Young’s – To a person, all and sundry have warned me that this winery is never, ever open, despite what their sign says. And yet, here I am in front of an open gate leading through some postcard-perfect grounds, and I can see cars in the parking lot. I take a chance.
They certainly appear to be open. There’s wine. There’s a counter with staff behind it. There’s a tasting room with people in it.
And in the corner, a dog and a rooster.
Aside from one startling exclamation from the rooster, the pair mostly just sit there and watch the festivities. Maybe they’re here to pick up their futures order. Anyway, there are three wines on offer, and that’s what I taste. Quick, efficient, and I’m out the door ten minutes after I arrive. Unfortunately, I suspect my palate is suffering a little post-lunch fatigue, and I feel like the following notes are somewhat unreliable. Nonetheless, here they are.
Young’s 2000 Zinfandel (Shenandoah Valley) – Beautiful blueberry and licorice aromas, with good acid, structural tannin carrying that always-appealing graphite texture, and some bitter chocolate on the finish. Delicious, though not nearly as weighty as most area zins.
Young’s 2001 Barbera (Shenandoah Valley) – Plum, raspberry jam, and a weirdly medicinal syrup. Lots of acid, but this is just a bit too strange for me; were they trying to make a traditionally-styled Piedmontese barbera? If so, it didn’t work.
Young’s 2000 Syrah (Shenandoah Valley) – Big plum, blueberry and leather are promising, but marred by a hollow midpalate and overly-abundant tannin (though what’s there does also possess that graphite-y note). Needs age, but will it ever shed the skins? Doubtful.
A nice enough lineup of wines. I’m not sure what leads to the winery’s near-cult status other than their apparently bewildering never-open tasting policy, but maybe it’s the labels, which are stunning.
Sonora Winery & Port Works – I’m here to taste the “Port.” Of course, they’re both sold and poured out, so in a way I’m wasting my time, despite making one small discovery along the way. In contrast to Young’s, this tasting room is bustling with activity, including a few tour groups.
Cock-a-doodle-dog
Sonora “Almond-Flavored Champagne” – Bright lemon and, of course, almond. I can see this being very popular, as a pre-mixed version of those liqueur-dosed bubblies one is so often served in France; kir-a-likes, if you will. Personally, I think it’s pretty disgusting.
Quinta da Sonora 2002 Verdelho (Lodi) – OK, this is a surprise and a revelation. Lemon, lime (regular and kaffir), and grass with balanced acidity and a long, drying finish in a medium-bodied quaffer that straddles the line between exciting and fun. A very credible effort, and in the end it’s the only bottle I walk out with.
Quinta da Sonora 2000 Vinho Tinto (Sierra Foothills) – A blend of touriga nacional, tinta căo, alvarinho (a white grape), and tinta roriz (tempranillo). I want to like this as much as the previous wine, but alas…simple, dead fruit, hard and shallow: the hallmarks of an eminently unlikable wine.
Sonora 2001 Barbera Silvaspoons (Lodi) – I know the owners of the vineyard probably think the name is adorable, but I just can’t get the stupid TV show (and it’s saccharine theme song) out of my head, which kinda detracts from the wine…which is, itself, bad enough: spirituous flower liqueur and medium-bodied strawberry with crushing waves of volatile acidity. Deeply, deeply flawed. “Here we are, face to face…”
Getting tanked at Sonora
Sonora 2001 Zinfandel ***** (Amador County) – That’s not a censored expletive, that’s on the label of this wine, which is generally known as “5-Star” Zinfandel. I don’t know what the stars are for, but I’m already pre-warned by the nice man pouring my wine: “this was a bad vintage, but we did the best we could with what we had.” After that barbera, I’m worried. Dark cherry, plum, and nut skin, rough and slightly tannin. Drinkable, but only just.
Sonora 2000 Zinfandel Linsteadt (Amador County) – OK, here’s the vineyard I’ve been looking for, but a different grape. The search continues. Meanwhile: blueberry, white pepper, and dark plum in a Port-like stew. Yet despite this, the whole package is a little thin, as if it had been watered down. The tannin’s in balance, and this could age, but it’s awfully reedy and insignificant to promise much future development.
Sonora 2000 Zinfandel TC “Old Vine” (Amador County) – Plum, red cherry, and strawberry liqueur turning quickly to ultra-ripe blended-fruit jam. There’s good intensity, but the wine falls flat on its face after a microsecond-long finish. Splat! Also, it’s awfully spirituous.
The people here couldn’t be more pleasant, but the wines – aside from that lovely verdelho – certainly could be.
![[dog & rooster]](http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/user_images/tci_ca03_dog_rooster.jpg)
![[tank at Sonora]](http://www.myspeakerscorner.com/forum/user_images/tci_ca03_sonora_tank.jpg)