Stonestreet Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2015

Stonestreet Sonoma County Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2015 with French Morbier

I opened this simple, pleasurable light drinking wine before dinner for sipping out on the deck over the course of a delightful spring evening.  

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the purest most natural easy sipping wines which we try to keep on hand for such occasions.

I later opened it to try with some artisan cheeses Linda brought home from the cheese department at the local Mariannos. It proved to be a nice pairing with a French Morbier. 

Morbier-style cheese comes from the highest part of the Jura Mountains in a small farm village in the Franche-Comté region. It dates back to the 19th century when producers of Comté cheese decided to make a smaller cheese from the day's leftover curd for their own consumption.

Morbier has an ivory colour and is soft and fairly elastic. It is immediately identifiable because of its black layer of tasteless ash, which separates horizontally in the middle. The Soot is thrown on top in order to prevent a rind from occurring.  

This fruity, creamy Livradois is produced from cow's milk, French Morbier cheese matures for 6 weeks before it is ready for sale.

Stonestreet Sonoma County Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2015
 

The Winemaker writes about this label, "This Estate Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of several blocks planted at 900 ft. elevation. It displays everything one would expect from Sauvignon Blanc grown at altitude in rock-driven soils: exotic fruit character grounded by serious textural and structural components." 

The rear label states this was sourced from the Couger Ridge blocks in the Alexander Valley, Sonoma County. It says this was grown, produced and bottled by Stonestreet in Healdsburg. Labeled as Estate means the grapes were sourced from the producer's own vineyards.

Wine Enthusiast wrote, "Stonestreet consistently delivers complex, refreshing renditions of Sauvignon Blanc. Grassy on the nose, with an exotic tease of pea shoot, it seemingly vibrates on the palate with lemon, grapefruit and apricot flavors."

Straw colored, light medium bodied, this was bright notes of pineapple, peach with accents of grapefruit and green apple, hints of passion fruit and pear on the tangy finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2547428

Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

For a business dinner at The Clubhouse Restaurant in Oak Brook, IL, my colleague selected from the winelist this Simi Alexander Cabernet. It should be noted this is from Simi Winery and is not to be confused with Simi Valley which is down in southern California north of LA. Simi is located in the northern Alexander Valley in Sonoma County at the northern edge of the town of Healdsburg.

Simi has been producing Sonoma County wines since Guiseppe Simi arrived from Tuscany to develop the vineyards and winery. The property was in the Simi family until Isabelle Simi retired and sold the winery to Alexander Valley grape grower, Russell Green in 1970. Notable winemaker Zelma Long joined SIMI in 1979 and direct major renovation of the winery's fermentation and barrel rooms.

Today winemaking is overseen by Melissa Stackhouse from UC Davis, Meiomi, J Vineyards & Winery, and La Crema, and Lisa Evich who worked previously at Pine Ridge.

Since the 80's Simi has expanded vineyard ownership acquiring the Landslide Vineyard in Sonoma County and 100 acres in the Russian River Valley which they developed into Goldfields Vineyard with Chardonnay.

Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Decent for the modest price-point of this entry level Cabernet. Simi also offer three other premium vineyard designated select and a reserve Cabernets.

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, a bit flabby, slightly astringent cherry fruits accented by cinnamon spice and hints of cedar on a modest tannin finish. Tasted from winelist at Clubhouse in Oak Brook, IL.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3164749

https://www.simiwinery.com/ 

Porter Creek Russian River Valley Estate Visit Tasting

Porter Creek Russian River Valley Estate Visit Tasting

While we focus on targeted producers' select private wine tastings on our wine country trips, one of the greatest joys is discovering a new producer. Typically, these discoveries are smaller producers whose labels are not in wide distribution back in our states. Invariably, they're discovered during a drive by pop in visit which we allow for once or maybe twice per day. In retrospect, these often turn out to be highlights of the trip, and become sources for small boutique wines that we continue to collect going forward.

Its a double edged sword serving and sharing undiscovered 'no-name' producers' labels with friends. While its fun to experience a new undiscovered wine, its dauntingly tempting serving a wine that is not available to acquire after discovery. While, one may not run out to the local wine shop to pick up a couple bottles, in the modern era, almost all producers are available and can be acquired on-line, (unless you're in one of the few states that prohibit importing wine into their bounds (such as Indiana)).

So it was, on our just completed 'Pour Boys'  Sonoma/NapaValley Wine Experience that we came upon Porter Creek Vineyards and Winery during our recent drive through the Sonoma County and the Russian River Valley.

Porter Creek is a small father-son operation run by George and Alex Davis, named for the Porter Creek tributary that runs down to the Russian River. They focus on organic hillside grown, single vineyard designate wines from varietals from Burgundy and the Rhone, those best suited to the terrior of the Russian River Valley, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Viognier. They also produce an estate Zinfandel and a Carignane sourced from Mendocino.

Quite different from the opulence and commercialization of Napa Valley, Sonoma's Russian River Valley is still idylic, laid back, hospitable, and enthusiastically energetic to showcase their high quality wines. Smaller, as yet undiscovered producers such as Porter Creek, represent significant value QPR (Quality Price Ratio) to the high end aggressively marketed

big-name branded labels from Napa producers which are sourced from the same appellations and terroir. Of course, many factors go into making wine, yield and viticulture, the wine making and blending, but small producers who exercise the same care and controls, can produce equally compelling wines as the premium labels.

Under the direction of owner/winemaker Alex Davis, Potter Creek strives to produce quality wines creatively and reasonably so as to maintain high QPR affordability. 

Porter Creek is as unpretentious as could be in their historic one room tasting hut built with hand made redwood beams, decorated with local artwork, with its colorful sweet scented wisteria covered trellis, up the gravel road, nestled between the cottage farm house and a free range egg chicken coop.

The Davis family acquired the Healdsburg estate and vineyards in the 1970's which already had vines on the property that were planted in the 'Old Vine Block' as early as 1974. They were early pioneers when they started producing Russian River Valley Pinot Noir in 1982, made still today in the old world classic Burgundian style.

Alex Davis was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle "Porter Creek's Alex Davis: Winemaker to watch in a 2011" in their WINEMAKERS TO WATCH 2011, by Jon Bonné, Chronicle Wine Editor in January of that year.

Alex spent his childhood in the vineyards and wine barn, earned a degree in Enology at Fresno U., and after college worked at producer Sonoma Cutrer.

His wine education for Pinot Noir was cast when he went to the home of Pinot, Burgundy in France, and worked the harvest at famous properties Domaine Georges Roumier, with its holdings in the grands crus Bonnes Mares and Musigny, and then spent time at Meursault's Domaine Michelot.

He studied viticulture at the University of Dijon for two years, where he met  Philippe Guigal, of the legendary Rhone producer. Alex was one of the first foreign interns to ever work a harvest at Guigal. He returned to California in 1997 to take over as winemaker of the family business at age 26.

Porter Creek sources fruit from their own vineyards and a couple neighboring growers - the vineyards forming a crescent around the wine estate property. Today, Davis focuses on the Porter Creek signature Estate Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, but he also produces some Rhone varietals, Syrah, Viognier and a Carignane sourced from a Mendocino vineyard planted in 1950. He also produces a Zinfandel that is sourced from the vineyard just across the road.

On our chance drive by pop in visit we were hosted by Jonathan Demichael, Tasting Room Manager (left). The tasting room was full of revelers and we almost moved on but Jonathan persisted and served us on the picturesque patio under the pleasant perfume of the wisteria covered trellis.

After initial introductions and overview of the property and wine selections, we learned Jonathan, a musician before turning Sommelier, was a fellow Hoosier and still had ties back to IU and Bloomington.

We stayed on and explored the Porter Creek portfolio and had a wonderful relaxing visit. We ended up acquiring several cases and are eager to re-visit and share our discovery back home.



Porter Creek Wines tasted:

Porter Creek "Haley Marie Cuvee" Russian River Valley Viognier - Timbervine Ranch 2014 

Winemaker's Notes: In the spirit of its northern Rhone counterparts in Condrieu, this wine possesses a weight and richness rarely found in New World Viogniers. Beautiful nuances of mango, pear and nectar. Balanced, round and capable of aging.

Porter Creek "George's Hill" Old Vine Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2014

Porter Creek "Fiona Hill Vineyard" Estate Bottled Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2014

Porter Creek "Old Vine" Mendocino County Carignane 2014

Porter Creek "Timbervine Ranch" Russian River Valley Syrah 2013

 Porter Creek Russian River Valley Zinfandel 2014

Highlights of the tasting for me were the Chardonnay, Pinot and the Syrah, (shown left) of which we acquired a mixed case with Dr Dan, who also acquired cases including some of the Viognier and the Carignane.