All Reviews
by Robert O’Maoilriain CSW
by Robert O’Maoilriain CSW
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SONOMA SOMMELIER TOP 10 WINEMAKERS OF THE YEAR
Erich Bradley’s ability to capture the personality of “Mountain Terraces” Vineyard, Sonoma Valley’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard elevates him without question to the top of the list this year. THREE WINES- He produced the highest rated two Cabernets of the year out of different blocks of this vineyard; the 2006 Audelssa “Mountain Terraces” Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 99PTS and Sojourn “Mountain Terraces” Cabernet Sauvignon 98PTS. Audelssa Reserve Summit from Mountain Terraces
FORWARD
CRITERIA
2009
is easily in the same league and is very well the finest Merlot based wine being made is Sonoma County if not California.
Uncommon cult winemaking techniques such as using tiny open top fermenters, manual push downs on Bordeaux varietals, 100% native yeast fermentation, gravity flow, tiny hand cranked wine basket presses, shoulder removal of all cabernet clusters, cluster sovereignty on the vine, vast hours of manual labor, an amazing palette, vinification into tiny lots and perfect oak management round out the many reasons why Erich Bradley is Winemaker of the year.
The result is wines that are noble, balanced, terroir driven and well structured to age. The wines are allowed to tell their full story in their own way, while being harvested at their polyphenolic prime and supported gently underneath by the Erich’s winemaking techniques. The full combination of flavors and terroir show in all of his wines due to his harvest decisions, superior cap management and oak management.
Uncommon cult winemaking techniques such as using tiny open top fermenters, manual push downs on Bordeaux varietals, 100% native yeast fermentation, gravity flow, tiny hand cranked wine basket presses, shoulder removal of all cabernet clusters, cluster sovereignty on the vine, vast hours of manual labor, an amazing palette, vinification into tiny lots and perfect oak management round out the many reasons why Erich Bradley is Winemaker of the year.
The result is wines that are noble, balanced, terroir driven and well structured to age. The wines are allowed to tell their full story in their own way, while being harvested at their polyphenolic prime and supported gently underneath by the Erich’s winemaking techniques. The full combination of flavors and terroir show in all of his wines due to his harvest decisions, superior cap management and oak management.
and have endlessly long finishes. He captures the true terroir and soul of the small Schocken Hill area in the Mayacamas Mountains (just north of the town on Sonoma) in its true uniqueness. THREE WINES- His Rocky Terrace Block Zinfandel (Los Chamizal Vineyard) is among the world’s best and most terroir driven Zinfandels. His Los Chamizal (9 Block) Zinfandel bottling was the #1 Zinfandel of the year in 2009 at 98PTS. The Morning Sun block (Los Chamizal Vineyard) Zinfandel is quite opposite of Rocky Terrace in flavor and reflects the differences in soil, attitude and aspect to the sun. It is easily a 92pt to 94pt wine showing more red fruit character than the dark fruit and mineral flavors of Rocky Terrace.
TY CATON
OWNER / WINEMAKER
TY CATON
Like most of the top winemakers here Ty Caton’s success in winemaking is tied equally to the quality and management of his main vineyard source, in this case, his Estate Ty Caton Vineyard and his red wine production being made in open top, tiny
OWNER / WINEMAKER
TY CATON
Like most of the top winemakers here Ty Caton’s success in winemaking is tied equally to the quality and management of his main vineyard source, in this case, his Estate Ty Caton Vineyard and his red wine production being made in open top, tiny
fermenters, push downs by hand, native yeast, balanced oak use and seamless blending decisions. He expresses the unique terroir of his volcanic soil vineyard with broad shouldered power and mouthfeel in his wines while maintaining spice, mineral and stony notes in his wine. He and his vineyard produce wines that are bruisers without being flabby or clumsy due to proper acid and tannin balance. He demonstrates that Sonoma Cabernets can be larger and more powerful than their Napa Cousins over the hill. THREE WINES- The Ty Caton Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 95PTS $75 is haunting with a deep dark mineral and fruit core along with savage power. Ty Caton Estate “TyTanium” 94PTS $75 is masterpiece of single vineyard, multi-varietal blending. The concept is truly French to me by blending varietal that all grow well on your vineyard, think Medoc or Southern Rhone yet fully American in flavor, weight and style. Ty Caton Malbec, while at times more aloof, is stunning, stylish and racy; darting and shooting all over the palette. In all it is hard to pick only three wines from Ty Caton’s powerful lineup of single vineyard estate wines.
MICHAEL SEBASTIANI
WINEMAKER / PARTNER
HIGHWAY 12, CARNEROS HIGHWAY
Perhaps the greatest legacy left by the Sebastiani Family will be Michael Sebastiani. His winemaking has been flawless. For such a new venture Highway 12 is quickly the most talked about winery in the wine industry around Sonoma Valley. No winery’s wines have
WINEMAKER / PARTNER
HIGHWAY 12, CARNEROS HIGHWAY
Perhaps the greatest legacy left by the Sebastiani Family will be Michael Sebastiani. His winemaking has been flawless. For such a new venture Highway 12 is quickly the most talked about winery in the wine industry around Sonoma Valley. No winery’s wines have
been brought up by locals in person more than Highway 12’s wines this last year. Michael’s tour de force vineyards are Serres Ranch on Highway 12 just north of the town of Sonoma on the hot springs portion of the valley floor near BR Cohn and Sangiacomo Vineyard on Broadway and Leveroni in the Southern part of the town of Sonoma. Michael’s winemaking has made Serres Ranch the Grand Cru of Valley Floor Vineyards by creating wines with both the rich, decadent mouthfeel of the Valley Floor and the dark volcanic spoil spices and mocha of the high mountainside vineyards adding character and terroir on top of the generous fruit round and balancing out the wines. Starting with his Reserve XII Chardonnay he is expressing the Montrachet stoniness of Sangiacomo Vineyard to great effect. THREE WINES- 2007 Bordeaux Blend 94PTS $24 is well rounded and balanced, 2007 XII Reserve Chardonnay $35 has pure white fruit and French style stoniness. 2006 XII Reserve Cabernet 93PTS $38 shows espresso, clove, cassis, blackberry and dark sweet spices.
DON VAN STAAVEREN
WINEMAKER
SAND HILL WINES, THREE STICKS WINERY, PARMELEE-HILL WINES AND VINEYARDS, PICKET FENCE VINEYARDS
So many publications talk about Don’s past but with all of his hot new winemaking projects going on who has time to reflect on
WINEMAKER
SAND HILL WINES, THREE STICKS WINERY, PARMELEE-HILL WINES AND VINEYARDS, PICKET FENCE VINEYARDS
So many publications talk about Don’s past but with all of his hot new winemaking projects going on who has time to reflect on
anything but the present. Three of the Sonoma Valley’s best new wine producers are under his winemaking leadership. He is the world’s greatest winemaker at defining and capturing the highly distinguishable expression of Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir from the growing region near Stagecoach Gap, between Sonoma Mountain and Wildcat Mountain. His main Vineyard sources are the famed Durell Vineyard and Parmelee-Hill Vineyard bordering one another and now the World Class Mountain Terraces Vineyard as well. He utilizes the best winemaking techniques, grapes handpicked in 20lb lugs, put into the crusher/destemmer by hand, gravity flow and no pumps, fermenting in tiny open top containers for reds, partial native fermentation, dividing and vinifing grapes into tiny separate lots and blending them back together to taste. His wines are ageable, terroir-driven, balanced and full of vineyard and fruit flavors.
THREE WINES- Picking three is an impossible task so I will spread them out between producers. 2007 Sand Hill Wines “Durell” Vineyard Pinot Noir $50 captures the exotic black plum twist, power and ageablity of Sonoma Valley Pinot from the Stagecoach gap area. Three Sticks (Mountain Terraces Vineyard) Cabernet Sauvignon $65 and Parmelee-Hill “Block B” Estate Syrah $35 both excel at showing a sense of place from very iconic vineyards.
THREE WINES- Picking three is an impossible task so I will spread them out between producers. 2007 Sand Hill Wines “Durell” Vineyard Pinot Noir $50 captures the exotic black plum twist, power and ageablity of Sonoma Valley Pinot from the Stagecoach gap area. Three Sticks (Mountain Terraces Vineyard) Cabernet Sauvignon $65 and Parmelee-Hill “Block B” Estate Syrah $35 both excel at showing a sense of place from very iconic vineyards.
TOM FOSTER
WINEMAKER
VJB VINEYARDS & CELLARS
Tom Foster has earned one of the most interesting as well as most difficult jobs possible of creating profound, difficult, Italian varietal wines outside their home in Italy and keeping up with the quality that Owner Henry Belmonte has been able to maintain throughout
WINEMAKER
VJB VINEYARDS & CELLARS
Tom Foster has earned one of the most interesting as well as most difficult jobs possible of creating profound, difficult, Italian varietal wines outside their home in Italy and keeping up with the quality that Owner Henry Belmonte has been able to maintain throughout
winemaker and consultant changes. No California Italian varietal Winery outside of Italy has been as successful at making extraordinary wines from so many different varietals every year as VJB. Tom Foster is keeping VJB at the top the pack for Cal-Itals and a local favorite. Tom is making a large selection of Italian varietals and super Tuscan inspired wines all from separate vineyards throughout Sonoma Valley. THREE WINES- 2006 “Dante” 94PTS $32 is a proud, stylish and strutting Super-Tuscan Blend that taste as Italian and suave as any top dollar Super-Tuscan wine. 2007 Estate Aglianico Sonoma Valley $50 and 2007 Estate Montepulciano Sonoma Valley $50 represent some of the best examples of Italian varietals in California.
the finest single varietal Sangiovese in the Americas tasted to date. While I often enjoy Cabernet/Sangiovese blends the Favero Sangiovese 2005 is a stunner. All parts of the grape growing and winemaking process are done hands on by Fred Favero. THREE WINES- Favero 2005 Estate Sangiovese 92-93PTS $28 is full flavored with dark fruit, mint and spice while shows a perfect mouthfeel more like a Valley Merlot than most watery, pale domestic Sangiovese. Favero “Monte di Sassi” Super-Tuscan style blend 93-94PTS $35 has terroir driven flavors and is very unique in its agile structure. All of Fred Favero’s hands on work is shown in these wines.
FRED FAVERO
OWNER / WINEMAKER
FAVERO VINEYARDS
I have been pleasantly shocked and surprised by recent releases of Favero Vineyards. The mastery of domestic Sangiovese will always garner my admiration as it is almost impossible to produce in the United States properly. Favero has released what may well be
OWNER / WINEMAKER
FAVERO VINEYARDS
I have been pleasantly shocked and surprised by recent releases of Favero Vineyards. The mastery of domestic Sangiovese will always garner my admiration as it is almost impossible to produce in the United States properly. Favero has released what may well be
vineyards of Syrah, Chardonnay from Parmelee-Hill Vineyard and a block of Cabernet from “Hunter farms” Vineyard in Glen Ellen. 100% Wild yeast fermentations, open top fermenters and estate fruit are some of the reasons behind the quality of Squire’s winemaking. THREE WINES- 2007 Estate Syrah Sonoma Valley 91-92PTS $40. 2008 Hog Wilde “Parmelee-Hill” Vineyard Chardonnay 89-90PTS $32. 2008 Squire’s Toast Sonoma Valley 91-92PTS $40.
SQUIRE FRIDELL
OWNER / WINEMAKER
GLEN LYON VINEYARDS & WINERY
One of the most beloved wineries and winemakers in the Valley, Squire Fridell and his Glen Lyon may not be known much outside of the Valley but it is always the mentioned by the locals whenever the grape Syrah is mentioned. His main fruit source is his two estate
OWNER / WINEMAKER
GLEN LYON VINEYARDS & WINERY
One of the most beloved wineries and winemakers in the Valley, Squire Fridell and his Glen Lyon may not be known much outside of the Valley but it is always the mentioned by the locals whenever the grape Syrah is mentioned. His main fruit source is his two estate
giant selection of single vineyard wines are the most honest and vineyard expressed wines in the Valley. They are perfectly constructed for the vineyard and terroir lover to really get to know the true flavors of the vineyard and vintage rather than for the flashy trophy hunter to impress their friends with an overwhelming wine. His family’s label, Berthoud Winery, is full of terroir driven flavors as well and perhaps slightly richer mouthfeel. While there are many vineyards represented by Mayo, the Los Chamizal Vineyard bottlings may well be my favorite along with Rancho Salina. THREE WINES- 2007 “Los Chamizal” Zinfandel 95PTS $35 is one of the best, full throttle Zinfandels made off of the vineyard. 2006 Cabernet Franc 94PTS $35 was one of my personal favorite wines overall of the year as it was loaded to the teeth with cigar box, tobacco and dark mineral spices. 2005 Mayo Rancho Salina “White Horse” Meritage 93PTS $40 has beautiful red fruit notes and a velvet mouthfeel.
MICHAEL BERTHOUD
WINEMAKER MAYO FAMILY WINERY
OWNER / WINEMAKER BERTHOUD WINERY
Michael Berthoud style creates wines that allow the vineyard and vintage to control the direction of the wine. No winemaking style taste as hands off and gentle as Michael’s style. Those looking for big oak or toast flavors should probably look elsewhere as Mayo’s
WINEMAKER MAYO FAMILY WINERY
OWNER / WINEMAKER BERTHOUD WINERY
Michael Berthoud style creates wines that allow the vineyard and vintage to control the direction of the wine. No winemaking style taste as hands off and gentle as Michael’s style. Those looking for big oak or toast flavors should probably look elsewhere as Mayo’s
reds and whites in tiny fermenting containers, using all manual push downs for reds, fermenting with a combination of native and new local yeast, basket pressing and blending small lots. Cross Creek Vineyard high up on Nuns Canyon and Gustafsson Vineyard on Broadway in the lower part of the town of Sonoma across from Sangiacomo are her main Vineyard sources along with her estate vineyard high on the Mayacamas Range. THREE WINES- 2006 “Mayacamas Range” Cabernet Sauvignon 95PTS $35 is full of dark fruit, mineral spice and Mayacamas redwood notes. The 2007 “Gustafsson Vineyard” Carneros (Sonoma Valley) Chardonnay $30 has pure tropical flavors, stoniness and bright acid similar to the best Chardonnays from Sangiacomo Vineyard across the street from “Gustafsson” Vineyard. The 2008 Rosé of Merlot, Carneros (Sonoma Valley) $18 was one of the best Rosés of the year and was 100% barrel fermented and from a single vineyard in Southern Sonoma Valley. 2006 Cross Creek Single Vineyard Cabernet Sonoma Valley $50 will be released in the next month. Barrel samples showed giant potential with this new bottling; Cassis, blackberry, vanilla, stone and redwood notes.
BETSY SPANN
OWNER / WINEMAKER
SPANN VINEYARDS
Betsy Spann possesses one of the most talented blending palettes in wine today as she blends seamlessly is ways few modern winemakers can. She is an experimental winemaker by natural using unorthodox methods while maintaining quality by making both
OWNER / WINEMAKER
SPANN VINEYARDS
Betsy Spann possesses one of the most talented blending palettes in wine today as she blends seamlessly is ways few modern winemakers can. She is an experimental winemaker by natural using unorthodox methods while maintaining quality by making both
BY ROBERT O’MAOILRIAIN CSW, SONOMA SOMMELIER WINE & FOOD REVIEW