>, dazzling with its 2009 Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir<\/b>. And if my trepidation needed further debunking, Wes Hagen generously featured a five-year vertical of his Clos Pepe<\/a> Pinot Noir. My preference ran to the unheralded 2005 Estate Pinot Noir<\/b>, a wine that completely withstood the test of time, as well as the benchmark 2007 vintage. But the much younger 2009 bottling held its own against these, portending, <\/font> with further aging<\/font>, to equal or excel its predecessors. And though I was less sanguine about both the 2009 Estate Pinot Noir Ros\u00e9 <\/b>and the 2007 Estate Pinot Noir Brut Ros\u00e9<\/b>, the contrast came as extremely welcome<\/font>.<\/font><\/p>\n

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Not to be confused with Justin Harmon\u2014Justin Herman Plaza<\/i><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Command of a sesquipedalian vocabulary is usually my forte, but sometimes I confuse simpler terminologies, like ingot with argot. Ingot, of course,refers to the rounded, rectangular die cut of gold that, had more investors acquired a few years back, would have eased my struggles to finance Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>. Argot<\/a>, on the other hand, is Justin Harmon\u2019s Sonoma wine venture, with a penchant for whimsical labels and even sounder \u0153nology. His 2009 Over the Moon<\/b> displayed touches of elegance, while the 2009 The Fence<\/b> proved a far more structured Pinot Noir. Most alluring, however, was his clandestine pour of his 2009 Happenstance<\/b>, an uncommon blend of Roussanne and Chardonnay. <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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In the same orbit, Lompoc\u2019s Hilliard Bruce<\/a> contrasted their estate bottlings, the 2009 Pinot Noir Moon<\/font> with the slightly preferable 2<\/b>009 Pinot Noir Sun<\/font>, while adding a 2009 Chardonnay<\/font> for good measure. ADS Wines<\/a>, which seems to change its corporate identity every time I encounter one of their ventures, added to this lunacy with their 2007 Howling Moon Pinot Noir<\/b>, along with their similarly lackluster 2007 Silver Peak<\/b> and 2009 Odd Lot <\/b>bottlings.<\/font><\/div>\n
B<\/font>asically, I had a dual agenda this afternoon\u2014first, as always, to connect with the wineries that were either new to <\/b><\/font>Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>, like Aeshna<\/a>, or that I had previously bypassed at other events because of time constraints (or inadvertently)<\/i><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>, like Arcadian<\/a>. To the best of my knowledge, the former has never participated in the numerous Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association<\/a> events, nor in the sundry P<\/font>inot-focused tastings held each year; named for the dragonfly genus that is part of the Odonata<\/a> order (coincidentally, the name for another notable Santa Cruz Mountain winery that produces Chardonnay, Malbec, Durif, Syrah, and Grenache)<\/i>, this single-vineyard-focused venture debuted here with six distinctive bottlings, headlined by an exceptional 2008 Pinot Noir Two Pisces<\/b> and the 2007 Pinot Noir Split Rock,<\/b>
\nboth grown on the Sonoma Coast. Meanwhile, Solvang\u2019s Arcadian<\/a>
\ncontrasted two 2007 bottlings with a pair from 2005, the most
\ndistinctive being its 2007 Pisoni Pinot Noir<\/b>.<\/font> <\/font><\/div>\n

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Among other previously overlooked labels, Napa\u2019s Elkhorn Peak Cellars<\/a> comported itself admirably with their 2008 Pinot Noir Ros\u00e9<\/b>, as well an acceptable 2007 Estate Napa Valley Pinot Noir<\/b>. Sebastopol\u2019s Fog Crest Vineyard<\/a> shone through the mist with both their 2009 Estate Bottled Pinot Noir<\/b> and the splendid 2009 Laguna West Pinot Noir<\/b>.<\/font><\/font><\/div>\n

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Newcomers this afternoon included Los Angeles-based Inception Wines<\/a>, with a splendid 2008 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County<\/b> they surreptitiously counterbalanced with an even-keeled 2009 Chardonnay Santa Barbara County<\/b>. Miracle One<\/a> may be better known for its Bluebird Wine-in-a-Pouch; nonetheless, their 2008 Carneros Pinot Noir Truchard Vineyard<\/b> offered a well-structured bottled varietal. Sebastopol\u2019s Sandole Wines<\/a> debuted here with a most impressive 2009 Oehlman Ranch Pinot Noir<\/b>, while Windsor\u2019s Joseph Jewell<\/a>, a familiar pourer at other affairs, showcased a trio of Pinots: the 2008 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley<\/b>, the 2009 Pinot Noir Floodgate Vineyard<\/b>, and the utterly superb 2008 Pinot Noir Elk Prairie Vineyard<\/b> from the verdant confines of Humboldt County.<\/div>\n
While certain reactionary elements will claim that partaking in Humboldt\u2019s most popular \u201csubstance\u201d leads to hardered addictions, it is only coincidence that I transitioned next to Poppy<\/a>, not the opiate-bearing bud but the King City viticultural venture out of Monterey Wine Country<\/a>\u2019s custom crush operations, here featuring a surprisingly good 2009 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands<\/b> and an even better 2009 Pinot Noir Monterey County<\/b>. At its neighboring table, Santa Maria\u2019s Presqu\u2019ile<\/a> shared an equally striking 2009 Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley <\/b>and their estate grown 2009 Pinot Noir Presqu\u2019ile Vineyard<\/b>, along with one of the afternoon\u2019s most appealing pink efforts, the 2010 Ros\u00e9 of Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley<\/b>.
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My other principal target here was to connect with the broad representation of Oregon wineries, both new to Pinot Days and old hands, as exploration of this enormous swath of AVAs does not present itself as readily as my frequent jaunts to the wineries in a 100-mile radius of San Francisco. First up was the deceptively simple-sounding Big Table Farm<\/a> out of Gaston; their 2009 Pinot Noir Resonance Vineyard <\/b>(Yamhill-Carlton AVA)<\/i> proved an elegant entr\u00e9e to this segment of my tasting. Another epiphany here came from the more mellifluously named Carabella Vineyard<\/a> from the Chehalem Mountains AVA, dazzling with their 2008 Inchinnan Pinot Noir<\/b> and proving more than correct with their 2008 Pinot Noir Mistake Block<\/b>.<\/div>\n

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Ironic labeling seems to abound north of the state line, as witnessed by the wholly appealing 2009 Provocateur<\/b>, a J. K. Carriere<\/a>-crafted wine that overshadowed its more generically named 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir<\/b>. Nor I could detect any ambiguity in the wines from Monks Gate Vineyard<\/a> in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, a single varietal endeavor that contrasted its 2007 Pinot Noir<\/b> with a more robust 2008 Pinot Noir<\/b>.<\/div>\n

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Part of my impetus in selecting the architects<\/a> who will render the design for Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font> was their work on Sokol Blosser<\/a>, the first winery to receive LEED<\/a> certification, but until this Pinot Days<\/b><\/i>, I had not had the opportunity to sample their Dundee Hills wines. My consensus: I could easily sustain myself with both the 2008 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir<\/b> and the special bottling of the 2008 Cuv\u00e9e Pinot Noir<\/b>. Another Dundee Hills winery that has achieved Gold LEED Certification, Dayton\u2019s Stoller Vineyards<\/a> focuses exclusively on the Burgundian varietals (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay)<\/i>, represented here by a disparate contrast between the 2008 Estate Pinot Noir <\/b>and their superb 2007 Estate Pinot Noir<\/b>.
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Dundee\u2019s twinless Lange Estate Winery<\/a> produced a triplet from their inventory of seven distinct Pinots, beginning with their generic 2009 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley<\/b>. The 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve<\/b> proved incrementally better, but principal kudos belonged to their standout, the 2008 Pinot Noir Three Hills Cuv\u00e9e<\/b>. Similarly, White Rose<\/a> showcased their 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir <\/b>alongside their 2008 Dundee Hills AVA Pinot Noir<\/b> and a somewhat lackluster 2008 Estate Pinot Noir<\/b>.
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It would have been most interesting to try the Hand Picked Pinot Noir, as well as the Whole Cluster Pinot Noir White Rose produces, but these wines were not made available here. On the other hand, I was underwhelmed by the 2010 Whole Clust
\ner Pinot Noir <\/b>Willamette Valley Vineyards<\/a> presented (perhaps, in time, this jejune wine will finds its expression)<\/i>; their 2008 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley<\/b> and the 2008 Pinot Noir Estate Willamette Valley<\/b> mitigated tremendously, while the 2009 Pinot Gris<\/b> proved a welcome contrast to the red orthodoxy of the afternoon. So, too, did Dundee\u2019s Winderlea<\/a>, with its crisp 2008 Chardonnay<\/b>, blended from 50% Carabella Vineyard (Chehalem Mountain AVA) <\/i>and 50% Hyland Vineyard (McMinnville AVA)<\/i> fruit. Equally impressive\u2014their 2007 Estate Pinot Noir<\/b>, while their eponymous 2008 Pinot Noir<\/b> offered much to admire.<\/font><\/div>\n
My friend Craig Camp seems ubiquitous these days, but I was pleased to sample the 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir<\/b> from his Cornerstone Cellars Oregon<\/a>. Other familiar Oregonians here included Domaine Serene<\/a>, splendiferous as ever with their 2008 Jerusalem Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir<\/b> and the exquisite 2007 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir<\/b>. Dusky Goose<\/a>, a name I\u2019ve never quite fathomed but still enjoy, featured a three year vertical, starting with their 2006 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir<\/b>, a somewhat tepid bottling compared to the exceptional 2007 and 2008 vintages.<\/font><\/div>\n

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Out of Newberg, Raptor Ridge<\/a> sounds more like a vineyard that might have flourished on Isla Nublar (Jurassic Park<\/a>)<\/i>, but, like Dusky Goose, its name is ornithological, its flavors, unmistakably Oregonian. Both the four vineyard blend that comprised its 2009 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley<\/b> and its 2008 Reserve Pinot Noir<\/b>, a six vineyard mix, flourished at this stage. And Le Cadeau<\/a>, though not blending such a diverse range of fruit, still gifted attendees with six distinct bottlings: two from 2008 and four from the ensuing vintage. Of the former, both the 2009 C\u00f4te Est Pinot Noir <\/b>proved a formidable entry-level selection, while the <\/font>2008 <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/b>Aubichon Pinot Noir Reserve<\/b>, Le Cadeau\u2019s second label. showed every bit its equal. The 2009 vintage excelled across the board, with the 2009 <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/b>Aubichon Pinot Noir Reserve<\/b>, the 2009 Diversit\u00e9 Pinot Noir<\/b>, and the 2009 \u00c9quinoxe Pinot Noir<\/b> all enormously impressive; the \u201cchampion,\u201d however, had to have been the 2009 Rocheux Pinot Noir<\/b>, crafted by winemaker Jim Sanders, Le Cadeau partner in Aubichon<\/a>.<\/font><\/font><\/font>
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With that, I had one more Oregon house to sample before completing my predetermined agenda. A couple of years ago, I did report on the delightful 2007 Pinot Gris<\/b> Dundee Hills\u2019 Torii Mor<\/a> had produced, so was happy to revisit with them and sample both the 2007 Olson Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir<\/b> and the 2008 Chehalem Mountain Select Pinot Noir<\/b> (maybe I\u2019ll get to try their Pinot Blanc at our next encounter)<\/i>.<\/font><\/font><\/font>
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Technically, I suppose all varietals prefaced as Pinot ought to be fair fare for Pinot Days, including the semi-archaic \u201cPinot Chardonnay\u201d (genealogists at UC Davis have determined that Chardonnay resulted from a cross between the proximate plantings of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc in Burgundy)<\/i>. Though an essential component in Champagne, Pinot Meunier rarely finds expression as a distinct varietal, a notable exception being La Follette<\/a>\u2019s striking 2009 Van der Kamp Pinot Meunier<\/b>. While I found the 2008 Van der Kamp Pinot Noir<\/b> a notch below its cousin, both the 2009 Sangiacomo Pinot Noir<\/b> and the 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir<\/b> equaled its prowess.<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/div>\n
Its remote perch in Oregon House has neither proximity nor correlation to California\u2019s northerly neighbor; still, natural wine proponent Gideon Beinstock\u2019s Clos Saron<\/a> brought out a decidedly mixed collection of his Pinots, with the perfunctory 2009 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard<\/b> contrasting dramatically with its predecessor, the more elegant 2000 Pinot Noir Home Vineyard<\/b>, while the 2005 Pinot Noir Texas Hill<\/b> demonstrated how truly superb a natural wine can be when it hits its mark. Another vintner with deep French roots, De Novo Wines<\/a>\u2019 Herv\u00e9 Bruckert showed greater consistency and an incremental increase in quality from his 2007 Pinot Noir Mendocino County<\/b> to the 2008 Pinot Noir Bennett Valley<\/b> to his delightful non-Pinot, the 2009 Bastille<\/b>, a Right Bank-style Bordeaux blend of <\/font>Merlot, <\/font><\/font><\/font>Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc.
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CR\u016a<\/a> is not Vineyard 29<\/a>\u2019s Cru in St. Helena, but nonetheless this Madera vintner produced an impressive lineup with its 2009 Appellation Series Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir<\/b>, the 2008 Appellation Series Santa Mara Valley Pinot Noir, and an exceptional 2008 Vineyard Montage Central Coast Pinot Noir<\/font><\/b>. St. Helena\u2019s own Couloir<\/a> introduced its own triple play, excelling with both the 2009 Pinot Noir Chileno Valley<\/b> (Marin)<\/i><\/font> <\/i>and <\/font><\/font><\/font>the 2009 Pinot Noir Monument Tree<\/b> (Mendocino)<\/i><\/font><\/font><\/font>, followed closely by their second label, the 2009 Straight Line Pinot Noir<\/b>.
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One of Mendocino\u2019s most revered ventures, Londer Vineyards<\/a>, held true to its reputation with a stellar array of wines from their 2007 vintage, starting with more generic 2009 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir<\/b>. As always, both the 2007 Estate Valley Pinot Noir<\/b> and the 2007 Ferrington Pinot Noir<\/b> soared with intense flavor, but perhaps the best wine of the afternoon had to have been the 2007 Paraboll Pinot Noir<\/b>, an effusion of delights. Slightly below Philo, Santa Rosa\u2019s Lattanzio Wines<\/a>, an understated yet accomplished winery cum<\/i> custom crush facility in Santa Rosa, hit a zenith with the 2008 Pinot Noir <\/b><\/font>W. E. Bottoms Vineyard <\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font>and its 2009 successor; even more compelling was their 2009 Pinot Noir Manchester Ridge Vineyard<\/b>, a name that begs no punning.
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My other nomination for this tasting\u2019s Palme d\u2019Or <\/i>most assuredly belonged to my friend Hank Skewis<\/a>, whose 2008 Peters Vineyard Sonoma Coast <\/b>drank like a wine thrice its price. Slightly overshadowed by this monumental bottling, yet every bit as prodigious, were his 2008 Pinot Noir, Montgomery Vineyard<\/b> Russian River Valley<\/b>, 2008 Pinot Noir North Coast Cuv\u00e9e<\/b>, and the 2008 Pinot Noir Peters Vineyard Sonoma Coast<\/b>. Nearby in Sebastopol, Small Vines<\/a> impressed me once again with their Pinot trio: the 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir<\/b>, the 2009 Baranoff Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir<\/b>, and, most notably, the 2009 MK Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir<\/b>. Meanwhile, heir neighbors at Suacci Carciere<\/a> snuck in another \u201cillicit\u201d diversion for the afternoon, their 2008 Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard<\/b> (somehow I managed to miss their always appreciated Pinot selections)<\/i>.
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Nearly every AVA provides a distinct pocket for Pinot, as exhibited by Belle Glos\u2019 Meiomi<\/a>, with its authoritative 2009 Meiomi Pinot Noir<\/b>, a blend of fruit from Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara. Heron Lake\u2019s Olivia Brion<\/a> is nestled in Wild Horse Valley, a semi-obscure<\/font><\/font><\/font> AVA that straddles Napa and Sonoma; here their 2008 Pinot Noir Heron Lake Vineyard<\/b> made its presence known with quiet aplomb. And San Rafael\u2019s Peter Paul Winery<\/a> offered its excellent 2009 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Mill Station Road<\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font>.<\/font><\/div>\n
Winding down for the afternoon, I resampled Ray Franscioni<\/a>\u2019s 2007 Puma Road Pinot Noir Black Mountain Vineyard<\/b> before cooling down with his delightful 2009 Puma Road Pinot Gris Black Mountain Vineyard<\/b><\/font><\/font><\/font>. My final stop turned out to be the East Bay\u2019s highly vaunted Stomping Girl<\/a>, which rounded out the afternoon with two superb vintages: the 2009 Pinot Noir Lauterbach Hill<\/b> from Sonoma (Russian River Valley)<\/i> and their equally wondrous 2009 Pinot Noir Beresini Vineyard<\/b> from Napa Valley (Carneros)<\/i>.
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No slight intended to the many, many other wineries I failed to include here\u2014with 179 labels on hand for this event, I couldn\u2019t possibly sample and cover all. Add to that the fact that I am behind close to 179 wine tastings I\u2019ve attended on behalf of this blog, and can there be little wonder that I have the stamina to make it through any of what Sostevinobile<\/b><\/font> has promised to cover? But soldier on I do, and perhaps I will even record all of 2011 events in 2011 (of course, restricting my entries to under 4,000 words would expedite matters tremendously)<\/i>.<\/div>\n
In closing, I would b
\ne remiss in not thanking Steve and Lisa Rigisch for revamping their Pinot Days<\/b> format after the debacle of 2010\u2019s non-contiguous affair. The reversion to a single day\u2019s Grand Tasting with overlapping trade and public sessions made accessing so many of the wineries vastly easier, and I am honestly looking forward to 2012\u2019s celebration.<\/div>\n

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