A fantastic day . . . I had finished all of my cleaning and packing duties early and had half a day to kill and 3/4 of a tank of rental car pre-paid gas to guzzle. A phenomenally beautiful day driving first along Highway 1 on the coast with views and curves still left a few hours to kill, so I headed inland to taste some wine. A noticeably delicious glass of bubbly a few years back at Barndiva in Healdsburg had sparked an interest in visiting Iron Horse in Green Valley. A phone call revealed that though they closed relatively early, I had plenty of time to head over for a visit (Flag Day traffic in Sebastopol not withstanding). The setting is phenomenal--even for wine country standards. A curvy one-lane road dead-ends at the winery and the views are spectacular. Weather-permitting, which it was, the tasting area is planks on barrels under an overhang so that guests can do a 180 to soak in the view. A spectacular setting--very informal, I would imagine some folks use this as a very informal bar with a view. Overall, the wines were decent (though I really didn't care for the blanc de blancs), but nothing caught my fancy like that glass from a few years back. A Sunday afternoon is clearly not the best time to geek out and obtain all sorts of information on the wine, but the friendly and laid back environment made for an excellent visit and the experience justified the $10 tasting fee (I did the sparkling, they also have a white tasting flight and a red one, and I imagine they'd be happy to let you mix and match, if you are so inclined). I'd gladly visit again, even though I didn't encounter any wines for buying for my palate (and budget). The sparklers are all Green Valley appellation and estate-grown.
First up was the 2004 Iron Horse Blanc de Blancs, 100 percent chardonnay, but with an odd but uninteresting nose and dilute taste with a bit of tangy yeast. I couldn't find anything to like about this wine, not the best start. The 2004 Iron Horse Ultra Brut was up next and 1/3 chardonnay and 2/3 pinot noir--the ultra, classic and russian all had this mix, but with differing amounts of sugar added as dosage, if I recall correctly. The Ultra was a big step up, violets and yeast on the nose and clean hints of mineral, not precise as I would have liked, but the rounded slight green apple had its charms--it was pleasant and I would enjoy drinking a glass. The 2004 Iron Horse Classic Vintage Brut had a nice, more savory nose that made me think of ketchup, fried foods, and summer. The mousse was fine and notable/worth mentioning. The wine was very easygoing and had some baked green apples, but felt less like a wine I'd want to consume in quantity. The 2004 Iron Horse Russian Cuvée evidently got its name from a previous blend being served to a state dinner for Gorbachev--and someone decided a wine with a heavier dosage would be just the thing. Some floral in the nose, but more syrup, tight firm bubbles that melt away pretty quickly. Baked honey and apple on the finish--certainly decent, but not the mix I pine after when I think in bottle terms. Finally the 2005 Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée was a blend of 87 percent pinot and 13 percent chardonnay. Although it seemed quite promising at first, it seemed to me to fall short of wherever it was going--drinkable berryesque approach--but lacks reason for being and the finish felt light and lacking. Meh.
And I still had some time to kill and looking at my map I saw Joseph Swan, which I recognized only due to the buzz (or is it squawking?) on this forum. And they were open! So I headed over. The only thing I had in my mind was that folks 'round these parts bring up Swan when talking about Pinot Noir, so I was expecting something cultesque, modern, sleek--and my experience in the tasting room was exactly the opposite in a very good way (though I appreciate some of those cultesque approaches as well). This was like tasting back in Virginia. The labels, the labels!, especially. Looks like they designed them themselves rather than contracted out to a marketing firm to create a brand. Super-friendly, odd-lot stuff produced--clearly someone who is producing whatever comes to their fancy than according to some marketing outlook. I mean, producing only two barrels of a wine from what is already a low-production winery? Are you crazy? Evidently they are able to do things as they like as the winery was handed down in a very good financial status/condition such that they don't face the daunting financial burdens faced by many of their peers. And to add to the odd-ball feel, the person pouring asked if I was left-handed and I replied that I wasn't--she asked because they get a disproportionate number of southpaws who visit. Indeed, out of the four people in the tasting room, I was the only right-handed one! I really enjoyed how drinkable all the wines were, and, if I made it up to Sonoma more often, I'd make a casual stop here part of my schedule, especially as I'd like to try other 'odd-ball' selections. They produce a large variety of bottlings (different grapes and different vineyards) that they only have a small proportion open on any given weekend you might stop by. I'd totally stop by again. Fantastic experience--oddball passion is something I loved about producers I'd meet on occasion in Virginia and here was a slice of it in the midst of the Russian River Valley. Cool!
Starting off the 2008 Joseph Swan Gewürztraminer Saralee's Vineyard had a big nose like I'd expect, but was surprisingly more enjoyable to drink than I would have expected. Soft, easygoing, not overpowering--nothing that rings any bells for me, but a decent easygoing wine. The 2007 Joseph Swan Chardonnay Trenton Estate is from grapes grown on a slope usually too chilly to get chardonnay--but when it works, it works. Again the smell is oaky and not all that promising, but the taste, though slightly sweet is both different and oddly familiar california chardonnay. Very approachable. I liked it--perhaps a bit more oak than I'd prefer right now, but it is still drinkable and doesn't taste candied in any way. Nice. 47 cases produced--half in neutral barrels, the rest in oak. Onto the reds with the 2007 Joseph Swan Pinot Noir Cuvée de Trois which is made from grapes from 4 different vineyards (for that year, at least) and 1900 cases--a wine meant to be a bit more approachable than some of the other cuvees. Nice smoky nose and the taste is soft, plush, natural and easy, but again on the sweeter side. Nice enough. The 2006 Joseph Swan Pinot Noir Trenton Estate had a richer and deeper nose and more definition and depth on my tastebuds. Still a touch of softness. Fantastic clean finish. An impressive wine--if only it were cheaper. The 2006 Joseph Swan Mourvedre was harder to read as it had no nose I could capture--I got bland yet rich flavor and was ready to dismiss it until the finish came on strong with black licorice, and an awesome rich and acid mix in my mouth. Not sure what was going on there. Should've revisited it--but my overall impression was that it was not my thing. The 2005 Joseph Swan Zinfandel Mancini Ranch goes back to the plush then dry without a lot of interesting ground covered. My impression was that there wasn't much going on here. Finally, the 2006 Joseph Swan Tannat Mathew's Station was singing straight out of a freshly opened bottle--savory nose with lots of cooked meals, bare dried fruit and tons of spice. Spice returns on the palate along with rich delicious acid. Deliciously different intriguing wine. Only two barrels produced--one of the freakish experiments around due to the background of the nursery aspects of the vineyard's history/owners. A phenomenal wine--really took me for a loop.