Reviews of wines and spirits for the curious drinker.
The Russian River AVA sits in the center of northern California’s Sonoma County, and is characterized by a generally cool climate, with sunny days bracketed by fog early and late. This encourages the slow-ripening of fruit, particularly suitable for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc, like these selections from Mossback Winery.
Truchard Vineyards
Truchard Vineyards was established in 1974, when native Texans Tony and Jo Ann Truchard purchased a 20-acre parcel of land in Carneros. They transformed what was an abandoned prune orchard into a vineyard, and began selling the fruit to a local winery. Because of the difficult clay soil he had to work with, as well as a dearth of groundwater, Truchard was one of the early adapters of drip irrigation, a practice that was used in Israel for desert farming but not known in California yet. The Truchard Estate Vineyard has since grown to 400 acres, of which 280 are planted.
Since its founding in 1974 by Damaris Deere Ford, great-great granddaughter of John Deere, Landmark Vineyards has called Sonoma County home. Originally located in Windsor, California, in 1989 Landmark moved to the heart of Sonoma valley to escape the encroaching urbanization to the north.
In 1991, Landmark decided to focus primarily on Chardonnay. This effort was reinforced in 1993 when they retained the highly-regarded winemaker and consulting enologist Helen Turley, who has also worked for wineries such as Pahlmeyer, Bryant Family Vineyard, Colgin, and Blankiet. Turley is credited for being one of the first people in the early 1990s to see Sonoma’s potential for world-class wines, particularly Chardonnay. The work came together nicely in 1997, when Landmark’s 1995 Overlook Chardonnay landed a spot on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List, the first of seven such appearances.
Landmark sources its Chardonnay fruit from a variety of growers in Sonoma valley, allowing them to take advantage of a dozen microclimates and growing conditions. Landmark also maintains a modest 11-acre organically-farmed estate vineyard, planted to traditional Chateauneuf du Pape varietals—Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Viognier.
After harvest and pressing, the juice for this wine is racked into French oak barrels. There, indigenous yeasts carry out the primary fermentation. This traditional practice allows a medley of yeast species to each contribute its own unique flavor components to the wine. Next comes a second malo-lactic fermentation. The wine then spends eight to ten months in barrel sur lees, after which it is finally blended.
In the glass, this wine is a pale gold tinged with green. The nose offers aromas of grapefruit and preserved lemon. The citrus theme continues on the palate, abetted by good acidity and just enough oak to temper and mellow the flavors.
Serve this up with Chicken Breasts with Artichokes and Mustard Sauce, or Sea Bass with Gingered Broth.
This Pinot Noir shows that Landmark has a way with reds as well as whites. Grand Detour is sourced from five vineyards in the cool-climate Sonoma Coast appellation. The climate of this region allows the wine to mature at a leisurely pace to improve structure and develop tannins.
This wine is medium brick in color, with a nose of wild strawberries and plums. The taste follows through with plum and other stone fruits. There is plenty of body (especially for a pinot noir) supported by tart tannins.
Salmon en Papillote would be a classic pairing with this wine. Also consider Veal Scallopine with Lemon and Capers or Roasted Pork Loin with Apricot-Armagnac Compote.
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