Winery - Bjornstad
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Here’s a young, powerful wine that captures the essence of cool-climate Chardonnay. The vineyard is where Russian River Valley meets Sonoma Coast, south and west of Rochioli, and the wine is similar, in both tart green apples and acidity, with richer notes of tangerine, peach and papaya. Buttered toast, butterscotch and smoky vanilla are oak’s contributions, in this brilliant, suave Chard.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Strong in flavor, showing the ripeness and crispness of all Bjornstad’s Chardonnays, with lemondrop, lime tart, vanilla and buttered toast flavors. Very good, but doesn’t quite have the elegance and refinement of the vineyard bottlings.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
It’s hard to consistently get scores this high year after year, but Greg Bjornstad does, because he understands Pinot Noir. Specifically, he knows how to combine power, which is easy, with finesse, which isn’t. This 2007, from an esteemed vineyard, is spectacular in wild forest cherry, cola, licorice, pine cone, anise, exotic spice and sandalwood flavors, even as it’s perfectly balanced with crisp acidity, fine tannins and just-right oak. Lovely and complex. Now–2014.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Lots of oaky richness in this dry, crisp Chardonnay. It has high acidity and a dusty minerality, but also a thick coat of sweet, butterscotchy oak and powerful flavors of lemons, limes, pineapples and exotic tropical fruits. Drink over the next four years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This Pinot, from former Tandem partner Greg Bjornstad, defines an exotic, almost feral style of Pinot. There’s a raw meat, bloody quality to the wild cherry, blackberry, forest floor and cola flavors that finish in a wild dusting of black pepper and Indian spices. Absolutely unique Pinot Noir, tight, minerally and tannic now, but endlessly fascinating. Has the stuff for eight to 10 years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Oak currently stars in this tight, immature Chardonnay. Its parts haven’t melded together. The smoky, caramelized wood is over here, the pears, green apples and mangoes are over there, and the acidity is free-floating all around. Needs time. Wait until mid-2009.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A very elaborate Chardonnay showing flavors of exotic fruits, spices, buttered toast and cream. Charred oak and acidity currently dominate, making the wine a little rigid, but a year or two in bottle should soften and sweeten.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The winery’s ’06 Hellenthal shows the exotic, feral qualities of this extreme Sonoma Coast vineyard. Like the outstanding 2005, its flavors suggest blood, raw meat, wild forest cherries, tangerine zest, pine needles, eucalyptus and Asian spices, wrapped into a bone-dry, crisply acidic young wine. It’s a pace off the ’05, but still a fascinating wine, and one that should evolve through 2012 or so.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Rich and powerful, this well-oaked Chardonnay needs a little time to come around. As it stands, it’s a tense, dry, nervous wine, tight in acids and steely minerals, rather like a young Chablis. Give it a few years for the pear and tropical fruit flavors to sweeten and emerge.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This vineyard is turning out to be a really great one for the various wineries who buy its grapes, and Bjornstad is achieving a great track record with it. His ’06 is not as rich or dramatic as the ’05, but it’s a very fine Pinot Noir, vibrant in acid-inspired cherry fruit. Should hold its own for up to 6 years.
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