Category: Wine Travel

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Baxter Winery – Anderson Valley

Little pockets of excellence. This is what comes to mind when I reflect back on my trip to Anderson Valley.

Baxter Winery embodies this precisely. This was my first stop upon arriving and disappoint it did not. It set the bar pretty high for all other stops on my 3 day tasting itinerary.

It was a lovely, calm, sunny day at the tasting room. I was greeted with a sampling of their 2022 Rosé. As described, dry and refreshing, it was delicate, crisp, fresh and very nicely executed.

The main tasting flight consisted of an exquisite Chardonnay and three beautifully curated Pinot Noirs, poured in increasing body, depth and complexity.

When I do these tastings, I try to stay focused and select one or two wines to bring back with me and feature on the blog. Wines that I feel really channel the best of the winemaker’s craft while appealing to the broadest spectrum of palate. With Baxter wines, it was very hard to pick a favorite – they were all amazing – however after much deliberation and a couple revisits, I settled on the 2022 Rosé and the Oppenlander Vineyard Pinot Noir. These two edged ever so slightly ahead of the pack. I look forward to reviewing them here in the blog.

My visit to Baxter Winery was the perfect introduction to Anderson Valley. A rewarding experience after the long drive. Pinot Noir well worth the trip. I look forward to exploring more of their wines. Thank you the great wines and hospitality!

Baxter Winery is a small, quality-oriented Pinot Noir producer located on a coastal ridge-top above the Anderson Valley in Northern California. We produce 2000 cases of single vineyard wines (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay as well as some hard-to-find varieties), all using traditional techniques, neutral oak and wild yeast. We produce world-class wines that consistently gain excellent reviews.

Now in his seventeenth year of Baxter wines, Phillip Baxter studied winemaking at UC Davis before spending a six month internship at a winery in Burgundy, France. There he contributed to wines from 33 different vineyards from village to grand cru wines, ranging from Pommard to Gevrey-Chambertin. This experience heavily influenced Phillip’s approach to winemaking – he learnt traditional methods that he continues to use to this day. [Baxter Winery]

 

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Foursight Wines – Anderson Valley

Foursight Wines is a family owned and operated winery in the cool, coastal region of Anderson Valley. Founded in 2006 by Bill and Nancy Charles – long-time winegrowers – together with daughter Kristy Charles and husband Joseph Webb, we craft small lots of estate-grown Pinot Noir, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc each year. [Foursight]

Small family owned and operated boutique wineries are my happy place. I love their often times raw, real and unfiltered essence. Their passion for their wines and pursuit of purity and excellence is palpable. My visit to Foursight wines did not disappoint.

Upon arrival I was greeted by Kristi at the tasting room and hosted for a tasting outside, under a couple of old oak trees. The tasting flight was very well curated, the wines subtle, nuanced and very well executed.

Foursight wines presents a solid benchmark, a great reference point for anyone looking to explore the region (Anderson Valley) at large. I especially enjoyed their Pinot Noirs. Every wine was really well made, dry, great fidelity, with subtle but rich fruit and terroir expressions.  I highly recommend for the intermediate to advanced palate.

Picking a favorite was the tough part, but I did settle on one of the Pinot Noirs and will be taking a closer look in the future.

Thank you Kristy, Joseph and the entire family for the great wines and hospitality. The lavender field was a lovely touch. I look forward to visiting again someday.

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Serendipity, Providence: In Bangkok with Roger Roessler

Something really cool happened recently. I was on my way to Bangkok, Thailand – my first time – when all of a sudden, while waiting for my flight out of San Francisco, a post by Roger Roessler popped up in my feed. He was making a quick trip to Bangkok from Vietnam (where he spends most of his time these days).

I jumped on the phone before we were airborne and told him I was on my way. Between San Francisco, Taipei and Bangkok, we sorted our schedules and itineraries out and settled on meeting up at Jack’s Bar on the river. Wherever I go, Roger always has the coolest recommendations and stories to go along with.

If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Roger Roessler Wines was my Winemaker of the Year for 2020. Think of Roger as a Vintner who through Roger Roessler Wines, curates among others, a compendium of Pinot Noirs from all over the pacific coast. His wines and passion have played a big role in my journey through wine, especially my love for and fascination with Pinot Noir. Before going into winemaking over two decades ago, Roger built a long and storied career as a restaurateur, opening dozens of restaurants across the country – his first at age 21. The wealth of knowledge and experience makes Roger one of the most interesting people in my world today. I would sit and sip with Roger any day.

Jack’s Bar is a shack, that sits on the river right next to the Shangri La. The juxtaposition is hilarious, but this is Bangkok after all. They do maintain a decent wine list. We settled on a Pinot Noir from Cassablanca Valley, Chile by Veramonte, chilled of course.  Great wines, good eats and an amazing staff!

What a great first day in Bangkok, Thailand!

Explore more Roger Roessler Wines on WineSnob.

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2016 Meritage by Miraflores Winery, Sierra Foothills, California

Tonight’s Occasion: 2016 Meritage (Bordeaux blend) by Miraflores Winery, Sierra Foothills, California

Intense, dark, ruby color. Clean, crisp, slightly restrained nose with ripe dark berries, ripe plums and cherries, sawdust, eucalyptus and a honeybees wax so faint you’d likely miss it. Swirling vigorously intensifies the whole bouquet.

Body is balanced from front to back. Unlike the nose would suggest, it is fairly dry. Fruit carries over albeit restrained, in the form of thin, crisp dark plum and cherry skins. A faint eucalyptus minty essence underlies this opening. Tannins are measured, thin, barely noticeable and fully integrated into the body. Faint hints of oak caramel match this expression nicely, lending a subtle silky mouth feel. A few sips in, a smoldering spice emerges midway through the body and lingers. The whole experience slowly fades away across the palate leaving behind a subtle bitter cola a hint of caramelization (sweet) as it breathes and oxidizes.

In a region no stranger to big, bold sometimes brash wines, I find Miraflores wines overall to be subtle, nuanced and very nicely balanced. A departure from established norms. I liked everything I tasted while visiting the estate not long ago, however if I had to pick one, it would be this Meritage. It embodies everything I liked about all the single varietals and really showcases their wines and precise execution. Not just for this region, but California at large.

I had a great time visiting Miraflores a couple weeks ago. At the end of the road, off the beaten path, this beautiful estate felt more like a quiet retreat. A perfect match for their wines. The staff were casual, friendly, knowledgeable and very much involved in the production process. I had known about this winery for many years yet somehow this visit had escaped me. I started with a flight of Reds. My intention was to get a read on the estate, vines, terroir and overall expression as well as the winemaker’s own interpretation and vision of what each varietal should look like for this region.

Midway through the Red Flight I decided to make this visit my only stop for the day so as to better focus my tastings and get a good appreciation for their wines, the estate and overall story, all at a leisurely pace. I explored the White Flight as well and the recurring theme I picked up on was delicate subtlety and nuance – the hallmarks of this winemaker and the winemaking program overall.

I had the opportunity to do a private barrel tasting which further enhanced my appreciation for their style of wine. This led me inextricably to the question: “is there a Bordeaux Blend in the lineup?”. To my delight, there was indeed a Bordeaux Blend. It wasn’t on the tasting list but in the cellar. After tasting their individual Bordeaux varietals it became clear to me that if they had a bled, it would make for a subtle, rich, layered and sophisticated blend. My host pulled out their 2016 Meritage. I was sold. I thought all the wines were great but for me, this blend really combined them very nicely and rose to the front to the lineup. I capped my experience with a tasty charcuterie plate – thank you Elliot and the entire crew at Miraflores! I also enjoyed the tour of the unique, very interesting and eclectic collection of antique art pieces from around the world!

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Happy 75th Birthday Roger!

Last week I had a chance to sit down and catch up with one of my all-time-favorite Vintners, Roger Roessler of Roger Roessler Wines. On the menu was lunch at Della Santina’s in Sonoma, a family owned and operated Tuscan soul food experience. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend you stop by. To top it off, we were joined by our distinguished host, none other than owner and founder ‘Danny’ who shared endless stories from his upbringing in Italy to his exploits in San Francisco. What a special treat to share a meal with over a century and a half of knowledge and life experience.

We paired appetizers with with a Vermentino from Italy. Main course with 2004 Pinot Noir (La Brisa) from Roger’s private reserve and a Nebbiolo from Langhe!

By age 21, Roger had opened his first restaurant. He spent the following two and a half decades or so in the business of opening restaurants across the country. After accumulating what I would imagine a wealth of experience in the culinary and service industry Roger decided to dive into the wine world and share his passion for Pinot Noir with us. Taking a step back, this now seems like the logical thing to do. Food an all it’s nuance eventually must be paired with Pinot Noir. The highly personalized service and attention to detail carried over from all those years in the culinary and server industry.

I have been following Roessler wines for well over a decade now and can trace my profound appreciation for Pinot Noir back to that first visit to the Roessler tasting room just off the square in downtown Sonoma. I scoffed at the idea that anyone could  pour 16 different Pinot Noirs and they’d be discernible. Boy was my young palate in for the lesson of a lifetime.

Roger is a Vintner in every sense of the word. Roger Roessler Wines, a small boutique gallery winemaker in the truest form. Unshackled by any traditional estate. Over the years he’s sourced grapes from some of the most coveted vineyards as well as other small hidden gems you’ve probably never heard of. He’s also owned a few over the years. Bringing together a small team of passionate individuals around a singular mission – to bring you good Pinot Noirs faithful to their origins.

The Roger Roessler lineup reads like a compendium of Pinot Noir from up and down the pacific coast. A visit to their understated tasting room makes for a nice, focused quiet study. In one stop you can explore the various nuances of this varietal’s expression from one region to another. This is precisely why Roger Roessler Wines was picked as the 2020 Winemaker of the Year. They have played no small part in my journey through wine. I’m pretty sure you won’t be the same after a visit either.

Thank you for bringing us all those great vintages all these years Roger. I look forward to many more! Happy Birthday!

Explore more Roger Roessler Wines on WineSnob.

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WineSnobTV: Off The Beaten Path – Bumgarner Winery

Today Off The Beaten Path we are looking back in retrospect. We pay a visit to one of my all-time-favorite winemakers. I have been following Brian Bumgarner’s work for well over a decade now. His wines are some of the longest lived, oldest vintages in my cellar.

I spent the day chatting with Brian at their Estate, getting caught up and filling in the blanks on his story and journey up to that point. It was an honor, distinct pleasure and I am thrilled to take you with me.

This is a long form, free-flowing conversation. I recommend opening a bottle (I recommend, Bumgarner wine), kicking back and following along. I have added time-stamps below to help you navigate or skip ahead:

00:15 – Intro and background
03:58 – The beginning, chat with Brian Bumgarner
13:40 – Bumgarner Estate
17:08 – Winery dog Figgy
17:20 – A family business
19:09 – Greece and the journey through Europe
21:46 – What I love about Bumgarner Wines
22:26 – A look at 2018 Alicante Bouschet
23:56 – The story of Alicante
25:50 – Tasting notes
27:14 – Bumgarner Apple Cider
28:55 – Bumgarner Bumbly
30:28 – Always relishing the New
31:50 – 2020 Harvest
33:05 – The Pandemic and aftermath
34:49 – Reinventing and adapting to adversity
37:54 – Artisanal production
39:49 – Winemaking is challenging
40:46 – Exploring older vintages
46:54 – Walking the Semilion
51:00 – Walking the Sauvignon Blanc
51:30 – New graftings
52:50 – Aerial views of the Estate
53:25 – Sunset views with Brian Bumgarner
53:35 – My thoughts in closing
55:03 – A look at the 2016 Tempranillo

For more reviews, exploits and content on Bumgarner Winery, you can visit the following link:
https://winesnob.blog/tag/bumgarner/

Visit Bumgarner Winery official website here:
https://www.bumgarnerwinery.com/

Check out some of my favorite wines from the Sierra Foothills here:
https://winesnob.blog/tag/sierra-foothills/

Are you looking for your own WineSnob T-Shirt (seen in this video)? Visit the link below to get yours.
https://winesnob.blog/apparel/

Photo credit: Photo Snob (www.PhotoSnob.blog)

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2002 Petite Sirah by Cedarville Vineyard

Tonight’s occasion: 2002 Petite Sirah by Cedarville Vineyard, Fair Play, CA

Deep dark opaque, inky color. Out of the bottle, nose is a little shy, thick, warm, with a big, firm plum essence. A fine dusty granite lingers in the background. Swirling vigorously unlocks bursts of red vines licorice, damp woody leather, white pepper, spice. As it opens a distinct anise creeps forward – this wine’s sense of place. Hints of refined caramel linger in the distance, you’d almost miss it.

Big, bold, and beautiful! At almost 20 years of age, this wine greets with bold well integrated fruit, ripe plums, blackberries and blueberries, which create a firm, thick, monolithic structure. This is quickly accompanied by measured acidity and firm spice which both set the tone and create a vibrant stage. A thick viscous, creamy mouth feel emerges as it opens up. Transition to finish is seamless as an already massive tannic grip grows even more powerful, licorice and black currants jockey for second place. In the end, the palate succumbs to an ever tightening grip that lingers long after.

This is about as off the beaten path as it goes. For decades this Winemaker has been toiling away in this Vineyard, manifesting his singular vision for what is possible in this region. After almost two decades this wine shows impeccable structure, is surprisingly delineated, and remains vibrant. While tasting with owner/winemaker Jonathan this past weekend, I tried to imagine what the 2018 would look like and this 2002 confirms my thoughts. This Winemaker’s obsession with every detail shines here, from the vine to the wine. His wines make an essential study of this frontier of California Wine making. I highly recommend you take a look at his work.

Essentially a one-man show, he is very pressed for time and can only offer tastings by appointment only. Make enough time, don’t be late and enjoy a focused tasting of wines that represent the region in it’s truest form.

I’ve been waiting a few years now and I look forward to diving deeper into his wines here on WineSnob.

Nice work Jonathan!

Explore more Cedarville Vineyard wines on WineSnob.

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2016 Mailbox (Red Mountain) by Glacier View Cellars

Tonight’s occasion: 2016 Mailbox (Red Mountain) by Glacier View Cellars, Woodinville, WA

Deep rich semi opaque color. Out of the bottle nose is a little restrained with primary notes of a tight crisp tart plum, secondary notes of anise, very distant woody tertiary notes and a honeysuckle so faint it likely goes unnoticed. Swirling vigorously unlocks a burst of nectar-like sweet dark cherry. Terroir is almost neutral but for a slightly wet sedimentary essence. I like it!

Dark plum turns slightly sweet and ripe on the attack, along with a burst of acidity. Soon after they agree to play, a healthy dose of spice makes an appearance. The three permeate the entire experience through the finish. A measured dose of tannins provides great structure without dominating. As it opens up, a subtle bouquet of spice notes linger. A measured amount of oak emerges to render a melange of various background notes. Hours later the finish is dominated by black currants anise and firm tannic grip. This Bordeaux style blend is young yet showing so beautifully. I can’t help but wonder what it would look like in another 5-10 years.

I stumbled upon Glacier View Cellars through casual mention while out exploring the local wine scene in the greater Seattle a couple weekends ago. Stephanie, Owner/Winemaker so accurately embodies what I live to explore – the small artisan winemaker off the beaten path. Her style is mature beyond her years, her execution has a certain precision and restraint to it.

Nicely done Stephanie!

WineSnob TV:
You can watch more about my visit to this winery while tasting in Woodinville here:
Off The Beaten Path – Woodinville, Seattle, Washington

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2017 Cabernet Sauvignon by Prolific Vines

Tonight’s occasion: 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon by Prolific Vines Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains.

Deep, dark, rich color. Slightly warm, restrained nose with notes of blackberries, and subtle dark plum. Terroir is subtle and in the form of a slight sandy, loamy leather. Oak is very measured, and makes its presence known through a very distant licorice and cedarwood. You would likely miss it.

Body is precise. Balanced front to back. Fruit is carried over as a slightly dry dark plum. Crisp, measured tannins provide clean structure, creating a classic foundation from attack to finish. Transition to finish is seamless, culminating in a subtle back and forth between creamy and dry tannic grip, ultimately leaving the palate parched. A reminder of its youth. A hint of spice caps the experience. This is more of a nuanced Cab than most people might be accustomed to. I suspect this ultimately has to do with the climate. It does not have the typical overpowering characteristics of say a Northern California Cab (aggressively acidic, tannic, spice).

This is a great Cabernet Sauvignon. It is showing surprisingly well for its relatively young age. It should age quite nicely, given more time to further integrate. I would pick up a few bottles. Enjoy one now and revisit this vintage in about 5 years. This is a pre-release look at this vintage. I previously reviewed the 2016 and looking at my notes, the 2017 is very reminiscent of it, surprisingly consistent if not a tad more mature.

It was nice to finally visit this little estate tucked away in the Santa Cruz Mountains (see photos from my visit below). I especially want to thank Dr. Julie and her husband Albert for being to kind and gracious for hosting me and giving me an extended tour of the property and the vineyard. It was a real treat. It was inspiring to see the amount of work they have put into making this passion of theirs become a reality. This is what I love most about being off the beaten path.

I very much look forward to visiting them again soon. If you do decide to attend one of their tastings, don’t forget to ask Dr Julie if she has any of her Tomato Jam on hand. It is simply sublime and unlike anything you’ve had. You won’t be disappointed. Join their club to secure your annual allotment of this very limited and unique wine.