Sonoma Coast recommendations

WINE TALK
1

Hey everyone,

I will be wine tasting this Thursday, and we all decided to try some Sonoma Coast Pinot producers. Before we plan our schedule, I wanted to get some recommendations from Berzerkers. We are in the business, representing Sojourn, VJB, and Keating Wines.

Thanks in advance,
Eric Keating

2

Eric - are you looking for wine recommendations?

If so, some terrific “true” coastal Pinots, look for Rivers Marie, Hartford Court, Littorai, Peay, Fort Ross. Those are off the top of my head.

3

Hi Tony,

We are looking for both wine recommendations and places to taste. Thank you for your recommendations.

4

sounds like i know who is in this “threesome”… have a blast!

5

Paul right now is listed as questionable.

6

Eric - since you are in Kenwood, I am sure you know this but in case you don’t.

Littorai - Sebastopol, appt only
Rivers-Marie -no tasting room. Wines are made on Howell Mtn in Napa/St Helena
Hartford - Forestville, open to the public
Fort Ross - ?
Peay - winery is in Cloverdale. Appt only

7

Great recos. Love that Scallop Shelf Peay

8

Eric,

Tony’s recs for “true” Sonoma Coast pinots cover the best. I would also suggest Hirsch, Annapolis Winery and Cobb. You do not need a appointment for Annapolis but the trek up there is a challenge. The other two probably would require a call although I have never heard of anyone visiting Cobb.

Of course, if you are looking for Sonoma Coast in general, you can visit any RRV pinot producer. If this is the case. I would suggest heading down Westside Road…

Regards,
Steve

9

Dear Eric,

Unfortunately you cannot come to visit us at Fort Ross just yet, as we have no tasting room. However, we are currently going through the process of acquiring all of the necessary approvals, which are many since we will be one of the first in the area. We have dedicated a website to this issue. http://www.fortrossvineyardtastingroom.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please let me know if you need any assistance locating Fort Ross wines for you to taste. The 2007 Fort Ross Pinot Noir and the 2005 Pinot Reserve are both tasting fantastic.

Happy Holidays.
Johanna Bernstein
Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery

10

As “Sonoma Coast” (as I’m sure you know given your ITB status) is perty big and considered by many to be too big a catch-all to be particularly meaningful, for purposes of your quest, I would focus on the following sub-divisions based upon geographic locale:

SEA RANCH TO CAZADERO CORRIDOR (including inner ridges to a point):

Representative wineries to visit: Peay, Hirsch, Martinelli (located on River Road in RRV but they have plantings out in Cazadero).

Wines to taste: Peay Scallop Shelf, Marcassin Estate, Martinelli Three Sisters, Hirsch Estate, Littorai Hirsch Vineyard, Siduri Hirsch Vineyard, Bjornstad Hellenthal Vineyard, W.H. Smith Hellenthal Vineyard

JENNER TO BODEGA BAY CORRIDOR (including inner ridges to a point):

Representative wineries to visit: Littorai, Freestone, Porter-Bass (actually on the edge of the RRV and technically within RRV but more akin to Sonoma Coast profile if you ask me), Red Car (they’re now out near Graton, don’t know if you can taste there yet, but they’ve shifted their paradigm towards Sonoma Coast sites, cooler sites, and starting in 2008, signficantly lower alc levels)

Wines to taste: Littorai’s own vineyard plantings, Littorai Thieriot Vineyard, Littorai Mays Canyon Pinot Noir, Porter-Bass Porter Bass Vineyard Pinot Noir, Scherrer Winery Platt Vineyard, Red Car Heaven and Earth, Red Car Platt Vineyard bottling, Radio-Coteau Terra Neuma, Ceritas Escarpa, Kistler Bodega Headlands Bottling,

Hope that helps and that you have a great time of it.

11

we are the TN’s neener

12

Thanks for all the help, everyone. I truly appreciate all of the input.

We were supposed to go today, but I got the flu on Tuesday and we had to cancel all appointments. [swearing.gif]

We had Siduri and Lattorai set up at that point. Maybe after the Holiday Season we will try again.