2014 Dirty and Rowdy Mourvedre Skinner Stoney Creek Vineyard- USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado County (8/17/2016)
Every time I think I have the D&R wines figured out I try a different one, and my head starts spinning again. My first bottle of Skinner Stoney Creek induced more head spinning in a very good way. It had all the freshness and lively palate presence as the “typical” D&R wine, but also showed a layer of what I once learned to expect from Mourvedre that gave the nod to the old world while remaining firmly grounded in the new world. Beyond the cool, almost serene fruit there was leather and herb and a bit of sun-softened tar that made me think of Bandol. I was then snapped back to California by a lingering sweetness of the fruit.
I don’t know anything about this vineyard site, so whether this is a terroir expression or not is an open question. that being said, the varied D&R cuvees are all so different that I have to believe that Hardy is capturing the spirit of the sites in his wines, from the exotic Evangelho to the brightness and austerity of Santa Barbara Highlands.
David- Thanks for the notes. I’m glad you enjoyed this. We really dig working with this block. The '14 Skinner Stoney Creek jumped into the groove really early and has been showing well all year.
The soil here looks like a cross between grape-nuts and a bocce court. The block is at almost 2700ft.
Not that we have a lot of data points, but the three Mourvèdre wines I have had from this stretch (La Clarine Cedarville, Skinner Estate Mourvèdre, and ours) are really unique.
Hardy, are you aging the Skinner Stoney Creek in neutral barrels or concrete egg? I recall that you had done some experimentation with both but wasn’t sure if it was for this site or another one.
Having not tried either of the La Clarine Cedarville or Skinner Estate Mourvedre, how would you compare those to the D&R Skinner? I always enjoy tasting different wines from the same vineyard to see how the various interpretations of a site manifest themselves.
Also you raised a heck of a question…what if Grape Nuts came in a single serving Bocce Ball size?
Our Skinner Stoney Creek was all in neutral French oak 225Ls. (5-7 year old barrels). (In '14 the only Mourvèdre that saw concrete was the “especial”- In '15, about 1/3 of our Antle Vineyard Mourvèdre was done in concrete).
The La Clarine Cedarville (which is about 1mi or so down the road) and the Skinner’s own Estate wine are different critters. I love both- La Clarine’s is one of the most red fruited Mourvèdre wines I have ever tasted. The Skinner’s estate is mostly from their Stoney Creek vineyard, but I think there is usually some of their White Oak Flat vineyard in there, too. The Skinner’s is a little more traditional Mourvèdre / Bandol-Like with both savory, earthy tones, and a line of nice red fruit. It is great wine. I think ours sits in the middle of both profiles.
And to your main question- I’d be all over one of them jumbo grape-nutz! It could be like one of them there giant balls of ice for your cocktails, but instead of booze surrounding it, you’d pour milk!
Hardy, I’m reminded that I need to give you a bottle of the Sumu Kaw Vineyard Mourvèdre I made last year. Looks like it will have to be after crush though…first fruit coming in tomorrow
Hi guys! Thanks everyone here for this thread and discussion! As I was searching through release e-mails, cellar tracker and berserkers to try to figure out which single vineyard D&R I was safe bringing and opening without a long decant for a friend’s birthday dinner, this thread is what convinced me to bring/open the 2014 D&R Skinner Stoney Creek! And let me just say this:
IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! IT WAS SUBLIME, AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL! #alltheadjectives#allthefeels
In fact, as I e-mailed Hardy, I think this is my favorite Dirty & Rowdy wine to date. David’s note from August is still spot on. Bright strawberries mixed with an underbelly of herbs and some pepper just kept opening and brightening throughout the night, yet still perfectly enjoyable on first pour. What threw our entire table of 7 over the edge, however, was an unintentional food pairing of a gigantic bowl of caco e pepe pasta (for those DC folks, we were at Rose’s Luxury). A sip of Stony Creek after a bite of the not-overly rich and perfectly seasoned pasta, seriously took us all to another realm. The trademark pepper from the pasta turned into poprocks when combined with the wine. And rather than bursts of spicy black pepper, it was more like bursts of energy radiating through the fruit and the flavor of black peppers (as opposed to the spicy harshness of black pepper – I hope I’m making sense here).
Should we have decanted it or held on to this a bit longer – probably. But I don’t regret for one moment opening the bottle and drinking it right away. The amount of joy it brought to our table, and that surprise pairing elevation, is one of the things we all hope will happen when sipping through delicious wines. It was absolutely amazing. (OK, I’ll stop gushing now!)
Thanks again to everyone on this thread, and of course to Hardy …
I love reading notes like this, and I love it that people are exploring this variety further. Hardy is doing an unbelievable job Shine the spotlight on one of my favorite grapes, and I believe we are all better off for it
Keep up the great job, Hardy, and everyone else, keep drinking more mourvedre!
Thanks Alicia and everyone. I’m glad people dug this last night. Judging by pics on IG, it looks like you all had a fun time and great lineup! That pairing sounds awesome.
I think both D&R '14 Skinner Mourvèdre wines (Stony Creek and White Oak Flats) were the sleepers of our 2014 vintage. Yes, I think they will improve, but they are both lit up right now.
Mourvèdre thrives in this ribbon of El Dorado County and it has a unique personality - It is more red fruited vs. purple/black, crunchy, and still beautifully ripe and Californian (though at low ABV%).
For anyone wanting to try others from this stretch of El Dorado, try Hank’s La Clarine Farm Cedarville Mourvèdre and the new '15 Skinner Vineyards El Dorado Mourvèdre (from several sites including Stony Creek). They are both different, but they have that unique feel. And, though I haven’t popped it, I am looking forward to breaking into Ken Zinn’s Gang of Six Suma Kaw Mourvèdre.
Thanks a ton Larry! I appreciate it! Hope to see you soon.
[quote=“Alicia C.”]Hi guys! Thanks everyone here for this thread and discussion! As I was searching through release e-mails, cellar tracker and berserkers to try to figure out which single vineyard D&R I was safe bringing and opening without a long decant for a friend’s birthday dinner, this thread is what convinced me to bring/open the 2014 D&R Skinner Stoney Creek! And let me just say this:
IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! IT WAS SUBLIME, AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL! #alltheadjectives#allthefeels
In fact, as I e-mailed Hardy, I think this is my favorite Dirty & Rowdy wine to date. David’s note from August is still spot on. Bright strawberries mixed with an underbelly of herbs and some pepper just kept opening and brightening throughout the night, yet still perfectly enjoyable on first pour. What threw our entire table of 7 over the edge, however, was an unintentional food pairing of a gigantic bowl of caco e pepe pasta (for those DC folks, we were at Rose’s Luxury). A sip of Stony Creek after a bite of the not-overly rich and perfectly seasoned pasta, seriously took us all to another realm. The trademark pepper from the pasta turned into poprocks when combined with the wine. And rather than bursts of spicy black pepper, it was more like bursts of energy radiating through the fruit and the flavor of black peppers (as opposed to the spicy harshness of black pepper – I hope I’m making sense here).
I really enjoyed the spiciness of this wine. The herbal component also was interesting. Definitely wish I had more.
As I have only tasted the Dirty & Rowdy “Skinner White Oak Flats” Mourvedre - down the ways from “Stoney Creek Vineyard” - the review notes are interesting in revealing some of the commonalities but, moreso, the differences between the sites!
I recall tasting my sole bottle of the “WOF” way too young, but being captivated by the red fruits, strong tannic backbone, and intoxicating aromas.
Thanks, Matt. The '14 Skinner WOF is in a very very good place right now.
For those wondering what Skinner Stoney Creek vineyard looks like, here is a short drone video I shot Sun AM. Our Mourvèdre block is in the opening shot below the tree and the car, in the 2nd shot on the left side of the car, and the first block in the final shot.
It could be like one of them there giant balls of ice for your cocktails, but instead of booze surrounding it, you’d pour milk! 
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