December '13 Amador County Trip - In Search of OGP...Yeah You Know Me

On the second day of holiday downtime with the family, my brother-in-law decided to scoot on down to Amador County. Monday is a quiet day, and not all of the wineries in the area were open. One goal that I had in mind was to go to Vino Noceto, to try their Old Grandperé Zinfandel. While at Vino Noceto, we were strongly encouraged to check out the brand new Turley tasting room just down the road.

Young's Vineyard ($0 tasting, wines $25-$42)
'12 Viognier, '11 Sangiovese, '11 Zinfandel, '11 Barbera, '11 Petite Sirah, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon
I enjoyed Young's the first time that we visiting the Shenendoah Valley. My brother-in-law dug the hell out of Young's on that trip, so when he and I decided to roll out to the area, he really wanted to go again, which I was totally cool with. It was a Monday, so it was very quiet, just a big-ass golden retriever snoozing on the floor when we arrived. The dog was sweet and enjoyed being pet. The lady behind the counter was friendly as well, though I did not try to find out if she liked ear scratches too. The tasting room was painted with dark colors, which gave the place a bit of a spooky gothic feel, but is also calming in a weird way. 

Young's also abides by the high acid / low tannin profile that I've seen at other quality wineries in the Amador region. The Viognier was a little tainted with smoke on the opening, but that gave way to light citrus and enjoyable green hues. The oak was evident, but not obnoxiously overt. All of the reds were calm but still showed unique characteristics. My favorite was the Zinfandel. Once again a little bit of oak showing, though there were nice layers of flavors. It was a bit bombastic compared to their other wines, however its alcohol volume was a scant 14.2% - pretty low for the region. All of the wines were solidly below 15%, and the Cabernet was only 13%. I wasn't wild about their Cabernet. It was pretty, but too sweet and too green. I'm sure they put strong effort into making it, but it wasn't worth the $42 that they were charging for it. Overall the wines that we tried showed confidence by the winemaker - it's definitely in the upper crust of places that I've visited in the area. 
Experience: B / Wine: B

Vino Noceto Winery ($0 tasting, wines $16-$28)
'12 Pinot Grigio, '10 "Noceto" Sangiovese, '10 "Riserva" Sangiovese, '10 Barbera - Linsteadt, '10 Zinfandel - Original Grandpére, '13 "Frivolo" Moscato

Vino Noceto is known for three wines - their Sangioveses - which they have a number of, their "Frivolo" Moscato dessert wine, and their Original Grandpére Zinfandel. I'm fine with Sangio's, I'm not enthused about Moscatos, but I am always down to try the different versions of Old Grandpére that are found at various wineries in the area. "OGP" is the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in California - planted in 1860. Other wineries will sell their bottlings of it, and infrequently will include on their reserve tasting lists, but Vino Noceto is the only winery that will regularly pour it.
We rolled up and the place was rather packed.  Two large groups had almost completely filled the place. Both groups were having a great time. We managed to squeeze our way in to get a taste. Everyone else finished up partway through our tasting, and eventually it was just us and the two goofy dudes who were the pourers. The mood of the place was welcoming - snacks were out and the pourings were generous.

All of the wines were sweeter in profile than I would have expected, and given that the wines were generally in the low 14% range for alcohol, the sweetness wasn't coming from being high octane. The "Riserva" Sangiovese was more dialed in - robust and at the same time more calm - compared to the standard "Noceto" bottling. The "Linsteadt" Barbera was dense and sweet, strangely nearing the qualities of a port somehow. The OGP too seemed obnoxiously port-like. It did show an interesting variety of subtle flavors, but unfortunately the sweetness was too prevalent to enjoy the wine as much as I would have liked. 

Vino Noceto seems to be doing business at a good clip. People rave about their Mosceto and their baseline Sangiovese. They seem to have very affordable case deals available often, and overall their wines are very nicely priced. It's a fun place for people that don't want to take their wine too seriously.
Experience: B / Wine: C+

Turley Wine Cellars ($10 tasting, wines $28-$50)

'11 "Old Vines" Zinfandel, '11 "Judge Bell" Zinfandel, '05 "Dogtown" Zinfandel, '10 "The Label" Cabernet Sauvignon

The new kid on the block. The tasting room had just opened up within the last month when we visited. Turley has been around for a while, with a tasting room in Paso Robles, and having a decent sized distribution with wines made from various California regions - Contra Costa, Lodi, Mendocino, Napa, Paso Robles, and Sonoma. They've been making wine with Amador grapes going back several years, and more recently purchased the old Karly vineyard. Now with that vineyard, they'all start to make Amador specific Zin, rather than using it in California designate Zinfandel. It's a sign of growth for Amador that larger labels like Turley and Renwood are not just making wines from the area but actually have a physical presence with their tasting rooms. 

The interior features a wrap-around bar in the center of the room, and a lot of open space surrounding it. Even though it's a brand new space, the decor has a weather look that's artsy while at the same time evoking a western roadhouse. It was just us and the tasting room manager when we were then, and it felt like we should be speaking in hushed tones given the echoing off the hardwood throughout. She wasn't the friendliest of tasting room folks that I've ever met, but she was pretty knowledgeable about the wine.

Turley is know for their Zins, and though the list was limited given their recent opening, Zins were three out of the four wines on the tasting menu. The "Old Vines" Zin is a blend from all of the growing regions. It had a huge red fruit flavor, tons of acid, and was, I guess "kinda likeable - that's what I have written in my notes. The "Judge Bell" is their first Amador specific wine that they've made. It's from Story Winery's vineyard, next door neighbors of Turley's new Amador vineyard.Still big flavor, though more calm compared to the Old Vines, typical Zin profile, a little lime within the acid. Given it's age, the '05 Dogtown showed Cabernet characteristics: muted and medium fruit. It did still retain some grip though. It was my least favorite of the Zins. Finally we tried the Cab, labeled, well, "The Label" - named because it's from the vineyard on the property of the Turley family in Napa. It was being sold in a large-format bottle. It was a quiet wine, especially compared to the rest of the tasting. Some greenness, generally unexciting. 

Experience: C+ / Wines: B-

Kind of a typical day for Amador. Solid experience at Young's, inexpensive and rambunctious wine at Vino Noceto, and Turley representing the newcomers was a bit pricier and more refined than the average spot in the area. Though at the end of the day, I truly hope that the Turleys don't push out the Vino Nocetos. Amador's charm comes from it's sleepiness and unassuming nature. The more that wineries from out of the area roll in and bring their stuffier mentalities, the less it will be enjoyable. Let's hope that the competition compels more growth in winemaking technique in the area, but doesn't wipe out the personable nature.

June '13 Sierra Foothills Trip - Quiet Holiday

I found myself in NorCal with two events schedule on the first two weekends of the month of June, and very little in between. So I took advantage of the circumstance and decided to do some mid-week wine exploring. During the week in the Sierra Foothills the wineries don't see a lot of traffic, and many of them aren't open. So I planned to visit the ones that were open, and found myself getting a lot of one on one treatment. The first day of my visit I was accompanied by an old friend who knew very little about, and on the second day was joined by a friend whose worked for a winery in Sonoma for many years. It was a great way to catch up with both friends.

Monday (Shenandoah Valley - Amador)

Terre Rouge / Easton ($5 tasting, wines $12-$24)
Easton '10 "H" House Rosè (Grenache/Mourvèdre/Roussanne), Easton '05 Barbera, Easton '11 Zinfandel, Terre Rouge '09 "Tête-a-Tête" (Syrah/Mourvèdre/Grenache), Terre Rouge '08 Muscat "à-Petits Grains"
Our November visit to Terre Rouge was incredible - so I figured I should swing back though to make sure that it wasn't a fleeting experience. It being a Monday and all, it was just me and Doug, the tasting room manager, and an old black lab that kept coming in and going out.
Doug was very polite and knowledgeable about the wines. As with the first time that I visited, I felt that all the wines were nicely balanced and had utilized the acid dynamic quite well to give the wines structure.  I had not tried the Rosè during my first visit. It was nice but a bit too sticky. Similarly, the Zinfandel was well-made but a little too sweet for my taste. I did very much enjoy the "Tête-a-Tête" - serious but easy, tart blackberries, nice complexity. Also the sweet wine at the end, the Muscat, was good times.
Experience B+ / Wines: B+

Bray Vineyards ($5 tasting, wines $15-$24)
'11 "BrayZin Hussy Blonde" (Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc/Viognier/Verdelho), '12 Viognier, '10 "BrayZin Hussy Red" (Zinfandel/Sangiovese), '10 Sangiovese, '10 Barbera, 09 Zinfandel, '09 "Tres Vinas" (Grenache/Sangiovese/Petite Sirah) '08 Port (Petite Sirah/Zinfandel), '08 "Vino Tinto" Port

Bray's logo - which can be found all over the winery - is a road sign of a dude riding a tractor while chugging a bottle of wine. It's a fun sign, but not surprisingly the wines that accompany that logo are generally high alcohol, and not complex. The space is chill and rustic - and wide open to accommodate the party style atmosphere that I imagine comes through on the weekends. Since it was Monday though, it was just me and Robin, the wife part of the husband and wife team that own the place.
Across the board the wines were clumsy - there weren't distinct layers within the wines - just an jumble of flavors. And most of the reds ran over 15% alcohol - generally meaning that subtle flavors were overtaken by the heat of the alcohol. As my tasting went on, I think it became clear to Robin that I wasn't enjoying the wine. I wasn't being a dick about it, but I wasn't that enthusiast either. It's an uncomfortable feeling when you know - that they know - that you aren't digging their wines, and there's no one else there to attend to. It's a situation that I definitely encountered again on the trip later.
Experience: C+ / Wines: C-

C.G. Di Arie Vineyard & Winery ($5 tasting, wines $18-$35)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '09 Rosè "Di Arie", '09 Barbera, '09 Primotivo "Block #4", '09 "Sierra Legend" (Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Syrah/Primotivo)
From checking out the website of C.G. Di Arie - I had a feeling that this was going to be a unique visit. I can't quite explain it - whether it's the fact that you can convert the text to Chinese, or that there's a QR code (not sure what you're supposed to do with that on a website, don't QR codes lead you to websites when you're on a smartphone?), it was sure to be a strange place. Also adding to the uniqueness is the fact that the owner, Chaim Gur-Ariah, was a cereal inventor, and created Captain Crunch. The tasting room itself definitely had a sense of style - lots of granite counter tops and dark wood shelving.
The wines were just decent. The Sauvignon Blanc and the Rosè were quite bland. The Barbera had some weirdness going on with it - a note of char and rotten fruit. The Primotivo and the Legend were more enjoyable, but too jammy and sweet. Across the board I felt that the price of the wines - which were generally higher than most other Amador wineries - were not justified considering the quality. Ultimately the wines weren't as unique as I had hoped.
Experience: B- / Wines: C+

Andis Wines ($5 tasting, wines $17-$32)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '11 Primotivo, '11 Barbera, '10 "Painted Fields" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah/Petite Sirah), '10 Petite Sirah, '12 Rosè (Zinfandel/Barbera)
A sleek and modern joint. Andis, like Helwig, is one of the newest wineries in the area - and used the same architect as Helwig to design their winery, though there is a notable difference in design aesthetics between the two wineries. Helwig has a bit of a Western style, whereas Andis is more about fitting within the surrounding landscape. I was quite impressed by the building and the overall feel of the place. We had a great meandering conversation with the tasting room manager while she attended to us.
Overall I enjoyed the wines - they had nice textures and pretty good balance. I was smitten with the Sauvignon Blanc - nice flowers and acid. The reds were flavorful - maybe a little bit too much at times, but still enjoyable. The was Rosè served last, so it was as expected a bit sweet, which I did not enjoy. The prices were slightly higher than I would have liked to pay, but they are definitely doing good work there.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B

Wilderotter Vineyard  ($0 tasting, wines $17-28)
'12 Rosè (Grenache/Tempranillo), '12 Viognier, '11 Chardonnay - Russian River Valley, '11 Sauvignon Blanc, '09 Mourvèdre, '09 Grenache, '10 Rhone Blend (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre), '10 Zinfandel, '09 Petite Sirah
 Wilderotter was our last visit of the day. It's a cute little building - I'm not sure how it would be on a busy day, but it was quite cozy with just us there. The woman there was patient with us, and a pleasure to speak with. The list of wines was quite long, about thirteen total. We were welcomed to try as many as we wanted - I exercised my well-known restraint, and only had nine. The whites were generally boring, not bad, but not exciting. The Grenache and I did not get along whatsoever. It had a strong flavor of artificial raspberries which overwhelmed any other flavor. That same note showed up in the GSM as well. The rest of the reds were reasonably enjoyable, especially the Mourvèdre. I wrote a note that it had "neat meat."
Experience: B / Wines: B-

Tuesday (Shenandoah Valley - Amador)

Renwood Winery ($5 tasting(s), wines $19.99-$49.99)
Taste of Renwood List: '12 Sauvignon Blanc, '09 Barbera, '09 Primotivo, '09 Tempranillo, '10 Syrah
King of Zin List: '10 "Premier Old Vine", '10 "Merida", '10 "Flutist", '10 "Musician's", '10 "Bewick's", '10 "Niceforo",
Special Reserve List: '10 Grandpère, '10 Dry Creek
I really didn't think I'd enjoy Renwood. It's long been a hulking corporate winery, and it's wines can be easily found on supermarket shelves. I try to avoid hulking wineries. Clearly they are successful, but because of their size, I doubt their ability to make authentic wine. I'm not experienced enough at wine tasting to know whether their wine is truly authentic or even if their tasting room conveys authenticity - but I do know that I enjoyed the wines and the experience.
Perhaps our experience was aided by the fact that my companion on this day worked at a winery. Throughout the day this connection meant that we received discounts on wines, and often friendlier service. The young dude that took care of us was really nice, and very passionate about Amador County wine. The tasting room and the outside area was quite nicely designed. Apparently Renwood was recently bought by an Argentinian investor, and had been redone within the past year.
The tasting list was split into five different groups: all zins, a variety, worldly varietals, dessert wines, and the reserve.  Each list would cost $5. We tried the variety list, the zins list, and the reserve (our tasting fees were waived thanks to the industry connection). All of the non-Zinfandel wines were playing it safe and were boring. However the Zins were quite the opposite. They weren't overly exuberant, quite restrained actually, but really neat and intricate. Most were playful, pretty, and subtly structured. Each wine also expressed unique characteristics. The Premier Old Vine Zin was very good quality and reasonably priced at $20. The other Zins were $40 to $50 - and very enjoyable, but priced a bit high. I really enjoyed trying the Grandpère. It was calm and wild at the same time.I was really excited to try it. I'm actually a bit obsessed with the Grandpère vineyard. It's grows the oldest Zinfandel in Amador County - over 140 years old.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+

Cooper Vineyards ($0 tasting, wines $20-$38)
'12 "Roundpen" Carignane Rosè, '12 Pinot Grigio, '12 Sauvignon Blanc, '10 Mourvèdre, '11 Alicante Bouschet, '10 Barbera, '11 Primotivo "Tesero", '10 Primotivo, '11 Zinfandel
I'd visited Cooper a year and a half prior, and knew that it was a great representation of Amador wine. My Sonoma friend had never been to Amador before, so I wanted to make sure that we visited Cooper - to ensure that I took her to at least one winery that I could vouch for. Unfortunately our visit was on a Tuesday, and Cooper is not open on Tuesday. Thankfully they were willing to unlock the doors for us and allow us to have a tasting. The two ladies there were fun to chat with, and had lots of advice about which wineries to visit in the area.
Since we were the only visitors that day, all of the wines that we were served were coming out of the wine fridge and had been resealed with vacu vin corks. Not to say that the wines showed poorly, but I definitely made a effort to heat up the wines with my hands to make sure that the wines opened up in my glass. Some of the wines didn't strike my fancy, but I still could recognize that they were adeptly made. We were given a side-by-side tasting of the Primotivos (the premium Tesoro next to the regular) - and the Tesoro was much more balanced and impressive. Both the regular Primotivo and the Alicante were too jammy. The Mourvedre was simple but very enjoyable, and the Zinfandel was quite nice - cute nose, subtle, nicely edged.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B

Sobon Estate ($0 tasting, wines $11-$24)
'12 "ReZerve" Grenache Rosè, '12 Viognier, '11 Zinfandel "Old Vines", '10 Zinfandel "Cougar Hill", '09 "ReZerve" Zinfandel, '11 Syrah, '10 "ReZerve" Primotivo, '10 "ReZerve" Petite Sirah, '10 ReZerve Tannat
Sobon's been around for quite awhile. The winery is has been running since 1856. The history is front and center to the experience - there's a number of antique farming and wine-making items that are put on display in the cluttered on-site museum. That throwback quality is within the tasting room as well, a big wood paneled dusty room. Quite honestly, the whole place could have used some sprucing up. As was the theme of the day, we were the only patrons there. We asked the tasting room person if we were the only people that she had seen that day, and she answered dryly, "No, the dishwasher repairman was here earlier."  Unfortunately, that was the end to her comedy routine.
The wines were across the board less expensive that the wines at all of the wineries that I visited on this trip. The Rosè was $11, and the reserve (or as they called it ReZerve) red wines topped out at $24.  The Rosè and the Viognier were bland. Most of the reds were bland jam bombs - clunky and without subtlety. The main flavor was enjoyable in some of the wines - such as the Cougar Hill Zin and the Tannet, but at other times was too sharp - as in the  Petite Sirah.
Experience: C+ / Wines: C


Helwig Winery ($5 tasting, wines $16-$24)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Helwig Rosè "de Shanendoah" (Zinfandel/Syrah/Viognier), '11 Tempranillo, '10 "Round Up Red" (Zinfandel/Syrah/Petite Sirah/Malbec), '10 Zinfandel
Going to Helwig was a stark shift from just coming from Sobon - the oldest to one of the newest. The buildings are modern but with a bit of a rustic theme. It's clear that part of the business plan for Helwig is as an event space. There's all sorts of lookouts and gathering areas where weddings, etc. could take place. The complex sits on top of a hill above the rest of the area, and there are gorgeous views in every direction. There's lots of outdoor space to picnic and relax. Inside is quite airy with a huge wraparound bar to deal with a high volume of customers during the busy times - this time around it was mostly an empty room.
I have an apprehension that wineries in the Sierra Foothills (ex: Cielo and David Girard) that double as event spaces. There's a tendency to let the quality of the wine take a back seat to selling event opportunities. I don't think Helwig befalls that fate. My main thought about the theme of the wine was "structured play," silly, showy, and a bit safe. I guess what I mean was that the wines were easy drinkers, were nicely structued, but were a bit tame and mainstream. I did enjoy the Rosè and the Zin quite a bit. I did not enjoy the Sauv - a bit too sticky.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B

Dobra Zemlja Winery ($5 tasting, wines $16-$26)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Viognier, NV "Milan Ruz" Red Blend, '10 Grenache, '10 Barbera, '09 Syrah, '10 Zinfandel
There is not one word that exists in the English language that I can use to explain the level of confusion and outrage that I felt while tasting wine at Dobra Zemlja. Perhaps by combining many of them together I can do so: whatthefuckareyoucrazywhytareyouproudthatyourwinesareseventeenpercentalcoholpleasedontnodont.
 Not to put too fine a point on it, but the wines at Dobra were pure crazy juice. All of the reds were 16% or above in alcohol. My note on the Syrah was "jammy as fuck, what the hell?" Now I've had some hot wines before, but never, ever this crazy. Sometimes high octane wines are sneaky - you don't even notice that they are hovering around the 16% line. Sometimes you can taste the heat, but it's still kinda fun. For whatever reason the winemaker/owner at Dobra just wants to make a wine version of white lightning with different kinds of grapes. The nice woman that served us (and tried to overlook the fact that we were really hating the wine) told us that the owner recently visited his home country of Croatia, and was quite disappointed that there weren't +15% wines being made there regularly. I'm thinking that's a red flag. All the negatives aside, there's definitely a sense of humor to the winery and the grounds are quite interesting - just don't try the wine.
Experience: C / Wines: F

Amador 360 Winery Collective ($5 tasting, wines $18-$36)
Simone Gusto '11 Vermentino, Damas'10 "Shenandoah Blanc" (Roussanne/Marsanne/Viognier), Yorba '08 "Shake Ridge Red" (Syrah/Petite Sirah/Mourvèdre/Grenache), Fiddletown Cellars '10 "Concerto" Barbera, Fiddletown Cellars '10 "Old Vine" Zinfandel, Fiddletown Cellars Fiddletown Cellars '11 Petite Sirah, Yorba '08 Tempranillo, Fiddletown Cellars '10 "Private Stock" Red (Alicante Bouschet/Barbera)
It was the end of a long, hot day - so I can't be sure if we were just in an off mood, or if this place had a strange vibe - probably a mix of both. The Collective pours and sells wines from small wineries don't have their own tasting rooms. While the owner was a bit uncomfortable, he definitely cares a lot about promoting Amador wines. There's a neat antique store style to the interior.
The wines were on a spectrum of okay to good. The main two wineries that we tried were Yorba and Fiddletown. I had recently read about Yorba Winery, and was very interested in checking that out - which was part of the draw to visiting there. I did not enjoy Yorba's Shake Ridge Red - a bit of an inorganic flavor, but I did enjoy their Tempranillo. Fiddletown's wines were also a mixed bag - the Zin and Petite Sirah were not good, but the Private Stock red blend was really enjoyable. 
Experience: C+ / Wines: C+

Thursday (Fair Play and Apple Hill - El Dorado County)

Cedarville Vineyards ($0 tasting, wines $20-$29)
'11 Viognier, '11 Grenache, '11 Zinfandel, '08 Petite Sirah, '10 Cabernet Sauvignon
Back in November we went to Terre Rouge for a tasting and met Bill Easton. While talking his ear off about a number of different topics, I did ask his advice about what other wineries should be visited in the Sierra Foothills. He immediately suggested Cedarville, so I knew I needed to check it out on my next visit. It was also my first visit to the Fair Play AVA, a dense cluster of wineries in an old mining area, far off the main highway that runs through El Dorado County.
Cedarville is owned and operated by Susan Marks and Jonathan Lachs. They met while studying enology at UC Davis, worked at wineries in Napa, then took a long break to work in the tech industry. Slowly they returned to wine and acquired the vineyard in Fair Play in 1995. Four years later they fully returned to the wine world and have been at the helm of Cedarville ever since.
On a very hot day, Susan welcomed us and led us into the winery. She showed us around the manufacturing area. It was spartan and interesting. They had built an ingenious bunker into side of a hill next to building for wine storage. She was super friendly and happily answered all of our questions.
The wines held up well to my high expectations. They were beautiful, smartly made, and intricate. The Viognier was serious, complex, pretty, had great acidity and layers of a different fruits. The Grenache was the rockstar of the trip - it was masculine and feminine all at once. All of the wines were very well balanced. I even enjoyed the Petite Sirah - which tends to be one of my least favorite wines. I appreciated the Cabernet, it was well structured, though I still have not been blown away by a Cab from the Foothills.
There two things that I take away from my Cedarville visit: it's a good idea to go to wineries that Bill Easton tells you to go to, and I should revisit Cedarville in the near future.
Experience: B+ / Wines: A-

Madroña Vineyards ($5 reserve tasting, wines $14-$28)
'10 Zinfandel, '09 Zinfandel "Signature", '08 Cabernet Sauvignon "Signature", '08 "Quartet" (Cabernet Franc/Merlot/Petite Verdot/Malbec), '09 Syrah "Signature", '09 Nebbiolo, '11 Barbera, '11 Dry Riesling "Signature", '09 "Mélange" (Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne), '11 Riesling
Madroña is located right in the middle of the Apple Hill tourist area. Thankfully for me the hoards of tourists were nowhere to be found on the day that I visited. The tasting room is surrounded by a grove of tall pine trees, and the building looks neatly like a forest ranger station. Inside was a small group of folks that were having a great time enjoying the wine.
Unfortunately, I did not share their enthusiasm. The list was long, there were eighteen different wines to taste (five of were from the reserve list). I only tried eleven. The whites were clumsy. I wrote in my notes that the Mélange tasted like syrup poured over unripe fruit. As wide as of a variety of a reds that there were, they all tasted very similar to one another and had the same profile: fruity, simple, bland, and high acid.
I'm not sure what was so off-putting to me about Madroña, they seemed like nice folks. I got the feeling that they got to a certain level of quality and specific style with their wine making a long time ago, and stayed at that level, but continue to add new varietals to their list to keep things fresh.
Experience: C+ / Wines: C-

Grace Patriot Wines ($5 tasting, wines $18-$30)
'12 Pinot Gris, '12 Riesling, '12 "Hip Hip" Rosé (Tempranillo/Pinot Gris), '07 "FIVE PM" (Tempranillo/Syrah/Pinot Noir), '07 Tempranillo, '07 "Aboriginal Red" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah)
Grace Patriot has a neat space. The tasting room is adjacent to a historic ranch house and barn, and the overall design and style integrates old and new elements. Also the room looks out onto the beautiful Crystal Basin forest. I visited on a very slow day. The winemaker, Tyler Grace was studying at the counter when I walked in, and he was quite surprised that a customer came in. He and the tasting room attendant gave me a lot of attention. Both were nice folks.
It's a newer winery, started in 2000, and it seems that they are still experimenting with blends and types. I enjoyed the wines. They were calm and simple. The whites were enjoyable, they were some of the better whites that I had on this trip. The Rosé had good crispness and was a fun drink. Tempranillo was used in three of the wines, which is interesting because you don't see a lot of that grape in the region. I enjoyed the reds - they lacked complexity, but had good flavors and pretty good balance. All of the reds served were '07 vintage, I wonder if the younger reds don't show well and need at least five years of aging.
Experience: B / Wines: B-

I'm becoming more familiar with the Sierra Foothills wine region, and I'm starting to note how it's changed over the past few years. There is a good amount of growth with wineries such as Andis and Helwig recently coming online, and with Renwood undergoing a large remodel. Old sleepy wineries such as Sobon, Bray, Dobra and Madroña are potentially becoming outmoded, though old standards like Cooper and Terre Rouge still stand tall. A very recent development that shows the growth of the region is that most wineries are now charging a $5 tasting fee, normally waived with a purchase. Six months ago that was rare to see.
A takeaway from the trip was that while it's nice to miss the crowds by visiting tasting rooms mid-week, it can be a uncomfortable experience with you're the only person there, you clearly don't like the wine, and they can tell. Perhaps I'll stick to the weekends in the future. It was a lovely trip, and a great way to spend the period between my two scheduled events.

November '12 Gold Country Trip - Family, Good Health and Wine

Ah, the annual pilgrimage to NorCal for Thanksgiving. Since last year's trip was such an ideal setup for checking out wineries in El Dorado County on Wednesday before the family dinner on Thursday, and then heading out with the whole family on Friday to Amador - I decided to do the same thing again this year. The Apple Hill area that I explored in El Dorado County is very close to where my in-laws live. It's one of a few different winery groupings in the county. The beautiful Shenandoah Valley encompasses pretty much the entire winery grouping of Amador County. It's an enjoyable 45 minute drive from El Dorado County.

Wednesday (Apple Hill - El Dorado County)

Crystal Basin Cellars ($5 tasting, wines $16-$50)
 NV Sparkling Wine, '10 Chardonnay, '09 "Renegade Red", '10 Barbera, '10 "Mystery Juice", '09 Syrah, '10 Mourvedre, '10 Cabernet Franc, '09 Cabernet Sauvignon, '09 Malbec, '09 Petite Sirah, '09 Pinot Noir, '10 "Campione" (Sangiovese/Merlot), '09 "Triumphant" (Cabernet Franc/Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec/Petit Verdot), NV "Dolce Bottino" Dessert Wine (Barbera/Sangiovese), NV Syrah Port
It was rainy and nasty when we stopped in for a visit - stepping into the warm tasting room was a relief, especially when the folks behind the counter pointed out the extremely long tasting list. Crystal Basin was started by a group of friends that were amateur wine-makers. During our tasting, the mood of that friendship - happiness and fun-loving - permeated throughout. It's nice to think that a group can come together, create something that they love, and share it with lots of other folks. The staff were easy to chat with, especially KZ. Even though the tasting room got quite busy toward the end of our visit, they were always on top of the situation.
All of the grapes are purchased from El Dorado County vineyards. The wines are big and fun to drink - fruity, though they lack structure or subtlety. Realizing that they are so high in alcohol (16% on the Zinfandel, 15.8% on the Cabernet), it becomes apparent why the wines are quaff-able but not artistic. 
Aside from those general characteristics, the wines were a mix of decent to pretty good. The Syrah was my favorite - big flavor, but it exhibited some restraint. The upper-echelon blends - the "Campione" and "Trimumphant" were enjoyable - pretty well balanced and had nice flavors - but the $50 price tags were way too steep for the quality the wine. Lastly, the Syrah Port was bizarre. It had flavors of mint, cedar, endive and arugula to it. Not what I'd look for in a wine or a port, but interesting to taste for sure.
Experience: B / Wines: C-

Crystal Basin Bistro (free tasting, wines $16-$20)
NV "Pomme" Pomegranate Sparking Wine, '11 "Kougar Koolaid" Pinot Grigio, '09 "BadaBing" Primotivo, '09 "BadaBoom" (Mourvedre/Zinfandel), '09 "Fugedaboutit" Tempranillo, NV "Suite Thing" Muscat
Recently, the folks at Crystal Basin Cellars opened up a restaurant right across the parking lot from their winery. The restaurant had a diverse selection of well priced lunch and dinners, and the staff were accommodating.
To add to the dining experience, the owners decided to also have wine tasting at the bistro. Smart setup, you order your food at the counter, then go taste wine while your food is being prepped. The wines all had ridiculous names - "BadaBing, Suite Thing," etc., and the guy guiding the tasting wasn't as knowledgeable about the wines as the folks at the Crystal Basin tasting room.
On par with the names of the wines, the wines themselves were silly and lacked skill or value. The wines were basic and schlocky.  Perhaps I shouldn't have high expectations for a wine tasting at a restaurant - but we were encouraged to visit and have a tasting from the folks at the winery. Go for the food, heck try the free wine tasting, but it's certainly something that you can "Fugedabout."
Experience: C+ / Wines: D

Bumgarner Winery ($5 tasting, wines $15-$39)
'11 "Silver Fork" Apple/Pear Hard Cider, '11 "Silver Fork" Rosé (Mourvedre/Barbera), '10 "Silver Fork" Mourvedre, '10 Touriga, '08 Tempranillo, '08 Petite Sirah, '08 Cabernet Sauvignon, '06 Cabernet Sauvignon
Bumgarner's tasting room is right around the corner from Crystal Basin Winery, but it's a very dramatic shift in style and mood. Their space is in a funky converted old barn, and it's hip-ly rustic on the inside. They have three wines on tap - which are the "Silver Fork" series, and folks can purchase bottles and have them refilled with those wines. Their wines are sourced from a handful of vineyards in the county.
In contrast to Crystal Basin, Bumgarner's wine is  serious. Even the Rosé was deeper and more grippy than I'm used to. I didn't enjoy the Tempranillo or the Touriga.  Both were off-balance and didn't have compelling flavors.  Here are my entire notes on the Petite Sirah: "Big, serious dude," and it sure as heck was. It seems like the winery's focus is on the Cabernet - and that was an interesting wine. Once again, it had very bold and dark tones, and definitely lacked the Cab smoothness that I like, but there was something fun about it. At 14.2% alcohol, the winemaker was definitely making an artistic choice to not let the grapes get overt and obnoxious with too much alcohol. In addition to enjoying the '08 Cab, I tried the '05, which was definitely in the same vein of the younger version, but not quite as good. My hope is that by laying the '08 down for a year or so, it will be a nice fella to enjoy on a rainy evening.
Experience: B / Wines: C+

Friday (Shenandoah Valley - Amador County)

Young's Vineyard (free tasting, wines $25-$32)
'11 Chardonnay, '11 Albariño, '10 Sangiovese, '10 Zinfandel, '09 Zin, '10 Syrah, '10 Barbera, '09 Cabernet Sauvignon, '10 Petite Sirah, NV Tawny Port
Young's gets very mixed review on Yelp, some ratings very good, others very bad. Most of the negative reviews said that the staff was snotty. The folks that liked the place said that the staff were nice, wine was good, and the grounds are beautiful. I'd have to agree with the latter group. The grounds at Young's are very serene - the hilly vineyard calmly slopes toward the winery, a beautiful pond, and plenty of outdoor seating for those that want to relax and take in the day. The tasting room has a modern and rustic feel. And we had absolutely no qualms with the staff. The guy that took care of us really took care of us. A bonus was the utterly massive dogs that were roaming the property and loping up to folks for pets. They looked like Golden Retrievers, but were like 120-140 pounds. Super sweet dogs.
And indeed the wines were good, though some were better than others. Across the board the wines showed restraint, especially in comparison to other wineries in the area. There was a nice variety to the flavors. The Syrah was the least enjoyable - high acidity and a clash of flavors. The Sangiovese was banging - tart but friendly. The exciting finish to the tasting was the Tawny Port. I don't frequent Ports, but this one was a lovely drink - approachable sweetness, and a fun nutty finish.
Experience: B / Wines: B

Terre Rouge and Easton Wines ($12 library tasting, wines $16-$95)
'09 Grenache Blanc, '09 "Vin Gris D'Amador" Rosé (Mourvedre/Grenache/Syrah), Easton '07 Zinfandel - Fiddletown, '09 "Tête-a-Tête" (Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache), '06 Syrah - Sentinel Oak, '06 Syrah - High Slopes, Easton '04 Cabernet Sauvignon,
Library Tasting: '09 Viognier, '09 "Ascent" Syrah, '08 "Ascent" Syrah, '01 "Ascent" Syrah
Bill Easton, the winemaker of Terre Rouge / Easton has a reputation that proceeds him. He's one of the original Rhone Rangers - the folks that worked hard to bring Rhone style grapes (Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, etc.) to California. He's also one of the earliest winemakers to establish a winery in the Sierra Foothills. From all accounts, he's a master at making wine, and an ambassador for the wines of California. Since he's so well appreciated, it's no surprise that the tasting room was jam packed. As it turned out, every year on the day after Thanksgiving, the winery hosts a library tasting of it's premiere wine: "Ascent," hence the large crowd. We decided to do a regular tasting, then join the library tasting of the Ascent in the back room. We managed to find counter space, and were well attended to by the staff.
All of the wines were extremely well made - and worked with the regional characteristics (high acidity, tart fruit) rather than fighting against the flavors or letting a high alcohol level wash the subtle flavors away. According to a staff person, no Terre Rouge / Easton wine goes over a 14.5% alcohol level. Each wine was enjoyable and individualized. The '07 Zinfandel was an exciting wine to try because it comes from a vineyard that's nearly 150 years old. It was well balanced and flavorful. The Syrahs were excellent, especially the "High Slopes." I appreciated the fact that they were pouring and selling wines that had been aged a few more years that other wineries. It's a pet peeve of mine that wineries advise that you age a wine a number of years, perhaps to excuse how  underdeveloped it's tasting at that time. If the wine doesn't taste ready yet - don't pour it. I guess it has something to do with taxes paid by the wineries on unsold wine, but I appreciate Terre Rouge managing to work that out. In addition, even though the wines that were poured were aged, the didn't have a tired out quality, they tasted young and vibrant.
After enjoying the normal tasting, we shifted to the back room for the library tasting. Lo and behold, Bill Easton was the one doing the pouring. It appears that I'm becoming a huge wine fanboy, because I talked that dude's ear off for quite a while. He was very polite, and was kind enough to share loads of information about technique, regional history, and general viticulture.
The library wines were superb. The Viognier was solidly built - not fragile like many Viogniers - and very enjoyable. The "Ascent" Syrahs were mighty awesome. The '09 definitely needed time to age, but had very interesting levels and was excellent quality. The '08 was robust with tannins, and had a playful sweet fruit edge. The '01 was straight poetry. Despite it's age it was youthful. The tannin grip was mature, which provided a strong backbone. Acid and nice dark berry fruit slipped in happily.
Experience A- / Wines: B+

Jeff Runquist Wines (free tasting, wines $20-$28)
'10 Cabernet Franc, '10 "Z" Zinfandel, '10 Sangiovese, '10 Syrah, '10 Petite Sirah, '10 Souzao, '10 Tannat
Last stop of the day, and another packed joint. Runquist's tasting room was bursting at the seams. The tasting room is a large space with a wrap-around bar, and there were people three deep trying to taste wine. Thankfully the winery had a temporary bar in the barrel room, which was a bit more calm and easier to get pourings at. Jeff Runquist is a longtime winemaker, working for major wineries in Northern California. Eventually he decided to create his own wine, using grapes sourced from Amador County (Zinfandel), Paso Robles (Cabernet), Clarksburg (Petite Sirah), among others. 
There was definitely an interesting intersection of Runquist's wines that covered the places that I visited on this trip in El Dorado (Crystal Basin and Bumgarner) - big, dark & high overt acidity, while also showing off some of the restraint from the Amador wineries (Young's and Terre Rouge). The Zin was the pick of the litter with bold fruit and balanced acid. The Syrah was enjoyable, but was more of a crowd pleaser than an artistic wine. The Sangio was disappointing - it was rough and had too much toasty oak showing up throughout. It was neat to try some of the lesser known varietals - Souzao and Tannat,  though neither jumped out at me during the tasting as superb wines.
Experience: C+ / Wines: C+

After doing this trip a second time, the results were similar to the first trip, though a bit more refined. The majority of the wineries are wrangling the grapes grown there - dealing with high acidity and potentially high levels of alcohol. The low nutrient soils, and high elevation are helpful in forcing the grapevines to strain themselves which sends more high quality flavor to it's fruit. However the greater variety of temperatures in the growing season (near freezing in the spring and hot in the summer) versus the more moderate climates of the premiere growing regions in California means that it's more difficult to create superb wine. So it's interesting to see how the different wineries react to those constraints. Some wineries, like Crystal Basin create big, silly and friendly wines. Wineries like Bumgarner seem to come to grips with these issues, and make dark and acidic wines. Finally, wineries like Terre Rouge successful navigates the environmental circumstances and makes very talented wines that exhibit the most positive values of the region. The Gold Country is still a new wine region. Many wineries are still experimenting with which varietals are best grown. Zinfandel seems to have a home in the region, and Syrahs are gaining in popularity. Sangiovese and Petite Sirah also were bottled at many of the wineries.
I'm not sure that I'll be able to convince my in-laws to allow me to drag them along to tastings during the Thanksgiving break next year - it's becoming apparent that my sister-in-law, my wife and I are the only ones who get a kick out of these. But I won't give up quietly. Admittedly, not all of the wineries are amazing, but there's an authenticity to the wineries that I thoroughly enjoy. While there are a few places that are held by hyper-corporate conglomerates, most are family owned and operated. And in some instances, the winemaker will even be around, and you can yammer at them incessantly, like I love to do.

November '11 Gold Country Trip - Some Things to be Thankful For

Every Thanksgiving we head up to my in-laws who live in El Dorado County. It's always a relaxing trip, so I figured I could explore the area wineries during the down-time. Our plan for months prior was an all family drive out to Amador County on Friday, the Wednesday trip was a spur-of-the-moment drive that my brother-in-law and I did when nothing else was going on.

Wednesday (Apple Hill - El Dorado County)

Lava Cap Winery ($5 reserve tasting, wines $18-$30)
'09 Viognier Reserve, '09 "American River Red" Cuvée (Syrah/Merlot/Cab Franc/Zin), '07 Zinfandel Reserve, '07 "Rocky Draw" Zinfandel, '09 Syrah, '08 Petite Sirah.
A few years back we had our wedding near Placerville. Some friends from LA came up for the wedding and stayed at a Bed & Breakfast in Placerville. The owners of the B&B recommended that they check out Lava Cap. Our friends had a great time visiting the winery and recommended that we stop by sometime. Lava Cap has a great view off their deck and a warm/low-key tasting room. It was the day before Thanksgiving, so the tasting room was pretty busy. There were a total of fifteen wines to choose from, split between the regular list and the reserve list. I opted toward the reserve tasting but wasn't wowed by the wines. The flavors were all pretty basic. I enjoyed the Peitite Sirah most and the Zins were pretty good as well.
Experience: B- / Wine: C+

Boeger Winery (free tasting, wines $15-$19)
'09 "Boejerlais", '07 Cabernet Franc, '09 Barbera, '07 Zinfandel, '08 Zinfandel - Walker Ranch Vineyard, '08 Petite Sirah.
Like Lava Cap, Boeger is in the Apple Hill area near Placerville. Apple Hill is a popular tourist area in the fall, so the tasting room here was busy as well. Boeger's pretty well set up to handle large crowds - they have a very long counter and plenty of open space. The staff were efficient and helpful. The regular tasting list had eleven wines on it, we were able to choose six. I was excited to try the "Boejerlais" - their version of a Beaujolais - it was light and refreshing. Overall the wines were pretty good, a little more complex than the wines at Lava Cap. The Cab Franc and the Zins were slightly too hot. Dug the Petite Sirah.
Experience: B / Wine: B-

Cielo Estate (free tasting)
'09 Vermentino, NV Quatre Vignes (Syrah/Grenache/Counoise/Mourvedre), '06 Carignane, '09 Magnifique (Merlot/Cab Franc/Cab), '08 Zinfandel Reserve - Herbert Vineyard, '09 Petite Sirah Reserve - Herbert Vineyard.
Cielo is a brand new winery. They just took over the old Sogno vineyard during the spring. It's an easy drive to Cielo from my in-laws, so I was hopeful that the winery would be decent. The have a very airy tasting room, and have a number of trinkets for sale. We were the only visitors and the time, and Nicole was a very engaging and fun host. There were sixteen wines to chose five tastings from. Since the winery is so new, none of the grapes used in the wines are from the estate yet. They are sourcing from a number of locations around the state currently. I appreciated the fact that the made wines that were different from the normal varieties of Gold Country wines. Overall the wines were good, especially the red blends - and the prices were very reasonable.
Experience: B- / Wine: C+

Friday (Shenandoah Valley - Amador County)

Story Winery (free tasting, wines $14-$26)
'10 "Miss Rose", '09 Chenin Blanc, '08 "Quartz" Zinfandel, '07 "Picnic Hill" Zinfandel, '08 "Hilltop" Zinfandel, NV Almond Sparkling Wine.
It's definitely a red flag when a winery has both White Zin and Almond Champagne on their tasting list. Putting that aside, Story is a cool little winery. They have a nice deck on the hillside and an intimate tasting room. The staff were extremely helpful. I did not think highly of any of the wines. Most of the wines were clunky and simple. I did appreciate that they were using mission grapes to blend in a few of the wines as a nod to the history of California and the region - though those blends did not taste great. The zins were okay, the "Quartz" was the best of the lot.
Experience: B / Wine: C-

Cooper Vineyards (free tasting, wines $17-$32)
'10 Pinot Grigio, '10 Viognier, '10 Roussanne, '09 Barbera, '09 Barbera Riserva, '08 Alicante Bouschet, '08 Zinfandel, '08 Petite Sirah, '07 Syrah, '07 "Dicembre" (late harvest Alicante Bouchet), '10 "Pink" (Sauv Blanc/Pinot Grigio/Viognier).
Cooper was my favorite winery on this visit. They have an airy and well spaced out tasting room. They had piles of walnuts out for folks to take home that had been harvested that morning from the Cooper orchard. The white wines were not great. The Barberas were pretty good. We enjoyed the Alicante and the Zin quite a bit. I'd never heard of the Alicante grape before, so it was neat to try. The late harvest Alicante was good as well. The staff were all really friendly and excited to share what they knew about wine. I definitely got the feeling that Cooper is a winery that puts a lot of energy into making good quality wine and sharing it with people as though they are friends and family.
Experience: B+ / Wine: B+

Terra d'Oro Winery (free tasting, wines $10-$30)
Montevina '10 Sauvignon Blanc, '08 Barbera, '08 Sangiovese, '06 Forté (Sangiovese/Cab), '08 Aglianico, '09 Aglianico, '09 Teroldego, '08 Zinfandel, '07 SHR Zinfandel, '07 Deaver Old Vine Zinfandel, NV Zinfandel Port.
So far, Terra d'Oro is the most corporate winery I've experienced in the Gold Country area. They have a huge winemaking complex out front, and then a large warehouse-y tasting room in the back. The place lacks any true personality, everything is very superficial. They are more than gracious with their wines at the tasting. Both the Terra d'Oro wines, and the Montevina wines (their budget label) have long tasting lists that you are free to try anything on the lists. Most of the wine was decent, but not above that. The Anglianico was the most enjoyable to drink.
Experience: C- / Wine: C-

Helwig Vineyards & Winery (free tasting, wines $15-$35)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc, '10 Viognier, '10 Syrah Rosé, '09 "Round Up Red" (Syrah/Zin/Primotivo), '09 "East Block" Zinfandel, '09 "Sea of Grapes" Zinfandel, '09 Petite Sirah.
Helwig is a brand new winery. The ownership has had a vineyard in the area for a while, but only recently decided to purchase these grounds and build a full winery. The grounds of the winery are stunning. The buildings sit on top of a knoll, and have panoramic views of the Shenandoah Valley. The buildings and cave are smartly designed and have a subtle modern feel. The staff person we had was nice. The red wines were good, especially the "Round Up" and the "East Block."
Experience: B / Wine: B

Driving around in the foothills and popping into wineries for tastings is a great way to spend time with family. The scenery, especially in the fall is idyllic. For the most part the El Dorado and Amador County wineries are very personable. The wineries were well attended during the holiday week, and it was fun to chat with other visitors about which wineries to check out. We weren't knocked off our feet by the wines that we tried this time around, wines were a bit too clunky, or too hot - but it's still a wonderful experience. There are many more wineries to explore in the area, and we look forward to trying a lot more out during future holiday trips.