Wine and Food Adventures

Jöhlinger Straße 46
76356 Weingarten
Germany
http://www.wein-gut-schaefer.de


On a rainy Tuesday during three days off from work we decided to visit the winery "Weingut Schäfer" in Weingarten approximately 30 minutes from our home. With the owner Thomas Schäfer I arranged an appointment at 11 o'clock in the morning and just when we reached the winery the sun came out from behind the clouds and didn't leave for the next two hours. We visited the winery during a very busy phase. At this time the Schäfers built the new winery and the movement from the old one should take place during the upcoming weeks. So it happened that Thomas Schäfer needed to visit urgently the lot due to some difficulties over there. But no problem, his mother offered to lead the tasting instead and she did this in a very charming way.


From the "Weinscheuer" three garden benches and a table were brought into the courtyard. Under the wonderful August sun the first three white wines were presented.

- 2013 Jöhlinger Auxerrois trocken (6.60 €; 8.70 $)
- 2013 Weißer Burgunder trocken (6.60 €; 8.70 $)
- 2013 Weißer Burgunder trocken "Premium" (9.90 €; 13.10 $)

Already the first wine - the Auxerrois - demonstrated the style chosen by Thomas Schäfer. The wine coming from the neighborhood community Jöhlingen had a pale yellow colour and was at the beginning slightly sparkling. Aromas of green apricots were paired with a little bit of kiwi. Very fruity. In the mouth crisp and fresh. Long finish with a touch of rest sweetness in the end. A wonderful summer wine perfect for any kind of garden party with BBQ. Auxerrois? A short word to this grape. It is a white wine grape varietal mainly located in France and Germany. The wine resulting from this grape reminds a little bit of Pinot blanc (see next two wines of the tasting), but more fruity with less acidity.

Therefore only it was consequent that the next two wines in the tasting were the Pinot blancs (Weiße Burgunder). Thomas Schäfer offers two different lines - the "Standard" line and the "Premium" one. Both wines have a slighly yellow golden colour. The standard Pinot blanc was more mineral whereas the premium one was thicker and stronger. Aromas of lime were present in both cases; also the medium-long finish was nearly identically. The key point here is the style! The differences detected in the aromas were continued on the palate. So it is more or less a matter of taste. Do you like more the mineral style? Or perhaps do you prefer a stronger, almost a little oily Pinot blanc direction? My wife and I had different opinions. She preferred the standard Pinot blanc, I like the premium style better. Pairing with food? Absolutely no problem. Wonderful wines for any kind of fish dishes. By the way this is the central theme of all wines from this vineyard: They are going well with various food!

The Weingut Schäfer was founded in 1999. At this time the winery had two hectares; today the Schäfers operate 17 hectares. As mentioned before the family currently prepares the movement to the new winery. A lot of money was invested to provide at the new site a lot of amenities for the customers including accomodation possibilities. Early 2015 the complete movement will be finished.


During the next white wine flight Thomas Schäfer arrived at the winery and replaced his mother. So she was in the position to prepare the lunch for the family.

- 2013 Grauer Burgunder trocken (6.60 €; 8.70 $)
- 2013 Chardonnay trocken "Premium" (9.90 €; 13.10 $)

Both wines confirmed the direction of the winery's style. The Pinot gris (Grauer Burgunder) had a pale yellow golden colour. Clear aromas of pineapple and extremely fresh. Some acidity in the medium-long finish. The colour of the Chardonnay was also pale but more in the yellowish direction. Crisp and fruity and wonderfully balanced. More the mineral style of a Chardonnay. Again it became obvious that Thomas Schäfer prefers to provide wines which make a lot of fun and fit perfectly to different kinds of dishes. The Pinot gris? Asparagus of course. And the Chardonnay? Even if it is not the "New World" style I would like to pair it with a lobster. I could bet that this would work.


Now we changed to the red wines. Thomas Schäfer selected three different ones from his list.

- 2013 Spätburgunder trocken (6.90 €; 9.10 $)
- Schwarzes Schaaf trocken (7.90 €; 10.40 $)
- 2013 Prior trocken "Premium" (9.90 €; 13.10 $)

The Pinot noir (Spätburgunder) was very well structured. Clear and dark cherry red with a nice blackberry aroma. Surprisingly long finish. This wine is at the beginning and will be later the year a good partner for mildly perpared venison dishes. The Black Sheep (Schwarzes Schaaf) is something special. It is part of the "Schäfer's Schaafe" line which offers "young and cool cuvées". Besides the "Schwarzes Schaaf" the customer can also buy the "Weißes Schaf" (White Sheep) and the "Süßes Schaaf" (Sweet Black Sheep). These cuvées are special because they are made from different grapes from different vintages. The "Schwarzes Schaaf" for instance is made from grapes of the vintages 2010, 2011 and 2012. The following grape varietals were used by Thomas Schäfer:

- Spätburgunder (Pinot noir)
- Prior (a fungus-resistant varietal)
- Dunkelfelder (very often used for colour support)
- Cabernet Mitos (hybrid Blaufränkisch x Teinturier du Cher; similarities present to Cabernet Sauvignon)
- Merlot

The wine offered a clear dark cherry red with intensive and strong aroma of blackberries. On the palate very present with a long and pleasant finish. Very, very good. The last wine of the tasting - the Prior - had a similar colour like the "Schwarzes Schaaf". But here a more complex aroma of wild berries was provided. Also very good. Both wines would be excellent partners of lamb dishes.

Just when we tasted the Prior Thomas Schäfer was called from the lot and he had to leave again. Without lunch. As I said before, a very stressful days for the Schäfers. It is therefore all the more remarkable that the family took their time to support this tasting in a very friendly way without any pressure on us.

During our visit we tasted only a small range of the available wines. But from my perspective all the wines had a clear and simple message: Drinking wine is a lot of fun, but you don't have to do without a very good quality. Due to this direction it is only consequent that the Schäfers are using screw caps. A decision which was made together with the customers! However Thomas Schäfer can also do different. Besides others I bought also two bottles each from the 2007 Merlot (12.10 €; 15.90 $) and the 2011 Spätburgunder Auslese (19.80 €; 26.00 $). Both with traditional cork. And of course I needed to taste both at home .

The Merlot is a very difficult wine. A lot of earthy notes and a little bit "reclusive" on the palate. But as food partner the wine provided its real strength. With a spicy curry dish suddenly herb and spice aromas became prominent. Really sensational was the pairing with a classical US dish: Mac 'n' cheese. The Merlot supported the creaminess of the dish in a wonderful way. Together with this the Merlot became smoother and more harmonic. Stunning.

Very special also the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir) Auslese with remarkable 16 % alcohol. Also remarkable Thomas Schäfer's comment about this. He didn't influence too much on this. More or less today the wine is what it wants to be! With its extreme sweetness in the long finish the Auslese reminded me a little bit of the Zinfandels of Helen Turley. Brave to produce such a wine in Germany. I like it. And I will definitely come back to the Weingut Schäfer to see the new winery and to taste more of their wines.

Napa Valley, California
15.4 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-08-28

This bottle was an ebay bottle. I bought it as part of a batch of bottles from one seller. Originally I was only interested in the Turley Zins this seller offered, but this bottle was so cheap that I took it in addition (3.50 € / approx. 4.60 $). To get the bottle was a little bit difficult. Somewhat chaotic the seller sent the whole packet first to the wrong address. So it took in the end nearly three weeks for it to reach my cellar and during these weeks the wines were most on travel. In a nutshell: I didn't expect something from this bottle. Big mistake!

One evening a good friend and I were still a little bit thirsty. In contradiction to my wife this friend also likes Zins and so my wife didn't complain when we opened it. Plastic cork . No good sign. Then the first surprise. In the glass deep cherry red. Nearly no lighting rims. Looks very young. Aromas of ripe blackberries paired with wet forest floor. A little bit like a forest after rainfall when it is still steamy. In the mouth extremely mild. Wonderful rest sweetness. Fruity; the alcohol perfectly integrated. Long finish. Very, very good. Another perfect example for the quality of the Mondavi wines in the era of Timothy und Robert Michael Mondavi.

The wine is absolutely on the top. Indeed I believe you must be very lucky to get another bottle of this quality. If you want to criticize something then the fact that this wine is not a typical Zin. If you offer a blind tasting with California Cabs from the nineties, integrate this wine as a pirate. Integrate it in a BBQ dinner with a little bit more sweet sauce.

Visiting Sonoma County means for me all the time that I also have to visit a very special place – Cornerstone Gardens.

According to the website “Cornerstone Gardens is an ever-changing series of walk-through gardens, showcasing new and innovative designs from the world’s finest landscape architects and designers.”



This is totally true, but indeed Cornerstone Gardens provides more. For the full range of amenities please check the website http://www.cornerstonesonoma.com/. I want to concentrate on the three tasting rooms currently located at Cornerstone Gardens:

- Keating Wines
- Poseidon Vineyard & Obsidian Ridge Winery
- Meadowcroft Wines

During our last trip we spent in all three tasting rooms a lot of time and we had the opportunity to taste the full range of the fantastic wines produced by these wineries. Some bottles I took with me back to Germany and together with some friends we celebrated a reminiscence to these three tasting rooms and their wines. A really nice experience.



One thing is clear: Visiting Cornerstone Gardens means also that you have also to stop at Cline Cellars. So we all thought that perhaps we should start with a nice white wine from this wonderful family-owned vineyard.

2009 Cline Cellars Marsanne Roussanne Sonoma Coast (88/100)
Sonoma Coast, California
14.0 % Alcohol

Strong golden yellow, clear and bright. Aromas of buttered popcorn, butterscotch and ripe exotic fruits, mainly pineapple. Fat, heavy and absolutely full-bodied. On the palate the pineapple aromas are confirmed. Medium-long finish. A BBQ wine at its best. Absolutely on top. Don't wait any longer.

Cline Cellars is definitely the winery I visited most often in the last eight years. Also I met Fred Cline once during a presentation of his wines during the Rheingau Gourmet Festival in Germany. An extraordinary person and an extraordinary winery. When Robert Parker publishes his list of top US values usually Cline Cellars is represented with 10 % or more of all listed wines! I will visit Cline Cellars later the year again. And then I will provide a more detailed report.



But now we enter the three tasting rooms at Cornerstone Gardens. Or better I did this in my mind. Indeed it was Tuesday, the 17th of December 2013 when I visited all three tasting rooms last. I still know this because shortly before this latest trip to California I drunk the remarkable 2011 Dry Creek "Buchignani" Zinfandel from Keating. This wine was so good that I immediately wrote an email to Eric Keating to reserve another six bottles. And on the 17th we arranged the pick-up. Again it was a fascinating tasting. I am all the time surprised about the continuous quality of all Keating wines. This day my favorite was the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III. Also this wine we tasted during this reminiscence.

2010 Keating Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Beckstoffer Georges III (91/100)
Rutherford, Napa Valley, California
14.7 % Alcohol

Dark cherry red, nearly impervious. A full basket of dark fruits: blackberries, blueberries, paired with sauce of dark chocolate. On the palate very strong and rustic. Full-bodied. The presence of the alcohol is noticeable but not in a bad way. Decanting. After two hours smoother, more charming. Very, very good. Also a BBQ wine. Or even better a nice duck dish with a cherry gravy!

The originally plan for the 17th was to pick-up the wine at Keating and then to leave Cornerstone Gardens to visit some other places. Then we saw the tasting room of the Tricycle Wine Partners with the wineries Poseidon Vineyard and Obsidian Ridge. The tasting room was at this time not so long established, but it looked cosy and Henri - the dog we took care of - needed a break.



So we walked in - and left nearly two hours later. All tasted wines were at least very good. Some of them outstanding. Even the "everyday wines" like the Poseidon's Chardonnay and Pinot or the Obsidians Cab had a high quality. But my absolute favorite was the 2010 Half Mile - a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. And yet a half year later and thousands of miles from home the wine was even better.

2010 Obsidian Ridge Half Mile Proprietary Red (92/100)
Red Hills Lake County, California
14.2 % Alcohol

Dark cherry red with some purple tones. Blackberries, chocolate and some earthy notes. On the palate fruity and wonderfully smooth. A charming guy. Absolutely on the top but it will hold this quality for another three years minimum. A partner for roast chicken!

I have to mention that we visited some days later the tasting room again with some very good friends for another tasting. See also one of my first entries. We wanted to stay for approx. 90 min and to have some other tastings the day. We left after two and half hours. Nothing more to say.

However after this first tasting at the 17th we really wanted to go. But Carole - the very charming lady from Tricycle Wine Partners - strictly recommended us to stop shortly directly next-door at Meadowcroft. We followed. A good decision. Also here the quality of nearly all wines is very, very good. My favourite: The estate Cab.

2010 Meadowcroft Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown (90/100)
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley California
14.5 % Alcohol

Medium-dark cherry red. Cherry aromas paired with blackcurrant. Very fruity. On the palate fruits again; some spices. Tannins still present. Decanting. If you want to pair a Cab with seafood (e.g., tuna) this could be a partner. After one hour still fruity but smoother. Still very young.

Of course all the three Cabs are too young to drink them now. But with two hours decanting all of them offer maximum pleasure. And for me a wonderful reminiscence to a remarkable place in Northern California. I will come back again. Definitely.



PS: The day we tasted the wines is already some days ago. It took some time to finalise the entry for several reasons. However I added the last things last Sunday - just when the earthquake took place in Napa. In the meantime I received the information from Keating Wines and Tricycle Wine Partners that nobody was hurt and the damages are manageable. Thank God they were more lucky than other wineries near the epicenter of the quake. I hope that all wineries in the area can manage the impacts of this disease. But I trust in the spirit of the people in the region as mentioned in an email I received from Truchard Vineyards: "Napa is a strong, vibrant, and supportive community, and we are proud to call it home."

My wife and I love Cajun Cuisine. Unfortunately in Germany it is very difficult to prepare something similar to the dishes you get at the "Bless My Soul Cafe" in Eureka, California. I love this style of Cajun food with the Californian touch. However with some tricks you can bring back the vacation feeling on the table. And my wife did. She prepared a traditional Gumbo with chicken, shrimps, garlic sausage and rice.

For the wine I decided to go the traditional way: Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. But of course I tried the "cross-over" pairing: I opened some bottles of these varietals from German producers.



2011 Knipser Sauvignon Blanc (87/100)
Laumersheim, Pfalz, Germany
10.9 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-08-17

Pale yellow green, a little bit sparkling. Very intensive aroma of green pepper and some immature kiwis in the background. Extremely fresh. In the mouth a nice and pleasant acidity paired with some spices. A summer wine at its best. Still very young. Will keep its freshness for another two years minimum. Sensational bargain (I paid 10 Euro at the winery!). Wonderful with cold fish dishes or Asian food.

2008 Balthasar Ress Assmannshausen Höllenberg Spätburgunder (89/100)
Rheingau, Germany
12.5 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-08-17

Clear and light garnet red. The wine is already dominated by the secondary aromas of earthy notes and wet wood (oak tree); some strawberries in the background. In the mouth strong with a good spine. A little bit too acidic at the end of the long finish. But that can be changed by waiting a while. In a difficult phase and so decanting makes sense what I did. Already during decanting more strawberries available. Let's see. After one hour completely different view. The Pinot is now smoother, creamier. Without losing its strength. However I believe after holding another two years the wine will be more open (again). So wait a little bit. Pairing with food? Difficult to decide at the moment. Indeed the pairing with the Gumbo was sensational. See below.

The Gumbo tasted fantastic. And both wines were very good partners - with some pros for the Pinot. The Knipser Sauvignon Blanc added some citrus fruit tone to the dish. The one and only problem was that taking a sip directly after some Gumbo a little bit overlaid the flavors of the dish. So you should wait perhaps for 10 seconds before taking a sip. The Ress Pinot in contrast strengthened the aromas of the Gumbo and was growing together with the dish. Wonderful pepper aromas arose and the whole mouth was filled with a very rich feeling. Pairing at its best. The wine was fundamentally better with the Gumbo than alone.

Recently I found in my cellar a bottle 2010 Chardonay Carneros from Roche. I thought it would be a good idea to drink this (last) bottle of this winery and to recall the place where my passion for California wine began. Indeed Roche was the first winery I visited in California. It was in 2008 and at this time the Roche tasting room was located at Arnold Drive, coming from the south just behind the Sonoma Raceway (formerly Infineon Raceway). My wife and I had an appointment at Gundlach Bundschu and of course we started our tour from Novato too early. First time in the area and no idea of nothing and how long you need to drive. And no navigation system.

So what to do? We stopped at the first winery which was already open at 10 in the morning. And just this moment we passed this scenic gate at the entry of Roche (today the Ram's Gate Winery is located over there). To stop here was indeed one of the best decisions of our life. Besides the fact that the quality of the wines of Roche is quite good, we met the first time one of today our best friends in the US. Our friend Brian not only presented the wines in an outstandingly charming way, he also gave us perfect recommendations for other wineries, transport of wine back to Germany and so on.

We stayed in touch but the funny thing was that we met in the upcoming years two or three times again per coincidence. For instance two years later we were looking for the tasting room again, but the location at Arnold Drive was closed. So we continued to Sonoma, walked around and suddenly saw the new Roche tasting room. And inside we found - Brian. It was the only day in the week he worked over there. Since then we met him and his beautiful wife Nancy at least once per trip to enjoy a lot of extraordinary areas with fantastic people all around the valleys. And of course it was Brian's idea to establish this blog.



But coming back to Roche Winery & Vineyards. Let's start with the tasting room. The location in downtown Sonoma just off the Sonoma Plaza is well-chosen. It is housed in a nice craftsman style building from the 1940's. Indoor and outdoor tastings are possible. I personally favor the outdoor tastings. You can relax on the porch or at the comfortable outdoor tables and have a look on the Sonoma Square. It is allowed to bring your own picnic and enjoy it together with the Roche wines. We did this once. Brian brought some artisan cheese and organised a tasting for us and some friends from Germany we showed this nice place. Fantastic. If you don't have some food with you but you are hungry - no problem. Roche has a partnership with the Sunflower Caffé nearby (http://www.sonomasunflower.com/). The owners of Roche encourage families to bring children and they are dog-friendly.

And the wines? I start with the review of the above mentioned Chardonnay.

2010 Roche Winery Chardonnay Carneros (89/100)
Sonoma, California
13.8 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-08-16



Nice and clear yellow gold. Explicit gooseberry aromas. A little bit nuttily (young walnuts). In the mouth the gooseberry style is continued. A little bit like a Gooseberry- Meringue Cake. Straightforward, still crispy and very pleasant. Very long finish. On the top, but it will hold this quality for another two or three years.

Food pairing with Roche wines is in general no problem. This special Chardonnay is a typical summer one. If the sun is shining and you share this bottle with some nice friends and perhaps some cheese or Italian antipasti, then you know that life is good. We paired it with a classical "German" dish: Viennese Schnitzel with French Fries. Worked very well. The Carneros Chardonnay gave this dish exactly what it needs: Fresh and fruity pairing aromas.

From my perspective the Roche Winery is a real Chardonnay expert. Far away from all prejudices of Californian Chardonnays (too fat, too buttery and so on) here very fresh wines of this grape are produced which are perfect for food pairing. Roche offers different styles of Chardonnay: Stainless Steel, French Oak, American Oak and a Late Harvest variant. You like Reds more? No problem. Also the different red variants are worth to try. Check out this place during your next Sonoma stay. You will not find Roche wines in discount stores or wine shops! Nearly all information can be found on the Roche Winery website (http://www.rochewinery.com/). I will vist the winery again during one of my next trips and will give a more detailed report with more pictures.

One sunny Saturday afternoon my wife and I had the idea to prepare a small but nice degustation menu and to pair the different courses with some "summer" wines. With this term I don't mean the typical "easy-to-drink" white wines. I mean complex wines which challenge the tasters without being too heavy.

We decided to prepare the following courses:

1st Course: Tortelli Ricotta with Citrus Carbonara and Rocket
2nd Course: (Not too rich) Salmon Cream Soup with Dill paired with cold Herb Prawns
3rd Course: Small Meat Balls scalloped with Feta Cheese paired with Salads from Feta Cheese and Bulgur

We decided to open two different white wines and one very special red one. The idea was to select the wines exactly for the dedicated course, but to pair it also with the other ones to see if the selection was the right one. We selected the following wines:

- 2010 Thomas George Estates Sauvignon Musque (for the Tortellis)
- 2010 Ramey Wine Cellars Chardonnay "Russian River Valley" (for the Salmon Soup)
- 2006 Cline Cellars Small Berry Mourvèrdre (for the Meat Balls)

And of course we first tasted the wines alone.



2010 Thomas George Estates Sauvignon Musque (89/100)
Brian & Janice Schmidt Vineyard
Dry Creek Valley, California
13.6 % Alcohol

Pale yellow. Aromas of grapefruits and pineapples. Very intensive. On the palate the pineapple dominates. Nice acidity. Medium-long finish. As expected a very good partner for any kind of food with "citrus-style". On the top. Don't wait any longer.



2010 Ramey Wine Cellars Chardonnay "Russian River Valley" (90/100)
Russian River Valley, California
14.5 % Alcohol

Nice golden yellow with green reflexes; wonderful aromas of pineapple and lychees with a touch of vanilla and oak. On the palate citrus fruits dominate; crispy and also a little bit salty. Incredibly long finish. Fascinating. Still young and in the evolving phase. So wait another two years to drink the wine on the top. Then it will hold the quality for another six years minimum. Pair it with salmon.



2006 Cline Cellars Small Berry Mourvèrdre (89/100)
Contra Costa County, California
16.0 % Alcohol

Light cherry red. Classical mint aroma paired with overripe blackberries. The mint dominates also the palate. Very refreshing with a wonderful sweetness. The high alcohol is not noticeable. Medium to long finish whereas the sweetness is available up to the end. The team of Cline Cellars recommends the pairing to "roast leg of lamb, garlic and pepper studded rib roast or ratatouille". I fully agree, but for me this is a perfect candidate for an "American-Greek-Crossover-Pairing". Therefore the selection. The wine is on the top, but due to my great experience with the 1999 Small Berry Mourvèrdre I could bet that it will hold this quality for another four years.




After tasting the wines alone we already expected that we did the right selection. And indeed each of the wine paired strongest the designated course.

Tortelli Ricotta with Citrus Carbonara and Rocket
The wonderful Sauvignon Musque from Thomas George improved the citrus aromas of the carbonara sauce to a wild mix of exotic fruits and didn't kill the rocket. A wonderful dish paired with a perfect partner from one of the hidden treasures in the Russian River Valley. You should consider this winery when visiting the area next time. The two other wines didn't reach this quality with the Tortellis. The Ramey Chardonnay was still OK as partner but far away from the finesse of the Sauvignon Musque. And the Small Berry Mourvèrdre? A typical and very good example for pairings which do not work. The problem was here the citrus on the one side and the mint on the other one. Don't try this.

Salmon Cream Soup with Dill, paired with cold Herb Prawns
As mentioned before we prepared the soup not too rich. The Ramey Chardonnay punctuated the creaminess of the soup in a wonderful way. The wine lost a little bit its lemon aromas and transformed them to a more creamy, buttery one. Different with the prawns. Together with the herbal style of the prawns the wine showed its tremendous freshness. And the combination of both? Sensational! Took first one of the prawn and then some soup. This itself is already fantastic. After ten seconds a sip of the wine. In the mouth you have now a sensational spicy note paired with some exotic fruits. Neverending finish. And the two other wines? The Sauvignon Musque was a little bit lost with the creaminess of the soup, but worked absolutely fine with the prawns. The Mourvèrdre harmonised surprisingly well with the dish. So if you don't like white wine this is an interesting combination. The mint aromas of the wine gave the soup a little bit a caribbean style.

Small Meat Balls scalloped with Feta Cheese, paired with Salads from Feta Cheese and Bulgur
Together with this "Greek Style" dish the Cline Mourvèrdre offered all its strengths - with the single parts as well as with the combination of all parts. With the meat balls some spicy notes came into the foreground whereas the salads were wonderfully paired by the mint aromas. Especially the Bulgur and the Mourvèrdre are an unbeatable duo. Here the two white wines had no chance. They were simply lost in the Greek aroma combination. Only the pairing of the meat balls together with the Ramey Chardonnay worked.

In total a nice experience of a summer food tasting. All dishes were not too heavy and the selected wines increased the pleasure of the menu. A very good Saturday afternoon...

Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California
15.8 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-07-31

We visited the tasting room of Thumbprint Cellars in Healdsburg last in October 2012. Doing wine tastings at Healdsburg Plaza is quite a challenging thing. You visit a tasting room and get immediately a recommendation for the next one. And so on and so on... If you start early in the morning you have to be careful with the amount of wine you taste. Especially because you can walk from one tasting room to the next one without using a car. And even more because the people in the tasting rooms are extremely cordial. A place like paradise for wine friends.

Thumbprint Cellars was a recommendation of the people from La Crema nearby. All wines were very good, but we loved most the Syrahs and bought two bottles. One we emptied the same evening in the wonderful Dry Creek Kitchen restaurant on the other side of the street. The other one waited for nearly two years in our cellar...

The Syrah from the Ramazzotti Vineyard offered a medium cherry red colour with some light rims. This Syrah is more a fruity one. Aromas of cherries, blackberries and some blueberries are clearly dominating. In the mouth the high alcohol is present but very well integrated. It reminds a little bit of liqueur. A rich wine which needs a strong partner. We opened it for a wonderful beef fillet and it was a very good combination. The wine didn't try to outplay the fillet, but enriched the flavours of the beef by a fruity note. Excellent.

This vegan wine is on the top and will hold its quality for another two years. Only 225 cases were produced from this nice Syrah. If you have a chance to buy it, don't wait.