Personal Opinions from Past Harvest Fairs

The Sonoma County Harvest Fair is an event held the first weekend of each October (right in the middle of the harvest to the chagrin of the growers and winery personnel).   Although the fair showcases all the different agricultural products the wines are the highlight and what draws the crowds.  It's a great opportunity to "taste Sonoma County."

Following are some impressions from past years. Note that I am mostly a red wine drinker.

Official Fair results are at the Harvest Fair web site.

2008 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

In order of preference from best to worst by category:

Bordeaux varietals

Elements of Sonoma Malbec 2004 Sonoma, Weeping Willow Vyds $42
Ehret 2005 Cabernet The Beginning 2005 Knights Valley $40
Williamson Meritage Allure 2005 Dry Creek $47 (best of class)
Williamson Cabernet 2005 Dry Creek $57
Pellegrini Milestone (meritage) 2005 Sonoma County $45
Elements of Sonoma e Red Wine (meritage) 2004 Knights Valley $42

Italian varietals

Ramazzotti Raffinto 2005 Sonoma County $30
Trentadue La Storia Cuvee 2004 Alexander Valley $40

Pinot Noir

Selby 2005 Russian River Love Vyd $40
James Family 2007 Sonoma Coast Stony Point Vyd $35
Pellegrini 2006 Russian River Olivet Lane Vyd $34
Mahoney 2005 Carneros Las Brisas Vyd $38
Balletto 2007 Russian River Winery Block $34
Hook & Ladder Third Alarm 2006 Russian River $35 (won best of class over $35 Pinots)
Balletto 2007 Russian River Burnside Vyd $34
Matrix 2005 Russian River $35
J Keverson 2006 Russian River Labyrinth Vyd $38
Benziger Signaterra 2006 Russian River Bella Luna Vyd $49
Calstar 2006 Sonoma Coast $28 (best of class $25-35 Pinots)

Rhones

Jus Soli Roots Red 2006 Sonoma County $24 (best of class)
(Tried only one, didn’t like it)

Sparkling

Mayo Brut 2003 Sonoma Valley Laurel Hill Vyd $35 (best of class)
(Tried only one, didn’t like it)

Syrah

Harts Desire 2006 Sonoma Coast Rockin H Ranch $28 (double gold)
Longboard 2005 Russian River Dakine Vyd $45 (best of class)
Roshambo 2005 Dry Creek Frank Johnson Vyd $40
Little 2005 Sonoma Valley $30
Kokomo 2006 Dry Creek Green Pastures Vyd $24 (best of class under $25 Syrahs)

Zinfandel

Armida 2005 Dry Creek Maple Vyd Tina’s Block $85
Mazzocco 2006 Dry Creek Maple $40 (best of class over $35 Zins)
Mazzocco 2006 Dry Creek Maple Reserve $60
Mazzocco 2006 Dry Creek Smith Orchard $50
Mazzocco 2006 Dry Creek Warm Springs Ranch $50
Alexander Valley Redemption Zin 2006 Dry Creek $24 (best of class under $25 Zins)
Adobe Road 2005 Sonoma County $34 (best of class $25-35 and sweepstakes winner)

Other Reds

Acorn Medley 2006 Russian River Alegria Vyds $30
(only one tried in this category--good)

2006 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

The following wines were my favorites listed alphabetically (I tasted about 80 wines total):

Chardonnay
Williamson 2005 Dry Creek  $28

Cabernet
D’Argenzio 2003 L Vyd  $42

Bordeaux blends
Ledson 2003 Cepage  $80
Trentadue 2003 La Storia Meritage  $45

Pinot Noir
Dutch Bill Creek 2005 Heitz Ranch  $23 (won Best of Class for Pinots under $25)
D’Argenzio 2004 Thorn Ridge Ranch  $48
TR Elliot 2004 Three Plumes  $32
Hartford Court 2005 Land’s Edge Vyds  $35
Hartford Court 2005 Seascape Vyd  $55
Willow Brook 2004 Dutton Morelli Vyd $42

Syrah
Bella 2004 Lily Hill $38
Moon Mountain 2003 Estate $45

Zinfandel
Armida 2004 Tina’s Black Maple Vyd $85 (yes, that is the price)
Armida 2005 Parmelee Hill Vyd $36
Sapphire Hill 2005 Vineagra $85/1.5L

Other Reds
De La Montanya 2004 Pin Up Cabaret $38 

Notes:

• Pinots: The Dutch Bill Creek was the best bargain. The D'Argenzio & T R Elliot were outstanding.
• Zinfandel: Had my first $85 Zinfandel. I hope I never see another.
• Wilson won the red wine sweepstakes for the 2nd year in a row for a Zinfandel. I tasted three zins from them & all were excellent.
• Sonoma is really all about Pinot & Zin IMO.
  

2005 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

This year I ranked the wines per category from most favorite to least.

Sparklers

Robert Hunter Brut de Noirs 1997, $35
Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee Brut 1999, $28

Chardonnay

Buena Vista Clone Carneros Ramal Vyd 2003, $30
Navillus Birney Sonoma Mtn 2003, $30

Pinot Noir

Sonoma Coast Vyds Sonoma Coast 2002, $50
Chateau St Jean Sonoma Vly Durell Vyd 2002, $45
Navillus Birney Sonoma Coast 2003, $30
Hartford Sonoma Coast 2004, $26
Navillus Birney Sonoma Coast Katherine Vyd, $35
Brogan Russian River Vly Lingenfelder Vyd 2004, $48
D'Argenzio  Russian River Vly S Vyd, $36  (this wine appeared to be oxidized)

Cabernet Franc
(listed alphabetically because I didn't care for either)

Acorn Russian River Vly Alegria Vyd 2003, $28
Adobe Road Sonoma Mtn Bachmann Vyd 2001, $35

Sangiovese

Imagery Dry Creek Vly Polesky Vyds 2003, $25
Petroni Sonoma Vly Poggio Alla Pietra 2001, $55

Other Red

Trentadue La Storia Cuvee (sangiovese, cab, merlot) Alexander Vly, $32

Syrah

Brogan Dry Creek Vly Teldeschi Vyds 2003, $55
Wattle Creek Alexander Vly 2001 $25
Bella Dry Creek Vly Lily Hill Estate 2003, $34
Rosenblum Sonoma County Hillside Vyds 2003, $28

Zinfandel

Wilson Dry Creek Vly Sawyer Vyd 2003, $30
Trentadue La Storia Alexander Vly 2003 $28
Martin Family Dry Creek Vly Red Rooster 2002, $29
Hanna Sonoma Vly Bismark Mtn 2002, $51!
Armida "PoiZin" Dry Creek Vly 2004, $24
Bella Alexander Vly Big River Ranch 2004, $34
Martin Family Dry Creek Vly Crazy Horse 2002, $29
Armida Dry Creek Vly Maple Vyd 2004, $36
Mia's Playground Dry Creek Vly 2003, $16
Armida Alexander Vly Flora Ranch 2004, $34
Bella Dry Creek Vly Lily Hill Estate 2003, $30
Manzanita Creek Dry Creek Vly Carreras Ranch, $35
Carol Shelton Rockpile Florence Vyd 2003, $33
Ottimino Russian River Vly Von Weidlich Vyd 2002, $36

Bordeaux Blends

Clos du Bois Marlstone Alexander Vly 2002, $50
Alexander Vly Vyds Cyrus Alexander Vly 2001, $50
Valley of the Moon Cuvee de La Luna Sonoma County 2001, $35
Paradise Ridge Inspirations Rockpile 2002, $40
Sunce Meritage Sonoma County 2002, $48

Port

Trentadue Chocolate Amore Alexander Vly, $25
Loxton Sonoma Vly Englandcrest Vyd 2004, $25
Benziger Sonoma Vly Serres & Caton Vyds 2004, $35

Standouts:  Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot, Trentadue La Storia Cuvee, Brogan Syrah, Wilson Sawyer Zinfandel, Trentadue La Storia Zinfandel, Martin Family Red Rooster Zinfandel, Clos du Bois Marlstone.

Relative Bargains: Hartford Pinot, Imagery Sangiovese, Wattle Creek Syrah, Armida "PoiZin," Valley of the Moon Cuvee.

2004 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

I didn't take notes on individual wines this year, but have some more general observations.  I tasted primarily the more expensive wines since it cost the same per taste for a $12 wine or a $75 wine.

I was under whelmed by the more expensive Pinot Noirs this year.  These were mostly from the '02 vintage which is supposed to be a very good year for Pinot.  I had some pretty good Cabernets, Merlots and Bordeaux blends.   Also many good Sangiovese, Syrahs, and Zinfandels.

Standout wineries were Gopfrich and Stryker Sonoma.  Also liked Everett Ridge, Moon Mtn, and Sunce.

Some standout wines:

• Alexander Valley Vineyards Cyrus 2000. A $50 Meritage
• Trentadue La Storia Meritage 2000, $45
• Everett Ridge Syrah 2001, $28
• Gopfrich Vyd Syrah 2002, $28
• Moon Mountain Vyd Syrah 2002, $30
• Spann Vyds Mo Jo (that's really the name) 2001, $30. Mostly Sangiovese (a Super Tuscan blend)
• Stryker Sonoma Cabernet Franc 2002, $35. I've met very few Cab Francs I like. This one was the best.

2003 Sonoma County Harvest Fair Tasting Notes

2002 Sonoma County Harvest Fair Tasting Notes

My "tasting theme" for 2002 was:  I tasted red wines only, mostly wines you couldn't normally taste at the winery, many that won the highest awards, wineries I hadn't heard of, and I went mostly for the higher priced stuff. 

Barbera

Sebastiani 2000 Sonoma Vly, $15. Won Best of Class (there were only six entries). An excellent Barbera. Very well done. A great deal. 
Imagery 2000 Sonoma Vly, $31. Clean, clear, no real varietal characteristics. Couldn't tell what variety of wine I was drinking.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Camellia 1999 Dry Creek Vly Lencioni Vyd, $45. Closed in and tannic. 
Coyote Crest 2000 Alexander Vly Dos Rojos, $28. Voted Best of Class. Licorice is the main descriptor. Soft, subtle, well-rounded. Not sure if it has the backbone to age. 
Michel-Schlumberger 1999 Dry Creek Vly Reserve, $75. Bursting with flavors, complex. Everything you want in a Cab. Oh yeah! 
Selby 1999 Alexander Vly, $40. Spicy, soft, smooth. Excellent drinking now or within a couple of years. 

Pinot Noir

Brogan 2001 Russian River Valley, $45. Red wine Sweepstakes Winner (voted best of fair). Cherry nose. Cherries and tobacco flavors; mostly fruit. A bit simple. Fairly well balanced, but maybe a bit too much “fruit forward.” 
Brogan 2001 Russian River Valley Lone Redwood Ranch, $52. Less fruit than the other Brogan Pinot. More tobacco, leather, dirt. More complex. 
Deerfield Ranch 2000 Russian River Valley Cohn Vyd, $48. Not much nose. Light color. Not much fruit, but otherwise some deep Pinot flavors--tobacco is prominent. 
Dutton-Goldfield 2000 Russian River Valley Maurice Galante Vyd Pinot Noir, $55. Deep, dark color, but a bit dull. Closed in. A bit hot. A big Pinot--would want to try this again in a year. 
Gary Farrell 2000 Russian River Valley Rochioli-Allen Vyds, $60. Not much nose. Nice flavors up front, but nothing at the end--very short finish (maybe needs some time to open up?). 
Hartford Court 2000 Russian River Valley Arrendell Vyd, $65. A near perfect fruit/tobacco/spice/alcohol balance. Soft, but good depth and complexity. Excellent. 
Seven Lions 2000 Russian River Vly, $35. (I believe it was the $35 Pinot I tasted, not their $65 Butch & David’s Knoll Vyd). Big, fruity, acidic. Fruit & acids are distinct; not integrated. The opposite of an elegant Pinot. Very similar style to their Zinfandel.

Meritage

Gary Farrell 1999 Sonoma County Encounter, $60. Woody nose. Nice, soft, but will be nicer in a couple of years. Excellent balance. Elegant. 
Lancaster 1999 Alexander Vly Meritage, $80. Deep, rich nose. Deep color. Deep, rich flavors. A bit tannic--not ready yet. Cabernet flavors. A real mouthful. 

Petite Sirah

Trentadue 2000 Alexander Vly Estate, $20. Voted Best of Class. Lots of fruit up front. Some mouth drying tannins in the finish. Enough fruit to hold for awhile so maybe in five or more years this one will be drinkable. 

Port

Trentadue 2000 Alexander Vly Estate Zinfandel Port, $25. Lots of fruit and alcohol, but in balance. You taste fruit. It doesn’t taste hot or pruney. 

Sangiovese

Alexander Valley Vyds 2000 Alexander Vly Estate, $20. Soft, creamy. A bit light on the color and fruit. 
Camellia 2000 Dry Creek Vly Merlo Vyds, $28. Voted Best of Class. Rich, fruity, a bit tart. Chianti-like. Needs a plate of spaghetti! 
Foppiano 2000 Alexander Vly, $17. Nice fruit and decent acid. No depth or complexity. A good sipping wine. A good deal. 

Syrah/Shiraz

Alexander Valley Vyds 2000 Alexander Vly Estate, $20. Voted Best of Class. Fruity, rich nose. Fruity and mouth-filling. Everything is up front, not much of a finish. Maybe it will open up.
Deerfield 2000 Sonoma Co Ladi’s Vyd, $40. An off nose (barn yard). A really mediocre wine. 
Dutton-Goldfield 2000 Russian River Vly Dutton Ranch Cherry Ridge Rd, $40. Very ordinary. 
Geyser Peak 1998 Sonoma Co Reserve, $40. Good color. Tannins, fruit, spices all there, but a bit overwhelmed by the tannins. A bit light in the flavors. 
Laurel Hill 2000 Alexander Vly Exsil Vyd, $30. Tannic, needs time, but there’s a lot there to age. 
Russian Hill 2000 Russian River Vly Tara Vyd, Ellen’s Block, $30. Just the 3rd leaf from these vines, but it shows promise. Soft, very fruity, nice drinking. Looking forward to trying the 2001. I would be more inclined to like this wine for $18. 
Selby 2000 Alexander Vly, $24. Nice fruit, easy drinking. A good “drink now” Syrah. 
Selby 1999 Alexander Vly Reserve, $35. Blended with some Cabernet. Bigger, more complex than their regular Syrah. Needs some time to age. Very good. 

Zinfandel

Battaglini 2000 Russian River Vly Old Vines Estate, $29. According to the pourer the vines are from 1885. A big, intense fairly well balanced Zin. Not for the faint-hearted. 
Battaglini 2000 Russian River Vly Old Vines (non-estate), $33. An old time big extracted Sonoma County style Zin. 
Battaglini 2000 Russian River Vly Twin Pines Ranch, $25. A big boy. The alcohol is a bit noticeable. 
Bella 1999 Dry Creek Vly Lily Hill, $28. Dark. Raspberries, peppery, and other spices. Excellent balance. Not a monster Zin, but a typical excellent “medium-sized” Sonoma Zin. 
Benzinger Family 1999 Dry Creek Vly Carreras Vyd, $35. A medium body, clean Zin with excellent fruit and balance. A bit inky and intense, but not overdone. Still a bit tight. It may be better in a year or two.
Gary Farrell 2000 Dry Creek Vly Maple Vyds, $30. An “elegant” Zin. A good wine, but most of the “zinness” removed. 
Hartford 2000 Russian River Vly Fanucchi-Wood Rd Vyd, $34. Smooth, fruity. Better balanced, more elegant than their Highwire Zin. 
Hartford 2000 Russian River Vly Highwire Vyd, $34. Smooth, vanilla, tannins, but the tannins overwhelm the fruit. 
Lake Sonoma 2000 Dry Creek Vly, $17. A great spicy Zin showing Dry Creek at its best. 
Pezzi-King 1999 Dry Creek Vly Estate, $28. A lighter color with a touch of brown. Peppery, but not a lot of fruit.
Pezzi-King 2000 Dry Creek Vly Maple Vyd, $30. Voted Best of Class. Spicy, fruity, big, but not too big. Rich and mouth-filling. Yes, it’s the Best of Class. 
Quivira 1999 Dry Creek Vly Dieden Vyds, $35. Dark, clean color. Not ready yet, but has all the makings of a wine that will come around. 
Quivira 2000 Dry Creek Vly Anderson Ranch, $35. Light color, brown edges, slightly dull. Soft fruits, a bit acidic. Too light. 
Sapphire Hill 2000 Russian River Vly Winberrie Vyd, $30. Fruity, a bit one-dimensional, but very nice. 
Seven Lions 2000 Russian River Vly Joe & Emily’s Vyds, $60!! Ripe, raspberry nose. Lots of fruit. Great spicy finish, but a bit acidic. Maybe it will age well. Not a typical Zin. 
Trentadue LaStoria 2000 Dry Creek Vly, $28. Rich, think, flavorful. Everything a Zin should be. 

Notes:

• Barberas would sell better, I think, if people realized how well they went with food.
• There are too many $30 Zins and $45 Pinots that just aren’t worth it. There were a lot of cheaper ones that won medals, but I was trying mostly the higher-priced wines. Remember when Cabernet prices used to be a lot higher than any other wine? Looks like other varietals are catching up.
• Pezzi-King was the hit of this years tasting judging by the long line at their table.
• Favorite wines:  
  • Michel-Schlumberger Cabernet and Lancaster  Meritage were outstanding and very expensive.
  • Pezzi-King  Maple Vyd Zinfandel
• Favorite wineries:
  • Trentadue and Bella were as impressive this year as they were last year.
  • Selby and Hartford were great this year
• Best deals (I only tried three under $20 wines):
  • Sebastiani 2000 Sonoma Vly Barbera at $15
  • Lake Sonoma 2000 Dry Creek Vly Zinfandel at $17

2001 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

Chardonnay

Hartford Court ‘99 Sonoma Coast Laura’s, $60. Gold medal and white wine Sweepstakes winner (voted best white wine at the fair). About 400 cases made. Creamy, nice fruit / wood balance, bit of a hot finish. “Balanced” is the key word on this wine. An excellent Chardonnay if you can find it and afford it. There is also a “Hartford,” not “Hartford Court” winery at the same address, but making slightly less expensive wines.
Ernest & Julio Gallo ‘98 Northern Sonoma Estate, $65. Silver medal. Bit of a barnyard nose, very creamy, high viscosity, not enough fruit. There are better Chardonnays for a lot less money.

Pinot Noir

Gary Farrell ’99 Russian River Valley, $34. Gold medal and voted best of class for Pinots over $20. Not much of a nose, excellent blend of flavors, nice complexity, fruit /wood /acids are balanced, but the wine is a bit simple. Maybe it needs time to open up.
Russian Hill ‘99 Leras Vineyard, $44. They received a Gold medal for this and for a $28 Russian River Valley (no vineyard designation) Pinot. Leathery nose, bit of a creamy vanilla taste, woody, slightly hot finish.
Castle Vineyards ‘99 Los Carneros Durell Vineyard, $45. Silver medal. Heavy, fruity nose, lots of fruit flavors in good balance with the other elements, bit of leather, medium depth and complexity. It's the fruit that really stands out. A very good wine that should get better.

Zinfandel

Lake Sonoma ‘99 Russian River Valley, $20. Gold medal and best of class. Loads of fruit with moderate acids, wood and alcohol. Lake Sonoma also won a gold for their $15 ‘99 Dry Creek Valley Zin.
Topolos ‘99 Dry Creek Valley Forchini Vineyards, $38. Gold medal. Dirty and dull. Overall not a bad wine--if it was $15.
Hartford ‘99 Russian River Valley Hartford Vineyard, $38. Deep, rich with raspberries. Needs time.
Rosenbloom ‘99 Dry Creek Valley Rockpile Road Vineyards, $22. Gold medal. Rich, smooth and creamy. Nice, but not outstanding. Rosenbloom also won a gold for it’s ‘99 Monte Rosso Zin at $28.
Bella ‘99 Dry Creek Valley Belle Canyon, $28. Gold medal. Raspberry, spice, vanilla, toasty oak. Big and fruity with good balance.
Bella ‘99 Alexander Valley Big River Ranch, $28. Silver medal. Dark and peppery with toasty oak. This year is the first release for this small Healdsburg winery and they are making very nice wines.
Mayo ‘00 Russian River Valley Ricci Vineyards, $35. Silver medal. Excellent concentrated fruit.
Mayo ‘99 Russian River Valley Ricci Vineyards, $25. Silver medal. Very peppery, a bit too much oak for the fruit. Mayo hasn’t been around long, but is making some excellent wines.
Alderbrook ‘00 Dry Creek Valley Standley Vineyard, $30. Silver medal. Too young! Too hot, too closed in. Might show better in a year. Alderbrook also won a silver for a 2000 $30 Russian River Valley Zinfandel.
Kunde ‘99 Sonoma Valley, $15. Silver medal. A nice, smooth, fruity Zin. Simple, but considering it’s the cheapest Zin tasted...
Trentadue ‘99 Alexander Valley La Storia, $28. Bronze medal. Medium body, soft, nice fruit. Excellent drinking.

Cabernet Sauvignon and blends

Rodney Strong ‘97 Alexander Valley Symmetry (Meritage), $55. Gold medal and red wine sweepstakes winner. Oaky, young, not much depth or complexity, not much fruit showing through the overwhelming oak.
Gary Farrell ‘98 Dry Creek Valley Bradford Mtn, $36. Silver Medal. Seems well made--clean and correctly balanced, except it’s too oaky and tannic now. Maybe in 3-5 years.
Michel-Schlumberger ‘97 Dry Creek Valley Resv., $60. Silver medal. Herbal, medium tannins, balanced, but not ready yet.
Sebastiani ‘98 Sonoma Valley Madrone Ranch, $46. Cherries, a bit dirty. Nothing outstanding.

Miscellaneous reds

Trentadue ‘98 Sonoma County La Storia Red Table Wine, $32. Silver medal. Spicy, pepper, mouth filling, lots of fruit. Excellent.
Meeker ‘99 Alexander Valley Ed Demostene Vineyard Carignane, $25. Silver medal. Soft, medium fruit and acids in excellent balance. Great pasta wine. Less than 400 cases made. Meeker does Carignane right.
Imagery ‘99 Sonoma Valley Barbera, $31. Silver medal. Clean, simple.

Biggest discoveries:

Bella Vineyards.
Trentadue’s La Storia wines.

Favorites:

Trentadue La Storia Read Table Wine.
Bella Belle Canyon Zinfandel.
Castle Durell Vyd Pinot Noir.

Best deal for the price:

Lake Sonoma Zinfandel.

Every year there seems to be one trendy, popular winery. In past years it's been Gary Farrell, David Caffaro (he didn't enter this year), Rafanelli (ditto). This year it's Imagery Estate (owned by Benziger). They make clean, drinkable, expensive wines.

2000 Harvest Fair

Cabernet
Michel-Schlumberger 96 Dry Creek reserve, $55. Thin, nothing to it.
Clos du Bois 98 Alexander Vly reserve, $20. A typical, excellent Alexander Vly cab. A great deal.
Wilson 94 Dry Creek Vly, Sydney Vyd, $32. Voted Best of Class for ’96 & older cabs. Spicy, sour. Not best of class.
Carmenet 97 Sonoma Vly reserve, $50. Excellent fruit, nice finish, may be at its peak.
Kendall-Jackson 97 Alexander Vly Buckeye Vyd, $45. Low fruit, high tannin, acidic. Lousy excuse for a 97 Alexander Vly cab.
Benzinger 97 Sonoma Co reserve, $45. Nice fruit in a good balance with the tannins. Not a blockbuster. “Balanced”, “nice” and "overpriced" keep coming to mind.
Dry Creek 97 Dry Crk Vly reserve, $35. Big. This one is a blockbuster. Reasonable amounts of alcohol and oak. Should age really well. This is one I'd buy to lay down.
Sebastiani 97 Sonoma Co, $19. Voted Best of Class for cabs under $20. The fruit / acid balance is right on. A great deal.
Geyser Peak ’97 Alexander Vly reserve, $40. Smooth, round, fruity. $40? No, maybe $20.

Merlot
Gary Farrell Russian River Vly Calypso Vyd, $34. Yes! It's got all the good things a Merlot needs.
Ledson 97 Sonoma Vly reserve, $50. Yes again. Spicy, fruity, chocolate, expensive.
Hanna 97 Sonoma Vly Bismark Ranch, $50. Good depth and balance, but not $50 worth.
Sonoma Creek 98 Sonoma Vly Sangiacomo Vyd, $30. An off nose.

Zinfandel
David Caffaro 99 Dry Creek Vly, $21. An excellent example of a Dry Creek zin. Not overly oaked or alcoholic. Well put together. Good deal at $21, if you can find it.
Dry Creek 97 Dry Creek Vly reserve, $30. Great Dry Creek fruit, but a bit hot.
Sebastiani 98 Sonoma Co Old Vine, $18. Excellent fruit. A great deal.
Gary Farrell 98 Dry Creek Vly Bradford Mtn, $28. So-so. Doesn’t have the fruit to age.
Rosenblum 98 Sonoma Co St. Peter’s Church, $40. Great depth, hot, inky, a Ravenswood-like zin.
Meeker 97 Dry Creek Vly, $17. 60-90 year old vines. Has the fruit, the spice and the balance. Meeker still makes one of the best Dry Creek zins.
Mayo 99 Russian River Vly Ricci Vyd, $30. Yes! Blackberries, pepper, everything a great zin needs. One of the best wines I tasted.
Forchini 98 Dry Creek Vly, $20. Big on fruit and alcohol, but balanced. An old style Sonoma County Italian red. 
Hartford 98 Russian River Vly Fanucchi-Wood, $28. Voted best red wine of the show. Spicy, mediocre fruit—and a mediocre wine. Fruit / tannins out of balance.

Pinot Noir
Deloach 99 Russian River Vly OFS, $40. Rich with tannins in balance. Should age well.
Davis Bynum Le Pinot 98 Russian River Vly Rochioli Vyd, $60. Rich and fruity, but may not have the backbone to age, but it’s from Rochioli Vineyard so it should be good.
Castle 98 Los Carneros, $24. Voted Best of Class. Acidic. Not best of class.
Kenwood 98 Russian River Vly reserve Olivet, $30. A little young, but lots of potential. 
Chateau St. Jean 98 Sonoma Co, $16. A good wine; a great wine for the price.

Syrah
Hanna 97 Sonoma Vly Bismark Ranch, $45. Earthy, fruity. Great depth and richness. Somewhat lacking in depth, but still one of the best wines I tasted. It's crying out for a beef roast.
Selby 98 Sonoma Co, $20. Voted Best of Class. Has depth, but not smooth, sharp around the edges, but may age well.

Other reds
Venezia Sangiovese. 96 Russian River Vly Alegria Vyd, $24. (Apparently Venezia is a Geyser Peak label). Stinky, sour, no fruit.
Field Stone Petite Sirah. Good as always. Excellent fruit for a Petite.
Meeker Carignane. 98 Alexander Vly Ed Demostene Vyd, $25. 102 year old vines. Wow. The best Carignane I’ve ever tasted (admittedly, I haven't had a lot of Carignanes). Somebody quick, give me a plate of spaghetti and meatballs!

Sparkling wines
Korbel 98 Sonoma County Natural, $13. The dryness exposes the mediocre fruit. It's a good buy anyway.
Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Co Blanc de Noirs, $18. Well-rounded. As good as always.

Trendy micro-wineries:
First there was Gary Farrell, then David Caffaro, this year it's Mayo. Farrell didn't show that well this year. Mayo is a very small operation planning on expanding to 10,000 cases. Can they retain the quality?

Other ramblings:
This fair confirmed my belief of not buying on price. Some of the best wines were some of the least expensive.
Sebastiani seems to be making a comeback by making some excellent wines at good prices.
Merlot prices, along with its popularity, continue to skyrocket. It looks like zinfandel might be next.

1999 Harvest Fair

 Misc. Ramblings

1998 

• Merlots are very popular now and there are a lot of Merlots around.  Most aren't very good as wine makers are scrambling for grapes.  Who knows what they're using for "extenders."  Stick to the wineries you already know make good Merlot.
• Gary Farrell just keeps on making some of the best wines around.
• There are some really good Pinot Noirs out there now. Too bad they're so expensive.
• There's some really good Syrahs out there too and they're way too expensive.

1997

• Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Rochioli Vyd $50. Lots of fruit, but no classic burgundy flavors.
• Stonestreet Pinot Noir Russian River Vly $30.  Best in class?  $30?  I don't think so.
• Sebastiani Barbera Sonoma Cask $18.  Give me a plate of spaghetti and a bottle of this stuff!
• Stonestreet Legacy (Meritage) Alexander Vly $50.  Pretty good, but not ready yet. $50?  Try $25.
• Geyser Peak Shiraz Reserve $32.  Consistently one of the best Syrahs around.
• Deloach Zinfandel OFS Russian River Vly $27.   Expensive for a Zin, but it's the best wine I tasted. Others agreed it was a  great wine. 
• Dry Creek Zinfandel Reserve $20.  Too hot.
• Dry Creek Zinfandel Old Vines $16.  Now this is Zin. Something you can chew on!
• Gary Farrell Zinfandel Russian River Vly $20.  The Sweepstakes winner. Classic Gary Farrell.  A very good wine, but not a great wine.   Certainly worth the price.   
• Gary Farrell Zinfandel Grist Ranch $24.  This one's good too. All of Gary's wines are good!
• Philip Staley Zinfandel Somers Vyds $18.  I'd never heard of this guy and after tasting his wine I probably won't again. A decent $10 wine.
• Sebastiani Zinfandel Domenici Vyds $18. Another good Sebastiani wine. Still has a little of that redwood  odor. I hope they're not using any redwood tanks on an $18 wine.  Maybe they think wine is supposed to smell like redwood? Anyway, it wasn't enough to not like this good fruity Zin

General notes:
Tasted my first $50 wines.  They were OK.  What the heck is happening to Sonoma County?
There are a lot of great Zinfandels around.
Deloach.  Great Zins.  Great OFS wines (their reserves).   
My favorites were the Deloach OFS Zinfandel, Stonestreet Legacy, Dry Creek Old Vines Zin and the Geyser Peak Shiraz.

1996

• Gloria Ferrer makes the best sparkling wines around.

1995

• David Coffaro. Where'd he come from and where can I buy some?
• Can't find any good cabernets.

1994

• Gary Farrell. Wow.  Everything he makes is great.

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This page last updated on 10/06/08