WTN: Some Calif Burgs...(long/boring)

We tried last night (9/9/09) Some Calif Burgundies:
1. FortRoss Chard FortRossVnyd/SonomaCoast (14.1%; www.FortRossVineyard.com) 2006: Med.dark color;
rather toasty/smokey/oak very strong melony/peach/Chard bit minerally/perfumed talc lovely nose;
tart rather toasty/smokey/oak intense ripe/melony/peachy (botrytis?)/Chard slight minerally/
earthy/perfumed talc flavor; very long ripe/melony/peachy/tropical fruit/melony/Chard rather
smokey/toasty/oak finish; ripe Chard w/ lots of oak but structured & interesting minerality;
fairly priced at $32.00
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2. Failla Chard EstateVnyd/SonomaCoast (125 cs; 14.1%) 2007: Light gold rather cloudy color;
very light toasty/oak rather minerally/floral/almost R-like strong melony/Chard/apple/very
spicy restrained beautiful some complex nose; tart/lean very spicy/melony/Chard rather
minerally/appley structured complex flavor; very long/lingering elegant/restrained spicy/
melony/Chard bright minerally structured finish; a bit Chablis in style, bit more like
AltoAdige Chard in character; a beautiful/structured Chard that will probably go out 8-10
yrs. $48.00
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3. OjaiVnyd Chard SolomonHillsVnyd/SantaMariaVlly (14.0%) 2007: Med.gold color; light spicy/melony/
Chard elegant very light oak nose; very tart restrained/elegant bright/melony/Chard very light
toasty/oak flavor; tart/lean very spicy/melony/Chard crisp/bright very long finish; a lovely
restrained/elegant pure-fruit Chard at a very good price. $27.00
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4. OjaiVnyd Chard BienNacidoVnyd/SantaMariaVlly (14.0%) 2007: Med.gold color; very strong melony/
honeydew/Chard some toasty/smokey/oak/nutmeg lovely nose; tart bit softer very rich/lush ripe/
melony/honeydew/Chard light toasty/oak/spicy/nutmeg slight earthy/minerally flavor; very long
spicy/nutmeg/toasty/oak very spicy/honeydew/melony/Chard slight earthy finish; more rich/spicy
character and a bit more oak than the SolomonHills; lovely Chard at a good price. $27.00
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5. Siduri PinotNoir SonomaCnty (14.1%) 2007: Med.color; bright cherry/black cherry/Pinot light
pencilly/oak classic Siduri nose; tart bright/cherry/black cherry/Pinot some toasty/pungent/
pencilly/oak flavor; med.long slightly bitter bright/spicy/Pinot/cherry light pencilly/oak
finish w/ light tannins; good drinking now; a classic straight-forward Siduri signature Pinot
at a great price. $16.50
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6. Cep SonomaCoast PinotNoir (14.2%; PeayVnyds) 2007: Med.color; strong spicy/bright/cherry/cherry
candy/Pinot light toasty/smokey/oak slight bretty interesting nose; tart very bright/spicy/cherry/
cherry Nehi soda pop/cold-climate light toasty/smokey/oak slight bitter/tannic flavor; med.long
bright/cherry/cherry soda pop/Pinot light earthy some toasty/oak/pungent bit tannic/bitter finish;
lots of bright/cold-climate Pinot character w/ some oak. $28.00
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7. Siduri PinotNoir RussianRvrVlly (14.3%) 2007: Med.color; attractive black cherry/Pinot bit deeper
light toasty/pencilly/oak slight peppery nose; tart bit peppery deeper black cherry/Pinot some
pencilly/toasty/oak flavor; tart bit pepper slightly bitter black cherry/Pinot light pencilly/oak
finish w/ slight tannins; another signature-Siduri Pinot w/ a bit deeper fruit than the Sonoma at
a great price. $23.50
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8. Siduri PinotNoir SonomaCoast (14.1%) 2006: Med.color; more bright cherry/spicy/cherry pie/black
cherry/Pinot light toasty/oak very attractive nose; softer/lusher bright cherry/black cherry/Pinot
light toasty/Siduri/oak spicy/cherry pie light tannic flavor; med.long bright cherry/black cherry/
Pinot some toasty/oak rather spicy/cherry pie/vanilla slightly bitter finish; more of the bright
cherry/cool-climate/Pinot character; could use a yr maybe; great price at $22.50.
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9. Novy PinotMeunier Van der KampVnyd/SonomaMtn (14.8%) 2004: Dark color; rather earthy/menthol/
forest floor slight funky some licorice/black cherry nose; soft bit pungent/earthy/forest floor
some licorice/black cherry slight tannic flavor; med.long light tannic bit funky/earthy/forest floor
rather licorice/black cherry finish; a very interesting aged red; some thought the wine slightly
corked because of the slight funky character, but I didn't get that. $16.00
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10. Novy PinotMeunier Van der KampVnyd/SonomaMtn (14.8%) 2005: Med.dark color; some earthy/dusty black
cherry/licorice very light toasty/oak very interesting bit rustic nose; bit tannic/hard earthy/
dusty black cherry/licorice fairly rich/lush almost Mourvedre-like flavor; long bit earthy/tannic/
rustic licorice/black cherry finish; needs yr or three yet; quite interesting red some like a
Mourvedre w/o the plummy character; great price at $18.00
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11. Novy PinotMeunier Van der KampVnyd/SonomaMtn (14.1%) 2007: Med.dark color; strong black cherry/
earthy/licorice very light toasty/oak bit dusty more bright/Pinot-like nose; lush/tart black cherry/
licorice some earthy/dusty/wet Kansas basement bit hard/tannic flavor; long black cherry/pungent/
licorice some dusty/earthy some tannic/hard finish; more perfumed and Pinot-like than the others;
needs 2-5 yrs of age. $20.00
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12. Siduri PinotNoir VanDerKampVnyd/SonomaMtn (14.1%) 2006: Light color; strong Burgundian/smokey very
perfumed/fragrant some bright cherry/Pinot very light toasty/oak nose; tart elegant/delicate some
smokey/Burgundian light/bright/cherry/Pinot flavor; med.long elegant/restrained some bright cherry/
Pinot rather smokey/Burgundian light earthy finish w/ light tannins; nice rather Burgundian character
and elegant Pinot character at a great price. $19.50
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13. Siduri PinotNoir SonateraVnyd/SonomaCoast (13.6%) 2006: Med.color; strong black cherry/ripe/Pinot
very spicy light pencilly/toasty/oak lovely classic-Siduri nose; tart very strong black cherry/
Pinot quite spicy/cool-climate/slight peppery some Siduri/toasty/oak light tannic flavor; very long/
lingering spicy/black cherry/Pinot some toasty/Siduri/oak intense fruit bit tannic finish; lots of
intense almost RussianRvr Pinot fruit w/ classic Siduri oak; beautiful Pinot. $40.50
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14. BakerLane HurstVnyd/SonomaCoast PinotNoir (14.4%; www.BakerLaneVineyards.com) 2006: Med.dark
color; some toasty/oak bit Burgundian some black cherry/PN slight earthy/damp forest floral
rather attractive nose; tart bit earthy/Burgundian light black cherry/PN some toasty/oak/
pungent bit hard/tannic flavor; tart bit lean/tannic some earthy/forest floor bit Burgundian
light black cherry/PN/appley finish; an attractive somewhat Burgundian Pinot but a bit hard/
tannic on the palate and needs a few yrs. $25.00
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And the usual crap from the BloodyPulpit:
1. CalifChard: If I hear one more time Calif Chards being tarred&feathered as "buttery/oaky/overripe
Chard"; I think I'm gonna barf. If that's what you're finding, then you're drinking the wrong
friggin' Chards. There's plenty of them out there that don't fit that trite mold.
The Failla is a particularly stunning Chard that breaks that mold. It has plenty of Chard fruit,
but is very structured and shows good minerality. Reminds me some of the Ridge MonteBello Chard
but w/o the oak. A Chard that ought to go out 10 yrs or more.
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2. OjaiChards: Adam seldom gets much recognition for his Chards (and SauvBlanc), but they are
consistently, yr in & yr out, one of my must-buys.
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3. Siduri Pinot: I've followed Adam & Diana's Pinots from the very start, back afore they were
discovered by Parker. They make a $hit-load (Kansas colloquialism for "a lot") of different
Pinots each year. It always amazes me how they keep on top of all of them (plus care for 3
little munchkins). What I find amazing is that all the Pinots are distinctive, even if they
come from vnyds relatively close to each other; yet have a distinct Siduri signature. The
appellation-series Pinots are very good QPR wines. One of my favorite Pinot craftsmen.
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4. PinotMeunier: This is a grape variety that is primarily used in sparkling wine production,
particularly in Champagne. The name "meunier" is French for "miller", which refers to the flour-
like dusting the underside of its leaves display. DomaineChandon is one of the few other Calif
producers that bottle this as a varietal.
I've found PM to be somewhat similar to PinotNoir but with deeper, more earthy/rustic, bit more
tannic character, not quite the aromatics of Pinot.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

11. Novy PinotMeunier Van der KampVnyd/SonomaMtn (14.1%) 2007: Med.dark color; strong black cherry/
earthy/licorice very light toasty/oak bit dusty more bright/Pinot-like nose; lush/tart black cherry/
licorice some earthy/dusty/wet Kansas basement bit hard/tannic flavor; long black cherry/pungent/
licorice some dusty/earthy some tannic/hard finish; more perfumed and Pinot-like than the others;
needs 2-5 yrs of age. $20.00
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4. PinotMeunier: This is a grape variety that is primarily used in sparkling wine production,
particularly in Champagne. The name "meunier" is French for "miller", which refers to the flour-
like dusting the underside of its leaves display. DomaineChandon is one of the few other Calif
producers that bottle this as a varietal.
I've found PM to be somewhat similar to PinotNoir but with deeper, more earthy/rustic, bit more
tannic character, not quite the aromatics of Pinot.

On the wine above - do you mean that it had more Pinot Meunier character, or that it was more like Pinot Noir? Just trying to understand the direction you are heading in since there's two grapes named Pinot in close proximity in this thread, and you differentiate the character of the two pretty well in your pulpit statement.

If I hear one more time Calif Chards being tarred&feathered as "buttery/oaky/overripe Chard"; I think I'm gonna barf. If that's what you're finding, then you're drinking the wrong friggin' Chards. There's plenty of them out there that don't fit that trite mold.

I believe you that this new style exists but what percentage of the production do you think they are? Does one have to search very carefully?

When average restaurants look to list a California Chardonnay (especially by the glass) aren't they still going for the easiest version of that trite mold?

On the wine above - do you mean that it had more Pinot Meunier character, or that it was more like Pinot Noir? Just trying to understand the direction you are heading in since there's two grapes named Pinot in close proximity in this thread, and you differentiate the character of the two pretty well in your pulpit statement.

David,
I was trying to say it resembled more a PinotNoir than the PinotMeuniers that I've had.
Tom

If I hear one more time Calif Chards being tarred&feathered as "buttery/oaky/overripe Chard"; I think I'm gonna barf. If that's what you're finding, then you're drinking the wrong friggin' Chards. There's plenty of them out there that don't fit that trite mold.

I believe you that this new style exists but what percentage of the production do you think they are? Does one have to search very carefully?

When average restaurants look to list a California Chardonnay (especially by the glass) aren't they still going for the easiest version of that trite mold?

Rahsaan,
I'm clueless as to what % this "new" style represents. I'm not so sure I'd call it a "new" style anyway.
There's a lot mor "naked", INOX, "nekkid", etc Chards being made out there that see no oak. Some of them are not very
good, rather thin & insipid. Some show some minerality and are pretty good. But I think there is a noticible drift away from the
old paradigm of Calif Chard. I don't seem to have much trouble find any when I look around.
Tom

But I think there is a noticible drift away from the old paradigm of Calif Chard. I don't seem to have much trouble find any when I look around.
Tom

Oh I'm sure. But of course it all depends where one looks.

Even when I lived in Berkeley I didn't come into contact with much California wine, given my palate preferences and the wine shops/restaurants/offlines I frequented.

At a tasting on Nantucket Island last May I found the Hirsch Chardonnay the least buttery, followed by the Peay, and the Failla the most buttery of the three. Rahsaan, you might look for the Hirsch Chardonnays which are fermented 40% in stainless steel and then in neutral oak barrels. I found the 2007 Hirsch Chardonnay to be lemony and crisp, speaking of lemon drops and minerals. (I liked the Failla Pinot Noir best of the three Pinots however.) (And liked the more expensive Hirsch Pinot Noir which exceeds my budget--the one in the middle flight of wines was his middle-range Pinot.)

Rahsaan, you might look for the Hirsch Chardonnays which are fermented 40% in stainless steel and then in neutral oak barrels. I found the 2007 Hirsch Chardonnay to be lemony and crisp, speaking of lemon drops and minerals..

Will keep that in mind although it is not often that I find myself looking for California chardonnay. For better or worse.