AWC in Sonoma Wine Country – Day 2

Day 2 of our summer wine escapades focused on AWC in Sonoma wine country and it was a warm Saturday in the valley. So, after yesterday’s experience, we were excited to get things started. We had breakfast at the hotel and were slated to meet Oliver and Rachel at 10:30 am. The drive out to the Sonoma Valley was absolutely beautiful and our slate of tasting rooms included 4 unique wineries. So Benziger Winery would the first stop and it included a tour through the vineyards and facility grounds. Imagery Estate Winery was our next stop so this would be our 2^nd visit to both of these amazing places.

Lasseter Family Wines was stop #3, and Eric Ross Winery would be our final stop of the day. Rachel & Oliver were Wine Club members at Imagery, so, this provided benefits for our Benziger visit because they are “sister” wineries. At the end of the day our plan was to do dinner separately and we ended up having a new experience that was really delicious. This is the Good Life with AWC in Sonoma wine country!  Continue reading to see all the details of our Sonoma Valley wine and culinary experiences.

Benziger Winery

Our first stop was Benziger Winery and it’s located in the Sonoma mountains. Benziger is a certified biodynamic, organic and sustainable winery and the property is expansive and very picturesque. We started our visit with a pour of the 2020 North Coast Rosé. It was light and well-balanced so it was perfect for a 1^st sip before tasting some fuller-bodied reds. We then were provided some historical insights by our tour-guide and wine steward. So we boarded an oversized golf-cart and were driven around the grounds and vineyards.

We stopped along the paved road for a bit and received more history and vineyard info. During the final stop we were provided a pour of the 2020 Paradiso de Maria Sauvignon Blanc. This offered citrus notes and was a crisp, refreshing palate pleaser. As the temperature began to soar, we wrapped up our tour and were escorted into a private tasting room for our “Tribute Estate Tour” tasting. And so it begins…

The Reds

Our first red of this flight was the 2017 De Coelo Quintus Pinot Noir. This was lighter in body and different from the Oregon Pinot’s I’m more familiar with. The 2017 Sunny Slope Cabernet Sauvignon was next on the list. This Cab was crafted to age and was sourced from Sonoma Valley vineyards. It offered black and blue fruit and spice on the finish. The 2017 Joaquin’s Inferno was a full-bodied Estate grown wine and came in at 15.5% abv. In addition, it had some noticeable acidity and could use some bottle aging for sure.

Finally, the last pour was the 2015 Estate grown “Tribute”. This was a Bordeaux style red blend and was nicely balanced. The mouthfeel was elegant and the dark fruit was nicely layered on the palate. We were surprised by the price points of the various wines. While Benziger crafts a diverse spectrum of wines, everything we tasted was under $85 retail!

Imagery Estate Winery

Stop #2 on this beautiful Saturday was Imagery Estate Winery. Located just off the Sonoma Highway in Glen Ellen, this winery always pleases! Recall my mention that Benziger and Imagery were “sister” wineries? Well, Jamie Benziger is the winemaker, and she’s a multi-award winning winemaker at that. So Jamie can work some magic when it comes to her craft! We fell in love with the Petite Sirah a few years back and were excited to see how things have evolved and improved. And wow have things evolved and improved!

Our friends Rachel and Oliver were club members here. As a result, we were provided the VIP treatment. They focus on crafting outstanding wines from less common varietals. For instance, examples include Mourvèdre, Lagrein, Tempranillo, and others. The winery is modern and spacious and provides expansive indoor and outdoor areas and large grassy areas for picnics and outdoor enjoyment. The art collection at Imagery is also very extensive.

Starting with some Delicious Whites

As we entered the indoor tasting room area we were seated next to their fireplace. The chairs were ultra comfortable and we were poured a taste of their 2020 Albariño. This was an enticing and crisp white wine and exhibited notes of grapefruit and peach. We also purchased a box of wine treats. It paired nicely with their 2020 Wow Oui (a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat Canelli). The sweetness of the Muscat Canelli turned this white into a decadent but refreshing wine. This box included some great complimentary wine hors d’oeuvres. We enjoyed our snacks and finished their 2019 Riesling, and were escorted into the club member lounge area. Our wine steward took us through a really interesting list of red wines. With retail prices all under $65 per bottle, there were some fantastic values here.

Ending with some Beautiful Reds

The pours were generous and the lineup seemed to go on forever! So, our start to the reds began with a sampling of the 2017 Lake County Mourvèdre and was followed by the 2018 Sonoma Valley Zinfandel. Next we tasted the 2018 Sonoma Valley Primitivo and followed that by the 2017 Upper Ridge Tempranillo. Then we were offered their 2018 Tusca Brava (Super Tuscan) which was very enticing. Next was a side-by-side sampling of their 2016 French Camp Vineyard and 2016 Upper Ridge Lagrein wines. Both unique and both delicious.

Finally, we were able to coax our wine steward into offering us a taste of their NV Sonoma County Port. This was absolutely decadent. At the end of the day, we purchased 3 bottles of their 2016 Shell Creek Vineyard Petite Sirah and 1 bottle of their Port. It was an absolutely amazing experience with AWC in Sonoma Wine Country.

Lasseter Family Wines

The drive to tasting #3 was really picturesque. As we arrived at the private entry gates to Lasseter Family Wines, the anticipation was mounting. John Lasseter (of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios fame) and his wife Nancy started this winery in the late 90’s. They craft “old world” style estate wines from their organically farmed vineyards in the Sonoma Valley. So, their wines typically spend 18 months (or less) in oak. Offerings included both Bordeaux and Rhône style blends and varietal wines.

Pricing is quite reasonable as well.  But what caught our eye was the range of vintages being offered for sampling. The wines on the list ranged from 2015 vintages through 2019, for the tasting list we saw. At this time, indoor tastings were not allowed due to the Pandemic but their outdoor seating area was expansive and relaxing. After a brief period of hydrating with water, we were ready for our tasting lineup. Our tasting included 5 wines (1 white blend and 4 red blends), plus a bonus wine.

So, let’s get to the Wines

We started with the 2019 Voilà. This white blend of two different Sauvignon Blanc clones and Semillon was refreshing and enjoyable. This was followed by the 2019 Enjoué. This was a Rhône style red blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Counoise. Next was the 2015 Chemin de Fer – another Rhône style red blend. It consisted of Grenache and a varietal called Alban (5 different clones of it) that I was not familiar with. In addition, it included Mourvèdre, and two different clones of Syrah. The Chemin de Fer was my favorite of the wines at Lasseter.

This was followed by a 2017 Bordeaux style blend known as “Paysage”. It was Merlot dominant, and blended with Malbec and two different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon. The next wine was the 2017 Amoureux, another Bordeaux style blend. It was Malbec dominant, and blended with Merlot and two different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon. Our final “bonus” tasting was the 2017 Lasseter – Moon Mountain District Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine needs more time in the bottle to continue maturing.

Eric Ross Winery

The final stop of the day was at Eric Ross Winery. Also located in Glen Ellen, this small tasting room was rustic, homey and filled with photographic art. The owner-winemaker (Eric Luse) was our host on this day, and we were happy to meet him. Eric’s other passion is photography and this manifested from his previous life as a photojournalist. As a result, this certainly shined through via his wine labels and artistic offerings. As we experienced everywhere in Sonoma, the price points for the wines were incredible!

The Winemaker

What I enjoyed about our discussion with Eric was how he was involved in all of it. From soil and vine to barrel and bottle, from labels and marketing to serving in the tasting room. He got his hands dirty with the rest of the crew. So his passion for the wine came across as he described his wine making process and intentions for the wines we sampled. The tasting list included one white wine and four reds and represented vintages from 2012 to 2017, so they spanned quite a range. Additionally, we were successful at coaxing Mr. Luse into letting us taste his Port. And that was all she wrote.

The Wines

Our first taste was the 2016 Viognier. It was beautiful and refreshing. Next was the 2017 Pinot Noir “Poule D’ Or”, unique and enjoyable but different from Oregon Pinot’s. This was followed by the 2013 “Struttin’ Red”. Apparently this was the Eric Ross Flagship wine and it was a co-fermented blend of Zinfandel and Tempranillo. The 2017 Gout de la Vigne Carneros of Napa was a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah. Since I do enjoy a good Grenache, it was no surprise that this wine was my personal favorite of all the Eric Ross offerings.

The final red wine was the 2014 “Chuy’s Block” Cabernet Sauvignon. Crafted from higher altitude fruit and sourced from the vineyards of the Mayacamas Mountains, this wine was outstanding. The last two wines were $20 different in price, and as a result, that led me to buy a bottle of the 2017 Gout. Our bonus wine was the 2012 Struttin’ Red Port. Crafted from Portuguese varietals (Touriga, Tinto Cao and Souzao) and St. George Spirits Brandy, this baby was perfect! So I walked away with two bottles of the Port as well. As a final bonus, I was able to purchase another logo’d, stemmed wine glass for my growing collection!

Dinner at Picazo – Kitchen & Bar

With AWC in Sonoma wine country, we were obligated to check out the local cuisine. Why you ask?  Because that’s how we roll. So, we ended up having dinner at Picazo Kitchen & Bar in downtown Sonoma. This place was fairly empty so we received great and prompt service. For libations, my wife ordered a Cadillac margarita over rocks and I hydrated with an ice water. For appetizers, my wife ordered the street corn. It consisted of corn-on-the-cob and mayo, cotija cheese and tajin, paprika, cilantro and bacon pieces. I had the crispy taquitos, and these were crispy potato & chorizo taquitos with tomato sauce, jalapeño jelly and cotija cheese. These were so delicious!

For the main entrees, my wife ordered the mole smothered burrito because, most importantly, she loves mole. And also, because it was stuffed with cheese and black beans, roasted vegetable rice, pico de gallo and guacamole, sour cream and chicken. I ordered the pesto rigatoni pasta with grilled prawns. It came with cherry tomatoes, spinach, button mushrooms and parmesan. The meal was awesome and we were really full.  As a result, we took the long way back to the hotel. Stay tuned for Day 3….