Passalacqua Winery

Passalacqua has a lovely tasting room just off of Dry Creek Road at 3805 Lambert Bridge Road.  They are situated in the middle of a mass of vineyards, from which they produce some wonderful Zinfandels and Cabs, along with other fine wines.

We started our tasting with a nice barrel-fermented 2008 Dry Creek Valley Chardonnay ($30, 225 cases produced).  It was on the lighter side of creamy/buttery, with nice fruit and a long finish.

We moved on to my personal favorite, the 2009 Lavender Hill Primitivo ($37, 226 cases).  Primitivo is in the Zin family, and this one has a wonderfully bright nose.  Previous vintages of this wine have sold out fast, so I'd recommend jumping right in and getting some before it's gone.

Next, we tasted three Zinfandels, the 2009 Dry Creek Valley Estate Vineyard ($36, 298 cases), the 2008 Russian River Valley Viti della Nebbia ($35), and the 2008 Dry Creek Valley Bevill Heirloom ($36, 237 cases).  While all were good, we were particularly taken with the complex Bevill Heirloom and the fruit forward Viti della Nebbia with its tantalizing cherry nose, both of which we took home with us.

We followed the Zins with a smooth 2008 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($45, 316 cases).  The Passalacqua website winemaker notes say, "This enticing blend is composed of fruit from Blocks 2, 4 and 18 & 19 of the TR Passalacqua Vineyard, offering classic Cabernet flavors of blackberry, cassis and black cherry. Vanilla and the spice of black pepper, cardomom and cinnamon complement the rich texture of this Cabernet. Two years of aging in thin-staved Taransaud and Demptos French oak barrels tame the tannins and round out the long, lovely finish of this carefully blended classic."

Finally, we tasted a big, bold Super Tuscan (with 72% Sangiovese and 28% Cab), the Radici della Famiglia Due ($56, 143 cases).  This wine is available only to Private Access members, along with a dozen other wines from their Private Collection.

Passalacqua has four levels of their wine club, ranging from four bottles three times a year (Dapprima), to a case six times a year (Ultimo).  Members receive discounts and free tasting for themselves and guests.  Additionally, Private Access members have a list of Private Collection wines to choose from as well.

The Passalacqua website is at http://www.passalacquawinery.com/.  The winery is another worthwhile stop in Dry Creek Valley.

Kokomo Winery

You don’t expect much when you first step into the Kokomo Winery tasting room.  It’s located at 4791 Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg in a group of tasting rooms around a large common parking lot.  Entering the Kokomo tasting room, you find a barrel warehouse, with a couple of counters and some merchandise cabinets at the front, almost as though they said, “Well, we have this space left over in front of our barrel room, what should we do with it?”  The lack of pretension, though, leaves lots of room for some surprising wines. 

The first time I visited I was wowed by two wines in particular, an unusual Grenache Rose and the Winemaker’s Reserve Peters Vineyard Pinot Noir.  My second visit I repeated those purchases, taking the last bottle of the Rose in their stock.  This last visit, though, I found some new wines to be excited about.  And apparently I’m not the only one impressed by their latest showings.  Kokomo did quite well in the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, with two Best of Class awards (the 2009 Peters Vineyard Chardonnay and the 2009 Pauline’s Vineyard Zinfandel), a Double Gold (the 2009 Peters Vineyard Pinot Noir),  a Gold (the 2009 Pauline’s Vineyard Merlot), and a Bronze (the 2009 North Coast Cuvee).

We started our tasting with the 2009 Peters Vineyard Chardonnay ($28, 665 cases), which fit in well with my sweetie's preference for buttery/creamy Chards.  The website's Winemaker Notes for this wine say, "This Chardonnay is done in a Burgundian style.  Sur lees method and secondary fermentation were used to increase the palate complexity.  The cool growing region is the reason for the acidity in this wine.  This Chardonnay has pineapple, creme brulee, & honeysuckle aromas.  The big, juicy mouth feel is followed by apple pie & vanilla with a clean finish.  It should drink well now through the next 5-7 years."

Next up was the 2009 Gopher Hill Block Pinot Noir from Peters Vineyard ($42, 200 cases).  This wine received a 91 from Wine Review.  Winemaker Notes call this wine, “Floral and Delicate, showing the feminine side of the varietal, this wine shows beautiful rose petals with a red apple-skin character.” 

The next wines were the surprises, for me anyway.  Two Zinfandels, one from each side of Dry Creek Valley.  From the west side, the 2009 Mounts Vineyard ($28, 200 cases).  This vineyard gets the morning sun.  The result is a floral nose, less jammy than its compatriot.  My sweetie said it even tasted like flowers.  From the east side, the 2009 Timber Crest Vineyard Winemaker’s Reserve ($32, 190 cases).  This vineyard gets the afternoon sun, producing the jammy flavors that I prefer.  Both wines were wonderful.  We bought both and shared them at a dinner party last weekend.

Our tasting ended with the 2008 Dry Creek Valley Petit Sirah ($27, 174 cases), with was a dark, rich red and earned 90 points from the Wine Review, and a 2008 Malbec from Windsor Oaks Vineyard, which is in very low supply.

Of the wines we tasted, only the Gopher Hill Pinot, the Peters Vineyard Chardonnay, the Petit Sirah, and the Mounts Zin are available online through their website (www.kokomowinery.com).  Along with the two Zins, we also purchased one of the Chards and  a Peters Vineyard Pinot Noir.  I have also seen Kokomo Wines for sale on either WTSO or Lot18, I can’t remember which.  I purchased a three-pack of their Windsor Oaks Pinot from the site for a pretty good price.

If you are visiting Healdsburg, this tasting room is worth a visit…not for the luscious décor or the fantastic view that you will find at some wineries, but for the wonderful wines you will taste.  That, after all, is what it’s all about…right?