Ultimate California Wine Blog

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

Hall Vineyards has been receiving a lot of press lately. Katheryn and Craig Hall only acquired the historical facilities in 2003 and, wanting to erect a new building, caused quite a controversy in town with the announcement that noted architect Frank Gehry was to be the designer. Seems the local gentry were concerned that a Gehry building would bring too much traffic to an already-congested area. I personally hope they prevail, as I have been a huge fan of Gehry’s work for some time.

I hope that even if a new edifice is erected that the current visitor’s center which greets new guests remains. Grey and looking ever so frazzled from wear and history, accents of red punctuate the building; an awning, the name, and a sculpture which sits out front contrast with the dull, worn wood of the building. It makes it all so elegant. Also scattered throughout the grounds are pieces from an astonishing art collection which I thought was worth the visit even before tasting their wines.

I have categorized this winery as both in the St. Helena appellation, where their buildings lie, as well as the Sonoma, Alexander Valley appellation, where a number of their vineyards which produce much of their wine exist. I think if I were to get very technical, the Halls have five different vineyard holdings including the Hall Estate vineyards in St. Helena, the Sacrashe Vineyards above Rutherford, the T Bar T Vineyards in Alexander Valley, the Napa River Ranch Vineyards just off the Silverado Trail still considered the Napa Valley Appellation, and the Hardester Ranch Vineyards in Pope Valley.

2003 Sauvignon Blanc, T Bar T Vineyard, Alexander Valley – As this wine sees a bit of oak, there is not the usual astringency of a hundred-percent stainless-produced SauvBlanc. This produced an immediate warm, creamy sensation on the nose which didn’t anticipate the citrus, grass entry into the mouth. This bright initial taste fills out to a tropical mid-palate and is highlighted at the end with a hint of orange peel on the finish. $22.00

2002 Hall Merlot, Napa Valley – Very rich, heady, jammy bouquet which is punctuated with spice at the end. The jammy fruit enters the mouth and slowly reveals a spicy, slightly green finish with an underlying dark fruit underneath. $28.00

2002 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – 6% Merlot in a wine that has seen 22 months of French oak. Initial aroma of green bell pepper and jalapeno anticipates the pepper entry which quickly gives way to dark, blackberry fruit. Rich entry with a dry mid-palate produces a decent finish. $35.00

2002 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, T Bar T Vineyard, Alexander Valley – 20% Merlot. Surprising candied berry nose just barely hides a hint of mint underneath. Plum, cherry, and brambleberry couple with a little smoke and tantalizes with a candy-like finish. Mild and balanced on initial taste produces a lovely spiked spicy finish. $38.00

2002 Katheryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, Sacrashe Vineyards, Rutherford - 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Intensely fruit-forward, spicy cassis, blackberry do not disappoint a full, blossomy mouthfeel which expands voluptuously. Eucalyptus finish demonstrates great acidity. $65.00

Hall ~ 401 St. Helena Highway South ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 866-667-HALL (4255)

One of the very last wineries I hit while perusing the Russian River Wine Road was Suncé. What I am beginning to learn is that there are a TON of wineries out there that I have never heard of, Suncé included. Just because I’ve never heard of it doesn’t mean anything, because obviously a LOT of folks have — they were packed and the party was going strong!

It is owned and operated by Frane and Janae Franicevic are Croatian in heritage as Suncé means "sun" and Dr. Frane Franicevic comes from a family that has a centuries-old winemaking heritage. And what a bright and shiny place this is, too!  Their tasting room is a small building nestled behind another set of buildings which I assume to be either their home or the winemaking facilities (or both!). The Franicevics have only owned the winery since 1998 (when it was known as One World Winery).

On the day of my visit, eight different barrels were set up for tasting outside under a tent (where there was also a huge bounty of edibles also being offered). The tasting room was jammed packed and behind the tasting building, a small ‘blind’ tasting was being offered to see if guests could guess the varietal! I tasted as much as I could from both barrels and bottles, but couldn’t nearly get through all that was offered! Seeing how much there was to drink, I tried to stick to the more unusual offerings and would like to go back as the winery makes four different Pinots as well as Italian, Rhone, and Bordeaux varietals.

FROM THE BARRELS

2004 Zora’s Estate Pinot Noir – Elegant spice that included cinnamon and nutmeg. Cherry entry that was tight upon initial taste and slightly acidic finish. Estimated price on release: $44

2004 Barbera – Fruit forward and ripe. Effervescent entry with a concentrated cherry and berry flavor. Estimated price on release: $25.

2004 North Coast Malbec – Extremely elegant clove and cinnamon spicy aromas. Hugh fruit entry gives way to dry, long-lasting finish. Estimated price on release: $34

2004 Russian River Hedin Vineyard Merlot – Young cherry and berry and a tad too bright to anticipate where this wine might be going. Estimated price on release: $35

FROM THE BOTTLES

2003 North Coast Barbera, St. Olof Vineyard – Bright, young cherry bouquer. Dry entry and a tight finish. $35

2003 Zemja’s Blend Nebbiolo/Barbera – 50/50 blend. Odd aromas of medicinal-like hospital space. Tight and rather acidic.

2003 Field of Dreams Syrah – Huge, dark fruit bouquet. Elegant and spicy which turned candy-like. Great, opulent nose didn’t deny the dark, opulent mouthfeel. $26

2002 Russian River Valley Les Trois Amis – A Super-Tuscan blend of 55% Sangiovese, 35% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet. A hint of green bell pepper gave way to balanced, exceptional layers of brambleberry. Great acids and structured finish. $65

2002 Sweet Zora, Syrah Port – Inky color. Sweet, sweet spice but not much depth. $20

Suncé Winery – 1839 Olivet Road ~ Santa Rosa ~ CA ~ 95401 ~ 707-526-9463

DeLoach is another in a long line of wineries with a well-known name. And, like many others, an established name I had yet to taste. It is a winery that has been around since the 1970s — not something many wineries can lay claim to. This was a continuation of the open barrel Wine Road weekend tasting of the Russian River Valley.

One of the very charming elements of DeLoach for me was the physical building which is dark and slightly mysterious with shake roof and gated entries. The entry way is very much like a Japanese zen garden. Upon your entry is a Tanuki which is a raccoon/dog-like animal (much like a badger) who has much mythology surrounding him, most of which involve his jovial demeanor. He is seen in Japan mostly around drinking taverns and has been called The God of Drinking (mostly sake, but wine works just fine here).

Their wine offerings are extensive with a number of vintages available of Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a single vintage of Merlot. I found it quite admirable that multiple vintages are still available to taste as well as for sale. Many wineries library their older vintages to be sold at a later date for a higher price. It is extremely informative to be able to taste a number of years of the same wine in one tasting.

BARREL SAMPLES

2004 Pinot Noir, Clone 5, Russian River Valley – Bright, candy raspberry aromas. Effervescent upon entry and extremely fruit forward. Cherry mid palate gives way to a long, bright finish. Not yet priced.

2004 Estate Pinot Noir – Initial aroma and taste of a hint of green fruit subsides to produce a young berry and some cinnamon in the finish. More candy in the mid-palate. Not yet priced.

2004 Pinot Noir, Clone 667, Russian River Valley – Darker color and tone with layered, spicy aromas. Silky entry with an elegant balance. The dark, velvety finish continues but is punctuated with a bright note. Not yet priced.

2004 Pinot Noir, Clone 777, Russian River Valley – Thin, strident bouquet does not prepare for the candy-like mouth entry which turns dark and rich with blackberry and raspberry. Spicy, layered finish. Not yet priced.

FROM THE LIBRARY BOTTLES

1999 Gewurztraminer – Tropical fruit and peach aromas anticipate the sweet, full apricot and bubblegum tastes. Full entry and spicy finish are a bit sweeter than I normally like. There were no tech sheets available, but I would anticipate this wine having a residual sugar higher than 1%.

2000 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley – Pale color. Vegetal aromas. Limp entry.

1999 Estate Chardonnay, Russian River Olivet Ranch – Corked (but was being poured anyway).

2000 Estate Chardonnay, Russian River OFS (Our Finest Selection) – Too much asparagus noise and thin entry.

1999 Sangiovese, Los Amigos – Dark berry color with a hint of green bell pepper nose. Complex tastes of candied licorice, black pepper, and spiced anise. The spicy entry subsides a bit to reveal fruit at the end.

2000 Estate Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley – A bit murky orange in color. Spicy nose with a sharp entry mellows considerably to produce even fruit.

FROM THE TASTING ROOM

2001 Pinot Noir Estate – Strawberry and raspberry aromas anticipate the full, opulent entry. Spicy finish with a hint of vanilla. $18.00

2002 Pinot Noir Estate – Strong oak bouquet which subsides to produce some floral notes of rose. Thin entry rounds out more than I would have anticipated with a very dry finish. $18.00

2002 Pinot Noir O.F.S. – Perfumey, sweet overtones entice. Layered entry that includes black cherry and a tight finish. $30.00

1999 Port, Hook & Ladder – A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Zinfandel, in the ruby style. Young cherry and berry is almost too sweet with a hot finish. $36.00

DeLoach Vineyards, Inc. ~ 1791 Olivet Road ~ Santa Rosa ~ CA ~ 95401 ~ 707-526-9111

Martin Ray Winery was established in the 1940s and has a reputation for being one of the first wineries in California to produce vineyard-specific wines from his vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I stumbled on this winery while investigating the Russian River Wine Road and learned that it is now owned and operated by Courtney Benham. When I initially saw the sign, I assumed I was pulling down a road that held several different wineries. Only later did I discover that Martin Ray Winery is the parent company with a number of additional labels under their umbrella: Courtney Benham Wines, Angeline Wines, Mountain Wines, and Red (a jug wine).

Driving up to the winery, one is immediately taken with the extremely large, looming tower which bears the company name. As far was water towers go, it is pretty big and a great landmark for the winery. The actual tasting room lies back from the rest of the wine-making facilities and is pretty standard as far as buildings are concerned. Nothing flashy to set it apart. It is functional but I imagine that something is in store for the visitor area as the facilities were only just acquired by Benham in July of 2003 and upon my first visit, I had to fight smelling the wine through the fumes of the freshly-painted tasting room.

I love the history aspect of this winery — it was initially established in 1881 as the Twin Fir Winery and is set apart by being the oldest continually-operating winery in Sonoma (they got through Prohibition by selling sacramental wine to Rabbis)! The winery became Martini & Prati in 1902 and remained that way until Martin Ray acquired it in the 1940s. For their price point, the wines show great potential however I believe a second visit will be needed as the smell of paint truly interfered with a proper tasting.

2002 Courtney Benham Winery, Sauvignon Blanc – Tropical fruit aromas couple with the same fruit in the mouth. Gives way to a hint of lemon in the even, acidic finish. $12.00

2004 Angeline Winery, Mendocino County Gewurztraminer – At 4% residual sugar, this was a candy shop of aromas and flavors including grapefruit, passion fruit, and floral notes. $10.00

2002 Martin Ray Winery, Russian River Valley Chardonnay – Citrus highlights the entry of a balanced wine that ends with a creamy finish. $16.00

2001 Martin Ray Winery, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – Orange and rather pale in color, some berry notes couple the toasted oak bouquet. Vanilla entry and layered fruit flavors finish with even more vanilla. $16.00

2002 Martin Ray Winery, Sonoma County Merlot – Black pepper and green bell pepper aromas somewhat overwhelm the hint of fruit underneath. Tight entry and pale finish. $16.00

2001 Angeline Winery, Paso Robles Syrah – Young, green fruit in the nose somewhat surprises the hefty, brambleberry mouth entry. The pale, uneven finish seems typical. $10.00

2000 Martin Ray Winery, Diamond Mountain Reserve Cabernet – Interesting that a Sonoma Winery’s best effort is from mountain fruit in Napa. A hint of green bell pepper aromas subsides to produce exotic Indian spices that would normally be found in Hindu temples. Soft, silky entry somewhat contradicts a heightened, peppery tannic finish. Give it ten years. $70.00

Martin Ray Wines ~ 2191 Laguna Road ~ Santa Rosa ~ CA ~ 95401 ~ 707-823-2404