My trip to Sonoma last month.

Posting here my trnascription of my notes from my sonoma trip after my napa trip. this time I put more notes. dont know if they are useful for people, or just the conclusions (buying Cristina Pinot Noir and K.J. TRace Ridge K nights valley cab :) ) My notes may be a bit strange...

Scores are *-*****

Sonoma trip July 2014.

I've been to sonoma before, seeing e.g. sebastiani and ravenswood and sojou rn. This time I wanted to go to the area around russian river. On the way I sto pped by the first california winery by an hungarian traveler.

  • Buena Vista

Really in the middle of nowhere. Nothing like Napa's big highway setup. Eve rything is set up historically. the entrance, wooden figures along the road . Historical rooms inside with dolls and dress up staff. And then they call Napa "disneyland"? But how's the wine?

- 2013 Count's French Columbard. ** No clue what columbard is. Pale, peach, watery. Not good. 32$

- 2012 Natalia Selection Chardonnay ** Cream, oaky nose, some acid, vanilla finish. But thin. 40$

-2012 Ida's selection Pinot Noir. Coastal. ** Red ripe berry, dust, too acidic and fresh. 45$

- 2012 Attila's Selection Zinfandel ** No smell, cherry wtih tannins. 36$

- 2012 Legendary Badge Limited ** Cotes du Rhone like scent. sweeter, jammier, les acid, some tannins. 40$

- The Count, Sonoma, Founder's Red *** Syrah spice, pepper, dark fruit, rustic, earth 20$

Ambience: Their type of wine wasnt to my liking. Fresh and fruity was the keyword. Te hy were focussing a lot on the history of the founder. Maybe they should fo cus more on the wines? The girl who attended my said the current owner owns another winery that would be more my style, Delock. No snacks, got a glass of water.

  • Marimar Estate

I thoguht Buena Vista was in the middle of nowhere. No, THIS is in the midd le of nowhere! one car wide roads, and overhanging trees. No civilization i n sight. Reminded me of my Slovenia Brda wine tour. Untill these three dog sculptures appear and a steep hill up to the estate. No cars in sight in th e parking lot. The entrance is pretty. fountain. Go inside. Tehres a desk. hmm. Am I the right place? Im greeted and thats the desk where I get the ta sting.

- 2010 La Masia Pinot Noir, Don Miguel Vinyard *** Earth broken down reed berries, realy good scent. A bit closed on the palat e. Smooth berry, smooth finish. a bit cedar and dust. 44$

- 1998 Estate Pinot Don Miguel. *** Dustier, brownish, starting to transcend into higher wine expeirnce, but a bit subtle. medium finish. $59

- 2011 Mas Cavalls, Dona MArgarita ** Fresher, more acidic. red currants. 44$

-2010 Cristina Pinot D.M. **** Full vineus earthy nose. Wood, tannins, need some age, joy in a bottle.Blac kberry, clove. $57

- 2010 Syrah/ Temperanillo ** Cookie dough, pepper, pomegranate 45$

Ambience:

Simplicity is the keyword here. Some brochures and pictures of the Torres f amily. They have a nice view from the terrase. the mood was kinda down. Not so chatty or present even though I was alone there. Some women came by hal fway through. I got a small tour unexpectantly. its quite small. I wanted t he Cristina, but I couldnt since it was "club members only". I have a 2005 cristina at home that I bought in a store in denmark... In the end he sold me the Cristina but I still had to pay half price for the tasting. Lemony water, and no snacks. Apparently, they also host wine and paella in another bulding.

  • Rodney Strong

getting out from the crooked narrow roads to larger streets again, rodney s trong appears like an amusement park. More Disney than ever :) They also ho sted a concert and tehre was a guy making sure to direct cars to their righ tful places, and tents with ticket sales. Beautiful stairs with water art. Toilet area overlooks some steel tanks. Lots of souveniers to buy like usua l napa style. Almost forgot that part after marimars simplicity.

- 2011 Reserve Chardonnay *** Some oak on the nose, citrus, creamy, acid, reminds of K.J. Vintners reserv e. toffee. 40$

- 2011 Reserve Pinot Noir **** Nice body. Dark pinot structure, hint of strawberry, nice tanins, and finis h. Cristine more potential. 40$ Have one at home from 2008. they said it is impossible that I have it, but since I do anyway I should drink it this year. tehy are only made to be 5 y ears. Alternative "reserve" definition...

- 2012 Estate Pinor Noir *** Light, but still the right pinot structure and flavour I like. Thin. 20$

- 2011 Davis Bynum Jane Pinot Noir ** Soda pop, no finish. sweet.

- 2011 Reserve Cab. ** Grassy, forest fuirt, a bit sweet . Pleasant but lacks punch. 40$

- 2011 Symmetry Red Meritage *** Black currant, strawberry jam. Not bourdeoux at all. more like malbec. some cedar and oak. $55

- 2010 Alexander Crown Cab. ***

3 corked ones! This is good, still some grass notes, blackcurrant, texture.

- 2010 Brother's Ridge Cab. **** Blackberry, tannins, balance, earthy, my kind of cab. vanilla, nice finish.

- 2008 Gentlemans port *** Partial Zin and ruby port. like brandy liquor. 30$ Ambience: This place was very busy and noisy. it was really hard to converse. Got bre adsticks, no water. They seemed to have a lot of corky trouble. one out of

3 I had in denmark from rodney strong was corked, and today there were 3 co rked ones while I was there.

  • Kendall Jackson

I had thought this would be as Rodney Strong was. But it was a calm beatifu l garden entrance. Inside was a bit like the main room at B.V. in Napa. Lot s of souveniers, a large tasting area in the middle wiht plenty of staff. E xpected this to be "big name, no substance", but I was very wrong.

- 2012 Summation Red * Fruit juice yuck. 17$

- 2011 Jackson Estate Alisos Hills Viognier ** A bit creamy . lychee. 32$

-2012 J. Estate Camelot Chardonnay **** nice oaky scent, papaya, long creamy finish. 35$

- 2012 J. Estate Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley *** Very tannic for a pinot, yet lighter than rodneys reserve. Strange, smokey. 35$

- 2012 Grand Reserve Pinot Noir *** First was corked. Server needed some convincing to realize it. New one was good. strawberry, not so textured as I like pinot, sweet, tannins on the fi nish, some pepper in the end. 26$

- 2006 Highland Estates Trace Ridge, Knights Valley, Cab ***** Oh my goodness, sonoma can make this kind of wine too? The first really ama zing wine today. Resin, sediments, soil, rocks, blackberry, broken down, l ong yummy finish. 70$

- 2007 K.J. Stature, Napa **** A wine to put down for ages like the other top napa bourdeaux wannabees. at m fresh, fruity, acidic, tannic, lacking earthiness and complexity at this point. 140$

Ambience:

Intro said most. Was very busy but they were very complaint and went the ex tra lime to please me and find a bottle of something they thought I'd like. It was close to closing time. Got water, no snacks. Went away with the Kni ghts Valley Cab. Its much better than Beringer's Knights Valley. Refunded t he tasting. Friendly staff.

Final thoughts:

I've often been told that I should go to sonoma becaus Napa is just disneyl and and overprices. Well, it sems to me that I like napa wines better. even when I went to sonoma, I found the best ones to be napa cabs, haha. And th en the price was similar to Napa. Overall my tasting experience was better on my Napa trips. Sonoma was generally cheaper, but often not my type of wi ne. Tasting fees were 1.5x lower , but if you get refunds it doesnt really matter. You also spend a lot more time on the road through sonoma. I had 5 wineries on my list to try and had to rush to do 4. If you want to do half wine tour and half rural car touring and hit the CA-1 pacific road in the e nd, then sonoma is perfect.

Reply to
Michael Nielsen
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Just a thank you, for the helpful notes about the wineries,

Sheila Page

In message , Michael Nielsen writes

Reply to
Sheila Page

pa trip. this time I put more notes. dont know if they are useful for peopl e, or just the conclusions (buying Cristina Pinot Noir and K.J. TRace Ridge Knights valley cab :) )

topped by the first california winery by an hungarian traveler.

verything is set up historically. the entrance, wooden figures along the ro ad. Historical rooms inside with dolls and dress up staff. And then they ca ll Napa "disneyland"? But how's the wine?

Tehy were focussing a lot on the history of the founder. Maybe they should focus more on the wines? The girl who attended my said the current owner ow ns another winery that would be more my style, Delock. No snacks, got a gla ss of water.

ddle of nowhere! one car wide roads, and overhanging trees. No civilization in sight. Reminded me of my Slovenia Brda wine tour. Untill these three do g sculptures appear and a steep hill up to the estate. No cars in sight in the parking lot. The entrance is pretty. fountain. Go inside. Tehres a desk . hmm. Am I the right place? Im greeted and thats the desk where I get the tasting.

ate. Smooth berry, smooth finish. a bit cedar and dust. 44$

a bit subtle. medium finish. $59

ackberry, clove. $57

family. They have a nice view from the terrase. the mood was kinda down. N ot so chatty or present even though I was alone there. Some women came by h alfway through. I got a small tour unexpectantly. its quite small. I wanted the Cristina, but I couldnt since it was "club members only". I have a 20

05 cristina at home that I bought in a store in denmark... In the end he so ld me the Cristina but I still had to pay half price for the tasting. Lemon y water, and no snacks.

strong appears like an amusement park. More Disney than ever :) They also hosted a concert and tehre was a guy making sure to direct cars to their ri ghtful places, and tents with ticket sales. Beautiful stairs with water art .

ual napa style. Almost forgot that part after marimars simplicity.

rve. toffee. 40$

ish. Cristine more potential. 40$

t since I do anyway I should drink it this year. tehy are only made to be 5 years. Alternative "reserve" definition...

me cedar and oak. $55

readsticks, no water. They seemed to have a lot of corky trouble. one out o f 3 I had in denmark from rodney strong was corked, and today there were 3 corked ones while I was there.

ful garden entrance. Inside was a bit like the main room at B.V. in Napa. L ots of souveniers, a large tasting area in the middle wiht plenty of staff. Expected this to be "big name, no substance", but I was very wrong.

s good. strawberry, not so textured as I like pinot, sweet, tannins on the finish, some pepper in the end. 26$

mazing wine today. Resin, sediments, soil, rocks, blackberry, broken down, long yummy finish. 70$

atm fresh, fruity, acidic, tannic, lacking earthiness and complexity at thi s point. 140$

extra lime to please me and find a bottle of something they thought I'd lik e. It was close to closing time. Got water, no snacks. Went away with the K nights Valley Cab. Its much better than Beringer's Knights Valley. Refunded the tasting. Friendly staff.

yland and overprices. Well, it sems to me that I like napa wines better. ev en when I went to sonoma, I found the best ones to be napa cabs, haha. And then the price was similar to Napa. Overall my tasting experience was bette r on my Napa trips. Sonoma was generally cheaper, but often not my type of wine. Tasting fees were 1.5x lower , but if you get refunds it doesnt reall y matter. You also spend a lot more time on the road through sonoma. I had

5 wineries on my list to try and had to rush to do 4. If you want to do hal f wine tour and half rural car touring and hit the CA-1 pacific road in the end, then sonoma is perfe

I'm not sure that the wineries that you chose were representative of the wi nes from Sonoma, especially Kendall Jackson and Rodney Strong. There are l ots of terrific wineries in the Sonoma Valley and Healdsburg would be where I would start. I think if you go looking for big name brands you will fin d Disneyland but there are lots of vintners in both Napa and Sonoma Valley that are making really terrific wines without the "Disneyland" marketing hy pe. Most operate by appointment.

Reply to
Bi!!

wines from Sonoma, especially Kendall Jackson and Rodney Strong. There are lots of terrific wineries in the Sonoma Valley and Healdsburg would be whe re I would start. I think if you go looking for big name brands you will f ind Disneyland but there are lots of vintners in both Napa and Sonoma Valle y that are making really terrific wines without the "Disneyland" marketing hype. Most operate by appointment.

I wanted to go for wineries that sell in Denmark, and that were not by appo intment, as I wanted to go for 5 in a day, and I did not know which day wou ld be good to go (it was decided around midnight the day before I went). So I made a list from home of wineries that are represented in DK, and checke d all the sites if they were open daily, no appointment. The only one I did try to make as appointment was Kistler, until they told the price.

Reply to
Michael Nielsen

Btw here's the list of wineries I had in notes to visit (napa and sonoma) that I didnt get to visit:

Phelps, Gregor Graham, Donum Estate, Failla, Delock, Dutton, Arista, Hop Kiln, Merry Edwards , Joseph swan, Kistler.

I did taste a gregor graham chardonnay, that was wonderful buttery (rombauer style as he made theirs), and I had a Dutton Pinot Noir Russian river. Not to my liking. too strawberry juice-like.

Reply to
Michael Nielsen

e wines from Sonoma, especially Kendall Jackson and Rodney Strong. There a re lots of terrific wineries in the Sonoma Valley and Healdsburg would be w here I would start. I think if you go looking for big name brands you will find Disneyland but there are lots of vintners in both Napa and Sonoma Val ley that are making really terrific wines without the "Disneyland" marketin g hype. Most operate by appointment.

pointment, as I wanted to go for 5 in a day, and I did not know which day w ould be good to go (it was decided around midnight the day before I went). So I made a list from home of wineries that are represented in DK, and chec ked all the sites if they were open daily, no appointment. The only one I d id try to make as appointment was Kistler, until they told the price.

I have to agree with Bi, these are not very representative wineries of eith er region. They may be what is available in Denmark but I hope the next tim e you do this look at our FAQ where we have some nice notes on places to go in both Napa and Sonoma.

Reply to
lleichtman

By the way, Kistler would have used up all of your tasting funds.

Reply to
lleichtman

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