My spreadsheet goes back to the early 90s. One fine day, when I get a round tuit, I'll have to put it into a real database. As it is, it's really hard to search.
Anyway, here are some recent bottles that I don't think I mentioned before.
Calif., Dry Creek Vineyard, Clarksburg, Chenin Blanc 2007, $8.54 A little corkish? Heated? Lacks the freshness I expect. This is the most recent of 8 bottles I've scoffed down. 12.5% alcohol BevMo
Calif., Napa Valley, Trefethen Family Vineyards, Oak Knoll District, "Dry Riesling", Riesling 2007, $16.99 Pretty good – tastes like Riesliing, which isn't always true for CA Rieslings. Sweeter than a Kabinett, but not sweet. 13% alcohol Beltramo's
Calif., Sonoma County, Dry Creek Vineyard, "Fume Blanc", Sauv. Blanc 2008, $9.49 Darn! Why aren't all inexpensive Sbs this good? Lush and thick in the mouth almost like a good Chard, yet bright and tart and tangy as it ought to be. Long, clean finish. This is the first '08 I've tasted. 13.5% alcohol BevMo
Calif., Sonoma County, J. Rickards, Rose of Syrah, Estate Produced, Syrah 2008 $18.00 Lots of secondary fermentation, enough for a bit of yeasty taste. Not as good as the taste at the winery, but maybe a bottle issue. This is a new winery to me, on the hillside separating Alexander Valley from Dry Creek Valley, on the frontage road on the west side of 101, north from Canyon Road. Jim Rickards and his wife run the place. A really pleasant visit. I really liked the bottle at the winery and was rather disappointed at the fizz and yeast. 13.6% alcohol Bought at the winery
Calif., Dry Creek Valley, David Coffaro, Aca Modot, Estate Bottled Unfiltered Unfined, Mixed Varieties, 2005, $20.00 Excellent balance, pretty ripe, strong tannins, needs at least another couple of years. Very good, with better in prospect. Still good two nights after. 64% Cab Sauv, 14% Cab Franc, 14% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot 250 cases 14.2% alcohol, Bought at the winery on futures
Calif., Sonoma Valley, Loxton, 10th Anniversary Release, Syrah 2005, $13.50 Opaque, royal purple color. Total syrah, deep fruit with black pepper, strong aroma, medium to long in the finish. Improved considerably over a couple of hours. 14.3% alcohol Bought at the winery
Calif., Russian River Valley, Hook & Ladder, Estate Bottled, Zinfandel 2004 $19.80 Not bad – a little fat, a little alcoholic. Age didn't improve this bottle; in 9/08 I noted, "Huge blackberry aroma. Massive fruit, dark and rich without prunes. Moderate tannin, just a bit of heat at the end." 14.7% alcohol Bought at the winery This is Cecil DeLoach's new winery
Calif., Russian River Valley, Joseph Swan, Lone Redwood Ranch, Zinfandel 2001 $20.00 Fully mature, deceptively mild in taste, still blackberry Zin but neither alcohol nor tannin show at all. Excellent! Lone Redwood is another old Zin vineyard that's been ripped out and replanted - no more after '03, I think. Bought at the winery 15.3% alcohol
Calif., Sonoma Valley, Joseph Swan, Stellwagen Vineyard, Zinfandel 2001, $22.50 A touch of sweet – not as much as the '03, and just a bit of drying in the finish. It hasn't lost the characteristic depth and roundness, though. Even better the second night with roast beef. (Spaghetti last night) 15.2% alcohol Bought at the winery
'03 is the last Stellwagen I have; I think the vines were torn up. I've consumed (MIGAWD!) two cases since I discovered it and I only have 4 bottles left - '98, '01 and two '03.
There's a note on the back of the '01 bottling. I don't know if I've copied it before, but here goes (I'm keeping capitalization and punctuation intact):
STELLWAGEN VINEYARD
Located in the heart of Jack London's historic valley, this is one of the oldest vineyards in Sonoma County and site of the last intact vestiges of a legendary 19th century vineyard.
The Stellwagen family acquired the vineyard in the early 1960s. In the early 1980s, Vineyard Matriarch, Dorothy Stellwagen and daughter, Ruth Stellwagen, returned to the Sonoma Valley. They developed a close partnership with Rod Berglund, winemaker of Joseph Swan Vineyards, and developed a plan to restore the vineyard. Since that time, they have dedicated their time and energy to the restoration of the century old, head pruned vineyard in order to produce the highest quality fruit. Their labor and dedication to quality has paid off. Today these Zinfandel vines are robust and the vineyard has been returned to its former days of glory. Under the daily tutelage of Ruth Stellwagen along with the artistic legerdemain of Rod Berglund, Joseph Swan Vineyards winemaker, the Stellwagen has earned the reputation of "The Pinot Noir of Zinfandel".
This 2001 vintage is dedicated to Dorothy Stellwagen, 1916-2001, for without her foresight and courage, none of this would have been possible.--Ruth Stellwagen
Dorothy would have beenproud of this wine as it very much reflects her qualities and character. Underneath its pretty facade lies a strength born of elegance, amazing depth and great complexity. A total of 398 cases are bottled in May 2003.--Rod Berglund