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red wine is a sneak preview of a nice Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast that will be in LCBO VINTAGES on .
I had the opportunity to taste (and enjoy) both the 2013 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and 2014 La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir last year and have similar expectations for this latest vintage from La Crema. The 2015 vintage was a bit of a challenge in Sonoma County due to the unusually cool weather in April and May, which led to low yields. Having said that, the grapes that were picked were of good quality.
For 2015, the fruit was hand-sorted and gently de-stemmed, with 70% whole berries in tank. Next, the grapes were cold-soaked at 48°F for three days, fermented primarily in open-top tanks and punched down three times per day during active fermentation. Post-fermentation free run was then transferred to tanks for one night of settling before racking to (20%) new and (80%) used French oak barrels, and raised for 9 months.
Tasting Note:
LA CREMA SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR 2015 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#719435) (XD) - $29.95
Red cherry and plum aromas from the cork. In this glass, this has medium-high intensity aromas of red cherry, raspberry, sweet tobacco, earth and whiffs of black tea and strawberry. The palate is medium bodied and fleshy with a mixed berry medley of blackberry, cherry, and blueberry flavours layered on top of oak spice notes. Some tea leaf notes on the mid-palate. Succulent acids are fresh and juicy. Fine tannins offer a smooth mouthfeel. Cherry, earth, exotic spice, and tea leaf notes linger on the long finish. I really like the subtle tea leaf note that's found throughout. A fine, balanced wine from a reliable producer to enjoy over the next 3-4 years. Score: 89 pts
wine review is the latest vintage of the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay from La Crema Winery. It is being featured as the Wine of the Month in the upcoming LCBO VINTAGES Release.
In 2015, warmer winter temperatures resulted in earlier bud break, while cooler than average temperatures delayed bloom and led to lower yields compared to the previous three years. Veraison also came early, and a warm, dry summer led to one of the earliest harvests on record for the Sonoma Coast AVA, with harvest beginning by mid-August.
This delicious white wine will be widely available at LCBO outlets across Ontario within a couple of weeks.
Tasting Note:
LA CREMA SONOMA COAST CHARDONNAY 2015 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#962886) (XD) - $29.95
For 2015, this wine spent 9 months in primarily French oak (some American), 19% of which is new. Tropical fruit and lemon citrus aromas from the cork. It's quite fragrant in the glass with creamy, buttery, lemony, tropical fruit and slightly lactic aromas. The palate is full-bodied and very ripe with pear and butter flavours, along with touches of white peach and woodsmoke. It's creamy with fresh, balanced acidity. The finish is long and bitter with a fine chalky mineral texture. A rich Chardonnay that deserves to be paired with rich seafood dishes or chicken. Score: 89 pts
Back in , I had the pleasure of visiting Sonoma Wine Country for the very first time. This wine region has been on my radar for a while now, especially after the disappointment of not being able to visit Sonoma during my visit to nearby Napa Valley in 2012. After conducting various online searches and getting recommendations from friends of friends who had been to Sonoma previously, I settled on visiting 4 wineries, two of which who were new to me.
Sonoma County is quite a large and diverse wine region - also bigger than Napa Valley - comprising of various topographies, microclimates, and soil types. Almost 60,000 acres are planted with grapes, with the majority planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon - the 3 grapes I was most looking forward to tasting on this trip.
The first stop was the furthest - about 1.5 hours north of home base (Concord) - and located within the Alexander Valley AVA, just west of the town of Healdsburg. Stonestreet Estate Vineyards is known for their premium, high-quality Mountain Vineyard wines. I tasted a few of their wines over the years back home in Toronto and was thoroughly impressed, thus increasing my desire to the visit the winery. It was founded by Jess Stonestreet Jackson (of Jackson Family Wines) and Barbara Banke in 1995 and has since been passed on to their son Christopher Jackson and his wife Ariel. As we tasted through the lineup, we were told that the grapes for the wines came from the mountain seen in the far distance between the two mountains in the fore (pictured above/left). There is a very cool digital mountain map on their website that shows where each of their vineyards are located on the mountain. It would have been very cool to go to the vineyards to get a closer look - perhaps on my next visit? Nevertheless, the wines here are excellent!
The next stop, as we made our way back to home base, was Holdredge Wines - a small, family winery located within the town of Healdsburg. It was chosen based on a recommendation from a friend of a friend, and also on the fact that these wines aren't available in Ontario. The winery exists in a red barn that dates back to the late 1800s and has a long, rich history of continuous use, including during prohibition! The husband and wife team of John and Carri Holdredge (unfortunately didn't get to meet either of them) formed the winery back in 2001 with the intention of making what they knew best - Zinfandel and Syrah. However, that same year, renowned grower Saralee Kunde offered to sell some Pinot Noir to John and the wine took off. Today, Holdredge Wines now works with 14 different Pinot Vineyards all over Sonoma County - and no Zinfandel or Syrah. The wines are produced in a minimal interventionist style and I managed to taste through 6 Pinots - each sourced from a different vineyard - and there wasn't a bad wine in the group. I enjoyed all of them and am somewhat regretting the fact that I didn't pick up a bottle or two to bring to home as they offered relatively good value.
Our third stop of the day was in the heart of the Russian River Valley at Inman Family Wines. The same fellow that recommended Holdredge Wines also recommended this small, family winery. The Inman story begins in the year 2000, when the Inman Family planted seven+ acres of Pinot Noir, and a patch of Pinot Gris on their ten-acre Olivet Grange property on Olivet Road. Winemaker Kathleen Inman's love for gardening began as a child and continues to this day, and in our brief conversation showed a lot passion and enthusiasm for her wines. The winery is committed to employing environmentally responsible, sustainable farming practices and using natural winemaking techniques. The organic fertilizers used in the vineyard are nutrient-rich and named "Four-Course Compost" because it is derived from the table scraps of high-end San Francisco restaurants. Production is small, with only 5,000 cases produced, and every wine is capped under Stelvin screw cap. We sat outside on the patio and tasted through quite a few wines, with reviews of my favourites - all single vineyard Pinot Noir - provided below. Unfortunately, these quality wines are also not available in Ontario.
The final stop of the day was a short drive away to La Crema Winery. The winery was founded in 1979, but in June 2016 they opened up their new estate at Saralee's Vineyard. The centrepiece is the visitor experience centre sits in an historic barn that dates back to 1900 and sits on a knoll overlooking the storied Saralee's Vineyard. It was a bit chilly and windy outdoors, so we opted for only a tour of the building. Originally a hop barn, it later became the family home of Richard and Saralee Kunde, and thus felt very warm, cozy and inviting. This is a place where you can come visit, lose sense of time, and easily spend a whole afternoon tasting the many different wines on offer. We ended up spending the most time here as there were many delicious wines to taste, but also because we got quite comfortable and found it difficult to leave. Reviews of some of my favourite La Crema wines are posted below.
Overall, I was very pleased with my first ever visit to Sonoma County. Quite often we'll see single vineyard bottles, but never get to the see the vineyard itself because it's somewhere off-property that's relatively inaccessible. One thing I really appreciated as we drove along was that there were signs at every vineyard indicating the name of that vineyard, some names which I actually recognized. To see a vineyard name on a bottle, and then be able to see the vineyard with your own eyes was quite satisfying and visualized the sense of place.
I would've preferred to visit a couple of more wineries, but the 425+ wineries in Sonoma County are widely scattered across this large region. As such, it is somewhat difficult to cover many wineries in a single day. Another trip (or five) to this region is most definitely required to fully appreciate the wines from this area, including visiting the many small, family-run houses whose wines aren't available in Ontario.
And lastly, I was very satisfied with the quality of the Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir I tasted on this visit. I was especially impressed with the Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley, as well as the mountain vineyard Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons. If you wish to acquire any of these wines, please contact the agent in Ontario (B&W Wines) for availability and ordering of Stonestreet and La Crema wines. To order Holdredge and Inman Family wines, please contact the winery directly, or better yet - go visit them in Sonoma County in person!
Tasting Notes:
STONESTREET COUGAR RIDGE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY 2013 - Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (D) - $55
From south-facing vineyards at an elevation of 850 feet. The nose is a bit shy, but has hints of apple, golden pear, butter, sweet vanilla and hints of pineapple. It's fairly light-weighted with fresh, crisp, balanced and very nice, ripe-fruited aroma replays showing a touch of sweetness. Nicely balanced, with hints of butterscotch, toffee, and caramel on the long finish. Score: 90 pts
STONESTREET UPPER BARN CHARDONNAY 2013 - Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#253542) (XD) - $90
From vines planted in 1973 at an elevation between 1,600 - 1,800 feet, this also initially had a closed that hinted at light green apple, minerals, vanilla, and butter. It really started to open up with time in the glass. Medium-bodied with balanced acids and flavours of pineapple, pear, and subtle oak spice. A delicate and elegant wine with touches of butter and vanilla notes on the long finish. Score: 92 pts
STONESTREET BEAR POINT VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (XD) - $60
Sourced from vines at an elevation between 1,000 - 1,200 feet, this has a very lifted fruit-forward nose of dark cherry, blackberry and sweet cedar oak spices adding complexity. It's full-bodied with appealing currant, cassis, blackberry, black cherry, and sweet oak spice flavours. Acids are fresh, while the ripe, refined tannins provide support, handling the 14.5% abv well. There's very good depth of fruit. Excellent length on the finish with a fine mineral streak. Score: 91 pts
STONESTREET ROCKFALL VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 - Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (#249367) (XD) - $100
From vines at 2,200 feet above sea level and above the fog line, this warmer site has produced a Cab that's highly aromatic that's earthy and terroir-driven profile, backed by black cherry, blackberry, and dark currant notes. It's full-bodied with firm tannins and nicely balanced, complex aroma replays. Acids are mouth-watering, while the finish length is excellent and offers currant and hints of mint and cassis flavours. Still a bit tight and should be better in 2-3 and enjoy over the next decade or two. Score: 93 pts
HOLDREDGE "SHAKEN NOT STIRRED" PINOT NOIR 2013 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (XD) - $45
Made from only the Martini clone from Saralee's Vineyard, this offers a lovely complex bouquet of cherry, cola, black tea, black cherry and some earthy aromas of medium-to-high intensity. It's light-weighted with refined tannins with appealing fruit-forward aroma replays along with some earthy spice notes. Acids are bright and refreshing, while the finish length is excellent. Score: 91 pts
HOLDREDGE "THE TRUE" PINOT NOIR 2014 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (XD) - $50
The grapes for this wine are from a single-vineyard in Annapolis, in northern Sonoma. Highly aromatic with lovely floral, black tea, cherry and mineral nose. It's medium-bodied with very nice aroma replays on the palate supported by good tannic structure and crisp, fresh acids. Excellent finish length. Drinking well now, but will improve in 3-4 years. Score: 91+ pts
HOLDREDGE "JUDGMENT TREE" PINOT NOIR 2013 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (XD) - $70
From the Rochioli Vineyard, 5 miles south of the winery, this has clean, well-balanced and complex aromas of black tea, cherry, earth and sweet spice aromas. It is medium-bodied on the palate with racy acids, fine tannic structure, and very nice aroma replays. Harmonious and showing plenty of finesse, while also having juicy acids and a long-lasting finish. Highly drinkable now, but should improve further over the coming 5 years. Score: 92 pts
INMAN FAMILY SEXTON ROAD RANCH PINOT NOIR 2013 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (XD) - $68
The nose is medium-to-high intensity and features lovely ripe fruited cherry, earth and spice aromas. It's medium-bodied with integrated, crunchy tannins and a flavour profile that continues from the aromas, joined by compelling incense flavours. It has juicy acids and finishes long with exotic spice notes. Score: 90 pts
INMAN FAMILY THORN RIDGE RANCH PINOT NOIR 2012 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (XD) - $68
Medium-high intensity nose offers lovely black tea, earth, dark cherry, and blackberry aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with very nice, well-balanced aroma replays, and tannins that are a touch chalky. Nicely spiced mid-palate. The finish is a touch on the sweet side, showing some mature dried fruit/floral characters. Lovely stuff. Score: 90+ pts
INMAN FAMILY OGV ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2013 - Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA (XD) - $73
The medium-high intensity nose has appealing aromas of cherry, sweet spice, and some dried cherry and floral aromas. It's medium-bodied with refined tannins providing an elegantly structured mouthfeel and very pleasing aroma replays. Balanced acids. Nice wood spice notes linger on the long finish. Drinkable now or age at least 3 years and drink to 2024. Score: 92 pts
LA CREMA SARALEE'S VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2013 - Russian River Valley, California, USA (XD) - $50
Aged in a mix of new and used French oak for 9 months, this has complex medium-high intensity aromas of bing cherry, earth, cola, white pepper and mushroom. The palate is medium-bodied with gritty tannins, fresh acids and nice earthy aroma replays along with hints of dark cherry. Fine finish length. Score: 89 pts
LA CREMA FOG VEIL PINOT NOIR 2013 - Russian River Valley, California, USA (XD) - $50
Sourced from a vineyard located in the Santa Rosa Plains, this has medium-high intensity aromas of tea leaves, red cherry and plum. On the light-to-medium bodied palate, it has flavours of dark berry, cherry, black plum and subtle oak spice. It has balanced acids, refined tannins, and a long, spiced finish. Score: 89 pts
LA CREMA CHEHALEM MOUNTAINS PINOT NOIR 2012 - Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA (XD) - $45
Medium-high aromatics offer pretty hibiscus flower, tea leaves, red cherry and more exotic floral notes. It's light-weighted with lovely floral aroma replays. Acids are balanced and crunchy tannins are well-integrated. The finish is long with hints of dried fruit. Score: 90 pts
All prices in this post are the local price in Sonoma in USD.
wine was released into VINTAGES last Spring and will be back as part of the LCBO VINTAGES Release on .
This wine is produced by La Crema, a winery emphasizing boutique, small-batch winemaking and a commitment to sustainability. I had the opportunity to visit this Sonoma winery in October and will be reporting on this in the near future - stay tuned.
The fruit for this wine comes from various vineyards across the diverse region of Sonoma Coast, including the Laghlin, Fulton, Ramal, Saralee's, Shiloh and Kelli Ann vineyards. The vintage was very good, with the weather co-operating beautifully by offering ample sunshine to achieve optimal ripeness and flavour development, while the cooling breezes maintained vibrant acidity. The wine spent 7 months in barrel, mostly French and some American, 18% new.
Tasting Note:
LA CREMA SONOMA COAST CHARDONNAY 2014 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#962886) (XD) - $29.95
Aromas of peach, stone fruit and apple with a twist honey from the cork. Lovely medium+ intensity ripe apple, lemon citrus, pear, butterscotch, sweet vanillan oak aromas with a whiff of mineral at the tail end. The rich palate is medium-full bodied with bright, balanced acids. It's dry with pleasing aroma replays and hints of lemon peel. Moderate use of oak is nicely integrated. Well-balanced overall. Hints of mineral linger on the long finish. Finely crafted, deserves rich seafood or pair with poultry. Enjoy over the next 3-4 years. Score: 90 pts
La Crema has been practising small-batch winemaking since 1979, focusing on cool-climate appellations. The grapes for this white wine come from Los Carneros, an AVA that includes parts of both Sonoma and Napa, and located just north of San Pablo Bay. The area is a combination of soft, rolling hills, wide-open skies, rocky soils, cooling fog, and late-afternoon breezes sweeping up from the bay to naturally cool the countryside.
Conditions for the 2014 vintage were once again near ideal. The final blend of this Chardonnay consists of fruit from 7 block of the Ramal West estate vineyard in the Los Carneros appellation. It contains several less common clones such as 131, Calera, Mount Eden and Long, grown on a combination of Haire clay loam and Diablo clay soils. Furthermore, all blocks and clones were kept separate until the final blending.
Tasting Note:
LA CREMA LOS CARNEROS CHARDONNAY 2014 - Los Carneros, California, USA (#184929) (XD) - $39.95
100% Chardonnay that is barrel-fermented and aged for 9 months in 100% French oak barrels, 28% new. Spring meadow and lemon peel aromas from the cork. This fragrant and inviting oaked Chardonnay has a nose of vanilla, butter, ripe pear and apple. It's full bodied and rich on the palate with a creamy, leesy texture that's balanced by high acids. More vanilla, butter, binned apple, and ripe pear flavours with hints of blood orange and wet stone on the long finish. Nicely balanced overall and richly textured, it's ideal for pairing with rich seafood dishes or poultry. Best enjoyed with only a light chill. Score: 92 pts
Made by La Crema, the grapes for this wine come from a winery nestled in a long valley in Monterey, California. On one end of the valley is Monterey Bay, while on the other end is Central California.
La Crema has been making wine since 1979, with an emphasis on small-batch winemaking and a commitment to sustainability. The winery's philosophy of gentle handling produces uniquely expressive, elegant and quality wines such as this Pinot Noir.
Tasting Note:
LA CREMA PINOT NOIR 2014 - Monterey County, California, USA (#367896) (XD) - $26.95
Red and black cherry with hints of black plum and tea from the cork. Lifted nose of red cherry, raspberry, and black tea layered on top of earthy aromas. The palate is medium-bodied and very juicy with more aroma replays shining through along with some cedar oak flavours. There's fresh, juicy acidity on the mid-palate, and supple tannin that will allow for short-term ageing. Plenty of earthy, forest floor flavours on the long finish. Well made and a pleasure to sip. Score: 89 pts
wine is a sneak peak of the La Crema Monterey Chardonnay that will be on LCBO VINTAGES shelves across Ontario on .
Originally named La Crema Vinera, meaning "best of the vine", the once family-owned and operated winery concentrated on exclusively on cool-climate appellations, while emphasizing boutique, small-batch winemaking to produce elegant, quality wines.
This Chardonnay comes from the cool-climate vineyards in Monterey that are nestled in a long valley with Monterey Bay on one side and Central California on the other. The cool-climate means that grapes spend more time on the vine, and 2014 was an especially long, cool growing season in Monterey. The winemaker is Elizabeth Grant-Douglas, born and educated in Canada, and has been part of the La Crema team since 2001, becoming head winemaker in 2010.
Tasting Note:
LA CREMA CHARDONNAY 2014 - Monterey, California, USA (#158683) (XD) - $26.95
Lemon and ripe fruited aromas from the cork. Aromas of medium intensity showing butter, poached apple, butterscotch and orchard fruits. Full bodied on the palate with butterscotch and baked apple flavours, along with hints of caramel. There's hints of sweetness on the palate and notable oak influence, but it's not overdone. It has delicate acids and good length on the slightly warming finish. Score: 88 pts
This red wine will be on LCBO shelves this coming as part of the VINTAGES Release.
It was interesting to taste the 2013 and 2014 back-to-back. The style is essentially the same, but you can see that the 2013 has had some evolution in the bottle with the softer, rounder tannins.
Tasting Note:
LA CREMA PINOT NOIR 2013 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#719435) (XD) - $31.95
Wood and intriguing potpourri aromas from the cork. Soft, medium intensity nose of cherry, cedar, earth and some sour fruited tones. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet, ripe red fruits, cedar wood, earth and hints of cocoa that linger on the long finish. Some dried herb notes emerge with time in the glass. Well-balanced overall with good acidity and dusty tannins that are soft and nicely integrated. Enjoy over the next couple of years. Score: 88 pts
The 375 mL half-size bottle (#732040, $17.95) will also be available on LCBO VINTAGES shelves on .
wine is a sneak preview of a wine that will be released in LCBO VINTAGES later this year in Fall/Winter 2016.
La Crema was founded in 1979 and was family-owned and operated while concentrating on cool-climate appellations. The winery emphasizes boutique, small-batch winemaking with a commitment to sustainability and a philosophy of gentle handling of fruit to produce elegant and quality wines.
The winery's commitment to sustainability in the vineyard includes the use of sustainable farming techniques, being water wise, and the use of natural predators and the introduction of insects to reduce the need for pesticides. In the winery, energy comes from a photovoltaic (PV) solar array, as well as the use of Tesla batteries to reduce La Crema's use of electricity from the grid during peak times. Furthermore, water conservation and reuse in a closed loop systems helps reduce the amount of water that is used.
Surprisingly, there is a Canadian connection to this Sonoma-based winery. Elizabeth Grant-Douglas was born and educated in Canada and has been part of the La Crema team since 2001, eventually becoming head winemaker in 2010.
Tasting Note:
LA CREMA PINOT NOIR 2014 - Sonoma Coast, California, USA (#719435) (XD) - $31.95
Cherry, strawberry and wood aromas from the cork. Medium+ intensity aromas of tilled earth, dried spice, dark cherry and whiffs of olive. It's light-to-medium bodied with black cherry, tea leaf, strawberry, earth and some spice flavours framed by juicy acids. Tannins are light and supple. Dark fruits, vanilla and wood notes linger on the long finish. Enjoy this yummy Pinot over the next 2-3 years. Score: 89 pts
This wine should also be available in 1/2 bottle size format (#732040) for $17.95.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
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