This year's family vacation took place on the Russian River, and I was determined not to put the focus on wine. But, how could I not include a few winery visits when I am surrounded by vineyards? My intention was to limit it to winemakers I already knew and wanted my son and daughter to meet. With that in mind, I contacted Ed Kurtzman to see if he would be available, and although he was busy bottling at Freeman in Sebastopol, he invited me over. This was my first time tasting Freeman wines, but I've been enjoying Ed's Sandler wines for several years. We drank an exceptionally delicious 2009 Sandler Keefer Pinot Noir the night before as an introduction to Ed's style. I got to meet Akiko, and then we entered the new and beautiful cave with Ed. All of the wines had a light touch, and the 2011 Chardonnay Ryo-Fu reminded me of a young white Burgundy with its elegant style. I'm bringing a 2010 Jadot CC to dinner next week and I'll be curious to see how it compares. Needless to say, I really liked it, and it was my favorite Chardonnay of the trip. We tasted the 2011 Russian River Pinot Noir and the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir with the RR the shyer of the 2 Pinots. Both had good structure and I would leave them be for now. I can only imagine how good Akiko's Cuvée would be, and I will probably order a couple of bottles.
A couple of days later, Merrill Lindquist, vintner and proprietor of EMH Vineyards Black Cat, and I planned to do some wine tasting on my side of the mountain. We both like Merry Edwards wines, so an appointment was scheduled for a tasting. The 2010 Olivet Lane Chardonnay had a bit more vanilla than is my preference, but citrus was the dominant flavor and it was graceful and refreshing and had a delightfully long finish. The 2010 Klopp Ranch Pinot Noir showed lots of sweet fruit with a chewy texture. The 2010 Meredith Estate Pinot Noir was a winner. Very aromatic with florals, cherries, and minerals. It was supple with everything in the right proportion. 2010 Pinot Noir Flax Vineyard had vibrant and pure raspberry aromas. It is mouthwatering with the same fruit and black pepper, but framed with stiff tannins. The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc has lemon lime that pops, and it's a wine I opened for dinner this past Monday when it was hot and steamy outside.
After lunch at Underwood, we visited Kathleen Inman. I only knew what I read about Inman wines, and I was intrigued to taste them and to meet Kathleen, and Mike Sai, who set this up. No notes were taken (the same with tasting Freeman wines) but all of the Pinots had an elegance and firmness with a touch of licorice and this thread ran through each Pinot, both the straight 2009 Russian River and the 2009 Olivet Grange Vineyard with the OGV possessing more depth. Kathleen also opened for us a 2007 OGV, and it was so similar to the 2009 that it was hard to differentiate at times, although Merrill seemed to disagree. I brought back the opened 2007 and the next night is when I saw a more mature wine. Big difference when left overnight on the counter. It was gorgeous. We ended with Inman's Sparkling Rose - on the nose, I did catch some oxidative notes, but the palate was clean and fresh, and absolutely delightful. I am a fan of Kathleen's style.
I didn't think I would get to see Fred Scherrer this trip because our schedules were not in sync, but Fred returned from vacation just before I was leaving and welcomed us to his "cave." The first time I saw Fred was in 2009 and it was the first time I tried his wines. I was an instant fan. This time he had 14 bottles lined up for us and a chance to taste his not yet, but probably by now, bottled Grenache rose. I loved it and can see it on our Thanksgiving table, and I told him that before I read his email offer, suggesting just that. His light handed style of winemaking is what I like best, as well as the ability for his wines to age and improve. Highlights were a 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Scherrer Vineyard that was rich and lush, and not what I usually find from 2003. 2007 Russian River Syrah had the black pepper and hints of bacon along with the bright fruit that I love, and drinking great right now. I thought the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County is a steal at $28. It's hugely tannic right now but has deep fruit. We tasted his OMV zins from a few recent vintages, but I like them best with several years of age. The 2009 and 2010 Russian River Pinots are charming with the 2009 having a little more depth and these are no brainer purchases for me each year.
I loved my week here where we could go canoeing and tubing out our back door or drive to Armstrong State Park and go hiking among the redwoods. We drove to one of the beaches by the ocean, and we ate and drank very well.