Papapietro Perry Winery

Across the parking lot from Kokomo, at 4791 Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, is the Papapietro Perry Winery tasting room.  Aside from being a fun name to pronounce ...Papapietro Perry... the winery makes some wonderful wines.  Pinot Noirs mostly, though they do have a tasty Zin on their list and a Chardonnay they typically sell out.

We visited a couple of weekends ago and were treated to some of their best stuff, starting with the 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($46, 1220 cases).  This wine received 92 points from the Pinot Report and 90 points from Wine Spectator.  Their tasting notes describe the wine as, "Medium ruby color; deep, complex, rich aromas of red cherry and cola with some nice earthy notes. Rich, ripe, bright red cherry flavors with earthy, cola notes; silky texture; good structure and balance with a lovely long finish. This is a rich and silky Pinot with bright fruit and nice length, delicious and perfect for grilled chicken. Drink now through 2015." 

While we were impressed with the RRV, what really grabbed us was the 2008 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($46, 780 cases).  The Sonoma Coast received 94 points from the Pinot Report and 91 from the Wine Spectator.  It had an unusual taste, which I couldn't identify, and was very good.  Their website says, "Medium deep ruby color with deep, complex, spicy dark cherry aromas with earthy, forest floor notes; complex, deep, spicy dark cherry flavors with forest floor notes; silky texture; some oak, good structure and balance with a lovely long finish. Deep, complex and delicious Pinot with great structure and balance."  Maybe it was the forest floor notes that I coundn't quite put my finger on.

Next up was the 2008 Elsbree Vineyard Pinot Noir ($54, 730 cases) from the Russian River Valley.  Elsbree received 94 points from the Pinot Report as well. They describe it as, "Medium ruby color; complex red cherry and spice aromas; complex, deep, red cherry flavors with spice and earthy notes; good structure and balance; long finish. Spicy and deep Pinot with great structure and fruit flavors. Benefits from a little time in the glass."

The 2008 Leras Family Vineyard Pinot Noir ($54, 1020 cases) was poured after that.  It received 93 points from the Pinot Report and 92 points from the Wine Spectator.  Their website says, "Medium ruby color with complex earthy red cherry aromas; rich, deep and complex red cherry and earthy flavors with hints of tea and cola; some tannin and oak with good structure and balance leading to a long finish. Bright, lush, delicious Pinot that is amazing to drink all by itself. Wow, this is really tasty!" And it is...really tasty, that is.

We were then treated to a taste of the 2009 Russian River Valley Piont Noir ($46).  It received 94 points from the Wine Spectator and impresses with cherry and spice notes.

Last was the 2008 Elsbree Vineyard Zin ($38, 580 cases).  The website calls it, "Medium ruby red color with a wonderful nose of sweet raspberry and blackberry with a hint of spice and smoke . It is elegant and balanced with flavors of dark berry fruit, with a hint of spice and pepper, leading to a long full finish of sweet fruit and oak. Smooth tannins add structure and mouth feel, but don’t overpower."  It's an impressive Zin.

While all the wines were very good, we walked out with the Sonoma Coast Pinot and the Elsbree Zin.  I also came across a bottle of the 2007 Charles Vineyard Pinot from the Anderson Valley in my cabinet.  That particular vintage is sold out and we didn't taste the 2008 vintage ($54) on our last visit, but I remember being particularly impressed with the 2007.  My bet would be that the 2008 was wonderful as well.

Their wine club ships twice a year, and you can select gold (2 cases), silver (1 case), or bronze levels (1/2 a case).  They have other perks for members, including winemaker dinners, reservation of their patio for private parties, and discounts ranging from 10 to 20 percent, depending on the level.  Their website is http://papapietro-perry.com/.  If you are a Pinot fan, this is a winery you should know about.

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?

Muscardini Cellars

I mentioned previously that Muscardini Cellars shares a tasting room with Ty Caton Vineyards in Kenwood (see link below).  We stopped in last Saturday for a taste of Michael's current releases and were not disappointed.  Muscardini's tasting room, as I mentioned in the review of Ty Caton, is a friendly, active room, with the staff pouring from an extensive list of wines from both wineries.

We started with the 2010 Rosato di Sangiovese ($19, 254 cases produced).  The grape is from the Monte Rosso vineyards.  The wine is a rosy pink and has a clean, crisp mouthfeel.  It would be a wonderful summer refresher.

Next was the 2010 Barbera from the Redwood Valley in Mendicino County ($36, 394 cases).  The wine is a thick, dark red.  The Muscardini website says, "An homage to the Old World. Opens up with aromas of bright red fruit, raspberry, wild herbs & roasted espresso beans. On the palate, lively flavors of ripe plum, raspberry and cherry, vibrant acidity, balanced tannins, silky mouthfeel and a long smooth finish. Overall, young, ripe, and incredibly complex."  This wine won a gold medal at the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

From there we got a taste of the 2009 Monte Rosso Sangiovese ($36, 493 cases), which was awarded a bronze medal at the same competition.  Of this wine, the website says, "Enjoy the aromas of crusted dark ripe fruit with black pepper and smoky meat. Savor the seductive ripe raspberry and blackberry sweetness with soft tannins. A great wine with your favorite pasta or pizza."   

The 2009 Gracie Creek Syrah ($36, 141 cases) was an intense purple.  My sweetie, the creamy/buttery Chardonnay lover, was heard to say "nice" upon tasting this one.  Score another bronze medal from the SF Chronicle.

That was followed by the 2008 Tesoro ($46, 542 cases), a Super Tuscan made up of 44 percent Sangiovese, 30 percent Cab, and 26 percent Syrah.  This one brought in a silver medal at the SF event.  The website says, "Elegant, floral cassis nose with dark cherries. Vibrant red and black currants, dark chocolate and a hint of herbs. Graceful finish balanced with velvety tannins." 

The 2009 Monte Rosso Zin ($42, 329 cases) was a gold medal winner at the 2011 SF Chronical Wine Competition.  The Muscardini website says, "Aromas of blueberry pie with cloves, black pepper, cardamom and dried herbs. Ripe berries and big, bold, dark fruit, a little chewy with some spice."

The 2009 Unti Vinyards Syrah ($32, 224 cases) took silver in the recent SF competition.  This wine has been a favorite of mine from Muscardini, I found this bottle of the 2007 vintage in my cabinet at home. 

Last, we tasted the 2008 Fortuna ($49, 522 cases), a blend of 55 percent Syrah, 30 percent Cab, 10 percent Merlot, 2.5 percent Cab Franc, and 2.5 percent Petit Verdot.  This won Best of Class at the California State Fair.

Of the wines we tasted, I'd highly recommend the Rosato, the Tesoro, the Unti Vineyards Syrah, the Monte Rosso Sangiovese, and the Gracie Creek Syrah.  All were rich and flavorful, but these were my favorites.

Along with the webiste, Muscardini is available in some local restaurants and he has occasionally put wines up on wine.woot.com (I bought a three pack a year or two ago).  The website is http://www.muscardinicellars.com/.  He has two versions of his wine club, the Divino Club (two bottles, four times a year, 20 percent discount on wines and merchandise) and the La Famiglia Club (four bottles, four times a year, 25 percent discount on wines and merchandise). 

Michael is often serving in the tasting room (we were told we'd just missed him) and is an attentive and gracioius host.  He even signs bottles of his wine with a gold marker.  Go see him.

B.R. Cohn Winery and Olive Oil Company

My sweetie and I went out tasting in Sonoma County this past weekend, so I have fresh information on several wineries to share.  I'll start with one of my long-time favorites, BR Cohn.  Back when my major criterion from picking a wine was my appreciation of the label, Cohn was a favorite.  Their label, to my tastes, is one of the best in the business.  Based on the presence of olive trees in front of what use to be the main house and is now the tasting room, the label is a pop-art rendition of an olive branch and fruit.  Cohn was the first wine club I ever joined and I've always enjoyed their wines, even now that I base my wine selection on things other than the look of the label.

Their tasting room is located at 15000 Sonoma Highway in Glen Ellen (see map link below).  It is located on the winery property, fronted by the olive trees and the Olive Hill Vineyard, is home to Bruce Cohn's collection of restored classic cars, and hosts annual charity concerts featuring the Doobie Brothers, for whom Bruce Cohn is the manager.  The tasting room is one of the more interesting that I've encountered to date, accompanying the usual tasting room stock with Doobie Brothers memorabilia; gold records, photos, guitars, etc. 

Our tasting started with the 2010 Robledo Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay ($35, 400 cases produced).  It met my sweetie's preference for creamy/buttery, with a long pleasant finish.  Their website says, "It is 100% barrel fermented and aged in all new Burgundian French oak barrels. This wine is rich and concentrated with aromas of tropical fruit, pear, apricot, and lemon meringue surrounded by a bouquet of toasty oak, vanilla, caramel, and hazelnut. Luscious mouthfeel and bright flavors of honey, pear, apple, and citrus make this a perfect wine with food, especially seafood or poultry."

Following the Chard, we tasted the 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($40, 1,300 cases produced).  This wine received a gold medal at the 2011 California State Fair.  Their website says, "The 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is produced from the finest vineyards in this appellation. It is a complex, lush wine with aromas of black cherry, raspberry and strawberry intermingled with a bouquet of vanilla, caramel and spice. It is rich and smooth on the palate with a lasting finish." 

From there we tasted the 2009 Sonoma Valley Zinfandel ($28, 1200 cases produced), which received 91 points and a gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute and 88 points at the California State Fair, both in 2011.  Again from the website, "This combination yields a blend of berry and cherry aromas mingled with the bouquet of creamy vanilla custard and a hint of peppercorn and clove. The 2009 Zinfandel is full-bodied and warm with a long smooth berry flavored finish."

We were treated to an advance taste of the 2009 Syrcab, 61 percent Syrah and 39 percent Cabernet Sauvignon ($32 when released in mid-February, under 1000 cases produced).  The wine was a dark, rich red, had a fruity nose, and was very smooth.  

We finished up with the 2008 Olive Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($55, 3600 cases produced).  As always, this wine was wonderful.  The website says, "This wine has pronounced aromas and flavors of plum, black currant, and cherry. Luscious berry and cherry flavors fill the palate, and silky tannins follow through to a warm, lasting finish. As always, this exceptional vintage was fermented in small lots to ensure the character of each part of the Olive Hill Estate Vineyard. This vintage was aged for 24 months in only the finest tight grain French oak. A bouquet of fine oak, anise and mint combine with supple tannin and a long finish to produce a well-balanced rich full-bodied Cabernet that will age well for years to come and drink well at your table now."

It was a hard choice, but we purchased the Chard and the Zin.  The Pinot was wonderful and may be my choice next time.  I also like their Syrzin, which we didn't taste this time, but I've bought on previous visits.  The Olive Hill Cab is always a good choice as well.

The Cohn website is at http://www.brcohn.com/ and includes not only the wines, but also a collection of olive oils produced from the trees on the estate.  The wine club has several versions (Special Select, Olive Hill Estate, Gourmet Food Club, Case Club, Case Club II, and the Classic Car Club) starting at two shipments per year with four to six bottles, occasionally large format bottles.  Members receive free tastings, free VIP tours of the winery (well worth the time), and a 20 percent discount on wine purchases. 

If you find yourself driving along the Sonoma Highway looking for someplace to stop and taste, BR Cohn is a must.  Enjoy.

Arrowood Vineyards and Winery

The Arrowood Winery tasting room is located at 14347 Sonoma Highway in Glen Ellen (see map link below), elevated a little above the valley floor.  The building has a long veranda overlooking Glen Ellen and the valley.  The tasting room itself has large windows with the same spectacular view.

I first stopped into Arrowood a few months ago, taking advantage of a two-for-one coupon and 10 percent discount from the Winery Finder iPhone app.  The pourers were friendly and helpful, even offering tastes from the more expensive tasting menu in response to direct questions about their other wines.  We stopped in again last Saturday for a refresher.  Again, we were pleased with the attention we received from the staff and impressed with the wines served.

We opted for the more expensive tasting this time (The Reserve Tasting, $15 according to the website).  It started with the wine we were there for, the 2007 Reserve Chardonnay ($40).  On my first visit, after tasting the Chards on the Signature Tasting ($10), I asked if they had a Chard in the creamy/buttery style that my sweetie prefers.  They said yes, in fact, they did and pulled out the Reserve for me to taste.  In fact, it did fill the bill and I purchased a bottle for my sweetie to taste later that weekend.  She agreed.  This time, we started with the Reserve, which continues to impress.  But the pourer then pulled out a bottle of the 2008 Alary Vineyard Chardonnay ($35) from the Russian River Valley for our consideration. This wine was brighter than the Reserve and my sweetie described it as "flowery".  Staff suggested an orange blossom note.  We wound up with two bottles.  They also shared a 2009 Sonoma County Chardonnay ($30) that is currently available only to wine club members.  It was tasty as well, but less of the creamy/buttery that we look for.

From there we went on the the 2007 Sonoma County Merlot ($42).  The website says of the Merlot, "The nose is ripe and luscious with hints of raspberry, dried cherries, licorice, cedar and vanilla. The palate is rich and velvety with great intensity and ripe tannins. This is a rich and complex Merlot that is well balanced through its lingering toasty oak finish."  It was a dark, rich red.

Moving on the the Cabs, we started with the 2007 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon ($35) sourced from several vineyards around Sonoma County.  Our pourer indicated that this was the current staff favorite.  The wine received 92 points from The Wine Enthusiast in May 2011.  The website says, "This Cabernet has very rich aromas of cassis, black cherries, and plums with nuances of toasty oak in the background. On the palate, the wine shows its underlying depth of dark fruit. It is silky in texture with almost a sweet impression that lingers into a plethora of black fruits, cassis, and a nuance of dark chocolate on the finish." 

The 2006 Réserve Spéciale Cabernet Sauvignon ($90) was next.  This wine received 93 points from Robert Parker and The Wine Advocate in February 2010.  The website says, "It is our signature wine composed of our finest barrels and fruit from neighboring vineyards in Sonoma Valley. Lush, layered, and complex, this wine captures the fingerprint of the variety, the character of the terroir, and our finest representation of the vintage."  It was wonderful.

Next on the tasting menu was the 2007 Lasseter Vineyards Cab ($70, 250 cases produced).  This wine has a very fruit-forward nose and palate.  They describe it as, "Rich, enticing and complex from the first swirl, this wine opens with aromatics of black cherry, black berry, toast, and crème de cassis. These notes gracefully introduce the palate with a harmonious blend of plump berry fruits, notes of cedar, and well integrated tannins on the long, lingering finish." 

The final wine of the day was the 2004 Saralee's Vineyard Syrah ($30) from the Russian River Valley.  The wine had a nice flavor and deep reddish/purple color.  "Inky ruby in color, this Syrah has a bouquet of ripe blackberry fruit, smoked meats, Chinese camphor and violets. On the pallet, fleshy blackberry and plump blueberry flavors lead to tar, roasted meat, cracked pepper, and a suave minerality in the lingering finish. This wine should age well for the next 5-7 years."

Depending on what varietals you prefer, any of these wines would be worth purchasing.  We left with three bottles, the two Alary Chards and a Lasseter Cab (my sweetie suggested that we get something special for Valentine's Day coming up).  They have more listed on the website as well, including a couple more whites and late harvest White Rieslings.  Not on the website are some select Cabs, which can be ordered by phone.  These range from $58 to $90, if I remember right, and are single vineyards lots that provided impressive characteristics out of the barrell.  Supplies are limited.

They have a wine club, First in Line, that ships four bottles of mixed or red only four times a year, or the six bottle Plus tier.  Members received free tastings for up to five guests and 20 percent discount on wines (25% for 30 days on reorders of the current shipment).  Plus tier members receive a 25 percent discount on wines (30% on reorders). 

The website is http://www.arrowoodwinery.com/.  It is a scenic and friendly tasting room and well worth the stop.

Discount Online Wine Sources

There are three websites that I routinely watch for bargains on wine.  One I've mentioned before, http://www.wine.woot.com/.  The others are http://www.wtso.com/ and http://www.lot18.com/.  Each has its specialties and they all offer wines at pretty fair discounts off retail.  I have purchased wines from all three without any delivery or service problems.

Wine woot, as I've mentioned before, typically offers one wine, or speciality item, each day.  Occasionally, woot has what they call a "woot off" where all the backlog of items are sold off in a single day (or two days).  It appears to me that the wine woot off sometimes has new stock, items that were not offered before.  It can be a pretty exciting day, watching all the great buys go by.  Shipping on all purchases is $5, whether it's a single bottle of wine or a case...or a 52 inch flat screen TV.  There is a woot app for iPhones (I'd assume for other smart phones as well, but I only know about the iPhone).

WTSO is "wines till sold out".  As the name suggests, WTSO offers one wine at a time until they sell the entire stock of that wine, then they move on to another wine.  They can have several wines each day.  Their prices are typically about 50 percent off retail.  WTSO always offer free shipping with a minimum purchase, usually three or four bottles, depending on the price of the wine.  Sometimes one bottle qualifies for free shipping.  There is also an app for WTSO as well.

Lot 18, the third site, offers a number of wines at any one time.  Prices are lower than retail, but not quite half off retail.  Shipping is free with a minimum purchase much of the time.  Lot 18 has buyers around the world, so their items can vary quite a bit.  There are times when you see a number of wines from the Willmanette Valley or Sonoma, and others when you see imports more.  Lot 18 requires an invitation to join.  You can use this link https://www.lot18.com/i/Douglas157752 as  your invitation, or just go to the site and follow their directions.  They will send you one to your email address.

As with wine clubs, these websites have advantages and disadvantages.  One advantage is the price.  All three have pretty good prices compared to retail.  This is based on my knowledge of some of the wines I've seen go across the sites, including some I've purchased or comparisons I've made to the wineries' websites.  Shipping is usually lower than the wineries' shipping costs, with a minimum purchase.  Also, they often offer wines that you're not likely to have heard of before, small lots from obscure (or not so obscure) wineries, so you have an opportunity to try wines with a reduced risk (money spent) if you buy something you don't like.

The disadvantage primarily lies in not always knowing the wines that you are buying.  Occasionally, a wine will be posted that I know.  For instance, WTSO has recently sold BV's Tapestry and George La Tour.  Both were offered at good prices, with shipping included for free with a minimum order.  Woot occasionally offers Ty Caton's wines and those of Michael Muscardini, his tasting room partner.  But I usually don't know most of the wines that I see on any of the sites.  I have gone out on a limb and purchased some that I don't know and have been pleased, but more often I've been disappointed.  They were a decent buy for the price, but not as good as I had hoped based on their retail price.  So stepping out of your knowledge base can be a crap shoot.

Sometimes, though you run across something good at a good price, and that keeps you coming back for more.  Last night we opened a bottle of Sequoia Grove from a Lot 18 purchase.  I bought three bottles of the 2006 Rutherford Bench Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon for $99.  If I remember right, shipping was included in the price.  Checking the winery's website, I found the 2007 currently on sale for $65 a bottle.  So it was a wonderful deal and the wine was fruity and smooth and paired well with the shrimp tacos I had for dinner. 

The thing is, though, I knew Sequoia Grove pretty well already, had other bottles in my cabinet, and felt pretty sure that I was buying a good wine.  There have been other purchases where I haven't been as lucky, always with wines that I did not previously know.  Even basing a purchase on someone else's ratings doesn't always work.  Just as you might not agree with my assessment of a particular wine, my tastes don't always jive with Robert Parker's.  Not that Parker is wrong...just different preferences.  So my advice...bookmark the sites and keep an eye on them.  Buy what you know and what you know to be a good deal, with an occasional splurge into something that really intrigues you.  These sources can be a wine buyers friend, if you use them correctly.