Unti Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $23-$40)
'12 "Cuvée Blanc" (Vermentino/Grenache Blanc/Picpoul), '12 Rosé (Grenache/Mourvedré), '12 Barbera, '10 Zinfandel, '11 "Segromigno" (Sangiovese/Montepulciano), '10 Syrah, '10 Syrah "Benchland"
I hold Unti in very high esteem. On my first visit I was blown away by the confidence with which they made wine, and the calmness that they presented it. When planning this trip to Sonoma, with my wife who hadn't been on my first visit, I was resolute that I must take her to Unti. The scene was slightly different compared to my first visit. The tasting room is no longer in the same space as the winery, there is a stand alone room for receiving visitors. True to previous form, the space is downscale and mellow, especially compared to the wineries that we visited the day before in Napa. As before, the staff were very knowledgeable and pleasant. I was excited to learn that the owner of Unti is a huge Oakland A's fan - the yearly staff party is an epicurean delight of a tailgate at an A's game. And apparently A's hitting coach Chili Davis is a huge Unti fan - perhaps my appreciation for Unti was meant to be.Even if they didn't affiliate themselves with the best baseball team, I'd still be a huge Unti fan, because of the wine. All of their wines are estate grown, and while they have a diverse list, each one is well balanced and unique. The Rosé is a consistent standout, and perhaps their best wine, though we really enjoyed the Segromigno - roasted coffee nose and a goofy gourd aspect, lots of tannin and acid, but still an easy drink. The Syrahs were both very good as well, curiously different, the Benchland was more poetic and layered.
Experience: B / Wines: A-
Preston Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $22-$36)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Viognier, '12 Roussanne, '11 "Madam Preston" White Blend (Roussanne/Viognier/Marsanne/Grenache Blanc), '11 Mourvedré, '11 Barbera, '11 Zinfandel, '11 "L. Preston" Red Blend (Syrah/Mourvedré/Grenache/Cinsault/Carignane)
I'm a provincial person. I very much like the things that I like. When I discover that another person likes the things that I like - generally I try to like them (still following me here?). Preston, on it's face has many things that I like. Two of those things specifically, cats and organic wine growing, are huge to me. Prior to visiting, I did not realize how committed to cats and organic farming Preston was. As soon as we parked, I started to melt in Preston's favor. Cats ran amok - they slept under the picnic benches, they prowled around on the tables in the tasting room, and the definitely enjoyed being pet. The funky farmhouse tasting room (also a point in Preston's favor) was filled with books about organic and/or biodynamic farming, and other random literary/liberal screeds. On face, I was in love with Preston. On face, I wanted to marry Preston and spend the rest of my life with it. Somehow that all came to a screeching halt when we began to tasting the wine and talk to the staff. Let's start with the staff - they were fine, just fine. But given such an idealistic state, how could they be blasé? Beats me, but they sure were. Perhaps a bad day.And how could the wine be so unexciting? My understanding is that the progenitor of Preston has recently retired, and a new crew has taken the helm for winemaking - perhaps that explains the disconnect. That's not to say that the wine was horrid, but it did not match the hopes that the ethos of the place promised. I had hoped for original and earthy wines, perhaps with subtlety. The wine list had some length to it, and we were able to try as many as we liked.The whites showed more stickiness than I like, though the "Madam Preston" was light and crisp, and had interesting notes of pear skins. The reds were too jammy, especially the Barbera. While the "L. Preston" also showed jam, it did have some olives on the nose and on the palate, I enjoyed its overall profile.
Experience: B- / Wines: C+
Nalle Winery ($10 tasting, wines $28-$48)
'10 Reserve Chardonnay, '11 Reserve Chardonnay, '12 "Vinum Clarum" Zinfandel, '11 Zinfandel - Bernier-Sibary, '11 Zinfandel - Henderlong
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+
So I've got this running list of wineries to check out that I gotten recommendations for. Sometimes I remember to note who recommended a place, and sometimes I don't. Nalle is a place that ended up on my list, and I can't recall how. However, once I checked out their website, I knew that I had to go. Quick little fact about me: I love silly shit. Absurdity makes my day. Nalle is all about the silly. They have an invented family crest which prominently features squirrels. Silly + wine = I'm in.The winery looked like an angular Quonset hut with an earth covered roof. The chillest of vibes exuded the place as we arrived. Inside stacks of barrels had congregated to the back - near a basketball hoop, and a handful of folding tables were laid out for tasting. Two very friendly folks staffed the table - one turned out to be the winemaker Andrew. He was a super mellow and smart guy. He had taken over winemaking duties from his father a few years back but clearly was large and in charge.
Chardonnays and Zinfandels were the varietals of the day, but Nalle also makes Pinot Noirs and Bordeaux blends. The Chardonnays are sourced from Hopkins Ranch in Russian River Valley. Both were crisp and had a nice variety of flavors. I enjoyed the '11 more, it was a cooler year, and the wine it was more bright and zippy. Each Zinfandel was enjoyable in its own way. The Vinum Clarum light bodied and meaty. The Bernier-Sibary was pretty, had bits of sage, and a lovely dose of raspberries. As excellent the rest of the wines were, the Henderlong was by far my favorite. Henderlong is the home vineyard, grown at the same site as the winery. Right by where we parked were some knobbled head trained Zinfandel vines - beastly and beautiful. The vines were dry farmed - which gets brownie points from me. Tart and ripe boysenberries, impressive flavor that would surely be a good wine to indoctrinate people into becoming wine enthusiasts.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+
Acorn Winery ($10 tasting, wines $23-$42)
'12 Rosato (Dolcetto/Zinfandel/Sangiovese/Cabernet Franc), '11 Sangiovese, '10 Cabernet Franc, '10 "Axiom" Syrah, '09 "Acorn Hill" Sangiovese, '09 Alicante Bouschet, '11 "Heritage Vines" Zinfandel, '10 "Medley"
There is a fair share of wineries that march to the beat of their own drum. Sure there are places that are cookie-cutter, trying to emulate styles that have worked well for others, but I'd say that more places that I've visited are doing their own thing. Acorn doesn't march to a different beat - it's doing something completely different. The primary difference between Acorn and other wineries is their deep focus on blends. Betsey and Bill Nachbaur purchased the vineyard - Alegria - in 1990, inheriting a wide variety of different varietals planted within the same blocks. The block groupings are organized around specific major varietals (Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, and Zinfandel). None of their wines are made with just one type of grape. All told, some 60 different types of grape vines are grown in their vineyard.Tastings at Acorn are appointment only. Another group was finishing their tasting up, so Bill Nachbaur poured us the Rosato outside. Bill chit-chatted with us, but once we were inside, it was clear that Betsey was the talker in the family. She clearly took pleasure in leading tastings - sharing a lot of insights about their winemaking process. Strangely, she was a bit dictatorial - insisting that her viewpoints on things, like how to re-cork wine overnight, were the rule and no other concepts could be accepted. She did put a tremendous amount of attention into us, even pouring side-by-sides a handful of times to show how the wine aged over a few days.
While the wines were not my favorites, they were most certainly well made and authentic. The Rosato a bit sticky, but was enjoyably chewy and some endives on it. The Sangioveses were both solid, though the '09 was a bit harsh. I enjoyed the Cab Franc quite a bit - calm blackberry brambles. The Syrah had good structure, though it was almost too militant about it's flavors - can't explain it, but that's how I felt about it. Alicante is always a fun wine to try, and this one had a mellow entry that lead to a very vibrant middle, a bit sharp at the end. The Zin had very good acid, but a bit sweet. Finally the Medley - which is an insane field blend of up to 40 different varieties - was interesting, challenging, but too rambling for me. Acorn wines are fun wines to drink with friends that know wines.
Experience: B / Wines: B
Once again, Sonoma proved to be a much more personable visit in comparison to Napa. Each place had it's own thing going on, and the wines seemed to match the personalities of the folks in the tasting rooms. Unti was confident, smart and mellow. Preston was off it's game and scattered, though well meaning. Nalle was funky, fun, and celebratory. Acorn was cerebral, very unique and welcoming. It was a great day. And while the previous day's venture in Napa was enjoyable, it's clear that Sonoma is so much more our style.
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