Day two: Lots of delicious Russian River Pinot Noir and Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. First impression is that Dry Creek Valley is very scenic, quite beautiful. A lot nicer than you would expect a place named Dry Creek Valley to be in the middle of an historic drought.
We started off with a nice lunch at the Dry Creek Valley General Store. Great food - outstanding view.
First stop was Ferrari-Carano - very visually stunning place with lush gardens, gorgeous Italianate architecture, with wonderful views. The tasting room for the limited release and reserve quality wines was in the lower level and featured a nice view of the barrel cellar, plus lots of marble and rich wood. The wines were good, but maybe a bit overpriced (somebody has to pay for the beautiful building and grounds). The Tresor Bourdeaux-style blend was probably my favorite, but the Prevail-labeled Alexander Valley Cabs were very good as well. They had a desert wine made from black Muscat that I didn't like at all, but I rarely like sweet wines.
Next stop was a real gem that greatly exceeded expectations: Papapietro Perry. They started out in a garage in San Francisco and don't grow any grapes. They just have a small tasting room, but they were featuring five 90+ rated Pinot Noirs, four of them from the Russian River valley. All of them were quite excellent and the staff were fun and attentive. Their Dry Creek Valley Zin was also delicious. We bought several.
Third stop was Geyser Peak, which also exceeded my expectations. I know them as a maker of middle-shelf Merlots that are good values, but they weren't bothering to pour those. The Thermopoli Rhone Blend was absolutely delightful as was the Ascentia Alexander Valley Cab. My favorite was the Kuimelis Vineyard high-elevation Cab - very concentrated flavors, nice and chewy. The Petit Verdot was also very good. The best moment was when they poured the Barrel Aged Tawny Port. Phenomenal. My wife liked it so much I thought we were going to need a private room for her! We will be going back there on Wednesday prior to heading north.
The final stop was most excellent. Stephen & Walker have a nice tasting room in downtown Healdsburg. There wines were presented with outstanding artisanal cheeses and were astoundingly good. All small batches with an emphasis on selecting fruit from vineyards that are best suited for the varietal characteristics of the grapes. My son is a friend of the winemakers and a frequent visitor, so we were treated very well. Sampled every red that was available, bought half a case and joined the wine club. Loved them all, with particular fondness for the Howell Mountain Cab. Also sampled Petit Syrah and Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel from Russian River Valley, and a Pinot Noir from Monterrey County. I don't really drink whites, but my son and wife were very enthusiastic about the 2012 Late Harvest Botrytis Chardonnay from Mendocino Ridge. Two best of shows and 13 gold medals. More info at
www.trustwine.com
Leaving for Napa and lunch at Brix in about an hour....