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California Vacation (Sonoma, SF, Monterey)

Tasted August 5, 2017 - August 12, 2017 by ews3 with 589 views

Introduction

A week in California with the family gave some great opportunities to taste. Only two appointments were scheduled, and I had a 2 year old in tow, so options were somewhat limited. That said, still got a great chance to try lots of good stuff and find some new wines worth exploring.

Flight 1 - Rochioli - Westside Road (Healdsburg) (2 notes)

A beautiful tasting room overlooking the vineyard, but a little disappointing in what you get to try. Still, nice wines and a great atmosphere to kick off the journey.

White
2016 J. Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
91 points
Tasted at winery. Interesting nectarine and apricot notes. Lots of complexity here. Smoked hay. Liked this quite a bit, fairly priced.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir Russian River Valley USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
92 points
Tasted at winery. Ripe red berry fruit along with some sour cherry but also nice sweet spice. Really nice balance.
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 2 - Siduri Wine Bar (Healdsburg) (5 notes)

Paired a flight of Siduri with lunch at the wine bar.

Red
2014 Siduri Pinot Noir Ewald Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
90 points
Tasted at tasting room. Nice red berry fruit and root beer. A bit juicy on midpalate. Nice sweet spice. Tingly finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Siduri Pinot Noir Betty Ann USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
91 points
Tasted at tasting room. Darker fruit notes, most prominently black cherry. Nice herbal (sage) / medicinal notes. Well balanced and a lot of interesting aromas on this.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Siduri Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
92 points
Tasted at tasting room. Sour red cherry fruit with some red licorice and light anise. Nice dark floral character. Well balanced acids carry through on med plus finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Siduri Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
90 points
Tasted at tasting room. Black fruit, sour red cherry, exotic spices, and menthol on the nose. Palate solid but nose is where it's at. Lots of complexity.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Novy Family Wines Syrah Susan's Hill Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
89 points
Tasted at tasting room. Dark fruit, black berry fruit, black plum, some spice and smoke. Nice minerality and acids. A bit ripe and simple.
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 3 - Ferrari-Carano (Healdsburg Square) (5 notes)

Popped in here because it was there... wines were ok, but wish I had seen the better flights they had available, as everything was a little basic. Regretted the Baci.

White
2016 Lazy Creek Vineyards Gewürztraminer USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
88 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. A little honeysuckle and peach. Somewhat simple but nice finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2014 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay Reserve USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
88 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Ripe yellow apple and pear. Oak is there but cut with bright acids. Finishes round with some wood tannin evident.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Ferrari-Carano Zinfandel USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
88 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Prune, plum, black pepper, smoke, nice dried fruit character. Fresh finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Ferrari-Carano Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
87 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Nice red fruit. Some eucalyptus. A bit basic.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red - Sweet/Dessert
N.V. Ferrari-Carano Baci USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
75 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Sweet diluted Hershey's chocolate syrup. Not a fan
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 4 - Ridge Lytton Estate (8 notes)

A great visit with Ridge, witht he three Monte Bellos side by side being a real treat.

Red
2015 Ridge Zinfandel East Bench USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
91 points
Tasted at winery. Great acid and structure. Black fruit dusty nice peppery smoke.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Ridge Geyserville USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
93 points
Tasted at winery. Nice light licorice sits on top of black fruit with a less prominent smoke and black pepper than the East Bench. Really great structure and balance. I'm typically a Lytton Springs guy, but damn this was good!
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Ridge Syrah/Grenache/Mataro Lytton Estate USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
91 points
Tasted at winery. Nice balance. Red plum, red licorice. Sweet spice. Some darker notes. Hint of floral or perfumed notes.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Estate USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
91 points
Tasted at winery. Brighter plum fruit and cherry, graphite, and spice, with some floral notes that give this a nice lightness. Nice structure with some powdery tannins.
4 people found this helpful Comments (3)
Red
2004 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
88 points
Tasted at winery. Nice acidic structure. Some sour red fruit a bit pruney on finish. Still some tannin resolving.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2003 Ridge Monte Bello USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
91 points
Tasted at winery. Nice sour red fruit profile. Tannins pretty much resolved. So much older than the 05.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2005 Ridge Monte Bello USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
94 points
Tasted at winery. Such a contrast with the 2003. Still so youthful. Really dark fruit with some graphite, cigar smoke, and a savory meatiness. Long finish and great depth.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Ridge Monte Bello USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
95 points
Tasted at winery. Wow. Really excellent. So much more there than the '14 estate, and the best of the three Monte Bellos presented side by side. Lots of tannins that will take some time to resolve. Mouth filling body with black fruit, sweet spice, violets, and a dusty dried herbal character. Med + finish.
3 people found this helpful Comment

Flight 5 - Castello di Amorosa (Carneros) (6 notes)

Overcrowded and overpriced. This came up when I was searching for family-friendly wineries. My daughter had fun running around the courtyard (and did love the grape juice they offered!), but the overall experience was mediocre at best.

Red
2012 Castello di Amorosa La Castellana USA, California, Napa Valley
89 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. red cherry, tar, blackberry, vanilla, dried flowers, smoke. drying tannins. finishes nicely.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Castello di Amorosa Cabernet Sauvignon USA, California, Napa Valley
87 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Forward black cherry and black currant fruit. light herbal notes sit in background. finishes a bit short.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2016 Castello di Amorosa Gewürztraminer "Dolcino" USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
80 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. off-dry with flavors of peach, melon, and mandarin orange syrup. medium finish. simple but would be a crowd-pleaser
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Castello di Amorosa Pinot Noir Terra de Promissio Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
85 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. This has ripe red plum, raspberry. some syrupy notes. slightly out of balance and could use more acid. nicely textured finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2012 Castello di Amorosa Sinalunga USA, California, Napa Valley
88 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. dark profile, with tar, black currant, black cherry. nice acidic streak. finish is basic.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2015 Castello di Amorosa Chardonnay Reserve Bien Nacido Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
91 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. nice roundness to this. red apple, orange, mango. medium finish is pleasant.
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 6 - Kutch (Sonoma) (12 notes)

Really great visit with Jamie at his production facility. All of the wines were good, and some true knockouts in there as well. At the end of the visit he poured a bunch of the '16s that had just been bottled, a real treat and wines to look forward to.

Red
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Tasted at winery. This was a bottle that had been open for some time. Still showing some nice dark cherry fruit, this had some caramelization and was showing age. Still pretty tasty!
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Kutch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
91 points
Tasted at winery. This shows really pretty red raspberry notes. Nice smoky note. Some sandalwood and exotic spice notes. Punches way above its weight class.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2016 Kutch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
93 points
Tasted at winery. Recently bottled. For the first time in 2016, this is fully declassified SV fruit. This was really great. Soft tannin structure, nice red fruited notes and impeccable balance. Finish is outstanding. The SC bottling is always a great value, but the '16 is just phenomenal.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2016 Kutch Chardonnay Sonoma Coast USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
93 points
Tasted at winery. Holy deliciousness. Really nice lemon, nectarine, and yellow apple notes. Crushed stone and a little flintiness. Very fresh with bright acids, and yet, it's not light -- it toes that line in a great way. Jamie joked that maybe he should focus on Chards... and, as good as the Pinots are, this is spectacular and a ridiculous value.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir Bohan Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
89 points
Tasted at winery. Nice red cherry fruit, some herbal notes, and dark flowers.. Bright acids are a little bit forward in a tasting sample, but could work with food. Personally, my least favorite of the '14s, but still solid.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Kutch Pinot Noir Bohan Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
91 points
Tasted at winery. Very interesting wine -- this has some sour red cherry notes, but there are more herbal and earthy notes here than fruit. bright acids make this very fresh, but the acidity is a bit too bright compared to the balance of the other single vineyards.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2016 Kutch Pinot Noir Bohan Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
90 points
Tasted at winery. Recently bottled. Sour red cherry, some spice. Sharp acids overpower pretty much everything else right now. This would likely be excellent with food and there is some pretty red fruit peeking out.
2 people found this helpful Comments (1)
Red
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
91 points
Tasted at winery. Red and black fruit notes intermingle, with red cherry, red plum, black cherry, and an interesting brambleberry note. nice spice notes show nutmeg and other spicebox elements. some herbal notes also present (sage?). This is easy drinking due to the fresh acid, minerality, and medium body. Medium(+) finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
93 points
Tasted at winery. Great opportunity to taste this while the offer was open (spoiler alert: I bought some!) Really nice raspberry, red cherry, and red plum notes. The fruit on this is so pretty. Layered textures show some complexity and spice. Soft tannins give this a little power. Everything in perfect balance.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2016 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
95 points
Tasted at winery. Recently bottled. More black fruit here, though Jamie mentioned a watermelon rind note that was definitely present as well (power of suggestion!). Nice floral and crushed rock notes. Still a ton of acid but the fruit can hold up to it. Really outstanding.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
92 points
Tasted at winery. My favorite of the '14s, this showed really nice textures with the red fruited notes of raspberry and strawberry blending seamlessly with some spice and floral notes. This has a great minerality, as well as balanced acidity, body, and tannin that give it a really nice mouthfeel. Really interesting herbal notes from the stems on the nose fall into the background on the palate -- just enough there to add a little intrigue. Great finish.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Kutch Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
93 points
Tasted at winery. This strikes a great balance between light and dark -- it shows both light red fruited notes, but there is some brooding black fruit behind. It shows light floral notes, but then a dark earth moss note. and it shows light and fresh acids, but then packs surprising power as well. Really interesting to nose and taste. I think the McDougall edged this out as my favorite of the '15 lineup, but this was a close second!
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 7 - Enkidu (Sonoma Square) (5 notes)

A nice tasting room right off the square, this made for a quick visit.

Red
2014 Enkidu Pinot Noir USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
88 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. A little herbal note and rhubarb sit on top of dark cherry and blackberry. Nice aromatics. Well balanced.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Enkidu Barbera Bedrock Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
87 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Sour plum. Grippy tannins. Some sour cherry kirsch. Some darker notes of spice add intrigue.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Enkidu Zinfandel Bedrock Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
88 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Licorice, anise-oil, dried purple flowers. Red fruit. Grippy tannins detract a bit here. Nice flavors but don't like the textural elements here as much.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Enkidu Humbaba USA, California, Sonoma County
87 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Blueberry, plum, light spice and smoke notes. Tannins better integrated but a bit thin.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2011 Enkidu Petite Sirah Diener Ranch USA, California, North Coast, Red Hills Lake County
91 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Brooding black fruit with dark pepper and dark flowers. Nice dry aged meat funk. Very tannic but fruit holds up and keeps this going into long finish. Good effort.
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 8 - MacLaren (Sonoma Square) (7 notes)

Another quick visit right off the square. I had only tasted MacLaren a few times before, and they are doing some really good stuff.

White
2016 MacLaren Sauvignon Blanc Lee's USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
88 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. White flowers. Fresh cut grass. Tangerine. Nice and refreshing.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 MacLaren Syrah Atoosa's Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
88 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Palate shows black olive white pepper dark flowers, dark red cherry. Well balanced and finishes with pleasant peppered cherry notes.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 MacLaren Syrah Samantha’s Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
90 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Slightly darker profile. Light olive and black cherry. More there, but drinks less fruity vs the Atoona's due to the structure. Powdery med(+) tannins give this a great mouthfeel and are in perfect balance.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 MacLaren Syrah Moaveni Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
92 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Nice herbal character to this, along with brooding dark fruit and meat. Well balanced, prominent tannic structure. Med(+) finish. Fan of this.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 MacLaren Syrah Moaveni Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
91 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. More red fruited here, with red plum, red berry fruit, and sour red cherry on top of fresh herbs and sweet spice. some sanguine character. again, great structure here. The Moaveni's are quite nice here.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 MacLaren Syrah Drouthy Neebors USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
87 points
Tassted at winery tasting room. Nice blend of the three SVD (Atoona's, Samantha's Moaveni), this was presented last, which I enjoyed. Good balance of all the red/black/complex notes most prominent in each of the single vineyards, but a little less stuffing.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 MacLaren Pinot Noir Heather USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
89 points
Tasted at winery tasting room. Very RRV in style, this shows cola, red cherry, nice light smoke, and tobacco. a bit simple.
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 9 - Carlisle (Windsor) (4 notes)

Carlisle continues to put out great stuff at fair prices. This was a fairly quick and limited tasting, but a great chance to see the winery and check in on a few favorites.

Red
2015 Carlisle Zinfandel Rossi Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
89 points
Tasted at winery. Pretty red berry fruit profile with some light spice and floral notes. Light on its feet, this has bright acids and is well balanced. Finishes a bit short. Paled next to the Montafi Ranch, but still quite nice, especially for those who prefer a lighter, red-toned Zin profile.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Carlisle Zinfandel Montafi Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
93 points
Tasted at winery. Nice dark toned fruit of blueberry, blackberry, black cherry, and brambleberry, along with dried herbs, some dried fruit, black pepper, and incense/perfume. Even with all the "dried" character, this drinks remarkably fresh, with great acidity. Wonderful balance. This is really nice, and a big step up from the Rossi Ranch for my palate.
3 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Carlisle Syrah Papa's Block USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
94 points
Tasted at winery. Really great mix of blue and black fruit, blueberry, black plum, blackberry, boysenberry, along with rose, dry-aged steak, and herbal notes. Exceptional mouthfeel -- broad and creamy without being overdone. Nice heft to this. Long finish. Always a fan of papa's and this young vintage did not disappoint!
3 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Carlisle Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard USA, California, Napa Valley
92 points
Tasted at winery. A big wine, this is drinking surprisingly well in its youth. Bright blue and black fruit (boysenberry, black plum, black cherry, blueberry), sweet spice, and dark flowers. Big chewy tannic structure. Doesn't quite carry through into the finish as I would want, but otherwise this is really tasty.
3 people found this helpful Comment

Flight 10 - Martinelli (Windsor) (9 notes)

Conveniently located back towards the highway, popped in here to try through an assortment of wines. The Pinots were surprising to me, with really nice balance in a CA style.

White
2014 Martinelli Chardonnay Bella Vigna USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
88 points
Tasted at winery. Caramelized apple, some honey, and mandarin orange. A bit simple. Decent balance, though drinks a bit fruity.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2014 Martinelli Chardonnay Lolita Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
92 points
Tasted at winery. Bigger and riper, this was most prominently lemon pudding, with some nice light blossom overtones. Green apple and citrus notes also present. This has a nice balance of ripeness and cut, leading into a balanced finish. Nice.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Martinelli Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
90 points
Tasted at winery. Nice red-toned fruits of strawberry and ripe cherry. Some light spicebox and floral notes keep this interesting. Well balanced and easy to drink.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Martinelli Pinot Noir Moonshine Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
91 points
Tasted at winery. Bigger and sweeter than the sonoma coast, this shows ripe red fruit, sarsaparilla, and smoke. This has enough acid to balance out the ripeness, but will be more popular among those who like bigger, fruitier pinot. I liked this better than the SC, but they are really different stylistically, and the QPR on the base SC is significantly better.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Martinelli Pinot Noir Grace Nicole Zio Tony Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
93 points
Tasted at winery. Darker profile with a nice mix of red and black fruit. Really nice spice notes. Dark flowers. Earthiness. Interesting herbal character. This was significantly better than the other pinots. Nice balance and a great finish.
3 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Martinelli Zinfandel Vigneto di Evo USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
85 points
Tasted at winery. Described as their "pizza wine", I can see why -- this has a nice fruit forward profile, without much to think about. red and black cherry, and not much else. what's there is pleasant, but would rather pay a bit more for something better, or half as much for a simple pleasant wine like this.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Martinelli Zinfandel Lolita Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
91 points
Tasted at winery. A big step up from the Vigneto di Evo, this showed a much darker profile, with black cherry, black pepper, clove, and tar. nicely balanced. med(+) finish. Aggressive pricing, but the quality is solid here.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Martinelli Zinfandel Giuseppe & Luisa USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
92 points
Tasted at winery. Really nice black fruit driven profile, with dried herbs, sweet spice, dried dark flowers, and a savory note. Well balanced despite the alcohol. Long finish. This is excellent, although priced at a premium.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White - Sweet/Dessert
2013 Martinelli Muscat of Alexandria Jackass Hill USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
88 points
Tasted at winery. Grapey muscat note is there, but also a nice peach/nectarine note, along with honey and marmalade. Carries the alcohol well.
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 11 - Thomas Fogarty (Skyline Blvd) (7 notes)

A recommendation from the Rhys folks, this was a great visit and chance to try a broad selection of Fogarty's lineup

Red
2013 Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
91 points
Tasted at winery. really nice introduction to the lineup. light red fruited notes of strawberry and red cherry, with some floral aromatics. really nice dried tea note makes this wine. well balanced. impressive at this price point.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Series Nelson Family Vineyard USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
88 points
Tasted at winery. Nice sour red fruit and sweet spice. Dried fruit. A pruney note detracts a bit. decent structure, but preferred the cheaper SCM pinot served immediately before.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2012 Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Will's Cabin Vineyard USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
89 points
Tasted at winery. overly ripe strawberry. some mint. very different profile vs the other wines in this flight. still some dried herbal character. nice light tannin. ok, but not worth the price tag compared to some of the others.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Razorback Vineyard USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
93 points
Tasted at winery. really liked this. dried flowers. red licorice. raspberry. earth. nice structure with fresh acids and soft (but present) tannins.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Mindego Ridge USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
91 points
Tasted at winery. black cherry and black berry fruit. dried herbs and tea. some pine notes. nice drying tannins. good structure.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Thomas Fogarty Pinot Noir Henry Ayrton's Block Rapley Trail Vineyard USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
93 points
Tasted at winery. This was really great, with a mix of red and black fruit, nice floral aromatics, tobacco and dried herbs, and crushed stone. Bigger and dryer tannins. Great acidity on this. Really nice tingly finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White - Sparkling
1998 Thomas Fogarty Chardonnay Blanc de Blanc Late Disgorged USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
82 points
Tasted at winery. This is quite oxidized, as one would expect. That said, there are some pleasant nutty notes, with toffee and some bread dough. A bit too far for my palate.
2 people found this helpful Comment

Flight 12 - Big Basin Tasting Room (Saratoga) (6 notes)

Quick stop through Saratoga allowed a stop here.

White
2014 Big Basin Vineyards Chardonnay Olson Vineyard USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
89 points
Tasted in tasting room. Nice fresh Chardonnay. Melon, green apple, lemon. Light oaking. Not too much going on, but very well balanced and easy to drink.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Rosé
2016 Big Basin Vineyards GSM Rose USA, California
83 points
Tasted in tasting room. Nice light strawberry notes. Hint of herbal. Not too much else there.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Big Basin Vineyards Pinot Noir Woodruff Family Vineyard USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
89 points
Tasted in tasting room. Dusty ripe red fruit. Berry driven. Some spice and woodsy notes. Decent balance -- could use a bit more acidity. Finishes medium with the red fruit continuing to shine through most prominently.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Big Basin Vineyards Homestead USA, California
88 points
Tasted in tasting room. 35% Mourvèdre, 27% Grenache, 19% Carignane, 16% Syrah, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, this shows bright red fruited flavors. Soft in the mouth, this drinks a little bit ripe.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Big Basin Vineyards Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre Gabilan Mountain USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County
89 points
Tasted in tasting room. 49% Grenache, 27% Syrah, 24% Mourvèdre. Nice ripe Dark berry fruit, along with some fresh herbal notes. Drinks a bit ripe at present, but some complexity may come in over time
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2012 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Rattlesnake Rock USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
90 points
Tasted in tasting room. Nice black fruit profile, with sour black cherry most dominant. Black pepper, cigar tobacco, smoked meat. Full bodied, with round tannic structure. Nice finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment

Flight 13 - Various other wines (12 notes)

Mostly with meals

White
2015 Domaine de la Perrière Sancerre France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
88 points
consistent with previous note. minerality quite prominent.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Rosé
2016 the girl & the fig Rosé USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
85 points
Watermelon rind, light strawberry. Harsh acids.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Rosé
2016 Hammell Wine Alliance El Crue Rosé USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
90 points
Interesting bubblegum note on top of strawberry, herbs, watermelon, and other melon. Rounder and more complex. Refreshing finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Rosé
2016 Department 66 Fragile France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes Catalanes
85 points
Very ripe red plum and rose petals. Wild strawberry. Drinks big and not as refreshing.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2015 Franzen Riesling Quarzit-Schiefer Riesling Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
86 points
fairly simple dry riesling. biting acids cut through green apple and citrus fruit profile. a bit too harsh, could use more flesh on it.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2014 Weingut Jakob Schneider Niederhäuser Klamm Riesling Kabinett Germany, Nahe
90 points
nicely balanced, this drank very fresh despite the off-dry style. peach, red apple, tangerine, white flowers, and some honeydew. really great balance keeps this fresh. easy to drink.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White - Off-dry
2015 Meulenhof Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese Alte Reben Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
90 points
big fleshy riesling that was a nice contrast with the '14 Jakob Schneider Kabinett. This was so much rounder, and could have used more acid. Ripe pear, peach, nectarine, and a hint of honey. Round and full through the finish. A bigger spatlese, this had a nice finish on it, but was lacking a little complexity.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2014 Franz Friedrich-Kern Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
88 points
Drank BTG. Nice off-dry profile, with citrus, slate, and apricot. Balanced sweetness, with sharp acids. Finishes a bit short with acid left behind.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2013 DuMOL Chardonnay Russian River Valley USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
89 points
From 375. Nice creamy Chardonnay. Tropical and exotic fruits, along with ripe red apple, toast, and sweet spice. I he creaminess is a bit unbalanced, but pleasant in the mouth. Finishes a bit short.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White - Sparkling
N.V. Bodkin Blanc De Sauvignon Blanc Cuvee Agincourt USA, California, North Coast, Lake County
87 points
A pleasant surprise, this is a bit simple. Nice citrus fruit profile. Not much complexity there. Mousse is pleasant and persistent.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2014 Egon Müller Riesling QbA Scharzhof Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
90 points
Bottle off list at Passionfish in Monterey. Light floral and mandarin orange on nose, along with fleshy peach and some orchard fruit. Palate shows lime and other citrus, white flowers, stone. Some RS that is canceled out by biting acidity. Nice finish.
2 people found this helpful Comment
White - Fortified
N.V. Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Historic Series New York Malmsey Special Reserve Portugal, Madeira
89 points
Nice nuttiness and burnt sugar flavors. Well balanced, if a bit simple. Pleasant finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment
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