Prepared for some weekend wine?
See if you’ll find these Sonoma wines (or, if not, their producers) on wine lists, restaurant cabinets or on-line. They have been 4 of probably the most compelling wines I tasted just lately, after I visited northern California for the Sonoma County Wine Public sale.
2018 Fort Ross Winery Pinot Noir from Gary Farrell Vineyards & Vineyard
Laurel Glen Winery Property Cabernet Sauvignon (particular anniversary mix of the 2007, 2011 and 2012 vintages)
2019 Grenache from Hamel Household Wines
2021 Pinot Noir Tank Pattern from Ron Rubin WInery
It’s difficult to decide on simply 4 compelling wines from 4 days of tasting all through Sonoma county, and there are actually many different wines price mentioning.
However the record beneath is the wine equal of catching somebody’s eye throughout a crowded room. There was a whole lot of bustle, noisy chatter and distraction. But these 4 wines steadied my consideration and held my gaze.
Additionally they summarize the expertise of returning to wine nation, as I wrote earlier this week. Sure, there’s the legacy of COVID protocols however it’s counterbalanced by the exuberance of re-engaging with the folks and the panorama of wine. These wines additionally symbolize Sonoma’s present actuality, from an attractive mix of vintages from historic properties (the previous), to the pressing crush of this 12 months’s harvest (the current), to a cheeky and surprising providing that factors towards an uncharted and really compelling future.
A bit of background and perspective for these 4 wines particularly are included in Part Two of this post, however first it is smart to set the stage with some common context for the picks.
Tasting in a Group
Experiencing these wines is certainly like catching somebody’s eye throughout a crowded room, however that isn’t only a determine of speech. I tasted every of them as a part of a gaggle or lineup of different wines — not chaotic by any stretch, however various sufficient to seal the expertise much more in my reminiscence, given these wines’ capability to differentiate themselves inside a crowd.
The wine from Gary Farrell Vineyards, for instance, was one among 4 pinot noirs that adopted three pours of chardonnays. The pattern of pinot noir from Ron Rubin Vineyard preceded the tank pattern of chardonnay, which was so new, it was actually nonetheless grape juice. The grenache from Hamel Household Wines was one among a set of pairings throughout a multi-course meal. And the cabernet sauvignon from Laurel Glen Winery was poured in the course of the walk-around tasting to kick off the Sonoma County Wine Public sale weekend.
That variety of groupings displays the vary of tasting experiences out there in Sonoma, even past the circumstances of a particular occasion weekend. As well as, the variety of tasting experiences displays the vary of personalities of the wines and their panorama.
Tasting and not using a Sample
There isn’t a sample to those 4 wines, aside from the apparent widespread floor of Sonoma origins.
They arrive from 4 totally different producers, are produced from 4 totally different grapes which might be grown in 4 totally different soils. Two of the 4 are from vineyards which might be pretty accessible, whereas the 2 different vineyards are far off and distant. Two of the wines resemble what many shoppers affiliate historically with Sonoma wine, whereas the opposite two are stunning “curveballs.”
All of it makes for wine tasting experiences that hold you in your toes. Please click on over to Part Two of this series for a deeper dive into every of the wines.
