Ultimate California Wine Blog

Most people know the name of Fetzer as it is the sixth largest producer of wine in the United States. I was very fortunate to spend the weekend exploring the Mendocino Wine Affair and had some time to wander around the Fetzer grounds before the event.

The estate is stunning and worthy of setting aside several hours, especially if you are into gardens. I regret that this was about the time my camera failed as we were given a tour of the gardens by their resident Gardner, Kate Frey (this is admitting that I swiped her picture from their website, even though I liked mine better…) She has worked on the grounds for almost twenty years and is a tremendous wealth of knowledge. She somehow reminded me of Katherine Hepburn, as I imagined Kate in her large straw hat, wandering her gardens in New England…

Besides the gardens, the estate holds several tasting rooms (both private and public), a small retail market, and a cafe which is just perfect to rest weary feet or gain some much-needed refreshment from the day’s tastings. One word of warning, I’m not much of a shopper but due to a spill earlier in the day, I was considering buying a shirt for Shawn to change into – $75.00 for a short-sleeve polo shirt seemed a tad excessive.

There are a number of different tastings available, from a simple four taste selection of Fetzer wines for $3.00 (which includes a glass!) to a more premium sampling of Bonterra wines, Fetzer’s Reserve Collection, for $5.00 (which includes a glass). There also exists two different styles of food and wine pairing for $15, most of the food being a variety of cheeses, meats, and dips, with four different wines.

I opted for a combination of Bonterra and Fetzer wines to taste as the Bonterra are organically grown grapes and is a second label for Fetzer.

2003 Bonterra Viognier – Kiwi and grapefruit blossomed in the nose with a delightful crisp, fruity entry. $18.00

2004 Rousanne – Unusual to find this French grape. Very clean, crisp aromas and flavors of apple blossom. Bright acidity and a slightly sweet finish. $22.00

2002 Fetzer Reserve Pinot Noir - Fresh raspberry and strawberry flavors are rather forward in their ripeness. Slightly compressed, mineral tones in the mid-palate with an herbal, metallic finish. $40.00

2002 Bonterra Merlot – Intense dark berry with blackberry, brambleberry, and loganberry aromas and flavors. Slightly mineral mid-palate which subsides and demonstrates dusty floral notes. Sweetens a tad on the finish. $18.00

2001 Bonterra Syrah – Medium garnet red and medium body over all. Hints of raspberry liqueur with teasings of spice. Not as thick and jammy as I normally prefer, but an easy-drinking Syrah. No price obtained.

Fetzer ~ 13601 Old River Road ~ Hopland ~ CA 95449

While exploring the Mendocino wine region, the town of Hopland is an easy stop to experience a handful of small wineries who inhabit a quaint enclave of buildings along the main street. All within walking distance of three or four blocks, one will find seven wineries’ tasting rooms, a local brewery, and a restaurant or two. Oracle Oaks Winery is such a winery and being relatively new on the block, shares their pouring space with Cole Bailey.

It was Cole Bailey’s Bob Anderson who was manning the tasting room on the day of my visit and I failed to inquire sufficiently about Oracle Oaks’ history. All I know is they are an offshoot of the Lolonis Vineyards (a sibling? a son? I can’t recall). Their vineyards are, however, located in Redwood Valley so while the tasting room lies in the center of Sanel Valley, they are wholly and entirely wines from the Redwood Valley appellation. One of the characteristics of Redwood Valley is its remarkable change in temperature, where it can change twenty- to thirty-degrees from evening to mid-day. I also failed to acquire prices on the wines I tasted, but look forward to learning more about this new business for there are several wines showing considerable intrigue:

NV Wrestler Red – A blend that is mostly Zinfandel (exact blend unknown). Port/sherry-like aromas with a dusty entry suggests slight oxidation. Qualities of dark red cherry and floral qualities in aroma and taste.

2002 Oracle Oaks Zinfandel, Redwood Valley – Initial nose of dried flowers. Slightly extracted entry that shows flavors of heather and lavender integrated with bright red fruit. A dusty finish.

2002 Valgdiguie, Redwood Valley – This was the wine that most captured my imagination. Known as the Napa Gamay, this Rhone-style wine was very dark purple with maroon tinges at its edge. Perfumey with dried flowers, the sweetish entry produced a sensation of elegant French perfume in the aroma/flavor combination. The flavors blossomed to produce actual table grape flavors with a thin mid-palate and a huge, chewy finish.

2002 Syrah, Redwood Valley – Dark garnet in color, aromas of blackberry liqueur just barely hides a cocoa and coffee bouquet. Fascinating complexity in producing both jammy and dusty qualities — fruity up front with a dusty finish.

2002 Merlot, Redwood Valley – Flowery aromas of geraniums and dried heather. Dark plummy entry with a lingering, elegant spiced finish.

Oracle Oaks Winery ~ 13275 S. Highway 101 ~ Hopland ~ CA ~ 707-744-1230

When driving into Mendocino county, if you stay on Highway 101, Hopland is the first town that shows signs of civilization. Ukiah is the next town on the map, a little less than fifteen miles north of Hopland and while a single-lane, vineyard-flanked narrow passage, it is has a few roadside wineries worth visiting which sit in between the two hamlets. Jepson, on the west side of the road, is worthy of such a visit.

The large, industrial building is set far off the edge of the road, at the end of a dusty, unpaved road. The road belies the number of guests that are apparently expected as a surprisingly large number of parking spots await you — but those could be for the wine-making facilities moreso than for a simple tasting room.

Not badgering the poor bloke behind the counter with too many historical questions, a quick perusal through their website provides some of the more intriguing bits of information about Jepson; they practice sustainable agriculture which is a tremendous plus for me, and they are one of the few wineries I have yet stumbled upon that along with a large array of still wine, also produces a sparkling and a brandy.

2002 Sauvignon Musque – An unusual grape to be sure — a clone of Sauvignon Blanc not often seen as a 100% varietal, their limited 300 case production is fashionably light and easy with integrated aromas of lemon and grapefruit with white melon showing on the mouth entry with expands to a creamy finish. $13.00

2001 Viognier – Very engaging offering with white stone fruit and honey in the nose. A very smooth entry provides honeysuckle, pineapple, and a hint of spice in the mid-palate. A crisp, tangy finish proves quite delightful.

2003 Chateau d’Alicia – With 1.4% residual sugar, I would anticipate this 100% French Colombard to be sweeter than it was. Very pale straw tone, distinct green apple in aromas and flavors. Clean. Very, very clean feeling. $7.00

2001 Carignane – It is always a joy to find wineries bottling this unexpected Rhone varietal as a 100% offering. It was a tad sad then, that I found this wine to be oxidized, quite probably from having been open for more than a day. I could detect some light berry tones just revealing some dried floral qualities. Would love to try a fresh bottle. $14.00

2001 Syrah – Surprisingly dusty in aromas and flavors, this syrah shows earthy sensibilities in its initial aromas. Spicy entry gives way to some smokiness in the mid-palate with dusty cocoa near the end. $20.00

2003 Petite Sirah – Intense combinations of sweet soy sauce and barbecue meat intertwines in its aromas. The flavors open up to show smokiness, integrated behind the richness with a brambleberry finish. $24.00

Viognier Mistel – A non-vintage dessert wine made with 20% brandy, this golden straw essence enters the mouth with bright fruit of pears and honey but shows a finish that is both elegant but redolent with hazelnuts and cream. $18.00

Zinfandel Mistel – Another sweet wine that is orangey in color had a bit of oxidized aromas, with creamy creme brulee flavors and it slight bite on the finish. $18.00

Jepson Winery ~ 10400 South Highway 101 ~ Ukiah ~ CA ~ 95482 ~ 800-516-7342

Smack-dab in the center of Hopland, in what used to be the High School, lies one of Brutocao Cellars tasting rooms. Still trying to map out this region, I may be going out on a limb by my category placement; Sanel Valley. You see, according the Mendocino Winegrowers Alliance, “There are 10 growing regions within Mendocino County. Eight are official
AVAs, while two (Ukiah and Sanel Valleys) have not yet been granted
official AVA status even though they are very significant grape growing
regions that had their first vineyards in the 1800’s.” And if you look at one of their maps, Brutocao’s Hopland TASTING ROOM is the center of Sanel Valley.  Seeing they also have an Anderson Valley tasting room, I have included that as well but I am
honestly not sure where the specific vineyards lie as so indicated on their wines labels and hope that someone will either enlighten me or that I will have an opportunity to visit more
often to learn the region. I also want to add a private perturbance that I had a camera failure for a few of these blogs and lost a dozen or so pictures, this being the first.

One of the extremely charming aspects of Brutocao is its placement in Hopland — as indicated, dead center in the two-lane town. But moreso, is that it is located in what was the Hopland High School adjacent to a bocce ball field. The morning of my visit there was a tournament to decide the summer teams. It seemed all so civilized and lovely. The tasting room also sits in front of The Crushed Grape restaurant so that from the interior of the building, right by the tasting bar, is the opening to the restaurant. The tasting room also hosts the dispensing and tasting of local artisinal olive oil and an especially elegant mural behind the tasting bar. An image of the city of Florence, the Brutocao winged lion logo can be seen in the part of the architectural motifs of the mural. All that, and pretty good wines too…

2004 Sauvignon Blanc, Feliz Vineyards – Aromas of warm melon and lemon peel shows depth and elegance in its accompanying flavors. Slight mineral finish does not interfere. $12.00

2003 Chardonnay, Bliss Vineyard – 100% stainless steel with no ML, this wine showed bright, clean green apple in its bouquet and tone. Citrus on the mid-palate. $15.00

2003 Reserve Chardonnay, Bliss Vineyard, Riserva d’Arento – 100% ML with oak. Similar apple qualities in aromas and flavors as in the previous Chardonnay, but a bit creamier. Rich, melon entry but a surprisingly crisp finish, considering its thick texture. $24.00

2003 Pinot Noir, Feliz Vineyard – Medium-bodied with fresh raspberries and cherry predominating. Clean, easy entry with a thin, mineral mid-palate. $18.00

2001 Merlot, Brutocao Vineyards – Rich raspberry and dark cherry that teases of earthiness. Some thin, herbal tones in the mid-palate, a dusty coffee filled out the finish. $20.00

2001 Merlot, Feliz Vineyard Select – An unfiltered offering, this rustic, earthy wine showed layers of dried twigs and leather with a tease of cherry and a finish of herbs. $25.00

2000 Reserve Merlot, Riserva d’Argento – With 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, a playful interchange between elegant raspberry and cedar, layers of dried herbs and tobacco develop to a redolent finish. $25.00

2003 Zinfandel, Brutocao Vineyards – Dark berry shows immediately in the nose and softens to display sherry-like qualities in the back of the nasal passages. Warm berries fill the mouth but thins a bit to a tinny, herbal finish. $20.00

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Brutocao Vineyards – Unfiltered. Dark, ripe cherry aromas and hints of green bell pepper show in the nose in a sherry-like essence. Concentrated dried fruit flavors produce a tease of sweetness on the back-palate with a long finish of black cherry. $20.00

2002 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Brutocao Vineyards – Unfiltered. Black loganberries, black raspberries, and black cherries all show alongside layers of dried herbs in its aromas. The dried herbal qualities show again in the mouth entry, alongside dried twigs and a dry, dusty finish that hints at smoke in its even finish. $34.00

Brutocao, Hopland ~ 13500 S. Highway 101 ~ Hopland ~ CA ~ 95449 ~ 707-744-1664
Brutocao, Anderson Valley ~ 7000 Highway 128 ~ Philo ~ CA ~ 95466 ~ 707-895-2152

Blogging Fife Vineyards might prove an interesting exercise. It is not unusual for a winery to produce appellation-specific wines and many of the previously-blogged entries have demonstrated just that fact. Living here in Napa, I have attended a number of food and wine conferences where Karen MacNeil has presented. She is part owner of Fife along with husband, Dennis Fife, and Karen is the namesake for their Redhead Vineyard. It was in this misconception that I thought their Napa location was the one and only until I stumbled on their Mendocino tasting room.

Having gotten lost in Redwood Valley in Mendocino, I stumbled on Fife’s other location, pleased at the opportunity to taste a full line-up of the wines. I first experienced Fife Vineyards in a collective tasting room article I wrote for the Gang of Pour.
Theirs was a stand-out wine amongst a large tasting and I was just as
impressed with the wines tasted at this year’s Rhone Rangers.

The tasting room in Mendocino is through a small garage opening and is quite innocuous as far as tastings room go; a simple counter, surrounded with wine cases and a display of Karen’s book, The Wine Bible. However, it is the view opposite the pouring counter that is so amazing; lake Mendocino lying serenely inviting in its shimmering blueness.

I feel a need to offer a small caveat on my tasting. On this visit to their Redwood Valley tasting room, I was the first visitor on a Sunday morning and as all the bottles were already open AND half-empty, I can only assume they had been opened the previous day. Much has been written about the various preservation techniques on open bottles, but I doubt any of those techniques were utilized in this case as the bulk of the wines I tasted seemed oxidized I know many of these wines (especially the Rhones) to be huge, jammy, spicy, and luscious. Lesson learned: Either visit in the middle of the day or request that fresh bottles be open (I did neither on this occasion, but hope to taste through their line-up again).

2002 Red Head Rosé – Extremely interesting to find a rosé made from a hundred percent Carignane! Clear bright pale cherry red in color and aromas. Crisp entry that is engaging and not overly sweet, with flavors of clean strawberry, cherry, and fresh red fruit. $12.00

2001 Redhead Red – An intriguing blend of Syrah, Charbono, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Barbera, Carignane, Zinfandel, and Nebiolo. Unfortunately, I believe this was the beginning of me tasting wines that had been opened for a day (or two?). Slightly cloudy and oxydized, dusty floral notes predominated with a hint of robust fruit that seemed faded. $12.00

2000 Carignane – Again, slightly cloudy with dusty floral aromas. Oxidized $18.50

2001 Zinfandel, Mendocino – Warm cherry with integrated spice. Not $17.00

2002 Zinfandel, Mendocino – Faint hint of hospital aromas. A cherry entry shows medium body with a tease of spice on the mid-palate. Even, tobacco finish. $17.00

2000 Cabernet, Spring Mountain, Napa – Green bell pepper on the nose and then dusty twigs – oxydized. $32.00

2001 Syrah, Mendocino – This visit: oxydized. $20.00

2000 Petite Sirah, Mendocino – This visit: dusty and oxydized. $20.00

Fife Vineyards ~ 3621 Ricetti Lane ~ Redwood Valley ~ CA ~ 95470 ~ 707-485-0323