Two days off in a row. Two days in The Russian River Valley tasting wines!
I started on River Road this time. I got another boatload of scenic pictures, tasted Martinelli reds (the Bondi Home Ranch "Water Trough Vineyard" Pinot '07 had me asking for a 2nd pour), some truly delicious wines from Hartford Family Winery in Green Valley (which is nested inside of the Russian River Valley which is nested inside of the larger Sonoma appellation - you know, sort of like those Russian Matryoshka dolls). You really have to try these wines. The '06s: Four Hearts Chard, Far Coast Pinot and the regular RRV Zin all showed well today. Actually, all their wines were tasty. Rich, the tasting room guy, seemed to enjoy sharing his immense knowledge of the area. Talking to me about the Petaluma Gap winds and the Sonoma Coast fogs & winds and their affect on the vineyards and the types of grapes grown here. Many of the Zin Vineyards survived prohibition because they were all small family-owned spots that were used for "home winemaking." Lots of 90-100 year old vines. I had the added bonus of getting to speak a bit with the vineyard manager, Walt. We had an interesting conversation about food & wine pairings. He asked me if I thought immediately of what food would go well with a wine when I first taste it. So, I will ask that question of you: Does a certain dish or style of food come to mind when you are at a tasting?
Welcome to Porter Creek. An organic farm. All the estate grapes and estate wines are made biodynamically. (benziger has a good easy explanation)
That is the tiny tasting room. Didn't expect that crowd when I opened the door.
In addition to the Pinot & Chard they do some interesting Rhone-style wines.
The Syrah and Viognier come from Timbervine Ranch, 10-acres of grapes. Farmed by that man in the bottom photo.
Joe has been farming Sonoma for 30 years. "When you think about it, that's only 30 chances to get it right. You have to talk to others with experience and pass it down." (to paraphrase). I didn't have my pen out but I would have loved to record our brief 10 minutes together. He had some interesting things to say. There was talk of Mountain Lions eating Hawks, Wild Pigs eating all the corn. Bobcats. He grows apples. Robert Parker and Stephen Tanzer rated another winery's Timbervine Syrah extremely high and now he's the newest kid on the block...30 years he's been farming there. Steep timber-lined vineyards on Black Mountain. Porter Creek Timbervine Syrah had massive white pepper notes. A dramatic wine for those Syrah fans out there!
The Timbervine Viognier is an easy pick. Rich and silky with lots of those aromatic fruits. A juicy to-die-for white!
I loved the past 2 days of traveling the winding, scenic roads with the windows down and the sun shining. Lots & lots of fantastic wines! But, as you can tell, I really truly enjoyed all the people I've met this Labor Day weekend.
I loved the past 2 days of traveling the winding, scenic roads with the windows down and the sun shining. Lots & lots of fantastic wines! But, as you can tell, I really truly enjoyed all the people I've met this Labor Day weekend.
