The Accidental Wino » Russian River Valley

Tasting Notes: Unti Vineyards and Papapietro Perry Winery, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:56:05 +0000

It almost feels as though I’m repeating myself, but time truly flies, and looking back among my past blog entries, I hadn’t been wine tasting at Unti Vineyards or Papapietro Perry since last summer, and I did need to catch up with their most recent vintages. So here we go again. Another dissertation on the wonders of Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, although I plan to keep this one short, in order to complement my ever-decreasing attention span. Typically, I would also fit Ridge Vineyards into this same discussion, but I got a late start over to Sonoma last week, so Ridge is on my short-term agenda for the moment. I may drive over to Sonoma in a few hours, in fact. I’ve got the itch to wander at the moment, as I sit here and type in the dead of night; if New Orleans was only four hours away — and not four days — I would already be on the road, headed to my spiritual second home. Wine country will have to do for now.

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One thing that’s interesting about making annual visits to my favorite wineries is that I can gauge the consistency of my own personal taste. Consistency is important for wine drinkers, since the wines you purchase in the tasting rooms are the very wines you’ll ultimately be drinking at home. This notion seems obvious, of course. But there have been times when I’ve purchased wines, only to pop them open months or years later, and wonder what the hell I was thinking when I bought them. Was it perhaps the last tasting of the day? Was my palate just shot by then? Could I have been drunk? Drinking fine wine can be a somewhat costly proposition, so it’s key to be able to reach into the collection with confidence, knowing that anything you select will taste as delicious as you might remember. It’s important, therefore, to put yourself in tune with your own taste, which is the true benefit of going wine tasting.

I never review my old tasting notes before I revisit my favorite wineries, since I don’t want to be unduly influenced while I’m out tasting wine. Even more importantly, I don’t want to see anyone else’s notes either, and I hate when wineries publish scores alongside their tasting notes. I do admit, however, that wine ratings do interest me from a curiosity standpoint, but I have long since pushed them out of my mind when it comes to buying the wine that I plan to collect and drink. If I’m at a tasting room, and I can taste the wine for myself, does it even matter what the Old Guard thinks? Unless Jim Laube and Robert Parker are coming over to my place for drinks (fat chance of that, since I don’t host a seniors night), then who really cares what they think of the wine I serve? Instead of offering wines that reflect someone else’s tastes, I feel that my selections should really reflect my own tastes.

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Forgive me, I said this entry would be short, and I can ramble in the wee hours. But the reason why I mentioned consistency of taste was that I discovered that I tend to gravitate towards the same two wines at Papapietro Perry: The Pauline’s Vineyard Zinfandel and the Leras Family Vineyard Pinot Noir. In the latter instance, I’ve twice tasted the 2007 Papapietro Perry Leras Family Vineyard Pinot Noir ($49), although these tastings were almost one year apart. Both times, I’ve been absolutely floored by this wine. I would argue that the 2007 Leras may represent the pinnacle of Russian River Pinot Noir. I took a bottle home, and I when I looked at my notes from 2009, I learned that I also took home a bottle last summer (I originally caught this wine just as it was released, and now it’s finally ending its run). In the meantime, the 2007 Leras did compile some nice scores from Jim Laube, as well. Although I don’t agree with his influence, sometimes we do agree on wine.

As for the Pauline’s Vineyard Zinfandel ($37), it was my favorite Zin of the day, although I do remember enjoying the 2006 Pauline’s Vineyard more than the 2007 vintage. In general, I tend to prefer the 2006 Dry Creek Zins to their 2007 counterparts, which seem to have higher alcohol levels in general (though not in the specific case of the Pauloine’s Zin, which was 14.7% for both vintages). The 2007 campaign was a warmer vintage for Dry Creek Valley than the 2006 campaign. Having done some research on the Pauline’s Vineyard Zinfandel, I noticed that 2006 featured an early October harvest, while 2007 noted an early September harvest. More time on the vine allows for more complexity, which is probably why I remember doing back-flips for the 2006 Pauline’s, while the 2007 was delicious, but not as devastating.

Rather than purchase a Zinfandel from the 2007 vintage, I decided to instead stockpile a little more 2007 Pinot, since that vintage represents one of California’s all-time best for the varietal. The 2007 Pinots are beginning to disappear from the market at this point, as wineries are now beginning to offer their 2008s. With this in mind, I purchased the 2007 Papapeitro Perry Peters Vineyard Pinot Noir ($49), which I had briefly considered to be the best California Pinot Noir that I had tasted in a long time — until I tasted the 2007 Leras Family Pinot shortly thereafter. Both wines are formidable, to say the least. The 2007 Leras displays a touch more finesse than the 2007 Peters, but both wines feature a terrific aroma and an incredibly lengthy finish.

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Unti Vineyards is going to get short shrift in this post, since I’m almost at 1,000 words here. But I have exalted Unti plenty in the past, most recently with an entry regarding their 2008 Rosé, which is now sold out. Regardless, I found the 2009 Unti Rosé ($19) to be just as appealing. Among the nine other wines that I tasted at Unti, the one that really caught my attention was the 2007 Unti Grenache ($30), which is 80% Grenache Noir, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. In my notes, I’ve summed it up simply as “impressive.” On the lighter side, I also purchased the 2008 Unti Segromigno ($24), which is 92% Sangiovese and 8% Montepulciano. It had aromas of mocha on the nose, alongside red fruit on the palate. Quite nice.

Wine Tasting Notes: 2008 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc

Thirsty Reader — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 04:48:05 +0000

The weather finally became warm enough to uncork a 2008 Merry Edwards Russian River Sauvignon Blanc, which I had been hoarding for what seems like an entire year now. It may very well have been that long, considering the 2009 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc is already out on the market, and I did acquire the 2008 vintage very early during its release. Anyhow, as the 2008 Merry Edwards approaches its second full year of age this fall, it was the perfect time to finally take a peek, and see what my remaining stash could offer in the future. I was hoping for something heady and refreshing, and as I suspected, the 2008 Merry Edwards was heavy on the ultra-ripe melon and fig aromas, while the acidity prevented the wine from treading too far into Chardonnay territory.

Although the 2008 Merry Edwards certainly maintains its Sauvignon Blanc identity, the wine does undergo some Chardonnay-style techniques in the cellar, including barrel fermention and rigorous batonnage during barrel aging. However, despite bolstering the wine’s profile with this New World approach, the vinification itself is easily matched by the wine’s overall intensity of fruit. The 2008 Merry Edwards can easily carry its own weight, thanks mostly to the Sauvignon Musque clone, a grape regarded as the fruit-forward mutation of Sauvignon Blanc. This heavy dose of aromatic Russian River Musque, combined with a deft barrel regimen in the cellar, produces an opulent balance on the palate. The best of both worlds, really.

2007 Chasseur Pinot Noir

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:26:20 +0000

I just placed my order for the 2007 releases of Chasseur Pinot Noir, thanks to a friend who has been on their mailing list for quite some time. I’m looking forward to putting some of these wines alongside the wines of some other Russian River and Sonoma Coast producers, hopefully in a blind tasting. I’m not quite sure when this event will ultimately happen — I do want to give these wines a little bit of time in the bottle — so it should probably be at least a year away, maybe even a couple of years. For me, practice is almost always different than theory, however, at least when it comes to aging wine.

Talking to a few winemakers I know, I hear that the 2009 vintage for Russian River Pinot could also be stellar, if this relatively cool weather holds up. That’s always good news. Let’s hope that everything stays on track for the next month or so.

2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir

Thirsty Reader — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:49:54 +0000

I just received my allocation of 2007 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir, having finally earned a coveted spot on their mailing list during these tough economic times. Well, I should amend that statement: I earned a spot on their provisional list, which means that I’m entitled to some left-overs. I now have a couple bottles each of their 2007 Russian River Pinot and their 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot. I’m tempted to pop one open and see how it tastes, but I’m going to give these wines some time to settle back into place. Eventually, however, I will open one of these bottles (most likely the Sonoma Coast) and report back here.

If you’ve already received and sampled your own Kosta Browne 2007 allotment, feel free to share your impressions in the comments below. Do it before all the critics issue their scores from atop Mount Olympus.

Tasting notes: J Vineyards, Russian River Valley

Thirsty Reader — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 06:13:28 +0000

Given the choice between a glass of Chardonnay and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, I’m liable to choose the latter about nine times out of ten. I have found that among wine drinkers, this decision tends to be pretty divisive: people will usually form a distinct preference between these two white wines, kind of like an Elvis-versus-The Beatles debate. For me, I just prefer the acidity and the aroma of Sauv Blanc, and I somehow find Chardonnay less intriguing on the palate (I also find Elvis less intriguing than the Fab Four, for what it’s worth).

Unfortunately, for those of us who prefer Sauvignon Blanc, the choices are far fewer than those of Chardonnay (on the positive side, Sauvignon Blanc tends to be much less expensive). Honestly, I would like to see more Sauvignon Blanc out there, but I realize that Chardonnay will always be the king of California white wines. In my own mind, however, I have a list of wineries that I wish would offer Sauvignon Blanc. I suppose that Shafer would be atop this list, since they produce my all-time favorite Chardonnay, Red Shoulder Ranch.

Of course, my proposed marriage of Shafer and Sauvignon Blanc might be a stretch, and such a wine would probably retail for $40 per bottle anyhow, but what oenophile wouldn’t want to taste Sauvignon Blanc in the deft hands of Shafer winemaker Elias Fernandez? But I digress — perhaps a more realistic wish would be a Sauvignon Blanc by J Vineyards & Winery. Considering J produces so many other whites, including a Viognier and a Pinot Gris (as well as the requisite Chardonnay), Sauvignon Blanc always seemed like it would be right at home in the J portfolio.

• The irony of this discussion is that my tasting at J began with their 2006 Russian River Chardonnay ($40), which featured typical apple flavors bolstered by 100% new French oak. This particular style is a radical departure from past vintages, in which 75% of the wine was aged in stainless steel. The Chardonnay was well-made, despite J’s contrarian approach to aging.

• Next was the 2008 J Vin Gris ($20), a rosé dominated by delicious strawberry flavors, but ultimately a wine that I labeled as “good for rosé” — I like my blush wines to sparkle, whenever possible. Still, I don’t want to deny this wine its proper place: it will certainly earn more points in the summertime.

• The third wine in the flight was the 2006 J Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($38), a wine that needed more in the way of a finish, although it did deliver a nice first impression. As much as I enjoy several Russian River Pinots, it’s important to remember that the Russian River appellation is 10,000 acres — it’s a bit of a minefield, since quality can vary heavily.

• The final wine was the J Russian River Cuvée 20 ($28), the winery’s flagship and the highlight of the visit. This non-vintage sparkling wine featured terrific layers of lemon zest, biscuits and apple. Offset by about 1.5% residual sugar, the wine maintains a pleasant acidity and a refreshing quality. The wine is named in honor of J’s 20th anniversary.

Rochioli Vineyards & Winery, Russian River Valley

Thirsty Reader — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:44:47 +0000

With friends coming into town this week, it’s safe to say that I’ll be knee-deep in the Napa Valley food-and-wine experience for the next couple of days. I’ve got a calendar full of tasting appointments on the horizon, including visits to Paradigm, Nickel & Nickel, Cardinale, and Revana. When I woke up this morning, I decided that I might as well go “all in” for the week, so I made an impromptu visit to Rochioli Vineyards in Sonoma this afternoon.

Perched atop 162 acres of prime Russian River Valley real estate, the Rochioli tasting room overlooks many of the winery’s most famous Pinot Noir vineyards, including its East Block and West Block holdings. In planning a visit to Rochioli, timing is everything, since many of their wines sell out in just a few months. In fact, the East Block and West Block bottlings are allocated to a mailing list, so these two wines never even have the chance to hit the open market (the mailing list for these wines currently requires a six-year wait). Fortunately, Rochioli does also produce some larger bottlings of Pinot Noir.

During my last visit to the winery, which was in October, Rochioli offered just two wines in its flight: its 2007 Estate Chardonnay and its 2007 Special Cuvée Pinot Noir (I have actually visited Rochioli when their tasting was comprised of just one single Chardonnay). Today, the winery offered three wines: the 2007 Chardonnay was still in the flight, alongside the 2008 Estate Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 Estate Pinot Noir. For those of us who are not on the exclusive Rochioli Vineyards mailing list, the latter wine is the best alternative to an East Block or West Block bottling.

To my tastes, the 2007 Estate Pinot Noir, which was bottled six weeks ago and released just two weeks ago, is another Rochioli triumph. The wine features a generous dose of Rochioli’s trademark Russian River fruit, which rides to a nice long finish. Honestly, this wine has no business tasting so good, so soon. In December, I enjoyed a bottle of the 2006 Rochioli Estate Pinot Noir during a holiday dinner. To be sure, the 2006 Rochioli was a great bottle, but the 2007 vintage has already seemed to match it.

The 2008 Rochioli Estate Sauvignon Blanc was also delicious, although not nearly as captivating as the Pinot Noir. Still, the Sauvignon Blanc presented some great lemon characteristics, without any unpleasant tartness. The Chardonnay was also well-crafted, although I didn’t purchase any Chardonnay today. Simply put, when Rochioli offers Pinot Noir, I buy Pinot Noir.