Ultimate California Wine Blog

Socrates Nicholson purchased a small cattle ranch in Sonoma in 1961, thinking it would be a better place to raise his family. Years later, it was daughter, Ramona (along with her husband Deepak Gulrajani) who made the ranch that she had grown up Nicholson Ranch.

I watched the construction of the winery building when it began in 2002 and visited briefly right before it opened. It is an impressive gravity-method winery and on any given day, tours of the facilities are offered. These are hardly formal and are not at set times.

The tour guide is great at relaying the family history and pointing out much of Socrates’ influence. There is a small chapel that was built for Ramona’s christening that can be seen from only a few vantage points on the property. Socrates has also personally constructed a stacked-rock waterfall and a classic outdoor pillar-bedecked amphitheater for performances.

Most impressive on the tour is the great room with a continuation of the Greek-themed pillars and inset stained glass windows that depict the four seasons of a grape’s life. This room, along with much of the winery’s facilities are often utilized for events and weddings. During my first visit, the winery was producing just barely 1,500 cases of wine. On this visit, I was told they are now at 5,000 cases with aspirations towards 10,000 cases.

I will give the winery much credit in its growth. During my first visit, the Pinot I tasted was downright cloudy. Perhaps I received a single questionable glass from a single questionable bottle, but it was exactly that: questionable. The wines have improved greatly and the tasting room is now elegantly decorated and the staff warm and inviting.

2002 Estate Chardonnay – Clean aromas of kiwi and tropical fruit. Mouth feel is creamy with well-integrated stone fruit qualities. $26.00

2004 Ramona Rosé – A rosé of Pinot Noir. Pinky garnet-toned color. Sweet nose of candy apple with a touch of cream. Soft entry that heightens in the mid-palate with a slight tang of cotton candy. A tad hotter in alcohol than anticipated. $18.00

2001 Estate Pinot Noir – Light bodied wine with cherry, strawberry, and some candy. A bit murky (not nearly as cloudy as the first time I tasted the wine two years ago). Thin entry expands a bit to fuller, mostly sweet mineral tones. Strawberry predominates and finishes hot. $24.00

2002 Estate Pinot Noir – Dark ruby color with magenta hue. Great, rich berry nose. Dark candy and some mint. Initial taste of marshmallow which subsides to show layers of strawberry, zinfandel-like pepper, and muted herbs. $30.00

2002 Carneros Syrah – 20 months in French oak with medium toast. Dark, inky color with aromas of bacon, soy sauce, and smoky blueberry. Medium body in taste that was a bit astringent. Long herbal finish smooths out. $25.00

2002 Estate Syrah – Fruit-forward dark berry that is inky black with purple tinge on the edge. A bit more balanced than its predecessor. Behind the jammy fruit is a hint of eucalyptus. Surprisingly less fruit in the mouth than its jammy nose portends. Definitely showing more structure with an even touch of wood in the finish. $40.00

Nicholson Ranch ~
           4200 Napa Road ~
           Sonoma ~ CA ~ 95476 ~
           707-938-8822

I was delighted to hear German-born Walter Schug speak at the tenth annual Taste of Sonoma celebration held at Copia a few months back. He was part of a six-person panel comprised of other local winery owners, growers, and winemakers. Having started out as a grape grower for Gallo, Schug has seen more than fifty harvests in California. In helping Joseph Phelps establish the Phelps winery in 1973, Schug made his first Pinot Noir.  Those years at Phelps were breakthrough years as it enabled Schug to spearhead the establishment of what is now known as the Carneros Appellation.

Tapping into his German heritage, he explained that there is often a joke that Germans have one long leg and one short leg for working the mountain vineyards in Germany.  In Carneros, the workers have no necks as there are almost constant strong winds. These strong winds force the grapes to grow thicker skins for protection. And while it is perfect Pinot country,  he lamented that it would also be the perfect appellation for Riesling and Gewurztraminer grapes… if there were a market for such grapes.

Finding the winery to taste Schug’s wine takes a little perseverance.  At the pseudo-three-way intersection of Highways 116 and 121 sits a small, innocuous delicatessen, Carneros Deli. Immediately to the side of the deli is an access road which, if you drive along long enough, leads you to the front gate of Schug, up and around a small hill, and ultimately to a small German-heritage styled building which houses the winemaking facilities and tasting room.

The tasting room is small but the reception and warmth which lies within is large. During my last visit, the bloke who poured for me was the very one who was there during my last visit, well over five years ago. They are friendly and informative and the wines themselves are extremely impressive in an age of over-priced, bombastic fruit bombs.

2003 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County – Having seen just a tad bit of oak, this classic offering of Sauvignon Blanc presented warm and soft tropical notes on the nose. The mouth entry was a surprise with crisp, bright grapefruit which immediately softened to a clean, spicy melon finish. $15.00

2003 Chardonnay, Carneros – Inoculated in new barrels, I was surprised at how pale in color this Chardonnay was. Light, apple and tropical notes just barely tantalized before displaying deeper pear tones. Elegantly balanced with even acidity providing a very clean, tangy finish. $20.00

2003 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast – Jammy plum aromas are somewhat the antitheses to the bright raspberry and cherry mouth entry. Acidic mid-palate provides a nice balance to the somewhat dry finish. $16.00

2003 Pinot Noir, Carneros – Oak aromas present themselves upfront which pair nicely with the warm, soft entry of cherry and dark berry. There is a brightness in the mid-palate which is punctuated at the end with a spicy finish. $20.00

2002 Pinot Noir, Carneros, "Heritage Reserve" – Barrel aged 16 months, this incredibly dark, spicy wine showed immense amounts of dark berry along with cinnamon and clove aromas. The velvety entry was supple and hinted at some of the toasty oak underneath. A dry, spicy finish highlighted the mouthfeel of this exceptional offering. $30.00

2001 Merlot, Sonoma Valley – Huge jammy dark fruit subsides to hint at just a whisper of bell pepper on the nose. A tight entry blossoms to dark, full-bodied fruit with a dry, spicy finish. $20.00

Schug ~ 602 Bonneau Road ~ Sonoma ~ CA ~ 95476 ~ 800-966-9365