WTN: Wente Pinot, Ruhnquist Primitivo

[Jenise]

2005 Wente Pinot Noir, "Riva Ranch", Arroyo Seco, California
$21. Purchased because I have a soft spot in my heart for the flavor of Arroyo Seco pinots--long ago, I didn't like pinot, and the first one (from Jekel) I did like came from Arroyo Seco. We bought five cases of it at Trader Joe's because it was so good and so cheap, and I've never tasted an Arroyo Seco pinot since that didn't show that unique terroir. Big cherry and berry fruit, curry leaf, and clove. Not at all jammy, but big bodied with warm year ripe fruit and some extraction, but not enough to get that pinot-or-syrah argument going. Quite nice, actually, for the price, I'd buy again.

2004 Runquist Primitivo, Nostro Vino Vineyard (Dillion), Amador County
You know those pencils that have one color lead, like red, at one end and another color at the other, like blue, and they're painted half and half each color? This wine is 50/50 linear like that, only two flavors and one at a time: first raspberry jam, then lingonberry jam. The raspberry is sweeter and the lingonberry (something like a red currant, if you've never had it) is tarter and more prickly. The latter is probably enhanced by the 15% alcohol--this is one of those wines that has you reaching for the bottle mid-way, suspecting. $20, and I wouldn't buy again: too much alcohol and cooked flavor for my tastes.

Very evocative description of the Primitivo, Jenise. I admire a Runquist Petite Sirah and may take it to the DC offline Labor Day weekend. Will be interesting to see if others share my opinion. I haven't had any other grape varieties from Runquist.

The Wente sounds very nice and so does the price. What other pinots do you buy from Arroyo Seco?

Jason

and the first one (from Jekel) I did like came from Arroyo Seco. We bought five cases of it at Trader Joe's because it was so good

Aha! You were the one!

I can tell you that the Riva Ranch PN you had and the Jekel PN you had were different by less than 100 feet, Jenise. But they were a crucial 100 feet. Most of the PN from the Jekel was, in a way, from Riva Ranch.

Let me explain though: Riva Ranch is Wente's vineyard on the Arroyo Seco bench. Jekel sourced it's PN from the Sanctuary Estate Vineyard---owned by the same folks as Riva Ranch, except where Riva Ranch is up on the bench, Sanctuary Estate is down in the palisaded canyon cut by the Arroyo Seco River, and thus from 40 to 100 feet lower than Riva Ranch. But that makes a lot of difference since the Sanctuary is protected from the fierce winds of the Salinas Valley. So it's still cool climate, although they get the same luminosity, and the delicate little PN grapes are out of the wind, which can toughen up the skins.

Trouble was a big flood came along and wiped out 44 acres of the Sanctuary Vineyard, with the greatest majority of that being the Pinot. And what we salvaged was basically ground cover. Ended up having to put a riparian zone (translation: trees as barrier to future floods) so lost a goodly portion of the PN acreage. Had to source more from outside the valley, up the Arroyo Seco and even outside it. Hence Jekel is now a Monterey designate wine.

Mind you, I think it's still pretty good, and still carries a far different style than Santa Barbara to the south or Carneros/RRV/Anderson to the north. To me it's a sturdier wine, with just a little more tannin, and with slightly less perfumery/jammy/preserves aspect---not as "pretty", but with more straightforward heft, if you will.

The Rundquist sounds exactly like what I don't want to taste in a Zinfandel. Thanks for the heads up.

[Jenise]

The Wente sounds very nice and so does the price. What other pinots do you buy from Arroyo Seco?

Jason

Talley, that's it. In particular, the Rosemary's vineyard. One of my favorite California pinots. Unfortunately at $70/bottle, it's not often. The Wente is definitely quite nice, especially for the money, and typically I don't touch their wines (Livermore? Euw...). It's a wonder I noticed that this was Arroyo Seco.

Hoke--thank you so much for the history. That old cab and what else was it I had, a petit verdot?, were both Sanctuary Vineyard. I can now put all my Arroyo Seco experiences (all three of them) in perspective. I agree with your description of what makes the Arroyo Seco pinots so appealing to me. In a word, they're more savory. You know what, I think you just talked me into going back for more of those Wentes.

The Wente sounds very nice and so does the price. What other pinots do you buy from Arroyo Seco?

Jason

Talley, that's it. In particular, the Rosemary's vineyard. One of my favorite California pinots. Unfortunately at $70/bottle, it's not often. The Wente is definitely quite nice, especially for the money, and typically I don't touch their wines (Livermore? Euw...). It's a wonder I noticed that this was Arroyo Seco.

Hoke--thank you so much for the history. That old cab and what else was it I had, a petit verdot?, were both Sanctuary Vineyard. I can now put all my Arroyo Seco experiences (all three of them) in perspective. I agree with your description of what makes the Arroyo Seco pinots so appealing to me. In a word, they're more savory. You know what, I think you just talked me into going back for more of those Wentes.

All three varieties mentioned from Jekel, Jenise, were from that same Sanctuary Estates Arroyo Seco vineyard. As well as a bold Merlot and an amazing Cab Franc (To my mind, that vineyard is one of the very few places suitable for growing Bordeaux varietals in all the Salinas Valley.) The PN had a bit from a vineyard just up from Riva Ranch on the valley bench too.

I agree, savory is a good word. A friend also likes to use 'chewy'.

JC,

Do you know anyone that is coming down to the DC Offline from Boston adn would not mind bringing a few bottles down to you?

Mike

2004 was a hot harvest in Amador. It is difficult to control the sugar when it is very hot during harvest with cool evenings. 2005 is better.

The Wente sounds very nice and so does the price. What other pinots do you buy from Arroyo Seco?

Jason

Talley, that's it. In particular, the Rosemary's vineyard. One of my favorite California pinots. Unfortunately at $70/bottle, it's not often. The Wente is definitely quite nice, especially for the money, and typically I don't touch their wines (Livermore? Euw...). It's a wonder I noticed that this was Arroyo Seco. .

Ahhh...Love Rosemary's ... but it is price prohibitive. Still get at least one bottle. I guess I always call it Arroyo Grande ... does Rosemary's say Arroy Seco?

I did have a pinot from Carlton (I think) from the same area...I think even a bit of Rosemary's or one of the vineyards. A very big (I had it blind and guessed it was a pinot with 10-15% syrah) wine but very well balanced and very tasty.

Jason

Michael K.
Thanks for the offer but I don't think anyone is coming from Boston. Also, the restaurant offers free corkage if you buy one bottle off their list for each bottle you bring (and their prices aren't cheap). I am probably going to bring the Petite Sirah and maybe a half-bottle of Williams Selyem Late Harvest Gewurztraminer and buy at least one bottle from their wine list to go with dinner and maybe a Port from their list for after dinner. If everyone attending brings a bottle, we are going to have lots of leftovers I would think, even sharing with waitperson, wine director and/or chef.