On a recent visit to Amador County, my first stop was the historic Terra d’Oro. I went there honestly not knowing the significance of the place and expecting it to be the most “commercial” of my tastings that day. Luckily, I had a head start on fellow tasters that day, as I strolled into the winery at 10:30am on a Monday. I pretty much had the place to myself, which could have been awkward I suppose, if it hadn’t been for the knowledgeable staff who shared, not just wine, but stories as well.
Impulse buy. Total impulse buy. But I must say, I have good impulses. I was standing at the store with a wine in each hand debating back and forth between two Pinot Noirs. But what drew me to Scott Family Estate was its Russian River roots. Being a young wine, I knew that the freshness of the river’s soil, the bright fresh fruits, and that little something extra found in the valley would be found in the wine.
I feel like this is a name I’ve seen around the stores for quite some time, but never actually grabbed a bottle. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen it so much, I just assumed it would be generic and unfulfilling. You’d think by now I’d learn never to assume anything when it comes to wine. Anyway, long story short, it was my partner in wine crime (who appears as a ghostly reflection if you peer into the bottle in the photo below) that picked this bottle out — kind of on a whim. Well, whim and assumptions aside, we were in for quite a treat when we popped the cork on this Mer Soliel Reseve Chardonnay.
When Larry Schaffer of Tercero oh so kindly sent me a few bottles to sample, he included this varietal that I admittedly have only heard of by name. Never having studied the grape let alone taste it’s fermented juices, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I, of course, sought the guidance of the winemaker (Larry) when planning my first Cinsault encounter — and then just dove right in.
I present to you, Baby Briscoe’s first Cinsault…
Thumbing around online, Twitter-chatting about Sonoma, following pretty much every winemaker I can on IG, I can’t not notice Sonoma Cutrer. I guess it’s weird that I’ve only just now bought myself a bottle. Good things, they say, are worth the wait. No longer a stranger, Sonoma Cutrer, you are my new friend, and you can be sure I’ll be calling back again and again.
