Motley Crew Wine Tour 2018
California – Somona & Napa
Friday, May 18, 2018
Arrive at: 16837 Estrella Drive, Sonoma
Pizza & Wine for all
Mimi is elected "banker" and is therefore in charge of food shopping.
Mimi is elected "banker" and is therefore in charge of food shopping.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Wine Tasting begins in earnest. We planned to go to Sonoma Cutrer first but they were having a Make-A-Wish Foundation event. So:
Vineyard: La Crèma
Tasted:
Rose
Chardonney 2016
Sara Lee’s Vineyard. 2015. Single grape. Perhaps more volcanic. Better as it warms up
Vineyard: Ridge Vineyards
https://www.ridgewine.com
Estate Vineyard Tasting Flight
2016 East Bench Zinfandel. $32
Dry Creek Valley
Planted 2000
100% Zinfandel
Red not pink.
Croatia mother vine
Planting’s from Italy and Croatia just starting
2016 Geyserville $44
Planted in 1882
Not 100% zinfandel 73% zinfandel
2015 Lytton Springs $40
74% zinfandel
Planted where we were, 45 acres
More petit syrah
2013 Lytton Estate Syrah. $42
A tad fruitier
94% Syrah, has some white grapes
2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon $60
81% Cabernet
Made to be consumed in 10 years
They put that on the bottles
Saturday Lunch at the Coppola Winery
Sparkling Rose.Fizzy and a tad sweet
“Sofia” Blanc de Blanc.Also fizzy
It's worth noting that the Coppola Winery is a bit like a mini-resort or country club. We had a nice place to sit outside, not quite in view of the swimming pool and cabanas! One of the wines also came in....cans! JF managed to get one as a souvenir of this somewhat unique way to bottle wine. The building also includes what can best be described as a mini-museum including items from some of Francis Ford Coppola's many movies, including the desk from The Godfather.
It's worth noting that the Coppola Winery is a bit like a mini-resort or country club. We had a nice place to sit outside, not quite in view of the swimming pool and cabanas! One of the wines also came in....cans! JF managed to get one as a souvenir of this somewhat unique way to bottle wine. The building also includes what can best be described as a mini-museum including items from some of Francis Ford Coppola's many movies, including the desk from The Godfather.
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Vineyard: Sonoma Cutrer
Tasted:
2016 Chardonnay Russian River Ranches
2015 Chardonnay The Cutrer
2014 Chardonnay Les Pierre’s
The stones. Taste mineralogy
Sauvignon blanc 2017
Sweeter with dry at the end
2015 Pinot Noir. Russian River Valley
Croquet game! Deni, Mimi, Rosemary & Paul play croquet. The court is gorgeous and the mallets are huge. Rosemary wins!
Drive to Bodega Bay. Lunch at Lucas Fish House. Some people see seals in the water during lunch. There are also some windsurfers zooming along.
Drive to Pt. Reyes. Is this really the windiest place in the United States? We would vote: YES!
JF, Deni, Mimi and Genevieve walk out to the Lighthouse in spite of the wind. It was closing for the day and so windy that visitors were no allowed to go up in it.
JF, Deni, Mimi and Genevieve walk out to the Lighthouse in spite of the wind. It was closing for the day and so windy that visitors were no allowed to go up in it.
Monday, May 21, 2018
Vineyard: Christopher Creek
https://www.christophercreek.com
8000 cases per year
Almost all direct to customers.
Ship to all states except Utah
Family making wine for decades. Bootleggers during prohibition. Moved to Sonoma in the 80s. Sold grapes then started making wine.
Tasted:
2016 Viognier
Russian River Valley, Vineyard not far from here. $39
Took over 5 1/2 years ago
2014 Creekside Cuvée - A mixture of grapes to create a blended wine.
North Coast, $40
2013 Foppoli Oakley’s Chardonnay
$55, Sweeter, Russian River Valley
2015 Anderson Valley Pinot
Often sell out before bottling. Pale red. $95 Parker rating 92 or 94
Pinot East Side Road 2015
East side of the Russian River. 92 points from Parker. $105/bottle. Drier.
Reserve Pinot 2015
94 Parker points. About 90 cases. Unique wine. Better in 15 or 20 years.
$150 per bottle
Dolcetto 2016
Mendocino $75
They do more than 40 small lot wines
2015 Nebbiolo
Town in Italy where his family is from. They have the last privately owned castle in the region. $125. 2 years barrel aging. 100 cases, not yet released.
2014 Deux. Barriques - We all really liked this wine!
Russian River Valley $80
Syrah and Zinfandel
Petit Syrah?
2012 Red Blend. $250/bottle
Renowned vintage in CA
Monday lunch with Amy. Thank you Amy for the introduction to Christopher Creek. It was fascinating to hear their story.
Monday after lunch
Sbragia Family Vineyards
Lounging on the deck, enjoying the view and:
Tasted:
2016 Home Ranch Sauvignon Blanc
Dry Creek Valley, Sonona
2017 Gemma Rose
Russian River Valley, Somona
This was the hottest day we had. It's probably the day we made it back to the house in time to open the pool cover, although no one jumped in, the water did seem a bit warm from the sun.
This was the hottest day we had. It's probably the day we made it back to the house in time to open the pool cover, although no one jumped in, the water did seem a bit warm from the sun.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Napa
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards
Started over 100 years ago
Part of Freixinet. Champagne method of sparkling wines. Started here in the 1980s. Current owners parents started the company. Current owners are in their 90s. There is a tradition in Spain to eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve. And in Spain the last advertisement on TV for the year is always for Freixenet. Bought this valley in 1982. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes picked from France and Spain. 91% Pinot Noir.
Over 500 gold medals in 5 years. Different clones created naturally to create different varieties with different names and flavors.
44 million bubbles in a glass of champagne. You can tell from the pressure like tires.
Blanc de Noir
In 2000 when Clinton was president and the King of Spain came to dinner at the White House they supplied a new wine named to honor the King.
Royal Cuvée. 1991 vintage
In 2002 and 2003 when Bush was president they also supplied wine to the White House, a different vintage of the same wine.
They have 365 acres and use natural best control with bird houses decorated by kids to attract bluebirds. Harvest by hand at 2 a.m. when it’s cool.
Tasted an 8 year old Royal Cuvée
100 thousand cases a year
Chardonnay
Our guide was very intent on telling us all the information that is part of their tour. She had only been in the US for a few years, and won the (now controversial) Green Card Lottery in order to come.
Our guide was very intent on telling us all the information that is part of their tour. She had only been in the US for a few years, and won the (now controversial) Green Card Lottery in order to come.
Grgich Hills Estate
Founded by Mike Grgich. He arrived via Canada from Croatia in 1958. A Chardonney he had crafted won the Paris tasting in 1976 and he founded the vineyard with a partner from Hills Brothers Coffee in 1977. They make 60,000 cases per year, which includes three different kinds of Chardonnay.
Tasted:
Napa Valley Fume Blanc 2015 $31
Napa Valley Zinfandel Estate Grown 2013 $36
Plavac Mali 2016 - this is the most planted red grape in Croatia. After DNA research we now
Napa Valley Merlot Estate Grown 2014
Napa is just 4% of California wine output. They also have a winery in Croatia. They have a unique racking system and had very little damage in one of the earthquakes that impacted Napa. They own 371 acres in various parts of the Napa valley.
Duckhorn Vineyards
https://www.duckhorn.com
Started in 1976
Tasting Flight
2015 Russian River Valley Migration Chardonnay
Merlot comparison
2015 Merlot Carneros
Vs.
2015 Merlot Atlas Peak
Each is 100% Merlot
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Three Palms Vineyard.
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
Extra- Golden Eye Label, Pinot Noir Ten Degrees 2014, $120 - We really liked this wine
His favorite the Discussion Estate Red Wine $140 - and this one as well was very good
Wednesday, May 23, 2018 – Final Day of Tasting
Hess Art Collection
the wooden sculptures that were held together without any glue were amazing.
David & Christie did also do a wine tasting.
the wooden sculptures that were held together without any glue were amazing.
David & Christie did also do a wine tasting.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
Tasting:
2015 Arcadia Vineyard Chardonnay $65
2015 FAY Cabernet Sauvignon $150
Softer and less tunic
2015 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon $175
Winner of Judgment in Paris
More volcanic soil
The second two were tasted side by side (causing some confusion….). They are the same grapes and the difference is in the soil. One of the soils is dried up lava.
2012 Block vintage $170
No rain for 12 months
2015 CASK 23 Cabernet Sauvignon $295
The best of the two vineyards combined
2015 Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon $69
Darioush
2017 Signature Viognier
2017 Rose
2014 Signature Merlot. $58
Grown in all 3 of their properties
85% Merlot
2014 Signature Shiraz
2015 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon $105
They produce 25 to 30 thousand cases. 65% retail distribution but that includes the wine club. They are international but not in the UK.
Dinner at the Kitchen Collective with RAEN wines
Wine grown by Carlo and Dante Mondavi
Carlo Mondavi joined us for dinner
There are some interesting videos on their site. RAEN stands for:
Research
Agriculture
E? ( I listened to their video twice but am not sure of this word) Relates to Environment
Naturally
We had:
Champagne: Agrapart & Files BRUT
RAEN Wines – All Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast – Royal St. Robert (named after their grandfather)
Fort Ross Seaview - Home Field Vineyard
Freestone Occidental – Bodega Vineyard
Fort Ross Seaview – Charles Ranch Chardonnay
Estate model. All of the grapes from one vineyard. Goal is to make mind-blowing wine. Quality not quantity. World class.
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