I was unable to pull a Richard Jennings and take notes on every wine at the tasting, so I only wrote down my highlights, when I remembered to do so. It was a fabulous event, and (before the public arrived) I had a chance to chat it up with a bunch of winemakers - Joe Davis, Ed Kurtzman, my man Fred Scherrer, Jim Schultze, Shane Finley, Aaron Walker, Paul Sloan, The Carg, etc. I enjoyed going to an event where one single varietal was poured - so much easier than 100 wineries with 6-8 varietals each.
(Highlights in alphabetical order, as that’s how it is in my program)
Before I start, one core aspect I took away from this is a more clear definition of my style of Pinot Noir. It has changed quite a bit from when I first started buying it, and when it was the most significant portion of my cellar. It’s fallen to third, but I have been buying almost no Pinot lately. After this trip, I do have several picked out to purchase.
Arcadian - overall, these seemed to need some time - quite a bit, actually. The Fiddlestix fruit was the one I enjoyed the most, and believe it was '06. I had the vintages on a separate sheet and lost the sheet…
August West - I’ve had a few of these bottlings at Falltacular, and I was particularly taken this time with the Graham Vineyard, which was a 2008 vintage. This vineyard hasn’t been bottled very long, according to Ed, and was the first ‘Graham Vineyard’ pinot I have had. Excellent fruit and still the acidity I prefer, and while the alcohol was a bit high at 14.9%, it was well balanced.
Belle Pente - this winery was the most impressive to me, and I can’t recall ever having tried any prior to this. Overall their style is quite Burgundian, and I had a nice long talk with Brian O’Donnell about the alcohol and acid levels, and how they are extremely vintage-driven. The most impressive to me was the '06 Estate, which I WILL be buying, and the '05 Estate Reserve, which is almost a dead ringer for great Burgundy. I preferred the '06 Estate, actually, but either way there is no question I will look for Belle Pente in the future and the near term.
Clos Pepe - Wes needs to be just a LITTLE more passionate about his art. LOL. The dude is SO excited about it all, and rattles everything off like a madman. His Rose of Pinot Noir was really interesting - the sweet florals on the nose were quite inviting, and the acid can strip the enamel off your teeth. Only 11.2% ABV.
Evening Land Vineyards - a ‘new kid on the block’, with some impressive staffers including Dominique Lafon as a consulting winemaker. I was most impressed with their Oregon Pinots (finding a trend here toward OR Pinot), and their pricey bottles from Occidental Vineyard were much less impressive to me. The '07 Seven Springs bottles were nice, and the volcanic rock soil really comes through. These are terroir-driven wines, which I appreciate.
Pali - they had a pretty wide selection, as would be expected, and I was blown away at their ‘value’ appelation Pinots - Riviera (Sonoma Coast) and Huntington (Santa Barbara). For under $20, these provide a solid short-term drinking Pinot. I plan to pick up some of these when I find them at a local retailer.
Scherrer - Fred’s '06 ‘Big Brother’ is a fantastic Pinot. Still more ‘classical’ in style, but with big fruit and mouthfeel. I’m happy to have a bottle or two of this in the cellar, and know it can be enjoyed now or after 5-10 years.
Small Vines - I had surfed with Paul Sloan on Friday, so I had to go see him to get my State Park annual pass back. Had the chance to enjoy his '07 MK vineyard, in particular. He’s got a good situation, as he’s just about sold out of everything, and the '07’s are quite good.
Windy Oaks - I’ve read so many glowing notes on here about Windy Oaks that I had to visit, and was pleased to know they are big fans of WineBerserkers (as were Ed and Joe). Had a nice chat with Judy and Jim Schultze there, enjoying both of their Pinots, in particular, their '07 100% Whole Cluster. I heard of a wild yeast Chardonnay and Pinot and really want to seek those out to see what that’s all about. Jim uses a bit more new oak than I tend to prefer, but it’s well balanced by the fruit, and makes for a highly enjoyable Pinot.
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