Thursday, April 15, 2010

2010 Sonoma vs. Napa Showdown Highlights



I had the pleasure of attending Uncorked Events: Sonoma v. Napa Showdown tasting last night in San Francisco at Fort Mason’s Officers Club. All the heavy hitters were in attendance; Duckhorn, Silver Oak, Fisher, Dominus etc. Not only were the views of the bay phenomenal, but so was the wine that was being poured. A few wineries that I expected to really impress didn’t bring much to the table, while a number of others that I didn’t expect really blew me away.


My stand out favorite of the evening had to be St. Helena’s Pahlmeyer; with each wine poured stepping up in complexity and flavor. From their four offerings the 2007 Pahlmeyer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($70) was by far at the top of my list of the night with rich and decadent flavors of tropical fruits (mainly pineapple), peach and buttered brioche. This is the epitome of what every Chardonnay should be with some strong aging potential. On the heels of this Chardonnay are the 2006 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Proprietary Red ($105) and the 2007 Pahlmeyer Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($70) following closely behind. As the event progressed I watched Pahlmeyer’s table go from bare to barely there with crowds of impatiently waiting drinkers swarming from right and left.

Another strong offering was presented by Twomey Cellar whose 2008 Twomey Russian River Pinot Noir ($49) quickly made my top 10 of the evening. The flavors were ripe and concentrated with flavors of bright red cherry, raspberry, cola and cigar box. This Pinot has the ability for some aging potential and I feel it would fare even better with a few more years in bottle. Moving onto another “Sonoma” selection; Sol Rouge’s 2007 Russian River Valley Viognier ($32) with it’s light sophisticated flavors and aromas of white tea leaves , peach, orange blossoms and white florals. The crisp and acidic elements of this wine were a wake up call from the overly oaked Chardonnays presented by many of the other participants.

As far as Napa standouts go, I was actually a bit under whelmed by their big players and downright disappointed in some. One that definitely did not disappoint was the Krupp Brothers 2006 Black Bart Bounty Syrah ($45) with bold dried bramble berry flavors of blackberry, raspberry and blueberry with subtle hints of vanilla, oak, spice and aromatic florals. The tannins are quite present and would definitely soften with a few years of aging.

All in all it was a great night with some really spectacular wines and Sonoma really taking the Trophy for me. There were too many to mention in this one post but many other producers really did present some outstanding wines.

Additional Recommendations:

2009 Fort Ross Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast ($12)
2007 Sol Rouge Zinfandel, Tom Feeny Ranch Russian River Valley ($36)
2008 Siduri Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($31)
2008 Siduri Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($31)
2009 Twomey Napa Sauvignon Blanc ($25)
2006 Dominus , Yountville ($135)

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