TN: Sojourn 2016 Fall Release

Got to recently taste most of the 2016 Sojourn Fall Offering. Did so with two other couples.

Chardonnay
The Chardonnays are all from the Sonoma Coast, and they are all from the 2014 vintage. All were popped-and-poured, although I did get a taste of both from bottles that had been opened the day before. We tasted both blind, although we did have the spec sheets in front of us. They were also paired alongside chicken skewers and a selection of cheeses.

2014 Gap’s Crown Vineyard, SC, Chardonnay
This Chard was the group’s favorite. This is the first Chardonnay release from Gap’s Crown for Sojourn. Of the two it had a lighter color, sort of a pale straw color. It also had a lighter nose, mild with some floral notes. It was also slightly creamy, a smooth, soft wine. But the Gap’s was also more Chablis-like and seemed a bit leaner. The Gap’s had a more mineral, rocky quality to it. In addition, it had some white pepper and a little citrus. It was not oaky, having been provided just an appropriate impact using French barrels. This wine went the best with the food.

2014 Durell Vineyard, SC, Chardonnay
The color for the Durell was slightly deeper, darker. The Durell was more citrus, and it had a bit of a bite. While brighter and more acidic, it was slightly more rough, keeping in mind this is a very fresh, young wine. It too had a light touch of oak, which worked well. It also paired well with the appetizers. Both wines are young and will continue improving with time. It too went well with the chicken skewers.

Pinot Noir
We got to taste three of the Pinots being offered this Fall. Did not get to sample the Ridgetop nor the RRV. All are from the 2014 vintage. All were popped-and-poured. They too were served blind, although again, we had the spec sheets in front of us. They were paired with pork sliders with a fig jam.

2014 Wohler Vineyard, RRV, Pinot Noir
This was the only RRV Pinot we tasted (have not tasted the appellation bottling), and it turned out to be the group’s favorite, maybe because it was the most different of the three Pinots. The wine had a dark ruby color, and you could almost smell a bit of salinity. The wine almost had a meaty profile, maybe why it went so well with the sliders. It also had a fair amount of earth to it. Of the three we tasted, it also had the most spice.

2014 Reuling Vineyard, SC, Pinot Noir
Of the three Pinots, this one had the lightest color. It also seemed to be the most tight. The Reuling had a cherry nose and a dark cherry profile. It also seemed to have more grip. It also had more earth and was a bit more savory, with some mushroom aspects. It featured nice acidity, and of the three, seemed the most European or French in style. I then got to taste a bottle that had been opened the day before, and I was struck by how much fruit it retained.

2014 Riddle Vineyard, SC, Pinot Noir
This is the first release from Riddle by Sojourn. The Riddle had a pretty, ruby color to it. It had a strawberry nose, and it almost smelled like an RRV, maybe due to the cool temps, high elevation, and the vineyard being further west. Of the three, it tasted the most of berries, lots of raspberry and some sweet red cherry. It had some earth, and was slightly dusky. Of the three, it was the easiest to drink now, very silky. It paired the best with the pork and fig sliders. Got a taste from a bottle that had been opened the previous day, and it still retained a good bit of fruit, and it seemed even smoother and silkier.

Cabernet
We only got to try one of the Cabs. Did not taste the Proprietary Cuvee. The Oakville was decanted about an hour earlier, and it was paired with beef sliders and caramelized onions.

2013 Oakville, Napa Valley, Cabernet
This is an appellation wine, and I might say, a pretty good QPR. It had a dusty profile, and was a bit rough and rugged, some flint or graphite. It’s a heavy Cab. It was good from the pour, although a bit tight, but a lot of swirling helped. I can see time working well for this wine. The swirling brought out the blackberry and mocha aspects. This went well with the sliders, and I wouldn’t hesitate using this as a steak Cab. Another thing I did notice was that the group chugged this wine – it was that good.

Thanks Paul.

We put together a very cool wine tasting video on our 2016 Fall release wines for those of you who can’t make it to our Sojourn Tasting Salon here in Sonoma during September. Enjoy!

-Craig

http://www.sojourncellars.com/wines-vineyards/videos/current

After receiving the new release offer, I arranged for me, my wife, fellow Berserkers Marc and Dominique Simon and our friends Ken and Wendy Gootkin (who have attended some Berserker events) for a private tasting of the 2014 Sojourn Fall release. All of the wines were pop & pour, but even with little air, seemed ready to drink right now, My notes only reflect the following six wines, and I noted the comments from the group; I note that we had some similar thoughts as Paul’s, and some a little different:

2014 Durell Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
While this was said to have 40% new oak treatment, virtually no oak was detected though there was a very subtle vanilla note.  The nose included slight floral notes and a really beautiful citrus notes; as for taste, it expressed citrus, including Meyer lemon and key lime, along with green apple.  Not a very mineralistic wine, and not a butter-ball; it was a very enjoyable wine and perfect for a summer afternoon, with a cheese plate and good company.  91 pts.

2014 Wohler Vineyard (RRV) Pinot Noir
Wow!  Beautiful!  An incredible mouthfeel with strawberry, plum, raspberry jam and some darker fruits, baking spices and maybe a touch of white pepper.  A bit of tannin on the finish. 92 pts.

2014 Riddle Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
A new vineyard for Sojourn located in Green Valley area near Occidental. This was the group favorite of the night. Almost lip smacking!  Black cherry, plum and maybe a touch of blackberry with some tobacco on the finish.  Vanilla notes but no other obvious oak treatment despite 50% new oak.    Thus, totally integrated and ready to drink IMHO with incredibly smooth tannin. 94 pts.

2014 Reuling Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
A nose of strawberry and a first whiff of alcohol that quickly evaporated; some real depth in taste including rhubarb, boysenberry and some truffle notes.  Smooth finish, with some silky tannins. 91 pts.

2013 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
Blue fruits, blackberry, leather, a little tobacco,  maybe a touch of honey, and a small detection of garden hose – something I hadn’t tasted until someone else noted it.  A tad tart at first but some real development in the glass.   A nice balance of tannin with a nice mouthfeel of fruit leading to a fairly long finish. A crowd pleaser and a very nice wine for $69! 93 pts.

2013  Proprietary Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon
A blend of GIII and some Oakville hillside fruit.  A little young with a touch of Alcohol on the  nose that blew off after 1-2 minutes.  A really nice mouthfeel.  Black fruits on the mid-palate and a nice earthiness.  The fruit is more subtle and refined, with a great balance between fruit and classic Rutherford dusty tannins.  94 pts.

I had a chance to taste a few of the new wines as well with our local friends. As usual a really solid line up of wines. We opened these during some Sunday football so didn’t get a chance to take notes. The Wohler pinot was its typical classy self. This is usually one of our favorites and it was very good. Bruce and Paul’s notes are spot on. Love the earthy spice components and the trademark silky mouth feel.

We were excited about trying the 2 new vineyard designate wines- Riddle and Reuling. These are great vineyards for Sojourn. The Riddle was a bit more expressive and just in the zone. It was our groups favorite and is an outstanding wine. The Reuling felt like it was holding back and shy a bit and is very good but one I’d give some time to or decant.

I tried to save some of the Oakville Cab to have with food later in the evening but the group didn’t leave any behind. This is just a terrific wine with a dark black fruit profile, some cocoa and mineral notes as well. This shows the tannin and structure from the 13 vintage and is really built to lay down for 6 to 8 years as I think it will only get better. A solid buy for sure especially considering the new normal for Napa pricing.

Cheers,
Fred

My wife and I had a chance to taste thru the Sojourn 2014 fall release wines. Notes are as follows, echoing a lot of the comments above.

2014 Durell Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay: Very light color. Very light for a Chard. Lemon-lime citrus is the main flavor component. Very crisp. No overt oak or creaminess at all. Lean and angular, but not minerally. Very un-chardonnay-like. There is a bit of chard flavor on the back palate. Not a chard guy, but I really like this.

2014 Riddle Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: very restrained on the nose; dark fruits and maybe a bit of allspice. Red fruit in the mouth-completely different fruit profile between the nose and mouth, but it was pop and pour, so it may just be the difference a little air makes. There is an emerging spice component after a while. A bit more restrained than other Sojourn offerings like the Gaps Crown. More like Ridgetop, but it doesn’t have the earth tones that a Campbell Ranch has. Not as round textured in the mouth as some of the other Sojourn offerings. It’s a baby now. A fair amount of tannin and acid structure. I think it needs 2-3 years. First year for Sojourn off this vineyard. I tend to like Campbell and Sangiacomo from Sojourn, so I think I will like this too.

2014 Wohler Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: The aromatics jump out of the glass. Bright, sweet red fruit profile with a round texture/mouth feel. A bit more restrained than prior years. The wine is also more singular/precise than in prior years. Wohler is a wine made from a variety of clones off the vineyard and, particularly when young, seems to reflect that with a diverse flavor profile. The 2014 seem much more precise to me. I think it is the best Wohler that I can remember, particularly if you like RRV PN.

2014 Rueling Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: Another new vineyard. More concentrated and Gaps Crown-like than the other Pinots. Lush and rich, round and deep texture and mouthfeel. Cranberry and cola flavors. Plush, velvety, soft fruit. It’s pretty delicious and stylistically a lot like Gaps. I like a bit more complexity and earth, but this is classic Sojourn Pinot so Sojourn fans should love it.

2013 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon: Intense dark fruit nose and black color in the glass. Blackberries, mocha, and currant in the mouth. Relatively gentle tannins. Builds across the mid palate and has a long finish. Typical Sojourn mouthfeel and texture. Less elegant and more concentrated than the Proprietary Cuvee tasted with it, but still lithe. Nice value, as Napa cabs go, at $69 per. Will improve some bottle time, as you would expect.

2013 Proprietary Cuvee Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Dark purple color. A seamless, perfect wine across the palate, elegant and gentle. Black fruit profile like the Oakville, but with more red fruit components. Structured and layered, but already integrated. Should also improve over 5-10 years.

How does the oakville can compare to something like Saunter’s Swagger? Anyone tried both?