Pinot Days

Florida Jim

Florida Jim

Florida Jim
Pinot Days Tasting in San Francisco

We arrived early and tasted through only a small portion of the producers that were pouring at this event. Overall, the quality was high and the folks were pleasant.
Producers of interest:
August West
Auteur
Big Basin
Clos Saron: poured several vintages of the Home Vnyd. and it was instructive to see how the wine aged
Cornerstone Cellars
Couloir Wines: the 2011 Monument Tree Vnyd. from the Anderson Valley really stood out
Failla: so elegant as to be almost lost in a crowd; almost
MacRostie Winery: I did not expect this winery to shine, but it did
Scherrer Winery: although the prices are way up
Thomas Fogarty Winery
Windy Oaks
The star of the show however, was Ladd Cellars. This is a very small operation based in the town of Sonoma making pinot from Russian River and Anderson Valley. Two wines were just plain thrilling; the regular Anderson Valley and the single vineyard Cuvée Abigail. The Anderson Valley was lightweight, elegant, savory, spicy and beautifully structured. The Abigail was a whole notch up in depth, complexity and structure but lost none of the elegance that seems to hallmark this maker. And both of these were available for under $40; a price point very few pinot producers seem to have any use for.
If anyone has specific questions about these wineries, please ask.
Mass tastings are often an exercise in self-abuse. This one was pretty easy to deal with and although a nap would be nice now, it’s not essential.
Best, Jim
 
Jim- your opinion on Clos saron quality vs price. Would you be a buyer based on what you tasted today?
Do you remember what you tasted from MacRostie? I've liked the few bottles I've had from them but no little about their lineup.
 
Clos Saron's current release Pinot is pretty and interesting but I think the price is a bit high for me. The 2006 and 2001 that he was also pouring seem to indicate the wines become more driven by iron and iodine type flavors as they age - at least the Home Vineyard does.
MacRostie poured two pinots that I forget the designations on but both gave indications of whole-cluster fermentation even though the winemaker said they did not do any. They were both over 14% abv, so I don't think that occurs by virtue of under-ripeness. Maybe it's terroir. In any event, they appealed to me.
Of course, this was a mass tasting and heaven knows what any of these wines would taste like over dinner.
Best, Jim
 
Steve,
I wrote nothing down and the catalog does not list the wines poured. I assume current release.
Best, Jim
 
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