Ultimate California Wine Blog

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

Having just spent the weekend learning about Mendocino appellations and wines, it seems odd that my first blog entry should be the last winery I visited. Cole Bailey Vineyards is not forefront in my mind for being the last visit of my trip, but because of the utter and complete charm in the wine and in the owner.

I actually met Bob Anderson the day before, at a mass tasting Mendocino wines at the 7th Annual Mendocino Wine Affair, where I met several dozen winery owners and winemakers. A lot of information gets lost in those events as palate shock sets in and mental overload takes place early on. But I was completely taken with the Sauvignon Blanc he was pouring at the festival and a bit saddened that he was sold out of his Cabernet Sauvignon. Then the artist in me was drawn to his piece of sales media, an elegant 4 1/2-inch square fold-out with Renaissance etchings watermarked behind stylish text with a splash of red here and there invoking a simple line-drawing of both glass and bottle.

It was on the following day, when I stopped in his tasting room in Hopland on my way home, that I discovered the intriguing story behind Sesquipedalian, the name of their wine. "Sesquipedalian" is the term used for one who is given to the use of long and ponderous vernacular. Instead of dumbing down a wine description for the masses, the Andersons instead are "smartening-up for the aficionado." But it is done in a manner so verbose as to be hilarious. Here, for example, is the text found upon the Sauvignon Blanc’s front label:

Pigment-challenged to be sure. But this crisp, fruity white will lure tannin addicts from their mauve-drenched lairs faster than a Francophile dismisses Belgian chocolate. Like a 17th century painting of a bacchanalian feast, you know the kind, where young women in translucent garments reveal heaving pre-silicone nakedness and event the cherubs are amply endowed. You will find it at once satisfying and titillating. Sauvignon Blanc. Sesquipedalian. Blanc. Blanc. You’re morte.

Here lies a winery whose growth I will anxiously watch with great anticipation. I only regret that my descriptions are so pedestrian and less worthy than the wine I tasted:
2004 Sesquipedalian Sauvignon Blanc – Clean aromas of key lime peel and white stone fruit with a whisper of spice. A very crisp entry that blossoms to reveal melon in  luscious hedonism. $18.00

Cole Bailey Vineyards ~ 13275 S. Highway 101 ~ Hopland ~ Ca ~ 95470 ~ 707-744-1230

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