Goldeneye’s Confluence Vineyard is situated in the center of the Anderson Valley AVA, located in Mendocino County in California’s north coast. Adjacent to the Navarro River, the vineyard is comprised of a range of soils, including benchland and gravel strata, and is exposed to varying terrain from hillside slopes to protected pockets. The vineyard, planted completely to Pinot Noir, offers specificity when it comes to clonal planting, with each nook and cranny offering up its own unique expression of terroir and ultimately crafting a well-rounded, rugged red wine that does indeed taste of the valley floor.
Tag: wine
Goldeneye 2016 Gowan Vineyard Pinot Noir
According to the winery, Goldeneye’s Gowen Creek Vineyard, located in the “heart” of the Anderson Valley, showcases mixed terroir, featuring elements from the valley’s warmer regions and its cooler, Northern “deep end.” The Southwestern exposure allows for a wide array of vineyard blocks planted with specific clones of Pinot Noir ideal to each site and soil type.
Goldeneye 2016 The Narrow Vineyard Pinot Noir
The Narrows Vineyard is located on a narrow ridgetop at the northernmost tip of Anderson Valley, located along the Mendocino Coast in northern California. As such, vines are influenced by its proximity to the ocean, producing summer fog and cooler daytime temperatures. It’s the perfect location for a vineyard planted completely to Pinot Noir grapes…
Amador Cellars 2015 Syrah
I first came across Amador Cellars during a report for the SF Chronicle. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of tasting a few of their wines in the comfort of my own home as well—and the quality of wine I received in the tasting room has held up with every sip, from their 2012 Reserved GSM to their 2014 Reserved Grenache and now this single-varietal expression of Syrah.
J. Cage Cellars 2017 La Cruz Vineyard Chardonnay
When it comes to modern California Chardonnay, it seems more grapegrowers are focused in on purposeful planting, winemakers taking a more “hands-off” approach in the winery. Thus the nuances of the actual fruit are able to come forward, unmasked by excessive ML or NFO aging. Tasting the J. Cage Cellars 2016 Schmidt Home Vineyard is one such Chardonnay that piqued my interest into the current California expressions of the grape. So when owner Roger Beery asked if I’d like to taste his most recent release, my answer was an enthusiastic “yes please!”