Ultimate California Wine Blog

Freemark Abbey is another winery that holds special memories for me. During those early years of driving up to Napa from Southern California, this was one of the standard stops for their much-loved dessert wine and I bought a beloved grape-festooned necklace that I still pull out on special occasions — but I get ahead of myself.

I have categorized the Abbey under two appellations; St. Helena, because their physical location is within the St. Helena appellation, lying just north of the town in almost the last stretch of public wineries before the town of Calistoga, and Rutherford, for they are renown for their single-vineyard Rutherford Dust Cabernet Sauvignon. The other tremendously special aspect of Freemark Abbey is historical — it was the first winery in California to be built and operated by a woman, Josephine Marlin Tychson (then known as Tychson Cellars).

Contrary to popular belief, the "Abbey" was never a religious order.  it is often misconstrued as such because of the nearby CIA, which was a Franciscan monastery. No, "Abbey" was the nickname Albert Ahern, one of the three business who purchased the estate in 1939. Today, the historic building area is under some renovation. Adjacent to the offices and tasting room is a lovely, newly-landscaped oak-shaded courtyard which is available to rent for private functions. It is also well worth a stroll through, just to admire its beauty.

The tasting room is large and warmly decorated with a seating area by a large fireplace. This form of hospitality is unusual as many tasting rooms purposefully keep guests from staying; seats promote lengthy stays and voluminous drinking. By having such a prominent display of welcome shows trust and comfort with guests that is refreshing. Oh yeah, and the folks working behind the bar are pretty nice, too.

2003 Napa Valley Viognier – Sweet tangerine and honeysuckle on the nose. Diving crisp entry that expands to show white stone fruit with a bright mid-palate and a finish that is partly tangy and partly creamy. $25.00

2003 Napa Valley Chardonnay – Rich, full-bodied aromas of elegant apple and pear with a hint of caramel. Vibrant mouthfeel that invokes both green apple and citrus. Shockingly rich considering this wine saw no malo. Lovely. $19.00

2001 Napa Valley Cabernet – 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. Expansive aromas of black cherry, nutmeg, and clove. Fruit-forward entry showing black cassis. A bit bright, showing youth, but depth that anticipates age-ability. $35.00

2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sycamore Vineyards – From the Bell Oaks
Rutherford area. 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet
Franc. Slightly murky, dark red in color. Hints of green bell pepper
subside to show dark cocoa and hints of earth. Chocolate covered cherry
and vanilla fill the mouth that shows balance and a clean, distinct
finish. $55.00

2002 Napa Valley Syrah – 82% Syrah, 14% Petite Sirah, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Merlot. Clear, garnet color. Dark plum and black pepper bouquet. Smooth, medium-bodied wine that shows well-integrated dark fruit and layered vanilla. Long, medium spiced finish shows an easy-drinking, not too over-the-top Syrah. $28.00

2000 Edelwein Gold – This is the dessert wine I am so rapturous about. It is one of the few naturally-produced Botrytis-affected wines produced in California. It is a late-harvest Riesling that does not get made every year. In fact, Freemark Abbey has only made this wine ten times in its history. The wine is a stunning golden yellow color which produces a bouquet of sweet honeysuckle with a tease towards ripe citrus. The mouth entry is silky that shows peach and honey and a lingering finish that is sweet but not saccharine

Freemark Abbey ~ Highway 29 at Lodi Lane ~ P.O. Box 410 ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94574 ~ 800-963-9698

Pinot Noir has been in the news a lot lately – I guess we can thank the movie, Sideways, for the new-found attention. But for those of us that have known and loved the wine before the Sideways-effect (as it is now known in the industry), Pinot is a lovely wine that can cause an otherwise rational human being into committing seemingly irrational acts (like quitting your job to learn to make wine). Delightfully, these affects were witnessed by a large group of people at the commencement event of the Pinot Days event.

Steven and Lisa Rigisich were the brainchildren behind the event, through their Bay Area Wine Project organization, which has coordinated a number of tastings, but nothing quite on this grand scale. Now that they have established such an amazing following, more will undoubtedly be expected and I have no doubt they will live up to the expectation.

It took me far too long to document this event as it happened almost
ten days ago… I was unable to attend the Saturday mass tasting but
enjoyed the Friday evening kick-off event, a tasting that showcased the
Pisoni, Garys’, and Rosella’s vineyards. It was well-attended by almost
eighty devout Pinotphiliacs who enjoyed not only exceptionalPinots, but
were witness to the affects that this chimerical grape has had on the
likes of Gary Pisoni, Brian Loring, Jamie Kutch, and more who were all
in attendance, like priests worshipping at the grand altar.

The difficulty in transcribing the evening is less the quality of the wines tasted than the characters that filled the room. It felt more like we were the supplicants, drinking from the Cup of Truth and paying homage to the High Priest, Gary Pisoni and his anointed ones, Adam Lee from Siduri, Brian Loring, James Hall from Patz & Hall. Young initiates Andrew Vingiello of AP Vin and new-to-the-order novitiate, Jamie Kutch, just to name a few.

The evenings’ tastings were done in four different flights; two different flights from the Rosella’s vineyards and one each from the Gary’s and Pisoni vineyards. To explain much of his own history and expand on the differences in the vineyards, was Gary Pisoni himself. Contrary to popular belief, the vineyards were not named after Gary’s first name and his last name, but his partner, Gary Franscioni being the Gary’s Vineyard. I’ve often wondered why it wasn’t Pisoni Vineyards and Franscioni Vineyard…

Mac McDonald of Vision Cellars brought the most levity to the evening – with his trademark straw hat, he told of stories of being invited to Spectator tastings, but showing up in his denim overalls and never being invited back… It is an obvious impressive background and history – not to mention wine!

I’m sorry I didn’t commemorate the love fest between Brian Loring and Adam Lee – although Brian did offer an especially good shot for me, it was quite touching that Brian commended Adam for opening up his heart and winery to help teach Brian. That torch is being passed as Jamie Kutch is following a similar path with the help of Kosta Browne  but that’s another story, still in the writing…)

What was truly astonishing was not only the accessibility of the growers and winemakers, but the inspiration provided by those well-established in their art to those just setting out on the path. There is a false belief in the corporate world that the secrets of success are meant to be hidden and kept secretive, lest some young upstart rise above and stomp the competition. In the world of Pinot, it is exactly the opposit. The well-established craftsmen across the board are opening their doors and sharing the wealth of knowledge to those who have a passion – and it isn’t just for those who have travelled the path of the school-educated winemaker. These are just common folk who are leaving their corporate lives in pursuit of a dream; a liquid, red-colored dream, filling a glass and warming the soul.

The First Flight:
2003 Vision Cellars, Rosella’s Vineyard – Garnet and dark purple in tone. Dark fruit presents early and hangs on. Plus and round, brighter in fruit than in other dimensions.

2003 Miner Family, Rosella’s Vineyard – Brownish tint to the edges. Intensely elegant wine showing spices like cardamom, with layers of dusty herbs. Warm entry that displayed the layers of brambleberry fruit with bright acids. Almost erotic in its layered complexity.

2003 August West, Rosella’s Vineyard – Immediately astringent in the nose with candy-like aromas. Some swirling showed more intense dried cranberry qualities, layered with dried flowers and hints of cocoa. Mineral tones in the mid-palate with a slightly metallic finish.

2003 Siduri, Rosella’s Vineyard – Cloudy red with some brick on the edges. Candy shop aromas that subside to show raspberry and hints of minerality.Initial entry of dark, deep fruit. Slightly acidic in the mouth with goes away quickly but leaves a mineral finish.

Second Flight:
2003 ROAR, Rosella’s Vineyard – Bricky orange with thin, herbal entry that blossomed into somewhat harsh smokiness. Metallic and thin and not very balanced comparatively.

2003 Morgan, Rosella’s Vineyard – Bright, medium red in color. Thin, metallic entry warmed with darker berry fruit. Coffee and cocoa showed in the mid-palate and deepened to display a menthol finish.

2003 Loring Wine Company, Rosella’s Vineyard – Murky, dark red with a pink edge. First aromas show concentrated strawberry and brambleberry tones with layered smokiness. Mouth entry at first produced classic dark fruit as it opened to display eucalyptus and darker brett-like tones with a decidedly fruity mid-palate.

Third Flight:
2003 Lucia, Gary’s Vineyard – Purple. High alcohol. Nice, fruity entry. Evenly balanced with clove in the mid-palate.

2003 A.P., Gary’s Vineyard – Brett and eucalyptus. Mint mushrooms. Hits in the 3rd eye. Higher acids but even with harsh, thin, finish.

2003 Testarossa, Gary’s Vineyard – Pale red and thin looking. Eucalyptus with some cranberry. Heightened cranberry on entry. Simple. Light thin.

2003 Tantara, Gary’s Vineyard – Funk – roasted. Roasted fruit that is easy. Balanced and fruit-forward. Turns out from having tasting other tables’ offerings that our tables pour might have been heat damaged.

The Fourth, and favored flight of the evening, possibly for being a bit more fruit-forward and opulent in their presentation.

2003 Pisoni Estate, Pisoni Vineyard – Purple and inky dark in color. This is a young wine that is still hot with alcohol. Aromas include exotic incense and dark spices behind the smoky cherry. Cranberry on the entry surprises as being brighter than the aromas indicate with a floral finish that is lush.

2003 Roessler Cellars, Pisoni Vineyard – Purple in color. Eucalyptus on the forefront with a layer of candy shop and wild strawberry that showed sweetness. Thin entry was slightly acidic which expanded into a complex strawberry floral finish.

2000 Arcadian Pisoni Vineyard – Orangey red. Earthy berry showing dark fruit with some herbs. Brett that is warm and sexy. Thin up front but balanced after opening with an herbal mid-palate.

2003 Patz & Hall, Pisoni Vineyard – Purple amethyst color. Dark plum and berry fruit with layered spices in its jammy entry. A Syrah-like smokiness in its exciting finish.

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