Battaglini Estate Winery – 38
Monday, March 7th, 2005
Driving around the wineries of the Russian River Valley can be a bit tricky — as opposed to the tourist-friendly Highway 29 in Napa, many of the Sonoma Wineries are not clumped together, clustered one after another like fine wooden soldiers. You have to hunt for them, driving down seemingly lonely residential roads. Battaglini Estate Winery is on such a road, barely marked with nary a painted line, I was unsure I was even go to find a winery… And there amongst houses and barns and abandoned farm equipment lay the markings of a winery. Nestled near an almost-falling dilapidated barn lies a cluster of small buildings which make up the tasting room, wine production facilities, and probably the very house where the owners live.
The estate has a lot going for it including historical vines dating back to the 1880s. The production is wholly and entirely Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Chardonnay — rather unusual for what is getting to be known as Pinot country. Having made wines since 1994, the Battaglini family is close knit with father, "Joe," operating with wife, Lucia, at his side. Children Giulio, Lidia, Paolo, and Dino make up the rest of the staff; Sales and Marketing, Customer Relations, Finance, and Operations, respectively.
FROM THE BARRELS
On the day of my visit, barrels were out for samples. Being the red lover that I am, I decided to forgo the Chardonnay samples and headed straight for the Petite Sirah and Zinfandel…
2003 Zinfandel Reserve – Jammy nose anticipates the mouth entry. Extremely dark purple presents all the dark berries in the mouth; blackberry, boysenberry, and raspberry. Spicy, peppery finish. Not yet priced.
2004 Zinfandel Reserve – Overtly raspberry nose which gives way to darker cocoa tastes. Dry ending. Not yet priced.
2003 Petite Sirah – So dark purple, it was almost blue. Incredibly exotic spice combination in its bouquet, already velvety and smooth. Fabulous potential which I will definitely go back for when bottled! Not yet priced.
2004 Petite Sirah – Green, almost unripe aromas with very tight, highly tannic flavors. Minty finish. Not yet priced.
FROM THE BOTTLES
1998 Twin Pines Estate Zinfandel – Surprisingly light color for a Zinfandel. Candy shop bouquet which subsided to reveal some green fruit. Even entry with a dry, cocoa finish. This wine, specifically, was from the 1885 vines. $25.00
2000 Battaglini Estate Zinfandel – Bright berry bouquet with a hint of candy. Tannic and bright finish with layered, tight finish. $25
2001 Battaglini Estate Zinfandel – Complex spice qualities in the nose; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Dark berry flavors surprise the entry as it tends towards a brighter, dry finish. $25.00
2001 Late Harvest Chardonnay – Tropical fruit aromas subsided to produce a soapy smell, like Dove or something. Pale mid-palate and thin, soapy finish. $15.00
I was very sorry there were no bottles of Petite Sirah to sample on the day I was there!
Battaglini Estate Winery ~ 2948 Piner Road ~ Santa Rosa ~ CA ~ 707-578-4091