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.

Valley of the Moon

The Valley of the Moon tasting room in located at 777 Madrone Rd. in Glen Ellen, close to the Sonoma Highway (Hwy. 12). Follow this link to view a map View Map. 

During my first visits to the winery a few years ago, I was impressed by the consistently high quality of their wines.  Everything I tasted I liked.  Favorites include the Cuvee de la Luna, which is 80 percent Cab, with 15 percent Merlot and five percent Malbec and retails at the winery for $30, the Rosato de Sangiovese that sells for $16, and the unoaked Chardonnay which sells for $17.  Those who prefer a buttery Chardonnay might like the Sonoma Coast Chard that sells for $17, too.  The Pinot Noir is a decent wine for the price ($19).

My favorite wine, though, is the Old Vine Zin.  The vineyard where they grow the fruit is over 70 years old.  The wine is very nice for the price ($25).  The winery occasionally has sales on their wines and I recently bought a case of this wine for $15 a bottle.  I did the same last year.  Every time I a share a bottle with my sweetie she has the same reaction..."Um, this is good. What is it?"  Every time.

Here is what the winery's website has to say about the Old Vine Zin:

"Classic Zinfandel aromas of ripe and briary blackberries and black plums are enhanced with notes of bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Concentrated and rich flavors of berry, plum and cherry/vanilla, with cinnamon and cayenne spice notes, are supported by balanced acidity and soft dusty tannins. 

Winemaker Notes

In the shadow of Sonoma's Mayacamas Mountains, and at the foot of Sonoma Mountain, lies the Valley of the Moon Estate Old Vine Zinfandel vineyard.  These vines were planted in the 1940's in the traditional head trained method without trellising. Flavors are naturally concentrated with distinctive character due to these large vines producing lower yields with age.  This blend is assembled from hand selected barrels of the wine made exclusively from this 70 year old vineyard. The 2009 vintage includes 4% Petite Sirah from the estate vineyard for added fruit depth and structure."

This is a wine that I can unconditionally recommend to Zin and red wine lovers.

Valley of the Moon's website can be found at http://www.valleyofthemoonwinery.com/.  The wine club, "Club Luna", ships two bottles four-times a year.  They sponsor regular pick-up parties, offer 25 percent off all wine and merchandise purchases, and allow members and their guests free tastings.  Benefits are also offered at other Heck Estates family wineries, including Kenwood and Lake Sonoma (Lake Sonoma is available in the Valley of the Moon tasting room).