originally posted by SteveTimko:
Palmina for Italian varietals. Cold Heaven for some good viognier. Beckmen is deeply biodynamic. Stolpman. Dierberg for both their first label and second label stuff.
I keep meaning to try Alma Rosa. It's run by the guy who started Stanford.
Are you interested in riper stuff?
So I was going last weekend. Having forgotten this thread I went pretty much unprepared, but for some reason ended up at exactly these places.
Overall I was not too thrilled with what I had. Palmina was my first stop, and this is where I should have bought. Those wines were quite fun, easy to drink and prices still somewhat OK. Across the street Nicoleyson (sp?) was highly recommended. I liked that most of their current releases were 2001 and 2002, but even their Pinot tasted like Australian Shiraz. Kawoooooom Wines. I did like their Pinot Blanc Late Harvest for its uniqueness (it is rather a Beerenauslese actually).
Next Sanford and Alma Rosa. Sanford Chards were not too bad though nothing I need for that much money. PNs were hard to recognize for me as such, Sanford & Benedict was best, but $60?
Alma Rosa I had high hopes in. But not much luck. The basic whites showed all their high alcohol content. Pinot Noirs also surprisingly high intensity, again not my thing. Somehow I was sure they would be close to Au Bon Climat in style.
Next day I started with Stolpman. Interesting Sauvignon Blanc in a richer, non-grassy, but still elegant style. A Roussanne Viognier blend was also a positive surprise with good balance. Sangiovese and the Syrahs, while quite ripe, still had at least some restraint and I bought a few wines to see how they will develop. Also good Olive Oil, similar to a Tuscan one.
At Qupe I had again some issues with several of the wines and their alcoholic taste. Their Verdad line of Spanish varietals was also lacking freshness. But some of the Syrahs showed potential. Big, but with somewhat controlled and I could see myself drinking more than half a glass in a few years, maybe. Bought one that is not sold in Boston.
Next my best discovery aside from Palmina (by recommendation of the friendly staff at Qupe): Carhartt Winery. Tiny shack staffed by the owner, who is a real character. Wines that were actually inviting and I could see myself finishing a few bottles over dinner. A fun and fresh Rose and a Sangiovese that had some nice biting acid. I also liked the Zinfandel, almost reminded me of some of the Ridge versions (also containing some Rhone varietals). This was next to Palmina the only place where the wines I liked were 30$ and well under.
Final stop was at Beckmen. From Europe I was always under the impression that biodynamic wines tend to be "cooler", even from the hottest areas like Southwest France. Beckmen wines were BIG, with prices to match. The young Texan power couple who otherwise talked only about football placed a huge order. I took just one bottle of clone #1, pretty big and 52$, but I had a feeling this might go somewhere. And the dream shall never die....
So overall I found much less wines I liked than I had anticipated. Not for a single of the Pinot Noirs I would have had the slightest interest in ownership, actually I don't think I would have recognized a single one in a blind tasting. Syrahs fared somewhat better with some interesting examples, though I am not sure how much complexity these will develop over time and how much structure will remain (one of the reasons I bought a few......I want to know). Whites were almost across the board too "hot", with a few notable exceptions. Overall the more obscure grapes delivered the more pleasant wines and came also usually at less painful price points.
The one thing that really blew me away were the fresh local chanterelles. The size of a big hand, with surprisingly firm texture and very nice taste. For these I will come back.
