Lunch with Peter Seghesio

Elway's at the Ritz, Denver, CO
Tasted Tuesday, May 12, 2009 by Tim Heaton with 539 views

Introduction

A casual lunch with Peter Seghesio and a chance to learn more about their compelling story, rich history and pursuit for quality. I have visited them on Grove Street about 6 times, and each time I come away with something new and exciting. They have just purchased a new machine that will really improve the quality of the grapes that go into the must. It operates using air pressure and will remove inferior/rotting grapes.

Flight 1 (7 Notes)

  • 2007 Seghesio Family Vineyards Arneis

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    Light straw colour with pale-green at the rim. Notes of white flowers and citrus and a palate of green apple, pear, lemon zest and mineral. I felt the acidity was a bit low and the finish rather short. . The '08 Pinot Grigio bested this by a wide margin. I prefer my Arneis from the Roero, but certainly this is a decent table wine. Drink thru 2009, approx $18, 14% abv

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  • 2007 Seghesio Family Vineyards Pinot Grigio

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    Light straw in the glass with plenty of limestone, apple, pear, persimmon and spice, and some frizzante. Medium bodied with firm grip and a long finish. This was an eye opener that had plenty of zingy acidity to help wash down the prawns & calamari. A very pleasant surprise, 14.1% abv, approx $18, drink thru 2010

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  • 2006 Seghesio Family Vineyards Sangiovese

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

    Brick red in the glass with a really attractive nose of sweet cigar box, violets and dark spices. On the palate, tart sour cherries give way to blackberry pie. Firm tannins and and elegant structure provide a savory mid-palate and lead into a slightly bitter finish. The Sangiovese yield is about 2.5 tons/acre after green harvest - it shows in the wine. Also, of interest is that 3 of the 4 original clones that Edoardo Seghesio brought from Italy over 100 years ago are still used today. Great table wine at approx $27, 15.2% abv (very well integrated), drink thru 2014

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  • 2003 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Home Ranch

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

    Dark ruby/purple in the glass with some bricking at the edge. The nose was so powerful, it was easy to detect from 2 chairs away. Gorgeous primary notes of red and black fruits with secondary aromas of milk chocolate, nougat, tobacco leaf, dark spices and leather. A solid, enjoyable second attack early on, but that faded as time passed (as did the finish) and so I would advise to drink this up as it is not going to get any better; it's in a very sweet spot at the moment. Approx $21, drink thru 2011

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  • 2006 Seghesio Family Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    A deep ruby toward purple colour in the glass. This showed a lot of complexity for the price point, but is still a bit backward and reluctant to strut its stuff. After some time in the glass, notes of roasted plum, ripe blackberry, clove, and a kiss of vanilla. This needs a little time to put on some weight and also for the alcohol to better integrate. The grapes for this wine come from 5 plots and the minimum criteria is vine age of at least 50 years. 15.6% abv, approx $31, drink thru 2014

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  • 2006 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Rockpile

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Rockpile

    A bit of dust at first, but this quickly gives way to bramble, herbs and ripe cherry. A bit more r/s than I prefer, this still proved to be a decent food wine. On the palate, a medium + body with solid structure and blueberry pie elements. This needs some more time to integrate. 11 mos of new oak, of which 75% is American. It'll be in a sweet spot in two more years. 15.1% abv, approx $33

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  • 2005 Seghesio Family Vineyards Omaggio

    USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma

    A dark ruby toward purple in the glass. On the nose, an elegant selection of dark spices, cocoa, blueberry pie and warm tobacco leaf. The palate was simply divine with no rough edges, crunchy tannins and a lengthy finish. This wine owes its greatness to the Mt Veeder Cab fruit (~40%) that gets to hang for up to 3 weeks longer than the Cabernet (~ 20%) that comes from the Home Ranch. The balance is Sangiovese that comes from the Home Ranch. Beautifully proportioned, this shows tremendous integration and structure for cellaring, but is very enjoyable now. Approx $52, 14.9% abv, drink thru 2018

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