Well I’m back, but I have to say that I had a great time on my vacation with my wife in San Francisco. Now, what trip by your resident wino to the West Coast would be complete without some time spent in wine country? Exactly. My wife and I spent two days visiting vineyards during our vacation and they were both amazing. Our first day was spent in Russian River Valley where the call of the Pinot is strong and enticing.
Rodney Strong Vineyards
We started our day at Rodney Strong Vineyards, in no small part because I had enjoyed spending time with them during the Wine Bloggers Conference back in July and also because as a big name in the area we both figured it was as good a place to start as any.
I had reached out to the PR manager for Rodney Strong since we had met during the Bloggers Conference, and he was kind enough to spend some time showing my wife and I the vineyard, including their “winery within a winery” where they make some of their most amazing wines.
After our tour we went back to the tasting room where one of their pourers, Leo (who I highly recommend seeing if you’re ever at Rodney Strong – the man knows his wine and the wines of all the best vineyards and restaurants in the area), lead us through a tasting of the Rodney Strong selection.
I won’t go over each one since they were all great, but there were a few that stood out for me. The first was actually the first wine we tasted, the 2010 Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc. Light, crisp, with a great blend of citrus and “green”, it’s a great wine and a great value at only $13.50. Perfect for the last few warm days we have left.
The 2009 Reserve Pinot Noir was so good I brought a bottle home with me (thanks Robert), with a great mix of fruit and earth with just a touch of cola. There are a lot of light, fruity Pinots out there, and there’s nothing wrong with those, but when I think of Pinot, it’s wine like this that I think of and part of me both looks forward to and dreads opening up the bottle I have. $40 might seem like a lot for some people, but trust me when I say this one is worth it.
The other big stand out, and the other bottle from Rodney Strong I brought home with me, was the 2008 Symmetry Red Meritage. A product of the “Winery within the Winery”, I had a chance to taste all the components of this wine and then the completed version at the Bloggers Conference and was impressed with it then. I continued to enjoy it so much I grabbed a bottle to bring back to Virginia with me.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons as well, the Alexander’s Crown, the Rockaway, and the Brother’s Ridge. All three were very good, and it was interesting to taste the differences in each from different locations. They are a bit pricey ($75), but if you’re looking for a great Cabernet to really splurge on, there are worse choices out there for more money.
Thomas George Vineyard
Our second stop of the day, courtesy of recommendations from Leo and Robert, was Thomas George Vineyard. Like most of the vineyards we would visit that day, the predominant wines we would taste were Pinot Noir, which is certainly not a bad thing.
At Thomas George, the wine that really stuck out for me was the 2009 Russian River Pinot Noir ($40). With bright fruit both on the nose and in the mouth, with a good cherry flavor and some cola in the mouth, a flavor that I find myself liking more and more in my Pinot.
The other wine that’s worth mentioning was the 2008 Lancel Creek Pinot Noir ($55). This one was darker than the 2009 RRV Pinot, with more earth on the nose  and darker fruit in the mouth with a spice, slightly “footy” taste as well.
Arista Winery
Next up was Arista Winery, which, like everywhere else we would visit that day, was a recommendation from Leo and Robert. The first wine we tasted is worth mentioning, the 2010 Mark David Winery Sauvignon Blanc ($36). Light citrus with peach and apricot and a touch of pith on the finish. This was a good Sauvignon Blanc with just enough body to it to let it stand up to heavier foods.
The 2009 Longbow Pinot Noir ($48) stood out to me due to a touch of smoke and a meatiness in the mouth that I found I really enjoyed. The 2009 Toboni Vineyard Pinot Noir ($58) had a chalky, earthy nose with tart fruit and a smooth finish with just a touch of minerality that I found intriguing.
The final wine we tried there was the 2009 Two Birds Pinot Noir ($68), an estate grown wine that was very smooth with great dark fruit.
Moshin Vineyards
Moshin Vineyards had a great selection of wines, but given that there were so many, I find myself having to focus on the very best.
The 2008 Halo’s Hill Pinot Noir ($44) was great. My wife and I also tried the 2009, and if it can turn into the same thing as the 2008 Moshin should be proud. A nose of earth and spice with some leather and dark fruit in the mouth made this one a no-brainer to bring home with us.
The Whisper in the Dark ($38) is a Zinfandel Port with ruby color and raspberry flavors. This was excellent when paired with some chocolate. Both my wife and I were surprised by how much we enjoyed this wine.
The Moshin Potion #9 ($32) is a blend of Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewurztraminer with a nose of citrus, grass, and petrol and honey in the mouth. It was sweet without being syrupy, which is something I try to avoid in my dessert wines. I’d love this with some pound cake, but as a general rule I don’t buy dessert wines since as a general rule I don’t eat desserts at home that call for them.
Iron Horse Vineyards
Oh the bubbles. Iron Horse makes more than bubbles, but when my wife and I saw their flight of bubbles on the tasting list, we jumped at it. There were quite a few good ones we got to taste, but these few jumped out. The 2007 Wedding Cuvee’ ($38) is a Blanc de Noir made with 88% Pinot and 12% Chardonnay. It was light, crisp, and dry with good flavors of strawberry.
The other that jumped out was the 1997 Joy ($179/magnum), which I honestly debated buying. 100% Chardonnay with a nose that I would expect from a bottle of Chardonnay, tiny bubbles, and light citrus flavors in the mouth that again reminded me of Chardonnay. This was a great wine and one that I’ll consider around the holidays for a party.
Red Car Wine
Our final stop of the day. A good selection of wines, but the two that really jumped out for me were the 2009 Boxcar Pinot Noir ($28) which was light with spice and earth on the nose and had a little pepper on the nose. This is a great value and my wife and I grabbed a bottle to enjoy on their patio before heading back to our hotel for the day.
The other wine that really jumped out was the 2007 “The Fight” Syrah. The winemaker is a big boxing fan, so each year this wine features a label with a boxer on it. The 2007 vintage is called “Knockout”. This wine was big and bold with great dark fruit and espresso ground flavors and just called out for some grilled meat.
One Down
So my wife and I survived our first day in wine country, and I have to say that anybody considering a visit to Russian River Valley would be happy to visit any or all of these vineyards. We had a great time, and I want to say thanks to everybody working at the tasting rooms for being so welcoming.
