STORIES. NEWS. EXPERIENCES. TASTINGS. AWARDS. HERE’S A SHORT FUN WINTER READ AS THE DAYS START TO GET LONGER. CLICK TO VIEW THE FULL VERSION OF THIS POST:
True Cellar Gems: Old California Pinot Noir wine tasting, from 2006 through 2009
Our regular professional winemaker’s tasting group travelled north ‘up valley’ to the Emmitt-Scorsone Winery in Healdsburg to taste cellar gems from Emmitt Palmer and Michael Scorsone’s private cellars. The winery was recently relocated adjacent to the Russian River as you enter Healdsburg from the south to north.
The wines are all bagged, numbered, and tasted completely blind.
All wines are poured in advance and carefully tracked. All wines are tasted in complete silence. For real. No talking until all wines are tasted and notes written out.
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Then very raucous conversation
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and forthright debate ensues.
The big reveal. Much applause. These were very noteworthy brand names competing for our praise.
My personal favorite before the voting was complete. The reveal turned out that I had voted for Boheme 2007 as my top wine. And I was sitting right next to Boheme winemaker Kurt Beitler the whole time! We had a good laugh. We had not met before. That was a good surprise and fun for us both.
THE RESULTS – all scoring while still blind
- 2008 Williams Selyem – Precious Mountain Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
- 1400 feet ridge top elevation, clay loam, bi lateral, very low yield of 1 ton/acre, short shoots, solid brick, forest floor and moss, racy and well built, pine, mint, cherry.
- 2006 Copain – Monument Tree Vineyard, Anderson Valley
- 300 feet elevation, decomposed sand stone and shale, dijon clones, sunny am, shade in pm, light ruby, ruby core with orange rim, soft mouth feel, shorter finish, modest glycerin, slightly oxidized but still compelling, tobacco, pine, good mid palette acid, blackberry,
- 2007 Bohème – Stuller Vineyard, Sonoma Coast.
- 1200 feet elevation, in the redwoods, yorkville clay loam, rocky, 115 and 667, medium brick, darkest wine in grouping, strong strawberry, fresh and youthful, mulberry, butter, light smoke, fresh, clean, very well made.
- 2009 Sea Smoke – Southing, Santa Rita Hills
- 500 feet elevation, clay loam, 777 and 667, highly buckled terrain, 55% new oak, med brick, clean and clear, jammy fruit, rustic tannins, rose petal, tar, tea bag, baking spice, saffron.
- 2008 Kosta Browne – Sonoma Coast
- Gaps Crown, Terra de Promissio, and Walala, 45% new oak, bottle 1 vs bottle 2?
- 1) good bottle – vanilla spice, dried stone fruit, integrated tannins, campfire, dry soil, cigar, fresh, lively, compelling
- 2) suspect bottle – slightly browned, poss corked, closed and funky
- Gaps Crown, Terra de Promissio, and Walala, 45% new oak, bottle 1 vs bottle 2?
- 2008 Kosta Browne – Russian River
- multiple wide ranging vineyard sources, at least 8 diff vineyards, 45% new oak, light to ruby red, spicy red fruit core, cherry cola to black cherry, stone fruit, nice round mid palette, bit of lingering heat, truffle, stone, mushroom.
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(2.63) 2009 Sea Smoke – Southing, Santa Rita Hills
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(2.53) 2008 Kosta Browne – Russian River Valley
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(2.4) 2007 Bohème – Stuller Vineyard, Sonoma Coast (magnum)
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(2.4) 2006 Copain – Monument Tree Vineyard, Anderson Valley (magnum)
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(1.97) 2007 Papapietro Perry – 777 Clones, Russian River Valley (magnum)
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(1.93) 2008 Williams Selyem – Precious Mountain Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
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(1.8) 2007 Peter Michael – Le Moulin Rouge, Pisoni Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands (magnum)
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(1.67*) 2008 Kosta Browne – Sonoma Coast (* ~half of the group seems to have tasted an off/flawed bottle)
Our wine lineup in February
We recently won awards in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and the San Diego International Wine Challenge. With more award announcements coming soon.
Our current lineup of Sonocaia estate reserve Sagrantino and Dysfunctional Family Red Blends and Rosés. Want some? You know how to find us!
The cover crop in the Sagrantino vineyard is stunning and popping right on time. We’re a no-till, fully organic, no chemical operation. This cover crop will simply be mowed back into the ground come spring, just prior to bud break.
Lifestyle event with Euphoria and AB Creations – Yoga, Sound Healing, and Wine Tasting
Click here to purchase your tickets – very limited space remains
This is the site of the Yoga day retreat on Saturday May 3rd, the Hydeout Farm at Sonocaia Winery
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