Locals Favorites Blog

Popping the Cork on a New Ramazzotti Sparkler!

Just in time for the spring holiday and event season, the new 2009 vintage of the Ramazzotti Frizzante ($35) is now available at Locals Tasting Room.

Made with fruit from the same single vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley as before, for this vintage the stunning chardonnay fruit in this Blanc de Blanc was picked with a little more ripeness and sugar, to add a little extra softness at the finish.  With a little less acidity, this effervescent sparkling wine is more fun to sip.  It also goes great with strawberries and cream, melon, or other ripe fruit as spring and then summer come to pass. 

This outstanding sparkler was a room favorite last year...until it ran out.  Only 300 cases produced, best to hurry and get yours now!

For 2010, The Praxis Viognier Moves Closer to Home

Praxis Cellars has been making Viognier for a decade, but the 2010 Praxis Viognier ($17) marks a move to sourcing fruit from the renowned Russian River Valley.  Working on a cool-climate syrah wine prompted Winemaker Bill Arbios to switch to making a Rhone-inspired white wine from similarly farmed fruit. 

The grapes chosen flourish on a rolling hillside, a southwest exposure that takes more sun than much other such coastal fruit, and resulting in some common threads to the hotter climate fruit used in previous Praxis Viogniers.  As with all Praxis wines, the 2010 Viognier expresses the character of this single vineyard.  All Praxis vineyards are are sustainably farmed...with care and passion that is ultimately expressed in the glass.

With this new fruit source, the wine is a little softer, and captures the rich fruit essence of its stellar viognier fruit.  Still offered in a crisp European style, the wine is clean and full-bodied, with a lingering finish of ripe fruit.  To retain the purest expression of the viognier grape, the wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks.

The wines' color is pale straw yellow with green highlights.  The aromas are fresh, complex and clean: melon, honeysuckle, vanilla, pineapple and especially freshly-sliced pear.  These components carry across the palate, intensifying as you enjoy a sensory chorus of delight.

New Appellation, Healdsburg Plaza?!

Our most recent winery addition to Locals Tasting Room is Bedarra Vineyards.  The Bedarra Estate Vineyard is only a mile west of nearby Healdsburg's town center.  The epitome of a small artisan winery, fewer than 500 cases of wine are produced here in a year.

The Bedarra brand is inspired by the beauty and tranquility of the remote Bedarra Island, just off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where proprietors Jeff and Brigid enjoyed their honeymoon in 2003.  Around their home, they grow glorious chardonnay wines, made from their single acre of 15-year old vines.  With the backdrop of tropical palm trees on one side and majestic mountains on the other, Bedarra Vineyards is as scenic as it is fruitful.

The island spirit is carried forth with their fun 2009 Beachfront ($18) wine.  A refreshing blend of Estate Chardonnay and Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc has been married in your glass.  A fun wine with a perfect balance of bright fruit, smooth texture and a crisp clean finish, those of you Nouveau Hicks who might remember the Portalupi Bianco should pay extra attention to this wine.  Like a bit of summer poured into your glass, the Beachfront showcases why this Italianate style of white grape blending is becoming more and more popular!

The 2007 Bedarra Chardonnay ($19) has an exquisite, creamy, custard-like mouthfeel, all while reflecting a well-balanced acidity throughout and a long & lingering finish.  Vibrant flavors of lemon, crushed pineapple and baked pear abound.  A super value on one of the nicest chardonnays made here in these parts.  The 2007 Bedarra Reserve Chardonnay ($29), even thicker and richer, has a refined elegance which might also enhance your appetite.  The flavors, less citrus and more créme brulee, are deeply integrated and interwoven.  A super match to creamy pasta dishes, chicken or seafood.

2006 Pendleton Zinfandel: A Zin For All Seasons

This 2006 Zinfandel/Petit Syrah blend from Russian River Valley is a true lesson in versitality and balance. On the nose, you get great fruit notes of raspberry and blackberry as well as really strong cloves and cinnamon. The palate doesn't disappoint and holds true to the flavors on the nose. Upfront, all the fruit (blackberry and dark cherry) shines through, and then is followed by the spices: cinnamon, clove, and some black pepper as well. Where some zins can be jammy bombs, the Pendleton showcases the best quality in good Russian River wines: even balance. The wine is medium bodied and balances fruit and spice very well. It has enough acid and tannin to hold up well to many different foods, especially dishes with some kick to them. The fruitiness will balance out the spice in a dish, and the spices on the finish of the wine will enhance the heat in a dish. And best of all, this is a Zin that can be enjoyed on its own without being heavy or overdone.

 

2005 Arbios Cabernet: A hint of Bordeaux in Alexander Valley

When you pop open an Alexander Valley cabernet, you expect a full mouthfeel and well balanced fruit. The Arbios Cabernet brings something slightly atypical. It is clear that this winery is trying to bring a little bit of Bordeaux to the land of in your face, fruit forward Cabernet. On the nose, you get raspberries, plum, and some nuttiness. Upon tasting this Cabernet, sour cherry becomes the predominant flavor, supported by hints of wet clay, and cedar. The Arbios Cabernet doesn't have the fruit you typically find in a Napa Cab, or the pungent earth found in a Bordeaux. But it has hints of each. It will be interesting to see how this medium bodied Cabernet ages, however for now, this wine is most definitely a food wine. It will pair well with grilled meats, especially those not accompanied by an intense sauce, as that may overpower this lighter style cabernet.

 

2009 Saracina Sauvignon Blanc: Giving New Zealand A Run for Her Money!

2009 Saracina Sauvignon Blanc: Giving New Zealand A Run for Her Money!

Of late, New Zealand has taken the popularity crown for their Sauvignon Blancs. People have been after the intense fruit characteristics that you often see in those wines. But California is making some gems that find a balance between fruit and great minerality. The 2009 Saracina Sauvignon Blanc is one of these wines. This Sauvignon Blanc has a nose that implies that it will be a very fruity wine, with a lot of honey and melon, and a sweeter citrus zest. But when you take a sip, you discover something quite different: a very crisp sauvignon blanc with a great acidic backbone. This sauvignon blanc is fruit forward tending towards more of the citrus than melon family. The honeydew nose is replaced by minerality and even some grassiness. All these elements create a really well balanced, easy-to-drink wine that would be perfect to start a meal, and would work really well with shellfish, especially raw!

 

 

A Reverie of Delight Returns to Locals!

In the spring of 2009, the 2006 Ensueños Tropicales Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, $20) made a brief but sublime appearance at our tasting room.  Now, with an exclusive, limited allocation of wine, this popular, fruit-forward pinot noir returns, all grown up! 

As before, this wine ably shows off the by-now classic Russian River pinot noir flavor profile.  Built on those bright red cherry and subtle cola flavors, the wine is also exquisitely balanced, with a lush mouthfeel and solid tannins on the finish.  100% French oak barrels were used. 

The extra time in the bottle has been good to this wine.  Fall deep into this dandy daydream...and get a great buy too...while it lasts only!

A Tale of Two Tempranillos

Eric Ross Vineyards is at the forefront of California's move into producing intriguing wines using Spanish grape varietals. 

The 2009 Struttin' Red ($28) is 91% Tempranillo and 9% Garnacha (Grenache).  This easy-going, fruity, red wine is made from younger vines located in Lodi, California's favored Central Valley location for fine wine grapes.  With ripe strawberries on a smoky nose, this wine is sweet on the palate.  Moderate 14.4% alcohol makes it very friendly for sipping or pairing to a meal, Mexican food would be one great idea.  If you love the Eric Ross Saralee Pinot Noir, one notch up of red robustness could be your next delight!

The 2009 Tempranillo ($34 – 100% Tempranillo from the Bokisch Vineyard) comes from somewhat older vines, and from a different part of the Lodi appellation, where the famed cooling Delta Breeze is stronger.  Here the fruit takes a bit longer to ripen, developing deeper character.  Sustainably farmed, the wine is darker and richer than the Struttin' Red.  French oak barrels bring olive tar to the nose and palate, while American oak provides a sweet counterpoint.  Still, this wine is more fruity and playful than its Spanish counterpart.  Also 14.4% alcohol.

These low-production artisan wines won't last long, so get your bottles today!

A Fresh New Pinot Noir Value Awaits Your Holiday Season

Arriving to rave reviews is the new Foggy Valley Pinot Noir.  This exciting wine hails from a renowned Anderson Valley vineyard in Mendocino County, not too far to the north and west of Geyserville.  The high quality fruit on this 2008 vintage was a special opportunity during the recent business downturn.

Tantalizing the palate, this savory wine opens with a little fresh clove and caramel on the nose and tip of the tongue.  A perfect balance of dark red cherries and cranberry flavors flows sprightly across your mouth.  A slight sweetness of flavor and a mouth-watering finish beg for the next sip.

If you are a fan of fruity Russian River Pinot Noir, you will probably enjoy this wine.  At the same time, a nice minerality is reminiscent of the Burgundy region of France, the origin of Pinot Noir.  With the spice from 100% French Oak, 30% new, the wine is also very food friendly, with low alcohol at 13.5%.  This standout wine has good acidity to enjoy with food, yet is soft and luscious enough to sip and sip again.

A stunning value at only $24, better hurry on this one, there were only 155 cases made.  Speaking of cases, the case price is a real deal at $288 minus a minimum 10% case discount of $28.80, even more if you’re a Locals Club Member!

Sweet Rhone Harmony in Atrea's Choir

The new 2009 vintage of Atrea's The Choir white Rhone-varietal blend has arrived, and Carolyn is busy singing its praises to the Locals Tasting Room. Rousanne (62%) and Viognier (38%), grape varietals whose origin is the same as the red Syrah grape of France’s Rhone region, are artfully combined into this versatile blend.

A potpourri of sweet spices from the Viognier delights the nose with complex notes of orange blossoms, pear, ginger and jasmine. These flavors carry through to the Rousanne, which fills the mouth and finishes broadly. This wine sports both richness and bright acidity, without excess weight or alcohol.

Made from organic grapes, the fruit was harvested following a "textbook ideal" growing season. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed, 60% in small stainless barrels and 40% in neutral French oak. No malolactic fermentation. The wine remained on the yeasty residue in the casks (sur lie) for eight months after fermentation, with regular stirrings (batonnage) to improve acidity.

With intensely perfumed fruit, and an ideal sugar/acid balance from the get-go, this process yields an added freshness and creaminess to the wine, also giving it clarity and a lovely straw-yellow color.

The artful balance makes this wine quite versatile at the table, or on your patio.

Winemaker Alex MacGregor recently suggested enjoying this wine with honey dripped over brie.  We tried it, and suggest a ripe, flavorful brie and Geyserville Gold Honey, also available here at Locals.

Only 634 cases produced of this beauty.  $20.