Sonoma County Harvest Fair

WINE TALK
1

Anybody coming down to the Harvest Fair today (Sunday)? Be sure to stop by the Gracianna table and say Hi! [berserker.gif]

2

I judged the Harvest Fair Wine Competition but can’t make it today (sigh) Enjoy

3

Could not make it this year unfortunately! Anyone taste anything that really stood out?

4

Yeah, I made it all three days (and lived to tell about it)!

There were several standouts (just wrote it up in my blog–link below). As usual, I didn’t agree with the judges much. Shows what they know. LOL

5

I have gone for the past 4 years or so to visit some friends that live up there. This year the sweepstake winner was average at best. I wish I could ask the judges why they choose that. It is all subjective but the wine to me was very thin and lacked complexity.

6

I was one of those judges. Ask away.

Thin? The Stryker Cab?? The bottle we tasted in the sweepstakes round was rich and round. One of the best I’ve had in 30+ years of wine judging. (In fact, I ordered some-something I normally do not do.)

7

Bob maybe there was some bottle variation. No one in my tasting group enjoyed the stryker cab… To me it was dull and the finish was very short.

Can you give any insight into the judging procedures? What was the consensus among the judges on this wine? Do you taste multiple bottles for possible bottle variation? I know everyones taste are different and while I agreed upon other decisions of the judges this one was way off for me.

Thanks,
Matt

8

fwiw, I tasted a dozen Cabs. The Stryker was my least favorite.

9

The wines are judged blind in 3 price categories (low, med and high) All we know is the number of the wine–nothing more. Each of those classes go to different panels. they taste through and award gold, silver, bronze or nothing. When the class is finished all of the golds are brought back and the panel picks its favorite gold medal. This is the best of class wine. It is sent to the sweepstakes round.

All of the judges assemble in one room and taste all of the best of class wines blind from new bottles. there is no discussion. Each judge votes on paper. We turn the paper in and wait while they tabulate (so if there is a tie we can vote in a run off.) All they tell us is if they have a winner. They will not tell us which wine wins. The first we know is on Saturday night when the public learns who wins.

The Stryker would have garnered the majority of the votes from the 25 (or so) judges.

So, for the wines in the sweepstakes two bottles would have been opened and judged during the competition. (Once in the original medal judging and another in the sweepstakes round)

I hope this answers your questions. I’m still surprised by your TN-how can we be that far apart? Could your bottle have been ever so slightly corked-that would cut the fruit and the nose???

10

Bob thanks for the insight on the judging. Don’t get me wrong Bob you could tell the wine was well made but it just seemed very simple. For example I thought the zin which won best of class don’t remember the name but it was like 20 bucks was a way better wine. It was very restrained and had a very interesting spice finish that I couldn’t grasp what the taste was. What’s interesting is that I have read some of your comments on other wines like Sojourn rodgers creek and we agree 100% on that. That wine was truly amazing.

11

I bought a couple of bottles. Why don’t we plan to wait a couple of years and then meet for dinner when I am in Sonoma and see what we think when drinking from the same bottle?

12

Sounds like a plan Bob. However we can also do it in Socal since I am a local. I go up every year though to Sonoma to visit some friends and go to harvest fair.

13

Sounds good to me. Do you ever get to San Diego?

14

Bob I probably go to San Diego every couple months.

15

Bob & Matt,
The 2006 like all our Cabernet Sauvignon’s was 100% Cabernet, that being said is does have a clonal make up of 6, 15 & 337. It was all bottled at the same time, from a single tank so Bottle variation should be slight, that being said a cork can have it’s flaws.
we would love to hear how your revisit of our Stryker Sonoma Cabernet goes! If you need anymore let us know!
Cheers!
http://www.strykersonoma.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;