Winery - Stephen & Walker
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Here’s a big, triumphant Petite Sirah that shows everything fans of the varietal love. It’s dark, dry, tannic, full-bodied and immensely flavorful, offering blackberries, blueberries, currants, bacon, pepper and sweet oak. Fine now with very rich fare, and should develop slowly over the next 8 to 10 years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is a robust, ripe and fruity Zinfandel that impresses for the sheer exuberance of its flavors. They range from black cherries and red currants to cola, chocolate, black pepper and the sweet, glyceriney taste of high alcohol.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Hard to believe this Sauvignon Blanc never saw oak, because it has a vanilla bean flavor that must come from the grapes alone, although lees aging surely contributes to the creaminess. The underlying flavors are complex, ranging from Meyer lemons and sweet limes to exotic tropical quince, kiwi and guava and just a touch of gooseberry. Best of all is the acidity, which brightens everything. A great Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This dessert wine is very sweet but not incredibly so, with a flavor like apricot and tangerine jam, drizzled with honey and vanilla extract and sprinkled with cinnamon. If that sounds delicious, it is, and the acidity makes it clean and zesty. The price isn’t bad, considering that this is a full bottle, not a half bottle as so many dessert wines are.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Some Petite Sirahs need serious time to come around, and this is one of them. Right now, it’s so strong in primary fruit flavors, so jammy, so tannic and rude, it practically slaps you across the face. It really wants a great deal of time to soften and meld together. Try giving it at least eight years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is a very big, powerfully extracted Pinot Noir. It is not currently showing much varietal character. Feels like it was made by someone who knows how to make Cabernet, and brings that mindset to Pinot. The wine is full-bodied, thick, heavy and enormously concentrated in raspberries and cherries. Could change over time, but there’s not much point in aging it.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
There’s not much Sauvignon Blanc grown in this cool region of the Russian River Valley, which makes this bottling a curiosity. It has excellent acidity and is flavorful in Meyer lemon, lime, vanilla and honeysuckle flower flavors, but is a little too sweet to earn a higher score.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Dry and grassy, this Sauvignon Blanc has citrus, fig and spice flavors, brightened with crisp acidity. There’s a lot of that gooseberry, feline thing.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A little soft, but the spices make up for that, creating a tingly mouthfeel of pepper, anise and clove. That’s in addition to the ripe wild blackberry, cherry and mulberry flavors, finished with a splash of tabasco. Great with teriyaki beef or pork.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
There’s a depth of Burgundian flavor, a forest floor and mulch note in this rich, earthy Pinot Noir. It explodes with red and black cherry, licorice, tangerine zest and cola flavors, with a superb tannin structure. Beautiful now, and should develop for up to eight years.
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