Featured
Event - MyWinePal Tours Sonoma
and Napa
 In
April 2008, MyWinePal was able to spend
almost a week touring Sonoma and Napa Valleys. The weather
was unusually warm; almost 20 degrees Farenheit above
the normal temperature. Workers were in the fields actively
managing the trellising. Some of the wineries,and brief
notes on the wineries follow.
The first visits were at J Vineyards
and Rodney Strong in Healdsburg. They
are right next to each other, so park once, taste twice.
J Vineyards are known for their sparkling wines, but also
have a very nice Pinot Noir. The J Pinot Noir,
Robert Thomas Vineyard, 2005 (US$65) was spectacular.
This wine was bursting with aromas of violets. Smooth
on the palate with cherry and berry flavours. Next door
is the Rodney Strong Vineyards winery.
A wide range of red and whites from different price points
were tasted. Two very nice wines were the Rodney
Strong Syrah Ranch 128, 2003 (US$28) and the
Knotty Vines Zinfandel, Estate Vineyards, Sonoma
County, 2006 (US$20). The syrah was full of black
frui, spice, vanilla and earthiness on the nose. On the
palate it was fully fruity with black cherry flavour and
pepperiness. Drying tannins show that this wine still
can age and improve. The zinfandel had red fruit and barnyard
aromas. Cherry, spicy, jammy flavours with medium length.
On a different scale of wine making, MyWinePal visited
the Martinelli Estate vineyards in Windsor.
The handcrafted wines are unfined, unfiltered, neither
cold or heat stabilized. A particularly enjoyable wine
was the Guiseppe and Luisa Zinfandel, 2006 (US$48).
This full-bodied wine had a bramblely nose, which continued
on the palate, and also had good spice to it.
On the Napa side, two of many wineries that were visited
are St. Supery and Louis M. Martini.
The St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc (US$23)
started their claim to fame. The 2006 vintage was full
of grapefruit and gooseberry aromas. On the palate it
had good acidity and flavours of grapefruit and guava.
Their red wines are are now becoming more well known.
The Merlot 2002 (US$27), had cigar box
and tomato on the nose. It had a medium mouth feel, with
blackberry and cassis flavours, and a peppery finish.
The Louis M. Martini winery had a great
wide selection of cabernet sauvignon. One of these was
the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (US$35).
Alexander Valley is on the northern end of Napa Valley.
This wine had plum, vanilla and black cherry aromas. It
had full black cherry flavour, medium tannins and a long
finish.
For further tasting notes from these wineries, please
click here.
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