A bunch of us got together last month at Tom's to taste through a selection of recent releases from Sojourn. We also had a chance to compare those to a few older vintages, for comparison sake. It was a fun night and at the end of the evening the thing I commented on first was just how interestingly different each of the pinots was, despite some common threads (particularly the toasty spice signature). I was really surprised, then, to read some comments from RMP afterwards suggesting that the wines are more alike than different—which I really have to disagree with.
Pinots:
2008 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast. This is a very bright and cheerful Pinot Noir on the nose, singing high trilling notes of fresh crunchy red berries and maraschino cherry. It is a lot of fun, though it keeps things pretty close to the surface. But I do love its sweet red core. In the mouth, it is a bit gangly with youth—with the acidity poking out at odd angles. The texture is nice and smooth, though, and I like the black cherry and cocoa powder flavor profile. Give it a short rest, though, to let that acidity integrate a bit better.
2008 Sojourn Pinot Noir Rodgers Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast. The nose here is more layered and complex, and also takes on more of a brambly sort of profile—with mixed cherry and berry notes combined with some ripe stem and decidedly earthy accents. In the mouth, it is very spice-laden and toasty, with a good dose of fine-grained wood present. It has more body and a more voluptuous feel than the previous wine, though it stays nice and cool at the core with a fine sphere of acidity settling in there. The fruit is not so sweet-toned, with more of a dark cherry and smoke character combining with the earthy mushroom stalk elements. To my taste, it is the most serious and earth-bound of the wines, and I know it was a favorite of a good number of people at the table.
2008 Sojourn Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Vineyard Sonoma Coast. When we tasted through the 2007’s last summer, the Gap’s Crown was my favorite and it is the same for me again this year. The nose is very different from either of the two previous wines. It has a sappy core of sweet cherry and black raspberries that combine with foresty, underbrush notes to make for a more tautly masculine but still rather inviting bouquet. It really shines on the palate, where it is by far the most expansive and mouth-filling pinot in the lineup. It has plenty of fruit and body and just reaches out to all corners of the mouth with its sappy mixed berries and cherry flavors. It has some fine earth tones, too. It is a seamless and holistic wine and has outstanding palate presence and an easy sense of balance despite its big size.
2008 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard Sonoma Coast. This one is very woodsy and stemmy on the nose--featuring notes of branches and bark, exotic brown spices and some cherry paste. In the mouth, it is the spiciest of the wines, sort of tingling the tips and edges of the tongue with its prickly spices and acidity. But it also has a nice bright core of strawberry and raspberry fruit that shows nice breadth and persistence of flavor—even if it is not quite as mouth-filling as the Gap’s Crown.
2005 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard Sonoma Coast. I think we all agreed that the 2005 did not show as well as the outstanding 2006 on this evening. I heard some people complaining a bit about ‘stewed’ aromas on the 2005, but I did not get a lot of that. In fact, I like the bouquet just fine—featuring as it does pretty notes of fresh mint leaf riding above some earthy funk, leather, caramel, mysterious dark fruit and tomato paste aromas. In the mouth, though, it is definitely a bit stewed or at least seems to be showing somewhat reduced in character. It tastes warm and plummy, with some date, rhubarb and dark chocolate flavors. It has a certain juiciness I like, though, and some wood spice notes become ever more apparent the longer one stays with it—drawing the attention away a bit from the more roasty elements. All in all, this was perhaps not the best example of this wine, or maybe it is in an awkward phase right now?
2006 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard Sonoma Coast. The bouquet on the 2006 Sangiacomo is a delight—showing off sexy and slinky aromas of sweet cherry fruit, lead pencil, peaty earth and charcoal. It is fun, complex, inviting and juicy on both the nose and on the palate. I really like the luscious mouthfeel it offers up—displaying great layering and a fine velvety texture. The blue and red fruit core is really tasty and the oak spice levels are integrated really well within the overall profile of the wine. It has a certain richness of flavor and texture, but also an easy balance. This is drinking just great right now.
Cabernets:
2008 Sojourn Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard Napa Valley. One encounters scents of cassis, pepper, pencil shavings and moist rain forest on the nose of this wine, which admittedly comes across as a bit heavy and clunky after all of those pinots. In the mouth, it is real chewy and intense all around, showing its youth in spades. I do like the purity of the creme de cassis flavors that paste themselves all over the tongue, but it is a bit obvious at this stage of the game. There is more lurking beneath, and it occasionally provides a glimpse before retreating again. Thick and rounded tannins are clearly in play, but they have no drying or overly-intrusive qualities whatesoever, so that is encouraging for the future of this wine.
2007 Sojourn Cabernet Sauvignon Home Ranch Vineyard Sonoma Valley. I’m not really sure what to make of this wine. It features cherry and cassis aromas on the nose, but any other nuances that might be there appear to be hiding at the moment. In the mouth, it has a nice core of luscious and juicy red fruit but again it seems to lack much in the way of nuance or complexity right now. I’d be curious to check in on this again a few years down the road to see what kinds of secondary elements it manages to fold in.
Bonus:
2004 Chateau Branaire Ducru St. Julien. I think the nose of this wine is very appealing—with aromas of pencil shavings galore framing precocious raspberry and black cherry fruit and accented by bits of mint leaf and charcoal. In the mouth, it is medium-bodied at best and there are some drying tannins to contend with, but the core of juicy red fruit tastes nice. It seems just a tad dilute at times through the middle, though, which is definitely a concern. Still, it seems to pull it back together on the fleshier and more expansive back of the palate and on the finish. The wine will never be especially deep or concentrated, but still needs some time in the cellar before approaching again. The bouquet, though, is very alluring and may on its own be worth the tarriff.
-Michael