Category Archives: Sonoma County Wine

Sonoma County and Syrah – A Love Affair

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Ehret Family Winery Vineyard
As reported in the Food and Wine section of the April 8th edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, “one of the great overlooked facts about Syrah: Historically, even in its motherland, this grape has made truly great wine in only a very, very small portion of the World-essentially a 50-mile stretch along the Rhone River.”  “To find a spot where it can use the full timbre of its voice is a great achievement.”  “After our most recent tasting of Syrah from Sonoma County, mostly from its coastal appellations”, the San Francisco Chronicle argues that the “Sonoma Coast is a gorgeously good match of grape and place,” especially Syrah’s from this area.   

Is it any wonder why we love the wines from Sonoma, with its diverse appellations and weather patterns so great for grapes? 

Here at Locals we have four Sonoma Syrah’s.  Why not stop by and try a pairing yourself and make your own determination on the Syrah’s from these appellations as well weight in on; is Sonoma County truly the sweet spot in America for this varietal?  First in your flight might be Ehret Syrah 2007.  This Syrah was all handpicked from Estate Bavarian Lion Vineyards.  The slightly higher elevation combined with the rich volcanic soil and warm sunny days create ideal growing conditions for Syrah.  Notes of ripe, chewy, black fruits on the nose with hints of spice and green apple temp you to drink the whole thing!  This Syrah sells for $32 a bottle retail at Locals or for two bottle and 6 bottle club members it sells for $27.20 and $25.60 respectively.  Second in your flight might be Peterson Bradford Mountain Syrah.  This 2007 “Gravity Flow Block”, Syrah is a big, flavorful wine.  A portion of this block is planted to Viognier which is picked and co-fermented with the Syrah (a classic method of the Northern Rhone region mentioned in the San Francisco Chronicle article), Aromas of blackberry, mineral and oak notes and just a touch of fine-grain leather will lead you to tastes of rich dark berries, creamy mocha and hints of minerality, leather and earth.  Peterson Bradford Mountain Syrah sells retail at Locals for $48 a bottle and savings for club members are seen in the $40.80 and $38.40 for two bottle and six bottle club members respectively.  Moving on in the Syrah pairing at Locals is Russian Hill-Estate Syrah.  This unfiltered Syrah, with Malolactic fermentation taking place in oak barrels is softer to the palate with flavors of white pepper, nutmeg, cocoa, smoke, plum and dark fruited flavors.  Russian Hill Estate Syrah sells for $30.00 a bottle retail and always club member save at $$25.50 and $24.00 for two bottle and six bottle members respectively. 

Next on your journey down the wine road try Eric Ross Gout De La Vigne, from the famed Alder Springs Vineyard.  Elevations reaching 2700 feet above sea level and only 14 clusters per vine carrying less than half the normal crop load help the Syrah ripen with not only power but the elegance of a cold climate Syrah which is co-fermented with Viognier from the same vineyard which adds to the strengths of this Syrah.  Aromas of blueberry, pepper and eucalyptus with hits of licorice, integrated French and American oak barrels add a lovely Smokey note to this full bodied wine.  Gout De La Vigne sells for $45 for non club members and $38.25 and $36.00 for two bottle and six bottle members respectively.

wineclub
I hope a couple of things resonate with you in this article, first is the opportunity as always at Locals, to stop by and sample some wines.  Not only the ones you like and are familiar with but try something new and expand your palate.  Second, at Locals our tastings are free as we want customers to find the wines they love, and to consider joining our Club and Saving on all purchase as well as meeting new friends while sampling at great wines with us.  See you soon. 

2008 Knights Valley Bellarina Meritage: A Lesson in Balance

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Ehret Family Winery, Knights Valley
Blending is much like marriage, ideally there are partners who bring out the best in each other. Creating a great blend is what all vintners strive for, especially in places like California where blends are often king. With less restrictive blending laws than their Old World counterparts, California vintners have the artistic freedom to produce wonderful blends. There are a million different directions to go to create the wine you want each year, and the Bellarina is a great Meritage blend from Knights Valley. If you don’t know much about Knights Valley, you’re not alone. It’s a very small appellation in Sonoma that separates the Napa Valley from Alexander Valley and the rest of Sonoma, areas more familiar to most. Knights Valley doesn’t have direct influence from the Pacific Ocean and is not as warm as the Napa Valley which makes it an ideal location for Bordeaux grapes. While Cabernet is the most widely planted, it’s not surprising that Merlot and Cabernet Franc may actually fare better in Knights Valley. Both have thinner skins than Cabernet and can do better in slightly cooler environments. So why the viticultural lesson? Because winemaking is, in essence, farming and science. Ideally the farming does most of the work, and the science puts the finishing touch. The French call it terroir: the essence of specific location. You want to drink a wine and know where it came from. Bellarina has a firm sense of place. It is a great marriage of Cab Franc and Merlot. The Cab Franc portion has prominent vegetal notes, with leather, tobacco, pepper and black currant. Merlot brings to the pairing the fruit component- red berries, plum, and dark cherry. A classic case of fruit meets vegetable, like throwing some blueberries into a green salad. Perfect balance. The Cab Franc and the Merlot bring out the best in each other. This wine can be enjoyed alone. It doesn’t need a big steak but will complement pork, lamb or other meat dishes will, and will be fantastic in a few years. In 2015, when you’re staring at those dancing pigs on the label in your cellar (shout-out to a clever wine name), you’ll thank me as you pull the bottle, twist off the top, and enjoy a bit of Sonoma terroir.

About Caitlin

Caitlin is an oenophile and sommelier based on the East Coast (though in her mind, she splits her time between her imaginary vineyards in Sonoma and Bordeaux). Caitlin has had the pleasure to spend many years working in restaurants with some great wine lists, and learning from wonderful wine and food professionals. Above all, she has a great respect and love for a great pairing, the industry, the creators, and the grapes! Cheers!

Ehret Family Winery – We Love Knights Valley Fruit!

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Ehret Family Winery, Knights Valley

Recently, Ehret Family Winery joined Locals Tasting Room.  A storied family of Sonoma County hospitality, they established their Bavarian Lion estate vineyard in 1996.  It is located in the important but lesser known Knights Valley, on Highway 128 between Alexander Valley and Up-Valley Napa (Calistoga).

While there are no tasting rooms there, Knights Valley fruit has been the nearly unsung hero of many well-known wines by Beringer and others.  Jess Jackson also took particular interest, developing a property in this area.  Old time Locals Nouveau Hicks still ask about a stunning Mourvedre wine from Knights that we offered in the early years of our tasting room here in Geyserville.

The Ehret wines express their exciting appellation ably!  The Ehret 2009 Sauvignon Blanc($16) comes up well in this hottish climate, a first-class balance between fruit and grassiness.  A bit of coastal air conditioning often comes up the Russian River and spills into the valley, moisturizing and cooling things just a tad in the evening.  So nice long hangtimes are the norm here, and perfectly ripened fruit jazzes up every bottle it fills.

The Ehret 2008 Bellarina, an appealing Meritage blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, is a great casual choice.  Smoky dark cherry flavors finish on elegant tannins lingering in this medium bodied wine, and only $20!  It’s great with lamb and all meats, or try it with some grilled portabellas.  An opulent, hearty syrah is also produced by this winery.

But the signature wines are made of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Great from the bottle now, or age them out more fully.  The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($34) has classic fruit flavor, nice body and a lengthy finish.






The 2006 Hillside Reserve ($40), with fruit selected from a hillside block above the valley floor benchland, is a little bigger, richer, more piquant and intense.  We’d call it a great cab.  Come on in soon and see if you agree!