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North Sonoma winemakers?
- Thread starter BJ
- Start date
Steve Edmunds
Steve Edmunds
I've heard really good things about Drew, whom I think is out closer to the Coast--maybe Mendocino Ridge? Also I had some wines made by Halcon, from Yorkville Highlands fruit that were magnificent. I know they sold their property to Pax, but it would be worth investigating what you might find from YH.
robert ames
robert ames
what about arnot-roberts?
Michael K.
Michael John Kanbergs
If you're in Sea Ranch, you're an hour and a half to two hours away from Healdsburg (where Arnot-Roberts resides.) It's a great place to taste, but it's not on the way, unfortunately. Sonoma Coast producers that you'll *sorta* pass by on the way out there - I guess; depends how you're driving - are Marcassin (ha and eh), Flowers, Peay, and Hirsch, but you're still looking at 2 hours from Sea Ranch, given how remote those producers are. I'll second a trip to Drew and Anderson Valley. The Drew wines are excellent and quite disorderly - the Syrahs are my favorite in California outside of A-R and the occasional Pax bottling - and it's "on the way" from Sea Ranch to AV via the Elk-Boonville road, the winery/vineyard/home being about halfway between the two at the top of the mountains/hills there. If you wanted to take 128 into Anderson Valley, you'll pass by Navarro, Roederer, and Toulouse at the deep end of the valley. All worth a stop for some reason or another, but none - in my experience - offering truly exceptional wines. The area is something of a morass for wine, imo, so it's worthwhile to just byo or stock up at Bottle Barn. You probably already know this, but the area is so naturally beautiful and full of so many well-kept meandering trails that you probably won't want to wander far from it.
originally posted by BJ:
Great feedback all thank youOur norm is to fly into the Bay and hit up KL/KLWM/etc and get trip wine...
Any suggestions for good wine shops in Santa Rosa, where we're travelling out of?
probably Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa. Never been in person, but ordered online. Great selection (has a K&L feel, but better prices and worse customer service)
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
Also I had some wines made by Halcon, from Yorkville Highlands fruit that were magnificent.
This^^. Best Syrah I've had from CA other than that guy from Berkeley, what is his name again? Halcon was really honest Syrah, no fluff.
Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
Halcon... feh.
originally posted by Yule Kim:
originally posted by BJ:
Great feedback all thank youOur norm is to fly into the Bay and hit up KL/KLWM/etc and get trip wine...
Any suggestions for good wine shops in Santa Rosa, where we're travelling out of?
probably Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa. Never been in person, but ordered online. Great selection (has a K&L feel, but better prices and worse customer service)
That sounds pretty exciting.
Jay Miller
Jay Miller
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Halcon... feh.
Though Seth reported it improved dramatically by day 3. Or was it 4?
Michael K.
Michael John Kanbergs
originally posted by BJ:
Great feedback all thank youOur norm is to fly into the Bay and hit up KL/KLWM/etc and get trip wine...
Any suggestions for good wine shops in Santa Rosa, where we're travelling out of?
I'll second Bottle Barn and leave it at that. Joseph Swan is a great visit - a brilliant piece of RRV history, and their syrah ain't no slouch neither. If you're taking that route, then suddenly a whole host of winery experiences open up. Among my favorites - in terms of wine; I have no idea what these folks are up to hospitality-wise - are what should be familiar names: Ceritas, Arnot-Roberts, Cobb, and Idlewild. If you wanted to take the scenic route - through the Yorkville Highlands and into Anderson Valley before heading south down SR1 - you *might* be able to talk Thomas or Sam from Idlewild into a vineyard visit if that sounds interesting enough.
originally posted by Michael K.:
originally posted by BJ:
Great feedback all thank youOur norm is to fly into the Bay and hit up KL/KLWM/etc and get trip wine...
Any suggestions for good wine shops in Santa Rosa, where we're travelling out of?
I'll second Bottle Barn and leave it at that. Joseph Swan is a great visit - a brilliant piece of RRV history, and their syrah ain't no slouch neither. If you're taking that route, then suddenly a whole host of winery experiences open up. Among my favorites - in terms of wine; I have no idea what these folks are up to hospitality-wise - are what should be familiar names: Ceritas, Arnot-Roberts, Cobb, and Idlewild. If you wanted to take the scenic route - through the Yorkville Highlands and into Anderson Valley before heading south down SR1 - you *might* be able to talk Thomas or Sam from Idlewild into a vineyard visit if that sounds interesting enough.
Michael I was starting to think about this very approach on our arrival...great idea. At least a couple of stops.
It looks like Halcon is actually in Healdsburg with vineyards up high?
Michael K.
Michael John Kanbergs
The Halcon vineyard is in the Yorkviille Highlands, which is in the "mountains" between Cloverdale and Anderson Valley. Same AVA as the Idlewild vineayrds. I recall Halcon being something purchased recently, maybe? I don't have any experience w/ the wines in their new iteration, but I liked what Copain did w/ the fruit once upon a time.
Steve Edmunds
Steve Edmunds
originally posted by Michael K.:
The Halcon vineyard is in the Yorkviille Highlands, which is in the "mountains" between Cloverdale and Anderson Valley. Same AVA as the Idlewild vineayrds. I recall Halcon being something purchased recently, maybe? I don't have any experience w/ the wines in their new iteration, but I liked what Copain did w/ the fruit once upon a time.
I bought some 2018 Mourvedre, two different bottlings of Syrah, and a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Also bought '19 Mourvedre and Syrah. The '18 Mourvedre was one of the best CA wines I've ever tasted. One of the Syrahs (Elévacion, I believe--it's been a few years, and I didn't take notes) was really splendid, and the blend was quite nice. It felt to me like they'd been flying way under the radar.
Michael K.
Michael John Kanbergs
That's so cool - high praise, too. I'll check them out.
Eden Mylunsch
Eden Mylunsch
Agree with all the above as to Jason Drew's work up there in Elk, fave wines and fave peoples in Mendo environs. And only about an hour from Sea Ranch.
Barry Herbst at Bottle Barn spent a decade as the GM at Rare Wine Co and I knew him in LA when he was a somm at some of the top restaurants. He knows what he's talking about and will do great to guide you to stuff you'd want to drink, but you'll probably find a lot on the shelves you're already familiar with (in a good way).
-Eden (lately drinking and liking Freeman and Ceritas wines recently, but they're 90 minutes in the wrong directions from Sea Ranch)
Barry Herbst at Bottle Barn spent a decade as the GM at Rare Wine Co and I knew him in LA when he was a somm at some of the top restaurants. He knows what he's talking about and will do great to guide you to stuff you'd want to drink, but you'll probably find a lot on the shelves you're already familiar with (in a good way).
-Eden (lately drinking and liking Freeman and Ceritas wines recently, but they're 90 minutes in the wrong directions from Sea Ranch)