Ultimate California Wine Blog

B.R. Cohn is a bit of anomoly in that it is a winery that also produces and sells olive oil. But B.R. Cohn is also a pioneer in the practice of producing olive oil and more and more wineries are growing grapes and producing oils. It seems that Bruce Cohn owned the olive orchard back into the 1970s and didn’t start his winery until 1984. From my short stint in the olive oil industry, I did learn that there are agricultural areas in Northern California which mirror that area of the Mediterranean which produces supreme olive oils. In the case of Cohn, the vineyards are surrounded by 90 acres olives known as Olive Hill Estate. I appreciate that the Cohn winery has utilized the olive branch motif on their label as I appreciate their non-wine products. But wine is what I was there to taste…

A brief note on their tasting room before I get to the wines. It is a pretty standard room as far as tasting rooms are concerned — a large bar area surrounded by various retail offerings; t-shirts, glasses, decanters, etc. However they also supplement their offerings with the aforementioned oils as well as hand-painted, decorate olive-bedecked trays and serving dishes. I was surprised, however, at the refrigeration unit in the corner where Coca-Cola was being sold along side bottled water. I can expound upon suggested reasons, but suffice to say that I just found it surprising.

Our pourer for the day was graciously offered a vertical tasting of several estate Cohn Cabernets. It was great to be able to taste some history:

1995 Olive Hill Estate Cabernet – Bouquet of cedar and roasted berries. Slightly bricky color on the edge. Supple tones of oak and cedar alongside the dark cassis in the mouth. Great aromas continued to waft through. This is a wine that is drinking very well right now.

1999 Olive Hill Estate Cabernet – Complex and layered aromas of cherry and tobacco. Paled a bit on the finish with acidic tannins.

2000 Olive Hill Estate Cabernet – Green, fruity nose. The mid-palate was showing blueberry but there was very little finish.

2001 Olive Hill Estate Cabernet – Oak and blackberry aromas. Fabulous entry with a grassy mouthfeel. Very lovely, spicy finish. I think this is a wine that will age well.

1999 Special Selection – This wine comes from the oldest vines on the estate. It had a great, full black currant nose. Black raspberry and currant was not as dark as expected from the aromas. Creamy on entry with a tight finish that thinned a bit.

2002 Sonoma Valley Syrah/Cabernet – 60% Cabernet and 40% Syrah. This was a wine I ended up buying. Very huge, jammy nose with opulent, spicy notes. Great drinker now with deep, elegant fruit bomb with a tremendously long finish.

B.R. Cohn ~ 15000 Sonoma Highway ~ Glen Ellen ~ CA ~ 95442 ~ 707-938-4585

Hidden just off Highway 12 between downtown Sonoma and Santa Rosa are a handful of small communities. Glen Ellen (considered to be within the Sonoma Valley appellation) houses a number of small wineries. They are often difficult to find and in the case of Loxton Cellars, well worth the effort.

My friend Eric White recommended Loxton because he knows of my love of big reds. Besides a single Chardonnay, all Christ Loxton produces are Zinfandels and Syrahs. He is definitely my kind of guy. The tasting room is wholly and entirely unpretentious, just a few barrels holding up some planks in the buildings where the barrels are housed. No pretense and no fuss – just really great wine from a incredibly fascinating Australian.

2003 Hawk Hill Chardonnay – At almost 100% ML, this was not a style I truly appreciate, but I could detect the quality of the intense aromas of tropical fruit on the nose and a long, creamy finish.

2002 Stonetree Zinfandel, Sonoma County – This was an amazingly luscious wine. I perceived a very elegant aroma of sweet anise on the nose. Christ got excited at that perception and immediately began telling me about the wild fennel which is grown nearby. A layered mid-palate showed strong dark raspberry and an even tannin. As I don’t often do, this wine was purchased.

2000 Sonoma Shiraz, Sonoma County – A tad pale for Shiraz/Syrah (I forgot to ask why he had both a Shiraz and a Syrah…) While not one to lay down, the accessibility of this wine made the lighter mid-palate easy to drink immediately. Cherry finish with a tad of black pepper.

2001 Hillside Vineyards Syrah, Sonoma County – From Christs’ notes, this wine is actually 48% Russian River Valley, 42% Sonoma Mountain, and 10% Sonoma Valley. Merlot-like aromas of blackberry. Full mouthfeel and a peppery, spicy finish. Not at all over acidic.

2003 Stonetree Late Harvest Zinfandel, Sonoma County – This wine was a shocker. I am so over tasting late-harvest this or late-harvest that which doesn’t actually taste like the wine it should be. So many late-harvest wines taste more like syrup and this wine actually TASTED like a Zinfandel! Dark, concentrated fruit with a hint of chocolate and dark raspberry. Complex and lovely.

2003 Rubaiyat Syrah Port, Sonoma Mountain – Incredibly dark, inky wine. Very complex and layered aromas. Intense rich wine which I would like to try with Roquefort. Christs WAS handing out chocolates which did go very nicely.

Loxton Wines ~ 11466 Dunbar Road ~ Glenn Ellen ~ CA ~ 95442 ~ 707-935-7221

As one begins the drive up the Silverado Trail out of Napa, the very first winery that can be visited is Luna Vineyards. The facilities and reception area are lovely — a large, free-standing bar is the focal point for the tasting area with retail options scattered around. While there, make a point of asking about the tower. While tasting on a bright, sunny afternoon, we were invited to take our classes and ascend up to the viewing tower which provides a fabulous view of the neighboring vineyards.

The emphasis at Luna is on Italian varietals and their winemaker, Mike Drash (formerly of Far Niente) has helped Luna produce a very respectable collection of wines. It was a quiet day and I was able to taste through their entire book, much of which I greatly admired:

2003 Estate Pinot Grigio – Light, bright honeysuckle nose. While there was an immediate crispness on the entry, a rich, creamy mid-palate of peach gave way to a delightfully long finish.

2003 Tocai Friulano – A grape which I am unfamiliar with, but hope to taste more of. Apparently this is farmed from the Vista Verde Vineyard near Monterey. A rich, guava-like scent anticipated the tropical fruit mouthfeel.

2002 Reserve White Wine – 52% Pinot Grigio, 29% Tokay, and 19% Sauvignon Blanc. Well-balanced acidity in with aromas of roasted nuts.

2002 Sangiovese – Actually a blend of 84% Sangiovese with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 3% Syrah. Very nice earthy aroma with spicy overtones. Full, jammy mid-palate with a leathery finish.

1999 Sangiovese Riserva – This is a fabulous wine – very nice, ruby color. Roasted berry aromas with a hint of anise. Very even tannic structure and rich, full finish.

2002 Sangiovese Riserva – This wine is 100% vineyard-designate. Considerably younger than it’s 1999 cousin, I suspect it will age gracefully. A bit more earthiness on the nose and much bigger tannins.

2001 Merlot – Remarkably young with green bell pepper aromas. Dark earthy mouthfeel that is more chewy than I would have liked.

2002 Bordeaux Blend – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 7% Sangiovese. Shockingly young-tasting wine. Elegant spicy nose with hints of clove. Thin entry in the mouth and acidic finish. Needs more time.

2000 Canto – This wine was a complex blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah (although I failed to get the exact proportions). I was immediately struck by the sweet nose of anise.  The mid-palate was a tad green and young, but finished with very round, full minerally fruit. Quite lovely.

2001 Mille Baci; Late Harvest Pinot Grigio – Rich, complex dried stonefruit filled my mouth. This wine is not fortified, but picked at 37 brix and finished out at 16.5 residual sugar. Would love to try a glass with Roquefort cheese.

Luna Vineyards ~ 2921 Silverado Trail ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 707-255-2474

Chateau Sinnet is a bit difficult to find — off the main drag of the "village" in Carmel Valley, but contained within a small shopping center.   There was a very nice young man working the tasting room the day of my visit, but I believe I caught him a bit off guard. There was a large area behind the tasting bar where many additional items are sold, but I was here for wine.

A great number of varietals were offered, including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, Petit Syrah, Sangiovese, Touriga, and Zinfandel. Along with these, a number of "California Champagnes" are made as well as some sweet wines, which they market as "Fruit Wine" — wines infused with various fruit juices. These are named after various artists with monikers such as Cranberry Renoir L’Orange, Pomegranate Toulouse, or Peach Monet with Honey. Wanting to touch upon their entire repertoire without going overboard, I tasted just a few of each:

NV California Champagne Grand Cuvee – A bit of tin with an extremely metallic finish.
2002 Chateau Sinnet Cabernet Sauvignon – Apparently opened the previous day and was overly oxidized.
Blackberry Chagall – I should have stopped at the Cabernet.

Reynolds Famly Winery is one of the first wineries on the Silverado Trail. I had to categorize it within the generic "Napa appellation" as it lies within a corridor of what local winery owners hope will eventually be known as the "Silverado Bench" appellation. Behind the stone walls lie the tasting room, wine-making facilities, and also the family home of the Reynolds themselves. Except for the clearly marked signs towards the tasting room at the back of the estate, one would be hard pressed to realize you were entering a retail establishment. Back before 2002, when most of the current buildings were constructed, the estate was a chicken farm.

The tasting room is nestled near the back of the estate, immediately to the right of part of the storage area for barrels. The winery’s reservoir is also just off this back building and is very nicely integrated in that there is a working fountain in the center. Most wineries have reservoirs somewhere on the estate, but here at Reynolds, the sound and design incorporates the need for water while adding beauty and serenity. The tasting room itself is cozy and homey-like with a fireplace centered in the middle and a beautiful selection of turn-of-the-century antiques set up as scattered sitting area.

There are actually two labels presented within the tasting room, the RFW label and Gneiss Winery. The Gneiss label is considered a sister winery to the Reynolds Family. On my visit, I tasted a bit of both:

2002 RFW Carneros Pinot – 12 months barrell aged, 250 cases produced. I
was recently referred to a Pinophiliac. I just love the grape and
varying differences, but Carneros Pinots reign supreme. This is from
the Corotto vineyard and is incredibly full bodied. I did detect a
slight hint of green bell pepper aromas but an underlying aroma of
cinnamon prevailed. There was a sensation of an old candy store that I
couldn’t shake (but in a good way). The fruit was concentrated and
complex with a full plum-with-skin feel. Rather thin finish.

2001 Gneiss Winery Cabernet Sauvignon – 90% French Oak and 10% American Oak, 1400 cases produced. Rich, deep purple tones. Anise, vanilla, and oak aromas with a mouth full of green asparagus. Finishes with tannic plum.

2001 RFW Estate Select Cabernet – 18 months barrel aged in 50% new oak, 1300 cases produced. Very rich, full fruity nose fades to herbal qualities. The initial taste is that of sharp tannins which give way to cassis and cocoa. Nicely complex mid-palate and a lingering finish of coffee.

2001 RFW Persistence – This is comprised of six clones of Sauvignon Blanc, three clones of Merlot, two clones of Syrah, and one of Petit Verdot. It is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, 16% Merlot, 5% Syrah, and 2% Petit Verdot.  750 cases produced. The immediate aroma of this wine was that of a perfume and a bit of green earth. It tasted very young and a bit bright, but excessive swirling produced complex herbal notes and a more darkened bell pepper finish.

2002 Thirteen – 650 cases produced. Meritage blend, mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon, from all thirteen of Napa sub-appellations. It is a beautifully-designed package, a great bottle shape, and a pretty fabulous wine. Apparently you have to be put on a list to be able to buy this wine. A very dark, purple wine with scents of oak and elegant cinnamon. The nose kept going and I would have been most happy just sitting, swirling, and smelling this wine for hours. Huge, complex spice from what I guess is the Syrah. A bit chewy mid-palate but a long, supple finish.

Reynolds Family Winery ~ 3266 Silverado Trail ~ Napa ~ CA ~ 94558 ~ 707-258-2558