Our first stop in Healdsburg was Dutton-Goldfield. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to snap label shots of every wine I sampled during the trip, but you'll see the fair share. Please excuse the shakey-cam shots, off angles, poor color rendition, and general lack of composition. Unlike my past job of being a Photoshop jockey and massaging images into perfection, I'm opting to go the quick and dirty route for the sake of timeliness.
On to the pictures! And as always, click for big.
Dutton-Goldfield 2008 Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir
One of two or three Pinots available for tasting that day. I honestly can't remember which was which... One was very fruit-forward and a bit monodimensional, whereas the other had the more characteristic subtlety of a classic Pinot. Either way, both were great. We also tried their Chard and Syrah, but I was too interested in sucking down the stuff to document that. The tasting room gal was super sweet and a great host, too. Check them out if you're in Hburg.
We moved Northward to Iron Horse next. By far the best tasting of the trip. The sparkling and still offerings were exceptional, and the tasting "room" had an excellent concept. The counter from which we were served is constructed of long slats of very old and weathered wood, and is completely exposed, save for an awning. The scenery behind the area is stunning. A steep hill that runs into vineyards and groves of trees, surrounded on all sides by more hills and mountains.
Sparkling and still selections, staged for tasting. A small office on the left, and lab on the right (not pictured).
All *quality* vineyards and tasting rooms have a tasting cat. This is not debatable. See that little ass man back there? He was nice. Additionally, this is the view behind the tasting area.
Our hosts for the day. Lisa (right) was super-gracious and treated us to an insider-style tasting (big thanks to Greg for securing those stop after stop). 6 or so sparkling, and maybe 8+ whites and reds? All wonderful.
Claude Roy.
The boys Bybee.
A trio of Pinot's for comparative tasting and analysis. Each was distinct and super-layered (2 of the pictured glasses contained single blocks, and the third contained a blend of 3). Some of the best Pinot I've ever tasted. Admittedly, my experience with high-end Pinot is somewhat limited, but this was undoubtedly Pinot par excellence (you like that right there?).
Stuntin in Cali.
Lisa kicking mad knowledge, serving up the Brut Rosé.
From Iron Horse, we moved South to Woodenhead. This joint was highly recommended, but the wines didn't show very well. The Zinfandels were out of balance, tasting more of sugary cough medicine than anything. No spice, no depth... Just a big hit of Welch's grape juice cut with Dimetap and Robotussin PM. Really weird, especially considering these are regarded well. The Pinot offering wasn't too shabby, but lacked depth and dimension. Kind of a one-or-two trick pony on the mouth and nose. The price point was also kind of outrageous... close to $50 for a bottle that seemed more in-line with a $10-12 offering. I'll certainly try them again in the future, though.
Woodenhead's flight menu.
Random tasting room shot 1.
Random tasting room shot 2.
At least they had a nice patio. But that nasty looking Airdale has to go.
We moved on to Rochioli for a quick tasting and back-room tour, but I'll save those pics and story for another time.
Frick was next on the list. Bill Frick's vineyards and tasting room evoke a bit of romantic idealism about wine country. Old and craggy vines creeping above tall grasses, rolling hills spotted with rows of unique varietals, a quaint tasting room adorned in eccentric art and ephemera... All with an equally eccentric owner/operator to match. I didn't get any bottle pictures because I felt Bill wouldn't quite appreciate it, but we tried some unusually good stuff: Cinsaut, Counoise, a Grenache and some Syrah's. Interestingly enough, a library collection of very old bottles was available for purchase at incredibly low price points. '93 and '94 Syrah's for under $40 (keep in mind 2006 bottles were also in this collection, which made the older vintages seem dubious in quality to me). Greg inquired about how the older bottles had aged, and Bill admitted he hadn't tasted one recently and that it was a bit of a crap shoot... they may have aged well, fallen flat or gotten nasty. The risk was in our hands. Greg manned-up and snatched a '93 and 2005, both of which were excellent, and paired well with the meat sauce had later that evening.
Front facade of the Frick tasting room.
Old vines along the parking lot. Classic wine country imagery.
Cyprus trees (right?) lining a bit of the property. Not pictured: the tasting room cat.
Exhaustion and starvation had set in, so we headed out to Coppola for food. A lot can be said about the sprawling, resort-like experience offered at the Coppola "Castle." Whether it's good or bad for Sonoma is beyond me, but it is kind of strange to come across a Mall of America-type vineyard among the lovely little mom and pop operations. In any case, the pizza was fantastic, and as a sucker for Coppola films and memorabilia, I thought it was pretty rad to be in the presence of the cool-ass Dracula armor. My gang and I had previously visited Coppola back in 2008 before construction had really begun on the new property... The food and wine was good back then and is still good now.
Hell yeah, son.
That's it for now. Part 2 will be coming shortly, with scenes from the San Francisco Vintners Market, Rochioli, Seghesio, Ridge, the Queens of the Stone Age show in Oakland and much, much more.
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